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Happy Ugadi
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“SMART CITY” VIZAG Vizag is fast becoming the hub for innovations, intellectual space, research and development. Besides its Geographical, natural, historic, religious and industrial significance Vizag will soon have lot more to boast about in the modern era. This is high time to invest in Vizag. Many IT companies are discovering this nature blessed city as a great place to promote their activity. Most of the Hyderabad’s IT companies are now venturing into the port city. Not only the tempting 23km IT corridor planned between Kailasgiri and Bheemili attracting them but also the serene beaches at Rishikonda and beautiful Araku Valley drawing them irresistibly. The cool Vizag’s emerald green landscape is a most happening place now. Life is really worth enjoying here.
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D.No: 47-10-26, Flat # 204, Rams Plaza, Beside Pollocks School, Dwarakanagar, 2nd lane, VISAKHAPATNAM – 530016. M: +91 99595 59900 www.rj-projects.com | E: rjprojectshyd@gmail.com Hyderabad | Vijayawada | Rajahmundry
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Dr.No: 5-87-70/7A, Sai Plaza, 1st Lane, Chandramoulinagar, GUNTUR. Ph: 0863-2254845, 2254855. Visit us at : www.srivaishnavitownships.com| E-mail: info@srivaishnavitownships.com
Happy Ugadi
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Red Gadgets 98 Dump your regular gadgetry picks. Here we offer you some of the quirky ones like portable power plant, Intelligent Gravity Balance Car and many more. Just browse red gadget.
Red Dazzle 86 Red Haute He wins his fans’ hearts when he smizes at them. Rest of his spell is cast with his action on the silver screen. He is the doe-eyed property of film industry Karthi.
72
Nothing can beat the classic charm of pearls. Wear them as daily trinket, they give you a subtle glow or wear in a chunky manner, they certainly infuse regal spell. Jagadamba Pearls has the best of both.
Red Eve
Red Eve
Her identity doesn’t restrict to that of a wife of Vizag’s leading politician. With her leadership qualities, clear vision and revolutionary ideas, she has rightfully established herself as a woman of substance, whom the city knows as Malla Aruna Kumari.
She is a Gynaecologist, Obstetrician, Laparoscopic Surgeon and Honorary Associate Professorall at one go. If one wants to understand what versatility means in actual sense, then a meeting with Dr. Manjula Anagani would be enough.
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82 Red GenX
Red GenX
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From an exclusive brand dealer to an owner-driven multibrand mega mall trader, Sridhar Wuppala’s story can inspire many young men who aspire to join the league.
From birthdays to weddings, housewarming to Pongal; he is present in each of your special celebration through his fineries. The mention is about Suresh Seerna, the man behind Hyderabadis’ favourite one-stop-souk, South India Shopping Mall.
Red Scope 76
Red Trade 90 Trade- Vizag Retail industry is their beloved and trading in clothing has become their forte. Deependra and Rajesh have teamed up to make their dream a reality
90
Bad is a new fad! He explains it all.
Red Trade 94 How to strike a balance between two dissimilar genres- is something to be learned from Ali and Hassan. While the former owns a hotel, the latter runs an optical showroom. But the duo has been working together handling the divergent industries as pros.
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Happy Ugadi
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Also available: Ushodaya • NAD • Seethamma dhara
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Publisher Chandra Mouli Tippala Executive Director T V Vijaya Kumari Editor-in-Chief V Sarada Asst. Editor Sumana Reddy Sr. Feature Writer Ranita Ray Feature Writer Neeta Nair Sr. Photographers Dhana Vijay Dinakar Pamu Sr. Designer K Shankar Image Processing P Venkatesh General Manager - Marketing Rajesh Babu Guntu Dy. General Manager - Advertising Selvaraj Dominic Dy. General Manager - Circulation Faheem Siddiqui Asst. Manager - Advertising B V S Appa Rao Kranthi Kumar K Niranjan Shaik Md Ali Eswar Rao R B S N Satish
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red | march 2015 | 18
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
With deeds not being matched with words, Narendra Modi left both the Telugu states high and dry. His Budget gave neither special category status nor sufcient funds to either of the states. None of the major promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act found mention in the so called balanced, pro-growth and forward looking Budget. This certainly came as a shock to the people of Andhra Pradesh who reposed faith in the alliance. Is it the end of honeymoon? How can Central government absolve itself from the responsibility of nurturing the states that it so unceremoniously separated? This month holds a special attraction for me as it includes the International Women’s Day. This Day personally matters to me a lot. I salute and acknowledge the potential and skills of women. Incidentally, women are the core strength of red. Leading us from the front, is my mother Mrs.Vijaya Kumari. We chose Malla Aruna Kumari of Wellfare group only to stress the importance of women’s role in the society. Sharing the Eve segment with her is Dr. Manjula Anagani of Sunshine Super Speciality Institute, Hyderabad, who was recently conferred with prestigious Padma Shri. Karthi, with acting in his DNA, is carving a special niche for himself and justiably occupies our cover space. Quite inadvertently this issue veers round retailers. Sridhar, a renowned retailer of the region began his journey with ‘Only Vimal’ but now runs a multi-brand Sri Vamsi Mall in upmarket Daba Gardens. He turns out to be a unique business man who talks of values of joint family system and the spiritual strength behind his success. Suresh Seerna, a second generation retailer from Hyderabad recently opened a new outlet of the South India Shopping Mall chain and plans to add many more links. GenX nds out how they are negotiating the turns on path of success. It is indeed a pleasant coincidence that yet another team of retailers Raju Dattla and Deependra Varma, the cousins who gave Vizag its rst retail outlet of imported garments, is being covered in Trade. From Hyderabad, we have chosen two youth from Sabri family, while Hassan looks into the optical stream of the family business, Ali caters to the varied palates through his Silver Salt restaurant. Yes, our Focus this time is shifted to a reformer who is weaning hundreds of people of their addictions. Once an addict himself, Rahul Luther, Director of Hope Trust Rehabilitation Centre is all candour and spirit as he propounds the theory that it is not all that difcult to kick a habit. Along with him we have Subha Dalai, a qualied engineer who with her Ralla Bella kindergarten ends the schooling dilemma of many young parents. I wish our readers, patrons and advertisers a very Happy Ugadi.
Chandra Mouli Tippala, Publisher red | march 2015 | 20
VIZAG
DARE TO DZIRE India’s number 1 Maruti dealer Varun Maruti has formally launched the new version of Dzire, both petrol and diesel variations. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Bhaskar Raju, CEO said, “The new car includes the best of the features, besides being fuel-efcient. While the diesel variation gives as many as 26.59 km per litre (13% more than the earlier version), the petrol version gives 20.5 km per litre (9% more than the earlier version). While the diesel variant costs Rs.6.46 lakh, petrol variant is priced at Rs.5.31 lakh.” Stating that that there is a growing demand for designer cars across the country, he said that the luxury car has been manufactured to suit all pockets. Maruti Suzuki Area Manager Mr. Rohan Chatwal and Varun Maruti DGM (Sales) Mr. Abbas Khan and Mr. Srikant graced the event.
ROTARY CELEBRATES FOUNDATION DAY Rotary Club of Visakhapatnam celebrated the 110th Annual Day of the Club Foundation by Paul Harris, at YMCA. The chief guest, Prof. G.S.N.Raju, Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University stressed on the importance of communications and said people, despite their merit cannot be successful unless they hone their soft skills. The club also honoured nonagenarian Rtn.K.Jagannatha Rao and donated wheelchairs to differently-abled persons. Rtn. D. Raj Gopal Reddy, past Dist. Governor conducted the meet. The members youth body of Rotary Club spoke of their recently completed projects. Past-district President Surya Rao, Pastpresidents Jagapati Raju, Muralidharan, Santana Krishna and A.Vijay Kumar were prominently present on the occasion.
TAKE HOME NEW VERNA 4S Good news for all the Verna fans. Lakshmi Hyundai has launched the all new 4S Fludic Verna in their Rama talkies showroom. The chief guest for this event was Mr. Kinjarapu Prabhakar Naidu, Assistant Commissioner Police, Trafc. The 4S denes style and sophistication. This mean machine has a better design and comfortable interiors, gives you a speedy performance and promises a safer drive. The car is available in petrol and diesel with two engine options in both (1.4 lts and 1.6 lts). If mileage has been your biggest concern, then you can heave a sigh of relief- the petrol car gives a mileage of 17.4 km and diesel gives 24.8 km. So what are you waiting for, bring home this stylish sedan.
JCI CELEBRATES CHARTER NIGHT JCI – Junior Chamber International celebrated its charter night at Hotel Orange. Addressing the gathering Chief Guest Mr.Mallik, CMD, Kankatala Textiles Pvt. Ltd. said that he himself was the member of the august club once and had taken active part in many welfare activities. He also urged the members to take one more step and strive for the uplift of women. The club also took this opportunity to honour all the past presidents. The past presidents offered to build three public toilets in the city, as part of the Swachch Bharat Abhyan. The philanthropic endeavour was initiated by Mr.K.V.Rao, the Senator of JCI. While President, JCI Visakha Valley Mr.Uma Maheshwar Rao presided over the proceedings, Zone President Mr.Pawan graced the occasion. Project chairman Mr.Rajesh Babu Guntu worked hard to make the Charter night a grand success.
VIZAG
THE GOLDEN YEAR FOR POLLOCKS They sang, they danced, and they moved the audience. The Golden Jubilee celebration of Pollocks School managed to bring out the best performances by the students together on one stage. The school celebrated its golden jubilee at Gurajada Kalakshetram and had over 1200 students from its six branches participating in various cultural programmes. HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao and MP Haribabu inaugurated the programme along with the school principal Sandeep Chitra. The best performance undoubtedly was by the kindergarten students, while the western dances and the skit on Hudhud cyclone mesmerized the audience.
VIZAG
MALAYSIA NOT TOO FAR AWAY NOW If you are looking to holiday in Malaysia, you couldn’t have chosen a better time. The Malaysian hybrid airline, Malindo Air has launched their new direct ight between Visakhapatnam and Kuala Lumpur. The airline held a cocktail party to mark the launch. It was attended by several VIPs. Earlier in the morning, the airline organized a meet. Member of Parliament K. Haribabu who was the Chief Guest at the event said the direct Vizag-Kuala Lumpur ight would give a great boost to tourism. He added that the Visakhapatnam Airport was now ready for 24/7 operations and international operators could announce their schedules and begin operations at short notice. Sharing the dais with him were Airport Director C.Pattabhi, Country Head of Malindo Air Kavita Joshi and Symbiosis CEO O. Naresh Kumar.
red | march 2015 | 26
THE NEW REVOLUTION After the industrial revolution, Internet Revolution….now is the phase of Industrial Internet revolution. This was the theme of Vision 2020 with Internet of Things (IoT) round table held at The Park Hotel. It saw several important issues being discussed by experts in the industry including Dr.Sridhar Iyengar of IBM, Dr. Richard Mark Soley of Object Management Group and 80 other delegates. As per the roundtable’s recommendations, Super Computing Consortium of India (SCCI) has formed a Smart City Action Group to evolve PPP models for Visakhapatnam and other Smart City initiatives. SCCI is a not-for-prot organization focused on advancing super computing for the benet of users in India and around the world. SCCI believes that large scale computing will play a greater role in the future helping in a more connected world.
VIZAG
SPORTING A MESSAGE OF PEACE Excitement, victory shouts, cheers and thrills ď€ lled the grounds of the Diamond Jubilee Port stadium as the students of The Presidential Schools celebrated their annual sports day. From races to drills to relays and exciting athletic feats, the students outdid one another in putting up a splendid performance. During the opening ceremony, the torch was lit in true Olympic style and the Sports Day was declared open by Special Guest, Ofď€ cer Commodore P. N. Shenoy, I.N.S. Kalinga. Sardarni Ranjit Kaur, Executive Secretary G.S.S. Girls School was another prominent person who graced the occasion. Present at the event was the President of the school Mr. Anand. Mrs. Anand, Principal who addressed the gathering, exhorted the students to be instruments of peace.
VIZAG
ROYAL RAJASTHAN AT EUPHORIA It was truly a king's feast at Euphoria with delicacies from royal regions like Udaipur, Marwar and Jaipur served during their 9-day long Rajasthani food festival. Food connoisseurs had an ideal opportunity to savor the authentic dishes like Laal Maas, Kesak Murgh, Lasooni ki Murgh Prawn Balchao, Macchhili jaisamandi, Rajma masoor butter masala, Dal boti churma, Methi Bhaji Kadi, Shahi gatta, Rajasthani matka Biryani, Bajre ki roti, Khoba roti and many more. Executive Chef, Bulei Swain along with a team of expert chefs at Vihar hospitality meticulously prepared this menu keeping in mind the discerning tastes of Rajasthan.
VIZAG
CREAMY DELIGHT IN VIZAG Summer is round the corner and what better way to welcome it than by indulging in some creamy ice cream. Yes, Vizag got a new ice cream parlour Cream Stone which was inaugurated by VPT Chairman Krishna Babu. Mr. Vipin Shah, Director of Haridwar Group of Hotels and founder of Scoops and Cream Stone graced the events. The guest list included Poonam Shah Srinath, Correspondent, Teeny Boppers, Deependra of Khayati, who congratulated B.H.Subba Raju and V.V.N.Raju, the franchise owners for bringing this ice cream parlour to Vizag and giving people an excuse to treat themselves.
red | march 2015 | 32
VIZAG
VAIBHAV JEWELLERS NOW IN GAJUWAKA Vaibhav Jewellers opened its fourth showroom, this time in Gajuwaka. It was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Governor and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh K Rosaiah. Mr.Palla Srinivasa Rao, MLA, Gajuwaka inaugurated the rst oor which houses a wide range of silver jewellery while Mr.Pilla Ramakumari, Board Director, Visakha Dairy made the rst purchase. Mr.P.G.V.R.Naidu, MLA, Visakhapatnam West, Mr.T.Gurumurthy Reddy, ExMLA, Pendurthi were the guest of honour. Exquisite collection of jewellery, including all types of gold, platinum, silver, besides corporate gifts was showcased. Vaibhav Jewellers chairperson Mrs.Mallika Manoj, Mr. Ramesh Babu, GM, SBH, Mr.Bipin Bihari Bahinipathi, AGM of SBH, Mr.Kankatala Mallik, Mr.Pydah Krishna Prasad graced the occasion.
red | march 2015 | 34
red | march 2015 | 35
SHYAMALA IS MRS.VIZAG 2015
VIZAG
It was glamour galore at the MGM Selvee World, where Mrs.Vizag contest was held. 21 contestants sashayed on the ramp. Shyamala was declared as the winner and crowned the gold tiara worth Rs.1 lakh. Eva and Gayatri were ď€ rst and second runners up. They were judged by Mr.Chandra Mouli Tippala, Mr.B.K.Agrawal, Mrs.Valentina and Mrs.Suhasini. The proceed of the event donated Rs.50,000 to AIDS affected kids and Rs.25,000 to physically handicapped. Title sponsor was MM Group in association with MVR Mall and the chief guest was Ganta Srinivas Rao. Mr.Yadav, Chairman MM Group, Mrs.Suhasini, Director, MM Group and Mr.Obel Reddy, CEO, MM Group were present. Actor Kamna Jethmalani’s performance was special attraction. red was the magazine partner for the event.
red | march 2015 | 36
red | march 2015 | 37
HYDERABAD
T TOUCH WATCH LAUNCHED Tissot, the famous Swiss watch brand, known for its accuracy, enchanted its patrons with the presence of MTV VJ Jose at Forum Sujana Mall on 19th February. He launched Tissot’s cutting edge timepiece- T Touch Expert Solar. Flaunting his new possession, Jose said, “I have always known Tissot for its innovation and with launching the rst touch screen watch powered by Solar energy – T Touch Solar, I could not ask for more. ” This is a powerful watch in every aspect, offering essential functions for everyday use such as a perpetual calendar with indication of day and week for any given date in future to keep track of busy schedules, two alarms; one for the week, the other for the weekend, two time zones for holiday trips, weather forecast with relative pressure, altimeter with difference meter, chronograph lap and split with logbook, compass, timer, azimuth, regatta function and backlight. With these you will be geared up for anything that comes your way.
SOUTH INDIA SHOPPING MALL LAUNCHED The most celebrated mall of Hyderabad, South India Shopping Mall launched yet another store to reach out to its ever growing customer base. The mall is located in Ameerpet and was inaugurated by the queen of Tollywood, Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Emerging as a onestop-family- shop, this mall is a perfect solution to all clothing needs. This gala was graced by the who’s who of Hyderabad.
SHILPA’S BLISSFUL GALA Shilpa Reddy held a blissful gala for the chocolate acionados at N- District on 23rd February. The guests were denitely in for a treat with hosts like the celebrated pastry chef Janice Wong and world Barista Champion Fritz Storm. The enthusiastic invitees nding themselves in the world of chocolate at the Magnum Choco-Cappuccino were seen savouring Belgian chocolate and rich coffee. Guests Mamta, Rachana, Sakina, Samrat, Swetha Malpani, and Swati graced the event.
red | march 2015 | 38
HYDERABAD Neeta Lulla
Sachi
Queenie Singh Amita
Radhika
Kamini Saraf
LUXURY AFFAIR AT ANGASUTRA Hyderabad’s very own Angasutra held ‘A symphony of Couture and Jewel craft’ recntly. The soiree was a reason for the designer fanatics to splurge in the chic collections of Neeta Lulla and Prima Donna and the grand jewellery of Queenie Singh. Amita, Deepthi, Radhika and Sachi were among the guests present there.
Hanshita Reddy
Sridevi
Shruthi Malpani
Sonali
Bharathi Jain
Divya
FASHION YATRA REVIVES TRADITION Presenting a whole new idea of fashion, Kamini Saraf organised yet another expo- Fashion Yatra for all the fashion acionados. Held at Taj Krishna recently, it set the mood right for the Spring-Summer shopping. Presenting an exquisite collection of jewellery from the renowned Jeweller, Tibarumal, colourful ethnic ensembles, chic Indo-westerns and other creations by Vasavi Shah, Aarti Vijay Gupta, Jyoti Sachdev Iyer, Eclat by Prerika Jalan, Erum, Myoho, Lila, Lachesis, Rosetree, Zebaish, Heena Kochhar, Monica Bhayanna, Anmol Kakad, it allured the throng. Working towards the revival of handlooms Fashion Yatra brings rich Benarasi materials by Vedic Weaves. French Chantilly lace Saris were showcased by Ada and Sarang by Rekha and Priyanka Kasliwal. It also offered a plethora of bags, footwear, silver jewellery and other accessories.
HYDERABAD Aanchal
Pooja
Sushmita & Anusha Reddy
Neha
UNLIMITED FASHION A BIG HIT The most sought after exhibition, Fashion Unlimited was held on the 10th and the 11th of February at Taj Deccan. Established designers from major cities of India exhibited their recent collection of clothing, jewellery, home decor, kids wear and fashion accessories. Shoppers indulged in a plethora of bangles, pendants, bracelets, earrings, designer saris, blouses, dress material, kurtis, lehengas, kids-wear and exclusive leather furnishings, home accessories and trendy footwear. Few shopaholics spotted were Anchal, Neha, Nikita, Payal, Pooja Reddy, Pravalika, Shika, Sushmita, Vima and Upasana. Shika & Sushila Bakodia Honey, Ritu & Santhi
Reetha
Suman
Nikki
Meenaz
Pari
SPLENDID TRENDZ VIVAH Trendz Vivah Collection, a lifestyle exhibition was held recently. The expo organised by Mrs.Santhi Kathiravan was a successful event with weddings and festivals just around the corner. Presenting over 60 master designers and 3 lakh traditional and contemporary designs, the happy shoppers could choose from a wide range of designs at wholesale prices, all under one roof. Santhi had been successfully conducting exhibitions across South India with participants from all over the country , offering designer blouses, silver jewellery, dress materials, kurtis, lehengas, exclusive leather furnishings, home accessories, cosmetics, gift articles and kitchen accessories. red | march 2015 | 42
HYDERABAD
Supraja Rao Siddharth & Jyoti
Swetha Malpani
MOHIT TELLS YOU WHAT TO WEAR Mohit Dochania recently launched his ď€ rst agship store at Road No.3, Banjara Hills. Offering quality wardrobe essentials and crafty ensembles, this unique concept store gives you value for your money. The store preview and high tea were organised for the cream of the city. It looks as though the elite were there in full attendance. The unique bridal wear the store displayed was the talk of the day. Gulshan, Kritika, Laveena, Manisha, Nikshita, Rashi, Rekha, Roma, Savitha, Seema, Smriti, Swetha and Tanisha graced the event.
Nikshita Mohit Dochania
Lona Logan Dara
Kaali Sudheer
Josie
A MUSE OF ART Private preview of The Memory Chronicles, the recent artworks by Madhuri Bhaduri was held at the Muse Art Gallery on 22nd February. The event, powered by Kaali Sudheer, curator of Muse Art Gallery and Kavitha Golechha, owner of Panache Finishing school was a success. Chief guest of the evening was Dr. P.Raghu Ram and the other invitees were spotted enjoying art, cocktails and conversations. Spotted were Ananya, Anchal, Ayeesha, Chaitanya, Dara, Geet, Josie, Kavita, Manjula Narsa, Pooja, Rangoli and Shazia.
Ayesha
HYDERABAD Karishma
Ritu
Shakuntala & Rashmi Shetty
Nidhi
Ayesha Sweta
Ratna Vira
Neetu
Mounika Agarwal
AGE GRACEFULLY, SAYS DR. SHETTY The young FICCI Ladies Organisation held an interactive session with Dr. Rashmi Shetty at Taj Krishna. ‘Age Gracefully’, the topic of the evening was a useful session for the members where the ladies learnt the dos and don’ts of beauty care. Dr.Rashmi Shetty is an author and expert in non-surgical aesthetic medicine. She holds a Diploma in Cosmetology and was trained under the nest of Plastic Surgeons in the country. Aarti, Alka, Ananya, Chaitanya, Kavitha, Komal, Menaka, Minati, Neetu, Radhika, Rekha, Ritu, Shalini, Sonal and Sweta were a few members spotted at the session.
Mallika
Meenakshi
Sridevi
ALL FOR A CAUSE To celebrate the spirit of womanhood, the members of FICCI organized Ladies Lavender Sundowner recently. This FLO CSR initiative received sound support from all quarters because its objective is to support the job-oriented education to the girl children. A huge number of women with their families and friends attended the meet. Music, dance and food esta are the highlights of the event. Guests were dressed in hues of pink and purple for the event held at Fusion 9 in Inorbit Mall. Padma Rajagopal, CSR head and Monika Agarwal, Chairperson FLO addressed the gathering. Spotted at the event were Amala Akkineni, Anju, Ashita, Laila Khan, Madhavi, Maya Patel, Menaka, Mourya, Mrinalini, Nidhi, Parvathi Reddy, Rupal, Sneha and Vibha.
Deepa
HYDERABAD Aarti Shah
Sheetal & Vishal
THE SANSKRUTI DINNER Sanskruti Ladies Organisation celebrated its ‘Annual Dinner’ with members and their spouses on 13th February, at Diamond Hall N Convention. The theme for the programme was ‘Made for each other’. Members participated with great enthusiasm along with their spouses. The selected spouses actively came forward on the dias and were judged by eminent personalities of the city. Judges for the event were Dr. Krishna Murthy (Paediatrician), Ms. Vinita Passary (Fashion Designer) and Mr. Arvind Srimal (MD. Fortune Art Lighting Pvt). Ladies were rosy in red and gentlemen were bold in black! The fun lled evening was followed by cocktails and dinner.
Prerna Brij & Anitha
Rupa Shah, Anjani Shah, Roopa, Sumita, Renu, Simran, Namrata & Vandana
Heem & Prachi
Shyam & Heer
Nidhi
Aditi red | march 2015 | 48
HYDERABAD George Verghees & Anitha
Shruti
LAUGHTER FILLS KLC CELEBRATION There is no party like the KLC party. The members of the Kakatiya Ladies Club celebrated the club’s anniversary with food and drinks. In line with The Comedy Nights with Kapil Show, a few ladies enacted the Bollywood queens like Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Madhuri Dixit while the audience burst out laughing. The entertainment continued with a dance and the evening was a hit. Spotted were Dhwani, Ishita, Angara, Komal, Madhavi, Meenal, Meher, Pavani, Preeti, Rekha, Rina, Shivani, Shruti and Vibha.
Neha & Nitin
Jyostna Angara Riya
Alka
KLC pa
red | march 2015 | 50
Ramesh & Maya Patel
Sonal & Rajiv Doshi
HYDERABAD
Renuka Choudhary, Anandita, Bani Ahuja & Laila Khan
Sheetal & Sashi Nahata
ANANDITA DESIGNER BAGS LAUNCHED Be it clothing or accessories, Hyderabad always has room for new brands. It witnessed a launch of premium designer bags by Anandita, a graduate from National Institute of Fashion Technology. The collection was launched by former Union Minister Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury at the soiree hosted in Taj Deccan. Anandita emphasizes on contemporary styling and ď€ ne detailing and exceptional quality. Intricately crafted, the products have a avour of India with an international appeal. The label is synonymous with luxury and is a blend of art, fashion and design.
Namita Kanodia Kishan
Bobby Kandari Amir Javed
Nabeela
Tanya & Harman Tejaswi
Parvathi & Anil Reddy
Poonam Choudhary
VIZAG
REVIEW PAMPER YOUR SWEET TOOTH
CATERING TO ALL POCKETS
P
icture yourself sipping a cup of watermelon mint cooler by the poolside enjoying a majestic sea view. No, we are not sending you to Goa, we are just asking you to head to Sugar in Varun Beach Novotel. Before the alarm bells start ringing in your head with the mention of 5-star hotel, let me assure you that it won’t burn a hole in your pocket. You can order milkshakes and cold coffee for as low as Rs.145 and mouthwatering pastries for Rs.100 apiece. Try the Opera pastry and Tiramisu. This revamped joint claims to be more than a cake shop. Rightly so, you can order anything from pizzas, sandwiches to Panini and it will be on your platter within 20 minutes. If you are here For breakfast you could try the chocolate croissants and the honey nut mufn. If you have kids, beware- the colourful assortment of macaroons, cookies and candies are sure to make them want to grab all they can. For the health freaks there is Greek salad and House Green salad with grilled chicken. Basically there is something for everyone at Sugar. So go on …enjoy a lovely snack with an even lovelier view.
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f grandeur had a name, then it would be Vaibhav Jewellers. Their new showroom at Gajuwaka is exactly what this bustling suburb needed. You have a 5000 sq.ft showroom in your very backyard. Situated at the Cinema Hall junction, the showroom has two oors dedicated to gold and silver jewellery respectively. Displaying from 200mg light nose rings to 280gm heavy harams, the showroom caters to all needs and every mood. If your heart is set on silver, then head straight to the second oor for an exquisite never seen before collection. Vaibhav specializes in bridal jewellery and have an exclusive diamond collection. The breathtaking wedding sets start from 112gm onwards. But if you prefer less gloss and more class, then opt for their wide range of antique jewellery. Also, they seem to have taken care of the worst nightmare of the local residents by providing ample parking space to their customers. At any given time 20 cars can be parked in its premises. So, to buy yourself a gift, rush to the Gajuwaka branch of Vaibhav Jewellers because you don’t need a reason to celebrate gold.
5
Timings – 10.00 am to 9.00 pm (Open on all days) Ph.No.- 66377799 1
POOR
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2
AVERAGE
4.5
3
GOOD
4
VERY GOOD
Timings: 10 am - 10 pm (Open on all days) Ph. No: 7799884034
5
EXCELLENT
REVIEW PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES
‘SPACE’ FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
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he management of Space couldn’t have thought of a more apt name for this rooftop restaurant. If you want to get away from the maddening crowd yet soak in the brilliance of the scenic city, then Space is the place for you. Situated on the 7th oor of 4 point Sheraton, this quiet restaurant offers a 360 degree view of the Vizag city. They have a live kitchen and a barbeque corner with colourful LED chairs which give a funky look. You can enjoy luscious kababs (Rs.250-300 ) and choose from six kinds of Biryani. You must try the Grills and Barbeque options especially fruit Shashlik with Taco seasoning, besides mocktails like Blue Curacao with Orange peel. For those who would like to enjoy a quiet drink with their loved one, there is a wide variety of cocktails too. A meal for two minus alcohol would cost you Rs.1,000 which is a steal for an ambience like Space.
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his rooftop disco Sky Lounge in Landmark Building on Sampath Vinayagar Temple Road, offers you a lovely view of the city and absolute privacy if you are a couple. The dance oor is an 800 sq ft enclosed space with glass ceiling, open to couples. DJ Bobsy sets the house on re on the beats of Bollywood music. For those who don’t want to dance, you can choose to relax in the spacious sit out option outside. A 30 ml glass of vodka is priced at Rs.150 while cocktails are available for Rs.250. Main course is not on the menu but will be served on request. Stag entry is priced at Rs.500 (cover charge) but is allowed only if you are accompanied by a couple. Friday is ladies night, Sunday- the time for Karaoke, and Saturday the celeb DJ night. On other days this place transforms into a lounge. So if you want to go clubbing, but don’t want to shell out big bucks, Sky Lounge is the perfect option for you. It is not only affordable but also classy.
5
Timings: 7.30pm to 12.30pm Ph.no.: 7799880896
1
POOR
2
AVERAGE
Timings: 7pm to 12 pm (Open on all days) Ph.no.: 8374446902
4.5
3
GOOD
4
VERY GOOD
5
EXCELLENT red | march 2015 | 55
VIZAG
REVIEW
5
SPLURGE FOR COMFORT & PEACE
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f you can’t get enough of Vizag but wish to escape from the daily routine and want to relax then this is the place for you. About 20km from RK Beach, Vizag Palms is waiting to pamper your senses. This resort located at a stone’s throw distance from Bheemili beach offers six comfortable, sea-facing air conditioned rooms. The Deluxe Suite offers a private terrace where you can avail services like body spa on request. Buffet breakfast for all guests is complimentary. Apart from facilities like WiFi connectivity, Cable TV, business and browsing centre, there are two unique restaurants to choose from. One is called the Ocean Pavilion where you can order anything from Tandoori dishes to Chinese and Continental Cuisine. The restaurant also gives you an option of customizing food, so a guest can order anything he wants even if it is not on the menu. You can also opt for the buffet here which is priced at Rs.450. There is also an outdoor Bamboo garden restaurant which is perfect for a date. But if you want to do more than just laze around on your vacation, then the staff will be happy to arrange a guide and a vehicle for you at an extra cost. The places to see in and around this hotel are Totlakonda, Red Earth Hillocks and Rushikonda Beach. There are some trekking options on the glorious mountains around. Guests can also avail of beach volleyball and bicycles free of charge and the staff is also going to start boat rides in the backwaters. The prices for Executive, Deluxe Room and Deluxe Suite are Rs.3000, 4000 and 5000 respectively. They also have an online booking option. So if you are willing to splurge a little on yourself, then head straight to Vizag Palms. Ph. no.: 9154129111, 9154129222
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POOR
2
AVERAGE
3
GOOD
4
VERY GOOD
5
EXCELLENT
REVIEW SUNDAES FOR SUNDAY
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ou scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream- Yes these famous lines on the walls of the newly opened Cream Stone on AU Road aptly dene the mood here. If the queue outside the parlour at 11.00 pm is anything to go by, then it has already got a thumbs up from Vizagites. You have an option of choosing 2 scoops and 5 toppings to create a dessert of your preference. If you would rather rely on the chef’s creations, then you can go for nutty nuts with a generous scoop of caramel with roasted almonds and a choco stick. They have a distinct fruity avor for each month. Chocoholics simply can’t go wrong with willy wonka- scoops of ice cream with chocolate akes and pastry. If on a diet, don’t worry because Cream Stone has a fatfree option. Though the pricing is on the higher side with around Rs.190 for a customized ice cream and between Rs.85-110 for a single scoop, the quality and richness of the product makes it every bit worth the price.
5
1
POOR
2
Timings: 11am to 11pm (Open on all days) Phone Number: 9573072039
AVERAGE
3
GOOD
4
VERY GOOD
5
EXCELLENT
HYDERABAD
REVIEW
5
SIMPLY SOUTH
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rogressing as the largest textile retailer of the region, South India shopping mall opened another chapter in Ameerpet, only this time to sweep you off your feet! Spread lavishly across 45,000sq ft with exquisite interiors, it offers a plethora of premier textiles, garments and jewellery. Divided in three levels, it presents the ď€ nest of saris from Kanchi, Dharmavaram, Gadwal, Pochampally, besides Banarasi, embroidery, chiffons, crepes, georgette, fancy and designer. It offers salwar suits and striking ghagras. For men, they have trousers, shirts, casual and party wear suits including sherwanis. This one-stop- family shop also offers magniď€ cent gold jewellery for both men and women. Adopting the latest trends in garments, they offer quality products to gain customer satisfaction. The enormous sized branches, the competitive prices and the all-under-one-roof strategy are their USPs. Prices here start off from Rs.300. With branches in Kukatpally, Kothapet, Secunderabad and Vijayawada, the mall has earned great customer loyalty across south India. Catering to middle and upper middle classes, celebrities and NRIs, this mall is also the ultimate solution for all wedding necessities. With notable customer and prompt valet services, one can undoubtedly indulge in a rejuvenating shopping experience here.
Timings: 10:30am to 10:30pm | Ph no.: 040- 64104210
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POOR
2
AVERAGE
3
GOOD
4
VERY GOOD
5
EXCELLENT
REVIEW
4.5
HARD CORE FITNESS
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f health is a priority in your life, then Core Fitness Station is the place for you! Spread over 10,000 sq.ft, the gym is located in the vicinity of Hotel Dasapalla at Madhapur. Aspiring not just to build a body but also to sculpt a character, Mr.Nobin, Co- Director said, “Fitness and sports play an important role in building a character. Every successful businessman has a part of his daily routine dedicated to tness. If you have worked out in the day, you can be rest assured that you are two steps ahead of your colleagues at work. This is the thought we are trying to propagate among our customers.” He adds, “We also offer tness activities to kids as young as ve years old, with an intention to develop a healthy child.” If you are bored of the routine weights and cardio, they offer other enjoyable activities like spinning, Yoga and Zumba. Wellness programmes like Core Active, Core Athletic and Core Tough are also available here. The gym also houses Core Store and Core Café. The former, offering lifestyle supplements like omega tablets and protein supplements and the latter presents you a list of delectable and healthy food items that are developed according to the P90X diet plan. To also measure your calorie-burn count and weight loss, they offer an exclusive heart rate monitor. This also manages your tness programme. This comes in with a mobile app on your phone called My Zone. It records your calorie count, heart rate and other parameters pertaining to your regimen. With ample parking and a great view, it offers yearly packages starting from just Rs. 30,000 only. All in all, the gym is approachable and affordable. Timings: 6:00am to 11:00pm | Ph no.: 040- 65591999
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POOR
2
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5
EXCELLENT red | march 2015 | 59
HYDERABAD
REVIEW
5
SUNSHINE(S) AT MADHAPUR
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midst the corporate companies and other ofď€ ce blocks in the cyber hub, the Sunshine Super Speciality Hospital stands tall, bestowing health care services to all and sundry. Spread across 2 lakh sq ft and bearing a capacity of 220 beds, this hospital boasts of its expertise in multiple specialities, right from Cardiology, Neurology, Gynaecology, Gastroenterology and many others. There are two divisions under the Sunshine banner- Sahrudaya and Sarvajana. Dr.Anil Krishna, a cardiologist himself is the MD of Sahrudaya Health Care Private Ltd. He is a leader who believes in expanding rapidly. He started off at Paradise in Secunderabad, then Nellore and now in the cyber hub. Although the Madhapur branch has been operational since 27 Nov 2014, the ofď€ cial inauguration took place on 1 March 2015. Having performed many procedures including 350 angiograms in cardiology and over 180 procedures in gastroenterology and with 60 renowned consultants on board, this hospital is a panacea to all health issues. The most brilliant and gifted doctors of the healthcare industry serve as pillars to this facility. Manjula Anagani (Gynaecology), Dr. M.S.S. Mukhajee (Cardiology), Dr. Vemula Sreekanth (Neurology), Dr.M. Asha Subbalakshmi (Gatroenterology) and Dr.Krishna Kiran Eachempati (Orthopedics) are to name a few. Moreover, the hospital offers the best of the Critical Care and ER team. Equipped with high end technology, it also meets the international standards of care. Possessing the Philips V680 Respironics, it stands as the second largest hospital in south India to have this superior- model ventilator. The Philips clarity Cathlab utilized here reduces 75 % of radiation as well. With an advanced infrastructure as its USP, the hospital is heightening its legacy of excellence, offering qualitative and comprehensive services to the patients. Timings: Round the clock | Ph no.: 040- 45404540/ 49404940/ 7674999581 | Emergency: 8008777555
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POOR
2
AVERAGE
3
GOOD
4
VERY GOOD
5
EXCELLENT
REVIEW
4.5
FOR A STEEL BODY
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teel, an effectual gym in Jubilee Hills is all set to get the city in shape with its robust work out programmes. The gym, spread across 12,000sq ft owns state-of-the-art tness equipment and provides exceptional training to its customer. The owner and a tness veteran of Hyderabad, Kunal Gir says, “I have noticed that people follow wrong methods while training. To right the wrongs and educate people to work out the right way, I launched this gym. Steel is like an academy more than a gym. It helps you learn to manage your bodies.” Kunal had has trained over 300 people in the past ten years. He adds, “To work out is not about looking good in clothes or growing a six pack. It is about being completely healthy- Not just surviving through life, but function functioning at your best. If you have a healthy lifestyle, you can think clearly as well. This gym is my attempt to teach you about your own body.”If you take your membership here, the gym collects your DNA (saliva sample) and detects everything about you, to comprehend your body mechanisms. It is like a modern day horoscope, scientically done. They even understand your likes and dislikes, your predispositions, genetic problems and every minute detail of you. Then, they chalk out a programme that suits your body best. Strictly keeping the memberships at 300, the gym offers exclusive cafeteria and protein supplements to its customers. Yearly memberships range form Rs.75,000 to Rs.1,50,000 depending on the personal training programmes you choose. Timings: 6:00am to 11:00pm | Ph no.: +91 9542999999
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POOR
2
AVERAGE
3
GOOD
4
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5
EXCELLENT red | march 2015 | 61
DASARI’S NEW POWER Veteran lm maker and actor Dasari Narayana Rao certainly upped the hopes of fans, by posting that he would be teaming up with Power Star Pawan Kalyan. Though he did not reveal much about the cast and crew of his next project, he certainly made it clear that he would be producing, not directing the lm. It leaves people wondering what would be the tone and tenor of the movie. Since the lm is going to be by former Minister Dasari and Jana Sena founder Kalyan, people expect it to carry a social message. Dasari is already known for his prowess in this genre. He proved it once again with his latest movie Mestri. We are told that the producer doesn’t want to be out with all the details at this stage as he fears that any negative comment might prove detrimental to the lm in-the making. Kalyan is expected to start shooting for the lm after fullling his present commitments.
