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Ji aayan nu, people! "Hello friends, ki haal hai tuhada. All good hai na." Yet another pretty face shines on the TV screen in her tube top and tight denims. Well, she too is an anchor of a Punjabi television channel. What a change! Sure it is. You thought only MTV or Channel V could have stylish anchors, well, then the ones with Punjabi channels will certainly make you sit up and notice, for they ooze style rooted in tradition. Here take it from new-age anchors, who have smartened up their job and added a lot more pizzazz than you ever expected. Jassi elaborates on how they have to create their own script, keeping in mind the target audiences, the programme and the set-up. "For any given show of mine, I decide the script after doing my homework, what I would wear and a couple of other things. At the same time, I have to keep in mind that there is a cross-section of audiences watching me, which includes young and old alike." She comes to the major difference between the 'then' and 'now' of anchors. She adds, "I can't talk in chaste Punjabi because I have a an audience which does not understand chaste Punjabi. These are the kids and younger lot. I have to use words that are simple and are understood." The use of vocabulary peppered with firangi words is rampant with the new anchors. All the same, this isn't the only change. "It is not mandatory to wear a traditional Punjabi dress to find acceptance with the viewers," offers Rhythm Arora, host of PTC's First Look. "There is a marked change in the viewership of Punjabi channels. There are young Punjabis working in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore who want to listen to a mixed lingo. At the same time, there are NRIs who want to see in the anchors soaked in Punjabi from head to toe and then there is are some of like a touch of a MTV VJ in us. And we have to cater to all." Rhythm justifies the change accordingly. "Anchors have changed their style of speaking, in fact their whole look as well. I too wear western attires as and when required. I talk impromptu in a language (Punjabi of course), which is understood by all and sundry watching. I can't go on blabbing in that Punjabi filled to the rim with endless shairs." Talking about shairs, it becomes almost mandatory to mention Satinder Satti, who glamourised the role of anchors in her own sense though. Chaste Punjabi loaded with shairo shaiyari is her style. "There was hardly any full-time anchors when I started doing it. Mostly, it was the comedians who would host the shows. Today, we see a lot of MTV touch in anchoring. Whereas, I have always felt that a Punjabi anchor should have everything Punjabi in them. This does not mean I stick to wearing only salwaaz kameez." Satinder Satti, host with PTC and a celebrity singer and actor, has doubts about the creativity of the new lot. "I can hold the stage for more than an hour with my own creative scripts." Now, this is a challenge. Anyone from the new lot ready to take accept
this? jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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A postgraduate in English literature from her hometown Ferozpure, Prabhleen started her career with music albums. As luck would have it, she ended up getting a role in a Punjabi movie: "I did three Punjabi movies - Yaran Naal Baharaan, Ek Jind Ek Jaan and Mehndi Wale Haath." After some anchoring and a role in a Hindi religious film, the next stop for this gutsy girl from Punjab was telly. "I started my career with movies and was apprehensive of joining the telly world. Mohe Rang De was a show different from the ones running, so I accepted the role," she says. And then Aap Ki Antara happened. "I wouldn't say it's easy to play a mother. But then, I am the kind who loves challenge and right now, I am enjoying that," shares Prabhleen. In Mumbai for around a year, the girl misses the close-knit relationships of Punjabis: "Growing up in Punjab means one exudes warmth but then, Mumbai is a different place where professionalism rules." Also, used to big things in her home state, where the house and everything else is large, the Mumbai flat life came as a shocker. Chandigarh is a city that Prabhleen finds truly beautiful: "I really feel those living in Chandigarh are blessed and I wonder why do they ever leave for foreign shores, as wherever you go in the world, be it America or Canada, City Beautiful never loses its charm." For Prabhleen, the world revolves around her parents: "All my life I have learnt so much from them, they are the true role models. Apart from them, I really admire Kiran Bedi for the place she has made for herself." Among actors, it's Madhu Bala and Sridevi that inspire her. As for future plans: "I take life as it comes. When I started with Punjabi movies in 2005, I had absolutely no clue what would come next and that is true now too. I do not believe in planning. Will see what life offers next. But yes, I believe in versatility and would not do roles that typecast me," signs off the girl. — Mona
