Title: Foreign

Author: Sonora Jha

Pages: 304

Publisher: Vintage Books

Sonora Jha’s debut novel, a gripping narrative on farmer suicides in Maharashtra, weaves a fascinating tale of love, hope and redemption.

When Katya Misra’s teenaged son Kabir goes to India in search of the father he’s never met, she is forced to follow him and try to win him back to the cushy world he’s accustomed to in Seattle. But in the process she must find the courage to let him make his own choices.

While Kabir is inspired by his father’s selfless social work in Dhanpur, Katya grapples with her bipolar love-hate relationship for the man who had abandoned her, and the country and its people she had long left back for a better life in Seattle. She is inspired by Gayatribai, a farmer’s wife who saves Kabir’s life by damaging her own, and in return asks for Katya’s help in keeping her husband alive in the suicide epidemic that has gripped her village, where every eight hours, a farmer kills himself. Katya must learn whose life can be saved and whose she must let go.

The author’s ease of language and discerning words creates a world that’s so real and palpitating, that you naturally begin vicariously living out the lives of the characters in it. So even if you’re ensconced in an urban jungle, far removed from India’s brutal rural realities, it makes you experience a rollercoaster of emotions that doesn’t leave you drained, but rather enriched from their life experiences. Ironically, in the characters flaws lay their strengths. She builds them up to evoke our intuitive sympathy yet at the same time respect their self worth even if it doesn’t amount to much in their own eyes.

The story is set in a remote village in Maharashtra, but there’s a universal appeal in every turn of the page. Be it a mother nurturing her son, a wife protecting her husband, jilted lovers forgiving and setting new boundaries, a young bride anticipating conjugal bliss, social parasites, or the human spirit being pushed over the edge.

A professor of journalism and the Chair of the Department of Communication at Seattle University, Sonora Jha could very well have presented her extensive research on farmer suicides as a non-fiction book, given how au fait she is on the subject. But instead, she takes a huge leap of faith and combines her creative writing skills with hard hitting facts to tell a compelling tale in her debut novel that at once appeals to the head and heart.

At the end of the book, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to dismiss Foreign as just another work of fiction and forget about the underlying grave issue of farmer suicides woven into this heart-rending tale, or as its protagonist urges, “Don’t be overwhelmed by how little you know; be empowered to find out more.”

Australian author Ken Spillman finds an enthusiastic fan base among his young Indian readers.

You’re counted among Australia’s most versatile and prolific authors with over 35 books spanning various genres to your credit. How and when did you begin writing for Indian readers, is there an Indian connection?

India captured my imagination immediately when I first visited in 2006. When I returned home to Australia, I started reading a lot of Indian books and planning my next visit. In 2008 I was selected for an Asialink Fellowship, funded by the Australia-India Council, which enabled me to write for three months in Delhi. I had intended to write only one story, but I wrote several — I couldn’t stop! After presenting sessions at the Mussoorie International Writers Festival, I returned to Delhi and wrote a book called Advaita The Writer, which is about a girl who goes to boarding school in Dehradun. In the story, Advaita meets Ruskin Bond at Mussoorie, and he gives her some important advice. That book was my first with Indian characters and settings, and was published by Tulika, a fine Chennai-based publisher.

Since late 2008, I have spent almost one fifth of my time in India. Do I have an Indian connection? Well, perhaps some Anglo Indian teachers during my primary school years planted a seed that has sprouted in later life.

What are the challenges of living in Australia and writing within an Indian context?

A writer must be immersed in the world of the story, so the challenge is no greater for a writer living in Perth, Hyderabad or Timbuktu. Rohinton Mistry lives in Canada but writes about Mumbai. Some authors write about other planets or past centuries, but we live on earth now. I visit India and carry it in my head wherever I go, all the more because I enjoy reading Indian authors best of all.

What is it about writing that appeals to you?

Freedom. I have never liked confinement, and in my imagination I have the freedom to do anything and go anywhere. I can create a world, a situation, a problem… And I can have the power to resolve the situation or issue. Imagination is a power we all have, and sometimes people underestimate the preciousness of it. Without imagination, a movie would just be pictures and sound on a screen, and we wouldn’t feel excited or scared or sad. Books would be just words on a page. Because those words connect with our imaginations, we can experience feelings as we read. It’s magic!

With the current generation so taken in by gadgets and gizmos, how can parents get them interested in reading?

Parents need only to provide an environment in which books are available and talked about. Books should be part of the natural habitat of a child, just as computers and tablets are now part of the natural habitat for many children. TV, games and

gadgets are all okay, but they are great consumers of time. Parents should be aware of that and provide some boundaries, some time in which children are freed into a more silent world where their imaginations can grow.

Why or how did you decide to write specifically for young readers?

I was always going to be a writer — I started as a poet and writer of short fiction. Then I made a living by writing nonfiction. But I always knew that fiction was my calling. Along the way I had kids, and I loved reading to them in a very animated way. It recreated the delight I’d felt reading books as a kid, so I used that feeling to create my own children’s stories.

What was the response to your first book, Advaita The Writer?

The reviews and feedback have been sensational. Imagination triumphs over homesickness, a girl meets her hero Ruskin Bond, some humour… What more could you want?!

What else have you written for Indian readers?

The Daydreamer Dev series… There are three books to date, published by Puffin. Dev has wild adventures in his daydreams, and they are funny too. So far he has crossed the Sahara, climbed Mount Everest, traced the Amazon. I will soon be going to Mumbai to sign a deal for a pilot movie for Daydreamer Dev — animated!

What inspired your latest book, Radhika Takes the Plunge?

In Australia, there have always been many migrant kids. I wanted to write a story about a fairly recent arrival, and because I have met so many Indian kids, that was the easiest. Radhika is such a hilarious kid, and exaggeration is her forte. So I gave her a big challenge in the book, and of course she triumphed! I’m very fond of the Radhika character, and I’m writing another book about her.

How are Indian readers different from Australian readers?

Hmmm. Kids all over the world love humour, adventure, stories that engage emotions. If there is a difference, it is that Australian kids are more sceptical, more worldly. That’s not a good thing!

Are you working on any news books for India?

Yes! I have a picture book forthcoming from Pratham books — it’s about an auto rickshaw. I have another book about cricket, for Scholastic. I know my Indian fans are going to love that!

For more information on Spillman and his books, visit http://www.kenspillman.com

Buddha:
A quiet morning at the Hussain Sagar.

Madhumita Gopalan’s photographs of Hyderabad recreate the mystique and charm of a grand bygone era, and hope to inspire Hyderabadis to appreciate and preserve their rich cultural heritage.

For Madhumita Gopalan, home is where the heart is. And her heart’s set on Hyderabad, the city that she’s called home ever since she was a baby. She shares her pride for the City through her blog, Aadab Hyderabad, that showcases her photographs of the land of the Nawabs in all its manifestations.

Madhumita says, “I love almost everything about Hyderabad — the rich history, cosmopolitan society, friendly people, laid-back lifestyle and the remnants of the past that keep popping up wherever you go. My pictures and my blog are an outlet for my passion for photographing Hyderabad, and to tell the world that this is a beautiful city. I’ll be really happy if my pictures make Hyderabadis a little more aware and proud of our heritage. Old buildings are being pulled down so rapidly, it will be tragic if we entirely lose the old to the new before we know it.”

Through these photographs she hopes to get her message across to the people of Hyderabad, which is “Get to know your city better — we have so much to be proud of!”

Paigah Tomb:
The breathtaking Paigah tombs are the resting place of the Paigah nobles of princely Hyderabad, related to the Nizams by marriage.

Charminar:
Hyderabad and Hyderabadis. The view from atop the Charminar.

Child With Pigeons:
A child playing with pigeons in the Moazzam Jahi Market.

Karwan:
The historic Karwan road that runs from Golconda to Charminar is a visual delight.

Through the grill:
The breathtaking Paigah tombs are the resting place of the Paigah nobles of princely Hyderabad, related to the Nizams by marriage.

Waraq:
A shop where silver is beaten into thin silver foil or ‘waraq’ that is used to decorate sweets.

Khursheed Jah Baradari:
The palatial residence of Nawab Khursheed Jah Paigah, the maternal grandson of Hyderabad’s third Nizam is now a backdrop for a children’s cricket team!

To view more of Madhumita’s images visit: http://fourtowers.blogspot.in/

Award-winning photographer Vishesh Verma has an enviable portfolio of work in advertising, editorial and fashion that has, over a relatively short span of time, evolved exponentially. What’s more, he’s the Bollywood fraternity’s blue-eyed boy for their best shots.

Having worked with some of the top names in the industry both nationally and internationally, Vishesh shares of the many experiences, “The world is truly becoming a smaller place. Modern technology is shrinking the globe at such a rapid rate. People are basically similar. They have slightly different tastes and cultures differ, but more than ever it’s a melting pot and it’s an extremely exciting time to be part of this business.”

Between advertising, editorial, a Bollywood and fashion shoot, Vishesh is most drawn to the latter, “By its very definition fashion changes all the time. The sheer rush of being part of a dynamic industry that discards the old extremely fast and truly celebrates the new (and then it come full-circle again!) is enough to make fashion very appealing to me.”

He shares some of his favourite shots with Postnoon. To view more of his work, visit www.visheshverma.com.

Credit: COSMOPOLITAN

1 I’ve shot fashion and beauty stories inspired by her look many times. It was extra special to work with the original (!) – Dita Von Teese. One of my favourite Cosmopolitan covers.

2 A simple and formal, almost severe, portrait of a beauty, Angela Johnson.

Credit: VERVE

3 This fashion story was shot in the quaintest little antique store in Colaba with one of my favourite international models. When this story came out I received many calls from clients wanting to replicate this very look and feel.

Credit: ADORN

4 This jewellery shoot for the cover of Adorn magazine really stayed true to its inspiration of a sultry olive skinned blonde diva. I’ve worked with Vipasha Agarwal for many years and am married to her but she surprised me on this shoot with how she transforms in front of the camera. This is one of my favourite set of pictures of my lady-love.

Credit: SHOPPER’S STOP

5 This picture for an advertisement for a denim company shows a bunch of hot young people replacing the beach with the rooftop of a construction site. It was meant to be a colourful, lively, young picture with a message about rapid urbanization taking over our open spaces in modern cities.

Credit: MAXIM

6 Deepika is easily one of my favourite people to work with. I’ve worked with her for a number of years now and she always gives her very best to each and every shot.

Credit: FEMINA

7  It is a special treat to work with Madhuri Dixit. She channels her on-screen magic into these pictures. She wears current fashion effortlessly and comes across larger than her own legend, all the while staying charmingly down-to-earth and an absolute delight to work with.

Credit: TBZ THE ORIGINAL

8 This picture happened on one of those shoots where something extraordinary was created out of ordinarily pretty props and backgrounds, by sheer force of a very talented creative team working in absolute sync. It’s delightful when that happens.

