AJAY DEVGN: Actor Of The Year

By Shilpi Shukla Alexander


From Athithi Tum Kab Jaoge to Toonpur Ka Superhero, Ajay Devgn was one busy bee in 2010 with seven releases, of which six which were declared blockbuster hits. Not to digress, but 2010 was an interesting year, which found mega-budget films like Hrithik-starrer Kites and Abhishek-Aishwarya starrer Raavan bombing at the box office. Ajay Devgn sailed through admirably well. Shilpi Shukla Alexander chats with the versatile and outspoken AJAY DEVGN.

Ajay Devgn

With six successful films in your kitty, you are indeed the undisputed hero of Bollywood 2010. Congrats!(Smiles) Thanks.

You are known as an actor who can deliver many films in a row.
I know. But now I want to cut down on films. However, as of now I am not being able to do that. But in a year or so you will see a sharp decline in the number of projects I sign.

How do you play a variety of roles…all with such precision?
That’s the essence of acting for me. I try to diverge from the norm and do unique and different films. And hope they get appreciated.

(To read the complete article, visit the site of Darpan, a Canadian publication...) 

PUSHKAR: World’s Largest Cattle Fair

   

Article By: Shilpi Shukla
Photos By: Lovejeet Alexander

Every November, in the pond-sized sleepy town of Pushkar, India comes alive with a riot of colors and a frenzied burst of activity, attracting visitors from around the globe to the famous Camel Fair. (The complete article was featured in Little India, a US publication...)

Renowned for hosting the world’s largest camel fair, the quiet town of Pushkar exhibits a rare and fascinating combination of religious fervor and cultural effervescence every November. Around 50,000 camels are sold, decorated, shaved and raced during the Pushkar Fair, the largest cattle fair in the world.     The picturesque morning view of the Pushkar Lake. The festival is quite a hit among foreign tourists. This year’s whopping 200,000 crowd inundated Pushkar’s 14,000 population. The profusion of colors that run riot in the desert sand, the glee and the contagious enthusiasm of the village folk charm every visitor. “Very few fairs in the world, if at all any, can match the liveliness of the Pushkar fair — the world’s largest cattle fair,” said Jamie Jay, a tourist from California, who has been attending the fair regularly for the last four years.  The ambience evoked during the seven-day festival is that of rustic Rajasthan, more so of rural India — vibrant, colorful and quintessentially Indian. Bards and poets recite and sing tales of valor and heroism of bygone days. Singers and dancers stage folk performances throughout the day. Various competitions, such as turban tying, tilak, water pot race, mandna, langari taang, Indian bride, moustache, and wrestling, etc., enliven the event.    A flock of pigeons taking a flight from one of the 400 ancient temples of Pushkar. “I like the turban tying and tilak competition. They are so Indian,” said Daniel Schwenegger, a tourist from Denmark.  In addition, many animal competitions, such as camel decoration, camel dance, horse dance, fast milking, gir and cross-breed and champion cattle contests delight visitors. “The lumbering beast of burden, the camel all decorated in finery, imagines itself to be an ostrich, and rushes through the race like one. It’s such fun. I have never seen anything like this before,” said Australian college student, Diana Wheat.  Visitors are particularly enamored by the musical chairs competition. “As the music stops, the beautifully decorated camel is supposed to manage to stick its long arching neck between two poles, each camel owner guiding its entrant by means of a silken cord attached to its nose ring. This is really interesting,” said Mac Matusow, a 10-year-old boy from Denmark. (To read the complete article, visit the site of Little India, a US publication...)

BEING CRAFTY!

By Shilpi Shukla Alexander

(This article was published in The Hindu newspaper

Photo: Lovejeet Alexander

Handicrafts Cluster Creations at Dilli Haat brought in the best that the States could offer...

The Handicrafts Cluster Creations 2011 that was on at the Dill Haat till recently saw avid shoppers thronging the place even during weekdays. Welcoming the fresh hues of spring, the handicrafts exhibition-cum-sale allowed visitors to indulge in a world of traditionally rich and awe-inspiring craftsmanship. With an exquisite range of metal, brass, wood and bamboo handicrafts to those in iron, marble and clay, the fair had something for everyone.

The stalls from the North-east came laden with exciting bamboo and cane craft pieces.

Handloom rugs, carpets, floor mats and durries came were made to floor anyone! “I bought two Kashmiri carpets richly adorned with traditional chain-stitch embroidery. The collection in the fair was really exciting this time,” said Ritu Malik, a teacher.

Zardozi and jamdani silk from Benaras, kantha silk from West Bengal, chanderi and tussar ghicha silk from Madhya Pradesh, cotton handloom from Uttar Pradesh, pashminas from Kashmir and the many silks from the South were a delight for the textile connoisseurs. For those interested in rich traditional work, there was kalamkari work and crochet embroidery from Andhra Pradesh, crewel embroidery and patchwork from Jammu and Kashmir, and kinnari work from Himachal Pradesh, among many others. “I particularly loved the Kashmiri crewel embroidery and kinnauri shawls from Himachal Pradesh,” said Su Li, a tourist from China. Decorations for home ranged from beautiful terracotta to wicker work, papier-mâché bowls to wooden trays, and lac items to kolhapuris.

