American dream

If you thought model-turned actress Koena Mitra has dropped out of the limelight, think again. The Bong beauty was spotted hobnobbing with the glitterati in no less a place than Los Angeles. She also got a chance to walk the red carpet at the American Music Awards held in LA recently. An obviously star-struck Mitra said, “It was incredible. I had a marvellous time watching my favourite artistes perform on stage. I thought Rihanna was awesome with her new red hair and Enrique brought the house down with his act.” Mitra, who is a fan of hip-hop and R&B, was ecstatic that she got to see the live acts of her favourite musicians like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and, of course, Enrique Iglesias. Now, that’s music to our ears too.

Her story

You can’t keep a good girl down. That’s what One little Finger, a book by Malini Chib, where she tells the story of how she grappled with her crippling disability, amply illustrates. Chib dons many hats — that of an activist, academician, writer and researcher. Released on the occasion of World Disability Day on December 3, the book recounts her quest for independence and identity, and chronicles her life from birth through her teenage years and also her stint at Oxford University. Chib, who is the chairperson of ADAPT (Abled Disabled All People Together), is clearly an inspiration to all.

Aunt files

Sometimes the sky is simply not the limit. Take Aradhika Sharma, who co-wrote the biography of Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams (in picture), Sunita Williams: Astronaut Extraordinaire. Having chronicled Williams’s exploits in space, Sharma has now written her first novel. The novel is born out of her experience of being an agony aunt on a popular Indian website for the last three years. “As an agony aunt I have come across many problems. And this book talks about some real ‘agonies’ as well as some serious issues. It has some fun portions as well,” says Sharma. The former schoolteacher hopes that with Dear Agony Aunt, she will repeat the success of her first book, which was a bestseller and has been translated into several Indian languages. Atta aunt!

Hello Dolly

Katrina Kaif is pleased as punch about her Christmas gift. No, it’s not the sizzling Sheila ki jawani number in Tees Maar Khan. Toymaker Mattel India has presented Kaif — as an “early Christmas gift” — with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll fashioned in her likeness. Says the Bollywood heartthrob, “Like all young girls, I too have grown up with Barbie.” She certainly ought to be thrilled to bits that girls will soon be able to play with a Kat lookalike Barbie doll. For when this special doll hits the shop shelves next year, our gal will join the ranks of such iconic ladies as Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn, and others — who have all had Barbie dolls crafted in their likeness. Well, well, we always knew Kat was a doll!

Reel Yeddy

Maybe the land scam has taught Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa a thing or two about acting — be it looking stoic in the face of the scandal, or outraged about being “unfairly maligned”. Well, it now seems that Yeddyurappa plans to put his new-found skills to good use. The CM will be making his acting debut in a Malayalam movie, Bhooloka Rakshaka (Universal Protector), which will be released by the end of next year. The movie — which tells the story of Lord Ayappan’s friendship with a Muslim chieftain, and will be shot in 17 languages — also stars actors Mohan Lal and Vivek Oberoi. Maybe the beleaguered chief minister hopes that participating in this project will move the Universal Protector to extend his divine protection to him as well.