I-M-POWERED
Despite having husbands who are towering personalities, these women have come out of the shadow and made a name of their own
Till that one moment…she was happy addressing family issues on 'priority' — looking after the husband, listening to his tales of victory and failure, boosting his confidence, attending the kids, giving them lessons in morality, dealing with their whims. She was more than happy to hold the fort at home…till that one moment when she moved from the backseat to take a position right adjacent to her husband.

Preneet Kaur

Animated dreams
More and more youngsters in the city are experimenting with animation flicks
It took merely two minutes to ideate the story line of the four-minute animation film. But between the conceptualisation and screening, it took almost eight months! The process began with sketching characters, giving them shape on the computer, improvising on their looks, composing music, doing voiceovers, editing and much more. But it didn't deter students of Mad Arts Jaspal Bhatti Film School of acting from completing their first big project.

Jasraj Bhatti (middle) with his team

Instinctively speaking
She comes from a totally non-filmi background and is just three-movies-old in Bollywood, but Mugdha Godse trusts her own instinct when it comes to taking up new projects. The actor, who got her first big break in Bollywood with Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion two years ago, credits her own good judgment for the choices she made. "I am a hardcore Leo who doesn't listen to anyone. That's the way I have always been, I follow my heart. I have come from Pune to Mumbai on my own and this is the way I intend to stay on in this industry as well," said Mugdha.

Mugdha Godse

Smoke screen
After being caught by an anti-tobacco watchdog for smoking in a college campus in Goa, Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi has vowed not to smoke while making a public appearance. In a letter to National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) general secretary Shekhar Salkar dated May 10, Arshad has expressed regret about the incident earlier this month and has admitted that "fans follow their on-screen idols and copy their actions". "Henceforth, I will ensure that I throw away the cigarette before I make a public appearance," Arshad has said in his letter to NOTE.



Arshad Warsi

Jungle lure
Brad Pitt has signed on to star in a new film called The Tiger — an adventure thriller about an animal activist in Siberia. The actor is also going to produce the movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Cheer leader
A die-hard Chelsea fan himself, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is rooting for the English club's Search for an Asian Star campaign, asking the youngsters here to make full use of the opportunity.

Lindsay’s at it again!
Lindsay Lohan has denied that she had a fight with Avril Lavigne in Hollywood. A source said that Lavigne screamed at Lohan saying "Get the hell out of my face, you are fake, you are a loser" at the Chateau Marmont Hotel. "I don't like false people. Stay away from me and my friends." According to the paper, Lohan fumed back, "Don't threaten me!" before trying unsuccessfully to get security to kick Lavigne out. But now, Lohan, 23, says, "That is not true. I don't know why I am such a target, but I think there's a big misconception of who I am as a person," she said.

Lindsay Lohan

Love for career
Hollywood actor Amanda Seyfried says she puts her career before love. "My character was very motivated by her job and not by her love life, which is kind of normal for a girl her age. I know it is for me. Sometimes I focus less on my relationship and more on my career," she said.

Swift action
She maybe young but country star Taylor Swift is all set to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.The 20-year-old singer will receive the Hal David Starlight Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards on June 17 here, Access Hollywood reported. Swift, known for penning songs about her puppy love lapses, released her debut single Tim McGraw in 2006 and her self-titled debut album.

Taylor Swift

Non-veg advice
Actor Sonu Sood, who plays a young politician in upcoming film Dabanng, saw some fitness advice coming his way from co-star Salman Khan, who is known to have one of the most enviable bodies in Bollywood. Sonu says he bonded with Khan during their gyming sessions and Salman even advised him to turn non-vegetarian to achieve a more defined look."

Friends forever
What better than finding lasting companionship on a pleasure trip?
"A journey is best measured in friends," wrote Tim Cahill, the famous American travel writer. So true. Don't most of the treasured travel memories revolve around those awesome people one comes across during such journeys? We bring to you stories of some city folks who found friends while wandering around the globe.

Calling it quits
Divorces are increasing and reasons are far from serious
The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is alarmed at the rising rate of divorce in Putrajaya, a district in Kuala Lumpur. The divorce rate has been increasing by as much as three percent in recent times. What is more disconcerting is that couples are separating for reasons as petty as their spouse forgetting to bring home their food of choice.

Actor Raveena Tandon at the funeral of Bollywood actor Mac Mohan, popularly knows as Sambha after a character he played in the movie Sholay,  in Mumbai on Tuesday. — PTI photo

Banish blues
Phone therapy can banish your blues - almost as face-to-face consultations do, says a new study.  The trial run included people newly diagnosed with major depression. Instead of eight scheduled visits to the clinic, the participants covered the same material during a series of phone calls with the therapist. Calls varied in length, ranging from 21 to 52 minutes. The patients did not receive antidepressant medication.

Relatively Speaking
Holiday bonding
Holidays are a perfect platform for strengthening bonds of love and friendship. They provide a break from the monotonous schedule and enable us to spend some quality time with our family and friends. Long working hours and busy schedules often do not leave much time for having some fun together. But holidays are a real stress buster and help in rejuvenating the mind as well as the body. Such times together help in forging bonds and leave behind lasting memories. Holidays certainly create an atmosphere of warmth and are ideal for strengthening ties of love.

Renee writes
Enjoy what's given
I am a woman in my 60s and have lived a full life. I have children and grand children, however, I have moments when I feel very lonely. I wake up every morning thinking what is the purpose of my existence. I dare not voice this to my husband as he looks quite content with his life the way it is and seems to see no reason why I should be feeling the way I do. I feel I am searching for a level of happiness which is way beyond the mundane and the ordinary. Sometimes I think I am confused and yet at other moments I am driven by this search for more meaning to life. Can you guide me?