While the regal touch came with marble artefacts, miniature sandalwood and silver items, reasonably-priced pottery and ceramic work from Maharashtra was surely not worth a miss. Foreign tourists seemed particularly fascinated. According to Marc Jacobs from Canada, “The marble artefacts from Agra and these beautiful miniature paintings from Rajasthan exhibit marvellous workmanship, which is the USP of India indeed.”

Other attractions were the gems and jewellery at the Rajasthani counter. Also, bead necklaces and footwear of Nagaur, textiles printed in Ajmer and Jodhpur, brassware of Jodhpur and Jaipur and colourful puppets.

For those who had their fill of shopping, the exhibition featured interesting cultural shows, live performances, food from the states, and interesting competitions

SURAJKUND FAIR - Silver Jubilee Fiesta

Article & Photos: Shilpi Shukla Alexander

Come, see... and get bewitched by the brilliant cultural tapestry that comprises India at the Surajkund Fair 2011

Think of awe-inspiring craftsmanship, cultural vibrancy, rustic charm, folk performances, sumptuous regional cuisines, and you picture the grand Surajkund Fair. Rightly described as a 'mini India', the fair comes alive with vivid shades of rich Indian crafts, folk traditions and cultural heritage every year. Skilled artisans, painters, weavers, potters, sculptors and craftsmen from all over the country come and display their traditional and splendid craftsmanship, in the typical setting of a rural Indian marketplace. Characteristic of its cultural mélange and exquisite exhibits from India and abroad, the fair is a riot of splendid colours yet again.

Organised for the first time in 1981 by Haryana Tourism, the fair completes 25 successful years in 2011. And this is why the fair (from February 1 to February 15) is more sparkling and eventful this year. Andhra Pradesh being the theme state at the Surajkund Fair this year, many famous folk performances are staged at the fair all day through. So if you want to enjoy kuchipudi, burrakatha, veeranatyam, butta bommalu, dappu, Tappeta Gullu, Lambadi, Bonalu, Dhimsa, Kolattam, Butta bommalu and other famous Andhra folk dances, Surajkund is the place to be. Also on display are beautiful craftworks of the state including banjara embroidery, brass artware, cherial scroll paintings, kondapalli toys, bidriware, pearls, kalamkaris and other appealing art forms. Besides, almost a caravan of 400 state and national-level award winning craftsmen from all over the nation has participated in the fair. The partner country in this year’s fair, Uzbekistan, has organized several interesting cultural shows and stalls in the fair. Craftpersons from SAARC nations have also exhibited an interesting array of collectibles.

Uneven and unpaved paths, dusty air, open ground, folk music playing at the backdrop and thatched platforms - coming to the Surajkund fair is like entering an Indian village. This rural fair is a good place to pick up some rare and beautiful items which one does not get in run of the mill handicraft exhibitions, local markets and malls. “The wide range from different states and countries is really exciting here. What’s more, here at Surajkund, everything ethnic and rustic can be bought at very reasonable prices. Though some of these items, specially ornamental jewellery and artifacts are available at these big malls, they are very high priced,” says Shruti Chauhan, a student. We couldn’t agree more! From beautiful mirror-embroidered fabrics, woven silk and cotton blended saris, floor coverings, intricate embroideries, beautiful lace work, folk motifs on terracotta forms to stone craft, metal ware, block-printed fabrics, leather goods, cane artifacts, woodcraft, jewellery, silverware, dolls, brassware, shimmering bangles, toys, trinkets, home décor items and many other hand-crafted products, there is a lot to see and shop in the fair.

Come here to buy fabrics, ornaments, footwear, furniture or artifacts, there is an amazing regional variety and traditional diversity in each item from one state stall to the other. Interested in embroidery? Check out the colourful phulkari work from Punjab, chikan work from Lucknow, suzni, chainstitch, crewel and mirror encasings from Kashmir, banjara and bunni from Gujarat and Rajasthan, kantha from West Bengal and Tripura, lace and crochet from Goa, and many other offerings from other states. Redefine the aesthetics of your living room with floor coverings from Namda, carpets from Kashmir, punja dhurries from Haryana, woolen carpets Mirzapur, and coir and rags from South India. For art connoisseurs, there are madhubani paintings from Bihar, phad and bani-thani paintings from Rajasthan, kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, temple paintings from Orissa, are also displayed in the Surajkund Mela. There is a fascinating variety of bamboo and cane artifacts from Punjab, sholapith and shital patti from Assam and West Bengal, rosewood and sandalwood woodcraft from South India, and chikri from Kashmir.

Enjoy some vivacious folk music and dance performances of different Indian states and other participating countries every evening at Natyashala, an open-air theater. Various competitions organized to entertain youngsters and playful rides and swings for kids at the amusement zone make a visit to the fair an ideal family outing. The umpteen food stalls offering scrumptious delicacies from various states are an added delight. When here, do visit the magnificent 10th century Surajkund lake too.