Remembering Some Beloved Hrishikesh Mukherjee Classic Comedies

By

-

April 7, 2020

A school girl catches another show of Anupama even if it meant lying at home. In her unwavering love for the yesteryear heartthrob, Dharmendra, notions of right or wrong often faltered. She has a girl-next-door look about her. Not peeling her eyes, she stares fondly at the screen as the actor melancholically sings out Ya kil ki suno duniya walo.

Crooning the famed lyrics, she dashes home and stumbles in. Taken aback is her elderly father who was playing a game of chess with himself. Books strewn across the bed, perched upon one is a thick rimmed glass, fresh breeze swaying curtains back and forth in a silent rhythm.

The father breaks into a conversation with her on the wide screen, slowly fading the lines between real and reel. The 1971 blockbuster, Guddi was one of the many evergreen gems amongst a score of surreal directional masterpieces by the revered filmmaker, Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He was credited for pioneering a timeless new age cinema centring regular people.

Mukherjee was a champion of “middle of the road”, light- hearted and humorous takes on the everyday struggles of a middle-class man. He started off his career by working with the great Bimal Roy and later on helmed 40 plus films.

While Mukherjee’s tearjerker, critically acclaimed films highlighting life’s tragedies inspired hope, his comedies emerged out as a separate winner where there was no place for slapstick or vulgar humour.

Instead, they were a simplistic, soulful laugh fest about a bygone era that is years apart from the tech obsessed times of today. These films draw a nostalgia lover in with a relevant social message wrapped in warmth as though coming from a doting grandparent, gently nudging one down an emotional memory lane.

Listed below are some such beloved comedies from Mukherjee.

Bawarchi 1972

The masterpiece that still holds profound life lessons, is a story of many homes. Outside this residence, it says, Shanti Nivas. Hilariously ironic as it is rather a chaotic household held together by cooks, different each time, till they grow tired of the members’ biddings and run off! The film gives a true taste of an extended family. From every object under their roof to their demeanours, banters, bickering, covert affections, all seem to be plucked out of reality. The sarcastic grandfather constantly tries to straighten his sons out. Chanced upon is their new, multitasking cook, portrayed by the flamboyant Rajesh Khanna, turning their lives around with his charisma.

Guddi (1971)

Crushing on a superstar is almost synonymous with adolescence, but in her first outing in Bollywood as an adult, Jaya Bachchan as Guddi, takes it a up a notch. That strains her relationship with the boy who has lost his heart to her. Utpal Dutt and Dharmendra team up secretly in this feel-good family entertainer to rescue the anguished lover as well the sweet, naïve girl, who is oblivious to the obscured realities of the world behind the camera.

Chupke Chupke (1975)

Much happens on this multi-starrer journey, equipped with wit and quirkiness in the appropriate ratio. Most people have a soft spot for Chupke Chupke, a remake of a Bengali film starring Uttam Kumar, rendering it an ever-growing fan base. Many admirers of Mukherjee’s work, go all praise at the sheer genius of this comedy. With his famous beaming smile, Dharmendra, who is an upbeat professor, resolves to playfully one up his wife’s multitalented brother-in-law, Raghavendra (Om Prakash), who speaks and likes unadulterated Hindi. A few scenes after, Dharmendra enrols as Raghavendra’s driver, chit-chatting in Hindi of a surpassing proficiency, irking the brother-in-law. Amidst the leg pulling, pranks, confusions, Prakash’s exasperation is through the roof when Dharmendra suddenly starts rattling out Urdu, leaving the fans in splits!

Golmaal (1979)

Amol Palekar, the realistic cinema superstar leads this rib-tickling ride in two opposing roles. Unemployment forces Palekar to turn to lies for winning over potential boss Bhavani Shankar (Utpal Dutt). Dutt’s stunning grip on his roles and unmatchable crafty comedy often takes people on a wistful nostalgic journey. Shankar detests westernised thinking and men without moustaches! So, when a pencil moustached Palekar appears for the interview, donning kurta-pyjama and a dislike for sports, he is hired immediately. Trouble in paradise arises after Shankar spots a no moustached Palekar engrossed, all smiles and relishing a game of hockey!

Khubsoorat (1980)

Dina Pathak as Nirmala Gupta, is a stern, overtly disciplined lady of the house who keeps everything under her supreme control. This obsession stems from the concerns for the well-being of her family. Enter, Rekha, a bubbly, happy-go-lucky girl and things begin to tumble. Abundance of never-ending rules catch her off-guard, tickling her rebellious side. She takes it upon herself to help members embrace their hobbies which had died down owing to strictness. Amidst laughs and gasps, somewhere in this film that had an advanced outlook owing to the changing times, Pathak leaves us with a thought-worthy musing. It is not that freedom is bad, but people usually tend to forget the responsibilities that come with it.

Guilty will Make You Question Masculinity, Consent & Privilege

By

Gulraj Bedi

-

April 1, 2020

4

Consent has become quite a popular term in the post #MeToo era and Guilty, starring Kiara Advani, reminds us that men of privilege do not think twice before violating women. Furthermore, the film also throws ample light on the fact that a large number of rape cases still go unnoticed. Guilty, directed by Ruchi Narain, throws light on a set of burning questions that are often swept under the carpet.

An Overview:

Less than a minute into the film, we see a college-goer being questioned ( grilled, in some ways) by the cops. The members of a college rock band are questioned after VJ, the band’s lead vocalist, and the son of a powerful businessman, is accused of raping one of his batchmates. All hell breaks loose when Tanu, the victim, posts a tweet targeting VJ. In no time, we see VJ being targeted by various sections of the society, but there comes a point when everybody, even those investigating the case, begins questioning the victim’s claims.

Storyline:

Quite frankly, the storyline is watertight and doesn’t give you much time to think. It took less than 10 minutes for the makers to establish all of the characters. The best part about the story is: it goes about its business without beating around the bush. A large chunk of the film is narrated from Nanaki’s (Kiara Advani) perspective.