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Love thyself Pamper yourself Who isn't scared of unrequited love? When you put your heart and soul to make a relationship work and it ends up nowhere, nothing can make up for the loss. But what if you get a key that opens a whole new world of fulfilling human bonds? Interested? Well, then you have to begin with loving yourself. "If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself," opines Barbara De Angelis, American researcher on relationships and personal growth. "Loving oneself breeds confidence. It's a quality of achievers and takes you way ahead in life," says Madhu Pandit, a conceptual photographer. "But in the mad rush of life most of us are not able to take out even 10 minutes for ourselves. It, obviously, leads to stress," she adds. The shutterbug feels the best way to indulge in yourself is by giving time to your hobbies. "Creativity gives rise to sensitivity that helps one attain a more fulfilling life," quips Pandit. "It's paradoxical. In this cut-throat world, we try hard to add a few more hours to our professional lives. But in reality we are eating into our happiness count. The long working hours make us care little about our body and soul causing undue stress and anxiety. It makes us lose touch with ourselves and consequently with those around us," says Sanjay Tandon, chairman, Competent Foundation. To be at peace with yourself, you need to love and value yourself, he adds. Amila Sood, an Art of Living practitioner, gives self love a spiritual dimension: "Love is God and God is love. The crux of spiritualism is to ignite the soul. You cannot do it if you lose that sense of self. So, self-love has more implications than visible," she asserts. "It is very important to feel good about oneself. Delve deep within and look for reasons to love yourself. Once you have done that everything else falls in perspective," she says. Experts maintain self-love is at the centre of your circle of love. The degree to which you love yourself determines the degree to which you are able to extend love to others. Harpreet Kanwal Chhabra, chairperson, department of Psychology, PU introduces us to a concept of 'unconditional positive regard', a term coined by the humanist Carl Rogers. It is a blanket acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does. Rogers believes that unconditional positive regard is essential to healthy existence. "It's essential to have this unconditional positive regard for oneself," she points out, adding that accepting oneself and being in sync with one's own biorhythm helps one grow. And how does one achieve that? "Take out time to be with yourself. Let mind be where it wants to be. Being in sync with oneself makes you more consistent, helps people around to trust you, lends stability to relationships and makes you a better negotiator. All in all it increases your efficiency and makes you a better person," says Chhabra.
mona@tribunemail.com
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Career-character connect
The study further states that, in many cases, personality plays a bigger role in the chances of someone ending up in a particular job than their school certificate or university degree. According to the researchers, personality is also a more persistent influence than parents' social and occupational status on the work people choose or are chosen for. The researchers looked at the prevalence of five personality traits-openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and emotional stability-in different occupations. The personality effects were "significant, relatively large and persistent across all occupations," said study authors Robert Wells, Roger Ham and Raja Junankar. Their analysis suggests that bosses are likely to be more extroverted, tougher, and more aggressive than their clerical peers because 'individuals with lower agreeableness tend to be able to progress into management at the expense of their more agreeable counterparts'. The researchers further revealed that clerical workers exhibited less emotionally stable behaviour, and were more prone to stress and neuroticism than professionals who juggled a larger number of less routine and stressful tasks. Labourers were likely to be less open to new ideas and training and to score lower on measures associated with diligence, self-discipline, punctuality and organisation. "Conscientiousness, the trait associated with hard work and effort, is found to significantly increase the probability of an individual being in a management or clerical position, and decrease the probability of an individual being a salesperson, operator or labourer," the paper noted. The report suggested that labour shortages could be solved in future, and joblessness minimised, by examining choice of occupation based on personality, rather than just educational credentials. It said that economics had in the past discounted individuals' preferences as too numerous and difficult to use as a predictor of future careers.
— ANI |
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Advantage marriage-better sleep Looking for a good night's sleep? Well, you can start by finding a husband for yourself, suggest researchers. According to a research abstract that will be presented at Sleep 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, being stably married or gaining a partner is associated with better sleep in women than being unmarried or losing a partner. During the eight years of the study, results showed that women who were stably married or who had gained a partner had better sleep than women who were unmarried or who had lost a partner over the course of the study follow-up. According to the study's lead author, Wendy Troxel, women who were stably married had the highest quality sleep measured objectively and subjectively, and these results persisted even after controlling for other known risk factors for sleep, including age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and depressive symptoms. "Women who had 'gained' a partner over the eight years of the study had similar subjective sleep quality as compared to the stably married women; however, after looking at specific objective sleep measurements we discovered that these women had more restless sleep than the always married women," said Troxel. Researchers examined the association between women's relationship histories and their sleep by analysing the sleep differences between women who were stably married, stably unmarried, or those who experienced a relationship transition (gaining or losing a partner) over the study follow-up period. — ANI
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Australian researchers are launching a major study on an age-old problem-why lovers fight. Richard Ronay and other University of Queensland researchers are set to put lovers' tiffs and their reactions, such as door slamming, fiery verbal exchanges or the cold shoulder, under the scanner. The research would examine the conflict styles of couples who have been in a relationship for more than a year. Considering the astonishing rate of one in three marriages landing in divorce in Australia, a decision on carrying out this study has been taken. A Can't Buy Me Love online survey accords money (31 per cent) as the top reason why lovers often argue, followed by household chores (28 per cent). Problematic in-laws (25 per cent) came in third during the survey, while children (22 per cent) and sex (18 per cent) wrapped up the top five issues. Ronay hopes that the new study would help offer better advise to distressed couples. "We are interested in this capacity for self-control and what it contributes to effective conflict management," he said. — ANI
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Dolled up for kids
“We want people to take home a bit of their experience here and the souvenir shop would help the cause.” Available here are t-shirts, coffee mugs, tiles, bags and other gift packs with doll prints on them. A major attraction at the museum once again would be the toy train from Germany. “The toy train was brought to India in 1985. It will now be on display again. We hope the effort would be appreciated by kids,” says V.N. Singh. —Ashima Sehajpal
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When with Romo, do as Romo does… Given a ‘legal’ permission and substantial space, actor Kulraj Randhawa would like to keep a baby elephant as a pet. “I have virtually grown up with my sister and all kinds of animals — rabbits, birds, duck, peacock and dogs. At one point of time I had nine dogs. Now, I have Romo, a cocker spaniel, and Boozo, a Labrador, who shower their unconditional love whenever I am with them.” Busy with a number of projects that includes Chintu Ji with Rishi Kapoor, Mastang Maama and other international projects, Kulraj, however, has all the time in the world when it comes to talking about her pet pals. Bond with the brats
I am always surrounded by pets, pretty much by choice. Now, I have Romo and Boozo, the two brats who give me company. They are my pals, an ideal stress buster and good listeners too. But, they can throw tantrums like any other kid. Romo is extremely naughty and sensitive at the same time. He has been gifted with a ‘dependable’ sixth sense, which I guess every dog has. You have to see him spit food when he is angry. As for Buzoo, he is nice but he too can be equally fussy. And both make for excellent pals. The J factor
Since the time my sister and I moved out for work to different cities, Boozo and Romo play security guards and companions for my parents. In addition to the regular care, they need constant pampering and love. So much so, when I am home they don’t like the ‘attention drift’ from them to me. The J factor you see. Handle with care
I believe pets are part of the family, which is why they deserve equal attention and care like any other member of the family. During the summer, we have to be extra cautious with them. From hydrating them time-to-time, giving them the right kind of diet, fruits, pedigree and of course, proper medicines and vaccines. However, I have felt that nothing works better than a proper heart-to-heart communication with the pets. I know for a reason that they understand and respond, in their own way. My kind of pet: A baby elephant and a horse. Since the age of five, I wanted to keep a horse, and persisted my dad to gift one to me. I promised to bear the cost and take care of it all by myself. As for baby elephants — I have a strange fascination for them. I can do without — Lizards. jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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PET PICK Lost and found
