AGL August 2012

Vol-II · Issue-VI · August 2012 ·

`25/-

AGL SPOTLIGHT Vishnu Vardhan Induri

DIRECTOR’S TAKE Sekhar Kammula HOT WHEELS Volvo V40

DÉJÀ VU

Confessions of a shopaholic DESTINATIONS Beauty of Jordan

Allu Arjun + Stylish, SHILPA REDDY sexy...

FASHION INTERVIEW

but taken

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

asantly I was ple AGL on d to find e is r p r u s ved the gain! I lo stands a cting ge. Expe cover pa m fr g new o somethin ery month… ev you guys – st AGL!! e b e All th AGL is a fresh in the local m new entry agazin scene e of loved t Hyderabad. he cov I er (Sonu Sood). story Moreo the fas ver hio very gla n pages ar , e morou lookin g forw s. I am a r comin g issue d to the s.

Hey AG L on get ! Congratula ting ba t ck on t ions marke he t. I rea ll the art y loved ic a Crac le “Are you kberry ?” I ca totally n re consta late to it as I am ntly ho ok my Bla ckberr ed onto y. It’s g to see re so in a lo mething dif at cal ma ferent gazine going! . Gr !K Wishin eep rocking eat . g you a ll the b est !!!!

-Monic a n a h o R -

ovie ! I am a m Hello AGL to d love buff, and I gannadh’s a J ri u P e se zine. in a maga interview a f o idea ther I liked the terview, ra in s r’ to c e dir p e e K ctors. than just a d d work an o o g up the am I !! g in w o fl new ideas Love . e b subscri waiting to ne. zi a g a m the the feel of

Thank yo up wit u AGL for co –Shali h a rea ni l fashio ming in fash nista ion pa g e the art icle on s. I loved city gir Priyan ka l Hope t Chigurupat Thank you for the article i. o see y ou exp many lor su on Aloe Vera Juice and fashio ch upcoming e n desig the Cabbage diet. It is ners and giv good to see genuine e somet the readers hin articles on health in origina g fresh and Dear AGL, loved the l a luxury and lifestyle Cheer to read abou re launch issue!! I s. t. magazine. It is also good am passionate about to hear from a doctor –Anait tennis and was happy a in the Doctor speaks to see Vishnu Vardhan’s column. AGL seems to interview in the July be a complete package of –Diana issue.

Keep the good sorts!! work going! had ently e , I rec L su G is A –Arun Dear t your July the a h k it a loo ve w I o . l e in in l z l a and fe of the mag , and o y it w l t a f u o q other tely love m a lu am s abso ome my kid kers that c azine. ic ag t the s ith your m w ll a g n alo now ge is ur id r o f y y M with d e t ee you a r e to s un hya deco p o H .

–Sand rs ef sticke p with mor u come s. or kid f f stuf

s

-Sreeniva

Write to us at: admin@aglmagazine.com

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

AGL Dear Readers,

With our relaunch issue out of the way and a positive heart-warming response from everyone, we present to you our August issue offering you a continual experience in celebrating life.

Allu Arjun dawns on our cover page this month and talks about his latest ventures. A one-on-one session down history, we go through his hits so far and how he sees himself in the dynamic southern world of films. The Déjà vu talk in our pages talks about the ever so frequent shopaholics and everything about it.

Further on, Shilpa Reddy leads us through the lanes of fashion and elaborates on how fitness intertwines with it. In tandem with this exploration, the business spotlight of the month is on Vishnu Vardhan Induri - founder of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) and how it found itself a firm pitch in the ever-go cricket crazy lovers of our country.

Sekhar Kammula adds to our directorial section by sharing with us the modern day challenges going hand in hand with movie-making to the ever occurring obstacles in the industry. A seventeen calendar day’s diet schedule is discussed as well to shed focus and provide information to our health conscious readers.

Reddy h t i An Anith Reddy

Chairman chairman@aglmagazine.com

Publisher Maadhavi Vice President & Editor-in-Chief Susan Anthony Senior Features Writer Esha Jobanputra Features Writer S.R.K. Soundarya Varma Head Marketing & PR Pauleen Chakravorty Circulation Executive Md Ameer Uddin Photographers Venkat Reddy (Staff) Design Shahzoor Ali Art Director Vikas

Courtesy Mrs. P. Padma The Park Louis Vuitton Chanel Burberry Gucci Steve Madden Swatch Versace Cady Cuff Contributors Srujana (Fashion) Prachi Shah (Fashion) Ashutosh Joshi (Politics)

For Advertisements advertise@aglmagazine.com Ph-040-2342 0077

RNI - APENG/2009/30578.

Edited, Printed, Published and owned by Anith Raj Laxman Reddy.

Printed at Srujana Graphics # 2-1-194/C, Ground Floor,Adj. Lane to Fever Hospital, Old Nallakunta, Hyderabad - 500 044. Published on behalf of ALR Media Pvt.Ltd,8-2-686/B/12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500 034.

Copyright © 2008 ALR Media Pvt. Ltd. Avant Garde Life is a registered trademark owned by ALR Media Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. Avant Garde Life is published monthly by ALR Media Pvt. Ltd, 8-2-696/1/K, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad – 500 034, Andhra Pradesh, India, Ph: 040 23376296, 040 2342 0075, Fax: 040 66759191. For subscription assistance contact: ALR Media Pvt. Ltd, 8-2-696/1/K, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad – 500 034, Andhra Pradesh, India, Ph: 040 23376296, 040 2342 0075, Fax: 040 66759191. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited. Srujana Grpahics # 2-1-194/C, Ground Floor, Adj. Lane to Fever Hospital, Old Nallakunta, Hyderabad - 500 044. Tel : +91-4065554439 Cell : +91-97010 55009 E-mail: srujanagraphics@gmail.com. Avant Garde Life does not take any responsibility for returning unsolicited publication material. All disputes are subjected to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in Hyderabad only. Opinions expressed in the articles are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers. While the editors do their utmost to verify information published they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

www.aglmagazine.com

Chairman Anith Reddy

CONTENTS VOLUME II ISSUE VI · AUGUST - 2012

MUST READS 38

DEJA VU CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

46

50

38

KITCHENETTE

RECIPES FROM AISH, THE PARK

HEALTH & FITNESS FACE-FILLERS DIET DIARY: 17 DAY DIET

84

OUT OF THE CLOSET A PEEK-A-BOO INTO TRUSHNA TIBREWALA’S CLOSET

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES 26

AGL LUXURY A PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN A SWORD

32

HOT WHEELS RANGE ROVER EVOGUE VOLVO V40

30

GIZMO MANIA

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 56

ALLU ARJUN

76

DIRECTOR’S TAKE SEKHAR KAMMULA

AGL DESTINATIONS

40 BEAUTY OF JORDAN

COVER STORY

92

FASHION INTERVIEW SHILPA REDDY

FASHION 98 dimmu text A pen is mightier than a sword

56

COVER STORY

ALLU ARJUN

EVENTS Ravita & Amala

Manjula

Cherry Zaveri with Aalim

WEAVING MAGIC

Chandana

After a much acclaimed fashion show titiled ‘Weaving Magic’. Ravita Mayor who created a unique space for herself in fashion circles in Hyderabad and in India. Launched her store “Lyra i” at Banjara Hills.

Her signature is a blend of traditional handweaves and modern designs and her passion is empowering women craft workers and weavers from across the country.

Inaugurated by Amala Akineni.

Beenu Singh

8

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Sunila

Rummy Azad

EVENTS The winners with AGL prizes

Shruti

Trishna & Saba

Sushmita Singh

Tanya

Ms. Fresher

Tall beauty

FRESHERS PARTY

St. Francis College for Women had their annual fresher’s party held in their campus. The winners of the Ms. Freshers beauty pageant were given Swatch watches by AGL. The fashion show was a huge hit with all the pretty young teenagers cheering for each other.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

9

EVENTS Mintu Sarna with wife

Nikita, Shruti, Sheetal

Aarti & Trushna

Poonam Choudhary

MINTU SARNA DECOR, DESIGN, JEWELS Ever wondered what to gift your loved ones on their special occasions such as weddings & anniversaries?

Well, you can easily put all those worries to rest. MS, a high-end, boutique at Banjara Hills, brings to you a fabulous collection of gold jewellery, silverware, wedding and party apparels. In other words, it’s a onestop-shop for wide-ranging needs such as wedding planning, floral arrangements, themed decorations, gold and silver ornaments among others. It’s indeed a place you can’t afford to miss out on, if marriage or any other major celebration is on the cards.

10

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Promoted by Minttu and Breeze Sarna, professional wedding planners, MS has world-class, ethnic gold jewellery, which is stocked in an elite array of patterns and sizes. These pieces of art are created by master craftsmen making use of only the purest of metals. The designs are widely sought after as they are delicately carved in audacious and indigenous designs, bringing fore ethnic beauty while retaining a modern touch.

Silverware is a perfect gifting option for those special and memorable occasions. Crafted to perfection, these gifts are an ideal choice of endowment which could easily add sparkle to grand events.

EVENTS Anupama Verma

Azhar & Ayesha

FASHION EXTRAVAGANZA Lakhotia Institute of Design had a fashion show and an award night- The Global Glamourista at N convention. The event saw the presence of top models, actors and actresses walking the ramp for the upcoming designers of the institiute.

Seen at the event were Actress Anupama Verma, Niti Taylor, Actor Tanish.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

11

EVENTS Rajeev & Bhavya Doshi

Pankaj & Sheetal Doshi

Commissioner Anurag Sharma

Seema Doshi

Zainab & Azim

Sonal Doshi

Reena & Devang

LARGEST GITANJALI JEWELLERY STORE “HYDERABAD KA SARTAJ KAUN” was finally unveiled as the largest Gitanjali store in India by Doshi Group. Spotted at the event was Commissioner Anurag Sharma

Kiran & Pavan

Deb & Ofelia

12

CARLSON REZIDOR HOTEL GROUP introduced Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad.

This is Carlson Rezidor’s first Radisson Blu hotel in Hyderabad. The event was well attended by all the socialites. The city is surely getting high with the star hotels opening their doors in Hyderabad!

Nancy, Chris & Jrosia

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Sarah & Andrew

EVENTS Prashanthi & Samir & Sameena

Zakir

Sunila

Butull

Sruti & Aamna

Beena

DRAMA IN STYLE DRAMA SALON launched its first store at Hitech City. A fully equipped modern salon for all the beaty & makeover requirements!

Spotted at the launch were - Butul, Zakir, Sunita, Mahima and more.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

13

EVENTS Aarti & Usha Badruka

Sneha Manjula Narsa

14

AGL AUGUST 2012

FASHION FIESTA The shopping freaks had a feast for their eyes at the recently held exhibition by Usha & Aarti Badruka at “Orange feathers” showcased were designer clothes, clutches & exclusive jewellery. Friends were seen bonding over superb shopping & yummy cupcakes.

Pooja Agarwal & Tamana

Suman Rao

Komal Jain

Geeta Khurana

EVENTS Aparna Reddy & Padma Reddy

Pretty in blue

Sakshi

Fatima

Shilpa

Suman & Pushpa

Sneha

Ritika & Priya

Aishwarya

Aliya

SHOP TILL YOU DROP Shopaholics need no reason to shop, but exhibitions around the city give them 1000 reasons to shop. Recently held petals exhibition seemed to resemble a shoppers street!

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

15

EVENTS Shravan

FASHION TREAT Ace designer Shravan hosted a fashion show at “The Park.” The fashion show was most talked about event of the month. It was attended by celebrities like Navdeep and socialites like Rajiv, Manisha Kapoor, Avnish, Sunny Arcot and many more.

16

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

EVENTS Gurbani sisters

Hyder Khan with wife

Amer Javed with friends

Jibran with B. K. Gurbani

Mala Gurbani

diyaash

A brainchild of Dolly Gurbani, this affair had glamour written all over it. From the much raved about glittering happy diamonds concept invites, to the delectable hors d’oeuvres and refreshing mojitos, to the specially crafted chocolates with customised logo’s and the talked about gourmet table of exotic desserts primed by the esteemed chef’s from Park Hyatt, the launch of the designer diamond jewellery lounge - Diyaash was a spectacular all day affair. The highlight was the showcase of exquisite designer jewellery pieces which made the event all the more stunning. Synonymous to it’s tagline, the entire day indeed sparkled elegance!

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

17

EVENTS Pinky Reddy

Padmaja Reddy

Gurleen Bagga

Rekha Reddy

Sabyasachi Mukherjee

Parvati Reddy

Maurya

FICCI

Subbi

18

Anchal

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Rekha Lahoti

Vinita

Ms. Rekha Reddy took over as Chairperson of FICCI Ladies Organisation - FLO Hyderabad Chapter from Ms. Pinky Reddy and Ms. Swapna Cherukuri hands over reigns of Young FLO to Ms. Mourya Boda at the 10th Annual Session and Change of Guards Ceremony held at Park Hyatt. Renowned fashion designer Mr. Sabyasachi Mukherjee was the Chief Guest of the occassion.

EVENTS Ruchi

Harshit & Amrit

Neena & Sujatha

Anita

Neelu Bagga

Tamanna

Namita Singhvi

Vibha

Vartika

Karishma

SING ALONG The Kakatiya Ladies Club monthly event this time was Antakshari. All the members seemed to have a great time singing along with each other.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

19

EVENTS Anju

Kamini Saraf & Tanu

Monika

Sohini & Akhila

Deepa

Divya

Laxmi Manchu

Madhavi & Radika Reddy

Vinita

Mouriya, Sowmya & Manasa

Sandhya

FASHION YATRA The much awaited fashion exhibition was finally there.

Kamini Saraf’s Yatra needs no introduction.

The event had to be and was a super hit success.

20

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

T Se hi Li as s fe ke on s a M sh tive oo ine n 8-2-674/B/2, Road no. 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad-34.

Ready to Wear Dress Materials Semi Stitch Tunics

TM

Tel: 040 2331 6424

S E N I L EAD

AGL POLITICS

H

VIJAYLAKSHMI ROLLS THROUGH T-BLOCKS YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi’s deeksha for weavers was held amid high tension, violence and police lathicharge at Sircilla in Karimnagar district on Monday. TRS activists tried to block the leader’s convoy all along the route from Hyderabad to Sircilla. Despite deployment of a huge police force, stones, eggs and slippers were thrown by T-activists on the convoy along the route and at the deeksha venue at Ambedkar Chowk in Sircilla.

The police had a tough time clearing the way for Ms Vijayalakshmi’s convoy and had to fight pitched battles with T-activists in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak and Karimnagar districts. Many vehicles were damaged in the process.

Scores of T-activists including TRS MLAs K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao and other party leaders were arrested at different places. At Siddipet, the police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

Ms Vijayalakshmi, who undertook the deeksha for about two hours in the afternoon, however, did not comment on her party’s stand on the Telangana issue, which has been the main demand of the TRS.

VAMSI REDDY’S WIN UPHELD The central election authority or CEA of Youth Congress has upheld the election of Vamsi Chand Reddy and runners up Ravi kumar Yadav the later being the son of Serilingampally Congress MLA B.Yadav and termed the election as valid.

The CEA had received two complaints against the winners who had contested and won the poll on July 14th. Returning officers for the state Youth Congress elections, Jaishankar Pathak and M. Christopher, said that the CEA arrived at its decisions in relation to the YC polls in AP after examining the report presented by independent agency, FAME (Foundation for Advanced Management of Elections), which audits the IYC elections process.

JAGAN WITHDRAWS BAIL PLEA FROM SUPREME COURT YSR Congress chief, Jagan Mohan Reddy, withdrew his petition in the illegal investments cases he is facing. His advocate Ram Jethmalani, made a request for withdrawing the petition hours after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed

by Jagan Reddy’s mother MLA Y.S Vijayalakshmi for CBI probe against Telugu Desam supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu into his assets. Mr Jethmalani’s made the request even before Jagan’s case could come up for hearing, he was quoted saying that he wanted to withdraw the petition to add certain new facts in it and sought court’s liberty to file it again.

24

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

S E N I L D

AGL POLITICS

A E H

PREZ POLL VOTING: EVERY 3RD MP IS CORRUPT CRIMINAL

A recent data shows that nearly a third of the Electoral College which voted on the 19th of July had criminal cases registered against them. Cases like Murder, theft, kidnappings were pending against them in the court of law. The Electoral College that elects the president consists of elected members of parliament (MPs) – of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha – and members of legislative assemblies (MLAs) from all states. According to the data collected by the National Election Watch and Association for Democratic Research, of the total 4835 MP’s and MLA’s who voted in the election, 1448 have in their own election affidavits declared that there are criminal cases pending against them.

