JUNE 20-26, 2021

HERE . NOW

P3,4

FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL

The Super Dads

BingewatcherI love to binge watch someselect movies at my leisure.Watching classics andrealistic films helps mespruce up my acting skills.

Staying intouchWith meeting friendsphysically remaining out-of-bounds due to Covid-induced lockdown, I dependon social media platformsor make calls to connectwith my friends.

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SUNDAY POST

A WORD FOR READERSSunday POST is serving a platter of delectable fare everyweek, or so we hope. We wantreaders to interact with us. Pleasesend in your opinions, queries,comments and contributions to

features.orissapost@gmail.comB-15, Industrial Estate, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar – 751010, Orissa.Phone (0674) 2549982, 2549948

AN EXCELLENT REVIEWDear Sir, Chinmay Kumar Hota must be complimented forhis excellent review of Bishnupada Sethi's latest bouquetof poems Beyond Here and other poems (June 13).Throughhis lucid writing style and felicity of expression, inter-spersed with some excerpts from a few poems, thereviewer has very deftly covered the poet’s explorations oflife’s rich tapestry, its myriad hues and the unknownbeyond. However, I found the price of the book on thehigher side.

Only on Sunday POST!

WhatsAppThis Week

LETTERS

AMIT BANERJEE, NEW DELHI

AKHIL PRADHAN, DHENKANAL

Send in your most interesting Whatsapp messages and memesreceived to: features.orissapost@gmail.com

And we will publish the best ones

THE BEST MEMES OF THIS ISSUE

n The librarian didn't know what to do with the book aboutTesla’s love of electricity, so he filed it under ‘CurrentAffairs’.

n What’s the best time to go to the dentist? Tooth-hurtie!

n My math teacher called me average. How mean!

n I used to be a banker, but over time I lost interest

MIXED BAGJune 20-26, 2021

RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP

Dear Sir, The review of anthology Beyond Here and otherpoems was a pleasant surprise for me. I knew bureaucratBishnupada Sethi as a sensitive Odia poet but was not awareabout his English poems. The review Of Life & Death made foran interesting read. I am eagerly looking forward to get a copyof the book.

PLEASANT SURPRISE

ACTOR-ART DIRECTOR LINKAN PATNAIK, WHO HAS IMPRESSED HIS FANS IN FILMS LIKE LOVE YOU JESSICA, LAILA O LAILA AND KOKOLI,

PREFERS TO WATCH CLASSIC MOVIES AT HIS LEISURE

Poet atheartWriting poems issomething which givesme solace in life.Converting the innerfeelings and emotionsinto words throughpoems puts me in ablissful state.

Donningchef’s hatI love to treat myparents, sister and wifewith desi food when Idon’t shoot. They lovesignature Odia cuisinelike Pakhala, Badi churaand Saga bhajaprepared by me.

No gym dayI prefer to stay away from exercising onSundays to manage the pendinghousehold chores. Moreover, I give rest tomy body after completing the work.

A still from the movie Laila O Laila

With family

With actor andsinger Ila Arun

SUNDAY POST COVERJune 20-26, 2021

RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP

Famous author Ruskin Bond oncesaid, when it comes to upbringingof children, the mother’s rolehas often been discussed but sel-

dom the father’s.It is true that we often read about

the struggles the single mothers gothrough to raise their children whereas the single fathers are barely discussed.We have seen the hardships single moth-ers face but hardly think about fatherswho bring up their children all alone.Challenge of raising children as a singlefather is not easy. These fathers, wholose their spouses or remain singleby choice, juggle between work andhome chores and learn some tasks

they never thoughtthey will need to

do in their lives.From figuringhow to tie theirdaughter’s rib-

bon to prepar-ing meals,singledad s doeverythingto under-

stand themotherly sideof parenting.On the occa-s i on o f

Father’s Day, a few of these Super Dadsshare with Sunday POST the challengesthey face in raising their children.

Saswat SwayamprakashIt might take some time for the Indian

society to accept bachelors adopting kidsor seeing men fulfilling the responsibilitiesof parenthood without having a womanin their life. A responsible single fathercan certainly do as good a job of raisinghis children as a single mom. Rourkela-based businessman Saswat Swayamprakash(name changed) is a case in point.

