Gully boy
*ing: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt
Rated:5/10
If one doesn’t have any angst in life; if they are a chilled out person without any rage or resentment, would they still relate to Gully Boy? If one is past the age for rap and the anger and aggression it spews have become things of the past, will they like Gully Boy? Most probably not and definitely not in the long form that Zoya Akhtar presents the story of a rapper.
Despite the realism around youth frustrations and existential problems of the not so rich Dharavi populations, the film stretches the limits of storytelling much too farther than required. Despite Ranveer Singh’s stellar performance, the monotony of his journey gets to you in ways that it should not have.
The entire culture of rap, we understand, is largely underground (why I wonder) and encompasses all the negativities of growing in a modern unequal ills-ridden society.
As Murad, whose cubicled and claustrophobic existence complements his push to the entire rap scene budding in the depressing alleyways of the slum, Ranveer delivers well. He is aptly irreverent, simmering with potent anger, portrays the frustrations in a menacing and contained manner.
And yet the film has gaps that stare at you with queries writ large on the efficacy of such a long film sparsely sequenced.
Coming to the lyrics and the film’s anthem Apna time ayega showcases the rage hallowed with hope and reconciliation with the circumstances as are the other rap contests that brought out the applause from the youngsters in the hall.
Overall, the film could have been shorter, better sequenced and more happening, despite the crackling chemistry that Ranveer shares with his friends, his music and his girlfriend Alia Bhatt, who incidentally is the sunshine in this dark and unforgiving film.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Meenakshi Rao
Celebrated comedian Kapil Sharma to host host Bollywood heartthrobs Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor on his show, on the upcoming weekend. The star cast of Total Dhamaal will be seen on show to elevate the laughter levels. During her chat with Kapil, Madhuri talks about the large heartedness of MF Hussain and how great a person he was, who had no inclinations for materialistic pleasures. She also shares an interesting story when she was in Denver.
“I was in Denver and Aryan was just born. So, one day, Hussain Saab called me and expressed his desire that he wants to paint me in the role of a mother as he has seen me acting, in the role of a heroine and now he wants to see me in the role of a mother and how I take care of the house and the child. He came to Denver carrying a small roll-away bag, seeing which I asked him if I need to get his baggage collected. He mentioned that he isn’t carrying any baggage and the roll-away bag is all he has got. He didn’t waste any time and started planning on going out to get a canvas and start off with the painting to which I asked him to relax and rest during his stay. To which Hussain sahab said aap mujhe punishment de rahi hai, relax karne ko bol kar, jab main paint karta hoon to main relaxed rehta hoon. I gave in and told him that we need to get canvas as well as paints, but he pointed towards his bag and said that paints are all here. I was a little surprised to see that the only bag he was carrying was full of paints, so I asked him about his clothes to which he said ye shirt pehna hai aur pyjama.
Arjun to host kitchen champion
Food is always a serious business! To spruce up the afternoon slot with some great cooking and an unlimited dose of entertainment, COLORS gears up to treat its viewers to an all-new season of Kitchen Champion season 5. Known to bring popular celebrities under one kitchen for a cook off, COLORS’ homegrown cooking show has a major line- up of celebrities who will be joined by one family member.
Hosting the show will be Arjun Bijlani. Having successfully hosted his first show — Dance Deewane, Arjun is ecstatic at being part of a show that will not only help him taste various delicacies from the kitchen but also share the screen space with kids who will be judging the show. Being a foodie Arjun loves experimenting with various cuisines. He exclaims, “My new found love for anchoring has got me really excited about hosting Kitchen Champions.
Being a hardcore foodie, I’m part of the group who lives to eat. The concept of Kitchen Champion entices viewers of all generations as they watch their favorite celebrities cook traditional recipes. Since the show will have celebrities as contestants, the cook-off is going to be intense. The best part is the panel of judges, we all know how tough it can get to please kids. Everyone who knows me is aware that I love playing with children and I get along very well with them, therefore I’m sure this will be an enriching experience.”
Cute and quirky lil’ champs
Zee TV’s singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs is back with its 7th season and is all set to entertain the audiences. The upcoming Mega audition episode will give the show its Top 16 contestants who have left behind the shackles that restricted their dreams and delivered impeccable performances setting them on a path of accomplishing their goal of becoming the next Li’l Champ.
This time the Li’l Champs decided to do something fun and quirky as the top 16 contestants curated a special video where they recreated Ranveer Singh’s super hit rap song Apna Time Aayega from the film Gully Boy. Just like the mantra of this season #MusicSeBadhengeHum, Gully Boy embodies the same philosophy about music being one of life’s key propellers that help you grow and channelise your creative energy towards achieving your dreams. Through innovative twists to the lyrics such as Tu singer bankar aaya tha, kya medal leke jayega, the contestants bring alive their journey on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in a unique and fetching manner.
Moreover, this is definitely the cutest version of Apna Time Aayega that we have heard. Kudos to the Top 16 contestants and we are excited to see what they bring to the table with their upcoming performances.
riddhima gets rohit’s swag
Television’s popular actress, Riddhima Pandit has set a benchmark in Khatron Ke Khiladi 9 by performing the stunts with utmost confidence and grit. As she’s been taking on tough challenges, Riddhima has been coming out as one of the toughest contenders of this season.
