Latest news with #TheFamousFive
NZ Herald
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Cultural attaché: Jacob Rajan
On the case: Jacob Rajan in The Pickle King. Photo / Supplied Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read. Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. On the case: Jacob Rajan in The Pickle King. Photo / Supplied Jacob Rajan was the first Indian graduate from Toi Whakaari, New Zealand's drama school. Back in the 1990s, he met Justin Lewis in a bar after a show, and that chance conversation led them to start the theatre company Indian Ink. Their first play, Krishnan's Dairy, made a big impact on New Zealand theatre by bringing stories to audiences rooted in cultural connections and 'the serious laugh' ‒ mixing humour with weightier themes. Since then, Indian Ink has created 11 original plays and toured internationally. Along the way, Rajan has been recognised for his work. He was named an Arts Laureate in 2002 and appointed a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2013 for his contributions to theatre. What is your earliest memory? Getting a vaccination when I was 4. My mum said we were going to get an ice-cream, neglecting to mention the stabbing I would receive beforehand. I howled more at the betrayal than the pain. What did you want to be when you were a kid? I loved The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Three Investigators, etc, and I loved dogs. So, some sort of detective-with-a-dog Scooby-Doo situation would have been ideal. When were you happiest? My kids were 9, 7 and 5 and we were in the kitchen making chapatis in a sort of assembly line – shaping the dough, rolling, flipping, stamping with butter. There was music playing and I thought, 'This is peak happy, this is as happy as you will ever need – remember this.' What's your greatest fear? I'm not great with balloons or snakes but my greatest fear would be something bad happening to my wife and kids. So, I guess if my wife and kids were trapped in a room with balloons and cobras and I was the only one who could save them, that would be bad for me – and them, obviously. What makes you unhappy? Wasted time. Like watching hours of your life dissolve into a YouTube spiral until suddenly it's midnight and you're emotionally invested in the renovation of a Norwegian boathouse. Or being passed like a cursed baton from one help desk to another, each one less helpful than the last. Or losing weeks of work – not because you didn't save it (please, I wasn't born yesterday) – but because something else glitched. It's not just time you can't get back, it's time mocking you on the way out. What trait in yourself do you least like? Resentment of other people's success. I have a jealous streak that I've worked hard to suppress but it flares up from time to time – not pretty. What trait in others do you least like? I hate judgmental people; I can spot them a mile away. It's a joke but it's kinda true. Finding fault is easy and lazy and makes for good gossip but not great people. And yes, it's another thing I'm working on. What characteristics do you most value in your friends? Passion, intelligence (emotional, cerebral – often both), sense of humour, kindness. All my closest friends have that spark, something that lights me up or steadies me when needed. I steal a little brilliance from each of them. When is it okay to lie? Any time the truth would do more harm than good, which I'll admit is rare. And when you're involved in good mischief where the purpose of de lie is to bring de-light. Favourite things, clockwise from top left: New York, Meryl Streep, and The Famous Five. Images / Getty Images Apart from any property, what's the most expensive thing you've bought? A trip for the whole family to New York. We scrimped and saved and got some help from a patron. Worth every cent. Experiences are better than things. What's the best gift you've ever given? I bought a 1940s electric railway clock from an antique shop in Melbourne for my wife's birthday. I had to transport it back in my luggage and I was terrified that it would be just a mess of springs and cogs and broken glass when I opened my suitcase. But it was completely intact and has kept perfect time ever since, although the hands go backwards after a power cut for some reason. I love it and I definitely bought it for my wife. What is your most treasured possession? My guitar. Conrad Wedde from Phoenix Foundation was our original composer and musician in our first play, Krishnan's Dairy. When my crappy op-shop guitar finally died, Conrad took me to Alistair's Music Ltd in Wellington and selected this beautifully toned and shapely Spanish replacement. Maria's toured the world with me and has stuck by me even though I'm not really worthy of her – much like my wife. What was the last book you read? The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, by Shehan Karunatilaka – a surreal, savage and strangely hilarious ride through the afterlife in war-torn Sri Lanka. Who are your favourite writers? Salman Rushdie (on a good day), Arundhati Roy, Jeanette Winterson, Michael Ondaatje and lately, Richard Powers. Who is your favourite character(s) of fiction? I've just discovered him: Akram Salim from the TV programme Dept Q. He's a sidekick to the main detective but steals every scene. I love me a good sidekick. What book do you recommend to others to read? The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy – it still breaks me open. The title of your autobiography would be … Truthfully, I Lie. What words or phrases do you overuse? 