Meet the Indian Fatmagul™

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April 21, 2017

Television actor Pankhuri Avasthy to star as ‘Amla’ in the Indian adaptation of the popular Turkish show ‘Fatmagul’.

It’s being touted as the official remake of the uber popular show ‘Fatmagul’. The Turkish show, dubbed in Hindi, made an appearance on an Indian channel last year and saw a huge fan following and massive TRPs. So much so that the channel played re-runs.

Photo By: Vikram JoyBuoyed by the response to the show and its theme of sexual assault, Star Plus is now set to roll out ‘Kya Qusoor Hai Amla Ka?’ the Indian adaptation of ‘Fatmagul’. And playing the lead of ‘Amla’ (that’s the name of the character in the Indian version) is actor Pankhuri Avasthy.

We caught up with the actor, who was in Chandigarh to talk about her role and the forthcoming show. For those unaware, Avasthy is a popular face on Indian television, having previously starred in shows like ‘Razia Sultan’ and ‘Suryaputra Karan’. She essayed the role of Draupadi in the latter.

“The show ‘Fatmagul’ has been aired in many languages across the world and that speaks for its popularity. In the Indian re-make, I play Amla, a girl from Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. She is a simple, innocent girl who is sexually assaulted and this is her story,” explained the petite actor who had a tough time filming in Dharamshala in January this year.

Photo By: Vikram JoyHailing from Lucknow, Avasthy has been a thespian all through her school and college days. She has also studied at St Kabir School in Sector 26, Chandigarh for a few years. She admits playing Amla was truly a challenge. “For an actor, it is easy to draw upon one’s own experience to emote but it is really difficult when you haven’t experienced or faced a situation like this. The show is about Amala’s journey of realizing that despite her world being shattered with a heinous incident, all is not lost and there is always hope,” said Avasthy.

The show, set in Dharamshala, has been remade with Indian sensibilities by Purnendu Shekhar, Nandita Mehra and Bhairavi Raichura (24 Frames). Apart from Awasthy as the protagonist, the show features well established actors like Rajveer Singh, Anant Joshi, Rajesh Khattar, Akshay Anand and Kasturi Banerjee.

“The objective of the show is to sensitize audiences and society at large, to the trauma of the victims of sexual assault. ‘Kya Qusoor Hai Amla Ka’ urges people to foster a safe and supportive environment for the victims of sexual assault. The campaign advocates that society needs to place the guilt rightfully with the perpetrators by putting them on trial instead of shaming the victims,” said Avasthy who feels “television has the power to spark meaningful change.”

Interestingly, the channel has kicked off a campaign with actor Amitabh Bachchan to drive a conversation on the subject of ‘victim shaming’ by raising a pertinent question, “Whose fault is it?” The channel has also tied up with an NGO – Jan Sahas Social Development Society – which provides support to survivors of sexual assault. +

Double Role

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 20, 2017

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Wednesday evening saw the American Embassy present 'Love Letters' at Panjab University with an endearing American couple leading the way

We are all well aware of the popular Hindi play ‘Tumhari Amrita’ enacted on stage by renowned actors Shabana Azmi and the late Farooq Sheikh. Adapted from the original American play titled ‘Love Letters’ and written by A R Gurney, ‘Tumhari Amrita’ has met resounding success everywhere that it has been staged.

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On Wednesday evening, as we took our seats at Panjab University’s Law Auditorium, we were equally taken in by the Sibleys – George Sibley and his wife Lee-Alison Sibley – who read out ‘Love Letters’ in English for the audience. The play was organised by The Embassy of the United States of America in association with Panjab University.

Incidentally, while Lee-Alison is an actor, singer and director of repute, her husband, George Sibley, is the Minister Counselor at the Office of Economic, Environment, Science and Technology Affairs at the US Embassy in New Delhi. The two are passionate about theatre and met in 1984 during the rehearsals for the play, Pippin. “We both share a common passion for the arts, especially theatre. The style of this play allows us to perform together as due to my busy schedule, I can’t be part of an elaborate setup that requires more time,” remarked the Minister Counselor as we caught up with the couple backstage.

