Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Play on thumri queen Begum Akhtar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment,

Lucknow :

A play by Nadira Babbar on the life of thumri queen Begum Akhtar and career counselling sessions besides felicitation of ten prominent alumni of the Lucknow University will be the highlights of LU foundation day celebrations this year scheduled on November 25.

The celebrations are being organised jointly by the Alumnae Society and the University of Lucknow. Governor TV Rajeswar and chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav would attend the function. Justice AS Anand, chairperson, National Human Rights Commission and former Chief Justice of India, would be the guest of honour. Justice Anand is a law graduate of LU.

Giving this information at a press conference on Saturday, LU Alumnae Society president Ram Kumar Bhargava said, “other illustrious alumni to be felicitated are Harish Chandra Gupta, additional defence secretary, (MSc from LU); Kamal Kumar, director, national police academy (MSc from LU); Nadira Babbar, director, Bhartendu Natya Academy (BA from LU); Dr SS Agarwal, former director, SGPGI (KGMC graduate); Gogi Saroj Pal, artist (she did her BFA from LU); Lagan fame writer KP Saxsena (MSc from LU); veteran journalist Seema Mustafa (MA English from LU); Rajendra Prasad, vice-president, American Express-India and subcontinent (a commerce graduate of LU) and Nighat Khan Lodhi, former national football player.

Nadira Babbar will stage the play on November 24 in the evening. Naresh Agarwal, state transport minister will be the chief guest. The main function to felicitate the alumni will be held during the day, a session on career counselling will be held on November 25 evening, which will be addressed by Rajendra Prasad, vice-president, American Express, VV Singh, CEO Reliance Infocom, Parveen Talha, member, Union Public Service Commission and Jayant Krishna, centre head, Tata Consultancy Services. Efforts are also on to invite KK Srivastava and Amrita Das for the counselling sessions as well, Bhargava said.

The Alumnae Society has also proposed to build an alumni house on the university campus for the purpose of coordinating the activities of the society. Vice-chancellor have accepted the proposal and has allotted the land of men’s hostel of academic staff college for the purpose. Chief minister will lay the foundation of the alumni house. Bhargava said that registration for membership of Alumnae Society are open and those who want can contact office-bearers for detail. Others who addressed the press conference included vice-chancellor, Prof SB Singh, pro vice-chancellor Prof MP Singh and AK Srivastava, Alumnae Society general secretary.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow> Lucknow University / TNN / November 01st, 2004

Leafy narrative

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized, , , ,
Mohammed Safi with his works / PHOTO: S. RAMESH KURUP / The Hindu
Mohammed Safi with his works / PHOTO: S. RAMESH KURUP / The Hindu

Leaves, often never given a second glance, are the principal characters of Safi’s photographs

Leaves — ever present and taken for granted—are Mohammed Safi’s focus. His photographs capture leaves in all their moods — green and vital; flushed red, crimson and yellow, smelling of autumn; and finally, brown, wrinkled and dying. “Ela Illathe Illa” (Without Leaves, Nothing) — 36 photographs of Safi, a freelance photographer, are on show at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery.

Noticing leaves

“We might often sit under a tree’s shade and also eat its fruit. But the possibilities of leaves as fine art is often missed upon us,” Safi explains why he zeroed in on leaves. Abundant and everywhere as they are, Safi never went questing for his frames. Instead, they are drawn from everyday life. Images struck him on routine journeys, enticed him to stop, pull out his Nikon D200 and click. And his camera has caught the minute and the mammoth. One show is the photograph of an aging wet bark. But sprouting from its middle are two fresh leaves and glued to it is a rain drop. “When you see such a sight, you realise the poetry in nature. You also become aware of the possibilities of art,” he says.

Safi’s photographs capture poignancy, often arresting the moments between life and death. On show is a low-angle shot of a coconut tree on the edge of a beach, baring all its root. A day later, says the photographer, the tree was uprooted and washed away by the waves.

