March 2012
SPORTS
STYLE
MOVIES
MUSIC
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HEALTH
OURS OUTHFULLY
SEX
TECHNOLOGY
FOOD
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sports: THE BEST OF FOOTBALL
CELEBRATING WOMANHOOD
Movies: Health: PAAN SINGH TOMAR: A REVIEW WOMEN AND AGEING
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OURS OUTHFULLY
indulge.
Photographer- Sagarika Gupta
Editorial
The Celebration of Womanhood It is arduous to write something about women that has not been written before. With the advent of an epoch of women empowerment and awareness, women are going places like never before. Today, comparison between men and women is futile and pointless. The race has ended; women had reached on an equal footing long before, which is a harbinger of progress. S i n c e t i m e immemorial, women have been the epitome of progress and fulfillment. The term “women achievers” is redundant; women have always been achievers in their respective fields, be it the corporate world or the kitchen. Women have always compromised more. When they haven't compromised, they have b a l a n c e d , a n d h ow ! Women have remained silent and done their job, whatever they chose, to perfection. Yet, a long road lies ahead in the direction of total empowerment of
women, especially in the underprivileged factions of the society. This issue of Yours Youthfully aims at inspiring women by quoting examples of women who dreamt big and made it bigger. It also hopes to throw some light on the fact that women have always been there and done that, and to make men aware of this and shed their vanity. The health and sex column of this issue is also dedicated to women's health. Out of the two articles, one is about how women should cope with ageing and stay healthy and look their best in the process, and the other is about women who have cancer should be careful about sex. This is the major concern about women today- their health. With the steep rise in the number of breast cancer and cervical cancer cases, proper awareness, early detection and timely remedy is must. Our columnists Bhumika Gupta and Rachana Pathak did a fabulous job and a fair amount of
Anant Singh Editor-in-Chief Follow Anant Singh on Twitterwww.twitter.com/youthfuleditor
“
The race has ended; women had reached on an equal footing long before, which is a harbinger of progress.
”
research to tell our readers about globally known Indian and international women. This issue of Yours Youthfully is a toast to the beautiful gender and a celebration of womanhood. Here's to all the women who achieved and to those who make everyday beautiful by just being women. Write to the Editor-in-Chiefanant_singh15@hotmail.com Write your letters or requests for the PDF format of the magazineyoursyouthfully@gmail.com
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Contents
13
CELEBRATING WOMANHOOD
A Tale of Indian Women The Incarnation of Energy
5
THE BEST OF FOOTBALL
7
Club, Manager and Player of the Month
DELECTABLE DUMPLINGS Drool over these delicate dumplings
10
WOMEN’S HEALTH Brace ageing with grace Women Cancer & Sex
18 Courtesies for Cover Page & Cover Feature Pictures: Indra Nooyi-mountainlakesinternational.com J.K. Rowling-zimbio.com Meredith Perry- underthebutton.com Oprah Winfrey- bossip.com (The websites from where the pictures have been taken have been mentioned)
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OURS OUTHFULLY
indulge.
Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Sports Health & Sex Food Movies
PAAN SINGH TOMAR: A REVIEW And the problem with good scripts today Anant Singh Meghna Rastogi Vivek Singh Bhumika Gupta Rachana Pathak Akshay Singh Yours Youthfully - 4
Sports
The Real Deal With comprehensive victories in the last few matches, Real Madrid is the team is the team of the month.
Follow Vivek Singh on Twitterwww.twitter.com/pseudopatriot
Vivek Singh Real Madrid is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated sides of the world club football and when the team has players like Mr. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mr. Gonzalo Higuin, Mr. Karim Benzema and Mr. Iker Casillas and a coach like Mr. Jose Mourinho it will be idoneous to say that expectation would be high. Real Madrid has played up to their potential so far in the La Liga and d i d n' t d i s a p p o i n t millions of their fans around the world. Real is enjoying the top spot in the league and they are on a roll after their recent win against Levente, Real Sociedad and Racing Sanatander, thanks to s o m e e xc e p t i o n a l
Image Courtesy- realmadrid.com
display of soccer by Ronaldo, Higuin and Karim Benzema. The trio is in sublime touch, scoring consistently in the league especially Ro n a l d o wh o h a s scored 27 goals in the league so far. The strikers have shown exquisite blend of skill, strength, and intelligence. Chances have been created by Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Xabi Alonso has been just as impressive. There
were some difficult moments for them in the league, especially the game against Real Sociedad, Mallorca and Getafe but Madrid has held on. Football is a game of 11 players, where collective effort is always given precedence over individual opulence and Real Madrid is no exception. The team is prospering as a unit and is very much in the hunt for their 32nd La Liga title.
