Their passion for dance has no boundaries. Child prodigies Mridula Sivakumar, 9, and Mirnalini, 3, believe that to explore their talent, age is not a criterion. Mridula has been learning Bharatnatyam for about five years along with Carnatic music. She has won several awards at various events and popular dance shows on television. Mridula recently also sang the song Choo choo mari for the movie Poo. While on the other hand Mirnalini developed her interest in dancing when she was just nine months old, and without formal training this tiny tot gave her first performance on stage when she was just one-year-old as bala Krishnan and has been a part of  several other stage programmes ever since.

Their mother, Gowri Sivakumar, a homemaker says, “We have a dance class close to our house. When Mridula was young, she always requested me to take her there as she also wanted to learn dance. However their guru, Sheela Unnikrishanan, felt that she was too young and asked her to just watch others. But seeing her passion for dance, the teacher asked her to also join the class,” she adds. Mridula has won prizes in television shows such as Thakadima Tha on Jaya TV and Konjum Chalangai on Doordarshan.

Gowri says even Mirnalini, who used to accompany her sister to the dance class, started showing a keen interest in it. “Though she is just three, she easily picks up the steps. The teacher was very impressed with her and asked Mirnalini to be a part of their concerts. Her formal training will start from this Vijayadashami,” she adds. Recently the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights proposed a ban on children below 16 years performing in various reality shows on television. So what is their take on the ban? “When there is healthy competition I do not see any reason for a ban. On television, children get a platform to showcase their talent. And I think as elders we also should take it the positive way and encourage them,” says their father, S. Sivakumar, a charted accountant. 

Speaking about her love for dancing, Mridula says, “Though I sometimes like listening to film songs, I am not interested in western dance. I only prefer classical and contemporary dancing.” Ask about Mirnalini, and she immediately remarks, “She is a good dancer. However, I wish she could be more expressive as that will add to her performance.” Speaking about the two sisters, their dance teacher Sheela Unnikrishnan says, “Mridula is hard working and always insists on perfecting every move that is taught to her. As for Mirnalini, though she is every young she shows great interest in dancing. It is their passion for the art that shows age is never a criterion to learn anything. All their performances till date have been remarkable.”

While the 80s heralded the arrival of AIDS, the present generation faces danger from another ailment – Hepatitis C. The disease came into forefront when former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson was afflicted by it a few years ago and more recently Grammy Award-winning star Natalie Cole was diagnosed suffering from it.

According to recent estimates, about 1.5 crore people in India have been affected by the liver-tropic virus Hepatitis C. While the national figure may look daunting enough, even Chennai is not free from the strain as almost 1.2 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s population suffers from the ailment, of which the majority of cases have been reported from Chennai.

Speaking about the rise in the number of patients suffering from the same in the city, Dr Parandaman, a multispecialist physician says, “On an average, every four out of 10 patients that I treat have tested positive for Hepatitis C. The causes for the same range from unprotected sex to exchange of bodily fluids, to sharing needles, unsafe blood transfusions and blood contacts. The ways of contracting it are similar to AIDS in that way.”

Dr Ramasubramaniam, an immunologist and an infectious disease specialist practicing at Apollo Hospital, says, “The biggest concern is that one cannot know if he or she is infected by the virus as it can stay dormant in your body for a long time. And about 3.5 per cent of the general population of India suffers from Hepatitis.”

Doctors are of the opinion that the disease can be contracted through tattooing, blood transfusions, body piercing and intravenous drug intake. But if detected early, a liver transplant could save lives. Dr Ramasubramaniam adds, “The most prominent symptom is jaundice and one shouldn’t just ignore a jaundice attack. A regular medical screening is your best bet.”

Dr Parandaman, explains, “There is no way you can vaccinate yourself against the disease. Hepatitis C is a contractible disease and gets transmitted through blood contact and blood transfusion. Due to the unpredictable nature of the disease, it’s recommended that soon-to-weds go for premarital check ups.”

It’s celebration time for all the headbangers in city as they gear up to see the best of the heavy metal on October 17. The good news in waiting is that the British glam band, Def Leppard is all set to perform live at Bengaluru and many metal heads are bucking up for the concert.

The proximity to the venue is one of the prime reasons for rock enthusiasts to rejoice. Says Sikandar R, a medical student, “I am a huge fan of the drummer of the band Rick Allen and I am excited to see him perform live. At first, I was disappointed, when I heard the news that they  will be performing only in Mumbai. But I was glad to know that the concert is taking place in Bengaluru as well. I am planning to go with a few of my friends and have a blast.”

The plans are all set for few of the college goers who suitably plan to bunk college on D-day. Says Rahul Rajendran, a management student, “When I read about it, I thought, ‘this is going to be the hottest concert of the year. I am game for it!’ I have already arranged for five tickets through a friend of mine in Bengaluru and my friends and I plan to cut classes on Friday and drive down straight to Palace Grounds to catch them in action.”

There are also many local rock bands in the city who are trying to take out time for the concert from their busy schedule. Says Shyam of Rainbow Bridge, “I am sure Def Leppard’s performance is going to be fantastic. I am a little tied up now as I have a concert coming up on October 10. But as I am done with it, I plan to chalk out a quick trip with my fellow band members. I really hope we make it there!”

VJ Craig couldn’t agree more, “Def Leppard is one of the biggest glam rock bands that I have been following since the time I was in class 3. I still remember that when I was in class 7, they came up with an album called Vault, which is a compilation of their greatest hits — Hysteria, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Love Bites and many more. I am really looking forward to the concert. I am just going to call up one of my cousins in Bengaluru and make sure I get lucky with the passes! ”

Still, many fans and struggle to get their hands on the passes. Says Tina Vadwani, a working professional, “I have already seen them perform in the US and their show couldn’t have been more energetic and enthusiastic. In fact, I still have the T- shirt that I brought that night. I am really happy that they are all set to rock Bengaluru this time. But I am worried about the passes. I  have registered in some music websites to get my hands on some of those ‘precious’ passes.”

