WEEKLY MAGAZINE, JULY 22, 2012 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times
years of
FREEDOM Total Recall Sociologist Shiv Visvanathan looks back in anger at the 1970s
Blunt edge
Adhuna’s Olympic dreams
Cars & gadgets
They get high on hybrids and rave about electric cars. Meet the growing tribe of drivers who don’t get anxious over rocketing petrol and diesel prices
Tech that’ll make driving a breeze
indulge
VIR SANGHVI
London calling
RAJIV MAKHNI
SANJOY NARAYAN
On cloud computing
An air of French electronica
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SEEMA GOSWAMI
The new news lexicon
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W AT C H O U T F O R
years of
FREEDOM
THAT ’70S SHOW...
22.07.2012
The Emergency, the Bangladesh war, hippie culture, the rise of the ‘angry young man’, Gabbar Singh’s menacing laughter... it’s hard to pinpoint the ‘one thing’ about the ’70s. SHIV VISVANATHAN talks about the decade that created a different kind of poster – a poster of violence...
inbox LETTER OF THE WEEK! Those were the days...
I LOVE the way Vir Sanghvi writes and it was a pleasure to read his article on Chinese food served in the ’70s (Rude Food, July 15). When I was young, we would go to a place called Shanghai at Colaba. We had the same dishes every time in the same order... sweet corn soup, egg fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and fish chilly. The food was amazing and the staff so friendly that we felt that the sun shone even more brightly. Now however, I’m left with only my memories. — CHETAN DUKLE, via email Chetan wins a Flipkart voucher worth `2,500. Congrats!
Just fake emotions IT’S naïve to believe that reality shows promoting dance and singing on television, are discovering exceptional talent (Spectator, July 15). These programmes show fake emotions and performances and are only concerned about higher TRPs. Parents encourage their children to participate in such programmes in pursuit of stardom. — KRISHAN KALRA, via email
Not really showbiz YOUR COVER story (RIP Page 3, July 15) introduced readers to the reality of what appears to be name and fame. But ‘buying’ fame and not earning it, only shows appalling levels of hypocrisy. What’s worse is that the media and some other newspapers encourage such acts by paying unnecessary attention to fame-hungry people. — SAVITA MALHOTRA, via email
The best letter gets a Flipkart voucher worth R2,500!! The shopping voucher will reach the winner within seven to 10 working days. In case of any delays, please contact chirag.sharma@hindustantimes.com
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Cover Story
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All smart inside
Binoy Dass Your cover story may declare the tragic end of page 3, but seems before death it has given birth to many pages, which is doing the job in their own way. Subhashish Bharuka Simply love the part on How to Write a Page 3 Story in 20 Seconds!! HAHA :) Parvin Sabharwal 15 Ways To Make A Baby has rightly captured the role of woman power in deciding the way they want to have a baby. With the advent of technology, the acceptance in the society has become easier too.
TWEET YOUR HEART OUT twitter.com/HTBrunch @harshita_1995 @HTBrunch your cover today on wannabe third page celebs was illuminating, and entertaining. Keep up the great work, guys :) @MindandTummy @HTBrunch, a very unbaised review on 50 Shades of Grey. Not sure whether to pick it up or not. @KhujliPowder @RajivMakhni @HTBrunch Please use the ones available at our Railway Stations.Their STATE makes them a piece of ART each. Non-Functional. @VenuSpeak There are Apple Fan boys. Not me! I’m a staunch @HTBrunch Fanboy. Its ‘Indulge’ section which is THE BEST, in India. #Respect #Media
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Hot Wheels
We bring you a photo gallery of the sexiest cars. Oh, these pictures will make you drool. Log on now, now, NOW!
JULY 22, 2012
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Now Playing
The Brunch team loves long drives. And music. We bring you a long playlist of the music we listen to. We’ve linked them to YouTube, so you can watch the videos too. So check out the Brunch Playlist on our website. Just like us, it’s an eclectic mix!
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Meet the tribe of people that’s high on hybrids and raves about electric cars Carmakers are including new tech features inside cars to make them more attractive to customers
Personal Agenda
Hairstylist Adhuna Akhtar wants to win an Olympic Gold
indulge
14 RUDE FOOD London has moved from formal dining to more buzzy places 16 SPECTATOR The news television lexicon is one to reckon with. Go figure! 17 TECHILICIOUS The fine print on the three contenders in Cloud computing 18 DOWNLOAD CENTRAL Is back! French electronica duo Air’s music is trippy yet calming Cover Design: PRASHANT CHAUDHARY EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi, Rachel Lopez, Mignonne Dsouza, Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna Tewari, Yashica Dutt, Pranav Dixit, Amrah Ashraf, Saudamini Jain, Shreya Sethuraman, Manit Moorjani DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti, Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Singh, Suhas Kale
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by Mignonne Dsouza
W
GPS NAVIGATION
KEYPAD
VOICE CONTROLS
These days, it’s not just your engine that’s state-of-theart. Hot new tech is steering its way into your entire driving experience
Sitting Pretty, Smart Inside
HEN LAWYER Vinod Shetty bought his first car, a Fiat, in the late Eighties, the only accessories it had were a radio and wipers. “Even the air-conditioning was installed later as part of a refit,” says the 50-year-old Mumbaikar. However, Shetty’s present car – a Mahindra Scorpio – boasts a host of high-tech features, including climate control, USB connectivity for music and the ability to answer calls using inbuilt Bluetooth connectivity. tion system, which covers over 1.5 These days, special features are million km of road across 1,200 becoming standard issue in cars. So cities, while the same firm’s Xylo has the next car you buy is almost | voice control tech for vehicle comcertain to incorporate high-end mands (doors lock/unlock, etc). technology – voice controls, individual climate control, Bluetooth, GPS, SMART CAR cruise control – that at one time was Automotive expert Ranojoy Mukerji found in only premium models. agrees that technology of all kinds is Carmakers are also beginning to beginning to make its way into cars, advertise cars on the basis of these especially in what is called the ‘in features – to make them stand out, car environment’ – the interior of and ensure happy customers. One the vehicle. “A few years ago, even of Ford India’s newest releases – the premium cars did not have Fiesta Powershift – has a keypad in Bluetooth,” he says, “But now the the middle of the dashboard, and is Ford Figo offers it as standard.” the only car in its segment to offer a Mukerji adds that other voice control system for tech like trip meters mobiles, radio, CDs, (which calculates how USB, iPods and climate many kilometres you control. This helps to can drive with the fuel create what the compain your tank) is now ny calls a “technological available in smaller cockpit,” says Nigel cars like the Maruti Wark, executive direcSwift (as well as the tor for marketing, sales Nissan Micra and Tata and services at Ford Manza, among other India. Another model – BERTRAND D’SOUZA, models). the Mahindra XUV500 OVERDRIVE EDITOR – boasts a GPS naviga-
India is still not a car market that picks cars for the tech they hold
JULY 22, 2012
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BLUETOOTH
And the good news is that India is a generation behind the US. “The next lot of cars will be equipped with an OS that will enable us to link our smartphones to the car and use its features,” explains Mukerji. Bertrand D’Souza, editor of automotive magazine Overdrive, agrees that as technology is used by more drivers, it will be cheaper to manufacture, and thus become ubiquitous. But he cautions that India is still not a car market that picks cars for the technology they hold. “Such features are just a welcome frill, but not more than that,” says D’Souza. Mukerji agrees that people are still not comfortable using voice technology. “I understand the new Xylo understands Indian accents very well,” he explains,
GIVE IT TO ME Cellphone connectivity: Ability to make and receive calls. Music connectivity: Ability to connect pen drives, iPods and phones and play our music. Automatic headlamps: These come on instantly if you drive into an underground parking lot in the middle of the afternoon. Automatic wipers: Turn on instantly when it rains. Climate control and humidity control: So that the car is neither too hot nor too cold. Pollen filter: Improves air quality inside the car. Seat cooler or heater: Adjusts seat temperature. Cruise control: Keeps the car at a steady pace automatically. Trip meter: This multi-info display shows data average fuel efficiency, how many km one can drive with the existing fuel in the car, air pressure in tyres.
