WEEKLY MAGAZINE, JUNE 16, 2013 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times
Forget grandma’s dodgy tips, fling your best friend’s advice out of the window, don’t believe the hype. We’ve tackled every beauty myth and roped in the gorgeous Aditi Rao Hydari to bring you...
indulge
VIR SANGHVI
Rice: India’s gift to the world
SEEMA GOSWAMI
Why do people attempt suicide?
RAJIV MAKHNI
The smartphone screen grows up
B R E A K FA S T O F C H A M P I O N S Ab Tak Aapne Dekha
hindustantimes.com/brunch Free Advice
by Shantanu Argal
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Superman is the epitome of truth, justice and the American way. He taught the human race valuable lessons of right, wrong and all that superhero diktat of balancing power with responsibility. Of course, the irony of an alien teaching humans about
humanity (Superman is an extra-terrestrial from the planet Krypton) is lost on most people. Now Man of Steel is here, so note past highlights. The late Christopher Reeve starred in four Superman movies ranging from supergood to superdud...
When I cook for vegetarians, I never resort to substitutes like soya or tofu. I want them to enjoy the taste of vegetables and not fulfill their meat craving. Every time I do that, nobody missed their meat! Pumpkin is my favourite vegetable and can be used in a variety of ways. I can give you an entire menu made out of pumpkin!
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Superstars galore – Gene Hackman played Lex Luthor, Marlon Brando was the enigmatic Jor-El and a waif-thin Margot Kidder was Lois Lane (mediocre at best). Reeve spent months scarfing down protein-heavy food and lifting weights to build up muscles for the role.
as told to Veenu Singh
Superman II (1980)
KAL-EL
Superman III (1983)
Richard Pryor, Superman vs Clark Kent and the introduction of Superman’s high school flame, Lana Lang. ’Nuff said.
Superman IV (1987)
Reeve is quoted to have said, “The less said about Superman IV, the better.” Let’s respect his wishes.
Man of Steel (2013) It explores the origin of Superman and his relationship with his adoptive parents. Henry Cavill (that chap from The Tudors) plays Superman. Russell Crowe plays his biological father, Jor-El. Kevin Costner plays the adoptive dad. There’s hope because Zack Snyder has successfully created movies based on graphic novels. We hope we’ll see aspects of Superman that we’ve assimilated over the years: leader of the Justice League, outsider trying to make his place on Earth, defender of the weak and ‘Superman impregnates her the first time, every time.’ Sigh, maybe not the last one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An ill fated attempt in the ’90s saw Nick Cage being cast in what would have been a certain disaster. Fortunately, the movie was canned in the pre-production stage.
Brandon Routh, a relative nobody, played an insipid Superman. His performance was stoic to the extent of constipation.
by Saudamini Jain
A foxy and not-yet-fossilised Teri Hatcher played Lois Lane on the TV series Lois & Clark. Dean Cain (he hosted Ripley’s, remember?) played Superman.
by Rachel Lopez
Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK, THINKSTOCK
Your term for underwear says a lot about the person you are
If you say THONGS You’re probably wearing thongs right now
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
JUNE 16, 2013
If you say UNMENTIONABLES You’re probably a hypocrite. If you If you say don’t want to UNDERGARMENTS mention it in the You’re probably first place, why someone who owns bring it up? only tighty whities
DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti, Payal Dighe Karkhanis, Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Singh
Drop us a line at:
brunchletters@ hindustantimes.com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
Big B on TV. Anurag Kashyap on TV!!! Soon. ■ Colleagues who bake and share ■ First movie dates ■ Salman Khan to return to Bigg Boss 7! ■ Taking the elevator to the first floor ■
THE UNDERWEAR LEXICON
Cover design: MONICA GUPTA Cover photograph: NATASHA HEMRAJANI
Ritu Dalmia is an award-winning chef and restaurateur. Despite being born and brought up in a vegetarian Marwari family, she took a long time to write a vegetarian cookbook. But Diva Green: A Vegetarian Cookbook (Hachette India) is out now. We highly recommend it!
On The Brunch Radar
NOW THAT LINGERIE MANNEQUINS ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE BANNED
If you say INNERWEAR You’re probably in the retail sector
*For recipes, look in the book!
BONUS TRIVIA! DID YOU KNOW...
Superman Returns (2006)
If you say CHADDI-BRA You’re probably straight off the train from the hinterland
CINDERELLA FOOD* Soup: Ginger, coconut and roasted pumpkin soup. Starter: Pumpkin and feta cheese purée served with little canapés. Salad: Roasted pumpkin salad with rocket leaves. Main Course: Pumpkin pancakes; pumpkin gnocchi or Thai pumpkin curry. Dessert: Pumpkin pie.
Real name: Alternate names/titles: Clark Kent, Last Son of Krypton, Man of Steel, The Man of Tomorrow Occupation: Reporter wit h Daily Planet Colleagues: Lois Lane (rep orter), Jimmy Olsen (photographer), Perry Wh ite (editor) Nemeses: Lex Luthor, Bra iniac, Bizarro, Mr Mxyzp tlk Weaknesses: Kryptonite , human relationships Love interests: Lois Lan e, Lana Lang, Wonder Wo man Associates: JLA members (especially Batman and Wonder Woman), Superg irl and Superboy, Krypto
Arguably THE Superman movie. Its cult status is undeniable. Terence Stamp plays General Zod and Hackman reprises the Luthor role. Interestingly, two versions of this movie exist – different cuts by different directors.
Rules Of The Game
by Ritu Dalmia
How to cook veg food for meat lovers Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
4
■ Hashtagging full sentences ■ Expecting Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 to be any different ■ If you’re still upset over the Red Wedding episode ■ Ameesha Patel ■ “Oh, you were so drunk!”
If you say LINGERIE You’re probably okay with spending a little more for ribbons, colour, lace and gauzy fabric If you say If you say LINGER-EEE KNICKERS You’re probably You’re probably also saying 80 years old Channel, Hurrms, ElVee If you say and Tawds, while COMMANDO wondering why You’re probably you’re not invited cooler than what to the really good we’re feeling parties right now!