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For the unaware, ‘Love Letters’, which debuted at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut in 1988, features only two characters and is an intimate play with themes including friendship, love, loyalty and heartache. And as we watched the Sibleys slide into the characters of Andy and Melissa, we realised they were a perfect fit.

Being married and performing together has its advantages, admitted Lee-Alison. “We understand each other better and it always helps to get criticism from one another as it would be constructive,” said Lee-Alison as George added, “Although, sometimes, it gets too real.”

This is Lee-Alison’s first visit to Chandigarh. “Unfortunately, we won’t have enough time to look around this time,” rued the actor. It was the second visit for her husband who visited Panjab University a few years ago and also delivered a lecture. “I remember taking a ride on the battery operated carts that were recently launched,” he reminisces.

Having travelled the world and staged numerous plays, the Sibleys are well aware of the theatre scene in India. Lee-Alison has been actively involved in the community in Delhi and is a part of the Women Economic Forum (WEF). Interestingly, she has performed everything from folk to opera, to art songs, to Broadway, in a variety of languages and is the first American to record the songs of Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. “I have lived in Kolkata for many years and really took to Bengali,” says the gifted singer who speaks multiple languages.

Apart from theatre, climate change is another area of interest for the couple who hope to stage theme based productions in the future. Their chemistry on stage is really endearing and here’s hoping they bring another production to the city sometime soon.

One-Stop Safety Solution

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Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 20, 2017

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Connect Broadband launches a one-stop security solution for all smart devices

Every home and office now boasts of multiple smart devices. There is now an increasing need to protect these from dangers of the digital world. Keeping this in mind, Connect Broadband has launched its latest international virus control program for multiple devices. The launch was held in Chandigarh on Wednesday, April 19.

rnArvind Bali, Director and CEO, Connect Broadband and Videocon Telecom with
Kristian Jarnefelt, Executive Vice President at F-Secure CorporationPhoto By: Vikram Joy

The all new ‘Connect Safe Annual Pack’ lets you pay once protect all your devices for one year. The more devices a household has, the more complex it is to secure each one and the personal information on them. Picking individual security solutions for each individual device and family member is not an easy task. Connect Safe provides complete protection for safe shopping and banking experience, privacy protection, tracking for lost devices, device security and much more. Furthermore, it blocks hackers to maintain privacy of data, safeguards the Internet for children – on PCs, tablets, MAC, IOS and android phones thereby reducing service interruptions and security hassles.

The pack is powered by F-Secure, an antivirus technology that has received the AVâ€‘TEST Best Protection award, five times. Developed by Finland based F-Secure Corporation, the product has been introduced by all the leading European telecom operators and is a raging success in all the European and Latin American markets.

“The product offers peace of mind by helping customers to connect to the Internet with confidence, wherever they may be, they can avoid digital threats on PCs, Mac’s, smart phones and tablets,” remarked Kristian Jarnefelt, Executive Vice President at F-Secure Corporation at the launch in Chandigarh.

The pack is priced between Rs 399 (for one device) to Rs 1,299 (for five devices).

The Wizard of Black and White

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 19, 2017

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Meet one of Chandigarh's celebrated photographers Vijay Ozo who finds the extraordinary in the ordinary

They say a photographer has an eye to spot the unusual around us. But it takes a truly gifted eye to spot the extraordinary in the ordinary. On both counts Chandigarh-based photographer Vijay Ozo excels. There are photographers who travel the lengths and breadths of the world to capture stunning visuals. But Ozo’s work showcases that you don’t have to go too far. In fact he often jokes how he could cull out an entire exhibition just from a single room. Be it the corners of a wall, the lock on the door, the curve of a handle, the play of light on the floor, Ozo’s eye misses nothing. And the best part is that he captures it all so well on camera that it becomes a work of art. A master of black and white photography, he is a reticent artist who is recognised for his frail frame and signature round spectacles.

