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Sport Marshal!
The engine is being given serious guts; even the borrowed one will do the needful, time to also pick up the right torque. The mean machine business gets serious, at the other end of the lane, few people line up to ensure the machines are not mean in any which way! The marshals or the stage commander for Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya 2011 have a serious business at hand. In the game of speed, they are here to make it enjoyable and error free! The Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya 2011 sees battalion participation from Chandigarh. As we get up, close and personal, here is what a marshal is supposed to do.
Duty Chart
Marshals are important to any motorsport rally, like the contestants. For one, you cannot ignore them at any point even if you want to. Motorsport marshals ensure that motor racing is an efficient and safe sport. They are responsible for the safety of competitors and are stationed at various points of danger around race tracks. As Paramvir Dhanoa, one of the marshals at Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya 2011, shares, “One, the contestants can’t ignore us. Secondly, we have a battery of duties, which includes assisting the contestants in case of collisions, accidents or track problems. We also look out for any penalties made by the racing teams.”
No less a challenge
As the contestants compete in a fight against time event, the marshal stationed at vital points, generally hidden from the contestants, sit with their back straight and eyes wide to spot any error. Navdeep Sidhu, a real estate agent, has always enjoyed motorsports. He did not get a chance to rally but being a marshal is something that he enjoys and takes it seriously. “Much as I want to experience the adrenaline, being a marshal is equally interesting and challenging. Setting up the stage early in the morning in dipping temperature is one helluva task,” shares Navdeep, who has been a marshal for various motorsport events from 2005 onwards. As for Manu Virmani, this is his first time on Raid, but he has participated as a biker for Great Himalayan Desert. He relives his memories being a marshal and at the same time, he feels there is a challenge to it as well. “As a marshal, I have to be firm yet understanding with the contestants.”
Hands full
When it comes to responsibilities, marshals have more than one task at hand. Says Paramvir, “Equipped with stopwatches and GPS, marshals are expected to time the leg. They provide the qualifying times, lap charts, and determine the finishing order. Last minute safety checks and safety in the pit areas is something that we do.” You simply can’t ignore marshals. The registrars organise the official entries and provide passes as well as credentials. They are also the first people to meet the drivers, workers and officials when they arrive at the track. And you thought standing on the other side of the lane is not adrenaline-gushing job? jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Click to the past
One of the most glorified is the first batch of 1961. Shares Paras Luthra, final-year student, “We’ve been collecting these photographs for the past three-four months. Arranging some of them has been really difficult. Right from tracking the alumni to finding what rare photographs they have to requesting them to send it across.” That’s not where the uphill task ends. Shares another student, “Remembering the titles and captions to go along with every picture was also difficult.” She pulls one of the several pictures, places them together, to form a series of the pass-outs, star alumni, batches. Shares Bheem Malhotra, faculty, “We’ve managed close to 300 photographs. Every time we’d request the alumni to lend their photographs, they wouldn’t be willing to part with them beyond a few hours.” From the black and white memories to the near recent ones, each photograph spells the journey of not just the college but also the students. Chorus a couple of them, “In that picture, there’s one big hall of the college where joint classes would be held. Then that’s the main campus, the parking area…” Each picture seems a then-now comparison. What, nevertheless, remains intact is the logo, the name and, perhaps, the entrance of the institution! manpriya@tribunemail.com (On till October 20)
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Cut to festivals
The markets start getting lively, the atmosphere brightens up; all point towards the arrival of the festive season. Karva Chauth and Diwali are round the corner, so shopping becomes a necessity because every woman wants to look her best.
Although Pakistani salwars have been doing well up till now, especially in cottons, Varsha Khanna, a Panchkula-based stylist, says, “I think Anarkalis, salwar suits and pyjami suits in various cuts and designs are definitely festive-wear. Ethnic materials like brocades, velvets and silks with gota patti as well as zardozi works are in vogue.” All bright colours are popular, as without them festivals in North India are incomplete. Women who have their first Karva Chauth and Diwali after marriage can look forward to dress up a bit heavily. Nowadays, women are wearing a lot of Westerns, so when one plans to wear Indian outfits the heavy look should be preferred. Shares Babi Grewal, boutique designer from Sector-8, Chandigarh, “Long anarkalis with lots of kalis, achkan style shirts along with skirts with many gheras and materials like georgettes, brocades as well as velvets are in demand this time. Nice vibrant colours like fuchsia oranges, purples, greens and blues will stand out.” Traditional works rule this festive season for sure! How about a look that picks the best from both the traditional as well as contemporary? Shares Raman Vij, a Ludhiana-based designer, “This time, women should go in for fusion - long kurtas, long sleeveless embroidered jackets and full length dresses similar to anarkalis, which are to be worn with skinny pants.” For the ones who don’t want to go in for the heavy look, Raman proposes subtle thread-works and experimentation with different and bold colours. So what are you waiting for — let the festive spirit engulf you! sabiatalwar@tribunemail.com
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Star track
Arjun Rampal is all geared up for his upcoming film Ra.One, where his character has been kept under wraps and even he can’t spill the beans about his role. Therefore, the handsome actor talks about everything else!
