B Abdul Haq at the counter of Connoisseur Collection, originally the Bharath Watch Company, Chennai | Photo Credit: S Aswini Rao
The Connoisseur Collection family has been the guardian of innumerable timepieces in Chennai for the past 64 years. This Madras Week, they share a few memories.
It is easy to lose yourself in the labyrinth that is Spencer Plaza, with its narrow alleys and seemingly identical corridors. But it is worth it, for tucked away between stores selling T-shirts, phone covers and silver jewellery is a quaint space where time has stopped.
Connoisseur Collection, originally the Bharath Watch Company, was launched in 1958 in Pondy Bazaar by R Abdul Bari, then shifted to Spencer Plaza in 1999. It is now run by his son B Abdul Haq who holds aloft the 64 years of legacy single-handedly.
”My father’s work intrigued me, so I entered the field after discontinuing my education,” says Haq, who learned the craft from his father when he was just 12 years, at the shop. Here, dead watches and clocks come alive at the hands of their knowledgeable and skilled owner.
A six-decade-old timepiece at Connoisseur Collection, Chennai | Photo Credit: S Aswini Rao
Haq’s passion is evident in the way he handles the watches, and shows off his collection of rare luxury pieces from brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex. He opens a case to reveal a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711, made in the mid-1970s by the legendary watch designer Gerald Genta. He moves on to reveal similar vintage watches like Patek Philippe Geneve watches made of 18k gold, and a Patek Phillipe 2583 specially made in 1956.
As he carefully places these prized possessions back in a box and locks them away, he reminisces about the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, and actress Sowcar Janaki visiting his father’s shop with timepieces of their own.
“The rarest watch I have repaired is a Moon Phase by Patek Philippe,” he says, adding, “Customers bring in mechanical watches, Rolex, Omega, and other expensive Swiss watches for servicing, usually to fix broken glass dialsor button malfunctions.”
The entrepreneur reminisces the earlier times of Spencer’s Mall, saying it used to be an international hub with tourists from all over the world visiting in search of high-end brands. Those brands have since migrated to other malls, and visitors to Spencer’s have dwindled. But this shop stays put, he says, as the cost of running a business in Spencer’s is reasonable, and those in the know can always find their way to him.
As the self-styled “police officer in the field of watches” fastidiously wipes dials, he disapprovingly speaks of those who run businesses motivated only by money, with no technical knowledge. Gently wrapping each watch in velvet-lined covers he states, “Custom-made watches have no value, there is no originality left in them. When a company manufactures a watch you should not change anything.”
He wears a Rolex Deepsea watch and says his one of his favourite pieces is the Nautilus series from Patek Philippe. His father bestowed him a Vulcain cricket solid gold wrist alarm from the 1950s— his most prized possession.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style / by Shivani Illakiya PT / August 20th, 2022
Adil Meraj: Co-founder of Gurucool. | Photo: By arrangement
The Padhai app will provide academic space for learning and to make quality education accessible for the underprivileged.
New Delhi :
Gurucool, a Delhi-based EdTech startup launched the Padhai app on Friday. The app seeks to provide an academic space for learning and to make quality education accessible for the underprivileged by providing more than 3500 curated open-source educational courses offered by platforms like MIT open courseware, Khan Academy, YouTube educators, and many more.
Adil Meraj and Khansa Fahad, the two alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) started Gurucool in 2019. Gurucool is an educational networking platform that offers a suite of phygital (physical+digital) tools to connect learners and educators. The founders of Gurucool got into the limelight when they secured pre-seed funding of $150,000 (around 1 crore rupees) in November 2021.
“The Padhai app counters the price-tagged digital education offered by other ed-tech platforms while making digital education accessible and free for all,” Meraj told TwoCircles.net.
“The Padhai app provides information on scholarships, educational short videos similar to YouTube shorts called BITS, and other things of importance to learners. It offers curated courses in 8 regional languages,” Meraj said, adding that the app has live classes, study material, test series and questionnaires for K-12, competitive exams, and the skill India program.
The higher education department of the government of Bihar approved the Padhai app as a pilot project, he said. Conversations are on with several other governments to start the Padhai app on a pilot project basis.
Gurucool is an educational networking platform offering over 25 tools and a vast content pool for educators and learners to learn, network, and have fun with them. Gurucool aims to digitize education while not compromising on the need for physical classrooms. We are making education phygital, said Meraj.
