|
|
|
|
|
The after party
Now that the ghosts of exams has been exorcised and evil called boards has been put to rest, its time our young brave hearts celebrate their victory. After exhaustive textbook reviews and those long night study sessions, its time to savour the results. Their hardwork paying off well, the report card reading a perfect score, its time for some of our tricity toppers to chill out. But that doesn’t exactly mean they are partying hard, as their wild side will have to wait a little longer. Thanks to the professional entrance exams, the grill-ride is not over yet.
Aanchal Basur, a commerce student who secured 93% has put her celebrations on hold. Reason, “I am preparing for my Law entrance, that will be over by the end of this month. Once done with it, I am going to let myself loose,” she says. Though her board’s results did give her some room to party. “For now, I feel great and enjoyed hanging out with friends. My family too celebrated with a special dinner.” No gifts for now, but she won’t spare her parents without one. “The perfect idea of chilling out after I am done with my entrance would be a long holiday in the hills and shopping in Delhi is a must,” she says. Well, for Ankush Arora, only half the battle is won. “Good boards results give you a boast, your parents are happy. I went for a lavish family dinner, but my real celebration would start once I get into a good engineering college.” He is awaiting his AIEEE and other entrance results and for him the jitters still continue. Ask him if he demanded any gifts and he makes it clear, “My demands right now include a good college, which depends on me.” Ravinderpreet Kaur Baidwan, the tricity ISC topper from YPS, celebrated in her own way. “I splurged on lots of chocolates and ice-cream, like there was no tomorrow,” she says animatedly. “I am enjoying myself, doing things that I missed out on due to a hard year of studying. And I also hear whispers about a surprise gift being planned by my parents. So, I am thrilled,” she says. But no big celebrations, reason being the sudden demise of her friend and schoolmate. Mishika Chaudhary, is the happiest of them all. Not only because the babe scored 90 percent in boards but because her hard work has earned her a swanky new car. “My dad’s going to throw a party for all our friends and family. And since it’s a big deal for them, my gift would be a Honda Civic,” gushes Mishika. Though even she is waiting for her entrance results, this girl doesn’t take things on heart. “I don’t want to sacrifice my celebrations for now,’ she is clear. Ditto for Amulya Walia, who is awaiting his engineering results. “I celebrated with my friends, then with my family and now I am waiting for my new bike, that was a promise from my dad,” he says. And his celebrations would continue once his entrance results are out. Way to go dude! lifestyle@tribunemail.com |
|
The finalists for this much awaited contest, will soon be seen dressed in their respective team logo-based T-Shirts in vibrant colors and Indian prints, studded with Swarovski crystals. A fusion of cricket and fashion glamour, this innovative new collection will bring forward a new range by Tarun Tahiliani, which has never been seen before. The fashion show with the 15 finalists will take place on the May 23rd at ‘Monte Casino Theatrico’, Cape Town. Speaking on the occasion, Tarun Tahiliani said, “Lalit Modi has been the champion of this idea, making IPL the most coveted sports event in sheer scale, ever! This show is going to be an out of the box interesting spectacle for both Indian and international audiences, which will marry sports with fashion hence creating a new platform for both” — TNS
|
|
Waxing eloquent
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan might be a big fan of Indian Premier League but the actor says that he does not have enough money to buy a team. “I don’t have , a life-like wax figure of Amitabh Bachchan has been unveiled at the newly launched ‘Bollywood Zone’ in Madame Tussauds at Times Square in New York, enabling visitors to have a feel of a Bollywood film set with the legendary star of Indian movies. Dressed in a traditional black Sherwani suit with a gold and black scarf draped around his neck, 66-year-old Bachchan’s wax figure is the first to be part of Madame Tussauds New York’s all-new Bollywood Zone, which was created after numerous visitor requests. The brightly-coloured, fully-interactive Bollywood Zone will include a replica of the Taj Mahal, videos of authentic Indian dancers and a photo area where visitors can pose as Bollywood stars, designed to re-create the experience of being on a Bollywood film set with Bachchan. “Over the coming years, we plan to expand the area to include figures of other prominent Bollywood stars,” Madame Tussauds New York said in a press release. The wax figure of Bachchan was unveiled as five Bollywood dancers, dressed in colourful Lehenga skirts, performed and taught 20 middle school students traditional Indian dance at the “Bollywood Bash”. — PTI
