City’s premier educational institutions embrace public art

City’s premier educational institutions embrace public art

MUNISH DHIMAN  10th Aug 2013

Artworks at the Dev Samaj College of Education. ublic art is something that Chandigarh is no stranger to, the famous Rock Gardens being one of the prime examples. Educational institutes and other public institutions also display some fine artwork. Guardian20 visited a few colleges that are famous for their striking artworks. The city's oldest college, Government College, Sector- 11 inherits an age-old legacy. The huge metal sculpture that stands in the campus is symbolic of the ancient Indian education system. The sculpture has solid and skeletal triangles, a snake, a bull, an interpretation of shakti and a bird which exemplify the concepts. Feelings like the quest of rational truth, the yearnings of subconscious mind, the colossal force which combats evil and diabolic power on earth are depicted through the triangles and other figures whereas the bird represents the first flight to the vast horizons the universe. Brainchild of Pahlad Aggarwal, former principal, a sculpture park in the campus has become a popular haunt with students. An ardent art lover, Aggarwal tells Guardian20, "This garden had flower beds earlier and the space was not utilised properly. I approached the chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi to help us in adding some sculptures in the garden. He organised a camp where renowned artists from the tricity worked and created this zone, which is one of a kind in Chandigarh." { The city’s oldest college, Government College, Sector- 11 inherits an age-old legacy. The huge metal sculpture that stands in the campus is symbolic of the ancient Indian education system. Colourful petals interspersed over coloured flowing water, the mural at the ISB campus depicts that the road to true and ultimate success is an integration and amalgamation of several different aspects of life "It took time for us to finalise the design that can justify and portray the idea of ISB. It expresses the idea that the journey or the path to the top may not always be linear but if you align and balance yourself within your environment at every step, success is sure to arrive," says Sriram Gopalakrishnan, director, marketing and communications, ISB. ISB Mohali "These are not mere murals and paintings on the wall; there is a thought behind each of the statuette that depicts the working of the institute. Different statues of these girls depict courage, conviction, intellectual growth, love for nature, peace and interest for extracurricular activities. We want to imbibe in our students that academic excellence is not the only aim of human life. They should grow in all aspects, be it cultural, emotional, social or moral growth," feels Dr. Jyoti Khanna, Principal, Dev Samaj College of Education. The huge mural on the wall where a hand makes its way through huge waves in sea with a flame depicts the motto of DAV College, Sector 10. "This mural aptly depicts the motto of the college 'Arise awake, and stop not till the Goal is reached'. I strongly hold out that institutes must install inspirational artworks that generate positive ideas for a productive atmosphere and that helps in character building as well," says the principal, Dr. B. C. Josan. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/citys-premier-educational-institutions-embrace-public-art

