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Holy Toon
So when a few years back animated versions of gods like Hanuman, Lord Ganesha, and Krishna made their entry on 70 MM and competed for screen space with stars running around trees or fighting bad boys, we were indeed quite happy. The TV premiere of Ghatotkach and Pralhad on Star Gold last week, only added to our happiness and we concluded the time is ripe again for religious toons. To find out more, we spoke to a few individuals in the animated mythological world. Quiz the producer of Ghatotkach and Pralhad, Amit Chheda, on opting for the genre of mythological animations and he takes us back to the times of joint family systems. “Break up of joint families put an end to granny’s story telling sessions too,” he says. And then he reasons — a good script and a super hero is what makes a hit movie, and these tales offer both. Amit’s production house earlier gave us Birbal Stories, Panchtantra, Vikram aur Betal and Krishna. But, then it’s not all so bright in the mytho-cartoon world. Tells chairman, Compact Disc, Suresh Kumar, “The time, cost, and effort required to make a mythological animation film is equal to that of making a Hollywood animation. Only 10 or 11 per cent of the world audience watch these, so the returns are very low.” And who forms this minuscule percentage? Says Amit, “From kids to people in the age group of 30 to 40 years.” 30 to 40? “Yes, cos’ all that they had seen is just Mahabharata and Ramayana,” he explains. So his production house is offering more than that. In the pipeline are Prithviraj Chauhan and Singhasan Batisi. And what about competition from mainstream animation? There is none. Says Amit “Yash Raj (Roadside Romeo) and Karan Johar (Kuchi Kuchi Hota Hai) have chosen their genre and so have we.” As for the region it was Sahibzaday that introduced us to the world of animation in 2005. It was followed by Rise of Khalsa in 2006. Says Mohali based Sukhwinder Singh, one of the directors of these movies, “There can be no better medium than cartoons to pass on the teachings and cultural values. The kids are addicted to cartoons.” He offers a word of advice though, “Too much of experimentation in this genre is not a good idea though.” Their next production will hit the screens in May. Called Sundari, it’s the story of a Sikh women set in 1740s. Well, all we can say is that as long as the heroic tales are reaching our living rooms , be it via a 3-D wonder or a musical feat, or a blue-bodied mischievous Krishna, we aren’t
complaining! |
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Tuning in to tunics
Guess what’s the latest ‘flirty’ flutter in the world of fashion? Fashionistas, you don’t really need to peep into the crystal ball to guess this. For, this astonishingly versatile, fashion must-have’s been last season’s boho-chic staple too. This time around, however, the cuts get snazzier and detailing jazzier. Cleavages run their famous depths and the fit looks more figure-flattering. An absolute style-lolly for the lil’ girls lurking within all of us, the garment exuberates a hint of chutzpah and jaw-dropping glamour. Gals, it’s the tantalising tunic in it’s hip-swish avatar. Sitting pretty on the city shelves, it’s looking so hot, we’re surprised the streets aren’t scorching!
