The queen bee! Back to town after spending a month at Goa, where the shooting was on, Joanna sums up the experience as: "Very nice since you get to learn a lot, especially about people, their good side, the ugly side and how they change, how they behave." Sure, too many lessons for a month's time. A 'from the city, by the city, of the city product', Joanna, a cosmetologist and product of St. Stephen's School, Chandigarh, feels whenever there's "pressure, groupism is bound to creep in and whenever there's groupism, tongues begin rolling."

Bollywood stars brought a splash of pizzazz and pret to the holy town of Amritsar in a pre-Baisakhi bonanza

Badges on the pockets of Bollywood stars read Dithe Sabhe Thav Nahi Tudh Jeheya (I have seen all places, but none can compare You) as common devotees paid obeisance at Harmandar Saheb on Friday.

Bollywood plus TV stars along with their family members, as many as 178, came to perform sewa as part of the langar started by Surinder Kaur Badal, wife of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. A majority of actors and actresses were clad in white apparel.

Bringing in the colours of Baisakhi was Shilpa Shetty clad in a yellow colour salwar-suit. She was accompanied by her fiancé Raj Kundra, sister Shamita Shetty and father.

Monika Bedi said as soon as the message for visiting the holy Sikh shrine was announced, she readily grabbed it. She had made a wish during her visit to the holy shrine last year, which was granted, and she found it to be an opportune moment for hert thanksgiving. She said her two films would be released in August.

Answering a question about her plans for marriage, she said currently she wanted to focus on her work to regain popularity. The serene spiritual environs of Harmandar Sahib charmed the star-studded sangat (devotees) of Mumbai that was brought by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee's co-opted member Gurinder Singh Bawa from Maharashtra.

Son of the soil, Jeetendra said he along with her daughter Ekta Kapoor arrived as a humble devotee and felt blessed after bowing his head before the Guru Granth Sahib. Jeetender said at the time of his birth his family had settled in the Lohgarh area of the holy city and his family shifted to Mumbai later.

The Bollywood actors with folded hands touched holy Beri trees in the premises and collected water of the Amrit sarovar in their hands.

Poonam Dhillon said the parkash of Guru Granth Sahib in the sanctum sanctorum gave her immense solace and mystic charm at the abode of Gurus. She said the Gurus had blessed her with so many things that she did not have any other desire. Aditya Pancholi said the rendition of hynms from the holy Guru Granth Sahib was the rare mystical experience he had ever had and added that "he desired to visit it again".

Come the auspicious festival of Baisakhi on 13 April and BIG 92.7 FM listeners in Chandigarh and Punjab stations will enjoy a volley of offerings. Starting on 9 April, BIG FM will customise its programming content in a true Punjabi style with oodles of humour, music and contests.

At the BIG FM Chandigarh Station, BIG RJs - Anubhav and Satya will visit the City Centre Shopping Mall and organised various fun contests like - 'Lassi Drinking' 'Turban Tying'' and a special Treasure Hunt. During the treasure hunt, the listeners will get to win prizes and discounts on certain Brands at the Shopping Mall. Men will get to participate in a Turban Tying competition, where the winner will get to win surprise gifts. The Lassi drinking and Turban Tying Competition will be open to all at the City Centre Shopping mall.

— TNS

City kids brave another season of reality show auditions

Reality, with all its trappings, never fails to impress us. With the same ingredients, it manages to serve a new course meal every time. So it is obvious that when reality calls, we rush to embrace it with our arms wide open. Chandigarh, by now the darling of reality show hunts, saw another reality treat on Friday, with Zee TV coming for a talent hunt for their Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil champs.

And the limelight was on kids, who were all prepared for a sing-and-dance moment. Kick starting this year's auditions from Chandigarh, Sa Re Ga… will hunt across eight major cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad to select little singing sensations for the show. "The candidates will go through a filtration stage and the selected few will be performing in front of Alka Yagnik and Abhijeet for final jugdement," says Nitin Kumar, reality producer with Zee.

