The show stealers

The Show Stealers.

The lights go dim for a while and then ablaze. Behold you have Sharukh Khan or ‘The Badshah of Bollywood’ as he likes to refer to himself, with his signature ‘aadab’ walks down the ramp. Whistles and cheers fill the atmosphere. The Page three circuit of Delhi is seated in the front rows. The ache for one recognizing glance or a flying kiss from the shows showstopper………but wait a minute...Was this not about a certain designer and his creations? The poor fellow must have slogged for months just to create these fifteen minutes of magic.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         However , the way things are proceeding here it seems people including the press is more interested in Mr. Khan ,his future ventures , his gig with cricket, the after party , what wine is being served..Sigh...all in all the showstopper was the show stealer as well. I hear someone comment that the designer had already left the venue .Poor guy! Bollywood seems to be on a conquering spree. As I attended the after party somehow I get down to discussing this current trend of hiring superstars or celebrities. If a big movie star walks for you then you have arrived this is what I was told by a fashion journalist. It definitely contributes to publicity .Everybody wants to see a Houseful sign outside their show. The next day seems glorious the press has the designer splashed all over its society pages, the party circuit and the hard core party goers aka pseudo patrons too talk about the new designer on the block.

Well keeping the wining and dining aside it must be frustrating for any artist to see his work getting sidelined. I wonder why it is even a necessity to hire a known face. The irony is that these days every second third out of work celebrity proclaims to be an artist. Outsourced artistic temperament, plagiarized designs are all hid behind the glory and charisma of a big movie star. So perhaps it’s the lack of creativity which is giving such a vulgar commercial attitude to the fashion industry. And while I sip on the fine wine Sharukh Khan enters and even I am breath taken by his charming dimpled smile.

Fashionably Filmy

Fashionably Filmy.

Fashion trends in our country are set and popularized by Bollywood.The colorful palette of the film is highlighted mainly by the clothes worn by the lead actors. Actresses like Zeenat Amaan , Sharmila Tagore,Sadhna, Saira Banu, Parveen Babi  possessed not only timeless beauty but an inherent  fashion sense.Sadhna knew how to wear her ‘Bangs’ to  cover up a broad forehead; Zeenat Amman knew how to be experimentative without being summoned by the fashion police, Praveen Babi made  eighties style look sensual

From then t present times our Hindi film industry has come a long way. Film production has become more professional. Wardrobe is given special attention .Designers are assigned to most heroines and they uphold the responsibility of not just making them appear ravishing onscreen but for that particular style sense to become a rage with the audience. Who can forget the craze for chiffon saris after Sridevi flaunted a blue one in a rain song sequence or for that matter the Desi girl look of Priyanka Chopra from her latest movie dostana.The Patiala salwaar that was nearly forgotten was revamped in the movie Bunty Aur Babli and we had the markets flooded with bright colored kurtas and not to mention the very ethnic jhola bag which even today is very popular with the college students.

Hence with Bollywood setting a fashion benchmark one cannot help and wonder whets the hue and cry about the fashion weeks that are held every alternate month in either of the metros of India. The designer wear was never readily available to the masses then and the story hasn’t changed now. The high fashion is something that has always been for a select few. Ironically most of the times people too do not notice that with a handful of designers revamping the heroines end up making them look like clones of each other. So are we to conclude that the designers have run out creative juices or perhaps it is the muse that lacks that timeless grace and beauty.

The Bong Connection….

Festivals are a part and parcel of our lifestyle. Being in a metropolitan culture I pretty much get to enjoy and celebrate most festivals. Be it Diwali or Christmas Delhi is lit up and bright and alive during the festive season.

 Being a Bengali my personal favorite Durga Puja is the one that I look forward to the most. It is perhaps my only connection to Bengal. Mention the word Pujo and any Bengali be it in any part of the word has a bright smile on his face. I begin to live the festive spirit as these ten days of celebration comes near. The October sun attains a warmth that’s welcoming and not harsh as that of the summer season .The evenings are pleasant with sudden chills running down your spine reminding you that a cup of hot coffee and a friendly gathering is all you need to call it a perfect evening.

