| |
METROSCAPE
For The Bride's First Steps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| MARITAL PREP SCHOOL: Singh shows the steps |
It's a finishing school, but Director Anjana
Bhargav-better known as a fashion designer-hates to call it that. Perfect
10, her six-month-old "personality institute", wound up a one-month
course (sessions in aromatherapy, etiquette, public speaking and more)
with a capsule on bridal trousseau planning, make-up and deportment at
Delhi's Hotel Intercontinental last week. On stage, faculty member and
fashion choreographer Vidyun Singh told the 40 or so listening girls,
"To ensure that you don't trip on your lehnga, kick and walk."
Another faculty member, model Divya Chauhan, demurely demonstrated, all
dressed up in the Bhargav-designed ensemble she wore at her own wedding
two years ago. More insights: don't frown, don't slouch, if you have to
take off your high-heeled shoes then walk on your toes. What was that
again? Well, cough up Rs 12,000 if you must know. Nagpur's Aditi Bindal,
21, who heard about Perfect 10 while on a short trip to Delhi, actually
stayed on for a month to attend. "I gained a lot of confidence from
the public-speaking part of the course," she says shyly. Well, never
mind.
-Anna M.M.
Vetticad
Material Awareness
 |
| PASS THE WORD: AIDS campaign through plays
(below) and patachitras |
 |
What kind of aids does one need to fight aids?
Booklets, video shows and T-shirts are good. But a street play is even
better. That's probably why the aids educational materials fair at Kolkata's
American Center last week followed up talks with live performances on
the hour like a minstrel chorus, a skit or folk rendition.
But behind the singing and dancing, the 60 NGOs
from all over the country (AIDS hotbed Manipur sent three) who participated,
did some serious networking. The Imphal-based Social Awareness Service
Organisation, for instance, was looking for partners for its European
Union-funded substitution materials programme, while other groups were
looking to update their methods.
"We want to be honest brokers," said
Rex Moser, director of the American Center. "We in America have lived
through the horror of aids and everything we did to tackle the disease
wasn't necessarily correct. Now we want that others do not make the same
mistakes." Sometimes a small step goes a long way.
-Labonita
Ghosh
They Sound Right
 |
| SEASIDE SINGERS: The Octet Cantibles |
Octet Cantabile has people talking for two reasons.
First, no one, but no one, can correctly enunciate the names Augustine
Paul, Solomon Premkumar, Kingslin Ponbhabha, Pearline Roopkumar, Billy
John, Nina Menezes, Jayanthi Prabhakar and Maxyn Kingston in one go. And
second, the eight-member band, created in December 1994 and originally
modelled on the UK's Swingle Singers, has a repertoire that silences many
seasoned pros. Their latest album Discovery, produced by ad man S.D. Reuben,
goes the gamut from classical tunes and negro spirituals to gospel numbers
in
English, Tamil and Malayalam. The band is also
a fundraiser's best friend-raising nearly Rs 25 lakh in charity. Nothing
like good music for people to loosen their purse strings.
-Stephen
David
 10
EARS FOR ROCK: In 1991, Delhi University was shaken
out of its music ennui by a band of six youngsters who called themselves
Parikrama. Nitin Malik, Sonam Sherpa, Subir Malik, Chintan Kalra and Dilip
Ramachandran rocked as unabashedly as their role models Pink Floyd, Led
Zep and Deep Purple and were on every college's Most Wanted list during
the fest season. On June 17 after 230 concerts in 40 cities, the band
celebrates its 10th birthday when additions to the band, guitarist Saurabh
Choudhary and violinist Sharat Srivastava plus lots of Indi stars will
gather at an undisclosed location for a night of hard rock revelry. "Inside"
sources insinuate the presence of wine, women and song. Wonder if this
will finally inspire them to take out an album.
|
|
METRO TODAY
Web
Exclusives