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Marketing MANTRA
Make children garden friendly
Back without a bang Phulkari and empowerment
Spring Summer collection 2006
A whiff of summer
Riot of Colours
Colonial repast Romantic revival
Macho food
YOGA
FILM & FASHION
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Feminine foresight
Management even if it is high-end comes easy to women. Madhu Chitkara shares her experiences with
Nirupama Dutt
Starting as a mathematics teacher in a government school for girls in the city and going onto high-end management as director of the Chitkara Educational Trust is a long journey indeed. But Madhu Chitkara takes it all in her stride with just a pinch of pride at having made it by talent and sheer hard work. Looking back at long years of perseverance, Madhu smiles with reason and says, “Primarily, I was a teacher but gradually I learnt the art of administration gradually. Learning comes from experience and so it was with me but administration comes easy to women. It flows from administration of the household.” True enough! If a woman can run a household, she can certainly run an institution. But this Chitkara lady has shown her great skills by running several premier educational institutions in the region making the second name she shares with her husband Ashok Chitkara, a mathematical genius, into a brand name to reckon with. The Chitkara journey is one of the unique success stories of the city and people have seen it take shape before their eyes. It started with the private tutorials the couple started in their own living room to help students cope with mathematics. New concepts The reputation grew as the students coached by the Chitkaras showed excellent results and more students wanted to join their tutorials. Madhu says, “Since my husband was deep into the subject, I started taking care of the other aspects and before I knew I was managing the whole show.” It was feminine foresight and vision that made her the first in town to provide air conditioners in classrooms, white boards, audio systems and a pleasant and cheerful environment for struggling with equations and theorems. Of course, it was not easy because it meant balancing the time between a regular job, running a household and bringing up two children.
Madhu, however, says, “We were lucky because our children gave us no trouble. When other children were playing with toys, they were busy with their books. Even when times were hard, they never pestered us with any demands.” In fact the whole family was geared to excellence. What then was the source of their inspiration and determination? Making a choice The energy was born of the freedom of choice that the couple had exercised in living life their own way. The couple went in for an inter-caste marriage and they took nothing from either of the families.
Madhu says with pride, “Whatever we are and whatever we have built we have achieved has been done by ourselves without taking any kind of help from anyone.” Ask her the rules to successful management and she says, “ Management is a two-way communication for that is essential to the solution of any problem. If I am soft and compassionate at one point and blunt and rude at another, there is always a reason for it.”
Education is a passion with her and in spite of the many responsibilities, she does her share of teaching because once a teacher always a teacher. She had taken up the profession of a teacher by choice and way back in 1987, she had received a State award. This lady of grit and talent could well inspire many others to achieve the possible and the impossible.
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Marketing MANTRA
“Time has always been my favourite magazine. Once while I was visiting their website, I came across this proposal for collaboration. So I jumped into it,” says Mohit Chitkara, who is managing the institute. What seemed like an innovative idea when Mohit started this project in January this year has paid good dividends. “Our target group is professionals, academicians and people who are opinion makers,” says Mohit. “We are at present subscribing to 200 copies that bear our advertisement,” he adds. You may be getting it for free, but Chitkara is shelling out Rs 50 per copy to bring it to you. This California State University MBA guy has a few more tricks up to his sleeve. “In today’s competitive world, unless you stands out in your marketing strategies, you do not stand much chance,” says Mohit. So I am planning a few more new strategies to take Chitkara, which has already ventured into fields like engineering, architecture, pharmacy, hospitality and teachers training, to its zenith. Kudos to the new-age marketing gurus!
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Make children garden friendly When I was teaching in north Bengal, the Principal was most distressed to find his best plants shorn of all exotic blooms. Somehow, not a single bud or flower was allowed to exist. The teachers and children were to blame. After much heartburn, frayed tempers, complaints from the maalis and daily assembly lectures, it was decided that each infant would bring a potted plant to class and the older children would nurture specified areas of the garden. The first two months were painful as plants died of under and over watering; seedlings were trampled upon and precious plants were removed while weeding. But when the Principal announced prizes for the best pots and plots, attitudes changed dramatically. March and April saw a blaze of colour- sometimes a little haphazard and untidy-but a blaze nevertheless. Teachers and children had learnt about flowers and how to treat them. They took pride in the well being of the plants. As parents we need to do the same. Plants offer us food, fragrance, beauty and now even health solutions. If the knowledge of plants can be given through practical experience, as children grow into adult-hood, their lives will be fuller and richer in every respect. A mother will then give her children spinach for iron and roughage; a teenager will drink a paste of neem leaves to clear that angry looking acne on his face; a child will fall and apply haldi on a grazed knee and a grandmother will boil ajwain for stomach gripes and ginger with tulsi for a cough and cold. How much simpler and cheaper life would be if we could use home recipes for everyday illnesses! Today we boast of expenses incurred at the doctor’s clinic. A little knowledge of plants, gained in our schooldays, can go a long way in helping us through daily life. Leave the life threatening illnesses to the hi-fi doctors. Trust a grandmother’s totkas for minor problems. This can be done only if schools and homes make children conscious and knowledgeable about the power of the garden.
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Back without a bang
How were you selected for Buniyaad? I had done an episode of
a serial called Ek Kahaani, as also theatre. I got a call from
Ramesh ji’s office and I sent in the clip of Ek Kahaani. I was
skeptical about getting in because the shooting for Buniyaad had already
begun, I was still studying and there were scores of people who had gone
in for auditions. I too had to give my audition and then that’s how I
landed up doing Buniyaad. How was it to be working with someone like
Ramesh Sippy? In the beginning I was in awe of Rameshji as a director.
But slowly I began to see his different facets—he was very
straightforward and unassuming which is very important to make things to
go smoothly during a shoot. And all that I have learnt as my basics in
acting can be attributed to a great extent, to him. Plus, it was a great
learning experience for me as I got the opportunity to act with such big
stars like Mazhar Khan, Vijayendra Ghatge and others. How would you view
the relevance of a serial like Buniyaad vis-à-vis today’s shows? It
is indeed very difficult to say anything because it could be definitely a
fabulous hit again. Talking about the hits and misses is very volatile,
but I guess because of the immense popularity it garnered then, it is very
likely to become the most watched show again. I am waiting to watch it now
all over again! Were you expecting a period show like Buniyaad to gain
such popularity? The story was something very different at that time
itself and television was just beginning to boom. So it was but obvious to
expect that this serial would gain popularity because someone like
Rameshji was behind it. It was such a popular show of those times such
that people still remember me with my screen name of Buniyaad! Such was
the impact of this show. What are the memories you recollect with
Buniyaad? If I pick just one particular incident, the essence of being
connected to Buniyaadwill become very trivial because there have been so
many incidents and moments that I can reflect back fondly during those
days. Whatever be it—the lunches, the parties, and the
shoots—everything has been so close to my heart. Buniyaad was my first
big learning experience, first brush with fame and popularity. Therefore,
just picking up one memory would be difficult. On the other hand, I can
talk for hours about the days with Buniyaad. — D.P.