The day saw over 300 entries, eager children and equally excited parents hoping to make it to the next level. Some were confident, while others sitting with their fingers crossed. Manpreet, an eight-year-old from the city who was auditioning for the first time, looked among the latter. "I didn't do well," he said with a dull expression. His mother though was hopeful that he'd make it. Bollywood numbers were favourite with children as most of them crooned the latest chartbusters. Apart from the on-screen reality, this year's auditions will also form a part of the show. Another trick to add some spice? "A lot of people think that reality shows are 'not real' and the drama is scripted. But Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has a credibility with its audience and doesn't have to depend on fake entertainment," clears Neeraj Sharma, manager-programming. So, what makes it different this year? "The concept is the same, but of course, there will be some freshness to it," he lets out only required information. lifestyle@tribunemail.com

Woman-09 offers clothes, jewellery, chocolates and more

Junk jewels: One for every occasion — Photo by S. Chandan

Who says women are the weaker sex? They can effortlessly drive away the recession blues by indulging in as simple an activity as shopping. All right, we know, shopping for some might be the last thing on mind and if that's the case then take some valuable lessons from women. It is easy. All you have to do is forget your budget and splurge money. Need a practical demonstration? Visit 'The Woman-09, an exhibition being held at Shivalik View that offers everything that should be a part of woman's wardrobe and also items of home décor that one will feel compelled to take home.

Apparel aplenty

Guess the clothes on display here are an inducement to party more and more. The formal and semi formal suits, one-piece dresses, sarees are worth all the praise. The scorching heat of summers have been kept in mind, thus fabrics used are cottons, georgettes and lycra. City based Ritika Garg of Designer Villa talks about her creations, "We have in here Pakistani salwars that look graceful with a short kurti and are comfortable to wear in summers. Also, the tunic tops in subtle colors are apt for the season." Ninee Creations, a stall by city-based designer, Ninee Sachdeva have a range of party wear suits in Western touch. In vogue is gotta work and embroidery in silver and golden thread. Also, must check here is the stall, Dareaab, where in one can get designer Kashmiri suits and shawls. Sonia K. Mahajan, owner talks more about the stuff, "We have used the same thread for embroidery but the patterns are different. Embroidery designs have been made more trendy keeping in mind our target client, college going girls."

Jewellery joints

You might not get sterling diamonds here, but still the jewellery available here will make you stand out in the crowd, courtesy spectacular designs and colourful stones used. Delhi based jewellry house, The Heritage INC brings to the city, jewellery in intricate designs. Sunmeet Kaur Arora, owner feels the market of artificial jewellery has grown over the period of time, " People socialise more now. They go to parties and in that case, one cannot afford to buy a diamond or gold set every time. Artificial designer jewellery comes handy then." One certainly cannot get the same variety in terms of designs when it comes to gold. Aruna Aggarwal of BMS exports opines, "Increasing prices of gold have also given impetus to this industry." Available here is jewellery in Kundan and semi precious stones.

Choc- a-bloc

If not diamonds, you can also make a woman happy by giving flowers and chocolates. Catch some here at the Cesta chocolate stall that has the Premium Belgium Chocolates. Available in some 25 assorted flavours and in different shapes, the chocolates call for a yummy gift, "The chocolates can be customised by getting messages printed on them."

Home ‘n’ more

Artifacts available at the Silver Chain deserve a special mention. Beginning from 250 to 16,000, the decorative objects available here in white metal can be apt gift items too. Also, one can take homework of actual art, with students of Government College of arts pitching in. Five students of the college have set up a stall here of paintings and photographs clicked by them. Harneet Ahuja, one of the participants says, "For us, it is an opportunity to display our talent and make people take a note of it."

On till 13th April

ashima@tribunemail.com

Yes….that really Is the question! If you chomp away at grilled fish and prawns at weddings, thinking they are a healthy option, then allow me to dispel the illusion. They are liberally slathered with ghee or oil and consequently laden with a mean number of calories. Sometimes I feel we’d do better having shallow fried kebabs or flash fried chunks of chicken, paneer, mushrooms, anything, than the generously basted pile of snacks repeatedly pushed under our nose at parties. I know we really can’t put on blinkers and avoid such tantalising grilled foods but we can at least strive to achieve the perfect grilled dish at home, be it of chicken or vegetables. The smokey aroma emanating from the kitchen will win many a heart amongst the family!