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Sports Manager of the Month- Jose Mourinho There is a lot written about Mr. Jose Mourinho. He is a man who is as much loved as he is hated. In fact, Wikipedia h a s a n e n t i re c h a p te r dedicated to the controversies of Mourinho. It is quite fascinating that despite the controversial, arrogant and not so charming side of Mourinho, he is often described and referred to as charismatic. But to understand Mourinho we need to dig a bit deeper than his way of expressing himself. After doing that, we find a leader in Mourinho that shows typically charismatic traits such as being inspirational, visionary and full of energy. What he does from day one
and is absolutely the key thing about him is that he gives the players a cause to fight and as the Manager of Real Madrid, he is doing the same. He has been in the forefront of the Real Madrid resurgence in the La Liga. He has a firm belief that it is the team and not the players that wins trophies. Mourinho knows every single player's strengths and weaknesses. He knows how to leverage their strengths fully as a team and minimize their weaknesses and that is why he was successful as a manager of Chelsea and Inter Milan and now under his effective Manager ship Real nd Madrid is eyeing its 32 La Liga title.
Image Courtesy- topnews.in
Image Courtesy- ministryoffootball.com
Player of the Month- Cristiano Ronaldo There is a saying in Madrid that if Ronaldo is fine Real Madrid is fine. Ronaldo is looking unstoppable in the Spanish La Liga with 26 goals from 31 games. He is at the head of the strikers list in the La Liga. He has been the fulcrum of Real's attack in the league. Ronaldo is playing in a manner he is known for- as a skillful winger who can take on any defender with his dribbling and pace and who possesses a powerful and
accurate free kick and crossing ability. Ronaldo is deceptively quick over short distances and with a footballing brain that works a nanosecond faster than the others. Ronaldo's awareness and vision puts him in place which ordinary strikers won't even think of. He is on fire at the moment and his class means he is taking advantage of being in a team that wants to attack a lot and create chances. The intelligence of his movement
and the accuracy of his finishing are exceptional. He is always in the right place at the right moment. He just understands the game so well. Ronaldo has been instrumental in Real Madrid's recent comprehensive wins against Espanyol, Racing Santander a n d L eve n te a n d w i t h effective and consistent performance in the league, Cristiano Ronaldo is the player of the month. Yours Youthfully -
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Food
The Delectable Dumplings Let’s go drooling over these delicate dumplings.
Rachana Pathak We all love to receive gifts, don't we?! And even though it is actually the gift which makes us happy, the wrapping of the gift simply adds a true delight! Just try remembering the beautifully wrapped gifts that you may have ever received on your birthday or Christmas or just any other great occasion. Those glittery covers and that curiosity that engenders from the fact that you cannot immediately find out what your present is, until you unveil it from under the gift wrap! Let me attempt to draw a parallel here in
Mail Rachana Pathak onrachanapathak02@gmail.com
our foody world, yes this time I bring to you the delightful world of delicate but really delectable dumplings! Dumplings are like tiny presents of yummy fillings enveloped in meticulously prepared dumpling dough! We just celebrated the colourful festival of Holi and while the festivities still linger on, most of us have been gorging our very own sweet dumplings called “gujiya�, the festival kind of seems incomplete without it! Taking a little culinary liberty here if I am allowed to use the
term multinational cuisine (MNC) for any dish- then dumpling is definitely one of them! Believe me, if you go about reading the history of dumplings, the fact that emerges is that that this delicacy did not travel across lands but evolved independently in different countries of the world and every place has its own version of dumpling, and hence it becomes an MNC! Let's take a look around the world and go drooling over these delicate dumplings!
to be a major portion of the filling preparation. Once the small ravioli sachets are prepared, they can be either boiled in lightly salted water or baked in a preheated oven. After cooking for 610 minutes, the water is drained off and ravioli are added to a well seasoned cheese-cream sauce or a tomato based curry. Garnished with parsley and sage butter
sauce, it is served hot making a perfect dumpling meal. The essence of this meal is in the green herbs and spices that are used to get that typical flavour of the Italian ravioli. Chives, parsley, sage, pepper, shallots etc give the best blend of aroma and flavour that make it a great eating experience!
Ravioli Ravioli- a name now known to most pasta lovers across the globe as the canned stuffed pasta, is a dish that has its roots in main Italy and the neighbouring lands of Sicily and Malta. It's commercialization as the instant canned food by the Italian food giants has made it famous but at the same time it takes away the charm of a freshly prepared ravioli recipe! For some foody souls pasta and cheese go together hand in hand and in this regard- ravioli do not disappoint! Ricotta cheese is the present that you will find hidden inside the ravioli pasta. The dough is prepared with flour and egg with a tinge of salt and oil, and kneaded diligently. It is spread to a desired thickness and cut in appropriate shapes. The fillings prepared for ravioli have cheese in almost all combinations. Fillings can be prepared with vegetables like asparagus, spinach or seafood or meat. But cheese essentially has
Image Courtesy- nasoya.com
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Food
Pierogi The Slavic prefix 'pir' meaning festivity- in the name of this cuisine is an indication of the Polish origin of this dish. Pierogi is a traditional Polish cuisine and has been regarded as one of the national dishes of Poland! Pierogi is a simple cuisine yet a very entertaining dish on the dining table. Pierogi are prepared out of unleavened dough and the dough may or may not contain egg. Flour, egg, salt, sugar and oil are all kneaded into one smooth dough and spread out evenly. One may simply use the open end of a glass to cut out the pieces for pierogi. The filling for pierogi depends on whether you wish to serve a salty or sweet pierogi. Mashed potatoes, cheese and cabbage make for the most favourite pierogi filling. When you have a leftover amount of sauerkraut (pickled/fermented cabbage), the best way to utilize it is to cook up pierogi! Well seasoned filling is spread in the centre of the dough cut outs and the dough envelope is closed so as
to make small semicircular pouches of tasty filling. Care is taken to nicely pack the dumplings so that they don't open up when put in boiling water for simmering. Once the dumplings come to the surface and start floating they are taken out and all the water is drained off. The most practiced style of serving pierogi is panned pierogi, where after boiling, the pierogi are sautéed with shallots, onion and spices to give a flambéed tinge to the dish, only here the oil used causes the flames and not the spirits. Or they can be simply served with sour cream. The pierogi which started as the dish of the peasants ended up in the houses of nobles. It caters to the taste of every class and hence truly qualifies as the national dish of the country. The simplicity of this dish is its greatest merit, that one can put together an impressive meal with even most basic ingredients. A dish that is remarkably good for your palate and for your pocket as well!
