Gem gal

Honey-voiced Kaushiki Chakraborty is pretty-faced too - so it's not really surprising that she has been persuaded to endorse a product. However, one would have thought that the Hindustani classical singer would be the face for something to do with music. But she has agreed to be the brand ambassador for a jewellery brand. Why Chakraborty then? Because she is a classicist, and the jewellers are trotting out a line of shinies in the old school, handcrafted styles typical to Calcutta. And Chakraborty, after all, is a gem among gems.

Scare fare

If you like things that go bump in the night, you may want to read Radio Jockey Praveen's collection of ghostly tales. The Calcutta broadcaster's FM programme Ek Kahani Aisi Bhi Thi is now a book - consisting of the short stories that he recounts with eerie fervour on the popular show. The programme, which has completed 300 episodes, is still going strong, and you can expect another compilation in the near future. Praveen, who won an award at the New York Festivals International Radio Program Awards 2015, says what keeps him going is the "love" he receives from his listeners. What, no boos yet?

Gered up

Surprises are rarely so pleasant. Last week, the sombre audience at Bangalore's National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences was waiting for the Dalai Lama to inaugurate the institute's new Integrated Centre for Yoga - when in walked Hollywood heart throb Richard Gere. A follower of the Buddhist spiritual head, Gere said he'd flown in from the US to listen to his guru - and rushed from the airport to make it on time. In a short speech, he said America was still open to different cultures despite a recent spate of violence. That should Trump the naysayers.

Sen sign

Technology has its perils. And actor Raima Sen has learnt it the hard way. Her twitter account was hacked recently and Sen realised that only when her followers messaged her. But that wasn't all. The hacker posted several photographs of Sunny Leone using Sen's handle. The Twitter world is all agog. Is the hacker a Leone fan who thinks the former porn star is giving competition to Sen? Or does it have something to do with the "hot look" - Sen in a cleavage-showing little black dress - that's up on her account?

Grand Grammy

Here's to Bangalore-based new age musician Ricky Kej, who has once again been nominated for the coveted Grammy awards. Kej composed, produced and mixed Aishwarya, the opening song of South African flautist Wouter Kellerman's new album, Love Language, which has been nominated for the 2015 Grammy awards in the contemporary instrumental album category. A strong advocate of women's empowerment, the Aishwarya video revolves around a village girl who secretly sits for an exam - and tops it - while her father is organising a bridegroom for her. The video was shot in Karnataka and the flute notes blend in beautifully with the story. Look out for more from Kej, who won a Grammy last year. His music speaks.