Lounge(MINT)

New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune

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Saturday, May 9, 2009

Vol. 3 No. 18

LOUNGE THE WEEKEND MAGAZINE

MONOCHROME

SUMMER We tried on the season’s sexiest swimsuits >Page 8

BUSINESS LOUNGE WITH GALLUP’S JIM CLIFTON >Page 5

MY TOILET, MY ART Abroad and at home, the boundary between art and design gets blurred >Page 6

DO YOU REALLY NEED SUNSCREEN? Read what the experts have to say before you buy your next pricey bottle loaded with SPF >Page 13

THE SUMMER READING CLUB From Arundhati Roy to Kazuo Ishiguro—a round­up of the biggest books of the season >Page 16

DON’T MISS

For today’s business news > Question of Answers— the quiz with a difference > Markets Watch

L8 COVER

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

SWIMSUITS

MONOCHROME

SUMMER

Forget mix, just match. Colour­coordinate your swimwear and accessories to be in trend this season

B Y P ARIZAAD K HAN

&

R ACHANA N AKRA

parizaad.k@livemint.com

·············································

Whitewash Whitewash

White swimsuit with silver detail, Diesel, Rs14,065; ‘Graphic’ bracelet, Rs6,000, crystal bracelet, Rs19,500, ‘Donatella’ pearl ring, Rs8,895, all from Swarovski; ankle­strap sandal, Nine West, Rs3,300.

L10 STYLE

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2008 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

RAMP REPORT

Project

runway A peek into spring summer trends as seen at the Lakme, Wills and Delhi fashion weeks

B Y P ARIZAAD K HAN

&

R ACHANA N AKRA

parizaad.k@livemint.com

········································· Vivienne Tam, WIFW

Ranna Gill, WIFW

Valaya Base

by JJ Valaya, Wills India Fashion Week

Floor­length dresses p The old-fashioned glamour of long dresses returned this season. Floor-sweepers were everywhere—from Gauri and Nainika’s red-carpet ready looks to Vivienne Tam’s floral pieces. Anuj Sharma showed asymmetrical hemlines while Ranna Gill’s silhouettes were straight.

Gauri & Nainika, WIFW

Anuj Sharma, Lakme Fashion Week Asmita Marwa, LFW

Jumpsuits u The working man’s outfit and the 1970s’ rage is back to being a fashion silhouette. Designers showed both form-fitting and loose silhouettes in cotton, lycra and sheer fabrics. While many went the boho way (Asmita Marwa), designers such as Raakesh Agarvwal made it an ensemble fit for a party.

Chaitanya Rao, LFW

Namrata Joshipura, WIFW

Raakesh Agarvwal, LFW

Contradiction by Nandita Thirani, LFW

L8

www.livemint.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2009

Insider

LOUNGE

PICKS

Foyer fave

t Salvatore console table and Donizetti mirror: At Good Earth, Raguvanshi Mills Compound, Mumbai; and Select Citywalk mall, New Delhi; mirror, Rs15,000, and table, Rs28,000.

To add elegance to an entrance, or stock grab­and­go items, a console table works perfectly B Y R UCHIKA G OSWAMY S IMRAT K OHLI

&

Better Homes and Gardens ····························

Baliense console: p At Apartment 9, Raguvanshi Mills Compound, Mumbai; and N­Block Market, Greater Kailash­I, New Delhi; Rs16,200.

p Venezia narrow console: At Sia Home Fashion, DLF Place, Saket, New Delhi; Rs20,750.

t Italian marble console: At Ishatvam, Khan Market, New Delhi; Rs48,500.

Rattan and glass console: u At Take Me Home, N­Block Market, Greater Kailash­I, New Delhi; Rs27,000.

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PHOTOGRAPHS

BY

ANSHUMAN SEN/BETTER HOMES

AND

GARDENS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2009

L9

Cover

LOUNGE

THE GREAT

WIDE OPEN Instead of spending on a comfortable family holiday this summer, give your child a vacation full of adventure, nature, friendship, sports—and some meaningful time away from you B Y M ELISSA A . B ELL melissa.b@livemint.com

···························· leeping under the stars, cooking your own food, being left alone in the woods with just a compass and the parting words “Good luck. See you back at camp”—it takes brave city people to rough it in the wild.

It takes even braver city moms and dads to let their children experience this away from their ever-watchful gaze.

Anuradha Lal, who sent her three sons (now grown up) to camp all through their teens, says parents worry about the physical safety of a child out alone in the wilderness. Most never realize that it can be “an amazing thing for children to be independent.

When they go off on their own, they learn what they’re capable of,” explains Lal who is an avid trekker herself.

Gaurav Saklani has had to deal with plenty of worried parents over the years. He was one of the founders of the Youreka summer camps in 1996 and, nine months ago, set up the summer camp inme. Initially, he says, parents “were really wondering, ‘Who are these mad guys who have set this up to take someone else’s children up to the hills?’” But as more schoolchildren have started attending the camps, parents have begun to understand the value of these holidays. “Summer camp as a concept does not need to be sold any more. Now it’s about the kind of location that you’re (your child is) going to

S

and...the activities that you’re doing,” Saklani adds.

“My biggest fear about letting my 14-year-old daughter go to a camp all alone is that her boyfriend from school is also going,” says Manju*, mother of Sana, who will be attending the Youreka camp in June. Manju worries that without proper supervision, the two would be tempted to “cross boundaries”.

Saba Dave, 14, who has attended camps in the US and in India, says children definitely date at camp in the US. But in India there really isn’t any dating. “We have a so-called ‘last dance’, but it’s really all of us just jumping around together.”

Saklani reassures parents that in camps where the ratio of counsellors to campers is small, the supervisors keep the focus on group activities and away from burgeoning romances.

Gouri Dange, Lounge columnist and clinical psychologist, regularly hears from parents who are nervous about sending children to camp for different reasons. But Dange always recommends that the children be allowed to go.

Camp life is a fantastic experience for kids and gives them “a small taste of autonomy in a very supervised sense”. According to Dange, camps fulfil the same role as visiting large joint families in the countryside, where children were left to hang out together and parental supervision was not as over-focused as it is today. Children nowadays lack that rewarding experience of functioning

within a group and realizing that they are not, in fact, the centre of the universe, Dange says. Camp “is a fantastic leveller”.

Summer camps are not just about learning to interact with other children, they are also a means of exposure to all sorts of new experiences—interacting with nature, understanding astronomy, participating in adventure sports—and they provide a different take on life not necessarily taught in schools.

“Kids who are not academically bright can go to camp and all this lovely stuff comes out of it,” says Dange. “Maybe they’ll learn they are really funny or they’ll find their compassionate side.”

Ranging from anywhere between 3-15 days, summer camps are open to children as young as six and as old as 17 (though many ex-campers make return visits in the guise of counsellors once they’ve passed the age limit). Here are 10 camps to start your children’s summer adventure.

OUTBOUND ADVENTURE USP: FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP TRAINING, AND BONDING WITH NATURE As a manager for an overseas company, Bangalore-based Aparna Imam felt she didn’t trust her employees to think on their feet. She enrolled her team for a training programme

at Outbound Adventure, a Mumbai-based camping outfit, in 2006. Camp conductor Andre Morris divided Imam’s team into groups, took every employee’s wallet and cellphone, gave each group a small amount of money and a map and told them to find the camp.

Imam loved the exercise and said it showed her the core competencies of each team member in a challenging situation. When she found out that Morris also conducted camps for children, she didn’t hesitate to send her two daughters, Fiona and Donna, who are now 15 and 13, respectively. They’ve attended camp every year since 2006. “He helped mould their personalities,” Imam says.

Morris has been working in the outdoors for 24 years and decided to start his own adventure company 12 years ago.

“The bonding between people that happens outdoors does not happen anywhere else,” he says. He says that part of the bonding occurs because facing new situations and adversity—be it a challenging hike or cooking meals—helps bring children together.

Though Morris presents a series of challenges to campers, he aims to make the camps all about fun. By making each child act as the leader of the camp group at some point during the stay, Morris helps them find out how to direct others, TURN TO PAGE L10®

Up and about: Children at inme summer camps can choose from activities such as rope courses (above) or trekking at one of the camp’s three locations.

Summer camps are ‘a small taste of autonomy in a very supervised sense’, says Gouri Dange PHOTOGRAPHS BY INME OUTDOOR LEARNING

L18 THE GIFTS

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

Art of

glass Fragile creations to make things interesting

98 Chelsea bowls:

At Mon Château, 57, 100 ft Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore, Rs5,100­9,300.

99 Pianeti:

By Murano, at Benchcraft Concepts, Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai, Rs34,900.

100 Noriko vase:

At Moon River, D­16, Defence Colony, New Delhi, and SP Centre, Colaba, Mumbai, Rs6,300.

101 Crisscross bowl:

At Alchemy, Greater Kailash­II, M­Block Market, New Delhi, Rs2,400.

96 Krosno vase:

At Moon River, D­16, Defence Colony, New Delhi, and SP Centre, Colaba, Mumbai, Rs6,300.

102 Glass vase with silver foil work: At The Next Shop, Greater Kailash­I, N­Block Market, New Delhi, Rs1,075.

A reader can win a set of three vases from The Next Shop. See Page 7

103 Red decanter:

At Brush Strokes, 8A, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi, Rs630.

