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The Hindu :

What inspired Canada-based Bharatanatya dancer Gitanjali Kolanad to become a writer?

PENNING HER EXPERIENCES Gitanjali Kolanad

Canada-based Bharatanatya dancer Gitanjali Kolanad isn’t reticent about speaking her mind, even if it means saying things that aren’t particularly popular. That’s why she has increasingly turned towards writing about Chennai’sfascinating world of classical dance and music in recent years, a world she has been immersed in since she was sent there as a teenager in the 1970s, her parents afraid she was being “corrupted by the West”.

“Very few people are actually honest about what goes on behind the scenes — there’s so much hypocrisy surrounding the practice of classical arts, and people just keep perpetuating the same myths,” says the Kalakshetra-trained dancer candidly during a phone interview from Toronto. “Lots of people say things in private, but never in public. I’ve just gotten to an age when I have nothing to lose anymore — no performance I want, no review I need written.”

The result is a series of brutally honest, sharply insightful short stories set in the Madras and Tanjore of the 1970s.

According to Gitanjali, they’re fictionalised accounts of her experiences upon arriving on Indian soil as a 16-year-old from Canada, seeing the city and its culture through unadulterated eyes, and unexpectedly falling in love with it all.Award-winning story

Recently, one of these stories, “The American Girl”, won the writer the second prize in the short story category at the prestigious CBC Literary Awards, the highest honour for unpublished works in Canada. Unlike most of her stories, which are set around Bharatanatya, this one peeks into the world of Carnatic music. But like her other stories, this one too is seen through the eyes of a young Indian girl from Canada, and explores taboo themes of sexual discovery and amorous intrigues, classicism and sexism in the world of the Indian classical arts, even as it…More

The Hindu : y>Model, actor, celebrated TV host and award winning author Padma Lakshmi tells MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER her new book Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet is a culinary scrapbook of her life

Green queen Padma Lakshmi: ‘I think being aware of how living your own life affects the planet is very important’

Even if you are not much of cooking-type person and use your fridge to store shoes, there is a special joy in leafing through cookbooks. Just looking at all that gorgeously photographed food makes gourmets of us all.

And so it is with Padma Lakshmi’s new book, “Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every day” (Harper Collins, Rs. 1,495). As you open the handsomely-produced book, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Between the recipes for Keralan (hmmm) crab cakes, Mexican mac and cheese and how to correctly peel a pomegranate, are family photos, letters, passport and fascinating stories of growing up in New York, living in Paris and Jyoti the peanut man on Elliott’s Beach in Chennai.

Explaining the format of the book, Padma says on email: “I needed something to anchor all of the flavours and influences in the book. This is really a culinary scrapbook of my life.”

She goes to talk about the genesis of the book saying: “I wanted to do a book that reflected the way my generation eats. I was interested in just creating the most beautiful recipes from various corners of the world and my life that seemed delicious and inviting.” And they are beautiful! Never have the pomegranates looked so luscious or the peppers so succulent! Talking about the importance of presentation, the host of the smash hit television show, “Top Chef” says: “I think presentation is always an important part even if you are making a simple home meal. It can be as easy as something like chopping fresh herbs like coriander and…More

The Hindu :

Over a 100 designers will make their presence feltat the WIFW

Photo: Sandeep SaxenaIn good cheer Fashion designers at the press conference

With the fashion festivities set to take off next week, the run-up to the main events is on in full swing. If the Fashion Foundation of India gave out the list of participating designers at the Delhi Fashion Week last week, it was the turn of the Fashion Design Council of India to announce its participants now.

The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week boasts a power list. The list is packed with a whopping 103 participants out of which, 23 are debutants. The WIFW Autumn/Winter 09 will unveil 34 shows in all.

The WIFW this season will also mark the return of names like Anamika Khanna, Raghavendra Rathore, Varun Sardana and Rajvi Mohan who showcased at the DFW last season.

“I just wanted to know which is a more relevant event for me since I showcase an all men’s wear,” says Rajvi about her decision to showcase at the WFIW this time. But she is quick to add, “I debuted at the FFI event and it was wonderful for me.”

