Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Quiet flows the romance

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , ,
Nawazuddin Siddiqui speaks a subtler language of love than Bollywood is accustomed to, and is all the more effective for it.
Siddiqui’s on-screen romance is definitely of a different brand, but one that many of us can relate to
Siddiqui’s on-screen romance is definitely of a different brand, but one that many of us can relate to

In the 2011 film Dekh Indian Circus, Nawazuddin Siddiqui played the role of a poor, deaf villager who is exploited by his employers. His kids are unhappy because he cannot afford to give them enough money to watch acircus show.

Then in one the most underplayed scenes, Siddiqui quietly seduces his wife played by Tannishtha Chatterjee. No words are spoken, no songs play and there certainly is no loud orchestral score that pushes the audience to sense the emotions being expressed on the scene.

It is unfortunate the Busan Festival Audience Award-winning film was not released in India. Or else no would have a doubt that Siddiqui (recently referred to as an ‘average’ actor) is one of the most romantic and seductive actors of our times.

In India’s new indie cinema, Siddiqui represents a different language of romance that is quietly spoken all the time, but rarely expressed in Bollywood films that continue to insist on loud proclamation of love through musical numbers (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Siddiqui is a rare actor who has appeared in so many indie films that festivals abroad seem flooded with his work. He had two films at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 (Monsoon Shootout and The Lunchbox) and three in 2012 (Miss Lovely and Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1 and 2). I am certain no other Indian actor has had that kind of success at just one film festival.

Earlier this year in January, the Sundance and the Rotterdam Film Festivals played Liar’s Dicein the competition sections, where Siddiqui plays a drifter who goes on a road trip with a woman, her child and their goat.

Hardly any conversation takes place between Siddiqui and his co-star, Geetanjali Thapa. And there is never any romance expressed in the traditional sense. But as Siddiqui starts to care for Thapa’s Kamla and her daughter, an unspoken love starts to develop, something rarely shown in Indian cinema.

In moments like this I find Siddiqui to be a deeply romantic actor. There are similar touches in Siddiqui’s subplot in The Lunchbox. Everyone seems to remember the film for its heartbreaking romance between its lead actors – Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur. But Siddiqui’s Shaikh – an orphan had eloped with the girl he is in love with. He madly cares for her, values the home that he has put together with her and will eventually marry her, and it will be the most important day of his life.

In a way The Lunchbox is the story about two colleagues – one who is young (Siddiqui), buzzing with energy, aspirations and ready to start a new life, and the other (Khan), who is facing the end of the purpose of his existence and sets out to look for the one last chance of hope.

Siddiqui, the actor does not need any introduction to those who watch Hindi films of all shades and budgets. He acted with Aamir Khan in Talaash and will be seen in Salman Khan’s Kick. And word is that he has replaced Farhan Akhtar in the Shah Rukh Khan film Raees. How many actors get a chance like this within a span of few years, while also continue to act in films such as Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa, directed by one of the most experimental directors of our times, Buddhadev Dasgupta?

But it is the understated romantic actor in Siddiqui who continues to charm us – the shy Faizal Khan of Gangs of Wasseypur,who suddenly grabs Mohsina’s (Huma Qureshi) hand and is scolded by her. Mohsina’s harsh words bring tears to his eyes, but then she offers him a suggestion. He can hold her hands, but he should seek her permission first.

Siddiqui had told me that the incident had actually happened to him and when he narrated it to Anurag Kashyap, the filmmaker decided to include it in his five-hour long magnum opus. Siddiqui’s on-screen romance is definitely of a different brand, but one that many of us can relate to. It speaks of matters of our hearts.

source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com / Mumbai Mirror / Home> Columns / Columnist Aseem Chhabra / March 23rd, 2014 (print BM March 28th, 2014)

Under his broad brood, swifts ready to fledge

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, , ,

With little expertise, wildlife expert Saleem is trying to give them a new lease of life

The city wildlife team is facing an unusual challenge. They have to pull off what is considered a one-in-a-thousand rescue and rehabilitation of young house swifts (Apus nipalensis), which experts term is a touch-and-go situation.

Despite lack of expertise in rehabilitating the house swifts, which are very delicate, the six young ones are being cared for round the clock with great diligence by wildlife rehabilitator Saleem Hameed.

The birds were rescued from the HAL campus on Friday. At present, Saleem feeds them 24 times in 12 hours, once every half an hour.

This is what Saleem said:

“They were eight birds when they came here. They were rescued after a fall from a hangar. The good thing is, they were rescued along with the nest. Sadly, two died soon, but six are alive.

”They are very difficult birds to raise. With a high rate of metabolism, they have to be hand-fed every half an hour and they need attention round the clock at least till they fledge. The feeding starts at 7 in the morning. They are fed an insect diet, Mazuri, shipped down from the US. They are responding well. They need great care and attention, predominantly between 7 am and 7 pm.