97 Voliera:

By Murano, at Benchcraft Concepts, Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai, Rs37,900 each.

L14 THE GIFTS

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

The nature of

giving

57 Scarves:

At all WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) branches across the country, Rs300.

You get more than you bargained for with these

58 Condiments:

At WIT, 110, New Udyog Mandir, Mahim, Mumbai, plum jam, Rs75, and mango chutney, Rs53.

56 Cloth fruit­baskets: 53 Bracelets:

At SHARE, Mumbai, contact Nicola 9821878935, Rs30 each.

54 Gift cards:

At Aseema (www.aseema.com), Bandra, Mumbai, Rs75 for a pack of five.

At Deepalaya (www.deep­ alaya.com), Janakpuri, New Delhi, 011­28520347, Rs90 for a set of two.

59 Beaded spider:

At CRY shop, Sane Guruji Marg, Mumbai, Rs50.

60 Mug: 55 Piggy bank:

At Aseema (www.aseema.com), Bandra, Mumbai, Rs180.

At Yusuf Meherally Centre, Babulnath, Mumbai, Rs45.

BACKSTREET BOYS

T

he Yusuf Meherally Centre is tucked into a side alley within a side alley in South Mumbai; it takes quite an effort to find it. And once you do, it takes a moment to take in how basic the space is. Simple wooden rows and shelves hold organically produced items such as forest honey and spices, neem soaps, clay trinkets and simple sheets and rugs. The Women’s India Trust (WIT), the CRY shop, and Aseema are all equally laborious to get to. But the fruits of your labour can be very rewarding, even whilst you indulge the shopaholic in you. They may not be as varied as a mall, but NGOs sell items that are made by the marginalized, and the money goes back to where the goods came from. “Awareness is very important,” says Mumbai­based Rinku Varde, who buys party favours and even anniversary gifts from different NGO shops every year. “We like to know that what we’re buying goes back to other kids and people who need the assistance.”

61 Jute bag:

At Deepalaya, (www.deepalaya.com), Janakpuri, New Delhi, 011­28520347, Rs100.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SARI Looking for something traditional to gift? Look no further

C

ongress politico Renuka Chowdhury is passionate about them, Shabana Azmi has a few in her wardrobe and so does actor Kirron Kher.

Architect Charles Correa’s significant other, tapestry weaver Monica Correa, loves them. And vocalist Shubha Mudgal’s visits to Pune are never complete till she picks up a couple.

With the festive season around the corner, the discerning shopper—with a yen for something out of the ordinary—should look no further than picking up one-of-a-kind saris from Pune-based designer Indira Broker’s studio.

This low-profile designer has been creating elegant saris in tussar and cotton for a clutch of sari lovers who are known to travel from all across the country just to look at Broker’s latest collection.

Now almost 60, Broker is convinced—more than ever—that nothing can do justice to an Indian woman’s figure like the flowing elegance of a well-woven sari coupled with a simple blouse that highlights its beauty. “As an Indian woman ages, there is a stateliness about her that looks classic in a sari and no western wear—expensive, tailored, branded—can bring out that grace like a sari does,” she says.

Naturalized: Pune­based Indira Broker’s elegant tussar and cotton saris make a great gift.

Rarely seen in anything other than her trademark khadi or handloom saris, Broker is a great In the last few years, she has also experi- of saris and dupattas was once designed around believer in the goodness of all things natural. mented with the colour black and geometric an owl that she spotted on a tree outside her bedWhich is why, over the years, she has stuck to designs. “I love the drama of geometry—work- room window. Her family was initially sceptical working with rough textures such as tussar, sup- ing with just lines, or circles can create an about the collection, but the entire lot sold out in plied to her by NGOs in Bihar, and with khadi, impact that even very intricate embroidery or a couple of days. cotton and a range of natural dyes. embellishments cannot achieve.”

In keeping with the changing times, she has With no formal training in designing, Broker is What sets Broker’s work apart is that once also worked on a range of stoles and fusion wear, an accidental designer who landed up in the every quarter, she takes off to a remote village in essentially kurtas with slim pants. business after years of putting together ward- Rajasthan, where she works with weavers to Broker’s saris retail for Rs5,000-6,500 at her robes for her extended family. Her initial work arrive at the right texture that will fall just so design studio in Pune, where she meets clients borrowed heavily from Indian folk traditions such when draped. This two-week break away from exclusively by appointment. as Kalamkari and Madhubani. the city also helps the designer to completely Over the years, she says, what has remained unwind, live in the rough, and rejuvenate her Sudha Menon permanent is her love for colours and textures and creativity. This is also the time when she experithe feel of rough, coarse tussar. “I love the colours ments with shades, colours and dyes, personally Contact Indira Broker, Abhimanshree of nature—burnt orange, deep red, indigo, lime supervising the natural dyeing process to ensure Apartments, 2, Aundh-Pashan Link Road, Pune green. The Indian skin tone is just per- she gets the right hue.

411008. Tel: +91-20-2589 3728. fect to carry off these colours.”

Broker is an avid nature lover, too—a collection vbroker@dataone.in

43 Khadi ties:

At Khadi Bhandar, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Rs77­95.

44 Black shift:

By Ritika Bhasin, at Kimaya, Juhu, and Kemp’s Corner, Mumbai, Rs8,850.

Style file

48 Satin mules:

At Nine West, Atria Mall, Worli, Linking Road, and High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Rs4,050.

If you are at a loss when shopping for the fashion forward, take along this checklist 51 Two­toned belt:

At Zegna Sport at Ermenegildo Zegna, The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai, Rs8,900.

47 Lace and chiffon tunic:

By Rocky S, at Kimaya, Juhu, and Kemp’s Corner, Mumbai, Rs11,000.

41 Button clutch:

52 Cat’s eye sunglasses: At Aigner,

At Aldo, Atria Mall, Worli, Linking Road, and High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Rs2,250.

The Maurya, New Delhi, and Grand Hyatt Plaza, Mumbai, Rs7,600 upwards.

49 Travel

messenger bag: At Samsonite Black stores, Rs38,000.

42 Patterned mules:

At Aldo, Atria Mall, Worli, Linking Road, and High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Rs5,500.

45 Suede shoes:

At United Colors of Benetton stores, Rs2,999.

46 Dancing shoes: At Nike stores, Rs7,800.

50 Signet gold attache: At Samsonite Black stores, Rs18,000.

L12 ESSAYS

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2008 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

Of sons, soil and concrete

BY NARESH FERNANDES JAYACHANDRAN/MINT

L

ieutenant-Commander KRU Todd of the Royal Indian Navy first got wind that prehistoric man had lived in Mumbai when he examined the gravel of the Back Bay on the city’s southern tip nearly 80 years ago. An amateur archaeologist, Todd presented a paper to the Prehistoric Society, East Anglia, in 1932 laying out details of rough tools and flakes that seemed to be approximately 300,000 years old. To marshal his case, though, he had to conduct digs in Kandivali, more than 30km north of the neighbourhood in which he found his initial clues. That’s because much of the material for the top filling of Back Bay reclamation scheme of the 1920s, which created 439 acres of new land between Churchgate and Colaba, had been carted in from Padan Hill in Kandivali.

When Todd was scooping up ancient stone hand-axes, cleavers and scrapers in the city’s northern reaches in the first part of the last century, the creeks between seven malarial islands had already been filled in to form the Mumbai peninsula that’s now recognisable on contemporary maps. It’s a process that had started in the middle of the 16th century, when a Portuguese financier named Simao Botelho suggested that the authorities grant submerged land in perpetuity to anyone hard-working enough to drain and reclaim it.

Today, roughly 40% of Mumbai city and 20% of the suburbs consists of reclamations but soil and land remain the city’s central preoccupation—a fact that was starkly obvious all through 2008.

In the unlikely event that Raj Thackeray and his nativist associates in the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena should take the trouble to read Todd’s papers on prehistoric man, they would probably use his findings to bolster their contention that the sons of the soil have a claim to the city that’s even more ancient than they first imagined. It’s probably too much to hope that these bhumiputras see the irony implicit in the notion that, like the enterprising migrants who have settled here, Mumbai’s very soil has its origins elsewhere.

While the MNS’s corrosive assertions about roots—and their vicious attacks on north

Indians—have received wide play, another debate about a piece of Mumbai history has gone almost unnoticed by the national press, even though it has profound significance for the city’s future. In September 2007, Mumbai’s elected representatives in the municipal corporation took less than a minute to pass a so-called redevelopment proposal to lease the 139-year-old Crawford Market at Rs1,001 a year for 60 years to a firm named East West. The company was given the right to demolish portions of the historic complex to build three towers with a total area of

65,690 sq. m. of floor space. In exchange, the municipality will get 40% of that space.

Civic activists pointed out that the plan will destroy the architectural integrity of the market, which has been accorded the highest level of protection under Maharashtra’s heritage protection regulations.

But it’s mainly the integrity of Mumbai’s elected officials that’s been called into question.

