Blogophile

A fleeting glance at Fleet Street (and other alleys)

2011-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Molly Ivins, The Texas Observer columnist once famously said: “I don't so much mind that newspapers are dying --- it's watching them commit suicide that pisses me off.” Had she been alive to witness The News of the World’s (NoW) demise, the irreverent political commentator would have pulled out all stops in calling a hack a hack (given ‘hacking’ is the flavour of the season on Fleet Street).

Which brings us to another question. Would things have turned out different had NoW been headed by someone other than the marmalade-haired Rebekah Brooks? Had some bloke called Hack-neyed Storey helmed it, would it have toned down the criticism against this epic print version of The Devil Wears Prada?

I – someone who converts coffee into copy (another borrowed line) -- think not. And before this is taken to be a defence of the street where truth and veracity pay only a fleeting visit, let’s say it like it is. It would have. Because --- all talk of feminism and parity at the workplace notwithstanding --- for women in media, the glass ceiling only seems to be getting higher.

Shift the drama to India and media coverage of the lead players would put the hinterland’s ‘journals’ ---- Manohar Kahaniyan and Satya Kathayein ---- to shame. Case study one: A famous (not popular) tv journalist’s marital status and her interest in the affairs of her spouse’s disputed home state would come under heavy fire – both from right-wingers and from those afflicted with temporary sexual dysfunction at the sight of assertive females. Case study two: Then there would be sly, malicious hints dropped about a Maoist-sympathising editor having ‘compromised’ to become a name to reckon with at her feisty weekly.

Buried under the reams of newsprint rotting at the raddiwalla’s, of course, would be the years of hard work and late nights, the jibes, ribald jokes and innuendos spewing forth from colleagues, that female journalists resign themselves to.

That India has not had an Elizabeth Brenner (executive VP, Journal Communications, Associated Press) or a Katherine Weymouth (Publisher, Washington Post) speaks volumes – in banner headlines – about the country’s media. It also raises (uncomfortable) questions about the mindset – of both men and women -- that puts affiliation and networking before professionalism and merit.

Where, for every Homai Vyarawalla, Mrinal Pande or Prabha Dutt becoming a household name, 20 others give up the ‘fight’ midway. Leaving one to wonder if Paul E Schindler Jr was being cheeky or prophetic when he said, “Every word I wrote was ephemeral, as evanescent as baby's breath, and had the shelf life of fish.”

Gastronomic threat to Manali’s fragile ecosystem

2011-08-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

Tourists in Manali are nibbling away at the environment, literally. With wood-fired ovens being all the rage at this popular tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh, the already-depleting forest cover here has been further endangered.

From upscale restaurants in New Manali to more affordable ones in Old Manali, every eating joint --- worth its olives and jalapenos --- has strategically placed a board announcing “wood-fired oven pizzas” at its entrance. It’s a surefire way to lure hordes of tourists on the lookout for newer experiences.

Yet, no one seems to be paying heed to this gastronomic threat to a fragile alpine ecosystem. Rough estimates suggest trees are being chopped daily (during the peak tourist season of April to June) to keep numerous wood fired ovens going in Manali and nearby areas like Vashisht, Solang Valley and Naggar.

“It’s what tourists want. We are forced to cater to this growing demand. It’s about market dynamics,” says a restaurant owner in Old Manali, refusing to be named. “We only use firewood from dead trees. We, too, care about the environment,” says the proprietor of one of the oldest eating joints here, popular with foreign tourists.

That tourists and their tastes --- in all senses of the word --- dictate trends in Manali is a given. So much so, that the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC)-owned Kunzam Café (on Mall Road) has fallen in line and offers tourists pizzas baked in wood-fired ovens.

This, despite the HPTDC website claiming to use only ‘dead, diseased and decaying trees’ for ‘bonafide requirements’ of locals. GS Thakur, District Forest Officer (DFO), Publicity, Himachal Pradesh says, “Only dead trees, not green trees, are cut for firewood. Also, fuel wood is sold only from registered sources, like the forest corporation depot.” Thakur adds, “If someone uses fuel wood from any other source, it’s illegal.”

Yet, the threat to forest cover in the area is immediate. “In May 2009, per capita fuel wood consumption at Kohlibher village near Kullu was 31.24 kg,” says Dr JC Kuniyal, a senior scientist at the Kullu-based GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. With an estimated 16 lakh tourists frequenting Kullu-Manali annually, the already-strained green cover here is groaning under stress.

Add to it vehicular emissions and the problem grows manifold. Dr Kuniyal points out, “A 2005 study ---- Trend of atmospheric aerosols over the north-western Himalayan region ---- shows that the level of air pollution over the sensitive area of north-western Himalayas (under which Kullu-Manali falls) is increasing due to high anthropogenic (caused or produced by humans) activities.”

Shalini Rai

Delhi's Alter-nate reality

2011-05-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

In a new film, Tom Alter plays a historian-with-a-gun, giving a crash course in the history of the city of djinns and in life itself

Teacher, sports journalist, author, film and theatre actor. Tom Alter has donned several hats in a career spanning about 40 years, with effortless élan. So, whether it was essaying the role of Lord Mountbatten in Ketan Mehta’s critically-acclaimed Sardar or bringing alive Maulana Azad in an eponymous play or even playing the firang characters that the man on the street best knows him for, the actor who does not carry a mobile phone has a wide canvas that he splashes with the brilliant hues of his talent.

In his latest outing on the creativity boulevard, Alter does his bit to alter the way people view the Capital of India, by playing a historian-with-a-gun. “I grew up in north India, so Delhi has been my favourite city,” says Alter, who plays historian Anil in the forthcoming film With Love, Delhi.

“The historical monuments of Delhi have been preserved very well. It achieves two objectives. One, it makes people think about history. Two, it makes more open spaces available in the teeming metropolis,” says Alter, whose character Anil is out to avenge a historic wrong in the film, that also stars other veterans like Kiran Kumar and Seema Biswas.

In the movie, Anil kidnaps builder Karan Khanna (Kiran Kumar) and sends clues related to the cultural heritage and monuments of Delhi to Khanna’s daughter Priyanka (Pariva Pranati), who is helped by her history student friend Ashish (Ashish Lal).

“The film has a lot of historical background weaved into the story. It is a very different film,” says Seema Biswas, who plays the mother of Ashish.

Made by two IIT-Delhi students – Ashish Lal and Ashutosh Matela – and a chartered accountant – Manav Vigg – the film has been directed by Nikhil Singh and edited by Namrata Rao (of Band Bajaa Baraat and Ishqiya fame).

“We thought of integrating the rich legacy of Delhi with an engaging plot and then approached Tom Alter, Kiran Kumar and Seema Biswas,” says Ashish Lal, a 2005 IIT-Delhi graduate. “The film covers several well-known monuments like Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Khooni Darwaza and Iron Pillar, while racing towards an engrossing end,” he adds.
Adds Alter, who received a Padma Shri in 2008, “The film has an interesting storyline. All of us (including Biswas, Kumar) decided to be part of it to give a chance to these youngsters, who have done a very good job with the film.”

The Thomas Alter Affair

Clues that lead to Delhi’s famous monuments:
A well in a pond, a ruler once called it home
Serving the poor and the sick, departed the 8th one – Bangla Saheb Gurudwara, built in the memory of Guru Har Kishan, the 8th Sikh guru

The sunset of the last Empire was bloody red
I have seen the cheering crowds and a hanging head -- Khooni Darwaza, that stood witness to the end of the Mughal Empire, with the killing of Bahadur Shah Zafar’s two sons and a grandson

The ‘H’openhagen summit

2009-12-19T02:56:00.000-08:00

Environmentalists feel the climate change conference at Copenhagen will carry weight only if participating nations reach a conscientious agreement to arrest global warming

Twelve years after the Kyoto Protocol, touted as the definitive international agreement to arrest global warming, was adopted by world nations in Kyoto, Japan, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), global warming remains as pressing a problem as it was prior to 1997. So, as the Copenhagen Summit gets underway from today and continues till December 18, the need for a seminal climate change agreement has never been more urgently felt. However, going by past reluctance of developed countries to commit to legally-binding carbon emission cuts and disinclination of developing nations to agree to discriminatory carbon burden-sharing, the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit is anybody’s guess.

“It’s been a pattern with developed nations; all these years, they have been breaking all the rules that they expect developing nations to follow,” says Ramachandran of Kalpavriksh, a Pune-based environment action group. “For sustainable development, it’s imperative that developed nations, the biggest polluters, start by conserving energy and human resources, before dictating terms to others,” he adds.

With the early effects of global warming now being increasingly felt, it can no longer be pushed under the carpet, as has been done in the years since the Kyoto Protocol was approved. And hence, the Copenhagen (also dubbed Hope-nhagen by environmentalists) summit assumes much significance. “We can no longer afford to postpone a decision on global warming. All development till date has been uneven and lopsided, in favour of developed countries. To top it, these nations create environmental mess and then want developing countries to clean it up. This has to stop,” asserts Dharmaraj Patil of Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Pune.

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently announcing his decision to be present at Copenhagen, Denmark on December 17, just days after India (the world’s fourth biggest emitter) announced its aim to cut carbon intensity by 20-25 percent (by 2020 compared to 2005 levels), the consensus reached at Copenhagen is bound to have long-term implications for both our planet and the future of humanity. However, as Patil puts it, “Developed nations must make common cause with developing ones to save our planet; otherwise it will be too little, too late.” Continuing in the same vein, Ramachandran says rich nations are digging their own graves by refusing to accept the gaping reality of climate change. “The time for decisive action has arrived. There can be no further procrastination on this issue and everyone should realize this once and for all,” he adds on a sombre note.

Warming Up

· In 2012, the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate changes and global warming runs out and there’s an urgent need for a new climate protocol. Hence, the Copenhagen Summit
· Government representatives from 170 countries expected to be present at the 11-day-long summit, from Dec 7 to 18, along with NGOs, journalists and others
· ‘Burden-sharing’ to be the point of contention at the summit. Climate scientists say by 2050, the world must cut emissions by 80 per cent compared with 1990 levels to limit global warming
· A Guardian poll reveals almost nine out of 10 climate scientists doubt political efforts to restrict global warming to an additional two degree centigrade average rise — the level the European Union defines as ‘dangerous’ — will succeed

The fountainhead

2009-12-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

Speaking at the first Architect Achyut Kanvinde Memorial Lecture, Balkrishna Doshi hailed him as the pioneer of modern architecture in India

“Although he came from an art deco architecture background, there was an aspiration in him, an aspiration to do something different in a country where things were changing at a fast pace, everyday,” said renowned architect Balkrishna Doshi, while delivering the keynote address at the first Architect Achyut Kanvinde Memorial Lecture at the Chandrashekhar Auditorium at the Inter-university Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) on November 21. “I believe as an architect, you cannot create what you are not, and going by this diktat, Kanvinde came across as a humane, sensitive individual. His buildings spoke volumes about his humanity and also indicated that he was searching for his own self, through his works,” Joshi added.

With his signature buildings, including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, National Science Centre, Delhi, National Institute of Immunology (NII), Pune, numerous dairy buildings under National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and several other works, Kanvinde left his mark on the modern school of architecture, in fact, being one of the pioneers of the movement. “It was a time when everyday something new was being created and India was just coming to terms with its newly-acquired independent status. Kanvinde gave full rein to his innate creativity in such a charged environment,” said Doshi, speaking of the period (1950-60) in which Kanvinde created masterpieces in stone and concrete.

“In each of his buildings, whether residential, commercial or government complexes, one can see an attempt to break away from traditional architectural design and yet, design them keeping in mind all the aspects conducive to a great building (such as climate, use of space, orientation and aesthetics),” revealed Doshi to a packed auditorium on a chilly Saturday evening. “His ultimate concern was for his profession and for society and that came through quite effortlessly in all his works. Kanvinde traveled extensively across the country and always made it a point to carry books and magazines along. He used to say the long travels gave him time to read, reflect and introspect. Kanvinde’s stellar contribution can be summed up succinctly as that depicting plasticity, humility and humanity,” he added.

Blogging about it

2009-12-13T23:50:00.000-08:00

Author Amit Varma on My Friend Sancho and being one of India’s 50 Most Powerful People 2009

Most people know him as the ‘India Uncut guy’, India Uncut being the name of his hugely-popular blog, which averages 20,000 hits daily. For those more clued-into the scheme of things though, Amit Varma is also the author of the novel My Friend Sancho, which has already sold 15,000 copies in the five months since its publication. In town for a reading session of his debut novel, the first original title published by Hachette India, the Indian arm of the formidable UK-based publishing group, Varma spoke on how he thoroughly enjoyed writing his maiden novel.

“When I would sit down to write this novel, it would be with the goal of finishing atleast 2000 words every day for two months. At the end of it, the self-consciousness I felt as a writer went away and I felt so much more confident and disciplined as a writer,” says Varma, who has worked in advertising, television and journalism and written for The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

Although born in Chandigarh, Varma spent eight years in Pune, from 1986 to 1994. “I have a strong Pune connection, since I studied at the Fergusson College. Also, my wife belongs to Pune and I keep visiting the city frequently,” says the former managing editor of Cricinfo India. Expressing concern over the fact that newspapers across the world are witnessing a very difficult period currently, Varma says the key to survival in such testing times is through constant thought evolution. “Breaking news isn’t happening anymore. Newspapers need to figure out what their strengths are and focus more closely on in-depth analysis, the Op-Ed Page and Features articles. Plus, a strong web presence is a must for broadsheet publications,” adds Varma, who was awarded the Bastiat Prize for Journalism for 2007, which aims to honour writers ‘whose work cleverly and wittily promotes the institutions of the free society’.

At 35, this former sports journalist has already garnered a lot of awards and recognition, including the Best Indiblog Award at the Indibloggies in 2005, with a repeat nomination in 2006. Then again, in April this year, he was named by BusinessWeek magazine as one of India’s 50 Most Powerful People 2009, something which he dismisses with a smile as, “A common mistake repeated by foreign magazines.”

Varma reveals that My Friend Sancho is the story of a crime reporter Abir Ganguly and his unlikely friendship with Muneeza, a.k.a. Sancho, the teenage daughter of a murder victim. It narrates the relationship between the glib, wisecracking ‘armchair cynic’ and the simple girl who ‘travels on buses’ and explores whether their fragile relationship can survive the circumstances that brought them together. “This novel is in no way autobiographical, and that’s a question I keep getting asked very often,” says this former columnist, who wrote the popular column Thinking It Through for the business newspaper Mint. “Through my stories, I hope to tell stories of great depth in very little time and would never allow substance to be the slave of the narrative style,” says Varma, whose first novel was nominated to the longlist for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2008. With writers such as Alice Munrow and Georges Simenon being his favourites, this is one author, who is sure to leave his distinctive imprint on the Indian literary firmament.

"Boman" power !

2009-11-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Actor Boman Irani charmed his way through a distinctive audience, wearing his heart on his sleeve

As he stepped up to the podium to address the gathering, Boman Irani took a moment to compose himself and push back the tears which still stung his eyes, before saying emphatically, “It should be mandatory for builders to provide crèches on construction sites, for children of construction workers.” It was a delicious irony that Irani had famously played the conniving builder Lucky Singh in the iconic 2006 Raju Hirani film Lage Raho Munnabhai. However, as goodwill ambassador for Tara Mobile Crèche (TMC), Irani was being true to his self, taking his said role very seriously, just like he does every other thing he tries his hand on.

Starting out by making some meager earnings from ‘behind’ the counter of his family wafer shop in Byculla, Irani again preferred to stay ‘behind’ the camera, in his stint as a leading fashion photographer. However, it was when he finally moved to the front of the camera that he became a household name, with films such as Khosla ka Ghosla, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Lakshya, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara and Veer-Zaara. “It’s disconcerting that I’m always made to play the father of the heroine, never the love interest,” quipped boisterous Boman. “But I’ve had a great time essaying various roles and acting is something which gives me vicarious pleasure. I can get to play so many different people, without letting go of the real me,” added the six foot two bulky redneck.

This is just what he seems to be doing, in his newest role as goodwill ambassador for the Tara Mobile Crèche (the erstwhile Mobile Crèches), which has been working for welfare of children of construction labourers and their seamless integration into society for 30 years now. Established in 1969 in Delhi, TMC’s Pune centre began operating in 1980 and till date, has nurtured about one lakh children. “Currently, TMC’s 16 day care centers are functional in Pune, where we provide them educational facilities, preventive and curative health care, community outreach and recreational amenities,” informed Nirmala Hiremath of TMC.

Being involved with a couple of other welfare causes in Mumbai, Irani said any nation’s primary resources were its children. “It’s crucial that we treat this invaluable resource – our children – with all the care and concern we can muster. Children from all walks of life are special – whether privileged or underprivileged. It’s our duty to honour, protect and nurture them,” said this father of two sons – Danesh (21) and Kayoze (18). “I’m especially moved by the success some former children of TMC have made of their lives. It’s evident that they have not just become materially-prosperous, but have also grown as human beings, because of their association with TMC,” he added.

Asserting that his connection with Pune dates back 14 years, when he performed the play I’m Not Bajirao here, Irani said the city held a special place in his heart, since two of his sisters lived here. Regaling audiences with anecdotes about his theatre and film experiences, this Byculla-born true blue Irani said his fans will see him next in the forthcoming fun film Three Idiots. “Three Idiots narrates what kind of pressures we put on our children when it comes to their education. Then there’s Well Done Appu, Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai and Ab Dilli Dur Nahin,” he added.

'Dwelling' over it

2009-11-12T01:57:00.000-08:00

The Pengavan Village near Bhopal is home to cave paintings made by the pre-historic man, dating back 10,000 years, in a cluster of 35 rock shelters

The world-famous Bhimbetka caves near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (MP) are home to pre-historic cave paintings and have been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nation’s Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). However, there’s another, less well-known village named Pengavan, in the vicinity of Bhopal, which has cave paintings dating back to the same time-period as the ones in Bhimbetka. However, it has not received the kind of recognition as Bhimbetka, even though it has been surveyed by the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) as a place of historic value. Pengavan, with a population of 200, lies off the Bhopal-Vidisha road in the Raisen district and is about 50 kms from the capital.

“The last time the ASI conducted a survey here was in 1994. They demarcated the rock shelters// dwellings housing some rare cave paintings. After that, there has been no follow-up action taken,” informs Rajendra Kumar Thakur, sarpanch of Pengavan. Home to around 35 rock-shelters dating back to the Mesolithic Age, (the Middle Stone Age, from 10,000 – 6,000 B.C) village lies off a narrow district road and the approach is difficult, especially during the monsoons. As Thakur says, “May be because the village is secluded, it has not attracted the kind of attention that Bhimbetka, which lies on the main state highway to Hoshangabad, has managed to get.”

Pre-dominantly made up of sedimentary rocks, the paintings done by the pre-historic man here depict scenes from the battleground, depictions of daily lives and some rare, strange drawings. “A couple of paintings found here very rare and have not been found even in Bhimbetka or other rock shelters across the country. One of them depicts an elaborate drawing of an eagle, in addition to four-five people seated in a circle. The detailing in this painting is painstaking,” informs Dr Narayan Vyas, superintendent archaeologist, ASI Bhopal. “The other rare etching is that of a chakravyuha (a formation of seven concentric circles), which has only otherwise been found in the Altamira Caves in Spain and in some parts of England and France,” adds Vyas.

The red colour used in the cave paintings here, which has withstood millennia of weathering, is made from the laterite rocks found in abundance in the area. The scenes depicted are simple yet intricate line drawings of cattle (cow, oxen, goat, sheep), wild animals (antelopes, tiger, elephants), religious rites and burials, communal dancing and drinking as well as the natural environment of the pre-historic man. “The striking thing about the Pengavan rock shelters is that they have some paintings in white colour as well, which date back to the Copper Age. There are also paintings of horsemen and even a chariot, which is again quite rare,” says Vyas.

