The fashion show at Shoppers? Stop, Forum. Picture by Rashbehari Das

If the better part of your days is now being spent at the malls ? with barely three weeks to go for the three-day festival ? here?s something to spice up your buying spree at Shoppers? Stop. With musical gigs, fashion and road shows, celebrity chats, contests and prizes galore, the Shoppers? Stop Sananda Pujor Bazaar extravaganza is giving shoppers the chance to have some fun on the run.

The event, on till October 9, was flagged off on Wednesday with TV anchor Mir launching the Shoppers? Stop Sananda Pujor Bazaar Offer Card and Shop ?n? Win contest, following it up with a stand-up comedy show.

The privilege card offers discounts on purchases at both the Shoppers? Stop outlets in City Centre and Forum. For purchases above Rs 1,500, customers get a lucky draw coupon that opens up a chance to win an overseas holiday package, electronic goods and even diamond jewellery. ?We are a family store and Sananda is a family magazine. So, the idea is to make the shopping experience memorable for all family members,? said Naveen Misra, unit head, Shoppers? Stop, Elgin Road.

?There is no denying that there is nothing more satisfying for a festive shopper than making good purchases at great bargains. The card is suited for just that,? said Mir.

On September 15, the Couple Fashion Show at the Elgin Road outlet saw professional models and amateurs walking the ramp with a flourish. The show at the Salt Lake store is slated for October 8. Adding more glitter to the fashion fiesta is the Corporate Fashion Show, slated for September 16 at City Centre and for October 6 at Forum.

The Youth Fashion Show will find the young brigade matching steps with professional models on September 27 at Forum and on October 7 at City Centre. Home-makers will hit the ramp, too, on September 25 on Elgin Road and on October 5 at Salt Lake.

The musical jamboree features popular Bengali numbers by Rupankar and a tribute to RD Burman by Jojo. Krosswindz will hold the ground with rock music on October 1 on Elgin Road and at Salt Lake on October 4. Rupankar will perform on September 19 at Forum and on September 24 at City Centre, where Jojo will take the stage on September 22 before moving to Elgin Road on September 23.

Teen Kanya, featuring actresses Koneenica, Chandrayee and Deboleena, will find the Tollywood ladies star in antakshari and music quizzes at the Elgin Road and City Centre outlets on September 30 and October 3. Shoppers will get a chance for a t?te-?-t?te with a celebrity at the Shopping with Superstar event, scheduled for September 20 on Elgin Road and on October 2 at Salt Lake.

The privilege cards will be available with the Anandalok issue on September 27 and Sananda issue on September 30. They will also be issued to the respondents of SMS promotion by Hey Ya!.

Action heroes unsung

They form a vital cog in the wonder wheel of Bollywood. They risk their life and limb so that the audience is spellbound with scenes of death-defying stunts. But life hasn?t changed much for the stuntmen in the world?s busiest film industry.

National Geographic Channel?s Stuntmen of Bollywood narrates the tales of these unsung heroes. The programme is part of the channel?s 12-episode It Happens Only in India series, which airs on Sunday.

?We had been planning Indian content for the past one year. We wanted to present the real, true India and not the typical ?colours of Rajasthan? kind of programmes,? said Dilshad Master, senior vice-president, content and communication of National Geographic Channel, at the launch of the series in Calcutta, on Friday.

The Stuntmen of Bollywood episode was screened at the launch. The highlight of the documentary was the story of car stuntman Habib Haji, and his mentor, action director Alan Amin. Habib?s father was a leading stuntman of his time who met a tragic end during a shoot. Standing in for Anil Kapoor, Habib?s father drove a car into a lake, although he didn?t know how to swim. Worse still, his seat belt wouldn?t open. Yet, Habib followed in his father?s footsteps. ?If anything, it has made me more careful and prepared about taking risks,? Habib said.

The documentary examines issues like safety standards, compensation and insurance norms for stuntmen in Bollywood.

Vidya Shetty, a daring stuntman, had a bad fall that left him paralysed for life. Since it happened during a practice session, he could not even claim insurance. Another stuntman jumped from a high building, missed the landing and died on the spot. ?But that?s how it is, no risk no gain. And you never say never,? offered a stunt trainer.

The situation is improving slowly as awareness grows. Stunt directors like Alan Amin, who has worked on action movies like Dhoom and Blackmail, are importing props like glass bottles made of sugar, as a safety measure.

Can?t action heroes do more of their own stunts? ?When I started out, I used to do 99 per cent of the stunts myself and there were injuries as well. But now, when several crores rest on your shoulders, one isn?t allowed to do all that,? said Suneil Shetty. Vivek Oberoi admitted that it?s very different when a hero is injured on the sets, as opposed to a stuntman.

It Happens Only in India?s other episodes take a look at topics as varied as killer tigers in the Sunderbans, witch-hunts in tribal India, the Indian Railways, a project on providing Internet access to street children and more.

?Currently, of the 316 hours of our programming aired annually, around 15 hours are on Indian content,? Master said. The channel is also planning a programme based on Durga puja in Calcutta.