Mika took to the mike and as if everyone was itching to pop just one question, drop just one name. A couple of icebreakers and viola, someone gathers the guts and spells out bluntly, ‘What if some good script comes your way along with Rakhi?’ “Wherever there’s Rakhi, there cannot be a good script,” comes the reply. Boy, was he calm; the entire audience laughs. Mika kisses goodbye to any future chances with her. And we, having told you all the floss, strictly move onto bigger, better business.

The singer, Mika Singh, was in town to promote his Punjabi film Mitti. Harbhajan Maan, Babbu Maan, Gurdaas Maan, hasn’t he been a bit late in following the league? “Even before I got a lot of film offers, but I loved this script. Earlier, I got an offer for a role in Jo Bole So Nihal, but I’m sure my fans wouldn’t want to see me as villain and being beaten up.” He continues, “I was signed as a music director for the film when I heard the story and just loved it.”

The film revolves around the theme of Punjab, delves on its farmers and reflects on the land being given to special economic zones, multinational companies. Says Mika, “The story is about four main characters, who are thick friends. I play a Muslim, one of them is a Jat Sikh boy, while the other belongs to a backward class and how despite such differences they are best buddies but are aimless till they are faced with harsh realities.”

Whoever wanted a change from the NRI topical issues? Of course, accompanied by the locations in Canada or the US. Says Mika, “We haven’t depicted Canada or London. It’s a film about people of the state, about real issues facing us today and nowhere will you feel it’s a music album by Mika, rest I just hope the audience likes it.”

Very soon, he’ll be in a music reality show. As for future, he has plans, “I want to take forward the Punjabi as a whole, the language, its culture and everything. We are realising the film in Mumbai, Delhi and worldwide.” All the best.

manpriya@tribunemail.com

For New Year resolutions, set realistic targets to keep fit

Resolutions aren’t tough to make. All you need to do is just think of the nearly unachievable and decide upon it. What’s the harm in resolving to lose 20 kgs if your weighing machine crosses the 75 mark or flat abs (in a girl’s case) and eight packs (in boys case) or shun cholcolates, ice creams and cakes. After all, there’s no law to tell us that we follow what we decide.

Resolutions are meant to be broken. But, you are the kinds who believe in, “Pledge once taken have to be abided by,” then opt for realistic ones, in a nutshell are considerably easier. As in, resolve to lose weight only as much as you actually can, resolve to devote time to yoga and exercise within limit or to have less chocolates and sweets instead of giving them up altogether. So, what would you do to make your skin glow and remain healthy in the coming year?

Dr S. B. Mehta, a city-based dermatologist,suggests a convenient resolution, “Water intake drops in the winter, resolve to drink three liters of water in a day instead of having several glasses of juice, which one might be able to do just for a few days.”

Keep your skin healthy the next 365 days by having whichever fruit you can daily. Going for a spa session twice a month might not be possible. “So, why not give yourself a light massage that will also tone your muscles. Replace the facial schedule with the regular application of a medicated sunscreen to keep your skin supple and healthy,” she suggests.

Power yoga does yield results but there are other options as well, to help you maintain the basic fitness level. The beginners and those suffering from backaches should prefer the simpler yoga asans to something like power yoga, requiring high energy level. Anoop Debnath, yoga instructor at Ozone suggests, “Be regular with Surya Namaskar that and a few breathing exercises like deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing and end every session with shavassan that brings the breathing rate back to normal.” Breathing exercises drains out the toxins from the body, lowers the anxiety and stress levels and even helps in improving concentration. Seems necessary for youngsters!

Joining a gym to lose weight is not a bad idea at all, but only if you don’t find it boring and tiring after a month of joining it. So, resolve to take a brisk walk daily with I-pods plugged into ears. Jasbir Kaur, owner and fitness trainer, Oceanic, supports the cause too, “A brisk walk is the most convenient way to shed weight. A game of tennis every off and on and swimming session can help too.”

