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Nikhil hates being headmaster Nikhil Chinapa, in the city, shares how real is the reality show Splitsvilla
Whether you loathe it or
tag it as an expression of young India; whether you trash its existence
or accept it as part of entertainment package, reality shows are here to
stay, at least for a while. The factory-line production of these shows
is fast and unhindered. Nothing at all disrupts them - rumours that they
are rigged, beeped language, blatant display of sexuality, mud-slinging
nothing at all can hinder them. So, while you are cursing, debating on
the reality of reality shows, MTV launches the fourth season of
'boldest' reality show Vodafone MTV Spiltsvilla — The gamble of
love. The Host VJ Nikhil Chinapa, in the city to talk about the
show, is the only 'reality' of this reality show. Why? He does some
interesting stuff that can be displayed without a single beep. This
deejay-cum-VJ-cum-host-cum-actor offers a reason behind his association
with Spiltsvilla. "I love working with the crew; the
excitement of hosting the show, watching different lives change in a
split second is what makes me coming back as the host of the show,"
clarifies Nikhil. Did we expect any different answer? As real as it can
get! Now, for the dedicated followers of Spiltsvilla, how many lines (as
in dialogues) can you count without a beep. Please tell us if you can
zero-in on 10 lines successfully. Don't you for once want to intervene,
as them to 'behave'? He looks puzzled (a mix of confusion, pretence,
laughter and thought). "I do intervene when they cross their
limits. Otherwise, I allow them to sort out their own issues. I don't
like being a headmaster." The show began with 13 girls and three
boys in a luxurious villa set in the extravagant city of Dubai. Each guy
has to lead a qabilah (camp) with four gorgeous girls. Every
week, the qabilahs are given a task. This season, the stakes get
even higher , a cash prize of Rs10 lakh and a show of their own! There
is another reality that we haven't spoken about, of . The reality of the
different world that Nikhil dabbles in — deejaying, acting, hosting
shows, offering music management solutions, scuba diving. "Deejaying
is a passion, a stress buster. I am doing a small role in a movie called
Shaitaan. I am directing the Sunburn Festival in Goa. I hosted India's
Got Talent. I scuba-dive when I have time," adds Nikhil. Only
authentic stuff so far! jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Will Dhobi Ghat work for Kiran?
First-time director Kiran Rao, producer, actor, Aamir Khan's wife, takes guard as director this week with Aamir Khan, Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra and Kriti Malhotra starrer Dhobi Ghat. The Rs 5-crore film, that has Mumbai as one of the lead characters, promises to be different. Kiran, who assisted Ashutosh Gowarikar in Lagaan, sure has a statement to make. Lifestyle catches up with her. Have you come up with a different kind of project? This is my first project. It is an art film that will appeal to a niche section. It is different; I like four stories of this film, which are inspired from episodes of my own life. The viewers watch your first film this Friday. Are you nervous or excited? I feel numb; it is kind of crazy because a lot of stuff is happening. I am trying to distance myself from previews. Did you write the script with Aamir and Prateik in mind? Yes, I wrote it with Aamir and Prateik in mind. Their body language, the way they talk, their belief in cinema...they are just the right choice. What is Dhobi Ghat all about? The film has been primarily shot at dhobi ghats in Mumbai. It is a slice of life and unlike a regular commercial movie, does not have a plot-driven storyline. Here the characters meet each other, change each other's lives and move on. How was the experience of working
with Aamir, the producer, actor and the It was a very good experience. We have already worked together in films before, including Taare Zameen Par, Janne Tu Ya Jaane Na and Peepli Live. Aamir is a very good husband, but on the sets we work as professionals. Do you expect Dhobi Ghat to be a blockbuster? I am confident that the film will do well. I can assure you of one thing, Dhobi Ghat will be unanimously called a good film, as it is very different from what the viewers have seen so far. — Dharam Pal NEW RELEASES
Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao makes her directorial debut with this film. The film features a group of people who are immensely talented and the buzz is that it is a well-made art film, which has been shot at the dhobi ghats in Mumbai. Prateik Babbar plays the role of dhobi in the film and Aamir Khan, who has produced the film, also has a prominent role of a struggling painter. The film dares to be different. So watch out! — Dharam Pal
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Local flavour, global connect Parbina Rashid
At this point, with communication easy, one would think that the concept of regionalism in art is an extinct one. But nothing can be further from the truth. Regionalism, which originated in America as a realist modern art movement during the 1930s, is very much alive even now, albeit in small pockets. And to believe city-based artist Anand Shinde who is currently going through the phase of capturing various facets of Maharashtrian culture or Hyderabad-based Syed Rayees Ahmed who recently exhibited his works under the title 'Basically Hyderabadi', regionalism is an integral of part of every artist's career graph.
Though the original movement made a conscious effort to shun city life and rapidly developing technological advances, to create scenes of the rural life, for the artist we have come across, regionalism comes naturally in the early phases.
