|
|
|
|
|
Double
take
One hour at the barber shop is all it takes for the makeover. To turn into Raghu Ram. But only one man on earth can manage to pull this off. Raghu's twin brother, Rajiv Laxman, who is the judge for MTV Roadies along with Raghu. So this time, be prepared to face the double dhamaaka on MTV Hero Honda Roadies.
Does that mean, double meanness, double grilling, and double daring? Well, that's for you to figure out. Only if you manage to, given that grill machine Raghu Ram is the most unpredictable thing to happen on television, after Ekta Kapoor! And this time the unpredictability has found a new name, Rajiv Laxman. "People know me," says Raghu. There are many myths regarding twins. Some of them are true and some are not." The catch is: if you think you can understand Rajiv through Raghu, you are absolutely right and completely wrong. This is tricky. We let Raghu and Rajiv sort this one out for us. In the city for the auditions of Roadies, we try to understand the 'too simple' brains behind the game of dare. Fake it not Preparing to be 'yourself' at the MTV Roadies auditions? Don't. There is no way you can manage to get across the tunnel with any taiyaari. Says Rajiv, "We want the contestants to be themselves, but I believe they make too much effort to not look fake and end up looking precisely that." For Rajiv, the mantra is not to put in effort to be what you are. "Don't try to figure what we are and we aren't trying to do it either. For, eventually we will figure out who you are." People who think they know Raghu too well, here is what the man has to say. "Try as much as you---plan, strategise. I will shock the pants off you." So, stop preparing, maybe then you could make it to the Roadies. Chandigarh connect Chandigarh and Roadies have some kind of a connection. What say Raghu? "I have some kind of karmic connection with the city. I somehow have high expectations from the youngsters of Chandigarh. I find that the people here are my kind. They rock." As per Rajiv, "The contestants from other cities work too hard to get an attitude, but the people in Chandigarh are born with it." Destination Roadie It seems to be hard getting there, but what does it requite to be a Roadie. Attitude, strength, looks…. Roadie kaisey bana jaata hai? Answers Raghu, "We don't want any fakes on the show. Be yourself." That's it. Offers Rajiv, "Reality is stranger than fiction. Nothing on the show is scripted, everything is impromptu." He explains, "Each one of us live a different life. We don't know how we would react to a particular situation. We want to see how people react to uncomfortable and pressure situations." Agrees Raghu. "I want the contestants on the show to react to situations. If they don't react, the whole point is lost. All the same, I might cast someone who is calm and composed. You never know." What about pretty looking babes and handsome hunks? "This is not a get-gorgeous show," tells Rajiv. We are not looking for wannabe models, though many walk in for auditions. We want interesting personalities." Dumb damsels, this one's not for you. Nor for all ye guys with only brawn, no brains. jasmine@tribunemail.com Hell Bent
|
|
Mock tales
Amidst the saas-bahu soap splurge and song 'n' dance mania, a silent phenomenon is sweeping the Indian telly circuit. 'Foreign inspiration' (for the sophisticated) or 'copy paste' (for the crude brigade) of popular British and American shows has become a buzzword on the desi tube. And guess what? The audiences are lapping up this recycled feed. In fact, these phoren-made-Indian shows are raking high TRPs. And who doesn't know what Kaun Banega Crorepati aka KBC, did to Big B's fortune. While legendary Bachchan hosted seasons I and II, Bollywood's badshah Shah Rukh Khan was seen in the third innings. Also, it's now an open secret that the show was a direct copy of UK television game show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. To put it rightly, the Indian producers were contractually obliged to reproduce the exact detail, be it the trademark title design, the show's sets, music, question-format and the qualification process. Now to the next show that topped the popularity charts- Indian Idol, perhaps the first larger than life singing contest on Indian television. The Indian version of American Idol started by Simon Cowell in 2002, the show is still making waves and is all set to enter season 4. Our producers seem to taken the concept of Vishwa Kutumbkam (world's a big family) far too seriously. And in a family, it's pretty okay to borrow from each other. That's not all, how can we forget Bigg Boss, the desi take on internationally acclaimed show, Big Brother. Another fine example of phoren mal desi tadka. The unscripted soap, which promised unadulterated drama took India by storm when it was first, aired in November 2006. While actor Arshad Warsi was the host for the first leg, sultry Shilpa Shetty, who incidentally was part of Big Brother and went on winning it in January 2007, is anchoring the season II, currently on air. Next in our kitty is Kya Aap Panchvi Pass se Tez Hain, a replica of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Graders, a Fox TV show, which originated in the US. The programme has been a great hit and been replicated in many foreign countries with the same or modified titles. Similarly, Khatron Ke Khiladi is adaptation of American Fear Factor. Undoubtedly, these shows have done and are doing well. But the million-dollar question is that when we would come out of this creative bankruptcy. For how long the twisted and tweaked ideas would work. It's time to ponder. Till then, stay tuned. mona@tribunemail.com