Credit: COSMOPOLITAN

9 A beauty story in collaboration with Chanel, Paris.

Credit: NOT SO SERIOUS

10 This picture happened by accident on a fashion shoot. She was changing outfits and for just a split second her face and arms in the background made a beautiful composition. I captured it and love it!

Credit: MARIE CLAIRE

11 I love how relaxed, easily glamorous and sexy Anushka is in this picture. It’s one of my favourite covers of her and to top it off, Marie Claire designed it so beautifully with hand-scripted typography.

]]> http://postnoon.com/2013/04/27/sublime-vision/122244/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2013/04/20/minimal-words-maximum-impact/120898 http://postnoon.com/2013/04/20/minimal-words-maximum-impact/120898#comments Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:45:20 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=120898

Sweta Srivastava Vikram’s hard- hitting poems on women’s issues, and her skill at addressing them in a succinct language are at once enlightening and thought-provoking.

Title: No Ocean Here: Stories in Verse about Women from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East

Author: Sweta Srivastava Vikram

Pages: 66

Publisher: Modern History Press

No Ocean Here is a collection of poems that raises concern about and chronicles the socio-cultural conditions of women in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The stories, which are either based on personal interviews by the author or inspired by true incidents, are factual, visceral and bold narratives.

So we’ve heard of the whole gamut of atrocities on women — female infanticide, honour killings, dowry deaths, marital rape, widowhood, domestic violence, child abuse — time and again in India. Almost to a point of ennui, truth be told, if you haven’t experienced them first-hand. But Sweta’s choice of words in her 43 poems in this slim volume gives these issues, which are just as prevalent in other parts of the world, a hauntingly fresh perspective.

When she describes the marriage of young daughters to older men for money: “To her father, she was a business deal, a dark song, not a daughter…. How could she go to sleep knowing incense wouldn’t kill the smell of betrayal? She’s saving her curses” or writes, “Women can tie a knot of secrets… paint it onto their nails, rub it into their blush and mix it into a pot of broth, serve it to their family for dinner. Next time you eat soup, listen. Each morsel reveals a story” or says of a victim of child abuse, “She can’t pray, her faith has become too dark”, Sweta’s words hit where it hurt the most — your very soul.

Fatcat Kids, a range of nightwear for little tykes by Zainab Sulaiman makes bedtime that much more fun.

Launched in February this year, Fatcat Kids offers ‘jammies for your little jam pots’. Think bright and happy striped PJs and rainbow-checked tops. And just for the fun of it, Fatcat Kids also offers PJs for ‘jam jars’ as well as the mums and dads. So if you’d like to look like a chillaxed version of the von Trap family, this is as cool as it can get.

Zainab’s ‘nocturnal’ venture was born out of her need to stop counting sheep. Well kind of: “I couldn’t find well-priced quality cotton night-suits for my kids easily. The only options were the local cheap-looking poor quality ones or the expensive Mothercare variety. So I decided to make them myself.”

With style and comfort in equal measure, Fatcat Kids’ nightwear is made from pure cottons and cool-as-a-cucumber mul-muls in summer, and flannels in winter. Zainab ensures the chosen fabrics are durable and wash well, and of course appropriate for the season. She’s always on the lookout for cute designs that appeal to kids. Interestingly, colourful madras checks are a particular favourite. Customers also have the option of providing their own fabrics.

While her clientele consists mostly of mothers of young children aged between two and 10, Zainab hopes to tap into a ‘pyjama’ segment that exists for adults, that is at the moment going unaddressed.

Customers can choose from designs that are viewable on Fatcat Kids’ Facebook page and mail her their requirements. There is also a video guide to taking measurements that it uploaded to help customers take measurements (though she makes night suits in standard sizes as well).

Prior to these little dramas in pyjamas, Zainab ran her own production unit in Bangalore that specialised is children’s bed linen and quilts way back in 2004. About five years down the line and with the birth of her second child, it got too much to handle (“I could hardly spend a few hours at the unit and this affected my business badly”) so she decided to down the shutters. In retrospect, Zainab is happy with the self imposed break as it helped her re-evaluate her old business model and tap into many new opportunities that now allow her to work from home on a made-to-order business model and at her own pace. She shares, “Compared to my older format of working out of a dedicated unit, this is a walk in the park!” Now that she’s back in the game, Zainab notices a welcome change in the retail market: “Customers are more accepting of the cash-on-delivery model and are less hesitant to order something off the net, which is a big step forward for small entrepreneurs like me who can’t afford the high rentals and other associated costs of retail spaces.”

Zainab already has many satisfied little sleepy heads going hippity hop to bed in their cute jammies. She plans to share their photos on Fatcat Kids’ Facebook page and also encourages all her clients to share their pictures.

For further information visit: www.facebook.com/pages/Fatcat -Kids/124782712286?ref=ts& fref=ts

The book received rave reviews and made a great impact. Till date, it has helped in raising over `65 lakh for the causes of some of the heroes featured in it. Four of the inspiring people — Chewang Norphel, KM Chinnappa, Rangasamy Elango and Subhashini Mistry — won the CNN-IBN real heroes award. Hasnath Mansur, Lakshman Singh, Chewang Norphel and Subhashini Mistry won Harmony Silver Awards from Harmony for Silvers Foundation. Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore has instituted an Unsung lecture series, where heroes featured in the book are invited to its campus to address and interact with its students. Four lectures have taken place till now.

Encouraged by the impact of the first book, a second volume, Unsung-II, will be out in July this year. Six of India’s top photographers — Amit Mehra, Dinesh Khanna, Gauri Gill, Jyothi Karat, Namas Bhojani and Prashant Panjiar — have contributed with Mahesh Bhat toward it. The heroes and their stories featured are truly inspiring and wonderful. Writers include noted sociologist Amita Baviskar; Ashok Vajpeyi; Madhu Malhotra, director of programming at Amnesty International; New York Times correspondent Sarita Rai; and one of the heroes from Unsung-I, George Pulikuthiyil.

Subhashini Mistry (West Bengal)

Subhashini Mistry lives in a village called Hanspukur just about 20km south of the city centre of Kolkata. Her husband, a poor labourer, died of gastroenteritis in the ‘70s. Soon after his death, she decided that she would not let anyone else face the kind of difficulties she had to face due to lack of healthcare. She had to bring up her five children and keep her own body and soul together. Over the next 20 years, she toiled as a housemaid, manual labourer and vegetable seller and saved `20,000. Meanwhile, she educated her son Ajoy and got him to be a doctor with some help from philanthropists. She motivated the residents of Hanspukur to pool in more money and established Humanity Trust and bought about half an acre of land and established a hospital in a small hut.

Rangaswamy Elango (Tamil Nadu)

Till recently, Rangaswamy Elango was the president of the panchayat of Kuthambakkam, a village near Chennai. A few years ago, the village was fraught with poverty and lacked basic infrastructure. Violence against lower castes and women was rampant, and 35 per cent of its population was involved in illicit liquor brewing. Today, the village has been transformed and has good basic infrastructure in place. The villagers are now busy building an environment-friendly local economy based on a co-operative model, producing their basic necessities (like food and clothing) within their own village. Inspired by Gandhi, Elango has successfully implemented his vision of true ‘Gram Swaraj’, a self-sufficient village. He says, “Do the right thing and then face the consequences fearlessly. The only way to make problems go away is to face them. There is no other solution.”

KM Chinnappa (Karnataka)

A range forest officer, KM Chinnappa was single-handedly responsible for making Nagarahole one of the finest national parks of India. His incredible courage in the face of real physical danger and extraordinary knowledge of natural history are legendary. His understanding of the behaviour of the Asian elephant is better than even formally trained elephant ecologists. In 1993, after voluntarily retiring from Karnataka forest department, he started Nagarahole Wildlife Conservation Education project, reaching out to local students, youth and the public. His efforts are supported by New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society and Global Tiger Patrol Fund of London. Chinnappa’s was a hard act to follow. He exemplified the finest elements among the trench warriors who recovered India’s wildlife from virtual extirpation during the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Lakshman Singh (Rajasthan)

His ingenious method of rainwater harvesting has made Laporia, a small village near Jaipur, droughtproof and poverty-free. Starting in his home village, Singh has spread the idea to over 200 other villages benefiting more than 3,50,000 people. Lakshman Singh and his friends in Laporia used ‘Chauk’ method of groundwater recharging. A series of bunds, channels and pits are dug over a 5km stretch in a checkerboard-like pattern, following the natural slope of land. Rainwater flows slowly across the Chauka system resulting in the retention of topsoil and increase in moisture content. This also helps in recharging groundwater. Lakshman Singh’s vision and dedication has made this possible. Today, Laporia is all about abundance of nature, water, greenery and joy. Everyone practises organic farming in the village.

Hasnat Mansur (Karnataka)

Soft-spoken, gentle yet unwavering as far as her principles are concerned, Hasnath Mansur works tirelessly to educate underprivileged Muslim women about their constitutional and Quranic rights. According to her, only 15 per cent of women from poor Muslim families are literate. Lack of literacy coupled with poverty leads to suppression. She helps these women to become informed and take charge of their own lives. “Manzilon ki kuch na pucho, kisne payen manzilen? Ek safar acha raha aur hamsafar ache rahe (Don’t ask about destinations for no one has reached it. This journey has been good, let all my co-travellers be good too),” says Hasnat.

George Pulikuthiyil (Kerala)

A former Jesuit priest, George Pulikuthiyil founded and runs Jananeethi, an organisation in Thrissur, Kerala, which fights for human rights through the judiciary. Jananeethi has helped thousands of people and even transformed Thrichur ward in Thrissur into a litigation-free village. “My mission is to make justice administration a mass movement. Protection of human rights should be part of a people’s culture. I was convinced that God was not confined to the chapel. He existed amidst people, in their struggles, in their miseries. It’s out there I knew I would find God,” he says.

Tulasi Munda (Orissa)

Tulasi Munda was born into a poor tribal family, the day before India attained independence in the remote and impoverished Serenda region of Orissa. She learnt to read and write by herself. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Vinobha Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan, she decided that the only gift that she could give to her people would be education. Almost 35 years ago, she established a school under a tree in her village. She sold puffed rice to raise money. Over the years, the school has educated over 20,000 people! Her organisation, Adivasi Vikas Samithi, runs the school in Serenda and has 16 outreach centres in the villages of Keonjarh district and helps primary education be accessible to the poor.

Chewang Norphel (Ladakh)

This 75-year-old designs and builds artificial glaciers at heights of 13-15,000 ft above MSL by refreezing the glacial water. His technique is simple and cost effective. At about `3 lakh per glacier, it is the only hope for the water-starved region of Ladakh. If his dream of building 50 artificial glaciers in Ladakh comes true, this cold desert can become green and farmers can grow vegetables in summer. The natural glaciers have receded by 50 per cent in the last 50 years due to global warming. Nowhere in India is global warming more stark than in the Himalayas. Chewang’s efforts are a step towards reversing the climate change. He builds simple bunds using stones and little mortar, held together by an iron mesh. His is the highest watershed project in the world.

