WEEKLY WEEKLY MAGAZINE, MAGAZINE, MARCH MARCH 10, 10, 2013 2013 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times
Who deserves applause? Who needs new in-laws? Whose pati is nutty? We hand out the wackiest awards to Hindi TV characters we abhor and adore
indulge
VIR SANGHVI
The food sweepstakes
SANJOY NARAYAN
Thom Yorke is back
RAJIV MAKHNI
At the mobile mecca
SEEMA GOSWAMI
Home-office truths
B R E A K FA S T O F C H A M P I O N S by Poonam Saxena
Editor’s Note
TV brings out the worst in us
H
INDI TV soaps can be injurious to your health. They can induce hangovers, even though there’s no alcohol involved (did that saas really go ballistic because her bahu wanted to study? Study = unpardonable crime? Er...) They can make you so depressed, you may be driven to
drugs and drink (did the bahu just take all that s**t silently?) They can make you lose it, so much so that you want to hurl something at the TV (why is that heroine so annoying? Why can’t she be normal?) But they can also make you laugh. Check out our Sari Sindoor Glycerine TV Awards. Last year’s edition was such a big hit, we just had to come back with a Season 2! (Plus we had a blast putting it together). Send us your nominations too.
On The Brunch Radar
LOVE MichelleIT Obama’s mom
by Saudamini Jain
■
Quick review
Michelle Obama’s bangs ■ Bappi Lahiri’s tribute to MJ [shudder] ■ Packaged fruit muesli ■ Mediocrity ■ The fact that we can no longer run on petrol ■
dance. Oh, mama! ■ Kala Sona (1975) What a film! Remake, anyone? ■ Books based in Patna (Here’s looking at you, Siddharth Chowdhury) ■ Sara Tendulkar ■ Getting bumped to first class
SHOVE IT
by Mignonne Dsouza
The app: Google Play Books WHAT Lets you read books onIT DOES line, via the Google Play
Store, after downloading the app. New arrivals in fiction WHAT'S AVAILABLE include The Oath of The Vayuputras (`189, as opposed to the `245 paperback on Flipkart and `175 as an ebook, not available on the Kindle Store), and in non-fiction you can find Katherine Boo's Behind The Beautiful Forevers (`346 on Google, `359 on Flipkart ebooks, `399 as a paperback on Flipkart and `769 on the Kindle Store).
There are also free books available, mostly classics. Another section has books under `100; authors here include Rashmi Bansal, Robin Sharma and similar titles, a few cookbooks and one book each from Khushwant Singh, Narayana Murthy, Kipling and Satyajit Ray. HOW IT If you already own an AnFEELS droid phone, the setup is painless (it was an easy download on an iPhone as well), and I was delighted to see four free books pop up once I downloaded the app. I
hindustantimes.com/brunch Oops: In last week’s cover story Meet The New Star Kids (March 3), we missed a few credits for the cover shoot. Here they are: Location courtesy Taj Lands End, Bandra. Hair: Prajakta Raokhande, Makeup: Xavier Dsouza, for Fat Mu. We regret the omission.
X=Y
Piano rock playlist
by Manit Moorjani
Rules of the Game
by Amrah Ashraf
And then she got drunk
Shoved uncomfortably somewhere between the temporal lobe and the cerebellum is a part of our brain that is waiting for you to take a sip of alcohol to unleash its monstrosity. We bring you excerpts from an alcohol-spilled conversation with a benign acquaintance:
CONVERSATION STARTER Billy Joel’s Piano Man always playing on loop? The world is full of piano rock, so we bring you something similar but new ■ England – The National ■ You Don’t Understand Me – The Raconteurs ■ I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab For Cutie ■ I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart – The White Stripes ■ Carry On – Fun. ■ Analyse – Thom Yorke ■ Everybody’s Changing - Keane ■ Space Dementia (Hullabaloo) Muse PS: Check out Piano Man’s spoof by “Weird Al” Yankovic called Ode to a Superhero. chose to open The Three Musketeers, and the font was big and easy to read. Flipping pages is also easy, and there is also a ‘read aloud’ option, but that voice is very artificial (kind of nasal). You always BIGGEST DISADVANTAGE need to be connected to the Internet to access the content.
ONE DRINK: Hey, you look just like my sister. It’s pleasant to meet you.
Photos: THINKSTOCK
4
THREE DRINKS: You know what… You look just like this girl you’ve never met. You have the same annoying voice as her, and a zit just like hers. It’s a crazy coincidence, right? FIVE DRINKS: Know something, sweety, I love my sister. And you happen to look just like her. So consider this your lucky day ’cause I, like, love my sister. So I kinda love you. And I am NOT drunk. Uhh, I think I am [rushes to loo].
COMPLIMENTING SOMEONE ONE DRINK: Hey, you look pretty in that dress. Where did you pick it up? THREE DRINKS: That dress looks stunning on you. And OMG, your skin is so clear [you stroke her cheek]. I am so jealous ya. FIVE DRINKS: Like Oh My GOD, you are gorgeous. And I’m not even talking about your physical beauty. It’s your inner charisma that makes that dress look angelic on you. I just want to get a tan in the radiance you are emitting... Ugh, I don’t feel so good.
FUTURE PLANS ONE DRINK: Hey, long time! I’ve been meaning to call you. We should hang out some time. THREE DRINKS: Hey, this must be the 17th time I’m running into you. Maybe God’s trying to tell us something. We should watch a chick-flick and curl our hair.
THE VERDICT It’s always nice to see new apps being added to the Play Store, but I suspect it will take a while for most of us to get used to paying for our ebooks
FIVE DRINKS: You and I should have our kids at the same time, so they can grow up be best friends like us. Don’t you think, uhh, what’s your name?
This week, on the Web Everything fun is already on the Internet. Well, we found 41 very fun websites that you must check out. The list was in the last issue of BrunchQ and now, it’s on hindustantimes.com/brunch too! Here’s a teaser: bookshelfporn.com Walls, furniture, random objects – all converted into bookshelves. These photos are porn for book lovers. isketch.net The only thing better than Pictionary is the game online.
