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Bumpy but blazing
From the boundary of the green fields, he brought the tractor out and put it on the highway — pulling it all the way from Chandigarh to Kanyakumari! You might think it is insane or even weird, but for Jaibir Virk this was a way of satiating the desire to play an ‘adrenaline pumping game’ of a different kind.
The Indo Farm’s Tractor that Jaibir and his co-driver Amit Chaudhary rode, covering 7,050 kilometres, is parked smartly at JW Marriott in Chandigarh. It raises the curiosity of the onlookers who wonder why a field machine is parked at a plush hotel. Jaibir spins it around, just like a kid would wheelie a bicycle and parks it for a better view. Jaibir Singh from Tohana, Haryana, and Amit Chaudhary, one an advocate and another a teacher, finished the Indo Farm’s Great Indian Tractor Journey from Chandigrah to Kanyakumari in nineteen days, registering their name in the Limca Book of World Records for the longest Indian expedition on a tractor! They are obviously happy and so are their family members. “It took me seventeen years to convince my family to do something like this,” smiles Jaibir, who did his first solo tractor ride till Leh in 2008. For everyone around it was a crazy idea. “I was four when I started driving a tractor, now it is something like my close companion. When I decided to take it to Leh, everyone around thought it was an insane idea,” he adds. And then, Indo Farms came along to support them in two expeditions. If it sounds a bit funny, for Jaibir and Amit, it wasn’t a tough ride. As Jaibir explains, “At the end of the day, it is still a tractor, which means it comes with its share of drawbacks. One, we couldn’t speed it, as the highest speed is only 31-32 km per hour. Second, it has no shock absorbers, so obviously we felt all the bumps.” You can imagine the tiredness from the fact that the duo took only four breaks in the entire journey! “Adventure has different connotations, so passersby on road would wonder what we were doing,” Amit chips in. This, however, is not the first time that the two have done something different. They have entered the Limca Book of World Records by covering 273 km in a tractor in reverse gear for 14 hours and 45 minutes for the longest ever non-stop reverse drive. “This Indo Farm tractor is our adventure vehicle with an AC cabin and other utilities,” adds the duo while posing with the machine. Jaibir and Amit have dedicated their ride to world peace and they might just go a step further with it — the tractor. “We would want to step out with it outside India in the near future,” smiles Jaibir, looking at the tractor as if getting a go-ahead from it! jasmine@tribunemail.com
Joy ride Anshul Khadwalia, executive vice-president, sales and marketing, Indo Farm equipment limited, looks at it as the test of their new tractor, which by the way has also been used in Bollywood movie Khiladi 786 by Akshay Kumar and in Chennai Express by Shah Rukh Khan. “The success of the ride proves that tractors made to stand for long hours can do it.”
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Eye on the stars
Dhriti Saharan dreamt of being an actor right in her childhood. She did become one. Glamour attracted her to the vocation that she found to be non-glamorous on ground. She is happy with three Punjabi films and one in Telugu, as also the opportunity to work with Partho Ghosh.
