You wouldn’t have missed the sultry Bipasha carrying her chihuahua, Posto, to just about every party, and certinaly wouldn’t have missed Paris Hilton, hugging, kissing and posing with her sweet little Tinkerbell Hilton. Not to miss the umpteen movies made with them as the mute, cute little protagonist.

Nearer home, many people in the city have also taken a fancy to chihuahuas, who are known to fit in a tea cup, even when they hardly do anything to protect a family, given their size and power. For these pet lovers, small is beautiful as far as pets go.

Fourteen-year-old Manak Oberoi, a student of DAV-8,
sees Litchi and Snowy as the best thing to have
happened to them. The two chihuahuas are the
naughty little bundles that are loved and cared for
by the entire family.

Says Manak, “Snowy looks like a baby fox. So, everytime we have someone coming up to give him a nice second look to ensure whether he is a dog or a fox. They are the brats, but we love their shararats.”

Manak, who brought the two chihuahuas from Dubai in 2003 says that it was love
at first sight. “They are small, cute, manageable and they’ve have adpated pretty
well to us.”

Manak’s mother, Seema, a resident of Sector 39, Chandigarh, makes out an even stronger case for these tiny friends, “Chihuahuas are the ideal pets for those living in flats due to their small size. Besides, they’re not messy and don’t leave you’re a trail of fur all over your plush upholstery and carpets.”

Manageable, yes, but chihuahuas are also known for their ferocity. “Yes, they are ferocious but they can be quite affectionate with their owners. They are quick to learn commands, the clever ones can be easily trained to perform tricks.”

Secretary Chandigarh Kennel Club and businessman H.S. Aulakh, and his family completely adores the rare long-coat chihuahua, Chichi (little finger), which came to them all the way from Thailand as a gift from a friend. Says Aulakh, “Chichi is a bundle of joy and you can’t imagine how wintelligent he is.”

Unlike what people have to say about their ferocity or them not being well-suited for children because of their temperament, chihuahuas are the best pets.

“Chichi was one month old when he came to us. We used to feed him 10 times a day, one teaspoon at a time. And now, he is the talk of the entire neighbourhood.”

They can easily accompany their owners everywhere.Celebrities are always living out of their suitcases, thus the chichuahuas are popular with them. They can actually carry them in their bag.

Also known as a pocket-dog, this little wonder can live to a ripe old age of 15 and even more. IIt does not like cold and will appreciate a warm sweater on cooler days.

With the spurt of music-based reality shows on television, youngsters have started taking more than a passing interest in Hindustani music, feels Deepak Pawar, a tabla percussion artiste, who has won a galaxy of awards that include five state and two national level honours.

However, it is the tabla wizard Zakir Hussain, who with his adroit artistry has lent credence to the Tabla instrument, claims Deepak.

The intricate rhythm patterns would have been too difficult to cultivate had it not been for the guidance of his mentor Amit Sachdeva, Guru Gopal Dass Garg, Pandit Sushil Jain and Pandit Kalinath Mishra.

As a student of the GMSSS-37, he won laurels at the state-level competitions five times. He maintained his record at the Government college for Men-11 by winning the college roll of honour and was declared the best student in music in 2005.

Deepak took part at the Harvallabh sangeet Sammelan, but winning the coveted Tal Mani Award-2006 instituted by Sur-Shingar, Mumbai was the best thing that happened to this 22-year-old virtuoso.

Deepak, however, rues the secondary status given to percussion artistes. "The accompanists embellish the performance of the lead artiste," he says.

And this has led him to take up vocal classical music seriously under the guidance of his guru Prof Harbinder Singh.

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What is common between a glass and the environment? Well, if organisations turn socially accountable and responsible, everything can have a green connection. On Thursday, Glass Palace-7 launched a Paint Your Face contest for the schools from the tricity.

The three-day event is meant for students from the age group five to twelve. So what is the event all about? Says Ratika, the organiser, "There are going to be four games and one slogan competition."

The motto of the event, Turn the Blue Planet Green, says it all. And what was the idea behind the concept? Ajay Gupta, the managing partner of the venture, says, "When we try to incorporate values through fun and games, things remain etched in children's minds. This is probably best way to teach them how to be eco-friendly."

His shop has been decked with colourful balloons, posters and the like. But all of it amidst wooden furniture? He adds, "We do have collections like wrought iron but people are coming back to wood. What we must ensure is the durability of things."

Does corporate and causes tie-up spell hope? He said, "Yes, but I think more and more people should come forward and espouse various causes. This is our second year and we hope to continue." Their co-partner HDFC bank too did its bit by sending emails and thus minimising the use of paper.

Posters like A thing that burns never returns and There is no excuse for wastage could be seen all around. Said Ajay, "We plan to on display on regular basis." Meanwhile, the kids, with their faces sporting the rainbow colours, had the time of the life, hogging the limelight.

Suhavi Arora, a class-II student of The British School, Panchkula, had a big green tree on her left cheek and a message on her right. Another one, Vasudha Bhagat, a class V student of Ryan International, said, "This is the first time I am participating in such a contest and I am enjoying myself." She had Save a Drop in big, bold letters written on her face.

At the end of the three days, the prizes will be given to the winners. But
losers needn't lose heart for everyone will be given one consolation gifts.
Prizes include bean bags and study tables. Want to give it a shot? Go
participate. On till September 28

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The vertical pleats handbags are crafted from the finest patent and croco print leathers in a perfect rectangular shape.