There are sequences that make you uncomfortable. For instance: one of the students being questioned tells the cops that the victim is nothing more than a f*ck girl. Furthermore, the viewers are also made aware of the fact that Rani, the victim, had ” trouble written all over her”.

The Film does raise some Important Questions:

Right from frame one, the film succeeds in maintaining a ‘stern’ look and feel. Well, that’s because the director wants the viewers to know that sexual harassment is a serious offence.

Why is a girl called a sl*t if all she wants is attention?
Why are rape cases politicized?

Despite a few minor flaws, guilty has its heart in the right place. The narrative of the film keeps swinging to and fro, much like a pendulum. The first half of the film showcases Tanu as the ‘helpless victim’ who has been raped by a rich and spoilt brat. But victim-blaming shows its ugly head and everybody puts Tanu in the line of fire.

Performances:

Kiara Advani is the star of the show and looks unbearably hot in her ‘punk’ look. She plays the heartbroken lyricist and does so with ease. Also, she comes across as a ‘coconut personality’ and it won’t take long for the viewers to realize that this punk babe has demons running wild inside of her. (Does that remind you of Alan Walker?).

Gurfateh, who plays VJ, the spoilt brat, does everything you could have asked of him. There is that carefree (rather nonchalant) look in his eyes that screams aloud at times. Also, right from frame one, you get a feeling that this guy will get away with the crime unscathed.

Taher Shabbir enters the scene right from frame one as he begins interrogating VJ’s friends. He doesn’t speak much and goes about his business with the utmost sincerity. Unfortunately, he comes across as a stone-faced investigator who has little or no room for emotions. In short, our investigator required a few punchy dialogues to make his presence felt.

Next on the list is Akansha Kapoor, who plays Tanu Kumar, a girl from Dhanbad, one of the country’s mining powerhouses. She is shown as a headstrong woman and doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinion. Despite being raped, she chooses not to hang her head in shame (which comes across as a big positive). Akansha shines right from the start despite having a limited screen presence.

Here’s the biggest problem ailing this film: despite playing the victim, Akansha hasn’t been given enough screen time as most of the film is narrated from Nanaki’s perspective.

Direction:

Ruchi Narain does a fairly decent job behind the camera by handling rape, an immensely sensitive subject matter with a great deal of sincerity and maturity. A 2-hour-long runtime does test your patience (at times), but the film deserves a watch for the powerful message it has in store for its viewers.

‘Guilty’, despite a few minor flaws, ends up holding the viewer’s attention. Watch it for the message it has in store.

Creases in the Hard-working Hand

By

Sreesvarna B

-

April 1, 2020

6

Lockdown in India has bought the multi-tasking ability of people into fame. Those working from home tend to put in more hours of work ( with the cell-phone ringing dawn to dusk) while for the home. Meanwhile, we can’t help but wonder how the days of those non-essential service road side seller wade their time. Today is Ugadi, the new year for more than half the country. An auspicious day for which the garland seller would have been waiting and expecting just a week and half back. Hoping for more sale, higher profit and happy festival at their home!

After months of passing by them, coincidentally, of the efforts these people put for their daily earnings. The curiosity went about with me sitting and speaking to them while they missed a customer or two trying to answer me. I kept dodging to ink their words, here it goes now.

The day starts in the city flower market at dawn to which they travel by the first city bus tending that route. The known conductor and driver wait if they go late by a few minutes for, the cities like Bangalore would be hardly awake! They purchase the un-tied buds of flowers. Given these flowers are mostly sold outside the temples and are meant for worship, while tying the garland, these ladies concentrate only on work and not tend to move around. Tying the garland itself is a way of earning for many. To make a garland out of 1/2 a kilo of flowers, it takes approximately 3hours. The older ladies who lack the clear vision pay the garland makers about 60Rs for half a kilo of flowers tied. These when done safely packed in wet cotton cloths and baskets and bought to the place where they will be sold to the customers. Here is the start for the long tedious day.

I saw really old lady run around pleading people to buy flowers. When asked why is she at this age running around, her answer was clear, I need to earn to eat. A week later, when her actually to have been rival (the one selling flower beside in the same stretch) was seen upset. Her friend had peacefully passed away the previous night and she now had no company while she sold her flowers.

The other flower vendor outside the temple who lends me a small length of garlanded jasmine to keep it in my head (free of cost) was in serious thoughts. Her eras old refrigerator at home had stopped working. She did not use it for anything else but to keep her flowers fresh if not completely sold out till the next day. She had to take a 15,000Rs loan to buy a new one.

With a characteristic spectacles showing me she too needed help to thread the flowers, she sat their telling me her life story. She worked from childhood, travelled to dubai with her brothers. Worked in mining sites, got older and older. Left the job and came back to her motherland, started working as domestic help. After years, she found a good man to accept her as a wife. With no children, he runs a xerox shop while she spends her day selling flowers in a few homes and then finally outside the temple.

None of these flower vendors had an umbrella to provide them shade. They sat in the shadow of buildings for that. With all these troubles cropping up causing a question mark on their daily earning, their face seems assured. Walking past them gets our mood fresh for we smell spring. A person sold a sack of lotus containing 130 flowers at a rate of 200Rs to a Engineering lecturer cum priest in the temple city of Kanchi. While the customer was half trodden with guilt, the seller had a smile. The lockdown would have not even got him such a price for his flowers the next day!

While flower vendors carry a story, there are those who sell earthen lamps on road. I frantically searched for a coconut shaped shaded earthen lamp which travelled with me to different hostels to finally break while returning home. While I brooded day in out to replace it, I finally found in a cart filled with old lamps. Beside it was an extremely old lady whose words were not clearly audible. I got the lamp home for a price below its value ( the lady was not ready to take more, she wanted to speak as less as she could), the happiness I had kept me spirited and positive whole through a function that followed the next two days. It created the image soo clear in my head, I went searching for her the last time I was in the city (Chennai). She still was there, with the same cart under the scorching sun. This time I got two shaded lamps which now keeps me engaged as I add colours to it.

