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The connecting thread
Before the industrial revolution invaded the world, several artisans would weave their affection into the fabric, spending several months and crafting a diagonal, a cross, a square or a bird out of the colourful threads. Phulkari is more than just a couple of geometrical shapes put together just as chikankari is more than just a few punches in the fabric. The textile décor style represents the legacy and tradition of Lucknow.
Manish Malhotra aptly titled his Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week collection Threads of Emotion. The collection, along with the showstoppers Jacqueline Fernandez, Siddharth Malhotra and Esha Gupta put the spotlight where it belonged, the colourful phulkari of Punjab, the fabrics hitherto pulled out only for costume dramas or as strict festival wear. "Phulkari can be used in concept sarees. Similarly bagh, when used in borders, gives a very contemporary look," Damini Anand, from the Anand Design Studio, puts forth a couple of ideas on how to convert the very traditional into everyday outfits. Abu Jaani and Sandeep Khosla, the celebrated designers, make sure that their chikankari remains as inimitable as beautiful. They moved the art work onto the main stream fashion and made it both wearable and fashionable. Manish Malhotra, continued his stint and experimentation when last season he promoted Kashmiri thread and zari work and chikankari work in his much applauded Mijwan collection. The Mijwan Sonnets in Fabric brought out the wonderful artistry of chikan in gowns, lehengas and floor-length ensembles. Closer home, students of INIFD, while working on their annual collections ensured that the conventional thread didn't come in the way of contemporary look. Couple of twists and turns and work as heavy as bagh appeared just a part of western inspired Indian wear. Shares Gurkirat Kaur, fashion design student, "For our annual project, we had to choose between traditional or contemporary. We wanted to retain the best of both worlds so we opted for the traditional craft of phulkari in contemporary silhouettes." The heavy bagh became the highlighting element in every garment. "We used bagh as a border on the hemlines, sleeves and ends of gowns or lehenegas. At times, that would be the only outstanding colour in the outfit, commanding all the attention and its rightful place."
Speaking of the textile heritage, while the right amount of spotlight has still been put on chikan and phulkari, there are a lot many crafts that need to be brought out of the closet. She adds, "I feel the patchwork from Orissa called appliqué work has lost relevance in today's fashion and needs to be explored." Manika Arora, behind the label Amay, puts forward a couple of ideas, "One can wear a blouse made of completely traditional design and team it up with chiffon or crepe sarees in neon colours." She adds, "One can also combine a Parsi gara, a traditional embroidery comprising flowers and swans, with a very present day anarkali in sheer fabric. One need not wear traditional garments in the conventional way." At times, just a hint of heritage textile in the entire outfit and a pop of the right colour is all it takes to glam things up.
manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Going with the flow
Anant Raina has different facets to his personality. Apart from being a photographer and an ad maker, he is currently enjoying making documentaries. In Chandigarh, for Chandigarh Creative Cinema Circle's event recently, Anant shares different aspects of his life.
Anant Raina, the ad maker, photographer, documentary maker, traveller, guitarist - where do you see yourself in future? I don't think that far. I am happy making films at the moment, the day they stop making me happy, I will find something else to do that gives me joy. How much influence did your dad MK Raina have in deciding your career? He did not wield so much influence when it came to my career, but my worldview, exposure towards art, people I got to see around is hugely influenced by him. To begin with, I was going to be a computer scientist and did my graduation in computer science and masters in business administration. It's only when it did not feel right, I moved to filmmaking. Your documentaries are set in different places right from Kashmir to Puri and people vary from Zohra Sahgal to bhands. What makes you choose such subjects for your films? If a story speaks to me, if I feel its worth telling or showing, I go for it. It's not limited to art or place, if my gut says others need to know about it, it leads me to that film. Does it get difficult to have a famous father? Not at all. He's famous for others, for me he's just my dad. He is an ordinary person not swayed by the name he has earned in theatre. His behaviour has been normal with my friends too. And luckily people know my work first, much before they learn about my lineage. And as we are working in different fields, it keeps me away from comparisons. What's next on agenda? Right now I am giving finishing touches to Badshah Lear, a film about the works of my dad and bhaands of Kashmir. Next I want to write a script for a feature film. There is another project that I want to collaborate with other filmmakers on documentaries on Delhi. Who are the filmmakers you admire? There is long, long list. To name a few there is Dibakar Banerjee in Bollywood; Faiza Sultan Khan who made this wonderful documentary Supermen of Malegaon; Martin Scorsese, an American film director and independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock who gave Super Size Me. Your message to those in filmmaking... Never think of what you have or not. If you want to tell a story, make it with whatever camera you have, even your phone would do. What you need to have is belief in your work. I enjoy the journey, success or failure is secondary. mona@tribunemail.com
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Tale of success
Kashmiri Lal Zakir is a known name in Urdu writing. With numerous books and several awards, KL Zakir even in the age of 93, continues to write prolifically.
