Taran Adarsh

There's a spate of desi entertainers of late. All starringtop league actors and helmed by reputable names. NowAnil Sharma, whose body of work consists of desi enter-tainers like HUKUMAT, ELAAN-E-JUNG, FARISHTAY,TEHELKA, GADAR - EK PREM KATHA, APNE andVEER, helms yet another big ticket film with a desi angleto it -- SINGH SAAB THE GREAT.

When Anil Sharma joins hands with Sunny Deol -- thejodi has delivered one of the biggest hits ofHindi cinema in GADAR - EK PREM KATHA-- one expects the duo to recreate the epicsuccess in their new outing. Clapworthydialogue, fiery confrontations, hi-octanedrama and of course, Sunny's dhaai kiloka haath to vanquish the oppressors...the mandatory requirements have to bein place. And SINGH SAAB THE GREAThas it all in trademark Anil Sharma style.

SINGH SAAB THE GREATnarratesthe story of Singh Saab [SunnyDeol], an honest Collector,who believes in carryingout his duties diligently.However, thecrooked and shadyBhoodev [PrakashRaj] falsely impli-cates him in acase of briberyand gets himimpr i soned .Even thoughSingh Saab isseething withanger, hedecides tosettle scoreswith Bhoodevdifferently, bybringing aboutchange insteadof revenge [bad-la nahin bad-laav]. The groundis set for a con-frontation betweenthe honest and cor-rupt forces…

With not much tolook to forward to in thestoryline, the challengelies in making the screenplaycaptivating and spellbindingand Anil Sharma and writerShaktimaan attempt to pack-age the film with ingredients that connect instantly withthe masses. The character portrayed by Sunny is likeany other character we may have witnessed in severalfilms, but when Sunny roars, bashes the villain blackand blue or pulls a tree with its roots, it appears bonafide. The larger than life character suits him and AnilSharma and Shaktimaan make sure they capitalize onthis actuality.

Anil Sharma's movies, generally, have an undercur-rent of emotions. In fact, his biggest victories havestressed on emotions [his directorial debut SHRAD-DHANJALI, GADAR and APNE in particular] and SINGHSAAB THE GREAT too maintains an iron grip on emo-tions and sentiments. Like GADAR, the emotional chordis between the couple [Sunny-Urvashi Rautela] and alsobetween the brother-sister [Sunny-Anjali Abrol] thistime. But what weighs the film down is the conflict withthe antagonist. It's predictable and one feels that theissue of an honest citizen waging a war against the cor-rupt has been done to death. Sure, a few confrontationsare fiery, especially the one when Sunny and Prakash

Raj meet for the first time or the one when Sun-ny throws Prakash Raj in the fire, but the stingoperation and the fight to finish towards the cli-max tend to get monotonous. Besides, the inti-

mate scenes between Sunny and Urvashi lookodd after a point.

SINGH SAAB THE GREAT overstays itswelcome by a good 10/15 minutes. A crisp,

concise edit would've only facilitated asolid punch. The soundtrack tilts heav-

ily towards the Punjabi flavor, with thetheme song staying on your lips. It's

full of vigour and vivacity. 'DaaruBandh Kal Se' [which has sur-

prise cameos by Dharmendraand Bobby Deol] is humma-

ble and gels well in thecontext of things. Dia-

logue are sure tobe loved by thestrata of audi-ence they aretargeted at [the

masses]. In fact,the single screen

audience in particularwill relish and applaud

the jibes and retortsfor certain.

Sunny Deol

looks most fit-

ting for the

part. Also,

the certainty

and convic-

tion with

which he inter-

prets his character is worthy of note.

In addition, like I stated earlier, he looks

most apt for roles where he has to illustrate

muscle power. The masses should go into

raptures as he delivers dynamic dialogue

in his distinctive trademark style. Enacting

the role of a news reporter, Amrita Rao manages to leave

a strong impact, despite the fact that the film belongs to

Sunny. Urvashi Rautela looks photogenic and though

she's a first-timer, she seems confident in several

sequences. Post WANTED and SINGHAM, Prakash Raj

seems to be getting typecast in similar roles. Not his

fault, but I wish to add that the gifted actor enacts his

part with gusto and fervor. He matches Sunny at every

step. Anjali Abrol does well.

Johny Lever is as lively as ever. Rajit Kapoor, San-

jay Mishra, Yashpal Sharma and Manoj Pahwa don't get

much scope to put across their talent. Shahbaaz Khan

appears in a cameo. The kid enacting the part of Sun-

ny's nephew is cute. On the whole, SINGH SAAB THE GREAT is atypical

Sunny Deol film that a section of the audience still enjoys.The clapworthy dialogue, the raw appeal, the undercur-rent of emotions and of course, the dhaai kilo ka haathshould appeal to those who relish desi fares, especiallythe single screen audience.

