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Shining glory
While jewellery has for long been valued as an audacious yet personal expression of art, aesthetics and wealth, it is only fair that it continues to inspire. Showcasing her collection at the Talwar Jewellers, Sector 22, Maheep Kapoor, a jewellery designer, who is also Bollywood actor Sanjay Kapoor’s wife, feels that her passion for jewellery fuelled her creativity for designing it, but her constant source of inspiration and motivation was her love for the classic as well as eternal. “I remember taking to studying jewellery designing when I was pregnant with my daughter, who is now fifteen. I always aspired for making something that is timeless and classic,” begins Maheep.
As she defines her understanding of classic, Maheep recollects. “My love for jewellery was triggered by the beautiful collection of my mother and grandmother. I was just amazed by the idea of how we perceive jewellery as a tradition in India, which is passed on from one generation to another,” she says. “The jewellery that I make is the sort that can be worn by my daughter, and even my daughter-in-law and their children. That’s what I bear in mind when I make jewellery,” she adds. However, when she ‘blings’ up the conversation with the mention of designing Arpita Khan’s wedding jewellery, she flings a few names from Bollywood who have been romancing her jewellery art - Kareena Kapoor, Sonali Bendre, Malaika Arora Khan and many more. Nevertheless, Maheep maintains a very honest stance while owing her success as a designer to her Bollywood connection and her eye for quality work. “I am married in a family of actors, producers and directors, so I thought of being a little different and took to jeweller designing instead. Although I will not deny that my family connections gave me a good platform to mount my label on,” she gushes. Inspired by Mughal art and temple jewellery, Maheep roots for chand balis and maang tikkas, while stating, “They are a timeless trend.” She also maintains that the jewellery must serve the purpose of accentuating more than anything. “I feel that jewellery must be light and comfortable. Only then will you truly be able to enjoy it and that’s also a heavy consideration that goes into the craft,” she shares. Talking about the jewellery market across the country, she shares that Indian women are not only particular about their jewellery but elaborate too. “When you look at the award shows in India, the women carry off their jewellery in a more elaborate fashion and that’s the significance of jewellery in Bollywood or even otherwise at weddings or elsewhere,” she opines. Quite elated by the warm response she received by the city folks, she shares that she will be back in the city soon and will also showcase her collection in
Ludhiana.
amarjot@tribunemail.com
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A story to tell
At the UT guest house on Saturday afternoon, we are pleasantly surprised by the pleasing persona of story-teller Jaishree Sethi. Her appearance dismisses all stereotypes, primarily when it comes to looks and age. Jaishree quickly shares how her profession is only an extended dimension of her ‘passion’. Her story too is all about a dramatic tale of choices, risks and her ability to move beyond the obvious.
“I was working for a radio channel and would travel a lot for work, but it was only when I was in Simi Valley in the US that I incidentally fell upon the idea of becoming a story-teller,” says Jaishree. She shares that while spending hours at the library, which was her only refuge from boredom while in Simi Valley, she was acquainted with a storyteller, who later took her on for a couple of workshops and that triggered her interest in storytelling. “I had anyway worked in the radio, so modulation came easy to me,” she says. “Also, I was quite done with the idea of working in the corporate houses with all the stress and baggage it brings with itself, so I quit. Story-telling was the perfect creative choice that I made for myself,” she adds. Jaishree looks at storytelling as an art that entertains people of all ages. “When I perform a story from Panchtantra or any other story, people look at it with their own perceptions, and that is the reason why I don’t narrate my stories with a message,” she says. Accompanied by a set of musicians, she shares that story-telling helps children acquire life skills and abets personality development. “The best thing about story-telling is that it is like interactive theatre that allows one to communicate with the audience and explore,” she signs off. amarjot@tribunemail.com
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Legacy in every step
Abhinaya puts into perspective what words can’t. Preserving the legacy of the rich Odissi dance form, one of India’s most famous danseuses, Madhavi Mudgal, is all prepped to perform a solo and a duet (with niece Arushi Mudgal) in Chandigarh on Saturday.