Image Courtesy- annies-eats.com
Image Courtesy- herdaily.com
Plum Dumplings Serving sweet dumplings on the dessert platter has been a part of traditional festivities in many countries. The exquisite plum dumplings hail from the land of Hungary! Plum in itself is a very luscious fruit and it is still very sweet and juicy when in prune form. Usually fresh plums are used to make the succulently gorgeous plum dumplings, and plum being a seasonal fruit, the preparation of this dessert assumes immense importance when the season comes, as the dumplings can be preserved for a
few months! With a difficult Hungarian name- szilvás gombóc, most people simply refer to this sweet treat as plum dumplings. A nice outer layer dough is prepared by mixing controlled quantities of flour with egg and boiled mashed potatoes. A smidgen of sugar and a dash of salt are added to make sure that the outer dough is not bland. The plums are cut partially along their natural line and the core is emptied by removing the stone of the fruit. Some people prepare the traditional stevia sugar cubes
while others just use the simple sugar cubes and place them gracefully inside the plum cavity. Now these plums are gently wrapped in the potato dough and then boiled for some time. An outer crumb layer is prepared by sautéing bread crumbs in butter and then adding brown sugar to it. Small amount of cinnamon is also added to this crumb mixture to add a refreshing flavour. The dumplings are immediately rolled in this crumb mixture once taken out of the boiling water. They can be served immediately or stored Yours Youthfully -
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Food and consumed later. They can be served garnished with chocolate sauce or coupled with cream or anyway one would like to enjoy
their plum dumplings! It is a juicy feast for the taste buds that satisfies your sweet tooth for a good run of time! And the
tenderness of this dessert makes it even more enjoyable, so when you have a plum dumpling on your plate, don't think just savour!
We all mostly tend to think that all the world's dumplings have originated from a Chinese kitchen, don't we! But now we know better with regard to the dumplings mentioned before. Jiaozi is a term which hasn't been heard much in the Indian foody talk. And addressing another misconception here- most of us think that the name of our favourite Chinese dumplings is momos, but for a fact momos originate from “the land of snows�- Tibet and not China! Momos are a dumpling speciality that is native to the land of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. But then what are the Chinese dumplings called?! They are referred to as jiaozi and are a traditional cuisine for the Chinese New Year th celebrations. Around the 10 century, China had its first paper currency that was called jiaozi and many believe that the cuisine derives its name from this first paper currency and is eaten with family on New Year's Eve to pray for prosperity for the whole family. All Chinese dumplings are not
called jiaozi. Only the steamed dumplings are specifically termed as jaiozi. Preparation is simple and healthy. The dough is kneaded using water and flour, egg is not a part of the dough mixture. And the filling maybe vegetable based or meat based. Even fish and shrimp maybe used sometimes. Bamboo baskets are used to steam jiaozi and mostly jiaozi are served as a part of dim sum meal, which is a very elite Cantonese way to eat what maybe called a Chinese brunch! Dim sum is typically served with tea and
has steamed jiaozi among the many savoury dishes served. Jiozi is usually served with dip sauce prepared using soy sauce and vinegar in equal volumes adding a small amount of sugar. The cilantro seasoning is the trademark Chinese style that maybe used in filling or for the dip sauce as well. Jiaozi has been associated with all the merry Chinese celebrations and thus it is prepared with great emotional value attached to it and forms and integral part of the Chinese cuisine culture.
Dumplings beyond doubt prove that they are in essence a multinational cuisine and have made their place in the culinary traditions of different countries. Asia, America and Europe- all the countries in these continents have some version of their
dumplings, that comprise something that maybe regarded as a big global dumpling family! And they are loved by all, in all versions. They can be customized very easily to suit tastes of different people and stand out as a simple yet elegant
cuisine. And as per a Japanese proverb- luck is like having a rice dumpling fly into your mouth! So if you don't get lucky like that, make sure you put one in your mouth yourself, because the delight of the delicate dumplings is for every soul to savour!
Jiaozi
Image Courtesy- closetcooking.com
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Health & Sex
Brace Ageing With Grace Here are some tips as to how women should age with grace.
