|
NEWSNOTES
FUN QUIZ
 Q
1. Critics have been calling Manisha Koirala the second Meena Kumari because...
a. Meena Kumari's mother was, like
Manisha, from Nepal.
b. Meena Kumari had a drinking problem.
c. Both women have very expressive faces and eyes.
 Q
2. Star TV is considering Neena Gupta and Shabana Azmi for a bitchy quiz
show to complement Kaun Banega Crorepati. It will be modelled on...
a. The Missing Link.
b. The Cheapest Link.
c. The Weakest Link.
Q 3. Animation film The Story of Chilly has
been produced by V.R. Parvathy who is...
a. Nine years old.
b. 20 years old.
c. 30 years old.
Answers: 1(b), 2(c), 3(a)
Jute Smartens Up
 As
Sheryl Smith walked down the aisle of Harrods, London, a chic gym bag
caught her attention. As she picked it up, the first thing she noticed
was that it was made of jute, the second, that it was an Indian brand.
Jute. That's what Harrods in UK and Fabretto
in Italy have in common with India's Taj Group of Hotels and Greece's
Maris Group of hotels.
|
|
|
SOFTER LOOK:
Jute furnishing and bags are hot property abroad
|
Rough, rustic, coarse might be your first thoughts
on the subject, but it's obviously time for a re-think. Jute and its products
have wound their way into everyday lives as clothing, backpacks and gym
bags and into hotel rooms as furnishings and knick-knacks. Mixed with
cotton and silk, jute has become the material en vogue in Italy, Germany,
France, the US and the Middle East. In the UK, it has been received as
warmly as Indian curry and cinema.
 The
golden fibre hitherto used mainly for packaging is now selling as a lifestyle
product, thanks to its eco-friendliness and exotic look. According to
the Jute Manufacturing Development Council, Kolkata, the export of Indian
jute products has increased from Rs 551 crore in 1999-2000 to Rs 691 crore
in 2000-1. Australia, the council says, is the only major market still
untapped.
—Himanshi Dhawan
MUSIC REVIEW
Ghazal Maestro's New Tune
|
|
|
DIFFERENT STROKES
(HMV; Rs 70)
|
Jagjit Singh has dominated the ghazal arena for
decades. But this album, as the title suggests, is different. Different
Strokes contains short compositions compiled from live recordings based
on ragas Rageshwari, Darbari and Bhairavi. Apni garaj pakar leene, for
example, is based on raga Rageshwari, a derivative of the Khammaj scale.
Of the eight compositions here, six are based on ragini Bhairavi-supposedly
the female aspect of raga Bhairav. Both Baju band khul khul jaye and Babul
mora naihar chhoto jaye are well-known thumris sung by several masters,
from Faiyaz Khan to Bhimsen Joshi. Singh's attempt makes for interesting
listening. A must for Jagjit Singh fans.
—S. Sahaya Ranjit
FESTIVAL MUSIC
|
|
|
FESTIVAL MUSIC MANGALSWARA
(Music Today; Rs 100) |
Rangoli, pujas, glowing lamps. The exchange of
gifts and the tantalising taste of sweets. Music Today celebrates the
joy and melody of Diwali in Mangalswara, a twin album by noted classical
singer Shubha Mudgal and brothers Rajan and Sajan Mishra of the Banares
gharana. It contains all the traditional songs associated with Diwali-from
Ganapati Vandana to songs celebrating Dhanteras.
—S. Sahaya Ranjit
More DD, Less Profit
At Mandi House, they don't lick their wounds.
They just start another TV channel. A new 24-hour channel, DD Bharti,
will go on air the same day DD News goes off: January 26, 2002. Prasar
Bharti CEO Anil Baijal points out that, unlike DD1, DD Bharti will have
three slots-health and fitness, art and culture and children's shows-and
no more. Adds Prasar Bharti spokesperson Manish Desai: "It won't
be very profitable."
—Anna M.M. Vetticad
|
METRO TODAY
Web
Exclusives
