A selfless journey

There is a lesson for everyone in the story of Nipun and Guri Mehta

PAARTH JOSHI AND LEKHA MENON

IT was the heady days of the dotcom boom and young Indian techies headed to the Big Apple to realise their dollar dreams. However, one young IT professional decided to buck the trend. In a world consumed by the buy-buy syndrome, he decided to give. Nipun Mehta, then 23, started Charity Focus — a unique on-line voluntary organisation that aids others with web-based technological solutions.

Today this Ahmedabadborn, California-based techie is on an even bigger mission. Along with his wife Guri and a few friends, he is on a padyatra — a journey in “search of the realities of life.” But why would two high-flyers want to forgo everything to give something back to the society?
Charity begins at home: It began in 1999 at a gathering of few friends over pizza. “Frankly there was no real agenda... it was all about giving selflessly,” recalls Nipun. A University of California graduate, Nipun had joined Sun Microsystems at Silicon Valley. But unlike others whose only thought was to double their income, Nipun was concerned that advances in technology benefited only a few. “Hence we wanted to start something where we could use technology to help the needy,” says brother Viral, who is part of the group.

Getting focussed: The organisation basically creates websites, provides technical assistance and engages in projects designed to benefit NGOs. Powered by volunteers, the idea is to inspire others to contribute. Today, it has over 8,000 registered volunteers across a dozen countries and has served over 1,000 voluntary organisations in the US and outside.

Mergers and acquisitions: In the third year of its inception, Nipun created history when his organisation took over a dotcom. Pledgepage.com which created an interactive way for donors to raise money for non-profit causes, was finding it difficult to sustain. Charity Focus acquired pledgepage — a rare instance of a dotorg taking over a dotcom.

Returning to Swades: The Mehtas also want to inspire NRIs to give back to their country. “There is an overwhelming response from young Indians in the US who want to serve,” says Guri, a graduate in Psychology who is accompanying Nipun. Another aim is to create a ‘service map of India’ and a website (www.ijourney.org) documenting the unique encounters of their yatra.

Awards and rewards: Apart from write-ups in the national and international media, Nipun was also chosen to receive the 2004 “Viswa Jyoti” Role Model Award of the North South Foundation — that recognises young Americans of Indian origin across North America who can be role models. Besides, he’s also received the Jefferson Award for community service.

A unique yatra: Currently the couple are traversing through Gujarat. But why walk? “People should observe the realities of life. Our aim is to experience moments and not events, to enjoy life non-materialistically,” says Nipun. The duo started walking from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and walked to Vadodara via Navagam, Nadiad and Chicodra. Their budget is to spend only one dollar a day. They sleep on temple parapets or in an ashram or simply take shelter in a villager’s hut. And the journey, they say, has been an eye-opener in more ways than one: “People said I couldn’t sleep at the village temple, because I was a woman,” recalls Guri, “I realised how social misconceptions are still prevalent.” And it’s these prejudices, misconceptions and hatred that they hope to change through a simple maxim: Help others to help others.

La belle dame sans merci

Check out what's fairer sex's problem with PAARTH JOSHI

I think my equation with women can never be postulated. Even the briefest of interaction with them have confused me. Indeed if a graphical representation had to be made, a ‘confused loop’ could well fit the picture. Dealing with such inconsistencies in life, I set out to be a tangawala. And abiding by the aforementioned laws of attraction, here too I derived a very fine example of mutual disagreement during my interaction with this horse; I call her Dhanno.

My foray as a horse carriage rider failed at the very first attempt as Dhanno showed her displeasure in dealing with me. This time I also ruled out the possibility of bad breath... I couldn’t have one worse than that of a horse. But I was to embark upon this journey even if lady luck was frowning at me.

As I climbed the carriage, Usmanbhai explained that Dhanno has a very delicate disposition. “She doesn’t like to be ridden by any stranger, so you’ll have to take care,” he said. I wasn’t the only one with whom Dhanno rubbed cold shoulders; three young boys and a fourth very young boy also joined us.

Horse-riding isn’t like manoeuvring your bike gears. Here you deal with creatures with emotions and in my case, a Female Chauvinist Horse. You pull the leash in a direction in which you want the horse to go. So did I when Dhanno started clip-clopping on the street, but she simply took the other direction. And so Usmanbhai gave her a call ‘hurrrrr....’. She understood the message and came back on track.