According to the calculations of Right to Information activist Sailesh Gandhi, East West would make a profit of Rs1,155 crore on an investment of Rs105 crore. Under pressure, the RAJANISH KAKADE/AP

1 February: Raj Thackeray questions Amitabh Bachchan’s decision to start a school for girls in Uttar Pradesh.

corporation voted in March on a demand that the redevelopment proposal should be reconsidered. Civic activists lined up in the lobby to urge representatives to do the right thing. When the motion was tabled, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena voted against reconsidering the proposal and the Congress stayed neutral. The plan now has to be approved by the heritage committee, but its opinion is not binding on the municipal commissioner, who can pass the proposal if he presents valid reasons.

Since then, two other decisions on real estate have been welcomed by construction companies, but greeted with horror by people who care about Mumbai. In September, the Supreme Court set aside restrictions imposed by the Bombay high court in 2006 on the reconstruction of approximately 19,000 so-called cessed buildings in southern Mumbai. The residents of these buildings pay a cess to the state housing board to ensure that repairs are carried out, because their landlords have refused to look after their upkeep. Though the state government has offered construction firms liberal incentives to rehouse the residents of these structures, the majority of which were built

before September 1940, the Bombay high court had ruled that mandatory open spaces around the buildings had to be maintained. With the Supreme Court lifting these requirements, the residents of skyscrapers that will sprout through southern Mumbai will literally be able to shake the hands of people in neighbouring buildings.

As if this wasn’t alarming enough, the municipal corporation at the end of November decided to allow residents of the city’s 30 fishing settlements and 189 gaothans—villages that have improbably held out against the concrete tsunami of urbanisation—to demolish their homes and build taller homes.

It seems that the authorities haven’t bothered to study whether the infrastructure of these already-congested neighbourhoods can actually support the increased populations that will move into the new buildings.

The events of the past year follow the inexplicable decision in 2006 to allow piecemeal building projects on 600 acres of mill land in central Mumbai and the plan to redevelop the Dharavi slum area even though the government-appointed consultant to the project isn’t sure quite how many families live there and need to be rehoused.

In most other cities, this kind of chaos would probably have prompted irate residents to flood into the streets in protest. But in Mumbai, this seems like business as usual.

After all, real estate corruption has been around for centuries (though not perhaps from prehistoric times).

In fact, one notorious episode involved the area in south Mumbai where Lieutenant-Commander KRU Todd scratched around for clues about the city’s origins.

In 1926, the Backbay enquiry committee discovered evidence of financial irregularities in the reclamation scheme and noted that the government’s permission had been obtained through an incomplete presentation. That committee was headed by K.F. Nariman, after whom another stretch of land with the whiff of scandal to it would be named decades later.

Naresh Fernandes is the editor-in-chief of TimeOut.

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SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

TOP 5

TOP 5

VETERAN PLAYERS

1

The hallmark of Hayden’s career has been very long runs of good form. Once he hits two or three 50s, Hayden just keeps on going.

This IPL has been very good for veterans like him who are playing for pride as well as the money involved. If Sachin Tendulkar has three shots for every ball, Hayden probably has at least two. The grounds and the fielding restrictions in the early overs allow players like him to break free.

Warne’s bowling actually improved, though he was quite good last time too. Also, he singlehandedly managed a team that had hardly any matchwinners. Shane Watson and Sohail Tanvir— both were superb last year—didn’t play this year.

But Warne was flexible and had clearly worked hard with Munaf Shane Warne Patel.

MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP

5 Sanath Jayasuriya:

Jayasuriya would have done even better if Tendulkar had given him a few more chances to bowl. Every team this year was looking for a good left-arm spinner. So Jayasuriya should have been utilized more. The moment he takes a few wickets, you can see the gleam in his eyes. This would have had a positive impact on his batting too. His scoring rate was lower this season, but he still made an impact.

1

2

CRICKET

IPL 2: HITS, IFS AND MISSES The second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been about much more than just Twenty20 cricket. Controversy dogged the tournament. If cheerleaders were the hot potato last year, it was security this time. The IPL was relocated to South Africa just in time to lose a few matches to rain. And then everyone, except Shah Rukh Khan’s Knights, began to play cricket. A pitch­invading dog, an undercover blog and strategic timeouts ensured the IPL stayed in the news for good reasons and bad. Now, with 57 matches behind us and just two to go, six fans look back at the best, worst and most bizarre moments of IPL 2009

Abhishek Nayar

5 Abhishek Nayar:

Nayar is not as new as the others on this list. He did well last year too.

But this year he really proved himself, often being the Mumbai Indians’ saving grace. He also bowled a few crucial overs.

According to me, Nayar was one of the better performers in IPL 2.

As told to Sidin Vadukut.

Aakash Chopra has played 10 international Test matches for India and is also a television commentator.

As told to Sidin Vadukut.

Srinivas Bhogle heads the Bangalore Centre of TEOCO Software Pvt. Ltd.

···················

B Y D ILEEP P REMACHANDRAN ····························· Andrew Flintoff: Made no impact in three games before that fragile body broke down.

Worst economy rate of any frontline bowler in this year’s tournament.

5 1

DECCAN CHARGERS CHEERLEADERS The Chargers really upped their game this season, but that’s nothing in comparison to how their dancing girls stole our hearts, minds and hard drive space. Like Yuvraj Singh, we can say without hesitation that the ladies in their white T-shirts and short skirts gave fans of all teams reason to cheer every Charger boundary and wicket.

The camera angles deserve special mention.

THE CANINE STAR

MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP

MIKE HUTCHINGS/REUTERS

4 Shane Warne:

A true music lover is one who when he hears a lady singing in the shower, puts his ear, not eye, to the keyhole.

A true cricket lover, similarly, is one who wants to know news both off the field and on it. The anonymous blog provided us many a moment of pleasure during IPL 2. Warning: Ratting on colleagues is not cricket.

It is even better.

DAVID MUNDEN/SPORTSLINE PHOTOGRAPHIC

sending 3 Sreesanth off Hayden:

Andrew Flintoff

4 Pradeep Sangwan:

Sangwan has done extremely well for someone not centrally contracted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and not even in the India A side.

Currently he is among the top wicket takers, managing to hold on to a slot in a team with Dirk Nannes, Glenn McGrath and Aavishkar Salvi. Sangwan has taken wickets at crucial times.

1 Fake IPL Player:

PLAYERS WHO SHOULD HAVE PLAYED TWENTY20

Shane Warne was seen sharing a beer with a member of the crowd, setting a new standard for player-crowd interaction after Inzamam-ul-Haq, many summers ago, rushed into the stands brandishing a bat. And to those worried about a breach in the International Cricket Council Code of Conduct: Aare bhai, thodi si jo pee li hai, chori to nahin ki hai.

He started his last domestic season with a string of ducks. But since then he has changed his game to suit the T20 format.

Suman’s off-spin bowling, too, has been good and he hasn’t been affected by people threatening to go after him. He is still young, and needs to learn how to build an innings with the bat. He did get out looking very silly once or twice.

Tendulkar is one of those players who has done better this season than in the last one (when he was injured). In addition, last year, he had an entire season ahead after the IPL, which probably explains his performance. This year, he was fit and played like someone who wanted to prove a thing or two on the field. Unfortunately, his performance was marred by his below par captaincy.

BIZARRE MOMENTS

TOP 5

2 Warne sipping beer:

3 Tirumalasetti Suman:

3 Sachin Tendulkar:

sidin.v@livemint.com

MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP

Tyagi missed last year’s edition because of injury, paving the way for M.S. Goni. But this year, he is fit and overcame a less-than-outstanding first-class season. Tyagi did not look out of place, and his deliveries were very good, both off the track and in the air. Extremely good for a 21-year-old player.

Like Hayden, Gilchrist too is motivated by the need to play well in the latter half of his career. He has been scoring at a very good pace, especially capitalizing in the first four or five overs. The format is also suited to him at this stage in his career. If he knew he had to come back and bat again, as in a Test match, I doubt if he’d be so lethal.

TOP 5 B Y A RNAB R AY ·································

2 Sudeep Tyagi:

2 Adam Gilchrist:

B Y S IDIN V ADUKUT

DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCES

B Y A AKASH C HOPRA ······························ Shadab Jakati: In his first opportunity to play in the big league, Jakati has really been up to the challenge. He has been playing for Goa for a while and has never had to play in an IPL kind of environment. But he stood up for himself, displayed a good attitude and always looked like he would take wickets. He played well in his first two IPL matches, taking four wickets in each.

1 Matthew Hayden:

After keeping both eyes glued to the cricket, and then some, these are five of our resident expert’s favourite IPL things

TOP 5

NEW TALENT

BY S R I N I V A S B H O G L E ································

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SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

AMAN SHARMA/AP PHOTO

2

Perhaps you will spot the irony here. During the first match of IPL 2, which was moved to South Africa for security reasons, a fleet-footed foxhound casually wandered on to the ground at Cape Town. After getting perilously close to M.S. Dhoni, it went on to produce several moments of mirth for the audience while the staff chased it around the ground. We will not forget the full-body dive a member of the ground staff pulled off any time soon.

MIKE HUTCHINGS/REUTERS

3

Kevin Pietersen: When you

shell out that kind of money on a player, $1.55 million (around Rs7.75 crore), you expect more than 93 runs in six innings from him. The Challengers revived after he left.