And now, we move on to quiz our innovative battery of fashion designers. They’ve launched a thousand fashions, created trends and whipped up frenzies, but still believe tunics can never go off fad. Quips Sandy from Studio Sandon-11, “When Rajesh Khanna’s humble kurta fell in the hands of designers, it became the hip-swish kurti. We thought it was meant to stay glued to our fashion directories. But in flew the tantalising tunics, and stole the show. This year too, terrific tunics will reign, when worn with churipants, cigarette jeans, skinny slacks, back zips, interesting empire lines and chunky, waist tie-ups. They’ll flaunt trapeze-cut over skinny jeans, belted sixties style with thick tights, besides being layered over voluminous sleeves.” Avers fashion columnist Ritu Kochchar, “Versatile, body-flattering tunics can be called upon to dress up jeans, slum-down dress pants or serve as a beach cover-up. Whether it’s sporting an empire waist, a deep V-neck or a gem-embellished detail, it flatters all forms, heights and holds grip among all age groups. Chips in Sanjeev Giri from Sparkles-9, “Tunics in lycra, cotton, georgettes and blended fabrics like voiles and mulmuls are striking the market with great velocity. The catch this season is in the cut, embellished empire lines, tag on belts and interesting detailing with metallic discs.” Adds Manish Jain of MB’s, “While the formal tunics have swarovskies, stones and embroidery, the casual-sporty ones are chic floral printed and safari-looking, in khakis and neutrals. Starting off at Rs 200, their price goes upto Rs 2,000!” Choose the right tunic n
Ensure your tunic is mid-thigh. Anything longer will make your torso look longer. |
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Wear a Picasso
Reasons designer Sandy Sandon of Studio Cheeni -11, “Thanks to their sheer ‘shock value,’ these pop art prints are sure-shot ramp sizzlers. Remember the sizzling response received by Manish Arora’s Spring-2008 line shown at Paris Fashion Week? The flamboyant designer did well by meshing up Indian pop art, 60’s n’ 70’s psychedelia and loud Bollywood influences. The fervid imagination resulted in a collection that played with Indian deities and apsaras sporting funky florescent shades, sequins and sparkling crystals, embroidered multi-coloured snakes of saamp-sidi, Amar Chitra Katha characters and every imaginable form of desi kitsch.” And well, Sandy himself loves to play with pop art. His tees and jeans Rs 500-300 flaunt animal faces, wheels, human skulls and Hindu gods! Then of course, the city shelves have designer wear by Rohit Bal, Priya Aawasthi, Shyam Narayan Prasad and Deepika Gehani that flaunt arty prints. Though each of them has played with different strokes, the underlying motif in their formal and semi-formal tunics and kurtis (Rs 4,480-42,000!) is an Edenic forest teeming with flamboyant flowers, exotic butterflies and riotously coloured Toucan birds. Entwined with digital jungle prints, these paintings get a new meaning on these outfits. Stanza-17 also flaunts cotton and linen shirts (Rs 900-3,300) in prints inspired by aquatic life, turtles, fish, falling leaves and the spring gardens. The brand offers ties too, in loud, acid colour prints (Rs 1,000). For those addicted to accessories, there are tote bags in metallic shades (available at Waga, Mickey Chhabra, Ebony, Ten West) with cartoons, graphics and pretty models and pop art inspired prints. Satya Paul’s WWF scarves (Rs 895-Rs 2,495) in georgettes, jacquards and crepes play around funky art. The wealth of references the designer uses and the enormous surprise (or shock) value of his creations – cats, microchips, lizards, elephants and jungles – make the designer a Rorschach Test analyst’s delight. Even ties by S.P. (in pink, aqua, gold and maroon) can help our men kill their boardroom boredom with graphics, pop art inspired prints or geometric jaquards. And well, if you’ve been frequenting various art expos in town, are a regular reader of art reviews and love to flaunt a Picasso or a Michelangelo, here’s some good news. Satya Paul’s inspiration series-3, celebrates not just pop art and kitsch, but real art too! Inspired by the works of Pablo Picasso and Rene Magritte, the designer’s staple in town has georgettes, chiffons and jacquards (Rs 8,000-30,000) flaunting everything from animal paws, fire flames and gardens to stars in the sky! A hot number here is a cocktail sari in blazing red. Scribbled on it are Sanskrit shlokas and Hindi collage prints as also digital prints in bright yellow and parrot green (Rs 5,795). Smiles Salil of Studio Salil, “Strokes have invaded contemporary fashion. Even the colour palette’s not just interesting but very mysterious —
ruby red, Indian blue, aubergine, mauve, ash grey, saffron, fuchsia, magenta and kiln brown. Of course, the imagination here runs wild and unfettered but there is complete mastery over form and structure. Even the lurid colours have a language and an inherent creative logic of their own.” Quite possibly, a cynic may call these pieces of art as ‘madness’. And we can’t say the comment would be entirely off the mark. Only, this is no ordinary madness! |
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A toast to Equality
The invitation asks us to join for a session of ‘Koffee with Azouz Begag’, a French writer, sociologist and former minister for equal opportunities at the Alliance Francaise Café. However, the ‘Koffee’ turns out to be a cup of tea, and our role is nothing like that of Karan Johar for, barring asking a few questions here and there, we just listen to him while he does all the talking.