|
|
Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta says there will be no barrier to her latest film Heaven On Earth because it is in Punjabi, as domestic violence has universal resonance and audiences across the globe can relate to it. This was evident at the recent Toronto Film Festival where the film got a standing ovation. "This was the film's first public screening. And no one saw it as an esoteric film in a regional Indian language," said Mehta. The film is about domestic violence in the immigrant community in Canada and stars Preity Zinta in the lead role. Mehta is nonchalant about the language and added: "Punjabi is as Indian as Hindi or English. I think audiences all over the world would read the punjabi characters without prejudice, just as Priyadarshan's Kanjeevaram was appreciated in the Tamil language." In terms of quality and connectivity, this year's Toronto Film Festival has been the most productive for Indian cinema at any international festival in recent times. Mehta was bowled over by the films with Indian themes. "The films from and about India stunned not just me, but everyone this year. Nandita Das, who has been part of two of my most important works Fire and 1947 Earth, wowed Toronto with her directorial debut Firaaq. And then there was Priyadarshan's Kanjeevaram, a powerful document on human resilience," said Mehta. The festival was the first time for Priyadarshan. The other film that Mehta fell in love with is Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. Set in Mumbai, the film revolves around a Mumbai slum kid Jamal who wins a fortune on a reality quiz show. It bagged the top People's Choice Award at the film fest. — IANS, PTI
|
|
Sound of music
Dhruv Ghanekar, the debutant music composer of Abhishek-Priyanka starrer Drona says songs in the film's music track travel with the story and all songs are completely different from each other. "There are five songs and two remixes in the album. The background score is also equally important," Dhruv said. Along with Ashutosh Phatak, Dhruv is the co-founder of 'Smoke Music Productions,' a music production house working in the field of advertising, television and feature films. Though the company ceased to exist, Dhruv and Ashotosh are involved with Blue Frog Productions. Dhruv said for last three-four years, he is not working with Ashutosh on films. "We are working separately." "He is composing music of Akshay Kumar's Chandni Chowk to China and I was busy with Drona," he added. Describing Drona as a fantastic experience, Dhruv said director Goldie Behl is extremely good for a creative person. "He gives enough space to his fellow workers." He said he "Goldie liked my voice and insisted that I sing it. I had given singing a backseat and concentrated on music composition over the years. When I was younger, I had sung jingles for Louis Banks and Vanraj Bhatia. Being a music director would always be my priority," he added.
|
Writer Chetan Bhagat, whose book “Five Point Someone” is being made into a film titled 3 Idiots by the acclaimed director Rajkumar Hirani, said he was not involved in writing the film’s script, but he liked it. “The director took my book as the base but he has changed it according to his requirements. He took permission from me before taking my story, but has not involved me in making it into the final script. But, he has shown me the final script and I have liked it too,” Chetan said. Hirani’s film stars Aamir Khan along with Sharman Joshi, R. Madhavan and Kareena Kapoor and went on floors recently. But, for Hello, which is an adaptation of his book “One Night @ The Call Centre”, Chetan said he has been actively involved in the scripting of the movie. Chetan said: “I have written the script for the film and it has really come out well. The changes that were needed to make turn into a good film were made by me with inputs from the director.” Hello, which stars Khan brothers - Salman, Sohail and Arbaaz along with Katrina Kaif, Sharman Joshi, Gul Panag, Amrita Arora and Isha Kopikkar, has been directed by Atul Agnihotri. Chetan is in talks with a few production houses and directors for writing scripts and is also penning a script for director Imtiaz Ali, who directed last year’s hit romantic comedy Jab We Met. “Talks are on for writing a couple of scripts but everything needs to be planned. They are on preliminary stages and I would not like to comment much on it,” said the 35-year-old author. Chetan says writing for films is a different experience and he is enjoying it a lot. “Film writing gives a different pleasure - you see the characters on book coming alive in front of you. In films, we have to write giving emphasis to the visuals which is quite an enjoying experience.” Though he is actively involved in writing for films, Chetan says he will not leave writing books. Chetan said: “Though I’m involved in writing for films, but I will definitely continue writing books. My next book is expected by 2010.”
|
|
Dilip hospitalised
Veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar has been admitted to a hospitalised for treatment of a urine infection.