His latest novel is called Katha Damini Ki, based on the horrific Delhi rape incident. He was recently conferred Fakhr-e-Haryana and he says, "Honours are recognition of one's hard work. One feels appreciated and inspired to continue with the work." The themes in his writings have been right from literacy, national integration to women empowerment. Presently he is writing on the Uttrakhand natural disaster and also his autobiography Subah, Dopahar, Sham. Among his other recent books are Mere Chaar Dost that has an account of Sahir Ludhianvi, Faiz Mohammad Faiz, Mjaz
and Kamleshwar. There is another book on Saadat Hassan Manto under publication. "As a teenager I have met Manto, my book is on him, his writings and also my interaction with him." Zakir's writing has been widely appreciated, he's been given number of honours, including Padma Shri and Life Time Achievement from Pakistan. His fiction Karmawali got a good response as a play directed by MK Raina, and, Zakir is happy to share, "It's been made into a series for a channel now." "It's of human values that I write on. It's my way of giving back to the society," says Zakir. One of the special features of his writing is that his first and final drafts are absolutely the same with not a single change of a sentence or a singe word. "I do lots of mental preparation before I sit to write once the words flow they are final," he says. He also holds the honour of students from as many as seven universities doing research work on his writing. "It's a rare honour for an author who is alive and writing."
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From real to reel
Shailja Gupta is on a roll. The head of Red Chillies Entertainment (US) and director of the movie Walkaway, Shailja is planning to release her film in India soon. She has recently announced her latest digital art project - Glimpses — 100 years of Indian Cinema. She has created a comprehensive series of digital paintings capturing the many legendary faces through the century
Tell us about your film Walkaway? It’s a story of four friends and how each one is at a different stage in their relationship — single, dating, engaged and married. It tells their issues, their point of view and how they are dealing with their lives miles away from home. How was the reaction to the film in US? It was great. The audience loved it. As a filmmaker for me, it was enough that everybody could relate to at least one character in the film. What made you make this film? My friends actually, it’s inspired by them. There are quite a few instances in the film that come from my life. Do you have a favourite character in the film? Honestly speaking, each character is different and unique. From Soham and Nidhi, struggling to connect two years into their arranged marriage; Shridhar and Genevieve, an engaged couple trying to integrate her French family into his Tamil Brahmin family; to Vinay and Sia, a new couple set up by their parents, getting sucked into the big fat Indian wedding drama and Darius and Anu having a casual fling — each one is constantly struggling with their own desires and expectations. You’re also into digital art. You have made digital portraits of many Bollywood celebrities. How did it happen? I hadn’t planned it honestly. One day I was just sitting and reading news. I read about 100 years of Indian cinema and how everybody was celebrating it. So I decided to do something myself and started dabbling on photoshop. I showed it to friends and they liked it. Some of them even offered to buy so I started selling and that’s how it happened. People like it. Till now I’ve sold more than 10061 pieces. You’ve worked with Shah Rukh? What have you learnt from him? Work hard and results will follow. No hardwork ever goes waste. What’s next for you? Currently, I am working on a Hindi comedy film, so looking forward to it.