This is a chat room of sorts, full of random-people-on-theInternet. One person draws, everybody else types their guesses in the chat box. movierecipes.net That yummy-looking spaghetti sauce from The Godfather or
Cover visual (trophy): PRASHANT CHAUDHARY Cover design: MONICA GUPTA Cover photos: THINKSTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK
the egg in a basket V makes for Evey in V for Vendetta? Here are recipes from movies! myfavoriteword.com You’ve got to have a favourite word – because of where you first read it, or the person who
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, Manit Moorjani
MARCH 10, 2013
told you what it means, or just the way it sounds. This is a list of people’s favourite words and why. Add yours. popsalad.com I’ve always wanted to sell Justin Bieber to someone on Mars. With Pop Salad, I can DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti, Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Singh
sort of. It works like stocks and shares. If a celeb is generating gossip, his/her price hikes. Let's all sell Bieber! by Saudamini Jain
Drop us a line at: brunchletters@
hindustantimes.com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
6
PEOPLE
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
Swinging With The Boys
These guys bend, twist, swing and attack 18 holes without an ache in their body. How? India’s coolest golfers reveal their fitness secrets by Veenu Singh, photo by Raj K Raj
DIGVIJAY SINGH Singh, 41, aka Diggi, might be one of the oldest players we have, but he is also among the fittest. Plus, he has won an Asian Tour event. Fitness regime Instead of the gym, I’ve been doing functional training, a mix of core exercises and running. I stay mentally fit by... ...regularly practising target shooting (I am a nationallevel shooter). It helps me stay focused. Destress mantra Skydiving and riding my Yamaha R1 bike on the Jaipur highway. Also I love to holiday, particularly in Thailand. Diet secrets I never have dinner after 8 pm. But I do eat lots of fruits, cereals, high proteins and carbs. Eggs and meat before a game give me the sustained energy needed for a shot. If I wasn’t a golfer, I would have been... ...an officer in the armed forces. My ultimate goal is... ...to watch my daughter grow up, and win the European tour.
VIKRANT CHOPRA
GAGANJEET BHULLAR Ranked five nationally, Bhullar, 24, is the among the few Indian golfers in the million-dollar club. Fitness regime I hit the gym five times a week to do cross-training as intense workouts work better for golfers who are always under pressure. I stay mentally fit by... ...meditating a few times a week. It helps me stay calm and focused. Destress mantra Holidaying in Europe, watching good comedy films and reading fiction. I chill out by playing tennis. Diet secrets On the tour, I tend to eat Thai, Japanese and Korean cuisine. I like to have more carbs in the morning and more protein at night. If I wasn’t a golfer, I would have been... ...an officer in the civil services. My ultimate goal is... ... to get the PGA tour trophy.
ANIRBAN LAHIRI Lahiri, 25, lists Jeev Milkha Singh and Vijay Singh as his inspirations. He is among the top golfers in Asia. Fitness regime Circuit training, plyometrics (jump training) and squash at the Golf Academy in Bangalore. I stay mentally fit by... ...going for Vipassana retreats. It has really honed my patience. Destress mantra Cooking, partying, watching thrillers and visiting my parents in Jamnagar whenever I can. Diet secrets Although I avoid fried and fast food, I love gorging on puchkas whenever I am in Kolkata. If I wasn’t a golfer, I would have been... ...a lawyer or an engineer. My ultimate goal is... ...to win each major at least once.
Chopra, 32, was a national-level swimmer before he discovered golf in college. His Asia ranking is 25. Fitness regime I lift weights and run for five km. At the the gym, I do circuit training twice. I also play football. I stay mentally fit by... ...extensive mental training and reading books on golf. I want to begin meditating very soon. Destress mantra Listening to old Hindi film music and chilling out by watching all kinds of movies. Also, I love vacationing in Europe with my friends. Diet secrets While on the tour, I stick to a vegetarian diet and prefer chicken and fish otherwise. I am fond of street food and sweets such as jalebi and gulab jamun. If not a golfer, I would have been... ...an IAS officer or a soldier in the Army. My ultimate goal is... ...to play the PGA tour and then win a major tournament.
KHALIN JOSHI The 20-year-old, who turned professional this season, is ranked 21st on the national circuit. Fitness regime A lot of freehand exercises. I stay mentally fit by... ...deep breathing before teeing off. Destress mantra Listening to music, from hip hop to Hindi movie songs. My idea of a holiday is at a beach resort in the Maldives. Diet secrets I try and eat healthy but also like pizzas and chaat. If not a golfer, I would have been.... Ever since I was a kid, I’ve only thought of playing golf. My ultimate goal is... ...to be the best golfer in the world. MORE ON THE WEB
For more exclusive pics of the golfers, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch
FORMULA FUN: They are better-known for their putting skills than car racing. But when India’s finest golf players, in the city recently for the Louis Philippe Cup 2013, visited the Buddh International Circuit for an exclusive interaction with HT Brunch, everyone had a different sort of drive! MARCH 10, 2013
8
C OV E R STO RY
A
Weeping widows, muscled mundas and at least one scheming saas – we waded through the soaps to hand out these trophies by Team Brunch
THE ‘WAITING FOR GODOT’ AWARD Ichcha/ Uttaran (Colors) Ichcha (Tina Dutta) would have made Waiting For Godot playwright Samuel Beckett a happy man. She’s the epitome of waiting endlessly and in vain. She waits for her husband Vir (who lost his memory) for 18 years to recognise her. In the interim, she also goes to jail for killing the man who wanted Vir dead. Oh, let us also tell you, all this while, Vir is having a good time with a new wife! But Ichcha’s still waiting for her pati.
THE SHE’S GOT A PAIR AWARD Chandramukhi Chautala/ FIR (Sab TV) Chandramukhi Chautala (Kavita Kaushik) wears the pants and is the snappiest lady cop in town, and the sexiest (we gave her the hotbod in uniform award last year). She gets a new one this time, for the men around her are still wary of her rapid-fire Haryanvi! And her machine-gun laffas! And for her ‘once she thinks it, she does it’ attitude. She has more b***s than all the men on TV put together.
THE ‘GROW A PAIR’ AWARD Jeet Ahuja/ Parvarrish – Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi (Sony) Jeet (Vishal Singh) can make anyone’s manhood shrivel up. Everybody walks all over him. All the time. And for no plausible reason – he’s not bad-looking, he seems more erudite than the rest of his family (and extended family), and his wife and kids adore him. Last month, when Raavee (his daughter) got kidnapped, we hoped for some manning up! But, fail. There’s some perfunctory shouting and screaming, of course, but he mostly looks like he’s going to faint. Oh, and not to forget, his wife has to play nanny in bed every other episode (Oh, for God’s sake! Not that kind of nanny!). MARCH 10, 2013
ND WE’RE are back! And hoping, with a bang. This year too, like last year, we manfully watched hours and hours of Indian TV – to figure out which characters deserved our coveted Sari Sindoor and Glycerine Awards! The first SSG Awards, given last year at around the same time, were a runaway hit, and so here we are again. All the Hindi entertainment channels were divided among the Brunch team and for many many days, work meant being surgically attached to your assigned channel. In the bargain, people developed ‘saas fatigue’ and ‘bahu headaches’ – but they also developed a sense of humour. Who wouldn’t? After catching Chidiya Ghar, a serial in which all charcters are based on animals (bizarre!). But we thought it was cute. Much better than Ichcha (Uttaran) and her never-ending struggles, Bhabho (Diya Aur Baati Hum) and her typical saas antics. And yes, amidst all this came Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He gave us hope. The sets of his Saraswatichandra are spectacular (in typical Bhansali fashion), but we still have to see a few more episodes to pass our verdict. And we’re still waiting for the day when we’ll get serials about working women (and we want working mothers-in-law too!), office romances, period dramas, witty comedies... yes, we have a long list. But till then, since we have to watch what there is, we compiled a list of characters we (could) like and lots we couldn’t (though we tried). At all. Read. Enjoy. Disclaimer: Brunch goes to press roughly a week before its release. Any plot changes during this time are beyond our control (we wish they weren’t though). – Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna, Yashica Dutt, Shreya Sethuraman, Saudamini Jain, Manit Moorjani
THE ‘CHADDI BUDDY’ AWARD Vikram and Neha Shergill/ Bade Achhe Laggte Hai (Sony) Vikram (Jai Kalra) and Neha (Tarana Raja) are the Winnie and Piglet of Indian TV. They are the kind of friends who’ll bail you out, no matter what crisis they themselves are going through. They play Cupid each time Ram and Priya start to look shaky (which is often). While Vikram is balanced and persuasive, Neha is bossy and blunt. But then, that’s exactly the kind of friends you need. We’re even willing to forgive their combined overacting.
