Different strokes
Artist Anjolie Ela Menon raises a cheer for Indian art going global but cautions against piracy
Anjolie Ela Menon paints a rosy picture of the Indian art scene on the global canvas.The colours of pride creep into our conversation, as the Padmashri awardee says Indian artists are now being recognized, worldwide. In Chandigarh for a brief visit, the globally acclaimed painter says with a wave of her hand, “Gone are the days when the international community would brush aside the works of Indian artists. It is now acknowledged across the world; is talked about; and is much sought after”.

Verdict goes to . . . 
Dream girl & suitable boy
The nation still waits for the fifth phase of polling to be over to know its leaders, but young fashionistas have already chosen their style icons: Rahul Gandhi & Hema Malini
In an effort to get a handle on the 2009 elections, political analysts are looking at many pre-poll indicators. Whereas some are looking at their fund-raising prowess, others at endorsements. And last but surely not the least is the fashion conscious young brigade of the INIFD, who has taken style as a parameter. Yes, you read it right, 2009 elections are also about style, besides substance of a leader.

Once in a lifetime
The Phalke award makes Manoj a very happy man
Indian film industry remembered the invaluable contribution of stars and filmmakers of yesteryears. The Dada Saheb Phalke Academy in Mumbai gave away lifetime achievement awards to the artistes who were legends of their times. Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar was among those honoured with the prestigious cine award last evening.

Veteran Bollywood actor-director Manoj Kumar receives the Phalke Golden Singer Award from actor Sridevi Kapoor on the occasion of 140th birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke in Mumbai

Rocket signs
After Bollywood star Akshay Kumar flaunted a beard and a turban in blockbuster Singh Is Kinng, Ranbir Kapoor is set to don a similar look for a Yash Raj Film titled Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year.

Remembering Feroze
The condolence meeting held in memory of Feroze Khan saw the stars looking their sombre best
A week after his death, family, friends and colleagues of actor-filmmaker Feroz Khan paid rich tributes to him at a memorial service organised by his children Fardeen and Laila. Best remembered for his films like Qurbani, Aadmi aur Insaan, Mela and Oonche Log, 70-year-old Khan died of cancer in Bangalore recently.

Condolence couture: Who says the colours of mourning cannot spell style. Here're Fardeen Khan and family members sporting different shades of white.

Merchant's dream
Leading Indian choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant's semi-autobiographical musical The Merchants of Bollywood is set to be staged here in July and she hopes to get superstar Shah Rukh Khan to attend the gala.

She Can(nes)
Indian actor Sharmila Tagore has been named as one of the members of the international jury of the Cannes Film Festival.Tagore follows India's Arundhati Roy, Aishwarya Rai and Nandita Das, who served on the Cannes jury in recent years, perhaps making up for the country's no-show in the Festival's official sections since 2002.

Mumbai memories
The local radio stations wouldn't play their audios, parents wouldn't support their acoustic venture financially and they shot their video in an under construction house while sneaking in from the backdoor. Nevertheless! F-luxx, the "first hip-hop crew from the city" came into being, is booming and blooming.

Resul Pookutty (R) receives an award from Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan for his contribution to sound industry on behalf of western India motion pictures and television sound engineers association during an award function in Mumbai recently. Pookutty was also the winner of the Oscar for sound mixing for Slumdog Millionaire during the 81st Academy Awards. Photo Reuters: Manav Manglani

In D-Company
They never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself and keep an appearance of being interested in the conversation. Which is why most of us would want them as companions, especially those who come back to a lonely house, with no one to share their sob stories and happy moments (my colleague smiled at me today!!!). There is no better friend than a dog, waiting back home, who looks up to you with those innocent eyes, as if asking, 'where have you been. Tell me what happened in the office today. You don't look good. All well.' We share stories of people who stay alone with one and only companion, their dog.

Paws & Effect
Make your upholstery pet safe...
Living in harmony with your pets and your upholstery can be a challenge. If your cat uses your sofa as a scratching post or your dog leaves a coating of hair each time he sits in your club chair, you might want to bone up on the best fabric selections for pet owning households.

Nothing is black & white
Do you also believe that goldfish have a memory span of only three seconds, and that dogs fail to recognise colours other than white and black? Well, then you are certainly on the wrong side of the facts, for these ideas are just some of the myths recently exposed by an animal charity called People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). The group has said the widely held idea that purring means that a cat is content is also a misconception.

You're what your mom didn't eat during pregnancy
Apart from a decent diet, a mom-to-be needs to take care of her psychological health, feel experts
Pregnancy is easily the most precious moment in a woman's life. While nature has instinctively prepared the females to give birth, yet a lot of thought, efforts and emotions are required to bring a new one into this world. Here are some tips from experts that might come in handy if you have baby on your mind.

Life is short, have an affair
While the world is suffering from the ongoing recession, it has proved to be a boon for adultery business. Ashley Madison agency, which revels in the motto, "Life is short. Have an affair," is booming as its membership has soared from one million to 3.6 million in just 12 months. Noel Biderman, the company's founder and chief executive said that many couples who would otherwise have divorced were seeking affairs at the moment because of the cost of hiring lawyers and the difficulty of selling the marital home.

Daddy's effect
Fathers' mental health problems could be harmful for their kids, a new research has warned. Researchers at University of Oxford said that such kids are more likely to have psychiatric or behavioural disorders. They also said that boys in particular could be affected if their father had depression or was an alcoholic. The peak age for men to be affected by psychiatric disorders is the same as the peak age for becoming a father - between 18 and 35.

Relatively Speaking
Support in slowdown slowdown
The economic slowdown is leading to job uncertainties. How can we help our friends and families to cope with the rising stress?

Falling furniture injures many kids
Is your child really safe when he is sitting in front of the TV watching his favourite programme? A recent study found that from 1990 to 2007 an average of nearly 15,000 children, younger than 18 years, received injuries from furniture tip-overs.

Lake it or not...

Boating at Sukhna Lake is one sure shot way to beat the heat. Lifestyle photo: S.Chandan