These alleged criminals represent 31% of the vote share. UP leads with about 189 MPS and MLA’s being tainted, followed closely by Maharashtra who has 146 tainted ministers in the parliament and Bihar takes the third place with about 139 ministers with criminal charges against them. Interestingly apart from criminal charges like murder, kidnapping, theft and some for rape, the other thing common amongst these elite groups is most of them are rich, like in super rich no wait Richie rich–rich type. Half of the Electoral College consists of crorepatis.

INDIA’S 13TH PRESIDENT: PRANAB DA

various states congratulated Pranab Mukherjee.

The man who over the last two years has come to be known as the crisis man of the Congress party, has now been awarded the highest constitutional post in the country. Meet Pranab Mukherjee or Pranab da as he more fondly called, the 13th president of Republic India. Pranab Mukherjee won the election this July over his opposition PA Sangma by a huge margin.

Pranab Mukherjee, is among of the few elite who has held the three key ministries of Finance, Defence and External Affairs. He is the only finance minister to have presented the budget both in the pre-and post liberalization era. In a bitterly contested election, Mukherjee secured a vote value of 7,13,763, well ahead of the half-way mark of 5,25,140 in an electoral college of over 10.5 lakh. His rival PA Sangma, supported by some opposition parties including BJP, could manage get only a vote value 3,15,987. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, VicePresident Hamid Ansari, many senior Cabinet Ministers, BJP president Nitin Gadkari, chief ministers and Governors of

Sangma, a former Lok Sabha Speaker who quit NCP to contest the Presidential race, congratulated Mukherjee and wished him success.

Out of the total 748 MPs, Pranab got the support of 527 while his rival, PA Sangma polled 206 votes in his favour. Among the states, there was apparent cross-voting in Karnataka where BJP is in the ruling party. Mukherjee got the majority votes in the 224-member Assembly with 117 MLAs voting for him. Sangma could get only 103 votes while three votes were invalid. One MLA did not vote. The value of votes polled by Mukherjee was 15327 while it was 13493 for Sangma. In Andhra Pradesh which has a 294-member Assembly, Mukherjee got the support of 182 MLAs including that of Congress and YSR Congress, while Sangma got the backing of three. Five were invalid. In terms of vote value, Mukherjee got 26,936 while Sangma got 444. A total of 190 MLAs voted because TDP and TRS abstained.

Each MLA in Andhra Pradesh has a vote value of 148.

A veteran of politics and art of governance, Mukherjee was the troubleshooter for the UPA in the last eight years and brings a wealth of experience to the top Constitutional office having held various key positions in the party and government at the Centre.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

25

AGL LUXURY

AQUAVISTA DINOSAUR GOLD EDITION AQUARIUM

Striking Features

Fishes are one of those pets which do not need to be petted, taken outside or disciplined in any way. As for cleaning the tank and changing the water, the more expensive your aquarium is the less of that you will have to do. The only aquarium with a 65 million-year-old history, the world’s rarest, most exclusive and most expensive is the Aquavista and luxury designer Stuart Hughes’s “Dinosaur Gold Edition Aquarium.” Stuart Hughes of Liverpool was commissioned by Aquavista UK of London to design something unique. The decision was made instantly although the project took four months to complete in London where Aquavista UK are based. The result was a massive amount of pure solid 24ct gold in the form of 68 kgs.

Two extraordinary side veneers made from mammoth tusk with a unique piece of Dinosaur bone from the Tyrannosaurus –Rex diagonally shaved into the tusk

Well, this aquarium is a complete package for people who have a fetish for pets. First and foremost it is an almost no maintenance aquarium which has been designed to simplify things and requires less than 15 minutes in a month for maintenance. It is complete with an embedded automatic feeder which just needs to be refilled periodically. This Aquarium is pre-assembled with dual filtration system, heater, air pump, lighting, CO2 generator, and automatic feeder that are controlled by an easy to use programmable touchscreen that simplifies all functions. Lastly, for all aqua-scaping lovers, this unit comes with a carbon dioxide generator that allows plants to photosynthesize and flourish.

Last but not the least, for all those people who love to own limited edition luxury pieces, only three of these handmade luxury aquariums are produced and sold at the appropriately eye-popping price of $4.8 million (` 26,80,00,000 approximately).

TAG HEUER EXCLUSIVE DIAMOND & BLACK LIZARD LEATHER EDITION

The most exclusive series of the Tag Heuer manufacture collection luxury phones is the Tag Heuer Exclusive diamond and black lizard leather edition. Staggering 1004 Wesselton diamonds and mother of pearl have been coupled with Argentinean leather for fabrication. The way to figure it all out is that there are 700 diamonds in the sides, 185 of them on the back battery plate, 19 in the side crowns, and 33 diamonds on the hind outer cover. This comes with the glossy lizard leather which has a different pattern and forms a rather sharp contrast to the mother of pearl set on the rear cover. The pricing for this edition is going to make you sweat a little, because it comes with a `13 lakhs (approximately) price tag!

The first luxury smartphone with a tactile screen is equipped with upgradeable and the best-in-class Google Android™ software, meaning unparalleled access and connectivity.

Android’s ability to switch quickly between applications brings incomparable multitasking power, making the TAGLINK one of the fastest phones on the market: menus open at lightning speed, tabs are super responsive, web pages load with virtually no lag time, access to news and weather widgets and Skype messaging is instantaneous.

TAGLINK is a communication instrument of uncompromised calibre and capabilities. Equipped with Android™, the TAGLINK comes with dedicated and embedded applications.

So Apps A complete selection of applications classified under specific categories: communication, entertainment, news sports, games, business, productivity and travel.

26

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

AGL LUXURY

MONTBLANC MYSTERY MASTERPIECE THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD! This pen is surely mightier than the sword; the Mystery Masterpiece rightly proves the proverb. What better way to show your dedication to the word you write, than to own one of the world’s most expensive pen? In fact, the most expensive pen’s true purpose is likely to show off just how much money you make as the CEO of some recently bailed-out corporation.

This Mystery Masterpiece is a result of collaboration between Montblanc (the fountain pen and luxury goods manufacturer) and Van Cleef & Arpels (a jewellery house). The unique work took over a year and a half to be created by skilled artisans. The pen is encrusted with 840 diamonds, totalling more than 20-karats set in a Van Cleef & Arpels patented ‘Mystery Setting’. You can have your choice of three variations, set with 20 carats of sapphires, emeralds, or rubies. The three versions of the expensive pens were limited to three releases each where each of the nine pens sold for $730,000 (`4 crores approximately). It is exclusive, it is sleek, it is a masterpiece and also a part of history now.

BLING THING WITH THE “I” FACTOR

Considering celebrities’ love for the bling factor, (we are talking Victoria Beckham‘s gold iPhone, Karl Lagerfeld white gold iPad and other famous celeb bling things)this one is sure going to be well received by the connoisseurs. AL- Gems Global Design Houses’ Anita Mai Tan who is an acclaimed international jewelry designer to world’s elite and royalty is known for her custom designed jewelry pieces that have been called technical marvels. Her inspirations include poetry and nature.

She has released her double $880,000 (` 5 crores approximately) iPhone case, the new Dragon and Spider. Get this, these cases can be worn as a neck pieces as well. Anita has devoted her 16 months to delicately craft these brilliant cases.

She is touted to be among the rare Asian born creators, to have her creation ‘The Eye’ exhibited by the U.S. Museum of GIA to be part of their signature collection.

Anita has earlier designed an epitome of fine pens, the million dollar Heaven GoldPen, which is also one of the most expensive writing instruments and the first ever luxurious pen designed by a woman for women.

Anita Mai Tan has also used a subtle combination of numbers; 22 is the symbol of being ‘easy’, 32 means ‘born lucky’ and the combination of both becomes 9, a number which is significant for its qualities of leadership, the ability to see clearly, and the integration. The Dragon is also the symbol of life, existence, growth and the universe. Made in 18K gold and set with an arrangement of 2,200 colorless and colored diamonds in cognac, brown, champagne shade for a total weight of 32 cents; the designer has artistically crafted the Dragon iPhone case in the Year of the Dragon.

Also, there is also a companion to the Dragon case- the Spider phone case. The Spider phone case is the symbol of hard-work, unity and creativity. The Spider iPhone case is also made in 18K gold and set in an arrangement of a total of 2,800 black and colorless diamonds for a total weight of just 38 cents. And, the number 38 means ‘born wealth’ and 28 means ‘easy gaining wealth’.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

27

AGL LUXURY

SPARKLING ELEGANCE

W

hoever said that diamonds were a girl’s best friend must be a real genius. Take a look at this hand-made Diamond necklace by Diyaash and you are sure to agree! It consists of 40 carats of internally flawless diamonds, with a detachable pendant of a Ruby (or an Emerald). It comes with a pair of slender earrings that match the neck piece. Every Diamond is hand-picked in this beautifully designed piece, which has about 215 grams of gold content in it. This particular piece of jewelry alone consumed three months of careful craftsmanship. It could be yours at a price of `40,00,000 (approximately).

ALLURING BANGLES

D

iyaash paints a pretty picture with this oneof-a-kind bangle. It consists of 3.85 carats of bagguettes and 50 grams of gold. A stunning 2.6 carats ruby nestled around a spectacular blue stone is the best feature of this bangle. The total number of diamonds in this elegant piece are of eleven carats, which include 5.62 round diamonds.

So, get ready to empty your husband’s wallet and get yourself this classy bangle, which is available for a price of `10,00,000 (approximately).

28

AGL AUGUST 2012

GIZMO MANIA

GIZMO MA NI A APPLE MACBOOK PRO WITH RETINA DISPLAY

R

egardless of your feelings towards Apple generally or the new-generation MacBook Pro with Retina display, specifically, it’s more or less a certainty that laptops all over are about to make a strong push for high-resolution displays. It boasts of a 15.4-inch, 2880 x 1800 display. It’s 5.18 million pixels is quadruple the resolution of last-generation’s baseline 1440 x 900 MacBook Pro, and even a huge leap over the previous “high-res” option at 1680 x 1050.

Screen notwithstanding, the most impressive feat is how small and light the MacBook Pro with Retina is. At .71 Inches thick uniformly, the MacBook Pro with Retina display is just a hair taller than the .68-inch (at its thickest) MacBook Air — though in practice, we found the Air to stand actually a little taller on a table when side-to-side because of the shorter rubber feet on the bottom of the new-generation Pro. The other number worth mentioning here is the touted 178-degree viewing angle, which means you can see the screen from basically anywhere unless you’re staring at the edge. While we haven’t measured it, qualitatively we were incredibly impressed by how clear text was at very extreme horizontal and vertical viewing angles, although glare became an issue well before then. All this and more catchy standard apple features can be availed at starting price of `1,21, 760(approximately).

Nokia 808 Pureview sports 41 MP Camera

E

very now and again, something very surprising comes along in mobile phones.

Cameras on the fancier smartphones tend to loiter around the 5-8 megapixel level, with occasional forays up to 12MP, but the Nokia 808 Pureview has only gone and knocked the ball out of the park with a mammoth 41-megapixel camera.

Packaged with a 4-inch screen and 1.3GHz processor, that should be quite a lot of bang for your buck.

The Nokia 808 PureView is basically a one-trick pony, with a cracking camera attached to an average smartphone that just happens to be saddled with an out-offavour OS. If you want to treat yourself to a new camera that also acts as a phone, it’s certainly worth considering.

Some of the specifications include-Symbian Belle Software, 1.3GHz ARM 11 processor and 4in AMOLED capacitive touch screen, 640×360 pixels display. It connects with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v3.0 and has Micro USB, 3.5mm headphone jack port.This phone is priced at `33,899.

Google Nexus 7

E

very Google executives took the stage at this year’s conference when they announced a branded seveninch tablet of their own, which the search giant is offering direct through its Play store. Like other Nexus-branded devices, the Nexus 7 tablet isn’t actually hardware manufactured by Google. Build quality is excellent and robust, with not a mark on it after my weeks of vigorous, regular use. The software is also the best Google has ever made, but this is a media consumption device more than anything else. The specifications include Software an Android 4.1 Jellybean OS; a processor of 1.3GHz quad-core; Memory of 1GB; Storage of 8GB/16GB; Display with 7″ backlit IPS capacitive touchscreen; Connectivity with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0; A 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera;A Li-ion 4325mAh battery. This muchawaited tablet comes at a price of `14,000 approximately.

30

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

GIZMO MANI A SONY XPERIA S

W

hile other companies are busy suing each others pants off for various software and hardware alleged patent infringements, Sony have come up with something that is more than just a black slab.

Sony have applied the “Human Curvature” design language into this device, which basically means it’s thicker because it’s curvy. The back is convex to contour to your hand, which does make it easier to hold than, say, the squared off iPhone 4.

The soft touch plastics do a good job of hiding fingerprints, and are of high quality. If you are obsessed with updating statuses on multiple social networking sites, then this phone is perfect for you. Added to the normal ones for Facebook and Twitter, Timescape is a good app that comes in handy. This was introduced a while ago on Sony Ericsson phones, and is now an application.

In short, it’s a list of your social ‘news’ in one place. Tapping one takes you to the relevant app where you can reply etc. You can also post a status from Timescape that will be posted on all of your linked accounts.

Perhaps one of the most important yet under-considered features is the keyboard. Since this is a full touch device, your only option is to type on screen. The included keyboard is a Sony designed one tweaked from the stock Gingerbread keyboard.

The camera is perhaps the headline feature of the Sony Xperia S, and may be the major reason why you’d be considering this device over other high performing smartphones.

Great design, an amazing camera, sharp display and crystal clear audio quality. All this and more at a price of `31,000 seems like a good bargain.

GALLERIA A Complete Imported Goods Shoppe

8-2-644/1/14, Shop #14, Hiline Complex, Road #12 Banjara Hills Hyderabad - 500 034 galleria.banjara@gmail.com rahiladtani@gmail.com +91 9000687786 / +91 40 66623786

MICROSOFT SURFACE WINDOWS TABLET

T

he Microsoft Surface Windows Tablet is Microsoft’s’ answer to the legendary iPad by apple. Microsoft claims the magnesium, PVD finish of tablet is the first of its kind in the PC market as of now. The Bevelled edges make the tablet comfortable to hold. The Microsoft Surface tablet utilizes a built-in kickstand, which pops out from the back to stand on a desk or table.

There are two accessories that come along with this tablet-the first is a 3mm thin one called the “Touch cover” that uses a full multi-touch keyboard and also includes a track pad. The second accessory is a “Type cover” which includes a full track pad with clicking buttons.

The ARM-based Surface is thinner (9. 3mm) and lighter (676g) than the Intel based model (13. 5mm and 903g, respectively), but both utilize a very similar design with the same sized display. The screen is coated with Gorilla Glass, and both models also have a full sized USB port. The display on the ARMbased Surface has a resolution of 1366×768, giving it a pixel per inch (ppi) rating of 208.

The Windows 8 Pro takes that one step further with a full HD resolution.

Gadget freaks all around the globe are vying to get their hands on this yet-to-be-released tablet from Microsoft. This is rumored to cost around `35,000 for the 32 GB variant.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

31

HOT WHEELS

RANGE ROVER

EVOGUE

By Esha Jobanputra

32

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

HOT WHEELS

The all-new Range Rover Evogue, a car with an altogether different spirit. The most exciting vehicle in a generation, bold and sophisticated in design with clever technology that is innovative, relevant and always intuitive to use. Nothing else looks like it, feels like it, or drives like it. In fact, Range Rover Evoque is a quantum leap in the evolution of Range Rover.

engineered to maximize it s length and width to create a sensation of space and light, as well as providing an uninterrupted view.

The other cutting-edge technologies include the Land Rover patented Hill Descent Control (HDC) which assists with controlled descents of difficult slopes by maintaining a constant speed and applying braking separately to each wheel. Gradient Release Control(GRC) which

EVOGUE-LUTION The Range Rover Evogue provides an engaging blend of dynamic and sporty handling with impressive refinement. The lightweight, compact footprint of the vehicle and the low centre of gravity facilitate both quick responses and extraordinary agility. This car masters all surfaces and weathers, using legendary Land Rover all-terrain technologies. It is smaller, lighter and the most efficient Range Rover.

The exteriors are utterly contemporary. It offers a new interpretation of classic Range Rover design cues, including the signature clamshell bonnet, the floating roof and the prepared for anything ‘wheel at each corner’ stance. There is a dramatic rising beltline- and a unique, distinctly aesthetic taper to the roof line which is emphasized by the black pillars. The striking exterior design conveys an immediate sense of luxury with its precision build quality and the use of eye catching metallic finishers or sophisticated details such as the vents on the bonnet and side of the vehicle, as well as the jewel-like characteristic of the front and rear laps. There is also the choice of a fullsize, fixed panoramic glass sunroof cleverly

is designed to prevent the vehicle ‘running away’ on a steep incline when the driver inadvertently releases the brake and Hill Start Assist, which is designed to prevent roll back after a hill start. There are also other systems like Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Traction Control, and Roll Stability Control.

