People used to wear just anything that came under the bikini segment to beach-side parties in India due to lack of exposure. They didn't have an option then, but now the idea of wearing a designer label to such parties is catching up
Rakyesh Aggarwal, designer

There are social dramas, love stories; back-to-roots journeys, love stories; hard-hitting realities, love stories; comical quickies, love stories. This time it's a musical and, of course, a love story! Punjabi cinema is expanding and experimenting, better or worse notwithstanding.

The latest on offer being Tere Ishq Nachaya, a musical love story. The basics being same, lush green fields, Punjabiyat, one girl, two boys, a love triangle, NRI locales, Kanwaljeet Singh, Deep Dhillon…but the difference is the tag of a 'musical'.

In the city for the music launch, the star cast of Tere Ishq Nachaya - Gavie Chahal, Mannat Singh and Dakssh Ajit Singh got candid...

I am different

While Dakssh Ajit Singh makes his debut in Punjabi film industry with this movie, he is not new to the camera. With three television soaps in his profile, Dakssh chooses to be different. "My upcoming serial on Star Plus is Maryada. But I am not the kind who sticks to one type. So, I took up Tere Ishq Nachaya," says the Ludhiana lad.

He plays an NRI living in Bankok who is a good dancer. "I love to dance and it was easy for me to relate to the role," he says. Before he became an actor, Dakssh was a sportsperson (a state-level bodybuilder), a poet and painter by passion and a philosopher by choice. "I consider myself to be a hand, with five fingers, all different from each other. I want to break conventions." Good luck!

Outsourced

Being the only known face in the star cast, Gavie Chahal is not cashing in on the recognition. Rather he feels like one amongst them. "I may be well-known but fresh faces add to the movie's USP. A film does not depend on how many famous faces you have, but a good story line and production. I hope it gets a good opening and a serious audience," says the actor. Playing an obedient village boy, a family man, he says his character is not some bechara. "Instead he is strong and knows what he wants. If its not as glamourous as the NRI characters, at least its effective," he says.

Post his daily soap and commercials stints, Gavie is graduating to greener pastures besides Punjabi movies. "I am currently busy with two international projects - short films made specifically for film festival circuit. One of them is titled It's Me, which is an English film depicting identity crisis.. The other is a Hinglish movie Orphan, which is based on slum life."

Home advantage

"I can become a good actor but not a good singer, even if I want to," emphasises Mannat Singh, the leading lady of Tere Ishq Nachaya. The point she made was that as an artiste one can only excel in what one is good at! With experience in theatre and featuring in over 150 music albums, Mannat is comfortable in her own space, but feels that Punjabi film industry should stop running after Bollywood actors. We ignore the talent from the region and look towards Bollywood stars for charity towards Punjabi films. Why go to Mumbai when we have talent here?" she questions. Any answers?

He has been dating Bengali beauty Bipasha Basu for the past seven years and it looks like Bollywood heartthrob John Abraham is a 'Bong' at heart as he will be celebrating Durga Puja with his ladylove in her native Kolkata.

The Dostana star will be savouring puchkas and visiting the pandals with Bipasha at Ballygunge, where she grew up. "Yes, I will be celebrating Durga Puja in Kolkata. I had also stayed in Ballygunge for nine years and I am very attached to that place," said the actor who was in the Capital to promote his upcoming flick Jhootha Hi Sahin.

While Durga Puja celebrations are high on his priority list, the actor said his tight schedule meant that he gave the Commonwealth Games a miss.The 37-year-old is an avid sports fan and had visited South Africa during the Football World Cup. "I had a very tight schedule and not much time to spend in Delhi, so I was not able to attend any of the Commonwealth events," John said.While he is a dedicated boyfriend, John says that like his character Sid in Jhootha Hi Sahin, he sometimes lies to Bipasha."If I lie it shows on my face. But I think white-lies are ok as long it does not hurt or harm someone," said the actor. — PTI

Actor Rhys Ifans, best known for his role as the quirky flat mate of Hugh Grant in Notting Hill, will play the bad guy in Spider Man reboot.

Ifan will make things difficult for actor Andrew Garfield, who replaced Tobey Maguire as the new superhero in the franchise.

Actor Emma Stone was recently announced to play Spidey's love interest Gwen Stacy.

"We have been very fortunate to attract some of the best actors working today to play the villains in the Spider-Man movies, and it is exciting to see that trend continue with Rhys Ifans," said Columbia Pictures prexy Matt Tolmach.

Ifans joins the franchise's former bad guys, who have included Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church and Topher Grace.

