It's perhaps his second visit to his department in the past three years. Unlike most other successful alumni's, Irshad Kamil, lyricist and scriptwriter, after having given a slew of Bollywood hits, likes to get back to where he belongs — from where it all began. "For me, university is not just a place where you receive education, it's a place that is full of so many memories. Ultimately, my lyrics are somewhere connected to these memories," in the city for Panjab University's first-of-its-kind joint alumni meet, Kamil is bang on. He adds, "Before this I came to the varsity along with Imtiaz Ali after the release of Kal Aaj Kal."

It was in 1996 that he completed a doctorate in Hindi poetry. "As a student, I was not very academic. I used to take life as it came. Getting just good percentages is not enough, one has to have some practical life experience in order to succeed." A fact that probably reflects in the lyrics he pens - from the very tappy Mauja Hi Mauja to the very thoughtful Ajj Din Chadeya, a song that brought the first Filmfare award.

Kamil started his career by writing for television, which was not before trying various other vocations. It was with the lyrics of Chameli that it all started and continued with Love Aaj Kal, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani and Jab We Met, "For me every song of mine is equally important, whether it is a hit or a flop." Nevertheless, his ring tone is Tum Jo Aaye from Once Upon a Time in Mumbai.

"When I sit down to write, I keep the situation, the characters and the director's point of view in mind." A part of the credentials go to his doctorate background. "I don't think a PhD in literature is common in the industry. But as a lyricist I feel some background in literature is a must because ultimately it's the feelings you are giving words to. You are able to express only if there's an in-depth grasp on the language." No wonder his website describes words as, "Words are nothing but expressions, expressions are nothing but emotions…poetry is nothing but soulful words and every word has a soul."

In the pipeline are Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar, Shahid Kapoor's Mausam, Agent Vinod, My Brother's Dulhan," and then a few of the movies are lost in the quick names that he rattles. That's a bagful of projects!

manpriya@tribunemail.com

Film: 7 khoon Maaf

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan, Annu Kapoor, Alexandr Dyachenko, Naseeruddin Shah, Usha Uthup.

Director: Vishal Bharadwaj

This is by far the flimsiest film made by Vishal Bharadwaj yet. Based on a short story by Ruskin Bond titled Susanna's Seven Husbands, '7 khoon Maaf has very little reason to exist as a cinema other than gifting the heroine (Priyanka Chopra) a solo lead that spreads wide across the entire runtime. If you ask me, the casting itself is stupid. Priyanka just doesn't have the range to go from early twenties to eighties within the span of one film. She is a competent actress and does a decent enough job but the subtleties and conviction required by the character is lost on her.

Short stories always have this problem; they don't have enough meat to warrant a film. If a filmmaker decides to make one anyway he needs to pad it up quite a bit before getting into production. But Bharadwaj, the maker of complex dramas (Maqbool and Omkara) doesn't appear to have realised that truth. His film appears to be a creation out of the first draft itself and that wouldn't do for any filmmaker worth his salt. The film is dark but there's no comedy to be had—only irony and regret! And you are left wondering why any man would marry Susanna in the first place and worse still why would Susanna subject herself to such a miserable experience.

The writing is simply short on imagination and logic- Forged in a rarefied space where no other character other than those the director/writer chooses to put in, exists. If this were a horror film, a fantasy or even one full of traditional Bollywood masala, the above-mentioned lacking wouldn't have stuck in my craw. Bharadwaj's narrative tone is seriously dark and the style he adopts is seriously lacking in intrigue, suspense, mystery or tension. Everything is so obvious and predictable that when it's time for the seventh husband to appear you don't care a damn. It's already too late by then and the surprise elements Bharadwaj has in store, towards the end- Ruskin Bond's appearance, Susanna's mystery seventh husband and Arun's sudden disappearance, leave little impact. Bharadwaj tries to weave in some complexity by getting Arun (Vivaan) to be the Sutradhar of the entire story. But that doesn't do much for the largely linear uninteresting narration that Bharadwaj adopts.

