by Rinky Kumar
Films and life go together for Tisca Chopra
“You are lucky if you are passionate about your job. That way you won’t have to work another day,” says Tisca Chopra. Pearls of wisdom from an actor who has dabbled in films, theatre, television and will be seen shortly in Aamir Khan’s directorial debut Taare Zameen Par. The model vouches Aamir is as good a director as he is an actor.
“He has a deep understanding of human nature and knows how to translate it on film.” Tisca spent a lot of time bonding with the kids in the movie over games like X-box, Gameboy and Uno.
Currently, the Olay Total Effects believer is busy with Nandita Das’ directorial debut and a script she is co-writing with a friend. A travel buff, she likes to take off every two or three months to get a taste of different cultures. She straddles her dual role of homemaker and actor with ease. As she puts it, “you can build a great career on a great relationship but you can’t build a great relationship on a great career.” Indeed.
Verve, Volume 15, Issue 12, December, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Winsome Wonder
By Rinky Kumar
With her homespun, pretty looks and pixie charm, Amrita Rao is the perfect embodiment of the girl next door. But her achievements are far from ordinary. Rao’s demure portrayal of a small-town girl in Sooraj Barjatya’s Vivah not only grabbed the attention of audiences and painter M F Husain, it won her the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award – at the ripe old age of 23!
It was an ordinary day with an extraordinarily happy ending. Recently, when Amrita Rao returned home after a day’s shoot, she had no idea the contents of an envelope lying innocuously on her table would change her life forever. The letter informed her she had been chosen to be the new recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award.
“It’s the best thing that has happened to me. Fifty four members from 36 associations within the film industry had unanimously selected me; they found me worthy to be honoured with the award. It was a moment of huge pride for me,” she gushes.
Rao’s small but noticeable role as Bhagat Singh’s fiancée in Rajkumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh helped her bag the lead in Vivah. Though critics panned it, the film did well at the box office, recently completing its silver jubilee. The movie gained much mileage from word-of-mouth publicity. Small-town folks, especially housewives in cities like Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Kanpur, Jaipur and Gwalior lauded its traditional values.Rao attributes much of the success of Vivah to film-maker Sooraj Barjatya. “I translated the persona of Poonam on the big screen exactly the way Soorajji had visualised it. It wasn’t difficult for me to envision the character. Poonam’s simplicity, her old-world charm and the truthfulness of her emotions made her very appealing.” Rao did her homework well, visiting Mathura and Vrindavan to study the mannerisms of small-town girls to draw upon while essaying this role.
The film also made her M F Husain’s new muse. The octogenarian watched Vivah 17 times and was struck by Poonam’s simplicity. When Rao first heard about this, she was ecstatic to share the honour with leading lights like Madhuri Dixit and Tabu who had caught the painter’s fancy earlier.Grateful to the banner that has got her so much fame, Rao is quick to rewind to the Barjatyas’ track record of creating winners. “Rajshri has a glorious history. All heroines who have worked with the banner have soared the heights of success, be it Jaya Bhaduri in Uphaar, Meena Kumari in Aarti or Nutan in Saudagar.” No exception herself, Rao is being wooed by top banners today. Currently she has Anil Kapoor’s Shortcut, E Niwas’s My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, David Dhawan’s Hook ya Crook with Siddharth and a Telugu film with Mahesh Babu. She also makes an appearance in a song in comedian Sajid Khan’s maiden directorial venture, Hey Baby.
Verve, Volume 15, Issue 6, June, 2007
With her homespun, pretty looks and pixie charm, Amrita Rao is the perfect embodiment of the girl next door. But her achievements are far from ordinary. Rao’s demure portrayal of a small-town girl in Sooraj Barjatya’s Vivah not only grabbed the attention of audiences and painter M F Husain, it won her the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award – at the ripe old age of 23!
