k Seven
celebrities in their festive best k The essential Ramayan reading list k Anatomy of a festival blockbuster k Up close with television’s favourite Rams k When Shah Rukh played Sita k A few bright gifting ideas k Temptations for those who have a sweet tooth (and those who don’t) k And much more...
Diwali Sparklers
Musician and actress Monica Dogra, dressed like she would on Diwali day
I L A IAL IW C D PE S
WEEKLY MAGAZINE,, OCTOBER BER 19, 2014 201 Free with your copy off Hindustan Times T
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
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in this issue 06 MIND BODY SOUL How to stop eating all the time 08 RAM, THE GOD An artist’s interpretation of the Lord 10 COVER STORY Some interesting people tell us about how they spend their Diwali. Plus, gorgeous shoots in their festive outfits 22 FIRECRACKER RELEASES Komal Nahta, the man who knows his Bollywood business, on why the Diwali week makes the box office explode 24 RUN OF THE MALL How malls use decor to attract people (who walk in to take selfies) 28 TECHILICIOUS Rajiv Makhni tells you which fitness band to buy 30 RUDE TRAVEL Vir Sanghvi went to London and found the Chinese taking over the luxury hotel scene 32 SPECTATOR Seema Goswami on things that supposedly make a female author sound anti-feminist 34 ALL MADE UP A guide to Diwali make-up. You’re welcome, ladies! 37 OM NOM NOM Mithai that looks nothing like mithai 38 SHOPPING GUIDE No more ugly vases as presents, for the love of God! 42 RAMAYAN ON THE SHELF So many versions of the Ramayan, so little time. Pick one of these 14 – all Brunch approved! 46 POP! GOES THE EPIC A round-up of Ramayan in animation. (All YouTube friendly too, watch them now) 48 SHAH RUKH BANA SITA No, really. Bizarre, we know. But seriously, true story 50 RAM RAM! Meet Arun Govil and Gurmeet Choudhary, television’s most famous Rams 52 PERSONAL AGENDA Sonali Bendre is probably watching a family movie right now. (It’s what she does on Sundays)
Cover photo: NATASHA HEMRAJANI Location courtesy: KAVITA SINGH INTERIORS, MUMBAI Cover design: MONICA GUPTA
Brunch Opinion
Stuff You Said Last Sunday
This Issue Is A Mixed Bag
y not be My wardrobe ma , but his Manish-approved door sa en op ly re su ry sto o have an for those of us wh tion ina ag im t off-bea – @OnlyAnamika
T
his will be a bumper issue, and it better be good.” The Diwali issue every year is also the fattest of the year, because, you know, everybody loves Diwali. But you know how hard it is, finding a needle in a haystack. Try finding new Diwali stories every year! But we found plenty! And because you won’t meet us on Diwali, consider this issue a greeting card from us. Happy Diwali, dear readers. Have a lovely, lovely week!
What a glamro us on Manish M article alhotra! – Sudesh Salu ja r eak subject fo Fashion is a bl mehow made so ch un me but Br me read it! - Rahul Gautam
On The Brunch Radar
Brilliant interview of the man behind the magic of Ka shmir in Haider! Basharat Peer, take a bow! Do ‘chutzpah’ at the awards :D – @SidForever123
of Basharat Peer. Wonderful intrview saw Haider second y, da my to rt sta e Nic is wht I needed :) A air-conditio time yesterday. Dis ning anjaygul businessman @s – ’s boy makes #Bollywood I’m totally de look s corating cooler and se my house wit xiest h your then ever Love ti ps on Diwali ho it mes! #HatsOff to hi Thanks, guys m ! Much – @mohitswift appreciated! HAPPY DIWALI!!!! – Anita Sing h z “The” Luvd tuday ry to S vr o C # a1 alhotr @ManishM #ManishApproved Find Hindustan 2 Times Brunch thnxx 4 d tip ish U roc always vid an on Facebook or wrdrobe! M arky #Charm ur #Sp tweet to tSandhu – @8Dilvee @HTBrunch
by Saudamini Jain
LOVE IT
n Reading a gazillion versions of the Ramayan. You’ll see why n Rekha on Comedy Nights With Kapil. (Rekha, anywhere) n Mindy Kaling n That Nine Inch Nails, the Smiths and Green Day may find themselves in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!!! n That German fella who recreated a scene-by-scene video of the Kal Ho Naa Ho title song
n That at the time of putting this issue together, MOST of Brunch had a cold, a cough or both n If you’re wearing boots already. Winter isn’t here yet! n People who don’t lend books n The Victoria’s Secret Catalogue. Grrr... n If you think FOMO is a bad thing. You know it’s just a thirst for knowledge, right? Go find out what everybody’s talking about
SHOVE IT EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Rachel Lopez, Aastha Atray Banan, Veenu Singh, Satarupa Paul, Saudamini Jain, Asad Ali, Atisha Jain
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Free Advice
by Asad Ali and Rachel Lopez
TEN THINGS ONLY DOUCHEBAGS DO ON DIWALI 1. Burn that “snake” thingy, which makes no sense, only a lot of smoke. And we inhale enough of that anyway from the exhaust pipes of that ‘Jat Boy Rulezz’ car ahead of us on the roads on a daily basis. 2. Brag about the number of fire-crackers you lit at one go. “Abbe, das hazaar ki ladi jalai thi!” Good for you. You just saw a large portion of your mummy/papa’s bonus go up in smoke. Then again, maybe you didn’t because of the crazed delight on your face at the “hazaar ki ladi” Sorry. “Das hazaar ki ladi.”
you can’t eat flour/fat/ gluten/sugar/oil/unicorn hair. Suck it up and be a good guest. 5. Post photos holding phuljari/diyas or around rangolis/fairy lights, on social media. With pathetically low light in all frames, no one will recognise you anyway. You could be ET holding that phuljari/diya and no one will notice (or care, perhaps). 6. Fall for the photo (shared every single year on social media) that looks like a super-pretty Disney-fied aerial-view of India on Diwali. It’s FAKE.
3. Talk about your in-laws at work. “They were an hour late for puja.” You were late for work. Call it even and finish the work that you’ve ignored for the whole month using the Diwali card.
7. Buy a new phone/car just because it’s Diwali.
4. Tell your host you’re watching your weight and
10. Say “I’m ideologically opposed to gambling”.
DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti, Payal Dighe Karkhanis, Ajay Aggarwal
8. Set your neighbour’s car alarm off because “Diwali=Noise=Awesum”. 9. Assume that a Diwali spent alone is no fun at all.
Drop us a line at: brunchletters@hindustantimes.com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
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HOW TO READ 24 R BOOKS (O A IN MORE) YEAR Another way for us to get you to read at least 24 books this year. Read anything you like – a literary classic or utter tosh. Make sure you tag @HTBrunch using the hashtag #BrunchBookChallenge
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WELLNESS
MIND BODY SOUL SHIKHA SHARMA
For any worries related to unplanned pregnancy:
HUNGER GAMES
Write to us at consumercare@piramal.com or call us at 1800-22-0502 (toll free) or sms ICAN to 56070 Website: www.i-canhelp.in
complete protection. In the interim period you will have to rely on other contraceptive methods such as condoms to give you protection. We suggest you consult a gynecologist on various contraceptive methods such as condoms, regular contraceptive pills, vaginal rings, spermicidal tablets etc. 3. Dear Doctor, I have a 10 month old baby and I am not breastfeeding. We have no plans for a second child. Of late we have been little casual in our intimate life and have indulged in unprotected intercourse several times. I have taken ECP on one occasion. Can you please suggest what a good contraceptive method is for me as I do not want to take ECP often? Yo u c a n c o n s u l t y o u r gynaecologist and discuss about various contraceptive measures including intra-uterine devices or oral contraceptive pills. Intrauterine device like copper T can easily be inserted in the uterus by a qualified medical professional and can protect you from pregnancy for 3-10 years depending up on the type you choose. Also remember that ECP are just back-up method of contraception and should not be consumed casually. You can get more information on IUD and other contraceptive methods from your gynaecologist and choose the one which is comfortable for you and your partner.
Queries answered by Dr Nirmala Rao MBBS, MD, DPM; a well known psychiatrist who heads Mumbai based Aavishkar - a multifaceted team of expert doctors and health professionals. Aavishkar has a comprehensive approach to mental and physical health, with an emphasis scan this QR code to visit website on counselling and psychotherapy. Supported by:
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Fibre helps slow down absorption and makes you feel full for longer. Almonds and peanuts (not fried) can be appetite suppressants because of their combination of fats and fibre.
AST WEEK we discussed what makes us hungry. Here’s what really works in controlling your appetite and what could be harmful. WEIGHT LOSS PRESCRIPTION PILLS: These could cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness, high blood-pressure, liver disorders and heart problems.
VOLUMETRICS: In the volumetric theory of appetite and satiety, the stomach needs a certain quantity of food before it’s satisfied. Refined foods such EGGING YOU ON as bread, pasta and Eggs are high in white rice are without NICOTINE GUMS/ protein, which supfibre. When we eat CIGARETTES: Many presses appetite these, the stomach young people smoke to gets confused because kill their appetite. There though the carbohydrate levels is no evidence this works. are high, without the weight of the fibre, your body thinks you HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS WITH haven’t eaten enough. Hence, CAFFEINE AND GARCINIA these foods should be avoided. CAMBOGIA: Many herbal weight loss pills contain cafTEMPERATURE: Our taste feine with a herb called garcinia buds prefer warm foods to cold. cambogia. But high doses of Begin a meal with hot soup. It’s caffeine only increase the heart satisfying and healthy. rate and do not contribute to long-term weight loss. AMINO ACIDS AND PROTEINS: A good dose of these is GOOD FATS: Good fats (avoid satisfying and they are natural transfats) not only have natural appetite suppressants. Eat fatty acids but sprouts, tofu, a mix of soy atta also fibre. and wheat atta, cottage cheese, eggs, lean chicken and fish. FILL UP
Eating plenty of fibre is the best way to tell your body it’s full
ask@drshikha.com (This series is concluded)
MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Dr Shikha Sharma and other wellness stories, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch OCTOBER 19, 2014
Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK, THINKSTOCK
2. Dear Doctor, I will be getting married in the next 15 days and we will leave for our honeymoon the very next day. I was thinking of getting a contraceptive shot so that we can enjoy intercourse. Is it a good option? Will it be effective in avoiding pregnancy? Contraceptive injections are a good option of family planning, however you must remember that they are normally used as long term contraception method, meaning fertility takes some times to resume after discontinuing the injections. If you are looking for a long term contraceptive method then injections are preferable. Also, it can take up to 3 months for contraceptive injections to provide
There are plenty of appetite suppressants in the market, but natural ways to control your hunger are better
MediaMedic ICH/Q&A/1003
1. Dear Doctor, I have read in your previous columns that ECP should be consumed only in emergency cases and not frequently, but what if there was a condom failure twice in a week? Would 2 ECP’s cause any problem in future pregnancy? Emergency contraceptive pills are not known to cause any complication in future and wanted pregnancies. Frequent usage of emergency pills is discouraged due to the fact that it can disturb the regularity of your menstrual cycle. In very unfortunate cases if there is a condom mishap twice in a week, you may have to consume the emergency pill twice. However if you face condom slip-ups very often, it means you are not using the condom correctly. Do check on that front too.
PART- II
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DIWALI SPECIAL
Ram: Outside And Within by Abhishek Singh
Diwali marks Ram’s homecoming to Ayodhya, after he vanquished Raavan. Ram has been celebrated in all kinds of art – illustrations, paintings, sculpture. Here is a contemporary interpretation of the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the hero of Valmiki’s Ramayan Yoga-Vasistha, by Valmiki, is to Ramayan what Bhagavad Gita is to Mahabharat. Prince Ram is disillusioned after touring the country and experiencing the apparent reality of the world. To rid him of his confusion, Sage Vasistha reveals to him his celestial role and touches upon various cosmic phenomena. The Ram depicted in the picture on the left is the Ram of light and enlightenment. At a symbolic level, it is about the godlike potential embedded in every being.
Abhishek Singh is an artist and graphic novelist. His art exists at the intersection of ancient and modern, science and spirituality, pop culture and the sacred divine.
