First Feminists
You’ve come a long way, baby. Or have you? A photo-exhibition, culledmostly from family albums and memorabilia, highlights the giant strides Indian women tookdecades before women’s lib was even invented. Here in all their fiery, pre-feministinnocence are the first women doctors, demure graduates swathed in saris and shod insneakers, holding aloft their college degrees and shooting ball, soldiering along intoprofessions like teaching, law and social work, challenging everything from traditionaldress code to notions of feminine professions. On display will be more than 200 rarephotos that will form the basis of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies’photo archive. Re-presenting Indian Women 1875-1947—A Visual Documentary (atthe India International Centre from December 14-23), has been curated by MalavikaKarlekar. It celebrates the individual, including a young, sloe-eyed Zohra Sehgal, wholooks, even back in 1942, as if she knows her mind. Also a smock-clad Amrita Sher-Gil,caught at her ceaseless work in her studio in Simla.
Sheela Reddy
Only Khushi, No Gham
It was a cocktail of the powerful and the glamorous and Sushma Swaraj played able hostess.The venue was the Films Division auditorium at Mahadev Road which comes under herministry. This is where PM Vajpayee and HM Advani had gone yet again to watch the latestmega film, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. In fact, it’s here that the duo have,in the last two months, caught up with all Bollywood blockbusters, be it Lagaanor Asoka. So, when Karan Johar offered Sushma a screening, she was quick toaccept it. Like any other premiere the stars were part of the package deal. Shahrukh Khan,Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh-Jaya Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor trooped in to have tea andsamosas with the political top brass. And if Amitabh is around, can alter ego Amar Singhbe far behind? He was the only opposition leader present at the screening. An event whenreal life had as many stars as reel life!
Priya Sahgal
Divine Visions
With a title like Passion, the show was bound to be a rage. And that’s exactly whatAzeem Khan’s festive collection was for Mumbai glitterati. Sporting the clothes wereglam dolls Pooja Batra, Anupama Verma and Nethra Raghuraman while watching them from adistance were other lovely ladies: Ramona Garware, Chaaya Momaya, Zarine Khan, Pooja Bedi,Suman Ranganathan, Waluscha D’Souza and Farah Khan. Azeem, who has Hillary Clinton,Demi Moore, Sharon Stone and Naomi Campbell as clients, thinks "every woman has agoddess-like sanctity within. I just bring it out by designing clothes that make them lookand feel like goddesses". Floral and geometric prints on flowing, feminine garmentsembedded with crystals, sequins and beads.... That’s Azeem’s style.
Ruby’s Day
Remember the girl from Canada who lit up the small screen each time she smiled? Perhapsnot. We haven’t seen much of the vivacious Ruby Bhatia on TV ever since her GoodMorning India was suddenly yanked off air.But take heart, Ruby hasn’tcalled it quits from showbiz yet. She has taken a break to do her graduation in philosophyand has also been playing MC in live events and happening parties besides celebrating herdad’s retirement back home in Canada. Films, however, are still a "no no"for the lady who wants to be herself than play someone else. "I don’t want to doany love or other questionable scenes," she says. However, top on her agenda rightnow is marriage. Despite one unhappy experience, Ruby is all set to tie the knot again.The requirements from the prospective groom? "I am looking for a professional, who isa vegetarian and who does not smoke. He should be well-qualified, a deep, real, puresoul." Any takers?
Roll Over Fashion
"It showed us that a lot of crazy people from the same industry but differentcultures can have lively interaction and exchange," says Delhi’s top fashiondesigner David Abraham. This was about Fashion Machine, an Indo-British project organisedby the British Council in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India, nift andthe Imperial Hotel. Through a series of seminars, workshops and events, British fashionpros—designers, photographers and stylists—interacted with Indian counterparts.The culminating event, a showcase of collaborative material, was quite a blast. Just checkRohit Bal above.
Trash Of The Fortnight :Temptation Island
The show apparently ‘shook the foundations’ of American society. However, nosuch activity was recorded on the Indian richter. Only yawns at 10 pm on Thursdays.Induced by four couples who set about reconfirming the theory that it takes two dumbpeople to fall in love. They are separated in an island where there are 13 devastatingwomen ("26 breasts" as a critic said) and 13 sin-worthy men who have manytalents, one of them being the ability to lick a layer of adhesive material from awoman’s belly. She writhes in joy loudly apologising to her boy-friend who, ofcourse, is elsewhere. The emotional scenes are pathetically orchestrated even by"Reality TV" standards. Among the couples is one very annoying man called Taheedwho, according to general opinion, hasn’t seen his shrink for a long while. Wonderwhere the producers found him. Yellow Pages is a good guess.
