02The People’s Chronicle | www.thepeopleschronicle.in

Imphal, Sunday, December 18, 2016

No one wants to marry me: Chris Martin

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who finalised his divorce from actress Gwyneth

Paltrow in July this year after a decade of marriage, says he doesn't consider himself as husband material and doesnt think anyone wants to marry him.

Martin, who was recently linked to actress Annabelle Wallis, says there are rare chances of him getting married again, reports dailymail.co.uk.

In an interview on a radio station on Thursday, Martin joked: "No one wants to marry me. I'm just not really nice. I fooled one person once."

Lawrence loves being ‘hands on’ over Christmas

Actress Jennif-er Lawrence loves being "hands on" over Christ-mas. She es-pecially enjoys

splurging to buy presents in retail store Toys 'R' Us for the children in her family.

"I actually like to be hands on and go into Toys 'R' Us because I have like, kind of a bomb-a** wallet now and I didn't when I used to go into Toys 'R' Us," Lawrence told eonline.com.

"I'd be like, 'Spongy, stretchy keychain' and now I'm like, 'They want that!' I have fun doing that now," she added.

Lawrence says she gets "ex-cited" about buying children's presents.

"(I) always gets excited about getting the kids' stuff," she said.

CASTING DIRECTOR Amy Hub-bard, who did the casting for "The Lord of the Rings" film franchise, has revealed that late music icon David Bowie was considered to

play Gandalf's character in the film.Actor Dominic Monaghan, who played

Merry in the popular film franchise, revealed earlier this year that he once saw Bowie in the casting agency. The musician "signed his little list" and Monaghan assumed he would be cast as Gandalf.

Now Hubbard says that Bowie was indeed considered for the role, which was finally played by Ian McKellen.

"He was unavailable," Hubbard said of why Bowie was eventually not cast in the movie.

"It was a very quick conversation with the

legendary Chris Andrews at CAA. I do believe that (Bowie) went over and played for everybody at the Millennium party. That would've been New Year's Eve in the year 1999, which was when the films were being shot. He went over and entertained everybody, but he never auditioned. That's for sure."

Peter Jackson, the director of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, did want Bowie to play Gandalf.

"We approached him. I'm pretty sure it was Peter Jackson's idea in the first few weeks that we got going. It was one that he'd always wondered about, and we rang Chris, and (Bowie) was far too busy," Hubbard said.

SINGER BEYONCE KNOWLES threw a holiday party for all working under her

production banner Park-wood Entertainment.

Knowles threw the party on Thursday night at the Wilshire Ebell Theater here, and she stepped out with a surprise performance for her crew, reports aceshowbiz.com.

Following a screening of her visual album "Lemon-ade", the 35-year-old took the stage to perform one of her favourite tracks from her latest album.

Donning a Johanna Ortiz blue striped frilled top and a

festive batik print ruffled skirt, Knowles looked stunning as she sang her latest single "All night".

Knowles also gave guests the opportunity to get close and personal with her iconic cos-tumes as she displayed all her standout outfits from her visual album, including the lemonade yellow Roberto Cavalli gown from "Hold up" and the Gucci dress she wore in "Formation".

At the end of her perfor-mance, Knowles thanked everyone who helped bring her sixth studio album to life.

She said: "A year ago we were in the mud, in the swamps filming. Now, here we are. God bless y'all."

TODAY, MODERN TECHNOLOGY and computer generated digital video effects almost capture young

minds in the (glamour?) world of film making. Presentation of some current films including Sor (Breath, Ajit Ningthouja), Moreh Maru (Pills from Moreh, O. Gautam), Yaibikol (R.K. Homen) and many others relied heavily on computer generated gimmicky Digital Video Effect (DVE) in order to attract the masses. On the other side, the year also has had successful realistic films such as Eibusu Yaohanbi (Let Me Join You, Maipaksana Haorongbam), Loktak Lairembee (Lady of the Lake, Haobam Paban Kumar) and few others. The former type of films is basically produced keeping the masses in mind and purely commercially motivated at the core.

But a closer rendezvous with the business and craft of film making will confuse one thinking what will be the real commercial film in our scheme of market. Loktak Lairembee, through remarkable landing and winning in some reputed film festivals, has already made history in the annals of Manipuri cinema to be the highest earning film ever. The film, before showing to the people of Manipur, has already collected a quarter of a Crore through win at MAMI and telecast rights for British Channel 4. Again, Loktak

Lairembee has a bright chance to be a part of Berlin Film Festival, one of the three highly fringed film festivals (the other two being Cannes and Venice). If it is through this festival, the film is expected to gather around a crore through DVD copy right, satellite sales, royalty, awards and others sources. It definitely redefines the concept of commercial films with respect to our miniscule film industry. This year, Eibusu Yaohanbiyu and Loktak Lairembee have an edge over the others mainly for their elegant simplicity and realism. One of the important realistic characters that both Eibusu Yaohanbiyu and Loktak Lairembee follow is the notion of minimalism. Considering our thin market and unavoidable shoe string budget, Minimalist approach in film making, for now, is seen as the only way for us to follow. Mentor Aribam Syam Sharma has done with films such as Imagi Ningthem (My Son My Precious, 1982) and Ishanou (The Chosen One, 1990). Moreover, our aesthetic sensibility is associated with eastern concepts, an approach with which our body of work look natural.