The host, Rohit Shetty, is always seen encouraging and motivating the contestants with his quirks. In one such instance, Rohit Shetty promised Riddhima that if she does a stunt he thinks she cannot do and is successful, then he would gift her his personal glares which she was fond off. And this did not take long, as she impressed the stuntmaster in one of the task named ‘Catapult Net Jump’.
After her impressive stunt Rohit gifted Riddhima his glares, that he was wearing and it did not took Riddhima too long to try the glares on herself.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Pioneer
Despite being just 15-year-old, Armaan Singh is making waves by teaching underprivileged children, says Hima Kota
Armaan used to have numerous questions when he saw poor children begging at traffic signals from the window of his car. As a kid, he used to seek answers to those questions from his parents. By the time he turned 12, Armaan Singh Ahluwalia decided to do something for them. He told his mother, Dr Tarvinder Kaur Ahluwalia, that he wanted to open a school for the poor children. Kaur gave in to his innocent demand, looking at her son’s enthusiasm and passion.
Now, at the age of 15, Armaan runs Apne, a four-room school, on one of the floors of his house in Noida, for underprivileged children. “It feels like I get a fresh breeze when I’m in the company of these children,” says the Class X student of the DPS RK Puram. He spends at least one hour daily with 15 to 20 students on a regular day. The number of students increases to 25 on weekends when Armaan spends five to six hours at the school.
“I want all these students to be well-educated and be all-rounders, so as to improve their quality of life,” Armaan tells you who also organises football matches, athletic training sessions and theatre rehearsals for them. Last year, he had organised a football tournament for them.
However, all this is tougher than it sounds. Though he has had to sacrifce on a lot of pleasure that children his age enjoy like play video games, or watch TV, he has no regrets. “I have sacrificed these pleasures because to be in the company of these kids given he a lot of satisfaction and happiness,” he says.
His mother helps him in the cause. In fact, after meeting these children and listening to their stories, she resigned from her job in a multinational company two years back and helps Armaan run the school
“I get so much satisfaction to see the smiles on the innocent faces who seemed to have lost faith in themselves, when they came first to the school. I feel Armaan is getting much better education by serving them and understanding their stories of struggle, hunger and pain. I am happy that he is learning the real meaning of being educated. I have no regrets in leaving my job and helping my son. It has given us so much happiness. We understand the purpose of our lives now. Perhaps the reason why Armaan is getting a good education and I left my job to serve these kids,” Kaur says.
Armaan and his mother just don’t teach these kids, they are provided with stationery, uniform and food free-of-cost to the students, besides academic and sports facilities.
Looking at the good work and son and mother are doing, the school has started getting support from other families, who donate stationery, books and uniforms, besides providing monetary assistance. Taking inspiration from Armaan, his friends too have started celebrating their birthdays and special occasions with these children.
Each child at Apne has a struggle to share. “Now instead of working on construction sites, I come to the Apne. I can speak basic English and feel confident. I am fortunate that I have been given an opportunity to study and instead of being a labourer, I now dream of being a police inspector when I will grow up,” 10-year-old Lochan says.
Another student at Apne tells you how she loves going to Apne. “Studying and playing with other children makes me happy. I used to work as a maid in a house washing dishes. It gives a different feeling to come here. I am a different person now. When I grow up, I want to be a teacher,” Rakhi says.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Hima Kota
Roma’s story is a reflection of director Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood memories. Read on as the man himself shares some insights on the project with Team Viva.
Roma is a beautiful film. How did you not go crazy planning every detail?
I did go crazy (laughs). Even the crew had gone crazy. Nobody knew what was there in the screenplay. I wrote a very precise script but no one had it. We shot the film in a chronological order so that the crew could learn it day-by-day about the film’s story.
So the actress who played Cleo had no idea what was going to happen? Not to give spoilers for anyone but that scene is so heartbreaking.
No, she didn’t know. Without ruining it for anyone, she doesn’t know how to swim.
The movie is stunning and moving at the same time but at the crux of it, it’s such a traditional story. What made you want to do this?
Everything comes out of my memory of Libo. She is one of the women who raised me. I decided to shoot at the places where it happened. I made people dress in the same way how they used to dress. The same cars were kept which used to be in our streets. Every extra looks like the neighbours. If the places didn’t exist anymore, we recreated them.
The lead character, Yalitza Aparicio apparently didn’t even think she was going to audition for this role. Is that true? Is she an actor?
No, she had just finished her school to become a teacher. She was not really interested. Her sister made her give the audition for the film. She came to Mexico to meet me but she didn’t know who I was so she had browse the web to know about me. She didn’t believe it was me because apparently I was healthier in the photographs. She was amazing in the film and when I offered her the role. She said, ‘I don’t have anything better to do so let’s do it’ (laughs).
How personal is this project to you?
