m magazine june11 issue

ISSUE

VOL

JUNE 2011 `100

The white knight “I am a simple man, not a star. Why should anyone be afraid of me.”

Salman Khan like never before

+

Fashion feature: She’s the man Glug: Know your beer Films: Summer of blockbusters Hot wheels: Crore high club Conflict: US Navy Vs Somali pirates

6 6

June 2011 > contributors > mail call > from the editor

[contents]

044 GLUG

A pint of cheer 022

Departments > THE STYLE OBSERVER 022

Shelf space; Mandara Spa at Radisson Resort, Mumbai; Surround sound: speakers from Violet

> THE HUB

052

052

Breaking views The politics of corruption: Voters’ stink, Kani ki jail yatra, the Mauritius connection; The ‘Outsider-Insider’ Tata, Ratan’s legacy; Kahn he or can’t he; Modi vs Srinivasan, Round IV; Summer blockbusters

056

Bookends: New arrivals

060

Flick Show: Road movies

058

Jukebox: Sound Check

> REGULARS 028

M Girl: Angela Jonsson

040

Quick Take: Zarine Khan

064

India 2020: Pradeep Hiranandani

On the cover

LAST LAUGH: Permanent vacation

Photograph by Manisha & Dabboo Ratnani

132

Salman Khan Make-up: Raju Naag Hair: Imran@Hakim’s Aalim

[fashion]

032

BAGGAGE CLAIM You can never pack the world in your bag. But whatever you can,carry it in style.

Check out our col lection of smart bags to carry along for the next vacation.

130

STOCKISTS

120

SHE’S THE MAN Sensual S ensual ccurv urves, ess hot hott ccolours, ollours bold bold moves... mooves A sleek update on all things sartorial

[features]

066

THE WHITE KNIGHT” Up, close and personal with Bollywood’s biggest brand, Salman Khan

076

080

106

Our list of must-watch big-ticket Hollywood films releasing till July. Have you booked your tickets yet?

Operation Ocean Shield: Face off between the US navy and Somalian pirates, off the Gulf of Aden

If you have a pocket deep enough to fit in more than 10 millions bucks, we tell you the cars you must put your money on

SUMMER OF BLOCKBUSTERS

NAVY VS PIRATES

THE CRORE HIGH CLUB

Mail Call I have not been a long-time fan of M, but going by the girls you featured in your anniversary issue last month, I can imagine how seriously you select the people who feature in your magazine. Because not a single girl in the list of 10 celebrities we lust for is there only because of her looks. The accompanying interview is proof that they are the objects of our desire also because of their intelligence and determination to stick it out in an industry that is not particularly fair to the fairer sex. Your interpretation of gluttony, sloth and vanity took me by surprise. It was unusual, on the face of it, but no doubt very interesting.

Harish Chopra, Mumbai

Congratulations M on completing six years and a brilliant cover to hold your issue together. The picture of a bare-back girl, holding an apple, caught my attention on the news-stand. The picture was enough to hook any casual reader like me, and your features inside continued the magic. From Manidipa Mandal’s lead essays to cocktail recipes to the cars and bikes every man lusts for was, for me, a complete package. I always wait for your issue to hit the stands not just for the pictures or the fashion content. I feel M is one of the very few niche magazines that stands out in the clutter with its mix of content. From fashion to sports to lifestyle, you have everything. Any plans to include current affairs too any time soon?

Amit Puri, Mumbai

LETTER OF THE MONTH Congratulations M on your fifth anniversary, and a round of loud applause for a brilliant issue last month. I particularly liked the interviews you compiled of the 10 women who featured in your magazine since its launch. Whatever your reasons for picking them from the many in the race, here’s my one-line descriptors for each of them to substantiate my fancy for them.

Lisa Ray: For her never-say-die spirit.

Tabu: It’s personal excellence, and not inheritance, that lasts forever.

Deepika Padukone: Whether you want to rule the court or the fort, it’s your choice.

Kajol: You don’t need a voice like Amitabh Bachchan to leave your mark... even eyes can do the talking.

Sonam Kapoor: It’s fine to be born with a silver spoon, but learning to use the chop-sticks too has its fun.

Tamara Moss: Because originality, honesty and publicity make rare combination.

Nandita Das: Leonardo Da Vinci in a female attire.

Chitrangda Singh: Called one-movie-wonder. But do you really need another big bang?

Ujjwala Raut: Scaling the steep ramp to conquer the international summit on Indian feet doesn’t happen too often.

Kalki Koechin: Strange looks, stranger accent.

Now what more can one ask from these girls to get nostalgic about?

Anju Khetarpal, Ghaziabad

The Letter of the Month receives a voucher worth `5000 from John Players John Players, the menswear fashion brand from ITC, offers a complete and vibrant wardrobe of work wear, casual, party, denims and outer wear for today’s fashion conscious youth. The collection comes in an exciting mix of colors, playful styling and incredible fits. The brand, personified by youth icon - Ranbir Kapoor, is available across the country through a nation-wide network of over 280 exclusive stores and growing 1200 + MBOs & leading large format stores.

We want more mail, please. Bouquets, brickbats, an article/interview you’d like to see featured, a burning topic or two you’d like to comment on: Direct it all to feedback@imagesfashion.com

Contributors Contrib C bu utors 1

1. Zahid Javali // freelance writer [Good to know /United we roll; page 042 / 065]

8 4

11 1 1

2. Pradeep Gidwani // promoter, Beer Cafe [A pint of cheer; page 044] 3. Alam Srinivas // senior journalist [Breaking Views; page 052] 4. Sudha G. Tilak // freelance writer / blogger [Bookends; page 056]

2

5. Bijoy Venugopal // freelance writer / blogger [Sound check / Last Laugh; page 058 / 132]

5 12 9

6. Sanjiv Nair // freelance writer [Film icks / Summer of blockbusters; page 060 / 076] 7. Suresh Menon // sports writer [Column: Whole in one; page 062] 8. Daboo Ratnani // photographer [Salman Khan; page 066]

3

6

13

9. Manidipa Mandal // freelance writer [New abs for old; page 088] 10. Sriparna Ghosh // trekking enthusiast [Not another dull lake: page 094]

10

11. Murali Krishnan // freelance writer [On high ground; page 104]

7

14

12. Ranojoy Mukerji // automotive writer [Crore high club; page 106] 13. Ishan Raghava // car enthusiast [Hot sport; page 117] 14. Ashish Chawla // fashion photographer [She’s the man; page 120]

VOL

MAY 2011 `100

ISSUE

6 6

ISSUE

VOL

JUNE 2011 `100

6 5

SIN is IN

The white knight

LUST // GREE There is no placeD // GLUTTONY // SLOT for envy and wrath in our H // VANITY world!

Expe

rt touch: 5 designers, Women: 10 5 hotties we’ve perfect looks Shopping: loved since 50 best thing 2006 s money can Cars & bikes buy : Wizards on Travel: The wheels art of doing nothing

“I am a simp le should anyo man, not a star. Why ne be afra id of me.”

Salman Kh an like never befor e

+

Fashion featu re: She’s the Glug: Know man your beer Films: Summ er of block busters Hot wheels: Crore high club Conflict: US Navy Vs Soma li pirates

India’s finest lifestyle magazine for men

FINAL COVER

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/from the editor First off, thank you for an overwhelming response to our fifth anniversary issue last month. Sin is In, I believe, was a winner not just because of our ‘unusual, positive’ interpretations of the five vices. It worked because keeping in touch with our readers is a constant concern for all of us, and stirring things up always make us happy.

If you have been a long-time follower of M, you’d realise that at the core of all our stories is a definite takeaway, a clear news-you-can-use that gives you the confidence to identify, shape and manifest your image. It takes effort to be effortless, and each month we revel at new ideas of how to put together a well-dressed man. Because, like good journalism, M measures its KRAs by going beyond the hows, whats, wheres, whys and the whens to wear. This magazine is not just about fashion, about things that sometimes fly off the ledge of a store. We are also not just a search engine. Instead, we are about giving you useful, actionable ideas that enhance your pleasure of living. And like everything that is good in this world, the more you learn to appreciate it, the more you discover hidden gems worthy of appreciation.

Call it lifestyle or anything, the fact is, we are always around to listen to you, your needs.

This month, too, we have put together a testosterone-infused issue that helps you live the good life. Starting with an explosive cover story interview with Salman Khan, this issue, like always, is a one-stop-guide for and to all things lifestyle: from the best bags to carry on your next vacation to everything you need to know about beer, to all the regular features you have come to appreciate over the years. Also, don’t miss our very interesting fashion feature: She’s the man! Yes, we are still euphoric about our anniversary issue, and therefore this unusual theme.

If you intend to awaken and explore the pleasures that drive successful men, you have come to the right place. Enjoy the issue.

amitabh Taneja

Photograph by Ashish Chawla BLACK LEATHER BIKER JACKET BY BURBERRY // WHITE GANJI BY ZARA

editor-In-Chief amitabh taneja editorial advisor r s roy

executive Editor bobby john varkey director (planning) anjali sondhi bureau head nivedita jayaram pawar (mumbai) sr. fashion stylist carlton desouza fashion stylists rakhi biswas, sania momin (mumbai) creatives art director azad mohan sr. photographer vipin kardam Asst. photographer deepak malik photo coordinator kamal kumar publisher s p taneja business development vice president harjot singh luthra assoc. vice president - circulation anil nagar general manager - advertising bindu pillai (mumbai) assoc. vice presidents & regional heads waseem ahmad (mumbai), piyali roy (kolkata) sr. manager - advertising tushar verma (delhi) sr. manager - circulation rp singh (mumbai) managers - advertising nayan shetty (mumbai), anirban sarkar (kolkata) manager - events and promotions deeba mushtaq mir manager - circulation r parthasarathy (bangalore) deputy managers - circulation ranjeet yadav (delhi); operations rajesh kumar (delhi) executive - advertising sneha sinha (bangalore) production general manager manish kadam manager manoj soni services general manager - logistics rajeev mehandru general manager - customer relations hemant wadhawan subscriptions rajesh kumar sr. executive - logistics shambhu nath images consumer media pvt ltd delhi: s-21, okhla industrial area phase II, new delhi - 110 020 t: +91-11-40525000, f: +91-11-40525001, email: info@imagesfashion.com mumbai: 1st ďŹ&#x201A;oor, bharat tin works compound, off marol military road, opp. borosil glass works, andheri (e), mumbai - 400 059 t: +91-22-42567000, 29200043/46, f: +91-22-42567022 email: waseem@imagesfashion.com bangalore: no. 523, 7th cross, 10th main, (jeevanbhima nagar main road), h.a.l. 3rd stage, bangalore - 560075; t: +91-080-41255172 41750595/96, f: +91-080-41255182 email: info@imagesfashion.com kolkata: 30-b anil roy road, ground ďŹ&#x201A;oor, kolkata - 700 029 t: + 91- 33-40080480, email: piyali@imagesfashion.com All material printed in this publication is the sole property of Images Consumer Media Pvt. Ltd. All printed matter contained in the magazine is based on information from those featured in it. The views, ideas, comments and opinions expressed are solely of those featured and the Editor and Publisher do not necessarily subscribe to the same.

Printed & Published by SP Taneja on behalf of Images Consumer Media Pvt Ltd; printed at International Print-O-Pac Limited, C/4-11 Phase II, Hosiery Complex, Noida 201301, and published by SP Taneja from S-21, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110020. Editor: Amitabh Taneja In relation to any advertisements appearing in this publication, readers are recommended to make appropriate enquiries before entering into any commitments. Images Consumer Media Pvt. Ltd. does not vouch for any claims made by the advertisers of products and services.

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For subscription related queries, email: subscription@imagesfashion.com. Visit us at www.m-magazine.in.

The Style

| informed. in STYLE |

CHECKS BALANCES R

eid &Taylor goes uninhibited on checks this seasson, with an enticing collection of shirting, sportswear and casual wear. The brand has reintroduced standard patterns in a collection that spells elegance and class. It has brought back the classics like tweeds, herringbone and checks with a twist. You can rejuvenate your wardrobe with bright shades ranging from incandescent oranges to energetic yellows.

Prices: Shirts: `1395; Trouser: `1595; Ties: `995; CufďŹ&#x201A;inks: `1095; Belts: `1095; Blazer: `3995; Suits: `5995; T-shirts: `1095

022 | JUNE 11

TIME TRAVEL

R

aymond Weil has launched its latest collection of watches in the Nabucco series. Titled Nabucco Inverso, the new collection is more classic this time with its twelve in dial Roman numerals and yellow hands that illuminates it. Watch out for the interesting play of colours on the Inverso: It changes from the black of its bracelet and dial, to the grey of the case and its three small counters; the yellow of its hands adorning the small counters and the chronograph hand change to the white of its indexes and the luminescent hour and minute hands. It comes with an imposing 46mm case and a tachometric bezel sculpted in titanium.

Price: `2,24,020

Observer LIGHT THE FIRE

Z

ippo has introduced a exquisite collection of HarleyDavidson® collectible lighters in India. These uniquely engraved windproof lighters showcase a wide range of designs that will appeal to the most die-hard Harley-Davidson and Zippo enthusiast. As well as the classic High Polish Chrome and Brushed Chrome windproof lighters, it comes in an assortment of fresh and colourful new designs. Zippo’s luster etch process, one of the most popular lighter customisation methods throughout Zippo history, brings polished radiance and lasting durability to the collection, and the Harley-Davidson Bar and Shield logos are also featured in the designs.

Price: Starts at `2500

SHELF SPACE NEWS JUNE 2011

100 cheers What’s the nub: The Louis XIII Rare Cask What’s on offer: The Louis XIII Rare Cask, from the House of Rémy Martin, is a limited edition of just 786 bottles drawn from a single special cask comprising of 1200 eaux de vie aged upto 100 years that delivers a strong 43.8 degrees alcohol, identified by Cellar Master Pierrette Trichet in 2004. Louis XIII is famed for its mellow, nectar-rich opulence and the variety of its flavours, especially those rare aromas that come only with a century of aging. As many as 250 flavours are there to be discovered in successive tastings.

The decanter is presented in a “coffret” forged in metal. The craftsmen of French-house Baccarat have created a fresh version of the iconic Louis XIII decanter. It is made in black crystal. The metallic oxides that create the colour need to be distributed carefully to achieve the perfect opaque black. More than fifty hand-crafted operations are entailed in the making of a Louis XIII decanter, and they must all be completed while the necessary temperature remains in the glass. Each decanter is a spectacular race against time, executed by a team of some 20 master craftsmen working in unison.

Style speaks What’s the nub: A complete range of accessories from Montblanc.

What’s on offer: Messenger bag: Made of black French / Dutch full-grain calfskin with brown jacquard lining, adjustable leather shoulder strap, stainless steel fittings and flap with buckle bearing engraved Montblanc brand name and emblem.

Price: `67,000.

Cuff Links: Round in stainless steel with dark cherry sapphire glass inlay.

Price: `19,800; Round cuff links with platinum finish, three rings motif and white onyx inlay.

Price: `17,800.

Card Holder: Price `5700.

023 | JUNE 11

The Style Observer

Diving board What’s the nub: The Tissot Seastar 1000 What’s on offer: Inspired by diving, the Tissot Seastar 1000 maintain their performance under water to a pressure of 30 bar. The new family consists of automatic chronographs, integrating the revolutionary C01.211 movement, and elegant three-hand models, also with Swiss automatic movements. The diving theme is continually evident through elements such as a unidirectional bezel, a strap with a divers’ buckle and extension, plus Super-LumiNova® hands and markings. All models also have their own helium valve, which allows to automatically depressurise the watch.The chronograph versions have a large, 48 mm case.

SPIN A STYLE

STYLE QUOTIENT

asual apparel and fashion accessories brand, Beverly Hills Polo Club has launched its summer collection. Inspired by the colours of Southern California, it includes a wide range of fashion wardrobe comprising woven shirts in long sleeve, long rolled sleeve with button tabs and short sleeve silhouettes. Rich in colour garment, dyed poplin and oxford cloth shirts are a new offering to the range this season. Polo necks and crews, for both genders along with knits tees, combed cotton jersey and polos complete the new offering. Also for the first time, the brand has introduced a plethora of woven bermuda shorts for men in solid twills, plaids and stripes. Colours of the collection include bright blues, vibrant reds, clear greens, sunny yellows and passionate purples, among others.

nspired by art, architecture, music and sport from all over the world, Parx has launched its Spring Summer 2011 collection. The Sport & Club collection, the highlight of the new range, is based on travel and leisure. The sports collection has colourful prints combined with classic elements, lending a varied mix between western, eastern and European elements of style. It includes shirts, trousers, polos, graphic tees, cargos, shorts, denims, waistcoats, suits, jackets etc with colourful patterns and a good mix of stripes and checks in indigo hue, club sheen and diverse animal print looks. The Trouser range offers a washed puckered look, with the base fabric surface treated with ‘Diamer’ finish to give a soft-hand feel. It plays with interesting fabrics such as cottonviscose, cotton-linen, cotton-amsler and other Fabrics. It also highlights cargos and shorts with interesting ‘Pumic Stone’ wash, ‘Ball’ Wash and ‘Enzyme’ wash look.

C

024 | JUNE 11

I

JUNE 2011

EAR SPLITTING A

fter working with Harman Kardon a reputed US based audio system company for over a decade, Ashish Agarwal returned home with a dream of undoing what he had practiced there. Moving away from the conventional complicated audio system manufacturing technique, he planned to create something that is simple enough for a three-year-old to install and operate, but with the same awe-inspiring sound quality of a high-end audio system.

Along with Michael Foley, a leading name in India’s industrial design space, he came up with the Violet – a sound system that consists of five wireless speakers, a sub woofer, a transmitter, a micro controller and a remote control. The speakers can fit into a bulb holder and the installation takes less than 10 minutes.

who wants to watch movies or listen to music in their living room with as little effort and change in their décor as possible.

It is meant for the masses who watch cricket and movies on their new HD DTH, watch DVDs and Blu-ray discs. It is also a fitting solution for those who want to simply put on some light music and enjoy a drink. All this with no preconditions attached.

Aggarwal shares more details of his pet project.

Based on the concept that.... If my grandma can replacing a fused light blub why can’t she set up an acoustic space at home by simply plugging in the speakers where ever she wants the sounds.

Violet 3D will transform the acoustic experience for..... anyone and everyone

For optimum results.....we suggest that the consumer simply put five speakers, three in the front and two in the back, between 2 feet and10 feet from the ground, spaced as far apart as possible and press the ‘learn’ button on the remote control. Leave the rest to us. The system is best enjoyed along with an HDTV and a DVD player or a HD DTH.

Passage to serenity T

his dreamy resort spa in Alibaug has been keeping well-heeled south Mumbaities buffed and polished since it opened. Mandara Spa at Radisson Resort (2141- 302400 | 227777), Alibaug is undoubtedly one of India’s most glamorous spas (not to mention one of the largest),

thanks mainly to the frangipani trees that envelope the space with its fragrance, the soothing water fountains at the entrance and the charming lotus pond in the lobby.

The treatments are fantastic too. The awardwinning Mandara Signature Treatment is a four-hand massage that incorporates the

exacting skills of two therapists working in rhythmic harmony. In the blissful 2 hours you’ll be thoroughly buffed and polished with a scrub containing tamarind after which follows a long, all-over massage incorporating invigorating yoga-like stretches and ending in a soothing head massage. Another massage, Passage to Serenity, commences with a refreshing floral foot ritual to induce the body into a state of calm. Your skin is then nourished with a scrub and wrap of spices and herbs.

It culminates with Mandara’s signature four-hand massage. The focus at this spa is clearly on well-being rather than a slapdash cosmetic fix. That’s evident in the well-trained therapists and the highly enthusiastic spa manager Jayanti Gomes.

Apart from massages and luxury facials (read caviar), Mandara has a good lineup of pedicures and haircuts in a separate chic salon, next door. Located at a 45 minute catamaran ride away from Mumbai’s Gateway of India Mandara is a scenic weekend getaway ideal for couples looking for some solitude and romance. The beach is a good 20 minutes from the resort.

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar 025 | JUNE 11

Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images

The Style Observer

026 | JUNE 11

Singer-songwriter Actor Jason Mraz at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Big Fixâ&#x20AC;? press conference during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France

JUNE 2011

e’ve got the perfect antidote W to wardrobe malfunctions

CHEAT THAT LOOK

Cheat That Look

triggered by the scorching heat of our summers. This month, we turn to American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, who was spotted recently at The Cannes Film Festival, for inspiration. If you look at him closely, you will realise how easy it is to duplicate his look.

All you need is a good pair of slim-fitting jeans and a snug knit tee. You can opt for any colour, but just make sure that if you are wearing lightcoloured jeans, your tee should be darker, or vice-versa.

You can accessorise the look with a golf cap or a hat, slick leather shoes or loafers, a nice pair of sunglasses (aviators always add that extra stylish touch, but only wear them if the suit your face structure) and a nice, stylish watch. Its casual, cool, confident and yet so stylish!

Photographs by Shivangi Kulkarni Styling by Carlton Desouza and Sania Momin Make-up and hair: Anjali Noronha Model: Namit Khanna KNITTED T-SHIRT, JEANS, GOLF CAP BY ZARA // SUNGLASSES

BY JACK & JONES // BLACK OXFORDS BY ZEGNA

Angela Jonsson Photographs by Vinod Wakkchare Interview by Nivedita Jayaram Pawar Styling by Carlton Desouza & Sania Momin Hair and make-up: Anjali Naronha Model Courtesy: [Bling! Entertainment Solutions]

How do you manage to look that sculpted?

At this age I’m a genetic masterpiece.

I can pretty much eat and drink whatever I want.

Morning or evenings.

For the amount of mornings I’ve got up, you’d think I’d have enough practice by now.

What is that one thing a man should never tell his woman?

Any sentence that begins with “relax babe...”

Weekend at a luxury beach resort or an adventure sports facility.

Give me the beach with some water skis!

028 | JUNE 11

Are you a tomboy or a princess?

A princess... looking for her fairy tale ending!

A fashion trend you just don’t understand.

High heels for men!

If you were invisible for a day you would...

I’d spy on my current boyfriend.

What’s your greatest indulgence?

The mocha fudge torte by Rahul Akekar of Indigo.

Your biggest regret.

I hope I will never have one.

One thing you’d like to learn before you die.

I’ll learn how to cook a basic meal for a start.

The one invention you are really waiting for.

You mean apart from the time machine?

What are you reading right now?

Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

The one place you really want to visit.

Zanzibar

Your favourite junk food.

Popcorn and Diet Cola.

Tell us about the last time you embarrassed yourself?

Isn’t this article meant for family audiences.

If you opened a specialty restaurant, where would it be and what would it serve?

A place where the menu includes popcorn and cola.

Have you ever broken the law?

Routinely, I’m a habitual offender.

You are shocked by.

Very little these days.

BLACK DRESS BY GOD MADE ME FUNKY

029 | JUNE 11

Do pick up lines work?