Photo By: Vikram Joy

Currently, residing in Kharar, he is working on his next show. We caught up with the photographer at his home one afternoon. Here are some edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q: When did you first come to Chandigarh?

A: I am originally from Moga in Punjab (born in 1948) and I am alumnus of the Government College of Art where I pursued diploma in Applied Art in 1967. My family wanted me to take up a regular profession but I was quite taken in by photography. While I pursued photography passionately, I also worked as an artist for Punjab Agricultural Department and an audio-visual officer at Rural Development and Panchayats Department, Punjab.

Photo By: Vijay Ozo

Q: How did you choose photography?

A: That is difficult to answer. It all started one afternoon back in my home when I was perhaps eight or nine years old. My cousins and I were playing and I happened to lock myself in a room. There was light coming from a hole in the door and catching the shadows. I managed to put up a white sheet as a screen and watched the images all day. We didn’t have a camera but I wanted to capture the play of light and shadow. I was mesmerised. When I could finally afford to buy a simple camera, I began to capture it all.

Photo By: Vijay Ozo

Photo By: Vijay Ozo

Q: When did you start shooting Chandigarh?

A: It was in the early 1970s. I couldn’t afford much equipment but I made the most of what I had. Ordinary objects used to excite me, they still do. I feel all you need to do is hone your observation skills. Look around and you will see the beauty in the most unusual spots. For example, I did an entire show on a stretch of road that was recently carpeted. The patches made for interesting patterns. It was one of my most popular shows.

Photo By: Vijay Ozo

Q: What was your last show about?

A: In January last year, I exhibited his pictures in a solo show at Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, Chandigarh after a gap of 15 years. Titled as ‘Pushkar dar-o-deewar’, the exhibition was of black and white photographs that featured closed doors and walls in the alleys of Pushkar, Rajasthan. It showcased the old temple town of Pushkar in Rajasthan and focused on locked doors, cracks on the walls and the plants making their home among fragile bricks and the shadow play of light and shade.

Photo By: Vijay Ozo

Photo By: Vijay Ozo

Q: What are you working on these days?

A: Currently, I am zooming in on what we miss to see in an art exhibition. My focus is not the works on display but the area around it and the effect light has. It is difficult to explain. Like when light falls on the frame, the shadow on the wall is multi-layered with different tones even in black and grey. I am working on this theme for my next collection.

Mika Singh to Perform in City

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 19, 2017

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93.5 RedFM to officially announce arrival in Chandigarh with a concert featuring singer Mika Singh on April 22

Chandigarh get ready for swag fest with the gabru Mika Singh. The popular radio channel is officially announcing its arrival in the city with a concert featuring singer Mika Singh. Here are the details:

What: ‘Swag fest with Mika’ concert by 93.5 RedFM
When: April 22 (Saturday)
Where: Leisure Valley
Time: 6 pm onwards

For more info, tune into 93.5 RedFM or visit their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/redfmindia

Tech Talk

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 19, 2017

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Here's all you need to know about the new Tecno smartphone that everyone is talking about

Mobile photography has truly gone viral in India and we want to capture all moments instantly. Realising that clicking night time shots using mobiles wasn’t delivering quite the same exciting results, a new mobile player has stepped foot in India with a “Smartest Night Phone”.

Arif Chowdhury, Vice President, Transsion Holdings at the launch of
TECNO Mobile in Chandigarh

Say hello to Tecno Mobile by Transsion Holdings, a global company that provides mobile communication products and mobile internet services in over 50 countries. Making their foray in India, the company has unveiled its “specially Made for India” i-series smartphones. Theses smartphones come equipped with innovative camera features identified in the ‘Indian photography preference’ survey conducted with a sample size of 2,000 Indians in four states.