Since the rock shelters are in close proximity of the village’s population, there’s the threat of disfiguration and damage to these millennia-old paintings. However, as Thakur puts it, “The locals take their cattle for grazing around the village but they revere the signs and symbols depicted in the rock shelters. Till date, no damage has been done to the cave paintings by any villager.”

A song of life, cut cruelly short

2009-11-12T01:44:00.000-08:00

Eighteen months after Ishmeet Singh’s mysterious death, family awaits investigation to begin

Before Voice of India 2007 winner Ishmeet Singh died in a swimming pool of the Chaaya Island Dhonveli resort, in North Male Atoll in Maldives on July 29, 2008, he had another close brush with death. On his way from Mumbai to Pune on the afternoon of July 13, the front tyre of his black Chevrolet Optra burst, rendering him unconscious. Ishmeet was lucky to escape with just a scratch and a minor wound on his leg. But he wasn’t to be as fortunate 17 days later, when he died an untimely death in far away Maldives.

“Ishmeet was not an expert swimmer. So, there’s no question of him venturing into the swimming pool in the first place. Then, his body was found fully clothed when taken out of the pool. There were injury marks, as if someone had punched him, on both his temples and a vertical injury mark on his forehead,” says Gurpinder Singh, father of Ishmeet. “The Voice of India organisers gave four different versions of how Ishmeet died. All this points to definite foul play involved in my son’s death,” he adds.

Eighteen months after the loss of a talented singer and a budding national heartthrob, Ishmeet Singh’s family is still waiting for a formal investigation into his death. “Since Ishmeet died beyond Indian shores, the investigation had to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, no action has been taken till date, though I’ve even approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to expedite the enquiry,” says Singh.

Singh says he is hopeful that whosoever was behind Ishmeet’s death would soon be unmasked. “I have a definite idea of who is behind the incident. But my hands are tied since I don’t have concrete evidence. Nevertheless, I’m hopeful that justice will soon be done to our family,” he asserts. “Ishmeet’s physical form may no longer be with us, but he lives on in our memories and in our hearts, through his voice and his simplicity and humility,” Singh adds.

Sole mates

2009-11-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

Synonymous with Pune, the Osho chappals remain as popular as ever. A behind-the-scenes look at how these evergreen flip-flops are manufactured

Whoever said footwear was just meant to offer protection to your feet, surely had not seen, much less worn, the Osho chappals. Although the basic design of these ‘chappals’ or flip-flops is simple, bordering on plain, what is not so easy to either explain or understand, is the fame they have garnered. For nearly two decades now (by conservative estimates), the Oshos (as these slippers are popularly known), in their trademark jute and mat-layered soles, their bright velvet straps and their stupendously-cheap pricing, have meant many things to many people. For some, it best symbolizes the freedom that comes from wearing these carefree footwear, while others don them since they make quite a unique style statement. For most, though, Oshos are synonymous with uber-chic urban fashion and their price range (Rs 50-300) only helps lure most young-at-heart Puneites.

But just ‘how’ are these flip-flops made and when was the first pair manufactured? “The very first pair was manufactured over 18 years ago, in 1990. At that time, we had a small family business, inside the Osho Ashram, from where we made the chappals,” reveals Santosh Bhonsle, owner, Laxmi Stores in Lane No. 1, Koregaon Park (KP). “The only people who bought Oshos back then were foreign sanyasis who used to frequent the Ashram. As the years went by, more and more Indian customers started buying from us,” adds Bhonsle.

Bhonsle lets us in on the process of manufacturing these slippers and says that first jute sheets are pasted on rubber, which is then cut into various sizes. “Once we have pasted the jute mats onto the rubber soles, we add another layer of jute netting, to give the chappal more strength. After the pasting is done, we cut the chappals according to various sizes. And later, we add the velvet straps, in various colours,” says Bhonsle, who has a mini-factory in Lohegaon which manufactures these evergreen slippers.

Named Oshos after the Osho Meditation Resort located in the same lane, this is one pair which every Pune student and yuppie possesses. “They are cheap and so cool. Plus, even though they are open-toed, Oshos definitely make a very confident style statement,” says Nisreen Kuwajerwala, an MBA student. Seconding her views, Sanjay, another stall-owner in KP says it’s because Pune has such a huge student population that the Oshos sell so well. “Once Pune became an educational hub, the sale of Oshos soared and since then, there has been no looking back. Our most regular customers are students, foreign tourists and young professionals,” he adds. “Since they are eco-friendly and very easy on the pockets, most customers are more than happy to buy several pairs at one go,” asserts Sanjay.

Lasting footprints

· First manufactured in 1990, by sellers inside the Osho Commune
· Preferred by foreign visitors, Osho chappals later became popular among Indian buyers
· A layer of jute mats are pasted on rubber, which is then cut into various sizes and then, velvet straps in varied colours are added
· Popular among students, yuppies and of course, foreign tourists at the Osho Commune
· Eco-friendly and reasonably-priced

(This article was first published in The Indian Express)

A little birdie told me . . . .

2009-10-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

Ever since Shashi Tharoor posted this tweet “….in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows,” on his Twitter account, there’s been a phenomenal rise in curious Indian netizens trying to find out just what this new micro-blogging site is all about. And not to be left out of hearsay of the innumerable ‘tweets’ out there, Pune is logging onto Twitter like never before. Even though in his controversial ‘tweet’, Tharoor was answering the harmless question, posed by a user, which went, “Tell us minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class?” there are whole groups of people on Twitter who discuss anything and everything under the sun, from ‘good night’, ‘halloween’, ‘paranormal activity’ to ‘windows 7’ and ‘beat cancer’.
The USP of twitter is that any ‘tweet’, which users send or receive on this micro-blogging site, has to be within 140 characters; it stands at the intersection of facebook and sms. While on social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook, where users are called ‘friends’, on Twitter, they are known as ‘followers’; the more the ‘followers’, the merrier. For instance, Oprah Winfrey has 2,438,148 followers, Anderson Cooper has 358, 818 followers and Shashi Tharoor has 344, 044 birdies on his trail. Among other Indian personalities very active on Twitter, there are Gul Panag, Karan Johar, Mallika Sherawat and Barkha Dutt. “I log onto Twitter since it gives me real time updates about any topic of my interest. Plus, the maximum word limit of 140 characters helps in keeping it succinct and interesting,” reveals Siddharth Damani, who keeps up with friends under a nickname. “It helps that I can employ a funky username on Twitter; it accords so much privacy,” he adds.

“Unlike Orkut and Facebook, where you either spend time going through your friends’ photographs, play games like Farmville or open Fortune Cookies, on Twitter, you can catch up with events as they happen and get away without getting too caught up in your friends’ activities,” says Aamir Manhas, an avid blogger.

Even though a recent poll conducted by pluggd.in.poll suggests that 30 per cent of Indian netizens do not have any idea about Twitter and 17 per cent of Indian Twitter users are still not proficient in its usage, its popularity is growing. “One of the main reasons for it is because Twitter is devoid of the mushiness and sentimentalism which Orkut and Facebook come loaded with. I mean, who wants to know what the magic mirror reveals about you or take quizzes on the lines of “Who is your soulmate?” asks Aarti Singh Thakur, who has recently started ‘tweeting’ about topics as varied as The Ellen Degeneres Show to the Saif Ali Khan-starrer Kurbaan.

Percentage points
* 10 per cent people use Twitter to meet interesting people
* 11 per cent use it to stay in touch with friends
* Another 10 per cent use it for research
* 30 per cent of Indian netizens do not have any idea about Twitter
* 16 per cent of regular users rely on Twitter as a news service

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

Art dekho

2009-10-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

A popular international art design movement between 1925 and 1940, art deco architecture in Pune stands out for its distinctive design -- a combination of opulence and geometric shapes

by SHALINI RAI

While watching a movie at the Victory Theatre on East Street, Camp have you noticed the sharp curves and arches which embellish its façade and the sturdy woodwork that makes up its interior? All these design elements, brought forth so beautifully in this 73 year-old building, constructed in the art deco style. Set apart by straight, white-rendered house frontages leading to flat crowns, stridently geometric door surrounds and elevated windows, convex curved metal corner windows, art deco had a huge influence on design of public buildings and house design from 1925 to the 1940s.

Not restricted to just architecture, art deco was a popular international art design movement, which held sway over the decorative arts such as interior design, industrial design, fashion, painting, the graphic arts and film. Seen as functional, elegant, glamorous and modern, the movement was a mixture of Art Nouveau, Futurism, Constructivism, Cubism, Neoclassical and Modernism. Among the art deco public buildings still standing in Pune are the Victory Theatre, Hotel Sunderban and O Hotel in Koregaon Park. Among residences, the bungalow next to the Don Bosco Centre on Koregaon Road and the now unoccupied bungalow on the traffic junction opposite Rani Lakshmi Bai Park on East Street.

Although art deco experienced a resurgence in popularity with the increasing bent towards graphic design in the 1980s, it had already fallen out of favour during the late 30s and early 40s. “The reason why art deco went out of circulation was because, with time, load-bearing structures gave way to RCC (reinforced cement concrete) structures. RCC buildings were easy to build and less time-consuming, whereas load-bearing ones took a long time to construct and were naturally, more expensive,” says architect Deepak Guggari.

While other art design movements had social and political undertones, art deco was a purely decorative form; it was to have a deep influence on many later artistic movements, such as Memphis and Pop Art. “While it may have been a profound art, it was definitely not an affordable one. Art-inspired architecture has historically fulfilled two main purposes – encouraged art and generated employment and the main benefactors of art deco were either royalty or established businessmen. With changing times and altered requirements, the long drawn process of putting up an elaborate art deco structure naturally took a beating,” informs Guggari.

Surviving examples of art deco architecture in India can be seen in the Metro, Gaiety and Eros theatres in Mumbai, along with many residential buildings dotting South Mumbai. In fact, Mumbai has the second largest number of art deco edifices in the world after Miami. Florida (US). Pune being in close proximity to the commercial hub of India logically absorbed the design influences of art deco. Across India, cities such as Bhopal, Lucknow, Hyderabad, plus several more, in the hinterland, boast of art deco buildings.

Farokh Chinoy, part of the management at the Victory Theatre says it opened for the public on August 6, 1936 and was quite the rage in town. “It was earlier called Capitol and was renamed as Victory only in 1987, after Mrs Dina Dara Sukhia won a protracted legal battle to gain it back. So it was a personal victory for her and hence the name. Everything here, from the gangway to the balustrades, from the staircase to the interiors, have a distinctive art deco bearing,” says Chinoy. “However, not many people realise the immense heritage value of the structure when they come over to watch movies here,” he adds.

The great art build-up

· Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes
· Considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism
· Influenced by a variety of sources, including primitive arts of Africa, Ancient Egypt and Aztec Mexico
· Terracotta sunburst design in gold with a blue background is a typical art deco design
· Popular themes in art deco were trapezoidal, zigzag and jumbled shapes
· Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to a reaction to the forced austerity imposed by World War I

(This article was first published in The Indian Express)

Heaven-ly strides

2009-10-26T03:52:00.000-07:00

As Kashmir recently hosted its first-ever fashion show in more than 20 years, here’s what some Pune-based Kashmiri models feel about this watershed event in the troubled Valley

Shalini Rai

While the sound of bullets and bomb explosions rents the air on most days, on October 11 at the Zabarwan Park in Srinagar, Sukhwinder Singh’s robust rendition of Fashion ka hai yeh jalwa played on, with amateur models walking the ramp in dapper outfits and weaved a magic all its own. Although it may be commonplace for most Indians, scenes like the one described above, are something a majority of young Kashmiris have not seen in a long time, if at all.

What this watershed event, held just two days after a four-day encounter between the Indian Army and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba militants ended, signifies, is the coming-to-fore of the dormant desire of ordinary Kashmiri youth to lead as normal a life as possible. “We have seen a lot in the decades since the unending cycle of violence began in Kashmir. There are no sources of entertainment, so to say, in the Valley. There was one theatre in Srinagar, which too, had to be shut down. That’s why, this fashion show assumes so much importance,” says Basharat Wani, who belongs to the troubled Sopore town, north-west of Srinagar.

Held in the backdrop of the Zabarwan Hills, a range of clothes was showcased at the event, including kurta-pyjamas in varied designs, along with casuals and formals.
With most audience members, including young women, cheering the models as they walked down the ramp, more than just the sale of a few well-tailored clothes was at stake here. Starting precisely at 7.10 pm and continuing well into the evening, the Zabarwan Hills stood silent witnesses to this fashion extravaganza. And as Mohsin Peer says, “For anyone who hasn’t had a first-hand experience of the past two traumatic decades, it is difficult to understand what the fuss is all about. But for those who have, it is a huge step forward, in the right direction.”

For Kashmiri models and choreographers in Pune, the event is something really special, and for more reasons than one. “It’s really good to hear that a fashion show was held in Srinagar, although lots of Kashmiris in Pune may find it hard to believe, at first. But it feels great that such an event took place there,” says Kohposh Sapru, a city-based model and a semi-finalist at the Gladrags Manhunt 2008. Seconding him, Umar Nazir, winner of the Mr Pune 2008 contest, says such events help in bringing to the fore latent modeling talent in the Kashmir Valley. “There are scores of boys out there, who can do really well in modeling. Such events give them much-needed encouragement,” adds Nazir.

Model and choreographer Kashif Sheikh says Kashmiris do very well in modeling since they possess natural good looks and impressive personalities. “Most Kashmiris are blessed with great looks and good bearing. They just need to get some basic training to do really well in the fashion industry,” asserts Sheikh.

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

Has the Indus script finally been deciphered !! ??

2009-10-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

Historian Dr Malati Shendge claims to have finally deciphered the Indus script through her soon-to-be-released book Unsealing the Indus Script: Anatomy of Its Decipherment

Shalini Rai

ONE of the lasting mysteries in the ancient historical arena and which, till date, has not been conclusively resolved – the decipherment of the Indus Script – may finally be on the verge of unraveling, if recent findings by historian Dr Malati Shendge are an indication. With her soon-to-be-published book titled Unsealing the Indus Script: Anatomy of Its Decipherment, Shendge, also an Indologist, has put forth the results of studies she has been conducting since 1999.

“More than 100 attempts have been made to decode the Indus Script in the past, and all have come up with chequered hypothesis, with some scholars saying the script denotes tantric mantras to others claiming they are names of gods and goddesses,” informs Shendge. “Through my studies and interpretation of over 350 inscriptions, however, I have come to the conclusion, backed by references, that these are mundane and secular economic documents,” she adds.

Seventy-five-year-old Shendge goes on to say that there are two specific findings she has come up with – one, that the Indus script is logographic (signs which have only meaning and not sounds) and two, that the signs and symbols were used for keeping a record of accounts and economic transactions. “My findings are that the script is logographic, which means it only gives out meanings of signs and not sounds. This is because in the early days of writing, the language was not associated with symbols. However, out of a necessity to preserve the details of economic, administrative and trade transactions, and as an aid to memory, symbols derived from traded items were carved on clay/stone/copper plates/pottery,” she claims. “These signs were used to enlist items received, stored, handed over and so on. As such, the short inscriptions found on Indus seals are actually lists of items/goods transacted and give us a glimpse of the economic system of the Indus Valley Civilisation,” adds Shendge.

Counterpoint

A group of researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai has also been working at deciphering the Indus Script for the past three years now. The team consists of Prof Iravatham Mahadevan, Prof Mayank Vahia, Dr Rononjoy Adhikari, Dr Rajesh Rao, Scientist Nisha Yadav and Hrishikesh Joglekar. Speaking on behalf of the team, Prof Mayank Vahia says they are adopting a purely scientific approach of going one step at a time in deciphering the Indus script at present. “We do not claim to have deciphered the script; we are still trying to identify its grammar and the sequencing of various inter-signs and their order of writing,” says Prof Vahia. “As on date, we have no opinion on Dr Malati Shendge’s claims; we wish her all the best. While she may have reached the top of the peak, we are still at the bottom, trying to learn the basics of the decipherment,” he adds.

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

The Singapore draft

2009-10-26T03:40:00.000-07:00

Doris Chui, interior designer of Courtyard by Marriott, on her ‘modernist manifesto’ and value-for-money designs to combat effects of recession

“I believe in delivering a sense of drama and transcendence in the created space, where the heart and mind meet,” says Doris Chui, the Singapore-based interior designer of Courtyard by Marriott in Hinjewadi,Pune. “My idea of design is to communicate, express and enhance the quality of life through sensory appeal, emotional narrative and aesthetic experience,” she adds. In town recently to review the final look of interiors in this recently-opened hotel, Chui says while designing, she keeps in mind that the ‘modernist manifesto’ is adhered to.

Elaborating, this art and design consultant says the stress these days is on keeping design minimalist and clear-cut, without too many lines and motifs cluttering it. “If you notice, the reception and waiting area here is modeled to resemble a home space. There’s a fireplace and the use of colours which are contemporary and vibrant, adds to the feel,” informs Chui. “The property is based on a completely operational criterion and aims to become a haven for business travelers. Through my design elements, I’ve tried to make it ideal for solitary, social and business travelers,” she adds.

Asserting that the emphasis in the modernist manifesto is on exercising restraint and control in design, Chui says it’s crucial to remember not to go over the top. “The days of flamboyance and ostentation in interiors are over. The stress now is on giving the guest a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere, while adhering to the diktats of contemporary design,” says Chui, who has designed hotel, club houses and residences in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chongquing.

Courtyard by Marriott being her first project in India, Chui says it was a memorable experience working in a totally different creative milieu. “I’ve always aimed to achieve an integration of design and art through my projects and with Courtyard, I think I’ve managed to achieve this on a lot of levels,” asserts this Singapore resident, who originally belongs to Hong Kong. “My firm GIL, based in Singapore, offers a whole range of design solutions, from schematic space planning, design concept development, art consultancy and custom art programmes, all the while keeping in mind the aesthetics of the discipline,” adds Chui.

Receding designs

With almost all sectors reeling under the effects of recession, architecture and interior design too has been affected. Chui says the best way to keep afloat during this difficult period is to cut out the trappings and concentrate on the basics. “With recession becoming a reality, the bubble of high expenditure on design and interiors has finally been burst. However, we in the design arena had realised this a long time ago and hence, had already decided to cut expenses and make do with concentrating on the basics, as much as possible, without compromising on the quality of work,” says Chui. “Now that the worst of the crisis is over, new projects and newer concepts in design should soon see the light of day,” she adds.

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

Mutinous garments

2009-10-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

With rebellion and radicalism finding a voice through martyrs and visionaries, many fashion accessories have been inspired by these symbols of resistance

Shalini Rai

When Che Guevara set out to execute social reforms in Guatemala under President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, whose eventual CIA-assisted overthrow in 1954 solidified Guevara's radical ideology, little did he realise that soon after his untimely death (at the age of 39), he’d become the global symbol of world revolution and enthuse successive generations. Che inspired a string of fashion accessories and pop art, which continues to rule people’s hearts and dominate their wardrobes, 42 years after his death.

From the sundry bandana to the chic keffiyeh (a type of head scarf) to even Ku Klux Klan-inspired hoods, fashion which has been impacted upon by revolutionists and rebels finds many takers. What makes it more appealing is the fact that sporting such an outfit/accessory carries the tacit indication of defiance/rebellion. “There’s been a resurgence in the number of people asking for these accessories. Of course, bandanas have been there for a long time. Keffiyeh, though, has caught on big time,” says designer Uzma Poonawala.

Che, though, remains the icon where fashion trends taking after rebellion are concerned. Whether it’s Che’s photograph in t-shirts in bright backgrounds, Che’s digital prints in fluorescent colours or even Che bandanas and caps, he remains the superhero of defiant fashion and makes a style statement like no other.

Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader and Nobel Peace Prize Awardee, caught the attention of many fashionistas through the keffiyeh, a head scarf traditionally worn in Palestine. It became the symbol of Palestinian nationalism during the Arab Revolt of the 1930s. Once Arafat adopted it in the 1960s, as a sign of the Palestinian resistance movement, its prominence increased. “The bandana, Ku Klux Klan-inspired hoods and keffiyeh have always been in vogue, to some extent. Fashion has traditionally been inspired by history and figures of historical prominence,” says Ritika Ramtri Kumar, pageant coach.

“Style statements have been inspired as much by anti-heroes as it has been by (so-called) heroes. Just like the evening gowns, which are so popular these days, date back to the Victorian era, so do bandanas, hoods and eye-patches made popular by bandits,” she adds.

Another garment which is sported by many a rebellious teenager is the ‘hood’.
In the last century, soft hoods were worn by men under hats; hoods have also been used as part of uniforms for organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan. Traditional women’s hoods varied from close-fitting, soft headgear (snood) to stiffened, structured hoods (gable hood) or very large coverings made of material over a frame which was deemed fashionable. Of late, it has been popularised by African rap artists and have even found resonance in some Bollywood movies. “Just donning the cape and hanging around with friends gives me a sense of being a part of this secret group. I know it’s not in the realm of reality, but what’s the harm in imagining it?” asks 20-year-old Valay Singh, who hopes to become a professional tattoo artist in future.

Riot of fashion
· Keffiyeh – Symbol of Palestinian resistance movement
· Bandana – Worn by soldiers/rebels across the world
· Hoods – Brought in vogue by Ku Klux Klan
· Che Guevara-inspired fashion – Found global
resonance with his iconic radicalism

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

Free-ing the market of itself

2009-10-26T01:46:00.000-07:00

Rajni Bakshi, whose book Bapu Kuti inspired Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Swades, now explores free market dynamics through her work Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom

SHALINI RAI

Long before the current economic meltdown became public knowledge, this journalist-turned-author was busy exploring whether free market was the only way forward for world economies. And now, with her book titled Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom: For a market culture beyond greed and fear, Rajni Bakshi is all set to question conventional market wisdom, even as worldwide recession recedes into the background.

“The market economy can be vigorous and productive, but also amazingly foolhardy and degenerate. The world is now more engaged in working out how mindless markets can be made to function better with the help of other institutions,” says Bakshi, who has been writing in a wide variety of English and Hindi newspapers and magazines for the last three decades. Bakshi says that on November 9, 2009, it will be 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, after which globalisation can said to have been truly ushered in. “Twenty years after that epoch-making event, the question which arises is whether free market is the only way ahead or can there be different kinds of free markets, leaning greatly towards sustainable development? Also, my book raises the question whether the free market should be allowed to become supreme and all-powerful?” says the author, whose book Bapu Kuti inspired the motion picture Swades, starring Shah Rukh Khan and directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar.

“Bazaars, Conversations and Freedom is packed with stories about people who diagnosed the fatal flaws in an economic system driven by greed and fear, long before the present meltdown. From Wall Street icon George Soros and VISA card designer Dee Hock, we get an insider critique of the malaise. Creators of community currencies and others, like the father of microfinance, Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus, explore how money can work differently. The Dalai Lama and Ela Bhatt demonstrate that it is possible to compete compassionately and nurture a more mindful market culture,” says this Homi Bhabha Fellow.

“The book takes the reader from the ancient Greek Agora, Indian chaupal, and gift culture of Native Americans onto present day Wall Street to illuminate how the market can serve society rather than being its master,” asserts Bakshi, whose earlier books include The Long Haul: The Bombay Textile Workers Strike; The Dispute over Swami Vivekananda’s Legacy; Bapu Kuti: Journeys in rediscovery of Gandhi and An Economics for Well-Being.

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

First Ray of Light

2009-10-26T01:39:00.001-07:00

Take me away, from here. Take me to where the lilacs aren't coated with dust, and the roses wait a day before they decay. Where there's no traffic because everyone walks, and everyone walks because there's no rush, and there's no rush because we love ourselves just fine just now. Where beauty goes deeper than the skin, and skin is all we wear.

“Born in New Delhi, raised in Kodaikanal, tempered in Boston, honed in New York City and now found wandering around Bombay.” This is how Arunoday Singh, who penned the lines above, describes himself. Making his film debut recently as Zahgeer Quadir, a Kashmiri jehadi in the movie Sikandar, Singh, whose first name means 'first ray of light' says he landed the role after going through an audition. Having been active on the theatre scene while studying in the US, he returned to India last year. Since then, this ‘professional pretender’ has caused quite a few ripples in film circles, with his portrayal of Zahgeer, who promises Sikandar a washing machine if he slays a militant-turned-politician.

“Shooting in Kashmir was a fantastic experience. The weather is perfect, the sky is always just above your head and the people you meet during the shoot are very interesting,” says this graduate in English Literature, Creative Writing and Journalism. Ask him what interests him most from among the trio and he says, “My various interests do not have to be mutually exclusive. I believe in giving equal measure of attention to them all.”

An active blogger, who gives free rein to his musings at sufisoulselective.blogspot.com, Singh is also the grandson of veteran Congress politician Arjun Singh. Thoughts of getting into politics, however, he says are few and far beyond. “It’s a legacy I chose to walk away from,” he asserts. A strapping 6 ft 4, Singh will be seen in Vinay Shukla’s Mirch next. “After that, there’s the screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, opposite Sonam Kapoor, directed by Rajshri Ojha,” he informs. Grapevine has it that here Singh essays the role of Frank Churchill, while Abhay Deol plays George Knightley and Cyrus Sahukar is Philip Elton.

An alumni of the Kodaikanal International School, Singh says he has a special affiliation to Pune since most of his former teachers in Kodaikanal are now settled here and on his visit to town next month, he’d make it a point to catch up with them.

(This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune)

Blogging about it

2009-10-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

In town for a book reading session of his debut novel, author Amit Varma spoke about his Pune connection, My Friend Sancho and being one of India’s 50 Most Powerful People 2009

Shalini Rai

Most people know him as the ‘India Uncut guy’, India Uncut being the name of his hugely-popular blog, which averages 20,000 hits daily. For those more clued-into the scheme of things though, Amit Varma is also the author of the novel My Friend Sancho, which has already sold 15,000 copies in the five months since its publication. In town for a reading session of his debut novel, the first original title published by Hachette India, the Indian arm of the formidable UK-based publishing group, Varma spoke on how he thoroughly enjoyed writing his maiden novel.

“When I would sit down to write this novel, it would be with the goal of finishing atleast 2000 words every day for two months. At the end of it, the self-consciousness I felt as a writer went away and I felt so much more confident and disciplined as a writer,” says Varma, who has worked in advertising, television and journalism and written for The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

Although born in Chandigarh, Varma spent eight years in Pune, from 1986 to 1994. “I have a strong Pune connection, since I studied at the Fergusson College. Also, my wife belongs to Pune and I keep visiting the city frequently,” says the former managing editor of Cricinfo India. Expressing concern over the fact that newspapers across the world are witnessing a very difficult period currently, Varma says the key to survival in such testing times is through constant thought evolution. “Breaking news isn’t happening anymore. Newspapers need to figure out what their strengths are and focus more closely on in-depth analysis, the Op-Ed Page and Features articles. Plus, a strong web presence is a must for broadsheet publications,” adds Varma, who was awarded the Bastiat Prize for Journalism for 2007, which aims to honour writers ‘whose work cleverly and wittily promotes the institutions of the free society’.

At 35, this former sports journalist has already garnered a lot of awards and recognition, including the Best Indiblog Award at the Indibloggies in 2005, with a repeat nomination in 2006. Then again, in April this year, he was named by BusinessWeek magazine as one of India’s 50 Most Powerful People 2009, something which he dismisses with a smile as, “A common mistake repeated by foreign magazines.”

Varma reveals that My Friend Sancho is the story of a crime reporter Abir Ganguly and his unlikely friendship with Muneeza, a.k.a. Sancho, the teenage daughter of a murder victim. It narrates the relationship between the glib, wisecracking ‘armchair cynic’ and the simple girl who ‘travels on buses’ and explores whether their fragile relationship can survive the circumstances that brought them together. “This novel is in no way autobiographical, and that’s a question I keep getting asked very often,” says this former columnist, who wrote the popular column Thinking It Through for the business newspaper Mint. “Through my stories, I hope to tell stories of great depth in very little time and would never allow substance to be the slave of the narrative style,” says Varma, whose first novel was nominated to the longlist for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2008. With writers such as Alice Munrow and Georges Simenon being his favourites, this is one author, who is sure to leave his
distinctive imprint on the Indian literary firmament.

This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune

Shadow of the Valley extends till Pune

2009-10-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

In Dec 2008, over 400 Kashmiri migrants staying in a vacant plot at Kalewadi (above) were evacuated by the Pune police and the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority (PCNDTA), as part of heightened security measures in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks

Kashmiris in Pune face daily harassment in applying for mobile phone connections, while buying cars and renting flats

by SHALINI RAI

They may be far away from the conflict zone that is Kashmir, but the dark shadows of the Valley follow them around constantly. For Kashmiris in Pune, several small incidents serve as a constant reminder that even after traveling 2200 kms from home, for a majority of them, the spectre of violence is yet to be exorcised. “Some months ago, I had finalised the deal to buy a second-hand car, over the phone. However, when I turned up to see the car and the owner got to know I’m from Kashmir, he backed out of the deal,” says Wahid, a student, who has spent six years in the city. “That incident made me think whether Pune is really safe for Kashmiris,” he adds.

A similar incident is narrated by Basharat, another student working as a part-time call centre executive in town. He says he was once returning home at 11 pm when a drunk man banged into his two-wheeler. “Even though I was not at fault, I was beaten up by the crowd that gathered on the spot. When they came to know I’m a Kashmiri, many of them kept repeating, ‘These people deserve such treatment; Let’s teach him a lesson’,” recounts Basharat.

From buying cars to applying for mobile connections and renting out flats, the nature of problems faced by denizens of the Valley is varied. While many, especially the students, say that there are several positive people they have come across in Pune, most are of the opinion that a negative perception about Kashmiris runs deep. “Two months ago, I was watching a film shoot in Mumbai with some friends. But we were rounded up by some policemen, who took us to be terrorists. We had to spend the night in custody and were released only the next day,” informs Kamal, an engineering student at a city college.

There’s another dimension to the issue, with Puneites refraining from engaging with Kashmiris intimately. “When my girlfriend (belonging to the same community as I) of four years and I decided to get married, she spoke to her parents and they agreed to the match. However, when she revealed that I was Kashmiri, they objected vehemently and told her it was an impossible liaison. They gave no other reason except the fact that I belonged to Kashmir,” reveals Imtiaz, a software professional.

However, according to Sanjay Nahar, who runs the NGO Sarhad, this problem is not specific to Kashmiris. “This kind of problem is faced by all outsiders in Pune. Yes, there are some issues but it’s not as if Kashmiris are being specifically targeted,” adds Nahar.

For a majority though, there’s an undercurrent of tension about their identity, which is strongly palpable. “I would say that the sense of alienation and aloofness that I experienced in the city when I first came here five years ago, has never gone away. You have to be careful, especially when there is a terror attack somewhere or the other,” says Javeed, an MBA, working with a city firm. “You have to be on your guard always. You never know what will go wrong,” he adds.

However, there’s a minority which is unaffected by the harassment faced by most Kashmiris. “I’ve been in Pune for around three years now,” informs Muzamil. “But I’ve never faced any kind of harassment. I think it also depends on the kind of person you are and who your friends are,” he adds.

In the recent past, the Pune Unit of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has rounded up Kashmiri students and professionals in the city for their alleged suspicious activities. When contacted, in order to confirm such reports, Inspector Peter Lobo of the Anti-terrorism Squad refused to comment on the issue. Repeated attempts to get in touch with other officers of the ATS in Pune yielded no result. While some of them kept postpoing the interview appointment, others refused to comment, saying it was a 'very sensitive' issue .

(Names of Kashmiris have been changed to protect identities)

Gurkha glory

2009-08-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Decorated for conspicuous bravery in the Battles of Khalubar and Kukarthang, Kargil hero Col (Retd) Lalit Rai reminisces about that one month ten years ago, which changed his life forever

Shalini Rai

“The 10th anniversary of Kargil did not hold much significance for me; each day of my life, I remember and relive every moment of the tumultuous days we spent in July 1999,” says Col (Retd) Lalit Rai, recipient of the Vir Chakra for his outstanding feats of courage in independent India’s first televised war. Tasked to capture Khalubar feature, located at 18,000 ft in the Batalik Sector, Rai and his men from the 1/11 Gorkha Rifles (GR) were one of the first battalions to be deployed in the icy heights of Kargil.

“We were all set to return from Siachen to Pune for a long-awaited peace posting, when, just before our departure, we got orders to head to the Batalik Sector,” recalls Rai, now working as HR head with a pharmaceutical company in the city. “We lost some of our best officers and men in the attempt to recapture Khalubar. Lt Manoj Pandey, recently commissioned and raw, set the best example, by leading from the front. We fondly called him Pandey Pahalwan,” says Rai wistfully.

Famous for their composed demeanour even in the face of extreme odds, the Gurkhas of 1/11 GR managed to regain Khalubar and Kukarthang, despite the enemy having the advantage of height. “Since the intruders were well-entrenched and possessed the advantage of height, we faced continuous enemy fire. And during our advance, every time I’d send one of my boys into the line of fire, the weeping faces of their mothers/wives/sisters/daughters would flash in front of my eyes,” says Rai. “I knew, though, that even though they may not return alive, this was a decision I just had to take,” he adds.

This Kargil veteran, around whom the character essayed by Sudesh Berry in J P Dutta’s L.O.C. Kargil was based, says that even after giving the highest sacrifice imaginable, it’s pitiable that soldiers are rarely given their due. “For most people in India, the war is over. But for those people whose sons died fighting at heights of 18,000 ft and in temperatures of minus 32 degree celcius, it’s as real as yesterday,” says the jovial soldier. “Instead of finding out the reasons behind the lapses which led to the Kargil War, the authorities only played a game of political one-upmanship. It’s impossible to man the Line of Control 24X7, especially during winter. What we need is high-tech equipment and unmanned apparatus to keep an eye of enemy movements,” asserts Rai. “Instead of paying lip service to patriotism, concrete, genuine efforts are needed to prevent a repeat of Kargil,” he adds.

This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune

Yes, Governor...!

2009-04-13T05:15:00.000-07:00

The last British Governor of Hong Kong, Lord Christopher Patten on the contradiction about talking with a ‘moderate’ Taliban, the perils of climate change and his experience as a diplomat

On July 01, 1997, at 00:00 Hong Kong Time, Lord Christopher Patten, sent the following telegram: “I have relinquished the administration of this government. God save the Queen. Patten.” These few words marked the end of end of the British rule in Hong Kong and after the handover ceremony, Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong until its handover to the People’s Republic of China on June 30, 1997, left the port city, along with Prince Charles, on board the HMY Britannia. In Pune to deliver a talk on What Next: Surviving the 21st Century, this British conservative politician and diplomat was elected Chancellor of the Oxford University in 2003. He is the author of Not Quite the Diplomat and East and West. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with The Indian Express:

In your experience as a diplomat, being the last Governor of Hong Kong, Commissioner for External Relations in the European Commission and as chairman of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, which is the one tenure that has been the most memorable?
It will have to be my tenure as the Governor of Hong Kong from July 1992 to June 1997. Leaving Hong Kong was a memorable moment for me and my family for three reasons. Firstly, we left behind a successful economy, one that had seen a lot of progress in the infrastructure and social sectors. Secondly, we departed with a sense of responsibility at having done a good job of administering it. And finally, because Hong Kong is one of the best maritime cities in the world, a great place to live in, and one where I made a number of friends.

Climate change is a threat that looms large and yet, there’s a feeling in the developing nations of a general abdication of responsibility by first world countries. Having steered the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990, through the British Parliament, what do you think needs to be done to change the status quo?
Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest issue facing us all today. It’s about our very existence and so, we’ve got to start moving beyond saying the right things and start doing the right things. These would have to be cutting CO2 emissions by 80% over 1990 levels by 2050, especially by the developed nations. Also, bringing down the per head emissions in first world countries, which are much more than in such hugely-populated countries as India and China. At some point in the future, the developed nations will have to take responsibility for their contribution to global warming.

Do you think the worldwide economic recession is going to last longer than expected? And what message do you have for people in this bleak economic scenario?
Despite all the problems, which includes the economic downturn and threat to the environment, I’d like to stress that there is no reason to be excessively pessimistic. None of these problems we are faced with is insoluble. It’s important that we don’t repeat mistakes of the past. At the forthcoming G-20 summit in London, world leaders should move beyond offering platitudes about saving the planet and do something tangible for environment protection.

Global terrorism has reached alarming threat levels, is no longer confined to the vicinity but is almost at India’s doorstep. Comment.
Terrorism is likely to be a threat for many years to come and the best way to deal with it is by preventing it. We should avoid falling into the trap of identity politics, which is one of the reasons why extremism breeds, in the first place. It’s important not to repeat the mistakes of the past and lend democracy in Pakistan sufficient support.

This article was first published in the Indian Express, Pune

Sleight of hand

2009-04-13T05:10:00.000-07:00

Dr Pankaj Jindal, a Pune-based orthopaedic specialising in hand surgery, has conducted 10 different surgical camps in the past six years and brought solace to scores of long-suffering, poor patients

With the real purpose of the medical profession – that to heal and serve selflessly -- acting as his guiding light, Dr Pankaj Jindal, an orthopaedic surgeon with the Jehangir Hospital, Pune has been conducting surgical camps in Maharashtra and Chattisgarh. Having concluded the 10th such camp recently, Dr Jindal says the gratitude writ large on the faces of patients after they recover makes all the effort worthwhile. “It’s difficult to describe how grateful the patients, a majority of whom are very poor, feel once they recover from the surgery. It has to be seen to be believed,” he adds.

“The most common injuries suffered by the rural population are burn injuries. This is followed by birth deformities (fused fingers, extra fingers), cerebral palsy, spasticity and old, neglected injuries. So, the camps we conduct, which have been spread over Chalisgaon, Jalgaon, Jalana in Maharashtra and Raipur in Chattisgarh, have primarily dealt with such injuries; all of them have been operative camps,” informs the surgeon who has fellowships in hand surgery from France, the Grand Rapids, Michighan and Louisville, Kentucky.

In this unique pursuit of his, Dr Jindal has received crucial help from two other well-known surgeons, each specialising in his own field. Along with Dr Shankar Subramanium, a plastic surgeon attached to Wadia Children’s Hospital, and Dr Yelikar, another plastic surgeon from Aurangabad, Dr Jindal has been working day in and day out, collectively performing more than 50 surgical procedures in one camp, spread over two days, with no agenda in mind except to heal old wounds and no flag post to reach except to conduct the camp selflessly.

At the first camp held six years ago, in Jalna, one of the volunteers Baldev Punshi was so inspired by the work the doctors had been doing, that he invited Dr Jindal and his colleagues to Raipur, Chattisgarh. “With the local doctors already having sorted out patients – according to those who need surgery on a priority basis, as girl child, male child, adult female, adult male and so on, the next two days are spent conducting operative procedures on a multitude of defects. These range from deformities due to burns and injuries, babies born with multiple thumbs, absent thumbs, curved forearms and fingers fused together in a single mass like a spoon, patients waiting for plastic surgery on face and neck,” says Dr Jindal.

Though an evidently busy time, the good doctor looks forward to these camps and is planning several more camps during the course of the year. “What makes it worthwhile is the amount of happiness which is reflected on the faces of the patients, some of whom have been long-suffering and have old, neglected wounds or deformities. Though they are unable to express their gratitude, it’s obvious from their smiling faces and that’s what drives me on,” says Dr Jindal.