“But even so, this kind of tech needs common sense to operate – which is not very common.”
DRIVE-BY EXPERIENCE
Drivers who have voice control features acknowledge that they don’t use them very often. Banker Rajarshi Chakraborty says its simpler to use the controls on the steering of his Skoda Superb. But the Mumbaikar admits to using his Bluetooth for calls when driving. But other kinds of tech are more popular. Delhi resident Brigadier (retd) Anjum Shahab, is happy his Tata Manza has a trip meter. “You never have to worry about running out of fuel,” he says. mignonne.dsouza@ hindustantimes.com
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Life Beyond Diesel & Petrol
They rave about electric models. They get high on hybrids. Meet the growing tribe of car owners for whom fossil fuels are history by Sumant Banerji
O
FROM THE GREEN FILES
FUEL GAUGE
A few individuals who’ve taken the green plunge appear to have no regrets. School teacher Shompa Chopra, 54, for instance, had to decide on which car to buy while discarding her Hyundai Santro, in the summer of 2009. The i10 seemed like a natural choice for anybody wanting to move on from the Santro. Then there was the Swift for those looking to buy a smart diesel hatchback. But keeping the environment in mind, Chopra ended up buying the Reva, the only electric option in the
Fuel Running Cost The Positives
DINESH SHARMA
Photo: RAJ K. RAJ
VER THE last two years, the Twitter joke that drew parity between beer and fuel prices has started sounding like an ugly joke. Petrol prices have spiked 40 per cent, more than four times the average inflation rate during the period. May saw the steepest ever hike of petrol, a fossil fuel with depleting resources. Come to think of it, the ‘there is no alternative’ (TINA) factor isn’t really at work here. Because a greener alternative may help you slash your fuel bill, too. Is it time we looked beyond petrol and diesel, the two fuels that drive more than 99 per cent of all vehicles on the road? On the lines of developed countries, should we consider an electric or hybrid option the next time we have to buy a car?
The 42-year-old senior manager with SAIL bought an electric car in 2009. Now, he cannot imagine driving his old WagonR
“My next big buy will also be an electric car, whenever it’s launched” market. Those were the days when petrol was available at less than R45 per litre and a litre of diesel cost R33. She did not know that it would turn out to be a masterstroke. “I wanted a car that was economical, easy to drive and easier to park,” she says. “I did not think about the Reva at first, but the positives were too many. I do not have a big family. Nor am I a heavy user of cars. The Reva is just right for me.” Even after three years, Chopra sounds as excited about the car as the day she bought it. With a commute of 15-20 kilometres every day, Chopra has saved an estimated
R35,000 on fuel costs alone. Plus, she has lower maintenance expenditures as the Reva doesn’t need oil changes or part replacements. Chopra’s story finds a resonance with other electric car buyers. Ever since he bought a Reva in 2009, Steel Authority of India senior manager, Dinesh Sharma has cut down on using his WagonR. “Now, I take my old car out only on Sundays so that it stays in good running condition. Whenever it is launched, I’ll replace my electric car with the next generation Reva,” he says. However, Chopra and Sharma belong to a rare breed of Indian buyers. Electric car sales in the country have been dismal. Only a little over 4,000 of them have found takers around the world and despite
PETROL
DIESEL
CNG
LPG
ELECTRIC
HYBRID
`3.83 per
`1.96 per
`1.53 per kilometre
`2.51 per kilometre
`0.5 per kilometre
`2.8 per
Cheaper, takes less space than CNG cylinder
Cheaper, cleaner, greener
kilometre Widely available. Drives all cars
Most expensive The Negatives fuel in town
kilometre
Cheaper than Cheapest petrol, peppier among convento drive tional fuels Noisy engine, price likely to go up
Low availability, Low availability, Can’t run more takes away more expensive than 100 km on boot space than CNG a single charge
JULY 22, 2012
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kilometre
Will drive further than electric cars on a single charge Only one brand available, expensive
being developed and built here, India is not their largest market. That honour goes to the United Kingdom. For a country where cars are still an aspirational product, the Reva is perceived as a pudgy little vehicle that is unsafe and offers little by way of creature comforts. It does not have the power to compete with petrol and diesel cars, nor does it offer ample space. The issue of range anxiety (discharging of battery beyond a certain number of kilometres) limits the car’s capabilities further. On full charge, the Reva doesn’t go beyond 100 kilometres but offers unmatched economy of just 50 paise per kilometre. Unlike the West, infrastructure for recharging cars, such as pods, is still not in place in India. So one can’t take the car out on long drives. All these negatives have ensured that the Reva remains firmly on the sidelines of an industry that sells more than 2.5 million cars every year. So, are vehicles powered by nonpetrol fuels an idea whose time is yet to come? Many experts tend to agree with this. “As fuel prices continue to go up, it is high time manufacturers took a serious look at elec-
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tric and hybrid vehicle technologies,” says Akshay Bhalla, managing director, Protiviti Consulting, a global consulting firm. “Lack of infrastructure to sustain electric and hybrid cars is clearly an issue. So, at present, the tipping point hasn’t yet come. But for daily commuting inside the city at least, that day might not be that far away.” A Deloitte study suggests that the tipping point may arrive when petrol prices breach the R85 per litre mark. Should such a scenario arise, 71 per cent of Indians could consider an electric vehicle, suggested an industry study conducted last year. But a similar number expect the vehicle to give them a range of 320 kilometres on a single charge. This is almost four times the range that an electric vehicle can offer at the moment.