Follow Bhumika Gupta on Twitterwww.twitter.com/bhumika198
Bhumika Gupta Those first strands of gray hair are a sign of the inevitable. One realizes that one is getting older and their bodies are changing. One may grow a little rounder around the waistline, or wake in the night, or feel a little stiffer in the morning. Yet while one adapts to new realities, one should not discount every symptom as just further evidence of aging. The MD, deputy director of the National Institute of Ageing, Marie Bernard, says “Ageing in and of itself, is a subtle and quiet process.” Healthy aging is an attitude. It's a decision to treat oneself well both physically and mentally. In a society where youth is idealized, getting old can sometimes be frustrating. But, ageing is not a disease. Human ageing is a natural part of living and happens to anyone who is lucky enough to get there. We s h o u l d e m b ra c e e ve r y moment of it. Most of us have a hard time thinking of ourselves as old people. We're certainly not ready to sit back and retire from life just yet.
A woman should look forward to those years and not dread them. A woman should be enjoying this time in her life. The pressure of family and work and the need to fit in does not take center stage any longer and so a woman can use her experiences and wisdom to build a healthier lifestyle. About ageing, the first thing to keep in mind is that successful ageing involves knowledge. If one understands the changes that take place in their body, they can be better equipped to take the required steps to take care of it when required. Various changes that affect these organs of the body are normal and also unavoidable. Others could be relating to medical history, lifestyle habits and hereditary. Ageing gracefully is the key to solving all issues relating to women and ageing. It cannot be denied that ageing brings various new challenges. It is a phase of life which one has to deal with in their lifetime. One can always look forward to healthy ageing by accepting the things we cannot change and doing everything possible to change the things we can. Kenneth Minaker, MD,
chief of geriatric medicine at M a s s a c h u s e t t s G e n e ra l Hospital in Boston and a s s o c i a te p ro fe s s o r o f medicine at Harvard Medical School says we should not think of ageing as a failure of our body systems, rather “Aging is a life-saving process,” he says. “It is a process of lifelong adaptation to prevent us from developing cancers that would kill us.”
The parts of the body that are affected by ageing are · The Brain · The Digestive System · The Nails and Hair · The Ears · The Eyes · Muscles& Bones · Skin · Urinary System · Skeletal System · Teeth and Gums
Some steps that can be taken to age gracefully are: · Positive Attitude · Exercise · Brain Fitness · Forgiving · Diet and Nutrition · Reduce Stress · Ample Sleep Yours Youthfully -
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Health & Sex
Women, Cancer & Sex The issue of sex and cancer patients, elaborated.
Bhumika Gupta As are all other aspects of life, sex is also a very important in our life. It is something that gravely affects how we think about ourselves and our life. It also gives zest and zeal to our life. It is actually essential in the life of a living being. Yet doctors and patients of cancer never take up the issue of sex with cancer patients. When one first finds out that one has cancer, there is a lot to do and deal with. For most people, sex is not on that first list of concerns. But after things are settled down a bit, you might have started to wonder about what will happen with your sex life. Cancer of any of the organs can affect a woman's sex life. If a woman has surgery to take out an organ with cancer, sometimes others must be removed, too. One should ask their surgeon how the surgery will affect their sex life.
a part of the reproductive organ is removed, one should ask their surgeon about having it rebuilt. If a woman wants to have c h i l d re n l a te r, t h ey should necessarily ask about that too. After surgery, it may take few weeks for a woman to heal before she can have sex. It would be better to talk with your surgeon about how long one should wait. In case one experiences pain or problems during sex, they should immediately report to their doctor and find out what the problem is and what can be done. Radiation Therapy is a way to cure Cancer, especially in a woman. Radiation to the pelvic area often affects a woman's sex life. If the ovaries get a lot of radiation, they may stop working. Sometimes this is just for a short time, but it can be lifelong. Young women who get smaller doses of pelvic
radiation might start to have periods again as their ovaries heal. With larger doses of radiation, such as those used for cervical cancer, the damage doesn't go away. Many women who get radiation to the pelvis can't have children. Thus, if you want to have children, make sure you talk to your doctor before the process of radiation starts. Many women u n d e r g o i n g chemotherapy go into early menopause. They may notice hot flashes, the reproductive organs might be dried up and tight during sex, and their menstrual periods might not go on usual schedule. They might bleed slightly after sex.
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Health & Sex Some of the most important organs of the female body, for sexual and reproductive purposes are: · Uterus (womb) · Cervix (the entrance to the womb at the top of the vagina) · Fallopian tubes, ovaries (the organs that make eggs and hormones) · Vagina · Vulva (the outside parts, such as the clitoris and the inner and outer lips of the vagina) · Bladder (the storage organ for urine) · Rectum (the bottom end of the intestines)
Some other problems that should be addressed by women undergoing chemo are: · When it will be OK to have sex · What precautions you need to take, and for how long · How each treatment might affect your sex life
There are certain problems that every woman has to deal with who undergoes cancer treatment. Here are some of them · · · · · · ·
Getting used to the changes in your body, like vaginal dryness. Loss of Desire Loss of a Body Part Problems in reaching Orgasm Pain during Sex Grief, Depression and Loss Anxiety about Sex
Following are certain tips to keep your sex life going despite cancer treatment: · · · · ·
Learn as much as you can about how cancer treatment can affect your sex life. No matter what kind of treatment one has, nearly everyone is still able to feel pleasure from touching. Try to keep an open mind about ways to feel sexual pleasure. Try to have clear, 2-way talks about sex with your partner. Feel good about yourself.