'Just one more thing…' and 'It'll be fine.' Both are rarely true. What is your favourite word? 'Mischief.' It suggests trouble, yes, but the kind that's clever, charming, joyful. Playful subversion. It's a word that never sits still. Do you have a quote(s) you live by? 'First we eat, then we do everything else.'‒ MFK Fisher. What is your favourite museum/art gallery? Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima Island in Japan. My wife and I went there this year. Often those big, famous galleries around the world can be overwhelming with the sheer volume of art they store. The beauty of Chichu is it has only three rooms for three artists whose work is on permanent display: Claude Monet, James Turrell and Walter De Maria. But the word 'only' doesn't really belong here. The museum was designed by Tadao Ando and apparently took form as Ando, Turrell and De Maria bounced ideas off each other. The result is not so much a building but a gobsmacking piece of site-specific art itself. You go for the water lilies but you end up being moved by the walls. Travel destination: South America. Image / Getty Images What is the artwork you could look at endlessly? Teshima Art Museum in Japan. Again, I'd say it's an artwork not an art museum. You take a ferry to Teshima Island. You get on a bus. You wait for your allotted time. You walk down a path overlooking a beautiful inland sea. You're told to take off your shoes, not to talk and to be careful where you walk. You enter the most extraordinary vast, white, domed, underground room with massive holes in the ceiling that punch out to the sky. There's an immediate sense of awe, like being in a cathedral, but at some point you look down and notice the floor is leaking. Barely visible pin holes around the place release tiny droplets of water that trickle and join in random – mesmerising patterns of tension and release – ultimately finding their way to puddles that you can't believe you didn't see before. Who knew you could spend 15 minutes fully invested in the drama of water making its way across the floor, and have to be dragged away? What particular artistic talent would you like to have? I'd love to be an awesome backing singer. Harmonies and cool dance moves. Maybe a tambourine? What is your favourite film? Truly, Madly, Deeply. It's not just a love story, it's a grief story in disguise. It lets you feel big things – loss, love, longing – and you laugh through the ache, the messiness of mourning, the absurdity of holding on. Also, let's be honest: Alan Rickman playing Bach on a cello in a cardigan? Impossible not to love. If a movie was made of your life, which song would be played over the end credits? Aretha Franklin singing I Say a Little Prayer. It was the post-show song for Krishnan's Dairy. I must've heard it more than 300 times but it never got old. Who would play you? Prince, if he was alive or Meryl Streep, alive or dead. I don't know how she'd do it but I know she'd totally nail it. What has been your most enjoyable live theatre experience? John Bolton's Jumping Mouse. One man, a simple story told with such sincerity and craft that it lands right in the centre of your chest. What has been your most enjoyable live music experience? Leonard Cohen in my home town, Wellington. It wasn't just a concert; it felt like communion. This was three years before he died. His voice was aged into gravel and velvet, each lyric was poetry made flesh. He bowed low, tipped his trilby to his musicians, danced like a gentleman thief. What are your favourite genres of music? Anything with soul – from qawwali to funk to classic singer-songwriter. What were your top songs in Spotify 2024 Wrapped? I'm so old I don't know what you're talking about but I pretty much had The National, Aldous Harding and The Felice Brothers on high rotation that year, if that helps. What song always gets you dancing? Kiss, by Prince. It's a contract with the universe; if it plays, you move. What is a streaming series or favourite TV show you would recommend? Extras. Ricky Gervais is genius and the celebrities he co-opts are clearly having the time of their lives. I know it's ancient now but it bears repeated viewing. If you weren't an actor/playwright, what would you be doing instead? Yoga instructor. Let's be clear, I don't actually do yoga beyond a few stretches but I'd like to. And I feel, being Indian, I could sell it. Clockwise from top left: 'Truly, Madly, Deeply,' Leonard Cohen, and Aretha Franklin. Images / Getty Images Which talent or skill do you wish you had? I wish I was handy. Like handyman handy. I own some tools – a circular saw, electric drill, spirit level – but I'm inept with them and they don't respect me. It's a constant humiliation. Do you have a skill or ability that might surprise people? I have an unusual superpower: I'm not ticklish. Not even a flinch. People always think they'll be the one to break me but my laughter has to be earned not stolen. Which three people, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with? I don't have much of a grasp on politics or history or art but I'm endlessly fascinated