RUNNING into history books
The world's oldest marathon runner Fauja Singh shares how his life has turned around ever since he took to running in his eighties
Mona

Young at 100, the Turbaned Tornado Fauja Singh is all that one associates youth with — active, amusing and ambitious! In Chandigarh for book-signing with his biographer Khushwant Singh at Capitol Book Depot-17, the world's oldest marathon runner Fauja Singh shares excerpts from his life.

"It's difficult for an old man like me to run a marathon," says Fauja Singh, dressed in a white suit with a white turban. "I have had tough experiences while running. Once I just couldn't move one of my legs, at another I fainted but each time I managed to finish the run though," he says.

So enthusiastic is Fauja Singh about running — a passion that he developed in his late eighties — that he often lies to his family, which forbids him to participate in marathons due to his age. "I cannot lie down for long; I can't sit or even stand for long. It's my daily four hour walk that keeps me alive," says the old man with a twinkle in his eyes.

Pretty impressed by England and its people, Fauja Singh who moved his base from Punjab in old age, cannot help but praise them. He blushes when someone refers to his fan-following that includes a large number of British women.

"British are the same from the inside and outside. Not like Indians who pose as something and are otherwise. What's heartening is that Indians who live and work there have also developed this 'honest' trait." Adjusting to new life did not come easy for him though. "My coach has been my mentor, but he also had a tough time making me adapt to life in London."

One person who comes again and again as Fauja Singh narrates episodes from his happening life is his coach Harmandar Singh. Narrating a funny incident he says, "Once I was invited by Queen Elizabeth II for tea. My coach said I should not try to hug her the way we hug young girls. Just shake hands." Fauja laughs as he repeats his coach's lines.

Another incident that he mentions is Adidas's shoot where he took 36 takes to say the tagline 'Impossible is nothing'. "Well I am a simple Punjabi, I can't even converse in Punjabi well, so English was indeed tough," he says before he breaks into a laughter. His love for clothes and shoes is well-known. He explains, "See, people don't spare me whether I dress well or not. If I go dressed rather poorly I am chided for not taking care. If I go out in a suit they say dekho budha hai yeh (see this old man) and they make fun of me," says Fauja Singh.

Though one can see his neat suit and shoes but the gold (he has this thing for gold bracelets and chains) is missing. His biographer Khushwant Singh does the explaining. "His children ensured that he removes gold before coming to India lest someone kidnaps him and demands a ransom of two-and-half crores.'

Fauja Singh shares the cultural shock. "In my village, my grand niece told me that she no longer wears the gold earrings for snatchings are common even when they go to the village well to fetch water."

So, will he continue to run? "Does a businessman ever stop business because he has lots of money," he shoots back. His one-liners continue to generate laughter as his fans queue up to take a copy of his biography Turbaned Tornado that he signs painstakingly in Urdu.

mona@tribunemail.com

success mantra
Clear vision
Manpriya Khurana

BUSINESS ACUMEN: Rajnish Jain

Doing a Master's in Business Administration was an option, so was acquiring a Law degree. Joining the family business when others of his age were still organising college trips wasn't even a sacrifice! Rajnish Jain, managing director, Meena Bazaar, wouldn't have had it any other way.

"My dad wanted me to get into exports or study further, but I felt my family business needed me and here I am." Over a decade in the retail industry now, he is four stores old and counting. Not that there haven't been the flip-sides to deal with - recession, et al. "My father was a self-made man; I had the platform but a lot of challenges ahead," he quickly recalls his B.Com days from DAV and the story that lies ahead. Here are the five commandments that he picked up on the way.

Vision

Back in the late eighties and early nineties, Chandigarh was still growing but was nothing like we know of it today. "Vision comes first and foremost. One of the reasons we've reached wherever we have has been the vision that was behind every step taken." He adds, "Retail sector was a very different ball-game, we had to renovate, overhaul and reinvent the Sector-17 Meena Bazaar store back then to fit into the changing fashion sensibilities of the city folks." Needless to add, staying ahead of times helped him move ahead with times.

Focus

And isn't he strict adviser of 'no distractions' theory? "To be successful, focus is very important. But with success comes a lot of deviations and distractions; keeping away from them is the key. You can't achieve anything unless you give hundred per cent to it." Food for thought!

