RITZ September 2017 by RITZ MAGAZINE

SOUTH INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PREMIER UBER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2017 VOL 14 ISSUE 2

`100

THE A RT OF

DESIGN

S h r i y a B h u p a l a n d A n a n y a M a l h o t ra R e d d y on carving a niche on their own ter ms

EXCITING INTERVIEWS, RESTAURANT REVIEWS, FASHION TRENDS, BEAUTY NEWS AND LOTS MORE!

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RITZ August 2017

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RITZ RITZSPOTLIGHT Inside

ISSUE 2 | VOL 14 | September 2017

32 12 Beauty Take a cue from makeup and skin experts and stay ahead of the game with the latest beauty potions 18 Fashion That1too.com presents stunning festive fashion for the season. Also check out our compilation of the hottest trends this season 32

Personality Gorgeous girls Shriya Bhupal and Ananya Mahotra Reddy light up our cover and talk about their design inspirations and journey in fashion

42 Spotlight These youngsters are extremely determined, raring to go and simply unstoppable. Meet Bengaluruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s allpowerful GenNext.

Young and fearless racer Mira Erda, is determined to set new benchmarks for women in motor sports!

International award winning architect, Fahed Majeed shares his ideas, thoughts and dreams about his biggest passion, architecture!

Kannur born C K Vineeth has made the state proud by becoming one of the top goal getters in the country and command a tremendous fan following. RITZ in a candid chat with the youth sports icon!

Trending Now We round up Hyderabadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought after makeup artists

82 Food We go on an exciting astronomic trip of 4 popular restaurants in Bengaluru and come back delighted. Also read up on Free Flow Junction Bar in Hyderabad

RITZ September July 2017 2017

RITZ Inside

ISSUE 2 | VOL 14 | September 2017 90

94 Corridors of Power Instead of the regular profile of a bureaucrat, Sanjay Pinto writes a parting tribute to his very own corridor of power all his life, his mother.

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Culinary Voyages with Minnie Menon Ayna at The Hilton Chennai is Minnie Menon’s choice for her culinary voyage this month

POINT BLANK Sanjay Pinto hopes for efficiency across important systems in India and reaffirms that wealth cannot replace health

98 Buzzin Your handy guide on what’s haute and happening in your city 102 RSVP Here’s how the ritzy socialites and achievers let their hair down last month. Take a look at the recent events and launches across South India

For advertising and marketing queries across South India, please contact M Praveen Kumar, Vice President - Marketing +91 98419 73090 Edited and Published by Aruna R Krishnan from 7th Floor, Sigma Wing, Raheja Towers, 177 Anna Salai, Chennai 600002. Printed by B Ashok Kumar of Rathna Offset Printers at 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. RITZ is not responsible for unsolicited material. RITZ assumes no responsibility for the veracity and authenticity of the advertisements published herein. Readers are requested to make appropriate enquiries before incurring any expenses or acting on medical recommendations or otherwise in relation to any advertisement or article published herein. Also views in articles published herein are those of the respective authors only. RITZ does not necessarily subscribe to these views.

All correspondence should be addressed to: RITZ, 7th Floor, Sigma Wing, Raheja Towers, 177, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002. Contact: 4211 3871. Email: admin@ritzmagazine.in

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Avon True color CC cream ` 439

RITZ BEAUTY

Kaya CC cream- honey ` 990

Pond’s BB Tube shot ` 325

Lakme 9 to 5 CC Almond ` 275

The Body Shop BB cream ` 1,095

TO BB OR NOT TO BE

Kiko Skin Trainer CC Blur Perfect Skin Optical Corrector Neutral ` 2,070

The Body Shop Vitmin E BB Cream ` 1,095

If you’re confused which one to pick from the multitude of skinperfecting options out there, then our beauty guide might be just what you’re looking for. One of the biggest new trends in beauty and skin care is BB and CC creams. Both have great properties and work wonders, but which one is right for you? BB stands for beauty balm and is great as it combines many functions – that of a primer, light foundation, moisturiser and sunscreen with built in anti-aging properties. CC cream means colour corrective and contains a skin-brightening primer, light foundation, moisturiser, sunscreen, anti-aging ingredients and sometimes even collagen boosters. While BB cream tends to get a bit heavier and better for dry skin, the CC cream will be a tad lighter focussing on concealing existing issues. Text by NAMITA GUPTA

Maybelline New York Clear Glow BB Cream in Natural ` 199

Lakme 9 to 5 CC Honey Only RITZ September 2017 Tube ` 275

Dr Mukta Sachdev MD, consultant dermatologist MS skin centre and Manipal Hospital shares tips on the right way you can make these creams work for you. 1.

Choose your BB or CC cream based on your skin type. Depending on your skin type choose the correct BB cream. If you have normal to dry skin use a moisturiser or serum before applying your BB cream for an extra boost of moisture. I would recommend a separate sunscreen and then use the BB cream on top for added protection.

Choose your BB or CC cream based on your skin condition. Because there are so many options and shades available, it’s important to first find a BB cream that works for you. Some focus specifically on whitening and lightening the skin, while others provide more coverage and still others have added anti-aging benefits. If you have facial blemishes or post acne marks and pigmentation, choose a suitable one slightly heavier coverage and here is where a CC cream may be a better choice.

It is important to remember that BB and CC creams do not replace skin treatments for problematic skin but can help in cosmetic camouflage while you are undergoing dermatology recommended skin treatments.

BB creams were initially developed as a fusion between skin care and foundation. BB Creams differ in the benefits they provide, the skin type they will best for, and of course their costs.

BB creams are available with a vast range of ingredients and for all skin types including oily, sensitive, acne prone and extremely dry. It is therefore important to choose a BB cream especially suited for your skin type.