“Conducting a successful surgery is not just about relieving physical pain. It means so much more, like giving a girl child a chance at marriage, creating a means of livelihood, bringing hope to a hitherto bleak future and an improved quality of living,” he adds.

This article was first published in the Indian Express, Pune

Rainbow Woman

2009-02-24T01:36:00.000-08:00

Colours, in all their vibrant glory, define her and her works, which have now spread over a vivid kaleidoscope, have been widely exhibited all over the world. The accolades she has received are too numerous to list here. Her use of rich vibrant colours reveals her Indian roots, yet her aesthetic sensibilities are European, the continent she has adopted for the past 20 years. "I belong to Rajasthan, which is home to very vibrant and colourful traditions and so, it's natural to be inspired by colours," says the artist, who primarily paints acrylic on canvas and in mixed media. "My attraction for lines and colours goes back a long time and the way you can express yourself through colours and lines is incomparable to anything else," she adds.

Pune has been home to Sujata because it was here that she studied art and here that she had her first solo exhibition, inaugurated by C S Kirloskar in 1978. The upward graph of her journey has now culminated in a book called L'Ordre du Monde by the well known French filmmaker, writer and critic Jean-Claude Carriere. "Carriere is like the Satyajit Ray of France and he's been buying my works for the past 20 years. So, it was an absolute honour to have him collaborate with me for this book," avers Bajaj. "L'Ordre du Monde can mean both 'an arrangement of things in which one thing follows another' and 'the condition in which everything has its proper place and function'," says the veteran artist who was born in Jaipur. "The expression L'Ordre du Monde takes on so much spiritual and philosophical significance that it's impossible to translate without betraying the spirit of the same," she adds.

This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune

Taking it head-on

2009-02-17T01:03:00.001-08:00

Recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, Zaffar Iqbal on what it takes to tackle terror head-on

"When confronting terrorism, you have two options. You either give up or you fight back," is the simple yet assertive response of Zaffar Iqbal, NDTV Special Correspondent. In town to mark the Combat Terror Day at the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communications' (SIMC) annual festival recently, Iqbal was himself the target of a terror attack in May 2002. A rookie reporter with a local newspaper in Srinagar back then, he was fired at from point blank range by three gunmen, took three bullets, one of them in the head, but miraculously survived.

"Being in Kashmir, I've seen many acts of violence over the years, but how I managed to survive that attack, which was a case of mistaken identity really, is something which defies logic. I can only say that I survived because of the blessings and good wishes of my parents," said Iqbal. Awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2006-07) for bringing to the fore stories of hope in an atmosphere of violence and uncertainty, Iqbal's coverage of the devastating earthquake in Kashmir also came in for much appreciation. "The award came as a pleasant surprise. While reporting stories, you don't really think how much they could end up being appreciated or even that others are following your stories. So, it was an unexpected but pleasant surprise," he added.

When asked if a new dawn was happening in Kashmir with the election of Omar Abdullah as the new Chief Minister, Iqbal said it was an exaggerated assessment of the situation. "It's best not to talk in hyberbole in this context. No 'new dawn' is taking place here and it helps to have realistic expectations from politicians," he added.

In a session where most speakers were pedantic in their approach, Iqbal's interface with students at SIMC was more interactive and thus saw greater involvement. Conducted simply but with a grasp which can be attributed to several years on the job, in one of the most difficult regions of the country, Iqbal's session was interesting and thought-provoking, by turns.

This article was first published in The Indian Express, Pune

Shootout...!

2009-02-12T01:24:00.000-08:00

Easy does it!

Vikas and Tashi

Sufism revisited.....

2009-02-11T02:59:00.001-08:00

This story was also carried here ---- http://sufinews.blogspot.com/2008/12/devotion-and-surrender.html

In addition to temples, mosques and churches, Pune boasts some major shrines of Sufi saints and keeps the culture of liberal spirituality alive

It's an uncontested fact that Pune is a city of divinity and home to many temples, churches and mosques. However, it's also the abode of some major Sufi saints and home to a thriving Sufi culture. Among the notable shrines in the city are those of Hazrat Babajan in Camp, the Kamar Ali Darvesh Dargah at Khed Shivpur and the Peer Baba at Vishrantwadi.
While Hazrat Babajan is well-known and very much a landmark in the city, the other two are lesser-known, except among devotees or close followers. Not many are aware that Hazrat Babajan was a woman, born as Gulrukh, a Pathan princess in Balochistan (Pakistan), sometime in the early 1800s. However, she fled home at the age of 18 and ventured around the world (making pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina twice) before landing in Mumbai in 1904. From Mumbai, she went to Ajmer (to pay homage to Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti) before arriving in Pune. She made her home in the city first under a neem tree near Bukhari Shah's mosque in Rasta Peth and later beneath another neem tree in the then-dilapidated section of Pune called Char Bawdi. This is where she remained for the rest of her life and where the Babajan Dargah now stands.

Frequented by people of all religions, the dargah is an oasis of peace and sees a unique coming-together of spiritual influences. The most heartening thing here is that the neem tree under which Babajan breathed her last still stands, serving as a constant reminder to her murid (disciples) of their qutub (Sufi term for the highest form of master). One such murid is Shaziya Haq, a mother of four and a regular at the shrine. "I come here for solace and have been visiting Hazrat Babajan dargah for the last 32 years. It gives me a lot of peace, just coming over and sitting here," she says.
At the Kamar Ali Darvesh Dargah at Khed-Shivapur, 21 kms away from Pune, a 90 kg rock can be lifted up by the mere finger-tips of each of the 11 men who are needed to raise it. Eleven men stand around the rock and each one bends down and lends his index finger to apply enough pressure to lift it. As they chant Ya Kamarali Darvesh! in a chorus, the stone is flung in the air. "I just could not believe this story when a friend mentioned it to me over dinner last year. So, I recently went and tried to check its veracity and believe me, the stone actually got lifted! I mean, in this day and age, when every belief is being held hostage to the demands of logic and rationale, it was an experience I could never forget," avers Mazhar Siddiqui, member of a paramilitary force stationed in Pune and a true convert to Sufism, if ever there was any.
Similar stories can be heard if you happen to visit the Peer Baba of Vishrantwadi, as this shrine is popularly known. "I was childless and had been praying for a miracle. Then, someone suggested that I should come here and soon, I was blessed with a daughter. Now that she has turned 10, she too comes here regularly with me and my wife," says Sachin Dadhich, a resident of Khadki.
Truly, the Sufi tradition is still alive and kicking in Pune or Punyanagari, as it was once known, and contrary to popular (mis)-perception, the spirit of harmony and peaceful co-existence still thrives here. Visit any of the above mentioned or other less well-known Sufi shrines scattered across the city and you'll find people from all strata of society, irrespective of race and religion, heading there; with their only thoughts being those of devotion and surrender to the almighty.

Engineering harmony

2009-02-10T03:50:00.000-08:00

Dr Asghar Ali Engineer, renowned author and secular activist, stressed the need for peace and empathy in today's troubled times

"The best jehad is to speak the truth in the face of a tyrant. The word has been misused throughout history by scores of rulers, for their own selfish motives," said Dr Asghar Ali Engineer, well-known social activist and Islamic scholar. He was speaking to The Indian Express after delivering a speech at the Symbiosis Knowledge Village in Lavale on the occasion of Combat Terror Day organised by students of Symbiosis Institute for Media and Communication (SIMC).
"The U S consumes 70% of the world's resources and the remaining countries have to make do with 30% resources. There's bound to be a sense of discrimination creeping in somewhere. The crying need today is that of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, as practised by past U S governments," added the scholar, who's a civil engineer by profession, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi.
Having come under virulent criticism and even physical assaults for his open disapproval of the vice-like grip of the Bohra priestly establishment over lives of ordinary Bohras, Engineer says it's imperative to stand by what you believe, even if it comes at a cost. "Ultimately, you have to pay the price, whatever it be, of your convictions," he asserted.
A noted Islamic scholar who has been trained in tafsir (commentary on Quran) and hadith (Prophet's sayings) and Islamic jurisprudence, Engineer has more than 40 books to his credit, including Islam and Its Relevance to Our Age, Rights of Women in Islam, Sufism and Communal Harmony, Islam in South and South East Asia. He was also given the Communal Harmony Award by the Union Govt in 1997.
When asked what is it that makes educated youth fall prey to the malaise of communalism, the noted author said the culprit is a deliberate misinformation campaign. "The problem is that there are very few authentic sources of correct information and this lacuna is readily exploited by vested interests. But the only way to avoid this is to ensure that each one knows the truth and finds out the truth himself/herself," he said. "It's a precedent for all to verify that those who have managed to change the world have done so because they set out on the quest for truth and rested only after they discovered the entire reality," added Engineer.
Ending the interaction on a spiritual and wistful note, the 70-year-old scholar said that in the face of all-encompassing violence, we need to be even more non-violent. "The need of the hour is not jehad but non-violence and a sense of justice being done to all. As the Sufi saints have said, if you do have to practise jehad, let it be against your desires. That really is jehad-e-Akbar or the greatest of all jehads," said Engineer.

Par(a) excellence

2009-02-09T03:10:00.000-08:00

With his engaging autobiographical book, Brig (Retd) Vivek Sapatnekar touches upon many watershed events in the nation's history and his role in them

I sure was in a fix. I'd just been asked to do a review of a book by Brig (Retd) Vivek Sapatnekar intriguingly-named Address c/o 56 APO: Location Unknown (Reminiscences of an Army Life). It's one thing to have an opinion about every famous novel and quite another to critically read and comment on one. Brig Sapatnekar, who was also a prosecution witness (witness No. 186) in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination trial, grew up in a middle-class Maharashtrian household in Pune. A second generation officer, Sapatnekar's younger brother, father and paternal uncle all donned the olive green uniform.

Born in the year of the historic Quit India movement, Sapatnekar went to school in a 'Poona' where, as he describes it, "There were more tongas than cars and more trees than people." Soon, this bright student of the Bishop's School joined the NDA. At NDA, the Drill Saab (Drill Instructor), by mispronouncing his surname, made him Cadet Safed-nicker, a funny surname which stuck for quite a while. After three eventful years at Khadakvasla, it was destination Dehradun, and the Indian Military Academy (IMA) for him.

Here too, there was no dearth of memorable incidents which were a staple of Sapatnekar's life. One such incident which stands out is that of a ceremonial parade, during which the warm, muggy day took its toll on many a cadet, tired of standing in the sun for long hours. Yet, as Sapatnekar puts it, "In the Army, there are strict procedures for doing everything in the approved soldierly manner, from tying shoelaces to fainting on parade. If a GC (Gentleman Cadet) wants to faint, he must not. If he still wants to faint, he must do it like a soldier and that means falling to the ground ramrod straight, like a log, balli ke jaise."
Commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment or 4 Para in 1961, Sapatnekar became the commanding officer of 10 Para in 1978. Before that, he participated in the Indo-Pak War of 1971, served in places as far apart as the Rann of Kutch, Sikkim, Ladakh and Nagaland. He was also the Assistant Military and Naval Attaché to the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, along with being part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.
Written in a lucid, eloquent style, the book is more than just the recounting of past events or the chronicle of a distinguished career in the Army. It's an entertaining and thought-provoking read, with several incidents (like those about Commando Sukkha; God 'shave' the Queen; Miss Liberty and Miss Freedom and The Odd Couple) staying with you after you've finished reading it from cover to cover.
Yet, the lasting impression you get is that of all the human qualities, empathy and good humour are surely the most enduring. In Sapatnekar's words, "To safeguard privacy, names have either been eliminated or changed. Their resemblance to persons living is purely coincidental. For that, they have my sympathy."

Such a place as this...!!!

2009-01-19T00:17:00.000-08:00

A temple near Bhopal, dating back to 1845, contains a panel depicting six Muslim men offering the namaz

'Could this really be happening?' I asked myself. Clichéd as this sounds, I had to pinch myself to believe what lay before my eyes. Because here I was, on a family picnic, waiting to partake of the goodies that lay waiting in the picnic hamper, when we decided to take a detour to a quaint but impressive temple complex near Narsinghgarh, some 100 kms from Bhopal. It appeared as if more than just serendipity was at work as I stood watching, with obvious disbelief, engravings of Muslim men offering the namaz. That's right -- carvings of Muslims in a temple dedicated to Shyam Kaka (Lord Krishna).
Unreal as it seems, this temple, located in Shaka Jagir village, about 15 kms from Narsinghgarh tehsil in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, actually stands. Legend has it that when Bhagali Devi, queen of Shyam Dev Khinchi, a Rajput ruler of the Khinchi clan, had an estrangement with her husband, she moved out of his palace and took shelter with Amara Singh Gurjar, a local chieftain. Shyam Dev Khinchi was later killed while fighting a battle. That's when the queen ordered that the temple be built in his memory and installed an idol of Krishna or Shyam, which was also the name of her estranged husband. As a token of gratitude towards Amara Singh Gurjar, she made him the head priest of Shyam Kaka temple and since 1844-45, when the temple was completed, descendants of the Gurjar clan have been priests here.
But how the unique panel on the temple, which is probably the first-of-its-kind in Madhya Pradesh, possibly even in India, came into being, is quite another story. While the temple was under construction, six men from Arabia came visiting. They got into an ecclesiastical argument with the head priest Amara Singh Gurjar. As is the wont of holy men across religions, they stressed the superiority of their faith over others, says Saajan Singh Gurjar, the present-day priest and a descendant of Amara Singh. "The visitors insisted that Mecca and Medina are the holiest places on earth; in response, Amara Singh offered to take them to the two holy cities without moving a step away. Incredulous, the Arab visitors challenged the priest to do so," adds Gurjar.
What followed, according to legend, was a divine revelation of Mecca and Medina in the temple complex. And that was when the Arabs, awestruck, offered prayers right at that moment. "The panel showing the six Arab men was installed as a tribute to this incident," informs Gurjar.
A part of engravings in the rear of the structure, the panel (set in a quartet) depicts six Muslim men dressed in long robes and traditional headgear, in various stages of offering the namaz. The panel stands out because of the simple yet evocative depiction of the figures; devotion and surrender is writ large on their faces and this is evident even from a distance.
Constructed as it was in the mid-1800s, the temple exhibits a strong Indo-Sarcenic influence in its architecture. Drawing elements from the native Indo-Islamic style and combining it with Gothic revival architecture, it includes the pietra dura technique, which has been so famously used in the Taj Mahal. Pre-dominant among the other sculpture in the Shyam Kaka temple are royal processions, village duels, dainty belles, imperial deities and even a centaur. There's a consistent use of floral motifs to embellish engraved panels and easy, flowing lines to depict human and animal forms and figures. The facial features shown here deserve special mention, as they are widely characterized by wide, strong faces with almond-shaped, almost oblong eyes.
Although declared a protected site by the archaeological survey, the temple complex can definitely do with some prompt preservation measures. The information podium at the main entrance needs legible letters and a fresh coat of paint, the main façade housing the queen's quarters is crumbling and the temple could do with a thorough clean-up; its many brilliantly-carved quartets have been defiled by bird droppings and other unwanted matter.
As we headed to Bhopal, at the end of an unforgettable day, it seemed that there was more to this visit than just a happy discovery. My picnic hamper untouched, all thoughts of food had been replaced by those of a craving to know more about such exceptional places, which lie in obscure corners of the Indian hinterland. Places where warring religious beliefs and antagonistic holy men stood in solidarity, where it was possible to accept temples like this one as commonplace and not from another time and place and where it was easy to come to terms with what Bhagali Devi, Amara Singh Gurjar and the six Arabs had realized, so effortlessly, more than 150 years ago…

In defence of a pariah

2008-11-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

The whole world despises him, or used to, atleast. They make fun of his nasal twang, his ubiquitous cap, his fan following (primarily rickshawwallahs) and his 'mujhe tere ghar mein roti chahiye' outburst on a music reality show.

But I beg to differ with the powers-that-be and put in a word in defence of Himesh Reshammiya. This is not to say that I'm a fan of his (even 'follower' would not be an apt term). But just because he's got a very prominent nasal quality to his voice or because his fan following comprises mainly of rickshawwallahs and other such people, does not make him any less a star in his own right.

Granted, not many so-called 'classy' people can stand Himesh and his music, but to say that he's an overhyped artist only on account of this, is to take things a little too far. Can't the bhaiyyas and dhobis like the same music as the college yuppies and urbane professionals? Doesn't a Tandoori Nights make you wanna move just the way a My Desi Girl does? Yes it does. So, there goes. The bias against Himesh is one of the worst, yet most clever instances of snobbery and class prejudice, seen recently in popular culture. And we'll do well to get over it as quickly as we can, not just for the sake of music but for a greater good.

MOVIE REVIEW: JODHA AKBAR

2008-02-18T04:26:00.001-08:00

When I went to see Jodha Akbar, it was with expectations (and a secret fear) that it would be a prequel to K Asif's Mughal-eAzam and would have Hrithik as a huge bore of a bumbling Shahenshah Jalaluddin Mohammed 'Akbar'. But appearances are deceptive and no where is it truer than in the brilliant costume drama-cum-engaging love story that Jodha Akbar is.

Review it from any angle and the movie scores a good 8 on 10. The action sequences are captivating, well-executed and thoroughly-researched. The romance is oh-so-old worldly and the history is, well, captivating, to say the least. Hrithik and Aishwarya (as Jodha) are the most goodlooking pair ever to have appeared together on screen. The lilting, haunting music (and background score) by Rehman is surely the highlight of this exceptionally well-directed (by Ashuosh Gowariker) historical.

Jodha-Akbar is a complete package -- with action, drama, romance, court intrigue, kitchen politics, a mother-in-law from hell and matrimonial alliances thrown in in equal measure. As regards action, there's one scene right at the beginning that stands out -- the Mughal Army led by a 13-year-old Jalaluddin takes on King Hemu's under-equipped force. And when the two sides clash, the camera (focusing on the collective footfall) is pulled out with such force and speed that it takes you right to the scene of the battle (the second battle of Panipat - 1556). Immediately after the victory, Jalaluddin's guardian and the actual ruler of the Mughals, Bairam Khan, asks the young prince to behead the vanquished Hemu. Jalal refuses to do so, saying that the defeated king is already so pitiful, and he cannot make matters worse by beheading him. At which, Bairam Khan orders his soldiers to form a screen around Hemu, beheads him with one stoke of his sword and then hands it over to Jalal, proclaiming him 'Ghazi', and thus making him worthy of his force's and his subjects' regard.

This benign aspect of Jalal's character shines forth in other scenes of the film, thus rendering him totally deserving of the title 'Akbar' (the great) . Then again, we are given a thorough run-through of his secular leanings and his motivations behind taking Jodha as his wife. More on the former first: Akbar was known to have great faith in Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti and turned to him in times of crisis or when in a dilemna. There's a haunting Sufi song, composed by A R Rehman -- Khwaja mere khwaja -- which stands out and remains with you after you've left the theatre and come back home. As the song reaches its crescendo, Akbar gets up from his temporary takht and joins the whirling dervishes in their dance of glory. This is definitely one of the highlights of the film and Hrithik is outstanding in his complete involvement in the character.

Zara hatke, zara bachke, yeh he Bombay meri jaan...

2008-02-05T03:40:00.000-08:00

What can you say about the recent happenings in a state which prefixes 'maha' (great) to its name? That its residents are fanatical about their 'asmita', their pride in their state? Or that it's, as it's true more often than not, a case of a skewed minority hijacking the socio-political agenda of an entire state?

Sample this: A city-based editor of an English daily has gone on record and made disparaging comments about those from the North. This gentleman, who virtually 'rules' over his little personal 'army' of scribes, once reacted to a complaint by an employee about another colleague like this, "What can you expect? These North Indians are such a pain anyway." This, from an editor -- someone who's supposed to be a catalyst to opinion-making and a fair, reasonable individual. The employee hadn't even thought of it as a North Indian vs Maharashtrian problem, but as a simple case of unprofessionalism.

