An officer & an artist
These three passionate artistes would not let anything get in their way — not even a demanding job
This piece is categorically dedicated to all those who did not let the light-years of difference between their passion and profession come in the way of will! So, here's congratulating a disc jockey studying quantum physics, a bartender who's a cardio-surgeon, street juggler researching nuclear fission or a stunt biker who designs software during the day. Not everyone's fortunate enough to wander where they wish. There are parents to please, expectations to fulfill and status quo to maintain. Or, whatever the reason!

Sanjay Kumbkarni, the shutterbug (Left), and Satinder Pal Singh, the IAS officer with an aesthetic sense.  — Photo by Vinay Malik

Different stokes
It's a bliss to watch an artist at work - brush strokes running about, mish mash of colours, dart of tools, the paraphernalia; water, mug, palette…How many of us get to see the action live? Get into his studio, if not the mind. See the bare basic canvas transform into a thought, revolution, statement…This Sunday, as part of the ongoing heritage festival, visitors were treated to an exceptional opportunity, of an interaction with renowned painter Paramjit Singh while he turned a thick a paper into a woody landscape. — Paramjit Singh in action/Photo by Vinay Malik

Fashion for a cause
Naomi walks the ramp for Lakme Fashion Week
International supermodel Naomi Campbell walked the ramp at the 10th Lakme Fashion Week for ‘’Mai Mumbai’’, a show conducted in support of the Citizens for Peace and Justice (CPJ) here yesterday. The supermodel, with her initiative ‘Fashion for Relief’, opened the high profile show wearing an intricately designed Indian suit with the style and confidence, that has made her a legend in the fashion and modelling world

Naomi Campbell 

Dreaming ‘family’
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, who purchased a home in Weybridge is looking forward to marriage and children, whom she wants to raise in her new house. “I believe in the institution of marriage, I’m dying to have kids, and when you see the Weybridge home, it’s huge, it’s a great family home, so I can’t wait to bring up children there,” Shetty said in an interview on Richard and Judy’s TV show.

Shilpa Shetty

Rustic charm 
Fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee showcased his Fall/Winter 09 collection at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week here last evening. Sabyasachi’s collection was like a storm of Indian traditional designs. His collection included the Khadi saris and salwar kameez with a tribal touch. The show comprised beauty of India and its textiles. Sabyasachi’s silhouettes were a mixture of contemporary with the rustic textiles. “I am concentrating more on textiles of India because there is so much that you can do here. My dream is to set up a cooperative of textiles especially with weavers. I travelled through all the tribal regions of India like Kotpat in Orissa, Kastakad in Andhra Pradesh and Bagru in Rajasthan.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s Fall/Winter collection

Deepa doesn’t preach 
Deepa Mehta might have a penchant for unconventional and often controversial themes, but the director says that she would retire as a filmmaker if her films start resembling message-laden documentaries. The Canada-based director who is credited to be the first filmmaker to explore homosexuality in India through her film Fire, said that her motive is always to tell good stories.“I make films out of stories that touch me. I hope my films don’t preach, otherwise I will retire.

Deepa Mehta

Dazzling-duo
The on-screen chemistry between Kareena Kapoor and Akshay Kumar is being touted as one of the highlights of the action comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Akshay plays a Hollywood stuntman, while Kareena features as a model in the film. “The two look hot together. Akshay and Kareena will set the screen on fire. The duo share such a good chemistry on screen,” said a source close to the project.

Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor

Director’s take
After box office dud No Smoking, director Anurag Kashyap and John Abraham had nonetheless vowed to work together again come what may. And they are now back together for a thriller titled Bombay Velvet. “John is the lead in my next film Bombay Velvet where he plays a real life hero of the masses from the 1960s. It’s a thriller based on real incidents. It’s an idea that we developed over the last four years by several minds including the history professor Gyan Prakash,” Kashyap told.

Anurag Kashyap

Fast track
Adding inches to your waistline during the Navratra fasts? Worry not. There is a way out… 
Now that it has been proved that the Navaratra food is rich in calories, we try to figure out alternate options. And we ask the people in the glam industry for they just can't afford to compromise on fitness. Here they let us know what all they do to keep fit during Navratras without starving themselves. Karishma Randeva: The Hello Dolly girl gets a little more health conscious during Navratras and she reasons it out, "I usually end up eating more during Navratras and to avoid that I try to eat a very balanced diet.



Krishna Somani (left) and Aanchal Kumarfollow a moderate path during the Navaratras

Beauty matters
Many shampoos, skin conditioners and soaps contain an ingredient that can cause eczema, warn Swedish scientists. A thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that over 5 percent of those who underwent patch testing were allergic to the air oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient linalool.

Of pilate and proteins
Diana Hayden came into limelight once again after her stint in the Bigg Boss2. The former Miss World attributes her fitness to a healthy diet and exercising regime. Here she talks more about her fitness fundas. Fitness mantra: Living a healthy life by exercising and eating right. Fitness regime: I work out daily in the gym for an hour and a half. Running on the treadmill, stretching, push-ups count for some strenuous exercises I indulge in.

BODY wise
Code of fasting
Religious fasting is a popular concept in India. Fasting helps in establishing a harmonious coordination between the body and soul. They also help to keep the body healthy by giving the digestive organs some rest and ridding the body of toxic wastes. The Navratras are observed all over the country. While some people fast for a day or two, others fast for the entire nine days. Some strictly adhere to a fruit and milk diet, while some love to follow the special phalahar diet, consisting of sago (saboodana), singhara atta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, colocasia (arbi), kachalu, select vegetables and nuts.

l Salty issues

Three cheers
Academician, architect and artist S. S. Bhatti gets his third Ph D
The volcanic spirit, invincible intellect, devout dedication and life impulse, all constitute a force field for the incredible achievements of Dr S. S. Bhatti, a myriad-minded academician, architect and artist. At the ripe age of seventy when most people live by the past memoirs he is actively engaged to explore more with his rational, ethical and aesthetic mind. Securing a rare hat trick of Doctoral degrees on diverse subjects is a testimony to his genius at its zenith. — Photo by Vinay Malik

Talk the talk
Hey how you doing? So what’s up? Umm…the weather’s nice no?’ It’s not easy being a great conversationalist. The communication inevitably meanders, digresses and ultimately loses punch. Exactly one of the points made by Smarth Bali, at his workshop on ‘Communications and the art of selling—understanding the dynamics of selling’ organised by British Library-9 at Hotel Parkview-24. “If you know what the elastic limit of your conversation is, you can never go wrong.”  — Photo by Vinay Malik

Creative muse