Gurucool got pre-seed funding from the Indian-American angel investor, Parvez Jasani (CEO, Zulie Venture Inc.) and Aqib Hussain of FreeFlow Venture Builders. The ed-tech platform is estimated worth $ 2 million.
“When I spoke to Adil and Khansa for the first time I was super impressed with their vision and passion, and that made me invest in Gurucool instantly”, Parvez Jasani told TwoCircles.net.
Gurucool offers a vast content pool, empowering educators, schools, and colleges with minimal financial support and which are functioning especially among the marginalized groups. The schools and colleges can potentially build their digital infrastructure using Gurucool’s content.
The Ed-Tech platform follows the model of personalized learning by creating educational centres which implement the concept of a conference-based teaching ecosystem that has a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. These education centres have a club system, library, workshops, sessions, and smart classes among other things.
Gurucool aims to launch 50 centres in 15 cities across India in the upcoming year with each centre having an accommodating capacity of 600 students.
www.gurucool.xyz
Mohd. Umair Yunus is a fellow in the SEEDS-TCN mentorship program.
source: http://www.twocircle.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Mohd Umair Yunus, TwoCircles.net / August 13th, 2022
Bharova Village (Bhaderwah District) ,JAMMU & KASHMIR:
Haji Mohammad Shafi Sheikh from Kashmir quit his job as a contractor in a forest corporation to grow exotic red pears that now fetch him more than Rs 25 lakh a year.
In 1980, Haji Mohammad Shafi Sheikh, a contractor in a forest corporation, was on a routine visit to Kashmir. He was scheduled to meet his younger brother Abdul Rashid Sheikh and cousin Ghulam Nabi, who was pursuing a degree in Engineering at Srinagar’s Engineering College.
The trio decided to explore a few of the tourist destinations. They started their journey with Nishat, a picturesque area of Srinagar, which houses the famed Mughal Garden, home to mighty Chinars.
A road on the outskirts took them to a beautiful garden of green pears, where Shafi and the others spent hours relishing and enquiring about the fruit.
Their interest in the garden grew to the extent that Shafi embarked on a mission to grow a similar orchard in his native village Bharova in Bhaderwah.
Bharova was still oblivious to the existence of these fruits, given its topography and the fact that locals only cultivated maize and fodder to feed their animals.
“The entire area of Bahrova is hilly and maize was the only crop being grown by farmers because of the drought-prone conditions. People were not financially stable due to which they couldn’t explore other options over maize to earn a livelihood,” Shafi says.
In the same year, he took a few saplings of pears and walnuts home and sowed them adjacent to his house to track their growth.
“Surprisingly, plants grew normally and within a few years started bearing fruits. It was very much encouraging for me and my interest grew to sow more plants to give an idea to the people about the scope of horticulture in my area,” Shafi says.
The 74-year-old now annually harvests 3,000 boxes of exotic red pears enough to fetch him more than Rs 25 lakh. “The maize which I grew in my fields would fetch me only Rs 4,000 per annum. Often we suffered crop failures and farmers were becoming poorer. But now, farmers of my area are financially stable,” he says.
Apart from pears and apples, Shafi also harvests 15-20 quintals of walnuts annually.
Horticulture Sheikh of Bhaderwah
Exotic red pears grown by Shafi Sheikh
The journey of growing pears on land which was confined to just fodder and maize a few decades before was not easy for Shafi. It was indeed a work of patience and determination for him, who would take the help of experts to have disease-free produce.
“In 1993 when I saw my pears growing, I left my job immediately and devoted my entire time to horticulture. I always had a hope that my efforts will change the fate of the people of my village,” he says.
After reaping benefits from his efforts, Shafi finally decided to completely abandon the custom of growing maize in 2002 and shifted to horticulture, despite opposition from his neighbours and family. “It was a very difficult decision for me and people would often question me for giving up maize cultivation. The initial years were full of hardships as plants needed years to bear fruits,” he says.
Growing native pears and walnuts didn’t satisfy his appetite and Shafi finally sought help from Sher-i- Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology Jammu to grow exotic red pears, which he only had heard about till then.
“Seeing my commitment and desire to expand my orchard scientifically during a routine visit by a team of scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, one of the scientists, Dr Vikas Tandon, who is a professor at SKUAST Jammu handed me a few Italian pear seedlings, which was a significant turning point in my path,” he says.
