And you thought only Ram Gopal Varma makes 'predictable' horror stuff. And only Karan Johar repeats the mush, stretches it to no limits. Punjabi cinema, including the tall claims of moving towards 'making a difference', has clung on to their repetitiveness with full zest and vigour!

Each to his own' - the advancement in mobile phone technology has something for everyone, to be used depending on personal requirements. FIFA fans can catch the adrenaline rush live on their smart screens, an avid reader can download the names of the most read books in the world, the glamour struck ones can download tips on make up sitting in a café. And if this isn't it, you can receive and make calls!

We get talking to Ruchika Batra, Samsung India spokesperson, and share notes on Smartphones getting smarter, on developing applications and content for India. Last but not the least, latest offerings in the Smartphone market.

Says Ruchika, "The growing Smartphone market is not a totally new phenomenon. However, the growth in applications had added to the upsurge of phones in this category. Samsung has been relatively more successful in the Rs 10,000 and below category in India so far. This will be our big foray in smartphones, so we are going to bring a compelling product out there. We have to offer better than the best."

About phones that make a difference, Ruchika adds, "The Wave is the slimmest phone of its kind. It has an enormous engine inside, with a one gigahertz processor and an OS which is extremely responsive. In the Indian context, it is extremely compelling because the applications and content industry by itself, while it is growing rapidly, is still nascent because of 3G not being there and we are quite comfortable with the idea that the ecosystem we are building up will more than support what people want."

No wonder smartphone are viable for both professionals as well as for personal use, and the phones in this segment are getting better. Especially, when you know that it combines voice services with email, fax, pager, Internet access and a lot more. "We have come up with 'bada' that has been designed and implemented to be available on various hardwares. As a result, users such as early adopters who prefer high-end devices to users who prefer affordable mass market devices can benefit from the value that 'bada' provides for a smartphone experience," she says.

More on the 'bada', Ruchika says it means ocean in Korean, and it encompasses features that validate the name. Samsung 'bada' is loaded with features that enhance mobile experience for the consumers. Also, it is a complete mobile ecosystem through a developer support programme that both the developers and consumers will benefit from."

On projects in the pipeline, she adds, "There is loads. We plan to launch three more handsets on the 'bada' platform this year and are looking at a line up of 8-10 smartphones. Samsung is eyeing a 20 per cent share of the growing smartphone market as it expands its product portfolio in the country. With the launch of Wave and Galaxy S we want to give an extra edge to consumers, making their lives smarter and better."

The 13th edition of Swar Sangam, a musical bonanza mainly featuring doctors, will be held at the Indradhush auditorium at Panchkula on June 26 from 7.30 pm onwards. Disclosing the details, Sangam director Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj said 18 artistes, including six doctors, selected after rounds of audition will present melodies immortalised by Bollywood maestros.

Many of the participating singers have also performed in reality shows. Rajbir Deswal, an IPS officer, will be the star attraction and will also dole out some songs. The musical score is arranged by Dr Arun Kant and his team of 12 musicians. Haryana finance minister Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav be the chief guest.

Green is the word in times of global warming, and joining in the efforts to raise awareness about the issues of deteriorating environmental standards is Deeksha, a NGO working in the field for the past eight years.

As many as 300 children from the region, including Chandigarh, participated in their daylong workshop on conservation of nature and harmful effects of polythene recently. The workshop was part of the Western Command Summer Adventure Camp for children.

"The aim of the workshop was to sensitise children towards environment through activities like quiz, 'adopting a plant' and a presentation on 'journey of a polythene'," says Tripat Parmar, director, Deeksha.

Exhorting the children to be eco-warriors, she adds, "It is about time we wake up and take note of the magnitude of the situation. We must realise that each one of us can make a difference." Carrying on with her passion to work for the cause, Tripat has made significant contribution through Deeksha in a village near Gurgaon by developing a nursery with medicinal plants and herbs. "The nursery is serving the entire village and the plants are being used for curing small ailments," says Tripat. —tns

In Bollywood, what is in today could be a thing of past tomorrow. And singer Ajay Jhingran of Billu Bhayankar (Billu Barbar) and Khoya Khoya Chand fame has seen the trend in music change from conventional to folk and he is more than happy about it.

