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Event

Fortis Hospital sets Guinness World Record

Hospital performs highest number of cervical cancer screenings; over 750 women screened in eight hours.

Fortis Foundation set a Guinness World Record recently, for the highest number of cervical cancer screenings. Fortis Hospital at Vashi, Mumbai, screened over 751 women in an eight hour marathon screening, as part of its ‘Teal To Heal Together’ campaign, beating the earlier record of 350 participants held by Kaiser Permanente, San Diego (USA) achieved on January 29, 2011. More than 50 gynaecologists and oncologists worked together to screen the participants in more than 20 OPD rooms.

Speaking of the record, Varun Khanna, Regional Director (East & West), Fortis Healthcare said, “Although cervical cancer ranks as the number one killer disease in India, it is breast cancer that has received utmost attention. Through the ‘Teal To Heal Together’ campaign, Fortis is aiming to revolutionise the manner in which cervical cancer is perceived and prevented nationwide. The golden rule of prevention being better than cure is the guiding principle that has driven this campaign.”   

Dr. Vandana Gawdi, Senior Consultant, Gynaecologist, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, said, “Cervical cancer is both preventable and curable if detected at the HPV virus stage, Oncogenic HPV infection in Indian women varies in different locations. Studies have brought out certain demographic and other lifestyle factors on the development of abnormal cytology in Indian women.  This justifies the need for screening women for cervical cancer including Oncogenic HPV testing (HPV infection among various Indian women).”

Cervical cancer in India accounts for one fifth of the cervical cancer prevalent globally. On an yearly basis, over 1,30,000 new cases are detected and it is estimated that the number of new cervical cancer cases in India will increase to nearly 2,26,000 by 2025. Due to the lack of awareness and social stigma, the mortality rate among patients suffering from cervical cancer has risen from 74,118 reported deaths in 2002 to 2,70,000 reported deaths at present. Over 10 per cent of all cancer deaths annually are attributed to cervical cancer.

These mortality numbers can be partly attributed to the lack of awareness of the prevention techniques and the need for early detection through periodic health check-ups. Although cervical cancer is known to have a higher mortality rate than breast cancer, it is not yet perceived to be a social killer. It is widely and wrongly believed that the disease is transmitted only through consummation. The social perception attached to the disease, therefore, is a common deterrent for many women to come forward for a preventive examination. However, awareness amongst healthcare providers and women for the need of pap screening and preventive services is a must and should go a long way in alleviating the problem.

Improving the nutrition of the girl child, avoiding early marriage, a monogamist lifestyle, engaging in personal hygiene (to prevent HPV infections) and routine checks can prevent the occurrence of the disease to a great extent. For a developing country like India, as per the WHO norm, all women should undergo at least one pap smear test before the age of 40 years and preferably at least once in three years from the time of consummation of marriage or first sexual intercourse. If all the women between 35 and 65 years of age are screened at least once in two or three years, the frequency of cervical cancer can be greatly reduced to 93 per cent.

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Event

Play-acting with life

College drama fest draws theme ideas from real-life incidents, political ideologies, living by adjustment and even incest. A pitch report.
by Krishnaraj Rao

Rape and violence continue to dominate the mindscape of young Mumbaikars, it seems. At the ‘Let’s Act’ drama festival held yesterday at Ravindra Natya Mandir Mini Theatre, the students of RD National College elaborately re-enacted the recent Delhi bus-rape incident, in a play titled Is This Humanity? This was one of the five plays that was selected for re-enactment in the finals of the drama festival, to be held at Sophia Auditorium on January 5, 2013.

The other teams selected for the finals were Pragati College, which enacted a humourous play Adjustment (about how one needs to make an adjustment in all spheres of life), KC College (with a play on communalism based on the Panchatantra), Mumbai University’s Department of Journalism and Communication (with The Darkest Desire, a play about incest) and Swami Vivekanand College (Wakt Nahin Hai, a balletic satire about modern living.)

St. Andrew’s Chorus, which re-enacted the Mumbai 7/11 serial train blasts, and St. Xavier’s College, which enacted the Greek tragedy of Achilles, provided some extremely kinetic and memorable scenes.

The entire approach was minimalistic, with emphasis on creativity and powerful acting rather than lavish sets. The only stage sets available were two 1.5 feet levels, two nine inch levels, and some tables and chairs. All the work was done by the students themselves, without help from professionals.

This drama competition is organised by Helen O’Grady International, in benefit of ADAPT (formerly, the Spastic Society of India). Helen O’Grady’s Youth Theater workshops are enabling students to express themselves creatively.

 

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Film

Spare us the horror

The way Bollywood decides to make a horror film is a nightmare in itself, for both writers and the audience.
by M | M@themetrognome.in

Before I throw in my two cents’ worth on the subject, do watch this promo of a ‘horror’ movie scheduled to release this Friday.