The winner of the Sanskrit Award (1984), the Padma Shri Award (1990), the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1996), the Grande Madaille de la Ville by the Government of France (1997), Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000) and more recently, the Nritiya Choodamani Award (2004), Madhavi Mudgal got introduced to Odissi under Guru Hare Krishan Bahera, and later fell under the tutelage of the renowned Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. Daughter of Pandit Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya, the founder of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Madhavi Mudgal has been credited with bringing refined sensibility to the art form of Odissi. We catch up with her, just before her afternoon siesta, on the day of her performance in the city. You trained in Kathak and Bharatanatyam for many years before you took to Odissi. What incited the shift? It was basically the lyricism of the Odissi dance form that drew me to it. The subtle dynamics of Odissi fascinated me and I wanted to explore them further; that’s why the shift happened. Thankfully, I had someone as great as Guru Bahera to guide me through it. In comparison to Odissi, Kathak and Bharatanatyam still enjoy more popularity in India and abroad. Why do you think that is? Kathak and Bharatanatyam were famous even when I was growing up, that’s why I trained in those forms first. The reason was that the revival of Bharatanatyam and Kathak happened in the 1930s, much before that of Odissi, which was in the 1960s and ’70s. So, Odissi will take time and patience on our part to establish a wider base in the country. Although it has found many takers since its revival, it still has a long way to go in comparison to Bharatanatyam
and Kathak.
Young take on tradition
somya@tribunemail.com
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Replete with colour
Godrej Interio, innovator in the furniture category, has carried out an extensive study across 650 offices and 150 designers in order to understand the concept application of colours to work spaces. The study entailed expert views on the ‘future of workspaces’. Godrej Interio went one step ahead and combined colour preferences with the observed megatrends, caused due to changes in technology and sustainability. Godrej Interio held a ‘Colour Palette Pro’ workshop with Latika Khosla, renowned colour and trend analyst, in Chandigarh recently.
Indian work spaces are striving to achieve a balance between global influences of megatrends and Indian tastes as well as unique colour preferences. Today’s generation is extremely evolved, moving away from the typical, conventional themes towards state-of-the-art, sophisticated themes. They wish to delve deeper into concepts that revolve around colours, yet stay rooted to Indian values. On the concept, Latika Khosla said, “It is clear that Godrej Interio serves a very vast customer base in various industries. Each of these industries has specific requirements, which are in constant transformation. The result of this in-depth study with Godrej Interio gives us an inspiring set of colours and materials in the Colour Palette Pro, which gives endless possibilities for future space designs.” Sameer Joshi, assistant vice president, Marketing, Godrej Interio said, “At Godrej Interio, our intention in imbibing a design philosophy is to fulfill the needs of our colour-conscious consumers.”
—TNS
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British motorcycle brand Triumph Motorcycles India Private Limited has announced the opening of their dealership facility in Chandigarh called Triumph Krishna. This is the ninth dealership for Triumph Motorcycles in India. Vimal Sumbly, managing director, Triumph Motorcycles India Pvt. Ltd, said on the occasion, “Triumph Motorcycles is a truly iconic brand, our motorcycles have not only been winning laurels on the race tracks but also been burning the tarmac on the silver screen. The enthusiasm from brand patrons and fans that we have seen over the last one year is overwhelming.” The celebrated British brand also announced that they have clocked 1,000 bookings across five model categories and one more showroom in Kolkata will be set up before the end of the year. Triumph’s biggest success in India is its capability to provide the potential customer with a one-of-its-kind sales process followed by regular ride events hosted in operational dealerships. The Chandigarh dealership has an ultra-modern showroom integrated with an after-sales service facility featuring service bays and a spare parts inventory. The design of the showroom is based upon the global signature Triumph Motorcycles layout with consultation lounge, sales and after-sales desks all being close to the display area. The dealership also boasts of ‘Build your own Bike’, a novel concept in the premium and luxury motorcycle segment. The facility will have an array of Triumph merchandise, which includes riding gear, accessories and memorabilia. — TNS
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Behind-the-scenes at Arpita’s wedding
Arpita Khan and husband Aayush Sharma have been gifted a high rise apartment on Bandra’s famous Carter Road by her family. They wanted the couple to stay close to them instead of moving to Delhi. This will help Aayush’s acting ambitions as well. At Arpita Khan’s wedding ceremony, the kaleera fell on Katrina Kaif’s head. Kaleera is a bangle type ornament that the bride wears and shakes on the head of unmarried girls. It is believed that the girl whose head it falls on will be the next one to get married. Interestingly, Salman also called her on stage as Katrina Kapoor. On that note, we can’t help but wonder when she’ll marry Ranbir.
Salman’s lady love
Salman Khan introduced Romanian beauty Iulia Wantur as his girlfriend at sister Arpita’s wedding. They are very much together and Salman is very happy. We wish them well.
