Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 2 updates in 2 topics

bleachbot <bleachbot@httrack.com>: Oct 27 09:50PM +0100

bv4bv4bv4@gmail.com: Oct 27 01:23PM -0700

Why Muslim Women Wear the Veil
 
Description: Even in the face of adversity Muslim women choose to obey God.
 
In recent years, a small piece of cloth has managed to cause quite a stir. The scarf or hijab that Muslim women wear on their heads is making headlines around the world. Hijab is banned in French public schools and other European countries have adopted, or are drafting similar legislation. In Australia, a radio presenter triggered both debate and outrage when he called for the face veil (niqab) to be banned from banks and post offices. Even predominantly Muslim countries such as Turkey and Tunisia ban the hijab in certain government buildings. When a small piece of fabric causes such controversy and conflict, wouldn't it be easier to remove it? Why then, under such circumstances, do Muslim women wear scarves?
 
There are a myriad of reasons why, but the easy, one sentence answer is, because they believe God has made it an obligation for believing women. In the Quran God tells the believing men and women to lower their gaze and to dress modestly. He (God) specifically addresses women when He asks them not to show off their adornment, except that which is apparent, and draw their veils over their bodies. (Quran 24:30-31)
 
These verses of Quran are known as the verses of hijab and it is the consensus of Islamic scholars that they make the wearing of hijab mandatory. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar do enforce a dress code. Women there are expected to cover their hair and wear some sort of loose fitting, full-length garment over their clothes. However, for the majority of Muslim women around the world, to cover, or not to cover, is a freely made choice. God requires Muslim women to dress modestly and to wear the hijab in public and in the presence of men who are not close relatives.
 
Although the English word scarf and the Arabic term hijab have become interchangeable, it is worth noting that hijab is more than just a scarf. It is a term that covers a variety of clothing including scarves, but also a variety of different dress styles from around the world. Many have cultural connotations such as the Pakistani shalwar khamis or the Afghani burqa, but whenever a Muslim woman covers "her adornment", she is said to be wearing hijab.
 
The literal meaning of hijab is to veil, to cover, or to screen. Islam is known as a religion concerned with community cohesion and moral boundaries, and therefore hijab is a way of ensuring that the moral boundaries between unrelated men and women are respected. In this sense, the term hijab encompasses more than a scarf and more then a dress code. It is a term that denotes modest dressing and modest behaviour. For instance, if a Muslim woman was wearing a scarf but at the same time using bad language, she would not be fulfilling the requirements of hijab.
 
The majority of Muslim women wear hijab, to obey God, and to be known as respectable women. (Quran 33:59) However, in the last 30 years hijab has emerged as a sign of Islamic consciousness. Many women see wearing the hijab as indicative of their desire to be part of an Islamic revival, especially in countries where the practice of Islam is discouraged or even forbidden.
 
While those who seek to ban hijab refer to it as a symbol of gender based repression, the women who choose to don a scarf, or to wear hijab, in the broadest sense of the word, do so by making personal decisions and independent choices. They view it as a right and not a burden. Nor do these women regard hijab as a sign of oppression. Women who wear hijab often describe themselves as being "set free" from society's unrealistic fashion culture.
 
Hijab frees women from being thought of as sexual objects of desire or from being valued for their looks, or body shape rather then their minds and intellect. No longer slaves to consumerism, hijab liberates women from the need to conform to unrealistic stereotypes and images dictated by the media. Women wearing hijab have expressed that dressing modestly and covering their hair, minimises sexual harassment in the workplace. The aura of privacy created by hijab is indicative of the great value Islam places upon women.
 
It is true that in some families and in some cultures women are forced to wear hijab but this is not the norm. The Quran clearly states that there is no compulsion in religion (2:256). Women who choose to wear hijab do not make the decision lightly. In fact many women testify that they faced great animosity from their Muslim or non-Muslim families when they decided to cover. Across the globe there are numerous instances of women having to defend their right to wear the hijab.
 
Hijab can be a symbol of piety and it can be a sign of great inner strength and fortitude. A woman wearing hijab becomes a very visible sign of Islam. While Muslim men can blend easily into any society, Muslim woman are often put on the line, and forced to defend not only their decision to cover, but also their religion. Nevertheless, women who wear hijab insist that the advantages far outweigh any disadvantage conjured up by media bias or general ignorance.
 