The 86-year-old thespian was admitted to the ICU of the Indraprasth Apollo Hospital late last night. “Kumar would be shortly shifted out of the ICU after the treatment,” hospital
sources said.
|
|
There are inches in my Navratra thali
This is the diet for those on a fast, but a quick calorie count reveals that these food items are much more fattening than a normal day meal. Says Sudha Khurana, consultant dietitian, PGI, "Kuttu ka atta isn't bad for health and a kuttu ki roti without ghee would be equivalent to a chappati, which has around 70 calories. However, during the navratras people end up having fried food that includes puris (150-200 calories) instead of rotis, aloo ki sabzi, pakodas, mithai and namkeen, which are extremely fattening and don't detoxify the body, instead they add to the weight." While it's not only fried food that adds to the problem, commercialisation of the navratra food doubles the trouble. "Home-cooked food is still better but eating out at the nearest restaurant is both ironical and self-defeating. What is served there is nothing but junk food. The gravies are much thicker and oil is used with an open heart," says Sudha. "Earlier fasts were meant to detox the body, but these days people end up eating more and then they do not feel guilty as they are observing a vrat," says Sheena Madan, Center Head, VLCC-35. Talking about the ritual of a typical Indian fast she says, "People who observe a fast either eat too much or end up eating nothing. Both are bad for the health. Instead, one should make it a point to eat a balanced diet once a day if they want to benefit from fasting." Talk healthy and she says, "The food we eat during Navratras is not at all healthy. The diet is completely devoid of fibre and vitamins and full of carbohydrates and fats. This is not only bad for health, but is fattening as well." For Kanika Sood, a B.Sc Home Science final year student, at Government Home Science College-11, a fast always mean a kilo more to her exisiting weight. "All of us end up binging during the Navratras. What usually happens during a fast is people skip breakfast or lunch but overeat in the evening. And to top it all, than we drink shakes, which are high in calorie."
jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
In keeping with the trend of eating out during the Navratras, city restaurants are dishing out special thalis:
Sindhi-17: The Navratra thali would include-rice, khichdi, panner sabzi, aloo sabzi, chilla roti, fruits salad, raita bhalla and kheer. It would be priced at Rs 110. "To add variety to the Navratra fare this year, we will be including kuttu ke atte ka chilla with aloo sabzi, dosa and uttapam," says Abhishek Bajaj, owner Sindhi. Sagar
Ratna: "Our thali would include singhade ke atte ki puri, samak rice, solai ki kheer, paneer sabzi, kachcha kela and aloo sabzi, dahi, fruit salad and sabdoona papad," says Srinivas, manager, It would be priced around Rs 110 per thali.
Pizza platter
Wanna try some Italian Navratra 'fast' food. La Dolce vita, restaurant of Hotel Rio in sector-43 has baked some Italian food for people fasting this Navratra. From kuttu ke atta ka pizza to soups, salads and desserts there's a variety waiting to whet your appetite. Keeping in mind the religious festival, Arvind Malik, head chef of the hotel says, "To add zing and variety to the vrat ka khana we have come up with a different menu. This will include fast food from kuttu ka atta to sindha namak, saboodana, but the fare would be Italian."
So, you can try salads like insalata della casa or a caesar salad, with fresh fruit juice dressings. Starters like cottage cheese steak can be tried and for the main course you can try kuttu ke atta ka pizza that would be made with no salt butter and cheese. Special vegetable rosti and ratatouille would be served, made from fasting rice and vegetables. For desserts try mango rice pudding or pumpkin pie. |
|
CITCO's food fest to spice up Tourism Day
To coincide with the World Tourism Day celebrations commencing on Saturday, CITCO is organising an International Food Festival comprising Mexican, continental and Italian cuisines at Hotel
Mountview.
According to Niharika Rai, IAS, managing director, CITCO, it is the endeavour of CITCO to bring food from various countries to this festival. The food package has been priced at
Rs. 399 per person and the festival will be on from 12 noon to 11 pm on September 27 and 28. The Italian cuisine will include dishes like Fish Captains Choice, Lamb Ala
Pomodero, Ratatulli' and Lasagane. The Mexican fare will include Polo Loco, Qudero Bracho and Veg Tax
Mex, Cottage Cheese Fajitas and Mexican Pilaf. The Continental cuisine will consist of dishes like Creyol , Summer Chicken, Cottage Cheese overlay, Cauliflower
Mornay, and Parsley garlic rice.—TNS |
|
|
Since South Indian cuisine is so popular everywhere, the waft emanating from its offerings transcends all state borders. Coconut, tamarind and asafoetida go as a ritual into most dishes and the tempering with coconut oil, mustard seeds, dry chillies and curry leaves is simply magical.
