Moving northward
Director Guddu Dhanoa is set to direct a Punjabi flick after having made 23 Bollywood films
The mandatory qualification for bagging the main male lead in Punjabi movies is to be a singer! "How silly!" Guddu Dhanoa took some time to come to terms with the unofficial fact but once he does, the inevitable happened. "Sonu Sood had to be replaced by Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi singer, as for people here only hit singers make hit actors," informs Guddu, as he relaxes in his hotel room in Mohali after the day’s hectic work of finalising locations for his first Punjabi film. It wasn't an overnight decision or some kind of a revelation that made Guddu Dhanoa direct a Punjabi film after spending over three decades in Bollywood and having made 23 films. "I always wanted to make one, contribute towards the Punjabi cinema and my homeland," which he is doing through The Lion of Punjab, starring Divya Dutta, Pooja Tandon (The Perfect Bride fame), Ghuggi and of course Diljit Dosanjh. Photo by Vicky Gharu

Time for love
Valentine's Day and what do you expect? How about a mushy movie date revolving around childhood friendship, puppy love and everlasting bonds? Pyaar Ka Fundaa promises some changes, certain clich. What's new? There' a Ropar guy and a claim, "First Hindi film which has paragliding in it." More about the boy from Punjab, the brand new guy who plays the protagonist Rahul. "In the movie, I play a trainer who conducts paragliding workshops and this sport is his passion as well as full-time profession," says Yugboh Garewal, who along with his childhood friend grew up with a dream for flying. No wonder, as kids it's standing on mountain tops, flying kites, paper planes. "We've worked really hard for the movie and also had fun. For now, we are keeping our fingers crossed," adds the guy who's been running a media consultancy firm for the past three years.

Brave new world
Eleven people from the region receive the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards on Wednesday
Bravery cannot be quantified, nor can it be limited to one act. It isn't a quality that someone is born with, but it's a moment that changes life forever. At the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards, we found people who thought they would never be brave enough, until the moment came. Twenty years of making the society know these ordinary people with extraordinary spirit, the 11 awards conferred this year to people from the region not just celebrated physical bravery but social as well.

Son’s tribute
Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan said he refused to host Kaun Banega Crorepati ( KBC ) Junior, after roaring success of the show hosted by his father Amitabh Bachchan. "I had refused the offer of becoming a host to Junior KBC after success of KBC show conducted by my father," he said. Abhishek, who was here to shoot for the reality show Bingo to be aired on Colors channel, said," Amitabh Bachchan ek hi tha, hai and rahega (Amitabh Bachchan is one and only and will be so) and there cannot be any comparison." Bingo gives opportunity to viewers to participate in the progranmme and win prizes by sitting at their homes.

Get connected to Big B
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's can now speak to fans directly
Big B has launched a unique service, Bachchan Bol, to connect with his fans via mobile and landline phones across the globe.The service, launched by the actor in partnership with Inside India, allows a person to hear Bachchan sharing his thoughts anytime and anywhere at the press of a button. "Bachchan Bol empowers me with a personal platform on which I can connect and speak directly with my fans anywhere and anytime. From my films to my family, from my country to my city, you will be able to hear about it all, in my own voice, directly on your mobile phone," he said.Inside India acts as a repository for licensable content and entertainment from Indian superstars.

All set to fly
Hrithik Roshan starrer romantic saga Kites , which also marks the Bollywood debut of Mexican model Barbara Mori, will hit theatres worldwide on May 21.
The Hindi and English versions of Kites will release worldwide simultaneously in 60 countries. The first trailer of the movie, which has been produced by Rakesh Roshan, distributed and marketed by Reliance Big Picture, will be unveiled in 1700 screens on 12th February. Kites is a first-of-its-kind Indian film and it has already generated huge interest. We are proud to present the first look to a worldwide audience," said Sanjeev Lamba, CEO of Reliance BIG Pictures.

Daredevil Akshay
Akshay Kumar to perform Parkour in the new Thums Up ad
Action star Akshay Kumar will be seen performing the death-defying sport Parkour in his upcoming Thums up commercial. He says that besides action, it has fun elements too. "This (ad) film has multiple types of action scenes. I have done car stunts, bike stunts, some powerful jumps, high energy tiring stunts but its great... Besides action it has lot of playfulness, fun and human interaction too," Akshay said in a statement. Akshay is the brand ambassador of the soft drink since 2003 and has so far appeared in two of its commercials.