Manish Malhotra, known for his flamboyant designs in Bollywood, will make a rare appearance at the Delhi fashion week circuit. Except for Suneet Varma, most big names including Manish Arora, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Ashish Soni and Ritu Kumar are part of the event, while J J Valaya will be the architect of the grand finale.

“At a time when everyone says there is no money, we have 13 sponsors,” said FDCI President Sunil Sethi at the press conference at InterContinental Eros. “There is a punch line, ‘You have come a long way baby.’ So has the FDCI, which reached its 10th year,” added Sethi.

However, if there is one arena that is not exactly brimming with numbers, it is that of the buyers. “In terms of…More

The Hindu :

It is the only way to have an empowered society

catalyst Education spurs imagination

My great grandmother was probably uneducated. She had four daughters, no surviving son, no landed property. In the then prevailing societal bias towards landed property and sons being viewed as ‘social security’, she and her husband musthave surely felt uneasy. I do not know for sure whether she was a visionary laying foundations for the future, or whether it was out of sheer despair that she decided to do what she did.

She educated her daughters and let them seek employment. These seem very simple steps today but in her day and age she was a revolutionary, and attracted taunting neighbours.

This power of her convictions led to not just her empowerment, but instilled in my grandmother a need to educate all her nine children of which three are daughters.

My grandmother herself had studied up to the eighth standard, the highest class in Amroha for girls then. But that was enough to develop in her a passion for learning, for being truly educated. She read books, listened to the radio, watched TV. Probably, what she did was to cement the seed of true empowerment sown by her mother.

Subsequently, it was relatively easier for her daughter – my mother – to educate me, and also for me to be what I am today.

Once, I was asked by someone how my family had reacted to my joining the Indian Police Service. The question certainly smacked of stereotypical notions. My answer was: “My family had educated me, supported me and enabled me to clear the UPSC exam. In fact, it was my grandmother, who upon hearing that I had made it to IPS, told me to go ahead and join work.”

But having said this, I do consider myself extremely lucky to have been born into afamily which did stress on education….More

The Hindu :

Dos and don’ts for women who have had a caesarean section

Sambhavi has had a caesarean section. She is feeding the baby comfortably but still feels some pain over the incision.

She has always been an active person and wants to return to her routine as soon as possible. What is the special care she should take?

Activity after a caesarean section

While you are in the hospital

You will be encouraged to get up and go to the bathroom within the first 24 hours after surgery.

When you get up for the first time, you may feel a little dizzy.

Sit up for a few minutes and then get up from bed only after the dizziness has passed.

Urinating after the catheter is removed can sometimes be uncomfortable. The nurse attending on you will help you. You may need help in changing your sanitary pads soon after the surgery because of the incision pain.

After one or two days, you will be able to manage by yourself.

Soon you will be able to stroll in your room and in the hospital corridor.

Walking helps in relieving the gas pain that you may experience.

After you get home

Your activity level should be gradually increased. In the first week after you get home, you can walk around the room and take care of your baby.

Over the next week you can start walking around the house.

In the third week, you can start resuming small domestic chores, like cutting vegetables and making coffee or tea.

A month after you get home, you can resume your normal work, including cooking and washing.

You can start climbing up and down stairs two weeks after your surgery.

It is important not to lift very heavy objects till six weeks after the surgery.

Care of the incision

The incision should be kept clean and dry. You may wash the incision with soap and water after the dressing is removed.

It is recommended that you wear cotton…More

The Hindu :

Three creative writers discuss poetry and detective fiction

Panel with punch Jaithirth Rao, Aditya Sudarshan and C.K. Meena

Three creative writers, poet Jaithirth Rao, short story writer and novelist Aditya Sudarshan and city-based columnist C.K. Meena shared poetry, the art of detective fiction and musings at Crossword Bookstore, organised by Toto Funds the Arts.

While the MBA graduate Jaithirth read from his published and un-published poetry, lawyer-turned-writer Aditya Sudarshan launched his novel “A Nice Quiet Holiday” published by Westland Books, with C.K. Meena in conversation.Of exile and alienation

The man of many parts and guises Jaithirth Rao read from the two poet anthology “Gemini-II”, published by Penguin India and his recent poetry. He read from “Exile”, “A Hindoo contemplates death in a foreign land”, “Winter of Discontent”, “Chief Seattle’s God”, “In Praise of Brick” and “First Country”, and from his recent, unpublished “My Lord of Many Colours”, “Lord of the Seven Hills” about exile, alienation, religion.

