As real as it gets…
Get over dramatic, heavy weight, larger than life dialogues…film makers would rather have it real
There's more in common between the movies Band Baja Baraat and Do Dooni Chaar than just their writer-Habib Faisal. Both flicks have cashed upon the aspirations of common man, of Mr Duggal (played by Rishi Kapoor), a schoolteacher's wish to buy a small car, of Shruti Kakker (Anushka Sharma) and Bittu Sharma's (Ranveer Singh) desire to open a wedding planning company. "The characters were identifiable, almost real. I couldn't have given them melodramatic dialogues," says Habib. The trend of using colloquial or as writers term it, the real language of people, has replaced the "over the top" emotional lines of yesteryears. So, there are movies like No One Killed Jessica among the more recent ones Yeh Saali Zindagi, Peepli Live in which language is of, by and for, the real people.

So, Mohit Chauhan would have been a shepherd!
What others call stage performance, Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan calls 'soul testing,' something that he loves to do more than often. In the city to perform on the concluding day of Rose Festival, Mohit who has a string of successful songs from the likes of Tujhey Bhula diya ( Anjaana Anjani ), Masakkali ( Delhi 6) to Pehli Baar Mohabbat ( Kaminey) is not an interviewers delight - you have to put words in his mouth. But once Mohit gets rolling... he sure is a delight. Check it out

No Gully fashion for Marc
Believe every word he says about the Indian Fashion Industry. Believe him when he says, "Half a dozen regional fashion weeks that we have across the country are a mockery of fashion in India. Designers put their old collections on display, there are hardly any buyers and even guests are randomly invited." When Marc Robinson, second male super model after Milind Soman gives his take on the fashion scene in India, he has to be taken seriously, "I can't risk my brand for the sake of these so called fashion shows. It's like asking Sachin and Sehwag to play Gully cricket." In the city on Sunday to shortlist contestants for the Miss India pageant, he speaks his mind on fashion; absence of male models and strategy to assure that Miss India does well at the international beauty pageants.

Sajid-Wajid open personal channel on Youtube
Music-composer duo Sajid-Wajid tread a new path to reach their audience. They have opened a channel by their name on Youtube, a video-sharing website, and claim to be the first to do something like that in the Bollywood music fraternity. "I haven't announced it officially. I think I am the first person from Bollywood to have a channel on Youtube. It's so beautiful and so nice and it's just a first step of mine and I want to take this to a different level," said Sajid.

Rose herb chicken in a packet!
Though men like an elaborate meal, for working women or even housewives, life goes beyond the four walls of kitchen. So, coming to the rescue of modern day women are a variety of frozen and ready-to-eat foodstuffs. Right from easy-to-make finger chips to smoked chicken, dimsums, prawns to paranthas, there is a variety that needs to be explored.

People leisurely watch folk dance performances on the concluding day of the Rose Festival

Colours of spring: A girl admires the beauty of roses in full bloom

Most reality shows are rigged
A confession from Vindu…
Celebrity reality shows, you still think there is something left to talk about the melodramatic-rigged-sleazy-fake dramas. Well, if you thought so, wait till you hear it from Vindu Dara Singh, winner of reality show Bigg Boss 3, the actor has a lot of dough to offer on the same. In the city for the launch of Tech Italy's Herbal range of hair products, Vindu is all revved up about the Punjabi movie, The Lion Of Punjab, wherein he plays an honest inspector Balbir Singh.

Piece of royalty
Art Karat synonymous with silver jewellery and exceptional kundan craftsmanship brings its latest offering the Maharaja Collection to Chandigarh at Hotel Mountview, Sector 10. Asha Kamal Modi and Saket Modi, the designers behind Art Karat are known for their fabulous creations that have been showcased in more than 10 Bollywood blockbusters including Devdas, Mansoon Wedding, Kamasutra and Zubeida. Their latest offering, the Maharaja Collection, is a compilation of the most sought after jewellery designs possessed by the Royal families of India and boasts of designs from the private collection of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Patiala, Maharani Gayatri Devi Jaipur, and the Nizams of Hyderabad in one extraordinary ensemble.

From pumpkin to carrot
First person account from those who lost several pounds to get in shape
Benjamin Franklin once quoted "In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires." Does that line ring a bell? Do you think with so much scrumptious food around, we are failing to curb our appetite? Are we responsible for not being able to keep our bellies tucked in? All of us can recall making hollow promises a thousand times of controlling our diet but all such resolutions lack commitment and thus we fail.

