01092024-LSTL-01.qxd 8/31/2024 11:19 PM Page 1 c m y b FLIP SIDE OF TECHNOLOGY Justin Bieber has been facing difficulties listening to music while texting. He wrote, “When I’m listening to music and I send a text message and it stops the music for a split second... All I’m asking is please do an Apple update so that the little dictation button is removed so I can listen to music and text and not have issues.” TRIBUNE Coming soon Shruti Haasan, who is playing Preethi in upcoming film Coolie, shared the character poster. She is seen with unkempt hair and a prominent red bindi, holding a shovel. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 Dr Mohan Agashe, who was in Chandigarh, says life is like a river that changes its course in the face of an obstacle and flows on ‘No blueprint to life’ FRESH TAKE Mona A GASHE the actor or Agashe the psychiatrist? It’s difficult to say which persona of Dr Mohan Agashe is more endearing, but on Friday evening, the actor and the doctor in him seamlessly merged into one as the Padma Shri recipient talked about his life just before his session at the fiveday National Theatre Festival at Tagore Theatre. At 78, Agashe, with a child-like innocence, made an effort to know everyone who crossed his path. In between meeting and greeting fans, as we sat down for a heart-to-heart chat, Agashe compared his life journey to a flowing river. “Life is not a building that you start with a foundation and a blueprint. Life happens. Like a river, it flows, changes its course in face of an obstacle and goes on.” Born into a lower-middle class Maharashtrian family, luck shone on him when a teacher noticed his talent and asked his father to allow him to act in a play. “My father had to say yes to the teacher. But I was asked to focus on my studies as well. That moment I realised that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I studied well,” said Agashe. And, he did well in studies. He took up science and eventually went to a medical school. But before that there were lessons in shorthand during holidays. “My father asked me and my sister to learn typing or shorthand to support ourselves.” Agashe, who took up medicine to On the fourth day of the festival organised by Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, Agashe talked about how theatre shaped his acting journey. Apart from being a psychiatrist and director of the Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health, he has been active on stage and screen. Known for his powerful performance as Nana Fadnavis in Vijay Tendulkar’s internationally acclaimed play Ghashiram Kotwal, his works include award-winning films like Sadgati, Manthan, Nishant, Antarjali Yatra and Sinhasan. He compares theatre and film to fresh and canned juice, respectively. “While in theatre it’s all raw, sensory experience, films are virtual.” please his parents, realised that he was not interested in the human body as much as he was interested in the human mind. So, he pursued psychiatry. But his love for drama continued throughout his academic life. Seven decades on, he has enjoyed every bit of it. “People do things for material gain. Main khushi ke liye acting karta hoon,” said Agashe amid greeting his fans. He didn’t mind making small talks but requests for selfies evoked a stern response. “Taking a selfie is the easiest way to kill a person. Nowadays, people click a photo to remember someone by. What they don’t realise is that memory is to see, speak, spend time and give attention to the person in front of you. Sadly, the phone has turned everything to still photos. If I allow them to click pictures, that’s all I will be doing at public events,” he said. Agashe’s Chandigarh trip is never complete without devouring a parantha. He kept the tradition alive by visiting his friend and theatre person Umesh Kant, where he had one made by Kant’s daughter Megha. The World Punjabi Heritage Foundation to organise Virsa De Waris to honour artistes Hardeep Bai, Sukhi Brar, Pammi Bai & Malkeet Rauni Cultural identity The World Punjabi Heritage Foundation will be organising a special mega award ceremony, Virsa De Waris, in November. The foundation has collaborated with various cultural organisations in Punjab and abroad. During the ceremony Punjab Shri Award and Kala Shri Award will be given to deserving Punjabis working anywhere in the world. Also, senior artistes will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards, and financial assistance will be provided to artistes facing financial difficulties. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club on Saturday by famous Punjabi folk singers Sukhwinder Kaur Brar, also known as Sukhi Brar, Pammi Bai and Hardeep Bai, and actor Malkeet Rauni. They talked about how Punjab, known as the land of five rivers, is currently battling issues such as migration, drug addiction, barren land, underground water scarcity and debt. To rescue any society or state from such crises, it is essential to revive its culture, folk traditions, and heritage. The World Punjabi Heritage Foundation is taking on the responsibility of restoring Punjab to its former glory and prosperity through this effort. Sukhi Brar, the brain behind this initiative, shared, “We will also include the youth who are making efforts to preserve the true cultural identity of Punjab through their extensive work. Not only will they perform at the ceremony but will also be honoured. We are yet to decide the jury members and finalise the date of awards. We hope that just like our initiative Punjabi Maa Boli Da Mela was success two years back, this too will become a hit.” He also appealed to the global Punjabi community to support this initiative. — TNS c m y b Being a good actor helps one to become a good psychiatrist, but being a psychiatrist doesn’t help one become a good actor.