Speaking at the unveiling of TECNO Mobile in Chandigarh, Arif Chowdhury, Vice President, Transsion Holdings informed, “India is a key market for us and we believe that our strong retail footprint and service network with our unique ‘151’ promise will further delight the customer. With our glocalised product range, we seek to ‘Do the Undoable’ at the core of our operations in India.”

To boost the confidence of consumers, TECNO smartphones come with ‘151’ promise which offers 100 days’ replacement warranty, 50% buyback and 1-year one-time screen replacement as an initial offering for a limited period. The ‘i’ series includes i7, i5, i5 Pro, i3 and i3 Pro smartphones.

Here are the key features of the phones:

‘i’ series allows consumers to own the night with its image processing PIXELEX engine that allows brighter night photography. It also has a night selfie camera with screen flash and front LED flash.

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The software algorithm of the camera is optimized as per Indian consumer localized needs in terms of skin tone, colour preference, contrast etc.

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The smartphones are also equipped with an anti-oil fingerprint sensor that provides hassle free access to the phone under all Indian lifestyle and weather conditions.

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Video chatting with adjustable brightness.

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Rocket charging with bigger batteries.

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Full metal body with sleek design

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VoLTE and ViLTE

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Android Nougat7.0 with highly customized HiOS

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Users can enjoy easy multitasking powered by4GB RAM /32 GB ROM in i7.

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Colours include champagne gold, sky black and space grey

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The product portfolio consists of five new innovative smartphones priced competitively at Rs 7,990 to Rs 14,990. While i5, i5 Pro, i3 and i3 pro will all be available across three states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab from April 22, 2017; i7 will hit the market in May.

Old Guard™ yet again !!

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 17, 2017

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Keen golfer and entrepreneur Ravibir Singh Grewal, acting president, who represents the ‘old guard’ in the most prestigious club in the city, the Chandigarh Golf Club in Sector 6, narrowly pips his rival, industrialist.

The ‘old guard’ has held sway in governing the prestigious Chandigarh Golf Club for as far as memory goes, and expectedly it was all along confident of its victory in the annual elections to the post of President and 11-member executive committee of the club for the year 2017. But the rival panel refused to be intimidated by history. It fought gallantly and marshalled all resources at its command to beat the trend. But in the end the president’s post went the expected way, though by a thin margin 94 votes. Ravibir polled 589 and his rival Ravinder 495. A few votes were declared invalid in one of the highest turnouts in the history of the club.

Ravibir Singh Grewal (in blue turban) celebrates with friendsPhoto By: Sumit KumarActing president Ravibir, who took over reins of the club following the death of then president IPS Mann in December 2016, was deluged with congratulations from friends as soon as it was known around 10 a.m. that he had won. The celebrations in his camp began soon thereafter. The results of elections to the executive committee were declared late in the evening.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Photo By: Sumit KumarThose elected to the executive committee

Rohit S. Dagar (664 votes), K S Brar (631), Capt Mohanbir Singh (614), Alamgir S Grewal (574), Dr Jaspreet S Batth (559), Amarinder S Aulakh (551), Lt Col H S Chahal (531), Arvind Bajaj (516), Sanjeev Verma (512), S P S Matharoo (503), Shona A Singh (459), the lone lady in the fray.

Insiders, including in the Ravibir camp, concede it was a hard fought contest. Ravinder Singh Virk and his team made sure they personally met as many members with voting right as possible. Even on the voting day on Sunday the panellists, their family members, supporters and friends were seen frantically wooing voters for maximising the gains from their hectic campaign.

Photo By: Sumit KumarWhat finally tipped the scales was perhaps what the Virk camp would all along have been mindful of – the intervention of the political class, especially in Punjab, in favour of the ‘old guard’. While campaigning by these politicians in support of the ‘old guard’ remained a matter of intense speculation, leaders from both the Akali Dal, and the Congress, to which the former conceded power in the recently concluded assembly elections in Punjab, made sure they cast their votes. Among those seen in the club lawns on Sunday were Preneet Kaur, wife of Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and former Union minister, former Akali finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Congress MLA from Mohali Balbir Singh Sidhu.