by food. So MFK Fisher (high priestess of food writing), Nigella Lawson (domestic goddess) and Yotam Ottolenghi (Middle Eastern wizard). Everybody would have to bring a plate, obviously. Where is your favourite place in New Zealand? My home town, Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Wind in your face, sea like a sermon. What is your favourite place outside Aotearoa? Bali. Beauty is in everything there: the food, the architecture, the landscape. It's a daily ritual for the Balinese. The trick is to avoid the Australians. What is a destination you'd love to visit some time? South America. I realise that's not very specific but that whole continent is a mystery to me and I hear great things. What is a building or architectural work you admire? As mentioned earlier, Tadao Ando's Chichu Art Museum. It disappears into the earth and yet somehow expands your sense of space. A temple to light and silence with an atmosphere that humbles you. A good day starts with … Strong coffee and Wordle in two. What would be comfort food to you? My mum's red fish curry. Rice. No cutlery. What can't you resist on a restaurant menu? Offal. It's the culinary version of rebellion. I see it on the menu – liver, tongue, sweetbreads – and my instinct is, 'No way!' But I refuse to back down. I am compelled to try-pe. What is your guilty pleasure? YouTube food videos. I tell myself I'm just looking for dinner inspiration but let's face it, I'm never going to make laminated pastry or pickle a goat. Jacob Rajan performs in Indian Ink's Guru Of Chai at Forum North, Whangārei, on July 26-27. He also performs Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream at Theatre Royal, Nelson, from August 29 -31, and Regent Theatre, Dunedin, on September 5.
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
I'd lost my childhood love of reading – but rediscovered it when I set aside my iPhone
Everything changes so everything can stay the same. In the beginning I read a lot. I read paperback books. The Famous Five, the Secret Seven and all that stuff. I had – have, actually – all 21 Famous Five books. They're in paperback, apart from the fifth one, Five Go Off in a Caravan, which is in hardback. A present from my nan. Nice. But I preferred paperbacks. I've never seen the point of hardbacks. They're unwieldy, harder to hold in bed, especially under the sheets when I was supposed to be asleep. In my teens I raced through Agatha Christie, Alistair MacLean and the like, and Reader's Digest too, countless editions of which were lined up beside every toilet in the house. Then schooling started interfering with my tastes and I got into Thomas Hardy in a big way, and other big thick, proper paperback novels. After my A-levels I went cycling in France with a mate, which was a miserable experience, saved only by the enjoyment I got from reading Anna Karenina, the battered doorstop edition of which I still have but am fearful of looking at lest it completely falls apart. Then I went to university to study English literature and had the love of reading sucked out of me. Reading, in my book, was for enjoying, not for studying. I didn't enjoy the studying of it, so I inevitably stopped enjoying the reading of it. Those reading years are a dismaying blur. The only writer to survive the cull in my love of literature was Evelyn Waugh. Everything else seemed to be a struggle. I blamed myself for not being clever enough. When I left university, I all but left reading behind too. I came across Raymond Carver, who I found easy to read and loved very much. And Richard Ford, who I found hard to read but still managed to love. Apart from that, the rest of my 20s and, and my 30s, passed by almost fiction-free. But it all came flooding back, oddly, with the advent of the digital age. The Kindle seemed to free me up to wade back into literature until I was out of my depth and swimming freely again. I'm not sure why this is so. I think it might be that physical books had been triggering strong feelings of intellectual inadequacy from back in the day. Who knows? I didn't care. I was loving reading all over again. But as much as the ebook gave me something beautiful back, slowly but surely it took it all away again. I think the problem has been the smartphone rather than the Kindle. Reading ebooks on the Kindle app on the iPhone rather than on the Kindle itself was too convenient an option. But, just as smartphones relentlessly erode our capacity to focus on life itself, slowly but surely my ability to engage with any one thing on them, certainly anything as long as a novel, drained away as briskly as the phone's battery. So the other week I picked out one of the countless old-style Penguin paperbacks on my bookshelf. It was A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd. Then the peculiarly named Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party by Graham Greene. Then Muriel Spark, Margaret Drabble and anyone else I fancied from shelves at home or in charity shops. I'm back to the paperback format of my childhood and my reading life has begun again. These little beauties are barely 25% bigger than my iPhone and, most importantly, you can't swipe in and out of them. Suddenly I can engage with words again. I put the phone away, open the book, and read, actually read. On the tube, snootily regarding the phone-starers, I feel a bit of a clever dick. This will last until I give in to the temptation to revisit the Famous Five. I can't wait. Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Princess Diana's bold request was the one thing her designer refused: ‘You are a princess'