In Chandigarh on Saturday for a corporate event, this engineer merrily shared notes from her journey in films. “My parents placed one condition – of completing my education before venturing into films. They were of the view that one needs to be mature enough to handle the highs and lows of the glamour industry. So after my engineering and some work experience, I decided to pursue my dream. A friend suggested that I try in Punjabi films, which I did. Within ten days of audition, I was on locale shooting for my first film Pure Punjabi,” says Dhriti, who reached Indian Idol finals post twelfth but chose to complete her education. Quite proud she is of her bilingual film Teri Meri Ik Jindri, she talks of working with the ace director. “Partho Ghosh is an actor’s director. The camera angle and what he wants from an actor is very clear.” In Bengali and Punjabi, Teri Meri Ik Jindri is the story of a rich, spoilt girl who falls in love and is completely changed. “The film addresses true love, which is non-existent in today’s generation and also faith that’s again becoming extinct.” Pleased at the response her other Punjabi flick Sadda Haq has got overseas, Dhriti thanks her stars to have got very positive people around her. Although all is not rosy in the glam world, she banks on her mother to sail her through everyday challenges. “Acting is challenging as is to look brilliant all the time; then you have to be nice to everyone,” says Dhriti who has found ways to tackle odds on the road. “As actors you have plenty of time on you in your vanity van; I have picked up reading as a new hobby.” Singing and dancing is what she loves and her idol is Priyanka Chopra. “I am amazed at all that she has achieved nationally and internationally,” says Dhriti. mona@tribunemail.com
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She means business
Reshma Nagpal is the founder and CEO of e-bee, a product by Dynamic Vertical Solutions. While her business passion lies in adding value through two core areas, innovation and marketing, she is responsible for formulating and executing the business strategy for IP creation, which can then be translated back into country specific GTMs and Product USPs. With 18 years of rich analytical, industry specific and international research experience, Reshma employs a mix of economic and competitive strategy tools in driving existing and new initiatives for the business globally. Born and brought up in London, Reshma, who comes across as a rather enterprising businessperson, talks about her business, personal life and a lot more… Tell us something about your business and e-bee? Founded in 2006, DVS is a brainchild of my sister, Rakhee Nagpal. We offer industry specific solutions to several business sectors, including retail, hospitality and real estate across India and the sub-continent. As of now, we offer solutions to over 450 clients, including Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee, KFC, Aditya Birla group and the Delhi International Airport Terminal 3, to name a few. Essentially, e-bee is a web commerce software, developed by the DVS that allows efficient management of business operations on the online space. How long have you been in the profession? We have entrepreneurship in our blood it seems. My father brought the software, Navision to India, which is now owned by Microsoft. A lawyer by profession, I was practicing litigation in London for over 5 years before I contemplated a profession shift in 2008, and moved to India. What made you come to India and work here? In 2008, the world economy was under severe depression and I did want to shift to India to help the business ventures in India by adding value to the opportunities available here. One thing that you learnt while you were a lawyer and it came in handy in your business too… Negotiation! (Laughs) What were the restrictions you faced while working in India? I would not call it a restriction, but a lesson. In the beginning, I was not quite open to driving during late hours, like when I was in London, but one learns to adapt. However, I must mention that it is almost overwhelming to see the warmth that we as Indians have, be it just about having lunch together at the workplace. Which avenues, as far as business and corporate are concerned, does India need to change on? One learning and widening the mental brackets to understand that value or services come with a cost and there are no free lunches in the world! What's more convenient to wear to office-Indian or western? I like both Indian and western wear, and it depends on the situation. However, one must keep experimenting with their looks and wear a lot of colours, rather than sticking to the dark shades or monotones. What is your source of inspiration? My family. How do you juggle between work and home? Though balance comes with time, for me, it's quite convenient to work during the late hours because my husband is very supportive and we share a good level of understanding, which is very important. What advice would you give to the working women in India? Follow your dreams and don't be afraid of taking up challenges. amarjot@tribunemail.com
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Knot worthy
A satire on arranged marriage steered Nandini Krishnan towards writing a book on the same topic. Hitched Modern Woman And Arranged Marriage is the result, a 272 pages non-fiction book published by Random House India.