Thespians reminisce about tricity theatre struggle

Thespians reminisce about tricity theatre struggle

MUNISH DHIMAN  10th Aug 2013

A scene from the play Court Martial he once moribund theatre scene of Chandigarh has received a shot in the arm, thanks to the various festivals and productions. Guardian20spoke with a few theatre personnel about this renewed interest in the form. Sudesh Sharma, director, Theatre for Theatre and secretary, Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademy says, "Theatre was on the verge of extension in the city towards the end of 1990s. During this phase, we, a group of theatre enthusiasts, formed this group and after 5 years held the first festival with three plays. I remember we used to gather people from schools, colleges, parks and roads to come and see our plays. Today, I feel elated that our efforts have paid off." Today TFT organizes five festivals throughout the year. Its famous play Court Martial has crossed 400 mark and is still attracting more and more audience. Constructed nearly fifty years ago, the Tagore theatre is one of the oldest theatres in Chandigarh. Kuldip Sharma, its director, says, "Our aim is to encourage art and the local theatre groups. To maintain the interest of the regular audience is the greatest challenge and to overcome this challenge we keep organising theatre festivals on various themes. Recently, we initiated the Munshi Prem Chand theatre festival based on his stories. Extreme weather conditions notwithstanding, people gathered in huge numbers to watch the productions." "People won't believe that after hours of dedication and commitment a theatre artist earns merely Rs 33 on a daily basis, which is awful. The administration spends a fortune on artists while organising gala events but the worth of theatre artists is not equally recognised," says Chakresh Kumar, president, Alankar theatre Group. Toeing the same line, Kamal Tewari, a prominent theatre personality, says, "The future of theatre artists is not very bright and is a matter of concern for the authorities. There's no policy for safeguarding the future of theatre artists. The administration as well as the government should come forward and encourage these artists with more performances and fees, at par with the commercial artists." A retired doctor from PGI, theatre artist Dr. S. K Punia, who has directed more than 100 plays and has written 35 plays, says, "There was a time when we used to organise 5-6 plays in a year and an audience of 50-100 was considered massive. It's awe-inspiring when we see 1000 people watching a play under one roof today. The credit for this achievement goes to all the theatre artists who have contributed a major part of their lives and to people like Dr. Ram Niwas who took special initiatives for the betterment of theatre." Parvesh Sethi, a veteran stage actor who received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award recently from the President of India says, "During the initial days of our play Court Martial, the audience numbered less than the characters. But now the auditorium remains full and the response of the crowd is overwhelming, even after the 400th performance." http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/thespians-reminisce-about-tricity-theatre-struggle

Maan launches new album post-hiatus

Maan launches new album post-hiatus

MUNISH DHIMAN  10th Aug 2013

Singer-actor Gurdas Maan Singer-actor Gurdas Maan has come up with his solo album Roti after a long break. The album consist eight tracks, Farman, Pind Di Hawa, Sajna Tenu Tak Tak Nahi Rajna, Raati Chann Naal Gallan Karkey, Je Layee See Te Nibhani, Akh Mere Yaar Di, Ja Chup Karkey Tur Ja Ni and the title track Roti. The album has been composed and penned by Maan himself. "The biggest thing I learnt while residing in the hostel during my college days was that earning roti is one of the most difficult tasks in the world. Not only earning, but making it as well as eating, is easier said than done," says Maan, in his staple lyrical style while launching the album. Others present on the occasion were his wife Manjit Maan, music director Jatinder Shah, Vineet Joshi, assistant media advisor, Punjab Government, famous comedian Binnu Dhillon and others. Clarifying the rumours about a biopic on his life after Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and one under proposal on late actor Dara Singh's life, Maan quips, "I don't think there's enough masala in my story, it's simply boring. But yes, their stories have inspired me a lot. We have read the struggle and success stories of these legends and one thing I learnt from them and follow religiously is that health is wealth." When asked about the secret to his energy, Maan syas in chaste Punjabi, "Mere Sai di Mehr te mere yaran dostan diyan duawan (I believe it's the good wishes and prayers of my fans and above all the blessings of the almighty)." http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/maan-launches-new-album-post-hiatus

New sculpture park attracts enthusiasts

New sculpture park attracts enthusiasts

MUNISH DHIMAN  10th Aug 2013

Rock sculptures at the Open Sculpture Park | Photo: Munish Dhiman The Open Sculpture Park at Kalagram, Manimajra, where some 220 stone and 35 wooden sculptures created by various sculptors are displayed, is rapidly becoming a favourite among art lovers and tourists. Conceptualised by Yashwinder Sharma, Programme Officer, North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC), Kalagram, this is the biggest sculpture park in the country that houses work of various sculptors of national and international repute including Biman Bihari Das, Latika Katt, D Rajasekharan Nair, and Shiv Singh among others. While elaborating about the park, Sharma tells Guardian20, "The idea behind creating this park was to give a treat to art enthusiasts and to generate normal public's interest towards art. Each sculpture narrates a different tale and all these have been carved by some odd 100-150 award winning sculptors and students. Various camps were held from time to time and these craftsmen were invited from various places. After years of hard work and dedication it feels great to witness your dreams getting shape." Four types of stones have been used to create sculptures which are black, yellow, pink and white in colour, and have been sourced from Baslana, Jaisalmer, Gujrat and places near Udaipur. "We have works by artists who represent wide-ranging styles including tribal, modern, abstract, as well as religious. There are plans to further expand the park and include terracotta, fibre and metal sculptures in the park to make it an exclusive and incomparable sculpture garden in India," informs Sharma. "We are further planning to restructure and expanded its activities to ensure that younger generations appreciate the nuances of contemporary Indian art," says DS Saroya, director NZCC. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/new-sculpture-park-attracts-enthusiasts