”Unlike most birds, these are very sociable and live in huge colonies. In most birds, we find the territorial fight and new ones are not easily accepted. But here, they are accepted soon as they are sociable. As nothing much is known about swifts, we hope these birds which are roughly about 3-4 weeks-old would take a week or two to fledge. Some birds fledge within a month. Sparrows fledge within 14-15 days.

”An interesting thing is that one of them, probably the oldest of the lot, has already started jumping and is trying to fly. He jumps about 2-3 feet. As they fledge, they have to be launched into air to ensure they can join other swifts that are in a colony.”

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by  Chetan R,  Bangalore Mirror Bureau / March 27th, 2014

Your STATION has arrived

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , ,
Drumming up interestSaad Khan; on the film set, at a railway station (left) / photo: BHagya Prakash K. / The Hindu
Drumming up interestSaad Khan; on the film set, at a railway station (left) / photo: BHagya Prakash K. / The Hindu

Bangalore boy Saad Khan’s Hindi thriller Station, features city locations, cast and crew. He has also given a new meaning to ‘direct marketing’, thinks BHUMIKA K. as he goes to malls to talk to possible audiences

A director uses his gift of the gab to market his Indie film — he stands in a mall talking to passersby, telling them about his film and urging them to watch it. “I’ve been doing this for the last three days and I must have met about 300 people already. About 20 of them bought their ticket online, standing with me, from their phones!,” says filmmaker Saad Khan. That, now, is his station in life.

Khan’s debut feature film Station , which he claims is the first Hindi movie to come out of Bangalore, releases this Friday with the PVR Director’s Rare label attached to it. Khan expresses the same fears and apprehensions any independent filmmaker today, disadvantaged in the sea of marketing gimmicks that bigger films with A-list stars have. “It’s harrowing, seeing independent films being taken off screens because there are only 10 or 15 people at each show,” says the Bangalore-boy. “Mine is an independent film. We don’t have stars, we don’t have Sunny Leone. I think in my next film, I will have six item numbers…the audience is conditioned to having known faces bring them to a film,” he says evidently frustrated.

A mechanical engineer from M.S. Ramaiah College and with no film background, Khan studied filmmaking in the U.S.A. His short film Another Kind of Black was screened at the 2008 Cannes short film category. While still in college here in India, he got interested in theatre, and wrote and directed plays.

He returned from America to land the enviable position of associate director with Bollywood’s Ashutosh Gowariker on Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se . When he came home to Bangalore on a break, everyone he spoke to, kept telling him about the vast talent pool in Bangalore. He never returned to Mumbai, and instead decided to set up CenterStage in 2011 that started off holding film acting workshops. Today they’ve expanded to create, among other things, the improvisational comedy show, The Improv.

Station has been long in the making — the cast of the film is drawn from CenterStage, with the training module for the actors starting in 2011. “Every actor in my film has done theatre. Many of them have acted in commercials. We in fact did elaborate rehearsals before the shoot,” says Saad. The film took almost two years to make.

The film, a Hindi thriller, centres around three psychotic assassins at a waiting room in a deserted railway station. “I love the psychology of a criminal’s perspective…the unravelling of the plot is as enjoyable. We had three editors on board and did nearly 40 cuts so that the narrative won’t be slack,” says Saad. “My actors didn’t shave or bathe for days to get the feel of their character right. They walked empty roads at night, sat at small local bars to observe people around them…they came to rehearsal in a dark state of mind.” He chose to make the film in Hindi “because the film’s visual language and narrative could be driven by it. I didn’t think three assassins could talk English, and I don’t speak Kannada fluently. Moreover Hindi appeals to most of the movie-going audience.” None of his actors spoke Hindi fluently either so they were language coached before dubbing for themselves!

ActorsSaadKhanMPos26mar2014

On board Station are actors Siddhanth K. Sundar, model Sameer Kevin Roy, Hardik Sha an actor who’s also the co-producer, and produced by venture capitalist Sumit Ghosh. The film also has a 19-year-old associate producer Neal Bafna, a student of Christ University, who dealt with the everyday logistics of payment of the crew etc. The director however won’t disclose at which railway station they shot. Neither will he reveal the budget.

The film was shot at various locations in Bangalore including Bull Temple Road, Frazer Town, V.V. Puram, Rajajinagar “and wherever the Metro construction is taking place” says Saad.

Bangalore is a place with a heart, he says, recalling how on one of the nights, when the shoot went well into 3 a.m., and they were all craving tea. “We didn’t have caterers because that would be an additional cost. All we would have at that time of the shoot would be chai and biscuit. So a kind lady in the neighbourhood where we shot made us tea at that hour in the morning!”

Station releases March 28 in PVR in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Ranchi, and Ahmedabad.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Bhumika K / March 26th, 2014

Fareed Zakaria : Acclaimed Journalist

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , ,

FareedZakariaMPos26mar2014

Fareed Zakaria is a prominent Indian-American journalist and author.

