Reality sucks! There is not one single soul out there who is not busy either glorifying, or manipulating or even rebelling against their reality. The fact is, when it comes to life, we don't like the real picture. But then there is this other fact that despite all our efforts reality gets the better of us. How? Well, through the pau kilo reality shows that started on the pretext of 'being different' and then spread like wildfire. And just like that we enjoyed 'reality', though someone else's, packaged with emotions and flavoured with glamour.

It's everyday life now and has made celebrities out of common people. And who knows it better than city folks. Chandigarh has delivered everytime there is 'ree-a-lity' calling. Be it giving the nice north Indian punch to MTV 's ‘Straight from Hell' shows like Roadies or Splitsvilla, or the other song-n-dance talent shows.

So, if it is Ayushmann Khurana, Vishal Karwal, Bani making Mumbai their 'second home', we have others who have come back to the usual everyday life of Chandigarh. And after facing the reality at its best, they are happy settling for the reality back home. "Reality shows turn you into a star overnight. But overlooking that fame and glamour, one needs to set his/her priorities straight," feels Jashanpreet Singh. Jashan along with his partner Tahira was the finalist in Aaja Maahi Vay, a dance reality show on Star Plus. They were the most popular jodi on the show, but once back home, the balancing act began. "We were suddenly celebrities who were pesked for autographs and photographs. But suddenly, the recognition fades away and you get back to life as usual," he says.

Was it easy settling for the calm and quiet of the city after spending almost two months in Mumbai razzle-dazzle? "It was very tough. Though we both have grown up in Chandigarh, we found the city very boring, dull and slow on our return," says Tahira. But Jashan describes his experience as 'shockingly strange'. "When in Mumbai we used to cry for home. But after we got back, I cried to go back to Mumbai,' he says.

But homecoming doesn't mean an end for their dream chase. "We had offers from production houses and more reality shows, but we decided to finish our studies before we step into that world again," says Tahira.

Prabhjot Virk, the rough 'n' tough gal from Roadies 5.0, shares the feeling. "I went for Roadies with adventure in mind, but fame followed. Though it changed my life in lot of ways, it never dictated my priorities," she says. And what makes it to her priority list? "My education and eventually making a career that lasts," she is quick. When most of her peers from the show, read Ashutosh, Varun, Shambhavi and Anmol, have chosen glamourous careers, she decided to go the other way. " I was offered Splitsvilla, numerous Punjabi videos and Roadies Rearview. But eventually, I decided to settle for my studies here," she says. She is completing her BCA and plans to get a Master's in Fashion Management. Is it something better that she is looking for? "I have seen my friends in Mumbai working hard for something short-lived. It doesn't took me time to realize that you have your whole life to try other things but to make a career out of your education." Jashan agrees, "Things do come your way after a successful run but not before the struggle. And you have to rely on something big to make it in Mumbai. We don't want to leave everything and waste our efforts in a blind struggle." They are ready for a second innings and have plans to start a dancing school in city, but not before completing graduation.

Early birds
City-bred Ayushmann Khurana's fairy tale started with MTV Roadies. He then turned motor-mouth RJ on Big FM with Big Chai and turned actor with Ek thi Rajkumari on Zee Next. Now you can catch him as a MTV VJ.	City girl Sukhmani Malik, who shot to fame as one of the finalists in season 1 of Channel V Popstars, has worked her way to success. After her stint with reality TV, she formed a musical band with city-based musician, Hari Singh and the duo recently composed music for Deepa Mehta's Heaven On Earth. She has impressed audience with her song Kanghi bawan. Beginning her career in city, rather than going to Delhi or Mumbai, she is set for a long innings in tinsel town.	Remember Shubhi Mehta? Well, you saw her first on Mtv Roadies season-3 and then in movies Chak De and Mere Khwabon Me Jo Aye.

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Style ruled the ongoing exhibition, Fashion Secrets at hotel Shivalikview-17 that had over 50 designers' elements from Mumbai, New Delhi and Chandigarh on its display. In the city for the first time, Fashion Secrets serves your style as well as taste buds.

For your wardrobe, there are options ranging from designer kurtis in anarkali, tunics, fabrics like cottons, crepes and embellished with gota, crochet, patchwork, beads and hand embroidery. For a formal look, get them tailor-made in bandhgala or achkan style for a chic look. While there was an array of fabric on display, they were also lavishly embroidered and embellished duppatas, suits in chiffon-in cool summer colours. For an International look, check out the collection from Hongkong. Soft casual wear, latest in trends and designs in smashing colours.

