She describes herself as a "student of life" and believes in acting upon things. Bollywood's ageless beauty Rekha, who turns 60 Friday, says she is still put through the practice of warding away the evil eye -- a ritual that her mother exercised for her well being.

"On my birthday, I remember my amma (Pushpavalli) a lot. Every word of hers, I remember. Yes, she would always 'nazar utaro' on me and that ritual continues till date," Rekha said in an exclusive radio interview to 92.7 BIG FM.

Now, she has an 'amma", who has been with the family since many years.

"She used to work for my grandmother and she is the one who performs all these rituals. So, if I yawn or sneeze or laugh and even when I'm just thinking something, she is the first one to 'nazar utaro'.

"I also remember my mother's blessings and this is the day I feel grateful to her for the genes that I have inherited from her and my father (Gemini Ganesan)," said the actress, who metamorphosed into a diva from the overweight young actress she was in her first Hindi film "Saawan Bhadon".

Rekha doesn't believe in celebrating her birthday by doing anything special because she feels "every day, I'm born anew".

"I genuinely don't understand the importance that people give to their birthdays or any special day, be it a festival or a birthday. I believe that every day is a celebration and everyday I'm born anew and genuinely try to leave every day differently. Everyday I like to learn something new, something different; I'd like to teach others something new too.

"I can't give advice per say to someone because I'm a student of life myself, but whatever experiences I have had in my life, I like to share that with people and when someone talks to me, I give them my two-bits," she said.

There sure is a lot to learn from Rekha, who has continued her tryst with movies, and will soon be seen in Bollywood entertainer "Super Naani".

Her “Sawan Bhadon” (1970) made her an overnight star and over a decade later she touched new heights in Muzaffar Ali's period drama "Umrao Jaan" (1981) that even won her a National Award.

Rekha has acted in over 150 films. Movie after movie, she proved her versatility with films like "Do Anjaane” (1976), "Ghar" (1978), "Muqaddar Ka Sikander" (1978), “Khubsoorat" (1980), "Silsila” (1981), "Basera” (1981), "Utsav” (1984), "Khoon Bhari Maang” (1988), "Ijaazat" (1988), “Kama Sutra" (1996) and "Zubeidaa" (2001).

She has seen ups and downs in her life, but Rekha doesn't contemplate about them.

"I never end up thinking about all this on my birthday. In fact, I don't think of all this otherwise either. I only act upon things," she said, and added: "I believe there's nothing really there to think."

"It's just important to be extremely grateful for being where you are and how god has kept you and keep working towards your goal, be responsible and fulfill your duties.

"Nothing really manifests if all you do is think about everything; time will just continue to pass and you won't be able to get any work done."

Bollywood superstar, director and producer Aamir Khan has been appointed Unicef Ambassador for South Asia, the UN agency announced here Thursday.

Aamir endorsed the offer, in which capacity he would support Unicef's work to promote the right of South Asian children to nutrition.

In a programme organised in Kathmandu Thursday, the UN agency officially announced Aamir Khan as new Unicef ambassador after he visited Kapilvastu and Lumbini in west Nepal Wednesday to observe a locally initiated nutrition programme by women health volunteers, saving thousands of children from malnutrition, a common phenomenon in South Asia.

"I am delighted to become an ambassador of Unicef in South Asia. I hope my messages on the importance of children's nutrition will make parents, families at all levels support and adopt proven services and nutrition practices that will help children grow and develop to their full potential," Aamir said after his endorsement.

Child stunting remains one of the greatest development challenges in South Asia, he said, adding that stunted children have stunted bodies, stunted brains and stunted lives.

"Compared with children who are not stunted, stunted children have poorer cognitive development, often enrol later in school, complete fewer grades and learn less, leading to reduced productivity and income-earning in adult life," he added.

After sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia reports the highest number of deaths of children under the age of five - 2.3 million in 2011. In this region, 38 percent of the children under the age of five have stunted growth due to chronic under-nutrition.

In addition, an estimated 28 percent children are born with low birth weight, largely due to women's poor nutrition during and before pregnancy, according to Unicef.

During his three-day Nepal visit, Aamir also took part in the launch of the "1,000 Golden Days" national nutrition campaign.