“Though the general perception is that modern Indian women marry for love, it’s surprising that many urban women are still opting for the rather conservative way to get married,” says Nandini, at the launch of her book at Café Nomad-7, Chandigarh. The book, divided in two sections, deals with personal accounts of women who are in different stages of getting hitched the arranged way and the other section deals with situations that arise in such circumstances. “Modern, urban, working women are still going for arranged marriages, their reasons might be different. I have an account of woman who lost in love, chose to go traditional way; there is another who after getting divorced chose to go for a love marriage,” says Nandini, who having worked with print, web and other media is now freelancing. “I don’t talk of love versus arranged marriage but there are peculiar situations that come up only in arranged marriages largely because families are too involved.” So be it changing your town, country, quitting job or not being able to conceive, some such situations and suggestions to deal with them find place in the book. Ask Nandini on her target readers and she says, “Well, it’s addressed to those who are in different stages of getting married or are already married. My book drives home the point that arranged marriages are still very relevant to our society,” says Nandini who is dividing her time between Chennai and Delhi and is looking forward to convert her play Baby to novel next! mona@tribunemail.com
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At your service
Six senior students from Vivek High School participated in Round Square International Service Projects. UdePratap Singh Sandhu of grade XI and Aashna Aggarwal of grade XII participated in the Round Square International Service Project being held in Baisoara, Cluj-Napoca Romania. Jansher Waraich and Nehmat Chadha of grade XII participated in a project for school children in Ladakh. Akrita Kaur of grade X and Angadbir Khehra of grade XII participated in a service project in Mpumalanga South Africa. — TNS
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Kashmiri Charisma
Kandla Nijhowne
Looks like the monsoon season took a U-turn and beat down on us with a fierce vengeance! Condiments like 'heeng", Kashmiri red chillies, dry ginger (saunth) powdeer and "saunf" are the basic additions to their gravies. The use of cloves and yogurt too is common though the yogurt must not be sour. It's meant to thicken the gravy and lend creaminess to the final dish, but minus tang! Two root vegetables that come out really amazing in a dum Kashmiri gravy are potatoes and arbi. The latter being a slippery customer is more cumbersome.
(Nijhowne is a Chandigarh-based culinary expert) Ingredients
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star track
American performer Lauren Gottlieb may have ended up as the first runner up on reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6 but she is not disappointed. Buzz is that Laurent, who shot to fame in India with the film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, is all set to foray into Hindi films. In an exclusive chat, she reveals her plans and more…
Are you disappointed about losing on the show? To be honest, I am not. I am content with what I got. I gave some of the best performances and had big stars praising me. Many people voted for me and got us to finals. It was unreal for me as I've just started here. To be recognised for the kind of work I do is what I have always wanted. So I got so much anyway! Do you have plans of staying back in India? I've travelled to many parts of the world but I believe in destiny. To be honest, I've started living here only now as I was occupied with the show. The last time I lived alone was 6 years ago when I moved to Hollywood. Now I'm here in Bollywood so I'm really excited. So what's your plan of action for now? Now I want to start acting. I know that I am a good actor and I want to explore that part of me. Now that you've mastered Bollywood dancing, are you open to doing an item number in a Hindi film? That's not really my goal. I first entered here with ABCD that did well and got good reviews. So my journey has been fairly good and the next one is going to be even better. I've always accepted what came my way and gave my heart to it. Have you signed any new projects? I am supposed to have received a couple of scripts while I am catching up on a lot of things. I am not in a place to reveal anything now. But I'm looking for that specific goal that makes me put my heart and soul to it. Are you still continuing with your Hindi classes? That's one thing I need to catch up on. I conversed a bit in Hindi on the show and got to learn a little. But now I'm going to take it up seriously. My dream is act in a Hindi film and converse completely in the language. Films first: Lauren Gottlieb
Why should girls have all the shoes!
The toast of the week
Ali bags Fast And Furious 7!
After cashing in on the surprise hit Fukrey, Ali Fazal seems to be going places. Ali has been roped in for Hollywood's popular franchise Fast And Furious. Ali said, "I feel lucky and happy to be a part of this film. It's a cameo and I have a small role in it. And it's not something I want to shout about from the roof tops."
According to Ali it is a huge opportunity for anyone. He is overwhelmed by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For now the actor has shot for just a day for the film and will finish the rest of the shoot during next year. "So far, I have just shot for one day and most probably I will join the crew in January for the rest of the shoot," he informed. As for how, he got the role, "I wasn't prepared for it. I got a call from there and things just happened and fell into place. It's still like a dream," he added. Directed by James Wan, Fast & Furious 7 stars some of the biggies of Hollywood like Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson among others. The film will hit theaters in 2014.
Saif’s natural look in Bullet Raja
Saif Ali Khan has opted for a naturally tanned look, instead of make-up, to play a rural gangster in Tigmanshu Dhulia-directed Bullet Raja.