I had the story in my mind for a very long time but in 2006, I seriously considered doing it and I am happy that I did. I don’t think I had the tools at that point. I am not just talking about the technical aspect but also the emotional sensibility to do it. But it is very personal. In a way, 90 percent of the scenes come out of my memory.
Considering Mexico city doesn’t look the same anymore, how difficult was it to recreate that period?
It was very difficult. That’s our testament to Eugenio Caballero, our production designer. It was a real challenge. The important thing was to make the memory work. We had references and photographs but more than anything it is the memory that brings all the details like the little cracks in the walls, the objects that were used. The challenge for Eugenio was to bring real occasions back to period. We shot in most of the original places and transforming some of them. Mexico is a big city but it also has a third world which has no urban setup. For one scene, we had to produce around five blocks of the city, where Eugenio Caballero had reproduced the same kind of avenue, wedding dress shop, cinema, and even pharmacy. Everything was identical.
Why did you choose to do it in black and white?
It was a part of the DNA of the film. When I decided to make the film, I didn’t want a nostalgic black and white. I didn’t want a period film.
We shot 65 mm in digital so it was in black and white that could not have been done at that time. It’s a very pristine grainless black and white. It’s a very contemporary photography to look into the past.
(Oscars will air on February 25 at 6.30 am on Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD.)
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Artist Smriti Sangal, the founder of Culture Chauraha, draws her inspiration from all things vintage including her mother’s 33-year-old practice of Meenakari and ancient cultural extravaganzas.
There is an insatiable desire in every jewellery designer to better their work. A similar kind of zeal runs through Smriti Sangal’s veins while working on creating intricate designs. Each time she picks up her iron stand, heating it up in a furnace, she fashions yet another beautiful piece of Meenakari earring.
As the workshop commenced at the Jaypore store, Sangal, founder of Culture Chauraha was ready with her array of tools and equipment to help art connoisseurs learn about the Persian craft. It begDesigner K Rajesh, an with choosing the right kind of shape one wants to give to their earrings. It’s then cut on a copper sheet, flattened by a hammer and nail, pierced through a drill machine, moving on to cleansing the black coat and turning it into a shiny pink. The base coat is prepared through white crystal powder before starting its painting with powdered glass colours.
When Sangal started learning it from her mother, Ritu Sangal, who is a master of this art since the last 33 years, she felt the need to make it accessible for more people. “I saw that people were fascinated and were eager to learn about the entire process of jewellery making. Even if they don’t join the extensive course, they could come to these workshops and learn the basics. This would also in turn make them connect more to the art,” she says. She calls the melting of glass crystal colours as “surreal.”
Her three-hour workshops that also recently took place in Bengaluru teach two basic techniques of enameling — sgraffito (decoration done by scratching through a surface before firing) and paint-on. They are aimed at creating an enameled jeweller who is able to “notice and appreciate the effort and time it takes to produce one piece of jewellery.”
Sangal lists a number of processes that go through in the making of one piece of Meenakari jewellery. She says, “People through these workshops could notice the technicalities as well. For instance, how much temperature is it fired at, what kind of colours are being used, how the shape is given, what are the do’s and don’t’s, etc.”
Well, the motive of Culture Chauraha was in itself to create a space for people and teaching them mural painting, enameling, paper crafts, fine-art sketching, drawing, porcelain painting, woodcut printing, and helping kids to prepare for art colleges. She says that this was also founded “to make people go back to their art space that ends after school when a busy hectic schedule hits life and you find yourself away from such a therapeutic practice.”
Why Chauraha? Well, she says that it was inspired from the central place of the city where people from all corners of the town came together in olden days and had a cultural extravaganza, doing a number of activities.
Among an array of her handmade earrings and designer jewellery are an infusion of colours — green, yellow and shades of red — amalgamated with contemporary architecture and traditional Persian flower motifs. There are shapes like diamonds, hearts, butterflies, circles, and even pyramids.
She ends with telling us that even though the teaching has been a slow journey but “it has had been picking up very well. At the end of the workshop, what matters is that people are very happy with what they have created. As a mentor, you feel blissful that you made them learn something new.”
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Chahak Mittal
South African Tourism is unveiling newer destinations to discerning Indian travellers in a quest to reach its target of 100,000 tourist arrivals from India in 2019. It is aggressively marketing adventure sports and other unique experiences that also include destination weddings
In an attempt to reconnect and develop new business ties with the travel trade fraternity in India, the South African Tourism conducted its annual roadshows in the key metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi. During this year’s roadshow, the tourism board unveiled its strategy charted to surpass 100,000 Indian visitors in 2019. The roadshows are intended to capitalise on the strong potential for high consumer demand in India.
Recognising the evolving demands of the Indian traveller and in continued efforts to enable trade partners, the 66-member South African trade delegation, that included six new SMMEs, reiterated the tourism board’s emphasis on expanding the destination and product offering. In addition to experiences, representatives from accommodation establishments, destination management companies, airlines, tourism associations displayed their products and engaged with the Indian travel and trade partners.