Very rarely, but don’t let that stop you.

Your worst date ever.

All izz well... So far!

What are you addicted to?

Two-seater sports cars.

What kind of space do you find yourself in today?

A world brimming with opportunities and possibilities.

If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where?

I’d probably tattoo one of my favorite quotes about karma in Hindi on my back somewhere.

What’s that one thing in a man’s wardrobe that needs to be burnt?

Whatever his ex gave him.

If your partner cheated on you, you would…

Leave him in a heartbeat!

The last holiday you went on.

An all-girl week-long trip to Goa. Okay, to wrap up, tell us 4 things that you feel men just don’t understand about women.

Our need to change outfits several times before deciding on the one we’ll wear.

Why we ask for their help or guidance when we already have things figured out in our heads.

Why we think its fun to check out what everyone’s wearing at the party and comment on it.

How important our girlfriends and spending time with them is to us.

CHIFFON SHIRT BY GOD MADE ME FUNKY // SHORTS AND HAT FROM A SELECTION

030 | JUNE 11

INTERVIEW

WH HAT IN N A MAN SETS YOUR PULLSE RACING??

THE ABILITY TO SED DU UCE ME WITH H HIS S EYES S.

TANK TOP AND BELT BY DIESEL // SHORTS FROM A SELECTION

031 | JUNE 11

M RECOMMENDS

BAGGAGE claim You can never pack the world in your bag.

But whatever you can, carry it in style

Photographs by Shivangi Kulkarni Styling by Carlton Desouza and Sania Momin Make-up and hair: Anjali Noronha Model: Igor [Inega Models]

032 | JUNE 11

M RE R RECOMMENDS E EC COMM CO MEN ENDS DS DS DENIM BY GAS >> PRICE ON REQUEST // JACKET BY RICHARD JAMES, FROM THE COLLECTIVE >> `35,000>>// STRIPE TIE BY ZARA >> `1790 // WHITE SHIRT FROM A SELECTION // SHOES

BY TRESMODE >> `3990 // LEATHER BAG BY D&G, FROM THE COLLECTIVE >> `30,000

033 33 | JJU 33 JUN JUNE U E1 11 1

SUIT >> `8180 & PRINTED SHIRT >> `2590 >> BOTH BY ZARA // STROLLER BAG BY PAUL&SHARK >> PRICE ON REQUEST // LEATHER BELT >> `8000 >> FROM THE COLLECTIVE // SHOES

BY TRESMODE >> `3990

M RECOMMENDS

SUIT >> `54,200, SHIRT >> `14,600, TIE >> `7200, LEATHER BAG >> `36,000, ALL BY HUGO BOSS >> FROM THE COLLECTIVE

035 | JUNE 11

BLUE JACKET BY ARMANI JEANS >> `15,000 // POLO T-SHIRT BY ROBERT GRAHAM >> `4500>> BOTH FROM THE COLLECTIVE // TROUSERS BY ZARA >> `2190 // SHOES BY DIESEL >> PRICE ON REQUEST // WHITE BAG BY HUGO BOSS >> `23,700

036 | JUNE 11

M RECOMMENDS

DENIM SHORTS BY POLO JEANS CO. >> `10,500 // BLACK GANJI BY D&G >> `8000 // SHIRT BY JOHN VARVATOS >> `9000 >> ALL FROM THE COLLECTIVE // BROWN LEATHER BAG BY ZARA >> `6990 // SHOES BY TRESMODE >> `3990

037 | JUNE 11

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038 | JUNE 11

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039 | JUNE 11

{ YOU HAVE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT. I have... but I still have to lose much more.

DID YOU HAVE TO SHED WEIGHT FOR CHARACTER DHEELA SONG IN READY? For Veer, I was supposed to put on weight, but obviously, that wouldn’t have worked for all my movies. After Veer, I was written off everywhere because of my weight. So I had to get rid of it. For this item song, I did work a lot to get into shape. Also, I am playing an ultra-glamorous role in Housefull 2 for which I have to be almost half my size. I spend most of my time in the gym, and probably that shows in the song.

IN THE SONG, YOU PAY TRIBUTE TO MANY ACTRESSES OF THE PAST. WAS IT A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW? It was. But I didn’t think about all this while doing the song. When Salman, Sumedh Dutt (the director of the video) and the

040 | JUNE 11

Zarine Khan

{

On life after Veer, matching steps with Salman Khan in Ready for ‘Character Dheela’ and Sajid Khan’s Housefull 2

choreographer Muddasar came up with this concept, I was super-kicked about it. I did not think of getting into the details. I was like ‘Let’s just start shooting’ because it looked so appealing to me. Since I was one film old, the chance to be Hema Maliniji, Nargisji, Madhubalaji was ‘wow’.

DID YOU TAKE ANY REFERENCE FROM WATCHING THEIR FILMS? Not really. I have seen their films. Hema Maliniji and Madhubalaji’s films. I haven’t seen Nargisji’s films.

WAS IT TOUGH TO MATCH STEPS WITH SALMAN KHAN? HE IS SUCH A SPONTANEOUS DANCER? We aren’t really dancing-dancing in the song.

Most of the time, he is doing his bit and I am doing my bit (laughs). But it is always fun to work with him because you get to learn so much – specially about being spontaneous.

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE TAG OF AN ‘ITEM GIRL’?

I wouldn’t call this an item song simply because Salman is in it and he is no ‘item boy’.

ARE YOU GOING TO SPORT A BIKINI IN HOUSEFULL 2?

If the swimsuit is a one piece, as long as it’s not vulgar, I am okay with it.

HOW MUCH OF YOUR RESURGENT CAREER DO YOU OWE TO SALMAN? Today, wherever I am, whatever I am, I owe every bit to him. He is really very important to my life – he is my friend, philosopher, guide and mentor. I don’t have a Bollywood background, I do not know a lot of people here besides him. If I am in a fix or if I need advice, he is the best person I can turn to.

(As told to Krutika Behrawala, Bollywood News Service)

I am the one who is always initiating sex with her. What do I do to make her grab me for a change?

It’s no secret that men are visual, and women imaginative. So, if you want her to grab that fly, try some healthy mind games.

For instance,hint to her what you have in mind for your time together in the sack and when you are actually there,switch to denial and wait. If plan works, it won’t be only her inhibitions that she will shed.

Come to think of it,you seem more into domination than submission. If that is true,and given that she knows it,then it’s likely that she ‘allows’ you to make the first move. Or, merely lets you believe that you are doing the grabbing. Say goodbye to the middle ages,for its back to the pre-historic... when no woman worth her salt would humour a man she was not interested in.

Photograph: Dreamstime

SHE

WHAT

SAYS

By Ms A(u)nty Adam

If you have a question, we guarantee you she will have an opinion.

Whether it is in your favour is what we cannot assure you. Still, write in to us for all things that trouble your heart, mind, and even pocket. A word of caution: Read on at your own (ego’s) risk.

What’s the worst thing you could do to your ex? One whom you’ve gotten over completely, but somewhere, somehow, nurse a grudge for being dumped?

Nothing. (If you don’t believe it...gauge your feelings for this answer).

What’s cool. Should I let my watch stick out of the wrist, or wear thinnner watches.

Your watch must complement your wrist. A heavy watch on a thin wrist is not going to help you look manly. It just highlights the lack of girth. For some time,thin watches were considered feminine,but if you have a heavy wrist,a thin watch will give it shape – that,however, holds true only for men who do not have more than adequate hair on the wrist. In which case,a thin watch will be,well,a little lost. The kind of watch to wear also depends on the type of clothes. Ideally,you must own more than one watch – for formal dress,for casual day and for sports.

I have `50,000 for her. What would she want?

Before blowing that cash,ask yourself at what point your relationship is and what sets

your woman’s mood. They say jewellery is a safe bet,but there are women who would ditch the trinkets for the ‘family jewels’ and an adventure holiday. Steer clear of buying clothes. May be, her eyes will lit up if you simply ask her out for a stroll in the mall. How about simply buying her an experience.

I’ve had a wonderful evening. What does she mean?

The statement in itself is neutral.

The catch lies in what she said just before or after she took a bow to the ‘wonderful evening’.

Let’s do it again sometime,hope to see you again soon,I will call you usually mean you are facing a dead wall.

An SUV or a luxury sedan.

What’s a bigger turn on for women?

Depends on the kind of woman you want.

My opinion,every fourwheeled beauty has the beastly power to leave those sexy long legs feeling weak. But think of it: is your vehicle the only asset you can flaunt?

A grey blazer, white shirt and blue denim.

Am I a fashion failure?

No. Blue denim and white shirt is a perennial favourite, and teaming it with a blazer only adds to the combination that screams cool-guy-nextdoor. The danger lies when the combination is worn badly. Boot cut,grungy and baggy jeans with torn bottoms are the beginning of a fashion fiasco. Jeans should not be made to imitate trousers, they should be worn as what they are... jeans. But neither should they be forced to declare long-term abuse. When teaming with a blazer washed,light blue jeans fare better than darker hues. Ensure that the blazer works with the jeans and not against it. Picking out a formal blazer,to club with jeans....well, you wouldn’t do that,would you?

041 | JUNE 11

byy Zahid H. Javali b

2

n a day like this, I mused aloud, one could fall in love. It was a chirpy spring morning and I was deep in conversation with a pretty young thing at her studio apartment. “Yes, one could,” she said, looking at me with interest. “But should one?” I held her gaze for a moment before replying, “No, I don’t think so.”

It’s good to be mysterious some times.

“Nor do I,” she said, almost immediately.

She looked up with seriousness and understanding, and with a smile. “I’ve known you for four years.”

“But I haven’t been faithful.” I blinked. She laughed. The moment passed. But the declaration had quite plainly been made and in a way accepted. She showed no

A CRASH COURSE IN THE ART OF SEDUCTION

1

Seek out the right girl. Seducing a woman is not that difficult if she is already on her second or third husband. The added bonus? No marital strings attached.

So listen to your instincts... not the baser ones. Seduction is about the mind, not the body. As Michelangelo once said: “A man paints with his brains, not hands.”

2

Smile. When your date notices how different and expressive your smile is, like the left crease being different from the right, know that you have the best smile that could make her go weak in the knees and everywhere else.

3

Photograph : Dreamstime

Don’t ogle,or worse,leer. Your date will know if you are ignoring the words coming out of her mouth for her cleavage.

Instead, you look at her eye. And then, look at her other eye. Look at her lips and think what it would be like to be kissing. Your date will notice the difference and things could shift to a more intimate level. Now picture yourself reaching that point, but still

042 | JUNE 11

“She’s a model. Very pretty,” I said. “And not as dumb as she looks.” I did not stop there. “It’s interesting, because earlier I was intimidated by women and scared to make the first move. Now there’s no one I won’t approach. Guess, it’s just a mind-set. At the time, I was just a virgin desperate to lose that label.”

“And today, you can run a seduction boot camp, eh?” she laughed. I laughed with her, holding her gaze. “By the way, you are looking fresh and lovely today.”

“Thank you,” she blushed, taken aback, and continued. “You know, I agree with

not sure if your date is game. Just whisper this into her ear: “What would you say if I kissed you right now?” It tells her like it is; builds some sexual tension, and if she doesn’t want to kiss you, she can say so anyway.

4

Be different. Yes, they teach you that at pick-up schools. Distinctive attire is the byword – orange eyeglasses, aqua pants, a fedora – all intended to elicit a second glance. Still don’t know what to wear?

Browse through the latest male fashion magazines, visit popular male fashion stores and observe their window displays, or even better, copy and improve upon the dress sense of guys who are already successful with beautiful girls. But remember, no cleavage-baring. And stay away from odd colour-matching, nerdy haircuts and garish clothes. Now you know why some guys who are just plain looking, broke or even downright ugly, have beautiful women doting over them.

5

Getting to her body starts with getting to her mind. Knowing body language helps. But not everyone can be

you. I know of a guy whose wife was the most gorgeous thing on earth, but without two thoughts to rub together,” she smiled, twistedly. “What happened?”

I asked. “Eventually, he got tired of the total vacancy behind the sensational black eyes.”

She went on. “I introduced him to a girl who had an IQ on a par with him. The last I heard they were on cloud nine.” She was laughing, her face full of sunshine and wonder. “Oh,” I said.

An echo of the cocky cleverness came back, a swagger to the shoulders, a curl to the lip. “Dead easy, eh?” I looked across with interest, adding, “Can I say something?” “Sure,” she said, eyes sparkling, face glowing, white

an expert at that. So the best way to read her mind is by texting and chatting with her online before the encounter. My friend Frank clinched one such deal by messaging his office colleague: “I know you like me. I am fine, so long as it’s just physical. Game?”

Her answer was a ‘yes’ and he could skip the other seduction techniques and go straight for the kill.

6

Get fit. To carry off your clothes elegantly, you need to be healthy and somewhat fit.

Which is, not too fat or too thin.

Walk, jog, lift weights. But first consult a qualified fitness trainer on what best suits your body type. I know a wannabe model who overdozed on protein shots, causing a kidney failure.

7

Looks do matter. But remember to turn up freshly bathed and smelling good. And unless you suffer from an overpowering body odour, don’t apply perfumes and deos. It’s better for your

teeth gleaming.

“I have been meaning to say this since we began our conversation,” I said, moving her along the road of seduction. She was curious. I continued. “But I have to say it now.” I was finding my voice and projecting it. It was now or never. “Sure, go ahead,” she said, a little breathless and more anxious. “Can I use your loo?”

The upshot of the story? Anticipation can be a wonderful aphrodisiac. And, it can be a big part of your seduction plan.

Because the next time you meet, you can skip the foreplay and get straight to the act. So how can you go on this ultimate power trip? By following some ground rules. One statutory warning. It’s all a work in progress...

enticing scent to be a surprise rather than an assault on the nostrils (ever walked behind an old lady?). But of course, chew gum. Who can stand bad breath? Not even you. Just don’t look like this slick Lothario wearing too much cologne and scanning the room for his next conquest.

8

At a pub, mall or multiplex, take your chances of coming up close and personal to her ears and whispering something.

The feel of your warm breath on her or the touch of your lip on her ear creates butterflies in her stomach, setting the stage for your next move. But you have to be quick. The longer you wait to touch her, the weirder it gets. So first go lightly. Arms, shoulders, hands. Then more intimate.

9

Your driving force should not be the woman you are dating. Talk about a goal or a purpose that is more important to you than a woman’s approval.

Women find that insanely attractive.

Nothing is more impressive to them than a man with ambition and direction. But don’t talk endlessly about yourself. Engage and listen to her as well.

P.S: People might argue that learning the art of seduction is manipulative. But if you don’t already think we are manipulating and being manipulated every day, it’s time to get real.

043 | JUNE 11

THE HU HUB UB

awkwardness in my continued presence, but rather an increase of warmth. “Who are you dating these days?” she asked.

Pint

of

promoter of The Beer Café in New Delhi, on everything you need to know about beer... cheers

Pradeep Gidwani,

THE ORIGINS OF BEER Beer has a fascinating history. Over the centuries, it has been upheld as a religious symbol by preachers, as medicine by doctors and as welcome solace by workers after a day of toil. Records of brewing go back 5000 years. The Sumerians, who lived between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, are credited with setting this remarkable tradition. It was the Egyptians, however, who brought scale to the practice as they brewed a ration for the Pharaoh’s armies. The Muslim invasion in

“If you have a friend, pour him a beer.

If you really love him, teach him to brew.” – Old Persian proverb “Give my people plenty of beer, good beer and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution among them” 044 | JUNE 11

the 8th century led to the decline of brewing in Egypt.

Thankfully, the custom had travelled to Europe and had been nurtured into an art by monks by the 5th century AD. Monastic settlements across Europe had large breweries to care to the needs of thirsty travellers and pilgrims. The early church regarded ale as a blessing from God. The word ‘beer’, or ‘bier’ in German, has its roots in the Latin verb, ‘Bibere’, which means to drink. From Europe, beer then

– Queen Victoria (1819-1901) “He was a wise man who invented beer” – Plato “Make sure that the beer – four pints a week – goes to the troops under fire

The 19th century saw the hearty brew change dramatically. A Bavarian brewer, Josef Groll, mashed his first batch of beer on October 5, 1842 in Plzen (now the Czech Republic) and the world’s first golden-coloured lager was born. Bohemia was also famous for glassmaking and the combination of beer and glassware helped Plzen’s sparkling golden lager gain popularity. This town of Plzen is better known by its German name of Pilsen and is now seen as the home of beer.

The Pilsner style of beer was soon copied everywhere and became the most widely brewed style in the world.

WHAT GOES INTO A PINT? Beer is the 3rd largest consumed beverage in the world after water and tea. So popular, and yet so little understood. A glass of beer holds a universe of aromas and flavours. Its colour ranges from deep copper and ruby black to pale yellow, reflecting the changing seasons and the passage from bare soil to golden fields of barley. Beer is the juice of this good Earth.

MALT: Malt is the soul of a brew. This partially-germinated, roasted grain provides not just the alcohol, but also much of the flavour and colour in a beer.

Barley is the grain most commonly used for malting. A few regions in the Northern hemisphere pride themselves on their fine malting barley. These include Moravia and Bohemia in the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Munich basin in Germany, the English regions of Wessex, East Anglia, and the Vale of York, the Scottish Borders and the Moray Firth, the American Midwestern states and the northwest and Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada. In the southern hemisphere, barley is grown in the Australian states of Victoria and South Australia, the southernmost part of New Zealand, Cape Province in South Africa and in a belt across

before any of the parties in the rear get a drop” - Winston Churchill to his Secretary of War, 1944 “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The

FOOD

travelled to England.

South America from Uruguay to Peru and Ecuador. In India, barley mainly grows in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

OTHER GRAINS: A few other grains find their way into your glass of beer. Wheat imparts a quenching fruitiness and contributes to a good head on the beer. Malted or rolled oatmeal, often used in stouts, makes for silky smoothness. Rye makes a beer spicy, while rice and maize can lighten it.

HOPS: This climbing plant gives beer its characteristic bitter flavour. Its resiny cones are used to aromatise beer. They also serve as a preservative, preventing the brew from going sour. This is the seasoning and spice in the barley meal.

Hops are grown across Continental Europe and a master brewer would choose them carefully for their varied aroma and flavour.

The most famous variety is the Saaz grown in the northwest of Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Poland is known for its cedary Lublin hops and Slovenia for its Styrians. In Britain hop growing areas include East Kent, the Weald, Worschester and Hereford. The US is one of the largest growers of hops, especially in the Pacific Northwest. In India, Himachal Pradesh produces a limited yield of hops.

YEAST: Malt, hops and water would never turn into beer without this humble catalyst.

This microscopic plant, a member of the fungus family, exists in the atmosphere and is invisible to the naked eye. When it encounters sugar, it converts it into alcohol, a process in brewing known as fermentation.

WATER: This is the most critical ingredient in a brew. Beer is mostly water, and quality and mineral content directly affect the character of the brew. The proportion of the six main salts in water – bicarbonate, sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and sulphate – alters the flavour and sometimes even the colour of beer. Today, most quality brewers use treated water and add the minerals they require to give them the consistency they need.

great point is to give them the real facts, and beer” – Abraham Lincoln “For a quart of ale is a dish for a king’’ – William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale 045 | JUNE 11

THE REGIONALLY DIS STINCT ALES Ale is the oldest, dating back thousands of years.

England is the country where ales are now commonly brewed. While there a rich variety of beer styles to explore, key styles of ales are the following.

ABBEY BEERS These are strong fruity ales, largely brewed in Belgium.

They are similar to the styles produced in monasteries, but are made on a commercial scale.

Leffe is an Abbey beer.

046 | JUNE 11

BERLINER WEISSE Made predominantly in Berlin, this light, sharply acidic wheat brew is relatively low in alcohol and is often laced with a dash of raspberry juice to add colour to its cloudy appearance.

BIERE DE GARDE This top-fermenting “beer for keeping” is from North West France. Strong and spicy ales, some beer in this style are bottle conditioned.

BITTER BEERS This distinctive style of draught ale in England and Wales is dry and hoppy.

Traditionally, they are reddish amber in colour. Fuller’s London Pride is a bitter beer

BOCK From Germany, this strong, malty beer is 6.5% alcohol and was originally brewed for the cold winter months. They are golden bronze in colour and largely produced in Bavaria region.

FRAIMBOISE/ FRAMBOZEN Belgium and French names for a fruit beer made by adding raspberries. It has a pink champagne like character, with light fruity flavour. For example, Liefmans.

Photographs by Vipin Kardam Styling: Azad Mohan

FOOD

HEFE The German word for “yeast” is used to describe beers that are unfiltered, with a sediment in the bottle. For example, Paulaner Hefe Weisse

ICE BEER It is frozen during the maturation period to produce a purified beer, with the ice crystals removed to increase the strength.

Originally developed in Canada. Labatt is an ice beer.

INDIA PALE ALE This strong, heavilyhopped beer was brewed originally in Burton in Trent, England. The recipe was designed to withstand long sea voyages to distant parts of the British Empires like India.

LAMBIC This wheat brew is left exposed to the air to allow spontaneous fermentation from wild yeasts in winter.

The result is a unique, sour beer. These are found largely as draught beers in cafes in Brussels.

PORTER This was the first mass produced beer, flowing from the Industrial Revolution.

By brewing on a large scale with huge vessels, it is more stable, with far better keeping qualities than previous ales.

SAISON These orange, highly hopped, top fermenting ales are brewed in winter and then laid down to condition and is fit for drinking in the hot summer months.

Check out Saison Dupont.

047 | JUNE 11

STOUT A dark, black brew, it is made with a proportion of dark roasted barley in the mash and is heavily hopped to give it a distinctive taste. It tends to be creamy and smooth. Try out Murphy’s Irish Stout 048 | JUNE 11

TRAPPIST It refers only to beers from the five Trappist monasteries of Belgium and one in the Netherlands.

These beers are strong, rich, topfermenting ales, complex and spicy too. For example, Chimay and Orval.

WEISSBIER These pale-white, often cloudy, beers have the thirstquenching abilities as a lager but, as they are top-fermented, they taste like ale.

These are largely from Germany’s Bavaria region. Eg Erdinger, Schneider.

WITBIER These are brewed using 50 per cent wheat, but then a variety of spices are added, notably orange peel and coriander. This results in a spicy, fruity flavor and enticing aroma. For example, Hoegaarden.

FOOD

PO OPU ULAR R LA AGER RS Lagers originated in Continental Europe where brewers used a bottomfermenting yeast to produce a light bodied, effervescent beer. Lagers today would account for about 80 per cent of the world’s beer.

“24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case.

Coincidence?”

– Stephan Wright

Beer – because one

doesn’t solve the worlds problems over white wine”Anonymous

PILSNER A golden, hoppy, aromatic lager from the Bohemian Czech town of Plzen, it has a complex character with a flowery hop aroma and a dry finish. Variations of this style now dominate the markets.

