Common sense coupled with contemporary chic. That defines new US First Lady Michelle Obama's wardrobe function

Move over, Carla Bruni, there's a new fashion First Lady on the scene.

The black-and-red Narciso Rodriguez dress that Michelle Obama wore in Chicago on Tuesday night was another daring fashion choice, a straight-from-the spring-runway style that she paired with a black cardigan. The blogs are burning up with opinions about it (most of them negative), but I liked it --- the symbolism of patriotic red bursting out of black like a firecracker out of the night sky.

JACKIE OH!: First Ladies can’t escape comparison with the iconic Jacqueline

Next to Jill Biden in her skirt suit, Michelle looked like a breath of chic air.

The comparisons to Jackie Kennedy are really off the mark. Kennedy's style was rooted in Paris, in the haute couture dresses she worked with Oleg Cassini to replicate.

Michelle may know how to rock a strand of pearls, but she has her own approach to style.

Over the past few months, she has mixed designer dresses from young American fashion talents which is a much more modern way to dress than wearing head-to-toe designer.

Even if you could afford to spend $150,000 in one month on a designer wardrobe, would you want to? Not if you are a sensible woman and a real fashion enthusiast.

Dresses are becoming a Michelle signature. By choosing to wear them so much of the time, she has set herself apart from all the St John pantsuit-wearing Washington insiders.

LA Times-Washington Post

Sonu Sood, in town to promote Ek Vivah…, is the new Prem in this new Rajshri Production

Boys from small towns are quite committed. Actor Sonu Sood had once said this. And on Thursday, he lived up to it. At the scheduled time, we see him waiting at Hotel Mountview's lobby. "Commitment, boss," he smiles and gets up to greets us. "Is this you?" we ask. He smiles, "You don't think so?" he replies. "I am like this, and also like Prem of Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi."

And it is the promotional of this film that brings Sonu Sood to town. On the eve, the actor who is does not seem to be in any kind of hurry and gets down to sharing few professional notes with us. After working with Vipul Shah in Singh is Kinng and Ashutosh Gwarikor in Jodhaa Akbar, the latest role marks his foray into the romantic genre.

"I was in Moga for my mother's chautha, when I got a call from the Rajshri people. In 15-20 days precisely, I touched base with them again and that's how Ek Vivah… happened," says Sonu. "They narrated the script to me, and I took it up without any apprehension. Also, I had to prove to myself and others that I could also do a romantic hero, given the kind of roles that I have done so far. Most people think that with the kind of physique I have, I am only good for action roles."

So, here is our new Prem. Boy, couldn't we have a hero with some other name? Who wants to see saccharine-sweet, sacrificing actors, who smile, gush and even sharmaao on screen. He laughs, "There is an audience for this as well. As for 'Prem', it is a brand name. We have grown up watching Prem of Hum Apke Hain Kaun. Rajshri Productions have an audience of their own. There are women who go to cinema halls to watch to mush, the love stories. They love to be in the fantasy world for a little while," says Sonu, who feels that the industry is taking note of him now.

"As an actor I would like to do different kinds of roles, in various genres. I like to do comedy and action but a film which is a mixture of all is something that I would want to do," says the actor. "Besides, I pretty much relate with the role. A small town boy from Bhopal who wants to be a singer and waits for 12 years to get married to a girl he is committed to." We got it, it's all about commitment.

"Of course, I had no godfather when I came to the industry. People thought I wouldn't survive. I told them that my hard work and dedication would surely bear fruit," says Sonu, who loves to be back in Chandigarh. "Now, Mumbai is like a home. It has accepted me, and I have found my world there."

As we're about to wind up, we ask the small-town, Moga boy what else he likes doing? "I like to play the guitar, which has helped me in the movie as well. I like to watch movies, and I am a complete fitness freak. Two hours in the gym takes care of my health," he answers.

So, all you people who thought only Salman Khan could carry off the Prem tag, watch out for apna Punjab da munda and also for some of his upcoming projects, Dhondtey Reh Jaoogey, and a flick with J.P. Dutta.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

For Avijit Roy, paintings are an expression of the self: Negatively positive

Art may be an extravagant display of talent for some, while for others it may be an expression of self-emotions on the canvas that becomes creativity. For Avijit Roy, an artist from the cultural capital of the country, Kolkatta, his brush becomes the medium that translates his innermost thoughts to the common eye. The young artist is in city for an exhibition of his work at Artfolio-9.

