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The Hindu :

Take a peek into the Malnad of yore at the wonderfully-preserved home of Kannada poet Kuvempu

Photos: By AuthorWHERE TIME STANDS STILL (Clockwise from left) Kavimane, Kavishaila and one of the displays at Kavimane

Some years ago, while watching the award-winning “Kanooru Heggadathi”, two things lingered — the lush greenery that painted the screen, and the Kannada poet Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa (Kuvempu) on whose novel it was based. And, I made a mental note to visit the poet’s rain-drenched hometown some day, and see the places that inspired him to break into such evocative prose and poetry.

I finally get a chance to make it to Kuppalli in Karnataka years later on a typically rainy day. And, fall in love with the place, awash in myriad hues of green.

Our first stop is the house of the poet, which has stood tall for two centuries and a half. Kuvempu Prathisthana, a Trust founded to keep the Kannada poet-laureate’s memory alive, has painstakingly renovated it to ensure visitors take back a slice of Malnad, and christened it Kavimane (poet’s home). It was opened to the public in 2001.

And, how you do! The home lovingly recreates a typical Malnad home, complete with furniture, kitchen utensils, and the things used by the poet and his family. Some of the displays bring a smile on your face — the wedding invitation of Kuvempu, the ‘mantapa’ in which Kuvempu’s wedding was performed — and others, a tinge of sadness — a wall clock behind the bust of Kuvempu stands still, showing the time of his death at the age of 90. The Trust went through a lot to collect old vessels, things used for the puja, playthings such a chennemane , lovely areca nut sheath caps and kadani (an iron cylinder from which gunpowder used to be burst to alert people in case of death, etc.).The kitchen is a…More

The Hindu :

Jail

T-Series, CD

You certainly don’t expect soft rock when you think of something cold, real and mean as “Jail”. And considering film director Madhur Bhandarkar’s reputation for keeping it as authentic as it gets, I would expect some dark metallic stuff, with a good dose of edginess and angst in it. You’ll find none of that coming from music directors Shamir Tandon and Sharib-Toshi. (Sharib-Toshi are the Sabri brothers who made it big on TV talent hunts and debuted in Bollywood composing and singing in “Raaz…The Mystery Continues”).

The line up of the entire album is simply too wimpy. It has two male crooning numbers and an item number, and a slow bhajan possibly thrown in for the redemption of the hero (and music makers).

Most of the tracks sound like a college rock scene. And that too so carbon-copied. Anyone who listened to Pritam’s path breaking music for “Life In a Metro…” with stars in their ears, will instantly see where the guitar work comes from, for the opening track “Sainya Ve”. One cannot also miss Himesh Reshammia’s nasal twang coming out from singer Toshi; perhaps a hangover of “Raaz…”

Sure, it’s a kind of catchy tune when it opens up. But the effect doesn’t last beyond a few seconds. The lyrics, by Sharib-Toshi are quite hackneyed — of the “meri dil chura le, meri jaan lele” variety. You’ll have to bear with it over and over again because there are three versions of the track, including a rock and remix do.

“Milke yun lagaa” does wonders in carrying singer Sharib’s voice to great heights and expanses. But it’s disturbingly familiar music. The nautanki-style “Bareily ke bazaar mein” — a predictably loud raunchy double entendre track is sung by Sonu Kakkar. Such a far cry from the teasing and naughty “Jhumka gira re, Bareily ke bazaar mein…” from the 1966 “Mera Saya” sung by Asha…More

The Hindu :

Monuments revive the memory of the dead. In France, they also sustain Asian immigrants who earn a tidy income by selling knick-knacks to tourists

Photo: AFPWhere opportunity beckons A souvenir salesman in front of Eiffel tower

He could have been selling bhuttas, the roadside joy so common in the Indian sub-continent. But in Paris, on a dark, misty evening, he only sells miniature replicas of the Eiffel Tower and colourful umbrellas to visitors at the most-visited monument in the world. Only a few give him a second look. Undeterred, 25-year-old Baljit Singh continues, calling out to tourists in a curious mix of French and English with a heavy Punjabi accent.