India is a country filled with diversity which is celebrated in the form of festivals and rituals. Many of these have rules to follow that makes us purchase things from small vendors. A simple example of the change in our living style can be seen when we tend to buy bouquet for official events and tend to remember the roadside flower vendor ( a lady selling garlands of jasmine which switches on our senses of aroma even before seeing the flower) only during a function at home. We are so hypocritical that we bargain with these vendors on normal days but question the government for their living while we are made to stay home for safety! I am sure, with their perseverance and survival skills which we lack, they would get through. While we would go to the vegetable vendor selling his stock on a cart and continue bargaining even during this lockown.

A Long Lockdown isn’t Bad After All!

By

Tasneem Sariya

-

March 28, 2020

0

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty — Photo by monica di loxley

The coronavirus has taken the world by dramatic surprise. Who would have predicted a complete lockdown of practically the entire world a few months back! But here we are, in the middle of a three week shutdown in India as nations of the world grapple to slow down the alarming rate at which the virus is spreading and taking lives.

The complete lockdown essentially means staying indoors for the next three weeks. Stay home and stay safe messages are flooding our inboxes as we mentally prepare ourselves for a three week long closure from the outside. No gym, no movie theatre visits, no shopping sprees and no picnics. Add to that no schools, no offices and no evening walks please! And though this might sound like the deadliest of precautionary measures to take, there is no doubt that this lockdown is the absolute need of the hour. For the sake of our safety and the sake of the safety of people around us, this isolation or self-quarantine period is extremely important.

But on a lighter note, staying at home, with family for such a long period of time might sound like a crazy and mind boggling exercise. What with everyone at home, with practically very little to do, coupled with no domestic help and kids who get bored at a drop of a hat! The lockdown period can turn into our worst nightmare, unless of course, we learn to look at the silver lining.

The Silver Lining

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-01 — Photo by Kelly Sikkema

For one, let’s be grateful that this isolation for a lot of us is not because we are ill, but because we are staying away from falling sick. This in itself is a big blessing that we shouldn’t waste on complaining about the state of affairs.

Second, the best way to view this is to see it as a great opportunity to spend time with near ones. Let’s be honest, we are so heckled in our own lives, that we rarely get together, chat much or play games with family.

Third, with a lot of free time in hand, this lockdown opens up a whole range of things to do and learn.

So here is taking a look at some of the best ways to use this lockdown period constructively and fruitfully.

What can you do during the shutdown?

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-02 — Photo – Tumisu

Foremost, change your mental attitude. Yes, the virus spreads fast and there is a sense of worry, which is acceptable. But switching from concern and worry to absolute panic is uncalled for. View this as a first time opportunity and challenge and find unique positive ways to beat the boredom, negativity and unnecessary anxiety.

Also, try and stick to a routine. If required make a timetable of sorts (very helpful with children) to divide and plan your day. Making a list also helps to set a meaningful plan for your day.

And to help you remain busy and active try some of our suggestions below:

Helping hands

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-03 — Photo by Ashwini Chaudhary

Help out with household chores – So there is no domestic help and with everyone at home all the time, one can imagine the state of affairs. For men especially, this is a good opportunity to ease things for your better halves. Mop the floor, help with the dishes or lay the meal time table! These little gestures will keep you busy, lessen the work load on the women of the house and also help you bond together as a family.
Sit with your elderly and read them a book. Do the same with the kids. Help your mom finally understand how the laptop works or help your child finish a puzzle. Help fix things that needed fixing since the Stone Age! Sellotape the torn books, fix the door handle or help your brother clean the closet.

Learn the new

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-04 — Photo by Anuja Mary Tilj

Thank God we live in a technologically advanced world. With the internet and YouTube you can just about learn any new skill of your choice.

Learn a new language
Learn how to bake a cake
Master your favorite recipes
Learn a musical instrument or a new tune
Learn crochet, origami, knitting etc.
Learn beauty regimes, yoga, exercise, zumba

You get the drift right!

Create

roman-kraft-WOzVqzpScrk-unsplash-2 — Photo by Roman Kraft

Put those creative juices in place to create something new and wonderful.

Decorate the home with handmade wall hangers or crafts. And most perfect to involve the kids too.
Draw, sketch, paint or color. Yes, you might not be the next Picasso, but splash your imagination with creativity. What if the painting is really good and worth a hang in the hall?
Write a poem or a story. Pen down your thoughts, ideate on a story and give it a go.
Create a blog, website, document or page and compile your creative expressions.
Bake cookies, cakes and try new recipes for your loved ones. Again, involve the children or create their favorite recipes to bring a smile on their faces.
Create your own little garden in the balcony. Plant a plant or learn about gardening.

The Routine

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-06 — Photo by Avrielle Suleiman

If there are things that you have always done, there is scope for continuing doing them from the confines of your home too.

If you cannot go the gym, you can certainly continue exercising at home. How about skipping along with the kids.
Don’t skip your yoga aasans in the morning. Catch up on the news, sip on your tea and be fresh to begin the day.
If you are working from home, then well, you better get on your laptop soon.
Evening walks or jogs may not be possible, but why not check on everyone at home as you walk from one room to another.

Indulge

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-07 — Photo by JESHOOTS.COM

After all, this isolation is a little much like a holiday. And so you are allowed to be a tad bit lazy and indulgent.

Watch movies that you couldn’t make time for earlier. How about catching up on the Oscar list or critically acclaimed movies too!
Download your favorite songs and get lost in their rhythms and beats.
Binge watch shows or recluse up in your room for a while with your phone.
Read a book! In the digital age, you can also browse through various online libraries and applications and pick a good read.
Read interesting blogs or subscribe to feeds from various publications to keep you updated.

