Excelsior Correspondent

There is no denying fact that people from Jammu areextremely talented. They have been excelling in film and musicarena since long. Showcasing their talent and making us allproud by their achievements and acknowledging that they arerole models for today’s youth.

Among upcoming musicians from the city,is the name ofSahil Gutkar,who is a singer/performer with experience of fewsinging reality TV shows. As a struggler in music field he hasalways believed that no opportunity is big or small and musichas no language. Every experience canteach big or small lessons.

Sahil Gutkar was born on 6th of Jan1993 to a middle class family born in Del-hi, brought up in a Akhnoor, Jammu hischildhood passed either playing cricket orsinging. He did his schooling from St.Fran-cis High School. He was an active partici-pant in singing during school cultural pro-grammes and annual days.

Remembering the first time he sang onthe stage, he says I was 12 and it was Inde-pendence Day celebrations in school andmy teachers wanted me to perform a patri-otic song, as they had heard me singing dur-ing extra hours in class room. He sang merarang de basanti chola and receivedapplauds from teachers and schoolmates.His teachers kept motivating him to per-form on various singing events in schooland on annual days believing in his uniquevoice quality.

He did musical choirs which indeedbuilt his interest initially during schooldays.

He did his schooling till 10th from St.Francis High SchoolAkhnoor. Being a very bright student during school he didreally good in 10th boards and did further schooling fromKendriya Vidyalaya in Chennai. Joined Hindustan universityas bachelors C.S.E in 2009 and finished his B.E. Firstclass in2013.

Sahil Gutkar, who recently participated in Mhone chan-nel’s show called Awaz Punjabi and was a finalist in the show.

He received great appreciation from well known person-alities of Punjabi music industry, Padmashri Hansrajhans,Lakhwinder Wadali, Master Saleem, Nooran Sisters Ninja,Bally Sagoo, Ashok Masti, Guru Randhawa, Mandy TakkerBadshah many more

All of them love his voice texture and compare him toSukhwinder Singh.

He kept participating in singing events in college and rep-resented college in various intercollegiate cultural festivals,Anna university and IIT Madras being few among them withhis band ILLUSIONS. He remembers singing a Tamil songduring college Dhinam Dhinam for a short film, for a Tamilmusic director.

During college, he participated in Times of India Freshface an intercollege talent hunt in Chennai and was a Semifi-nalists .

By being in Chennai for more than 6 years and having no

mode of communication else than English, and Tamil and bymaking Tamil friends, he started liking Tamil language andstarted speaking the language gradually.

He then decided to participate in a Tamil singing realityshow called AIRTEL SUPER SINGER ON STAR VIJAY TVduring his final year in college.

Belonging to a different culture and being a Hindi speak-er he was the only North indian who made Jammu proud ina Tamil TV show. He says that it was first time on this showthat he sang a Tamil song and was much appreciated by jurymembers from Tamil music industry.

Got a chance to meet AshaBhonsle on sets of airtel supersinger It was a lifetime experi-ence. I was so fortunate to meetsomeone like her who is con-sidered as Goddess of music.The whole set was decoratedlike a fairy land and singersfrom whole of Tamil industrywere there to listen to her gold-en voice.

Got a special invitee onfinale of the same show andperformed a medley of songs ingroup and opened the showwhich was being telecast live.He met Javed Ali on finale whowas there as a celebrity per-former. He then performedMAULA MERE LE LE MERIJAAN(chakde) on the sameshow and received standingovation.

He then participated inradio city Delhi ,was in top 6

and Big FM Delhi golden voice and was in top 10. Two yearsafter super singer finally Awaz Punjab Di happened and gavehim a much required platform. Initially singing in front of jas-si gill and deep money and then getting lessons from alfaazand who not he has been lucky to be able to sing and get tipsfrom the best in the Punjabi Industry.

On being asked if there was any initial resistance for pur-suing music, he says yes there was a lot of peer pressure ontaking up a Govt job n not music professionally. He wanted totake up a music course in sir A.R. Rehman’s college after 12thbut had to take up engineering for a safe and secure future.The only source of learning music was various culturals festand by listening to various singers and his interest in sufi songsand Bollywood songs. But, due to hectic schedule during col-lege learning music through a guru wasn’t possible. But afterTamil TV show AIRTEL SUPER SINGER he got a chance tolearn from Ananth Vaidyanathan a voice expert on the show.