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2770/why-muslim-women-wear-veil/
 
Thank you
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Thursday, October 22, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 3 topics

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 22 08:35PM

Shaandaar review: There is no 'Shaan' in this Shahid
Kapoor, Alia Bhatt starrer
 
1 1/2 stars
 
The Indian Express
Thursday, October 22, 2015
 
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/shaandaar-review/
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
habshi@anony.net: Oct 22 07:48PM

It would go viral if they put English subtitles. Best comedy
show on the planet. One flirt line - you have not paid rent for the
last four years?
Girl -huh? Boy , you have stayed in my heart for four years,
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IfMfiNM85kc
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0846oL7XlAU
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0tYU87-hJAo
habshi@anony.net: Oct 22 07:42PM

Sloppy not to subtitle all the songs and the smoking shown
throughout makes one wonder if cig companies have sponsored. Really
smoking except by very bad characters should simply be outlawed
onscreen.
Some fantastic songs and dances , a pity some of the western
women in yellow dresses are kept way in the background. Seems to be
set in some Scottish castle. Irritating piano music but worth seeing
once on the big screen.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 1 update in 1 topic

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 1 update in 1 topic

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 21 12:36AM

Shiv Sena: Won't allow Pakistani actors to step on
Maharashtra soil
 
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
 
http://news.niticentral.com/2015/10/21/shiv-sena-wont-allow-pakistani-actors-to-step-on-maharashtra-soil/
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
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Sunday, October 18, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 2 updates in 2 topics

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 19 01:09AM

In article
<d1db5b26-ac75-43c2-9060-999985cf84b7@googlegroups.com>,
 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ30GCjPEjY
 
> In "Ghost World" soundtrack
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I69mIK-94g
 
Dhanyavaad for sharing, fanabba jee!
 
The universal appeal of the songs
sung by Mohd. Rafi is indisputable.
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 18 11:11PM

do roz mein wo pyaar ka . . .
 
Prem Dhawan, Kanu Ghosh, Mukesh,
Pyar Ki Rahen - Pradeep Kumar, Anita Guha,
Pran, Helen, Jeevan
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 7 updates in 2 topics

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 17 06:42PM

In article
<bdd2cd7b-c2a1-4ede-9b27-2a496943a6f8@googlegroups.com>,
> > Barsaat ki Raat - Madhubala, Bharat Bhushan.
 
> Dhanyavaad for your post, D. Jai Maharaj Jee !
 
> I have been a long-time fan of the incomparable Mohd. Rafi !
 
As am I, fanabba jee. I listen to bhajans, ghazals and
other songs sung by him on a daily basis.
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://bit.ly/1EM9nsg
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 17 06:44PM

Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
 
> Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
> Om Shanti
 
> http://bit.ly/1EM9nsg
 
Correction: As have I . . .
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
https://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 17 08:21PM

In article
<95a63460-8cbf-4c0c-a62e-4614465bfc67@googlegroups.com>,
> Import, 28 May 2015
> by Sujata Dev (Author)
 
> http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/9380070977?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
 
Dhanyavaad for the book recommendation, fanabba jee! What
are some of your favorite songs sung by him, Lata jee,
Mukesh jee, Asha jee, and any other singers?
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
https://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 18 02:14AM

In article
<6a8a732a-1b4d-4dc6-8771-57588394d0e0@googlegroups.com>,
 
> The songs from the movie Baiju Bawra are at the top of my list.
> Music is by Naushad. I was able to meet Naushad Jee during one
> of my visits to Mumbai.
 
Great. So you too like songs that are based on a raag.

> I am also a huge fan of the Asha-Rafi combination under
> O.P. Nayyar's baton.
 
"leke pehla pehla pyaar...", although not a duet
(Shamshad Begum too), set fire to radios back in the day,
thanks to AIR and Radio Ceylon.
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi Om Shanti
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 17 06:27PM

Good reason to boycott the Oscars from next year
 
niticentral.com
Saturday, October 17, 2015
 
Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep calls for a
documentary chronicling the rape of a young student on a
bus in New Delhi to win an Academy Award.
 
http://www.niticentral.com/offstumped#9613
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 17 09:24PM

Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
> documentary chronicling the rape of a young student on a
> bus in New Delhi to win an Academy Award.
 
