Hindustantimes Brunch 23 December 2012 by Hindustan Times

WEEKLY MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 23, 2012 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times

Whether Whether you you splurge or splurge or scrimp scrimp –– here are the here are the most most exciting exciting partying partying options options in Delhi, Mumbai, in Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Goa, Dubai Dubai and Bangkok and Bangkok

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VIR SANGHVI

The perfect coffee shop

SANJOY NARAYAN

The coolest live gigs

RAJIV MAKHNI

Worst tech of 2012

SEEMA GOSWAMI My X-mas wishlist

B R E A K FA S T O F C H A M P I O N S Our Favourite Christmassy Things

hindustantimes.com/brunch by Mignonne Dsouza

A mug of steaming cocoa and any one of these Skipping Christmas – John Grisham Don’t see the movie (Christmas with the Kranks). Rather, let the master of legal drama draw you in with this sweet tale of a couple who decide to not celebrate the holiday, and then are compelled to change their minds.

The Harry Potter series - JK Rowling Suits of armour enchanted to sing carols, Sirius Black hanging Santa hats on the elf heads mounted in his home... Christmas at Hogwarts and #12 Grimmauld Place is always quirky.

Brunch Quiz

by Rachel Lopez

How well do you know Christmas?

Little Women – Louisa May Alcott In the early chapters of the novel, the March sisters complain about having no presents, but then sacrifice their Christmas meal to feed a hungry family. It’s the nicest reminder that this season is also about giving.

1. It’s somebody’s birthday on December 25. Whose? 2. Christmas trees can be decorated in many ways. What always goes on top? 3. The Christmas season officially ends on January 6. Why? 4. What are the songs for the season called? Hint: It’s a girl’s name too. 5. How many reindeer does it take to pull Santa’s sleigh full of gifts? 6. The first three Christmas gifts ever, were Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Who were the gift givers? 7. Complete the following: Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we’ve no place to go... 8. If two people find themselves under the mistletoe, what do they HAVE to do? 9. Jesus was said to be born in a modest little stable. But in what contraption specifically? 10. Name the coveted action toy that almost ruined Christmas in a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Answers: 1. Jesus; 2. A star (or an angel); 3. It’s the day the Three Wise Men or the Magi reached Bethlehem to greet baby Jesus; 4. Carols; 5. Twelve; 6. The Magi; 7. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow; 8. Kiss!; 9. A manger; 10. Turbo man (the film is called jingle All The Way)

On The Brunch Radar

Arthur Christmas A feuding Santa Claus family, and a race to deliver a present to a child before Christmas... this movie is a completely new take on the holiday.

Wishful Thinking

Love Actually One man’s in love with his best friend’s wife, another has a tendre for his secretary, and the British PM hunts for his beloved on Christmas Eve. This movie is strange, but it will leave you smiling and in a festive mood just the same.

by Parul Khanna

All I want for Christmas is you

Holiday Checklist

Dos and don’ts

by Yashica Dutt

✔ Learn the entire lyrics of at least

1. CHANNING TATUM (Magic Mike): A private striptease as I bake you a plum cake. 2. JOSEPH MORGAN (Vampire Diaries): You’re welcome to take my blood while kissing me under the mistletoe. 3. ORLANDO BLOOM (The Hobbit): Hoe hoe hoe, off we go. Can you whisk me off to the mountains in New Zealand? Of course, spend Christmas with me then. 4. JENSEN ACKLES (Supernatural): We go for the midnight mass together where you fight off other ghosts (men). 5. RYAN GOSLING (Anywhere, any time): Can I be your sleigh driver? All my life.

Cover image: DINODIA Cover design: MONICA GUPTA

How The Grinch Stole Christmas NOT the Jim Carrey version. The original animated movie voiced by Boris Karloff is a wonderful way to get into the Christmas spirit. My favourite line, “Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch. But if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch.”

LOVE IT ■ Little magical creatures ■ Bright woollen socks ■ Fairytales for twentysomethings ■ Christmas cards ■ Scrooge

one Christmas carol, so you can sing it when you attend midnight mass. ✘ Don’t (Ladies Version) get a French manicure with glitter and diamonds just because it’s Christmas. Only porn stars do that. ✔ Decorate a Christmas tree. ✘ Don’t be the Christmas tree. Think celebration when you dress, not the retching bowl of the Ghost of Christmas. ✔ Kiss under the mistletoe. ✘ Make sure it’s not your cousin.

by Saudamini Jain

SHOVE IT ■ Plum cakes without rum (Whatzzat?) ■ Fat fingers ■ Boots in Mumbai ■ Plastic Santas ■ Life-changing experiences Tweets of the week @PunkAlbatross Read @argus48’s piece on Gary Clark Jr & Ty Segall. Need to check out their music. @sonalmahesh1975 Smiling throughout while reading The Man on a Holiday. Been there done that. @dkgdelhi You are very vibrant damsels tweeting for Brunch. Blessing and best wishes. Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter, ye ol’ twit!

Photos: THINKSTOCK

EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi, Rachel Lopez, Mignonne Dsouza, Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna Tewari, Yashica Dutt, Amrah Ashraf, Saudamini Jain, Shreya Sethuraman and Manit Moorjani

DECEMBER 23, 2012

DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti, Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Singh

Drop us a line at: brunchletters@

hindustantimes.com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

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DELHI

Bangkok

The over-the-top, big-spender party

Expert: Gaurav Bhatia, Champagne Boy

Dubai

adies and gentlemen, I have to declare that Delhi has arrived on the world partying circuit and is even inching ahead of Mumbai. I have found New York in New Delhi. It is also the champagne capital of India as well as the gastronomic one. So, if you’re looking to party in Delhi, then get ready for some eye-popping bling and unmentionable decadence. efore your night out, book a room (preferably the Maharaja suite) at The Leela Palace – the grand hotel in the heart of the city. Sit back and sip some green tea. Then suit up and leave the room when the sun goes down. Head straight to the Library Bar and call for some caviar and Dom Pérignon Vintage 2003. The Library Bar is a

YOUR BEST NIGHT OUT, EVER! Mumbai

Whether you’ve got the cash to splash, (or a more modest stash) here’s how to have a night to remember