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
6
G U E ST C O LU M N
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
‘Songs, Dances And No Kissing’ The Western media’s coverage of Indian cinema remains largely confined to mainstream Hindi films and exotica by Anna MM Vetticad
H
I was reminded of this EY, I NEED your help. I’ve to conversation as India reacted with interview that guy but I know amusement, irritation and anger to nothing about him or starlet Mallika Sherawat’s recent Bollywood,” said the British interview to Variety in Cannes. journalist beside me. We were at a Mallika has been off the presser being addressed by Indian film-goers’ radar for Hrithik Roshan on the sideyears now, yet there she was lines of the Cannes Film addressing an international Festival 2009. I had not been media house about the posisurprised to see Hrithik stroll tion of women in “hypocritidown the street virtually cal” India, falsely stating that unrecognised the previous Anna MM Vetticad she was “the first actress in evening – you can’t expect the is the author of The Adventures India to kiss on screen and public to know every artist of an Intrepid Film wear a bikini”. from every corner of the Critic. Follow world. This however was not @annavetticad he plight of Indian women a member of the public. This on Twitter merits a separate discuswas a journalist from a reputsion. This article is about the covered media organisation age of Indian cinema in the West, so about to interview “that specifically on that front… One: surguy”. viving footage of Devika Rani in a “First tell me what you 1930s film is proof that Mallika is far know,” I replied patiently. from being the first Indian actress to She: “I know the usual kiss on screen. Two: Zeenat Aman, stuff, that the Indian Parveen Babi, Dimple Kapadia and film industry is others wore bikinis in films decades called Bollywood, before Mallika. Assuming that this you make long was a brazen image-building exercise, films with lots of Mallika must have figured that her songs and dances claims would fit stereotypical and you don’t Western notions of Asian conserkiss in your films.” Sigh! Where do I begin? “Bollywood is the Hindi language film industry based in Mumbai. India has several flourishing film industries in other languages,” I began explaining. “I had no idea,” came the surprised response, though Google could have told her what I just had.
vatism; and expected that most journalists would not know enough – or care enough – to contradict her. Happily for her, her interviewer Steven Gaydos met her expectations. During an email Q&A, Gaydos got furious when I asked why Variety chose to interview a cinematic non-entity from India when Vidya Balan, Nandita Das, Amitabh Bachchan and the team of Lunchbox were official invitees at the festival, or why he did not counter Mallika’s lies. “I’m not too interested in who wore the first bikini in an Indian film, but I am interested when media figures draw attention to issues such as the infanticide rates in Haryana. Based upon the research I’ve seen, Ms Sherawat’s concerns, while extremely disturbing, appear to be not completely unfounded,” he
said. Fair enough, but was he aware that Mallika is not the first Indian actress to wear a bikini or kiss on screen? Would he post a caveat or corrigendum on his website? At this point Gaydos angrily terminated the interview.
Limited knowledge leads to the unwitting exoticisation of an alien culture
T
THE ORIGINAL GODDESS
Zeenat Aman wore a two-piece with aplomb in several movies including Heera Panna (1973), Don (1978) and 1980’s Qurbani (above)
should have expected that. After all, it’s not easy for a senior journalist to admit that he fell for spin. The uncomfortable truth though is that a considerable proportion of Western journalists show a similar lack of knowledge and perspective. To be fair, there are mediapersons in the West who are extremely well-informed about Indian cinema and society, but too often they are overshadowed by those who are not. Sometimes limited knowledge leads to the unwitting exoticisation of an alien culture even by well-meaning mediapersons, at other times to factual errors. A 2012 article in Variety cites Slumdog Millionaire as a Bollywood film. An LA Weekly interview with Irrfan Khan in 2012 substitutes Imran Khan’s name for Aamir in a reference to Bollywood’s reigning Khan trio. An LA Times piece on SRK in 2011 described Ra.One’s Anubhav Sinha as a “veteran” just 10 years after the release of his first film. All of which seems minor compared to the ignorance in article after article about the existence of Indian film industries other than Bollywood. This could partly be because Bollywood markets itself better than the others. It could be the fault of our ‘national’ media organisations, most of which are so north India-centric that they focus almost entirely on Bollywood. It could be that like their counterparts in India, most Western film journalists too avoid in-depth research. Besides, when you’re researching a Third World country, exotica like “you don’t kiss in your films” must be just so attractive; it’s also more saleable to editors and appealing to headline writers. So what if it’s untrue? As George Clooney once said acidically to the media: “Don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.”
“THAT GUY”
A British journalist knew nothing about Hrithik Roshan or Bollywood even when she was to interview him at the Cannes Film Festival 2009
FIRST KISS? ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY
Dimple Kapadia wore a red bikini in her debut film Bobby (1973)
JUNE 16, 2013
I
Surviving footage of the 1933 film Karma shows Devika Rani kissing Himanshu Rai on screen
brunchletters@hindustantimes.com The views expressed by the writer are personal.
MORE ON THE WEB
For the full column, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch
C OV E R STO RY
Skincare THE CLAIM: Fairness creams are the best way to whiter skin THE TRUTH: Fairness creams
Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK, THINKSTOCK
8
might make you a shade or two lighter. But, as Dr Rashmi Shetty, cosmetic physician and anti-ageing expert, says, they may not necessarily work in the way you would like or imagine them to. “The effects last only as long as you apply them,” she says. “Or maybe they will linger for a month or two, not beyond that. If you want your fairness cream to have real results, make sure you use sun protection along with it.” Shetty also warns that while most whitening agents are not harmful, you should be wary of hydroquinone (a melanin-decreasing chemical in most fairness products). It increases exposure to UVA and UVB rays, increasing risk of skin cancers in addition to its own carcinogenic effects. “Longterm use can cause harm. In some users, it may actually turn the skin darker,” Shetty says. “Hydroquinone is something for which you should get a prescription from a doctor on how much to use and how long to use for your skin.”
THE CLAIM: Facials do more harm than good in the long run THE TRUTH: Only if you’re a
The beauty tips we swear by often draw nothing but laughs from the experts. Have you ever fallen prey to these myths? by Rachel Lopez
W
HEN IT comes to beauty, everyone’s an expert. The auntiji who barely knows you will tell you it’s time to get a facial. Mr WhatsHisName from the accounts department will tell you he has 37 herbal remedies for hair loss – and so easy yaar! The neighbour’s daughter, all of 15, already knows hyaluronic acid from common humectant. And everyone behind the beauty counters swears you need SPF 70 sunscreen in summer because, you know, it’s hotter. You could listen to them all. Or you could listen to the experts. We roundJUNE 16, 2013
ed up some of the biggest beauty beliefs – stuff that’s been floating around for so long we believe it must be true – and put them before a panel of India’s leading specialists. Cosmetic physician Dr Rashmi Shetty, dermatologist Dr Sachin Dhawan and co-founder of awardwinning make-up studio Fat Mu, Virginia Holmes, picked apart each claim and responded with the voice of wisdom. Some things they agreed were true. Most made them laugh out loud. It’s amazing what some people still do in the name of beauty. Are you one of them? Read on…
lazy consumer. “You have to go to a centre that uses sterilised equipment, disposable tools and where the creams and lotions rubbed on your face are of good quality and right for your skin type,” says Dr Shetty. “The expert should be well versed with skincare, which product will suit what type of skin and in what quantity.” In other words, don’t pick an interesting facial from a menu or go with what’s trendy. Have a thorough talk with your facialist to determine whether they care about what’s good for you.
