Marshal arts
SJOBA rally has become one of the major sporting events in the country. And it couldn't have been possible w
The year was 1981. The event: Annual sports day of St. Johns. Students were having a great time participating in events ranging from high jump to relays, sprints to marathon. And all the 'old boys' could do was to occupy the stands and watch the young ones with envy. A missing spirit of adventure and 'something' that would bring excitement into their lives made them come out with suggestions. A veterans sports meet, a cricket match, a fishing contest. 

Love, Sex Aur Dhokha
Amal Allana's play Erendira and Her Heartless Grandmother is all about family betrayal
Superficially, the play is about a cruel woman who exploits her 13-year-old granddaughter and treats her like a slave. Heavily layered with emotions of a young girl, her struggle, trauma and at last triumph, the play is much more than just tragedy. The base mirrors the real intention of the story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "It reflects the political and social injustice prevalent at that time in Latin America," says Amal Allana.
Amal Allana's with the cast of the play — Photo by Pradeep Tewari

A princess' diary
I felt like a princess walking
the ramp: Minissha Lamba
Bollywood actor Minissha Lamba says she felt like a princess as she walked the ramp for fashion designer Ranna Gill on the concluding day of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) on Monday. "Those 40 seconds on the ramp made me feel like a princess," the actor, who sported a beige colour long silk gown with brown panel in the front, embedded with Swaroski crystals and hand embroidered from below. Although Minissha walked the ramp with poise and confidence, she admits that she was nervous. "I am always nervous while walking the ramp. So many eyes staring at me give me jitters," she said. The collection included short dresses, short skirts, long gowns, skin fit trousers with colour palette ranging from chocolate colour, purple, berry tones, pink, brown.

Minissha Lamba

Beri good!
Ritu Beri becomes showstopper of her show at WIFW
In a not-so-usual scene, designer Ritu Beri sashayed down the ramp as a showstopper for her own show on the concluding day of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) on Monday. Earlier, Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen was supposed to walk the ramp for the designer on the opening day of the WIFW, but all shows of that day had to be cancelled because the organisers had failed to get a clearance from the fire department of the city. Elaborating on why she chose to be the showstopper of her own show, Beri said: "I wanted someone who could identify with the army background and feels the same way like I do.

Ritu Beri

Hum Tum Aur Dia
The gorgeous Dia Mirza, after doing a host of cameos, is coming up with a lead role in actor turned producer Arshad Warsi's first home productions, Hum Tum Aur Ghost. Earlier it was titled Kaun Bola. It is the first Indian movie to be shot in the picturesque town of Newcastle, a small town in North England. Besides Arshad Warsi, the film has Boman Irani and Sandhya Mridul. Lifestyle talks to this beautiful actor on the release of her film which opens all over this Friday.

Dia Mirza

In the confession box
I have never taken my career seriously: Moushumi Chatterjee 
The charming Moushumi Chatterjee returns to celluloid after several years in The Japanese Wife and is as self-effacing as ever, calling herself a "very lazy actor" who never took her career seriously and doesn't want to work hard. Moushumi, 61, says of her role as Rahul Boses's "funny" Mashi in the Aparna Sen-directed film, based on a book by Kunal Basu: "I play Snehamoy's Mashi. My character is very funny in the film. I have a special look in it.

Moushumi Chatterjee

Bhatt naturally
Vikram Bhatt's latest horror film Shaapit may not have set the box office on fire but that has not diminished the confidence of the filmmaker, who feels that he can work without stars. After 1920 and Shaapit, Vikram seems to be working primarily with newcomers and the director says it easier to have new faces than wait for the availability of stars, which delays your project. "I do believe that there are some films that cannot be made without stars. 

Vikram Bhatt

Goose bumps
Arjun Rampal nervous about upcoming releases
Bollywood heartthrob Arjun Rampal has three films lined up for release this year and the National award winning actor says he is having "jitters" as the release dates are getting closer. "Beginning to get the jitters as films are getting closer to release... always happens," the 37-year-old posted on his Twitter account. Housefull will be the first one on April 30, followed by Raajneeti on June 4. I know there is time but still get these pangs of anxiety... it reminds me of days when exam result day would near," Arjun posted on his Twitter account. 

Punjabi cinema goes sporty
Even as the entertainment industry experiments with different subjects to lure in more audiences, there is no sure-shot formula for success. But after the success of movies like Apne (a son's journey to fulfil his father's dream of winning the world boxing title; Chak De India (which showcases the undying spirit of Indian hockey) and now a Lahore-story based story on kickboxing, sports is currently the hot favourite with film-makers.