Planeteers of the Brahmand !!

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 17, 2017

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They call themselves the 'planeteers' of the Brahmand Academy based out of Panchkula town in Haryana, near Chandigarh. The performances of the academy trained children and grown-ups always carry a social message. On Saturday (April 15) they regaled the audience at the open air Yavanika Theatre in support of â€œClean and Green Indiaâ€.

They look to encourage pure music as food for a healthy mind. There is always a social message in whatever they do. They are the ‘planeteers’ (members) of the professional music training academy Brahmand run by a lawyer turned musician with a meaning Dheeraj Kumar.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

On Saturday (April 15), school children and grown-ups trained by the Academy entertained the audiences to a variety of band and other musical performances at the open air Yavanika Theatre. There were also a couple of special performances by the “Question Mark Squad”, who were the first runners up in the 2015 edition of the programme “Dance Plus” on entertainment TV channel Star Plus, and Poornima Sukant, one of the three finalists in the 2010 edition of “India’s Got Talent” on entertainment TV channel Colors.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Sharing his thoughts with lifeinchandigarh.com, Dheeraj Kumar says “though I run a professional music academy and teach children and grown-ups the nuances of guitar and keyboard, mostly on one-on-one basis, the purpose of these events is purely to give a platform to local talent to showcase themselves in public and in the process also convey a meaningful social message. We also encourage our trainees, who gradually become akin to our family members, to celebrate important occasions in their lives in a more meaningful manner by sharing such moments with underprivileged sections of society.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

“We are seeing more and more local bands confining themselves to performances in clubs and private functions. The authorities invite outside bands for an odd big event they organise during the year. So we thought why not groom local talent and provide them a platform to experiment and excel.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

“We have organised 15-16 performances so far at various places during the last 3 years. There are challenges aplenty. The foremost is getting sponsors for such shows. So far, it’s been more or less a one-man show when it comes to organising these events. Friends have been assisting here and there. But this time around I have been joined in the effort by ‘The Bikers Squad’, who are a group of about 35 socially responsible bikers. We have decided to work closely in future,” he gushes enthusiastically.

“We are gearing up to take our message to more and more people, for which we will soon be launching a refreshed website and show our presence on various social media platforms,” Dheeraj signs off with determination reflecting in his eyes.

The Great Golf Election Carnival !!

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 16, 2017

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All roads leading up to the most prestigious club in the city, the Chandigarh Golf Club in Sector 6, were lined with cars, as members, some accompanied by families, were in maximum attendance for the most important carnival on the annual calendar of the club.

Just over four months ago, members of Chandigarh Golf Club, the most prestigious club in Chandigarh, were plunged into mourning as one of their most loved ones, IPS Mann, the then president, left for his heavenly abode, the first ever club chief to die while in harness. Today (Sunday) they turned up in maximum numbers for the great annual carnival to elect a president and executive for the next term. And a strong contender for the club president’s post happens to be the man who took over as acting chief midway through the last term.

(No hard feeling: Presidential candidates Grewal (left) and Virk show bonhomie)

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

A keen golfer and entrepreneur Ravibir Singh Grewal, representing the ‘old guard’ in the club, is up against a strong rival in Ravinder Singh Virk, an industrialist. Surprisingly, there is only a token participation from the ladies in the contest. The one lady in the fray, Shona A Singh, in the Grewal panel, was part of the previous executive team as well.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

After attending a customary general body meeting in the morning, the members started queuing up in the covered lawns of the club to cast their precious vote. The queue kept getting longer and more serpentine with every passing minute and those idling away were seen swigging a Kingfisher, fresh lime or packaged water.