Range Rover Evogue’s interior features a suite of the latest technologies to provide driver and passenger with the most comfortable experience.

All driver displays present clear, useful information. The centerpiece of the vehicle and the hub for controls and infotainment is the 8-inch colour touch screen in the facia. There are also separate twin 5-way toggle switches on the steering wheel to maximize control and ease –of-use of the infotainment systems.

Range Rover Evogue accessories can be added at any stage during the vehicle’s life, not just when it is new. Selections of accessories are available; they are designed and manufactured to the same exacting standards as the original equipment fitted to your vehicle.

TECHNICAL DATA CAPACITY: 2179 NUMBER OF CYLINDERS: 4 BORE (mm): 85 STROKE (mm): 96 COMPRESSION RATIO (:1): 15.8 CYLINDER HEAD MATERIAL: LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINIUM CYLINDER BLOCK MATERIAL: CAST IRON MAXIMUM POWER kW @ RPM: 140 @ 3500 MAXIMUM TORQUE Nm @ RPM: 420 @ 1750 AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

33

HOT WHEELS

VOLVO V40: The Ultimate Luxury

The Volvo V40 has a class-leading driving dynamics, fuel efficiency and full deck of safety and support features making it outstanding in the class. This car is perfectly in tune with the current downsizing trend with consumers favoring more compact cars and fuel-efficient engines. It is charged with features you normally have to buy a larger model to get. With this ingenious vehicle, Volvo proves that superior fuel economy in a compact package can go hand in hand with genuine driving pleasure, and all the features and properties consumers expect from a true luxury car.

The Volvo V40 is all set to hit the Indian market and with the looks, form and design of the hatch. The looks alone speak a dynamic design language, the crease on the engine hood, the perhaps optional sunroof; the ultra-cool demeanor and very organic headlamps make the car look like a a racy figure.

The world-first Pedestrian Airbag Technology stands out among the new features. The pedestrian airbag lifts the hood when inflating, softening up the hood and cushioning parts of theA-pillars and windscreen area.Just as the groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection with full auto brake, which is also available in the all-new V40, the Pedestrian Airbag 34

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Technology is world-first, and it confirmsVolvo’s safety leadership.

The all-new Volvo V40 is a modern, expressive car with a Scandinavian luxury look and feel. A new, graphic interactive dashboard with personalized layout and information enhances the intuitive and uncomplicated driver experience. This humancentric approach is what their Designed Around You philosophy is all about. They have listened carefully to their customers and used their input to create an inspiring car for the individual mind. All its features are designed around the driver, helping him or her stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations.

The Volvo not only has the world-first pedestrian airbag, but also lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering, and an ingenious Park Assist Pilot that makes parallel parking easy.

The all-new V40 makes an instant impression with a dramatic design that stands out from the crowd. And what you see is what you get The car boasts sharpened features and characteristics from larger Volvos – wrapped in a sleek, compact package. The car also has so many new features that it has an exceptional “density.”

It has pretty much everything that luxury car needs.

GLITERAZZI

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

35

AGL SPOTLIGHT

AGL SPOTLIGHT: Vishnu Vardhan Induri

Bringing glamour to cricket

By S. R. K. Soundarya Varma

Vishnu Vardhan Induri, the man behind the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) talks to AGL about building media properties and much more...

You are the creator of a whole new field of business, how does it feel to be the brain behind the most talked about cricket league? How did the idea of CCL come about?

It feels great to hear people talking of the success of CCL, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took almost eight years to make this dream a reality. I had a company called rhythm and in 1989, I did the Ms. Andhra Pradesh contest after I just got back from the US. That was when I realized I should create new media properties because I believe in credibility and not pertain to doing events. We did the first film stars cricket match- the Tollywood trophy in 2003 for the Movie Artists Association (MAA) and to bringing stars from all film industries together to play cricket has been a dream since then. That is when the concept of bringing different actors from distinct states under one platform began. And the rest as they say is history.

What are the future plans for CCL? What are the highlights of the upcoming CCL?

Initially, because of the more South Indian teams in CCL, it was perceived to be a South Indian property but with two fresh North Indian Teams coming up for the next season, we feel that CCL will become strong across the Nation. We are expanding by adding two new teams to the existing Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada and Malayalam teams- Bhojpuri and Marathi.

Who has been your favorite player in CCL so far?

I really respect the fact that though these men are from a film background, they put in so much effort and professionalism in the 36

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

sport. It would be very unfair on my part can’t just name one star as a favorite player, but if we consider stardom along with cricketing talent, Riteish Deshmukh and Sudeep are really good. However, I would vote for Venkatesh and Mohan Lal for their effort in making CCL Season 2 bigger.

What do you do on your leisure time?

I spend my leisure time with friends and family. I love socializing, and I enjoy parties because I get a chance to interact with people. I also enjoy taking my wife out for movies and dinner.

What type of qualities do you look for in young executives?

I love youngsters that are enterprising and think out-of-thebox. Furthermore, we look up to dedicated, hardworking and smart working individuals. At CCL, the average age of all the team members is less than 30, and we believe in building entrepreneurs who work as business heads of each division. Anyone who takes more responsibility will eventually get more authority.

What inspires and motivates you the most?

Work is fun for me. I absolutely love my work- it is my hobby and passion. Doing something you are passionate daily is inspiration in itself. So it feels good to work and keeps me motivated at the same time.

How did you get to where you are today?

I started off at a very young age of 24. I believe the time well spent reaps benefits sooner or later. People just see the last two years of

AGL SPOTLIGHT success with CCL and SIIMA, but I have been in media since last 10 years and have seen my share of failures as well. It’s the constant focus that I have on my goal, which is showing results today.

Do people befriend you for your filmy connections?

Success introduces you to the world, and failure teaches you what the world is. To be frank I don’t have many filmy connections because I don’t interact with artists much.

From a cricket league to South Indian International Movie (SIIMA) awards, what was your idea behind organizing an awards night?

I started Maa Awards in 2003, and at present it’s a big property for MAA TV. Earlier, I used to build them for others, and now I am building them for myself. Just as a real estate person comes up with new ventures, we are in business of media, and I like building media properties. I believe south Indian film industry needs proper international recognition for the meaningful and entertaining movies it makes. I was inspired by the likes of IIFA while planning this for the south Indian film industry to celebrate the glory of this industry was my primary motive behind these awards.

How difficult was it to get the stars of Tollywood, Kollywood, Sandalwood and Mollywood on a single stage?

It’s a tough task but thanks to my strong team, we pulled it off. The success of SIIMA this year will help us a lot in the years to come.

What did you aspire to become?

I always wanted to be an Entrepreneur. That is why I changed track after my masters in engineering and came to this field. I would like to settle down as a Venture Capitalist in the next five years.

RAPID FIRE

People constantly say that dealing with celebrities is always a herculean task, how do you manage to maintain good relations with the stars?

It’s not just celebrities, dealing with any individual is a difficult task, and that’s the reason all corporate companies have huge HR teams.

We need to understand what they need and try to give them what they want while taking back what we want from them. Celebrities are human beings too, and as long as you are yourself and give them a genuine idea, they are cooperative and friendly people to work with.

FAVOURITE WATCH: OMEGA

FAVOURITE GADGET: APPLE IPAD

There is no single formula for success. I believe persistence, and patience are the most important qualities that one must possess in order to achieve your goal. It took me eight years for CCL to get started and seven years for SIIMA to happen, and I cannot stress enough on the importance of persistence to achieve success as a business.

FAVOURITE CLOTHING: ARMANI

FOOD: INDIAN, HYDERABADI BIRYANI

I would again say, be persistent and patient. Once you have made up your mind, don’t get carried away by anything else. Stay grounded, be honest to yourself and success is bound to follow.

FAVOURITE PLACE: NEW YORK CITY

What is your business mantra?

What are your tips for our young readers who want to set up their own business?

“

Celebrities are human beings too...

”

CAR: MERCEDES BENZ

HOLIDAY DESTINATION: EUROPE PLACE IN HYDERABAD: MY OFFICE RESTAURANT: SQUARE AT NOVOTEL

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

37

DEJA VU

WHOEVER SAID MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS SIMPLY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO GO SHOPPING.

BY ESHA JOBANPUTRA

R

esearch reveals that buying behaviors can range from frivolous fun to serious addiction and this shopping addiction is increasing at an alarming rate. The consequences of compulsive shopping are far-reaching and could outlast the trendy pair of shoes or digital device you just purchased. These include massive credit-card debt, spoiled relationships, work problems, depression and anxiety. Oniomania is the technical term for the desire to shop, more commonly referred to as compulsive shopping, shopping addiction or shopaholism.

Shopaholics, go out and buy, to get a high, or get a “rush” just like a drug or alcohol addict. Shopping addiction tends to affect more women than men. They often buy things they do not need. Holiday seasons can trigger shopping binges among those who are not compulsive the rest of the year. Many shopping addicts go on binges all year long and may be compulsive about buying certain items, such as shoes, kitchen items or clothing; some will buy anything.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 38

Do you hide your shopping bags like an alcoholic hides their bottles?

Do you shop because it is the best stress buster?

Do you hide yourself at home on month ends, waiting for your salary cheque?

Does your salary day bring you more happiness than being quoted the best employee of the month?

Do you have racks of clothes and possessions with price tags or even shopping bags which have never been used or opened?

Do you visit a departmental store just for some grocery but end up getting a huge bill with items not required at all?

Often regret your impulsive shopping habit?

Have trivial issues with your spouse or family members for shopping?

When there are sales around the city, the only thing that your mind reads is SALE SALE SALE SALE and SALE? The only hot topic of discussion or gossip with your girl friend is new shopping spots, new trends and who has got what?

You never miss a chance to make or save money, for the next big buy?

Do you fear receiving your credit card bill?

Do you prefer buying a branded bag than buying a gold coin, because you think the bag is a better investment?

(At least it will get you the envious looks!)

Do you always have a “to buy” list blinking in front of your eyes?

Do you have enough stuff to put up a new store all together?

Do you feel like getting into a store even if you do not have to shop, but end up swiping your credit card?

Do you have frequent trips to Mumbai, Delhi or Dubai just to put your hands on the latest fashion trends before anyone in Hyderabad has it?

Do you gain more emotional strength by getting a scarf in a sale than from a hug?

Do you calculate the tinkling pennies in your wallet and make a mental graph of what it could buy you at the moment, in the store next to you?

Do you end up buying something for yourself when you are shopping for a gift?

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

DEJA VU

HOW TO PREVENT THE SHOPPING BINGES • • • • • • •

• •

Pay for purchases by cash or debit card.

Make a shopping list and only buy what is on the list.

Destroy all credit cards except one to be used for emergency only.

Avoid discount and sale where you tend to buy more. Allocate only a certain amount of cash to be spent if you do visit one.

“Window shop” only after stores have closed. If you do “look” during the day, leave your wallet at home.

Avoid calling in catalogue orders, online shopping and don’t watch TV shopping channels.

If you are travelling to visit friends or relatives, have your gifts wrapped and call the project finished; people tend to make more extraneous purchases when they shop outside their own communities.

Take a walk or exercise when the urge to shop comes on.

If you feel out of control, you probably are. Seek counseling or a support group.

Well, If we are talking about the shopping trends in Hyderabad, when you flip through any newspaper or magazine and you will see pictures of beautifully dolled up PYT’S and ladies flaunting their eye candy bags, clutches, designer dress, high heeled shoes or a diamond studded watch! What were once upon a time termed as “LUXURY PRODUCTS” are turning to be a necessity for any socially active person.

Hyderabad is one of the top contenders in the Luxury market rat race. We have a parade of luxury stores opening their doors in the city (like Burberry, Versace, Cartier, Ermanagildo Zegna etc), with other premium brands like Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo etc planning to set up their stores in Hyderabad because of the growing market share of luxury brands by the Hyderabadies !!

The brand consciousness is at its peak that people are now known better by the brand they possess. You can often hear whispers of people saying “OMG she’s carrying a Hermes!”

“A bargain is something you can’t use at a price you can’t resist.” – Franklin P. Jones “I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.” – Tammy Faye Bakker

“I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.” – Carrie from Sex and the City “I don’t shop because I need something, I just shop for shopping’s sake.” – Cat Deeley

“I love to go shopping. I love to freak out salespeople. They ask me if they can help me, and I say, “Have you got anything I’d like?” Then they ask me what size I need, and I say, “Extra medium.” – Stephen Wright “If men liked shopping, they’d call it research.” – Cynthia Nelms

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

39

AGL DESTINATIONS

Beauty of Jordan A Jordan family holiday has something to offer from exploring the city of Petra to camping and camel riding in the desert of Wadi Rum, floating in the Dead Sea to escaping the crowds and relaxing at a nature reserve.

40

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

AGL DESTINATIONS

J

ordan's capital, ‘Amman’ is a bustling modern city, but also offers glimpses into its past. Highlights include its Roman theatre, and the Citadel, which is located on a hill overlooking the city, where you'll also find Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad ruins to explore. To start your with your adventure, ‘Citadel’ is quite an interesting place. It dates back to around 180 AD, and the Temple of Hercules is said to have been commissioned by Marcus Aurelius. However, pottery from the Neolithic period has also been found here making it one of the world’s oldest continuous occupied sites. The area now looks like a huge Roman junkyard, with parts of columns and statues scattered across the hill, including a giant hand.

The Roman theatre is definitely worth a visit, it is the largest in Jordan, and could have seated 6,000 in its heyday.

Located just north of Amman is Jerash, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the region. Here, you and your family will be able step back in time as you wander around its colonnaded oval plaza theatre, Roman streets, and also have the chance to take in a chariot race re-enactment and gladiator show. The streets are paved with the original stones, and you can still see the ruts made by chariots, a remarkable and touching historical detail.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

41

AGL DESTINATIONS

The focus of almost every trip to Jordan, Petra is a wonderful place to visit as a family. A couple of days here will give you time to see two of its most iconic structures, the Treasury and Monastery, and also allow for some time to explore further afield.

Without a doubt the world’s most amazing place, the Jordan Rift Valley is a dramatic, beautiful landscape, which at the Dead Sea, is over 400m (1,312 ft.) below sea level. The lowest point on the face of the earth, this vast stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan. Once the waters reach the Dead Sea they are land-locked and have nowhere to go, so 42

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals that supply industry, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest products.

The Dead Sea is flanked by mountains to the east and the rolling hills of Jerusalem to the west, giving it an almost other-worldly beauty. Although sparsely populated and serenely quiet now, the area is believed to have been home to five Biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebouin and Zoar (Bela).

AGL DESTINATIONS

The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the warm, soothing, super salty water itself – some ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others. The unusually warm, incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. All of whom have luxuriated in the Dead Sea’s rich, black, stimulating mud and floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water's healthy minerals along with the gently diffused rays of the Jordanian sun.

The Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa is tucked between the mountains and the Dead Sea near ancient and sacred sites such as Mount Nebo and the Jordan River. This Dead Sea Hotel offers you the best in 5 star luxuries. Deluxe hotel rooms are the perfect choice among hotels at the Dead Sea in Jordan. This Resort at the Dead Sea boasts of luxurious bedding, three outdoor pools and whirlpools. Dining in the Dead Sea doesn't get better with our tempting dining options. The Jordan Valley Marriott is ideal for a family vacation or for business meetings, banquets and weddings. Grand ballroom holds up to 600 reception-styles and the outside terrace makes your event as memorable as our sunset. At hotel’s spa, invigorating treatments using natural elements of the Dead Sea are offered.

A rock-cut tomb or koka is a burial chamber that is cut into the living rock usually along the side of a hill. It was a common form of burial for the wealthy in ancient times in several parts of the world.

Fun and Adventure

Grab a lifejacket and take the plunge. The river is your only path as you trek uphill from the Dead Sea through the narrow, 50m high walls of the Wadi. Your guide will take you through a series of cascading waterfalls, each more challenging than the one before. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) offers many different adventures in Wadi Mujib; its most extensive trek is known as the ‘Lost Trail to the Dead Sea’ - a full day expedition that descends from the rugged highlands above Mujib, down to the Dead Sea. Not for the fainthearted!