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Phulkari and empowerment The wife of a tribal chief and a woman in a man’s world, Nusrat Batool packs a feisty punch. For this spirited lady, it is the “paaglon wale kaam” that keep her going, for running an NGO that works for the empowerment of women in Pakistan is no mean task. As the founder of WENGAAR (Women Empowerment and Naturalisation of Gender in Abject Areas of
Ruralism) in Lahore, Nusrat and her sisters Iffat and Qurat-ul-ain have touched upon every gender issue working to improve the status of women in their society. Family planning, rights of the girl child, HIV / AIDS and advocates of the smokeless stove to reduce incidence of tuberculosis amongst women in the rural and backward areas, there is a wide gamut touched upon. Along with this is the revival and promotion of Phulkari as a means of alleviating poverty amongst women. Spread over 100 villages in the border regions, Nusrat provides the thread and the fabric, paying the women out of her own pocket for their efforts. She has even started work on a 100-bed hospital at a village 8 to 10 km from Wagah with advanced facilities for Urology and Gynaecology in addition to care and treatment of old people. The interest in development issues started young. “I believe whatever I do, the result should be good,” she says talking of her childhood. She and her sisters were the first girls in the family to be educated. “Trust, love and values were instilled in us from a young age. We were treated as equal and even today our brothers are our friends.” She recalls an incident where her oldest sister Sakina was enrolled in a boys’ school. Friends of the family tried to dissuade their father from sending her there saying it would be embarrassing for her. Her father would have none of it. She will get over her discomfiture, he would say. After getting her Masters Degrees in Political Science and History, Nusrat started a business of cut flowers from her home. A first prize for her flowers from the Secretary, Agriculture, changed the course of her life. Inducted into the Ministry of Agriculture, she has since worked with several international bodies like the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD), development organisations like the UN, UNICEF and now has gained considerable expertise in project cycle management for monitoring and evaluation of schemes. What does she attribute her immense exposure to? The answer is quaintly simple. “I did not have any problem travelling all over, even at night.” Nepal, Italy, Iran, Japan—the countries visited are varied, the experience, invaluable. Nusrat started WENGAAR in 2001, a year after her marriage. “My husband who is a doctor often says to me, you are the husband and I am the wife in this relationship,” she laughs talking of his immense support for her. Today the NGO has spread it efforts through POK, the border areas, Punjab and Baluchistan. Her mantra is simple. “When one has to do something, the confidence has to be there, otherwise there is no point. All I want to do is make us creatures of God happy and that can only happen with empowerment.”
The awareness is rising. The women welcome her presence, her astuteness and her understanding. Even the little girls in the villages run around her saying, “Battol baaji banna hai.”
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Spring Summer collection 2006
Cotton County — one of the leading readymade garment brands from the house of Nahar Industrial Enterprises Ltd. (NIEL) has launched its Spring Summer Collection 2006. The collection includes wide range of T-Shirts and Cargo Shirts. The T-Shirt Collection comprises of 100 per cent cotton T-Shirt, PC T-Shirts, Plain collar T-Shirts and new age fabric T-Shirts. The styling for the collection is bright, with great new colours celebrating the liberated lifestyle of spring. Cotton County’s Spring/Summer collection plays around colours, creating brand new effects such as striped T-Shirts with trendy, plain collars. The Plain collar T-Shirts collection of Cotton County is available in 35 exciting colours and is priced at Rs 499/- only. The Round Neck Plain T-Shirts collection comes in 17 colours and available in a pack 3 pieces just Rs 499/- only. The Cargo shirts are available at a price tag of Rs 999/- and Rs 1199/-. The entire collection of Cotton Country is available at over 64 exclusive retail outlets of the company across the country. Presently company is running exciting promotional offers and peak season discounts like buy one get on free and 25% discount on the MRP. Shahrukh Khan chooses Compaq Presario
Hewlett Packard India has signed Shahrukh Khan, India’s most favourite movie superstar for its mega promotion, “Yeh Hui Na Baat”. Shahrukh will be featuring in the promotion for Compaq Presario range of notebooks and desktops, which is scheduled for a national kick off on 1st March. Compaq Presario’s aggressive 360 degrees marketing campaign covering print, electronic media, radio, outdoor, sales promotion and merchandising will reach out to consumers across the country with Shahrukh. Shahrukh kicks off the promotion “Yeh Hui Na Baat” today, which starts from 1st March, 2006 and will be run across the country, over the next month. As a part of the promotional offer, Compaq Presario is additionally offering an HP DeskJet Printer with purchase of every Compaq Presario Desktop Computer and a Mobile Internet card worth Rs 6500 with purchase of every Compaq Presario notebook, totally free of cost. Sprightly collection
Urban Angels, the shop that exclusively deals with girls clothing made its debut about four months back. The shop was started with clothes , bags ,accessories and shoes but now they are planning to emphasize more on designer wear tops like tubes ,halter necks, noodle straps and kurtis with embroidery and different patterns in chiffon ,georgette and silk. The party tops range between 350 -650.The shop is gaining popularity due to he range they have to offer. The jeans also vary within a range of 800-1100 as per the brand .The brands in jeans that the store has are diesel, tby , lona, energy ,chaps and miss sixty. They also offer a good variety in skirts and belts.
