WEEKLY MAGAZINE, MARCH 2, 2014 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times
Shereen Bhan business journalist
Ira Trivedi author
Rina Dhaka fashion designer
Swara Bhaskar actress
When Four Women Get Together... Ahead of International Women’s Day, a group of bright, successful, interesting ladies talk about life, work, men and everything else
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
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Ab Tak Aapne Dekha Shortcut To Smart
by Abhijit Patnaik
by Shaoli Rudra
Bollywood, Misogyny
THE BEST OF THE OSCARS Aur Womaniya Find yourself trapped in conversation about Oscar nominated movies and haven’t had the time to see any yet? Worry not. We provide you with the highlights of the most talked about films, so you don’t feel out of place in the company of others, especially with Oscar fever growing. Ellen DeGeneres is hosting this time (after seven years)
THE ABSOLUTE WORST LINES
This Bollywood na, it sometimes makes our blood boil. Then there are times we just shake our heads in disdain. But kabhi kabhi, it also makes us so proud. This week, for International Women’s Day, we take stock of some awful, some bad and some great filmi lines about women. Behno, taiyyar ho jao! “Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat tum kya jano Ramesh babu. Ishwar ka aashirwad hota hai.. ek chutki sindoor! Suhagan ke sar ka taaj hota hai, ek chutki sindoor. Har aurat ka khwaab hota hai… ek chutki… sindoor!” (Om Shanti Om)
12 YEARS A SLAVE
What it’s about: The real-life story of the struggles of a free black man, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery What you should know: It’s pronounced Choo-it-tell Edgy-o-four Do say: “Sherlock was good, but Magneto stole the show” Don’t say: “Oprah was amazing in this sequel to The Colour Purple”
Okay, it’s a spoof but ye kya zabardasti hai?! It’s like Facebook insisting you get married by bombarding your newsfeed with shaadi photos and ‘look-at-my-bachcha’ photos. No I don’t want ek chutki sindoor, okay?!
“Mard kab peeta hai, kya peeta hai, kaise peeta hai, yeh jaankaari rakhna Bharatiya naari ki sabse important duty hai”
Aadmi ki nahi, aurat ki life ban jayegi. Good riddance for her!
This must be janhit mein jaari (issued in public interest) by the local theka. That is the only reasonable explanation for this
(The Dirty Picture)
HER
What it’s about: Introvert Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), going through a divorce, falls in love with Samantha, his computer’s talking Operating System with pretty realistic artificial intelligence What you should know: That Joaquin Phoenix’s job is to write love letters for other people. And that those Twombly-Samantha sex scenes were weird Do say: “Amy Adams can’t carry off being a blonde” Don’t say: “Scarlett Johannson looked so good” [She plays Samantha and doesn’t ever appear on screen]
THE BUTLER
What it’s about: A look at the US civil rights movement through the life of White House butler Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) who served eight US Presidents over 30 years What you should know: It has NOT been nominated for Best Picture – that is also why everybody’s talking about it Do say: “Alan Rickman gets Reagan’s accent spot on! James Marsden looked even better than JFK did” Don’t say: “Where was Obama in the movie?”
THE OFF-PUTTING LINES FROM OLD FILMI CLASSICS “Betiyaan toh paraya dhan hoti hain. Unhe toh babul ka ghar chhodna hi hota hai”
“Uski koi toh kamzori hogi, koi maa ya behen?”
What if I don’t go? What if my babul is perfectly happy keeping me at home forever? Tab kya karoge, huh?
Ya baap aur bhai? Ya gaadi ya ghar? Ya Facebook ya Twitter password?
“Ja, Simran, ja. Jee le apni zindagi” (Dilwale
Dulhaniya Le Jayenge)
HOW TO READ 24 BOOKS (OR MORE) AR IN ONE YE
(Jab We Met)
“Aap mere pati hain. Parmeshwar banne ki koshish mat kijiye”
So Geet got it right. Self-love is best love. Please heart yourself ladies log. In the words of Queen Bey – Who run the world? Girls!
If only Nandini ‘Jaya Bachchan’ Raichand had said this to Mr ‘Big B’ Raichand in K3G instead of that “mera pati, pati parmeshwar nahin” crap
On The Brunch Radar
THE BRUNCH BOOK CHALLENGE
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OK
CH B Still with us? O UN Excellent. Exc You should Yo have begun ha HA reading your LLENG fifth book of the year. year And for those who haven’t, there’s still time to catch up! The rest of you, get on board already!
#BrunchBookChallenge
The Brunch Book Challenge is an @HTBrunch initiative to get readers to read at least 24 books in 2014. Read anything you like, just keep us posted. Tweet your progress to @HTBrunch with the hashtag #BrunchBookChallenge
Cover design: MONICA GUPTA Cover photo: SANJEEV VERMA Location courtesy: OLIVE AT THE QUTUB, MEHRAULI, NEW DELHI
“Main toh apni favourite hoon”
(Mrityudand)
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What it’s about: To save themselves from prosecution, con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) must do the bidding of unpredictable FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) What you should know: David O Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle are the only movies since 1981 to receive a nomination in all four acting categories Do say: “Loved how JLaw was so suspicious of microwaves” Don’t say: “Combovers are cool”
To all prudes, dissers and haters, we say, dekhiye ji, sabko bhook lagti hai. It’s only natural
On behalf of women everywhere, thank you, bauji. Life has never been the same since you let Simran run for that train and Raj ka haath
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
What it’s about: When electrician Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is diagnosed with AIDS, he builds a drug-racketeering business to provide cheap drugs to other patients like himself What you should know: McConaughey lost 19 kilos for the role; Jared Leto (playing a transgender AIDS patient) lost 13. Do say: “Jared Leto looks good in a dress.” Don’t say: “What diet did McConaughey and Leto follow?”
MARCH 2, 2014
Naturally. According to biology, aap bachche ka baap toh nahi banne wali hain… why state the obvious?
“Ye jism pyaar karna nahin jaanta. Jaanta hai toh sirf bhook. Jism ki bhook” (Jism)
BR
WOLF OF WALL STREET
FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT National — Sanchita Tyagi: sanchita.tyagi@hindustantimes.com North — Siddarth Chopra: siddarth.chopra@hindustantimes.com West — Karishma Makhija: karishma.makhija@hindustantimes.com South — Francisco Lobo: francisco.lobo@hindustantimes.com
“Main tumhare bachche ki maa banne wali hoon”
But every once in a while B-town comes up with a line that makes the ladies feel all awesome and makes us want to proclaim ‘You Go Gurrrlll!!!’