In Bangalore, I've sampled the most exotic korma ever, and to think it was made with lauki and kaddu! In the Northern cities, we are enlightened with the standard fare but lack exposure to the entire Southern range. I bring you two winners here, both popular curries, laden with exquisite southern flavours. Baghara Baingan
Ingredients 350 gm brinjals (the long, slim variety) ½ cup onions, finely chopped ½ tsp garlic paste ½ tsp ginger paste ¼ cup grated dry coconut 2 tsp tamarind paste or to taste 1 tbsp coriander seeds-roasted 2 tsp cumin, roasted 2 tsp sesame seeds, roasted ¼ tsp turmeric ½ tsp powdered red pepper 7-8 curry leaves Hara dhania for garnish ¼ cup oil Oil for deep-frying Salt to taste
Method Slit the baingans and deep fry over high heat till glossy and a little tender. Remove from oil and keep aside. Grind the coconut and the roasted coriander, cumin and sesame seeds together, using a little water if need be. Heat the ¼ cup of oil and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic till onions are soft and a little transparent. Add curry leaves and turn around, then the ground mixture and sauté till the fat separates. Add the tamarind paste, salt, turmeric, red pepper and mix well, and then add the baingans. Turn around a few times. Add about a quarter of a cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer and cover for about 5 minutes. Serve hot garnished with the hara
dhania. |
|
Fast and forward
Playing life in the fast-forward mode, she receives promises of affection on her mobile phone in class VI. In another two years, she opens the chapter of a ‘stable relationship’ by having her own steady guy. And, by the time she reaches the level of attempting board examinations, she has already tested her skills at bidding adieu to ‘men’ and goes out for a steamy gossip sessions with her girlfriends in café bars across the city. If you haven’t met her, look around! She is ubiquitous! Living life in a palatial bungalow in a posh northern sector or existing in a two-room flat in a congested southern one, she is there. Oh yes, savouring freedom you tasted only after joining college, or even varsity. Want to see them? No problem. Just drive down to the café bars and fast-food joints in Sectors 11, 26 and even 35 in the afternoons. You will find them there blatantly brewing excitement in school livery over cappuccino mugs. “You can safely assume they are out to celebrate birthdays. But that’s not always true,” says coffee buff-cum-final year humanities student with a local college Dinesh Goyal. “So many of them simply bunk their classes, or reach the joints almost daily after school, to commemorate an occasion called life, heartily and merrily”. Heaving a deep sigh, he adds: “Missing classes in schools was a big no for us. And visits to fast food joints were not only occasional, but also economical. I remember the time when four or five of us would order just one platter of French fries and sit in the joint for good two to three hours on the pretext of savouring the stuff.” But now things are different. Each hot chitchat session burns holes in their inflammable pockets. That’s easy to guess. For, even an invigorating cup of nice hot coffee costs nothing less than Rs 45. And once the younglings go out, they have much more than that. The table’s full of chocolate brownies, lemon tarts, quiches and croissants. “Just in case you think school gals carry only change in their wallets, you are in for a surprise,” says young school teacher Deepika Kapoor. “Older than the girls of their age that existed in the first two or three years of the new millennium, they pull crisp currency notes out of their pockets as if there is no tomorrow. For, with both parents working, money is just not an issue with them”. Looking at so many of them adding the ingredient of some full-grown fun to their lives for coming up with recipe of perfect afternoon, Kapoor says: Kids today are growing up faster than you think. While receiving love messages in Class VI was practically unknown to the young mothers, it is quite a common practice among the teenagers today. Boyfriends… well, you thought about them only after leaving behind the school life for good. Okay, you can blame the open Indian skies for the phenomenon, or just changing times, the fact remains the kids today do not wait to slip out of their uniform for living life king-size,” Kapoor concludes. Pity, isn’t it?
|
|
The eyes are the most beautiful and most expressive part of the face. The eyebrows play an important role in defining the look. So, it should be shaped according to the facial shape. In fact, the eyebrows can create an illusion of the kind of face shape you would like to project. For instance, a square face can be made to look less square and softer by the way the eyebrows are shaped.
