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Colour code Chromotherapy can work wonders for you, writes Jigyasa Kapoor Chimra
Light hues sooth the mind and senses. Feeling of tranquility seeps in with lighter tones. Normally colours like white, crème, yellow are pleasant. And wearing them would show pleasing effects.
"Definitely colours make a difference," says Jaswinder Kaur, interior designer and spiritual healer from Mohali. She adds, "Green is a definite healer, wearing red and orange are great for career growth, but one thing that must be kept in mind is there are different colours for different people. And mind you, hues can heal if you felt strongly." Well, we have all heard beliefs like a bride shouldn’t wear black or a pale complexion looks paler in dull yellow, white soothes, red fires temper and so on. But we wonder how true it is. "When we talk about colours they have a social, cultural and therapeutic affect," says Aarti Sharma, city-based, holistic healer. Differentiating the three she says, "In India black is considered as evil, white is the colour that we associate with widowhood and in West white is pure, it is the social and cultural difference we see in colours. And when we talk about healing, colours are associated with chakras. We have seven chakras and every chakra has a different colours associated with it. They are used according to what the body demands and suits the person." Ask her more about colour therapy and she says, "Every colour has its good positive and negative points. Yellow is a colour that stabilises energy and has a strong affect on mental well being, so it’s used on people who need channelisation of energy. Red is a curative colour. Though in West, it is the colour of passion in East we consider it as the colour of life, that is why brides wear red in India. Blue represents vastness and space and violet is another strong colour, it spells royalty in Japan, but in Eastern countries it is the colour of seventh chakra, the seat of consciousness. People who get attracted to violet are the people who are on a journey to exploration." Nodding to the colour effect psychologists too have theorised that colour preferences have deep physiological affects on mood or feelings. "It’s a proven fact now that light hues sooth the mind and senses. Feeling of tranquility seeps in with lighter tones. Normally colours like white, cr`E8me, yellow are pleasant colours and wearing them would show pleasing affects," says psychologist Rajshree Sarda. Ask her does wearing certain colours decode mood or personality and she says, "Yes, it does. Exuberant pink, dirty yellow, crumpled clothes and colours that have a faded tinge signifying mood swings. If one is having a bad day, we tend to choose clothes in dull neutral colours like black, grey or brown as they match our feelings. Just as when we are happy, we go for brighter hues." Keeping this in mind we ask how should we choose colours? Advises stylist and deputy general manager, Flying Cats, Chanda Malhotra, "Colours definitely reflect our moods. But more than that one needs to consider their impact on location, occasion and season. Even if one is feeling full of life he/she cannot wear orange or fuschia pink for office one has to tie down to subtle colours." She adds, "But yes, if someone is looking for serenity, wear oceanic blues, whites and yellows. Depressing blacks and grays are ideal for endings or keeping low profile at parties. Pinks convey compassion and feminity, while red boosts confidence. Yellow and orange are playful colours so should be worn for high-energy tasks, while green can be worn to turn over a new leaf." Go on find your colour. jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
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Fine with
foul The slugfest on reality TV may not find favour with some, but for others it constitutes family entertainment
Sure, they don’t exactly fit into that picture, but thanks to these shows, the quality family time is spent in a rather different way. "Watching these shows with my family is entertaining. We enjoy them together, not worrying about the negative impact that tags along these shows," says Amita Arora. For her it is also a way to connect to her teenage children. "I want to give my kids an open environment and not shy away from watching such shows with them. I don’t avoid them, but enjoy them as a family," she says. Though she agrees that it’s fun to watch them just for sake of entertainment alone. And what about the aggression and linguistic shocks? "I think these things are normal and a part of life. Such behavior should be considered natural, given the kind of situations on such shows," she clears. And what’s more? The on-camera antics on these shows form the hottest kitty party discussions! Another family that is game for some bad behavior is Dr. Rakesh Verma and his wife Aarti. They are as much hooked to Roadies 6.0 as their 19-year-old son and 16 year-old-daughter. "It’s good entertainment, and we like it for the interesting tasks and adventure. As for the abusive content, well, having grown-up kids makes it easier to watch," says Aarti. On the contrary, doesn’t that make it more ‘unfit’ f? "We have an entire generation that is crazy about these shows. The idea is to be friends with our kids and try to bond with them through these shows," says Dr Ramesh. Well, might sound out of place but that is how it works. "Though these shows are not healthy examples for youth but we have to watch them together to keep a check