Debora wears Pale Gold Metallic Silk Coat. and Pale Blue Metallic Silk Shirtdress.

A touch of India for Fashionistas

Not too many new fashion design graduates get to debut at the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York but that’s what happened with Dipti Irla, a young Maharashtrian designer from Mumbai. There she was soaking in the limelight of this fashion circus at Lincoln Center, surrounded by buyers, editors and paparazzi.

Along with the bold-face names and the big designers, she got to showcase her own style aesthetic and her own little touch of India: vintage brocade sarees, re-used and juxtaposed into the fashion language of today.

Dipti Irla in the limelight during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

From Mumbai to New York’s Fashion Week…

Dipti Irla, who has an undergraduate degree in Fashion design from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Gandhinagar, worked with companies in India before heading out to the School of Fashion, Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA, to get her master ’s degree in Fashion Design.  Her spring 2012 graduate collection debuted during the Academy of Art University’s graduate designer fashion show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

Vintage brocaded sarees from India were the base fabrics in her collection and she used varied techniques and remembered history to create a unique look which was entirely her own.

Zuzanna wears White Gold Metallic Silk Coat. Pale Pink Metallic Silk Pant.

At the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week – Fashion Tales from a New Designer

Six Questions for Dipti Irla

1. What was the experience like, presenting your collection on the world stage at Lincoln Center?

Presenting the collection at Lincoln Center was a great experience. I enjoyed making the collection happen as much as I enjoyed looking at it on the stage. I have gained a lot of knowledge about making clothes and fashion which has increased my self-confidence.

2. What do you think you bring to the fashion scene with your Indian sensibilities?

I have always been inspired by Indian culture and craftsmanship. I use a lot of Indian references in my work and try to combine these with other inspirations to make the collection have an international appeal. In doing so, I think I am introducing my Indian sensibilities into a wider fashion scene.

Also, I have been working on sustainable fashion by reusing old garments or using organic materials. I think this also comes to me from my Indian background which is full of examples of organic fabrics, natural dyes, the concept of reusing older things, reducing wastage, etc

3. What has been your inspiration in creating your collection?

My inspiration for this collection came from the colonial period in India and the cultural mix that happened during that time and which is so visible even today. I took references from the Men’s wear during that period to modernize the vintage brocade sarees which I used as my fabric for the collection.

Erjona wears Rose Gold Metallic Silk Shirt dress at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

4. What do you think you’ve learned from your experiences in America?

I have been in America for the last four years, and I think I have learned a lot, not just about fashion, but also about being more open minded. Being in school has helped me to interact with people from all parts of the world. This interaction with people from different cultures has helped me evaluate and appreciate my own roots. Also, having a variety of skilled teachers in Academy of Art University has improved my designing and technical skills.

Collection by Dipti Irla

5. What are your plans once you return to India?

I will be in India for two months and then will be back in the US. My husband works here, so I am planning to look for a job when I get back.

6. Who are the designers you’re inspired by?

I am inspired by a lot of designers. I loved Alexander McQueen for his amazing designs and an equally strong technical knowledge. I like Nicolas Ghesquiere (Balenciaga) for his modern designs and techniques. I like Francisco Costa (Calvin Klein) for his minimal and modern designs. In Indian designers, I love Sabyasachi Mukherjee for reviving the traditional Indian clothes with such elegance.

Related Article:

Sabah Mansoor at New York’s Fashion Week

Salman Khan has a cameo role with Esha Deol in 'Tell Me. O khuda'

‘Tell Me, O khuda’ with Esha Deol, Dharmendra and Hema Malini

“Right from my childhood, when I would be getting ready for school, my mom would be getting her makeup done for her shoot,” recalls Esha Deol, star daughter of super stars Dharmendra and Hema Malini. “So instead of being in uniform, I would try on her wig, put on her lipstick. I used to love watching ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’ which I saw every day. I loved dancing on all Hindi songs of the 80’s, so I knew that this is what I have always wanted to do.”

Now she’s acting for the first time in a film with her famous father – and directed by her mother – ‘Tell Me, Oh Khuda’. She says, “Everything about them is in my genes – be it acting, dancing or just my traits as a human being.”

Bollywood – All In the Deol Family

Bollywood certainly runs in her veins and of course her half brothers Sunny and Bobby Deol are also very much a part of Indian cinema. Any chance of seeing all the Deols together in a film?

She says, “ Tell Me O Khuda’ is coming out on October 27 – this is the first time I’ve acted with my dad in a film and been directed by my mom. So God willing, if there is something good, we will come together!”

Parampara with Hema Malini & Ahana Deol

Currently Esha is in New York with sister Ahana and mother Hema Malini to star in a very different vehicle – ‘Parampara’, a traditional Indian classical concert, bringing the two diverse dances of Bharatanatyam and Odissi together on the stage.  Was dancing something that was inborn in her?

“I tried learning Bharatanatyam but was distracted as a kid,” she confesses. “I wanted to play instead of dancing, but when I was in the 6^th standard, I watched an Odissi performance on TV and that’s the way I realized that Odissi is the dance form that I want to take up.”

Ask her about dancing in the family, and she says, “It is always a wonderful feeling to dance with my mother and sister and it’s even more special because I am dancing in my favorite city in the whole world for the first time – New York! I had come to New York in 2006 for the Rock Star World Tour but this time it’s for purely classical dance. So New York, here we come! ”

Related Article on Parampara Dance Performance:

Parampara – Hema Malini, Esha, Ahana Deol

Madhuri Dixit and Dr. Sriram Nene (Photo: Lavina Melwani)

Madhuri Dixit Back in India.

