changing times
Jimmy Sheirgill, Neeru Bajwa and singer Gippy Grewal were in the city for the promotion of their upcoming movie Mel Karade Rabba
 And you thought only Ram Gopal Varma makes 'predictable' horror stuff. And only Karan Johar repeats the mush, stretches it to no limits. Punjabi cinema, including the tall claims of moving towards 'making a difference', has clung on to their repetitiveness!

(L-R) Jimmy Sheirgill, Neeru Bajwa & Gippy Grewal. Photo: S Chandan

Standing tall
Femina Miss India International 2010 Neha Hinge shares notes on her career and future plans
Success is not final, failure not fatal, it's the courage to continue that counts," says a confident Neha Hinge, Femina Miss India International 2010. Standing tall at 5'10", dressed in black, short skirt and purple shirt complete with a sash and tiara, Neha was on a flying visit to the city on Friday.

Getting smarter
The smartphone market is now bigger and better
Each to his own' - the advancement in mobile phone technology has something for everyone, to be used depending on personal requirements. FIFA fans can catch the adrenaline rush live on their smart screens, an avid reader can download the names of the most read books in the world, the glamour struck ones can download tips on make up sitting in a café. And if this isn't it, you can receive and make calls!

Musical treat
The 13th edition of Swar Sangam, a musical bonanza mainly featuring doctors, will be held at the Indradhush auditorium at Panchkula on June 26 from 7.30 pm onwards. Disclosing the details, Sangam director Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj said 18 artistes, including six doctors, selected after rounds of audition will present melodies immortalised by Bollywood maestros.

Green cause
Green is the word in times of global warming, and joining in the efforts to raise awareness about the issues of deteriorating environmental standards is Deeksha, a NGO working in the field for the past eight years. As many as 300 children from the region, including Chandigarh, participated in their daylong workshop on conservation of nature and harmful effects of polythene recently. The workshop was part of the Western Command Summer Adventure Camp for children.

Drape in style
An evening party and there is last minute chaos. Your saree lies unfolded, safety pin has been lost somewhere and you are late. Here's a solution. Offering a convenient alternative along with loads of style, lehanga style sarees are the latest fashion trend.

Rustic tunes
In the city, Bollywood singer Ajay Jhingran shares his thoughts on the latest trends in Bollywood
In Bollywood, what is in today could be a thing of past tomorrow. And singer Ajay Jhingran of Billu Bhayankar (Billu Barbar) and Khoya Khoya Chand fame has seen the trend in music change from conventional to folk and he is more than happy about it. In the city to meet kids of Theatre Age, Ajay is excited to be back at the place from where he did his Masters in theatre. "I have worked with Zulfiqar Khan before. It is heartening to see him do great work for society and for the kids who need us the most," says Ajay.

Photo: Pradeep Tewari

Health point
Cooking expert Savita Khurana is set to spread her flavour on Colors reality show Kitchen Champion
If you know your sur and taal well, chances are that you might become a part of the dozen-a-dime singing reality shows. But then that does not make a story. What makes one, though, is if you are somebody who goes on writing cookery books, participating in cookery shows and finally making it to a cooking  reality show! Lets put it in simple words. Savita Khurana was a Masters in Music and that was her calling until, forced by necessity to feed herself, she was introduced to the kitchen for the first time. "I was staying in Kolkata and when cooking became my only option I decided to do it differently, which meant cooking only healthy and nutritious food," she shares.
Savita Khurana. Photo: S Chandan

Body wise
Plethico launches Prolab, a new age supplement for aspiring body builders and elite athletes. It customises a nutritional supplement program for them and helps in specific training and physique goals. It has also been providing them with high-quality sports nutrition.

Three cheers for coffee!
Here's some good news for coffee buffs! A new study has added to the brewing evidence that drinking four cups of the beverage daily could protect against head and neck cancer.

Big Bite
A burger joint in the US has come up with a sandwich that has 1,500 calories, which is equivalent to nearly three KFC bun-less, fried chicken Double Downs. Massachusetts-based chain Friendly's new Grilled Cheese Burger Melt is a hefty beef patty buttressed between two oozing, grilled cheese sandwiches. The Grilled Cheese Burger Melt's calorie count is about half the estimated energy requirement of an active adult male. It also contains 97 grams of fat, more than triple the amount in a Big Mac, and 2,090 mg of sodium, far more than the recommended 1,500 mg daily intake.

Bon Appetit
Football food file
Some of you may recollect my last column on 'chutneys'. Well it landed me in a major heap of trouble! The trouble came in the form of a heap of small, green, shiny round mangoes that came spilling out of a sack, waiting to be converted into chutney. They were plonked like fait accompli into my lap, resigning me to my fate and consigning me to the kitchen! Towering over the pile was my dear husband with a look that said, "Practice what you preach, and get on with it pronto!" Our men folk are invariably football fans, presently glued to the idiot-box, watching the nail-biting, adrenaline-pumped World Cup with bated breaths.