Saswat rescued a newborn from a bushon the morning of July 7, 2012. Hefound her crying inconsolably with antsfound on her body. He rushed her to anearby hospital where she underwent treat-ment for three days. He says, “After herrecovery, I wanted to take her into myhouse but my family was against thedecision. Despite their objections, I broughther into my house. My orthodox grand-mother was furious, suspecting the childas the result of an illicit relationship.Therefore she can’t be accepted, said mygrandma. My parents too stopped talkingto me for three months. I had to face a lotof flak for my ‘Prakruti’. I had selectedthis name as I received her from nature. ”

Saswat continues: “When Prakruti turnedtwo, I officially adopted her and threw abig birthday bash at Hanuman Vatika tointroduce her to my near and dear. WhenI rescued Prakruti, she was a newborn

baby. So, I had to spend many sleeplessnights. I have no regret for adopting her.She is very good at studies and well-be-haved.”

It is not only Prakruti, Saswat has adoptedtwo more kids from an orphanage in thelast six years. He says he feels blessed tohave Prakruti as she, at such a tender age,now looks after the other two childrenwhen he is absent at home. Saswat evenhad to call it quits with his fiancée of 10years as his relationship was graduallycoming in the way of his parenthood.

He now plans to adopt two more children.That’s not all. Earlier, Saswat was workingin the government sector but had to quitjob to look after his kids. Interestingly, hehas not ever told his children that he isnot their biological father. Whenever theyask him about their mother, he says theirmother passed away in an accident.

“Meanwhile, my parents’ behaviour to-wards my kids has changed. They love tospend time with them and take care as ifthey are their own grandchildren. It makesme happy”, Saswat signs off.

Arijit MitraBhubaneswar-based businessman Arijit

Mitra, has been both dad and mom to his17-year-old daughter for the last four yearsfollowing his wife’s death due to a heartattack.

Arijit says, “When my wife passed away,my daughter was in Class IX.

Until a few years ago it wasunimaginable tosee men fulfillingthe responsibilitiesof parenthoodwithout havingwomen in theirlives. But thesedays, despite challenges, moremen are willing toshoulder theresponsibility

SUNDAY POST COVERJune 20-26, 2021

Hrithik RoshanHrithik ended his 13 years longrelationship with his wifeSuzanne Khan and is now takingcare of his sons Hredaan andHrehaan single-handedly. He takescare of them, takes them for vacations and keepsthem happy. He is a very hands-on parent. Heteaches his kids to be responsible, confident andkeeps them grounded .

Karan JoharThe producer, director, actor andfashion designer is the newestdaddy on the block. Heannounced the birth of his kids inearly March last year. He became afather to twins via surrogacy. He has named hiskids after his own parents’ name – Yash and Roohi.He is planning to keep his work in the back seat tobe with the babies.

Tusshar KapoorThe Kya Kool Hain Hum star

became a proud single parent in2016 through IVF and surrogacy.He is a determined and dotingfather to his son Laksshya. His sonis the greatest source of joy and Tusshar has beenbusy attending to his parenting duties. Tusshar toldthe media that Laksshya looks exactly like him.

Rahul BoseRahul has always been known

for doing a lot to charity. Thisdynamic actor is very reservedwhen it comes to his personal lifeand has adopted six children fromthe Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He’s asingle father to all these children. One of the mostversatile actors of Hindi cinema, Rahul adopted thekids in 2007 and he is also working towards rehabili-tating drug-addicted children.

Rahul DevThe model, actor, entrepreneur

and social activist is playing yetanother role – the role of a singleparent to his 19-year-old son,Siddhant, since his wife passedaway in the year 2009 due to cancer.Although the loss of his mother left Siddhant reallysad, Rahul is there with him whenever possible.

Anurag KashyapWe’ve all heard about Anurag’s

marriage to the pretty Kalki andtheir sad separation just twoyears after that. But what somepeople don’t know is that this wasAnurag’s second marriage.Previously married to Aarti Bajaj, the couple has adaughter named, Aaliya. Anurag continues to be asingle, doting dad while dabbling in movies.

As she was very close to her mother,it was not easy on her part to acceptthings as they are and move on in life.I have been trying my best to keep herhappy. At the beginning it was difficultfor both of us to bear the sudden loss.But for the sake of my daughter’s future,I had no choice but to forget aboutthe pain of losing my wife. I startedtaking care of her little things like

cooking her favourite dishes to bringher out of the trauma. Gradually, webecame friends and she started sharingher secrets with me.”

“If your wife is no more, you haveto understand that the kids will haveno one but you to take care of theiremotional needs. The first thing to dois to prioritise your kids and spendquality time with them. Try to answer

all their questions. I did all these thingsso that the void created by the absenceof her mother can be compensated upto some extent. Besides, I took noteof my daughter’s likes and dislikes andstarted taking her to short outings tospend quality time with her.”