9
twitter.com/HTBrunch THE CLAIM: Soap is bad for your face THE TRUTH: Not anymore. At one point, soaps contained harmful lyes and carbolic formulations that aimed to treat your face like a pile of laundry. Today, there are several kinds of soaps, many of them safe for facial use. “If you have acne, there are soaps that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid to treat it. Then there are soaps with moisturisers for dry skin types,” says Dr Shetty. “Pick soap that suits your skin type, the climate you are in and your lifestyle. And how long do they stay on the skin anyway? Hardly a minute!”
THE CLAIM: Something that scrubs your skin is good for exfoliation THE TRUTH: Your ignorance may just cost you the healthy skin you have. A good scrub for the face should have fine and even granules, not the hard, jagged bits usually derived from nut shells. It needs to scrub, not scratch. Dr Shetty recommends a scrub at the end of the day, once in three days or less. Or you can try a chemical exfoliant, essentially a peel. “Make sure it is very mild, has the right concentration of acid and enzymes, and use it sparingly,” she says. And because you’re essentially taking away one layer of your skin’s defence, “it is important to use proper sun protection and moisturiser for your skin,” she adds.
Wellness THE CLAIM: All-natural products are good for you. Anything with chemicals is bad
THE CLAIM: The higher a sunscreen’s SPF, the better
THE TRUTH: Wrong! Believing
that every natural substance is harmless is a dangerous misTHE TRUTH: SPF is not a function of how strong conception – many herbs are a formula is, but how long it poisonous or trigger allercan provide you protection. SPF gies, and it’s possible for an 10 for example is able to offer all-natural concoction to roughly 100 minutes of sun protection before have no intended benethe ingredients start to break down. Recent studies fits. “In fact, there is have pointed out that you don’t need more than SPF nothing like a completely 50 and most skincare specialists will tell you that natural product,” Dr you’re better off applying SPF 25 twice than exposing Shetty says. “Once you yourself for long periods of sun without a top-up. pluck out a plant, its “The best protection comes with an SPF of 30 to medicinal value might die in mere min50,” Dr Shetty says. Look for one that protects against utes. The longest half-life of a medicinal UVA and UVB rays, and prepare to plant is a day. To be processed, reapply regularly if you’re outdoors packaged and brought to market for long periods. “Equally imporshelves, it needs chemicals to preserve it.” TRUTH BE tant is the quantity of cream All synthetic substances aren’t a curse LD TO being used. It has to be approprieither. “It’s like saying all drugs are bad.” Drinking water is ate for the SPF to work.” So Just make sure that what you use is safe great for the skin. slather it on liberally. It won’t and suitable for your skin. Do your research But don’t overdo it. defend you from a tan, but it might before you fall for packaging or savvy Aim for two litres a save you from cancer. marketing.
day at least
Cosmetics
THE CLAIM: Wearing make-up every day causes acne, pigmentation, wrinkles and other skin problems THE TRUTH: Dermatologists
and make-up professionals agree that there’s no truth to this. “Make-up is absolutely not harmful,” Dr Shetty asserts. Use quality products within their expiry date and you’ll be fine. Just avoid applying more products to an already present layer with too many touchups. “This can cause acne in some people,” she adds. What does affect your skin, however, is not what you put on it, but how you care for it. Use a cleanser formulated to take off make-up, not your daily face wash, and moisturise at least twice a day.
And be thankful that you live in 2013. “Today’s products have been tested over years and we have very strict safety regulations now,” says Virginia Holmes, co-founder of make-up studio Fat Mu. “If you have sensitive skin or don’t want to use makeup that’s tested on animals, look for brands that have a natural and ethical approach.” She recommends Aveda and brands that carry mineral make-up.”
TRUTH BE TOLD
You should leave a pimple alone. Because scars caused by squeezing take longer to fade JUNE 16, 2013
THE CLAIM: You should test perfume by spraying your wrists and rubbing them together THE TRUTH: Stop this ghastly
old practice right now. Modern perfumes (unlike ancient perfumed oils and ittars) are too delicate to hold up to such violence. Once sprayed, the alcohol in them is meant to evaporate, leaving behind a scent that reveals itself differently to your nose as time passes. Don’t distort the scent by rubbing. Oprah Winfrey’s tip: “One spritz on each wrist, two on the neck, one on the décolletage. Body heat at these critical points helps diffuse the scent.”
10
C OV E R STO RY
hindustantimes.com/brunch
THE TRUTH: “It’s 2013 not 1913!” exclaims Holmes, who has worked on several award-winning films like Slumdog Millionaire, ad campaigns and fashion shoots. “Anyone who thinks that their foundation/base/concealer should be lighter than their skin is stuck in a time warp. If you go lighter, your face will look ashy grey; you may look ill and [come
across as] someone who wants to be fair-skinned and so very insecure.” Your base make-up should match your skin in a way that makes it impossible to detect. It may take longer before you find the right shade, but don’t slather on the wrong colour. “In today’s age, we are proud to be what we are,” Holmes says. “Being yourself, whether you’re dark and lovely or pale and interesting, is what’s cool; NOT being something you’re not. Aim to look good, polished and natural. Change your attitude!”
THE CLAIM: If you want a flawless face, just use more foundation THE TRUTH: Great idea, if you want to look cakey and artificial. If you want to look like a better version of your TRUTH BE natural self, TOLD however, Dark eyeliner makes Holmes sugdark circles look gests you look worse. Invest in a beyond foundaso ler cea good con tion. “We have the only black is the the choice of skin the liner, not tinted moisturisers, BB
creams, light diffusing liquids, sheer creams, concealers and light reflecting pens,” she says. “Don’t just paste your face with a base and keep piling it on. A base all over your skin can be great for an evening out, removing redness and possibly some concealing. Or you may just want to wear a moisturiser with a concealer. Go to a good beauty brand and ask them to recommend what you need and TRY IT OUT. I cannot stress that enough. I recommend MAC.”
Hair Care THE CLAIM: Brushing your hair with 100 strokes is the key to shiny hair THE TRUTH: “It’s totally untrue,
and of all the myths I hear about, this one is the furthest from reality,” says Dr Sachin Dhawan, a senior consulting dermatologist at Delhi’s Fortis hospital, who also runs his own clinic Skin ‘N’ Smiles. While he agrees that combing detangles hair, it’s a myth that it leads to better circulation for your scalp. “Your body’s oils spread naturally through your scalp,” he says. “Comb only as much as you need. Anything more will cause hair to weaken and break – the very opposite effect of what you were looking for.”