Pilsner is now the predominant lager style in Germany. German Pilsners are dry and hoppy with alcohol content around 5 percent.

For example, Bitburger 049 | JUNE 11

high-nuh-kuhn

pay-roni

bira moreti

bud-var

Heineken

Peroni

Birra Moretti

Budvar

bit-burger

am-stel lite

kai-z-dom pilsnr

Amstel Light

Munich dunkel lager

kai-z-dom dark

Kaiserdom Dark

Kaiserdom Pilsner

Bitburger

Euro pale lager

gyst blond

stella artwa

Geist Blonde

Stella Artois

Premium lager

Euro pale lager

Pale lager

Pale lager

Pale lager

German pilsner

German pilsner

Belgian pale ale

Witbier

Witbier

gyst whistling

Hefeweizen

hoo-gar-duhn

pau-laa-nr

Paulaner

Dark weissbier

Hoegaarden

er-dingr dun-kel

Erdinger Dunkel

Weissbier

Hefeweizen

Fruit beer

Geist Whistling

shnider wisse

er-dingr

Schneider weisse

lef-mans

Liefmans

Erdinger

mur-phiz irish

Murphy's Irish

Czech Republic

Italy

Rome, Italy

Netherlands

Zoeterwoud, Netherlands

Germany

Germany

Germany

Belgium

Belgium

Belgium

Belgium

Germany

Erding, Germany

Erding, Germany

Upper Bavaria,Germany

Belgium

Ireland

English India pale ale NY, USA

London,England

Belgium

Belgium

brook-lin IPA Dry Stout

7.00%

8.00%

9.00%

ABV

5.00%

4.60%

5.10%

5.00%

3.50%

4.80%

4.80%

4.70%

5.00%

5.50%

4.90%

4.50%

5.50%

5.60%

5.30%

5.40%

4.20%

4.00%

6.90%

4.70%

8.50%

6.60%

Province of Hainaut, Belgium 6.50%

Belgium

Belgium

Belgium

Origin

Brooklyn IPA

Strong pale ale

Pale ale

Saison

Trappist ale

Trappist ale

Trappist ale

Style

Bitter ale

do-val

Duvel

Color

Fuller's London Pride Fuler's London Pride

say-soo-n dupon

lehf blond

Saison Dupont

shi-may red

Chimay Red

Leffe Blond

shi-may blue

shi-may triple

Chimay Blue

Pronounciation

Chimay Triple

Brand

Clean, crisp and loaded with flavour. Full of character and taste yet surprisingly mellow at the same time.

A full, caramelised malt flavour and an intense aroma of roasted malt

Crisp and lightly sparkling, its unique taste is refreshing and dry with a clear-cut, clean character

Delicate hop and malt aroma, underlying tropical and apple flavours combine with a clean palate and refreshing finish with some hop

Biscuity malt and spicy hops dominate the palate while the long, bittersweet finish has some good hop notes

Bready and sweet, with appropriate hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light and finish crisp, refreshing, and semi-dry

Clear pale lager, finely hopped and lightly aromatic with a distinct dryness

Rich, dark lager with aromas of roasted barley; distinctive and surprisingly refreshing

Aroma of light malt and lemon zest. A smooth taste with hints of spice and citrus and floral hop

Delicately balanced between the sweetness of malt and demure bitterness of hops used. Has a crisp head and smooth body

Perfumy and spicy in aroma, with a fruity palate and a honeyish background.

Fresh wheat malt with a strong spicy backbone (full of cloves and coriander) and a nice aftertaste of citrus enveloping your palate

Sparkling light, fruity, and just a tiny bit bitter. Retains its originality and the many vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

a hint of liquorice

Light, sweet, chocolatey malty base overlaid with warming spices, almonds and gently tart fruit. A little spicy warmth and

Refreshing, subdued fruitiness with lightly warming spices. Finish is dry and marginally bitter with fruity taste persisting

Lively with fruity complexity, maltiness, almondy nuttiness, and clovey notes.

A fruity pleasantly sweet, sparkling and refreshing beer with a soft foam head

Light and sweet dry stout. Flavour is evocative of caramel and malt and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk"

A pleasantly hoppy aroma with a moderate, persisting head. Flavor is hoppy with plenty of balancing malty sweetness

soothing bitter.

Beautifully combined flavors of light, smoothly nutty malt; crisply bitter hop; and faintly honeyish yeast. More satisfying

Dense and creamy, with a strapping, hoppy bitterness and a full-bodied, chewy complexity.

A smooth and full bodied taste, a rich creamy head with a soft bitter after taste. It is a â&#x20AC;&#x2122;connoisseurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; beer that is easy to drink

A lively hoppy classic. Firm and Dry, with a yeasty, fruity acidity like that of an orange, and usually unfiltered.

Light and fruity aromas of black pepper,prunes, apricot and malt. Balances a mellow sweetness with a restrained bitterness

Sweet, grapey taste with bittering hops and herbal qualities; not entirely unlike a dry white wine

Roasted malts, with some quite dominant bitterness, and dark, ripe fruit (plums,blue grapes) and pears.

Tasting Notes

Cheers

FOOD

OTHER INGREDIENTS: Although the basic four ingredients – water, malt, hops and yeast – are all that one needs to brew beer, many brewers add other surprises to their recipes for flavour and aroma. These can include honey, spices, herbs and even fruit.

STYLES OF BEER It is only recently that people have begun to discuss beer in the same way as wine. Wine is based on a single ingredient – grapes. Beer is more complex and is a fine balance of malt and hops. The variety of hops is as great as the variety of grapes and there are many different styles of malt and different cereals.

In addition, there is an exotic store of extra spices that provides for more interesting brews. The myriad different tastes, colours, flavours and aromas can, to some extent, be squeezed into groupings with similar characteristics and method of production.

Beers are classified into either ales or lagers, based on the type of yeast used for fermentation. Ales are produced with ‘topfermenting yeasts’ or yeasts that rise to the top at the end of fermentation, while lagers are produced with ‘bottom-fermenting yeasts’ that settle to the bottom at the end of fermentation. Lagers are further differentiated by the fact that they undergo a process of cold storage after fermentation.

The word “lager” comes from the German word “to store”.

POURING THE PERFECT PINT Use a clean glass. A dirty glass, containing oils, dirt or residuals from a previous beer, may inhibit head and flavour.

Hold the glass at a 45° angle. Pour the beer, targeting the middle of the slope of the glass.

Don’t be afraid to pour hard or add some air between the bottle and glass.

At the half-way point, bring the glass at a 90° angle and continue to pour in the middle of

the glass. This will create the perfect foamy head. And remember, having a head on a beer is a good thing. It releases the beer’s aroma and adds to the presentation. You may also want to gradually add distance between the bottle and glass as you pour, to also inspire a good head. An ideal head should be 1 to 1-1/2inches high.

ENJOYING THE CHEER A few steps, if followed, will take your beer tasting to a blissful level.

L O O K : Pause and marvel at its greatness before you partake of it. Raise the beer in front of you, but don’t hold your beer to direct light as this will dilute its true colour. Observe its colour, its head and its consistency.

AGITATE:

Swirl your beer, gently in the glass. This will pull out aromas, slight nuances, loosen & stimulate carbonation and test head-retention.

S M E L L : Breathe through your nose, then with your mouth open, then through your mouth only (nose and mouth are connected in the experience). Let olfaction guide you. Agitate again if need be, and ensure that you are in an area that has no overpowering aromas. Enjoy the bouquet.

TASTE:

Now sip the beer. Resist swallowing immediately. Allow the beer to slip over your palate. Let your taste buds speak. The tip of the tongue will detect sweetness, the sides of the tongue will pick up saltiness, further back, along the sides, the tongue detects acidity, while at the back, it is sensitive to bitterness. Note the feel and consistency of the liquid and then gently breathe out.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy” – Benjamin Franklin

051 | JUNE 11

by Alam Srinivas

The politics of corruption

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n India, people are hanged (sorry, jailed) on corruption charges because of changing political equations, and not for the nature of their crimes.

The voters’ stink It was clear to everyone that the DMK was rooted out of Tamil Nadu due to the role of its leaders, A. Raja and Kanimozhi (both in Tihar at the time of going to press), in the 2G scam. A similar result was witnessed in West Bengal, thanks to the dubious decisions related to land acquisitions by the previous CPM regime.

Well, if you look at the outcomes in all the recently-held elections in five states, the obvious isn’t as obvious as it seems for three not-so-obvious reasons.

First, Tarun Gogoi returned as the Assam chief minister for the third time, despite corruption charges against his government. On national TV, Gogoi agreed that his ministerial colleagues were embroiled in scams, but explained that the people voted for his party because of the actions he personally took against such ministers. Wouldn’t the same logic apply to the DMK-Congress combine? After all, the Congress has got rid of several scandal-tainted central ministers like A. Raja and Shashi Tharoor, apart from a CM and the powerful CWG head.

Second, if the corruption-election results linkages were directly related, I would have assumed that B.S. Yeddurappa’s BJP in Karnataka, voted by Outlook as the ‘most corrupt government ever’, should have lost all the three state by-elections held at the same time. For the record, the BJP won all three. So, does the voter really care about scams, scandals and graft?

Finally, it appears that both the CPM and the DMK-Congress combine got 40 per cent share of the overall votes in their respective states. More importantly, the share of the DMK

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in the constituencies, where it fielded its candidates, was marginally lower (from 46 per cent in 2006 to 43 per cent in 2011). Now, for me, those are some figures to chew on. Statistics do lie, but in this case, they show that a sizeable population of Indians is still willing to throw its ‘election’ weight with corrupt politicians.

The Mauritius connection For years, more than a decade, economic experts have been raving and ranting about Mauritius. It has been alleged, and proved in some cases, that Indians route their black money out of the country or back through this tiny tax haven.

However, finance ministers have been apprehensive, if not overtly or covertly opposed, to force Mauritius to give information to establish such linkages. Several discussions between India and Mauritius on this issue have invariably resulted in a stalemate, thanks to wrong moves by the former. Suddenly, boom... the issue is almost resolved.

Days after the Tamil Nadu election results are announced and, coincidentally, around the time Kani is arrested, came the news that Mauritius-based banks are willing to share sensitive, hitherto secret, information on accounts held by Indians in their branches.

Yes, I know what the government is likely to say. It will try to convince you and me that this development was a result of long negotiations between the two countries. But the coincidences are startling.

The move by Mauritius banks enables the Indian investigative agencies to go hammer-and-tongs after the two DMK leaders, Kani and Raja (the former telecom minister), who are involved in the 2G scam and where it is alleged that bribes were paid to companies registered in Mauritius. Yet again, I ask the question. Is this in any way related to the defeat of the DMK in Tamil Nadu?

Kani ki jail yatra I am intrigued by the sequence of events leading to the arrest of Kanimozhi, daughter of the DMK leader, M Karunanidhi, in the 2G scam. In fact, it raised several questions in my mind. Why was she jailed only after the election results were announced in Tamil Nadu? Would the CBI Court have rejected her bail if the DMKCongress coalition had romped home with a thumping majority in the state? Is this an attempt by the Congress to subtly distance itself from the DMK, and appease Amma (aka, Jayalalitha), who has a 5/6th majority in the Tamil Nadu assembly today?

The facts are as follows. The Court postponed its decision on Kani’s bail and by extension her arrest, to a date that came days after the results were announced. The UPA government, in its own wisdom, didn’t wish her to be sent to Tihar while the elections were on (April 13). Contrary to expectations, some of the pre-election opinion polls had shown that the contest between Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha could be close, despite the DMK’s role in the 2G scam.

Not to forget that the Congress wanted to win as many seats as possible in Tamil Nadu to have leverage during the forthcoming Presidential elections, where the vote of each MP and MLA matters.

The OutsiderInsider Tata

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he cat is out of the bag. Or, rather, the rabbit is out of the hat. Look at it whichever way you wish, the succession exercise at Tata Group – Ratan Naval Tata retires in 2012, and a committee is currently screening possible successors – has just witnessed a dramatic twist. In an interview to the The Times (London) a couple of months ago, which was published recently, Ratan underplayed the chances of Noel Tata, the lead runner in the race, his half-brother and son-in-law of Shapoorji Pallonji, the largest shareholder in Tata Sons, which controls most of the Tata Group firms.

Photograph: Tata Sons Ltd

Ratan’s legacy In retrospect, Ratan Tata’s two-decade reign can be seen in terms of three distinct phases. Starting from 1991, the first 5-6 years were devoted to cleaning up of the internal management mess. Powerful CEOs within the group wielded more power, or as much clout, as the new chairman. The new chairman was seen more like the country’s President, a mere rubber stamp. Tata had to change that by getting rid of them, one by one. He fought hard battles, often in public. He won all of them. The second phase, lasting for another 5-6 years, was aimed to transform the workings (operational, financial and administrative) of the larger group companies. He inducted new technology in Tata Steel to make it more efficient and profitable, he changed the manner in which Tata Engineering (Telco) worked to make it innovative and research-oriented, he cut down the number of companies within the group’s fold by ruthlessly selling many of them, and he brought them all under the Tata brand, which was now owned by the holding parent company, Tata Sons. It was in the third phase that Tata flowered, and made a clean break from JRD’s legacy. He globalised his group. He aggressively pursued global acquisitions, like Corus and Jaguar. He managed to synergise the Indian and international operations; in fact, he turned around the ailing Jaguar within a year or so. Today, Tata can legitimately claim that his group is truly glocal (global outlook, and both global and domestic operations).

“I think if he is to run this (Tata Group) he should have greater exposure than he has had. Partly his not having it has been his own choice,” said Tata. Two days after the interview appeared and its excerpts were published in Indian newspapers, Tata’s office responded that their chairman has either been misquoted or quoted out of context on several points.

But vis-à-vis his remarks on Noel, his office maintained that he had been quoted correctly. Clearly, Tata doesn’t think much about Noel, and his managerial and entrepreneurial abilities. For me, this seems sad because Noel is exactly in the same boat today that Tata found himself in when he took over as the chairman in 1991.

Like Noel, Tata had little experience of running an empire when he became the group chairman. Although he had become the chairman of Tata Industries, the only real managerial role he had till then was in running Nelco, a lossmaking electronics company that constituted a miniscule proportion of the overall Tata businesses. Noel too is currently in charge of the `1,000 crore retail operations, Trent, which comprises less than half a

per cent of the group’s annual revenues.

Like Noel, Tata had to deal with powerful satraps, like Russi Modi, who enjoyed the complete trust and loyalty of JRD, the previous chairman and a legendary businessman. To establish his stamp, Tata had no option but be embroiled in dirty internal wars to get rid of them. If Noel does become the new chairman, he would possibly have to do the same with the crop of Tata’s loyalists. As Tata possibly realises, it won’t be an easy task; it will be tough as hell.

Noel is accused of being shy, introvert, slightly awkward and anti-social. So was Tata in the 1990s. Noel is said to be risk-averse, more focused on bottomline than topline (or growth). So was Tata in his initial years. Even now, Tata has blundered his strategies in telecom, invariably becoming a late and confused entrant. Tata had to fit into the big, almost giant-sized, shoes of JRD. Noel would have to do the same to tell the world that he could take the group on to a new level.

More importantly, the new chairman of Tata Group would have to deal with the changing realities. After the 2G scam, the credibility of the Tata brand name has taken a beating; its image has been disfigured. The Tata successor would need to dent the growing doubts about how the group is managed and run; he would have to deal with the aftershocks of the Niira Radia tapes. Tata too had to do the same as India embarked upon the economic reforms path in 1991, which shattered the cozy cocoon that Indian business groups lived in. He had to start afresh.

053 | JUNE 11

IMF Photo/ Michael Spilotro

Kahn he or can’t he?

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was mildly shocked when a woman journalist remarked that although Dominique StraussKahn, the former IMF head could have been guilty of sexual assault charges, one shouldn’t overlook the great work he had done during his tenure at the multilateral institution. “One shouldn’t negate his professional achievements because of his personal conduct,” she concluded. For the record, Kahn, in his resignation letter to the IMF, wrote: “To all, I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all of the allegations that have been made against me.”

But if Kahn is really guilty, and we don’t know that yet, should his personal behaviour be slightly condoned because of his great work at the Fund? I ask this question because I have heard similar arguments in other cases too. For instance, when it comes to corruption, there are people who consistently maintain that it doesn’t matter if a politician or a CEO accepts bribes or not. What matters is the fact whether they deliver results and make a difference to the society or their companies.

There was this case of a renowned head of a public sector unit in India, who was thought of as being corrupt and even flirtatious with his women staff. But even the ‘abused’ women would sing praises about him.

“Look at what he has done with the company; he has turned around the fortunes of a nearly-sick entity,” said one of them. Or take the case of A. Raja, who is the accused No 1 in the 2G scam. Many of his supporters contend that by selling spectrum cheap, the former telecom minister broke the back of a telecom cartel, help India treble its subscribers’ base to 700 million, and ensured that the resulting competition forced call rates to slump to a rupee for five minutes.

As far as I am concerned, such arguments are specious, to say the least. A wrong, an illegal act, and an unethical conduct are exactly that.

They are wrong, illegal and unethical.

Nothing can – and should condone – it. The guilty, if found guilty, should be punished. I find it appalling that a former law-maker can stand up in public, and deliver a lecture 054 | JUNE 11

that there was nothing wrong if a businessman like the late Dhirubhai Ambani broke a few laws. Why? Because those laws should not have been there in the first place. Does this imply that if we think a particular law is bad, we should go ahead and break it?

I also find it disgusting that when someone exposes a wrong, we tend to bark at the wrong tree. We endlessly debate about the origin of

the evidence. Who leaked the Niira Radia tapes? Who financed the Tehelka sting operation that exposed corruption in defence deals? Why did a particular article appear at a particular time? All that we need to do in such cases is to merely find out if the evidence is correct, if it is complete, whether it has been tampered with, and book the guilty.

It is this mindset that makes nations great; it is the bite that matters, not the bark (and a wrong one at that).

Flight of the jailbirds Now this is one figure everybody would be interested in.

According to the latest numbers released by the World Prison Population List, published by the International Center for Prison studies at King’s College, London, more than 9.8 million people are held in penal institutions through the world.

This is an increase of 300,000 since the previous edition two years ago. The list, researched and compiled by Roy Walmsley, who introduced the list at the beginning of 1999, gives up-todate information on the global

prison population and the rate per 100,000 of the national population in 218 countries.

Here are some interesting tidbits from the list.

There are currently 168 per 100,000 people in prisons. In India, it is 32, 58 in Pakistan, 153 for Sri Lanka, 120 in China, 598 in Russia and a whopping 748 in the US. The overall world rate (based on 9.8 million prisoners and a world population of 6,750 million) is 145 per 100,000.

Almost half of the world’s population of prisoners are in the US (2.29 million), China (1.57 million) and Russia (0.89 million) – countries that account for just over a quarter of the world’s population.

The report also suggests that there is a marked increase in the numbers over previuos years: 76 per cent in Asia, 64 per cent in Africa, 83 per cent in the Americas, 68 per cent in Europe and 60 per cent in Oceania).

Modi vs Srinivasan, Round IV

Taking a huge swipe at Srinivasan, the former IPL czar lofted Sanjay Dixit, the head of the Rajasthan Cricket Board, out of the park for changing the Jaipur pitch during a Rajasthan-Chennai game. It seemed that Dixit opted for a bouncier wicket at the behest of BCCI (read: Srinivasan). Rajasthan, which had won several past games while playing on the old turf, which kept low and spun, lost this game to Chennai. This started a twitter war between Shane Warne, the Royals’ captain, Modi and Dixit. It ended with a $50,000-fine slapped on Warne, who had to eat his ‘virtual’ words.

Once two subsequent close games went in Chennai’s favour – one directly and the other indirectly – more tongues began to wag. During the last regulation match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, which would have decided the first four slots, KKR gave away 23 runs in the last over to lose the match. If it had won, it would have been in the second spot, relegating Chennai to number 3. This would have put Chennai

in a spot. As it happened, Mumbai won, Chennai took the second position and, later, scored 33 runs in the final two overs against Bangalore to storm into the finals.

Earlier, before the start of the fourth season, Modi had alleged that Srinivasan influenced the IPL Governing Council’s decision to allow the eight original teams (minus Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers) to retain four players. Of the eight teams, only Chennai and Mumbai did this; most teams did not even retain one player from the original squad.

Before he lost his job, Modi wanted all the players to be part of the new auction so that all the ten teams could start afresh.

Turn to page 076 (Summer of blockbusters) for a list of big-ticket Hollywood releases in the next two months. For the rest of the year, use this list to plan your evenings.

The Smurfs: Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria; August 3 The Change-Up: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde; August 5 The Darkest Hour: Emile Hirsch and Olivia Thirlby; August 5

In the recent past, sports writers have questioned some of the players-related decisions taken by the BCCI, which seemed to favour a few IPL teams, including Chennai. One of the pertinent questions that was raised was the logic behind forcing the Indian ODI players, who won the World Cup, to participate in IPL but rest them for the West Indies tour. Wouldn’t it have been better if players like M. S. Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag had been rested during the IPL matches, a commercial league, rather than a bilateral tour, a national series?

This question attains a critical proportion when one realises that Sehwag played with a bad shoulder during the World Cup and, again, in IPL. Not to forget that Gautam Gambhir, the new captain, may not play in West Indies because of a similar shoulder injury he got during an IPL game.

I would have been dead several times over. A rockstar with problems is nothing new. Yes, I did have many medical problems – a torn ACJ in my knees, a broken blood vessel in my throat, and, worst of all, Hepatitis C. But being in band with Aerosmith, you are kinda depicted very differently – bad boys. And people love the bad boys of Boston.

Everybody is always intrigued by the badness of it all.

Conan 3-D: Jason Mamoa, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan; August 19 Fright Night: David Tennant; August 19 Spy Kids 4: All the time in the world: Jessica Alba; August 19 Final Destination 5: August 26 Piranha 3DD: Some time in August The Apparition: Tom Felton; September 9 Now: September 30 Real Steel: Hugh Jackman; October 7 The Thing: October 14 Contagion: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow; October 21 Paranormal Activity 3: October 21 Immortals: Steven Dorff; November 11 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1: November 18 Arthur Christmas: November 23 Hugo Cabret: December 9 Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol: Josh Holloway; December 16 Sherlock Holmes: Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law; December 16 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn: December 23

Steven Tyler Aerosmith frontman 055 | JUNE 11

THE HUB

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e has been forced to hide in London, there is an Interpol alert against him, and several investigating agencies are sniping at his heels. Despite this, Lalit Modi, the former IPL Commissioner, leaves no opportunity to hit back at his nemesis, N. Srinivasan, BCCI’s secretary and president-designate.

During IPL IV, he yet again hinted that the owner of Chennai Super Kings was using his ‘cricketing’ clout to favour his team, and put Modi’s friends, like the owners of Rajasthan Royals, on the backfoot.