Although the Eid festivities  may be over, for shopkeepers in the grey markets of Chennai, the time for rejoicing seems to have started only now. The reason is that several of them have discovered a lucrative market for selling dessicated coconut powder, not only in the city but also to the neighboring states and even beyond where the demand for the product is very high.

Coconut powder, which happens to be a key ingredient in several dishes that are prepared during the holy month of Ramzan, is a commodity, which is priced slightly on the higher side. This has led to bulk orders of the same, being shipped in from Colombo to the shops in Chennai. When contacted by this newspaper, Gopalan, a vendor of foreign goods at Burma Bazaar says, “You can find dessicated coconut powder in supermarkets across the city. But most of them would be comparatively high priced when you consider what we supply. For instance, we sell a 350 gram packet for around Rs 125. The sales pick up during the Ramzan season when we have bulk orders not only from Chennai but also from cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad etc.”

Despite supermarkets in Chennai stocking coconut powder, customers prefer the local bazaar. Rahmatullah, a businessman says, “The powder made in Sri Lanka is preferred as it is manufactured with high grade coconuts. Of course, their price is also a major advantage. For instance, a branded packet would cost you nothing less than Rs 500 per kilo. But variants of the same are available for Rs 350 in the markets here. When buying in bulk, it makes a big difference.”

So how lucrative is the market? Gopalan says, “During the last one month alone, I have had individual bookings worth Rs 50,000 every week. I get to make Rs 5 or Rs 10 on every packet sold, which is dependent on the demand in the market.”

Two artists — Poonam Chandrika and Madan Lal, display their work at the Vinnyasa Premier Gallery, CIT Colony, giving emotions and colour the focus of their creative outpourings.  Poonam Chandrika Tyagi from New Delhi, emphasises on the woman and all her qualities – an entity that is the central force in the way the world is shaped and is. Woman according to her is the main force in the universe and she is the person through whom all life begins. She is a carrier of beauty, emotions and harbours within her a wealth of meaning that propels and nurtures every living being around. “Which is why her eyes and her lips are so prominent,” says the artist, “as she is constantly trying to say something — convey her inner sentiments along with her relationship with things around her.”

The recurring motif of the lotus and the bird, signify her caring aspect of nature and its sustenance, just as her equation with every day life is symbolized in her interaction with something as mundane as the telephone. The acrylics in deep colours of blue, greens and reds seem to denote the essential vibrancy of the woman she so admires and looks up to. The paintings have an old world look about them, even as they suddenly burst into the most unexpected colour combinations and forms.

“I have been painting for about 15 years and it is a passion with me. I like to write and paint and these are the two activities that keep me going. I love colours and I love the way they transfer themselves to every aspect of life and my special preoccupation is the woman,” she say. This is Poonam’s first show in Chennai having exhibited her works in other parts of the country .

 When it comes to Madan Lal from Chandigarh, he believes in the union of man and beast — or man and the animal. Which is not to say that he looks at the union as something crude or base, but takes the blend to mean something refined and in the realm of utopia. “I have been very interested in Indian mythology and I see the whole process of the way man is becoming, as a journey. A journey within,” he says.

Most of what he does has an amorphous quality, in the way the form is being used — the act of trying to merge animal and human form brings about the emphasis on them being indispensable to each other and the interdependence is not just for environment reasons, but for all other sustenance too. The artist uses acrylics in layers  also because these present such a colourful texture. “Colours,” he says, “are a celebration of life. I like to use a lot of colours. This has also to do with the fact that the artist usually paints in the mornings as early as four am, when everything is fresh and clean it is like the start of life.

And then as the day progresses man is caught up in the fast pace of life and sometimes the sensibilities are pushed to the background. Again that is when the animal form comes into play in his work as he says man has ego but when he combines with the meditative quality of an animal, in the way hands and eyes are fashioned, the calmness descends and there is a kind of a peace.”

Three very different styles and perceptions form Missing Links, featuring the works of A L Aparajithan, Ganesh Selvaraj and BO Sailesh on show at Gallery Sumukha, St Mary’s Road.

Aparajithan looks at man with all his angst. But in this, there are hopes of peace and acceptance in the way birds co-exist with the suggestion of violence wrought by something as ancient as the arrow. The form is simple and uncomplicated, but the juxtaposition of objects make the whole thing look far more complicated than what appears to the eye. All his forms seem one dimensional — both in the way they look and in the way, they are painted. Elongated and flowing lines characterize the way he envisages the human form and along with it the usage of animals such as the horse or other living beings bring together the composition in a wholesome manner.

Ganesh Selvaraj has geometry in mind in all his creations that are not just striking but painstakingly done too. Whether it is an acrylic with every possible colour in the form of panels (several of them bringing to the work a brilliance that is unmistakable) or fibre strings on plywood resembling quills stretched out like peacock feathers or the vinyl foam board (tiny cut outs like puzzles in an amazing maze like structure) Ganesh makes his work speak volumes.

Every one of them sparks off a renewed interest in the way shapes squares rectangles and panels come together to present a multidimensional effect on canvas. B O Sailesh is spectacular, when it comes to the way he has used the human form along with other objects.  The yogic postures take over the form, which then plays with motifs such as the lotus or words, or even colour schemes to bring a kind of tranquillity to the composition. There is much quietitude in the very actions that the human form seems to be participating in and that is perhaps the beauty of what the artist seeks to show in his work.