Socialize

corona-Lockdown-Ways-to-keep-yourself-Happy-&-Healty-08 — Photo by Markus Winkler

Of course, social distancing is a must. But you can still socialize in these trying time too.

Call that friend you haven’t spoken to for a while
Video call the grandparents every day to help the elderly and the children pass their time together
Share how you are passing your time on social media to interact and inspire others.

Family time

Finally, the most important way to pass your time for the next three weeks is to interact with your family. Keep away the gadgets for once. Stop working furiously to meet the deadline for now. Tell stories to your kids, sit and talk about things of now and then with the elderly. Recollect your childhood with your parents. Take out the old albums, pull each other’s leg, play a game together of cards or carom. Laugh, talk and be happy to not lose out on this opportunity of spending quality time with the people that matter most in your life.

Let us all hope that we are able to fight off the virus, with intent and unity. That we don’t let it bog down our spirits or our will to continue to be a better version of ourselves. And most importantly, let us innovate and find numerous joys and ways to entertain ourselves at home without risking our or other’s health by stepping out.

Please stay home, stay happy, stay creative, enlighted, interactive and safe!

Five Common Construction Issues and Solutions

By

Caleidoscope

-

March 28, 2020

0

Common construction issues can shield you from completing a project on schedule and inside spending plans. That is the reason it’s imperative to realize normal accidents and how to deal with them.

Here are a few normal building site issues and their answers:

Poor material administration:

In the event that place of work materials aren’t accessible when and where you need them, you chance pointless deferrals and cost overwhelms on your custom task. It merits finding a way to ensure your materials are protected, secure and effectively available.

It’s significant to work with production network experts who can oversee place of work material for you. This sets aside time and cash, yet permits you to concentrate on what you excel at. There will likewise be genuine feelings of serenity realizing you’ll have the correct materials, at the opportune time, in the perfect spot.

Here are some places of work administrations and arrangements you’ll require:

Vendor managed stock
Place of work boxes and trucks
Material organizing
Place of work holders
Place of work trailers

It’s likewise essential to discover a wholesaler that makes requesting simple with things like a versatile application with standardized identification filtering, item following and reordering. It additionally assists with working with an accomplice that coordinates your custom part numbers, which streamlines the requesting procedure.

Plan/blueprint deviation :

It’s shocking to figure subcontractors may erroneously work off an old arrangement of plans, and similarly as startling to realize how simple it is for them to go amiss from set procedures with an end goal to be increasingly effective. Veering off from blueprints will defer your calendar, so it’s essential to make the accompanying strides:

Date all drawings and ensure subcontractors are working with the latest plans.
Note plan dates in your construction understanding and remember them for the standard procedures.
Administrators ought to be proactive and cautious for botches. The sooner you find an issue, the better.
Security issues :
Obviously, wellbeing is vital. You need everybody to make it home by the day’s end in a similar condition they showed up in.

In a hurried mentality, it very well may be simple for laborers to disregard wellbeing measures, which regularly prompts injury. Work wounds can set a venture back extensively, so it’s essential to set up a solid security the executives program that incorporates required wellbeing gear (individual defensive hardware like hard caps, wellbeing glasses and intelligent vests), techniques, correspondence and site preparation.

Absence of appropriate organization :

The construction venture the board has the command to settle on choices and obtainment forms which should fit the timetable of the task plan. In any case, having an administration that can’t adapt to the speed and size of interest, it might be a major issue for the task’s prosperity. The project management ought to have individuals with legitimate administration abilities that will guarantee the achievement of the undertaking as indicated by the calendar.

Budgetary issues / Efficiency and Profitability:

You may have installments due for the representatives, sellers, gear leaseholders and providers yet the sum for you is expected on venture fruition. As the contractual worker, you have to have enough money to deal with this issue. Going for an open business credit extension will assist you with overseeing such bills and spare your reputation.

There are hardly any boundaries to the section in construction, which implies it’s especially a soaked market. With so much rivalry, net revenues are draining. This decreases the reinvestment potential to refresh genuinely necessary industry procedures and innovation.

As per the COAA, profitability stagnation in construction can be followed to four significant issue zones, as 63 percent of direct specialist time is spent on the accompanying:

Sitting tight for materials and hardware
Going to the area
Choosing to take early breaks
Picking how to complete the work

Construction companies in bangalore should concentrate on the best way to decrease poor work profitability through better arranging and work forms. Moreover, reinvestment into improving efficiencies with innovation ought to be done at the principal opportunity.

Skill capacities :

Perhaps the most serious issue confronting the construction business is the deficiency of gifted specialists to fulfill the construction need in the market. One of the elements adding to this is the restricted information about advantages of a vocation in construction , thus youngsters simply decide on different fields in school. Additionally, most Building Construction Companies have a way of life of working with past groups and neglect to set up an association with the offices and workforce that fits the activity. You can discover such gifted specialists from construction staffing organizations.

Delays in construction time:

One of the mortgage holder’s greatest apprehensions is typically the conviction of the task finishing as fast as could reasonably be expected. The contractual worker ought to stipulate the creation plan for the construction contract which you can use to screen the advancement of the undertaking. There are some worthy explanations behind deferrals in the task which you should know about earlier. In any case, if postponements happen, it ought to be tended to rapidly correspondence be made between the mortgage holder and the contractor right away.

Insufficient correspondence between construction parties

Communication is fundamental to the accomplishment of any task. Communication breakdowns for the most part happen when things are turning out badly in a project. With the expanded spread of innovation, all things considered, nearly everybody on your venture has a cell phone. To have reliable and effective correspondence, you can concur on the most ideal approaches to keep correspondence valuable during the venture. You may decide to utilize instant messages, messages or innovation applications to permit ongoing correspondence in regards to extend progress and updates. It is one approach to hindrances of a correspondence disappointment by diminishing stoppages.