 

 

 

Can’t stop laughing, right? Wonder what would happen if the makers of this film had decided to make a comedy.

Horror as a genre is very demanding to make. The director has to be very articulate with the finer nuances in creating ‘that scene’ which will get you to the edge of your seat. Some filmmakers in the Hindi film industry have given us masterpieces in horror, while others have just inflicted horror on us.

So how does one decide to experiment with this less sought-after genre?

Let me illustrate the general trend with just one recent example. This is a true story:

This tale begins with a good script and a young passionate director and his partner (a strictly professional relationship). The duo was overzealous in its idea to make a horror movie. Note that in this story, it is not the actual plotline of the film that is important, but rather, what happens to it in time.

So anyway, the duo left no stone unturned to lock in every single detail of the script before the narration.

Enter the producer. This guy claimed to be a Dark Knight fan, and never mind if he didn’t know who Christopher Nolan was. Hence, his feedback post the first narration went something like this, “Great, great. This is very good. I actually got goosebumps just listening to it. But what if we remove the ghost and make a thriller…the hero’s friend can be the murderer. Let’s see how that goes, change it a bit.”

An additional reason for removing the ghost from the horror film, in case the producer hadn’t made himself very clear already, was, “People don’t like horror movie these days, look what happened to Ram Gopal Verma’s Phoonk. It doesn’t work in India.” It is, of course, another matter that anything RGV touches these days turns into poop; the only time he got it right was with Bhoot.

The duo, their enthusiasm deflated, now worked on the script to make it a Whodunit. But if it was so easy to pull a taut thriller out of thin air, we would all be creating our own versions of Sherlock Holmes. Expectedly, Script Narration Round 2 didn’t  go well either, since the story lacked the twist-in-the-tale ending. They toyed around with the story for many days, but in vain.

The producer, by now impatient, decided to address the duo with another gem of an idea, which went something like this: “Maybe we should go back to the ghostwala plot, since you guys are unable to make this a non-ghost story. Also, a climax where you reveal the ghost will not require an explanation… look at Paranormal Activity.” This change of heart was not out of sympathy or love for the struggling writers…Vikram Bhatt had just announced Raaz 3, so now horror films suddenly had the potential to work at the box office.

The producer continued, “You guys should watch The Grudge, The Ring and other English horror movies for the climax. It’s unbelievable.”

The script was accordingly revised multiple times over the next two months and now it was nowhere close to the original draft. The damage was done, and the duo by now just wanted just to get done with this Godforsaken film. The producer, meanwhile, was still wondering about the ending of the film, and was torn between Basic Instinct and Shutter Island – never mind that both are thrillers and not horror films.

Finally, the last scene of the film was decided. Since making a choice was not easy, it shall accommodate both the Hollywood films.

So how does it end, you ask? You shall know next year. *winks *

Sharp as a tack and sitting on more hot scoops than she knows what to do with, M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.

(Picture courtesy fanpop.com)

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Do

A basket and a girl’s first great moments

‘Girl Gift Basket’ celebrates the birth of the girl child; you too can replicate the idea and take it forward.
by The Diarist | thediarist@themetrognome.in

Let’s face it, we really didn’t need Aamir Khan and his TV show Satyameva Jayate to tell us that the sex ratio in our country is  skewed in favour of boys. But it also took Aamir Khan and his TV show to focus the spotlight on an issue that has taken centrestage in our collective consciousness, especially in the light of recent events.

Girls are raped. Girls are killed at birth. Girls are given a secondary upbringing as compared to their brothers. And till society considers girls a burden on the family’s resources, girls will continue to be short-changed, sometimes by their own parents.

This is where the Girl Gift Basket comes in.

The Girl Gift Basket is a project kickstarted this month in Mumbai, in which a team from Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), an advertising firm, goes to partner hospitals in the city to distribute free gift baskets to mothers of girl children. Speaking to The Metrognome, Russell Barrett, Managing Partner BBH, says, “This project was part of a BBH Worldwide brief, where the idea was to do something good, famously.” He adds, “We are an ad agency, not an NGO, so we are able to put out the word on something pretty quickly. But for this project, simply putting the idea out there is not enough – we want it to be replicated all over the country.”

At the core of the idea is the thought of celebrating the girl child, and to help minimise the gender bais. “So many mothers are extremely disappointed to give birth to girls. A new mother is at her most vulnerable, and at that point, to have somebody come in and gift her a basket – it changes the vibe in the ward. People have been so moved to receive the baskets,” Russell says.

As part of the project, a team from the agency goes to hospitals’ maternity wards and gifts a previously put together pink basket of goodies for both the girl child and her mother. “The team hands out the baskets and sometimes explain to the mother how to use the products inside. Doctors and nurses also pitch in during the interaction,” Russell says. The agency has partnered with its current and ex-clients for the products, which includes body lotions, diapers, soft toys and hair oil, among other things.