RITZ BEAUTY

MATTERS OF THE MANE

Life’s too short to commit to one hairstyle. Stay ahead of the game this monsoon and flirt with different hair-dos or simply transform your tresses for a new you. Add a splash of colour to your hair, straighten it, curl it or style it as you like it. From bold to basic, from chic to funky, or wet and wild, neo-plaits and crazy curls you can do it all. Here’s a hair trend that is set to take shape this year. Go get a play date with your hair! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to take proper care of your hair. advance. Dr. Sangeeta Velaskar, Vice President and Head, Medical Services and R&D, Kaya Limited and Disha Meher, National Expert - Skin and Nails, Lakmé Salon put together the ultimate guide to prep yourself for the wedding season:

1. Trendy textures: Nandita Sharma of Nandita’s Organic Beauty Salon states that Texturised hairstyle is in vogue this season. “Our hair behaves very differently in rainy season so the best hairstyle for this season would be soft natural curls that make you look young, vivacious and versatile. Get a well textured hair cut and colour your hair in Chestnut with brown highlights that add to the drama and playfulness. You can also try asymmetrical layers for that added oomph. Once you’re done, style using wet hair gel (Aquagloss from L’Oréal) mixed with a few drops of argon oil.” 2. Swati Gupta, hair expert, Bodycraft Spa and Salon, states two hairstyles that have been a rampant

14 RITZ September 2017

trend in 2017. Braids & Buzzcuts: Double dutch braids are an easy, quick updo that takes a little practice to master yourself. This DIY hairstyle is perfect for when you don’t know what to do with your hair, especially when it is in need of a wash. This look can be achieved on any medium to long hair. Made famous by the Kardashians, this hairstyle is perfect for a casual brunch or even to the beach. It keeps your hair neat and tidy while giving it a cheeky vibe. The buzzcut, seen on Cara Delevigne has become very chic and a popular hairstyle in 2017. A close crop, this hairstyle adds a certain edge to your cheekbones and is great for all types of features, all your need it a little courage to take the plunge. Hardly any maintenance, and a whole bunch of style this look is perfect for you. Add a pastel colour or some glitter to your roots to take this look even further. 3. Hair care: Wedding planning is hectic! Looking radiant and picture perfect on your big day requires prepping well in

Ensure your hair is healthy: We sometimes may face hair fall or changes in our hair texture due to a variety of reasons. Consult with a doctor to better understand your hair health at least six months prior to be able to take corrective measures, and ensure lustrous and luscious locks on your big day. Make your hair look healthy and glossy: A colour enhancing gloss treatment will keep your locks shiny on your wedding day. Regular trims are essential to ensure your hair grows in a healthy manner and looks neat. Go for sessions of deep conditioning and hair health well in advance, this ensures your hair has enough time to repair itself and look glossy and gorgeous on your wedding day. Vitamins: Start taking vitamins for longer, shinier hair and glowing skin. Don’t know where to start and what would work best for your body? Biotin and Vitamin C are the most basic ones to consume. Iron rich foods are spinach, oysters, and cashews but you could take supplements too. Don’t forget Vitamin C - especially for skin, it makes the skin look healthier and gives it a glow.

RITZ BEAUTY

‘MATTE’RS OF CREATING MAGIC Body Shop Matte Kajal Black, ` 895

Maybelline New York Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Powder, ` 475

BeYu Velvet Matte Foundation Oil, ` 1,750

Revlon Natural Beige Ultra HD Gel Lipcolour in Sand, ` 899

Foundation is the first step to perfect makeup. A base on your face that can make or break any look. For a matte look use foundations with medium to full coverage that do not have any shine to them and if you have oily and combination skin then you will love this finish. Apply a layer of moisturiser underneath your matte foundation if you have dry skin. The full-face matte makeup is trending across beauty circles across the world. If you want to follow the trend and want to go all matte on everything, but feel that it’s getting a tad too much, then take the approach of focussing on a single feature at a time. Here are simple steps to getting that perfect selfie skin.

BeYu Stay Matte Makeup Base, ` 1750

Lakme 9 to 5 Primer + matte lipstick in Saffron Gossip, ` 480

M.A.C The Matte Lipstick Whirl ` 1,450 Dior skin Forever Foundation ` 4,000

Maybelline New York Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Foundation in Sun Beige, ` 525

Text by NAMITA GUPTA Celebrity makeup artist Gouri Kapur shares how you can get that matte look that will make heads turn. 1.

I personally love matte foundations as they have longer staying power and I have more control on adding shine exactly where I want.

Matte eyeshades are a great way to play with richer, deeper and neutral shades and not look over done. They are great for blending, sculpting and changing features effortlessly.

Matte foundations are great for problematic skin too.

There are no rules of going all matte or all shine so if you like shine add a bit to the highlight areas and go over with a shine blusher too if added shine is desired, or a matte blusher with just a highlight works well too.

Lips can stay matte or glossy as you desire. Don’t miss the mascara.

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Lakme 9 to 5 Primer + Matte Powder Foundation Natural Light, ` 600

Shiseido Synchro matte foundation, ` 3,650

Chambor Matte Lipstick, ` 645

Avon True Color Perfectly Matte Au Naturale, ` 479

Dior skin Forever & Ever Wear Primer ` 3350

RITZ fashion

Royal

INSPIRATIONS

Peach Thread Work Top Raw Silk Lehenga `5,499 Round Motif Layered Necklace ` 2,300 Peacocks Maatals ` 1,595 Pathakam Headgear ` 2,500

Taking a leaf out of exemplary traditions, That1Too presents to you a magical collection of ethnic wear to love this festive season. Inspired elegance ft Temple jewellery and the feel of silks, velvets & embellishments on the clothing will set you apart this Diwali. Shop the entire range at That1Too.com and get exclusive discounts only through RITZ Magazine Model: ALDANA MUNOZ SOTO Hair and makeup: PAGE 3 Luxury Salon and Makeover Studio, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Chennai.

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RITZ fashion Blue Sherwani With Red Skirt ` 8,500 Belle Earrings ` 1,750 Brown Alena Ring ` 980 Iria Ring ` 980 Calista Ring ` 1,050 Gold Peacock Plume Potli ` 3,500

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RITZ fashion Purple Art Silk Saree from PR Fashion ` 2,449 Blue Pearl Bangles ` 100 Pearl Neckpiece With Temple Motifs ` 3,250 Beaded Pathakam Challa ` 850 Rounded Motif With Pearls Nosepin ` 450

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RITZ fashion

Blue Panelled Border Dress ` 2,799 Mustard Yellow Panelled Green Border Dress ` 2,799 Coral Orange Haslee ` 3,250 Canary Yellow Neckpiece With Temple Patahkams And Chains ` 3,250 Lemon Yellow Neckpiece With Red Stones ` 3500

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RITZ fashion

Paige Pink Elephant Printed Kurta ` 1,600 Red Banarsi Silk Saree ` 1,889 Baroque Contemporary Thewa Enamel Earrings ` 3,800 Pearl Gold Nose Ring ` 2,250 Red And Gold Bangle Size ` 570

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RITZ fashion

Black Lehria Mothoa Saree ` 11,198 Udolf Party Sequins Jacket ` 2,900 Thirza Earrings ` 1,155 Golden Squared Metal Belt ` 750 Zeus Bracelet ` 699