Update: November 2011: Madhuri Dixit is back in India with her family. According to the Hindustan Times: “School worries are finally over for Madhuri Dixit-Nene. Ever since the actor moved back to India with her husband Dr Sriram Nene and sons Arin and Ryan, her kids’ education has been on the top of Madhuri’s agenda. Now, she has finally zeroed in on Oberoi International School in Goregaon.” So it’s back to school for Madhuri and her family in Mumbai, and the story recounted below is now just a memory, a part of her excellent American adventure!

Madhuri Dixit, Bollywood Super-Star..

She’s out of sight but not out of our minds – we’re talking of none other than the bubbly, ever vibrant superstar Madhuri Dixit. Well, here are some nuggets from a brief but fun interview she gave to me during her New York visit some years back. What came through was her warmth and easiness as she adapted avidly to a very un-Bollywood lifestyle in Denver, CO.

Ask her what’s the one memory of her film career which stays with her, which she relishes and think about, and she says, “I guess it’s hard to pinpoint one moment because there are so many moments which shape your whole life and make you who you are.  I would say that probably after ‘Tezaab’ when I was recognized for the first time and was asked for my autograph for the first time. I think that’s an unforgettable kind of a moment.”

She adds, “You’re working for something when you’re an actor and you want to be recognized and you want people to say ‘Hey, I saw you in that movie and you were good!’ And when that actually happens, it’s a different thrill. You say ‘Oh, my God! Someone recognized me!’ And of course, once everyone starts recognizing you, you want to wear dark glasses and hide – that’s the irony of it!”

Does she ever miss the glitter and glamour of being a superstar? “Well, I miss my craft – I miss acting, dancing – I don’t miss the paraphernalia at all,” she says. “It’s a dichotomy. Even when I was working in movies, I was a star on the sets but once I was home, I was just the homebody.”

Recently she ventured back to Bollywood for the film ‘Aaja Nachle.’ How was the experience? “It was great – at first I was a little apprehensive, a little nervous, but the way the industry operates, it’s changed. Now it’s very well organized. It’s much better technically – scripts are ready on time.”

Madhuri loves her new life with her husband, the easy-going Dr. Shriram Nene, and her two kids in Denver. She says, “I enjoy being normal because I am a normal person and I like a normal life. I think it’s good for my kids too that they are in a very normal environment where they can be themselves, and be their own person, and there is not a particular expectation from them.”

Ask her who does the cooking, she or her husband the surgeon, and she exclaims, “Oh, he’s the cook! He was interested in cooking but for me I was working since I was 16, so I never had the opportunity or the urge to cook.  He cooks so well – I’ve learned so much from him! We cook anything from dosa to bhajji to chicken tikka masala or just barbequing I love the way he makes steak.”

So who does the cooking and who does the chopping?  “We share the chores. My kids are also into it, asking, can we cut this, can we cut that. Of course, I don’t let them cut anything!”

While Madhuri is not anxious to rush back to Bollywood unless there is a script which really moves her, she would like to pass the magic of dance to young people in the US: “I would love to start a dance school out here where you teach all different kinds of dancing, not just film dancing – like the basic classic Kathak because I believe that if you learn Kathak, you can do any style of dancing in the world, except ballet, of course. Our folk dances are so rich so one school would teach all that. I will definitely do it one day!”

Well, what could be better than learning to shake a leg from the Dance Queen herself? So stay tuned for Madhuri Dixit – coming soon to a dance school near you!

Photo and text © Lavina Melwani

Related Article
Madhuri Dixit Sighting in Denver

Now that Madhuri Dixit is back in India – what role would you like to see her play?

Melanie Kannokada. Photo: Greg Konop

Melanie Kannokada – Bicycle Bride takes a Ride…

She’s probably the sexiest mechanical engineer around, and by her own admission, she’s also a bit of a geek who loves all things techie. And yet, Melanie Kannokada, 24,  is so much more than a geeky mechanical engineer.

Recently, she was chosen as the face of Nescafe’s international campaign.

Her debut film ‘Bicycle Bride’ won the best feature film award at the South Appalachian Film Festival, and she was nominated Best Actress in this, her very first role. ‘Love, Lies and Seeta’, her second film, has three guys madly in love with her – and it’s set for a summer release.  New projects are cooking and she’s been shuttling between New York, LA and London, having just signed with a management company in Europe.

So who’s the real Melanie Kannokada?

In this recurring post spotlighting emerging South Asian talent, Lavina Melwani checks out Melanie Kannokada’s  story…

She’s beauty queen, veejay, model, dancer, dabbler in sketch comedy and budding actor, and even a do-gooder. A former Miss India America, she’s walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra and Deepika Gehani, and been part of international ad campaigns for Verizon, Nike, Herbal Essences, Glamour Magazine, Nikon and Rockport.

Melanie Kannokada Photo: Corey Hayes

Melanie Kannokada has been the TV host of entertainment shows Pulse, the Desi Beat and Destination Bollywood which aired on two of India’s largest networks. She’s been seen on ‘The Daily Show’ and Sean Kingston’s ‘Bollywood Girl’ video. And she’s also a dancer with the SA Dance Company in New York.

She signed on as a veejay for Sony Pictures Television’s “In the Qube” which airs in over 60 countries, and is produced by the makers of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire.’ She says of this fun international pop show, “I love the gig because I can just be my super quirky self – it’s actually encouraged!”