And the conversation starts with what else but Le Corbusier? Coming from Lyon in France, this is a city Azouz can relate to — the concept of light, open spaces and gardens — enough to give half of its people a dignified existence of living. But has he seen how the other half lives here? “Enough of it. In fact, I lived the first 12 years of my life in a slum,” says the talented man who rose to the position he is today by sheer mental strength and the fact that with little money coming in the family, there was no question of getting deviated from his goal. A goal, which was mostly driven by the wish to take revenge on those who humiliated him during his school days for his migrant background (His family migrated from Algeria). “I took my revenge by becoming the minister of equal opportunities during 2005 and 07,” he says. But his revenge was far from being vindictive. He travelled to the slums of the world and spread the message — ‘It is possible to have a better future’. Since his CV says he has written approximately 20 books, we steer the conversation towards his literary contribution. “My book Ethnicity or Equality: France in the Balance (loosely translated into English) will be ready for the Indian market soon,” he informs. His subject is education, and themes are mostly inspired by his childhood experience. His autobiographical novel Le Gone du Chaab has been translated into English by Nebraska University Press. “At present, I am making a film which is based on ‘world of books versus the world of money’,” he informs. We will get to see his film too, for India occupies a very important place in his heart. ‘This is my fifth visit to India. And guess what, during my growing up days I remember having watched only two films with my family and both were Hindi. With songs and innocent love stories, films of the 60s were just perfect for family viewing.” Well, what does he like about India apart from films? “The presence of death omnipresent here. You may die just pushing your way through a crowded road. This is the feeling which makes life so interesting here.” Well, a little difficult to digest, but as his empty cup of tea indicates that the session is coming to an end, we just leave it at that.
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Spice up
One has the option of getting it done by a professional with false tips or one has the choice of doing it at home. Square shape nails are in vogue, but you it can shape them into normal oval shape. The choice is yours. For a French manicure, the nails should be long enough. First, clean your nails with nail polish remover and soak them in warm water. Push back the cuticles using a cotton bud. Now cut the nails according to the shape you want. Apply a cream for a while and then wipe it off. Paint only the tip of the nail with white nail polish. Try painting the underside of the nail with white too. Allow the polish to dry and paint a second coat. Then using a sheer transparent polish or a very pale pink colour, paint the entire nail. Allow it to dry and paint a second coat. Once every coat has dried, you can use a colorless, transparent polish as a topcoat on the entire nail. Yellow: The colour of neglect Do you know the sun can affect your nails as well? Some pastel colours, specially beige and pink, can become yellowish after being exposed to the sun. Wearing nail polish constantly is also another cause. The nails should be left unpolished sometimes. Some chronic medical conditions can also cause colour changes. Liver, kidney, heart and lung conditions are known to cause such changes. So, it is best to check it out with a doctor first. Another rare condition ‘yellow nail syndrome’, comes with thickening of the nail. Such conditions need medical treatment. For sun protection, you can use a clear, transparent nail polish as a top-coat over the colour. You can apply sunscreen on the nails too. UV resistant top-coats are available in the market. Treat them right
To protect them from discolouring effect of nail polish, you can apply a transparent base coat first and then apply the colour. To get rid of the yellowish tint, scrape the surface of the nail with the finest-grain side of an emery board, so that the nail is not damaged. Use the UV-resistant or clear polish for protection. It will also add shine to dull nails. You can also gently rub them with a piece of chamois leather. It removes the yellow tinge and also makes them shiny. To remove the yellow colour, you can add baking soda to water and soak your fingers for 15 minutes. You can also take a piece of lemon and rub them on the nails. Or add dilute lemon juice with water and soak your hands in them for 10 minutes everyday. A nail expert, Fran Manos, recommends mixing 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide with two and a half tablespoons of baking soda into a paste. Apply on the nails and leave it for 2 to 3 minutes. Wash it off with warm water. This treatment should be done only once in two months. (This column appears fortnightly) Nail care in a jiffy n
