Wednesday, April 20, 2011

JULIA ROBERTS EATING, PRAYING, LOVING

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

With her ever smiling visage radiating in trademark style, Julia Roberts reflects on the journey that was 'Eat Pray Love'. by Cindy Pearlman

There are times when even a pretty woman has to let herself go, and for Julia Roberts one of those moments came at a local pizzeria in Naples, Italy, during the making of her new film, 'Eat Pray Love.'

'I ate eight slices of pizza in 45 minutes,' Roberts recalls. 'Sure, the utter deliciousness of it wore off on Slice 7, but there I was, just wolfing it down for womankind across the globe.'

Eight slices? Really?

'I wasJULIA ROBERTS so excited to be in Naples that I had my character shove an entire slice of pizza into her mouth during the first take,' Roberts explains, laughing. 'I didn't even know why. And there were several takes to go.'

If any of that pizza went to her hips, it's not apparent on a cool summer morning in Napa Valley, Calif., as the 42-year-old actress settles in for an interview at a posh hotel. Arriving via a limousine, Roberts walks past a bar full of vacationing wine aficionados who don't look up as she passes, and sits down to talk about 'Eat Pray Love.' Looking willowy thin in black, pleated pants and a poufy, white-silk Givenchy shirt, Roberts wears her hair dark and flowing over her thin face, and her smile is supersized. The film, directed by Ryan Murphy, is based on the best-selling memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. Roberts plays Gilbert, who finds herself trapped in unhealthy habits after a painful divorce and decides to make a radical break with her past, heading on an around-the-world trip that includes extended stays in Italy, India and Bali, where she respectively learns to eat, to pray and to love again. Billy Crudup plays her ex, with Javier Bardem as Gilbert's future husband, Felipe.

'I gained under 10 pounds for this movie,' Roberts says. "Let's set the record straight, because I've read it was much, much more.

'I packed on the pounds during the Italy part of the shoot,' she says, 'but then people said, 'Oh, you'll lose it when you film in India.''

She rolls her eyes.

'Somehow I didn't get that memo,' she says.

It took a great deal of consideration, Roberts says, before she signed on to 'Eat Pray Love.'

'When I first had lunch with Ryan, I didn't have any clue if I'd actually do this project,' she recalls. "For starters, I'm a mother of three young children and this was a huge work load. This wasn't just driving to Sony three days a week to shoot on a sound stage. It was shooting around the world. I didn't know if I could commit my family.

'And the other issue was Ryan Murphy, who sat there as the most relaxed man in the world,' Roberts says. 'I thought, 'Who is this guy?''

To her surprise, instead of giving her a hard sell, Murphy told her that he didn't want her to take the part unless she could jump in with both feet. 'He didn't want me if I couldn't give heart and soul,' the actress says. 'And now I'm so glad I did the movie, because I leave it as in love with Ryan as I was on that first day.'

The two are, in fact, developing a new romantic comedy to shoot next year.

The biggest selling point, however, was Gilbert's memoir, which ' like millions of other women ' Roberts had devoured when it first appeared.

'I read the book before it was hugely popular,' she says. 'I'm someone who is easily swayed. I'm always determined not to like something or to like it better than anyone else. When I heard about this book, I didn't wait for the buzz: I bought two copies and sent one to my best friend in Chicago. I said, 'This seems special. Let's read it together.''

She decided to meet Gilbert herself only after she had sorted out how she would play the character.

'I didn't want to meet her until we got to the first location, which was Rome,' Roberts says. "It was one of the smarter things I've done in the last four years. I knew Liz Gilbert on paper, from the book and the script, which is how it should be. I didn't want to fall too in love with her and try to be her. It was my job to interpret her as an actor.

'So I waited until we were too far in the process to change my performance.'

Though it increased the cost and the length of the shoot, Murphy decided to recreate the arc of Gilbert's journey, shooting the film in chronological order.

