To bee or not to bee

Others have stamp collections, P.C. Sorcar (Junior) has insects. That’s not surprising for the man believes there is magic in the natural world. Sorcar, who has collected insects from across the globe, says the inherent beauty of the creatures speaks of a magical element in nature. “Just to look at the resplendent wings of a butterfly or the dazzle of a beetle reminds one that there is magic in the way they go about their daily lives,” he says. “Or take the case of stick insects that blend so well in the background of tree bark that they become invisible to predators.” He, however, is against killing insects. “I collected only dead insects,” he says. But the magician doesn’t have plans of increasing his collection. “I began to feel that the collection was beginning to resemble a cemetery,” he says.

Lady with the lens

The acorn, as they say, never really falls far from the tree. We know of Dayanita Singh’s photographs, showcased in several books and exhibition. But the latest edition of Granta tells us where Singh inherits her talent from. The journal, which describes itself as the magazine of new writing, carries a collection of photographs taken by her mother, Nony Singh. And Dayanita, who is usually on the other side of the lens, is the central figure in most of the pictures — as a baby, in frilly frocks, in a gypsy outfit and so on. Nony Singh took her first snap — of her mother at a picnic — in 1943, when she was seven years old. Then, years later, she gave a box of old photographs to daughter Nixi, or Dayanita. The photographs were exhibited in France earlier this year. And now Granta has come out with a collection. This lot, clearly, says a thousand words.

Only lonely

Speaking of Saawariya, serial kisser Saif Ali Khan was present at the premier of the film earlier this week. And, of course, he came with girlfriend Kareena — both in black and holding hands. Strangely, the media were not as interested in the pair as they were in her former boyfriend Shahid Kapur. The chocolate box hero made an entry all by himself, but with a big smile. Unlike the new lovers, he made it a point to stop and talk to the media. Now the world waits for Shahid and Kareena’s first film Milenge Milenge, which they had signed up five years ago, but will only be released after three months. And somebody somewhere has a quirky sense of humour. The film is slated for release around Valentine’s Day.

Style and textile

Some women love clothes, some love cloth. Anuradha Vakil is among those with a passion for textiles. Vakil, who quit her corporate job to set up her own design studio Noor, has already made quite an impact with her work. That’s possibly why director Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked her to design the costumes for Saawariya. “I was a bit hesitant to take up this venture as my work in fashion is deeply rooted in crafts and you don’t see that very often in mainstream cinema. But my instinct told me to trust this artist par excellence,” she says. “I went to the first meeting... and was bowled over!’ Vakil designed the costumes for the two female actors, Sonam Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee. The colour palette was derived from the plot — dominated by green and blue, colours that denote Krishna — and the silhouettes were inspired by Islamic art and culture. So the film only not marks the arrival of the star pair, Sonam and Ranbir, but also of a new entrant in Bollywood’s fashion industry. Take a bow, Vakil — in brocade, ikkat or appliqué.

Ball and the belle

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the hottest of them all? Well, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is hot all right, but we hear Irfan Pathan is not all that tepid either. Yes, while the Indian cricket team captain may have set many a hearts aflutter with his looks and style, for some it’s the medium pacer from Baroda who does all the bowling out. Among them is former Miss India-turned-actress Sayali Bhagat. Bhagat, who starred in the film The Train opposite Emraan Hashmi and who says that her dream hero is Dilip Kumar, has confessed that when it comes to crickters, it’s Pathan who she thinks is the best. “My dream hero is Dilip Kumar but my favourite cricketer is Irfan Pathan,” she gushes. From one Pathan to another?