OCTOBER 19, 2014
DIWALI SPECIAL
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Photo: Natasha Hemrajani; Outfit & Accessories: Anita Dongre; Hair& Make-up: Nakita and Bushra for b:blunt; Location: Kavita Singh Interiors, Bandra, Mumbai
What Makes My Di w
Monica Dogra,
Musician/Actress
“When friends would come over for a small Diwali party at our house, my parents would force me to play the piano. My go-to song was Phantom of the Opera”
A
s a child growing up in the US, my mother used to make us clean everything before Diwali. She would say, “Laxmi won’t provide anything if you don’t clean up.” I remember loving how the house felt afterwards. But my favourite part was perhaps putting up the plastic lights and fake candles and lighting everything up. On Diwali day, our Indian friends would come over for a small party. Like most Indian
parents who love showing off their kids’ talents to their friends, I too was forced to play the piano. My go-to song was Phantom of the Opera. Diwali, when I was a kid, was epic. The last amazing Diwali that I had was when I was eight years old – before my parents split up. When it comes to my style, people usually associate me with leather and stripes. But when it comes to Indian clothes, I’m not the most quirky. I love traditional
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Indian clothes, they’re beautiful. This is my first photo-shoot in traditional wear; I’m wearing a classic Indian lehenga choli by Anita Dongre, which I plan to wear this Diwali. While growing up, it was like magic for me to see Indian women dressed in traditional attire that was classic-looking yet so very fashionable. I have a simple black sari with Kashmiri embroidery; I would like to wear it at one of the parties this Diwali. I like traditional silhouettes, but I hardly get the chance to wear them. If I were to throw a Diwali party, I would play Bollywood music from before 1995, which was really, really good. Classic Hindi
songs are so much fun and you can sing along with them. I was raised as a Hindu, my grandfather was a Brahmin. But now I believe in a higher power and not in any religion. I’ve found a guruji in California who really speaks to me. The more I learn about the way the festival occurs astrologically at this time and why we celebrate it, the more I believe in Diwali. There is something auspicious about the day and time. So now, I take it more seriously than I did before. I try to create my own Diwali traditions, and I celebrate it in a way that works for me. (As told to Junisha Dama)
DIWALI SPECIAL
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i wali
Seven interesting people – celebrities from the worlds of music, film, fashion, books, sports and food – tell us what keeps the festive spirit twinkling in their hearts and wardrobes by Satarupa Paul
AAtish tAseer, Writer
“One Diwali, I got this amazing idea that if I held a lit chakri on my finger, it would be exactly like Vishnu’s chakra”
I
grew up in a Sikh household with a single mother in Delhi. My Diwalis were like anyone else’s… taash, burning your hands on patakas, a little less fun than Holi but kind of more beautiful and meaningful. As a kid, I used to watch a lot of dhaarmik movies and serials and people used to call me the bhakt. Shiva was my hero but I watched films about Krishna, Vishnu and all the other Gods. One Diwali, I got this amazing idea that if I held the chakri on my finger, it would be exactly like Vishnu’s chakra. But the moment I lit the chakri, it started to burn my fingers and I panicked. I couldn’t get the thing off. We had this Tamilian servant who was an alcoholic but fortunately, at that particular moment, he was sober. He managed to get it off, but I had already burned three of my fingers quite badly. So I had to be rushed to the doctor. Another memorable Diwali was with the writer VS Naipaul, a couple of years ago. He hadn’t celebrated Diwali for almost 40 years. So when he was in India, we had a few people over and did a puja. He was really moved, it was very exciting for him. I like wearing simple, subdued clothes. For Diwali, it would usually be a kurta-pyjama, maybe a light shawl if it’s a bit chilly. If I’m feeling too adventurous, I would go for an achkan. I got the one I’m wearing tailored in Lahore; we have a haveli there where my grandfather grew up. The buttons on the achkan have been handed down from my aunt.
Photo: Raj K Raj
OCTOBER 19, 2014
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DIWALI SPECIAL
twitter.com/HTBrunch Photo: Raj K Raj; Outfit & Location: Raghavendra Rathore Store, Khan Market, New Delhi
RaghavendRa RathoRe,
Fashion Designer
“I remember hundreds of people coming home to get my father’s blessings. There were many ceremonies then, which have now been abolished”
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y father was the MLA of Luni in Rajasthan. Back then, politicians were not unreachable, and there used to be a lot of connect with the villagers. I remember hundreds of people coming over during festivals to seek my father’s blessings and also to discuss their issues. There were many different ceremonies then, which have now been abolished. I remember sitting in my dad’s lap and watching one such ceremony that used to take place three days before Diwali. People would come forward and have prasad from my
father’s hand by touching their lips to his palm. It signified closeness and a strong bond between two people. It was a great way of connecting with a large population of people. I grew up in a big household with a lot of staff and their children. Diwali was always an occasion for all the children to get together and burst crackers. The mornings, during the festival, would start with a puja and rhythmic chants by several pandits; a wave of spiritual recitals would reverberate throughout the house.
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Then of course, there would be a party at night. Diwali was always a good way of reaching out to the most distant cousins and uniting the extended family, including members of the staff. When I went off to boarding school, Diwali became an altogether different affair. There was nothing light and festive about Diwali there; residence houses would fight each other with rockets and crackers. It was sort of dangerous, to be truthful. I have seen a shift in the essence of Diwali in the last four decades. Growing up, it was a modest affair. It was spiritual and regal, there was a code of conduct. Now it’s more about the firecrackers, the dressing up, the parties. I see it as a reflection of our
changing times. I, for one, like to dress down – on regular days and even during festivals. I like subtle colours; this rich wine-coloured velvet bandhgala that I’m wearing is perhaps the farthest I’ll go. Diwali is one of the most important occasions for the fashion industry. We make a lot of custom-made gold coins and limited edition products for various companies. It’s not only about fashion and clothing, it’s also about meticulously creating special hampers that people can gift. Great partnerships take place with many brands during this time. It all culminates into a fantastic year, because it’s not just about one festive day but the entire festive season.
DIWALI SPECIAL
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Photo: Raj K Raj; Outfit: Anju Sachdev and Archana Srivastav; Location: Blossom Kochhar Earth to Bottle Spalon and Store, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi
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Tania Sachdev, Chess Player
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started playing chess when I was seven years old and I won my first international title at nine. So I have spent most of my childhood and many of my Diwalis away from home, travelling to tournaments. Every Diwali that I get to spend at home is special; the entire city is in such a festive mood, everyone’s happy, there’re a lot of good vibes around, so many parties to attend and so much food. If I’m in Delhi, I always take time off from playing chess for a few days during Diwali. In the past when I’ve been home I’ve never practised on those days, and I haven’t felt guilty about it at
“My parents and friends love playing cards, but I’m terrible at it. I usually lose, which is why I don’t play much” all. My parents and friends really like playing cards, but I’m terrible at it. I don’t play much but I enjoy watching everyone else play because there’s so much energy in winning and losing. I usually lose, which is probably why I don’t play much. I love to win! When you’re abroad, unless you’re in a cosmopolitan city like London, most people don’t know about Diwali and there isn’t much to do then. I always hope that I have good games on such days so I’m in a good mood. When that happens, I usually dress up a bit and go out for a nice dinner. If I find a temple or a gurudwara, I go
OCTOBER 19, 2014
and pray there. I love wearing saris and salwar kurtas. Generally, I wear a pair of jeans and a top, and during matches, I wear formals. So every opportunity I get to dress up in something pretty and Indian, I jump right in. But I have absolutely no eye for Indian clothes, so I leave it all to my mother. She is a designer and has a great eye for Indian wear. This Diwali I’ll wear this white chikan kurta designed by her and a friend of hers. My mom also picked up this yellow phulkari dupatta from Chandigarh that goes so well with many different outfits. White and gold is my
favourite combination. I usually carry an Indian outfit when I’m travelling abroad for a match. And everyone is so awed by it, especially if it’s a sari. All my chess friends want to own a sari; every time I go abroad I take saris for my friends there. I am a complete foodie.Whenever I travel, I love experiencing new food. I am not a fan of Indian mithai, but rasmalai and gulab jamuns are my all-time favourites. Festival food is always yum and it’s amazing to go to people’s homes during Diwali as there’s always a feast laid out everywhere you go.
DIWALI SPECIAL
twitter.com/HTBrunch Photo: Raj K Raj; Outfit: Komal Sood; Hair & Make up: Sanjay Relia Photo: Shakti Yadav; Location: Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai
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Komal Sood, Fashion Designer
ad Singh, Restaurateur
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“Diwali is a great excuse to dress up in traditional clothes and look festive” have grown up only partly in Delhi; my dad was in the army, so we stayed all over India. I’m Sikh by religion but in the army we celebrated all the festivals of various religions. Now, for the last 15 years, I’ve been based in Kolkata after marriage. Durga Pujo is bigger than Diwali there, but for us north Indians, the whole build-up to Diwali is still very exciting. The day itself is special because my in-laws are Hindus and we do a series of three pujas. We begin with one in the early evening at our showroom and factory. All our employees and their families participate in the puja, prasad and a cracker-bursting ceremony. Then we do a puja at my in-laws’ house and the last one is at my house. It’s very exhausting but a lot of fun too. Afterwards, we usually go to a Diwali party at a family friend’s place. Theirs is one of the biggest Diwali parties in Kolkata; and they have an old tradition of making their own crackers at home – they get big pots for anaars and make the masala on their own. There’s also an elaborate ceremony where the anaars are all lit up together, they go up almost two
stories high and last forever! My children love it. I think what I enjoy most about Diwali is dressing up. It’s a great excuse to wear traditional clothes and look festive. In our daily lives, we are always so busy running around that we end up wearing anything quick and casual. But to actually spare the time and make the effort to dress up in Indian finery is what I like best about Diwali. When I think Indian, I think saris. I love wearing saris. It’s such an unbelievable piece of cloth, it all depends on how you drape it and how you carry it off. It’s the closest to an evening gown you can get. This sari that I’m wearing is from my new Spring/Summer 2015 collection called Sunset Dreams. It’s pure Chantilly lace, I haven’t touched the fabric at all, although I could’ve done some embellishments on it. What I wanted to do was create some luxury around it, so, instead of a petticoat, I paired the sari with a beautiful silk woven skirt with satin lining. The blouse is also made from the same silk with satin lining. It’s a very elegant outfit and perfect for this Diwali, as lace is big this season.
OCTOBER 19, 2014
“I associate Diwali with my mom’s food – especially the tomato chutney she used to make”
e are a fairly Westernised family, but my mother was very traditional as far as festivals were concerned. Diwali was celebrated in a very oldfashioned way in my house: no non-vegetarian food, and my mom would have a set menu every year, which would be repeated only one other time, during Holi. Her food was something we looked forward to, excitedly, every single Diwali – puri aloo, tomato chutney, sooji ka halwa and of course, the house favourite – apple crumble. We are a very large family, and we would celebrate Diwali together. I still celebrate it the same way like I used to as a kid. My mom is unfortunately no more. Now we have a family get-together, usually in Delhi. This year is going to be special because we are opening a new restaurant in Khan Market during Diwali. A unique quality about our country is that whether it’s food or fashion, brands have to adapt to be a success. I’m wearing a kurta made by Lacoste which is a brand popular for its T-shirts. But they came up with a range of kurtas with the same material for India. I love them. They are perfect as traditional wear. When I went back to Delhi, I realised that the festival is much bigger there than in Bombay. People play cards, party for many nights in a way they don’t do in Bombay. Perhaps it’s like that all over north India, but Delhites really know how to celebrate Diwali. People have the best time this time of the year. It’s like Christmas. (As told to Junisha Dama)
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DIWALI SPECIAL
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Meiyang Chang, Singer/Actor
“We value our Chinese traditions, but we also believe in puja, Vaastu and havan. The mode of celebration may change, but the purpose remains the same”
I
am Chinese, born to descendants who arrived in India from central China’s Hubei province way back in the 18th century, and I grew up in Dhanbad (Jharkhand). Inevitably, Indian influences have seeped into our traditions. We value our Chinese rituals, but we also believe in puja, Vaastu and havan. My parents light diyas and do puja at home during Diwali. We also burn small papers, painted with silver and gold circles, that symbolise money, as fire is holy in Chinese culture as well. I, however, have never spent Diwali at home. I was always away at boarding school, first in Dehradun and then in Mussoorie. At school, we were given very few firecrackers, mostly phooljharis, anaars and chakris, so we wouldn’t create too much pollution. As kids we obviously didn’t like that much, but in retrospect, that helped develop a good habit. Diwali in a boarding school was a very big deal. We were 400 boys and we usually celebrated the festival with the neighbouring school. There would be a special dinner, sort of like a Diwali bonus, which was much better than the food we got on other days. The next day we would have to march on the field cleaning the mess that we created the night before, lighting the crackers. Now I hardly get time to celebrate Diwali. But if I do, then I celebrate it with friends as I stay away from home in Mumbai. We wear traditional Indian clothes, go out or attend a Diwali party. And, because we haven’t really explored any temple or place of worship here, we always end up going to the Mount Mary Church in Bandra and lighting a candle there. I usually dress casual but when I have to be dressy, I mix and match. I love ethnic wear – kurta and pyjama in particular. It’s nice to wear something colourful and traditional for Diwali as it’s the festival of lights and everything is so bright. I would really like to go abroad for Diwali once, to see how it’s celebrated among the Indian diaspora. Maybe Times Square in New York; it’s such a lively place, I guess it would be fun during the festival as they have many Diwali parties there.