"My inspiration is my life. I take experiences from it and liven them up with colour," says Avijit. Art he says, was like a soul food for him since childhood. "Though I started my profession as an artist after 1992, but I grew up with dreams of paint and brush," says this student from Calcutta Art College. He further learnt the nuances of art from Shantiniketan, travelled extensively through international art schools in Sydney, London and Japan and since then there has been no looking back for him. His works are displayed at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Saga Art College, Japan, Camberwell College of Art in London and in many other cities of the world.

The current display has 24 paintings from his collection, based on the themes of Human and Nature. Drawn on handmade paper, with an ancient technique called temper on paper, these paintings reflect an underlying pain and suffering with a nature and human elements to it. "I have used a lot of symbols in my paintings to signify the five basic elements of life—air, water, fire, earth and space. It reflects the spiritual and humanistic side of my work," says Avijit. One of his works shows five basic elements and nine chakras of human body. Another thing common to most of his works is spirituality. "There is a lot of use of dark colours in my paintings as they represent the negative emotions. My paintings are what I am, negatively positive," he says.

Well, be it the paintings or the man, they both reflect love and passion for life as it comes.

Get ready to shake your booty to DJ Will's bachata and salsa skills

If you are a diehard fan of Dirty Dancing and swooned over the romantic tunes, breathtaking dance and charming Patrick Swayze, then here is your chance to sway all over again with salsa in international style with DJ Will, a salsa dancer cum trainer, from Hongkong. In city, to conduct workshops at the Club Salsa India and judge a competition, he is all set to groove you with his sensational salsa moves and introduce the more sensuous counterpart, Bachata.

"Salsa is more energetic and fast while Bachata is slow, romantic and more playful. It is a local dance form of Dominic Republic and a big hit at the international arena," says Will. Originally from Toronto, DJ Will got the taste of salsa during a visit to Cuba- the birthplace of the dance form. On his first trip to India and ofcourse to tri-city, he says, "I am the official DJ for the Hongkong Salsa Congress and Hongkong Salsa Festival, where I got acquainted with Varun and Varsha last year. And that's how I got my first invitation to visit the incredible India."

Smitten by the Bollywood tunes, Will says he would like to try the fusion of Bollywood and salsa if given a chance. "I like the Indian folk dance forms, they are graceful and fervent, just like salsa," he says. For the newer forms like bachata, he feels, are gradually gaining popularity in Asia. But aren't we getting an overdose of salsa? "I don't think so. Salsa can never loose its charm. Though there is a room for innovations," he says.

As for the tri-city saleros, it's a salsa bonanza waiting, with the grand performance by DJ Will and others on November 7, followed by an open salsa competition at Shivalikview-17, with age no bar for salsa fun. After dancing to his salsa skills, you can groove to DJ Will's salsa tunes at the sizzling salsa party at Arabia-8.

So, get ready for some sexy salsa and bachata spin and some sizzling salsa music!

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

Arrow, the leader in premium crafted menswear relaunched their latest store in Chandigarh. Styled according to Arrow's new retail format, the store measuring 2200 sq feet is in Sector 17 market at the heart of the city's shopping and business centre. The store is a fine combination of consumer tastes and preferences, convenience and visual appeal.

Speaking at the launch, Rishi Vasudev, Business Head - Arrow said, "The new store will offer the latest Arrow collections with the aim of maximising your shopping convenience. Chandigarh is a very important market for us and we are promising our customers the very best - in service, style and comfort."

The Arrow store in Chandigarh is the largest in the region. The store has been designed, keeping in mind three spaces: Sport— which houses the leisure range from Arrow. Formal, where one can choose from an entire range of formal clothing and accessories and Suits - where for the first time you can choose from a large range of Classic and Italian suits and jackets. Arrow accessories such as caps, bags, ties, belts and socks will also be on offer, thus ensuring that each customer experiences the brand's craftsmanship, fashion and style. Customers will also be offered The Arrow Aristocracy-the rewarding loyalty program at this store.