Who all queued up

Among those queuing up were several former international golfers, retired bureaucrats, ex-servicemen, professional and businessmen. The political class was also seen in the thick of action. The very elderly and the infirm could also not hold themselves back from the big event. Many of them were seen being shifted to the venue from the parking area on a golf cart.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Last minute wooing of voters by members of the Grewal and Virk panels, their family members, friends and supporters charged up the atmosphere. Even small children were not to be left behind. Some of them were seen with posters hanging from their necks seeking support for a particular candidate.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Punjab Congress takes keen interest

The ruling Congress in Punjab, and chief minister Amarinder Singh himself, are learnt to have been taking keen interest in the high stakes elections. Whether they have tried to tip the scales in favour of either of the two panels, or particular candidates, has been a matter of speculation. The club has nearly 1800 voters.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

The fashion quotient was also high with young and older ladies alike turning up in their best summer dresses. High heels and stylish leather purses also attracted a lot of eyeballs. With the heat beginning to bite, golf hats were seen in good measure.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Among the known faces seen in the crowd were Flying Sikh Milkha Singh,
international golfers Amritinder Singh and Harmeet Kahlon, bureaucrats R S Mann, Rameshinder Singh, L M Goyal, M L Tayal, Y S Ratra, Krishna Mohan, S K Sharma and CSR Reddy.

Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Those contesting for Committee members

Team Grewal: Arvind Bajaj, Brar Kulbir Singh, Col Hardev Mann, Capt Mohanbir Singh, Rohit Daggar, Sanjit Singh Bala, Shona A Singh, SPS Matharoo, Col SDS Batth, Zorawar Singh.

Team Virk: Col A.D Singh, Alamgir Grewal, Amarinder Aulakh, Ankush Garg, Lt Col HS Chahal, Jagdeep Singh, Dr Jaspreet S. Batth, Parvinder Takkar, Sanjeev Verma, Satwant S. Sandhu.

Results of elections: Counting of votes will start on Monday morning (17th April). President elect is expected to be declared by Noon and committee members by late afternoon.

Champions Reign Supreme !!

By

Sanjeev Kochhar

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April 14, 2017

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Ng On Yee of Hong Kong wins 1st Asian ladies snooker, and Pankaj Advani 16th Asian Men's billiards championship

The ace billiards and snooker champion Pankaj Advani was surprisingly trailing from his opponent Sourav Kothari 1 game to 3 at the break in the finals of the 16 Asian Billiards Championship, but set into his rhythm immediately thereafter to race to the title at the Hyatt Regency in Chandigarh on Good Friday. The 16-time world billiards and snooker champion just tore Kothari’s game apart to pocket the next 5 games and win the best-of-11 games final 6-3. Advani registered six 50-plus breaks, including a century break in the 6th game, to Kothari’s three, including one century break, in the 2nd game.

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Photo By: Sumit Kumar

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Photo By: Sumit Kumar

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Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee, who recently won the Eden World Women’s Championship in Singapore for the second time, after leading initially, also came from behind to outclass Thailand’s Warathanun Sukritthanes 3-2 and lift the title in the first ever Asian Ladies Snooker Championship. Having won the first frame, she conceded the next two to her opponent before rallying to take the last two frames in a best-of-5 frames final.

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Photo By: Sumit Kumar

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Photo By: Sumit Kumar

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India’s Vidya Pillai, who became the first Indian player to reach the final in a world snooker final in Singapore, earlier bowed out in the semi-final. Her slayer once again was Ng On Yee, to whom she had fallen in the Singapore final as well.

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Photo By: Sumit Kumar

Eight Indians were among the 16 players who participated in the first Asian Ladies Snooker Championship.

The 18th Asian Under-21 Men’s Snooker Championship title went to China’s Yuan Sijun, who outgunned his compatriot Fan Zhengyi by 6 frames to 2 in the best-of-11 frames final.

Life in ChandigarhPeople, places and more

Life in ChandigarhPeople, places and more

Life in Chandigarhpeople, places and more

Meet the Indian Fatmagul™

Double Role

One-Stop Safety Solution

The Wizard of Black and White

Mika Singh to Perform in City

Tech Talk

Old Guard™ yet again !!

The Great Golf Election Carnival !!

Champions Reign Supreme !!

LIfe in chandigarh

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