Vijayanath Shenoy (Karnataka)

Distraught by the destruction of the rich architectural heritage throughout coastal Karnataka, Vijayanath Shenoy decided to be the change he wanted to see. His efforts caught the eye of NORAD (Norwegian Development Agency) and with their support; he set up a Heritage Village in Manipal on six acres of land donated by the government of Karnataka. He has managed to translocate and rebuild

magnificent buildings that would have been destroyed otherwise. A crafts museum, contemporary arts museum and a performing arts centre are being developed as well. The retired banker has converted his own house in Manipal into the Hasta Shilpa Museum. His work involves identification and documentation of to-be-demolished homes and translocating them.

To pre-book your copy of Unsung-II, e-mail Mahesh (maheshbhat33@outlook.com) or visit www.facebook.com/unsungworld. Here are the heroes featured in the first volume of Unsung.

Mudumalai, on the border of Karnataka and Kerala makes for a short and sweet getaway to beat the scorching Hyderabad heat.

Bordering Karnataka and Kerala, the Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also a declared Tiger Reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary is divided into 5 ranges – Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota – each with its unique charms.

The best times to visit is between December to February, as well as June (heavy rain is common in October and November and the park may be closed during the dry season), at this point in time it’s your best bet to ditch the crowds of Ooty and its more touristy surrounding areas.

 Here’s what you can do:

SAFARI

Nestled in the north-west of the Nilgiri Hills, Madhumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is home to several endangered species. The National Park organises hour-long van safaris to unspoiled sanctuary areas for some ‘wildspotting’— elephants, tigers, bison, leopards and at least 266 species of birds including the endangered Indian white-rumped vultures. You could opt to tour the jungle Mowgli style, atop a tame elephant! The resident gentle giant led by a trained mahout transports explorers off the beaten track for some pretty close encounters with its fellow inhabitants of the jungle.

ELEPHANT CAMP

Visit a forest department elephant camp in Theppakadu to get a chance to interact with elephants in a controlled environment. The camp, which is used to train as well as house elephants, allows visitors to witness the pachyderms when they’re being bathed and fed. Apparently every elephant has its own diet plan!

TREK IT OUT

The forests are lovely, dark and deep and certain parts are best discovered on foot. So strap on your walking shoes and enjoy strolling along undulating paths, rocky outcrops, bouldered streams, gnarled roots, and steep

inclines. If you’re lucky you could chance upon sloth bears, elephants, bison, dholes, tigers, panthers etc.

If you’re not too keen on discovering the wild side, you could trek through open meadows along babbling brooks, rivers and watering holes. The topography changes from grassland to scrub jungles to deciduous forests.

BIRD WATCHING

The Nilgiris is home to over 320 species of birds, both migratory as well as sedentary. The sholas and jungles provide the perfect habitat for them all year round. Jungle Hut in Masingudi offers bird-watching treks that’s headed by a guide-cum-local ornithologist who has combed the area the last 29 years and been part of special teams in the related field in many of the National Parks of India. He will assist you in spotting as well as listening to the calls of the various birds. If on your walk you happen to hear a naughty whistle-song, it could be the melody of the Malabar Whistling Thrush. Whistling woods indeed!

CUPPA AND COCOA

The Nilgiri tea plantations, located around Ooty, Conoor and the impressive coffee estates at Gauribara are a half day or full day trip from Masinagudi. Perhaps it would be a good idea to visit one of the factories and observe the interesting ways in which the tea leaves and coffee beans are processed before arriving at our homes. With the rapid commercialisation of these areas due to excessive tourism and real estate developments, the tea estates in the hills are fast dwindling.

Where to Stay:

Jungle Hut (www.junglehut.in) The holiday estate is a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its cosy independent cottages offer great views of the natural surroundings. Wind down in its expansive verandahs and just watch the day unfold, or chill in a welcoming pool overlooking the blue mountains.

Getting there:

By air: The nearest airport is in Coimbatore (160 km), Bangalore or Mysore.

Train: The nearest railhead is Ooty (64 km), Mysore and Coimbatore.

Car/ bus: Mudumalai is 91 km from Mysore by road. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state transport facilities are regularly available from Mysore.

Vinod Lal Heera Eshwar’s interactive books make reading and eco conservation child’s play.

Vinod’s first book Let’s Plant Trees came with a simple message as evident in its title. But lest the idea slipped children’s limited attention span, he presented them with real seeds (of the Pongamia tree) incorporated in the book, goading them into action. His most recent book Let’s Catch The Rain encourages kids to play with monsoon clouds and in the process learn a thing or two about rainwater harvesting. Harking back to a time when getting your hands and feet muddy and wet was fun, Vinod’s books have kids hooked onto doable environmental projects.

Interestingly, Vinod is both the author and illustrator of his books. A polymer engineer by training, but an award-winning advertising creative director by profession, he is also a garden store entrepreneur, furniture designer and obsessive tree planter. If you’re wondering what inspires him to write, Vinod says, “I love nature. Specifically, I love trees and water — two absolute essentials for our existence. As an advertising creative person, I’ve created many campaigns asking people to plant trees and other eco-messages. But then I found that so much goes into making an ad, and once the reader turns the page, the ad gets buried in a paper pile. It was much ado about nothing much. A message has to endure and inspire. A simple, fun book for children meets both criteria beautifully. The adult and the child read a book. It endures and gets passed on from kid to kid. So kids books it was. I wanted the books to be more than sources of inspiration. I wanted them to lead to action. So Let’s Plant Trees was the first book that came with real seeds that can be planted by the kids and grown in any region or climate. The moral/message of the book was the action of planting and raising the trees.”

He goes on to share that Let’s Catch The Rain was adapted into an app game (It is ‘A for app’ these days) that can be played on all mobile devices, the computer and on Facebook. The idea of the game is to catch the rain using various objects. If rain goes down the drain, your points go with it. He’s also illustrated an animated film that explains why we need to catch the rain.

When asked why his books are specifically targeted at kids instead of adults, Vinod says, “This is a no brainer, really. You can’t teach an old dog a new trick. Truly. Adults are so set in their ways that it is really hard to get them to do something new, even if it is the right thing to do. Kids on the other hand, are so impressionable and pliable. They have fertile minds. I think of these books as wholesome seeds sown in fertile young minds. When the time ripens, they will yield good fruits… I am sure.”

For more info about the books visit:

http://planttrees.tulikabooks.com/ and www.catchtherain.org

Little Red Tote, a new go-to site offers backstage access and an insiders guide into the glamorous world of beauty, fashion, celebrities and health.

Good things come in small packages. In this case, in a stylish little red tote, courtesy India’s top models Nethra Raghuraman and Fleur Xavier. Both these stunning girls who have the beauty and brains to stay the course for over two decades in a highly competitive industry are sharing their expertise on the world wide web.

There are umpteen websites out there that claim to show and tell you what works best. So in a crowded field, are Nethra and Fleur riding on their star quotient? They share candidly, “Being established models in this industry, we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing and working with some of the most talented people this field has to offer. So leveraging our brand value and bringing this knowledge and “inside access” to the world seemed the perfect idea behind our first online venture. Of course it helps that both of us are well known names from this industry. But fame can only get you a jumpstart or some attention. What actually helps is good content, which is what we concentrate on at all times.” The brand is an online and offline property and a manifestation of Nethra and Fleur. Content is written and curated by them and regularly updated with informative articles. At any given point there are about nine articles to read and many more in the archives.

While Nethra is still actively modeling and also hosting and judging TV shows, Fleur diversified from modeling a couple of years ago to concentrate on interior designing and a furniture design business. But her love for all things hip, happening and healthy keeps her in the know.

If you’re wondering how two supermodels from an industry notorious for its catfights manage to work together, Nethra lets us in on the secret, “Well, we’ve known each other since the time we started working and became friends quite early in our careers. We think alike on a lot of matters so it was a natural progression for us to work on a venture together. We compliment each other and work well in tandem.”

Launched in January this year, the site aims to give every woman who is passionate about her beauty a portal where she can get an idea on the products that are out there in the market and a better understanding of what would work best for her make her feel and be as beautiful as she really is. It’s aimed at informing readers about the key people in the industry, tips and tricks of the trade, a glimpse into backstage and the latest trends and happenings in the world of beauty and fashion. Anything in it for the metrosexuals? For now they’ll just have to wait and watch!

For your latest fashion, beauty, health and celebrity fix visit: www.littl­e­redtote.com

]]> http://postnoon.com/2013/03/07/style-and-substance-in-the-bag/112727/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2013/03/03/booked-to-a-cause/112086 http://postnoon.com/2013/03/03/booked-to-a-cause/112086#comments Sun, 03 Mar 2013 08:39:52 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=112086

Before you toss those papers into the bin, take a moment to think about recycling it to save our planet. I Love My Mother Earth Foundation shows us how.

Weyerhaeuser, one of the world’s largest paper producers, found that recycling 1,000 kg of paper saves 17 trees, 26,319 litres of water and 1,752 litres of fuel. In other words, it takes 64 per cent less energy and generates 74 per cent less air pollution to recycle existing paper rather than to make it new. And that’s what I Love My Mother Earth (ILMME) Foundation is trying to do.

Through its Grand Banyan Project, India’s single largest recycling project aimed at supporting the education of 1 million children, ILMME is in the process of reaching out to over three million children from 3,000 schools across 50 cities and towns nationwide, asking them to contribute their old and soiled books, notebooks and old newspapers. The paper collected through this initiative is being recycled to generate a million new exercise books that are donated to lesser-privileged children for free.

The unique initiative is the vision of international award-winning film director, Sanjay Srinivas, who was deeply disturbed by the sight of melting glaciers in the Everest region and in Kashmir while shooting his film, God Lives in the Himalayas. He says, “I’ve been a huge nature lover all my life. My dream is to go around the world and make films on nature like David Attenborough.”

While ILMME aims to distribute a million notebooks by June this year, they’ve only reached 50 per cent of their target. It has been a difficult journey as funding has been hard to come by. But Sanjay’s staying the course and shares, “After nearly three years of hard work (ILMME launched in 2010), we’ve won the support of several prestigious schools across India and the parents of the wonderful kids studying in these schools.”

In the past few months, ILMME has donated over 92,000 recycled notebooks to disadvantaged children from the waste collected so far. Overall, they’ve donated over 2 lakh notebooks.

In appreciation of is efforts, British Council recently honoured the foundation last November at their Connecting Classrooms School Awards Program. Over 5,000 students have enrolled as student members of the foundation. At an extremely nominal membership fee of only `70, students stand a chance to accompany filmmakers and environmentalists on all-expenses paid expeditions to exotic parts of the planet, participate in simple yet effective green projects that will help change the future of our suffering planet, enjoy quarterly E-magazines that contain knowledge, research, facts, quizzes and contests, and also adopt animals and protect wildlife.”