Rub a slice of lemon under the nails to make them look white. |
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Bravery has no takers
“No, I mean it’s so very different from glamour. It has so many takers,” the first one answers meditatively. Now, this sounds interesting. Some kind of parallel between glamour and valor seems to be budding. And, the temptation to dig deep into it seems too hard to resist. So, as the two beauties with brains carry on with their debate on apni mandi for glamour and gallantry, you cannot help but boldly strain your ears to catch the beautiful words. “After great Indian flag-waver Kashmir Singh came to Chandigarh following his liberation from Pakistani jails, people jam-packed the Press Club hall for paying heed to his harrowing tales of torture and incarceration in dungeons of despair where even light was not permitted to enter,” the solicitous worker asserts. “He didn’t say much because of obvious reasons, but every word he uttered was flashed on the small screen worldwide. But no one came forward to make him a brand ambassador.” Ah, now you see the big picture she is pointing at. After Deepika Padukone added fizz to the lives of so many cine buffs with her million-dollar smile, she was right away picked up by a cola giant; and other advertisers. This is not all. You have a great market for players scoring big in the glam field of cricket. As if reading your thoughts, she adds: “Indian and foreign cricket stars are the hottest commodities going. Very much like prized cattle at one of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s village haats, some of the biggest names in the sport were auctioned off to well-heeled celebrities last month for employment in their cricket teams later this summer.” On the other hand, Kashmir Singh’s legend may be fit for a paperback, or even a flick; but is not worth an advertisement. At the moment, it’s all so fresh and people want to know all about him. But, in another few days, the transience nature of valor will manifest itself. Until or unless he polishes his diplomatic skills for stepping into politics, people will forget all about him. You see, beauty may be skin deep, but it attracts as long as it lasts. Heroism retains its attraction, but the champion is just like any other character in a history book — striking but seemingly illusory. As she concludes on a realistically pessimist note, you hope for the best. Who knows a pickle company or an iron bar manufacturer may actually pick Kashmir Singh up for promoting their goods. |
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Going for the Kills
First Mark David Chapman, and now this! Lindsay
Lohan, fresh off her big-screen role opposite John Lennon’s killer in Chapter 27, has signed up to star in another film about a murderer — this time, it’s Charles Manson. The 21-year-old will play one of Manson’s cult followers, Nancy Pitman, in the movie Manson Girls. Brad Wyman, producer of the film, says, “Yes, I am doing it with Lindsay.” The actress has been busy back at work since her departure from rehab last fall. She’s also recording a new album. — IANS
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JLo loves her fat
Latino pop star Jennifer Lopez insists that she is in no rush to follow the footsteps of mums Victoria Beckham or Gwyneth Paltrow to drop the weight gained during pregnancy. The 38-year-old singer revealed that her kids Max and Emme are her priorities right now. “I gained a good amount of weight, which I was focused on because twins can sometimes have a low birth weight. I gained 45-50lbs, a lot for my frame, but for twins it’s right on,” she added. Lopez also said that is she is proud of her new figure. Hollywood celebs welcomed the newborns with loads of expensive gifts. Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria bought matching prams worth £1,500 each for the newborns, while Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes bought them new outfits from French ‘baby couture’ company
Bonpoint. Freedom for Renee
American actress Renee Zellweger has revealed that she is happy not having a fixed dwelling place, and that she does not need a home to feel settled. Zellweger recently sold off her house in California and put all of her possessions into storage, reason for it being that as a movie star she is more on the move, thereby also wasting her money on a hefty mortgage. The 38-year-old actress, who is happier living in hotels, found that not having a permanent settlement gave her a sense of freedom. “I’m never bored. The whole world is home. It’s my playground. I can go and play anywhere and I love it. I like to move along,” she said. “I had a really nice house in Bel Air and I was paying this huge mortgage for my cat,” she said. — ANI
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Food for thought