What it’s about: The rise (and rise, and rise) and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). Or, the sweariest film ever, with 506 uses of the F-word What you should know: DiCaprio-Jonah Hill’s drugged out fight is one of the most epic scenes from any film this year Do Say: Quote the movie’s many one-liners. “What kind of hooker takes a credit card?” or “ Let me give you some legal advice: shut the F**k up!” Don’t say: “F**k”
AMERICAN HUSTLE
(Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya)
EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Rachel Lopez, Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi, Mignonne Dsouza, Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna, Yashica Dutt, Amrah Ashraf, Saudamini Jain, Shreya Sethuraman
LOVE IT James Salter Man Singh Dhurve, that groom from Dindori district (near Bhopal) who kept his promise of standing by his bride (though she delivered a baby during the pheras) n This joke: “Penguin is now chicken” n Discovering book clubs on Goodreads n That opening chai ki dukaans is now in vogue n
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DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti, Payal Dighe Karkhanis, Rakesh Kumar, Ajay Aggarwal
by Saudamini Jain n “Bollywood’s perception of reality in films...” Just leave B-town alone for the love of God! n When people refer to me as “dear” n Chutki (we loved Gutthi so! Plus, Chutki belongs only in shiny blue packets at the paanwalla’s shop) n Fatwa on Mars One n Traffic jams on flyovers
SHOVE IT
Drop us a line at: brunchletters@hindustantimes. com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
Photo: THINKSTOCK
“Har aadmi ke liye ek aurat hoti hai... Usse bach gaye, toh life ban jayegi”
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COVER STORY
Her Side Of The Story Stor A few days before International Women’s Day, four modern Indian women talk about what it means to be a woman in the country today – and whether all the confusion about changing gender roles is actually an opportunity
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by Parul Khanna; photographs by Sanjeev Verma
OR MANY of us, International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, is just like any other day. It’s not a public holiday, and unlike Valentine’s Day, there are no red roses. But this time, there is a palpable energy in the air. The Indian woman is on the cusp of change, both inside and outside her home. Her dignity, security and the freedom to live the way she wants, have be-
come burning issues, taking centre stage in the public discourse. So, we got four achievers, well-known, interesting women – trailblazing fashion designer Rina Dhaka; business journalist and managing editor, CNBC TV18 Shereen Bhan; author, yoga teacher Ira Trivedi; and actress Swara Bhaskar (last seen in Raanjhanaa), who’s known for playing independent feisty roles – for a stimulating conversation to document a woman’s
MARCH 2, 2014
dreams, challenges, struggles and the need to celebrate ‘herself ’. We met over coffee (it was everyone’s favourite beverage), and some nibbles at Olive At The Qutub, Mehrauli. We chatted about some serious issues, how to appear your best in photos, escalating flight fares and some Bollywood gossip. Weight (a topic most women engage in) wasn’t mentioned even once. Some things are really on the cusp of change, we think!
What is it like being a woman in India today?
SHEREEN: It’s a better time to be a woman today, in terms of freedom and opportunities. Women of the previous generation did their bit to break stereotypes, especially as far as working outside the home went. But it’s a long road in terms of equal opportunities, to really see women come into decisionmaking roles, and to see work spaces providing equal chances and equal wages. The great thing is that you can negotiate life on your own terms. There are women who are able to make a whole bunch of choices. If you look at my family, my younger sister is a dancer, she runs a dance school, and here I am doing broadcast journalism. We are not in tradi-
twitter.com/HTBrunch SHARING A JOKE
(From left) Actress Swara Bhaskar, business journalist Shereen Bhan, fashion designer Rina Dhaka and author Ira Trivedi
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women deal with the guilt of not spending enough time with their children every day. This is not a few hundred women, but millions of them out there in the workforce, and that too in non-traditional roles. Women are now bankers, in corporate jobs. It is a difficult time.
How do you navigate these issues of self-identity and expectations regarding the roles you are supposed to play?
tional fields, we have the opportunity and the ability to do what we are passionate about. Or to make the choice of living our lives a certain way. That’s a big deal. SWARA: It’s a great time to be a woman in urban India, especially in the big cities. IRA: I disagree. It’s much harder to be a woman today than in my mom’s time. Then, roles were cut out, now we are confused. A survey by the medical journal, The Lancet, said that Indian women were one of the most stressed out in the world, juggling so many things and so many roles. We haven’t yet defined what we need to be. I see a lot of working mothers whose moms never worked, so when they came home, their moms were always home. But today, these
IRA: It’s hard. There were years when I was lost and confused. My new book (India in Love: Marriage and Sexuality in the 21st Century) is about sexuality. But to write a whole book on sex wasn’t easy. I remember people telling me, ‘Aise to tumhari shaadi nahin hogi. Kaise tum likh rahi ho?’ When the book was coming out, my editor and I discussed if we should put, ‘Marriage, Sex and Sexuality’ on the cover. I was like, ‘What if my grandparents or parents read this?’ It’s not easy to let go of this conditioning. We live in a world that’s caught between being traditional and being modern. We’re not completely there. I want to wear short skirts because I look amazing in them, and everywhere you go, you get these lovely skirts nowadays, but I am wondering if people are going to think, ‘Is she that kind of girl?’ Do we live in a liberal enough society to wear a short skirt, even though it’s available? SWARA: I am sure she [Ira] has done her research, and knows the reality, but I would choose the chaos, trauma and conflict of this situation where I (and I speak of the people I know, and not everyone) have to juggle between these opposing – traditional and modern – roles. That risk-taking is really important. Things are not going to change on the ground until you actually take that risk, and get into a short skirt and say, ‘You know, I am wearing this, but I am still smart’. You have to also give men that opportunity to deal with the reality that you are good-looking, you are sexy, you are intelligent, and in small clothes and probably, you are going to make a good wife and mother as well. IRA: That’s true. SWARA: So you have to push yourself and men into that space. I know that a lot of us do it unconsciously as well. Their [the men’s] mentality will also change if you push them, and not every exchange has to be hostile. Men are
also grappling with issues of tradition and modernity, with women suddenly demanding and wanting space etc. We can find spaces where we can negotiate.
Shereen, as a journalist, you are in a profession which has many women, yet men call the shots... SHEREEN: At CNBC-TV18, there are a lot of us who are women and are leading teams. I am a managing editor today. It is easier for women to get to the top, but there’s a gap in including women as far as key decision- and strategy-making are concerned. We will be given roles where we need to implement, execute, and we do that faultlessly. But when it comes to decision making, it’s still pretty much a boys’ club. RINA: The challenge is that men don’t like to take commands from a woman, especially if you are the kind who wears a dress! You need to empower them with knowledge and be careful of your conduct. You have to be smarter than them, your knowledge has to exceed the man’s. However, the subordinates [men] are alright with taking commands from a man even if he doesn’t have superior knowledge.
These are times when women’s security has become a burning issue, and an integral part of the national debate. Does that affect your life?