Grilled chicken with honey mustard glaze

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves

Marinade:

¾ cup tomato sauce

½ cup olive oil

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Glaze

2 tbsp honey

½ teaspoon dry mustard

Method

Place chicken in a shallow dish. Combine marinade ingredients in a jar and shake well to blend. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours or overnight. Turn chicken occasionally. Drain off the juices from the chicken, reserving the marinade for basting. Grill chicken over medium coals for 45 to 50 minutes, brushing with the reserved marinade and turning frequently. Combine glaze ingredients and brush on the chicken just before serving.

Grilled veggie carnival

Ingredients

300 gm coloured bell peppers

2 medium sized onions

150 gm mushrooms

150 gm baby corn

200 gm broccoli florets

150 gm zuchinni
2 tbsp olive oil

¾ cup thick, hung yoghurt
5 tablespoons, vinegar
6 cloves, minced garlic
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon pepper

A splash of Tabasco
Salt to taste

Method

Cut the vegetables except the baby corn into even sized chunks. Mix the oil, yoghurt, vinegar, garlic, mustard and seasoning together into a smooth paste and smother the veggies with it. Ideally, allow them to macerate, covered for 4-6 hours. Shake off the excess marinade and thread the chunks onto a skewer leaving minor spaces in between for the edges to cook. Place the ready skewers on a charcoal grill, (or under an electric one), and grill, basting from time to time. Withdraw the veggies, well before they are soft or squishy. You want to maintain a crunchy bite to them!

Assamese woman munches world’s hottest chillies, sets record

A demure 26-year-old mother of one in Assam is all set to have her name entered in record books after having munched 51 of the world’s hottest chillies in two minutes in front of celebrity British chef Gordon Ramsay.

Anandita Dutta Tamuly performed the bizarre feat Thursday night before hundreds of people at the tea growing town of Jorhat, 300 km east of Assam’s main city Guwahati, for a Channel Four Television show on global food being anchored by Ramsay.

“In two minutes, Anandita gobbled 51 red-hot chillies (locally known as Bhut Jolokia) without batting an eyelid or shedding a tear and also smeared seeds of 25 chillies in her eyes in one minute with the crowd simply awestruck,” Atul Lahkar, a local chef who oordinated the show, told.

“The Guinness authorities had earlier asked us to provide them with a recording of the feat supervised by someone responsible. We asked Ramsay to be the adjudicator for Guinness and he agreed to pursue Anandita’s claim as the world’s ‘hottest woman’ by submitting video clippings of the record-breaking feat,” said Diganta Saikia, another event coordinator.

Bhut Jolokia (capsicum frutescens), a chilli native to Assam, is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s hottest chilli pepper.

The discovery by Paul Bosland, a Regents Professor in horticulture at New Mexico State University, was recognised by the Guinness World Records in a testimony saying Bhut Jolokia, belonging to the Capsicum Chinese family and native to Assam, was the hottest of all spices.

The hotness of the Bhut Jolokia, measured in Scoville heat units at two independent laboratories by Bosland, was 1,001,304. It’s nearly twice as hot as Red Savina (577,000), the variety that is second-hottest. By comparison, a New Mexico green chilli contains about 1,500 Scoville units, while an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000.

The reigning chilli champ is South Africa’s Anita Crafford, who in 2002 gobbled eight jalapenos in a minute.

“I am very happy to have broken the record. They (Channel Four crew members and Ramsay) praised me for my world record breaking feat,” Anandita told.

The event coordinators said a formal acknowledgement from the Guinness World Records would take some time as there were several formalities before Anandita’s name is etched in the book.

“I have been eating Bhut Jolokia since my childhood and never felt the hotness in my mouth,” she said.She got hooked on to the hot pepper when she was just five years old.