Early life
Zakaria was born in Mumbai on the 20th of January  1964 to parents Rafiq Zakaria, a politician and  Islamic scholar, and Fatima Zakaria, who was the editor of the Sunday Times of India at that time. In his younger days, he was enrolled in Mumbai’s Cathedral and John Connon School.

Zakarai also enrolled into Yale University, where he participated actively in numerous unions and societies. He was the President of the Yale Political Union, the editor-in-chief of the Yale Political Monthly, and a member of the Scroll and Key society and Party of the Right.

Zakarai graduated from Yale University with Bachelor in Arts. In 1993, he also obtained a P.hD from Harvard University in Political Science.

Career
At the young age of 28, Zakaria became the managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine. He held this post for 8 years, before he became the editor of Newsweek International in 2000. During his stint at Newsweek, he wrote his award winning article, Why They Hate Us, which appeared as a headline story on the cover of the October 2001 issue.

Since 2008, Zakaria has also been hosting Fareed Zakaria GPS, which airs worldwide on CNN. He has interviewed numerous high profile leaders and personalities on his show like Barack Obama, King Abdullah II, Dmitry Medvedev, Muammar Gaddafi and the Dalai Lama.

Fareed Zakaria GPS is broadcasted in approximately 200 million homes across the globe and received an Emmy nomination in its first year.

Zakaria has written best-selling books like From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America’s World Role, The Future of Freedom, and The Post-American World. He was also the co-editor of The American Encounter: The United States and the Making of the Modern World.

Awards
The Anti-Defamation League awarded Zakaria with a Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize in 2005. However, he returned the award to the ADL as a sign of protest after the organisation opposed the building of an Islamic centre  two blocks away from Ground Zero.

In 2010, Zakaria received the the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, by the Government of India. In the same year, he was named as one of the top 100 global thinkers by Foreign Policy. Zakaria also received a National Magazine Award that year.

Personal life
Zakaria is married to Paula Throckmorton Zakaria, with whom he has one son, Omar and two daughters, Lila and Sofia. Zakaria, a naturalised American citizen, lives with his family in New York.

This biography will be updated regularly.

References

Fareed Zakaria Website

source: http://www.southasiandiaspora.org / Home> Author, People / by Jaclyn / August 02nd, 2012

Rare View Mirror

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , ,

Sharla Bazliel reviews conversation with Waheeda Rehman by Nasreen Munni Kabir.

Her name means “the unique one” and few actors have had a career, and life, quite like Waheeda Rehman. From being discovered by Guru Dutt by sheer accident at the age of 17 to becoming a successful star in Bollywood, to giving it all up one day and moving-toddlers in tow-to a derelict farm on the outskirts of Bangalore with husband, sometime actor Shashi Rekhi, Rehman has done it all. In Conversations With Waheeda Rehman, the actor tells the entire story in her own words, with insightful prompts by filmmaker and writer Nasreen Munni Kabir that prevent the book from turning into a rambling mess.
Conversation with Waheeda Rehman by Nasreen Munni Kabir
Conversation with Waheeda Rehman by Nasreen Munni Kabir

 

 

Rehman speaks with honesty and humour and Conversations is filled with interesting anecdotes about her experience of working with artistes such as Satyajit Ray (who first brought up the subject of wanting to make Guide), Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand (who was perpetually late), her friendship with stars such as Nargis, Sunil Dutt and Nanda and her adventures living off the land. Bollywood buffs and collectors of film trivia can look forward to her insights into the craft of filmmaking and an entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the making of some of the key films in Indian cinema.

Although her personal story is fascinating, the heart of the book lies in a few pages about Guru Dutt. With her natural talent and  haunting beauty, Rehman brought to life some of Indian cinema’s most iconic characters-Gulaabo, Shanti and Rosie-but no story about the actor is considered complete without reference to the doomed director who committed suicide in 1964. Although Rehman acknowledges this curiosity, her answers sixty years later remain shrouded in layers.