> http://www.niticentral.com/offstumped#9613
 
Related:
 
Meet Brother Dean Saxton, Who Believes Women Are To Blame
For Their Own Rape
 
By Tyler Kingkade
The Huffington Post
May 5, 2014
 
[Video]
 
Brother Dean Saxton spends a lot of time on the
University of Arizona campus slut shaming.
 
Saxton is a student at UA and the resident campus
preacher. He's very disliked on campus. Standing around
with signs telling people they deserve to be raped
doesn't help.
 
Vice went to Arizona and spent time with Saxton for a
mini-documentary, published online Monday.
 
In one scene Vice captured, Saxton showed up at a
screening of the documentary "Brave Miss World," which
chronicles the experience of rape survivors, holding a
sign declaring "Forgive Rapists."
 
Continues at:
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/05/brother-dean-saxton-university-of-arizona_n_5267603.html
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://bit.ly/1EM9nsg
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 17 09:43PM

Dr. Jai Maharaj posted:
> sign declaring "Forgive Rapists."
 
> Continues at:
 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/05/brother-dean-saxton-university-of-arizona_n_5267603.html
 
Related:
 
Yale Student: 'I Was Raped' - Rape is startlingly common
on U.S. college campuses and rapists do get away with
their crimes...
 
YALE STUDENT: 'I WAS RAPED'
 
By Nathan Harden - Fix Editor
The College Fix
thecollegefix.com
June 12, 2014
 
The topic of rape on college campuses is all over the
media recently. There are two opposing views out there at
the moment, generally speaking. The first view is that
rape isn't as big of a problem as it is sometimes made
out to be, instead statistics are inflated and confused
by the ambiguities of "drunk sex" and the sex-with-near-
strangers norm of the college hookup culture, and, in
some cases, hyped, up by politically-motivated feminists
who show little concern for the due process rights of
young men who may be falsely accused. The second view is
that there is an epidemic of rape on campus and that
victims are often denied justice, criminals walk away
free, while an indifferent society ends up blaming the
victims.
 
Both of these views, opposite though they may be, have an
element of truth in them. As someone who has written
quite a bit about sexual assault on campus and about the
college sexual culture in general, I often find myself
caught in the middle between these two sides, which too
often seem to take an all-or-nothing approach to the
argument. Feminists, for example, are almost never
willing to admit something as simple as the fact that
when two people get drunk, consent can become a much more
murky question by the time the two wake up the next
morning. Conservatives, on the other hand, sometimes
sound as if they believe rape almost never happens on
campus.
 
The truth of the matter, I believe, lies between these
two extremes. Rape is startlingly common on college
campuses and rapists do get away with their crimes far
too often. But on-campus rape is made more prevalent by
the rampant abuse of inhibition-lowering alcohol, and by
the fact that the modern hookup culture has radically
transformed sexual expectations among casual
acquaintances -- two factors that do a lot to muddy the
lines of sexual consent. Anyone who points this out is at
risk of being castigated for "blaming the victim."
 
Continues at:
 
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/17979/
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://tinyurl.com/JaiMaharaj
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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 2 updates in 2 topics

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 15 06:25PM

Lata Mangeshkar thanks PM Narendra Modi, admirers for
birthday wishes
 
October 1, 2015
 
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/lata-mangeshkar-thanks-pm-narendra-modi-admirers-for-birthday-wishes/
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 15 06:21PM

zindagee bhar naheen bhoolegee vo barsaat kee raat
 
Sahir Ludhianvi, Roshan, Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar
Barsaat ki Raat - Madhubala, Bharat Bhushan.
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 4 updates in 4 topics

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 14 12:36AM

Kerala to host All Lights India International Film Festival
 
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
 
http://news.niticentral.com/2015/10/14/kerala-to-host-all-lights-india-international-film-festival/
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
habshi@anony.net: Oct 13 09:30PM

Kkpk
 
Comedy is hard to do , but this one keeps you engrossed for three
hours. Absolutely fantastic songs and dances , watch on youtube 'pussy
cats have cut my path'.
Beautiful photography , already declared a hit in India.
 
http://youtu.be/OHQB2xxDk7M
 
http://youtu.be/ODdIBklHs7g
 
 
Singh is Bling
Loved that fantastic Romanian castle , orange coloured spires,
Amy Jackson a delight , a bit too young to sit in Akshays lap and she
does slap him for getting excited! Loved the machine gun ring tone ,
clears the room in no time! What fantastic dancing on top of the dam ,
is it the hoover? Lara Dutta look alike in supporting role.
 