According to a source, the actor was required to get a tanned look for his character and to achieve that the 42-year-old would sit outside his van in the afternoon. "Saif really puts in a lot of effort to get into his character. Tigmanshu wanted a certain tanned look since he is playing a rural gangster. Saif would sit outside his van in the afternoons to get a natural tanned look," said the source. Bullet Raja narrative will be set against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh-based mafia and it will deal with the underworld. Saif has even been a regular at the gym for his looks. When actor was asked about his chiseled looks, he says, "I wasn't fit when I did Race 2. I was okay but I am way fitter now and I look different." He adds, "It's a great feeling when you know that you are fit and you are looking good. When you are fit, your body language changes. You are more agile and with the kind of stunts we did in Bullett Raja that is needed because it can get physically demanding." The film also stars Sonakshi Sinha and Jimmy Shergill.
On tips and toes
Of appointments and commitments
Delving into the dark
Ajay Bahl, who directed B.A. Pass, has been signed on by the Bhatts to direct a dark thriller for them. The film will star Rajkumar Yadav while the leading actress has not been finalised as yet. It will be shot in Mumbai and Himachal Pradesh.
Ranbir doesn’t mind
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Role call
Just friends!
When Hunar Hali and Abhishek Malik were doing serial Chhal — Sheh Aur Maat there were many stories about the two dating although later it was revealed that he is a married man. The couple never went on record about their relationship and always claimed they were friends. But recently on Hunar’s birthday, Abhishek was nowhere to be seen. If he’s such a good friend why didn’t he attend?
Moving away
Perhaps Sakshi thought about her bahu image on television, although the excuse that she gave was of dates. She is currently playing a comatose Priya in Bade Achhe Lagte
Hain.
Bharti getting flirty
For the society
Anup Soni, who has been the face of Crime Patrol, feels strongly about crimes and criminals in our country. This actor talks about our society and the crime rate. Read on.
How has hosting Crime Patrol changed you? I have become a different person after doing the show. My point of view and the way of looking at others has changed. I have become more sensitive towards people than what I used to be three years ago. We spend endlessly on our lifestyles but we start squabbling over petty issues without service providers. People would dine out at an expensive restaurant, but would never pay extra money to the maid. It is high time that we start understanding their perspectives. What do you think is the reason one turns to crime? The difference between rich and the poor is one of the factors. There is frustration in society. In Mumbai, they say outsiders come and commit crimes. But one should realise that the man committing crime also has the responsibility of his children and family. They should be treated as human beings. They need to be given what they deserve. If you understand others, life will be easier. Do you also add inputs in the show? I read the entire screenplay of the episode. Sometimes I even add certain lines and my team is happy to incorporate my inputs. I don’t take part in the research process since there is a dedicated department for this. — HRM
Adnan’s show
Amidst the rib-tickling laughter and over-the-top humour, Adnan Sami promoted his latest venture, his studio album Press Play on Sony's Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali. He also gave a special performance on two of the songs — Kudi Tight and Ali Ali — from his album. Bharati Singh, star comedian of the show and Adnan's co- star in the song, also tapped her feet on Kudi Tight.
Cyber-proof yourself
The internet is a great place to make friends; a better place for faceless predators; every like, share, comment or tweet has a butterfly effect. It has the power to change someone's life in a microsecond...a certain Miss Shetty found this out the hard way.
