Sri Lankan President meets Sharukh Khan and Karan Johar

Visiting President Mahinda Rajapaksa is welcoming Indian Super Star, Sharukh Khan at Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi on Saturday prior to their meeting.

Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Chalenge 2007 Won - Aneek Dhar

Aneek Dhar Wins SaReGaMaPa - Pictures included

Aneek Dhar is the Winner of SaReGaMaPa Challenge 2007.

The last two weeks of tension, apprehensions, jubiliations, heart attacks, wishful thinking, the craze that gripped millions of fans who campaigned and voted relentlessly 24/7, have now decided the winner for the much sought after #1 crown. The mandates have chosen the topper.

It is none other than the 18 year old Royal Bengal Cub of Kolkata - Aneek Dhar!! He beat Bikaner’s Raja Hasan and Pakistan’s Amanat Ali to take the title “Vishvayudh ka Vijeta”. Raja was declared the first runner up and Amanat the second runner up in the closely contested finals. Poonam was declared one of the “Spark of the show”. Mauli got the performer of the show crown for her first performance on Maiya Maiya.

The grand finale, which was held in Mumbai's Andheri Sports Complex on October 13, saw thousands of fans waiting breathlessly for the results, while millions others watched it from their homes. The show was a lavish and extravagant affair and the stadium was packed to capacity. All the top 12 were back on stage performing and it was really nice to see them all enjoying so well. The episode lasted for 4 hours with some nostalgic performances by the mentors, host, all the contesttants and by the past contestants. The results indicate that this show has received a record-breaking 106,144,334 votes collected worldwide for the Grand Finale. Aneek received a total vote count of 3,65,89,134 votes, while first runner up Raja Hasan receieved 352,40,963 votes and second runner up Amanat Ali received 3,43,14,257 votes.

The show surprise was Akshay’s live performance and he sang quite well. The three winners gave very touching thank you speech and behaved with a lot of dignity, making the viewers emotional as well. They surely made a place in everyone’s hearts. The musical journey that started 6 months back surely got a fitting closure.

Our heartiest congratulations to all the winners!!!
India-forums

Author : Barnali

"Om Shanthi Om", Will it be a huge one ?

With Shahrukh Khan is the Producer, and many actors represent one film,
I think "Om Shanthi Om" is going to be a very big hit in time to come. The very first film in the history , giving much publicity before the film release. There are 31 biggest stars who are in the film industry for the last 15 years. For the first time in The Hindi Film Industry , Sanjay Dutt , Sharukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan , together at once on a film.










But I've heard Aamir Khan is not there because of his own debut new film ‘Taare Zameen Pe’ with busy time. Farah Khan, The director of the "Om Shanthi Om", tried to get him too but failed.
The release date is fixed for 9th of November.Some of the actors and actresses are Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade, Vishal Dadlani, Malaika Arora, Rishi Kapoor, Subhash Ghai, Karan Johar, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Javed Sheikh (Pakistan), Arjun Rampal, Zayed Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Dino Morea, Ritesh Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Kajol, Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty, Lara Dutta, Vidya Balan, Amrita Arora, Juhi Chawla, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Tusshar Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Urmila Matondkar, Sunil Shetty, Govinda, Bobby Deol, Shahwar Ali, Uvika Chaudhary, Akshay Kumar, Kirron Kher, Bindu, Satish Shah.


Farah Khan, The director of the "Om Shanthi Om"
******************************************************************

Here are some photos of "Om Shanthi Om".

Mind Your Language, The Popular TV show, Back on Zee Cafe ,EVERY WEEK DAYS

Mind Your Language, The Popular TV show, Back on Zee Cafe at 7pm and 11 pm !


Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series originally shown on ITV between 1977 and 1979. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in a school for adult students in London, focusing on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, portrayed Barry Evans, who had to deal with a motley crew of foreigners. A new version of the show with some of the original cast aired in 1986.

The series focuses on the English as a Foreign Language class for adult students in a London school. The classes take place in the early evening, and are taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown (Barry Evans), though on occasion other individuals take over the class if Mr. Brown is not available. The class consists of foreigners with varying degrees of English proficiency, with no two students from the same country (with the exception of Jamilla Ranjha and Ranjeet Singh, who come from two very different regions of India). The humour of the show is derived from the students misunderstanding English words or terms, and plays up to the cultural stereotype of their individual nation of origin.

Season One takes place over a full school year, starting with Mr. Brown being hired by the Headmistress Miss Courtney, and ends with the students sitting for their Lower Cambridge Certificate. Season Two begins at the start of the next school year, with all ten previous students returning after having failed their exam, and two new students joining them, for a total of twelve. The exams were less stressed on as time went by. This was reflected in the show's setting; Season One and Two primarily took place within the classroom, but the later seasons explored settings outside of the school.

More recently the show has been criticised for unimaginative racism and political incorrectness, but in its day the show was popular with people of many backgrounds because of its light-hearted take on multiculturalism and because it gave some otherwise unrepresented minorities a television presence, albeit represented as caricatures.