Advertisement Princess Diana was ready to put royal protocol to the test to prove she was a 'free woman.' The late Princess of Wales is the subject of the upcoming 'Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection' auction, which takes place on June 26 in Los Angeles. It will feature some of fashion designer Jacques Azagury's design illustrations for Diana, and fabric swatches from some of her famous dresses. 'It feels wonderful [to keep her memory alive],' Azagury, who helped Diana revamp her style during her final years, told Fox News Digital during a private preview at The Peninsula Residences London. 'Anything that I can do that's going to carry on the legacy of the princess, I will always do it… It's a way of keeping her alive really.' Advertisement Azagury said he met Diana in 1985 when he was showing his new collection in London. They were introduced by Anna Harvey, deputy editor of British Vogue. 6 The late Princess of Wales is the subject of the upcoming 'Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection' auction. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images 'She immediately put me at ease,' he described. 'She had this amazing ability to make you feel completely at ease in no time.' Advertisement In return, Azagury would help Diana step out of her shell. 'In her later years, Diana embraced this sexier, sleeker look, which was my aim,' he explained. 'My aim was really to just get her out of all these frills and… frumpy skirts that she was wearing at the beginning. As her life was developing, she had to be on the international stage, and it was my job to make her fit there. Gradually, I simplified and simplified her right to the end until there wasn't really that much dress. It was more about the princess and the fit of the dress.' 6 Azagury said he met Diana in 1985 when he was showing his new collection in London. Advertisement According to reports, British royals are subject to strict fashion rules. And as the wife of the future king, Diana was expected to follow them. But as her marriage publicly crumbled, Diana was ready to send a new message using her style. One of the most iconic looks was 'The Revenge Dress,' a slinky little black dress that she wore in 1994, on the same night that her ex-husband, the former Prince Charles, confessed his infidelity on national television. Reports claimed that Diana owned the Christina Stambolian design for three years, but never wore it until then because it was too daring. Charles and Diana separated in 1992. Their divorce was finalized in 1996. And it was during the '90s that Azagury created 'The Famous Five,' a collection of dresses that showed Diana in a new light. 'This is a period when you see the Diana that we all loved, where she was feeling free from her marriage,' said Azagury. 6 Charles and Diana separated in 1992. Their divorce was finalized in 1996. Getty Images 'It was her new life starting. She was fit, she was training. She looked phenomenal, and these dresses were saying exactly what she wanted to say, that she was a free woman. She could wear what she wanted to wear. She moved away from royal protocol with the length of the dresses. It was kind of a rebellion, but not a rebellion. But it was her way of telling people that she's her own woman.' But Azagury admitted he wasn't prepared for Diana's bold fashion request. Advertisement '[She surprised me] only once,' he said. 'She wanted to go super short on the dresses, and we wouldn't allow it, particularly on that blue ['Swan Lake' dress from June 1997]. It was quite a low décolletage and quite short anyway, and she wanted to go even shorter. We just said, 'Look, you're not going to have a dress left and you are a princess. We've got to remember you're a princess.' So it was way short anyway, so that's really the only request we would not abide by.' Azagury said that one of Diana's favorite colors to wear was black, which, for the royals, is typically reserved for mourning. But the princess, who was thriving during the era of supermodels, wore several pieces by Azagury that were low-cut, figure-hugging, and showcased her bare, lean arms. Her 'Venice' dress from 1995 was a bright red silk two-piece featuring a short skirt. The 1997 'Washington' dress featured a deep V cut in the back. 6 'This is a period when you see the Diana that we all loved, where she was feeling free from her marriage,' said Azagury. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images 'After Diana's marriage, she portrayed herself in a slightly different manner,' Azagury explained. 'She had total freedom… She could wear what she wanted to wear. She was able to wear black, which she's usually not allowed to wear because royals only wear black for funerals.' Advertisement 'So the minute she was away from that, the first dress we made for her… was a black dress we made for her after the Martin Bashir interview… a black sexy dress,' he shared. 'That was her way of saying, 'This is me, this is the new me. I'm confident.' And it had all of those things in that one dress. She treated the dresses like that all the way through.' And as one of the most photographed women in the world, there was no room for error, Azagury stressed. 