YOUR parents dislike the Cartoon Network and Pogo. They keep a count on the number of hours you spend watching the antics of the caricatures. What’s more, they have even hatched a plan with some researchers that have blacklisted the appearance of your cartoon characters on wafer packs, chocolates and cookies. Why? For, they encourage unhealthy eating habits. From Pink Panther to Popeye to Shrek to Spiderman, they are all on the hit list. Now, that’s just not fair. Right? Well, so before your elders christen your animated heroes as villains, apprise them of the healthy lessons you’ve learnt from them. We’ll help you get started. WE first saw Popeye, the sailor, in 1929 and he has been our and our parents’ favourite ever since. We like him for his adventurous and courageous deeds, and our parents, because it was Popeye who introduced us to the leafy wonder —spinach. We all know what Popeye can do after eating a little spinach. His superhuman strength comes from it. Spinach can be the source of your strength too. This green vegetable is packed with nutrients that improve eye health. It’s loaded with Vitamin C and rich in iron, potassium, calcium and beta-carotene. So all those of you who want to be super strong as Popeye, include spinach salads, soups and dishes in your meals. How about some honey? Chase for Cheese THIS stuff with holes in one of the longest running animation series sure has been making your mouth water ever since. Now, in Tom and Jerry while Jerry wants to eat cheese, Tom wants to eat Jerry! As for you guys, you should be chasing the cheese. Why? For, cheese contains protein and calcium in high amounts. Plus, it has phosphorous, zinc and Vitamin A. So next time Jerry makes his way to the fridge full of cheese, you too know where to head. Cool healthy carrot THIS naughty rabbit is one of the most popular characters in the world of animation. Bugs Bunny was born in 1939 and became our super hero. We love him as a monster and a victim both! The carrot-eater in a show titled Do or Diet suggested a carrot diet to the Tasmanian devil. Do you know how the weakling Daffy Duck became a powerhouse? Cos’ Bugs Bunny advised him a carrot diet. The juicy carrot contains large quantities of Vitamin A and just two glasses of the juice can increase your immunity by 70 per cent. Lazy cat’s lasagna
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Chef at work!
Mobiles have indeed invaded our lives, so it is not surprising that the cooking revolution has caught on here. Imagine yourself in the kitchen with a chef standing right next to you and giving you step-by-step instructions. Yes, an Israeli student Igor Ginzburg has developed an interactive system using a cell phone to vocally direct recipes to beginners. Once you install this, chef software you’ll receive both vocal and written instructions and will actually be able to talk back to the mobile when you get stuck! And since it’s interactive, you won’t have to use your hands as you cook. Alerts will announce when the time for a particular step is over, ensuring you are on the right track all along. Phew, now that’s what we call a revolution in cooking lessons. Right? Wondering what would follow next? How about someone coming up with a software that will actually taste and comment on your culinary skills. Well, we’ll have to wait for that and till then happy cooking!
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Telly Tales
Terms like computer ji, pehla padao, and lock kar diya jaye became a part of our day-to-day vocabulary when Big B appeared on the screen in the desi version of Who wants to be a Millionaire? Soon the lock kar diya jaye marvel inspired others and we saw shows like Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK), Deal Ya No Deal (DYND), Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke and more occupying prime slots in the year 2001. SDCK saw Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirla playing poor hosts and the show doomed. Later Sony played the gamble with Govinda as anchor for JCPK. The humble Govinda failed to lure the audience, yet TV producers did not give up. KBC Dwithiya appeared in 2005 and it was safely concluded that there was no bigger star than Big B. Meanwhile experimentation was on and Madhavan hosted Sony’s DYND. The trend was just set to fade when last year,who else but SRK came up with a KBC rap song and announced his stepping into the shoes of Big B. His hugs and massage for the contestants at KBC 3 worked and the nation began to swing to Kaccha ya Pakka. Meanwhile stars like Karan Johar and Pooja Bedi hosted their own chat shows too. Talk today and the Bollywood brigade is giving quite a tough time to TV anchors. King Khan will soon be back on the small screen with Star One’s Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain? And while he’ll be judging your IQ in comparison with a five-grade student, Bollywood entertainer Boman Irani has already been busy testing Bollywood lovers’ filmy quotient on Filmy’s Bollywood Ka Boss. Putting your knowledge of lyrics under the scanner is Adnan Sami on Star One’s Bol Baby Bol. Who else is ruling the TV waves? Well, you can get a taste of the high life with Perizad Zorabian on NDTV Good Times show called Limited Edition. Konkana Sen Sharma was last seen as a host of My Brilliant Brain on National Geographic. We also saw Anupam Kher help the country choose its leader through Lead India. And if yeh dil still mange more, then wait till June. For, Sony’s paid whopping amount to none other than Salman Khan to host yet another reality show. Well, now whatever is the reason behind this fad — celebs’ connection with the common man, their charisma, or their fan following, we, the viewers, are happy. For as long as the stars are making us rich, adding glamour to tellydom and making our hearts melt, we aren’t complaining. Right? (This column appears weekly)
