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METROSCAPE
Man In The Mirror
You wouldn't have
missed the dark, brooding look in the television promos of Amitabh Bachchan's
forthcoming psycho-thriller Aks. Credit the film's surreal halo to 40-year-old
cinematographer and ad filmmaker Kiran Deohans. For the uninitiated, Deohans
picked up the Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer for his work in
his first film and puppy love story Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. But that was
12 years ago. Back with a bang, the FTII graduate has the film industry
raving about The Look he has crafted for the AB Corp film. Aks, touted
to be inspired by Hollywood films Fallen and Face-Off, presents an intriguing
mix of smoky rooms, sinister shadow play and an unsettling aura that recalls
the American "film noire" influence. Deohans, who with wife
Aban has done over 1,000 commercials, including Pepsi, Colgate and Voltas,
had rejected tempting offers from filmmakers Shekhar Kapur and Rahul Rawail
before Aks and debutant Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's script happened. "Directing
a film is like getting married," muses Deohans, who looks set for
a longer innings in the industry this time round-he is also doing Karan
Johar's multi-starrer Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. "I don't rely on fancy
gimmicks," he says ."The art is in the storytelling." Another
Filmfare statue could well be on its way.
-Himanshi
Dhawan
Gothic Revival
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| PRICELESS
RELICS: The stone receptacles (left); a Persian medallion |
STILL
TOWERING: The Santhome Cathedral Basilica |
Its pristine architectural beauty, historical
distinction and Gothic grandeur will once again be recalled. Chennai's
towering Santhome Cathedral Basilica, one of its oldest churches, is being
renovated for the first time in its 106 years of existence. The church,
built on the tomb of St Thomas, an apostle of Christ, houses rare antiquity-the
chair used by the first bishop of Chennai, the lance-head used to kill
St Thomas, stone receptacles and medallions. To prevent its aesthetic
splendour from falling apart, the peeling plaster and walls will have
to be attended to, says parish priest Reverend Lawrence Raj. Santhome
hopes to raise over Rs 2 crore in funds for renovation, expected to end
July 2001. The Basilica's grand collage of Italian stained glass windows
will throw light on a new past now.
-Kavitha
Muralidharan
 OF
SHOWMEN AND NO-SHOWS: Talk about fleeting guest appearances.
It was planned as a special session between fans and the Yaadein team
at Float, the hip and happening nightclub at Parkroyal Hotel in Delhi
last week. But director Subhash Ghai (centre) floated in two hours late
with actors Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and music director
Anu Malik, and then wafted out five minutes later. Looks like they took
the name of the venue a tad too seriously.
Beauty On The Run
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| Kumaravelu in her beauty mobile |
If you can get bread and butter delivered at
your doorstep, why not beauty? Chennai beautician and entrepreneur Veena
Kumaravelu asked herself just that before introducing Beauty On Wheels
(BOW), an air-conditioned mobile beauty salon that seems to have the city's
beautiful people hooked. Equipped with all the facilities of a conventional
beauty parlour, BOW offers regular services-save for body massages-on
the move. It was Kumaravelu's two-year experience running Naturals, a
beauty clinic in the city, which prompted her to take her business to
the road. "With parlours mushrooming every other day, there is fierce
competition. This was a novel way to reach out and make money," says
the 35-year-old commerce grad. BOW mainly targets brides "who waste
much time and energy going to beauty clinics on the eve of the wedding"
(a bridal package costs between Rs 800-1,500), also making stops at ladies'
hostels on the city's outskirts. On the cards: more such mobile parlours.
Talk about going out of the way.
-Arun Ram
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