• Series One (13) 30 December 1977-24 March 1978 · Friday 7p.m.
• Series Two (8) 7 October-25 November 1978 · Saturday mostly 6p.m.
• Series Three (8) 27 October-15 December 1979 · Saturday mostly 6.45p.m.
• Series Four (13) 4 January-15 December 1986

Students **************************

• Giovanni Cupello, portrayed by George Camiller, is an Italian cook as well as the class' loudest student and de-facto class monitor. On the frequent occasions when Mr. Brown is called out of class, Giovanni is the one who takes charge of the class. He is best friends with Max, who is also (eventually) his flatmate. Giovanni's main English problem is understanding metaphors and large words, though he often answers wrongly on purpose to amuse the class. He is attracted to Danielle, though as the series progresses she becomes more like an accomplice rather than an infatuation. Like all those who dwell in London, he picks up slang faster than he does proper language. He is also very emotional and cries every time Mr. Brown leaves or declares he is leaving.

• Anna Schmidt, portrayed by Jacki Harding, is a stereotypical 1970s German and is often portrayed as gruff and stern. In her introduction she refers to "German efficiency", and accordingly Anna is a hardworking student, occasionally asking legitimate questions and as the series progresses, answering Mr. Brown's questions correctly. Her main problem is mixing "V" and "W" sounds.

• Chung Su-Lee, portrayed by Pik-Sen Lim (Season 1 - 3), is a secretary at the Chinese Embassy. She is never seen without her red book of Mao, which she often quotes from, much to Mr. Brown's displeasure. She constantly juxtaposes her "Rs" and "Ls", although her English is arguably the best in the class. Early in the series, she had a fierce ideological rivalry with Taro, her Japanese classmate. Although she is often regarded as fierce, she is kind and thoughtful to her friends.

• Taro Nagazumi, portrayed by Robert Lee (Season 1 - 3) is a Japanese electronics representative. He has a reasonable command of English, but has a habit of adding "-o" to every word he says. He also bows to Mr Brown every time he stands, often resulting in the teacher repeating the gesture and hitting something. Early in the series he is at odds with Su-Lee due to Japan and China's own political differences in the 1970s. He is never seen without his camera and takes pictures of people for money. His classic reply is the Japanese "ah so?" (really?).

• Jamila Ranjha, portrayed by Jamila Massey (Season 1 - 3), is an Indian housewife from Bombay. When she first joins the class she can barely speak English, and needs Ali to translate her Hindi. She improves significantly as time goes on, but frequently returns to speaking in Hindi when it suits her. She is constantly knitting cardigans, though she is rarely seen wearing them. She does not participate in the Ali-Ranjeet feud as she is a Christian.

• Maximillian A.A. Papandrios, portrayed by Kevork Malikyan (Season 1 - 3), is a Greek shipping office worker, and is often paired with Giovanni. He is attracted to Danielle but as the show progresses the three became a gang of sorts. His personality is almost identical to Giovanni and the two rarely fight in the series, except over girls and, once, over ethnic slurs. Like many of his classmates, Max tends to misunderstand metaphors and large words. He also has heavy accent, which causes him to add "H" to almost every word he says.

• Juan Cervantes, Ricardo Montez, is a Spanish bartender with an optimistic streak. Juan is always laughing at himself, and is always confident of his answers even when they are completely wrong. Early in the series Juan spoke almost no English, and answered everything with "por favor" (please), necessitating Giovanni to translate some key terms for him. Juan's English improved as the series went on. He cares a great deal for Mr. Brown, whom he considers almost family.

• Ranjeet Singh, portrayed by Albert Moses, is a Tube worker from Punjab in India and a very devoted Sikh. He constantly argues with Ali, who is a Pakistani Muslim. He tends to mix up his general knowledge, and upon being corrected he always puts his hands together for "a thousand apologies". He carries a kirpan, with which he has threatened to assassinate anyone from Ali to Mr. Jarvis the woodwork teacher.

• Danielle Favre, portrayed by Francoise Pascal (Season 1 - 3), is an amorous French au pair who instantly grabs the attention of all men, including Mr. Brown. Her good looks often distract Giovanni and Max from their answers, while Mr. Brown is often found in seemingly incriminating positions with her. She is annoyed when Ingrid Svenson joins the class, instigating a rivalry for Mr. Brown's attention. She is a good friend to fellow au pair Anna and the two often spend their weekends together. Owing to her job, her spoken English is acceptable and her general knowledge fair, though her main problems lay in grammar theory.

• Ali Nadim, portrayed by Dino Shafeek (Season 1 - 3), is one of the first students that Mr. Brown meets at the school. He is originally from Lahore, Pakistan. Never seen without his Jinnah hat, he is the most vocal of the students and often literally misinterprets everything said by others. As a Pakistani Muslim he has a vocal and occasionally physical rivalry with Ranjeet, who is a Sikh (Indian). By the middle of Season 2, although they continue to argue, Ali's rivalry with Ranjeet becomes less malicious, and they are on occasion able to work together without complaint.

