Had Newton not sat under the tree, looking at apple fall and preferred to slip back into dreams, we wouldn't have known gravity. Likewise, had Jacques E Branden Berger ignored the red wine spill onto a red tablecloth at a restaurant where he was eating, we wouldn't have got cellophane, and if Chef George Crum ignored his dinner guest's demand to serve thin crisp French fries, we wouldn't be digging into crisp potato chips. An idea makes all the difference. But if it's backed by something that could transform it into reality, there you are!

Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) is one such non-profit organisation that assists disadvantaged youth to develop business ideas into viable enterprise under the guidance of a mentor, the basic idea being helping job seekers become job creators. Celebrating the launch of their green initiative where Prince Charles, the Prince Of Wales will give prizes to the Business Ideas contest winners at Raj Bhawan on Monday. We share success stories of young entrepreneurs who had a fire in their belly. Need we say, it hasn't simmered a bit!

At 15, he sold candles on the wayside when children of his age were bursting crackers on Diwali. Next, he sold fabric to the shopkeepers across the city markets. He shared the same childhood as millions of other children dream of making it big. And, he actually made it. His is a story of dreams coming true; his success story started from Rs 5,000 to Rs 600 crore. We might call it inspiring, but Naresh Gulati calls it a possibility.

From a commoner to the CEO and founder of the OCA Group Pvt Ltd, Melbourne Australia, it's only determination and confidence that kept Naresh going strong. A post-graduate in information systems from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, Gulati believes that success has no short cuts. "My father's business broke. To ease the burden on the family, I used to help out by selling stuff and menial jobs." Later, he started working as a computer teacher before setting up a computer centre in Chandigarh and thereafter diversified his business. "I believe every problem is an opportunity; an opportunity to provide with a solution. If you do that, you have found your calling."

His focus now, is to provide quality overseas education solutions to thousands of aspiring students from the region. "The problem with overseas learning is that without any proper guidance one is forced to believe what he is told, only to land up in an alien land and in a totally different situation. We try to condition them and prepare them for what is to come," he says. With his three-way expansion, into overseas education, BPO intelligence and logistics for foreign universities and developing softwares for these institutions, he wants to provide a complete approach towards the education system. His companies have been listed in the fastest growing businesses in Australia, winning Australian business awards for three consecutive years. He has expanded his business in Canada, New Zealand and the UK as well.

"There has been a growth in Canadian education system compared to others," he says, predicting that the overseas education will see a decline in the future. "Under the market correction, foreign universities have started recognising genuine students so the number might restrict itself to a few."

While he is busy advising others about overseas education, what gone wrong with the Indian system? "Nothing apart from the fact that we are too much into theory than practical. Our graduates are not job ready, instead that part comes way after the education is complete." Well, does he have any suggestions? "Pull up your socks. We have the best infrastructure, put it good use."

nehawalia@tribunemail.com

Her last film, Shyam Benegal's Well Done Abba, went on to win a National award but actor Minissha Lamba says the genre lacks mass appeal and she now wants to do some 'cliched masala' flicks.Critics lauded the actors' performance in the film and the movie was also in the running to be India's official entry for the Academy Awards, but Minissha says that she was disappointed."What's the point in doing good films that do get appreciated critically but don't quite reach the intended audience? It was very disappointing actually when the film didn't do well," Minissha said.

The 25-year-old actor who debuted with Yahaan, a gritty film about the ill-fated romance between an Indian soldier and a Kashmiri girl, says that she now wants to be a part of conventional Bollywood flicks."I want to do films which reach out to maximum audience base. Whichever movie you are a part of, you want it to do well. I am game for those conventional song and dance affairs. After all this is the heritage that we carry in Bollywood.

I want to be a part of those cliched movies," said the actress.Minissha is currently working on Hum Tum Aur Shabana, a romantic comedy and the sequel to the hit satire Bheja Fry.She plays the central role of Shabana in the Sagar Ballary directed affair that features Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade as her suitors." Hum Tum Aur Shabana is a lovely film. It is a very different comedy and is altogether different from the work that I have done in the past. I have done a lot of serious and heavy dramas like Shaurya and Yahaan before. I guess now is the time to get people laughing. I guess this way you can reach out to a larger set of audience," added Minissha.While laughter is in, how about the liberal dose of skin show that she had willingly indulged in, especially around the release of Kidnap. "It was something that I did because Kidnap was releasing at that time.

