EDUCATION

Experts dwell on social empowerment through IT
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 23
The convergence of information and communication technologies involve not only the integration of carriage and control but also of industry. In such convergence, instances of conflicting interests might surface triggering a competition that ends up with the survival of fittest industries and of sustainable application.

These were some of the views put forward by by Mr Nirmaljit S. Kalsi, Managing Director, Punjab Infotech; Prof Apurba Baruah, Prof P.S. Verma and Dr Pramod Kumar during a seminar organised by the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), the Punjab Information and Technology Corporation and Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC)-India here today.

Dr A.A. Siddiqui, Director-General of Police, Punjab, said the converged application had bearing on ‘e-governance’ which many people perceived as a means to good governance. He said there was a need for uniformity, optimistic approach, and participation of people required in the e-governance.

He also emphasised the need for the change of mindset of the people at every level so that social empowerment through IT could reach at the grass-roots level.

Mr Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman, HCL Infosystems Limited, explanied how the IT was being used to reduce poverty, illiteracy and elimination of the middleman.

Mr Rajeev Arora, Director, Agriculture, Haryana, discussed WTO’s studies and the global standard of governance by using IT that how it improved effectiveness and accountability of the government.

Dr Pramod Kumar, Director, IDC, Dr Rainuka Dagar, Dr Manorama Sharma, North-Eastern Hill University and North-Eastern Institute of Development Studies, Shillong, Dr Sherry Sabharwal from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Mr J.S. Bhatia, Director, C-DAC, Mohali and Dr Gurpreet Singh Lehal, Punjabi University, Patiala, also addressed the seminar.

LIFESTYLE

Style i
For brides-to-be, stress is on inner radiance
Geetu Vaid

Looking her best and radiant on her wedding day is every girl’s dream and a lot of help in this regard is at hand for the brides-to-be nowadays. Apart from the elaborate bridal dress , the jewellery, hair and make-up are what add a special touch to the whole occasion. “This year’s trends for brides show that bold neck pieces as well as chokers with a string of diamonds are highly in demand. Also big-sized rubies and diamonds are in vogue. Bolder designs are back in vogue and the emphasis is on one or two heavy pieces rather than a bunch of smaller ones”, comments Rohit, a city-based jeweller. A bride is no longer limited in her choice to just gold. Set in platinum, white gold, or antique finish gold, diamonds and gems are a craze this year.

However, as jewellery styling differs from person to person, the would-be brides should try out the jewellery rather than blindly following trends. “‘Pick up jewellery that suits your face and personality, if you have an oval face, try using a set of long chandelier earrings to emphasise it”, says Rohit.

Bridal hairstyles should reflect the bride’s personality and personal style. Highlighting and streaking may add flattering touches to the overall look, especially in photographs. Shahid, a city-based hair stylist, recommends that the brides should get a hair cut and colouring job done two or three weeks before the wedding to avoid the new cut and coloured look. Hair can be worn up or down according to the face cut and dress. Different accessories like tikas, diamentes, beads, etc also look good. If your hair is long and you wear it pulled back most of the time, then an elegant high bun would be just the look. One can also go for a style with knots and rolls, he suggests.

Various head to toe beauty packages, spa sessions and special pre-bridal packages for the brides and grooms are on offer at various beauty clinics in the city. Grooms too, are not lagging behind when it comes to getting beauty treatments. The package for a bride and a groom may cost Rs 3,000 upwards and a spa package can cost Rs 900 upwards. The stress is on inner radiance rather than superficial make-up touches, says Ramandeep, beauty manager of a Panchkula-based beauty clinic. So these sessions begin at least a month before the D-day. The would-be-bride is under a lot of physical, emotional and psychological stress and this leaves tell- tale marks in the form of a tanned skin (result of umpteen shopping trips), acne, puffy eyes, under eye dark circles, etc. A regular beauty regime before the D-day can help fight these problems. Eating right and drinking lots of water and juices improves the health of skin. Water flushes out toxins and also makes one feel full and less inclined to overeat.

Ritu Colentine, a city-based beauty consultant, recommends spa treatment for brides as it not only destresses but the various wraps like milk and honey and peppermint and massage with serums and ampules detoxify the body also.

In make-up, the muted look is the trend. “Light make-up, with a touch of glitter for that glamorous look for the outdoor function is what I want for my wedding day”, says Shalini, who is getting married next month. “Apart from the outfit and the personality of the bride, the make-up also has to match the lighting at the venue”, says Ritu. This season bright colours are in and along with tones of red, pink, fuchsia and bronze are the chosen colours. The glitter and shimmer looks are recommended by Ritu for the brides-to-be. Shimmer look is ideal for Indo-western outfits, especially for reception and cocktail functions, she says. Smoky eyes highlighted with thick lashes are what most brides are preferring this time, she adds. Elaborate nail art with crystals and sequins and body tattoos matching the wedding outfit is another new trend this year, says Ritu. “It is best to try out various looks and combinations to see what suits you best; after all it is the most important day in your life and you can’t leave anything to chance”, chirps Shalini.

Thousands brave the sun for a song
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23
How far would one go for the sake of a dream? Well, ask the thousands who sweated it out in the sultry day so that their song could find a home…. They were all there - the young, the not-so-young, the determined and the despairing, holding on to their hopes and imploring the organisers of V’s Super Singer hunt to let them jump the serpentine queues that marked the access to Mount View hotel today. 