Then, there's the issue of the huge labour force which does all the menial jobs in the state. From your washerman to the milkman to the sweeper, you'll find that a majority of these people belong to the north, and that too, primarily to the BIMARU (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan and UP) states. They come to Pune or Mumbai or other cities of the state, with only one aim -- that of earning a living decent enough to sustain them and support their (generally very poor) families back home. And so, they are willing to take up any job, however menial, to earn a livelihood. These migrant workers are willing to learn the local language and mingle with the locals, all for a job.

Also, if the people of this state (or those claim to voice their concerns and aspirations) have so much problem with migrants, why don't they take up these 'menial', 'lowly', 'urghh', 'awful' and what else not, jobs? But no, that's not going to happen anytime soon. Because shops in Pune atleast, are closed shut for a siesta from 1 to 4 pm. Now, this says much for the level of enterprise here.

And more than anything else, India is a federation and Maharashtra is a part of that federation of states. It did not achieve its independence independently and cannot hope to sustain it independently (in the event of such a thing ever taking place). Also, how can any Indian citizen be prevented from moving to, or setting up a business in or settling down in, any other state of the Indian Union? Not only is this demand unreasonable, it is downright outrageous...!

But that's how politics is, some would say.... Unreasonable, incendiary and rhetorical. What pains one, though, is that the majority of the Marathi 'manoos' has allowed itself to be led into a dangerous alley by a handful of thugs and 'goondas', and yet prefers to keep mainly mum...

BOOK REVIEW

2008-01-31T03:22:00.000-08:00

(Above) The cover of the novel; (Below) 'Sukhtara' in Kalimpong,
where Kiran Desai stayed while researching her novel

The Inheritance of Loss
by Kiran Desai

I had first read Kiran Desai's Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard as a gangly teenager, wishing to impress peers and parents with having read 'n' number of 'serious' books. But just as I was surprised and overjoyed at how enjoyable a read Desai's (supposedly serious) Hullabaloo was, so was I taken aback by the striking work of art that The Inheritance of Loss is. Released after a gap of 8 years, Desai's second novel is the story of life in Kalimpong for a young Sai, bereaved of her parents and with only an old, insensitive grandfather and his old but caring cook for company.
The novel takes you through Sai's life in the rain-drenched hills, with a teenage romance with her Nepali tutor Gyan and a Nepalese insurgency brewing in the backdrop. And then goes back and forth between Kalimpong and Manhattan, where the cook's son Biju works as, what else, a cook. The discrimination he faces, the reality of life for Indians (especially the illegal, poor immigrants) abroad and Biju's decision to return to India -- all make for interesting, thought-provoking and sometimes profound reading. She gives you a sense of having been there, having felt rather than seen, the miseries, hopes and joys of people like Biju and his father.
There's a strong undercurrent of empathy running through Desai's novel. And that's may be because it's a story which closely resembles her own life, while growing up as a 13-year-old in Kalimpong and so totally cued in to everything related to the mountains around her. From her observations of the pitter-patter of rain on tin roofs, to the pall of mist and fog which envelops the pretty town, to the inclusion of the majesty and awe-inspiring Kanchenjunga, almost as a character in the novel -- Desai gets it all correct, right down to the most minute and miniscule observations.
It's a great read, nothwithstanding the criticism The Inheritance of Loss came in for, for its portrayal of the Gorkhaland Movement. I, for one, believe that those who fail to appreciate this one, even briefly, will surely have come into the inheritance of (literary) loss....

BOOK REVIEW

2008-01-14T23:50:00.000-08:00

It Isn't Easy Being Taz Dhar
by Dawood Ali Mc Callum

This is one novel which will make sense only if you plan to sit through it and not give up midway. And there are many reasons why you could end up being frustrated with this story. There is just too much of beating about the bush, not getting to the point, building up the central character. And the basic premise of the plot is not all that clear. It’s about The People versus The Others. And how the former (involving police and intelligence agencies around the world) try to subvert and take over the lives of the latter (the poor and the homeless, the refugees and the downtrodden).
Tasneem (Taz) Dharwalla, a down-and-out broadcast journalist gets a letter from a man named Armitage Shanks, which sends her off in pursuit of the ‘story of her life’. The novel by Mc Callum is about the journey Taz undertakes to uncover the truth behind the letter written by the impossibly named Armitage Shanks (actually the name of a sanitary equipment manufacturer in the UK). It takes her to back-of-beyond destinations in Europe and Africa, before the denouement in India.
A gripping read, atleast after the first 50 pages, the novel makes you sit up and think twice about all that you took for granted. The highest police, civil authorities and the media – all hand in glove for what seems to me a reprehensible rationale. Anyway, it makes for a roller-coaster ride, as you travel with Taz and face the ghosts of her childhood, her drinking problem and her down-in-the-dumps career, and come out on the other side in a good enough condition.

THE ALLURE OF AJANTA

2007-11-21T02:25:00.000-08:00

The Ajanta caves are more than just a World Heritage Site. They are a testimony to the dextrous artistry characteristic of India in the centuries gone by. You cannot but look on in wonderment at the brilliant tapestry of paintings, colours and forms -- created with much love and devotion and preserved miraculously since the 2nd century B.C.

From top: Yours truly in the foreground and a panoramic view of the Ajanta caves behind me; Padmapani Buddha -- the most recognised painting in Ajanta; An elegant sculpture at the entrance of one of the Bauddha Vihaars; The Dying Princess -- another famous painting and still in pretty good condition; A royal procession of the day, depicted in great detail and eloquence; A ceiling in one of the caves is like poetry in palette -- quite elaborate and painstaking

SANCHI MUCCHI...!

2007-11-21T01:59:00.000-08:00

From top down: The Great Stupa, Another stupa in the vicinity, A couple of views of the doorways around the Great Stupa and a Bauddha Vihaar (monastery) near the Great Stupa

Some snapshots from a
visit to Sanchi,
near good
ol' Bhopal,
my hometown... Read on for some interesting nuggets....

Sanchi near Bhopal is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across the world. This 3 rd century B.C. site is most well known for 'The Great Stupa', originally commissioned by Ashoka the Great. Its nucleus is a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It is crowned by the chhatra, a parasol-like structure and four gateways on four sides of the stupa.
Sanchi was discovered by a British officer General Taylor in 1818. In 1881 proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919, the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall.
Today, around fifty monuments remain on the Sanchi hill, including three stupas and several temples. The monuments are among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Artist of Living

2007-11-21T00:47:00.000-08:00

The first thing that strikes you on seeing him up close is his appearance. The jet black of his long, flowing hair contrasts with the starched white of his simple cotton clothes. And an innocent, childlike smile is never too far away from his visage. Sri Sri Ravishankar is, in person, every bit as charismatic as the Art of Living (AOL) Foundation depicts him to be. “Today’s youth wants to be happy and satisfied with all aspects of their lives. But they are unable to concentrate, relax or take things easy. This is the major cause for the unrest in the world today. Not just the youth, even the previous generations are afflicted with the same problems,” said he at an informal chat with the media at K K Bhawan, recently.

The founder of AOL and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), Ravi Shankar was a disciple of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He also prefixed the salutation Sri Sri to his name to distinguish himself from Ravi Shankar, the famous sitar maestro. Having laid claim to the discovery of Sudarshan Kriya (a unique breathing technique for relaxation), Ravi Shankar set up the AOL Foundation in 1981. Since then, his popularity has soared, and AOL today has a presence in all parts of India and several countries abroad. Stressing that participation by youth is significant for a better tomorrow, the 51-year-old seer says, “The major reason for discontent and restlessness among the young generation is the absence of spirituality, lack of confidence and hope in the future. What is heartening, however, is the fact that more than 60-70 per cent youth can be seen participating in our Pranayam Dhyan Shibir, which are regularly held across the country and outside. I tell them that the answers to all their questions and the solutions to all their problems can be found with us.”

AOL’s humanitarian initiatives have been noteworthy in regions battling terrorism, war and natural disasters. “In recent years, we have visited war torn Iraq and also conducted free-of-cost AOL sessions for New Yorkers after 9/11. The response at all the places we have visited has been uniform – enthusiastic audiences wishing to live better lives,” says Ravi Shankar. AOL has also conducted camps in hurricane Katrina-hit New Orleans in the U.S. As the spiritual guru says, “Aid, housing and food alone simply do not work. We need to address the stress and trauma faced by people in crisis situations.”

However, there have been speculations about the manner in which Ravi Shankar, through AOL, has fine-tuned age-old yogic practices and cleverly marketed them in a brand new format. Also, the fact that he has not been forthcoming about his association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is something that rankles devotees and doubters alike. Added to it is the fact that spiritual gurus abound in India, promising their followers a better life, while at the same time, selling cosmetics and health drinks at meditation camps. We ask Ravi Shankar how does one maintain faith in spiritualism and spiritual gurus in the wake of all this and he says, “The problem is people don’t just have a lot of skepticism, they also have a lot of negativity, a lot of pessimism and violent tendencies. Once they join an organisation like ours, all these problems begin to look easier to overcome and with that comes the faith that is essential for attaining a higher consciousness.” Well, doesn’t quite answer our question… What remains unambiguous, though, is the love and admiration Ravi Shankar elicits from scores of his followers in India, and a glimpse of which Pune was witness to, at his recent five-day visit to town.

SHALINI RAI

Magical Malabar

2007-11-15T02:59:00.000-08:00

The land of coral reefs and aquamarine blue waters. That's Lakshadweep for you -- truly a paradise on earth.

And when on the western coast of India, the magical Malabars, can Kerala be given a miss?!! Not by a long shot. Here's what we encountered while in God's Own Country.

The backwaters of Kerala are pristine and spectacular, at the same time. There's a huge variety of avian population here, as visible in the black and white ducks and the coy cormoran pruning herself in public view!!

BOOK REVIEW

2007-11-08T03:24:00.001-08:00

With the persecution of minorities in India on the rise, there is a growing feeling that something needs to be done to set the record straight. Camil Parkhe’s book Contribution of Christian Missionaries in India does just that. It sets the record straight about the motivations of Christian missionaries and the rationale behind the various charitable activities they undertake.
Parkhe’s work is an exhaustive biographical record of the lives of such missionaries as Robert de Nobilli, Father (Fr) Thomas Stephens, Fr Herman Bacher, Fr Henry Heras, Fr Mathew Lederle and Rev Graham Staines. There are also a number of prominent Indian Christians who figure in this book. Among them are Ramabai Saraswati, Rev Narayan Vaman Tilak, Rev Baba Padamjee and Manorama Medhavi.
“While carrying out their routine work, the Christian missionaries have, in the past five centuries, contributed a great deal to the fields of literature, social awakening, education and medical services,” says Parkhe in the book’s preface. Though Christians make up only about two per cent of the total population of India, between themselves they carry out more than 25 per cent of charitable work. And it is an indication of the purity of intent of this community that while commanding such a large chunk of the voluntary sector, they use their missionary zeal in social service rather than for proselytising.
“According to figures provided by the late Archbishop Alan de Lastic of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Christians take care of five per cent primary education, 10 per cent of all literacy and holistic health care, 25 per cent of existing care of orphans and widows and 30 per cent of all existing care of the mentally and physically handicapped and leprosy and AIDS victims,” informs Anosh Malekar, a senior Pune based journalist, who has written the introduction for Parkhe’s book.
Contribution of Christian Missionaries in India could help initiate a debate on the real driving force behind the social work undertaken by Christian missionaries. By explaining the path that several well known European, American and Indian Christians have tread, and how their work has made a lasting difference to the lives of the poor and marginalised sections of society, this book makes a strong case for an open minded appraisal of missionary activity in India.

BOOK REVIEW The Reluctant Fundamentalist BY Mohsin Hamid

2007-10-26T00:24:00.001-07:00

Some days ago, I watched the Pooja Bhatt-directed film Dhokha, which spurred me on to explore the hows and whys of terrorism and fundamentalism. So, when The Reluctant Fundamentalist made it to this year’s Booker Prize shortlist, I rushed to get a copy.
However, where Dhokha takes a thought provoking look at why people resort to extremism and violence, The Reluctant Fundamentalist aims to romanticise it, with hardly any merit in the arguments of Mohsin Hamid’s protagonist Changez. Semi autobiographical, the novella has several resemblances to Mohsin Hamid’s life.
Changez, a young Pakistani, lands a plush job in the US and thrives in the comfort of an insular American existence. He also has an American girlfriend, to boot. With the fall of the World Trade Centre buildings in 2001 though, Changez finds his cloistered identity falling apart. His girlfriend, battling a troubled past, finds herself in a mental institution. And Changez unsuccessfully fights the exorcised ghosts of his ethnicity and religious affiliation.
His initial discomfort with American superciliousness (pushed under the carpet earlier) grows in consonance with jingoism and neo conservatism in US. Sample this: “I stared as one -- and then the other – of the twin towers collapsed. And then I smiled. Yes, despicable as it may sound, my initial reaction was to be remarkably pleased.”
Hamid describes the increasing US paranoia and zenophobia thus: “US flags invaded New York after the attacks… and they all seemed to proclaim: We are America; the mightiest civilization the world has ever known; you have slighted us; beware our wrath.”
Through his work, the author comes across as someone who is in the grip of a major cultural inferiority complex, someone who feels the need to justify his religious affiliations to his American friends and yet, as someone who deeply resents all that America represents and so loudly flaunts.
While Hamid’s resentment with US highhandedness is something one can relate to, what defies acceptance is his belief that the US was in cahoots with India to launch an attack on Pakistan in 2002. He says, “I wondered how it was that America was able to wreak such havoc in the world – orchestrating an entire war in Afghanistan and legitimising through its actions the invasion of weaker states by more powerful ones, which India was now proposing to do to Pakistan – with so few apparent consequences at home.”
For someone who wished to further understand the motivations of those who go down the wrong path (as depicted brilliantly in Dhokha), Hamid’s work was a thorough disappointment. Not least because of the bias he harbours against India. If Hamid had been more objective in his political assessment and detached in his beliefs, The Reluctant Fundamentalist would have found greater resonance. Let’s see what the Booker jury thinks of it…

Crossing over

2007-10-25T04:05:00.000-07:00

“The difference between films made by children and films made for children by others is the same as that between khadi and mill cloth. Khadi is coarse and grainy but it is there for you to feel against your skin, as it is. And it is hand woven. Mill cloth, refined and treated, loses something in the process, and can’t quite get it back, however fancily cut,” said Govind Nihalani at the announcement of the Child’s Eye film festival schedule in the city recently.
Child’s Eye features films made by children on issues close to their heart and the ones they most relate to. The festival will be held between Nov 15 and 18 at the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) Auditorium. “Though some training was given to children before they got down to making the films, the ideas for the films came from them and all the aspects of filmmaking were taken care of by them. Initially, even I was skeptical about the concept but after seeing the works these young filmmakers have produced, my doubts have been replaced with admiration,” Nihalani said.
There’s a wide range of issues and problems faced by children in India, 60 years after independence, and these have found resonance in the kind of films, which are a part of Child’s Eye.
There’s ‘Seeds of Sorrow’, which narrates how the lucrative practice of sowing seeds by hand is a threat to the future of children in Koppal, Karnataka. ‘Is this life?’ questions if it’s a crime to be born as a girl in a poor family and exposes the status of the girl child in backward communities. Says Arti Kirloskar, Board Member, Plan India, a child centred development organisation, which is playing host to ‘Child’s Eye’, “When I saw one of these films, I could not believe it was made by children. The message was so hard hitting that I felt inspired to take it to a larger audience in Pune.”
Children have also forayed into animation films in this one of its kind initiative, with ‘Lakshmi’s Story’. This film provides an intimate look at the fears and dreams of Lakshmi, a young girl in Hyderabad, who leads a lonely and thankless existence as a ragamuffin. Then there’s the rarely addressed problem of juvenile addiction to gutka, alcohol and cigarettes, which finds a voice in ‘Addicted Innocence’. As Arti Kirloskar puts it, “These are voices of children and it is our responsibility to create platforms where they are heard by policy makers and the public.”
Nihalani, acclaimed for his career in films and television serials, could not have hoped to escape the volley of questions about his views on recent Bollywood releases and future projects, and expectedly, he did not. When asked why did he change track from ‘Ardh Satya’ and ‘Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa’ to ‘Thakshak’ and ‘Dev’, he replied, “You cannot expect a filmmaker to keep making the same kind of films over a period of two-three decades. Cinema changes with time and one has to constantly evolve. I’ve decided to concentrate on three major areas of filmmaking now – animation, new genres, and making relevant and original films.”
So, what about the parallel cinema movement of which he was a standard bearer? “The parallel cinema movement has now become a part of mainstream cinema. Look at how well ‘Rang De Basanti’ has worked, although it addressed a very serious issue and was speaking in the language of parallel cinema. So, I think the distinctions between parallel and mainstream cinema are getting increasingly blurred,” Nihalani asserted.

Shootout at Pune

2007-10-20T01:53:00.001-07:00

The BBC Wildlife Photography Forum has awarded him nine gold and 23 silver stars for riveting pictures of tigers in the wild. He is spearheading the ‘Save Tiger’ campaign in the city and mobilising public opinion to help save the endangered species.
To say that Anant Zanjale is a wildlife enthusiast would be a gross understatement. The wildlife photographer lives, breathes and sports (literally) his love for the wild, and in particular, for the tiger. When we meet him, he has on a tiger print T shirt. In his living room, tigers find pride of place as life size picture portraits. Hitherto, he has clicked more than 17,000 pictures of the tiger. “If the lion is the king of the jungle, the tiger is the emperor,” he says, when we ask him why he zeroed in on the wild being as his muse.
“I have seen the tiger in its natural surroundings and shot him charging, killing, eating, walking and resting. And even though I’ve shot it from a distance of as little as four feet, it has never harmed me. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the majestic animal. Its movements are fluid and graceful and when it charges on its prey, its pure power in action,” Zanjale enthuses.
While 90 per cent of the tiger population in the world exists in India, the numbers of tigers in the country are dwindling rapidly and only urgent corrective steps can prevent the situation from worsening. That’s one of the reasons why Zanjale has initiated the ‘Save Tiger’ signature campaign in Pune. Till date, around 40,000 people have signed up for the campaign and on receiving 1 Lakh signatures, Zanjale and his team of volunteers plan to submit the memorandum to the President and the Prime Minister of India, for prompt action to save the tiger.
Zanjale gives the rationale behind the campaign, “We are urging people to save the tiger not only due to our love for the animal, but also because the tiger represents the health of the jungle. A single tiger acts as the guardian of 65 sq km of territory in a forest. Let me elaborate. This area has a population of around 200 deer (or another species of herbivores). In a year, a tiger consumes approximately 80 deer. If you kill one tiger, the deer population goes up by 80 every year and so, in two years, there are 560 deer in an area which can only support 200 deer. This excess deer population eats the grass, sometimes from the root itself. This results in loosening of the top soil, which in turn causes deforestation. And during the rains, with a loose top soil, floods cause greater damage to the forest than they would otherwise have. In this way, the entire ecosystem of the area undergoes a change for the worse and the pattern only becomes more worrisome with the passage of time.”
In effect, saving the tiger amounts to saving a forest and in the long run, saving the planet from natural bankruptcy. “It’s high time people around the country realise that protecting the tiger is mandatory not only for protecting the wild but also for their own long term interests,” asserts Zanjale.
Speaking of forests, Zanjale has toured the entire country, from Ranthambhore (Rajasthan) to Kaziranga (Assam), from Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand) to Bandipur (Karnataka). Which of these wilds has given him the best experiences and the most exciting photo opportunities? Replying somewhat cryptically, though wittily, Zanjale says, “There’s nothing like ‘best’ in wildlife. It’s a bit like Chinese food. You have to develop a taste for it.”

The way ahead...!

2007-10-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

"Editors these days are taking far too many shortcuts. The final blame for the state of mainstream media in India today lies with the editorial leadership," said Rajdeep Sardesai, in Pune recently for the Kakasaheb Gadgil Foundation memorial lecture. Sardesai’s is the most recognised face on Indian television today. A law graduate from Oxford, he joined NDTV as political editor in 1994 and successfully hosted the ‘Big Fight’ for several years before leaving the channel to set up Global Broadcast News, now called CNN-IBN. Son of former test cricketer Dilip Sardesai, his coverage of the 2002 Gujarat riots was widely acknowledged as the most objective and comprehensive. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Shalini Rai

The Broadcast Bill 2006 has been termed variously as Draconian and progressive, depending on whether it is the media which is discussing it or the government. What is your take on the contentious topic?
My perception is that the Broadcast Bill is neither Draconian nor progressive. I think it is a bit of both. While we do need a regulatory mechanism to be in place, in view of the proliferation of news channels, there’s a lot of new technology coming in and such fast growth of the medium that some amount of regulation becomes essential. At the same time, I think it is not the job of the government to tell the media what to publish or broadcast. Any law framed on these lines is simply unacceptable.

Recently, the Uma Khurana case highlighted how much of a menace sting operations can turn into when used with ulterior motives. Why is there so much focus on sting operations as an essential tool with the electronic media?
Contrary to the ongoing trend, sting operations must be used as the last resort and in the rarest of rare cases. Also, the only justification for conducting a sting operation should be public interest. Of late, though, it has become an end in itself and is being grossly misused. Having said that, any technology can be misused and so, it is not such a surprise that this is happening. Though the jury is still out on the Uma Khurana case, the manner in which the school teacher was harassed by the news channel in question was totally uncalled for.

There is a growing belief that commercial considerations are taking precedence over editorial content in both the print and electronic media, especially so in the latter.
I don’t think that editorial content and commercial considerations have to necessarily be in conflict with each other. There is no reason why the two cannot co-exist and still make a channel successful. I think CNN-IBN is proof enough of that. We have demonstrated that credibility cannot be bought. It has to be earned through the right values and journalistic practises. Of course, there are some news channels, particularly vernacular ones, which make little of editorial content being compromised for commercial interests. Then again, this is a decision which the editors have to make and stand by.

Do you think the media needs to do some serious introspection and self regulation, so as to continue to command readers/viewers’ respect?
It is a fact that we have failed to self regulate. We are not showing enough seriousness towards putting stringent self regulatory measures in place. There is no doubt that we need a strict code of conduct and urgently, at that. Just like in any other profession, in journalism too, we need a set of rules which should be sacrosanct.

Today, there are so many news channels around, but all of them appear to be copies of each other. They don’t seem to possess a USP.
News channels these days are trying to outdo each other in getting the best TRPs. What they don’t realise is that news stays with the viewer not from one Friday to the next, but every single day of the week. It is important that instead of aiming for temporary benefits in terms of ad revenues, channels look at the bigger picture. Maintaining a sense of balance and the faith of the audience is essential for any long term gains and to break away from the clutter.

The electronic media primarily focuses on urban India and its problems, and could thus appear to be elitist. When will the focus shift to rural India and rural concerns?
It’s true that the focus is on urban India and urban issues and that’s because the media operates out of urban areas. A majority of the reporters have urban sensibilities. We need to make that extra effort to reach out to the towns and villages and voice the concerns of people there. Editors these days are taking far too many shortcuts. It takes a lot more trouble and diversion of resources to send a reporter to the hinterland, than it does to cover a Page 3 event. The final blame for the state of mainstream media in India lies with the editorial leadership. We need to have a more dynamic and conscientious leadership in journalism today.

There’s so much fluff in news programming and coverage these days. Celebrities are being made out of non entities and substance and depth in reporting is missing. Will we ever see go back to the kind of journalism which used to inspire and instill hope for the future?
It’s true that news reporting today leaves a lot to be desired. Earlier, news was only about hard facts. Today, it has a lot to do with titillation and grabbing maximum eyeballs, through whatever means. But there are two ways of looking at things. As a glass which is half full or half empty, however clichéd that sounds. I, for one, look at the glass as half full and am hopeful about the future of journalism. Contrary to popular perception, most journalists today are still committed to a degree of professional integrity.

The right choice

2007-10-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

It took activists like Arvind Kejriwal and Aruna Roy years of crusade and perseverance against lack of transparency in governance before the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) was passed in 2005. Though billed as a watershed event, RTI is yet to become a household name. There are concerns about the effectiveness of the law, the circuitous procedure involved in filing applications and the lack of awareness among government employees about RTI and its provisions.

In an attempt to make RTI more interactive, appealing and popular, there are several campaigns and programmes going on throughout the country. “Chitra Katha” – a short film contest for promoting RTI awareness – is one such event. It is being organised at the IIT Bombay, Powai and winning films will be awarded at “Avenues 2007”, the annual college festival on October 28. “The effective use of RTI is critical for creating better governance models across the country. Hence, this film contest,” says Shishir Jha, project head, Creative Commons, a non-profit organisation promoting flexible copyrighting (and Assistant Professor at the Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay).

The contest aims to facilitate accessibility to information concerning the nation’s governance. “Creative Commons is hosting “Chitra Katha” with the belief that information made available through disclosure or liberal copyright licensing is a great public asset. This ease of access can play a decisive role in creating greater transparency, accountability and citizen participation in daily governance. Also, while there is a lot of public awareness about such issues as AIDS and global warming, RTI is a relatively recent concept and will take a while to catch on,” reasons Jha.

Though it has been two years since the RTI Act was passed, inhibitions among applicants about approaching government bodies, due to the inordinate delays in processing requests could act as a major deterrent to the effective use of the historic Act. “In a country like India, it does take time for the government paraphernalia to get set and going. So, let’s give the government the benefit of doubt. It’s still too early to comment on the effectiveness of RTI. It is a very important piece of legislation and once enough awareness is created, it could become the most potent tool in the hands of the common man,” asserts Jha.

So, how has the response been to the call for entries to the contest considering it’s the first year? “Till date, we’ve received 50 entries, a majority of which are from IIT-B students. But there are also quite a few entries from professional groups who make films on RTI. And we are hopeful that by closing date, we’ll have some interesting short films in our kitty,” says Jha.

Not so common

· Length of films: Up to five minutes
· To be shot in either Hindi or English
· Based on a true dramatisation of the theme “Better Governance Through Right to Information”
· Contest open to all
· Closing of registration: October 18
· Declaration of results: October 25
· For details, log on to http://www.sjmsom-avenues.org/

Exercise this right

· RTI Act comes into force on October 13, 2005
· RTI is a law enacted by the Parliament of India giving citizens of India access to Central Government records
· Applies to all States and Union Territories of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir
· Under the Act, any citizen may request information from a ‘public authority’
· The government body should comply within 30 days, failing which officials responsible for non-compliance face financial penalties and (in persistent cases) jail terms
· The Act specifies that citizens have a right to: request any information (as defined); take copies of documents; inspect documents, works and records; take certified samples of materials of work; obtain information in the form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes, in any other electronic mode or through printouts
· Exemptions: Information relating to or compromising the sovereignty and integrity of India; information the disclosure of which may constitute contempt of court; information available to a person in a fiduciary relationship cannot be accessed

BOOK REVIEW

2007-10-04T03:54:00.000-07:00

Two Lives
by Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth’s is a formidable presence in the world of Indian writing in English. So, it was with expectations of great literary stimulation that this writer picked up Two Lives by Seth. Part-memoir, part-biography Two Lives, as the title suggests, is not an account of a Dr Jekyl Mr Hyde-kind of an identity crisis faced by the author. Nor does it tell you much about how Seth dealt with the conflicting realities of being gay on one hand and an Indian male, weighed down by the baggage of expectations and conventionality, on the other.

The novel is a biography of Seth’s uncle Shanti and his German Jewish wife Henny, and a memoir of times spent with them in London. That more or less sums up the storyline of the novel. But still, for records’ sake, here goes…. Seth’s India-born but foreign educated Shanti Uncle goes to Germany to study dentistry, takes up lodgings at Mrs Caro’s and falls in love with her daughter Henny, after a courtship spread over more than a decade. Then he joins the British Army, is injured in conflict and has an arm amputated. But Shanti teaches himself to practise with an artificial limb and does well as a dentist. In the interim, as Henny escapes to London, her family perishes in the Holocaust, leaving her bruised and depressed thereafter. Henny and Shanti continue to be good friends but the former already has a suitor who leaves her high and dry for being a Jew and the latter is too shy and unsure of Henny’s response to propose to her.

The rest of the work describes how Seth experienced Henny’s initial coldness and aloofness on reaching London and staying with them; how she thawed by and by and even became warm and friendly towards Seth; how she never opened up completely or spoke of her past and her family, not even with Shanti; how there may have been the possibility of Henny’s homosexual liaison with a close friend.

With such works as An Equal Music, A Suitable Boy, From Heaven Lake, The Golden Gate to his credit, it was quite disappointing to read about the normal, banal, boring and foreign lives and sensibilities of Seth’s Shanti Uncle and Henny Auntie. Peppered with excruciatingly lengthy narrations and staid details of these two lives, I found it extremely difficult to get to the last chapter of this particular Vikram Seth novel. If only Seth had weaved his magical prose around a more cohesive and engaging storyline, he would have had a winner on his hands....

The Mahatma, but 'naturally'

2007-10-02T05:35:00.002-07:00

“Nature cure has been a passion with me ever since my childhood. To serve the cause of nature cure has been the dream of my life ever since. 999 cases out of 1000 can be brought round by means of regulated diet, water, air and earth treatments and similar household remedies,” said Mahatma Gandhi during one of his several stays at the historic Bapu Bhawan at Tadiwala Road. The institution was managed by Dr Dinshaw Mehta till 1975, after which he handed over its reins to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and it was renamed as the National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN). To mark the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation this year, around 40 volunteers will undertake a three-day fast beginning today. “After dinner on Oct 1, 40 people (30 NIN members and 10 from among the public) will consume only saline water and fresh water for the next three days, till Oct 4 afternoon. This is an attempt to generate awareness among the common people about Gandhiji’s stress on nature cures and naturopathy,” informs Dr Babu Joseph, Director, NIN.

Although Gandhiji’s preference for traditional methods of treatment and medicine is common knowledge, what is a surprise is his absolute faith in the healing capacities of naturopathy. We ask Dr Joseph what marked Mahatma Gandhi’s initiation into the filed and he replies, “In 1902, Gandhiji came across the book Return to Nature by German naturopath Adolf Just. Impressed by Just’s assertions for natural treatments, he delved further into the subject and bought books (New Science of Healing and Facial Diagnosis) by another famous naturopath Louis Kuhne. Thereafter, he started experimenting these natural remedies first on himself and then on friends and family members.”

The architect of the nation’s independence had so much faith in naturopathy that he even included it in his 16-point program of national growth and development. Dr Joseph further states, “The inclusion of naturopathy in his 16-point program is an assertion of the conviction Gandhiji had in the discipline. He also authored three books on the subject – Key to Health, My Nature Cure and Diet and Diet Reforms. It is to draw people’s attention back towards his fascination for naturopathy and consequently, the benefits accruing from it that we are organising this fast.”
Fasting was a potent weapon in Gandhiji’s hands and he used it both as a means of peaceful protest and for cleansing of the body. As Dr Joesph explains, “Fasting clears the digestive system and blood stream and provides physiological and sensory rest to the body. Consumption of healthy food after fasting brings all the vital bodily organs back on track and does away with harmful effects of pollution, stress and the ‘fast food culture’. Regular exercise and a balanced, nutritious diet plus regular cleansing through fasting is the best bet for good health.”
So, is the health scene in the city looking up with quite a few youth coming in for natural treatments? “The scenario is definitely better than some years ago, where the majority of people we had were elderly and retired. Now, youngsters too do come in for yoga and naturopathy, but we have a long way to go before they embrace a healthy lifestyle completely,” says Dr Joseph.
Here’s hoping that just as Gandhigiri became fashionable 58 years after Gandhiji’s demise, so does naturopathy, which was both strongly advocated and zealously practiced by him.

Thespian theories

2007-10-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

“Theatre cannot be used as a medium of social change. It may inspire people, but it can never alter the status quo,” said Girish Karnad at an informal press gathering on Thursday evening. In town to present the Punyabhushan Puraskar to Dr Shreeram Lagoo, Karnad held forth on a range of issues, making for an interesting and evocative interaction.
“Ideally, a playwright should be able to break clichés and come up with novel, unexplored ideas. I was lucky to have worked with Mohan Agashe and Vijay Tendulkar. It was an era where we broke the language barrier and got our works published in a number of Indian languages,” said the veteran playwright, who has to his credit such plays as Tughlaq and Yayati.
When asked about his views on cocktail theatre, Karnad asserted, “I believe it is better to have some form of theatre than no theatre at all. I don’t really mind the trend of cocktail theatre, for it is at least keeping the traditions of theatre alive. In fact, the theatre scene abroad, especially in London and New York, owes its current exuberance to tourism. Most of London theatre is alive and kicking because of revenue from tourism. People flock to see Les Miserables and Bombay Dreams even though they are steeply priced.”
Quizzed on the relevance of keeping oral and written traditions of theatre alive, Karnad cited the example of Pakistan, where though plays in Urdu (the official language) are subjected to strict scrutiny and censure, the theatre scene in Punjabi (the language of the masses) is robust and irreverent. “We are in the process of bringing the very popular play Burkhavaganza (banned in Pakistan) to India. It’s a disdainful look at the current socio-political scenario in Pakistan.”
So, which role does he fit into more readily, that of an actor or a playwright? The thespian replied in a fitting coup de grace to a thought-provoking tete-a-tete, “Oh! I’d rather be a playwright than an actor. The latter I did out of necessity, to keep the hearth warm and the bank balance healthy. Given a choice, I’d never have gone into acting.”

On top of the world

2007-10-02T05:29:00.001-07:00

There are bike lovers, and there are adventurers. And then, there is Amit Pawar. Among the few denizens of Pune who figure in the list of those who’ve made it solo to Khardung La and back, Pawar is a business analyst based in Pune. But that is just what he does for a living. His real love is biking and biking to the highest motorable road in the world was Pawar’s long-cherished dream. So, when friends backed out at the last moment (déjà vu?) after a year long planning, Pawar decided to go the whole hog, alone!!
“I had been preparing myself and my bike for this journey for the past one year and there was nothing that could possibly become a hurdle for me, not even the prospect of being out there, on a cold and dry desert, alone. Whomsoever I met, expressed shock at my being alone on such a terrain. But I never felt it was so difficult a ride that it could not be done alone,” asserts Pawar, when we quiz him on the reason behind embarking on such a challenging journey alone.
Pawar started out on his journey on Friday, July 13 (how strange is that!) from Delhi, and made his way across the Grand Trunk Road – crossing Ludhiana, Jammu, Udhampur and reaching Srinagar. From Srinagar, the ride became more difficult and gruelling, as en route lay the rarefied environs of Drass, Kargil and Leh. “The change in scenery from Kashmir valley to Ladakh is drastic. While your eyes feast on the greenery in Kashmir, it takes some time to adjust to and appreciate the barren landscape of Ladakh,” says Pawar. “After crossing the Zoji La pass (11,649 feet), I set out to traverse the highest motorable road in the world -- the Khardung La pass, which lies at an altitude of 18,380 feet. And when I did, it was the most memorable moment of my life and a dream come true as a biker,” he enthuses.
So, what was it that stayed with him after completing his unique bike ride across the length of the country? After much thought and with a tinge of nostalgia, Pawar replies, “All said and done, the ride was worth all the backaches, bad roads, cold, sleet, rain, and the loneliness. Time and resources permitting, I would love to do it again. There is nothing more exciting than riding on an open, inviting stretch of road, feeling the fresh (though rarefied) air on your face, and facing challenges that the land and weather throw at you and your machine, at every turn of the winding road.”

For Ma'm, With Love

2007-10-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

Meena Chandawarkar needs no introduction. Educationist par excellence, the lady has been instrumental in introducing many ‘firsts’ in school education. She was recently awarded the Dada Kondke Samaj Bhushan Award for her outstanding contribution to education over 30 years. Also a recipient of the Acharya Atre Award in the past, Chandawarkar was associated with the Abhinav English School earlier and is now the Principal of New India School.
We catch up with her on a leisurely afternoon, not for Chandawarkar though. For even as we speak, there is a former student who comes in to take her advice on marital problems. Then there is an injured student who parents arrive to take her to the hospital, in an auto-rickshaw, but Meena teacher (as her students call her) offers them her own vehicle. That she loves her job and cherishes every moment of it is evident in the way she is forever on call for her students. As she says, “You should aspire to be a teacher only if you have two essential qualities – you love children and are very kind to them.”
You have introduced many ‘firsts’ in your school, which are now followed by schools all over the city and even outside. Tell us more about the rationale behind these measures.
It was not with the thought of being a pioneer that I introduced these ‘firsts’. They just happened over the years as I thought they would enhance learning or improve the overall atmosphere and make going to school a time that children would start looking forward to. We have something called the Grandparents’ Day in our school, to make them feel special and wanted. Then we were the first to stop the practice of children’s interviews before admission. Instead, we welcome parents to question us before sending their child to our school. In our school, when a maid enters a classroom, the entire class gets up and wishes her, and the maids love this gesture. After all, they have as much of a role in the smooth functioning of the school as the teachers. So, why not acknowledge it?
A lot of stress is placed on ‘rote learning’ in India and there are critics who are hell-bent on stopping it. What do you think of the method?
Frankly, rote learning is not all that bad. It is an excellent exercise for memory and memory is one of the most important facets of education. It is also called the ‘Oral Aural Method’ and the ‘Mother Tongue Method’ and has been proven to be extremely useful. Of course, it’s bad to place complete and undue emphasis on memory. But if used selectively, in memorising poetry, tables, chemical formulae, names of elements etc, it proves helpful.
Schools now offer globally-recognised qualifications to their students. Do you think the present trend is beneficial for students and is going to be the norm in the future?
Learning has to be designed on the basis of a number of factors – culture, language, weather even. In this current trend of globalisation, we should not lose out on our distinctiveness. No single course or curriculum can address the diverse learning needs and requirements of so many different countries. Why go far, take the case of India itself and you’ll find that it’s impossible to get anywhere if you impose one curriculum throughout the country. While in Maharashtra, it may be Sant Dyaneshwar whose poems are taught at the primary level, in Tamil Nadu it’ll be someone else and in Madhya Pradesh some other personality.
You were again the first to introduce the concept of pre-schools/playgroups in the city. There are people who feel it takes away from the natural growth of a child.
But those who critique this move should realise that in today’s fast-paced world, where both the parents are working, it’s very difficult to leave your child with an aayah. We first started playgroups in 1987, primarily as day care centers. Initially, people thought we just wanted to make money. But slowly, there’s been greater acceptance for the concept and now, you see them cropping up everywhere.
So, how does it feel to be the recipient of the Dada Kondke Samaj Bhushan Award?
I’ll say this unashamedly, it feels good. Somewhere down the line, I felt I had been written off by the so-called social ‘elite’. And it was the not-so-well-off section of society who rooted for me and were happiest when I received the Dada Kondke Samaj Bhushan Award and the Acharya Atre Award. I’ve always identified myself with the underdogs and I guess, I’ve emerged as one as well.