There are far too many holes in this story and very little substance. Naseer does an excellent Madhoosudan, his Bengali diction being perfect. Vivaan is born to act. He does his parents proud with his very first outing on the big screen. Neil Nitin Mukesh fails to convey anger or menace and John Abraham just sleep walks through Jimmy. Irrfan tries to instil some degree of sincerity while playing Wasiullah but the role is so badly written that even his famed acting skills can't save it from being forgotten. The Russian actor is pretty much a joke as is his character in the film. Annu Kapoor's Keemat Lal is distasteful, his sex scene with Priyanka is the most clumsily orchestrated. You just can't pass of nonsense and hope the audience will overlook it. It's also time for Vishal Bharadwaj to go back to school if he really wants to make a good solid film sometime soon!

It may come as a surprise to many, but men talk more than women, according to a new survey. When it comes to which is the more talkative sex, researchers have uncovered that - chaps are the bigger chatterboxes.But they are not very good at it. Although men use more words, they are not as adept at expressing themselves. Researchers discovered that while talking about serious issues, such as current affairs, men and women were on the same wavelength in terms of the language used.In contrast, when chatting to friends, men use a greater number of words but fail to express themselves as well as women because their words contain less variety.According to the research for Sheilas' Wheels insurance, men also struggle when paying compliments.

"The difference between the myth of the female chatterbox and the reality was astounding. It is men who are more likely to talk for the sake of talking," the Daily Express quoted study's lead author Professor Geoffrey Beattie, head of psychological science at Manchester University.

— ANI

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan's hectic shooting schedule in Bhopal for "Aarakshan" is proving to be quite a learning experience."Saif (Ali Khan) introduces me to a cool application on iPad - Rehearsal. Particularly useful for us (artists) in reading scripts, making comment," Amitabh wrote on Twitter.

The film based on the sensitive issue of reservations is being directed by Prakash Jha and stars Deepika Padukone apart from Saif.

— IANS

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton's 30th birthday cake worth $ 2000 was stolen by a Los Angeles musician named Paz, who crashed her party.The socialite threw a lavish bash at V-Moda Fortress, a private house in the Hollywood Hills, on Tuesday night when the uninvited guest sneaked away with the cake.

The musician entered the bash through the help of a friend and decided to take the three-tiered red cake after realising that it wasn't being served to the guests and would in all probability be thrown away."I woke up this morning with a $ 2,000 birthday cake in my living room. It's big. It's red. It says Paris and is delicious. At an inebriated moment I decided no one was going to waste $ 2,000 worth of anything on my watch.

I had to rescue that cake," the musician wrote on his Facebook page along with a picture of the cake.The musician said he outsmarted the head of security by convincing him that he had been told to remove the desert and was soon in his car with his unusual loot without making anyone suspicious of his actions.

"In one fluid motion, I sidestep a confused waiter, seize the prize, and face to the door. I pass the security chief again on the way out. I nod purposefully ... he nods in return and 40 seconds later I'm in the front seat of a Nissan Maxima with 70lbs of awesome in my lap. Success! (sic)," he added.The cake was specially designed by Viridian Spirits for Paris who reached the milestone age on Thursday and Paz's action made them unhappy.But Paris was presented with another cake which had her photograph adorned on the cake. — PTI

The Be Piccadilly range from the PEPE Spring Summer '11 Collection succeeds at creating an effortlessly eclectic and high fashion style. This collection is inspired from the busy Piccadilly Circus road junction. The colour palette emphasizes blacks, charcoals and whites, depicting the stark strong personalities of the Piccadilly women.

The Pepe Jeans Spring Summer '11 Collection introduces a contemporary, chic and tasteful collection of high fashion, feminine and voguish designs, as well as international styles.

Priced at Rs 1,099 onwards, is available at Pepe Jeans London stores nationwide. — TNS

Fans of teenaged heartthrob singer Justin Bieber will soon be able to pop him in their pockets with the release of a range of Bieber dolls.Three models of the 16-year-old singer go on sale Friday, coinciding with the release of his film Never Say Never and each doll has it's own fashionable look and is holding a microphone.In three different versions- Red Carpet Bieber is ready in a smart grey shirt, street Bieber wears a T-shirt and the third one is in a black bow tie.

