|
 |
|
Satirist-actor Jaspal Bhatti shows
off the foundation stone of his foundation stones factory near
Chandigarh.
(Photo: IANS) |
Chandigarh:
After being a constant thorn in the flesh of self-serving
politicians, greedy builders and oily middlemen,
satirist-cum-actor Jaspal Bhatti has now ventured into a new
field. He has set up a 'factory' to manufacture foundation stones
to cater to the "ever increasing" demand from ministers and
politicians.
The comedian has put up a board titled Jaspal Bhatti's National
Foundation Stone Factory at a plot he owns in Mohali town of
Punjab, adjoining Chandigarh. The 'factory' promises an
all-weather supply of foundation stones to bigwigs for all
occasions.
"This factory will always work and will be a great success.
Foundation stones are always in demand and we have no dearth of
these. This is the most unique factory in the country. We will
cater to the big demand for foundation stones," Bhatti, famous for
his TV satires "Ulta-Pulta" and "Flop Show" and his comical roles
in Bollywood movies, told IANS here.
The students and faculty of MAD Arts School - Bhatti's acting
school at Mohali - dressed up as construction workers during the
foundation stone-laying ceremony of the factory.
The first foundation stone of the 'factory' was unveiled this week
by SAB TV's executive vice president and business head Anooj
Kapoor.
Bhatti said with assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh,
Gujarat and some other states around the corner, his foundation
stone factory will only "do well".
"In fact, we should bring an act in parliament which specifies
that every minister and politician should have a minimum quota for
laying foundation stones every month," Bhatti suggested.
"Sometimes ministers forget they have already laid the foundation
stone for a bridge and they re-do it. Sometimes, the foundation
stones get lost in grass and bushes after remaining unattended for
years," he pointed out.
Anooj Kapoor said: "We decided to associate with Jaspal Bhatti's
Nonsense Club's activity as they are doing this political satire
as a tribute to (cartoonist) R.K. Laxman."
The factory and Bhatti are scheduled to feature on a show on the
channel.
Bhatti, an electrical engineer by profession, set up his Nonsense
Club in Chandigarh in 1982, when he was studying engineering at
the Punjab Engineering College (PEC) here, to raise social issues
through satire.
Among the issues Bhatti has highlighted earlier through his
"Nonsense Club" are corruption at high places, high onion prices,
bride-burning, bridegroom sale, fuel price hikes, blackmarketing
of cinema tickets, adulterated food, heavy school bags and
sycophancy.
One of the earliest of street shows he did was to highlight the
silting of Chandigarh's famous Sukhna Lake in 1984, when the water
level at the manmade lake was so depleted that its bed was visible
at many places.
Bhatti and his club members ran into the dry areas of the lake,
pitched wickets on it quickly and started playing cricket before
police got them to wrap up things.
"R.K. Laxman has been my greatest inspiration. His cartoons on
foundation stones inspired me to put up the foundation stones
factory. It is going to be a money-spinning factory," Bhatti said.
(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)
|
Comments
|
Quick links