Photo: Pratham Gokhale; Outfit: Digvijay Singh and Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta; Styling: Shayal Sheth; Hair: Sarfaraz Hakim; Make-up: Ritoo K Jenjani
OCTOBER 19, 2014
(As told to Junisha Dama) satarupa.paul@hindustantimes.com Follow @satarupapaul on Twitter
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DIWALI SPECIAL
THIS DIWALI IN A THEATRE NEAR YOU When most people are busy with rituals and festivities, why is a Diwali release such a big deal for the film industry? by Komal Nahta
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AST YEAR, to filmmaker Rakesh Roshan’s consternation, Diwali fell on a Sunday. Ordinarily this would not have bothered him, but last year, he had a movie to release – Krrish 3, starring his son Hrithik – and it’s well known in the industry that the box office is dull in the days just before the festival of lights. Roshan was confused. Should he release Krrish 3 on the Friday just before Diwali when the box office would be just so-so, or release it on Sunday – Diwali itself – or even on Monday, the Hindu New Year’s Day? After much back and forth, he eventually took my advice – and that of his distributors – and released Krrish 3 on Friday. A good decision, he acknowledged later, when the film pulled in `65 crore at the box office over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, something he’d have never seen if it had been released on Sunday.
SMOKE SCREEN
A year has 52 weeks, and almost all of the 200 films released annually, open in theatres on Friday. For filmmakers, the most coveted weeks for a release are those that include Diwali, Ramzan-Eid, Christmas, Republic Day and Independence Day. The box office seems to buzz during these periods. Christmas is a relatively new addition to this list.
SUPER SUCCESS
Krrish 3 released on Diwali because the Shah Rukh film came on Eid that year
While it’s not perceived as a huge holiday period in India, it is one abroad, where the eight-day-long festivities give Hindi film lovers plenty of time to catch the latest Bollywood release. On Ramzan-Eid, it’s well known that Muslim audiences go to the cinema in large numbers after their weeks of abstinence. But why is Diwali a bountiful period for the box office? After all, aren’t Hindus busy with Laxmi puja at home and in offices? Don’t people visit family and friends to wish them a happy new year the day after Diwali? And aren’t brothers and sisters busy with the Bhai Duj celebrations the day after that? That’s three days of pujas and rituals, so why is there such a mad scramble to release films in the Diwali week? Why is actor Shah Rukh Khan so excited about saying ‘Happy New Year’ to the world with his film Happy New Year? But this is not a new trend. For years, producers have released their big-ticket entertainers in the week of the festival of lights because the occasion is supposed to add to a film’s revenue by anywhere between 10 and 15 per cent. Legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra would invariably choose this festive week for his films if he could manage it. Whether it was his Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) or Veer-Zaara (2004) or even his last film, Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), they were all released in the Diwali week. And because Shah Rukh Khan has acted in so many films made by the Yash Raj banner, by default, the Diwali week has become a Shah Rukh Khan week, just as the Eid week has become synonymous with Salman Khan and the
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Christmas week with Aamir Khan. Shah Rukh’s Ra.One (2011) hit the screens on Diwali. His Chennai Express (2013) was also being readied for release during Diwali 2013 but when it was clear that Salman wouldn’t be ready with his Jai Ho by Eid 2013, filmmaker Rohit Shetty and Shah Rukh Khan sped up Chennai Express and brought it to the cinemas for Eid last year, instead of Diwali. And that gave Rakesh Roshan the chance to release his Krrish 3 on Diwali. Again, Shah Rukh Khan was not sure till very recently whether he should release his Happy New Year on Thursday (Diwali day) or Friday (New Year’s Day) this year, thus giving his anxious distributors and exhibitors much heartburn. But it’s true, Diwali week is almost always bountiful for the box office.
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
Why is this so? If practising Hindus are busy with the festivities, who’s going to the theatres? Well, for one thing, non-Hindus too constitute a large chunk of the cinema-going audience and for them, Diwali week just means holidays, not rituals. For another, the common man views Diwali as a festive occasion deserving of celebration, so watching a film is top
ARE YOU READY?
In keeping with his past releases, SRK’s Happy New Year will also open on Diwali priority. That holds true even for practising Hindu families, who go to the cinemas once they are done with the festivities. After all, what are the new clothes for, if you can’t flaunt them, and what better place to show them off than in a public place like a theatre? Moreover, a lot of companies, even today, distribute their annual bonus to employees a few days before Diwali, which means that people have more spending power during the festival week. And finally, cinema ranks high on the to-do list for most people, because it is associated with happiness and joy. In a country where cinema is religion, film-going is high up in the list of affordable entertainment – in spite of the sky-high ticket prices. It’s true that collections on the day of Lakshmi puja take a beating. But the other shows register a marked jump in collections for all the same reasons. The same principle applies on the other two days of Diwali but overall, collections are much more than they would have been on a normal day. And it is because of the boost the box office gets on such a festive
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THE BOX OFFICE IS BRIGHT
All The Best (above left), directed by Rohit Shetty, released on Diwali in ’09 and got off to a slow start but the festive season gave it a boost. Son of Sardaar (above right) did good business even though it released with a biggie like Jab Tak Hai Jaan on Diwali in ’12 occasion that producers don’t mind releasing two big films on the same day – something they’d never dream of doing otherwise. Producers of big-ticket entertainers generally like to space out their films in such a way that no two star-studded movies release in the same week. But Diwali week is different. There’s plenty of room for two A-list films to hit the theatres. If Ajay Devgn, with his Son Of Sardaar, dared to take on Yash Chopra’s swan song, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, it was because they were both scheduled to release on Diwali in 2012. Years ago, Aamir Khan’s Raja Hindustani (1996) and Sunny Deol’s Ghatak clashed at the ticket windows only because they were both Diwali releases. Since all these films did great business in their week of release, the point was driven home that the festival of lights propels people to spend more than they’d otherwise do on films. And this phenomenon is growing year by year, perhaps because of social changes. Today, youngsters, at least in the bigger cities, prefer going to the cinemas with their friends rather than their families. So even if a family might not find the time to spend three hours at the cinema during the festive days, youngsters have no qualms about going to a multiplex once they are done with the rituals. And since many of them take up jobs soon after completing their education, they don’t have to
depend on their parents for pocket money to watch a film.
BANG BANG
Of course, a Diwali release does not guarantee success. But Diwali can change a film’s fortunes. The increase in footfalls in this period means that any film has at least a decent chance of not failing entirely, and a film that might do averagely well in any other week has a fighting chance of becoming an actual earning proposition. Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One may have gone down in cinema history as an average grosser had it not released during Diwali. But thanks to Diwali, it crossed the average mark and emerged a winner because collections jumped on and after Diwali day. Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty’s All The Best that released on Diwali 2009 started terribly slowly but the festive days – and good word-of-mouth reports – gave it such a boost that what seemed to be a losing film ultimately made profits for the investors. That’s why the Diwali week will always be one of the most coveted weeks of the year for film releases. Diwali’s soundtrack of firecrackers is, in a way, an assurance to the film industry that the chances of a film bombing during this period are minuscule.
The festival of lights is supposed to add to a film’s revenue by anywhere between 10 and 15%
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Komal Nahta is a film trade analyst and the editor of the film trade journal, Film Information brunchletters@hindustantimes.com Follow @HTBrunch on twitter
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DIWALI SPECIAL
twitter.com/HTBrunch
It’s A Kind Of Magic
multi-coloured rangolis, fresh flowers, fireworks and a gigantic statue of Lord Ganesha adorned with garlands. “To complete the Diwali atmosphere, there’s a play of lights with fireworks on the rooftop, drop lamps on the façade and multiple laser-cut pillars in yellow, orange and red around the hub area,” says Varun.
TRADITIONALLY CONTEMPORARY
Mall décor is never so dazzling as it is for big festivals such as Diwali (especially in this age of social media selfies)
THE CROWD-PULLERS
The outline of a Banaras ghat in rope lights (above); an installation titled Asharfi by artist Satish Gupta (left); and a giant statue of Ganesha (below), some creative ways in which malls are decorated
by Veenu Singh
N
EVER BEEN to Varanasi? Never mind. Just drive past Select Citywalk Mall one of these days, and you’ll see something that closely resembles a ghat on the Ganga near the entrance of the parking lot. Okay, it’s not the real thing. To get the real thing, you’d have to actually visit Varanasi. But it’s a pretty nifty piece of work and much used by fascinated bystanders as the latest location for a selfie. And no wonder. It must have taken months to visualise and create – and then it must have been set up overnight.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
No one said mall décor is easy, but it’s a must. There are two reasons for this. For one, like it or not, malls have become more than shopping centres. They’re leisure hangouts too. And for another, because they are so similar in terms of the brands they host, the leisure options they accommodate and the eateries they lay on, it’s
OC-
becoming harder and harder to distinguish one mall from another. The décor is the differentiator. And that becomes even more important at festival times, when people are more likely than usual to go to the malls. Add the great social media selfie craze to these factors and there’s no way you can escape putting a huge amount of effort into mall décor. “Malls in themselves are no longer just entertainment arenas; they reflect the lifestyle and the social psyche of the crowd they host,” says Arjun Sharma, director, Select Citywalk. “That’s why we try
to offer a great experience to customers in the form of mall décor that not just reflects our emotions regarding a particular festival but also becomes a talking point.” Since malls are open 365 days a year, creating festive décor is all about planning. Any theme takes about 45-60 days to put together, says set designer Varun Malhotra, and when it comes to festivals like Diwali and Christmas, months go into the visualisation, creation and execution. Malhotra does the décor for DLF Promenade Mall, and this year, his Diwali theme involves
DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY
Diwali decorations need to follow certain traditions and rituals
Whatever you do when you’re planning to do up a mall, you have to think big. In fact, think huge, says Meeta Gutgutia, director and creative head, Ferns N Petals, responsible for many floral installations at malls all over NCR. “For instance, when we did floral mannequins, they were over six feet tall,” says Gutgutia. “And the installations have to be put up in such a way that people can pose with them easily.” Diwali, Christmas and Valentine’s Day are the festivals that call for the most out-of-the-box thinking. For Valentine’s Day, Ferns N Petals once did a buggy made entirely out of red roses, which became a massive photo op for lovers of all ages. But Diwali décor must also be somewhat traditional. That’s why you’ll find lots of lanterns, idols of Ganesha, and rangolis. “Each festival has certain rituals and traditions that are precious to our sentiments as Indians,” says Geeta Samuel of Q Events that handles the décor for Select Citywalk. Diwali at DLF Emporio, the luxury mall, is all about opulence and lights, says Dinaz Madhukar, senior vice president, DLF Emporio. And Select Citywalk, aside from its Ganga ghat, is slathered with shlokas and mantras, and a central jyot installed with multiple lights. So when do these themes actually become reality? Given that malls don’t get a day off, execution must happen at night. “It’s like the story of the elves that used to fix all the shoes once the cobbler went to sleep. He would wake up to a little bit of magic every morning,” says Geeta Samuel. “The most important factor during decor planning in malls is the ability to forge manpower and designs in the dark once the mall is inaccessible to the public.” And once that’s done, there’s another festival to think about and another theme to consider. Keep that camera ready. veenus@hindustantimes.com Follow @VeenuSingh12 on Twitter
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Battle Of the Bands, IndIa style Tech brands are waging war – and your wrist is the battleground. Which fitness tracker should you buy?