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A whiff of summer
Peachy pastels with a whiff of summer! Butter yellow, snowflake white, gossamer pink, powder blue, hues that keep the harsh sun at bay.
Combine these with delicate hand-embroidered flowers and rosebuds, smocking and needlework and voila pretty summer dresses for little girls from 0 to 6 years are ready for plucking off the hangers! A special three-day exhibition at the Fabindia outlet in the city showcases hand-embroidered, hand-smocked girls’ cotton dresses from Vietnam. Renowned as one of Asia’s leaders in embroidery, smocking came to Vietnam with French colonisation in 1935 and has become one of the country’s skilled crafts. Having displayed lacquer ware and pressed bamboo products from Vietnam last year, Fabindia is keen to provide a platform to global craft as part of a promotions initiative says Manager, Diltaj Grewal. With their endeavour to blend indigenous craft techniques with contemporary designs, this project was worked upon for over 6 months. A meticulous affair with the colours specified, patterns selected, unending coordination was required to bring in hundreds of pieces for all the outlets. With the prices ranging from Rs 450 and 600 there are 18 designs to choose from, each dress a pretty picture. With meticulous embroidery, fresh cotton and sweet frocks to select, wade through mothers and mothers-to-be, for the dresses are bound to go in a snap! From March 17 to 19, SCO 127-128, Sector 9D.
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Riot of Colours
If the brand name be colours, what better time can there be to have a big bash than a day before Holi or the after. So the day after the Athena Lounge at Fun Republic it was partying with brilliant hues and tones in the mood set by the spring. The bash organised for the promotion of colours was a special one indeed with trendy models enthralling the spirited crowds. The celeb participation included music video divas like Sapna, Shipra and Simarin Sachdev ( a Gladrags winner). So it was dance, music, and cocktails till the wee hours of the night and the magic of spring weaving many melodies. The multi-cuisine dinner that followed was a delight too. Colours, clothing for men and women, was launched some three months ago by Rahul Sidhu enterprises. “Colours brings the latest in trendy clothing and the standards are world class and the prices easy on the pocket,” says Sidhu.
— TNS
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Colonial repast This eatery serving Indian cuisine is different! Well, that is what the promise is all about.
Sitting pretty amidst a flurry of restaurants that dot Sector 26, Madhya Marg, ‘Manor’ is a study in burgundy opulence! Wine coloured walls, plush seating, stained glass niches, understated chandeliers and tasselled curtains, it is like stepping into another era! Owner Munish Bajaj remains calm, collected, unruffled over the volley of questions, most dealing with one specific point, “Another restaurant serving Indian food?” “It is a theme I had in mind for a long time. Elegant British colonial style ambience in terms of architecture and décor, like in the 1850s, with great presentation, impeccable service and richly crafted cooking without the heaviness associated with Indian food.” With emphasis on natural ingredients—even the
masalas are prepared in-house and freshly ground—there is an attempt at flair and panache without the cream, butter and ghee soaking every spice into extinction! A peek into the menu, prepared specially by head chef Mahendra, is a spree into extravagance! Choose from a delicious mix of shorbas, something special like a cold pineapple and strawberry soup mixed with fresh basil and special spices (Rs 75) or a Gosht Yakhni, a delicate mutton soup. Appetizing vegetarian starters, Khumbh Churchuri, crispy fried mushrooms served with an array of chutneys or Paan ke Kebab (Rs 160), a specialty of the chef or the Aachari Broccoli (Rs 125) infused with mustard, pickle and spices prepared in a clay oven. Even the non-vegetarian options delight, Kesar and Kalimirch ka Murgh Tikka (Rs 175), the Jhoomta Kukkar, dark rum marinated chicken and Curry Patte ki Machhli (Rs 200) an in-house specialty, all seem carefully thought out. The main course is a lavish spread of dals, paneer, koftas, the Nariyal Bhindi (Rs 125), the Murg Bagdadi, stuffed chicken cooked in shahi gravy and garnished with cherry and egg (Rs 210), the Nihari Gosht, nihari cuts of mutton cooked in authentic Lucknowi style, even a Goan Fish Curry will have you licking your fingers. Tawa vegetables—arbi, stuffed karela, masala broccoli—a spread of rotis, salads, raitas and an assortment of desserts to choose from make this place worth a dekko. The assurance is fresh, tasty, lightly flavoured fare and no oil streaming along the curry sounds like a promise does it not? Manor opens today at SCO 18, Sector 26, Madhya
Marg.