After successfully growing red pears, he grafted green pears plants with red pear fruits to grow high-quality fruits in his orchard. “Now I have some 250 red pear trees and apart from them, I grow green pears, apples and other variety of fruits. For research, I visited Himachal Pradesh and other states to learn technicalities growing exotic fruits in my orchard,” he says.
He is hoping his production increases in the coming years as scores of his plants are ready to bear fruits. “I keep on experimenting with my orchards. From spraying quality pesticides to timely de-weeding, my production will increase in coming years,” he says.
A ray of hope for Bhaderwah farmers
Seeing Shafi’s hard work bearing fruits, his younger brother Abdul Rashid too has shifted to horticulture and has over 2,500 trees of pears in his orchards. His cousin Ghulam Nabi too followed his path and grew pears on his land to get better returns.
“I feel happy that my village is gradually progressing. I can now see a lot of growers, who are dedicated to growing pears and other fruits in our village,” he says.
Not just Bharova, adjacent villages like Khalo and Shanatra too are gaining recognition for growing exotic Italian red pears. These three villages grow nearly 1.5 metric tonnes of red pears annually.
Many farmers are getting inspired by his efforts and taking of horticulture in the hilly district of Bhaderwah. “Our district was only known for its breathtaking landscape a few decades before. Now, with the efforts of Shafi Sahab, we are growing quality exotic pears, which are very unique and have a huge demand in the market,” says Abdul Sattar, a framer.
Today, 165 households from the villages of Bharova, Khalo, and Shanatra have shifted to cultivating fruits, particularly Italian pears, taking their cue from Shafi.
Horticulture, an employment generator
Haji Mohammad Shafi Sheikh now helps other farmers in the region with practising horticulture.
Ever since Shafi took this initiative, the fate of the village has changed. Horticulture has been the employment provider to the village as more youth associate themselves with the growing pears.
During the season he employs almost 25 people in his orchards, who look after spraying, pruning and harvesting of pears. “Initially I had four boys who would look after my orchards. Now almost 25 boys remain associated with me during harvest season,” he says.
Fifty-year-old Krishan Lal, a resident of village Khalu in Bahderwah has been working for over 15 years with Shafi as a packer. He has been earning a decent livelihood and says, “I was working as a farmer before and my earnings were not enough. Now I earn some Rs 30,000 during the season at Shafi sahab’s garden.”
Shashi, a 35-year-old man too has been associated with the trade of red pears. “Horticulture has a great scope in Bhaderwah and scores of the youth are getting employed in this sector,” he says.
Edited by Yoshita Rao
source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> English> Agriculture / by Firdous Hassan / August 10th, 2022
Ingentas is teaching people everything from basic batteries, jumper wires, buzzers, and sensors to the robotic arm, NASA’s Mars rover, and A.I.-driven drones.
Hyderabad:
Realizing that any type of access to learning robotics and artificial intelligence is not available to most people, Ingentas started off in 2021 with its vision to empower local communities by teaching them technologies that will be more relevant in the future. It’s a first-of-its-kind workshop in Hyderabad, completely run by engineering graduates and students that aims to make the city a hub of robotics.
Tahami Mundewadi, who has been in the field of robotics for the last four years is the founder and CEO of Ingentas. Speaking to Siasat.com, he said that joining the Robotics club at Muffakham Jah College of Engineering (MJCET) helped him learn and grow more in the pursuit of his passion.
“Everything from a vacuum cleaner to the robotic arm used to build cars, all are based on robotics and artificial intelligence, we are living in an interesting time where even surgeries are being performed by robots,” Mundewadi remarked.
He further added that the world is moving at a very fast pace in this direction and that we have to be in this race and compete with the others.w
Ingentas is teaching people everything from basic batteries, jumper wires, buzzers, and sensors to the robotic arm, NASA’s Mars rover, and A.I.-driven drones.
Mundewadi stated, “you don’t necessarily have to be an engineering student to learn robotics, anything with passion can come.”
Furthermore, the CEO of Ingentas added that he believes that in 50 years everything will be based on robotics. “And to make anything mainstream in society we have to begin from the school level and that’s why we have classes from third-grade level all the way to advanced post-graduate level,” he remarked.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Usama Hazari / August 06th, 2022
Ariba Khan is the founder of Jumping Minds, which promotes mental well-being. Image courtesy: Ariba Khan
Technology and human emotions may seem a mismatch, but at Ariba Khan has fused them for a mental health platform.