'For me it was a great luxury to shoot it the way it happened,' Roberts says. "It was almost necessary for the emotional evolution. Plus you can't start any movie in Bali and then leave!

'Seriously, it was important for us to create the steps Liz took and understand exactly what she got from each part of her journey,' she says. 'She needed this wisdom before she could move on.'

The trickiest part of that journey was the first step, in which Gilbert ends what looks on the face of it to be a happy marriage. There is no cheating, no abuse, no conflict ' she has simply fallen out of love with her husband.

'More than anything else in the movie,' Roberts says, 'that had to feel real. There is often no right and no wrong in a relationship, and no one is right or wrong. Everyone is a little bit of both.'

The actressJULIA ROBERTS says that she can understand the search for true love. As is well known, she was engaged to Kiefer Sutherland and to Dylan McDermott, and also had relationships with Liam Neeson and Benjamin Bratt, as well as a previous marriage to singer Lyle Lovett in 1993. They divorced in 1995, and since 2002 she has been married to cameraman Danny Moder, father of 5-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and 3-year-old Henry. 'I wasn't searching in the same urgent, persistent way as Liz experienced,' Roberts says, 'but I definitely knew that my life needed to evolve until I found a place where I wanted to live in forever ' which is the home I have now. I related to her searching and her perseverance.'

Her own search, she emphasises, is over.

'It's great to finally get there,' she says, 'to come home and say, 'Good. Everyone is here. We're all good.''

Roberts took her husband and their children to all the 'Eat Pray Love' locations, which wasn't for the faint of heart.

'I had this 10-pound box, I'll call my mother's pack,' the actress recalls with a laugh. 'It was filled with medicines and Tylenol and Band-Aids and another nine pounds of snacks. One of my favorite bites in India was the granola bars I packed.'

The sights and experiences of India were not to be missed, however.

'There was an extraordinary village where all of the women wore the most gorgeous, brightly coloured clothing,' Roberts recalls. 'They were profoundly stunning. I asked and was told that these bright clothes were only for women who were married ' if the husband passed away, then she had to take it all off.'

As for the local cuisine in Italy and Bali, well, it didn't hurt her efforts to gain a bit of weight for the role.

'I thought I'd hurt myself trying to get my jeans on,' Roberts says with a laugh.

She agrees with Gilbert, she adds, that men don't mind a few extra pounds.

'I also believe that guys don't care about what you look like naked,' Roberts says with a laugh. 'Anyway, that's what dimmer switches are for!'

Her scenes with Bardem, who joined the company only when it reached Bali, were among Roberts' favourites in the film.

'Working with Javier was like getting a puppy,' she says. 'I'm serious. I was settled into the role, and he came to the set with so much enthusiasm like a puppy. Javier was like, 'Let's go read scenes! Let's go talk! Let's go over stuff!' His excitement was actually contagious.'

Bardem was still fresh from 'No Country for Old Men' (2007), in which his performance as a stone-cold killer earned him an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor.

'I was terrified of 'No Country for Old Men,'' Roberts admits. 'One day Javier pulled out a picture of himself as that character, and I jumped about 10 feet.'

The eating and loving get most of the attention in the film, but praying is a big part of Gilbert's story.

'It's your job to figure out how to pray,' Roberts says thoughtfully. 'I think you must relate to a creation that's more than you, or you can't accomplish other things in life. How you name it is insignificant. What you're doing to accomplish those prayers is what counts.'


For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students

Saturday, April 16, 2011

THE LOSERS: Losing the plot

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

TSI Five-O: Action packed and slick, but that's about all

A bunch of rugged looking men hailing from the Special Forces' unit sent in to destroy a drug establishment in the Bolivian Jungles ' this is how 'The Losers' greet you! Why they're called the losers isn't all that clear (when you can clearly see them accomplishing almost anything), but the plot is centered on a double cross and revenge scenario, where these five heroes are betrayed and left for dead.