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

43

AGL DESTINATIONS

ENTRY INTO JORDAN Visa Requirements

The cost of one entry visa for all nationalities is 20 JD (around $30) obtained upon arrival at the airport; for multiple entries for all nationalities it is 60 JD (around $85) and can be obtained at the nearest embassy/consulate. Groups of five persons or more arriving through a designated Jordanian tour operator with a government certified tour guide are exempt from all visa charges, provided the group arrives and departs together as well as stay a minimum of 2 nights in Jordan. Certain nationalities require an entry visa to be obtained prior to travel. Please select from the drop-down list below to see which nationalities require visa clearance. The below list is meant solely as a useful tool and the data within it is subject to change without prior notice. It is recommended that you check with the Jordanian diplomatic mission in your country prior to travel to ensure that you have all the necessary paperwork for travel. Arrivals at Aqaba, either through the port, the airport or at the crossing from Israel or Saudi Arabia, are granted a free visa to Jordan. There is no obligation associated with this visa, provided that they leave the country from the same border and within 1 month of arrival, and that they do not need to renew their visa. Those holding an ASEZ visa and wishing to stay longer than 1 month must extend it at the ASEZA office in Aqaba and not with their local police station as holders of a normal visa would. Exit service fee applies for land and sea border points. 8.00 JD per passenger and 5.00 JD per vehicle.

GETTING AROUND

Amman and the surrounding cities are relatively small, and most places of interest - hotels and restaurants - are well-known. Street addresses are rarely used - mail is delivered only to post office boxes located at neighbourhood post office centers, while only the larger street names are commonly known. When giving directions, therefore, people will usually tell you the area or a nearby landmark (a large hotel, ministry building or supermarket, for example) and specific instructions from there. This works more efficiently than it sounds.

Amman itself is built on seven hills, or "jabals," each of which more or less defines a neighbourhood. Many jabals once had a traffic circle (roundabout) at their peak and, although most of the circles have now been replaced by traffic lights, the junctions are still known as 1st Circle, 2nd Circle... 8th Circle. Other Amman neighborhoods were once separate villages, now swallowed up by the expanding city.

One final word...If you're having trouble finding your way, don't hesitate to ask a passerby, as most people will be delighted to help.

AIRPORTS

Queen Alia International Airport Conveniently located within 50 minutes of Amman’s downtown, Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) is considered to be the main airport in Jordan and is serviced by many global airline carriers.

Taxis are readily available outside the terminals. Shuttle buses also link QAIA with Amman’s South terminal (and back) every half-hour between 06.00 and 16:30, every hour between 17:00- 00.00, and every hour between 00:00 – 03:00am only Airport – Amman. The cost of the ticket is `235.

Tel: 06 4453200 Fax: 06 4451136 King Hussein International Airport

As Jordan’s gateway to the Red Sea region of Aqaba, King Hussein International Airport (KHIA) is approximately a 45-minutes flight from either of Amman’s airports. Serviced by national and international carriers, KHIA is quickly growing to be a regional hub for both the holiday and business traveller alike.

Tel: 03 2012111 Fax: 03 2012397 44

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

GLITERAZZI

KITCHENETTE

spa WATER sparkling with health benefits

The world spa conjured up images of restorative baths, relaxing massages and patrons in fluffy robes sipping refreshing water with cucumber. While fruit-infused water may seem like a small part of the spa experience, it provides big health benefits.

46

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

KITCHENETTE

Sunny Sangria Spritzer Not exactly a spa water but a nice treat nonetheless! A splash of hearthealthy red wine turns this fruity water infusion into an antioxidantrich evening cocktail.

6 cups (1.5L) mineral or sparkling water 2 cups (500 ml) dry red wine 1 lemon, sliced 1 lime, sliced 1 blodd orange, sliced 1/2 cup (125 mL) hulled and sliced strawberries Pour water and red wine into large pitcher or bowl. Stir to combine.

Add lemon, lime, orange and strawberries. Chill in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.

For a nonalcoholic version, simply replace red wine with an additional 2 cups (500 ml) water.

Serves 4.

Cherry Meets Peach Infusion Give your water the decandent flavour of a peach jubilee, without all the sugar and calories.

1 cup (250 mL) cherries 1 cup (250 mL) peeled and sliced peaches 1 vanilla bean 8 cups (2 L) water Use fork to poke several holes in cherries (this will help to release their juice into the water). Place peaches and cherries in large pitcher or bowl. Pour water over top.

Cut end tips off vanilla bean. Slice lengthwise to open pod. Scrape paste out and stir it into infusion. Chill in refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour before serving.

Serves 4.

Strawberry Kiwi Sensation A classic pairing, strawberry and kiwi give water a subtle sweet taste.

1 cup (250 mL) hulled and sliced strawberries 3 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried hibiscus flowers 2 cups (2 L) water Place berries and kiwi slices in large pitcher or bowl. Pour water over top. Add hibiscus. Chill refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.

Serves 4.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

47

KITCHENETTE

Chef Mandaar Sukhtankar

Khajur Paneer ke Dhol Portion size: Serves 4 · Prep & Cooking time: 40 mins

FOR THE FILLING:

DIRECTION :

200 gms fine chopped Dates 100 gms boiled potato grated 50 gms brown fried onion 5 gms lychee powder 5 gms green chilli chopped 10 gms Coriander chopped 5 gms ginger chop Salt to taste 15 gms yellow chilli powder 1 spoon of lemon juice 500 gms paneer sliced

1.

100 gms corn flour 10 gms chilli powder 1 pinch haldi 2 gms shah zeera Salt to taste Bread crumbs to coat

6.

FOR THE BATTER:

2.

3.

4.

5.

Murtabak

Mix all the ingredients together and make the stuffing.

Lay out the paneer slices and place the stuffing on them. Roll the slices to form the ‘dhol’ Make the batter with the ingredients given and water. It should be thick enough to lightly coat the finger when dipped.

Lightly dip the paneer in the batter and roll in bread crumbs to coat Heat oil in a non stick pan and shallo fry the paneer roll still thsy turn golden brown Serve hot with a chutney that compliments

Portion size: Serves 4 Prep & Cooking time: 45 mins

FOR CHAPATI:

DIRECTIONS:

100 gms refined flour 5 gms oil Salt to taste

1.

FOR STUFFING:

50ml oil 50 gms chopped onions 10 gms ginger and garlic paste 3 gms haldi 5 gms red chilli powder Salt to taste 500 gms minced chicken 5 gms garam masala powder 15 gms mint leaves 15 gms coriander leaves 1 green chilli FOR LAYER

4 boiled egg grated 100 gms cheese 100 ml milk 5 gms ghee 48

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Make the dough with the given ingredients, roll into really thin chapatis and cook. Keep aside Heat oil in kadhai, add the onion and ginger garlic paste. Stir fry for a few seconds Add the haldi red chilli powder and salt. stir for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken mince Add some water and cook. Add garam masala, mint and coriander. Allow the mix to dry.

Season the mince, blend half of it and keep half aside.

Set the thin breads in a tray,moisten with ghee and milk, add the chicken keema layer. Top with the grated egg, followed by grated cheese Repeat the layering. Brush with beaten egg Bake it in a preheat oven for 25 mins in 180 degree cent Let cool for a bit - cut into squares or diamonds as desired

Courtesy: Aish, The Park

HEALTH & FITNESS

FACE FILLERS: Cosmetic Surgery

S

ynthetic fillers are more popular than ever in aesthetic medicine, but cosmetic surgeons believe they are being overused — and even misused — for indications where other techniques such as fat grafting would serve the patient better.

Fillers have been used to fill in what perceives to be a hollowed area. In fact, our entire face is slowly deflating as we age and the reason we see different defects on the face is because of this large volume loss of fat. The volume that is lost as the person ages, occurs over the entire head. It is not concentrated to individual lines or wrinkles. Physicians need to take a global approach to rejuvenation instead of a focal one. An ideal approach to total facial rejuvenation would be to address the whole face, an endeavour for which synthetic fillers may fall short.

You often need a lot more volume than what you get with fillers. It’s one thing to take a younger patient who has lost just a bit of volume and replace that with filler temporarily. However, older patients often exhibit much more significant volume loss, and in these patients, fat grafting is often the ideal treatment approach.

The adipocytes live for approximately seven to 10 years, and as they die and deplete over time, so do the stem cells they produce. The logical replacement of this volume loss is fat cells and not synthetic fillers. Even though fat grafts last far longer and can offer significantly more volume compared to synthetic fillers, fat grafting techniques are not used as often.

The reason why so many physicians spanning many different specialities use synthetic fillers is because it is an easy procedure to learn and an easy one to perform. In contrast, fat grafting requires a little bit of surgical skill and time. The doctors are sculpting the patient from the inside out and physiologically restoring the volume loss.

50

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Expert Speaks Dietary tips for people on the move

HEALTH & FITNESS

T

ravelling can sometimes play havoc with diet plans, especially for people on the constant move. Eating on the run needn’t be a nutritional compromise, provided you put some thought & planning into it. Start off your trip on the right note with a healthy meal before you leave. Don’t miss breakfast, studies have revealed that starting the day with a meal, boosted resting metabolic rate by 10%. In contrast, people who skip breakfast or lunch, eating most of their calories in the evening have been shown to have lower metabolism than large breakfast eaters. Don’t think of travelling as an excuse for breaking eating habits-calories count wherever they are consumed- in the air, on the road or in a hotel. We all eat sometimes just for the sake of it, and not because we are hungry. Airports, railway & service stations are the worst culprits, because eating gives us something to do while we wait & also because of that strange mentality that we have to load up for a journey. With a little effort & will power, you can navigate your way around the junk food & maintain a healthy diet while on a long road trip. Typical freeway fare includes fast foods, chips, sodas, etc.

These are full of fats, calories and don’t possess much nutritional value. In addition, eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling lethargic and distressed.

If you are on a long journey, spare yourself the poor choice and outrageous prices of service station by packing a lunch. If you are travelling with family, they will probably enjoy a car-based picnic and save time also. Before going on the trip, Mrs. P. Padma, do some homework to find about the restaurants Chief Dietitian, & grocery stores in the area. Get adventurous and local cuisine Star Hospitals explore along the way. Remember to eat foods that are easy to digest. Pack some Glove box friendly snacks in Ziploc bags, which don’t melt or smell. These include dried foods, nuts, crackers, baked foods, hard-boiled eggs, etc. Glove box snacks are also a real saving grace, if you get stuck in a jam. But remember, they are there for meals or emergencies, don’t eat them just because you have them. Carry your own trail mix with almonds, walnuts, raisins, dates, sunflower seeds, granola cereals, etc. Stay hydrated- carry a bottle of water in your bag. Pack pre-made sandwiches with veggies or lean meats. If you haven’t got the time or inclination to pack a lunch, stop at a restaurant & not at a fast food centre.

Healthy eating at a restaurant can include whole-wheat toast with omelette, low-fat milk, 100% juice, etc. Order an appetizer for your entree’. Choose wisely with free morning buffets in hotels that can make you put extra pounds. Avoid soda & excess amount of alcoholic beverages. Go for grilled chicken sandwiches. Avoid cheeses, fried foods, choose white meat poultry over red meat & burgers. Super sized meal may sound like a great deal but learn to control the portion size. Make a must-have-vegetarian rule instead of going for chicken and stuffing sandwich, grab a chicken salad instead, even the smallest vegetarian servings help meet your recommendation. If there is really no option other than a fast-food outlet, choose carefully. Even fast-food restaurants serve healthy options like vegetarian subs with wholegrain breads. Choose water or diet drinks instead of high-calorie milkshakes or sugary soft drinks. Refuel your body along with your car at filling stations, which have convenience stores that stock fruit yoghurts, cereal bars, protein bars, etc. Squeeze in any type of activity- walk up & down the terminal, take a walk around your hotel. Making smart food choices during your trip can also assure you a journey to good health.

A FREE session of skin tightening treatment if you carry this ad and come to centre.

*conditions apply

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

51

HEALTH & FITNESS

THE 17 DAY DIET

L

ike many popular diet programs, 17 Day Diet is a cycle, using four phases, to progress people from start to end. The diet itself does not actually last for 17 days; instead, that is the time taken for each of the four phases. > Cycle 1: Accelerate. Kick start the program and accelerate rapid weight loss, cleansing, and fat burning. Discourages fat storage. > Cycle 2: Activate. During this cycle you will “reset” your metabolism. > Cycle 3: Achieve. Develop healthy eating habits, and develop a new understanding of how to eat carbohydrates. > Cycle 4: Arrive. Considering the maintenance phase and the culmination of what was learned in the first three cycles. On weekends, you have freedom to enjoy just about anything you like.

The 17 Day Diet provides direction for a healthy way of eating that is sustainable – it’s clean, includes healthy carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats, and eliminates processed and fried foods. It is a bonus for the people who do not have time to burn calories in the gym or any other physical activities. The fitness aspect is minimal, especially at the start with only 17 minutes of exercise per day proposed. However, for the best results followers are encouraged to do more as they are physically able and comfortable to expand their fitness regimen.

EXERCISE ROUTINE

PROS

The 17 Day Diet makes minimal recommendations for exercise; • Created by a medical doctor who specializes in weight loss however, like many diet plans, it does not dismiss the necessity of a • Promotes clean eating regular fitness regimen completely.

• Possible to lose weight at a steady and healthy rate • Includes a maintenance plan For beginners, the 17 Day Diet recommends a mere 17 minutes of • The “diet” is sustainable exercise each day. This can be as simple as walking or any other normal • Provides a clear and organized eating plan physical activity just to keep your body activated.

• Promotes exercise • Vegetarian-friendly As you progress through the program, become stronger and more able- • Diet is flexible to suit unique dietary needs or taste bodied (for those with no prior history of exercise), the advice is to gradually increase the time spent on physical activity. Preference should always be for activities that you love, with walking always being a go-to sport. > Cycle 1: 17 minutes of exercise per day > Cycle 2: 17 minutes of exercise per day > Cycle 3: 40-60 minutes of aerobic exercise most days > Cycle 4: Try to do an hour on the weekends, in addition to a regular regimen throughout the week

DIET & NUTRITION

The 17 Day Diet relies on a cycled eating plan to help you lose weight. During four cycles, each lasting 17 days (or longer in cycle four), you will change how many servings of healthy carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats that you eat each day.

Overall, the 17 Day Diet is a clean-eating plan, with guidance to eat the “right” kind of carbohydrates, meaning white grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, not processed “white foods,” like bread, crackers, and cookies. Processed foods, processed sugar, and fried foods are a big no-no in this diet.

52

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

HEALTH & FITNESS

17 Day Diet Sample Meals It’s fair to want to know exactly what you’ll be eating before taking on a new diet.

Cycle 1: Accelerate Goal: Improve digestion, initiate fat burn/discourage fat storage

Breakfast: Plain low-fat yogurt with fresh berries, green tea Lunch: Green salad with a variety of vegetables like tomato and cucumber with a homemade vinaigrette, green tea Dinner: Grilled salmon, choice of raw or steamed vegetables, green tea Snacks: Sugar-free fruit-flavored yogurt, choice of one fruit Cycle 2: Activate Goal: Rest the metabolism, stimulate fat burn

Breakfast: Scrambled egg whites, half grapefruit or in-season fruit, green tea Lunch: Baby spinach salad with tomatoes and feta and homemade vinaigrette, green tea Dinner: Grilled turkey patties, side salad, green tea Snacks: Fresh berries, plain low-fat yogurt

Cycle 3: Achieve Goal: Nurture healthy eating habits, reintroduce more foods, and move closer to goal weight Breakfast: High-fiber cereal with skim milk, fresh berries, green tea Lunch: Whole-wheat pita with lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, Italian dressing; baby carrots; green tea Dinner: Barbecued boneless chicken breast, steamed vegetables like asparagus or broccoli, green tea Snacks: choice of one fruit, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich Cycle 4: Arrive Goal: Maintain goal weight

Brunch: Blueberry waffles with syrup, turkey sausage, orange juice Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, steam broccoli, green tea Snacks: Sugar-free fruit-flavored yogurt, raw baby carrots

17 Day Diet Special Notes

The diet is flexible enough to meet the needs of vegetarians. You’ll simply modify the protein suggestions, for instance, replacing fish and chicken with soy, dairy, and legumes. Those who don’t care for seafood or fish can also alter the diet and replace with the other lean protein of their choice, like turkey, chicken or pork. If green tea doesn’t appeal to you, this can also be skipped by replacing with a green tea supplement and/or at least one cup of the tea each day.

• • • • • • • • • • •

GOOD CARBOHYDRATES

Fruits Cabbage & Cauliflower Carrot Cucumber Tomatoes Bean & Legumes Celery Corn Mushrooms Spinach Dates & Figs

Bad carbohydrates, as the name suggests, are full of calories, while being devoid of all the nutritional value and fibers. Apart from this, such products contain sweeteners, preservatives and other unhealthy additives that are best avoided. They are highly refined and processed, thus losing most of the nutritional value and fiber.

Thanks to the processing and additives, bad carbohydrates are temptingly tasty. However, they are likely to create a dramatic surge in insulin levels, which results in overworking your pancreas, storage of fats, diabetes, heart disease, overweight and even obesity problems.

