 |
| RIGHT BEAT: Issac at the talent segment
|
It's that
time of the year again when a battalion of beauties convene to decide
who's the fairest of them all. At the Miss India USA pageant at the Union
County Arts Center, Rahway, Stacy Issac of Florida walked away with the
crown, winning over 32 contestants from 26 states. Currently in her second
year at Florida Atlantic University, the 19-year-old plans to pursue medicine
and become a paediatrician. "When I was four I had fallen very ill
and was hospitalised for several weeks," she remembers. "Regardless
of all the pain I endured, my doctors managed to put a smile on my face.
They are the ones who have inspired me to become a paediatrician."
But before she starts wielding the stethoscope, Issac will be balancing
her tiara, travelling to India and working as ambassador for higher education
for women through Helena Kaushik Women's College in India. She will also
represent USA in the XIth Miss India Worldwide Pageant to be held in San
Jose, California, on March 9 next year. "I want to prove that a beauty
queen is not just a pretty face, but one who lives her life with compassion
and vigour, and in turn becomes a beauty queen in every sense of the word,"
says Issac who won the pageant's talent segment with an energetic dance
number from Thakshak. So do films follow? "I cannot say whether
winning the title will alter my aspirations of becoming a paediatrician.
It's all in God's hands," she says diplomatically.
-Lavina Melwani
NEW YORK
Get the Picture!
How often have you thought while watching
a movie that you could have written a better script? Here now is your
chance to write an original story idea for an Indian movie. Called the
Write Angle contest, sponsors Sulekha.com, an interactive online community,
and B4U, an entertainment company, have teamed up to reward a winning
story idea for a Bollywood movie. The winner of the contest will win $4,000
(Rs 2 lakh), a globally telecast interview, a paid trip to Mumbai and
perhaps an opportunity to see the idea produced into a film. The additional
carrot is $10,000 (Rs 5 lakh) when the story is made into a movie. The
winner will be decided by a panel comprising top names of Bollywood. Entries-only
originals-should be typed in English or Hindi. The deadline is February
15, 2002. Any 18-year-old or above can enter the contest as long as he/she
is of South Asian descent, or if the story incorporates a South Asian
theme. For more details, contact www.sulekha.com/b4u or write in
to writeangle@sulekha.com.
-Raj S. Rangarajan
FLORIDA
Notable Nuances
 |
| MUSIC MADE EASY: At the concert |
There was no barrier of language or genre at a lecture-demonstration
on Hindustani classical music in Tampa where half the audience comprised
Americans. Vocalist Suman Ghosh, a faculty member of Pandit Jasraj School
of Music in Tampa, accompanied by another faculty member, Shantilal Shah,
on the tabla, offered an analytical demonstration of khayal, the most
popular genre of Hindustani classical vocal music today. The performance,
which received a warm applause from the audience, included an in-depth
discussion of the importance of extempore creativity and improvisation.
"Shantilal and I were happy to present the chemistry between musical
notes and the cycle of rhythm that can be built by performers without
any prior planning," said Ghosh.
-Nitish S. Rele
NEW YORK
Sweet Treats
 |
|
WHIPPING BOY: Mehta
|
So Jehangir P. Mehta has a boyish charm, is in his late 20s and one of
the most celebrated pastry chefs in America. But did you know that he
also has a serious academic side? Despite his preoccupation as a chef,
Mehta has continued his education and is expected to complete his masters
in sociology from the University of Bombay this year. You see, the Mumbai-raised
Mehta is interested in varied things-from religion to the arts. But for
now, he is enjoying success as a pastry chef. "I make my desserts
light and not so sweet," says Mehta. "I make an extra effort
to ensure that the dessert complements the fine cuisine of any master
chef."
-Mabel Pais
DC
The Past Revisited
 |
|
AN OLD LEAF: An exhibit at the Museum
|
The first comprehensive showing of South Asian paintings held by the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts-"Worlds of Wonder and Desire: Indian
Paintings"-traced the evolution of Indian paintings from the 12th
to the early 20th century with a display of about 100 works. "This
is a significant collection that has grown dramatically since its origin
in 1960," says museum Director Dr Michael Brand, a specialist in
South Asian arts. The exhibition's watercolours are executed on palm,
lead, paper, ivory and cloth and depict traditional themes: the gods and
religious myths, pleasures, pastimes and personalities of the subcontinent's
royal courts. The exhibits included pages from a Pala dynasty palm leaf
manuscript, Ashtashasrika Prajnaparamita, in watercolour and ink (circa
1150-1200), a page from a manuscript of the Harivamsha (1585), and a page
from Ramayan series (1690-1700). Also on view was an installation highlighting
an important 18th century illustrated manuscript, Jnaneshvari-the only
one of its kind in the US. The exhibition also celebrated the publication
of The Arts of India, a catalogue of the museum's holdings of Indian sculpture,
painting, decorative arts and textiles.
-Chandra K. Arora
New York
Circle of Magic Tunes
 |
|
WHIPPING BOY: Mehta
|
Retired scientists could do any number of things, from taking up gardening
to writing fiction, but for Indu Sanghvi music has become a bigger passion
than ever before. Sanghvi, a trained sitarist and classical singer, is
a founding member and president of Raga Music Circle, now in its second
year. "We are a group of mature people who are passionately interested
in classical music," says Sanghvi. Despite having talented members,
Raga haven't got around to staging its own concert. "We offer serious
music to serious listeners in an intimate surrounding," he says.
"We want to limit our concerts to a small group."
-Mabel Pais
|
CURRENT
ISSUE DEC 10, 2001
){kind=link}