on what our kids are learning from them," he adds. Of course, the distractions are provided through some family discussions in-between. According to Dr Ashwin Mohan, it is hard to explain family bonding through these shows. But the popularity of these shows and the definition of rough ‘n’ tough individuals have been glamourised by adding aggression, and it is not difficult to explain why parents take a keen interest. "It makes sense to watch the shows just for the sake of awareness and know what their kids are been influenced by," he says. These very normal young people going wild on national TV, the effect is both ways. "Most of the reality show participants by default have underlined personality that makes them aggressive. But the pressures under which they behave is normal of them," feels Dr Ashwin Mohan, consultant psychologist, Sector-22. One of the reasons for their growing family audience could be the iconic status these shows have achieved. "Generally, these youngsters are being modeled as youth idols. Most of them might regret afterwards, but any kind of insensitive or aggressive behavior is under no way, cool." lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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Open your umbrella for maximum, as sunscreen is one of the products that can save you from harsh sunrays
Even the mason re-carpeting the road must have heard of the importance of applying one. But how important? The Skin Cancer Foundation considers sunscreen one part of a comprehensive sun protection programme, along with sun-protective clothing, sunglasses, shade etc. All schools of thought differentiate between sunscreen, sunblock. Here's one. Sunscreen's typically classified as a product with SPF of 2 and more, sunblock's categorised as physical block with SPF 12 or higher. Sunscreens chemically absorb ultra-violet rays while the sun block physically deflects them. Answers Dr Monika Mittal, dermatologist, "Chemical sunscreen protect against sun while the physical one's protect against tanning. But Indian population being of skin type four, with sufficient melanin; sun protective factor of fifteen is generally enough." Products often contain a mixture of physical or chemical block ingredients. Dr Ashima Goel, of Parisa Skin Clinic, warns, "Medically speaking, they should contain both chemical and physical protection." Among the colourful clones available in market, she recommends water based lotions, Suncross Aqua Gel with SPF 26 or Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer, to get started. However "very fair people" or those out in the field for sports or physical activities, can go in for higher factor. She says, "People with very sensitive skin or those, for instance, playing golf, sometimes even put in SPF 50 to 70." Ultra-violet A, although less likely than Ultra-violet B to cause sunburn, UVA penetrates the skin more deeply, rendering it the chief culprit behind wrinkling, photoaging. Says Dr. Goel, "Ideally sunscreens should protect against, ultra-violet A and ultra-violet B rays. Out of the two it's ultra-violet A one needs to very cautious of." Dr Mittal lists, "As far as the ingredients go, one can check in for Avobenzone and Octyl Methoxycinnamate." Being careful with product label literature is half the battle won. Nope! Just slathering dollops of lotion's not enough; sunglasses, scarves ought to be under your umbrella, pun by all means intended. — Manpriya Khurana
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Fluids and fruits
Sonia Gandhi, consultant dietician, Fortis says, "Water hydration is important during summers and to assure the right quantity of water in the body, one should take in lots of fluids." We are quite aware of this fact but something informative she shares with us is, "Anything tossed with ice or served chilled does not assure it to be a cool drink. For instance, one should avoid having strong cold coffee and beer. These might be cool drinks but they leave the body dehydrated, thus one should drink more water after taking them." Regarding the apt diet in summers, she suggests, "Please don't have winter vegetables like cauliflower or cabbage that come from cold storages. Summers offer a variety of fruits and vegetables and it’s healthier to eat them." Melons in fruits and pumpkin and bottle guard in vegetables are the must haves. Dr. Madhu Arora, dietician GMCH 32 recommends, "In summers, it is preferable to have all vegetables to non-veg." She next reasons it out, "Usually, all non vegetable dishes are warm. Eating chicken, pork, fish and eggs can leave the body dehydrated." For those whose staple diet in non-veg, she offers a solution, "One can have lemon chicken as it is cooked in lemon water and in minimal oil and spices. If at all, one should only have boiled egg as that doesn't require any oil for cooking." She guards against having spicy food for that might cause burning sensation and difficulty in digesting food. As per her perfect diet is, "Certainly lots of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Also, one should have milk and curd, which are cool drinks". She suggests fruits as substitutes for cooked food during summers. Sudha Khurana, consultant dietetics, PGI suggests against drinking a lot of aerated drinks. "The better option to quench thirst in summers is drink fresh fruit juices, home made drinks like carrot and onion kanji and fresh lime." As for food, she adds, "One should eat only light food and avoid spicy dishes. Don't forget to drink plenty of water.”
