PDAF announces the Biggest Opportunity for the Emerging Artists of India

Mumbai: It’s good news for the innovative and experimental group of Indian talent, who are contributing their best in the fields of arts! The Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (PDAF) has announced the ‘Emerging Artist Contest’, to encourage talented artists by recognizing their work with Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards in the disciplines of Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Print Making, Installations, and Photography. 

The awards are specific to each State and therefore 18 individuals will be awarded in each of India’s 30 States, amounting to a total of 540 awards. In addition, the Foundation will present 18 awards on an all-India basis; one of them being the coveted ‘Emerging Artist Award for 2015.’ The winner of this award will be felicitated and given the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at a prominent art gallery in Mumbai, with all expenses paid for by the foundation. Furthermore, the winning artists will be showcased on the internet, in the ‘Directory of Emerging Artists’, that will be created by the Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, along with a yearbook for the same.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Rs. 1 Crore Prizes for the Emerging Artists!

All India PDAF Prizes
Category		Category		Category
	Prize Rs.		Prize Rs.		Prize Rs.
Painting		Ceramics		Installation
Gold	40000	Gold	40000	Gold	40000
Silver	20000	Silver	20000	Silver	20000
Bronze	10000	Bronze	10000	Bronze	10000
Sculpture		Printmaking		Photography
Gold	40000	Gold	40000	Gold	40000
Silver	20000	Silver	20000	Silver	20000
Bronze	10000	Bronze	10000	Bronze	10000
Special All India Prizes
Dr. K. Anji Reddy Prize for best Installation All India of Rs. 2 lacs.
Bajaj Electricals Ltd. Prize for best Painting All India of Rs. 2 lacs
JehangirSabavala Prize for best Stylized Landscape Painting Rs. 25000
K H Ara Prize for best Still Life Painting Rs. 25000
M F Hussain Prize for best Stylized Figure Painting Rs. 25000
PrafullaDahanukar Prize for best Abstract Painting Rs. 25000
V A Mali Prize for best Portrait Painting  Rs. 25000
Ramesh Pateria Prize for best Marble Sculpture Rs. 25000
S M Dahanukar Prize for best Fine Art Wedding Photograph Rs. 25000

PDAF Prizes in the States of:
Central Zone		East Zone			West Zone
Chattisgarh		Bihar			Goa
Madhya Pradesh		Jharkhand			Gujarat
Rajasthan		Odisha			Maharashtra
Uttar Pradesh		Sikkim
		West Bengal
North Zone		North East Zone			South Zone
Chandigarh		Arunachal Pradesh			Andhra Pradesh
Delhi		Assam			Karnataka
Haryana		Manipur			Kerala
Himachal Pradesh		Meghalaya			Puducherry
Jammu & Kashmir		Mizoram			Tamil Nadu
Punjab		Nagaland			Telengana
Uttarkhand		Tripura
PDAF States Prizes
Category		Category			Category
	Prize Rs.			Prize Rs.		Prize Rs.
Painting		Ceramics			Installation
Gold	45000	Gold		20000	Gold	20000
Silver	10000	Silver		10000	Silver	10000
Bronze	5000	Bronze		5000	Bronze	5000
Sculpture		Printmaking			Photography
Gold	20000	Gold		20000	Gold	20000
Silver	10000	Silver		10000	Silver	10000
Bronze	5000	Bronze		5000	Bronze	5000
Metro Cities Prizes for Painting Category
Ahmedabad			Rs. 1,10,000
Bangaluru			Rs. 1,10,000
Chennai			Rs. 1,10,000
Delhi			Rs. 1,10,000
Hyderabad			Rs. 1,10,000
Indore			Rs. 1,10,000
Kolkata			Rs. 2,10,000
Mumbai			Rs. 1,10,000

 

The Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation (PDAF) is a registered charity trust founded in memory of the award winning Indian painter and artist PrafullaDahanukar. The Foundation finds benefactors amongst the top artists of India and is effectively a fund for the artists, by the artists. “The purpose of the initiative is to create a strong network amongst the artists’ community, simultaneously recognizing and publicizing the works of talented & emerging artists from every part of India,”said Dilip Dahanukar, husband of the late Prafulla Dahanukar, and trustee, PDAF, while talking about this had this program.

Artists interested in applying for these awards can check the details on: www.prafullafoundation.com

You're the password to my life by Sudeep Nagarkar (Book Review-3.25*/5)!!!