• • • • • • • • • • •

BAD CARBOHYDRATES

White Bread White Pasta Sweet Bakery Products, like cakes and cookies Processed Refined Grains, like white rice Puddings, Custards and other Sweets Sodas Jelly and Jams Candies Processed Foods, like Chips Soft Drinks Alcohol

Before reading the list, it is very essential for you to know why certain carbohydrates are termed ‘good’ for the body. This is mainly because good carbohydrates provide the body with the essential vitamins, minerals and a long list of important phytonutrients.

They are rich in fiber, which results in providing the body with the essential nutrients and the buzzing energy. Also, after having food rich in good carbohydrates, a person tends to feel full and satiated for a long time.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

53

HEALTH & FITNESS

Q&A

SOME CAPTION!

My husband is very conservative in his everyday life and in bed. How can I get him to let loose for hotter sex?

Usually we think men are the ones who are always trying to encourage their women to be a bit more adventurous. But just as often, it is women who want to cut loose and are worried about upsetting their husband.

The best place to start? Ask yourself why you think he’s conservative and shy in bed. Is it simply low sexual confidence? Or maybe a lack of sexual experience before meeting you? Is it something more complex, like he got burned in a past relationship and that makes him feel he can’t let go fully?

Sometimes understanding why a person is shy and conservative in bed helps to change things for the better.

The next tip is to always heap loads of praise on a shy partner when he even starts something new or a little different. The more praise he gets, the more he’ll think to himself, Ooh, this feels good! I’m being told how amazing I am! So if he begins to touch you in a new place or slightly alter his position, tell him how good it feels!

Next, you can invest in a sex guide and tell him you’d love him to highlight something he might want to try.

Whenever I give my husband oral sex and there is semen on his penis, the back of my mouth feels like it is going numb and my throat feels like it is closing up on me. Could I possibly be allergic to him?

54

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Do you use any lubricants that might get on his penis, perhaps during foreplay? That could be the cause of an allergic reaction.

Or it could be something as simple as performance anxiety: We can get panictype symptoms when we’re not sure about what we’re doing. However, because of the “numbness” and feeling like your throat is “closing up,” this situation concerns me.

I suggest you discuss it with your healthcare provider. Although it’s quite rare for someone to have an allergic reaction to semen, it’s not impossible.

I am a 25 year old woman. I orgasm fairly easily during masturbation and oral sex, but I’ve never been able to climax during penetration. Is this a physical thing or a mental thing?

First, realize that you’re not alone. Around 70 percent of women who can orgasm in other ways have difficulty reaching orgasm during penetrative sex. Physically, a woman

needs the right type of stimulation of her clitoral region to reach full orgasm. It can also be a mental thing, though, where a woman simply finds it hard to “let go” during full penetrative sex. And, of course, it can be a combination of both.

Think through these possibilities and how they apply to you. Perhaps your husband gives you exactly the right friction and pressure you need during oral sex to make you climax, and when you masturbate, you also know how to bring yourself to orgasm.

Take this knowledge into penetrative sex.

It may be that you need to slightly alter a position, or try completely new positions.

Or it may mean you want to introduce your or his hand to your clitoral region while you’re having penetrative sex. With this added manual stimulation, you may reach climax. Alternatively, you might slip a vibrator between you to give you clitoral pleasure while you continue to have penetrative sex. Just be sure to let your husband know you want to sex-periment!

HEALTH & FITNESS I heard that if I douche after sex, it’ll prevent pregnancy. Is this true?

No, it’s not true! Unfortunately urban sex myths like this one leave many women with unwanted pregnancies. If your husband has powerful sperm (strong swimmers), they could reach your cervix and travel up into your uterus and fertilize an egg, despite douching. Even if his little swimmers aren’t particularly strong, you never know if one feisty fella might get through. It only takes one!

There are many different types of contraception besides condoms. I’d recommend you both go for an STI (sexually transmitted infection) screening at your local sexual health clinic or health practitioner. Once you’ve been screened and given the all-clear, you can select the method of contraception that best fits your lifestyle. You may want to go on the Pill or the patch, get injections, use an intrauterine device, try the diaphragm, and so on. It’s best to evaluate these with your healthcare provider.

Is there any way, besides having children, to stretch out your vagina?

Whenever my husband and I have sex, it always takes so long for him to penetrate me. It’s like my first time every time — and not in a good way. Can I fix this?

Many women mistakenly wish they had your problem. They think they’re too loose and wish they were tighter. Unfortunately, you’re experiencing something that quite a few women do, and they often feel unable — or too embarrassed — to speak about it.

First, it’s important to consider whether this is related to nerves and anxiety or an actual physical tightness. Many women tighten up their vaginal muscles when they’re anxious about sex. Once you can mentally relax, your muscles will relax too. Another tip: Take lovemaking back to the foreplay stage.

Introduce some deep breathing and muscle relaxation as you caress each other and build trust slowly. Don’t rush to penetrative sex — you can always use manual or oral stimulation to mutually orgasm. Once you’re ready, using lubricant will help.

If you still believe it’s a physical issue, then it’s best to consult your doctor. We are all constructed differently. In your case, it might mean you’re slightly smaller than the average woman or have tighter muscles.

It takes me about 30 minutes to climax during sex. Is there anything I can do to help speed up the process?

This is most definitely not an unusually long time! For the average woman, it takes around 25-30 minutes of foreplay, stimulation, and/or penetration to reach climax. Some women find that the time it takes to get sexually aroused and climax is less when a couple of key factors are involved. First, there’s nothing that will make a woman feel sexier than feeling wanted, loved, and desirable. Discuss with your husband how to incorporate little romantic gestures during foreplay that stoke your libido.

Second, women tend to climax more quickly when they feel completely free and confident about telling their partners exactly what sort stimulation they need.

For example, maybe he gives you some pleasure during foreplay but tends to lose the rhythm, speed, or friction you like.

This means the buildup to your climax is interrupted. So open the dialogue. If you can communicate about these important issues, then you might see things speed up.

But if they don’t, chill out. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

My husband masturbates every day — often when I’m at home with him! How can I make my husband choose me over masturbation?

First, it’s important to realize that his masturbation is probably the habit of a lifetime, so he doesn’t see it as a problem but rather as completely natural. Many men use masturbation as much for tension release as for sexual pleasure. That said, you should think about whether this is simply a tension release “exercise” for him, or if he does it for sexual pleasure. If it’s the latter, you need to have an honest, tactful, unheated conversation about how this makes you feel. Try to get to the bottom of why he masturbates frequently, and then you can start to move forward. It’s important for him to be aware of the effect it’s having on you. You can try the approach of asking him how he’d feel if you masturbated daily, then ignored him in bed. The goal is to get him to put himself in your shoes.

insecure as a person, about the relationship, or whether these feelings come from a basic lack of respect for you on his part.

If you’re an insecure person and he’s a caring partner, then perhaps this is more about building up your confidence.

However, if he dismisses your feelings and doesn’t take them seriously, this is more about him being disrespectful. The fact that he doesn’t go online or on the phone is a very good sign! Perhaps he just needs to be more discreet about his DVD use. The key is that you share how you’re feeling and find a way to talk through this and compromise. hop in the sack — because you’re one hot package.

We saved ourselves for marriage and now, seven months later, he’d rather masturbate than have sex. I’ve tried talking to him, but it’s like talking to a brick wall. What can I do now?

There could be many reasons why he finds sex either a stressful or negative experience. Without him opening up, it’ll be hard for you to work this out. However, it’d definitely be worthwhile to find out what he enjoys about masturbation. It may be that he’s embarrassed to tell you the sort of stimulation he likes, so he relies on masturbation for sexual release.

Tell him you’d love to learn how to pleasure him just as well as he does to himself. Take it slowly and make this suggestion when you’re both relaxed. At first, he might feel a bit nervous showing you what he does.

Hopefully he’ll learn to relax and realize you simply want to please him.

Once you get him to open up, you can let him know the sort of touch and stimulation you like too. If this doesn’t work, I suggest marriage counselling.

My husband masturbates to porno DVDs. It makes me feel inadequate, mentally cheated on, and worried about the future. Is my concern unfounded?

Many adults use pornography in ways that don’t harm their relationships or themselves. You need to work out if your worries are more about being generally AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

55

56

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Allu Arjun

Stylish, sexy... but taken

By Esha Jobanputra

Allu Arjun is one happy-go-lucky star with no hang-ups! Bunnyas his loved ones and fans fondly call him, is one of the bestdressed actors in tinsel town. He always got the girls drooling over him and guys desiring to have a six pack like him. He can floor you with his boyish charm and warm smile; you will invariably find him to be the life of any party. What makes Allu Arjun a class apart from the rest is his down-to-earth nature and his friendly attitude. His marriage to Sneha Reddy broke a million hearts, but his fan following is increasing by leaps and bounds.

He got married to his lady love in the big fat Indian wedding style last year. He is a natural dancer and has been tantalizing moves, which are rather unbelievable and spectacular. A perfect package of fashion, action, performance and attitude is what we call ALLU ARJUN.

AGL gets candid with the actor just before his release, ‘JULAYI.’

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

57

You are a true Arien, full of surprises and excitement and hates monotony and dullness in life, how do you manage to be so active around the clock?

Happiness is not something far away and unattainable, and its manifestation does not depend on circumstances. As the saying goes, I do not need a reason to be happy, I am always on high spirits and the right mood. After all we just have one life to live, why do I waste my life being discontent? I enjoy every moment and live it to the fullest and have no regrets about anything…

You are often seen at public places or partying unlike other actors, how do you manage to be so down to earth?

I have great respect for people. I treat acting as only a profession,

I would not change even a single fraction.

I love my life and live every moment of it in the right stride.

Being one of the best dressed and fashionable actors in Tollywood, how do you maintain it on screen and off the screen?

Well, on screen I am always dressed according to the demand of the movie and mould myself in the character, I have portrayed different looks in all of movies starting from Gangotri to Julayi. I am comfortable in all clothes and carry them with ease. On the screen, my dressing is often high street fashion. Talking about my off the screen look, I mainly wear clothes and accessories of luxury brands, which I buy when I am abroad holidaying or shooting.

like everyone’s got their own. People from different high professions also go partying and are seen at public places, just that my profession is such that I am recognized. I am just one of them. So, it is not that hard for me.

Has marriage changed Allu Arjun?

Yes, marriage did change me. For that matter, not just Alllu Arjun, marriage changes everyone. (laughs)I don’t think they should marry.

Which is the best role you have played till date?

Tell us something about your upcoming movies Julayi and Yevadu?

Julayi is my soon to be released movie, where in, I will be staring with Illeana D’Cruz, the movie is directed by Trivikram Srinivas. I play the character of a middle class guy who wants a shortcut for becoming rich. Julayi was initially being released in july, but due to technical some issues it has been postponed to August. And when it comes to Yevadu, I am playing a cameo in Yevadu.

Who has been your inspiration? (big smile!) I think it is an open-ended question the answer is obviously CHIRANJEEVI.

You have created a niche for yourself in Kerala (that they call you Mallu Allu), what are your upcoming movies there?

Yes! I am overwhelmed with the love and affection I get there.

Coming to my upcoming movies? My current movie Julayi is being dubbed back there in Kerala also. So, Julayi will be a simultaneous release, both in AP and Kerala.

Tell us something about your bonding with Ram Charan?

Ram Charan and I are Cousins by chance and best friends forever.

He is my 3 AM friend with whom I can share my darkest secret and vice-versa.

58

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

How do you spend your day when you are not shooting?

When I am not shooting, the best way, I spend time is whiling away time doing nothing. However, the sad part is I get very less time to while away. The shooting schedules are very hectic.

COVER STORY What is your dream role?

I believe in making my dreams come true, so every role I play is my dream role. I Dream and give myself yourself permission to envision what I choose to be!

Is Tollywood a stepping stone towards Bollywood?

Definitely not, they are both two different arenas, and I have never interlinked both the industries.

You are Luxury Brand freak, where do you shop?

I usually shop abroad, but in India, there is just one place where I go shopping that is DLF MALL. What is that one thing that you miss after your bachelorhood was gone?

Not one, there are a lot of things that have changed post marriage. To be particular, there is one thing I can say, in my bachelor days I use to just take my bag and leave wherever and whenever I want, which I don’t think I can do now.

What is one thing you regret in life and one thing you will cherish all your life?

As I said before I am always happy and cherish every moment of my life and have no regrets. I’m not a kind of person who would regret something. Even if god came and ask me if there is something I would like to change in my life I would not change even a single fraction. Because I love my life and live every moment of it in the right stride.

Who is your favorite co-star?

Every person is different and unique, so it is tough to name any co-star. Well, still Kajal is one of my good friends in Tollywood.

What is your criterion for selecting a script?

I have no check-list or a lengthy procedure to be followed before signing a script. It is entirely circumstantial and depending on my mind frame at that particular point of time.

You have achieved a lot in a young age, how do you carry the burden of the ever increasing expectations from people around you? (smiles) You are exaggerating. I don’t think I have achieved much, there are miles to go. Maybe as a young actor, I have achieved something. Still….there is a long way to go and lots more in store yet to be achieved.

Candle light dinner or a romantic walk, what do you prefer?

A romantic walk anytime!

Your message to AGL readers.

Live life King-Size. Thanks for the love and support! Please do watch my upcoming movie Julayi.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

59

Rapid Fire F Indr avorite a – W mov Forr ednes ie est G day ump – .

ty ce to par Best plyaderabad H

Favorite place in leehills.

Hyderabad Jubi

Favorite actorirsthik Chiranjeevi, H e Favorite perfum l Water oo C f of id av D Armani Code,

cannot One thing yuou c do witho t Musi

Favori

te holi d Maldaivy destinati on es.

Favorite ride Bike

Favorite watDchubuis Hublot & Roger

60

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

tha h crusate Suni t s r Fi assm l d a ec r g t 1s

ine cuis l e t i r a Favo ntinent Co

H Draowbbies Pl ay i andng, Colleing Pian colle ction o, B ction of ooks of wa art wo , tches rk

COVER STORY

The f o y e Journ e f i L s hi

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

61

KIDS

Send your your colored sketches to ALR Media Pvt. Ltd,. #8-2-696/1/K, Banjara Hills, Road no. 12, Hyderabad- 500034 to win exciting prizes.

COLOUR ME AND SEND TO AGL TO WIN EXCITING PRIZES

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

62

Send your your colored sketches to ALR Media Pvt. Ltd,. #8-2-696/1/K, Banjara Hills, Road no. 12, Hyderabad- 500034 to win exciting prizes.

KIDS

AGL AUGUST 2012

63

AGL Interiors

All that glitters is Gold.

64

AGL AUGUST 2012

AGL INTERIORS

Gold has forever been a favorite among luxury lovers. Someone once said that there are two great enemies of thought and progress, the aristocracy of royalty and the aristocracy of gold. This month, AGL interiors takes a look at one such house themed in Gold.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

65

AGL INTERIORS

B

y day, Nicola Koptisch crunches numbers in a Wellington office, wedged between fluorescent lighting and standard issue industrial carpet. After hours, she dwells in Italy. At least, that’s what the accountant tells herself while ensconced in her own version of the grand, gilded northern Italian country villas that stole her heart as a young backpacker.

The Italophile has devoted substantial chunks of the last 18 years to meticulous reproduction. Layers of gold leaf and ornate mouldings, columns, Roman busts and plaster-framed copies of 18th century Venetian paintings have been added to her two-storey weatherboard house. No panelled wall, elaborately painted ceiling or glossy expanse of black granite flooring has escaped attention.

And now she is satisfied.

When you shut the door, it feels as though you are living in an Italian villa. More so at night, when everything lights up and reflects on the granite floor. It’s like a sheet of glass, it’s totally black, so you get the

66

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

reflection of all the ceiling on the floor.

Villa Roma is also home to Nicola’s Austrian-born husband Norbert, who has latterly pitched in with paintbrushes and power tools.

However, the house – and much of its transformation – came long before the husband. A builder showed her how to mitre plaster framing, and she has painted and decorated every wall in the house herself. Nicola was already an old hand at renovation when she spotted a run-down building on The Terrace, in the capital’s city centre, in autumn 1994.

As a university student, she made a hobby of trawling property listings and plaguing real estate agents to look inside old homes, she might one day own. She also helped her antiques dealer mother redeveloped a Thorndon property. So, when the villa came up for auction, she had no trouble seeing past its leaning foundations and cheaply constructed 1950s interior.

AGL INTERIORS

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

67

AGL INTERIORS

Once it had been replied, Nicola installed new wiring and gas piping and employed a landscape architect to draft garden plans before heading to London to live.

Each summer over the next 10 years, she would return to Wellington and take up the renovation reins, working alongside the tradesmen.

During one of these working holidays home, Nicola met Austrian-born food and beverage manager Norbert Koptisch. The brief trip to Wellington lengthened and eventually she sent for her belongings, moved back into Villa Roma with Norbert and launched into another concentrated round of renovations before the couple married in April 2011.