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Know your supplements Sachin Kalra Are supplements too much of a good thing? Unfortunately ours is not a perfect world and most of us are left on our own to decipher the implications of current research findings or the latest supplement and nutrition fads. There certainly is no end to the number of supplements available and their claims of improved results, faster weight loss and quicker muscle gain. Unfortunately, there are no established guidelines governing these products, which means companies are not required to substantiate their claims. Supplement manufacturers have promoted many types of bizarre ingredients and concoctions. Some of the most widely used products include individual amino acids, antioxidant vitamins and trace minerals such as chromium picolinate. While all supplements have the potential to do harm, some are more risky than others. Here's some advice to help you navigate the murky waters of the million-dollar supplement industry. Amino acids
One of the most questionable supplementation practices is the use of individual amino acids. Amino acids are nitrogen-containing components that make up proteins. Approximately 22 amino acids exist in nature, eight or nine of which must be present in our diet because our bodies cannot manufacture them. However there is no evidence that healthy individuals will benefit from large doses of a single amino acid. In fact, researchers claim that imbalanced amino acid diets are associated with anti-nutritional effects such as depressed growth. Allergies, headaches and altered neural functioning also are associated with single amino acid supplementation. Thus, your best bet is to obtain amino acids through protein in your diet. Antioxidant vitamins
Unlike using amino acids, taking moderate quantities of antioxidant vitamins is considered a low-risk practice. Vitamins E and C and beta-carotene (from vitamin A family), along with a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods, may help the body get rid of harmful oxidants that can damage cells. The key here is that antioxidants must be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet containing lots of fruits, vegetables and beans. Research studies using antioxidants in the form of supplements have not been consistently positive. However eating several servings of fruits and vegetables every day has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer in numerous studies. Chromium picolinate
Chromium picolinate has been so widely promoted as the quick way to a leaner, more muscular body that many of us just assume that there is good evidence to support those claims. Actually, no such evidence exists that chromium deficiency is prevalent among healthy adults in our population. It is true that chromium is often lost in the processing of foods and this is another reason why our diets should contain many whole, unprocessed foods. However, for those who insist on taking chromium picolinate, the estimated safe and adequate daily intake is 50 mcg to 200 mcg. The bottom line
Many of us seem to be following the idea that in order to achieve our health goals, we must consume special dietary products in amounts not normally found in a typical diet. But while the initial promises offered by makers of these supplements are enchanting, the actual benefits to the consumer don't live up to the advertising. The best defense against becoming a victim of a nutritional scam is education. With this formidable weapon, you will be well on your way toward better health. kalrasachin@hotmail.com |
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Simply stylish
Fitness mantra: Living a normal life is what helps me keep fit. I believe, one need not go out of his way to attain the perfect shape, just living and eating healthy helps the cause. Also, I try to lead a stress free life by not keeping my any work pending and maintaining a balance between my personal and professional life. Fitness regime: I go out gymming for at least five times a week. For three days I do cardio and for the rest weight training. Also, I have started going to the dancing classes, which is one of the best forms of dancing and that has really helped me stay in shape. Diet: I am a foodie and just can't go on crash dieting. I eat five meals a day but they are all home cooked and healthy. I take a lot of fruits and juices. Also, anything I eat has to be cooked in olive oil. I take only skimmed milk and avoid taking anything fried and food rich in fat content. But I literally binge on weekends and make up for it by doing strenuous work outs in the gym. For a healthy skin, ten glasses of water daily is a must. Fantasy food: I simply love having kada prasad we get at gurudwaras but I cannot have it since it has loads of calories. It is also my favourite dessert which I wish I could have daily. Sleeping hours: Come what may, I try to get an eight-hour sleep daily. If someday, due to extra load of work, I sleep late, I compensate with it the next day by sleeping some extra hours. Best body celeb: It has to be Shilpa Shetty for the reason that even when other heroines were happy supporting chubby cheeks, she was fit then also. She has always had a good body and unlike the rest of leading ladies of bollywood today, she is not anorexic. She is fit and carries off Indian and Western wear with equal grace. Weight watch celeb: So many of them from Vidya Balan to Sushmita Sen in females and Abhishek Bachchan in males. They need to understand that the competition in the glam world is extremely tough and you can't score over the other unless you have a well-toned body. ashima@tribunemail.com
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Wine woes
The campaign has highlighted that the average wine drinker consumes an extra 2,000 calories a month - the equivalent of 184 bags of crisps. Not many middle class drinkers realise that a couple sharing a bottle of red wine is equivalent to having a Snickers chocolate bar. This implies that a woman would consume eight days' worth of calories in a week, which would mean putting more than two stone in fat within a year, unless extra calories were burned off in exercise. If a man drinks five pints of lager a week, he would consume 44,200 calories in alcohol a year, which is equivalent to 221 doughnuts. This could make him gain 12 pounds of fat unless he cut his diet elsewhere.
— ANI |
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Mom’s moves
Pregnant women could strengthen their babies' lungs and nervous system by exercising, a research suggests. American researchers conducted a study into the impact of exercise and found potential benefits for unborn babies. According to scientists, exercise may also help prevent cot death. Dr Linda May, an assistant professor of anatomy at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, said her study had yielded exciting results. "We tested foetal breathing movement and the way the baby's nervous system was developing.” "When we compared babies whose mothers exercised with babies whose mothers had not exercised, we found wonderful differences. "Foetal breathing movement and the nervous system were more mature in babies exposed to exercise," she added. All the women involved in the study were 36 to 38 weeks pregnant and aged 20-35. The mothers-to-be if they exercised for at least 30 minutes three times a
week. — ANI |
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I am single
The Hollywood beauty who shot to fame while still a toddler in the Spielberg classic ET said that her relationship with Long was that of a good friend and nothing more. "I love being single! It's great! I get to be who I am and do what I want and be with the people I love. I feel like I have everything. I'm very fortunate, and it's a very rich, fulfilling time in my life," said the actress who had walked the red carpet for her latest film Grey Gardens with Long on her arm. The reports of a rekindled romance first appeared when the pair starred together in the romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You. But Barrymore said that despite their personal ups and downs, she will continue working with Long as he is a good friend. "We're doing a film this summer, Going the Distance. I guess people find it a little confusing. I totally understand. It seems like, 'What is the deal with them?' But we just adore each other. We're in each other's lives, and we're friends, and we're working together, and we have worked together," she continued. Barrymore and Long had met in 2007, but split in July last year after dating for several
months. — PTI |
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Jiah on a roll
"I think I owe her that," said Mantena. "Specially after the way she has been treated." Things didn't work out between UTV and Jiah as it was felt that she didn't suit the character in Yahoo opposite Shahid Kapur. "God has a unique way of evening things out. I must admit I was very low after what happened. When Madhu's call came it was like a sign from heaven," said Jiah. One of the films that she has apparently been signed on for is the much talked-about sequel to Ghajini, the action hit that had Aamir Khan in the lead. But Jiah does not want to reveal much at this early stage. "It's much too early to talk about what we're doing together. UTV, whose film Yahoo I lost, have also signed me for a two-film deal," the actress said. Why sign Jiah for two films after the Yahoo fiasco? "I'm too small, too new and too much of an outsider to comment on why UTV did what they did. I did work for almost two years on Yahoo. Like I said it's not mine to question why," she says. Jiah has also signed Sajid Khan's House Full where she has two other leading ladies - Deepika Padukone and Lara Dutta - fighting for Akshay Kumar's attention. "But I've my own track. And I get to do comedy for the first time. I was very good at comedy in acting school," the young actor quipped. — IANS
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City’s health meter
Chandigarh comes 4th in rank as per the Lifebuoy Child Health Quotient. Chandigarh closely follows Lucknow and