Says Sanjay, “At ILMME, we wanted to achieve two objectives — saving our planet and helping the disadvantaged. The paper waste contributed by schools saves the cutting of trees as we recycle them and the notebooks created from the waste help in the education of the underprivileged. ILMME also intends to expose kids to the bounties of our precious planet and make them fall in love with nature. I am an atheist in the ey­es of the world as nature is the only god I worship. ILMME was created to give back to my god.”

For more information on the foundation visit www.ilmme.org

]]> http://postnoon.com/2013/03/03/booked-to-a-cause/112086/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2013/02/28/headed-in-the-right-direction/111421 http://postnoon.com/2013/02/28/headed-in-the-right-direction/111421#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:00:29 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=111421

With Kapil Sharma’s directorial debut I Me aur Main releasing this Friday, he talks about his journey and the art of filmmaking.

While his father, eminent astronaut Rakesh Sharma was conquering the final frontier in the early ‘80s, Kapil Sharma, an impressionable kid back then, was exploring his own little universe from different angles: “I started shooting still photography at an early age with my dad’s point and shoot Kodak Brownie. I guess that’s where my interest in image-making really began.”

What followed was a love for theatre, a Masters in Communication, a professional certificate in filmmaking from the prestigious Maine Media College, Rockport; working in a number of films, documentaries, and now his directorial debut — I, Me Aur Main. What is it about this medium that makes it saare jahan se achha for Kapil ? “It’s the fantasy, imagination, leaps of faith — the ability to transport viewers to different time zones, experiences and places. While the beauty of documentaries lies in its unplanned spontaneity that keeps you on your toes, with films you’re trying to create an elevated magical quality of experiences.”

And this heightened perception is what he explores in I, Me aur Main— a youth-centric film on the complication of relationships (starring John Abraham, Chitrangda Singh, Prachi Desai) set in a new urban scale fast-changing India. “We’re trying to do stories that are bit centric. Blockbusters tend to stick to fairly straightforward superficial stories that try to straddle a bit of everything to cater to a larger audience. But with I, Me aur Main we’re trying to tell a nuanced urban-centric story with a bit more drama and entertainment that reflects what it’s like living in a big city today,” shares Kapil.

Having worked in both Hollywood (The Darjeeling Limited, Outsourced, The Fall) and Bollywood (Teen Patti, Ghajini, Drona) films, Kapil is part of an Indian crew who work on hybrid Indian setups for visiting Hollywood film directors and Bollywood films as well, working along a more process-driven way of things which they hope is a little more ‘organised’. He says that while the experiences with Hollywood films are always great fun, and with a lot of variety, the key difference lies in the kind of filmmaking. “The craft is the same but our grammar of storytelling is a little bit different from that of the West,” he adds. “The bigger budget independent films are usually more fun to work on because it’s extremely quick, and has a smaller crew. There’s an intimacy about the making of it, and a certain magic in a group of people coming together to tell a particular story that they’re all committed to telling. Of course when that becomes bigger and larger it tends to get more impersonal, the stakes are much higher, the scrutiny levels are more insane, and the personal connect tends to get lost or diluted.”

While the onus of his directorial debut looms large, Kapil reminisces, “It’s been a thrilling journey of making the film with a cast and crew who’ve been extremely supportive and trusting. At the same time having worked so much on films, what’s been fantastic is the familiarity one has on the film set. So it’s been a unique combination of incredibly new, yet familiar.”

With Life of Pi nominated for 11 Academy Awards, Samir Sarkar, the film’s consultant assistant director reminisces on the making of an amazing masterpiece.

How did you get associated with Life of Pi?

Being born and brought up in Pondicherry, and I guess one of the few film-makers to have grown out from this charming little French colony, I seemed to be a natural choice when Ang Lee visited Pondicherry, accompanied by his screenplay writer David Mangee and their researcher Jean Castelli. The research and scout trip was one of the most determining moments in the film’s making. The vision, the budget, the technology (3D / special effects), the authenticity of the script were all discussed, reviewed and conceptualised.

How was your experience of working with Ang Lee?

Though this was a movie that took place in a world of fantasy, Ang wanted a remarkable sense of authenticity. He wanted Pondicherry to feel exactly like it was in the late ‘60s. I noticed Ang listened, absorbed and felt more than he spoke. His curiosity

about every small detail was like a child’s and yet so pertinent. Being on the sets and interacting closely with Ang was a delight and huge learning experience — both technically and humanly. A man with silent power, it was amazing to see how he harmoniously and humbly guided this massive crew and production towards a same vision. Apart from his genius, his deep and genuine relationship with the craft can truly move you.

What did your role as consultant assistant director encompass?

Apart from taking care of some logistics, my primary role became interacting closely with Ang, and helping him collect and put facts together, especially for the Indian chapter of the shoot. This included research concerning the various departments of the movie — locations, casting, costumes, music etc. After the completion of filming, my role as consultant continued during much of the post production. This included research for the soundtrack, sound design and dubbing of the film.

 You shot two films simultaneously. How did you manage that?

A period French feature film — J’irais au Pays des Neiges (I Want To Go To The Land of Snow) on the life of French explorer Alexandra David Neel — that I was the executive producer on, one that my company Magic Hour Films was line producing got delayed and due to unavoidable circumstances, had to be filmed on exactly the same dates and in nearby locations as Life of Pi in Pondicherry. This was heading towards a logistical nightmare for me. As the French film was a much smaller project compared to Life of Pi we mutually decided that the small should follow the big and avoid crossing paths as far as production went. Being the common factor between the two shoots (apart from the tiger that acted in both the movies), I played a balancing act to make sure everything went harmoniously. I was on the sets of Life of Pi every morning and during lunch break, and after shoot I would rush to my other set, which thanks to a very efficient crew was managed without a hitch.

Apparently you have an interesting personal connection with the film.

I heard that author Yann Martel used to sometimes visit my maternal uncle Chimanbhai Patel for his afternoon cup of “chai”. Mr Patel was also known as Photo Patel as he owned a famous photography studio next to the India Coffee House in Pondicherry (mentioned in the book). It seems the Patel in the Pi emerged from these meetings.

One afternoon as we walked through the French Quarters of Pondicherry, I casually pointed out my grandparents beautiful old house to Ang. The next thing I knew, he wanted it to be Pi’s house in the zoo. Soon enough though, we realised that the house couldn’t fit the 3D equipment and its crew, therefore a decision was made to rebuild the house almost identically on a larger scale in Taiwan — this included its furniture and plants.

Your opinion on western directors sourcing Indian locations and making patronising ‘poverty porn’ films on India?

Films are sometimes intended for specific audiences. There was the audience of Slumdog Millionaire that probably knew nothing about India except the stereotypes that the film portrayed. It didn’t particularly appeal to Indian audiences because it showed a side of our country (in a bit of an exaggerated way) that we would rather not see, especially from a westerner’s point of view. But there is also an international audience that loved Life of Pi and I would like to believe that in recent times it’s one of the most positive Hollywood productions on India and its deep culture. The days when the celluloid image of India was all about naked children and cows on the streets is history. The world sees a different India now — a confident, vibrant powerhouse, and that perception will make its way into western filmmaking about India. The phenomenal success of Life of Pi is a perfect example.

 What are you working on currently?

A French film, Le Jardin (The Garden) is in the pipeline, of which I’ll be an Executive Producer. Directed by Joel Farges and co produced by Paradis Films & Eric Heumann, Le Jardin will be extensively shot in Kerala. Pre production will begin in the summer of 2013. Apart from this we are working on TVCs.

Nuwaira Pasha believes in leading by example. She shares with Sunory Dutt the trials of being a single parent and yet excelling at her job.

Nuwaira heads the Primary School at Indus International School Hyderabad and the Indus Early Learning Centres in Hyderabad and Chennai. Her scope of work involves teacher training, planning and developing curriculum, mentoring, educating parents, monitoring and execution of the schools’ teaching philosophy and curriculum etc.

Well aware of her responsibility in moulding the minds of impressionable children, Nuwaira explains, “Ninety per cent of brain development takes place in the early years, between the ages of 0-3. The primary years play a vital role in shaping our adulthood. Building the right foundation and nurturing children in these crucial years has a significant impact in creating confident and successful individuals,” says Nuwaira.

In a short span of 18 months, Indus Early Learning Centre has been ranked as the top pre-primary school in Hyderabad by the Education World, largely due to the efforts and commitment Nuwaira has displayed.

Nuwaira is a single mother who moved to India five years ago with her three-month-old son. She’s been raising him single-handedly ever since. Despite being a member of the illustrious Chennai-based ‘Pasha’ family, Nuwaira opted to move to Hyderabad. “I wanted to get back on my feet and take control of my life instead of wallowing in self pity. Sometimes some relationships are simply not meant to be, I guess! My family was very supportive and perhaps wanted me to live in Chennai close to them but understood it was important for me to be independent. They didn’t let their apprehensions get in my way.”

With a Qualified Teacher’s status from the Teaching Council of England and a Diploma in Early years and Pre-school Practice from London and many years of teaching at Feltonfleet School, Surrey, England, Nuwaira was readily accepted into Indus. She began as a Prep 2 teacher. Within six months she became the Early years coordinator and went on to work on establishing their Early Learning Centres. Six months after having set up the Early Learning Centre in Hyderabad she was made the Head of Primary School.

She reminisces, “My son was 18 months when I started work. I’d take him along with me and taught classes while he was looked after by a hired nurse. I’d keep checking on him during my breaks. Luckily I am blessed with a very accommodating child who has a lovely temperament.”

“It’s very difficult living as a single woman/mother in India. The more successful you become, the lonelier it gets, I am beginning to realise. It’s very important to have a positive attitude towards life as even suffering has meaning. Good comes out of every experience. It’s only down to how we perceive and react to them. What keeps me going is my belief and conviction in my work and myself. Commitment, perseverance and resilience are key to living a happy and successful life!”

]]> http://postnoon.com/2013/02/09/shaping-a-brighter-future-2/107507/feed 1 http://postnoon.com/2013/02/09/shaping-a-brighter-future/107519 http://postnoon.com/2013/02/09/shaping-a-brighter-future/107519#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2013 05:10:28 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=107519

Nuwaira Pasha believes in leading by example. She shares with Sunory Dutt the trials of being a single parent and yet excelling at her job.

Nuwaira heads the Primary School at Indus International School Hyderabad and the Indus Early Learning Centres in Hyderabad and Chennai. Her scope of work involves teacher training, planning and developing curriculum, mentoring, educating parents, monitoring and execution of the schools’ teaching philosophy and curriculum etc.

Well aware of her responsibility in moulding the minds of impressionable children, Nuwaira explains, “Ninety per cent of brain development takes place in the early years, between the ages of 0-3. The primary years play a vital role in shaping our adulthood. Building the right foundation and nurturing children in these crucial years has a significant impact in creating confident and successful individuals,” says Nuwaira.