SHEREEN: Today I don’t have to travel by public transport, but I have done the usual drill in college – DTC buses, autos, hitchhiking from Pragati Maidan to Delhi University. Were there concerns about safety then? Yes, there were. But when you are young, it’s not a consideration, it’s not on top of your mind at that point in time. Were there incidents that happened then? Yes, but nothing that scarred me for life. I am lucky and fortunate. But ‘security’ is a consideration today. My mother calls me every single night, as I finish work late, to make sure I have reached and locked the door. I wish we didn’t have to, but you learn to live with it. You navigate and find your way, be smart about it. You can’t stop living your life. At the end of the day, life has to go on, you just need to be careful: if there’s a late night, you go out in a group, you would much rather go out with two or three people, as opposed to going out alone, or make sure you have a driver. IRA: The public discourse on
MARCH 2, 2014
safety (that started after the Delhi gangrape protests) is a good thing. We didn’t talk about a lot of issues we are talking about today. As a result, I do feel a little unsafe, even though I live in central Delhi, which may be the safest area. When I come out at 8pm, I see only women. When I went to smaller cities like Lucknow to promote my book, I couldn’t see any women around. A lot of fear has been generated with the public discourse. RINA: I see people behaving a little differently now because of it. The same guys in Chandni Chowk who one had to be careful of once, now maintain their distance and say ‘sister’ or ‘behenji’. SWARA: Women have always been vulnerable to sexual violence. It’s the unfortunate reality in our society. I don’t believe any city is more or less unsafe. I have lived in Delhi and Mumbai, I have been molested in public in daylight in Mumbai more. And, it’s not just the migrant labour that is to be blamed. Misogyny and violence against women is universal. It happens across the world. The discourse around safety is huge. Now, women are able to say, ‘I am scared’, which you always were. Even to articulate that is liberating. There was a statistic that after the Delhi rape case, three times the number of rapes were reported. But that’s because girls started filing complaints. For women, some amount of risk-taking is necessary. Otherwise, society will never give you that place. That anger that is around safety is precious. I want to hold on to it and do something productive. Indian women forgive too easily. We should take risks, and fight whatever it is – fight your family, wear the clothes you want to wear, fight at your workplace. Until we do that, nothing will change.
What are the social pressures you face today?
IRA: There’s pressure to get married. A lot of traditional forces haven’t gone away, yet we have grown up being empowered. You have to be a good daughter, a good daughter-in-law, we also want to be financially independent, we want to marry for love. Extremely confusing times. SWARA: But isn’t that great? These are the kind of problems that come with choices. RINA: I would say there is opportunity in such struggle. I was courageous even in my 20s. I was avant garde even then.
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COVER STORY SHEREEN: My mother worked too, but if my mother was living away from her parents, I don’t think it would have been accepted. But I live by myself today, that’s accepted. Today, no one would ask me, ‘How come you live on your own when your parents are in the same city?’ Incremental changes have happened over the years. Ten, 15 years ago, it would have been a big deal, but it doesn’t matter anymore. These are the changes that have crept into the social fabric.
Men’s mentality will change if women push them. Not every exchange has to be hostile - Swara Bhaskar
There is opportunity in such struggle. I was courageous even in my 20s - Rina Dhaka
Workplace challenges… how do you navigate them?
SHEREEN: The way out is to really fight for your own space, and fight for your voice to be heard. As women, and I speak for myself, there’s a natural tendency to walk away from confrontation, or to say, ‘I don’t want to be seen as pushy and aggressive’ because a man is never seen as being pushy or aggressive when he asks for what he wants or what he believes he truly deserves. But if a woman does that, we are conditioned to believe that somehow we will be seen as domineering. The natural response is to pull ourselves back. We do ourselves a big disservice by not asking for what we rightfully deserve or asking for what should be technically be put on the table for us. Women need to make their voices heard not just within organisations, but outside of the workplace too. I have never said ‘no’, because I would feel that will be seen as a reflection of my commitment to my job. Whereas a male colleague would say, ‘It’s 4pm, I can’t do it’, but that would not be an option for me – in my head. And it continues to be more in my head that I have to ensure everything I do has to be done to the best of my ability. The sense of over-commitment is because you feel you are being evaluated all the time, that is the subtle way we are conditioned. SWARA: Being an actress, I am struggling with different kinds of expectations and roles. That my looks are more decisive than my actual acting talent, but also a whole lot of other things are important, my image, my networking, my ability to push myself, to be perceived in a certain way.
When you date or meet men, do you think they have come to terms with all these changes?
IRA: For men to understand these
MARCH 2, 2014
new changes is incredibly difficult. They want it all. They want this bad girl, who goes out and parties, smokes, and then also the good girl, who is traditional, goes to temples. Indian men are stuck in between, they still have that image of a girl like their mothers, someone who is a virgin. And then they see these girls around them. They are beginning to realise that women are changing. SWARA: When you push people, they also find and discover newer things about themselves. I have dated boys from very conservative backgrounds, I have also dated men from very liberal backgrounds. It’s a process of education for them as much as us. That discomfort is education for the both of us. When you push and demand, and say, I want this and this, they will also learn to give it to you. Of course, there are extremes, wife beaters, abusers, but there are always signs. The conflicted times we live in, it’s most important for women to fight with themselves, their obvious sense of duty, and finally say to themselves, ‘I deserve better’. I think the Indian urban woman is moving towards that. At least, my generation is. When you demand, men will relent.
We live in a world that’s caught between being traditional and being modern - Ira Trivedi
What is it that you cherish about being a woman?
SHEREEN: The fact that we are extremely adept at multitasking, that is something every woman is good at. You can balance work with home, your parents with friends, responsibilities, your obligations, and also take out a little time for yourself. I also cherish the fact that we are able to be soft and harsh at the same time, we retain our humanity and sensitivity, yet we can be tough leaders. It’s not that we are soppy or we fall apart when things get tough. We are extremely resilient and strong. Women inherently are stronger than men, they can deal with adversity and tough times much better. RINA: One, this is the intention of nature, there’s nothing I can do about it other than to accept what I am meant to be. Being a mother is great, it has added a lot of dimensions to my life. Also, the clothes are great; women get to definitely dress better than men. I wouldn’t want to ever dress like a man. I enjoy being a woman, and I wouldn’t ever want to change my gender. parul.khanna@hindustantimes.com Follow @ParulKhannaa on Twitter
We do ourselves a big disservice by not asking for what we rightfully deserve - Shereen Bhan
MORE ON THE WEB For a video of the four women - Rina Dhaka, Shereen Bhan, Ira Trivedi, Swara Bhaskar - on ‘the best thing about being a woman’, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch
VARIETY
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What’s happening?
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The microblogging site is a great place to express yourself, but sometimes tweets may get out of hand. Here’s what to avoid by Shreya Sethuraman @iconohclast
Our #miniguide to becoming #tweet smart
Don’t be a chronic RT @retweeter Don’t regurgitate what others are talking about. Everything Justin Bieber or Kim Kardashian or Priyanka Chopra tweets about is not worth a retweet. Tweet what’s going on inside your head but make sure it’s worth listening to. Yes, it’s going to take practice. Don’t tweet rubbish #HappyHoli greetings? Pictures of coloured (un-recognisable) faces and multi-coloured clothes? “#Bhaanging it up! THAT’S how you play #Holi!”? No one’s going to want to follow those tweets. Find a way to take an existing thought forward. Make it witty, funny. Make it memorable. Or don’t bother tweeting, because no one’s listening anyway. Don’t hashtag the world If you do use a hashtag, be smart. #AddOnionBeforeMovieName makes #nosense. Neither does #justsaying. Au contraire, hashtagging every word is also irritating. How will you #react if #every #word were to be #hashtagged? Cut back on the ODA (online display of affection) Tweeting about your honeybun or your munchkin will only elicit truckloads of laughter. “I miss you so much darling, it hurts *big puppy dog eyes*”. Please grow up. NOW! Go easy on CAPSLOCK It’s okay to be upset with government policies, onion prices, mosquitoes and crappy soaps on television. But please DO NOT RESORT TO CAPS LOCK. Reserve capitalisation to one tweet in a hundred, when it really counts. Like, “OMG! I THINK I JUST SAW SRK!! HE LOOKS SO HAWT!!” Mind your grammar Twitter is the ‘140-character’ monster, but if “ths is hw u wnt to twt”, you might as well stop tweeting. “Grvty is a gr8 flm!! U hv 2 wtch it!!” Yes, Gravity is a great film, and yes you MUST watch it, but not after tweeting like this! Beware the autocorrect devil With our dependence on smartphones, we’ve forgotten how to spell and spell-check. You’ve got to at least see what you’re tweeting about! “I just louurwe my boyfriend’s colon.” We know you meant cologne. But see where that got you?
