Ray of hope
Having won her fight against cancer, model Lisa Ray, in the city for a product launch, seems stronger than ever before
Gossamer complexion, cognac eyes, a stunning smile and never-ending legs; post multiple Myeloma (cancer of plasma cells) model turned actor Lisa Ray was at her radiant best on Thursday. Dressed in black, meeting Lisa was quite a revelation as she defies conventional straitjacketing and turns out to be much more Indian than we thought she would be!

Smoke Screen
What is it about smoking on screen, especially our Bollywood belles, which creates such a debate? Jasmine Singh finds out
A car screeches to a halt, stilettos pin holes on the soft sand of the parking ground. The giggling, laughing girlie stock marches towards a small shop in the corner. The transaction is neat — a packet of Malboro Lights for Rs 120, and four extra mints to go with it. One intoxicating puff after the other…is it women liberation or just 'why the hell can't we do it' scenario? 

Tea off
If you could give me a cup of tea to clear my muddle of a head, I should better understand your affairs,' said famous author Charles Dickens. But this is not exactly the case with Gen Y, which opts for more fashionable drinks like coffee or cola over tea. Although tea has been and is a part of everyday routine of an average Indian, there have been myths associated with it. Although tea has been and is a part of everyday routine of an average Indian, there have been myths associated with it.

Everybody hates Gulshan
Bollywood's very own badman Gulshan Grover says his industry friends like Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff are green with envy that he has bagged the role of Hollywood hottie Salma Hayek's husband.The actor says his friends now want to kill him for being the lucky man.Grover is playing Hayek's husband in the upcoming Hollywood production The Driver, to be directed by Bill Duke, whose credits include films like Sister Act 2:Back in the Habit with Whoopi Goldberg, A Rage in Harlem and The Cemetery Club. And if reports are true Hayek won't be the only celebrity on stage as actors Will Smith, Janet Jackson and Whoopie Goldberg will also make cameo appearances."

NEW RELEASES
Take a break

Making a Statement
Maheep Kapoor, wife of actor Sanjay Kapoor, is in the city to showcase her jewellery designs 
She defines her jewellery appropriately - 'statement pieces'. Meet Maheep Kapoor, wife of actor Sanjay Kapoor, jewellery designer and a doting mother who says her designs ooze style but are definitely not flamboyant. In the city to showcase her jewellery exhibition at Hotel Mountview, Maheep is a powerhouse in her own right, and represents the modern Indian woman who has found the perfect balance between her family, friends and career. "I am first a mother and the rest follows," says Maheep.

Fiesty spirit
Chandigarh ahead of times' is the tagline of the carnival that opened on Thursday. A robot holding a spaceship stands as the 25-foot high gate. The theme: Science fiction.

Remembering the Nightingale
Noted singer Dolly Guleria on Thursday celebrated the 81st birthday of Surinder Kaur, the Nightingale of Punjab. Says Guleria, "It is inspiring that my mother has translated the soul of Punjabi culture into the songs immortalised by her but it is indeed rejuvenating to see the love and affection showered on herby music lovers all over the world.

Side Lanes
Parental legacies
Some are born clutching gold coins in their tiny fists. Others clench silver spoons between tender gums. Still others inherit land and homes. Many of us complain of a penniless childhood, take pride in our successes, solaced by the idea that we are superior to those who were born with everything. I was blessed with none of the material assets mentioned above. However, the marriage between a highly westernised individual and a daughter of the soil, both of different faiths, created a very privileged, free-thinking person, who acknowledges her strengths with gratitude.

Knotty affair
Macramé is derived from the Arabic word migramah meaning a striped towel, an ornamental fringe or an elegant embroidered veil. Ever since its inception in the 13th century by the Arab weavers, who very skillfully knotted threads along the edges of handloomed fabrics to create beautifully decorative fringes, this simple yet, impressive art form has travelled a long way.

CREATIVE ZONE
BRUSH with success
Gifted with a highly imaginative mind, Harjit Singh Purewal has created some living wonders on the canvass. An alumnus of Government College of Art, he later completed a five-year post diploma in commercial art. Purewal has been a proud recipient of Punjab State Award-1968, Haryana State Award-1970, Punjab Lalit Kala Award-1980, among others. He has also been honoured at the World Punjabi Conference in 2004.

World class —– Colombian singer Shakira performs during her concert The Sun Comes Out world tour in Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday. — PTI photo