Lovebirds:Akshay and Twinkle

Award for Asha
Parekh honoured with Lachchu Mahraj awardNoted film personality Asha Parekh has been honoured with ‘Lachchu Mahraj Puraskar’ for her contribution in the field of dance and acting. Parekh was presented a memento and a cash reward of Rs 51,000 by Himachal Pradesh Governor, Prabha Rau during a ceremony.“I am a Gujrati but I was born in Maharashtra. My connection with Lucknow stands for the fact that when I started learning dance, the first dance that I learnt was the Kathak of Lucknow Gharana and 25 years back I was invited to perform at the Ravindralaya,” said the actor.

Yeh desh hai mera...
Nationalism is my religion, says Salman Khan
Bollywood actor Salman Khan showed his patriotic side Wednesday when he encouraged Delhiites to unite and work towards the betterment of the country.“I am an Indian. Nationalism is my religion. We want responsible citizens who think about India first,” said Salman.
Bollywood actor Salman Khan (L) and director PrabhuDeva(back R) wave during a promotional event for their upcoming movie Wanted in New Delhi.

Who wants blondes?
Bollywood has no place for foreign actorsActor Florence Brudenell-Bruce, who played Saif Ali Khan’s Swiss girlfriend in Love Aaj Kal, has accused Bollywood of having no place for blonde beauties.The 24-year-old model-turned actor and former girlfriend of Formula One racer Jenson Button, said that though she had the time of her life shooting for the Imtiaz Ali directed movie but believes it is unlikely that she will get chance to appear in other Indian movies.

Rain fails to dampen the spirit of this couple who ride their scooter under the cover of an umbrella.Lifestylephoto:Parvesh Chauhan

On a song
These four finalists of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs are the perfect example of good things coming in small packets
Antara has her own band at the age of 10. Yatharth, 12, is as much of a classical devotee as he is a guitarist. Prateeksha is a tabla player, kathak dancer with classical music as her forte. She is 10. And, here’s the littlest and most talented of them all. Swarit, the eight- year-old-wonder kid can pick up musical notes on any songs. Meet the L’il Wonders of Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs. Ruling the charts and hearts of television audience, these child prodigies gear up for the finals of the Sa Re Ga Ma PA L’il champs. 

Bollywood actor Kajol during a product launch in Mumbai on Wednesday. PTI photo

Side Lanes
Democracy & justice
The second of our three sons and his family were in town from England on a month’s well-deserved vacation. Lively grandchildren, lovely daughter-in-law and a very mature son, all make a mother’s mushy heart swell with pride. Suddenly it hits home that we who nurtured our progeny, are now at the receiving end. Whatever children say and suggest is more in keeping with current issues and are therefore truer and more pragmatic. We enjoyed talking to them about our former British rulers because we were so much a part of that period. I get the feeling that while the British have lost out a lot on cosy often cloying family ties, order, discipline and justice rule the United Kingdom.

A different spell
Coffee Day Xpress, a retail chain of convenience food and beverage, has introduced a new range of soups across all Coffee Day Xpress kiosks in the country. This new range of soups have been created after carrying out detailed research among customers on their likes and preferences.

Gopal’s a name known for sweets, namkeens, chaats and lip smacking Indian snacks opened its another outlet in Sector 15. While the food was definitely a high point here, but entry of Punjabi singer Pammi Bai added to the sweet Lifestyle Photo: Parvesh Chauhan

Object D’ART
Call of collage
Mushrooming of art groups and announcing their arrival with an exhbitrion is not a new trend. So, even this particular one by newly-formed group Bunch would have gone unnoticed had it not been for Sanjeev Kumar’s two collages. For one thing it showed the young artist’s expersite in handling paper cuts to evoke human emotions and second, it’s been after a long, long time one got to see collages on display, that too in its true blue original form.

Lion king

A lion sculpture made from used sandals is being displayed at the KWS headquarters in Nairobi. Life-size lion sculptures are distributed in the city to provide a free public art display and encourage citizens and visitors in Nairobi to support the protection of the dwindling numbers of Kenya’s endangered lions.Photo: Reuters

Lost and found
Painting lost in World War II makes a fleeting TV appearance
Bavarian detectives are looking for the owner of a painting stolen at the end of World War II, after the item worth an estimated 100,000 euros ($142,000) appeared on a TV show, police officers said.The painting by artist Frans Francken the Younger, titled “The Sermon on the Mount” (St Paul in Lystria), was shown on Bavarian state television last November, during a programme which assesses the value of antique items found in viewer’s homes.

Fusion family
Sharang Sharma may have ventured out of a classical background to enbrace rock music, but he still draws inspiration from his music director father Atul Sharma
Indian music with its sublime character and aesthetic appeal has been the dynamic and a progressively living artistic phenomenon enrapturing the music lovers over the world,” feels upcoming Rock singer Sharang Sharma. “But as any music tradition or performing artistes are vulnerable to the influences of other music traditions, I too opted for Rock music. Initially it sounded a bit different for those who knew that my three generations were deeply devoted to the Indian classical music,” says Sharang.