Photos: THINKSTOCK
Don’t tweet everything you eat “This has to be THE best pasta in white sauce, ever! *drools all over*” Yawn. Albert Einstein said “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” And anyone who tweets while eating is not doing any justice to the food! Don’t boast about your workout Who’d want to hear your humblebrags about how you benchpressed 40 kilos? No one. “500 push-ups, 300 lunges, 100km bike ride. Now THAT’S what I call a killer workout!” You poor dear. You don’t have a life, do you? Don’t not tweet If you really want to be on Twitter, don’t stay inactive. If you made an account just for saying, “Of course I’m on Twitter, but I don’t really tweet,” you might as well delete your account. shreya.sethuraman@hindustantimes.com. Follow @iconohclast on Twitter
MARCH 2, 2014
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indulge While American musician Angel Olsen will remind you of Leonard Cohen, Vancouver Sleep Clinic is an Australian band that you must listen to
Photo: GETTYIMAGES
Voices From The World W
E WERE sitting at Delhi’s perfect little French restaurant called Le Bistro du Parc and contemplating whether to order the Steak Tartare in a city that is otherwise in a strictly stringy buffalo territory (we did order it and it was great; and it was not buffalo, by the way!) when I thought I heard Bon Iver on the speakers. You know Bon Iver, the band name that is actually the alter ego of the indie singer songwriter Justin Vernon, who made waves a few years ago with his first fulllength album For Emma, Forever Ago, an album of songs that he wrote when he chose to confine himself in a snowbound wooden cabin somewhere in Wisconsin. That album was a deeply emotional breakup album and it received both huge critical acclaim as well as popularity, paving the way for Vernon to get a Grammy for Best New Artist a few years ago.
Sanjoy Narayan
download central
UNLIKELY DISCOVERY
Vancouver Sleep Clinic is the bedroom project of singersongwriter Tim Bettinson
NOT JUST A COHEN CLONE
Olsen has an enchanting voice and the amazing ability to make songs about heartbreak upbeat
other new music that has been glued to my ears of late is something I discovered on one of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. I hadn’t heard of Angel Olsen till I discovered her singing on one episode of those. Just she and her plugged-in electric those guitar. Olsen has an enchanting voice. And guitar Anyway, the tune that was coming out of the amazing ability to make songs about the speakers had vocals that sounded like Bon heartbreak upbeat. After the Tiny Desk hear Iver but the music wasn’t marked with his Concert, I heard her second album that was Concert usual minimalist brand, so I asked the Canareleased recently, Burn Your Fire For No Witre dian guy who manages the restaurant who it ness, and discovered that she is not just a girl ness was and he said it was indeed Bon Iver, but with a guitar. On the album, she plays with a a remixed version of his song, Skinny Love drummer and a bass player and her songs are (do check it out, remixed or in the original, if emotional, dealing with loss and solitude but you haven’t). We got talking about the singsonically they cover a range – from intense insonicall er’s versatile side projects with bands such REMEMBER THE NAME die to grungy g pop. as Volcano Choir, GAYNGS and Megafaun, On the album, Angel Olsen’s The best part of Olsen, a native Missoubut most of all about his incredible vocals – songs are emotional, dealing rian, who’s sung with alt-country singera near-falsetto that seems to come from deep with solitude but sonically songwriter Bonnie Prince Billy, is her ghostly, within his body. That’s when he suggested I range from indie to grunge enchanting vocals and poetic lyrics that can check out Vancouver Sleep Clinic. remind you of Leonard Cohen. On her new alI did with much difficulty, I should add. bum, listen to the song, White Fire, and it can After scouring the Internet via SoundCloud, I got a couple seem like you’re listening to Cohen’s early works. Yet, that’s of singles by these guys (this guy, actually, because Vancounot all that she is about. On other tracks, notably on the ver Sleep Clinic is the bedroom project of singer-songwritalbum’s first, Unf***theworld, she demonstrates a singular er Tim Bettinson). And, lest you get it wrong, it has nothing style, a controlled haunting intensity that makes you sit up to do with Vancouver or Canada. Vancouver Sleep Clinic and take notice. But if you want an easier entry into her is a Brisbane-based Australian band. Bettinson has a very music, try Forgiven/Forgotten or Hi-Five, both tracks are agreeable falsetto but is markedly more upbeat than Bon on the new album. I predict you’ll get hooked. Angel Olsen. Iver. I got three singles – Vapour, Collapse and a cover of Remember the name. And seek out her music. You won’t Drake’s (the rapper) Hold On We’re Going Home. All three regret it. worked instantly for me, especially Collapse, which I recomDownload Central appears every fortnight mend you listen to even if it is a YouTube version without MORE ON THE WEB real video. Vancouver Sleep Clinic is a band I’m going to To give feedback, stream or download the music follow and look out for a full-length album from them whenmentioned in this column, go to blogs.hindustantimes. ever that happens. com/download-central. Write to Sanjoy at sanjoy. That Aussie band with a Canadian-sounding name was narayan@hindustantimes.com a discovery in a restaurant aided by a helpful manager. The
MARCH 2, 2014
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Has Facebook Lost Its MInd?
Why did Zuckerberg pay a bomb for WhatsApp, a company with negligible revenue?
Y
OU APPLY for a job at a big company. You are rejected. With optimism in your heart and a neversay-die attitude, you apply at another iconic company. You are rejected again. A few years later one of those companies pays $19 billion to buy you out. A small lesson in perseverance and revenge! This is the story of how Brian Acton was rejected by both Twitter and Facebook and went on to create WhatsApp along with Jan Koum, and has now been bought out by Facebook for an unheard sum for a start-up. Facebook will put approximately $3-5 billion right into Brian’s personal account for that rejection slip. And this fable has a nice little ending too. A new phrase has been born: ‘Actoned’! The act of being ‘Actoned’ will be felt heavily by a company that rejects a person and then goes on to pay a king’s ransom to the same rejectee. Isn’t the he world of technology just awesome? What makes this space even more awesome is that a new head-scratching puzzle
Rajiv Makhni
techilicious nt seems to be born every day. The current one doing the rounds is the big question: Why Facebook would pay $19 billion to buy a company with negligible revenue, a strict no-advertising policy and almost no hope of making any serious money. For $19 billion, Facebook could have bought an airline, a car manufacturer and a coffee chain and still have had some change left over.