THE HYBRID BREED
The middle-of-the-road alternative then, can be hybrid cars. A hybrid car makes use of both – an electric motor as well as a conventional petrol engine to increase fuel economy by as much as 100 per cent while reducing carbon emissions. It does away with any sort of range anxiety, which is why cars such as the Toyota Prius are such a rage globally.
TEJBIR SINGH The 49-year-old Delhi builder says he doesn’t allow his chauffeur to touch his hybrid car
sitive market such as ours.” For the time being, it is compressed natural gas (CNG) that is the most favoured fuel among those looking for alternatives. It is cheap, has the lowest running cost per kilometre, can be plonked onto any petrol car – big or small-- and is also offered as a standard fitment by many manufacturers. Also, with the growth in the number of users, the cost of a CNG kit has climbed down. From a near standstill in 2000, more than 6 lakh cars are now run on CNG in Delhi alone. Across the country, the figure almost doubles. “I bought the CNG kit back in 2002 when it cost me R60,000,” says Sandeep Thakur, 38, who works with a law firm. “At that point, there was no great economic logic in converting to CNG, but I was looking at the long term. I’ve changed my car twice since then and used the same kit throughout. I think the money I have saved all this while would be enough to buy me a sedan.”
“We have seen over the years that the demand for CNG cars has gone up in areas such as Delhi, Ahmedabad and Vadodara, where it is easily available,” says Mayank Pareek, managing executive officer (marketing and sales), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. A pan-India alternative then could be a plug-in similar to a CNG kit that can turn any car into a hybrid. To be launched next year, the kit, named Revolo, can be plonked on to any car for R70,000. The retailer claims its benefits include a 25 per cent saving on fuel costs and a 35 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. “No consumer in India is ready to shell out an extraordinary amount just for environment friendliness,” says Ravi Pandit, chairman and group CEO, KPIT Cummins. “A solution like the Revolo addresses the question of lower cost. It can be adapted in any car, howsoever old.” According to industry estimates, hybrids will account for 50 per cent of the car market worldwide by 2030 while another 15-20 per cent would be electric vehicles. Petrol and diesel cars will be restricted to just 35 per cent. By then, India will be the third largest car market in the world. Clearly, the road ahead has a distinct green tinge to it.
Electric cars are still perceived as pudgy little vehicles with few creature comforts
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
On the flip side, availability of CNG is a concern. Only 25 cities around the country have access to the fuel. Also, the storage cylinder takes up almost the entire boot space of the car. And then, doubts about the safety of the car continue to linger.
sumant.banerji@hindustantimes.com
Photo: AJAY AGGARWAL
“There is a novelty factor about my hybrid car. It stands out more than a BMW or a Merc that are priced similarly”
Till Mahindra and Tata fine-tune their prototypes, the Prius will remain the only hybrid car available in India. And it has found some buyers, notwithstanding its intimidating price tag of about R28 lakh. “There is a novelty factor with the car. It stands out more than a Mercedes and BMW that are also available at a similar price,” says Tejbir Singh, 49, who owns a Prius and runs a construction business in Delhi. Besides the impressive fuel efficiency that Singh gets (he claims the Prius gives him 25-27 kmpl), he is amazed with its ease of driving. “I have a Fortuner and Innova, but I drive the Prius myself and don’t allow my driver to touch it.” The Prius wasn’t the first hybrid car to be launched in the country. The Honda Civic Hybrid garnered the first mover advantage. But at R21 lakh, it did not find many takers and Honda had to discontinue it. With the pedigree of being the largest-selling hybrid car in the world, the Prius fared better. But priced at R27.86 lakh to R29.93 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) it cannot hope to work miracles in a price-sensitive market. “Hybrids are too early for India,” says Arvind Saxena, director, marketing and sales, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. “Neither do we have the infrastructure to support hybrids nor is there a concrete government policy to subsidise them. If prices don’t come down, they would not be a credible alternative in a price-sen-
“The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it” – Dudley Moore JULY 22, 2012
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T O TA L R E C A L L
twitter.com/HTBrunch
REWIND It was a decade that shaped our unconscious 1970 Operation Flood helps dairy farmyears ers take control of of their lives and ushers in the White Revolution
FREEDOM
1971 India, Pakistan fight their second war. Bangladesh is created after Pakistani troops surrender
1972
1974
Historic Simla Agreement inked between India and Pakistan, forcing them into a reluctant peace
Under Project Smiling Buddha, India detonates a nuclear weapon on home ground
1977
1975 Over 17 million Indian Railways workers go on the largest strike ever, demanding a pay hike
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declares a state of Emergency in the country. The press is censored, Opposition leaders are jailed
Aryabhata, the first Indian satellite, goes into earth’s orbit to conduct experiments
1979
Indira Gandhi lifts the Emergency and releases all political prisoners. Calls for fresh elections which she loses. Thus, the first non-Congress government comes to power with Morarji Desai as the prime minister
Part 4 of Total Recall, our special 7-part series: The 1970s
The Morvi Dam bursts in Gujarat, creating the biggest flood-related disaster of independent India. There is massive loss of life
LOOKING BACK AT THE ANGRY YOUNG MAN Amitabh Bachchan represented a generation which saw in violence the ultimate act of problem solving
An era when violence conducted a variety of thought experiments and became the modern Indian grammar
VIOLENCE AS THE OTHER: A PORTRAIT OF THE SEVENTIES
T
