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Game for it!
It’s time for some damage control! Scandals, controversies, blamegame…if the ‘not-yet-arrived’ problems have been debated and discussed enough, can we please begin to talk about what’s good about the Commonwealth Games (CWG)? Can we shift the focus to our contingent, medals we are hoping to win, what people feel about the games and their little efforts towards making them a success?
So for a change, let’s focus upon Danish Bedi, a class VI student, who with other schoolmates of the British School, recently took out a rally to promote the CWG. He doesn’t know much about the mindgames shadowing the event, but knows quite a lot about the games! “It’s an opportunity for Indian sportspersons to prove their mettle to the world. I hope Saina Nehwal and Abhinav Bindra bag gold medals,” he says. And there’s more to the eagerly-awaited event, than the snake and words doing the round in the Games Village! Initiative of The British School, the rally saw participation by over a 100 students, some dressed as Shera (the mascot) and some holding its posters. “It’s high time we stop criticising the arrangements, as it is harming the image of our country. Through this rally, we want to inspire people to look at the positive aspects of the event,” say the authorities that have taken this initiative. Similar efforts have been made by the students of Arts College, who to promote the CWG, have made colourful floats. They have also made Shera dummies that will be installed at the Sukhna Lake and Sector 17. Says DS Kapoor, Principal, Government College of Art, “While condemning the games we forget that at present it’s the face of our country. Unlike the popular sports like cricket and football, it’s only events like these that popularise deserving sportspersons and certain games. We can’t take away the little chances of fame from the athletes and players.” Life-size sculpture of Shera in fibreglass is expected to attract tourists at the Sukhna Lake. AS Grewal, whose firm Gary Arts is making the sculpture and the 1,500 Shera pieces that are to be gifted to dignitaries, rues the fact that the Games haven’t received the limelight they deserve. “We don’t realise that it’s not everyday or even every year that we get the privilege of hosting such international events,” says Grewal. And to celebrate the spirit of the games, eating joints in the city are offering mouth-watering delicacies! During the 10-day event, the city will hold an Italian food festival and a sizzler food festival. There are other offers such as complementary drinks and desserts to be served with food. “We do realise that the CWG will not entertain the masses like cricket. In that case, something extra is needed to make the games special. We hope the Italian food festival and the Brazilian buffet serves the purpose,” says Atul Grover, MD of Rio Grill. Zinc-26 will host the Pan Grill Sizzler festival and offer complementary desserts. A special menu will be launched only for the CWG games at the Lobby. “Other plans for the CWG include décor changes on the opening and closing day of the Games. It’s important to realise their significance. A lot of tourist flow is expected and we are ready for it,” says Ashish Manchanda, MD, Lobby. But there’s a lot missing…huge screens at eating joints and public places are nowhere in sight. Hope the next four days bring about some positive changes! ashima@tribunemail.com
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WORLD TOURISM WEEK Ikk imarat sarre Jamuna barhin andaaz-o-adaa, Mugliya daur ki ghammaz nazr aati hai /Jab bhi mehtaab ki halki si kiran padti hai, Taj ki shaql mein Mumtaz nazar aati hai.” The couplet from Ustad Haji Aslam Saabri beautifully explains the beauty and grandeur of Taj Mahal as well as Mumtaj Begum!
Having sung in as many as 50 Sufiana qawwali and ghazal albums, Aslam Saabri gives all credit to his ustads who have carried ahead the 550-year-old family legacy of Andehata Qawwali Gharana, of which he is the 17th generation representative.
Saabri made history at 17 years of age when he made his international debut at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and later in 40 countries. Presently holding a top AIR grade in qawwali, he won the prestigious competition at Lahore in 1969 where Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan too was a contestant. Saabri repeated the feat in 1972 at Ajmer where almost same teams from India and Pakistan participated. “But the real award is when my audience is totally taken over by Sufi mysticism.” “I have recorded qawwalis in over a dozen films. Recently, I have sung Maula Tu Hi Tu for an English film American Day and Night. But my favourite is Mujhe Ishq Ho Gaya from Yash Chopra’s film Parampara. He had sent me 24 air tickets and 1.5 lakh rupees in 1992 for this,” he reminisces. About the contemporary music scenario, he opines that keyboards and drums have taken over the sarangi or tabla, but many Indians settled abroad still relish pure Indian classical folk or devotional music. “Even some of my students in Mauritius, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston etc stick to the traditional stuff,” he signs off.