To complement the wardrobe, there was no dearth of in-trend accessories. Bling ruled with chunky, boho jewellery with multi-colour stones and beads in oxidised metal.

For a classy taste, there were gemstones, sapphire, emerald and rubies in platinum, gold and silver, straight from Mumbai.

To pamper your body and soul there were personalised aromatic soaps in strawberry, lavender, rose and saffron. And a must-pick- Handicrafts made from pure gold foils, carved into intricate flowers, idols or a pack of gold cards, adds glimmer to your décor.

And if you are still looking for more, then check out the teakwood items, embellished with zari-work on brocade.

Cotton charisma

To hone your appetite CITCO brings to the city a three-day Arabian food festival. To toss up the Arabian flavours, Chef Rameez has been specially invited for the fest. The authentic Arabian food extravaganza features wide array of authentic Arabian dishes including appetizers such as Fish Saiyadia, Dajaj Ablama- (chicken with mushroom), Soda Karoof- (lamb liver), Mackali Calamari, Falefel (minced chickpeas with vegetables); in soups you can try Dajaj Shorba, (Chicken soup with vermicelli), Shorba Adas (Thick lentil soup garnished with crispy bread, served with lemon) or Shorba Khaodar (Creamy mixed vegetable broth Arabic style).

For those who love salads there is a variety to be explored. Right from Hummos a ground chickpea salad with tahina and garlic sauce to Mutabal a minced grilled eggplant with tahina yoghurt and garlic salad, you can also nibble Babaganough a chopped grilled eggplant mixed with seasonable vegetable garnished with pomegranate salad.  That’s not all there is Labnah Bil Thoum a hung yoghurt mixed salad with garlic dry mint and drizzled with olive oil. 

For the main course you can try Fetta Bazejan (Baby eggplant stuffed with minced lamb, onion, pine seed, cooked in yoghurt and tahina sauce), Anginar (Artichokes stuffed with onion, meat and pine seeds. Served with vermicelli rice), Reeash Mashoea (Grilled lamp chops in black pepper sauce. Served with oriental rice & steamed vegetables), Bwarak Inab (Stuffed wine leaves with saffron rice cooked in tamarind sauce. Served with lamb chops). Well, the list is never ending but we would also make a mention that here you have a variety of Seafood to relish too. Last but not the least desserts include the Basboosa (Semolina Cake) and Muhallabia (almond cream pudding).

This special buffet dinner is priced at Rs 595 per person and will be served from 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. — TNS

Nothing better to chill out in the hot weather than coolants. Try out these mocktails with a twist:

Forget chicken tikka masala. Chinese food is the most popular ethnic cuisine, according to new research that suggests Britain's immense in a poll, 83 per cent of adults liked eating tangy Chinese, ahead of the 71 per cent who favoured highly-spicy Indian food. When eating out, Britons also prefer Peking duck to a lamb balti and almost a third of people have visited a Chinese restaurant in the past 12 months compared to 30 per cent who have been to a curry house.

Mintel's Ethnic Cuisine report found consumers spent (pounds sterling)1.32bn on foreign cooking last year. Researchers forecast that amount will hit (pounds sterling)1.52bn by 2013 because of rising affluence, more working women and a greater number of twenty-something shoppers and single households.

In the supermarket, the curry still reigned supreme, with shoppers spending (pounds sterling)556m on Indian (pounds sterling)367m on Chinese food.

However sales for Indian and Chinese only went up 1 per cent and their traditional strangle hold on taste buds is easing, falling from 77 per cent of sales in 2003 to 70 per cent last year as consumers experiment with newer styles of cooking. Shops sold 20 per cent more Mexican food, the third most popular cuisine, but Asian foods recorded the most spectacular growth.

Meals and ingredients for South-east Asian cooking, including Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean, grew by 46 per cent to (pounds sterling)17m. Japanese food grew 44 per cent to (pounds sterling)13m. Cajun and Caribbean food rose 7 per cent.

Mintel detected a rise in home cooking, influenced by the need to save money and eat healthily n 62 per cent of adults said cooking ethnic food at home was cheaper than getting a takeaway while 61 per cent n up 6 per cent n said they enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes.

More than a third reckoned their curries tasted just as good as a takeaway. During 2007 and 2008, sales of Chinese stir fry sales rose 37 per cent and Chinese cooking sauces 13 per cent while ready meals fell 7 per cent. For Indian food, spices and other accompaniments were up 11 per cent and ready meals down 2 per cent.

