With prefixes like 'monster mouth', 'controversies' own child' to his name, we were expecting a generous amount of fireworks as we waited for filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. And god, he did not disappoint!

So, when a waiting journo asked him if he planned to join politics, his answer was spontaneous, "I prefer being a street dog rather than one with a leash. I have the liberty to bark whenever I feel like but once I wear the leash of a certain party, I would bark only when I am allowed to and that too would be tailor-made." With this comment he made our long wait at a local TV channel worth its while.

En route to Patiala to give away the prizes to the winners of an essay competition organised by Rajiv Gandhi University of Law, and then to Amritsar to take part in the candlelight vigil at the Wagah border, Bhatt is hopeful about the Indo-Pak relations getting back on to the right track. "You need candle light when it is dark, not in the broad daylight. I am not cynical about the border problems. Way back in 2003 when I went to Karachi for the Indian Film Festival everyone laughed when I said that I would like to see the release of every Indian film in Pakistan. But the miracle happened and our films continue to be shown there despite the deteriorating political relations," he said.

Coming to his films, Bhatt is all excited with his latest two projects, Crook: It's Good to be Bad with Emraan Hashmi and Chandu with his new discovery Imran Zahid. "Crook… is one film based on racism in Australia and it is more about showing the mirror to ourselves. For, when we talk about racism in other countries we forget that India is one of the most racist countries in the world," he said.

Thae latest from his stable, Chandu, is based on the slain leader of Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Chandrasekhar Prasad. Bhatt finds a true Indian in his protagonist, who despite having the calibre of a national leader and becoming part of Delhi's political elite chose to be with the weaker sections in Bihar. "Chandrasekhar interested me because he was from Bihar, a place nobody would bother to look at," said Bhatt.

About his absence from social networking sites, he says he has had enough of voicing his opinions on Twitter or Facebook. "Right now I am taking a pause, inhaling life rather than exhaling it." Absence from cyber space is one thing, but what about the fire inside him? "It's only getting intensified," he put our minds to rest. We exhale a sigh of relief. After all, somebody needs to hope for the better and if that someone is Mahesh Bhatt, he can carry the entire generation along with him! parbina@tribunemail.com

He is the guy who introduced the great student leader Chandra Sekhar Prasad to Mahesh Bhatt and the latter introduced him to the tinsel town. He is Imran Zahid, who teaches journalism at Take One Institute of Mass Communication when he is not busy doing stage shows. And no, theatre had never been the stepping stone for this young man unlike many other Bollywood aspirants. So how did Chandu happen?

"I met Mahesh Bhatt in Dubai. We got talking and he thought I had the looks of an actor," said Imran, who accompanied Bhatt on Wednesday. And yes, theatre had been a passion for Imran who worked with Arvind Gaur.

Does it bother him that he is making his debut with a hard-hitting off beat film like Chandu?

"On the contrary it is a good debut. There are youth icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar. But how many people know about Chandra Shekhar who was a people's person, who fought and died for social justice and who used to urge the youth not to allow their dreams to die? It's time youngsters know about him," said Imran.

With an aim to take Punjabi culture to each and every corner of the world, acclaimed Punjabi filmmaker Manmohan Singh launched the music of his latest flick Ik Kudi Punjab Di at 92.7 BIG FM on Thursday.

The cast and crew shared the theme of the flick with great zest. "We are at the brink of a revolution, as today's youth is set to banish the biggest blot on our society that, somehow, still treats a girl not at par with boys,' shares Manmohan Singh.

The kudi in question, Jaspinder Cheema, Miss PTC Punjabi 2008, resembles the protagonist in more ways than one — theatre background, belief in equality and being a proud Punjabi. "To have your first flick with Manmohanji is a dream come true," shares the petite girl on her birthday. The music of Ik Kudi Punjab Di, given by Sukhshinder Shinda, has eight tracks in total, which are mostly sung by Amrinder Gill. And Manmohan Singh is all-confident of the singer who plays the protagonist. "I am so sure that Amrinder, already a singing star, would with an acting course to his credit, do very well in movies as well."

The movie stars some of the established names, including Kanwaljeet Singh, Navneet Nishan as well as youngsters such as Aman Dhaliwal, Guggu Gill and Gurpreet Ghuggi.

The film is largely set in the City Beautiful. "This is totally for desis and we are expecting a huge response for this one," says actor Rana Ranbir. mona@tribunemail.com

She chooses to stick to traditions, when her fraternity has undergone a western makeover. She is impressed more by the grace and elegance of classical nritya than the globally inspired versions of coordinated hotchpotch called dancing. She still believes in the dhak dhak school of dancing, (wait, she invented the dhak dhak school of dancing), something that Bollywood should be grateful to. If anything that Saroj Khan, aka Masterji of Bollywood, did apart from becoming an icon was to give meaning and grace to the pelvic thrusts and gyrating moves!

"People have always underlined our dances despite the fact that they were enjoyed by the entire family. Don't call them bad just because you have to, as you are one among the audience as well," says the choreographer whose favourite number is Chane Ke Khet Mein that made Madhuri's every move a classic in the film industry.