Excerpts
Waheeda Rehman. / Pic by Rohit Chawla
Waheeda Rehman. / Pic by Rohit Chawla
Guruduttji was sitting in a distributor’s office (in Hyderabad) when they heard a commotion outside. Guruduttji asked him if there was some trouble on the street and he was told the stars of a popular Telugu film were passing by and excited fans were making the commotion. The distributor then added: ‘A new girl has performed a song in the film. It has caused a sensation. When the stars go on to the stage, the audience demands to see this young girl. Her name is Waheeda Rehman.’ Guruduttji was surprised: ‘Waheeda Rehman? That’s a Muslim name. Does she speak Urdu?’ ‘I hear she also speaks Telugu and Tamil.’… That’s when Guruduttji told the distributor he would like to meet me because he was looking for new actors to cast in his next production. The distributor then called Mr Prasad to set up a meeting. Mr Prasad had not heard of Guruduttji. Very few people in the south had heard of him in the mid-fifties. I think there weren’t many film magazines at the time and in any case no one in my family read them, so we were unaware of his name. The distributor explained to Mr Prasad that his friend was a well-known Bombay director and had made a number of successful films. Then Mr Prasad called my mother and told us that Guruduttji wanted to meet me. My mother and I made our way to the distributor’s office the next day. I think the meeting lasted about half an hour. Guruduttji hardly spoke. He asked us a few questions in Hindi: Such as where we were from. That was it.
We went back to the hotel where we were staying. When Mr Prasad asked about the meeting, my mother commented that Guruduttji said very little. Mr Prasad said some people were just made like that. We returned home to Madras a few days later.

He hadn’t seen the film. He had no idea what I looked like on camera. He heard my name and asked to meet me without having seen me at all. There was no reason why the distributor had to mention me in the first place. So how could I not believe it was destiny?
After our first meeting in Hyderabad, three months went by and then someone came to see us at our home in Madras. He said he was from Bombay. I think he was a film distributor. He said he had come on behalf of the director whom we had met in Hyderabad. Of course, by that time, we had even forgotten Guruduttji’s name, to which our visitor said: ‘Well, Guru Dutt has asked me to take you to Bombay. He wants to sign you.’ My mother was most surprised and decided to discuss the idea with her friends. They advised her to say Bismillah and go. She was very reluctant. Bombay was like a foreign country to us. As usual she asked Mr Prasad for his advice and he said: ‘Go, Mrs Rehman. There’s no harm if she works in Bombay, but remember she is not a slave. Don’t agree to all their demands. If you don’t agree to something, say it. If you don’t like living there, come back. Just don’t get intimidated.’ So the three of us-my mother, a family friend who was called Mr Lingam and I-landed in Bombay at the end of 1955. We stayed at the Ritz Hotel in Churchgate.
*************
It was finally agreed at the next meeting that I could keep my own name. They asked my mother to go ahead and sign the contract… as I was under eighteen. Just before she could put pen to paper, I said: ‘I’d like to add something to the contract.’ (Director) Raj Khosla was surprised: ‘Newcomers don’t usually make demands. Just sign.’ Guruduttji kept silent. Then I told them if I did not like any costumes, I would not wear them. Guruduttji sat up. Then he said in his quiet voice: ‘I don’t make films of that kind. Have you seen any of my films?’

‘No.’
‘All right. Mr & Mrs ’55 is running in town. Go and see it. We’ll talk about the costumes later.’
A shot from Waheeda Rehman's first hindi film C.I.D., with Dev Anand
A shot from Waheeda Rehman’s first hindi film C.I.D., with Dev Anand
We were given cinema tickets and we went to see Mr & Mrs ’55. The following day we returned to the office. We said there was nothing wrong with the costumes…But I said I still wanted the clause about costumes added. Raj Khosla looked at Guruduttji and said: ‘This is amazing, Guru. You’re listening to this girl and not saying anything. The choice of costumes depends on the scene and not on the actress.’ I can’t believe I was so outspoken, but I insisted: ‘When I am older, I might decide to wear a swimsuit. I won’t now because I am very shy.’ Raj Khosla retorted: ‘If you’re so shy, why do you want to work in films?’ I said calmly: ‘I haven’t come here of my own accord. You called us.’ No decision was made. We were driven back to the Ritz Hotel. The next day we went back to the office. The clause about my costumes was added and my mother signed my three-year contract with Guru Dutt Films.

 

*****************

Everyone makes films that don’t work. His sister Lalli [the artist Lalitha Lajmi] told me once that Guruduttji suffered from depression. In the last years of his life he was very confused. We could all see that. He was unhappy. But no one realised just how depressed he was. He started a film called Raaz in which I starred opposite Sunil Dutt… I shot many good scenes, but Guruduttji shelved the film. When we asked why, he said: ‘Nahin jam raha hai.’ [It isnt working.] Then he started Gauri with Geeta (his wife) who wanted to act. He shelved that too.

My husband suffered from depression as well and we didn’t realise it. He started losing interest in everything. He didn’t want to meet people and basically didnt feel like doing anything. In the same way, no one knew how Guruduttji was really feeling.

