One out of those ten times when we meet someone who amazes you with 'little knowledge' on everything, we wonder whether it is a dangerous proposition or a bliss for him or her. On Friday, we meet up with one Miss Uttaranchal, Arshi, who makes here debut with a Hindi movie Admission Open, and she helped us come to the conclusion that little knowledge 'indeed' is a dangerous thing. We tell you how and why?

"Every second youngster is either pursuing 'IIT' or 'MBA'. Students who get 70-80 per cent go for IIT," says Arshi, confident of every word she shares adding, "IIT is good, but one should get basic education." Now, what's this? Is it possible to clear IIT without completing basic education?

Anyways, we cannot be harsh on this graduate debuting in movies. After all she is just following her heart with a graduation degree in tow. "I play the character of Priyanka in the movie, which is close to what I am in real life," puts in Arshi. "I have always followed my heart. In the movie I score 70 per cent, but I refuse to 'do IIT'. Instead, I opt for modelling. See, this the similarity between Arshi and Priyanka — both chose modelling over IIT." What is this fixation with IIT?

But you said Priyanka scored 70 per cent. What about Arshi's scores in real life? (Clueless) Comes a reply that baffles us completely. "Oh! I have 'done' my basic education. This is enough to earn a living. I wanted to be a supermodel and super actor. I don't think of studying further then," she says. What good are the education institutions, why do the aspirants for civil services burn the midnight oil? Will someone tell them 'basic education' is enough!

Coming to the movie Admission Open and the message. It sounds likes '3 Idiots part II', trust us it just sounds like one. Smiles Arshi, "Almost at every interview I am asked whether Admission Open is close to 3 Idiots. If Aamir Khan plans to make a sequel to 3 Idiots, I'll tell you we have already have it in the form of Admission Open." Aamir, Vindu Vinod Chopra, Raj Kumar Hirani…guys you have competition here.

What next for Arshi. "I am reading scripts (please tell us something different)," says the model-turned-actor from UP who started her career by starring in Mika's video.

"I don't want to 'do' modelling though it is a good career. I want to concentrate on being an actress. I just want to concentrate on movies. I am waiting for the 'worldwide' release of the movie on May 14," says Arshi, as she gets to pose for our lensman. jasmine@tribunemail.com

Farah Khan had surprised many by casting Akshay Kumar in Tees Maar Khan instead of favourite Shah Rukh Khan but the director says contrary to rumours her friendship with King Khan continues to be strong.

"So many things have been written since Akshay's name was announced. People do enjoy such things. I guess it is more entertaining. But there is nothing wrong with our friendship. I will remain Shah Rukh's friend till I die and I hope this is the case with him as well," Farah said. The choreographer-turned-director, who returns behind the camera after a gap of almost three years for Tees Maar Khan, says she could not wait for a year to start the movie with Shah Rukh being busy with home production 'Ra.One'.

"We had this amazing script. We could not wait for a year. Shirish (Farah's husband) has already directed Akshay in Jaan-E-Mann. We found that Akshay was perfect for the role, so we decided to go ahead with the movie," said Farah.

What is her reaction to rumours, predicting the end of one of the most famous friendships in Bollywood? "I have read a lot about the end of my friendship with Shah Rukh. It is funny initially but after sometime you start getting irritated," said the 45-year-old director.

Interestingly, Farah was seen in a cameo playing the role of a director who picks up a new star instead of Shah Rukh in Milap Zaveri's debut Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai? Was it an attempt from her side to take on the rumours? "We shot those segments one and half years ago when we had not even planned Tees Maar Khan. So, I blame Milap for what is happening now," said Farah, adding, "Thank God, both Shah Rukh and I have a sense of humour and look up at the funny side of things." The director had announced another film with Shah Rukh post the success of Om Shanti Om in 2007 but it seems Happy New Year is not happening for the time being.

"I had written some part of the story but it was taking too much time and then my daughter tore up the script. I don't use computer to write my script. It was a very modern and contemporary story but nothing is happening on it as of now," she said.