Most photographs speak of summer and sunshine. A few capture leaves drenched in rain. One frame merely has fallen acacia leaves lying listlessly in still waters. Quite like the dead leaves, imperfect ones — torn and blighted — make Safi’s frames. In a couple of photographs, leaves chipped and eaten at the edges are the centre. So too are trunks cut away at the middle. “Trees are categorised by their resourcefulness. For us coconut and rubber are lucrative. I am constantly instructed to clear the worthless trees in the yard. But I let them grow,” says Safi.

Among his photographs are trees and plants growing on the banks of the Bharatapuzha and those flourishing on clay tile roofs.

Inspiring environment

Safi finds most of his frames in and around Malappuram and Thrissur. A potent environment for him is the Thekkinkkadu maidan in Thrissur with its towering trees. Low-angle shots capture trees and leaves in different seasons giving the frames the feel of a canvas. The clutch of photographs on the maidan shows sweeping branches with full green leaves and so too wet and yellow ones.

The exhibition is on till February 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Events / by P. Anima / Kozhikode – February 07th, 2014

Hasan Mansur passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Hasan Mansur
Hasan Mansur

Hasan Mansur, a veteran human rights activist, passed away in Bangalore on Wednesday morning.

Prof. Mansur (1930-2014), who retired as the Head of the Department of English in Bangalore University, was closely associated with People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and a host of other human rights initiatives, and fact-finding efforts in Karnataka and elsewhere.

Prof. Mansur was one of the founding members of the Karnataka Civil Liberties Committee (KCLC) in 1984. He went on to work for the PUCL, with which he was associated till the end.

His role at PUCL

In a press release, the PUCL State committee has said that Prof. Mansur played a significant role in broad-basing the concerns of PUCL and taking it beyond the traditional human rights issues to focus attention on violations of socio-economic rights, including the right to housing and the right to water.

Prof. Mansur was also one of the founding members of the Karnataka chapter of the Indo-Pak People’s Friendship Forum and was associated with trade union movements since the 1950s.

Speaking to The Hindu , Ramdas Rao, his colleague at the university and a co-activist in PUCL, said: “I admired Prof. Mansur for the way he brought together literature, politics and human rights.” Recalling his love for literary greats like James Joyce, Pablo Neruda and T.S. Eliot, he said: “He could quote large chunks of Joyce’s Ulysses and Eliot’s Four Quartets and continued to teach to the larger community of his friends even after he retired.”

Prof. Mansur leaves behind his wife, Hasnath Mansur, and a son. Funeral prayers were held at Arab Lane Mosque on Richmond Road on Wednesday evening.

I admired Mansur for the way he brought together literature, politics and human rights: Ramdas Rao

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bangalore – February 13th, 2014

Family first, films later

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , , ,

fahadhNazriyaMPos13feb2014

Fahadh & Nazriya say they are not sure if they will be seen together in a flick

Family is most important for Malayalam actor Fahadh Fazil, who got engaged to teenage sensation Nazriya Nazim recently. To a question if Nazriya will continue to act after marriage, Fahadh said, “My priority is family, but I have no issues if she acts.”

“She understands what I meant. I am not sure if we will act again together,” he added.

On their relationship, he pointed out that it was their families which took the inititaive which eventually led to their marriage. Nazriya also seems confident of her new life after marriage.

“I need no preparation for a new life as his family is similar to mine,” said Nazriya, who added that Fahadh is one of her favourite actors. Nazriya also denied media reports that she was a minor. “No, no, I am 19,” said the actress who began her career as a child artiste. And when asked if the age difference is going to be a problem, Fahadh said: “My parents too have a similar age difference and they are happily married for many years.” Fahadh is the son of legendary Malayalam film-maker Fazil, who launched many stars, including Mohanlal.