The diet advice isn’t rocket science either. Dr Madhu Arora, senior dietician RD, GMCH-32, keeps it simple, “Avoid fast food. Include lot of vegetable salads and fruits in your diet. Take high protein diet to keep immune system strong.” We told you resolutions aren’t tough to make.

ashima@tribunemail.com

Forced to give up pudding is not the worst thing about diabetes. In 15 years, diabetes can cause blindness; approximately two per cent diabetics turn blind, while about 10 per cent develop severe visual handicaps. While patients with diabetes are likely to develop eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, it is the disease’s effect on the retina that is the main threat to vision.

The effect of diabetes on the eye is called diabetic retinopathy. Dr Harinderjit Singh, a Retina, Macula & Vitreous Specialist, and heads a state of the art eye care hospital Augusta Ratina Laser Surgicare at Augusta, USA, was available in the city for performing Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV) surgeries to cure diabetic retinopathy patients.

Diabetic Retinopathy usually affects both eyes. In the early stages, it may cause blurred vision, or there may be no visual symptoms at all. As the disease progresses, you may notice cloudiness of vision and blind spots or floaters.  Everybody with diabetes — both Type 1 and 2 — is at risk of diabetic retinopathy, says Dr Singh.

India is unique for it preserves and passes on the musical legacy from generation to generation," says Daniel Newman, an ethno musicologist and a professor at University of California, Los Angeles. Just over with a seminar at the university on Hindustani music that Newman taught with Shujat Husain, sitar meastro and Abhiman Kaushal, an outstanding tabla artiste, he is in India to look for research opportunities on music inheritance, evolution of music and society and patronage to musicians in Bengal.

An anthropologist by profession, Newman's Life of Music in North India is a prescribed book in many schools in the US on Hindustani music. "My father was a musician and I am a trained violinist," shares Newman who got interested in studying music gharanas in India on seeing his Indian master's son play tabla as a professional at five. "I noticed that children acquire music the way babies acquire language," says Newman.

Quite impressed by what he saw, he shares, how he came across the craftsmen repairing the Taj at Agra who were the descendants of those who built the monument centuries back. "This passing on the legacy of art and craft from generation to generation is truly amazing," he adds. Impressed by the fact that India has preserved its musical tradition from pre-colonial times while the rest of Asian civilisations have embraced Western music, Newman wants to further explore the field in which he's active for last four decades.

Married to a Bengali, Arundhati Sen, a documentary filmmaker, Newman is in love with India and its culture. "It almost sounded a cliché but I have noticed how tolerant Indians are as a society," he offers. "I guess with such divergent society that India has, tolerance is the key factor in maintaining the harmony," he says.

"On our way to Chandigarh in Shatabdi, we had video conferencing with our two sons who are in Santa Cruz and Los Angles which was truly amazing," shares Newman who wonders if even the US has such good connectivity.On his second visit to the city, Newman is enjoying every moment here. "We are enjoying hospitality of Chugh family who are wonderful hosts as well visiting attractions that were missed on first visit." Rock garden is one place that he can't stop praising. "It is a product of an extraordinary vision," says the man who loves clicking pictures with his 'super duper architectural lens'. "I want to come back here once again to click this marvelous creation when it's less crowded," signs off this self proclaimed 'most fluent speaker of bad Hindi'.

mona@tribunemail.com

Keep a bowl of rose water in the fridge, with cotton wool pads soaking in them. This 'pick-me-up' facemask can leave your skin clean and glowing.Cleanse the skin. Mix honey with egg white and apply it on the face. Wash off with water after 20 minutes. For dry skin mix half-teaspoon honey, one-teaspoon rose water and one teaspoon dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and apply on the face. Remove after 20 minutes with water.

Or, apply mayonnaise on the skin to relieve dryness and make the skin soft and glowing. After applying the facemask, take two of the cotton wool pads soaked in rose water and use them as eye pads. Squeeze out the rose water and then apply on closed lids.