Delhi

by Amrah Ashraf

VERYONE LOVES a good party – you meet friends, drink, enjoy a meal and dance till you drop. Sounds good, doesn’t it? But good doesn’t make the cut when it’s the last night (or one of the last nights) of the year. Every experience has to be great, if not out-ofthis-world. We’re thinking the finest Beluga caviar with a

n a Delhi vs Mumbai fight on Twitter, the Iaway two words that you need to keep a troll are: open spaces. Here, you can enjoy the unique outdoors that Delhi has to offer. o as Nitin Malik from the rock band Parikrama suggests: Meet on a friend’s lawn for a BYOB party (Bring Your Own Booze) and spend a few hours drinking around the bonfire. hen make dinner reservations at the city’s best-kept secret. As recommended by sommelier Magandeep Singh, go to Gung The Palace in Green Park Market for the most amazing Korean food. Apart from drinking copious amounts of Korean wine, you could also choose one of the private, low-level seating areas. The hit: about R2,500 per head or thereabouts. t’s only about 10pm now, and you’re done with dinner. But since it’s the best night out in Delhi, you can’t be done before you’ve visited the One Style Mile area. If stylist Pernia Qureshi is to be believed, you could feel like a real Mughal as you sip mar-

D T

Goa bottle of G.H. Mumm champagne on top of the Burj Khalifa. We have five destinations – New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Dubai and Bangkok – five experts and unlimited cash. And for those who don’t breathe money every moment of their life, there is an equally exciting alternative plan. So if you want a night to remember, here’s where to start. Photos: THINKSTOCK, COURTESY LEBUA, COURTESY TRILOGY

DECEMBER 23, 2012

...And if you don’t want to break the bank

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MUMBAI

The party-like-a-rock-star bash

Expert: Keenan Tham, owner of Trilogy Photos; COURTESY AER

LIVE LIFE KING SIZE

Celeb Spotting

Start and end your night in the Maharaja suite at The Leela Palace, where a personal butler awaits your every command

jewel of a place with an almost Renaissance-flavoured splendour. All you see around you is red – the colour of decadence. It will prepare you for the evening ahead – a gastronomic odyssey on the 10th floor. he world of haute cuisine awaits at one of the best tables in India. In the league of its namesake in Manhattan, Le Cirque lives up to all its glory. Call for their tuna tartare, spiced mango and fennel dressing and juliennes of radish. Maybe some Dover sole, clams and mussels with light turmeric froth.

The who’s who of the Delhi social circuit

MAGIC MUSHROOM

When partying at Shroom, don’t forget to try their edible cocktails and fluid food

ow, it’s time to play. Zip across the buttery smooth roads of Delhi and head straight to Anidra at the Aman Hotel. Here’s a trick that all revellers must remember – when partying in style, always make a reservation in the VIP section. Otherwise you will have to wait outside and that’s not fun. The table will announce itself with magnums of Moët and Belvedere, with Mary J Blige shrieking above. ater, go to B-Bar for a drink and soak in the ambience. Then, take the party to Shroom. The music is always good. Try their edible cocktails and fluid dishes. After tiring yourself out completely, just go to Threesixty° for a nightcap and then retire to your suite for the last bit of TLC. The night cannot get better than this.

tinis at the town’s latest bar, Dirty Martini, ow it’s time to set the dance routine in situated above Olive, for which you need to place. “Head towards Vasant Vihar. shell around R800-1,000 per drink. “They Manage to get the secret password for serve the best martinis I’ve had anywhere in Delhi’s first ‘speakeasy’ bar, PCO. The disIndia. And the view of the Qutab is creet location adds to the atmosStay Safe breathtaking.” phere, which is casual with the Travel in a group, and not sound of jazz,” says Narresh an all-girls one. Make Kukreja, one half of design-duo sure you have transport Shivan-Narresh. Next, you pre-arranged and a should be off to Kitty-Su, the 24x7 designated nightclub at The Lalit. “The club’s driver USP of staying open all night long with great music and champagne makes it the best option for that hour,” says Kukreja. ow, it’s about 6am, and there’s only one place to feed your soul. The nihari of Matia Mahal in Chandni Chowk, available only at this time. And after that, my friend, you’ll be happy to pass out.

- Yashica Dutt

IT’S ALWAYS TIME FOR MARTINIS

When you’re at a bar called Dirty Martini, can you NOT drink the classic martini?

WHERE THE AER IS RICH...

n Mumbai, we party like This rooftop bar at the Four Seasons is Mumbaikars – always on the move. Mumbai’s highest (above); the High We start partying in one part of the Fidelity cocktail at Ellipsis (below) city, only to make our way through the back-breaking potholes and traffic jams to get to another one. The while overlooking Mumbai’s lights party never stops and the revellers from their rooftop. never tire. But, if you want to party nce you’re well-fed, it’s time to hit like a rock star, then all you need are the nightclubs. In the city that deep pockets. never sleeps, unfortunately, the clubs o, without going into the details of shut down by 2am. So, make sure how you’re going to procure you finish dinner early, and drive to this mammoth wad of cash; let Trilogy. This is when things the party begin. Book a table get posh. Actually they get at Ellipsis and sip on their exorbitantly posh! Book a finest single malt. One drink table in the VVIP section at and a couple of conversaleast two days in advance. Celeb Spotting tions later, make your way Once you’re there, they will Hey, it’s Mumbai – you to Two One Two Bar and make sure that you are will find EVERYONE Grill. It’s one of Mumbai’s treated like a celebrity. You’ll here newest haunts and does a mean be whisked away to your private steak, medium rare. Or call for one of booth where a butler, a bouncer and their pastas – preferably the spagheta shiny bottle of Dom Pérignon ti carbonara with crispy pancetta. awaits you. The DJ will even hen, make your way to Café Zoe. announce your arrival. Dance the Everything about the place is night away. And do remember to ask really unobtrusive, unlike a lot for Jägermeister shots – they are of places in Mumbai. specially carved glasses worth Even more interesting, it shooting out of. is located in an erstwhile rap the party at mill and they have Trilogy and then retained the original go to Live. I know it’s a façade. Grab a table and long drive but it is defibuy a bottle of nitely worth the trip. Belvedere. If you’re in the Live is where the mood for Southeast Asian crème-de-la-crème of cuisine, then Yauatcha is Mumbai’s social life is your best bet. Order some seen. Entry into Live is Chilean sea bass, cooked to perstrictly by guest list or if you fection, and pork spare ribs. Pair it buy a table. So, get your name on it with a bottle of Bollinger. It truly is a before you get there. They have a gastronomic experience worth every great collection of alcohol, so drink! penny. Aer is another great place to Post 2am, head to a suite in the grab a bite. Sip on some fine wine Four Seasons and party till dawn.