But strangely when the master director launched his son in 2001 in the film Kaiyethum Doorath, it miserably failed and many thought that the career of Fahadh in his debut film itself had reached a dead end. Fahadh, however, returned in 2009 to act in Kerala Cafe.

Then came an offbeat film Chappa Kurishu which clicked and since then he has had no reason to look back. Now, the actor is one of the most busiest actors in Malayalam.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Entertainment> South Masala / by Agenices / February 11th, 2014

Crafting new designs

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

Meet architects Farah Ahmed and Dhaval Shellugar, who love to come up with out-of-the-box ideas

FarahAhmedMPos12feb2014

Farah Ahmed and Dhaval Shellugar are the people behind the Farah And Dhaval Design (FADD) Studio on St. Mark’s Road, which started in 2012. So, what’s new about them?

BarMPos12feb2014

For starters, they like working with offbeat and natural material such as burnt rust cement or bricks. “Cement, when it is waxed, looks so gorgeous that you will be surprised that it is cement,” explains Dhaval.

He adds that he always had a passion for architecture. “My father was into automobile accessories. The products at his store always intrigued me and I would find myself creating something new with the material he had. Then, I decided that I had to study architecture at Rachana Sasand’s Academy of Architecture in Bombay, after which I worked with Sandeep Khosla.”

Farah, on the other hand, was an artist. She says she always had leanings towards design. She studied in the U.S. and the turning point came when “I was gifted a camera which drove me into photography. Strangely it was never about people, but more about landscape and forms and textures. I was so inspired by nature that I found myself always creating an abstract composition.”

The young architect started exhibiting her works and lived as an artist before she interned with Sandeep Khosla, where she met Dhaval and the duo decided to start FADD.

She went on to study at Istitutio Marangoni in Milan. “I feel interior designing is a different manifestation of the same kind of creativity that I used in my art work. The only difference is in architecture, the physical space becomes my canvas,” explains Farah.

Coming to their work they say that Indians are fascinated with new designs. And with the world becoming smaller, resources are always “at our disposal”.

Dhaval says one should also always keep a tab on global trends. “That way you will be in sync with the latest in the market. No, we do not have a signature style for that will just put us and our thinking in a box. It is more like playing with form and function and yet keeping it minimal.”

They talk about the challenges they face in their profession. According to Farah it is “changing people’s set notions about designs. They think if something is expensive then it is classy. That is not always true.”

FlowerBoutiqueMPos12feb2014

Dhaval says for him the challenge was designing the florist shop, Flower Box in Indiranagar. “We wanted to create a special look for the flowers, which are so colourful by nature. So we had to create an intensive design that would not kill the beauty of the flowers. We studied Zen and Ikebana and other flower arrangements to come up with something unique for this store.” The duo used shades of white and grey and found that the “flowers simply pop out from the shaded backgrounds”. A Kerala houseboat designed for a business man in Goa is also close to their heart.

For more on the architects, log on to www.faddstudio.com or call 22223661.

This column features those who choose to veer of the beaten track.

SHILPA SEBASTIAN R.

People think if something is expensive then it is classy. That is not always true

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metro Plus / by Shilpa Sebastian R. / February 12th, 2014

A link to the long-lost glory

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , , ,
Historian M.A. Qaiyum with the coin minted during the Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah rule that he chanced upon on a pavement in Old City. - / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu
Historian M.A. Qaiyum with the coin minted during the Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah rule that he chanced upon on a pavement in Old City. – / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu

450-year-old copper coin of 3 Qutb Shahi ruler found

The missing link is finally here. M.A. Qaiyum, noted historian, could not hold back his surprise when he recently came across the 450-year-old copper coin minted during the rule of Ibrahim Qutb Shah. Curiously, the historian stumbled upon the rare coin on an Old City pavement.

Coins of the third Qutb Shahi king, Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, had been conspicuous by their absence. Even the A.P State Museum, which boasts thousands of copper coins of the erstwhile rulers, drew a blank when it came to those dating back to 1550-80 when Ibrahim Qutb Shah ruled.

