Rahman mania grips youngsters

Chennai It’s raining celebrations in the country, as maestro A.R. Rahman became India’s first recipient of the highly coveted Golden Globe award for best musical score for the film Slumdog Millionaire. And people of all ages, spanning all segments across the city are joining in the revelries of the win, which was cemented by three more awards for best director (Danny Boyle), best screenplay (Simon Beaufoy) and best drama. As Slumdog mania sweeps everyone off their feet, campuses seem to be the places where all the action is centred. Sofie Ashraf, a student of a popular girls college in the city says, “My entire class has been raving about Rahman’s win since we heard the news in the morning. The signature songs of the film O Saya and Jai Ho are being played on everyone’s cellphones, iPods and laptops. Anyone who hasn’t seen the film so far is rushing to his or her friend’s PC to get the movie and the soundtrack now.” And it’s quite confusing, as almost everyone in class has set the same songs as their ringtones. Ali Ahmed, a vendor at a grey market says, “I had opened my shop almost two hours in advance as we were bracing ourselves for an onslaught of Slumdog fans to throng the bazaar early on Monday morning. True to expectations, we sold all our copies by 11 am and we’re expecting more stocks in a day. It’s a joyous mood for everyone here as a musician from our country has won an honour of this magnitude.” Ramji M, a finance professional and an ardent fan of A.R.Rahman says that he’s waiting to catch the movie in theatres when it releases on January 23. “I haven’t yet heard the soundtrack but after seeing him win the Golden Globe, I’m really looking forward to hearing it,” he says. But if you thought all the action was restricted to the offline universe, you would be mistaken. On Monday morning, 50,000 users collectively shared the movie and music on Piratebay.org.

Like father, unlike son

It is natural for a youngster to follow his father’s footsteps, but the inspiration ends at the cricket field for Asaduddin, son of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Once in it, the 18-year-old is contrastingly different from his dad — while Azhar relied on his silken strokes to win India many a battle, Asad is beginning to make a statement on the domestic arena by whacking the ball out of sight. His plan is clear, hammer on until you break into the slam-bang world of Indian Premier League, the second edition of which will begins on April 10. As an attempt at this, Asad has had a stint at the selection camp-I of Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens last week. He was part of the 45-odd talent pool that would be groomed for the future by the Kolkata franchise. In the couple of practice matches played, Asad was unfortunate to be run out once but made amends in the next to send the ball flying around much to the pleasure of the KKR team management, which included former Australian coach John Buchanan and ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly. Azhar wants to give his son some more time though. “He is a big hitter with a lot of power and talent but he needs to transform that into consistent performance… let’s wait and see,” he says. “He times the ball sweetly and can play any type of cricket though his strength and ability to play the big shots make him cut out for Twenty20 matches,” Azhar, who has been carefully fine-tuning his son’s skills, adds. Asad’s coaches at St John’s Cricket Academy, where he trains, see him going a long way, at least in the shortest version. “He’s a superb striker of the ball, makes good impact when he connects, is loaded with aggression and a fast learner. That should make him a very good prospect,” feels former Indian cricketer M.V. Narasimha Rao, an international coach who has managed the Ireland team as well. John Manoj, head coach of the Academy, observes: “He is nice and tall and positively aggressive. The free-flowing batting style makes him a delight to watch.” Asad is yet to play higher-grade cricket but has done well in the local ‘A’ Division league. The left-handed opener has hit four half-centuries in six innings so far this season for the East Marredpally Cricket Club. That’s a statistic that would motivate him to power on.