God, Lights, Fun and Beyond

2007-10-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

BY Shalini Rai

Pune comes alive every year on the occasion of the annual Ganpati Utsav. Gaily-coloured festoons and banners cover every part of the city -- from roads to sidewalks and temples to homes of the devout.
The Ganesh festival is an occasion when communal and social awareness causes can be effectively brought to light, by the use of tableaux depicting these themes. Though Ganesh Mandals around the city have been making use of the platform available to them for social causes for quite some time now, this year has been a special one for many reasons.
First, one sees a concerted effort on part of the Mandals to cause as little inconvenience to the public as possible. This is evident in some Mandals ensuring that roads are not dug up while putting up elaborate tableaux. The one near Sane Dairy on Bhandarkar Road is one such mandal. Also, there is a growing trend of Mandals setting up idols by the side of the road and not bang in the middle of it. Says Rajesh Pansare, who along with some 20 friends has set up a tableaux on the Bombay-Pune highway in Kharki, “We saw how much people had to suffer last year on this stretch of the road because of both bad roads and heavy rains. We didn’t want to cause further problems by digging up the roads to put up our Ganesh idol.”
Social and cultural causes also find echoes in the mandal decorations this year. While the Akhil Ganesh Bagh Mitra Mandal at Nana Chowdi Chowk has the theme of ‘Juni Sanskruti’ in its decorations, the Bakhri Peer Talim in Nana Peth has put up a scene depicting the martyrs of the Quit India Movement. The recent rave party scandal and its ramifications for the youth is also a surprising choice of the Ganesh Peth Sarvajanik Ganpati Mandal. This Mandal has taken upon itself the task of letting known to Puneites the disastrous social and personal consequences of ‘doing’ drugs in a manner which is easily understood by the local populace. The small pandal Garware Bridge in Deccan draws one’s attention to the recent spate of farmer suicides in the state with a sparse yet chilling reminder of the problem.
The heightened interest in socially-relevant themes and their presentation during Ganpati Utsav manifests itself in increased business opportunities and artistic challenges for the mandal decoration artists as well. Satish Taru has been involved in the decoration business for the past three decades and has adapted to the changing scenario of Ganpati decorations. Moving on from decorations which primarily featured lavish, intricate Ganesh idols, Taru has graduated to scenes depicting current social issues and has about 35 sets of decorations on rent this year. He says, “I prefer to focus on themes like dowry deaths, superstitions atrocities against women, as these are much in demand these days.”

Designs on the future

2007-10-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

That cities and townships of the country today are little better than concrete jungles is an established, though much-rued fact. In the race to construct larger, grander buildings, faster than ever before, architects and engineers put together hastily-built structures of cement, concrete, steel -- materials unsuitable for the Indian tropical climate. They then install air-conditioners to keep these buildings cool, which in turn leads to inordinate power consumption and eventually, to global warming.
That is why, in such a scenario, a voice like B V Doshi’s stands out for being both rational and constructive. In town to inaugurate an exhibition of his works at the Indiaart Gallery, Doshi spoke to architects and students of architecture on the problems confronting the discipline and the way ahead. The exhibition is open till September 14 from 10 am to 9 pm.In an animated discussion, he said, “When planning huge structures, we should think about the impact it would have on the next generation. We don’t do that. We always awaken too late.”
An architect and academician, Doshi is also the recipient of the Padma Shri and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for his ‘Aranya’ community housing project in Indore. Ask him about the ‘Aranya’ project and he replies, “I learned from Le Corbusier to observe and react to climate, to tradition, to function, to structure, to economy, and to the landscape. That’s where the ‘Aranya’ low-cost housing project had its genesis.”
Having worked with Le Corbusier in Paris (1951-1954) as senior designer, and then in India to supervise Corbusier’s projects in Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, Doshi established the Vastu-Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design in 1955, known for its pioneering work in low-cost housing and city planning. As an academician, Doshi has held important chairs in American universities and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, US.
Over the years, Doshi has created architecture that relies on sensitive adoption and refinement of modern architecture within an Indian context. The relevance of his environmental and urban concerns help him stand out amidst contemporary architects. Architectural scale and a clear sense of space and community mark most of his work.
Doshi’s architecture provides one of the most important models for modern Indian architecture. “It’s important that we realise how important it is to build sustainable housing projects and always think of the generation after us when doing so. We are essentially selfish. We just construct structures for the short-term and think in purely self-centred terms. This should be stopped before it’s too late,” he asserts.Underlining the need to be energy-conscious, Doshi also stresses that the right choice of a place goes a long way. “In India, we are concentrating all the malls and multiplexes in the centre of a city. It chokes a city and causes innumerable traffic jams too. Whereas, all around the world, the trend is to construct shopping malls atleast 20-25 kms away from townships. We are ignoring all these norms and just erecting edifices in a hurry,” says Doshi.
On a lighter note, is there someone from his own field that the master architect admires? After considerable thought, Doshi replies in the affirmative. “Yes, I do admire my guru Corbusier for all that he taught me. My work is influenced by his, to a large extent. And then, there’s Louis Kahn, who’s again someone whose works I look up to.”

Paper tales

2007-10-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

It’s tucked away in a nondescript lane, amidst street side food stalls, with a hardly noticeable board announcing its existence. So, it’s easy to miss the Handmade Paper Factory in Shivaji Nagar. Among the oldest government factories in the country, it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1940. Nothing in the factory’s exterior prepares you for what lies within its premises – an enviable, if worn-out unit producing some fine handmade paper products. Finding pride of place here are Indira Gandhi’s letterhead and Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi’s wedding card, among other things.
“Our main customers are universities across the country and abroad, who place orders with us for their special ‘watermarked’ degrees. Herbariums around India are our other clients, as handmade paper makes for the best material to preserve plant specimens,” says Subhash Pawar, senior supervisor at the factory.
As we take a tour of the factory premises, Pawar explains the process of manufacturing chic handmade paper products from cotton waste. “The raw material for the final product (hosiery cloth waste) is sourced mainly from south India. It goes into the rag-chopping machine to be cut into small pieces,” says Pawar.
From the chopping machine, the cotton waste is transferred to the beater machine, where it is literally beaten to a pulp. “It is at this stage itself that chemical treatment is done and colour added to the pulp. Dried leaves and flowers are also added at this stage,” Pawar tells us.
The next step, that of making sheets out of the hosiery pulp, one by one, is a time-consuming process. Watermarking of sheets (for issue of degrees by Universities across India and abroad) is effected soon after and then, the sheets go off to the ‘press’, where as is self-explanatory, they are pressed and flattened. The drying area is where all these handmade paper sheets appear to be suspended in balance, just after they’ve transmogrified from hosiery material to uneven sheets, and before they take final shape as paper. The last step before the paper goes off to the sale counter is that of going through the ‘calendar machine’, where the rough texture of the sheets is smoothened into a slick one. “Once out of the calendar machine, the paper is put on sale at our counter at the factory premises. Or carefully packed and delivered to our clients,” Pawar informs.
On sale in a variety of designs and colours, the handmade paper is available as sheets (100 in all), envelopes, greeting cards, gift boxes, letter pads, sketch books, paper bags, wine bags, diaries, folders, files, visiting cards, photo-frames and lamp shades.
With so many products on sale, it’s surprising how little we hear of the factory and its retail outlet. Pawar offers by way of explanation, “This unit has been suffering losses for the past four-five years. We have not been able to keep up with the latest techniques and trends in the industry, due to a number of reasons. Also, there is no commercial marketing of the products we manufacture and have on sale here. So, there is no way the public gets to know about it.”
That’s hitting the nail on the head. Because it’s really disappointing and a tad surprising that for a place located centrally and within easy reach of the youth, the Handmade Paper Factory is in the dire straits that it is today. Just a little bit of perking up the exteriors and overhauling the interiors will restore this hidden, neglected place to its rightful place under the sun.

BOOK REVIEW

2007-09-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

Title: Indira, The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi
Author: Katherine Frank

Indira Gandhi’s birth was as accidental as her death was meticulously planned and executed, by men duty-bound to protect her. However, it is in the interim that she left her lasting influence on the politics and history of the Indian sub-continent. Katherine Frank’s biography, Indira, The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi, helps provide a fresh perspective on the first woman Prime Minister of India. Though Indira is credited with the liberation of Bangladesh (1971), the first Indian nuclear test (1974), abolition of privy purses for erstwhile princely states, integration of Sikkim into the Indian Union (1975), she is more often than not remembered for imposition of the Emergency in 1975, for excesses committed by Sanjay Gandhi during the period and for the disastrous handling of the Punjab crisis, which eventually led to her assassination. Frank attempts a fair appraisal of Indira Gandhi in her work, taking us through her early childhood, adult life and the years as Prime Minister, in all detail possible in a 500-page book.
Raised amidst the politically-charged environs of Anand Bhawan in Allahabad, Indira’s first memory is of a bonfire of English clothes on the verandah of Anand Bhawan. Her early years were punctuated by frequent journeys to Europe for Kamala Nehru’s tuberculosis treatment. Jawaharlal Nehru was almost perpetually behind bars. Growing up in such an atmosphere, Indira became sensitive, moody and diffident. Frank tells us how Indira hated striking a match, for it reminded her of the bonfire of foreign goods which consumed her favourite doll. Or how she could not bear thunder and lightning and the sound of high winds in the trees, for it transported her to the Black Forest in Germany where Kamala Nehru lay dying in a sanatorium, with Indira alone beside her.
But this was also the time that helped make Indira independent and content in her own company and moulded her as the leader and stateswoman she emerged as decades later. Though Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira had a close relationship, the former was always pedantic with her. Her donning on the mantle of Prime Minster was again a ‘negative decision’ and prompted by her perceived political ‘indistinctness and ambiguity’.
In this comprehensive biography put together over six years by Frank, Indira Gandhi comes across not as hawkish and ruthless but as a woman dominated and dictated first by her father, then husband Feroze Gandhi and finally, by son Sanjay Gandhi. And for a major part of her life, victimised by her own family and by political opponents for being an independent and daring woman, who did not hesitate in speaking her mind and taking bold, unpopular decisions. Not for nothing is she called the ‘Iron Lady of India’.
Indira may have had her ups and downs during the decade-long tenure in office. But what remains unimpeachable is her genuine love and concern for the country, revealed through a valedictory note found among her papers after her death. It says, “If I die a violent death…. the violence will be in the thought and action of the assassin, not in my dying – for no hate is dark enough to overshadow the extent of my love for my people and my country; no force is strong enough to divert me from my purpose and my endeavour to take this country forward…”.
Pick up this biography to get to know a little-known Indira Gandhi – as vulnerable and human as the rest of us.

BOOK REVIEW

2007-08-29T04:33:00.001-07:00

The Last Mughal, The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857
Author: William Dalrymple

Any student of history is saddled with the popular perception that historical studies are didactic, tedious and oh-so-boring. That’s why The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple is such a convincing vindication of how historical accounts should be written – in a scholarly yet engaging narrative style. The story of the tumultuous life and epoch-making times of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last of the great Mughals, Dalrymple’s treatise is not just a biography. It is also a portrait of the Delhi that Zafar personified, a narrative of the last days of the Mughal capital and its final destruction in the catastrophe of 1857.
The Revolt of 1857, the First War of Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny – call it what you may, fact remains that the events of 1857 altered Indian history in a manner that only Independence, Partition and economic liberalisation have since. And though fiction and non-fiction works on the Revolt of 1857 abound, The Last Mughal stands out because it scores definitively on three counts. First, it is meticulously-researched, making use of hitherto unused archival material (over 20,000 Persian and Urdu documents relating to Delhi in 1857, known as the Mutiny Papers) from Indian and British archives. Second, Dalrymple displays consummate fairness and empathy in judging events and people and in selecting historical episodes. And finally, because the writer’s literary style is as engrossing as his empirical research is exhaustive.
What makes this tome a must-have for all students of history is the wealth of new material that has been painstakingly-researched over four years and framed into an engaging narrative by Dalrymple, along with his colleague Mahmoud Farooqui. Farooqui helped the author in translations of the often indecipherable shikastah of the Urdu files in the Mutiny papers, which make it the book’s USP.
Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last famous descendent of the illustrious Mughal dynasty, which ruled the Indian subcontinent and shaped its history from 1526 to 1857. Poet, mystic and calligrapher, Zafar was an Emperor only in name. The Mughal Empire’s influence and grandeur had greatly diminished by the time he ascended the peacock throne. A nominal emperor who presided over a nominal empire, Zafar was nevertheless held in high esteem by his subjects for helping nurture a cultural renaissance and a group of illustrious courtiers. However, when he gave his consent to the Revolt of 1857, he ceased being a figurehead ruler and became a rallying point, and an inspiration for hundreds of thousands of his countrymen.
With the blessings of an old, enfeebled monarch, what was derisively referred to as the Sepoy Mutiny, metamorphosed into the largest uprising ever confronting the British Empire. Though it eventually failed because of a multitude of factors, the Revolt of 1857 decisively changed the course of Indian history and affected a paradigm shift in British policies towards the Indian Empire. As Dalrymple puts it, The Siege of Delhi (the tumultuous events of 1857) was the Raj’s Stalingrad – a fight to the death between two powers, neither of whom could afford to retreat. Though the Raj did, in the end, win back Delhi, it could not suppress the accounts of heroic crusades and sacrifices by martyrs. It manifested itself less than a century later -- in the struggle for and accomplishment of Independence from British rule in 1947.
This was the direct, if distant, consequence of the events of 1857, which were resolutely aided by Bahadur Shah Zafar. Hence the conclusive historical worth of William Dalrymple’s The Last Mughal, which is both, a treat for students of history and a brilliant introduction to those embarking on historical study. As Edmund Burke says, ‘Those whose fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it.’

Chak De...!!!

2007-08-22T03:43:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday afternoon, Pune rocked to Chak De India and how!!! When 11 of the 16 leading ladies of the Chak De team came to town, the euphoria and excitement was unprecedented. Hours before their arrival, there were scores of fans lining the entrance of the city multiplex. And as the time for the stars’ arrival neared, there were loud whoops! of joy and anticipation every time a swanky car pulled up.
What stole the show, however, was the reaction of the star-struck crowd after Preeti Sabharwal, Vidya Sharma, Komal Chautala, Balbir Kaur and Bindiya Naik finally arrived on the scene. The fans went berserk, clamouring for a closer look, for photographs and autographs of these unlikely and oh-so-real stars of a film, which has broken all Bollywood stereotypes and still scored. As the film’s punchline puts it, ‘Sometimes winning is everything’...

** The centre of attraction was without doubt Preeti Sabharwal (Sagarika Ghatge), looking every bit as gorgeous as in the film. We asked her how it feels being the real-life centre-forward? “Oh! It’s feels great and with the kind of response I’ve got ever since the film released, it’s been overwhelming,” says the lovely lass, looking pretty in a pink top and blue denim. And how was it working with Shah Rukh? Overwhelming again or a learning experience? “It was surely a learning experience and a very memorable one too.”

** Tanya Abrol, who plays the quick-tempered left defender Balbir Kaur in Chak De, is a real life state-level judo player from Abohar, Punjab. “I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Chak De. It was an awesome experience,” says Tanya. Has she ever faced the kind of gender discrimination in real life that the Chak De girls face and finally overcome? Replying after much thought, Tanya says, “Yes, that kind of attitude towards women does exist and I too have faced it, especially when I started out as a player. But it hardly matters when you’ve proved yourself.” Tell her she’s one of the stars of the film, and she registers it with well-concealed glee, still coming to terms with the kind of matinee madness the film has generated.

** Chitrashi Rawat (Komal Chautala) won many hearts with her tomboyish antics and a very adorable lisp in the film. Fans hovered near her for autographs and we barely managed to have a few words with her. But when we did, Chitrashi had some great things to say for Pune. “You know, I have played on the same hockey ground in Pune (Khadki) around seven years ago, where Dhanraj Pillay used to play. It was a memorable time of my life,” she says. Ask her how has the response been to her performance in the film and the Haryana Hurricane enthuses, “Everywhere we have gone, the response to Chak De has been amazing. But the kind of excitement we’ve seen in Pune is just unbelievable. Pune really rocks!”

** Enter Shilpa Shukla (Bindiya Naik), the rigid, unrelenting senior defender who makes us all hate her with her histrionics in the film. A theatre actor, Shilpa is as unassuming in person as she is difficult and mean in her portrayal of Bindiya. She has also played badminton at the state-level, evident in her athletic build. So, how was it acting with Shah Rukh and holding her own against King Khan? “I have a background in theatre, and so, when I acted opposite Shah Rukh, the thought that he’s a superstar didn’t really bother me too much. I just played my part with conviction,” she replies. Any plans to continue acting in films? “Oh yes! I’ll be starting shooting early next month for a film opposite Abhay Deol. So, plans for a long innings in filmdom are definitely on.”

RIDING HIGH

2007-08-02T03:12:00.001-07:00

City motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, face numerous daily woes. Commuting long distances, in rain and scorching heat, on bumpy roads, is just one of them. And then there’re those long waits at traffic signals, which seem interminable, especially when you want to reach somewhere real fast. So, what do people do when they are stuck at signals for what seems like forever? Suhas Prabhakar, a Std XI student travels daily from Kharki to Fergusson College. He says, “Most of the time, I check my cell to see if I’ve got any calls or messages. My mom usually calls me five times a day, ha! So, I need to reassure her I’m alive and kicking, every few hours.” Echoing his views, Ravi Thakur, a marketing executive, also doing the Kharki-Deccan daily grind adds, “I check my cell, mostly, to see if there are any important calls and messages. I used to put on the handsfree while driving during the summer but nowadays, the rains have ruled that out.”
But for some Pune denizens, commuting is not just about keeping updated while on the move. For certain happy-go-lucky ones, like IT professional Sanand Mitra, life’s a merry ride and the wait even better. “Checking out PYTs is my favourite pastime while at signals. And there’s no better sight in the world than watching gorgeous girls in gorgeous monsoon weather,” he says. The gals too aren’t far behind. As Sheetal Kodambe, a college-goer, who travels from Bibvewadi to Wadia College puts, “I love listening to the FM while driving. So mostly, I’m either lowering or increasing the volume of my handset, depending on the song that’s playing.” Whoa! This young lady appears to possess more than two hands, considering the balancing act she puts on.
For Samir Kulkarni, an SY BA Student at Fergusson College, who commutes from Pashan to F C Road, the long wait at the traffic signal gives him time enough for some cleaning. “I clean the rearview mirrors and dashboard of my bike every time I stop at a signal. I’m finicky about keeping my bike shining clean at all times,” he informs us.
But Manisha Kadam, a school teacher who travels on the Pimpri-Pune Camp route is one unhappy rider. She says, “I’ve moved to Pune recently and am getting used to moving around with my face covered with a scarf and the stifling helmet. I use the time at the traffic signal to adjust it as I’m still very uncomfortable with all the travel paraphernalia.”
Not so for Harsh Nambisan, an SY BA student. “I have this fetish for checking out number plates and the different styles they’ve been done in. And yes, I also add up numbers of the vehicle in front of me to see what they add up to,” says he.
The icing on the cake though, goes to Varna Honnavar, an HR executive, who commutes from Pune University to Shivaji Nagar. As she puts it, “When there’s a longish wait at the signal and there are cops standing just ahead of it, I ensure my license and other documents are in place. I wouldn’t want to be caught without them, especially towards the end of the month.”