It was an ordinary day with an extraordinarily happy ending. Recently, when Amrita Rao returned home after a day’s shoot, she had no idea the contents of an envelope lying innocuously on her table would change her life forever. The letter informed her she had been chosen to be the new recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award.
“It’s the best thing that has happened to me. Fifty four members from 36 associations within the film industry had unanimously selected me; they found me worthy to be honoured with the award. It was a moment of huge pride for me,” she gushes.
Rao’s small but noticeable role as Bhagat Singh’s fiancée in Rajkumar Santoshi’s The Legend of Bhagat Singh helped her bag the lead in Vivah. Though critics panned it, the film did well at the box office, recently completing its silver jubilee. The movie gained much mileage from word-of-mouth publicity. Small-town folks, especially housewives in cities like Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Kanpur, Jaipur and Gwalior lauded its traditional values.Rao attributes much of the success of Vivah to film-maker Sooraj Barjatya. “I translated the persona of Poonam on the big screen exactly the way Soorajji had visualised it. It wasn’t difficult for me to envision the character. Poonam’s simplicity, her old-world charm and the truthfulness of her emotions made her very appealing.” Rao did her homework well, visiting Mathura and Vrindavan to study the mannerisms of small-town girls to draw upon while essaying this role.
The film also made her M F Husain’s new muse. The octogenarian watched Vivah 17 times and was struck by Poonam’s simplicity. When Rao first heard about this, she was ecstatic to share the honour with leading lights like Madhuri Dixit and Tabu who had caught the painter’s fancy earlier.Grateful to the banner that has got her so much fame, Rao is quick to rewind to the Barjatyas’ track record of creating winners. “Rajshri has a glorious history. All heroines who have worked with the banner have soared the heights of success, be it Jaya Bhaduri in Uphaar, Meena Kumari in Aarti or Nutan in Saudagar.” No exception herself, Rao is being wooed by top banners today. Currently she has Anil Kapoor’s Shortcut, E Niwas’s My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, David Dhawan’s Hook ya Crook with Siddharth and a Telugu film with Mahesh Babu. She also makes an appearance in a song in comedian Sajid Khan’s maiden directorial venture, Hey Baby.
Verve, Volume 15, Issue 6, June, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Journey Women
by Rinky Kumar and Shanaya Lalkaka
They are young, free-spirited and love to explore the world. For them, travelling is a way of life. Verve takes a peek into the personal albums of four feisty women bitten hard by the travel bug-
SHRUTI SETH: Actor, VJ, television anchor, modelThis self-confessed travel buff enjoys wandering around and getting a taste of the local life. Her uncle played a key role in igniting her passion. "My uncle is an out-and-out roadie. As a child, I visited various parts of India with him."
Shruti says travel gives her an opportunity to explore different dimensions of her personality. She has fond memories of her first trip to the US last year where she revelled in the sights and sounds at St Augustine, Orlando and Miami. "I almost became a child again at Disneyworld. I also saw some fantastic Broadway musicals and a performance by Cirque de Soleil."
Shruti is now raring to explore the Indian north-east. Ask her how many times she would like to be out each year and she says: "In a Utopian world, I would have ended up hitting the road every third weekend. Sadly, in the real world I have to contend with year-end trips."
Published: Volume 15, Issue 4, April, 2007
They are young, free-spirited and love to explore the world. For them, travelling is a way of life. Verve takes a peek into the personal albums of four feisty women bitten hard by the travel bug-
SHRUTI SETH: Actor, VJ, television anchor, modelThis self-confessed travel buff enjoys wandering around and getting a taste of the local life. Her uncle played a key role in igniting her passion. "My uncle is an out-and-out roadie. As a child, I visited various parts of India with him."
Shruti says travel gives her an opportunity to explore different dimensions of her personality. She has fond memories of her first trip to the US last year where she revelled in the sights and sounds at St Augustine, Orlando and Miami. "I almost became a child again at Disneyworld. I also saw some fantastic Broadway musicals and a performance by Cirque de Soleil."