Jawani phir na aigi
Pakistanis too seemed to have caught up with Bollywood ,
fantastic choreographed dance
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nZWqbjYuUxY
 
 
 
Puli
In Tamil , what a marvellous backgrround score. Sri Devi beautiful as
ever plays the evil queen role, watch her in this dance. Also Shruti
Hassan , daughter of Kamal Hassan as the leading lady. Sit back in a
cinema if you can and enjoy the music.
Look at this song from the movie Puli, the tiger
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNZsPmg8sGU
 
Secario
Fell asleep and just woke up for the one or two ultraviolent scenes
The female lead never smiles , sings or dances.
habshi@anony.net: Oct 13 09:26PM

Looks beautiful , first Hindu woman in US congress
 
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NmiJ8DZaPNI
 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P_hdTi3Gstc
 
 
https://youtube.com/watch?v=754Nq2w--ew
 
 
However dont agree with her about eternal soul , there isnt one ,
Krishna was wrong , our earthly existence is all we have but we should
enjoy every minute and stop any burqa wearing.
habshi@anony.net: Oct 13 09:18PM

asianage
 
http://wwv.asianage.com/dance/magic-masked-dance-526
 
The magic of masked dance
 
Masks worn during performances of Seraikella Chhau.
 
I was impelled to learn a masked form of Chhau, that of Seraikella
currently in the state of Jharkhand, by several motivations. During my
longest hiatus away from India, 1978-81, I had performed twice in the
Los Angeles, California Festival of Masks performing Mayurbhanj Chhau
of Baripada, Odisha, a non-masked form, and Manipuri Ras Jagoi. I
wanted to be able to offer a masked genre of India in future and knew
that the basic vocabulary of Seraikella Chhau movement is quite
similar to that of Mayurbanj. This desire was fulfilled in 1984 as a
Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival, Festival of Masks featured
performer.
 
A deeper foundation for my interest was a long involvement with the
professional world of puppetry and masked theatre nurtured by the
department of puppetry at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Here I took
classes, performed in commissioned works accompanied by live symphony
orchestras, ushered for monthly puppet shows by internationally
acclaimed artists and became secretary of the Detroit Puppet Guild
while still in middle school which required amending the membership
bylaws!
 
The lament of art and theatre arts teachers was that generally
creating masks and puppets was seen as an art project that never saw
them brought to life in action. Too often masks are seen as a work of
art or craft without the raison d'être of their being explored or
appreciated. This is more common in Western, or westernised
sensibilities, than in those more connected to still vibrant mask and
puppet traditions.
 
At core, the mask presents a sthai bhava, or the basic emotional state
of a character. This changes significantly to reflect and mirror the
dancer-actors physical expression of changing emotions to a remarkable
degree. The mask is the character in a way that one's own face can
only approximate, whether the moon or a bumblebee or Duryodana. When
the mask is immobile we see only this, yet the moment the mask tips
down a few inches or shifts slightly in any angle, we associate other
feeling to the same face.
 
Communicating this reality prompted me to combine a Purulia and
Seraikella Chhau Dance Mask Exhibition with movement and mask
demonstrations in a gallery at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi in 1988.
I still remember the amazed delight of gallery goers as I took a mask
from the wall and transformed the expressions shown simply holding by
hand from behind; not even worn. The same transformation applies to a
well-manipulated puppet, of course.
 
It is my understanding that originally Seraikella masks were made of
bamboo and gourds, but from the 1920's the masks, costumes and
choreography were transformed by Kumar Bijay Pratap Singh Deo, brother
of Maharaja Adity Pratap Singh Deo. While both Mayurbanj and
Seraikella Chhau flourished under royal patronage, in Seraikella the
royals were hands-on in choreography and as dancers. This led to
lyrical compositions and using nature as metaphor for man's condition
in addition to the older compositions largely related to Mahabharata
and Ramayana themes. The delicacy and refinement of the masks designed
at this time reflect inspiration from both Indonesia and perhaps the
Art Nouveau movement, both readily assessable to the Singh Deos. It
was quite the rage in Europe starting from 1938 but unfortunately
looming WWII brought and to international tours and Independence
brought an end to royal patronage on a grand scale.
 