WHATSAPP WITH FACEBOOK?
There are many theories to why Facebook would have gone ahead with a deal like this. The most plausible ones are: It bought WhatsApp so Google or any other company couldn’t get their grubby paws on it: This makes sense as Google had tried to buy WA for $10 billion. Rumours also suggest that Google had even offered to top FB’s $19 billion offer but wasn’t offering a seat on the board. Google having WA could have been a serious threat to FB in the future. WhatsApp has more momentum and traction than Facebook: Again, seems very likely as WA is growing at about one million users a day and already has 450 million users. About 70 per cent of them are active on it daily. In about a year it could hit one billion users or so. The purchase would negate the threat that WA could pose to even FB in time. A pure data mining acquisition as FB gets crucial mobile user data that it cannot ge get otherwise: Once again
seems like something that makes sense. WA actually gets access to your entire phonebook and uploads that onto its servers (one of its more notorious ‘features’ and the reason why it’s been so successful). FB’s entire business model is based on data mining, slicing, dicing, profiling and selling it to advertisers. This is another major gold mine of data.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW? THE WA-FB FAQ
Will Facebook integrate WhatsApp into Facebook? No way. That would make little business sense and would effectively kill WA. This will remain an independent service but there could be some integration to know you as a user, with a FB or WA dual sign-in option. Will Wh WhatsApp start advertisements? Zuckerberg and Koum have gone red in the face and have been emphatically shouting from the rooftops, ‘no advertising ever’. I would take that with a very big pinch of salt. This is Zuckerberg and he just paid 19 big ones. They will first target about a billion users and then bring in some sneaky ways of adverting by saying users do not have to pay the $1 annual fee anymore. Koum may have gone all saintly saying that will Ko neve ver happen, but if you’ve just been bought out for $19 billion, what else would you say? What are the threats to this WA-FB deal? Lots actually. WA and other instant chat machines have effectively killed the biggest cash cow for all mobile phone operators: SMS! In fact, the WA model is based on the SMS model. Everyone on your contacts is integrated into the same messa system, unlike FB and BBM where there is an sage invite-based communication. If mobile operators were to make MMS a free (chat like) service integrated into a voice, data ‘all you can eat package’, it could kill WA fast and hard. I’m surprised none of them have done that yet and are just watching this huge chunk of revenue being taken away by the WAs of this world. Any other? Yes, if FB was to fiddle with the WA service and put in too many high-fangled features and make it complicated like FB (something they are really good at), simpler services like Link and WeChat could take over. Also, if WA does stick to the one-dollar-a-year fee model, another service could come in free and destroy that thought right away.
TIME WILL TELL
If all goes well, two years from now this deal and the money paid for it will seem like a master stroke. WA will have two billion users and Facebook will have made smart moves and started monetising all two billion users all at once. If that doesn’t happen then Mark Zuckerberg will shrug it off as a Monopoly game-like acquisition that didn’t pay off and the term ‘Actoned’ will have changed to mean a company that rejects a person as an employee, pays billions of dollars later for that mistake, and then realises that they were right in the first place. Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3
MORE ON THE WEB For previous columns by Rajiv Makhni, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter.com/RajivMakhni
MAN OF THE MOMENT
Brian Acton (above) was turned down by Facebook in 2009. The $19 billion seems like sweet revenge
The views expressed by the columnist are personal
FEBRUARY 23, 2014
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Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
RetuRn Of the SOufflé
Vir Sanghvi
rude food
Modern chefs have moved away from the heartiness of French chef Auguste Escoffier’s style and now pride themselves on the lightness of this ultimate dessert MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Vir Sanghvi, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch The views expressed by the columnist are personal
I
F YOU like formal or fancy dining then you will know that a soufflé is the ultimate dessert. Generally, you order your soufflé at the same time as the main course because you know it will take the chef around half an hour to make one. Even, then, the chances are that he will not put it in the oven till the waiter has told him that you are through with the entrée. While the soufflé is rising, the chef will prepare the service plate, keep a little boat of sauce ready and then, when the soufflé has risen so high that it threatens to creep over the edge of the ramekin, he will take it out of the oven, summon the waiting waiter and rush it to your table. A good soufflé will keep its shape for only around five to six minutes from the time it leaves the oven and many chefs think that even that’s too long. Ideally, they require the soufflé to be placed in front of you not more than three minutes after it is ready. As you gaze in astonishment at this snowy hillock of air, sugar and flavour, the waiter will usually offer to make a hole in the centre. Then, he will either pour some sauce in or he will spoon a little ice-cream into the hot centre of the soufflé. As the cold ice-cream meets the warm flesh of the soufflé, it begins to gently melt. And that’s when you take your first bite and let the hot, cold, sweet, creamy, airy, frothy flavours dance on your tongue. There was a time, a few decades ago, when a formal restaurant was required, almost by definition, to put a soufflé on the menu. Then, as kitchens became busier and
MARCH 2, 2014
restaurant staff strengths were slashed, the soufflé began dropping off the menu. To get a soufflé right you need to cook it by the clock. Wait a minute too long and the soufflé will be overcooked with a nasty skin on top. Open the oven door too early and it will collapse. As the number of chefs per kitchen reduced, most restaurants decided that it was simply too much trouble to make it. And as the waiter-to-table ratio changed so that each waiter had more tables to look after, restaurants were no longer sure that they could count on a waiter being available to rush the soufflé to the guest as soon it was ready. Now, the soufflé is making a comeback. The French have embraced it once again. It is a mainstay of Joël Robuchon’s Atelier chain, Alain Ducasse serves warm soufflés at his Michelin-star establishments (though his famous Baba au Rhum is probably the better dessert) and other famous French chefs brag about how light they can make their soufflés. The soufflé is back on English menus too. A whole new soufflé restaurant was scheduled to open in London this month. (Perhaps it already has; I haven’t been to London for a while). Even in India, the soufflé is suddenly more visible than it ever has been. For decades, Indians were told that all soufflés were cold and were fobbed off with gelatine-packed moussetype desserts. The first restaurant that I know of that served soufflés was Delhi’s Orient Express. Ever since it opened in 1983, the restaurant has had a cheese soufflé on the menu. Around a decade later, the Zodiac Grill at the Bombay Taj stole the recipe, started calling it a Camembert dariole and made it a signature dish. Then, in the Nineties, the Orient Express put a dessert soufflé – a chocolate version – on its menu and began calling it the restaurant’s signature dish. That chocolate soufflé became so famous that it was widely imitated. And by the time the new century dawned, stand-alone restaurants were also offering dessert soufflés. At the original Diva in Delhi’s Greater Kailash-II, Ritu Dalmia even put a “Soufflé of The Day” on the menu. (No matter which day you went, it was always chocolate – or so I seem to remember.) So, what exactly is a soufflé? Well, in essence, it is a baked dish, either sweet or savoury, which rises in the oven thanks to the combination of air bubbles and egg white. The basic principle is easy enough and chefs will tell you in confidence that the trick to getting anything to rise in a light and airy manner is the use of egg white. They will also tell you that once you understand this principle then you come across a whole family of soufflé-like dishes:
CHOCOLATE HERO
French chef Jean-George Vongerichten popularised the chocolate fondant in the late Eighties but if you look at his recipe, what he really did was to make a kind of soufflé
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NO OVEN NEEDED
D N Sharma, chef at the Orient Express, does not bake his cheese soufflés. They are steamed instead
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IT’S ALL IN THE HAND
Rohit Sangwan of the Bombay Taj says the key to the final texture lies in how you whisk the egg whites and fold the flavouring into the stiff egg whites
omelettes, fondants, crepe soufflés and even the Zodiac Grill’s Camembert dariole. I asked Soumya Goswami, the Oberoi group’s cerebral and accomplished corporate chef, about the origins of the soufflé. Though there are soufflé recipes dating back to Jean Antoine Carême (1784-1833), Soumya reckons that the dish gained popularity when Auguste Escoffier, the father of modern French cooking, included 80 soufflé recipes in his classic Ma Cuisine. But Escoffier liked his food hearty and with a little bite. So an Escoffier soufflé would use a little bit of bread crumbs, and would be based on a roux (a flour-andbutter mixture that is the base for many of the greatest sauces in French cuisine) to which he would add the egg whites etc for his soufflés. Modern chefs have moved away from the heartiness of Escoffier’s style and now pride themselves on how light they can make their soufflés. Soumya and Vikas Vibhuti, the pastry chef at the Delhi Oberoi, showed me how they made their soufflés. For his savoury soufflés, Vikas mixed foie gras or blue cheese with a béchamel sauce (a classic white sauce), whisked egg whites till they were stiff, folded the savoury béchamel mixture into the eggs and then put them in the oven for 20 minutes. For his sweet soufflés, he dispensed with the béchamel and used chocolate or a hazelnut mixture and folded it into the egg whites. The soufflés that resulted were perfect and seemed deceptively easy to make. At the Orient Express, home of India’s most famous soufflés, they use a different method. The cheese soufflé was introduced by Arvind Saraswat, the Taj Group’s legendary chef, when the restaurant first opened. But according to the restaurant’s current chef, D N Sharma, who has been the backbone of the kitchen from the time the restaurant started, the cheese soufflé is not baked in the oven. Instead it is steamed. This is what gives it the solidity of its shape and allows it to last longer in the plate than a typical soufflé. Many recipes for long-lasting cheese soufflés suggest the use of a bain-marie (a double boiler) even if you are putting them in the oven. In some versions of the recipe, you can even refrigerate the finished ‘soufflés’ and then warm them once in the oven before serving. With all this confusion about soufflés and darioles, there’s
the whole business of the fondant. You’ve probably eaten a chocolate fondant somewhere. It is one of the great dishes of dessert menus. It is a kind of (usually flourless) chocolate cake with a liquid centre so that thick chocolate oozes out when you cut into it. The famous New York-based French chef, Jean-George Vongerichten, popularised the dessert in the late Eighties, but if you look at his recipe, what he really did was to make a kind of soufflé. The Orient Express chocolate soufflé is really a Jean Georges-style fondant. And the molten chocolate cake or flourless chocolate cake you will find on many, many menus is basically the same dish. With all these variations floating around, I asked Rohit Sangwan of the Bombay Taj, who is the singlebest pastry chef I know, what the secret of a good soufflé is. Why is it that the same basic recipe sometimes yields a stodgy soufflé and sometimes ends up with a soufflé that is light as air? Rohit reckons it comes down to the hand of the chef. The key to the final texture lies in how you whisk the egg whites and the manner in which you fold the flavouring into the stiff egg whites. It takes practice to get it right and many chefs either do not try hard enough or just don’t have the skill. Plus, as Soumya pointed out, chefs are often in a hurry. If you are churning 20 or 30 soufflés in a kitchen, you don’t lavish the care on the preparation that say, Vikas does in the Oberoi kitchen. So can a home cook make a soufflé? I told Rohit that all of the young cooks I knew were into baking and yet, most of them seemed to regard a soufflé as being too grand or ambitious. Could he come up with a recipe that was simple enough for an amateur to follow and would still yield professional-type results? Rohit sent me a recipe for a chocolate soufflé. It has been, I suspect, adapted for the home cook because it requires you to make a chocolate custard into which you fold stiff egg whites. But Rohit says it is idiot proof. I’m not much of a baker so I’ll never try it myself. But if you do use an oven at home, then give this a shot. I’ve never known Rohit’s recipes to go wrong. And won’t it be really impressive to serve a hot chocolate soufflé, a dish that still intimidates so many professional chefs, to your guests when they come for dinner? Lots of luck. And long may your soufflé rise!
A good soufflé will keep its shape for only around five to six minutes from the time it leaves the oven
MARCH 2, 2014
HOT CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ INGREDIENTS: (For three to four servings) Chocolate – 90gm Castor sugar – 80gm Milk – 40ml Egg yolks – Two Egg whites – Three Chocolate sauce – 3/4 cup Confectioners’ sugar to sprinkle Method: n Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). n In a double-boiler, melt the chocolate, add 60gm sugar and milk and beat until well mixed. Remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for five minutes, then add the egg yolks, beating constantly. Whip the egg whites and 20gm sugar until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. n Pour the mixture into a buttered and sugared soufflé mould. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Test if ready by inserting a knife blade: if blade comes out dry, the soufflé is ready. Serve immediately, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and chocolate sauce.
Recipe courtesy: Rohit Sangwan, Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
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TOCK UTTERS
H Photo: S
No matter how much you hate them, there is no avoiding spoilers in this age of social media
L
IKE MUCH of the rest of the world, I was hooked by the TV series, Game of Thrones, from the word go. I swallowed the entire first season in one greedy gulp, rushing back home every evening to get my fill of Ned Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Khal Drogo and the evil Lannister twins, Cersei and Ser Jaime. The wait for the second season seemed interminable and once that was done, the only thing that kept me going was the thought of season three and so on... Only now that I have started on the original books written by George R R Martin, I am beginning to wish that I hadn’t seen the TV series at all. The books are a cracking read (I have finished the first in the series and am nearly through the second) but only half as much fun as they might have been now that I already know what is coming next. It’s a bit like that old chestnut. What came first: the chicken or the egg? Only in this case, the question is which one should you dip into first: the book or the TV series based on it? And there really is no good answer. Because no matter which route you choose into the story, there will be
Seema Goswami
spectator BOOK VS TV
I’ve started on the original books written by George R R Martin and am beginning to wish that I hadn’t seen the TV series Game Of Thrones
spoilers galore. And like the President of the United States – and I am guessing, most of the free world – there is nothing I hate more. (Barack Obama famously tweeted on the day season two of House Of Cards was released on Netflix, “‘No spoilers please” to his many million followers.) So, whenever a brand new show is released, I force myself to stay off social media, avert my eyes from TV reviews and magazine articles, so that some spoilsport can’t spoil my fun by giving the plot away. But no matter how vigilant I am, there is always that one annoying idiot who reveals the big surprise and ruins it all. I remember being incandescent with rage when a friend casu-
DON’T TELL ME, PLEASE!
