They risk, risk anything and risk like anything! Kicking up dust, raising a storm, screeching to a halt, the zoom, vroom sounds are just a peripheral part of the story.

It's a mind-over-matter thing, is all about gathering your guts, holding the nerves, taking a deep breath before you can do a couple of wheelies or free hands! Note, the idea is not to encourage all and sundry or each and every.

Looks like most adventure addicts show early signs. Shares Yogesh Dhiman, IT student and a professional stunt guy, "Since childhood, even when we had only bicycles, I've been doing it in some way or the other. Later on it was watching videos on the net and things like that."

This is as speeding as they come and timid pigeons can shut their eyes. Single hand, tyre- grab, no-handers, chair wheelie, can can, nak nak, no throttle hand…the sequence and combinations of stunts are infinite. With existence on the edge, any space for still breath or nervousness?

Or is it fast and furious from ground zero? Shrugs Hardeep Singh, engineering student, SASIIT, who is an amateur stuntsman, "No, there's no nervousness. Only people with passion would get into such a thing. If one's nervous then in fact there are more chances of going wrong." One more take. "In front of the crowd, may be there's nervousness, but while practicing alone it is different thing. One you get it right, you start enjoying, because there's so much of craze," opines Vikram Singh Virk, from the biking group XBHP, also an engineering aspirant.

His passion-story runs like this. "I got my first bike in plus two, had a craze for it, would watch a lot of professionals in the field, met them too." Not to miss out the 4 am practice sessions. "I would wake up early in the morning, practice for three to four hours." A few months and a couple of wheelies became a freestyle! Yeah, he too broke two bikes.

Of course, amazed audience, in awe kids, impressed girls queue up, but before that, the disclaimer in capitals. All a matter of seconds, bit of wrong timing, little late and it could be never! Laughs Yogesh, "I've broken a lot of bones also, many a times. There are two wires in my foot. Have never spent so much on purchasing a bike as much on repairing it. Recently I purchased a new bike and it doesn't look new from any angle." There's more to come!

Shares Vinay Thakur, from the stunt-biking group Superb Stunters, "Now whenever I have a fall I dislocate my shoulder. It's happened five times and has really affected my ligament." Err…didn't that cure him? "I still love doing all this. This is where fun is, little bit of injuries are normal."

There's no stopping. What of the 'parental guidance'? Shares Yogesh, "Initially of course they'd scold and stop a lot, but then they figured out that if injuries couldn't cure me, how could their lectures." He adds, "I had to promise my parents that I wouldn't indulge in any of these activities to get a new bike but then."

Oops…he did it again. Hardeep took the clever way out. He laughs, "I never told them only. So far they don't know and when they come to know, we'll see that time." A word of caution that should've preceded everything…all stunts and actions of the people featured are at their own risk! manpriya@tribunemail.com

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has said Indian cinema is one entity that brings all together, adding that he feels proud to be associated with it. Brooke Bond India Limited honoured Bachchan with a special award, Taj Enlighten Tareef Award, for his contribution to Indian film industry. 

In his thanksgiving and acceptance speech, Amitabh Bachchan said, “In many ways I feel that Indian cinema is a great integrator and at a time when all of us are thinking separately wanted to do things separately of bringing divides amongst ourselves. 

Indian cinema is one entity that is bringing all of us together and I think I feel very proud to be associated with it,” he claimed. Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani but won critical acclaim and success in 1971 with the film Anand. 

The film, which catapulted him to the path of super-stardom, was Sholay. After this Amitabh kept giving hits like Amar Akbar Anthony, Kabhi Kabhie, Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikander, among others, and since then he has never looked back. — ANI

My Name Is Khan has set a new all-time career record for Shah Rukh Khan by becoming the Bollywood star’s top-grossing film in North America with total sales of $3,635,000 after 17 days of release. The film Sunday surpassed Khan’s old record of $3,597,372 for 2007’s Om Shanti Om and continues to play in 119 theaters across the US and Canada in its third week of play.

On Feb 22, after only 11 days of release, My Name Is Khan also became the highest grossing film ever for director Karan Johar beating the $3,275,444 of 2006’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan.

A week earlier, with a Sunday sale of $761,000, My Name Is Khan recorded the highest one-day gross ever for any Hindi-language film in North America.

The film’s Feb 12-14 opening weekend sales of $1,939,000 was again a new record for a Hindi film beating the $1,764,131 of 2007’s Om Shanti Om. With an estimated four-day opening weekend figure of $2,275,000, it was the fastest Hindi film ever to break the $2,000,000 mark. It beat the previous record of five days set in December by 3 Idiots. — IANS

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif, who has donned a de-glam look in her upcoming film Rajneeti, says she goes by her instincts while choosing a movie. “I go by my instincts and the potential of the script.