The most crucial time to meet a child's nutrition needs is during the 1,000 days from conception to the child's second birthday. Proven and effective interventions during this time can prevent malnutrition and drastically reduce the prevalence of stunting.

Aamir has been chosen as ambassador at a time when the whole world is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC has inspired domestic legislation to respect, protect and fulfil child rights in all eight countries of South Asia, as well as the creation of policy and national development plans for their implementation.

According to Unicef, pervasive poverty and disparities prevent millions of children in South Asia from living in dignity, reaching their potential and making choices about their own future.

"With the immense respect that Aamir Khan commands across South Asia, we are convinced that he will make a lasting difference in the fight against child stunting, potentially the biggest threat to children's growth and development in this part of the world," said Karin Hulshof, Unicef's regional director for South Asia.

They believe that looking beautiful is everyone's right and seek to project this through their collection which can be defined as classic, feminine and glamorous. The spring summer line of designer duo Gauri and Nainika at ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) reflected their ideology - but with a tribute to Mother Nature.

The designers focussed on global warming, showcasing the crisis facing the planet through their latest collection at the fashion gala that is taking place at Pragati Maidan here.

"Global warming is something that we all need to think about seriously. Droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, extinction of endangered species, melting of polar ice caps and storms are few of the effects of global warming... it is going to have a deeper side effect on Mother Nature so it is the need of the hour to be aware of this problem and take a step right now," said Gauri.

Asked how fashion is going to tackle this problem, Nainika contended that fashion is something that people take very religiously nowadays so it can be considered as a viable medium to make people realize the side effects of such conditions.

"Aside from its glamour-quotient, fashion is a powerful tool to reach out to people and send a message and this is what our spring summer line has tried to project," she said.

The designer duo, which have a strong client list of glamorous women including Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, are known for their feminine gowns.

Their spring summer line too was dominated by lot of figure-hugging dresses to elaborate gowns that managed to grab eyeballs from all quarters during the fashion gala.

With a modern and stark silhouette, the collection has been primarily designed in the striking colours of our beautiful planet - for instance white, blue, green and shades of grey.

The highpoint of the show was the way the designers used various motifs of nature - pristine and embattled - in their line. From illusions of melting glaciers and subliminal impressions of continents to bright wild flowers, emerging leaves and vivid prints, all have been incorporated into the collection.

Lyrical music added more power to the theme of the show that garnered attention for mixing classic attire with a cause.

Organised by Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the five-day fashion gala started here Wednesday.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has granted an 'A' certificate to upcoming Telugu comedy "Current Theega", due to the presence of a special song featuring porn star and Bollywood actress Sunny Leone.

"The members of the censor board enjoyed watching the film. If it was not for Sunny's item song, 'Current Theega" would have got 'U' certificate," read a statement from the production house.

"But since the expectations of Sunny's song is high among audiences, the film's producer Vishnu Manchu thought otherwise and the film was certified 'A'," added the statement.

Directed by G. Nageshwar Reddy, "Current Theega" features Manoj Manchu, Rakul Preet Singh and Jagapathi Babu in the lead role.

The film, which is slated to release Oct 17, is the Telugu remake of Tamil hit "Varutha Padatha Valibar Sangam".

After losing weight for "Chashme Baddoor", Pakistani actor Ali Zafar had to work out hard to get a beefed-up frame for "Kill Dil".

Normally, there are actors who lose weight for parts. But Ali went into reverse gear as he had to put on seven to eight kg for the Shaad Ali-directorial.

Explaining his decision to bulk up, Ali said: “I had actually lost a lot of weight for 'Chashme Baddoor' to look like a college student. For 'Kill Dil', I needed a more mature and more beefy look.”

Ali constantly pumped iron in the gym.

“I am now 73 kg. But I want to lose two to three kg and hold my weight steady at 70 kg. Too much of the muscled look is also not good," he said.

The 34-year-old, who was last seen in the failed comedy "Total Siyappa", says he thoroughly enjoyed working with Shaad Ali on "Kill Dil" and doing the buddy-buddy thing with Ranveer Singh in the film.