Arijit continues: “When her motherwas alive, she used to help her get readyfor parties and functions. Now she hasstarted asking me about clothes shewould wear in function and all that. Iam happy that she is gradually comingto terms.”

Now Arijit has developed a strongrapport with his daughter which wasnot the case when his wife was alive.“My daughter is pursuing journalismin Birla Global University and she isgood at studying. She has become sofriendly with me that she pressing formy remarriage”, says Arijit.

Manoj DasEven before his wife’s demise, his

daughter was his priority, says ManojDas (name changed) who works in agovernment department. “So I amtaking care of her with the same affection,and warmth just like before”, addsManoj, who lost his wife two yearsback.

Apart from being friendly with hisdaughter Riya, Manoj is very muchparticular about her education. He says,“Her education is my priority. I try mybest not to involve Riya in householdactivities, as I want her to completelyfocus on studies. It is only after shesettles down in life that my role assingle parent will be judged by oth-ers.”

Riya, a Class XII student, on theother hand, is all praise for her dad.She says, “My dad is the strongestperson I know. He takes care of all myneeds like my mother. So much so, thathe, like my mom, enquired about healthduring my periods. He does everythingto bring a smile to my face. Mom wasspecial but dad is no less.”

Arijit with his daughter

Famous single dads

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SUNDAY POST PERSONALITYJune 20-26, 2021

RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP

Born in Sundargarh district, the hotbed of hockey inIndia, he used to eat, drink and breathe the game.Like many others, he too had a dream to represent

the nation. But fate had other ideas and he ended upbecoming a headmaster in a local Upper Primary school.However, that couldn’t kill his dreams and he managed torelive them by creating a pool of talents many of whom havealready played at national and international levels.

Meet teacher Rajendra Kumar Kujur who is fulfilling hisdreams by making many tribal girls play hockey at top level.So much so that documentary film The Mountain Hockeyhas been made on his resolves and love for the game.Interestingly, it is the first Odia documentary tobe streamed on Disney+ Hotstar last week.Needless to say, the short film is garneringgood viewership after its release. The film isnot merely about hockey sticks and a ball. Itspeaks about the resilience of a hockey coachand his determination to turn his dreamsinto a reality through a bunch of raw talents.

Picking up the poor tribal girls from remoteareas of Sundargarh and making them shineat highest level was like a dream come true him,says the headmaster of Amlikhaman Mission UPSchool.

His protégés Gayatri Kisan, Mary Kandulna, AbhinashiMukti Suren, Samira Lakhda have made Odisha proud byplaying national and international hockey series.

On what attracted him towards hockey, Kujur says,“Sundargarh is known as the hotbed of hockey in India. Thedistrict has produced many players who made it to thenational hockey team. From a very young age, I have seenmy father and siblings playing hockey. So, quite naturally Iwas drawn towards the sport. I belong to Rangiadhipa villageof Sundargarh district. Much like others, my day too startedwith playing hockey. It was my favourite pastime after schoolhours. The ambience is such that children here cannot thinkof anything other than hockey. I always wanted to becomea member of Team A, stay in sports hostel and play for my

nation. But my father had otherideas.”

He continues: “When I wasin Class VI, Sylvester Toppo,an eminent sports person-ality from Panposh Sports

Hostel visited differentschools of Rourkela to

scout fresh talents. Hepicked up 13 students to

groom them as future hockeyplayers. I was among thetop two in his list. Hewanted us to train at

National SportsTraining Centre

in Pun jab .

However, my father did not allow me to travel to Punjab.He was under the impression that — ‘Kheloge Kudoge HogeKharap, Padhoge Likhoge Hoge Nabab’ and believed that therewas no future in playing hockey. Therefore, my dreamsremain unfulfilled.”

Recalling another fondest memory he says, “I was alsochosen to get training under Sundargarh Sports Hostel.When I expressed my desire to live in sports hostel, myfather didn’t approve. I even played hockey at collegelevel and went on to represent the university team. Butunfortunately, I was not picked up for the playing elevenbecause by then I had started training to become

‘Father’ in a catholic church. After that mydream to play for the nation came to

an end. While playing for NorthenStar club, Sambalpur we won

22 consecutive matches in aspan of two years but it hadno meaning to me. In themeantime I became the‘Father’ of a catholicchurch and wasposted in Amlikhaman

in 2008-09.”On reliving his dreams,

Kujur says, “When I movedto Amlikhaman, I noticed girls

were very good at hockey there butthey lacked proper training. They didn’t even haveproper sticks to play. I tried to plug the holes andmake them confident about the game. As I failedto fulfill my dreams I wanted to relive them throughthese girls. Initially, I started training 20 studentsand the number rose to 200 in no time. It is likefulfilling my dreams.”