The 324-metre tall tower, looking monstrous in the fading light, is the source of income for this Punjab man, who came to France with the idea of visiting friends said to be doing well earning Euros.The French connection

So impressed was young Baljit that he too decided to stay on. Today, standing in front of the 120-year-old creation of Gustave Eiffel that celebrates the French Revolution, he says he earns about a thousand Euros a month, but refuses to pose for the picture. “One guy’s picture appeared in a newspaper. The authorities deported him to India. Now, he must be struggling.”

A few kilometres away from the iron lattice tower, one comes across another immigrant from the sub-continent. Again a man whose life is inextricably linked with a French monument, this time, the famous Louvre. Inside sits the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous 16th Century woman. Just outside, Mohammed Asim, an LLB from Lahore in Pakistan, sells Spider-Man. “He climbs up, he sticks, he slides,” the 20-something man offers tourists in English.

A qualified lawyer, what is he doing selling plastic Spider-Man toys, in an alien land, and near the entrance to a monument that he uses only for its food court? Asim…More

The Hindu : y>Rajat Kapoor,Shilpa Nair Anand discovers, does not stick to formulaic commercial films with an eyeon money

Photo: R.V. MoorthyCONVICTION Rajat Kapoor: ‘I have lost money on Raghu Romeo which didn’t do well commercially, but I stand by the film’

Actor, director, script writer, producer… these are the many faces of Rajat Kapoor. As actor – the elderly uncle in Mira Nair’s “Monsoon Wedding”, or Preity Zinta’s uncle in “Dil Chahta Hai”; as scriptwriter-director in films like “Raghu Romeo”, “Bheja Fry”, “Mixed Doubles” or “Mithya” and now “Fatso” (these are just some of his films by the way).

His latest offering “Fatso”, produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, was screened at the South Asian Film Festival in New York as the centrepiece premiere.

Kapoor is known as a director or producer who refuses to stick to formulaic commercial films with an eye on money.

“I have lost money on ‘Raghu Romeo’ which didn’t do well commercially, but I stand by the film. I will not do it any other way. I have no regrets about it. I joined Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, with a very clear idea of what I wanted to do. When I came in I knew exactly what I wanted to make and that is what I am doing,” he says in a telephonic chat.

He started out as assistant to Mani Kaul and Kumar Shahani, which is probably another of the reasons why his sensibility shaped up thus. This is probably why there are films such as “Bheja Fry” or “Mixed Doubles” or “Fatso”, all of which he has scripted, very offbeat but a fresh lease of common sense.

There are no superheroes, just your average next door person (man, woman…irrespective), in very identifiable situations. Even if it meant making a film that he believed in but never got released. “I made ‘Private Detective’ in ’95, it wasn’t released. I may have had…More

The Hindu :

Designer Sanjana Jon clears the air about her collection

Photo: Mahesh HarilalDIVERSE OPTIONSDesigner Sanjana Jon is targeting the middle class

“I do not want only peoplewith money to wear my clothes. The clothes that fashion designers come up with have to be wearable and affordable. We have to be careful while dressing. Our dress should be conservative and acceptable to the elders of the family.”

These are the words of fashion designer Sanjana Jon, who was in the eye of a storm following her show at the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week recently. She came in for a lot of criticism from fellow designers but Sanjana maintains her calm stating, “One should not play dirty, I have never made negative comments.” Sanjana Jon ismaking news for her conservative approach to fashion. She has worked with six Miss Universe title holders like Natalie Glebova, Jennifer Hawkins, Zuleyka Rivera and has also designed the bridal wear for Saudi and Spanish princesses.