Summer blockbusters

by Sudha G. Tilak

The Last Man in the Tower

By Aravind Adiga Harper Collins Pages: 560 Price: `699

crumbling. Here the past seems whimsical, the city’s present edgy and its future uncertain. The book is through the gaze of the vulnerable and the old witnessing the decay of a prosperous city grappling with space, wealth displacement and survival.

Adiga gets another cityscape to pitch his anger and rage at inequities in India’s prosperous metropolises. This book is sure to initiate conversation, invoking strong reactions like Adiga’s debut fiction.

Leela’s Book

By Alice Albinia Random House Pages: 426 Price: `499

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lice Albinia’s debut travel book, Empires of the Indus Description was highly acclaimed. She is a journalist and writer who has lived and worked in Delhi. Leela’s Book is a work of

Broken Melodies

By Gajra Kottary Harper Collins Pages: 282 Price: `299

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‘H

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Albinia’s fiction is both playful and deep, threading the contemporary, social and religious.

ajra Kottary, the co- writer of the super-hit television serial Balika Vadhu gives the readers a story of the pangs of growing up. The novel is set in the 1970s and ‘80s in New Delhi following the life of young Niyati whose head is filled with hopes and dreams, yet her life is frayed with familial conflicts. She grapples with her dysfunctional family, a philandering father, a hurt mother simmering with insults and her own personal qualms and disquiet. Her cheeky neighbour is an irritant she learns to deal with. However she can’t escape loving her elder sister Nisha, a beacon of all things good. Niyati is forced to take charge of her life when deep secrets are laid bare and she is forced to reckon with family truths.

yena. My own daughter-in-law is a hyena to me.’Don’t think badly of her. He heard Purnima’s voice.

It is your ugliest habit, she had always warned him. The way you get angry with people, crush them into cartoons, mock voices, manners, ideas; shrink fleshand-blood humans into fireflies to hold in your palm. She would cut his rage short by touching his brow (once holding a glass of ice-cold water to it) or by sending him out on an errand. Now who was there to control his anger?’

So goes Aravind Adiga’s latest, The Last Man in Tower. His second novel has been highly anticipated since Adiga won the Booker prize in 2008. The White Tiger was a novel set in the millennium metropolitan city in north India that is a concrete jungle of money, power and the disenfranchised.

Adiga returns to the theme second-time around as The Last Man in Tower tells the story of crusty Masterji who lives in a tower of apartments in Mumbai, a city of affluence and loathing that Adiga is familiar with. A tower of apartments is set to be torn down to make way for newer structures of prosperity, edging out the old and

deity. Lalita moves back to Delhi after two decades of living in New York, to reopen past secrets of her family. Lalita is aloof and distant, yet under the cloud of her dead sister. She arrives in Delhi in the midst of preparations for a family wedding. Vyasa, her brother-in-law, a Sanskrit scholar, is busy with arrangements for his son’s wedding to a family of Hindu nationalists.

A hedonist niece arrives from London to compound matters. A gay matter will make its token presence too. Presiding over this family drama is Ganesh, the mythological elephant-god. Leela watches the family of nieces and nephews play out their lives and relationships with the elders of the family coming together for what they think are neat arrangements of the lives of the younger generation to suit their ideology and class. However, it is not to be, for the hands of the omnipresent Ganesh, the divine remover of obstacles, is at work, his celestial designs saving Leela from her devious brother-in-law, Vyasa.

Kottary’s debut fiction is moving in parts and is a realistic take on family lives and the irreconcilable issues that bind and break the unit. It joins the long line of fictionalised

fiction where the lives of an affluent family in Delhi play out its secrets, overseen by the omnipotent eye of a Hindu mythological

including the elite, powerful politicians, members of its military establishment, to ragged peasants, urban poor and mullahs.

The book also examines the basic reasons for sympathy for the Taliban among many sections of Pakistan. Since Pakistan remains

The book details how the full-blown campaign against cancer began in the 1940s with the endorsement of American socialite Mary Lasker and medical researcher Sidney Farber, credited as one of the creators of chemotherapy. The two had come together to form an alliance with the support of Richard Nixon who passed the National Cancer Act in 1971, thus making mankind’s fight against malignancy official.

Even as he describes the character of the disease and its characteristics, Mukherjee is quick to point out that much of the war against cancer has been a playing out of wrong battles. The story of science has taken humans to the doors of chemotherapy, surgery and more but has overlooked a fundamental mechanism of the disease, that is genetic research.

personal narratives on family troubles and quest for identity in Indian fiction. The book is a possible contender for a TV serial for another day.

In this historical drama, Mukherjee weaves personal narratives of human suffering, scientific research and medical developments and highlights how the best of oncologists agree on the “failure” of this war as cancer mortality has increased despite prolonged research. It is indeed rare to find a book that seeks to explain in layman’s terms both the anatomy and character of a dreaded disease in a manner that is informal and yet informative.

Pakistan: A Hard Country

By Anatol Lieven Penguin Pages: 560 Price: `599

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n the wake of Osama Bin Laden’s death, Pakistan’s geopolitical position has come under sharp focus. The country’s importance in terms of the war against global terrorism, strategic location amongst India, Afghanistan and Iran, its own internal problems – both military and economic, the presence of the Taliban within its borders has only been heightened for further scrutiny. And any further debate on the nation and its position in relation to modernity, Islamic faith and nuclear power and terrorism and economic issues can only be welcome in understanding the many factors that plague the nation. Pakistan makes for a fascinating subject in terms of its many facets in a troubled world order.

Anatol Lieven’s work approaches Pakistan not as a failed Islamic nation but a viable one which needs other nations, especially America to approach it for global feasibility.

Lieven argues against US political and military actions and the risks that it would endanger. The book’s irony is not lost post Bin Laden’s demise.

Lieven’s book includes the voice of hundreds of Pakistanis from all walks of society

a nation with unique issues, Lieven’s book’s relevance cannot be undermined.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

By Siddharta Mukherjee Harper Collins Pages: 512 Price: `499

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inning the 2011 Pulitzer Prize has made the remarkable work of oncologist Siddharta Mukherjee a celebrated book. It describes one of mankind’s debilitating diseases as a character whose biography tells us how 057 | JUNE 11

THE HUB

through thousands of years humankind’s response to the disease and progress in fighting the battle against cancer is an unending one.

by Bijoy Venugopal

NOW PLAYING

A red carpet for Bluegrass Paper Airplane Alison Krauss and Union Station Rounder, 2011 Price: `395

industry. Krauss, who began recording at 14, started as a fiddler though her voice soon asserted itself. She released her first solo album, Different Strokes, in 1985. In 1989, the members of Union Station invited her to join them. At 21, she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, the venerated Nashville forum that has curated country music’s finest talents since 1925.

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raditional bluegrass drew of Celtic roots and flourished among ScottishIrish immigrants to the American Midwest who doused it with seen-andheard African-American jazz influences. The arrangements meld warm strings – fiddles, banjos, mandolins, double bass and the form’s special staple, the resonator guitar – with multi-part vocal harmonies. The narratives, as in country music, tell of bittersweet longing, nostalgic reminiscence and love lost. For most of the last two decades, the genre’s leading light has been a formidable 39-year-old chanteuse named Alison Krauss, whose 27 Grammys make her the most awarded female artist in the

Krauss’ chart triumphs, despite her appearances with Sting and Phish, and on movie soundtracks such as Cold Mountain and O Brother Where Art Thou?, remained confined within her genre until 2007 when Raising Sand, an album she made with Robert Plant, became wildly popular.

Casting the erstwhile Led Zeppelin vocal powerhouse in a mellow and controlled lead role to which Krauss’ soulful harmonies lent the perfect foil, the album won five Grammys including Album of the Year. It also served up a delicious interpretation of “Please Read the Letter”, a ditty Plant had composed with Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page for their 1998 album Walking Into Clarksdale.

Trendspotters perhaps saw this as a career turn for Krauss, who had not made anything new with Union Station since Lonely Runs Both Ways (2004). But the April release of Paper Airplane, if you ignore a

REWIND

Horsing around Heavy Horses Jethro Tull Chrysalis Records, 1978 Price: `295

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was not yet four when Jethro Tull released Heavy Horses, their eleventh studio album. The British rock group, formed in 1967, took its obscure-sounding name from an English agriculturist who had pioneered a technological revolution in the 1700s with a horse-drawn seed drill that allowed planters to sow in neat rows. Who would have thought! Founded on such pastoral themes

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distractingly imbecilic review in Rolling Stone, has reinstated her pride of place in familiar territory.

There is, as expected, no original material here – Krauss has always been a consummate interpreter of other songwriters’ works and has seldom written or performed her own music. In doing so she asserts her right to fill some large shoes.

Most conspicuous is “The Dimming of the Day”, first performed to lasting poignancy in 1975 by the celebrated country music duo Linda and Richard Thompson, and covered memorably by Bonnie Raitt and later The Corrs. There is also a rousing take of Jackson Browne’s “My Opening Farewell”. The title track, written by Grammy-winning singersongwriter Robert Lee Castleman, may be lyrically bland but Krauss’ rendition elevates it to stratospheric realms.

This is Krauss’ sixth album with Union Station, an accomplished backing band that might appear unspectacular without her.

A chasm yawns between the Krauss-sung tracks and the lead vocals on “Dust Bowl Children”, “On the Outside Looking In” and “Bonita and Bill Butler”. Sung by guitarist and mandolin player Dan Tyminski, they are pedestrian. If only he’d clammed up and played strings, this album would have been unimpeachable.

but equally surreal and layered are Tull’s lyrics, penned by the leprechaun-like Ian Anderson, the band’s multi-instrumentalist frontman who is best remembered as a hyper-animated singing flautist. Anderson’s stage persona is an artful goulash of British folk leitmotifs and highbrow self-parody.

Variously attired as knave, pirate, courtjester, squire and minstrel, Anderson cultivated a one-legged flute-playing stance that earned him both adoration and scorn from Indians depending on the degree of their religious affectation. He is an avowed Indophile with a palate that discerns original curry from the Bangladeshi variant that is ubiquitous in Britain.

Beginning with an opening act for Pink

JUKEBOX

PAUSE

Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?

We’ll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn Decca, 2009 Price: Unavailable side. In New Zealand and Australia, the compilation We’ll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn made the Top 25, reopening sentimental old war wounds that Lynn had soothed during so many immemorial performances to English troops. Addressed as the Forces’ Sweetheart, so adored was Lynn by war veterans that a Canadian radio host introduced her such: “If Winston Churchill was the face of the war, she was the voice.”

Those unmolested by WWII might have encountered Lynn via Pink Floyd. The Wall movie opens with her voice singing “The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot”. In the song “Vera” the words “Remember how she said that we would meet again some sunny day” refers to “We’ll Meet Again”, perhaps Lynn’s most enduring song.

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n 2009, a 92-year-old singer pipped the Arctic Monkeys to top the UK charts, becoming the oldest living artist to attain that honour. She also had three hits on the first-ever singles chart in 1952 and became the first British artist to have a number one hit in America.

Dame Vera Lynn’s chart triumph two years ago had a ripple effect across nations that had fought World War II on the same

Floyd in 1969, Jethro Tull rose to become one of the most admired stage acts of the 1970s, often spoken of in the same breath as Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

From jazz-tinted blues, the band’s sound meandered towards progressive and artrock and grew heavier with the years to include lush synthesiser sections. Though undeniably prolific, the band’s creative field trips were not always gratefully received.

Patches of brilliance stippled their long but not entirely eventful career. Right through, Tull infused a sophisticated folksiness in their music and lyrics.

From This Was (1968) to The Secret Language of Birds (2000), Tull covered much ground and issued bestsellers, besides the

When war broke out 72 years ago, 24-yearold Vera Margaret Welch considered her fledgeling singing career doomed. She already had a solo record and was a regular performer on broadcast radio. But in 1941, with the war at its gloomiest, she hosted a radio programme on BBC called Sincerely Yours, which sent messages to British troops stationed overseas. It was during this phase that “We’ll Meet Again” and “The White Cliffs of Dover” became household anthems in war-stricken Britain. This collectible compilation includes 20 of Lynn’s most

celebrated Aqualung (1971), in Thick as a Brick (1972), Crest of a Knave (1987) and the peerless Songs from the Wood (1977).

As with bands that have long outlived their reputations, Jethro Tull has undergone many personnel changes. For most of the last 40 years, Anderson and guitarist Martin Barre have been constants. Keyboardists David Palmer and John Evans, drummer Barriemore Barlow and bass player John Glascock performed on 11 early albums including this one. Glascock, who ailed from a congenital heart defect, died tragically at 28 of post-surgical complications after the release of Heavy Horses. Ill-health has often forced Barre, Tull’s longest-serving accompanist (since 1969) and its most

memorable songs including the American chart-topper “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart”.

Sincerity was perhaps in fashion back then, for Lynn was not content with breathing consolation into a microphone. “The troops don’t just want to be entertained,” she reminisced to Time in 2009. “They want to talk to people who’ve just come from home.”

She travelled to Egypt, India and Burma to sing for soldiers, who later recollected her blitheness of spirit and largeness of heart to live the rough life. In her memoir Some Sunny Day, she wrote that while in Dimapur, where British troops were resisting the Japanese Imperial Army, she lived on thickish soup that she scooped out from under “a solid layer of flies.” Compare that with Geri Haliwell who wanted a fridge full of soya milk before she sang for British troops in Oman during the Gulf War! After the war, Lynn continued to sing and spun several hits in the 1950s. She became a regular radio host up until the late 1970s and performed on stage as late as 1986.

War music may not mean much to us today but history certainly does. And there is perhaps a grain of truth in entertainer Harry Secombe’s quip that Britain winning the war wasn’t so much about Churchill beating the Nazis as Lynn singing them to death!

recognisable performer after Anderson, to be absent from recent tours.

The equine connection comes to the fore in the title track of Heavy Horses, which the animal-loving Anderson dedicated to “the Highland, Welsh Mountain, Shetland, Fell, Dales, Cleveland and the other indigenous working ponies of Great Britain.”

Barre and Anderson collaborate in tender unison on the delicately beautiful “Moths” and “No Lullaby”. Violinist Darryl Way of the British avant-garde group Curved Air lends a magical gypsy lift to “Acres Wild” and “One Brown Mouse”, making this one of Tull’s most cohesive albums ever, and one of their most collectible.

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by Sanjiv Nair

Caro Diario

In This World

Lùo Yè Giji Gôn

(Director: Nanni Moretti; Cast: Nanni Moretti, Renato Carpentieri, Jennifer Beals)

(Director: Michael Winterbottom; Cast: Jamal Udin Torabi, Enayatullah, Imran Paracha)

(Director: Zhang Yang; Cast: Zhao Benshan, Song Dandan, Hong Qiwen)

road movie divided in three parts, Caro Diario traces the protagonist’s, (played by director Nanni Moretti himself) semi-autobiographical journey through the contrasting neighbourhoods of Italy. The first part In Vespa (On a Vespa) essays his travels on a scooter through the streets of Rome as he wistfully admires architectural styles, searches for the spot where filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini was murdered and has a chance encounter with the beautiful Jennifer Beals. The second part, Isole (Islands), focuses on his retreat to the Aeolian and Salina Islands, where soap opera addiction and a bemusing societal order in which children dominate await him. The final chapter Medici (Doctors) narrates the diagnosis of a weird disease, symptomised by an irrepressible itching sensation, and its bizarre treatments which Moretti suffered in real life. The beautifully shot travelogue of Nanni Moretti and his quixotic adventures can be misconstrued to be nothing more than an amusing, endearing road trip comedy. In reality, however, the goggleeyed protagonist mirrors the brittle, pretentious coating lathered over the pop-cultural vulnerabilities of an entire generation raised on soap operas.

A

A

ùo Yè GŞi Gčn is based on a true story of two workers in China. The movie’s opening sequence features Liu, played by Hong Qiwen, unexpectedly dying after a night of heavy drinking.

The movie then keeps switching back and forth in time as Zhao, played by the brilliant Zhao Benshan, tries to fulfil his promise of taking Liu back home and begins an odyssey through the heart of China, with Liu’s corpse on his back.

His hilarious and sometimes revelatory adventures feature encounters with some of the most quirky and colourful characters ever depicted on celluloid.

Inspite of Liu being dead, the film is made ingeniously enough to combine the natural sense of timing of the dynamic Zhao and his inconveniently inanimate friend to riotous effect, reminiscent of ‘buddy comedies’.

M Factor:

M Factor: Look at it this way – If war ever

M Factor: Show me a dude who doesn’t like

DID break out, guess who is the smart refuge who knows how to go places NOW?

a good buddy comedy and I will show you the ‘Real Slim Laden’.

(Dear Diary) (Italy) (1993)

The super-hot Jennifer Beals makes a rare appearance. And of course, riding around in a Vespa in Rome is waayy too cool.

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(UK) (2002)

cclaimed filmmaker Michael Winterbottom brings to life the poignant journey of two young Afghan refugees in his critically acclaimed docudrama. The protagonists, Jamal and Enayatullah, leave a refugee camp in Pakistan fuelled by hopes of a better life in London as they travel illegally, in a journey fraught with danger, adventure and suffering. The beautiful landscapes of Iran and Turkey and the spectral beauty of Italy and Paris form the backdrop of their grand voyage as they ingeniously make it from one country to another. Most of the actors employed play themselves – policemen, customs officials and even the lead pair.

Brilliantly shot, the film utilises impromptu footage, and a non-scripted improvised dialogue style to perpetuate the feel of a documentary. The sensitivity and the simple pleasures enjoyed

by Jamal and Enayatullah and their simplistic amiability with absolute strangers in the war-ravaged nations are also beautifully juxtaposed against the xenophobia being spread by the press in the west, without an overt sense of indulgence in the ‘us versus them’ debate.

(Getting Home) (2007)

L

Tender moments of sentimentality and the strength of the character’s spirit make this road comedy metamorphose into a splendid story of courage and camaraderie along with a dark undertone. The journey which begins at Shenzhen and concludes in Chongqing is riddled with some of the most diverse and beautiful terrain in China.

Le Grand Voyage

Guantanamera

(Director: Nikita Mikhalov; Cast: Badema, Bayaertu and Vladimir Gostyukhin)

(Director: Ismaël Ferroukhi; Cast: Nicolas Cazalé, Mohamed Majd and Jacky Nercessian)

(Director: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Juan Carlos Tabío; Cast: Carlos Cruz, Mirta Ibarra, Jorge Perugorria)

U

A

G

(Close to Eden) (Soviet Union)(1991)

rga chronicles a series of events which do not lead to anything dramatic, neither tragic nor heroic. It trivially, almost lazily, prods at civilisation’s advances in the midst of nature but this is never the film’s mainstay. Instead, it portrays a series of amusing, and sometimes peculiar events triggered by the rather serendipitous arrival of a Russian truck driver in the midst of a Mongolian shepherd’s family.

Set amidst the quaint expanses of Mongolia, the film at its own leisurely pace weaves domestic incidents which are never harsh and always idiosyncratic, till it finally concludes with a metaphoric image of progress. For all its beauteous indulgence as a road flick amidst the Mongolian wilderness, the movie never ever feels the need to get anywhere anytime soon.

Urga is an unbelievably immersive experience as a film. It places the viewers right in the middle of the lush Mongolian grasslands, with warm tangerine sunshine on their faces, an azure blue sky, and lovingly kneads them into a blithe frame of mind – to experience the place as they want, amidst all of nature’s beauty, and with people as real as they are, and yet so very different.

M Factor: Chilling on a beach with beer, looking into the sea and thinking about absolutely nothing for hours. Yeah, same thing.

(Morrocan, French) (2004)

very unusual road trip flick, Le Grand Voyage operates within a deceptively simple premise. Reda is a young Frenchman of Moroccan ethnicity and has absolutely no trace of his Islamic ancestry. His father, a devout Muslim and someone with whom Reda barely communicates, calls him for a drive to Mecca. Reda’s assent is out of a sense of obligation, something he makes quite known in the initial stage of the journey through discontent and misbehaviour. Reda’s father as a traditional Muslim with an orthodox upbringing is also quite reticent about his own misgivings. With each character being an archetype of their own cultural identity, the film rather than being a movie about growth, becomes one about understanding. And that is primarily where Le Grand Voyage distinguishes itself from other coming-of-age films.

It also gives some subtle but interesting insights into Islam and the significance of the Haj as well. Shot amidst the magnificent trail from France, through the former Yugoslav, Turkey and finally the Middle East, the surroundings play the role of an almost mute but catalytic character in the film, often triggering the few but nevertheless profound conversations between father and son.

(Girl from Guantanamo) (Cuba)(1995)

uantanamera is an effervescent road trip comedy which beautifully captures the essence of life in Cuba. It narrates the tribulations of Gina, played by the evergreen Mirta Ibarra, as she struggles against redtapism and her unruly, domineering husband to take her Aunt Yoyita’s dead body back to Havana. On her way, Gina and Yoyita’s bungling childhood sweetheart, Candido pick up a motley crew of vibrant characters, the most colourful amongst whom is Mariano, lothario extraordinaire who as fate would have it, has a history with Gina.

What follows is confusion, chaos, and a whole lot of beautiful Guantanameras.

Gutiérrez’s last film was also one of his most successful ones owing to its incredibly popular title track and the film’s grand reception at several international film festivals. Full of satirical references to the tribulations of life in Cuba, the film is definitely light weather for a rainy day.

M Factor: Cuban women are a lot like Indian women. Minus the hang ups and with crazier libidos…. It’s a scientific fact.

M Factor: Father and son bonding. Don’t we all love that.

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THE HUB

Urga

WITHIN Mahendra Singh Dhoniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation rests on

getting the mix right: he is well-prepared to make the right moves that sometimes go wrong, and is confident to make the casual moves that turn out right, sometimes.

Photograph: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

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by Suresh Menon

Captaincy in cricket has been invested with a mystique that implies it is not for everybody. The successful captains have an aura denied to the best batsman or bowler because while the success of a player is susceptible to statistical explanation, that of a captain is outside the bounds of the calculable.

Captains who are wise seldom reveal their hand, knowing that for every move they make intentionally that goes wrong, there are many they make without a definite plan that change the course of a match. They are pilloried for the former and praised for the latter. The trick is to be wellprepared to make the right moves (that sometimes go wrong) as well as develop the confidence to make the casual moves that turn out right.

Dhoni’s reputation rests on getting this mix right. He has well-honed instincts and when he occasionally gets it wrong, he feels secure enough to admit it. “We read the wicket wrong,” he confessed after a World Cup game recently. Four years ago, he left it to the media to recognise the genius in him for bringing on Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over in the Twenty20 World Cup that India won.

Interpreting the mass of information churned out by the computer is not necessarily the captain’s job. He has experts for that sort of thing. Yet it is the captain’s job to work out just how much importance he needs to give such interpretations.

We know how computers arrive at their decisions, but how do captains do so? Just why did he bring on that particular bowler at that moment? It may have been out of sheer boredom or just to see what would happen. But he is judged by the end result, not the process. The bowler picks up a crucial wicket, and the captain’s halo gets brighter. How often have we seen this happen? By the time the analysts are through analysing and the pundits have given us their punditry, a casual gesture is converted into a manoueuvre and an accident is elevated to a stroke of genius.