“I had never thought that a documentary wouldbe made on my struggle and whatever little I haveachieved. I considered it to be a great honour forme”, adds a proud Kujur.

Film’s producer Subrajit Pradhan says, “Theidea of making a documentary was conceived after2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup which was held

in Bhubaneswar. Rajendramotivated us to highlightthe achievements of the

tribal girls and thehard work they put

in to make it tothe na t iona lteam. Havinghim to train thetribal girls in a

remote village for10 years against allodds is really amatter of pridefor us.”

THE MOUNTAINHOCKEY,

A FILM MADE ON THEINDOMITABLE

SPIRIT OF A TEACHER-

CUM- HOCKEYCOACH, BECOMES

FIRST ODIA DOCUMENTARY

TO STREAM ON DISNEY +

HOTSTAR

Hockeycoach Rajendra

Kujur couldn’t playfor India at his prime

but he has now createda pool of talent many of

whom have alreadyplayed national and

internationalseries

ST ICK MAGIC

Actress-author Twinkle Khannatreated fans to a fun picture

with a witty caption last week.The actress, who recently cel-

ebrated her mother DimpleKapadia’s birthday, posted a pic-ture on her Instagram accountwhere she is seen relaxing on thecouch, but upside down.

Twinkle, known for her funnycaptions, wrote: “Sometimes youhave to be upside down to seethis right side up. #babatwin-kledev”.

Twinkle often gives fansa glimpse of her familytime. From getting facepainted by daughterNitara, to pictures of hol-iday with husband, actorAkshay Kumar, the ac-tress keeps fans regu-larly updated! IANSIA

Singer Shaan is set to release a new song to markFather’s Day today. The track titled Tera Hissa

Hoon tells the story of a father-son relationship.Opening up about the song, Shaan said it is

necessary to spend more time with parents,especially during the ongoing pandemic.

“The pandemic has made us all realise thathow satisfying spending time with our closeones can be and to get our priorities right isvery important. Let’s not wait untill it’s toolate and spend more time with our ageingparents. They have sacrificed so much forus. It’s the least we can do,” he said.

The track has been sung, written and com-posed by Shaan and he plays both father andson in the music video. The video also featuresthe singer ’s son ShubhMukherjee. IANS

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TINSELTOWNSUNDAY POST

1June 20-26, 2021

Shaan’s uniqueway of celebratingFather’s Day

Vaani Kapoor has a dreamline-up right now. After her

last release, the blockbuster Warin 2019, she was cruising along,looking at three mega releases in2020. Then, pandemic struck.

It’s delayed her date with thebox office, of course, but Bell Bottomstarring Akshay Kumar, ChandigarhKare Aashiqui with AyushmannKhurrana and Shamshera withRanbir Kapoor are still mega at-

tractions at the box office. It’sbeen a long wait, but with BellBottom being formally an-nounced for theatrical releaseJuly 27, Vaani tells how it paysto be patient.

“It’s a solid product andAkshay sir, like in every filmof his, is simply outstanding.One has to see the film tounderstand what he has done.I’m grateful that I have a big

film coming out now,” says Vaani.“It’s been a long wait to see my

films get a release due to the virus,but I’m being super hopeful nowthat the audience will be entertainedby them,” sheadds.IANS

Actor Siddhant Chaturvedi was recentlyin the mood for poetry, relieving his

childhood in his new Instagram post.Siddhant posted a clip that shows him

sitting on a swing. Alongside the video, hewrote a poem in Hindi: “Akhri baar jhoolepe kab baithe the? Pedh se Jaamun kab todethe? Kaagaz ki plane kab udai thi? X and 0

kab jeete the? (Hamesha Draw)Likhnene zada toh Pen-fight mein use hotithi Pen... TV pe dekhte Popeye, Dexter

aur Ben-10, Geeli rumal ko ghumake 'Phatak' (When was the lasttime you sat on a swing; plucked

berries; made paper planes; playedtic-tac-toe and always ended in adraw? Used your pen more for penfights than writing; Watched Popeye,

Dexter and Ben-10 on TV, Soakedyour hanky and struck someone with

it).”Siddhant, who came out with the song

Dhoop last year amid the pandemic, will nextbe seen in Bunty Aur Babli 2, Phone Bhoot,

Yudhra and a yet-untitledfilm by Shakun

Batra. IANS

Twinkle gives glimpse of her‘upside down’ world

Vaani super hopeful about Bell Bottom

Siddhant relives his childhood

s thecountry battles

the pandemic on awar-footing, India’s tradi-

tional system of yoga has been es-tablished again as a means to boost immunityand improve overall health and well-being.A consistent yoga practice – along with certainposes in particular – can support and boostthe immune system.

