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In close company of stars
A sturdy frame, height of close to six feet, bulging arms, sporting black tee and black denims…Ruby, manoeuvers his way out from the swelling crowd along with actor Akshay Kumar, whisking him off to the shooting sets. He returns next day to escort pretty Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha at the Chandigarh airport. This time the crowd goes berserk, but Ruby and boys have seen it all before. The sturdy boys smartly glide out of the situation. "This is my job; nothing new for me," he twitches his arm and we can see the finely defined contours of his muscles. Meet C-town bouncers, the first ones to receive any filmstar who comes here and the last ones to drop them off at the airport. The in-between schedule is something that Ruby and his boys love to share. Hulk Hogan
Ruby, along with a team of 70-80, offer their services as bouncers to filmstars and at various events, including discotheques. He started as a bouncer in 2004, and since then Ruby has escorted just about every star. He proudly discloses the list, "Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Abhisekh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Sonam Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt…madam the list is long," he says. Ruby introduces us to his boys, all sturdy frames, dressed in black. "The new bouncers would be very fascinated to see a filmstar, but now they take it as another responsible job." Starry nights
Presently stationed at the sets of underproduction movie 'Joker', Ruby and his boys share their best memories. Sallu bhai is a real hero: He takes care of the bouncers and is very friendly. He makes sure that we get to eat on the sets. He has no inhibitions talking to us, cracking jokes with us. He asked me to get homemade food when he was shooting for London Dreams. Shahid stays by himself: Shahid and his family keep to themselves. They are vegetarians and have no qualms about staying anywhere because they like to keep to themselves; they are not any fan's delight. Sonakshi Sinha is a girl-next-door: She is unlike a filmstar; has no hang-ups or airs about herself. She is always laughing and is very friendly with everyone on the sets. Akki is a dil se Punjabi: He interacts with us in Punjabi, often sharing tips on exercise. When working he is a thorough professional, he likes no distraction then. Kareena Kapoor: Moody, completely no nonsense types. Abhisekh Bachchan: He is warm and very humble.
jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Hollywood's Anne Hathaway and Jeniffer Lopez flaunt them, so do Bollywood's Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor. And now flashy, bejewelled and palm-sized clutch bags have made it to every fashion fanatic's wardrobe in India — never mind if they defy practicality. The explosion of tiny evening bags has been a blessing for women who only need to carry basic items for a short span of the evening - such as the cell phone, car keys, lip gloss and a little cash. But the latest designs today are more an object of art, a statement piece rather than just a 'bag'," Saraswathi Arjunan, spokesperson of gordonMax Crysthelo evening bags, says. No doubt clutches have been around in all shapes and sizes in India for the past few years. But it is the tiny, hardbound, crystal studded, expensive variety that is catching the fancy of women nowadays. Of course, they are statement pieces. How else would one explain a pure gold clutch, encrusted with real rubies and diamonds, owned by jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali? "I own a real ruby, diamond and gold clutch presented to me by someone. That I would say is the most expensive clutch I own," says Farah. But how practical is it? "Usually I only keep my lipstick, house keys and mobile. I agree it is not a practical investment, but fashion never is. It is all about feeling good," she said. Even socialite Riddhima Kapoor, daughter of Bollywood veterans Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, believes "nothing usually fits into a palm-sized clutch...maybe just a gloss!" — IANS
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Celebrating womanhood through art
For the eighth successive year, these women have done it - 20 of them from different corners of the country have their artistic works on display at the Punjab Kala Bhawan-16. They love to call themselves WE- a group of Indian contemporary women artists. "Most of us are housewives. We wanted to probe our real selves and the inception of this artistic journey in 2003 gave us the reason. Art is peace for our group," says Sadhna Sangar, the president of WE.
All paintings at the exhibition either depict the lyrical beauty of nature or a woman's dearest thoughts. "I have tried to capture my husband in his favourite moods. He is retired and he loves spending his days solving Sudoku. It's irritating at times but is also an inspiration for me," says Kamal Sohal from Patiala. Most of these women are fine arts teachers and contribute quality time to their group, helping it grow. They conduct workshops every year and encourage others to be an active part of their endeavour. "We organised creative sessions with imprisoned women last year. Such innovative gatherings are part of our little efforts. We also had males attending our workshop last September at Khajjiar, HP. I joined this group two years ago and I feel proud to be working with them," says Amita from Kharar. In addition, families of the team members are very supportive. They love this initiative. "My husband takes active interest in my paintings. He loves to discuss my works," shares Sonia Dhiman from Morinda. The group celebrates womanhood to the core through their artworks. "My grand-daughter is the inspiration behind my work called Preserve the Lily. When she was born everybody asked me whether I was happy or not. I was proud. A grand-daughter is any day better than a grandson," says Manjit Mejje from Chandigarh. (On till March 5)
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Rotarians from abroad join fight against polio
Polio drive
"For all Rotarians, eradication of polio is a cause warranting urgent attention," says Cynthia W. Covington, Governor of Rotary district. She feels that Rotary- a humanitarian service organisation - has made polio eradication its foremost philanthropic goal. "I want to assure Indian Rotarians that the Rotary community the world over is with them to achieve a polio-free India," she adds. The team also comprises many exchange students from the US and Argentina. Jesse Coathes, an exchange student from US, says, "I came to know about the Rotary Club during my high school days. Later, I went to Brazil as an exchange student and realised that this is what I wanted to do. It's so much fun helping people. Apart from that it gives direction to one's life." Cultural interaction
"Rotary is all about community and relationships. No matter what cause we all are fighting for, it creates better understanding among people of different cultures and religions. In the end we all are the same, only the trigger point may be different," says Malhotra. For Jesse it's all about making friends. "The biggest plus point of these interactions is that you get to meet many interesting people. It's all about networking and making friends on the go," she says. However, for Cynthia these interactions give her a chance to enjoy India's hospitality. "Indian people are very hospitable. It's my second visit here and I am already in love with the place. It's the generosity of people that keeps bringing me back here." |
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Twenty-nine Rotarians from Australia, Argentina, Canada, New Zealand and USA, joined their Indian counterparts in the fight against polio. "Rotary has taken up the challenge of polio eradication on a war-footing. These volunteers flew in on February 26 and fanned out with their Indian counterparts to various booths in the city, including ones at Bapu Dham colony, Manimajra Township and Fun Republic traffic junction to administer polio drops to children," says Madhukar Malhotra, District Governor of Rotary District 3080.