Raveena endorses toothpaste with son

Raveena endorses toothpaste with son MUNISH DHIMAN  3rd Aug 2013 Raveena Tandon & son aveena Tandon spoke of her Panjabi roots during a recent visit to Chandigarh for a dental endorsement programme, with her six-year-old son Ranbirvardhan Thadani. She conversed in the Punjabi dialect and guided cameraperson to arrange the camera for a better frame. When asked how she has a good command over the language, she says, "Tandons are basically Punjabis and my roots are attached to this part of the region as my father's side is from Punjab. Hindi rules in Mumbai but I love this dialect too. So, whenever I am here, I try to brush up my vocabulary and accent." It's an era of remakes, comebacks and debuts in the industry. "I don't have any plans to make a comeback because I don't think I ever left and above that, these days the media helps you to stay alive. Furthermore, different television projects keep your body of work in circulation too," she said. The actress is working on various projects and has a couple of movies in the pipeline too. She is even ready to be a part of a Punjabi film. "I've a few offers and have also signed a couple of them but before I say anything about my roles, they need to be announced. And about venturing into the Punjabi industry, I'll be more than happy, but the script should be appealing and the role should be consequential," she said. "I believe with the sort of competition in the industry you have to struggle throughout. I did numerous roles but I receive numerous calls during monsoon from radio stations asking for my reactions on the rain dance number from Mohra, and it feels really nice if you are remembered for your work," she added The actress loves to spend quality time with her kids and is picky about the roles. She affirms, "I strongly hold out that once my children grow up, their childhood will never return but film offers will still keep pouring in. So this time is for them." When asked about her take on sequels and remakes and whether she would like to be a part of the race she says, "I believe once a classic is made, it's made." http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/raveena-endorses-toothpaste-with-son

Naughty Jatts premiered at PVR

Naughty Jatts premiered at PVR

MUNISH DHIMAN  3rd Aug 2013

The cast of the film Naughty Jatts Packed with stars of the Punjabi film industry, besides the cast, the mega premiere show of Naughty Jatts was held at PVR Cinemas, Elante last week. The movie is the latest of the popular rom-com genre. The star attraction of the premiere was Raj Babbar and Nadira Babbar who came down to Chandigarh for the show. Besides the director and producer, the entire star cast, including Arya Babbar, Roshan Prince, Neeru Bajwa, B N Sharma, Binoo Dhillon, Karamjit Anmol, was present at the show of this family entertainer. Guests were welcomed with a flower ceremony and special photo booths were installed for capturing memorable moments. The premier was hi-tech as plastic access passes identical to credit cards were provided to all the invitees for errorless and smooth functioning of the show. Surprise gifts were also distributed to all the attendees after the show. http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/naughty-jatts-premiered-at-pvr

Simran Kaur Mundi

Simran Kaur Mundi

I dreamt about winning the Best Actress award

3rd Aug 2013

Simran Kaur Mundi | Actress Q. Describe a recent vivid dream you had. A. I don't usually remember dreams I see when I am sleeping. But yes, I do remember dreams I see with open eyes. Recently I saw that I have been awarded the Best Actress award in the industry. Q. Name two things which you'd call comfort food. A. McChicken burger with extra cheese and mayo; and omelette. Q. Name a book which you were sad to finish. A. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Q. Name an occasion where you thought, "I'm lucky to have witnessed this". A. When I was crowned Femina Miss India Universe, it was indeed the best moment so far. Q. If you were marooned on a deserted island, name three things you'd like to have with you. A. Being a foodie, a lot of food; a bikini to get a sun tan and a boat so that I can leave the Island whenever I'm bored. Q. If you absolutely had to live somebody else's life for a day, who would it be? A. I am really happy with the life I have so I honestly don't want to be anybody else!