Sankranti is family time for celebs

From flying kites to enjoying a traditional family meal, Sankranti is all about the simple joys of life. Sindura Gadde, actor and ex-Miss India I was planning to go ahead with my shooting, but my mother insisted I come back home. And I’m glad she did. I have come to my native place, Vijaywada. My extended family is also present and Sankranti celebrations will bring all of us together. I am also participating in the pujas and I’m definitely going to gorge on the traditional sweets. For me, New Year is for partying with friends but Sankranti calls for a family celebration. Kamal Kamaraju, actor Kites, colours and food — this harvest festival brings in a fresh lease of life, making us forget economic recession and terrorism for a while. Childhood memories of flying kites with friends and making rangoli during Sankranti makes me nostalgic. I’ll celebrate at home with my family. Relatives and well-wishers keep dropping in with greetings and dishes. Moreover, what’s Sankranti without my mom’s yummy pongal, payasam, kubani ka meetha and lemon rice? Yamini Reddy, danseuse Since the last two years, I had fun spending Sankranti with my in-laws and extended family in Andhra Pradesh. This year, I am celebrating it with my parents in Delhi. In the evening, I will have to leave for a concert in Rajasthan. I plan to make the most of the time I get during the day by bonding with my family. I will wear new clothes, perform pujas, take part in rangoli making and decorate the house with flowers. We will eat a traditional lunch and jaggery stuffed sweet rotis is a must in the Sankranti menu. Ravi Teja, cricketer This evening, I will be leaving for Goa because I have a match to play there. However, I will fly kites in Goa, as I feel it is the best part of Sankranti. In the morning, I will be with my family, participate in the pujas, have a traditional lunch and I’ll observe the rituals associated with Sankranti.

Ballerinas to enthrall city

Think of an art that is subtle and delicate yet, powerful enough to captivate people’s senses and ballet is the first art form that comes to one’s mind. The world famous Bolshoi Ballet from the erstwhile Soviet city of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, would soon be enthralling the Hyderabadi crowd. The grand and opulently mounted production consists of about 110 artistes including ballerinas and live musicians. The group has already taken Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai by storm. Lead ballerina Ellen Desharre feels that people in India have a connoisseurs’ eye. “As an artiste, it gives us immense pleasure to perform before audiences who have a refined taste and knowledge. During our performance in Mumbai, we never expected that the auditorium would be packed. Besides, people were so excited after the performance that many came backstage to meet us,” she says. For another ballerina Nadira Khamarva, her baby steps were more of ballet steps. “I started training when I was five years old. Today, I am proud to be a ballerina because not everyone can learn this exquisite art.” Talking about the current production, she says, “The excitement, colour and wit of Cervantes’ masterpiece gets perfectly conveyed in Don Quixote. The plot unfolds as the love between Kitri and Basil is challenged by the fruitless attempts of Kitri’s father to engineer his unwilling daughter into a more lucrative match.” Satonina feels that the India they are experiencing is different from the one they imagined. “We were under the impression that India is extremely hot but after reaching Hyderabad, we were surprised by the pleasant weather. People here are friendly and often want to talk to us. But since we aren’t familiar with the language, we end up reading each other’s facial expressions,” she adds. The Russian ballet group also seems to be awestruck by the Hyderabad airport. “When we landed, we thought we were in Paris or Heathrow,” exclaims Shripkina.

Tears of joy at ARR home

Even as she saw her son standing tall among all the foreigners, my mother broke down,” recalled A.R. Rehana, music director and Rahman’s sister. The whole family had gathered to watch the live broadcast of the Golden Globe awards and even as he received the award for the best original music for Slumdog Millionaire, Kareema Begum could not contain her tears. “I tried to console her saying what difference if the people are black or white? My brother has won the award and made all Indians proud.” Rehana recalled her conversation with ARR on the night he was leaving for the award ceremony. “I kept on telling him that he would win the Golden Globe. But he said ‘we never know’. I also told him that my gut feeling was that he would win an Oscar, but he just smiled and pointed above saying ‘we will leave it to God’. His nephew G.V.Prakash, also an acclaimed music director said that his only inspiration has been his uncle. He added that it was always Rahman’s dream to get recognition for his international projects and now the dream has been realised. “When I realised that he is the first Indian to win this prestigious award, it made me even more proud of being an Indian. I am really happy,” said GV Prakash. This sentiment was clearly echoed by Rahman himself. On the stage, after receiving the coveted Golden Globe Award, the maestro first thank God, then everyone connected with the movie including its director Danny Boyle, and finally, softly added, “I am grateful to the billions of Indians who made this possible.”