The masks themselves are layered cloth mache built up over a clay
mold. The smooth surface is created by a top layer of almost liquid
clay called slip. The masks are not very heavy but the design poses
challenges to the dancer. Depending on where the eyeholes are placed,
one may not be able to focus with both eyes on the stage or other
space that affects orientation and balance. Even if the placement
allows focus, peripheral vision is cut off and both good and bad
lighting can make maneuvering on stage problematic. A greater issue is
the close fitted mask design has nose openings that make breathing
fine when not dancing but quickly lead to hyperventilation with the
aerobic activity of actually dancing. Because of this, Seraikella
Chhau dances are generally limited to 5-10 minutes maximum whereas
Mayurbhanj Chhau dancers perform 15-20 minute dances (besides
additional torso movement that is minimal in Seraikella and Purulia
Chhau masked genres).
 
My enthusiasm to add Seraikella Chhau masked dances to my repertoire
after six years of Mayurbanj Chhau might have been dampened if I had
understood the investment fully. The experience of studying with Guru
Kedarnath Sahoo in Seraikella was a wonderful exploration of culture
and art, regardless of the fact that I was mid-pregnancy. I went to
the Singhbhum district of what was then Bihar to begin my training.
What was daunting, after learning Mayur and Sagar, was to find that
the headgear for the masks were made of Benares silk brocade with
elaborate beads and zari work decorated with artificial pearls. Under
royal patronage, no expense was spared to make gorgeous costumes crown
to toe. I now found that a five-minute performance would require, what
was for me at the time, a significant contribution to the economy of
Varanasi!
 
Fortunately for me, besides the LA Olympic Festival performance I did
get opportunities to perform under the auspices of my guru and got
good use out of my masks and costumes! Guru Kedarnath Sahoo included
my solo with his troupe's performance at the Classical Indian Dance
Traditions and Modern Theatre Seminar/Festival organised by Padatik,
Calcutta, Bharatiya Natya Sangh and the International Theatre
Institute in 1983. As the only non-native performer in the festival,
my inclusion got interesting reactions. Guru Sahoo also invited me to
perform at the annual Chaitra Parva Festival in Seraikella.
 
The masks of Purulia, like the movement technique itself, have a bold
and earthier character and represent characters from Hindu mythology.
The shimmering headgear effectively uses less costly materials and,
developed without royal patronage by hardy agriculturalists, does not
rely on fine silks.
 
Seraikella Chhau masks represent humans as both mythological
characters as well as normal individuals from daily life, such as the
boatman and his wife on the storming river of samskara. Animals, birds
and even objects like the national flag, are personified with human
faces.
 
Choreographer Raj Kumar Bijay Pratap Singh Deo created dances and
masks representing ideas and seasons, notably marumaya (mirage),
basanta (spring season) and ratri (night). A masked form of dance is
ideally suited to express these concepts as the mask not simply
portraying but is the concept. The dancer uses the entire body
expressively to bring this liefmotif to life and develop the theme and
variations.
 
I was fortunate to have my Seraikella masks made by the legendary
national award winning mask maker, Baniprossona. Before needing
performance masks to use on stage in the mid 1980's, I had collected
others by this master in 1978, years before I ventured to learn the
art myself. Collecting South and South Asian masks and puppets was my
way of compensating for choosing dance over puppetry as a life focus.
Several of Baniprossono's masks were displayed at the New York Library
of Performing Arts during the Festival of India-USA along with some of
my Purulia and Odisha collection. The magic of the mask is fundamental
to Seraikella Chhau. I hope to return to other fundamentals of the
martial arts based Chhau forms in future articles.
 