Farah has completed some 40 per cent of the film and is planning to release it during Christmas. The film has been produced by husband Shirish Kunder and Akshay, who is paired opposite Katrina Kaif in the movie.

The director, who is known for making full on masala films, says her next film will be equally entertaining. —PTI

Mexican actor Barbara Mori, who debuts in Bollywood with Hrithik Roshan in Kites, says rumours about their alleged love affair did not affect her close friendship with the actor's wife Suzzane.

"Suzzane is a beautiful human being...Same as all the other Roshans. They treated me well with so much love that the gossips about a romantic linkup did not affect me. Suzzane and I became close friends and stayed in touch even after the film completed," Barbara said. She said she just laughed off the rumours when she heard about it last year.

"I am used to such link ups. Back home in Mexico, every movie that I do, I have something to do with the leading man. In the initial stages of my career, I would get upset and even cry saying that the rumours are not true and I am not that kind of a person," she said.

The 32-year-old actress said she always wanted to come to India on a vacation and as luck would have it, she got to visit the country for the shooting of Kites.

"I only knew that Bollywood was a huge film industry till my manager told me that an Indian producer was looking for me and asked me to get in touch with them. I flew to Los Angeles to meet Rakesh Roshan and Anurag Basu," Barbara said. —Agency

He had written Namastey London, turned producer with his Hari Om Productions and has of course acted in umpteen actioners and comedies. Now Bollywood star Akshay Kumar says he may wield the megaphone as well after a few years.

"I wrote Namastey London. I had given the concept of Waqt - The Race Against Time. I don't sit and write a story. I meet people and if their stories touch me, I try putting them on the big screen. In Namastey London, the character is real. He is a friend of mine from Jalandhar. It happened to him," Akshay said.

Talking about his directorial plans, he said: "As of now, no. But you never know. Three years back, if you would have asked me whether I will produce a film, I would have said no. But then I became a producer...anything can happen in this industry. After three-four years, I might direct a film as well."

Akshay's next film Housefull releases Friday and director Sajid Khan presents him as "the world's unluckiest guy". But the actor says he has been quite lucky in real life. "I have been lucky with my life. I made a good career. I didn't have any godfather in the industry. Whatever I have achieved in life is because of my luck and a little bit of hard work."

"I am playing a very unlucky man in the film. He believes his luck will change when he finds true love and gets married. So he starts searching for the right girl. It's total entertainment," the actor said. Shot in Britain, Italy, Hong Kong and India, the film also stars Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan, Arjun Rampal and Riteish Deshmukh. Akshay says he's never given a thought to why most comedies are multi-starrers. "I never sat down to analyse why it's like that, but a lot of people want two, three actors together when they make comedies. Nowadays when you are doing a comedy, you are not a hero, you become a character. That's the best part about doing a comedy. You have to act not only as a hero but also as a comedian and as an entertainer. There may be more points in it, so they choose to make it a multi-starrer," said Akshay

He is known for doing all stunts himself. Asked if he ever felt scared, he said: "I fear doing every stunt. I think one should fear because then you take double care of your safety. There is a good fear and a bad fear. There is a good fear with me, which tells me to do the stunts but safely." — IANS

Bollywood star Aamir Khan has decided to catch up with his blog fans in Paris when he is there on Sunday. "I am going to be in Paris on May 2 and would very much like to meet up with those of you who are interested. Will restrict the group to five," Aamir posted on his blog.

"Each one of you can bring one more person with you. If you happen to be below 18 years of age, you will have to be accompanied by an adult." The actor also asked his fans to enter their contact details on his blog page. "Please post your contact details so that I can reach you, but remember that this is a public space, so only if you are comfortable with putting out that information," wrote the actor.

After Paris, Aamir plans to go to London May 5. —IANS

Pop diva Beyonce Knowles wants Victoria Beckham to design her tour outfits.The 'Bootylicious' singer is a huge admirer of the former Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer's collections and is keen that she creates some stunning outfits for her next series of concerts, Female First online reported."Beyonce is a big fan of Victoria's work, and was given a couple of samples from the new collection. Victoria was hugely flattered and has agreed, in principle, to suggest some designs.

