Mathures Paul

Mathures Paul LONG ago, in the town of Gemsville, lived a little mouse named Cymbal and a long moustachioed cat, Drumstick. Through the day the two played hide-and-seek. Cymbal hid and Drumstick sought. Cymbal ran, Drumstick chased. Day in and day out, year in and year out, the story remained the same.Cymbal had a failing, a noteworthy failing. Each time the master of the house played the waltz, Cymbal left his cubbyhole to glide across the floor. A greedy Drumstick awaited these moments to lick his puny friend. But when the music stopped, so did the mouse. One fine day, the master left for London to play before the Queen, leaving a dark cloud over Drumstick. No music, no Cymbal. No Cymbal, no lunch. The hairy cat paced the halls, time and again, looking for a devious plan. Suddenly, a plan struck Drumstick like a thunderbolt."Why don’t I play the piano, eh? He he he he he. Hubba hubba." The mischievous smile became a horrid laugh as Drumstick hoofed it to the attic to practi...

Enki Bilal is possibly the most famous international graphic novel artist to visit town in recent times. Strong women, powerful strokes, fantasy plots in a realistic world… that’s Bilal for you. When Lambiek describes Bilal’s work as "magically oriented but realistic future…giving him the perfect setting against which to illustrate his fears", he is not off the mark. Forget the anti-heroism movement that swept the French comic book industry in the 1960s and 70s. Don’t even think about predictable endings that mar most comic books. Bilal’s stories lie between the white space that separates two frames in a comic book, that is, imagination. "Comics guarantee maximum freedom, much more than cinema, which is an industry, an endeavour to settle commercial obligations. Comics are like novels — they tell a story and that too a fantastic one. Though I do not like to manipulate my characters, they fall easy preys to factors like religion, politics, globalisation," says Bilal,...

The Tatas have set up shop near Science City and project fittings and other accoutrements that will blow your mind, writes Mathures PaulFirst came designer-wear stores. Lifestyle, medicine and home-improvement stores followed. Now it’s time for a store exclusively for steel. Located on the Park Circus Connector near Science City, and all of 20,000 square feet, it stocks everything from pliers to water jugs and everything has a little bit of steel. The Tata Steel project has given birth to the country’s first steel retail store and also marks the company’s foray into steel retailing. Steeljunction has on offer around 4,500 products from different brands. "We are always interested in experimenting. In future perhaps we will have more outlets in the city and definitely across India," says B Muthuraman, Tata Steel managing director. The site for this pilot project was earlier unveiled by Rata Tata, company chairman, on 9 August 2004 and it’s taken four months for the team to comp...

There are individuals who are beyond comparison. They are masters of their respective arts. They are true to themselves and their passion. Even after more than three decades, Adoor Gopalakrishnan is making films with the same amount of zeal as was evident in his first attempt, Swayamvaram. Soft spoken, simply dressed, always wearing a smile, Gopalakrishnan is a true gentleman. It’s been more than three decades since his first venture on the silver screen. During this period he has done only nine films. You may look at the figure as too few for a director of his status. "In the beginning it was a matter of finance and later it became a habit. After my first film I had the finance. But until I feel like making a film, I don’t even think about it," says Gopalakrishnan. Interestingly enough, the filmmaker began his career in the theatre world. "My reason for joining Pune Film and Television Institute was theatre. I thought screenplay writing was the same as writing plays. Th...

For all the controversy surrounding stem cell therapy and a recent confession on the use of unethical practices, Kolkata now has a cord blood bank where a rich source of stem cells can be harvested and cryo preserved for use to treat ‘more than 75 serious ailments’NEW endeavours, whether of a technological or scientific nature, are often looked upon with suspicion and attract controversy. Stem cell therapy is no exception, more so after Dr Hwang Woo Suk confessed to unethical practices. Recently, nearer home in Kolkata, Asia Cryo-Cell Private Ltd, a well-known family cord blood bank, launched LifeCell. To begin with, one must understand the concept of stem cells. They are unique in their ability to self-renew: to divide and create two cells, each identical to the original. "They are cells that have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish...

THE SAINT Goes Marching OnThanks to a benevolent chief minister and a loyal alumni, St. Xavier’s College is set to build a campus to even greater educational success, writes Mathures PaulANY new plan born at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, is backed by strong alumni support. Having said which, this ever-popular institution in Park Street will soon have a sister campus at the EM Bypass. And if the artist’s impressions are anything to go by, the new building should, in a way reflect that old adage about the son being father of the man — simply grand. Spread over 17 bighas, the initial plans involve having postgraduate courses at the new centre. "Sooner or later the college had to take up postgraduate courses. We don’t have an inch in the Park Street campus to have many such courses. Naturally, we have to expand. When the chief minister heard our plea, he was glad to grant us the land. For the moment, we want to concentrate on four areas — media, information and technology, bio-scienc...