9
twitter.com/HTBrunch
THE ‘KAYA KALP’ AWARD Dadisa/ Balika Vadhu (Colors) The erstwhile mother-in-law from hell, dadisa (Surekha Sikri) has done a 360o – she’s being extra nice to her daughters-in-law, and has gone against her favourite grandson Jagya by supporting Anandi. The woman for whom customs and traditions were sacrosanct, went against the grain to get Anandi remarried (to Shiv). From championing regressive child marriage to the progressive remarriage of her bahu, this grand old lady has come a long way.
THE ‘DEEWAR PE TANGI HO’ AWARD Santosh Rathi aka Bhabo/ Diya Aur Baati Hum (Star Plus) The saas reading this can cringe, but Santosh (Neelu Vaghela) is the mother-in-law who reinforces the Punjabi saying, ‘Saas ho to changi ho, nahi to deewar pe tangi ho’. She’s not unbelievably evil, like our last year’s winner (Savita Damodar Deshmukh, Pavitra Rishta), but she’s more terrifying because she seems a bit more real. She could happen to anyone. The daughter-in-law, Sandhya (Deepika Singh) is never right. The poor girl is banned from studying, because then she would be more educated than Bhabo’s mithaishop-owner son Sooraj (Anas Rashid). Result, the girl slogs in the house during the day and sneaks out to study at night (nightmare!) Bhabo is insensitive, believes in regressive ideas, never smiles and shuts up the good father-in-law. Sounds familiar?
THE ‘BEST PUNJABI MUMMY’ AWARD THE ‘BELIEVE IT OR NOT’ AWARD The Narayan family/ Chidiya Ghar (Sab TV) A lion-like grandfather has two sons – horse-like and cow-like – who marry a koel bird and a peacock, respectively. That’s how bizarre this serial’s concept is. Every character has the personality traits of an animal, and they actually pull it off! Check out peacock Debina Mookherjee’s neck swivel, and the domestic help Mendek’s frog mimicry.
Sweety Ahluwalia/ Parvarrish – Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi (Sony) We said it last year, and we’ll say it again: We love Sweety Ahluwalia (Shweta Tiwari). All the Punjabi mummies put together aren’t as adorable as this one! Now that son Rocky has grown up and daughter Ginny has grown less annoying, mummy has become a bit relaxed too. The loud, crass mother is almost graceful now. Except when the kids start fighting, then she screams, “Oye, chupp!”
THE ‘HOT, HOTTER, HOTTEST’ AWARD Shiva/ Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev (Life OK) Sorry, but we couldn’t find anyone more sizzling than Mohit Raina (who won the ‘God-looker’ award last year) on TV. He’s still smouldering, he still loves his bhang, and he still has that ‘I will kill you with my sexy smile’ air, but now he’s also become a FAMILY man. He loves his wife Parvati (Sonarika Bhadhoria), often appeases her if she gets angry (when she throws him out of the house, he just sits silently; since he can’t cry, he makes rain fall). He’s also a good father. Can’t get better!
THE ‘OTT NAEKA (BENGALI FOR COY AND AFFECTED)’ AWARD Zoya Farooqui/ Qubool Hai (Zee TV) Zoya (Surbhi Jyoti) makes us want to sit her down and smack all the silly out of her. Of all the Hindi serial heroines in love, this one is the most ‘naeka’ (ask a Bengali what it means)! She giggles and bubbles, chirps and preaches. She calls her loverboy (look right) “Mr Khan”. A few weeks ago, she sneaked into his room (through the window) with a plateful of cookies. When he snapped at her, she pretended to be upset. “Yeh aapne theek nahi kiya, Mr Khan,” she pouted. When we started watching Qubool Hai, we liked this good-looking, modern girl with a mind of her own. But then she started simpering at the man and at us!
THE ‘I HAVE ONLY ONE EXPRESSION’ AWARD Rishab Mohan Kundra (RK)/ Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon (Colors) RK (Vivian Dsena) achieves the impossible. He makes the anti-hero (generally a well-layered and interesting character) wholly single-toned. He has pretty much one expression throughout – a smug, self-satisfied, ‘I’m just awesome’ smirk. All you can do is guess whether he’s angry, happy, hurting or romantic. And his good looks don’t cushion the blow!
THE ‘WOODEN CHEST IMPERSONATION’ AWARD Asad Ahmed Khan/ Qubool Hai (Zee TV) He’s a model! Asad (Karan Singh Grover) is tall and broad, with a beautiful face and a sculpted body. We think he’s trying to be all alpha male, simmering and brooding with his pretty ‘girlfriend’ (Zoya), but hey, you’ve got to act too. He’s got daddy issues, his halfbrother was in love with his lady friend but gave her up – there’s just so much scope to the character! Only if Mr Khan would decide to move even one muscle in his face! But no, his face is a locked wooden chest. It’s almost tragic!
10
C OV E R STO RY
hindustantimes.com/brunch
THE ‘OPD’ AWARD
THE ‘DADI COOL’ AWARD
Ram Kapoor/ Bade Achhe Laggte Hai (Sony) Ram Kapoor (Ram Kapoor) moves in and out of the outpatient (OPD) department with ease, surviving a bullet wound, fainting at a two-second notice and popping thousands of pills that wife Priya (Sakshi Tanwar) doles out. This has started to bother us. So, we decided to give him this award (a change from last year’s ‘The Big Fat Indian Husband’ award).