3 Graeme Smith:

South Africa’s Captain Courageous averaged less than 20 and scored at less than a run a ball.

No wonder, the Rajasthan Royals weren’t able to repeat last year’s success.

If you ever wished to see the army of Burkina Faso going eyeball-to-eyeball with the US armed forces, you needed to see Sreesanth vs Hayden. And, if you wanted to show someone what chutzpah is, all you needed was a link to the video of Sreesanth giving Hayden a heavy verbal send-off after Hayden, in that very over, had blasted him for three sixes.

4 Shilpa Shetty praying:

God may have made the world in six days and turned water to wine, but even these feats pale in comparison with what He did for his true bhakt (devotee) Shetty— made her the winner of Big Brother, got her a honorary PhD for “making a difference to society”, and then made Munaf Patel bowl a last over against the Indians where he gave away just one run.

MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP

4 Sanath Jayasuriya:

Hardly any repeat of his 2008 heroics. Failure to combine with Tendulkar summed up the Mumbai Indians’ woes.

B Y N IRANJAN R AJADHYAKSHA ····························· Gary Sobers: No other cricketer in history was blessed with his blend of batting, bowling and fielding skills.

Sobers would be an interesting test case on how much genuine cricketing skills matter in T20.

1

2 Vivian Richards:

He was the most destructive batsman of the modern era. The imperious front foot play, and the haughty hooking and cutting would bring T20 bowlers to their knees.

3 Kapil Dev:

Though he was just one of a fantastic quartet of all-rounder peers—the other three being Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee—we suspect he would have adjusted his game better to the needs of T20, and was also the best batsman and fielder of the lot.

Sehwag and 5 Virender Gautam Gambhir:

India’s first-choice opening combination has been a disaster. That Delhi is at the top of the table is testament to the team’s all-round strength. It has nothing to do with its openers.

Dileep Premachandran is associate editor of Cricinfo.

Viv Richards

Shilpa Shetty

5 Citi moment of disaster:

Robin Jackman totally DLF-ed his way to fame when instead of the canned “Citi moment of success”, he slipped out a “Citi moment of disaster” when a catch went to ground. Which, when one thinks about it, is truly the most ironic corporate metaphor ever used during IPL commentary.

Now, can someone please get Jackman a bailout package? And file a Chapter 11 on Rameez Raja while they are at it?

Arnab Ray blogs at Greatbong.net.

His forthcoming book May I Hebb Your Attention Pliss is being published by HarperCollins.

4 Joel Garner:

His nagging accuracy, ability to move the ball both ways, and his height made him very difficult to score off. Anybody who has seen recordings of him scythe through the English lower order in the 1979 World Cup finals will know what we are talking about.

5 Dean Jones:

He set new benchmarks for fast scoring before the era of Tendulkar, Jayasuriya and Pietersen. He was quick as lightning between the wickets, and an electrifying fielder. Not in the same talent class as the other four, and thus an unusual choice.

Niranjan Rajadhyaksha is Mint’s managing editor.

GAURAV KAPOOR

ZOOZOOS

THAT TRUMPET SOUND

Amid a roster of boring, repetitive cricket pundits, Kapoor charmed. He brought some welcome MTV cool to the studio and ground-side interviews and didn’t sound like a complete celebrity nincompoop when he had to make the stray cricketing statement. And all that without wearing off-shoulder dresses or screaming rubbish into the mike like a banshee.

Will the IPL irony never end? A mobile phone company decided to promote its services by using white, big-headed humanoids whose voices are completely inaudible. The Zoozoos became a hit online and offline. The competition’s insipid advertising only helped make the lovable lemmings more popular. Case in point: Aircel’s Dhoni wants you to win a CD of his collection of love songs. Gag.

At first nobody at home knew what it was. A sudden burst of trumpet music, three notes long, would fill the stadium and the crowd would cheer loudly. Later, it was revealed that the sound was being played by one of the live DJs at each venue. The tune was addictive and helped keep the crowd—yes, even those watching on TV—going during those rare boring bits in each match.

4

5

L10 THE GIFTS

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

29 Assorted liqueur

Feast food

chocolates:

At Choko la, Khan Market, New Delhi, Rs880.

nation Blur the gourmet­gourmand line with these

28 Organic extra virgin olive oil:

By Soler Romero at Nature’s Basket, Tirupati Apartments, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai, Rs645 for 500ml.

A reader can win two boxes of assorted cookies from Mrs Kaur’s.

See Page 7

24 Assorted cookies:

At Mrs Kaur’s, Khan Market, New Delhi, Rs750.

30 Silver Tips Darjeeling tea:

At Craft House, The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi, Rs2,000 for 50gm.

27 Canard Duchene Brut Rose:

25 Caciocavallo white cheese:

At Shah Wines, Crawford Market, Mumbai, Rs4,800.

At Nature’s Basket, Tirupati Apartments, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai, Rs611 for 500gm.

FYI Caciocavallo cheese (kah­choh­kuh­VAH­loh) comes from southern Italy and literally means “cheese on horseback”. It is stretched and shaped by hand and most often comes in string­tied gourd or spindle shapes.

26 Indian borage, Indian jujube,

Wild thyme, Multiflora, Babul Acacia, and Honeydew honeys: At La Baguette, The Imperial, New Delhi, and The Gourmet Shoppe, The Oberoi, Mumbai, Rs9,072 (for six).

31 Assorted Italian hamper: At The Gourmet Shoppe, The Oberoi, Mumbai, Rs5,300.

L9

LOUNGE PHOTOGRAPHS

BY

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

ABHIJIT BHATELEKAR/MINT

Carrera: Diver edition, steel and rubber water­resistant watch with luminous hands and one­way rotating bezel to time dives, at Watches and More outlets in Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi, Rs13,500.

MEN’S WATCHES Montblanc: Stainless steel automatic sports chronograph with brown alligator skin strap, at Montblanc boutiques in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune, Rs1.58 lakh.

TAG Heuer: Formula 1 chronograph with scratch­resistant sapphire crystal and stainless steel bracelet, at Tag Heuer boutiques and authorized dealers across the country, Rs66,000.

WATCH

Get sporty chic with these multifunction timepieces

Jaeger­LeCoultre: ‘Master

B Y R ACHANA N AKRA

Compressor Diving GMT’ stainless steel watch with black rubber strap, at Exclusive Lines, Camac Street, Kolkata; Ethos, Inorbit malls, Malad and Vashi, and Time Avenue, Bandra, Mumbai; Jaeger­LeCoultre boutique, DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, Ethos, Select Citywalk, Saket, and Johnson Watch Co., Connaught Place, New Delhi, Rs4.26 lakh.

rachana.n@livemint.com

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Titan: Titan Octane chronograph with stainless steel strap, at all World of Titan stores, Rs8,000.

Rolex: Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date, at Mahen Boutique, UB City mall, Bangalore; The Helvetica, Spencer Plaza, Chennai; Exclusive Lines, Camac Street, Kolkata; DIA, Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, Mumbai; and Johnson Watch Co., Connaught Place, New Delhi, Rs4.79 lakh.

WOMEN’S WATCHES Omega: Automatic chronograph from the Speedmaster collection with white leather strap, at Omega boutiques in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi, Rs1.18 lakh.

Cartier: ‘Santos 100’ automatic chronograph with black leather strap, at Ethos, Inorbit mall, Malad, and Time Avenue, Bandra, Mumbai; Cartier boutique, DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, Ethos, Select Citywalk mall, Saket, Johnson Watch Co., Connaught Place, and Kapoor Watch Co., South Extension Part­I, New Delhi, Rs3.95 lakh.

Carrera: ‘Featherlight’ chronograph with pink dial and white rubber strap, at Watches and More outlets in Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi, Rs6,950.

Puma: Chronograph in pink from the Motorsport collection, at all Puma stores and Watches and More outlets in Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi, Rs8,450.

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2008

Insider

LOUNGE t Victoria & Albert armchair: At Work Wize, Grand Mall, Gurgaon, Rs1 lakh.

u Tall Back chair: At Magppie, Grand Mall, Gurgaon, Rs14,500.

p Plastic dining chair: Kartell at Moon River, D­16, Defence Colony, New Delhi, Rs33,000.

PICKS

Sitting

duck

p Ella: At Basix, MGF Plaza mall, Gurgaon, Rs33,548.

Introduce an eclectic chair in your living room arrangement B Y M ELISSA A . B ELL

&

S EEMA C HOWDHRY

melissa.b@livemint.com

···············································

u Dining chair­ cum­stepladder: At Fabindia, Khan Market, New Delhi, Rs3,355.

u Kihani chair: Preeti Knowles at Good Earth, Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi, Rs22,800 plus fabric charges.

t Chinese chair: At The Furniture Store, Grand Mall, Gurgaon, Rs30,000.

u Kel: At New Age, Grand Mall, Gurgaon, Rs1.95 lakh.

u Lounge chair: At Design Lounge, Grand Mall, Gurgaon, Rs45,000.

www.livemint.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007

L7

The Gifts

LOUNGE

111 ideas to be everyone’s favourite person W

e’re in the festive mood too. So we’ve decided to give away some of the products we recommend. Any time you see a Diwali bow next to a caption, you have a chance to win that product. Just log on to www.livemint.com and tell us your favourite Diwali memory. What was your best gift? Your best party? Your wildest firework experience? The crazy neighbour who always gave you the stale fruitbread? We’ll pick the five best winners and start the Diwali giving early!

First place 01 Twin Bowl Sasha:

At Episode, Greater Kailash­I, N­Block Market, New Delhi, and SV Road, Santa Cruz, Mumbai, Rs2,637.

CONTENTS

this festive season Candles Metal Gourmet food Auspicious items Wardrobe NGOs Jewellery Kids Books Corporate Glass Potpourri

>Page8 >Page9 >Page10 >Page11 >Page12 >Page14 >Page15 >Page16 >Page16 >Page17 >Page18 >Page19

silver

The quieter metal shines bright

04 Dhan Potli:

At Frazer & Haws, N­138, Greater Kailash­I, New Delhi and Pali Naka, Bandra, Mumbai, Rs12,520 (large), Rs7,600 (small).

02 Bowl Evocative:

At Frazer & Haws, N­138, Greater Kailash­I, New Delhi, and Pali Naka, Bandra, Mumbai, Rs40,660.

05 Bidri fruit bowl:

At The Next Shop, Greater Kailash­I, N­Block Market, New Delhi, Rs1,983.

03 Silver­plated bird:

At Moon River, D­16, Defence Colony, New Delhi, and SP Centre, Colaba, Mumbai, Rs3,000 (large), Rs2,000 (small).

FYI The bowl is made from an alloy of tin and copper, while the inlay is intricately patterned in silver.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Pune

www.livemint.com

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Vol. 3 No. 24

LOUNGE THE WEEKEND MAGAZINE

COURT

RAISING A RACQUET >Page 12

Gear up for Wimbledon 2009 with a look at the stars, rivalries and customs that make it the highlight of the tennis season

GAME, SET, WATCH

Get sporty chic with these multifunction timepieces >Page 9

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only Grand Slam played on grass.

REPLY TO ALL

THE GOOD LIFE

AAKAR PATEL

A SOURCE OF THE MUMBAI SPIRIT

T

he forward press of its residents is called the Spirit of Mumbai. These words are used when, after a day of disaster, citizens pack trains to work the next day, showing they have brushed off the incident. We do not hear of such a spirit in Delhi or any other city, though their people also go to work the next day, and they have had their disasters. So this spirit cannot hold merely the “going back to work” meaning within it, and we know that. >Page 4

A

professional scorecard can mean different things and often, different timelines. A fund manager is measured every day, in fractions—the number of basis points his fund is up or down when the market closes. For the CEO, it is in quarterly earnings reports and annual revenues. For the politician, timelines are even longer—the stealth reforms that Manmohan Singh made when he was finance minister, along with the nuclear deal... >Page 5

The must­sees and should­dos at the All England Club >Page 7

POSTSCRIPT

SHOBA NARAYAN

IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN WINNING

OFF­COURT SHENANIGANS

LAKSHMI CHAUDHRY

WHEN LITERATURE IS PRO­LIFE, PRO­WOMAN

A

Supreme Court nominee with a fuzzy record on reproductive rights; worse, a dead doctor, killed by a Christian zealot for performing third-trimester abortions. It’s time for yet another nasty skirmish in the ongoing culture war in America. Barring a few Catholic exceptions, the US is one of the few Western nations where abortion remains an unresolved issue, its moral implications fiercely, sometimes violently, contested. So fraught is the subject that movies, for all their sexual bravado... >Page 15

DROP SHOTS

Three ways to drink Wimbledon’s favourite tipple >Page 13

DON’T MISS

For today’s business news > Question of Answers— the quiz with a difference > Markets Watch

L7

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

SHENANIGANS B Y S AMANTH S UBRAMANIAN

Aorangi Food Court

Centre Court

Aorangi Terrace

Your best bet to sample some of the 28,000kg of strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream that are consumed every year during The Championships.

Last year, the price of strawberries and cream rose by 25p to £2.25 (around Rs190 then); the media blamed the credit crunch.

Above the players’ entrance here is inscribed an apt, inspiring extract from Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’: “If you can meet Triumph and Disaster/and treat those two imposters just the same”

A popular site for spectators to watch games on a large screen, Aorangi Ter­ race was renamed Henman Hill, after Tim Henman. British tennis fans also referred to it, at various points, as Rusedski Ridge and Mount Murray, after the other leading British hopes, Greg Rusedski and Andy Murray.

OFF-COURT

samanth.s@livemint.com

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N

There is more to Wimbledon than just the tennis. Our map will help you find the must­sees and should­dos

To Wimbledon Common

Aorangi Pavilion Top players swing by to give short interviews and sign autographs before or after their games, at a spot nicknamed Autograph Island, which is not really an island but a tent.

Outside the complex And just in case tennis isn’t your thing, the Wimbledon Windmill Museum is within walking distance. This museum “depicts the history of windmills and milling using working models and the machinery and tools of the trade, with hands­on milling for children”. As different from tennis as you can get.

Play Tennis For £1 for five serves, all of which goes to charity, Wimbledon allows you to compare the speed of your serves with that of pro­ fessionals. Once you’re sufficiently depressed, you can repair to Cafe Pergola, nearby, and drink yourself back into good spirits.

Official suncare kiosk This year, the official suncare at Wimbledon is Garnier Ambre Solaire. There is also an official still soft drink (Robinsons), an official champagne (Lanson) and an official wine (Blossom Hill), none of which sound familiar.

The Museum The oldest exhibit in this museum dates back to 1555, when tennis was a royal game played on the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.

There is a mock­up dressing room as used by John McEn­ roe in the 1980s, male and female tennis attire from 1884, and best of all, a 200­degree movie screen on which they play giant clips of Maria Sharapova.

UK

The Tea Lawn Apart from a champagne bar, the food stalls here sell the famous Dutchees—sausages in rolls. The actor Richard Harris reportedly once called Wimbledon and asked for a case of 36 Dutchees to be sent over to his room at the Savoy Hotel.

London

Thames

Fulham

LONDON To Wimbledon ORIGINAL IMAGE: AELTC, WIMBLEDON

L8

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SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2009

Insider

LOUNGE

PICKS

Hyper colour

Clock: At fcml, Khan Market, and M­Block Market, Greater Kailash­II, New Delhi, Rs2,000. t

Lighten up with bright colours splashed across the home on everything—from bed linen to Buddha

Lanterns: At Nun, Khan Market, New Delhi; Mariplex, Kalyani Nagar, Pune; and The Great India Place, Noida, Rs750. u

B Y M ELISSA A . B ELL melissa.b@livemint.com

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p Buddha

heads: At Apartment 9, N­Block Market, Greater Kailash­I, and Khan Market, New Delhi; and Sunny House, Mereweather Road, Mumbai, Rs1,800 for the small size and Rs2,800 for the bigger one.

Wall divider: At fcml, Khan Market, and M­Block Market, Greater Kailash­II, New Delhi, Rs7,475 for a set of 12 pieces. t

Vases: At Good Earth, Khan Market, and Select Citywalk mall, New Delhi; and Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai, Rs1,500. t

Floor lamp: At Fabindia stores countrywide, Rs700. t

Murano lamp: At Casa Paradox, Crescent at The Qutab, New Delhi, Rs62,000. t

Pillows: At Good Earth, Khan Market, and Select Citywalk mall, New Delhi; UB City mall and Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore; and Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai, Rs1,800. q

Round boxes: at Fabindia stores countrywide, Rs450 for a set of three. t

Towels: At Good Earth, Khan Market, and Select Citywalk mall, New Delhi; and Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai, Rs750. q

PHOTOGRAPHS

BY

RAMESH PATHANIA

&

HARIKRISHNA KATRAGADDA/MINT

L8

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SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009

Insider

LOUNGE

Cupcake: At Tart, Express Tower, Nariman Point, Mumbai, Rs100.

Decanter: At Silver Oak, Shree Laxmi Deep Industrial Estate, Mum­ bai, Rs7,900.

p

p

Napkins: At Yamini, 380, Shanti Niwas, 14th Road, Mumbai; and 11/2, Haudin Road, Ulsoor Lake, Bangalore, Rs15 each.

Butterfly: At all Swarovski retail outlets, Rs6,800 (for a set of three).

p

p

PICKS

Winging it Bring the outdoors inside your home with these butterfly patterns

Wall clock: At 1BHK, Kamal City, Senapati Bapat Marg, Mumbai, Rs2,185. t

B Y D HARA S ANGHAVI Better Homes and Gardens

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Umbrella: At Moon River, Defence Colony, New Delhi; Minoo Desai Marg, Mumbai; and Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore, Rs950. u

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHOTOLINK, STYLED BY SHYISTA MEHRA/BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

All content on this page powered by Butterfly pitcher: At Tresorie, Linking Road, Mumbai, Rs3,000. p

‘Bandari’ bowl and plate: At Good Earth, Khan Market, and Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi; Raghuvanshi Mills, Lower Parel, and Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai, Rs415. p

Bag: At The Bombay Store, Western India House, Sir PM Road, Mumbai, Rs400. p

L10 COVER

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SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM BRAD SWONETZ/REDUX/WSJ

Comic heroes: (clockwise from far left) Legendary’s CEO Thomas Tull; Silk Spectre 11 from Watchmen; The Dark Knight and 300 were also made into movies by Legendary Pictures.