Sources say that you were supposed to be a part of Aarakshan after Raajneeti. I read the script of Aarakshan, I didn’t read it to participate. Prakash asked me to read it and I thought it was a very good script. He never told me that he wanted to cast me because he was very clear with his star cast and that film didn’t have any role which I could play. But we are planning another film together. I love the way he directs as he is a great director. Your restaurant Lap Lounge is doing well. We have heard that you are planning to open branches in other metros. Two years in a row and we have won the Best Club award which is really cool. And I am happy that it’s doing well because when your business does well, you give people employment. Yes, we have given it a thought to open in other metros but nothing has been finalised yet. Which film, according to you, changed your career graph? I think it was Om Shanti Om which brought the limelight back on me, though I received a lot of applause for Ek Ajnabee also. It was Om Shanti Om which changed my career graph. And a movie which you shouldn’t have done? To me, all my films are equal and there is nothing which I regret doing. I had chosen those scripts because I liked them. Any actress you would like to kiss? I would love to kiss Scarlett Johanson. What are the best and worst parts about being a celeb? Being a celeb means almost everyone in India and even certain sections of people abroad know you. People admire you and want to become like you. You can change many people’s lives with a good film. Then there is good money. The only worse part is that you lose your privacy. Even having a cup of coffee with your friend becomes impossible because people then start linking you up. In Om Shanti Om, you played a bad guy and in Ra.One also you are playing the villain. Do you think grey shades suit you? I think that’s why directors are offering me those roles. Even in Raajneeti I had a similar role, very serious and sharp. Today there is hardly anyone who plays villain because villains seems to be vanishing from cinema and so I am happy if audiences accept me in negative characters. Who is the hottest Bollywood babe according to you? I think everyone is hot and good-looking in their own way. I don’t have any particular favourite. From Kareena to Katrina, Deepika to Priyanka, everyone is beautiful.—HRM
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I respect Salman but don’t desire him: Asin
Southern beauty Asin Thottumkal, who has worked with Salman Khan in London Dreams and Ready, says she admires and respects the actor but has never desired him.
“I never saw him in that light. For me he was somebody who I looked up to in a very respectful way, somebody that I admired. He is very attractive but that’s not the way I saw or looked up to him...so the thought of desiring him never really crossed my mind,” said Asin, who will grace Simi Garewal’s show India’s Most Desirable this Sunday. “I really never thought of resisting him,” she added. The 25-year-old admitted she feels lucky to have worked with bigwigs of Bollywood like Aamir Khan in Ghajini and Salman. Asin recalled that the Dabangg actor made her eat a bug during the making of Ready. “Salman actually challenged me to eat a bug that he along with the crew had collected from a nearby jungle in Bangkok. They eat these creatures there. So he held it in his hand and asked me to eat it,” she said. —IANS
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Bono, Clooney lend support to charity campaign
A list of stars including George Clooney, Bono, Jessica Alba, Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell appear in a new campaign video for anti-poverty charity ONE.
The Hollywood stars are among a string of famous faces - which also include Annie Lennox, Colin Farrell and Bill Nighy - who appear in a new PSA (Public Service Announcement) clip for ONE, which aims to end the famine in Somalia which has killed over 30,000 children in the last three months, reported a website. The short film - titled The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity - features the saying ‘famine’. “More than 30,000 children have died in just three months. Mothers are forced to decide who to feed and who to let die. In 2011? That’s obscene. This is complicated, no one’s pretending it’s easy — Somalia has been without a functioning government for 20 years — but droughts don’t have to result in famine, just look at Ethiopia and Kenya who have preventative policies in place,” Bono said. “There are things that can be done, and if we really believe the life of a child in East Africa is worth the same as the lives of our own children, we have to act,” he added.—Agencies
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One for the elephant
Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio is leading International Fund for Animal Welfare’s campaign to save elephants and shut down the illegal ivory trade.