The ‘hurrrr...’ and the leash quite helped me ride the carriage for some time. But suddenly, Dhanno stopped running. We were right in the middle of a busy street and it felt like time had come to a halt only for us. Like a zombie, I looked at Usmanbhai for a clue, “She is answering nature’s call,” he explained patiently. It took two seconds for that to hit me. Meanwhile, as Dhanno resumed her ride, catching speed, Chotu, the very young boy, started to cry. With the theme of Mission Impossible playing in my head, we start galloping again. I looked behind at Chotu and at the same moment Dhanno went out of control. I don’t know what went through my mind, I said ‘hurrr...’ while still looking at Chotu. This now gave him a legitimate reason to cry even louder. In this haste we circled our route and came back to the pavilion. The boys and Dhanno felt happy. I felt tricked by a beautiful lady without mercy.

Indian curry, global garnishing

An opportunity to work in countries as diverse as Pakistan, Estonia and Sweden can be an exciting proposition for anybody. But for these three Vadodara youngsters, it’s all about gaining global exposure and acting as cultural ambassadors of their own country

PAARTH JOSHI

THEY are cutting through latitudes in their early twenties. Call them young corporate ambassadors who are out to gain international work experience. Meet Sharmin Vohra, Kreta Shah and Amit Desai, members from the Vadodara delegation of the voluntary student organisation AIESEC who have been selected to take up positions of vice-presidents of the national committees of Pakistan, Estonia and Sweden.

The trio will work for a year in the corporate sector to raise vacancies for international internships within the country and facilitate tieups for assistance to the national committees of their organisation. But besides this professional exposure, it’s the cultural exchange that enthralls them the most. As Vohra, who has been selected to go to Pakistan says, “AIESEC in India has taken a step to extend its committee in Pakistan and thus make an effort to bridge the gap between youngsters of both countries.”

Vohra sees this opportunity as a means to improve bilateral relations between India and Pakistan. “During my interaction with them, I found that the Pakistani youth is as zestful and amiable as ours. We watch the same movies and have similar tastes in food, there’s so much in common,” she adds with a dash of passion.

Besides, Vohra’s most excited about travelling by the Delhi-Lahore bus. “I chose to travel by the bus to experience the fear at ground level, hopefully I shall not encounter any miscreants,” she says.

Shah, who’s moving to Estonia for a year explains the selection procedure for the post. “There were several rounds of selection to screen one finalist out of the various international entries. We had to make speeches in front of the national committees and take psychometric tests.” And now that it’s begun, she is thrilled about exploring a country that’s emerging as the next IT hub. “It’s going to be a challenge to adapt to minus 30 degrees and get used to the 1 pm sunrise, but the international exposure will be worth the trouble,” says Shah.

More fascinating for her is the advanced technology that the country houses. “Everyone thinks Estonia is just a war-torn Baltic state but the Internet is almost a birthright there,” she chuckles. On the other hand, Desai, on his way to Sweden has pinned his goals rather neatly. “Working with a different culture will teach me more than just mastering management skills. The international exposure will help me gain an edge when I apply for my MBA studies to a reputed institute,” he says. Bon Voyage then!

‘Two buttons down!’

Struggling for leg room in the elevator is what AT reporter is doing this week, in disguise as a lift man!

PAARTH JOSHI

THE very same day when I decided to wear a not-really-cotton shirt during daytime, the weatherman called it 72 per cent humidity and the electricity office snatched away a citizen’s right to fan and television in the afternoon. And my right to travel uninterrupted in the elevator of a seven-storied building! The powerhouse’s notso-speedy ‘Dennis Hopper attempt’ inspired me to take up as an elevator boy.

And odds welcomed me with open arms as soon as I stepped in to the small elevator cabin. Odd one: the cabin could just accommodate four people in one go but overpopulation ensured there were five or more than five people (mostly men) inflicting undesired proximity on me. Second odd: the stool on which I was to sit was really low making it very uneasy for face value. Third odd: sweat ke saath stench free!

I had replaced Golden — the elevator boy for a while. When one of the employees of a firm entered the elevator, I started to press the sixth floor hoping I would be corrected. And indeed I was as he said with a smile, “Two buttons down”. I hurled several curses on his English teacher.
Post lunchtime, more people were opting to climb the stairs, which gave Golden and me an opportunity for small talk. Almost as old as I, Golden hails from Bihar and had scored 58.63 per cent in class 12, but had to trudge his way to Vadodara for a good job. “I’ve been working here for the last seven months, but I await the day when I’ll go back home and resume my studies in mathematics,” he says with aspiration. I tried to engage him in more small talk just if I could manage to get some ‘important’ news circling the building. But it was a futile effort.

On the sixth floor, five people were waiting to get down but of them all, the last one was a novelty. Of course, there was space constraint, but this one entered the elevator with his back facing the automated doors. And then, very soon, we reached the ground floor and they exited. It was time for me to return home. As for Golden, well, he’s going to Bihar on June 24. Perhaps he’s ready for some ‘calculated’ risks this time.