THE CLAIM: Plucking greys causes more to appear THE TRUTH: Again, Dr Dhawan says there’s simply no evidence to support this logic. “One grey hair simply means the body has started its ageing process; more greys will crop up at the rate your body will produce them, regardless of plucking.” But plucking healthy grey strands can damage the roots. If you must minimise greys, snip them with scissors as close to the scalp as you can. rachel.lopez@hindustantimes.com
TRUTH BE TOLD
Baby oil is a great make-up remover. Just remember it's not a cleanser. You will need to clean your face after.
HEMRAJANI Photo: NATASHA
THE CLAIM: Foundation should be a shade lighter than your skin, concealer too
y t u a e b t a h “W ” … e m o t s n mea
For Aditi Rao Hydari, beauty comes from within, from the mind, from a philosophy that doesn’t come from a genie in a bottle
E
VERYONE PULLED my cheeks when I was growing up. They all made me feel really pretty. They said I looked like Audrey Hepburn. So, obviously I got a lot of attention. But my mother was very strict – she forbade me from threading my eyebrows and made me oil my hair. I hated it then, but I think that kept me grounded. I’ve been blessed with really good skin. I rarely ever break out and even if I do, I just use sandalwood to get rid of the spots. But on days when I do break out, being a celebrity becomes that much harder. We are expected to look perfect all the time… how’s that even possible? I too have bad days. My hair could look messy, my skin tends to look pale, a monstrous zit can sit pretty on my nose. But I don’t like using make-up to conceal my flaws. I think I look my best without any make-up. When I am on camera, I apply a drop of foundation. That’s it! One thing I have learnt is that your vibe also determines how you look. If you’re an unhappy person, it will show on your face. If you scowl a lot, you will develop frown lines. So do things you like – dance, sing, eat, act, exercise, read, run, do anything. But
Aditi’s tips and tric ks
I use milk to wash my face . I hardly ever use soap on my face. I use besan/oatmea ■ Kitchen l. beauty remed ies are the best. I us when my skin e honey fe sandalwood w els dry and hen it's oily. ■ I never use make-up when I'm not shooti ng by a water-bas . But I swear ed light cheek tint by Benef it called Benetint. ■ I use th e SKII moisturiser at Stem power night and I love it. ■
■
whatever you do, you should see a happy person in the mirror. Yes, there are days when I feel fat and not-sopretty. I feel my lips are too pouty or my hair is too thin. But I never judge myself. And neither should you. However, if you feel you can enhance your beauty with fillers and botox, go for it. I wouldn’t do it personally, but I don’t judge people who opt for surgery. Just don’t be a slave to it. As told to Amrah Ashraf amrah.ashraf@hindustantimes.com
12
indulge
SUICIDE IS PAINLESS…
Only if you don’t count the pain left behind; so why do so many people attempt it?
D
EATH IS ALWAYS hard to cope with but never more so than when it visits someone young and with everything to live for. Which is why even though I never knew Jiah Khan (no, I hadn’t seen any of her movies, either), her suicide left me shocked. What is it that makes a beautiful young girl, with her whole life ahead, want to kill herself?
Seema Goswami
Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK
THERE IS HOPE
You first have to acknowledge that depression is an illness. Then comes the cure
spectator
However much we quiz her mother or pore over the last exchange of text messages with her boyfriend, the sad truth is that we will never really know what led Khan to take that extreme step. Was it because her career had hit a dead end? Was it because her love life had become bumpy of late? Or was it something else entirely? We can speculate all we want but we will never know for sure. The only thing that is beyond doubt is that it must have been black despair that made Khan hang herself in her Juhu home, late one night. The world must have seemed like an impossible place to negotiate; reality must have gotten too much to bear; and the black hole that is depression must have swallowed her whole. Depression. It’s not something we ever talk about, is it? Or even acknowledge as a medical condition that needs serious treatment. However, every now and then, we all complain about being ‘depressed’. As in, “I’m so depressed about the way Indian politics is going.” “God, that movie was really depressing.” Or even, “How depressing is this weather?” But that’s not what depression, in the clinical sense, is. It descends
Photo: APARNA JAYAKUMAR
on you like a black fog, which obliterates all reason, and leaves you feeling as if everything is pointless. That is what led British actor Stephen Fry to attempt suicide last year. He tried to kill himself with an overdose of pills and vodka in his hotel room on location and was saved only because his producer found him in time. Paris Jackson, the teenage daughter of Michael Jackson, was also recently rushed to hospital after a suspected overdose. In her case, though, she herself GONE TOO YOUNG called the suicide helpline after Jiah Khan committed suicide by slashing her wrists, because she hanging herself. She was 25 wanted to be saved. So while this will be called a ‘cry for help’ rather than a serious suicide bid, there is no denying the pain and grief that causes such behaviour (even if we dismiss it as an obstreperous teenager acting out). But to deal with depression, we first have to recognise it, when it reveals itself in our midst. And then, we have to destigmatise it so that those who suffer from it feel no shame in coming forward and asking for help. It really doesn’t help to dismiss mental health issues as being all-in-your-head. Yes, they are all-in -the-head, but that doesn’t make them any less real, or less life-threatening. As Stephen Fry explained in a recent interview: “Now, you may say, why would someone who has got it all, be so stupid as to end it all? That’s the point, there is no ‘why’; it’s not the right question. There’s no reason. If there was a reason for it, you could reason someone out of it, and you could tell them why they shouldn’t take their own life…” No, you can’t reason someone out of a suicidal spiral, but you can treat them. It could be with psychoanalysis – what used to be called the talking cure – or with medication to treat such conditions as bipolar disorder. But to do that, you first have to acknowledge that depression is, in fact, an illness. Only once you have identified the problem can you treat the symptoms. So, the question to ask when a young LUCKY TO BE ALIVE British actor Stephen woman like Khan kills herself is not ‘why’ Fry attempted suicide she did it; but ‘how’ she could have been persuaded to choose life instead. last year 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
14
indulge
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
WHEN IS BIG TOO BIG?
Is it time to move away from small screens on our phones?
T
HE DEBATE on the ever-expanding size of smartphone screens had been opened, argued and put to rest almost 18 months ago. The final conclusion was that companies would keep building bigger devices, till the customer keeps buying them. Once they became too big, they would be rejected by the public, and market share would thus be the final determining factor. That argument has just been blown to small little bits.