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Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Sharan Kapoor Director: Siddharth Anand Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Zayed Khan play lead roles. Advaita Kala and Siddharth Anand have penned the screenplay. The film has some peppy tracks and larger than life visuals. It emphasises that all great love stories start with two strangers. Trade pundits predict a good opening for Anjaana Anjaani. Tech-driven Film: Robot Producer: Sun TV Network Director: Shankar Music: AR Rahman The much-awaited Rajnikanth-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Robot will hit the screen today. Directed by Shankar, the film dubbed in Hindi as the Robot has been made with a whopping budget of Rs 160 crore. It is a technically superior film in which a scientist creates a robot that looks exactly like Rajnikanth. But it later gets mixed up with the real Rajnikanth. The film releases in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. What's cooking? Film: Khichdi - The Film Producer: JD Majethia Writer-director: Aatish Kapadia Khichdi - The Film is India's first TV series that has been made into a film. The serial, launched in the year 2000, was a super-duper hit. Starring Anang Desai, Supriya Pathak, Rajeev Mehta and Vandana Pathak, this film releases today. It is presented by Fox Star Studio. — Dharam Pal
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Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, whose upcoming film Crook deals with racial discrimination in Australia, says it is unfair to label the country 'racist' as there are similar problems in India.
"It is unfair to jump the gun and say that a particular nation, Australia, is racist. It is because of a handful people who have regressive attitude towards other culture or people. "Before pointing fingers at Australia, we should look at our own backyard. We have problems in our nation and every nation faces it, either it is politically motivated or some personal reasons," Emraan said. "In my family, father was a Muslim, mother a Catholic and my wife is a Hindu. I don't understand racism," the 31-year-old actor added. Earlier, Emraan had claimed that a housing society in Pali Hill in suburban Bandra refused to grant him permission to buy an apartment because he is a Muslim. The housing society rejected the allegations and in turn accused Emraan and his family of intimidatory behaviour. Later the actor backtracked from his own statement and said that the housing society has not discriminated against him and termed the incident as a "miscommunication". Commenting on the subject of Crook, Emraan said, "The film touches the serious issue of racial discrimination against Indians in Australia but it has its fun and light moments. There is a lot of comedy and humour which makes Crook an entertaining outing." The film is directed by Mohit Suri of Kalyug fame and newbie Neha Sharma is playing the female lead. Talking about his role, Emraan said, "I play the role of Jay Dixit who is a brat and believes it is good to be bad. But in the end he realises that he should fight for his country and rights of its citizens in Australia." The film will hit theatres on October 8.
— PTI
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Koffee break Ranbir Rishi Kapoor, who had a dream debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya opposite Sonam Kapoor, will now be seen in Siddharth Anand's love story of two strangers Anjaana Anjaani. Sajid Nadiadwala has produced the movie. Blessed with Neetu Singh's easy charm and Rishi Kapoor's confidence, Ranbir is excited about his new film that releases this Friday. From a period-lover to a modern day lover, this film is a dramatic makeover for Ranbir Kapoor. He shares his experience. Coming out of Bhansali camp and doing something different in Anjaana Anjaani...was it difficult? It has been great. It is a beautiful love story, thoroughly entertaining. I would say that the USP of the film is the script that has been written by contemporary novelist Advaita Kala. This is also the reason why I did this film. Then the director, Siddharth Anand, is also among the best filmmakers of today. After Rocket Singh and Raajneeti, there are a lot of expectations from you in Anjaana Anjaani. Are you feeling the pressure? Not at all. I am definitely excited that it is my sixth release. Whenever we do a film, we hope that it does well. The main target is to do your best, give your 100 per cent and then leave the rest to the viewers. What is Anjaana Anjaani all about? The film is a story of two people who meet in strange circumstances and then part ways as strangers. It is a mature, new concept for cine-goers. The film has brought in new sequences, a new scenario. How would you rate Priyanka Chopra as a co-star? She is wonderful to work with. She is someone who is very passionate about cinema. Priyanka is very talented and has got everything going for her. How was the experience of working with director Siddharth Anand? It is my second movie with Siddharth after 'Bachna Ae Haseeno'. It was really an honour to work with him. It is great to be with him on the sets. His energy is infectious and gets everybody charged up. Any memorable moments during the making of this film? We work for more than 100 days on a film and every day bring unique experiences. So it is difficult for me to single out any day.
— Dharam Pal
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Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone has said acting is a more satisfactory profession than modelling. "Acting is a lot more challenging. There are a lot more risks, lot more things at stake, and I also think, when a film does well, then there is a lot more sense of satisfaction," Padukone said.Padukone also talked about her upcoming film projects."I have signed three new films, one is a new director called Rohit Dhawan, he is David Dhawan's son and his film is called Desi Boys with Akshay Kumar and John Abraham. So, that is one film," said Padukone. "The one after that is Vishal Bharadwaj's film and the film after that is a film directed by Homi Adajania. He has made a film called Being Cyrus, and that film is being produced by Illuminati Films, the same films that produced Love Aaj Kal, and that is with Imran Khan," she added.Padukone is now hoping that 2010 ends on a good note for her with Break Ke Baad and Khelenge Hum Jee Jaan Se ready for release in the last week of November and first week of December, respectively.Break Ke Baad is a romantic comedy starring Padukone and Imran Khan in the lead and has been directed by debutant director Danish Aslam.
— ANI
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Sir Michael Caine has revealed that he unwittingly predicted the 9/11 terror attacks in a novel he was writing prior to the events of September 2001. However, he stopped writing the novel after the 9/11 attacks. "I had this plot where terrorists fly a plane into a London skyscraper. Then they did it in real life. I was stunned by that, so I stopped writing," the BBC quoted him as saying. The 77-year-old was speaking ahead of the publication of his autobiography, The Elephant to Hollywood. The veteran actor revealed he still hoped to write a novel and hoped to do so prior to his 80th birthday in 2013. It would be a thriller about terrorism - the sort of thing I read all the time. It'll be for guys. It won't be a great literary effort," the two-time Oscar recipient concluded. —
ANI
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Singer Peter Andre says singing might be his passion but he loves movies and one of his dreams is to star in a big film. "I'm not saying I'm an actor, but I really want a Hollywood movie to come in. So far it hasn't, but I'm not giving up hope," dailystar.co.uk quoted him as saying. "An Austin Powers type film or a movie like Godfather would be right up my street and working with a big screen babe like Angelina Jolie would be incredible." "I'm doing so much TV presenting and there's loads more of that coming up next year. It takes up loads off my time but I absolutely love it and I'm actually convinced TV's definitely my future." "But acting is something I'm craving to do. Seriously, if a movie boss called, I would be there in a second. I wouldn't be one of those people who turn around and say, 'I haven't got time.' I would make time," he said.
— IANS
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Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is apparently set to tell the story of her life in a new book. The beauty, 35, who is raising six kids with Brad Pitt, 46, is set to clinch a 12.5 million pounds deal for her memoirs, according to sources. Jolie also wants to pen a book on parenting.Publishers expect her to reveal intimate details about her life."She will tell the truth about her alleged lesbian flings, her struggle with mental illness and how she won Brad over," the Daily Star quoted a source as saying. — ANI
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Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts, who shot parts of her film Eat, Pray Love in India, is reportedly planning to adopt a child from the country. The Pretty Woman star already has three children — twins Hazel and Finn and Henry with her cameraman husband Danny Moder. The 42-year-old, who recently announced that she has become a practicing Hindu, is keen to add to her family. Roberts, who is said to have suffered from complications during her previous pregnancies, is keen to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie and Madonna. According to one of Roberts closest pals she and Danny, 41, who married eight years ago, are set to adopt a child from abroad. "Julia has wanted more children for years. But her past pregnancies were fraught with complications and she was forced into an extended hospital stay right before she had her twins. After all she has been through, she realises that adoption is perhaps the best way forward," said the friend.