Two of a kind

Mark and John — the American duo who have made headlines with their charitable work in the state over the last six months, now embark on a mission to Pakistan — carrying the message of universal brotherhood

NANDINI SHAH AND PAARTH JOSHI

MOVE aside, netas and babus! School children from the city have decided to do their bit to bring the people of India and Pakistan closer, by sending messages of peace and love for their counterparts across the border. Helping the little ones in their endeavour are two Americans — Mark Peters and John Silliphant — who are leaving for Pakistan armed with a bagful of letters, cards and posters of peace made by Ahmedabad’s students. Having collected about 3,000 cards from various schools already, the duo hope to do an encore in Pakistan, returning with an equal number of cards in about two weeks’ time.

“Our visas are about to expire and we have to leave India to re-apply for fresh ones. In the meantime, we thought of taking these peace messages to Pakistan,” says Silliphant. He describes himself and Peters as ‘people with a life-long yearning to help others’. From promoting cleanliness, helping sick people and stray animals to installing dustbins on the roadside — this duo has been doing “little things here and there” in Ahmedabad for the last six months. But what made them come to India? Silliphant claims that he has deep connections with the country, and has already visited India twice before. “At the age of 17, I was drawn to Indian spirituality and then slowly developed the urge to help others,” says the Californian who left a stable job to satisfy his philanthropic nature. “All of us have the power to bring about positive changes. Some of us use this power, others don’t,” says Silliphant.

Peters, on his part, says, “Whenever I feel unhappy, I think of those who are less privileged than me. That motivates me to lend a helping hand to the needy. And don’t worry, we are amply rewarded. I have so many brothers and sisters now, so many friends, and the ability to bring a smile to care-worn lips is reward enough.” Fourteen-year-old Meena joins him and says in an awed voice, “Mark taught me to earn my own living and the importance of education. He also helped my sister, who was blinded by her husband, to stand on her own feet.” When they are not busy with their philanthropic activities, Peters and Silliphant love watching Hindi films. “The appeal of Bollywood transcends all barriers. I am a great fan of Indian film stars,” says Peters. Even as they talk, a child comes up to Peters and shows him the poster he has made — it states, “Hum Saab Ek Hain”. Well, this little child’s message to his counterparts on the other side of the border is certainly safe in these bearers’ hands!

She’s a versatile artiste who has transcended the boundaries of music and is equally at ease with Khayal, Thumri-Dadra, fusion, Indipop and folk music. Shubha Mudgal in a jugalbandhi with PAARTH JOSHI

Passion Vs Convention: My parents, both teachers of English at Allahabad University, were passionate about music and made sure my sister Ragini and I learnt music. After graduation, my mother even suggested that I take a year off to decide whether I wanted to pursue music as a career. I think, 25 years ago, that was a fairly unconventional suggestion!

Board Exams Vs Hobbies: No, Indian classical music is not becoming irrelevant to today’s youth. And why blame the youth? We haven’t made efforts to introduce them to ancient practices in music. Board exams ensure our children put aside their hobbies. But, I see a growing number of students joining Indian classical institutes in Delhi and Mumbai.

Vanity Vs Effort: Whenever I walk on the streets of Europe, I see so many posters mentioning when and where a particular writer wrote a book. When you google Bob Dylan, you get lakhs of web pages, while Gangubai Hangal barely shares a few dozen. Not enough steps are taken to preserve and document our culture and tradition, we sometimes use them for just lip service or as vanity.

Titillation Vs Innovation: While popular music enjoys the status of being experimental, I feel we are unfair to classical music. There is so much experimentation even in classical music, with every given instrument and its style.

Respect Vs Attitude: It is one thing to crib and another to work towards the problem. I think, first one has to shed the attitude that ‘we’re the greatest thing to happen to mankind’ since we’re classical singers. Musicians need to nurture respect for all kinds of music, there is no ‘high art’ and ‘low art’. Secondly, a sense of community among the musicians can help reach out to the masses.

Item numbers Vs Real symphonies: While it is sometimes fair to generalise, I think there is a need for improvisation in Bollywood. Of course, there are beautiful pieces composed for Hindi films too, but sometimes it lacks research. In this movie on the revolt of 1857, there is a mujra and an item number! The folk music of that era has been very well documented. It could have been used here.

Khayalon ki Mallika...

Mischievous, peppy, candid and snappy. With all that, it doesn’t take a genius to know how she manages to get into the shoes of the multifarious characters on screen. She’s done a variety of roles, from anchoring shows to playing the nefarious Mallika on television…Actor Rakshanda Khan talks with Paarth Joshi about the world of television and the fun in playing a negative role

A CREATIVE BLOCK... Unfortunately because of the present format, there is a lot of resistance to creativity in television. The ‘daily soap’ syndrome keeps everybody — from the scriptwriters to the actors — on their toes. It is taxing to come out with five episodes every week. The stress is bound to show! One show a week will put all of us at ease.