DECEMBER 23, 2012

C OV E R STO RY

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...And if you’re feeling skint

...All roads lead to Goa at this time

Tips: Ajitnanand Hattangadi, partner, M&M Hospitality, and partner, Bardays Inn, Calangute

Kanika Parab and Mansi Poddar of Brown Paper Bag tell you what to do

umbai parties aren’t about the location M or carrying the right luxury handbag. Find a great crowd at WeThePpl’s dance

parties (Grime Riot Disco), there are a couple scheduled before the end of 2012. They are usually at random clubs, so there’s always the element of fun. Find them on Facebook or at wethepeopleareready.com. f you’re really cool, you’ll charter the yacht once owned by Gautam Singhania and now by Dipannita Sharma Atwal. The threemasted Arabian sailing dhow is great Drive Safe for a party off the coast, away Wherever you go, you'll from the noise and well... the end up drinking. And no common people! And it’s one wants to drive home actually cheaper than getting drunk. Call and book into any of the top clubs on yourself a radio cab New Year’s Eve. Email Anjali or chauffeur Suri on supermodelyacht@gmail.com to book. ant a hotel that doesn’t seem like a hotel? Sunny’s House on Colaba’s Merewether Road is a cute bed and breakfast (and we mean full Parsi breakfast) close enough to the Gateway to see the crowds but far enough away to escape the superdensecrushload of humanity. How’ll you know it’s 2013? When the ships in the harbour blow their horns at midnight.

n weekends, the best place to catch O some retro music is Cavala, at Saunta Vaddo in Calangute. This low-key resort

- Rachel Lopez

SAIL INTO THE SUNSET

Admire Mumbai’s coastline from a dhow

Photo: THINKSTOCK

hosts music performances though the year, but right now is when it kicks into high gear. ito’s is one of Goa’s most famous nightclubs, and Christmas Eve can see up to 3,400 revellers let their hair down. A not-tobe-missed spectacle. or a quieter experience that takes in shopping, music and good food, head to the Saturday Night Market at Baga Creek (the Anjuna Flea Market is overrated). he Flying Dolphin shack at Holiday Street in Calangute has yummy seafood, as well as Mediterranean, Continental and Goan speBeach hop cials. Another good Avoid Calangute, Baga Continental option is Café Del Mar at Baga. and Candolim on the 31st. ight now, scoring a Head to Arambol, Ashwem, and Morjim if you want decent budget room to see in the new in Goa would be a miracle. year Your best bet to really save money is to pile on to friends who have a home (or holiday home) in the state, or those have already made their bookings. illions of revellers are in Goa at this time. That translates into a lot of cars and traffic jams. So on December 31st, leave your hotel well ahead of time to get to - Mignonne Dsouza your destination.

GOA

FIERY, FIERY NIGHT

Cirrus, at Vagator, features drinks, and fire dancers – all in a secluded location

The over-the-top, big-spender party

tional apple crumble. hat is special about this place et’s get one thing clear – if you is service. You’ll always see want to party in a five-star celebs from showbiz, fashion and hotel then you’re wasting your the business world at this place. But time in Goa. Yes, there are some whether you are Akshay Kumar, really exquisite hotels here, but parAbhay Deol or a brother from next tying there is like partying anydoor, you’ll have the attention of the where else in the world. Goa is Maitre d’ and owner Sunil Singh. different. Goa is fun. Goa is wild. nce you are nicely Goa is young. high, head to f you’re a bunch of young Vagator to Cirrus. It’s revellers looking for a night the only place in Goa Celeb Spotting on the town, then head to Iwhere you can listen to Arjun Rampal, Nikhil 95 Restaurant and Bar in really good music while Chinappa, Abhay Deol, enjoying the wilderness. Saligao. This restaurant and almost everyone serves nouvelle cuisine. Call Their Mojitos are made from Bollywood for gratinated French goat with jaggery and homecheese, beef carpaccio and crab grown fresh mint. Divine…! The cakes served with wasabi cream. fire dancers are like mesmerising For mains, go for the applewood little ballerinas. bacon-wrapped beef medallion nce in Goa, a bit of gambling is stuffed with blue cheese and lemon allowed. Some casinos are open rind-dusted tiger prawns. Pair these till the wee hours. So head to Las with caipirinhas made with fresh Vegas – the club at the Leela hotel – tropical fruits. For dessert, try their and bet your luck. You might lose it dark chocolate and espresso souffle, all or recover everything you’ve wild berry pavlova and the tradispent till now. It’s worth a shot. Expert: Tinu Verghese, model

LIFE’S A BEACH

Want to bring in the new year on golden sands? Head to Morjim beach

Photo: COURTESY DIPANNITA SHARMA ATWAL

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

C OV E R STO RY

hindustantimes.com/brunch Celeb Spotting

DUBAI

pristine white beach and has great views of the city, and the terrace spills onto the beach. Grab grilled meat and seafood, fresh off the barbeque – with a glass of champagne (start slow, it’s going to be a long night and you don’t want to pass out just yet). The music is mostly old-school funk, disco and a slice of deep house. ow, change into your finest because you’re headed for food heaven! Don’t eat like a peasant in the main dining area. Book the private dining room. It comes complimentary with a bottle of wine which is handpicked by owner Robert De Niro from an exclusive winery in Italy. Have a menu prepared in advance and wait to be served like royalty.

The live-it-up, ultimate celebration

Expert: Salah Sadeq, DJ and creative director / partner, jk58 (a creative agency)

f you want to party in Dubai and party in style, start with booking a room at Atlantis, the Palm. They’ll send a fully-stocked stretch limo or a Bentley to fetch you from the airport. You can start partying in the car – pop open the champagne and enjoy Duba’s sights and sounds. nce at Atlantis, ask the bell boy to take your luggage to your suite and head to Nasimi for a sundowner party. The restaurant overlooks the

ARABIAN NIGHTS

Atlantis, the Palm has everything you need to make your Dubai trip a truly decadent one

LIMO CLASS

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

If you’ve already blown your cash, but still have a few days in Dubai…

Booking a suite at Atlantis comes with a a limousine pick up from the airport

Make sure you stop at Sidra and devour their salads, soups, lamb chops, roast lamb Tips: Vivek P, an artist who goes by the and yoghurt. Or you could indulge your desi name UBIK palate at the World Trade Centre Road at an irst, check out of your expensive hotel Indian-style curry house. and move into a budget hotel like Ibis. If artying in Dubai is a doddle for women – you want a no-frills bed for a night, then go out on Tuesday night and you will be instead of budget two-star hotels, head to drinking at least two or three free drinks in the Dubai Youth Hostel. The rooms are almost every bar. The Boudoir club offers clean and double sharing; that way you can excellent happy hours, and ladies, you may share the cost with someone. get free Moët on Tuesdays. Don’t nce you have a roof over f you want to smoke some sheeget arrested your head, start partying sha, then go to the quirky Hakaya Make sure you do not again. Your first stop should ‘overtly’ show affection on Café. Later, hop across the street be the palm-studded Al the streets. Laws against to Rush Inn Hotel. The parties go Dhiyafah Street. It is lined with public displays of affec- on till 3am. Drink endless rounds of tion are really strict wine and watch the dancers do a jig. charming streetside cafes.

