SUNDAY, APRIL 09, 2017 (PAGE 4)

BOLLYWOOD-BUZZ Sen and Sensibility “I fell in love with cinema when I was a kid” ’s new film Sonata, will be releasing any Sonata deals with different shades of female friendship Rajkumar Rao is time now. It is adapted from an English play by noted between and among three elderly women who belong to dif- currently in the Marathi playwright Mahesh Elkunchwar in 2000 whose ferent professions, different states in and live by differ- plays and writings have been made into films. Sonata ent ideologies. They live and work in Mumbai and stay togeth- news for his work makes a strong point about female bonding between er in the same flat though one of them keeps flitting in and in Vikramaditya and among women where language, culture, education out depending on the fluctuations of her relationship with her Motwane’s sleeper and region do not count. abusive male partner. Says Aparna, who plays one of the three women, “The hit Trapped. Among Call it sisterhood or call it female bonding, Aparna Sen, the premise of Sonata is the midlife crisis of three unmarried director, has always made female bonding a strong point in friends, who are very unlike one another. This is an explo- his forthcoming many of her directorial films. “I never intend to convey any ration of the various aspects of femininity, various aspects of films is Newton message through my film. If members of my audience happen sexuality. Marriage, not being married, is being in love, being that premiered at to read a message, it is their call and I did not put it there,” she out of love, having children, not having children…. I had liked says. the play when Sohag (Sen) did it on stage.” There are hardly the Berlinale to a any male characters in the film. The four standing ovation. young producers, all men are not worried. Sonata has been produced by Dipankar Shoma A. Chatterji ‘Jojo’ Chaki, a gifted sound designer, Vin- in conversation od Lahoti, Anjan Ghosal and Aloke Vohra, under HK Studios Production. with the versatile The three women are – Dolon, a banker actor and a Bengali portrayed by , Rajkumar Rao bagged Aruna, a Brahmin from UP who teaches we were sure about the character we didn’t plan much. I the National Award within a few years of his debut for was trying to live in the moment and enact the moment Sanskrit and is also an Indologist writing a Shahid. Meanwhile, he has acted in some of the most talked book, enacted by Sen and Subhadra, a truthfully. To get the hang of it I also had to stop eating or about films in Bollywood in recent times - Kai Po Che, drinking water. I had to go through the experience Shau- Maharashtrian which Lilette Dubey has Hamari Adhuri Kahani, Ragini MMS, Aligarh, and of rya was going through in order to find the truth. performed. They live in Mumbai. Subhadra course, as the callous lover in the hit film Queen. In Your work has been extremely versatile. Why lives with her boyfriend who is extremely Trapped, a survival drama, he has only a rat for company do you think you have never been typecast? abusive and she rushes to her friends when in a locked-in flat. In all his roles Rao has imbibed some- This is probably because I am constantly challenging it becomes too much. Shabana expressed thing extra. Sonata spells out a story where sisterhood is the subject, her wish to portray the Bengali woman and Excerpts from an interview myself to do something different. Cinema is a director’s the narrative and the message all blended to make a single even sang a couple of Tagore songs herself. The film is ready You were wonderful at mimicry when you were medium and when you have directors like Hansal Mehta, film. Female characters have bonded in some of her directo- for release in mid-April. very young. Did this talent push you to choose act- Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, rial films from Parama through Paromitar Ek Din to 15, Park “I prefer not to act in the films I direct but this time, the ing as a career? Abhishek Kapoor, Dibakar Banerjee, Mira Nair, Ashviny Avenue, and in which a producers insisted that I should. Besides, the character fitted I was good at impersonations but there are other rea- Iyer, Bejoy, Mohit, Amit and other immensely talented real young girl becomes close friends with a female ghost who me as we three are around the same age-group and the char- sons too. I fell in love with cinema when I was a kid. I was ones, you know you are in safe hands and you can blindly died long ago. acters are into middle-age too so I had to agree,” adds Sen. very much like the kid in Cinema Paradiso. I thought of it trust them. 15, Park Avenue throws up a series of female bonding with- It is not always hunky dory among them. Dolon is bubbly, as a parallel universe where I wanted to reach. I did my When you got the National Award for Shahid in the same family – the strange bonding between the two sis- energetic and an extrovert. Aruna is an introvert who talks first major play in class nine and decided that this was what and the standing ovation at Berlinale for Newton, ters polarised in terms of age, mindset, education and occupa- very little, does not express her emotions and