Sharon Lowen is a respected exponent of Odissi, Manipuri and
Mayurbhanj and Seraikella Chhau whose four-decade career in India was
preceded by 17 years of modern dance and ballet in the
 
US and an MA in dance from the University of Michigan. She can be
contacted at sharonlowen.workshop@gmail.com.
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Monday, October 12, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 2 updates in 1 topic

farheenkhan15@gmail.com: Oct 12 06:21AM -0700

No they are not. He had two brothers but both older than him
aaaftab1@gmail.com: Oct 12 04:14PM -0700

On Wednesday, August 6, 1997 at 12:00:00 PM UTC+5, Nitin Sharma wrote:
> confirm/refute about Om and Amrish?
 
> thanks,
> -nitin
 
Amrish Puri had three brothers
1. Chaman Puri
2. Madan Puri
3. Harish Puri
& a Sister Chandrakanta
 
Om Puri is his Cousin
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Sunday, October 4, 2015

Digest for rec.arts.movies.local.indian@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 3 topics

alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 05 03:18AM

Satyajit Ray's 'Apu Trilogy' in top five greatest Asian films
 
Monday, October 5, 2015
 
http://news.niticentral.com/2015/10/05/satyajit-rays-apu-trilogy-in-top-five-greatest-asian-films/
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
alt.fan.jai-maharaj@googlegroups.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj): Oct 04 06:19PM

ONCE UPON A LEGEND
 
By Gautam Chintamani
The Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Sunday, October 4, 2015
 
To call V Shantaram a pioneer would be an understatement
as the filmmaker's prodigious body of work has numerous
instances where his genius shines across. But more than
the technical finesse or literary value he instilled
within his cinema, he understood the medium's power to
bring about a social transformation
 
In the much-lauded The New York Trilogy, American author
Paul Auster leaves his reader with a notion that every
life, no matter how many facts or details are given, in
the end is inexplicable. Auster suggests that each life
is nothing more than the sum of contingent facts, a
chronicle of chance intersections, of flukes, of random
events that divulge nothing but their own lack of
purpose. Yet these are the very facets that make some
lives worth talking about.
 
Insightful as this might be, biographies wouldn't
principally agree with Auster's observation as a life's
chance intersections is what makes them worth chronicling
and among them are the ones that explore the lives of
artistes, in fact, more specifically film personalities.
 
Cinema impacts millions of lives across nations, times,
and social conditioning in an unlikely manner and the men
and women who create this connection aren't accessible or
even visible in the manner, say, a politician or a
sportsperson might be and, therefore, the biography of a
filmmaker assumes a more significant role than it
ordinarily would.
 
It's interesting that while films and their stars
transcend the invisible boundary that separates them from
the viewer, filmmakers, however, rarely manage to connect
with the viewer. More often than not, their larger than
life persona ends up defining them. In spite of such an
imposing presence, the life of a filmmaker is rarely seen
beyond the edifice of a tormented artiste, like in the
case of Guru Dutt or an open book that has nothing worth
reading into anymore, such as Raj Kapoor.
 
The tradition of film biographies in India, till some
years ago, was the bastion of either those who knew their
subjects intimately or had interacted with them in a
professional capacity. As a result, these treatises were
either a summation of achievements or hagiographies that
somewhere refused to treat their subjects as real people.
 
Amid the different kinds of biographies, the ones that
seem to be the best, as observed by Orson Welles, are the
kinds where the biographer is present too. As one of the
most talked about filmmakers ever, Welles' point is worth
pondering over as he was not only one of the first
filmmakers to be venerated as a cult figure or a demigod
but also someone who saw this happen in his own lifetime.
 
The best example of Welles's argument is the iconic
Hitchcock: Truffaut (1967) where the then five films old
François Truffaut got the ordinarily guarded director
Alfred Hitchcock to open up unlike ever before. As a film
critic, Truffaut had championed the cause of considering
the works of Hitchcock as art in addition to the wildly
successful formulaic commercial ventures that they had
been viewed as, and the density of insights into the
cinematic questions in the long interview continues to
ravish readers even after nearly five decades.
 
Continues at:
 
http://www.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/sunday-pioneer/special/once-upon-a-legend.html
 
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
 
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
gijojames2k15@gmail.com: Oct 04 07:14AM -0700

Download applications
 
Nagaland lottery - https://goo.gl/HySC4V
 
Mizoram lottery - https://goo.gl/46HCAC
 
Kerala lottery - https://goo.gl/EZDvQG
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