As her confidence grew, gold and silver leaf began to engulf door frames, floor and ceiling mouldings, the bathroom, even the bed in her English home. The fireplace alone costed £6000. Inevitably, her obsession resurfaced in Wellington, where she hauled scaffolding and ladders into the house and spent hundreds of neck-bending hours applying tissue-thin layers of gold and silver leaf to ceilings, fireplace surrounds and furniture.

Antique furniture and fittings, gathered from English auction houses, antique fairs, salvage yards and London’s Bermondsey silver market, have been restored and reupholstered. A pair of sphinxes, long stored in her mother’s garage, has been rescued, coated in gold and assigned the task of guarding the wine racks next to the kitchen.

In between, as a welcome creative distraction from her accountancy work, Nicola began experimenting with gold leaf at her west London studio apartment. She pored over books, quizzed artists and picture framers and began gilding the rail above her bed, inspired by her fervour for the Italian Renaissance interiors seen on her travels.

The essence of the interiors reverberates in the trompe l’oeil paintings, a whole wall in a villa painted by an artist and the amazing ceilings.

68

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Since then, Nicola has continued to work around full-time contracts to finish her masterpiece. She built the room around all the structural parts. She concentrated on the ceiling and walls for the drama and the impact. A wall or ceiling can be as dramatic as a piece of art or a ceramic vase in this house.

So plaster florets have been added to ceilings and richly detailed mouldings to walls. Artist friend Mike Ting was called in to paint clouds on magnificently detailed ceilings upstairs and down. The guest room features a stormy sky that reminds Nicola of Wellington being lashed by southerly winds.

PHOTO FEATURE

Director KV Anand’s latest film Maattrraan starring Tamil superstar Suriya and Kajal Agrawal. This movie is produced by Kalpathi Aghoram and music has been composed by Haris Jayraj. Maattrraan also stars Vivek, Sachin Khedekar, Tara, Ravi Prakash, Isha Sharvani and others.

70

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

PHOTO FEATURE Siva Thandavam starring Vikram, Jagapathi Babu, Anushka Shetty, and Amy Jackson is due to hit the theaters soon. Music for this film is given by G V Prakash Kumar. Vijay A L is directing this film, which is being produced by UTV motion pictures.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

71

PHOTO FEATURE

Mass Raja Ravi Teja and director Puri Jagannadh are teaming up for a new film titled Devudu Chesina Manushulu. Devudu Chesina Manushulu to be produced by BVSN Prasad and Reliance Entertainments jointly casts Ileana as Ravi Teja’s love interest. Devudu Chesina Manushulu has cinematography by Shyam K Naidu, Music by Raghu Kunche, Fights by Vijay, Editing by SR Sekhar and story, dialogues, screenplay by Puri Jagannadh.

72

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

SILVER SCREEN

PARUL YADAV ON THE HOT SEAT

DREAM CAR: Right now BMW x6

DREAM DATE: A candlelight dinner in the middle of the sea, on

want to explore India completely.

HOBBIES AND PASSION: Cooking is one of my biggest passions.

don a role like Kajol in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

FAV CUISINE: Indian. I love spicy food.

FAVORITE HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS: Anywhere in India. I DREAM ROLE: Since I am a very romantic person, I would love to TURN-ONS: Good perfume and good character.

TURN-OFFS: Overly flirtatious men

WORST PICK-UP LINE: Guys don’t use pick up lines on me.

Everyone who likes seems to be wanting to me wanted to marry me!

BEST WAY SOMEONE WOOED YOU: A guy directly spoke to my mom about marrying me. That was a very sweet and decent thing to do.

YOUR HANDBAG ALWAYS HAS: Sunscreen, moisturizer, mascara, lip balm and my ipad.

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: I love dresses- have about 70 of

them! Denims and T-shirts are my other favorites.

a yatch.

I excel in cooking Indian food.

PROJECTS SO FAR: Govindaya Namaha which is a Kannada movie and Bachchan starring Sudeep.

WHEN NOT ACTING OR MODELING, PARUL IS?

Busy with my company ace designs. It is an interior designing firm.

YOUR FIVE MUST HAVES: Family, movies, good health, computer and my phone.

YOU GET HIGH ON: Being in my senses.

YOUR TAKE ON NUDITY: The more you are covered, the prettier

you look.

HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE IN SIIMA AWARDS?

I walked the ramp and represented Kannada film industry. I also performed for Telugu and Kannada songs. Shravan designed a beautiful half saree for me for the ramp.

YOU DROOL OVER: Sizzlers in food, dresses while shopping.

NEXT IN YOUR GOODIE BAG: Brand ambassador for Telugu

relationship with right now.

ONE ACTRESS YOU REALLY LIKE IN THE CURRENT BRIGADE: I look up to all the actresses because of how

BOYFRIEND: My work and movies are the ones I am in a WHO WOULD YOU RATHER DATE? AN ACTOR OR SOMEONE WHO IS AN OUTSIDER TO THE GLAM WORLD? Outsider, absolutely! I am a kind of girl who doesn’t like being insecure in a relationship. And that won’t be possible if you are dating an actor.

warriors in CCL August and I am looking at a few offers in Tollywood.

professional they are. I respect their hard work and dedication.

Tamannah is someone I really adore.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

73

SILVER SCREEN

SILVER SCREEN

Katrina is easy to fall in love with: Salman Khan Ever heard the saying grapes are sour? Well, this doesn’t seem to be the case with Salman Khan, who has reportedly been overly praiseful about his “Ek Tha Tiger” co-star and ex-girl friend Katrina Kaif. Salman was heard telling a bunch of reporters during a press conference that “Katrina” is very easy to fall in love with. Hmmm time for the violin to play again I say people!

Indian on PLAYBOY Cover: Sherlyn Chopra

Oh my! Here is something that this sizzling beauty has managed to do which other Indian models have just dreamt about. She has managed to be featured on the cover of the illustrious magazine Playboy. She has even changed her twitter handle to “Playboy cover girl,” she has also been posting pictures of her and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner on twitter.

Hindi Cinema’s Lovable Giant Says Goodbye: Dara Singh The Gentle giant, let me start of by paying tributes to India’s most lovable giant. At 6’2, Dara Singh used to entirely encompass the entire TV screen in the 80’s and 90’s Our generation fell in love with Hanuman, India’s first super hero and the credit entirely goes to Dara singh. Here are certain facts about him which as a nation we should look upon proudly. Dara Singh was an international wrestler who had about 500 International fights to his credit, hold your breath all UNDEFEATED. He fought with international wrestlers like Lou Thesz and Stanislaus Zbysz. He won the Professional Indian Wrestling Championship in 1953, and took away the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship trophy in 1959 by defeating Canadian champion George Godianko. He was well known for his roles such as Hanuman, Tarzan and Samson. He was 83 when he passed away.

74

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Sherlyn Chopra Model

SILVER SCREEN

Rajesh Khanna The Ultimate Romantic Superstar The moment I hear the name Rajesh Khanna , I remember my maternal grandmother’s desk, there was a black and white photo with an handsome kaka on the sets of “Aradhana” and a few undelivered letters to him by my granny. Yes that was the craze of Bollywood’s ultimate romantic superstar – Rajesh Khanna aka “Kaka”. While growing up I met a lot of “Rajesh bhai’s” and “Rajesh Uncle’s” and I had no doubt in my mind that their mom’s were all heartthrob fans of Kaka.

Kaka passed away last month after years of worsening drinking habit and periods of loneliness. An actor who was preceded by Dilip Kumar the tragedy king of bollywood and followed by Amitabh Bachan bollywood’s biggest superstar till date, Kaka created his own niche as the most romantic actor the industry had ever seen. He still holds a record of delivering 15 consecutive hits, something which neither Amitabh nor SRK after him could ever achieve.

Rajesh Khanna formed a trimurthy of sorts with RD Burman and Kishore Kumar whose singing career was revived with Kaka’s films. Music and songs were the mainstay of his films, most of the movies were runaway hits because of the songs even before the movie hit theatres. It is said that Kaka never used to ok a song until he could recollect the lyrics after a few days of hearing the composition for the first time. After his decline as a star and once age finally started catching up he briefly moved onto politics representing the New Delhi constituency for the Congress party between 1992 and 1996.

The comebacks also continued in the meanwhile. The most embarrassing of them all being the 2008 movie Wafaa: A Deadly Love Story in which he starred opposite the now supposedly dead Laila Khan. The story goes he also almost entered the Big Boss house and his son-in-law Akshay Kumar got the deal scuttled.

Mahesh blessed with a princess It is celebration time for Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu and wife Namrata Shirodkar who delivered a baby girl at the Swapna Nursing Home in Hyderabad.

According to reports, both baby and mother are healthy and doing fine.

Former Miss India turned actress Namrata married Mahesh Babu in November 2005 in Mumbai after dating for five years. They were seen together in Telugu film Vamsi which became a box-office hit. The couple have a six-year-old son Gautam Krishna.

Veena Malik & A Dirty Picture The Dirty picture, the film which is based on the life and times of the Late South Indian diva – Silk Smitha, has run into controversy for selecting Pakistani actress Veena Malik for the lead role. Apparently The Sreerama Sene Chief Pramod Muthalik who made nationwide news by opposing the Valentine’s Day and recently agitated against Kannada film industry's first 3 D film 'Kataari Veera Sura Sundaraangi' starring Super Star Upendra and Ramya for maligning Hindu gods has raised issues about Veena Malik’s Pakistani stature.

However Akshay, the hero of Kannada film Dirty Picture and its director Thrishool say that Veena's selection was based on the requirements of the script.

DIRECTOR’S TAKE

Director’s Take:

Sekhar Kammula On the sets of his latest film, we catch up with the realistic director, Sekhar Kammula. He gets talking about his movies, family and more.

Read on to find out what makes his life beautiful.

From Dollar dreams to the latest- Life is beautiful. How has the journey been so far? What is the biggest truth you learnt about the industry?

It’s hard to point out one single truth; it has been a long journey.

Film industry is a commercial world. I have made fewer number of films. No matter what the outcome, I am proud that I stuck to my genre. Even if I don’t preach anything or say something idealistic, I have never said anything wrong through my films.

What is the USP of your latest film Life is Beautiful?

Like all my other films, it’s a slice of life. You will find nostalgia, innocence and reality. It will make you laugh, cry and smile.

The genre is in similar tones of Happy Days, but is set up in a neighborhood. It has a lot of playfulness and camaraderie. It showcases the life, joys and times of middle-class people living in a neighborhood. The age group of the main characters is similar to Happy Days.

You have launched an open talent hunt for your upcoming film. How did it go? Any memorable experiences during the auditions?

Tedious is the word that comes to my mind when I think about the talent hunt. It is a very long and difficult process and the search for actors for this film took more time than for Happy Days. There is more color in the cast of this film.

How does it feel when you find the perfect person to represent the characters that you wrote out?

It was a massive search this time. Every time somebody walks in, who is likely to be selected for the characters that I have in mind, I get really excited. I don’t know if the other person wants the role that much, but I want the right person very badly! Along with the person auditioning, I also get nervous on the other side. I feel good that I am doing an honest search and finding the right actors, and that I am helping out some people who are aspiring to act.

76

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

By S.R.K. Soundarya Varma

You are known for your simplicity, what is the one thing you do when you want to indulge yourself?

My Honda Civic is the biggest luxury product I bought for myself.

I love driving. When in the US, I used to drive a lot, but it is not so gratifying to drive bigger cars here because you are bound to be stuck in traffic or bad roads.

One luxury buy you wouldn’t mind?

I would probably like to buy an eco-friendly car even if it is very expensive.

What does luxury mean to you? How can you remain so simple, being a part of the film industry, which is known for glamour and extravagant lifestyles?

I feel and believe am one of the middle-class people; I represent them. All my formative years have been this way and made me what I am today. I don’t think just because I am a director now, I should be any different. My likes, and values are all rooted in me. So luxury for me is to be able to spend time with my family and kids, watching movies in a regular theater and stuff like that. I am not against luxury; it is just not in my system. I find peace, comfort and happiness in only being myself and in being simple.

Tell us something about your family life that is less known to the public.

My wife’s name is Sri Vidya. I have two children- Vandana and Vibhav.

My daughter is nine years old and son is five years old. They are not into films and this industry. None of my family members are anywhere related to the film industry. My father would have been happy if I were an IAS officer. My wife

DIRECTOR’S TAKE complains that I haven’t told her before our marriage that I would be making movies later. That is how non-committal they are to films.

Nevertheless, these days they are all proud of me. They are not ashamed of my films and are happy with the kind of movies I make.

Sekhar Kammula as a father is very?

Friendly. I am very friendly with my kids, and they don’t even listen to me. They make deals with me to get what they want (Smiles).

Your movies are very realistic and meaningful. Is there an influence by people around you when you are writing your characters and stories?

Not specifically, but in general yes. I attribute the way I portray women with certain characteristics like independence and a child-like stubbornness to my family upbringing. That is how I see women - as intelligent. All my characters generally have a goal and a direction. Women characters come out stronger because very few filmmakers concentrated on that before, probably because it doesn’t pay at the box office.

There is a certain pace to your films. Is it planned out or does it just happen that way because of the subjects you choose?

I don’t even feel a standard pace is required. In a sense, I am defensive. I start writing at a very idealistic place where I believe I have a story to tell. When I write my characters, I fall in love with them, and I am very protective of my scripts. All this may sometimes reflect in the pace of my films.

You have worked on many short films during your stay in US. There are a lot of short films now being made by aspiring filmmakers. What is your take on this trend?

I am not much of an internet buff, so I hardly come across many short films. Technology is so available and rampant nowadays. I was taught in film school that you are obligated to the society when you are making a film. They also taught me that making movies is a divine profession with a social responsibility. It is like having a weapon in your hand. If anybody is trying to make a short film, my only advice to them would be to make it if they want to tell a tale and not just for the popularity it brings.

Why do you take so much time in coming out with a movie?

Writing takes a lot of time for me. My drive while making a film is not to make money, just to start a new project or to make use of an actor’s calls sheets. I need to find a storyline that makes me say

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

77

DIRECTOR’S TAKE

‘It’s good, let us make a movie out of this’. This takes a lot of time and doesn’t come easy. Once it does come, I go into hibernation working on the script.

Your movies are a heady combination of aesthetic values and commercial success. Any message you would like to give to all the filmmakers of masala flicks?

We all should coexist in this industry. A movie is watched for entertainment and if the popular belief is pro a film, it is hard to say if it is good or bad.

Those equations have changed now. They exist in their space, and I exist in mine. When I make money, I feel really good that I am staying true to what I believe in and am still reaching out to the public. Maybe if I can ever make a film like that I can say something about it, but not now.

that doesn’t sustain. Now that there is increased accessibility to technology, many think that it is easy to make it here, but the reality is different. If you have the passion, you will enjoy the struggle too. When you have a beautiful story to tell, film is a great media. Furthermore, be careful not to be influenced by others. This is a competitive field, not just because there are others, but because you need to convince millions of people with your film.

Your ideas should be recognized and applauded by the audience, and it takes a lot of patience, commitment, hard work and passion to achieve that.

Since you are an engineer too, any advice to the engineer graduates out there who are trying new waters?

What should drive you is passion to tell a tale through movies and not the fame, glamour and money that come with it, because

“My

father would have been

happy if I were an IAS officer.”

78

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

TIME MACHINE

CUT COUPON HERE

15% OFF ON TIME MACHINE BRANDS OMEGA, TAG HEUER, BALMAIN, LONGINES, HAMILTON, GUCCI, SEIKO, CALVIN KLEIN, SWATCH, ROBERTO CAVALLI, JUST CAVALLI, TOMMY HILFIGER, MOVADO, ROMANSON, BANDLIER, MORELLATO, GUESS, DKNY, JACQUES LEMANS, VERTU, TAG MOBILE, SEIKO TIMEPIECES. 8-2-696/1/K, BANJARA HILLS, ROAD NO. 12. HYDERABAD - 500034 +91 040 23420075 / 76 / 70 CONDITIONS APPLY

SOME SPECIAL MOVES GIRLS SHOULD TRY ATLEAST ONCE EROTIC MASSAGE FOR HIM

Ask your boyfriend to strip off his clothes and lie naked face down on the bed. Then give him a butt massage! First, put your hands on his butt and just shake it. It sounds goofy, but the book swears that guys love it. Then, “scoop” the sides of his butt with the palms of your hands and let it drop from within your hands. Squeeze the cheeks with your hands and make your hands into fists to massage him. The book recommends leaning over him so you can use the weight of gravity to help you massage; that way, you don’t get as tired.