hope in ordinary goodness. HERE ARE times when a sociBachchan represented the poetry of ety abandons its institutions urban violence, the cleansing power and thinks its way through vioof violence as it battled evil. lence. The ’70s was an era Bachchan’s Bollywood created the where violence conducted a variety of myth of violence. Bollywood caught thought experiments. Three modes of the contradictions between law and violence marked this decade. The family, cop and criminal by showing first was the Emergency, the second India had never reconciled public was Bollywood and the third was and private domains in a harmodevelopment as violence. The combinious way. The good cop destroys a nation of the three created an era long-lost criminal only to discover in where violence became a Modern him a long-lost brother. The affinity Indian grammar. Only most of India and opposition between law and was not born then and what it expericriminality actually set the base for ences or recreates now is a vicarious violence as excess, as the only rhetsense of the Seventies. oric and force that Naxalbari was almost worked. At a time when over and the Indian institutions were sick, State thought of its activwhen norms were fickle, ities as a kind of spring violence was seen as the cleaning. The more idealonly answer. Amitabh istic of Naxals died in jail Bachchan was not just and many survivors the angry young man. joined the best social sciHe represented a generence institutes, perpetuSocial scientist and columnist SHIV ation which saw in vioating violence through VISVANATHAN is a lence the ultimate act of social science. But what research associate at problem solving. Naxalism created with a craft-oriented But Bachchan’s viosuch effort, Bollywood alternatives group, lence was not evil. It created effortlessly. It the Ahmedabadcould be misunderstood, created the new myth of based Compost Heap misused; it could be tragurbanism and urban vioic. But true evil began with Sanjay lence through an unforgettable hero Gandhi. Sanjay Gandhi was the archi– Amitabh Bachchan. tect of the Emergency and a man Bachchan was a perfect foil to the who single-handedly dissolved the gentleness of Rajesh Khanna, a true institutional structures around which romantic. Bachchan was the first Nehruvian India was built. Trade urban hero. He was the first hero unions, courts, universities, the who had no roots in the village and bureaucracy all dissolved under the saw himself at home in a slum. corrosive eye of Indira Gandhi’s son. Bachchan portrayed the true equaliHe saw himself as Mr Development ty of all urban occupations by playand used urban and family planning ing coolie, paanwallah, cop, criminal to eliminate the poor as poverty was and smuggler. His was a faith in more difficult to erase. urban mobility and he had little JULY 22, 2012
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Jacques Derrida once said the evil of the future sometimes comes as an advance warning epitomised in one individual. Sanjay Gandhi was such an apparition. A self-styled mechanic who served a stint at Rolls Royce, a self-appointed designer whose original car ran 40 miles before its doors fell off, Sanjay felt he was a paradigm for a new governance. Tired of the unending talk of democracy, he demanded the silence of submission and dotted politics with illiterate injunctions like “work more, talk less.” He hated the argumentative Indian. He created an ultimate circle of sycophancy and between sycophancy and fear fabricated India’s only period of dictatorship. Luckily what politics could not do, technology did and a plane crash created an end to a man who dreamt of being the Henry Ford of India. The Seventies marked the irony of development as modern technological projects wrecked the countryside – damming rivers, polluting villages, displacing people. The violence of
development was disguised by the sanctity we gave to economics as a science. The citizen was no longer a person recognised by the Constitution, he was one who was not vulnerable to development. We were about to create a nation of refugees, ready to convince the world that we were a hard state. Tribes, Nomads, Slums, Pastoral Groups were all becoming non-citizens. In a strange way we live with the decade of the Seventies. The Emergency still exists in some other context. Amitabh survives now in a mellow manner but his message of violence has eaten deep into the psyche of India. Only we label it as globalisation. A decade we have forgotten still shapes our unconscious. A Freud of urbanism will have to dig deep into this decade to understand the making of violence in 21st century India. Next week, The Sixties by Rachel Dwyer The views expressed by the author are personal
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T O TA L R E C A L L
Vinyl records capture the imagination of music lovers with their characteristic rusty sound. Album covers are often works of art, and people look for new additions to their collections
THE ’70S – FROM ‘WE’ TO ‘ME’ The Seventies were a decade of the individual. Amitabh Bachchan, Indira Gandhi and Sunil Gavaskar all challenged the rules and made us a nation that believed in the power of ‘one’
1975 ARYABHATA, INDIA’S FIRST SATELLITE IS LAUNCHED BY THE SOVIET UNION. INDIAN SPACE PROGRAMME GETS ITS MUSCLE
Polka dots, maxi gowns and bell bottoms are the ultimate sartorial statements of the day. Young men copy Amitabh’s hairstyle, producing hippie-haired clones in every part of the country
1975
Indira Gandhi declares a national emergency, delaying polls, censoring the press and suspending constitutional freedoms for national security Amitabh Bachchan is the angry young face of Bollywood, reflecting the frustrations of an entire generation. He gives 10 superhits in a row, becoming a superstar
Sunil Gavaskar debuts, helps India win against the West Indies. A star is born and Indian cricket gets steel in its soul
1975
BLOCKBUSTER HIT
ZEENAT AMAN portrays a pot-smoking hippie in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, changing the image of the coy Indian heroine
1971
The purple-suited, milk-drinking Phantom of Indrajal Comics is the epic superhero of the time
Hindustan Ambassador, the first car to be manufactured indigenously, becomes ‘The King of the Indian Roads’ JULY 22, 2012
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Ramesh Sippy’s curry western inspired many clones. But the original Sholay, often referred to as the best Hindi film ever made, is impossible to recreate
OPERATION FLOOD makes India the 1970 largest producer of milk and milk products. Verghese Kurien is the architect of this ‘White Revolution’ and transforms Amul into a mega company based on the cooperative approach Magazines like Stardust introduce an irreverent style of writing that is distinctly tongue-incheek, chutneyfying the Queen’s English
LIRIL girl Karen Lunel creates a sensation by bathing under a waterfall for the iconic soap ad
1971
India and Pakistan fight their second major war, which ends with the surrender of Pakistani troops. A new nation, Bangladesh, is created
ANKUR, directed by Shyam Benegal, ushers in the parallel cinema movement. Brings a fresh sense of realism to the film industry
1974
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WHAT’S ON THE PLATE, LONDON?