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Right Path
Born to a Urdu poet father, Behl tried his hands writing poetry, but later found his true calling in preaching Rajyog, a term which he feels spells a complete package of gyan, yog, sewa and dharma. ‘It’s time science and silence sit together and find a solution to world peace’, he writes in his book. And how after his long period of self-proclaimed ‘zero years’, Behl turned to spirituality is a story in itself. He says, “I was running an agency of address verification and payment collection for a leading mobile phone company. My job required me to find out the addresses of the purchasers of that particular mobile and collect the dues. While doing the job, a thought crept into my mind — Why don’t I look for the Supreme Being’s address instead of doing the dirty job of verifying people’s addresses?” Well, destiny took him to the steps of Brahma Kumaris’ ashram in Sector 33 and there he enrolled in for a seven-day course in Rajyog. “By the time I finished the course, I knew this is the address I had been looking for all my life,” he says. The book written in first person account is a loosely connected personal opinion of the author. It is the author’s experience of the various courses he attended at the ashram. The book reads more like a monologue of a preacher, which he keeps at an interactive level by deriving examples from man-made disasters like 9/11 to Bollywood flicks. But rather than details about Rajyog, it is his emotional accounts that run high in the text.
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Bon apetit The marriage of Texan and Mexican cuisine is called Tex-Mex the world over and this marriage is doing very well indeed! It’s known for its intense and varied flavours. It should be close to our heart (and stomach!) because their hot ingredients are similar to our own array of spices. Here are a few snacks and starters for a start
Basic tortillas Method Nachos Basic summer salsa Method Mushroom & corn quesadillas Method |
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Bitter Sweet
Bitter melon, a vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine, contains a powerful treatment for Type 2 diabetes, Sydney-based researchers have found. The research team from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica pulped roughly a tonne of fresh bitter melon and extracted four very promising bioactive components.
These four compounds all appear to activate the enzyme AMPK, a protein well known for regulating fuel metabolism and enabling glucose uptake. “We can now understand at a molecular level why bitter melon works as a treatment for diabetes,” said Professor David James, director of the Diabetes and Obesity Programme at Garvan. “By isolating the compounds, we believe to be therapeutic, we can investigate how they work together in our cells.” People with Type 2 diabetes have an impaired ability to convert the sugar in their blood into energy in their muscles. This is partly because they don’t produce enough insulin, and partly because their fat and muscle cells don’t use insulin effectively, a phenomenon known as ‘insulin resistance’. Exercise activates AMPK in muscle, which in turn mediates the movement of glucose transporters to the cell surface, a very important step in the uptake of glucose from the circulation into tissues in the body. The four compounds isolated in bitter melon perform a very similar action to that of exercise, in that they activate AMPK. Researchers Drs Jiming Ye and Nigel Turner both stress that while there are well known diabetes drugs on the market that also activate AMPK, they can have side effects. “The advantage of bitter melon is that there are no known side effects. Practitioners of Chinese medicine have used it for hundreds of years to good effect,” Ye said. |
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Health Tip
Upper back hump is due to structural or postural defect. The thoracic spine comprising of twelve vertebrae starts below the neck to midway down the back. The normal curvature of the thoracic spine is between 20-50 degrees. A curvature more than 50 degrees leads to Kyphosis. Postural round back is common in people spending long hours in front of the computer or with wrong posture. A stiffened thoracic spine leads to Dowager’s/Buffalo’s Hump, involving thickening of soft tissue in the neck’s back. The symptoms are pain, fatigue and stiffness of upper back.