Shruti is now raring to explore the Indian north-east. Ask her how many times she would like to be out each year and she says: "In a Utopian world, I would have ended up hitting the road every third weekend. Sadly, in the real world I have to contend with year-end trips."
Published: Volume 15, Issue 4, April, 2007
Friday, April 14, 2006
MSEB told to pay a lakh for overcharging
By Rinky Kumar/TNN
Mumbai: For Narendra Narvekar, a nine-year wait for justice got over when the Thane consumer disputes redressal forum recently ordered the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to pay him over Rs 1 lakh. The money was compensation for mental agony Narvekar underwent after being forced to pay exorbitant power bills since 1997, despite changing his electric meter thrice.
Narvekar, a Vashi resident, approached the forum after registering a complaint of deficiency in service against MSEB. In 1997, Narvekar observed that the electric meter at his residence was running too fast, following which he met an MSEB sub-engineer to complain. The sub-engineer told Narvekar that since the board office had no stock of new meters, he should buy one with his own money. Accordingly, Narvekar purchased a meter and installed it after it was tested by the assistant engineer’s office. The MSEB checked the old meter and submitted a report saying it read up to 7.66% higher than normal.
Narvekar then wrote to the MSEB office at Vashi asking for a rebate to offset the extra cost incurred by him due to the fast-running meter, but his request was ignored.
In January 2001, Narvekar received a bill of Rs 20,000, which he paid. But the second meter too ran faster than normal, prompting Narvekar to request a reduction in the bill by deduction of interest claimed. However, his next bill ran up to Rs 44,060, following which Narvekar reportedly suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Jaslok Hospital. His wife paid the bill. After recovery, he approached the MSEB office and the meter was checked and replaced on August 5, 2001. But the problem persisted. Narvekar approached the office several times for a reduced bill, but in vain.
Finally, he moved the forum and filed a complaint for compensation of Rs 3 lakh for mental agony, Rs 1.46 lakh in damages, Rs 30,827 for medical expenses and Rs 4,000 for the cost of the complaint.
“I have been compelled to pay exorbitant bills for nine years. Why do I have to bear the brunt of the inefficiency of the MSEB officials?’’ Narvekar asked.
The MSEB contested the claim in March 2002 saying a rebate of Rs 2,012.93 had been given to Narvekar in April 1997. Narvekar was given a rebate of Rs 1,294.13 for a six-month period, after a new meter was found to be running fast in November 1999, it added. MSEB also contended that Narvekar had delayed payment causing it to disconnect supply on several occasions.
A bench comprising president Suhas Barve and member Dr A G Sabnis, ruled that MSEB was providing “deficient service’’ to Narvekar as he had to change meters thrice since 1997. While changing the meter, it observed, some officers were “reckless’’. Stating that the claim appeared to be exorbitant, the bench ruled that compensation awarded to Narvekar can be quantified to the tune of Rs 1 lakh.
It observed that as far as claims of damages and medical expenses were concerned, there was nothing to prove MSEB’s liability for Narvekar’s cardiac attack.
The bench ruled that MSEB would have to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation for mental agony suffered by Narvekar. It will also have to pay Rs 4,000 for litigation costs and issue fresh bills by giving a rebate of 7.66% on bills from 1997 onwards.
Narvekar is hopeful that the MSEB will pay him the compensation.
The Times of India, April 14, 2006
Mumbai: For Narendra Narvekar, a nine-year wait for justice got over when the Thane consumer disputes redressal forum recently ordered the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to pay him over Rs 1 lakh. The money was compensation for mental agony Narvekar underwent after being forced to pay exorbitant power bills since 1997, despite changing his electric meter thrice.