BODY wise
Make the most of your shape
Everyone has a distinct body shape; however female bodies are commonly classified as having body shapes: pear, apple, ruler, and hourglass. And as all body shapes are not the same, they require different methods to reach weight loss goals. Here are some tips to identify your body shape and sculpt it with the best possible exercises.

Slice the ham intake
Health experts have said that eating more than 3 slices of ham a day really does increase bowel cancer risk. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), published recommendations designed to reduce the risk of bowel cancer, reports the Daily Mail. The latest findings are bound to muddy the already confusing debate around the nutritional benefits of red meat.

Emily Blunt fought for ballerina role
Hollywood actress Emily Blunt had to fight her way to the role of a ballerina in the film The Adjustment Bureau as the director was only considering dancers for the part. George Nolfi, the director of the upcoming thriller wanted to cast a professional dancer but the 28-year-old British actress was determined to get the role, reported Contactmusic. Blunt who shot to fame playing the catty assistant Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, said that she fell in love with the script which is loosely based on author Philip K Dick's short story, Adjustment Team. "I read the script and then about six weeks later, I finally got a meeting with George. I would call my agency and they would say, 'No, no, they're only meeting dancers'. He said he wanted a dancer and I said, 'I think you're wrong, I think you should have me,'", she said.

Winehouse takes to ballet to stay fit
Singer Amy Winehouse is reportedly taking lessons in ballet dancing at her north London home to stay fit and look good. "Amy has started ballet lessons at home and she's really enjoying them. She wants to get fit, tone up and become more supple without getting too muscular, said a source." "She really likes kick-boxing too, but she loves the glamour of ballet."

Get to know Prachi Desai via voice chat
If you are a fan of Bollywood actress Prachi Desai and want to know more about her, you have a chance to speak with her in person. She will talk about her upcoming projects, her passions, her likes and dislikes via voice chat.

Justin Bieber not to adopt wild lifestyle
Pop sensation Justin Bieber, the current craze among young music lovers, has vowed never to adopt wild lifestyle like other teen stars because he has a strong support system.

Happy kids make for happy adults
Being cheerful in teen years could be key to greater well being and satisfaction in adulthood, says new research. Although a troubled childhood may be linked to mental health problems, little is known about the impact of a positive childhood. Accordingly, University of Cambridge researchers and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, a 'positive' childhood was based on evaluation of students' levels of happiness and energy at the age of 13 and 15. "The benefits to individuals, families and to society of good mental health, positive relationships and satisfying work are likely to be substantial," said Felicia Huppert, co-author and director of the Well-being Institute, University of Cambridge. — IANS

Abhay refuses to go topless
Bollywood actor Abhay Deol was asked to take off his shirt for a scene in Zoya Akhtar's next film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, but he firmly refused to do so. The reason — he has hair on his chest. Zoya had asked him and Hrithik Roshan, who also plays a lead role in the film, to go topless in a scene. Hrithik obliged but Abhay refused to bare his chest, a source said. "Abhay refused to take off his shirt as he doesn't prefer to shave his chest hair," the source said.

Abhay Deol

Tired of playing a baddie: Sushant Singh
Film and television actor Sushant Singh is scouting for some new kinds of roles now, saying that he is tired of playing a villain or a "serious person" all the time. "I have tried not to get branded as a villain or a serious person in the movies. I am tired of this image," Sushant, who came into limelight playing a villain in Ram Gopal Varma's 200 film Jungle, he said.

Kelly Osbourne praises Madonna's parenting
Reality TV star Kelly Osbourne is all praise for pop diva Madonna's parenting skills, insisting she has done a "fantastic job" bringing up daughter Lourdes. The 26-year-old has signed up as the new face of the superstar's Material Girl clothing line, which she designs with her 14-year-old daughter.

MaxMara honours Katie Holmes
Italian fashion label MaxMara has honoured Katie Holmes as their Face of the Future. The annual award is given to recognise style, talent and the recipient's contribution to the community and Holmes is said to be thrilled with the honour because she adores the label, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

I am addicted to music: Kylie Minogue
She has admitted to considering retirement at the end of every tour but pop princess Kylie Minogue says she is so addicted to her music that she can never take a break longer than a few months.