|
|
Sunshine moment
Actor-turned-filmmaker Deepti Naval has brought some rain and plenty of sunshine to the 62nd Cannes Film Festival with her directorial debut “Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Aane Ki Baarish”. The film about gays and prostitutes was screened in the market section here to a positive response. “Do Paise Ki Dhoop...” is the story of a struggling gay lyricist, an ageing prostitute and her physically challenged 12-year-old son. Enquiries from festival organisers and prospective distributors have begun to trickle in. “It isn’t a film simply about gays and prostitutes. It is more essentially about the ebbs and tides of human relationships,” Deepti said in an interview. “I haven’t made this film only for the festival circuit. I want to reach out to filmgoers across India. The film certainly isn’t typical Bollywood fare, but it is completely accessible emotionally,” she was quick to add. Deepti took great care to ensure that neither the prostitute nor the gay man would appear stereotypical. “The idea was to present a modern, sensitive and realistic portrait of people struggling to find happiness,” she said. Shot in Mumbai’s rainy season last year by one of Bollywood’s finest cinematographers, Kiran Deohans, “Do Paise Ki Dhoop...” uses the metaphor of the under-construction bridge across the sea from Bandra to convey the state of the relationship among the three main protagonists. “They are trying to connect with each other, but the process is far from completion,” the first-time director explained. “Do Paise Ki Dhoop...” has Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapur and New York-based Sanaj Naval, who is the director’s nephew, in principal roles. — IANS
|
|
My daddy strongest
She virtually lives out of a suitcase, thanks to her various commitments. But Aishwarya Rai has taken a break after returning from Cannes to spend time with her ailing father. “It was something I had to do. I did it more for myself than for them,” Aishwarya said before taking off to nearby Karjat to shoot for “Action Replay”. Aishwarya, who proved to be a head turner on the Cannes red carpet, reached here Monday and decided to break her journey to spend a day with her parents.
“It was a long spell. Shooting in Karjat for prolonged periods is not new to Aishwarya. For ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, she was stationed in Karjat for so long that it became her second home. But now circumstances have changed. After her father’s illness, Aishwarya doesn’t like to be away from Mumbai for prolonged periods,” said a source close to the actress. “Even when she was shooting in the jungles of Kerala for Mani Ratnam, Aishwarya made sure she visited Mumbai to be with her father. Though she never lets it show in her work, being away from home is very difficult for her now and she would like to shoot as much as possible in Mumbai. Ironically, almost all her films are being shot outside the city,” added the source. Her father’s health scare has bonded Aishwarya with others in the industry who are traumatised by terminal illness. “Aishwarya kept track of Feroz Khan’s health through Fardeen. When he passed away, she was deeply affected. At the prayer meeting Fardeen and Aishwarya exchanged notes,” said the source.
— IANS |
|
Spatial effects in slowdown
How about spa-tial effects this summer? A detox diet —crystal cleansing or a Balinese massage—to tone up your precious skin? Ah, but isn't this season more about toning down, of luxury, that is? Well, if you thought opulent self-indulgence is on a downswing, hear this. Says Srikant Peri, general manager, The Oberoi Cecil, "With outbound travel at a low this season, thanks to the slowdown and swine flu, it has been a boon for domestic tourism. We ourselves are getting about 24 per cent traffic from the NCR and 11per cent from the Punjab region this summer." And if the footfalls in some of the spa destinations in the region are anything to go by, luxe living certainly isn't taking a backseat in the time of the lowdown.
Nestling in a cedar-studded hillside, Wildflower Hall, Shimla, has been rated India's Best Spa Resort for four years in succession in a survey of travel agents at the World Travel Awards, according to Manoj Biswas, products manager. With spa suites plus two pavilions (Lavender & Magnolia) right in the middle of the forest, that have the aromas of perfumed oils mingling with the scents of the woods, this is one destination that spells luxury that is truly skin deep! We check out what's popular on the spa menus with the discerning, high-end travellers this season. "We play host to a lot of solitude-seeking couples and corporates," says Biswas. "The full-body, trans-dermal massages are popular, especially with corporates who've got desk or field jobs." Says spa therapist at the Cecil, Diana, "We get requests for massages of all kinds. But tourists who've travelled long distances want massages that concentrate mostly on the necks, shoulders, etc. The deep-muscle Balinese (originating from Bali) and Thai massages find favour with those with a strenuous lifestyle." Their signature treatment, the Oberoi massage uses palms and fingertips. While the Balinese and Hawaiian make for the western therapies, the ayurvedic ones include the sand bundle, herbal pouch and Marma massages. Explains Yangdol, who's trained and worked at Ananda, the famous spa destination, "The spa experience is holistic and multi-pronged. The clients are advised massages depending on whether they need to detox, relax or energise." Their trademark treatment is the Ista massage that concentrates on the neck and shoulders. So, while detox is the key word driving his dermatological pampering, are there some do's and don'ts for the uninitiated before all that skin splurging? Says Yangdol, assistant spa manager at the Ista five-star hotel, Amritsar, "Body wraps are not advised for tourists with blood pressure. And, yes, a two-hour gap before or after a meal is a must before anyone heads for the spa." "After aroma therapy, no shower should be taken for at least 8 hours, as the scented oils take that much time to do their job!" says Diana. Do gender differences make their way into the saunas and spa suites too. Looks like the philosophy of the sexes here is: suite yourself. For, as Diana informs, "Though there're no fixed preferences, women prefer softer therapies (Saundarya, Shiro abhyangam et al), while the men like trans-dermal, deep muscle, energising massages." And how often should one go on this sinful splurging of the skin? "Well, at least thrice a month. For full impact," grins Diana. Ooooh! Wonder what the recessionists would have to say to this. chetnabanerjee@tribunemail.com
|
|
Mobile spa services provider Tattva Spa is looking at expanding its operations across the country and plans to open five-six mobile spas in the metros and Tier-I cities during the next two years. "We have just launched our first mobile day spa for women in the Delhi NCR region and would offer a range of facials, massages and body treatments. Our plan is to have five-six such spas across major cities within the next two years," Tattva Spa Managing Director Anita Kaushal said. Kaushal said the company's teams of trained professional can visit any client at a notice of 48 hours and it has currently deployed five-six teams for Delhi NCR region. "Initially, our teams are handled to deliver up to 16 services a day and we hope to introduce more teams during the months to come," she added. Tattva is focusing on the upper and medium-upper segment of women customers and would offer treatments like chocolate wrap, wine wrap, papaya scrub, and aromatherapy massage. — PTI
|
|
Cool comfor