Narvekar, a Vashi resident, approached the forum after registering a complaint of deficiency in service against MSEB. In 1997, Narvekar observed that the electric meter at his residence was running too fast, following which he met an MSEB sub-engineer to complain. The sub-engineer told Narvekar that since the board office had no stock of new meters, he should buy one with his own money. Accordingly, Narvekar purchased a meter and installed it after it was tested by the assistant engineer’s office. The MSEB checked the old meter and submitted a report saying it read up to 7.66% higher than normal.
Narvekar then wrote to the MSEB office at Vashi asking for a rebate to offset the extra cost incurred by him due to the fast-running meter, but his request was ignored.
In January 2001, Narvekar received a bill of Rs 20,000, which he paid. But the second meter too ran faster than normal, prompting Narvekar to request a reduction in the bill by deduction of interest claimed. However, his next bill ran up to Rs 44,060, following which Narvekar reportedly suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Jaslok Hospital. His wife paid the bill. After recovery, he approached the MSEB office and the meter was checked and replaced on August 5, 2001. But the problem persisted. Narvekar approached the office several times for a reduced bill, but in vain.
Finally, he moved the forum and filed a complaint for compensation of Rs 3 lakh for mental agony, Rs 1.46 lakh in damages, Rs 30,827 for medical expenses and Rs 4,000 for the cost of the complaint.
“I have been compelled to pay exorbitant bills for nine years. Why do I have to bear the brunt of the inefficiency of the MSEB officials?’’ Narvekar asked.
The MSEB contested the claim in March 2002 saying a rebate of Rs 2,012.93 had been given to Narvekar in April 1997. Narvekar was given a rebate of Rs 1,294.13 for a six-month period, after a new meter was found to be running fast in November 1999, it added. MSEB also contended that Narvekar had delayed payment causing it to disconnect supply on several occasions.
A bench comprising president Suhas Barve and member Dr A G Sabnis, ruled that MSEB was providing “deficient service’’ to Narvekar as he had to change meters thrice since 1997. While changing the meter, it observed, some officers were “reckless’’. Stating that the claim appeared to be exorbitant, the bench ruled that compensation awarded to Narvekar can be quantified to the tune of Rs 1 lakh.
It observed that as far as claims of damages and medical expenses were concerned, there was nothing to prove MSEB’s liability for Narvekar’s cardiac attack.
The bench ruled that MSEB would have to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation for mental agony suffered by Narvekar. It will also have to pay Rs 4,000 for litigation costs and issue fresh bills by giving a rebate of 7.66% on bills from 1997 onwards.
Narvekar is hopeful that the MSEB will pay him the compensation.
The Times of India, April 14, 2006
Monday, October 10, 2005
Womenfolk rediscover the lost tradition of Bhondla
Marathi Version Of Navratri Brings Back Memories, Draws in Youth
By Rinky Kumar/TNN
Mumbai: For the Gujarati community, Navratri might mean donning new outfits, wearing funky jewellery and displaying one’s dancing skills. But these nine nights of revelry are also significant for Maharashtrians.
A festival, popular as Bhondla in Mumbai and Pune, used to witness women coming together and narrating daily life experiences in form of songs during Navratri. But with social changes over the years, Bhondla is no longer the same.
However, a group of six women have now decided to save the dying tradition. Calling themselves the Sai group—meaning girl friend in Marathi—they visit Navratri utsav mandals for performing the Bhondla.
Sai’s founder, Shibani Joshi said, “We have been performing Bhondla since childhood. The songs are not written, but have been passed down for generations as a cultural legacy.’’ Explaining the origins of the tradition, she said, “In earlier days, when girls were not educated and did not lead an active social life, they would celebrate Navratri by calling their friends over.’’
Apart from using Bhondla as a platform for displaying singing talent, the girls would draw an elephant in the courtyard, and decorate it with fruits and flowers. The elephant symbolised the Hath Nakshatra—a constellation visible in the sky during Navratri.
“While humourous songs about the relationship women had with their inlaws dominated traditional Bhondla, it also had games and puzzles, including one where they would drop hints for identifying food items,’’ added Joshi.