These regular setbacks don’t need to be normal at your place of work. By being proactive and making sure about the correct assets, you’ll finish your activity securely, on schedule and inside the spending plan.

10 Things Your Can Do At Home To Be Productive During Lockdown

By

Mahashweta Chakravarti

-

March 25, 2020

1

Many a great man has stated that in order to assess a situation fully, one must not blind themselves to the positive side of every apparently harrowing experience. However in our present days of battle against coronavirus, now is certainly not the time for moralizing. No matter which part of the world one belongs to, this is the hour of practicality, as it is becoming increasingly clear that prevention is one of the only cures. Staying cooped up indoors all day through an unprecedented period of quarantine is a less than ideal experience, but it should not be a cause for anxiety or panic. If you have been feeling claustrophobic and demoralized, here are ten things you can do to make this burden easier and ensure these days are productive!

1. DIY ART & Craft

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Lockdown-DIY-Art-&-craft — Photo by Victoria Bilsborough

Remember scrolling through Facebook and checking out videos on origami and DIY art, and feeling like trying your hand at it? Well, there’s no time like the present to finally get around it and make an attempt to create something that is engaging and artistic. Going outdoors to get stationery is not an option and it might seem like a challenge to craft something out of materials available at home. Here are websites you can check out which have all the information on basic DIY crafts one can create at home from things that are usually around in the house:
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/craft-ideas/ https://www.happinessishomemade.net/quick-easy-kids-crafts-anyone-can-make/

There are also plenty of YouTube tutorials on making crafts at home which you can search for to liven up your desks and rooms with old newspapers, wrapping papers, or simply colourful thread.

2. Read Good Books That Keeps You Happy

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Lockdown-Read-good-books — Photo by Anthony Tran

A lot of us are privileged enough that we do not have to deal with the crisis headfirst and can afford to do our parts simply by remaining indoors. Take this time to reflect, rejuvenate, rest, and finally read books that you have been meaning to for the longest time. One of the most popular websites for online books, magazines, and podcasts is Scribd (https://www.scribd.com/) and the good news is that they are now offering an entire month of free membership to everyone who creates an account. The resources are terrific and their classics collection is worth browsing through for those bookworms who cannot go out to their favourite libraries and borrow books.

3. Learn to Cook

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Lockdown-Learn-to-cook — Photo by Jason Briscoe

Take some time out and learn how to cook. It may be only a basic dish, but this is the ideal time to try and go a step beyond boiling an egg or adding water to a bowl of Maggi. For those who do not have anyone to guide them through the process, there is always the option of consulting online cookbooks and websites such as Indian Food Forever (https://www.indianfoodforever.com/cooking-tips.html). If you would like to cook a different cuisine or wish to get a more hands on approach to the task, there are several YouTube channels with easy recipes for the purpose, such as Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoX4QULJ9MB00xW4coMiOw). For the Masterchefs, perhaps try making that dish you have always admired at your favourite restaurant?

4. Try to Get Fit

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Lockdown-Get-Fit — Photo by Rawan Yasser

For the fitness freaks, it is highly advisable to not visit gyms at present. A far better option would be to download apps on your phone which provide personalized workouts depending on your preferences (such as Healthify Me). There are also several YouTube bloggers who upload instructive workouts to do at home for losing that extra kilo or crunching your way to building abs.

5. Doodle & Sketching

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Lockdown-doodle — Photo by chuttersnap

How about digging up that bullet journal or pretty notebook you have been saving for an occasion to fill out with your artwork and creativity? Pour out the doodles and sketch ideas you have kept locked up in your mind and finally fill the blank pages with colour. If you’re suffering from writer’s block or are in need of a bout of inspiration, there is no need to fret. Search on Instagram with #bujo and be amazed by the number of ideas you’ll find awaiting you.

6. Maintain a Daily Planner

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Planner — Photo by Emma Matthews Digital Content Production

Keep and maintain a daily planner. This will reduce the feeling of being out of control and will also help maintain discipline over these days which seem to be spinning on endlessly. This is also a great opportunity to take note of the things that you feel most like doing now so you have something to look forward to accomplishing once the tide blows over. Organizing your home is also a great option, and your closet is always a good place to begin.

7. Watch Online Entertainment

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-online-entertainment — Photo by Thought Catalog

Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon Prime are pretty much our saviours. For those who do not have subscriptions to either of these there are many intriguing web serials on YouTube such as Little Things or Kota Factory that you can binge watch.

8. Learn New Online Courses

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-online-Courses — Photo by Austin Distel

Browse through udemy, coursera, or edX, discover the top universities of the world offering online classes and certificates on a wide range of subjects and topics. Whether you are an art history enthusiast, or want to sharpen your business skills, or simply wish to understand how to lead a happier life – there are courses for every interest area.

9. Reconnect with Family

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-reconnect-with-friends-&-Family-01 — Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes

Take this time to reconnect with friends through social media and phone calls, and spend much needed quality time with your family. You can even bring out the old board games or just reminisce and chat or have heated political discussions over steaming cups of chai.

10. Celebrate with Home Cooked Delicacies

Things-Your-Can-Do-at-Home-To-Be-Productive-During-Celebrate with Home Cooked Delicacies — Image- Pixabay

Birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions are tricky through a 21 days lockdown. But there is nothing a delicious home cooked meal, a perfect movie, and some good ol’ dancing to the party playlist on Spotify cannot fix.

Crafting Futures – A Collaboration of British Council in India

By

Cscope Staff

-

March 23, 2020

0

A-collaboration-of-British-Council-in-India-Gundiyali-Kutch-1 — Image courtesy – DICRC

Crafting Futures is a British Council initiative. This unique endeavor supports the future of crafts through global collaboration and funding across the world. The idea is to creatively use the local crafts for social, economic, cultural and environmental growth.