Ethics

Many success stories are scripted only when the virtues and values form a part of them. "Whether you are dealing with employees or a vendor or with your customers, being totally self-centred wouldn't land you anywhere. While it's wise to think of your benefit, at the same time a balance between give and take is imperative." We started at a time when there were no fixed price tags; we totally believed in this theory of value for money - both under-pricing and over-pricing was a strict no."

Confidence

Belief in your own self is what he advises and over-confidence is what he warns against. "It's very important to be confident of each step you take while at the same time not be over-confident." When we opened our store in Mani Majra, it was not a market. At best it was known only for hardware. A lot of people thought it was a mistake to extend our chain of stores into that market. But we did." The rest, as they say, is history.

Happiness

"My work keeps me out fifteen days a month and I totally enjoy it." We guess that sums up his fifth and final mantra for success. "It's very important to enjoy your work or to do what you enjoy." Do what you love and you wouldn't have to work a single day. Heard that before? He practiced it!

manpriya@tribunemail.com

Rap on
Young artiste Vansh Mankoo talks about his foray into the world of rap music and how he intends to build a future in it
Sabia Talwar

SING ALONG: Vansh Mankoo

Vansh Mankoo, better known in his circle as 'HK', is an eighteen-year-old song writer and rap as well as R&B artist from Mohali, Punjab. His debut album Love-a-Holic has topped Indian charts on ReverbNation.com for Hip-Hop and R&B music. He is currently pursuing B.Tech from CGC, Gharuan, Punjab. We catch up with the budding artist.

The beginning

I started singing rap as well as writing songs at the age of fifteen while I was in eleventh class. My friends encouraged me to record songs in a studio and my 
first-ever recording was for the song My Life.

Rap 'n' roll

I feel rapping is all about getting rhythm and poetry together. It is also quite easy to convey a message to the listener through a short rap rather than singing a lengthy song. This particular genre connects to the youth the most these days and I feel some very strong social messages and lessons of life can be put across through rapping.

Thought process

Random thoughts go in while writing rap songs. I observe whatever happens around me very carefully and process it into words. The day-to-day routine of life affords a lot of ideas.

Content peg

I feel other rap singers are just talking about boys and girls or drugs and alcohol, but in my debut album Love-a-Holic I have included 11 songs based on heartbreak, love, club music, dreams and couple of social issues as well. I'm strictly against drugs and doping because that's not a message we're supposed to send through our music.

Meaningful compositions

My compositions comprise Left Me Broken, Syaahi and Dheeyan. Dheeyan speaks about the declining female ratio in our country due to female foeticide. While Left Me Broken is a sad song about a guy's heartbreak. Syaahi is based on the eternal love stories of Heer-Ranjha and Sohni-Mahiwal, and conveys the message that love never dies. Another Song is I'm a Human, which speaks about religious discrimination among the people. This is what led to the division between India and Pakistan, and the words are Hathh De Naal Mitawan Nakshe Lakeeran, Rabb Baitha Dil Ch Na Mandiran Te Peeran.

Source of inspiration

I would rather say that I'm inspired by Honey Singh's productions and Bohemia's lyrics. Even Mika has rapped for the song Subah Hone Na De from the movie Desi Boyz and I feel it is the era of rappers. There are international artists like Snoop Dogg who have tied-up with Bollywood and there is a lot of scope for this genre.

Ups and downs

Till now I have released my album online and with the support of my friends; for bringing out an album commercially you need a lot of money. Also my parents want me to concentrate on studies right now, but one thing is sure - I will be venturing into the music industry in near future.

Busy boy

Besides engineering, I'm working on collaborations with artists around India and abroad. I have done stage shows, performed at college fests and in night clubs. I'm also a part of a Hip-Hop and R&B crew M Brigade, which is a gang of three boys who compose music.

sabiatalwar@tribuneamil.com

Going indoors

After creating stylish clothes, designer Malini Ramani, who has recently introduced footwear styles in collaboration with a leading brand, is ready to step into the interiors business. She says it is like a dream come true.