So how does she reconcile all this glamour and celebrity stuff with her mechanical engineering degree from Stanford University?  The daughter of hard-working immigrants from Kerala, Melanie and her brother grew up in a modest home in Chicago. While her parents were supportive of everything from cheerleading to piano to dance, education was the top priority. She says, “All of my pursuits in TV, modeling, and film didn’t blossom until recently, after I finished college.”

Melanie is intrigued by different worlds and curious to taste all of them. Hard to believe, but she’s also a Black Belt in Karate!  “As young kids, I was taking piano lessons and my brother was studying karate,” she says. “After my lessons I would go and watch him practice. Also, the movie ‘The Karate Kid’ was really popular at the time so I just had to try it! By the time I was 14 I had reached a Black Belt and was competing in tournaments internationally as part of the US Junior National Team.”  Now, many of the film auditions she goes for actually require martial arts skills!

Melanie Kannokada. Photo: Greg Konop

Melanie’s Path to Hollywood

For Melanie, it’s always been a tussle between brain power and brawn power. “I loved math and physics so I wanted to pursue engineering and worked hard to get into a top school,” says Melanie. During her time at Stanford University she served as the Student Body President, was selected a Mayfield Fellow, and received the Book Award for her service and contribution to the university.  She admits: “But over time I realized that my heart was really in the arts – eventually I had the courage to admit this to myself and take the leap away from engineering.”

Yet life is about bread and butter too, and after college, Melanie got hired by the consulting firm of McKinsey in New York City. “It was an awesome job – any kid out of college would be excited to have it,” says Melanie.  “But I wasn’t completely fulfilled, so I started dabbling in the TV world on the side – just as a hobby – and then landed an opportunity to host ‘Pulse, the Desi Beat’ on IATV.”

As luck would have it, she was discovered by a talent agent and modeling and commercial work followed quickly with big name brands from Nike to Herbal Essence. With work in the entertainment world coming in, Melanie made the world of make believe her full time job.

“I separated from my ‘real’ job – my corporate job – not too long ago so I could follow my heart and pursue acting as a career,” she says. “I also find time to dance with the Sa Dance Company. I love to dance! I have a dance background in jazz, tap, and a bit of hip hop, which blends in nicely with Sa’s contemporary style.”

At Stanford, while studying mechanical engineering she also experimented with social entrepreneurship initiatives. One such project took her to India to volunteer with the NGO Jagriti Vihara, and the connections have stayed. Melanie has been working with other committed volunteers to fund the construction of a hospital for a village in the rural Northeast Indian state of Jharkhand, which is without a hospital, as the nearest hospital is miles away in the capital city of Ranchi.

The goal for ‘Hospital for Hope’ was to raise $100,000 to create a self-sustaining hospital, and says Melanie this was achieved in end-2010, and now begins the exciting part – building the hospital.

Melanie Kannokada Photo: Greg Konop

If you think this frenetic actor-performer-dancer-do-gooder – (not to mention mechanical engineer) – has not a moment to spare to do anything else, you have just to take a look at her schedule: in recent days she was the master of ceremonies for Nanubhai Education Foundation Gala, and participated in a fashion show to launch Rockport’s new collection in Boston.

In 2011, her acting career takes precedence over everything else, and several projects are in the work, including a Hollywood thriller. “I’m very focused on my acting career – I’ve been working really hard,  training vigorously with an acting program and a great acting coach because you know you have to give your all in this  - and I’m very serious at being the best in what I set out to do.”

Any Bollywood Dreams? She  says, “My focus is on the Hollywood market. I grew up here and this is my home and there’s so many amazing opportunities coming up – even for South Asians – in the US, and I want to be here to take advantage of that.”

Ask Melanie Kannokada about her mantra for getting through good times and bad, and she says, “I’m all about positive thinking. I stay optimistic about the present and future, and when the bad times hit, I count my blessings!”

© Lavina Melwani

( Photo 1, 2 and 4 : Greg Konop – photographer, Maria Yeye – makeup artist, and Erik Hinczak – hairstyling)

Melanie Kannokada’s fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/MelanieKann

Melanie Kannokada’s ‘Love, Lies & Seeta’

Nikki Haley is the first woman and first Indian-American to be elected Governor of South Carolina

Nikki Haley elected Governor of South Carolina

“We were the first Sikh family in Bamberg. It was a small town in South Carolina, a closed community at that time,” recalls Ajit Randhawa of the 70’s.  “Our daughters Simmi and Nikki entered the Little Miss Bamberg contest but the school selected only a White Queen and a Black Queen. So Nikki and Simmi were not eligible as contestants. Nikki was five years old at that time and sang, ‘This land is your land, this land is my land, from California to New York Island’ and received a resounding applause.”

Fast forward to 2010 and Nikki Haley (nee Randhawa) is not only a contestant  in the most powerful contest there is – US politics – but has won big time. Forget black and white, she has shown that an Indian-American can be a game changer where race and gender is concerned in the Deep South.

Meet Nikki Haley, the new rock star of American politics. Indeed, the U.S., India and the Diaspora are abuzz with her astonishing victory in South Carolina’s gubernatorial election. She is the first woman – of any color – to win the Governor’s Mansion, and like her fellow Southerner, Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, is a Conservative Republican, with a clear-eyed agenda for America.

