Life ke Panne

Published in the Express Week dated August 30, Saturday, 1997. Copyright: The Indian Express, Chennai. From time immemorial jewellery has played an integral part in enhancing the beauty of a woman. And when it comes to the yellow metal, people go crazy. In spite of its exorbitant prices. Lalitha Jewellery, a fore-runner in jewellery business has embossed its name as a pioneer in fashion jewellery which catches the eyes of every passerby at Usman Road in T Nagar. The Raja Ganapathi and Devi statues engraved in stone at the entrance provide a traditional welcome. This double-storeyed jewellery store can work even the sanest of shoppers up into a frenzy. At the ground floor on display is a variety of jewellery catering to the needs of customers with varied tastes. Gold watches, bracelets, bangles, ear drops, necklaces, chains, rings, nose rings, and so on. Junk jewellery in 24-carat gold, that intrigues the younger crowd is also part of the display. A special section with a v...

Published in the Express Week dated April 4, Saturday, 1998. Copyright: The Indian Express, Chennai. Normally, the word 'painting' would stimulate serious thought. Add a bunch of enthusiastic children to the picture and what you get is a canvas of spontaneous creativity. No holds barred. Youngsters at the AMM Matriculation School, Kotturpuram gave their own idea to the subject of freedom, with live brush stroke images that were transferred from their imagination to the school compound wall. Explained Chennai-based artist V. V. Ramani, "The idea came up when the students were asked to create something to commemorate the 50th year of Indian independence. Many responded with pictures of the tricolour or portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru." "To make the presentation different, we allowed the children to let their minds free. Given only ten minutes, each child came up with a new concept. All these students are individually talented but lack expo...

I want to leave now, Leave behind everything And never come back ever. I'm done. Sick and tired, Drained and deflated, Breathless, exhausted, Content and counting -- Hours, days, weeks and months. False prestige, honour battles, Race for money, Quest for castles, Ego tussles, family squabbles. I'm sick, tired, exhausted, I want to leave now, 'Cause I'm done. -- SS

Published in the Express Week dated December 27, Saturday, 1997. Copyright: The Indian Express, Chennai. Three years ago, Adyar came to Mount Road for books. Today, there's a jungle closer in the Odyssey -- a book store that shares creativity, a fusion of age-old sentiments and youthful ideas. Books, toys, greeting cards, CD-ROMs and above all, convenience at a quality. An idea conceived exclusively for Adyarites, Odyssey is the vantage point for books. Managing Director Sudharshan D. Reddy puts it this way: "I had always felt that Adyar needed a good bookstore. After almost a decade-long experience in selling, I thought I could make my dream come true. And that's how Odyssey opened its wings in April 1994." In keeping with the business, he named it after the epic. The bookstore caters to every reader -- the generalist and the specialist. Fiction, self-help, management, Sci-Fi, computers, general studies, interiors, art, literature, horoscope, wild life...

Published in Express Week, a supplement of the Indian Express,  dated November 8, Saturday, 1997. Copyright: The New Indian Express, Chennai. The combination of music director Jawahar Wattal and Daler Mehndi seems to be going places with yet another album, "Ho Jayegi Balle Balle." Bhangra pop lovers, get ready to groove to the beats. 'Ho Jayegi Balle Balle,' in typical Punjabi style, starts off with a chorus. 'Dilruba-o-Dilruba' is a catchy typical brisk-paced bhangra number, luring tiny tots to twist their waists and dance to the beats. But for non-Punjabi pop music lovers, it is just another 'catch it, flaunt it' types, on the lines of his earlier 'Bolo Tara ra ra', 'Dil mera nal nal' and 'Dardi rab rab', with a slight difference though. Lyricists Sanjeev Anand and Daler Mehndi have contributed their best to romantic tracks, 'Yug beet gaye' and 'Tere mere pyar nu' which linger on and can receive...

Published in Express Week, a supplement of the Indian Express, Chennai Edition dated August 16, 1997. Copyright: The New Indian Express, Chennai Hers is not a face that you forget easily. Anne Anra or 'Baby Annie' who was first introduced to the film world in Kamal Hassan's 'Avvai Shanmughi' has also acted in many commercials. 'Expressweek' spoke to the child star who is currently taking ballet lessons at the Russian Culture Centre'. So Annie, tell us about yourself. I'm studying in the third standard in Sherwood Hall Higher Secondary School. I have lots of friends. My teachers like me a lot. I got my progress card recently and scored 100 marks in science, my favourite subject. I also like Maths and the 'Swift Reader' which is thick but I have finished reading it already. What do you like to become when you grow up? A doctor. But I will continue to act and dance. Do you like dancing? Very much. I'm attending dance clas...