New role

After straddling mainstream and arthouse cinema for decades, veteran actor Anupam Kher says it is now time to give something back to Indian cinema. His acting school is part of that effort. Announcing the opening of the Chennai edition of his school, Actor Prepares, in partnership with south Indian actress Radhikaa Sarath Kumar, Kher said that new actors were “petrified” to face the camera today and needed help and guidance. And he is relishing his new role as a teacher. “Even if I am not remembered for my acting, I will be happy to be known as a good teacher,” he said. We beg to differ, Mr Kher. The consummate actor that he is (who can forget Saaransh?), we will always remember Anupam Kher. With or without his acting school.

In camera

Kausiki Sarma is on a mission to bring people closer to the Northeast. Sarma, a young and upcoming photographer from Assam, has put together a photographic exhibition titled Unheard Voices to be displayed at Jamia Milia Islamia University in Delhi next month. Sarma has captured the women victims of armed conflicts in Assam and Nagaland. The work, which is part of a year-long study on the “Impact of Armed Conflict in Assam and Nagaland” conducted by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, has been shot across several districts in Assam and Nagaland. The 28-year-old quit her job in a market research firm to return to her roots and narrate stories from the Northeast through her images. A noble enterprise indeed.

Soul food

If you are looking for some spiritual fare, check out ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh’s new devotional album Nivedan. Fittingly, and in keeping with the spiritual theme, it was launched at the Juhu Iskcon temple in Mumbai recently. The album, which has been produced by Vikram Bhatt’s music label ASA Music, has lyrics by Kavi Narayan Agarwal. But this is no run-of the-mill devotional fare. Sung in Singh’s matchless, soulful voice, the songs are supposed to be in the form of a prayer to the Almighty for mental peace and self-realisation. Soul food, what?

Animal instinct

Freida Pinto is certainly going places. The actress who struck gold with her role in the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire has been making a name for herself in Hollywood. After catching the attention of Woody Allen and starring in his film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Pinto is now all set for her next Hollywood release, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Starring opposite James Franco, she plays the role of a primatologist in the film. But in real life, the actress is not too comfortable with animals. Says Pinto, “I don’t think I am particularly good with animals because I do have a little fear in me. I don’t know what it is or where it comes from.” How refreshing to find a celeb who is actually scared of animals rather than totally in love with them!

Ad mad

It seems advertising has suddenly become the flavour of the season when it comes to book publishing. Two books on adland hit the shelves last week. One is by Indu Balachandran, former vice-president and executive creative director of J. Walter Thompson, who’s written Don’t Go Away, We’ll Be Right Back: The Oops and Downs of Advertising. The verbosity of the title notwithstanding, the book is said to be a tongue-in-cheek take on ad agency types and has some excellent illustrations to boot. The other book is a romantic fiction set in the world of advertising and is written by Manasi Vaidya. Interestingly, both have a “must read” recommendation from the “superstar” face of advertising — R. Balki, chairman of Lowe India and director of Amitabh Bachchan vehicles like Cheeni Kum and Paa. Well, a touch of Bollywood always goes a long way.