In the city to meet kids of Theatre Age, Ajay is excited to be back at the place from where he did his Masters in theatre. "I have worked with Zulfiqar Khan before. It is heartening to see him do great work for society and for the kids who need us the most," says Ajay. The conversation gradually slips towards the substantial repertoire of his work. More than anything else, Ajay cannot stop raving about director Sudhir Mishra and singer Sonu Nigam who gave him a chance to be a part of Bollywood music industry. "I come from Saharanpur and am a fifth generation student of Bijnor Gharana. My entire family is interested in arts, so the whole atmosphere is very arty. I assisted Sudhir Mishra for four years when I moved to Mumbai, and he gave me a chance to sing in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Chand," shares Ajay, who candidly talks about the singing trend in the industry.

"I have always liked folk singing. I am glad the Hindi film industry has recognised the charm of rustic voices," says Ajay adding that singers like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Kailash Kher have grown to the status of folk singers. "Bollywood works on the zara hatkey funda. The trend of conventional singing is almost fading. Music directors want singers who can sing to fresh and new tunes, rather than hum on old scripted notes."

Ajay also has a take on the talent shows not doing much for amateur singers. "Versatility in singing is the only thing that counts in the industry. In addition, originality in voice and composition, good power of grasping is also necessary. For kids in the reality shows, success and failure decide whether they can sing or not in the near future. This shouldn't be the case, to pursue an art one needs to be focused and passionate about it. You cannot become Lata Mangeshkar or Mohamad Rafi overnight," offers Ajay, who has written the songs of Page 3, wrote the famous song Bijuria sung by Sonu Nigam and the title track of Aitithi Tum Kab Jaogey.

And the singer is gung-ho about Sudhir Mishra. "I have worked with him, he knows me in and out. This allows me to perform better for I know what he expects out of me." Ajay feels theatre too has helped him a lot in his singing career. "It just helps me to express myself better," says Ajay, who is singing two songs for the upcoming movie Ram Lila. "I am coming up with my solo album, which will be a mix of folk and modern tunes," he signs off.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

If you know your sur and taal well, chances are that you might become a part of the dozen-a-dime singing reality shows. But then that does not make a story. What makes one, though, is if you are somebody who goes on writing cookery books, participating in cookery shows and finally making it to a cooking reality show!

Lets put it in simple words. Savita Khurana was a Masters in Music and that was her calling until, forced by necessity to feed herself, she was introduced to the kitchen for the first time. "I was staying in Kolkata and when cooking became my only option I decided to do it differently, which meant cooking only healthy and nutritious food," she shares.

Now, Savita is a cooking expert, author and nutritionist. Her latest achievement: She is ready to spread her flavour on television as one of her recipes got selected for Colors reality show Kitchen Champion. "The recipe is called Ichchak Dana Tomato Surprise, which is made from green tomatoes and taken as a post-lunch snack. It is rich in Vitamin C and a medicine for diabetic patients." Chandigarh-based celebrity Yamini Gautam will prepare the recipe.

Albeit cooking was never on her mind, Savita turned it into a passion for healthy living. The first surprise came when her recipe of Beetroot halwa for pregnant ladies got selected in Khana Khazana. Subsequently, her recipes were on the show regularly. "I wrote a book that had 65 recipes, including those for cancer patients, heart patients and diabetics apart from some regular ones." Later, she started counselling and advising people on healthy living and dining.

For her, cooking is the best and the most effective tool to fight lifestyle diseases. "Simple addition or innovations done in the preparations are the key to a healthy diet. My focus was on turning junk food into health food. Each ingredient has a distinct flavour and quality. And once you recognise that, it can be used to its nutritive best."

Her recipes like Amla ka Jam, Narangi ki Rabri and Kandhari Paneer, which is made by using pomegranate, serves both purposes — taste and health. Next, Savita is planning to participate in Star Plus's 'Master Chef', which is hosted by Akshay Kumar. But her main motive and message remains: "When you eat, think of your health. And be positive to live positive."

nehawalia@tribunemail.com

Plethico launches Prolab, a new age supplement for aspiring body builders and elite athletes. It customises a nutritional supplement program for them and helps in specific training and physique goals. It has also been providing them with high-quality sports nutrition.

Plethico Pharmaceuticals Ltd is one of the leading players globally, focusing on herbals and nutraceuticals, which has emerged as a global network of consumer healthcare, herbal healthcare, sports nutrition, etc.

Plethico has launched the Prolab range of products in India to extend its existing product portfolio of body building supplements. Prolab Nutrition Inc, which manufactures Prolab, was acquired by Plethico globally in 2008. These products are available across 165 other countries.

This range includes world's best Prolab Creatine, Whey Protein, N-large, Glutamine etc in various flavors.

Prolab Creatine comes in the form of Creatine monohydrate which is widely accepted and highly researched. It is the leader in the category and is recommended by trainers to the body builders and athletes.