MAKE UNEXPECTEDLY SEXY Sure, sexy lingerie is, well, sexy. But another surprisingly sexy sight to guys is you—freshly showered, no makeup. Who can resist a woman who’s just soaped, shaved and shampooed herself to perfection? If you live with your guy, take your time and make a ritual out of your shower. Leave the bathroom door cracked so he can catch a glimpse of you slathering lotion on your body. If you’re dating, greet him at the door just out of the shower, with your hair loosely tied back, and wear something feminine like a clingy spaghetti-strap slip.

GIVE HIM GOOSE BUMPS Vixenish back scratching is best left to romance novels and porn; a better way to stimulate your guy is with a light touch. The next time you’ve having sex, wrap your arms around him and gently drag your nails across his back, butt or thighs from top to bottom, applying as little pressure as possible.

The slight touch will send shivers down his spine…and enhance the feeling of everything else.

80

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

ROMANCES

A MOVE TO USE WHILE KISSING As you’re leaning in to lock lips, place your hand over your partner’s heart. It feels wonderfully intimate. And when the kiss starts to get hot, you can walk your fingers up to your beau’s shoulder and pull him in even closer.

STIMULATE HIM VISUALLY

A good way to turn him on visually is to have him make love in front of a mirror so he can see every erotic angle of each other’s bodies. You can also put a mirror at the side, parallel to his body while you give him oral sex. This is also a great turn on for him. You can arouse him during sex by wearing some sexy lingerie or even before lovemaking by wearing no underwear. You can tempt him by making him to watch you using a vibrator on your clitoris. There are other ways to get him aroused visually. Keep the door open when you shower. Let him watch you dressing. You bend your body forward while you pull up your skirts and you arch your back while you hook your bra. You may not be able to remain fully clothed for long. You can ask him to help you buckle the ankle strap on your sandal. When he gets on his knees, you shift slightly so he can sneak a peek up your skirts.

CREATE HANDCUFFS

Straddle your guy during your next bedroom session and begin to pull off his shirt. As it reaches his wrists, stop pulling. Grab the shirt with one hand (grasp the part in the middle between his arms) and use it to pin his wrists back to the bed like makeshift handcuffs. The more confident you are about doing it, the better. You’ll be in control, and he won’t have a clue what hit him. But he’ll like it.

TEMPT HIM WITH SMELL

When you take a shower, you rub your whole body with a great smelling scrub; then shave and clean up with a rich lotion. You put on a sexy lotion or perfume and maybe spray a tiny amount of it on his pillow. In case he may be allergic to certain smell, you can choose a perfume that he likes and spray it around your neck and as you lean in closer and whisper in his ears, he can smell you, which is a great turn on for him. Next time, when you make love with him, you light one special scented candle. After a few times, he will begin to link this fragrance to you and sex.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

81

IS IT GOOD TO GET YOUR EX BACK? If you have broken up the relationship with your partner and have not yet engaged yourself into a new relationship this might be the question in your mind. Some don’t even think about their ex and those (sweet or disgusting) moments with their ex. But some just don’t let things go and think about their ex quite often. If you have this question in mind then read on…There can be only two things happening if you decide to get your ex back:

It is good when…

You feel at the heart that the mistake is on your side in ending the relationship with your partner.

Now you need to call him/her right now and see what feelings he/she has for the relationship and for you.

It is your partner who has ended the relationship.

But now you see a difference. He/she is calling you often or trying to talk to you. Your partner expresses his/her interest in you and the interest to restart the relationship with you.

In spite of whose mistake it was on ending your relationship, if you feel that he/she is the Mr. / Mrs. Right for you and you feel that you can give it another blast then you need to get him/her back.

It is good. You should be willing to pay a price though, since you don’t know the feelings of your partner at the moment.

Your relationship has not ended because of an abuse, be it physical, mental, sexual, financial whatsoever.

82

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

1. getting your ex back for good or 2. getting him/her back for bad. So the answer to the question of this post is both Yes and No. Yes getting ex back is sometimes good and sometimes very bad. Let’s see when it is good. After all if you are reading this post then you very much value your broken relationship.

Either of you has not ended up the relationship for another guy or a girl.

Your ex is not yet married to someone else.

You have given enough time after the break up to think and decide that you are now ready to take him/her back.

You have found a solution to the problem on which you broke up.

You are sure that the issue causing your break up won’t show up again in the future to cause further problems.

You are pretty sure that you can’t live without your ex!

Check out for these symptoms and then take steps to get your ex back. Even better, look out for symptoms on your ex’s side to know, what feelings he/she has.

RELATIONSHIPS

HOW CAN YOU FIND YOUR EX STILL LOVES YOU? Getting ex back is not always what everybody wants. But some might be interested to get back the relationship.

Some others might just be curious if their ex is still on them or not, while not necessarily wanting the relation-

ship back. Whatever might be the case, it is good to know (if you are interested!) if your ex is still interested in you and if he/she still loves you.

Here are some signs that indicate that he/she (your ex that is) still loves you.

Your new look, dress, haircut or shoes get an appreciation from your ex.

Your ex establishes contact with you voluntarily.

This might be a phone call, an IM or a drop by at your office.

Your ex talks a lot about you to your close friend(s).

This means that they want the matter to be communicated.

Your ex call you for advice on a crisis he/she is just going through. This means that your ideas and suggestion means to him/her a lot and your ex still sees you as a partner to whom he/she can share stuff with.

Your ex opens up the topic of break up once again and wants to analyze the feelings, consequences etc. – in a sense trying to recap the event.

Your ex has still not gone live with another relationship (although this is not a sufficient sign!).

Your ex calls you and says we can be friends (unless you have agreed to stay as friend when you parted).

It happens that you meet your ex at places where you usually would be, say your office, the bus stop, food cafe etc. It has not just happened but your ex comes there purposely to get your attention.

Your ex wears the dress presented by you or takes whatever you presented him/her on an occasion where you both are present.

Your ex either tells you directly or intimates to you that he/she is open to hear from you and to help you in difficult times.

Above all, obviously, if your ex asks you if you are still interested in him/her and the relationship then, that’s it! Whether you like it or not, your ex still loves you

When you are conversing with your ex and he/she talks by looking deeply into your eyes for more than 10 seconds.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

83

OUT OF THE CLOSET TRUSHNA TIBREWALA

by: Esha Jobanputra

1

2

4

3

5

6

7

8

9

I

t is time to take a peek-a-boo at Trushna Tibrewala’s closet. Name a brand and she has it all.

This brand freak is born and brought up in Hyderabad, married at an early age having a filmy style love marriage with her sweetheart Ashwin Tibrewala. A mother of two little kid’s Ishaan & Viha makes this family complete. A perfect homemaker, an amazing mother, a well-known socialite and a brand freak are just a few words, to sum up this fashion diva.

1

BAGS

84

8 Burberry

2 Versace

9

Dolce & Gabbana

3 Burberry

10

Louis Vuitton

11

Jimmy Choo

12

Gucci

13

Fendi

7 Prada

14

Coach

1

6 GUESS

4

Louis Vuitton

5 Dior 6

SHOES

Salvator Farragamo

Jimmy Choo

Salvator Farragamo

2 Clarks

7 Eden

3 Occasions

8

Tres Modo

4

Nine West

9

ALDO

5

Nine West

10

Next

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

BELTS Left to Right (pic)

1 Louis Vuitton 2 Hermes 3 Ralph Lauren 4 Gucci 5 Versace

10

OUT OF THE CLOSET

Dress: Karen Millen Clutch: Elizabeth McQueen Watch: Chopard

Top: Harrods Bag: Louis Vuitton Watch: Rolex Belt: Louis Vuitton

Dress: ZARA Clutch: Jimmy Choo Watch: Chopard

What is your idea of fashion?

Fashion is something that should come from your inner-self, and not be dictated by the on-going trends in the market, no doubt that you should be abreast with what is in and what is not. However, just aping what is seen or read is not advisable. Just wear things that you can carry with confidence and make your own style statement.

What are your favourite brands?

Well, I like many brands but to name a few like Dior and Louis Vuitton, and in cosmetics, I prefer Dior and Mac. What is one thing that is your priced possession?

My favourites are never constant they keep changing from time to time, nothing in particular. However, all my brands are close to my heart.

What is your favourite place to shop?

Has to be London, especially Selfridges and Bond Street.

Indian attire or Western wear, what do you prefer?

I prefer wearing western wear more, but I also wear a lot of Indian dresses.

Bag or shoes?

Its bags and sunglasses!

What are the “must haves� of your bag?

My wallet, hair brush, lipstick, kohl pencil and my Porsche Design BlackBerry, I just cannot do without them.

What is your most cherished gift till date?

Hmmm, a tri-solitaire finger ring on my Anniversary and a Versace bag on my Birthday, both gifted by my husband.

Who is your favourite designer?

I have two favourite designers- Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun Tahiliani.

Who is your fashion idol?

Bipasha Basu.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

85

CITY FASHION Three best friends out in the world to achieve something, make a name for themselves, all for one and one for all… sounds like a movie, huh? It is the story of three young fashion design graduates-­ -Surekha Annam, Ashna Lal and Nitesh Kumar from NIFT, Hyderabad-­-the people behind the label, Tritiya which is fast gaining popularity among the fashionable people of the city. The name Tritiya, which means three in Hindi emphasizes on the power of three. “The main thought behind the name is that the brand is about three of us and we wanted to let the world know about it,” says Surekha.

They kickstarted their brand after graduating in May 2010. It all started with a pact that they made in college to launch their own label. But isn’t three a crowd?

“We have been really good friends since college, so this was a natural step. Another reason that we are together is that our aesthetics match,” says Ashna. Call it true friendship, excellent understanding or skillful co-­ -ordination but three of them work in perfect sync with each other, read each other’s minds and are successfully running their brand.

Surekha Annam, Ashna Lal and Nitesh

Indo Western tunic in crepe and Kota net with Kutch work. Rs. 3,500

86

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Kota and Brocade ghagra with gold zardosi work Rs. 14,000

Tunic in ombre dyed crepe with a Kutch work neck patch Rs 3250

FASHION

BUZZ Tritiya designs custom-­ -made clothing, mostly ethnic and bridal. “We are open to doing anything but mostly people ask us to make Indian clothes.” Its aesthetic is all about elegance and simplicity. “I would not say minimalism because when it comes to Indian bridal wear, it is all about extravagance. But even in that we try to maintain as much simplicity as possible. We don’t like going overboard with and details like colours, surface techniques an silhouette,” says Ashna.

They debuted in Tollywood with Krishna Vamsi’s movie Mogudu, where they’ve wardrobe of the female leads, Taapsee Pannu and Shraddha Das. They retail from their boutique in Lakdi ka pul in Hyderabad as well as online through the website Coloursutra. com. They have also signed a couple of other Telgu movies, one of which is tentatively titled Genius. “Fashion in Hyderabad is movie and celebrity-­-driven. People are not fashion conscious and want to copy whatever they see in the movies,” remarks Surekha. To this usually quiet Nitesh adds, “People here are very traditional in their thoughts and ways. That’s the reason Hyderabad is a bigger market for traditional Indian clothes.”

Anarkali for kids in georgette and silk with embroidery. Rs. 3,500

Gold Peeta work on Jute Silk. Rs 5000

Unlike most of the people, Tritiya does not have elaborate future plans. They believe in ‘going with the flow’ and taking every day as it comes. “We want to do everything right from movies to fashion shows to catering to individual clients. We don’t want to limit or categorize ourselves.” Since they are going strong in Tollywood, fashion shows are the next target. Their first show as the brand Tritiya was at NIFT Silver Jubilee celebration in October 2011. “We are aiming for the Hyderabad Fashion Week,” says Surekha. “It is more about enjoying the journey than reaching a destination.”

Anarkali in Shimmer georgette with zardosi and cutwork Rs. 13,000

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

87

Fashion

Makeup for the Rains Its monsoon time, time for those surprise showers which can leave you with dull/frizzy hair, foundation melting off your face, concealer blotches, eyeliner smudges and running mascara. We’ll give you a quick fix for all those monsoon makeup bloopers.

Mane Maintenance in Monsoon

• High Humidity and the rain water can make your hair lose lustre and frizzy • Scalp problems are common as a result ofexposure to rain water (which nowadays has a high content of dissolved chemicals )

Foundation Heavy humidity in the air increases sweating, this can often leave ur makeup smudged, and getting wet can result in running makeup.

MAC Studio Fix: A creamy, luxurious, gel-based

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Makeup: A perfecting foundation with 24-hour staying power. This velvety smooth foundation blends effortlessly for shine-free, round-the-clock comfort.

Available in an impressively wide range of shades, Teint Idole Ultra 24H provides all skin tones flawless, even, complexion-perfecting coverage. Lancome products are available at Shoppers Stop

AGL Tip: Remember nothing substitutes good skin, so look after your skin well and the need to apply makeup is minimalised. Keeping it simple and natural is the key!

foundation that provides coverage with a natural satin finish. Hydrating, instantly revitalizes the skin while keeping it looking smooth, soft and plush. Long-wearing, water-resistant.

Available at the MAC store, GVK One, Banjara Hills, Rd No:1 Rs: 2000

Eyes Waterproof eyeliner and mascara are a must before you step out of the house!

Liquid Eyeliner by MAC: Liquid Eye Liner is the perfect product for lining and defining the eyes. Use it to subtly enhance or create bold lines. Liquid Eye Liner is long-wearing, smudge-resistant

Price- Rs: 1400

MAC Power Point Eye Pencil: Waterproof. Longwearing. Metallic, shimmer and matte finishes. Smooth to apply.

Won't transfer, smudge, or budge...

Price @ Rs 1100 88

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

FASHION

AGL Tips:

1. Shampoo ur hair 2-3 times a week and using a conditioner is a must to avoid dry and frizzy hair. Never leave ur hair with out shampooing, after getting drenched in the rain.

2. Moisture in the air tends to leave ur hair flat at times. To avoid this extra moisture, use a non-sticky hair spray.

3. Avoid excessive use of staighteners and cosmetic products which might leave your hair limp.

Chambor Waterproof Eye Pencil: Has a soft & creamy formula, with an intense & rich color base. This Stay On Water Proof Pencil gives you the perfect look in simply a stroke.

Chambor products are available at Shoppers Stop MAC Zoom Waterfast Lash: An all-weather, laugh ‘til you cry, waterproof Zoom Lash, lengthens and repels moisture for 12 hours – while maintaining the soft, flexible, intense black drama Zoom is known for. Rs: 1000

L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara: This is a very dependable waterproof mascara that will stay on to your eye lashes through a workout or a rainy day of travel

AGL Tip: • Go for smokey eyes or smudged look for a luncheon. Use the MAC Eye Pencil and smudge it for a smokey effect • Add more color – use eye pencils of different hues like greens and blues

Lipsticks “You can definitely give reds and browns a miss, and go for subtler natural lip tones!

Nudes, pinks and peaches are a must buy of this season” says Edward(MAC makeup specialist) Loreal and MAC have a range of monsoon-fit long-wear lip sticks. Rs: 1400

AGL Tip: • Dripping lip gloss is a common phenomenon. Avoid wearing lip gloss and instead opt for long stay lip sticks.

Pic: AVON -Delhi

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

89

FASHION

THE RED RAGE From a vintage colour to a modern shade, red is colour for all occasions. Let’s see how you can play with this colour & get a perfect mademoiselle look.

lt

Gucci Be

Steve Madden Stilettos

Swatch Watch Gucci Bag VERSACE Perfume Red Scarf

Chanel Red Nail Polish

Red Scarf

90

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

FASHION

THE BROWN REVOLUTION

Brown always remind you of a classy feeling! Swap with the shades of Brown & get the 10/10 look! arf

rry Sc

Burbe

Burberry Watch

lettos adden Sti

Steve M

y n’s speed

itto Louis Vu

30 Bag

Burberry Body Perfume

ZOYA Nail Polish Louis Vuitton Belt

Cady Cuff Metallic Shorts AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

91

FASHION INTERVIEW

shilpa reddy

FASHION & FITNESS DIVA

By S.R.K. Soundarya Varma Who would know fashion and the glam world better than someone who studied fashion from the Academy of Design in Toronto? She is a fashion designer who has won Mrs. India and then Mrs. World. We are talking about none other than the fashion and fitness guru Shilpa Reddy, a combination of confidence, passion and uniqueness. This diva is one of those women who seem to handle it all! Over the past few years, she has donned the roles of a mother, fitness columnist and businesswoman. Her appearance in the 2006 Kingfisher Calendar was well noted. Here are a few things you should know about this aweinspiring woman!

94

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

FASHION INTERVIEW What is your area of expertise in designing?

Cut, fit and finish.

How did the idea of your flagship store come about?

It is every designers’ dream to have his /her own designer store. You can present your designs the way you want to. It gives you the freedom of expression. I am glad mine happened this early in my career.

Is there any particular inspiration for your collection?

Everything around inspires a creative person.