Dealing with cancer for a single woman is as difficult as it is for a married woman. The fact is that any woman, whether single or married, black or white, old or young, actually every woman wants to have a normal sex life and wants to experience the pleasure of sex. Cancer can be an impediment to fulfillment of this desire and pleasure and thus dealing with it can be very difficult. A woman needs the support of all her near and dear ones to deal with this, especially, her partner. Yes, a woman is very strong, is strong willed but in such times she could always do better with everyone's support. Yours Youthfully -
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Cover Feature
CELEBRATING WOMANHOOD Of women who dreamt big, and made it bigger...
Cover Feature
A Tale of Indian Women... by Bhumika Gupta According to Science as well as Psychology, nature does not discriminate on the basis of sex. The changing times are a testimony to that. An educated Indian woman today knows better than to limit her life due to any of the factors that held her back till a few years ago. They demand equal respect as the men, and although there are still miles to go before they achieve equal rights and position, they have come a long way nevertheless. Despite all hurdles, be it social or others, various Indian women have been very successful in life and have made not just wealth but even a name for themselves in the country due to their hard work, will p o w e r, d i l i g e n c e a n d competence. Women Entrepreneurs are enjoying the impact of globalization and making an impact not only on the domestic front but also in the international sphere. Women, especially Indian women, are doing a wonderful job striking a balance between their house and career. Here are a few: (The list consists of no political figure and concentrates only on business leaders and organizational heads, also the women are in no particular order.)
Indra Nooyi – Titled the most powerful business woman of the world by Forbes Magazine, Indra Nooyi is the first woman to head the world's second l a rg e s t C o l a C o m p a ny, PepsiCo. Presently she is the Chief Executive Director of a Fo r t u n e c o m p a ny t h a t employs approximately one and a half lakh employees from about 200 countries across the globe. She is strong willed and has a strong acumen for financial strategies. Dr. Kiran Majumdar Shaw – The Diva of Biotechnology, Kiran Majumdar Shaw is the CEO of Biocon Ltd. The business community has crowned her as the Biotech Queen and Mother of Inventions. She founded her company in her own garage with a capital of Rs. 10,000 and it went ahead to become the biggest pharmaceutical firm in the country. She is also one of the richest women in Asia. Naina Lal Kidwai – One of the most successful and the highest paid executive in India, Naina Lal Kidwai is the Chief Executive Director and Chief General Manager of HSBC. She is the first woman to have graduated from the Harvard Business School.
Anu Aga – Anu Aga is the exchairperson of Thermax and ex-senior office bearer of CII and Bombay Management Association. After retiring from Thermax she took to Social Work and was also awarded the Padma Shri for the same. Neelam Dhawan – The Managing Director of Microsoft India, Neelam Dhawan heads the marketing and sales operations of the company. She was rejected by Asian Paints and Hindustan Lever on the pretext of being a woman. S i m o n e Ta t a – T h e Cosmetics Czarine of India, changed the fortune of a s m a l l c o m p a n y. S h e converted a small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills into one of the largest cosmetic brands of India – Lakme. Indu Jain – The Chairperson of the Times Group, Indu Jain, is a multi faceted lady who is not just an entrepreneur but also a humanist, educationist and a spiritualist. She played a very i m p o r t a n t ro l e i n t h e progress of the company. So, all women should take inspiration from these wonderful and successful women. Yours Youthfully - 14
Cover Feature
THE REINCARNATION OF ENERGY by Rachana Pathak You give her a tissue paper and she can make a fortune out of it by writing the manuscript of an all time best-seller children fiction! You give her a broken and dishevelled childhood and she can make a billionaire future out of it! You give her the logic of glass ceilings in corporate houses and she can defy it by making sure that only sky is the limit for her because she will never comply with any such laughable notions! You give her a beginning in a terror reigned small village in Kashmir and she can make it to one of the highest honours in the armed forces, becoming an idol for many innocent eyes that seek inspiration! You give her a day without the conventional technology and she can come up with an invention of her own to
suit her needs! You give her a stereotyped society with predefined course of life for a woman and she can revolutionise that society by finding a way to her calling- to serve the wounded and the suffering! Such is the magic of a beautiful life form called women. In fact it would be more appropriate to call her a miracle in itself! We have been long hearing praises for women when she plays the ever loving mother or the sweet caring sister or the charming wife or the dearest daughter. And all of that is indeed true. But with a fast changing society she is adapting at an even faster pace and is achieving what may have been called as inconceivable if it wasn't for her! Since the beginning women folk have stood up to the
challenges that the conventional patriarchal societies have posed to them and proved their mettle! Outstanding contributions of women can be enlisted throughout the human history giving names whose glory remains untarnished even after years! The metamorphosis that the human civilization has gone through has brought us face to face today with female icons who have outdone the convention and d e f i n e d n e w h o r i z o n s fo r themselves. The pure energy of will power and sheer determination has shown that no matter what the situation is, she can rise and make her way to the summit. She can take all the wrongs and make it into one big right!