BEHIND THE SCENES

THE

MAN WHO SOLD THE SUPERHERO L

Heath Ledger, Watchmen doesn’t feature any big-name actors.

For the movie industry, Watchmen is the first big test of the year.

Financing films has become increasingly difficult as the global credit crunch has tightened wallets. But despite the recession, boxoffice returns in 2008 were about even last year compared with the previous year, in part due to the success of Dark Knight. So far this year, the box office is up about 14%, according to Box Office Mojo.

Although Warner Bros has marketed Watchmen heavily and it faces little competition, the film is not a sure thing. Doug Creutz, vice-president of equity research at Cowen and Co., says the movie’s R (or restricted) rating and graphic content could deter some moviegoers—and prevent the target audience of teen boys from seeing it at all. The movie features a long scene of superhero sex and a n um be r of v i ol e nt sce ne s throughout, including some particularly bloody ones in a prisonescape sequence. It’s also a long film, clocking in around two and a half hours. Creutz doesn’t think the film will bomb, and notes that 300 faced similar hurdles.

The comic-book version of Watchmen, a dark tale about a world where superheroes are banned and must operate underground, was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. First released as a series in 1986 and 1987, it was hailed for its subversion of comic-book clichés. The characters in Watchmen, however, are flawed and complex, and the moral choices they make are difficult and messy. The comic’s serpentine story is laced with references to poetry, philosophy and music, and features numerous tangents, including a subplot about a sailor lost at sea.

Tull first read Watchmen in college. He loved the characters, particularly Rorschach, the book’s dysfunctional anti-hero. “He’s so violent and uncompromising,”

Tull says.

The comic has a tortured history in Hollywood. Twentieth Century Fox bought the rights in the 1980s for producer Lawrence Gordon (Die Hard, Field of Dreams), who oversaw the writing and rewriting of the script. Fox eventually abandoned its plans and Gordon took the project to multiple studios, including Universal and Paramount, before landing at Warner Bros. Last year, Fox alleged that Gordon failed to obtain the rights for the film from it, and in December a federal judge agreed to hear the case.

With another delay looming in an already two-decade-long process and a Warner Bros ad campaign in full swing, the two studios reached an agreement recently.

After years of stops and starts, many comic-book fans are eager for Watchmen to finally be released. Tull—who owns some 100 action-figure statuettes and stores hundreds of comic books in his basement—has decided that catering to the fanboys makes business sense. Many of the same kind

of fans who once flocked to Star Wars will be waiting on opening day for Watchmen. Typically young and male (although growing numbers of females have joined their ranks), the fanboy set is omnivorous—consuming comics, TV, films and video games. It’s a notoriously fickle group—movies such as The Spirit have bombed when they failed to live up to fanboy expectations. “This is my group,” says Tull. “They like stuff I like.”

Many studios are betting on superhero films. Recently, Marvel Entertainment’s Marvel Studios (which focuses on the genre and released last year’s hit superhero film Iron Man) announced that its net income more than doubled in the fourth quarter after it began producing its own films instead of licensing them. “We have a basic overall philosophy of trying to make event films—large films for a broad-based audience,” says Barry Meyer, CEO of Warner Bros Entertainment.

“With comic characters, they have some of the greatest appeal for a movie-going audience.”

Legendary, Tull’s independent production company, suffered some early setbacks. The company’s 2006 movie Superman Returns underperformed. Legendary’s luck started to turn around when director Zack Snyder showed up at Tull’s office with an idea to make Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300, violent historical fiction about the last stand of a band of Spartans against Persian invaders. The film went on to have one of the biggest openings of 2007, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide. “I think (Tull) understands whether it’ll make money, because he looks at it as a fan,” says Snyder.

In the wake of the success of 300, Snyder approached Tull about making Watchmen. Tull was initially sceptical. “I looked at him and said ‘Really?’” Tull remembers. “I’m not saying it’s unfilmable, but it’s heady stuff.” But he gave the film the green light and stayed in contact with Snyder, tweaking the script and reviewing sketches of the characters. He was particularly concerned with mak-

Relentless high­impact violence can’t mask the film’s inertness xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyz xyzx yzx zyx zyx zy

CREDIT

: B Y J OE M ORGENSTERN The Wall Street Journal

ing sure the costumes would work. “If someone’s running around in spandex, that can get silly real quick,” he says.

Legendary is currently developing a film version of the popular Gears of War video-game franchise; the company is also working on a remake of Clash of the Titans, and a film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. Tull aims to branch out. He’s creating a digital department for future Web ventures, and the company will become more involved in video games.

At the comic-book store in Silver Lake, however, Tull is still thinking about his coming movie.

He eyes the store clerk. “So, let me ask you a question,” he says, placing his stack of comics on the checkout table. “What do you guys think about Watchmen?”

Write to wsj@livemint.com

SEE RELATED STORY >The man worth watching PageL16

growlalike sports a Slavic accent.

Buckets of bombast are hurled by talking heads who bear a not-so-witty resemblance to John McLaughlin, Pat Buchanan and Eleanor Clift. Yet an all-pervasive joylessness makes it impossible to care about the big costumed cheeses who will, or will not, save the world from nuclear annihilation -- Patrick Wilson’s Nite Owl (don’t blame Wilson, who actually does some acting); Malin Akerman’s statuesque Silk Spectre (”Omigod,” she chirps during that interlude, “we’re on Mars!”); Matthew Goode’s supersmart Ozymandias (he gets smart-alecky lines like “I’m not a comic-book villain”) and Billy Crudup’s godlike Dr. Manhattan (the only one who possesses true superpowers, and the only one displayed in slightly abstracted frontal nudity, though who cares because he’s detached from humanity).

Unlike 300, which combined live-action characters with computer-generated sets, this film uses physical settings too, and it’s all to the good; the production as a whole is impressive. So is the eclectic soundtrack, which ranges from Philip Glass and Leonard Cohen to Bob Dylan (performed by Jimi Hendrix) and Paul Simon. (The Sounds of Silence plays over a haunting scene in a Brooklyn cemetery). At the same time, the martial arts, along with some crucial special effects, are inelegant to say the least. But then elegance isn’t Zack Snyder’s bag; a certain sort of impact is. Watchmen establishes him as Hollywood’s reigning master of psychic suffocation.

································· atchmen presents two great challenges--getting your mind around it, and getting your head out from under it.

The first was to be expected. The source material, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, is a work of unusual intricacy, visual power and narrative ambition. Doing full justice to such a classic in a single movie was clearly impossible, though hundreds of artists and technicians led by the director, Zack Snyder -- his previous film was the violent Spartan morality saga 300 -- have reverently moved great dollops of the book to the big screen.

The second is essential to sustaining sanity. Unless you’re heavily invested -- as countless fans and fervent fanboys are -- in the novel’s flawed superheroes, its jaundiced take on heroism and its alternate vision of American history, watching Watchmen is the spiritual equivalent of being whacked on the skull for 163 minutes. The reverence is inert, the violence noxious, the mythology murky, the tone grandiose, the texture glutinous. It’s an alternate version of The Incredibles minus the delight.

The story starts with the brutal murder of a brutish antihero called The Comedian, then quickly turns into a paranoid thriller as a crazed vigilante, Rorschach, searches for the killer and uncovers an apocalyptic plot. (Rorschach wears a mask with inkblots swirling beneath its surface, and narrates in voice-over, sounding like a nut job Batman besotted by Raymond Chandler. He’s played by Write to wsj@livemint.com Jackie Earle Haley, who is genuinely frightening on the few occasions when he sheds his mask.)

The film, like the novel, leaps back and forth in time and space -- one dreamy interlude takes place on Mars -- but the action is set mainly in the parallel universe of a 1980s America where the Cold War has reached the boiling point, the doomsday clock is approaching midnight and formerly prominent superheroes have woven themselves into the warp and woof -- especially the warp, given their foibles -- of everyday life.

That setting is amusing, up to a point. A Cyrano-nosed Richard Nixon is serving a fifth term in the White House.

A Henry Kissinger Past life: Dr Manhattan looks at a photo of his former

W

The comic­book­loving exec behind ‘300’ and ‘Dark Knight’ swears by ‘Watchmen’, the new film he’s producing, because of its flawed, complex characters

BY JAMIN BROPHY W ARREN ···························· ate in the afternoon in Los Angeles, Thomas Tull, chief executive officer of Legendary Pictures, has snuck out of his office to read comic books.

“You want to know what’s really cool?” says Tull as he walks through a comic-book store in the chic Silver Lake neighbourhood.

He points to titles that his company has made into movies.

“Watchmen. Dark Knight. 300. We made all of those,” he says. He’s read each of those comics half a dozen times.

There’s a name for people who, like Tull, are singularly devoted to comics or some other pop-cultural pursuit: fanboys. Now, as executive producer, he’s helped bring to the big screen his favourite comic book: Watchmen.

The 38-year-old Tull is part of a new generation of film and TV executives who were raised on video games and comics and are now turning those childhood obsessions into big-budget realities. Last year’s The Dark Knight is the second highest grossing film in the US, bringing at least $500 million (around Rs2,600 crore) at the box office. Popular TV shows such as Heroes, Lost and Smallville draw heavily on the imagery and themes of comic-book culture.

