Sunday, June 11, 2000		Scene Stealers

When you meet Naresh Kapuria you cannot believe that he is the most happening man in Delhi. He is the person behind most cultural events in the Capital, besides himself being a sculptor, painter, art designer, landscape artist, event manager and a gallery owner. 

However, despite the many facets to his personality, Naresh is a son of the soil with a very endearing Punjabi accent. His life story, too, reads like that of a true-blue Punjabi. He comes from a lower middle-class refugee family and started his life as a small-time set designer for Ram Lilas in his mohalla and tableaux on Janamasthami. His work was noticed and he graduated to designing marriage pandals. His family wanted him to take up a steady job, but Naresh opted to join Triveni Kala Sangam. From being a part-time clerk, he became a sort of a troubleshooter for the institution. Soon the grand dame of culture Mrs Shridharni took him under her wing and he learnt graphics and painting.

It was in 1989 that he got his first major break. He designed the Haryana pavilion at Pragati Maidan. Since then he has not looked back and won a number of prizes. His creation for this year’s Republic Day parade won the first prize. Naresh has, in fact, dabbled with every major art form. His latest passion is installation art. Last year, his Kargil show at the Habitat Centre not only got rave reviews but was also attended by the top names in the field of art and culture. A straightforward man, Naresh does not hesitate from calling a spade a spade. Advice to young artists? "Dedication and hard work will make you succeed. Nothing else will."

Midas' touch

Well, if you want to actually see what hard work can do for you and for others, meet Ashok Chitkara in Chandigarh. From 5.30 in the morning to 8.30 at night, he painstakingly works at fashioning lives and crafting careers. He has been at it for over 20 years now, but his dedication and sincerity remain undiminished. His admirers are a legion as are grateful students who have made it to the best non medical institutions in the country through his guidance and support. It is amazing to know that this single man institution has sent 40 students to various IITs this year. This is a record of sorts for no other coaching centre in the country has ever come near this figure. Besides the IIT, his students swept a majority of seats in the Punjab Engineering College admission test, and, to top it all, all the 14 seats in computer engineering were bagged by his students last year.

Chitkara believes that any student who can secure 80 per cent marks is "born to achieve success, if he work methodically and employ a positive approach." He thinks that his job does not end with just giving students tutorials." A large part of the coaching is working on them at the psychological level. They have to be mentally tuned for achieving success," he says.

Money is no longer important to him and, as he says, he gets his highs when his students do well. His wife is also a maths teacher. Besides helping him, she manages the administrative side of his coaching centre. Both of them lead an austere life and have set themselves a punishing daily schedule. Their only indulgence is watching the television programme Movers and Shakers.

Copy cats

Internationally known fashion designer Dimpy Gujral is in a bad mood these days. Even as the world is going ahead with patenting everything under the sun, from turmeric to dosas, Dimpy is faced with the problem of preventing her designs from being copied by her rivals as well as potential buyers. "It is not difficult to copy. You take the dress into the trial room and draw it on a piece of paper; later you can get it stitched from your neighbourhood tailor. Once I confronted a copy-cat but she boldly retorted that she will continue to do so and I could do nothing. They even bribe my embroiderer to get the designs," she sighs. Dimpy wants some sort of law enforced to prevent design piracy. However, while of fashion trends, she says that heavy embroidery is out, while the subtle Kashmiri threadwork is in. White, black and peach are the top colours this season, she says.

Milkha on Milkha

The Flying Sikh's complaint is that nobody wanted to play golf with him in the early days. "Milkha ka kya hai, he reaches the hole before the ball does." Talk of golf being a leisurely sport !