Entertainment

Jamshedpur, April 27: What started as a catharsis for a handful of movie lovers is about to complete a dozen years of bringing cinematic excellence to the steel city.

A 10-day silver screen razzmatazz is all set to dazzle Jamshedpur with the film festival, organised by Celluloid Chapter, scheduled to kick off from April 29.

From featuring reel bites of Indian masters like Rituparno Ghosh to the nuances and subtleties of Oscar-nominated Iranian director Majid Majidi, the film festival this year will be a treat for all with a taste for quality cinema.

“We have tried our best to get an array of international classics and award-winning movies, which are otherwise not available,” said Debasish Chakravarty, general secretary of Celluloid Chapter.

Jamshedpur, April 23: This may have been her maiden performance in Jamshedpur, but Chandana Mazumdar Roy, the popular folk star from Bangladesh who was here to perform at the United Club this Saturday as part of the Bengali New Year’s celebrations, is already familiar with the city.

“I grew up listening to stories about Jamshedpur. My grandfather worked here with Tata Steel and my father was born and brought up here,” she had said, while relaxing after a tiring day of riyaz.

Coming to this city was always a dream for Chandana, who has performed at various international concerts and is a leading name in Bengali folk music.

Raj Singh in his shop. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, April 19: The chimes of the wedding bells of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai will be heard in Jamshedpur, too.

Raj Singh, a die-hard fan of Amitabh Bachchan, has made arrangements for the wedding of the two Bollywood stars, as he feels it is his “duty” to celebrate the grand occasion.

A puja has been planned at the nearby sun temple in which dolls symbolising Abhishek and Aishwarya will be married. A baraat will also be taken out to reach the temple with a band party.

“After the puja, we will distribute sweets and snacks to the baraatis. The entire place is being decorated with jhalars and chamkis,” said Singh.

Jamshedpur, April 16: Neither a recent pot boiler nor a “serious” film made by students of some film institute, but a documentary on Manipur would mark the beginning of the 12th international Jamshedpur film festival slated to begin from April 29.

Titled Manipur Cocktail, this documentary has been made by national award winner and city-based filmmaker Biyot Projna Tripathy and takes a look at the social life in the changing scenarios of Manipur at present.

Divided into two parts, this 24-minute documentary would be premiered as the inaugural film of this year’s festival at Tata Auditorium in XLRI.

Jamshedpur, April 16: After an experiment, the inference follows.

A day after four beauties walked the ramp, stole the limelight and bagged a chance to be a part of the bigger picture at Jamshedpur — Sananda Tilottama — the post-mortem started in the city regarding the programme. Was the show a success or not, was the question on everyone’s lips.

From the choice of finalists to the quality of participants, everything came under scrutiny.

Judges called the affair a moderate success. “Because, the show was held for the first time in Jharkhand not many people were aware of the contest. That was perhaps the main reason as to why many girls decided to stay away from the event, thinking it to be a routine and run-of-the-mill talent hunt,” said one judges.

amshedpur, April 16: For those without memberships to elite clubs in the city, the G-Town Club will soon have a swimming pool ready to splash into during the coming hot summer months, if the plans made by authorities at Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco) fall into place.

“At present, there are four swimming pools in the city at other elite clubs, which are only open to the club members. At this pool we want to provide the same facilities to people from the mid-management level and others,” said a senior official at Jusco.

Though constructed at the premises of G-Town club, the swimming pool is a project undertaken by Tata Steel and executed by Jusco.

Jamshedpur, April 15: Artistes, cultural activists and music-lovers have strongly advocated setting up of a state-level sangeet natak academy.

At a rare meeting of all the artistes, they conveyed their feelings to Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) secretary Jayant Kastuar.

The artiste community also agreed to organise a dance festival in the city, for which Kastuar promised all possible support from the SNA. Kastuar also announced that the SNA, on its part, would also organise a full-fledged festival featuring national-level artistes, in the city.

He said the timing of the festival would be announced later.

Kolkata, April 14: Veteran woman archer Dola Banerjee is in the sixth place in the latest World Cup rankings after the completion of the first leg of the event in Ulsan, Korea.

The ace archer who hails from the city but practices at the Tata Archery Academy at Jamshedpur notched up the best performance among Indians in fray. Dola now has 12 points in her kitty in the women’s recurve category and stands a chance of reviving her fortune in the next three legs of the meet.

Earlier this month at the Ulsan event, Dola had lost in the quarter-finals.

Another Indian who took part in the same competition, Chekrovolu Swuro, is in ninth position with eight points.

SASWATI MUKHERJEE

Jamshedpur, April 13: They have set their eyes and designs on the European ramp.

Basant Shresth and Anuj Hembrom, former students of International Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT), are busy giving final touches to clothes designed by the Nandita Thirani fashion house.

Thirani, a Calcutta-based designer, well-known for her trousseau collection would soon be showcasing her collection in Europe. Working for her and in her fashion house are the local lads.

Ask them how it feels to be working for a top name and they are cautious in replying. Or maybe they are too busy.

Jamshedpur, April 13: The exodus of Jharkhand players to other states looking for jobs has made all sports associations agree to hire players from outside for the National Games.

This was a major hurdle that came to the forefront during the meeting of eight sports associations with the state sports department officials held at the JRD Tata Sports Complex here today.

The meeting chaired by sports secretary N.N. Sinha and officials of sports associations, whose games have been allotted to Jamshedpur, aimed at knowing the preparations before the Games.

While boxing association officials said they have contacted the different boards and even states for players, the handball association echoed similar sentiments.