T
HE FITNESS and wearable band euphoria is getting stronger every day. Despite news about waning interest and the fact that a lot of people stop using one after six months, the number of people who are buying and strapping them on is on an upswing. And surprisingly it’s here in India that a serious demand is being felt. I have a crude but very accurate system to gauge what category of products are experiencing a definitive uptick. It’s the number of people who ask me “which one to buy” whenever I’m out in a public place. (To all those asking – yes, most of my life is spent answering questions from people I meet about which new device to buy. No, it’s not a sad life!). So right after ‘aaj-kal kaunsa mobile aacha hai?’ and ‘TV kaunse brand ka kharidna chahiye?’, the next hot category being asked about is fitness bands. Previously the problem in answering
Rajiv Makhni
techilicious RIGHT ON TRACK
Mymo comes with a six month battery life and no screen. It's very small and unobtrusive and tracks all the metrics you need
MORE ON THE WEB For more Techilicious columns, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter. com/RajivMakhni The views expressed by the columnist are personal
MOVE IT, MOVE IT
If Garmin Vivo senses no activity from you, the Move bar starts to add up. Your goal is to keep the Move bar off the screen, by moving
The Vivo can track steps, distance, calories, sleep and can calculate a few other things as well. This one has a ‘Move’ bar right on top. If it senses no activity from you, the Move bar in red starts to add up. Your goal is to keep the Move bar off the screen, by, well, moving. And it works very well (you will find yourself doing some office jigs and dances to get rid of that red line). The second big deal is its battery life which is about one full year as it uses button cells. The problems stem from the fact that the screen has no backlighting and that the synch to the connect app can be a little iffy. The Vivo is priced at around `9,000 but you can pick it up cheaper online.
GOQii
I’ve reviewed the GOQii before and thus won’t get into too much detail. This one can also track steps, distance, calories and sleep and its add on USPs are tracking active minutes per day (when you really were working out hard) and Karma points (earn points and give them away to a worthy cause). But the game-changing shift is what this device does with all that activity data that it tracks. This data goes straight to a real human personal coach allocated to you who analyses it and gives you real time feedback, advise and directions. The GOQii coaching system is very robust and professional and can truly motivate and keep you on track. The GOQii device is free and you only pay for the RUNNING RIGHT coaching system and there is a special deal on GOQii sends your Amazon at `3,999 for three months.
this burning hot question was the unavailability of these bands in India. Fitbit started it all off but data to a human never made it to Indian shores. The Nike Fuel- coach, who analyses MYMO This is a new entry into the the fitness world and band followed and is now all dead and buried, but it and gives you real comes straight to India after its launch in the Midnever popped up here in its short life. The Jaw- time feedback dle East. Its a clip-on device with a six-month batbone Up is available in pretty much every country tery life, has no screen or visual data that you can track on in the world except here (there is poetic justice here as this it (it synchs with an app on your phone for you to see that). is one device that has turned out to be quite a disaster). The The Mymo is very small and unobtrusive and can track all Misfit Shine is still a ‘foreign trip par hi khareed sakte ho’ the metrics you need. It works with Tupelolife, a healthcare device and there is a plethora of others that haven’t been ecosystem built around the app. The Mymo is currently officially launched in India. There are quite a few no-name available for `3,375 in India. Chinese knock-offs but I always ask people to steer clear of them as a fitness band is about its ecosystem, the app SO WHICH ONE THEN? and software, as much as it is about the band itself. I’m going to take the Mymo out of the equation right now Thus there weren’t any real options for people who as it’s a very recent entry and needs time to get things right wanted to get onto the ‘quantified self ’ bandwagon and develop the ecosystem well. That leaves the Vivo and by walking into a store and buying one locally. That the GOQii. The choice is fairly simple. If you believe you has changed with a vengeance as multiple compaare disciplined enough to stick to a fitness regime on your nies have come muscling into our country. So which own and can track and analyse all the data being thrown one should you buy and why? at you – then the Vivo is a very good device. But if you fall GARMIN VIVO FIT into the category where you fall off your fitness bandwagon Garmin is mainly known for its GPS devices and thus the regularly, have been struggling to go to the gym every mornfirst impression is that this would be a band that can do ing, struggling with weight issues and are quite confused most things to track your fitness, plus also track your walk as to what to do with all that awesome data about your own and run on a map. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do that (for that body – then GOQii and its personal coach is a life-saver. you’ll have to invest into a Garmin Forerunner watch). But I hope that answers the question ke ‘India mein kaunsa it has quite a few other tricks up its wrist strap. Speaking of fitness band aacha hai?’ Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of which, the unit is separate from its plastic strap (a slightly Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3 cheap affair) and there are some extra colours available.
OCTOBER 19, 2014
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English Diary The Chinese run the best hotels in London, and Indian food, cooked the way it should be, has the Brits lining up for more... who would have thought it?
W
HEN I was at school in London in the Seventies, the hotel scene was straightforward enough. And the London Indian restaurant scene was so primitive that most critics couldn’t even be bothered to write about the restaurants. But now, everything has changed. In the old days, you had the grand hotels and then you had the American hotels. The grand hotels such as the Savoy, the Ritz, the Berkeley, Claridge’s, the Connaught, Grosvenor House and the Hyde Park Hotel, had been around for years, offered a measure of British-style service and had a dedicated establishment clientele. The American hotels stuck to a corner of Park Lane, near Hyde Park Corner. The most iconic was the Hilton because it was not only the tallest building in the area but it seemed to symbolise the Anglo-American union that would lead Britain to greater glory in the coming decades. (Ha!). The Intercontinental was the newest of the lot and though it is the London hotel I loathe the most these days, I remember quite enjoying my stay there when it first opened in the mid-Seventies. The Inn on the Park was a bit of an odd bird, run by a Canadian company nobody had heard of. (Eventually, it became the Four Seasons and now flourishes.) At some stage in the Seventies, a
Vir Sanghvi
rude travel
MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Vir Sanghvi, log on to hindustantimes. com/brunch The views expressed by the columnist are personal
Sheraton that looked like a giant pineapple opened in Knightsbridge, but the Sheraton Park Tower never made the top grade. There were hotels that were hard to slot even then: Brown’s, for instance, (the model for Bertram’s Hotel in the Agatha Christie book) or the Goring. But we had no idea what a design hotel was, the term boutique hotel had not been invented, and the idea that top London hotels could be run by Asians seemed preposterous. By the end of the Seventies, however, things had begun to change. Hilton and Intercontinental had been run by American airlines (TWA and Pan Am respectively) and as the airlines began to fail, they looked for new owners. Hilton was bought by a British betting chain and Intercontinental was sold to a Japanese department store. These changes paled in comparison to the big war that dominated the hotel world. Charles Forte was an Italian immigrant who had merged his chain of milk bars with the mighty Trust House group (owners of Grosvenor House) and had eventually thrown out the old Trust House management taking control of the chain himself. Then, Forte went for the big prize: the Savoy group which owned Claridge’s, the Berkeley, the Connaught and, of course, the Savoy. In those days, the Savoy group was part of the old British establishment, and was run by a terrific
OCTOBER 19, 2014
CHINESE SURPRISE
I had never stayed at The Langham after the Chinese took over. But when I did, it turned out to be an instructive experience
snob called Hugh Wontner. Obviously Wontner resisted Forte’s attempts to take over, injecting huge doses of snobbery into the battle. Asked if he would shake hands with Forte, he retorted, “Good God, no! I’d probably have to count my fingers afterwards”. An angry Forte responded: “What does he want? A full-fledged duke to buy his hotels?” (I think the answer to that was probably “Yes!”) Forte never managed to take over the Savoy group and eventually his own company was acquired by predators who sold off his hotels. The Savoy group went through many changes but today it lies in tatters. The Savoy itself is run by Fairmont and owned by Arabs while the Berkeley, Connaught and Claridge’s are caught up in a massive war between their feuding new owners. And now, there are so many kinds of hotels in London that nothing is straightforward. But by and large, it remains one of the few cities where Americans have no real role in the hotel business. The Hilton and Intercontinental are quite second rate, the Sheraton Park Tower looks like a Holiday Inn located in a suburb of Riyadh and there are no Ritz Carltons or St. Regis properties to admire. Hyatt, Marriott and the rest keep adding their names to other people’s hotels to no great acclaim. But the most notable change has been the arrival of the Chinese chains. Mandarin Oriental bought the old Hyde Park Hotel and today it is one of the London’s best hotels. The Shangri La has just opened a hotel in the Shard, in the business district, which everyone says is stunning. And the old Langham hotel (once managed by Hilton) has now become the centrepiece of the Chinese Langham chain. I had never stayed at the Langham after the Chinese owners took over the management. But because I’m a member of Leader’s Club, a programme run by the Leading Hotels of the World (which markets separately owned properties) I get good deals on some Leading Hotel properties. Which is how I ended up twice at the Langham in the last week. It turned out to be an instructive experience. The hotel was run like clockwork, the food was great and the Chinese had restored the grandeur of the property. English hotels (actually, most Western hotels) fail because they don’t understand service. But as Mandarin Oriental and the Langham have shown, the combination of a grand old English property and Asian service is unbeatable. I’m
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THE TERRIFIC DESI
When I read rave reviews for Gymkhana (above), I was marginally sceptical. But to say that I was blown away by the dishes – like (below, clockwise) kid gosht keema methi, Muntjac deer biryani, and the chicken Chettinad served with a dosa – would be an understatement
Photo: VIR SANGHVI
pretty sure I will be back at the Langham. By some coincidence, the Langham is a few minutes away from Gaylord, the only Indian restaurant in London that my parents would agree to eat at in the late Sixties because the rest were run by East Pakistanis (i.e. Bengalis) who made food no Indian could eat. Gaylord remained the best Indian restaurant till the (admittedly, West Pakistanimanaged) Shezan opened in Knightsbridge and became London’s poshest Indian restaurant. But the trendy crowd only started going to Indian restaurants after the Taj opened the Bombay Brasserie in the early 1980s. The success of the Brasserie led to a flood of quality (and expensive) Indian restaurants and the rise to fame of such chefs as Cyrus Todiwala and Vineet Bhatia. Now London is awash in Michelin-starred Indian restaurants: Rasoi, Amaya, Trishna, Benares, Quilon, Tamarind etc, some of which are very good. Without wishing to re-open a tiresome old debate, I think it is fair to say that Indians steer clear of some of these places because they feel the chefs Frenchify the food and muck around with the flavours to appeal to a British audience. So when I read the rave reviews for Gymkhana, probably London’s most successful Indian restaurant of the moment, I was marginally sceptical. I was reassured when Bruce Palling, the one British food writer who has actually lived in India and understands the cuisine, gave it a rave review. I finally secured a table there last week and to say that I was blown away by the food is an understatement. This is real Indian food, not fussy fusion rubbish that mangles the flavours, and the focus is on taste not presentation.
What makes its success so extraordinary is that it is doing nothing particularly original. The lovely two-level Raj-era room is in direct descent from the Bombay Brasserie. The slightly unusual emphasis on game has actually been done before – by Cyrus Todiwala, a decade ago. So why does it work? My guess is that you don’t always have to do something new or different: you just have to do it brilliantly. And the food was terrific. I loved a creamy anda bhurji made with duck’s eggs and enhanced with chunks of lobster. And a chicken Chettinad served with a dosa was packed with flavour. But the kitchen came into its own with the simpler dishes: a keema (made from kid gosht) with methi, served with pav bread, a delicious black dal, perfectly cooked palak and an authentic Kerala prawn curry. The single best dish was a spicy biryani, packed with caramelised onion, with the meat of Muntjac (which I was assured was a deer from Berkshire) replacing the mutton we would use in India. Dessert showed flair too: a kind of treacle tart with gajar ka halwa replacing the treacle and a kheer with the rice left al dente. As an Indian, what pleased me the most was that a restaurant that served our flavours, without frippery Frenchification or artifice, was so popular with Brits in the heart of Mayfair that you had to book days ahead to get a table. If that isn’t a tribute to the strength of Indian cuisine, I don’t know what is. So who would have thought it? The Chinese run the best hotels in London and Indian food, cooked the way it should be, has them lining up for weeks. This truly is turning out to be the Asian century!