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Buva House, 13, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600034. T: 044 42085814 / 16 / 17 / 19 Timings: Mon - Sun, 11am to 7.30pm Email: shops@amethystchennai.com, web: www.amethystchennai.com,

RITZ fashion

Pannelled Green Top With Printed Hem ` 2,600 Coal Black Neckpiece With Red Stones And Kasu ` 4,250 Warren Fusion Brocade Skirt And Blue Velvet Top ` 5,500 Warren Fusion Brocade Skirt And beige top ` 5,500 Charcoal Black Neckpiece With Red Stones And Peacock Motifs ` 4,750 Red Bangles ` 250 Blue Pearl Bangles ` 100 Clara Dual Ring ` 1,295

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Red Chiffon Jari Embroidered Saree from PR Fashion ` 2,571 Ocean Blue Haslee ` 3,250 Paisley Pattern Danglers ` 1,395 Purple Alena Ring ` 980 Clara Dual Ring ` 1,295 Tsarina Royale Women Watch `6,500 Tsarina Elegance Women Watch ` 6,500

Model: BRIONII VARDON Hair and makeup: PAGE 3 Luxury Salon and Makeover Studio, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Chennai

September 2017 RITZ

RITZ personality

Catwalk HYDERABAD

Couture

Gracing our cover this month is Shriya Bhupal, whose line ‘Shriya Som’ has created a niche for itself in no time. The designer has just come back from a showcase at the Lakme Fashion Week, that got her rave reviews for her collection ‘Vignette’. The garments have strong silhouettes adorned with fragile embroidery in multiple patterns and techniques that depict a unique balance of comfort with style. In a tetea-tale with Shriya, we found out more about her life as a designer and this efflorescent affair with her collection on the runway...

“As a designer, I hate going shopping because I can always find a fault in things!” 32 RITZ September 2017

Text: ANAHITA AHUJA Photography: AKSHAY RAO Wardrobe: SHRIYA SOM Jewellery: ANANYA

You recently collaborated with Ananya Malhotra Reddy for a private show... Yes, Ananya and I have known each other since we were pursuing our education, and also do have a very similar aesthetic sense. Working together was something the two of us had been wanting to do, and with ‘Botanical Illusions’ it has happened. Let’s now talk about your latest collection ‘Vignette’... The collection comprises of evening dresses, gowns and full volume skirts with crop tops. It’s rendered with an intricate beading technique in droopy wilted dark colours progressing from pastel hues like ivory, nude, blush pink and tones of grey. There is an edgy vibe to the evening wear with its fringing details adorned with ostrich features, bugle and minute beads, stones, sequins, crystals, tone-on-tone colour qualities and textural contrasts. The fit and finish are exemplary of the heritage of couture. We see a lot of cutwork... Yes, there have been complex cutwork techniques that were developed into intricate lace that was carefully constructed to create a vintage poetic vibe. The garments are conventional yet trendy; and range from body-con creations, shifts, and midi dresses with ruffle detail to cropped tops, power suits, exaggerated gowns, powershoulder top teamed with a fish tail skirt and faux fur jackets. This labour of love has been developed with sheer silk and tulle fabrics that are known for their feminine and suble appeal. How stressful are fashion weeks? Oh! Very! Fashion shows are a lot of stress but we definitely work every bit of it. I am blessed with an amazing team and it is because of them that my stress factor was in control. Especially for this show, I survived the whole thing only because of my team. If it wasn’t for them, I would have been dying as a one woman team. What was this season’s process like? Extremely hectic. By the time I got a response from Lakme Fashion

Week, I had been given the date of my show! They ended up sending me the mail late – by about three weeks. The other designers had received the confirmation mail three weeks prior to me, so while the others had six weeks, I was left with three to finish my entire collection. Which meant two and a half weeks for my fittings! I was panicking and fretting when I heard from them. Then? How did you go about it? Surprisingly it didn’t take me too long to design the collection, but the showstopper outfit was challenging. I wanted to do something new this time, as for my last time, it was me designing the entire collection, putting it together and then deciding which one of those could be the showstopper look. This time, I decided to work backwards – and that was quite hard as I had never made something like that before. Tell us about your first ever break? That was three years ago in 2014, when my first Lakme Fashion Week happened. That was overwhelming! It took me almost a year to figure out my entire collection and once I did, I had so many pieces with me that it got ridiculously difficult to narrow them down to just 16 pieces for the collection. After I finished the show, was when it sunk in and I had an emotional breakdown. I was so happy that I was in tears. That was a moment when I felt like I had finally accomplished something – all the late nights at college, all the black coffees were all worth it. What is designing to you now? Now it is about reinventing yourself for every collection – not in the terms of doing something super different, but almost challenging yourself in the next collection. In terms of working at something better while staying in trend. I think some of the older designers, as super amazing as they are, they tend to not stay in trend and end up working on the same kind of theme that they’ve been doing for the past 20 years. In my opinion, it doesn’t quite go with our generation as we’re

living in a fast fashion mindset where things change quickly. When did you first become aware of fashion? I think when I was way younger. My mom tells me that when I was a little kid, I used to be obsessed with Barbie dolls – but unlike the other girls, I would never play with one. I used to buy five so that I could take off all their clothes, mix and match all of it and style them. After which I also went through a phase where I would get super bored, and cut up their clothes and do fancy things to them. Describe your style of work... I’ll have to ask my team that! I think I am a bit of a nag because I try to be a perfectionist, so there is a lot of looking into things. How do you usually go about a piece? It depends on the inspiration as each one comes from a different point of view. For this collection it came from this Paris street stylists’ picture that I saw of this Russian journalist named Miroslava Duma. She wore this Valentino guipure lace trench coat, and that’s when I looked at it and felt that I could make something like that with organza cutwork – and that is where the experiment started. How much of yourself do you see in your creations? It’s a different persona of me because my style is very casual. But the very reason why I built this brand is because if I could be just one person and wear one thing in the world, I would wear couture all the time! Like 24/7. What is that one thing that has made you most proud? The fact that my family has stuck by me throughout the journey – through my thick and thin, throughout the losses and the profits! Talking of which, how do you balance creativity with commerce? I recently did Bridal Asia and Lakme Fashion Week. With LFW, I tried September 2017 RITZ

RITZ personality

to stick true to the brand with more Western wear, while with Bridal Asia, I tried to push myself a little more and brought in some Indian touches. It is harder for me to do Indian, and to my surprise it was commercially very good. How do you handle criticism? I actually love it. I feel like it works with my perfectionist part. The more critical you are about a garment, and the more you tell me what is wrong, the harder I challenge myself to work on it. What is that one simple design that can be used for all seasons? A bomber jacket. Right now, it is in trend and one can use it in any season and in any way – whether you wear it with jeans or a dress, style it up or dress it down – there is a lot you can do with it. Also, it is my bestselling piece! (smiles) What is your current favourite trend? Right now what I am really struck by is Christian Dior's new look, which is super fitted by the waist and a flattering midi. I love midis, I think right now midi is the new mini! What is that one thing you like about being a designer? I quite like everything. What is that one thing you don’t like about being a designer? I hate going shopping because I can always find a fault in things! If you could dress up one person, who would it be? Cate Blanchett Who according to you is the most stylish person? Rooney Mara What inspires your sense of fashion? I think street style inspires me. We have an entourage of designers in Hyderabad – how are you different from the others? The ones here are more into Indian wear, while I have a more western feel to my pieces.