they could organise the swimming events at the forthcoming Olympics at any meadow; no swimming pool is required. However, once all this Olympic madness is over and once – according to the Met Office – the rain has receded somewhat (that would be September, Vir Sanghvi I think), then do visit London. It is still one of the world’s two great foodie cities. In terms of trends, the most notable is the move away from formal dining towards more buzzy The city moves away from formal dining places. One such hot restaurant is the Pollen Street Social, which takes the ‘Social’ in its name quite towards more buzzy places – but not at seriously. In the evenings the place is full of people drinking at the bar, helping themselves to the expense of celebrity chefs tapas or antipasti and wandering around the two ES, I KNOW. I wrote about food trends main rooms that comprise the restaurant. in London a few weeks ago. So why am What makes Pollen Street Social such a hot place I flogging the same horse with yet (it is hard to score a table) is that it does serious another piece on the subject? food. The chef is Jason Atherton who opened Maze, Well, apart from the obvious reason (i.e. I went the Asian-influenced small plates place, for Gordon back again), there are two others. The first is that Ramsay Holdings. But this is very much his own an astonishing number of people told me that they place and it probably does better than any of enjoyed the first piece: partly because they visit Ramsay’s own restaurants do these days. (A branch London reasonably often and partly because any in Singapore is supposed to open soon). true foodie wants to know about restaurant trends I liked the vibe but at lunch, the food was disin the food capital of the world. And the second tinctly so-so. A poached cod and a slow-cooked lamb reason is that the first piece was vaguely incomentrée were competently executed but had no ‘wow’ plete: there were still trends left to discuss, restaufactor. Starters of a foie gras terrine and English rants left to review. asparagus with heritage tomatoes were disapBut before we go any further, here’s a bit of advice pointing. The greeters had the air of shampoothat you might find slightly surprising: if you are trainees at a high street salon but our waiter, Ludek, planning a trip to London, don’t. from Czechoslovakia, was quite outstanding. CHEF MATTERS The city is going to be taken over by the Olympic Ludek’s ethnicity pointed to another trend. A Pollen Street Social has hordes, hotels will be full, roads will be shut, the traffic will be decade and a half ago, fancy restaurants had French waiters even Jason Atherton’s (above) unbearable and the London we know and love will vanish for if the kitchens were all Brit. Now, that’s changed. There are lots of name on the menu in bigger about a month or so. Indians at the back of the house (kitchen, pantry etc.) but very rarely letters than the restaurant’s Then, there’s the small problem of the English summer. The week are they allowed into the front. The visible staff at most upmarket I was there, they found the Higgs Boson. But they still couldn’t find restaurants (and designer shops, for that matter) tend to be white DRINK AND BE MERRY the English summer. England has had more rain this year than ever – Eastern Europeans on the whole, who have no experience of the In the evenings, Pollen food or (Ludek being an exception) of service itself. Their primary Street Social is full of people before. Even when the sun does shine, it only shows itself for an hour or so before vanishing. And then, the rain takes over. One night qualification is that because they are white, they seem European. drinking at the bar, helping while I was there, the Met Office issued 199 separate flood warnThe Indians are hidden away where no one can see them. themselves to tapas or ings and large parts of Britain were so completely submerged that If this isn’t racism, then I don’t know what it is. antipasti I mentioned Burger & Lobster last time. It is one of London’s most popular restaurants with two conceits. The first is that it does not take reservations (like Meat Liquor, another trendy burger joint I wrote about). The other is that the menu does really only consist of lobster and burgers – both at the same price. They pull this off by serving a lobster sandwich (called a Lobster Roll in the American style) that doesn’t actually have that much lobster in it. You can, if you like, order whole lobsters but these cost a lot more. Unlike Meat Liquor, which I did not like, I was impressed by Burger & Lobster. The restaurant looks nice, is well-run and the staff are friendly and efficient. Plus
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rude food
Courtesy: WWW. POLLENSTREETSOCIAL.COM
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A DAMN GOOD PLACE
The menu of Burger & Lobster does really only consist of lobster and burgers
Courtesy: WWW. POLLENSTREETSOCIAL.COM Photo: CC/BELLAPHON
JULY 22, 2012
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Photo: DAVE M BENETT/GETTY IMAGES
Courtesy: WWW.KITCHENW8.COM
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A SPLENDID SPREAD
At Kitchen W8, the food was excellent. It wasn’t hard to see why the restaurant has a Michelin star the burgers are really good. You would think that a rise in buzzy places would lead to the devaluation of the chef. But no, chefs are very much at the centre of the new eating-out culture. Pollen Street Social has Jason Atherton’s name on the menu in bigger letters than the name of the restaurant’s. Brown’s Hotel is one of London’s great names but it sensibly outsources the food at its dining room to a celebrity chef, Mark Hix, who made his name at The Ivy before launching his own empire. And it seems to have worked. Though the restaurant has still to take off, the food was great: English snails, crispy pork belly, etc. Philip Howard is probably the last great unsung British chef. His The Square has long deserved three stars but Michelin has refused to give him more than two. Undeterred, Howard has launched an empire of his own. One of his places – The Ledbury – now has two stars in its own right. And another, Kitchen W8, a neighbourhood restaurant on the Abingdon Road, has one star, despite making no efforts to please the Michelin inspectors. I went for dinner to Kitchen W8 and was struck by the friendliness of the place and wide range of wines available by the carafe.
THE GUYS WHO RULE THE PLATE
The kings of the London restaurant scene are Jeremy King (left) and Chris Corbin
The food was excellent: an outstanding foie gras terrine, delicious steak tartare and thin slices of Spanish pata negra. It wasn’t hard to see why the restaurant has a Michelin star. The kings of the London restaurant scene are Jeremy King and Chris Corbin. In this avatar (after they sold The Ivy, Le Caprice, etc.) they are best known for the Wolseley but are now suddenly expanding furiously. I wrote last time about The Delaunay which I loved. There’s a new place in Sloane Square still to come and a hotel off Oxford Street opens next year. I went to Brasserie Zédel, their newest restaurant, a week after it had opened, before the reviews had come out and before the publicity had begun. Even so, it was packed. Corbin and King have transformed a basement off Piccadilly Circus into a huge French brasserie of the sort you would expect to find at a grand railway station. (Except that in today’s France, you’d probably find a McDonald’s at a railway station). Corbin and King like Mittel Europe and Austria so it was nice to see them take on France for a change. That said, I thought the food was a work in progress: the foie gras and escargots were okay but you could get better at a dozen other places in London for only a little more money. A steak haché, duck confit and a Floating Island were much better but the food has yet to hit the highs you expect of Corbin and King. More unusually, the waiting staff were ill-informed. The wine list is all French so it was odd to see a wine described simply as ‘Pinot Noir’. I asked a manager-type where the wine was from. He said ‘France’ which was self-evident and so no help. I asked him if he could find out where in France and he never came back. Fortunately, we had a wonderful waitress, Georgie, newly arrived from Sydney, who knew her stuff and said the wine came from the Loire (which might explain why it was so tasteless). I asked Georgie if the excellent chips were commercial and if the confit had mustard in the sauce. She checked with the head waiter who said the chips were hand cut (which was odd because they were coated like Stealth Fries) and that there was no mustard in the duck. Because she was good at what she did, she then went to the kitchen and double checked. The chef told her the fries were McCain. The confit had Dijon mustard in the sauce. So much for the head waiter. Small things. And perhaps they’ll get it right eventually. But from Corbin and King, you expect perfection.
Courtesy: WWW. BROWNSHOTEL.COM
The visible staff at most upmarket restaurants (and designer shops) tend to be white. The Indians are hidden away
READY TO TAKE OFF
Though Hix at The Albemarle (at Brown’s Hotel) has still to take off, the food was great: English snails, crispy pork belly, etc
JULY 22, 2012
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Photo: CC/KINGFACE66
TOP CHEF
Celebrity chef Mark Hix made his name at The Ivy before launching his own empire
Pollen Street Social Ph: 020 7290 7600, Email: reservations@ pollenstreetsocial.com Burger & Lobster Ph: 020 7409 1699, Email:info@burgerandlobster.com Hix at The Albemarle, Brown’s Hotel Ph: 020 7518 4004, Email: thealbemarle@ roccofortehotels.com Kitchen W8 Ph: 020 7937 0120, Email: reservations@ kitchenW8.com Brasserie Zédel Ph: 020 7734 4888, Email: info@brasseriezedel.com
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TELLY TALK News television has its own lexicon; here’s a ready primer
In this parallel universe, words and phrases tend to take on a completely different meaning
complete and utter mockery of the phrase.