6 '[She surprised me] only once,' he said. 'She wanted to go super short on the dresses, and we wouldn't allow it.' 'As a designer, my main thing was to make sure that every single little thing on the dress was perfect,' he said. 'She was stepping out of her shell, and she would have 500 photographers surrounding her, so everything had to be perfect, even though the dresses were very, very simple.' Advertisement 'It took a lot of work to get everything immaculate, and that was my job,' he said. 'We never had any mishaps at all. We just didn't want to end up in a circle of shame with a bit of something sticking out. So really, it was my job to make sure that everything was perfect for her.' Azagury created what royal watchers have coined the 'Final Goodbye' dress. It was a full-length black dress highlighting a plunging neckline, thin straps and a high front slit. Diana was fitted for it in London just before she flew to Paris. 'I think it might've been for a Disney premiere, so we wanted to make it more wow than the other dresses and make it really Hollywood red carpet,' said Azagury. 'All that had to be done was to [adjust] the straps. Sadly, she never got back to wear it.' 6 Azagury created what royal watchers have coined the 'Final Goodbye' dress. WireImage Advertisement But her legacy lives on, he said. 'The princess is still indirectly affecting fashion, affecting the other royals,' said Azagury. 'Of course, anytime that Kate wears something that possibly remotely looks like something Diana wore… it always gets compared in the newspapers. So, she's still there.' 'In a way, the dresses that she wore at the time, yes, they were fashions of the time, but they were timeless pieces,' he reflected. 'Any of the dresses that I made, for instance, could be worn today, and they wouldn't look out of place. There's something to say about her dress sense… it went quite deep.' The auction 'Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection' by Julien's Auctions kicks off June 26 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Wild Geese, Hyderabad's new lending library at Nallagandla hopes to attract young and adult readers
A spacious room on the second floor of an apartment complex in Nallagandla, Hyderabad, now houses a modest yet inviting lending library. Surrounded by greenery, the quiet neighbourhood allows for natural light and cross ventilation through multiple window panes. Wild Geese Library (@ named after the Mary Oliver poem, is only a few weeks old. A passion project by Sankeerthana, an avid reader and cinephile, it aims to welcome both young and adult readers. An engineer and former IT professional who later began writing about cinema, Sankeerthana had long dreamt of being surrounded by books. 'It was a romantic dream,' she says, referencing Meg Ryan's character in You've Got Mail, who runs a small independent bookstore. 'But a bookstore was beyond my budget; the next best thing was a lending library.' The idea took three years to take shape. She saved up, found a space in her neighbourhood, and Wild Geese was born. Her eight-year-old son, Vivaan Varma, helped her set up the collection — now over 5,000 books strong. Talking about the relevance of lending libraries, Sankeerthana says, 'When we buy books online, we tend to look for what we already know. A library gives you the chance to browse, get curious, take recommendations and discover something new.' She has observed this shift in her son too, who tends to read what is popular among his peers but becomes more open to other titles when browsing at the library. She hopes Wild Geese fosters the same curiosity in other readers. While a large portion of the collection caters to ages six to 18, there is enough to engage adult readers as well, with books in both English and Telugu. Some are from her personal library, while others were sourced from friends, family, and book fairs such as Abids Sunday Market and 'Lock the Box', as well as second-hand stores in Hyderabad. 'Even when buying pre-owned books, I avoid anything too worn out, and I never pick pirated editions,' she adds. Classics like The Famous Five and The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew,Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and Tintin sit alongside titles like Winnie the Pooh, Keeper of the Lost Cities, How to Train Your Dragon, Geronimo Stilton, Wings of Fire, Percy Jackson, and books by Terry Pratchett. The Telugu collection was curated with help from Hyderabad-based Anvikshiki Publishers. Sankeerthana's reading journey began in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, with her father's books. Later, while studying engineering, she made regular use of her college library. 'Wild Geese is also a way for me to reconnect with the joy of reading,' she says. The library offers membership plans ranging from one to twelve months. Word-of-mouth is slowly spreading through community groups and residential complexes nearby. As the readership grows, Sankeerthana hopes to organise interactive reading and storytelling sessions to foster a deeper connection with books. (Wild Geese Library is at 202, Sai Orchids, Huda Layout, Nallagandla, Hyderabad. Email: Ph: 7075849255)