In most sports, the think-tank sits outside the field of play. Managers and non-playing captains and coaches lay their plans and watch as the players carry them out. Cricket alone has a captain who still largely calls the shots, trusting to instinct, experience, gut feeling and all those intangibles

COLUMN

E

ngland have decided to split their cricket captaincy three ways, and India, among the pioneers to split the job in two, will watch the experiment with interest. They are currently led in all three formats by the best man for the job, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

But he is the most overworked of players, and despite his obvious flair, might be happy to let someone else take charge of the Twenty20 team, for example.

that do not show up on the computer screens of the think-tank sitting some 75 metres away.

Sometimes, of course, both computer and man misfire. When skipper Suresh Raina failed to inform the umpire that he was taking the power play during a match in last year’s tri-nation series in Zimbabwe, he was man enough to admit he had goofed. No one from beyond the boundary pointed this out to him, and two overs were bowled before Raina realised his mistake.

It is not difficult to sympathise with Raina. The modern captain has to keep so many balls juggling in the air. The three formats call for three different approaches to batting and bowling. Few understand, however, that they demand three different approaches to captaincy too. The rhythms are different, so are the aims (except the ultimate one, to win); and the inputs from the lap top brigade have to be handled carefully. What works in a Test match might not in a Twenty20 game, and captains have to be flexible and open to new interpretations of the same data in other contexts.

Such calculations as the over-rate, the run rate, fitness of the bowlers, state of the wicket and a hundred other inputs have to be processed without conscious effort if a captain has to keep himself free to view the big picture, to experiment and to work his hunches. And each format has its own set of peculiar tournament rules.

Has captaincy become easier because of the computer? To the extent that it has freed the captain from the need to keep track of everything himself, it certainly has. But the other side of the coin might just be the danger of overinterpretation. It is difficult for a computer to separate the significant from the merely trivial (it is significant that 80 per cent of a batsman’s runs have come behind the wicket; that he carries the bat in his right hand when he goes out to bat may not be). When there is an information overload, there is no difference between too much of it and nothing at all.

That is why there isn’t any satisfactory standard to judge captains by. Bowlers and batsmen have their averages and strike rates and impact on the team and a host of other criteria. Captains are judged by numbers alone (percentage of wins, if not total number of wins) while what they ought to be commended for is tactics.

If in the past, the great captains were those who went by the book (Richie Benaud bowling from round the wicket to exploit the footmarks and beat England at Old Trafford in 1961), the greatness of future captains will be measured by the number of times they ignored the book and pulled off surprise wins. The unexpected is the natural habitat of the best, whatever their field of activity.

THE MODERN CAPTAIN HAS TO KEEP SO MANY BALLS JUGGLING IN

THE AIR. THE THREE FORMATS CALL FOR THREE DIFFERENT

APPROACHES TO BATTING AND BOWLING. FEW

UNDERSTAND, HOWEVER, THAT THEY DEMAND THREE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO CAPTAINCY TOO. 45 | JUNE 11

A special series of essays

I

n 1947, when the British left India, there was no such thing as ‘unauthorised building.’ But today, according to MMRDA, 55 per cent people in Mumbai live in jhopadpattis. So, since 1947 till date, the government has given us ‘dis-housing’ instead of housing. Today most people in Bombay live in such shanties. If these are properly constructed into authorised houses, we won’t have the problem of unauthorised housing.

REAL ESTATE

by Niranjan Hiranandani MD, Hiranandani Group of Companies

They call him Builder Extraordinaire and the man responsible for changing the Mumbai skyline. He was an advisor to the GoI on housing and habitat policy for over a decade and also drafted the State Policy for Slum Rehabilitation in Mumbai that took steps to improve the life of over 6 million slum dwellers in the city.

All this while the focus has been agriculture, textile, aviation and telecom. But never housing. My driver cannot buy a house, but he can speak to his wife in Bihar for Re 1/minute. That’s telecom revolution.

We need a housing revolution, and we can do so, the only thing is that we haven’t done it. We have created surpluses in every business. The only field where India has become non surplus is housing.

My vision for India 2020 is a housing revolution. Every other country in the world has done it. India, with all its resources hasn’t thought about it yet.

There is ample land available… all we need is leadership. Take the case of aviation. When Jet started operation, it was business class with full fares. However, it made very little money. Today, 52 percent of their money comes from lost-cost flights. It is not about low-cost housing, it is about how much supply you can create; it is not about non-availability of land. It is about non-availability of permission; it is not about non-availability of resources, its about non-availability of leadership.

We need strong leadership and intent both in the public and private sector to counter the urban problem of housing.

Tata showed the way when they came up with the Nano. The problem with the housing sector is that people are using it

064 | JUNE 11

as a milking cow, both under the table and over the table. Today, 32 per cent of the affordability of a house goes in taxes. On the one hand you need cheap housing, availability of land isn’t there and with such steep taxes, affordable houses are not possible. I am not blaming the government; private enterprises also need to take stock. If the government works efficiently, it can house everybody.

That will also increase the GDP of the country. It will also create employment as construction is the second largest employment generator after agriculture.

Prices will continue to sky rocket when there is a lack of supply. The secret is to create surpluses. Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Dubai have all solved their housing problem. If all other countries in the world have solved the problem, why can’t we?

Everyone’s talking of redevelopment.

But it is only one part of it. Slums and old buildings should be redeveloped.

Reclamation has to be done, infrastructure has to be recreated. The biggest thing is leadership. If we have leadership, we can achieve all this. Another crucial element is the design. When surpluses come into existence, people will start differentiating by creating better designs. Design depends on the environment and the city’s needs.

Metros need towers. For other cities, you can go horizontal. You also need to create other infrastructure like schools, colleges, hospitals, malls, fire brigades, etc.

Maintenance of heritage is also important.

Every country maintains heritage, but the way we maintain it is two-faced.

I hope by 2020 everything changes. I wish we have a surplus, and if have the right vision, we will get it done quickly.

(As Told to Nivedita Jayaram Pawar)

FIRST BITE

Facts Manchester United Restaurant Bar No 1 K.I.R.A. Layout, Hosur Main Road, Bangalore 56029 Tel: (080) 6579-7777 11am-11:30pm Price: `1000 (average meal for two without alcohol); `1500 (with alcohol)

THE HUB FEATURES

UNITED WE ROLL

JUNE 2011

by Zahid H. Javali

WHAT do you think of a warmup session with Manchester United comprising Little Latin Rockets, Trophy Room Shrooms, North West Derby, Thunder Thais and Ye Ol’ English FnC? No, I haven’t gone off my rockers. I am talking about the starters at the restaurant and bar of the same name in Bangalore.

Before I got to the food, it was the sporty ambience that took me in its expansive arms. From an elevated 18-feet by 10 feet digital screen playing live sports events to the DugOut boasting of Formula 1 seats to the skybox, that offers the best view and comfort, it was more than just a sports bar. Simply put, it is the ground zero for sports fanatics.

And I joined in the fun, screaming my lungs out for the Man U team playing the Premier League.

Helping many in the restaurant reach boiling point while they were egging on their favourite teams were the soups on offer.

The most popular doing the rounds? The Tom Yum Kung Fu, an aromatic blend of prawn and

straw mushrooms. I decided to go against the grain and skip the soups altogether.

I opted for starters instead to begin my continental journey. Digging into the Onion Bag while Rooney was doing his number on the giant screen, it was a crispy experience.

The fried onion rings sprinkled with sesame seeds were not only finger-licking good, they helped me get a good start. Cementing it were Trophy Room Shrooms… mushrooms stuffed with herbed cream cheese and served with horseradish dip. I followed it up with Chilly Paneer, aka, desi tapas.

It’s a spicy appetiser one can have anytime of the day. Or night.

There was more. A toss-up between my perennial favourite Caesar’s salad (named The Gaffer’s Caesar) and Jolly Green Giant. I opted for the mountain of green apple and celery. With a generous sprinkling of walnuts doused in mustard vinaigrette, it was better than Caesar’s and my find of the evening.

I decided to test the pitch and make some game-altering moves with a thin crust Mediterranean pizza, the King Eric no less.

Delectable and with just the right degree of spiciness, it bettered the ones from some stand-alone pizza outlets. The ingredients doing the trick? Char-grilled babycorn, bell peppers and onions. Though a non-vegetarian, I decided to go vegetarian and check if the restaurant was biased against the leaf eaters. I wasn’t disappointed when presented with Tandoori Mushrooms containing some of the most exotic Indian spices. It was mock meat at its best.

Nursing a cold, I was given something off the menu: Hot Toddy. A welcome concoction of apple juice, honey, cinnamon, clove and lime. No brandy, because I am a teetotaller. Which also helped me opt out of tasting Bhoot Jolokia, the hottest chilli in the world. If I finish a bowl of it, I was promised a free tower of beer. No incentive for a mocktail-happy finger-licker.

It was time to end on a high.

For the grand finale, the Hearty Lancashire pie (apple pie) won hands down. And so did Wayne Rooney with his penalty kick in the 73rd minute. Defeating Blackburn Rovers to win the Premier League this year. And Man U’s 19th championship title... let the celebrations begin.

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COVER STORY

I don’t want to be bitten by a makdee, so no Spiderman...

I don’t want to wear red underwear over my jeans, so no Superman...

I only want to be

Interview by Jigar Shah, Bollywood News Service Photographs by Manisha & Dabboo Ratnani Make-up: Raju Naag Hair: Imran@Hakim’s Aalim 067 | JUNE 11

Do hits and flops change you?

That is one thing which doesn’t change me. If a flop or a hit could change a person, phir to ho gaya…

When Dabangg was being made, did you have any inkling that it would turn out to be such a blockbuster?

We were discouraged, and told “Who is going to watch a film called Dabangg?” We were told people don’t know what it means, or even how to pronounce it. And then I was playing a cop in it... it is so “outdated” they said. And new girl, new director... marr jaoge!’ But we made the film. When the first promo came out, kids caught on… in my childhood I wanted to see heroism onscreen and the same is the case now.

Now, are you hoping for two back-to-back hits with Dabangg and Ready?

I feel that people should be aware of the film.

Let them watch the film in a theatre, and then decide if it is good or bad. See, everybody wants a hit. Who wants to have a disaster? All of us want to make a Mughal-E-Azam, a Deewar, a Sholay, a Maine Pyar Kiya, Andaz Apna Apna…. I can include many of my films too on this list...

After working in the industry for two decades, do you still feel excited, even nervous, around the time of a release?

Yes. Every Friday aapki kismet line pe lag jaati hai.

The first three days give you the result of all the hard work you put in for 100 days. You come to know if you have chosen the right script or not.

Now, thankfully, I have reached a point in life where I can choose the films I want to do. But I still do get nervous and excited when a film releases.

Are remakes of South films lucky for you – Wanted was one, and now Ready?

If the film is good, be it from our Hindi film industry or from the South, it will run. In the South, heroism still works; somehow, in our industry, it had died out. I myself wanted to see a hero on screen and that is the reason I began doing films like these. When your audience come out to watch a film, they want to be like the hero.

And who can be a better hero than me?

What makes your character in Ready special?

I took Prem of No Entry and put him in Hum Aapke Hai Kaun. Imagine Anees Bazmee making Hum Aapke Hai Kaun …it’s today’s Hum Aapke Hai Kaun. And imagine an entire family with a sense of humour. It’s a naughty film.

What is that one thing that you look for in a script?

From the songs to the narration, I should like it at the first go… and the hero should emerge. Like when I did Tere Naam, I didn’t like the ending of the film. I was very upset with it. I wanted Bhumika to die as a suhagan and I suggested that I take the pheras with her before she dies. But that didn’t happen. Also, the main villain remains free in the film. So in Wanted, I got Tere Naam’s villain in one shot, and whacked the life out of him.

You have somehow become very involved in your films with 068 | JUNE 11

When your audience come out to watch a film, they want to be like the hero. And who can be a better hero than me? I wanted to see a hero on screen, that’s why I did Wanted.

the story, lyrics, etc.

I have always been that way. Actually, when you get a kick, you go two steps ahead. I believe that when my fan spends money to see my film, it is my responsibility that he gets his money’s worth.

Your father Salim Khan has been credited as script consultant for Ready – was it your idea to bring him on board?

He has seen the film and doctored it a bit here and there. The film was a very big hit in the South, but we changed a few things like Asin’s role and my dialogue style.

You had crowd-pleasing dialogues in Wanted and Dabangg. Now in Ready you have a song called Character dheela. Are you taking the trend forward?

No. Character dheela was Asin’s idea; and how can you refuse the heroine of the film? The statement has negative connotations. Anees bhai thought why not turn it positive?

How did the Character dheela song come about?

When I heard the song, I didn’t like the tune. I ended up listening to 30-40 different options, and decided on one. But I hated the lyrics on that tune. So I shifted the lyrics of Character dheela on this tune. So for one song, I destroyed two songs of (music director) Pritam.

How much do you relate to the song?

(Smiles) Mera character katai dheela nahin hai.

How did the sequences of Sholay, Shri 420 and Mughal-E-Azam come about?

There is no way you can do justice to all those legends. No one can look like Dharamji in Sholay.

Raj Kapoor saab is a legend and Yusuf saab is in another league. I saw Ganga Jamuna and I feel that no one in the industry can even touch his performance in the film. We are paying a tribute to these guys.

COVER STORY 069 | JUNE 11

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You have given your Veer heroine, Zarine Khan a new lease of life with the Character dheela song.

Are you mad? Nobody wanted to do the song. She has done a favour to us. She is looking stunning in the song.

You seem to hit the nail on its head when it comes to selecting heroines. Years ago, you told Sonakshi that she was cut out for acting. What prompted you to cast her in Dabangg?

She was very plump but very expressive. And behind all the fat, you could see that she was beautiful. Even with all the weight, she looked amazing when she danced. After she lost all her weight, I saw her at Amrita (Arora)’s wedding.

I told my brother Arbaaz (the producer of Dabangg): “She is your girl”. He asked me if I had spoken to her dad. But Sonakshi was very reluctant. It took a lot to convince her to do the film. She has a very ‘samjhe-type’ attitude even today.

You normally shoot one film at a time. But of late you have been shooting two films back-to-back – Ready and Bodyguard.

Every film that I do, I have three or four action sequences; and once you are in a particular rhythm, you shouldn’t stop it. Otherwise, to start all over again is very difficult and painful.

Speaking of action, after Wanted and Dabangg, you are the latest action star of the industry.

Only action in the film doesn’t make any sense.

You cannot compare with the Hollywood guys, thanks to their budgets and technical teams.

But when you have your emotions backing your action, then there is nothing stopping you. My forthcoming film Bodyguard is a love story, while Kick is a very stylized film.

Besides Bodyguard and Kick, are you doing Kabir Khan’s film with Yash Raj? Yes, I’m doing the film with Katrina.

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COVER STORY

Sonakshi was very plump, but very expressive.

Behind all the fat, you could see that she was extremely beautiful. Even with all that weight, she looked amazing when she danced.

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Who is a dabangg for you and what does it take to be one?

Anyone and everyone can be a dabangg. If you take a stand on something, you are a dabangg. In our industry, everybody is fearless in his or her own way.

Akshay Kumar is not afraid of stunts, Sunny Deol has a huge capacity for enduring pain, while Sanjay Dutt has borne the brunt of losing his loved ones.

But there is no one more dabangg than my parents.

Define a veer.

A veer is somebody who stands by you and does things straight from his heart. A hero is somebody who reacts spontaneously to an emergency. In my eyes, my dad is my hero.

Who is the Bigg Boss in your life?

My dad.

COVER STORY

On a llighter On ighter n note ote

In our industry, everybody is fearless.

Akshay Kumar is not afraid of stunts, Sunny Deol has a huge capacity to endure pain... Sanjay Dutt has borne the brunt of losing so many of his loved ones.

Your favourite sport?

Cycling and swimming.

Define a man-woman relationship.

Many people say it is about compromise; that it is about sacrifice. I don’t think so. If you start a relationship with lies, saying: ‘Main aisa hoon, main to yeh hoon, main to woh hoon’ and if your partner believes you, then there will be problem. But if you come clean right in the beginning, there cannot be any problem. From then on, you only change for the better.

What do you think couples fight about?

At the start of a relationship, everyone puts their best step forward – you do everything so that your partner falls for you. But over a period of time, your real self will emerge.

Who do you think must take the lead to sort things out in a fight?

Either can take the lead. There is no point in stretching the fight. As soon as anything happens, sort it out immediately. When ego or upmanship creeps into a fight, it spells trouble. Whoever feels the need more, should go. You should act from your heart.

And you are doing a film which your brother Sohail is directing?

Yes, I’m doing a film with him... Sohail is directing after seven years.

We heard you are also doing a superhero film.

I don’t want to be bitten by a makdee, so no Spiderman for me. And I don’t want to wear red underwear over my jeans, so Superman too is out.

I only want to be Sal-man.

You sported a moustache for the first time in Dabangg?

I was going to shave it off on the first day. For six weeks before we began shooting, Arbaaz would come to me with a new moustache every week. I even chopped my hair on the sets because I had been sporting long hair for Veer. I took the scissors, held a bunch of my hair and snipped them. Later, I asked the hair stylist to do the needful. Sonakshi’s dad was also famous for his moustache. If you see me in the film, my moustache is very much like Shatru sir.

Does a busy schedule with your films mean you are not able to go devote much time to your charity, Being Human?

Nowadays there is this new funda that you have to take out 15 days before the release of the film for its promotion. On those days, I plan to do some work for Being Human as well. I use the time to understand how and what kind of help is required. It also helps me to ensure that money is not wasted on unnecessary administrative work, but actually reaches people.

You felicitated the workers of Film City recently.

I have decided that every film that I start, I would give a percentage of it, may be one percent or even half, back to the industry.

What made you agree to host Bigg Boss?

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If you get scared, it has nothing to do with me.

Why should anyone be afraid of me? I am a simple person. I do not cater to an image that has been created by 500 people and lapped up by crores who don’t know me.

I am very good with inmates; I have some practice.

Does the fact that Big Boss was earlier hosted by Amitabh Bachchan put pressure on you?

Everybody has their own style. If Akshay had done Bigg Boss, or Aamir hosted KBC, they would have done a damn good job. There is no pressure as we all are very different and have our own styles.

Would you ever consider being a participant yourself?

I won’t be able to handle being inside; it would be difficult if all the cameras are on me all the time.

So I decided to be outside, to make sure everybody inside is good.

Is marriage important to you?

One has to get married. I will get married but only when I decide.

Aamir said that the only way of getting you married is by tying you up.

I’m also going to tie him up so that he doesn’t get married again.

You have worked with both the Kapoor sisters (Karisma and Kareena). Whom do you share a better rapport with?

I am very close to Karisma as I have done nine films with her. I have known Bebo since she was nine. So sometimes I bully her. It’s very different working with Bebo and Lolo. Lolo was very hardworking. She has a lot of energy and dedication whereas Kareena is a natural.

Lastly, Salman, why is it that people are afraid to speak their mind in front of you.

If you get scared, it has got nothing to do with me.

It’s your fear. When I meet kids, they are not afraid to play with me or hug me. Why should anyone be afraid of me? I consider myself a simple person.

I am not a star. I do not cater to an image that has been created by 500 people and lapped up by crores who don’t know anything about me.

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COVER STORY 075 | JUNE 11

Summer of

BLOCKBUSTERS 076 | JUNE 11

FEATURES

Have sightings of maidens with a phobia of wearing clothes, walking around with custom–made succulent lips and with bosoms that double up as flotation devices obfuscated your vision? Are men with concealed meta-human powers, which reveal themselves only in front of green screens, giving you an inferiority complex? Have no fear. The shiny armoured protectors of fragile male egos are here.

From the vacuum compressed, 256 bit, advanced encrypted, 7inch-thick titanium walled vaults of M Magazine’s Forteresse de Style et de la Survie, we bring you four highly confidential Axioms for 2011’s Summer of Blockbusters. By Sanjiv Nair

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AXIOM #1 Every third person knows/has fought/is an Alien

‘In Abrams’ we trust’ is a simple mantra which has guaranteed cinematic gratification for fans of the geek lord. Add to that an executive production team of Abrams himself and the legendary (and sadly, slowly becoming anachronistic) Steven Spielberg and their favourite theme of extra-terrestrial life and the birth of a super successful franchise suddenly seems imminent. The trailer looks fantastic and all is right with the world. Or so it would seem. After more than 300 films about aliens, the question is not if the truth is out there, but is a good story out there? The story of Super 8 (June 10) is about a bunch of kids shooting a motion picture with their Super 8 camera, in a town where a mysterious train crash has triggered some very paranormal activities. After Independence Day and the Men in Black p series, serie extra-terrestrials are as passé as ser the h local llo bhajiwala. Its comparative low profile might just make it the surprise hit of the summer.

Jon Favreau, au contraire knows no such monster. He takes two popular genres and marries them off in Cowboys and Aliens (July 29). To reinforce the feverish buzz around the film, he adds a star cast that comprises of Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. He adds to that the man who probably holds a creative copyright on aliens, Steven Spielberg and already he has our imagination running in overdrive. Cowboys riding into the sunset with ‘Riders on the Storm’ playing in the background, the silhouette of evil alien gunships emerging in the distance and Harrison Ford nodding stylishly at Daniel Craig who nods back and says ‘Lets do this’. Oh Man! Release the movie already.

AXIOM #2

Sequels are dead! Long live Sequels!

To a cynic, movie upgrades are a myth.

The only improvement in Iron Man 2 was in its list of endorsement tie-ups. The Wachowskis through all of The Matrix’s runtime kept telling us how ‘The One’ was all that mattered, but we, had to watch parts two and three. To the contrary, quip 078 | JUNE 11

lovers of the revamped Batman franchise and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and you know that the argument is going nowhere anytime soon.

This year we are already on diabolical territory. The success of the fifth instalment of the Fast and the Furious franchise is matched on a war footing by the latest instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series with plot, pacing and performances so lethargic it makes a snail look like Usain Bolt on crystal meth.

Speaking of psychostimulants, Michael Bay has promised that he will be pulling all stops this year for what looks like the final part of the Transformers trilogy. Which probably translates into bigger explosions, tons more jargon and lots more swivelling cameras as protagonists rise from rubble to look into the sun heroically in slow motion. The dichotomies however, continue – The name of the film has gotten worse (Dark of the Moon: July 1... seriously!

What next? Shine of the Bald!). But the fresh-faced Rosie Huntington Whitley is definitely an improvement over E.T’s twin sister, Megan Fox. The trailers pack quite a wallop and for people who like the series, we think this one might have more bang for your buck than you imagined. Literally.

Cars 2 witnesses the reunion of the original Cars star cast. From the initial trailers, the animation and humour look dapper. Michael Caine steps in and gives the cast tremendous respectability.