Hollywood has embraced these executives because they have the inside track on a coveted audience: teenage boys.

Watchmen is the greatest professional challenge yet for Tull who, among other things, used to be in the coin-laundry business before launching Legendary. The company, which has a production deal with Warner Bros, put up about half of the $100 million budget for Watchmen. Unlike Dark Knight, which featured heroes and villains such as Batman and The Joker who are familiar, the new film doesn’t rely on any wellknown characters. And while Dark Knight starred Christian Bale and

Pow! Bam! ‘Watchmen’ Batters Public

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Rs4,780 Anokhi Silk blouse, Rs1,800; cotton harem pants,

Sequinned top, Rs2,795; linen skirt, Rs1,495; white and silver sequinned flip­flops, Rs495.

Rs630; African bead necklace, Rs450; two­way earrings (with different designs on both sides), Rs1,500; and an African bead and wooden bangle, Rs400.

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Printed shift dress, Rs2,995; patent orange belt, Rs1,695.

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pink satin ribbon detail, Rs3,300; and gold and beige handbag, Rs1,400.

Rs4,890 Esprit Pink and white printed dress with box pleats, Rs4,290; and keychain, Rs600.

Rs5,000 Ensemble Blue stretch satin top

by Gauri and Nainika, Rs5,000.

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Rs4,700 Puma White ballet flats with

strings not shown), Rs650; beige sleeve­ less top with pin­tucks, Rs350; printed harem pants, Rs675; beige stole with gold print, Rs295; green and gold bro­ cade and satin bag, Rs450; black and blue necklace with adjustable fastening, Rs450; golden necklace, Rs300; golden earrings with rose motif and green stone, Rs350; printed cotton tops—Rs400, Rs425 and Rs450.

Plus 4% tax.

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WHERE TO GET IT Anokhi: The Leela Galleria and Sankey Road, Bangalore; off Hughes Road and Bandra (West), Mumbai; Khan Market and Greater Kailash­I, New Delhi.

Cottons: Bandra Reclamation, Mumbai; and N Block, Greater Kailash­I, New Delhi.

Ensemble: Lion’s Gate, Mumbai.

Esprit: At Esprit stores in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

French Connection: At French Connection stores in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

Louis Philippe: At Louis Philippe stores in all major cities.

Mango: Atria mall, Worli, and Linking Road, Mumbai; Select Citywalk mall, Saket, New Delhi; Ambience mall, Gurgaon; and Garuda Mall, Magrath Road, Bangalore.

Marks and Spencer: At Marks and Spencer stores in Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Puma: At Puma stores in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

Tommy Hilfiger: At Tommy Hilfiger stores in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.

United Colors of Benetton: At UCB stores in all major cities.

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PROFILE

The economics of being

SUBODH GUPTA Five years ago, Gupta was just another struggling young artist looking to claim a slice of India’s expanding art pie.

Today, he is its #1 contemporary artist. How did he get here?

CREDIT LINE

1,427,500 June ’08

1,192,019

B Y T ARA K ILACHAND nayantara.k@livemint.com

···························· t the Venice Biennale, at Art Basel, at Frieze Art Fair, at Chanel Mobile Art, in Shanghai, Zurich, Paris, Tokyo and New Delhi, the name most readily dropped and sought out is Subodh Gupta (or “Goopta” to those who don’t know or can’t pronounce the shortened “u”). Suddenly, like the limited edition bag that the artist will soon design for Italian fashion house Fendi, Gupta, a small-town boy from Khagaul, Bihar, has a waiting list.

“Everyone knows who he is in the European art scene,” says Peter Nagy of Nature Morte, New Delhi. Nature Morte and Bodhi Art in Mumbai are the two galleries in India that officially represent him.

Nagy is right; everyone does know who he is. Were it possible to quantify the craze, Gupta would be in rarefied company, somewhere next to Anish Kapoor, a few steps behind perhaps but close enough to warrant a cautionary backward glance or two. Sure, M.F. Husain and Tyeb Mehta, Jitish Kallat and Atul Dodiya have stepped across the invisible barrier of nationality—breaking records at auctions, popping up at the errant biennale, and gaining a nod or two from international buyers. But none of them has achieved quite so much in so

May ’08

A

1,181,005 June ’08

short a time as Gupta.

Gupta’s hotness is a fact not lost on his manager, Flora Boillot, who moved from France to New Delhi two years ago to oversee the affairs of Gupta and his artist wife Bharti Kher. It is Boillot who handles all media requests, coordinates out-oftown gallery visits, makes sure Gupta is on time for his various appointments and that his shipments to shows in San Gimignano and Shanghai are on time and intact.

And it is Boillot who fields my request for an interview sent via SMS to Gupta’s iPhone in February. “Subodh is busy”, “Subodh is travelling” and “Subodh is not available until July”, Boillot tells me. In July, a reminder email gets another Boillot reply, this time granting the interview but with an addendum—“the interview cannot exceed 30 minutes”.

She also stipulates that I hand in a release form that essentially

A look at how Gupta’s auction prices have escalated

confirms I will not use the images or information in an untoward manner (like, say, in setting up a Where in the World is Subodh blog).

Release forms and French managers are not generally the purview of artists, especially artists in India, so by the time I arrive at Gupta’s studio, in the dusty construction pit that is Gurgaon, I have built in my mind the myth of Gupta—the Damien Hirst of Delhi—who from 2005 to 2008 saw his prices at auctions zoom 52 times.

How a boy from Bihar, with zero interest in doing what most of his village did (i.e. work for the railways), managed to become India’s No. 1 Artist is nothing short of wondrous: a fairy tale with a requisite cast of greedy gallerists, ambitious curators, a savvy wife and one bespectacled man from small-town India. And allegations of price manupulation.

He is in every sense a product a Zurich-based gallery at par of the new Indian market, where with Gagosian or Saatchi, which marketing and image-building, incidentally will also feature him and self-promotion, are not only in a group exhibit next year. expected but encouraged and Told that he is a difficult man praised. Having worked exceed- to meet, Gupta demurs. “It’s not ingly carefully to control output like that,” he apologizes, before and place his works in the most sitting down on a sagging couch high-profile collections and in a plain-walled studio cluttered shows, Gupta, in that sense and with steel utensils, unfinished perhaps that sense alone, has canvases and a cabinet full of warranted the comparison with Gupta’s coffee-table catalogues.

Hirst, a master showman in his He is happy to chat beyond own right.

If Gupta, 44, knows he is a TURN TO PAGE L14® much traded commodity, identifiable by last name alone despite the two or three other Guptas peppering the Indian art scene, he Feb ’07 isn’t showing it. Mild mannered, and even a little homely, he lacks the polished smugness of a man who has just signed on to the art world juggernaut, Hauser and Wirth,

(Figures in $)

84,832 Nov ’06

Nov ’06

143,931

A look at Gupta’s career arc 1964: Born 2 Jan in Khagaul, Bihar 1988: Moves to Delhi, to study at Lalit Kala Akademi 1989: Meets Russi Mody of Tata Steel who sponsors his exhibit in Jamshedpur in 1990

521,593 477,250 437,000

277,000

Mar ’08

Sep ’07

494,308 293,338 Oct ’07

Mar ’08

May ’08

1992: First solo show with Gallery Espace; meets his wife Bharti in New Delhi 1996: Moves from oils to installations with 29 Mornings 1997: Wins Bose Pacia emerging artist award in New York 2000: Exhibits with Nature Morte for the first time at Lokayata, New Delhi 2002: Pierre Huber takes him to the Armory Show in New York

Nov ’07 Sep ’07

Sep ’06

146,529 Mar ’06

May ’08

232,875

106,784

Dec ’05

64,357

825,000

May ’07

131,443

Timeline

Apr ’08

480,000

182,404 Mar ’06

788,712

214,158 May ’06

47,909

May ’05

Jul ’08

:

Up, up and away 23,126

1,200,339

2005: Shows at Frieze Art Fair in London

205,000 Nov ’07

202,970 Feb ’08

2006: Shows at Art Basel, after first being rejected by committee 2007: Is placed in a contemporary sale, as part of a selection from the Pierre Huber Collection

Mar ’07

:

2008: Becomes youngest Indian artist to enter million­dollar club when Saat samundar paar 10 sells at a Christie’s auction for $1.2 million 2009: Solo show with Hauser and Wirth; part of a group show of Indian art at Saatchi

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SPOTLIGHT

LA’s new

She’s expertly navigating the red carpet, one pretty dress at a time.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ star Freida Pinto is Hollywood’s latest style icon (their words not ours)

B Y P ARIZAAD K HAN AND R ACHANA N AKRA ···························· ooking at images of Freida Pinto descending the red carpet in some of the world’s hottest fashion labels, it’s difficult to believe that she once shopped at Fashion Street, a street market often frequented by Mumbai’s college students.

The 24-year-old resident of the Mumbai suburb of Malad has been hailed by the foreign press as Hollywood’s latest it girl as she does the rounds of the awards circuit with the rest of the cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire.