In a short span of 18 months, Indus Early Learning Centre has been ranked as the top pre-primary school in Hyderabad by the Education World, largely due to the efforts and commitment Nuwaira has displayed.

Nuwaira is a single mother who moved to India five years ago with her three-month-old son. She’s been raising him single-handedly ever since. Despite being a member of the illustrious Chennai-based ‘Pasha’ family, Nuwaira opted to move to Hyderabad. “I wanted to get back on my feet and take control of my life instead of wallowing in self pity. Sometimes some relationships are simply not meant to be, I guess! My family was very supportive and perhaps wanted me to live in Chennai close to them but understood it was important for me to be independent. They didn’t let their apprehensions get in my way.”

With a Qualified Teacher’s status from the Teaching Council of England and a Diploma in Early years and Pre-school Practice from London and many years of teaching at Feltonfleet School, Surrey, England, Nuwaira was readily accepted into Indus. She began as a Prep 2 teacher. Within six months she became the Early years coordinator and went on to work on establishing their Early Learning Centres. Six months after having set up the Early Learning Centre in Hyderabad she was made the Head of Primary School.

She reminisces, “My son was 18 months when I started work. I’d take him along with me and taught classes while he was looked after by a hired nurse. I’d keep checking on him during my breaks. Luckily I am blessed with a very accommodating child who has a lovely temperament.”

“It’s very difficult living as a single woman/mother in India. The more successful you become, the lonelier it gets, I am beginning to realise. It’s very important to have a positive attitude towards life as even suffering has meaning. Good comes out of every experience. It’s only down to how we perceive and react to them. What keeps me going is my belief and conviction in my work and myself. Commitment, perseverance and resilience are key to living a happy and successful life!”

]]> http://postnoon.com/2013/02/09/shaping-a-brighter-future/107519/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2013/02/07/designer-prints-around-the-block/107156 http://postnoon.com/2013/02/07/designer-prints-around-the-block/107156#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:09:43 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=107156 Sampada’s traditional block printed outfits bring cheer to those who wear them, as well as empower the many women who help create them.

True to its name, Sampada (meaning treasure) incorporates the traditional Indian craft of block printing in all its outfits — be it kurtas, salwars, dupattas, kaftans, kurtis or saris, upholding the rich craft of block printing bequeathed to us by talented craftsmen through the ages.

The popular label is the brainchild of textile designer Madhu Rao Ayde who started her venture in Delhi two decades ago. A daunting task back then, since Madhu had to manage the entire business process. “It involved getting fabrics printed as per my layouts and colour schemes, designing the outfits, getting them stitched in-house and then also having to retail them through exhibitions and later, our flagship stores. Though these start to finish, in-house processes posed a tough challenge, in retrospect they’ve also given Sampada garments their unique identity, fit and finish,” says Madhu.

And then there was the problem of convincing people about the aesthetic appeal and the earthy feel of block-printed fabric/ garments, which were different from the finish, and consistency of machine printed fabric. Madhu reminisces, “A very small segment of the population in Delhi was conscious about block printed fabric and garments made thereof. Initially, it was a difficult task making these block printed garments accepted by a large number of people needed to sustain the business.”

Getting women gainfully employed by block printing in rural areas was also a problem as social customs and practices deterred them from stepping out of their homes. Since its inception, Sampada has been committed to empowering underprivileged women.

Even at its hand-embroidery unit in Delhi, they employ only women, thus helping them augment their family incomes.

Taking their initiative a step further, Madhu set up the Sampada Foundation, which is headed by her daughter Saudamini Rao Ayde.  Saudamini’s training in Social Policy and Development is an asset to their venture.

Saudamini shares, “The Sampada Foundation will be organising a hand-block printing workshop exclusively for rural women at Sampada’s upcoming manufacturing unit at Bagru village in Jaipur next month. It has also encouraged a group of women in the underprivileged locality of Dakshinpuri in New Delhi to run an all-women hand embroidery unit that supplies its merchandise to Sampada.”

Sampada’s merchandise has a nation-wide presence, greatly appreciated for its aesthetic appeal, style, fit, vibrant colours, excellent quality and sensible pricing.

While the outfits are made with fine quality cotton throughout the year, winters see the introduction of khadi, maheswari and tussar silk fabrics into their collections as well. They have a distinctively Indian flavour with signature Patti –style, adaptable for both office and eveningwear.

Plans are afoot to establish a chain of stores in major cities of the country. With flagship stores in Delhi (since 1996) and Mumbai (since 2006), a third store in Bangalore is in the works. And apparently another one in Hyderabad is also on the cards.

Sampada’s collection will be available at Petals Exhibition on Feb 8 at 
Taj Krishna, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

For more information visit: www.sampadadelhi.com

Jimmy Shergill is perhaps one of the pioneers of ensemble casts, right from his debut film Maachis, to the Munna Bhai series and more recently A Wednesday and Saheb Biwi aur Gangster. Yet the intense actor actually has a fun side, just waiting to be humoured. He explains, “As an actor, I’m open to different roles, but would really like to do more light-hearted ones. I’ve done a few comedies early in my career, which were quite enjoyable. If I get the kind of comic roles that I want, I’ll definitely do it.”

But for this year, audiences will have to be content with seeing Jimmy straitjacketed into playing the cop (Special Chabbis and Rajdhani Express), a brooding aristocrat (Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns) and a renegade (Bullet Raja).

A significant part of the Punjabi film industry for almost a decade now, Jimmy recently also turned producer, promoting films from his homeland. The film Dharti, which he starred in and co-produced, received the rare honour of being the only Punjabi film to be screened at the International Film Festival of India in Goa last year.

Says Jimmy, “Over the past few years, I’ve done at least one Punjabi film per year. As a sardar, I feel duty-bound to do whatever I can to promote Punjabi films. It’s a passion; it’s never been about the money. I’ve seen the Punjabi film industry develop from scratch and am privileged to be a part of it. Since I’m also busy with my Hindi films and can’t do Punjabi films throughout the year, I decided to help tell stories for other people and boost new talent. Hence the establishment of Jimmy Shergill Productions. We’ve had some successful tie-ups with Eros Entertainment and are looking forward to many more films with them.” His upcoming Punjabi film, Rangeelay releasing later in the year, opposite Neha Dhupia will be ‘a full on entertainer with songs, dance, action emotion drama, the works’.

When quizzed on his penchant for choosing ‘cops and robbers’, Jimmy laughs, “It’s what I get, and it’s what I like. As an actor you have to choose what’s best for you. If I feel the role is different and exciting, I go ahead with it. I’ve never been particular about solo roles. In fact I believe the bigger the cast, the more the characters and choices for the audience, especially when it’s a good script and every personality shines through.”

Special Chabbis starring Jimmy Shergill, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpai and Kajal Aggarwal releases February 8.

Making a calculated transition from the ramp to the big screen, Namit Khanna might just be the next superstar.

If you’re a supermodel who rules the circuit and has pretty much done everything possible from numerous print ads to 10 seasons of fashion weeks and commercials for multinational brands, what’s next? The best bet would be to either model internationally or give Bollywood a shot. Namit Khanna willingly chose the latter.

And with the shift in focus came an opportunity to star in Vikram Pradhan’s Bang Bang Bangkok, which releases in June this year. Says Namit, “It’s important for me to work with the right kind of people on my first film and that played a vital role in my decision-making. So besides being one of the most hilarious scripts I’ve ever read, the conviction and belief that Vikram had in me from our very first meeting made me sign the film.”

But Namit didn’t jump in feet first into the big picture. He’s equipped himself well with an acting course conducted by noted theatre director and teacher Barry John, and also enrolled in various dance classes knowing that it would eventually come handy. Namit believes, “No hard work is ever wasted. I continued working as a model but my perseverance to make that transition continued wholeheartedly knowing that I’d do a movie without any doubt. It was only a matter of time. So the rounds of auditions, meetings etc continued and I kept learning from each experience.”

More than just eye candy, this cool dude’s got as much brain as brawn. Armed with a degree in Business Administration from Kingston University, London, Namit put his knowledge in marketing, branding and advertising to good use at Ogilvy & Mather, Delhi, over two years. In the midst of the fulltime job Namit also took up modelling assignments: “Eventually it became hard for me to juggle both careers so I quit and moved to Mumbai in 2007.”

He’s also an avid photographer with a keen eye for detail: “As I had the good fortune to work with some of the best national and international photographers, I’d always observe them and ask questions both technical and generic. That’s how I continued to nourish my passion for photography. Every chance I got to travel for work was an opportunity to enhance my photography skills. I love the fact that I’m able to capture a moment of life for eternity. Revisiting those moments is sheer bliss.”

In an industry obsessed with appearances how does Namit deal with all the admiration? “Only few people can actually point out the ads that they’ve seen me in, for the rest it’s just a sense of déjà vu. I’m not a celebrity yet for people to recognise who I am. Being a top model in India doesn’t mean much to the masses. But I believe being as grounded as possible is the key to succeed and withstand any storms or obstacles that will come in the future. The deeper the roots in the ground of a tree, the higher it grows. I’m training myself to become a man who doesn’t get swayed by admiration or criticism.”

His debut film, Pyaar ka Panchnama was an instant hit with the youth. Kartik Tiwari struck a chord with audiences through his effervescence, adolescent angst and his endearing care-a-damn attitude.

For this young boy from Gwalior, getting his parents’ consent to pursue his celluloid dreams with no connections whatsoever in Bollywood was a near impossible task. So Kartik devised an ingenious plan. He applied to colleges in Mumbai and when he ultimately got selected for a B.Tech course, the family relented and let him shift base. Kartik recollects, “I started modelling in college and used to search for auditions through Google and Facebook till I finally got to know of the Pyaar Ka Panchnama auditions on a friends Facebook wall. Since I didn’t have a portfolio, I clicked some photos on my mobile and submitted those instead. I was called for various stages of auditions which lasted four months before finally bagging the role.” And like they say, the rest is history.

Interestingly Kartik had enrolled to learn the method of acting at Kreating Charaktars but completed the course only after shooting for Pyaar Ka Panchnama. So what you saw on screen was pure, unrestrained talent.

If you’re wondering how different or similar Kartik is from his reel life character Rajat, he confesses, “I feel I had a bit of Rajat in me then and yet I’m not that submissive”. Guess what that means is you won’t find him mouthing off aggressive six-minute-long monologues taking digs at women and their obsession with their spouses. That’s a privilege solely reserved for Rajat. Audience will just have to wait for the sequel of the film to hear more of that!

Till then they can catch Kartik in Akaash Vani opposite Nushrat Bharucha. Kartik shares, “The film has a connect with reality and more importantly, has a social message which will make many of us think twice on certain issues. Now after all the workshops, shooting and living that character for over a year I feel and live like Akaash who is a straightforward shameless guy. Targeted at a family audience, the honest love story will appeal to all age groups.”Already well appreciated for his comic timing, Kartik hopes to do an action film some day as well as explore other genres.