"I am busy doing a lot of new and interesting things. One of my big dreams has been to get into interiors. It is finally coming true and I am opening a big lifestyle and interior store called Dreamscape in Goa next month. I can promise you that it's going to be very dreamy and fantasy-like," Ramani said.

The designer, who first launched her clothing collection Rockstar Meets Indian Princess in 2000, is known for her East meets West-inspired designs.

If the interiors business is new for her, so is the collaboration with footwear brand Bata India. She has created wedge-heeled Kolhapuri-style footwear for the brand and says it was just fate that brought her this offer.

"It was actually fate! I had met Thomas Bata at a party in Phuket exactly a year ago and we exchanged business cards. When I got back to Delhi, I wrote to him and he asked me to put together a presentation, which I did and the rest, as they say, is history!" she said.

— IANS

Say no to noisy toys

Parents, give a second thought the next time you pamper your children by giving them noisy toys. A new study by the University of California says that the noise of some toys can be as loud as a chainsaw and risk permanently damaging toddlers' hearing.

Researchers tested the levels of two dozen separate toys and took 10 of the loudest to a specialist soundproof laboratory. All of the 10 exceeded 90 decibels or more, which is equivalent to the noise of a chainsaw. —PTI

Par Excellence
‘Thumbs Up’ drill for the backswing
Jesse Grewal

A correct backswing requires coordination of the arms, hands and body. The ‘thumbs up’ drill helps you feel this and train the hands, arms and body to work together. The forearms rotate to set the club face into a correct position when the shaft is waist high on the backswing and helps release the club, and square the club face through impact.

This is what Ben Hogan referred to as pronation and supination. Extend your arms and get into an address position without a club. Extend your thumbs into a ‘thumbs up’ position. Turn your body and let your arms swing upwards and feel that your thumbs remain pointing up to the sky. From this position, swing your arms down and through and simultaneously turn your body. 

When the hands reach waist height on the follow through, the thumbs should be pointing up again. To achieve this, your right arm will fold a little on the backswing and the left will fold on the follow through. Now take a club and you will see that the thumbs will be directly on top of the shaft at both these positions. We can extend this drill to the full swing. As you swing your arms up from the position we set with the thumbs up at waist height your thumbs should point towards the target and away from the target at the end of the follow through. Take a club and you will see that your club will point towards the target at the top of the backswing and away from the target in the follow through.  This drill is excellent for juniors as it trains the swing without a club. It is also a great warm up drill as it promotes a full body turn too. 

it’s rocking
Come, let’s party

Party songs are important to build up the mood. The most recent song that has been doing the rounds in the party circuit is Aaj Bhi Party from the movie Jo Hum Chahein. The song is about youngsters who want to party all night long. With peppy lyrics by Kumaar and the magical voice of Suraj Jagan, this song definitely cheers up the listeners.

Pump up!

The song has a good pumping tune and awesome lyrics. I have been requesting every night club to play this song. My friends and I go crazy dancing to the beats of this song.

Rohan Juneja, B Com student, GGDSD College

Party fun

Suraj Jagan’s voice provides immense energy to this party number. It has groovy rhythm and it is an out-and-out fun song. The tune is very catchy and entertaining and I have liked this after Chaar Baj Gaye from F.A.L.T.U which was on the same lines.

Charu Dhiman, housewife

High volume

I like the tune of Na Na Na and I listen to it every time in my car with full volume. The lyrics are so full of energy that you can’t stop dancing. Even the video showcases such a nice party scene that prompts everyone to party.

Sanjeev Sidhu, Law student, PU

(As told to Sabia Talwar)

The ‘in’ side
Make life easier
Sukhmani

Whether you are living with someone who has a disability, or have elderly parents living with you, building accessibility into your home is a must. Listed below are a few issues you must keep in mind –

l Build a ramp that provides an easy access to wheelchair users.

l Exterior ramps should have a maximum slope of 1” for every 20” of length.

l Doorways and corridors should be wide enough for a wheelchair to pass easily.

l Abrupt changes in level greater than ½” can cause tripping hazards. Thresholds should be ramped or removed.

l Doormats should be secured to the floor or recessed into the floor.