The sort of image that I carried pre-Kidnap days was completely different so a makeover was a must. I don't regret any of those decisions at all," said the actor.

— PTI

Bollywood hunk John Abraham, who distributed copies of Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography My Experiments With Truth at an event on Saturday, revealed that he believes in the ideology of non-violence advocated by the Father of the Nation.

"I respect Gandhiji a lot and totally believe in his ideology of non-violence. I'm a very non-violent man," John told reporters.

The actor was present at a bookstore to distribute the Mahatma's autobiography as a promotional activity for his forthcoming film, Jhootha Hi Sahi where he will essay the role of the owner of a bookstore.

"I own a book store in the film so on a day like today, which is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, we are here to sell books to the customers," said John.

Director Abbas Tyrewala and John's co-star in the film Raghu were also present at the event. John, who was dressed in his geek look complete with broad-rimmed glasses, also revealed that his girlfriend and actress Bipasha Basu is also quite happy with his look in the film.

"When Bipasha saw my look in the film, she said that if there is any director who has managed to break me down physically and in terms of a character on screen, its Abbas. She completely loves my look. She wants to watch the film because it's unique and fresh," he added.

The film, made under the Saregama banner and slated to hit screens Oct 15, is about a suicidal woman whose final call mistakenly connects her to a man who gives her something to live for. — IANS

Bollywood actor-producer Aamir Khan says he is yearning to watch southern superstar Rajnikanth-starrer Robot. "I am most keen to see Robot. Rajni sir rocks!" Aamir posted on social networking site Facebook.

The movie, which is called Endhiran in Tamil, also features Aishwarya Rai. Apparently made at a budget of Rs.175 crore ($38 million), it is being lapped up by audiences across India.

Actors who have seen the movie are all praise for it, but have pointed to its inordinate length.

Riteish Deshmukh posted on Twitter: "Superstar Rajni! He is a phenomenon. Action in Robot is just what you want to watch as a Rajni fan. Go watch it now - a bit long but worth it."

Actor Tusshar Kapoor opined: "...quite a fun film but a bit long. Rajni looks young and energetic even at this age. No wonder he's such a superstar." Actress Sameera Reddy went gaga over the 60-year-old actor. — IANS

Actress Sonam Kapoor, who is a style icon for the youth, feels wearing coloured lenses and sporting coloured hair is the worst thing girls can do to themselves.

"I don't understand the concept of coloured lenses and bleached blonde hair. It looks so tacky. Why oh why do girls do it to themselves," Sonam posted on her Twitter page.

No wonder she has long black hair, unlike others in the film industry who keep experimenting.

— IANS

Hollywood actress Emily Blunt is all set to star opposite Bruce Willis in a new time-travel sci-fi thriller Looper.

The film also stars Inception actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and will be directed by Rian Johnson who has written the script as well.

Ram Bergman, who produced Johnson's previous two films, will be producing the Looper.

The film is centered on a group of killers who send bodies of their victims back in time. Blunt will play a single mother forced to go to great lengths to protect her son.

Last seen in The Wolfman, the 27-year-old actress will also be seen opposite Matt Damon in 'The Adjustment Bureau'.

Endgame Entertainment is financing Looper, scheduled to begin production in Louisiana in January. FilmNation is handling foreign sales. — PTI

Hollywood beauty Christina Ricci has confessed that she suffers from a phobia of plants and can't even touch them.

Christina Ricci

The 30-year-old actress revealed that she has a strong dislike for gardening and does not like being near plants because the soil makes her feel ‘dirty’, reported Contactmusic.

"They are dirty! If I have to touch one, then it freaks me out. Honestly, I can't go near them," she said speaking about her phobia. Apart from this, the Speed Racer star also admitted that she still struggles in the kitchen as she knows to cook only two dishes.