He wants to take up music professionally and become aversatile playback singer in Bollywood. He wants to represntJammu at national level and prove that people from this partof country are talented and if given proper training andavenues can achieve greater heights. The journey is not goingto be easy but it’s going to be worth it. In the end its the jour-ney that matters. Will make the Dogra community and Jam-mu proud some day.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016 (PAGE-4)

How have you been? You must be very busy. Great, but not really busy. (Laughs) I don't think we are

that busy as we pretend to be. I have always felt that if youplan thing before hand and follow a schedule you will findtime for everything. See, I have already planned my day andI will be free in some time and will be back home by evening.So, the rest of the day will be spent with my family.

But the kind of profession you are in, there arealways chances of your schedule going haywire?

That is what most think but I believe that you have to setan example. If I am the hero of a film, then the others willdo what I do. If I reach the set on time then everyone will tryto be on time. They will say see if the hero is coming on time,then we too better be on time. It's all about discipline and Ifeel that makes things lot easier.

Is that the reason you don't shoot at night?Yes, because I wrap up my work by evening and then I go

home and spend time with my family and go off to sleep ear-ly. It's because I am an early riser and start my day early. Igo off to sleep when others just start partying.

And is it true that you monthly expenses too areminimal?

I spend a lot on my family and friends but if you are ask-ing about the money I spend on myself...I mean mere khudke upar...it's not more than Rs 3000. See, I shoot most ofthe time. So my food bills, hotel stay and conveyance is paidby my producer. In fact, he has to pay (smiles) or why will Ido that. I don't smoke and I also do not drink. So, it doesn'texceed more than Rs 3000-Rs 3500. And I think that's suf-ficient and normal.

So, how do you manage to do so many films everyyear?

(Laughs) Why? I don't think that's very difficult. Itapproximately takes 60 days to make a film, so four filmsmean 240 days...and now you can calculate how many daysyou are still left with every year. I also go on holidays withmy family for at least a month. So, I don't think doing fourfilms a year is at all difficult.

Airlift will be your first release this year.Yes, I am really thrilled about this film. It's a true story

and a very inspiring one. I think this is one film that every-one should watch because such stories become legends andit's such a pride when you see such a mammoth job of air-lifting 1,70,000 people from a crisis situation was done bythe national airlines.

Last year you did Baby and this year Airlift. Boththe films have a lot to do with patriotism.

I am a true patriot and I feel proud to associate myselfwith such films. I am lucky that I get to do such films. I thinkwe all are patriots...Who doesn't like watching his nationalflag flying high in the sky. In fact there are a few scenes inAirlift that gave me goosebumps. There was a scene wherethe Tricolour flies at the airport and it gave me goosebumpsand at the same time made me feel proud. I am happy thatthe film is releasing close to Republic Day. It is very relevantto release the film around this time

So, what attracted you to the script?The simple fact that Air India did such an impossible job

of airlifting 1,70,000 civilians. It's the biggest rescue mis-sion by air in the history of the world. Just imagine what wasgoing on within the minds and hearts of so many Indianswho were stuck in Kuwait after Iraq invaded it. They had toleave behind everything... there houses...zindagi bhar ki

kamai and were not even sure what was in store for them.And then this unprecedented step was taken by Air India toinitiate talks with Iraq and strategically rescue every Indianand that too in a record time of 59 days. Who wouldn't wantto be part of such a film? I am lucky that today I can choosefilms.

Yes, today you can but there was a time when youwere not in a position to chose films?

(Sighs) Everyone has to go though that phase. I didn'thave a background in films. I am thankful to everyone whogave me work at that time. I can't disown my films. I knowI did them and I am proud of all my films. I am a product ofmy work. People call them B-Grade...C-Grade films but I amproud of all the films I have done.

Any plans of doing television? (Laughs) Now if I say yes, you will say that you are doing

so much work. I have done television and I really like themedium but right now I am not doing anything new. I amfocusing more on doing a variety of films, which I feel I havebeen doing for quite some time now. (TWF)

Shahnaz Husain

Moisture is most important to the skin. It helps to keep the skinsoft, smooth and supple. Dryness of the skin is caused by under-activity of the sebaceous, or oil producing glands of the skin. Dueto a lack of oil, the skin's ability to hold moisture is hampered. Sea-sonal changes, atmospheric conditions, exposure to the sun, airconditioning and heating, soaps and chlorinated water, make-upcosmetics and air pollution can aggravate the problem, by causingfurther moisture loss. The lack of moisture in the air during win-ter affects the skin. During winter, hydrating packs containing nat-ural ingredients like honey, orange juice, aloe vera, cream of milk(malai), curd, pure almond oil, egg yolk, etc. can be used. Fruitpacks are also useful in winter. Honey and aloe vera are powerfulnatural moisturisers. Honey attracts moisture to the skin, while aloevera softens the skin and moisturises it.