While Beyonce already has the sunglasses and a few dresses, it is Victoria's more elegant full-length designs that she particularly loves as they are a real departure from her usual glitzy stage costumes. This collaboration could be the start of something big," a source said.Victoria's designs have become a huge hit with celebrities with Demi Moore, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Heidi Klum all donning some of her creations.Demi wore a strapless, floor-length royal blue dress from Victoria's Spring/Summer 2010 collection at the pre-Oscars Hollywood Domino party and couldn't help but gush about Victoria's handiwork."I always feel so comfortable and Victoria's designs fit so well. They're just stylish through and through," Demi said. —PTI

An unexploded Second World War bomb has been discovered outside Hollywood superstar George Clooney's Lake Como villa in Italy.The 500 lb explosive was discovered 15 yards underwater in Lake Como just in front of the actor's 30-bed mansion, Villa Oleandra.Apart from the bomb, thought to be an ordinance dropped from a WWII bomber, Italian police said they also found mines and other raw explosives.Clooney is not staying at the villa at the moment.

In February, the Oscar-winning actor announced plans to sell the villa sparking a bidding war between David and Victoria Beckham and a Russian vodka billionaire.Clooney bought the opulent villa in 2001 for a mere seven million euros which now costs 30 million euros.

It was reported he hoped to move to a quieter location with his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis.Many celebrities have or had homes on the shores of Lake Como, such as Matthew Madonna, Gianni Versace, Ronaldinho and Sylvester Stallone.Lake Como is widely regarded as being one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy. — PTI

Organic labels on snacks appear to make people think that they have a lot less calories than they actually do, a study suggests.

The study showed that people, who ate cookies labelled as "organic", believed that their snack contained 40 per cent fewer calories than the same cookies that had no label, says Jenny Wan-Chen Lee, graduate student at Cornell Food and Brand Lab.

"An organic label gives a food a 'health halo,' said co-author Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor and author of the book, "Marketing Nutrition".

"It's the same basic reason people tend to overeat any snack food that's labelled as healthy or low fat. They underestimate the calories and over-reward themselves by eating more," said Wansink.The study even identified two personality types most likely to make these low estimates -- people who claim to "usually buy organic foods," and those who typically read labels for nutritional information.What if you don't want to overeat an organic food?

"Take your best guess at its calorie count. Then double it. You'll end up being more accurate, and you'll probably eat a lot less," explained Wansink, according to Cornell University release. — IANS

Method

Soak beans in fresh water for 12-14 hours. Pressure cook the beans thoroughly with a little salt. This could take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain the beans and mix in all the other ingredients. Grease a baking dish with a smearing of butter and tip in the beans, seasoning, puree and all. Garnish with finely sliced green chillies, coriander leaves, the rest of the butter. End off with a sprinkling of grated cheese and bake in a preheated medium-hot oven for half an hour. Sprinkle garam masala if using and serve hot.

1 cup soya beans 2 ½ tbsp butter ¼ cup grated cheese ½ tsp garam masala(optional) 2-green chillies 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

¾ cup tomato puree 1 ½ tsp dhania powder

3 tbsp tomato sauce 1 tbsp cornflour salt to taste

1-2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp sugar ½ tsp pepper powder red chilli powder to taste

Brits drink 165million cups of tea every day, but they still can't describe its taste, a new survey suggests. After quizzing more than 2,000 people, Professor Li Wei, of Birkbeck College at the University of London, found most people tend to describe the experience instead of the flavour.Most said it was "hot" or just "nice," finding it hard to explain the taste better.