Gripped by mental recession

Just when they thought the economic crunch in the country couldn’t get any worse, the bleak future that lies ahead of them have reduced young IT professionals in the city to a bundle of nerves. Due to recession, global meltdown, unemployment and the recent IT fiasco, corporates are now living in a state of constant fear. ‘Mental recession’ is the term being used to describe this psychological phenomenon marked by high levels of stress and anxiety. Be it the uncertainty of the month’s salary or even the possibility of investments backfiring or lack of job openings and placements on campus, everyone has been clouded by ambiguity. Ravi Kiran, a final year student of SNIST who was hired by Infotech in July 2008, was informed that the company withdrew the offer letters this month. “I also missed out on the other campus placements at college as I thought that with Infotech’s job offer, I have a secure and lucrative package. Now I’m left without a job and there are hardly any campus placements left. I am disturbed as I have no alternate option,” he laments. Mental recession has left even the brightest of IT professionals in a state of self-doubt. Anjali Patodia, an employee of Genpact says, “My friend lost her plum Satyam job a few months ago. She was a topper in Bits Pilani and had the brightest prospect in our whole group. She lost a job overnight and has changed as a person. Apart from being depressed, she thinks there’s no way out and that her career has come to an end. For a 24-year-old bright youngster to start thinking this way is dismal. Now her parents are sending her to counselors for therapy.” Some like Radha Reddy, an employee of Wipro, who lost her job a week ago, has nightmares. “This situation has affected me deeply. It’s difficult to see light at the end of the tunnel when there is no bright side. As an only child, I want to support my parents but the fact that I might not be able to, kills me.” Dinah Bela, a clinical psychologist explains, “The fear out there is palpable. The economy is affecting everyone. Many people are making decisions out of panic. The biggest challenge for those suffering from mental recession is to reduce their stress levels before they do something uncalled for and cause themselves harm.” “Focussing on these fears only reinforces them. Chalking out a solid plan on what your strong points are and what could be the next logical course of action can be of help,” she adds. The constant enquiry and probing on the employment status of these youngsters by relatives, neighbours and friends is also adding to mental recession. Psychologists say in hard times like these, family and friends of the suffering corporates should ensure that they keep up the positive energy. “Do not ask them about their job status as they end up brooding about it, adding to the depression. Help them indulge in extra curricular activities as creative inclinations can help calm them,” says P. Jyothi Raja, of Sri Deepti Counselling Centre.

No takers for the American dream

Recession may be a serious matter for many, but at times it shows up in occasions that leave one amused. The Rottela Panduga held annually in Nellore usually has people praying for jobs in the US, besides reverent petitions for marriages and children. This year brought a clear indication of the times, in that no one wants US rotis. The Gulf, yes, Europe/ Australia yes, but the US finds no takers. This three-day festival, or urs, of the Bara Shaheed Dargah in the month of Muharram, has become famous by the name of Rottela Panduga, or ‘festival of the roti’. The rotis are each named after specific desires, such as vivaha (marriage), dhana (money), sowbhagya (prosperity), santanam (children) rotis, and others for jobs, education and overseas sojourns. People wade into the water tank nearby and look for someone to give the roti of their desire. Once their wish gets fulfilled, they are required to visit the dargah during the next urs and repeat the procedure, this time giving their bread to someone who is seeking wish fulfillment. Says Venkatesulu of Rajampeta in Cuddappah district, “I’ve been standing here for the last two hours and have seen people yelling and offering ‘US roti’ or ‘Saudi roti’. People are rushing to anyone who offers the ticket to the Gulf, but nobody wants the US roti.” Venkatesulu himself has come to offer a Dubai roti, as he found a job there after last year’s prayers. A group of youngsters from the Narayana Engineering College in Gudur are no longer enamoured of the American dream either. “We all prefer Australia or the UK. The US is no longer on the agenda. After the Satyam debacle, we are also looking for secure government jobs,” says 21-year-old Ganesh. Not only has the American fantasy turned sour, the prospect of unemployment also looms large in the minds. Razia Begum, a 20-year-old teacher trainee says, “I have been looking for someone to give me a job roti since morning. There is no one to give one. Everyone is looking for rotis to take.” The dargah committee vice president BSK Rafi also observes an increased demand for jobs or business rotis. “Bad times in the last year has meant that more people are turning up for prayers, usually for seeking secure jobs. The festival has run for the last 300 years, but it is only now that we see such huge crowds (10 lakh this year as compared to seven lakh last year),” he says.