The French connection
It was the mood, mudras and melody of bharatnatyam, which helped French-born Annuchay Motty transform into Padmashri Devayani
The Indian performing arts, especially classical dances, are the precious treasure of its cultural heritage, emanating its ineffable ethos triumphantly conquering millions of souls the world over, including me, Annuchay Motty, the French national and now Padmashri Devayani for you,” says acclaimed bharatnatyam dancer explaining her transition from a French national to Devayani as a tribute to the majestic grandeur of Indian classical dancing, bharatnatyam to be more precise.

Miles to go…
For Gurdas Maan, it is the journey that is important, not the destination
There is one Punjabi singer in every second Punjabi household’. Haven’t we read and heard about it over and over again? Yes, the Punjabi singers, who grow at the same speed at which they fade out. And, they all look the same; they sport the same spiked hairstyles. They love to accessorise their look with a diamond tooth or a large-sized khanda, and they all follow a Yo-kinda singing style. Not to forget, harping the same lyrics- Tu chad gayi doli mitran di arthi tey, sadi nasseb si khotey….

Doodle 4 knowledge
Mahatma Gandhi, the Taj Mahal or Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan drawn by schoolchildren may soon feature in specialised homepage logos in popular search engine Google on festive occasions in India. Specialised logos based on the theme 'My India' will feature on the special days including national holidays and other festive occasions, according to Google India.

WHITE HEAT

Models present creations from Tarun Tahiliani's Spring/Summer 2010 collection at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi on Saturday. Reuters photo: Adnan Abidi

Bond with the rest
Katrina shares a good chemistry with co-star Ranbir
Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif hails energy level of his co-star Ranbir Kapoor on the sets of their much-awaited film Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani (APKGH). After delivering some serious films, director Rajkumar Santoshi is all set to provide the audience with a breather with his upcoming romantic comedy APKGH.With a title that is too long, and quite unlike a typical Bollywood name, the forthcoming movie has already made its presence felt. 

Television, nah!
Even as more and more Bollywood stars are hosting television shows, actor John Abraham promotes a reality show but refuses to join the medium in the near future. Abraham flagged off a hand-pulled cart race organised for the promotion of a reality show that would showcase super rich class and poor would be living together in the real slum in Mumbai.The show titled Big Switch would bring together 10 contestants from both rich and poor worlds. The show would demand rich class contestants to perform tasks like selling trinkets at a traffic signal, polishing boots at railway station, collecting garbage and selling fish in order to fulfill demands of their poor buddies in order to win.

Sold out
Lara Dutta booked Rodricks' dress before the WIFW
Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks cannot stop talking about how Bollywood actor Lara Dutta bought a dress from his spring-summer collection even before he showcased it at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW)."Lara Dutta really liked one of my pink dresses, which I showcased here today. She had tried three of my red carpet evening gowns in Goa, and really liked the pink one," Rodricks told reporters after his opening show.

Height of joy
Don’t you ever envy the birds — for their freedom to fly across boundaries, touching the sky, finding the people beneath as tiny as the Lilliputians, sitting on tree–tops feasting in their straw nests! Well, here is your chance to experience the same. A climb to the dinning table laid out at the height of 164 feet at the National Crafts Mela, is definitely a thrilling experience.

An aerial view of the mela ground from the Sky Dining point

Watch out 
Emporio Armani has launched its Fall Winter 2009 watch collection in India. An effervescence mix of elegance and the latest in styles, these timepieces focus on the look and feel of crocodile skin. The women’s collection is audacious and graphic, elegant yet playful with a vast range of colored calf leather right from the classic black to taupe. The dials are either oval or rectangle and fitted into a stainless steel case with textured finish. The collection varies from bold and striking to soft and feminine.

Back to the roots
Chinese, Lebanese, Thai, Bulgarian — weren’t we drifting far far away with the food? When was the last time you heard of authentic original recipes from the traditional long lost granny’s kitchen? Bebe Di Rasoi-2009, millet-based traditional food festival at Chandigarh Press Club-27, comes as a whiff of fresh air. So what if the initiative by the Kheti Virasat Mission and Millet Network of India does not boast of countless delicacies, the event and intent are commendable.

Hair & how
Love to oil your hair, but don’t have the time? Do you long for the good old days — Mom’s champi before a bath?Introducing, a revolution in hair care, an innovation after years of research – Garnier Fructis Shampoo + Oil 2 in 1. Now, just massage, lather and rinse. It’s that simple!This unique product is a perfect blend of shampoo and three non-sticky fruit oils.

East meets West 
Ritzy dresses and fancy suits danced across the red carpet, lavishly adorned night honoring the accomplishments of World Wide Immigration Consultancy Services in Immigration Industry on its 16th Anniversary.The Mohali headquarters of WWICS saw the ultimate celebration extravaganza to commemorate the anniversary with the galaxy.

The WWICS anniversary celebration saw a number of scintillating performnaces ranging from bhangra to Western dance items. Photos: Vicky Gharu 

Winter woes
The taut feeling in the skin is an indication that winter is approaching and the cold, dry season lies ahead. The humidity in the air becomes less. Lack of humidity affects the skin, because it loses moisture to the atmosphere. The moisture must be replenished and you should start doing it in good time. Otherwise, by the time we are into the cold season, the habitual lack of moisture can lead to excessive dryness, flaking, rough skin, reddish patches, etc, all conditions of dry skin sensitivity. The secret of a good skin lies in the right kind of care. 

Spartan needs
Pamper yourself with an array of spas available especially for the colder months
It’s time we wrote about how to take care of skin and hair in winters. We usually bother a lot about the same in summers. What not do we do, apply coats of sunscreen, wash face regularly to avoid acne outbreak and get regular cleansing done and on hair, apply the usual conditioners. But as a matter of fact, it is in winters that our skin needs more care and nourishment to keep it from drying and cracking up. Skin care in winters is thus very important and the most convenient way to keep skin supple is to get a winter spa.

Bound by time
The bane of modern day living is that we never seem to have enough time for anything.  Our lifestyle is a constant whirl of activities and we rush from one to the other, barely pausing for breath. One of the major problems is the lack of time for the most important activity - exercise. And this lack of time is cited as the most common reason for not exercising.

In the fitness of things
spa-culation
Do you think hair spas are beneficial or just another fad?Nothing spa-cial

Weighty issue
Obesity in male reduces the chances of fathering a child
An Australian research has shown that overweight men are less likely to father children. While it has been known for some time that obesity reduces the chances of a female conceiving, this is understood to be the first study to show the effects of a male’s weight.The study, which involved more than 300 couples, showed that as a man’s weight increased, his chances of fathering a child decreased.

A reason not to puff
Exposure to cigarette smoke might weaken immune cells’ ability to remove bacterial infections from the lungs, specifically nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), a pathogen often associated with respiratory infections and the progression of respiratory disease, says a new study. The NTHI has been found to cause invasive diseases such as meningitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis. It is also the pathogen most frequently isolated in the respiratory tract of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis.