Bollywood has inspired some of our tricity folks to go on vacation and how!

Having watched Dostana, you wanted to go to Miami, liked Singh is Kinng and were desperate to visit Egypt, saw Krishh and desired to visit Manali and oh that Europe trip of DDLJ has long created a wish to fly to that picturesque part of the globe.

Well, we all agree that Bollywood has long created some favourite tourist destinations and those countries and cities too have benefited from being captured on the 70 mm screen (be it domestic or international), but for the public is it bait enough? We check out.

Moon Sandhu, a teacher at the Strawberry fields, says it’s not only Bollywood that sets the imagination on fire, but anything that is captured well visually ignites the craving to visit the place. “It’s not only Bollywood, but channels like Discovery and Travel & Living also showcase the places so well that you really want to visit them; but I agree that Bollywood scores for us Indians. As for me, after watching South Africa in some Hindi movies, all I wanted was to visit it as soon as possible. And I did so last year. Went to Cape Town and Johannesburg. ”

Ask her is it as spectacular as captured on the silver screen and she says, “It’s more than that. Movies just show a shot or so, but when you visit the place, it is more than what is showcased.”

Having visited America and Europe too, she says, “When you actually watch the things that you saw on reel in real life, it gives you a definite high. I still remember the feeling of ecstasy when I first saw Hollywood written on that mountain.” She further adds, “Watching things on television is one thing but when you actually visit, it is a great learning experience. As for my sons, Sumaer and Ishan, travelling has made them more responsible. And it’s amazing to see how they know so much about the place without visiting.” That’s courtesy, television.

Malvika and Gagan Lakhanpal, residents of Manimajra, too agree that Bollywood fuels the desire to go on vacations. Says Malvika, “Films definitely create a desire to visit a city or country. Though my wishlist is endless, this year I fulfilled my desire to visit Singapore. Though it sounds funny, after watching Krishh and seeing a lot of travelogues, all I wanted was to visit this place. And believe me, I tried to click pictures in all those places that were showcased in the film.” That’s some frenzy.

Well, if you think people only visit foreign locations after seeing films, it’s not so, some of the Bollywood movies have given recognition to conventional locales too. Remember movies like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar that showcased Kasauli. A single scene of the Rohtang Pass in Jab We Met has given the pass a repute of a highly loved tourist destination. Other than that, the scenes of Amritsar ki tight gali in the movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has given the street a plush status, Manali attracted more tourists, thanks to Krissh, and well, how can we forget DDLJ that has made the mustard fields of Punjab so popular across the globe.

Agrees Sandeep, a telecom employee in Mohali, “I had this desire to drive past Manali, Leh and Ladakh. And it was after I saw the movie Paap. It was shot so well, that one definitely wanted to visit the unheard of locations.”

Nodding at the trend of Bollywood inspired holidays, Kapil Malhotra, director, Ekido Travels, says, “People want to visit Europe, South Africa, Switzerland and London, and yes, the base is Bollywood. We cannot ignore the fact that people love to visit the places that are shown on the silver screen.”

Well, if you are the one who has been ignoring Bollywood, take note; who knows you may find your dream destination too.

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

Situated at an altitude of 5,029 mt, Roopkund is a trekker’s delight

When life seemed to have taken a hard turn, music came to the rescue of young singer Tejaswini

The nature, parents and doctors seem to have collaborated for a blissful alliance to create a miracle and named her Tejaswini, a mentally- challenged girl but ablest of all, a wonder prodigy of exceptional musical brilliance. For Tejaswini, music is the absolute and everything else is immaterial.

Her life story is a summation of many twists and turns. Once declared dead and now tasting stardom at Bollywood reality shows proves that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. “Ever since her recorded musical performance by Channel Punjab was beamed repeatedly to foreign viewers, she had a galaxy of fans and well wishers from USA, Australia, many of them inquiring and visiting her Panchkula residence,” disclosed her elated mother, Harsh Sharma.

Born on July 17 in 1987, a week-old Tejaswini had to be operated for intestinal blockage at the PGI and remained there for over five years. During this traumatic period, hearing and speech impaired Tejaswini interacted many killer diseases, including paralysis, severe de-hydration, diarrhea, blindness, dead brain and seizures. She was once even declared dead but kept on ventilation as the doctors were hoping against hope. Call it a divine intervention, Tejaswini regained conscious but suffered from acute skin disease.

This was when music became her lifeline. She used to listen to melodious song by Lata Mangeshkar to escape from her sufferings. That bought some relief to the family members too. But there was another miracle in store. Once an audio-cassette in the car got stuck and Tejaswini completed the second line in a clear melodic spell. A cosmic musical intelligence, hitherto dominant, seemed to have erupted into volatile melodic explosion and a star was born.

Her devout mother Harsh took her to many music experts for training. It was guru R.N. Rathore and later acclaimed music composer Varinder Bachchan who toiled hard to transform her dormant music capabilities to a fruitful potential. So much so that an audio album recorded under his direction is now ready for release.

With her regular performances she has already carved a niche for herself in this realm and emerged as a popular star in Bollywood. She cannot count from one to 100, but remembers and can effortlessly sing over 200 Hindi and Punjabi songs besides 60 ghazals. She is learning classical music from Pandit Bhim Sain Sharma and doyen of Agra Gharana Pandit Yash Paul.

Says Harsh that at her first-ever participation at the All-India Mentally Challenged at Hyderabad as she sang “Payo ji maine.” A crowd of 10,000 gave her a standing ovation and chief guest Anupam Kher was so thrilled that later on he got the Star Musical Nite inaugurated by Tejaswini. Singers Sukhwinder, Anuradha Podwal, Peenaz Masani, Usha Uthup and others hailed her musical prominence. One of the newspapers commented, “Sitaron pe bhaari padde nanhe jugnu.”  

Tejaswini has been a special guest at many popular reality shows like Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Lil’ Champs. Owing her career and resurrection of her life to her parents, she is now brimming with confidence which finds its expression in this Urdu couplet — Yakeen ke noor se, raushan hain raaste apne/ Ye voh chiraag hain, tufaan jisse bhujha naa ska.

Hair rinses are ideal during summer. A hair rinse provides a conditioning treatment to the hair, helping it to settle and giving it body and bounce. It is particularly useful during summer, as well as for oily hair, although some rinses can be used for dry hair too. Creamy hair conditioners do not suit oily hair, making it even more limp. If there is dandruff, creamy conditioners can clog the pores of the scalp and aggravate the condition. Hair rinses are better for dandruff. The hair should be washed well with water after shampoo, ending with the use of a hair rinse. Actually, it is important to wash the hair thoroughly with water after shampoo, to get rid of all soapy residues and the last traces of grime.

Lemon: Add the juice of one lemon to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse. It is ideal for oily hair, reducing oil and restoring the normal acid-alkaline balance.

Vinegar: Add one part of vinegar to eight parts of water and use it as a final rinse after washing the hair. Vinegar helps to restore the normal acid-alkaline balance and keeps the scalp healthy. Apple cider vinegar would be best.

Honey: Add one tablespoon honey to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse. It benefits dry hair, making it soft and smooth.

Marigold: Add a handful of fresh or dried marigold flowers to three cups of hot water. Allow it to stand for an hour. Strain and cool the water and use as a final rinse. It benefits oily hair with dandruff.

Tea: Take used tea leaves and boil them again in 4 to 5 cups of water. The amount of water depends on the length of the hair. Strain and cool the water. Use the tea-water as a final rinse after shampoo. Tea contains tannin which adds shine to the hair and makes it silky. It suits all hair types. Lemon juice can also be added to tea water.

Beer: Rinsing the hair with beer helps to add shine and body. Take flat beer, add the juice of a lemon and use as a last rinse.

On a date, disasters can happen in nano seconds, and it takes more than chic dressing for smooth going

We went out for a date at one of the most expensive restaurant in town, he was charming, handsomely dressed and everything was perfect, until we ordered. I mean the guy without even asking me what I would like to have, ordered something for me. His, I-know-you-better attitude just put me off," shares Gunika Sharma, a media professional from city. Of course, we know the love story was over before it started. But that's how most of the dates end up, on loose act and Mr or Miss Smarty pants blows off the entire evening. No matter how much you mug up dating commandments, when and how to make the first move, what happens when disaster strikes?

For most of us dating is a spontaneous process and while we stick to certain rules, a good date demands etiquettes that most of us often forget. Now, we know dates can be tough and first dates are always tougher. That's when dating etiquettes come to your rescue. "Dating is all about showing your best side. And that includes manners and etiquettes as well. Something dignified and charming as well," feels Komal Nahata, a B.tech student from Barwala. And when talking of romance, the old-fashioned chivalry is still much appreciated by the fairer sex, though not exactly straight from the Victorian era. "The concept of alpha female ceases to exist when it comes to dating. Holding the door and being prepared to pay for the meal are a given. Also you should be punctual," says Harleen Sekhon, grooming and etiquette consultant Grace Finishing Classes-8.

First date rules usually should include drinks or lunch, that way having to avoid wasting an evening if you hate each other. Dressing up well, cleanliness, flowers, compliments…all these are a must, but don't go over board with anything, unless you want to make your date think otherwise. "Since most dates happen over a meal, good table manners work in your favour," says Harleen. And beware of the three principal passions killers: money, gossip and ex-flames. "Showing off the gold or platinum credit card and flashing your money is an instant put off," adds Harleen. Dates are meant for knowing each other and that includes conversation, a lot of it but that does not mean talking your date to death. "Be interactive, and not opinionated. Your conversation has to be a fine balance between talking and listening," Harleen advises. As for the guys, show some restraint, and swearing and abusing is a big no.

Now, no matter how much you want to show off your enigma, talking about ex's will instantly detach your date from you. And while you enjoy your evening, make sure you drink in limit. You don't want to pass out while your date is still waiting for you to pay the bill. Blind dates should be avoided, but if you find one, stick around for at least few hours. An early departure is humiliating and ungentlemanly. And though appreciating feminity is welcomed, don't talk to your date's anatomy. Physical gestures should be limited to only hugs or holding hands, unless you belong to the class of desperates and lechers.

The golden rules also include respecting the other person. "Be casual, comfortable and remember no one is perfect," Harleen closes off, but not without saying, "No fake attitude and no stereotypes."

Wardrobe revamps, flashy gadgets, complete makeover! Anything for a new session

Fortnight left, ten more days, just another week, one day to go…It's June already and half the student brigade is doing the 'calendar countdown'. Guys, they aren't pouting cause it's not school! And we aren't talking homework. Getting back is a solemn affair, be it your 'ex' or be it…Getting back when the college reopens? Seriously, comparable to Parliament's new session. Well, at least the students prepare and start in advance, and this is how.

"Honestly, it's not that I'll be getting into campus for the first time, or I'm nervous or intimidated but still there's some excitement coupled with anxiety, I mean what else explains my getting a new cell phone, modifying my wardrobe and gymming to have visibly bigger biceps," Harsimran Kalsi, B. Tech student, questions himself rather than telling us. He adds, "May be because all of us went for vacationing and I'll be seeing my friends after good two-three months." The strange permutation, combination of emotions seems to be activated by long gap too somewhere. "Our college will reopen after three months and during this time I did an Rjing course, I can't wait to get back and tell everyone and I'll be on air." That's Glory Khanna, a psychology honours student from DAV-10, "Rest apart, last week of June, I'll go shopping, get a new haircut. Because the session opens in July and there's no point doing stuff right now, while at home and your friends can't see it."

So much for the 'used to' gang. What about the first timers? Amreen Sekhon, pass out from Lawrence School, Sanawar, prepares to step into college for the first time. "I'd be lying if I said I'm unaffected. No doubt there's nervousness, exhilaration, apprehension and all of that. But since all my friends are planning to apply to the same college, that'll ease out things a bit." The gal's list of 'homework', before applying for the college of her choice, absolutely includes shopping, especially handbags, haircut, a new look. Opines Glory, "I'll get into second year and in fact, it's like we'll be seniors and true blue collegians whereas last year we were just out of school and of course, I'll meet my friends who live outside the city."

No people, shopping isn't restricted to girls alone, rather nudge a little further and Jashandeep Sood, business administration student, laughs, "I got myself cordless earphones that I can listen to during the course of unending boring lectures ahead." He adds, "As I have two semester's experience. On a serious note I got a new cell phone, few bluetooth gadgets and got my car tinted and the rest's for you to guess." We leave it at that! Hard as it may be to believe but amidst the experimental chaos comes the calm.

Avirat Sundra, who'll get into a finance and business institute, opines, "I'm not nervous for sure. And I won't change myself at all either. More or less, it's going to be all the same. I'll be the way I've always been." As for the other brigade, there's one who confides, "I'm pestering my parents for a new SUV, don't wish to get back in the same old car. Hope my parents give in." All the best, boy!

manpriya@tribunemail.com

A meager 10 percent of total Twitter users post 90 per cent of all tweets on the micro-blogging website, reveals a Harvard Business School report. And it is the prolific Twitter users, like Ashton Kutcher and his wife Demi Moore, who account for the majority of tweets. Led by Bill Heil and Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, the study looked at a random sample of 300,000 Twitter users during May 2009. The findings are quite different from the usage patterns on other social networks, such as Facebook.

The top 10 per cent of Facebook users account for only 30 per cent of all content, i.e. three times less than the amount of content created by the top tweeters. "This implies that Twitter resembles more of a one-way, one-to-many publishing service than a two-way, peer-to-peer communication network," a publication quoted the report as saying.

Even Wikipedia-the free online user-edited encyclopedia-has a similar usage pattern, with 15 per cent of its members creating 90 per cent of all page edits. The Harvard report also reveals that a typical Twitter user only tweets once in their Twitter lifetime.

The finding supports evidence from a different study, which found that half of all users abandon their accounts after one month. Twittering patterns also vary according to gender; men are apparently more likely to reciprocate their followers' friendship compared to women and tend to have 15 per cent more followers. They are twice as likely to follow other men too.

On the other hand, women are 25 per cent more likely to follow a man than a woman, despite there being slightly more females on Twitter than men. The latest study could not explain the different gender ratios. However, Twitter's most popular user happens to be male-Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher, who recently passed the 2million-follower mark.

US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is Twitter's most popular female with 1.7m followers. — ANI

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone is set to shoot an item number for a Telugu film titled Love 4 Ever. "Deepika has agreed to shoot an item number for the forthcoming venture Love 4 Ever from June 24 onwards - her first in Telugu," a publicist said in Hyderabad.

Starring Ranadeep and Mridula, Love 4 Ever is being made in Hindi and Telugu and Jayant C. Paranji is wielding the megaphone for it. Laughing Waters Entertainment is producing the film.

"The successful track record of Paranji for having enlisted the services of another Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai came in good stead in this film," added the source. — IANS

Bollywood's very own sex symbol, Mallika Sherawat, has taken Los Angeles' party circuit by storm and now R&B superstar Usher has decided to dedicate one of his songs to the glamorous actress.

Sherawat, who is in Los Angeles working on her first Hollywood venture Hisss, met the Grammy winning singer at a local eatery and found him very handsome.

"Met Usher at LA's Best Brunch! He's very handsome.

Oh My God! Usher's promised to dedicate a song to me," wrote the Murder star on her Twitter web page. — PTI

After Priyanka, Shahid Kapoor bows out of IIFA

Close on the heels of Priyanka Chopra's exit from this year's IIFA, her co-star from Kaminey, Shahid Kapoor too has pulled out from the upcoming award ceremony citing shooting commitments.

The Jab We Met actor was to perform with Chopra on the title track of the Vishal Bhardwaj film, but since the schedule of IIFA was clashing with the dates committed to a producer, he decided to miss the ceremony, which starts from June 11 in Macau (China).

"I was looking forward to performing at IIFA and showcasing Kaminey, however, my commitment to my producer has to be honoured," said Shahid Kapoor in a statement.

The dates could not be adjusted as Kaminey, Pathshala & Yashraj Films untitled are ready for release and there is patchwork shoot remaining for Ken Ghosh's untitled film, said the statement.

Earlier, Kareena Kapoor too had pulled out of the show. She had reportedly been practising for her performance and had also decided on her costume, but bowed out at the last moment to be with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan in London.

The IIFA awards which will be held in Macau, China from May 11 to 13, has been given the miss by Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan, who are busy shooting for their films. While Shah Rukh is shooting for My Name is Khan, Salman is currently working on the period drama Veer. — PTI

Soha to host game show, says TV was the obvious choice

Actor Soha Ali Khan is set to make her debut on the small screen as a game show host and says coming on television was an "obvious choice".

The actor will host Godrej Khelo Jeeto Jiyo, a series of conceptualised games in a home-styled setting, starting June 29 on Star Plus.

"This show is different because I can interact directly with the participants, feel their nerves, give away prizes and make them happy. And TV was an obvious choice because of its wide audience reach," Soha told newsmen in New Delhi.

On the show, contestants will be allowed to team up with a relative or a friend to play a series of innovative games to win the grand prize --- a fully furnished Godrej Brighter Home.

Consumers can participate in the show by first purchasing any Godrej product and then sending an SMS giving details about the value and barcode number of the product.

It is being produced by BIG Synergy and sponsored by consumer products brand Godrej. — IANS

The Indian child stars of the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire brought a taste of Bollywood to Hong Kong, performing a dance number on the live broadcast of a charity fundraising show.

Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and Rubina Ali
appeared a little nervous while dancing
to the movie's hit song Jai Ho, sometimes moving out of synch with the
adult dancers who were performing
with them late on Saturday,
but they were still warmly applauded by the studio audience.

Rubina wore a long red dress, while Ayush and Azhar wore traditional Indian kurtas.

Presenters announced after
the performance that one donor phoned in a contribution of USD 107,000
to The Community Chest charity during the dance number.