Unlike the garba or dandiya, Bhondla has women going round the elephant picture. The programme lasts for an hour with the girls singing 30-40 songs— beginning with an invocation to Lord Ganesha and rounding off with a ballad to commemorate the achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Sai group that was formed in 2002 has added contemporary nuances, so that the present generation of Maharashtrian girls can identify with it. While in earlier times, girls sang of how their in-laws were trying to woo them with jewellery, today’s songs find mention of modern-day appliances.
In another attempt to make Bhondla more interesting, the group also performs traditional Marathi folk dances, like jhimma and phugdi. The group are invited by Navratri utsav mandals in Maharashtrian localities to perform the Bhondla. “We have also performed in Jamshedpur, Raipur and Ajmer,’’ said Joshi.
Hoping the younger generation is able to carry forward the tradition, Joshi said, “Our events bring back memories of yesteryears to the
older generation of Maharashtrians. They also draw in younger people who enjoy the foot-tapping music and rhythm.’’
The Times of India, October 10, 2005
By Rinky Kumar/TNN
Mumbai: For the Gujarati community, Navratri might mean donning new outfits, wearing funky jewellery and displaying one’s dancing skills. But these nine nights of revelry are also significant for Maharashtrians.
A festival, popular as Bhondla in Mumbai and Pune, used to witness women coming together and narrating daily life experiences in form of songs during Navratri. But with social changes over the years, Bhondla is no longer the same.
However, a group of six women have now decided to save the dying tradition. Calling themselves the Sai group—meaning girl friend in Marathi—they visit Navratri utsav mandals for performing the Bhondla.
Sai’s founder, Shibani Joshi said, “We have been performing Bhondla since childhood. The songs are not written, but have been passed down for generations as a cultural legacy.’’ Explaining the origins of the tradition, she said, “In earlier days, when girls were not educated and did not lead an active social life, they would celebrate Navratri by calling their friends over.’’
Apart from using Bhondla as a platform for displaying singing talent, the girls would draw an elephant in the courtyard, and decorate it with fruits and flowers. The elephant symbolised the Hath Nakshatra—a constellation visible in the sky during Navratri.
“While humourous songs about the relationship women had with their inlaws dominated traditional Bhondla, it also had games and puzzles, including one where they would drop hints for identifying food items,’’ added Joshi.
Unlike the garba or dandiya, Bhondla has women going round the elephant picture. The programme lasts for an hour with the girls singing 30-40 songs— beginning with an invocation to Lord Ganesha and rounding off with a ballad to commemorate the achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Sai group that was formed in 2002 has added contemporary nuances, so that the present generation of Maharashtrian girls can identify with it. While in earlier times, girls sang of how their in-laws were trying to woo them with jewellery, today’s songs find mention of modern-day appliances.
In another attempt to make Bhondla more interesting, the group also performs traditional Marathi folk dances, like jhimma and phugdi. The group are invited by Navratri utsav mandals in Maharashtrian localities to perform the Bhondla. “We have also performed in Jamshedpur, Raipur and Ajmer,’’ said Joshi.
Hoping the younger generation is able to carry forward the tradition, Joshi said, “Our events bring back memories of yesteryears to the
older generation of Maharashtrians. They also draw in younger people who enjoy the foot-tapping music and rhythm.’’
The Times of India, October 10, 2005
Saturday, July 3, 2004
Rural doctors to get updated for free
By Rinky Kumar
Medical practitioners from rural areas in Maharashtra can now update their knowledge on the latest developments in the field.
Srimati Sushilaben R. Mehta and Sir Kikabhai Premchand Cardiac Institute or S. K. Mehta Institute, located in a bylane off Gandhi market at Sion, is the only institute in Mumbai to conduct free monthly training sessions for doctors from the interior regions of the state.