THE GIANT ENEMY COMETH Samsung released two giant phones (one measures a mind-bending 6.3 inches) and fittingly called them Mega. Huawei has the colossal 6.1-inch screen Ascend Mate; rumours of a Motorola Google phone with a humongous 6-inch screen are doing the rounds; HTC apparently has a 6.1-inch full HD phone ready, and LG and Sony
Rajiv Makhni
techilicious
DAVID VS GOLIATH
The Nokia Lumia 920 has a pretty big screen as well, but looks tiny in front of the Samsung Mega
MORE ON THE WEB
For previous columns by Rajiv Makhni, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter.com /RajivMakhni
may be just weeks away from bringing in their own 6-inch devices. So who is asking for these barn door-sized phones; are they really selling that well, and what’s the real reason companies are so gung-ho about putting out these impossible-to-hold-and-pocket phones? REASON 1: THOSE CRAZY ASS ENGINEERS HAVE LOST IT Rumour has it that Samsung’s first Note phone was a fluke. That an engineer at their R&D centre came up with a ridiculous-sized phone and became the most laughed-at employee there. That the phone was released as a lark, but went on to become one of their all-time best -sellers and therefore engineers are given a free hand nowadays. So, drunk in all their new-found powers, these chaps have lost all sense of equating form factor to the human hand, and are just building monstrous phones. It’s a nice story, but that’s not how most tech firms work. Phones aren’t released as a ‘lark’ and a single phone’s release has billions of dollars riding on it. REASON 2: YOU LIKE SMALL, I LIKE BIG We all don’t wear the same size pants and drive the same car. Why should phones be any different? Let’s have as many sizes as we can. Some people have no issues pressing ludicrously big tablets against their faces to make a voice call. If you have a problem about how stupid they look, then don’t look! Let’s keep making phones bigger and bring in more options. That’s A BIG MOVE how the argument goes. This is going a bit Unfortunately, it tends to ignore the too far, but big phones are in most obvious part. Very few people JUNE 16, 2013
SIZE MATTERS
Screen size and screen resolution are two of the most sought-after criteria for upgrading a phone are okay about the impracticality of a phone that is just too big and there is no business model for so many companies to come out with so many large phones for a very small niche market. REASON 3: THE LAST BASTION OF A SPEC SHEET RACE Smartphone companies don’t have much left to offer or differentiate their products, and are thus focusing their efforts on easy specs like screen size to lure customers. If you really look closely at the market, the other specs and hardware listings don’t make your mouth water. Firms are hoping that the bigger screen size may make you do just that. This is where the reasoning moves to a slightly sounder wicket, as recent surveys have shown that screen size and screen resolution are two of the most soughtafter criteria for upgrading a phone. In a world where each company must have an earth-shaking flagship phone every six months, screen size and the amazing pixels-per-inch is pure chest-thumping bragging rights. REASON 4: IT’S NOT A VOICE CALL MACHINE ANYMORE You can make a voice call with a phone that has no screen. The very idea of a smartphone is that it’s so much more. It’s your ‘apps, gaming, mail, ebook reading, Net browsing, Facebooking, Tweeting, and a billion other things’ machine. Your screen is your primary interface to 99 per cent of what you do with your smartphone. It’s what you stare at all day, what you use to interact with, and each of those things looks and feels that much better on a larger screen. Well, once again – that starts to make more sense. The smartphone is morphing into a completely different device, and the screen and size has to keep pace. REASON 5: UTILITY OVER CONVENIENCE Yes, a large screen phone is a little difficult to carry, doesn’t fit in all pockets and can be a handful in a small hand – but look at what it gives you in convenience. It’s great for the old and aged, ditto for people with failing eyes, fantastic for watching a movie or reading a book, excellent for creating a spreadsheet or Word document, and heaven sent for people who browse the Net on the go. It’s the classic battle of function overriding form. REASON 6: THEY ARE A PREVIEW OF THE FUTURE In the future, we will all carry one device. Foldable, bendable screens will ensure that our 4-inch smartphone opens out to become an 8-inch tablet, and that will expand to a 15-inch laptop, all at the press of a button. Till then, supersized smartphones are a good preview of our ‘one single device’ future. While this may take a while to ‘unfold’ (they have to solve the biggest problem, besides the screen, everything like the battery and the electronics inside must bend and fold too), a 6-inch plus full HD smartphone does make for a super portable, almost pocketable, always-with-you tablet. Thus, it seems that all these new phones aren’t an anomaly; rather smartphones with small screens may soon be niche devices. And thus, it may well be time for you to make a ‘big' move and move to one of them. After all, you can always try to convince yourself that cargo pants with huge pockets are back in fashion (they are not) and that a Bluetooth headset actually looks cool (they don’t)! Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3
16
indulge Photos: THINKSTOCK
OUR RICH RICE LEGACY
STRAITJACKET THINKING
I’ve even got into arguments with moronic executive chefs at hotels who insist that Chinese fried rice should be made with basmati
grasses that turned into rice have been around pretty much since the beginning of time. But rice was first cultivated – from those wild grasses – in the foothills of the Himalayas, long before it turned up in the Yangtze valley. Archaeologists have found terraced fields in Kashmir, suggestive of rice cultivation, that have been dated to 10,000 BC or four thousand years before the Chinese first thought of any kind of fried rice. So yes, rice is ours. We found the wild grass. We cultivated it. And we gave rice to the rest of humanity. But for all this nonsense about fair, wheat-eating Aryans and All Indians should take a special pride in rice. It’s north Indians, the reality is that rice was really the staple food of north India. It did not actually reach south India till the one food that we gave to the rest of the world 1,000 BC or many, many centuries after north Indians had been cultivating it. In contrast, wheat, which north Indians are so proud of, came to India from Vir Sanghvi the Middle East and is not our own grain at all. There is some evidence to suggest that the people of the Indus Valley civilisation cultivated wheat. But the Aryans, who north Indians like to claim they are descended from, had no interest in wheat at all. There are virtually no references to wheat in Vedic literature (the Aryans ate rice – though perhaps, not with sambhar) and we have to wait till the Buddhist period for mentions of wheat in texts. Somehow, the notion of brave T IS A FUNNY business, all these prejuAryan warriors fighting and banishing the dices about rice. North Indians think of Dravidians (largely mythical but widely subthemselves as wheat-eaters; it is the south scribed to in north India) seems less compelling Indians who are rice-eaters, they say. In when you realise that after these fair-skinned the Middle East, they act as if they discovered horsemen had finished with battle they probrice, claiming pulaos and biryanis for themACQUIRED TASTE Wheat, which north ably sat down to a meal of curd rice. (Or perselves. In Europe, Italians