For those in the waiting, organisers were Gods today, not that cops were any less. They flaunted their authority like never before, controlling the flow of crowd towards the “inaccessible” hotel lobby.

Aspirants started pouring in as early as 3 am. The first to arrive was Himanshu Kapoor from Delhi. Selected till the last round of V Popstars last year, Himanshu had to go disappointed when the organisers discovered that he was not 18 years old. “I took that defeat with a pinch of salt, but I am determined to make it this time. I qualify completely and I will sing Sonu Nigam’s “Har ghadi badal rahi hai…,” declared the young enthusiast, who was accompanied by at least eight more friends from Delhi. People had come from as far as Uttar Pradesh, Gurgaon, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh.

As Himanshu practised his act outside the audition venue, thousands prayed for their chance to audition. Such was the rush that Channel V had to begin registration much before the scheduled time of 9 am. Despite their best efforts to accommodate all, they could do justice to only about 600 aspirants, who were among the first ones to queue up. Said Channel V Honcho Head Amar Deb, “The registration was on the first-come-first-serve basis. We were not expecting such a phenomenal response. These people are so well behaved. We hardly faced any security problems.”

Out of about 2500 who turned up, judge Adnan Sami could audition only 250 by 7 pm. Sami heard out each aspirant no matter how dissonant he/she was. Even the rejection came gracefully, followed by tips on how to improve the sound.

Sami was largely encouraging, especially to the determined ones like one Kshitij, who had been rejected in Delhi two days ago. He turned up again and Sami exactly remembered him, even the song he had offered in Delhi. Amused, he said, “Though I am impressed with your determination, I wonder if you have mastered the art of song in two days?” Desperate as he was, Kshitij sang again, and Sami listened again!

There were others who came just for an audience with Adnan Sami, like Anup from Delhi who admitted, “I can’t sing for nuts. I came just for you.” Sami obliged his fan with a warm handshake before seeing him off. Next came Christie, who was too overwhelmed to be controlled. So when Sami asked him what music meant to her, she struck a highly emotional chord, “Don’t ask. It is my life, my all. Just ask me to sing. I have never had a chance to prove my talent.” Christie didn’t make it. Adnan told her to work on voice culture.

Out of the hundreds who auditioned, none seemed to have the perfect voice which Adnan was hunting for. He said, “I had come with greater expectations. Let us see what we get from here. There are some more youngsters to go.” The pianist looked fatigued by the end of the day. There was no commercial break to his act, structured to discover that voice which could melt gold!

New Releases
Bold and different

Four Bollywood films lined-up for release.

Director Tanveer Khan’s ‘Madhoshi’ earlier titled ‘Mumkin’ is one of the keenly awaited after anticipated film ‘Jism’ and ‘Aitbaar’ of John Abraham and Bipasha Basu. This will be John-Bipasha’s third movie with a backdrop of New York’s September 11 World Trade Center tragedy. Shweta International’s ‘Madhoshi’ is produced by Anil Sharma of ‘Hogi Pyar Ki Jeet’ fame. Film has several exciting by Bipasha Basu. It also stars ‘Tum Bin’ fame Priyanshu Chatterjee. The film is written and directed by Tanveer Khan. Singer-turned-music director Roop Kumar Rathod has given music to ‘Madhoshi’ Shakeel Azmi has penned its lyrics.

Shweta Tiwari, Nandita Puri, Smita Jaykar, Anoop Desai and Vikram Gokhale are in supporting roles. The film will be released today at Batra Chandigarh, Fun Republic, Manimajra and Suraj Panchkula.

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‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha is produced by Mukesh Bhatt and music company Sa Re Ga Ma. The film has some bold scenes of Emran Hashmi and Diya Mirza. It is a Indian version of ‘Pretty Woman’. Film explores romantic interlude between a stripper and a rich boy. Anurag Basu goes for a conventional love story after super natural ‘Saaya’ and erotic love story ‘Murder’. This is his third film with the Bhatt Camp.

The film also stars Sharat Saxena, Surekha Sikri, Uday Tikekar and Sandeep Sharma Subodh Chopra has written the film. Sameer has penned the lyrics. Nadeem Shrawan’s songs are catchy ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha, will be released today at Neelam Chandigarh, Fun Republic, Manimajra and K.C. Panchkula.

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Shashi Ranjan, the man behind the formation of ‘The Indian Television Academy is ready with his film ‘Dobara’. Starring Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Mahima Choudhary and Pakistani top artiste Muammar Rana. Pakistani actor Muammar Rana also figures in the cast. ‘Dobara’ will be premiered in Pakistan’. It is touted as psychological and emotional story with finesse. ‘Dobara’ marks the comeback for Alisha Chinoy with music composer Anu Malik. The film will be released today at Fun Republic, Manimajra.

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Dream banner is ready again with ‘The King of Bollywood’. It will be released today at Kiran Chandigarh and Fun Republic Manimajra. It is a spoof on Bollywood. This one is directed by Piyush Jha of ‘Chalo America’. Om Puri plays lead role with Hollywood actress Sophie Dahl. It is a film to watch. — DP