The store is currently displaying the latest Fall Winter 08 collections from Arrow Premium, Classic, Urban and Sport.

After Parzania, made in the backdrop of Gujarat's communal violence, in Lamha Rahul Dholakia will depict Kashmir's pain

Bollywood filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, said that his forthcoming movie Lamha would portray the pain and suffering of Kashmir even though it was essentially a love story.

"I will be hated outside after the release of Lamha. It will depict Kashmir's pain and suffering as I have seen during the two years of research for my film," Dholakia told reporters.

He said that his movie, which stars Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu and Anupam Kher, would be a "pro-Kashmir film". The director added that he fully understood the humiliation and the pain the locals suffered when non-resident troopers asked them for identity proof.

"I have met a senior separatist leader and many people here and I have assured them that my film will portray Kashmir in its true perspective.

"I have been to a village called Dardpora where hundreds of widows still wait with photographs of their husbands and sons to return home. All that will be there in my film," Dholakia said.

The shooting of Dholakia's film had run into rough weather as Kashmiri fruit traders last week intervened to stop the shooting at the fruit market as they feared the movie might portray them in bad light.

On Monday, students of a college in south Kashmir's Anantnag district took exception to some of the portions being shot inside the campus premises and the principal then asked the film crew to withdraw.

On Wednesday too, the film's shoot was interrupted by a few people while they were filming in uptown Maharaja Bazaar area.

Dholakia has earlier made the critically acclaimed film Parzania about a boy who went missing in the 2002 Gujarat communal violence.

Yuvvraaj, Salman Khan's third film with Katrina Kaif, is a musical

Bollywood actor Salman Khan promoted his forthcoming film Yuvvraaj at a singing-based reality show in Mumbai. The participants at the show sang songs from various Salman Khan films.

Bollywood's hunk Salman Khan said that the reality show was the right platform to promote his film because it was also a musical show.

"We are promoting our film Yuvvraaj and according to the trend prevailing, we have to promote our film wherever they go. As you know that the music of the film Yuvvraaj is also very good and this is a musical show so I thought that this was the right thing to do. The music of the songs have been composed by A.R. Rahman and Subhash Ghai has directed the film so I thought it was a good thing to do," said Salman.

The film is produced and directed by Subhash Ghai.

It stars Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Zayed Khan.

Yuvvraaj will be the third film of Salman Khan with Katrina Kaif. Yuvvraaj is a musical story of a fragmented family of three brothers who are fighting and playing games with each other to inherit their father's wealth.

A.R. Rahman has scored the music of the movie, while Gulzar has penned the lyrics.

The film is slated for November 21 release. — ANI, IANS

Eesha Koppikhar breaks her item-girl image with Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi

Back on the filmy track, khallas girl Eesha Koppikhar is basking in the glory of her latest release Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi. Born on September 19, 1976, this five feet seven inches tall girl debuted with Khalid Mohammed's Fiza and perfectly justified her performance in Farhan Akhtar's Don with King Khan. And now riding high on the release of her much-awaited Rajshri Productions Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi, directed by popular tele-serial director Kaushik Ghatak from Who Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki fame, in the movie she plays the lead. Simple, realistic and rooted to traditions her character is opposite Sonu Sood.

In conversation, she lends us a peep into the family drama Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi.

Are you feeling relieved now that a film of yours with a different image is releasing?

Well, with this film I am going to break the item girl image. I am feeling really great and I have high hopes from Ek Vivaah….

Tell us somethings about your character

I play a simple and sensitive girl Chandni, and I have tried to give the character a different touch.

How was the experience of working with the Rajshri banner?

It was like a dream come true for me because I had a mix bag of roles before singing this film. All-in all it was a wonderful experience working with the Barjatyas.

What about director Kaushik Ghatak

He has a detailed knowledge of filmmaking and is one of the easiest director to work with. He is someone who takes utmost care of the actors.

What do you look when selecting a film?

The banner is important. I never look at the length of the role. I am glad that I bagged the coveted Rajshri project.

Future projects

Ram Gopal Varma's Shabri and Jhanu Barua's Har Pal are my keenly awaited good projects.

— Dharam Pal