will lecture you about Photo: DINODIA Indians are so proud of, haps payasam to give them some energy). the virtues of arborio versus carnaroli (see last THE RICE MATCH came to India from the If north Indians are reluctant to see themweek’s Rude Food), as though rice is their very In Kerala, they earmark each Middle East and is not selves as descendants of curd-rice-wallahs, own thing. variety for a particular kind of dish: our own grain at all a large-grained red variety for what of all the other people who act as though So it is with rice varieties. All over north sambhar-rice (above) rice is their own invention? If I hear another India, basmati is the only breed that counts; Pakistani telling me that jihadis brought biryani everything else is regarded as inferior. In the to the subcontinent, I will throw up. south, they are less respectful of basmati and far more knowlThe reality is that rice took centuries to reach the Middle East. edgeable about rice varieties. In such states as Kerala, they grow It did not even get to Japan till after the birth of Christ (about so many interesting kinds of rice that that they earmark 10,000 years after we were cultivating it). The Middle East became each variety for a particular kind of dish: a small rice for familiar with rice after Persian traders took it to their part of payasam, a large-grained red variety for sambhar rice, the world around 500 AD. It only reached Egypt in the seventh broken rice for upma or porridge (kanji) and yet anothcentury. And it became popular among Arabs because the Prophet er variety for the delicious biryanis of the Moplahs. was said to like rice and ghee. The Prophet’s dates are: born 570 In fact, all Indians should take a special pride in rice. AD, died 632 AD. So that makes the Islamic connection with rice Yes, it is true that archaeologists have found evidence a seventh century phenomenon. As for pilaf which the Arab/Turks of rice cultivation in China, dating back to 6,000 claim to have invented, yeah, well... in fact, the earliest pilaf recipes BC. But this does not mean that rice originated in date back to the 13th century AD, by which stage every Indian China. All the evidence suggests that rice is Indian, the knew how to make hundreds of rice dishes. As for khichri, it may one food that we gave to the rest of the world. The wild
rude food I
JUNE 16, 2013
17
twitter.com/HTBrunch
Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
PICK THE BEST ONE
You can’t make appams unless you have the right rice for the flour. And you cannot make payasam (above) with the rice you use for kheer
FALSE CLAIMS!
If I hear another Pakistani telling me that jihadis brought biryani to the subcontinent, I will throw up well be the oldest rice dish that is still regularly eaten by millions. The Egyptians got it from us and made it a part of their cuisine long before the Turks started bragging about their pilafs. I’m a little more patient with Europeans when they brag about the red rice of the Camargue (in France) or the fat rices of Italian cookery because the poor sods don’t know any better. When Alexander and his European army arrived in north India in 326 BC, they had never heard of rice. Contemporary accounts from Macedonian writers treat our staple grain as though it was some magic food. Perhaps some Europeans took rice back from India with them (though I doubt it – there is not one mention of rice in the Bible). But rice really only reached Spain (where they are proud of their paella) when Arab/Moorish soldiers introduced it to Spaniards. And as for Italians, the earliest recipes for risotto date only to the 19th century. So rice is our thing. It is the great Indian food. There are over 8,000 varieties of rice and my guess is that we can probably grow several thousand of them in our subcontinent. And indeed I can think of hundreds that we do grow. But here’s my complaint: we make too little of rice. If you hear restaurateurs tfalk, they will brag about a roti/ paratha /naan chef and will praise the touch of his fingers. But no rice cook ever gets any respect: he is just the mundu who boils the grains.
WHOSE RICE IS IT?
Archaeologists have found evidence of rice cultivation in China, dating back to 6,000BC. But this does not mean rice originated in China
Worse still, despite being the land of rice, most Indians have no clue about the many different varieties that are available in our country. For this, I lay the blame entirely on north Indians. First of all, they subscribe to all this Aryan-wheat-eater rubbish which has no historical basis. And when the Muslim kings and emperors arrived, north Indians quickly abandoned their own rice tradition and became slaves to the rice dishes of people from Central Asia and the Middle East who knew nothing about rice. Too much fuss was made over biryani and pulao. (Even now if you ask for rice at a restaurant in north India, they will try and put peas in it on the mistaken assumption that ordinary rice is too humble and that some kind of pulao is called for.) But the worst thing north Indians have done is to elevate basmati to the status of king of rice. It is considered cheap to serve any rice other than basmati to guests and all that Mughal court nonsense about rice (dreamt up by people who were essentially rice-illiterates) prevails: it must have long grains, each grain must remain separate after cooking, the rice should smell of butter, etc. It is only once you leave north India, its restaurants and its ignorant chefs that you get some sense of the richness of India’s rice tradition. You cannot enjoy a Goan meal unless you eat it with the fat, partly-polished rice of the region. You cannot possibly serve basmati with many Malayali dishes – you must use one of the magnificent rices of Kerala. You can’t make appams unless you have the right rice for the flour. And you cannot make payasam with the rice you use for kheer. But north Indians are prisoners of their prejudices, willing and credulous followers of traditions established by ignorant Central Asian dynasties who knew nothing about rice. I’ve been to fancy south Indian restaurants in Delhi where they serve basmati. I’ve even got into arguments with moronic executive chefs at hotels who insist that Chinese fried rice should be made with basmati. Of the big hotel chains, only the Oberois care about rice, always offering a brown rice option at buffets. (“It won’t work,” a chef at a rival chain told me. “Indians want rice that is very white.” What a load of cobblers!) So let’s abandon these prejudices. Let’s celebrate the diversity of India’s rich rice culture. Without our ancestors, there would be no rice and therefore, no sushi, no risotto, no rice pudding, no pulao, no paella and no nasi goreng. As inheritors of that proud legacy, let us not bury it under a mound of basmati (served with peas, no doubt).
The worst thing north Indians have done is to elevate basmati to the status of king of rice
Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
JUNE 16, 2013
KITCHEN BIAS
Restaurateurs will brag about a roti chef. But no rice cook ever gets any respect
Photo: DINODIA
Photo: DINODIA
CASHING IN ON IT
In the Middle East, they act as if they discovered rice, claiming pulaos for themselves
GREEN GREEN GRASS
The wild grasses that turned into rice have been around pretty much since the beginning of time
THANKS TO THEM
Without our ancestors, there would be no rice and therefore, no sushi MORE ON THE WEB
For more columns by Vir Sanghvi, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch
hindustantimes.com/brunch
CURRY
10-minute plays that cut to the chase are a new rage on the stage by Aasheesh Sharma
Quickie Theatre, Anybody?