“It’s a rare find, as coins of that period are not available in the museum,” says Mr. Qaiyum, who got it for a song.

Inscription

What adds substance to the coin is the legible inscription on it. The obverse side has the name, ‘Sultan Ibrahim Quli’, inscribed, and the reverse sports the legend, ‘Ghulam-e-Murtuza Ali’.

The coin, which weighs about 12 gm, represents an excellent piece of calligraphy. The style is quite similar to the Arabic inscriptions seen on the Qutb Shahi tombs.

According to numismatists, only six coins of the Ibrahim Qutb Shah period are available as of now.

But, it is not known as to what legend they bear and when they were issued.

The 6 coin, published by Hurmuz Kaus, an ancient coin collector, is of small size and bears the legend, ‘Juloose Jaiz Ibrahim Quli’, on the obverse and ‘Sadatmand-e-Ali’on the reverse . The coin was issued from the Golconda Mint in 1565 A.D.

The recently discovered coin bears the distinct legend of the ruler, Ibrahim Qutb Shah, in Arabic style. Scholars believe him to be the first Sultan to issue coins in his own name in the Qutb Shahi dynasty.

But, many do not subscribe to this view, as only one coin of Subhan Quli and four coins of Jamsheed Quli, the immediate predecessors of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, are available.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by J. S. Ifthekhar / Hyderabad – February 09th, 2014

Lots of young Indian musicians are finally being noticed: Zakir Hussain

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized, , ,

Zakir Hussain’s annual tribute to his abbaji on the day he passed away (February 3), is a day-long a musical marathon. The event is known to bring together musicians of eclectic styles each year. Last year, the Grammy-nominated banjo player Bela Fleck and jazz/bluegrass double bass player Edgar Myer had come down. This year, Khol drummers from Kolkata, the Panchratna Sanai Tafa Mandal from Nagar and gospel percussionist Lil John Roberts from the US will feature in this cultural happening.

ZakirHussainMpos10feb2014

For Zakir though, the event transcends the memory of his father. “It’s not then about my father. This is about a celebration of the art that he represented and he loved and the passion that he had for his culture. So, it’s nice to celebrate that culture and the effect that music had on our lives.”

While a show of this length can be exhausting, he is quite clear that performing is his lifeblood. “I actually feel elated when I play. I’ve arrived on stage tired and left the stage replenished. Playing music is the easiest thing. It’s not the hardest thing. That’s because we love doing it. It’s all the other paraphernalia that tires you out. Packing bags, arriving at the airport, going through security, fighting about excess baggage… All that stuff. The travel part of the touring is tiring. The performance is really the most fun part of the whole day. It inspires us to be able to deal with all the other stuff that goes on,” he says, continuing, “Music is really having a great renaissance time in india. Lots of young musicians are finally being noticed and focussed upon.”

He also elaborates on what playing solo and with a group of musicians means to him. “Playing the tabla solo, I am sharing with people centuries of this particular tradition, ragas, that I have learned and grown up with. Whenever I play a solo gig, I draw on memories of great maestros of the past. In my mind, I go, ‘okay, this is from this past maestro, this from that maestro’ and I bring that same piece of music that existed ages ago, into the present moment. Playing solo is fun but when I play live in a group, I enjoy the challenge of bouncing ideas off other musicians. Playing live is also different when you play with a singer or play only instrumentals in a group. When I play with a singer I need a particular pitch, it’s got to be in a particular way so as not to overpower the vocals. You won’t play the same as with a ghazal player than how you’d play with a sitar player. ”