For the period of January to September 2018, Mumbai contributed 45 per cent to the overall Indian arrivals to South Africa while Delhi was at 17.4 per cent, Chennai at 7.7 per cent and Kolkata at 1.6 per cent. “Our brand research shows that Indian travellers prefer South Africa as a holiday destination, due to the memorability and value for money it offers. We will continue to drive this demand by introducing a wider geographical area, thus allowing us to introduce new experiences. We remain focused on customising our engagements and product offerings to suit the unique requirements from each of our target regions within India,” said Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head for the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia, South African Tourism.
With iconic cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban as draw cards, the tourism board is growing efforts to promote the engaging surrounds of newer regions like Stellenbosch, George, Simon’s Town, Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth and East London in the current year. In 2018, there was a higher uptake in the demand for and travel to new and off-beat provinces like Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Free State.
In response to the need for introducing new experiences, the tourism board will lay special emphasis on promoting the diversity of activities and experiences. With Indian travellers consuming the highest adventure activities outside of South Africans, the board will deepen focus to promote the 3000+ adventure activities that the country offers including off-beat activities like long tom toboggan rides, fatbike tours, mountain boarding and walking safaris, along with popular activities like abseiling and paragliding.
Along with building, cementing and sustaining two-way tourism ties between India and South Africa, the brand is also seeking new and creative ways to enhance the destination’s USP. “We are keen on optimising our collaboration with complementary African nations to enhance our value proposition. In particular, we have been exploring partnerships with Mauritius and Seychelles that will enable us to co-promote both destinations,” added Nkani.
While consolidating its position in wildlife, adventure and cultural offerings, the destination will also target the niche wedding market, for which South African Tourism has seen an upswing in enquiries. For this, the tourism board is engaging aggressively to educate trade partners about the variety of world-class facilities, distinctive attractions, unforgettable and value for money experiences available at the destination.
Nkani further said, “As India plays a key role in achieving our 5-in-5 target, which includes four million international visitors, we are now looking to double our marketing efforts and enhancing destination marketing support within the region. While we are already widely known for our wildlife offerings, the 5-point strategy for 2019 will ensure that we incorporate certain measures and leverage partnerships to position and cement ourselves as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’, while building preference as a wedding destination for the India market.”
To make travel easier to the destination, the South African Tourism has been working closely with the Consulate General of South Africa in Mumbai to introduce an updated visa procedure. For this, they are collaborating to accredit select travel agents and tour operators to allow fast-tracking visa applications from preferred partners. At present, the visa process takes 5-7 days, which is a lot shorter than some of their competitors.
With 86,405 arrivals as of November 2018, the destination board shared a positive outlook for the Indian market, noting that as of June 2018, the total spend by Indian travellers in South Africa had increased by 20 per cent and that there was an upswing in the average length of stay, a growth of 7.7 per cent and the total bed nights increased by four per cent.
Writer & Courtesy: Pioneer
The Visual Arts Gallery exhibition witnessed a series of prints under the name ‘Multiple Encounters by mentor and printmaker Sushanta Guha. Human figures as a reflection of fantasy and inventiveness rolled into one, the prints make you look at the hands, the details and the power of expression in these six lithographs and four etchings. Among the greatest prints, has been Albrecht Dürer’s Rhinoceros that I saw at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. History states that Dürer was alive at the time Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his partners were claiming the New World for Spain. The exotic valuables they brought back to King Charles V (weapons, textiles and more) was the talk of Europe.
Indian Rhinoceros
Dürer saw a selection of Meso-American treasures on a trip to Brussels in August 1520. According to an entry in his travel diary, Dürer had ‘not seen anything in (his) whole life that delighted (his) heart as much as these, marvelously-artistic things.’
It was around this time that Portuguese adventurers caused an even greater sensation by transporting a rhinoceros to Europe from India for their king, Manuel I. Dürer never saw the animal himself but cashed in on the furor about it — producing a woodcut image of the rhino, based on a sketch by a German merchant in Lisbon. Dürer’s version came with numerous fanciful additions, intended to fire the viewer’s imagination — including folds of skin that looked like armor.
Richness of images
Coming back to Sushanta, he gives us a visual stew in which details dissolve into a primordial puddle and has a kind of repulsive yet resonant fascination. His squiggly line drawings take an ardent delight in things that multiply or mutate but in inventive, quirky forms. Sushanta creates yeasty transformations in drawing with all the linear subtlety and complexity of Albrecht Dürer engravings.
His etchings and lithographs strongly evoke the passionate prowess of the ‘Old Masters’ and it is this versatile quality that transformed the very taste and tensile offerings of this epic showcase of five printmakers.
Stunning lithographs
As a printmaker, Sushanta is a man of a few words, “I generally work consecutively in two different media — etching and lithograph. Although I have worked in all the disciplines in a printmaking media, lithography is my favorite medium,” says Sushanta. He adds, “I start with sketchy drawings first and then keep adding on along with my concept till the final drawing with complete satisfaction.”
The two media — different as they are — share the quality of mechanically simplifying the task of making and reproducing pictures. In lithography, artists draw directly on flat stones that also act as the printing plate. It’s a very supple and efficient method. Artists started working in olden years with historical examples. Sushanta’s works stood out because they gave a sense of being modern throughout.