"The most frequently used words describe the personal experience of drinking tea rather than the taste,"a source.Those under 20, said it was "calming" while nearly half of the over-60s said it was "reviving." Also, some said it was "wazzy" if it was weak and "brickie's tea" or ‘brown paint’ when it was strong.Scots said tea was "peely wally" while tea-drinkers in the Black Country said a cuppa was "bostin".Monique Rossi of PG Tips, which ran the survey, added: "The French have hundreds of words to describe the taste of wine, but most British people struggle to be so descriptive when it comes to our national drink." — ANI

It's summer time and all you girls must be already busy stocking up your wardrobe with cool tank tops, off-the-chart short skirts and summer dresses, which are comfortable and flirty at the same time as well as the strings and strap dresses that let you soak up the sun in the right places for that perfect tan.

And lesser the layers of fabric, more the fun…how? Well, summer shopping is all about being smart. No need to bust up your bank and pile up the dresses. Rather have your own collection of accessories to create a new look everyday.

Now, we know accessories have always been around so where can we start? Choose between shoes, bags, jewellery, belts, scarves, hats, sunglasses…or take all. Wear one that makes a statement or mix and match for the subtle impact, the right accessories can perk up even a simple cotton dress and the look you are trying to create. Wrap around a chain belt or layer up chunky beads in bright colours, complete with sunglasses, a cool bag and you are ready to rock the streets. Stick to the basics and read on…

So, have you tried watching all 'laughter special' episodes on television, checked up with every meditation centre, made a de-stressing trip to the hills, lightened your bank balance by a few thousands? Well, if all of them could not give 'happiness', Gaganpreet Chauhan, a city-based dance teacher, suggests that you drop into her dance studio in Panchkula - 'Spiritu-All' - and walk out with a smile, a light heart, healthy mind and, of course, tips on how to become a good dancer.

"Dancing is akin to interacting with fairies in the air, it just makes you feel as light as a feather," Gaganpreet smiles. "Dancing is my passion, my dream and I feel glad to share this dream with others as well. I love to teach as well. I believe dance is bringing in a good change in the life of my pupils."

Contemporary, belle, salsa, Gaganpreet teaches just about all forms. "Even those with two left feet can dance, but teaching someone to match steps is not a cakewalk," she sounds professional. "Teaching dance is also an art. A teacher should always try to understand the psychology of his or her subject and be able to satisfy their queries."

She explains further. "As a teacher, I know what dance form will go well with what pupil. Sometimes, people come with backache problems and I can't just give them any dance form to practice."

For Gaganpreet teaching dance is not a lucrative proposition, though she acknowledges, "Those who are professional dancers are definitely making money. However, more or less, many institutes that teach dance are interested in only making money. For me," she pauses to find the right word, "for me it is a liberating experience," she chuckles sharing with us how destiny wanted her to learn Belle dancing. "I had gone to Germany to learn horse-riding and came back learning how to sway and move like a belly dancer."

Gaganpreet plans to start a dance studio in the city pretty soon. She is amazed by the overwhelming response she gets from people across all age groups.

And are men interested in shaking a leg? "Oh yes, definitely. When I began teaching, very few men would come to learn and most would drop out very soon. But now we have men who are inclined to learn everything about dancing," she adds stressing on the fact that a good dancer should believe in his or her ability. Lastly, to dance well you need a degree of humbleness as well."

Humbleness…for what? "It just makes you lighter. As I said, one can move like a feather with a humble heart," Gaganpreet puts in with a puckish grin.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Shiv Kumar Batalvi is without doubt the most admired Punjabi poet whose works are cherished not only in India but abroad as well. A poet par excellence, a caring husband and a father, Batalvi gave an entirely new dimension to creative Punjabi poetry with his epic poem Loona, which was the peak of his literary genius.

Rightfully decorated with many awards, including the Sahitya Akademy Award, at a very young age Batalvi sculpted literary gems that explored the female psyche to the core. In Pakistan, a song Bataale deya Shiv jogiya eulogises the legend of Batalvi. Such was the genius!

Rajpal Singh, president of Punjab Sahitya Akademi, recalls how after his death in 1974, when Surinder Kaur, Parkash Kaur and Asa Singh Mastana doled out Batalvi's songs at a Vancouver auditorium, the entire audience wept. "On their persistent demand we were forced to curtail the schedule and repeat Batalvi's songs," he reminisces.