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Guidelines for healthy you
Sachin Kalra Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. According to general activity guidelines, to achieve the overall objective of fitness-being strong, supple, and healthy-the following types and minimal amounts of exercise are recommended. Cardio exercises
It is also a good idea to spread your activity out during the week, rather than working three days in a row. This is because both endurance and motivation fade when you skip too many days between workouts. The key is probably to not miss more than two days in a row and skipping only one day is even better. Also, some studies suggest that interval exercise can provide the same benefits as many hours of conventional workouts. It was found that short periods of high-interval training were just as effective as long durations of endurance training. But, interval training isn't easy. It cuts down on time, but many people find the intense bursts of vigorous exercise difficult. The fact is that one can argue about vigorous, moderate intensity and time endlessly. The bottom line remains that if you don't exercise, you're going to significantly increase risks for disease and other things that can take years off your life or compromise it. Weight training
Most experts say that weight training should not be done every day because resistance exercises that stress your muscles actually create small tears in the muscle fibres and the muscles then need 24-48 hours to heal and repair themselves. Aim for two to three strength training sessions per week, lifting weights heavy enough to fatigue the muscles (or a few reps before). Beginners can start with one set of 8 to 10 exercises that covers all the muscle groups. If you don't have any weights you can do body weight exercises such as push-ups, squats or tricep dips. Stretching
Stretch the major muscle groups at least five minutes after each exercise session, when the body temperature and muscles are warm. Stretch all muscle groups for 15 to 30 seconds per rep. The ideal time to stretch is right after a cardio workout. Take a rest day
Give yourself at least one full day off from any kind of official exercise routines. A day off from working out is a great way to not only allow some well-deserved rest for your body, but also to help you relax mentally and emotionally. It will also help you to recharge and restore your physical and mental energy. Now, these are basic guideline for general fitness. If your goals are weight loss or performance oriented, these guidelines will change accordingly. And one also needs to fit diet and nutrition into the equation. (Kalra is a Chandigarh-based fitness expert)
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Corn concoctions
Kandla Nijhowne There was a time many years ago when the available corn-on-the-cob was designed to have you lose some teeth when you dug into it. The kernels were hard and unrelenting under the bite, making it hard work to beat them down before swallowing. The newly-bred 'sweet corn' is a blessing to eat roasted or turn into countless delightful dishes. It is milky, sweet and flavourful. Moreover, it's a dream to cook, taking almost no time at all! Corn tikkis or patties as they're called are a great snack to prepare, specially in the rainy season. The magical touch is to give them a coating of cornflakes so that they have a lovely crisp exterior in complete contrast to their soft, sweet centre. Ready-shaped tikkis can be kept happily in the fridge, waiting for the arrival of your guests.
Corn tikki
Method
Ingredients
(Nijhowne is a culinary expert)
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As candid as it gets
Vindiya Tiwari, who was seen in shows like Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Maryada - Lekin Kab Tak, and Mrs Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuyen, is now being seen in Pammi Pyarelal. She opens up about her life and career in an exclusive conversation…
What is so unique about your role in Pammi Pyarelal? Gayatri is a girl next door. Educated in Lucknow and brought up by a Muslim governess, she comes back to her parents after many years. It’s not a comic character but because of her speech in Urdu the whole situation turns out to be a comedy of errors, rather a rom-com. I play a girl who is very sweet, bubbly and contemporary. Did you enjoy doing comedy on the show? As I said it is not a comic role. But yes, the show is an out and out comedy show. It’s a great experience for me. Are you a good cook in real life? Actually I am the kind of person who is interested in eating rather than cooking. My mother is a wonderful cook. I cook at times which turns out to be very good. What are your interests other than acting? I love dancing. However, I am not a trained dancer. I remember when I was a kid, my parents used to take me for a movie every weekend. I never used to miss Madhuri Dikshit and Karishma Kapoor’s movies and after reaching home, I used to copy their moves very accurately. Are you single? Well, I’m yet to find a person who fits my ideas. My man has to be tall enough to match my height, should have a good sense of humour. He should have high family values and last but not the least he should be very loving. Looks do not matter to me much.
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Friends or not?
In step: Karan Johar and Madhuri Dixit
Binge time
Jacqueline Fernandez is on an eating spree to gain around 10kg for her next film. She has a de-glam role opposite Salman Khan.
Weight gain: Jacqueline Fernandez
None of the Hindi films last week have managed to create any buzz at the box office. Bajaate Raho, Issaq and Nasha have lost the race. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is having a dream run at the box office, having collected Rs 88 crore since its release. D-Day has collected Rs 16.50 crore while Ramaiyya Vastavaiyya has collected Rs 22 crore so far. Tough act
Director Ajay Bahl instructed the lead actors Shilpa Shukla and Shadab Kamal of his next to refrain from speaking to each other to support the intimate scenes they were shooting. In the movie, they have a physical attraction but there is hardly any communication or connection and Shilpa is pretty cold. So he wanted them to behave like that to stay in character. Nargis Fakhri has a
de-glam role in Madras Cafe but she scorched a magazine cover and spread in her bikini avatar. The magazine has decided to include the same shoot in the European and American editions and she will be travelling abroad for the unveiling.