Lost one male dog, 14 years old, white with brown patches, Fox Terrior breed from H. No. 136, Sec-9, Chandigarh, on May 23 around 8.30pm. If anybody has any information, kindly contact the PFA Office or call at 9814362136. For any information,
contact: PFA-Chandigarh at 0172-2749080, 2749211
from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday - Saturday Or visit us at #1522, Sector 11 D, Chandigarh. www.pfachandigarh.com |
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Renee writes Review your situation
Rajiv Karol From your girl friends behavior it is evident that she is not as interested in you as you are in her. If you are out together and she is pre-occupied with other less important things, I suggest you review your romantic situation a little more seriously. After all if you are planning to marry her and this is the kind of relationship you share it does not sound very encouraging. Yes, you must discuss her attitude. See how things shape up. I'm sure they would get better otherwise I feel you need to review the situation. Make it work
I'm in my mid 30's married with 2 kids. I have the most boring and nagging husband. My girl friends think I shouldn't be complaining at all as he is the most steady and dependable kind of man. We go for regular holidays, he gives me enough money to shop, we party very often. But somehow I am extremely bored with my whole life. Now I have started feeling that may be if I had an affair life would become more interesting. I have thought about this endlessly and feel very guilty about these thoughts. How do I find some kind of excitement to make my life more meaningful? Revathi Salya What you are really looking for is a meaning to your own life. Do not pass the buck onto your husband. The mere fact that he is dependable means that at least one aspect of your life is well taken care of - your basic needs and those of your kids. Stop being obsessed by looking for a new experience with a new person. Use your fresh and invigorated energy in energising your own relationship. There is much more to life than just having affairs. Try to make your marriage work instead of trying to destroy it. Trust your instincts
I am 26 and feel I am already at the threshold of life. I never seem to be able to hang on to a career for long. I have already changed three job of three different kinds and I am wondering where I am headed to now. I do not think I am capable of consistency as I seem to get restless in one particular job or situation every now and then. I never seem to be sure of myself anywhere. Can you guide me in some way please? Niharika Jain We all have the right to experiment with our lives. Who said that we reach the culmination of our goal at the young age of 26? We all go through our growing pains. You probably haven't really found a job that your hearts desires. The day you find something that you truly want you shall not want to let go of it. T Slowly you will start becoming more sure of your own decisions. Attitudes in one aspect of life generally depicts all other aspects too. Allow yourself to settle within the rest shall follow. May the God be with you. |
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Class apart
Sonam, who was seen in Saawariya and Delhi-6, has featured in The Hollywood Reporter's inaugural Next Generation: Asia Class of 2009 magazine, which is a special issue devoted to Asia. "It is pleasing to be recognised by Hollywood so early in my career, but my success is due to the enormous faith that the Indian film industry has placed in me and the great love that I have been lucky to get from my audiences," Sonam said in press release. "I am very gratified that such an influential Hollywood publication decided to honour me in this fashion. But given that the Hollywood Reporter issue was devoted to talent from all over Asia, I accepted the honour, not just for myself but as representative of all the great new talent that the industry has seen in recent times," she added. Sonam's name has been mentioned in the article about "the next generation of leaders in the rapidly evolving Asian entertainment sector". The magazine also has a separate write-up on Sonam talking about her career, including her start as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali in "Black". With her career going beyond Indian shores, actor Anil Kapoor's daughter says she will give a nod to international cinema only if a project matches her criteria. "My heart is in India. And the films we make here can stand comparison with those made anywhere in the world, including Hollywood. So, if and when there is an offer from the West, I will judge it on the same criteria that I choose scripts --- whether I believe in the story, the project and the people involved or not; and not just because it has come from Hollywood," she said. — IANS