Following his death on May 6, 1973, each year rich tributes are paid to him during that period through various shows. Music director Varinder Bachan, who has entirely composed Shiv's poetry, presented a special programme on him in Vancouver in 1997 and riding on the success, has been doing so ever since. "Shiv's poetry has been composed and sung by top singers, and each time it's a challenging task. Mainu Tera shabaab lai baitha is the title of my programme that will be held at Kalagram on May 5 from 6.30 pm onwards," he says.

But before that, the Gurukul group of institutes will hold a musical tribute by RD Kailey and Komal Chugh on May 2 at the Punjab Kala Bhavan from 6.30 pm onwards. The Punjab Sahitya Akademi and Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi will present a programme dedicated to Batalvi on May 6 at the Punjab Kala Bhavan from 6.30 pm onwards. The Senior Citizen Council will hold a similar programme on May 7 in Sector 37. State Bank of India employees will pay tributes to him on May 7 from 5.00 pm onwards at the SBI hall.

Shiv Kumar Batalvi's wife Arun Batalvi cannot help recalling the warm nature of her husband, who to her was less of a poet and more a friend, and an ideal father. But she rues that the memorial for her husband at Christian college, Batala, is a picture of neglect today. "I vividly recall the tall claims when the ceremony was held by the state government over a decade ago.

I learnt that Rs 27 lakh was allocated for the project, but later withdrawn for reasons best known to them. I appeal for immediate removal of the nameplate of my husband Shiv Kumar Batalvi from the memorial premises, which is now inhabited by stray cattle and has heaps of rubbish all around," she says.

Garnier announces the launch of Garnier deodorants, a new range of antiperspirants designed specifically to give 48- hour protection from sweat and odour, thus giving long lasting freshness.

Garnier Mineral Deodorants are a perfect blend of technology and active natural minerals of volcanic origin. The product is enriched with perlite, which has five times absorbing power of talc. This range is available for both men and women. The Garnier Mineral Deodorant range for men is an extension of Garnier MEN and is endorsed by Bollywood actor John Abraham. He will be soon seen endorsing the Mineral Deodorant range in an exciting new print and television campaign, which will capture John's attitude and charisma in a sporting new way.

According to John, "I am once again proud to be associated with Garnier. This affiliation with Garnier reinforces my belief in their brand philosophy of "Taking Care" and the products they offer. To me performance matters and the new range of antiperspirants not only helps me personally during my demanding work schedule but also caters to the basic body care needs of every individual. With the on set of summer we all suffer from sweat and body odour and hence we want long lasting freshness and stay dry all day long, Garnier keeps me fresh all day long." Garnier's range of Mineral Deodorants is priced at Rs. 150 for 150ml and is available in all retail outlets across India. — TNS

Nokia launches its much anticipated and localized Ovi Music Unlimited (OMU) service. Delivering the latest and rich local catalogue and created specifically for the Indian market, the service will offer more than four million tracks from across 19 genres, including rock, rap, hip hop, pop, Bollywood, Sufi, Indipop, Indian classical, devotional, ghazals, Malayalam, tamil, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi and Bhojpuri, amongst others. Consumers who buy a Nokia Ovi Music Unlimited enabled device will be able to download millions of tracks for free, direct to their mobile phone or to their PC from the Ovi Music Store for 12 months. More importantly, they will get to keep all their downloaded music forever.

Ovi Music Unlimited will redefine the way Indian consumers discover, download and enjoy digital music. The service offers consumers free access to the latest high quality legal digital music downloads and customized playlists. The service also offers full metadata and improved search, with the ability to search for tracks by the name of the actor, actress or movie. Tracks can also be shared between Ovi Music Unlimited users via Bluetooth technology. New songs by major labels will also be available on Ovi Music Unlimited when released in India. "Ovi Music Unlimited delivers a compelling digital music download experience with features unique to the market," says Elizabeth Schimel, Global Head of Music and Connected Entertainment, Nokia. — TNS