Announcing the launch of her dance academy at the Gurukul Global School, Chandigarh, Saroj rests her hopes on the future, educating children through dance. "Those who thought dance is no child's play, well, kids today have made them eat their own words. They are doing it better than the grown ups." Her stint as the judge of kids dance reality show, Chak Dhoom Dhoom on Colors, was what made her take notice of the fact. "Ask them to dance to any tune and they will do it without fail. Jazz, salsa, contemporary, hip-hop…except the Indian classical and folk dances. That's' where we fail them." A statement driven by both substance and sentiments. "Most reality dance shows have participants who are ready to jump around, do stunts and stand upside down. But nobody appreciates a classical dance performance. Why should we blame the youngsters when the ones sitting on the judges' chair don't promote it at all?" she asks.

And with her dance academy at Gurukul, she aims to bring in elements of dancing in a holistic manner. "We will be teaching Bollywood, classical, folk and contemporary dance forms. It will be an exercise for the children as well as their parents, and anybody who wants to dance and express his or her self," she briefs.

So, what are we looking forward to? "A wonderfully creative experience. We will teach according to the understanding of the people in Chandigarh. Kids need a different style of learning and we will ensure they give Chandigarh a chance in Bollywood with its energetic moves and talent."

To which Sanjana, city-based little dancing diva, nods. "Sanjana made the city proud on Chak Dhoom Dhoom and I am hoping that many such little stars emerge from our academy," says Saroj.

As for Masterji, she loves her students but like any other teacher she too had some 'difficult learners' in her class. "Like Sanjay Dutt. I had a tough time getting his moves right for a song." And her favourite? "Madhuri. She was like a dream come true." Wasn't that easy to guess?

nehawalia@tribunemail.com

After the scorching heat of the summer months, Tiyan or Teej is a welcome and much-awaited break for women of Punjab. The Teej was celebrated in the traditional spirit at Hotel Peninsula, Panchkula on Thursday. The function was organised by Swati Bansal, Charu Gupta and Sheetal Kapur. The function wore a complete festive look, with the guests attired in colourful and traditional dresses.

The highlights of the function were games, a photo session, dance performance based on bolis, which are a representation of folk poetry. The dancers performed various traditional dances on folk songs to mark the occasion. "We are celebrating the day by performing our traditional dances, swinging and singing songs from our Punjabi tradition," said Charu Gupta. — TNS

Film: Peepli Live

Director: Anusha Rizvi

Star cast: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghubir Yadav, Malaika Shenoy, Nawaz-Uddin Sidiqui, Aamir Bashir, Naseeruddin Shah

This is Aamir Khan Production's fourth project after Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par and Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Na. And Aamir seems to be tapping a niche audience with different type of subjects. Peepli Live, directed by debutant Anusha Rizvi, is a satire set in a village in Central India. It is engaging, funny and, thought-provoking. The director has used Urdu storytellers who perform on stage. The music of the film has generated curiosity and the song Mehangai dayan.. is already a rage. Watch Naya Theatre artistes in this keenly awaited film in theatres at Chandigarh, Panchkula and Zirakpur today. — Dharam Pal

Lack of words need not mean lack of communication. Their signs and gestures might be a little difficult to comprehend, but the canvas and colours say it all. A special kind of art workshop is on and there is more than one reason for the proverbial pin-drop silence.

At Government College of Art-10, Kamal Nain Bhan, an artist from Kashmir, is teaching them how to give the right tinge. While the teacher and the pupils are busy sharing tips on the half-done landscapes, the artist's daughter Preeti Bhanu, plays the interpreter, the translator, just in case.

"I'll be teaching them still life, on water colours, certain genres and techniques of painting and modern art," nods Bhan. The five-day workshop, spreads across all streams - painting, sculpture, and applied arts - cuts across all years and batches. "Some of the old students who have passed out have also joined in for this," chips in DS Kapoor, principal. He adds, "We've been wanting to do such a workshop for a long time now. No matter how good other teachers are, there's always that hesitation and certain lack in communication. We wanted these students to be cent per cent comfortable."

No wonder, the bunch of a dozen is a bundle of smileys! Adds DS Kapoor, "If Satish Gujral could be a great artist despite being hearing and speech impaired, why not them?"

Needless to say, between the teachers and the ones being trained, there's a special kind of bond, an unsaid connect - the kind comes with being in a similar position.

Shares Ritu Bhardwaj, pass out, "We obviously feel a little more comfortable with him, even though our teachers help us a lot." While some are feeling more interested, others inspired…to each his own. "I want to take up teaching only. Probably be a good teacher in some fine arts college," shrugs Priyanka.

Meanwhile, the brush strokes continue, the water colours are being mixed, applied…all with precision and care.

"All of them are brilliant, fast learners. But just some of them need a little more concentration in colour combination." Each one's canvas has a story to tell - a landscape, a palm tree, scenic beauty et al.

"Art is different everywhere. In Kashmir, it is always for the beauty of the nature and the landscape. People in Chandigarh and Punjab are modern, use innovative techniques."

All this while the teacher and the pupils are busy covering the canvas with yellow…while the communication among them was as complete as a circle. Sans any noise!

manpriya@tribunemail.com