Kolkata, both cities at the top place and Bangalore at the second place. Though the mothers in Chandigarh are perceptibly happy with their child’s growth, immunity and resistance, which incidentally score higher than Delhi, yet they have shown dissatisfaction with the weight gain parameter. Also to be noted is the fact that Chandigarh slips to the fourth position on the factor of cleanliness of surroundings. This comes as a surprise, as just a couple of years ago, Chandigarh was ranked the cleanest city of India in the Lifebuoy Clean City Meter survey, 2007. Lifebuoy, India’s largest selling soap, released the Lifebuoy Child Health Quotient, a survey conducted amongst mothers of 17 state capitals of India, to gauge the perception that mothers have with regards to the health of their children. The survey was carried out amongst 17 state capitals with mothers of children in the age group of 4-12 years. The objective of the survey was to bring forth the perception and satisfaction of mothers with respect to the physical, mental and social aspects of their child’s health and factors that influence these.
— TNS |
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Critically acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap, who has carved a niche for himself with small budget films is now set to dazzle the audience with his first star-studded-multi-crore film, Bombay Velvet. Kashyap, who has now become the next big thing in Bollywood after the success of Dev D and modest reviews of Gulaal, is gung-ho about striking it big now. "Yes, after Gulaal, where no body got paid, I am making Bombay Velvet which involves a huge amount of money," Kashyap said while attending the unveiling ceremony of And magazine which has the director on its cover. "As of now we have John Abraham, Naseeruddin Shah and Kay Kay Menon on board. But we are in talks with some other big stars as well," Kashyap added. The 36-year-old ace director who confessed that his earlier films have a slice of his own life, describes Bombay Velvet as a complete thriller based on real incidents, set in the time of 1960's. When asked why did he feel the need of having big stars this time, the director said, "It is my first big budget film and to be honest I am very nervous. I want to do full justice to the money involved." — PTI
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The Moulin Rouge actress who has a nine-month-old-daughter with Urban, revealed that her husband's rehab stint which came just three months after their wedding was a tough phase in their marriage. "We were thrown into his alcohol problems three months into the marriage and that was big. We did ten years of marriage in just three months. When the addiction takes control of someone's life, it's terrifying. But there is hope, and we work on it every day." the 41-year-old actress told the paper. Oscar winning Kidman who is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood said that having given birth late in life, she now is scared of old age and death. " It's bittersweet. I want to be around to see Sunday Rose's 21st birthday and I want to see her get married. My relationship with death used to be far more ambivalent, whereas now it feels much more important for me to stay in the world. "I feel there's something that happens when you give birth that is very primal and which men will never understand, but women who have done it all do, the birthing experience altered my whole being," said the Australian actress. — PTI
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Changing lanes
"As soon as Lindsay saw Leo she was like a bee to honey," said a source. "She was going for the big catch and when she spotted him in a dark corner of the club she headed straight for him. Lindsay is a sharp
tac. She wasn't wasting her time chatting up small fish. She seemed interested in the gents with deeper pockets, probably because her career is on a downward trajectory," the source added. Later in the night, after a few drinks and more of flirting, Lindsay took to the dance floor to show off her moves. The eyewitness said, "It was a bit shocking when she got up and started dancing in front of him but he seemed to be enjoying it." DiCaprio has earlier dated supermodels Helena Christensen and Gisele
Bundchen, and he is currently going around with Israeli catwalk star Bar
Rafaeli. — ANI |
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Play wild
"I play the character of a girl called Pooja, who is a lobby manager of a hotel floor. She is stylish, confident and vivacious and has a wild streak," Soha said. "In the film, two conmen played by Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha enter the character's life and since she wants some excitement in her life, she happily joins them. She is a fun character at heart," she added. The romantic comedy will hit screens in May. — IANS |
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Director-choreographer Farah Khan came with husband Shirish Kunder and also present was Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol and designer Manish Malhotra among a host of others, an industry source said. John Abraham also marked his attendance at the do and was soon joined by beau Bipasha Basu as well. — IANS
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Pop star Christina Aguilera is reportedly in talks to play the role of a burlesque dancer in a forthcoming flick.