TOO MANY SAAS-BAHU SAGAS... The television soaps with the saas-bahu sagas are getting monotonous but then no one can deny that they sell. And the proof lies in the TRP’s. Only when the audience stop watching them, the producers will stop making them. Innovation will only creep in after saturation. Hasn’t Bollywood changed from the boy-meets-girl to crossover cinema? Television too will change. In fact, in the coming decade, television will become more realistic. The high voltage drama will give way to light hearted and simple comedies.

BAD GIRLS HAVE MORE FUN... The negative roles definitely get more attention. I guess bad has some how become good. While the good girls get to cry, the bad ones get to have lots of fun. A negative character gives more scope to detailing. Also in such roles, one can experiment a lot as far as mannerisms and characterisation is concerned.

MORE IS TOO MUCH.. I agree that make up, styling and dressing in some of the serials is definitely over the top. But then, there are number of serials where in costumes are realistic and detailing is considered important. Portraying the perfect look is very essential as it says a lot about the character.

Sexicitingly Yours!

Dr Pritesh Parikh, Sexologist: ‘Casual sex might be great fun, but I have come across numerous cases of STD’s, especially during festivals. One must follow strict contraceptive guidelines’

PAARTH JOSHI

Remember the day you saw that Chocolate Soufflé in a pastry shop and unable to resist, went ahead and satisfied your urge? Well casual sex is not quite like that, say the ‘informed youth’ of today. It is there in the display but is out of reach, making it the forbidden pie. Only now, if what the GenY say is to be believed, the closed doors have opened a bit to a verandah that isn’t inhabited with ‘hypocrites’. Sex with ‘no strings attached’ is right there, without the baggage of social taboo.

“Pre-marital sex is like watching a movie. You have fun and you come home,” says 25-year-old model and fashion designer Prachiti Gupte. On the other hand, Deepti Thakker, a 24-year-old physiotherapist believes: “Commitment brings along many responsibilities and one may not be ready to shoulder them at a given time. Casual sex gives that freedom.”

But does that mean GenY wants to run away from legal and social liabilities? “Definitely not,” says 24-yearold manager Ankush Desai, “with a hectic lifestyle where you spend more hours in office than at home, you want to have some fun before taking up responsibilities. I don’t see why adjectives like ‘shallow’ and ‘frivolous’ should be attached to it.”

For casual sex being criticised as a ‘mechanical activity without any feelings’, 23-year-old engineer Disha Sharma has an answer: “Why do people forget that there’s always the feeling of ‘attraction’!” But then criticism also comes from the same age group where peers condemn a friend’s involvement in casual sex. “Such acts need to be condemned,” says 21-year-old student Anshuman Phukan, adding: “besides, there is always an internal conflict between the trend vis-à-vis the value system with which one is brought up.”

Perhaps that’s why actor Emraan Hashmi feels it is wrong to label casual sex as unethical. “In India, where the cultural practices change every 100 kilometres, differences in viewpoints are bound to exist. You can’t take a traditional mind-set and impose it to an urban lifestyle,” he says.

Llike you get tired of too much water sports, even this phase is sure to pass away, say observers. As Gupte puts it, “There’s bound to be a saturation point and people will start looking out for commitment.”

I DON’T HATE MEN’

Nearing sixty, Shobhaa De is completely in love with life. And the eclipse. And words. And motor bike rides...

PAARTH JOSHI

They say she’s one of India’s best selling English authors. Why wouldn’t she be? For when you sit next to her to listen to her tales, she talks about everything: From sex to raising children, surviving men and marriage. And no, it’s not the numerological power that keeps her going — the extra ‘a’ in her name is for visual appeal. “I don’t know what the extra ‘a’ adds or subtracts, I just find my name’s visual more interesting that way,” says De.

Instead, what keeps her going is “my romance with life. There are so many tastes, smells and sounds still to be experienced. I haven’t done white water rafting and bungee jumping yet! It’s the hunger for life.” But what keeps those looks intact? “If I were SRK, I would’ve taken a ‘dooh-daah’ soap’s name! But it’s just personal care,” she chuckles.

Apart from men’s egos, she also loves to play with words. And certain words, she holds very close to herself. With finger movements in the air, she shows how ‘flabbergasted’ resonates very well, while ‘serendipity’ has a magical connotation.

Gender inequality and differences, is one area where De has ruffled a lot of feathers but she maintains her stand. “I am not apologetic about my work. Nobody compelled anybody at gunpoint to read what I write,” she says. But does her shift from tips on surviving men to truth about marriage suggest a narrowing of the male-female (or the femalemale) divide? “There are some differences between the two genders which will never cease to exist, and thank God for that. But when it comes to social issues, I believe there is definitely a better understanding between them these days,” she says. And adds that when she says, “I don’t hate men,” the statement is definitely for keeps. “I don’t blame men for everything. They behave as if they’re God’s gifts because they are conditioned that way since countless centuries!”