"When I got relocated to Chandigarh, I brought along a slice of Maharashtra within me and as my yearning to be part of my culture and people got stronger, it automatically came pouring out on the canvas," says Shinde who had recently exhibited his series 'Blessings of Ancestors' in Mumbai. With vibrant colours and stylized figures, Anand has captured the different tones of Maharashtrian culture with the right blend of the rural expression with modernity. He makes a conscious effort to give a happy expression to his characters as he feels, "a painting should evoke good feelings and that's why I try to keep out the frustrations of life out of my paintings." A little bit of cosmetic manipulation may be the order of the day when it comes to regionalism, but most artists want to keep themselves true to the place they come from. Like Sayed Rayees Ahmed from Hyderabad who picked up the life and style of Hyderabadi people from the walled city. "My series 'Basically Hyderabadi' is about middle-class people as they reflect the true essence of Hyderabadi culture," explains Ahmed over the phone. Ahmed's figures are a little abstract, but his rural aura is distinctive. When we are talking about regionalism, one name that we cannot ignore is RM Singh, a disciple of Sobha Singh, who has made Punjab his muse. Singh has not just painted landscapes and culture but folk tales as well. It was him who revived the story of Githmuthiya, the tiny men from the Punjabi folklore, through his paintings. The images are pleasant and one would like to admire their love for their region, but how viable is it commercially to limit oneself to a particular theme? "For a true art lover, it is the technique that matters, not the subject," he says. parbina@tribunemail.com
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"Hi all! Speculation is a part of r business! I knw d warmth n love tht i get frm u al!Everything is fine wth John n me:) Thank u! (sic)," Bipasha posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. The actress, who has been with John for the past eight years, does not like rumours about her relationship. "I hope ppl realise tht evryones life n relationships cn b treated wth a lil dignity here n nt GOSSIP!Al of us r real human beings after al!? (sic)," she wrote. For now, Bipasha is excited about her first international film, English-French director Roland Joffe's Singularity, and posted the first look of the movie on Twitter as well. She plays Tulaja, a Maratha warrior in the film, which has been extensively shot in Australia. Bipasha stars opposite Josh Hartnett in the movie. — IANS
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It was the first public showing in Europe in some 80 years of "La Lecture", or "Reading", an erotic and brightly coloured depiction of the voluptuous Marie-Therese sleeping nude in an armchair, her head thrown back and an open book in her lap. Painted in bright yellow, green and red oils at the height of what art experts call Picasso's "lovestruck" period, it will be the star offering at an upcoming sale of Impressionist and Modern art by Sotheby's in London. Experts say the painting could fetch between 12 and 18 million pounds ($19 to $29 million) after another 1932 Picasso portrait of Marie-Therese, "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust", was sold by rival auction house Christie's in New York for $106 million in 2010 — an all time record for an "In the early 1930s he was very lyrically in love and reflected that in these gorgeous colours, and lovely compositions," Philip Hook, Director of the Impressionist and Modern Picture Department at Sotheby's in London told Reuters. "This period is just about the most desirable of all Picasso's (periods), certainly in market terms," he said. Marie-Therese was one of a series of lovers and muses who inspired Picasso throughout his prolific eight-decade career. She first caught his eye in 1927, aged just 17, as she was coming out of the Paris Metro on her way back from a shopping trip. Picasso, in his mid-forties, was immediately smitten. Marie-Therese later said he took her by the arm and said: "I am Picasso. You and I are going to do great things together." Although still married to his first wife, Russian dancer Olga Khokhlova, Picasso began a covert affair with Marie-Therese, who later gave birth to their daughter, Maya or Maria de la Concepcion. — Reuters
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The London Art Fair opened its biggest show to date on Wednesday with over 100 galleries, many featuring exhibits inspired by contemporary themes like economic hardship and civil unrest. Other highlights of the exhibition of paintings, sculpture and photography include a contemporary photography showcase and provocative installations from a Glaswegian art collective. "This year is our largest Fair to date," said director Jonathan Burton in a statement. "Modern British painting and sculpture are at the heart of London Art Fair, but our thriving contemporary strand has grown with a number of galleries exhibiting at the Fair for the first time, including Danielle Arnaud, Vegas Gallery, and BARTHA CONTEMPORARY." Among other works, WW Gallery (London) presents a range of art "products" in a stand modelled on a superstore aisle complete with a checkout and roving promotions girl. One remarkable sequence of pictures at the fair's Photo 50 show features former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Found during a clear-out of her former party headquarters, the photographs had become stuck together and the photographic chemicals had started to "eat away" at the Iron Lady's image. International work includes emerging Korean artists including San Keum Koh, exhibited by the Hanmi Gallery (London), and younger Latin American artists presented by Lodeveans Collection (London). This year's talks programme brings together professionals from the visual arts sector to give advice to collectors, debate key topics and consider broader themes illustrated by works exhibited in the fair. Speakers are drawn from The Art Fund, Contemporary Art Society, British Journal of Photography, National Media Museum and The Fleming Collection alongside curators, photographers, collectors and academics. Also, following feedback from last year, there will be more guided tours. The fair runs to Sunday Jan. 23 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. — Reuters