Dadi/ Bade Achhe Laggte Hai (Sony) Dadi (Rajinder Kaur Manchanda) loves all things round and eyes everything skinny with suspicion (that explains her doting love for ‘golu puttar’ Ram Kapoor, and dislike for his second wife Ayesha). She boisterously tattles away in her sweet Punjabi and has the softest soft spot for her grandson and ‘Priya puttar’ (granddaughter-in-law, Sakshi Tanwar). With everyone else, she sulks to get what she wants. She’s crazy about her family, but that’s what makes her so cool.
THE ‘MERE PAAS MAA HAI’ AWARD Naitik Singhania/ Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Star Plus) Naitik (Karan Mehra) aka Munna is ‘maa ki ankh ka tara’. He’s the typical Indian son and lets her fret over him. Whether it is about him not eating his food, his troubles in office or his tension-filled relationship with his son, his ‘maa’ has a say in everything. When he does takes an independent decision, we are tortured for weeks into watching him feel guilty. The ‘maa’ is then manaaoed and there is peace in Munnaland.
THE ‘HOT CHEMISTRY’ AWARD Yash and Arti Sindhia/ Punar Vivaah (Zee TV) Yash (Gurmeet Chaudhary) and Arti (Kratika Senger) get married to each other (a second innings for both). It’s a marriage of convenience, so sex is out of the question. She needs a father for her son and he needs a mother for his daughters. The only hitch: they have cracking chemistry (which gets accentuated when they accidentally brush past each other). It helps that he is quite hot in some scenes, and she is quite pretty. Typical Mills & Boon! MARCH 10, 2013
THE PINCH MY CHEEKS AWARD Nandi/ Devon Ke Dev… Mahadev (Life OK) Nandi (Kumar Hegde) has got big, pointy ears, curly hair and the cutest Bambi eyes! Nandi looks more like an elf than the bull he’s supposed to represent. We’re not complaining. Last month, when Dashanan snubbed him, Nandi looked so crestfallen! We wanted to take him in our arms and pet him till he smiled again!
THE ‘BET I CAN SCARE YOU IN BED’ AWARD Dayaben/ Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (Sab TV) She’s not hot, for one. The fact that she has the most annoying habits – she talks like she has a speech impediment, keeps twitching every part of her face (we wonder how it is even possible), blinks her eyes like they are tap stoppers – reaffirms our decision that Dayaben (Disha Wakani) is obtuse, yet persistent. On top of everything else, she repeats everything that happens. At least twice. Can’t let her inside the house, forget the bedroom.
THE ‘MR BHARAT’ AWARD Jai Kishen/ Sanskar Dharohar Apnon Ki (Colors) The bhola-bhala Jai Kishan (Jai Soni) is a true Indian at heart, forced to go abroad, more by circumstances than choice. He sticks to his traditional Gujarati roots and greets everyone with a ‘Jai Shri Krishna’ in New York. His cheesy, “Hum Indians galti karke sorry bolna jaante hain” dialogues remind you of the one and only original ‘Mr Bharat’.
THE ‘TUBELIGHT’ AWARD Amita Patel/ Amita ka Amit (Sony) Amita (Chandini Bhagwanani) is so slow she’d put a snail to shame. Ask her something and here’s a typical response – she stares for five, thinks for another five, raises her eyebrows for the next five, opens her mouth (two minutes), sulks (add two more), raises her brows and then finally (we could have heated up dinner and had it by now) speaks. That’s when the episode ends.
THE ‘WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION’ AWARD Gokuldham Co-op Society/ Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (Sab TV) The residents of Gokuldham Co-op Society come with a promise of destruction. Fifteen or more of them stand in a perfect semi-circle, and after every development in the serial, respond to the said development, one after another, each one of them in their own peculiar voice, with their own peculiar facial expressions (and the responses are pretty peculiar too). Even if you flip five channels, you can come back in time to hear the next person’s response.
brunchletters@ hindustantimes.com
MORE ON THE WEB For our list of Five Hot Girls on TV, and to see last year’s awards, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch
indulge
DESK V/S COUCH
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
Seema Goswami
As Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer orders her employees back into the office, it’s time to ask if working from home really works
I
AM WRITING this column from my living room sofa, my feet perched on the ottoman opposite. In the next room, I can hear the electrician fixing the lights that fused this morning. Delicious cooking smells are wafting from the kitchen. And the TV is on in the den, the sound muted, so that I can pop in once in a while and check the score. Marissa Mayer would so not be impressed. In case you have missed all the hoo-haa, Mayer, the newly-minted Yahoo CEO, created a bit of a storm when she sent out a memo that employees could no longer work from home but had to clock in at their offices. Cue, much outrage and indignation, not just from Yahoo employees – which was understandable given that they would now have to get out of their pyjamas and actually brush their hair before settling down before their computer screens – but from such entrepreneurs as Sir Richard Branson who criticised Mayer’s directive, saying it seemed a ‘backward step’ in an age where remote working is easier and more effective than ever. Branson, who prides himself on never having worked out of an office, said, “Working life isn’t 9-5 any more. The world is connected. Companies that do not embrace this are missing a trick.” In Mayer’s defence, she issued the memo only after a diligent check of the Yahoo’s VPN (Virtual Private Network) system that revealed that some employees who worked from home were not logging in as much as they should have. But instead of laying off the slackers, she issued an one-solution-fits-all diktat, asking Yahoo’s workforce to either punch in or punch out forever. Mayer has since been criticised for letting down the sisterhood, because working flexible hours at home is the best-case solution for mothers of young kids. And the betrayal seems even harder to bear because Mayer had seemed like such a poster child for the ‘women can have it all’ school of thought. Hired as Yahoo CEO when she was six-months pregnant, she came back to work when her baby was just two-weeks old; a bit of a blow to women who have campaigned long and hard for adequate maternity leave. It didn’t help that – unlike other Yahoo working moms who will have to drop their kids off at day care – Mayer had a nursery built for her infant son right next to her office at her own expense. If only every woman could be so lucky... not to CLOCK IN OR CLOCK OUT
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer created a bit of a storm when she sent out a memo that employees could no longer work from home MARCH 10, 2013
If you are motivated and driven, you will concentrate on your job, no matter where you are mention, rich. But of course, it’s not just women (or women with children) who prefer working out of the home. Given a choice, many men would like to do that as well. And the benefits – no matter what your sex – are obvious. You save on commuting time; you don’t spend on transport; you can work flexible hours. That said, you do miss out on some things that only a work environment can provide. Bouncing ideas off colleagues; working in a creative environment; benefitting from a professional workspace free of distractions. So, what is better? Working out of home? Or putting in long hours at an office? Having done both at different times in my life, I have decided that there’s no golden rule that works for everyone. I really don’t buy the argument that people who work out of home are easily distracted – by kids running around, day-time television, the thought of fixing a quick snack – and indulge in too much timewasting. I have seen enough desk-slaves who spend an obscene amount of time playing Solitaire or surfing the Net at the office to buy that. The bottomline is: if you are the kind of person who likes to faff around and waste time, you will do that, whether you are ensconced within your sofa or behind an office desk. On the other hand, if you are motivated and driven, you will concentrate on your job, no matter where you are. And who can deny that it is easier to concentrate behind closed doors at home rather than in a noisy office. As someone who learned to write and edit in a noisy, open-plan newsroom, which was characterised by much yelling and screaming as deadlines drew nearer, it is an unaccountable luxury to be able to work in quiet solitude where you can actually hear yourself think. So yes, working alone does make sense when you are writing or doing something vaguely creative. But that is not necessarily the case when you are in a marketing or sales job and you need to brainstorm with other members of your team, push one another to think harder, and get inspired by what the other person says. Even such creative fields as advertising and publishing benefit from a work force that has some face-time with one another, and no amount of tele-conferencing and Skype can be a good substitute. As British Vogue editor Alexandra Schulman, who believes in ‘the collective creativity of an office’, says, “The daily download of chatter within the office feeds into what we produce in an incalculable way. Having half the staff sitting at home, fiddling around on a search engine from the kitchen or pasting up mood boards from the sofa does not replicate that.” Or, as they would say at Marissa Mayer’s Yahoo, “Back to the water cooler, everyone!”