Coming back to words, she reveals that she doesn’t really think tongue-in-cheek writing is gaining popularity. On the contrary, she feels the audience is overestimated when one assumes that. “To understand satire and parody, one needs to be well informed. The audience demand for shorter columns and slapstick humour only reflects a mediocre intelligence level,” she adds.
So does everything finally go in an autobiography? “That depends on how interesting the next 15 years of my life are,” she signs off.

Cut the Crap!

Long winding film scripts are soon going to be a thing of the past, say directors and producers

PAARTH JOSHI

Three fight sequences, two kinky bedroom scenes, five songs, one item number and a clip of comedy. Three hours and 18 reels of insult to your sensibilities clearly sells at the Box Office.

And while you still have a hangover of the last movie, the of next Friday rambles 18 more reels that last long, really long. Against the long winding ideas, compact and powerful scripts are seldom seen on the screen. Filmmakers attribute the fact to the ‘variety’ that Indian audience demands in movies. Sudhir Mishra, director of ‘shorter’ films like Chameli and Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi says, “Indian cinema being an entertainment programme and addressing a wide spectrum of audience tends to be long. All the hype about two-hour movies is because of the multiplexes which want to run more shows per day.”

Satchit Puranik, a Vadodarabased director, cites the reason in the consumerist culture of people. “Watching a movie is a relaxing activity where you go to the multiplex and eat and window-shop. Again, the audience wants everything in a film while in trying to cater to this need, directors deviate from the theme,” says Puranik. Trade analyst Komal Nahta thinks on similar lines. “Viewers in smaller centres don’t feel they get ‘value for money’ in two-hour films,” he says. When asked about the quality of long films, filmmakers believe that it’s solely the script that keeps the audiences gripped to the seats. “With films like Mughal-E-Azam and Lagaan, you can’t chop them short. But personally, I feel films should be as short as possible,” adds Mishra.
Producers on the other hand say there may be a new trend of shorter films that will hit the screen. This trend, they mention, has nothing to do with effectiveness of a film but the business strategy. Producer Viveck Vaswani mentions that one loses revenue in long films since these days, movies are sold to multiplexes. “Who cares about the audience, the multiplexes are the real audience. As long as they can run six shows a day and sell their Rs 5 popcorn for 30 bucks, we don’t mind,” says Vaswani.

Producer Pritish Nandy however, puts his money where his mouth is. “Earlier distributors were acting up but now even they have realised that shorter films tell better tales. Multiplexes need hour films to run more shows a day and that’s the way it’s going to be. Directors can say whatever they want, but shorter films are definitely here to stay.”

Natty netas: A distant dream

PAARTH JOSHI

Electoral forms are perhaps the only place where you can skip the question that asks for your educational qualification without any fear of being reprimanded. For, when AT contacted the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to get the educational details of the contestants jousting for positions at the election on Sunday, we got to know there is no list that shows the educational qualifications of the contestants. The only way these details could be obtained, AT was told, was by scanning the records of the nine election officers, which for obvious reasons wasn’t possible with just a day to go before the polls.

Nevertheless, we called up the local party offices to collect the data. The ruling party though, hadn’t compiled a list of the educational achievements of their candidates. So we got in touch with all the contestants to find out their educational record. And this is what we found: Of the 166 candidates from the BJP and the Congress, approximately 48 per cent are undergraduates while 25.6 per cent have studied till class X or even less. Are the statistics alarming? Should there be a minimum educational qualification to be able to contest elections? Or has education nothing to do with governance skills?

Amita Verma, founder director of the Women Studies Research Centre and former acting vice-chancellor of MSU says ‘aye’ to the need. “The people who govern must have some kind of vision and exposure. The ability to understand and analyse can’t come without education,” says Verma. “And when I say minimum qualification, I mean education in a broader sense and not just any degree.”

Sargam Gupta, managing director of a group that runs schools in Vadodara says, “The minimum eligibility should be post graduation with some experience. It’s alarming to see how ministers are handed portfolios even when they don’t know much about a particular department. It’s like asking a psychologist to operate a patient,” says Gupta.

Prof Anand Mavalankar, head of the department of Political Science, however, feels that though education certainly helps, it can’t be a criteria for assessing a person. “Not all contestants may be privileged to a higher education. A college degree is too much to ask for and this way you may rule out members of certain sections of society,” he says. Perhaps, it requires only common sense to gauge the situation and implement ‘new’ ideas. But why are those on the hot seat making the same mistakes? “Highly educated people may want to change the present system of governance and hence pose a threat to those already in seats of power. It is an intelligent strategy to keep undereducated people coming. They will do what they are told,” says Niruben Patel, a BJP candidate who has served as a school principal for 15 years.