As the Pujo days come close by the markets are flooded with sale offers. It’s a ritual to any festival that new clothes are a must…….must be a merchant’s paradise these ten days of celebration. Apart from contributing to the shopkeepers profit share we Bongs (short form of Bengalis) love the celebration of our appittite.The foodie that we are obviously the during the festive days mouth watering cuisines are savored by thousands. This time the Puja days happen to coincide with the common wealth games. Hopefully with the blessings of the goddess we shall fare well or at least like hope to. The security measures have been doubled up and Delhi has been turned into a virtual fortress. Law enforcement officers are being posted at every nook and corner. A section of the road has been devoted to those involved in the common wealth games and is off limits for the general public. Traffic stoppage time has increased immensely. Even with so much happening Bengalis and Non Bengalis alike are beaming with excitement and nothing has dampened the festive spirit. The premises of various colony associations Durga Puja are being prepared top speed. The artisans are hurrying and putting finishing touches to grand statutes of the Durga Goddess ( a Hindu   goddess who signifies strength and valor). Just for once with all of the commonwealth nations here during a festive week I feel as if the world is in sync.

The West Comes to East

The West comes to east...

Our fascination with the west has no ends. Be it the cola culture, the denim culture, the fast food culture, the Gap culture……the list is pretty much endless. Seems like for once the common man of India and his favorite movie star who he adore sometimes even worships shares his interest of  the western culture especially Hollywood.

 When Aishwarya Rai went to Cannes Film Festival a few years back for the first time back home she became the front page news of every leading newspaper. Some adored her other criticized her but all in all she was the talk of the town as she was an Indian representing India on an International platform. Since then we now see Sharukh Khan tweeting about how wonderful is Shakira and Preity Zinta and Mallika Sherawat flaunting their Hollywood friends. But off late the tide has changed. This was sensed when Kate Winslet came to India to shoot for her movie Holy smoke. She was followed by Richard Gere who is a follower of Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie along with her brood. The recent visitors to India are Julia Roberets, Maddona, John Travolta and rapper Sean Kingston. India seems have always been a holistic destination for the west. The picture still very much remains the same except for a few additions the night clubs, the recent rave culture. For those on a vacation no doubt the hospitality industry and the tourist destinations of my country is one of the best in the world. Where else can you find a desert, the tranquil filled Himalayas, the waterways of kerela, the ghats and the plateau region of central India?

Truly diverse in culture language, cuisine and apparel this country is a paradise. With so much of Switzerland and other locales of the west being splashed on our television screens on a daily basis it seems that there is a desperate search for new shoot locations. To top that all the Indian actors have off late been show casing their acting talent world wide.Anil Kapoor in Slumdog Millionaire, John Abraham in Water or Imran Khan and Tabu in Namesake.Our country is blessed with cultural talent and the outside world has not even seen the tip of the iceberg .Sharukh Khan commisiioned Akon to sing for his recent movie to release Ra One,Kylie Minouge lent her vocals to song featured in the movie Blue.Recently during his stay when John Travolta was asked if he would like to work in Bollywood his surprising answer was a yes. Well it seems that the tide has changed its course and it is indeed the west wanting to come eastward not just for pleasure but strictly for work.

It’s a Girl  L

It’s true that our country is varied not just geographically speaking but even in our thought process. To experience this difference in thinking and the social evils which are criminal in nature one does not even have to probe too deep into the heart of India.

Haryana is a state that is not too far from Delhi infact it borders Delhi and boasts of a megacity like Gurgaon .This state has a population of hard working people and is responsible for producing a number of athletes who have done our country proud. Perhaps the topography of this state is responsible for harnessing such a race that has a natural athletic built. Especially the women of this region .Tall, spirited, devoted to the cause they work for .It plagues my heart to see that this state has one of the highest female feticide rates in our country. Traditionally a patriarchal society, the preference in this state is for a male child. What is further alarming is that inspite of the government addressing such issues there seem to be an increase in sex selective abortion. Other factors contributing to this cause seem to be socio cultural factors like dowry, landholding patterns and inheritance norms.

However, Haryana is not the only state being grappled with this menace. What is in fact needed is a multi-pronged stategy.The literacy campaigns need to reach the interior villages and educate women. An educated mother will always impart rational upbringing. With literacy concepts of equality, justice, brotherhood, social emancipation will be understood much better. This way the combat against this social evil will be stronger and gain strength and vigor. How much more do we women have to battle to secure our place in society. The only difference between a rural area and an urban area is even though both are diseased with gender bias one addresses the issue with barbarism the latter likes to capitalize on it.

Is White Perfect

Is the white perfect????