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Luv ke liye kuchh bhi karega "I love his style. But I won't even dare to copy him. Being called my dad's replica is the worst thing that can happen to my career. I love my dad's performance in Kalicharan, Vishwanath, Khudgarz, Kala Patthar and Kalka. I also freak out on Amit uncle's (Amitabh Bachchan) cinema," Luv told IANS. Luv will be seen as Rekha's son in cross-border drama Sadiyaan, which also stars Hema Malini. If all had gone according to plan, Shatrughan Sinha's twins, Luv and Kush, would have made their simultaneous debut in a home production. But the scarcity of a good script to accommodate the twins prompted Luv to sign a film away from the family. "Not surprisingly I'm very very close to my twin brother. We aren't identical twins. But if you see us together the resemblance is uncanny. The thought of being cast together did cross our family's mind. But what can we do together? A comedy with both the brothers falling in love with the same girl? Nah... Too common. "We must be the only twin actors in the whole world. When we come together the vehicle has to be just right," said Luv, who walked straight into acting. Brother Kush has taken the long winding road - he learnt acting and direction in New York, assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Saawariya and then decided to be an actor. "Hema (Malini) aunty, who's like a member, and Rekha-ji... (yes, it's Hema aunty and Rekha-ji for me, I don't call her aunty) really looked after me, pampered me and made me feel totally at home. I guess it comes from being what I am," he said. The film is set in the 1970s and Luv says he had to get familiar with the 70s style for his role. "This was when I wasn't even a passing thought in my parents' mind. A long way from being born. So I had to get familiar with the fashion, lingo, etc. It was a challenge. But you must remember both my parents are actors," he said.
— IANS |
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Self-portrait Bollywood hunk John Abraham is playing himself in Fillum City and says it is tougher than doing other roles."I'm playing John Abraham. And believe you me, it's not easy. I keep looking for myself in the character and find there are so many things that I want to keep for myself. I'm trying to act and dress as I do in real life. It's tough because you're constantly trying to 'act' like yourself," John said. The film is being made by debutant director Deven Khote. John is also not happy with reports about him signing an international project. He wishes people wouldn't put out misinformation about him. "I believe websites have put out stories that I'm doing an international film called American Empire. I haven't even read the script. Doing international films isn't a burning ambition for me," he said. Though an enthusiastic voter, John couldn't be part of Karan Johar's short-film featuring most of Bollywood's youth icons to promote voting awareness. But he is hoping to team up with the Karan and director Tarun Mansukhani in the second instalment of Dostana. "Would you believe I was part of that project from the start. I sat with the director Tarun Mansukhani and Karan and we discussed the idea. he said.
— IANS |
Time-ly help Morellato Time on Tuesday announced the appointment of bollywood diva, Preity Zinta and actor Niel Nitin Mukesh as its brand ambassadors for India.Morelleto Time is a joint venture between the Gitanjali Lifestyle and Itlian watch brand, Morellato. The brand also launched its new TVC that features the dazzling duo. "Preity and Neil fit the bill perfectly with their marvellous chemistry and characteristics that goes with the brand. With the coming together of the two bollywood faces, the end result is the TVC, which is an epitome of timeless luxury," Gitanjali Lifestyle (Timepieces) Vice President, Dion Lilywhite, told reporters. Gitanjali Lifestyle is the luxury and retail arm of USD 1billion Gitanjali group. — PTI
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Cry for attention! Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan empathises with tennis ace Roger Federer, because the actor like the French Open Champion feels no embarrassment in shedding tears. "But he (Federer) is certainly the only one to cry like a baby each times he wins a final. That is one thing I share in common with him. I cry like hell each time any of my films do well, but I also cry when they don't," the actor wrote on his blog. Khan whose last film Ghajini became the highest grossing film in Bollywood history is a keen follower of Tennis and admires Federer, who has won 14 Grand Slam titles till date. "And finally the Rolland Garros. Federer finally wins the French Open. Am so happy for him. Sampras says he is the best ever tennis player in history. I'm not sure if there is such a thing," Khan added. — PTI
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Lifestyle invites responses from readers on the following issue: The best ever summer holiday memories. Please email the responses to lifestyletribune@gmail.com or post along with your photo and contact number to 'Relatively Speaking', Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh. The best few responses will be published.