"The economic climate seems to be impacting on Brits seeking to recreate the restaurant experience at home," said Emmanuelle Bouvier, a senior market analyst at Mintel. "The initial establishment of popular favourites Chinese and Indian cuisine have led to a broadening of the market and increased popularity of different types of ethnic food."Stir fries tend to be seen as healthy meal solutions that are also convenient while cooking aids, such as pastes and spices, give consumers the freedom to tailor their meals to their taste, which they cannot do with ready meals."

Excitement is in the air as the city gears up to see high profile Bollywood stars like Bipasha Basu and John Abraham, dressed in attires by their favourite designers, walk the ramp for its first ever fashion extravaganza - the four-day Kolkata Fashion Week, which began Thursday.

"This is the first time Kolkata is having its own fashion week and we are sure that fashion week will eventually become an annual event of the Indian fashion industry. It is not that the city is not fashionable like Delhi or Mumbai, but a proper platform was missing," organiser of the event Yudhajit Dutta said.

Bollywood actors like Bipasha Basu, John Abraham, Zeenat Aman, Minissha Lamba, Chitrangada Singh, Mahi Gill and Sagarika Ghatke are expected to walk the ramp as showstoppers.

Noted designers participating in the fashion week include Bibi Russell, Rohit Bal, Wendell Rodricks, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Shane-Falguni, Gauri Nainika, Mona Pali, Dev R. Nil, Abhishek Dutta, Marg, Sharbari Dutta, Zubair Kirmani, Anjana Bhargav, Manoviraj Khosla and Narendra Kumar. They will be displaying their collections on the theme - Return To Roots. — IANS

The inaugural Kolkata Fashion Week opened Thursday with Bangladesh's international model-turned designer Bibi Russell showcasing her gamcha (stole) and natural fibre collection.

The designer displayed 41 of her creations made from khadi, cotton, silk, jute yarn fabrics, tribal fabrics, natural fabrics and jamdani.

"This is the first time I am showing my work in an Indian fashion week...the speciality of my collection is that they are all hand-woven by villagers of Bangladesh and some from West Bengal," Bibi said after the show.

Even the accessories were made from natural resources like terracota, water hyacinth, palm leaves, wood, silk yarn, jute and cotton yarn. — IANS

Bollywood machoman Akshay Kumar's act of asking his wife Twinkle unbuttoning his trousers at LFW kicked up a row over alleged obscenity even as police began an inquiry into the incident and the actor apologised for his action.

"We have taken note of a written complaint filed by a social activist Anil Nair. We are conducting an inquiry into Akshay's alleged obscene acts during Lakme Fashion Week held recently. We may call him to the police station in this regard," an officer of Vakola police station said.

Apologising for his action, Akshay said, "If I have hurt anyone's sentiments with my actions, I am sorry because I did not mean to do that".

On Monday, mid-way between his ramp walk at the Lakme Fashion Week, Akshay walked towards his wife Twinkle Khanna, who was seated in the front row, and allegedly asked her to unbutton his jeans. — PTI

She has played mother to the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Akshay Kumar in Hindi films, but veteran actress Farida Jalal has now returned to the small screen with Balika Vadhu. She says a lack of good roles for women her age in Bollywood led her to turn to television.

"Female character actors of my age are mostly slotted in the same type of role without much variation. I wanted to do all kinds of roles. That is why whenever TV producers offer me variety, I take it up," Farida said.

"I have done the crème of films. But still I feel my male counterparts have so much to do but not me," she said. — IANS

It was a long wait for Abhimanyu Singh who made an impact as the volatile and unstoppable Rajput student-leader Rananjay Singh in Gulaal after 10 years of struggle. He feels that the film has given him a new lease of life.

"It hasn't been easy," admits Abhimanyu as the compliments pour in. "It (Gulaal) gave me a chance to channelise my restlessness into a character that had layers of complexity," Abhimanyu said.

Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film about student unrest and intense politicking was critically acclaimed. Thanks to Gulaal, the actor has already signed films with Chandraprakash Dwivedi and Kashyap.

"I feel my period of struggle is finally over. Or maybe it has started all over again," Abhimanyu said.

"The first eight years in Mumbai were specially tough. I knew during the first two months of my stay that there's no point waiting for hours to meet producers. They won't meet you and definitely won't give you a role."

He found another route. "I decided to do theatre intensely. I joined Makarand Deshpande's group Ansh. He became my guru. That's where I met Anurag Kashyap and Kay Kay Menon. These were the people who supported and inspired me," Abhimanyu said.

Meanwhile, there was television to make ends meet. Abhimanyu admits it was a frustrating time. — IANS