Cast your vote!

Holy smokes! Are films to blame?

PAARTH JOSHI

1) A WHO’s study which sampled 395 Indian films (1991-2002) revealed that 76.5 per cent showed tobacco use.

2) SRK tops with 109 smoking scenes, followed by Rajnikant (103 times).

3) A research in US shows that 31 per cent of teenagers who saw more than 150 occurrences of smoking in films, had tried smoking.

Since January this year, the health ministry has been brooding whether to completely ban smoking scenes in films and Tv shows or not. Recently, Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss also wrote to Shah Rukh Khan appreciating his pledge to quit smoking. The letter read, “...such an initiative taken by a charismatic personality like you would go a long way in inspiring the youth...”

Does the average smoker get inspired by smokers on screen? Are they still so impressionable?Director Vikram Bhatt questions the credibility of such findings. “We really don’t know what’s the sample size when one makes a statement that the youth are inspired by what they see in films,” adding: “in comparison to world cinema, Bollywood has the least number of smoking scenes.”

Avishek Roy, 26-yearold student of NID says, “Smoking helps in portraying different emotions and it builds up a character. And if you talk about banning it, shouldn’t you first start with nudity and obscenity?”

The WHO report also expresses a fear that films may have a negative influence on youth because earlier, smoking in films was associated with ‘bad guys’ but in the last decade or so, more ‘heroic’ characters portray it as a ‘cool’ thing to do. However, Sneha Agarwal, mother of a teenager begs to differ. “I feel parents have a bigger role in influencing their kids,” says Agarwal.
Vyom Mehta, a student of fine arts also feels that the industry must be given the creative licence. “The youth is armed with information. They are more responsible,” says Mehta. However, documentary filmmaker Ruturaj Mistry says smoking shouldn’t be glamourised on screen. “Nobody goes out to smoke because actors do it, but one needs to be more careful about how the message is conveyed on screen,” says Mistry.

‘Alter’ing definitions!

PAARTH JOSHI

Even the most polite and chivalrous gentleman is likely to be piqued sometimes. And it is no different with actor Tom Alter, when one labels him an American. “I was born and brought up in Mussorie, which I think makes me an Indian,” he says. His deep attachment to Mussorie is evident in his animated delight if somebody mentions the place, as well as in his nostalgic reminisces about its schools and mithai shops.

The wonder years always contribute majorly towards an actor’s career, and Alter is no exception to this. “When I was in my early twenties, there was a huge fan following for Rajesh Khanna. I, too, always wanted to be like him,” he says. But didn’t he always get typecast in the character roles he played? The actor disagrees, adding, “Film news is to blame as much as the film industry. Stereotyping makes an easy question to ask in an interview and that’s one way how characters get framed. If you take any of my 10 movies, you will notice that I have played a variety of characters barring a few exceptions.” And true to his claim of variety, Alter is in Vadodara to read out the letters written by Gandhiji to Sarojini Naidu. “Apart from the little known facts, their letters acquaint us to the strong friendship they shared with each other.” Little known facts indeed: Gandhiji, in many of his letters to Naidu mentions himself in the sign-off as a wizard, mystic spinner, little man and even a spider!

History is open to perception but Alter is diligent enough to explain a few things to children. For instance, in his interaction with students, Alter often explains, “It isn’t necessary to give a tag to any relationship. Gandhiji and Naidu could’ve been great friends or they could’ve shared a brother-sister bond.”

A conversation with Alter is not complete without the mention of theatre. Excitedly he begins, “Theatre is really growing. Most of the last 12 plays that I acted in were written by Indian playwrights. Perhaps, we need more regional playwrights to revive theatre.” Furthermore, he mentions that today’s youth equally relates with theatre. “We read out the letters in Pune in a pub. When I saw glamourous ladies walking in, I thought they would walk out with the same style half way. But they sat through the whole reading with pin drop silence,” he happily concludes.

Hey! Heard the latest?

PAARTH JOSHI

At any college campus, the centre of gravity is always located around the canteen and its gravitational pull is greater than the pull exerted by all staff members put together. All students flock to the place for a bite and to pass time chatting about hazaar issues. AT eavesdrops to find out what brews over a steaming cup of chai

Aditi Tembe, a psychology student at MSU loves chatting with her class mates in the canteen. “The other day we discussed about how many kids we all wanted. A friend’s interest in numerology sparked the topic, after some mischievous calculations she told us our fate as mothers,” laughs Tembe. Sometimes, Tembe and her friends also pass time singing Shirdi wale Sai baba… in the corridors, mind you, while other classes might be going on.