It is said that eastern aesthetics is opposite to the western sensitivity in the sense that the former is based on simplicity and use of minimum required elements where the latter is based on complexity with multiple elements. In a

given art form elements are removed to the maximum in case of the eastern aesthetics where elements are added to the maximum in case of the western counterpart. The removing of inessential materials leads to the idea of minimalism mainly influenced by Japanese aesthetics and Zen philosophy. The argument is well reflected if we have a close look at the National flags. Japan has a very simple flag with only a circle in the middle but carries various significances and reflection of the ‘rising sun’. The USA has a complex design with bunch of small stars in the upper left hand side amidst horizontal lines at regular intervals. The Union Jack of Britain is complex and uniform defining classism. So, art and aesthetics sensibility can also be read through the national flags including that of Indian tricolour with a running wheel in the middle. The state

flag of Manipur with joining of different horizontal colours bears Minimalist design and integration of different entities.

Minimalism, as the name suggests, is a collective movement in various forms of art which set out to expose the essence or identity of a subject eliminating all non-essential features. In cinema, work of French film maker Robert Bresson is cited as perfect example of Minimalism. Ludwig Mies Rohe, noted Architect, implemented the motto "Less is more" to describe his aesthetic tactic of arranging the numerous necessary components where every element serves multiple functions to create an impression of extreme simplicity in designing buildings. Buckminster Fuller, famous designer, advocated the concept "Doing more with less", but inclined towards technology

and engineering rather than aesthetics. Again Ludwig Mies Rohe’s motto was polished by Dieter Rama, noted industrial designer, with the concept "Less but better". During 1980s, when Minimalist became vogue in the USA and Europe, simplicity was achieved using white elements, large space, minimum objects and cold lighting to convey the message of simplicity. Minimalist art strips every non-essential element to the point where removal anything further to improve the work of art is not possible.

Zen concepts of simplicity transmit the ideas of freedom and essence of living. Simplicity is not only aesthetic value, it has a moral perception that looks into the nature of truth and reveals the inner qualities of materials and objects for the essence. The Japanese aesthetic principle of Ma refers to empty or open space where Wabi values the quality of simple and plain objects appreciating the absence of unnecessary features to view life in quietness and reveals the most innate character of materials. To cite an example in Ikebana, the Japanese floral art, people cut off the branches, leaves and blossoms from the plants retaining only the essential parts to convey the idea of essential quality and innate character in nature. Japanese cinema icon and master of subtlety Yasujiro Ozu is synonymous

with Minimalist style. His Tokyo Story (1953) is said to be a lesson on Minimalist and elegant simplicity. Robert Bresson uses minimalist concept in his films and is particularly marked for the film Mouchette (1966), considered to be a text book on Minimalist. The Neorealist film makers of Italy too applied minimalist in their films, so as our own Satyajit Ray and Aribam Syam Sharma. Robert Bresson (France) called his actors as ‘models’, ‘not actors’ as he strives to get simplicity and ‘no emotion’ in the scheme of acting considering ‘emotional register of acting device’ theatrical while defining cinema as ‘writing with images in movement and with sounds’. The concept of Bresson becomes universal which nature is quite opposite to our concept of art and cinema. We are firmly sucked to the familiarity of melodramatic signs and are never moved unless the presentation is heightened emotionally. And this concept makes a huge different between Loktak Lairembee and other films and even with Eibusu Yaohanbiyu in the world platform. The lesson can be ended with what Bresson did in order to strip down things to the essentials. He would shoot any number of takes it required for a scene just to wear out his actors, so that they could register NO EMOTION in the process.

MINIMALIST APPROACH, FUTURE OF MANIPURI CINEMAWithBrad PittAmerican actor, producer

Your Birthday ProfileF Your Sun Sign is:

Sagittarius

F Your personal ruling planets are: Jupiter and Mars.

F Your lucky colors is: red, maroon and scarlet and autumn tones.

F Your lucky gems are: red coral and garnet.

F Your lucky days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

F Your lucky numbers and years of important change are: 9, 18, 27, 36. 45, 54, 63, 72.

