The snake charmers
When wildlilfe conservationist Nikhil Sanger bundled a mangled Indian Rock python into his rickety Maruti car from Aguwan village, little did he foresee the bond that his team of youngsters would forge with this mighty serpent. The 12-foot female had been crushed under the wheels of a truck while crossing a village link road. For over four months the python was nursed back to health by specialist doctors and allopathic drug treatment. The python, aptly christened Phoenix, was successfully dropped back into the wilderness of the lower Shiwalik hills. Sanger’s team, working under the banner of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), has rescued many venomous snakes and wildlife species in the Shiwalik hills of Punjab and Chandigarh’s green areas.

Art-i-fact
Evolving notes
If change be the law of nature, how can the world of saat sur remain unaffected by its tempo. Yes, even in the realm of Indian classical music, which by its very intrinsic essence is traditionalist and thus resistant to modification, change is inevitable.

Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and son Salil Bhatt with their instruments Mohan Veena and Satvik Veena, respectively.

Sun proof

The searing heat forces these girls to make-do with their dupattas. Lifestyle photos: Vinay Malik

Simple moves
Choreographer Tanushree Rakshit, in the city for a workshop, shares how she wants to take dance to the common man
We hope to catch an animated Tanushree Rakshit (the choreographer from Jhalak Dikhla Ja Season 2 who danced opposite Mika) talk to us through her eyes accentuated with a defined line of kohl, sporting funky torn denim with colourful beads woven tightly in braids, synonymous to her dancing style.

Merc of an era
If you drive a Mercedes Benz, you’ve arrived. And if you are a sucker for high-end innovation, another first-of-its-kind experience comes calling from the luxury powerhouse. Launching CGI technology in its latest C-class model that promises an effortless performance with excellent fuel economy.

Step by step
Just when they confused jive with gymnasts, performed somersaults in the name of steps and replaced choreography with stunting, herein comes the much-needed instruction from a sensible school of dancing. “I hate, hate, absolutely hate (yeah, he said it thrice) all those acrobats and somersaults that they perform as part of dance,” Shiamak Davar, the choreographer, couldn’t have been more blunt and bold over the phone.

Side Lanes
She belongs to us
Rajiv Gandhi and I had only one thing in common. We were both born in 1944. He was five months younger than I. Sanjay and he studied at Doon School, Dehra Dun, where Uncle Gyan was the Bursar. A hard man to please, he dismissed the boys as ‘not brilliant’. Perhaps he did not see their true worth through their humility, reticence and laid back behaviour. However, he must have changed his opinion a million times before he passed on.

Dilli haunt
It's always nice to be in Delhi, says Shah Rukh Khan
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan Wednesday said it was always a 'nice feeling' to be back in Delhi and that he got a massive response compared to other cities. People of varied age groups patiently waited to get a glimpse of the superstar who looked lean and mean in his black suit and well-gelled spiked hair, which complemented well with his aviator sunglasses.Shah Rukh Khan came to the Ambience Mall here for the promotional event of the Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer for which he is the brand ambassador.

Matching formula
What connects Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo Dicaprio besides their acting skills? The love for Formula One racing. DiCaprio, an avid racing fan, recently kick-started the Tag Heuer's Odyssey of Pioneers- a unique roadshow travelling to 15 destinations, with a specially designed Tesla's special electric sports car in Basel, Switzerland.

Koffee break
On a high
Award-winning Spanish film My Brother's Wife fame Mexican star Barbara Mori is looking forward to a long innings in Bollywood. Her debut Hindi movie Kites produced by Rakesh Roshan and directed by Anurag Basu is set to be released this Friday on a grand scale-with an International release. Here is the star on her working on Kites and her future plans. She shares her thought and experience with the Lifestyle.
How was working in Bollywod?
The experience is totally different from the films I have done in Mexico. It is my first big budget Hindi and English movie. It is the best experience in my career till now.

New Releases
Love is in the air
Life In A Metro and Gangster films fame director Anurag Basu's much-awaited film, Kites, is slice of life, it is reality, it is intense, it is simple love story, which opens in 2,300 theatres all over today. Hrithik Roshan is not only making his debut as a singer with the film's title track, but has also given creative inputs for the trance track Fire. It is the first Filmkraft banner film starring Hrithik is directed by Anurag Basu. The buzz is that Kites would be appreciated abroad as well as in Indian theatres.

Meg(a) move
Hollywood actor Meg Ryan, known as America's sweetheart for her roles in romantic films like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, is planning to take up direction.

In Black & Whyte
United Spirits Limited (USL) acquired Whyte & Mackay and Black Dog have scooped the Best Blended Whisky awards at the three most prestigious international whiskey competitions held in Europe and the US.

Spa-cial course
The massive career opportunities in the beauty industry have prompted Orane Beauty Academy (Canada) to extend its footprint in tricity. OXL Group, the master franchisees of Orane (Canada), launched Orane Beauty Academy in Sector 34.