Lady in question
Shahid Kapoor, who is playing the main role in his actor father, Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut Mausam has finalised the leading lady for the movie but the star is not yet ready to reveal the identity. The names that are doing the rounds are Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi Sinha, Sharon Prabhakar's daughter Shazahn Padamsee and Govinda's daughter Narmada but Shahid said that none of them has been auditioned for the movie.

A cut above
Chandigarh has arrived! Yes, we don't have a monorail in the city, but yes, we do have trendsetters or fashion cream in the city, who can match up to the best names in the fashion. Well, the city knows just about everything about fashion and staying trendy. What's more, the people here are ready to sit through a chilly night, gulping down hot coffee and cold beer to see the petite models take a stroll on a 80 foot long ramp. Some devotion!

Kaifi aur Shabana

Bollywood actors Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das at the release of the book Kaifi & I, the English version of Shaukat Kaifi's book Kaifi Aur Mein, in Mumbai on Tuesday. PTI photo: Santosh Hirlekar

Strings attached
The present swaroop of Indian classical music can be called "modern" compared to its accepted origin by Bharatmuni during the second century or earlier. Though I have transformed the old Veena, already on the verge of extinction, incorporating rather retaining its best features in my newly created Satvik Veena, the generation next will term my invention and me as the old fashioned traditional musician," says Satvik Veena exponent Salil Bhatt, disciple son of the Grammy award winner Vishwamohan Bhatt of Maihar Gharana.

Together forever
Marrying your best friend may help you adjust better, but there are certain riders that come along with it
You have been ‘best friends forever’. How about taking your relationship to the next level? Will marriage be a bed of roses after having been together for a length of time or will love fly out of the window the day you tie the knot? “Marrying your friend definitely makes it easier to settle in marriage,” says Apurva Chawla, a lecturer from the city. “Although we belonged to diverse backgrounds - I am from Ambala and my hubby Subrata has been brought up in Kolkata - adjusting as man and wife came so naturally. Being friends means we have a similar thought process, which leads to minimal conflicts,” she adds. In fact, she believes that marriage only brought them closer as friends.

Renee Writes
Love thyself
I am a 27-year-old guy working as a professor in an engineering college. My problem is my communication skills are really not so good and I feel miserable even while lecturing because I get the feeling that some of the students ask me questions just to bully me. I remain very stressed and want some help on how to improve my communication skills. I lack confidence in myself. Please suggest me some ways of improving on my whole personality and coming across as more confident person.

Colour coding
Depressed people are most likely to use a shade of gray to represent their mental state, concludes a new study. In the open access journal BMC Medical Research Methodology, boffins have described the development of a color chart, The Manchester Color Wheel. The chart can be used to study people's preferred pigment in relation to their state of mind.

Relatively speaking
Not that friendly!
Avoid traps
Friendship word has a deeper meaning than just being together or sharing problems. It is unconditional love and support, which can get a person out of the deep dumps. Today friendship has lost its meaning. People are making friends out of selfish motives; backbiting is pretty common. When face-to-face friendships have become motive-based how can we trust online friendships? People are falling into this trap and reveal certain information about themselves, which can be misused. Moreover, online friendships are like soap bubbles, they burst soon.

Looking for love
Singles looking for love put too much emphasis on looks and passion in trying to find their perfect match, according to research released ahead of Valentine's Day. An analysis by online dating website eHarmony shows what people find attractive in a possible partner may not be the same qualities that will make the relationship successful, which is a lesson learned by those who have been married.

The stage is set
The second five-day Katha Manchan Festival-2010, organised by Mask Theatre opens at Randhawa Auditorium at Punjab Kala Bhavan-16 on Thursday. As many as five plays will be staged during the festival

Beer-able fact
Kingfisher - the brand that has been synonymous with providing the "good times" to consumers, has launched Kingfisher Red, India's first all-season beer in the city. A premium gravity beer, it is specially brewed to give you a distinctive taste with an oaky-woody flavor, which tastes great when chilled and even better when not chilled.

 

Tradition ruled the roost at Fashionista's show

Photos: S Chandan