Dino Teppara, Chairman of the Indian American Conservative Council, told me before the elections.   “We’ve known Nikki’s character and values for years and are confident that she will be an excellent Governor, working to reform government, reduce spending and take our conservative revolution forward.”

After the resounding victory, he said: “This is a historic moment for the conservative movement, as it shows no limits or boundaries to who it will accept as its leaders.  Nikki Haley is now a rising star and leader for us all, taking her commonsense approach to government affairs and heralding in a new generation of fiscal conservatism across the state of South Carolina and our great nation.”

Indeed, Nikki Haley is one of the strongest fiscal conservatives in state government, was first elected to represent the 87th District in Lexington County in 2004, when, as a virtual unknown she beat Larry Coon, the longest serving state legislator in a Republican primary. In 2008 she was sent back to the statehouse with 83 percent of the vote.

Republicans have embraced Nikki Haley as their own, with no less a Conservative icon than Sarah Palin publicly anointing her. As Newsweek wrote recently, “Now she’s the hottest thing in South Carolina politics. And if she wins in November, becoming the state’s first female and first nonwhite governor, she’ll likely rocket to national prominence and secure a spot in the GOP firmament.”

Indian-Americans have had a mixed reaction, depending on their political persuasion but all have been drawn in by the excitement of such a big Indian win, and by the many controversies swirling around her, including her faith and name change.

Nikki Haley, An Indian-American Story

This uniquely American story starts in Amritsar in Punjab, India. Ajit Randhawa, an assistant professor at Punjab Agricultural University, set out for Canada to study at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He graduated in 1969 with a PhD degree.  His wife Raj, who had studied law at Delhi University in India, joined him in Canada, and so began their immigration saga.

When Randhawa was offered an associate professorship at Voorhees College in South Carolina, the family immigrated to America, to the town of Bamberg, SC. Meanwhile, Raj had earned an M.Ed degree and taught social studies in the public school system for 7 years. She then launched the Exotica International Gift Shop in 1976, which the family grew into a multimillion dollar business in Columbia, SC in 2000.

The Randhawas continued to live in Bamberg, SC until his retirement as Chairman of Division of Natural Sciences, Math and Computer Science. He had taught for 29 years in America, and was recognized as Governor’s Distinguished Professor in 1989.

Nikki Haley’s outgoing personality and charisma go back to childhood. Her father remembers her as a cheerful, happy child who made friends easily, was on the Tennis Team, and modeled clothes for the Exotica fashion shows which helped to raised funds for community projects. A go-getter, she had joined the family business at the age of 13, handling the books of the company.

She graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina with a degree in accounting and finance, and worked with FCR Corporation as Accounts Manager for its seven subsidiaries. Haley met her husband Michael while at Clemson and the couple has two children. She later joined the family business as CFO, before turning to politics full-time.

L-R: Nikki Haley's mother Raj Randhawa, father Dr. Ajit Randhawa, Nikki Haley, Gita Teppara, Dilip Teppara, Dino Teppara

With so much emphasis on education and entrepreneurship, it is not surprising that all four children excelled in whatever they undertook:  Mitti joined the US Army in Chemical Corps, and served as Company Commander on the frontline in the campaign “Desert Storm” during Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. He retired as major from the National Guard Reserve, and is now National Institutional Accounts Director, handling major contracts with University Hospitals nationwide.

Simi, a graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology, is a life coach who has established the Believe Center, publishes the journal ‘Believe’ and also hosts a radio talk show; Gogi graduated with degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has a thriving web design company. He is also part of a band ‘Dear Enemy’ which tours the U.S., and has released a CD recently.

“We have allowed each child to develop their potential in the field of their passion,” says Randhawa. “Nikki was a perfect fit for political service. She is a positive person, believes in close family ties, strong work ethics, and a drive for public service with an eye on the next generation. A State Representative announced retirement and Nikki asked us if she could run for that seat at the State House.”

Nikki Haley: ‘Tenacity, Grace, Focus’

Indeed, Nikki’s strongest endorsement comes from her father. “Nikki has the tenacity and grace to stay focused on the important issues,” he says. “She strongly believes that she works for the people who elected her to serve and watches for their interest. She has a keen sense and urgency to reform government, making it transparent and accountable to people. She introduced bills in the legislature and fought for them to be passed to become law.”

What was Haley’s life like, growing up in the Randhawa household, what values did she inculcate? “During my graduate work I admired the culture of working hard and playing hard,” he says. “My wife had never worked before coming here – in India servants did everything. Raj worked hard,  doing baby sitting, typing student papers, working at a department store and at the Post Office during Christmas while she was pregnant with Simmi in Vancouver and this became a part of life.”

He adds, “This was different from the culture we had experienced in India. However, in this culture it takes an effort to maintain the closeness of family, to be there when needed, and to always have a reverence for God who is responsible for everything we have. All our children have that base and believe in it.”

And that brings us to the 800 1b gorilla in the room – Haley’s change of faith and why she embraced Christianity. Is that important or inconsequential in the larger picture?

Randhawa, who is the author of ‘Evolution of Faith and Religion- An Exploration’, says: “The book emphasizes that spirituality is the common thread in religions, all anchored in faith. So long as children believe in God and have an abiding faith in God, the virtues become a part of your psyche.

Moreover, our children have grown watching their parents imbibe the positive values, work ethic, and the drive to do one’s best in doing the right thing. They grew up in a disciplined and driven atmosphere that paved the way for their successful careers and personal lives.”