Strength of imagery
There’s a touch of familiar time in Sushanta’s human figures. Even though the subject of the human figure is classical, the images he creates hover on the surface like a modern-day TV picture soaring through differential speeds. While he alludes to the idea of characters that swim through time and testimony, he also hints at the invention of the idea of artistic modernism through his technique and his tenor.
What defines a good lithograph? Firstly and foremost, it is a question of quality and how strong, clear and rich the image appears. Printing quality, however, is a matter of judgment and experience, and therefore subjective. In many instances, there is hard evidence concerning the chronology of the printing, as prints often existed in different states. But it is the clarity of images that define the quality. The success of Sushanta’s prints lie in the quality of resultant details and impact on the viewer’s senses telling us about truths of printmaking.
So much of beauty and of what propels our pursuit of truth in artistic domains stems from the invisible connections — between ideas, disciplines, denizens of a particular time and place, the interior world of each pioneer and the mark they leave on the cave walls of cultures. Sushanta’s human figures are like beings flitting from one phase of Nocturne to another, causing through the torchlight of a revolution that lights the new day.
Writer – Uma Nair, Courtesy – Pioneer
Using the form of goddess Kali, artist Sanjay Bhattacharya created 4 drawings celebrating various moods of the goddess. Standing with one foot on Shiva’s chest and red tongue stuck out, curator Kounteya Sinha celebrates the black goddess in a show entitled Niguro at the Kolkata Design Fair.
“Kali’s fierce form is strewed with symbols. Her black complexion symbolises her all-embracing and transcendental nature,” says Kounteya.
‘Just as all colours disappear in black, all names and forms disappear in her,’ said Mahanirvana Tantra by Sir John Woodroffe. Her nudity is primeval, fundamental, and transparent like nature that constitutes the Earth, the sea and the sky. Kali is free from the illusory covering, for she is beyond all maya or “false consciousness.” Kali’s garland of fifty human heads, that stands for the fifty alphabets of the Sanskrit language, symbolises infinite knowledge.
Kali’s form
“For me, Kali is not a religious symbol, she is a form,” says Bhattacharya. He creates a stunning symbolism through shades of vermillion, black and grey. The geometry and abstraction creates contours which form a confluence of an aura that is unmistakable.
Historians state that Kali in her manifestation has many messages. Her girdle of severed human hands signifies work and liberation from the cycle of karma. Her white teeth show her inner purity and her red lolling tongue indicates her omnivorous nature — “an indiscriminate enjoyment of all the world’s flavours.” Her sword is the destroyer of false consciousness and the eight bonds that bind us. Bhattacharya gives us Kali in her monumental magnificence through his four drawings.
“Her three eyes represent the three modes of time — past, present, and future — an attribute that lies in the very name Kali (Kala in Sanskrit means time),” says Bhattacharya. The images create many reflections that we can recall from literature as well as ancient texts. The eminent translator of Tantrik texts, Woodroffe in Garland of Letters, writes, “Kali is so called because She devours Kala (time) and then resumes Her own dark formlessness.”
Mahabharata
Historian Devdutt Pattnaik says that in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, composed around the third century BC, time and goddesses including Kali were given more character. They were usually independent and wild, appearing as manifestations of divine rage and embodiments of the forces of destruction.
In the Mahabharata, for instance, the nocturnal bloodbath by Ashwathama at the end of the 18-days long war slaughtered Pandavas’ innocent children rather dastardly while they are asleep. This is seen as the work of “Kali of bloody mouth and eyes, smeared with blood and adorned with garlands, her garment reddened — holding noose in hand — binding men and horses and elephants with her terrible snares of death.”
Defender against demons
Devdutt also states that in the Devi Mahatmya, dated roughly to eighth century AD, Kali became a defender against demonic and malevolent forces and by the 19th century, Kali was a goddess of mainstream pantheon, a symbol of divine rage, of raw power and the wild potency of nature. The one who was once feared as an outsider had made her way right to the heart of the mainstream.
Devdutt narrates a story: “They say that Shiva never spoke a single word until Shakti came in his life as Parvati. She became not only his wife, but also his student, asking questions, discussing and deliberating with him, till he revealed to the world the mysteries of life. One day, she asked him, ‘What is love?’”
“When you dance atop me as Kali, naked with hair unbound, unafraid to be yourself, to be powerful and vulnerable and of being judged and mocked, I feel love. You make me open my eyes. I realise that Lalita, the beautiful one, is also Bhairavi, the fearsome one. I realise Mangala, the auspicious one, is also Chandika, the violent one. I see you totally, without judgement and realise I am capable of seeing the truth. That you allow me to see you fully, without judgement, tells me that I have become trustworthy. Thus you become the mirror, the Parvati darpan, that reflects who I am. You help me discover myself. You become my Saraswati. You reveal the true meaning of darshan. In joy, I dance, I become Nataraj.”