SHOBANA ON A PUBLICITY-SPREE Opportunities come knocking at everyone’s door. While a few, sometimes out of sheer neglect or ignorance, fail to take them, others welcome such chances with open arms. Shobana belongs to the latter category. After winning Miss.Vizag 2014 title, this beauty queen didn’t sit back lounging at home lost in the glory of her magical moment nor did she rest on her laurels. Instead of keeping her tiara safely locked in the showcase, she is out there encashing it wherever she can. Right from the day of her rampwalking in Mrs.Vizag 2015 she has been gracing a lot of high-end events and in the limelight all through, indeed a smart move expected of a beauty queen. This initiative was sadly missing in her predecessors. Although the bella is keen on pursuing higher studies, her victory and pro-media-status are earning her many lm offers. Looks like, at last Vizag got a true ambassador.
BALAYYA’S BEGUILING APPEARANCE Nothing is greater than fullling a commitment for close associates, this was proven when Nandamuri Balakrishna attended the wedding of Pranith Dammalapati and Puja Varma. The star-politician is known for his mood swings. Snooty as he is, he doesn’t oblige even people of eminence. But he left everyone surprised with this visit. Recently he ew down to Vizag to attend the wedding of the son of Satyanarayana, who was once his production manager. This gesture of generosity by the actor pleased everyone. Some MLAs of the region were taken aback by the star’s gesture and say that even their repeated requests could not make the actor attend their events. This also dispels the misapprehension about Balakrishna and reveals a sunny side of his persona.
DELAYING DIVA Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury made it to news columns, once again, for the wrong reasons. This time the lady went shopping while 276 passengers, including a Supreme Court judge, were waiting on board an AI aircraft. The ight was delayed for a good 45 minutes as the leader failed to show up for boarding. This kicked up a nationwide debate on VIP culture. While her supporters call it an uncalled for controversy, her opponents say going by her track record, Renuka does it to grab some TV footage and a few eye balls. Whether the issue is small or big, Renuka always manages to whip up a controversy. Love her or hate her, but cannot ignore her.
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Route Map NAD Jn.
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Ofď€ ce: # 49-52-5/3, Ratna Deepika Complex, Sankara Matam Road, Near NH-5, Santhipuram, Visakhapatnam - 530016.
Ph : 0891-2571666 Lankavani Palem
Musiram
Devarapalli Road
Anandapuram
VIZAG
A
HOLIS IC
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Shoot by Dhana Vijay
ouch any subject- politics, business, society or religion, he is ready with information, giving you a perfect insight into each one of them. One just cannot but help wonder how a man who is expected to be mulling over business strategies and protable moves, nds time to amass such knowledge. A truly religious man, he believes success can neither be measured by money nor can it be achieved without Guru Krupa. He is different for one more distinct reason- he is in a joint family-run-business where bonding and understanding relegate individual ego to backstage. With over 20 years of experience in textile industry behind him, he this tradesman discusses his high prole business and charitable work for society. Sridhar Wuppala, Director, Sri Vamsi is a pleasant man to have around.
RADER
By Ranita Ray
FLASHBACK
His forefathers, highly reputed landlords, hailed from Chodavaram, with their empire stretching up to Visakhapatnam. Life was running smoothly, until when his grandfather and great grandfather passed away in a span of two days. This incident along with certain other external factors forced his father Mr.W.Papa Rao and father’s elder brother, Mr.W.Bhaskara Rao to sell most of their lands. Retaining only some prime properties in Visakhapatnam and Chodavaram, the duo moved to the City of Destiny to try their luck around 50 years ago. His uncle worked as a veterinary doctor in the state government hospitals for nearly 20 years. Banking on his vast expertise, the family oated their rst business venture, a poultry farm in 1970. His father, however, chose to work in BHVP for two decades before turning into an entrepreneur in 1991. He took over his father-in-law’s multibrand suiting and shirting store in Vizag ánd converted it into an ‘Only Vimal’ exclusive store in Dabagarden. Mr Papa Rao followed it up with two more outlets- one in Gajuwaka and other in Gopalpatnam. Gradually the entire family got involved in this new venture. Stepping-in A graduate in commerce, Sridhar is the youngest born and has two elder sisters. Hence he became a natural choice to carry on the business lineage. Stepping into the business in 1994, he started handling the Gajuwaka branch. “Working as a franchisee leaves you with little scope to innovate or add anything directly to the company’s prole. You can only provide inputs,” says Sridhar, when asked if he had introduced anything new to the business. However, their Dabagarden branch became one of the best outlets of Vimal in the entire country and continued to be so for over a decade, owing to the efforts of his family. They added Reliance furnishings to their prole in 1998.
buyer going for economy and durability. However, the advent of ready-mades made a perceptible impact and it became difcult to cope with invasion. One needs to honour dynamic market and has to adapt to it. That is what we too do.” Change for Better With the launch of Sri Vamsi, a vestoried mall in 2012, his business touched a new high. Instead of being a sole player, Vimal has become part of this bigger and multi-brand format. Sri Vamsi caters to men and women of every age and all income groups.
guesthouse on our premises. We have constructed a Yagnasala too. During the Navaratri festival, havan is performed and as many as 50,000 people are fed for nine days.” Success Mantra Work hard. Believe in yourself and in God. Be open and set right your mistakes. Be humble and maintain a low prole. Upcoming Projects A believer in steady progress, Sridhar has no plans of expansion for the time being.
Words of Guidance “Anyone can enter the trade but situation is not too encouraging now. Any new entrant can just share the market space with their peers, but can’t expect USP great prot. However, I am sure that a quality shop Customer service and satisfaction top with business ethics survives even in turbulent his priority list. Holding no grudges market.” against the angry customer, Sridhar HIS OPINIONS tries to accommodate him. Vizag is a profitable market “Maintaining a healthy relationship There is a lot of hullabaloo that the city is with the customer is paramount for us. I replace anything brought back to ‘Happening’, ‘Promising’ and to some extent ‘Brand Vizag’ gained popularity too. Prot of a business me, without splitting hair over the genuineness of the complaint,” says like textile is directly proportionate to the spending capacity of people. But Vizag lacks it. However, this a highly tolerant Sridhar. state-of-affairs is not permanent. The city needs Highlights plenty of medium, small and semi corporate units. Improving the store prole by adding That alone can increase the spending capacity. I new products is the best way to am hopeful we will witness this within next two years appease the customer, Sridhar and there will be a bright future for the established insists. Citing Japanese company shops as well as upcoming ones. Toso’s curtain tracks as the most successful introduction of Sri Vamsi in the city, he explains, “It gives automated track which works on home automation or on individual remote. We stock these one-of-itskind blinds, which t into any home space. Equally impressive is the exclusive pelmet tracks which have melamine nish but are made of pure aluminium to withstand Vizag’s harsh climate. He also commends the collapsible shutters that can divide even a restricted space. He goes on to add that Sri Vamsi’s after-sale services, rendered by its own service team, make life easy for the end-user.
Motto “We are not here just to earn nor do we run after big achievements,” says Sridhar, who refuses to be involved in the rat race. True to his words, it is not Setback all about spinning money for It was running successfully for almost Wuppalas, who have been pursuing a four years, until Reliance stopped its lot of spiritual activity. “We are furnishing division following the rift fortunate to have the divine blessings between the Ambani brothers. Instead of lamenting this loss, Sridhar of Brahmarishi Barfani Dadaji. We have been in his grace for the past 16 and his family started furnishing years. The more one knows Him the counters of all top brands. more one gets mesmerized. He “Customer requirement changed rewards us with His stay whenever he over the years,” states Sridhar, and comes to the city. In his honour, we adds, “Earlier the customer prole of built a temple, satsang hall and a Vimal used to be distinct with the room for him, besides an 11-roomed-
red | march 2015 | 65
When it comes to domestic issues our decisions are made after a consensus is reached. I am the rigid kind whereas she is exible and perhaps this is why there are no showdowns
Vizag can’t match the metro Market “I don’t agree. Generally people from non-metro and small cities fancy the ‘metro tag’ that gives them a false sense of pride. But the truth is today whatever one sees in Mumbai or Delhi is denitely there in Vizag too. Maybe Vizag has it in limited quantity. Pricing wise we are cheaper as we don’t have oppressive overheads. In cities like Vizag the manpower and property are affordable. A Leaf Out Of His Diary 6.30 am: Tea and newspapers times 9.30 am: Leave for the store 10.30: Morning brieng with the staff
for four generations. She is very accommodating. It is not an easy thing to live in a joint family as ego clashes are inevitable. But she has always been understanding and mature enough to deal with any situation. She never bothered me with family issues or problems of our kids. This helped me focus on my work. She even helps me out in business during peak seasons. She has given me two beautiful kids Krishna Srihitha and Krishna Srikar. I am the rigid one whereas she is exible and perhaps that is why there are no showdowns. THESE ARE A FEW OF HER FAVOURITES
since we took the vows and it has been a smooth sail. We both are on the same page. Of course there was one thing that we did not agree upon i.e. his choice of colours. He detested dark colours and I worked hard to make him understand the ‘dark’-side of aesthetics,” she says, breaking into a hearty laugh. “He doesn’t consult me on all his business decisions. But when I offer one, he does consider it with all seriousness. When it comes to domestic issues our decisions are made after a consensus is reached. The most attractive trait of his persona is his ability to bestow care on every member of the family. There are innumerable instances that are memorable so it is tough to pinpoint which are the most precious.”
2:00 pm: Lunch time
Colour: Doubtful
9.30-10.00pm: Close shop
Food: Pav bhaji
10.30 pm: Dinner at home, day ends
Movie: Don’t know
Colour: All pastel shades
Though I work on Saturdays too, I make space to full social obligations. Sunday is (joint) family time. As many as 25 of us live in the same premises and get together for an entire day. Sometimes, if I want to unwind, I dine out. Our holidays are planned around our children’s vacations and again with the entire family and they are invariably clubbed with a pilgrimage. I am not much of a sight-seer.
Actor: Chiranjivi
Food: Any food which is bland and less greasy and presentation is more important than the taste
KAVITA HAS COMMENDABLE PATIENCE: SRIDHAR Ours was a love-turned-arranged marriage. Her family is associated with us
Hobby: Reading Swathi magazine Holiday spot: Loves to travel. Of late she is greatly into temple visits. HE IS EXTREMELY CARING: KAVITA “One joint family to another- my transition was absolutely smooth. The proposal did come from him. Surprisingly, he sought my approval even before he broke the news to the elders. It was, of course, an instant ‘yes’ from me. It is 17 years now
THESE ARE A FEW OF HIS FAVOURITES
Attire: T-shirts and Bush shirts Songs: Melodies Hobbies: Video games Brands: Not particular Car: Any car that suits his budget Films: With a message Actress: Late Soundarya Holiday: He prefers to sit in hotel
HYDERABAD
A FINE(RY) HAWKER By Sumana Reddy
S
Shoot by Dinakar Pamu
uresh Seerna, a second generation retailer, has the ultimate answer for all our sartorial needs- the South India Shopping Mall. This famed mall needs no special introduction, as the resplendent silks, splendid jewellery and the array of premier neries do all the talking. While the city is abuzz with the launch of its new branch in Ameerpet, we explored the mind behind, in an exclusive interview. He is the versatile young gun who rules the retail garment domain. He is also a rm believer of the maxim- “The purpose of a business is to create a customer who creates customers”. With extreme candour and prudence, he secured himself a million happy customers. Let us learn how.
Excerpts
Early Life I was born in Hyderabad and went to Meridian day school and Jain International boarding school. I earned a degree from St.Mary’s College, Yusufguda. After studying Masters in Business Administration from Coventry University in London, I returned to Hyderabad and launched my very rst venture in retail- South India Shopping Mall. I owe my success to my parentsMr.Raja Mouli (Businessman) and Mrs.Suvarna(Housewife). They were both born and raised in Hyderabad. I have a sister, Lalitha, married to Varun (Software Professional) and two beautiful nieces. I recently married Vineeta, who is a very supportive wife. We are a close-knit family. The All-Mall South India Shopping mall was established four years ago with a vision to emerge as a one-stop family shop for clothing and jewellery at affordable prices. We built large showrooms at different locations like Kukatpally, Kothapet and Patny Centre in Secunderabad. In Andhra Pradesh, we have a showroom in Vijayawada. These malls are vast and luxurious with a built-up areas ranging from 60,000 to 1,00,000 sq ft. We are soon to launch our fth showroom in Ameerpet, which is the biggest and the best outlet with remarkable interiors. We have been quite successful in our endeavours. We house renowned brands like Levis, Killer, Pepe and many others for men, women and kids. I started the mall with a passion to make festive shopping economical. Hurdles Challenges are a part of any business. However, it was a cakewalk for me. I did not face many hurdles. Owning a single showroom would be inadequate for a person, like me, who sets out with a ery ambition to become a major player in the market. To beat competition, I launched many branches that turned out to be instant hits. Additionally, our pricing also helped
us survive competition. Now that we are evolving as a top brand, we tied up directly with other national retail brands. We buy the stock in bulk at cheaper rates. We were able to penetrate the market and offer the best. We do not worry about the margins on the individual pieces and consider overall turnover. Hence it is easy for us to give competitive prices. Uniqueness Our stores are gigantic. If a customer enters the showroom to buy one thing, he ends up buying many other things. We offer a plethora of traditional clothing and jewellery, all at below the market price. This gives us an edge over others. The all-under-one-roof strategy worked so well that today we could cultivate a huge and loyal clientele. Moreover, our staff is trained to render excellent customer service. This is our strong point. We have 1200 employees. Retail Market Ever since the new government took over, everything seems to have fallen in place. The market is gradually stabilizing. People are investing in new ventures, acquiring properties and splurging money. After the state bifurcation, people are even arranging lavish weddings and making exorbitant purchases in clothing and jewellery. Since last November, the market has improved and money started circulating. Earlier, the retail sector in the clothing industry was down. Not just in Hyderabad, but all over the country. This was due to unstable government. Now the market is picking up and business is settling down. Whenever we launch a new showroom, we go for a research analysis and choose the best locality as it is a crucial factor. As we cater to a family’s shopping needs, we strategically choose a place where there are a lot of families. Our rst showroom was in Kukatpally, a place chock-a-block with residential communities. After
launching showrooms in other favourable locations, we thought that we are missing out on the residential market at the prime locality in Hyderabad- Ameerpet. We recently inaugurated one and we are going great guns! Ingenuity I rmly believe that inventive marketing strategies play an important role in any business. We have a separate team creatively advertising the brand. We showcase our current saris and designs in a unique way in the ads and hoardings. We also constantly change the artworks to keep it interesting. For instance, our wedding season shoots are about the exquisite silks and grand jewellery. If we are launching a new store, our concept is about the freshness, enthusiasm and joy. Another important element of our promotions is the brand ambassador. We had Mahesh Babu, Genelia D’ Cruz and now Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the face of the brand. Life Before and After Before I got into the business, my life was all about friends and movies. I had my share of fun before taking up business responsibilities. However, I never imagined not being an entrepreneur. Although I only had a fair idea of the retail industry, I gained a lot of knowledge after starting the rst outlet. I learnt a lot about people’s psychology- a customer’s thought process while shopping, an employee’s mind-set and survival instincts. Being able to understand people’s minds is an asset.
Generally a customer enters the showroom to buy one thing but lands up buying many others.
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Up-To-Date We collaborate with many national brands. When we make bulk purchases at least six months in advance, the brands give us updates on the styles that are to come in vogue. They tell us what’s the next ‘in’ thing and we decide on the quantity. To launch this new stock, we offer end-of-the season sale and clear out the old ones. Most of the retail outlets practise this. Ethnics or Western? When it comes to marriages and festivals, people usually prefer saris and ethnic wear with jewellery. Indians cannot avoid Indian wear. When it comes to western outts, they can be worn on regular basis. Western wear is favoured more in Northern states.