One gets the sense that Ajit and Raj Randhawa believe strongly that all roads lead to the same truth, and are solidly behind Nikki Haley on her great American journey. “We allowed our children to follow their dreams in whatever profession they set their mind to,” he says. “We only encouraged them to do their very best and have faith in God, and they grew up watching us working hard in our chosen passions.”

So, folks – stay tuned. In January 2011 Haley will be inaugurated as the first woman governor of South Carolina. The Great Nikki Haley Show has just begun!

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon has received a Grammy nomination for Soul Call.

Grammy Nomination-Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon

(This post covered the launch of the album. )

How many hats can a person wear? Ask Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, the dynamic chairman of Tandon Capital Associates, who has done major restructuring surgeries in the global financial world, is executive-in-residence at New York University Stern, a member of the board of overseers of New York’s Stern School of Business, a member of the President’s Council of International Activities at Yale University, and an arts patron.

There’s more: she has the voice of an angel.

Her new album ‘Soul Call’ was what brought several hundred guests to the Aicon Gallery in a CD launch by the Indo-American Arts Council, a crowd gleaned from the many worlds she inhabits – those of business, arts, philanthropy and high society. Musicians, artists and writers mingled with CEO’s and hedge fund gurus.

Soul Call by Chandrika Tandon

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon – Soul Call

‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ is the chant which brought about this convergence of many different people, making them forget for the moment art, business and other pressing matters. Tandon who sang live for her guests, explained: “Soul Call is a series of chants – the chant of one mantra which the Vedic scriptures identified as a protection mantra for the physical body.”  While the vocals and the composition are by Tandon, the complex orchestral arrangements are by Tejendra Narayan Majumdar assisted by Snehasish Majumdar.

This healing chant is repeated in rich, varied ragas which combine Carnatic, Hindustani and western influences. Listening to it over and over, it permeates your consciousness and you find yourself getting calmer and more focused.  The chant is really a verse of complete surrender to the divine, to the universal consciousness. It is all about joy.

Besides overseeing the Tandon Foundation and being on the board of American India Foundation, Tandon is also involved with the Hindu Temple Society, where she has started a choir, unusual in the Hindu tradition. Spirituality, she shows, can be a part of all that you do as she works with nonprofit organizations to bring people together and share the healing ‘Soul Call’. She says, “It’s an offering – what’s been amazing to me is that this mantra has taken on a life of its own, trying to find people it wants to meet.”

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon (Photo:Sunita Thyagarajan)

Chandrika Tandon On Soul Call

Soul Call takes the listener on a healing journey with Sanskrit slokas and an important chant from ancient Indian texts – eight phonemes, Om Na Mo Na Ra Ya Na Ya.

Quite by accident I discovered that repeating the eight phonemes Om Na Mo Na Ra Ya Na Ya work to cleanse the eight vital centers of the body. Most of the songs’ introductions are verses of surrender to the grace that is present in every atom of every being. For example, in one sloka in “Bageshri,” we say, you are the mother, the father, the teacher, my friend, the grace in me, the valor in me – I surrender all to you, Lord of all.

In the sloka in “Basanth Mukhari,” we say, I offer all the thoughts, words and acts I have done to the Lord again and again. The result is a physical transformation that I felt compelled to share.

I personally discovered the healing power of the mantra after I found myself feeling physically great whenever I sang these words.

This is a powerful healing mantra that works to cleanse the eight vital centers of the body. Most of the songs’ introductions are verses of surrender to the grace that is present in every atom of every being. The chant is recreated as eight melodious songs in ragas melding Carnatic, Hindustani and Western influences and accompaniments. I composed the songs to be easy to sing by all audiences – young, old, East and West – whether they are trained in Indian music or not. I also wanted to make the process of meditation and contemplation joyous, so there are vibrant rhythms and percussion instruments woven into the songs.

When you sing, you also have to believe from your inner being about the healing power of this mantra. That combined with the vibrations from the chanting are what bring about this powerful healing feeling.

- CKT

(Check out Chandrika’s  blog at www.soulchants.com)

Related Article:
Chandrika Tandon at the Grammy Awards

Parul Patel of The Cake Designer offers a tasting to former First Lady of the UK, Cherie Blair, at a fundraiser.

Eggless Cakes from The Cake Designer

She’s made Madhur Jaffrey, Preity Zinta, Yoko Ono and even Cherie Blair, the former First Lady of Britain, taste her cakes.  She says with a smile, “Preity Zinta called them ‘yummy’; Yoko Ono said ‘Nice cupcakes’ and Cherie Blair said, ‘These are great!’”

Indeed, if Parul Patel has a mission in life, it’s to get a cupcake inside you! Parul has a company called The Cake Designer, which operates out of a 2000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art commercial kitchen in Millington, NJ, specializing in vegetarian cakes of every genre. She makes 3-D fantasy custom-made cakes, all without the offending egg.

The Cake Designer’s Secrets….

The fillings include such exotic blends as Pistachio Cardamon Delight, Almond and Saffron Fusion, and Mango Delight. So now a Jain couple, for whom egg is a no-no, can have a fantasy wedding cake, and veggie parents can contribute cupcakes to their kids’ bake schools in school. You can learn more about the ingredients here

Working out of a 2000 sq. ft state-of-the-art commercial kitchen in Millington, NJ, she provides vegetarian cakes for everything from birthdays to mehndi parties. “Our cakes are lower in cholesterol and a healthy alternative to traditional cakes made with eggs,” says Parul.  She also provides eggless cakes and desserts to restaurants and these are now available in Morton Williams, an upscale supermarket which has 12 stores in the tri-state area.