“It was great fun. But it is Govinda that I most enjoyed working with. I’ve been his fan since I was in college. It was a dream come true to work with him. It is wrongly believed that Govinda excels at comedy only, watch him in 'Kill Dil' and... well, get your fill," Ali said.

He has not seen the entire film. But he did see bits and pieces of it, and he’s impressed.

They're young and they're making it big on fashion runways. After presenting the finale at an esteemed fashion week in Mumbai, designer duo Pankaj and Nidhi brought the best of 'traditional meets modernity' to the runway of the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.

On Thursday evening, the second day of the fashion gala, organised by Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), they showcased a collection that brings back yesteryears' craft to the woman of today.

The designer duo joined hands with e-commerce brand Myntra to showcase their spring-summer collection that was titled 'Vintage Closet'. They have used intricate silk threadwork techniques to transcribe the elegance of lace in cape dresses and jackets.

“The collection has been inspired by the time when Victorian era was fading out. The fabrics used in the line were handwoven with techniques that were done in a way to make it look like a lace fabric, but actually it was not,” Pankaj told IANS.

“We have used silk threads with a special kind of old world beadwork to give a magnified appearance on the cropped tops and shifts. A lot of applique work was done on the surface too. The clothes were made with lot of love and as an attempt to bring old age craftswork to the modern women,” Nidhi added.

The designers have used lot of organza, silk organza, double jersey, textured jersey on figure higging dresses. They say these are comfortable and easy on body.

The runway decoration was also done in a way to add more power to the theme of the line. There were lot of vintage stripes with wall papers of 1980s and 1990s to give an old world charm to the presentation.

When asked about how the collaboration of their label and a brand like Myntra, is going to help the Indian fashion industry, Pankaj said that “it goes hand in hand”.

“I think e-commerce brands can't survive without designers and designers can't survive without them. It's exciting to see such a collaboration because they are pushing our names to thousands of households, which is otherwise not possible,” said Pankaj.

This is the first time brand Pankaj and Nidhi has associated with any e-commerce company.

“Never in the past have we collaborated with the e-commerce space. It's the first time for us. Earlier, designers were selling 10 clothes in one boutique, but I think everything is going to change rapidly with the likes of Myntra,” he added.

Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan, last seen in "Humshakals", says his new film "Happy Ending", a romantic comedy, features him in a "subtle" avatar as opposed to some "loud" roles he has essayed in the past.

Saif, along with the "Happy Ending" cast", launched the movie's trailer at an event here Thursday.

Talking about the movie, in which he plays a writer, Saif said: "It is a genre I am comfortable with. Raj and DK (Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK) have directed it in a slightly different way for me. Sometimes in the past I have acted a little loudly, and this one is quite subtle."

"With this one, we have tried to go with a slightly international way of acting, which is new for me and challenging. I really enjoyed it," added the 44-year-old, who has even produced the film.

"Happy Ending" also stars Govinda, Kalki Koechlin, Ileana D'Cruz and Ranvir Shorey. The film is slated for a Nov 21 release.

Saif hopes it performs well at the box office, but added that money was not the only concern while putting the film together.

"Box office is important, we would like to make a lot of money and want our investors to be really happy. But do we go out of our way to put together a film that is designed only to make money? We have probably tried that as well, but this is not one of those," Saif said.

Kareena Kapoor and Preity Zinta have guest appearances in the movie.

Filmmaker Bobby Khan has roped in adult star Sunny Leone for his "Leela" and says his directorial debut is a clean family drama, but adds that the actress' glamour quotient will be high and he would try for an U/A certificate for the movie.

"The script of the film is very strong and it's a clean family drama, but we do understand that since Sunny is part of the project, there is a lot of expectation from the audience, so I can't cheat my audience," Bobby told IANS.

The actress had scorched the screen with her bold avatar in "Ragini MMS 2" and "Jism 2".

"All I can say is though it is a family drama, Sunny's glamour quotient will be high in the film. There are a few scenes in the film which require a little boldness, but we have shot it subtly and not shown it over the top.

"As a director I will try my best to fight and get a U/A certificate for the film, so let's see," he added.

The film has been widely shot in Rajasthan.

Talking about Sunny's look in the film, Bobby said: "Sunny plays three characters in the film, so she has three different looks. I can assure you that Sunny will be seen in a never-seen-before avatar on the celluloid. I have tried to make her look like a Bollywood heroine and I hope the audience accepts it."

