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State of Honour

Punjab Arts Council honours eminent personalities from the field of art, literary and cultural spheres with 'Punjab Gaurav Puraskar'

The concluding day of the ongoing Randhawa Utsav at Punjab Kala Bhawan saw a befitting celebration of Baisakhi with the Punjab Arts Council honouring eminent personalities from the fields of art, literary and culture with the prestigious ‘Punjab Gaurav Puraskar’.

The Governor of Punjab, VP Singh Badnore was the chief guest while Navjot Singh Sidhu, Tourism & Cultural Affairs Minister, Punjab, presided over the occasion. Also present on the occasion was Punjab Arts Council Chairperson, Satinder Satti who honoured the chief guests.

In his address on the occasion, Badnore said that Baisakhi has not only religious significance but it is also deeply connected with the peasantry of Punjab who celebrate it in a joyous manner when their crop gets ripened. He also congratulated the personalities selected for the award while lauding this unique initiative of the arts council.

The dignitaries honoured three personalities selected by the Punjab Arts Council namely litterateur Kirpal Singh Kasel, thespian Oma Gurbaksh and artist Paramjit Singh.  Apart from this, three academies associated with arts council honoured a luminary each which included sculptor Avtarjit Singh Dhanjal (Lalit Kala Academy Puraskar), poet Dr Surjit Patar (Punjabi Sahitya Academy Puraskar) and actress Preeti Sapru (Punjabi Sangeet Natak Academy Puraskar). These doyens were presented cash prizes, a Phulkari, commendation letter, momento and a bouquet.

Addressing the gathering, Sidhu said that the personalities associated with the art, literary and cultural fields have contributed a great deal in keeping the originality of Punjabi culture intact. He also divulged that the first and foremost agenda of the department is to frame a strong cultural policy so as to herald a cultural movement. He also elaborated that connecting the modern day young generation with the rich cultural heritage of Punjab in this internet age would be his priority.

The occasion also saw Pammi Bai, Nachhattar Gill, Preet Harpal, Kaur B, Sukhi Brar, Kanth Kaler and Dolly Guleria being honoured who also regaled the audiences with their performances. The occasion was made memorable by the presentation of Punjabi folk songs with the assistance of folk orchestra by Raunak Band and Baisakhi Mela by Peter Sodhi Group which beautifully presented folk dances of Punjab in all their splendour. Steering the show was emcee for the day, Dr Satish Verma. Others present on the occasion also included General Secretary of Arts Council Dr Lakhwinder Singh Johal and Senior Vice Chairman Engineer SS Virdi.

A Chance to View the Works of Sohan Qadri

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Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi and Kumar Gallery, Delhi to present exhibition of paintings by acclaimed artist Sohan Qadri from April 22

Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi (PLKA) and Kumar Gallery, Delhi are providing a rare opportunity to art lovers of this region by bringing an exhibition of original paintings of renowned artist Sohan Qadri. The exhibition will open on April 22 at the Galleries of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Punjab Kala Bhawan, Rose Garden, Sector 16 B, Chandigarh. Some rare documentaries on the life, art, and philosophy of the maverick and tantric genius would also be screened. A coffee table book with serious essays on the art and life of Qadri would also be released and available at heavily discounted price of Rs 2500.

There would be 35 artworks of the master painter on display. PLKA is making an effort to bring the art of those creative geniuses, who belonged to this land, nourished their talent in Punjab and on alien lands, but we lost them to other parts of the country and world due to various factors. Qadri was born in the village of Chachoki, Punjab, India in 1932 and passed away in 2011 in Toronto, Canada.

What: Sohan Qadri Exhibition of paintings

Where: Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16, Chandigarh

When: Opening on April 22. The exhibition will remain open till May 2.

Time: Opening on April 22 at 5.30 pm; the exhibition will remain open daily from 11 am to 7 pm.

About Sohan Qadri

He is one of the few internationally acclaimed artists deeply engaged with spirituality. His works hold incredible mystery; his paintings did not merely exist: they remained eternally in the process of ‘becoming’. Born in the village of Chachoki, in 1932, in British India, he was initiated into Yoga, Tantra, dance and music at the age of fourteen by Guru Bhikham Giri of the same village. Qadri’s association with him heralded a lifelong commitment to spirituality and art. In 1952, he worked as freelance photographer in the Bombay Film studios. He further explored meditation in the cave temples of Himalayas and Tibetan Monasteries till 1955. He studied art at Government College of Art, Shimla (Now Government College of Art Chandigarh). In 1966, he left India and began a series of travels that took him to East Africa, Europe, North America, Paris, Zurich and Toronto. Later in 1971, he finally settled in Copenhagen.

There are artists. There are Tantriks. There are Tantric Artists. As Far as I know, there are no tantric yogis who are artists as well. Sohan Qadri is an exceptional artist, wrote F N Souza in 1976.

Qadri abandoned representation early on in his long career, incorporating Tantric symbolism and philosophy into his vibrantly coloured minimalist works. His paintings look like Yantras, Mandalas with a symbolic representation of Kundalini, or simply a mere form and colour. He himself stated that a painting is not a riddle, it is a joy and ecstasy. He makes the onlooker free to have a direct, unpolluted and subliminal contact in a state of honest communication. He feels that no words are adequate to describe it, as it is an experience of the guts rising to the intensity of the ecstasy which occurs innocently in the split of a moment when his mind is undemanding.

Sohan Qadri’s works are in numerous collections including – those of the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Mass – USA; the Rubin Museum of Art, New York; the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi; Slupsk Museum of Modern Art, Poland; Kumar Gallery, New Delhi; Bado Glaub Museum, Koln as well as the private collections of Cirque du Soleil, Heinrich Böll and Dr. Robert Thurman.

Meet the Indian Fatmagul™

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 Joy
Buoyed 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 Joy
Hailing 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

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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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Photo By: Vikram Joy

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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Photo By: Vikram Joy

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

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.

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Arvind Bali, Director and CEO, Connect Broadband and Videocon Telecom with
Kristian Jarnefelt, Executive Vice President at F-Secure Corporation
Photo 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 AV‑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

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

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

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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

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:

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  • ‘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 !!

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 friends
Photo By: Sumit Kumar
Acting 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 Kumar
Those 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 Kumar
What 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 !!

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 “Clean and Green India”.

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.