Crafting Futures hence encourages the local artisan and crafts community to collaborate with global organizations. The collaboration brings together the expertise of different cultures to create new craft ecosystems.

In India

Applications for Crafting Futures opened in August 2019 in India. Out of the many entries, 6 proposals were selected. These 6 winning entries are led by Indian organizations, who have worked tremendously at the grass root level and in their respective crafts field. These industries are wide spread, ranging from textiles, sustainable fashion, pottery and puppetry. Each of these organizations are now in collaboration with UK partners exploring how ‘traditional skills, contemporary design and enterprise can come together to create new business solutions’.

The winning projects

Each of winning projects brings unique craft or local artistic concepts in the fore. Building on the local talent and skill, the organizations also bring their experience, both in their know how of the crafting techniques, as well as, in their association with the craftsmen and women. In fact, the initiative lays special emphasis on women oriented and generated crafts, hoping to not only empower them, give them their due credit, but also, to use their creative inclinations for a better and fruitful collaboration.

Here is taking a look at the 6 organizations, their collaborations and the work that they propose to do in the next year or so.

1. Empowering through craft

The Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute along with the Goldsmiths, University of London are working on the project called ‘Empowering through craft: using craft heritage and sustainable processes to train women and enhance design process’. Led by Sunita Bhasin from SSMI and Sandra Fruebing the project aims to conduct workshops to train creating environmentally sustainable products and bring women artisans from different backgrounds together on the same platform. Both, Sunita Bhasin and Sandra Fruebing have a good understanding of the community and its issues. The project will be executed in Delhi and Jaipur.

2. Living Crafts

A collaboration of British Council in India — Image courtesy – UnBoxFestivals

Called ‘Living Crafts’, this project is led by Neha Singh from UnBox Cultural Futures and Irini Papadimitriou from FutureEverything. This project is a mapping exercise that will be conducted in Goa, New Delhi and Bangalore. In each location the craft will be paired with a local creative or digital professional for collaboration and learning. It aims for an exchange of ideas, tools and skills. Bringing together the different skills the project will create meaningful products and services. Some interesting creative collaborations could be bringing together a potter and a game designer or a mat weaver and an IoT professional or a comic book artist and a welder. Each of these collaborations definitely will lead to newer craft ecosystems that will bring forth a fresh approach and new artistic angles to creative expressions.

3. The Pinguli Story

A-collaboration-of-British-Council-in-India-Pinguli-Story — Image courtesy – Cultureaangan.com

The Pinguli Story is a project collaboration between Rashmi Sawant from Culture Aangan Tourism and Netty Sopata from Applied Arts Scotland. Located in Maharashtra, Pinguli is known for its puppet artistry. With the main focus on women, the leaders of this artisan community will undergo training to promote sustainable development of the community. The Pinguli community will be highlighted as a location for Traditional Craft Skills and Puppetry Performances, as well as, an interactive Sustainable tourism venue. The training will be done through various methods, including online, social media, digital marketing training, interactive tourism models and so on.

4. Desi Unn

A-collaboration-of-British-Council-in-India-Desi Unn — Image courtesy – Khamir.org

The next project concentrates on the artistry of wool. Called the ‘Desi Unn: Revival of indigenous wool fiber value chain through local craft skills of spinning, weaving and hand felting’, it is led by Ghatit Leheru of Khamir and Ceri Jones from Feildwork. The project will aim to revive the local economy around wool in the Kutch region.

5. Women and Crafts in India

A-collaboration-of-British-Council-in-India Kutch handicrafts — Image courtesy – Rajesh India via Flickr

‘Raising Awareness of Value (RAV): Women and Crafts in India’, is a project that looks at supporting women artisans of Gujarat. Led by Shalini Gupta of Pearl Academy and Alison Welsh from Manchester Metropolitan University will help improve the life of the local artisans through both product innovation and new marketing skills. Kutch handicrafts have for years churned amazing creativity, but the local artisans have sadly not shared the same limelight or the monetary benefits that the designers sourcing work from them have. The project aims to explore the possibilities for co-ideation and co-creation by empowering the women artisans of Gujarat to carve out their own identity as makers and designers.

6. Terracotta craft cluster of Gundiyali

A-collaboration-of-British-Council-in-India-Gundiyali-Gujarat — Image courtesy – DICRC

In a Terracotta craft cluster of Gundiyali, Gujarat is where the sixth project of the initiative will unfold. This project aims to familiarize and sensitize the artisans into converting their community and village into a craft experiential hub. Called ‘Celebrating Clay: generating new forms of cultural production for craft experiential tourism’ it is led by Jay Thakkar from Design Innovation and Craft Resources Centre or DICRC and Barney Hare Duke from the Clay Foundation – Trading as British Ceramics Biennial.

Globally, the Crafting Futures program is initiated in South Asia and Latin America. However, its collaboration and craft focused approach is great news for the local artisans of India. A working together of organizations with experience at the local levels along with international entities will create a win-win situation for all – the local artists, the enhancement of the craft itself, a cherished experience for all the involved parties, as well as, a creative step in the direction of overall craft expertise, expressions and empowerment.

Dashmeet Singh – Experiencing Life through the Eyes of Comic Strips Artist

By

Cscope Staff

-

March 23, 2020

2

Dashmeet-Singh-Comic-Strip-Artist

Indian comic strips artists are one of a kind because not only are their portrayals highly relatable, there is also a characteristically indigenous touch to their creations. One such artist is Dashmeet Singh from Delhi, who considers it his aim through art to capture and keep alive the spirit and innocence of childhood through his works. The montages he creates all focus on typically Indian experiences of childhood which are shared by all, regardless of which part of the country one belongs to.