Photo: THINKSTOCK

HIGH IN THE SKY

The Sky Bar at Sirocco once played host to the cast of The Hangover II

The over-the-top, big-spender party

Expert: Deepak Ohri, CEO of lebua Hotels & Resorts

Photo courtesy: LEBUA

BOUDOIR ENVY

This club has excellent happy hours. Ladies, get here on Tuesdays, and get a glass of Moët for free

in Dubai

BANGKOK

minutes will turn into timeless moments. Imagine sipping a Hangovertini at the world’s highest outdoors bar. hey also serve the world’s most expensive caviar, Almas, 30 grams of which costs over THB 51,000 (which is almost R90,000). This Beluga caviar is white in appearance and comes f you have the greens in your from a fish which is over 100 years pocket, then head to Sirocco. old. Pair it with 1998 G.H. Mumm, Located on the 63rd floor Cuvée R. Lalou champagne while of the The Dome at lebua, listening to the jazz quartet it is the world’s highest al play some soothing hooks. fresco restaurant and one hen dine at the Mezzaof Bangkok’s most coveted luna. Reserve a window Celeb Spotting table to get the perfect view dining choices. irst, head to the multi- Bradley Cooper, Zach of the winding Chao Phraya Galifianakis, Ed hued Sky Bar where River.

...If you want to dance the night away Gaggan Anand, he of the eponymous restaurant that serves his brand of Indian molecular gastronomy cuisine, has a few suggestions

the Chidlom station on the SkyTrain. The mall gets into the spirit of things with a huge beer garden, a fireworks display and some 10,000 people all having fun. f you’re the clubbing type, head to Soi 11 in the upper Sukhumvit area, where there

GET ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Q Bar, is one of the many bars that have a really great vibe

- Rachel Lopez

Helms

DECEMBER 23, 2012

have been lots of new clubs opening in recent times. Head to Above Eleven, the Bed Supper Club, Levels, and Q Bar, which always have a great vibe. ew Indians know that Kaho San Road is the place to party on the street when it’s New Year’s Eve. Backpackers, clubbers, young tourists, hip locals, they’re all out on the street having a good time. Bottles of alcohol are sold in little buckets on the streets. No cover charge! f course, there’s fun Stay Hydrated indoors too. You’ll Bangkok is humid and have to search a bit to warm. And all that alcohol will dehydrate you faster. find Wong’s Place – a Carry along Thai coconut much-loved Bangkok water so you don't legend near the Ibis hotel pass out on Sathon Soi 1. The mood is retro and so is the decor! The beer is flowing, there’s a singalong, VHS tapes play stuff from The Jackson 5 – yes, it’s that retro! Be warned though – the place can accommodate just 40 people. Also you could eat at a small restaurant along the Chao Praya and enjoy fireworks at midnight! Gaggan’s will do a 12-course meal (plus a bonus dessert) of his greatest menu hits of 1012 - all the stuff you'll never eat in 2013!

angkok has hideouts that aren’t sleazy F B or expensive. If you want to party with the locals, head to Central World mall near

Shah Rukh Khan, Robert

emember to De Niro, Angelina Jolie, footcall for their ballers from the English Hokusetsu saki, Premier League and F1 racers imported for Nobu from Japan’s Sado Island. It’s a gastronomical adventure for unfamiliar palates. Order their yellowtail appetiser, the black cod entrée, bluefin tuna (expensive and rare) and Moshi ice cream. The regulars swear by this menu. And who might they be? F1 racers, Angelina Jolie or even Shah Rukh Khan. lubs in Dubai stay open till 3am, so hop to the VVIP alcoves of Trilogy at Souk Madinat Jumeirah. They come with a complimentary magnum of champagne or Grey Goose. It doesn’t get better than this

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

indulge

MORE THAN JUST COFFEE

A PERFECT HUNT

When the Taj Mansingh opened in Delhi in 1978, it introduced a hunting theme for Machan, made the menu innovative and kept prices low

F YOU were to ask me what India’s contribution to food and beverage concepts at international hotels is, I would pick something that would probably surprise you. I’d choose the hotel coffee shop. Yes, I know the coffee shop is a global phenomenon, the mainstay of modern American hotels from the days that Conrad Hilton first created the chain that bears his name. But the traditional hotel coffee shop differed from the avatar that we are familiar with in India. At most American chain hotels, the coffee shop is a casual restaurant that serves sandwiches and a few easy-to-make main courses (steak, fried fish etc.) plus basic desserts (and lots of ice cream type things). Service is quick, opening hours are long and the prices are about half to onethird of the rates at the specialty outlets. The American coffee shop was designed to cater exclusively to hotel guests. There was no suggestion that it might appeal to non-residents who would visit it for the quality of the food or the ambience. And eventually, as the hotels got larger, many coffee shops became buffet operations, designed for guests who wanted a quick meal. In India, however, the story was quite different. When India’s first modern five star hotel, the Oberoi Intercontinental (the building that is now The Oberoi) opened in Delhi in 1965, it had two coffee shops. The one downstairs, by the pool (where the spa now is) was pretty much your average Intercontinental style coffee shop. But the smaller one upstairs (roughly where Travertino now is) became a legend in Delhi because, even though it was just a narrow corridor, it had a real sense of place and a soul. In those days, there were few quality restaurants in India, so nearly everyone gravitated towards Café Expresso, as it was called. It quickly became the hub of south Delhi, appealing mainly to nonresidents rather than hotel guests (who went and ate their club sandwiches at the coffee shop downstairs). In many ways, Café Expresso’s popularity was exceeded by its influence. A whole generation of Indian hoteliers still has fond memories of the place and you can sense its impact in such wonderful new restaurants as Café Mercara at the magnificent ITC Grand Chola in Chennai. (I’m guess-