“I had a sore tongue and my mother applied a chilli paste to cure the infection when I was five. Since then I developed a penchant for chillies,” Anandita said.

The local variety of the chilli is grown mostly in hilly terrain and is considered a staple menu in every meal among many people in northeastern India.

— IANS

Godrej introduces American and Italian snacks

Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd. today announced the launch of Pizza Pockets and Crispy Onion Rings under its ‘Yummiez’ brand of ready-to-cook snacks. The snacks are vegetarian and were formulated as a result of consumer research and insight. Yummiez is 100% natural, contains no preservatives, no artificial color and no transfat.

 A one-of-its-kind innovation in the ready-to-cook segment, Pizza Pockets is a crust made of farm wheat and filled with real pizza fillings, i.e. melted cheese, corn and vegetables in a rich and tangy gravy. The Crispy Onion Rings are one of America’s favorite snacks and made of whole onion rings dipped in light crispy batter. With only 6 minutes needed to cook Pizza Pockets and 2 minutes to cook Crispy Onion Rings, consumers can now satisfy their craving for Italian or American snack instantly. So whether you are enjoying a game of cricket with friends, hosting a kid’s party or looking for a snack to accompany your evening tea, Yummiez helps you transform anytime to “party time”.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Malik Sadiq, CEO, Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd. said, “Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd. has always strongly focused on enhancing consumer experiences through innovative product offerings. Our understanding of consumer needs tells us that consumers are always looking to create excitement in everything they do but are starved of time. Even with snacks, our taste buds are on the hunt for something new, tasty and exciting. Thus in keeping with this consumer insight, we have launched these two product innovations.”

Godrej Tyson Yummiez- Veg Pizza Pockets and Crispy Onion Rings are priced at Rs.95 for 330gms and Rs.75 for 300gms respectively. It will be available in all important cities in West, North and South. — TNS

People who have been taking Chinese slimming capsules, available on the Internet, reported serious health problems that include nausea and poisoning, according to a report.

Since 2005, the poison emergency centres in Freiburg and Göttingen, Germany, have registered a total of 17 patients with health problems after taking Chinese slimming capsules.

Fifteen women and two men exhibited symptoms of poisoning, including nausea, tachycardia, headache, agitation, dyspnea, and insomnia.

A 14-year-old girl had to be admitted to a psychiatric ward because of acute confusion. A man developed a psychosis after taking the capsules. Severe symptoms of poisoning mainly occurred in combination with other drugs.

Pharmacologist Dieter Müller and his co-authors described the documented cases of poisoning in a report.

These products are advertised on the Internet as herbal food supplement. However, the formulation has been shown to contains sibutramine, which mainly works by making you feel more ‘full’ with less food. It reduces appetite and enhances satiety.

The sibutramine dose in each capsule corresponded to twice the daily maximum dose of the prescription drug in Germany. Patients often fail to inform their doctors that they are taking herbal products, as they regard these as harmless.

Müller assumes that the consumption of food supplements containing sibutramine is much greater than has been recorded. Moreover, the causal connection is not recognised in many cases and the poison information centre is not consulted.

The authors urge that manufacturers should be obliged to declare ingredients and doses, said a Deutsches release. — IANS

Bollywood stokes curiosity with unusual film titles

Whether it's Karan Johar's Wake Up Sid or Farhan Akhtar's Kartik Calling Kartik, the trend of coining unique or unusual film titles has caught up with Bollywood filmmakers.

From the use of numbers to a mix of English and Hindi words, producers and directors say they try to grab viewer attention right from the word go - which is the film title.

Talking about Kartik Calling Kartik, Farhan said: "Isn't that an intriguing title? It's supposed to generate curiosity. And to that extent it succeeds."

Other such film names include Raj Kumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Rajat Kapur's Rectangular Love Story, Shyam Benegal's Abba Ka Kuan, Deepti Naval's Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish, Sanjay Dutt starrer Chatur Singh Two Star and Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminay.

"When one is looking for a title for the film, it goes without saying that one looks for an interesting, catchy title to grab the attention of the audience; that's the primary objective," said Atul Pandey, who is directing films like Jalebi Culture and Laaton Ke Bhoot.