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RITZ personality

“I believe jewellery is an extension of yourself.” 36 RITZ September August 20172017

Chic and CHENNAI

Contemporary

benefit from it, and as everyone knows, colour plays a big role in that. In terms of design I do a lot of monochrome colours, where I love throwing in pops here and there. So, yes, colour is everything.

Let’s now talk about your latest collection... My latest collections are ‘Lotus Samsara’ and ‘Celestial Lotus’. They consist of pieces of jewellery that have been crafted using couture cut Ever since she discovered her love for jewellery designing eight years ago, gemstones. The pieces on offer include she has been unstoppable. Ananya Malhotra Reddy, with her eponymous earrings, ear jackets, bracelets, necklaces, label is redefining the belief of jewellery just adding to one’s look. She chokers and rings. The profoundly personal meaning behind the jewellery feels there is much more to each piece and through her fusion designs, is the power to connect emotionally and is out there to prove it. Hailing from a family that has pioneered the reflect the internal spirit. It is a constant fashion industry in their own way, she has seen it all and knows exactly source of fascination and inspiration for me. The Lotus Samsara collection what it takes to be a part of it. At her recent collaboration with Shriya is a celebration of the Lotus flower Bhupal, we snuck her out for a candid chat to know more about this that explores the journey of discovery during life and connects lovely, young thing. Here’s all that she had to say.... experienced the wearer to their own personal stories, both in the past and present. The Lotus Text: ANAHITA AHUJA flower is very influential in Buddhist Hindu philosophies. Its form Photography: AKSHAY RAO and represents the evolution o the soul – Wardrobe: SHRIYA SOM ever-changing and ever-moving. It is Jewellery: ANANYA also considered the symbol of rebirth, known as Samsara. Talking about Celestial Lotus – it distils the visual and spiritual form of the Lotus flower as a symbol of harmony and consciousness. With a palette of red rubies, pink tourmalines, pearls and black diamonds, When did you decide to become a jewellery What are your favourite materials to work translated into contemporary geometric designer? with? forms, the pattern of gemstones in I went to Central Saint Martins at 18 That would be emeralds and tanzanite with the intention to do Fashion, as as they cut really beautifully resulting in each piece represents the relationship between the chakras and their perceived my entire family is into it, but after my different and very interesting cuts and power when combined. The contrast of foundation year, I realised that jewellery designs. I also love pink sapphires! I was the thing for me, and decided to constantly try to re-innovate the wheel bold, geometric design and the delicate construction and detailing results in a take it up. Ever since, there has been no when it comes to precious stones, so looking back. you will see a lot of rubies, tourmalines, hypnotic, feminine form. diamonds, and pearls also, that we use What was the biggest risk you’ve ever taken How would you describe your designs? in 18K gold with Italian alloys. as a designer? I think my designs are quite feminine It was while making a massive star and contemporary. I have tried to strike How important is colour to your design? a balance between edgy and classy as To me, colour is everything. That is ruby choker out of baguette where the there’s something for everyone. The also because a lot of the pieces we rubies were replaced with baguettes. To idea was to create something that took do are representatives of how they actually find that biggest star ruby was the whole concept of fine jewellery and would benefit us – we do pay a lot of the biggest risk and then that piece had made it a little less serious. Something attention to colour. When someone to be hand cut to design – it was quite people can relate to on a more daily buys a piece from us, we give them a dicey but I ended up selling the piece basis and wear more often – and that is little colour card that tells them what the minute I showed it. So, I’m not what we’ve done. these gemstones do and how they complaining. September 2017 RITZ

RITZ personality What are you working on now? We’re working on a gifting collection now, as we’re gearing up for Diwali and Christmas. Along which we are moving forward with our bespoke collection too. And yes, we are also working towards our UK launch – so that way we enter the international market. So, there’s a lot of work coming up.

How do you deal with failures? One needs to take them on as challenges. When you start your career, and begin to grow, there is no way that you won’t find bumps in the road – those are bound to happen, so take it positively and go ahead.

Tell us what the most difficult part of designing a piece is? Which has been your most favourite piece? There is something difficult about It is one of the pieces that I displayed designing each and every piece at this exhibition. It is a shaded choker whether it is the sourcing of its stones that graduates from rubies to pink or seeing if the mental has enough sapphires on to diamonds – which flexibility to produce what you want has all baguettes and is totally flexible from it. There are so many times when with each piece being cut to design. It’s you imagine a design and creating it stunning and would definitely qualify as isn’t a possibility, too. one of my favourites. What about your manufacturing? What kind of a woman wears your My manufacturers are in Mumbai, the jewellery? gemstone cutting in happens in Jaipur, My clientele is of two types. One is and I live in Chennai. So there’s a lot of young, fashion conscious girls who of travelling up and down, emails and are sick of wearing their mums’ classic skype calls that we use to coordinate stuff for parties and weddings. The it all. other are mature women who are very comfortable in their skin, and aware With jewellery it can get very difficult to of fashion – they like to take risks with keep a commercial angle in mind... jewellery as they have done the ‘playing Yes, there are times when you are safe’ part and now are looking for creative about something but the something special and different. business angle comes in – and that is when you are to make wise decisions. What would be the most difficult part of Without compromising on the design being a designer? you find a way – you need to be Where do I start? (laughs) Well, on a smart enough to do that. Having said serious note, the most difficult part, as that, there are also times when I feel a designer, is to source the right kind of I go too commercial and don’t pay material and get the right cut. There are importance to a design – so I pull times when you have designs in mind myself back and realise that there is but actually making it happen can be a something going wrong. challenge. Plus the workmen in India, especially the cutters, they’re so used You recently changed the name of your to classy cuts with low wastage that brand... they don’t want to take a chance with Yes, it was earlier called Naya and anything. So, yes, quite a lot goes into now it’s Ananya. Through Ananya we creating your vision. intend to celebrate and rediscover the relationship between jewellery and What has been the best advice you have ever those who are wearing it. received as a designer? To stay true to yourself, especially when What does jewellery mean to you? it comes to the designs. With jewellery, I believe jewellery is an extension it is very easy for people to come in of yourself. When you buy a piece, and redesign, but I think you have to there is always a reason behind it – it draw a line somewhere. That is where is always a thought-of thing. You our ethos and designs have to be given don’t just walk in, and buy it like that. credit and importance. There is a lot more that goes into each

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piece, for instance – a piece you buy probably has its gems from one part of the world and enough history to it, with even the gold being crafted in a particular way – that you should wear it with a lot of pride. What do you not like about what you do? Dealing with people! (laughs) But I think it is the manufacturing part as there is always an issue with timing and I don’t like things getting delayed. What about criticism? It depends as criticism is subjective. I feel if someone has something right to say, it is always welcome. But some people are over critical and that too just for the sake of it – and that I don’t appreciate. What do you believe in... One shouldn’t be afraid of doing what they want to. Take some risks because that is when you will get to see results.

KO CH

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RITZ Spotlight

For ages every other open ground in Kerala transformed into a football field for children and youth alike. The passion for the game only grew stronger with the launch of the Kerala Blasters. Kannur born C K Vineeth has made the state proud by securing a place among the top goal getters in the country! His fans wait to catch a glimpse of him and when they do, they go wild! His tremendous fan following won him the title of ‘Fan’s player of the year 2017’. He also recently won the ‘Youth Icon’ award from the Kerala state youth commission. During his stay at the Kochi Marriott hotel, RITZ atches up with the young sports icon!

Text: RIYA SONNY DATSON Photography and styling: RICHARD ANTONY Makeup: NOUSHADH VAVA Coustume Courtesy: STETT BANGLOR & LULU FASHION Location courtesy: DECATHLON VYTILLA, MARRIOT KOCHI , LULU FASHION STORE , ERNAKULAM MARKET

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September 2017 RITZ

RITZ Spotlight

hile pursuing his studies at the Navodaya boarding school, Vineeth recalls how he used to eagerly wait for the clock to strike four as that was the only time of the day when students were permitted to play. Since they were restrictions on playing cricket during weekdays, they almost always played football and that’s how his love for the game kicked off. His teachers noticed his growing passion for football and when he completed his tenth board exams, they suggested that he join the Kasargod Navodaya school, which had the SAI Coaching camp. “And the rest is history,” he smiles. “My father was a teacher and mother, a housewife. They never ever stopped me from playing football. Instead they provided all the support and encouragement. I am not even aware of what their dreams were for me,” he says fondly. “The time when I am most happy in my life is when I play football and when I am with my parents,” he grins.

asked about the one game he wants to forget, he quickly replies, “My first I league match at Kannur where I was substituted in just 15 minutes! That’s the game I want to forget, I hardly played the game - so they couldn’t have really judged me on performance…I am still unaware of the reason why that was done.” The most memorable game? “The first match that I played for the Indian team in Kochi will always be my most special,” he smiles proudly.

up the job because my family wanted me to have a secure future. I have never demanded a job, I have only applied for jobs under the Sports quota that I felt I deserved. Even when I joined office, my only request was that they would let me play football, which they did initially. I followed all the rules - every 90 days, I went to office to mark my attendance and for the last three years, I have played inter departmental tournaments as well. My passion is football and my dream is to play for my country but that BANGALORE FC VS was not happening as they were playing KERALA BLASTERS only in local leagues. So I had to sign After a very successful stint with Bangalore FC, Vineeth joined the Kerala up with other clubs to pursue my career goals. When I heard that I was expelled, Blasters team. “It’s very natural for any player to get attached to Bangalore I was upset but winning the Federation Cup brought back my confidence. The FC. The management treats each Kerala Government has come forward of the players in a very professional to support me and I am really happy at way, giving them utmost support and the turn of events. My priority now is encouragement to reach the top. The to focus on my career.” With the rising fans are also highly organised, even though the numbers might be relatively football frenzy, what’s on his wish list? ”I think it’s only a matter of time before lower. So it was heart breaking for us to make the choice. But at the end of India plays at the World Cup. My dream the day, Kerala is our homeland and we is to be a part of the national team till I C E L E B R I T Y TA G feel proud to play for our state. Our retire!” “I have never felt like a celebrity. In fact, fans are also highly supportive and are I try to stay away from public events known world over for their passion for O U T S I D E T H E F O O T B A L L because I don’t want to be judged football. ” The Blasters have recorded FIELD as a celebrity. I still continue to do the highest average of over 55,000 fans “The last two years were hectic and am all that I used to do earlier. The only at each game. enjoying a break right now. Training change I have felt would be the selfies, schedules are still in place, we practise photoshoots and the interviews that When asked about his interactions with and have work out sessions in the I am obliged to do now. Otherwise, it Sachin Tendulkar, the major stakeholder morning and evening. But this is what hasn’t really affected me,” he admits. A of the club, Vineeth says, “He is very I enjoy the most, so it’s never really a memorable moment with a fan? Vineeth down to earth. I remember during our pressure or a challenge.” When asked recalls meeting a young fan from last meeting, he spent one and half if he is health conscious, he says, “Not Kollam during his stay at the Kochi hours interacting with us and asking at all! I eat whatever I like and don’t Marriott. “The moment he saw me, he us suggestions on how to improve our follow any strict diets. Of course, I am bent down and touched my feet!” I was team. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment for conscious of my weight and if I feel shocked and moved beyond words. me.” I need to shed a few kilos, I work out accordingly. Thankfully, I am blessed PA S S I O N F O R T H E G A M E GOVERNMENT SUPPORT with good genes so I don’t put on weight “I can’t explain it in words. Every pass, Although time and again, Vineeth has quickly.” every moment of the game is important proven his track record by winning to me. The happiness and satisfaction laurels, he was recently expelled Message to young football aspirants? “I that I get out of playing the game is from the AGS office. The state have always had opportunities coming what drives me. Likewise, every game government immediately came to his is special to me, be it the ones I played rescue by offering him a post in the my way. Be it coaching, clubs or the while in school or the ones which I state government services. Has the ISL. I never planned anything. I think if play now. It’s not about winning or controversy affected him? “It would we work hard and set our heart on our losing a game, I always try to focus on be wrong to say it didn’t. Every player passion, things will come your way. Keep new learnings and on how to improve needs job security especially after an eye for opportunities and chase your my performance,” he says. When retiring from his football career. I took dreams!” says Vineeth as he signs off.