OCTOBER 19, 2014
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The Lady Vanishes… I
Does writing about an antiheroine make an author anti-feminist?
READ GONE Girl a year or so ago and was pretty much hooked from the word go. I read it in one sitting, abandoning all work and play, as I feverishly turned the pages to find out what happened next in a story in which nobody was quite what they seemed, and each narrator was as unreliable as the other. I haven’t seen the movie version as of this writing but there is no ignoring the cacophony of media commentary that has been unleashed by its release. In creating Amy Dunne, the wife who goes missing as the book opens (fair warning: there may be some spoilers coming up!) leaving her husband, Nick, as the prime suspect, has Gillian Flynn done disservice to the sisterhood? Has she reinforced the misogynistic, anti-feminist stereotypes we all dread by creating an anti-heroine, who is – not
Seema Goswami
spectator
MALE ANOMALIES
Popular fiction is riddled with male characters who epitomise evil with a capital E, like Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter or Jeff Lindsay's Dexter Morgan
MORE ON THE WEB For more SPECTATOR columns by Seema Goswami, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ seemagoswami. Write to her at seema_ht@ rediffmail.com The views expressed by the columnist are personal
to put too fine a point on it – a bit of a nutter? As the articles piled up, I soon began to wonder if the entire world – okay, I exaggerate, only innumerable women columnists – had run mad. How does a single character in a work of fiction (admittedly written by a woman) come to epitomise the female condition? How can one female psychopath, as imagined by Gillian Flynn, be regarded as a judgment on every woman? Well, the short answer is: it doesn’t; and it can’t. A character in fiction is just that: a fictional character. It does not purport to be a realistic portrayal of womanhood; it is just the vehicle to tell us a story that emanates from the writer’s imagination. This story may well paint the woman as (spoiler alert! Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you!) a lying, evil, murdering, psycho with ice in her veins. But there is no way you can extrapolate from that that all women are like this. Or even that Flynn must hate all women to come up with a character like Amy Dunne. It’s interesting to note that nobody thinks that the feckless, cheating, lying, weak Nick Dunne is representative of all mankind – or even an indication of Flynn’s incipient misandry – but Amy Dunne is seen as a reflection on all womankind. Why should this be so? Popular fiction is riddled with male characters who epitomise evil with a capital E. What could possibly be more disgusting than a psychiatrist who feasts on human flesh and announces that a human liver goes well with fava beans and a nice Chianti (that’s in the movie version; the book Hannibal prefers an Amarone)? And yet nobody thinks that Thomas Harris is a man-hating (not to mention man-eating) pervert to have come up with a character like Hannibal (the Cannibal) Lecter. And what about Jeff Lindsay who created the darkest of dark characters in his book Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Those who have read Lindsay know that his fictional hero is much
OCTOBER 19, 2014
FINAL JUDGEMENT
Nobody thinks that the cheating, lying Nick Dunne (played by Ben Affleck in the film) in Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is representative of all mankind. But Amy Dunne (played by Rosamund Pike) is seen as a reflection on all womankind more hardcore than the suitablysanitised for a TV audience, Dexter Morgan, of the eponymous television series. And while there have been critics who have questioned Lindsay’s mental health on occasion (and reading the books, it is easy to see why) nobody has suggested that Dexter is anything other than an anomaly. Nobody sees him as being symptomatic of all mankind. So, why should Amy Dunne – and her creator, Gillian Flynn – have to carry that burden? Amy Dunne is just one woman, and a fictional one at that. Why should we try and see every woman in her? Why should the creation of a female psychopath – or sociopath, or whatever the word du jour is – be seen as a judgment on all women? Why is it seen as anti-feminist to create a strong anti-heroine? And why do we feel the need to tar a creative enterprise with the tag of misogyny, confusing the creator with the creation? At one level, I think, this is because as women our default position is to be defensive. We tend to see everything as a judgment on us. If we read an article on false accusations of rape levelled by some women, we react with almost visceral anger, shouting about how it weakens the case of genuine rape victims. And how, in any case, such false accusations are so small in number as to be negligible. That may very well be so, but try telling that to men whose lives have been destroyed in the process. Similarly, when we read about a female character who ticks all the wrong boxes, we feel outraged on behalf of our sex. And from there it is but a short journey to slagging off the author as a misogynistic, anti-feminist harpy. But before we pin these labels on Gillian Flynn, it might be worth taking a breath and seeing her book for what it is: a work of fiction, and a cracking good read at that. And it may make sense to remember that women don’t have a monopoly on either virtue or vice. Some of them are nice; others are nasty. Some of them are good; others are evil. Some of them are angels; others are monsters. Some of them are victims; others are perpetrators. Some are psychos; others are saints. No one size fits all when it comes to both women and men. And it is entirely up to a writer, which type she chooses to write about. And I, for one, am happy that Gillian Flynn chose to write about Amy Dunne, her Gone Girl.
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DIWALI SPECIAL
Photo: IMAGESBAZAAR
Save Face
As you flit from one party to another, and smile for your 389th Diwali-wali group photo, make sure your make-up keeps up by Rachel Lopez
A
T A MAC event recently, make-up artist Mickey Contractor was asked a question that’s probably on most women’s minds at Diwali: “When it comes to glitter, how do you know when to stop?” His answer: “Why would you even start?” With weeks of hectic partying
ahead, there’ll be sparkle everywhere: in the decor, on the clothes, in the smiles of loved ones and in the eyes of the people you meet. So will you go easy on the glitter or smother yourself in shimmer? Whatever you choose, we’ve tackled a few problems you might encounter while you put your game face on this year.
Keep Make-Up Looking Fresh Through Long Hours Of Parties And Dinners
Most experts will tell you to keep it simple. Layer too much and you risk your make-up caking or smudging. The trick is to moisturise (wait for it to sink into your skin and wipe off the excess) and use a light hand with longwearing make-up. If you don’t need much covering up, Lakmé’s Face Magic Skin Tint combines both steps. But if your foundation tends to leave the party early, give it a few more hours of staying power with a primer like Benefit Porefessional underneath. Set off your shimmery eyes (because, who does matte eyes on Diwali?) with a pigmented no-nonsense lipstick like Estée Lauder’s. For matte lips, Sephora’s Cream Lip Stain will survive smiles, snacks and soirées.
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Try this backstage trick for colour and glow to your cheeks: start with a cream blush like Clinique’s Chubby Cheek Balm and set it with a dusting of gold highlighter. Lock kiya jaaye? Spritz Mac Fix Plus after you’re done so your look lasts longer.
Look Good In Photo After Photo
Cameras are cruel. They’ll record everything in high definition and throw colours off with ugly flash, making you look grey, not glowing. Fight back with foundation that doesn’t contain SPF (you don’t need it after dusk and it tends to make skin look ghostly in pics). Blend out the edges of your eye colours so no tide marks appear when photos are enlarged – Faces has sparkly new shadows that make the job easy. Remember that eyeliner is your best friend – even if you’re wearing eye shadow – as it gives eyes definition in photos. Bobbi Brown’s Eliano Bou Assi suggests colours that have a black base – such as a black-blue or a black-brown which are easier to wear. Don’t forget mascara – MAC has one with both a sparse and bushy wand, so you can pick the intensity you want. If you’ve never filled in your brows, you’ve never known the difference they make in photos. Use a brow kit by The Body Shop (or even a nice black-brown shadow) and use short light strokes to create an arch that opens up the eyes in pictures. You may want to look dewy – but that often shows up as oily on camera. The solution? A finishing powder from NYX which smoothes out skin and adds a glow when dusted lightly (lightly!) over your made-up face.
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POWDER ROOM
Work Multiple Party Looks With Minimum Fuss
Of course you’re going to do gold eyes one evening, red lips another and you’ll struggle with some sort of smoky eye after that. Yawn! Add more variation, why don’t you? Switch deep browns, purples or even shades of peach for your smoky eye (with help from pre-coordinated palettes by NYX and L’Oreal). Try a wash of rose gold shadow (every brand seems to be making them now, choose one where the shimmer doesn’t overpower the colour) over eyes one day, cheekbones the next. Or use a cream product like Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Sparkle as a shadow one day and an eyeliner the next. To really amp up your look (and have people wondering how you did it), don’t be afraid of false eyelashes. Make Up For Ever makes ones light enough to not weigh down your lids.
Keep Your Skin Looking Good Too
Your slap-it-on-take-it-off make-up routine night after night will take its toll on your skin. Cleanse like the experts (by which we mean French models) with a light but hardworking cleanser like Bioderma. Lazy types don’t even need to it rinse off. (If your chemist doesn’t stock it, get Vichy’s Micellar Water). Or coax long-staying colours off with creamy cleansers from Ananda In The Himalayas. They offer a spa treatment without a spa ap appointment. Make serums your best friend this season. Lancôme’ Lancôme’s trusty Visionaire wo works well under make-up, Clinique’s Smar Smart serum is designed to figure out wh what your skin needs (and doesn’t) and ge gets to work. Estée Lauder’s Microessence cl claims to be especially formulated to brighten Asian skin.
Put Together A Survival Kit Pu
You’ You’ll need touchups – in the you rush from Party Two car as y to Party Three, in the hotel’s P r rest room, on the elevator ride someone’ house. Stuff your to someone’s bejewe bejewelled clutch with a compact (Sephora’ is fine, matte and cheap (Sephora’s enough to misplace), a chunky matte lip pencil that works as lipstick, liner and blush (Chambor has new ones), a tiny freshening face spritzer like Avene’s, and, if you get shiny easily, oil blotting sheets like ones made by Inglot, to dab it all away. Need one palette to rule them all? Make it a brown-nude one (like Bobbi Brown’s Shimmerbrick) to use as a shadow and a cheek bone highlighter. That’s it. You’re all set! rachel.lopez@hindustantimes.com Follow @GreaterBombay on Twitter
OCTOBER 19, 2014
DIWALI SPECIAL
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H
ERE’S A question: What’s silver-coated, saffroncoloured, bumpy in texture and topped with nuts? Here’s your clue: Gifts of Diwali sweets are flying back and forth between homes and offices. So the question should be easily answered, right? And is your answer boondi laddoo? Wrong. So wrong. The answer is ice-cream. These silver-coated, saffron-coloured, nut-topped, round objects are ice-creams created by Häagen-Dazs as part of its Festive Delights offering for the jaded Indian palate this Diwali. But this is just one of the innovative new mithais that might arrive at your doorstep soon.
TASTE OF INDIA
Come Diwali and as packages arrive, we guess what they might contain – barfi, dry fruit and laddoo. All lovely, true. But as Moriarty from the Sherlock TV series would say, “Bo-ring.” So sweet-makers have had to become innovative. “Tastes have evolved and consumers are getting more adventurous,” says pastry chef Radheika Mittal who runs the Delhi-based cake boutique, Exotic Cakes & Desserts. But even if traditional sweets are slowly being replaced by more contemporary creations, the sense of occasion remains, says Antony David, head chef of Häagen-Dazs. “For Diwali, customers expect sweets. So we decided to Indianise the Häagen-Dazs ice-creams.” So the aforementioned alleged boondi laddoo is made from mango ice-cream; and gulab jamun with
MODERN MITHAI
MOD’s Diwali Celebrations range has fusion items like this Motichoor Donut
Is It Cake? Is It Chocolate? No, It’s Mithai! Plain laddoos and barfis are so last century. Try the new-age Diwali sweets by Atisha Jain WHO DOESN’T LOVE CUPCAKES?
Radheika Mittal offers interesting Diwali-themed cupcake flavours such as rose and pistachio
– brace yourself ! – Belgian chocolate. The look and feel is traditional. The taste and texture are something else altogether. However, not every innovative sweet-maker is willing to cross the taste boundary like Häagen-Dazs. “Ideally, people would like a dessert that is not mithai, but has an Indian flavour to it,” says chef Mittal. So her cake boutique stocks items like masala chai chocolate bon bon and rasmalai tiramisu. Even at your neighborhood Mad Over Donuts store, things are getting Indianised. Who could have imagined that a gulab jamun ganache could be tucked into a doughnut? Tarak Bhattacharya, COO of Mad Over Donuts, calls this fusion modern mithai. “Three years ago, when we launched these doughnuts specifically for Diwali, they be-
came an instant hit,” he says. “Twenty per cent of our sales during the festive time came specifically from these doughnuts.”