The skin absorbs an emulsion of water and oils. Therefore, bothmoisture and emollients are necessary during winter.

Here are some moisturising face packs: Aloe vera gel or juice can be applied directly on the skin dai-

ly. Leave on for 20 minutes and wash off with plain water.Aloe vera is a natural moisturiser and helps the skin to retain

moisture. It is an antioxidant and protects the skin from oxidationdamage, thus delaying the visible signs of ageing on the skin. AloeVera keeps the skin soft and has healing properties.

Mix together 1 ripe avocado, with one teaspoon each olive oil,curd and honey. Apply on the face and leave on for 20 to 30 min-utes. Wash off.

Avocados are extremely beneficial for the skin. They containvitamins and fatty acids, which nourish the skin and improve skintexture. Olive oil also nourishes the skin and provides emollientsin winter. Curd helps to restore the normal pH balance and honey

is a humectant - it attracts moisture to the skin. Take two teaspoons choker (wheat bran), one teaspoon each

ground almonds, honey, curd and egg yolk or rose water. Mixtogether and apply on the skin, washing it off after 30 minutes.

Wheat bran and ground almonds help to soften dead cells andremove them. This helps the skin's ability to absorb products.Almonds and egg both nourish the skin and this helps the skin'smoisture retention. Benefits of honey and curd are mentioned.They both soften the skin and improve texture.

Mix half a teaspoon honey with one teaspoon pure almond oiland one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and applyon the face. Remove after 20 minutes with plain water. Dried milkpowder nourishes and softens the skin. Almond oil provides theemollients. Also nourishes and softens the skin.

Oily and acne prone skin can also suffer from lack of moisturein winter, Mix half teaspoon honey with egg white and one tea-spoon curd. Add fuller's earth (multani mitti) to mix into a paste.Apply and remove after 20 minutes with water.

Egg white reduces oiliness, cleanses and nourishes the skin,while honey moisturises and softens the skin. Curd contains lacticacid and good bacteria, which helps acne prone skin and keeps theskin healthy. Multani mitti also reduces oil and clarifies the skin.

Mash a banana and add a little rose water. Apply on the faceand wash off after 20 minutes.

Banana hydrates, nourishes and tightens the skin, while rosewater tones and moisturises.

Carrots are rich in Vitamin A and are of particular benefit fornourishing dry skin in winter. They have a soothing effect on theskin, making it soft, smooth and supple. In fact, it can be appliedto soothe dry, sensitive skin. Carrots can be also be used as a facepack. Boil them in a little water. Cool and mash. Apply the pulp onthe face like a pack and wash off with plain water after half an hour.

BOLLYWOOD-BUZZ

“I am a true patriot”

BEAUTY TIPS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

PERSONALITY

Moisturising face packs for Winter

A Singer in the making

Dr. Swarkar Sharma

The intriguing thought “How weHumans originated” has always fasci-nated mankind and to solve this mysteryof Human origin, we had come up withvarious believes and stories. With theadvent of various scientific tools, a newperspective to this quest was added.Direct sources of information about ourpast are the fossil records, the remainsof the skeleton. Exploiting Paleoanthro-pology i.e. combined study of ancientfossils with respect to existing Species,evidences generated that suggestedmodern human originated from ape likeancestors, and have evolved over a peri-od of approximately six million yearsago. Our ancestral cousins are gorillaand chimpanzees and sufficient scientif-ic evidences exist suggesting Humanand chimpanzee lineage separatedabout 6-7 million years ago. In duecourse of the quest, it was discoveredthat our early progenitors lived in theAfrican continent than anywhere elseand ancestors to present day humans(modern human) originated in Africa.From Africa ancestors of modernhumans migrated out, to populate therest of the world widely accepted as “Outof Africa model” of human origin andmigration.