DECEMBER 23, 2012

Photo: KUNAL PATIL

A hotel coffee shop will work only if it is given an identity and if the food is accorded the attention that the cuisine at specialty restaurants receives

Vir Sanghvi

rude food

ing that some of the spirit of Café Mercara came from Gautam Anand’s memories of evenings spent at Cafe Expresso during his St Stephen’s days). The real breakthrough for Indian coffee shops came, however, in 1972 when the Taj opened Shamiana in Bombay. The new Taj tower (called the Intercontinental then) was designed by Dale Keller who designed all the influential Indian hotels of the 1970s. Keller designed a standard Intercontinental-style coffee shop with umbrellas on the roof and called it Canopy. The Taj team (in those days Ajit Kerkar and Camellia Panjabi) finessed that concept to use Gujarati wall hangings instead (a no-no for coffee shops in those days because they were all supposed to be bland and ‘international’ and not look Indian) and changed the name to Shamiana. Then they threw out the standard coffee shop food concept and put things like pav bhaji and Goa fish curry on the menu. The Shamiana was an instant success and fast became the trendiest restaurant in Bombay with large queues for tables every night. Pleased with its success, the Taj repeated the experiment at Taj Mansingh in Delhi, which opened in 1978. This time, they chose a hunting theme for Machan, made the menu different and innovative, kept prices low and transformed the restaurant experience in Delhi. Soon, this became an essential part of the Taj’s appeal. No matter how fancy the hotels were or how expensive the specialty restaurants could be, there would always be a bright and imaginative coffee shop with excellent food at lower prices which allowed locals to feel part of the experience without having to pay through their noses. Many would argue that the Taj’s greatest success was a third coffee shop, Trattoria, which opened in the early 1980s. By then, Kerkar and Panjabi had decided that perhaps multi-cuisine coffee shops were on their way out. So they turned the old bland coffee shop at the President, which the Taj took over after it had already been in operation for some years, into a specialty Italian restaurant. But they went for a casual dining approach: small tables, checked table cloths and Irani restaurant chairs. The Taj believed that Italian food was the future (they were right but were perhaps ahead of their time) and had spent lakhs on Delhi’s formal Casa Medici, sending chefs to Italy and creating supply

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The real breakthrough for Indian coffee shops came in 1972 when the Taj opened Shamiana in Bombay GREAT INDIAN DESIGN

The new Trattoria is the only restaurant at the President to be designed by an Indian, and despite competing with glitzy places like The Thai Pavilion and Wink, it more than holds its own chains. So it was easy enough to open Trattoria a few years later though this time they chose to go the casual route, eschewing Casa Medici’s formal pretensions. I was reminded of the early days of hotel coffee shops in India by the success of the new Trattoria which was relaunched midNovember. The original Trattoria had remained true to its brief, refusing to serve any Indian food at all (unusual for a coffee shop in the 1980s) and even a disastrous make-over in 2000 (by the same designers who destroyed so many other Taj spaces in Bombay and Delhi) could not dent its appeal. The new Trattoria is the only restaurant at the President to be designed by an Indian (Krishna Dakshinkar of K Studio) and despite competing with glitzy places like The Thai Pavilion and Wink (both designed by Super Potato), it more than holds its own. Half the guests still order the legendary pizzas though Ananda Solomon has updated the Italian menu with some interesting regional dishes. I went to Trattoria when I was young so it is only appropriate that my son’s friends, who are all in their early 20s, like it so much too. (Though they say that it is a popular after-clubbing destination – not a concept I understand!) My son compares the new Trattoria to Delhi’s Threesixty° in its clientele: just as Threesixty° is the living room of South Delhi, so Trattoria is the drawing room of South Bombay. Ah Threesixty°! Just as the Shamiana launched one generation of coffee shops, I think Threesixty° has been the pioneer of a new generation. While many hotel chains have lost the plot when it comes to coffee shops, the Oberois are ahead of the game. The Shamiana generation of hotel coffee shops existed in an era when there were few good stand alone restaurants. But these days, there is no shortage of places to eat. And so, many hotel coffee shops seem bland and overpriced compared to the stand

alone options. Why would I go to the Shamiana if I could go to The Table or to Indigo Deli? Why would I bother with Machan when Khan Market is packed with restaurants? Most hotel chains still have not understood this. The Taj has submerged both Machan and Shamiana in blandness, in terms of decor and menu. Delhi’s Kafe Fontana is a waste of space. The Café at the Hyatt (Delhi) already looks dated. With the exception of the Grand Chola, all of ITC’s Pavilion Coffee shops seem boring. Oh yes, they will survive on custom from hotel guests. But fewer and fewer people from outside will bother to eat there. This is quite clear from the experience in Bombay and Delhi. And soon enough other cities will catch up. The Oberois were the first ones to see the light. They experimented with specialty coffee shops along the lines of French brasseries and when that did not work, opened wonderful topof-the-line places like Threesixty° and Threesixtyone° (in Gurgaon). Can it be a coincidence that these are the only hotel coffee shops that people still mention when they talk about going for a casual meal somewhere? Otherwise hotel coffee shops are default options rather than destinations. So my guess is that the era of the Shamiana-Machan type of coffee shop, glorious and special as it was, is now over. Hotels will always need all-day dining places for their resident guests. But if they want to attract customers from outside then they will have to up their game. That’s why I’m so pleased by the success of the relaunched Trattoria. It proves that if a hotel coffee shop is given an identity and if the food is accorded the attention that the cuisine at specialty restaurants receives, then it will be a hit. But if a hotel runs a bland, internationalstyle coffee shop, then it will never go much further than all-purpose buffets for conventioneers and inhouse guests. India has changed. There are lots of great restaurants out there. And hoteliers are the only people who don’t seem to have noticed.

The traditional hotel coffee shop differed from the avatar that we are familiar with in India

Photo: THINKSTOCK

DECEMBER 23, 2012

COFFEE FOR GEN-NEXT

Ah Threesixty°! Just as the Shamiana launched one generation of coffee shops, I think Threesixty°(below) has been the pioneer of a new generation

FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE

I’m guessing that some of the spirit of Café Mercara (below) at the ITC Grand Chola came from Gautam Anand’s memories

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HO,HO,HO

Seema Goswami

AROUND THE WORLD

I want a magic carpet that whisks me away to Venice every January

NEW NECK PLEASE!

I wish to get a new neck. Yes, this one has given me great service for many decades but it is beginning to look a bit tired now

OMETIMES I WONDER just how stupid we were as kids to actually believe in Santa Claus. Wasn’t it obvious that the fat Indian man (who looked suspiciously like Uncle Chatterjee from next door) with the fake white beard couldn’t possibly have travelled down from the North Pole in his reindeer-driven sleigh? Did we ever stop to think why every shop we visited while Christmas shopping had a Santa Claus who looked completely different from the one before? Or did we just willfully ignore all these alarm bells because we needed to live in a world where Santa came around annually bearing gifts that we had longed for the entire year. I like to think it was the latter. And so, in the same child-like spirit, I decided to compile a list of all the things that I would like Santa to bring me this year. So here it is: my own Christmas wish list (in no particular order of importance) ❄ A longer attention span. I’d like to revert to the days when I could watch a movie without feeling tempted to tweet my views about it half an hour into the show. I’d like to read a book without stopping to dip into Facebook to see what my friends are up to. And I’d really like to be able to finish my writing without breaking off every 15 minutes to ‘research’ something on the Net. ❄ An Internet connection that times out automatically. I often wonder how people procrastinated in the days before the Internet was invented. How did they waste time before the Google search engine came along? And by ‘people’, of course, I mean myself. I have lost count of the number of hours I have wasted on news sites, on following threads that lead me into the darker corners of the Net, and looking through picture albums of people I barely know. And given my complete and utter lack of self-discipline, the only thing that will free me is a Net connection that turns itself off when I am unable to do so. ❄ High heels that I can walk in without throwing out my back, crippling my knees, and mutilating my feet. Yes, I know every woman always insists that her stilettos are comfortable enough to run in; but believe me, she lies. The pair of high heels – and I mean really high heels – that both look and feel good are yet to be invented. Which is why I am pinning my hopes on Santa. ❄ A machine that exercises all my muscle groups for me. Come on, admit it. You’d like one too. Just imagine the joy of lying supine,

Photos: THINKSTOCK

What I would like Santa Claus to get me for Christmas...

spectator

LOST WORLD!

I’ve lost count of the number of hours I’ve have wasted on news sites and doing Google search

reading a book or listening to music, strapped to a contraption that stretches your hamstrings, tones up your abdomen, tightens your bum, and elongates your legs, without your ever having to make any effort whatsoever. Bliss! ❄ A new neck: Yes, this one has given me great service for many decades but truth be told, it is beginning to look a bit tired now. So tired, that it can barely keep my double chins in place. (And if I am wishing for things, how about a brand-new jaw line as well, all taut and jowl-free? And all the hair I have lost since my 20s, in its original black colour.) ❄ A magic carpet that whisks me away to Venice every January. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Why January? Isn’t it cold as hell? And raining? And flooding, thanks to the acqua alta? Yes, right on all counts. And yet, that is the month that Venice appears most magical to me. There are no hordes of tourists jostling you aside in Piazza San Marco. The streets are deserted so that you can actually gaze on undisturbed at the many architectural gems carelessly displayed on them. And the hotel rates are, relatively at least, affordable. ❄ A device that wipes my memory clean of all my favourite books so that I can discover them anew. I can still remember the joy I felt when I read my first Elizabeth George or Donna Leon. I had to restrain myself from calling up all my friends late at night and sharing my discovery with them. It’s been a long time since I felt that way about a book (the last time was when I devoured Hilary Mantel’s marvellous Wolf Hall in one big gulp) and I miss that slow burn of excitement that comes with stumbling upon a bright new literary star. ❄ A time machine to whisk me back to my college classroom. All those great writers and poets I read then in my English literature course – William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, James Joyce, Charles Dickens, John Donne, T S Eliot – would make so much more sense to me now that I have lived a little.

I want high heels that I can walk in without throwing out my back, crippling my knees, and mutilating my feet

DECEMBER 23, 2012

seema_ht@rediffmail.com.Follow Seema on Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami

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HOW BAD CAN IT GET? Since no one else asked me, here they are: the Rajiv Makhni Awards for the Worst Tech of 2012

INVENTIST SOLOWHEEL

This electric unicycle takes a bit of mastering if you are not to break every bone in your body

ADIDAS SOCIAL MEDIA BARRICADE SHOE

You’re supposed to read your Twitter messages by bending down and reading them off the side of the shoe

BEHRINGER INUKE BOOM

This can pound out 10,000 watts of sound and is priced at $29,999: an overkill of epic proportions

BLOKKET PHONE COVER BAG

Rajiv Makhni

Put your phone inside this and your phone goes off. No one’s heard of a silent mode?

THE I DIDN’T KNOW I COULD DO THAT AWARD – BLOKKET PHONE COVER BAG: This is by far the

techilicious

most fascinating of them all. It uses some fantastic technology to achieve what we all need from our phones. Just slip your phone into the Blokket Signal Blocking Phone Cover and its silver and nylon RFIDblocking sleeve blocks out up to 99 per cent of incoming radio wavelengths, thus effectively turning your phone off without actually having to turn it off. This is of course for all of you who don’t know that your phone comes with a silent mode, a power-off button or even a flight mode. Thank you Blokket, you just saved the world!