NOVELTY VALUE
According to chef Mittal, traditional mithais, especially the milk-based ones, have a short shelf life. “That’s why there is an increasing demand for fondant cakes and cupcakes, chocolates decorated in the theme of Diwali or with a Diwali motif,” she explains. At the same time, novelty matters, says Aji Nair, vice president of the F&B division of Mirah Hospitality which owns Khandani Rajdhani. In its drive to be out of the box, Khandani Rajdhani has introduced gooey spirals of jalebi with a tinge of
NEW-AGE DIWALI SWEETS
(From left to right) Häagen-Dazs’ bitesized mithai lookalike ice-creams; a spin on traditional mithai by Signature; apple jalebi with rabri at Khandani Rajdhani apple topped with rabri and halwa made with tomato or corn. “Diwali is when people expect something new from us,” says Nair. Some innovation also comes from a focus on health. Much as we love our mithai, we do hate cholesterol, so it was natural for chefs to experiment with recipes. Mittal uses honey and jaggery instead of white sugar. Sweets and cakes are increasingly being loaded with fresh and dry fruits. Flavours like apple-cinnamon, banana-chocolate chip and blueberry are major hits. Chocolates also have low-calorie options, such as roasted almond, cashews and raisins.
KEEP IT AUTHENTIC
Does this mean no more traditional sweets? Certainly not. Innovation can happen here too. So bite into a custard-apple mithai, a rose-petal ball, or a sandesh rose, all from a new brand, Signature. A collaboration between Lite Bite, an F&B conglomerate, and Puranmal Foods, known for its authentic Indian delicacies, Signature hopes to give a spin to traditional sweets, complete with customisable flavours, boxes and online order-taking. “Traditional mithais have their own market,” says Deepti Chawla, director, Puranmal Foods. “No matter how much people love cakes and chocolate, Indian households will always prefer mithais over any other sweet.” Ain’t that sweet?
People want dessert that is not mithai, but with an Indian flavour
OCTOBER 19, 2014
atisha.jain@hindustantimes.com Follow @JainAtisha on twitter
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Present Perfect
DIWALI SPECIAL
SECOND GLANCE
Splash out this Diwali with limitededition gifts, from liquor to fountain pens. Our guide covers gifts great, small and everything in between
FRAGRANT FIND The Red Cherry gift set includes a floral and fruity Cherry Rouge Eau Intense (EDP), limited edition Cherry Rouge shower gel, beautifying lotion and hand cream. From L’Occitane. Price: `7,730
Adamavi for men from Carl F. Bucherer, studded with sparkling diamonds, arranged in circles from the centre outwards, with 18ct rose gold plating. Available at: Ethos Summit, Select Citywalk, Saket. Price on request
Compiled by Veenu Singh
BREAK THE BANK FOR THIS
HAND IT TO ME Royal Tribe handcuff fuses royal and tribal styles in sterling silver with 22ct gold discs and rosecut quartz polki in kundan setting. From Apala by Sumit, available at Hauz Khas Village and DLF Galleria, Gurgaon. Price: `32,500
Rémy Martin celebrates the 140th anniversary of the LOUIS XIII brand with a limited series of 775 decanters of the LOUIS XIII Black Pearl Anniversary Edition. Available at select outlets. Recommended retail price: €10,000
PURE AND AUSPICIOUS MMTC-PAMP India offers gold and silver coins, ingots and pendants. Etched with designs of two hands holding a lotus flower and the images of Lakshmi and Ganesha. Available with MMTC-PAMP retailers. Price on request
TASTE THE CLASSIC
WRITE CHOICE
DELICATE DESIGN A glass decanter in glass with a silver seahorse handle and silver neck. Available at The Great Eastern Home, Mumbai. Price: `16,088
The Visconti Extase d’Oud Limited Edition fountain pen has been created as a tribute to fragrances from the Middle East. Only 388 fountain pens are available in Vermeil 925 sterling silver. Price: `3,65,000. Available at the William Penn Stores
Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 champagne is defined as luxury in a bottle. It has a deep colour with light amber and copper tints. Price on request. Available at all leading wine and duty free stores
THE EASTERN TREASURE Nama from Royce is a cocoa-dusted truffle-like chocolate that needs a specially designed spatula to lift and hold it. Available in various flavours at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. Price: `1,050 for 125gm
ARM CANDY An intricately carved set of gold and kundan bangles with stone detailing and green accents. From Diamond Polki by SSJ, Karol Bagh. Price: `3.85 lakh
BRIGHT BLOOM SKIN IS IN
Shoulder bag for women in soft leather. Lightweight and supple, with broad strap. Available at exclusive WOODS stores in Delhi and Mumbai. Price on request
OCTOBER 19, 2014
Inspired by a flower, this is a modern take on traditional rings. With intricate gold motifs and semi-precious stones, its design will grab attention. Available at Tanishq stores. Price on request
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DIWALI SPECIAL VIN VIN SITUATION
The Sommelier’s Choice wine hamper contains white and red wine, gourmet cheese, other indulgences plus wine accessories. It comes in an elegant gold box. Price: `11,500 plus taxes. From www. theleela.com
FOR THE LOVE OF STONES
Bracelet studded with diamonds, rubies and South Sea pearls set in 18ct gold by Renu Oberoi for Mahesh Notandass, Mumbai. Price on request
LET’S PARTY
The Flip 2 is a wireless, rechargeable and portable speaker from JBL that also works as a hands-free speaker phone. Available at www.harmanaudio.in. Price: `7,990
RAISE A TOAST The Teacher's Highland Cream limited edition in an eye-catching golden pack offers Scotch whisky with the highest per cent of single malt content. Available at leading outlets. Price: `1,200
FLORAL GLORY TAKE YOUR PICK Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss offers a formula that boosts hydration and provides an instantly plumped look while delivering glamorous colour and shine. Available at all Revlon outlets. Price: `480 each
Necklace and earrings in 22ct gold from Azva. The twosided necklace (peacock blue on one side and Indian red enamel work on the other) and the earrings in peacock blue have hand engraved floral jaali details. Available at www.azvavows.com. Price on request
TICK TALK The limted edition Runabout range by Frederique Constant for men comes in a rose gold-plated stainless steel case with a brown alligator leather strap. Available at select Ethos outlets. Price: `1,70,547
DIWALI SPECIAL SPARKLING SURPRISE
SHINE LIKE A STAR Bracelet studded with diamonds set in 18ct gold. Available at Gehna Jewellers Bandra West, Mumbai, Price on request
A specially designed Diwali gift comes with a bottle of Chandon Brut. Available at select retail shops. Price: `1,200
LOVE ACTUALLY Love bands with a string of diamonds set in platinum. Available at leading jewellers. Price:`60,000 onwards
A BOX FULL OF DELIGHT Myra Vineyards’ limited-edition wine and chocolate box, with Myra’s Shiraz and dark chocolate. Available on the Myra Vineyards’ Facebook page. Price on request
This Buckle collection from Ferragamo features asymmetrical dials in different colours with intricate guilloche finishing and four genuine diamonds as indices. Plus, tanned calfskin strap in different colours. Available at Ferragamo stores. Price: `77,000 each
NO PRESENT LIKE TIME
AN EAR FOR QUALITY Peacock-shaped earcuff and jhumka in 22ct gold with enamel work. Price on request. Available at Om Jewellers, Borivali West, Mumbai
SHEER LUXURY This special-edition Versace Vanity watch comes with a crocodile patterned red strap, a red sunray finish dial and an IP rose gold case. Available at select Timex outlets. Price: `59,600
OH SO COLOURFUL!
Multicolour diamond milgrain band ring in 18ct white gold with 100 per cent natural coloured diamonds of various intensities. Available from Leibish. Price on request
DELICATE DESIGN Gold and meenakari neckpiece with rubies. Available from Senco Gold jewellers, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi. Price on request
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DIWALI SPECIAL
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The Ramayan Reading List We bring you 14 books based on the Ramayan. There are translations and adaptations – for every possible kind of reader by Saudamini Jain
R
K NARAYAN once wrote that almost every Indian “is aware of the story of the Ramayana in some measure or other.” Sometime around the beginning of the Common Era, Valmiki wrote the first narrative of the epic in Sanskrit. Although the Ramayan may have existed in some form even before, his version is considered the standard for most translations into English. The oldest manuscript is a palm-leaf that was found in Nepal, dated 1020CE.
seen as a hero. But most people were introduced to the story of Ram through television or the Amar Chitra Katha comics (they have the Valmiki version and the Tulsidas one too). Yet, you probably aren’t as fascinated by the straightforward story of the Ramayan as you are by the complex Mahabharat. But that’s why you should read more adaptations of the text, to see what has been done with the essence of the Ramayan. Case in point: Meena Kandasamy’s short poem
titled Princess-In-Exile, here in its entirety: “Scorned, she sought refuge in spirituality, / and was carried away by a new-age guru / with saffron clothes and caramel words. / Years later, her husband won her back / but by then, she was adept at walkouts, / she had perfected the vanishing act.” The Ramayan can make you think – and it is a great read, every single time. So we decided to round up popular translations and adaptations. Pick what sounds the most interesting!
Tamil classic Kamba Ramayana, but milder. (In Kamban’s version, Ram says harsh things to Sita after the battle, and the battle scenes are rather violent.) Narayan also omits the eventual parting of Ram and Sita, writing, “[This is] a latterday addition to Valmiki’s version. Kamban does not take note of this sequel but concludes his tale on the happy note of Rama’s return to Ayodhya, followed by a long reign of peace... And there I prefer to
end my own narration.”
the Mahabharat, “Bhakti” for the Bhagvat but “‘Pain’ is the predominant emotion in the Ramayana... and yet this very pain is ennobling, purifying and satisfying.”
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Valmiki presented Ram as an ideal man. It was only later that the prince of Ayodhya was presented as an incarnation of Vishnu. The 16th century poet Tulsidas mourns the rise of lower castes to influential positions (as opposed to Ram Rajya, where everyone knew his place) in the Ramcharitmanas. In a Jain version, Raavan is a sympathetic character, and Ram and Sita end up as a monk and nun. And in a version popular among Dalits in Maharashtra, Raavan is
RAMAYANA
by C Rajagopalachari (1951)
An abridged translation of Valmiki’s Ramayan, by the last Governor-General of India, this is your best bet as a beginner’s guide to the Ramayan. Also the most popular.
THE RAMAYANA
by RK Narayan (1972)
A translation of the 11th century
OCTOBER 19, 2014
RAMAYANA
by Kamala Subramaniam (1981)
This abridged translation also stays quite close to Valmiki’s original, but it is more detailed than the earlier two. Subramaniam’s translations of the Mahabharat and Srimad Bhagvatam are also immensely popular. In a preface to this one, she wrote that “Drama” is the first word when thinking of
VALMIKI RAMAYANA, THE BOOK OF WILDERNESS by Arshia Sattar (1996)
This is for anyone who, in addition to the essential story of Valmiki’s Ramayan, is also looking for some modern perspective and motiva-
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DIWALI SPECIAL
tions about why the characters did what they did. Sattar has also put together Lost Loves, a collection of interwoven essays “exploring Rama’s anguish.”
THE RAMAYANA: A MODERN RETELLING OF THE GREAT INDIAN EPIC by Ramesh Menon (2004)
“Above all,” wrote Menon, “the Ramayana is a love story, written more than a thousand years before romantic love became one of the defining themes of Western literature.” Menon’s version is beautiful and with a lot of details – “This is the story, sang the twins, to the rhythmical plucking of their vinas... of a perfect man, the greatest in his noble line.”
PRINCE OF AYODHYA
by Ashok K Banker (2005)
Banker used the basic story of the Ramayan and turned it into incredible fantasy fiction. Ram must protect Ayodhya from the invasion of the demons. And Sita is a fighter too. Plus, this is a series, so it’s even more fun to read – rakshasas, black magic and whatnot.