One of his most well known works feature depictions of a child bonding with her grandmother as she massages oil into the child’s hair – an event that is albeit unremarkable in itself but recognizable by all because of its commonness. Dashmeet Singh holds on to his Sikh background proudly and his heritage is reflected in all his comic strips. He has an entire range of artwork based on his memories of a traditional Punjabi upbringing, such as scenes of children playing with adults to a popular folk rhyme – which was a popular scene for him in his years of growing up. There is something undoubtedly warm and homely in the themes chosen by Singh.

Dashmeet Singh rose to fame as an Instagram artist, but his keen eye for paintings and other artworks developed in his adolescent years. He has previously credited artist Sharandeep Singh on Facebook (page name – Sharan Art) for his discovery of his love of the simplicity with which one can express their thoughts and emotions into art. His second stage in development as an artist is owed largely to his mother, for her interest in fine art which she passed on to him, and YouTube tutorials on artworks which he watched whenever he had a break.

At the very outset Singh was certain he wanted to paint scenes depicting the rhythms of daily life, to make certain monotonous and commonplace experiences stand out by highlighting their beauty. Having been a student of medicine at the time, Dashmeet Singh was not able to practice for hours to attain finesse in his works as one might expect. Interestingly, his career as an artist had begun with quick doodles and rough sketches on his notepad, and portraits of common people and their movements that he encountered regularly while commuting on the metro.

Singh became resolute in his decision to create scripts on everyday life through his encounter with the works of artist Alicia Souza on Instagram. The mode of daily comics featuring regular life suited him perfectly because it enabled him to reach out to a much larger audience while remaining completely impersonal about the details of his own life. Hence, although the character that figures most regularly in his artworks is his own self,

Singh takes care to not single out any specific experiences to highlight and chooses only those which are relatable and appealing to the masses. From the outset his vision had been to reach out especially to members of the Sikh community, of whom he knew that there was no one to document common experiences and aid in the fostering of a communal spirit. This gives him the determination to immortalize more and more instances of regular life through his work in order to create a montage on life as an Indian in the cultural context of Sikhs.

However, this is not to say that his works are all cut and dry and steeped in realism. Imagination plays a vital role in his artworks to make the ordinary life events appear significant, and to capture the sense of belonging, inclusivity, love, and the values of typical Indian families.

His creations are not limited to life in an Indian society, but include humorous and satirical pieces, moralistic reflections, or simply casual comic strips on inanimate objects and occasional caricature figures. The largest exhibition of his works may be found online, and he has also participated in several prominent art festivals and viewings across the country. His artworks may be found in stores across cities like Delhi or Kolkata, and some of his choicest works are also available online for purchase.

Follow Dashmeet Singh on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dashmeetart

Delicious Snacks For Kids: Banana Powder At Rescue

By

Cscope Staff

-

March 20, 2020

1

In India, bananas are extremely popular and there are various types of bananas to choose from! In fact it is hard to find a place in India that doesn’t grow or consume bananas! Bananas are packed with nutrients and they can be had any time of the day. They are rich in iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorous. They also have high fibre content aiding easy digestion.

Bananas are so loved for their taste and nutritional value that they are introduced right in infancy, in the form of banana powder. For making banana powder, you need to use the raw, larger varieties of bananas, the kind that are generally steamed when ripe and then dry them over days. It is a time consuming process indeed. If you do not have time to prepare this powder at home, don’t worry. You can use the Slurrp Farm banana powder, which contains no preservatives or additives. When used with some warm milk or water, it makes for an excellent travel food for babies. You can easily buy it online and it will be shipped directly to your doorstep.

Delicious Snacks For Kids with Slurrp Farm Banana_Powder — Slurrp Farm Banana Powder

With that sorted, you can now introduce your kids to the wonderful world of bananas with yummy and nutritious banana powder recipes – perfect to fill that little growing tummy. Here are some delicious and healthy banana powder recipes your young ones will surely love.

Oats Banana Porridge

Give your little star a good boost of energy with oats banana porridge. It can be introduced to babies after 6 months once the other basic first foods are already incorporated in their diet.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp cooking oats
1 tablespoon of banana powder
100ml of cold milk or water
½ cup water

Method:

Mix oats with water in a saucepan and cook it on medium flame for about 3 minutes.
Once the oats are cooked, add milk to it and boil it for a few minutes.
Then add the banana powder, mix it well to ensure there are no lumps.
Cook the mixture on a low flame for 15 minutes and then remove from the flame.
Serve lukewarm. The porridge can also be stored in an airtight container under refrigeration for feeding later.

Banana Powder Halwa

Banana powder halwa is an easy and quick dessert for babies and kids. It is another delicacy you can make with banana powder. They can be given to babies from 8 months onwards as a quick dessert.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup banana porridge powder
2 tbsp powdered palm jaggery (optional)
1.5 cups water
3 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp powdered nuts
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Take the powdered jaggery and add 1/4 cup of water or till immersing level. Boil till it melts completely and the mixture becomes slightly thick.
Strain the jaggery mixture to remove impurities. Keep it aside.
Now take the banana powder in a thick bottomed pan and add water to it. Mix everything slowly and thoroughly with a whisk. Make sure there are no lumps.
Then add in the strained jaggery mixture along with ghee and cardamom powder.
Mix well and cook everything in the low medium flame until it becomes thick.
Whisk or stir the mixture continuously while cooking so that it does not stick to the vessel and form lumps.
Now add in the powdered nuts and switch off the flame once done.
Transfer the halwa to a ghee greased plate. Spread out the halwa and let it cool. Then serve.

Banana Powder Milkshake

Banana-Milk-Shake For-Kids-with-Slurrp-Farm-Banana_Powder-1 — Minkshake made form Banana Powder

This one is a healthy milkshake with banana powder. It is a very good weight gaining recipe for toddlers and kids.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp banana powder
1 tbsp powdered palm jaggery or jiggery (optional)
3/4 cup water
1 cup milk
1 tbsp honey

Method:

Take 2 tbsp banana powder in a thick bottomed pan and add 3/4 cup of water to it.
Mix well with a whisk. Cook everything in a low flame for 5 minutes or until the banana powder gets cooked well. Stir it continuously so it does not stick to the bottom.
Now add powdered palm jaggery or palm jaggery syrup. Mix well and cook further for 3 minutes. Switch off the flame once it’s done and let it cool down.
Then transfer the cooked banana powder to a blender. Add milk and honey to it.
Blend everything until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve warm.