J.K. ROWLING Joanne Rowling or J.K. Rowling as we better know her was struggling for years with a life where she saw no hope. Being a single mother and with meagre resources, life was very difficult for Rowling, but in spite of that she did what she knew she could do best and today she is one of the the greatest contemporary example of a Rags to Riches story! “Failure meant a stripping away of t h e i n e s s e n t i a l . I s to p p e d pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was,
and began to direct all my energy to finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one area where I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.� – J. K. Rowling.
Image Courtesy- zimbio.com Yours Youthfully -
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Cover Feature
OPRAH WINFREY Oprah Winfrey, who is regarded as the most influential woman in the world today, has a childhood story that no one would want to be a reality of their lives. She grew up in a poverty stricken broken family and faced abuse and suffered a great deal. But finally she decided to take her life in her own hands and did what she could with it. And today she is the world's only black billionaire! And not only has she climbed the success ladder in media and
entertainment sector, she has also returned proportionally to the society and maybe even more. She is one of the greatest philanthropists that have helped to shape a better world! “I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.” Oprah Winfrey.
Image Courtesy- bossip.com
INDRA NOOYI Padma Bhushan Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi, the CEO of world's second largest food business today, had her humble beginnings in a conventional Hindu family in Chennai from where she made a giant leap of faith and achieved which no one had dreamt for her. She has proved to the world that the yin half of yang is as competent as them and can lead the front no matter what confronts her! When asked whether there is a glass Courtesy- mountainlakesinternational.com
ceiling, she replied- If there is remember it is made of glass and it can be easily broken. All you have to do is try! “I grew up in a Hindu household but went to a Roman Catholic school. I grew up with a mother who said, 'I'll arrange a marriage for you at 18,' but she also said that we could achieve anything we put our minds to an encourage us to dream of becoming prime minister or president.” –Indra Nooyi.
WAHEEDA PRISM Waheeda Prism, created history by being the first woman to command the annual passing out parade of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune in the year 2006. She comes from a small village in Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, where militancy has been the other name of life. Sadly she lost her father to a militant attack in 2001in a school where he taught.
Her resolve was firm about what she wanted to achieve and has r i gh t f u l ly c o m m a n d e d h e r honour in the Indian armed forces, every ounce of which she truly deserves. She has become an eternal inspiration to all who know what it is like to grow up under the dark shadow of fights and hostility. Living up to her name given to her by her father, Prism genuinely refracts a
character as magnificent as a rainbow that shines out from a prism! “I have three different roles. When at work, I am a disciplined, devoted Naval Officer; at home, a mother and wife and a daughter when I go back to Jammu and Kashmir. I am proud to fit into each role with perfection. I am proud of my womanhood.”Waheeda Prism Khan. Yours Youthfully -
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Cover Feature
MEREDITH PERRY Meredith Perry, an energy entrepreneur who is just 22 aspires to revolutionize the way we live our lives, because she has never given up on inventing and will not let anything hold her back from materializing whatever she wants! She is a UPenn graduate in astrobiology, yet by being just a self-taught wiki learned enthusiast and no official degree in electrical engineering she has managed to invent a wireless technology for charging our gadgets like laptop and mobile phones! Once she landed in her class with her dead laptop without a charger and it occurred to her that it was 2011, and if we have quote-unquote wireless devices, they should actually be wireless! Unlike
most of us who dismiss the crazy whimsical ideas that we get, she endorsed her imagination with her zeal to actually invent and succeeded in starting UBeam! She faces a million challenges as a young entrepreneur and is ready to face them all! “In just 10 months I've (in no particular order): started a company, filed a patent, been in a David Lynch movie, been sued, fought with lawyers, flown around the country, flown in zero-gravity with NASA, researched extraterrestrial life, played drums in a band, learned the entire US legal system, got an “honorary MBA”, hosted a r a d i o s h o w, f o u g h t technology thieves, been on CNN & NPR, been to the White House, moved to NYC, graduated college, demoed my invention at All Things D.
Many debate that women are far superior to men, with that statement still under scrutiny the diligent souls among us focus on achieving parity first. Because that is what the society lacks even today- a basic sense of
respect for women as equals. But then Timothy Leary puts it the right way- that women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition. And with examples such as those aforementioned, it is most appropriate to quote Eleanor Roosevelt that “A woman is
Image Courtesy- underthebutton.com
Life's insane. From all this, I've learned: to trust no one, to keep pushing, to never give up, to take risks, and to believe in myself even when no one else does.” -Meredith Perry.
like a tea bag, you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.” Respect her in all forms and believe in her power for she is the embodiment of energy that drives the universe!