spectator
12
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 Photo: GETTY IMAGES
14
indulge
ALL THE MOBILES IN THE WORLD
1
Rajiv Makhni
5 6
T
HE MOBILE World Congress (MWC) 2013 is the world’s largest mobile event – but this year it was written off even before it started. That’s because most mobile phone companies decided not to launch their flagship smartphones there. HTC chose to launch the One a week before and Samsung will have the Galaxy S IV out about two weeks later. Going solo is a smart decision as companies want to own all the space when they unveil their top-of-the-line product, and not have it lost in the noise of something as big as the MWC. So was the 2013 edition of the MWC a failure? Far from it! Here’s a top 10 of what this amazing event held in Barcelona, Spain, headlined. (1) WebOS made a comeback – but not the way we wanted. LG bought the outstanding WebOS from HP, but just as they were getting a standing ovation, they announced that they would be installing it on their smart TVs! Huh? That may well signal the end of what is easily the best phone and tablet OS of all times. (2) The most powerful Phablet on the planet; the LG Optimus G Pro. The company that had fallen by the wayside, makes another fantastic new device to plot its comeback. A 400-ppi 5.5-inch screen, 1920x1080 full HD, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 2GB RAM and a whopping 3,140mAh battery. Plus you can run apps in resizable windows with full multitasking and take a picture or video from your front and back camera at the same time. Game on Note 2! (3) The iPad Mini killer. Well, it doesn’t have to be as it’s going to sell millions of them whether it is or not. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is a very thin, elegant, beautifully made, perfect for notes and browsing tablet with S pen technology. It also boasts a Quadcore ARM Cortex processor, 2GB RAM, 4,600mAh, Android 4.1.2 and the piece de resistance – multi-window feature with full multi-tasking. Now whether it’s a ‘Mini’ or a ‘Mighty’ blow, only time will tell. (4) The absolute show-stopper of MWC was the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. It’s ridiculously thin at 0.3 inches, has a 10.1-inch full 1920x1080 HD display, a 8.1MP camera, 1.5Ghz quad-core Snapdragon processor and a 6,000mAh battery. But it’s also built to swim. You can dunk it underwater for a full 30 minutes and it’ll still come out smiling. (5) Mozilla introduced the world to its latest mobile platform – the Firefox OS – and said that this would be what the next billion smartphone users would move to. It’s nice looking, it’s cheap, it merges web pages, searches and apps, and it’ll come on phones priced at under R2,000. But the next billion? I’ll believe it when I see it.
techilicious
From a phone for the elderly, to the world’s biggest Phablet, here’s a top ten of what the recent Mobile World Congress headlined
4
twitter.com/HTBrunch
HERE COME THE HOTSTEPPERS
(4) The Sony Xperia Tablet Z can even go swimming (5) Ubuntu Touch has an easy-to-use OS platform (6) The Asus Fonepad has outstanding voice clarity
(6) The Chinese invasion has begun and it’s being front-ended by Huawei. Perfect proof of that was the Huawei Ascend P2. It’s got a 4.7-inch 1280x720 display with 315 PPI, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, NFC, 2,420mAh battery; and all of this crammed into a phone that is just 8.4mm thin. Oh, did I mention this is also the world’s fastest 4G phone that smokes the competition to bits. (7) A phone made for the elderly and the virgins (and by that I mean first-time smartphone users). The Fujitsu Stylistic S01 goes for a huge market. Those who want a smartphone but none of the complexity. It’s very nicely made, not too big, very light, has a simplified interface with large buttons for most tasks and the touchscreen actually feels like pressing actual buttons. Smart move Fujitsu! (8) The world’s biggest Phablet is here. Asus must have thought that if Phablets can be 6 inches plus, then why not 7 inches too? Thus was born the Asus Fonepad, a Tablet with full voice functionality. The Tablet is no great shakes in terms of specs, but the voice clarity and speakerphone are outstanding. I’m still going to point out the obvious though. You’ll look like a regular prat holding one of these to your ear. (9) Ubuntu Touch, a Linux-based OS for cheap mobile phones, matured and became more of a reality at MWC. This is one of the most elegant OS platforms I’ve ever seen: clean, easy to use and very simple. But the first thing they need to do is get rid of the name Ubuntu. Can you imagine telling someone you just bought a brand new state-of-the-art ‘Ubuntu phone’! Embarrassing, very! (10) HP plots a tablet resurgence with its HP Slate 7. Yes, HP seriously screwed up with its WebOS-powered Touchpad, but the company isn’t out of the game. They are back but with an Android tablet and they are being smart with it. The price is quite amazing (about R7,500), the specs are good and you’ll be able to print from any app to a printer. Plus they are also throwing in Beats Audio too.