But the fact that Paul ‘King Cool’ Newman is no more is quite a powerful blow. However, Pixar has never ever disappointed and we find no reason to doubt them this time around either.

The final instalment of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (July 15) series is finally here. The entire series is exemplary in what it has achieved and unbeknownst to its makers, is being run in film schools for precisely that reason. The final part, however as final parts go, promises more action than any of the others and this one should be no exception. Over to you Harry.

Prequels are Plastic Surgery for Ugly Films Mark Wahlberg and Tim Burton in a remake of a classic science fiction film – News that set cyberspace ablaze, and prompted every fanboy’s wet dream.

The film crashed and burned at the box office and it took no less than five years and the great Martin Scorsese to redeem Marky Mark. Burton ran back bawling to Johnny Depp. This time around the suave James Franco is walking the murky territory of quasi-human uber-intelligent Neanderthals in a prequel to the Planet of the Apes mythology (Rise of the Apes: June 24). Director of the cult classic Subterrain, British Filmmaker Rupert Wyatt directs and in all honesty the trailer looks like the film is hitting all the right notes. Andy Serkis, who refuses to play a real human character, plays a chimp this time around, which, of course, is completely different from playing Gollum who is more like a gibbon and King Kong, which is a GIANT chimp. The dubious origins mean it would be advisable to wait for its reviews.

The next in the X Men series reflects Marvel’s repentance at doing its utmost to ruin a fantastic franchise lovingly put

FEATURES

AXIOM #3 Killer kicked in and he was replaced

by Matthew Vaughn – role model for nerds around the world. He loves comic books, makes films that are fun (the latest was the acclaimed, gory and cool Kick-Ass) and is married to supermodel Claudia Schiffer. Respect! Vaughn’s’ story traces the origins of the bitter antipathy between Charles Xavier aka Professor X and Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto. James McAvoy, Michael Fassenbender and the enigmatic Kevin Bacon form the core of the formidable star cast. Set in the background of the Cuban missile crisis, this one has all the makings of a cracker.

AXIOM #4

Hollywood is IPL for Superheroes

In 2002, Sam Raimi’s Spider Man reinvigorated a genre which was long bereft of inspired filmmaking.

Unintentionally of course, it also set in motion a chain reaction. Superhero filmss received a shot in the arm, studio execs broke open the financial floodgates and the two warring comic book factions of Marvel and DC hired the largest number

Batman, Superman and even an Iron Man would have sufficed, we now have Elektra, Underdog, Jonah Hex and The Spirit. Last year The Green Hornet was released, with Seth Rogen in the lead.

Seth Rogen as a superhero is like casting Dolly Bindra for the next Batgirl. And who on earth envisions Paul Bettany, a man a few chromosomes away from being an albino, as a super hero.

A Nordic god has already ensured that 2011 is not the year where the world is saved from superheroes thanks to a spectacular opening weekend for Thor.

The Green Lantern (June 17)now gears up for action in a movie about galactic sentinels who use their creativity to fight crime. As much as that sounds like a costumed version of Darsheel Safary, it is not. Thankfully, Ryan Reynolds is the man behind the mask and Martin Campbell of Casino Royale fame directs, offering the film some hopes of credibility.

together by Bryan Singer. Singer in fact was so dedicated to Marvel that he broke into DC’s ranks and completely destroyed the next Superman flick. He was almost certain to direct this one as well before an earlier commitment to Jack the Giant

of grave diggers ever known to be employed this side of the Second World War. A decade later, hapless audiences around the world have suffered the unflinching apathy of filmmakers, and it seems like it is far from over. Where

Next up would be the first successful superhuman experiment prototype, cryogenically frozen for rainy days and last seen in person in the rocky realms of Abbottabad, Captain America (July 22). A significant portion of the film is set in the World War as the star-spangled banner toting superhero single-handedly takes down Hitler and his forces of evil.

Captain America has been directed by Joe Johnston. The Wolfman, Hidalgo, Jurassic Park 3 were his most successful films. All three films have flopped. Chris Evans, a man who has played no less than four comic book characters already is the infallible Captain. All four of those films have bombed as well.

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FEATURES

Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia is the biggest threat faced by merchant shipping today. The damage to global commerce amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars every year, and is caused by a bunch of criminals who, motivated by hunger and poverty, attack huge cargo vessels using tiny speedboats, armed only with grappling hooks, rusting machine guns and near-suicidal willpower. To prevent attacks, NATO has deployed an imposing ďŹ&#x201A;eet of warships, which constantly patrol what are considered the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most treacherous waters.

Operation Ocean Shield may seem a mighty response to a small sword, but when driven by desperation, even a small sword can prove incredibly lethal. by SERGIO RAMAZZOTTI and PARALLELOZERO of The

NAVY PIRATES

OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD

Cover Story (www.thecoverstory.com)

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O

n one side is the defence. The Bersagliere is an Italian Navy frigate, 113 metres long with a crew of 188 men and impressive firepower: a 25-ton 127/54 cannon able to pulverise a target more than 100 km away; two 40/70 cannon; two anti-aircraft and anti-ship defence systems with a total of 24 missiles; two heavy Browning machine guns; two 20/70 machine guns; four 7.62 calibre MG machine guns mounted on a helicopter; and everything is controlled from a state-of the-art electronic warfare centre.

LIKE THE INTERNAL MECHANISM OF A CLOCK, LIFE FOR SOME ON BOARD

CAN END UP BEING MONOTONOUS. THUS THE SHIP, AT LEAST AS REGARDS ERGONOMICS, IS SUPERBLY CONCEIVED, AND EVERY SPARE

SPACE HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A GYM, WITH CYCLES AND WEIGHTS

FOR RELEASING TENSION. IN THE AFTERNOON, THE FLIGHT DECK BECOMES A JOGGING TRACK (ALBEIT A SHORT ONE)

On the other side is the threat: a dhow, a wooden cargo barge seen throughout the Indian ocean, built by hand in the same way as it would have been a thousand years ago, hewn with an axe wielded by a Somali craftsman, and powered by a rusty diesel motor that came out of a truck. But on board this dhow is a pair of skiffs or fast speedboats, grappling hooks attached to rope for boarding raids, some ancient AK-47 rifles, perhaps a Soviet-made RPG launcher, some meagre provisions and drinking water, and a crew composed of half-a-dozen men with very little left to lose. They are the pirates of the new millennium.

These two sides form the essence of Operation Ocean Shield, launched by NATO in August 2009 to counter piracy using Task Force 508: five warships (including the Bersagliere as from October 2010) and the Dutch submarine Zeeleeuw. The task force patrols the waters around the Horn of Africa, attempting to deal with the rising tide of pirates who originate from the Somali coast, and who in the last few years have caused devastating damage to merchant shipping and to global commerce (amounting to around $16 billion according to a report commissioned by the US Congress), and who in 2008 alone, according to the Kenyan Foreign Ministry, netted more than $150 million in ransom money paid out by the owners of the seized ships. Given these figures, the necessity for a mission such as Ocean Shield is clear, even if it costs $350 million a year.

From the bridge of the Bersagliere, with 2500 tons of steel slicing through the ocean beneath you and nine metres of cannon aimed at the horizon, the waters of the Gulf of Aden don’t seem terribly hostile. The ship patrols unceasingly, first in a southwesterly direction, then northeast, then southwest again, sailing at 12 knots between the coasts of Somalia and Yemen, always with the same daily routine. Every morning at five the flight unit prepares the helicopter – an AB212 modified with bulletproof Kevlar panels – for patrol. Takeoff is at dawn, around six, and on board are two pilots and a radar operator, who if needed is also the machine gunner, with two 7.62 MG guns mounted on both sides. Dawn and dusk are the pirates’ preferred moments for attacks: there is enough light for them to identify a vessel as a cargo ship and not to risk boarding a warship by mistake (as happened in 2009 with the French Navy ship The Somme, with disastrous consequences for the pirates), but not so much the skiff can be spotted from miles away by lookouts.

While the helicopter is in flight, the crew are on full alert.

At eight, the ‘quick reaction force’, a squad of ten commandos from the San Marco regiment, goes on standby, ready to set out in a rubber dinghy within minutes to intercept a suspicious dhow.

Meanwhile, in the command centre and on the bridge, in the electronics room where the radar and weapons control systems are located, in the galley, in the helicopter hangar, in the infirmary, and in the engine room where two diesel motors produce 8,000 horsepower, and two aeronautical turbines produce 50,000, 180 men keep the ship running with clockwork precision.

Like the internal mechanism of a clock, life for some on board can end up being monotonous. Thus the ship, at least as regards ergonomics, is superbly conceived, and every spare space has been turned into a gym, with cycles and weights for releasing tension.

In the afternoon, the flight deck becomes a jogging track (albeit a short one). The commandos, many of them veterans of Afghanistan

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FEATURES 083 | JUNE 11

THE BERSAGLIERE IS AN ITALIAN NAVY FRIGATE, 113 METRES

LONG WITH A CREW OF 188 MEN AND IMPRESSIVE FIREPOWER: A 25-TON 127/54 CANNON ABLE TO PULVERISE A TARGET MORE THAN 100 KM AWAY; TWO 40/70 CANNON; TWO ANTI-AIRCRAFT AND

ANTI-SHIP DEFENCE SYSTEMS WITH A TOTAL OF 24 MISSILES;

TWO HEAVY BROWNING MACHINE GUNS; TWO 20/70 MACHINE GUNS; FOUR 7.62 CALIBRE MG MACHINE GUNS MOUNTED ON A HELICOPTER; AND EVERYTHING IS CONTROLLED FROM A STATE-OF THE-ART ELECTRONIC WARFARE CENTRE.

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FEATURES 085 | JUNE 11

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and Iraq, shake their heads, saying: “It was better there – at least something was always happening.”

FEATURES

What can happen here is they come across a dhow sailing one or two hundred miles from the coast, which may be innocuous in appearance, but which carries an enemy rendered lethal by desperation. And a Somali pirate deprived of hope is by definition desperate (hunger is what drives him to raid ships in virtually suicidal actions). Thus the rules of engagement mean treating every dhow as if it has on board the most dangerous kind of armed men: those with absolutely nothing to lose.

A pirate dhow can usually be spotted from a distance by several distinguishing features. It has at least a pair of skiffs on the bridge, six or seven crew on board, no flag, and a plastic sheet spread out on deck. This latter is the most chilling detail: not for its main function (hiding the crew and protecting them from the salty spray), but for its secondary role. “The pirates are so hungry,” the commander of the Bersagliere, Gennaro Falcone says, “they often travel 5-600 miles from the coast, with only enough fuel for the outward journey. If the attack succeeds, they take possession of another ship and all is well. If it fails, or if they do not achieve their objective before the fuel runs out, the sheet becomes a sail, and they remain at the mercy of the wind and the sea a thousand kilometres from land, with only a few ways to save their skin. Ironically, if they throw their weapons into the sea, as does happen, under international shipping law they are in effect shipwrecked, and we – the people who want to arrest them, or the cargo vessels they were planning to raid – are obliged to rescue them.”

Dealing with a suspect dhow always follows the same pattern: the frigate stays at a safe distance (a desperate man armed with an RPG might choose to die taking as many others with him as possible); a marksman on the flight deck keeps the boat in the telescopic sights of his rifle; and the commando squad, armed to the teeth, approaches the dhow in rubber dinghies to inspect it. Besides weapons for responding to attacks, they also carry bottles of water and cigarettes. If the dhow, as it often is, is a simple fishing boat, these are gifts for the crew, always greatly appreciated, and nearly always exchanged for fresh-caught shark and swordfish. The dhow is however still photographed and, as they say in the control room, ‘tagged’ (electronic warfare uses the language of Facebook, or is it the other way around?), and added to the computer systems the ships of Task Force 508 use to exchange information in real time, so as to avoid it having to be stopped a second time.

The real (bureaucratic) nightmare comes if during the on-board inspection the soldiers discover the raiding kit. At that point, the commander must secure the dhow, arrest the crew (the Bersagliere has rope cages, which are rudimentary, but occupy minimal space and serve the task well), and organise a video conference trial, with a defence counsel and a magistrate who on the basis of the evidence will decide if whether or not to convict. If found guilty, the pirates are held on board until the ship returns to its native country, whereupon they will serve their sentences, or be transferred (in a legal process that is not always successful) to a prison in Djibouti, the Seychelles or Kenya – regional countries that have signed an agreement with the European Union (not with NATO), that allows a third party to punish the pirates’ crimes on their behalf.

“However,” commander Falcon says, “ours is more a preventative policing task than anything else: our presence in the Gulf of Aden serves to reassure the cargo vessels that cross it, and to dissuade pirates from assaulting them. But at the same time, we must be careful not to become an annoyance to local traffic, like the fishing boats and cargo dhows, and that’s why we give them something after every spot check. It’s a way to excuse ourselves for the time we cost them.” And time here, unlike in many other military operations, is literally money. (Copyright: The Cover Story) 087 | JUNE 11

Lip service way le, e h t b gone ashiona e v a f ay h for the che still m y The ms did mousta a beat. e ept otto kip bellb a well-k hearts s about th but s some ostalgic lip e mak en gets n e upper uS on th Kuh r i a h

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It is heartening to see that not every cultural battle in the land of Uncle Sam is about drugs, LGBTs, abortions and the Almighty. Perhaps the novelty of the topic leads to me to adopt the AMI cause—though I pay a hundred bucks to a beauty parlour every fortnight to remove every trace of hair on the upper lip—and I set out to determine the perception towards moustached men in India.

The strongest reaction—again, no surprises here—comes from my own gender. Let me sum it up before I give you the replies that came my way. Eight out of every 10 women I ask, refused to kiss a man with a moustache.

Almost everyone refused to even date such men, said they would choose the tattoo over the moustache and some even preferred chin-warmers. Reasons vary from hygienic (unhygienic, actually) to unfashionable, unromantic (in other words, too masculine, therefore unable to love) to even unnecessary and also inconvenient! One even goes as far as to say that the moustache looks good only on rock stars. “Imagine a John Bonham moustache on a Mr Chatterjee, Reddy or Khanna! Shiver, shiver!” I defend Indian brethren by drawing her attention to the moustaches of the Rajputs, the Sikhs, our very own Rabindranath Tagore (!), Kapil Dev and many others. My protest falls on deaf ears and my friend starts ogling at Freddie Mercury on her desktop.

Sample some other responses: “What do I think of moustached men… exactly what I think of the walrus!”

“Moustache and in this age?? My dear, haven’t you heard of ‘soul patches’ and ‘designer stubble’?”

“Who needs the moustache? Unless you are preparing to star in a period drama…”

“Now where are you coming from? Is someone paying you to ask these annoying questions or is the Delhi heat making you batty?”

The most classic reaction is from my pretty 17-year-old niece. Would you go out with a boy with moustache?

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeshhhhh!”

FEATURES

“A

climate of acceptance and understanding for all moustached Americans alike”—with such agenda it’s no surprise that the American Moustache Institute (AMI) grabbed my attention. It is one of my net-trawling evenings and I chance upon this report on AMI in the archives of one of Britain’s most revered dailies. It raises issues of “widespread discrimination in the workplace and society” and the AMI resolve of restoring the hair on the upper lip to the “noble status it enjoyed in the Seventies”.

That very ‘Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeshhh’ reminds of Bhavani Shankar, a character played by Utpal Dutt in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s evergreen film, Golmaal. A man of principle and old-world values, Bhavani Shankar believes no man without the ’tache is really a man. A film that I still like to watch when I badly need a few laughs, it also led me to believe, as a college girl, that the moustache is the symbol of masculinity. But this lasted only a while. I still remember the day all this changed. The day I saw him walk out of the Metro in Kolkata and take the escalator at Park Street station. It was love at first sight (I speak only for myself) and I followed him to the gates of his college. He looked perfect (I am sure he is now the perfect husband to someone) and didn’t even have stubble, forget a moustache.

Thanks to a fantastic network of friends—in those days of pre-Facebook existence, mind you—I soon elbowed my way into his circle.

That was also the beginning of my longterm (hopefully, not lifelong) affair with unreciprocated love. We became ‘good friends’ and he contributed significantly to the building of my perception of a ‘true man’. And I saw that a moustache doesn’t necessarily make a man.

Fast forward 15 years. Many summers and unsuccessful relationships later, I am still wondering what is the mark of a true man. In the meantime, I have lusted for a moustachesporting Aamir Khan in his role of Mangal Pandey (so much so I even acquired two Titan watches, a brand he endorses) and I have also changed tables at a crowded Khan Market café for a better view of a hot Spaniard with both beard and moustache. However, none of my million male friends (most of them gay and metrosexuals) sports a moustache. And any attempts at growing one are almost always greeted with harsh criticism, ridicule and ostracism.

My heart, however, skips a beat when I see a thin line sprouting between his nose and lips – another (unrequited) ‘love interest’, this time in office. I have never received more than a passing glance but I go weak in my knees when he comes unshaven. There is something endearing about that late-night-in-office look.

I have no shame admitting that I have even Photoshopped a moustache on him to study its effects on me. Going by the result, I must say there is still some hope for the moustache. It may have been have gone the way bellbottoms did for the fashionable, but somewhere, at least in the deep recesses of my lonely heart, it lives happily. Ever after? Well, I shall wait and watch!

EIGHT OUT OF EVERY 10 WOMEN I ASK, REFUSED TO KISS A MAN WITH A MOUSTACHE.

ALMOST EVERYONE REFUSED TO EVEN DATE SUCH MEN, SAID THEY WOULD CHOOSE THE TATTOO OVER THE MOUSTACHE AND SOME EVEN PREFERRED

CHIN-WARMERS. REASONS VARY FROM HYGIENIC (UNHYGIENIC, ACTUALLY) TO

UNFASHIONABLE, UNROMANTIC TO EVEN UNNECESSARY AND ALSO INCONVENIENT!

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NEW

FOR OLD

Ultrasound-assisted liposuction is gaining currency among wannabe actors and models yearning after the elusive six-pack.

Hip-hop dance moves are so yesteryear. 21st-centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young hopefuls believe a fit physique is the new ticket to screen and ramp presence. by Manidipa Mandal

Photographs : Dreamstime

That’s pretty much the place 25-year-old model and struggling actor Arun Mehta was, until he pinned his hopes on a small role in Bollywood town on a cannula. Mehta was already working out 2-3 hours a day and following a strict diet, but that just wasn’t cutting it for that ‘cut’ look he wanted.

So he opted for surgery – vaser (an acronym for ‘vibration amplification of sound energy at resonance) liposuction, to be precise. This is a form of ultrasound technology where the vibration of sound waves is used to break up fat for easier removal by a cannula. Now, Mehta says, his confidence is “through the roof” and he loves to flaunt it in shirtless poses. “Hopefully it will enhance my career prospects,” he adds.

Vaser is not only for six-packs, though. The same procedure can be used to streamline your back and shoulders, to dissolve those embarrassing manboobs (gynaecomastia) and to perhaps etch some definition into your biceps.

But is it really necessary?

When Mehta first proposed the idea to his family and friends, they weren’t too happy. Why couldn’t he just work out more/harder/smarter, they asked.

They’ve since been convinced by the results. But was there another way?

According to 24-year-old Vivek Upadhyay, model hopeful and MBA from MP, there really isn’t. “I’ve been working out for a long time and have got a perfect physique,” he boasts. But a perfect physique is not enough these days, he feels, when the six-pack is the new ideal.

FEATURES

T

hanks to the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, it is no longer effete for the man on the street to be body-conscious. Gyms have never been so popular and asking for oil-free options at the restaurant no longer serves you with a frown. But spare a thought for Jai Average, who thought a diploma in acting and dance classes would land him at least a bit part. Turns out, he now has to vie for a model-perfect torso as well.

After all, when everyone’s more fitness conscious, that raises the bar when you want to stand out from the crowd. So off Jai goes and gets a gym membership. But eight months later, he’s no closer to those high-definition washboard abs. Must the dream die, or is there a pot of luck waiting at the end of some rainbow?

The six-pack slice The costs and conditions to go under the knife

Age: 20-40 years Sex: There’s a gender bar here! While men typically get the three vertical lines (midline and sides) etched as well as 2-3 horizontals to really define each ‘can’, women usually get only the verticals a smoother, more streamlined look. So no fear of matchy-matchy midriffs for your girlfriend and you.

Fitness: You can’t be out of shape, ironically – whether too thin or too flabby – or the surgeon won’t touch you. Ideally, there needs to be just enough belly fat to pinch when you’re lying down. If you’ve lost a lot of weight and have loose skin, it won’t work. Chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure should not prevent surgery, provided they are well under control.

Time: The surgery itself takes 1-2 hours, and needs just a day’s hospital stay. You will have counselling and some basic tests beforehand.

Recovery: To minimize discomfort and guard against infections, you will be given painkillers and antibiotics for a few days. Special compression garments have to be worn for several weeks. You go home to your daily routine the day after and can be back at your desk within 3-4 days. But leave the heavy lifting, driving, and flying for the week after; gymming only a fortnight later. Expect swelling, bruising and tenderness in the treated area. These should resolve by a week or two. Massages may be recommended for the stiffness.

Cost: `60,000-1 lakh, depending on the hospital.

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VASER IS NOT ONLY FOR SIXPACKS, THOUGH. THE SAME

PROCEDURE CAN BE USED TO STREAMLINE YOUR BACK AND SHOULDERS, TO DISSOLVE THOSE EMBARRASSING

MAN-BOOBS (GYNAECOMASTIA) AND TO PERHAPS ETCH SOME DEFINITION INTO YOUR BICEPS.

So who said men don’t have to deal with peer pressure about their appearance? Welcome to the 21st century, where body image expectations are coming to rule an equal-opportunity arena. As for Upadhyay, his perfect physique still has just enough (a healthy amount) body fat over his abs to leave him with a smooth, flat stomach – it’s a matter of genetics. A natural six-pack, like a D-plus rack, is simply much harder to achieve for some people. And it’s nothing to do with fitness really – check your sports channel: how many teams of cricketers, tennis players, footballers, runners and swimmers have a six-pack on every man?

As sports and exercise medicine specialist Dr Rajat Chauhan, an ultra-marathon runner himself and CEO of the Back 2 Fitness chain of fitness centres, says, “You can be super-fit with a single pack.” It’s not that it can’t be done. But it takes an insane amount of time for some of us – time an actor or full-time model can afford to spend but not the guy with a day job; time that some people would rather spend studying, clubbing, reading a magazine, watching a movie, or in bed.

Which is why Upadhyay is trying so hard to convince his folks that it’s a worthwhile investment. He’s hoping it will give his portfolio a fillip, and who knows, once he’s landed a modelling gig, maybe Bollywood can be the next step?

Is it safe?

Upadhyay’s friends and family have mixed reactions.

The very idea of surgery calls to mind a fearful tangle of stitches, anaesthesia, pain and medication.