BOOK REVIEW

2007-07-25T02:52:00.001-07:00

In Spite Of The Gods – The Strange Rise of Modern India
by Edward Luce

Writing a book on India’s contemporary socio-economic-political scenario is a tough call. But Edward Luce, author and former South Asia bureau chief of the Financial Times does a commendable job of it. His book is an exhaustive treatise on India’s rise from a Third World country in 1947 to one of the world’s major powers less than six decades later, and the Hows and Whys of this transformation. To an outsider like Luce, India’s rise is puzzling because, as is reflected in his book’s title, India is emerging as one of the foremost economic and political force in the world while remaining an intensely spiritual, religious and even superstitious society.
Adding to the strangeness of the phenomenon are the facts that India embraced democracy before achieving complete literacy or having a sizeable middle-class; because its economy is expanding rapidly without having gone through a broad-based industrial revolution; because of the volatile and often harsh character of its politics (multi-party coalitions, corruption and lack of proper governance); and because its rise is explicitly desired, and to some extent facilitated, by the United States (as a counterbalance to China).
Luce is pretty thorough in his analysis of the merits and the lacunae in the Indian state. The reader is treated to a detailed account of the forces and institutions that have shaped India (the Indian bureaucracy, socialism and a closed economy, caste hierarchy, Partition) and the ones that continue to do so (right-wing Hindu nationalism, economic liberalisation, lower-caste resurgence, changing Indo-US equations).
The author terms Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and B R Ambedkar as the three most important figures of 20th century India, stressing that these leaders’ varied legacies have exerted several defining influences on the nation in the past, and will contribute greatly in fashioning its future. Questioning India’s continuing love affair with its villages, Luce stresses that the way forward for India lies in the manner in which it handles the conundrums of poverty, environmental degradation, an HIV epidemic and a threat to its liberal democracy. India’s strengths, he believes, lie in its formidable technical prowess, intellectual capital, traditions of pluralism and a vibrant democracy.
Although an insightful and objective scrutiny of modern India, In Spite of …. is primarily elitist. For instance, he observes that India’s urban elite has almost totally given up the practice of accepting or offering dowry, whereas the truth is altogether different. Also, since he’s been a business reporter, Luce tends to inadvertently focus on the economic/financial aspects of major issues.
However, barring these minor glitches, Edward Luce comes up with a totally engaging and perceptive study of contemporary Indian polity and socio-economic forces. This one deserves to be right there with the finest non-fiction works on India in recent times.

EXCERPTS
· “To the poor, the state is both an enemy and a friend. It is like an abusive father whom you can never abandon.”
· “Not for the first time, I reflected that for Sonia Gandhi, the political is very personal.”
· “Talk of multipolarity is a polite way of hoping for a world in which there are stronger limits on America’s scope to impose its will on others.”
· “India’s problems with governance have more to do with the state’s priorities than with its capabilities.”

OFFICERS' MESS

2007-07-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

The Indian Army is faced with a conundrum of epic proportions. The issue at hand is not that China and Pakistan are increasing their military and nuclear arsenals. Nor is it the growing incidence of corruption, fake killings and religious discrimination in (probably) India’s last stronghold of merit and secular ethos. It is not even the increasing presence of subversive elements from across the LoC in the 1.1 million strong force.This is a seemingly mundane, innocuous predicament.
Remember Preity Zinta as Romi Dutta, the firebrand war correspondent in Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya? The movie is best remembered for its sensitive and real portrayal of the Kargil War and for making a soldier out of poor little rich kid Karan Shergill (Hrithik Roshan). Taking the narrative forward from where Akhtar left it, let’s suppose Romi gets married to Karan, now a Captain in the Army. Her first few months of marriage are idyllic, but as time wears on, Romi begins feeling stifled. Once a brilliant and ambitious journalist, she is soon relegated to being a homemaker, whose only worthwhile job is cooking and cleaning. The following lines by Nicole Kidman in the 2004 movie Stepford Wives, which showed how super-succesful career women are turned into gnoids by their insecure husbands, are uncannily relevant in the current context, “These women behave like slaves. They are obsessed with cleaning their kitchens and doing their hair.” And their main aim in life is looking after their husbands and children, at the expense of their individuality. In short, Romi Dutta of Lakshya ends up as one of the Stepford Wives.
To further illustrate the severity of the problem and its far-reaching consequences, sample this:

Earlier this year, wives of junior Air Force officers stationed at a strategic fighter base refused to attend the Ladies’ Club. They said it was a waste of time and energy to sit around, gossip, have chai-pakodas and pander to the whims of senior officers’ wives, week after week, month after month. In a rigidly-disciplined force, where the ‘discipline’ extends to wives too, this was nothing short of blasphemous.
That women officers are treated as second-class citizens in the Army and their ‘duties and responsibilities’ are limited to organising Ladies’ Clubs or escorting senior officers’ wives on errands is a well-documented fact. There has been a rise in suicides by Women Officers in the past five years and the most commonly-cited reason for it is step-motherly treatment and gender bias in a chauvinistic force. Capt Bhavna Tripathi (not her real name) married her course mate, a Major, after a four-year-long courtship. Today, Tripathi is the subject of snide remarks by male colleagues on having netted a prize ‘catch’ and the manner in which she got it.
Physical abuse and sexual discrimination too is rampant in the Army. “I had been married for three years and had just given birth to a baby girl in 2005. But my husband (Major M) locked me up in the house and physically-tortured me for delivering a girl child. He was apparently upset at the fact that all his course mates’ children had been boys and because he wanted an heir to his family,” says Rashmi S, Major M’s 27-year-old ex-wife, who divorced him soon after the incident. This is not an isolated incident in the fiercely-patriarchal social milieu of the Army. Many such incidents are regularly reported but are either hushed up or attempts are made at reaching a ‘compromise’ between the concerned parties.
The social and educational profile of officers of the Indian Army is undergoing a metamorphosis. Till the late 1990s, the officer cadre was drawn from second and third generation officers and was mostly elitist. Today however, a majority of them come from provincial towns and villages and have an altogether different social and behavioural orientation. Ergo, their wives find it difficult to come to terms with ‘opening’ and ‘closing’ of plates at elaborate dinner nights spread over an entire evening.

They also question the rationale behind being considered counterparts of their husbands by wives of senior officers. Says Neetu V, a senior executive in an MNC based in the city, “The other day I could not attend the social evening of my husband’s unit as I was out of town on an assignment. My husband’s senior officer’s wife called me up and reprimanded me for not being present at a function where all other senior wives were present. I think it’s unfair to expect a wife to behave like a minion to her husband’s senior’s spouse. Although lip service is paid to the above effect, it’s never applied in principle in the Army. In fact, those who stand up and speak out are ostracised. Sometimes, even your husband’s career may get adversely affected because of such a petty reason.”

The Indian Army is currently bearing the cross of obsolete social mores and military traditions, most of them dating back to the British era. This is especially worrying because there is an acute shortage of officers in the armed forces. For the ‘civilians’, other than a low pay package and tough service conditions, the rigid and snobbish fauji lifestyle (in the garb of sophistication and elitism) acts as a major deterrent in enlisting.Urgent corrective measures need to be initiated ASAP if the disappointing status quo has to change. If not for anything else, then for the fact that one, familial happiness goes a long way in improving work efficiency and two, we cannot afford to be found lacking in numbers compared to our not-so-friendly neighbours, who never let go of an opportunity to undermine our strength and sovereignty.

Ashen Ash

2007-07-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

I love to hate Aishwarya Rai. I detest her fake mannerisms, her atrocious sense of dressing and most of all, the fact that she can’t act to save her (and now, Abhishek’s) life. But it seems whoever ‘up there’ decides what kind of treatment to mete out to us mortals has made a serious blunder while giving final touches to Ashen Ash’s life on earth. Till date, she has had the best of everything in the world.
Crowned Miss World for her glacial good looks, Aishwarya has been directed by Subhash Ghai (Taal), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam), J P Dutta (Umrao Jaan) and now, Ashutosh Gowariker (Jodha-Akbar). With nothing else but her ‘pretty face’ to showcase, I wonder what makes her the ‘star’ she is.
To top that, she has been a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival. A member of the jury!? At Cannes!!?? That’s preposterous even by Bollywood standards (considering the travesty some of the film awards in the industry are)! What claim to the chair did our Ice Maiden have, other than some very clever PR, some saccharine talk about the ‘honour and pleasure’ of being a beauty pageant winner, and some forgettable cinematic ventures? For fear of offending her, most directors in tinsel town have dubbed Aishwarya ‘a director’s actor’. That’s really only a euphemism for a bad performer, but calling a spade a spade is not ‘in’ any longer.
But the icing on the cake that is Ash’s life, has to be her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan. The Bachchan family, with their professional reputation and monetary muscle, was second only to the Chopras in Bollywood. And Abhishek Bachchan could have been pipped to the post only by an Aditya Chopra or a Karan Johar. But what was Abhishek thinking? Did he have to reject Rani Mukherjee, who’s more talented and more ‘real’ than Ash (and was also Mom’s favourite), only to win a trophy wife to boost his flagging self-image? Or should we say that Ash won a trophy husband for herself after being linked and then breaking up with Salman Khan, Viveik Oberoi and more recently, a banyan tree?
But on second thoughts, is Aishwarya Rai really as fortunate and contented as she would have us all believe? I mean, I have serious doubts that all the hoopla surrounding her wedding was anything but that. Did you see her wedding pics, posted on the net and circulated faster than one can say ‘Bachchan parivar ki bahu’? She looked both unhappy and overdressed in a poor imitation of Rekha’s Vasantsena look in Utsav. Now, what kind of a Miss World and one decade-old actress would make such a huge sartorial faux pas on the eve of her wedding?
And talking of her fan following, a majority of women harbour a strong dislike, bordering on aversion for Aishwarya. Some say she is ‘too perfect’, others find her ‘cold and fake’ and still others dub her as ‘lifeless and selfish’. The only ‘fans’ of the Jeans star I have come across are the ‘Barbie-types’ -- young, impressionable girls fed on ersatz ideals of beauty and ‘correct’ demeanour.
Aishwarya Rai is a classic example of ‘imagined stardom’ -- ‘imagined’ because she has no real claim to fame. In an increasingly make-believe world, she’s a make-believe celebrity. No amount of cunning PR can brush over the fact that her days of ‘stardom’ are numbered, if she ever really enjoyed any of it. Sooner, rather than later, we’ll be treated to the spectacle of the beginning of the end of her career. And when that day dawns, I’ll be the happiest. As I said earlier, I love to hate Aishwarya Rai.

Murder She Wrote

2007-06-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

Niagara and Marilyn Monroe – the two most electrifying sights in the world… This was the punchline of Niagara, the 1953 movie starring Marilyn Monroe as Rose, the promiscuous wife of George Loomis (Joseph Cotton), a paranoid war veteran, on a belated honeymoon in a motel at the Niagara Falls. Set against the backdrop of the most recognisable falls in the world, this film noir features Monroe in a role where she comes across as more than just a voluptuous blonde and plots George’s murder with the help of her lover. Her plan backfires, with tragic consequences.
What works for the film is the casting of Monroe as a seemingly-innocuous, emotionally-starved woman out to have her way. Even if that means taking the law into her hands, she’s game. As she meets her nemesis, there’s a sort of poetic justice to the story.
In quite a few scenes of Niagara, director Henry Hathaway deliberately leaves it to viewers to interpret the plot their way. Hathaway brings out but stops just short of explaining the cause of marital tensions between Rose and George, the depth and intensity of Rose’s affections for her lover and Ray and Polly Cutler, the other honeymooning couple’s empathy for George.
The cinematography is a treat, especially in scenes where George plays hide and seek with Polly Cutler, in water-drenched, rickety wooden steps high up in the hills around Niagara Falls. And the scene in which Rose reaches her denouement – restrained and subtle, but chilling to the core – stays on with you.
With Niagara, Monroe made her first real mark as an ‘actress’ and began to be taken seriously in Hollywood. Joseph Cotton as George is very real as the nervous wreck madly in love with his philandering wife. Max Showalter and Jean Peters as Ray and Polly Cutler deliver believable performances and add a much-needed romantic breather to the film noir.
Pick up a DVD of Niagara on a weekend, if you want to see a different facet of the Mallika Sherawat of ‘50s and ‘60s Hollywood. And there’s some great scenery of the Niagara Falls captured on reel before it changed forever into an impersonal tourist hotspot. Just as the movie's punchline promises...

Come, fly with me

2007-05-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

It was four o’clock on a June morning, the first time in four years that I had woken up to see the sun rise. Alas, there was no sign of a lovely dawn, as it was an overcast morning, with clouds on the horizon and a whiff of rain in the air. All inauspicious signs for flying in a microlite aircraft. I had looked forward to the flying experience ever since my friend told me about it and asked me to join her. We were to fly with Wing Commander Thampi, CO of 5 NCC Air Squadron based in Bhopal. When the D-Day finally arrived, however, there was every sign that we may have to cancel flying. But, the weather cooperated with us and held just long enough to help us take to the skies. All strapped-up and with me holding my breath, we finally began to taxi down the runway in the microlite. With the aircraft's speed increasing in consonance with my excitement levels and adrenaline rush, we were finally up in the air. Soaring above the runway, the trees and the fields, the lake and the roads, the tractors and cars, all of which seemed so tiny that they appeared to be mere toys from up there. With Wg Cdr Thampi guiding me about the layout of Bhopal, exhorting me to try my hand at flying and generally buoying me up with his infectious enthusiasm, I experienced the best fifteen minutes of my life hundreds of feet up in the air. I had always wondered, before that day, what is it about flying that people find so exhilarating and compulsive? Why do pilots want to be airborne at the first opportunity and why don’t they ever tire of flying? After that June morning, I know why. It is because, apart from being exhilarating and giving an unmatched adrenaline rush, flying gives you a new perspective on things, on people and eventually, on life itself. When you are up there, flying towards the horizon and taking in all the beauty around, above and beneath you, nothing else seems to matter.

However, practical thoughts and considerations, including the prohibitive cost of fuel, soon took over and we braced ourselves to descend. After a momentary feeling of light-headedness and butterflies in the stomach, the microlite touched down smoothly. And with that, the spell was broken. I was back on earth, the surreal, heady feeling experienced up in the air receded and I began thinking of plans for the Sunday morning. But I knew one thing for sure. That given half-a-chance, I will run at the opportunity of flying. It is unmatched and incomparable. And as rightly put by a veteran aviator, “Flying is addictive”.

Kerala in a Nutshell

2007-05-31T02:15:00.000-07:00

Before being termed ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala was better known as the Indian state with the highest literacy and the hub of Indian immigrants to the Gulf. But it was only after a brilliant mandarin in Kerala Tourism appropriated the above term, originally used by the Kiwis to describe their country and cleverly used it to promote the coastal state, that its verdant greens and tranquil backwaters saw tourist inflow on a scale without parallel in India. On our way to Lakshadweep, we decided to make a two-day stopover in Kochi before leaving on a longer vacation on the sun-kissed islands. Our friends back home had assured us Cochin encompasses all of Kerala’s major cultural and natural attractions in its roughly 100 sq km area. And that a visit to the city would be akin to a fast-track tour of all of Kerala.

China Valai

Also called Gateway to Kerala, Kochi is a place where one can shop for the best Kerala handicrafts, partake of some authentic Kerala cuisine and experience the coastal state’s cultural wealth. The English called it Mini England, for the Dutch it was Homely Holland and the Portuguese named it Little Lisbon -- highlighting Kochi’s prominence over the years to people of various nationalities and cultures. Italian traveller Nicolas Conti wrote in his travelogue: “If China is where you make your money, then Cochin is surely the place to spend it.”As we were staying near Fort Kochi, the nearby beach was where we went first. It had everything tourists look for -- quaint little eating joints, fancy restaurants, shops selling curios and handicrafts, a flea market and China valai (Chinese fishing nets). The Chinese fishing nets in Kochi are unique, as Kochi is the only place outside China where they are still found. Using a unique catapult mechanism, the nets dot the Fort Kochi shore and make for picturesque backdrops. That local fishermen can make them function even after so many years is a pleasant surprise.

Dance, Music, Martial Arts

A Kathakali recital and a Kalaripayattu performance is a must-see while on a Kerala tour. The former was a revelation as we had only ever seen it on TV. So, when the artists came on stage, first to apply make-up and then for the recital, it was like entering a different era, along with the performers, aided by the incense sticks, flowers and beautiful rangoli on the mud floor of the theatre. Kalaripayattu is the traditional martial art form of Kerala, perfected by ancient warriors and diligently practised by kalari trainees. A Kalaripayattu performance (considered the precursor to Kung-fu) is nothing short of both mesmerising and heart-stopping. Swinging urumi (six-foot long flexible swords), clanging shields, whirling spears lit with fire at the tips, cheruvadi (short sticks), ottakkol, (curved sticks), kattaram (daggers) - all these, wielded by flexible, athletic, lightning-quick kalaris, makes for a great spectacle.

Balmy Backwaters

A leisurely boat ride on the backwaters of Kerala is something you won’t forget in a long time. We drove for an hour from Kochi to reach the balmy backwaters and were lucky to have the entire boat to ourselves, as there were just two other passengers, a couple of elderly American women on an ‘Incredible India’ tour, the boatman and our tour guide. As we pulled out of the embarking point and into the Periyar river, the slow, rocking movement of the boat helped settle us for a quiet, relaxed ride. The lush greenery, the birds on overhanging branches, ducks and geese paddling about in the Periyar, occasional hellos shouted out by excited, cherubic girls waving from the shores, nothing to think about other than the course the boat will take (through that little canal lined by coconut trees or straight into the main current, where the river opens out and offers a pretty view of the surroundings?) - it was the best four hours we ever spent doing nothing. Well, not really, but you get the picture…

And at the end of it all, we did acquiesce and consented with Kerala Tourism's promise that this thin strip of land on the Malabar coast, flanked by silver beaches and emerald greens, of Kathakali and Kalaripayattu is indeed God’s Own Country.

Movie Review: THE LEGENDS OF THE FALL

2007-05-31T00:52:00.000-07:00

When it released in 1994, The Legends of the Fall, based on the epic eponymous novella by Jim Harrison, was a box-office success but given short shrift by critics. Though nominated in eight categories for the Oscars, it could win only for Best Cinematography.
The story of Colonel Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) and his three sons, leading a blissful but segregated life at a remote ranch in the wild, windswept Montana countryside in early 1900s, The Legends of the Fall is a movie epic in its scale and characterisations. It scores on all major counts – story, performances, direction (Edward Zwick), music (James Horner) and art direction (Lilly Kilvert). But falls short in editing and stretches to a tiring 133 min. Narrated by One Stab – a trusted Man Friday of Col Ludlow and a native American, the story describes the Ludlow brothers’ journey through love, war and tragedy. The movie has a hard-to-miss undercurrent of tragedy and pathos to it.
Alfred (Aidan Quinn) is the brooding, sensible eldest Ludlow brother; Tristan (Brad Pitt) is a wild spirit, difficult to rein in, but still his father’s favourite; Samuel (Henry Thomas), the youngest, is a naïve, romantic soul, constantly watched over by his brothers, who refuse to let him grow up. Their lives change forever with the arrival of Susannah (Julia Ormond), Samuel’s fiancé. After a few carefree days together, the outbreak of World War I takes the Ludlows away from Montana and from each other.
Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt and Aidan Quinn are utterly natural and believable in their respective roles and the characters essayed by them stay on with you. Julia Ormond’s portrayal of a beautiful, frail society lady, madly-in-love with Tristan, is another highlight of the movie. She makes it appear hardly surprising that three brothers, brought up away from civilisation and the finer things in life, fall for the “intoxicating presence” of the pretty, cultured, free-willed Susannah, one after the other. Arriving at the Ludlow ranch as Samuel’s fiancé, Susannah stays on after the brothers leave to fight for England; she falls in love with Tristan after Samuel’s death, but eventually marries Alfred when Tristan deserts her to wander the world as pirate and explorer.
One Stab’s narration spans decades of highs and lows in the Ludlow family. The only constant in this tumultuous epic story is the once-impressive but increasingly-dilapidated ranch in the backdrop of the momentous Rocky Mountains, which weathers the elements and the upheavals in the lives of its residents and acquires a life and character of its own.
Not a movie you can watch in a hurry, The Legends of the Fall needs to be seen with a lot of time at hand, to fully appreciate and enjoy it. If only Zwick had a better editing team to work on the movie’s length, critics would have had a tough time finding fault with it. Mostly, however, watching the movie is a treat as it makes Harrison’s brilliant, evocative characters come alive on celluloid and burnish themselves in your memory…