Waheeda Rehman with Guru Dutt in Pyaasa
Waheeda Rehman with Guru Dutt in Pyaasa
His death was a mystery-no one knew for sure whether it was a suicide or an accident-there was much curiosity. His death was such a shock to us all. He was only thirty-nine. He was young. The question everyone asked was: ‘Why did he have to die like that?’ None of my film colleagues have ever asked me personal question about our relationship. It was always other people and the press who were curious, and still are, almost sixty years later. I know we are public figures, but I strongly believe my private life should remain private. What ultimately matters and concerns the world is the work we leave behind.
To read more, get your copy of India Today here.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday.in / Home> Archives> Leisure / by Sharla Bazliel / March 21st, 2014

Turkish delights

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion
A cold mezze platter. / Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
A cold mezze platter. / Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

The Turkish food festival at Park Hyatt offers a lot more than the staple doner kebab

The connection between Hyderabad and Turkey goes back a few centuries; Alauddin Khilji of the Khilji dynasty which ruled the state in the 14th century was of Turkic origin, Sultan Quli Qutb Shah who founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty too was of the same ethnicity, Princess Durre Shehvar, wife of Azam Jah, the eldest son of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad is the daughter of the last Caliph of Turkey and more recently, Princess Esra, wife of Prince Mukarram Jah too hails from the country.

Surprisingly, while Hyderabad still retains much of the Mughlai and Iranian influence when it comes to culinary matters, Turkish food still remains quite different in flavour, ingredients and in technique. Moreover, while Mediterranean food is quite popular in the city, the fare is restricted to Lebanese, Greek and Italian, with the latter being present in almost every restaurant. So we head, all excited, to the Turkish food festival at The Dining Room in Park Hyatt with Turkish chef Turgut Tonbol from the Grand Hyatt in Istanbul. We sit down with the chef, who hails from Bolu, a province which he informs us is a region known for its contribution to Turkish culinary heritage.

“Turkish food mainly consists of the cold mezze and grilled or boiled meat,” he informs us, “but we also have a lot of broad beans, chickpeas and lots of soups in the diet.” Hyderabadis are no strangers to the cold mezze platter which has become a staple in many multi-cuisine and continental restaurants but the platter offered by Chef Tonbol has more than the usual Hummus and Tzatziki. The most interesting of these is the vine leaves, stuffed with rice, nuts and spices doused in olive oil. The platter also contains a simple preparation with broad beans and a mild chilli sauce. The freshly baked pita bread goes well with all or any of these accompaniments.

The cold mezze includes mainly vegetarian dishes. “In Turkey, we don’t have meat for mezze. It is only vegetables,” points out Chef Tonbol who says that the festival includes at least one dish from all the different culinary traditions in Turkey.

Chef Turgut Tonbol./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
Chef Turgut Tonbol./ Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

Ask Chef Tonbol what his favourite dish of the afternoon is and he doesn’t think too much before naming the Shrimp Guvec, a mild stew spiced with chilli and herbs. He also suggests the Chicken Sheesh, a grilled meat dish very similar to our own kebabs, except it is marinated with a special Turkish red chilli, a milder version of the Indian chilli. “It is more similar to Kashmiri chilli which is bright in colour but less spicy in taste,” he informs adding jokingly that to eat Indian food, you “must be a strong man” to be able to take the level of spice. “The Yayla soup, a yoghurt based soup with mint, rice and egg is also a uniquely Turkish dish and a must try.”

Desserts include the favourite Baklava, a Turkish rice pudding and Turkish pumpkin, a simple but fresh and tasty dessert of sweetened pumpkin and cream cheese. But whatever you may pick for the main course, Chef Tonbol advises that you don’t leave without savouring the Turkish coffee accompanied by Turkish delights. The strong black coffee is a must after a meal, “for the gossip sessions”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / by Zeenab Aneez / Hyderabad – March 13th, 2014

The world in an album

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

DJHamzaMPos24mar2014

DJ Hamza, who has travelled and lived in three different continents shares his experience in the form an his first full length album Gitano 

If you had to sum up over three decades of your life, more than half of which you spent travelling and residing in foreign countries, how would you? Some would probably write a novel, some short stories of selected experiences from here and there and for others a photo book would seem apt. But, 32-year-old DJ Hamza who grew up in Delhi (though his family is from Hyderabad and Mumbai) has travelled and lived around in South Asia, Europe and North America, summed up his story in a ten-song album called Gitano. Gitano means Gypsy in Spanish, which is what Hamza considers himself, having lived in Paris, Boston, New York among many other places.

The ten track album is more than just progressions, scratches and mixes unlike other DJ’s albums. Gitano in all true sense is an offering of new sounds and fabulous fusion. For a DJ to be incorporating elements from Latin, Celtic, Flamenco with house music as a base is something new. For him, electronic sounds are just one aspect of dance music. “Organic sounds are in fact as important as they bring out the primal instinct in us that makes us connect with our core,” he reckons. “The two always have to be in balance in order to reach out to all our sensory points in our bodies. You can always have a completely synthetic sounding track but then there is no soul in it and something having a completely organic track does not give you that punch and thump to drive you to dance.”