       

   Sudeep Nagarkar's latest book- the 5th in his name- You're the Password to My Life has been read by me. Once again I got an opportunity to read his book before the official release. It's always a pleasure to review the book of a popular author like Sudeep Nagarkar. His last book had impressed me a lot and therefore the expectation with this release was at it's zenith. I can't stop praising Sorry You're not my type. One of it's kind book. Talking about this book, it's another one based upon love and relationships, the genre in which Sudeep believes to write time and again. As always, his writing style remains to be simple. He uses easy language and dialogues to make it easy for his target audience of age:15-25 to understand the book without referring a dictionary. 

          The book begins with a prologue that assures a twist somewhere between the story. And then Sudeep narrates a scene through which we are introduced to a wonderful friendship between Virat and Kavya. Later on, Virat falls in love with Mehak. Kavya helps him get in touch with Mehak and engage in a relationship. Virat believes in sharing everything with his friend, Rohan, whom he meets through an online networking site. Aditya (Did the name click?) is a great friend of Rohan who also narrates story from his PoV whenever needed in between. All these characters go through personal experiences in love and friendship. The ties shown between them is wonderfully carried by the author. Once again, Sudeep Nagarkar gives us memorable characters in the form of Virat, Kavya and Rohan. I somewhere felt that Aditya and Mehak couldn't do the magic that was expected from them considering their role in the story.

   

      Overall, the book couldn't do the same magic as Sudeep's last book but it is surely better than his first 3. The story remains to be very normal in the first half and I wasn't impressed until the twist comes in the life of Kavya. Only after that, book picks up its pace and the story starts creating magic. If not for the climax, I would say Sudeep Nagarkar didn't touch my soul as he generally does with his books. Sudeep saves the book with the wonderful pre-climax and climax. After Kavya's tragedy, I wasn't expecting any other big twist in the book. But author does that and makes me happy. Whatever disappointment I had after first half gets balanced with the last twist in the book that was purely unexpected. I just wish he could have added some WOW moments in the first-half too. 

          I found many typing errors which disappointed me. Considering the writer and the name of the major publishing house associated with this book, a strict proofreading is expected. I also felt somewhere that the author have hurried in completing this book. Personal opinion. Also, the Hindi lyrics aren't an impressive idea to be inserted time and again. It's an English book and even the translation of Hindi songs can do the wonders. Author should work upon this idea next time. I feel that if the book could have been 20-30 pages more, author could have expressed a bit more than he was able to. 

          Summarily, I would say that a wonderful pre-climax and climax is what you should look forward in this new release. The character of Kavya is impressive and the decision taken by Rohan isn't predictable and therefore does not make this book boring and silly at one point of time. Considering how the story was going, I had planned 2.5 stars for it. But the way author takes the story to another level in the end, I would give this book 3.25 stars. Exactly what I gave to Chetan Bhagat's Half Girlfriend. So if you enjoyed that, you will enjoy this too. :-)

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 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Obsession leads to Destruction, really?

           There are many times when we get obsessed about someone. Either its our neighbour, college hottest boy/girl, someone working with us, sitting on the same bench etc. Obsession always leads to destruction. This is what people say and it is also seen in few examples. But sometimes it leads to a life long relationship or a lesson. But what if you get obsessed about someone you cannot achieve? Like many of us are obsessed by Deepika Padukone these days. Suppose this turns out to be something bigger than just obsession and we start showing madness for her. We crave to meet her some day and tell us how much we think and live about her. Isn't this a sort of destruction? 

          We read in newspapers many a times about the result where obsession takes us. But sometimes its a very sweet experience too. As Reenita Malhotra Hora tells in her book, Operation Mom, regarding the obsession for Ali Zafar that her main protagonist has. Mother keeps telling her daughter to stop this obsession otherwise she will face only sadness all her life. She never understands and thinks that because her mother is from previous generation, she is meaninglessly getting worried about her. Later on, a secret gets revealed and she comes to know that her mother had reached zenith in this game of obsession during her teenage days. And from here, the daughter starts an Operation MOM where she makes sure that she engages her mother with someone to bring life in her so-called life. 

         Though a pop fiction but if you want to know about obsession and how it changes your whole perspective and focus, try reading this beautiful novel which is written in a totally chick-lit essence. 

BLURB:- 

When you try to set your moms life right, be prepared to have your own life turned upside down Seventeen-year-old Ila Isham has a lot to worry about. Theres the angst of being an Ali Zafar groupie, for one. Then there are the extra layers of fat she has inherited from her part-Punjabi lineage. Add to this parents who have separated, an enthusiastic best friend, Deepali, whose idea of variety means dating three guys at the same time and Aunty Maleeka, her moms best friend, whose good intentions and savvy skills throw up more problems than solutions and Ilas cup of woes runneth over. Her life takes an exciting turn when she decides to hunt for the perfect partner for her mother. With a little help from Deepali, Aunty Maleeka and Dev of the inviting chocolate-pool eyes, Ila will have to brave it all - from Shaadi.com and Ok-cupid profiles to handlebar-moustache colonels and middle-aged psychos, if she wants to succeed in her quest.