Marc Webb has replaced Sam Raimi as the director of the fourth movie, which will focus on the younger days of the superhero. The script is by James Vanderbilt and the film will be produced by Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin.

The movie is slated to hit theatres on July 3, 2012.

Ifans will next be seen in Warner Bros' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Roland Emmerich's Shakespeare conspiracy picture Anonymous. — PTI

‘Friends star Courteney Cox has confirmed that she has separated from her husband of 11 years, actor David Arquette.The actors who first met on the sets of the film Scream in 1996, issued a joint statement announcing the "trial separation".And they confirmed that they have actually been separated for some time.

Cox, 46, and Arquette, 39 have a six-year-old daughter Coco.Cox and Arquette said they hope the separation will help them "understand themselves and their relationship," and insisted they "still love each other deeply"."The reason for this separation is to better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner and for our marriage. We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply," the statement continued.

The pair recently wrapped filming on the fourth instalment of the Scream series, which is due out next year.Rumours of a troubled marriage had started when both Cox and Arquette were photographed without their wedding rings and the actor has said in a recent interview that they have therapy for problems in their marriage. And Cox has been photographed dining out with daughter Coco on several occasions with no sign of her father.Some reports are blaming new pictures of Arquette with an unknown woman for the break up. — PTI

Bollywood dancing diva Madhuri Dixit may soon be judging the dance moves of Deepika Padukone this December on a popular dance reality show. The producers of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa are in talks with the Madhuri and Deepika for the fourth season of the Sony TV show, a production house source said. Madhuri, who ruled Bollywood in the late 1980s and 1990s, left the limelight after her marriage in 1999.

Fondly remembered for popular dancing numbers like Ek Do Teen, Choli Ke Peechhe, Dhak Dhak, the actor is considering the small screen offer seriously. Actor Sonu Sood, who has become a hot property in Bollywood after playing the bad guy in the superhit Dabanng, is also being considered as a contestant.

Adding a twist to the show would be political leaders, who would try their hand at dancing, creating an eclectic mix of participants and judges. "We are also trying to rope in wives of some popular politicians," the source added. Jhalak Dikhla Jaa follows the same format as the international programme Dancing with the Stars, which has become a global phenomenon. The Danish Prime Minister's wife had taken part in series five of the Danish version of the show, while Italy's fifth season saw royalty take part for the first time when Prince of Venice Emmanuel Filiberto won the series. —PTI

Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz's younger sister Monica will step into her shoes and corsets for the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean film as her elder sibling's burgeoning baby bump has started showing.In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Penelope plays Angelica, a temptress in search of the Fountain of Youth, but she cannot do the stunts anymore.

The Academy award winning actress who is five months pregnant with her first child, has sough the help of lookalike Monica to complete the film, reported Sun online.Penelope, 36, will do close-ups above her bump and Monica will do the distance shots.Monica, who is three years younger than her sister, is a star in her native Spain but found it hard to make her mark in Hollywood as her English is not fluent.When they started shooting in Hawaii over the summer, the newly pregnant star's bump was non-existent. But at five months gone, there is no hiding Penelope's growing stomach.

The film, the fourth in the series, will see the return of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, as well as Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa.Penelope announced she and husband Javier Bardem were expecting last month after the pair married secretly in July in the Bahamas. — PTI

Hollywood heartthrob Matt Damon has bid goodbye to the hit Bourne franchise and will not be reprising his role as Jason Bourne in the next movie.

Tony Gilroy, who will helm the fourth film in the action series has confirmed that the search is on for a new actor to step into Damon's shoes.

The 40-year-old actor has played secret agent Jason Bourne in three films, but sparked rumours of a departure from the franchise when director Paul Greengrass quit and the actor insisted he would not return to the role unless his pal was in charge. Gilroy, who wrote the screenplay for the three Bourne movies, has been hired to take over from Greengrass and he has now confirmed Damon will not be a part of new movie The Bourne Legacy.

And the film will not feature the title character at all.

"This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter, this is a stand-alone project," said Gilroy. — PTI

Singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham and husband soccer ace David Beckham have turned a matchmaker for model Kelly Brook.Victoria has asked soccer star husband David Beckham to find Brook, who split from rugby player Danny Cipriani in June.

"Victoria knows how lucky she and David are. She'd hate to date, especially in Los Angeles, so she's offering some sisterly support to Kelly," said a source close to Victoria."They've met a few times but really bonded during a string of fashion shows. They share a very cheeky sense of humour and get on really well."Victoria saw Kelly and felt really bad for her being thrust back into the dating game. She's apparently got David checking out all his mates and has some crackers lined up for Kelly. It's tough in Hollywood and a girl needs a mate," the source said.