— PTI
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When great oaks fall
Joyshri Lobo It was a normal morning in a middle class home. Ma was busy supervising the household chores and looking after her infant daughters. Mr Martin, officer-in-charge (husband of Dr Martin from the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, walked in to announce, "Gandy's been shot!" The way he pronounced the name made everyone look up, without comprehending the significance of his words. When comprehension dawned, there were ashen faces and a stony silence. He added, "He was Christ without a crown. Today, he has his cross!" Words of infinite wisdom from a man who had worked and lived in India and whose life spanned two periods…pre-and post-colonial rule. It seemed as if after years of turmoil, chaos, killing and friction between opposing sides, not much more could go wrong. Yet it did: Bapu was gone on the whim of a man who thought differently. That evening, Ma went outside the CMC compound to post a letter to Baba. A monstrous crowd was blocking the road, as it walked slowly and mournfully through the streets. Put two Indians together and you have a din. Here were thousands of people, walking in silence and disbelief, to honour a fallen colossus. He had been a leader who inspired millions and guided them non-violently towards freedom. He had worked with the white man and had learned how to deal with him successfully. At that very moment, he lay in state at Delhi, enjoying the homage of world leaders. When a great oak falls, the noise is deafening. Gandhi had done the impossible. The man who had advocated silence, ahimsa, abstinence, had elicited a silent homage that was far too loud for anyone to bear. Years later, Chacha Nehru too passed away. He had shouted, harangued, hit out, elbowed his way through India, a land he considered his child, meant to be disciplined and taught to stand on her own two feet. He succeeded and the baton passed on to his daughter. When his children heard he was gone, they lay down on railway tracks, stopped traffic on the roads and demanded passage to Delhi to view the body of their beloved leader. For other countries to understand this love and adoration is impossible. Our leaders are our gods. We worship and obey them. Today, Sardar Manmohan Singh has proved himself to be a great leader. As a finance minister, he made great things happen. The CWG debacle is not of his making. As a dear friend pointed out, "Do we expect him to run and improve the economy or see to the cleaning of toilets at the Games Village?" The Sensex is soaring. Men and women appointed towards the success of the games have let down the PM, India and her people. They ought be chastised and punished, but we too need to look at ourselves in the mirror again. We are now the quintessential Ugly Indian: self-centered, self-serving, totally selfish. We criticise too much and do too little. If we could appreciate and emulate a short but brilliant man in a sky-blue turban, who quoted after his last budget speech, many, many years ago, "Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai," matters might start improving. Manmohan Singh is a colossus in the making but we are too busy smiling at our own worth, rather than lending a hand towards the collective betterment of a nation. Sacrifice and selflessness alone can bring us out of the abyss.
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Heat is on
The home appliances major Remson and Rallison group has launched a new range of energy efficient German Glass Line technology geysers with a shock proof body in the market to brave the upcoming winters and other heating appliances.
These high-pressure geysers come with a withhold capacity of 10 bar (HP) with sizes varying from 6,10,15,25 litre.