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RAP

• My hero: My Father • Icon: Steven Gerrard • Interests: Photography, • Exploring the Wild • Ideal Holiday: Home • Favourite Food: Mom’s food • Am a fan of: Superstar Mammootty • I love: Football • I hate: Losing my temper • Brand I admire: Adidas • I can’t do without: Football

“IT’S NOT ABOUT WINNING OR LOSING A GAME, I A L WAY S T R Y TO FOCUS ON NEW LEARNINGS AND ON HOW TO IMPROVE MY PERFORMANCE” September August 2017 RITZ

RITZ SPOTLIGHT

BENGALURU

TA K I N G A GIANT LEAP These youngsters are extremely determined, raring to go and simply unstoppable. Here are some swashbuckling next-generation entrepreneurs on the Bengaluru block. Hailing from influential families in the city, they are poised to not just survive but thrive on their own. Be it taking the family legacy forward or carving their own niche, they are all set to soar the skies. Some with their start up spirits while the others juggling novel and innovative ideas into the existing ventures. Meet the all-powerful GenNext. Text by NAMITA GUPTA. 46 RITZ September 2017

C H A I TA N YA V C OT H A FROZEN BOTTLE Family foundation: Son of Triveni and Vinod Hyagriv of C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons who have in the jewellery business since 1869, Chaitanya shares, “My relationship with my dad is like that of anyone from a family business. He is very demanding in terms of results. We have a very good relationship as he has really taught me how to run a business. He is a person who is very driven. I feel at his age he should be relaxing on a beach or something. Our relationship started off as any father and son and today as I have come into my own stride, we share a bond of business. Most of our discussions revolve around business and how to grow further.” The written word: “I studied in USA at Regis University Denver. I can't work for someone, so I’ve always felt I’d rather be my own boss. Also, I guess I did not want to work 40-hour weeks. Most entrepreneurs start their own business to get away from the hour work to work 24/7! Being dyslexic I always saw things differently and today it is my biggest strength. I tend to work with people and find the right business partners. This to me is the biggest advantage as you can't do it all on your own,” states Chaitanya.

Biz whiz: Chaitanya runs Frozen Bottle with two other partner Pranshul coming form a great deal of experience in F&B and Arun from a real estate business which give us a winning combination, a luxury thick shake brand. “We believe that people today are on the go and want something that they can enjoy without feeling guilty on the calorie count. This is a model where we use small spaces in high traffic areas to help people take a break from their busy life. We have four outlets up and running in a short span of 1.5 months and three more opening soon. Finding the right business partners was a challenge and I have learned from all of them. It feels good when people say that my product is good. It was such a high when I got my first cheque for a job well done,” states Chaitanya. Taking the Legacy forward: “No matter what I do, my family business is very important to me. I dedicate a lot of my time for my jewellery business. I would love to take the business forward and really grow more than what we are today. I don't see anyone stopping me as you are your own limitation. Even with the challenges we have we are blessed to continue doing good business. I am a big believer in catching the opportunity when it arrives. I don't spend too much

time dwelling and thinking as I feel if you know in your gut it's right, just take the leap of faith and make it successful. I am very much still involved in the family businesses, while also managing my startups. I do both hand in hand as life is too short to wait. I have been lucky to build a good system and teams around me for me to be in more than one business,” shares Chaitanya on how he successfully juggles between the family business and his own ventures. Challenges of being a CEO: Talking of the challenges, he says, “Starting something from scratch is hard. There are a lot of things to look at as you are the office boy and the CEO. I don't think it's a bad thing but more a learning. I always want to Photo courtesy: Lucky Malhotra improve and get better. I’ve been grateful to have my family’s support. My father has been the person off whom I bounce ideas. My mother is someone that gives me a balance of business and personal life. My wife Yagnika is the one that keeps me grounded and balanced. She really is my pillar os support as she is always there and understands the late nights at office and the many business trips. ”Life outside workplace: Chaitanya says, “My passions are cars and driving. This is something that I really enjoy. Apart from this I love travelling and exploring the world. I am out of the country almost every month. That gives me a lot to see and learn. I also like to learn new things and explore new businesses.” September 2017 RITZ 47

RITZ SPOTLIGHT P R AT I K M A N T R I DIRECTOR, MANTRI DEVELOPERS

Family foundation: Son of Sushil and Snehal Mantri who founded Mantri Developers in Bengaluru in 1999, the real estate giant has built over 32 projects in 17 years. The company plans to focus on the residential sector, retail, hospitality, IT Parks and educational institutions in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. Talking of the relationship he shares with his dad, Pratik states, “Our relationship has been very clear to me from my first day of work where I am responsible and accountable for all my jobs and there is a very clear chain of command between 9am to 7pm. Though it may sound weird but from the day I joined Mantri developers I refer to my parents as Mr. Mantri and Mrs. Mantri for any work-related matters. At home, we are like any other business family, most of the communications occur over the lunch and dinner table and are leaning towards politics of industry. My mother has always maintained a strong balance between work and personal life which has helped me and my sister carry over a lot of these qualities from her. Being part of a business family means you start learning terms such as interest, equity and IRR at an early age while increasing curiosity about what your parents are doing. For me, I was fairly clear by the age of 13 that I was going to be a part of the family business of real estate and looking at the same, my dad even asked me to spend my summer vacation at one of our projects learning hands-on what goes into the development of a project, further solidifying my decision.”

The written word: : A graduate in Business Studies from Lancaster University in the UK, Pratik feels, “The entire industry is going through a considerate effort to become organised through the means of RERA. We have a large advantage in this aspect as most practices mentioned in the act were being followed as part of our internal checks and balances. My effort going forward would be to play on my strengths of technology and redefine two aspects which the real estate industry is most criticised for, transparency and commitment to timelines. With the way the world has changed, owing 80% of its innovation to the smartphone I believe that going forward, access to information regarding the largest investment one will ever make in his lifetime (an apartment) needs to be on his fingertips with timely updates. Biz whiz: As an industry, I believe that we have been through some very rough times, but according to research 40% of Indian population will be urbanized by 2030 which calls for huge and immediate relook at current guidelines and infrastructure in the way a city is planned around. We are already seeing the congestion caused by haphazard growth in most cities without sufficient support from local bodies creating a huge opportunity for private players to step in and lead the way in creating “smart cities”. ‘Smart’ not being attributed to the use of technology but also to identifying the needs of an average citizen and evolving products to suit those needs. On a personal level, everyday