The Huawei Ascend P2 is the world’s fastest 4G phone
2
3
LOOKING FORWARD TO IT
(1) WebOS will now be installed on LG smart TVs (2) The LG Optimus G Pro is the most powerful Phablet on the planet (3) The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 could well be an iPad Mini killer MARCH 10, 2013
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
16
indulge
FOOD AWARDS: SCOOPED INSIDE OUT
rude food
I can already hear the jeers: “Does this man never venture out of South Delhi?” Or “Does he really think that any of his readers can afford to eat at Wasabi?” And so on. So I make no claims to infallibility either on behalf of my own awards or the HT Crystals. But Vir Sanghvi all I will say in our defence – and in defence of everybody else who runs an awards scheme – is that it is much more difficult than it may seem from the outside. Take, for instance, all those lists of the world’s greatest restaurants. At the Oscars, everyone who votes for say, Best Picture, will have seen every movie that is nominated. So the award is fair in the sense that the jury sees everything before making a decision. But lists of the world’s greatest restaurants I will say in defence of everybody who runs suffer from an obvious disadvantage. I doubt if anybody who contributes to the list has actually an awards scheme, that it is much more eaten at all of the 100 top restaurants let alone all difficult than it may seem from the outside the ones that were unlucky enough not to make the list. So, how does a guy who voted for the S IT JUST me or do you also feel that awards world’s best restaurant know that the world’s functions can get boring and repetitive? Take third-best restaurant (according to the list) is not those awards nights for Hindi movies. You actually better? The chances are that he has never start with Screen, work your way through been to either and certainly not to both. And Stardust, IIFA, Filmfare, Zee, Apsara and God indeed, when the winners are hard-to-get-into alone knows what else. Eventually, they all merge places like EI Bulli or Noma, it is a fair assumpinto one. Who won Best Picture at Filmfare? And tion that relatively few members of the jury have at Screen? Can you really remember who won actually eaten there in the same year. what where? About the only thing that I recall I mention all these problems for two reasons. The about Hindi movie awards functions is that Vidya first is that I am part of the jury for the Foodie 100, Balan wins Best Actress at every ceremony, every an American list of the world’s best restaurants that year. Which frankly, is fair enough, because she is our best actress. will appear next month. The jury is small and distinguished (apart It is the same with Hollywood-type awards. Who won the from myself, that is) and includes such heavyweights as Patricia Golden Globe for Best Actor this year? The SAG? The Bafta? Wells and Gael Greene but even as I nominated my top restaurants, About the only thing I remember about this season’s Hollywood I was always conscious that I had never been to say, The French /London awards is that Argo triumphed at many ceremonies Laundry while the American judges had probably and shamed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never been to Indian Accent. into giving it the Best Picture Oscar. Otherwise Steven Spielberg’s So how does one compare? How does supremely boring, over-talky Lincoln would have swept the Oscars. one decide which restaurant is better? (And it is shameful that Ben Affleck was not nominated for Best Frankly, I don’t know. I guess we’ll Director at the Oscars.) have to see how it works out. Perhaps Which brings us to food awards. We’ve seen a fair number of it will end up like the silly list of Asia’s those in India recently but frankly none has the stamp of authortop 20 restaurants that the Miele RESIDENT DARLINGS ity that makes it rise high above the others. Some food award guide comes up with each year where Ferran Adrià (below) and ceremonies are like children’s birthday parties where everyone Japan – which has some of the world’s Heston Blumenthal who turns up gets a return gift – only in this case, it is an award. greatest places – is always under-rep(above) were favourites at At other ceremonies, restaurants that opened barely hours before resented and fat white men who Restaurant magazine’s list the ceremony began, win awards for being the Best Restaurant run hotel kitchens in Asia run of World’s Top 100 of the Year in some category or the other. (How? The damn thing away with the prizes. Restaurants wasn’t even open for nearly all of the year). Or it could end up like the Restaurant magazine list of Some are subject to the prejudices of the jury. For instance, the the World’s Top 100 restauhotel industry believes that the NDTV Good Times food awards rants which is an accurate are biased against hotel restaurants because the jury (NDTV’s representation of British food anchors) comprises stand-alone restaurateurs and the like prejudices at any given who reward their own fraternity. (I don’t really agree with the time – and of not very criticism. But believe me, that’s exactly how hoteliers feel.) much else. For instance, Our own awards, the HT Crystals are also far from perfect. The main awards are voted for by the readers of HT City so you the French are always can’t quibble with the people’s choices but honestly, public opinion can be strange! This year’s awards were fine but last year, THAT’S A WRAP FOLKS the best nightclub award went to the Maurya’s Dublin, a place All I recall about movie awards functhat was already on its last legs (it has since closed). Even though tions is that Vidya Balan (right) wins Best Actress at every ceremony wonderful new bars and nightspots open every week in Delhi, and Argo (director Ben Affleck; far the readers still voted for Dublin! right) shamed the Academy into My awards, the supporting act at the Crystals, are meant to giving it the Oscar for Best Picture be no more than a personal list of places I go to most often but
Photos: GETTYIMAGES
I
MARCH 10, 2013
Photo: PRODIP GUHA
17
hindustantimes.com/brunch
Photo: HARIKRISHNA KATRAGADDA
Photo: KUNAL PATIL
Photo: COURTESY EATATGAGGAN.COM
THEY MADE IT TO THE LIST
Rahul Akerkar (top) of Indigo made it to the Asia Top 50 list; Gaggan Anand’s (top right) restaurant in Bangkok ranks at no. 10 under-represented in the Top 20. Then, Britain’s current obsessions dictate the choice of restaurants. When the world economy was booming, Brits looked to sunny Spain and to the wonders of molecular gastronomy. So Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal grabbed the top slots. Then as the British economy began to collapse, the Brits fell in love with Scandinavia, perhaps because it is the only region in the world that can be even greyer and gloomier than Britain. It was shows like Wallander and The Killing on TV and Denmark’s Noma on top of the lists. Everything Scandinavian is now as wonderful to the Brits as everything Spanish used to be a few years ago. Then there is an Asia Top 50 announced with much fanfare in Singapore a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know the two Tokyo restaurants that came in at number one and two but both have been much praised by critics so I would imagine that their placing will not be controversial. I do know David Thompson’s Nahm in Bangkok which easily deserves to be number three. Of the other restaurants on the list, two surprise choices are in Bangkok. I love Eat Me on Soi Pipat 2, but does it really belong at number 19 on this list? I am not sure. On the other hand, I’m really pleased to see Gaggan on Soi Lang Suan at number 10. I wrote about Gaggan Anand and his vaguely
molecular take on Indian cuisine some years ago when his restaurant had just opened and I’m delighted by his success. According to this list at least, Gaggan now runs the best Indian restaurant in Asia. I’m sure this will annoy India’s restaurateurs. The top Indian (in the sense of country rather than cuisine) restaurant on the list is Dum Pukht but 17 is way too low. Dum Pukht is a far, far better restaurant than Singapore’s boring Les Amis (14) or the gimmicky Bo Innovation (15) in Hong Kong. And it is just silly to put the Bombay Wasabi at number 20. There are hundreds of Japanese restaurants all over Asia (let alone Japan!) which are superior. Hell, even the Delhi Wasabi is better! Of the other Indian restaurants on the list, I have no problems with Bukhara (26), Indigo (28) or Varq (30). These are excellent restaurants that deserve recognition though of course we can always argue about how low or high on the list they belong. Personally I would have put both Indian Accent (41) and especially Karavalli (44), much higher. But the list has its biases: towards the Taj (it has three restaurants) and ITC (it has two restaurants) and against all of India with exception of Bombay-Delhi (only Karavalli is from another city). Given that the jury loves the Taj, then I wonder why it didn’t choose Madras’ Southern Spice rather than Wasabi? The Taj would have been happy and the list would have seemed more national. But that’s okay. No list is perfect and no awards ceremony is perfect either. If Argo’s director can be overlooked by the Oscars, then why should we complain if Southern Spice, Gajalee and so many excellent restaurants were ignored? Somebody has to decide. And we can’t all be expected to agree. Meanwhile, congratulations to all the chefs who made it: Hemant Oberoi, Naren Thimmaiah, JP Singh, Ghulam M Quereshi, Manish Mehrotra and Rahul Akerkar. Special congratulations to the Maurya’s Anil Chadha and Manisha Bhasin. It is unusual for a single hotel to have two restaurants on the list. And of course to Gaggan Anand: with this recognition, a star is born.