A LEAF OUT OF HIS DIARY 8:00 am: Wake up and gulp down a glass of protein shake. 9:30 am: Hit the gym 11:00 am: Breakfast and newspaper time 12:30 pm: Go to the Kukatpally store I attend meetings and travel to the other branches when required 9:00 pm: Get done with work and catch up with friends
learning a new language and understanding a new culture. Vineeta is very calm and understanding, very involved in my life yet gives me ample space. She even volunteers to help me in my work, especially the accounts side. Previously, she handled accounts for her father’s business. My wife is very supportive and also encourages me to work and eat well. HER FAVOURITES: Colour: Pink
10:30 pm: Return home, spend time with
Outfit: Anarkali Brand: Not a brand person Movie: Entertainment Films Hobby: Petting her dog and reading Holiday Destination: Switzerland
Competition We have no competitors in the market! None of the other retailers are as huge as we are. Our standards are unmatchable.
HE IS FRANK AND FRIENDLY: VINEETA I hail from Coimbatore. We got married, on 10 Dec 2014. Suresh’s horoscope matched with mine and we got married! It was an arranged marriage. He opened up in our very rst meeting, speaking about his likes and dislikes. His frankness attracted me. The best of all our meets was when he came for my birthday. I turned 26 and he got me 26 gifts. He also attended my cousin’s wedding, where he made himself at home and others comfortable. He is generally fun to be around. He is genial and mingles with everyone. Best thing I like about him is that he admits his mistakes openly.
Inspiration My father is my idol. He is behind my success. Favourite Pastime Gym time! I like to work-out and shed the excess weight (laughs). Regrets None
Suresh: It was love at first sight
Best moment When my rst niece was born, I was ecstatic. It was a beginning of a whole new generation. She is barely three years, but transformed every member of the family.
Vineeta: Best thing I like about him is that he admits his mistakes openly.
Future Plans We plan more outlets in the south itself. Advice to New Entrants In my opinion, retail is the best eld for business. Entrepreneurs can be successful in it as long as they know their audience. Identifying your target customers is very important. Strategies, management and product-planning come later. Success Mantra Give the best to customers. If they are satised, they will never leave you. If we give them what they need at competitive rates, half the battle won. Give the best and get the best.
family and off to bed. Everybody at home knows my schedule. They know when to get through to me. SHE IS VERY SUPPORTIVE: SURESH I married Vineeta very recently. She is from Tamil Nadu. Her alliance was through an agent. Last year, when we met for the rst time, we liked each other. For six months, we kept in touch, trying to understand each other. From the very rst meeting, I knew we will have a good life together, though I never thought I would marry somebody from another state. I am
HIS FAVOURITES: Colour: Red Outfit: Jeans and Shirt Brand: Louis Vuitton and Gucci Movie: Entertainment Films Hobby: Gym Holiday Destination: Macau
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Tell us about Komban I am pairing up with Lakshmi Menon for the first time in this film directed by M.Muthaiah. He has made fantastic films like ‘Kuttipili’. You must have noticed that I am sporting a handlebar mustache in this film (laughs). Komban is an exciting film. It will showcase a lot of family values in it.
How did you prepare for your first role? I had immense faith in Ameer Sir, I have watched his earlier films. He brings out the best in all artistes he works with. He asked me to grow hair and beard, and reduce my weight. So I had to start working out. It didn’t come naturally to me as I am not a sportsperson; I am the kind who spent all my time in front of a computer. Every week I would go to Ameer Sir and ask him if he was happy with the progress in me. But he would demand more. ‘Increase your biceps and reduce more weight’ he would tell me. Every day I trained for six hours for several weeks. But I enjoyed it. Also to get into the skin of the character I threw away my jeans and moved around in a lungi and shirt even at home. I had to forget who I am to play the character of Paruthiveeran who was very very raw.
You were even hospitalized during the shoot of the film Yes, I felt a little uneasy after having lunch on the sets of Komban in July last year. I called it a day and decided to return home. On my way back, my condition deteriorated and I had to be admitted at the Isabel hospital. But I recovered soon, perhaps because of the prayers of my fans and well wishers. From Paiyaa to Alex Pandian you sported the same look consecutively in 5 films, but now you are experimenting Yes, I was bored of doing similar kind of roles at one point of time. I was looking for change and wanted to experiment with my appearance a little. My first makeover was for the role of the urban dude in Biryani followed by the bearded look in Madras and now it is time for the handlebar moustache in Komban (laughs). I wanted to keep this look a secret until the release of the film but it was a giveaway when I attended the audio launch function of another film. I had lost a couple of kilos for my role Kaali in Madras but here for Komban I had to put on weight. Were you heartbroken when four of your films bombed at the box office in a row? See, I always try and do good films. Who would want to do a bad film? It's just that not all films work in my favour, and I'm fine with it. After these duds, you must have had high expectations from Madras?
Yes, and it came as a relief when I received calls from several quarters congratulating me on my performance. The film was appreciated for its realistic portrayal of life in north Madras. Even superstar Rajini praised our film. I still remember he said, “Super kanna super kalakitta..eppadi kanna ippadi shoot panna..super kanna kalakitta! magizchi.” The entire team especially our director felt honoured to receive such a comment from someone of Mr.Rajinikant’s stature. How many people get an opportunity to work with Mani Ratnam in their first film as an actor, but you declined? Yes, Mani Ratnam offered me the role of Arjun in the film Aayutha Ezhuthu which was later played by Siddharth. He wanted someone who could look like Surya’s younger brother, but when he saw me he was shocked. I was 90 kilos and huge by any standard. One look at me and Mani Sir said that I look like Surya’s elder brother and not the younger one. So I asked him if I could assist him in direction, he said yes. So I continued to work on the same film and its Hindi version Yuva as the assistant director. I did get some acting offers but I was interested in direction. Mani Sir asked me not to say no to good offers. Even my father told me, “One can always direct films but you won’t get a chance to act once you grow older”. That advice kind of stuck and soon I saw myself playing the lead role in the film Paruthiveeran by Ameer Sultan. Of course I also agreed because the film was so compelling.
You won several awards for your debut film which also made it to Berlin film festival. Did you feel then that you had arrived? I am just thankful that my debut film got such rave reviews from critics and was loved by the fans as well. It was made possible by Ameer Sir who helped me in every aspect of my work, from body language to dialect. He made sure that I played the character nonchalantly. The day the film hit theatres, I sat with the audience in Albert Theatre. I wanted to see their reaction for real. After pin-drop silence during the 20 minute climax, the audience stood up and applauded. I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Do you think you had it easy because you were from a film background? Well to be honest, I knew I would get an entry into the film industry because of my father and brother’s reputation but I also understood it pretty well that I won’t survive unless I am good at my job.
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Thereafter I sang at several public functions and TV shows on public demand.
and music director Yuvan asked me to croon for a song of the film and I agreed. Venkat thinks I am a cool singer (laughs). I had earlier sung a few lines in Paruthiveeran, my debut film for the oor ora puliyamaram number set to Yuvan’s music. Thereafter I sang at several public functions and TV shows on public demand. You also sang for the film’s Telugu version…How different was the experience? They were both fun, I loved singing in Telugu. The tune was from the 80s but had a modern feel with musical instrumentation and layering of saxophone and the percussion. A raw voice like mine will be different and the new flavour would be refreshing, is what Yuvan told me. Thankfully the audience loved it. Talking of singing, do you think good dancing skills are important for a star to succeed? What kind of response do you get generally? A lot of my fans said my dance movements in the film Paiyya were good, people have appreciated my casual style of dancing. I'm constantly trying my best to improve my dancing skills.
I finished my engineering in Chennai and went on to pursue my higher studies abroad. My father was very clear that I need to finish my education before I dabble in films. But all through my studies I was completely clued in to films. “From my father’s ‘Rosapoo Ravikkaikari’ to my other all-time favourites like ‘Billa’, ‘Nayagan’, ‘Agni Natchatram’ and ‘Devar Magan’, there are several films I’ve watched a number of times. I even know the dialogues by heart. I also did a film course in New York and when I returned to India I was very sure that this was the creative space where I belong. I have had my share of ups and downs there on. Tell us about your childhood. I watched a lot of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee films for inspiration. My sister was my guinea pig, I used their strokes on her (laughs). My childhood was marked by endless hours of play with friends in the neighbourhood and of course pillow fights with my sister. Both my brother Surya and I were sent to school by bus before we got our own bicycles. My parents have ensured that we never develop starry airs. You had another ace up your sleeve, what made you agree to do playback singing for Biriyani? Director of Biriyani, Venkat Prabhu is my schoolmate from St. Bede’s Chennai and on the sets it was like we were back in school. Obviously I felt at home and used to jam old Ilayaraja songs all the time. One day Venkat
What do you think is the flipside of stardom Well, to name one people tend to misuse your name for vested interests. For example, I once came to know through my fans in Malaysia that people have been raising funds using my name on some social media. I wasn’t even aware of who was behind this because I wasn’t approached by anyone in this regard. I had to clarify then that I am not on any such sites. I believe they opened fake accounts in my name and got many followers too without my knowledge. That I believe is the flipside Most memorable moment When I was blessed with a baby girl on January 11, 2013. It was a proud moment for my wife Ranjini and me. It was one role which I had never played in real life, that of a father.
SC PE
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It was my first Telugu film with Krishna Sir and the beautiful (the late) Soundarya which became a runaway hit. I did 36 movies in the language after that, 33 of which were super hits. I still remember the day when I was introduced to the great actor and veteran Brahmanandam during the shoot. I enjoyed working with him. That was the time when I shuttling between Mumbai and Hyderabad, shooting for two Hindi films during the day and flying to Hyderabad for shooting through the night. But after shooting for Kurukshetra and Sukh you disappeared from both the film industries? It was life that disappeared for me. I collapsed in the gym two months after I shot a fight sequence that went wrong. My condition was so severe that the doctor said I had only 11 hours to live. I was hospitalized for three months and then bedridden for three years. But I fought back, building a body which even a 25-year-old is envious of.
Can you elaborate on that near-lethal fight sequence? Well, stunts were part of my daily routine. I was one of the few actors who never used a body-double; I have fought with fire, panthers, dangled from a helicopter, motor cycle and horse. But one particular fight sequence during the shoot of a Kannada film in Bangalore changed my life. In the shot, the hero’s duplicate’s legs were to hit my (the villain’s) chest. Unfortunately, I got hit for real. What kind of support did the film industry offer you? I have worked with so many actors and directors but when I was hospitalized only Aditya Pancholi and my friend, Mr Bawa of Bawa International came over to visit me. Sanjay Dutt called me up once, that’s all. I think the rest of the film fraternity thought that if they visited me, they would have to foot the hospital bill (laughs)
By Neeta Nair
You became famous as the villain of Telugu film Number 1 and your famous newspaper tearing scene, how do you feel when you watch that scene now?
THE BADDIE IS BACK
n the month of holi, we rejoice the triumph of good over evil. But here is an evil we would love to celebrate. Yes, we are talking about the official bad boy of Telugu cinema, who has belted around 250 movies in Bollywood and Tollywood. His sudden disappearance from the filmy circuit was a mystery to most, but now he is back, fitter and more determined to pick up from where he had left it, years ago. Let’s find out how noble the intentions are of this 6 feet 2 inches tall muscular goon of cinema almost a decade later.
Still you want to be back in the film industry? Come back? I never left it. It is my family. I am the prodigal son. Like they say, once an actor always an actor. Would you want to continue as a baddie even now, or would prefer playing positive roles now that you are older? To be honest, the best part about films today is that there are no defined slots for the hero and the villain. Even Amitabh Bachchan plays a villain today. But given an option I would love to do an important character role, something positive for a change. Mahesh Anand can be anything you want him to be in reel life. I don’t act….I play the role. You are 52 years old, yet so fit….What is your fitness regimen? Actually I am older, will turn 54 in August (laughs). And to keep fit I lead a clean life with lots of working out and walks. I am no fitness freak, just like to live for the moment. What keeps you busy of late? I am writing a script which I want to direct as well. I also take free Taekwondo classes for underprivileged kids thrice a week. I am a third degree black belt. What is the best compliment you have received? People say I look 30 years old and not 53 (laughs)
VIZAG
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THE
WELLFAIR LADY By V. Sarada
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Shoot by Dhana Vijay
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t is literally a no-man’s land. The threestoried building swarms with women attending to various chores, giving the house a festive aura. “My husband is in miserable minority here,” jokes Malla Aruna Kumari, Executive Director of Wellfare Buildings & Estates Pvt.Ltd and Chairman of WISTM Engineering College. As she bursts into a happy laughter, her enormous eyes light up in the semi-darkness, cast by twilight on her perfectly manicured terrace. On that cheerful note begins our long tete-e-tete.
Coming back to the happy woman-force lived in the comfort of a cozy cocoon, she that was bustling around the oors below, never intended to spend her life in Aruna says, “They are my support system anonymity. and run the household like clockwork. Marital Bliss The word ‘servant’ and ‘domestic help’ Aruna’s real grooming and growing are a taboo in our household. Neither do happened only after she stepped out into I use it nor do I allow anyone else to do this big world, holding the hand of her so. They reciprocate my sentiment with loving husband. “Hence the credit of equal love,” says she. This democratic shaping my persona and life goes to approach and her soft corner for fair sex him,” says a gratied Aruna. spread to her workplace too. Nearly 70% of her employees are women. The Malla A graduate in arts, Aruna married Vijaya empire is a name to reckon with in real Prasad in 1993. It was a love-cumestate, media and education sectors and spreads over 18 states, running 380 branches. Serving 45 lakh Today’s customers, it provides eve is ready employment to 4.5 lakh for any people. challenge – physical Mr.Malla Vijaya Prasad, the or mental founder of the group describes his wife Aruna as the real heroine, who helped him sketch this incredible story of success. It is a happy story of an overprotected and pampered girl growing into a condent entrepreneur, self-sufcient administrator, benevolent philanthropist and muchsought after socialite. Obviously, this Uttama Mahila Awardee is perfect for our special Women’s Day segment.
Excerpts Cozy Home Born in a traditional household of the late Mr.Satyanarayana, who served as the sarpanch of Pendurthi and Mrs.Parvatamma, Aruna was brought up in highly protective environs with three doting brothers pandering to her whims and fancies. “Even now my brothers don’t set out on their day’s tasks without meeting me,” says Aruna with great pride. She neither aspired to be a career woman nor did she nurse any dreams of making it big. It was a perfectly idyllic childhood with her life revolving around her parents and brothers. Though she
arranged marriage. As they are close relatives, they used to bump into each other at all family gatherings. Genial and gregarious as he is, Prasad can get along famously with anyone and everyone. He becomes the life of any party. That certainly was a great allure for a quiet and shielded girl from a small town. However, Aruna insists it was his attitude towards women that attracted her attention. “Especially the way he used to take care of his mother impressed me most. I saw that special spark in him
which is simply irresistible, Our bond became stronger by the day as we faced life together,” she says. Mother of two charming daughters Alekhya and Anusha, Aruna afrms that neither her husband nor she ever regretted not having a son. “The staff of Seven Hills hospital even now talk of the way my husband celebrated the arrival of our second daughter. While I was carrying, he had prepared me to welcome the second child even if it was a girl, convincing me that girls make better offspring than the boys.” Spelling out the noble intention behind their rst project Aruna says, “Every human being, whatever class he belongs to, nurses a dream of having his own shelter. We did not want this dream of the common man to remain unfullled. I have an uninching trust in my husband’s efciency and his Midas touch. Everything he handles has to turn into gold.” Wellfare Buildings & Estates came into existence on 3rd March, 1999 and Mallas went on to expand to the other arenas. Tossed up by every cheering current of life, now Mallas ride the tide of success with great élan. Better Half Aruna may not be a feminist in the widely used sense of the word or a reformist who shouts hoarse for women’s rights. But she is indisputably progressive in her thoughts and deeds. She outright rejects the argument that women have to adopt aggressive posture and drastic measures to claim their rights. She also substantiates it with her own experience, saying, “I don’t believe in war-cry or victory hoot. A woman can very diplomatically and unobtrusively assert herself and even bring about a transformation in her man. People who interact with Mr.Prasad today can hardly believe it, but he used to be awfully short tempered in the initial years. I used to be mortally afraid of his illtempered outbursts. Through a very silent, patient red | march 2015 | 79
and tolerant handling, I could bring about a change in him. Today tables are turned. I throw tantrums and he mollycoddles me. This is the fact, he himself very publicly admits and acknowledges on many occasions. I attribute my perseverance to my parents who brought us up with utmost discipline.” She advocates the same mantra to all those women who are conned to home and hearth. “There is no stopping a woman, once she navigates herself out of self-imposed shackles.” Men Get Their Due She believes it is not gender but one’s commitment and hard work that matter to accomplish any task. “There is no way I belittle the calibre or contribution of men in any eld. Belonging to a family which treated both boys and girls on equal footing, I don’t even understand this concept of one being pitted against the other. My father nurtured me. My husband is my mentor and my brothers always stand by me. I gratefully acknowledge the contribution of men in our companies,” she says. On Wellfare Family People come to us only to stay back because it is a family not an enterprise they enter. Here again, I commend my husband who built our businesses on high values and effective work culture. Employees’ welfare is our rst priority. Whatever may be our situation, we see to it that they get their wages before 1st of every month. We counsel them if they come to us with their problems and try to sort them out. Status of Woman Aruna admits that there is much to be desired in the status of women in our society. “The stories of atrocities against women wring my heart. In fact, I avoid watching programmes that depict such gory incidents. Women have progressed and are liberated. However, with the advent of nuclear families, they lost the security of joint families
where one would live for all and all for one. At the same time we cannot wish away the modern lifestyle that brings in progress.” Aruna prescribes ‘educate girls’ as the magic formula for society’s progress.
away when it comes to my husband and daughters. They can discuss anything with him and demand anything from him.”
Work Vs Family Besides playing a pivotal role in Wellfare Group, Aruna has prescribed tasks as a politician’s wife. This keeps her on her toes and off home for a good number of hours. “Yes, it does take a toll on personal life, depriving us of some beautiful moments which we ought to spend with the family. This reality hit me hard when my husband entered politics. That is the reason why I don’t even think of politics as an option. It is like a whirlpool that sucks in anyone who comes close to it.” Insisting that a happy married life with loving children is the ultimate dream of every woman, she says, “I am blessed and have nothing more to ask for.”
Strength &Weakness My strength is my determination. Once I make up my mind about a particular project or an issue, come what may, I have to take it to a logical conclusion. My weakness - I am overly sensitive and can shed tears at the drop of the hat.
Power of Politics Aruna also recognises the power of politics. She cites an incident that moved her deeply, “When Mr. Prasad abstained from the last elections, a group of women from his former constituency, which he painstakingly developed, came to him. They urged him, with tears in their eyes, to stand for them.” Philanthropy “We founded Wellfare Charitable Trust. Neither does he come in my way nor do I question him when it comes to giving it back to society. Alekhya seems to be one step ahead of us. Though hard pressed for time, she gathers the underprivileged children of the locality, not only teaches them but also organises sports and refreshments for them. Now a bunch of children wait for a call from their akka.” Parenting “I see a marked difference in parenting over the years. I remember despite all the love my father used to shower on me, there was a line of divide between us. That distance was created by a sense of awe and reverence. I observe that thin boundary fading
Happiest Moment “It was when Alekhya gave a surprise birthday gift to her father by voluntarily taking over the administration of our Group.”
HER THOUGHTS •
Listen effectively and be wise in implementation
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Think smart and act elegant
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Smart and hard work leads to success
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Every situation is what one makes it to be
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Condence wins half the battle
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Unlike man, a woman thinks of an issue from various angles
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Women are growing less and less dependent on men.
If a woman sets out on a path, she doesn’t leave it till she reaches the destination
HYDERABAD
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KEY(HOLE) TO
SUCCESS By Sumana Reddy
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Shoot by Dinakar Pamu
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ecently conferred with the highest civilian honour- Padma Shri, Dr. Manjula Anagani believes that there are no shortcuts to success. She has been a recipient of many awards in the health sector. She has co-founded an NGO ‘Pratyusha Support’ that works on Women Empowerment and Medical Support. ‘Wish Come True’ for HIV infected kids; ‘Say Yes to Health’ and free health checkups in slums, orphanages and schools in collaboration with LivLife Hospitals. She is also an invited Operating Faculty for many National and International Operative workshops, Continuous Medical Education and Conferences. She has scientic paper presentations in US, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Sharjah and Italy. She has been a faculty for Ethicon Institute of Surgical Education (EISA) and Centre for Excellence in Minimal Access Surgical Techniques, (CeMAST) conducts regular training for Basic and Advanced Laparoscopic techniques duly guiding more than 500 gynaecologists and the list goes on. Here we nd out how she really operates.
EXCERPTS Early Life I was born at Achanta Vemavaram in West Godavari district and raised in Vijayanagar colony in Hyderabad, the seat of education. I went to St. Ann’s High School for girls. I used to excel in many elds and would walk around the school, showing off a lot of badges pinned on my shirt! (laughs). I have two brothers Siva Prasad and Sathya Prasad and a younger sister Kamala. My parents are Mrs.Nagamani and the late Mr.Ranga Rao. When my father who was the Deputy General Manager for APIDC, Managing Director for Nizam Sugar, AP Tyres and Tubes and Hanuman sugar factories, passed away due to cancer, we were suddenly exposed to the big harsh world. However, we came to terms with life, continued our education and are well-settled now. Marital Bliss I am married to my brother’s class mate Mr. Koli Suresh and it was an inter-caste marriage. He proposed in February and we got married in April. That was how life changed in a jiffy! We have one daughter, Srujitha who is 16 years old. Srujitha means ‘innovative creation’ and she indeed is. She studies in Indus International School and is very independent. I have a great support system in my family that understands my priorities. Playful Childhood I was a tomboy, climbed trees and never realised the gender difference. In a closely-knit neighbourhood, I was very popular among elders as well as my peers. I was also looked up to for everything. It continues till today- I am the universal sister. In fact, I was automatically made the head of the house after my father’s departure. Initiation My dad was very conventional and believed that a woman should either be a doctor or a teacher. It could be one of the
reasons why I was always fascinated by science and even now remember my science teacher Tulasi, who encouraged me a lot and often gave me a half mark extra for my drawing skills. Education I completed Intermediate from St. Francis Junior College, where I took up BiPC. I went to Mr. Asadullah for physics. That was when I realised that I had a photographic memory. By the time sir would complete a question, I would be ready with the answer. It used to give me a kick! I scored 58th rank in the state entrance exam. I nished my paper half an hour before time as the guy sitting next to me was peeping into it (laughs). General Surgery I went to Gandhi Medical College to pursue MBBS. I knew I would be a surgeon as surgery was my strong suit. By the time I nished house surgeoncy, I was the only one adept in amputations and hernia surgeries among my colleagues. This was when I realised that I could do more than being a general surgeon. A lady general surgeon would hardly have any work, however good she is at the job. I took up Gynaecology and Obstetrician to be of help to women. Women always need a gynaecologist in every phase of their life- during their adolescence, pregnancy or menopause. Hence I wrote the pre-clinical and clinical entrance exams and scored the 12th and 210th rank respectively. Pathology I did my MD pathology for one year after clearing the entrances in 1993, during which time, I suffered some health problems. That was when I realised the importance of compassion. A doctor must become a patient for a while in her/his life to realise how a patient feels. It is really frustrating when a doctor makes a patient wait. I even realised the importance of time management. Gynaecology/ Obstetrics I did my PG in gynaecology from Osmania hospital. Those days,
passing MD (Medicine Degree) was very difcult. Out of the ten, only two of us passed that year. I was very lucky to have good teachers. My professor Dr. Syamala was the one who made OBS/GYN easy. The whole teamDr.Padmaja, Dr.Ratna and Dr.Indira- with whom I had worked loved me so much and taught me the additional skills. I remember even to this day the compliment Dr.Ratna paid me. She told an anaesthetist, “If Majula cannot do it, even I cannot do it.” This was just when I completed house surgeoncy. This was the condence they reposed in me at the PG level. I could do almost everything that a gynaecologist could do. The knowledge and the surgical skills I gained from my teachers are immeasurable. Journey in Medicine There is no shortcut to success. I got trained in IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) and laparoscopy. I ran my colleague’s set up for a few days and gained a lot of experience with patients. Those days, the success rate of IVFs was only 25 %. Disappointed patients would cry. I realised that this is not where I belong as I cannot see the patients cry. Laparoscopy must make the patients happy and satised. This is the reason why I did not join oncology too. It is quite morbid.
I was a tom boy and always played on the roads with friends.
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unnecessary hysterectomies. Gradually my health suffered a setback as I was handling many things in a day. I left Apollo and joined Care as it was closer to where I lived. I joined as a consultant and started thinking more out of the box. I involved myself in obstetrics and took up high risk cases which were dumped by the other hospitals. I was with Care for seven and a half years and it was a memorable period. I left Care in 2011 to join Yashoda. I started operating as laparoscopic surgeon in NMC Hospital in Dubai too. I was handling three hospitals. Yashoda did not have Directorate of National Board (DNB) teaching. Only after I came in it was introduced in this hospital When my daughter came to the tenth standard, I did not want to work in so many places. Hence I left Yashoda and joined a smaller place called BEAMS hospitals in Jubilee Hills which is a minimally invasive surgery centre. I was heading all the branches.
The laparoscopy surgeries have become closer to my heart. Initially laparoscopies were made to look very difcult and were performed only by men. It was difcult for the lady doctors to carry them out as shoulders and the body frames were smaller and the muscular power is different. The procedure was very tedious. We could not do more than two procedures in a day. Those days the technology and techniques were still not evolved. I understood that two things are signicant- safety of the patient and the comfort of the surgeon. Now with advent of new technology, a person sitting in a chair can perform it. There were a lot of issues with entry-port-injury (the rst incision made while performing laparoscopy). After entry it can be seen on the screen. There were a lot of complications at the entry point. However, I innovated techniques to minimise complications. I used to run two hospitals- Vijayanagar Nursing Home and Masabtank Nursing Home. I worked until 1:00 in the nights, performing surgeries. Later I joined Unicare Hospital near Habibnagar. They gave me a lot of support, especially the admin staff. I, then, moved to Apollo and became the youngest consultant. I handled the OP at Jubilee Hills, Mehdipatnam and Hyderguda. I worked with them for four and a half years. I came up with newer techniques and minimally invasive surgeries to avoid balloon ablations and
New role I have recently joined Sunshine Hospitals, heading the Women and Child Care unit. Along with recognition, comes responsibility. I am passionate about my work and look forward to gain expertise and innovate.
Success Mantra Work, work and work. I feel that hard work, dedication, compassion and passion led me to where I am today. QUICK SIX •
What are your hobbies? Painting, reading, watching TV
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Who is your idol? My father
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If not a gynaecologist, what would you be? An IAS ofcer!
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Rewarding moment? Winning the Padma Shri and my daughter’s birth
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What are your strengths/weaknesses? Strength- patience & surgical skills. Weakness- I cannot bear losing a patient.
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One thing about you that not many know? People think I am hard core. But I am very sensitive. RANDOM THOUGHTS
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Child abuse is quite prevalent. Through Pratusha support I spread awareness about good touch and bad touch.
Challenges It certainly is a man’s world. People did • I take inspiration from movies and learn from them. My favourites are not believe that I performed Vishwanath and Bala Chander laparoscopies until they saw me in the movies. operation theatre. Now they know me as I give operative workshops and • We should always say yes to teach the techniques. Many General education and no to child Surgeons learn these techniques from marriage. One should be me. Second is politics. It is tough for educated to be powerful. those who have no Godfathers. My AWARDS major support was the pharmapersonnel who saw me perform and .• Health Care Excellence Award for went out and said that I was good. Best Medical and Healthcare Professionals by Indus Thirdly, publishing our work is a Foundation at Indo-Global problem. We do not have time to Healthcare Summit Expo 2014; publish our work. If that is done, it Navaratna Mahila Award by GVR adds value to the person’s prole. Aradhana Cultural Foundation; Dr. Health Tips for Women C.S.Dawn Prize for her work on After a girl is married and enters a new “Laparoscopic Management Of life, she faces recurrent urinary tract Ectopic Pregnancy in Previous infections. It is normal and treatable. Caesarean Scar “ by FOGSI But one should remember that the (Federation of Gyn & Obst of commonest cause of kidney failures is India); President’s Trophy : Dr. urine infection in women. Suili Rudra Sinha Prize by FOGSI Advice to Aspirants (Federation of Gyn & Obst of India) Believe in yourself. Keep your patient above everything and the rest is taken care of.
D A Z Z L E
Pearly Path
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agadamba Pearls, a pioneer retailer of pearls in Hyderabad can effortlessly cater to one’s ornamental needs for all occasions. Their flagship store on MG Road, Secundrabad is a mini pearl capital in itself. It offers expertly handcrafted adornments using only the finest of pearls. Flaunting outstanding jewellery designs, it is a cut above other jewellers in terms of quality, value and customer satisfaction. The innumerable families, buying from here for the past three generations are surely a testimony to the quality service and excellence it offers.
Four-Tiered Haaram Any pearls haaram is undeniably a good buy. The trendy work of the South Sea Pearls and the melon shaped ruby balls are the distinctive characteristics of this mala. One can play it up or down as it can be worn with another choker necklace for a heavy look or just the haaram for a toned down look depending on the occasion.
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Gold: 47.22 gm Pearls: 326.15 carat Rubies: 202 carat Price: Rs.3.06 lakh
Shoot by Dinakar Pamu
By Sumana Reddy
Layered Necklace This spectacular three-tiered necklace can be worn on traditional and resplendent silk saris for weddings and other cultural occasions. Speaking volumes of the Indian tradition with Nakshi gold balls, this mala is designed to be worn either with heavy earrings or simple studs.
Gold: 44.1 gm Emeralds: 196 carat Pearls: 315.37 carat Price: Rs.3.30 lakh
Blissful Beads Speaking volumes of the workmanship, this 20-lined emerald beads chunk looks prim on traditional silks with its unique pattern and pretty pearl strings. Also to be considered as fusion bridal jewellery, this mala can be teamed with kudan earrings and neck choker to present a typical south Indian appearance.
Party Necklace Tourmalines are the perfect replacement for rubies and emeralds, if you are bored of the later. This alluring piece of work syncs gracefully with any attire for any soiree. One can wear it as a long or short neckpiece on both Indian and fusion outfits. All in all, an iconic mala.
Price : Rs.3.50 lakh.
Gold: 119.58 gm Tourmaline: 19.58 carat Pearls: 62.95 carat Price: Rs.3.90 lakh
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Emerald & Diamond Kada Bearing a complicated jaal-like design, this wristlet is one of its kind. The flawless diamonds and impeccable emerald used in the motif make it breathtaking. Diamonds have been undeniably pleasurable for time immemorial. This timeless kada can passed down to generations.
Gold: 31.59 gm Diamonds: 4.8 carat Emerald: 5 carat Price : Rs.3 lakh.
Dazzling Diamonds Kada Sparkling with diamonds and elegant with carvings, this is a trinket that one cannot take their eyes off. It can be worn on both Indian and western outfits. One does not have to accessorise much if they don this substance of envy.
Victorian Polki Kada When a number of polkis bind together to form a bangle on your hand, it does not just show like an ornament, but as an object of envy. There is no hard and fast rule to style this accessory as it compliments well with any outfit. It being a symbol of tradition, never fades out of fashion.
Gold: 39.80 gm Diamonds: 2.65 carat Ruby: 2.10 carat Price: Rs.2.3 lakh
Price: Rs.7 lakh
Chamkile Chaand Balis Twin Peacock Jhumkis The perky peacocks are glass painted and are crafted with great finesse. The intricately carved jhumki and the tear shaped diamonds with ruby is a blind-go for any traditional outfit or to any party. Surely it is a symbol of status for the ladies.
Gold: 36.146 gm Diamonds: 1.07 carat Rubies: 1.94 carat Pearls: 9.01 carat Price: Rs.1.97 lakh
Nizam’s jewellery-inspired Chaand balis are a must-have in a woman’s earrings collection. Gleaming with uncut diamonds and glowing with pearls, the pair of balis can make one look jawdropping gorgeous. Wear it on anarkalis or lehengas to be a stunner at any soiree.
Gold: 44.00 gm Uncut Diamonds: 6.50 carat South Sea Pearls: 23.4 carat Price : Rs. 2.385 lakh
Leaf Ring The leaf design and diamonds impose a celestial feel to the ring. Its beauty and radiance are striking, making it difficult for the onlookers to take their eyes off it. Finished with enamel painting on the band, this ring is a perfect accessory for any Indian and western outfit.
Flower Power Yet another substance of envy, this abstract ring surely has its way to draw attention. With a detachable feature, one can wear it as a single diamonds ring or a heavy cocktail one. This pattern adds enigma to the design and is a perfect knick-knack to team up with any diamond jewellery. red | march 2015 | 88
Gold: 14.55 gm Diamonds: 1.97 carat Price: Rs.1.58 lakh
Gold: 13.276 gm Diamonds: 2.37 carat Price: Rs.1.45 lakh
THE FRUIT OF FAME
VIZAG
By Ranita Ray hey had the guts to give up lucrative profession and business, only to create something of their own. While even seasoned players would have qualms to sail on uncharted waters, they weren’t scared to take the plunge. The Latin proverb rightly says- ‘fortune favours the brave’. They deed every odd and gave Vizag its rst retail outlet of imported garments. After that there was no stopping them. Next was a bigger and better venture which established the duo as a brand in the vast market of women’s ethnic sartorial needs. Here you have Rajesh (Raju Dattla) and Deependra Varma, cousins and business partners, who share useful peer-to-peer suggestions, inputs and aspects to consider as they run their enterprises.
Shoot by Dhana Vijay
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Deependra: My father owns Raj Kamal Poultry, a reputed rm, which he runs along with my uncle. I am a post graduate in marketing. Somehow my education wasn’t in sync with our family business. Moreover, I was always very passionate about retailing. Among various options to get into retail industry, clothing enticed me the most. What made you Go Banana? Rajesh: Both of us experienced the “Eureka moment” almost at the same time. The very rst thought of a retail outlet was of kids’ clothing. Vizag lacked a good collection for them. Assuming a ‘brand connect’ would fare better, we approached many players, but none showed interest to explore Vizag’s market. We had to drop the idea. Around that time we came across Go Banana. Its parent store which originated in Hyderabad, has six outlets in the city vicinity itself, besides the one in Mumbai and another in Nagpur which is owned by Actor Sonu Sood. It has three other franchises in Andamans. We took the Vizag franchise. At that point of time it was the lone import shop in the city with best quality products and uber luxurious brands like Guess, Armani, G star, Diesel available at affordable price. The stock has a
mixed collection of originals along with replicas. There are polo T shirts for Rs. 399 and even at a maximum price of Rs.1899 one can get the best of Armanis and G Stars. Thus, pricing is the USP of Go Banana. We were the rst one to bring this concept in Vizag and it created a huge craze. Go Banana seems to have a strong base. Still, is there any threat to it? Deependra: We could experience success within a few months of its opening. But in last couple of years the growing rage of online shopping has posed a great threat to Go Banana and any other retail store for that matter. Usually the traders in e-commerce procure stock in volume and hence can offer good deals and discounted prices. Additional comfort of shopping from home is making customers favour ecommerce. Moreover, we don’t have a steady ow of products in our store. One piece might have sizes in S and M but might not have L or XL; such factors are going against Go Banana. What measures are you taking to tackle it? Rajesh: We need to expand, both in size and possession of our store. The larger the volume of inventories the lesser are the overheads. Secondly, we need to shift our focus from major cities and explore a bit of rural areas where e-commerce hasn’t caught up yet. We have already started looking at such places in AP. But we realized there is another problem. The ow of material is not steady; we might get hundreds of pairs in M size in a month and may face absolute scarcity of the same for the next two months. To deal with this kind of erratic supply, you need people with hands on experience who can still convince customers and retain them. Getting such manpower is arduous.
RAJESH
‘Clothing’- how did this thought come to your mind(s)? Rajesh: Although I hail from Vizag, be it for my studies or work, I was always away from the city. I worked in banking and insurance industry for nearly 14 years and even served as national head of Reliance. The work prole restricted my mobility and kept me chained to Delhi or Mumbai. On one hand, I was feeling homesick, on the other I was mulling over options that could bring me back to Vizag and keep me employed too. That was when I thought of opening something of my own.