—TNS |
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Akzo Nobel, the maker of Dulux paints has launched a consumer promotion around the 'Colours of the World' collection of its flagship luxury emulsion brand, Velvet Touch. The Velvet Touch 'Colors of the World' collection is a range of 6 different colour palettes inspired from 6 of the most beautiful destinations in the world. Consumers buying a can of this collection stand a chance to travel to one of these beautiful destinations. All consumers have to do is to avail of this offer is buy a can of Dulux Velvet Touch 'Colors of the World' collection and SMS 'VELVET' to 53030. Alternatively, the participant can also participate in the interactive module by visiting www.coloursoftheworld.co.in and answering a simple question put to him on the website. The final 15 lucky couples who get to travel to these destinations will be chosen through a lucky draw. The six destinations from which these six colour palettes are inspired from are London, Paris, Rome, Hollywood, Mauritius and New York. —TNS
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Objet D’ART
Music and painting are often referred to as sister art and artists who have tried to amalgamate both, admit that the two art forms share a common vocabulary — ‘colours have tones and harmonies, and both arts are referred to as compositions’. “Painting the ragas gave me the scope to experiment with colour, texture and movements, and one’s painting imparts the same sense of nirvana that ragas are supposed to give to a listener,” said Hardev Singh in his recent interview. Hardev painted Rag Maru in blue, Rag Bhagyashwari in white, Rag Suhi in yellow and white and so on. His comment on nirvana takes one to Paresh Maity’s Shapes in Symphony series in 2003, which was described by an art critic as, “The human body in the paintings along with the faces and their diagonal status on the frame have a world of complexities within…which gives us the first clue that a sari or musical instrument is more than just a fashion statement. The symbol is what sustains and you are forced to think of the life force of a river flowing…” Maity’s paintings like Symphony, Celebration I and II, Musician I and II and Musical Moments captured human bodies in diagonal positions playing various musical instruments. Executed keeping the ‘economy of line’ concept in mind and vibrant colours, Maity’s Symphony series is a visual experience to behold. “Music is an important part of all celebrations and hence became an integral part of the series called Music Within which I did between 2005 and 2007,” says Madan Lal. But more than instrumental music, Madan emphasised on body rhythm as a metaphor. So, his music comes from within, which he represents through some symbolic forms. “For me, music is as liberating as it is binding for the soul because music comes from within and surrounds you with its aura. So, I choose my instrument in sync with the body rhythm,” he says. Madan’s Music Within has evolved with time bringing in more contemporary elements to it, but music still remain the mainstay. Music, after all, is the sister art and though other forms like literature, poetry, dance, drama are all important members of the family, with none the bond is as strong as the one between painting and music! parbina@tribunemail.com |
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A date with ‘Raju the Guide’
It was 3 Idiots, a film inspired by Chetan Bhagat's book Five Point Someone that re-kindled the interest of the young people in the relationship of the written word and its visual translation on celluloid. However, Pooja Dadwal chose to look at a novel and a film of yesteryear for her Masters dissertation in Mass Communication from Panjab University. The novel was none other than RK Narayan's classic, The Guide, written in 1958 and set in the author's imagined town of Malgudi.
“I considered various novels but it was The Guide that I found most inspiring. I first read the book and then went onto film and found both fascinating in their distinct ways,” says Pooja. She adds, “The central theme of the novel is transformation of Raju from his role as a tourist guide to that of a spiritual guide. It also tells of his story of love and betrayal of Rosie the dancer. It is very interestingly told in a third-person account of his reincarnation into a holy man and a first person account of his earlier life. The dualism heightens the dualism in his character as we go from a sinner's journey to sainthood only to realise that he was never all sinner and never all saint.” It was in 1965 that the film based on the novel Guide came from the Navketan stable and took Bollywood by a storm. It starred Dev Anand in the lead with Waheeda playing Rosie and Vijay Anand providing the fine direction. The triangle was completed by Kishore Sahu playing Marco, Rosie's husband, who is more interested in ancient caves than his comely wife. Raju and Rosie are thrown together and the inevitable happens: they fall in love. “Several changes were made from the novel to the film and one of them was changing the locale from the 'fictitious' Malgudi to Udaipur and some other scenic spots of Rajasthan. This was necessary perhaps to fill the lavish frame of the film in colour,” Pooja points out. She adds that other changes were also apt for the narrative on screen. The best, according to this Guide fan, was the lilting SD Burman music and the climax. “The screen ending was superb and sheer class of acting by the lead pair is to be seen to be believed,” she adds. So some other young folks too tempted to re-visit the book and