Courtesy: http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/

Anil Sharma's movies, generally, have

an undercurrent of emotions. In fact,

his biggest victories have stressed on

emotions [his directorial debut

SHRADDHANJALI, GADAR and APNE

in particular] and SINGH SAAB THE

GREAT too maintains an iron grip on

emotions and sentiments.

Shahnaz Husain

Tulsi (Holy Basil) has so many medicinal uses that it hasbeen traditionally venerated and worshipped in India. Mod-ern research has revealed that it actually has several medic-inal benefits, apart from helping to purify the air. It has beenextensively used since the ancient times as a home rem-edy for common ailments. Basil has many healing proper-ties and has been traditionally used to relieve cold andcough, sore throat and respiratory ailments. Tulsi leavesare crushed and taken with honey for cough, cold and bron-chitis. It is also used as a digestive aid.

Tulsi is said to be rich in Vitamins A and C, as well asiron, calcium and zinc. It also contains antioxidants, whichhave many benefits, like keeping blood pressure, choles-

terol levels and high blood sugar under control. Chewinga few tulsi leaves early in the morning is said to be mostbeneficial. However, if you are on blood pressure or bloodsugar medication, please do not discontinue them with-out checking with your doctor. Being an antioxidant, it issaid to prevent oxidation damage by free radicals and thusdelays visible ageing signs. In fact, it is not only a power-

ful antioxidant, but is said to have anti-carcinogenic prop-erties too. It is been found to control some cancers, likeoral and breast cancer.

Tulsi is also said to reduce stress, due to a soothingeffect on the nerves. Due to its anti-stress properties, ithas been used to help people to quit smoking, as itreduces withdrawal symptoms. Chewing tulsi leaveshelps to reduce the urge to smoke. Tulsi tea, taken daily,can also help. Recent research has also revealed that itis beneficial for the kidneys and helps to reduce uric acidlevels in the blood. Thus, it is also said to prevent andrelieve the problem of kidney stones. Ayurvedic prescrip-tions state that the juice of tulsi leaves, taken with honeydaily for six months, helps to remove kidney stones.

We have used tulsi extensively to treat skin and scalpproblems, like pimples, acne, rashes, dandruff and othereruptive conditions. It has powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a cleansing effect andhelps to remove toxins and wastes. It is also a powerfulastringent and helps to close the powers and reduce oili-ness of the skin. Thus it can be added to formulations thatare astringent-toners.

Tulsi has many beauty benefits and has been used inskin and hair products. It helps in protecting and main-taining healthy skin and shiny hair. If you skin is very oilyand prone to pimples and acne, use skin tonics contain-ing tulsi (basil). You can crush tulsi leaves and add themto boiling water. Then allow it to stand for a few hours, sothat the water cools. Strain the water. Add equal quantityof rose water to make your own skin lotion. Dip cottonwool pads and use it to wipe the face. The juice of tulsileaves can also be applied locally for skin conditions, likeringworm and eczema.

Soak tulsi leaves in hot water overnight. Next morn-ing, when it is cool, strain the water and make a paste ofthe leaves. Apply it on the face, or scalp for acne or scalperuptions. Wash it off after 20 minutes with plain water.Tulsi paste can also be added to face packs for oily andpimple prone skin. Mix multani mitti, sandalwood paste,paste of tulsi leaves and rose water into a paste and applyon the face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Washoff after 20 minutes. It helps oily and pimple-prone skin.Gram flour (besan) with curd and tulsi leaf paste alsomakes a good cleansing pack. Dried and powdered tulsileaves can also be added to facial scrubs to exfoliate theskin and make it glow.

Dr. Amresh Jamwal

Cervical spondylosis is a degenerative disease of the cer-vical spine characterized by decrease in joint space of cervi-cal spine. The cervical spines consist of 7 vertebrae. Pro-longed degeneration of the cervical spine results in narrow-ing of the spaces between the vertebrae. It is accompaniedby pain and stiffness of the neck. X-ray images showdecreased joint space of cervical discs and formation ofOsteophytes (bony spurs). Due to the facet joint degenera-tion in cervical spondylosis, the effected joints will have a lossof normal range of movement. This results in other levels hav-ing to compensate, leading to loss of mobility. When there isa significant loss of mobility, general range of motion will belimited and patients often complain of pain in the neck andreferred pain to the shoulder or arm.

Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Symptoms mayinclude:

* Pain in the neck: This may spread to the shoulders andbase of the skull. Movement of the neck may make the painworse. The pain sometimes spreads down an arm to a handor fingers. This is caused by irritation of a nerve which goesto the arm from the spinal cord in the neck. The pain tendsto come and go with flare-ups from time to time. Patient mayhave a flare-up of pain after unaccustomed use of neck, or ifhe sprains a neck muscle or ligament. However, a flare-upoften develops for no apparent reason. Some people devel-op chronic (persistent) pain.

* Some neck stiffness, particularly after getting up in themorning.

* Headaches may occur: The headaches often start atthe back of the head just above the neck and travel over thetop to the forehead. It has been found that 14-18% of chron-ic headaches are cervicogenic, i.e. headaches which resultfrom musculoskeletal dysfunction in the cervical spine. Henceit is important to assess and treat the upper cervical spine inpatients with cervicogenic headache.

* Raising the affected arm above the head reduces pain(Shoulder abduction test)

* Lhermitte's sign. It is defined as a sudden electrical sen-sation down the neck and back upon flexing (forward bend-ing) the neck.

* Development of 'pins and needles' in part of an arm orhand. This symptom is caused by irritation of a spinal nerveas it leaves the vertebral area. Consult your doctor if loss offeeling (numbness) or weakness develops in a part of a handor arm. These symptoms suggest more pressure on a nerve.This is called a Cervical radiculopathy.

* More rarely, clumsiness of a hand, problems with walk-ing, or problems with bladder function occur when pressurefrom a worn vertebra or disc damages the spinal cord. Thisis called Cervical myelopathy. It is important to report thesesymptoms to a Doctor

Treatment:Treatment can be classified into two types- Non operative

and Operative.Non operative treatment:Non operative treatment provides good to excellent results

in around 75% of cases of Cervical spondylosis with goodlong term results. Non operative treatment consists of painkillers, non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), mus-cle relaxants and physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy treatment:In patients with Cervical spondylosis the basic assess-

ment starts with a posture check and then focuses specifi-cally in identifying and treating which joints and muscles areaffected. Often, patients with Cervical spondylosis presentwith a forward head posture, and/ or flat lower back. This pos-ture will put the cervical joints in constant compression, lead-ing to joint degeneration at those levels. Unless the compres-

sion on cervical spine is relieved through thoracic spine exten-sion and upper cervical retraction any treatment will be ofshort term benefit. Physiotherapy treatment is recommend-ed to reduce pain, restore range of motion and function, andto strengthen and stabilize the spine. Physiotherapy includes:

* Bracing, strengthening and stretching exercise and activ-ity modification.

* Cervical traction for normalizing disc space.* Ultrasound and TENS for control of pain.* Applying either ice or a heating pad to the neck for reduc-

ing the pain. Alternate cold and hot therapy is more effectivethan using either one.

* Loss of mobility is treated with mobilization and self mobi-lization techniques. This is done through reducing spasm andlengthening the effected muscles. A technique that is oftenused to achieve this is Muscle energy technique. Muscleenergy technique promotes muscle relaxation. This tech-nique involves sub maximal contraction of the effected mus-cle and on releasing this contraction, this muscle is stretchedto a new length. This is a more effective technique than plainstretching because of the specificity of the level.

* APhysiotherapist will give specific neck exercises for thepatient to do as a part of home exercise regime.

Operative treatment:Operative treatment is considered in cases which do not

respond to non operative treatment. The surgical procedurepreferred is removing the bone spur and possible fusion oftwo or more cervical vertebrae.

Some useful tips:* A good posture may help. Check that your sitting posi-

tion at work or at the computer is not poor (that is, not withyour head bent forward with a stooped back).

* Sit upright to improve posture.* Afirm supporting pillow seems to help some people when

sleeping. Try not to use more than one pillow.* Wear a neck brace or a cervical collar at regular inter-

vals during the day to keep a check on neck motion. This isturn will reduce the irritation in the nerves.

* Yoga is helpful. There are certain yoga poses and pos-tures that can help strengthen the back muscles, which inturn increase their flexibility. Most of the Cervical spondylo-sis yoga exercises increase traction naturally, which reducesthe compression in the nerve root.