TRAILER:- 

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An Interview with author, Vikas Singal!!!

     

     As I wrote few days back in one of my reviews that I read an e-book for the first time. It was "And... They Fell in Love" by Vikas Singal. Fortunately, I got an opportunity to interview him and ask few questions I had in mind. It's all here for everyone of you to read and hear what the author has to say about his e-book and future plans.

1. Hello Vikas! We would like to know something about your childhood and background before knowing about how you turned into an author. 

Well, I am brought up in a small town Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. I have spent my childhood as one of the most adored child of my family. My parents are quite traditional but they have installed some really good self belief in me. And that have helped me a lot.

2. What triggered you that you suddenly thought of writing these stories and releasing them for all the readers?

It was just another day of my simple life when something happened. I wanted to remember it for life time, so I wrote that incident in a short story format. One of my roommate read it and found it fabulous. That’s how it all started.

3. How did the idea of publishing only the e-Book version of And… They Fell in Love come into your mind? Why didn’t you go for paperback version?

To be honest, I contacted few publishers but the material was not long enough. And the cost of paper version was coming way too high. So I just keep it as an E-Book for now.

4. What exactly did you want to convey through the three stories that you have sincerely written in this book?

If I talk to the point, my answer would be “ Love still exists and few couple are really made for each other”.

5. Are you planning to write any full-fledged novel? Or longer forms of short stories?

Yes, it’s in pipeline. 

6. Why don’t you participate in various Anthology competitions if you are interested in writing Short stories? They can give you better exposure. 

Yes, soon you would see me in one of those anthologies! I am game for it.

7. By when are you publishing your next work? Any idea on what it would be based upon?

I am working on my second book but I am not position to say a definite time line for it. Yes, it would be based on relationships.

8. If you win a major award for your stories, what would you say in the speech? 

Hard one!! I have to prepare it first. But it would end something like this:

Honesty still is the best policy.

Hard work still pays. 

And the Good Guy still gets the best Girl!

The Symbol by Varun Gautam (Book Review 3.75*/5)!!!

    Finishing a novel in one sitting is always an amazing experience. And if the novel turns out to be interesting and compelling,that's cherry on the cake. I picked up Varun Gautam's The Symbol with not much expectations because the cover page and synopsis didn't synchronize well. Also, the name of publisher- Authors Press didn't excite me. But after completing this book, I am mind-blown. As a debut, Varun Gautam has surely hit a boundary on the first ball. I just wish this book is promoted well so that it gets what it deserves- A Bestseller Tag. 

     

        Varun Gautam's story makes sure that by the time it's half way done, you already start feeling motivated. You will link the events with few unsuccessful times you had. Though the book makes you hate Arjun since his introduction but later on, the way you keep cheering him page by page is what describes the efficiency with which Varun has scripted this story. You want Arjun to succeed. You start seeing yourself in him. You start feeling every emotion that he feels. That's the power of this book- The Symbol.

        Varun's writing style is very simple and his command on language is also commendable. With well-crafted sentences, he manages to make you feel every emotion that he wants to convey through his story. His intention of changing the mindset of people will surely be successful as story leaves its impression on you even after hours you are done reading it. The concept of The Symbol is also managed very well. The author hasn't overdone it. I was quite doubtful about the superstition this book might promote but it is given a new angle by the end of the tale. 

   

       The quality of publishing is also up to the mark for which I would like to applaud Authors Press. There's one problem- THE MRP OF THE BOOK. Rs. 350 is too much for a pop fiction. It should be brought down to Rs. 150 at most. I also have problem with the cover page. People might restrict themselves from picking this book assuming it to be sci-fi, superstitious or fantasy work. Until the packaging isn't according to the product, the product won't get its due properly. This should be corrected while re-printing the next impression.

           Arjun's character is wonderfully described by the protagonist Dhruv throughout the book. Creating a selfless protagonist like Dhruv who speaks less about himself and more about Arjun is a different angle I have found after a long time. The way love stories are treated satisfies because author does not waste pages in narrating how the love was made and sex was accomplished. Kudos! The character of Arjun's father is something that will surely make you laugh as you might find a friend's father in him. Haha! Rest, all the characters and scenes are treated well. The book should be surely in your shelf if you are feeling down or you think you cannot achieve something just because you failed once. I recommend this book to all the youngsters undoubtedly. I give it 3.75*/5. Amazing stuff!

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 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

Strings of Friendship by Mehul Kaku (Book Review- 2*/5)!!!