I am looking forward to the release of Rajneeti this year where I get to share screen space with some of the finest talents of the film industry,” the 25-year-old-actor said. Rajneeti, a political saga, directed by Prakash Jha is scheduled for a June 4 release.

The success of New York, in which she played a serious role unlike her successful comedies, has not changed the way she handles her career, the actor said. Katrina is currently shooting for Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan with Akshay Kumar, a co-star with whom she has given most of her hits. Also, she has been recently signed as the brand ambassador of Lux.

On her own skin care regime, Katrina said she makes it a point to remove her make up very carefully. “Besides, I am careful with the kind of products I use and endorse,” she said. — PTI

Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala, who became unpopular in her own country Nepal five years ago by supporting the army-backed coup of King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, is set to lend a helping hand to another member of the former royal family.

Next month, Manisha, who now also has a foot in the Nepali film industry, will launch in New Delhi’s Oberoi Hotel a third novel penned by Sheeba Shivangini Shah, who is married to the nephew of the deposed king, Lt Col Bikash Bikram Shah.

“Facing My Phantoms”, published by Rupa, is a semi-autobiographical novel, tracing the migration of Sheeba’s family, the turmoil in Nepal, the reign of four different kings and the 10-year Maoist insurgency.

The list of invitees includes the media, socialites and a virtual who’s who of India and Nepal.

A special list will be drawn up by Devyani Singh nee Rana, whom Nepal’s crown prince Dipendra wanted to marry before he died in a carnage in the palace in which the then king and queen also perished. The April 24 launch will be followed by a second one in Kathmandu at the Hotel de l’Annapurna where the former royal family still holds stakes.

The 34-year-old former princess debuted as an author in 2003 with “Loyals of the Crown”, a mammoth tale of the court intrigue and bloodbath in 1846 when a junior queen of the Shah dynasty ordered a mass killing of noblemen in revenge after her lover was murdered.

Now established as a serious writer with three novels, Sheeba’s next venture will be a coffee table book.

Sheeba herself is also eyeing Bollywood. She has been seeking to draw attention of producers towards her second novel, Beyond the Illusions, that revolves round tantra and the transgressions of a tantric bent on acquiring superhuman power.

She has presented a copy of the novel to Manisha’s brother Siddharth, who is also an aspiring actor in Bollywood.

Siddharth is in contact with a famous director, who is planning to make a film on a Nepal-based story in which he may cast Naseeruddin Shah, Irfan Khan and Farooq Sheikh. — IANS

Gurbat (foreign) mein hon agar ham, rehta hai dil watan mein…samjho hamein vaheen tum, dil ho jahan hamara…a prolific author, scholar and presently a teacher at the Tennessee University in the US, Anu Celly Narula gets rejuvenated even as she thinks of her home town Chandigarh.

Although she lives in Knoxville Tennessee, she is in love with the city beautiful. "Knoxville is located in close to the picturesque Smoky Mountains and is dotted with lakes and gardens, but I always miss the Sukhna Lake, the tranquil ambience of Shivalik foothills and the PU student centre. I still relish the blossoming beauty of mustard flowers," she says.

Anu is in the city to participate in 'Mexus Melu International Conference' being jointly organised by Panjab University and Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi.

Born and brought up in Kota, Anu completed her masters in English and later proceeded to the USA on Fulbright scholarship. She also had a brief stint with the PU department of English as an associate professor. Anu later married a senior scientist with the department of Energy, Washington DC, Chaitanya.

"Just when people had accepted my status as a single woman who was wedded to academics, I decided to get married with someone compatible with me," she says.

As a 'firebrand feminist', Anu has worked for the advancement of women in all spheres of life. "I have consistently focused on women, both in my research as well as teaching. My mother Bimla Celly has had a strong influence in my life. She has found her true 'home' with some elderly citizens at the Senior Citizens Home in Sector 43-A here. I admire all of them and love hanging out with them," shares Anu.

Besides teaching English as an adjunct faculty at the Tennessee University, Knoxville, Anu is working on creative non-fiction writing. "I cherish the fact that I belong to a civilization as old as India, and I equally love being part of a culture as pragmatic as that of the US," she says.

"As for teaching 'rhetorical writing' in an American classroom, I took it as a challenge and designed courses that focus on post-colonial literature, experience of immigrants et al. I felt the need to open a window on global concerns, especially on the so-called third world countries, to my audience in America both through teaching and research presentations," shares Anu.

"I am taking back memorable moments of the Melus-Melow seminar, especially the applause that I received on my paper on Laila Lalami, a writer from Morocco who is settled in the US," she signs off.

A desire to get first-hand experience of how different countries treat their environment made Jessica Lewis, a masters in Science and Public Health, take a break from her career in Washington DC and set on a journey across Europe, Asia and America.

"I want to be an environment policy-maker and for that I am out to get practical experience through voluntary work," says Jessica who is visiting India after her trip to Japan, Ecuador, Mexico and a few countries in Europe.