So what life lessons has this young actor learnt from his experiences of roughing it out in Mumbai far from the comfort of family and friends in Gwalior? Says Kartik, “Earlier I shared a PG accommodation with 12 other flatmates but now I live alone in the city. While I miss my family and being taken care of by my parents, it’s made me more responsible and independent. I’ve even learnt to cook — I can make an omelette, a pretty good one, and mostly junk food!Akaash Vani releases in theatres on January 18.

Respect for women is not optional. And it’s not something that can be taught overnight or comes bound in a manual. It’s the result of a nurturing environment where children are taught by example. So teach your children right from the beginning the code of conduct we all have to live by.

Like everyone deeply disturbed by the horrendous gang rape of the student in Delhi, I too followed the news on her case hoping justice will be meted out at the earliest. But while experiencing a whole gamut of emotions through it all, perhaps the greatest was fear. As a mother of two young impressionable kids aged six and 10 I couldn’t fathom how I’d explain this horrendous act to them if they asked, “Mom, what’s rape?” Any parent would want to first talk about the birds and the bees in due course before exposing their kids to the harsh reality of ruthless humans as predators and beasts. You’d want them to enjoy their innocent Utopias for as long as possible.

I didn’t participate in any protest or candle in the wind rallies in town because, ironically enough, I don’t feel safe staying out alone after dark in this city.

But what I did instead, and will continue to do and hope every parent follows suit, is teach my kids and teach them well that there’s a code of conduct we all have to live by based on respect. Where all are equal, and some not more equal than the others.

There have been battle cries on how mothers need to teach their sons to respect women. Why not the fathers? Take a wild guess – between a young boy who sees his father violate the women in his life and treat them as mere commodities, and another who observes his father give his wife, mother, sisters and daughters the love, understanding and respect they deserve, which one’s going to turn out to be the better man?

Respect for women is not optional. It’s mandatory and should come with a sense of pride. Because by doing that, not only has a man internalised am imperative strength of character, but also self-respect. And it’s not something that can be taught overnight or comes bound in a manual. It’s the result of a nurturing environment where children are taught by example. So when a parent differentiates between a daughter and a son, and gives the latter preferential treatment and privileges, what sort of subliminal message on male superiority and devaluation of the female are you giving the boy?

Both rewards and retribution are handed out in equal measure to my son and daughter. Not because gender equality is the current mantra, but because I’ve seen my parents lead by example. My brother and I had the same parental controls, curfews, peer pressure interventions, tough love when necessary, and family support. Overindulgence to the extent of blurring boundaries and creating self-centred individuals was never an option.

Growing up in a home where both parents value each other and interact on the same footing, the concept of gender equality is a given. When children see that politeness is not a sign of weakness, rather a strength of character, they’re bound to internalise it. They learn what they see in their family, community and society at large.

When a child is exposed to domestic violence, verbal abuse and constantly witnesses the subjugation of womenfolk, he is bound to develop a potential heart of darkness, completely desensitised to basic human goodness. Where does the concept of self-esteem, a law-abiding mindset and respect arise in such a depressing scenario?

Young India, currently enamoured by the chimera of the objectified Sheilas, Munnis and Chikni Chamelis can’t ignore the elephant in the room much longer – it’s an age-old truth that women have the prerogative of selecting their partners, and those who don’t make the cut need to learn to deal with rejection positively.

While it’s up to the adults to provide the proper guidance, we’ve seen over the past few weeks a lot of frightfully ignorant ones (think politicians, pseudo god-men, women sans solidarity to their own kind) who could do with a whole lot of help themselves. Perhaps a role reversal of the youngsters teaching them a thing or two might help. Or considering their sexist mindsets, maybe not.

The tentacles of this regressive thinking run deep in our society. It’s up to us to be the change. It’s going to be a steep slope ahead for justice for women, but succeed we will if we all begin from our homes.

Kelly Dorji, Tollywood’s favourite villain has a talent that makes the bad appealing, and the good look better.

On seeing him, people invariably tend to break into “Nuvvu Devil Aiitey? Nenu Shaitan” ( you call yourself the devil? then I am Shaitan). Famous lines from Billa that’s become synonymous with Kelly Dorji, Tollywood’s suave antihero. Since his award-winning performance in Don a few years ago, Kelly’s put the magic into being mean and is loving it: “The Telugu film industry has been good to me. For the first time I entered an industry willingly, knowing what I wanted to be — a villain! I found that as commercial as it may seem, the concept of a strong villain is an age-old formula for the satisfaction of the masses and I offer something different — sophistication for the new age bad guy. Yet, it’s always my sole aim to make the good look better. ”Kelly reminisces on his early forays into the industry, “The Telugu language was so foreign to me! But God came to my rescue and gave me a talent I never knew I had — the ability to learn short lines on my own and when the longer dialogues were given to me, I had the assistant director speak out the lines and I would parrot him. It’s not as easy as I make it sound, I would work through the nights after shooting to concentrate on dialogue and emoting. Of all the Telugu films I’ve done so far Don tops the list in personal favourites because it taught me that hard work really does pay. All my life I never really worked so hard at anything thinking I had it in the bag. But then Don taught me to challenge myself.”Kelly will next be seen sharing screen space with Mahesh Babu in Production No. 3 (the film’s working title), with Tarak NTR Jr in Badshah and also with Nagarjuna in an upcoming film. When not playing the bad guy, Kelly spends his time in Bhutan multitasking between running his company Terton Travel, painting, managing his art gallery and being the Thunder Rider as part of the Bhutan Dragons Motorcycle Club, conducting charity rides to raise funds for the needy. So, has the long association with Tollywood taught him the language? “Yes, in my five years I can speak very little Telugu in normal life with my spotboy, Wali. It cracks him up I know, but he doesn’t judge me! Having won the Viewers Choice award for Best Villain at the Maa awards for his role in Don, Kelly says of the experience, “I was humbled that my entry was so well received. I don’t care if I never win another thing again, that was like an Oscar for me! I will continue to work hard for the audience who showed me their love since. Though I am considering certain roles in Hindi, my place is in the Telugu film industry and I want to be considered in its recent surge in popularity all over.”

]]> http://postnoon.com/2012/12/27/the-new-age-bad-guy/97842/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2012/12/22/uber-cool-yogi/96693 http://postnoon.com/2012/12/22/uber-cool-yogi/96693#comments Sat, 22 Dec 2012 06:05:19 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=96693

Yoga practitioner and noted cartoonist Samita Rathor is one among a few who thinks with her head and heart.

Samita Rathor, founder and teacher at Yogarpanam, a centre that provides individualised yoga lessons, reflects: “I can’t really remember when I started teaching yoga. But I do remember my teacher Sri Desikachar (son of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya) and his daughter Mekhala asking me to share all that I was taught. I never for a long time differentiated between teaching and learning. For me the two have only a very thin line between them.”

She elucidates, “I practice what I have learnt. My yoga practice started in the tradition of Sri Krishnamacharya. He said, ‘Teach not what is inside you, not as it applies to you, but as it applies to the other’. This has had a very strong impact on my own practice. For me it’s a complete and holistic approach towards yoga. Each person is configured differently, so it’s obvious that he or she requires a different yoga practice. How can you have 10 people in the same room and give them the same thing to do? This is the foundation of Krishnamacharya’s teachings. Eventually yoga is a practice to be done with your own self.”

With students from all over the globe, and ranging from the age of eight to 80, Samita fondly recalls the ones who with the help of yoga have overcome their dependence on medications, dealt with conception issues, and been able to manage severe cases of anxiety and panic attacks with utmost ease as compared to before. “However success stories are never to be credited to the teacher. It is always a joint effort between the teacher and student,” Samita says in all humility.

A counselling psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist, and a former student of the Dalai Lama, Samita believes that diet and counselling are a vital part of a yoga practice, sometimes even more that an asana regime: “Yoga is so wonderful that it contains psychology, hypnotherapy and more. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the grandfather of all Western psychology texts put together. But I don’t believe in forcing my ideas. The student should be comfortable and ready to accept it.”

Samita is also one of a small group of professional female cartoonists whose works have appeared in leading news dailies and other publications. Most recently, a compilation of her cartoons will grace the Civil Society’s calendar for 2013. She says of this medium, “What appeals to me is to be able to translate my thoughts into this art form and send out a thought-provoking message.”

Then there’s her Pablo Dog Adoption Foundation on Facebook where dog adoption cases can be shared and dog lovers worldwide can network to find homes for abandoned dogs. The focus is primarily on getting Indian dogs adopted.

If you’re trying to figure out the commonality between her diverse vocations and interests, Samita reveals it’s “Love, of course. All are fun and totally me. One supports the other. Compassion, love, honesty and humility’s what my yoga practice has taught me. Though it may not be easy all the time and I’m after all human, I try as much as possible to be in the moment deep inside and celebrate life.”

More on Samita at www.yogarpanam.blogspot.in/.

Debutante director Sangeeta Nambiar talks about her award-winning film, A Gran Plan, her book Barnabas and her future plans.

At the 7th Annual Harlem International Film Festival held earlier in September this year, A Gran Plan, Sangeeta Nambiar’s first film, won her the Mira Nair Award for Rising Female Filmmaker.

The drama set in Singapore explores the bond between a troubled young boy who meets an old lady (played by Farida Jalal, who won the best actress award at the festival) living her own share of problems. The film explores this sensitive relationship that develops over time. It intricately weaves a story that has the protagonists overcome boundaries of age, language and culture and reach out to each other to form a lasting friendship.

Shares Sangeeta, “I had been doing plays for a while but last year I felt the need to paint a larger picture. An idea of two people, despite their age and backgrounds, coming together because of a shared sadness had been playing in my head for a bit and that is really what the movie is about — a 68-year-old Indian lady and a 10-year-old Caucasian boy”.

So how did a newbie like Sangeeta manage to convince talented thespian Farida Jalal to star in her film? “She read the script and loved it! It was an eye opener working with her — like an acting school by herself. She’s not only a wonderful person but also an actress par excellence who hasn’t received her due share in India. She was my Plan A, B, C and so on. I have no idea what I would have done is she had turned me down!”

Though “ecstatic, amazed and grateful” at having won the award, it’s ironic that despite A Gran Plan being feted by the international film community, Indian audiences will have to endure an indefinite wait before it makes its impact on home ground. “Distributors in India are strangely shying away from English films. I have no idea why!” says Sangeeta.

Based in Singapore, Sangeeta runs Playacting Productions tapping into her vast experience in theatre, television and films.

“I launched it in 2009 to give a voice to the many voices that were talking inside my head. Makes me sound like a nutter but that’s the creative realm for you!,” she says.