It was a moment worth capturing! Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan grooved with four younger Hindi film actors -- Akshay Kumar, Arjun Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana and Ali Zafar -- at the Star Box Office India Awards where he was honoured with the 'Box office Shahenshah Award'.

The event was held here Thursday evening.

Sharing the experience on his blog, the Big B posted: "Awarded...for the titled name from film...I dislike and defeat the thought, but does it remain...no...it does not... so I accept...and accept well.

"...and stage giftings of the Box Office Awards with colleagues and friends - Akshay and Arjun and Ayushman and Ali and Amitabh…never before did so many A’s be on one platform...who force dance me to the ‘jumma’ brigade."

The 71-year-old, who turns a year older Saturday, also shared a photograph of the five of them lined up for an impromptu jig on the number.

Glitzy and laden with glamour, the first Star Box Office India Awards saw the Who’s Who of Bollywood gathered at Yash Raj Film Studios.

Amitabh was among the first to walk the red carpet at the event, which also saw the presence of Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Farah Khan, Boman Irani, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Kajol, Sonakshi Sinha and Divya Khosla.

Also present were Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Randeep Hooda, Riteish Deshmukh and Rohit Shetty.

In addition to honouring films, directors and actors of the year, the Star Box Office India Awards recognised interesting records set at the box office.

Celebrities can have their own ways to flatter their fans! And Big B did just that when he tweeted his first video response to one of the fans who sent out birthday wishes to the megastar on the social networking platform.

"Congratulations," tweeted Big B along with a video link to the winner, whose Twitter handle is rishi_nm.

In the personalised video message, the 71-year-old says: "Rishi, as you know you came on Twitter and wished me for my birthday on Oct 11, I am keeping up my promise of sending a video to you. You've been randomly picked from the computer and I want to thank you for giving me your warm wishes and your love and affection.

"We hope that we can live up to your expectations in the work that we do. And we hope you keep coming to this platform and being a part of my extended family."

This is a unique way that the celebrity is connecting with his fans using video on Twitter ahead of his 72nd birthday. It is his way of "reciprocating the love" of his audience.

The idea is that Big B, in association with micro-blogging platform Twitter and celebrity digital media network Fluence, will respond to all his fans that follow him on Twitter handle @SrBachchan, and tweet and send him birthday wishes with the hashtag #AB72Wishes starting Wednesday.

These lucky fans will receive a digitally signed, specially autographed poster by Amitabh, and one of the fans will also receive a specially recorded personal video message by the Big B.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, whose "Ekkees Topon Ki Salami" released Friday, says the experience of shooting the movie brought joy to his life. He hopes it gets a good response.

"#EkkeesToponKiSalami releases today. Good luck to the entire cast and crew. It has been pure joy to be part of this amazing film," Anupam tweeted Friday.

Urging the audience to watch the movie, he added: "Watch #EkkeesToponKiSalami for its theme. Watch it if you are a father or a son. Watch if you are Common Man. Watch it & SALUTE yourself."

Directed by Ravindra Gautam, the movie also stars Neha Dhupia, Manu Rishi, Divyendu Sharma.

Celebrities Karisma Kapoor and Anil Kumble have lent their star power to 'Road to Safety', a nationwide campaign to make Indian roads safer.

Supported by Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, the initiative was launched by Diageo and NDTV here Thursday.

It aims to make the country's roads safer and reduce the number of preventable accidents by encouraging citizens, specially the youth of India, to be more responsible behind the wheel and to avoid drunken driving.

Talking about the issue, Karisma said in a statement: "So many lives are lost every year in India due to a casual approach and lack of knowledge about road safety. Initiatives like this will go a long way in educating people about road safety measures and in turn will help save lives."

Anand Kripalu, managing director, United Spirits (a Diageo group company), said that the
initiative is a year-long programme of partnership with government, NGOs and educational institutes to cause a paradigm shift in people's approach to road safety in India.

Donning a white anarkali with gold colour embellishment, tennis star Sania Mirza looked like a lady in lace in designer Ritu Pande's creation at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) spring-summer 2015 here Friday.