l For multi-level home owners, accessing their second floor can be a problem. Installing an elevator, wheelchair lift or a stair lift can be an option.

l Light switches, door handles, door bells and phones should be kept at a height accessible by someone in a wheelchair.

l In case of an emergency, make sure a door is accessible and you don’t entirely rely on mechanical means.

l Install hand rails on both sides of the stairs and if the stairs are very wide, install it in the centre. Provide adequate lighting in the stairs.

l Install anti-skid flooring especially in wet areas. Avoid carpets as they will not allow wheelchairs to move freely.

l Bathroom fittings should be installed at a height that suits the needs of the person using it. People in wheelchairs need 27”-30” of space under the sink so as to get as close to it as possible.

l If you are a tall person and have difficulty bending it can be raised to suit your needs.

l If you have limited hand dexterity, adapt your faucets so you can operate them easily with a single hand. Single lever faucets are best.

l The toilet seat is usually at a height of 18” and can be adjusted to your specified needs. Make sure you provide grab bars near the toilet seat.

l The ultimate luxury in new houses today is a walk-in shower. If you can manage this in your building or renovation plans you will have automatic handicapped accessibility.

(Sukhmani is Chandigarh-based interior and landscape designer)

TROUBLE SHOOTER
Hang in there
Simmi Waraich

I am 19 years old and in college. I was a fairly popular boy in school and had a good network of friends. But in college, I found that most classmates were too studious and I did not get along with most of them. Initially, I said a few things to them because of which they started avoiding me. Now I feel all alone in class. I feel this decision to finish college is also incorrect and want to drop out and start a business. I don’t like going to college and am also having fights at home with my parents. I feel no one understands me.

Harpreet Singh, Mohali

Sometimes a change of place and change of friends can trigger actions that we later regret. You said that you feel all alone now in college. Even if you fell out with your classmates, have you tried to continue talking? Don’t give up. Talk to at least two to three persons daily. Even if you feel they are avoiding you, continue to meet and talk. If you have started fighting with your parents too, you are isolating yourself further. In such a frame of mind, you may not be able to take the correct decision regarding leaving college.

Discuss it with your parents and wait for a few months. You are only 19 years old. Enjoy this time. Do plan your business; discuss it with your parents. Try and focus on a few positive things daily like talking to an old friend, spending time with your parents, going for a run or listening to music. Anytime you feel too lonely, remind yourself that you have your family and stay in touch with old friends. If you feel it is getting out of hand, then get help in the form of an evaluation.

Support your daughter

My wife died five months back. Due to her sudden death, my daughter has gone into depression. She was involved with a boy who my wife did not approve of. The boy got married, but continued to call my daughter. She told him not to call but when he continued, she told his wife. The boy then started threatening her over the phone and my daughter has stopped going to work. She remains sad and cries. I am very worried about her.

Surinder Singh, Panchkula

Avoid leaving your daughter alone. Talk to her and report the boy to the police if necessary, if he does not stop threatening her. Ask her to switch off her phone or change her number. Let her vent her feelings. Do see a doctor to rule out depression as being absent from work, crying etc are signs of depression. Losing her mother and then a boyfriend are both major stress factors, and maybe she is not coping well. Earlier, joint families ensured that someone was around to talk to but now most families are nuclear and people are working long hours, so there is no-one to talk to at home. A change of place may help if you have relatives whom she is close to.

(Dr Waraich is a Chandigarh-based consultant psychiatrist. Shoot your problems to lifestyletribune@gmail.com or write to Troubleshooter, Life+Style, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh)

Cause and effect

"Rotary spends nearly $5 billion annually around the world on humanitarian service projects alone," informed Kalyan Banerjee, the world president of Rotary International.

Talking to the media at JW Marriott, Banerjee felt that Rotary's strengths include its ability to attract leaders from different vocations around the world, as well as its role in promoting peace.

"My goal is for Rotary to become the preferred organisation for today's generation to join and participate in, to make the world better, safer and happier," he said.