Even as Indian players at the Commonwealth Games collect medals each day, some zestful souls in the city come up new things that would lift the morale of the players, whether it is through songs or daring acts. We catch up with Chandigarh/Ambala-based Hindi Rock band Drishtee, and Bhagga Dhaliwal of Patiala, who share their enthusiam with Team India.

Rock India

If you are not watching Commonwealth Games you are definitely missing out on something. But the band 'Drishtee' has a different take on it. "We are trying to contribute towards the nation and the players in our own way," says Amit aka Kashy, lead voaclist of the group that includes Vinnet Vandy (lead vocals and lead guitar), Vikram Vicky (Drums), Js Jaggi (acoustic guitar) and Abhisekh David (Backing vocals). The Hindi rock band formed in 1994, has to its credit 80 composistions and over 50 concerts all across India.

Now for the contribution to the mation part. "We have composed a song 'Team India', which is available on Youtube and Facebook. Ideally, we would have wanted to release it with some music company at Commonwealth Games, but it couldn't materialise," Amit adds with enthusiasm still intact.

"The song is made by the band, which at any ocassion can lift the morale of players and fans," he says. The members of the band do understand the need to market their songs, for putting it on social networking sites is not enough. "All said and done, in order to make their presence felt, the bands requires marketing and publicity." But for the Team India song, the band is ready to make-do with fans listening and enjoying it!

Team spirit

"Country 'key liye kuch bhi kareyga'," Patiala-based Manjinder Singh Bagga Dhaliwal can go all out for the nation, anytime and anywhere. The stunt motor biker carried the Queen's Baton in one hand and the Indian flag in the other as he rode the bike from Kapsera to the Commonwealth Games office on November 30. "I was especially chosen for the task. I am thankful to Suresh Kalmadi, KPS Gill, my mother Jaswinder Kaur and father Pritpal Singh for boosting my morale and giving me the courage to perform this act for the country.

"I am a sportsman and I know what it means to take part in a competition, the pressure, the excitement and the pride that comes with it," says Bagga, who if given a chance is ready to do anything for the country.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

All genres of music, including folk and devotional, express the voice of the human soul through the medium of sound. And music has been an ibadat for us ever since our ancestor Ustad Mamman Singh made it our family legacy. We represent the seventh generation," say ghazal singers Ustad Ahmed Hussain and Ustad Mohammad Hussain Khan, who are in the city on the invitation of Haryana Cultural Affairs Department for a devotional concert at the ongoing Navratra fair.

Hailing from the Jaipur Gharana, they have 70 hit ghazal albums to their credit in addition to a few devotional songs in Hindi and Punjabi. "The number is too small compared to our four decades of active music career, but we believe more in quality than quantity," says the elder brother Ahmed Hussain (60).

"We were initiated into music by our father Ustad Afzal Hussain. We first recorded a comedy song at AIR, Jaipur, and were paid Rs 5 for it," recollects Mohammad Hussain (58). Now, they see the future of their musical legacy in their singer sons Javed Hussain, Mazzam Hussian and Imran Hussain.

On the contemporary music scene, they opine that although there is more awakening and talent, both the teacher and taught lack devotion and appreciation for the sanctity of music. "The reality show culture, biased attitude of music companies that do not promote ghazals, qawwalis or classical albums, and media encouraging half-baked but influential artistes contributes to the downfall of good music," says Mohammad.

Adds Ahmed Hussain, "We are not against westernisation of Indian music or experiments with fusion; it's just that music should not lose its original content. Many of our professional counterparts count their foreign trips as a qualification, but I feel the real test lies in front of the Indian audience."

As for the budding artistes, the duo suggests that it is important to be patient and work really hard. 

Blenders Pride Punjab International Fashion Week proved to be an apt platform for discovering new talent from across the world. Having interviewed & screened more than 150 aspiring models, at the end of the auditions only a handful of all participants were offered a chance to walk the ramp on the global stage. Organized at the BellaVista Hotel in Panchkula , the auditions gave a chance to creative, entertaining, knowledgeable and stunning faces to prove their talent. The event will see participation from three international designers and 27 Indian designers, international and Indian Models. Also a number of supermodels will be seen. Punjab International Fashion Week promises to be one of the most glamorous, fashion shows ever.