Did you try any alternate business? Deependra: We got returns for whatever we invested in Go Bananas within 4-5 months. The next thing which we wanted was to create our own brand in clothing industry. Nothing looked more betting than women’s ethnic wear and we launched Khyati in 2013. However, it’s a very tricky genre as trends change almost overnight. Since neither of us had any experience in this segment, we roped in an expert to help us to procure our stock and moved along with him for purchasing. The process continued for a year. Unfortunately, we could realize in no time that our pricing wasn’t going in line with the product. As a result Khyati was being labeled as an ‘expensive store’ by customers. It was an alarming situation and we had to re-work on our image. How did you do that? Rajesh: From the second year onwards we decided to be on our own. The normal practice in retail is you go to a wholesaler, pick up the product, add that extra amount and sell it. We went one step ahead. We travelled the length and breadth of the country to collect products from where they originate, be it silk from Assam or Bandheni from Gujarat, Rajasthan or handloom from Coimbatore. We reached out to manufacturers and weavers directly. The whole idea was to eliminate middlemen. This way the wholesaler’s margin was gone. The product, for which I was paying Rs100 to a wholesaler and selling for Rs.120, I could buy the same for Rs.80 and sell it for Rs.105. I got my prot and my customer got lesser price. We could achieve a 25% 30% price drop.
How affordable are you? Rajesh: Though, earlier we received negative remarks on our pricing, we can proudly say it has been totally corrected now. Our MRPs are most affordable in the market. We provide best prices which are 10-15% lesser than any of our competitors. I would like to mention that there are a few who just going by the posh look of Khyati, assume that it’s an exclusive designer boutique and hence very pricey. But we want to tell them that it is a commercial store with a designer appeal and we have products ranging from Rs.899 to Rs.65,000. What gives you an edge over others? Deependra: Firstly, it is affordability and secondly it is our exclusivity. We have collections that even the big names in the city can’t boast of. To source our products either Rajesh or I go along with one of our salespersons and designer as they have better knowledge about trends, quality, patterns and popular demands. This process
ensures that we get the best product. Moreover, as we don’t go to the same wholesaler, from whom our competitors purchase, we have uniqueness. Every product in the shop is handpicked, and not through phone calls or open orders. Even from manufacturers we don’t buy all the pieces of a catalogue, but pick the best from the lot. Does dead stock bother you? Rajesh: Be it any business format - wholesaler, retailer or even online shop, dead stock is inevitable. On an average 10% of total inventory ends up as dead stock. One just has to wait for some time to clear it off, either during festivals or a season. Let me give you an example- there was a big hype about Neon. We had seen them on the ramps, collections of ace designers and in retail outlets. It was the ‘in thing’ two years ago, but it’s gone now. However, there are still some people who are using it. Another fact is that, not everybody is an early bird to jump into trends. No trend is set overnight; by the time the last customer or follower syncs in, he/she is lagging six months behind everyone else. This is when my old stock of neon comes handy to cater to him/her. Rather he/she not only gets the product but also enjoys an additional advantage of cheaper rate as I put the stock on offseason sale. How do you market your brand? Deependra: Unlike our co-players we never really spend on advertising nor give much importance to it. You won’t see our hoardings around the town. I am not sure if we are doing the right thing by not advertising extensively. But we felt the amount we would spend on it can instead be utilized to improve our services for our existing customers. If we please the customers, they
DEEPENDRA VARMA
Did you offer anything extra beyond this? Deependra: Vizag has seen a great change in people’s taste. In the last couple of years it has become a promising market for designer clothes. Cashing on it, within a year of Khyati’s opening we came up with a pioneering idea and launched counters for seven designers from Hyderabad and Bangalore. We sell those pieces with their names and price tags, by keeping a minimal margin for us. It’s a win-win situation for all; rstly we could please our customer with those additional as well as exclusive neries, secondly the customers didn’t have to go to Hyderabad to buy their favourite products and thirdly the designers could reach wider and readily available clientele in Vizag through Khyati.
themselves will promote our brand through word of mouth and mind you it is the fastest mode of advertisement compared to any other medium. Is this industry festive-driven? Rajesh: Not exactly! If you take 100% of sales graph, 30% is during festive, 40% regular sale, 30% is when you put up a sale board. Percentage of sale on weekends is high. Today, customers’ purchasing power has gone up and there is almost no waiting period for function or festivals. What are your future plans? Deependra: We would be expanding Khyati by opening branches beyond Vizag. We even have plans to explore retail market of food industry and will be starting multiple food outlets in the coming years. What would be your guru mantra to aspirant retailers? Rejesh: You should have passion for the work. If you are doing it for money’s sake, it is short lived. Only with your passion you can sustain for long and earn money as well. Patience is also a key factor. You need to be in line with the happenings and trend in the market. Deependra: Without experience, getting into retailing would be a task. To handle a customer, at least you need to hire people who have experience and exposure, especially if you wish to build a brand of your own. Comparatively, franchise model is a safe game and less taxing.
HYDERABAD
FOR YOUR EYES & PALATE By Sumana Reddy
Shoot by Dinakar Pamu
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he most celebrated optical retailer of Hyderabad, Saberi’s continues to offer quality and excellence for over 60 years now. Honoured with awards for being the best in the industry nationwide, its customer loyalty is unrivaled. Engaging in a tête-àtête with us on a fine Saturday evening, Mr. Hassan Ali, the founder of Saberi’s narrates his saga of success. Also joining in with an expertise in north-Indian cuisine, Mr.Ali Saberi (brother), owner of Silver Salt restaurant narrates his experience in running an unsurpassed restaurant.
business in 1986. Back then, he owned an optical store that went by the name ‘Opto opticians’ in Abids. It was an undersized store when compared to the ones existing in the market today. I worked under my father and learnt the ABCs of the business. In 1996, I launched Saberi’s Pvt Ltd. As Saberi is our family name, it was a convenient pick for me to name our brand so. Although this showroom was built up on 550 sq ft, it was the biggest in Hyderabad and set a benchmark for all the other eyewear stores. Shortly after, I launched another showroom in Begumpet which was spread across 2500 sq ft. The standards were set higher and the services, better. It was the biggest optical showroom in India.
What is the present status of the business? Presently, we are concentrating on luxury stores for the brand. We are launching a premium eyewear store, targeting the elite of Hyderabad. The starting price is Rs.25,000 and can go up to Rs.3 lakh. We offer international brands and even provide excellent after- sale service.
How do you deal with competition? Competition is only considered when two companies are on par with each other. In this case, I would not mind saying Lawrence and Mayo is our competitor. They too started from scratch and evolved into a public sector company. We have a healthy competition. My vision was clear Is this your first business from the start. I aspired to reach venture? If not, what were your the apex. With my determination, previous ventures? hard work and the right attitude, I This is my rst and only venture. I could cater to all the needs of the am proud to have developed a customer without compromising thriving business model. We have on quality. Customer satisfaction come a long way. Thankfully, I did remains a priority in my work. not have to think of another Exercising these aspects, I could venture. grow as a national brand. Reliance’s Vision Express and What factors drove you to the Titan’s eyeware store do not really decision of entering this field? pose much threat to us. They As my father was into this business, I had a good grip on the target the lower sections of the subject. I learnt a lot from him and society and offer glasses ranging from Rs.299 to Rs.1,499. But they I only wanted to take it forward. would give their in-house lenses What are were the initial unlike us, who offer only branded hiccups? ones like Essilor, Crizal and other Awareness was a major hurdle that genuine anti- reective lenses. We I faced. People were not as cater to the middle and upperexperimentative in those days. middle classes and offer glasses They did not want to accept from Rs.5,000 onwards. anything new. If they had to buy What sets you apart from the glasses, they would make purchases from the regular stores, other eyewear stores? shelling out a mere Rs.200. It took We present a plethora of glasses with varied designs. We are the us time to penetrate the market only dealers for over hundred with the revamped brand for the international brands. We provide quality and services we offered. frames of Cartier, Dupont, Bvlgari, We even faced criticism from Fred, Christian Dior, Gucci, Giorgio people on pricing. However, we Armani, Hugo boss, Police, sustained well as we offered Giordano, Hilton, Gianni, Versace,
Hassan Saberi
Hassan Saberi genuine quality when compared to Please give us a brief account of the other stores in the market. In your background and brand. fact, we were the only dealers for I graduated from Mumtaz College Ray Ban and can comfortably say that we introduced Ray Ban to and joined my father, Mr. Syed Shah Mazer Hussani Saberi in his Hyderabad!
Dunhill, Porsche, Ray Ban, Mont Blanc, Oakley, Prada and many more. We also offer specialized comprehensive medical service to customers related to treatment of eye ailments and cosmetic vision correction utilizing current technology, along with sight correction services. What is your CSR exercise? We took up an initiative to help the poor get their eyes checked and give away free glasses. It is called Saberi’s on wheels. It is a mobile van with a qualied Optometrist on board who would give an expert advice. We use the same concept to cater to the corporate crowd as well. Using standard eye correction testing equipment, we offer prescription spectacles and prescription contact lenses to the customers. What are your advertisement strategies? To reach out to greater crowds, we advertise on huge hoardings along with print media like newspapers and magazines. But today, the whole ethos of marketing is the social- media. Hence we are constantly advertising through Facebook, Twitter and many other networking sites. Any expansion plans? We aim to expand and evolve as an international brand. We are keen on launching a hundred odd stores by the end of 2018. We aspire to make our presence felt all over India before going international. Advice to the new entrepreneurs? Be honest with your work. Always give the best quality to your customers and strive for their satisfaction. In today’s world, a customer has the complete knowledge of what he is buying, more than the salesman himself!
I completed my education in 2002. Soon after, I joined my brother Hassan Saberi in the optical business. He is the oldest of the brothers. My journey with the Saberi’s started with managing the main branch in Abids. Later, we launched another branch under the same brand called Shades in Begumpet. I administered this branch up to 2012, after which I started a restaurant. I am a foodie and I wanted to open a restaurant which offers the most delectable food in the city. I established Silver Salt in Banjara Hills opposite Karachi Bakery. To my luck, I received almost an instant and warm response. I aim to open more branches in the city. Silver Salt was earlier called Sheesha Sky Lounge. It is a national dining company which I took over. Although the name is changed, the menu remains the same. What is your contribution to Saberi’s? Presently, I handle the Madhapur branch. We chose this strategic location as it is the cyber hub. We realized we were missing out on the corporate crowd and launched this outlet exclusively to cater to their needs. What are the daily challenges? For a restaurateur, everyday is a challenge. Besides handling the regular administration of the restaurant, I also handle the kitchen. It needs to be controlled personally and is a wearisome job. Buying vegetables and grocery is on our agenda almost every day.
when the customer relishes the food I offer and returns, I feel gratied. All that hard work gets paid off. What sets you apart from the other restaurants? We offer sumptuous North Indian food and our specialty item is Raan Biryani. It is the most delectable dish on our menu and our customers keep coming asking for more. We are also quite renowned for it in the twin cities. Silver Salt is an open-air restaurant and the ambience is breathtakingly beautiful. What are the strengths of your business? We handle everything personally, that is our strength. Right from ordering the stock and inventories to giving services to the customers, we take up the sole responsibility for both Saberi’s and Silver Salt. How do you handle competition? We do not have competition for Saberi’s as we are the most favoured in the whole of South India. But in case of Silver Salt, it is different. There is tough competition. Of course, the competition becomes healthy with the launch of new restaurants in the city every now and then. It goads us to further better our food quality and services. We strive to stand out in the crowd. I truly believe that good food and service are essential to beat any competition. People who taste my food, keep coming back.
Who are your target customers? For Saberi’s, we target every section of the society. With our varied prices, we serve every type of customer. For the restaurant, In the optical business, we get the we target the younger crowd inventories once in every three or and families. six months. “Isme khali paanch With escalating price of percent hi mehnat lagti hain” (it commodities, how do you keep requires only 5% of hard work), your pricing? whereas a restaurant needs 95% Pricing plays a crucial role in the hard work. But at the end of it all, restaurant industry. A meal for two red | march 2015 | 96
ALI SABERI
Ali Saberi Give us a brief account of your background and your brand.
people costs Rs 1,200. We are competitively priced. Despite the price rise we do not compromise on the quality or the quantity. What are your advertisement strategies? For Silver Salt, we are very active on Zomato. It gave us quite a response. Apart from this, we engage in social media networking. It is a smart strategy for marketing a restaurant. For Saberi’s, we have Salman Khan as our brand ambassador. We hold press conferences in major cities with him, fashion shows and carry out product placements in his lms apart from the regular newspaper advertisements.. Any expansion plans? We aim to launch as many branches as possible. Our immediate outlet would be in the vicinity of Hyderguda as early as the coming few months. I discovered that apart from Minerva in Himayatnagar, there are not many places that serve good food. I remember dining there as a kid with my family and friends. This branch will also be named Silver Salt. Advice to the new entrepreneurs? Always remember, as an owner of any restaurant, you should monitor your business 24x7. To be successful, you need to handle the daily operations right from groceries. Be ready to get your hands dirty. To be successful, be involved. But for an optical store it is different. You need to work every minute of every hour with dedication.
GADGETS
ALL NEW By Neeta Nair
W
on’t it be lovely to fast forward life and escape all those tiresome chores which take forever to get done. While we can’t promise you a time machine, we can give you a list of gadgets that help you finish the work in a jiffy. Presenting to you the gadgets of March, 2015
This Linkon iOS 16GB/32GB U-Disk is the best partner for apple devices. It requires no jailbreak, and without WIFI or iTunes files can be shared between your iPhone, iPad and Mac. All you need to do is plug and play. It enhances your iPhone storage by saving photos, videos and files received to the U-Disk. It supports, reads and plays multiple formats of photo, video, music and office documents. You can even use it as a connector to charge your iOS devices from power bank. With an aluminium metal shell, light and solid body, this U-disk adds more class to any iPhone user. Cost: 16GB- Rs.2800 and 32GB- Rs.3800
Linkon
E8215 World’s First Luxury Bluetooth Phone It is the new luxury Bluetooth phone on the block. It can be used as a mobile phone handsfree and also as a stereo Bluetooth headset. Take home this intelligent mobile phone companion which can also be used as the sub phone with a sim card and memory card slot. This slim exquisite piece is paired with the intelligent mobile phone and bluetooth tablet computer having an optional 32 GB expandable memory. Use it to escape from mobile phone radiation and have a healthy calling experience. It is in short a secretary for your phone. It supports iOS, windows, android and blackberry. Cost: Rs.6,999 (approx)
Inputs from Mr. Duke, MobiCare
red | march 2015 | 98
ChargeAll Is A Pocket-Sized Power Bank With An 85-Watt AC Outlet It’s the world's smallest battery pack to include an AC wall outlet. Charge your laptop twice or phone up to eight times on a single charge. It's small enough to fit in your pocket. Apart from the AC outlet, the ChargeAll comes with a pair of USB slots. You can charge up to three devices at the same time. Two versions are available: an 85-watt 18,000 mAh model and a 65-watt 12,000 mAh version. The larger model can fuel your laptop with a 100% charge. Dimensions are 7.25 x 5.25 x 1 inches for the larger one, with the smaller about an inch less in both length and width. The ChargeAll is now commercially available. Cost: 65-watt- Rs.16640 and 85 watt – Rs.18489
Intelligent Gravity Balance Car Say hi to Ouchuangbo Smart Self Balancing Electric Car with small dual Wheels OCB-XX10. It can bear anything between 20kg and 100kg of weight. It is China’s first rodless, intelligent balanced car where one doesn’t have to use his hands to navigate. With an elegant body, it is easy to drive. It can climb the highest slopes and by sensing the center of gravity of the change it can turn to any angle. It makes negligible sound and has a strong body which withstands any shock, providing the driver handling stability. It can go up to a speed of 10 km/hour and has a long battery life. As it weighs only 10kg, it is convenient to carry and can be stacked in a car boot. Cost: Rs.50,000 (approx)
Key features
GADGETS •
Amazingly small and highly efficient
•
Completely independent of any power grid or wall outlet
•
Supplies power reliably – anywhere and at any time
•
New and pioneering fuel cell technology
•
An invaluable advantage both in everyday life and even when traveling to the ends of the earth
Cost: Rs.4870 for early birds and Rs.9184 for rest
Kraftwerk opens up a whole new dimension in freedom, when it comes to supplying mobile electronic devices with energy. It enables you to generate energy using a small, handy device – in such large amounts that you can run your iPhone, tablet, or even your GoPro camera for weeks. Kraftwerk is a fuel cell power generator. Based on microtubular metallic fuel cell technology, it directly transforms gas into electricity. The user fills gas (camping gas cartridges and lighter gas) into an integrated tank. Whenever power is needed the gas goes into the fuel cell and is converted directly into electricity. One filling is enough to provide energy for 11 iPhone charges. Kraftwerk - highly innovative portable power plant
ALL GADGETS ARE AVAILABLE IN MOBICARE
red | march 2015 | 99
VIZAG
SHE MAKES
LEARNING A JOYRIDE By Neeta Nair
red | march 2015 | 100
Shoot by Dhana Vijay
F
eet tapping to one rhythm, excited kids splashing water at each other in the pool and some lively teachers enacting short stories to a bunch of animated children; anyone who visits Ralla Bella would perhaps be greeted with the same sight. Even before I could raise a quizzical eyebrow to the origin of that strange sound, the founder and Principal of the pre-school Subha Dalai responded, “Those are young kids learning Bharatnatyam”. That set the tone of the interview, she answered most questions even before I asked them. This 34-year-old lady runs one of the most successful preschools in the city. Don’t go by her easy going demeanor, she likes to be in control, especially when it comes to her prized possession - the kids at her playschool. Subha is fiercely protective and absolutely unwilling to compromise on providing the best possible atmosphere for the kids to grow in. One look at the CCTV camera output that she closely monitors in her cabin is enough to tell you that she takes her task very seriously.
Birth of the idea I am an engineering graduate who went on to work for prestigious rms like IBM. But even though I was drawing a good salary I wasn’t satised. Something told me that I need to be in a profession where I have to interact with people, help change lives. But I couldn’t gure out what that was till I had my rst baby. When Saanvi was two years old, I felt she should go to a good pre-school. But I realized that there was no place I would want to send her to, nothing was impressive enough. That is when I thought I must open a preschool and help all the mothers who were struggling to give their kids a good learning ground.