He informed that it was for the first time that Rotary was invited to World Economic Forum at Jordan and Mumbai which he addressed and would be participated in the last week of January at Davos, Switzerland, to engage the businesses in the humanitarian services. As president of Rotary International, Banerjee oversees Rotary's top priority of eradicating polio. —TNS

Say no to noisy toys

Parents, give a second thought the next time you pamper your children by giving them noisy toys. A new study by the University of California says that the noise of some of the most popular toys can be as loud as a chainsaw and risk permanently damaging toddlers' hearing. Researchers tested the levels of two dozen separate toys and took 10 of the loudest to a specialist soundproof laboratory.

All of the 10 exceeded 90 decibels and several reached 100 or more, which is equivalent to the noise of a chainsaw or an underground train. — PTI

Happy feet

A shoe permeated with a common sugar substitute in the soles could now give your sweaty feet a ‘minty’ cool feel even during a heavy workout, a new study has revealed. The Louis Garneau Carbon Pro Team shoes, designed for cycling, use the sweetener xylitol, more commonly found in gum and toothpaste.

Xylitol is an alcohol-based sugar, so when it comes into contact with moisture, it evaporates.

Normally, this aspect of xylitol gives gum and toothpaste a minty cooling sensation. But when used in shoes, it cools the feet.

Putting xylitol in the soles would ordinarily make it more difficult for the xylitol to work because of the lack of air movement. But the company designed the shoes with a lot of extra ventilation. —ANI 

Star track
Making a splash
Many Bollywood actors have made their foray in Hollywood films. Take a look...

Irrfan Khan in The Amazing Spider Man

He plays the character of Nels Van Adder in the new film by Marc Webb. The highly anticipated film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans. This is a huge film for Irrfan.

Tom Cruise & Anil Kapoor                                    Irrfan Khan

chatter box
Bigg secrets revealed 

heart to heart: Shonali Nagrani

Model-turned-host Shonali Nagrani, who was voted out of the Bigg Boss 5 recently, says clash of male egos has worsened the atmosphere inside the house. “Amar (Upadhyay) and Sky (Akashdeep Saigal) are playing dirty games inside the house and I really don’t want either of them to win,” Shonali said after coming out of the Bigg Boss house. “Ever since male contestants entered the show, the whole environment of the show turned negative because there were clashes of male egos all the time,” she added. The Colors show started off with 13 female contestants and Shakti Kapoor as the only male inmate. However, Amar Upadhyay, Siddharth Bhardwaj and Akashdeep Saigal entered the reality show hosted by Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Shonali, who alleged Amar made advances at her, feels the actor is rude and selfish.

“He is a family man and I won’t like to talk about that issue now. I feel I should have talked to him about it then, but as a girl I really didn’t have the guts to go up to him and talk about it. But he is playing a dirty game and I don’t have respect for him. He is a very rude and a selfish man,” rued Shonali. “I don’t like people who play mind games. He is very calculative. In his mind games, he has hurt a lot of people. He is completely opposite of what Mihir was on screen,” she added. As for Siddharth, she said: “He is a really good boy. He’s a young blood. All the other contestants are 10-15 years older than him. Sometimes he loses direction because of the age, but he is indeed handling everything very nicely inside the house.” Shonali wants Juhi Parmar to win the show.
“I really want a woman to win the show and I wish Juhi emerges as the winner as she is a very positive and honest person and fights for truth. She might have been shown as an aggressive person in other reality shows, but every human being has negatives and positives. I have a lot of respect for her,” she said. However, Shonali admits her eviction has disappointed her. “I have mixed feelings. At one point I am happy that I would be able to celebrate my birthday with my family, but at the same time I am disappointed as I wanted to stay inside the house for a longer time,” she said. “Bigg Boss has been a great platform for her and calls it a career boost. I discovered a lot of new things about myself. The entire experience has helped me learn how to tackle situations. —IANS

Sudesh turns producer

Fresh take: Sudesh Berry

Senior actor Sudesh Berry launched his own production shows called Shree 20th July Entertainment because he got fed up of being offered the same kind of roles in TV shows.

Sudesh’s production house is named after his birth date and he plans to make fiction and non fiction shows.

Terence returns with DID 3

great moves: Terence Lewis

The third season of Zee TV’s much-loved talent show Dance India Dance makes its debut on December 24. The show will be back in its usual avatar with popular judges Geeta Kapur, Remo D’souza and Terence Lewis all returning, alongside Grand Master Mithun Chakraborty (dada).

