Appetite for art
Eating joints in the city have become the latest forum to promote art. Ashima Sehajpal finds out
Art is meant to soothe the senses. Senses are common to all human beings, so is visual art. Even if one isn't a connoisseur and fails to understand the artist's thought process, visual art is definitely meant for the masses.Mural work at the ITC by Krishen Khanna, and our very own Satwant Singh's work in hotel Sunbeam and Chop Sticks are on the same lines.

The mural at Hotel Lakeview has an abstract touch

Wings clipped
Desiltation of Sukhna Lake is destroying the habitat of many bird species. There is a need to calibrate the process and retain some marshy areas
Most householders recognise the Red-wattled lapwings (teteeri) as ceaseless callers. But at the regulator end of Sukhna Lake, they are silent milling around the vestiges of a large pond, like half-clad slum children watching a demolition drive. Bird songs have been replaced by Punjabi hip-hop music blaring from tractor trolleys ferrying excavated silt. Uprooted grass and reeds lie scattered like tombstones on this graveyard of biodiversity!

Romance in a Metro
Bollywood star Salman Khan has been shooting for a romantic honeymoon song for his new movie Dabanng with debutante Sonakshi Sinha and for a change it is the Dubai Metro which is providing the backdrop.

The signing amount
When Onir signed Anurag Basu for just Rs 500He is one of the most prominent names in the current crop of 'newage' directors in Bollywood with films like Gangster and Metro to his name but Anurag Basu took only Rs 500 to turn actor for friend Onir's upcoming film I Am. Instead of calling the shots, the Kites director is braving the camera perhaps for the first time.

Top of the pyramid
Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'My Name Is Khan' seems to have touched a chord with the Egyptian cine lovers, who continue to throng theatres even two months after its release.The film, which talks about the 'Islamophobia' that gripped the US after 9/11, made a record one million Egyptian pounds in the first four weeks of its release.The Karan Johar directed film, which was distributed in Egypt by United Motion Pictures, has become a hit among public as well as critics.The distribution head Antoine Zind says it has been decades since he took the risk with showing an Indian movie in Egyptian theatres but My Name Is Khan has changed his perception about Indian cinema.Famous analyst Muhammad al-Kurdusi is one of the strongest supporters of the movie.

Thank You so much!
Anees Bazmee is currently busy with his upcoming project Thank You starring Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar, but the writer-director has not given up on his dream of directing the sequel to his blockbuster 2008 Singh Is Kinng. "Would I love to direct the sequel? Oh, of course yes. After all these were the characters thought by me and I am very attached to them. There could be so many ways to take these characters forward," said Anees for whom Singh Is Kinng stays on to be one of his three biggest blockbusters after Welcome and No Entry. Both producer Vipul Shah and actor Akshay were enthusiastic about bringing back Happy Singh (central character in the movie) but Bazmee is not sure that he will get the chance to make the sequel.

Split ends
Hollywood couple Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have nipped the rumours of a split in the bud by putting on a very public display of love.The couple stepped out in the Tribeca district of New York hand in hand, ending much speculation that their relationship had come to an end.The 28-year-old actor and her pop-star boyfriend dresses casually for the stroll.The 28-year-old actor and her pop-star boyfriend dresses casually for the stroll.The couple appeared happy and content with each other as they took a walk in the Big Apple, before spending time playing basketball together at the Chelsea Piers.Last month it was reported that the couple had split, with Timberlake's ex-girlfriend Cameron Diaz cited as the reason for the end of their relationship.

In Depp trouble
Johnny Depp turned saviour for British singer Stephen Jones, who was accosted for cash by a man as they left a recording studio in Los Angeles.The Alice In Wonderland actor stepped forward when the thief demanded money from Jones threatening him with a broken bottle."It was an extremely scary moment. This guy looked off his head. Johnny looked him straight in the eyes and told him to back off," a friend of Jones said.

Sex and sensibility
Hollywood actor Amanda Seyfried says she used to think sex was "dirty and disgusting" and was scared of it."We have to be open-minded. I'm not saying Americans are narrow-minded. I've lived in New York and Los Angeles - but where I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, there was a small town mindset that made me feel that sex was wrong," she said."When my sister lost her virginity, I thought that was dirty and disgusting, and I was scared of sex. I remember I had a fight with my friend when I touched a boy for the first time and I didn't tell her. She got mad with me, not because I didn't tell her, but because I'd done it in the first place."

Simply Subodh
Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi is organising a lecture and a slide show by renowned artist Subodh Gupta at Auditorium of Govt. Museum and Art Gallery-10.Subodh is best known for incorporating everyday objects that are ubiquitous throughout India, such as steel tiffin boxes used by millions to carry their lunch as well as thali pans, bicycles, and milk pails. From such ordinary items the artist produces sculptures that reflect on the economic transformation of his homeland and they are related to Gupta's own life and memories. 

School of thought
Students of Dikshant Public School-Panchkula had an opportunity to interact with Rajkumar Gupta, the eminent filmmaker of Aamir fame.Loved by audience and critics alike for his first movie Aamir, Rajkumar has created a niche for himself in the tinsel town. He is in the city for the shooting of his upcoming film, No One Killed Jessica, starring Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan.

Cultural bonding
The Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi (CSNA) has added another feather to its cap by launching an inter-state cultural exchange programme from this year. Chairman of the Akademi Kamal Tewari said artistes from the city have won national recognition in various spheres.Chairman of the Akademi Kamal Tewari said artistes from the city have won national recognition in various spheres.The new initiative will provide an opportunity to artistes to showcase their talent in front of a wider audience.

                                                                  Pandit Yashpal

Spade work
Show stopper
The garden designing has seen a revolution. Many a feature have been suggested and applied to give a new face to the gardens. But some of the old features still hold. You may find it primitive but I still find a 'feature' in a pergola. It still steals the show in the garden.

Berry special!
The popularity of a Blackberry phone is growing rapidly. How can Bollywood lag behind?
Perhaps the only thing that can give competition to the growing population of India is the equally growing brands of mobile phones.

Shade-y deal

Camaraderie comes to the fore as these students of the Government College of Art protect themselves from the sun.Lifestyle photo:S Chandan

On the look out
JantaKhoj InfoServices Pvt. Ltd. launches first search portal ‘JantaKhoj.com’. The interactive and user friendly website, powered by a vast database covering more than three hundred million Indians, will provide online and offline services to both individuals and businesses in India in the field of people search and background verifications.The beta version of the website which goes online today will provide contact details, relatives and neighbours listings, and will also facilitate informed decision making for its consumers by offering comprehensive background checks.

Bits about BYTES
Pictures that become pixels
It was a Mamiya medium format camera that triggered this article. The occasion was the 90th birthday celebration of Mahijit Singh Sodhi, one of the grand old men of Chandigarh.

Sun struck
Hands-free communication is essential while on the move whether it is from a hotel, airport, or car. i.Tech, the leading innovative wireless mobile solutions provider, headquartered in Hong Kong, has announced the launch of its new range of revolutionary Bluetooth products and devices for the Indian markets. The company has introduced 15 Bluetooth devices for the Indian market with the entry price point of Rs1,149 –6,499. The range of products includes the new age Bluetooth devices-Solar Voice 908, Solar Charger 906, Clip D-Radio.  Ingram Micro is the national distributor of the products in India.