Never mind the recession, when it comes to self-indulgence. And when we say indulgence, most of us would love to kick back and relax at an upscale retreat. But what we are here talking about is pampering the self with exotic creams, body wraps, and facials-to be precise we are here talking about a spa. A relaxing therapy, that makes use of masks, lotions, ambience and massage for a soothing mind, body and soul experience. Says, Meenakshi Veermani, from Cyprus saloon, Panchkula, "Spa therapy is definitely rejuvenating and one can have the goodness of a spa at home too. And all you need is a tub filled with water, aromatic oil, fragrant candles, rose petals, a scrub, and face mask." She elaborates, "Ambience is must for a spa therapy, so make sure one lights enough candles. Although one cannot have the real spa feeling at home, but a dip in a tub full of lukewarm water with aromatic oils can leave the body and mind relaxed." For the home therapy she says, "Light dim candles in the bathroom, fill the tub with water, add any aromatic oil, a few rose petals can plunge in. After a relaxing dip, use body scrubs, and give the self a light body massage. This will not only help your body relax, but will also keep your mind fresh." At home this therapy would take 20-30 minutes but if you go for a professional spa therapy it would take almost one to one-and-a-half-hour (as it includes complete body massage). Neelu Grewal, proprietor, Innoxa-8 says, "If we are talking about having a spa therapy at home the latest gadgets of bathroom accessories like a jacuzzi or sauna system prove to be a blessing, but with these gadgets of desire one can have the sheer pleasure of relaxation but not the massage. For a complete therapy one has to involve another person and he/she should be a qualified spa therapist as it is all about reposing the body, mind and soul." She too agrees that ambience is a must, so don't miss out on the candles and fragrant oils. Gurnish Singh, owner Naima (an aromatic oil brand from Delhi) says, "Oils make all the difference, and spa is all about therapeutic healing." Ask him which are the oils that have a therapeutic affect and he says, "Geranium, Sandalwood, Lavender are the best known relaxants, but when it comes to fragrances people have personal preferences." And how should one use aromatic oils in a therapy and he says, "For an essential oil, dilute the aromatic oil with any other carrier oil. Good for the skin one should make sure to use a good carrier oil. Almond and olive are great." While it's the aroma that has the therapeutic property Gurnish adds, "These oils definitely make the difference as they have the property to heal." And for all you people who can afford the luxury of a swish bathroom, the humble bathroom is getting a fast makeover, scrubbing away its simplicity, it is getting dressed in expensive accessories and bespoke spas. So, if you want more then check out the latest bathroom accessories at Sector 26 market that come loaded with spa, sauna, Jacuzzi and more. jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
|
|
Think shopping, and you are bound to wish for a decent parking place and availability of almost all necessary goods at one place. Well, then the newly opened Vishal Mega Mart at NAC Manimajra, near Fun Republic is good news; for it promises a shopping experience under one roof. Spread over 9,645 sq feet of carpet area, this is the 1st hyper market in Manimajra. As per Amit Jain, regional head, “This place will satisfy the customers in all respects. We have almost everything right-from grocery, apparels, children’s toys, gifts, electrical appliances and fashion accessories. All these are available at reasonable prices.” On what differentiates the mart from rest of the outlets? Vineet Bajaj, company representative, says that this Manimajra outlet boasts of a hyper menu. “You name a thing and you would find it at this place. Be it gifts, perfumes, sunglasses, watches, tees, summer clothing. We have priced everything nominally to attract lower to the upper middle class segment..” The super store shall offer an extensive range of men, women and kids range of fashion clothing. This would include company’s own brands like Zeppelin, Kitaan Studio, Fizzy Babe, Jasmine, Zero Degree, Soil, Massa Bay and lot more. Adds Vineet, “There will be sufficient cash counters to ensure smooth flow of customers. We would also organise promotional events and festivals in future.” — Jasmine Singh
|
|
Tarot TALK
Aries: The card “Hermit” invites you to take an astute look at your relationships. Children may be difficult to handle on Monday. Be prepared for all out combat with people. Even though this is pretty much the opposite of your normal style. Your success will come through deliberate effort and unexpected opportunities. Tip of the week: Learn from past experience. Lucky colour: Purple.