Aakar Desai, an engineering student and his friends were found involved in a major discussion about whether SRK could be gay. “Music is the most talked about topic. Recently we debated on how students want meaningful lyrics in songs, like the one Sutta na mila has,” says Desai. If he’s to be believed, some important amount of time is already being invested at the canteen to write such songs.

Giving music a miss, Aparna Jejurkar, student of an aviation institute says she chats with classmates about her experience at the training sessions. “We talk about how snooty customers behave and how to deal with them,” says Jejurkar. But some things never change. “Serious talk is of course replaced by the secrets at work place, who is having an affair with whom and who controls the power lobby,” admits Jejurkar. For Nikhil Doshi, a student at NID, canteen is the best place to work on some detailing. “Our conversations range over a number of topics, from bitching about teachers to exchanging important details about hot chics,” says Doshi. “Recently we had an elaborate session on why Indian movies have to look up to Oscars to be classified as good films,” he adds.

Even for Roona Contractor, a St Xaviers student, movies rule the roost. “All of us were heart broken when we heard rumours about Abhishek and Aishwarya,” says Contractor, “we generally avoid talking about serious issues but then our conversations also involve topics like whether Indian religious customs and traditions are relevant and whether we should abide by them.” Indeed, a lot happens over tea.

A question of faith

Religious fanatics are at it again — trying to stop inter-community marriages. But multi religious couples feel even love and marriage—is a matter of faith!

PAARTH JOSHI

Last week, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad called a bandh in Karjan, a town near Vadodara. The reason: a boy from the Muslim community had eloped and married a Hindu girl. The marriage angered the girl’s family and they set off to make sure the boy ‘divorced’ their daughter. But, it only made news when a few religious fanatics joined the procession to protect their religion by stating that the “trend of inter religious marriages,” must be stopped.

And so, we asked a few couples who had committed the ‘sin’ of marrying each other even though their religions were apparently not ‘compatible’, about the effects of such statements on society. Nuzhat and Amar Desai, who recently celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary, are predictably upset . “Such statements are irrational and instigate ill feelings among communities. We’ve lived happily as a couple for such a long time without any problems. Love and marriage are very personal issues where no interference from fanatics should be entertained,” says Nuzhat, a teacher.

Shafi and Meena Sheikh, who’ve been married for three years too feel that one shouldn’t pay any heed to such incidents. “Marriage is an institution which makes one happy. It’s all about adjustment with the other person. What could be a better way to forget differences and live happily?” says Shafi. But when it comes to the younger generation, such incidents only make them fearful. Anita Shah and Sadaf Vohra are in a relationship for a year but they’re not sure of marriage. “Such incidents only help strengthen orthodox mind-sets. I don’t know whether I’ll be able to marry Sadaf, maybe we would just end up as good friends,” says Anita.

A lesson to be learnt from those who’ve already walked the path?

(Names have been changed to protect identities)

Loveria!

You may no longer find the sunset beautiful. Love is a disease, says a study conducted by a team of docs in the US. But predictably, as AT finds, most sensible people just laughed it off

PAARTH JOSHI

THE love bug is here to bite. Doctors at the University of Allopath in the US who conducted a research on the effect of love on humans, have come to the conclusion that ‘love’ is indeed a disease. This ‘disease’, the report says, causes abnormal heart rhythm, sweating, impaired brain function and incoherent speech patterns. No this one’s not a joke! The study and the conclusions are for real — so much so that now in an attempt to ‘cure’ people of this epidemic, a leading pharmaceutical has also ‘invented’ a drug, the sale of which they expect will reach six billion dollars annually!

So is love really a disease? Adman Prahlad Kakar can’t stop laughing. “Most of the time, love is nothing but lust. And lust is definitely a disease of the mind,” he says. In lust, he explains there is a shotcircuit between the heart and the brain where the brain takes over immediately. “The only other form in which love comes into picture is through flirting which is a global pastime,” chuckles Kakar. “A person in love can be like a restless reptile — aggressive and defensive at the same time. He or she may snap at you at the slightest provocation,” says Nilesh Bhatt, a student.

This point of view has many defenders. Gauri Desai, a student, however, believes love is actually the ‘cure for all diseases’. “It gives you a dose of pleasure, it isn’t a disease at all,” says Desai, adding: “the only reason why it could be called a disease is because it catches you unawares and you can’t hide it from anybody!”

Actor Amrita Arora agrees. “Love is a great energiser, it makes your face glow. It gives you the confidence to take up new things and makes you want to look good. It maybe an addiction, but is definitely not a disease.” No wonder then that 20 year old Anuradha Sethi, is a little agitated by the findings. “How can you reduce such a pious feeling to a disease?” she asks. “It is a set of memories both good and bad, it can’t be cured by a silly set of pills,” she says.