RAMAYAN 3392 AD
by Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur (2006-07)
An action-adventure comic series published by Virgin Comics. Set in a post-apocalyptic world after a nuclear third world war, this is oh-my-God, incredible. Raavan, the demonic ruler of Nark, threatens the other surviving land of Aryavarta. And so, the four princes of Aryavarta must stop him from spreading his evil empire.
IN SEARCH OF SITA
by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal (2009)
A compilation of essays and interpretations of Sita’s life and her decisions. The 36 chapters are all quite interesting. By the end of the book, you will feel like you know everything there is to know about Sita, carefully curated from several versions and interpretations from all over the country.
SITA’S RAMAYANA
RAMAYANA, A RETELLING
by Daljit Nagra (2013)
by Samhita Arni & Moyna Chitrakar (2011)
A rather graphic novel – the art is in red and earthen panels of patua style. And Sita’s Ramayana starts from the very end: a banished Sita tells the story of her life to the forest she now lives in.
This is a very, very cool book – and a super audacious attempt at translation. “I didn’t want to write it in OED [Oxford English Dictionary] English,” London poet, Daljit Nagra, said in an interview. “I wanted to present it from this Western, global perspective, to try and capture something multicultural.” Multicultural, sure – but this is Ramayan in verse with so
OCTOBER 19, 2014
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mmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmm mmmm mmmmmmm mmmmmmm mmmmmmmm for nine hundred solid years!
SITA: AN ILLUSTRATED RETELLING OF THE RAMAYANA by Devdutt Pattanaik (2013)
This has a lot more about Sita than other popular versions. And Pattanaik also explores other women in the epic. He takes you to the kitchen, and through the conversations between women.
RAMAYANA FOR YOUNG READERS
by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, translated by Swapna Dutta (2013)
A delightful little book for children. It’s a slim translation of an early 20th century translation by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. And the story is interspersed with engaging comments and perspective, wellsuited for children. Like this: “I can’t describe in words how miserable Dashratha felt at the time of bidding Rama farewell. The fault was partly his for not having seen through Kaikeyi’s trick and for promising to grant her anything she asked for. But now, there was no turning back!”
BLUE
by MR Sharan (2014)
Sharan takes the basic story of Ram, the perfect king. To this, he weaves the tale of Reddumone, or Two-Face, a perfect Lankan spy. Mythic fiction is the flavour of the season, and this debut writer can write well too!
THE VIGIL
by Sarah Joseph, translated by Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan (2014)
much swagger. Here’s an example: Boon-packed rock-hard Raavana was now shown standing on a toe without shifting a muscle through heatwave or whirlwind! One tough-nut toe whilst simultaneously reciting Vishnu’s beloved mantra ommmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
OCTOBER 19, 2014
This translation of the Malayalam novel Oorukaaval is the story of Vali’s son, Angadan (Vali was the monkey-king slain by Ram in alliance with his brother Sugriv, who promised to help him search for Sita). Through this story, Joseph brings to the fore, the reasons why Ram killed Vali, and the real reason for Angadan to help find Sita. Also read for her depiction of Sita, who says to her husband: “You didn’t know my mind as keenly as you knew my body”. saudamini.jain@hindustantimes.com Follow @SaudaminiJain on Twitter
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DIWALI SPECIAL
Pick Of The Epic
Brush up on your Ramayan by watching some animation movies and feature films centred around the epic
by Atisha Jain
W
E HAVE all grown up hearing about the Ramayan, the greatest Hindu epic. But how many of us really know what Ramayan is all about (if you don’t know that Ram was banished for 14 years from Ayodhya and his return is celebrated as Diwali, do not, we repeat, do not admit this to
anyone in public), how the tale unfolds and what significance it holds in our lives? Reading the original Ramayan is probably the best way out, but if you’re looking for a short cut (remember, Valmiki’s version has seven parts), here it is, a list of movies and animation films that recreate the epic in an entertaining manner.
RAMAYANA - THE LEGEND OF PRINCE RAMA By: Yugo Sako And Ram Mohan Year: 1992 Why You Should Watch It: With engaging battle scenes, superhuman stunts and classic weaponry, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is 170 minutes of adventure and action wrapped around a moral epicentre. The 2D animation is as vivid as it gets (without
using simply cardboard-like figures). Watch It For: Amrish Puri’s roaring voice gives a life-like character to the evil Raavan, the svelte Sita’s liquid eyes will melt your heart, and the songs (in the voices of Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy) will remain with you.
RAMAYANA: THE EPIC By: Chetan Desai Year: 2010 Why You Should Watch It: At first look, it might come across as a bit crude compared to movies with global-quality animation. But eventually, the exquisitely vibrant colours (Ram’s azure blue tone and Sita’s blushing skin for instance) and the special effects (Ram’s arrows piercing the skies) of this 3D computer-animated movie will have you riveted. But somehow, in an attempt
SITA SINGS THE BLUES By: Nina Paley Year: 2008 Why You Should Watch It: A beautiful interpretation of the Ramayan, but with a modern twist. With two parallel stories, the movie seeks to show the relevance of the story in the context of the 21st century – how the marriage of Ram and Sita, didn’t work thousands of years ago, just like a lot of marriages today.
Sounds depressing? It’s not. There are Indonesian shadow puppets carrying out a lively, unscripted discussion of their idea of Ramayan, musical interludes of Annette Hanshaw’s jazz vocals and animated watercolour paintings, all of which make the movie rather cute and fun. Watch It For: The 2D animation created entirely on a laptop, using Flash!
OCTOBER 19, 2014
to deliver quality animation, the story-telling has gone for a toss. The emotional connect is missing. Watch It For: The impressive voiceovers. The soft, delicate voices of Manoj Bajpayee and Juhi Chawla lend a certain tranquility to the characters of Ram and Sita. Mukesh Rishi has the perfect voice of Ram’s disciple, Hanuman, and Ashutosh Rana’s stern, deep voice makes for the ideal Raavan.
MOVIES YOU COULD CONSIDER ■ RAM RAJYA (1943) By: Vijay Bhatt. Cast: Prem Adib (Ram) and Shobhna Samarth (Sita) A black and white movie, Ram Rajya, meaning Rule of Ram, is said to be the only movie that Mahatma Gandhi – who wasn’t particularly fond of the medium – ever saw. It is largely based on Uttara Kand, the last book of the Ramayan. Released in 1943, during World
War II, the political undertones of the film are markedly visible. ■ SAMPOORNA RAMAYANA (1961) By: Babubhai Mistry. Cast: Mahipal (Ram) and Anita Guha (Sita) The second significant movie based on the epic with its song and dance was a bonafide box–office hit (it has two songs by Lata Mangeshkar too).
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DIWALI SPECIAL
When Shah Rukh Khan Became Sita
What happens when 19-year-old Agra student Shah Rukh Khan enacts the role of the most revered Hindu goddess? by Saudamini Jain, photos by Saumya Khandelwal
W
HEN SHAH Rukh Khan was submitting his college form, the man behind the counter asked him, “Naam?” “Shah Rukh Khan,” said Shah Rukh Khan. “Achcha? Lagte toh nahi ho,” the man guffawed. Shah Rukh sheepishly smiled. Meet Shah Rukh Khan, a 19-year-old BCom student at BR Ambedkar University in Agra. Welcome to the Ramlila organised by the Uttar Madhya Railway Sansthan in Agra. And here’s the connection between the two: Shah Rukh Khan played the role of Sita in the Ramlila in Agra this year. He’d much rather have been Lakshman (because Ram is too much work) or his favourite Raavan (the role is unavailable, though). But since this is an all-male cast, he was selected to play Sita. Laments a fellow actor, who has played small female roles in the Ramlila, “When our Missus’ buy new lipsticks, they tell us, ‘Let me try it out on you first! If you wear it on stage, why can’t you wear some here?’” But Shah Rukh, with his youthful, slender frame, does look good as Sita. “Magar Sitaji toh gori thi, kaali kaise ho gayi?” the boys tease him. They all miss their old Sita – the gora-chitta Bimal Verma (who now plays King Dasharath) had been Sita for nearly a decade before that. But then – Verma points to his paunch – “My body changed.” The role went to Hanif,
a Muslim boy, three years ago. And this made headlines in local newspapers. When Hanif moved out of Agra, Sita’s spot was once again open. And for the spotlight to remain trained on the Ramlila, it needed Shah Rukh Khan.
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Shah Rukh by any other name may not have been Sita. Rakesh Kannojia, the organiser of this Ramlila, is also a local reporter. “We needed someone with good character, a good face and a good reputation in society,” he says. So he landed up at the Khan residence. “And when I saw Shah Rukh, I thought he’d look good as Sita. And I asked him, ‘Sita banega?’” “It’s not such a big deal,” says Shah Rukh’s elder sister Nazeena. “It’s just a play after all.” The Khans don’t understand what the fuss is all about. But there have been some entertaining moments. Like the time the actor playing Raavan visited their house. “A neighbour took papa aside and warned him to be careful,” says Nazeena. “He told my father: ‘Raavan has seen where Sita lives. What if he decides to kidnap her earlier than planned?’” All these jokes are refreshing at any rate, for a boy who has been plagued with jokes because of his name. He’s not wild about being called Shah Rukh. Many of his college friends don’t even know his real name, but, encouraged by
Ironically, Shah Rukh doesn’t like Shah Rukh Khan, the name or the namesake
OCTOBER 19, 2014
PRETTY IN PINK
Shah Rukh Khan dressed up as Sita in the green room. Wigs, costumes, masks and props hang on the walls; Shah Rukh getting his make-up done in the dressing room (below) Shah Rukh, call him ‘Rehan’. One day when they dropped by to see him, his mother turned them away because “Nobody called Rehan lives here”.
MASHHOOR RAMLILA
This, the “second most famous Ramlila of Agra” (for the “most famous” head to the city’s Ramlila Maidan) is held in grounds adjacent to the railway station, in Agra Cantonment. “Thousands of people – railway workers, army officers and travellers waiting for the next train – watch it every year.” We’re here for a weekend, for the Swayamvar episode where Ram and Sita finally wed. This is Shah Rukh’s first performance as Sita, albeit without any dialogues. He’s dressed in a bright pink sari, decked up in costume jewellery and his face has been appropriately painted, made up and doused with sparkly glitter. He coyly steps on to the stage and garlands Ram. They pose for photographs, the crowd cheers. Some kids in the front row whistle, their parents reprimand them.
This is not very different from any other Ramlila, but with such a strong flavour of the hinterland, it seems to belong in an Anurag Kashyap film. The dialogues are dramatic, costumes are elaborate and the acting, surprisingly, par excellence. Disco lights flash neon colours, and in between scenes, kids from the neighbourhood step on to the stage to “perform an item.” Or large speakers blare devotional lyrics set to Bollywood tunes. “This is the only railway Ramlila in the world,” one man tells us. “Arre, world nahi, India,” says another. “Uttar Pradesh,” clarifies a third. They look at one another. “Second most famous Ramlila of Agra,” they repeat.
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THE MAKING OF SRK
When he met us, Shah Rukh had already been interviewed by a dozen reporters. But Shah Rukh wasn’t always Shah Rukh. In the Nineties, his brother went to watch an SRK film, became an instant fan and decided to foist the name on him. He’d follow the baby around calling him ‘Shah Rukh, Shah Rukh.” Nicknames usually die out, or are replaced for official purposes by a ‘real’ name – but, like ‘Gogol’ in Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, Shah Rukh stuck and became his real name. Ironically, Shah Rukh’s brother
OCTOBER 19, 2014
RAM RAJYA
Sita garlands Ram. Shah Rukh would like to play Lakshman (because being Ram requires too much work) no longer likes Shah Rukh Khan. More ironically still, Shah Rukh doesn’t like Shah Rukh Khan, the name or the Bollywood namesake. He is a diehard Salman fan. “Kick toh badhiya lagi. Magar meri sabse favourite Salman picture hai Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,” he says. And after much prodding, he admits he liked Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, “but only because you ask.” saudamini.jain@hindustantimes.com Follow @SaudaminiJain on Twitter
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DIWALI SPECIAL
Photo: VIDYA SUBRAMANIAN
enrolled for a BSc at Meerut and completed it from Mathura. Although he had worked in school plays, Govil didn’t really set out to be an actor. Initially, he landed in Mumbai to assist his businessman elder brother. “But within a few months, I realised I didn’t have a head for business.” Before he essayed the role of Ram, Govil had tasted success on the big screen. So impressed were the Barjatyas of Rajshri Productions with his screen presence in his debut film Paheli (1977) that they signed him for a three-film deal. “Of these, Savan Ko Aane Do (1979), where I played a singer in love with Zarina Wahab, did well.”