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Romantic revival A subtle interplay of lighting (think a thousand candles and ferry lights) pouring into a completely dark, romantic retreat. Luxuriously rich drapes twirling and twining around the columns. Fresh flowers creating a medley of changing moods. And, amazing tastes tempting the palates of passion. Well, comfort food and romance just don’t mix any better than at the ‘Candle Lit Nights’—the ten-day multi cuisine festival at Aroma. Commencing from today, the festival promises to take you on a fairy tale journey towards love. The ambiance reflects a place where love, new found or decades old, blossoms with a slow drawl. There are translucent tissue drapes, elegantly swathed around the pillars, with bunches of pink roses tucked on them. Candle bras abound, with heaps of candles and ferry lights lending a soft, romantic glow to the whole place. The subdued atmosphere’s tastefully complimented by an in-house waterfall and in-house crooners Michael and
Kabir, singing melodious songs. “This festival of ours is an acknowledgement to the awesome power of love— new or old, reciprocated or unreciprocated,” smiles Man Mohan Singh, Chief Executive, Aroma. If the ambience of the place is as hushed and fine as velvet, the food reflects the easy-going style with class. The service is equally refined, soft-spoken and unobtrusive yet never missing the chance to impress guests with a seemingly intuitive knowledge of your needs. The specials include time-honored favorites like Paneer Capsicum
tikka, Sunrise Sizzler, Murg Malai tikka and an excellent, tender and juicy fried Garlic chicken. And all at the usual prices. So, with so much of romance filling the place, can music be far behind? In-house singers Michael and Kabir plan to enhance the mood with soulful melodies from the seventies. “We’re focusing more on the youngsters nowadays, since they are the potential customers. But here, we pay an ode to the romance of the middle-aged people as well. We’ll be singing mushy Hindi Kishore Kumar hits and the likes,” they explain. So, all those of you who are in love, or have ever been in love, this one is for you. Book a table for two, stare across the table and into the eyes of your companion, let the conversation flow freely and the enticing odor from the kitchen heighten your sensual awareness. Savour an enticingly delicious food served against a picturesque and romantic backdrop that’s come straight from the pages of Mills and Boon!
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Macho food Alluring with its robust food and subtle flavours, this eatery with its North West Frontier cuisine is known for its simmering pot and fragrant whiffs, succulent with every bite. Reviving the legacy of the rugged mountainous terrains of Afghanistan and the salvers from the homes of khandaani nawabs, Khyber in Sector 35 unveils the culinary charm of tender frontier kebabs, traditional karai and tawa dishes and its specially crafted delicacies cooked in a bukhari (charcoal oven) that is uncovered at your table with the steaming aroma wafting around you. “Afghani food is more unsophisticated, macho,” declares chef-cum-partner Sanjiv Verma, but one that does not take away from its relish! The menu has remained more or less the same in all these years. In fact there was only one dal offered for almost 10 years after which the channa masala was added. But what you get here is consistent quality coming down over 15 years. Have a spoonful of Dal Khyber (Rs 70) and you will realise once at once, the sheer delight in its understated aftertaste—simmered to perfection. “Cooked for 24 hours, there is no garam masala or rajma added, just salt and red chilli powder to give you the true flavour of the sabut urad dal,” explains Verma. The pride is evident as is the confidence. “We have never hidden recipes,” says Verma. Savour the food and you know why. Taking Bukhara at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in Delhi as “the benchmark”, Verma urges you to go there and then come here and taste the food. “We will match it!” So what does the city enjoy? “Apart from the dal, which is hugely popular, there is the khumb makki masala (Rs 95)—a blend of mushrooms and fresh corn in a delicious gravy—and the pathar kebab (Rs 160), fillet of lamb roasted on lava stone and prepared only with pepper corns which is well-liked. The mantra is low on masalas and emphasis on original flavour of the food, a pinch here and a dash there because “the flavour of lamb would die if cooked with too many condiments” smiles