Portrait of an author

Maheswata Devi as an activist has never cared much for publicity. But the Ramon Magsaysay award winner may soon have a place on celluloid. A film on her life tentatively titled Journey of an Indian Author is being planned by filmmaker Joshy Joseph. Joseph, who met the author two months ago, travelled with her to Purulia where she has spent almost 25 years working with the Shabar tribe. He also accompanied her to Nandigram, which, according to Joseph, is always on her mind. Joseph has mentioned that he found the trip with her inspiring and the film would be more on her work than her personality. Will the convergence of the pen and the camera provide a new dimension to one of the most heated controversies in Bengal in recent times?

 

Scent of a man

Fashion designer Rocky S. is no longer content to rock the ramp. The man responsible for the look of the entire cast of Goal starring John Abraham, Bipasha Basu and Arshad Warsi, has developed a nose for a fragrance of his own. “I collect perfumes and have dreamed of having my own scent,” says the designer. That dream is now a reality. This week, he launched his own perfume — “a sexy love potion” as he calls it — labelled after his clothing line, Rocky S. Noir, in Mumbai. He is the first Indian designer to do so, following in the footsteps of international fashion czars such as Giorgio Armani. The perfume took him to Paris where he decided on the bottle shape, the juice and the cap. A 100 ml bottle of the scent costs Rs 1,750 for women and Rs 1,850 for men. Smells good? Or does the price stink?

Capital mutiny

It’s bash time, folks! And the occasion is the 150th year of India’s first war of independence, known in some stubborn circles as the Mutiny. But there is trouble brewing in Delhi, where a huge jamboree was being organised at the Red Fort on May 11. The original plan was like this: culture activist Rajeev Sethi’s Asia Heritage Foundation was in charge of what was going to be a musical extravaganza. Thousands of musicians were to gather from all over India; the popular music band, Indian Ocean, was to record some of the music live, and actors Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji were to host the ceremony. But that was last week. The stop-press news is that the plans have all gone awry. It seems that one section of the government wants to sideline Sethi and take over the celebration. Now, with all the confusion, the organisers are not even sure if the programme is going to be held at all. And last heard, Indian Ocean had walked out of the show. Mutiny in the ranks?

 

Full of beans

Guess who’s coming to coffee? Or rather, Koffee? Karan Johar’s chat show this evening features Mumbai’s favourite item girl, Rakhi Sawant. The television, clearly, is the medium for Sawant, who was so popular in Sony’s reality television show Bigg Boss that she was brought back by public demand even after being evicted. Known for her utter lack of diplomacy and in-your-face answers, Sawant is expected to give the host — himself no diplomat — a run for his money. Want a sample? Asked about whether she was sensational from the very beginning, she is said to have replied, “Yeah. That’s why my parents don’t like me.” They, and Mika.

 

 

 

Business as usual

Those interested in business — and the world outside business — would remember a book on R.K. Dalmia, written by one of his many daughters from one of his many wives. Neelima Dalmia Adhar’s book, Father Dearest, was a candid account of her industrialist father who had six wives and 18 children. Four years later, Adhar — who is married to a realtor once close to Mulayam Singh Yadav — is just out with her new book. Called the Merchants of Death, the novel traces the lives and time of members of the House of Loyas. Business watchers would find something familiar about the Loyas. They are arms dealers-turned-hoteliers-turned airline owners. That rings a bell, but Adhar goes on to focus on the life of her protagonist, Bharat, in her new novel, launched in the capital earlier this week. Bharat, we are told, grows up with a deep-rooted mother fixation and falls in love with his grandmother’s half sister. And we were worrying about the Gere-Shetty muwah?