In Kolkata, set in an old mansion, Bhattacharya’s Kali drawings will bring together the incantation of an incandescent spirit that surges and speaks to those who are willing to believe amongst the crowds. Perhaps in more ways than one, the words of an old hymn will swing into the air. “O Mother, even a dullard becomes a poet who meditates upon thee raimented with space, three-eyed, creatrix of the three worlds, whose waist is beautiful with a girdle made of numbers of dead men’s arms…” (from a Karpuradi Stotra hymn, translated from Sanskrit by Sir John Woodroffe.)
Writer – Uma Nair, Courtesy – Pioneer
Receiving an Oscar is a dream for every actor. As the who’s who of the world film industry come together under one roof to celebrate this moment, the sheer excitement of the event often leads to some of the most memorable Oscar moments for the world remember. As the stakes run high, the event lends itself to moments that consist of thrill, anxiety and anticipation even among the highly cautious celebrities. Very often, their rare moments of candour, sometimes heartwarming and often hilarious, go on to become some of the best water cooler conversations for years to come. Read: pizza fiestas, celebrity selfies and red carpet faux pas.
Truly a world event, the Academy Awards, now in its 90th year has enjoyed some of the most iconic moments and here are some of them.
Which actor would refuse the movie industry’s heftiest honour? Well, here’s news – the legendary Marlon Brando would and that too for a very unexpected reason.
Instead of attending and collecting his statue in 1973 for his gut-wrenching role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather, he decided to boycott the event altogether and send the Native American civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to the podium instead. While there, she read a letter from the actor that explained why Brando was rejecting the Oscar – due to “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”
Not only did Brando’s rejection of the Oscar go down in history as one of the most memorable moments of the awards’ history but this incident has been etched onto the minds of audiences because The Godfather, a legendary film, saved Brando’s career from hitting a point of no-return.
Hattie McDaniel had broken many stereotypes when she won the award for her portrayal of Mammy, a slave in the Georgian plantation in the classic film — Gone with the Wind. For the 1940 awards, she was made to sit at the back due to segregation and in an irony her Oscar win ensured that she came to the front and on-stage to receive the award. It also paved the way for many more people of colour to be nominated and even win thereon.
Hearts were shattered world-wide at the shocking demise of one of Hollywood’s most iconic and versatile actors. Heath Ledger not only captured the true essence of every character that he portrayed but introduced quirks that became iconic and memorable. The Joker in The Dark Knight was one such role and it came as no surprise that he won the award for best supporting actor posthumously at the 2008 Oscars ceremony. His daughter going on-stage on his behalf to collect the award didn’t leave a dry eye in the auditorium, or for that matter anywhere in the world. Undoubtedly, this was and has been one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the awards’ history.
Winning an Oscar is every director and producers dream and when they make movies, they hope their hard work will get acclaim. But Paul Haggis was left truly stunned when his movie Crash ended up winning the best film at the Oscars over everyone’s favourite and critically acclaimed movie Brokeback Mountain. Jack Nicholson, who was the presenter of the award, was shocked when he opened the envelope. This moment went on to prove that the outcome of the world’s most esteemed film award ceremony can never be predicted.
Winning an Oscar can be overwhelming and mar one’s sense of judgment. While, every Oscar Winner is given exactly 45 seconds to make their Oscar Speech, for Cube Gooding Jr it fell short by a minute. The star won his first Academy for his portrayal of sportsmen Rodney ‘Rod’ Tidwell in the romantic comedy Jerry Maguire in 1997 and over shot his 45 second timeframe by a minute when he continued his speech over the Orchestra.
Though Hattie McDaniel was the first black recipient of an acting Academy award, it was Halle Berry’s win in 2002 for her role in Monsters Ball that was the first ever for the coveted title of ‘Best Actress’, won by a woman of colour. Her heart-warming speech had diversity at its crux.
What happens when you get a world famous comedian and a dozen movie stars in one frame? A social media meltdown. When Ellen Degeneres invited few of the nominees and winners for a selfie and posted it on her Twitter handle, it resulted in the in a temporary breakdown of the social media site it was retweeted over 3.4 million times. A memorable world-event that many audiences around the globe have saved on their smartphones or systems.
Winning the award for Best Actor is a dream for most but for Leonardo Dicaprio, it remained a dream for far too long, despite his path-breaking and multi-faceted performances. After being snubbed five times over a period of 23 years as his first Oscar nomination was at the age of 20, the actor was finally called on-stage to collect the golden statute for his performance in The Revenant. The speech that he delivered was nothing short of magic and went down in Oscar history to become more important than the actual win.
A blooper is what made this one memorable. The film, La La Land not only won hearts around the world but also went on a winning spree at the 89th Academy Awards. So, it was not a surprise when they were asked to come on-stage to collect the most sought-after title of ‘Best Picture’. Only this time around, they didn’t win.
When the entire cast and crew of the movie came on-stage to give their speech, award presenter Warren Beatty clarified that it was an incorrect announcement and went on to declare that Moonlight, was the winner that night. While everyone laughed it off, the shock that came with the second announcement has cemented itself as one of the biggest goof ups yet and is right up there in the most iconic moments in the 91 years of Oscar history!