So convinced is Parul of the irresistibly of her cakes that she’s at practically every social event in the city, to turn people into believers with a complimentary tasting.

Ah, what is life without a cupcake?

A bouquet of cupcakes by Parul Patel of The Cake Designer

Beheruz N. Sethna, president of University of West Georgia

The US has several Indian-Americans doing important work in academia.  Meet Beheruz. N. Sethna, President of West Georgia University which has a budget of $ 100 million and 100 programs of study through the doctoral level.

He’s a Parsi who’s got some important firsts affixed to his name: he is the first person of Indian origin to ever become the president of a university anywhere in the US. He’s also the first person from any ethnic minority to become president of a predominantly white or racially-integrated university or college in Georgia.

While Indian heads of American universities are becoming more commonplace now, back in the 80’s Sethna, who is a professor of Business Administration, was the only one. In fact he has the rare distinction of being the president of three universities – West Georgia College, State University of West Georgia, and The University of West Georgia – all of them in the same office!  He jokes, “I was the last President of West Georgia College, the first and only President of the State University of West Georgia, and the first President of The University of West Georgia.”

He had started as the president of a College with 7,000+ students, and today, the institution after two name and designation changes, is one of four robust- tier doctoral comprehensive universities in the 35-campus University System of Georgia, with 11,500 students.

It’s interesting to learn that he is the president who almost wasn’t. Two decades ago, when he was candidate for the post of dean, his name almost wasn’t shortlisted because it was assumed that being Indian he couldn’t speak English! Years later when he was candidate for president, the stereotypes and prejudice kicked in once again. Georgia law requires that the names of the top finalists be disclosed, and just on the basis of his name and bio, there was a huge protest in the town.

In the State of Georgia there had never been a minority president of a
predominantly white university, and people were concerned whether he would be able to lead.  Sethna delighted in proving them wrong and says, “The stereotype will persist until there is an example to break the stereotype. That is the challenge and excitement in being the first.”

Sethna, who comes from a family of modest means in Bombay, has other impressive firsts to his credit.  His father worked in a cotton export company where he rarely made more than Rs. 500 a month yet his dream was to see his son attend IIT Bombay, and he constantly brainwashed him with this seemingly impossible dream.

“My mother told me at an early age that they were going to put every penny they had into my education,” he recalls. “I even wore hand-me-downs when I first went to school.”  Sethna graduated from IIT Bombay in electrical engineering and went on to do his PhD at Columbia University.

Beheruz N. Sethna, president of University of West Georgia, with students

He has fond memories of IIT Bombay which he feels inculcated him with great work habits. “I learned how to work really hard – night after night, often with just two hours sleep. I learned what has today become fashionably known as the ‘power nap’ – I developed this strategy for myself in the 60’s and I can do that even today – sleep for 5 to 10 minutes at a time – and then literally work for hours!”

This secret weapon comes in handy as he manages thousands of students under his care and takes the university on the trajectory of success, what he calls ‘transformational change.’

“When I came in 1994, 51 percent of entering students needed remedial education, and today that percentage is about one half of one percent, which is a one-hundred-fold improvement,” he says. “We have increased capital projects and facilities improvements funded and approved by about one quarter of a billion dollars. Our land holdings have increased by 67 percent, from 284 acres to 644 acres.”

Yet take a look at Sethna’s business card and you’ll see he always identifies himself as a professor first and president second. As President of a University with 11,500 students and programs through the doctoral level, he teaches a sole-instructor course every year which gets high teaching evaluations. “One of my most cherished honors is that I earned the distinction of being named Honors Professor of the Year – elected by the students,” he says.

His creative ideas  have led him to be honored seven times by the Decision Sciences Institute, which recognizes three courses annually as being the most innovative in the nation and invites the instructor to make a presentation on the course.  Sethna remains close and accessible to his students, and is even known to help them move in, giving them a hand with their boxes and belongings!

Being president of the equivalent of a tiny nation, Sethna has often had to take difficult stands which don’t go down well in conservative sections of rural Georgia, on issues relating to homosexuality or the Bible. On a lighter side, he even had to take a stand on something about which Georgians feel strongly – their team mascot. For political correctness he had to change the team’s name from the Braves, which was offensive to Native Americans, to the Wolves.

Almost 99.5 percent of the public opposed this name change and there are sports fans who will probably never, ever forgive him for it but by engaging the community and through consensus, Sethna managed to do it. So that’s another first – he’s probably the first university president in America who changed the name of the beloved team mascot – and lived to tell the tale!

Beheruz N. Sethna, president of University of West Georgia, with his wife Madhavi, and children Anita and Shaun.

The university has become a passion and in his 17 years as president, Sethna has introduced a number of innovations, such as creating Georgia’s first and only Honors College, Georgia’s first Advanced Academy for exceptionally-gifted high school students, and establishing the college’s first endowed chair and approval for its first three doctoral programs. Fundraising is always a challenge but even after the decline resulting from the stock market deterioration, Sethna has worked with his team to increase the university’s endowment by 650 percent.

Ask him what he likes to do in his spare time and he jokes, “That’s a very easy question to answer because there’s never a time when I’m not working, as my wife will tell you!” But he admits he’s very much a family man who adores the family connections, and is close to his children, Anita and Shaun, who live in Atlanta.