Genetics is a field of biology thathelps us understand heredity. Passagesof characters from parents to offspringsare controlled by pieces of DNA calledgenes that are inherited. Mother andFather contribute equally this contentand children subsequently inherit it tonext generation. During course of inher-itance in time from one generation toanother many a times some changesarise in DNA, which are called mutationor variations and are inherited to thenext generation. These variations canhave negative or positive impact as theymay affect function of a gene. This affectcan cause a disease or can be beneficialby helping in adaptation to environmentand better survival. Apart from thesesome variations have neutral impact asthey donot affect the function of gene.Scientists exploited this and used DNAas a tool to understand Inheritance andfind relationship amongst differentspecies. Studying DNA of individualsfrom across the world populations, andbased on sharing of variations one canfigure out how much two individuals arerelated. This has given rise to a new tech-nological branch called Phylogeneticsthat helps to understand our deep intime ancestry and thereby giving us anew way to look at how we modernhumans originated and migrated out ofAfrica. Dating back to ancestors usingvariations as markers through genera-tions reveals about evolution history andgenealogy of man. The approach is rev-olutionary in exploring the history ofhuman and is called “coalescent theory”

that relates ancestors based on the sameset of variations two individuals share.To trace generations, the variationsinherited together by present generationare contrasted back. These contrastinglineages when merge back in time resultsinto the emergence Most Recent Com-mon Ancestor (MRCA). The hypothe-sized Maternal MRCA of all the peopleliving today is called ‘Molecular Eve’ andpaternal MRCA is called ‘MolecularAdam’, estimated to have lived about140-200 million years ago.

The exact reason for human migra-tion “Out of Africa” is yet not clear but ithad been been estimated that there wasa dramatic change in the climate, ‘TheIce Age’ which would have made the lifeof ancestors difficult, as genetic evi-dences prove that Human populationduring this period was decreased up to10,000. This ice age could be one of thefactors for the move of the ancestors tofind the better shelter for living. Twomain routes purposed for the migrationof humans and their dispersal across theglobe are: the “coastal route” or “south-ern route” of migration from the horn ofAfrica over southern Arabia, followed bymigration along the Indian coastline toAustralia, estimated to have occurred~60,000- 75,000 years ago and “north-ern route” suggested to have occurredaround 45,000 years via the Levant cor-ridor of Africa leading to eastern Asiathrough steeps of central Asia and south-ern Siberia. It is interesting to note Indiahas served as a major corridor in the dis-persal of modern humans as it is posi-tioned at the tri- junction of Africa,Northern Eurasia and oriental region.The very first wave of Humans migrantsfrom Africa through southern route havepassed through India and many of thoseancestral groups elected to stay in Indiaand their descendents are representedas “Onge” tribe in Andman Island. Sincethen, various migrations have beenspeculated and along with cultural evo-lution resulted in diverse Indian popu-lation groups. Presently, India isagglomerated with 4635 anthropologi-cally well-defined populations having532 tribes, 72 primitive tribes and 36

hunters and gatherers populationgroups.

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) State ofIndia is an excellent geographic locationin Himalayan region that might haveacted as corridor or incubator of varioushuman migrations from Eurasia. Therehave been indications in literature thatthese areas have human signatures verydeep in time. J&K has a unique distinc-tion of possessing modern, medieval andancient history and rich Archaeologicaldata. The State of J&K has 3 divisions:Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and fur-ther divided into 22 districts. J&K pop-ulation is highly diversified and is con-stituted of many strictly endogamouspopulation groups distributed among 5major religions: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh,Boddhist and Christians. The role ofJammu and Kashmir has never beenassessed at the genetic level in view of itsstrategic geographical location, difficultmountainous terrains, as well as valleysthat may have acted as doorways to Cen-tral Asia from the Indian Subcontinent.

Understanding human evolution

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The author is Coordinator Humangenetics Research Group, School ofBiotechnology, Shri Mata VaishnoDevi University has been awarded aresearch grant from National Geo-graphic Society, USA GenographicProject to explore and understand theorigin and ancestral history of con-temporary population groups of Jam-mu and Kashmir, to test their tradi-tionally known ancestries, to workoutgenetic relationship between the eth-nically diverse population groups ofthis region and relationship with restof Indian and world populations. Inthis project it is expected that someuntold evolutionary stories and mostlikely new maternal and paternalHuman lineages will be discoveredprobably many of which might be iso-lated and restricted to these regionsonly. The author through this articlealso invites people belonging to Jam-mu and Kashmir who want to partic-ipate in the study. He can be contact-ed at swarkar.sharma@smvdu.ac.inor sawerkar@gmail.com.