htcity my cityNew Delhi, Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Through their book Cupidity Ping Me, Love, authors Kiren Rai and

Madhvi Ahuja bring to light the problems faced by most middle-aged people in urban cities.

Based in Delhi, it explores the lives of three individuals and their respective battles with loneliness and the need to be with someone who understands them.

The book starts with Tara’s

life, about how everything seems perfect from a distance, but the closer you get, the more grief you see. With a husband who is travelling all

the time and a teenage son who is at his rebellious best, Tara takes to online dating to find a friend. Naina, a close friend of Tara, is someone who has just got out of an unsuccessful marriage and is currently on and off with someone who doesn’t care much for her. The third story is about a transgender Nihal, who seeks to find acceptance and love on the online portal.

While the book is relatable and the language easy to understand, it’s not such an easy-breezy read and can get a bit heavy at times. But it’s a book not to be missed.Title: Cupidity Ping Me, LoveAuthors: Kiren Rai and Madhvi AhujaPublisher: Om Books International Price: `195�

� Anjuri�nAyAr�Singh

Get ready for click, ping, love

‘Delhi has lost interest in theatre’

Kapil has made peace with fame

Says actor and theatre veteran Ratna Pathak Shah, unhappy with the transformation in the city’s play-loving audience

Etti Bali n etti.bali@hindustantimes.com

The guys who gave a colourful makeover to the taxis of Mumbai are in Delhi. Their art

was also featured in British band Coldplay’s music video, Hymn for the Weekend. Mumbai-based design project Taxi Fabric has come to Delhi to give a kitschy makeover to auto-rickshaws. HT City caught up with the team as they were in the final stages of fitting the autos with the painted fabric.

“Coming to Delhi was a natural progression as the city has a more conducive art scene. Many independent artists are thriving here,” says Sanket Avlani, curator of the project. The taxis in Mumbai have already become a conversation starter between drivers and passengers, something which

Avlani aims in Delhi as well.“We wanted to give a

makeover to Delhi’s autos as that is where the masses are. We’ll take a variety of themes and gender sensitisation will be one of them,” says Siddharth Samant, creative producer at the Mumbai Chapter of Taxi Fabric. The task of redesigning the interiors of an auto can

take anywhere between 2-3 weeks. First, a stencil and measurement of the interiors is sent to the designer who then sends back a concept presenta-tion. Then, the design is sent to be printed on a suitable fabric after which it is taken to a workshop where it is fitted inside the auto. “This is the first auto that we have rolled

out in Delhi, but in a couple of months, you’ll see more such autos,” adds Siddharth. For this particular auto, they tied up with Delhi-based artist Nasheet Shadani. He says, “I realised that the first auto in the city of Djinns should be magical and should instantly connect with people. I chose the theme Tasavvur which is Urdu for imagination.”

Auto driver Hari Om Sharma is elated at the makeover. He has been on the roads in Delhi for the last 3 years. “I got in touch with them through a workshop that NGO Manas had organised. Manas is putting the auto drivers in touch with Taxi Fabric. I liked this design immediately as it shows a very beautiful side of our city,” he says. With this initiative, he hopes that the public will perceive the autos and the drivers in a more positive light.

Naina Aroran naina.arora@hindustantimes.com

Delhi was our old haunt for theatre,” says actor Ratna Pathak Shah

(above), who will take to the stage in a short story as part of Bhishmotsav — a play honouring legendary writer, playwright and actor, Bhisham Sahni — in the Capital and Gurgaon.

Ratna says Delhiites are not interested in watching

theatre now. “There was a time we used to get called to Delhi to do shows. People in the city actually wanted to watch plays. Now, they aren’t interested. For the last ten years or so, we’ve not been performing in Delhi. Don’t know what’s happening. I haven’t been in touch with the city for long,” says the 59-year-old, who finds Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune best suited for theatre.

As for her upcoming

performance, Ratna says, “It’s a series of five different stories, and I’m part of one that’s about two old women who meet after many years. It’s a mood piece and a remarkable one without too

many words or description. You get a sense of their life, the trails and tribulations they may have faced.”

Ask her if there is any transition an actor goes through while juggling films and theatre, and the actor says, “On the stage, there is a live audience while for films, the camera is your audience. Otherwise, there is no difference in preparation and presentation for an actor,” says Ratna.

Yashika Mathur n yashika.mathur@hindustantimes.com

Being written about in tabloids almost every day can be tough for

some celebs. Many often complain about their private space being invaded. But not Kapil Sharma. The actor-comedian has adjusted to being in the limelight now.

“I used to react earlier to people writing about my personal life and not just sticking to my professional life, but then I realised that if people don’t write about us, then who will they write about? Now, if I read about myself, I don’t react to

anything,” says Sharma, whose love life and work have equally been in news.

The actor became a household name with his TV show, Comedy Nights with Kapil, also featuring actors Kiku Sharda, Sunil Grover, Sumona Chakravarti, Ali Asgar and Navjot Singh Sidhu. After a dispute with

the TV channel that aired the show, Sharma, along with the cast, launched a new show on a different channel this April.

He’s not only proud but also thankful to his co-stars who’ve been with him since the very start. “We’ve been working together for many years. When you work in a TV show, you tend to spend more time with your co-stars than your family. I’m grateful to all my co-stars that they love me and have faith in me. I look at my script only after ensuring that they have the right role and space. We’re nothing alone, and everything together,” says Sharma.

Book�review

kitsch se pyaar karu: makeover for delhi autos

Hari Om Sharma giving finishing touches to his refurbished auto-rickshaw

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A Mumbai-based design project is giving colourful makeover to Delhi’s autos. Their kitsch art was also featured in Coldplay’s video — Hymn For The Weekend

06

entertainment

the Capital had a wonderful audience once upon a time

Ratna Pathak Shah, actor

i realised that if people don’t write about us, who will they write about? Kapil Sharma, actor

photos: aMaL Ks/ht

photo: supraKet MeshraM