As a young, spirited and ambitious 30-year-old, Ariba Khan can relate to mental health challenges that people her age are fighting. The lack of a safe space where such people could open up about their thoughts anonymously is what spurred her business idea – an artificial intelligence-based deep tech mental health app.
With Jumping Minds, this IIT-Rourkee and IIM-Bengaluru alumnus, along with co-founder Piyush Gupta, built a space where people could chat with individuals in a similar situation without exposing their identity.
“All of us require a safe space where you can talk about the challenges you may be facing. It doesn’t have to be clinical stress, but all of us are facing one stress or another – a bad breakup, difficult time at work, adjusting with the family. So, we thought of creating a digital space where you connect to people who may have gone through similar stressors, share your experiences, and release emotions,” Khan tells Health Shots.
Mental health matters
In the past few years, global celebrities have broken their silence on facing mental health issues. Somewhere, destigmatization has happened, but there’s a long way to go. It is because of the continued stigma around mental health that Khan chose to make Jumping Minds an anonymous space.
“Otherwise, there’s always a judgment factor,” says the Delhi dweller, adding that even though her platform is all about tech, at the heart of lies human interaction through technology.
“It helps people to release emotions, clear their head and find solutions,” asserts Khan.
Just five years ago, talking about stress and feeling burnt out at work would have been unimaginable. But the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed people into taking their mental health more seriously.
“The Gen-Z, especially, is more unapologetic about their mental health. They have an aspirational lifestyle, they want to live a well-balanced, happy life. And so, I would say the younger generation is leading the change in mindset and the positive shift towards wellness. Still, there’s a stigma around mental health and limited safe spaces where people don’t feel ashamed or guilty about sharing their story. Instead, people should feel empowered that there are so many other people going through the same,” Khan says.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” believes Ariba Khan. Image courtesy: Ariba Khan
Mental health issues of the young generation
As someone who believes in the adage that “it’s okay to not be okay”, Khan outlines the most common health problems that youngsters in the 20-30 age group are going through these days.
1. Relationship troubles:
Whether you are stressed at work or family life, it directly impacts your interpersonal relationships. People are getting increasingly stressed about how to maintain relationships.
2. Anxiety
This is why people need a digital detox from time to time! “Anxiety is the after-effect of social media. The need to be perfect, with filters on all the time,” explains Khan, stressing on how social anxiety and social comparison are turning out to be spoilers.
“People tend to think, ‘Maybe I am not enough’, ‘I am working so much, but I am not upto that level.’ And that social anxiety has become very prominent in the post-Covid era,” she explains.
3. Sexual wellness:
This is the age when early professionals and college students explore their body and preferences. So, people have a lot of questions around sexual wellness.
4. Career:
The desire to reach career milestones leads to undue pressure and stress on people. They overthink things like, ‘Are we in the right job? Are we working with the right people?’ But talking about these things, instead of keeping the thoughts to yourself, will give you a feeling of validation.
3 happiness hacks for women, suggested by Ariba Khan
Khan has three simple suggestions for women to follow for the sake of their mental peace.
1. Find peaceful breaks in a day
“I know we are women of the 21st century, always leading the way – whether it is in personal life or professional life. But it is very important to have time in a day when you are by yourself, living in the moment,” she suggests.
Khan assures that doing so even for a few minutes every day will help people become more productive and more appreciative of the positive results of the everyday hustle.
2. It’s okay, to err is human
Even research says women tend to have higher stress levels than men ! “The society has made women accustomed to keeping everyone around them happy – be it colleagues, friends, family.
But it is okay to sometimes make mistakes, feel bad or low. We may think we are superwomen, but we are humans after all! We should’t expect ourselves to be perfect all the time, because there’s true beauty in being imperfect,” she adds.
3. Talk it out
Don’t keep your thoughts to yourself. If you are stressed, talk about it. “Don’t feel ashamed about it, and who knows, it may give courage to others to talk about their journey. Once you start releasing the monster from your head, it becomes smaller. And if you do it in a community, you will see magic!”
source: http://www.healthshots.com / Health Shots / Home> She Says> by Radhika Bhirani / August 02nd, 2022
“I believe deep down in my heart that the great reality of spiritual revelation given to humanity by the Prophet (blessed be His name) is an infinitely greater thing than any sectarian difference (Shia & Sunni) imposed upon it by subsequent human feeling and by lesser vision than his of the inner realities from which the external life of humanity has developed.” Mirza Ismail, a Shia Muslim by faith, who was the Prime Minister of Mysore had spoken these words at the inauguration of Jamia Mosque, a Sunni mosque, in Bengaluru on 30 May 1941.