I am trying my to stay away from every article, tweet, review, or even passing mention of Breaking Bad (above). Barack Obama famously tweeted on the day that season two of House Of Cards (below) was released on Netflix, “No spoilers please”
ally let drop that Brody was hanged at the end of Homeland while I was still on the first episode. (And I don’t think I have been forgiven by another friend to whom I thoughtlessly revealed that Matthew Crawley dies in the Christmas special of Downton Abbey. In my defence, I thought she had seen the episode when she said she was done with the second season.) Even as I write this, I am trying my damnedest to stay away from every article, tweet, review, or even passing mention of Breaking Bad because I haven’t seen the final season and I really do want to be surprised by what everyone assures me is a super-twisty end. (So, all of you who’ve already seen the damn thing, do shut up until I catch up.) But to come back to the chicken-and-egg conundrum, what should you do? Read the book and then watch the TV series? Or vice versa? Well, speaking for myself, I would much rather begin with the book. Every time a see a new remake of Pride and Prejudice or Emma, I am ever so grateful that I read Jane Austen’s original before I came to the TV version. So it is with the Inspector Lynley mysteries on TV; the Elizabeth George books are so much more nuanced than the spin-off television series. And then, there are the endless Poirot and Miss Marple remakes, which lose none of their suspense and wonder even if you have the read the original book a hundred times over. Sometimes of course, it is the TV series that sparks off interest in the books. I read Darkly Dreaming Dexter only after watching the series. But this was so much darker than the television version (for instance, Dexter kills off Lieutenant LaGuerta in the first book itself, whereas she survives much later in the TV series) that reading it was an entirely different experience. Actually, come to think of it, I would never have picked up a George R R Martin book if it hadn’t been for a TV series called Game of Thrones. And the loss would have been entirely mine.
MORE ON THE WEB For more SPECTATOR columns by Seema Goswami, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami. Write to her at seema_ ht@rediffmail.com The views expressed by the columnist are personal
MARCH 2, 2014
34 18
SABU A native of Jupiter, his physical strength complemented Chacha Chaudhary’s mental agility CHACHA CHAUDHARY The middle-aged uncle whose mind worked faster than a computer (back in the ’70s!)
Toon Pioneer
PEOPLE
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PRAN The creator of Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu. Both characters are still popular
Photo: VIRENDRA SINGH GOSAIN
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The brain behind the popular Chacha Chaudhary comics is going strong at 75 by Veenu Singh
T
HE WORLD Encyclopedia of Comics anointed him the Walt Disney of India. Now, cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma, the brain behind Chacha Chaudhary, one the most loved Indian comic characters, has been conferred a lifetime achievement award at Delhi’s Comic Con festival. Despite the accolades, the 75-year-old cartoonist remains absolutely grounded. “I have no words to express my gratitude to readers who have showered so much love on me,” says the septuagenarian who was born in Pakistan in undivided India and did his masters in political science from Panjab University. After a four-year course in Fine Arts from Mumbai’s Sir JJ School of Arts, Pran began his career as a cartoonist with the comic strip Daabu for the Delhi-based newspaper Milap. At that time, the only comic book heroes Indians were familiar with were international ones such as Phantom. In 1971, Pran created Chacha Chaudhary – a middle aged, wise man whose mind worked faster than a computer – for the Hindi magazine Lotpot, little realising the character would become the darling of
every Indian who liked comics. “When I used to see children going crazy over Phantom, I’d wish we had an Indian comic character in the same league. So, Chacha was consciously created as an antithesis of western heroes in looks and deeds. To impart muscle power, I created Sabu, his ally who comes from Jupiter,” he recalls. Each of the characters that Pran has made famous – Chacha Chaudhary, Billoo, Pinki and Shrimati Ji – were created keeping different demographics in mind. So, while Shrimati Ji, his oldest character, created in 1968, was targeted at housewives, Billoo appealed to the cricket-crazy youngster. Till today, no one has seen Billoo’s eyes since they are always covered by a mop of hair. Pinki was always up to pranks. Since today’s audience is hooked to TV cartoons, has the readership for comic books dwindled? Pran says these platforms work towards enhancing the popularity of comic books. “A few years ago, Sahara TV created a series based on Chacha Chaudhary. Today, an animated feature film is being made on him,” he points out.
Pran’s only advice to young cartoonists: try to create original characters
MARCH 2, 2014
veenus@hindustantimes.com.
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WELLNESS
MIND BODY SOUL For any worries related to unplanned pregnancy: Write to us at consumercare@piramal.com or call us at 1800-22-0502 (toll free) or sms ICAN to 56070 Website: www.i-canhelp.in
1 . D e a r D o c t o r, I h a d consumed emergency contraceptive pill 3-4 months back. My period cycle was disturbed for couple of months but now it has come back to normal. However, I have noticed severe hair-fall from past few weeks. Is it due to these emergency pills? Emergency contraceptive pills are not known to promote hair fall. Hair-fall is a natural phenomenon where the scalp sheds off old and dead hair to make way for new ones. However, in case you have observed severe hair fall, I suggest you consult a dermatologist. Various factors like diet, infection, hormonal c h a n g e s , s t r e s s , environmental changes etc can lead to hair-fall. Correct diagnosis will lead you to proper treatment. 2. Dear Doctor, my wife is 38 years old and having a healthy menstrual cycle. She was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. Can she continue with her regular contraceptive pills safely in such a case? Oral contraceptive pills are not suited for women who have been diagnosed with some medical condition. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, women with a heart condition should discontinue
any form of oral contraceptives. I would suggest you discuss with your doctor regarding the safety of regular pills along with her prescribed medication for high blood pressure. 3. Dear Doctor, I will be getting married next month and want to know about the best form of contraception for 5 years. We do not want to use condom and emergency pills. What method would you suggest? Congratulations on your marriage. Emergency contraceptive pills are not a form of regular contraception. They are only meant to be used in the event of an emergency. There are other options which you can use on a daily basis to delay pregnancy for up to 5 y e a r s . Yo u c a n o p t f o r contraceptive injections, which has to be taken once in 3-4 months, depending on the type you choose. You may also start a course of regular contraceptive pills. These pills are low dose hormone pills and have to be consumed everyday to avoid pregnancy. You can also consider using an intrauterine contraceptive device. Discuss with your husband and meet your local gynaecologist and he/she will help you choose the best form of contraception.
Queries answered by Dr Nirmala Rao MBBS, MD, DPM; a well known psychiatrist who heads Mumbai based Aavishkar - a multifaceted team of expert doctors and health professionals. Aavishkar has a comprehensive approach to mental and physical health, with an emphasis scan this QR code to visit website on counselling and psychotherapy. Supported by:
SHIKHA SHARMA
FOODS TO SUIT YOUR SUN SIGN
FIRE SIGNS
The third of a four-part series on eating according to your zodiac sign so you’ll thank your stars
Aries
T
HOSE BORN under Leo the fire signs are cles, support the high on energy; spine, promote cirthey tend to be asserculation of blood and tive and often binge are good for the heart. eat and drink when Spinach, vegetable they are agitated or juices, fruits rich in iron restless. They are also Sagittarius and folic acid, raisins, easily excitable. Their dates and citrus fruits areas of impact on the are good for them. They must body are the liver, gall bladder, also include ample salads and the circulatory system and the greens in their diet and consume digestive system. low-cholesterol foods.