hates touching I wanted to do in life. Since then my only aim was to be an what did it feel like? tion, the two daughters and their ageing mother whose fore- and being touched. Subhadra is beautiful, looks after herself actor in films. It feels great when people recognise the hard work that head is forever creased with worry lines for her younger daugh- well but is confused about her life and her decisions. These What criteria do you apply while accepting a we put in together in a film.. Awards are very encouraging ter and for the possessive attitude of her older one, and so on. oppositions create internal tensions as they are so different. Paromitar Ek Din tackles the friendship between a moth- role? and inspiring for me. It makes my belief stronger that I am “The cosmopolitan character of Mumbai and its globalised I don’t have any set formula. I read all my scripts myself er-in-law and her younger daughter-in-law though they are society adds to their tensions and their making up too. Anoth- moving in the right direction. poles apart in background, education and upbringing. “The and if there is something which excites me as an actor, I Your characters in Shahid and Omerta are er friend, played by Sohag Sen, a noted theatre director of just say yes to it. It’s a very impulsive decision. The con- film is about the relationship between two women, Sanaka , drops in with her boyfriend from Pune and some- poles apart. In the former, you play a terrorist- and Paromita. This mother-in-law-daughter-in-law pair find tent is of utmost importance followed by what I am doing thing cathartic happens to turn the change the entire drama turned committed lawyer defending wrongfully a strange bonding that ties them together though relations in that story, what’s my character’s contribution and who of this seemingly harmonious story,” adds Sen. imprisoned people. In Omerta, you play a terror- between Paromita and her husband are extremely strained. is making it. If there’s something which challenges me as Women are more traditionally socialised in the skills of ist yourself. How does this work for you as an actor What happens to this bonding when Paromita’s marriage to an actor I just want to jump on it. interaction than men and can thus establish links with peo- and a social being? Sanaka’s son breaks up? That forms the resolution - if you can When you have a smaller role which has nega- ple more easily. Lillian B.Rubin in Just Friends, (New York : It’s tough to portray two people who have come from call it that - of this film” says Sen. tive shades such as the ones you portray in Queen Parama glides over female friendship but makes a strong Harper & Row,1985), finds that the difference in men and and Hamari Adhuri Kahani, does this make you the same background but are poles apart in their percep- statement even with brief touches and establishes the link women's potential for friendship originates in their early tions and their ideology. I could connect with Shahid on a childhood experience of the traditional nuclear family, in feel sad, or do you take them on as challenges? with the questions the film raises about the sexist bias we personal level, I believed in his principles but in Omerta, which the mother is the primary caregiver. It is within this I’m very proud of Queen. I knew that it was Kangana’s attach to morality with different rules for men and women. It where I play a dark character, it gets tougher because you also challenges masochistic beliefs like a divorced woman is context that "children develop a sense of self and gender iden- film and she was absolutely amazing. The kind of praise always one with questionable morals, or, that a seemingly tity." For the young girl, it is difficult to establish borders I’ve got for Queen has made me happy about my decision. have never experienced such emotions in your life. As an happy marriage may be a façade that cracks under pressure, between Self and Other because of her likeness to the primary It’s important to be a part of films that you can really be actor, you must live those emotions truthfully. Another fun each represented by two close friends, Sheela, portrayed by role model, her mother. Hence, in adult life, she tends not to proud of. If I had been sad, I would not have taken the proj- part of being an actor is that you get to understand human Sen herself and Parama, played by Raakhee. create barriers against other people. ect, right? psyche very well. Sheila is not a conventionally 'negative' influence who Historian Carol Smith-Rosenberg has studied relations The role of Shaurya in Trapped is one that many You have agreed to portray Netaji Subhash imposes on Parama the desire to walk out of her home. She between women in earlier eras, and feminists in all fields have big names in Bollywood would have rejected. What Chandra Bose in a web-serial to be produced by does much more than that, though. She invests Parama with stressed the need for support, for 'sisterhood.'