After the models sashayed down the ramp in floaty shift dresses, draped saris, slim draped pants and dhoti skirts in hues like icy white to sparkling gold and fresh coral to midnight blue, Sania wore the final piece of the "Lady in Lace" collection.

With soft curls, jhumkis and a wrist watch, she looked stunning in the white sleeveless anarkali when she hit the catwalk as the showstopper.

"I had a lot of fun walking on the ramp. I love fashion. It is an important part of our lives. I wear what is comfortable like tees, jeans and jacket. I also like high waist skirts. I prefer knee-length ones over short skirts," Sania said after the show.

The collection is inspired by the layered nuances and hidden beauty of quintessential Victorian era.

Pande brought forward the delicacy and gravity of French and Italian laces with a mixed play of layering, patchwork and embroidery.

"Lace is associated with western wear. I wanted to change that thought. I've used it as an embellishment technique," Pande told IANS.

Evergreen actress Rekha turned 60 Friday and it was time to revisit some of the most popular songs picturised on the diva.

Here are the 10 best songs from her hit and not-so-hit movies:

"In aankhon ki masti": Take any of the sparkling royal gems from Muzaffar Ali's "Umrao Jaan", shake stir and serve....ummmm! Khayyam's magical melody as sung by Asha Bhosle gave Rekha's on-screen image a new vision, vista and vibrancy.

"Salaam-e-ishq": Oh my god, what a whopping chartbuster! What would "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar" be without this Kalyanji-Anandji number? Rekha as the kothewali Zohra Bai in Prakash Mehra's mega-hit epitomised the Mujra culture ... That Amitabh Bachchan joined her in the dance aided the song's upswing.

"Tere bina jiya jaye na": If you watch "Ghar" now, you will realise it is an overrated film. What stood out were Lata Mangeshkar's melodies filmed on Rekha. You couldn't miss the songs. There was one every five minutes. From the two divine solos "Aaj kal paon zameen par" and "Tere bina" I choose the latter for its uptempo rhythm.

"Ghum hai kisike pyar mein dil subah-o-shaam": In this early R.D. Burman melody from "Rampur Ka Lakshman", Rekha acquired an image of absolute serenity and sobriety thanks to Anand Bakshi's uncluttured but lucid lyrics. It was a turning point in Rekha's career.

"Kaahe manwa naache hamra": A little known melody from Hrishikesh Mukherjee's flop film "Alaap" featuring Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan, this Lata Mangeshkar solo was the only solo composition by the great Jaidev that Rekha got to croon in her career.

"Pardesiya": Sometimes an evergreen hit just happens. A mediocre song like "Pardesia" from the film "Mr. Natwarlal" would have been forgotten under normal circumstances. But Rekha's frantic dancing with her favourite co-star made it one of her most iconic numbers.

"Kaayda kaayda": A zingy track about breaking rules from Rekha's most beloved film "Khubsoorat", "Kaayda kaayda" was sung in Rekha's own voice. Apparently, both composer R.D. Burman and director Hrishikesh Mukherjee insisted on it.

"Mann kyon behka ri behka aadhi raat ko": Laxmikant-Pyarelal's 'saheli' song featured Rekha singing in Lata Mangeshkar's voice looking super gorgeous and Anuradha Patel crooning in Asha Bhosle's voice matching the iconic Rekha gaze for gaze. This was a song that instantly flirted with fame.

"Mera saamaan lauta do": The tale of a woman, her unfaithful husband and the other woman, Gulzar's poetry was so evocative that while emoting Rekha just went with the flow.

"Jaane kaise beetegi yeh barsaaten maange huey din hain maange hui raatein": Lata, when she sang for Rekha, and Gulzar saab, when he wrote words for her ...there was magic in the air. I end my 10 favourite songs on the ageless diva's 60th birthday with this unknown melody from the film "Baseraa"...so wonderfully evocative that it makes us believe Rekha is indeed the Chosen One.

Monjoy Joy Mukerji has unveiled the first look of his directorial debut "Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara", which marks the relaunch of his late father and actor Joy Mukerji's banner.

The movie is produced under Monjoy Joy Mukerji Productions and Monjoy, who has also penned the movie, is excited about it.

