Now everyone can have their own personal Amitabh Bachchan wherever they please: at home, in the office, or even in the car! Yes, it's true: desis are now in bobblehead form, thanks to bobblingdesis.com.

The latest craze, created by Sunny Singh and Hassan Hamid of the San Francisco Bay Area, ranges from famous Indians such as Amitabh Bachchan and Mahatma Gandhi, to more traditional personalities, such as a snake charmer, a kathak and bhangra dancer, and a bride and groom. One slight touch of the doll sends it shaking compulsively, which is bound to elicit a laugh from anyone. Not only are they entertaining, but they are also very affordable at only $10 each. According to the founders, bobbleheads have been quite a hit at melas (festivals).

Singh and Hamid started the company in 2005, after Hamid came up with the creative concept. Initially, they built the doll bobbleheads themselves; now, however, they manufacture the line overseas. Singh and Hamid hope that these bobbleheads will give desis everywhere a sense of pride in their culture. Their goal, says Hamid, is to "promote awareness of our heritage to the youth, and give a reminder of home to our elders."

The company is now looking for suggestions as to which other Indians should be made into bobbleheads. You can help by telling them who you would like to see memorialized next as a bobblehead.

For more information, visit them at www.bobblingdesi.com.

Hitting the High Note of Emotion
By Diana Rohini LaVigne
Bob Shomler photos

"Don Giovanni," "La Boheme," and "La Traviata" might not seem like a world cut out for the Indian community, but don't tell Vijay Vaidyanathan that. Within 10 minutes, his strong passion for opera might just turn you into a convert, too. But the truth of the matter is, Indians have been involved in the world of opera for years.

In reality, opera and Bollywood have so much in common it's hard to imagine that desi opera fans have been able to fly below the radar for such a long period of time.

Not apparent at first, the commonalities are vast. Picture this: A beautiful woman in a long, flowing dress is standing with a "damsel in distress" look on her face as she sweeps her hair aside to face her darkest fears when she sees a striking, strapping young man moving directly towards her. They lock eyes; the moment is filled with complexity, from her fears to their future, and just at the very moment when their fates are to be revealed, they break out into a song and dance routine. This is at the heart of Bollywood and opera alike.

"Audiences accept songs as a suitable interruption in both opera and Bollywood," Vaidyanathan tells Indian Life & Style. "Although it might seem unnatural to some, this is how both find a way to unravel some of the complexity of the emotions of that given moment."

In addition to the song and dance similarities, opera and Bollywood share performances often based on simple themes that are extremely heavy on emotional content. The music plays a major part on both types of entertainment as well.

Vaidyanathan is a board member of Opera San Jose (California), which boasts the only opera in America with a resident company. This means the singers stay with the same company for the balance of their contract, which can last anywhere from one year to five-plus years. Having a resident company allows singers to fine tune their skills with the company and the team is able to reach "new heights" that isn't always achievable by an ever changing cast and crew.

With much vigor and heart, Vaidyanathan explains the history of opera having started in the late 1500s, the virtually unchanged format over the years, and the astonishing "mood painting" achieved by superior music scoring.

"The music paints the background to a scene," he explains. "It might prepare you for an upcoming dramatic piece. It's all about awareness; you get out of it as much as you invest into it."

Vaidyanathan can't stop singing praises for opera and invites other Indian Americans to open the opera house door and experience a Bollywood-like night of art and music.

Did you know?

- The opera "Satyagraha," named after Mahatma Gandhi's method of passive resistance, will be presented for the first time on British stage in the coming year even though it was written decades ago.

-Composer Georges Bizet's 1863 opera, "The Pearl Fishers," was written over 140 years ago and is a love story set in Sri Lanka.

-The opera "Lakme," set in India in the 19th century, is about an Indian maiden and a British army officer.

-Based on the 18th century court tale as told by poet Bharatchandra, "The Thief of Love" is a timeless love story set in ancient India.

Mission Possible
Rehab Goes Tech
by Diana Rohini LaVigne

After experiencing years of his mother's knee-related mobility issues, Kern Bhugra, founder and president of Tibion, decided to make a significant impact on the quality of life for those in need. Coupled with Tibion co-founder Robert Horst's personal struggle with several knee surgeries and significant rehabilitation efforts, Bhugra and his team developed their company's first product, the PowerKnee.

The PowerKnee's profile reads like a scene from a "Star Wars" movie with embedded, light-weight, high-force actuators that provide its core functionality. The sensor driven unit actually determines the amount of assistance and/or resistance needed with each movement the recovering patient needs.

Other products on the market provide a generic, consistent level of strength to the knee regardless if the patient is picking up a laddoo or a 10-foot-stone Ganesha carving. PowerKnee even provides caretakers with valuable rehabilitation information that is downloadable on command to a wireless PDA.

Being at the intersection of disciplines such as embedded computer systems, medical devices, and control systems, Tibion, located at the NASA Research Park in Northern California, is developing an entirely new space that has a bright economic future and has the incredible ability to lead the crowd on social impact. Now, if only Tibion and its dashing young president, Bhugra, would get into the memory rehabilitation market, we could use our PDA to download our daily activities. We look forward to embracing this new technology.

Sports Bar Goes Desi
By Stephanie Choate
SnapsIndia photo

Turning 180 degrees from the traditional Indian restaurant, Blue Ginger has opened its doors in Hoboken, New Jersey, to reveal a thoroughly contemporary -- and blue tinted -- establishment. Previously called Masala, An Indian Eatery, new owner Kamlesh Pujara revolutionized the place, creating a completely new haunt for a younger generation of Indian Americans.

Now patrons chatter across delectable plates of Indian food spread on blue tables while popular South Asian sports, like cricket and soccer, project from flat-screen TVs. Or they gather around Blue Ginger's main attraction: a 35-foot long bar. The bar serves high-class spirits and provides a taste of home with desi beer such as Haywards.

The ambiance is "very youthful and energetic, [representing] the complete modernized Indian culture," according to assistant manager Gautam Khosla.

After dark, the night is far from over for Blue Ginger. Every Wednesday they have karaoke, and Thursday is ladies night. Soon they will introduce evenings with live music and dancing, said Khosla.

Blue Ginger fills the gap between big-city nightlife and a familiar South Asian feel, a perfect fit for many young Indians. The relaxed atmosphere and fun decor is also welcoming to families and corporate gatherings. Capitalizing on this niche, Pujara has plans for similar projects in New York and California.

Have a fun news brief or truly unique story to tell about you, someone else in the community or anything to do with the Indian American community? Share your thoughts with us at info@indianlifeandstyle.com.