W
HAT CAN give you edgeof-the-seat thrills, nonstop histrionics and instant catharsis in a public place? Keep your applause handy for quickie theatre, or 10minute plays that are the theatrical equivalent of T20 cricket. Purists may balk at it, but audiences are lapping up a format where they don’t have to sit through a play that may plod on for two hours, says M Sayeed Alam of Pierrot’s Theatre Group. A 10-minute play grips you by the scruff of the neck at the start and doesn’t let go right till the final second, says seasoned playwright and director Sohaila Kapur. In the last few years, the quick-format theatre movement has gained acceptability, particularly since Short and Sweet, the world’s largest 10-minute festival, forayed into India after Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand.
Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK
QUICK ACTS
INSTANT DRAMA
Scenes from The Sum of Your Experiences directed by Ishwar Shunya (right) and Lyra (top) directed by Aishwarya Jha-Mathur
This year, a special feature of the festival will be street theatre platform performances, adds Kapur, who is the executive producer for Short and Sweet 2013. “By being a generator of content, the 10-minute format has also helped unearth new talent in writing,” adds Arvind Gaur of Asmita, whose Interfaith was the finalist in 2010. Gaur isn’t exaggerating. Ask Aishwarya Jha-Mathur, 22, whose creative spark was ignited at the Delhi edition of the festival two years ago. “I went on to write a play that was staged in eight cities around the world,” says the management and law graduate from the University of London. Mathur says that the challenge before a playwright scripting a 10minute play is to create an impact in just 10 minutes, and at the same time ensure that the characters are well fleshed out. In Lyra, which was a hit with the audiences in 2012, Mathur lent a feminist twist to Sita’s agnipariksha. “On the lines of the Ramayana, the queen is abducted by a demon king and is rescued.
JUNE 16, 2013
Photo: BHARAT TIWARI
18 C U L T U R E
But when allegations are levelled against her, she walks out.”
GOING FOR THE JUGULAR
Some of the finest practitioners from Delhi’s vibrant theatre scene have featured in the festival. The Sum of Your Experiences, directed by Ishwar Shunya (best director in 2010 and 2011), is about an office worker trying to catch a taxi, who comes upon a man standing in a corner. “What follows is a supernatural encounter where a dark figure questions the darkest secrets of the protagonist,” says Varoon P Anand, who won the best actor honour for the play in 2012. In the 10-minute format, wit and satire often come in handy. Between Romeo and Juliet, for instance, directed by Ashish Paliwal, pokes fun at a rehearsal session for the classic Shakespeare tragedy. In the production, winner of the best script award in 2012, Neel Chaudhuri plays a director who drives the actress playing Juliet (enacted by Krittika Bhattacharjee), to despair. Its director Ashish Paliwal, 38, says 10-minute plays are whetting people’s appetite for the larger format. In the satire 2922: The Ballad of Vedant Saafi, protagonist Vedant Saafi, the boy with the shiniest white teeth in the world, becomes the Sachin
A 10-minute play grips you by the scruff of the neck Sohaila Kapur,
executive producer, Short and Sweet 2013
CURTAIN CALL The curtain raiser to this year’s edition of Short and Sweet, the biggest 10-minute theatre festival in the world, takes place on July 13 when the best plays from 2012 will be staged. The next stage involves workshops in writing, direction and acting between July 19 and 21, followed by a performance at Akshara Theatre. Then interested groups or individuals can send their scripts for consideration for this year’s festival, says Prashant Sehgal, the festival director. www.shortandsweetdelhi.com
Tendulkar of the Tooth Athletics, till his rival Plaque frames him for taking performance-enhancing drugs. “When it was being written, the lid had just blown off the Lance Armstrong doping controversy,” says director Pranay Manchanda. When the actor is under the arclights in the T20 of theatre, no amount of spot fixing can help him. “Whether it is T20 or test matches, if a player is technically correct, he can hit every bouncer for a boundary,” says Manchanda. aasheesh.sharma @hindustantimes.com
20
BRUNCH EVENT
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
A Big Slice Of Italy W
E GUESS it’s no secret that we at Brunch really love the good life. Be it good food, good gadgets, good clothes or good automobiles. That’s why, last weekend we invited some of our favourite people in Delhi to come and experience the charm of Fiat in the very mod era styled Fiat Caffe. During the day, car enthusiasts had the opportunity to test drive the Fiat Punto and Fiat Linea, but evening was party time! A live band and great Italian food and wine sparked off many interesting conversations. Anirudh Birla of am:pm made it even though it was his birthday that day, while designer Raakesh Agarvwal’s drastic weight loss left us wondering about his mystery diet. Maybe we should have consulted our health columnist, Shikha Sharma, who was constantly surrounded by our guests discussing what we imagine were health tips. Much time was spent admiring the ’60s feel of the place, which left Nagesh Basavanhalli, president & managing director, Fiat Chrysler, India, beaming!
Photos: RAJ K RAJ
Jazz Connection had people asking all evening, “What’s the name of that band?”
