Tête-à-tête over coffee with Suchi and Aalap
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy - CHENNAI
18th June 2012 09:24 AM
Versatile singer and ex-RJ Suchitra Karthik Kumar along with notable singer Aalap Raju conducted an enthralling session on music recently at The Lounge café, Besant Nagar for the launch of second season of ‘The Lounge Journals’, a series of sessions with celebrity experts on hobbies, topics and passions of the youth.
After the theme creative photography last year, it was creative music this time at the “second coming” of the same.
Suchitra spoke about her award at IIFA, Singapore for her hit song Vaadaa Bin lada that came as a shock to her because according to her usually it is that “semi classical melody” genre that bags prestigious awards and not a mass number like this one. She recounted how she misses the RJ career that gave her the platform to use her voice in the first place! She said that it is all about personality and not the nature of the voice that matters in all her three professions namely singing, radio jockeying and dubbing.
Sharing her experiences regarding her entry into singing, Suchitra beams, “It’s always comfortable to be at CCD and discuss music and related projects over a cup of coffee for hours together.” While Aalap Raju adds, “Guitar is my first love.” The singer narrates the story about his entry into the industry from being a bass guitarist and singer in his college band to playback singing and bringing out two mega hit songs last year. His story about the transition from being an IT professional to that of a bass guitarist and a playback singer was really an interesting one to hear.
Subsequently it was all fun when the duo shared weird experiences with their fans, their band EQ and the tact of handling situations the right way.
The afternoon ended with them rendering an unplugged medley of their songs that concluded with Aalap’s hit number Ennamo edho. Sipping her cup of coffee, Suchitra spoke to the media about her upcoming music album, Suchitra- Music I like where she has rendered some of her favourite songs penned by Bharathiyar in the traditional tunes as set by the music stalwarts.
“We want to encourage the youth to develop their individual passions in life. The ambience, coffee and the food at The Lounge is designed to bring out the artist in you.” said K Ramakrishnan, President-Marketing, CCD.
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article544729.ece
‘I find peace in Auroville’
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy - CHENNAI
21st June 2012 08:13 AM
Gayathri Jayaraman
Understanding of god
I don’t believe in god. I see god as one supreme power that guides us through life- its trials and tribulations.
Religious practices
I don’t really believe in rituals or religious practices.
Belief in miracles
Miracles happen when you obtain that extra help during the difficult phases of life or when you get hints about what should be done to overcome these adversities. That is what I call a miracle. I have witnessed many such miracles over the years.
Superstitious beliefs
A superstitious belief is like an old wives’ tale. Superstition is when a person does a wrong deed and throws the blame on the other beings. Blaming a cat or a dog for any mishap makes no sense at all. I don’t believe in any kind of superstition.
Pilgrimage sites
A pilgrimage is a journey to a place where you can integrate your thoughts and find peace. I visit temples and chant quite a few mantras, but my search for peace and tranquility often ends at Matrimandir, Auroville, Puducherry. It is quite different from the chaotic and crowded temples of India, where you can hardly get a glimpse of the main deity after waiting in long queues.
Meditation
Meditation is actually great for a person who can sit and concentrate. For a restless person like me, it is hard to gather thoughts as I have a lot of commitments lined up for the day. I feel ‘blind yoga’ very effective.
(Gayathri Jayaraman is a south Indian film actor)
‘I talk aloud when I pray’
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy - CHENNAI
20th June 2012 08:30 AM
Arasi Arul
Understanding of god
God is the force which guides us and has written our future. Even if we try, we cannot change it. All we can do is ask him to find us the right path. I have learnt that trusting him fully will give us ultimate peace. We can be assured that he will solve all our problems and help us move on with life.
Religious practices and spiritual experiences
I am a very religious person but I really don’t follow any particular practice. I have had many spiritual experiences, particularly in recent times. When I pray for something, I get a feeling that I will acquire it.
Belief in miracles
I definitely believe in miracles and feel that god makes them happen. When you believe in god fully you can be 200% sure of witnessing a miracle. As Buddha says, I am the miracle.
Superstitious beliefs
I am superstitious. I never leave my house without praying in front of a photo of my mama and without drinking water. If I am missing this routine, I know something will go wrong. I am superstitious with a number of silly things as well.