the film? Facts galore n
American director Tad Danielewski and author Pearl S Buck approached Dev Anand to do a film based on an Indian novel. n
Someone suggested RK Narayan's novel The Guide to Dev Anand. Dev purchased the book and read it at one go. n
Waheeda Rehman was tutored for the her diction in the English version by none other than Pearl S. Buck |
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Stray cattle, an animal in the center of the road wouldn’t care for anyone, people passing, honking, screeching, traffic coming to a halt. Not many would actually pause to observe the parody of life reflected in the incident. “The animal just wouldn’t care while the people passing by would be staring and snarling at each other,” observes artist Bhoop Singh. This and much more form the subject of his paintings at a workshop in Kalagram. He adds, “I’ve been here for 15 days now and have made three paintings using oil on canvas, today is the last day of workshop and I’ve been working on similar subjects for some time now but the experience here is different since there’s that art culture and atmosphere.” Back to his subjects and the first painting depicts folk dancers of Punjab, men doing Bhangra with women in the background. “I tried bringing about a rhythm in their figures and the colours that I used are sober and bright. I tried giving a texture to the canvas,” adds the MDU faculty. Elsewhere at the same venue, V. Punniyakotti from Tamil Nadu was busy sculpting a mirror girl sculpture. “It’s a traditional sculpture and not modern art. The tradition of the mirror girl sculpture’s been derived from southern part of India. We can find the sculpture at the Hoysalas temple.” The girl is holding a mirror in one hand with sticking a decorative ornament at the centre of the forehead with the other. The body’s been slightly bent in the same sitting position. “I used granite stone for this five feet sculpture,” he adds. Back home he runs a little studio and a workshop. As for the experience here, “It’s a nice place and brings out the artistic streak that comes about with being at such a place.”
— TNS
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Come Sunday and Delhiites will have a rare insight into the personal letters that legendary poet Mirza Ghalib wrote to his friends, disciples, relatives and even government authorities. Ghalib Ke Khat by Delhi-based Pierrot's Troupe is unique in the sense that it does not feature the Urdu poet reading or writing his letters. "Instead the people who received Ghalib's letters, will be shown reading them out. His much-celebrated letters are read and reviewed by his wife, Umrao Begum, his maid, Wafadar, and his disciples and friends, including the legendary Har Gopal Taftah," says writer-director of Pierrot's Troupe, M Sayeed Alam. "This is also for the first time that Tom Alter is not playing the role of Ghalib in our production. Tom portrays the role of Har Gopal Taftah in this play," Alam said.
"The audience will be introduced to a good number of leading literary lights and public personalities of Ghalib's era, for the first time," he says.
— PTI
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The acclaimed Sufi singer and composer maintains that a true Sufi always revels in the glory of the ‘Master Divine’, yearning for his beatific vision. “Despite living amidst realities of life, a Sufi, lost in the calm contemplation, keeps away from worldly pursuits,” he adds. He is in the city on the invitation of Chandigarh administration for a live qawwali performance at the Rock Garden, as part of World Tourism Week celebrations. 
“The qawwali is part of Sufi devotional music propagated by the legendary Amir Khusro in the 13th century. The original tradition has been subjected to substantial changes with time,” he says. 
Film: Anjaana Anjaani
Sajid Nadiadwala's Anjaana Anjaani is a romantic comedy, which reflects the varied and distinct flavours of New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco. It is also the first love story from the Nadiadwala Grandsons banner. The film does not have the trappings of a commercial potboiler and is different from other love stories. The buzz is that it is a love story, but its situations are very unique.
Pablo Picasso painted Girl with a Mandolin between 1908-12 and acquainted us with his Cubism. Raja Ravi Verma often complemented his female forms with a musical instrument to bring out that feminine affect. Paresh Maity did a complete series called Shapes in Symphony using folk instruments as a major element. Closer home, Hardev Singh, the man who conceived the Government Museum and Art Gallery-10 along with MS Randhawa and Mulk Raj Anand during the 1960s, and currently the resident artist of Punjabi University, Patiala, has recently come out with 31 paintings on 31 ragas. Now what is it about music that inspires an artist to capture it on canvas?
The first proof of sisterhood bonding between painting and music dates back to the 13th century when an unknown Spanish artist painted A Moor and a Christian Playing Lutes. In the Indian context, musical instruments like sitar and tanpura have been very much part of miniature paintings, specially the Rag Mala series of the Mughal School of Miniatures. 