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Oct 25, 1999

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Playing for the Pope

"Music is the speech of God Himself," says Gaurav Mazumdar, 34. The reverential tone kind of fits in with his next assignment. The young sitarist, a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, has been invited to perform in the Vatican later this month before Pope John Paul II and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. "I feel blessed," he sighs, and to prove the point, he's composed a special raga -- Akanksha (expectations) -- and stitched a special white silk kurta pyjama for the occasion. Blessed are the enthusiastic ... Hasn't anyone said that yet?

No Kidding, Man!
First Karisma, now Nicole Kidman. Designer Ashley Rebello is making Kidman's outfits for a Franco-Australian film. In a stage performance that's part of Rougue Voulle Von, Kidman (star of Eyes Wide Shut, also Tom Cruise's wife) plays a prostitute in an Indian brothel. Rebello uses "old Rajasthani fabrics with embroidery, zardozi ..." for the film. Next month he's off to meet Kidman. "It's just another assignment," he says. He's got the attitude. Also the job.

The Complete Man
A complete entertainer, that's what he wants to be. Actor Nirmal Pandey is just out with Jazba, his debut album "in the sufiana kalaam". We know him as Phoolan Devi's lover in Bandit Queen. What's not so well-known is that Pandey trained in classical and folk music, did a music fellowship from the National School of Drama and has scored the music for over 40 stage productions. "If you can act," he says, "that's good. If you can act and sing that's even better." And if you can act and sing and compose ...

Proud to be Loud
What the heck, a win is a win. Maverick Kam Jagpal's souped-up Ford transit van has won the recent "Pioneer Monster Sound Challenge" held in the UK, becoming the loudest roadworthy vehicle in the world. Kitted out with wall-to-wall speakers, the gigantic gizmo managed to touch 164.4 decibels at the contest (the very maximum that humans can take is 140). "I always thought I was in with a pretty good chance of breaking the record," he said. Now he's sure.

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