Each batch consists of seven doctors from areas like Nanded, Satara, Aurangabad and Solapur. The doctors get hands-on training to handle emergencies, to read electrocardiograms better, to treat acute heart attacks and hypertension.
They are also trained to think of new modalities and to identify when patients should be sent to big hospitals for further treatment.
The cardiac institute bears the lodging and boarding expenses of the doctors who come for the training. Dr Govind Bhattad, a consulting physician who runs an intensive cardiac care unit in Nanded and is currently attending the training session said, "I became a doctor in the 90s. Before attending the session, I was unaware of the latest developments. As a result, I could not implement new techniques when treating my patients."
He said there are inadequate resources to learn about new medical developments in Nanded. He added, "There are only primary level facilities in Nanded. We do not have facilities even to conduct an angiography. If we apply our newly acquired knowledge, then there are chances of 80 per cent of the patients surviving, whereas earlier only 50 per cent patients survived.
He has planned to install new cheaper instruments in his clinic, which he learnt of from the course. It is mandatory for doctors in the United States to give an exam every year in order to review their licence and their knowledge about the latest developments in medicine.
But such kind of practice is non-existent in India. Dr Bhattad said, "This training not only enables us to evaluate our knowledge on medical innovations but also enhances it."
Dr Priti Araujo from Goa, a chief consultant at Apollo Hospital who is attending the training session said, "This is a practical way to learn about pacemakers and ventilators."
Dr Jagdish Parikh, an interventional cardiologist who conducts the training session, took the initiative to educate doctors only from those areas where continued medical education is not available.
He said, "Expertise on minor techniques will enable doctors to provide quality treatment to patients. Such kind of knowledge cannot be imparted to doctors in the course of a seminar or a public lecture. They need to absorb and practise what they have learnt."
July, 3, 2004 Mid-Day
Medical practitioners from rural areas in Maharashtra can now update their knowledge on the latest developments in the field.
Srimati Sushilaben R. Mehta and Sir Kikabhai Premchand Cardiac Institute or S. K. Mehta Institute, located in a bylane off Gandhi market at Sion, is the only institute in Mumbai to conduct free monthly training sessions for doctors from the interior regions of the state.
Each batch consists of seven doctors from areas like Nanded, Satara, Aurangabad and Solapur. The doctors get hands-on training to handle emergencies, to read electrocardiograms better, to treat acute heart attacks and hypertension.
They are also trained to think of new modalities and to identify when patients should be sent to big hospitals for further treatment.
The cardiac institute bears the lodging and boarding expenses of the doctors who come for the training. Dr Govind Bhattad, a consulting physician who runs an intensive cardiac care unit in Nanded and is currently attending the training session said, "I became a doctor in the 90s. Before attending the session, I was unaware of the latest developments. As a result, I could not implement new techniques when treating my patients."
He said there are inadequate resources to learn about new medical developments in Nanded. He added, "There are only primary level facilities in Nanded. We do not have facilities even to conduct an angiography. If we apply our newly acquired knowledge, then there are chances of 80 per cent of the patients surviving, whereas earlier only 50 per cent patients survived.
He has planned to install new cheaper instruments in his clinic, which he learnt of from the course. It is mandatory for doctors in the United States to give an exam every year in order to review their licence and their knowledge about the latest developments in medicine.
But such kind of practice is non-existent in India. Dr Bhattad said, "This training not only enables us to evaluate our knowledge on medical innovations but also enhances it."
Dr Priti Araujo from Goa, a chief consultant at Apollo Hospital who is attending the training session said, "This is a practical way to learn about pacemakers and ventilators."
Dr Jagdish Parikh, an interventional cardiologist who conducts the training session, took the initiative to educate doctors only from those areas where continued medical education is not available.
He said, "Expertise on minor techniques will enable doctors to provide quality treatment to patients. Such kind of knowledge cannot be imparted to doctors in the course of a seminar or a public lecture. They need to absorb and practise what they have learnt."
July, 3, 2004 Mid-Day
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