Cast and crew of Ek Kabaddi Ek Mohabbat

Get branded
This summer redefine your fashion with Sisley, Benetton's high-end trendy clothing line. Unique, creative and innovative designs make Sisley, a trendiest brand. The brand also represents an unmistakable fashion presence in the clothing world, and a recognisable way of dressing. Sisley designers are attentive to what is fashionable or will be fashionable tomorrow keeping in mind the demands of the zip and zappy generation. An understated women's wear collection showcases a range inspired from London, Copenhagen and Soho NY. For men, it's the eclecticism of Detroit Rock City and the easy charm of South America in La Habana Panama. On the accessories front, it's eco-leather that makes a strong statement. With over 1,200 outlets globally, Sisley is retailed through exclusive brand outlets owned by Trent across India and is also available at select multi-brand outlets. 

What's in your kitty? 
Aspiration club members share their culinary skills 
Apart from the regular tambola, meals, masti and gossip, Aspiration Club's monthly get-together had some sweets and spices too. "In order to give a platform to share the culinary talents, we had a cookery demo as well," said Neepa Arora, one of the founder members. — Photo by Pradeep Tewari

Honour for Zakir
Mein jis khyal se sanwra hoon kaun sanverega, Mein jis kuloos se nikhra hoon kaun nikhrega/ Kisi ko hai bhi saleeka chaman mein jeene ka, Mein jis skoon se bikhra hun kaun bikhrega…"  Proclaiming his admiration for his incredible literary contribution to Urdu literature, Padmashri Kashmiri Lal Zakir was honoured a memento, a robe and a cash prize of Rs 51,000 from Delhi CM Sheila Dixit on Monday. Zakir was among the four eminent Urdu litterateurs awarded for lifetime contribution in the field of education especially the propagation of the Urdu language.

Kashmiri Lal Zakir 

Voluntary information
Marketing, strategising, planning - those overrated words of the corporate sector. What we didn't know, they can aptly be applied to something that isn't remotely related to profit or loss, an NGO. "I don't really need to define an NGO. The need is to handle it a planned manner," shares Harinder Singh, an interdisciplinary researcher and global orator based out of United States of America who visited the city to speak on effective management and high impact ways of running NGOs. "NGOs bring out a change in society. 

Harinder Singh,

Forgotten names
Dewan Anand Kumar Hall, Lajpat Rai Hall, Teja Singh Hall…. Any clue where can you find these at the Panjab University campus. Scrape your grey cells a bit
Hostel number 4,5,6 will be any day more convenient, easy to remember and spell than Patel Hall, Lajpat Rai Hall, Teja Singh Hall. Alas! A practice, partly to perpetuate, great minds is somehow lost in the mechanical set up of things. For the uninitiated, Arts Block 1 is Shaheed Udham Singh Hall. Honestly, how many know Shaheed Bhagat Singh Hall is nothing but the adjoining Block 2. For this once, "what's in a name" practice applies. Number, signpost, department, block, anything but the name!


— Photo by Pradeep Tewari

Knights in shining armour
Was it a weekend of active student NGOs? All playing social messiah, bringing a smile where needed, lending a hand where sought, making a difference, where it matters. The weekend gone by has city-based NGOs and their local chapters do their bit. And guess what? They seemed to have gone bigger and better. At Sector-17 plaza it was a sight of celebration, charity in one go. Youth United celebrated its second anniversary, Youth United Day, by organizing its annual event Smiling Future-III.

Of fond memories
Hostel life is a compendium of bitter-sweet memories, anecdotes, fun, learning…
Hostel life might sound like a stereotypical forward, but that's how it goes. So the "4 am Maggie sessions" are not a figment of imagination, but practical reality. It's about mid night get-togethers, about making your visitors wait in your friends' room till you tidy up, about breaking the rules, going to the mess together, or even messing up together! Boarding life is like a safe of infinite memories.


Friends get together at Savitri Bai hostel (Left) & Girls at the farewell party of Hostel no 7

Addicted to alcohol
Britain is battling an underage-drinking epidemic, with thousands of under-18s being enrolled into rehab every year, according to medical experts and politicians. New figures show that 8,000 under-18s are being admitted to A&E every year for drink-related problems.

Rating points and all that 
A new study has linked teenagers' music choices to the horror of failing to conform to their peers. Gregory Berns, Chair of Neuroeconomics at Emory Univerity in the US, conducted the research on teenagers listening to songs on social networking sites.

Reissue, please!
A book has been returned to a library in the UK after 62 years from the time it was borrowed. Dudley Frosdick, who was a teenager then, had taken a copy, of 'Riceyman Steps' by Arnold Bennett, out of the library in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk post Second World War.