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Photo courtesy: Faheem Hussain

creates new hurdles and opportunities so it is very hard for me to predict where I will be in future. But, my only ambition has been to engineer solutions for problems we all face on a day to day basis and I hope to be doing the same one way or another throughout my life. Taking the Legacy forward: : Recalling a moment he remembers vividly from the early stages of his joining the organisation, Pratik says, “I happened to be a part of one of the JD agreements for one of the deals we were negotiating. Legal documents always enthuse my curiosity so I was going through this in detail and was very concerned about a couple of clauses, which I raised to my father during dinner. He asked me to send them to him with clear reasoning for each concern. He was happy to see that some of my concerns were very valid and had gone through everyone involved in the deal. That moment has stuck with me and defines how I work, I never turn down a suggestion because if you adjust your perspective you may be able to see something which was not there before.” Life outside workplace: “I am an avid gamer though time does not permit too much anymore. I also like reading fantasy and historical books especially about India because history repeats itself is the biggest understatement of our generation. Solution to most of our problems is in history books and it’s unfortunate that most people do not use this information,” says Pratik.

M E E N A K S H I A N D A RV I N D R A J U OWNERS, THE BIERE CLUB Family foundation: Meenakshi Raju, the savvy entrepreneur shares, “We're a typical Indian family. Arvind lives with our parents, who have a huge influence on our day-to-day lives, right from instilling principles to values to beliefs to ethics. We are extremely close and have to meet up with each other at least once a week. We're restaurateurs primarily but are also into property development. We manage two outlets of 'The Biere Club' in Bengaluru and are now also launching a new Pan Asian restaurant this month. Besides this, we have also developed a software that has automated the back end process of restaurant operations. But due to various network related setbacks we are unable to launch the product yet.”

introduce the concept. We then had to find vendors who could supply the required equipment and raw materials and went abroad to get them for our first project. Every step was a learning and we left no stone unturned to create a "brand". We were lucky to have got huge support from the family! Our father's experience and network helped us approach banks and the government and this has helped us build a good relationship with these institutions,” states Arvind Raju, Meenakshi’s brother and partner in the firm. Taking the Legacy forward: The brother-sister duo look positive and have big plans ahead. “We will definitely continue to look out for opportunities to take the company forward, both hospitality and real estate sides of the business.”

Challenges of being a CEO: Arvind says, “We believe we have been instrumental in introducing a new concept to the hospitality sector in Karnataka and that is a huge high point in our careers. In fact, we are also constantly approached by several state governments in India to understand the The written word: “We were born and raised in Bengaluru. But we travelled concept of the microbrewery industry. They often call abroad to study and work. In fact our travels gave us the idea of starting this us a benchmark which is very encouraging. The brand is new concept. Soon after Arvind got back after his Masters in Hospitality also well recognised across the country and everywhere Management, and while I still had a corporate job, we started brain we go, we hear people referring to our brand in a positive storming ideas for our own venture and came upon the idea of starting way.” Recalling one of their favourite stories, Meenakshi microbreweries in India,” says Meenakshi. adds, “A friend's cousin used to work at a pub in Nice, and he heard about The Biere Club from a localite there, who used to frequent his pub. This customer of his visited Biz whiz: “With the Biere Club we started the very first Micro Brewey & Bengaluru and when he went back to Nice, he spoke Kitchen in South India and now with a successful stint of six years, we about The Biere Club and recommended the place to him. intend to expand and take The Biere Club to other places in and out of Other encouraging moments are to see our regulars at the the country. We always wanted to venture out on our own. The family restaurants. Our customers are of various age groups, some business was started with four partners initially. A generation later, there are multiple active partners and participants in the day to day affairs. Hence even octa's and nona's and they visit us every week, some even every day.” decision making, growth and learning become compact in terms of scope. The challenges of setting up and running a place on your own teach you plenty and learning is very important to both of us at this stage. In our Life outside workplace: “Both of us love travelling and are case, our challenge began from working with the state governments to allow foodies. We love trying out new concepts and cuisines. I for microbreweries to be set up in the country. We approached various enjoy cooking and we love entertaining,” share Meenakshi state governments and worked with a few to frame policies and laws to and Arvind in unison. September 2017 RITZ 49

RITZ SPOTLIGHT K A R A N V I RWA N I DIRECTOR, WEWORK (INDIA) Family foundation: “My father (Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director, Embassy Group) has already built a really strong and stable business which is here to stay for a long time! I consider myself lucky to have such a safety net around me which empowers me to try different things on my own before ever falling back on the business and this allows me to be more adventurous and aggressive in building my own business. Having said that, everything that my brothers or I do, is only to finally contribute to the family business. My latest venture is WeWork in India. WeWork is a New Yorkbased collaborative workspace launched in 2010 and is the fifth largest start-up in the world. It is a platform for creators, entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes to collaborate, innovate and follow their passions! I firmly believe in the unique ways of building communities and propagating the work culture of ‘Do What You Love’ in the Indian scenario with WeWork, where one joins as an individual ‘me’ but ultimately becomes a part of the greater ‘we’! With this venture, I would like to revolutionise the work scenario in India and replicate the brand’s global vision in India and democratise the collaborative work space in India. Prior to this, I have also launched two restaurants in Bengaluru – Sanchez and Singkong which is now relaunched as Sriracha. These eateries dish up authentic Mexican and Pan-Asian fare. With the launch of these two restaurants it made sense to move forward with another venture - launch a food delivery app known as Entrée which is aimed at the premium restaurants in Bengaluru,” states the promising entrepreneur, Karan. The written word: Talking of his education, he recalls, “During my graduation days at Kent University, I was fortunate to be amidst a group of aspiring entrepreneurs and interact with some of the best minds. Students of my age were equally enthusiastic about making a mark for themselves in the corporate world. This experience led to the thought of doing something different and stand out in the business world. It was an indication for me to plan my next steps ahead in future. In fact, the idea of the restaurant came to me in the last year of University. I decided to join my family business to get a first-hand experience of corporate dynamics. I also wanted to evaluate and apply myself with the learnings from the University level hence I started working as an EA to the Chairman and Managing Director, (my father – Jitu Virwani) Embassy Group. At a very early stage of my life my father fuelled my curiosity for business. Working with him is amazing. I get to travel with him, run his schedule, take notes, learnt how to deal with people and understand what to say when. Even now I get to absorb a lot from him and that’s a great way to start. During my tenure, I learnt that startups were