But in fact, vaser six-pack surgery is a very lowrisk procedure, according Dr Ajaya Kashyap, HOD, Cosmetic Surgery at Fortis. In the hands of a skilled

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But, as Dr Chauhan notes and Dr Kashyap agrees, ‘No surgery is without a complication.’ It’s the nature of the beast (yes, even tooth extraction!). Also, there’s a reason vaser liposelection is also called ‘artistic cosmetic surgery’ – the surgeon is effectively sculpting your existing body fat to give you the illusion of better muscle definition. Which means that he needs to be a good sculptor, or the results will not be convincing!

The flat facts

Here’s talking to the man in the mirror, to help him sort through his doubts and fears: Q

Q

So are you in safe hands? To check, request references from the doctor’s clinic (most are happy to put you in touch with satisfied clients). Also, ask to see before/after images of surgeries the doctor has done. Not just to see how masterful an artist s/ he is, but also to get your expectations in line. As Dr Chauhan, who is fundamentally opposed to the idea of going under the knife for cosmetic gains, explains, ‘Even Shah Rukh Khan, I’m told, had a lot of make-up on his abs for those shots. If you have to (get surgery), you need to be better informed. You still might not end up having a perfect six-pack; you might still need the make-up.’

Q

Q

Isn’t it painful – and painfully expensive?

While not exactly as cheap as a gym membership, it’s not much more than a kilo of fruits a day. Of course it isn’t affordable for everyone. But for those who foresee a professional advantage, it may be regarded as an investment – akin to the cost of B-school, perhaps? For others, it’s not very different from spending their disposable income on a BMW or latest i-gadget to boost their ‘personal pride’. As Dr Kashyap says, “Today’s youngsters can spend enough to get a break in the glamour world. Another factor is the economy growth. Today people in India have enough to spend on their looks.”

The surgery can typically be done under local anaesthesia, though it may be supplemented by twilight sedation (sedatives through an IV, which should feel rather like you slept through the surgery).

General anaesthesia may be used for a larger area.

As for discomfort afterwards, some patients describe it as similar to the soreness of a hard workout after a long hiatus. Mehta, though, had moderate pain for about three days and could resume his heavyduty workout regimen only six weeks later. And ‘the pressure garments are a pain’ (See: The Six-Pack Slice), adds Dr Chauhan. Besides, vanity aside, the costs of the surgery alone should be a good incentive to maintain your masterpiece! Just think of it as permanent body art of a more sophisticated order than tattoos.

Q

Q

Q

The surgery’s not a shortcut to get around diet and exercise. You need to be fit to start with, for best results. So if you’ve still got a proper jelly belly, put off surgeon shopping and work on it (also see Six-pack Slice).

Another reason for the diet and exercise plan: a six-pack on a stick figure or supplemented by love handles does not make a convincing impression. It’s clownish.

It’s not just for fat people! Even the naturally slim can be made to look more sinewy than willowy.

You can’t instantly unveil a new body.

There will be swelling, which masks the effects initially. Your belly will slowly settle into shape over 3-4 months. In some cases, excess fluid build-up may need to be drained off with a needle.

Vaser minimises the blood loss typical of traditional liposuction and minimises injury to nearby blood vessels, skin, nerves or connective tissue.

Typically, there is little scarring. But some bodies are overly efficient at healing! In such cases, tight bands or nodules of fibrous tissue can form.

These can be treated with further ultrasound therapy and steroid injections.

No, you can’t ‘top up’ your torso. The surgery is a one-time procedure and it’s up to you to maintain it – or the fat comes right back.

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and experienced surgeon, it should be no more dangerous than pulling teeth! (See: The Flat Facts)

NOT ANOTHER

Dull Lake Three Delhiites set out on a personal mission to find the legend created by 80 meditating hermits, but none in the trio remembered to carry either a mirror or their watch... they came back sunburnt, but happily unaware of time. by Sriparna Ghosh

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Saturday

DELHI–HARIDWAR–BARSU There was much for us to be thrilled about, even in terms the departure from Delhi, which is usually sweat-soaked and hectic; a Shatabdi ticket, 9 days of imminent cold weather and the prospect of frolicking in the mountains by the same afternoon.

4.5 hours, a few sadhus, many beggars and a largerthan-life statue of Shiv later, we found our ride out of the still sweltering plains.

Our rest-point for the day and the base for our trek was far removed from the regular tourist and

highway map. And just to prove the point, a 3-km link road cut away from the Gangotri highway to end at Barsu (2200 m). The next day, we would continue on foot.

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And then, there were three! We three are always the last ones on a list of potential trekkers for a forthcoming escape. Our plan was to get to a lake at the height of 3000-odd metres, a trek designed to reach the three D’s: Dayara Bugyal, Dodital and Darwa Top, in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand.

Our trio would return with the finding that apart from cricket and Bollywood, playing cards is the third biggest unifier in the remote reaches of this part of their country.

Sunday

BARSU–DAYARA (around 3300 m) We woke up to tent-tea, a ritual we would get used to over the next week. Having met the six crew members in the darkness of the previous night, we had to ask for a re-introduction to the team, which included Raja (the leader and cook), Harsh, Pathan, Viki, Ashish and Aryan. All, apart from Raja, were shy.

As the trip unfolded and the trail got tough, the crew abandoned its inhibitions. But all ice was broken, literally and otherwise, when we fished out a pack of playing cards.

Post a muesli-and-eggs breakfast, the three of us departed ahead of the rest, knowing very well that they would soon catch up and overtake. We wandered for a bit in the village, which clung to side of the mountain, and waited for the rest to catch up.

They did and so did the rain.

Photograph : Rohit Chaudhary

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It was a zigzag uphill trudge. The first hour of our trek was a big test on my lungs. Clouds started pouring in like mist from all directions, and thanks to an oversized poncho and persistent rain, my glasses started to fog up. It was not an easy task to hold up a poncho daintily like an Armani gown and ever so often wipe the glasses, and all this, while climbing.

The path remained stubbornly uphill and after about three hours of walking, some wet and some super wet, we turned pros at poncho-packing (imagine stuffing a cow in a handbag). We panted a bit less at the Barnala Meadows. Drooling at the possibility of some piping hot Maggi, we continued up, till we reached a pagoda (a sort of umbrella like shelter point), which offered views of a mini lake, MughdhaTal and wide swathes of rolling meadows.

Slivers of sunshine managed to break through the Teflon layer of pregnant clouds momentarily, both warming and teasing us.

And then there was more uphill and now with a new adversary, snow. Finally we reached our first night halt: Dayara Bugyal. The stretches of undulating white landscape still bore a look of winter. There was very little to cherish that evening, except the crackling warmth of our bonfire inside a shepherd’s hut. Snow fell soundlessly and thickly outside, as our tent sulked by itself 200 metres away. Post dinner, we had to trudge reluctantly to the tent, which was by now buried under the snow and hard to find. We spent the whole night slapping the tent from inside, hoping it doesn’t cave in.

Monday

DAYARA–GHAGORU–MORAPARA Tent-tea and we zipped the tent open to see fresh snow all around. Scenes so incredible, I suppose, appear very rarely in one’s life. My feet were the first to squish through the virgin snow. And trees lazily dumped the snow on them in dull thuds.

All this while, the Bandarpoonch range and the Swargarohini peak looked down mightily from its icy heights. The second day’s trek will always reign among the top trek days of all time; in terms of danger, fear and intentions of giving up. The initial high spirits, thanks to a glorious morning, slowly started to give way as the path got steeper, narrower, and scarier. And the shoes got wetter. Keeping Bandarpoonch company on a crystal clear day, we conquered paths we never thought possible. Two steep ascents, and two similar descents later, we felt like we had been punched in our stomachs. My companions even lost some feeling in their big toes, temporarily. The first few hours snatched away my initial confidence and reduced me to a quivering, hesitating, failing pulp of a Delhi girl. Sometimes I was in knee-deep snow, and sometimes I was slipping down towards the valley.

During a lot of breaks, our guide pointed out to various points on the opposite valley, but my mind was lusting after a bonfire, and a warm sleeping bag.

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Photograph : Sriparna Ghosh

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Just a brief list of other possible treks in Northern India, of the same caliber as the Dayara â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dodital trek Ladakh Markha Valley : a high altitude desert trek (8-10 days) Lamayuru to Alchi (5-7 days) Himachal Chandrakhani Pass & Malana (5-7 days) Indrahaar Pass (5-7 days) Spiti Left Bank : a high altitude desert trek (6-8 days) Uttarakhand Har-ki-Dun & Ruinsara lake (6-8 days) Roopkund - Bedni & Aali Bugyal (7-10 days)

Photograph : Rohit Chaudhary

hunger, however, we reached our second night stop, Morapara. Over the day, rain and snow clouds had built up to a looming storm. The evening was spent in quiet bonhomie as we lounged around a bonfire, drying our shoes, munching buttered popcorn and sipping hot tomato soup. But, inside the tent after sun-down was a living nightmare. Precipitation in all forms possible, in huge quantities, coupled with the thunderous lightening was an apocalyptic monster in our dreams.

Tuesday

MORAPARA–BEBRA This was the easiest of days, and the most beautiful of trails. We walked through moist green canopies and carpets of moss and grass, stopped at bridges over pretty forest streams to click calendar shots and for the very first time met the river Assiganga (80 ganges). Legend holds that when 80 hermits were meditating around this valley, they became thirsty and they asked God for water. God obliged, and gave them 80 rivulets, which join and form the Assiganga River. Beyond the river, lurked a steep climb, which meets the ‘trekking highway’ leading from Sangamchatti. Two more kilometres of level walk from here, a bit of a climb and we found ourselves at our lodge for the night, fully equipped with mattresses for beds and a family of three-inch sized spiders.

Wednesday

BEBRA–DODITAL Tingling with the excitement of being able to rest our eyes on Dodital, we made our way up the 14-km stretch. We were told it would be a level walk, only to find that the initial stretch till Manjhi (9 km) was a gradual climb, and levelled out only after Manjhi (3150 m). The path was bright and rich, with rhododendrons, various kinds of fungi, unidentified white and purple flowers, and packs of Langurs.

The last 5 km tested our patience, annoyed us, depressed us, and,in many ways, created a vacuum, which only a view of the lake could fill. It wasn’t so much about the ups and downs of the trail as its never-ending nature that was frustrating. After two dhabas at the lake, a bright green mini-bridge crosses over the stream. Right when you stand next to the bridge, the lake in its entirety is in front of you.

Dodital, situated at a height of 3045 metres, is surrounded by lush forests of deodar, rhododendrons, oak and pine. It forms the centrepiece of a mountain bowl, sometimes glistening, sometimes reflecting, at one end gulping down a stream, and at the opposite end giving birth to the Assiganga.

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Photograph : Sriparna Ghosh

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Photograph : Rohit Chaudhary

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Photograph : Sriparna Ghosh

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(+ Map) This is not your classic Dodital trek. The itinerary was tweaked to bring in some challenge and also a change in topography. The Dodital trek, which starts at Sangamchatti, follows a typical forest trail. Our modified schedule brought in two extra days, by including Dayara Bugyal (claimed to be one of the best meadows in India). The trek starts at Barsu, climbs to Dayara Bugyal, descends into the Assiganga valley after crossing Dayara Top and merges with the route starting from Agoda on its way to Dodital. The return route comes back through village Agoda, and concludes at Sangamchatti. Kuflon, which is 3 km further on a motorable road, is a good place to camp on your way out.

Best time to go: Between April and June, and September and November. April and November are months when the camping grounds will be relatively empty, and also more scope to meet snow in the higher reaches.

A few Forest Department constructions dot the surrounding area, leaving a suitable flat land good for a match of cricket. Our trek to Darwa-Top (4150 m) was abandoned in favour of a day’s rest and more publicly due to the five-feet snow en-route. There was cricket, there was music on the radio, there were deep discussions about kheer, there was gaddhapatti (literal translation being Donkey-Cards, a local card game, we learnt on a previous trek, found to be equally popular here), and many cups of chai.

How to reach: By air reach Dehradun Jolly Grant Airport (1 hr flight from Delhi) By train reach Dehradun/Haridwar Two good options are Dehradun Shatabdi that leaves early morning from Delhi and reaches before noon, and Ndls Ddn Ac Exp, which is an overnight train from Delhi and reaches Haridwar in the wee hours.

Friday-Saturday

By road reach Dehradun/Haridwar/Rishikesh.

Bus connectivity is very good between Delhi and Dehradun/Haridwar/Rishikesh (ordinary, deluxe and Volvo). Shared taxis ply between Dehradun/Haridwar/ Rishikesh and Uttarkashi as also Uttarakhand State Transport buses.

DODITAL–BEBRA–AGODA (2250 m) – SANGAMCHATTI (1350 m)–KUFLON

By road (self-drive) follow NH58 out of Delhi

The next two days were spent walking down to lower altitudes, to villages with cable equipped TV, flies, heat and cars. The return slog also threw up a surprise in the form of a chance meeting with an old acquaintance from Delhi. Who would consider the possibility of exchanging business cards on a trek? So, yes, there were three to start off with, but how can I not mention the six other crew members who made the trek possible. Yes, we climbed to and beyond the snow line; we also went down to the river only to cross a bridge and start climbing again. Yes, the plan was to reach the three D’s, but there was five feet of out-of-season snow adding to our fatigue and blocking our way to the top. We returned with the wisdom that everyone is more similar than different, simplest recipe for kheer, local music on our phones, a forest-rejected walking stick, and a greedy urge to return.

till Rishikesh, take NH94 that goes through Chamba till Dharasu where the road splits into one leading to Yamunotri, and the other going to Gangotri through Uttarkashi. Take the latter. At Uttarkashi change to Gangotri Road NH 108. Bhatwari is 23 kms from Uttarkashi, from where the link road to Barsu splits.

Resources: www.cleartrip.com for plane and train bookings www.mountainshephers.com ISBT New Delhi (Uttaranchal office) 011-23868951

for bus bookings to Dehradun/Haridwar www.adventure18.com for adventure gear

Photographs : Murali Krishnan

Murali Krishnan goes on a â&#x20AC;&#x153;workingâ&#x20AC;? holiday to the Chalets at Naldehra and comes back with newly acquired skills of tackling problem of plenty

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P

icture this. You are sitting in the relaxed environs of your Scandinavian wooden log home in a thickly-forested mountain ridge with a sweeping view of a deep valley. Sipping your red rose tea, a fresh gush of cool air hits you while soaking in the splendid sight. It’s time to get out because staying in would be an absolute proof of decadence.

But there is a small hitch: how do you figure out what to do when there is just so much to do, to see? You can go for long, leisurely walks through towering pine trees and rhododendron forests, play golf in the oldest and most challenging course in India at a height of over 3000 metres, head for river rafting, or go on treks that last a few hours.

Naldehra is a perfect getaway for all this and much more. Nestled in the lofty ranges of the Himalayas, this hill station, at a distance of 392km from Delhi and about 25 km ahead of Shimla, is the ideal place to beat the mercury climb. For those who are out on a healthy “working” holiday, especially keen to ensure the break is worthwhile, a four-day stay in this idyllic spot, away from the madding crowd, is the ideal thing.

The place derives its name from two words: ‘Nag’ and ‘Dehra’ meaning “abode of the king of snakes”. History has it that Lord Curzon, the former viceroy of India, was so enthralled by the splendour of Naldehra that he decided to name his second daughter Alexandra ‘Naldera’.

There is just so much to do in and around Naldehra for vacationers in for a taste of soft or hard adventure.

If trekking is your can of beer, then look no further. A circular trek takes you around the hillock of Carignano: Starting from Mashobra, it is 11 km from Naldehra.

Then there is the Mashobra Valley: The slightly more exploratory route descends down to Sipur through thick deodar forests. If you are game for more, you could carry on to Mulkoti for another three hours.

Khatnol is the base camp from where the climb begins. Apparently, the trail goes through gorgeous dense forest teeming with an amazing variety of bird life. And if you are lucky, chances of spotting the Himalayan Bear and the elusive Monal Pheasant are quite good.

The peak, after a gruelling 4-km mount, commands a haunting view of continual snow covered ranges along with the Sutlej valley, and the thickly-forested hills of Shimla, Fagu and Narkanda. This trek offers the experience of a lifetime for the avid photographer and nature lover.

There are, however, other enjoyable trails that do not require so much huffing and puffing. A casual saunter to Kogi village, around 3 km from The Chalets, is also an enjoyable and enriching experience to get a first-hand knowledge of village life in Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the last surviving Himachali villages with traditional houses, a temple dedicated to Kogi Mata and sculpted wooden chowka, which serves as the gathering place for the village elders.

For the avid golfer, who simply cannot get away from the addictive sport, the Naldehra golf course is a real treat.

Initially a 9-hole course, it was expanded to 18, and further expansion has been planned to make it at par with the best in the country. The well-groomed course is a lovely verdant, perhaps one of the finest and sporty in the country.

Rafting here may not have the lure of the Zanskar river in Ladakh that gorges a path out of the rocky mountains of western Himalayas and then drops in a continuous torrent of Grade V rapids or the challenges of the wild rapids in the writhing waters of Ganges in Rishikesh, but nevertheless there is a quiet charm.

It starts from Chabba to Sunni and there are rapids from Grade II to Grade IV, depending on the time of the year you river down. An old hydroelectric power venture, built on the Sutlej river, is the starting place of the 11-km river rafting stretch in Naldehra, which extends up to the sulphur springs near the Tattapani village.

At the end of it, a dip into the waters of the spring provide that much wanted relief, especially for those suffering from joint pains and fatigue after the treks. An added attraction is the Shiv cave, about 3 km from here.

Back in the Chalets, ringed by cedar forests, there is much to do. The property that sits on two acres of land has its unique appeal and is ideal to unplug and unwind with family. Privacy and comfort are the hallmark of every log-home and some even have an attic. And as Amish informs me, this is not just a place where the ‘room has a view’, but where every window has a different view.

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My host Amish Sud, who runs The Chalets, the exquisitely built Finland log homes, informs me that a real treat is the ascent up to Shali peak (2867 metres), an ancient trail through dense pine forests and rolling alpine pastures. “It is a steep and steady climb to the often mist-enveloped peak and it can take a full day,” he says.

THE

CRORE HIGH CLUB If you have a pocket deep enough to put in more than 10 million bucks, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look beyond any of these hotties. by Ranojoy Mukerji

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> FERRARI FF he Ferrari FF (FF meaning “Ferrari Four”, for four seats and four-wheel drive) is a grand tourer revealed by Ferrari in January this year. It is unusual for two reasons: The FF is the marque’s first production four-wheel drive model, and its first production shootingbrake or hatchback. It will replace the 612 Scaglietti.

The FF has a top speed of 335 kmph (208 mph) and accelerates from zero to 100 kmph (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds. Ferrari states that the FF is the world’s fastest four-seat automobile.

The elements within its name, FF, clearly show that Ferrari intends this car to be much more usable than either its predecessor, the 612, or its stablemates: its four-wheel drive system will allow the car to be driven in relatively hazardous driving scenarios, such as heavy rain or snow, while its four seats, coupled with the vastly expanded boot space, courtesy of the shooting brake design, make it much more practical.

The Ferrari FF has the largest capacity Ferrari engine ever produced: a 6,262 cc naturally-aspirated direct injected 65° V12, which produces 651 bhp at

8,000 rpm and 683 Nm of torque at 6000 rpm.

The FF is equipped with a 7-speed double-clutch semi-automatic paddle shift system similar to the California and 458 Italia. The new four-wheel drive system, engineered and patented by Ferrari, is called 4RM: it is around 50 per cent lighter than a conventional system, and provides power intelligently to each of the four wheels as needed.

It only functions when the manettino dial on the steering wheel is in the “comfort” or “snow” positions, leaving the car most often in the traditional rear wheel drive layout.

Its headlights are almost identical to the 458 Italia, with which – along with the 599 GTB – it also shares the twin circular tail-light element, a clear break from an established pattern since previous Ferraris, from the 2006 F430 to the 1975 308, had four tail-lights. Like the 599, it also has four exhaust pipes, as well as a large egg-crate frontal grille. That the FF is more closely related to the 458 becomes apparent when one examines its side skirts, which are clearly creased and defined; its body surfacing is more definitely contoured. The most striking feature of the FF, however, is its shooting-brake design.

Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 3.7 seconds Top Speed: 335 kph Fuel Efficiency: 7.7 kpl CO2 Emissions: 360 gm/km Price: `4 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

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T

> BUGATTI VEYRON

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he Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal car in the world, with a top speed of 431.07 kph. Designed and developed by the German Volkswagen Group and produced by Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their headquarters in Château St. Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France), the Veyron’s chief designer was Hartmut Warkuss, and the exterior was designed by Jozef Kaba of Volkswagen, with much of the engineering work being conducted under the guidance of former Peterbilt engineer and now Bugatti Engineering chief Wolfgang Schreiber.

The car is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company. A number of special variants have been produced, including two targa tops. The Veyron features a 16-cylinder engine , equivalent to two narrowangle V8 engines mated in a W configuration. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the narrow staggered V8 configuration allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four bi-turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cc with a square 86 by 86 mm bore and stroke. The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators: three heat exchangers for the air-to-liquid intercoolers, three engine radiators, one for the air-conditioning system, one transmission oil radiator, one differential oil radiator and one engine oil radiator.

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Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100kph: 2.5 seconds, 0-300 kph in 15 seconds!

Top Speed: 431 kph Fuel Efficiency: 3.4 kpl CO2 Emissions: 596 gm/km Price: `16 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 3.0 seconds Top Speed: 416 kph Fuel Efficiency: 6.8 kpl CO2 Emissions: 310 gm/km (Agera R) Price: `12 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

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> KOENIGSEGG AGERA

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oenigsegg is chasing ultimate power and turbos are the way to go (the fact that the Veyron has four is a clue). The car uses a 5.0-litre engine with variable-geometry vanes on the turbos for greater flexibility of boost. It is fitted with a new seven-speed gearbox. The suspension design has different length wishbones and new dampers, front and rear. The brakes are bigger, with carbon ceramic discs, of course, of 392 mm and 380 mm diameter. The front end is wider, the ram air inlets beneath the new lights redesigned, and the changes continue down the sides with new skirts, leading to a new rear end with LED lights. The overall shape is a cab-forward stance, letterbox-style windscreen and long side glass, but it’s more modern, more aggressive.

It is also a more efficient shape, creating about 30 per cent more downforce front and rear, which equates to 300 kg at 250 kph. The cockpit sees equally thorough revision. The instruments directly in front are now full-LED screens, with a combined rpm graph and speedometer in digital and analogue in the centre, and gauges and graphs for oil pressure, water and oil temperature, fuel pressure and turbo boost clustered around it. It’s all crystal clear and beautifully designed. The centre console is also new, with elegant backlit switches beneath a main hi-res touchscreen. Here you can adjust car settings like gearshift and traction control. You can even adjust the wing mirrors from the screen.

A faster version of the Agera has also been made. It’s called the Agera R and has the same engine but runs on biofuel. Then it will produce around 1,115 bhp.