The two 10-year-olds and 9-year old performed at two Hong Kong shopping malls later on Sunday. — AP

Considering the dire need of impressive communication skills and an excellent knowledge of English language in the extremely competitive world of today, a summer workshop for Communication Skills is being held for the students of Class I to Class X from different schools at Shri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary Model School, Sector 38 D, Chandigarh by Y! School Of English Communications (Y!SEC). Being held at three levels, the workshop started with a bang and got an immediate and tremendous response of enthusiasm from the students. Y! SEC's newfound methodology of liberal use of audio-visual cues and varied vocabulary games was greatly appreciated by the students and school faculty alike. The principal, Harpreet Kaur advised and guided the students to participate wholeheartedly in the activities of the workshop and benefit the maximum from it. She also said that making the children polish their conversational manners was indeed necessary right from the school level. The director of Y!SEC Subrata Ranjan Purkaystha stressed the importance of honing the skills of speaking in young students .. Y!SEC is also simultaneously running another summer camp in Saint Soldiers Divine School, sector 16 Panchkula and the response is tremendous. Y!SEC is a leading institute imparting training in Communication Skills and Personality Development to various professional colleges and schools in the region. — TNS

Nowhere are expectations greater than on a first date We ask some of the city youngsters what would turn them off in the opposite gender on that crucial meeting. The list seems to be endless...

Girls perform better than boys at school because they are nicer, says a study. For the study, researchers at Haifa University in Israel examined 52 students aged 14 and 15 to identify the link between achievement and personality. They studied examined pupils' grades across the academic year, reports a publication.

They found there was little difference between their learning habits, but found girls were much more likely to cooperate . According to the study: "Agreeableness relates to interpersonal relations. Students scoring higher on agreeableness would thrive better and achieve higher than others in cooperative settings, which may explain girls' gain over boys. "It is possible that highly agreeable students, who function better in the school social environment, may also influence teachers' perceptions of them, resulting accordingly in higher achievement." Trefor Lloyd, director of Working With Men, an education charity, said: "Girls are much better at negotiating with teachers. They will ask more questions. Boys don't like to be seen as not knowing something, and ask questions reluctantly." — ANI

For the women at work, the time is ripe to present a collection that reflects blurring gender roles. The Miss Players' Spring Summer Collection-09 offers power dressing for the urban chic women. Available in bright shades of blue, red, pink, yellow, and greens, the range comprises of well-fitted shirts, trousers and tunic tops. Keeping in line with the fashion preferences of today's woman, the collection offers the coolest looks for varied occasions; be it for a day at office or a high-powered corporate meeting. The look is clean and bold. Pin stripes, polka dots and micro checks add that extra zing to the collection. Soft cuts and minimalist styling blend well with the summery fabrics of cotton and linen. To complete that go-getter corporate look, one can choose from a wide range of bags.

Priced at Rs 599 onwards the collection is a must have for the women at work.

Srijana-Summer Camp-2009, a 10-day workshop, an annual feature of Dev Samaj College of Education-36 concluded on Wednesday. The workshop was conducted under the guidance of NSS programme officers Anita Nangia and Seema Sareen.

Nearly 50 students participated in the workshop. The workshop provided a platform to specially-abled children from Mother Teresa Missionary of Charity and Savera to interact and work with the children from different schools.

Jyoti Khanna, principal of the college, is of the view that these special children are a part of our society and should not remain isolated. It is our duty to provide opportunities to them to mix-up with other children.

The activities taught during 10-days workshop were music, theatre, skills, fine arts activities. The resource persons of various activities were Sunil Bhutani, Richa Chhibbar, N.S. Rathore and Charanjit Kaur. — TNS

Essenza Di Wills has launched its fourth brand of fine fragrances, the enigmatic Mikkel that embodies a fine balance between mystery and elegance.

The fragrance is specially suited for eveningwear. The sharp lavender and bergamot top notes blend sophistication with a hint of mystery. At the heart, sensual neroli and serene orange blossom dance to an effortless tune of elegance. The rich and passionate undertones of vanilla delicately bring out the aroma of Amber, creating an unmistakable aura.

The range currently offers a 75ml eau de toilette at Rs 2,450 and 75 ml aftershave lotion at Rs 1,900. These are exclusively available at all Wills Lifestyle stores. — TNS

Bollywood actor Gracy Singh will begin shooting for a Malayalam film opposite superstar Mammooty, director Jayaraj said Sunday.

"Gracy loved the subject when it was narrated to her and gave her dates immediately for Loud Speaker, an offbeat venture. The first schedule will begin in Thrissur Wednesday. It is Gracy's first non-Bollywood movie," award winning director Jayaraj told IANS.

"Moser Baer will be taking its bow in Malayalam with this venture. The humorous musical is all about a village bumpkin nicknamed 'Mike' Gopalakrishnan as he always shouts. Mammooty plays the title role," he added. — IANS