Like millions of other girls of her age, she also innocently uploaded her picture on a popular networking site. Some boys started harassing her by posting photo-shopped nude pictures of her. Traumatised, she went into depression and became suicidal. What was her mistake…just that she was the victim of cyber abuse like many others sailing in the same boat? There's only one way to bring order to this chaos-awareness. Taking an initiative of arming the youth with awareness against cyber abuse, MTV ACT, under MTV, in association with the NGO, Cyber Crime Awareness Society (CCAS) brings MTV WEBBED — Cyber Abuse Real Stories, a new drama series that every youth will relate to! The show will feature a series of fictional representations of real life cases and incidents that the youth encounter on the web. This show is backed by MTV’s own pro social platform MTV ACT that engages with over twenty NGOs and independent organisations to support the cause-based initiatives across verticals. Aired every Saturday at 7pm, MTV WEBBED targets the youth between the age group of 15 to 24 years. A ten-part series, MTV WEBBED will have youth icons, from television heartthrobs Jay Bhanushali, Siddharth Shukla, Karan Vir Bohra, Ritwick Dhanjan, to choreographer Salman Khan to the beauties Pratyusha Banerjee, Sana Syed, Priya Wal and singer Chang. Each of them will host an episode and emphasise the natural instinct of youth, who let curiosity take the better of them only to regret it later and face the brutal consequences. With new cases coming to light each day, cyber abuse can no longer be swept under the carpet. In the recent times, cyber abuse has grown exponentially each year without showing any signs of slowing down. The year 2012 saw 47.9 per cent cyber forgery and 39.1 per cent cyber fraud being reported under IPC category for cyber crimes. Through this show, MTV, along with CCAS, wishes to spread awareness and educate the youth about the correct safety measures. It’s time to raise questions and take necessary precautions.
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Astro turf
ARIES: Recognise your behaviour and try to keep a check on your temper, otherwise today it can become quite tough for you. Drama, music and public speaking groups will appeal. Tarot message: Empty promises are certain, therefore put your terms and conditions in writing. Lucky colour: Sea-green. Lucky number: 25
TAURUS: Use this day to rest and recharge your batteries. Taking time out for your own self, every now and then, will be a good idea. While health will be stable, it is advisable to be cautious when driving. Tarot message: You find within yourself a fountainhead of will-power. Lucky
colour: Red. GEMINI: Be compassionate CANCER: Health will be a matter of concern, especially as the planets that are in your solar health house can create some problems. At home, there can be a past conflict that could resurface. LEO: Focus on your adaptability to changing situations and also your own ability to change in various ways. Due to your new-found confidence and assertiveness, some people will not be too happy. VIRGO: With celebrations and get-togethers happening all around, your social life will be hectic and exciting. Singles will be looking for someone special to bond with; however, things will not go very smoothly. LIBRA: Business people will consider entering into partnerships or joint ventures with like-minded individuals. Some of you will also contemplate painting or redecorating the house. SCORPIO: Some relationships will grow more intimate. The SAGITTARIUS: The presence of the full moon in your own sign increases your sense of perception and intuition. As a result, you will be able to pick the vibes of others and respond accordingly. CAPRICORN: Avoid putting too much on your plate and postpone some things for the next day. Some of you will have to take a personal decision towards the middle of the day and this will bring about a major change. Tarot message: By applying yourself, you can succeed. AQUARIUS: Memories, romance, feelings and emotions will be PISCES: Your competitive nature will help you stay ahead of others. Social activities will be highly encouraging. Transfer and promotion for some employees cannot be ruled out. |
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The year ahead
If your birthday is September 22...
It is a good year where you will fulfill your needs. There will be favorable opportunities in your career. Issues concerning family relationship should be handled maturely. Being born on the 22nd of September, you are capable of handling large-scale undertakings, assuming greater responsibility and working hard towards their completion. Those born after 1970 can be irritated by some unresolved matter. Avoid arguments — everything will work out for the best. Rahu or Uranus is your dominating planet; it makes you dynamic and creative. If you are in the fourth estate, next year will bring you much more success and recognition. Positive colours: Blue, Violet, Dark Grey Select days: Saturday, Sunday Favourable numbers: 2, 4, 8 Gems recommended: Gomed, Cat’s Eye, Opal Charity on birthday: Observe shradh of some departed souls and donate edible items in their memory.
You share your birthday with Sana Saeed (September 22, 1988), an actress and a model. She did a show on SAB TV — Lo Ho Gayi Pooja Iss Ghar Ki. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) was shot during her school vacation. She won the Sansui Viewers' Choice Award as the best child artist for it.
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