They are expected to be a huge hit with young girls caught in the grip of Bieber Fever. But the fashion dolls, $25 will face stiff competition from the Bieber singing dolls made by the same company and they will go on sale later this year. — IANS

There is no city like Chandigarh," says Abhishek Sharma, a 20-year-old engineer-cum-choreographer-in-the-making from the city.Currently part of Chak Dhoom Dhoom-2, being aired on Colors, Abhishek is upbeat about being in the top eight already. "This is an amazing opportunity. Being on the show, one gets the best of exposure," says Abhishek talking over the phone after a practice session.

A student of Department of Chemical Engineering, Panjab University, Abhishek's love for dance started when he was in school. "Prem Suri, my principal at Tender Heart School-33, inspired me to take dancing seriously and I owe my modest success to her," shares Abhishek.

He thanks his father for being very supportive. "My dad wasn't in favour of me dropping a year in engineering and being part of the show, but he let me take the decision. Once I decided to go for it, he supported me all the way."

Abhishek has to his credit shows like Aaja Nach Le-II, Mini Superstar on DD metro and numerous performances at Tagore theatre. "I have also choreographed lots of shows for university functions," says Abhishek.

Now in Mumbai since last two months, Abhishek misses food cooked by his mom the most. "I am tired of eating vada pav. I really miss my friends. Though we chat on the Facebook and talk on the phone but I miss having them around."

On the plus side, "Mumbai has the best to offer in every field. The kind of grooming I am getting here, I couldn't have imagined anywhere else," says Abhishek, who intends to pursue both engineering and dancing.

mona@tribunemail.com

Pakistani artiste Veena Malik, who became a household name in India following her stint on reality TV show Bigg Boss, will now feature in two more shows on Indian television.

"I have been a diehard cricket fan and follow the game religiously. I was offered several projects but this being the cricket season, I took my passion for the game into account and decided to do the show. I hope that my knowledge about the game and its players will draw my fans both in India and Pakistan," said Veena Malik, who is currently in India on a three-month visa, as saying.In her first 'crick-o-tainment' show that will hit the small screen on February 19, Malik will be the host with two panellists--Ketan Sharma and former Indian cricketer and national coach Anshuman Gaekwad.

While Sharma and Gaekwad will highlight the technicalities and nuances of the game, Veena Malik, who has reportedly been paid Rs10 million for this show, will add spice to the more colourful aspects of the show."This show will be a mixture of cricket and entertainment. I will also discuss famous love affairs of various cricketers," said Malik.When asked which team she would support for the World Cup 2011 campaign, Malik replied: "Of course, I will support the Pakistani team in its matches. But I also have sympathies for the Indian team." Apart from this, she will also participate in a programme titled Bigg Toss, in which 14 contestants will all live in a villa, where they will be divided into two teams and choose the players of their choice. Based on the performance of their chosen players, the teams will be given marks, and the team whose players perform better will win the show.

"The participants will also discuss their favourite players but according to the show's format, the participants can only choose Indian cricketers," said Malik, explaining the dynamics of the show. Other participants of this show include Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh's father Yograj Singh Bundhel and Bollywood starlet Rakhi Sawant. — ANI

If any of the frontrunners for the best film Oscar win the world's top movie award this time, the idea that voters are out of touch with mainstream movie fans may be over after two years of trying.

Elizabeth Taylor's health is improving following her hospitalisation last week, but the actor will remain in a medical facility for the foreseeable future, her representative said on Friday.

The two-time Oscar winner has been at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for more than a week after she was admitted for symptoms of congestive heart failure, which has been a health concern for the 78-year-old Taylor since 2004.

"Elizabeth Taylor has continued to show great improvement, and her family and friends are very pleased with her progress.

She will continue to remain at Cedars-Sinai for monitoring for the time being," her spokeswoman said in a statement released on Friday. No further details were given.

In 2009, Taylor had surgery to replace a leaky heart valve, and she has been using a wheelchair for more than five years to cope with chronic pain.

A Hollywood star since appearing in National Velvet at age 12, Taylor won Oscars for her work in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Butterfield 8.

— Reuters

Actor Colin Firth says the secret to his happy marriage is that he and his wife Livia Giuggioli always take out time for each other and he treats the marriage like a 'marathon'.