Mathures PaulContrary to popular perception, a stint in an art college can be a stepping stone to a bright future. Unlike before, when students used to stick to paint brushes for a few years, new avenues like animation and special effects greet graduates. The Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, is hosting its 141st annual exhibition. On display are paintings depicting themes ranging from sardine-can buses to fading rickshaws to the ever-whimsical influence time has over the human race. The few hundred creative works on display goes on to show that art college students still take the subject seriously. Says Manoj Kumar Sarkar, officer-in-charge of the college, "I have been a part of the exhibition since the 60s. Presentation techniques have changed over time. Decorators are hired to put up the works and the exhibition is managed more professionally. Back then everything was done by students. Now I see new ideas finding their way to the canvas and students are as excited a...

Mathures Paul A famous name in Bangladesh, it was Kolkata that taught Mohammad Kibria the basics of painting. An exhibition of his paintings was organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations, in association with Society for Promotion of Bangladesh Art and Birla Academy of Art and Culture. "I was in town 10 years back to attend an exhibition and workshop. But I know the city inside out, for it was at the Calcutta Government College of Arts and Crafts that I received my training," says Kibria, who was accompanied by his son Juneer Kibria, also a painter.On display were 10 oil paintings, 10 etchings and four collages, of which four of them were new. "I don’t have a particular theme for my exhibitions and avoid putting names to my work. It restricts ones creativity. But mostly, my paintings talk about peace, nature… subjects that put an individual at ease." Though all praises for contemporary Indian artists, Kibria rolls off names of his teachers when asked about h...

Tina Sugandh is all set to hog air time, whether it’s radio or television. With a tour of India scheduled for 2006, she speaks to Mathures Paul about her new album Pop, rock and a little bit of Bollywood. Considered by some the next Shakira, Tina Sugandh is busy giving mainstream America a little bit of Indian beats. With numbers like You without me, Patiently wait and Stay already in her kitty, Tina is here to stay. Growing up in New Jersey, she was always into music. Tina and her sister, Seema travelled with their parents on their tours. And at age five she sang a ghazal at a fair and stole the spotlight! It was then that her parents realised her talent and motivated Tina to take forward the family tradition. "It's not really about matching Indian beats to fit the lyrics or experimenting until something works. I really just do what I know best. My forthcoming debut album is a genuine reflection of all the music that has always inspired me — from ghazals to bhangra to hip-hop...

Sureka Group’s twin projects are sure to change the Kolkata skyline like never before, writes Mathures PaulSHOP till you drop. If Sureka Group can pull off the South City project, you will have one of the biggest shopping malls in the city and eastern region of India. Sureka Group is working on two projects simultaneously — Sunrise Point and South City. South City is a "mixed use development" project. It will be predominantly residential, supported by facilities like medical centre, shopping malls, food courts, school, club, entertainment outlets and commercial complexes. The project cost is a whopping Rs 1,100 crore and the built-up area, over 31 acres of land, will be 40,00,000 sq. ft. In the housing category there will be four divisions — oak, pine, maple and cedar (all B+G+ 35 towers, both HIG and high MIG). The size of apartments will be between 1,140 sq ft and 1,955 sq ft and will cost upwards of Rs 30 lakh. No plots will be sold separately. The project should be comple...

Merry Christmas! What, you must be muttering, then was that "New Year’s party a dream?" Not at all. Not much spoken of, the Armenian community will celebrate their version of the festival on 6 January. It’s a traditional affair that brings community members together and with a new priest in the fold, this year’s ceremony will be more "fun-filled" than in 2005. Celebrations began on 5 January with Jerakalouyts (Eve of the Nativity and Theophany of Christ). A service was held at the Holy Church of Nazareth in Armenian Street. "The Christmas ceremony begins with a party attended by community members, conducted at the Armenian Sports Club in Mayo Road. But this year there will be a change. Instead of the Club, we are celebrating it in the Armenian College. The day starts with Divine Liturgy at the Armenian Church at 9:30 a.m. and then the Blessing of the Holy Water. After the Church service, everyone exchanges greetings. At around 3:30 p.m., a tea party is organise...