Oval
face: This is the ideal face shape and the effort in make-up is always towards achieving an oval face. Oval faces are perfectly balanced. So, one should follow the natural brow shape. The end of the brow should curve downwards in the direction of the lower part of the ear. Round
face: For round faces, the brows should be arched and angular. The peak or angle should be more towards the end of the brow, and not at the centre. The ends of the brows should slope in the direction towards the top of the ear. Heart-shaped
face: The brows should be rounded, without an angle. The curve should be slight and gentle. It should help to soften the face shape. The ends of the brows should slope in the direction of the middle part of
the ear. Long face: The brows should not curve. In fact, they should be straighter and flat. Any curve and angle, which is high, will make the face look longer. The end of the brows should slope in the direction of the tip of the ear (extreme top part of ear). The slope should be very gradual. Square
face: In a square face, the jawline is square. The effort should be to reduce the squareness of the jawline. The eyebrow arch should be high and the angle should be sharper. The peak or place where the angle forms should be directly above the square part of the jawline. The end of the brows should slope towards the direction of the middle of the ear. Diamond-shaped
face: In a diamond shaped face, the face shape is more angular. The brows should be more rounded or curved, rather than angled. However, if the lower part of the face is wide, the brows should be slightly angled. Pluck it right
To determine the shape of the brows, hold a pencil straight against the side of your nose, so that it goes upward in a line above the inner corner of your eye. This is where the brow should begin. Then hold it diagonally from the base of the nose towards the corner of the eyes. The brow should end above this point. Shaped it in the form of a gently arch. While plucking a hair with a tweezer, you should not pluck from above the brows. Hair should be plucked from below the brows. |
|
|
Gift of learning
In addition to the pens, the gifting package also contains abettors like metallic matte finish key holder, multi utility swiss knife, a single ruled premium executive class A6 notebook, chrome matt finish calendar, cardholder, executive dual finish cardholder, leather like finish case enclosing an exclusive clock, glossy black leather wallet with several pockets and an elegant Louis Charron wrist watch. Embracing the festive season, Luxor offers a divinity 24-carat gold plated coin engraved with deities in the Divine collection. Similarly in the Lotus and Karma collection, one can gift a 24 carat gold plated photo frame of the almighty or a laughing Buddha. Style, naturally!
Natural Styling is a beautiful look featuring loosely falling, moving hair, often with curls and a slightly unruly look. The two different styling looks of Natural Styling are Naturally Straight and Naturally Wav. Speaking on Natural Styling, leading hairstylists and experts Samantha Kochhar and Vikram Mohan say, "Natural Styling is the definitive new look from Wella Professionals, in a few quick and simple steps, you can instantly give yourself the latest international look and step out for that party looking gorgeous." |
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
It's that time of the year when many restaurants welcome you with boards proclaiming 'navratra feast'-- pure vegetarian 'vrat' food available. Where the delicacies on the menu include kuttu atta puri, paranthas, sitaphal (pumpkin), paneer, aloo ki sabzi, kuttu ke atta ke pakodas and sabudana kheer.
Sudha confirms that the fasting phase actually turns into a weight-gaining exercise. With all this fried food intake, the popular belief that apart from propitiating the deities by keeping the vrats, weight loss could also be achieved is happily shattered. 
Comparing a fast and a normal-day diet, she says, "A typical Indian meal with a green vegetable, two rotis (without ghee), lentils, curd and salad comes to be around 1700-1800 calories but, on the contrary, three kuttu puris, paneer sabzi, in-between munching and sweets add up to 2500 calories, so you can see for yourself what a fast can do to you." 
Taj-17: The Taj will offer a special Navratra thali at Rs. 400 (plus taxes) at its Café 17, Dera — The Indian restaurant. The menu will have new dishes prepared in pure desi ghee, says Ramit Kohli, sous chef. Among the main course will be nashpaati ki sabzi, kachche kele ka rassa, vratwale khazane_e_lazzat and aloo aur saboodaane ki tikki. The desserts will include kaju potli, seetaphal ka halwa and kutre seb ka halwa, among others. 
Luxor, the market leader in the writing instrument industry, launches a premium gift collection 'Luxor Expression Range' for this festive season. The elite range brings forth our traditions, culture and beliefs i.e. Rangoli, Jaisalmer, Utsav, Mogra, Raga, Maharaja, Lotus, Royal and Chinar reminds us of our rich culture whereas Karma, Surya, Orchid, Destiny and Divine makes our belief stronger in god. Priced between Rs.200-700, it is available at all exclusive Luxor Signature Stores and prominent retail and stationery stores. 
Wella Professionals, the premier name in professional hair cosmetics, bring to you Natural Styling - the latest international fashion look seen for the first time on the catwalks at the Milan Fashion Week, the place where the worldwide seasonal cycle of fashion begins. Natural Styling can be created using only Wella's High Hair range - the international trendsetter in hair styling products by Wella Professionals.