I doubt if anybody who contributes to the lists has actually eaten at all of the 100 top restaurants
Photo: AFP
MARCH 10, 2013
MASTER CLASS
I think Manish Mehrotra’s (above) Indian Accent deserved a higher spot than no. 41 on the Asia Top 50 list
Photo: COURTESY FACEBOOK
WORKING ON THE LIST
Patricia Wells (above) and I are on the jury for Foodie 100, an American list of the world’s best restaurants
MORE ON THE WEB
For more RUDE FOOD columns by Vir Sanghvi, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch
indulge
twitter.com/HTBrunch
THE JUKEBOX
A below-the-radar band, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, has a DIY charm to its sound. And Thom Yorke is back with new music
W
A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING
Thom Yorke’s (below) new supergroup, Atoms For Peace, released their nine-track album, Amok (above), the result of three or four years of jamming
follow Yo La Tengo, the lo-fi upstate New York band, on Twitter. And I heard of MeltBanana from them. It’s Yasuko the name of a Japanese Onuki of grind-core band that Meltmakes extremely fast Banana and noisy music that is curiously quite appealing. Worth trying. But be warned: you will hear lasers, sirens and, sometimes, very, very abrasive screams. As I told you, I got pointed to them by a band that believes in understated, almost mumbled, self-effacing songs!
Sanjoy Narayan
HEN I FIRST heard of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, a band that, despite having two albums to its credit, is still quite below the radar, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d read that they were a Portland, Oregon, band that had roots in New Zealand (which didn’t exactly make things any clearer); and that they were a trio fronted by Ruban Nielson who’d earlier been with a NZ band called The Mint Chicks (again, that was no clue to their music since I was as unaware of The Mint Chicks as I was of Unknown Mortal Orch). I’d also read that The Mint Chicks were a “post-hardcore” band and that to my mind could mean anything that you wanted it to. In any case, the hyphenated musical genres that are described as “post-” this and “post-” that are usually ambiguous definitions because they’re actually catch-all phrases to describe a brand of music that people have trouble describing in words that are in common currency. Hence, post-rock, post-punk, postmetal and post-almost-everything-else! But when I first heard Unknown Mortal Orchestra (actually, I heard their second recently-released album called II), I had no difficultly in instantly liking their brand of music, call it whatever you will. I also realised why their music is difficult to classify. Unknown Mortal Orchestra makes marvellously layered music. Nielson, who sings, has a fresh voice that exudes wonder and innocence, yet his lyrics are mature and deep. There is a raft of influences that I could discern but most of all, there was a floating, psychedelic quality to their music. If I were to describe Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s sound, I’d say it comprises well-crafted music, particularly Nielson’s virtuosity on the guitar (instrument to note: the occasional appearance of a delicate acoustic guitar in an electronica band – that can be rare!), songs that fuse soul and pop with psychedelia, and, above all, a lightheartedness that makes listening to them a pleasure. II is Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s second album. Their first, an eponymously titled release in 2011, has a rougher feel as if it was recorded on hissy, crackling analog equipment. Even II has a DIY feel to its sound and perhaps there lies the charm of the band. I was tipped off about Radiohead front-
Photos: GETTY IMAGES
THE FINAL TEASER FROM THOM
I
download central
18
THE DIY TRIO
Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s frontman Ruban Nielson has a fresh voice and his lyrics are mature and deep
man Thom Yorke’s new supergroup, Atoms For Peace, by an early February email from the W.A.S.T.E. network that is a kind of collective for fans of Radiohead and Yorke. Atoms For Peace has Yorke, of course, and also his producer Nigel Godrich, sessions drummer Joey Waronker, percussionist Mauro Refosco and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea. A single or two were released as teasers shortly after the email and then the nine-track album, Amok, which is actually a result of three or four years of jamming between the musicians in Atoms. Radiohead fans will remember Yorke’s 2006 solo venture, The Eraser, a fine electronic album. The more die-hard of them will also remember a track called Atoms for Peace on that album, which is also the name of the supergroup that has made Amok. The Eraser was a nicely ambient album, very close to being an actual Radiohead album (as far as I know, though, none of the other Radiohead members were featured on it) but not as heavy as those can be. I could write with The Eraser playing in the background; I can’t with any of Radiohead’s other albums – they all require a lot more concentration while they’re being played. As does Amok. Flea (and this may disappoint Red Hot Chili Peppers fans) is remarkably understated but the percussion and drums have pronounced lines. Yorke doesn’t disappoint at all, his voice is as endearing as ever – yes, sometimes characteristically incomprehensible but always compelling. Oh, and there’s a video of one of the songs, Ingenue, which is compulsory viewing. Just as the video for Radiohead’s Lotus Flower (a song off their last album, King of Limbs) was. Here too we have Yorke dancing. He’s in a three-piece brown suit and sports a long ponytail. The video is stark but, unlike in Lotus Flower, he’s not alone. More details would spoil the fun. Watch the vid!
On Amok, Thom Yorke’s voice is as endearing as ever, though the bass is understated
MARCH 10, 2013
MORE ON THE WEB
To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned in this column, go to blogs.hindustantimes.com/ downloadcentral; follow @argus48 on Twitter
20
WELLNESS
MIND BODY SOUL SHIKHA SHARMA
Photos: THINKSTOCK
FAT FACTS How do women put on weight? How does it affect their overall health? The first of a two-part series
W
OMEN GAIN weight in different parts of their bodies depending on their genetic disposition and on factors that precipitate weight gain.