"I can cook about two things. I can boil hot water for the only pasta I can make. I blame my career, actors work crazy schedules and we are away so often. I just don't get the time to learn how to make stuff. But I need to, when you get back home after shooting there is always a great desire to create some kind of normalcy," she said. — PTI

He has styled the tresses of Hollywood divas like Heather Graham, Drew Barrymore and Sharon Stone but Los Angeles-based celebrity hair expert Jamal Hammadi is in awe of Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan. And he would love to style them too.

"I'd love to work with Aishwarya Rai. I haven't yet. She's got long, gorgeous hair and my god, those blue eyes. I'd definitely love to work with her. She is a beautiful lady and it'll be fun and something different," Hammadi said in a telephonic interview from Mumbai, while on his third trip to India.

"I think Aishwaya Rai is gorgeous...Then, you have Priyanka (Chopra), who is awesome. I worked with her about a month ago…She is so cool and fun and open. She is pretty talented as well and I like her attitude," he said. What about Priyanka's hair? "Priyanka has good hair," said Hammadi, who was in India just for a day but is looking forward to heading "north to the Himalayas for a whole spiritual thing" on his next visit.

Isn't he aware of any Bollywood hero? "Yes. There is Shah Rukh Khan. He is everywhere. He is huge. He is really big. I see him everywhere. And he is funny too. He has a great personality and sense of humour. I have seen his interviews. He seems cool..." said Hammadi.

— IANS

The folk music and dance traditions of any region are the cumulative expression of their cultural life. Linking up past with the present, this timeless flow of cultural expressions have sustained life in its true form," maintains Kamal Tewari, chairperson, Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademy.

The Indian folk art lover has always been curious to know, feel and relish the history and multiplicity of folk performing traditions, whether its the ritualistic celebrations of local Gods and Goddesses, love legends, war heroes, historical characters and stories from epic literature. The city art lovers will be treated to folk theatre forms, a rarity in the region, during the six day long CSNA Festival of Theatre Traditions in association with Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi at the Punjab Kala Bhavan-16. The festival commences from October 6.

For most of us a cuppa chai means tea with a dash of milk and sugar. However, many wouldn't know that putting that dash of milk for making the cuppa taste better, one is actually negating the good qualities of tea that are beneficial for one's heart. Scientists always have been telling us that tea is good for the heart but only without milk. Many studies have been conducted and a report published in a leading European Heart Journal categorically states that tea is good only without milk.

Researches have proved that tea improves blood flow and the ability of the arteries to relax. However, researchers at the Charite Hospital at the University of Berlin in Mitte found that if milk is added to the brew of tea leaves, it eliminates the inherent protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. "The beneficial effects of drinking black tea are completely nullified by the addition of milk," claims Dr Verena Stangl, a cardiologist, in a published research.Ditto says the city based Cardiologist, Dr HK Bali of Fortis. He reveals that high consumption of tea has some benefits and lowers the chances of cardio vascular diseases.

Bali says that black tea in particular contains polyphenols, which are natural plant anti-oxidants. These have beneficial effects on many biochemical processes in the body because they protect cells against harmful free radicals. Flavonoids are thought to be especially useful, with a number of studies reporting a link between them and lower risk of heart attack."

Stangl and her team discovered that proteins called caseins in milk decrease the amount of compounds in tea known as catechins, which increase its protection against heart disease. The researchers found that black tea significantly improved blood flow compared to drinking water but adding milk blunts the effect of tea. While more studies are needed for conclusive evidence, it has been suggested that regular consumption of black tea leads to a significant reduction in the heart related problems.

Dr Mario Lorenz, a molecular biologist and co-author of the study found that drinking tea significantly increases the ability of the artery to relax and expand to accommodate the increased blood flow as compared to drinking water. The addition of milk completely prevents the biological effect.

However, Dr Bali, said more studies are necessary to explain in detail how tea benefits when consumed without any milk. He said, no doubt, tea is second only to water in worldwide consumption so any benefits could have important public health implications.

While the scientists look for the conclusive evidence to get milk out of our tea, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it up ourselves for the sake of our heart.

anujaj@tribunemail.com