Rachana Pathak Yours Youthfully -
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Movies
PAAN SINGH TOMAR: A REVIEW Before the behemoth the IPL has become kicks off and grips the nation into a more cheaper and possibly more entertaining pasttime, March saw four major Bollywood releases in Paan Singh Tomar, London Paris New York, Kahaani and Agent Vinod. Pan Singh Tomar and Kahaani are two movies which deserve a special mention just because of the sheer freshness they brought to the silver screens. Kahaani may well be the sleeper hit of the year, a film that did not focus much on promotional blitzkrieg perhaps being confident of the solidarity of its storyline. Kahaani, directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is a dramatic thriller that thrives mainly due to its s p e c t a c u l a r s c r e e n p l a y, innovative story-telling and powerful performances. The background score and the city of Kolkata serve a perfect foil for the story. It has the gumption by portraying the premier internal security agency of the country in a bad light, a thing which is generally not seen in Indian Cinema. Somewhere you do feel that the direction is lax and could have been tighter, Kahaani gives the sucker punch but fails to deliver the knockout blow. Taking nothing away from Kahaani, it is fit to say that Paan Singh Tomar being primarily an art house cinema not only did decent business but also yet again destroyed the notion that niche audience films should be intellectual and boring. Therefore it would be only just to critique PST. Paan Singh Tomar was premiered at international film festivals in 2010 and finally released in
Indian theaters in 2012. Generally a film that has been successfully received at international film festivals is non-commercial which brings to fore the real nature of cinema and the essence of film making. But the beauty of PST lies in the fact that it is not mere art house cinema. It goes beyond that, it transcends boundaries. It is a biographical film unraveling the tale of an army sportsperson turned dacoit Paan Singh Tomar. Paan Singh Tomar is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and has in the lead role his NSD batchmate and his very good friend Irrfan Khan. Paan Singh Tomar is chiefly a flashback narrative. It opens with Paan Singh giving an interview to a local reporter in Gwalior about his journey from a hero to a bandit. Paan Singh trysts with sports begins on an ominous note; his seniors spotted streaks of defiance in him therefore they decided to use his ego in the sports field. He was a really gifted and adaptable athlete as first he was chosen to run for 5000 meter race, outclassing fellow runners in the practice runs but at the eleventh hour he was asked to change to a steeplechase runner. Pan Singh not only wins the gold medal at the Indian National games but he also wins the gold medal in the event for the next 7 years in row. In the year 1958, he also participates in the Asian Games but loses. Towards the fag end of his sportsman career, he participates in the International Military Games, which by self confession is the most important event of his life, and wins it comprehensively. Paan Singh after retirement moves back to his village to start a
new chapter of his life, despite the offer of coaching the athletes in the military being made to him. His life turns complicated when he gets involved in a tussle with his cousin brother. Despite many civilized attempts of Paan at obtaining a truce he beats up the family of Paan Singh and also severely injures his son who is also in the army. Paan Singh is not helped by the local police who in turn disrespect his achievements and label him as a coward. Paan is finally forced to hatch up a gang of sorts and open fire at his brother and eventually turn into a bandit. The rest of the movie encompasses his travails as a bandit at his peak up to his downfall in an encounter. Irrfan Khan is the international face of Bollywood, he is perhaps one of the most talented and gifted actors who has only got his due in Bollywood as he is soon becoming a very revered actor in Hollywood. He has put in some stellar performances and but when it comes to commitment, his work in PST is second to none. First of all he truly looks like an athlete and moreover the shots of the practice runs and the sport events can easily befuddle you to mistake him for a top notch athlete. Khan is a method actor; it is proven by the deft mannerisms he has inculcated in the character. The rotating of the index finger when nearing the finish line of the race is one example. The dialect spoken in the movie is typical of the folks of Madhya Pradesh, and Khan carries it with ĂŠlan. Praise has to be rendered on the characterization of Tomar's character, subtle nuances like the use of catchphrase “Bolo Haanâ€?;
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Movies
Theatrical Release Poster
show that the team was wellre s e a rc h e d . To m a r s p e a ks volumes through his eyes. The pain, anguish, the circumstantial compulsions and the responsibility of his group is much more conveyed through his eyes. One could tell that he never wanted to be what he had become, but there was no looking back on the path he had chosen. The magnetic grip he has on the audience is stupendous; you are just captivated by his dexterousness in making it all seem so simplistic. The film does make a genuine attempt at bringing to the limelight the reasons because of which Paan Singh picked up arms and became a dacoit. It is a
poignant tale, which makes you think the game destiny plays. It shows that he was forced to walk on this path. Rebels may be born but many times circumstances turn them into bandits or dacoits. The role of the administration and the police is instrumental and many times authorities are dealing with Frankenstein's. a word of praise for the director who does a competent job and allows the genius of Irrfan Khan to express himself grandly. The story tugs the heart strings at the right place and drives its point home beautifully. In the end reels the flick draws the attention to many celebrated Olympians, sportsperson and athletes who faded from the
p u b l i c a n d a d m i n i s t ra t ive memory and lived a life of poverty and died a bitter death after having giving so much for the country. Movies like PST should be promoted and PR agencies should create necessary hype among people to come and watch stuff like PST. If Peepli Live and Dhobi Ghat could open to packed theatres just because of the fact that they were promoted strongly then so could other niche cinema. It's not just to blame the a u d i e n c e s a t eve r y p o i n t , sometimes you have to employ gimmickry to sell your stuff, the makers of PST have surely missed a trick or two in this aspect. Akshay Singh Yours Youthfully -