The film in question has been written by Steven Antin and Christina has been considered for the lead. On the other hand, Dancing With the Stars professional Julianne Hough is also in talks to star alongside Aguilera as a pregnant showgirl. However, although a representative for the studio confirmed the movie is in development, it also stated that its "too preliminary to comment on" casting. Meanwhile, Burlesque is due to begin filming in January 2010.
— ANI
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It’s a proven fact now that
Have
you ever wondered what’s with the colours? How do they affect our being
and well-being? Going through a study by University of British Columbia (UBC)
we read —Red is the most effective colour at enhancing our attention to
detail, while blue is best at boosting our ability to think creatively.
Though we knew colours could affect positively or negatively, but not to
the detail of creativity. Getting to the task of colour decoding we ask,
can colours actually make a difference?
This
question is addressed to all the parents of cool, happening, bright
youngsters of the tricity, who still haven’t figured out how to fill the
generation gap. When was the last time you had a crash course in sledging,
abusing, fist fighting, kicking each other in the well, all that. If you
are left wondering, then there is help on your TV screens. With
hard-hitting reality shows defining trends for this generation, it’s a
no-holds barred entertainment that has cast a spell on youngsters and
believe it or not, become a source of family entertainment as well.
Infinite-precisely the number of 'how to' columns and inches that have been devoted to sunscreen. Tell the most important ingredient of your sunscreen? How often it needs to re-applied? Is SPF the where withal? By the way, does SPF 45 mean three times shield than SPF 15? Spell
UVA, UVB rays? Pin point the deciding factor in your last selection of that tan lotion? Oh! And what is the difference between sunscreen and sun protection? Is there any, in the first place? A second's recess while answering any question calls for an update of your elementary sunscreen awareness! 
What all do we not do to survive the scorching summers? Change our wardrobe, accessories, cosmetics and even diet, which is also the most important of all. Suggest our dieticians from the city, "Eat light and non-oily food." Further they give us tips on what to eat and what not to keep fit and avoid indigestion in summers.
A successful VJ and now an actor, city girl Khushboo Grewal is ready to make her debut with Munde UK De, opposite Jimmy Shergill in the Punjabi film industry. And she believes what keeps her going is her usual lifestyle that isn't going to give up on even if her work schedule becomes very hectic. "The more you complicate your living style, the more it gets difficult for you to cope."
Owing to high calories in alcohol, the average wine drinker gains as much as half of stone of fat in a year, according to a new Government campaign on Britain's drinking culture. The drive will be focussing on the high calorie content of alcohol, in the hope of prompting people to cut down on their drinking.
Drew Barrymore has dismissed all reports of a reunion with ex-boyfriend Justin Long, saying that she is single and loving it.
Jiah Khan may be out of UTV Motion Pictures Yahoo, but the young actress has reasons to cheer. Not only has she been roped in for a separate two-film deal by the same production house, she has also signed a three-film contract with Ghajini producer Madhu
Mantena.
Academy award-winning actress Nicole Kidman has opened up about her marriage to country singer Keith Urban saying that his alcohol addiction had put a huge strain on their relationship.
Looks like Lindsay Lohan has had enough of women, for she is now turning her attention to men, and the latest guy she's eyeing is none other than Hollywood superstar Leonardo
DiCaprio. The Mean Girls star, who recently spilt with lesbian lover Sam
Ronson, was spotted flirting with the Titanic actor before getting up to dance in front of him.
Actress Soha Ali Khan, whose career is going through a dry spell, is now looking forward to her upcoming venture 99 and says that her character in the film has a wild streak.
Director Tarun Mansukhani of Dostana fame celebrated his birthday in style and quite a few members of the Bollywood glitteratti dropped in to wish him.