Favorite pilgrimage sites
A couple of temples in and around Tanjore, Muthumariamman temple, Othatheru Ananda Vinayagar and Porkali temple, Orathur. In Chennai, I often frequent Padmanaban temple, Adyar, Anjeneyar temple and Kapaleswarar temple in Mylapore.These days, I visit the Ilankali temple in Saidapet.
Meditation
It has never worked for me. I talk aloud to god when I pray.
Interaction with god
I talk, laugh, cry and scream while praying to him. When I do so, I sense his response.
(Arasi Arul is the founder of Zha Cafe)
A book that puts the romance back into reading
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy, Express News Service - CHENNAI
25th June 2012 08:32 AM
Landmark at Citi Centre recently saw the release of the book, Letters from my Beloved, written by Akansha Bhatia, a Delhi-based 17-year-old who has now relocated to Chennai. The story revolves around the protagonist Sonia Sharma and her childhood love. The book was released by popular VJ Paloma Rao. As Akansha spoke about her debut attempt, she beamed, “It is overwhelming and amazing. The fact that my book is out still seems like a dream to me.”
The highlight of the event was the participation of children from the orphanage Shelter India that houses HIV positive children. When Akansha and her family gifted these kids with copies of the book, one young girl from the group said that the author had inspired her when it came to reading and writing. Paloma, who pointed out that romance is a genre that has been missing for a while now in the reading scenario, said that she was glad to have found a “refreshing tinge of romance” in this new book. “This is a really cute novel. Every teenager can relate to this story and older people can walk down memory lane,” she said as she flipped through the pages of the book.
Akansha, who was still flushed from the excitement of releasing her book, recalled how she always chose to write instead of watching TV, while still preparing for her board exams. This, she said, led to the successful completion of her book. Having faced rejections from almost six publishing houses, Akansha said that it took her over two years to get her book out. Sashirekha, a teacher at Good Shepherd school and a volunteer at Shelter India, was all praise for Akansha, “We need more socially-responsible people like Akansha to invite these kids to such gatherings.”
Nothing but Shakespeare and Pathak
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy / ENS - CHENNAI
03rd July 2012 08:27 AM
It hasn’t started yet! You can do something else,” announced a very casual Vinay Pathak at the Music Academy, as the audience suddenly fell into a deep silence as they saw the actor enter the stage for Rajat Kapoor’s much awaited play Nothing like Lear. The play started off with the weeping actor explaining his depression — his loved one leaving him, his looming old age and more than anything else, circumstances that forced him to perform in this play!
This modern day adaptation of the Shakespeare’s King Lear was presented with an interesting monologue with social satire and, hold your breath, even Facebook wasn’t spared!
Quick wit, catchy humour interspersed with horror and Vinay’s effortless transitions in portraying the two polar emotions kept the regaling crowd constantly on the edge of their seats.
There were moments when the packed auditorium echoed with laughter, but also went down in complete silence. The audience willingly participated as they watched the protagonist dance with “nothing” as a prop, the same for which the stage was perfectly lit.
Parallels were drawn with the Shakespearean tragedy as the character compared himself with King Lear, where he called himself a fool - who is seen as a man, as a father, an outcast and a child.
Vinay as the clown brought to fore various stages of his life crammed with rejections, false love and depression. Kapoor proved his directorial talent with the execution of the play and the many funny references.
One could easily draw pictures of familiarity in their minds as he narrated scenes from his life and even drew sympathy from the much-involved crowd more than a few times. Catering to Chennai’s educated theatre buffs, the play threw many open-ended questions that most definitely made the audience think. A screenplay seasoned with witty humour, Nothing Like Lear was nothing but an eye opener to the realms of mortality, presented in a simple fashion.
Nurturing love for animals among kids
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy, ENS - CHENNAI
04th July 2012 08:55 AM
Over 200 students from more than 13 schools across Chennai gathered at the Ganesan Matriculation School, Velachery, for the release of The Jungle Gang, the first Indian wildlife film series made exclusively for children and young adults. This is a first-of-its kind initiative by WWF-India to instil the thought of wildlife conservation at the school level.
This animated movie series, released in four languages — English, Hindi, Tamil and Assamese, has been created by Earthcare Films and supported by WWF-India. The Tamil version of the movie was screened after an interactive presentation by R Aengals, a Scientist from the Zoological Survey of India for the students that covered various wildlife issues.