Sethna is Zoroastrian but his wife Madhavi to whom he’s been married to for over 38 years is a Hindu, and when recently their daughter Anita married an American Christian, they celebrated the wedding with all three religious ceremonies. The Sethnas also maintain a small foundation in India through which they believe in giving to all communities, irrespective of religion.

In a way though, learning is a religion too for the Sethnas, starting with the fervent efforts his father made to get him a world-class education to Beheruz’s own efforts to educate thousands. He adds with humor, “We complete the set – I’m a Ph.d, my wife is an ed.D, Anita is a MD, and Shaun is a JD!”  Education certainly runs in the family.

(C) Lavina Melwani

(A version of this article first appeared in Hi Blitz, a lifestyles magazine in Mumbai)

John Abraham with Isheeta Ganguly, recording for 'Damaru'

Isheeta Ganguly’s ‘Damaru’ with John Abraham

I first heard Isheeta Ganguly sing the national anthems of both India and America at an event organized by the Indo-American Arts Council in New York some years ago. It was a voice which made you stop whatever you were doing, compelling you to listen – such was its sweet richness.

To New Yorkers, Isheeta Ganguly needs no introduction, and now thanks to the magic of her voice, she is getting known in India as well. From Kolkata, where Rabindrasangeet originated to the very different rhythms of New York, Isheeta has traveled to many cities, many countries, absorbing the rhythms.

Isheeta Ganguly at NY launch of 'Damaru' organized by IAAC

Damaru – Shantanu Moithra, Tanmoy Bose & Philip Levy

“Damaru”, her latest offering, is a cross-over album with undertones of Indian folk-pop, classical, lounge, elektronika, and Rabindrasangeet, a wonderful fusion in which many noted artists come together. Released by Times Music, the album features tracks arranged by noted Bollywood composer Shantanu Moithra, Grammy award winning percussionist Tanmoy Bose and the New York  based elektronika producer Phil Levy.

Bollywood fans will be intrigued to know that their favorite hunk John Abraham is part of this new album – in a very different way than they usually envisage him. Rather than a Bollywood hero, his is the thoughtful, strong voice behind the words of “Bande Mataram” and the Tagore poem, “Where the Mind is Without Fear”. It reminds you almost of his performance of the idealistic student who stands by the young widow in Deepa Mehta’s ‘Water’.

As Isheeta likes to point out, the name Damaru is a tribute to Lord Shiva’s damaru which created the first primeval sounds as he danced the universe into existence. The songs of Damaru are inspired by Ganguly’s cross-cultural upbringing, the diverse music and musical instruments she has encountered along the way, and the common themes of love and universality which reverberate through this east-west mix.

How is the album doing in India and who is the audience for a crossover album like this?

It’s actually been very well received so far, hitting chartbuster lists in Kolkata and Mumbai in particular, since these are the two cities where I have the most presence musically.

Interestingly, in India there are three broad categories for listeners for the album. One group falls into the category of those who like “fusion” or cross-over music, the second category are those that have followed my traditional Rabindrasangeet career and were very curious to see what I would come up with in this album.

The third category are those who are interested in the accidental “Bolly-edge” of the album which of course includes music composer Shantanu Moithra who has composed “Sanjhari de bata” and “Aona” as well as actor John Abraham who has done a wonderful voice-over on “Bande Mataram”.

Rabindra sangeet, Indian folk pop, jazz, gospel and Bollywood – how do you reconcile all your different musical influences?

This album really speaks to my own story and journey which involved a lot of dichotomies and juxtapositions of two cultures and two trains of thought. Yet interestingly, there were a lot of unexpected synergies and congruencies within that.

I began my singing journey with Rabindrasangeet at the age of seven, which was followed by Western classical when I was twelve, then with gospel and pop styles during my college years.  I began innovating with Tagore’s music and various western forms at that point,  given that I found certain lyrical links between gospel pieces and certain spiritual songs of Tagore which led to the beginnings of creating a Tagore “folk-pop” and a Tagore “lounge” genre.

The ideas crystallized over time into compositions and I began performing these pieces in New York City at various galleries and festivals. The audiences asked for more and so gradually, I began writing more of my own lyrics in English and working with composers who could really give further definition to some of these early pieces which I had started to create.

What were your earliest influences and how much has your music been affected by your travels?

My earliest musical influence came from my maternal grandfather who was a well-known freedom fighter in India and was a close affiliate of Subhash Chandra Bose’s. He also happened to have a magical singing voice and taught me my first song, “Raghupati Raghava Rajaram” at the age of four. My grandfather and I continued to share many genres of music throughout my childhood including Tagore’s songs, Bengali folk, Bengali modern as well as Hindi film classics.  This musical journey with him created my earliest sense of connectedness to India and a home that I never really knew.

When I was five, we moved to Turkey, due to my father’s work with an oil company, then to Japan and then to Indonesia.  My trips to India were more frequent due to geographic proximity during this time, and I engaged with my grandfather in these various forms of music including patriotic songs like “Bande Mataram” and “Jana Gana Mana” which were central to his own sense of self-preservation during his years spent in jail during the freedom struggle.

John Abraham in the studio for Isheeta Ganguly's 'Damaru'

How was the recording done for this album – was it all in same space and did you record it in different countries?

The recording was done in two countries across three cities – New York, Kolkata, and Mumbai for each of the three composers that worked on the album. Phil Levy who arranged “Walk Alone” and “Bande Mataram” recorded with me in New York City while Shantanu Moithra and I recorded in his studios in Mumbai and percussionist Tanmoy Bose and I recorded in Kolkata, the home city of Tagore’s music.