Italian means a very beautiful girl. Importance of Pre-schools It is said that 0-3 age group is the time when the brain of the child develops the most. And by the age of 6, it is about 90% developed. So the environment, the kind of stimulation and exposure the child gets in that phase is the key to his success in the later stages of life.
Exposure at Ralla Bella The kids are exposed to dance, yoga, activities in the swimming pool, nature walks, sand activity, etc. For example we have noticed that children who otherwise don’t open up with the rest of the class shed their inhibitions in the pool. For dance, we have a trainer who performs Bharatnatyam Nursing the Idea and Kuchipudi internationally. My husband Siba Shankar The idea is to make a child Dalai who is a doctor at Seven condent of performing on Hills Hospital was very stage. Also to help children supportive of the idea. In fact absorb the language, we it was he who helped me get perform skits. This way they the franchise of this chain of observe the emotions pre- schools called Little attached to the words and Millennium. But months into understand them better. I feel the venture, I realized I wasn’t it is not just grammar but also too convinced with their the style of pronouncing the curriculum. I thought I should words and emoting them well start something of my own, that makes a person stand where I can use my ideas and out from the rest of the crowd. my creativity to devise newer methods of teaching. That is Necessary Change when I started Ralla Bella The classroom pattern of International Pre-school which teaching has to change; the is a member of Association for child must be awarded for all Childhood Education kinds of activities and not just International. I started academics. The focus should attending conferences in be learning and not Washington thrice a year to memorizing which is short grasp newer techniques of lived. The on stage teaching and to acquaint performance also should be myself with the challenges in on the report card because this eld. They send me that is equally important. I regular updates on their faced a problem because of research. its absence as a student, I
started leaving extra-curricular activities one by one just to focus on academics because we were made to believe that it was the most crucial of them all. Parents adhere to whatever the teachers tell them. This thought of focusing on all round development should come from the higher authorities to the schools and then to parents. Personally, I wanted to make sure that coming to school is a more enriching experience for the students. Our kids love coming to school even on holidays. Even the idea of doing homework should excite them and should be such that children can nish it, without taking the parents’ help. If you only give children some lines to write repeatedly then they are bound to make excuses. To make it interesting, we give them something to colour, draw and some materials to stick in their homework books. These are things that stimulate their brains and make them look forward to homework. The head of the school should not aim to only nish the syllabus. One has to be very involved with day to day activities in each class. It is a contagious habit which trickles down to the teachers as well. Also, we cannot shrug our shoulders and say that the child is simply not learning something. If that happens, it means there is something wrong with our teaching. We need to change our methods and ensure that we make it interesting enough for the child to learn.
was a topper when I was Ralla Bella studying in Kendriya Ralla in Italian stands for Vidyalaya, so coming rst in strength and toughness which class became an obsession. I is symbolic for boys. Bella in red | march 2015 | 101
Selecting Teachers I recruited all my teachers because I thought they could see my vision and teach with all their heart. I retain them if I see dedication in them. They should be able to play the role of a mother as well as a teacher. Achievement After nishing my course in child psychology, when I started the school 3 years ago, I was not sure of what response I would get. But parents who came to me were satised with my ideas. They thought I was polished enough to be entrusted with their kids.
I also ensure that at least one teacher is with the kids in the school bus. I cannot allow the kids to be troubled in any way. Encouragement We hold two functions each year in Novotel or Park where we felicitate students for various activities and also make each one of them perform something on the stage, be it dance, dramatics etc. Also they take part in various inter-school competitions. For e.g. my children made it to the national level at
Also unlike in the case of higher classes, they didn’t concern themselves with learning aspect of it or syllabus, as it was a playgroup. Their focus was whether the environment was hygienic, if their children were treated with love, and whether the language used for making them learn – the usage of English was up to the mark.
every day just like the children they teach. Don’t ever think that you know enough. Do justice to your job and the rest will fall in place. Even today I feel like I am in school, I stay late in the night preparing for the next morning class just like I prepared for exams. Family support My father-in law had a plan to start a school so when I managed to do it one, he was very proud. So were my parents. My father Mr.Binay Kumar Mohapatra and mother Mrs.Sujata have been a constant source of encouragement and support. As far as my husband is concerned, he is always there for me. Thankfully both of us believe that we should be more interested in investing in our image and giving back to society as opposed to investing in properties or buying a BMW. Other interests I used to participate in fashion shows and dance competitions, and wrote poems too. I was always a vocabulary freak. I loved learning new words and using it to surprise my friends and family. I have an application on my phone which sends me a new word every day.
Today we have children studying in four standards, play school, nursery, LKG and UKG. Each class has 18-19 students, if we take more than that then it will be difcult to give them individual attention. The classes go on for 3-4 hours a day with 15 minute game periods at regular intervals to keep boredom away. I also believe the kids should have enough time to pursue their hobbies. Motivation More than any commercial aspect I am happy with the fact that the parents are entrusting their children to me and repose faith in me. I take it as a responsibility. If parents see that we take care of their kids and are successfully enriching their personalities then through word of mouth my goodwill spreads. I go out of my way to ensure that nothing spoils the school’s image. I observe how my staff behaves with the kids, whether they are teaching the kids the importance of good behavior or table manners.
Rate Card How do you rate yourself on a scale of 10 as a)An Entrepreneur N/A b)A philanthropist N/A c)A style icon N/A the Rhyme World Cup, an international event. Our school was the most prominent name from Vizag. I was the chief judge for the competitions held in Vizag. Also, my children performed Bharatnatyam at the Vizag Awards Night, 2014 where 30 eminent personalities of Vizag were felicitated. Advice Anyone who wants to enter this eld should be prepared to learn some lesson
d)A trend-setter N/A e)
A human being N/A
Subha: I prefer others rating me
HYDERABAD
FROM ADDICTION TO REFORMATION By Sumana Reddy
red | march 2015 | 104
Shoot by Dinakar Pamu
D
rug and alcohol abuses are endemic in our country and the reasons are many. While prohibition might not be the cure for it, treatment is certainly efficacious. Offering a wholesome recovery programme for the addicts, Mr. Rahul Luther, Co-founder and Director of Hope Trust Rehabilitation Centre transforms lives of people who have been coming to him from different parts of the world for over 12 years now. He advocates Gandhi’s motto ‘Truth is God’ to help the sufferers face the reality of their lives- addiction.Hope Trust, considered India's premier rehab centre and in collaboration with Renascent, a leading treatment facility in Canada, is known for its unparalleled quality of support services and professional counsellors. Today, if an addict is caught in Oman, the judge proffers two optionseither imprisonment or a recovery treatment at Hope Trust in India. Such is the prominence the centre acquired.
Hope Trust It started as a very small facility in Banjara Hills. I had no money. Early Life Going by my past, nobody trusted I was born in Vizag. My father Mr. me or lent me money to start this Narendra Luther, who retired as a facility. Even banks didn’t help. I Chief- Secretary of Andhra Pradesh borrowed Rs.2 lakh from my father, was posted in and out of the state. I who along with the money, gave me earned a degree from Delhi a warning that it would be the last University in the 1970 and joined the time he would help me out. We creative division of an ad-agency. The career lasted a good 25 years. worked very hard and could return the money within eight months It was the time of the Flower Child Movement and drugs were quite This business is different from the prevalent. I got caught in its others. More than the money that activities and started doing drugs comes in, it is the social angle that and alcohol. Back then, the law was is very appealing. We help people, not too stringent. My addiction kept unlike the other companies that growing. I was married to a simple make only money. We are lady, Rajeshwari, but our marriage compassionate towards the families broke shortly after our daughter was who cannot afford the treatment. born, owing to my addiction. We Some families might have already were legally divorced. spent a fortune on hospitals, pilgrimages, hospitals or Babas and 16 years ago, I joined a have very little left for treatment. rehabilitation centre in Bangalore. Excerpts
I was treated for my addiction for three years. I sobered down and started reconciling to my wife. However, unable to trust me, my former wife refused to return. After a two-year-wait I got married to her again and had a son. I went back to advertising as the creative director of a national agency. However, the job did not give me satisfaction. The same old deadlines, art works and trophiesthey all looked very insignicant and silly to me. Initiation I wanted to do something more meaningful and of lasting value. After much introspection I realised that I knew two things very welladdiction and recovery. I wanted to utilize that to help others who are sailing in the same boat. At that time, there were not many rehabilitation centres in our country and the one that I was admitted to was a basic one, with a mix of all sorts of people- the middle, uppermiddle class and economically backward people. There was no centre catering to the higher strata and nding an opportunity there, I along with my wife, decided to start one. My background in marketing helped me. By God’s grace, the rehab which started in 2002, has evolved as Asia’s best!
specialised in addiction and worked there for some time. After she returned to India, she expressed her desire to join us. She is now a part of the therapy team. However, my son Rishabh, 13 is still at the school and has a long time to go before he decides on his career. The Programme Today, our facility maintains international standards. We offer a three-month treatment programme to the addicts. Generally in rehabs, family is a neglected area as everybody focuses on the alcoholic. But the fact iswhen there is an addict in the family, the members also get affected. An addict can traumatise and break the morale of his/her family members. Sometimes the family members go to the extent of shielding the addict.
Ten years ago, consulting psychiatrists was a stigma. People claimed ‘paagal log hi jaatein hain’.
We treat alcoholics, drug and gambling addicts. We have clients from all over the world- the Middle East, USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, besides India. An addict is usually in denial and misleads his family. Hence confrontation plays an important role in our counselling sessions that are handled by a professional team of counsellors. We help the addict face the reality. In the initial days, I was involved in every aspect of the business, including private counselling. As the time passed, I moved to marketing. However, I deliver a lecture to every batch once in a month. Family’s Support My wife is more hands-on with the daily operations of the centre. She even manages family therapy and nances. As she herself had been in the same place as an addict’s wife, she understands what they go through and enlightens them. My daughter Raisa, 24, also experienced the trauma of having an alcoholic father. She completed graduation in psychology from St. Francis Degree College and earned a Masters degree in Mental Health from King’s College in London. She
Hence we educate the kin, initiating a process that heals them too. Often, the clients ask us what medicine we use for healing. There is no medicine invented to cure addiction so far. Like HIV and diabetes, there is only a treatment for addiction but no cure. We cure through psychological counseling. Hurdles We did not face any major road blocks except the lack of awareness of rehabilitation centres. People come to a rehab as the last resort after they are through with other ways. But in the western world, it is the other way round. Addict right away goes to rehabs.
Ten years ago, consulting psychiatrists was a stigma. People claimed ‘paagal log hi jaatein hain’ (only the insane go to them) and thought it was not okay to go to a rehab. They hesitate to disclose the problem and try to hide it. The challenge here is to convince people that this is a treatment facility, not a jail or an asylum. That precisely is the reason we don’t have a hospital-like set up, but a comfortable home-like arrangement with recreational facilities. Another problem is people pay for their alcohol, but not for counselling. They think that it should be done for free. We purposely charge because people don’t value anything given free. Being Distinctive Not many rehabs are as experienced as we are. We are known for our ethics and integrity. We provide the star-class facility and ambience; our team is trained, experienced and committed; we follow international protocols and are well-supported by doctors, psychiatrists and counsellors. Medication is dispensed only by qualied professionals. We are neither judgemental nor treat addicts as criminals or 'bad' individuals as we ourselves have gone through the experience. We understand that they are helpless. So our approach is friendly, empathetic and compassionate. To add that extra edge to our facility, we started training programmes for counsellors. Government Role Firstly, government must recognise addiction as a problem or disease but not as a crime. The World Health Organisation and The American Medical Association classied it as an illness. We can say selling drugs is a crime. But consuming is not. They have to be treated as patients. This is why we conduct awareness programmes for the police too. I often lecture at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on addiction issues. In the US, a person caught for drunken driving is sent to a rehab directly, not a jail. Our perspective should change and we must realise that prohibition does not work. Marches like ‘say no to drugs’ might not be as effective. We have to talk about it in a more meaningful and perceptive manner. We go to schools and spread awareness and warn them red | march 2015 | 106
of what could happen. The value system is inculcated at home. If your parents are partying every night and drinking, how do you expect the child not to do that? Secondly, state should set up rehabs. Till date there is no such government establishment. It grants licences for liquor stores and pubs, then what about rehabs? According to the WHO, 10% of world population has addiction problem. There is a demand for proper rehabs. There are a lot of rehabs coming up with no proper experience or guidance.
When my wife came back to me. Advice to New Entrants Inject ethical values in your work without running after the fast buck. I used to run after money when I was an addict. I wanted a car, a house and other things. But once I stopped chasing things, and focused on good work, money came in automatically. Our aspirations do make a difference.
RATE CARD Rate yourself on scale of 10 as a a)
Role model- 8
b) Philanthropist- 6 Government should also provide schemes for the rehabs to set up these centres. There is no category to register a rehab. We are compelled to register ourselves as a psychiatric facility.
c)
Human being- Others should rate me, not I.
d) Entrepreneur- 9 e)
Trend-setter- 9
As the government is not aware of what to do, it is losing man power, and revenue. The crime rate is due to addiction. We have no professional training for addiction counselling. Even in psychiatry, addiction is a neglected area. Addiction counselling is different from others like grief counselling, suicidal, career or marital. Unfortunately the government does not have guidelines for rehabs in India. Anybody can call himself a counsellor. In other countries, one needs to study courses and score grades to earn a licence to work as a counsellor. That's one reason we have started training for addiction therapists. Future Plans We want to collaborate with entrepreneurs who wish to replicate our business model in India and abroad. More than launching new branches, we aim to help the new entrants. We would train the staff and even lend our Standard Operating Procedures if necessary. We purchased land in Hyderabad, where we hope to shift the facility. This location would have an ambience as serene as an ashram. Rewarding Moment
Government must recognise addiction as a problem or a disease not as a crime.
VIZAG
PARK
Tribe seemed to be busy the whole month with party animals coming here in huge numbers to have jazzy nocturnal bashes. There was a continuous supply of drinks, food and not to miss foot tapping music by various DJs. A special mention of February 14 is a must. Lovebirds flocked the Park in full attendance to celebrate love. It turned into the hotspot hosting the Valentine Mash Up which was rightly named as “Two Become One�. The highlight of the evening was famed DJ Vikrant Rathore (Audiogramme) who entertained the roisterers.
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@DUSK
Cupid went all out to strike hearts of revelers who gathered at Dusk to celebrate V-day. The venue donned a white and red theme matching the occasion. While in-house DJ Suman belted out opening scores, specially invited DJ Veronica from Mumbai and DJ Mickey Singh pumped in some high spirits to pep up the evening with their blend of Bollywood-UK-Bhangda-House music. However, the haven was opened only for couples and stags were strictly forbidden. It also saw guests winning tags like best-dressed-couple and best-dancing-couple.
BIRTHDAY BLISS, CELEBRATIONS GALORE It was a time for fun and frolic, as Mr.Ramesh, MD of Swathi Promoters celebrated the birthday of his youngest daughter at the Novotel Hotel on 3rd Feb. Ex MLAs Dhronam Raju Srinivas and M.Vijayakumar graced the occasion to bless little Laxmi Ksheeraja who turned one. The kids surrounded the birthday girl as she cut the cake shaped like Barbie Doll. There were several activities to keep the children entertained like tattoo making, on the spot caricatures and games. The party was followed by dinner. Around 250 people including the family and close friends of Ramesh attended this event.
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VIZAG
@SKY LOUNGE The Sky literally opened to shower love on lovebirds. After a long wait, city’s new pub Sky Lounge came as a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for couples celebrating the special day. Decorated specially for the evening along with bright hues of blue neon lighting, the lounge looked no less attractive than the Garden of Eden. Resident DJ Bobsy took charge of the console and churned out tunes of romance which kept the romantic pairs grooving.
V O N
O
L E T
Partygoers let their hair down as they hit glitzy Vue bar at Varun Novotel. Dolled up in western numbers the ladies looked all charged to enjoy the evening. Even men were spotted bonding over heady drinks, chitchat and music. While DJ, Rahul’s popular numbers kept the dance floor engaged, sensuous Mexican vocalist Valeria Gracia with her mellifluous voice left the merrymakers asking for more.
Damanthi & Indra
SPIRITS HIGH AT HIAS
HYDERABAD Moon Moon & Pradeep Roy
Soharab Mirza Arpita & Saket Talwar
Nilesh & Sunila Eti
Zareen
Hyderabad International Auto Show (HIAS), the brainchild of Saral and Radhika Talwar, was a success. This flagship event under Vista Entertainments, witnessed cars and bikes like Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bentley, Mini Cooper, Rolls Royce, Triumph Bikes, Harley Davidson, Regal Raptor Bikes, Mercedes, Volvo Cars, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Enfield, Hyuosung Bikes and many more. Befitting the occasion, the event included a stunt bike show and traffic safety tips were handed out. The guests were spotted relishing delectables from the food court. Anu Talwar, Arpita and Saket Talwar, Iqbal Patny, Kishan, Sara Khan, Shazia, Swetha, Sneha, Sonal, Sonia, Nilesh and Sunila Eti, Stuti, Sunil Talwar and Zareen were a few spotted at the gala. Sonia & Gulshan
Saral Talwar & Radhika Talwar
Kishan
Sunil & Sakshi Saraf
Suresh Manikonda & Anand Agarwal
Shreayan Kapoor & Nitin Kapoor
Megha & Aditya
Deeraj & Anju Manisha Kapoor
Deepti
ROUND TABLE INDIA 212 The mid-term-meet of the Round Table India, hosted by 212 was an evening to remember for all. With a striking theme ‘Hall of Flames’, Mr and Mrs. Area 9 contest was held at the gala and the ladies were dressed in blazing shades of red. Judges for the contest Amita Motwani and Lona Logan, along with other guests were spotted letting their hair down over cocktails and bonding over conversations. Saritha and Kishan Lohia, Alankar, Rummy Azad, Annu Kishore, Shailya and Ravi, Megha, Pratisha, Neetu, Sheetal Sahiba Lamba graced the event.