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Movies
PERFECTLY FLAWED The problem with good story lines is useless song-dance routines and overt melodrama
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Akshay Singh Ever seen any flick from world cinema or Hollywood and wondered at the amazing characterizations, the tightness off the script and innovative screenplay? Folks have always been cribbing about the quality and the global appeal of the movies that have been churning out from Bollywood. Many people in the West still not only regard India as the land of snake charmers and come here to see the poverty; they also treat the cinema churned out by us as low-grade and frivolous. The word Bollywood is still synonymous with song and dance routines in exotic locales. Over the last five years or so; film-makers have gone bold and experimented with different plots and themes and have been rewarded with acceptance not only from the audience but also from the cash registers. We have begun to churn out some intelligent movies that are not ripped off and can compete with world cinema on an even footing. Agreed they are few and far between, but they are there. But the
question is what took it so long and is the answer onedimensional or it is just the tip of the iceberg? We try to find out. I t ' s n o t t h a t b e t t e r, intelligent cinema has never been made; any ardent follower of Indian cinema will tell you that good films have been rolled out from time to time. But chiefly the problem has been that quality has always been compromised for commercial success. The general feeling is that to make a film with crores of i nve s t m e n t s u c c e s s f u l ; sometimes the creativity of the film has to be compromised. But sometimes even good films do not fare well at the boxoffice. We take a look at some of the films that had a brilliant script, competent actors but somehow much was still desired of them. Swades Swades, directed and p ro d u c e d by A s h u to s h Gowarikar, had Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. The film was about a NRI working w i t h NA S A a s p r o j e c t manager and his connection
with his roots in India. After 12 years in the USA, when he comes to his country to find and take his nanny back with him to USA, some incidents and people change his thinking and mindset. During his stay he enlists the support of a few hundred men and guides them through the building of a reservoir beneath a perennial spring on a nearby hill. Buying turbines and other equipment with his own money, he sets up a small hydro-electric power plant that would solve the problem of irregular electricity and make the village self-sufficient. His nanny essayed by Kishori Balal refuses to go with him, and Mohan (SRK) too cannot focus on his work after returning to USA, and finally decides to return to his village and to his country. Swades was a brilliant film, Shah Rukh Khan's acting was commendable, and so were the supporting roles. The real hero of Swades was the setting and the story. It was a poignant tale of a person discovering his roots. The sequence where Mohan goes to the neighboring village to Yours Youthfully -
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Movies meet a farmer is heart wrenching. The movie makes you think, it makes you laud the attempts of the director. Swades has a downside too, the romantic angle between M o h a n a n d G aya t r i i s overplayed, at some point it threatened to take the limelight away from the crux of the story. The songs by A.R. Rehman and the lyrics by Gulzaar do a stellar job but some of the songs appear unwanted and could have b e e n do n e away w i t h . Swades was a departure from what usually is dished out of Bollywood but it didn't do well at the box office, maybe it should have been promoted with even more fervor knowing that offbeat themes garner weak response. Aakrosh Aakrosh released in the October of 2010, and it would be right to say, it sank without a trace at the box office. Directed by Priyadarshan, it had powerful performers in Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Paresh Rawal. It dealt with the issue of honor killings o t h e r p r i m i t ive s o c i a l malaise that is still prevalent in many parts of our country. The film was critically appreciated for the performances and the topic it dealt with. It was not that the film was a lecture on the
social malaise in India, it was made in a typical Bollywood fashion peppering it with item numbers, love duets and a romantic angle, the insecurity of the director clearly visible. Sometimes films on such sensitive topics get too intense and perhaps do not strike the right chords with the audience, they should be told at a breakneck speed where the audiences are fully submerged in the plot. Pukar Pukar was directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi released in 2000. It has an impressive cast comprising of Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit , Namrata Shirodkar, Om Puri, Shivaji Satham, and Danny Denzongpa. The film was critically acclaimed and was a moderate success at the box office. It won two National Film Awards, and the National Film Award for Best Actor for Anil Kapoor's performance. The plot is a story of an ace army officer caught in a web of love, j e a l o u s y, d e c e i t a n d culminating with his redemption. It is a slick plot with gifted actors who are able to pull off the characters with ĂŠlan. Even though the film was critically well received and lauded, much better could have been done. Madhuri Dixit is a fabulous gyrator;
it's ubiquitous, but that does not mean making her groove on the slightest of pretexts taking the steam of the plot. Johnny Lever is an accomplished comedian but he should not have been used in a romantic thriller. Glycerin is one chemical that has been grossly overused in Hindi cinema; overt melodrama is for Tollywood; should have been kept realistic. Examples like Swades, Aakrosh and Pukar reiterate that the problem does not lie with our performers. Our actors are as good as they can get, we are never short on talent. The flaw lies with the creators, writers and the screenplay. If it is not broken why fix it? Every film cannot be a celebration of life with larger than life characters and tear factories. Filmmakers should be bold enough to not rein in their creative horses. May be the producers thought that sprinkling the film with time tested formulas would make it a good grosser but that was not meant to be. May be one of the reasons why potential hits did not do well enough at the Box-Office was because it was highly diluted with mediocre stuff. For better cinema to come your way, the audience has to be more receptive to the efforts that materialize at theaters. Yours Youthfully -
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