[i]This has legit- made you accept it? Ekta Kapoor. How do you plan to do your home- the urge to make her own decision and to owe responsibility imised female friendship as a crucial relationship in a I don’t think any sensible actor would have rejected work? towards the decision : be it in her clandestine correspondence woman's life. Sheela's and Parama's friendship stands testi- Shaurya’s part. It’s a dream for any actor to feature in a Apart from learning the language and reading lot of with Rahul, or her decision to take a job. Sheila is also the mony to this belief. And so do the friendships between and survival drama. The moment Vikram told me about the books and watching videos on Bose’s life, my main focus director's own 'voice' intruding into the narrative to offer a among women in 15, Park Avenue, Paromitar Ek Din and Goy- idea, I went for it. There were no second thoughts. I feel would be to try and live him as closely as possible. It will secondary support structure to Parama at critical moments in nar Baksho. What will Sonata offer us? Let us wait and very fortunate that it came to me. be a very internal process. His unconditional love for the her life. watch…. (TWF) We know about the diet regime you created for country is something I will also try to achieve while por- yourself for a fortnight in preparation for the role. traying him. But at this point, I also find it quite scary to BEAUTY TIPS What other kind of homework did you put in? flesh him out on screen, never mind even if it’s a web series. The process to explore Shaurya was very organic. Once (TWF) Hair care during summers HEALTHLINES There's a lot to love about summer, but daily before wash. Use mustard oil for this treatment. awkward tan lines, dry hair, ugly sweat Mustard oil is the best for hair and preconditioning with Asherman's Syndrome it controls dryness very well. It is also important to keep stains, are some of the embarrassing summer your body hydrated, drink plenty of fluids, especially Dr Sagarika Agarwal has been detected during a diagnostic hysteroscopy. If an beauty issues that are coming our way. Hair water. Avoid direct heat with hot styling tools and sun. Asherman's Syndrome is an acquired abnormal condition was detected during the diagnostic expert Jawed Habib suggests you how with Dullness of hair happens when it is not maintained hysteroscopy, an operative hysteroscopy can often be per- well during summers especially if it is chemically treated. uterine condition, characterized by formed at the same time, avoiding the need for a second a little care you can look drop dead gorgeous If your hair texture is oily or normal, you can apply henna the formation of adhesions (scar surgery. During operative hysteroscopy, small instru- by taking simple ayurvedic home remedies mixed with water and a spoon of curd. This gives a good ments used to correct the condition are inserted through tissue) inside the uterus (intrauterine for summer hair troubles even if you are control to oily scalp and adds natural gloss to the color of the hysteroscope. hair. It add bounce also to flat hair. Henna should be Adhesions) and/or the cervix. What are the benefits of hysteroscopy? sunning and funning regularly in open sky applied only for 15 minutes before wash. Compared with other, more invasive procedures, hys- In most of the cases, the front and back walls of the Almost all of us get split ends in hair. They make hair teroscopy may provide the following advantages: dryness, dullness, split ends, dandruff and uterus stick to one another, or portion of it in some cases. look rough and out of style. Sadly split hair cannot be most importantly hair fall are most common The extent of the adhesions defines whether the case is * Shorter hospital stay treated with any kind of products. Once you have it, you mild, moderate, or severe. The adhesions can be thin or * Shorter recovery time problems our hair faces during summer. have to cut it. Be regular with your haircuts during sum- thick, spotty in location, or confluent. They are usually not * Less pain medication needed after surgery mers, be gentle while brushing and washing. If you are Hair and skin mostly get dehydrated and lifeless dur- vascular, which is an important attribute that helps in * Avoidance of hysterectomy ing summers and dealing with these problems is not dif- regular with Preconditioning, you will not get split ends. * Possible avoidance of So regular haircut & preconditioning to control split hair. treatment ficult if you know your hair texture and conditioning. The SYMPTOMS There "open" abdominal sur- best is to go the natural way, yes trying natural home Dandruff is common and gets severe if not treated on gery time. To treat dandruff, it's important to keep hair clean Recurrent miscarriage and infertility are the is a variant of remedies. TREATMENT all the time. Wash hair daily without fail. Also mix most common symptoms. Most patients with But before starting with home remedies, you need to Asherman's Syndrome have scanty or absent Asherman's Syndrome Adhesions understand your hair and the ingredients you are using turmeric (haldi) with water and apply it on the scalp for 10 minutes before washing once in 15 days. Haldi is very periods (amenorrhea) and some patients called "Unstuck Asherman's have a tendency for treating it. No chemical products can actually treat