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HESE DAYS, as I settle down in front of the TV every evening, I am increasingly struck by how news television seems to occupy an alternate reality of its own, completely removed from the world as we know it. Events unfold at a breakneck pace; everything (no matter how trivial) is informed with a certain urgency; and yes, of course, everyone is much, much shriller. There seems to be no place for subtlety; no feel for nuance; and certainly no room for shades of grey – it’s all black and white even if it appears to be depicted in brilliant technicolour. And in this parallel universe – populated by shouting, hectoring anchors, breathless, sometimes nearhysterical reporters, and guests who yell louder and louder in an attempt to be heard – words and phrases tend to take on a completely different meaning from the ones they have in the real world. So, in an attempt to help you decipher the workings of your favourite news channel, here’s a ready reckoner of what things mean in the real world – and how they translate when they’re used on TV news.
BREAKING NEWS
Seema Goswami
In the real world: This means news that is of earth-shattering importance. The kind of event, announcement or development you hold the front page for. The key word in this phrase is not ‘breaking’ but ‘news’. What matters is the quality of the ‘news’ and the impact it has on us, not the fact that it is ‘breaking’. For instance, it may be ‘breaking’ that Rakhi Sawant has had breast implants; but that does not make it ‘Breaking News’. On the other hand, if a bomb attack has been reported, a volcano has erupted, or a minister has been sacked, then the term ‘breaking’ may usefully be employed. In the world of news TV: However, the term ‘Breaking News’ has come to mean any old bit of news that is coming through on the wires and will provide a welcome break from the tedium of half-hourly updates. So, it doesn’t matter if the news item in question is as frivolous as Deepika Padukone making a dig at her former boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor or as unexciting as the release of the list of candidates for the local municipality elections, it will still be described as ‘Breaking News’ and conveyed to the viewer in a suitably high-pitched tone. As if this was not enough, one channel has gone even further and titled one of its prime-time shows ‘Breaking News’ – as if genuine ‘news’ would ‘break’ at a time of their choosing – thus making a Photos: THINKSTOCK
JULY 22, 2012
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EXCLUSIVE
In the real world: There is no confusion about what the term ‘exclusive’ means. It means something that is available to only some people. In journalistic terms, the meaning is even plainer: an ‘exclusive’ refers to a piece of news, a breaking story, an interview, or some information that only one particular news outlet has access to. It could be an ‘exclusive’ interview with the Prime Minister (assuming our Prime Minister ever found his voice). It could be the revelation of some documents in the 2G case. It could be a story about Rahul Dravid’s retirement; or even an interview with Shah Rukh Khan about his mid-life crisis. But no matter what the story, it is only an ‘exclusive’ if nobody else has it. Pretty self-evident, don’t you think? No, not for the denizens of the news telly universe, apparently. In the world of news TV: The word ‘Exclusive’ seems to mean the complete and exact opposite. Even when a news story is ‘breaking’ simultaneously across several channels, and even when all of them have the exact same information, each channel still insists on branding their story with an ‘Exclusive’ tag. Why do they bother when their viewers – who tend to surf through all news channels – can see for themselves that there is nothing ‘Exclusive’ about their information? Don’t ask me. I am as puzzled by this self-serving mendacity as you are.
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FIRST LOOK
In the real world: This means pretty much what it says. If a magazine says that it is bringing you the ‘first pictures’ of, say, Angelina and Brad’s new baby, then it means that nobody else has access to these pictures. If a newspaper promises you a ‘first look’ at some documents relating to the Adarsh scam, you can rest assured that these will not crop up in a rival publication on the same day. In the world of news TV: Though, everyone rushes to assure us that they have been the ‘first’ to bring a story to our attention, even when this is patently untrue. But no matter what the event (or how tragic the circumstances), news channels vie with one another to tell us that they are the first to bring us visuals of a bomb blast/an earthquake/tsunami/insert catastrophe of choice. Not only are these contradictory claims completely baffling but it also begs the question: is it really necessary to insert such an inappropriate note of self-congratulation in the coverage of what is essentially a disaster in human terms?
SPOKE TO OUR REPORTER
In the real world: This old chestnut means that the politician/film star/industrialist/sports star/celebrity actually spoke to the publication in question on a one-on-one basis, answering questions that a reporter put to them. In the world of news TV: This seems a handy way to describe any press conference, where the channel’s reporter was also wielding a microphone on the grounds, presumably, that the reporter was also being ‘spoken to’. Go figure. seema_ht@rediffmail.com. Follow Seema on Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami
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STORAGE IN HEAVEN OOK AROUND you. You’re surrounded by gigabytes of storage! Some that you know of and most that you are completely unaware of. Your Notebook hard drive, the Tablet you own, a portable music player, your USB drives, your external hard drives, your phone memory – it’s reams and reams of storage floating with movies, songs, documents and pictures. It’s almost impossible to think of life without all this. Yet just a few years ago anything close to what we have today would have sounded like insane science fiction!
SAVE IT ALL FOR YOU
The first hard drive was the IBM 350 Disk File inside the 305 RAMAC computer. It was put together with fifty 24-inch discs with a total storage capacity of a ‘whopping’ 5MB. And the first HDD to have more than 1GB capacity was the IBM 3380 released in 1980. It was the size of 5 refrigerators, weighed 250 kg and the price was an economical R78,32,000 (yup, you read that right, 78 lakhs!). Today it would cost you about R100. Time to thank your lucky stars and all the Gods of Technology (no, no not me)!
IT WASN’T ALWAYS LIKE THIS
Storing data via cloud computing devices is easy
SYNC-TASTIC
When you download the Dropbox software, it creates a folder in your directory
HEAVENLY FACEOFF
Rajiv Makhni
techilicious
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When you’re surrounded by gigabytes of storage, opting for the best one is tough
But as always, technology is once again playing its magical hands. Disruptive new forces are going to make what you use today look pretty foolish in the next few years. And proof of that has already come in the form of an all-new war that has been unleashed directly in the heavens above. Most techies call it cloud storage, but that’s actually a very unfortunate phrase as it tends to confuse normal users. Think of this all new storage system as data that you send high up in the sky, where it resides safe and sound waiting for you to retrieve it back again as and when you want it. This data is omnipresent and doesn’t care what device you use to put it there or pull it back. The only job it has is to give it – wherever you are – whatever device you use – and whenever you want it. Sounds like heaven, right? There are now three big contenders for providing you this heaven.