Also a published author Sangeeta’s book Barnabas, was launched in August this year. Set against the Indian freedom struggle, it’s about Bombay’s first private detective who, despite being an Indian, manages to solve the mystery surrounding an English woman’s death. She shares, “The idea came to me in 2009 and it was completely inspired by the many Agatha Christie books I used to devour back then.” Asked on whether she plans to bring it alive on screen, Sangeeta says, “I have no plans though it might work very well as a film given the era, the premise etc. I have a different genre in mind!”

Author, director, producer. What next? “Director for sure. I love it!” Sangeeta’s currently working on scripting her next film, which is a comedy based in Bollywood. Going by her talent, no prizes for guessing who’ll have the last laugh once her next film’s out.

]]> http://postnoon.com/2012/12/15/the-worlds-her-stage/94844/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2012/12/07/jazz-up-on-classic-comfort/92733 http://postnoon.com/2012/12/07/jazz-up-on-classic-comfort/92733#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:00:44 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=92733

Pudu Lifestyle, a popular Australian men’s fashion brand sets up shop in India.We take a look.

Its threads are favoured by discerning personalities like cricketer Rahul Dravid, fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, ace photographer Shantanu Sheorey and VJ Nikhil Chinappa. Making waves in Australia since 2008, Pudu Lifestyle, which came to India earlier this year, launches its first flagship store in Goa this month.

Pudu Lifestyle’s keen attention to detail and the first of its kind to address the white space of men’s fashion and lifestyle in India makes it a hot favourite that separates the men from the boys. “We specialise in creating lines that are classic yet contemporary, comfortable and stylish all at the same time,” shares Andrew Piers, Co-Founder and Creative Head, Pudu Lifestyle. The company designs, conceptualises, manufactures, and retails all products themselves.

Online stores offer many conveniences that traditional brick and mortar stores simply can’t. Pudu Lifestyle has a large inventory in place where customers can browse and play with ideas. They can add things to their wish list for later, check-out and view items in different colours and designs. Online shopping lets you shop from the comfort of your home and avoid the stress that comes with shopping in malls and stores. It is the way of the future.

With its enviable growth forecast set to continue through 2012 and beyond, men’s fashion is just waiting to be tapped. Says Andrew, “I feel there is a dearth of options available to Indian men when it comes to classic, comfortable clothing. It helps that men are easier customers, online at least! For them, the shopping experience is less about exploration and more about being informed about what they should be buying. The Internet allows them to access this information and advice with relative ease. Unlike women, men don’t shop; they buy. They tend to spend significantly less time browsing online than women, viewing fewer pages before purchasing, and this is exactly why online shopping is the perfect solution for them.”

Commenting on whether the Indian market was tougher to penetrate as compared to Australia, Andrew opines that India is a huge market and although there’s an abundance of raw materials, the finished products leave much to be desired. Although designers and retailers all over the world come to India in search of beautiful fabric, we have yet to leverage the techniques and the material at home: “We hope to make the best use of the material and produce exceptional garments so that our customers will not have to turn to international brands for quality clothing anymore.”

Fast gaining traction is Pudu Lifestyle’s unique made to measure (m2m) service. Getting a bespoke product just right without being able to measure a customer can be quite a challenge but Pudu Lifestyle’s got it all figured. Patrons can send over a garment from their wardrobe that fits perfectly and Pudu Lifestyle will use that as a measurement guide to create their styles. They will make as many changes to the garment as required to guarantee customers are satisfied with the final product.

From an impressive collection of shirts, trousers, trench coats, golf wear and leather accessories, Pudu Lifestyle’s linen range, made from the finest European linen, is the most popular.

When asked about the brand’s USP Andrew says, “We could tell you that our brand is different, a class apart, exclusive and unique. But, we’d prefer to let our customers do that for us. So, we hope you will pick up a Pudu today because it’s just a click away on www.pudulifestyle.com”.

Intrepid traveller Anita Kapoor takes viewers on an enchanting journey through Asia.

You’d think Delhi, Mumbai, Manila, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur would have been done and dusted as popular haunts on the tourist circuit. But before ennui sets in, Anita Kapoor adds a new dimension to these metropolises as she takes the path less travelled in Go Asia minus the stereotypes of Asian exotica.

What you get instead are insights into these cities from the inside out through the eyes of local provocateurs who are changing up their cities in big and small ways. And Anita goes all out to bring you that experience even if it includes hanging out in the by-lanes of old Delhi to spend time with famed set designer Aradhana Seth, meeting members of the Delhi band Advaita, zipping over Neemrana Fort to get a bird’s-eye view or taking an early morning bicycle ride through the streets of old Mumbai to appreciate its Victorian architecture.

Shares Anita, “The greatest challenge while filming anywhere is in ensuring you are doing justice to the stories you’re bringing to life on screen. It helps that I absolutely enjoy spending time in different countries, talking to its people, eating their food, and understanding their way of life. It’s important to tell authentic stories that appeal to everyone: that’s what makes them fun to watch. The opportunities to travel are immense these days; whether one decides to live it up, or budget it down. Go Asia is a collection of ideas and opportunities to delve into Asian cities as a participant — not just a spectator.”

And as someone who’s willingly participated in many such experiences, Anita recounts learning to dance the pasodoble from one of Manila’s foremost experts and then performing that very evening in front of a crowd of the cities biggest ballroom dancing enthusiasts. Meeting Thailand’s only western trained opera singer and singing in the same park where the Bangkok siege had taken place during the cities riots: “Surreal, contradictory, exciting. That is how I see Asia.”

Filming the show came with its own share of surprises as Anita recollects, “I fell off my bike in Mumbai — which is a rather scary aspect seeing as the morning traffic was just making its presence felt. I practiced the pasodoble opener in Manila several times and still used the wrong hand in the finale. I think these make for great moments.”

A media person based in Singapore, Anita used to be the editor of a high-profile lifestyle magazine before she won the Discovery Channel search for a Singapore host. A couple of years later she was offered her first series and switched completely from print to electronic media and has never looked back since. Asked if she misses writing Anita says, “Writing will always be with me. I do miss it sometimes, but there are plenty of avenues for word release!”

She’s successfully hosted Lonely Planet Stressbuster, Can you Serve Season 2, Exotic Escapades and AXN’s first luxury lifestyle reality series Ultimate Escape among others. She’s also a much sought-after emcee for corporate and lifestyle events in Singapore and around the region. If you’re wondering where Anita’s gung-ho attitude and joie de vivre for all her projects stem from, she offers, “I am an optimistic realist?”

Watch Go Asia with Anita Kapoor, TLC at 9pm on Fridays.

If you haven’t tried playing the drums yet, head to a Drumberries session to go pa rum pum pum pum!

When Drumberries calls out to Hyderabad once a month to ‘Aao Bajaao’, the city enthusiastically heads over to get with the beat in an open drum circle. At their latest session, the age of participants ranged from 26 months to over 60 years — such is the reverberation of their reach!

Meet Vehaan and Meghna, co-founders of Drumberries. A composer, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Vehaan is trying to rekindle our instinctive pull toward percussion and rhythm. He explains, “I’ve experienced this first-hand with the folk culture and music of the Adivasi people of central India and other tribal regions who play music, sing and celebrate together as a community. But in order to recreate this powerful experience and make it relevant in our urban context, I needed to develop a fresh approach to this time-honoured concept.  A Drumberries session is a unique performance where the audience themselves become performers. As a facilitator, I move beyond being a musician toward getting the whole group together, enabling them to flow freely, express themselves and experience togetherness.”

Meghna, who is a psychologist-turned-sound engineer, and conducts theatre and personality development workshops at Drumberries, shares further, “When people come together to play, they experience harmony with themselves and the universe and hence the euphoria, the calm.  Today’s transient and challenging environment leads to a lot of stress, disconnect and loneliness. Drumming together helps people connect and create something that is greater than oneself; they feel such a strong connect as a group and this essentially is a basic need for all of us. It’s a fabulous way to have fun, relax, make new friends and feel connected.”

Apart from their Aao Bajaao sessions, Drumberries has also undertaken a philanthropic initiative called Muskaan at the Pediatric Palliative Care Centre, MNJ Institute of Oncology Regional Cancer Centre.

They also organise workshops and sessions for corporates, educational institutes, organisations and events. What started as a novel concept with just 21 drums has grown to be able to accommodate more than 2,000 people in a single session! Vehaan says, “It has been an amazing journey so far. We want to see Drumberries reaching out to everyone, being incorporated in educational institutions to corporate houses, and wellness centres. It can surely make our world a better and harmonious place to live.”

Meet Tarana Raja, a multi-talented artiste who’s made her mark through the mediums of radio, television, film, theatre and some.

Tarana Raja fell in love with showbiz pretty early. At the age of three actually, when she danced as a “Little Wonder” to Dekho Maine Dekha Hai Yeh Ek Sapna in a film dance company. She’s enjoyed centre stage ever since.

The spring in her step extended into the radio studio when Tarana discovered the medium right after college: “I started with a one-minute news capsule on 107.1 with Radio Midday. I soon got my own show to host on weekends. When private FM came into play in 2002, I had a ready spot with GO92.5FM which later became 94.3 Radio One.” She went on to rule the airwaves and became the familiar voice Mumbaikars loved waking up to with her breakfast show Good Morning Mumbai, which she co-hosted with fellow RJ, Jaggu for seven years. Looking back on those years, Tarana reminisces, “It was the best time of my life. Even today if I were offered another radio show, I’d take it up in a heartbeat.” She has also dubbed for Hollywood films like 300, Eragon and the animated feature Quest for Camelot.

When not mesmerising audiences with her voice and quick wit, Tarana concurrently quite kept in step with the beat. She’s a trained kathak dancer who perfected her art over 12 years from the age of five, and also pursued contemporary dance at 16 when she worked as an instructor and performer at The Shiamak Davar Institute for the Performing Arts and for more than eight years as a member of The Shiamak Davar Dance Company.

Tarana quit dancing professionally for good in 2004 when it “all got too much. I still love both forms of dance, but I wouldn’t want to dance professionally again. That phase of my life is over. It’s great when you’re a teenager but now I don’t have the time or the knees to dance 12 hours a day anymore.”

Instead, she has others dancing to her tune as she essays the role of Neha Shergill, a super mum to four kids and a loving confidant to her husband Vikram, on Sony TV’s Bade Ache Lagte Hain. For viewers wondering if there’s a tangent between the real life and reel life characters, Tarana expounds, “Neha is a housewife, Tarana has been a career woman always; Neha is a mother of four, Tarana is still pampered by her mother and has no kids. Neha can be very insecure and jealous, Tarana is very secure and non jealous to a fault. Besides that we’re very similar. We have to be considering the part was written for me.”

She’s also done supporting roles in Pyaar ke Side Effects, Laga Chunari Mein Daag, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, Karthik Calling Karthik and most recently Jodi Breakers.

When quizzed on her ability to multitask between being a film and television actor, professional dancer, emcee, RJ and show anchor, Tarana replies matter-of-factly, “I love them all, and have never been able to choose one over the other. In fact I don’t think it’s odd to do so many things as they’re all related to being a performer. If I were a banker, stockbroker, doctor and carpenter then that would be odd.” Touché!