Writer: Team Viva
Courtesy: The Pioneer
They say theatre is a reflection of society, no matter where it comes from or the characters who are in the spotlight. The stage can have multiple interpretations and sides to it, depending on a director’s perception. While the 20th Bharat Rang Mahotsav celebrates theatre and its various colours, the international directors are showcasing their culture and their perceptions of the world, theatre and arts, with “An Iliad” bring one of the most anticipated presentations to be made in the event.
Most of them feel that the space has been very ‘well-worked upon’ to showcase the best of drama. “I am still learning, but it is appealing to see the festival’s extravaganza and how wide it is. It’s very well organised and has turned out to be exactly the way that we had imagined a grand theatre festival should be,” says director Guy Roberts from Czech Republic, who is a first-time visitor to India.
As he recreates Homer’s greatest epic Iliad as An Iliad with Rebecca Greene Udden, he talks about how he focuses on the story of fighters, Achilles and Hector, which is told from a poet’s point of view. This is the character of Homer himself. “He is here to tell the story of the Trojan war and about rage, anger and hatred and how we cannot get past that. It is a modern take on how fights have been going on since forever. It just gives a reference of the wars that collide with the ancient epic of the Greeks and Trojans,” shares he.
He explains that the play has moments of both traditionality and modernity, “There are moments in the play where I act out the traditional text and sometimes where I explain it in a very easy-to-understand modern language.”
A theatre is a just a play of characters, or so believes Roberts. Since his play is a depiction of an after-war destruction scene, he says that this could be anywhere and fought over anything. “It is not just about the Greek war, it examines the human nature through the two characters. People are the same all across the world. It could be today’s Syrian war, or a civilian war in some other country. The play is everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time,” says he.
For him, it’s simply storytelling that makes all the difference even if one is devoid of any costumes, stage or props. He feels that “they have the simplest show but sometimes even being simple could be the most difficult thing.” So there is only a small team of five people who are both on stage and at the back.
While Roberts feels that theatre examines the human nature and tries to “present” the reality to the audience, director Sara Zaker from Bangladesh also believes that it “reflects” that part of the society which is in front of people but they don’t accept readily.
Zaker, who adapts Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s The Open Couple at the festival, feels that theatre is important to make the society realise that there are things that are important and need to be delved into deeply rather than simply overlooking them.
Her play is a story of a couple where the husband has multiple affairs. This disturbs the wife to such an extent that she tries to kill herself each time that she finds out about his newest affair with a different woman. She says that in our society polygamy has been very prevalent. “It has had a vast historical background, not just in Bangladesh but universally. There have been kings who have had numerous wives and partners. Here, everytime the man has an affair, he tries to pacify his wife by saying that she was at a liberty to do the same,” says she.
The director says that “it was time we articulated our thoughts about the polygamous relationship that permeates all levels of society.”
Even though the original play had been written during the early 1980s, she feels that what makes theatre special, “is that it is timeless. It depends on the narrative and the message that it tries to portray. It’s not time-specific. It tries to show how the couple’s relationship is not functioning well and that is true with many others as well.”
The husband, in her play, tries to comfort his wife by telling her that they could call it an open relationship and even she could go out looking for affairs. He soon finds out that his wife has fallen in love with another man and is furious just like she used to be. The play, Zaker tells us, ends with a gunshot after the husband goes inside the bathroom. “No one knows whether he really died or he was pretending. It’s open to the audience’s interpretation and the way they perceive it. However, I wanted to give a substantive message to the audience which they could take back,” says she.
It’s the first time that she is showcasing at the festival and Zaker feels that they have displayed “excellent professionalism. The festival’s arrangements are enough to inspire you to tell your story with complete determination. They give a time which we have to follow. We had given them all the architectural measurements for our props and explained the way they had to be constructed. And indeed, they were exactly what we had wanted. There are so many plays and each of it is given equal importance. It’s a wonderful experience.”
About how theatre has evolved over the time, she says that it hasn’t become a regular activity or as a medium of survival and livelihood. She says, “That way, we are not doing good. Either it will have to become a medium of business and go places. If one looks at Bangladesh, it’s not something that provides bread at the end of the day. One can’t survive just by acting.”
While Roberts feels, “Theatre is becoming more and more technically advanced with gadgets coming into the space. But theatre will always be about people sharing a space and experience. It happens only for that moment and then it goes away, hence it’s very unique.”
Writer: Chahak Mittal
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Q. The cast is made up of people from different nationalities. The brothers come from different backgrounds and cultures. Is that a challenge?
I wouldn’t say a challenge. It’s actually quite fun. When we first started filming together, we all lived very close to each other. We were in the same apartment block, just next door. You learn where everyone is from and I have been fortunate enough to get to travel with them to their homes. I’ve been to Denmark with the boys four times now. When you go on holiday to a place, you only get to see the surface. When you’re with people from that country, you get to meet their families and get to know their traditions. The Danish forget that I don’t speak their language. You get so comfortable with each other, you forget that we are from different countries. You get to see a deeper side of each other’s culture, which is a really good thing. It’s the best part about being on set with people from different backgrounds.
Seeing the amount of fighting going on, do you ever get hurt?