"The film has a very young vibe and I'm confident that a lot of people will be able to relate to it. My father has always been my inspiration and I feel that comes across in the film, especially in the music. I feel honoured to relaunch his banner," Monjoy said in a statement.

The first look of the movie, launched in association with Deepakk R. Gupta and Neha D. Gupta of Anikaa Films, was unveiled by Monjoy's mother Neelam, and uncle Ram at a hotel here Thursday evening.

"Hai Apna Dil..." is a slice-of-life story of three young couples -- all friends -- living in the chaotic and stressful city of Mumbai. The film revolves around the couples and how they deal with married life and try to pick up the pieces in order to find a harmonious balance.

Talking about the film, Neelam said: "I'm delighted by Monjoy's decision to revive his father's production house with 'Hai Apna Dil...'.

"My husband's films ('Love In Tokyo' and 'Shagird') were known to reflect the times in which they were made, and just like his father's movies, I'm certain that Monjoy's film too will be a mirror to the society and the life the young generation leads today.”

The romantic comedy, slated to release in summer 2015, stars newcomers Sahil Anand, Niyati Joshi, Vikram Kochchar, Divya Choksey, Nilesh Lalwani and Jayaka Yagnik.

Ajay Singha and Subash Pradhan have composed music for the film.

Speaking on behalf of Anikaa Films, Neha D. Gupta said that they wanted to make a film for a while and even looked at numerous scripts.

"But after meeting Monjoy and reading 'Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara' script, we knew that this was the movie we wanted to be a part of," she added.

Aditi Rao Hydari increased the glam quotient of designer Payal Singhal's show at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) spring-summer 2015 when the actress walked as the showstopper here Friday.

Dressed in a silk high-waist black lehenga and blouse, she wowed the audience as she glided on the ramp.

The voluminous lehenga with leather embroidery on it and jacket choli appeared to be a heavy one, but Aditi said that it was light and "enjoyed wearing it".

"It's beautiful and feminine," added the actress, who wore only a pair of leaf motif earrings as jewellery.

Singhal's collection titled "Firdaus" is an ode to the enchanting Gulmarg valley in Kashmir.

"I wanted the beauty of valley to be shown here through my collection. When you go there, you feel calm but also feel sad as the people over there have been through so much," said the designer.

She used extensive black colour for her collection that consisted of skirts, cigarette pants, kaftans, dhoti skirt in interesting motifs like pine cone and cyprus trees.

"Fireflies" happens to be a very special project for singer-actor Monica Dogra as the movie has given her a rare chance to show all her talents -- acting, singing and writing (lyrics).

Monica has penned two songs for Sabal Singh Shekhawat's debut film "Fireflies", in which she also features in a dramatic character.

“This would be my first time at composing for a feature film. I had written a few songs and got Sabal to listen to them. He really liked two of them and that's how they made their way into the film," Monica said in a statement.

"I can't imagine a better way of combining all three of my loves together - acting, singing and writing music - than this," added the actress who had shared screen with Aamir Khan in "Dhobi Ghat".

Composing songs for the film keeping the storyline in mind was not an easy job for her, but Monica enjoyed it.

“We were all pretty clear about what the mood of the songs needs to be, hence composing them was fun.

"I compose music outside the domain of movies, but understanding a screenplay and then weaving a song into it was a new challenge, which I gladly took on. Now I hope everyone else appreciates the result,” said Monica, a popular independent music artist.

In the past, she has also lent her vocals to songs like "Dooriyan bhi hai zaroori" from the film "Break Ke Baad".

Her movie "Fireflies" also stars Rahul Khanna, Arjun Mathur, Aadya Bedi and Shivani Ghai.

The traditional 'gamcha' (cotton stole), popularly sported by locals in states like Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, got a fashionable twist on day three of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) spring-summer 2015 here Friday.

Designer Poonam Dubey took inspiration from states like Assam for her spring-summer collection, which used red and white coloured 'gamcha' cloth in creative ways.

Often used as a cloth to honour guests in Assam, 'gamcha' was sewn as embroidery at bottom of skirts and on dupatta pallu by the designer. It was also worn over a jumpsuit with a belt on top of it.