The idea took over two months to execute. “We brainstormed on what the baskets should contain. We obviously couldn’t charge for the baskets, and there could be no perishable products inside. Plus, we needed to set a timeframe on getting the project started. But those we approached for help helped us a lot. We contacted hospitals, got the required permissions, and our dedicated team of six got the baskets organised, besides working out delivery schedules.”

Russell comments on the dedication of the team that is currently working on the project. “We have to get this work done without sacrificing our work at the agency,” he says. “But the team is extremely committed – they plan the distribution work in the early mornings, before office starts, or during their lunch breaks, or after work. I’ve even seen them work Saturdays and Sundays on this.” He says the biggest high for the firm has been in watching the team return after a round of distribution. “They’re so charged up, so filled with a sense of achievement. That’s driving them to continue.”

Thus far, the agency has generated funds for 500 baskets. “Our target is 500 baskets, and we’re hoping the idea really takes off by then. For those who want to replicate the idea, we’ve put up a downloadable kit on our website. The kit contains the letter for the hospital and ideas for the basket, among other things,” Russell says.

“It’s not about what we’re doing, it’s about taking it forward. The great thing is that help is pouring in. We realise it’s a very miniscule step, but if we can even plant a small thought in a young mother’s head, tell her, ‘See, it’s great to have a daughter, you even got gifted for it!’, it is a chance for us to do good at a very early stage in that child’s life. We’re hoping this project will start a fresh, positive conversation on girl children altogether,” he explains.

For details on how to get involved with the Girl Gift Basket and for a list of partner hospitals, look up www.girlgiftbasket.com.

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Do

Bisons on bikes

This gang of bikers does charity on the go – if you’re a serious biker, you’re free to join in.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Admit it, the moment one says the word ‘biker’, the immediate image in your mind is of a tough, tattooed dude, weaving in and out of traffic with practiced ease in the day, and burning up the roads in a death-defying race on the night’s empty roads. Bikers race each other, they drive when they’re drunk, they drive rashly…in short, they don’t follow a single road rule.

But a bunch of bikers that do charity? Drive within rules? Never drink and drive?

Meet the ‘Bisons Ride Hard’.

This is a city-based group of serious Royal Enfield bikers that was started last year by three bikers – Gurinder Singh, Sameer Balakrishnan, Deepak Ananth and Vineet Rajan, with the twin idea of combining responsible, safe biking with helping society. Speaking to The Metrognome, Deepak (35) said, “The three of us have been riding for about 15 years now, so we decided to form a club for like-minded bikers who ride in our style. We do charity rides, because our core philosophy is that we should give back to society in some way. And when we started the group, we wanted to break the stereotypical image of bikers that people have, and replace it with that of a serious, responsible person who rides hard and follows the rules.”

So much so, Deepak says, that when the group is on a ride, the ‘captain’ of the team ensures that nobody goes near their vehicle after drinking. “If we stop at a resort for the night and want to drink and party, the bike keys are handed over to the captain or a teetotaller in the group, who does not let a single drunk person near his bike,” he explains.

No need for speed

“Our rides are unique, with a concept that is well thought of,” Deepak says. Each ride is planned at least three weeks in advance, including the routes, timings and stopovers. Rides are done over weekends, and are characterised by long, typically hard riding at a maximum speed of 70 kmph.

The Bisons celebrated their first anniversary in September this year with ‘Red Bums’, a 24-hour, night-only ride. “This was an endurance ride for 1,000 kilometres,” Deepak says, adding that none of the bikers ride without helmets and jackets, and each bike has a crash guard. “We ensure that at least 40 per cent of the ride goes towards charity. We ride within speed limits, the captain for the group ensures that nobody is left behind, and driving rashly or after drinking is a strict no-no.”

Becoming a Bison

The initiation into the group is no cakewalk – you have to echo the group’s core values and undergo some tests. “Once a person applies to us for membership, we call him/her and have an informal meeting. We ascertain some basic things: does the person do drugs, does he drink and drive, what speeds he/she normally rides at. Then the person has to do five overnight rides with us over a period of one year,” Deepak says.

Two overnight rides later, the potential Bison is given access to articles on biking and the group, related information and he/she is involved in decision-making for future rides. “After five rides are complete, the person is given a Bison T-shirt, and a dog tag that lists the person’s basic details and blood group,” Deepak explains.

A rising number of women are enrolling in the group, he says, and several women also go riding with their spouses. “We have a mix of people joining us. There are entrepreneurs, doctors, dieticians, graphic artists. Even Aditya Raj Kapoor (the late Shammi Kapoor’s son) rides with us. Our youngest Bison is 21, our oldest is 59 years old,” Deepak says. In a year, the group has 70 members and 25 more are in the process of being initiated into the club.