All truth, no denial
Finally, it is official! Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and batsman Virat Kohli are seeing each other and Virat admitted to the relationship at an event where he launched his fashion line. He said that everything is out in the open and he’d like people to respect their privacy.
Cutting a sorry figure
The MAMI Film Festival is out of funds again to pay the prize winners. The previous funds were used for accommodation of dignitaries, print acquisition and cinema bookings. Only a few of the winners have been paid and the rest will be paid by February, 2015.
India can wait
American reality TV star Kim Kardashian, whose maiden trip to India was cancelled due to visa issues, says she will soon try to come back and meet her fans here. The 34-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was supposed to launch her latest fragrance in Mumbai as well as make a special appearance on the Salman Khan-hosted reality TV show Bigg Boss 8. Kardashian took to twitter to express her disappointment. “To all my wonderful fans in India. I am so disappointed that I was not able to come to India as planned. When the opportunity presented itself to make the trip, there was a short window to co-ordinate all elements,” Kardashian posted.
—PTI
A feather in her hat
Priyanka Chopra recently recorded John Lennon song Imagine for a special video on the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The actress has shot the video in collaboration with music producer and DJ David Guetta and artist Yoko Ono. Priyanka says, “An exciting aspect of my 8 year association with UNICEF has not only been the ability to make a tangible difference to the lives of so many young people, but also to use various innovations to create avenues to connect with a wider audience. The Imagine Project is one such innovation and I am honoured to have been chosen to be a part of this amazing cause with such an illustrious panel of contributors. John Lennon has been a personal favorite of mine and his creation Imagine so succinctly describes the scenario that we are all trying to achieve.”
New girl on the block
Dilip Kumar & Saira Banu’s beautiful niece, Sayessha, who debuts in a forthcoming Ajay Devgn film, has already been snapped up for her second film. The makers have locked Sayessha opposite Tiger Shroff, in what
looks like an ambitious super hero flick. To be directed by Remo D’Souza, the film promises to be
a visual feast in eye-popping 3D effects and will go into production in mid-2015. The 18-year old Sayessha, who is a trained Latino and Kathak dancer, is sure to sashay her way into the audience’s hearts. Tanuj Garg, CEO, Balaji Motion Pictures, confirmed the
news.
Wake-up & workout call
Shraddha Kapoor is now a morning person. The young actress so far preferred working out close to mid-morning but her trainer has been keen that she works out close to sunrise. Her trainer has been pushing her to wake up early and workout as he feels that it will benefit her more. Shraddha has now been trying to wake up early and complete her workout. She herself has started feeling more energised and focused. The young actress believes fitness is the best mantra for good health. Shraddha has been practicing for her next film, ABCD 2 where she plays the role of a dancer.
What luxury!
Singer Jennifer Lopez reportedly uses a body scrub with diamond powder to remove dead skin from her body. The 45-year-old star swears by a $ 250 Australian-made body scrub, made with ‘diamond powder’ in a bid to keep cellulite at bay, reported a publication. “Jen’s legs are actually her biggest problem area. She’s prone to cellulite, and when she gains weight, it always goes straight to her thighs. But since she started exfoliating daily, her legs have never looked better,” a source said. —PTI
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In pursuit of perfection, once again!
Aamir Khan’s Christmas release P.K. is just around the corner and he has completely dedicated his dates to the film. The actor has dedicated 43 days, before the release, to the film. Aamir had recently taken a vacation with his wife Kiran and son Azad in Japan, where he had gone to attend the Tokyo film festival, after which they stayed back to celebrate Kiran’s birthday.
Now, Aamir is working on P.K. around the clock and is completely focused on the film. He is eating, breathing and sleeping P.K. and has completely blocked everything else out. He is constantly hanging around Rajkumar Hirani and is not leaving his side. Meanwhile, in connection to PK, Aamir Khan is very intrigued to find out from where Bhojpuri actually originated. The ace actor is extremely curious about the language and wants to know more about it. Aamir loves the style and quirkiness of the language. He has made an effort to learn its nuances too. Aamir had to learn the language for the film and has caught on the lingo of
Bhojpuri.
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Return of Vikram Betal
Revisit a moment of your childhood with the comeback of Vikram Betal on the small screen. This interesting collection of inspiring stories that aimed at teaching kids lessons on life, while entertaining them is slated to make a comeback on your TV screen. The new TV channel, PAL will be presenting these educative yet mesmerising tales in the form of weekly series in their ongoing periodic drama Sinhasan Battisi.