Jensen (Chris Evans) is the tech guy; who proves his worth towards the end of the flick. Cougar (Oscar Jaenada) is the super sniper, a man of few words who manages to shoot almost anything from any distance. Pooch (Columbus Short) is the skilled driver who is skilled enough to make any vehicle operational but disappoints towards the end of the movie; not with his acting but due to poor direction by Silvain White, when he is shown driving, standing and fighting even while being shot in both legs. But then White perhaps went a little overboard with action sequences and stunts to honour the slick stylisation of the 'Losers' comic on which the film is based. Roque (Idris Elba) is the big guy handy with knives. And Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) tries to command them all.

Lying low in Bolivia and living a life of anonymity, the gang is desperate to get even with mysterious betrayer Max (Jason Patric), when Clay is greeted by Aisha (Zoe Saldana) who also has her own reasons to settle scores with the heavily guarded Max. With a zillion bullets, explosions and stunts, 'The Losers' finally get to Max, only to realize there is more to the betrayal saga!

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

WE ARE FAMILY: Family ties

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

TSI Five-O: Tearjerker that punches above its weight

Karan Johar's production values are always neat. Shunning Indian settings for foreign locales, the eye candy always masks the other weaknesses in the films; the plot, for instance. 'We Are Family' (an acknowledged remake of 'Stepmom') treads the same path and toes the same lines. And while it is good fare, its insistence on being a tearjerker all the way makes it a tad heavy. The film could have greatly benefited from a slightly higher dose of humour (more scenes like the one where the dad and son have a little chat at the dinnWE ARE FAMILYer table). Melodramatic fare that it is, 'We Are family' lays it on thick in the 'situations-so-emotional-that-you-must-cry' department with the story of a divorced mom Maya (Kajol) bringing up her three kids who learns that she has cervical cancer. She shifts into succession planning mode hunting for someone to replace her for the kids, and needs to look no further than Shreya (Kareena Kapoor) who her ex-hubby Aman (Arjun Rampal) is currently dating. Terminally ill mom breaks the news to the kids, and brings the other woman into the picture. Predictably, they don't get along initially but Maya insists that Shreya can be a good mother. Her logic? She's also a woman, after all! The situations, though clich'd, are handled with maturity.

The reason is Kajol who shines in the film, managing the conflicting emotions within her character with 'lan while Arjun Rampal is mostly relegated to the background, but maintains an assured presence. Kareena Kapoor acquits herself honourably from a role that was tricky to say the least while the fresh faced kids pull off heartwarming performances. The youngest, Anjali, played adorably by Diya Sonecha is the pick of the lot. 'We Are Family' manages to strike an emotional chord (motherhood always does) but a protracted end slightly trivialises the gravitas the story acquires. All said, do remember to keep a box of tissues handy.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

Saturday, April 09, 2011

The pride of India goes awry

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

It was during the pre-Independence era that the movement of khadi manufacturing gained momentum under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi. The movement of manufacturing and wearing khadi was aimed at dissuading Indians from wearing foreign clothes.

Gandhi once wrote: 'Swaraj (self-rule) without swadeshi (country made goods) is a lifeless corpse and if swadeshi is the soul of swaraj, khadi is the essence of swadeshi.' With these words of Gandhi, during the national struggle for freedom (Swadeshi and Non-Cooperation Movement), khadi became not only a symbol of revolution and resistance but also a part of the Indian identity.

No more rebate

The withdrawal of 10% rebate, which was given to the khadi industry around the year, and 20% that was given for 108 days a year to mark the Gandhi Jayanti, has left the local khadi industry in the lurch with many units facing an immediate closure.The government has decided to put an end to the rebate given to the khadi industry from April 1, 2010 onwards.The industry, which was highly dependent on the rebate, has been hit hard by the hurried decision.