      Picked up another book and completed reading in a single sitting. Mehul Kaku's 184-pages novel "Strings of Friendship". I should compliment and pat the author for challenging himself and not only have he written this book but also published and now marketing it. It need guts to singlehandedly make your book reach in the hands of customer. The cover page of the book is surely compelling and you will pick it up to read the story of 4 boys shown jumping in front of a sunset scenario. The publishing quality of the book is also fine. I just wonder why Mehul didn't care to introduce himself in the book. 

   

         Mehul's writing style is very simple which will be helpful for starters to pick this book and get into reading. I found the writing very normal because of which I also felt that the story-telling lacked that finesse which I usually search in a book. His characterization is wonderful and I should applaud him for making it clear in the mind of readers what his characters are like. I can easily find the characters in the people around me which also shows how this book is inspired hugely by the people around the author. 

         Story starts with a prologue where you find tension bursting between a couple. Later on, the story goes into a flashback where the protagonist remembers his 4 friends from school with whom he learnt having alcohols, caught by a garden-owner, enjoyed sunsets etc. The story starts well but it loses the track after a point of time. Author just told different scenarios of friends but never connected in together in a single plot which could make it easier for you to understand what he is trying to tell you. Just describing the relationship among friends isn't something that can make a story strong and memorable. There should have been some twists and tales.

         Therefore, I again got intrigued in the book when Ali starts telling his whole story. In that particular sub-plot, you will find many different cases which makes you happy that finally this novel is giving you a feel of story-telling. Therefore, I would like to declare that Ali's part is the best in the book and if not for anything, read this book for that particular narration. Later on, Robin's narration of his tale also sounds so mechanical that you could not enjoy it. Why would a friend explain his peers how he built a car? He can simply tell about few challenges. Still, the reaction from his friends after he finishes telling his journey could have stolen the show. But there's no reaction and next chapter begins. 

          Such mistakes in story-telling dissatisfies and you feel the loopholes very obviously. As this is the first attempt of the author, it is understandable and I would like to suggest him to read few books in the genre before scribbling his next one so that he can get an idea on how to embrace few scenes and make them special for readers. Currently, I would like to go with 2 stars out of 5. But starters, good book to start your journey with reading.

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 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!! 

And.. They Fell in Love! by Vikas Singal (e-Book Review)!!!

       I have never tried reading an e-book still as I find it hard to get along this new technology through which you can not feel the essence of the book but yet, the story is being told. As a reader, one explores any channel through which one can get to read something that he likes. I have not been a great fan of anthologies as I find them quite boring after a time. The only recent anthology that found me interested was Amit Shankar's Cafe Latte. I got to know about this new e-book "And.. They Fell in Love" which comprises of three short stories written by the author, Vikas Singal. The book was available for free download for a day on Amazon which led me towards it. I finished this small and sweet e-book in 30 minutes.

         Considering the cover page and book title, I thought it is going to be another boring romantic attempt by an author who is trying his luck in this world but after reading all the three stories, I can say that this is one of the sober, sweet and nice work I have read in this genre by an Indian. Also, idea of publishing these stories as an e-book is a work of genius because the growing segment of published anthologies is only causing damage to the authors contributing in it. No one is ready to buy those books more than 500 copies. But an e-book is going to be considered if kept at comfortable pricing keeping the target readers in mind.

         The first story named Mr. Right is an amazing start to the book. A very sweet tale of how a girl and a boy meets for the first time for the purpose of marriage. The nervousness between both the protagonists while conversing with each other is wonderfully depicted. You smile throughout the story because of the innocence and sweetness in each and every sentence. The second story names Tanya basically narrates how a girl is been molested by a man and later on saved by a boy who starts adoring her. Their conversation happens and it is also ended happily. A very nice approach to the stories with which writers would have generally played and ended up it with a tragic or horrifying situation. The last story "The Capri Girl" is different from the first two stories as it is based on a train journey. Some notorious while some obvious situations makes it again a wonderful read. I found it at par with the first story. 

          Vikas has surely woven his characters wonderfully after observing few couples or feelings of newly engaged partners. It can be easily noticed from the way stories are narrated. There are few drawbacks that I would like to mention:- Author has kept his stories too short. It's almost equal to a small blog post. I would have loved if each of his story would have been of 5000-words each. He has not been able to present his capability of story telling in the few words that he has chosen to publish. Also it would be a nice challenge for him to see if he can work successfully on little longer stories. As the stories are simple, I missed a sort of drama, masala, romantic conversations, twists, turns, emotions etc which are must in a love story. Summarily, I would say, for Vikas Singal, simplicity is the key of story-telling. 

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 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!