Aditya Sudarshan and C.K. Meena discussed the art of writing crime novels, beginning with early detective fiction writers. Aditya, who admires G.K. Chesterton, says that as a former criminal lawyer, his profession required that he look at both sides. There is a clash of sensibilities in the novel which is set in a hill station in Uttaranchal — between the liberal and the conservative, metropolitan and small-town attitudes. “As a lawyer, one could not be prejudiced, but looked at the prejudices.”

C.K. Meena pointed out there were obvious influences of the writer’s legal training that have seeped into the novel. “I would say that Aditya’s style fits into the classical mould of detective writing.”

Aditya, who has also penned short stories and another unpublished novel, felt that he did not deliberate on any style before he set out to write “A Nice Quiet Holiday”. But he was careful about the structure, suspense and surprises. “Detective fiction allows…More

The Hindu : y>Avni Mathur mourns the forced growing up of today’s children

Recently, I saw a movie, featuring a beautiful girl who looked very familiar. On close scrutiny I realised she was the same toddler I had seen on the big screen many years ago.

I thought of how over the years while my appearance did not undergo any radical change, I grew at a systematic rate abiding by the laws of nature. On the other hand, this little girl had turned into a lady overnight.

Suddenly, my admiration for her looks changed into pity. Had she lost the most glorious period of life called childhood? Did she get to enjoy reading Enid Blyton? Did she have secret crushes when she was a teenager? And that prompted me to wonder if we for the sake of quick money and fame were killing a beautiful trait called innocence?

Why do we enjoy watching shows where children are eliminated every week? Why is their talent judged by the number of votes available to them? Why do we make them enter an extremely competitive world, when it is imperative to develop traits of harmony and collective living?

While it is alright to a certain extent to have babies in advertisement for baby products, I fail to understand the logic of using children for advertising products not even pertaining to their age.

Could this induced competitive streak result in high rates of adolescent crimes? Children are one third of our population. They are the future of this country. It is our moral responsibility to nurture them, love, teach and make them good citizens. It will be extremely wrong on our part to expect a sapling give us fruits when it itself requires the love and care to grow into a tree. Fame and fortune has definitely helped in improving the lives of many youngsters, like the children from “Slumdog Millionaire”, who bagged scholarships,…More

The Hindu :

Vinay Pathak is addicted to food and films

Photo: Sandeep SaxenaGrab a bite Vinay Pathak ensures that every meal is a memorable experience

Vegetarians are often reminded that they can’t afford to experiment, but Vinay Pathak dares to be different, very much like he does with the characters he plays. He orders a vegetarian sushi. “I discovered it in Singapore.”

Talking about his his forthcoming film, “Straight”, Vinay says it is the story of a person who questions his sexuality. He refuses to confirm whether he is playing a gay character. “That’s the crux! Director Parvati Balgopalan made it clear that I don’t want people to believe that since you look roly-poly, you have been chosen for this character. I was asked to lose 10 kgs to play Pinu Patel.”

The sushi platter is here and Vinay rewinds to his college days in Allahabad where he used to indulge in food and films. “I am originally from Bhojpur in Bihar. Since my parents transferred their problem to the world by sending me to hostel, I had to learn to cook. I have got variety. I can make delicious sattu ka parantha as well as amazing pasta. Almost all the pocket money I used to get was spent on films. My roommate and I would watch up to 22 films a week. Here again our choice was varied. We used to enjoy Night Eyes as well as Shyam babu’s classics.” Love for films notwithstanding, for Vinay having food is like a celebration. “Even when I am alone, I make sure it is an experience. I will switch on music, light candles…It feels nice.” He loves converting people as well. “When Ranveer (Shorey) and I are shooting together, we insist the other crew members to bring home-cooked food. Everyone brings his or her speciality and then we eat together. The fun we have reflects in the…More