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> PORSCHE PANAMERA Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 3.3 seconds Top Speed: 303 kph Fuel Efficiency: 8.7 kpl CO2 Emissions: 226 gm/km Price: `1.5 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

T

he Porsche Panamera (Type number 970) is a five-door, four-seat luxury sedan with a coupe profile and a rear hatch. It is front-engined with rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive versions also available. Earlier prototypes and concepts of the four-door saloons, such as the 1991 Porsche 989 prototype, the four-door 911 based prototype, and the C88 supermini sedan concept for China, never went into production.

The Porsche Panamera and Panamera S are marketed as a direct competitor to full-size luxury sedan such as the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The high performance Panamera Turbo competes in the ultra-luxury segment alongside “exotics” such as the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Aston Martin Rapide, and Maserati Quattroporte, as well as the top-performing versions of flagship luxury sedans. Like the Porsche Cayenne SUV (which has become the marque’s best-selling vehicle), the Panamera upset many Porsche enthusiasts, since it was seen as an attempt to broaden Porsche’s appeal beyond that of hardcore fans. The Panamera ran contrary to the company’s signature offerings, particularly its light two-door rear-engine sports cars like the 911.

It is, on the other hand, considered a full-size luxury car, with four doors, and its V8 engine mounted in the front. Its unusual appearance, with its long hood and bulbous rear hatch, bears little resemblance to a stretched 911. The iconic 911 has a sparse interior, as it was focused on raw performance, while the Panamera has a sumptuous interior loaded with modern technological amenity and expensive leather upholstery.

claims for V10 Spyder)

FEATURES

Top Spec (Manufacturer’s

0-100 kph: 3.9 seconds Top Speed: 317 kph Fuel Efficiency: 7.6 kpl CO2 Emissions: 339 gm/km Price: `1.5 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

> AUDI R8 SPYDER

I

n July last year, Audi added the 4.2 FSI V8 engine to the R8 Spyder range. The 428 bhpunit now completes the range alongside the launch V10 powerplant. The engine is available with Audi’s R tronic sequential manual gearbox. Like the V10, the V8 Spyder features an aluminium space-frame with carbon composites and an automatic retractable folding cloth roof.

The R8 (Type 42) is a mid-engine sports car, which uses Audi’s trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German automaker Audi AG in 2006. The fundamental construction of the R8 is based on the Audi Space Frame, and uses an aluminium monocoque which is built around space-frame principles. The car is built by quattro GmbH in a newly-renovated factory at Audi’s ‘aluminium site’ at Neckarsulm in Germany. It is due to be replaced with a new model in 2014.

The highest output version of Audi’s new 4.0 liter V8 twin-turbocharged engine is expected to power the new car. This engine is scheduled to be previewed as a detuned version in the 2012 Audi S8- with 518 bhp. In the R8 application, it is expected to produce about 600 bhp. Combined with an approximate 91 kg weight loss, the new R8 is expected to compete well with the new Porsche 991 twin turbo model and will likely to perform significantly better than the current R8 GT.

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> LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 3.4 seconds Top Speed: 325 kph Fuel Efficiency: 4.5 kpl CO2 Emissions: 325 gm/km Price: `2.3 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

T

he Gallardo is Lamborghini’s most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production. The car is named after a famous breed of fighting bull. The Spanish word Gallardo translates into “gallant”. The Gallardo offers two choices of transmissions, a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled semiautomatic robotised manual, which Lamborghini abbreviates to “E-gear”. The “E-gear” allows the driver to make shifts much faster than a manual transmission would. The driver shifts up and down via paddles behind the steering wheel, but also has an automatic mode.

Lamborghini introduced many changes to the car to counter some criticisms garnered by the press and owners. These were derived from the limited edition Gallardo SE. The exhaust system was changed to a sportier one (including a flap to make it quieter around town), the suspension was revised and a new steering rack was fitted, the engine power was increased by 20 bhp to a maximum of 512 bhp, but the biggest change was an overall lowering of the gearing, especially in 1st to 5th. The result was a much improved car; it handled and turned in better, sounded better under full throttle and the extra power and lower gearing turned an already fast car into a seriously quick one.

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> BENTLEY CONTINENTAL The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is a fourdoor variant of the Bentley Continental GT coupé.

Introduced in 2005, it comes with a 6.0 litre twinturbocharged W12 engine, produces 552 bhp at 6,100 rpm, with a torque of 650 newton metres at 1,6006,100 rpm. Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive is standard.

The Flying Spur is exclusively hand built at Bentley’s only manufacturing plant in Crewe, England. For 2009, Bentley introduced a Continental Flying Spur Speed model. Similar to the Continental GT Speed, the engine output was increased to 602 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 750 newton metres at 1,700-5,600 rpm – with a top speed of 322 kilometres per hour making it the world’s fastest four-door saloon. It features enlarged disc brakes, and an upgraded Bosch ESP 8.1 Electronic Stability Programme. With the revised Carbon Ceramic brakes, Bentley claims that the flying spur speed will stop from 100 kph in 33 meters (108.3 ft). Bentley also claims that with its revised ESP system and suspension, the Flying Spur Speed is capable of handling over 0.95 g-forces of lateral acceleration on a 300-foot (91 m) skidpad.

FEATURES

FLYING SPUR

Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 4.8 seconds Top Speed: 322 kph Fuel Efficiency: 7.6 kpl CO2 Emissions: 396 gm/km Price: `2.0 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

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> ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 5.7 seconds Top Speed: 317 kph Fuel Efficiency: 7.2 kpl CO2 Emissions: 380 gm/km Price: 3.6 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

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he Phantom uses a unique chassis platform, body, interior, and retains traditional Rolls-Royce design cues. The body is mostly aluminium. Final assembly, including all body, paint, wood, and leather work, is completed to each customer’s individual specification at the Rolls-Royce plant in Goodwood, West Sussex. The plant is down the road from the historic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit. There are only two robots in the factory. The two robots paint the body; the paint is polished by hand after the robots spray each coat. The coachlines, which are exactly 3mm wide, are done, as well as all other work, by hand, in keeping with the Rolls-Royce tradition.

It has a 6.75 litre, 48-valve, V12 engine that produces 453 bhp and 720 Nm of torque. The engine is derived from BMW’s N73 V12 powerplant. The engine uses direct fuel injection, and is a drive-by-wire design, using valvetronic technology. Customers can choose from 44,000 paint colours, and specify any leather colour. The Phantom has a power reserve dial indicating how much of the engine’s power is left available to the driver. This is to provide a sense of tremendous power in reserve, and to hide “crude” underlying mechanicals from its owners.

The instrument cluster is not shared with any other vehicle. The doors are remote operated, and the car will automatically brake to a walking speed if the doors are left opened or not shut properly!.

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he Aston Martin One-77 first appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, although the car remained mostly covered by a “Savile Row tailored skirt” throughout the show, before being fully revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It is featured in the video game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit as a drivable vehicle in both factory form and police livery. It has also featured in the 2011 video game Test Drive Unlimited 2 where it is drivable by players and is one of the quickest and most exclusive cars on the game. Prior to the One-77’s Paris Motor Show debut, various details about the car had been leaked, but official specifications were not fully revealed until the Geneva Motor Show.

FEATURES

> ASTON MARTIN ONE-77 Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 3.5 seconds Top Speed: 354 kph Fuel Efficiency: 7.2 kpl CO2 Emissions: 572 gm/km Price: `20 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

The One-77 features a full carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, a hand-crafted aluminium body, and a naturally-aspirated 7.3 litre V12 engine with 750 bhp. Aston Martin claims that this will be the most powerful naturally aspirated production engine in the world. The car will also use a strengthened version of the DB9’s 6-speed automated manual transmission and height-adjustable pushrod suspension coupled with dynamic stability control.

It will feature Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) and Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes. It is also the most expensive car to be available in India.

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> MASERATI QUATTROPORTE Top Spec (Manufacturer’s claims) 0-100 kph: 5.4 seconds Top Speed: 280 kph Fuel Efficiency: 6.5 kpl CO2 Emissions: 365 gm/km Price: 1.43 crore, ex-showroom Delhi

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he name Quattroporte translated from Italian literally means “four doors”. There have been five generations of the car, each separated by a period of roughly five years. In 2004, Maserati started production of the Pininfarina-designed Quattroporte, with the same dry sump 4.2 L engine as the Coupé, Spyder and the new GranTurismo but improved to 400 bhp. The Quattroporte was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003 and made its US première the same year at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance.

It is a continuation of the long tradition of Quattroporte luxury saloons in the Maserati lineup. The 47 per cent front / 53 per cent rear weight distribution (with the DuoSelect transmission) allows the large saloon to have very nimble handling.

This weight distribution is achieved by setting the engine further back in the chassis behind the front axle to shift the load back towards the cabin, and the adoption of the trans-axle layout which sees the gearbox rear-mounted in unit with the differential.

The Quattroporte’s weight distribution maximises traction and thrust during acceleration so that the car remains exceptionally stable and well-balanced at all times. With the newer automatic transmission, the transmission is adjacent to the engine and weight distribution changes to 49 per cent front / 51 per cent rear.

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The 370Z is a worthy successor to the famed ‘Z line’ from the marque. It promises more of the same: muscular styling, an engine that rumbles with a soul-stirring menace, a cozy cabin, and yes, seductively sexy lines. Add to these, wide wheel arches, low slung shape, a long bonnet and you have an attention magnet all the way.

A strict 2-seater with decent room, its

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FEATURES

Seductively sexy, brutally powerful... Nissan’s 370Z is a worthy successor to the famed Z-line of the marque. A few gremlins aside, it is an attention magnet all the way. by Ishan Raghava

T

here is something about a sports car that brings out the child in all of us. Or, shall we say, the real man lurking somewhere inside. And if the car in question comes with a pedigree as impeccable as Nissan’s, there is no end to the excitement. Remember the famed 240Z back in the 1970s? And then the legendary 350Z? Now say hello to the new 370Z, a true sports car in every sense of the word.

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On the whole as a car to drive, it is much more involving than either of its main competitors – the BMW Z4 or the Mercedes SLK – primarily because the balance of power, driving feel and suspension setup are far superior to both. The SLK simply doesn’t have the power to match the performance of the 370, and the Z4’s suspension setup is a bit too stiff .

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THE 370Z IS NOT IN

WHAT IT IS OR ISN’T. RATHER, ITS SUCCESS HINGES HEAVILY ON THE BRAND PERCEPTION OF

NISSAN AS AN AUTOMAKER.

luggage space, though, is somewhat eaten by the solid strut brace that dissects it. The interiors (which in our test car were finished in all black) are good, though, in all fairness, I must say that the plastic quality used inside fall short of expectations and the switches just don’t feel tactile enough. The unique gauge cluster of the 370Z, which moves in conjunction with the steering wheel to ensure optimum visibility, especially caught our attention. The layout is well done, though a bit sombre in its all-black trim. Also, the bare basic equipment level on the 370Z is a big disappointment: there is no Bluetooth connectivity and the central cubby hole, right in the middle of the dash, should’ve been replaced by a colour display, like it is in other markets, and not covered by a plastic flap. A word of praise for the interior build quality is deserved because even on the test car, which had clocked over 15,000kms, there was not a single rattle or squeak from the interiors.

Wish the designers didn’t use digital dot like gauges for fuel and temperature. It felt quite tacky in a car as substantial as the Z. The 370’s real appeal, however, lies in its driving comfort. Powered by a 3.7-litre V6 engine putting out 327bhp and 270lbft of torque, the beast achieves the 0-100kmph mark in a mere 5.5 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 250kmph. While the numbers sound all cool and are at par for the segment, the Z is an experience to be

There are a few gremlins in the 370Z. The biggest deal breaker for me is the overall feel of the interior: it is just average. Compare it to the plush interiors of the Z4, both in design and quality, and you feel somebody has been trying to cut corners somewhere.

Secondly, given the 370’s raked design, its glasshouse seems quite small and, therefore, the small windows, coupled with the thick A & C-pillars, make visibility an issue for regular driving. Try pulling it out of a parking lot or a side road and you cannot see traffic from both ends of the road: the visibility on the left side is simply non-existent.

The biggest challenge for the 370Z is not in what it is or isn’t. Rather, its success hinges heavily on the brand perception of Nissan as an automaker. In India, it faces a stiff challenge from German brands such as BMW and Mercedes. An average customer who has pockets deep enough to shell out `56 lakh or more for a car, would certainly look beyond the product and be conditioned by the prestige factor that comes with it. Unfortunately, this is where the BMW roundel or the three pointed stars on the bonnet of the Mercedes win hands down over the Nissan.

Still, for a non-brand follower like me, the 370Z would be the vehicle of choice if I ever had that kind of money to spend. It looks good, is an excellent performer and is great fun to drive. But please, somebody tell them to make mine a manual transmission car.

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FEATURES

savoured even when equipped with its 7-speed automatic transmission. In the auto gearbox, when being used in manual mode via the big paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, the transmission does not shift up even if you hit the rev limiter, very useful if you want to extract the best from any sports car. It’s a driver’s car in every sense of the word thanks to its rear-wheel drive layout, brute power from the engine and the communicative chassis. Add to it the 370’s brilliant suspension set-up, which strikes a terrific balance between sportiness and a comfortable ride despite riding on 18”wheels.

The low-profile, aggressive tyres don’t make the ride feel overtly stiff and crashy even on the worst of our roads. While flogging the car through twisties and on fast stretches, it feels tied down and the suspension doesn’t roll or wallow excessively.

WHITE SHIRT BY VARUN BAHL //DENIM JACKET, MILITARY GREEN JODHPUR PANTS, BROWN BOOTS BY RAJESH PRATAP SINGH // STRAW HAT BY PAUL SIMTH // BLACK READING GLASSES BY PRADA FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE

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Sensual curves, hot colours, bold moves... A sleek update on all things sartorial Photographs by Ashish Chawla Styling by Rakhi Biswas Make-Up: Kaazee Rai Models: Katerina (Sara Model Managemant) and Diana (6Th Avenue) Location: Royale Mirage â&#x20AC;&#x201C;The Suryaa, New Delhi, (01126835070,47808080)

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GREY LONG JACKET BY VARUN BAHL // BOWLER HAT BY TIE RACK, LONDON

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WHITE YOKE COLLAR GREY SHIRT , GREY PANTS BY GAURAV GUPTA

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BLACK LEATHER BIKER JACKET BY BURBERRY // WHITE GANJI BY ZARA // GREY TROUSERS BY ROHIT GANDHI & RAHUL KHANNA // HAT BY TIE RACK, LONDON // SHOES BY WOODLAND

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BLACK SUIT BY ROHIT GANDHI & RAHUL KHANNA // WHITE DRESS SHIRT BY VARUN BAHL// BLACK BOW TIE BY PAUL SMITH// SHOES BY WOODLAND// WATCH BY EMPORIO ARMANI

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BLACK WAIST COAT WITH GOLD EMBROIDERY BY VARUN BAHL

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GREY GROWN ON NECKLINE JACKET BY GAURAV GUPTA

NAVY BLUE DOTTED JACKET BY ASHISH SONI// WHITE SHIRT, SCARF BY VARUN BAHL //TROUSERS WITH SUSPENDERS BY ZARA

CHECK SUIT, SHIRT, POCKET SQUARE BY ASHISH SONI // AVIATOR BY RAY BAN FROM DAYAL OPTICALS // BROLLY BY PAUL SMITH

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STOCKISTS >>ASHISH SONI 326, Second Floor DLF Emporio Nelson Mandela Marg Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46060955 >>BURBERRY DLF Emporio, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46529850 Bangalore: (080) 41738825 www.burberry.com BOSS HUGO BOSS DLF Emporio, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46040773 G-1, Entry level, Shopping Plaza, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Santacruz (E), Mumbai.

Tel: (022) 26655560 www.hugoboss.com BOMBAY ELECTRIC 1 Reay House, Opp Taj Hotel Off Apollo Bunder, Best Marg, Colaba, Mumbai Tel: (022) 22876276, 22876296 >>DAYAL OPTICALS Shop No. 8, M Block Market Greater Kailash-1, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 2923 8888, 4163 0736 DIESEL Western Wind Building Juhu Tara Road Juhu, Mumbai.

Tel: (022) 26618282 >>EMPORIO ARMANI DLF Emporio, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj New Delhi 110070 tel: (011) 43583939 / (022) 43438888 www.emporioarmani.com

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ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai.

Tel: (022) 22844000 DLF Emporio, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46060999 ETRO G-7, Palladium Phoenix Mall Lower Parel, Mumbai Tel: (022) 43412294, 43412284 >>GAS 24, Linking Road, Santacruz (w) Mumbai.

Tel : (022) 66717513 GAURAV GUPTA DLF Emporio, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: 9250112762 / 9971005594 www.gauravguptastudio.com GOD MADE ME FUNKY Hira Villa Apts,3 Pali road Bandra, Mumbai-50 >>JACK & JONES Oberoi Mall, Shop No G-22, Western Express Highway, Goregaon [E] Mumbai - 63 Tel :(022) 40211646 >>LECONET HEMANT Tel : (0124) 4215300/5306 >> PAUL SMITH Shop no. 212, DLF Emporio mall, DLF Palace, Nelson Mandela road, Vasant Kunj, Phase 2, New Delhi Delhi: (011) 46040734 PAUL & SHARK Shop No. 204 B, Emporio Mall Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 40634750

>> RAJESH PRATAP SINGH No. 9, Main Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi. Tel: (011) 24638788 / 40534583-84 ROHIT GANDHI & RAHUL KHANNA D-19, Second Floor, Defence Colony, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46528256 Mumbai: (022) 22872882 >>SEVENTEEN ARCADE M- Block market, Greater Kailash 1, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 29232457 >>THE COLLECTIVE Shop No. 1, Second Floor, The Palladium Mall, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai.

Tel: (022) 43438888 TIE RACK LONDON DLF Promenade, Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj, Phase 2, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 46152725 www.tie-rack.co.uk

TOMMY HILFIGER Ground Floor, Select City Walk, Saket, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 40588770 Raheja Chambers, Linking and Main Avenue Road Santacruz (W), Mumbai.

Tel: (022) 65567267 TRĂ&#x2C6;SMODE Shop 10, First Floor 1 High Street Phoenix 462, Senapati Bapat Road Lower Parel (W),Mumbai Tel: (022) 24913515 >>VARUN BAHL B-41, Sector 2, Noida Tel: 09512043103/68/69/70 >> ZARA DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj Nelson Mandela Marg, New Delhi.

Tel: (011) 41057408 Zara Store, Palladium Mall, Lower Parel, Mumbai. www.zara.com

STOCKISTS

WHITE SHIRT BY VARUN BAHL //DENIM JACKET, MILITARY GREEN JODHPUR PANTS, BROWN BOOTS BY RAJESH PRATAP SINGH // STRAW HAT BY PAUL SIMTH // BLACK READING GLASSES BY PRADA FROM SEVENTEEN ARCADE.

Photographs by Ashish Chawla

LAST LAUGH

Permanent vacation J

une. ‘Tis the season (if you don’t live in muggy, stifling Delhi) for raincoats to emerge from mothballed hibernation. For Met departments to get prickly about rains that are not yet here. For the price tags of school uniforms to compete with Gucci underwear.

And dishearteningly, for vacations to end.

Why should that trouble a grown man?

Two years ago, I proudly wrote of how I led a charmed life as house-husband, not entirely unlike John Lennon at his most forgettable.

Every morning the missus bade tearful farewell to our five-month-old thumbsucker before leaving in hot pursuit of her soaring career.

Once she was off I read the morning papers desultorily, bottle-fed our gurgling infant and generally pretended to labour over my impending magnum opus.

One of my favourite anthropological pastimes was to stand on the balcony, frumpy in pajamas (in hindsight, a caftan might have been more appropriate), and gaze upon the hordes of daddies and mommies hurrying off to their staid uninspiring offices. They’d return my stare with contemptuous envy. They probably thought I’d won a lottery, or maybe they suspected I was terminally ill. Either way, it was oddly edifying to be a rat out of the race.

A stay-at-home father must shape his productive day around his baby’s bio-rhythms. As I banged away at the book I imagined I was writing, a fragrant burble from my daughter’s padded bottom would interrupt me in mid-metaphor.

When I returned to write, the moment would have passed. Overcome by delusion, I’d begin another work of staggering literary brilliance.

And then another. Until, with every diaper change, I had engendered an unwritten library of literature that I was left with practically no time to curate.

by Bijoy Venugopal

Mine, I believe, was not the only beautiful mind that was thus halted in its march to world domination – even Coleridge was susceptible to glorious non-starters. He had opium to rescue him; I leaned on sloth and procrastination.

envelop me in a proud hug.

Every now and then I was awash in waves of “middle-class anxieties” – a phrase my roommate of bachelor days used to describe the doomed literary ambitions of salaried literati. While colleagues of yore limbered up the corporate ladder and laughed all the way to their ATMs, my bank balance developed a self-deprecating sense of humour. I thrived on a monthly stipend from the head of the family just so that I didn’t embarrass her while swiping my debit card in public.

“Even Tom Robbins writes only a page a day,” I ventured.

At the ATM I took pains to conceal the screen from people behind me. My excessive caution only amplified their suspicion. To fox them, I swiped decoy cards (well past their expiry date) to have them believe that I had money stashed elsewhere.

Staying home had its advantages. Away from the heat and dust, my complexion improved and so did the quality of my hair. I halfhoped I’d be picked for one of those Dove commercials that feature dowdy women tricked by artful photographers into thinking they are extraordinarily gorgeous. I sent a few pictures but they objected to the beard.

All this while, the wife slaved to bring home the baingan. During one postprandial conversation, she asked: “How’s the book going?”

Her eyes shimmered with dreams of my not-sodistant Pulitzer triumph. Sipping my green tea with calculated deliberation, I muttered, “I’ve managed a good two thousand words...”

“In all, I mean. I edit as I write, you know...”

“Oh.”

That got her smiling again. We could hire a nanny, she suggested, so that I could work untroubled by diaper breaks and such, like Garp in his beautiful world.

We really should have consulted an astrologer before taking that drastic step. While we did not foresee the daisy chain of disasters lined up ahead (I promise to regale you with the nanny diaries in a separate column), we discovered that our daughter carried a mom-attracting gene. It drove my wife to find a job that required her to work only three days a week.

It’s hard for a stay-at-home mom and a stayat-home dad to coexist unless they are both retired, and even then under duress. I declared that I was giving the book a rest and suggested helpfully that maybe I needed to get out of the house more often. At the first opportunity, I took off on a travel assignment (which is a glorified synonym for a paid vacation).

That blew it. Supermom, who hasn’t enjoyed a holiday in three years, dropped the bomb.

She announced that she was embarking on a sabbatical, paralysing my plans to continue indefinitely as penurious house-husband with literary pipe-dreams.

People lose their jobs. I’ve just lost my vacation.

Know anybody willing to hire a professional vacationist?

“Today?” she asked incredulously, preparing to

Photograph: Dreamstime

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