The film portrays three animated animal characters – Bo (a bar headed goose), Kuttu (a slender loris) and Bhoora (a black buck) who travel together to different parts of the country and seek out endangered animals such as the Indian one horned rhino, tiger, elephant and sloth to narrate their stories to the children across the world. Set in simple language and with loads of fun elements, each of the four films in the series is about 15 minutes in length. The kids at the event enjoyed a peak into the world of these animals. A quiz followed the screening which saw the enthusiastic participation of school kids. S Saravanan, senior educational officer, WWF said, “A copy of the movie has been given free of cost to every school that has participated in this event.” He also pointed out other events such as the Wild Wisdom Quiz that will be held as a state-level event this September for schools in every state. “We have planned to release a book in a month or two on Climate Change for school teachers. We are on the lookout for a venue,” said A Vijayabharathi, state coordinator, WWF India. The CD is priced at `150 and is available at the WWF- Tamil Nadu state office.
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article557676.ece
‘Faith is god, god is faith’
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy / ENS - CHENNAI
18th July 2012 08:20 AM
Understanding of god
An immortal, a creator, a mentor – I have never seen him as any of these, and yet I believe in him. This is what I call faith. In a nutshell, faith is god and god is faith.
Religious practices and spiritual experiences
I have always felt that belief pushes one to practice something. Practice helps him reach perfection, which in turn drives him to achieve. Achievement makes one realise his own self. That’s what I call spirituality. My religious practices include positive thinking and keeping the energy levels high.
Take on miracles
Miracles happened at times when I was down in life. I will not say that miracles save our lives, but they definitely help us value it.
Superstitious belief
Before starting an important task, I always look up to the sky and pray for a while.
Pilgrimage sites
I enjoy visiting the Sai Baba Temple in Mylapore. Also, every temple in the Sadhuragiri Hills is close to my heart.
Take on meditation
I never meditate but I can define it. Meditation is a process to control one’s speculative thoughts, so as to stabilise and focus on a particular vision.
Interaction with god
I talk to god about my successes and failures. This is one reason I enjoy life.
(Sravanth Ramani is the co-founder of MacTrics, a mime and body theatre group)
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article569836.ece
Exams in dance for kids
By Swarna Varsha Gurumoorthy - CHENNAI
25th July 2012 08:53 AM
Students learn dance at a dance school.
Think of bharathanatyam for kids and you imagine them in shiny salangais and dance costumes like the fan skirt. Textbooks and exams are not what you associate with the form, but at the Prayathnam dance forum in the city, that is just what happens.
The forum, which is the brainchild of three dance teachers — Sasirekha, Divyasena and Sreelatha Vinod, conducts exams on an annual basis to check the proficiency of children in the art medium. Come August, and the centre will be conducting Yathnam exams for young, budding school-going dancers for the third time.
This is how it works. Children who pursue dance from different dance schools in the city come to take the exams designed and conducted by the dance school. These exams are designed to enable the students to balance theory and practicals and to help them pursue higher studies in this ancient art. “The course book printed by us is in a simple language. It helps the parents assist their kids to crack these exams,” explains Divyasena.
Speaking about the environment in which dance is taught today, Sasirekha says, “The guru-sishya parampara in dance has almost vanished with time. It has become necessary to conduct examinations even in bharathanatyam so that the kids don’t treat it lightly.”
The dance course is not without its incentives. The toppers of the exams are awarded cash prizes and are given a chance to perform. In some cases, the students are even said to receive higher CGPAs in CBSE schools after flashing the certificates for dance, which counts as an extracurricular activity.
Bhuvana, a parent, says, “These model exams for Yathnam, conducted by the dance school, make it easy for my daughter to face the main exam fearlessly even if she is busy in her tenth standard”.
Usually, three months of rigorous training can make kids stage performers in other styles of dance. But for bharathanatyam, members of Prayathnam feel more training is necessary. They are striving to standardise Yathnam exams for this dance form, much like the Trinity College examinations for piano.
“The evaluation pattern is transparent,” points out Revathi another parent.
The goal of the members of the forum is standardise the teaching of the artform in schools, and to make Bharathanatyam, a non-commercial art form that is affordable to all. “We hope Prayathnam succeeds in encouraging young artistes to take up dance and teaching as a career” Divyasena adds.
To know more about Prayathnam visit www.prayathnamgroup.blogspot.com.