NOTE:

In the milkshake recipe, you can also add a banana or apple to make it more healthy. Older kids can be given Slurrp Farm’s healthy and yummy easy snacks for kids like ragi and choco cookies, to complement the taste of the milkshake. In all recipes, adjust the milk quantity as per the thickness you desire. Babies over one year can be given cow’s milk. And lastly, always check with your pediatrician before introducing any new food.

Contemporary Indian Dance – Breaking Free from the Traditional

By

Tasneem Sariya

-

March 20, 2020

0

Contemporary-Indian-Dance-01 — Image Courtesy – Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts

Classical Indian dances hold a very special place in the artistic world. Their grace, style and forms are well-known and their execution and understanding of the art reach almost a divine realm.

But besides, classical dances, India is also home to a number of other dance forms. Folk dances of course, are a regional variation that reflect culture and social norms. However, there is no clear distinction as what comprises of contemporary dance.

Contemporary dance in India includes a range of dance forms. These incorporate choreography for cinema, as well as, modern Indian dances. Yet, the borders of contemporary dance forms are flexible allowing the scope and range of various dance forms. This is because there is rarely uniformity in terms of style or costumes, yet there is no chaos or confusion either. The best ways to categorize a form as contemporary would be to judge if it breaks or moves away from traditional dance forms.

Modern Indian dance

Contemporary-Indian-Dance-02 — Image Courtesy – Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company

The perception people usually have is that modern Indian dance is nothing but a fusion of western and Indian classical dance styles. However, that is far from true. Indian modern dances are a genre by themselves though they may not have found the same kind of recognition as classical dances of India. Where Classical dances have a regimented and codified way of going about, modern dances on the other hand is based primarily on the imagination.

Modern Indian dance has an interesting history where Uday Shankar has been credited as the Father of Modern Indian dance.

Uday Shankar

Contemporary-Indian-Dance-in-India-03 — Uday Shankar – Commeaucinema.com

Uday Shankar (1900-1977) was one of the first dancers to create a fusion of sorts. He started by dancing in cafes and cabarets in Paris in the 1930’s until he partnered Anna Pavlova. He toured with her and soon began touring on his own along with his team of musicians and dancers.

He gave the western audiences a flavor of Indian ballet in terms of dance forms, costumes and colors. He broke away from the traditional forms by not differentiating between Nirtta and Abhinaya. The primary aspect of modern dance was the movement of the body for the sake of its own. Here music was composed after the dance composition and therefore, it was the movement of the free flowing body that was of utmost importance. Some of his important and popular productions are Lanka Dahan, Panchatantra and others.

Contemporary-Indian-Dance-in-India-02 — Uday Shankar – Image Courtesy sahapedia.org

However, Uday Shankar learned Indian Classical dance and hence modern dance forms also see the influence of the classical styles. Uday Shankar also had a lot of disciples but none really emerged as the next singular flag bearer of modern dance forms.

Yet when one thinks of modern dance forms a number of artists come to mind, including Shanti Bardhan, Shobana Jeyasingh, Amala Shankar, Dr. Manjushree Chaki-Sarkar, Ranjabati Sarkar and more.

Dance in Indian Cinema and by Dance groups

Contemporary-Indian-Dance-03 — Image Courtesy – Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts

Dancing has always been an integral part of Indian cinema. The dance forms have ranged from Classical styles to modern dances, folk dances and western styles. But contemporary dance forms have in fact, been most propounded by cinema along with the advent of various contemporary dance schools and academies.

Some of the popular centers and academies that are hubs for contemporary dance forms, include the Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in Bangalore, National Centre for the Performing Arts or NCPA, Terence Lewis Academy, Gati Dance Forum in Delhi and more.

Contemporary-Indian-Dance-in-India-04 — Image Courtesy – Gati Dance

Finally, contemporary dance forms may seem to be in a nascent phase when compared to the years and generations of classical traditional dance forms. But contemporary is valid and required to express and enunciate emotions and stories in a form that allows for the body and mind to be free of the adherence to certain rhythms and rules. Modern and contemporary are inevitable in any form of artistic expression. And though classical dance forms continue to be traditional and respected, contemporary dance forms are also surely finding an audience and artists who may not completely break away from tradition, but do find alternate styles of expressions.

Bawarchi 1972

Guddi (1971)

Chupke Chupke (1975)

Golmaal (1979)

Khubsoorat (1980)

The Silver Lining

What can you do during the shutdown?

Helping hands

Learn the new

Create

The Routine

Indulge

Socialize

Family time

Poor material administration:

Plan/blueprint deviation :

Absence of appropriate organization :

Budgetary issues / Efficiency and Profitability:

Skill capacities :

Delays in construction time:

1. DIY ART & Craft

2. Read Good Books That Keeps You Happy

3. Learn to Cook

4. Try to Get Fit

5. Doodle & Sketching

6. Maintain a Daily Planner

7. Watch Online Entertainment

8. Learn New Online Courses

9. Reconnect with Family

10. Celebrate with Home Cooked Delicacies

In India

The winning projects

1. Empowering through craft

2. Living Crafts

3. The Pinguli Story

4. Desi Unn

5. Women and Crafts in India

6. Terracotta craft cluster of Gundiyali

Oats Banana Porridge

Banana Powder Halwa

Banana Powder Milkshake

Modern Indian dance

Uday Shankar

Dance in Indian Cinema and by Dance groups

© Caleidoscope - 2025