OPEN BRUNCH magazine and I see it in big bold letters – The Vir Sanghvi Awards. I open HT City a few days later and I find myself gaping at half a page on one side dedTHE WORLD MAY EXPLODE AWARD - BEHRINGER icated to The Vir Sanghvi Awards for The INUKE BOOM: The world of music has sadly taken HT City Crystals 2012. Damn! This was big, a whole a turn for the worse. There was time when listenset of fantastic food awards with a fantastic name ing to real music needed huge speakers and audioto them. How come no one had ever asked for my phile level equipment – and the music sounded heavname to be associated with any Tech Awards? Feeling enly. Today everyone just invests in a little rinkyextremely left out and decidedly insecure, I made dinky dock, plonks their iPod on top and seems very a few calls. Nope – no one was interested in setting satisfied by that tiny music that wallows out of them. up a set of awards with my name blazing on the top. Well, ladies and gentlemen, no more. Enter the baap Well, if there were no takers for such a brilliant idea of all docks – The iNuke Boom. It measures about – then there was just one option left. For me to ini8x4 feet, it weighs in at about 350 kgs, can pound tiate my own Awards under my own name. Here out 10,000 watts of sound and is very well-priced they are, The Rajiv Makhni Awards. Appropriately at $29,999. When I saw this for the first time at CES, and fitting in rather well with the name – they are I was truly mesmerised – at the idiocy of the product. for the Worst Tech Products of the Year. That big, that large and at that price – talk about an Having taken on the task and sitting overkill of epic proportions! down with the jury of one, I suddenly THE CONTORT YOUR BODY AND BEND DOWN realised just how tough this was going AWARD – ADIDAS SOCIAL MEDIA BARRICADE SHOE: to be. While there are many obvious What’s not to like? A top-of-the-line shoe company comes ones like the very disturbing Apple Maps up with a shoe that’s aware of all your social media (leads you off target by hundreds of kilo- GOOGLE NEXUS Q needs. All your friends and relatives can send Twitter metres) or Aakash 2 (nice tablet but no This costs four times what messages straight to your shoe. It not only keeps student has ever seen one yet), what I was looking for the competition offers your feet perfectly cushioned, but also keeps your were the true turkeys of technology, the real crapfest of gadgetry, brain up to date with all your Twitter and other social feeds. So ideas and devices so bad that they make all else look God-like. Let’s what if the only way to read your Twitter messages is to bend down get started with scraping the bottom of the tech barrel. and read it off the side of the shoe? So what if the shoe has a twoTHE EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY AWARD – THE INVENTIST line blurry LCD screen at the side? And so what if Adidas called it SOLOWHEEL: A very large number of people have broken their the ‘future of athlete connectivity’ with a straight face and without bones riding a Segway. That includes my good friend Vikram Chandra batting an eyelid or breaking into convulsions of laughter? who was found perched on top of a hedge in a garden after taking EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED AWARD – GOOGLE NEXUS Q: a spectacular 360-degree spin in the air, with his hand broken in Google did very well this year. It broke every rule in the world of the most magical of ways. Having realised that the Segway wasn’t gadgets, rewrote the price line of multiple categories of products dangerous enough, the Inventist Solowheel was invented. including smartphones and tablets, and it took Android to new It’s a single wheel electric unicycle where heights. It also brought out the Nexus Q. This is also a device that you basically perch yourself on top of its rewrites many rules, unfortunately all of them for the worse. This two footboards, balance yourself by stradis a media streaming device that costs about four times what the dling the wheel from the top and then lean competition offers, has a rather strange spherical design that looks forward to make it go. Turning is also completely out of place with your other equipment, plays mostly controlled by the same principle, leanand only Google Play content, has issues with many different video ing in the direction you want to turn formats and doesn’t throw in any new killer feature. This one also towards – all of this with your hands flailwins the ‘over before it even got started award’. ing in the air. Now that the Rajiv Makhni awards are out, in case anyone wants Technology wise it’s quite amazing, but to convert this into a long and never-ending awards evening with mastering how not to break every bone in some nice Bollywood dances, do get in touch with me on my Twitter your body takes quite a bit of practice. This account. I’m wearing my Adidas social media shoe and will get your is why even the person in the photo seems Twitter messages right away. to prefer walking with the Solowheel in Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter.com/RajivMakhni his hand rather than riding it. DECEMBER 23, 2012

Here’s a list of live gigs by bands that I recommend highly

PERFECT WHEN RAW

The Grateful Dead made their best music when they played live

DISCOVER THE RICHES

The Rolling Stones’ 1979 concert was just after Keith Richard’s arrest for drug possession

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Sanjoy Narayan

download central

PLAY IT AGAIN, LIVE

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

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Photo: GETTY IMAGES

VERY TIME this column makes even the tiniest mention of the Grateful Dead or offers HIDDEN TREASURES on its web version, a download link for one The Velvet of their concerts, there is one guy, a friend, actuUnderground (above, ally, but also a virulent critic of that band, who former frontman Lou Reed) were New makes it a point of making a snide remark. There York’s edgiest band; are many people who consider the Dead’s fans as You can stream the drug-addled hippies who get lulled into a happy, 1982 Neil Young semi-comatose state by the band’s improv-heavy (right) concert which meanderings. That certainly amounts to gratufeatures some of his itous stereotyping. I’ve met hard-nosed lawyers best songs who’ve never even inhaled second-hand cannabis smoke; strait-laced professors with nary a halluthe concert I’m recomcinogen ever passing through their veins; bodymending (via the Aquarium Drunkard builders who are hopped up on whey protein; and blog) is a bootleg audimany, many more unlikely fans of the Dead. And ence recording in then, of course, there have been the celeb Dead Boston that is 43 years fans – Tony Blair, Bill Clinton (who self-confessedold. For its vintage, the ly never inhaled), Barack Obama (who may have); recording is good, if as and even hard-core punkster, Henry Rollins, whose the blog recommends, you crank the volume up band, Black Flag, played music that was as far away high. The show apparently featured everyone – from the Dead’s genre as you can get. bikers, Harvard professors, students and modI don’t want to whine any more about the antiels. The Velvet Underground were New York’s edgiest band but Dead critics nor shall I make too much noise about why I like the they really didn’t get the kind of popularity that they deserved. Dead – I don’t only like the Dead, by the way. Instead, since the I can think of a ton of bands through the past few decades that Dead made their best music when they played live, I’m going to have been influenced by VU. And this gig’s a great one to have. list a few live gigs by other bands that I’ve downloaded recently There’s a 21-minute version of Sister Ray. You should download and that I would recommend highly. the concert just for that. First up, is a Rolling Stones concert that you may have missed. The third gig that I found was from 1982. It The year was 1979. My anti-Dead friend (he’s a was an era when Neil Young used to do word-ofhuge Stones fan, by the way) was eight, I think. mouth concerts in the California Bay Area and And the gig was happening just after Keith this one is from somewhere in Palo Alto. It’s a Richard’s arrest for possession of cocaine and concert that you can stream from the Internet heroin in Canada. Keith had to pay a fine and the Archive and has some of his best songs, includband had to play this concert at Toronto’s Oshawa ing Comes A Time, Old Man, Mister Soul, Hey Civic Auditorium on April 22 to make the money Hey My My, Cinnamon Girl and (this is one that for the fine. The first part of the set features bassist stands out), the very first performance of Rockin’ Ronnie Wood’s ephemeral band, The New In The Free World. You may not be able to downBarbarians. The setlist for the gig is impressive. load this gig but you can stream it. And it’s well The Stones do around 15 songs, including Beast of Burden, Star Star, When The Whip Comes worth that. Down, Prodigal Son and MUSIC FROM DOWN UNDER Just to make sure that you don’t think I’m on Jumpin’ Jack Flash. To Australian alt-rock trio Tame this old nostalgia trip, digging up frayed old conmake things even better, Impala’s album Lonerism has certs from when most readers were probably not the downloadable record- received critical acclaim born, here’s the last one for this installment of DC ing (see link in web verand, guess what, it’s barely three years old. It’s by sion) is of great quality. Plus, there is a ribTame Impala, the Australian alt-rock outfit, which makes dreamy, tickling introduction by John Belushi, which groovy music and whose two albums – 2010’s Innerspeaker and this year’s Lonerism – have received critical acclaim. I’ve heard alone is a good enough reason for downboth albums and found them both great growers. Lonerism is the loading the show. better of the two and in Tame Impala’s sound you can hear influI’m going even earlier than 1979 with my ences of everyone – The Beatles, art-rock’s The Flaming Lips, and second recommendation. It was 1969 and a host of others – yet the trio have a trademark sound. So when I the Velvet Underground, New York’s precame upon a live recording of a Melbourne concert, I sprung for punk rockers who were once managed by it and wasn’t disappointed. They sound great live. Like most good Andy Warhol, were at the top of their game, bands, including the Dead! with Lou Reed fronting it but after John To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned in this column, go to Cale, another co-founder of the band, had http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/downloadcentral, follow argus48 on Twitter been eased out. Although a New York band, DECEMBER 23, 2012