• Ingrid Svenson, portrayed by Anna Bergman (Season 2 and 4), is a Swedish au pair who joins the class at the beginning of Season 2. She is attractive and straightforward about her attraction Mr. Brown, sparking a rivalry between her and Danielle. She transfers schools at the end of Season 2, but returns in the independently produced Season 4.

• Zoltán Szabó, portrayed by Gabor Vernon (Season 2), is a Hungarian student who only appears during Season 2. He has a very basic level of English and requires a phrasebook for everything. He picks up slang quickly, most of which comes from Giovanni and Juan. Zoltán is a romantic at heart, and enjoys singing sad Hungarian ballads.

• In the fourth season, Mr. Brown and Miss Courtney were still at the school, as were Anna, Giovanni, Ingrid, Juan and Ranjeet. New students included Maria Papandrious, portrayed by Jenny Lee-Wright, Michelle Dumas (Marie-Elise Grepne), Farrukh Azzam (Raj Patel), and Fu Wong Chang (Vincent Wong).

Mind Your Language was a British comedy series originally shown on ITV, between 1977 and 1979. Produced by LWT, it was set in a language school in London, with the late Barry Evans as the embattled night school English language teacher for a motley crew of assorted foreigners.

The series was known for its humorous take on national stereotypes: the German woman was dour and humourless; the French woman was sexy and flirtatious; the Swedish woman was liberated and straightforwardly sex-mad; the Chinese woman a rampant Maoist; while the Sikh and Pakistani men were often on the brink of war, and the Spaniard, the Greek and the Italian were macho. Much of the humour also stemmed from the trouble the students had with the English language, their often outrageous speech patterns and the students' hilarious mispronunciations of English. In the politically correct days of the late 1990s the show was criticised, but in its day the show was popular with people of many backgrounds because of its light-hearted take on multiculturalism and because it gave some otherwise unrepresented minorities a television presence.


Memorable Phrases:*******************

Ali Nadim (Pakistani) : "Squeeze me please!", "Oh Blimey!", "Jolly Good","U damn fool!"

Giovanni Cupello (Italian) : "Santa Maria!", "Holy Ravioli!"

Maximillian Papandrious (Greek) : "Hokay!"

Jamila Rahjha (Indian) : "God heavening!"

Deloris Courtney (the prim-and-proper English headmistress) : "MISS Courtney, if you don't mind."

Ranjeet Singh (Punjabi - A Sri Lankan acted as Indian) : "A thousand apologies."

Chung Su-Lee (Chinese) : "Chairman Mao, he says..." "The Democlatic Lepublic Of China", "...peace-roving Chinese!"

Taro Nagazumi (Japanese) : "Ah-so" (proceeds forward and bows)

Juan Cervantes (Spanish) : "Por favor?","s'awright", "One fate/fete/fit, Two fate/fete/fit!"

Zoltan Szabo (Hungarian) : "Bocsánat?"

Anna Schmidt (German) : "Wery Good!"

Gladys the tea lady (English) : "Her ladyship wants to see you"

Jeremy Brown (English) : "Is the old dragon in?"

Sid the caretaker (English) : "You sure you got the right cucumber?"

	Barry Evans	...	Jeremy Brown (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
	George Camiller	...	Giovanni Capello / ... (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
	Jacki Harding	...	Anna Schmidt (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
	Robert Lee	...	Taro Nagazumi (20 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Kevork Malikyan	...	Maximillian Papandrious / ... (20 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Zara Nutley	...	Miss Courtney (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
	Jamila Massey	...	Jamila Ranjha / ... (20 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Ricardo Montez	...	Juan Cervantes (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
	Albert Moses	...	Ranjeet Singh (20 episodes, 1977-1978)
	Françoise Pascal	...	Danielle Favre / ... (20 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Dino Shafeek	...	Ali Nadim / ... (20 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Pik Sen Lim	...	Chung Su-Lee / ... (19 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Iris Sadler	...	Gladys / ... (14 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Tommy Godfrey	...	Sid (12 episodes, 1977-1979)
	Anna Bergman	...	Ingrid Svenson (7 episodes, 1978)
	Gabor Vernon	...	Zoltan Szabo / ... (7 episodes, 1978)

Don't Miss Is !

Sources : Wikipedia
Indianceleb.com
Imdb.com

Britney Spears - Some rare photos

There are some photos can't see frequently. All of you know how Diana dead. Also, this time they were able to get some photos of Britney spears.

Fun Stories Of The Week

Fun Stories Of The Week-------------------------

Joke - 1

The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat-cutting
machine and, after a little hopping around, submitted a claim to
his insurance company.The company, suspecting negligence, sent out
one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine out
and lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

Joke - 2
I had some surgery on my shoulder about 5 or 6 years ago, and
then underwent several weeks of physical therapy. On my final
visit, the therapist gave me some exercises to do at home,
informing me I'd need a partner to help me with them. That
night my husband and I celebrated my recovery with an
especially boisterous romp in the boudoir.  The next morning I
told him I had some exercises for my shoulder that I needed his
help with. With a sly grin he asked, "Did we do any of them
last night?"
Joke - 3
The ad in the paper from the Humane Society read:
"Over 25 puppies will be put to death if not adopted. Please Help"

Joke - 4
What is hard and hairy on the outside, soft and wet on the
inside,
 begins
with the letter 'c' ends with the letter 't' and has the
letters 'u' & 'n' in
the middle?
A coconut.

Joke - 5
What do you call a woman who can suck golf balls
 through a hose?
-Darling.

Joke - 6
How is a man like a snow fall?

-You never know how many inches you'll get or how long it
will last.

Joke - 7
Why don't you ever see lawyers at the beach?
The cats keep covering them up with sand!

Joke - 8
How many politicians does it take to change a lightbulb?
Two. One to change it, and another one to change it back again.

Joke - 9
An old lady owned two monkeys. One day they both died,
so she took them to the taxodermist.

"So you want them mounted?" asked the taxidermist.
To which she replied: "No. Holding hands will do just fine."


Joke - 10
A man finally goes with his wife to church. The man was so impressed
with the preacher's sermon he stopped on the way out to shake his hand.

"Preacher,
I'll tell you, that was a DAMNED fine sermon." The preacher says "Why
thank you sir, but we don't used profanity in the house of the Lord".

The
man says, "But preacher, that was the best DAMNED sermon I ever heard."
The preacher says again, "sir I must be blunt, DO NOT use curse words
in the Lords house again".

The man says "Well I was so impressed with your sermon that I placed
$1000 dollars in the collection plate".

The preacher says "NO SHIT"?

Joke - 11

Toward the end of their senior year in high school, students were required
to take a CPR course. The classes used the well known mannequin victim,
Rescue Anne, to practice.

Rescue Anne was legless to allow for storage in a carrying case.

The class went off in groups to practice. As instructed, one of the
students gently shook the doll and asked "Are you all right?" He then put
his ear over the mannequin's mouth to listen for breathing.

Suddenly, the student turned to the instructor and exclaimed, "She says
she can't feel her legs!"

Joke - 12

The Policeman recently stopped a woman for exceeding the
posted speed limit. He asked the driver her name.

She said, "I'm Mrs. Ladislav Abdulkhashim Zybkcicraznovskaya
from the Republic of Uzbekistan visiting my daughter in
Columbia."

The cop put away his summons book and pen, and said,
"Well... OK... but don't let me catch you speeding again."

Joke - 13
The other day, I was told that the reason why women wear bright-red
lipstick is for men to subliminally think of the other set of lips.

I was told that from a girl who was wearing bright-red lipstick

Joke - 14
A whole bunch of us were sitting around my house talking and we
were trying to remember a guy's name. None of us could remember
his name at all when all of a sudden my friend yells, "Dick!".
We said yes that's it. Then she said "Boy, I pulled that one
out of my ass". No one said anything until I burst out laughing
and she said "You had to go there didn't you?"

Joke - 15

One Sunday in a Midwest city, a young child was "acting up" during
the   morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain
some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the
father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle
on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the
little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for
me!"

Some steps to cure a broken hearts - Lesson 1

When I 've visited some sites , I've found this article. I thought it's better to Re-publish that article regarding "Broken Hearts" mates who visit this site.

Read this and, if you know something new more than that, Please leave a comment to share them.

4 Steps to Help Heal a Broken Heart

By: Kelly Church - Daily Mirror' News Paper

Heartbreak is a pain like any other. It is an emotional pain so bottomless that it can feel like a physical blow. When you have a pain like this one, all you want is for the deep ache to go away. As much as I'd like to advise differently, there is no band aid for a broken heart. Though it sounds cliché, time is the remedy needed for you to truly heal from such a deep, wrenching pain. In time, this pain will go away. Between now and then, however, following a few basic tips might be able to make the difference in how you are feeling.

1. Cry: You are going to feel like rubbish for the first few weeks. Depending how emotional of a person you are, you may feel like crying for days. Go ahead. A significant change has occurred in your life; a painful change. There is no way to expect that you will feel a little sadness and be able to shut it off with a switch. It's just not that simple. Allow yourself to grieve for your loss. But not too long! Staying in the past for too long can only hurt you. See rule number 4.

2. Talk to Someone Close: Use the shoulder of someone who cares about you to get out your feelings. This is a way to purify your soul by letting someone in to share your pain. Let them listen, comfort you, and offer advice. You don't necessarily have to take that advice, but sharing this comfort can make you feel better. Make sure you only allow yourself to grieve and lean on someone for a time because you need to move forward.

3. Distract Yourself: Bring friends you care about back into your life. Maybe having the relationship was keeping you from spending time with your parents, or siblings. Maybe you hadn't talked to your best friend in weeks. Surround yourself with this support network. Getting things that need to be done around the house done is a great way to get lost in a project. Go to the gym. Organize your closet. Get out and take a walk. Distracting yourself is a great stepping stone to moving on with your life. This brings us to rule number 4.

4. Look toward the Future; Forget the Past: Once you have allowed yourself the indulgence of grieving for a part of your life that is now past, look forward! There is a definite need to be able to start a new chapter in the book of your life. Now that you are past the sadness and anger, it is time for hope and renewal that will help you to move on. Take time out for yourself; get to know yourself as a single individual instead of as part of a couple. Replenish your soul by becoming you again.

Following these sometimes difficult, but necessary steps, you can begin to heal the broken pieces of your heart. You can not only become whole again, you can become whatever you wish to become. This is a chance to start fresh, and once the pain starts to ease, you will see it as such an opportunity.

Kelly Church's websites offers break up poems and advice. Also provided are great romantic and fun date ideas and advice on knowing the right time to break up and end a bad relationship.

Earth is going to vanish in 2029 ???Huge Asteroid to hit earth in 2029 May Not !

The space rock, dubbed 2006 VV2, came within 2.1million miles of hitting us — which is a near miss in space terms, even though that's about nine
times farther away than the moon.

The asteroid was flying past Earth on Friday night, at 11 p.m. (PDT), and on Saturday 7 a.m. GMT for Europe.

There was no danger of collision. And that's a really good thing. This space rock, named 2006 VV2, is more than a mile wide (about 2 kilometers), according to the Web site.

If one that big hit Earth, it would blow a crater the size of London and wipe out a whole country; it would derail global commerce and create a climate change unlike anything seen in modern history.

Jay Tate, who runs Spaceguard UK, said: "Asteroids are a very real danger. We need to find and track them. Dinosaurs are extinct because they couldn’t do anything about the asteroid hazard. We face precisely the same risk."

The best viewing locations were in the Americas, as the rock passed directly over Southern California, and though it has been far too dim to see with the naked eye, amateur backyard astronomers were able to spot it with good-sized telescopes and CCD cameras.

But one asteroid called Apophis will pass very close to Earth in the year 2029 and has a minor chance of hitting the planet in 2036, though it will most likely come close to the earth.

In fact, this asteroid will be the first in human history to be clearly visible to the naked eye.

The asteroid is said to have the power of 65,000 Hiroshima bombs. Also, it has the power to wipe out a small country, and churn up a tidal wave that could become 800 ft (244 m) high. These are things that could happen if Apophis hits the earth.

As for now, with the little risk that the asteroid has to hit the Earth, NASA has decided to hold off on devising any plans until they can get a more accurate idea of what is in store for Apophis, the asteroid.
To read more Information,

Visit the link below,

http://thefuturematara.blogspot.com/

Is your make-up killing you?

By NATASHA COURTNAY-SMITH - Women absorb 5lb of chemicals from cosmetics every year - from cancer-causing compounds in face cream to arsenic in eyeshadow. We tested two beauty junkies to reveal the shocking toll on their bodies...

Charlotte Kohl and her sister Emma are attractive young women. Their looks, they admit, are very important to them, which is why, between them, they use more than 70 different beauty and cosmetic products every day.

Take Charlotte, 27, an estate agent from East London. Each evening, after slathering her face with a concoction of night creams, she sleeps with a dental bleaching kit on her teeth and fake tan all over her body.

Wake-up call: Emma, left and Charlotte were shocked by their results

Every morning, she uses an array of products in the shower, ranging from shower gels and exfoliating scrubs to 'body building' lotions to give life to her fine hair.

Her make-up regime includes blusher, bronzer, eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara, and she never leaves the house without covering her head in a thick cloud of hairspray.

Her 24-year-old sister Emma, a personal trainer, follows a similar routine, but she also has an obsession with lipgloss: she owns 60 different ones and touches up her lips every few minutes.

In a bid to ensure she always has fresh breath, Emma also cleans her teeth seven times a day and carries a tube of toothpaste in her handbag, which she rubs into her teeth and gums at almost hourly intervals.

Between them, the two girls get through four cans of deodorant a week, and spend £1,000 a month on cosmetics.

"We have been into cosmetics since we reached our teens," says Emma.

"We're the sort of people who rush out to buy a new mascara just because it claimed to do more for our eyelashes than any other mascara previously.

"I'm a complete sucker for anything that says it can make me look or feel better, or that is endorsed by a celebrity."

And Charlotte and Emma are not alone. Last year, Britons spent £6.4billion on cosmetics and grooming products, with the average woman applying 12 toiletries every day.

But here's the rub - these toiletries can bring with them at least 175 chemical compounds.

A recent study found that British women are one of the heaviest users of cosmetics in Europe and, as a result, we ingest through our skin, and occasionally through the mouth, up to 5lb of chemicals a year.

Take Emma's favourite fuzzy peach lipgloss for instance: she loves its colour and the fact it 'tastes nice', but according to the list of ingredients, it contains 28 manmade chemicals.

Her deodorant contains 26 chemicals and Charlotte's hairspray has 23.

Of course, the manufacturers would say these chemicals and resulting products are safe, but a growing school of thought begs to differ.