Jamia Masjid, Bengaluru
Mirza Ismail remained one of the most important politicians in India as he held the position of Prime Minister (PM) of the second wealthiest state, Mysore, from 1926 to 1941 after which he became PM of Jaipur and Hyderabad.
A Shia by his faith whose foreparents had migrated from Iran and stayed in India, Ismail remained committed to the unity of humans. He believed that Shia and Sunni, Hindu and Muslim, or any caste difference among humans could not stop them from living together harmoniously.
Ismail inaugurated the mosque at Bangalore, which was one of the most important cities in Mysore state, as his last public ceremony in the capacity of the PM of Mysore after resigning from the post. On the occasion he noted, “I am particularly happy that this function, which is the last of my period of service as Dewan of Mysore, gave me the opportunity of expressing an ideal of my life which has been foremost in the past and will remain foremost in the future.”
What was the ideal Ismail talking about? Making a mosque or something else?
The ideal he was talking about was the unity of Shia and Sunni as one Muslim community. He told the people gathered there that the non-Muslims observing this ceremony would not think much about it. In their view a Muslim had come to lay the foundation stone of a mosque of his fellow Muslims. “But to you”, Ismail argued, “fellow-Musalmans, it is not so simple. You know that in the historical development of Islam I belong to a section of the organised expression of the Faith that for centuries has been in sharp opposition to the section to which you, who are going to build this mosque, belong.” He expressed satisfaction that Sunnis had invited him for this event. He told the people that since its very inception he had taken “the greatest possible interest” in this mosque where Sunni Muslims would pray in the manner they wanted.
Ismail went on to tell the people;
“At the centre of Islam is the teaching and practice of brotherhood. You would have been false to the truth of life if, because I am a Shia by birth, you had not invited me to this function, and I would have been equally false to the brotherhood of Islam if, because you are Sunnis, I had not accepted your invitation. Our differences are transient, even trivial, in comparison with the spiritual reality which these differences tend to obscure and weaken.”
Ismail went on to state that love and peace are the essence of Islam and Muslims should stop fighting among themselves as well as with their coreligionists in the country. The mosque is one of the most important mosques in Bengaluru today.
(Author is a neurobiologist with a keen interest in history, society and culture of India)
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritate Times / Home> Featured Posts> Heritage> Leaders / by Mahino Fatima / March 08th, 2022
Members of SONEI along with guests pose for a group photo on the sidelines of the ‘Star Talk-12’ event held in Guwahati on Thursday.
Guwahati :
‘Star Talk-12’, an initiative of the Stars of North East India (SONEI), a registered public charitable trust and talent hunt platform, was held in Guwahati on Thursday.
The first appointed speaker of the event was Aman Wadud, a young lawyer who recently got his Masters in Law from the University of Texas under a Fulbright Scholarship. Besides sharing his American experience, Aman Wadud gave a very informative presentation of the evolution of Civil Rights in the USA.
The second appointed speaker, Suaid M Laskar, Head of Pan-India Sales, Admissify made a presentation to clear the common doubts people have about studying abroad. Laskar, who has been instrumental in facilitating overseas studies of more than 350 students from Assam, over the last five years, in countries like Australia, Germany, UK and USA, informed the audience that 93 per cent of the students who go abroad for studies belong to middle class families.
Abhishek Kumar, a graduate from Guwahati Commerce College, who is all set to study his Masters in Supply Chain Management at Cranfield University, UK also shared his experience on the occasion.
Alemoon Nessa of Bongaigaon, who recently received two national MSME awards along with a cash component of Rs eight lakh from the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was felicitated on the occasion.
Dr Faizuddin Ahmed, a physicist from Dhubri, who has made it to the Stanford list of world’s top 2% scientists, was also honoured on the occasion.
Shahnaz Islam, a budding poet whose book “Midnight’s melancholy” was launched from Sikkim recently, enthralled the audience by reciting a few poems from her book.
Mirza Arif Hazarika’s short film “Sorry” starring Barasha Rani Bishaya and Ravi Sharma is now live on Disney+Hotstar, a rare honour for an Assamese short film. Mirza shared his experiences of making the film.
