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Vyjayantimala's comeback

          After almost a decade actress Vyjayantimala at the age of 60 has faced the arc lights again. Though this is for a stage performance of Bharatanatyam. The yesteryear actress performed her dance act at Mumbai's Nehru Centre amidst a cheerful audience. Her performance is part of Sangeet Natak Academy's Golden Jubilee Dance festival. Besides being an accomplished actress, Vyjayantimala has been a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and Member of the Parliament.
- Nov 9,  2003

Mahesh Bhatt's photo exhibition

          Veteran producer-director and writer Mahesh Bhatt launched his photograph exhibition, 'Portraits', in Mumbai on Friday. It is an exposition of contemporary writers and artists comprising rare images of Devika Rani, Shivaram Karanth and Khushwant Singh. Advertising honcho and theatre guru Alyque Padamasee inaugurated the exhibition at Mumbai's Oxford Gallery in south Mumbai.
- Nov 8,  2003

Kaanta Laga controversy

          A shocking and controversial decision by the Sangeet Natak Academy is creating a lot of heartburn among aficionados of classical music in Mumbai. The awards committee has decided to create a new award category called 'Best Contemporary Music' and if that is not enough to cause heartburn among the cognoscenti, the committee also announced that the first award would go to the controversial 'Kaanta Lagaa' remix that had created a stir last year. The raunchy pop album was backed by an even hotter music video that was on the verge of being banned. Music lovers across the spectrum had castigated the album at the time of its release.
- Nov 6, 2003

Godrej tie-up for MF Hussain Museum

           Art maestro M.F. Hussain's Hussain Museum of Art and Cinema in Hyderabad will see fruition of being a full cultural hub from this December. The Godrej family will be funding this three-year-old museum, a mutual alliance between the artist and the Godrej group, according to a report from Mumbai. With this corporate backing, Hussain hopes to expand the museum's activities including an annual film festival, bring in international scholars and increase literary and poetic activities. This dream 'cultural hub museum ' of the maestro artist has been lent a wing by his long-time friend Parmeshwar Godrej.
- Nov 1, 2003

'Pavitra Paapi' translation in English

          Punjabi literature, hugely popular all over the world, takes its first steps towards translation to touch an even greater international audience. 'Pavitra Paapi', a milestone work of the legendary Punjabi writer Nanak Singh became the first Punjabi novel to be translated into English. Navdeep Suri, Nanak Singh's own grandson, is the author of 'Saintly Sinner'. The genius of Nanak Singh bears a strong stamp on Punjabi literature. 'Saintly Sinner', translated by a diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service posted in London, Navdeep Suri, plays out that original poignant, moving story that has been seen to transcend the time barrier, questioning strictly laid down societal norms.

          A young man, Kedar, a watch repairer in Punjab of the 1930s is the protagonist, battling between love and family responsibility, thought and action - between being a saint and a sinner. One of several masterpieces of his creator, litterateur Nanak Singh's works hold strong relevance to this day. Navdeep Suri, author of  'Saintly Sinner', said in Amritsar, "He wrote 55 books in his lifetime, broadly social dramas, social issues - issues of the day like communalism, casteism, superstitions, women in society etc. Many of his characters reflect his angst. Regarded as reformist his novels had an effect on society."

          'Pavitra Paapi' set in the colourful alleys and bazaars of Amritsar and Rawalpindi had gone on to become a full-length Hindi feature film in 1968 that received considerable acclaim at the box office. Besides the story itself, the strong romance of the old city of Amritsar which lives on virtually unfaded to this day is a distinct feature, depicting Punjabis and Punjabiyat at its roots. "The book is set in Amritsar and Rawalpindi. If you go into the old bylanes and alleyways of Amritsar, you would still find shops in the same setting as they were in the 1930s. More traffic but architecture of the city hasn't changed. One of the great changes between Punjab then and now has been the prosperity. It is one of India's most prosperous states," says Navdeep Suri.
- Nov 1, 2003

-ANI

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