The new animal action campaign by IFAW seeks to collect one million signatures from 15 nations to urge the countries to strictly enforce ivory ban and step up efforts to control poaching. “Many people around the world still have no idea that elephants are killed for their ivory tusks, and that’s why public education is so important. There were 1.3 million elephants in 1979; rampant poaching and other factors have reduced the number by more than half, to an estimated 500,000,” DiCaprio said in a statement. The Inception star is the global ambassador for the programme, which highlights a different animal and conservation theme each year. This year’s theme is Elephants, Never Forget and focuses on the crisis that elephants face 20 years after the international ivory trade ban was put in place. “The ivory trade fuels conflict and strife. Elephants are killed by poachers so their tusks can be traded for weapons and drugs by international criminal organisations before becoming trinkets and jewelry for consumers. Authorities in 85 countries have seized almost 400 tons of ivory on the black market since the 1989 ivory trade ban,” the actor added.—PTI
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Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has been named Hollywood’s highest earning woman by Forbes magazine. Winfrey topped the list with estimated earnings of $290 million. Singer Lady Gaga came second with $90 million, reports a website. The third position went to reality TV star Bethenny Frankel with $55 million. The fourth place was tied between supermodel Gisele Bundchen, Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres and Judge Judy Sheindlin with earnings of $45 million each. —IANS
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Bold and the beautiful
Karishma Tanna is always remembered for her role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and this leggy lass has been not seen on TV since a long while. She did grab spotlight for her numerous affairs and now she seems to be taking things forward as she will be seen in a hot video oozing oomph. This music video was to be part of Shaitan but it didn't work out. Director Bijoy Nambiar has offered her the music video for his film. In this bold video, Karishma will expose like never before. Perhaps she hopes this video is her big ticket to Bollywood. —HRM
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Angry old man
Music composer Anu Malik is furious as apparently Zee TV had promised him that he would be the sole judge their on new reality celebrity singing reality show Star Ya Rockstar. Reports claim that now the channel has signed singer Alisha Chinai as the second judge on the show.
Anu is trying to be the only judge as he wants to judge a show on his own without a co-judge. Though there was a lawsuit between Alisha and Anu, the two had patched up a while ago. Stars on the show include Chhavi Mittal, Manish Paul, Mansi Parekh, Neha Marda, Ragini Khanna, Sumeet Raghavan and Vikas Bhalla.
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Soundtrack
Producer: Saregama
Writer and Director: Neerav Ghosh
Neerav Ghosh makes his debut as director with Soundtrack. It is a remake of a Canadian film, It's All Gone Pete Tong in which Rajeev plays a struggling musician. Soha Ali Khan plays a the female lead. Director Neerav Ghosh has also a musician who switched to directing music videos and worked on TV commercials before his debut as a director of Soundtrack. Anurag Kashyap has a cameo in the film. Actor Mrinalini Sharma also plays important character.
Watch Soundtrack from this Friday at theatres near you. Love Breakups Zindagi roducer: Sahil Sangha, Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza Director: Sahil Sangha Born Free Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Sahara Motion Pictures' maiden joint production is set to release today at theatres all over. Love Breakups Zindagi is a take on life, friendship and romance. It is a romantic comedy and revolves around nine different characters.
Directed by Sahil Sangha, the film stars Zayed Khan, Dia Mirza, Cyrus Sahukar, Tisca Chopra, Umang Jain, Amrita Ghosh, Vaibhav Talwar and Pallavi Sharda. Music is set to tune by Salim-Sulaiman and Lyrics are by Javed
Akhtar. — Dharam Pal
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The year ahead
You are number seven and Libra…..you probably want to spend as much time with loved ones as possible to celebrate this day. Your warm and generous heart is in tune with your most important relationships and you revel in companionship. The number seven has a spiritual vibration. Ruled by Neptune, you are unusual, introspective, intuitive, psychic, wise and reserved. You are mentally and emotionally stimulated by your environment. If you work for yourself, a push from the stars will let you reason with colleagues and superiors. There is no need to panic, you must not give up. Keeping your word is essential, especially to children and spouse. A change of plans is possible and adapting fast can save time, money and grief. Emotions may get out of control over an issue. Biting off more than you can chew is possible; have a plan and call for help. Some of you may suffer from coughs and colds or joint pains. You don't have to go far from home to get some social stimulation. Mood: In need of 'across the board' thinking. Compatible signs: Aries, Leo. Lucky colours: Gold and orange. Lucky days: Monday and Thursday. Lucky numbers: 1, 3, 4, 19, 44.
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Astro turf
ARIES: Personal plans will have to be put aside. Try your luck and reap the rewards. Learn to be optimistic. Venus is so powerful that sexual energy is strong today. TAURUS: Travel arrangements can be difficult to make. A day for dealing with accounts. Time spent alone on reading and studying will not be wasted. A perfect day for a family get-together. Tarot message: Try not to get carried away by your initial success. GEMINI: Socially a hectic evening ahead. Sign new documents after lunch. Health gives no tension at all. Watch out for potential arguments especially if alcohol is part of the scene. Tarot message: Be articulate to prevent people from making their own conclusions. CANCER: After a busy period of celebration you will be glad take it easy. Frank discussion could clear the air. Go along with the wishes of your spouse. Do not be demanding. Tarot message: Do not let opposition faze you when you decide to walk the path you wanted to. Lucky colour: Red. LEO: Your overall situation should improve. Superiors will be co-operative. A romantic impulse can grab you and acts of sweet kindness and loving appreciation can endear you to lovers, family and friends. Tarot message: Take one step at a time and avoid being anxious. Lucky colour: Ebony. VIRGO: A day of enjoyment and opportunity. Personal plans are likely to receive a severe setback. Your child's performance makes you happy. Trust that variety is the spice of life and go with the flow. LIBRA: Sensual and physical pleasures are worthy of indulgence. Life can have other plans today, whatever was originally intended. You will have no problem getting along with members of the family. Tarot message: Don't jeoprdise your long term capitals. Lucky colour: Crimson. Magic number: 62. SCORPIO: Watch out for the unexpected. Business matters may not turn out to be as simple as they first appear. Discuss important moves that you wish to make with influential people. Take care of your stomach. Tarot message: Balance and perspective will lead you out of a problematic situation. Lucky colour: Pink. Magic number: 57. SAGITTARIUS: Make a real effort on the job because laziness won't be tolerated by bosses. Today you meet someone who sets your heart aflutter. Children could bring married couples closer together. CAPRICORN: Thoroughly check the to-do-list and clear as many items as possible. You will be surprised how good you feel once a day's work is under your belt. Not a good day for starting up joint ventures. Tarot message: Make a choice and then live with the outcome of your decision. Lucky colour: Brown. Magic number: 63. AQUARIUS: Domestic bliss will be of high order. Love affairs will blossom. Postpone decisions on major deals. Think twice before making major purchases or signing up to legally binding agreements. PISCES: The support of an expert will help you master whatever subject you are committed to learning. You are not likely to be taken unaware by surprise happenings. Tarot message: Cut away the frills and concentrate on what is truly important. Lucky colour: Sea Green. |
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It’s a proud flashback to an era when the parking would accommodate one or two Lamrettas and students would make their way to the classes in bell bottoms or pose against a fiat car. In between the clamour of students, trying to recognize and tag their principals and professors, Chandigarh College of Architecture, gets ready to put together Nostalgia, a photographic journey through the past. As part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations, also in the offing is a coffee table book titled Nostalgia.
Traditional attires like lehengas, suits and sarees top the charts this festive season. Says designer Reynu Taandon, for whom Minissha Lamba recently walked the ramp sporting her creation at the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2011 at New Delhi, “Works in gota patti rule the festive season - be it for Karva Chauth or Diwali. Colours like fuchsia reds, pinks, purples and oranges are really in vogue.” She adds, “Anarkali suits look elegant, but they fit only on some body types.” 
According to Junu Gandhi, who owns a designer studio in Sector-7, Chandigarh, “There are a lot of options in the market such as anarkalis, straight Pakistani salwars, heavily embroidered salwars with brocade shirts and embroidered dupattas.” For that special feeling this festive season, go for patch-works, embroidered patches; aari and crystal works. Says Junu, “One can also go in for sarees with smart blouses, but a majority prefer suits. All bright colours with combination of contrast salwars and pyjamis will complete the look.” 
Abhijeet Sawant (October 7, 1981) was a finalist of Clinic All Clear Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar. He became the first runner up of the show. The song Mohabbatein Lutaunga of his album Aapka Abhijeet Sawant made him popular. He made his debut into acting by the movie Lottery. His stars do not support him much in the line. He also tried hand in comedy but flopped.