Leena Singh (left) and Rhea Singh made an adorable motherdaughter duo
Nagesh Basavanhalli, president & managing director, Fiat Chrysler India with Rajan Bhalla, business head, magazines & group marketing head, HT Media
Raakesh Agarvwal and Shweta couldn’t wait to get their hands on our latest editions
Yogesh Chaudhary (right) of the famous Pac-man inspired sari with Sushmita
Our columnist Shikha Sharma (left) with Shiv Karan Singh and Thenny Meija
Writer Caroline Young with Gautam Seth and Prateek Jain of Klove designs
Car lovers test drive the Fiat Punto
Gauri Karan, one half of designer duo Gauri and Nainika
(Left to right) Anand Bhushan, Anirudh Birla, Anju and Priyanka Modi
Fashion people Sailex and Vriksh
Chani Sahni
JUNE 16, 2013
Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, head marketing and communication, Fiat Chrysler India
Author Bhaichand Patel promptly chose his corner in the Fiat Caffe (Clockwise) Gaurav Jagtiani came with newly weds Rustam Yadu and Ritika Gupta
22
WELLNESS
MIND BODY SOUL SHIKHA SHARMA
STAYING HEALTHY AFTER 40
PART I
They say life begins at this age. Let yours be the healthiest you’ll ever have TILL THEY turn 40, most people take their bodies for granted, working long hours, sitting in incorrect postures, staying hungry for long perinutrition and stress management. ods or overeating. They also go on drinking binges on weekends and WORK IT OUT! refuse to get adequate sleep. Exercise is the first important Around 40, the body shows its first change in the health management signs of protest. This can come in the process. As one reaches middle age, form of sudden back pain. Or it may our bodies begin to lose muscle tone, rear its head in the form of cervical owing to misuse or too little use. The pain or a shooting pain in the leg. For spine, for instance, is at risk of disc some people, energy levels problems. Arm muscles become softsuddenly plummet. Others er and legs begin to might experience bouts of exlose their strength. haustion. Other indicators inTo get the best from clude accumulation of fat a workout, pick exeraround the middle, greying of cises that involve all hair and the softening of muscle groups in rotamuscles. In women, it tion. Focus on strength could manifest itself and flexibility training and as dry skin and incorporate cardio and hair, slackening weight training. of muscles and CARDIO: This is any exercise weight gain. Inwhich makes the heart rate ternally, blood presgo up – brisk walking, runsure levels begin to rise for ning, dancing, aerobics, vigmany people, along with an orous swimming or playing onset of diabetes and sympa sport that requires agilitoms of a weak liver and ty. If one has never exerlipid readings that go BACK TO BACK cised before, then walking awry. Sudden back pain is the best way to begin. At one end of the specbegins to manifest The goal should be to beitself in one’s 40s trum, we see these gin with 20 minutes and changes occurring, while gradually take it to 1 hour at least 5 at the other, we have men and times a week. women who seem to look better as For people who have given up on they grow older. So what is the bioworking out, the goal should be to logical reality? The truth is that begin what one enjoyed earlier and around the 40s, while the mind has check at what level the body is comgrown richer and the wallet fatter, fortable. This level has to be taken to the body is asking for attention. a higher level of pace or timing every Making this period the foundation of two weeks. good health requires adopting a holistic approach towards the mind and (To be continued) body that includes exercise, good ask@drshikha.com
SWIM THING Vigorous swimming can help increase your heart rate
Photos: THINKSTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK
MORE ON THE WEB
For more columns by Dr Shikha Sharma and other wellness stories, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch
JUNE 16, 2013
STYLE FILE
23
New seasons, new designs, new words to describe them. Keep up to date with our guide to the trendiest terms
ELD COAT CHESTERFI to go with a fitted
Photos: GETTY IMAGES; THINKSTOCK; SHUTTERSTOCK
Know It Before You Wear It Need something at work? Try a shirt and trousers Designed to be at. Chesterfield co tfit, this long taiworn over any ou and comfortable. lored coat is light a AVAILABLE AT: Zar
by Poulomi Das
HENLEY
It’s the next best thing to being shirtless. The Henley is a close fitting tee that you should really wear to bed (but people wear it outdoors anyway). It usually has buttons in the front. AVAILABLE AT: United Colours of Benetton
BRODERIE ANGLAISE
Kate Middleton was spotted wearing it and you should be too. Why? It has summer written all over it: embroidery, cutwork, lace and still a very casual, outdoorsy feel.
FASCINATOR
AVAILABLE AT: French Connection
What is life without crazy headgear? Enter the Fascinator. Made of lace, wool or even some feathers, it’s the hat’s evil, crazier twin. It’s usually secured with a clip or headband. Use it to glam up a dull outfit.
BRETON STRIPES
Originally sailors’ uniforms, these horizontal stripes are now covering women’s tees, dresses and pencil skirts. They are perfect for that girl’s day out you’ve been postponing.
AVAILABLE AT: Debenhams and Accessorize
SEERSUCKER
AVAILABLE AT: ONLY
FLATFORMS
Flats that are also platforms. The sole is level, not arched like a regular shoe, so you’re not likely to fall flat on your face. But you will be stomping all over the place.
Seersucker (the fabric in the background) is a blue striped cotton fabric with a wrinkled surface generally used for making suits for men. AVAILABLE AT: Marks and Spencer
AVAILABLE AT: Steve Madden
MORE ON THE WEB
For the complete story, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch
JUNE 16, 2013
PERSONAL AGENDA
twitter.com/HTBrunch
Footballer
Sunil Chhetri
BIRTHDAY August 3
PLACE OF BIRTH HOMETOWN SCHOOL/COLLEGE Hyderabad
Delhi
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE Making my debut with the India versus Pakistan match in 2004
If you weren’t a footballer you would have been? An army officer. How does it feel to be the second Indian footballer to play abroad after Baichung Bhutia? To represent India in a diverse dressing room is nice. It’s a different experience in terms of infrastructure, training intensity and football culture. What is the best thing about being captain of a football team? It’s a great honour to represent your country on an international stage, and wearing the armband and leading the side is a great high. It’s a responsibility I cherish. The person you admire the most? My father, for the way he brought us up. His values and philosophy of life keep us focused on the job. In football, it is Lionel Messi. How does Bhutia inspire you? I see him as a mentor in my footballing career. He always helps junior players, both on and off the field. During the time I shared a dressing room with him, I was always keen on learning a thing or two from him. Who are your all-time favourite footballers and why? Brazilian legend Ronaldo. He has always been my favourite as someone who plays in my field position [forward]. He has everything – pace, power, high speed dribbling, and so JUNE 16, 2013
Army Public School
LOW POINT OF YOUR LIFE
Not getting a work permit to play for UK club Queens Park Rangers
CURRENTLY I HAVE...
Just finished giving football tips to the Heineken Social Reporter on how to report at football tournaments
My football fantasies To play a World Cup for India in India To help the younger generation in India achieve their footballing dreams To play forward with Lionel Messi for Barcelona To improve the perception of India as a footballing nation
many goals! Also, the number of comebacks he made after numerous injuries is very inspiring. I would also put [Lionel] Messi and Andrés Iniesta on the list. Do you follow cricket? Who are your favourite cricketers? I keenly follow the fortunes of the national team and Mahi [Mahendra Singh Dhoni] as a player. One song that defines your current state of mind. Stand up (for the champions) by Right Said Fred. Your favourite travel destination. Barcelona. One thing you dislike about your appearance. I wish I was a couple of inches taller. Your greatest extravagance. My new house. One thing about you that is mostly unknown. I sleep for 12 hours a day, and some-
YOUR FAVOURITE BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS.
Konkona Sen
times even longer. I can sleep anywhere, at any time. If you were an ice cream flavour, what would you be? Chocolate chip cookie. What can you live in? Shorts and a T-shirt. If you have less than a minute, what would you take on a trip? Dental kit, passport, cash and mobile phone. What makes your day? Good food, and a good training session. How do you destress? I am a huge PlayStation and FIFA addict and that is how I generally spend my off days. What touches your heart? A random act of kindness. Your favourite fast food. Fortunately, I am not very fond of fast food. Your mantra for success. Enjoy what you do and give it everything you have. Your fitness fundas. Train hard and smart, eat right and get adequate rest. — Interviewed by Veenu Singh
Photo: THINKSTOCK
24