Prolab Creatine provides best results and helps in muscle contraction. It helps increase burst power output, faster recovery between sets and potential for greater strength and muscle gain.

Available across India in 300 gms and priced at Rs 850 per jar

— TNS

Here's some good news for coffee buffs! A new study has added to the brewing evidence that drinking four cups of the beverage daily could protect against head and neck cancer.

Using information from a pooled analysis of nine researches collected by the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium, participants who were regular coffee drinkers, compared with those who were non-drinkers, had a 39 per cent decreased risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancers.

Data on decaffeinated coffee was too sparse for detailed analysis, but indicated no increased risk. Tea intake was not associated with head and neck cancer risk.

The association is more reliable among those who are frequent, regular coffee drinkers, consuming more than four cups of coffee a day, revealed the findings published in the 'Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention' journal.

"Since coffee is so widely used and there is a relatively high incidence and low survival rate of these forms of cancers, our results have important public health implications that need to be further addressed," said lead researcher Mia Hashibe of University of Utah.

"What makes our results so unique is that we had a very large sample size, and since we combined data across many studies, we had more statistical power to detect associations between cancer and coffee," she said.

Recently, results of another study published in the 'Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention' showed a decreased risk of gliomas, or brain tumours, associated with coffee. This association was found among those who drank five or more cups of coffee or tea a day, according the researchers from the Imperial College, London. — PTI

A burger joint in the US has come up with a sandwich that has 1,500 calories, which is equivalent to nearly three KFC bun-less, fried chicken Double Downs. Massachusetts-based chain Friendly's new Grilled Cheese Burger Melt is a hefty beef patty buttressed between two oozing, grilled cheese sandwiches.

The Grilled Cheese Burger Melt's calorie count is about half the estimated energy requirement of an active adult male. It also contains 97 grams of fat, more than triple the amount in a Big Mac, and 2,090 mg of sodium, far more than the recommended 1,500 mg daily intake.

Food bloggers are calling the newest creation from Friendly's the 'KFC Double Down on steroids', 'the latest food atrocity' and a 'monstrosity'. Friendly's, meanwhile, is inviting customers to try it for themselves.

"You'll have to taste it to believe it," the Globe and Mail quoted the company's website as saying. — ANI

This is a perfect opportunity to turn out those chutneys and preserves that I have been talking about. But it is also likely that the boys will want to be fed while the ball is rolling. There is very little available past midnight that can satiate without being difficult to muster. Surely you don't want to shoot off to the kitchen while some champ is shooting a winning goal? My interest in football is limited. I come in just in time to yell an applause when they are showing an action replay. I promptly vanish from the scene for a long time! The recipes I have selected certainly need preparation but they only need to be zapped for a minute under the micro before being gobbled. They do contain some quantities of cheese and oil, but lets not fuss... either you watch the match, or you watch your calories!

Method

Boil the potatoes until nearly done. Drizzle the butter and some salt over them and rub them till they are coated. Toss around in a non-stick 'karhai' to crisp the skins well. Or, grill on both sides till the skin is brown and crispy. Cut in half. Scrape out middle with spoon, leaving a fair amount of potato left along the skins. Chop the onion finely and fry in the oil, adding the beans a little later. Roughly mash the contents of the karhai. This will enable the seasoning to blend and make it easier to stuff the filling into the potato halves. Cool slightly, stir in the cheese and pile into the 'boats' again. Grill till the cheese melts and serve garnished with the spring onion greens.

Method

Soak beans overnight and pressure cook till tender. Thinly slice the bell pepper and celery, and slice the onion into rings. Mince the garlic and work it into the beans and veggies. To prepare the dressing, mix the oil and vinegar with the oregano, basil, salt, pepper and sugar The oil/vinegar should be about 1:1 but mix it to your personal preference. Toss the dressing into the bean veggie mix, stir to blend and check the salt, sweet and acid balance. Transfer the salad, preferably to a glass bowl. Unlike most salads, this concoction tastes better when the dressing is tossed in much before munching time! 

Method

Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes and the onion and capsicum into similar sized squares. Marinate all three with garlic paste, 'ajwain' and seasoning. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to blend. Using a non-stick pan, saute the veggies and paneer in the oil till the liquid from the paneer runs dry. Transfer to a plate and assemble onto toothpicks, placing a piece of each on every toothpick. Microwave very briefly when needed and serve with a chutney or tomato sauce.

Note: This is a healthy version of paneer tikkas, taking minimal oil. It will look like a pale cousin to the original! For a formal starter, you can improve its appearance by broiling the skewers under a grill, basting them with ghee or butter for that golden, speckled look.