Paddle pushers 
Green, beautiful, serene and well-planned. That’s what Chandigarh symbolises. Traffic congestion, long signals, road accidents and parking chaos. That is another face of Chandigarh! Not that we have compromised on our ‘City Beautiful’ status, only added a little more than it could handle. Our ‘green living’ has taken a beating from the semi-metro lifestyle. 


(Left) Pradeep Bhagat with his prized possession; (right) H K Kharbanda (L) chooses a simple ride even today and artist Saawan (R) at his biking best  Photos: Vinay Malik

Voice over
Prabhjyot Kaur keeps herself rooted through music
To me music is the manifestation of the mind in the highest level, a fine art – essentially contemplative and sophisticated art form. Living thousands of miles away in the UK, we find solace in our music which keeps us connected to our roots in Punjab,” maintains Prabhjyot Kaur, young vocalist and practicing lawyer from Birmingham where she was born and raised.

Role of honour 
Known for doing intense roles, actor Sonu Sood plays a young politician in upcoming film Dabangg. But he reveals that he was actually supposed to play the lead role, now being essayed by Salman Khan. "The film was brought to me before Salman came on board. Initially, I was supposed to do Salman's role of a cop... but when he decided to be a part of the film, I was offered the role of the youth politician that I'm now playing," Sonu said.

Sonu Sood

Naked truth
Hollywood actor Kate Winslet turns adviser to co-star Evan Rachel Wood on sets of their new film Mildred Pierce. Winslet gave tips to Woods on how to face the camera while filming a nudescene. Wood admitted she was worried about baring all for her role in Mildred Pierce but was reassured by her co-star, Winslet who has stripped on screen several times. "I was quite nervous about it and Kate looked at me and said 'Listen to me alright. I've done everything, alright. 

Kate Winslet

Toilet fame 
The toilet used by Hollywood heartthrob star Gerard Butler while shooting Machine Gun Preacher has become a hall of fame with fans swarming the place. The local store in Melvindale, Michigan, is giving tours around the bathroom, since the Scottish hunk once relieved himself there. "Gerard, who's in the Detroit area shooting 'Machine Gun Preacher', stopped to the use the restroom one day and later posed for pictures with the owner's two daughters. 

Gerard Butler

Latest gossip
Hollywood actor Blake Lively has said she isn't fond of hanging out with stars and makes very few friends in the world of showbiz. The Gossip Girl star isn't comfortable in the world of celebrity, despite dating co-star Penn Badgley - and doesn't "collect" friends. "You know, I don't have many friends that are actors, the ones I do have are people I've worked on films with for months.

Blake Lively

In praise of God
To singer Siddharth Mohan both sufi and spirituality are about love for the divine
Music is when language becomes superfluous, lyrics become redundant, nothing else is a bar and there's a connect; both instant and immense. "Once there was this Chinese couple who told me, 'We didn't understand a word you were saying but it was overwhelming'. And with this Sufi singer Siddharth Mohan underscores the power of music. In the city for a concert organised by the Youth Wing of Art of Living, he talks of Sufi and spirituality and needless to say, his school of music.

Siddharth Mohan

Learn the language
A teacher has been hailed as supreme, even to the gods, in our old epics and scriptures. Even today, Teacher's Day celebration is treated as a pious occasion, believing that the education imparted by an ideal teacher will make a person master of his destiny. Lending befitting credence to the auspicious day, the acclaimed academician Prof Nirmal Datt, better known as a poet, chose to release his book, 'The Easiest Way to Learn English' (Translation without Tenses) at a function at the MCM DAV College.

Let's rock
If you are still in love with the retro music and fashion, Score is the place to be every Thursday. The disc in Sector- 8 introduces 'Retro Nights' every Thursday for party- goers 40 years of age and above.

Party-goers dance to the old numbers at the Retro Night party at Score

Well-oiled
Jivo Wellness has launched- Jivo Canola Oil, one of the healthiest cooking oils known to mankind. Unlike other cooking oils, Jivo Canola Cooking Oil provides the highest unsaturated (good) fats and the lowest saturated (bad) fats amongst all cooking oils in the world.

Spice up
MANicure
Looking good is no longer a female prerogative. Men realize, only too well, the importance of the appearance. Looking one's best imparts self-confidence, very necessary in today's competitive world. Salon care has also become popular and men's salons have mushroomed at a phenomenal pace. Men are going in for facials, body and head massages, henna treatments, manicures, pedicures and yes, even make-up! Currently, the popularity of spa treatments has also influenced male grooming. In fact, spa treatments are more popular among men, in terms of stress removal and rejuvenation.

Weigh to gain!
A study says stress can lead to overeating and subsequently, obesity 
It's an almost universally acknowledged fact that love for food leads to overeating, which in turn leads to obesity. There's another factor responsible for weight gain, which was always thought to have been giving the opposite results; of killing the appetite. As per a recent study conducted by the experts at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, "Stress on a daily basis can lead to overeating and consequently, obesity.

Hitting the nerve centre
Twenty five year old, Sunita (name changed) was slightly concerned when a few months back her hand shivered when she held a cold drink bottle. Like any person her age, she shook her hand vigorously and gave it a few jerks hoping that numbing sensation and the shivering would go away. But alas, as days passed this problem started getting more frequent and one day she realised that while walking even her feet had a similar sensation with the slight tremor.

O fish!
Fish oil could save 10,000 heart patients every year
Fish oil capsules could save lives of 10,000 heart patients every year, finds a recent survey. A review study reveals omega-3 supplements prevented the deaths of almost one in 10 heart patients.Regular use also prevented around eight percent of hospitalisations caused by symptoms such as breathlessness and fluid retention, reports the Daily Mail.

Get activated
Why does it feel like the toughest thing in the world to get up on a Saturday and hit the gym or to get off the couch and do the laundry? It's all in your genes, says a new study. Scientists now claim a desire to keep fit and do regular exercise is hereditary, and the discovery means that in the future, drugs could be created to treat laziness in people by targeting the genes that cause it in the first place, reports The Daily Express.

Doze of health 
Men who are chronic insomniacs or sleep for short durations are at an increased risk of death, says a new study. "We believe that cumulatively these findings will increase the awareness among physicians and scientists that insomnia should be diagnosed early and treated appropriately," said principal investigator Alexandros N. Vgontzas at Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa.

BODY wise
Snack byte
How many times do you eat right during the day, and then totally ruin your good efforts by binging late at night? Late night snacking is a problem faced by many dieters. And however satisfying and fun these midnight refrigerator raids may be, it's important to realise that by eating thus you will positively and absolutely wash away your chances of ever achieving your weight loss goals.

Showstoppers Actor Lisa Haydon and Amrita Arora display designer Wendell Rodricks' creation during a fashion event in Mumbai on Friday night. PTI photo