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MIND BODY SOUL SHIKHA SHARMA

BABY STEPS TO FERTILITY

The right diet and exercise can naturally help fight infertility

MPROVING MOST bodily functions such as immunity and fertility is best attempted in winter. Regular consumption of herbs and minerals can boost your fertility significantly.

oestrogen and progesterone levels. The nomenclature of the herb, interestingly, translates into “a woman who has a thousand husbands.” ■ Chasteberry is a Mediterranean herb that has been used to THINK ZINC strengthen the female reproFoods rich in minerals ductive system since and micronutrients such the Middle Ages. It as zinc and chromium works by balancing excess (most nuts and oilseeds prolactin and low progesare packed with fertiliterone levels, addressing ty-enhancing compothe two hormones which nents) can help boost fer- IRON LADY prepare the uterus for Spinach is a tility. So this winter, it conception. makes sense to binge on good way to im- ■ Dong quai is a traditional almonds, pecans, pine prove deficiency herb popular in Chinese nuts, sunflower seeds and of iron in women traditional medicine to similar foods. restore hormonal imbalSimilarly, a deficiency of iron ances and redress the problem of a can thwart fertility, particularly in less-than-adequate menstrual flow. ■ Ashwagandha is popular as a women. Foods which are rich in iron include lotus stem, jaggery tonic for boosting fertility. It and green leafy vegetables such as reduces the negative impact of bathua and spinach. stress and an acidic environment in the body, and makes CARE A FIG FOR THIS sperm ADVICE healthier. In some cases, Like most infertility can natural be attributed foods, it to an acidic doesn’t work THE NATURAL WAY environment in when taken Ashwagandha is the body. This alone but popular as a tonic can be redressed by rather as an for boosting eating alkaline foods such as figs adjunct to a and dates. Eating one fig a day or a healthy diet fertility few prunes can help fulfil the nutriand exercise. tional requirements essential for good reproductive health. STRESS AND WORKOUT ■ Spirulina, an alga is also considNo exercise is as harmful as ered a storehouse of minerals. It is extremes of exercise. Therefore, an a good source of protein and amino hour of regular exercise is enough acids. In fact, people who are to keep you healthy. Rising stress dairy-intolerant can consume levels and radiation from spirulina to receive an inflow of electronic appliances high-quality protein and such as cellphones and minerals. laptops can also lead to infertility. THE HERBAL OPTION ask@drshikha.com Some herbs are natural helpers of metabolism, absorption and the production of shukradhaatu (reproductive fluids). MOVE ■ Shatavari is one of THOSE the best known MUSCLES ayurvedic herbs for An hour of its beneficial effects regular exeron the female cise helps reproductive baby-making system. It is known to shore up

Photos: THINKSTOCK

DECEMBER 23, 2012

PERSONAL AGENDA

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Actress

Madhuri Dixit BIRTHDAY May 15

PLACE OF BIRTH Mumbai

FIRST BREAK

Rajshree Productions’ Abodh (1984)

HIGH POINT LOW POINT OF OF YOUR LIFE YOUR LIFE

When I got married

Five things that make you smile

I recently lost a very close friend

SCHOOL/COLLEGE

Divine Child High School/Parle College, Mumbai

CURRENTLY DOING

Representing Olay and launching its Regenerist Wrinkle Revolution Complex product

I just keep the remote for my AC there. What is the secret of your marriage? While growing up, did you always know Any marriage will work if two that you’re stunning? people, however different, set No. I never thought I was the same goals. Then, it’s a beautiful. cakewalk. Also, trust is of Who do you think paramount imcan replicate your portance. dhak dhak moves Your favourite the best? read? Why do we The Good need anyone Earth by Pearl else when I S Buck. am there! IF YOU WERE TO One contemporary Your dream destinaBREAK YOUR dance form you want to FITNESS REGIME FOR tion? The Maldives. learn? A DAY, WHAT WOULD What do you miss the I want to learn the YOU EAT? tap dance and the most about America? waltz. The wide roads How many times do you and the space to look at be yourself. The quality you adyourself in the mirror? Well, at least 10 mire most in a man? times a day. It’s a Generosity. professional hazard. What do you value in What will we find on your bedside your friends the most? table? Well, they have to be loyal to be I hate cluttered bedside tables. my friends. Otherwise, what’s

As many chocolates as I could stuff in my mouth.

DECEMBER 23, 2012

the point of friendship? Mohini or Chandramukhi, who is sexier? They are both very sexy, but they are very different kinds of sexiness. Mohini was young and vivacious, while Chandramukhi was soft and sombre. The one thing you’d like to unlearn? That’s the smartest thing anyone’s asked me in a while. I don’t know, but this question will make me think a lot. If you could be the Prime Minister of India for a day, what’d you change? I will definitely start with the roads. How did your children learn Hindi numbers? Did you make them hear Ek Do Teen? No. Interestingly, they heard the song somewhere and were humming it. When I asked them if they knew what it meant, they said no. The easiest way to spread happiness? Smile a lot and be kind to everyone. The biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

1. My kids make me laugh every day 2. When I feel beautiful 3. My husband makes me smile 4. Good food 5. Watching Padosan I did some very dangerous stunts in Hifazat (1987). The craziest thing a fan has done for you? A fan once shaved my name on his head. A piece of advice you wish someone had given you 10 years ago? I don’t live in the past so I don’t pay heed to anyone else’s advice. — Interviewed by Amrah Ashraf