A daring act
Television actress Aneri Vajani, who is currently seen as Nisha in Star Plus’ youth centric show Nisha Aur Uske Cousins, will be undergoing rigorous training at the Lakshya academy in the upcoming episodes. The actress was tremendously inspired by Akshay Kumar’s action sequence in Waqt – The race against time where he had to run before the dogs. According to a source, the actress wanted her expressions to be exactly like Akshay’s. Adding to it, Aneri said, “I am scared of dogs but for the training to look strenuous, I requested my production team to enact a similar performance for the show.” Tune in to Nisha Aur Uske Cousins, every Monday to Saturday at 8:30pm only on Star
Plus.
It’s a goal
Actor and anchor Manish Paul, who has been juggling between films and television, has managed to make time from his schedule to regularly fly back to Delhi. We hear that the actor has put together a volleyball team with his childhood friends.
A new chapter
Savdhaan India has roped in television’s popular actor, Sidharth Shukla as the host. The actor is seen hosting its newest edition named as Savdhaan India – Fight Back Now. After making a mark in modelling, television and Bollywood, Sidharth now turns to anchoring with this show. He brings alive the stories of common people who fought against crime. In the past, Savdhaan India had roped in television actors namely Amar Upadhyay, Hiten Tejwani and Pratyusha Banerjee as hosts. Thrilled about his first venture as a host, Sidharth said, “This is the first time I am hosting and especially a crime reality show.”
She’s back
Actress Mandira Bedi, who acted in popular television shows like Shanti and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, is all set to return to television. She will soon be seen in the second season of daily soap, Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki on Life OK. Her character will sport many stylish outfits in the show.
The hunt is on
The promos of mythological show Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, which is going to be aired on Colors soon, has already generated a lot of curiosity among the viewers. While actress Pallavi Subhash will be seen playing king Ashoka’s mother, actor Sameer Dharmadhikari will be seen as Bindusara, Ashoka’s father. The shooting for the show will begin soon, while the hunt for a child actor to play Ashoka is still on.
Happy couple!
TV actress Simran Kaur, who was last seen in daily soap Anamika, got married in Chandigarh on November 22. Simran tied the knot with Sikandar Singh Virk, a pilot who is also based in Mumbai. The two met around a year ago and became good friends. While Simran had no plans to marry, Sikandar popped the question and she agreed after her parents gave their consent. The couple plans to honeymoon in Mauritius and Bali.
Third-time lucky
After the first two seasons of Life Mein Ek Baar, Fox Life is back with an all-new season of unique experiences. This season will showcase four friends – Evelyn Sharma, Rochelle Rao, Pia Trivedi and Mahek Chahal – exploring their friendship as they take on an exciting and emotional journey in Thailand. The girls do it all and that too with much élan. Whether they are giving free hugs to passers-by or experiencing life inches away from deadly snakes – every day is a surprise for the girls. From an emotional tour of Wat Pho temple to an adrenaline-pumping cliff and sky diving, from flying in a Gyrocopter to getting an elephant massage and trying their hands at Muay Thai, the combat sport of Thailand. Every episode holds a promise of something fresh and exhilarating.
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Balancing act
Actress Pallavi Kulkarni who returns to small screen with Ekta Kapoor’s latest show, Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyar talks about the show, her role and more.
What’s so different about this show? Well, this show is a lot more realistic and modern in its treatment than most shows on TV today. Unlike other shows, I have the liberty to use a smattering of English in my dialogues. It is a very fast show. Do you have any apprehensions about your comeback? I am a little anxious of the work timings. Not because I am afraid of hard work but I have a family now and I want to devote my time to them as well. I’m just a little torn between how to divide the time. I am sure my family and the production house will cooperate and it won’t be an issue. Your son is still very young and daily soaps have very demanding working hours. How do you plan to balance both? I thought about it a lot. I even consulted a child psychologist before accepting this show. I wanted to know how old should a child be, for a new mom, to be able to return to work. He is two now, and has started going to a playschool. I was told by many people that if I wanted to get back to work, now would be the ideal time because as he grows older, he’d need me for studies, assignments and projects. Currently, I’ve my parents, my in-laws and nannies, who a huge support to me. So, the situation in our house is such that he doesn’t miss me as much as I miss him. It is difficult but I am managing. I have already informed the production house that I would need weekends off. So we’ve negotiated that and I will be off on Sundays and second Saturdays. Do you have friends in the industry? Not too many actually. There is so much to do that we hardly find the time to make friends in this industry. Also, I have been away for so long, I have lost touch with people. Now that you’re back, will we see you in more shows? Right now, no. I like to concentrate on one thing at a time.
