Rescue in rough waters Yana Banerjee-Bey returns from the country’s first Whitewater Rescue Technician course, wet but wiser For the first few seconds, the throw bags flew haphazardly – hitting people’s legs or just landing on the sand and water-smoothened pebbles of the river bank. The voice of Chandra Ale, our instructor from Nepal, floated over, “No, remember you have to throw it smack on the face of the drowning victim. Course members carrying a ‘victim’ with spine or neck injury, using throw bags to minimise head movement. — Photo by Yana Banerjee-Bey

Rabbi Unplugged Smriti Sharma He hogged headlines in 2005 with his maiden album Tere Bin. But more than the music, perhaps it was the video of Bulla Ki Jaana featuring Rabbi Shergill that got him instant recognition as ‘the turbaned guy’ playing the guitar on the streets, in the field, at the ghats, in the crowd, virtually everywhere. Not many are aware but a Punjabi spoof of the video and song was also made and it did equally well! He is now back in action, this time as a music director of the Jimmy Shergill, Neha Dhupia and Om Puri starrer Delhi Heights’. Starting his career with making jingles, Rabbi, a thorough Punjabi, was brought up in Delhi on a heavy dose of Punjabi culture and milieu.

Flavours of Rajasthan Smriti Sharma Foodies, it’s party time. Gatte ki sabzi and dal-baati churma are just a few of the desert state’s specialities that are on offer. Savour the yummy delicacies with folk music playing in the background or simply check out the handicraft stalls... there is something for everybody! From the land of sand dunes and the famous folk dances comes an array of delicacies. And delicacies not just any, with its varied spices and flavours Rajasthani cuisine is just the right thing to satiate one’s taste buds. Savouring these authentic delights to one’s heart fill in Chandigarh is a privilege in itself. Thanks to the ongoing exhibition of handicrafts in Rajasthan Bhawan, there are many foodies checking out the Rajasthani flavours and not just the handicrafts on display.

Toast of the season Rajiv Bhatia Savour some steamy soup without burning a hole in your pocket. The best way to ward off the evening chill and that too only for Rs 5 from a roadside soup vendor for fun or for palette the choice is yours. The irresistible food option that these roadside soupwallas and eggwallas give for your pocket is the way to be for the foodies. Drive down the roads to the parking lots adjoining the markets and you find umpteen rehris serving their best fare. In fact, they dot the roads running through Sectors, 44, 32, 34 and 47. The prime time is the evenings, of course! The whiff is unmistakable. As you pass the rehris, the tinge of lime and the aroma rising out of chicken brewing over low flame allures you.

SATURDAY IDEA

A spread that that would delight any foodie... A juicy tandoori chicken, biryani and a fruit cocktail to go. Tempted kya?

Faith miracle
Baljit Amarjit Singh talks about her triumph over osteoarthritis. Seven months of holistic healing and a belief that I can is what it took, she tells Anuradha Shukla
Moments of crisis make the best and the worst come out. All it takes is faith, to connect with the pain as well as come out of it, unhurt and free. Faith and spirit is what took Baljit Amarjit Singh to come out of excruciating pain caused by osteoarthritis for 11 long years. Winning over the pain through divine inspiration and power of her spirit, Baljit penned the experience of her miraculous recovery to help others like her.

All in the family
Becoming a cameraman was an obvious choice, Sangeeth Sivan tells Smriti Sharma
Among all things, the city is definitely a favourite among Bollywood directors. All through last year it hosted the reigning kings and queens of the film industry and of course Punjabi movies on a shoestring budget. Now, ace cameraman, documentary maker and director Sangeeth Sivan, better known as the much acclaimed Santosh Sivan’s brother, is in town to shoot for his upcoming untitled Hindi film with Bobby Deol and Nana Patekar.

Spanish show rejects five ‘too thin’ models
The organisers of Spain’s top annual fashion show has rejected five out of 69 fashion models as being too thin to appear in this year’s event, acting on a decision to bar underweight women from the catwalk. The show, known as the Pasarela Cibeles, decided in September 2005 not to allow women below a body mass to height ratio of 18 to take part.

Bhansali, Mallika come together Unusual pair Mallika Sherawat and Sanjay Leela Bhansali sparkled on the sets of Kjo’s Koffee With Karan. The two were initially wary of each other. “And rightly so. What could there be in common between them? Luckily, Karan’s characteristic affability soon put them at ease. Mallika was obviously awestruck and nervous. Sanjay put her at ease by telling her he was a far cry from his sober serious image and that he loved having fun,” a source said. Norah doesn’t feel Indian Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar’s American daughter Norah Jones says she and her father are close today after years of estrangement, but she does not consider herself part Indian. “I knew who my dad was,” she told Katie Couric in a 12-minute piece on CBS News 60 Minutes Sunday. “I saw him sporadically until I was nine and then I didn’t see him again or talk to him until I was 18.” Shankar never married her mother - their relationship, Norah said, was complicated and it ended when she was young.

Desert colours Anuradha Shukla They come every year and the city gives them all the more reason to return. Nearing a decade in the city, Rangavali brings its annual exhibition of Rajasthani clothes. With an eye on the bright summers, the colours of the dessert flow onto the suits, kurtis and dupattas. The vast range of hand printed designer blocks on cotton offers many options for the ethnic chic. If authentic traditional is the way you want it, then check out the block prints in vegetable dyes. The chemically dyed block prints offer much sharper hues and are available in several colours here. Going designer, Rangavali has a range of kurtis in exclusive designs. “The craftsmen first lay out the cloth on the table, mark the designs and using separate designer block prints give the special touch,” says Amit Bawa.

Iron Maiden hire Bangalore Palace
English heavy metal band Iron Maiden has hired the spectacular Bangalore Palace for their first gig in the country. They are scheduled to perform on March 17. Nearly three decades after coming into the rock scene, the metallers have shown an inclination towards the Asian market after their album A Matter Of Life And Death reached number two in the Indian charts. ”To say we’re all really looking forward to going to Bangalore is something of an understatement.

FILM REVIEW Slick Eklavya thrills Eklavya is a slickly crafted, perfect contemporary, edge-of-the-seat dramatic action thriller Eklavya - The Royal Guard, with a stellar ensemble cast. True to the Vidhu Vinod Chopra genre, it is the best film from his banner. Having come up with a different film, its star cast gives it the box-office value also. The film is about Eklavya, played by Big B. His character in the film is renowned for his loyalty but is caught in a time warp. Eklavya is a very moving film and sets you thinking. There is not a single dull moment from the beginning to the climax. Vidhu Vinod Chopra has yet again proved his directorial abilities with Eklavya. He draws best from his technical crew.

Colour your mane!
Matrix, America’s number one Professional Products Range, presents its latest foray into hairdressing, MOCHAS FLIPSTYLE. It constitutes professional cut and color techniques that enable you to achieve two distinct looks just by styling your hair differently. With MOCHAS FLIPSTYLE you can go ‘Glam’ and create a bold, funky look for parties or you can just style down to create a ‘Smart’ everyday, for all occasions look. The MOCHAS palette consists of four delicious chocolate infused coffee shades ranging from deep dark chocolates to latte lights.

• Health tip of the day