I had thought that the white man’s burden something that we have been battling for ages was over when we won our independence. Little did I know that color preference or more aptly fairness preference will become a lifestyle choice for the Indian society? All throughout schooling we are taught to believe in equality, brother hood, liberal ideas and democracy. It seems that all that teaching is pretty much bookish and we are indeed practicing discrimination on the basis of skin color especially when prospective grooms seek fair maidens as for a wife and advertising of skin fairness creams ads to this dilemma. As an Indian we should be proud of our skin color.

When Barack Obama won the U.S. presidency The Indian publicists especially started proclaiming it as a crusade won against racism. The United States has a significantly huge African American population who wear their culture on their sleeves. They are proud not only of their skin color but of their history, heritage, ancestors, the fact that this race has broken the shackles of slavery and is significantly contribution to music –Jazz. Rappers like Kanye west,Tupac, Biggy, P.Diddy and Akon to name a few have made rap music popular.Oprah Winfrey an African American is considered to be one of the most influential women in the world.Beyonce Knowles made curves and almond skin tone a requirement for exotic looks. Overnight we had fair skinned people running to tanning salons in America in a bid to acquire a skin tone nearer to Miss Knowles .Most modeling agencies these days look for more neutral tones as it is believed that they reflect most colors well and can carry them off with more panache and poise.

But we here in India are still stuck in skin color comparison. Perhaps it may not be entire the fault of the British who ruled us over for hundred years. Our earliest reference to caste system which is still vehemently followed refers to the upper caste to be of the Aryan race that was fair skinned. This pyramid cal fragmentation is so deep rooted that no amount of education or urban set up can actually erase it. Sadly even our Bollywood stars are busy endorsing fairness cream ads. How can they ignore the social message they are sending across to the youth for whom they are like demi gods. When one sees a big hoarding of aishwarya Rai or Sharukh Khan endorsing skin whiting rituals through various skin products are they saying Beauty lies in everything that shines bright.

Our country’s majority is having more than their share of troubles going not in their favor. There is malnutrition, poor public education, lack of health standards, diseases, poor public education, poor cultural norms that are putting this huge section at a disadvantage. On top of it when a country like ours where there is vast cultural diversity skin color too becomes a criteria for differentiation then the dream of a unified progressive nation becomes a distant dream .

Talk About It ...........

Talk About It….

• Between 10 to 15% of the of child and adolescent population has depression
• Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds

A common and a serious problem of our fast paced and stressful lifestyle is depression. The pressures and demands of our personal and professional lives sometimes cause some people to snap. It’s an extreme feeling of sadness and discouragement. Depression could happen to anyone and at any age. It does not cause insanity as is commonly thought. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons why most people shy away from addressing it. It’s the social shame associated with such disorders that lead to them remaining untreated or even undiagnosed. What is sad is the fact that not until recent years has depression been recognized as a disorder. The common cause for it could be a terminal change or trauma like losing someone very close , a tragic encounter or changes like passage from adolescence to adulthood, peer pressure , sexual orientation, professions like modeling where the demand to maintain a certain kind of a look is very high. People who go through such a phase are at a very fragile state and it’s the duty of their friends and family to become their pillar of strength and support. Often it’s the family or friends deserting such people lead to the severity of the situation .There have been reports of depressed youth taking to drugs and other substance abuse because of depression along with desertion. Such issues have off late been addressed in many movies, songs, features etc.Many support groups function to cater to after treatment needs, and forums have been developed to give voice to this issue. However I still feel that depression is something that is still not taken very seriously in our country. Trauma, abuse and other social evils are so high up in the list of problems that perhaps this condition is not even thought of as a disorder. Or perhaps we as Indians are so used to seeing crime and its other ugly facets so often that we are immune to a psychological iisue.I have had friends who have been diagnosed with depression and I can tell you first hand that step one for their recovery is for them to know that they aren’t insane and that they haven’t become sinners. They need to know that their loved ones would not see them in anyway less capable just because a trauma caused them to put a momentary pause to their lives. Also do not leave their side when they need you the most. It’s the time provided to them to boost their inner strength that heals them more than the medicines prescribed. What is important for them is to accept the fact that a change took place and that change is the reality of their lives. And it’s the family and the loved ones who help them realize this When I helped my friend through her recovery process amazingly enough I too went through some kind of a self healing process where I kind of got attuned once again to a lot of sentiments I thought I had lost.

So do not shy away from helping those who require your help. It’s not your wealth that they want it’s your time .Depression is a disorder that could happen to anyone. So remember a friend in deed is a friend indeed. Don’t turn away when someone so desperately yells for help. Extend that helping hand of yours. You will be utterly surprised that at the end of the day not only would you be the savior but the saved too. I know I was.