Priyanka Paul Banerjee, an upcoming PR practitioner, was also felicitated along with other achievers at the event.
SONEI will complete eight years of its existence in September 2022 during which new projects will be announced in addition to its existing programmes in the field of education, promotion of skills, and social service.
The event was hosted by Samima Sultana Ali and Sharique Hussain.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Education> Positive Story / by Special Correspondent / July 29th, 2022
Mohammad Sabir, who is the managing director of Albert Bakery and the fourth generation businessman, believes that ‘keeping it simple and affordable’ is the key factor behind the bakery becoming a culinary landmark known for its lip-smacking desserts.
Chicken swiss roll, chicken shami kababand potato bun at the bakery.
What was once a godown at Kamaraj Road that used to supply bread, salt biscuits, buns, and rusks in 1902, now stands as a major cultural landmark in central Bengaluru. Even after 120 years, the hot cross buns during Christmas or the mutton brain puff during Ramadan at Albert Bakery still tingles the taste buds of dessert and snack lovers in Bengaluru.
Mohammad Sabir, who is the managing director of Albert Bakery and the fourth generation businessman, believes that ‘keeping it simple and affordable’ is the key factor behind the bakery becoming a culinary landmark known for its lip-smacking desserts.
“It was my grandfather Mohammad Suleman who started the godown in 1902. However, in 1921 we moved to Frazer Town and converted the godown into a bakery. We realised bread and buns were part of the daily livelihood for people and that is mostly the reason why we wanted to open a bakery,” said Sabir.
Khova naan.
“Since the bakery was opened during the British rule, my grandfather felt that keeping a name that is Western would be more appropriate and popular and therefore it was named ‘Albert’. However, it is not associated with the name of any of the British rulers or officers.”
His father Nawab Jan added a culinary twist by introducing a range of desserts and snacks that came with new stuffings and flavours. The famous khova naan—a soft and crunchy filo pastry—was first introduced here at Albert Bakery and it is now available in many varieties like mutton khova, coconut khova, and sweet khova.
The bakery is also famous for its other snacks like mutton brain puff, veg sandwich, egg pudding, chicken mayonnaise bun, mutton tandoori roll, chicken swiss roll, chicken shami kabab, banana grape muffin, and chocolate pastries among others.
Mutton brain puff
In what appears to be an unusual practice, the bakery has followed a tradition of opening its doors to its customers from 3 pm every day. “The mornings are closed for customers, but open for our bakers who are onto baking the fresh desserts for the day. We only allow our customers from 3 pm after everything is kept ready to be served with freshness,” says Sabir, who also exports varieties of khova naan to Saudi Arabia.
Albert Bakery is also the go-to shop for people during Christmas. From hot cross buns to plum cakes and roast cookies to marzipan cakes, Sabir calls it a celebration of desserts during Christmas.
Sabir, a hotel management graduate, says that with changing times comes new decisions. “We did not open any outlet for 120 years because we wanted to maintain the originality. However, in the coming days, we are thinking of expanding and are planning to open a new branch of Albert Bakery in Bengaluru soon which will have some surprises in its culinary spread. We will disclose our plans only later,” Sabir adds.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Sanath Prasad, Bengaluru / July 31st, 2022
Steering clear of the actor’s controversial life, a new biography focuses on India’s notion of stardom and celebrity instead
A recent bout of illness and feeling all round wretched had me turning to my favourite comfort food — Hindi movies (I refuse to call them Bollywood movies) from the 1990s. That I was simultaneously reading Devapriya Sanyal’s Salman Khan The Man The Actor The Legend, a deconstruction of bhai’s celebrity, proved an adequate road map to my film choices…
Rather than start with Salman Khan’s big, fat blockbuster, Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989), I chose Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), also directed by Sooraj Barjatya (who had made his directorial debut with Maine Pyaar Kiya). The film, which cemented Khan as a bonafide star, actually gave his co-star, Madhuri Dixit, higher billing, a fact which Sanyal’s book mentions.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! unlike that other game-changer of the ‘90s, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), has not aged well, Dixit’s phulkari-inspired jacket notwithstanding. The film plays out like a loosely strung together series of incidents, songs and comic interludes. How is a dog playing an umpire at a cricket match supposed to be funny is one of those unsolved mysteries. And while we are on the topic, hope Tuffy, the dog, was treated right on set.