Pavan & Harsha
Chaitanya & Neeta Kumar
Rummy Azad Trushna
Payal & Atin Agarwal Amita Motwani
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Shalini & Mukesh
VIZAG
GRAND & MEMORABLE It was a week-long celebration when city’s famed educationists’ Sunkari Ravindra and Vijaya Ravindra's daughter Divya Das got married to Surya Teja, son of Mutyam Rajubabu and Jyothirmayi. The groom who has done his B.Tech and MS (Germany) and presently working in Icrisat looked like a prince on his special day. The celebration began with mehendi at Ravindra's residence. This was followed by a dazzling sangeet ceremony which took place in Varun Novotel Hotel. Kanjivaram saris, glittering gold and diamond trinkets dazzled the venue. The couple got married in an elegant and well-organised event held at Sanketika Engineering College of Alwardas group amidst loads of cheering and blessings. The venue was a chockablock with celebrities from the world of politics, business, education and administration. Undoubtedly it was Ravindra’s show all through.
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HYDERABAD
STAR-STUDDED WEDDING It was a star-studded wedding for grandson of industrialist-producer-politician T. Subbarami Reddy and son of Sandeep and SaritaRajiv Reddy with Kavya, daughter of Kota Reddy and Supraja. Expensive sets were erected for the ceremony. However, the highlight was a dance performance by Hema Malini and a concert by Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. The reception had equal dose of opulence with prominent politicians and film stars, socialites besides celebs gracing it. The wedding ceremony is one of the grandest events held in recent times. Groom’s aunt Pinky Reddy and uncle Sanjay played perfect hosts. Ramesh Patel, Padmaja Rajagopal & Maya Patel
YS Jagan & Tippala Gurumurthy Reddy
Chandrababu Naidu Sandeep Reddy & Saritha
Chiranjeevi
Dr Anuradha
E S L Narasimhan Rana
Padmaja Reddy
Anil Kapoor
GVK Reddy
Suresh Reddy
Namrata Shirodkar
Tamanna
Kajal
Lakshmi Manchu
Poonam Kaur
Pinky & Sanjay Reddy
Harish & Neeru
Lakshmi & Pullela Gopichand Deepti Reddy
DK Aruna
Reshma
Meena
YS Bharati red | march 2015 | 117
CANCER (June 22 - July 22) ARIES (March 21-April 19) It is a positive time but towards the end of the month, problematic situations could occur. Entrepreneurs will feel an influx of strength and the desire to work towards a result. Stay away from negative influences. You will get an opportunity to cardinally change the situation without harming anyone. On the personal front, beware of your partner’s intent. Try to point out her/his mistakes carefully and sequentially. Lucky for you: 17, Red
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) It would be a relatively stable time. The sphere of business and entrepreneurship will bring many real possibilities to improve financial standing. But things won’t be hunky-dory back home, better half will fail to understand you. There is no playing hide and seek with problems anymore. It would be a great time to resolve them once and for all. Suppress passions and wishes without letting emotions take control of you fully. Lucky for you: 6, Light Blue
GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) Personal relationships won’t bring the Gemini anything substantial. There will be much baseless blaming that you should not take to heart. Tension likely, when it comes to friends. Try to pay attention to what is polite and do not step over your own principles. Sometimes it may be best to let events unfold the way they would without interfering. You will hear good news on finance related issues. All won’t be well in the matters of love, avoid losing your cool. Lucky for you: 7, Silvery White
red | march 2015 | 118
It will be positivity galore throughout the month. All the opportunities are waiting, especially for businessmen. Fiercest competitors will suddenly wave the white flag and offer cooperation. Do not deny it, as it could become the beginning of an incredibly fruitful affair, one which may take your business to an all new level. You have high chances of meeting the love of your life now. Relationship with friends will reach unprecedented harmony. Also a big adventure is waiting. Lucky for you: 25, Dark Brown
LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) New ventures may throw up difficulties. Complicated situations are likely to arise and financial troubles may peak but don’t give up. You must mobilize resources and try to accomplish all the tasks that planned. Instead of focusing on competitors, find new allies and partners. If you planned a vacation or a large family event, then it is best that you leave the idea behind. It is unlikely that things will materialise the way you wanted them to. Lucky for you: 4, Orange
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sept 22)
It is good time for businessmen, goals could be achieved, but health may be a cause of concern. Don’t push yourself too much. In matters of love, don’t expect any significant victories. First, pay special attention to your close ones, as some of them may experience a sharp rise in chronic diseases. Second, be as patient as possible. Your emotions will be your worst enemies right now, so for this month proclaim the primacy of mind over heart. Lucky for you: 12, Red
Overall, the sphere of finance and business will be very positive. You will be able to complete all current projects and begin to conceptualise new ones. Even stale tasks will practically resolve themselves. Your instincts will become sharper than ever. All may not be well in matters of love, the end of an important relationship is on the cards. While spending time with friends, do not aim to dominate. Just be attentive and you will definitely see the way that leads to the goal. Lucky for you: 6, Brown
LIBRA (Sept 23 - Oct 22) SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21) With many moments to rejoice over, this is a largely positive time. This period may determine the course, life may take in the next few years. Be very careful about the decisions to be taken. The more you work, the more you will get noticed. So do not be afraid of taking the initiative and pressure. Your charisma, diplomatic and empathic abilities will come in handy when it comes to personal relationships. However, don’t attempt to provoke partner needlessly.
The work front will be stable, paving way for development and a smooth career. Be calm and reach your goals methodically. Counting on sixth sense may prove detrimental. Make efforts to bring about some clarity in the personal relationships that remain ambiguous. However, the last week will bring with it positivity in abundance. Of course, for those who know precisely what they want from life and people around. Walk forward in life and be brave while making decisions.
With energy level at its peak, you will be at your motivated best. Finances however will come not without bringing along their own share of hurdles. Hold yourself together, do not let the passion of work turn into aggression. Also don’t lose focus, especially in the relationship with loved one. Any careless word said at the wrong time may become a source of a serious conflict. This does not mean that you should always filter yourself. Diplomacy is the key for survival.
Lucky for you: 28, Blue
Lucky for you: 4, Grey
CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 18)
Lucky for you: 17, Deep Blue
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
PISCES (Feb 19 - March 20)
Wanted to change your work place? Offered another position? Now is the time to consider it with all seriousness. All doors are open if you have the desire and concentration to make it work. The love front will bring a lot of positivity. Be prepared, the loved one can suddenly take the relationship to a whole new level. Pay attention to your closest friends and spend as much time possible with them. Taking a vacation together may be ideal for bonding.
Life may change drastically, it all depends on the decisions you take in the first two weeks. Concentrate on goals without paying any attention to competitors. For those who are single, this may not be the best time to search for a partner. Give more attention to your friends and loved ones, as you may have been guilty of ignoring them for long time. Health problems will be resolved quickly and efficiently. You will witness many unusual events that remain etched in your memory.
Lucky for you: 8, Black
Lucky for you: 7, Purple red | march 2015 | 119
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Sri Vamsi Textiles Pvt Ltd Sarees / Salwars / Chudidhars / Readymades / Kidsware / Furnishings & Accessories #30-15-136, Lorven Plaza, Dabagardens, Visakhapatnam-530020 T:0891 6698888 E:sri_vamsi90@yahoo.com/ W: www.srivamsi.com Architecture Fourth Dimension Architecture Architecture|Planning|Interiors 8-1-86/12, #7, First Floor, Annapurna Complex, Peda Waltair, Visakhapatnam-17, T: 0891-6464169 M: 9885160036 E: harsha@4darch.in www.4darch.in Project Inc Architecture, Interiors, Landscape 101, Venu Regency Plaza, Beside Raghavendra Swamy Temple, Ramnagar, Vizag - 530 002. T: 0891 2568228, 9550036999 E: projectinc@ymail.com www.projectinc.in Beauty Bon Chic D.No. 55-10-32, HPCl Millinium Outlet, Siripuram, Visakhapatnam T: 0891-2733619, M: 7032662442 www.bonchic.co.in. Cute’s Beauty Clinic D.No.12-4-29, Opp. Vaartha, Jagadamba Junction, Vizag-3. T: 0891-6539485, Radhika / Bhavani : 9866051649 Boutique Aarna #7-19-2, Kirlampudi Layout, Behind Syndicate Bank, Chinna Waltair, Vizag. T: 0891-2549999 Blossoms - Exclusive Boutique for Women Near Sampath Vinayaka Temple, CBM Compound, Visakhapatnam. M: 9985334444, 9966682222 GORGEOUS boutique - Designer Sarees, Salwar Suits, Tunics and Bed Covers. Tailoring Available 11am to 8pm MVV Estates, Opp. Kotak School, Chinna Waltair, Vsp - 17 T : 0891 - 2727894 M : 9533308552 red | march 2015 | 120
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Razzmatazz Theme Decorations, Set Designs, Entertainment, Floral arrangements. You name it WE HAVE IT! T: 9052024650, 9348623223, razzrahul1@gmail.com, www.razzmatazz.in
Florist & Decorator’s Sugandhikaa Theme party decoration’s, Wedding decoration’s, Birthday party decoration’s, Flower Bouquets, Gift & wedding packing Plot No.20, Daspalla Hill’s, Visakhapatnam. M: 9440731765, E: alkajaju@hotmail.com Gifts & Handicrafts Eastern Art Museum #10-1-9/1, Waltair Uplands, Sampath Vinayak Temple Road, Visakhapatnam - 530 003. T: 0891 6647880 F: 0891 2562775 E: easternartmuseum@gmail.com Hair Transplantation Radha - International Institute of Hair Transplant #103, Siripuram Fort, Siripuram, Opp. Union Chapel Church, Vizag - 530 003 T: 0891 6458111, 9177777192 E: contact@hairclinicindia.com www.hairclinicindia.com Health & Fitness Deepa’s Total Fitness Add Life Premises, 1st Floor, Pandurangapuram Temple Road, Opp. Officers Club, Vizag. T: 9885674016 Homoeopathy Vandana Homoeopathic Hospital Shop no. 4, Dwarakanagar, 2nd Lane, Pavan Paradise, Opp. Pollocks School, Vizag - 530 016. T: 0891 2755747, 9948416772 Hotels Hotel Green Park Waltair Main Road, Visakhapatnam - 530 001. Ph: 0891 6615151 Hotel Meghalaya Dr. No. 10-4-15, Ramnagar, Asilmetta Junction, Visakhapatnam T: 0891 2755141 / 145 Novotel Beach Road, Vizag T: 1860 500 2020, +91 891 2822 222 E: h7535-re@accor.com, www.novotel.com The Palm Beach Nr. RK Beach, Waltair Uplands, Beach Road, Visakhapatnam T: 0891 2754026 / 27 The Dasapalla Suryabagh, Visakhapatnam. T: 0891 25564825 / 2563141 The Park Beach Road Visakhapatnam. T: 0891- 3045678 Industrial Pipes & Valves M/s Preeti Tubes #28-16-12, Suryabagh, Visakhapatnam-20. T: 0891-2526062 M: 9849126062 E: sales@preetitubes.com M/s Menda Steels, Visakhapatnam. T: 0891-2506062 E: mendasteels@gmail.com Interior Design Studio - Interior designers & consultants C2, Aakruthi, 10-1-9, Waltair uplands, Visakhapatnam - 530 003. T: 0891 2561586 F: 0891 2562775 E: designstudio2000@hotmail.com, www.designstudiointeriors.in Project Inc Architecture, Interiors, Landscape 101, Venu Regency Plaza, Beside Raghavendra Swamy Temple, Ramnagar, Vizag - 530 002. T: 0891 2568228, 9550036999 E: projectinc@ymail.com www.projectinc.in International Couriers Sampath Vinayaka Express Services 47-10-37, Ratnadham Arcade, Dondaparthi Road, Near Diamond Park, Visakahapatnam - 530016 T: 0891-6636285, 6536880, M: 9291901303, Branch: 8-3-677/9, Plot No.:9, HDFC Atm Lane, Sri Krishna Devaraya Nagar Colony, Srinagar Colony Post, Yellareddyguda, Hyderabad - 5300073, M: 9299991539, E: krishna_kod@yahoo.co.uk Jewellery MVS. Jewel Park Ramatalkies Road, Vizag - 530 003. T: 0891 2509591/92/93
Kids Wear Hey Kiddo! Opp. St. Anthony Church, Jagadamba Centre, Hotel Green Park Road, Visakhapatnam-530002. T: 0891-2529898, M:9052529898 Lingerie Flames We Cover Your Bare Necessities Pavan Enclave, Opp. HDFC, Daba Gardens, Vizag - 530 020. T: 0891 6644455 E: flameslingerie@yahoo.co.in Inner Elegance Shop No.: 25, VUDA Complex, Siripuram Jn., Vizag - 530 003. T: 0891 6647882 Marbles Archean Granites & Italian Marbles #52-4-6, Resapuvanipalem, Beside CMR Central, Visakhapatam - 530 013. T: 0891 2753188, 9440190226 H.O: 3-80, S.No. 52 & 53, Rama Gardens, NH-5, Yendada Vizag - 530 045. T: 0891-2782035, E: raju_archean@yahoo.co.in Mattresses Agarwal Home Comforts #48-18-75,Near Rama Talkies, Bullaya College Road, Vizag - 530 013. T: 0891 6637111, 9849577711 E: thevizag@gmail.com www.agarwalcomforts.com Real Estate Prasad's Township Pvt Ltd., #47-13-2, 2nd Floor, Lakshmi Arcade, Beside Sankaramatam, Dwarakanagar, VSP -16. NAD Jn. & Gajuwaka. Plot cost 99,000/for 100sq.yard & 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000 size Plots are available. Sreeram Nagar Layout Kothavalasa-Anandapuram road. a.kothapalli village, Devarapalli Mandalam, Visakhapatnam. T: 0891-2541229, 9912411477 Saloon ABDUL’S- Men Beauty Parlour & Family Salon Branches: A1 # 11-4-5/1, Shop No 4, Nowroji Road, Maharanipeta, Vizag - 2. T : 0891 - 2792812M : 9951173787. A2- Family Salon: # 58-01-336, 1st Floor, Near Bashyam Public School, Baji junction, Vizag - 02. T: 0891 - 6557737 www.abdulsthesaloon.in Abhay Spikes The Men's Salon #24, Vuda Complex, Opp. Gurajada Kalashetram, Siripuram, Vizag - 530 001. T: 9885027449, 0891-2727449 Avenue Hair & Beauty Unisex Salon Hair, Skin & Make-up Haritha Arcade # 10-50-54/1, Opp. Lions Club, Waltair Main Road, Ram Nagar, Vizag - 02. T : 0891-2520666, 8297120666 / 9966722395 Jawed Habib Hair & Beauty Ltd. For Men & Women #9-14-5, Praveen Plaza, VIP Road, Siripuram, Vizag - 530 003. T: 0891-2521142, 6667288, 8106788000 #58-14-51, Journalist Colony, Marripalem, Vizag - 530 009. T:0891-2780082 / 83 Well Groom - The Saloon Special packages for grooms Shop No: 4, Nr. HSBC, VUDA Complex, Siripuram, Vizag. T: 0891-6649488, 9849873999, www.wellgroom.in
Solar Systems Emandi Solar Systems #28-10-17/1, 2nd Floor, Emandi Lakshmi Towers, Suryabagh, Opp.GVMC, E-Seva, Vizag-530020. M: 9848197055, 9866444644, E: BORG@Emandi.IN & EKLRao@EmandiSolar.Com, WWW.EmandiSolar.Com
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What made you take up skating? My parents never let me be a couch potato. So they put me in tennis, cricket and artistic skating classes. Among the three, skating appealed me the most. I joined the Yama Skating Academy and got trained under Anup and Amar Yama. Within a year, I won a bronze medal at a district-level competition and silver and gold medals at another state-level competition.
Champ
What is your daily schedule? My day starts at 5.00am. I rush to Indira Park to practise for two hours and leave for school. Post school, there is another practice session at skating academy in Secunderabad, which lasts till 8.00pm. By 8.30 I hit the bed. A lot of credit goes to my mother, who literally follows the same routine, except going to school.
SH E H M BR A O N A
Are you missing out on your childhood? Yes at times. You have to make a choice and know what is dearer to you, your reality or dream? I don’t lead the regular life of a child. Recently my school had organized a trip to Rajasthan just a month before the National Championship, but I could not make it. Any way no regrets!
L L R ay
nita R
By Ra
Don’t your studies get hampered? I know my commitments and nobody in my family or school need to discipline me. My school Delhi Public School is very supportive giving me scholarship and special permissions. I am equally lucky to have very encouraging grandparents, parents and uncles. What was your most memorable moment? Winning the Gold Medal in the Artistic Skating at the 51st National Roller Skating Championship at Mumbai where I beat 17 participants. Any incident where you pushed yourself beyond limit? Ten days before the national ice skating championship. I cut my feet. It left me with seven stitches. Doctor advised bed rest. But on sixth day I started practicing. Where do you want to see yourself in future? I want to make my country and both of my coaches proud of me. This May I am going to Italy for training & championships.
I
n an age when kids remain engrossed in watching cartoon channels, video games or playstations, he comes across as quite unique. He prefers to play the bigger games which have put him under the national spotlight. This 12-year-old child prodigy is already a gold medalist at the 51st National Roller Skating Championship (Artistic Skating Category). In spite of the absence of an ice-skating rink in Hyderabad, with just ten days practice at the host town Gurgaon, he made Telengana proud by winning the Bronze medal National Ice-Skating Championship in the boys (10-13 years) category. Here we have Bhramesh Patel (Aka Bhramu), the son of businessman Ramesh and Maya Patel, rolling out his story.
red | march 2015 | 126
Locally what can make you perform better? Hyderabad needs more skating rinks, especially to practise snow skating. In our country skaters and skating don’t get recognition. This disparity should be removed.
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Identify the 7 missing pieces and post them immediately on red magazine FB page or mail@redmagazine.in to win exciting gifts...!
SPOT THE DIFFERENCES
O R I G A M I U
B A S E B A L L
X C C O B A S S
T I S P O R T S
T N L A C I N G
U G B A K I N G
holy delightful recite constue peruse
read expound start declaim sincere
liable
jump
pious
divine
devout
S F A S H I O N
bound
MATCH THE WORDS
M T S O C C E R
FIND THE WORDS
3) What is it that goes up and goes down but does not move?
(hint...chim chimminy)
ANSWERS
2 What can go up a chimney down but can't go down a chimney up?
What is it?
1) There is one word in the English language that is always pronounced incorrectly.
BRAIN TEASERS
red | march 2015 | 128
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Baking, Baseball, Bass, Fashion, Lacing, Origami, Soccer, Sports, Tracingz
1) The word 'incorrectly'. 2) An umbrella. 3) The temperature.