The next charity ride

On Sunday, December 23, 50 Bisons will ride from Bandra Kurla Comples to Assisi Bhavan, Goregaon, to spend time with the senior citizens living there. The initiative is called ‘Bisons Serve’.

“We had been there last year, but we didn’t have enough funds to carry out our plans  then. This year, we have appealed to each member to contribute Rs 500, and we are planning a Christmas surprise,” he explains. Of the money thus pooled in, the group will purchase toiletries that will last the female inmates a year. “A Santa Claus is going to ride with us, and we’re also working on getting a carol group. There’s a Christmas tree as well. Besides this, we’ll be spending the day there, and we’re carrying lunch for them which we’ll eat with them. After all, the one thing they want the most is somebody to talk to,” he says.

All bullet biking enthusiasts can join the ride on December 23. Register for ‘Bisons Serve’ on the group’s website www.BisonsRideHard.com.

(Pictures courtesy Bisons Ride Hard) 

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Listen

Turn up the (copied) music

Pritam Chakraborty
Music directors are coming full circle – after copying global tunes for years, they’re now copying from old Hindi films!
by M | M@themetrognome.in

‘Copy cat, copy cat, tell your mother to make you fat.’ This line didn’t make any sense to me till I began to listen to songs from Hindi films. This line is just like the songs in our films these days – they don’t make any sense, but we’ve heard them before.

A song from Dabangg 2, ‘Pandeyjee Seeti Bajaye’ has the refrain from ‘Chalat Musafir’ from the Raj Kapoor starrer Teesri Kasam used all through the song. The original track was composed by Shankar-Jaikishen, but Sajid-Wajid, who say they created the music for Dabangg 2 in just two hours (a claim that’s easy to believe once you’ve heard the songs), argue that the tune in their song is a folk tune, and hence their song is not a copy.

Another recent release, Khiladi 786 has gone global in its copying – ‘Hookah Bar’ is copied from Chris Brown’s ‘Turn up the music’, whereas ‘Balma’s beats are lifted from ‘I’m sexy and I know It’. Himeshbhai, I sincerely hope you get pulled up by your nose for this.

We were finally out of the remixes era, when a dearth of original music forced composers to pick a popular track from yesteryear films and add some upbeat, dhinchak notes to create a song. We now have a new issue at hand – forget remixes, we are now facing a weird homecoming of sorts, with music directors simply copying tunes from earlier Bollywood films.

It is highly unfair that only Pritamda gets singled out as the biggest copycat of the industry. Sure, most of his tracks are good copy-and-paste jobs; his last, most evident copied track was ‘Subha hone na de’ from DesiBoyz, where the opening strains were lifted straight from Pitbull and Ne-Yo’s ‘Give me everything tonight’. But Pritam is not the only one.

The art of copying has been refined to suit individual needs. For example, some don’t believe in copying subtly. A renowned music director works like this: he likes an international track, he chops and dices the tunes, adds a few jhankar beats for Indian sensibilities and serves it straight up. But the way he sells his tunes is interesting: he sets up a bazaar kind of atmosphere in his office, where the buyers (who are two teams comprising producers and directors) sit in different rooms and the music director lets them sample his offerings one at a time – the idea is, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So if team A doesn’t like the tune, he takes it to the next room to team B. And this goes on till both the teams have something in their shopping cart.

Copying music is not limited only to music directors. A singer, famous for his folksy voice, is known to invite gypsies from North India, who are masters of folk music, to stay with him (sometimes for weeks). He practices singing with them, and has been known to confess that he hates living with them, because they are not used to closed spaces and make a mess out of his home. However, he picks up the nuances of folk singing from them, and doesn’t give them any credit.

This same singer occasionally composes music as well, and the folk tunes imparted to him come in handy there. The singer sits on a big, fat bank balance. The gypsies, naturally, get nothing.

Some musicians go even further and buy tunes from struggling composers at dirt cheap rates. They re-package these tunes under their brand and sell them to film producers at phenomenal costs. The slightly smarter ones have created academies, and are currently playing Dronacharya to several willing Eklavyas – they claim that they nurture budding artists, but they freely use their work in their films. No wonder then, that nobody actually knows who the real composer is.

There are very few musicians, and I can only think of one at the moment, who compose original music today – Mithoon, who composed the soulful ‘Maula mere’ from Anwar. The industry recognises him as a very spiritual and gifted person, but unfortunately for him, he is often slotted as “Arre, who ek hi type ka music banata hai, masala nahin hai usmein”.

Thus, after importing masala from the West, and sometimes South-east Asia, we are now borrowing it from the North of our own country.

Sharp as a tack and sitting on more hot scoops than she knows what to do with, M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.  

(Picture courtesy india-forums.com)

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