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• Kalki may not marry theStack
again, recounts journey
Actor Kalki Koechlin is unlikely to tie the
knot again as she believes society has built
the institution of marriage in a way where • Celeb couple tells
women are still looked at as the weaker sex. of funny nickname
The actor — in an interview published in American singer Nick Jonas,
a recently launched book, Feminist Rani while opening up about his
written by Shaili Chopra and Meghna engagement to actor Priyanka
Pant — said the “biggest problem” with Chopra, jokingly revealed
marriage, especially for a woman, is the that their celebrity nickname
idea of “ownership”. Kalki and filmmaker will be “Prick”.
Anurag Kashyap, who got married in 2011, went During an appearance on
through a divorce in 2015 after being separated “The Tonight Show Starring
for two years. “Once I got married, I was only Jimmy Fallon” on Friday,
Jonas, 25, that he was quick
invited to the things that Anurag was invited to propose to Chopra as he
to. People would say, ‘Call Anurag’s wife’. They knew she was the one right
wouldn’t say, ‘call Kalki’ or ‘call Kalki’s husband’. away. Fallon asked whether
In marriage, a woman becomes the weaker sex, they have thought of a nick-
even if her husband doesn’t want her to be. This name for themselves.
happens because of the way society has built Priyanka, 36, who was
the institution,” she said. Stating that “honesty” standing at the side of the
and “independence” are a must in a relationship, stage, yelled, “Prick”. “She
likes Prick. I don’t like that
Kalki also shared how she went about the one that much,” Jonas said
process of coming out of her marriage after the as Fallon shot down the sug-
divorce. “... I found myself alone after a very long gestion. The singer said after
time. I had to fill up that empty space somehow. I they got engaged in America,
didn’t want to fill it up by going crazy and getting they went to India for a tradi- that lies at the core of every heart? Kamlesh D. Patel
drunk, or by surrounding myself with the people. tional ceremony.
I chose the introverted version of filling up He said they felt “full of
myself by spending more time at home, with the joy” after their ceremony and
thought that now they should
family... I’m happy I went through that journey,” make it public.
she said.
• AVRIL’S HEAD ABOVE WATER, FINALLY NEVER FELT I
THE SINGER COMES UP WITH FIRST SINGLE IN YEARS AFTER FIGHTING LYME DISEASE
Singer Avril Lavigne will be releasing new HAVE FAILED’
music soon. The singer, behind huge hits in-
cluding Sk8er Boi, Complicated and Here’s to
Never Growing Up, announced that her new
single titled Head Above Water will be out on
September 19. “I spent the last few years at
home sick fighting Lyme Disease. Those were
the worst years of my life as I went through
both physical and emotional battles. I was
able to turn that fight into music I’m really
proud of. I wrote songs in my bed and on the
couch and recorded there mostly as well,”
Avril said. Head Above Water is the first song
Avril wrote from her bed during “one of the Govinda
• Avril in action New must is ready scariest moments of my life.” (In an interview)
TEHELKA / 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 64 WWW.TEHELKA.COM
64 VanityFair.indd 2 9/17/2018 8:56:23 PM 65 Stack&BookReview.indd
RESEARCHING STEPS
OF CLASSICAL DANCE
FRONTIERS
explores the various rasas of Bharatanatyam
By Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran In the book Dance Theatre of India, the author
and other dance forms
The massive armies of the Mughal empire and the allied kingdoms TRANSLATED FROM French, the non-fiction Dance
have been unleashed to crush the Maratha warrior Chattrapati
Shivaji. What will happen when two of the biggest Theatre of India provides both an insider’s and
enemies in the history of Hindustan come face to an outsider’s perspective. The author — Katia
face? Aurangzeb has ascended to the throne in the Légeret-Manochhaya — narrates her real life ex-
North, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. His aim is periences with the art forms she learned in India.
to conquer the kingdoms of the Deccan and expand With distinguished expertise on the aesthetics
the great Mughal empire to include hitherto unchart- of Indian dance theatre, the author speaks of its
ed, rebellious territories. Unforgiving and relentless, influence on Europe and how it is staged theatri-
he unleashes his violent rage against anyone who cally in contemporary France — Transformed into
tries to tame his ambition. Shivaji, a jagirdar from the a transcultural piece of work in its very essence,
hills of western Deccan, dreams of Swaraj and has
this book overcomes all barriers — linguistic,
raised his sword against all those who stand between literary, physical, cultural and geographical — to
him and his goal. He wins and conquers, escapes death traps bring the global community of actor-dancers from
through masterful strategy, unrivalled courage and intelligence to the world of dance theatre to the fore.
become a force to reckon with — a thorn in Aurangzeb’s flesh. Theirs In the 142-page book, published by Niyogi
is a battle of wit and might — one in which neither will give up. Books, the author explores
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- the various rasas of Bhara-
tanatyam and other dance
THE HEARTFULNESS WAY forms, both as a dancer
and a researcher. The book
By Kamlesh D. Patel; Westland
transports the reader to a
As we manoeuvre the many demands of relationships, career, world of dance and drama
property and health, we often sense a void, a feeling of alienation where one can enjoy the
from our true selves. Is it possible for one planet to various expressions of
orbit so many suns? We have many centres in our the artists in colourful
lives, yet where is the true centre, the deepest centre costumes while narrating
stories from all over the
traces a seeker’s journey as he examines the nature world.
Katia finds it difficult to
of spiritual search. Through a series of illuminat- classify Indian theatre and
ing conversations between a teacher and a student,
Daaji reveals the core principles of the Heartfulness dance according to Western
practice and philosophy to Joshua Pollock, a Heartful- professional artistic categories. This is because
ness practitioner and trainer. From reflecting on the actors in India are also dancers, musicians and
essence of prayer and yogic transmission to demysti- storytellers. Bharatanatyam is a form of dance
fying the act of meditation through practical tips, this theatre like Kathakali or Odissi. In any case,
book will enable us to live beyond the filters of our sensory limita- reducing it to dance alone would be disrespect-
ful to the immense acting work required to act
tions and discover unity within ourselves.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- out the stories of major literary texts such as the
Mahabharata or the Ramayana, she points out.
THE ESCAPISTS OF J. MULLICK ROAD The book carries a number of photographic
By Usha Ananda Krishna; Speaking Tiger portraits of various live dance performances to
explain the author’s perspective to the readers.
In the aftermath of a bizarre confrontation with Kalol Mondala — a The author raises several questions in the book,
small-time hustler and Party goon — Pinaki Bose, a timid Bengali discusses the relevant issues and comes up with
babu bumbles into the ambit of the savagely brilliant her explanations.
architect, Biren Roy. Dazzled by Biren’s breadth of At the outset, she clarifies that she is inter-
vision and utter contempt for the conventional, he ested in the new relations between dance and
commissions him to design a country house, com- theatre. According to the most ancient principles
mitting the whole family’s savings to it. But Biren, from the Natya-sastra, a founding text in India
paralysed by his grand ideals and his passion for per- for the dramatic arts, dance and theatre go hand
fection, is slowly sinking into a drunken torpor. And in hand. As one browses through the pages, one
Pinaki, ignorant of the Party’s involvement in all land is transported to a world of dance and drama
deals, must endure not just Kalol Mondal’s ominous reading the various expressions of the artists in
presence while buying his plot, but more worryingly, colorful costumes narrating stories from all over
his infatuation with Pinaki’s young daughter. the world.
TEHELKA / 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 65 WWW.TEHELKA.COM
3 9/17/2018 8:58:42 PM