"I want gamchas to be in fashion. People should be able to make a style statement by wearing it. The collection was to make people aware of it," Bihar-based Dubey told IANS here.

The designer, who wants to promote craftsmen of India, chose Goddess Durga as the theme of her new range for which she used khadi and chanderi in abundance.

Chhaya Mehrotra is another designer who is trying to popularise 'gamcha'.

"I belong to Banaras and I wanted to present elements related to it through my collection. Gamcha is an iconic piece of cloth there. Be it rickshaw drivers or traders, they all sport it," Mehrotra told IANS.

"It can be worn in metropolitan cities too. They can tie on head to make a style statement or wear as a muffler," she added.

It surely went well with her collection that was inspired by characters on streets of Banaras. Some of the male models dressed in shirts with block printing flaunted 'gamcha' well.

Filmmakers and actors from the Hindi movie industry Friday came forward to congratulate India's Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and rooted for peace between the two countries.

Satyarthi is a child rights activist, while Pakistani teenager Yousufzai is known for standing up to the Taliban and surviving a near-fatal shooting.

Following the news that the duo will share the coveted honour, Indian film celebrities took to Twitter to share their congratulatory messages:

Mahesh Bhatt: Kailash Satyarthi wins the Nobel Peace Prize 2014 for his work on promoting child rights in India.

Farhan Akhtar: Life feels good when good things happen to good people. Heartiest congratulations to Mr Kailash Satyarthi & Malala. #NobelPeacePrize.

Madhur Bhandarkar: Delighted that #KailashSatyarthi & #Malala have been conferred #nobelprize2014! Proud moment for all who believe in world peace & prosperity.

Anupam Kher: CONGRATULATIONS to Kailash Satyarthi of India & Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan for Nobel PEACE Prize, 2014. Peace is Always a Possibility.

Purab Kohli: India and Pakistan - divided by political borders, united by peace! #NobelPeacePrize #KailashSatyarthi #Malala

Anil Kapoor: Congratulations! Proud to hear that Malala Yousafzai & Kailash Satyarthi won the Nobel PEACE. @MalalaFund @k_satyarthi

Riteish Deshmukh: Great news - Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi win Nobel Peace Prize - #IndoPakPeace.

Rahul Bose: Wonderful news about the #NobelPeacePrize. Congratulations, Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousufzai.

Siddharth: Malala Yousafzai continues to be the most important young lady of this generation. Not yet 18. Nobel peace prize winner. #salute

Hansal Mehta: Kailash Sathyarthi and Malala Yousufzai win the Nobel Peace Prize! India and Pakistan share a peace prize.

Pritish Nandy: How wonderful to see the Nobel Prize guys sidestep all the predictable choices and award Kailash Satyarthi, a man who rarely attracts media. Hopefully now, the cause that Kailash Satyarthi so strongly espouses will get some more media attention and become mainstream.

Actor Shahid Kapoor's Kashmir based drama "Haider" has crossed the Rs. 50 crore mark at the box office and he says good content always find an audience.

"We didn't know what to expect from 'Haider', we just knew it's a unique film and we wanted to do it. When it got ready, we felt it was an honest film,” Shahid told IANS in an interview.

"Haider", which marked director Vishal Bhardwaj and Shahid's second successful collaboration after "Kaminey", collected over Rs. 50 core in the first week.

"We had faith, trust and pride because it was not an easy film to make. It's been amazing so far. We were waiting for the audiences' response, but we knew it's not an out and out entertainer so this kind of appreciation from the audience is great.

"I have always believed that good content will always find an audience. As an actor you have to take risks and do a film like 'Haider' and when it works, you feel cool about it," he added.

The quintessential Bhardwaj film adapted from one of Shakespeare's most powerful and influential tragedies - "Hamlet", was supported by other powerful performers in the cast - Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan and Shraddha Kapoor.

The critics have raved about Shahid's performance in the film and said that he was the show stealer in the film.

When asked which was the best compliment he got for his performance, he said: "A lot of compliments.... Irrfan saw the film and he tweeted about it. Kay Kay called me and said I didn't know you would do so well. My father said you have done a good job and that's the biggest compliment.

"Vishal said he would not have made the film without me. All these things make you feel special," said Shahid who has tasted success after a long time.