THE ORIGINAL
THE FIRST ONES
The IBM 305 RAMAC computer (below, left) filled a room; The 1GB hard drive on the IBM 3380 (below, right)
Dropbox was the original. It changed the game, it made heaven (cloud) storage simple and easy
Dropbox was the original. It changed the game, it made heaven (cloud) storage simple, easy, consumer-friendly and made people understand the power of such a simple idea. Once you download the Dropbox software, it creates a folder in your directory. Anything you put in this folder syncs to your Dropbox account. You can automate certain folders to sync on their own, pictures appear in a special shareable folder and collaboration with multiple users works well. You can access files from anywhere in the world and
AIN’T HARD TO FIND
Through its ‘Fetch’ feature, even files you didn’t upload to SkyDrive can be ‘fetched’ from your computer
literally on any device (phone, Tablet, PC, Notebook, even your Smart TV). It changed people’s lives and saved many a skin. No more drudgery of uploading to a USB stick or emailing files to yourself. Dropbox was a revolution but Dropbox just got two heavy bricks dropped on its head.
ENTER THE DRAGONS
Enter Microsoft and Google, the two heavyweights of the tech industry. They wanted a piece of the data pie in the sky. MS drove in hard with SkyDrive and Google roared in with Google Drive. Each can do most of what Dropbox can do plus quite a bit more. First Google Drive. It gives you 5GB free (Dropbox has 2GB), has a better web app with preview areas, a very powerful search system, can open Google docs online, uses Google’s Optical Character recognition on scanned documents and pictures (type Taj Mahal in the search and it’ll show you your uncaptioned pictures of the Taj), has live document collaboration and is fast in sync up and down.
THUNDER STEALER
SkyDrive has bigger ambitions. It gave away 25GB free accounts but has recently pulled back (still gives 7GB) and does most of what Dropbox and Google Drive do. The killer feature is ‘Fetch’. Even files you didn’t upload to SkyDrive can be ‘fetched’ from your computer’s hard drive back home. Mobile apps for almost all OS platforms are either already in or on their way. If you run out of space then you can buy more space at pretty reasonable prices (SkyDrive is the cheapest) and there are hundreds of apps that use the power of this storage and seamlessly integrate and save data straight to them.
WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Who wins? Well, as of now it’s Microsoft that has stolen the thunder, with Google nipping right at its heels. Dropbox will need to up the ante a bit as these two have come out with all guns blazing. So, which one would I recommend? THAT is a slightly silly question. Obviously all three! They are all free, give you a combined bounty of 14GB of storage and each has their own super features. It’s rare in life to get a piece of heaven for free. Here you’ve got three! Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, CellGuru and Newsnet 3.Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter.com /RajivMakhni
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MELODY AFTER THE MÉLIÈS
French electronica duo Air’s music is enjoyable even for those who are not fans of the genre
Photo: GETTYIMAGES
Sanjoy Narayan
download central
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RESTORED ON VINYL
Air’s Jean-Benoît Duncke (left) and Nicolas Godin’s music harks back to the electronica sounds of the ’70s
colourised version of the 16-minute Méliès film with Air’s soundtrack. Méliès’s film is a sci-fi story about a bunch of madcap scientists blasting themselves off to the moon and their adventures and perils once they land there. The bonus DVD version is hand coloured and restored and is, unlike the original, not silent, of course. Air’s electronica fits the funnysad short film like a glove I thought, although one of my co-watchers, a third-grader, felt it would have been better if it was in its original silent version. To each her own, I guess. FACT AND FICTION On the full-length vinyl, Air’s Nicolas Godin and HE FIRST time I tried to watch Martin Papa Georges (above, Jean-Benoît Duncke have done a brilliant job that Scorsese’s Hugo, I did so on an aircraft, on right), in Hugo, is a would appeal to both electronica fans as well as the piddly little screen on the back of the character based on French sci-fi aficionados equally. Air’s music harks back to seat in front of mine in the economy section. Bad illusionist and filmmaker the electronica sounds of the 1970s – you can hear influences of decision. Hugo is Scorsese’s first film shot in 3D and a tiny screen Georges Méliès Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and even Pink Floyd. But, also, and in the cramped confines of an airline seat does it no justice. It was, here’s what sets them apart from other electronica bands, you can indeed, so frustrating that I gave up on Hugo that first time. The also hear melodies and lyrics and the influence of singers such as second time I tried watching Hugo was at home, on a larger screen the late Serge Gainsbourg. with better sound but still not in 3D. Nonetheless, I watched the I hadn’t heard much of Air’s music in the last several years – the entire film this time and enjoyed it thoroughly. only full album of theirs that I remember is their debut album, But this is not about Hugo, the film. At the core of Scorsese’s Moon Safari, which came out in the late 1990s and it film is the story of Papa Georges, the part played by had struck me as being more electronic pop than Ben Kingsley. Papa Georges, in fact, is a character anything experimental. Electronica, I must admit, is based on Georges Méliès, the French illusionist and not my genre of listening choice, so I’d not really gone filmmaker who is considered to be among the THE JUKEBOX out seeking more of Air’s music. But I’d, not-so-longpioneers that developed narrative filmmakn my last visit to The Steam ago, also heard some songs from their 2004 album ing, special effects and hand colouring of films. Engine, I picked up a recordWalkie Talkie, which had a track named Alone In Kyoto Méliès, who died in 1938 at the age of 76, made ing of Wilco’s July 8 concert in that the duo had composed for Sofia Coppola’s film, hundreds of films but towards the end of his Illinois, a March 19 concert by Lost In Translation, and another track, Universal career, he went bankrupt and himself destroyed The Black Keys, a June 26 concert by My Morning Jacket and, Traveler. I’d liked both but not obsessively. They most of the negatives of his films. A few negjust for old times’ sake, a 1989 rested somewhere in an iPod and were certainly not atives were saved and, in the plot of Scorsese’s Neil Young Concert at the Jones my go-to tracks. Hugo, the screening of one of the films that Beach Ampitheater in Wantagh, But after watching Le Voyage and listening to the survived, leads to Méliès being eventually THE STORY NY. All for free. rediscovered and going on to be celebrated The album Le Voyage Dans La album, I explored and found more from Air. Such The Steam Engine is a webas So Light is Her Footfall, a gentle song but one that once again. site where gigs by an astonishLune is inspired by Méliès’s ing number of musicians and is best experienced via a superb black and white Late last year, a few of Méliès’s films in their eponymous film bands are available for free and video by the French filmmaker Edouard Salier. I’d restored versions were released on DVD. I had legally so. True, not all of recommend checking it out (link in the Web version of DC) as read somewhere that 200 of his 531 films are still around and The Steam Engine’s well as Salier’s other music videos. most of them are restored and available on DVD. The story recordings would get five Air makes spacey, trippy music but there is a melodic infusion of Méliès is fascinating and, had it not been for Scorsese’s stars for quality – many of them are audience to it that is at once also calming. In addition to the synths and sfx, fabulous film, I’d have remained ignorant about him and his recordings – but it’s a there are basslines, percussions and tunes, including lyrics, that work. So you can imagine my excitement when I received in treasure trove worth exmake their music not just accessible to but enjoyable for even nonthe mail a package containing a vinyl album entitled LeVoyage ploring. Head to The Treaelectronica Luddites such as me. But, do try listening to the Air Dans La Lune. The package was from Virgin Records and the sury section to see who score for Méliès’s film while watching that otherwise silent film. album was by the French electronica music duo named Air. from the A to Z of bands you can get absolutely Perhaps then you’ll enjoy their music more. The album is inspired by Méliès’s film of the same name, gratis. (www.thesteathe restored version for which the duo has composed an To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned in this column, go to mengine.net) original score. The vinyl came with a bonus, a DVD of the http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/download-central, follow argus48 on Twitter