Thrilled Terence Lewis reveals, “I’ve travelled the world over in search of the most exotic dance forms and drawn great inspiration from beautiful traditional Indian styles too. I am looking forward to introduce never before seen dance forms this season. Let my work do the rest of the talking. I would comeback with this show only—Dance India Dance. In terms of fame, I feel Dance India Dance has given me everything. I am happy to return on Zee TV and DID Season 3 which has now become my family. I am really proud to be associated with this iconic show.”

Terence also gave tips to all dance aspirants, “Don’t think about money and success. That’s not your job and be prepared to dance.” 

Zooming on Mohnish

Mohnish Behl has been in the industry for almost 27 years and has done a variety of roles, shows and films. We catch up with this iconic television actor to share his TV quotient…

soft talk: Mohnish Behl

How much time do you spend watching TV everyday?

Not much. I spend about an hour watching news and random things. Last time, I watched television at a stretch was during the Formula One race. I like F1 races, so I don’t miss them.

What are your favourite shows and personalities on TV? 

No particular shows as such. There are some shows that I keep watching on and off on National Geographic channel. But I cannot remember the names. I spend most of my time watching Discovery channel and Nat Geo. Amitabh Bachchan is my favourite personality on television.

What do you love the most about Indian serials?

I like that they are always trying to do better and improvise.

What do you detest the most about Indian serials?

Somewhere down the line when they are trying to improvise on the serial, they lose focus. They forget what the show is all about.

Your take on Indian news channels…

News channels are supposed to be very important for any country. They are responsible for bringing issues that affect people. Unfortunately, they too lose their focus some time. However, the news channels that I watch are accurate most of the time. I watch news channels like Times Now, NDTV and Economic TV.

Your earliest memories of Indian television…

Aamchi Maati Aamchi Manas and Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan with Tabassum ji on Doordarshan. She had her own unique style and way of talking. It used to be really something different those days.

Your dream role on television…

There is no dream role for me. Each role is like a dream role because I tend to picture it my mind. 

Akki’s furry friends

On the glittering star struck night of the Colors Golden Petal Awards, Akshay Kumar raced the event with with the charming company of two of his furry little friends. Parceled and cozy in their box, Akshay was seen playing with two little hamsters on stage. To share their antics he decided to walk into the audience and stopped right in front of none other than Neelam, who was there to cheer on her hubby, Sameer Soni. To Neelam’s mortification, Akki put the hamsters in her purse. Being the ever-chivalrous gentleman, Akshay decided to rescue the damsel in distress and put the hamsters back in the box. Sambhavna requested Akshay to join in the prank. To catch Akki’s pranks on the silver screen, watch Colors Golden Petal Awards Only on 
December 25.

Astro turf
P Khurrana

ARIES: The Prince of Pentacles promises financial stability. There will be appreciation and applause for your culinary talents. Delays can be expected today. A happy surprise awaits you. Love stars twinkle. Tarot message: Time will heal all pains and wounds. Lucky colour: Cherry red. Magic number: 43

TAURUS: Like the Knight of Cups, you are emotional in personal relationships and graceful on social occasions. A new love affair will put you in a romantic frame of mind. Tarot message: Lack of persistence can be disastrous in business matters. Lucky colour: White. Magic number: 47

GEMINI: Plan some fun and relaxation with friends and loved ones. Today you will be quite amazed to find yourself taking up a more ambitious role. A brief business-cum-pleasure trip is just on the cards. Tarot message: Don’t waste an opportunity by being rash or impulsive. Lucky colour: Turquoise. Magic number: 44

CANCER: The Ace of Swords pulls you in the opposite direction when making a decision. A yearning for overseas travel could encourage a career of your choice. Do not overlook a chance meeting that may lead to future romance. Tarot message: Keep your eyes on the future. Lucky colour: Fiery red. Magic number: 28

LEO: Some very interesting and unusual people will come into your sphere and give you a few different ideas on how to go about financial matters. Loved ones may not fully understand your daily needs. Tarot message: Don’t do anything at the cost of health. Lucky colour: Lotus pink. Magic number: 33

VIRGO: The Prince of Cups brings you to your hopes and desires that you mask with a calm surface. You are good at getting people to express their opinions. Just try to understand what others around you are thinking. Tarot message: You can make things happen out of the most unlikely. Lucky colour: Peacock blue. Magic number: 36.

LIBRA: The Lovers facilitate you to be open and inspired by new ideas. A surprise phone call could put you back in touch with a friend you have not seen for a long time. Tarot message: Do not be in the rush to spend extravagantly. Lucky colour: Silver grey. Magic number: 54

SCORPIO: The Priestess infuses promise and commitment in a personal relationship. Today a long-cherished dream may come true. A date with your lover will at last come up. Do not try any short cuts as they may misfire. Tarot message: Spend time meeting experienced people. Lucky colour: Crimson. Magic number: 37

SAGITTARIUS: The Prince of Wands comes riding with a promise of power and energy. Lots of secrets and undercover scenarios can make for an interesting day. This should be a pleasantly sociable day. Tarot message: Be positive; you can make things happen. Lucky colour: Brown. Magic number: 56

CAPRICORN: The Fool infuses you with courage. If a family member is not cooperating, refrain from arguing. Your personal interests are likely to be stagnant. Focus on health, meditation and yoga. Tarot message: Don’t try to end all the deadlocks at one go. Lucky colour: Ebony Magic number: 25

AQUARIUS: Ten of Pentacles bodes extremely well for relationship and romance. Today you will be able to enjoy interacting with people. Strange undercurrents at home can give rise to all sorts of drama. Tarot message: Do not let trivial problems haunt you. Lucky colour: Deep red. Magic number: 28

PISCES: The Karmic Wheel of Fortune turns in your favour. Get a good night’s sleep. Loved ones will be more demanding. You will be caught in two conflicting situations. Trust your intuition. Beware of strangers.Tarot message: Capitalise on your strength and do not trust others. Lucky colour: Forest green. Magic number: 32

The year ahead
Madan Gupta Spatu

If your birthday is December 20...

Avoid self-indulgent behaviour, especially when involved in social activities. You probably wish you had more time to yourself now and may find discrepancies in your daily schedule. You’ve been extra perky lately. You could find a new use for that energy - working with your hands, maybe building furniture or refinishing antiques.  Ideas for self-improvement projects could lead to commitments from a friend, neighbour or relative. Travel is on the cards, probably due to domestic errands or business. Catch up on your letter writing.  Some children might not have a supportive family environment. You might want to volunteer to be a mentor - caring adult involvement could be helpful to them and rewarding for you. If you have crossed 60, it seems you could be overwhelmed by mobile, emails, SMSes or Facebook. Why not get yourself a tutor who can show you all the possibilities for this machine? You may be feeling a lot of pressure on the home front. Spending some time on your own could help relieve any stress that’s been building up. Solitude can be bliss during times like these.  Your mood is cheerful, cordial and inspiring for others. Why not plan to do something with your loved ones at home? Try not to allow business or job-related concerns to interfere with your family’s happiness or peace of mind. Rushing through any of your daily tasks leaves too wide a margin for error. Your love for fun is absolutely contagious. This is the perfect year for negotiation and discussions about contracts or agreements. Those who are interested in going abroad for further studies should try their luck. The period is favourable for an outing with your family. 

Mood: Emotional.

Compatible signs: Cancer, Leo.

Lucky colours: Pink, Orange.

Lucky days: Thursday and Saturday.

Lucky numbers: 5, 7, 13, 22, 50.

Lucky gem: Moonstone

Lucky flower: Pansy

Sohail Khan (December 20, 1970, Mumbai) is son of Salim Khan, a scriptwriter (Sholay fame), while his stepmother is Bollywood actress Helen. His brothers are actors Arbaaz Khan and Salman Khan. Sohail Khan started his career as a film producer and director making his debut with the 1997 action thriller Auzaar, which starred his brother Salman and Sanjay Kapoor. He then directed both of his brothers Salman and Arbaaz in the hit film Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998) and Hello Brother (1999). Sohail appears in Comedy Circus regularly.