Defence of toxicity
Sanyal’s book mostly steers clear of all the scandals and controversies that followed Khan like faithful shadows. While there is mention of the 2002 hit-and-run case, his tumultuous relationship with Aishwarya Rai and its fallout, and the blackbuck hunting and Arms Act violations cases, the book focuses on decoding Khan and India’s notion of stardom and celebrity through his career.
What little we glimpse of Khan is through his good friend Kailash Surendranath’s reminiscences. Surendranath, who knew Khan from his days as an eager 15-year-old getting his first break in modelling for Campa Cola (remember?) to his decade-spanning superstardom, remembers Khan dropping by for late night paratha-bhurji (scrambled eggs) and his motto for working on his body — “When you have no work, work on yourself.”
An introduction sets out what Sanyal intends to do through the book in great detail. The shortest chapter is the one called ‘With Human Failings’, which lists Khan’s headline-grabbing misbehaviour. His public brawls and brushes with the law are explained away as the cost of celebrity, which does not cut much ice as one cannot sweep bad and outright criminal behaviour under the carpet of “boys will be boys”. The book is at its weakest when trying to defend Khan’s toxicity.
An engaging journey
On the other hand, Sanyal’s book is its most engaging when deconstructing Khan through his roles especially in the chapter, ‘The Journey from Prem to Chulbul Pandey’. The chapter introduces the concept of the Emploi, “a theoretical framework as developed by Erving Goffman in his book, Frame Analysis.” The emploi, Sanyal posits “is a category that accounts for the close interaction between performance and reception.”
Just as Amitabh Bachchan’s angry young man was invariably called Vijay (is his Jai in Sholay a diminutive for Vijay?) and Shah Rukh Khan’s many versions of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’s Raj went towards building an on-screen persona, so too does Salman’s Prem emploi create a film version of Salman Khan.
Sanyal traces Khan’s development through his 15 different portrayals of Prem. From the slender, doe-eyed Prem of Maine Pyar Kiya, the naughty ‘devar’ Prem in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, the Prem who sets things right in Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999) and the slightly dim-witted Prem of Andaz Apna Apna (1994), who nevertheless gets the girl to the tongue-in-cheek narrator Prem of Ready (2011), the cheating-on-his wife Prem of No Entry (2005), the dating guru Prem of Partner (2007) and the travelling theatre artiste Prem of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), in his fourth collaboration with Barjatya.
Since the chapter details Khan’s journey from Prem to Chulbul Pandey, there is an analysis of the characters he played who are not named Prem, including Akash in that slightly cringy but melodious triangle Saajan (1991), Sameer in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s exotically colourful Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), the obsessed lover, Radhe Mohan in Tere Naam (2003), the tapori Radhe in Wanted (2009), Devil in Kick (2014), Bajrangi in Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Tiger in Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Laxman in Tubelight (2017) Sultan in and as Sultan (2021), and of course the corrupt but loveable cop Chulbul Pandey in the Dabangg movies.
Sanyal, who teaches English literature at the University of Delhi, has written a thesis on the anatomy of fame with academic rigour— right down to how Khan’s perfect body also contributes to his iconography. Wish the book was better proofed as there are silly errors that grate coming on the back of such a well-researched book.
All looking for salacious details of Khan’s life will be disappointed while those seeking the magic in the bottle of stardom will not. And I am going back to watching Khan fight off the evil Crime Master Gogo in the delightful Andaz Apna Apna.
Salman Khan The Man The Actor The Legend; Devapriya Sanyal, Bloomsbury, ₹699.
mini.chhibber@thehindu.co.in
source: http://www.thehindu.com/ The Hindu / Home> Books> Review / by Mini Anthikad Chhibber / July 22nd, 2022
‘RISING BEYOND THE CEILING’ releases list of Seventy Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala
Nagma Mallick(L), Shabana Faizal(M) and Sara Aboobacker(R)
Kerala:
‘Rising Beyond the Ceiling’ (RBTC), an initiative born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India has released its list of seventy Inspiring Muslim Women of Kerala. The list includes names like Shabana Faisal, Nagma Mohamed Mallick, Sara Aboobacker, and others.
“The seventy RBTC Honorees from Kerala celebrated in this book have displayed exemplary accomplishments in various fields. They are flying planes, serving as Civil Police Officers in the state, joining the national Indian Police Service, and leading as District Police Chief. They are contributing to nation-building in the Indian Foreign Service, Indian Administrative Service, and Indian Information Service and as Education Administrators, Directors of Departments of Industry.” RBTC said in its statement.