"However, it is very important that the name corresponds with the film and the story. A title is only effective if it grabs the attention of the audience," he added.

Among some names that have stood out in the last few years are Taxi No.9211, Manorama Six Feet Under, Honeymoon Travels Private Ltd and last but not the least Dev D, which was a modern spin off on the classic title Devdas. Most of these films hit the jackpot.

Although out-of-the-box names for movies have been prevalent in yesteryear films such as Aflatoon Aurat (1940), Aawaara Abdulla (1963), Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi (1974) and Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai (1980) besides others, the trend is more in vogue at present.With Hinglish titles such as Carry On Pandu, Love Khichdi, Deewana Must Die, Toonpur Ka Superhero and the like, filmmakers try and target the youth, says film critic Omar Quereshi. — IANS

There is no method to my madness: Deepa Mehta

Known for her daring choice of subjects in filmmaking, director Deepa Mehta has now taken up yet another challenge that of adapting Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children into a film.

The Booker prize winning title by Rushdie incorporates ambiguous themes of 'magic realism,' said to be almost impossible to be portrayed on the visual medium.

But that has not deterred the director who in her own words "loves challenges" and took the project because of its formidable nature.

"There is no method to my madness. I love challenges and adapting Midnight's Children is a challenge for me but it is very fascinating at the same time," Mehta said.

The director said that the idea of making a film on the famous book came out of the blue.

"I read the book during the 80's when it first came out and I loved it but I never thought of making a movie on it at that time. I wanted to work with Salman for a long time and once told him 'Let's work together' and that's how it began," Mehta said.

Interestingly, Mehta has also planned a role for the author in the film.

"Salman is going to act in the film, he has got a role in it, a very interesting one, he plays the palmist, the soothsayer," said Mehta adding, "He is a good actor, so it will be fun." Mehta who has previously collaborated with Bapsi Sidwa on her film Earth, which was an adaptation of the latter's book The Icecandy Man, said she was lucky to have worked with authors she admires.

And when asked who amongst the two was more difficult to work with, Mehta said, "I wish I knew. I guess I have been lucky because both of them are very good friends besides being amazing authors." The director, who is always on the look out for fascinating stories, also expressed a desire to work with Amitav Ghosh.

“I loved 'Sea of Poppies. What a book," said Mehta.Mehta is also working on a film based on the 1914 'Komagatamaru incident' with Akshay Kumar in the lead.

— PTI

While his association with actors like Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore resulted in some of Hindi cinema's most memorable films, movie mogul Shakti Samanta failed to create a similar onscreen magic with Amitabh Bachchan.

Bachchan and Samanta came together for films like The Great Gambler (1979) and Barsaat Ki Ek Raat(1981), but these films could hardly match the frenzy generated by his films starring the Kapoor-Khanna-Tagore trio.

Apart from his movies, the director of 43 feature films - 37 Hindi, and six Bengali - is remembered for introducing actress Sharmila Tagore, who went on to form a legendary pair with Samanta's blue-eyed boy Rajesh Khanna, in Kashmir Ki Kali.

The Samanta-Khanna pair was responsible classics like Aradhana, Amar Prem and Kati Patang. — PTI

Lindsay pampers herself after break-up

A week after confirming her dramatic split with DJ Samantha Ronson, Lindsay Lohan has finally decided to move on by getting a new look and a tattoo for herself.

The actor stopped by Shamrock Social Club in West Hollywood around midnight on Wednesday to get her wrist tattooed.

She was pictured smiling and waiting patiently in line accompanied by her younger sister Ali Lohan at the tattoo parlor, OK magazine online reported.

Lohan has also dyed her hair back to its original color, red, seeming to get back to her original self.

Lohan is now spending more time with family. The actress along with her sister and mother were seen dining at actor Robert De Niro's restaurant Nobu.

"She didn't drink any alcohol and instead opted for a few Edamame which is considered to be a healthy food item, with cucumber salad," a source said.

Meanwhile, Lohan's father is "relieved" that his daughter's "toxic" relationship has ended.

