www.fridayweekly.com.np Every Thursday | ISSUE 130 | RS. 20 SUBSCRIBER COPY 8 August 2012 | @$ >fj0f @)^( ISSN 2091-1092 9 772091 10900 9 www.facebook.com/fridayweekly 3 4 6 10 13 14 PAGE3 FEATURE EVENTS HALLOFFRAME ENTERTAINMENT GOURMET Drums and Dev Rana are Frank Ruidi, with a rich If you are a B-Boying star Some prominent Saurganga Darshandhari, a With some creative inseparable – on stage, and and esteemed banking or have a crew that can put personalities that attended Nepali artist championing presentation, you can make in his everyday schedule. background gives his up crazy twisted skills, then Classic Diamond Jewelers’ Printmaking in Kathmandu, healthy food look adventurous. The evergreen Rana shares thought on the economic here is a chance for you to fashion show announcement talks about this delicate And that will definitely get a rather musical day with us. condition of Nepal. take home Rs 20,000. were caught in our frames. art form. your kid’s attention. The Greatest Panacea Yet Laughter may be the universal remedy, but Gai Jatra is one festival that uses this knowledge best. From easing the grief of those in mourning, the answer to a comedian’s prayers, to a vent for pent-up frustration with the system - this festival is a cure for many pains. And like the past years, this Gai Jatra brings caricatures, lampoons and much more. — Akriti Shilpakar For more, turn to page 2 [email protected] B TLA R llustration by: A llustration by: I 2 Issue 130 | 8 August 2012 Fr!day cover The Greatest Panacea Yet eremonial associations with a cow. As the procession of protagonist. Satya Mohan the mass and yet to deliver a has brought forth direct and and creative respite have cows being towed by grieving Joshi, when he was the member close-to-flawless performance. crass humor instead of refined made Gai Jatra a unique people marched along the town’s secretary for the Nepal Academy, The veteran actor Raja Ram wit that ironically censorship Cfestival among our periphery, the queen realized that initiated to present Gai Jatra as Poudel recalls people standing promoted. many, many festivals. Mourning there were many more grieving a performance on stage. Veteran in a queue at Bhrikuti Mandap the death of a close relative, the demise of their dear ones. comedians during that time, for an entire night, just so they The remedy to political dissatisfactions with the system, She explained to the still worried Hari Bansha Acharya, Madan could get their hands on the correctness the craving for unrestricted king that though she understood Krishna Shrestha, Kiran KC, tickets, as the tickets would sell Well, what better remedy to creative expression – many the hard truth, even the happiest Raja Ram Poudel, and Santosh out in a jiffy. Gai Jatra was no stringent political correctness problems, one solution. It uses thought wasn’t able to spark a Pant were the few among any ordinary program. It was a than a day that sort of laughter most literally as the smile. So, this time, the King many who participated in celebration. A celebration that forgives any incorrectness. As universal remedy. Allow me to made an announcement that this program and gave life to brought reality on the stage, in the story narrated to set the elaborate how: whoever brings a smile on the Joshi’s idea. front of the people. context relates, the Malla King Queen’s face will be handsomely Joshi’s endeavor made Gai I ask Hari Bansha Acharya, unintentionally triggered a To ease the grief of mourning rewarded. There would be no Jatra the ultimate solution for who has been performing for tradition that allowed people The story begins with the censorship, no restriction, and struggling actors, especially the Gai Jatra Mahotsav since to vent their dissatisfaction panacea first addressing a no words in the fine lines to comic actors trying to find their almost as far back as 1980, cloaked in satires and humor – mourning mother. There are a this contest. People were quick a disguised remedy. Gai Jatra couple of versions of this tale: to cash in on the opportunity, The veteran actor Raja Ram Poudel is the day that discontentment the ones that your granny might and poured their dissatisfactions recalls people standing in a queue with any system or authority narrate, or something slightly in undertones, while humor’s at Bhrikuti Mandap for an entire was exhibited, and the spirit different that you might stumble coating did the trick. Laughter of the day was to take all the upon after a quick google search. came to the rescue of a night just so they could get their criticism, with a pinch of salt. We pick the simplified one that mourning mother. And then on hands on the tickets, as the tickets Joshi’s platform centralized grannies pass on during story ensued a tradition wherein the would sell out in a jiffy. Gai Jatra the comic performances and sessions as part of the aural day would attempt to appease what better show can be put tradition: the grief of those in mourning was a celebration that brought up than mockery, parody and When King Pratap Malla lost through a procession, along with reality on the stage. caricatures – all beyond the his son, his wife was overcome performances involving jokes, grasp of political correctness. by grief. The Queen remained satires, and lampoon. The festival spot in the industry, shares about the changes he has seen It is a comic relief for all, dumbstruck, and her condition went on to be called Gai Jatra. prominent comedian Jeetu in the Gai Jatra performances. with their dissatisfactions worried the King. To explain to Nepal. It was a strong platform With the Panchayat system being acted out on stage. her that she wasn’t the only one A comedian’s prayers to showcase their talent and let in place and the following Political and social, and even who lost a loved one, the King answered the world know what they are monarchy, censorship did issues of everyday life are all came up with a witty plan. He Synonymous to laughter and capable of. Not only newcomers, shroud the unhindered spirit of reflected through a colorful called for all the families who had mockery, this tradition of a but also for acclaimed actors to the festival. But that only stood performance with fistfuls lost a loved one recently to send laughter riot was taken to prove their worth. It was their as a good test for comic writers of humor thrown in. It has out one member of the family another level by yet another biggest test, to act in front of and performers. Acharya shares, become a platform for all the “The beauty of comedy is countrymen to come together putting it forth with a twist and and hear the truth. Even if wit that the audience have to it were lathered in jokes and think about a bit in order to relish hidden behind punch lines, the humorous undertones.” For the day gives a vent to pent up him the freedom of uncensored frustrations all in the healthy expression in the current times spirit of humor. ! The humor schedule for this year The festival of humor and wit, mockery and satire can hardly be limited to one performance or one day. As it turns out, there is too much to be picked on and pointed at. Hence, the laughter riot will come in daily doses for 17 days with a total of 22 shows starting from 2 August to 18 August. There is no doubt that every show will be neck deep in sarcastic humor and will be the highlight of every performance. A number of comic maestros from the silver and small screens will be on stage with their own performance. Not one performance will collide with another in terms of story. Various artists from comedy series popular on TV will join forces to bring you an evening of humor-coated truth in the form of stand-up comedy. Some of the many teams performing are Jhyaikuti Jhyai, Meri Bassai, Jai Hos, Tito Satya and Jire Khursani. Other single performances by Sailendra Simkhada, Tika Bhandari, Sushma Karki, Manoj Gajurel and Laxman Gamnage are also major attractions of the long celebration. Also witness legendary comic actors Kiran KC and Shiva Hari Poudel team up and create magic on stage. The tickets for all the shows are available at the ticket counter of Nepal Academy Hall, Kamaladi. More information on the schedule of the various acts will be out soon. page3 make your statement celebrity surveillance Dev Rana The evergreen drummer of Prism Band, Rana spends much of his day playing the drums and meeting people. A major part of his daily schedule is dedicated to music, be it teaching his students, practicing, or listening to reputed blues artistes. The drummer shares a day with us: — Mannat Shrestha 6:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 2:28 p.m. 6:20 p.m. Early Alarm The Class Begins Midday Meal Heads to Grand Hotel, which is The alarm goes off at this early hour The students arrive but today they Simple and traditional Nepali food - a 10-minute walk from Rana’s only to be put on snooze. have a relatively short class: and . residence, for an interview. Shares After lunch Rana takes a one-hour nap. some details with the reporter: 7:00 a.m. hour and minutes Finally Awake 1 15 Rana starts his day with early bed tea while shuffling between BBC and CNN 9:02 p.m.