This combination of mixing and matching two different finishes of leathers creates a stunning collection of contemporary and fashionable handbags.

These lovely handbags are available in striking metallic shades ranging from purple, red, black, brown, chocolate, beige, white, light grey and silver. The collection is priced at Rs 5,995. —TNS

We brought these children from a cowshed and from under a tree at the Kali ka Mandir. I often wonder if confining them to the two rooms is like a prison sentence for four tedious hours. A few broken toys are lovingly held and fought over. Some are stolen. At 11.30 am, they get a bowl of dalia or kheer.

No pencils, papers or educational equipment is provided. Story telling is unheard of. Poems are learnt by rote and according to the syllabus. These children join our school children for prayers. This gives them a welcome break. Sometimes they play with the school slides, tunnels, balls and rocking horses.

A lot of the children have sores, cuts and come barefoot, in hand-me-down garments. There is a wide chasm that separates the children across the courtyard. They all come from the same area but the school children and teachers have a slightly disdainful air, which comes through having financial independence. I hope that some day we will have enough volunteers to lighten the lives of the children behind the steel doors.

After the successful Dhoom series, Sanjay Gadhvi is looking forward to his forthcoming release Kidnap, which has current flavour Imran Khan in an important role. The director describes his presence in the movie as a 'bonus'.

The film also stars Sanjay Dutt and Minissha Lamba. "Imran is a bonus now. I never knew he'd become so big. It was Shibani Bhatija (the scriptwriter) who mentioned that Aamir Khan's nephew was looking to act," Gadhvi said.

"When I decided to cast Imran, I didn't even know he was doing Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na. I had no clue Imran's first film would turn him into a household hero. Everything happens as it is meant to be. I wanted to cast a boy who wants to be a man. "When I saw him, I knew this was the guy who'd play Kabeer in Kidnap.

Because of his mixed lineage, Imran has a very interesting face. He reminded me of Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront. I didn't have to change Imran's look, like Hrithik in Dhoom 2 or Esha in Dhoom. Just a stubble and a muscular look," he said.

Although Imran has a sizeable part in the film, the director says Kidnap is Sanjay Dutt's film. "Kidnap is Sanju’s vehicle. From Jaane Tu...' to Kidnap is like Kashmir to Kanyakumari for Imran. His character carries weight of the world on his shoulders like Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan in Zanjeer. Sanjay and Imran share a great chemistry."

Sanjay agreed to play Minissha Lamba's father in Kidnap without a second thought. "I think Sanjay wanted to do a father-daughter film for a long time. In the film, he doesn't get to see his daughter for eight years. Somewhere he connected with that situation on a personal level."

The director rebuffs rumours that it is a remake of Hollywood film Ransom. "Kidnap is halfway between what I believe in and what is expected of me. But it is not a remake of the Mel Gibson starrer Ransom. Kidnap will establish me as a filmmaker of more gravity.” — IANS

Teen actor Zain Khan is pretty excited about his film Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors, finally cleared by the court for release. The budding actor who is on a high after playing the lead in the film, talks to Lifestyle from Mumbai.

"It's a matter of pride to have a movie titled on your character. I thoroughly enjoyed working on this flick though it meant hard work. I sat with my parents and rehearsed the script home before giving shots." Zain says.

Hari Puttar is Zain's fifth film after Parineeta, Krishh, My Wife's Murder and Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii. The little actor who has largely done naughty characters enjoyed the tricks in Hari Puttar too: "The best thing about the movie was playing pranks on the two baddies," tells Zain.

And how about getting along with the cast? "I was comfortable with all. Sarika aunty and Jackie uncle were so much fun on sets. I and Sarika aunty would chat a lot," he tells. Apart from the movies, Zain is also preparing for his 10th standard, balancing acting and studies quite well.

"I try to schedule my shootings on Saturdays and Sundays largely. For Hari Puttar we had a month long schedule for shooting in England. Thankfully it was in October so I did not miss many classes due to Diwali holidays," says Zain who tries to catch up schoolwork in between the shots.

And what is his pick when it comes to watching movies? "I love action flicks. Fast and Furious is my all time favourite," says the actor.

On being asked if he has seen Home Alone, as his film explores the same lines, he says, "Well, there are some similarities but Hari Puttar has songs, animation and Bollywood masala that makes it pretty different than Home Alone."

For this young star, the future holds many promises. " I am working in a film by Ken Ghosh titled Happy Hamesha with Shahid Kapoor and Jiah Khan. I will continue working in Bollywood but I am also very keen on formula one racing."

Last Zain has a special message, " Parents are most important in one's life. Come whatever children should always respect and value them."

Set in Sin City, the story of What Happens in Vegas revolves around two people who discover they've gotten married following a night of debauchery, with one of them winning a huge jackpot after playing the other's quarter.

The unhappy pair tries to undermine each other and get their hands on the money — falling in love along the way.

Joy McNally(Cameron Diaz) is driven career woman who is engaged but when her fiancé grows tired of her uptight attitude; he breaks up with her.

Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) is a guy who likes to goof off, which makes his boss who also happens to be his father, fire him. Feeling down they both go to Las Vegas to forget about what happened to them. When they get there, a computer error puts them in the same room.

After getting drunk, they wake up to discover they got married, which they both want to get out of. But when they win 3 million dollars, the ownership of which comes into question.

Stuck in a marriage, they both learn that if one of them asks to get out of the marriage, the other will get the money. So they each try to drive the other to want to get out of the marriage.