Verma. He should know for he created the menu for the place and now has a loyal retinue of four master chefs—Bhagwan Singh and Thapa for the tandoori food and Mohanlal and Prem Chopra for the curries—whom he swears by. So bismillah (the start-off) it is (from the menu in the shape of a takhti!) with murg yakhni shorba (Rs 60) or the teekha khatta shorba (Rs 50) followed up with some dum ke kebab or the perfectly cooked frontier kebabs from the charcoal oven, the ubiquitous murg tandoori (half for Rs 135 or full for Rs 225) or the sikandari raan (Rs 330) and the jalpari kebab—fish tikkas marinated in spices and roasted in a tandoor. Savour the dum pukht—cooked and served in the same pot— the appetizing murg wajid ali (Rs 160) saffron flavoured juicy pieces of chicken in rich gravy or the mutton cooked with spinach, the hara bhara gosht or the hara bhara paneer (Rs 90). With delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian options galore, the meal is truly worth its salt! Take a peek for the sheer constancy of fine dining.
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Serving Chinese food since 1989, it is perhaps one of the oldest eateries the city has to offer. This rooftop restaurant named after the meandering river, ‘Yangtse’ at Hotel Shivalik View, Sector 17 has recently undergone a makeover and offers some of the best views in the city with lush green trees and the Shivalik Hills in the distance. Chef-de-Partie, Beg Bahadur who has been with the restaurant since its inception rustles up the deliciously crisp ‘Veg Pepper Salt’ giving us a peek into its recipe. Cut raw potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, french beans and mushrooms in slices. Half boil all the cut vegetables except for the potatoes and add salt, white pepper, Ajinomoto to them. Mix with dry corn flour and fry. Toss the fried vegetables in oil, chillies and spring onions and serve immediately. Happy eating!
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YOGA The spiritual tradition of solar worship goes back a long while to the time when yogis identified the brilliant sun in the sky to be an image of the spirit shining within them. In hatha yoga there is nothing more splendid than the practice of the 12 postures that form the Surya Namaskar, which literally means sun salutations. The 12 asanas are performed as part of the solar worship tradition after specific other exercises that combine pranayam, chanting of mantras (words with sacred sound vibration) and mudras—special hand movements that channel the solar energy to various parts of the brain and body. The postures work on all parts of the physical body strengthening and elongating the muscles; the bending and the flexing compresses and relaxes the organs allowing them to detoxify. The rhythmic movement of the body as in a dance works like an aerobic exercise by expanding and contracting the lungs and oxygenating the body. After mastering the asanas that form the twelve postures, the yogi learns to breathe correctly and to synchronise the breath with the posture. This practise can be kept confined to only the physical by just practicing the postures mechanically or taken higher. The postures flow into one another and the whole sequence resembles a dance. When done with complete concentration the body movement, the breath and mind synchronise to take the practitioner into an altered state of awareness. As the practitioner becomes more adept in yoga then the next step to focus and visualise specific chakras in every posture is taught. By this dynamic process of combining the posture and the breath and focusing awareness on the chakras they are activated and balanced. By now the practitioner is capable of various rhythms of Surya Namaskar, the sequence can be done in speeds of slow, medium and fast depending on the fitness of the one practicing and the depth of enjoyment. After this comes the stage of chanting the mantras with every posture. Thus gradually the practitioner is taken to higher and deeper levels of awareness of the dynamic qualities of the sun and its rejuvenating capacity as the body starts directly soaking the energy of the sun.
Finding balance
Stand with back straight, feet together heel to toe touching. Keep the shoulders back as if touching a wall in the rear, chest slightly protruding out. Both hands are hanging to the side. Now without changing your stance, bring both hands up to join the palms together at chest level while elbows are parallel to the ground. Stay in this posture without swaying or losing balance for three minutes.