As part of a new television documentary, presented by Sarah Beeny (who for the past two years has been on a personal mission to remove as many chemicals from her lifestyle as possible), Charlotte and Emma agreed to have their blood and urine tested for a selection of chemicals found in their cosmetics.

They were then challenged to live without their beauty products for eight days, swopping everything for natural chemical-free varieties.

They also stopped using domestic cleaning products.

The results will surprise even those who find it hard to believe that everyday cosmetics could really be doing us any harm.

Certainly, both sisters did not think there would be anything potentially dangerous in their make-up bags.

"The ridiculous thing is that I've always tried to avoid chemicals whenever I can," says Emma.

"I always buy organic food.

"I never in a million years thought I could be exposed to chemicals which could damage me through my make-up.

"Make-up makes me feel good and it wouldn't have even crossed my mind that it could be doing me harm."

Cosmetics contain many different kinds of chemicals, but of particular concern are a group of preservatives called parabens, which by some estimates are found in 99per cent of all 'leave on' cosmetics, and 77per cent of 'rinse off' cosmetics.

These are known hormone disruptors: evidence suggests they can mimic the female hormone oestrogen, and a lifetime of increased exposure to oestrogen is linked to a heightened risk of breast cancer.

One study found parabens present in 18 out of 20 breast cancer tissue samples (though it is important to note that the study did not prove they'd actually caused the breast cancer).

Parabens are also thought to adversely affect male reproductive functions.

Another troubling chemical is the antibacterial agent and pesticide triclosan, which is used in toothpastes, soaps, household cleaning products and body washes.

It belongs to the chlorophenol class of chemicals, which are suspected of causing cancer in humans and taken internally, even in small amounts, can cause cold sweats, circulatory problems and - in extreme cases - coma.

Also of concern are phthalates, a substance that gives our lotions that silky, creamy, texture, but which are also a 'plasticiser' used to make plastics flexible.

Certain phthalates are known carcinogens, and studies have suggested they damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and the reproductive system, as well as affecting the development of unborn baby boys.

The list goes on. Sodium laureth sulphate, a frequent ingredient in shower gels and shampoos, is a skin irritant; Propylene glycol, found in soap, blushers and make-up remover, has been shown in large quantities to depress the central nervous system to make it function less effectively, and aluminum in deodorants is linked to breast cancer by medical research.

And did you know that certain eye shadows contain arsenic?

One thing is for sure: few of us would want to rub any of these chemicals into our eyes, far less ingest them in liquids by drinking them.

Yet, every day, we rub them into our skin, and allow them to enter our bodies.

Given the facts, it's hardly surprising that a growing number of experts believe these substances have a cumulative effect on our bodies.

They think the 'chemical cocktail' inside us is contributing to the increased frequency of a host of illnesses ranging from eczema to cancers as well as developmental problems such as autism and dyslexia.

"It's difficult to see the link between chemicals in cosmetics and damage to health unless you stand back and look at the wider picture," says Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton, author of Toxic Overload and supporter of the campaign group Chemical Safe Skincare.

"Man-made chemicals first emerged 100years ago, and every decade since, the overall production of these synthetic chemicals has doubled.

"We are surrounded by chemicals: in the air, in our food, in our water and especially in our cosmetics, and the fact is that our bodies can't break many of these substances down.

Natural beauty: TV presenter Sarah Beeny has been without make-up for two years

"Our systems are becoming more polluted and we are beginning to see the results of that in terms of increased illnesses and even birth defects, especially in boys.

"There is no doubt that one of the ways we are exposing ourselves to these chemicals is through our cosmetics."

Dr Baillie-Hamilton also thinks that absorbing chemicals through our skin is more dangerous than swallowing them.

"At least if you ingest chemicals through your mouth, your digestive system can do something towards dealing with them," she says.

"If they go through your skin they hit your blood stream immediately and are then transported to vital organs such as kidney and liver, where they may be stored for many years."

So how did Emma and Charlotte's chemical detox pan out?

Before they started, both girls had to get rid of all their old products.

The contents of their make-up bags and bathroom cabinets filled a black bin liner, and they were given alternative products, from ranges including Elave, Skin Shop, Aubrey Organics, Jane Iredale, Burts Bees and Purenuffstuff. Household cleaning products came from Ecover.

"At first, I really missed my own cosmetics and our new make-up didn't seem that good," says Charlotte.

"The chemical-free mascara I was using didn't seem to hold onto my lashes and the hairspray felt as if I was spraying my hair with water.

"I had to reapply the natural lipgloss so many times because it kept rubbing off."

Emma agrees: "We went out one night with our new make-up on and it was hopeless, the hairspray didn't hold, the lipgloss kept rubbing off and I ended up less than fragrant, too, because the natural deodorant wasn't powerful enough."

During the experiment, perhaps to encourage them not to go back to their old products, the girls were given information about their usual make-up.

For instance, the average woman eats, albeit unwittingly, five lipsticks a year, which in her lifetime is the equivalent volume of 1.5 blocks of lard.

But Emma's lipgloss obsession means that she'll eat 54 lipglosses a year - the equivalent of eight blocks of lard during her lifetime.