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Photo: THINKSTOCK
JULY 22, 2012
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WELLNESS
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MIND BODY SOUL
SHIKHA SHARMA
RHYTHM OF LIFE W E ALL develop a pattern of living. Mostly, there is a certain routine we follow in everything we do – the time we wake up, when we feel hungry, the time we reach out for that cup of coffee, or the time we nod off to sleep – the body and mind need to follow a routine. In fact, the body has its own bio rhythm too. The bio rhythm is an internal body clock which controls all the bodily functions. It is defined in terms of cycles – a day’s cycle, monthly cycle and the yearly cycle. The daily cycle controls how we respond to the release of certain hormones which, in turn, control our bodily activities like digestion, metabolism, regeneration and healing. The monthly cycle controls how we respond to deli-
cate biological processes like the menstrual cycle, release of ovum and the disintegration of the uterine wall at the end of the month. The yearly routine dictates how we age, when we start losing hair, the time when hormonal growth diminishes and the other changes associated with ageing. Life is all about timing and patterns – how we create disruptive patterns or creative patterns and cycles. It is in our hands to create disruptive cycles or creative cycles. The things which can affect these cycles are: ■ Sleep cycle and its duration ■ Exercise cycle ■ Eating cycle [the feeding cycle] SLEEP PATTERN AND CYCLE Most people underestimate the rela-
tionship between health and sleep. Many people connect sleep with only tiredness and feel a sense of achievement if they can compromise on sleep. Sleep is not simply the shutting down of the mind and body. How important and complex the sleep cycle is can be gauged from certain observations: ■ Sleep-deprived people can cause accidents at work and while driving. ■ They have accelerated ageing. ■ Sleep deprivation can lead to major errors in making judgments. Sleepdeprived scientists, doctors, pilots, researchers, etc., can make serious errors while taking important decisions. ■ Sleep deprivation leads to stress which can lead to a heart attack. All of us need at least 6-8 hours of restful sleep [restful sleep has a certain pattern of completing the sleep cycles described in the sleep wave pattern]. FEEDING CYCLE When we eat is as important as what we eat. Our food intake is directly related to the insulin levels in our blood. Let’s look at two situations of the feeding cycle: PATTERN ONE Previous night: Late and heavy dinner. Breakfast: Skipped, because you’re not hungry, but you compensate with tea and coffee with sugar. Lunch: You have no time to eat, so instead, you drink more coffee and tea with biscuits that are loaded with trans fats, refined flour and sugar. This results in a spike in insulin levels and converts calories to fat. Evening: You get hungry on the way home and you indulge in snacks like bhujiya, namkeen and pakodas once you’re home. These snacks are loaded with refined flour, trans fats, salt and
preservatives. Dinner: You’re not hungry any more, but have to eat with your family. This results in more unwanted food. This pattern increases chances of obesity, asthma, diabetes and heart attacks. PATTERN TWO [HEALTHY PATTERN] Previous night: Light dinner. Morning: You wake up hungry and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Lunch: Caffeinated beverage consumption goes down if you eat breakfast and you eat a moderate lunch. Evening: You don’t indulge in snacks. Dinner: You opt for a light and early dinner with family. Which pattern do you think will sustain your health? EXERCISE PATTERN In our adult life, we almost give up exercising. Exercising is directly linked to our bio rhythm, emotional cycles, body strength and stamina, bone strength and calcium retention and cardiovascular strength. Patterns and cycles are the foundation of our lives. We should focus on creative patterns to lead a healthy life.
Life is all about timing and patterns – how we create disruptive patterns or creative patterns
Photo: THINKSTOCK
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PERSONAL AGENDA
22
twitter.com/HTBrunch
Hairstylist/entrepreneur
Adhuna Akhtar if i could...
SUN SIGN Aries
BIRTHDAY March 30
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE
SCHOOL/ COLLEGE
Rainford High School, UK
HOMETOWN PLACE OF BIRTH Mumbai
Liverpool, UK
There have been many: owning my own horse at 14, winning the under-21 National Junior Championship in hairdressing in the UK at 16, opening my first salon in 1998, meeting Farhan (Akhtar), having two wonderful daughters, the list goes on. Besides many other accolades in hairdressing and a trip to Portugal with my family
LOW POINT CURRENTLY OF YOUR LIFE DOING
Losing my Dad at the age of 12 and watching my mum struggle through hard times
Being a mama, partner in b:blunt and entering the world of TV with Be Blunt on TLC
I WOULD DANCE IN A BIKINI,
Photos: THINKSTOCK
feathers and all, at the Brazil Carnival SKYDIVE, AGAIN
I’ve only done it once, but I loved it
WANT TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD...
Should I go on?
Who has the best hairstyle in Bollywood? Nobody at the moment. Who would you like to style? Everyone in Indian cinema – but it has to be the way I see it. Who would you rate as a hair icon? Vidal Sassoon. How would you style Lalu Yadav? His jaw is full, so some volume is required around the sides to balance the face shape. I would keep his hair short and sharp. I would just change the balance on the sides. And Mamata Banerjee? I would start with some conditioning treatments, as her hair is curly and lacks moisture. Maybe a classic bob a little below jaw length for a fresh look. Agassi with long hair or Agassi bald? Bald, any day. Your must-have hair accessory? JULY 22, 2012
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A great cut. You wear your hair good in most things. everyday, so the cut is vital. Are Indian men still mama’s boys? Men with facial hair or a clean shave? A lot of them are. Depends on whose face and You’re on TV, is Bollywood next? how much hair they have. No idea, never say never. The craziest hairstyle you’ve had? Your darkest fantasy? I think I have had every haircut Too dark to disclose here. under the sun! One place you’d never get a tattoo? Do you see any similarities between I have one at the back of my your children and you as a child? neck. I don’t want any more. Not physically, though many Your most irrational fear? people say our youngest Snakes. daughter Akira looks One lie you got away with? a lot like me. Her Telling my mum that a MOVIE YOU nature is a lot client had gifted me a WOULDN’T like mine – dog – I actually bought MIND naughty, enerit from a pet shop! BEING A getic, and a The biggest surprise zest for life. you’ve given your partner? PART OF? Which hairFarhan’s birthday style suits party last year – he Farhan the had no clue! best? — Interviewed by He looks Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi
Kill Bill as Uma Thurman
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