Treatment: Restricting activities that aggravate pain and wearing braces in the initial stages help reverse the hump partially. Exercises: Practice scapular squeezing involving expanding the chest by approximating scapula towards each other. Loop the stretch band around one foot and holding it in both hands, pull it backwards. Also, while lying face downward, raise both arms towards ceiling. Repeat 10 times. — Dr Ravinder Chadha
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AS children, most of us had a fixed Sunday schedule. Get up and religiously place ourselves in front of the television to watch Ramayana or Mahabharata. However, this trend ended with our generation itself. For, soon we found parents forcing their children to make them stay put there. The kiddie brigade was no longer interested in the teachings of Lord Rama. Why? Well, for Power Rangers, Looney Tunes, and Pokeman had emerged as their new superheroes.
The last time I went shopping, I bumped into the eccentric face of fashion – embroidered watch parts, gods with rolling eyes, Garden of Eden, under-water aquatic life, night jungles, fireworks, human skulls and yes, Picasso’s strokes. I noticed how local stores were brimming with creations, the motifs of which defied easy stereotyping. My journalistic instinct to find a ‘story’, a pattern and a rationale in these prints was surely at odds with these creations showing free spirit in abundance. Nontheless, these were interesting enough to call for a fashion piece. And so, here are my scribblings on what makes arty prints and motifs popular in town…
French manicure is in. With pale pink or colourless base and white painted tips, a French manicure can complement any outfit, formal or informal.
“BRAVERY has no buyers,” a colleague punching the computer keyboard at the office languidly asserts. “Hello! Has no buyer? You mean cannot have buyers…” another coworker cuts in. “Of course, there can be no buyers. After all, it’s not a commodity you can pick up from one of the retail stores in the city to become a hero.”
IT’S very, very funny. Cos’ I know I had some honey. Cos’ it had a label on, Saying Hunny. A goloptious full up pot too…this is one of the favourite songs of Pooh Bear, as we like to call Winnie-the-Pooh. The fictional bear is lovable in the cartoon strip, cuddly as a stuff toy and is innocent epitomised as a character. What he loves the most besides his pals, tiger, piglet and rabbit, is pots full of honey. Pour it on brownies, fill it in jam tarts, garnish butterfly cakes with it or relish it with Pooh’s all-time favourite pancakes. Wondering why he does love honey so much? Well, besides the yummy taste, it is contains Vitamin B1, B2, C, B3, B5 and B6 and is composed of glucose, fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and phosphate.
STRICTLY silly stuff is what Garfield is all about. The fat cat is best known as a lazy glutton and whether he jumps off newspaper sheets or pops out of theatre screens, we simply love him. Want to know what is cooking in the kitchen of this orange fur ball? Well, the fat cat loves lasagna. It is essentially pasta in sheets made using cheese, egg and noodles. So bite into this roll with steamed veggies or include veggies into it.
If you are about to tie the knot or are ready to fly for studies abroad or simply have insatiable taste buds and an oh-so-greedy tummy, then this one is for you. You’ve finally decided to try your hand at cooking but confused as where to begin. Flip through granny’s recipe diaries. Equip yourself with cookery books of all kind. Scan through the TV listings for cookery shows. Or call your budding chef friend or mom every minute. Nope, all that is passe. What you need to do is log on to a cookery site and taste online cooking. And, if this is not new to you, then this one will surely be. How about receiving cooking instructions and tips through the mobile? Now, cooking couldn’t get easier than this.
ROADS went deserted after nine. Telecom companies made huge money. A channel recorded unimaginably high TRPs. A few people got richer and luckier. A star re-invented and re-emerged. And all this in turn kickstarted a trend of Bollywood stars descending on the telly screen and playing host. This phenomenon called KBC with Amitabh Bachchan occurred in 2000, and today almost a decade later, telly producers are still caching on it and roping biggies to anchor shows. The latest to be roped in are Boman Irani, Adnan Sami, SRK once again, Perizad Zorabian, Konkana Sen Sharma and now rumour has it that Sallu too will be hosting a show. Lets tune in to the trend and find out more.
He calls himself a four-year-old. Deepak Behl is actually 52, but for him, it is only the past four years of his life that he has spent learning Rajyog that count as the productive years of his life. And whatever he has learnt so far during his association with Brahma Kumaris is now ready in the form of a book called Passage to God.
3/4 cup salsa