The Hindu Business Line : High '05

On the last day of a very eventful year, it's time to look back, but more importantly, look forward and while no one can really predict the future, there are certainly people who try.

Numerologists Bansilal M. Jumaani and son Sanjay, for instance, have been hard at work; they tell us that numerologically the year adds up to the number 7 (2+0+0+5 = 7), so 2005 is ruled by Neptune, which shares a special relationship with the Moon (Number 2).

Since the Moon governs the mind, it will be an eventful year for arts and crafts, painting, writing, acting, and even off-track or `different' careers. They also say that the mood of the stock market will be rather erratic in 2005, and if you plan to make a killing, then better use some quick moves, your instincts, and do some rapid selling and purchasing.

It is not just the stock markets that will see mood swings, according to the numerologists, who claim to have made several successful predictions involving stars such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. This year, they also tell us, will be a good one for psychiatrists. So keep smiling, and don't let those mood swings get you down. This is good advice for the New Year in any case, whether you believe in numerology or not!

Poetic expressions

The New Year will be a busy one for Deepti Naval, the multi-faceted actor who made her movie debut with Ek Baar Phir in 1980. Since then, she has gone on to make a mark as a painter, photographer and writer, always seeking out new experiences and honing her talent in several directions.

On December 20, Aalok Wadhwa's The Corner Bookstore and Mapin Publishing hosted the launch of Deepti's first book of poems in English, Black Wind and Other Poems, which appears under MapinLit.

In India's commercial capital, poetry book launches are usually low-key affairs, but this one certainly attracted attention. With Naseeruddin Shah reading some of the poems, along with Deepti, and writer-director Gulzar launching the book, the evening proved to be a memorable one.

Deepti, who had in 1983 published a "self-conscious" collection in Hindi called Lamha-Lamha, now focuses on the demons within. This deeply personal collection goes far beyond her experiences, into the world of women confined to a mental asylum. While working on a script, she lived with them, at first unable to look them in the eye, and then learning to laugh with them at their jokes. It was a disturbing experience, which left her "baffled".

Looking back, she says, "I was only there for a few days, then I could go out, switch on the television, use the remote, drink coffee... these women were living their lives in the asylum. Mental illness needs so much care, but it's considered taboo, and families refuse to take them back. People just wash their hands off such relatives and leave them in the asylum."

She will soon be travelling around the country to do poetry readings. Look out for the event. Many of the poems will touch you deeply.

Welcoming 2005

The year 2004 has seen an explosion of party zones and restaurants and all of them will be packed to the hilt tonight as the city bids the year goodbye. The increased competition over the last year has seen the restaurants finding new ways to attract customers.

These days, if you hang out at Baristas, for instance, you could also end up buying books as you sip your coffee; Barista Coffee Company has tied up with The Corner Bookstore, and the first such outlet was opened recently in Mumbai.

At Bandra, there is a seafood restaurant called Jinie's, with an "interactive menu" where you can choose any meat or vegetable with a curry of your choice. The décor is dominated by beads and to carry the experience forward, you can even design your own bead jewellery as you wait for your food to be served, thanks to J's Beads, which has 80 varieties of beads from across the world.

Of course, the party places are trying to outdo each other with New Year's Eve bashes, but a strange thing is happening. If you go to Lotus Suites, the ecotel at Andheri (East), for example, you will find a re-creation of the 1960s and 1970s, with an Austin Powers theme night — complete with huge side burns, frilly shirts and pink suits, reminiscent of the Austin Powers movies. At The Grand Hyatt, it's Boney M, the popular band of the 1980s, which will set revellers rocking.

Well, as we move into the future, the past always has a way of coming back!

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Santa Claus rally

And the winner is...

High '05

Big B rules...

Getting together at Bangkok

Where gopurams beckon

Kondapally bomma weaves her magic

`Education is the best investment'

When a tsunami strikes...