"Different countries have entirely different problems and have different ways to tackle them," says Jessica. As for environmental concerns in Chandigarh, she shares, "I am quite impressed with the way Chandigarh is planning its future in terms of environment, yet I feel a lot more can be done."

The way the city treats its garbage is a mystery Jessica is trying to understand. "I see trash cans in all the gardens but they are conspicuously absent from roads and streets. How are you supposed to keep them clean?" she questions.

Apart from major tourist attractions, Jessica has visited the Green-Tech Fuel Processing Plant, Sector 25 (West), and the slaughterhouse. "What's most valuable is the interaction with environment department officials. Sharing different policies is mutually beneficial," she shares.

"One person that I am really indebted to for making my study feasible is Narinder Singh who helped me in all, from locating accommodation to tracing officials," she says.

Narinder Singh International is known for his work for tourists and has received the state award in 1992 and Chandigarh Administration award, 2008, for the same. "Helping tourists is my way of serving the society," says Narinder. mona@tribunemail.com 

Nope, they don't wind up in three days…Student fests, generally a weekend affair, are not the customary Friday to Sunday thing with them. Chandigarh College of Architecture, rolls out yet another edition of their annual fest Archo 2010, beginning March 3 to 20.

Think academic fests, cultural nights, alumni meet all rolled into one, at one go.

The event comprises various cultural, sports and design events. "One of the reasons it's spread over so many days is, it's an intra-college thing also. We have our entire college divided into four houses and each house battles it out for the four overall trophies; design, cultural, sport and overall," explains Taruni Aggarwal, student and general secretary for the event. She adds, "Also, we are organising it in such a large scale this year because next year, the college celebrates its golden jubilee."

Apart from the regular activities, they aim for the college fest to act as mediation among the alumni, faculty, practicing architects from the region, companies having business links with architecture and the students. Packed in between the itinerary are architecture convention, Aditya Prakash memorial ceremony, alumni meet, valedictory function, exhibition, seminars, interactive sessions, discussions between the students and the alumni, comprising well- established architects. Around 200 members of the alumni gather for a series of events.

Amid the academic schedule, cultural activities galore. Think cultural night comprising various events, fashion show, dance, stage play, instrumental, vocal musicals and live band performance. Adds Taruni, "This is for the first time we also have a rock show, where we'll have bands playing as part of the entire affair. This is to draw in more crowds and give a bigger, better platform to our fest." She adds, "Our entire team has been busy with the sponsors, organization, co-ordination, preparations for almost a month now." 

Attending lectures is obvious; the only way out, everybody does it. Ditto with official breaks. Bunking is ok, give and take. Proxy sounds music. Anything like a free period? 'No teacher, no class' scenario? Save for a few aberrant studious sorts, the majority of the register-tucking community gives thumbs up!

One hour of free time, ample ways of going about it. Laughs Nikhil Sharma, UIET student, "If it's the first lecture that is free and we suddenly get the news, the reaction is…Oh no, I could've easily slept more."

Continuing with the reaction spree… "If all of a sudden we come to know that there's no class, it's like experiencing pure bliss, joy, ecstasy - the normal reactions for the first five to ten minutes," shares Kanika Arora, a BSc student.

She adds, "Or, it's the exact opposite depending on whether you had an internal assessment submission or something of the sort and you'd have to do it again. Only then it's like planning what to do next."

Post the reactions come the first impressions and the decisions. Adds Nikhil, "We head to the canteen. Or, go to the library, but honestly that's rare. Mostly it is chilling out with friends or whiling away time, or hanging around here and there."

Oh, the joys of a free period! Idle hour, empty chairs and the nearest canteen, makes for an obvious alternative. He adds, "No doubt, it's lounging around in the canteen or outside in the sun depending on whether it is summers or winters."

So much to do, what to do, nothing to do; any which ways, its fun! To some, making the maximum of time makes sense. Shares Harmandeep Kaur, M Tech student, "I'm a research scholar, member of Yes + club, so any free time is welcome and utilised for completing pending assignments, getting books issued from the library, getting a photocopy done etc." She adds, "Otherwise I call up my NGO friends and decide on the schedule." The more the time, the lesser!

While away, waste around, utilise, loiter, stroll, exploit, employ, gossip, study, giggle, just be…not very often canteen breaks replace classroom sessions! For some, it's thanking the dear teacher for taking time-off and letting take off.

One last take. "If the off lecture is adjacent to the break, many students, mostly hostellers, even go back," says Navneet Sandhu, UIAMS student. She laughs, "Otherwise, to have a great time with friends, we don't need a spare lecture. It's whenever friends decide to get together, we head to nearest cafes or canteens to lounge around."

Back to square one! Free classes, idle hours, off time, bring them on! manpriya@tribunemail.com