It took eight months for Hamza to work on the album. A challenge for sure, he first got the ten ideas in place, then started building on them, later finishing them before finally mixing and mastering the tracks. Gitano is more than just an amalgamation of sounds. In it’s own way, it also describes each place that Hamza has been to. “The title track Gitano has flamenco influences with an underlying African melody as well, which I came across in Barcelona. I have been to Senegal and Mauritania and fell in love with the local music there. It was also interesting to see that the poorest continent in the world had the happiest music, which is something to think about,” says the DJ. From guitars sounds that represent New Orleans to Latin influenced New York house sounds the album has it all.

Hamza goes to the local place in any country where traditional music thrives and he looks at it from two angles — it has to be an essential part of the history of that particular place or it must be so advanced that it automatically fits into the future. Interestingly Hamza was studying to be an investment banker but came out as a music producer. He credits three people who taught him to work at the studio, on stage and as an artist — Danish pianist Niels lan Doky, Jasbir Jassi and Taz from Stereo Nation. His experience of working with many folk helped him.

He and Jassi shared their studio with a gangster rapper back in New York, who had been shot nine times (reminds us of 50 cent) and who even stole their TV. “We then sent one of our friends from the Gurudwara who had a long white beard to get the TV back from him and he had never seen a Sikh person before so he called the police thinking our friend was a Pakistani Ninja,” he says. Hamza plans on taking his music pan India, along with collaborating with local artistes thereby sparking off a new Indian house music scene in the already existing musical revolution.

Catch DJ Hamza live on March 29 at Loft 38

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Lounge / by Prashanth Vidyasagar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / March 23rd, 2014 (print mar 24th, 2014)

She brought ‘ghararas’ to Ludhiana

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, , , , , , ,

In this town of good taste and high living, women score high on the trend-o-meter. Fashionistas, dance divas, art connoisseurs, bloggers or activists, the ladies don their hats with consummate ease. When it comes to their homes, they keep it both chic and regal. Whether it’s designer cutlery they’re picking or a Louis Vuitton  they’re packing,  Ludhiana’s women make both seem effortless. Every Wednesday, TOI traces these euphoric raconteur women as they share interesting tales…

The tiny little board announcing ‘Naurah’ (flower in Arabic) welcomes city’s shopaholics to this designer wear store. Tucked away in a Sarabha Nagar neighbourhood, this place is no less than a fascinating world of floristry.

The banter inside the charming store is a cinch to transport the womenfolk back to the 1980’s Doordarshan days.

Geti  Kidwai, the dynamic young owner of the boutique, is mobbed by the frenzied girls as she greets each with a wall of chatter and a display of unusual bridal wear. With apair of “karan phool” in her ears, she unwittingly reminds one of a diva news presenter from India’s first public service broadcaster.

“Yes yes… we make ‘ghararas’ here. The one that royal women in Lucknow wear. The one that have ‘zari’ and ‘zardosi’ work. Royal blue, pink, purple… all for your princess. And yes, the iconic newsreader Salma Sultanji is my mother-in-law,” she tells them, speaking breathlessly and with enormous liveliness in her voice.

Geti, who moved to Ludhiana along with her husband Saad in 2007, is credited to have brought a breath of fresh air to designer circles of this fashionable city. Four years ago, she had set a new trend by using ‘ghararas’ with their short, mid-thigh length and a pair of wide-legged pants as the trousseau wear for Ludhiana’s beautiful women. The outfit became an instant hit among the affluent and urbane women of the town. And, Geti developed her own fan following from a closed cohort of women looking up to her as their fashion icon, much like her mother-in-law.

If one were to measure Sarabha Nagar outlet ‘Naurah’ on a style-o-meter, the results will please its owner Geti Kidwai no end. High on vintage and also on modern twists to outfits, the place is all about the 21st century woman’s take on trousseau and bridal wear. And Geti, much like her mother-in-law Salma Sultan — a popular presenter on Doordarshan, has a style of her own.

“Style icons… bhai kuch aisa karo ki log kahe aapko dekha kya cheez hain aap bhi koi tareekhi cheez hain..,” she grins, recollecting a couplet that Salma recited to her. Between 1967 and 1997, Salma Sultan had initiated a trend: of wearing a flower low in her hair and draping the border of her sari around her neck in a modern yet traditional way. It was later picked up by almost all the women newsreaders.

All Geti’s ‘ghararas’ are bespoke and come in different varieties. They are either made of Kimkhav, Jamavar or Banarasi tissues. The embroideries are done using a lot of kundan and jadaau.

From graduating in sociology and fine arts in 1997, through post graduation in interior designing, her journey has been eventful.

There are traces of effusive child-like prattling when she talks about her venturing into modelling and choreography that even drew mild ire of her father.

“Shauk bahut tha na har cheez mai kudne ka… papa kehte hai are bhai ab ruk bhi jao…” she recollects and then breaks into peels of laughter again.

“He then asked me to step out of modelling and do something which involved… like getting into choreography. But here again, I will jump onto the stage and start moving my legs,” she adds.