And that's on top of all the chemicals it contains.

Charlotte's obsession with hairspray is just as troublesome.

"I was shown that when its sprayed onto a smooth surface, hairspray solidifies into a clear plastic that you can actually peel off in solid form," says Charlotte.

"Not only had I been putting this onto my head all day, but I'd also been unwittingly breathing it in. I was effectively-clogging up my lungs with plastic."

The girls' monthly trips to the hairdresser to have their hair coloured are fraught with hidden dangers.

People who use permanent hair dye are more than twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those that don't.

Both ammonia and paraphenylenediamine (PPD) - chemical substances used in dyes - can cause allergic reactions, too.

As the experiment progressed, Charlotte and Emma began to grow accustomed to their new products, and to discover brands they felt were comparable to their old make-up.

"I began to realise it was just a question of getting used to using different brands," says Emma.

"After a week, we'd both completely forgotten that we weren't using our own make-up and were putting on the chemical-free alternatives as though nothing had changed."

So at the end of the eight days, had such a detox really made a difference to the chemical levels found in their bodies? The highest reading of parabens found in humans is 730mg per litre of urine.

Tests taken at the beginning of the experience had revealed that Charlotte had 650mg, which is in the higher range. Her reading fell dramatically to 21mg at the end of the experiment.

Her level of triclosan - found in toothpaste and body washes - fell from 490mg per litre to zero.

"I was shocked at the results," says Charlotte. "I hadn't believed we'd see such a dramatic difference in such a short time, let alone as a result of something as simple as changing our cosmetics.

"Once I understood what our old cosmetics contained, psychologically it felt better to be using chemical-free alternatives. We both noticed our skin seemed brighter and smoother.

"Our eyes were also brighter and our hair felt softer."

Emma's results showed an equally dramatic fall in triclosan levels, which fell from 90mg per litre to just 2mg per litre.

Her paraben level was more surprising - it actually increased from its initial level of 7mg per litre of urine, though medical experts point out that parabens can be taken into the body through eating dried and snack foods, in which they are used as preservatives, and medicines, so Emma's diet during the experiment may have had a bearing.

"What really hit home to me was that the way we go about our daily life really does have an instant impact on chemical levels in our bodies," she says.

"It made me realise that I am being bombarded with chemicals from all sorts of directions, many of which I can't avoid. Anything I can do to cut back, can only be a good thing."

Since the experiment finished, both girls have continued to use natural make-up where possible and switched to natural cleaning products.

Charlotte has reduced her use of hairspray and Emma now cleans her teeth a sensible twice a day.

Both girls use a natural deodorant, which contains no chemicals.

"We don't want to get fanatical about it, and the fact is that certain chemical-free cosmetics don't work as well," says Emma.

"We've yet to find a chemical-free mascara that is as good as my normal one, and chemical-free hair dye isn't that great either.

"But for pretty much everything else there is an excellent chemicalfree alternative.

"Given what we've learned, it would be madness to go on as we were."

What Now ? ‘Indian Idol’ Prashant meets PM of Nepal

‘Indian Idol’ Prashant meets PM

‘Indian Idol’ Prashant Tamang met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Saturday ( today )morning.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and ‘Indian Idol' Prashant Tamang (second and third form right respectively) pose for photo after...

Prime Minister Koirala had felicitated Prashant with a Nepal cap.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and ‘Indian Idol' Prashant Tamang (second and third form right respectively) pose for photo after a rendezvous at Koirala’s official residence Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Saturday (Sep 29, 07). Indian Idol contestants Deepali Kishore (L) and Ankita Mishra (R) were also present during the meeting. Photo Courtesy: Sabin Tuladhar

During the rendezvous at his Baluwatar residence, Prime Minister Koirala congratulated Prashant, a Nepali-origin Indian national from Darjeeling, for winning the coveted title. He felicitated the singing sensation with a black Nepali topi.

Prashata was accompanied by two other Indian Idol contestants Ankita Mishra and Deepali Kishore at the meeting.

“It was my wish to meet Prime Minister Koirala. I was quite nervous in front him and could not talk much,” a smiling ‘Indian Idol' spoke to reporters gathered outside the PM’s residence.

Home Minister K.P Situala was also present during the meeting.

Prashant will perform in concerts in Kathmandu and Pokhara over the couple of days.

nepalnews.com mk Sep 29 07

Star Voice of India_a sneak preview.

Star Voice of India- a sneak preview.

Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor to do the honors in Amul Star Voice Of India Fr

Coming Friday will be a day of final verdict. The nation will finally decide on who should come back to the show. This may be the last chance for Nation's heartthrob Toshi, Indore's Priyani, everybody's favourite Aabhas, the lover boy from Kolkata Prantik, Mumbai chi Mulgi Sumitra or Ludhiana's Arshpreet to sing before the nation and in their favourite platform that had become their homes for over 4 months now. Their fate is sealed in the hands of bollywood's finest actress Konkana Sen Sharma & the dashing Kunal Kapoor who will declare the results on the show yet make it the most enjoyable and memorable episodes of Amul Star Voice of India, this Friday, Oct 5, 10 pm on STAR Plus.