have no periods but feel pain at the time that to reform, espe- hair damages, they only maintain hair for the time being. good for treating dandruff but daily wash is a must. In case you find oily dandruff in hair, wash hair frequently their period would normally arrive each or endometrial sclerosis that is cially in more But home/natural hair care treats it without any side month. This pain may indicate that men- severe cases. effects. The important thing you have to keep in mind and do not apply any hair care pack on the scalp. more difficult to treat. In this Consulting a doctor in the struation is occurring but the blood cannot There are dif- case of oily dandruff is a exit the uterus because the cervix is blocked condition, which may coexist with ferent meth- must. by adhesions. the presence of adhesions, the ods to prevent Hair fall is something CAUSES re-scarring you get in every season, Asherman's syndrome occurs when trau- uterine walls are not stuck after surgery but it increases majorly in ma to the endometrial lining triggers the nor- together. Instead, the forAsherman´s summers and rains. It mal wound-healing process, which causes the Syndrome. Pre- happens because of exces- damaged areas to fuse together. Most commonly, endometrium has been scription of estro- sive sweating and heat. intrauterine adhesions occur after a dilation and denuded. gen supplementation You must work on a curettage (D&C) that was performed because of a to stimulate uterine heal- healthy diet having lots of missed or incomplete miscarriage, retained placenta with ing and placement of a splint fluids, be regular with or without hemorrhage after a delivery, or elective abor- or balloon to prevent apposition of haircut and cleaning. tion. Sometimes adhesions also occur following other the walls during the immediate post-operative healing Preconditionig & daily pelvic surgeries such as Cesarean section, surgery to wash is the most helpful phase. By this the uterus/cervix remains scar-free and fer- remove fibroids or polyps, or in the developing world, as in hair fall. Apply oil to tility is restored. a result of infections such as genital tuberculosis and schis- hair for 5 minutes daily Non Reproductive Consequences of Asher- tosomiasis. before wash and use nor- man's Syndrome mal hair shampoo. If your There is a variant of Asherman's Syndrome called The reproductive consequences of Asherman's Syn- hair is clean, it will not "Unstuck Asherman's or endometrial sclerosis that is drome, including infertility, recurrent miscarriage, fall. Haircut takes off the more difficult to treat. In this condition, which may coex- intrauterine growth restriction, placenta accreta and oth- extra weight from the ist with the presence of adhesions, the uterine walls are ers, are well known. However, for all women with scalp also makes ends not stuck together. Instead, the endometrium has been intrauterine scarring and amenorrhea, including those healthy which work for denuded. who may have completed childbearing, there are other DIAGNOSIS hair fall. No medicine or treatment work better than pre- concerns. Although the lack of menstrual periods could while treating hair with home remedies is to not experi- Direct visualization of the uterus via Hysteroscopy is conditioning, wash and cut for hairfall. be secondary to hormonal abnormalities, it is more likely ment by following others. Every hair has different needs, Complicated treatments are not always effective, hair the most reliable method for diagnosis. you may not get good results with what your friend is get- Hysteroscopy is a procedure that allows looking inside caused by either complete destruction of the uterine lin- care should be easy which you can regular maintain. Also ing or by obstruction of the cervix or lower portion of the ting from. do not follow other in hair care, everyone has a different the uterus in order to diagnose and treat causes of abnor- uterus; thus, menses are either retained in the uterus Dryness is the most common hair condition. Dryness hair needs and require different treatments. Styles keep mal bleeding. Hysteroscopy is done using a hysteroscope, is of two types, natural and post chemicals. Both need changing but not hair health needs. a thin, lighted tube that is inserted into the vagina to exam- (leading to pelvic pain and a condition called hematome- regular moisturizing. Conditioners, hair spa or anyother Remember one thing, clean hair is healthy hair and ine the cervix and inside of the uterus. Hysteroscopy can tra) or flow into the abdominal cavity leading to chemical based products or treatments only give tempo- what you eat is what you get! be either diagnostic or operative. Diagnostic hysteroscopy endometriosis. Women with Asherman's Syndrome may rary effects. You need to do something better. Take care of your hair this summer in the natural is used to diagnose problems of the uterus. Operative hys- develop uterine cancer, either before or after menopause. Preconditioning is the answer. Apply oil for 5 minutes style, and forget about all. teroscopy is used to correct an abnormal condition that (The author is an IVF Expert, Indira IVF Hospitals, New Delhi)