PUDGY ON THE SIDES Having trouble buttoning your jeans, blame it on your genes
The typical fat-gain areas for many women are the hips, arms and thighs, giving them what is termed a ‘pear-shape’. The other areas where many women accumulate fat are the chest and the abdomen. Such women have slim arms and legs, and are seen as ‘appleshaped’. They also might have a family history of diabetes. Women have fat cells distributed across their entire body, but the reason the fat gain is more prevalent in certain areas (rather than others) is because the body can’t handle the excess fat in these areas. Most women want to lose extra fat only from certain regions. So while they might be happy with an endowed chest, they would like to shed weight around their thighs. However, such spot reduction is almost impossible since the natural body shape is a function of genetics.
up in both men and women as weight gained on the abdomen, hips and thighs. Unhealthy diet: Weight gained by eating many fattening foods manifests itself as the following symptoms: ■ Your skin can FIND YOUR SHAPE become darker. Thin limbs ■ Your hair and a fuller will begin to thin upper body, out. you are apple■ You may shaped experience fatigue and breathlessness. ■ You may suffer from body aches. ■ Your skin may break out in pimples and sometimes, you may grow extra hair on the chin or face. ■ You will put on more weight on your abdomen as compared to the hips and thighs.
STRESS-RELATED OBESITY
STEROID TRAP
The weight gain that happens because of stress usually gets deposited around the stomach and abdomen. Fat deposits around the belly can also be traced to the following reasons: Childbirth or surgery: After pregnancy or after surgery, the muscle tissue loses some of its inherent strength. This can cause weight gain around the area where the surgery took place. Sedentary lifestyle: Obesity owing to lack of exercise typically shows
Weight gain caused by the intake of steroids typically has some tell-tale signs. The person may look bloated, even though the weight gain is not too much. He or she may also break out, and blood sugar levels TRESS may go STRESS awry, especially An after a meal. unhealthy In women, differ- diet will lead to excessive ent kinds of hair fall weight gain re-
WHAT BODY SHAPE ARE YOU?
WORRY NOT Stressing will only make you put on more weight
quire suitable lines of treatment. Next week: Part Two – The solutions to women’s obesity
ask@drshikha.com
MARCH 10, 2013
MARS AND VENUS
21
? y g n i l C o o T u Are Yo
Couplehood doesn’t mean you’re joined at the hip. Time to get real about romance by Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi
A
WWW! CHO chweet!” was the general chorus every time Kabir and his girlfriend Tanya walked into a gathering. The girls wistfully wished that their boyfriends would give them the same kind of attention that Kabir gave Tanya. The boys prayed that their girls would become more like the delicate little thing that Tanya was. Until one evening, when the friends witnessed a very public fight. The two broke up soon after. “I couldn’t take her clinginess any more,” was Kabir’s only defence. Sounds insensitive? Maybe, but these days, a common cause of relationships rupturing is that one partner is too clingy. “Many times what we may believe to be our undying love [for someone] may be regarded by that someone as suffocating and clingy,” says psychologist Geeta Mishra. So while you may believe yourself to be madly in love, it’s possible that your significant other may just think you’re mad. Are your sweet feelings of bliss are turning your partner sour? Cling wrap: You want to be joined at the hip with him all the time. Reality check: This is the biggest clingy girlfriend trait. And it’s no fun at all. Every relationship needs and deserves its space. Every individual, especially a man, needs their space, even if they choose to do nothing with it. Give it to them. Photos: THINKSTOCK
MARCH 10, 2013
Cling wrap: Your life revolves around her and only her. Reality check: Get a life! What about your family, friends, interests and the other people who existed before you two met? She has her own life. It is time you get yours too! Don’t be available to her all the time. Respect yourself. She’ll respect you more. Cling wrap: You want to have long, never-ending phone conversations all the time. Reality check: Sure, you both loved it at the beginning of your relationship. But as a relationship settles into a happy, comfortable zone, long chats may fall off the map. Relax, so long as you are still talking about the important stuff, it means your partner is treating you as a part of their normal life. Cling wrap: You have stopped going out with your friends and hate it when she wants to be with hers. Reality check: Having friends around is a must for a healthy relationship. They keep you connected and grounded. Try getting your social circles to mix. Go out with her friends and introduce her to yours. It’s much more fun and will make her feel a part of your life and you hers. tavishi.rastogi@hindustantimes.com
MORE ON THE WEB
For the longer version of the story, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch
22
PERSONAL AGENDA
hindustantimes.com/brunch
Actor
Mohit Raina
BIRTHDAY SUN SIGN PLACE OF BIRTH HOME STATE SCHOOL/COLLEGE August 14
Leo
Jammu
Kashmir
Kendriya Vidyalaya School, Jammu, Jammu University
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE LOW POINT OF FIRST BREAK CURRENTLY I AM ... Being a part of Devon Ke Dev... YOUR LIFE Grasim Mr India, Looking forward to the Mahashivratri episode of
Mahadev
Losing my dad
2006
my films
If you weren’t an actor, you would have been... Definitely behind the camera. If people address you as Mahadev off screen, what’s your reaction? I don’t get any time to react as they just fall at my feet or hold my hand. I’ve become immune to it now. How long does it take you to get into the Mahadev costume? 75 minutes. If you had to insure a body part, which one would you choose? I would prefer to get my hair insured as I’m really scared of going bald. You favourite episode of Mahadev? The rudra avatar of Lord Shiva. What’s your fitness regime? I go to the gym at least five days a week and also go for a run whenever possible. I hardly eat sweets and I’ve cut down on carbs. The last movie you liked. Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The cheekiest compliment someone has ever given you. That I look better as Shiva than in real life. What do you look for in a woman? Nothing but simplicity. Does playing God work well with the ladies? I don’t think so. All they want is to touch your feet then!
THE FILM YOU HAVE SEEN MORE THAN FIVE TIMES.
Sholay
MOST OVERRATED FILM.
Cocktail
MOST PAISA VASOOL FILM.
Ferrari Ki Sawari
MARCH 10, 2013
ONE FILM THAT TOOK YOU BACK TO YOUR CHILDHOOD.
Taare Zameen Par
FIRST FILM YOU WATCHED ON THE BIG SCREEN
Satte Pe Satta
Mahadev, which airs tonight on Life OK
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
A RUMOUR YOU’D LIKE TO START.
Mohit Raina is acting with Denzel Washington What’s your favourite Shiva story? When I was young, my father would tell me that putting bel patta and milk on the shivling brings him closer to us. In one of the episodes when Sati is remembering Shiva, he tells her the same thing. One song that defines your current state of mind? Mauja hi mauja… from Jab We Met. The best thing about working on TV. The reach is immense. People from all over the world watch you. The most stylish person in entertainment. Amitabh Bachchan, undoubtedly. What is your fondest memory? Once, Mr Bachchan had come to inaugurate a restaurant and I barged in to shake hands with him. Who are you closest to? My mother. One lesson about fame you want to teach an aspiring actor. Just treat it as a job like any other. A movie you would want to debut in. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Your last meal would be... Rajma chawal cooked by mom. A dessert that describes you. Gajar ka halwa. You have five minutes to pack; what do you take with you? My mobile phone, money, credit cards and blessings from my mother. One street food you can’t resist. Samosa. Your dream destination. Greece. The last line of your autobiography would read… To be up and doing, that’s all there is in the game. — Interviewed by Veenu Singh