Anything for love
Actress Tanishaa Mukerji is juggling several roles. She’s producing and acting in films, and also making her acting debut in theatre.
The Verdict that Tanishaa debuts with has well-known faces like Dalip
Tahil, Aditya Hitkari and Vivan Bhatena. Our source tells us, “The Verdict is an interactive play where the audience will be engaged. The premiere of The Verdict is on the Independence Day at a well known five star venue in Mumbai.” Interestingly
Tanishaa, who has already done several Bollywood films and is also making her debut in a Marathi film, has a fear of performing in front of live audience.
Tanishaa says, “I have always believed in facing my fears head on. And this is something I wanted to overcome. I play a character with shades of grey. She’s a woman who will do anything for love.” Quite interesting!
Helping hand
Post the success of the film Ship of Theseus, Kiran Rao is constantly being approached by independent film makers.
It is a known fact that Indie films are most difficult to market. Kiran Rao has shown penchant for them in promoting the Ship of Theseus. An insider tells, "Most Indie film makers have seen the kind of value Kiran has brought to the film. She has not only promoted it well, she has made sure that the film is talked about in correct circles. This is precisely why small time film-makers have started to approach Kiran hoping that she would be able to help them in a similar manner." "Ship of Theseus has done exceptional business given the budget and size of film," adds the source. But Kiran Rao is not sure if she wants to do this on a regular basis as this takes a lot of time and effort. She says "I don't want to promote films. It is not an ambition of my life as such. But if a lovely film like Ship of Theseus comes to me, I would want the audiences to know about it and watch it. As far as other films are concerned let's see."
Chitrangda Singh works hard on keeping her body in shape. She has tried yoga, cardio, strength training, and muscle workout. Recently, she has started kick-boxing. She loves it because it is fun and keeps her active and moving and it has raised her stamina tremendously. She loves sweating it out.
A gust of wind landed actor Siddhant Kapoor in the hospital. He was lounging in his bedroom when a gust of wind caused a speaker to move and crash against his head. He had to be rushed to the hospital due to swelling. It was a funny and painful accident and he has a big bump on his head. |
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A twist in store
Sony Entertainment Television’s popular show Chanchan is all set to enthral its audience with a lot of twists and turns. The viewers will get to see the celebrations of Parvati jagran on the show. Sanya Irani aka Chhanchhan also observes a fast on this occasion but later announces that she has something to share with the family and needs to clarify important things in the presence of everyone. Listening to this everyone gets anxious and concerned. Ranjana tries her level best to find out what the problem is. All her attempts go in vain as Chhanchan refuses to utter a single word about the problem. Will this twist help in strengthening Chhanchhan’s relationship with Umaben and her family?
Not Tejaswini’s call
Tejaswini Kolhapure
All in the family
For the first time in the Indian television history, Helen, Arbaaz and Sohail Khan will share screen space. They will be seen in Sony Entertainment Television’s new season of Comedy Circus Ke
Mahabali. The new season features Krushna, Sudesh, Bharti, Siddharth with Rakhi
Sawant, Claudia Ciestla, Jamie J and Punjabi actress Khusboo Grewal. Helen and ex-judge Sohail Khan came to boost morale of Arbaaz Khan and co-judge Archana Puran Singh on the show.
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Astro turf ARIES: Recognize your behavior and try to keep a check on your temper otherwise today could become quite tough. Drama, music and public speaking groups will appeal you. Tarot message: Empty promises are certain, therefore try to put your terms and conditions in writing. Lucky colour: Sea green.
Lucky number: 25 TAURUS: Use this day to rest and recharge your batteries. While health would be stable, it is advisable to be cautious when driving. Some people may be traveling for business or work. Tarot message: You find within yourself a fountainhead of a willpower. Lucky colour: Red.
Lucky number: 47 GEMINI: Be compassionate and considerate towards your partner and let them be absolutely open and frank with you. The presence of Venus would shower you with love and affection. Tarot message: Do what is right and watch your best interests.
Lucky colour: Orange. Lucky number: 36 CANCER: Health would be a matter of concern, especially, as the planets that are in your solar health house may create some problems. At home, there may be a past conflict that could resurface. Tarot message: You are advised to focus on professional changes.