The auditions were open to all new and aspiring models in the country. This model hunt for Punjab International Fashion Week was spearheaded by a panel of jury, comprising members from the fashion and film industry. The jury board included distinguished personalities like Gaurav Sharma, producer PIFW; Mahie Gill, actor; Priyanka Shah, fashion designer; Rahul Jain , fashion editor; Atul Pandey ,designer; Gautam Gupta and Educationist Shashi Sharma. Several rounds of walks on the ramp, interactions were held before short-listing the most befitting models for this India's most colourful global fashion event. Speaking on this occasion, Gaurav Sharma, producer PIFW said "It's been a very long day of selections for us. We reviewed every entries and short listed the best. A lot of talented and beautiful faces have been discovered but we've selected the best amongst the lot."

According to Mahie Gill, "The audition has been a gold mine event. Great body language and style! It's been really difficult to select models from this talented lot but we've finally short listed a few for the prestigious stage of PIFW." Says super model, Priyanka Shah," It's so nice to see all these new faces and enthusiasm in the participants." Adds Rahul Jain, designer, "I'm sure it will be an exciting experience for all the new models, especially since the fashion week is going to launch them on a global platform." —TNS

In the litany of unnecessary trivia that crowd our minds, jewellery is one of them. And, with the rise in gold prices it's artificial or imitation jewellery that is scoring high. An exhibition, put up by Nirmal Mahesh Chand at Kidar's Gallery-7, has all that one wants in the name of jewellery. From chandelier earrings to ear studs, neckpieces, bangles, kadas and even payals, the five-day exhibition that opened on Monday, showcases some wonderful designs and elegant stuff.

So, what's new? Well, the designs come from the bygone era and you can find pieces that remind you of some traditional jewellery your grandmother wore. In a silver base, coated with 24-karat gold, Nirmal uses precious and semi-precious stones in her ornaments.

"All my jewellery comes in sterling silver and I mostly use precious stones. In fact for the diamond look I use zircon," says Nirmal.

Though the best comes in Nikah ke Zevar (the latest in her collection). These are bridal jewellery sets that include earrings, neckpieces, ring and a tikka. As good as real these sets make for a good buy. Payal is another piece of art that you can pick up here that comes in traditional designs with a contemporary touch. The price of the jewellery starts at Rs 500 and goes up to Rs 50,000.

Touch wood

That's not all. The exhibition showcases furniture too. In an old-world charm some of these pieces come from royal houses. Says Nirmal, "Some of the pieces have been picked up from royal families which are as old as 50 years. Others are modified to suit the present day demand. Out of the number of things available, the Maharaja chair available with me is from a royal family and this one was actually used by a royal member to tie his shoe laces."

Well, that only adds to the charm of the chair, which is carved in wood and mirrors on the sides. For more, you can pick sofa sets, beds, verandah sets, mirrors and even almirahs.

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

HP has introduced its first HP ProLiant MicroServer designed to enable small companies to confidently grow their businesses while taking advantage of the reliability, performance and security of a server.

At the centre of HP's new "Just Right IT" portfolio for micro and small businesses, the HP ProLiant MicroServer delivers affordability, energy and space-saving features. Designed for companies with less than 10 employees, the HP ProLiant MicroServer enables them to share and secure critical business information.

Ideal when needing to stay connected, whether in the office or on the road, the server simplifies how users access data differently than on desktop or notebook PCs.

The HP ProLiant MicroServer's compact, quiet and sleek design is about half the size and 50 per cent quieter than most entry-level servers. It also offers lower power consumption for energy-conscious businesses.

Pricing starts at the Rs 25,000 inclusive of Microsoft Foundation and a one-year product warranty covering parts replacement, labor and onsite support.

There's something about the college trips; even a casual day out converts into a galaxy of memories, if the destinations are hackneyed, the reminiscences are not, and the pictures are perfect even if the places are not! A scan through the itineraries and Jaipur, Goa, Mumbai are still a staple; educational or not, excursion remains an inseparable part and the entire concept sacrosanct. So who all are headed where?

Each year, Government College of Art-10 students pack their bags and ship off to the most artistic of places across India. Shares DS Kapoor, principal, "Each year we take our students on a 20-day tour and it's educational-cum-excursion tour to Khajuraho, Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta caves." He adds, "It's a compulsory annual routine and a part of their study of history. They are asked to sketch, use watercolours on the spot and after they come back, teachers assess them. Apart from this, there are at times short study tours."

At the end of the day, a tour is a tour is a tour; isn't the study tangential! As Sakshi Mehrotra, lecturer in Psychology, MCM College, says, "I once accompanied the students on a Mumbai-Goa tour and what makes college tours special is that an altogether different equation is developed during these days. You enjoy a new place without routine life bothering you and even after you come back, it's not the same anymore because there's always that like-never-before bond."