Then, how do you cure somebody of love? “Take three Crocins,” suggests Vj Nikhil Chinappa, “It keeps you in your senses.” If that doesn’t help, Kakar’s idea is definitely more effective, “Whack yourself where it hurts the most, the loose connections will be restored and you will be ready to go!”

Learning to fly!

With cultural exchange programmes gaining popularity, more students from the state are travelling to other parts of the world for a few months or even a year! AT speaks to a few of them and comes back with some wonderful stories

PAARTH JOSHI

You no longer need a student or an H1 visa or even pass the Highly Skilled Migrant test, to be among cobbled streets and Tudor houses in Chester. Relishing 32 varieties of Italian cheese or those vintage wines from French cellars, doesn’t require special permits either! You just need to be a ‘cultural exchange ambassador’, where you live and interact with families in another country. And if these ambassadors are to be believed, the exchange programmes are not merely travel experiences but they give one a ‘global’ outlook to life.

After one such six-week exchange programme to England and Wales — Ritu Agarwal, an English teacher in Surat — is all praise for this trend that’s gaining popularity. “Before I traveled outside India I had certain notions about the other parts of the world. But such a programme makes you feel that the World is one,” says Agarwal, adding: “It might make you compare your country on ‘foreign parameters’ but then that’s good. You see cleaner countries and want to stop littering your own nation.” While for Agarwal, it is about imbibing polite behaviour, Nakul Sharma considers exchange programmes as a platform to break stereotyped images of countries. “I was asked whether we Indians still travel on elephants,” says Sharma who went to Taiwan and Sweden, “Our country had a skewed image: Lots of pollution, exotic yet orthodox culture. Exchange programmes help other countries learn better about ours as well.”

Agrees Pathik Bhatt, an AIESEC-Vadodara member who undertook one such programme in Ukraine, “They sensitise the youth about the problems of small and developing nations. It’s a great way to make people relate to the youth in other countries,” says Bhatt. Exchange programmes, mentions Bhatt, also help in clearing misconceptions. “Because Taj Mahal resembles Turkish buildings in certain ways, most kids I interacted with in Ukraine thought Taj Mahal was in Turkey. The way Mother Teresa dressed, on the other hand, made them believe she was from Macedonia.”

Shivani Thakkar who undertook a programme for a year in Connecticut, describes her stay in USA as, “a practical lesson in learning about different cultures. You live with a few families and realise that their ideologies are similar to ours. Nothing is different except perhaps the language and skin-colour.” It’s something what 11-year-old Parisha Maniar learnt from her trip to Japan. “Living away from your parents makes you independent but more than that, it teaches you to shed your inhibitions and be more social, despite cultural differences,” says Maniar.

Anyone for the Irish tap dance?

Writers' Block

Writers' Block

Bubbly aunty hands up!

The Maharashtra Government is planning to take the fizz out of its schools. But is a ban on aerated drinks an effective method or is awareness and education a better option?

PAARTH JOSHI

One man’s jumbo burger is another man’s obesity. One kid’s soft drink is Maharashtra Government’s adverse effect on health. So, the government has now decided to ban aerated drinks in school campuses across the state. Closer home in Gujarat, discussions are on, as to whether such a ban is an effective strategy or will it actually make a child more determined to try out this ‘banned product’ at home or while out with friends? Professor of Psychology at MSU Mario Xavier, believes that educational institutions are meant to impart knowledge and they should concentrate there. “A school doesn’t have the authority to judge the ill effects of soft drink consumption. Instead it should focus on informing and educating. Banning wouldn’t serve any purpose but just invite further curiosity in children,” he says. Instead of a ban, Xavier proposes another smart way of educating, “Inform children about the history of aerated drinks, how they ostensibly target kids and explain their harmful effects to them.” Another teacher Ishita Verma believes that any forcible ban is impractical. “How effective is banning when a kid has access to the same unhealthy substance outside the school?” she asks. “Children should be taught about the right and the wrong and be asked to make their own choice. You can’t impose your ideas on them, you need to make them realise the facts,” adds Verma. Surashree Rabadia, a mother, believes the same, “There should be an equally strong campaign against such colas at home. Banning harmful eatables in school will only reduce its consumption but making kids understand at home will guide them even outside school.” Muskan Mittal, a Class X student opts for freedom of choice. “Spreading awareness is always a better option than forcing us into not doing something. We may only become more inquisitive about the substances banned. I think we should be allowed to make our own choices,” says Mittal. School teacher Promila Diwan and Mittal’s classmate Nitish Saxena however, differ. “If a ban is imposed after consulting the concerned section of society, there’s nothing wrong. Children need to be guided until a certain age and that’s not called encroaching upon their space,” says Diwan. Saxena adds: “I think banning can be effective. In the soft drinks case, it will at least reduce the consumption while children are in school.” Once again, the argument bubbles till the rim.