The First Ram
PLAYING GOD
The actor who played Ram in the original Doordarshan series says the role put him permanently under a magnifying lens by Aasheesh Sharma
I
F YOU GREW up in the Eighties and weren’t particularly Godfearing, you might have been forgiven for believing Sunday mornings were meant for staying late in bed. But if, like me, you had a devout granddad who thought the best way to reform his footballobsessed grandson was a weekly dose of mythology, Ramanand Sagar-style, Arun Govil shouldn’t need an introduction. For thousands of pre-Internet television watchers, Govil’s signature half-smile, which screamed “I know what you’ll watch on Sunday morning” might have been mildly jarring, but for millions of others, Govil and Deepika Chikhalia, who played Ram and Sita in Ramayan, were divinity personified. In its heyday, the show, launched on Doordarshan in January 1986, generated massive viewership. Today, Govil, the 56-year-old television actor-turnedproducer looks back at that phase
with nostalgia. “Those were the days. In the beginning, it was very embarrassing when people who were much older than I was began to touch my feet. But gradually, I understood they were not doing it to me. They were doing it to display their feelings towards the name that had got attached to mine,” says Govil.
THE BOY FROM UP
Brought up in the cantonment town of Meerut, Govil, the son of a waterworks engineer, studied in a number of schools across moffusil towns such as Saharanpur and Shahjahanpur. After school, he
Of course, playing Ram was the real McCoy, but it wasn’t easy landing the role. In the first instance, Govil failed the audition. “I was already playing king Vikramaditya in Vikram Aur Betaal and approached the Sagars when I heard they were planning Ramayan. But they didn’t like what they saw, I encountered outright rejection! A few weeks later, after they had announced the lead actor, Ramanand Sagar called me up to say that the selection panel had a change of mind. The consensus was, said Ramanandji, that we wouldn’t find a better actor to play Ram. I guess it was my destiny.” Getting under the skin of a character revered by millions was a physical and psychological challenge. “The character had to be restricted in postures as well as gestures. Playing God, you cannot be too loud or too subdued. And then there was the all-knowing half-smile of Vishnu’s avatar.”
NO SMOKING
But playing the Almighty had its pitfalls. Most of the audience could not let young Govil step out of character even off the TV screen. He felt like he was being dissected 24x7. “The three years that I was playing Ram [1986-1988], I felt I was under a magnifying lens.
Playing God, you cannot be too loud or too subdued. And then there was that all-knowing smile of Vishnu’s avatar
OCTOBER 19, 2014
AFTER THE BREAK Five ungodly facts about Govil you might not have known ■ He used to be a chain smoker but hasn’t indulged in his habit in public, ever since he played Ram. ■ He met his wife, a textile designer, early in his acting career. Before that, Govil had already scored a hit in Bollywood with Sawan Ko Aaane Do in 1979. ■ Govil had to tone down his body language to get under the skin of the character, since God cannot have extravagant gestures. ■ He has done a sensuous rain song with Moon Moon Sen in Maashuka (1987) and played a negative role in the TV series Karavas.
I had to make little sacrifices. To begin with, I had to give up smoking in public. And for a once-heavy smoker like me, it wasn’t easy.” After playing character roles in movies featuring top stars such as Jeetendra (Justice Chaudhury, Himmatwala) and Govinda (Do Ankhen Barah Hath, Hathkadi) and reprising Ram in the 1989 TV series Luv Kush, Govil ventured into television production. What keeps him busy these days? “I have produced the serial Happy Homes for Doordarshan. The story centres on the lives of a group of senior citizens,” he elaborates. Govil says playing Ram was an immensely satisfying experience. But, on the flip side, he was caught in an image trap and ended up playing similar characters in Buddha and Raja Harishchandra. Today, apart from creating content, Indian television’s original Ram is content dabbling in spirituality as an office bearer of the Lakshmi Narayan Dham, a religious organisation. And he has a philosophical, more Gita than Ramayan take on why he didn’t break out of the image trap. “I tried too hard to diversify. Then I realised what was happening. I was running after things I didn’t have, and not developing my own strengths. But overall, after playing arguably the most important role in television over the last few decades, I have no regrets. That’s what being a practitioner of spirituality has taught me.” aasheesh.sharma@ hindustantimes.com Follow @Aasheesh74
DIWALI SPECIAL
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Six-Pack Screen God
25 years after the original TV series, a new generation of viewers discovered Ramayan through Gurmeet Choudhary by Aasheesh Sharma
H
E IS THE buffed up sixpack screen god a new generation of Ramayan viewers can relate to. Popular television actor Gurmeet Choudhary, 30, who essayed the role of Ram on the now-defunct NDTV Imagine’s adaptation of the epic, never knew he was ordained to play the king of Ayodhya. That his father, a subedar major in the Indian army, is called Sitaram, and the fact that he grew up in a religious family from Bihar that read the Ramayan every day, are just quirks of karma or serendipity, says Choudhary. “I never saw it that way. Yes, my father is called Sitaram. But I never thought I would end up enacting the yug purush.” For a long time, Choudhary studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya schools spread across the nation. “As an army kid, I was exposed to an eclectic mix of places and people across cities where my father was posted: whether it was Chennai, Srinagar or Jabalpur, among others. Finally, I completed my bachelor’s degree in commerce from Jabalpur’s Khalsa College.”
LOTUS EYE
Choudhary caught Ramayan producer Anand Sagar’s eye in an unlikely place: playing villain in Mayavi, a Tamil 3D serial on Jaya TV. “The lead actor of the serial had shot a five-minute show-reel. That is where Anand Sagar first caught a glimpse of me. Later, he told me it was my eyes that did the trick. For the lead role, the producers were looking for an actor who possessed kamal-nayani (lotusshaped eyes).” Anand Sagar told the young actor that the modern-day TV adaptation of Ramayan had to be radically different from the original made by his father, (filmmaker Ramanand Sagar), in treatment as well as in production values. So, his protagonist had to go the extra yard to look the part. “Anandji said the Ram I was playing was a warrior. He had to be bulkier and more realistic than depicted in the original TV series. Therefore,
People should realise Ram was just a character that I played and enjoyed. But unlike bhagwan, I am just a kalyug ka insaan I had to build six-pack abs and do strength training. Also, since the producers didn’t want the next-gen Ram to sport a wig – that would have looked too cosmetic in today’s day and age – I grew my hair for the one-and-a-half years the show was on air from 2011 to 2012.”
FINDING LOVE
Many television viewers assume that Choudhary met his wife, actor Debina Bonnerjee, who played Sita in Ramayan, on the sets of the serial. But it is just another urban legend. “Since the serial generated good ratings, people came to associate us with the characters
that we were playing. But much before we enacted the iconic roles, Debina and I had already been in a relationship for three years. We didn’t meet on the sets of Ramayan. We auditioned in a Mr & Miss Bollywood Contest on Sahara Manoranjan and that’s where we came closer.” The lead pair sure caught the fancy of people, says Choudhary. “We used to shoot at Baroda and hundreds of people turned up on the sets just to watch Debina and me shoot. I was just 24, but people would touch my feet and give me `500 and `1,000 currency notes as shagun.”
OCTOBER 19, 2014
SERIAL THRILLER The challenge of playing Ram, from dialogues to diets ■ So keen was Choudhary to perfect the sometimes two-pagelong dialogues in difficult Hindi during the shooting of Ramayan that he rehearsed his lines standing before a mirror at Baroda’s Presidency Hotel. ■ Even before playing Ram, Choudhary liked working out and was fitness-conscious. But during the making of the serial, he stayed off fried snacks, particularly samosas and tried sticking to home-made food. ■ He has always been a teetotaller and never craved cigarettes or alcohol.
Choudhary could not have asked for a better show than the new Ramayan to find a foothold on the small screen. “It was my first daily show. Exactly 25 years after the original, a newer generation of viewers who had heard about the Doordarshan Ramayan from their parents, rediscovered the epic. It kicked off my career fantastically, and fortunately, Geet-Hui Sabse Parayi kept the momentum going.” Although Choudhary’s hot streak on TV continued with Punar Vivah, he tried to push his creative envelope by participating in a string of reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Nach Baliye and Khatron Ke Khiladi. “I didn’t want to be stereotyped. So, I consciously tried a range of roles. But more than that, seeing me in reality shows helped change my perception in people’s minds from a good-looking rookie who played Ram to a versatile performer. Even before these shows, I participated in Pati Patni Aur Woh on NDTV Imagine with Debina. I had my fill of reality shows before I called it a day on television. ”
BOLLYWOOD CALLING
After playing the lead in three serials – Ramayan, Geet-Hui Sabse Parayi and Punar Vivaah – trying his luck in the movies was a natural progression, according to Choudhary. Still, did he have to do his first big role with a production house best known for making erotic thrillers and horror flicks? “Yes, I’ve signed a three-film deal with Vishesh Films and these days, we are shooting Khamoshiyan co-starring Ali Fazal and Sapna Pabbi. Ram was just a character that I played and enjoyed. But unlike the bhagwan, I am just a kalyug ka insaan.” aasheesh.sharma@hindustantimes.com Follow @Aasheesh74 on Twitter
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PERSONAL AGENDA
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Actress
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Sonali Bendre
BIRTHDAY SUN SIGN PLACE OF HOMETOWN SCHOOL/COLLEGE FIRST BREAK BIRTH Capricorn Mumbai Naaraaz (1994) Kendriya Vidyalayas all
January 1
Mumbai
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE
with Mahesh Bhatt
over the country
LOW POINT OF YOUR LIFE CURRENTLY I AM...
My first modelling contract, as it was the beginning I am a Capricorn so, very balanced. of a completely new life I treat my highs and lows the same
If you weren’t an actress you would have been... I don’t know what I would have been, but I would have been really good at it. From films to acting on TV, how do you feel about the transition? It feels different. Television feels more intimate and personal. Do you watch TV serials? No. Which serial produced by your husband Goldie Behl is your favourite? Remix (2004-2006). A classic film you would have loved to be a part of. I never want to be a part of something which is done. From all your co-stars, who has evolved the most? I think Saif Ali Khan. Your take on the new actors in Bollywood. They are not new at
YOUR ALL TIME FAVOURITE CO-ACTOR
Farooq Shaikh
all, just more polished and amazing. One recent woman-centric role you wish you had played. I would say Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye. It’s one of the main reasons I’m doing it. The best thing about being a mother is... Hugs from my son. The best dish you cook, according to your son. Scrambled eggs. A book that inspires you. Yajnaseni by Pratibha Ray. When you’re alone at home, what do you love to do the most? The only obsession I have is housekeeping. The biggest surprise your partner ever gave you. He wrote a song for me, Ye Hawaein Zulfon Mein Teri, in his movie Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai (2001). Your favourite fashion brand. Alexander Wang. Your ultimate travel destination. Jodhpur. One mithai that describes you. Dark chocolate.
Acting in Life OK’s Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye
Your most memorable Diwali. The times I’m not in Mumbai, and away from noise and pollution that makes my son sick. Your favourite dialogue. “Don’t mind...” (from Sarfarosh). A thing you can’t do without. Food every two hours. A typical Sunday in your life. Watching family movies. Five films you think kids should watch. We bought A Zoo (2011), Star Wars series, Up (2009), Ernest & Celestine (2012), and ET (1982). A sin you’d indulge in. Milkmaid ice-cream. Your last big splurge. Redoing the house. You have 30 seconds to pack for a trip, what do you take? My credit card. Your favourite pet animal. Dogs. You de-stress with... My two dogs, Neo and Isis. — Interviewed by Veenu Singh
A FILM THAT YOU HAVE SEEN MORE THAN FIVE TIMES
The Star Wars movies
A MOVIE THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU CRY
ET (1982) always brings tears to my eyes A FILM THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU SMILE
Up (2009)
Photo: RAAJESSH KASHYAP
my movies
Photo: VIRAL BHAYANI