What was the experience like working with John Abraham?

John feels like a friend from long ago.  He is a wonderfully generous human being who takes deep ownership of everything he does and for him there was novelty for him in the experience as well in that it was his very first voice-over performance ever.  He was very thoughtful about his performance, rehearsed it several times, and asked me many times during the recording if he should re-do or re-record any particular lines.  He of course ended up doing a stellar job and it was the first time that Tagore’s “Where the Mind Is without Fear” was brought together with Bankim Chandra Chattopadyay’s “Bande Mataram”.

What’s next? Are you back in India for something special?

I currently live in Mumbai with my husband and two boys. I am performing a fair amount with the album and also do juggle a career in management consulting by day! I have just started working on the beginnings of my next album which will continue to further hone these musical ideas and brings these various threads together. I also look forward to being in New York City in the spring for a performance at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park on Friday, May 13th, 2011.

Related Article about Isheeta Ganguly: Freedom at Midnight – Sixty Years Later

Isheeta Ganguly has a new album out - Damaru, with John Abraham

Shabana Azmi in Broken Images

In Broken Images, Shabana Vs. Shabana

Imagine this: just one actor on stage. No set transformations, no costume changes, little or no action.

Yet you sit for a full hour, totally engrossed, and are almost surprised to find that, though you’ve sat immobile in your seat, you’ve traveled into complex worlds, into the innermost reaches of mind and heart.

Few people could pull this off but the combination of  actor Shabana Azmi, director Alyque Padamsee and playwright Girish Karnad makes ‘Broken Images’ a play to watch and relish. To that, add a fourth player – digital technology. In this psychological thriller electronic images, video and television juxtapose to become another powerful force, almost a character, adding a lot to the high drama.

“When T. S. Eliot talked of ‘a heap of broken images where sun beats and the dead tree gives no shelter’ in his ‘ Waste Land’, he was obviously talking of concrete images found piled in a desert,” says Karnad, “The images that surround us—in every burgeoning Indian megalopolis— are digital, insubstantial but persistent, and the desert they define is our ‘hyper-reality’. We have all morphed into our own images.”

What’s real and what’s make-believe?  The play revolves around Manjula Sharma, a moderately successful Hindi writer who has hit the big time by publishing her first novel in English. Suddenly she’s a global star. You see her in a television studio, giving one of countless interviews. She is the suave celebrity, chatting about her life and times, giving due credit to her husband and to Malini, her crippled sister who inspired her. You listen as the story unfolds – and then suddenly the television screen at the back comes alive – and suddenly you have two Manjulas on stage, each competing for your attention.

Is the second Manjula a phantom, a voice of her conscience or perhaps the spirit of her dead sister? As the two Manjulas duel mentally, you get sucked into the volatile inner drama of  sibling rivalry.  Your sympathies and loyalties change constantly and you really are not sure who the victim is and who is the victimized.

Shabana Azmi in Broken Images, a play by Girish Karnad, directed by Alyque Padamsee

Broken Images: A One Woman Show

Shabana Azmi, the award-winning actress who’s acted in over 140 movies and many plays, manages to keep you thoroughly engaged right to the high crescendo of the finale. The play presented by Ketki Parikh of Vachikam in the US, was brought to New York by the organizations Bitiya and Indo-American Arts Council. After the packed New York performance, audiences were treated to a Q and A. conducted by Aroon Shivdasani of IAAC with Shabana Azmi at the end of the performance.

Asked as to what made her choose this particular script, Azmi said, “ I do think it’s a very clever script –  I have great regard for Girish Karnad who is by far one of our best contemporary playwrights,  and also for Alyque Padamsee, who worked with my mother 40 years ago and now works with me again. I’ve always had a horror of doing one on one shows – I’ve always found it very self-indulgent – but when I read this I found it technically very challenging, I thought emotionally it was very strong.

Raell Padamsee (the producer) had been asking me to do a play with her for six years and I couldn’t find a script which satisfied me. When I read this, I called her up and told her I would do it – and that’s how it happened. For me what was quite interesting is that I still can’t quite figure out, even after so many performances, as to who is the victim and who is the victimizer and when I asked Girish that,  he said ‘Figure it out yourself! I’ve no idea!’ And so it plays differently with different audiences, it really keeps shifting balance.”

Shabana Azmi is on stage from beginning to end, interacting with her own virtual, digital self and it’s really quite a powerhouse performance: the victim and the victimized, the inquisitor and the confessor. The audience was amazed to learn that Azmi had done the televised portion all in one smooth take. “The shot is one shot and it was done in one take, the first take,” she said. “It came as a huge surprise to me – in film you don’t have a 44 minute shot!”  Of course, the challenge of this performance was for the real Manjula to keep perfect timing, in lockstep with the virtual Manjula; there was no margin for errors. Says Azmi:  “That’s the terror of the performance because if I miss a line or two, she’s not going to come to my rescue, whereas in theater you expect other actors to quickly make up for you – so it’s quite terrifying!”

This being a play in English, there was the inevitable question from a viewer: “Shabanaji, you’re a Hindi actress, you’re supposed to speak the language of the country!” Amidst a burst of laughter from the audience, Azmi responded, “That’s the whole point of the play in fact, that’s the whole point about the jingoism of this language and not that language! A writer seeks audiences where she or he can find them, says Girish Karnad!”

(The play travels to several cities in the US. www.brokenimagetheplay.com )

Have you seen the play? What did you think of it?