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Classic Tv

Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series which ran from October 2, 2001 to March 17, 2010 on NBC and ABC. The series, which follows the lives of employees at the fictional Sacred Heart teaching hospital, was created by Bill Lawrence. This half-hour comedy focuses on the bizarre experiences of fresh-faced medical intern John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) as he embarks on his healing career in a surreal hospital crammed full of unpredictable staffers and patients where humor and tragedy can merge paths at any time.

Did you know…

£1 mn is per episode cost of the production of The World of Downton Abbey , the acclaimed TV series.The series, set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants after the post-Edwardian era — with the great events in history having an effect on their lives and the British social hierarchy in general.

Trending…

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, the spinoff of the popular series, will hit the web before being broadcast on television. Blood & Chrome, starring Luke Pasqualino (The Borgias) and Ben Cotton (Alcatraz), will premiere on the young male-skewing Machinima’s YouTube channel, Machinima Prime, beginning Friday. The film will be broken up into 10, episodes online.

Regis Philbin will host the 40th International Emmy Awards Gala, which

recognizes excellence in television produced outside of the United States. The November 19 ceremony will include special Founders Awards being handed out to two masters of American television, actor-director Alan Alda and writer-producer Norman Lear.

]]> http://postnoon.com/2012/11/08/super-trooper/86635/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2012/11/03/under-the-surface/85233 http://postnoon.com/2012/11/03/under-the-surface/85233#comments Sat, 03 Nov 2012 09:38:34 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=85233

Having battled an incurable skin condition, Aparna Suri doesn’t just scratch the surface with her take on life. She enjoys it thoroughly.

Going by appearances you’d think Aparna Suri leads a charmed life. A successful entrepreneur, perfect wife, doting mother to two young boys, prominent face in the Bangalore social circuit… it’s the stuff that champagne wishes and caviar dreams are made of. Not quite.

Life was hunky-dory until she was afflicted with Lichen Planus in 2009. It’s a rare skin disease with no known cure, which manifests in itchy bluish black marks all over the body, and gets aggravated by stress and emotional turmoil. While there are no known causes for the disease, Aparna attributes it to a highly traumatic botched anaesthesia for caesarean section during the birth of her second son four years ago, which resulted in post-partum depression. Add to that unrelenting work pressure. Aparna is the owner of fine-dining restaurant Spiga and Salon Mousse, both in Bangalore.

As a restaurateur and the face behind Salon Mouse, Aparna knows all too well how both enterprises thrive on appearances: “It was difficult because I had to be present at many social events. As a result, I hated the idea of being invited as I would have to go through the ritual of covering myself from head to toe and applying concealer on the exposed areas, which caused a lot of stress. That in turn adversely affected my skin condition as stress triggers more eruptions. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror.”

Feelings of shame, withdrawal, embarrassment, depression, resentment, tiredness, frustration, restlessness, sadness and shock — she experienced it all at once: “Luckily my family and friends were very supportive and understanding apart from the occasional bunch of people who mocked and looked at me like I had the plague.”

After being subjected to steroids, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, antihistamines, psychiatrists and counselling sessions, Reiki and then Homeopathy, which only aggravated the condition, Aparna finally found succour three years later in Dr Padma Rajamma, an Ayurvedic doctor, who effectively cured her in a short span of four months. Today the marks have almost vanished except for a few telltale signs around her ankle.

“This experience has taught me not to take my body or mind for granted and look at life as being a precious gift, and to look after myself physically and mentally. It also has made me more spiritual and therefore much stronger. Instead of getting bogged down with insignificant struggles, I just look back at the time I was battling the disease and remind myself that it’s not worth complaining about the small things.”

The responses to my “coming out” about this disease have been incredibly positive and it is immensely gratifying to be able to help someone suffering from the same condition. I get many calls and enquiries regarding my doctor and have been gladly referring many people to her. What would be the point of exposing myself regarding my battle and not being available to help? Anyone suffering from a similar condition can contact me at suriaparna16@gmail.com and I would be happy to assist in every way I can.

]]> http://postnoon.com/2012/11/03/under-the-surface/85233/feed 0 http://postnoon.com/2012/10/20/picture-perfect-3/81637 http://postnoon.com/2012/10/20/picture-perfect-3/81637#comments Sat, 20 Oct 2012 09:40:52 +0000 Sunory Dutt http://postnoon.com/?p=81637

Much sought-after for his inimitable concept photography, Subi Samuel’s pictures speak a thousand words, leaving the beholder mesmerised by their sheer brilliance and purity in thought and execution. No wonder he’s the go-to guy for bringing out the best in his favourite subject— photography. He talks us through some of his favourite pictures.

A meticulous planner who leaves nothing to chance, Subi’s photos are the result of a fastidious deliberation on everything down to the minutest detail right from props to backdrops to concepts. With a penchant for digital media, which he likens to an art form, Subi constantly pushes the boundaries of his craft discovering new ideas, thoughts and mediums with fantastic results, which speak for themselves.

Subi shares some of his works with Postnoon.

To view more visit http://www.subisamuel.net/

Nana Patekar

A great subject, and brilliant light-and-shadow combine perfectly here in a rare moment. The way the light falls on Nana’s face complements his persona, and truly depicts the kind of entity Nana really is.

Amitabh Bachchan

I shot this to portray Mr Bachchan’s versatility. The kind of emotions and moods he can depict with every click of the camera is amazing. Sometimes I am tempted to indulge and shoot extra just to see how much he can offer in a shot. It’s sheer magic!

Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar

This was sheer serendipity. I had just finished photographing Shahrukh when Karan happened to visit the studio for a different shoot. We did this on the spur of the moment and the amazing chemistry evident between both these Bollywood powerhouses in this picture is priceless!

Bipasha Basu

Recall value is important for a good picture and Bipasha depicting the tale of a sleeping beauty is one such image that brings in a lot of interest.

Suriya

We shot this in Chennai very early in the morning. I really appreciate Suriya’s attitude, and the way he conducts himself with the people around him. No starry tantrums whatsoever.

Sushmita Sen

We did this while shooting for Sushmita’s I Am She campaign. What’s there not to love – the depth, the expression, the unusual angle and of course the subject.

Kangna Ranaut

We had done an experimental shoot with a visiting foreign make-up and hair styling team. Kangna pushes the envelope. There’s never a dull moment at a shoot with her. I love her attitude to life and her choice of cinema.

Rekha

She’s someone who’s given to a lot of experimentation, is totally comfortable with the camera and is very hands on. Rekha can carry off absolutely anything with total panache and élan. Working with her makes it so much more fun because of the many creative inputs she brings into the entire process.

Leander Paes

I love every picture I’ve shot with Leander. More so because he’s someone I connect with. I love the way he gives to the camera. He’s such a non-celeb celeb; it’s exciting just being with him.

Sonakshi Sinha

Unlike her usual traditional image, there’s a western side to Sonakshi that looks fantastic if played well. I love the feel of the image. Everything works together in this picture for me.

Actor Nakuul Mehta uses his charms to optimum effect to connect with audiences and get their attention.

He’s the kind of guy any girl would want to take home to meet the parents. The man’s got the looks, an affable personality and the good manners to endear him to just about everyone. No wonder Rajshree Productions chose him to essay the role of Aditya Diwan, the guy with a heart of gold on Pyar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara on Star Plus.

Nakuul’s tryst with the entertainment industry began during his college days when director Satish Kaushik spotted and cast him in a leading soft-drink commercial. And like they say, the rest is history. He went on to be the face that’s launched many a product ranging from colas to toothpastes, to motorbikes and even a men’s fairness cream alongside Shahrukh Khan. All this and more while still pursuing a Masters degree in Commerce. Reveals Nakuul, “While I modelled and subsequently started working in theatre, I also did summer internships in the financial markets and a dot-com start-up. Having a strong academic foundation was something that was ingrained whilst I was very young. Yet the dream of doing something in the entertainment industry was always at the back of my head. Without trying too hard, I managed to get some really good work in the advertising space and that gave me the initial encouragement to keep at it.”

“My family was absolutely supportive of my dreams and took great pride in the fact that I started working at such a young age. My parents gave me the choice to follow my dreams of working in the entertainment industry or go after the much more conventional academic route of getting a Management education and that is something I value greatly, even today. Nobody in my family is in the entertainment industry.”

What Nakuul doesn’t divulge easily about his family is that his great grandfather Mehta Laxmi Lal was the prime minister of Udaipur and he traces his lineage back to Prithvi Raj Chauhan. When prodded on his aristocracy he says in all humility, “It feels great to be part of such a legacy yet I see myself as just another law abiding citizen of my country who has dreams of entertaining and touching people through his work.”

And his work speaks for itself indeed. Nakuul has over 60 commercials to his credit, acted in about 15 plays, worked on a mainstream Bollywood movie (Haal-e-dil), did an independent short film (Avant Garde Pythagoras Sharma) and is now the lead protagonist of Pyar Ka Dard Hai. When quizzed on his diverse range of projects he explains, “I’m not someone who chooses his medium and then decides to act. These are projects I have been terribly excited about at a certain point of my life and gone ahead and done them with my full potential.”

Despite a relatively smooth entry into the entertainment industry, Nakuul, like every artist has had his fair share of highs and lows but says, “The struggle never really gets over. Initially it’s about getting the right break, then you have to prove your mettle, continue to strive to do good work and that cycle never ends. It also keeps you on your toes to continue doing your best.”

And we look forward to seeing him better the best.

On acting

“Television as a medium is amazingly big. I am hugely motivated by the reach it gives me to put my work out there for audiences to react to and that is extremely gratifying.”

New spin

American Horror Story

If you thought American Horror Story’s Murder House was spooky, just wait until you experience Briarcliff Manor, the insane asylum at the center of the FX drama’s second season, aptly subtitled Asylum. But while there are plenty of tangible scares — a vicious serial killer named Bloody Face, a Nazi doctor whose failed experiments roam the woods just beyond the Manor’s boundaries and… aliens — it’s the psychological terror co-creator Ryan Murphy has added that will send you running for the hills.

Did you know…

Television watching in Japan seems to be a national passion. In fact, this passion is called “ichioku-so-hakuchi-ka” which means “one hundred million people go crazy”.

Trending…

The CW Network has ordered Cycle 20 of America’s Next Top Model. In Cycle 20, for the first time, male models will be added to the group of contestants competing for the title of America’s Next Top Model, and will move into the models’ house alongside the women. Also viewers will continue to vote for their favourite models though social media.

Former participants of reality show Bigg Boss, Pooja Bedi and Sky Walker (Aakashdeep Sehgal) will soon be seen on another reality television series. The two hit it off really well after the previous season of Bigg Boss came to an end. They have even been spotted going on vaccations together. So what new show is going to snag this couple?

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