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Living by design
Jagan
Shah documents select works of 20 architects to examine how
they represent contemporary Indian architecture, combining aesthetics
with utility
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THE
present volume presents an affirmative answer to its originating
question: Is there a ‘contemporary Indian architecture’ that could
claim some distinction in the busy world of styles and identities that
clamour daily for our attention, that would warrant a place in the
tomes of history that line our bookshelves? The book documents select
works of 20 architects, most of whom are in their second decade of
professional practice.
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Falling for
Niagara
They have been around
for over 12,000 years yet the lure of the Niagara Falls is as strong
as ever. Every year over 20 million people visit the falls, writes Gyan
Marwah
WHEN
you first see the horseshoe-shaped Niagara Falls, the first two
questions that come rushing to the mind of the first-time tourist is:
where does so much water come from? When were the falls first
discovered? The answers are not far to seek. Any brochure will tell
you that this wonder of nature was born out of melting glaciers some
12,000 years ago.
Many shades of terror
M.L. Dhawan
THE theme of terrorism
has found much favour with filmmakers. The films emphasise how some
disgruntled elements indulge in subversive activities. A recent film
Subhash Ghai’s Black & White is off the beaten track.
Prof Rajan Mathur (Anil Kapoor) lives with his family in the thickly
populated Chandni Chowk locality. He meets a young boy Numair Qazi (Anurag
Sinha) who tells him that he had been a victim of communal riots in
Gujarat.
Roll
of brandwagon
Bollywood stars are raking in
more as brand ambassadors than by acting in films, says Vimla
Patil
Akshay
Kumar not only gave three back-to-back hits last year, but he also
became the highest paid star in Bollywood with a reported fee of Rs 20
crore to Rs 30 crore per film. And hold your breath – now comes the
news that he will get a whopping Rs 1.5 crore per day for endorsing
Spykar jeans.
Short
men, tall dreams
IT
is said to have spurred Hitler, motivated Napoleon and driven Stalin
to lust for power and control — the short man syndrome. The will to
dominate through aggression comes with a short height, scientists have
stated. The latest scientific research provides a proof for the short
man syndrome, claiming shorter men were more likely to be jealous
husbands and boyfriends than their taller counterparts.
Turtle
track
Despite
a ban on fishing along the Orissa coast, a large number of rare Olive
Ridley turtles were killed and their carcasses found scattered on the
beaches along the Chilika lake to Paradip port, official sources said.
While conservation groups claimed that at least 12,000 turtles have
been killed since November 2007, the state government put the figure
at 5,000.
Rich
art, poor artisans
Phulkari is a booming
business in Punjab. But the artisans are not getting their due. The
state government should provide subsidised loans to entrepreneurs and
give assistance in marketing, writes Gagandeep
Kaur
Ordinarily,
if one were to say that a traditional craft or an art form was still
immensely popular, it would spell good news for specialised artisans.
Ironically, skilled phulkari craftswomen of Punjab are facing tough
times despite a growing demand for their work.
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