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"Sat Sri Akal, Hello, Ji aaya nu. Ki haal hai doston ?" A familiar face gleams on the screen, speaking endlessly in grammatically 'correct-to-the-core' Punjabi, peppered with a lot of shaayari. And to add to it to full on Punjabi touch, she is even dressed like one, a parrot green salwaar kameez, a sargi phull on her head. She is a Punjabi television anchor. Or at least the image conjured up points towards one. 
Jassi from Chandigarh hosts Star of the Week, Sohni Savair and Dial-e-Punjab for Zee Punjabi and ETC channel Punjabi for almost a year now. She tells us about the new wave, which has changed the world of Punjabi television for good. Especially, the anchors that are now looked upon as a vital part of any show. "Punjabi television has more anchors than it ever had, young, vibrating and creative lot," says Jassi. "Having said this, I also want to add that the old anchors were also pretty good in their own way. However, the newer lot is pretty different." 
Simple, warm and vivacious is how Prabhleen Sandhu comes across in a telephonic interview from Mumbai. Vidya Verma of Zee's new show Aap Ki Antara is all excited to be a reel mum: "When I was approached for the role I refused straightaway as there was no chance that I would play a mother at my age. But then, a look at the script and some coaxing made me accept the role. And I am pretty satisfied with the decision," shares Prabhleen, who is a music teacher in the serial.
A new study by researchers at the University of Western Sydney has confirmed that bosses are actually more disagreeable than their staff. In their study paper, the researchers say that job types and personality traits do go together, with managers more antagonistic, labourers less conscientious, and salespeople more extroverted than the rest of us.
History connects. Binds us to our past — the origin, several evolutions, all transitions and finally the present. It gives us a better understanding of every concept. And that’s the reason we have a little background of every doll now in the renovated International Doll Museum-23. 
So, what we have here is the history of dolls right from the Harrapan period to the modern Barbie. “It would help visitors know the cultural and social background of the region from where the doll has been brought. Also, it is an attempt to make the museum more informative,” says N.S. Randhawa, director of the Government Museum and Art Gallery-10. An extension of the art gallery, the museum would make it possible for the Chandigarh Administration to cater to kids. “We have plans to hire a guide who would educate children about these dolls.” The museum has a total of 250 dolls, out which 50 are from different states of India and the rest 200 from various countries. 
“We will keep on adding to the collection here. The recent ones brought to the museum represent Meghalaya, Orissa and Gujrat. Two dolls from South Africa will be soon brought in,” informs V.N. Singh, consultant museums and art galleries. Other additions here are an aquarium and a souvenir shop. 
People for Animals, Chandigarh, has the perfect companion for anyone who is ready to be loved unconditionally.
I'm 32, working and going steady with a girl who works with me in the same firm as a junior. We go out a lot together but her silly habits are beginning to get to me. She is 'lost' most of the time. Even over lunch and dinner dates she seems pre-occupied texting her friends. She says she loves me and wants to marry me but I am wondering if it is the truth. I am extremely uncomfortable with the situation. Please suggest what to do?
Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor, who turned 24 on Tuesday, is on a roll. After becoming the face of global cosmetic brand L'Oreal in India, she has now featured in a special edition of Hollywood's trade bible The Hollywood Reporter. She is thrilled by the recognition.
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha's son is all set to debut with director Raj Kanwar's Sadiyaan. Luv is naturally a fan of his dad and has seen all his films, but says he will never copy his style.