You need to soften your demands on others. Try not expecting too much so as to not be disappointed with the outcome. After all, humans are humans. You have high ideals, big plans and strong ambitions which your friends and work colleagues can't keep up with. It could be that this may be a form of attention seeking, stemming from a need for approval.

Profile: Actor and producer Brad Pitt was born on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Pitt is also a two-time winner of People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" title (1995 and 2000). He was nominated for an Academy Award for the fifth time in 2014, winning his first Oscar in the best picture category as a producer for 12 Years a Slave (2013).

Beyonce Knowles throws office party

BY BOBBY WAHENGBAM

AGE KNOWS NO BOUND in discovering and brushing up one’s talent. A renowned actor once said that, “You’re never too late or early to

discover your hidden talents. I start-ed my acting career at 40 while most starts at 20!” It may also be said that talent and love can never stay hidden for long. One day or the other, it is sure to brew up and surprises both the person and the people around. Ajay Maisnam AKA AJ Maisnam is one of the talented young singers of Manipur, leaving his mark with his mesmerising voice wherever he performs. Born to Maisnam Ingenjao Singh and Maisnam (O) Indira Devi of Kangmong Maisnam Leikai, Nambol, AJ Maisnam has given the public many beautiful songs with his recent hit being “Masibu Koubara Nungshiba”.

As a child, he loved music and started to sing at a very young age. He recalled his mother singing to him before he goes to sleep and how he loved to hear her! He said that his mother loves music too and she also taught him how to sing, though she wasn’t a trained singer. Moreover, his grandma sings in sankritan.

As he started off his journey of singing, AJ Maisnam performed in small music concerts which were held at localities. As time went on, people started noticing him. He released his debut song ‘Thenglaba Ahingse’ on June 1st, 2015. The song debuted on mp3 format in internet followed by the music video album.

His parents didn’t give full support to his singing career. Like all caring fathers, AJ Maisnam’s father wanted his son to focus on studies as singing doesn’t promise sustainable income career in Manipur context. He started learning music when he was in class 6 and 7 but stopped for quite a while when his father started disapproving. After he passed out from higher

secondary school, he convinced his father to let him learn singing and eventually his father relented.

His debut song ‘Thenglaba Ahingse’ was released after he completed his high secondary school which got him recognition from among the music loving crowds of Manipur. Ever since his debut song, around 10 songs have been released till date and some are in the pipeline. He is working on the song ‘Mani Mamou’ which is a duet with one of the famous singers, Pushparani. His feels that the most popular song from him are ‘Thenglaba Ahingse’ and ‘Ekai Nungshi Yanare’.

AJ Maisnam feels that he is on the verge of full succession as of now and feels overwhelmed knowing that he is quite a popular singer among the people of Manipur. He feels that he is optimistic in nature as he doesn’t take in most of the negative comments from people; even when he does, he simply ignores them. He plans to become a Singing Instructor/Voice Teacher in his future career after completing his graduation and masters degree. He is currently stud-ying (BA Music at Manipur Univer-sity).

His first struggle through his journey was his father’s disapproval of his career as a singer. But despite his father’s disapproval, he was learning to play guitar from his mathematics teacher who was in a rock band and then he started to compose songs. Since his parents didn’t really support him in his early days of his singing, he used his coaching fees that his parents

gave to record his songs instead of really going to coaching classes.

He also says how he and his friends

missed their NDA second paper exam-ination while they were meeting Tony Aheibam, the music director for the first time for his debut song. After he passed out high school, he wanted to release his songs so he went in search for a music director with his friends. Unfortunately his song ‘Naosum’ never got released.

He penned down the lyrics and composed his debut song ‘Thenglaba Ahingse’ when he was between class 8 and 9; the song was written for Sush-mita, the lady who is featured in the music video.

During his higher secondary school years at Millennium Institute of Sciences, he sang his debut song in his school millennium week in the year 2014. It was from that performance that his mathematics teacher Sir Ranjan Maisnam, the producer of his debut song, told him to find a music director to record and release the song which eventually led him to Tony Aheibam.

Tony Aheibam treated him as his own brother with love and respect. He was glad his teacher Ranjan Maisnam wanted to produce his debut song since his parents couldn’t really afford to produce a song at that time.

He would like to give his credits for his achievements to Sir Ranjan Maisnam, his parents, his sister Trivana, Lamnganbi and Sushmita Atom as well as Vivek Ali Chongtham and Tony Aheibam, who took the role of gurus. Lastly but not the least, Director Hemanta Khuman, for guiding him through the industry of music industry.

His message to his fans, “I wish that my fans will love and adore me eter-nally as they are doing right now.”

The Heartthrob Singer Of Manipur: AJ MaisnamI wish that my fans will love and adore me

eternally as they are doing right now

AJ MAISNAM

David Bowie was eyed as Gandalf in ‘Lord of the Rings’