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FILM & FASHION Actor Tom Cruise and his pregnant fiancée Katie Holmes have reportedly taken part in a ‘wedding’ ceremony on a ship.
According to ananova.com, the pair exchanged rings emblazoned with triangular Scientology symbols. Guests present there were Scientology members John Travolta and Kristie Alley.
A source said: “Katie wore a flowing white dress and Tom was in a black suit as they exchanged rings during the brief 30 minute ceremony. The couple then walked across a tiny bridge - a Scientology symbol for the journey to total freedom.” Holmes, who is due to give birth soon, entered to a traditional bridal march. They later had steak and lobster. The couple plans to have a real wedding later this year.
— IANS Bono’s distance mantra
U2 lead singer Bono wears sunglasses because it forms a barrier between himself and his audience.
According to contactmusic.com, Bono claims his eyes are sensitive to light and swell up if the glasses are removed. But he also likes to maintain some distance from his fans.
He says: “There’s many reasons for the glasses, posing I am sure right up there, privacy, and other more medical. I do like having one step of a remove, actually. I don’t think when I am singing I hold anything back and I don’t think when I am writing I hold anything back.
“But I think I am allowed to hold something back in this kind of a set-up. As honest a man as you are and as honest as I am trying to be, there is a natural insincerity in the set-up and I am trying to be much better at it.”
— IANS Culkin’s dilemma
Former child star Macaulay Culkin is surprised that some people always link him to Michael Jackson and is keen to distance himself from Jackson.
Culkin had appeared with Jackson in the 1980s and is also the godfather to Jackson’s first child Prince Michael, said contactmusic.com.
He says: “We’re friends. I don’t know when this happened, but at some point in my life or career, I’ve become the ‘Michael Jackson Ambassador’ and I don’t know how this happened. I don’t know why.
“He’s a friend of mine. It’s not like I have any grand insight into his personal life. I talk to him maybe once or twice a year, on the phone, long distance. He’s an interesting personality. I try my best to talk to him, but at the same time he lives in his own world.”
— IANS Aretha’s crush on Terrence
Soul legend Aretha Franklin has dismissed rumours that she embarrassed actor Terrence Howard when she publicly announced her crush on him, saying he was “flattered”.
According to contactmusic.com, Franklin denies she changed seating arrangements so she could sit next to Howard at the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters’ dinner in Washington.
After accepting the award, she said: “Twenty years ago, I would have hustled and flowed with him. He sure is fine! I have to say that every time I see him. Hallelujah, glory to God! This man is fine.” But after gossip sites reported Howard was embarrassed, Franklin defended it by saying he accepted her compliments graciously.
— IANS
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Turn on the TV and one is bombarded with advertisements. Turn the pages of your daily newspaper in the morning and you confront with hundreds of ads, begging for your attention. The question is how many of those products do you remember by the end of the day? Not too many.
So if one has to survive in this cut-throat competitive market, the bottom-line is innovation. And here is the Chitkara, an educational trust, which outshines its competitors by using this new ‘false-cover’ technique of advertisement, a concept, which is new for the city.
Do not get surprised if you see a Time magazine lying at your doorstep with no accompanied bill. Chitkara has tied up with the magazine group and distributing them free of cost to some select people in the city. The catch is – you get to see a false cover bearing Chitkara’s name and its motto
‘Educating for brilliant future’ before you turn pages of your free copy.
Most children (even adults!) will see a beautiful flower in a park or hotel and immediately pluck it. Women will put it in their hair or a vase. They have not been taught that a flower is something to be enjoyed by all and the moment it is plucked, we have passed the death sentence. Flowers in the hair, on wrists and around the neck are the most fragrant jewels anyone can hope for. However, they should be from your garden or bought from the market, not removed from a public place where they have been planted for public not individual pleasure.
Buniyaad — the serial that changed the look of the Indian television, is
back after two decades on Sahara One Television for the viewers who have
never managed to forget this remarkable show. So phenomenal was its
success in 1986 that countless other serials have come and gone, but
Buniyaad has remained forever. Here’s a conversation with Kruttika Desai
who made her debut with Buniyaad and gained immense popularity and
success. 