ARIES
SAGITTARIUS
Aries people are fast thinkers and problem solvers. Because they are inherently quick thinkers, they need more minerals in their bodies, especially for their muscles and nerves. They should eat banana, brown rice, onion, cucumber, spinach, dals, broccoli, pumpkin, tomato, walnut, olives and fig. They must watch out for foods that cause nerve exhaustion like excess salt, spices, tea and coffee.
LEO
Those of this sign must take care of their spleen, spinal cord and heart. They are most impacted when they don’t take care of their back or consume foods low in iron and vitamin B. They should eat foods that strengthen the back mus-
INCLUDE
Green leafy vegetables and vegetable juice ■ Melons, banana, apples, pears, guava and berries ■ Coconut water and milk ■ Aloe vera, methi seeds ■ Brown rice, barley ■
This fire sign is predominantly governed by the actions of the liver and impacts the hips and thighs. The liver is the biggest organ of metabolism and facilitates digestion too. Those born under this sign get angry easily and this makes their liver sluggish. This leads to a pot belly in men and a pronounced pear shape in women. It also leads to indigestion, excessive burping and flatulence. They must consume limited alcohol and non-vegetarian foods, especially if they are angry, agitated or stressed. They must include whole wheat grains, barley, pineapple, citrus fruits, soya and soya products in their diet. Here are some food choices that are common for all fire signs:
AVOID
Alcohol Spicy and fried foods ■ Red meat and packaged food ■ ■
ask@drshikha.com This article should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK, THINKSTOCK
MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Dr Shikha Sharma and other wellness stories, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch MARCH 2, 2014
COUCH POTATO
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“I Fought Hard For The Moustache” The hot new hunk from Rangrasiya is reticent in real life – just like his TV character by Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi
M
EN IN Rajasthan pride themselves on their moustaches. It is a sign of their masculinity. So I had to have one,” says actor Ashish Sharma, who is making waves with his unconventional take on the romantic hero. With his stubble and yes, the moustache, Sharma plays the harsh and rugged Rudra Pratap Ranawat, a border security officer in Rangrasiya on Colors. Born to an IAS officer from Rajasthan cadre, Sharma grew up all over the state. So when he was offered the main lead in a love story between a village girl and an arrogant but honest officer, set in Rajasthan, he want-
ed the character to look picture perfect. But the ‘angry young man’ look, which is now setting a trend of sorts, didn’t come easy. As he says: “I heard the script and knew instantly that this guy Rudra had to have a mooch. But the director, producer and the channel just couldn’t imagine a romantic hero on TV with a moustache. For them, he had to be clean shaven. I fought hard for it!” Excerpts from an interview with television’s latest star:
entire workout regime. I did a lot of combat training. Security force men are never bulky or muscled. They are lean and fit. I had to get that physique. I worked hard to get the character right.
You seem to have become the hottest guy on TV...
You started with films. Why did you agree to be on TV?
(Laughs) We got lucky. I think the persona of Rudra works in its totality. The way he walks, talks (or rather doesn’t) seems to fit well with the character. And it wasn’t just the moustache. I changed my
YOU’RE AN IRRESISTIBLE ANTI-HERO IF YOU:
n Have deep, intense eyes n A dark past or a scarred
childhood n Constantly seethe with suppressed anger n Hardly ever smile n Are tall, dark and handsome with hair that falls carelessly on your forehead!
Do you relate to your character?
Every role I have played has had a bit of me in them. I am like Rudra in the sense that I too am a rather reserved person. I have very few friends and don’t talk much. So yes, I am like Rudra in some ways.
Yes, I made my debut with Love, Sex Aur Dhokha. Then I got an offer to do Gunahon Ka Devta on Imagine TV. So that was a start. I knew the mediums were different and so was the work but then I was acting and acting is the same, whether it’s television of films. The medium doesn’t matter.
What next? Back to films?
I don’t know. It could be anything. I could be writing or directing or maybe start a production house. It just needs to be the kind of thing that I want to do. tavishi.rastogi@hindustantimes.com
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PERSONAL AGENDA
twitter.com/HTBrunch
Actress
my movies
Manisha Koirala BIRTHDAY SUN SIGN PLACE OF BIRTH HOMETOWN
August 16
Leo
Kathmandu
FIRST BREAK LOW POINT OF YOUR LIFE Saudagar (1991)
When I was detected with ovarian cancer
Mumbai
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE
SCHOOL/ COLLEGE
The Army Public Being declared cancerSchool, Delhi free in April last year
CURRENTLY I AM...
Associated with Sahachari Foundation to spread cancer awareness, planning to start an NGO soon and writing my autobiography
ONE FILM YOU HAVE SEEN MORE THAN FIVE TIMES?
All About My Mother (1999)
If you weren’t an actress, you would THE MOST PAISA VASOOL have been... FILM. A doctor. How difficult it is to be a celebrity cancer survivor? I don’t know THE MOST OVERabout others, RATED FILM? but for me it’s been very difficult because in the past, my bold statements THE FILM THAT WAS have landed me A PART OF YOUR in many controCHILDHOOD. versies. But now, I am too sensitive about things. Your biggest strength as a woman. A FILM THAT HAS My self-reliance. HAD A LASTING IMPACT I fall back on myself more than ON YOU? anybody else now. The theme song of your life. I love music, but I’m yet to finalise a theme song. pack for a trip. What do you take? If you had the option to choose a film My track pants, walking shoes, as your debut film, which one would sunblock, some make-up, my it be? glasses, phone and iPad. I feel that Saudagar was the best Three skincare products you can’t do debut for me. I wouldn’t want it without. any other way. Sunblock, day cream and night A message that you would like to give cream. to anyone suffering from a serious What makes your day? illness. When my loved ones call me I firmly believe in mind over or when I’m watching a good matter. Do your best and leave movie. It is so therapeutic. the rest to God. What ruins it? The best thing about Bollywood is… Pessimistic people. That it is a community that loves Your favourite street food. and supports each other. It’s Even though I’m not allowed a bunch of creative and crazy to enjoy them any more, I love people. I love the energy. street food. I love everything Romance or comedy, which do you from pani puri to sev puri and prefer? samosa to chole bhature. Both. But I like comedy a little Your strategy in a crisis. bit more. The Pink Slow down, breathe Panther and Tom and deeply, stay silent YOUR DREAM Jerry are my all-time and move away from DESTINATION. favourites. the crowd. Your 3am friends? The biggest risk you’ve Deepti Naval, and taken. my friends Anupama Life is full of risks Adik and Zakia. and often you have to One piece of advice you take them. Just don’t wish someone had given be scared of taking you 10 years ago. one. Don’t take The last line of your your good autobiography health and would be… loved ones “I lived a full life.” for granted. — Interviewed by You have three Veenu Singh minutes to
Avatar (2009)
I can’t think of any
Masoom (1983)
Arth (1982)
Paris is my all-time favourite. I love New York too
Photo: THINKSTOCK
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MARCH 2, 2014