Lucky colour: Turquoise. Lucky number: 53 LEO: The day would focus on your adaptability to changing situations. Due to your new found confidence and assertiveness, some people may not be too happy and you may face some resistance. Tarot message: You must share responsibility with others before continuing.Lucky colour: Peach.
Lucky number: 64 VIRGO: With celebrations and get-togethers happening all around, your social life would be hectic and exciting. Married would be worried about their partners’ spending habits; however, honest communication would bring them closer. Tarot message: Think positive. Lucky colour: Sea Green.
Lucky number: 38
LIBRA: Businessmen may consider entering partnerships or joint ventures with like-minded individuals. Some of you would also contemplate redecorating the house. Start off with yoga and meditation. Tarot message: You gain by being practical; don’t be emotional. Lucky colour: Mauve. Lucky number: 27 SCORPIO: Some relationships would grow closer and more intimate. The focus of the day would be getting in touch with your true self. Be open to new ideas and you would be surprised at the things you would learn. Tarot message: Focus on your emotional and spiritual growth. Lucky colour: White. Lucky number: 42 SAGITTARIUS: The presence of the full moon in your own sign increases your sense of perception and intuition. As a result, you would be able to pick the vibes of others and respond accordingly. Tarot message: At work don’t hold back anything from your employer. CAPRICORN: At work, avoid putting too much on your plate and postpone some things for the next day. Many of you would be inclined towards religion and spiritualism today. Tarot message: By applying your wisdom, you can be successful.
Lucky colour: Purple AQUARIUS: Memories, romance, feelings and emotions would be the focus of the day. It is important that you learn from the past, enjoy the present and then move forward. At work, this would be quite a motivating yet a busy day.
Tarot message: Focus on the better to mitigate the bitter. Lucky colour: Pale yellow. Lucky number: 55 PISCES: Your competitive nature would help you stay ahead of others. Social activities would be highly encouraging. Transfer and promotion for some employees cannot be ruled out.
Tarot message: You have to push to succeed and your efforts will pay off. Lucky colour: Aqua.
Lucky number: 59
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She adds, "Instead of doing these embroideries, especially with hand, one can get them digitally printed on modernized kaftans and maxis for a rooted yet chic look." 
Cardio workouts get your heart pumping and can be done three to five times a week, for 20 to 60 minute sessions. Most adults need a weekly minimum of two hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking, dancing and gardening) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, aerobic dancing and jumping rope). But if you find it impossible to spare 30 minutes a day for a workout, don't give up. You can achieve your daily quota by doing three shorter bursts of exercise lasting 10 minutes or more. The trick is to use whatever time you do have in a productive manner and to focus on working harder than usual i.e. higher intensity.
Cook the corn in minimal water till tender. Drain. Mash ½ a cup of corn slightly. Mix into the rest of the whole kernels. Boil potatoes, peel and mash when cooled enough. Break up the bread slice into small bits and whiz to get coarse crumbs. Finely chop the chillies and spring onion greens (if using). Make a thin paste of maida with a little water and keep ready in a shallow bowl. Mix together the mashed potato, crushed and other corn with the bread crumbs, ginger, jeera, chillies, spring onion and salt. Keep the cornflakes spread on to a flat plate. Shape the mixture into flattish round "tikkis", dip briefly into the maida paste, then roll in the cornflakes. Lay out the tikkis on a tray and chill in the fridge for half an hour. This stabilizes their shape while frying. Set up oil for heating, just so it will enable the tikkis to be shallow fried. When the oil is hot, gently lower the tikkis into the pan, frying each side till its golden and crisp. Do not forget to drain the ready tikkis on kitchen towel! Serve with mint chutney or tomato ketchup and wait for the
applause!
Karan Johar was very happy seeing the bonding between Drashti Dhami and Sanaya Irani on the sets of a dance reality show. He quipped that no two Bollywood actresses can be friends. He even asked Madhuri Dixit about it and she chose to keep her lips sealed as she smiled. KJO knows enough about rivalries and catfights, being a prominent filmmaker who is friends with everyone.
She has been attending acting workshops. She is eating desserts and fast food. She has already left for London where the shooting will take place.
Hits & misses
Sensuous spread
Fitness fanatic
Freak accident
Actor Tejaswini Kolhapure was offered two serials by Tony and Deeya Singh’s production firm, Frames 24. But as she is busy with her movies, she turned them down. She feels TV requires total dedication as one has to shoot for 25 days a month which she isn’t ready
for.