She says: “Fashion has to be wearable and culture specific. It baffles me whether the designs here are for India or for the western world. What I am trying to do is to adapt western clothes to Indian sensibility. We Indians preserve our cultureand our dresses are more traditional and elegant.”For the real

Sanjana’s spring-summer collection is for the lifestyle-conscious, offering diverse options to women. Her pret line consists of daily wear for the teenaged girls to the 30-plus women, the diffusion line includes office wear for women and her platinum line introduces custom-made high-end bridal wear. She has used the Italian silk and French lace extensively in her collection. Sanjana is targeting the middle class now with dresses starting from Rs.10,000.

“My dresses are for thereal women showing the colours of India. Next year, I am also planning to launch lingerie collection in different categories to complement the dresses, specially the bridal ones.” Sanjana wants…More

The Hindu : y>

Bangalore is one of the fastest growing cities of the world today. Which has also meant that charming bungalows are making way for high rises. Tree-lined roads are being widened ensuring that most of the city’s green canopy gives way to smoky vehicles. The tiny parks in the neighbourhood are vanishing to give space for parking.

If the ever-increasing number of vehicles bursting at the seams of the city weren’t enough to choke it, now there’s Namma Metro on in full swing, changing the very character and face of the city. To accommodate this huge and ambitious project, many trees have been felled. Recent reports confirm that more than 110 trees will be cut down in one of the city’s largest lung spaces — Cubbon Park. (And this, after re-alignment of a stretch of Metro to actually save some trees!)

Is it really necessary? What is the price Bangalore will pay to make way for such developmental projects? And here we are talking of global warming, complaining about untimely rains, and unheard of changes in Bangalore’s climate.What is the Metro really going to cost us? Is anyone stopping to think of long-term implications? Read on to see what some Bangaloreans feel.

I am happy about the progress the city is making. But, I don’t agree that trees have to be felled in the name of progress. We need to plant more trees to replace those that have been cut. May be not on the Metro route, but we definitely need to have trees.

Praveen Raj,

Consultant

It’s disheartening that trees are felled in the name of development. We don’t need to cut trees to build flyovers. We should replace the trees that have been cut down. We should encourage development and at the same time respect nature too.

Vivek,

Software engineer

It’s unfair the way trees are cut. The question that comes to mind is ‘What can I…More

The Hindu :

From delicious steaming hot momos to picture-perfect landscapes, Sikkim is a great place to unwind at

Photos: By AuthorA trip to remember Changu Lake and Yemcheng Monastery

Aflight to Kolkata, then by rail to New Jalpaiguri,and from there by ‘share taxi’ to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim — that’s where we met our first Sikkimese friend Priya, who treated us to momos steamed with a stuffing of chicken, fish or vegetable and served with spicy red chilly chutney.

Little did we realise then, that the rest of our eight-day stay in Sikkim would be stuffed with momos!

The journey to Gangtok was a long, but fascinating one as the landscape gradually transformed as we moved uphill. The hairpin road took us along a silent river — the Teesta — and around mountain peaks and thick forests. We later realised that we had followed the Teesta all through Sikkim — right up to its source in North Sikkim.

Buzzing with activity

Gangtok is the archetypical Indian hill station, a buzzing town with rows of tightly-packed shops, chaotic traffic and crowds. Like in most other Indian cities, Gangtok’s M.G. Road is where it’s all happening — antique shops, sweetmeat shops, pubs, ATMs, restaurants… Vehicular traffic is barred on this three-km stretch, which means a leisurely stroll interrupted only by window shopping and stops at various shops mostly selling not-so-cheap Chinese goods.

Rajan our taxi driver, originally from Parali in Palakkad who had settled in Gangtok with his Buddhist wife, took us to the biggest monastery in Gangtok — Yemcheng Monastery.The awe-inspiring architecture was embellished with intricately-carved structures and the walls were painted in colourful patterns. I was mesmerised by the sight of hundreds of slightly-built monks sitting in a large hall and chanting.

Our next trip was to the famous Nathu La Pass on the Indo-China border. The rough terrain and the pot-holed muddy roads did not…More

The Hindu : y>

Different perspective Looking at the universe through new eyes

Discovery Channel will now telecast “Discover More” at 8 p.m. every night. This series will showcase breathtaking natural events, pioneering medical science, innovative future technologies, remote geographies, engineering marvels, mega constructions and so on.

From exploring the rainforests of Borneo, home to over a million species of plants, insects and animals, to the remote New Guinea inhabited by the largest Queen Alexandra birdwing butterflies, the programmes will reveal the splendour and majesty of the universe as never seen before, say the makers.

“Extreme Human Bodies” is a part of this series, which looks deep into the structures of the most amazing human bodies nature has ever created.

“Discover More” will offer narratives, prospects and possibilities beyond the usual, claim the makers.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

Exercise is crucial for the body to maintain good health, but so is rest. Too much exercise produces negative results is the warning going out to those for whom workouts have become an obsession

Photo: S.R. RaghunathanWithin limits Exercise is good. But like everything else in life, it’s good in moderation. You need not kill yourself to be fit

A perfect body not just makes heads turn but can make you go places too, it is believed. Slim ’n trim is the mantra today not just for good health but for success in all walks of life.Don’t push it

The drive to be in good physical shape thus has led many fitness freaks to relentlessly follow their fitness regime or workout at the gym doggedly seven days a week without a break. With single minded focus, bodies are driven and pushed to the limit. Muscles are untiringly pumped and stretched to the utmost to achieve the goals or the dream body one yearns for.

Size zero has lost a wee bit of the sheen, yet many girls cannot enjoy an ice cream as girls did a couple of years ago. They look longingly at sweets, but will not have a bite, punishing themselves for that figure to flaunt. And then they march to the gym, the only picture in their minds, being that hour glass body. However, en route this muscle-hustle to attain a sculpted body one aspect of fitness is overlooked. Rest, like exercise, is vital not just for health but building muscle in our exercise regimen. Dr. Revathy Vikram says, “Muscles have their limit and should not be overtaxed. Working out or training with overworked, tired muscles does more harm than good. For muscles have to recover fully before additional stress is pumped. When too much strain is inflicted on the body, the muscle fibres may get damaged, wasting all the…More

The Hindu :

Puppeteer Dadi Pudumjee recounts his journey with stringed beings

Photo: V. SudershanDOLLED UP Dadi Pudumjee strings his puppeteering to a cause

The president of Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA), the worldwide puppetry organisation, Dadi Pudumjee is a man on the move. A pioneer of modern puppetry in India, Pudumjee founded The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust in 1986 gathering loyalists for the art form. Being the first non-European president of UNIMA, he takes Indian puppetry to a world forum. Puppetry began as a hobby, says Pudumjee. “I was given a present of two stringed toy puppets made by Pelham, the U.K.-based company,” he recalls his childhood.

Puppets kept him company in his growing up years in Pune. He left for the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad in 1971 only to leave it in 1976 after taking up the project ‘Hun-Han’ for the Indian Space Research Organisation. Puppets then led him to the Marionette Theatre Institute, Stockholm, to study the art under Michael Meschke.

On coming back, he joined Shri Ram Centre’s Sutradhar Puppet Theatre in New Delhi. “We used to have a performance every weekend which had an audience ranging from 10 to 150,” recollects Pudumjee. It was the puppeteer’s time to experiment. He brought actors, masks, mixed media and larger-than-life figures into his puppetry. “That phase of experimentation has changed,” he says, hinting at the new-age spectators who are at ease with the tools of modern puppetry.

Once a stronghold of traditional puppetry where all the four forms — shadow, rod, string and glove puppetry — were popular, India is yet to grow as a committed connoisseur of modern puppet art. “There are a few places like Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad which have contemporary puppet theatre. Still, some of our work is dated.” “We have very good techniques in traditional performances. But their repertoire is generally stratified to religious epics and…More