The author is a Physiotherapist.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2013 (PAGE-4)

A typical Sunny Deol film

Management of Cervical SpondylosisHEALTHLINES

MOVIE REVIEW

BEAUTY TIPS

Tulsi treatment

O P Sharma

The National Cadet Corps (NCC), a premieruniformed youth organization, is gradually get-ting popular among the youth in Jammu andKashmir like other parts of the country. It is alsobeing further galvanized in the State. There areover 24000 cadets, of which nearly 8000 aregirl cadets.

The NCC Day is being observed on Novem-ber 24, 2013 in Jammu and Kashmir like oth-er parts of the country. On this day several func-tions are held in which the young boys and girlsparticipate with enthusiasm and gaiety.

The NCC, operating in different education-al institutions including schools and collegesimparts regular elementary trainings in tri-Ser-vices comprising the Army, Navy and Air Forceand for grooming them into disciplined andpatriotic citizens. Its main objective is to devel-op character, comradeship, discipline, leader-ship, national outlook, spirit of adventure, and ideals of self-less service. The purpose is to create a human resource oforganized, trained and motivated boys and girls to provideleadership in all walks of life and also to prepare them forcareers in the Armed Forces.

In an exclusive interview, Maj. Gen. Neeraj Verma, Addi-tional Director General, NCC, Jammu and Kashmir, stated:"Sustained efforts are being made to revamp and revitalizeNCC as an organization in the State. Gradually activities arebeing accelerated". The J&K NCC chief is regularly conduct-ing the camps to make NCC visible even in remote areas ofthis border and sensitive State.

Gen Verma, who has taken over only in July this yearstated that our objective is directed towards instilling quali-ties of nationalism, patriotism, discipline, team spirit, spirit-de-corps, leadership and self confidence and promotingoverall personality and added that NCC gives tremendousopportunity to one and all for betterment, irrespective ofcaste, creed, religion or economic status.

Noble ObjectivesIn Jammu and Kashmir, the NCC was introduced first in

Srinagar, during 1954 and later, one NCC battalion wasraised at Jammu in September 1959 with sanctioned cadetstrength of 6560 in the State. The girl wing of NCC was intro-duced in the year 1962 when 2 J&K (Girls) Battalion wasraised at Jammu. Subsequently there was diversificationand intensification of NCC activities at various locations inthe State. Significantly during the current year, NCC activi-ties have been expanded in Ladakh area especially and alsoother parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

In view of the ever increasing aspirations of student com-munity, the State NCC Directorate has taken up case withthe State Government as also with the NCC headquartersfor raising new units and further up-gradation of existinginfrastructure.

During Indo-Pak conflicts of 1965 and 1971, NCC cadets

were second line of defence as they organized camps toassist ordnance factories, supplying arms and ammunitionto the front and also were used as patrol parties to captureenemy paratroopers. The NCC cadets also worked hand-in-hand on Civil Defence duty.

The need to create a youth organization at national lev-el to train the young boys and girls to be better citizens andfuture leaders of our country in all walks of life includingdefence forces led to the creation of NCC after passage ofthe National Cadet Corps Act, 1948. The NCC movementwas launched on July 15, 1948 and is presently headed byDirectorate General headquartered at New Delhi. The NCCis today the largest uniformed youth organization in the worldand has carved out a niche for itself as a unique organiza-tion in nation building and grooming the youth of our coun-try. The motto of NCC is 'Unity and Discipline' and is shap-ing our youth into disciplined citizens. The NCC has its ownflag, crest as also a melodious and patriotic song 'Hum SabBhartiya Hain'.

Focus SharplyNCC undoubtedly is making progress but it needs to be

given a massive thrust to canalize the energy and enthusi-asm of our young boys and girls for purposeful and produc-tive national activities. The youth must be more activelyinvolved in NCC to enable them meet the challenges on var-ious national challenges and also standing up to internal andexternal threats facing the people. It is heartening that theyoung boys and girls in Jammu and Kashmir are also eagerto be in the fold of NCC for greater good of this nation.

Recently two national level camps were conducted withhigh participation and positive results obtained in Jammuand Kashmir.

The Government must consider rapid advancement ofNCC activities in the sensitive and border Jammu and Kash-mir State so that the young boys and girls are properlyinspired and motivated for the maintaining permanent peaceand accelerating pace of socio-economic developmentalong with dealing with the challenges facing the unity andintegrity of the nation.

(Starline Syndicate Service)

NCC being galvanized in J&K State

NCC Camp being inspected by ADG,NCC in J&K State.

Today is NCC Day

X-ray images show decreased joint

space of cervical discs and formation of

Osteophytes (bony spurs). Due to the

facet joint degeneration in cervical

spondylosis, the effected joints will have

a loss of normal range of movement.