Lie down and relax, while you have the mask and eye pads on. Rose water has a calming effect and helps to remove fatigue and brighten the eyes.

For puffy eyes, used tea bags will do the trick. Soak them in a little warm water, squeeze out the water and apply on the eyes like eye pads. After washing off the pack, give a cold compress on the face with the rose water soaked cotton wool pads.

What do you do if a pimple suddenly makes its appearance? Apply foundation over it.

Wait for it to dry and then apply foundation on the entire face. Touch up the pimple again with foundation. Then apply powder to 'set' the foundation.

To conceal pits left by acne scars, take a foundation that is two shades lighter than the one you use on your entire face. Apply the light foundation into the pits, using a fine brush. A concealer can also be used. Then, apply your normal foundation on the rest of the face.

Mix one teaspoon each of vinegar and honey with one egg. Beat well together. Massage the mixture into the scalp. Wrap the hair in a hot towel or plastic shower cap for twenty minutes. Then shampoo the hair. Your hair will have more body and look shiny and manageable.

Too much static - or 'fly away' hair: All you need to do is to wet your hands with water and smooth your palms over the hair. And, avoid too much brushing.

Though it is not an exception but certainly a rarity to watch a father and son playing roles in the same theatre production. And, the audience remained curious to see Jarnail Singh Hoshiarpuri playing a jailor and pitted in dialogues against his real son, Mandeep playing great revolutionary and martyr Bhagat Singh in a play Chhipan Tonh Pehlan.

In this one and more than 20 plays, four feature films, 10 tele films and three TV serials, Jarnail played cameo as well as major roles portraying characters of different socio-cultural backgrounds and sensibilities. The sensitive actor in him inspired Jarnail to scribble his experiences of life right from his upbringing in a sleepy village of Niara in Hoshiarpur to his living in City Beautiful.

Jarnail, a graduate from Panjab University with a proficiency in Punjabi, worked hard to sculpt three books - Sabar Santokh in verse, Jazbe, a collection of poems and A Compilation of Idioms and Proverbs and Composite Words, all are in print.

But a collection of Punjabi skits Billo da Viah had overriding priority for him because of his passion of playing socially relevant skits on stage.

"All the skits in the book are a crisp and virulent satire covering every social evil. When we used to stage these, they clicked well with the audience and the applause was the driving force for me to publish this book earlier than the other three." claims Jarnail Hoshiarpuri, 
the author.

The book was released on Sunday by noted Punjabi poet Sham Singh at a function organised under the aegis of Writers Club at the Uttam complex. While Dr Charan Singh Sindra presided over the function, noted playwright director Sahib Singh and Balkar Sidhu, assistant director, Department of Languages Punjab, offered critical appreciation on the book.

With most of the clubs centered on the city, this one's for the Tricity. Party lovers of Panchkula get a multi cuisine party lounge with the opening of Down Gate Party Lounge at Mansa Devi Complex, Swastik Vihar. The Down Gate, the first of its kind in city will cater to the need of city party lovers and youth who till now more or less depended upon its neighbouring city Chandigarh, for finding a place blended with the facilities of multi cuisine.

It is in fact a gift to city on New Year Eve, where party culture is gradually catching up with the one being witnessed in metro cities. Commenting on the occasion, Ajay Dahiya & Kavita Dahiya, owners of Down Gate Party Lounge said, "Panchkula city is growing young and major corporate houses are in and around the city. The Down Gate Party Lounge will be a place where people can organise their get togethers with their family and friends.

 The youngsters who move out of their homes and living places and look out for a place, Down Gate will be a spot where they can unwind." Ajay Dahiya further said that, "Down Gate Party Lounge, is one such place where people can enjoy the music and at the same time feast on some quality food and drinks. The lounge is one of the best lounges in tricity having facilities of quality food and music to offer. The most of the crowd not only from Panchkula but also from Chandigarh and Mohali can find the place fitting into their need of having a good time with friends."—TNS