“They are contributing in leadership positions as managing directors, CEO, vice-chairperson, founders. They are influencers and singers, having an individual social media following of over 1 million and have been recognized in international and national awards including YouTube’s Golden Play Button,” it further added.
Global Inspiration Shabana Faizal:
Shabana Faizal, Chief Corporate Officer (CCO) and Vice-Chairperson of KEF Holdings UAE has been listed in the category of ‘Global Inspirations’.
“Shabana started her entrepreneurial career in 1995, when she set up Sophiya’s World – luxury and special items studio – in Calicut, following her marriage to Faizal E Kottikollon, chairman of KEF Holdings.” RBTC wrote about Shabana.
“Shabana has a driving passion to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged, which led to the setting up of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. The Foundation carries out campaigns to improve education, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, humanitarian assistance, youth development, and housing in India and the UAE. Her most recent passion project was the revamp and enhancement of the GVHSS in Nadakkavu, Kerala which has empowered more than 2,400 young girls to believe in themselves and their dreams and impacted the lives of more than 69,000 students across 65 schools in Kerala.” It further added.
Shabana is the daughter of a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist late B.Ahmed Haji Mohiuddeen from Thumbay, Mangalore.
Impassioned author and writer Sara Aboobacker:
Kannada fiction writer Sara Aboobacker has been listed in the category of ‘Impassioned authors and writers’ adding that her stories narrate Muslim lives in the areas bordering Karnataka and Kerala, focusing on the inequities and injustices meted out to women by the male society.
“Aboobacker’s books largely focus on the lives of Muslim women living in the Kasaragod region, bordering the Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka. She focuses on issues of equality and injustice within her community, critiquing patriarchal systems within religious and familial groups. Her writing style is direct and simple, and she has stated that she prefers a realist approach to literature, prioritizing the expression of social concerns over stylistic embellishments. Her books have dealt with complex subjects such as marital rape, communal and religious violence, and individual autonomy.” RBTC wrote about Aboobacker.
Sara Aboobacker has received many prestigious literary awards, such as the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award, 1984; Anupama Niranjan Award, 1987; Rathnamma Heggade Mahila Sahitya Award, 1996, etc. She has seven novels, four collections of short stories, and one collection of essays to her credit. The Library of Congress has acquired eight of her works.
Leader in Administration Nagma Mohamed Mallick:
First Muslim woman in Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Nagma Mallick who is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been named in the category ‘Leadership in Administration’ for contributing to nation-building in the Indian Foreign Service.
“An IFS officer of the 1991 batch, Nagma Mallick has served as the High Commissioner of India to Brunei from 2015 to 2018, and as India’s Ambassador to Tunisia between 2012 to 2015. Earlier she served as a staff officer to Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, then served as the first woman Deputy Chief of Protocol (Ceremonial). During her career in the IFS, Ms. Mallick has also served in France, Middle East, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.” It wrote about Nagma.
The list features a total of seventy Muslim women from Kerala and their stereotype-shattering stories of courage hard work and resilience. The list includes names like Airline pilot Afra Abdullah, IAS Officer Adeela Abdullah, Student Activist Aysha Renna, Life Coach Sahla Parveen and others.
About RBTC:
Rising Beyond The Ceiling (RBTC) is an initiative born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India. It is a celebration of the achievement, endeavor, and diversity of Indian Muslim women. RBTC shines a spotlight on Muslim women’s contributions to nation-building in a variety of ways and professions. Founded in April 2020 by Dr. Farah K. Usmani, this initiative aims to make Muslim women’s stories more visible, provide positive role models for future generations, nurturing young women’s confidence and ambition in all spheres. RBTC works across various platforms- the website, publications, multimedia as well as an outreach young women’s mentorship programme.
RBTC is putting together inspiring profiles from fourteen states in India that are home to nearly eighty percent of the country’s hundred million Muslim women population. Besides state and national levels, there is also an RBTC 100 list under finalization of Global Inspirations which includes women who have done their initial studies in Indian institutions and are now making their mark in countries across the globe. A compendium of Inspirations from the Past compendium of those amazing Muslim women who are not with us now, but on whose shoulders we stand today. We are also excited about our amazing Under-30 Youth Inspirations list. RBTC will continue to institute annual Muslim women honorees lists to share the stories of achievements, courage and resilience.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Rising Beyound the Ceiling / January 30th, 2022