Like always, certain destinations are rather a tradition. Places that the previous generations went to, places that students still vouch for. Destinations that have been most repeated, often visited for over a decade now. "Mumbai-Goa and the entire Jaipur belt is a hit with the students, so they are a constant in the itinerary and an option available to the students every year. Besides, we take them on small short trips to Shimla during the initial part of the year so that they get to know each other while they are still settling down."

Agrees Charanjeet Kaur Sohi, principal, Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, "It's that period of life when one is young and carefree; there are no worries, no financial liabilities. Moreover, it's the company that matters and makes it special, everybody shares the same wavelength, and they are all of the same age group."

While where they are taking their students might not be decided yet, but yes, Mumbai-Goa, invariably makes its way to the probable destinations. She adds, "Most probably, it's going to be these places only because the girls want to go that side. We do keep the students' preferences in mind, they speak to the council and in turn, we consult them before deciding." Nods Mehrotra, "Students' preference is always kept in mind. Suddenly when so many girls pop up for a trip, we know that this destination is popular." Even if it's not, who's complaining, was it anyways ever about the destination more than the journey?

manpriya@tribnunemail.com

Kids who feel like outcasts, are more likely than others to lash out in response to acute peer rejection, found researchers in The Netherlands. "It was inspired by the fact that we had these school shootings and wondered what the most important feature of these kids could be," said Albert Reijntjes of Utrecht University, who co-wrote the study with five other psychological scientists.

"In discussing it with colleagues, the alienation concept came up; maybe there is something to alienation that increases aggression," he added. The researchers recruited students in two or three classes at each of three Dutch schools; 121 students aged 10 to 13 took part in the study. Each child was told they were playing an Internet contest called "Survivor"-a fake contest for the study. Each child completed a personal profile to be allegedly uploaded to the website alongside their picture.

Then they were given time to look over the feedback they received from eight judges, children from other schools. Some of the children received mostly positive feedback; some had mostly negative feedback, like, "This person does not seem fun to hang out with." Finally, the child had a chance to choose how much money each judge would get, and to write comments about the judges.

Students who had been rejected were more likely to act aggressively toward judges-taking away money from them and/or writing comments like "This person is fat and mean." The experiment ended with a thorough debriefing session, where the researchers explained the project and that the judges and their mean comments were fake. To round it off, "We talk at length about a recent positive social experience they have had and they get a present. So far, that has always been successful in not getting crying kids," said Reijntjes. "When you're an outcast, you're more likely to lash out aggressively when faced with bad peer experiences. Maybe part of the solution is to help children not to feel like outcasts- he says it could be useful to look out for children who feel alienated and design interventions that help them feel part of the group. The results are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. — Reuters

With the countdown to the CAT having begun, with almost every stream student an aspirant for a B-school, no wonder the colleges have started efforts just to attract the right crowd. To cater to the needs of the business school aspirants to interact with the B-schools, EduCorp, in association with GGDSD College, sector 32, brings a platform, MBA EXPO - Shake Hands with Opportunities.

This one aims to take care of the string of queries; think admission criteria, fee, facilities, curriculum, placements etc. and that too not from any third party, but directly from the B-schools. The event will be a 2-day affair to be held at SD college, sector 32 on 15th and 16th October 2010 wherein every aspirant will get a chance to undergo this academic experience of life - by meeting top MBA colleges of India, by attending seminars on advertising (by advertising guru Prahlad Dabholkar, Amul Butter fame), HR (by HR expert Sahil Sahore, Delhi), mass communication (by Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune) and many more. The highlight of the event will be a special seminar for working people to help them in their professional career progress. The participating MBA Colleges are ISB Hyderabad, IMI New Delhi, MICA Ahmedabad, Symbiosis Pune, IIMT Gurgaon, MBS Mumbai, ISBF Delhi, SCMLD Pune, JIMS, ICFAI University, Chitkara University, JK Business School and many more. — TNS

A new UK study has revealed that traditional hobbies like collecting stamps and marbles are dying out because modern kids think they are boring. Today's youngsters listed watching TV, playing computer games or going on Facebook as their interests. They dismissed old favourites like train spotting, model making, jigsaw puzzles and collecting bottle tops as "for anoraks".

A spokesman for the Army Cadets, who carried out a survey as part of the cadet movement's 150th anniversary celebrations, said: "It would be a shame if simple pleasures became a thing of the past. We have to accept hobbies evolve. But teenagers still search for fun and friends," a publication quoted the spokesman as saying.

Researchers found only one per cent of teenagers now collects stickers, while a quarter did 40 years ago. And although football and swimming are still popular, three in ten youngsters listed shopping as their hobby. — ANI