Taurus: “The High Priestess” reveals family pressure and responsibilities. Be careful, if you don’t pay attention chances are you may run into trouble. Do not get tangled with an idle and superficially attractive person. Timely support from a Taurean friend surprises you. Fitness routines and healthy diets are prescribed for your well -being. Tip: Avoid undue splurging and put aside money for the upcoming months. Lucky colour: Ruby red. Gemini: “The Lovers” inspire you with love and creativity. Your ideas and thoughts may not meet with the support that you feel they need. The difficulties that arise now, offer you the best opportunities to grow wiser, listen and learn. Health and finances need to be conserved. Tip: Try to rid out of negative feelings through love. Lucky colour: Earthy brown. Cancer: The Queen of Pentacles blesses you with the finest of quiet and subtle qualities as you are on a winning streak. There would be taxes to be paid and budget to be worked out. Past efforts will lead to new opportunities on the career front. Romantic relationships are enhanced by spending quality time together. Tip: Don’t do anything at the cost of health. Lucky colour: Turquoise. Leo: Your card is “Six of Wands”, so friends could get on your nerves. Mixing business with pleasure works well for you. Do not expect too much from your colleagues and friends. Hectic work schedule would require you to be on your toes most of the time. You might find that you have the ability to accomplish things with greater ease than usual. It might be best to put your own needs aside for a while. Tip: Be patient and the rewards would follow. Lucky colour: Peacock green. Virgo: “Seven Golden Cups” full of light and blossom greet you with happiness. A journey for business or holiday is likely. Drive carefully and give attention to any odd symptoms of your vehicle on Tuesday. Focus on investment on Wednesday and Thursday. Use caution while driving and handling tools. Pay close attention lest you slip at a crucial moment. Tip: Avoid the tendency to criticise others. Lucky colour: Bottle green. Libra: “Nine Cups” full of light greet you as loving relationship flower with commitments. Follow through, do your best and promote whatever you believe in. Important issues come to light on Tuesday. You’re challenged to turn around questionable circumstances for the better. Tip: Take things one at a time instead of a pronged. Lucky colour: Midnight blue. Scorpio: Your card is “Eight of Wands” so friends could get on your nerves. Mixing business with pleasure works well for you. Do not expect too much from your loved ones. You could be in a tense and restless mood and may feel agitated about certain matters concerning your career or personal life on Wednesday. Don’t give in to uncertainties as this is just a temporary phase. You attract prestigious opportunities. Tip: Overindulgence in food as well as alcohol may lead to health problems. Lucky colour: Rainbow pastels. Sagittarius: “The Lovers” inspire you with love and creativity. Your ideas and thoughts may not meet with the support that you feel they need. A lack of depth and feeling can be lived with a grain of salt. A trip or distant news is on the cards on Monday. Your past efforts will start to show results now. Monetary gains due to astute financial planning are indicated. Tip: Focus on your goals and don’t let temporary setbacks affect you. Lucky colour: Silver grey. Capricorn: “Seven Golden Cups” create a sense of hope. A journey for business or holiday is likely. Health and physical energy is good but you need to take frequent breaks and watch out your diet and fitness routine. Travel plans for business or pleasure are possible. Tip: You need to act for yourself and for no one else. Lucky colour: Jade. Aquarius: “The Moon” takes you through a difficult Karmic situation. Try to overcome limitations and taboos of the past. A Leo or Pisces person needs your support. Your love life will be smooth sailing and your partner will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Tip: Focus on your goals and don’t let temporary setbacks affect you. Lucky colour: Creamy white. Pisces: “Four of cups” interprets it as having ‘focused energy’ and concentration on a goal. A close friend comes to your aid on Tuesday. You will be very inspired to make some changes in your lifestyle. Don’t make impulsive decisions in personal relationship. Travel is just on the cards. Tip: You need to act for yourself and for no one else. Lucky colour: Brown. |
|
|
| 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 | |
India’s celebrated designer, Tarun Tahiliani has designed a spectacular range of limited edition T-shirts for the popular ‘Ms Bollywood’ contest being held at the DLF Indian Premier League, South Africa. Tarun has yet again emphasised on his love and spirit for the sport by creating this extraordinary collection in his beautiful signature style.