Sometimes. Mistakes are a part of life. We practice a lot. There’s a big fight in season five between one person and me where they made me look about eight foot tall. It’s the biggest fight I’ve ever done in my life. We trained for six weeks, four days a week, for it. It took us a day and a half to shoot, and when it made it on screen, it’s about three minutes long. It starts out quite epic, and then gets really tight and personal. That day I had bruised ribs and a black eye. He punched me twice in the jaw. You try your hardest and the stunt guys are very professional. Their main goal is safety, but once you get into it and you get a bit restless, things start to slip up.
What training do you have to do for these fight scenes?
You start really broad, and then you get into the finer details. Practicing in a stunt shed and in a swamp of mud, with dirt in your eyes, you start to get into character. But it’s important for an actor to remember that looking good, and looking real are two completely different things. You don’t need to be in full force. It’s like a dance routine. It’s a sword ballet, pretty much.
All the brothers were quite close in the beginning. Now they have all split up and have chosen separate sides, will we ever see that brotherhood come back together again?
I actually think about this all the time. Every time we read the script, we always want to ask Michael, “Do we get back together?” I think especially with Ivar, everybody has completely different ideas of just how the world should be. Ivar and Ubbe can’t sit in the same room together. When they are in the same room, it never ends well. Hvitserk is torn between the two. He can have an understanding with both Ivar and Ubbe.
Does Ubbe eventually choose a side?
I think he’ll always be in the middle. I think it’s just his part. He keeps going between the two. There’s that rivalry between Bjorn and Ubbe because Bjorn is sort of the rightful person to take over Ragnar’s place. Ubbe doesn’t have an ego like the rest of the brothers do.
Do you think that Ubbe would ever forgive Lagertha for killing his mother?
I had problems with this when I first read the script. I was really struggling to wrap my head around it because he was such a family guy from the start. I think in order to move forward with the Vikings, you have to adapt to their modern society. He understands that he needs both Lagertha and Bjorn. He doesn’t forgive her, but I think he understands that keeping her as an ally will have a much better outcome rather than going against her. If he goes against her, she’s going to die. But he knows they can use each other to achieve something much bigger and better.
How has Ubbe developed in season 5? Do you think he will carry on Ragnar’s legacy?
Yeah, that’s exactly how he describes it. Ragnar wanted something bigger and better for the show. In the first year, he wanted to sail west. He knew that something was going to be a cut above, whether it was England or beyond. It’s not all about the raping, pillaging and the killing. We can have a mutual understanding with people in other countries to make the Vikings better. He doesn’t know where he’s going, or how he’s going to do it, but he’s got a much greater idea to guide the show into the future rather than taking himself there. It’s not about putting Ubbe in the history books. It’s about putting the Vikings in history books.
Did you study Travis? Are there certain quirks that you portray?
Yes, absolutely. You take on little twitches, and the way that you move, things like that. When your father is Ragnar Lothbrok, you have to take on some of his characteristics. We all do in a certain way. We’ve all picked up little bits from Floki and Ragnar. It also doesn’t help that I’ve been told I look like Travis quite a lot. We look very similar. He’s a lot more handsome than I am, but we look close enough. I don’t think you can have a father figure like him and not pick up his characteristics.
Does it happen often that you get a chance to change your lines or discuss it with Michael?
When I first started, I tried to just let it go and do my thing. Michael is writing the show by himself. I mean, sometimes he’s writing 20 character storylines all at once. So I ask him, “How about if Ubbe goes this way?” Sometimes he says yes. Sometimes he’ll write back a very nice email that means “no”, but he doesn’t say no. (Laughs)
How did you react to Alex dragging himself on the ground?
Alex is such a character. I feel like I’m just walking nicely, but he’s got the walk, and he’s so good at it. How he does it on his wrists, I’m not sure. He’s like a full on character rolling next to you. How Alex managed to drag himself around for the past two years is amazing. It just looks so good on screen when he does it. There’s a great scene where we are in a church in England. I just remember watching the monitor of him walking through and it was nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It’s great for the character.
What would you say would be the scariest thing that happened on the set throughout filming?
It’s not that scary. The stunt people put in a lot of effort to keep us safe. There was one scene that’s coming up in 5B where quite a few people are set on fire which is quite scary to watch. It’s such a timed process. I was more scared for them than I am for me. Because sometimes you don’t even get to know if it’s all going according to plan or not.
What was the most difficult thing for you to do for this show?
The most difficult part of the show is the longevity. Over all, you’re here for a very long time. It can take two and a half months to shoot a scene. Trying to keep the continuity and the spark going all the way through it can be hard, especially when you’ve got time off. Trying to get back into it after being gone for two weeks is difficult, but once you get back on set for an hour, it comes back to you.
How long do you spend here shooting?
Between eight or nine months. It’s a long time away from your family. You become a family here, to be honest. This island becomes your home. It’s a big country, but Dublin’s such a small town. When we go out we know people in the coffee shops, the restaurants. You start to know people around your area. It’s strange when you leave for Christmas, when you say goodbye to everyone for three months. It’s like we live in two different worlds.
Courtesy: The Pioneer
Writer: Team Viva
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