Experts say that khadi and village industries in the country provide employment to a number of artisans. 'The government's move might render this workforce jobless in the near future,' an industry observer says. According to Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) members, a chain reaction has started in the rural khadi units ' no increment to the Sarvodaya Sangh workers, no daily wages to poor weavers, weavers moving to construction work etc. Opposition leaders raised the issue in Parliament, saying it is inappropriate and unfair on the part of the government to stop the rebate abruptly as this was introduced to promote the khadi industry, which was endorsed by Mahatma Gandhi himself.from bad to worse

The rebate was the lifeline for the industry as the clothes were being sold at 30% of cost, and undoubtedly, this will further push the sector towards extinction as this resource crisis gets worse. Sector experts say it's quite interesting that on one side, the government announced an allocation of Rs 400 crore for the khadi industry in the Union Budget 2010, and at the same time, it has done away with the rebate. At present, the government owes over Rs 450 crore to Haryana alone as rebate. Even bank loans, that were given at 4%, are now pegged at 12%, which makes it all the more difficult for the khadi units to survive. 'We shall continue doing the needful and live the Gandhian way in spite of all the opposition from the government and will fight for our cause,' says a store manager at Khadi Gramodyog in Delhi.

In order to promote market for khadi products, the government through KVIC brought in a policy of rebate on sale of khadi and khadi products till 2009-10. According to KVIC statistics, the khadi industry had a production of Rs 17,338. 87 crore as of 2008-09, a sales of Rs 22,748.19 crore and employment of 103.91 lakh. New schemes

The government is mulling to float a flexible scheme ' Market Development Assistance (MDA) ' as a replacement of the rebate on sales, which will be implemented in the next financial year. The scheme will provide financial assistance at 20% of production value on khadi and polyvastra, which will be shared among artisans, producing institutions and selling institutions in the ratio 25:30:50. It is believed that sales will be evenly spread throughout the year and further the institutions will have the flexibility to use the assistance in improving the outlets, products, giving incentives to customers.

Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for MSME, Dinsha Patel, said that the existing scheme caused delay in paying incentives to the institutions. Under MDA, incentive would be provided immediately after production of the items, which will ease the working capital situation of the institutions by ensuring immediate liquidity, which would in turn, ensure timely payment to the artisans, ultimately benefiting the artisans.

According to the 2009-2010 report of the MSME, the value of khadi produced in the country fell from Rs 585.25 crore in 2008 to Rs 484.45 crore by December 2009. Over 80% of annual sales of khadi products are during discount season, while less than 20% of sales are during the remaining eight months. The khadi commission employs a million artisans out of which 80% are women. In order to show their protest, the Khadi Stock Ashrams in Haridwar protested in front of the shop, weaving khadi on the charkha, showing their resistance in Gandhian style.

Forlorn hopes

The grimmer portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, grungy and faded colours of the national flags are ignored by passersby that lay unnoticed for years at the Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan in Connaught Place (the central business district of Delhi), the somnolent air fills the place of its lost history and now even the purpose that it laid for years together, today hang broodingly while made-in-India flashes from one side. Naresh Kadyan, secretary general of National Khadi & Village Industries Board's Employees Federation, is running an online petition (change.org) that targets government to oppose these rebate cuts that make a common man suffer. At the time of filing the story, 132 people had signed the petition. He says, 'The withdrawal of rebate has hit the mission and due to lack of funds, activities will face huge financial crises. It would definitely make things worse, proper funding, monitoring and honest implementation is the need of the hour.'

Losing spirit

Khadi was introduced in 1920 as a political weapon and as the best instrument for giving concrete expression to the swadeshi spirit to boycott foreign goods. It is still being used as a political weapon but with a different approach. In those days, khadi rendered an opportunity to every man, woman and child to cultivate self-discipline and self-sacrifice as a part of the non-cooperation movement. However, all these spirits are dying with cultivation of corruption and selfish motives of the new India. On repeated attempts made by TSI to take official reaction on the issue, KVIC officials refused to comment. The khadi industry pleads for a major transformation today. As most of the politicians are shifting from khadi to linen clothes, there's no one left to cut a figure in the society for khadi.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

An array of unconventional career options
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES