Rung De ONE brings blast of colours with a message of unity

Rung De ONE, an event inspired by the festival of Holi, was hosted by Media Works!! and PGA International. It was resounding success. Supplied photo

Rung De ONE, a colourful event inspired by the festival of Holi, was hosted by Media Works!! and PGA International. Photo by Aparajit Bhattacharjee.

A few summers ago, when a former editor of mine scurried around the office juggling gifts and wrapping paper, I asked her if the presents were for someone’s birthday or anniversary.
Turns out, it was for neither. The editor and her family were celebrating Christmas that weekend.
Christmas in July? Not just quirky, but clever, I thought.
So, when I was invited to Rung De ONE last week, I realized it was June and technically, Holi had come and long gone.
But, the idea of celebrating Holi outdoors drew us to this plaza in Mississauga, Ont. where plumes of colours floated in the air. Dozens of people gyrated to the beat of foot-stomping Bollywood numbers and some classic melodies as well. Everyone tossed, smeared and threw the powdered dye on each other.
We had the time of our lives. The afternoon was reminiscent of the past and even though we did not know many people, we felt a camaraderie with everyone around us.

Rung De ONE, an event inspired by the Indian festival of Holi made its debut in Toronto. Organizers invited not just South Asians, but everyone to sample the culture of India. Photo by Irfan Ali.

Sumit Ahuja, founder of Media Works!! and an event planner hosted Rung De ONE with her good friend Mitul Kadakia of PGA International.
The duo and their tireless troupe of volunteers and team members managed to replicate the ambience, sounds, and colours of Holi by adding their own special twist. So much so, people are still talking about it. From the sound of it, Rung De ONE will likely become an annual ritual for Canadian desis and the larger community.
“It’s not just me, everybody itches to play with colours and misses Holi in Canada,” Sumit told Toronto Desi Diaries. “Rung De ONE was actually planned to be held during Holi time but due to the brutal weather conditions then, we decided to postpone the event as we did not want to compromise the event being held outdoors like the true spirit of Holi.”
Once the initial logistics were ironed out, organizers decided to fling the hypothetical doors of Rung De ONE to not just desis, but people of other cultures and invite them to play. So, much like Canada’s diversity, the vibrant colours that revellers flung and danced with at Rung De ONE sort of became a symbol of unity. What a brilliant idea.
Rung De ONE had Sumit’s signature all over it. The music kept the crowd on its feet, the food was mouth-watering and the performance by Shiamak’s Toronto Dance team added a pizzazz to the celebrations.

Sumit Ahuja, CEO of Media Works!! (left) seen here playing Holi in May with her friend Mitul Kadakia of PGA International. Supplied photo

Sumit Ahuja, founder of Media Works!! (right) seen here playing Holi in June with her friend Mitul Kadakia of PGA International. Photo by Irfan Ali.

So, who’s Sumit Ahuja? And why is she being featured here in this blog?
This blog, as I repeatedly point out, is about faces in the crowd that are on their ascent to success. These movers and shakers of Toronto are people starting on their journeys armed with passion, talent and a special something that sets them apart from other mortals.
As a key player shaping the cultural landscape of Toronto, Sumit, I believe is one of the people that can translate ideas and execute them flawlessly.
This transplant from Delhi is an events and media relations specialist with a degree and diploma from New Delhi and Toronto. Her stint with Wizcraft, a well-known event management company in India, helped her hone her passion and understand the pulse of the entertainment industry. Her company Media Works!! was responsible for hosting the Indian International Film Awards (IIFA) events in Brampton which included managing the presence of Bollywood star Bipasha Basu as she made appearances in the city. Additionally, Sumit’s also involved with Mosaic and helps host the South Asian Heritage Festival in Mississauga.

Much like any immigrant that arrives in Canada, Sumit too faced the stark reality of having to pay the bills. So, she temporarily put her dreams on hold and opted for a job with a leading bank while she juggled the responsibility of nurturing a fledgling company— Media Works!!— that she started some five years ago.

“I was thankful to my bank job but it was time to move on and chase my dreams,’’ said Sumit about her decision to leave her job. “Every company has something unique to offer as each one of us is gifted in some way. With my gift of being a people’s person, I have shaped Media Works!! to build long term business relationships. I think, consistency is the key to this relationship and my company delivers on that promise.”

Dozens of people enjoyed the colourful festival of Holi recently in Toronto at the Rung De ONE event. Supplied photo

Dozens of people enjoyed the colourful festival of Holi recently in Toronto at the Rung De ONE event. Photo by Irfan Ali.

Handling the challenges of running an event management company doesn’t faze her because the vision of Media Works!! is built on teamwork. As a mentor to her team, Sumit believes in guiding her group with wisdom.
So, tip of the hat to the woman who pulled off a Holi celebration in June. May we suggest a Halloween-themed Diwali in July? What about a Thanksgiving-Navaratri in September? Hey, just sayin’.

Moneet’s plea of Will You Marrow Me? nets her a match

Moneet Mann, 24, started an awareness campaign Will You Marrow Me? after her cancer diagnosis last year. On Saturday, May, 24 Moneet and officials from the Canadian Blood Services’ OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network are hosting a swabbing clinic at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga from 1-6 p.m.
Supplied photo

It was serendipity that led me to meet Moneet Mann, 24, and chronicle her journey.
The tiny stubs of hair on Moneet’s scalp when I met her reminded me of resilient crocuses that push through the earth at the end of winter and are considered harbingers of spring.
So, it came, as no surprise the steely determination in Moneet’s sparkling eyes as she talked about the cancer in her body would find a way to slay the dragon that had somehow intruded on her life and dreams.
Last Thanksgiving, after being handed a cancer diagnosis, a stunned and shocked Moneet underwent treatment at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Toronto for acute myeloid leukemia, but doctors told her she would need a bone marrow transplant. Unlike blood donors, typically, bone marrow matches, are only found within the same ancestry.
Here’s the thing: even though there are currently some 22 million donors registered worldwide, South Asians make up for a small percentage. Take a good look at the depressing statistics: East Indians constitute a little over 3 per cent of registered donors and are at the bottom alongside blacks (1 per cent), aboriginals (1 per cent) and Hispanics (0.2 per cent).See chart here
So when faced against these odds, Moneet knew she had to take charge. Between cancer treatments and praying for a divine intervention, Moneet kept busy with her awareness campaign Will You Marrow me?
(The catchy title was the brainchild of Moneet’s cousin who one day called her excitedly and said he had the perfect name for her initiative. The rest, as they say, is history)
So far, Will You Marrow Me? has been educating desis on the importance of registering as marrow and stem cells donors. To that end, family and friends have collaborated with local temples and gurudwaras in the GTA to host swabbing clinics there so that the dismal number of donors on the Canadian Blood Services’ OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network can see a surge in numbers.
Most people, if asked will tell you with absolute clarity, the precise moment their life changed. Moneet incidentally has two. The first? When she was told she had cancer and the other one happened recently.
Moneet recently learned a bone marrow match had been found. This is akin to winning a windfall because less than 25 per cent of patients who need stem cell transplants find a match in their family, most have to depend on an unrelated donor. Here’s how Moneet describes the ‘moment.’
“When I recently met the doctor, he began by saying, ‘one week ago we found…’ my heart dropped,” Moneet recalled. “I was so afraid he was going to say they found leukemia cells. Thank god, that was not the case and so he (doctor) continued, ‘we found your match.’ I was so ecstatic; I jumped off the hospital bed. The dark cloud had been lifted.”
As I write this, I can only imagine the potency of hope that resides in the Mann household now.
Their hard work with Will You Marrow Me? has garnered results. In December, the number of South Asians on the registry was 3.1 per cent, in March it has edged to 3.6 per cent.
“I am not saying it is because of Will You Marrow Me? but I am proud of my community members for taking a stand and registering,” Moneet said. “We need to build a pool of South Asian donors so that patients like myself have better chances of finding their donor.”
The Facebook page of Will You Marrow Me? currently has some 5,390 likes and thousands of shares.
“The fact that thousands of people were listening to my story and wanted to help, gave me the strength I needed to carry on,” Moneet told Toronto Desi Diaries. “I will continue to help others especially those in need of a stem cell and marrow transplant because I know how devastating the news of cancer can be and how difficult it actually is to find a match from within your own ethnicity/heritage.”
When Moneet was told she had leukemia last October, she was in the final year of a BA/B.Ed program at Lakehead University. Just a few days earlier, she and few of her friends, had taken part in the Dirty Girls Mud Run in Thunder Bay, Ont. in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. Little did she know, in a strange quirk of fate, she was in fact inadvertently supporting, not just the hundreds of others stricken by cancer, but herself.

Since it all began at a fundraiser, this August, Moneet’s friends will be taking part in the Dirty Girls Mud Run in support of Moneet.
Photo courtesy Facebook

On Saturday, May 24, Moneet will be at the Carassauga Festival at Hershey Centre (community rinks # 3) at 5500 Rose Cherry Place in Mississauga from 1-6 p.m. for a swab clinic.
Please drop by because cancer strikes without a warning and in a blink of an eye, the life you take for granted, can change—irreversibly.
For more information, visit here

Toronto’s nightingale Jonita Gandhi wows the Bollywood off its socks

Toronto crooner Jonita Gandhi reads out the contents of a journal she had started when she was seven. Jonita has sung half-a-dozen tracks for Bollywood films, including the title song of Chennai Express, which she sung along with S.P. Balasubramanium, the South Indian icon. (supplied photo).

We all know, breaking into the ironclad bastion of Bollywood, as an artist requires part luck, plenty of perseverance and oodles of talent.

Toronto crooner Jonita Gandhi, 24, it seems has what it takes. Little wonder then that her name appears as a playback singer in half-a-dozen Bollywood songs already.

On a recent spring-like day, I sat with Jonita and chatted with her on her musical odyssey, the glamour of Bollywood (hardly, it’s all work), homesickness (it’s real) and the life of a rising playback singer (apparently, it’s a waiting game).

Not many people are privy to the fact that way back when she was 7; Jonita had scrawled her dreams and flung it into the universe via her diary. This journal— which would go missing only to be found again every couple of years—had sporadic entries.

So, few weeks ago, when the Toronto native came home from Mumbai, her parents suggested she take an inventory of her room and toss out the stuff she no longer needed. The spring-cleaning unearthed the cherished journal.

“I want to be a singer,” the affirmative words, it appears, were written when Jonita was seven. Dozens of pages later as the childish penmanship became more assured, as did her single-mindedness.

“I am 16 and still not famous,” she rued during her teens. “When will I be famous?”

She and I chuckled over the desperation of those heart-felt pleas.

As Jonita connected with her younger self, I couldn’t help marvel at how her dreams had indeed translated. Not too many can revisit their childhood musings and realize—gleefully—that they are indeed living it.

So far, the Western University alumni, has proved her mettle with hits such as the title song of the blockbuster hit Chennai Express, Kahaan hoon main (Highway), Implosive Silence (Highway), Eai Ki Prem (Bangali Babu English Mem), Aabhi Jaa and others.

As a singer, Jonita’s versatility can be credited to her training in western classical singing and other musical influences she imbibed growing up in Canada.

Her talent was nurtured and encouraged at home because Jonita’s father, Deepak’s passion for music refused to be silenced as he pursued engineering in Russia and later during his struggles as a new immigrant in Canada. Also, Mandeep, her brother plays the dhol and mom Sneh is the glue that holds the family together.

“Once I graduated, I decided I would try singing full-time for a year and then see what happens,” Jonita told Toronto Desi Diaries. “My debut (in Bollywood) happened on the spot. I was visiting the studios of music director Vishal Shekhar who was at that time working on the title song of Chennai Express. Vishal Shekhar had heard my online work and knew what I sounded like. He took a chance and asked to me try a scratch.”

So, Jonita lent her voice to the song—which included the dulcet pipes of South Indian icon S.P. Balasubramanium. After her recording, she was told the final decision on whether the track would make it into the big screen rested with the film’s leading man Shah Rukh Khan, director Rohit Shetty and the producers. The song did make it and Jonita’s singing prowess found a springboard.

There’s this interesting story of how Jonita’s music struck the right chord with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.

Here’s how it all happened. Even before she set-off for Mumbai, Jonita had build an impressive online portfolio. Her collaboration with pianist Aakash Gandhi (no relative) and flutist Sahil Khan was groundbreaking. The talented trio basically stripped popular Hindi/Punjabi music of all its layers and created melodies that were uncluttered, organic and simplistic.

Couple of their YouTube videos went viral and one landed in the hands of the CEO of Balaji Films who tweeted the link with note on how impressed he was. Turns out, Amitabh Bachchan (who was following the CEO) heard, agreed and re-tweeted, “I completely agree.”

So, for a Toronto gal to get nods from not one, but two Bollywood heavyweights—Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan— means Jonita Gandhi is going to croon her way into the hearts of millions, soon.

MuslimFest builds bridges with humour, food and culture

Volunteers of MuslimFest are the backbone of the hugely popular summer festival. This year’s event will run Aug. 2-3 at Celebration Square in Mississauga, Ont.
Photo courtesy of MuslimFest.

An ardent wish of every event organizer in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) would be perhaps be this: to replicate the success MuslimFest.

In the summer of 2004, three organizations— Sound Vision, DawaNet, and Young Muslims Canada (which is no longer associated)— came together to put out their first event at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. That first year, the festival was largely vendor-driven event and included the wares of entrepreneurs who sold everything from jewelry, mouth-watering halal food, eye-catching hijabs and clothing. The event saw 8,000 people. Nine years later however, the festival became a magnet for both the young and the old. Attendance soared to 13,000 visitors.

“The idea for the MuslimFest came about three years before the first event,” said Lina Rahman, artist development and management and legal advisor for MuslimFest told Toronto Desi Diaries. “There was a meeting of minds on what we could do for the youth in our community and what is it that will unify our youth. There wasn’t really any major event in and around Toronto at that point that focused on youth engagement. The idea was for the festival to be responsive to youth. The response however was huge.”

Masses of people pour in for what has become a multi-day celebration of the art, culture and heritage of Muslims in the Greater Toronto Area.

From Left to Right: Mississauga Ward 6 Councillor Ron Starr presents the flag of the city to MuslimFest's Rina Rahman, artistic development & management and legal advisor, MuslimFest and Saffraz Khan, event director, MuslimFest 2013.

From Left to Right: Mississauga Ward 6 Councillor Ron Starr presents the flag of the city to MuslimFest’s Lina Rahman, artistic development & management and legal advisor, MuslimFest and Saffraz Khan, event director, MuslimFest 2013.

For the past two years, MuslimFest has been held place at Celebration Square in Mississauga to accommodate large number of people that gather. New components including acts by several stand-up comedians, performances by emerging and well-known artists and a vendor bazaar, all add to the overall appeal.

It would then be apt to say MuslimFest has successfully branded itself as an event that celebrates the diversity in the Muslim community through humour, food, art and entertainment.

“There are a couple of reasons that make this event popular,” Rahman said. “First of all, it was the first of its kind to address youth in the community, what I mean is although there were others, they were more religious in nature. MuslimFest focused on the creative side, which until then had not been addressed. Secondly, MuslimFest was able to bring the entire community together. It was always intended to be the representative of the whole community.”

Organizers have kept an ear to the ground and incorporated suggestions that came their way because ultimately the idea is to give folks something they enjoy.

To that end, in 2011, the festival invited stand-up comic Rabbi Bob Alper to headline at MuslimFest. What was interesting was that Alper was a perfect conduit to promote friendship between two cultures—Muslims and Jewish.

That year, the festival made headlines because of the tongue-in-cheek headline organizers added to their press release, which announced: 10,000 Muslims laugh at a rabbi.

“I was thrilled to receive the invitation to appear at MuslimFest,” Alper noted in a press release. “During the past seven years I’ve seen repeatedly how shared laughter diffuses suspicion and builds bridges between formerly unconnected communities.”

Alper, considered the world’s only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy internationally, helped silence critics of MuslimFest who were eagerly waiting to stir-up controversy.

After it pulled off a creative coup with Alper, in 2012, organizers did not rest on their laurels. They sought to offer new attractions and artists by bringing in comic book creator Naif Al Mutawa the creator of THE 99; the first Muslim-inspired comic book and other Canadian and internationally renowned names such as Tom Vandenberg, Irfan Makki, Junaid Jamshed, Baba Ali Zain Bikha and Raef.

MuslimFest celebrated its 10^th anniversary last year with some 26,000 revelers. If that’s not success, what is?

Kitchener, Ont. native Dawud Wharnsby, a Canadian singer/songwriter/poet, best known for his work in musical poetic genre interacts with his young fans at the MuslimFest. Photo courtesy, MuslimFest.

“MuslimFest is supposed to be a celebration of our culture, our art, our history specifically within the Canadian context,” Rahman said. “Our mandate is to build bridges. It’s not necessarily the element of fun or the carnival environment that brings people together, but comedy and food. We make conscious decision every year on who can we bring that’s not only fun, but would be able to speak to the wider community.”

Other cities and organizations have desperately tried to duplicate the success, but none have succeeded.

“It (MuslimFest) has broken stereotypes,” Rahman says. “The most important thing for all of us serving in the festival’s committee is: yes, we’re Muslims, but we are also Canadians…”

The 2014 MuslimFest is scheduled for Aug. 2-3 at Celebration Square in Mississauga.

Desis play Holi in unholy weather

The KC Group Canada celebrated the festival of colours Holi in sub-zero temperature.

For years now, the KC Group Canada has refused to let the Canadian winter/spring come in the way of its Holi celebrations.

Holi is a festival of colours celebrated in most parts of India at the start of spring. The colour-run can be compared to the La Tomatina festival of Spain, except in this case, tomatoes are not harmed in the revelry. In fact, there are no fruit or vegetables involved.

For Holi, masses of people take to the streets armed with water guns and coloured powder called ‘Gulal’ which they toss at one another. In the larger scheme of things, Holi gives everyone—adults and children—a chance to bring out their inner child.

In India, the festival is played outdoors, but here in Canada, the KC Group celebrated Holi indoors inside the National Banquet Hall in Mississauga.

Also, the play of Holi was restricted to a small area on the hardwood dance floor. It sure got cramped in the space as people jostled around. One can only imagine the horror on the faces of the cleaning crew should they discover the stubborn colour stuck to the carpet, furniture and upholstery. Nevertheless, despite the obvious limitations, some 300 people let their hair down and partied as if there was no tomorrow.

The KC Group Canada has been celebrating Holi and Diwali in Canada despite the fact that the realities of weather here along with combination of city bylaws dilute the fun a bit. Also, in Canada, organizers sanitize the tradition by making it all above board.

The KC Group Canada celebrated the festival of colours Holi at the National Banquet Hall in Mississauga.

Let me explain, in India, one of the staples of Holi is a drink called Bhang. Now, Bhang is a drink made from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant. Using a mortar and pestle, people smash the leaves and flowers and grind it to a fine paste which they incorporate into a drink. It’s not uncommon—in India— to see men completely wasted on Holi and looking comical with multi-coloured hues of gulal stuck the faces, hair and clothes.

As a South Indian, I was always envious of the traditions practiced in the North. Seriously, how cool is that you can get drunk on Holi and gamble on Diwali?

Food and drink aside, Holi is about dancing. No one can sing a Holi song better than Indian’s evergreen superstar Amitabh Bachchan. His deep gravelly voice has some kind of power. When I heard his songs at the KC Group’s Holi bash, I was filled with sheer nostalgia of the past. Ah, those were the days.

Kathak in Canada would have faded into sidelines if not for Rina Singha

Toronto’s Kathak legend Rina Singha, 77, will be presenting a show starting Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 22 at Harbourfront Centre. The show is an ode to her guru Shambu Maharaj.
Supplied photo.

The Indian dance form of Kathak can be described as a motion of pure grace and poetry.

There’s a certain economy of space and time. To a bystander unschooled in any dance form whatsoever, the dancer’s quick movements and the music’s short staccato bursts may appear completely in tandem.

In India, religion and arts, oddly enough are interwoven. For instance, the pursuit of classical dance and singing has by and large been the domain of Hindus and to some extent the Muslims.

So, it’s fascinating that Toronto native Rina Singha, 77, has not only elevated Kathak on the world platform, but as a Christian, she has immortalized her spirituality, faith and fables into a visually compelling stories through Kathak.

In what can be described as an ode to her teacher—Guru Shambu Maharaj—Singha, and choreographer/friend Danny Grossman are presenting Circle of Bricks- Rhythms of Kathak, starting Thursday, March 20 and running until Saturday, March 22, at the Harbourfront Centre (Fleck Dance Theatre). On Thursday and Friday the show will run at 8 p.m. on Saturday, it’s at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $30/person.

When Singha arrived in Toronto from India in 1965, she brought with her, her love for a dance form that may have been dismissed as “quixotic and exotic’ in the arts scene here. Over the next five decades, she worked tirelessly to ensure her beloved Kathak was part of the mainstream art scene.

At 77, Toronto’s Rina Singha remains as committed as ever to Kathak. The Toronto native has single- handedly elevated Kathak into the mainstream arts scene here in Canada.
Supplied photo

A Canadian legend, a trailblazer and a dance icon, Singha’s role in keeping the embers of century-old dance alive here in Canada cannot be ignored.

The dancer was introduced to Kathak at 14. While pursuing her Masters degree, she was chosen—through a government-sponsored scholarship—to train under Guru Shambhu Maharaj. Maharaj is to Kathak what Wayne Gretzky is to hockey.

As Maharaj’s student, Singha learned by unlearning. She started from scratch. She mastered the slow tempos over and over again. Then she perfected the opening exercises for three hours everyday. This became her ritual for the next six months. A penchant for perfection and a strong dance ethic became the foundation on which she soared.

“The slow tempos helped to perfect the minute details and nuances of the wrists, neck and eyes, that highlighted the broader arm and body movements,” she recalled.

The next few decades saw Singha experiment with choreography. She enriched the pieces by sprinkling it with life experiences. Her works include: Songs From Exile Walls, Lullabye and Lament, Prithvi (an Earth Narrative) and full-length Biblical works: The Seekers: from the Garden of Eden to the Walls of Jericho.

Singha’s collaboration with Grossman, much like her meeting with Maharaj was orchestrated by destiny. Grossman’s expertise in Christian dance enabled India-born Singha to stray from the tried and tested formula. She created a new repertoire.

Kathak in Canada would have faded into anonymity if not for Rina Singha, 77, who immortalized Christian fables by connecting it to Kathak.
Supplied photo.

“I am a Christian and I was brought up on Bible stories,” Singha said. “These stories were more meaningful to me than the usual stories of Kathak repertoire, which I could relate to in terms of their human emotions, but not necessarily in terms of their spirituality.”

When incorporating biblical stories, Singha stuck by the rules and chose appropriate laya (speed/tempo) and tala (rhythm). After her first work Genesis, she went on showcase Yeshu Katha in 1991.

Singha describes Circle of Bricks as a “metaphor for creating meaningful Kathak works that extend beyond boundaries of space and time by becoming relevant to a new era, while maintaining the integrity of the dance form and remaining connected to its roots and the soil which first nurtured it.”

Knowing her, we know, it will be something that should not be missed.

For tickets visit here.

This doctor’s journey into arts has only pleasant side effects

Mississauga native Dr. Amitha Mundenchira pursued a career in medicine, but realized she received all health benefits only when she embraced dance and the arts.
Supplied photo.

Even though Dr. Amitha Mundenchira, 36, dutifully walked the path envisioned by her parents to pursue a career in medicine, there was never a doubt in her mind about her true calling.

Except of course, in this case, turns out she had more than one.

Mundenchira’s physical and emotional journey was initially fraught with self-doubts and awkwardness, but once she found dance, it became a spiritual calling.

“I rediscovered my passion for arts through dance,” she said. “It’s almost as if I rediscovered myself in the process. Dance was another form of exercise, but because it was Bollywood dancing, I found myself completely immersed into it.”

Mundenchira’s story is one of inspiration and courage. Anyone that’s afraid to chase their dreams should take a leaf or two from her life. Let me retrace and start at the beginning.

Once upon a time, there was a studious girl who buried her face—and identity— in towers of bulky textbooks. She completed the grueling demands of medical school with a single-minded focus and became a family physician.

Whenever she was stressed or emotionally drained, she found comfort in food. As a result, the girl was not only overweight, but she was weighed down by the monotony of her life.

And so life continued, Day after day as she sat doling advice to her patients about healthy living, she realized, it was hypocritical of her to tell them to practice what she told them to and not do it herself.

So, one day, on the lark, she signed-up for a Bollywood dance class, purged oily food from her diet and plunged headlong into a new territory. Slowly, the pounds began to fall, as did her awkwardness. It wasn’t long before offers for modeling; acting and dance performances came her way.

“Through dancing, I found a whole new world,” said a radiant Mundenchira. “I found I could de-stress through dance. Dance also helped me with my self-esteem issues. I realized could express through dance, anger, happiness or whatever other emotions I was experiencing.”

Dr. Amitha Mudenchira’s the vivacious host of popular television show Hooray Bollywood on Zee TV.
Supplied photo

As an accomplished dancer/singer/actor/writer/television host (Hooray Bollywood) and artist currently conceptualizing a one-of-its-kind television show that will blend the therapeutic uses of arts and connect it to science, Mundenchira admits to finally finding her place under the sun.