Whether you are a painter, or a film maker or a designer- you just have to be receptive.

What according to you are the absolute must haves in a women’s wardrobe?

In western clothing, I think these are the musthaves: Clothes: A little black dress, a pair of well fitted jeans, white and black shirts, well cut and well finished black jacket, scarves and colorful dupattas.

Shoes: Black, nude and gold colored moderate high heels.

Accessories: One neutral colour leather belt, some good fashion jewellery, a pair of sunglasses, a good-quality medium-sized bag.

In Indian attires, these make up the must-haves: An anarkali in Indian tone, a Kanchivaram saree, embroidered gold and black saree blouses. Also a few plain and printed tunics and kolapuri footwear.

Party essentials according to you?

Little black dress Tank tops Funky jeans Shimmery jackets Heels for partying.

Wedges for after party How do you rate the fashion scenario in Hyderabad?

You can see a slow and gradual change. However, it needs to be accelerated though!

Who is your favorite designer?

I don’t have just one, but many! There are many designers whom I appreciate for their thought process.

What is your favorite accessory?

Sunglasses and bags.

According to you, the biggest myths and facts in dieting are?

Crash diets and fad diets. They work in the beginning but can never sustain. Eating a nutritious in moderate amounts is the key to a healthy figure.

Which country according to you is the most fashionable?

Undoubtedly, Paris!

Your take on saris VS salwar kameez?

Saree is ever evolving and will ever evolve. It can look traditional, sexy, edgy, elegant, regal, ethereal, princely, feminine depending on how you wear it.

You were a model before you got into fashion designing. Does all that experience help you now when you are designing clothes?

Yes! Though I studied fashion, even before I was a model, seeing fashion up close did help.

What did you enjoy more? Modeling or designing?

Undoubtedly designing. It’s like my first born.

What is your personal style? More accessorizing or keeping it simple?

Simple, but yet accessorizing rightly.

According to you, biggest fashion faux pas is?

Loud makeup , over accessorizing, uncomfortable shoes, I’ll fitted outfit , wrong silhouettes for your body type are some of the biggest fashion bloopers. A great outfit can be a fashion faux pas with all the above.

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

95

Saree is ever evolving and will ever evolve.

Sameer, Owner - Drama

First and foremost how did you come up with the name DRAMA?

Drama, it's all around. Faces and gestures, happenings and situations, disguises and illusions and everyday situations. Nothing describes life these days as much as Drama.

At Drama we dress you up for any play, style you up for any scene and groom you up for any kind of audience.

You have been trained in Mumbai and setting up a business in Hyderabad, why so?

Even before taking hair styling as a full time profession, I’ve always been experimenting on my wife's hair. But yes, I’ve done in depth advance training in hair style and hair color from a very reputed Institute in Mumbai but I am and always will be Hyderabadi, so the choice was obvious to open up Drama in Hyderabad.

How do you rate Hyderabad on the grooming front?

Hyderabad is now style conscious and this is not the end of it.

Grooming is becoming everyday regime for all and @ Drama we are taking it to another level by organizing free workshops on everyday styling and make-up.

What is the USP for Drama, that makes it a class apart from the rest of the salons?

Drama’s interiors to start with, are a fusion of different concepts and will give you a un-salon feel. Our teams of stylists arewelltrained, zesty and a happy bunch who are keen to hear the client out first and them provide them with the required service.

The elite room offers exclusive services to customers who are looking for privacy, for those long awaited pamper sessions, the room can be booked for 6 hours, which will include a set of services that you can especially choose from. We have an in-house Tattoo artist, 7 days a week. Also don’t forget to ask for an I-pad just to browse around while you get yourself pampered.

Do you plan to expand your business in Hyderabad?

Definitely! Drama is one of its kind premium theme salons in Hyderabad and with the kind of response we are already getting, why not?

Give us some tips for instant makeover and the best hair tip.

A makeover doesn’t have to be a drastic change. A simple hair cut or wearing your hair differently is a way to start. Accessorizing your hair is great way to add style to your look. Colorful and fun hair extensions are a trend that we started at Drama and our stylish clients are already flaunting them all over the city.

CUT COUPON HERE

AGL AUGUST 2012

97

Buddy Business

By Esha obanputra

What is your take on the pubbing culture in Hyderabad?

Tarun: The experience with pubbing/clubbing has changed Tarun: Dad always inspired me. After more than two decades of his dramatically in the last few years. From rock to Bollywood to EDM, hardwork and commitment to bring Ten D to India, he wanted to do Hyderabad has it all. From a chilled social meeting to non-stop something different, something for the youth. So I got on board and dancing, the experience most places offer is unparalled. People here we are. have moved from coffee shops to bars and pubs. There is a definite How did this entire idea of Ten Sports Bar and Grill culminate?

Ashish: My passion for gaming and advertising seemed like the right mix for me to open a gaming lounge. So with some hardwork, inspiration and support of my family, relatives and friends I opened a gaming lounge in secunderabad city called “PLAYERS”. In a years” time I was surprised when Vinodh uncle had called me for a meeting at Ten D. Tarun and I then discussed this and it seemed like a great Idea- Hence Ten Sports Bar and Grill was born!

What were the difficulties you faced while setting up this business?

change in the general mindset of the people.

Ashish: And that’s why Ten Sports Bar and Grill is a concept appreciated by all. We’re not just a bar. We are a no pressure hang out joint, where u can come and perhaps play soccer on a console, or a game of pool, sip on some beer, grab a snack and have a great time. Once it’s time to do some hardcore partying, you can get your dancing shoes on and hit the floor.

What are your future plans?

Ashish: My boss from my first work Place, Mr. Ram Gedela, had a lot to teach me. Like they say, big things always have humble Tarun: Well I always knew it would be difficult to get a night life hub beginnings. Tarun and I hope to open more franchises across this started in Secunderabad. But with a lot of thinking we decided to do city. It’s an ambition task, but we’re working hard to get there. something different, something youngsters could come experience....

Gaming in a whole new avatar!

Partnership in this era! How is that working between both of you?

Ashish: Gaming in India is not as evolved and popularized as it is outside. So we had to sit down and think of ideas to get the audience The best thing about this partnership is that it’s easy. That’s to come and experience international standard gaming. Getting because we are both not just great friends on the same wavelength the already hardcore gamers from their homes to the bar... now (which is why most of the ideas put forth by each one are readily that was the biggest task! Every day we would run ideas by Vinodh agreed upon), but are also individuals from diverse backgrounds uncle and Mohan; some were who bring different, but equally important skills to the table. At the immediately scratched off and end, as you see, we work together like magic. some implemented. The ones we went through with were well appreciated by our audience.

98

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Offers to mention: Unlimited drinks on Friday nights @ Rs. 699

Beer helmets for gamers – unlimited beer @Rs. 399 for all gamers above 21

Monthly / Bi Monthly gaming tournaments where we give away consoles. Hard disks..Drinks and much more!

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

99

AGL SNAPSHOTS

NEHA AGARWAL

100

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

SONAL DOSHI

YASHODA

AGL SNAPSHOTS

SHALINI

TAMANNA

CHANDINI

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

101

GLITERAZZI

ANUSHA’S BIRTHDAY Anusha’s birthday party at 10 Downing Street was well attended by friends & family.

Ravi Kalyan and Anusha Harish

Anurita & Shashi

102

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Divya Reddy

Surendra

Priya

Dr. Srinivas

Ramana & Raksha

Actor Samrat

GLITERAZZI

Anju Jain

Tilak

Madhavi

ANJU JAIN’S BIRTHDAY BASH Anju Jain celebrating her birthday with dear ones!

Akshita

Akanksha

Harshita

Harshita

Ravindra Agarwal with wife

Nidhi

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

103

GLITERAZZI

Anushka

DJ Jay with friend

Dolled up

Aadesh with model

Prachi

Turning heads

104

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

GLITERAZZI

Manisha Kapoor

Smokin’ Hot

Raunaq with a friend

Fasi Saberi

Laila Khan with a friend

Perfect ten!

Sunny Arcot, Navdeep with friend

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

105

GLITERAZZI Natasha

Narmata

Amrit

Akanksha

Naren

Ali Akbar Saberi

Pritika

Ashwin

Shefali

Natasha

106

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Sirisha

GLITERAZZI Nikhil Chinappa

Ruksar

Deepika

DJ Pearl with a friend

Anup & Koyal

Bhavisha

Padmaja

Fun Times

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

107

Picture Perfect!

Disha, Rashi & abhishek with friends

Rupal with husband

Ring Ceremony of Vishaka & Samarth 108

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

GLITERAZZI Neha with friend

Ravindranath & Shael

Surender Makhija

Ladies Galore!

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

109

GLITERAZZI The groom Najaf

GALA AFFAIR The wedding of Amer Siddiqui’s sister Sana with Najaf was a grand event attended by all family and friends spotted at the ceremony were Mayor Majid Hussain, Asaduddin Owaisi and many other.

Gavin The bride- Sana

Mayor- Mr Majid

Nindipriya

110

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Esha

Mr. Asaduddin

Sirisha

Aamer Siddiqui

Adiba

Ayesha

HOROSCOPE

HOROSCOPE

ARIES

(March 21 - April 20) With the celestial focus on travel and your immediate environment, a change of scenery is likely this year. However, because unpredictable Uranus in Aries is at odds with obsessive Pluto in June and September not everything will go as planned. It’s not important as you have enough going for you just now to carry you safely through to the next phase of your overall grand plan – with a few inevitable nips and tucks. And even if family members become over-demanding in late July, it will be nothing you cannot handle. Listen to what others have to say - there is much to learn just now.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)

Your ruler Venus’s rare transit of the Sun in June falls in the money angle of your chart and it would be surprising if it fails to trigger a change to your circumstances. Just remember that principles are more important than material aspirations and, once compromised, much harder to re-establish. It seems that a past ally can no longer be relied upon and you may have to seek alternative support. But with both creative Venus and lucky Jupiter moving in your favour you do have the chance to make serious money. Focus on what really matters and you’ll be more likely to emerge with your credibility and resources intact.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

This really is your year. Not only does the once-in-a-lifetime Venus transit fall in your sign but Jupiter, planet of success and enlightenment, also begins a 13-month stay in Gemini. Their combined influence will help you to recognise without a shadow of doubt where your future lies – and chances are it will have little to do with material goals, acquisitions or accomplishments. Your worldview will alter dramatically as will your priorities. By the time the last of the year’s four Eclipses falls in your sign on 28th November you will know how to make those changes work, not just for yourself but for the wider community too.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23)

You seldom have time to indulge in too much soul-searching but now, with mega planetary activity affecting the most sensitive sector of your chart, you can be forgiven for asking the kind of questions that only you can answer. In fact, you’re likely to learn more than most – if only in terms of what makes you tick. However, with Neptune, planet of illusion and confusion, at odds with optimistic Jupiter, you are liable to feel restless, frustrated and dissatisfied with your lot. On the upside, it adds up to a blueprint for progress – even if you have to review carefully-laid plans in a more adventurous and enlightened context.

LEO

(July 24 - Aug. 23) Despite a disagreement with an authority figure when the Sun challenges ambitious Jupiter early in the year, it’s the once-in-a-lifetime Venus transit which dominates your 2012 horoscope. For Leos, it could bring a fresh perspective to a group endeavour which has been losing momentum, and encourage you to reassess your ideas, ideals and long-term objectives. June’s Lunar Eclipse across the most creative axis of your chart warns you not to lose sight of a genuine goal in favour of the more eye-catching option. With disciplined Saturn in Scorpio from October you must be aware of everything, overlook that which is irrelevant, and correct that which needs correcting.

VIRGO

(August 24 - September 23) With this year’s major cosmic activity highlighting the career angle of your chart, changes to your working life are all but inevitable. Your need to be on the winning side can at times act as a red herring and it is important that your goals are based on more than an urge to score points. Besides, with unpredictable Uranus heavily influencing your horoscope in June and September, unless your goals are clearly defined, you may find yourself heading in a different direction. In the words of George Burns, ‘it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.’

112

AGL AUGUST 2012

HOROSCOPE

LIBRA

(September 24 - October 23) You have compromised for long enough, and with this year’s historic transit by your creative and romantic ruler Venus occurring in the most adventurous and enlightened sector of your chart, this really is the moment to think seriously about where your heart and happiness lie. If you fail to reach a realistic conclusion by the time of the Solar Eclipse on 20th May, then something that happens in early June will clarify your thoughts and point you in the right direction. It may simply be a need for a change of mindset or priorities, but whether the shift is imposed or intended the eventual outcome will prove life-enhancing.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)

This year’s remarkable celestial activity marks a turning point in your affairs, and it is possible that your attitude towards love and/or money will never be quite the same again. Of course, it could simply be a change of heart - but a shift in outlook can be as effective as a shift in direction. Certainly, Jupiter’s positive influence will herald a new beginning and enable you to weave together some of the threads which have been trailing in recent months. However, with unpredictable Uranus squaring up to your ruler Pluto in May and September you may have to review your plans in the light of changing circumstances.

SAGITTARIUS

(November 23 - December 21)

Cosmic activity in your opposite sign of Gemini makes this a pivotal year for relationships. And while those which are strong will become stronger, any based on flimsy foundations could founder. Whatever happens, with Venus, planet of harmony, in transit the outcome will work in your favour, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time. Certainly, with Uranus, planet of sudden change, and Pluto, planet of transformation, in conflict, 2012 is unlikely to end as it began. Lunar Eclipses in June and November will force a reality check but bear in mind that while the planets indicate the direction, only you can make things happen.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)

You take your responsibilities seriously - you just wish there weren't so many of them. Now with the planets highlighting your work and wellbeing you must accept that before you can contribute to the welfare of others you must contribute to your own, which may mean delegating or dispensing with certain commitments. If you believe everything happens for a reason it will be easier to accept recent events; and if you have yet to discover what that reason might be, you will not have much longer to wait. In the words of Aldous Huxley: 'Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.'

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)

While the effects of this year’s cosmic activity will vary according to birth sign, you are particularly fortunate in that it occurs in one of the most positive sectors of your chart. The long-term outcome is especially auspicious for the more creative, artistic and romantic areas of your life. Indeed, any form of self-expression is well-starred, and there could even be financial benefits. However, the fact that your unpredictable ruler Uranus is in challenging mood means that change of one kind or another is unavoidable. As it happens you have more to gain than lose from what transpires, and to resist will merely prolong the inevitable.

PISCES

(February 20 - March 20) Relatives and loved ones can be a mixed blessing - as yours appear to be just now. Fortunately, this year’s major cosmic activity falls in the domestic area of your chart putting you in the happy position of being able to say 'enough is enough'. The fact is that – deliberately or unconsciously - certain people are looking to you for a lead, and if you fail to provide one they will make do with second best. Events in early June will bring matters to a head and give you a chance to set the situation straight. October’s Saturn-Neptune alliance warns that it is better to doubt what is true than accept what clearly is not.

AGL AUGUST 2012

113

L G A . r M & L G A . s M

Madalasa Sharma

114

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

Sunny Arcot

Fashion Poli ce We are very tempted to call you a “match made in heaven.” You so sweetly complement each other in the fashion department. We are blinded by the yellow on the man! The icing on the cake is the matching sneakers, belt AND jacket. The girl seems to need a tutorial on “Color blocking.” The white pants and whatever that is between the top, and those pants isn’t really helping the “look” that she is trying.

We understand that printed leggings are a rage.

However, this is EXACTLY how it is NOT supposed to be!! Take a hint: they should look “printed” on, not “painted” on. And please spare us the horror of teaming them up with what seems like a mix of loafers and sandals. The dirty green nail pain isn’t really helping too darling!

Asin darling! We all love Indian dresses on you, but you went on an overdrive of Indian colors here! Red, green and black aren’t really your colors, especially when there are huge borders involved. The netted dupatta falls trap to the “look” that you are trying. The heavy gold pieces seem to be wasted on this outfit, and the shoes don’t go down too well with us either!

Karthika! You are always so “expressive,” and this dress just screams for some expression and attention! The color is too jazzy and so is the cloth.

What REALLY ticked us off are the horrendous sandals that remind us of Govinda for some weird reason!! The clutch is oh-so-appalling and doesn’t give us anything better to think about.

Well, well, WELL. Look what we have here! A participant from the hideous black dress convention! Where do we start? The top that looks like it’s been gift-wrapped, the leggings that are reaching out to the boots, or the straps that seem to be creeping out of your shoulders? Silver lining to the cloud is that the accessories (however, ugly they seem to be!) stay true to the theme of “hideous black”

AVANT GARDE LIFE | AUGUST 2012

115

Shahzoor Ali

Pauleen

Susan Anthony

Venkat Reddy

Esha Jobanputra

Aqeel

BEHIND THE SCENES

Soundarya with Director Sekhar Kammula

RNI - APENG/2009/30578