You can enhance your beauty with yogaby incorporating strict guidelines in yourdaily life. Regular practice of yoga, pranayama,and meditation aids you in reversing the signsof ageing including wrinkles, saggy skin,crow’s feet, and fine lines amongst others.

Pranayam helps to purify the blood becauseof the increased intake of oxygen, which

is very crucial for improving immunity.It is one of the most effective and

time-tested natural immunity boostersthat can lead to a healthy, disease-free body.

Those who regularly practice yogaand meditation have a certain glow

about them that comes from withinand radiates outward. Yoga helps con-

dition the lungs, clears the respiratorytract, and stimulates the lymphatic systemto oust toxins from the body. It also

brings oxygenated blood to thevarious organs to en-

sure their optimalfunction which helps us

to remain healthy and attain

inner beauty.Meditation creates more antibodies in the

body. It significantly increases left-sided,anterior brain activation (pattern indicatingpositive emotions) in meditators.

The practice of yoga may greatly aid inhelping you look youthful and fresh.

I have always said that a strong immunesystem, good health, and beauty are com-plementary to each other. Unless you arehealthy from the inside, you cannot reflecttrue beauty. For flawless skin, shiny hair, anda slim figure, good health must be on top ofthe list. In fact, I promoted the Ayurvedicprinciples of holistic health, with yoga as anintegral part of the program. This conceptof holistic beauty care was unique and caughton worldwide. In fact, I believe that yoga isvery relevant to our modern lifestyle, in termsof both health and beauty. Personally, it hasbeen a part of my life and I have experiencedits numerous benefits.

The appeal of yoga lies in the fact that ithelps both body and mind. It not only workson all the muscle groups but also increasesvitality, tones the internal organs, stimulatesthe nerve centers, relieves stress, and clearsthe mind which boosts immunity and givesyou an attractive personality and beauty fromwithin. Although it is an ancient Indian dis-

cipline, it has also gained relevanceas a means of at-taining a well-balanced per-sonality anddelaying thevisible signsof ageing.

The otherimportant aspectof yoga is that it in-volves breath controland specifies the inhala-

tion and exhalation ofbreath during the exercises. Thus,

it helps oxygenation which boosts immunityimparts a feeling of physical and mental ex-hilaration. This is so important for beautybecause feeling good is an integral part oflooking good.

When we talk of

beauty, we do not talk only about the beautyof the face. It also includes the figure, givingit suppleness, good posture, and grace. Whereappearance is concerned, a slim figure cantake years off and helps in staying youthfulfor a longer time. It supplies oxygen to everytissue and this, itself makes way for bothhealth and beauty. If you are leading a lifethat does not provide enough physical activity,you are actually encouraging ageing. Exerciseis a potent remedy for premature ageing, notonly because it strengthens the body, but alsokeeps it looking trim, fit and enhances immunityin the body.

Many beauty problems are triggered bystress. Since yoga helps to induce relaxationand reduce stress, it certainly helps in dealingwith stress-related conditions like acne, hairloss and dandruff.. Studies conducted onthose who practice yoga have shown thatpositive changes also occur in personality, at-titudes, emotional stability, and self-confidence.It has a direct effect on the mind, emotions,and mood. You will feel instantly rejuvenatedand good about yourself.

It’s important to sleep well, reduce stress,and eat healthily. Holistic health and self-careare keys to radiant skin since taking care ofyourself inside will be reflected in your outershine.

In this manner, yoga is an organictechnique of helping us keep

our mind and body in thesame place at the same

time.It is not just aphysical practicebut a completeprogramme ofhow to live inthe world.

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SUNDAY POST BEAUTYJune 20-26, 2021

Yoga for Beautyand Immunity

International Yoga Day - June 21

Yoga is not just a physical exercise but a complete programme which enables the amalgamation

of the mind and body

SHAHNAZ HUSAIN

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SUNDAY POST GLAM SLAM

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June 26-26, 2021

Gyana