“We are all here on the earth for a purpose,” she said. “It’s not about competing with others but finding your spot. After experiencing and enjoying various dance forms, I have come to the realization that medicine is not the only thing I want to do. I want to eventually fuse medicine and arts in some way.

All her artistic endeavours now have an underlying social message, a reason why she’s an integral part of organizations such as Divine Heritage Artistry, Sanskriti Arts Dance + Fitness studio and Limitless Productions.

Once she mastered Bollywood dancing, the Mississauga resident studied hip-hop, jazz and contemporary styles. Then she turned her sight on classical dance and music. Mundenchira remains unfazed by the fact that because of her rather late start in pursuit of dance, she now has to learn the basics of it alongside eight and nine year-olds.

“Ultimately, it’s not about dancing,” she said. “It’s about being myself through dance. I went from a person with low self-esteem who looked at everything negatively to a person who’s always trying to look for something good in every situation. That happened because of the self-enrichment.”

You can follow Mundenchira through her artistic profile.

Dr. Amitha Mundenchira’s physical and spiritual transformation came about when she discovered dance. Today, she’s an accomplished singer, dancer, actor, TV host, family physician and writer.
Supplied photo.

Bringing the glitz of Bollywood to Toronto

Vaibhav Parashar (in the middle) seen here with two of Bollywood’s superstars – Priyanka Chopra (left) and Shah Rukh Khan during the Indian International Film Academy Awards (IIFA).

For people unaware of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, aka ‘King Khan,’ is an actor currently perched on the pinnacle of the film industry’s complex food chain.

Here in North America, his movies—even the unimaginative and tepid ones— run to packed houses. An appearance by Khan in your neck of woods will likely create a stampede or frenzy never witnessed before.

So, if you tell a desi anywhere on the earth, you danced with Shah Rukh, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and a whole bevy of stars from Bollywood, they will be likely swoon in your presence.

Vaibhav Parashar, 32, a choreographer/ theatre professional living here in the GTA has worked with the virtual Who’s Who of the Indian film industry, but is disinclined to name drop because he doesn’t want to piggy-back ride on their fame. He wants to be his own person. Fair enough.

Vaibhav Parashar, a GTA dance and theatre professional seen here with well-known Bollywood actress Divya Dutta.

Parashar started his artistic journey as a theatre professional with a premiere organization— National School of Drama (NSD)— in New Delhi. After working in some 75 plays, he set forth for the glamorous lights of Mumbai aka Bollywood Central and landed in the dance studios of Shiamak Davar, a leading choreographer, under whose tutelage Parashar was able to hone on his dance IQ. For next 10 years, Parashar remained with the school as a dance instructor helping hundreds of South Asians—both in India and across GTA— to connect with the insanely popular Bollywood-style of dance.

At present though, he’s making films that matter plus hoping to capitalize on the insatiable appetite for Bollywood among the desis of the North America through his just-launched event management company—Yaar (friend in Hindi) Entertainment.

“I always try to tell the story—whether it’s dance, choreography or filmmaking — by visualizing it from the audience’s perspective,” he said. “This is something I learned from my guru Shiamak who always taught us to anticipate the reaction of the crowd.”

As a filmmaker/dancer/choreographer/actor and producer, he says he has learned his craft through osmosis. He says he’s equally at home behind the camera, just as he’s on the stage moving to the pulsating rhythm of music.

Having tasted first hand the magic of films, he now wants to wow the audience with a mega Bollywood musical that will incorporate powerful elements of dance and music by weaving it within a story. A genre that’s as comforting to Parashar as water is to a duck.

“My ultimate dream is to create a Bollywood in Canada,” he said. “There’s so much talent here in this country, but unfortunately, most people don’t have the capability to go to India. Through my company, I want to create an extensive database of artists —singers, dancers, musicians and actors — so if someone is looking at anything and anybody to do with the Indian arts, they should be able to find all the resources in a single place.”

Parashar credits his training in theatre for enhancing his artistic intellect. He figures he has a fair idea of what will work in terms of dance and storyline.

“Bollywood connects us to our culture,” Parashar said. “Bollywood teaches Hindi to our kids, it’s teaches them our customs and traditions. In my opinion, Bollywood has assumed the role of a teacher for the younger generation of children living here in Canada.”

After a decade-long successful stint as a dancer/choreographer, Vaibhav Parasher, has taken to a new role as a director, producer and writer. He’s one of GTA’s rising stars.
Supplied photo

Within the next year of two, Parashar vows he will be a well-known name here in Toronto. When it comes to selling dreams of Bollywood, this merchant knows his stuff.

The dilemma of protecting our daughters and sons in the digital age

Anusree Roy as Malini and Andrew Lawrie as Sharan in Anupama Chandrasekhar's Free Outgoing, which played at Toronto's Factory Theatre. Photo by John Lauener.

Anusree Roy as Malini and Andrew Lawrie as Sharan in Anupama Chandrasekhar’s Free Outgoing, which played at Toronto’s Factory Theatre recently. Photo by John Lauener.

On a recent Sunday, as I watched the plot of Anupama Chandrasekhar’s play Free Outgoing unfold in front of my eyes, I couldn’t but help shudder at the “what ifs”.

As a super cautious user of social media, all my actions are governed by the sobering thought that this seemingly innocuous technology has wrecked lives, ruined careers and even helped usher in a revolution or two in some parts of the world.

Free Outgoing is a wake-up call to parents of all teenagers. The 90-minute saga aptly exposed the double standards of a society that has no qualms whatsoever about verbally and psychologically lynching a young girl for her naive curiosity, while the boy, who I felt was equally culpable, went scot-free.

Here’s a bit of a background on the play’s genesis. In 2004, two students from a public school in New Delhi, India, filmed themselves having sex. The video of their act went viral. It wasn’t long before all major newspapers and television networks decided to cash in. The (multimedia messaging system) MMS scandal as it came to be known, fed the baser instincts of an entire nation and kept them riveted. At every opportunity, the so-called moral gatekeepers of Indian society chimed in with their viciousness. They ostracized and condemned the young girl and her family. For weeks, the girl’s family sat trapped in their apartment because an angry mob and a ruthless media stalked them.

A year later, Indian society’s blatant hypocrisy came to the surface yet again, when a well-known Indian actress (Khushboo) penned a newspaper column in which she urged all folks, including unmarried women, to practice safe sex. In Chennai, a city in India, steeped in so-called traditional values, Khushboo’s words caused a moral tsunami.

Anusree Roy and Ash Knight in Anupama Chandrasekhar’s Free Outgoing. The play exposed the sexual hypocrisy of Indian society. Photo by John Lauener.

Chandrasekhar, a business reporter from Chennai channelized her indignation into crafting a compelling play that exposes the sexual hypocrisy of Indian society.

“Free Outgoing was very loosely inspired by the two much reported incidents in India that outraged me,” explains Chandrasekhar, in the playwright’s notes. “It became quite evident that in cases where a girl/women’s sexuality is under social scrutiny, the penalty she and her family have to pay is quite out of proportion to the act committed.”

Kelly Thornton, artistic director, Nightwood Theatre—who directed the play here in Toronto — said she heard of Free Outgoing in 2007 when it premiered in London’s Royal Court Theatre. The theme connected with her on many levels.

“The world of the play sits on the precipice of technological blast off where now Twitter, Instagram, smart phones and sexting are much more than just part of our vernacular,” said Thornton. “We have created a world where lives can be changed overnight. Indeed technology is the great colonizer of our time, changing societies so rapidly that its effects are still relatively unknown. In many ways, it’s still a wild frontier…”

What disturbs me as a media professional and a mother is that success of any social media endeavor these days is gauged on an odd barometer—whether the image or idea went viral or not. The danger of this is, some important messages get diluted or are not heard because they did not feature a cat playing a piano.

Free Outgoing’s relevance, I realized is not limited to India, its central theme will eerily resonate with Canadians as well. Remember, Rehtaeh Parsons, a 17-year-old who took her life after being raped, then bullied on the Internet? What about Amanda Todd? Amanda, 15, committed suicide in her Port Coquitlam home because of the bullying she endured online after a topless picture of her was shared via social media.

I believe Free Outgoing should be shown in schools and other educational institutions as a public service message, because god knows, our children are oblivious to the danger of social media.

In my next blog, I will feature an interview with Anusree Roy, who played the lead role of the mother (Malini Haridas) in Free Outgoing. Stay tuned.

Toronto Desi Diaries

Sights, sounds and stories of South Asians in Toronto

Radhika Panjwani