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The year ahead
If your birthday is November 23...
Due to the number 5 of 23 you are inclined to work well with people and enjoy them. You are talented and versatile, very good at presenting ideas. This is a good time to focus on your career, Sagittarius. You may feel like you’ve stagnated these past few years, but making changes has allowed you to move into a field that you really enjoy and where you feel you can prosper. It’s time to do something you really enjoy for a change and the 2015 forecasts that you will get that opportunity. Financially speaking, 2015 is the time to be cautious. Refrain from borrowing money and do your best to live within your means. Pursuing a career that you love could mean some financial setbacks, but you should be well-prepared. Lines suitable for you are travel, transport and communication of every kind, writing, media, advanced inventions and all things that concern the young. Positive colours: Forest green, sea green Select days: Wednesday and Friday Favourable numbers: 3, 5, 9 Gems recommended: Emerald, sapphire and ruby. Charity on birthday: Donate oats, biscuits to under-nourished, poor children.
You share your birthday with Sajid Khan [November 23, 1971], who is the brother of Farah Khan. He started his directing career with Darna Zaroori Hai. The number 5 and Mercury make his personality charming, dynamic and magnetic. His Mercury’s period, spanning till 2020, will keep him on the screen.
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Astro turf
ARIES: Tying up all loose ends will be your priority today. Work will take up quite a bit of your time and attention but once you’ve dealt with it, things will ease out quite a bit. This will indeed be quite an exciting day. Tarot message: Do not transact in uncertain matters. TAURUS: This is a day for either external or internal changes. It will be more beneficial if you take the second approach. Start by mending strained relationships with either a family member or a friend. Tarot message: You gain by being practical; don’t be emotional. Lucky colour: Saffron. GEMINI: The day begins on a favourable note. Now will be the time to make some changes in your daily life, so that you can enjoy the element of newness and freshness. Don’t let the drudgery of routine decrease your efficiency. CANCER: The day will be more challenging than usual. As a result, you will have to exercise all your intuitiveness and be as realistic as possible. At work, efficiency will bring good results. LEO: Expressing what you feel is important and that is exactly what you will be doing today. Showing your love, support and friendship will be your key behaviours. Take a step and then stick to it. VIRGO: It is important to concentrate on your core beliefs, values and morals since they will play an important role in your life. Spending time with friends and family today will keep your physical and mental health in great shape. LIBRA: Business people who need some permission from government agencies will be able to rely on influential friends for the same. If there are people who owe you money or something else, ask for it. Tarot message: Frankness and ability to state the truth are your strong points. Lucky colour: Rainbow-pastels. Magic number: 62. SCORPIO: Decision-making should be quicker if you know what your heart really wants. SAGITTARIUS: Some of you can get some surprising news. For health reasons, it is important that you don’t worry about minor things excessively. In relationships, CAPRICORN: Finances and health will not be a major concern, but this will be a good time to get routine tests done. Relationships, marriage and friendships will AQUARIUS: In relationships, you will be thinking too much. Communication will be vital in your personal and professional life, so pay attention to what you say and write. PISCES: You will be able to handle any disappointment that comes your way either at work or in personal relationships. There will be positive developments at work and your financial security will increase. Tarot message: Use your instinct to get into the top circle of power. Lucky colour: Pink. |
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Born into a family of musicians, Arushi Mudgal has been fortunate in having in-depth exposure to music and dance through the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, an institute started by her grandfather Pt Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya and headed currently by her father, Madhup Mudgal. She started learning Odissi dance formally at the age of five from her aunt and guru, Madhavi Mudgal. In 2007, she completed her graduation in Odissi dance. In Chandigarh to perform with her guru, Arushi says she doesn’t feel burdened by her lineage of artistes. “Belonging to a family with such big names doesn’t intimidate me. I don’t think I would’ve had a different approach towards Odissi, or that I would’ve had the license to ‘take it easy’ even if I didn’t belong to such a family.” Ask her why she chose Odissi over other dance forms and she says, “I was influenced by my aunt at a very young age. Seeing her move so gracefully on stage won my heart as a child. I couldn’t have asked for a better guru. She has taught me to be a perfectionist, not just dance; it’s always about the whole experience.