While jamming and improvisations might be what fuels him, he also feels that live shows are a form of theatre. “Some of the performances at the Grammys this year were like theatre productions. That whole thing emerged since Michael Jackson’s Thriller. To me, he really pioneered that art… It requires much more production than say, a camera close up of Keith Urban playing the guitar compared to a Madonna doing Like a Virgin. You’ve got to get in your costume, you’ve got to be in the right place on the stage at the right time when the spot comes on ‘x’ area of the stage and then perform without a hint of self-consciousness,” he concludes.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Music> Zakir Hussain / by Reagan Gavin Rasquinha, TNN / February 01st, 2014

Back to school

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, NRI's / PIO's, , , , , , , ,

KeralaSchoolMPos09feb2014

In a unique project in Kerala, a government school becomes a world-class institution

When Oscar laureate A.R. Rahman flew down to Kozhikode recently, it was not for a music programme but to see the amazing transformation brought about in a government school.

In a programme masterminded by school authorities under the guidance of the local MLA, the 120-year-old Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls in Nadakav, which mostly teaches children from society’s weaker sections, has been upgraded to international standards.

In the spacious new auditorium, Rahman recalled how he met old friends K.E. Faizal and wife Shabana in New York where they told him about how the Faizal-Shabana Foundation had spent Rs. 15 crore on a school project in Kerala. That’s when Rahman decided he wanted to visit the school and see for himself the transformation.

Kerala’s achievements in the education sector, particularly in democratising it, have been remarkable. Its success in bringing education within the reach of the poorest children has made its literacy rate among the highest in the country. And now, this unique collaboration between MLA Pradeep Kumar and a private foundation has emerged as another development model for education in the country.

What was once just another government school now boasts of facilities unheard of in similar schools — an astro-turf playground, super-smart classrooms, computers, and a state-of the-art science lab, among other facilities. Pradeep Kumar, the CPI (M) MLA for Kozhikode, says his mission was to have a world-class school that would still be affordable to ordinary people. The state’s Planning Board came up with a project titled Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions or PRISM.

KeralaschoolTwoMPos09feb2014

World-class it certainly is. Infosys provided 150 computers, and ISRO gave a high-tech science lab. From the government and the MLA’s local area development fund came Rs. 7 crore. For the rest, NRI tycoon Faizal and Shabana stepped in with Rs.15 crore from the Faizal-Shabana Foundation. The plan was provided by Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK). Rahman, obviously impressed by what he saw, has announced the support of Rahman Foundation in Chennai for a music school that he immediately inaugurated. Interestingly, the school’s facilities are open to the people of the neighbourhood.

The school is a superb example of government-private participation in the education sector, and a rare instance where bitter political foes — the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front — played equally productive roles. The project was initiated by Pradeep Kumar when the LDF government was in power and it was completed under the UDF government.

The Nadakav school is a promising chapter in the attempt to resist the commercialisation of education that threatens to make high-class education unaffordable to everybody but the very rich. It is also a heartening attempt to lift the sagging image of government schools and make them more attractive to students who are migrating in large numbers to private schools that boast of attractive infrastructure and ambience. It has often been noted that better infrastructure and facilities could improve both morale and quality of education in government schools.

Meanwhile, Pradeep Kumar has turned his attention to two other government schools in his constituency, but finding benevolent sponsors is not easy. Work has begun in the Government Higher Secondary School of Karaparamba with a small allocation from the MLA’s local area development fund, and the search is on for other funds to complete the work.

At a time when education standards are falling appallingly across the country, this unique public-private model might be just the shot in the arm that government schools need.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Sunday Magazine / by R. Madhavan Nair / February 08th, 2014

Models Pooja Missra and Shawar Ali attended three day fashion extravaganza held at a city club in Raipur

Arts, Culture & Entertainment,

Raipur witnessed a three-day fashion extravaganza at this recently-held fashion show at a city club. 

ShawarAliMPos08feb2014

While pretty ladies turned on the heat with glam desi wear, men were no less while walking the ramp in traditional attire. The do also had in attendance models Pooja Missra and Shawar Ali, who elevated the experience of the evening.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Raipur / by Deepsha Agrawal, TNN / January 22nd, 2014