"You know, we've made it for 15 years together. I think that's pretty good going, by Hollywood standards. And it's going to go on forever. You just navigate things on a daily basis. We are crazy about each other," he said.

"We're very committed on a daily basis to how we deal with our family lives. But the real secret is time, we have to make sure that we spend enough time together.

"Every relationship in life you're going to have to take care of, there's a marathon factor to it."

The couple has two sons, Luca, 9, and Matteo, 7.

— IANS

ARIES: Ten Pentacles arranged in the Tree of Life formation bring stability in your life. You tend to be lazy and laid back, which can bring financial loss and a dullness of mind. Try not to lose your temper. If your pet has been out of sorts, check with the vet.

Tip of the week: Don't be bullied into accepting situations you dislike. Lucky colour: Turquoise.

TAURUS: Surprises and unexpected happenings are on the cards. A professional opportunity comes on Wednesday. Deep feelings of love in emotional relationships are counted by negative attitudes at work. You will be feeling much better. Progress can be made with employment activities. Tip: Frankness and ability to state the truth are your strong points. Lucky colour: Aqua blue.

GEMINI: The Queen of Wands instills charismatic power in your personality and relationships. Love is on the cards and romance is in the air! It's a good week to attempt difficult tasks or encounter people. Employment problems are likely to be pilling up. Push hard to conclude any real estate deal, which is already underway. Tip: Your own aims, ideas and opinion matter a lot. Lucky colour: Fuschia.

CANCER: The Empress takes you towards the fast and protective lane. You gain money and influence through business deals and professional projects. Be caring when using emotional or spiritual energy to influence family and people. Focus on the present rather than the future or the past. Tip: Do not overspend and keep the scale balanced. Lucky colour: Peach.

LEO: Inner and outer changes are on the cards. A work or residential move triggers other changes in your life. The past needs to be dropped, as you are ready to make new beginnings. Home entertaining should go off rather well. Women: Keep your stakes low while playing cards on Wednesday. Tip: Leave things open ended for best results. Lucky colour: Crimson.

VIRGO: You are inspired by the wisdom of the Hermit to be a light unto yourself and guide others. You play the role of professional consultant at work and personal advisor at home. You are able to conserve finances and invest wisely. Do not get involved in any land deal on Tuesday.Tip: Be firm and stand your ground. Lucky colour: Deep red.

LIBRA: You shall work well with people and handle difficult professional situations brilliantly. The Magus or planet Mercury blesses you on all level of communication! Personal relationships are romantic and exciting. Avoid making changes on Tuesday. It is best to make time with important matters. Tip: Remember never to fall for rash promises. Lucky colour: Bottle green.

SCORPIO: Surprises and unexpected happenings are on the cards. A mystical and strange experience will give you a sense of wonder and elation. Things generally turn round in a positive direction. A secret love affair will bring you some added pleasure. Make your boss aware of all the hard work that you have been putting in. Tip: It would be unwise to tip the scale. Lucky colour: Saffron.

SAGITTARIUS: You find a passage through difficulties at work and sail forth with flying colours. Conceit and intellectual pride can be your downfall. So, be careful. You can revive a personal relationship with tender, love and care. Do not take any risk with your savings. Romance could be an anticlimax on Saturday. Tip: Don't be enthusiastic in finalising a particular deal. Lucky colour: Mauve.

CAPRICORN: Armed with an artful mastery of your craft, you achieve goals and targets. Synergy and cooperation at work endorse your management skills and assist you. Pay attention to behind the scene activities. Money flow will increase this week. Tip: Avoid frictions with business partners. Lucky colour: Peacock blue.

AQUARIUS: You will complete your ventures after much labour and stress. One cycle of your life seems to be over as you make new beginnings. You participate creatively and gainfully in a business venture. No need to worry about health. Keep on the course that you have already set for yourself. Tip: Keep your tendency to save money for rainy days. Lucky colour: Violet.

PISCES: The High Priestess reveals family pressure and responsibilities. A business agreement with two others can be highly lucrative. Investment in land, home or business is most gainful. You organise people and manage situations with subtle charm and firmness. Ask superiors for dinner party this Saturday. Tip: Don't read too much into ordinary situations. Lucky colour: Baby pink.