The episode will kick start with duets of Konkana's and Kunal's favourite participants one by one who will sing songs featured on these celebrity guests. Prantik & Ishmeet will give a rocking start with the song Khalbali from the film Rang De Basanti followed by Priyani & Arshpreet who care two hoots about anything else but find themselves with their dancing shoes on !! Their stupendous performance of Hum Toh Aise Hai Bhaiya from the upcoming movie of our celebrity guests Laaga Chunari Mein Daag compels our guest to shake a leg as well. If this was less, one will find the most entertaining and foot tapping performance which will leave everybody speechless just like Konkana …. We are talking about Toshi & Harshit who will Sing Mast Kalandar from the film Heyy Baby giving the song altogether a new feel!! The masti mania continues and one forgets that it's a wildcard result episode with Sumitra & Abhilasha's rap number Move your body baby from the film Jhonny Gaddar will the wonder boy Abhas and talented Irfan close the show with Manna Dey's evergreen hit Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.

CRICKET Meets MUSIC in…. Amul Star Voice Of India: Friday's episode will give the finalists who will compete for the coveted title just like Team India when they won the T20 series recently and to celebrate the success, Amul Star Voice of India will have a very special guest Daler Mehandi on Saturday Oct 6th 10:00 pm. The celebration takes on a new high when both Agni and Prithvi team decide to use all cricketing language and count marks as runs to see which team wins. The show will also have Daler singing an especially composed song for Amul Star Voice of India followed by high energy performance of the top 6 finalists…..But….

Who will be the lucky ones to make it through the wild card?? Will Priyani's fighting spirit and emerging as a winner every time prove to be the same this time as well? Will the wonder Boy Aabhas get another chance? Will India Do justice to Toshi's singing prowess?? Will Sumitra continue to woo the audience? Will Prantik and Arshpreet get another chance???? All these questions will rule your mind and heart as much as they continue to give sleepless nights to these wildcard entrants until Friday, Oct 5, 10:00 pm when STAR Plus declares the lucky two who will join the team of existing four in the Cricket Meets Music special episode on Saturday, Oct 6 at 10 pm on STAR Plus……..

Konkana Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor and Daler Mehandi along with the team of Amul Star Voice of India awaits your participation in this journey…. STAY TUNED!!!!

Author

Minnie Gupta

How Deepali's Take on Life after Indian Idol...

Deepali's Take on Life after Indian Idol...

Deepali, one of the popular contestants of the recently ended Musical Reality, Indian Idol talks to Telly Buzz about her life post Indian Idol.

The viewers' focus has surely shifted from Sony's Musical Reality Show, Indian Idol to the Hot Celebrities dancing on the stage of Sony's Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. But have we left behind our fond memories of Indian Idol and moved ahead? Well Folks, moving on is a part of life, but here we are, presenting before you, a heart-to-heart talk with one of the most popular contestants of Indian Idol, Deepali.

Here is Deepali talking about her experiences, her future and much more...

Life after Indian Idol: Life has changed completely; I am a different person altogether now. My personality has changed for the better, I am more confident. Socially, people have started recognizing us and they love us. So it is great.

Your First Stint as a Playback Singer: I sang with Emon for Annu Malekji. I don’t remember the movie name, but it was a Shakti Productions banner. It was a soft romantic song.

Your take on Annu Malek, the Music Director: We all thought that Annuji was very strict, but it was so nice working with him. He was like a father to me and Emon, we learnt a lot from him.

Friends with all? : Yes, we are all in touch. We are contenders later, but firstly, we are friends..


Any new offers in the pipeline: We are doing many shows for the channel, but nothing more as a playback singer.

Rocked the night after the finals, did you? : Yes, we all had a blast after the finals. We danced the whole night and had a blast.

Your best ever Concert performance: It has to be the concert I did with Prashant in Nepal. That was the best show, people there love Prashant a lot. It was raining badly, it was cold too, but all in the crowd danced their way thro’ the night and enjoyed. It was absolutely flashing, was a Hit Show.


Shifting base to Mumbai? : I really don’t know. I want to shift, but if I do, I will have to come with my mom. I cannot imagine of staying alone. When we are busy with shows, it is fine. Otherwise, I am totally jobless, and it hurts being alone.

Deepali, the Performer or the Singer: Deepali is a better performer now, after Indian Idol. But I can never compromise on my singing; I have always been like that. But now, I sing with lot of attitude that it really looks like a performance. This is a learning curve, so I am learning.

Your Future Plans: I want to establish myself as a playback singer, but it is a very tough route ahead. You can see many struggling to reach there. I need to work hard on my voice and singing. I think I need to prepare even harder for the next few years to reach this level.

Any Bollywood Aspirations: No, Deepali is better off as a singer. There are many who are more beautiful than me. As of now, I want to concentrate on singing.

Reporter: Srividya Rajesh
Author: Srividya Rajesh

Author	Srividya Rajesh
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