Pinto has worn everything ranging from short, draped dresses and long flowing gowns, to body conscious sheaths. She’s been photographed in Christian Lacroix Couture at the Golden Globes, Zac Posen at the LA Film Critics Awards and the Directors Guild of America Awards, Gaultier Couture at the LA Film Critics dinner, Chanel at the Elle Style Awards, Marchesa at the Screen Actors Guild awards and a custom-made Oscar de la Renta gown at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAS)—which she says was her favourite outfit. That’s not counting the Martin Katz, Lorraine Schwartz and Fred Leighton jewellery pieces, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo footwear, as well as the latest purses (and sometimes Dev Patel) as arm candy.

“I have been approached by many designers wanting to dress Freida. She is a beautiful young woman so many designers are willing to loan to her,” says Pinto’s international stylist George Kotsiopoulos. He admits that the film’s success at the Golden Globes and other award ceremonies has made his job a tad easier. “No designers said ‘no’ before the Globes, but some designers became more available after that,” he says.

Anaita Shroff Adajania, fashion director of Vogue India and stylist to Bollywood actors such as Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu and Hrithik Roshan, says that Pinto, though petite, seems to be holding her own. “She almost looks to the manor born. I think it’s a proud fashion moment for India,” she says. Adajania, says by this point in the awards season, Pinto’s stylist will probably have a

JOEL RYAN/AP

Lady

Q&A

“I have mastered the art of graceful exits from the car” Freida Pinto on LBDs and what she’s thinking about on the red carpet How would you describe your personal style?

Comfortable and chic. I believe that it is rather difficult to carry off something that is too tight or something you aren’t comfortable in. It’s very important to be comfortable as only then can you be stylish and graceful.

Which are the designers that you were always looking forward to wearing even before Slumdog Millionaire released?

Oscar de la Renta—my all time favourite.

Which has been your favourite dress or gown that you have worn to an appearance so far?

The Oscar de la Renta gown that I wore for the BAFTA awards.

What is your involvement in your styling?

I am pretty much the final decision maker. Of course I take inputs from my stylist but sometimes if I see something that I like then I like even consider that.

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roomful of clothes for her to choose from.

And indeed he does. Kotsiopoulos, a Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist who’s previously dressed Heidi Klum, Anne Hathaway, Julianne Moore and Christina Ricci, mentions in an email interview that he currently has a room full of clothing for his next fitting with Pinto. He says he tries to choose looks that reference her Indian heritage but also show that she is an international beauty.

He explains his MO for awardseason dressing: “I go through all the current collections and make requests for specific dresses that I’d like to try on Freida. Most (fashion) houses only have one set of samples that are shared with magazines, buyers and retail so you must reserve them in advance,” he says.

“Fortunately for me, Freida can wear a large variety of colours because of her beautiful skin tone.

She likes beautiful colours such as pinks, blues and purples, but she also looks amazing in nude colours as well,” says Kotsiopoulos.

Pinto says her favourite colour is black, “without a doubt”.

So far, the ensembles chosen for Pinto by Kotsiopoulos have been pretty much on trend. There’s been no experimentation with

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DAN STEINBERG/AP

very fashion forward cuts or styles.

Pinto’s dressing has been classic on most occasions, such as the floor-length periwinkle Marchesa gown at the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards (where she was a presenter). Both her dresses by Zac Posen were short and draped, showing off her legs and portraying a younger, sexier image. “I like my gowns and dresses to be well fit with clean cuts, as I believe it suits me better than flowy garments.

However it should not accentuate the hips or overly accentuate the curves of the body. One would look weighty in a gown that has too much fabric,” she says.

But even as Hollywood cheers her on, there is one person Pinto turns to for unbiased advice—her big sister. Sharon Pinto, a producer for a news channel in Mumbai, says Freida, who’s younger by four years, did call her to ask which outfit she liked the best. “We are each other’s sounding boards,” says Sharon. “I told her I loved all the dresses which were shorter and fit closer to the body. I think yards of fabric don’t flatter her too much,” says Sharon. Through the thick of the awards season her now world-famous sister’s schedule is too busy for girly chats about clothes, so Sharon says she just Googles her

to see what she’s worn for her latest appearances.

During the awards season, which culminates in the Academy Awards on 22 February, designers pursue the stars to wear their creations for various appearances.

What has been the norm for years on international red carpets is a trend which is just starting with international labels in India.

Fashion houses which have a presence in the country, such as Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and those under the TSG International Marketing Pvt. Ltd. umbrella (Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, Lanvin, Alberta Fer-

“Freida can wear a large variety of colours because of her beautiful skin tone. She likes pinks, blues and purples.”

retti, Marc Jacobs, DVF and Stella McCartney) have provided clothes for Indian actors for Indian and international awards functions and other appearances.

Charu Sachdev, CEO of TSG says most labels have specially created celebrity dresses or couture pieces that are only for lending out to stars. “The star tells us the kind of look they are aiming for—either fluid and feminine, or glamorous, or classic, and we try and give them a few options which are suitable,” says Sachdev.

Most often, the dresses or gowns have to be flown to India from Paris or Milan—depending on where the brand’s headquarters are located.

Kalyani Chawla, V.P. marketing and communications for Christian Dior in India says the label has a celebrity wardrobe in Paris and ensembles are flown all around the world for various celebrity appearances. An indicator of how important these appearances are to the label: Chawla says they sometimes give out dresses to celebrities from the New Delhi boutique (prices for a ready to wear Christian Dior gown start from Rs10 lakh). Of course, these can’t be sold later.

“The red gown Aishwarya Rai wore for the International Indian Film Academy Awards (held in Bangkok in June 2008) was from the boutique,” says Chawla. The dress was added to the international celebrity wardrobe after Rai wore it.

And fashion houses will fly one dress thousands of miles if they are convinced it will be good for the brand. Chawla remembers the praise heaped on Preity Zinta for an ice blue Dior gown she wore to the Toronto Film Festival

What are the types of dresses and gowns you would choose?

I like darker shades but I also like to dabble with lighter colours and pastel shades. Black without a doubt is my favourite colour. However, I’ve stayed away from colours like mint green and white since I haven’t found the right gown in both these colours.

I like my gowns and dresses to be well fit with clean cuts as I believe it suits me better than flowy garments.

However, it should not accentuate the hips or overly accentuate the curves of the body. One would look weighty in a gown that has too much fabric.

DANNY MOLOSHOK/REUTERS

in 2007, which Chawla helped her procure. But she remembers even more clearly the logistical nightmare it was to get the gown to Zinta. “It had to be flown from Paris to New York and then someone had to put it on a plane to Canada. But it was worth it because she carried it so well,” says Chawla.

Sachdev says a few Indian actresses, such as Zinta, have worn Alberta Ferretti gowns to the Cannes International Film Festival. “For these appearances, the fittings are conducted and overseen personally by the dressmaker. All the alterations are made on Mrs Ferretti’s yacht,” says Sachdev.

Pinto is also probably on the receiving end of such royal treatment; it must be a bit like stepping into the princess diaries for a teenager who, like a majority of Mumbai’s students, has been street shopping in Mumbai. “As a college student Freida hunted for funky stuff at Fashion Street. She’s not very brand conscious, but more concerned about what works for her and what doesn’t,” says Sharon.

Sharon says that Freida is (or was) a feminine dresser. “She loves girly styles, the colour pink and bows,” she says. She also reveals that she isn’t too good at handling bad hair days, as she’s always had beautiful hair. “When she was a child she once said ‘My hair is so silky, you can make a silk sari out of it.’ That’s now become a family joke,” Sharon laughs. For a girl who’s had problems finding shoes in India because of her size 10 feet, those Louboutins must feel super sweet. parizaad.k@livemint.com

What sort of accessories do you like?

For me less is more. When I wear a stunning pair of earrings, I will not wear a necklace with it. For me that’s too much. I’d probably team it with a pretty ring I prefer to stay away from chunky jewellery. I like longer chains, baubles that reach the navel. I think it’s quite exciting and fun.

Who are your fashion icons?

I’d have to say Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale When you were a model in Mumbai what did you wear out to party?

For me, the evergreen little black dress is really it. The little black dress really goes a long way in one’s wardrobe.

You can always accessorize it with a stunning pair of shoes and a belt and you’re ready to go. Even 20 years hence, the LBD will always be in vogue.

What have you learnt about red carpet dressing and handling yourself on the red carpet?

Well, I tend to slouch a little, so shoulders should always be pulled back. You should stand tall and be yourself. Too much posing on the red carpet can seem fake sometimes, so the key is to be comfortable and confident.

Photo album: (clock­ wise from right) Pinto in a metallic draped Zac Posen dress; the full­length periwinkle Marchesa gown; Chanel XXX; a sheath by Derek Lam; t; a baby pink custom­made Oscar de la Renta gown; and in a white Gre­ cian­inspired draped dress by Posen.

How often does the though enter your mind that you might spill something on your gown? Have you had any mishaps so far?

I’m quite careful with my gowns and don’t spill anything on them. The only mishap (not really one) would be when the bottom of my dress got slightly dirty on the BAFTA red carpet due to the rain.

How long does it take you to get ready with hair and make-up for a red carpet appearance?

Three hours minimum.

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What is the feeling like when you step out of the car and on to the red carpet?

I’m always worried about the right exit from the car, generally due to the dresses I wear. I always aim at making a