"I hope Lindsay can move on. I know Lindsay's upset over this, but it's an opportunity for her to get on with her life and pursue her career and the goals she should've been pursuing all along," Michael, actress' father was quoted as saying by TVguide.com. — PTI

After her break-up from John Mayer, Jennifer Aniston has been offered help by celebrity matchmaker Patti Stanger, who has promised to find 'Mr Right' for the actor.

Aniston has often been labelled as 'unlucky in love' because of her divorce from Brad Pitt and failed relationships with Vince Vaughn and Mayer.

But the host of the reality show Millionaire Matchmaker, Stanger says that Aniston can find love in a 50-year-old business tycoon.

"Jennifer Aniston could really use my services, she's going through a rough time right now," Stanger was quoted as saying.

"I read her body language all the time and I hated John Mayer for her. I said he's going to break up with her after the Academy Awards, he's just using her," Stanger added.

Stanger revealed that she is looking outside the Hollywood fraternity for Aniston's new man.

"I wouldn't match her up with Hollywood; I would give her one of my clients who is a businessman on the Forbes list.

One of the big people like at Time Warner, someone who's high up on the food chain," Stanger said.

"She needs chemistry, and sometimes that older guy who's in his 50's, he's refined, and maybe been divorced, is going to be the guy," she added. — PTI

FMCG player Shakti Bhog Foods Ltd is planning to foray into the biscuit and packaged mustard oil categories as it seeks to diversify its business and emerge as a Rs 10,000-crore company by 2013-14.

“We are planning to venture into biscuit and packaged mustard oil segments later this month. This is part of our strategy to diversify into new segments,” Shakti Bhog foods ltd chief managing director K K Kumar told.

He said the company would henceforth focus more on ‘healthy food’ segment and biscuit and packaged mustard oil are the first categories to be covered under this plan.

“We want to capitalise on the growing popularity of the healthy food segment. While mustard oil is best for the heart and reduces hypertension and diabetes, we would bring out easy-to-digest, multi-green, fibre and digestive biscuits,” Kumar said.

He said the initial target would be to achieve a sales figure of up to 200 tonnes of biscuits daily and five lakh bottles of mustard oil across grammage per month.

Kumar added that plans are also afoot to introduce cholesterol-free and fat-free wheat flour.

“Our plan is to achieve a turnover of Rs 10,000 crore by 2013-14, up from last year’s Rs 1,400 crore in 2007-08. The diversification would help us in this,” he said. — PTI

For the summer season, Coca-Cola in India has unveiled the second series of its ‘Open Happiness’ campaign for brand Coca-Cola. The global communication initiative is all about inviting people to welcome small moments of joy and happiness into their lives. The idea really is to pause, enjoy a bottle of Coca-Cola and also enjoy life’s simple pleasures. ‘Coca-Cola Open Happiness’ is designed to serve as a platform for all integrated marketing initiatives for brand Coca-Cola globally. The second series of the 2009 campaign leverages the passion of movies amongst the consumers by featuring India’s Bollywood Actor and Coca-Cola Brand Ambassador, Aamir Khan. The latest communication is a follow-up to the first series of the campaign, which leveraged the passion of “cricket” amongst Indians and featured the batting sensation and Coca-Cola brand ambassador Gautam Gambhir.

Commenting on his look, Aamir Khan, Bollywood actor and Coca-Cola brand ambassador, “Earlier I used to be the central character in all the films and here I am actually the observer, observing what is happening in different people’s life. So it is a nice take on the vignette of life”. — TNS

After doing reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashian, the 28-year- old is keen to crack Hollywood.

Kardashian, who landed a minor role in 2008 film Deep in the Valley, has set her sights on a big budget blockbuster.

"I would love to be a Bond girl, that would be my dream of life," she was quoted as saying.

Kardashian also admitted that she's a huge fan of 'Twilight', and would love to play a sexy vampire in a sequel to the teen hit.

"I would, like, die to be in Twilight... being around all those hot guys.

I want to be a vampire.

I kind of want to be evil," she added.

— ANI