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Melody magic SD Sharma
During his childhood, Joginder Singh Bhalla never missed any programme aired on radio or telecast on Doordarshan channel just to listen to legendary Bollywood playback singer Kishore Kumar. He even sang his songs as and when he got a chance. So much so, that he loved to be called as Kishore Singh rather than Joginder Singh! A graduate in science and masters in English, Joginder later decided to make music his calling. He kept performing at various functions in his native place Yamunanagar, and then shifted to Chandigarh for better prospects. "Kishore Kumar remains my inspiration and I try my best to follow in his footsteps," says Joginder. "People loved my singing, which kept me going and many awards followed. In 2002, I won a cash prize of Rs 5,000 for securing the first position in a competition of Kishore melodies at Tagore Theatre," he adds. Encouraged by this, Joginder came out with his first album Miles to Go. Another devotional album by him was released by DAS Music Company in Mumbai. A Hindi remix album based on Kishore Kumar songs was released from Mumbai in 2006. "In 2007, I represented North India in Antakshri', the great challenge, directed by Gajendra Singh and hosted by Annu Kapoor and Juhi Parmar. I was among the 10 finalists selected from 70,000 participants from across the country in the reality show 'K for Kishore' telecast on Sony TV. I was also amongst the 21 contestants selected from all over India for Sony TV's reality show War Pariwar. My latest project with famous music director Surinder Kohli will be released soon," says Joginder.
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What makes music beautiful?
A new research examines what is it about music that appeals to our senses. The new study suggests that the brain simplifies complex patterns, much in the same way that 'lossless' music compression formats reduce audio files, by removing redundant data and identifying patterns. Dr Nicholas Hudson used 'lossless' music compression programs to mimic the brain's ability to condense audio information. After comparing the amount of compressibility of random noise to a wide range of music including classical, techno, rock, and pop, he found that while random noise could only be compressed to 86 per cent of its original file size, and techno, rock, and pop to about 60 per cent, the apparently complex Beethoven's 3rd Symphony compressed to 40 per cent. "Enduring musical masterpieces, despite apparent complexity, possess high compressibility" and that it is this compressibility that we respond to," Nicholas said. "So whether you are a die-hard classicist or a pop diva it seems that we chose the music we prefer, not by simply listening to it, but by calculating its compressibility. For a composer - if you want immortality write music
which sounds complex but that, in terms of its data, is reducible to simple patterns.".
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She has worked with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan but still
actress Anushka Sharma got nervous when she had to shoot with veteran
actor Rishi Kapoor for her forthcoming film Patiala House. "When
she was to shoot her first scene with Mr. Kapoor, she was found
trembling," a source said. Patiala House features Rishi
Kapoor (Bauji) as an authoritarian head of a big Punjabi family, of whom
the entire household is afraid. "Rishi Kapoor is without a doubt a
veteran actor and Anushka though being new is a great performer and Patiala
House opens screens space for both in an interesting way," said
Bhusan Kumar of T-Series, who is producing the film. Directed by Nikhil
Adwani, Patiala House shows how a second-generation Sikh Guttu (Akshay
Kumar) and his siblings in London held back their dreams, in love and
respect for their authoritarian father (Rishi) until Guttu meets Simran
(Anushka) who gives him the strength to stand up once again to fulfil
his dream. This cross-generation drama is about second chances. Patiala
House is slated to release on February 11. — IANS
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Juhi Chawla turns producers with Onir’s new movie
Bollywood actress Juhi
Chawla has decided to don the cap of an associate producer for her
forthcoming film I am, directed by Onir. Sources close to the
actress said, Juhi helped Onir initially to raise investors and then
expressed desire to come as associate producer on board. Juhi's husband
Jai Mehta, their associates Anish and Sangita Modi, Onir, Sanjay Suri
are the movie producers. Onir, Sanjay and Juhi's association goes back
a long way right from their My Brother Nikhil days and share a
great camaraderie, sources said. "After we completed the entire
shooting, Juhi expressed the desire to join us as an associate producer.
Her addition to our team will be a big asset. I want my association with
Juhi to be a very long-lasting one," Onir said. Interestingly,
Juhi stars in the film alongside Manisha Koirala playing the role of a
Kashmiri Pandit, who returns to the valley after 20 years. Earlier, the
43-year-old actress has produced films like Phir Bhi Dil Hai
Hindustani and Chalte Chalte under the Dreamz Unlimited
banner with Shah Rukh Khan. — PTI
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Film:
Dhobi Ghat
Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu has finally put an end to rumours that she has parted ways with long time beau, actor John Abraham, saying they are very much together and "fine".
A sensual 1932 portrait by Pablo Picasso of his young mistress Marie-Therese Walter, which captures his romantic obsession with her went on display at Sotheby's in Paris on Wednesday ahead of an auction next month.