Her zest to conquer everything took her to contesting Miss India pageant, ramp shows and even setting up a gourmet shop called Just Kebabs in south Delhi. “Kakori… tikka… bharra… you could get all of that there… ab Lucknow se hai toh khaane ka shauq toh rakhenge,” she quips.

There is no economisation of smiles on her face. Every long sentence must ensure a belly laugh for she tells you hilarious incidents, some in Urdu and others in English – both impeccable.

“Ab yeh bhi nahi ki hum bilkul hoosh hai (not that I am an ill-mannered garrulous talker)… gappe lagane mai maza aata hai,” she points out.

When fulfilling her professional duties, she is punctilious and spick and span.

“I like dressing up girls, telling them how to comport at their or other’s weddings, how to carry a clutch bag, eye contact…” she goes on.

Her kids — son Samar, 12 and daughter Mehar, 7 — have begun idealizing her. Samar has been focusing on his chess classes and Mehar has taken up choreography. “Dangayee bachche nahi hai… I tell them shareef hona theek hai… but dumb mat hona… thoda mischievious toh hona chahiye,” she laughs.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Ludhiana /  by Rohan Dua / July 18th, 2012

Gracefully yours!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,
Salma Sultan at her home in New Delhi./ Photo : Rajeev Bhatt / The Hindu
Salma Sultan at her home in New Delhi./ Photo : Rajeev Bhatt / The Hindu

What makes Salma Sultan click even at 63?

“I belong to a city where women ruled for 100 years. So much is the pride in that place that till date most women don’t attach their father or husband’s surname . Most girls still use ‘Sultan,’ just like I do.”

Personifying pride coupled with grace and humility – meet Salma Sultan, the woman who ruled the small screen as a newsreader for over two-and-a-half decades. A rose became synonymous with her and news reading — an elegant exercise.

Today Salma , over 63 years of age, hasn’t lost her charm and poise. Looking at her on television , no one would have imagined that she possessed such a tremendous sense of humour. Barely a sentence of hers is free of effortless wit and hilarity.

A Delhiite for over two decades, Salma now lives in her palatial three-storey bungalow at Jangpura and has to her credit the greenery of the area starting from Sahi Hospital to its back and beyond. An ardent nature lover, she has turned the ugly , illegal parking area to a lush meadow. “Delhi is my karmbhoomi. It has shaped my confidence and given me immense strength to fight contradictory situations.”

As one enters her drawing room through the Rajasthani fort style gate, peace greets through a painting of the Buddha and class via an original M. F Husain painting . “Husain saab gifted it to my father,” that familiar voice falls on the ears as one spots the beautiful woman with her dimpled smile and motherly warmth in her kohl-less eyes. She has “taken great pains” to get ready – a yellow and brown sari, “touch-ups with talcum powder and lipstick”, and stuck a red rose on insistence for the photo shoot. “I don’t like getting ready and ‘pose’ for pictures,” she says politely. She is shy and camera conscious despite, ironically, being in front of the camera from 1967 till the late nineties.

But Salma , quite contrary to her appearance on the small screen, had been a naughty child. “I was very assertive, irrepressible, naughty but not spoiled. Not a single day of my life would go without a prank in school.” For instance, the day “our teacher would ask us to bring the geography book, I would make it a point to give it to someone to get the ‘punishment’ of standing outside the classroom with three others equally party to this plan,” she laughs as her dimple grows deep.

Born to scholar and secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mohammed Asghar Ansari and a “Moghul” homemaker mother, Salma was her parents’ second child. “I was an unplanned child but a blessing to my lonely sister (Maimoona Sultan, four-time Member of Parliament) who would protect me from the wrath of my disciplined father who would make sure that I offer all my prayers (namaz) and read the Quran on time. But he has a great contribution in the making of my personality. He used to emphasise education and extra curricular activities in school. He would prepare my debate and make me rehearse in front of him,” recalls Salma about her Sultanpur school days in Bhopal. Salma did her graduation from Bhopal. “I did my post graduation in English from Indraprastha College, and simultaneously gave audition for an announcer on Doordarshan.”

On to news reading

Salma became a newsreader by fluke. “Those days”, she recalls “only Pratima and Gopal Kaul used tor read news. Kaul wanted to become a producer, so his tussle with the DD was a regular affair. Once, as a protest and to make sure not to read news anymore, he shaved his head. As he entered the studio, the producer was shocked.” In the frantic search to replace him, Salma became a casualty. “But there was a hidden desire to read news as it was a well-paid, comfortable job where the newsreader, unlike an announcer like me, had to come at 4 p.m., read the news a couple of times and go back.” A nervous Salma read the 15 minutes news in eight minutes and “paused”. “The hapless producer decided to train me and that’s how the journey began.”

