CHANDIGARH INDEX


WANDERLUST
With the travel season round the corner, here are a few tips for the solo traveller
Holiday season is round the corner and if you love to wander, it is just the right time to travel solo! Yes, you read it right, instead of a group of travellers or the trend of two, we now have travellers who prefer to go alone. And to encourage the trend, the travel industry too is wooing them with deals that tickle their wanderlust without ravaging their wallets!

Puneetinder Kaur enjoys a solitary moment at the riverside in Bateshwar, near Chambal, UP.

On his way to Singapore, Abhinav Kumar waits at an airport

Mooch matters
Salman’s new look in Dabangg, where he is donning a moustache, finds favour with his fans in the city
Jiske paas mooch nahi hai, uske paas mann hi nahi hai', says Bhavani Shankar (Utpal Dutt) in the iconic flick Golmaal. In league with this, our superstars have, for time to time, donned the moustache onscreen. We had Aamir Khan in Mangal Pandey, Shahrukh Khan in Paheli and more recently in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi; Hrithik Roshan in Jodhaa Akbar, Sanjay Dutt in Shootout at Lokhadwala and Saif Ali Khan in Tashan. And now it's the turn of our own, fearless, Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) in Dabangg. We check out if Salman's new look has gone down well with city fans.

Invincible spirit
They might not have the best means, but these underprivileged kids and their mentors are leaving no stone unturned to reach the stars 
Rahul (13) has his goal set. He wants to be a cricketer, and no less than master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. Pushwati (12) wants to be a doctor wearing a white coat and stethoscope around her neck, Jakil (11) a police officer, Avinash (12) a lawyer and Gudiya (8) like her ‘mam’. Just because their parents are construction workers or a mali or a domestic help has not deterred these bright kids a bit.

Students gets a lesson in personal hygiene at Burail

Rachna, BTech student, with the students

Kids at Hamari Kaksha, Sector 7

WRITE path 
With over 50 publications to his name, author Krishan Kumar Rattu is a big name in city literary circles. Holding Masters degrees in Punjabi, Hindi as well as Sanskrit, a doctorate from Netherland, Rattu is awaiting his second D.Litt degree. Doordarshan, Chandigarh, director, Rattu attributes his success to his father Choudhri DR Rattu. Born in village Ramwal, near Nakodar, Rattu completed his education in Punjab before entering the Indian Broadcasting Services.

Family person
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie doesn't have a lot of friends in her life and is confined to her partner Brad Pitt and their six children. "I talk to my family - I talk to Brad, and he wants to know as much as he can about these issues and every trip. And he's been here as well. He came here with me after the earthquake in 2005," quoted Jolie as saying during her trip to flood-hit Pakistan. "I don't have a lot of friends I talk to. He's really the only person I talk to. But I told my children. I think it also helps them to be better people to understand a little bit about the world," she said. Angelina, who visited Pakistan as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said she was overwhelmed by the complex issues facing the country.

Katie's family plans 
Hollywood actress Katie Holmes has dismissed rumours that she wants to have a second child now, saying she plans to put off pregnancy for at least "a couple of years". There were rumours that the Batman Begins star is expecting another child with husband Tom Cruise. The couple, who married in 2006, are parents to a four-year-old daughter, Suri. However, the 31-year-old actress has said that one child is enough for her to handle for now.

Jimi goes dancing 
Indian-origin British actor Jimi Mistry is donning his dancing shoes and sequins to compete in BBC's hit reality show Strictly Come Dancing. The actor is a part of the star-studded cast of the show's eighth season along with former Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams, Eastenders' actress Kara Tointon and Felicity Kendall among others. Mistry is one of the few Indian actors to have tasted success in Hollywood with roles in films like Leonardo Dicaprio starrer Blood Diamond and the superhit disaster movie 2012. The 37-year-old actor who began his film career with the cult hit East Is East, has already shown his dance skills in romantic comedy The Guru. The dance competition is judged by pop star Alesha Dixon and celebrity choreographers Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli.  — PTI

Caught in the web?
Hollywood actress Hilary Duff has reportedly been spotted with the script of the new Spider-Man movie, sparking rumours that she is to appear in the film franchise. According to contactmusic.com, the actress was spotted with a script entitled Spider-Man with a character called "Girl" highlighted on it. However, it has been claimed the new movie which sees British actor Andrew Garfield take on the role of Peter Parker, previously played by Tobey Maguire, would not feature Mary Jane Watson, the lead female previously portrayed by Kirsten Dunst.

Knot so young
Hollywood star Megan Fox, who quietly tied the knot with Brian Austin Green in June this year, says she faces scrutiny for having married so early. The 24-year-old actress, who married Green after a six-year-long relationship, says that people around her haven't come to terms with the fact that she is a married woman now, reported magazine. "When I talk about my husband, I feel as if people roll their eyes," said the actress. "It's like when you are 16 and order a martini, and the waiter says, 'Do you think I'm stupid?'. They can't grasp that I'm old enough to be married," she added. Fox and Green tied the knot in an intimate, hush-hush ceremony on a Hawaiian beach. Kassius, Green's 8-year-old son with ex Vanessa Marcil, was present for the ceremony. "We are just even more committed to each other and we always have been. I am more in love with him now than I was in the beginning," Fox had said before the marriage. — PTI 

Dating or not? 
Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal and actress Rachel Bilson are reportedly a couple. Gyllenhaal, who has dated Reese Witherspoon and Kirsten Dunst, and Bilson, who recently split from fiance Hayden Christensen, are a couple. "They are trying to keep a low profile but they are definitely dating," said a source. — IANS

Johnny, the richest 
Johnny Depp is the highest paid actor in Hollywood, according to Forbes. The actor earned 50 million pounds, all thanks to his role in Alice in Wonderland. Depp portrayed the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's 3-D version, reports the Telegraph. The Disney film grossed 1 billion dollars at the worldwide box office, making Depp the only actor to headline two 1 billion dollars films, the other being Pirates of the Caribbean. —ANI

Fear factor
Hollywood actress Carey Mulligan has no confidence in her driving skills and was "terrified" when she was forced to finally obtain her licence for new film "Never Let Me Go". The 25-year-old admits she never had an interest in getting behind the wheel, and was gripped with fear when she learned a scene in the thrillercalled for her to drive a car. "I got it (driving licence) in Los Angeles finally because, I have to drive in the movie and our director Mark Romanek wanted me to drive a manual car, a stick," said Mulligan. " I lived in Germany and London where you don't need to drive," she added. --IANS

Bon Appetit
Smart breakfast


(Fan)tastic 

Bobby Deol during the shooting of his upcoming movie Yamla Pagla Deewana at Taj Mahal in Agra on Thursday. 
— PTI Photo