She narrates the story behind the signature rose in her hair. “I once wore a pink rose to match my pink sari and read news. Telephone calls and letters of appreciation poured in. Then the day I wouldn’t tuck a rose, letters of complaints and requests would follow. So, a rose became a regular affair.” And to hunt for matching roses, Salma would either grow her own or “steal from the neighbourhood.”

After her retirement , Salma moved to direction. Her serials Panchtantra, Suno Kahani, Swar Mere Tumhare and Jalte Sawa drew attention. She recalls, “To shoot Panchtantra on minimum budget, I went to Mumbai to look for a set of rajmahal. Someone told me that B.R. Chopra’s set for Mahabharatawas being dismantled after the shooting. I met him and he was kind enough to let me use his set.Panchantra used to be telecast soon after Mahabharata and did very well. I will never forget his compliment , “Mujhe is ladki ki daad deni padegi. Mahabharat ke baad bhi log isse dekhte hain”.”

The mother of an Income Tax Commissioner Saad and a choreographer daughter Sana and two grandchildren, Salma’s quest for learning hasn’t waned. “I am learning synthesiser and , harmonium for my love of music, and computers to be tech-savy.” Salma also does interior designing. She began by doing up her 13-room bungalow in Bhopal followed by an apartment in Patparganj. Her residence is proof of her refined taste.

How does she keep fit? “I do yoga, walk and take supplements. I treat my body as a gift from God…. To purify my inner self, I offer namaz regularly,” she signs off, poise refuses to fade.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Rana Siddique Zaman / February 22nd, 2010

One woman in Khushwant Singh’s life

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, ,

Author Sadia Dehlvi on her friendship with Khushwant Singh

Khushwant Singh and Sadia Dehlvi
Khushwant Singh and Sadia Dehlvi

 If you ask me about the women in author Khushwant Singh’s life, I would say I am the only one. That’s how special he makes all those around him feel. Women are drawn to him because he doubles up as confidante, friend, father and mentor.

For women afflicted with heartbreak, Khushwant readily provides his shoulders to dry the tears and at celebration time he shares the cheer. He has the remarkable ability to suffer all kinds of people, often getting bullied into inviting them home to his evening durbar. I know many women whom Khushwant helped get jobs, admissions, transfers, and senior government posts. Many authors including me owe their career to his mentoring.

I first met Khushwant thirty years ago at the Arab Cultural Centre where my friend Ameena Ahmed happened to be exhibiting her calligraphic paintings. He walked up to me and said “Why are you so beautiful?”. I laughed replying, “Because I am a beautiful person.” Khushwant asked me to come to his house the next evening and the visits to Sujan Singh Park have continued ever since. His flat became my window to the world of the rich, famous and the absurd. Here I met presidents, parliamentarians, religious zealots, intellectuals, artists, poets, businessmen, harassed women, ambitious men and proud transvestites.

Very soon Khushwant began to mention me repeatedly in his newspaper columns and I too openly wrote of my love for him in my columns. It furthered his notoriety and capitulated me into the public arena. Saying, “I want to show you off”, he took me along to people’s homes and to public functions. When there were special invitees for dinner, I played hostess at his home, ensuring guests were comfortable. Khushwant’s wife Kanval was fond of me so my presence in the living room was never a problem. The women Kanval disapproved had to be entertained in his study and were not welcome to stay for dinner.

In 1993, Khushwant dedicated his book Not a Nice Man to Know to me: To Sadia Dehlvi, who gave me more notoriety and affection than I deserve. Many amongst his women friends turned green with envy and to our amusement, some began to accuse him of ghost-writing my columns. We grew to share an incredible bond, a friendship that continues to nurture me intellectually and emotionally.

We share a common love for the city of Delhi and Urdu poetry. Khushwant has a soft spot for Muslims and Muslim women in particular. His house is adorned with calligraphies from the Quran and the Muslim greeting ‘Salaam Alaikum’ is printed on the curtains. One thing that he despises is dishonesty and religious prejudice. I know many well-known people harbouring communal biases who have been dropped permanently from his circle.

Despite the celebrity status, Khushwant answers the phone himself, replies to letters and till recently was accessible to all those who wished to meet him. Taking a prior appointment used to be the only criteria for visiting rights.

With age and exhaustion, the numbers of those invited to the evening Durbar e Khas has shrunk and one rarely encounters a new face. Conversations are shorter and the poetry is usually Ghalib’s. Khushwant now finds it stressful to meet new faces and I have been ordered not to bring friends any more. I try explaining my helplessness with people seeking access to him. He says, “Just tell them that I’m an irritable, senile and nasty old man.” The truth is that at ninety plus, Khushwant is maashallah just as alert, lovable and wonderful as ever.

This piece is an excerpt from thedelhiwalla.com, where it appeared in 2010

source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint & The Wall Street Journal / Home> Leisure / by Sadia Dehlvi / Thursday – March 20th, 2014