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mushrooming and found a sweet spot and promise for co-working spaces, which was missing. The need for flexible workspaces is huge in India as there is a lack of good infrastructure for upcoming ventures. After spending two years in managing my earlier ventures, I finally teamed up with WeWork, a New York based collaborative work space giant to venture into the Indian market.” Biz whiz: : “The thought has always been to compliment the current line of businesses and carry forward my father’s vision. The guiding force behind my current success are my parents and I owe it to them completely. Ever since I was a teenager, I have always thought about starting something on my own and one constant piece of advice I have always received from my parents is to believe in myself with a clear roadmap! I would not say I have ventured out on my own, but contributed in a way that has added value to my family business. Starting off young, I am happy to have started 3 ventures and WeWork has been a high point for me. I strongly believe that relationships are powerful and one-to-one connections with each other are the foundation for change. Before WeWork happened, I came across people from diverse communities across the globe and understood the importance of working as a community. For me, launching or rather bringing WeWork to India has been one of the biggest learning curve. One thing that has been common through my journey so far has been creating new things, meeting new people and the satisfaction of seeing new ideas come alive! The whole ecosystem is moving their approach towards the Gig Economy. We were one of the first companies to recognise this shift and WeWork’s business model -- providing beautiful, inspirational and functional spaces that encourage collaboration, as well as programming to enrich our members’ lives and help their businesses thrive in this new environment,” states Karan on his latest venture. Taking the Legacy forward: : Karan confesses that he has been witnessing his father envision a blueprint of what we are witnessing today from an early age. He says, “It is because of his vision and passion for real estate that the Embassy Group is a well-known brand in the real estate industry today. I have witnessed this entire empire been built on my dining table and at times while I was shadowing my father for his business meets. The last couple of years working at Embassy and assisting him have been extremely instrumental in helping me gain first-hand experience of how this huge empire was built by him. I am lucky to be a part of this business venture

Karan and Jitu Virwani

and contribute in a way that compliments my father’s vision which he had envisaged years ago. I believe it’s time to pay back and take my father’s legacy forward along with my brothers who are equally ready to replicate his success story!” Challenges of being a CEO: Getting candid on some of the challenges, Karan states, “We have recently launched WeWork in Bengaluru and right now all our energies are focussed on launching successfully in Mumbai and Delhi and ensuring that our initial round of members have the best experience possible. If we get that right, the rest will follow. The added pressure of having a legacy that you will always have to live up to is a motivational factor rather than a suppressor! My family has been always supportive and believed in me, right from the time when I was a student and wanted to start something on my own! My current focus is on growing WeWork India into a sustainable venture. Going forward we would like to expand into other parts of India as well.” Life outside workplace: “I am passionate about adventure, cars, driving, food and travel. My first car was a Chevrolet Cruz which was awesome fun to drive. I have also skydived thrice – twice in England and once in Prague. I tried it first while at college and it was amazing. Falling from a plane is a different kind of an excitement,” he concludes. September 2017 RITZ

RITZ Spotlight

52 RITZ September 2017

DESIGNING A REVOLUTION

KOCHI

Deli at Gateway is a space that spells style and sophistication. The coffee shop at the Gateway Hotel, Marine Drive, resonates nuances of modern design with its elegant décor, subtle lighting and metallic elements. The use of minimalistic materials, all sourced locally adds layers to its character. The refreshingly contemporary interiors won its architect and his team, the coveted Golden Leaf Award from the Indian Institute of Architecture (IIA). This boutique practise has designed 3D printed building structures, a leading airline office in the Middle East using a fabric structure that interacts with the environment and changes colour externally, an exotic housing venture using shipping containers and many such inspiring projects with an ‘insane optimism’ (as he chooses to call it) that drives him. RITZ catches up with the international award winning architect, Fahed Majeed, Chief Architect at Fahed + Architects who shares his ideas, thoughts and dreams about his biggest passion, Architecture! Interview: RIYA SONNY DATSON Photography: SHAFI SHAKKEER Venue: CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, KOCHI Costume Courtesy: RARE RABBIT September 2017 RITZ

RITZ Spotlight

the past, which obviously has a strong bearing on the present, and understand the social values – you need time to soak up all of this before getting down to work. What has been the most challenging project so far? The most challenging and recent project How did the passion for architecture begin? apart. Through the coherence of design is the Flying House, a residential project, I was quite artistic at school, used to and power of its vocabulary, we let our for which we bagged two awards. It is close to our hearts, for each project is an draw accurately and architecture was work speak for us. opportunity to create something unique. a subject that interested me later on... The Flying House, a single-storied Long story short, I did my Bachelor’s Our architecture and interiors are residence built over an acre of land, has Degree in Architecture and later did inspired by the cultural and climatic been developed on sustainable systems. the Glenn Murcutt Masterclass from nuances of its context by integrating The distinct roof typology is in sheer Australia. landscape, water features and blurring contrast to the traditional type in which the distinction between the interior the roof eaves drop down. Traditionally, What do you think sets you apart from other and exterior. The work is grounded in Kerala has a conservative lifestyle, where architectural firms? their respective regions and informed women had limited access to the world We have since been working to by history. As a practice, we have a around and the courtyards were primarily introduce a whole new eye to distinct perception of society. We also for them to see the sky. The low eaves architecture, underscored by have an innate sense of responsibility with small windows meant darker spaces. modernism. In everything we do, we and strive to make a difference to our The Flying House is well-ventilated rethink in a new way. Our work involves immediate community by promoting allowing for a lot of natural light to trying to better understand what we domestic products irrespective of the flow in unobstructed. The structure is are giving to others and we can't create region we work in. We are committed something that we don't believe in. to promoting indigenous arts and craft: very close to the ground and the lifted roof gives a visual connect to the sky. It The advantage we have is that our combine, revive and revisit traditional, reflects the more liberated all-inclusive practice is a mélange of talent: people old world crafts and employ avantfrom varied backgrounds and culture, garde design to create new luxury styles. society that Kerala has eventually turned out to be. This structure inherently who bring with them the richness of This, in turn, helps foster intercultural stands for the hope and optimism of a knowledge and distinct perspectives exchange and preserves world crafts, and experiences. The perfect alchemy especially in local communities in Kerala better future. The roof houses a series of solar panels that make the residence selfbetween strikingly different talents and as well as other regions. reliant. The passive lighting systems and refreshing enthusiasm underlines our extensive rainwater percolation systems success story. With a strong presence Your projects are mostly abroad. What are are a few of the socially responsible in Kochi, we have also branched out the challenges involved while executing such measures we have adopted in the design. to Dubai and Bali. There is a crossprojects? pollination of ideas and inputs that Each project comes with its own The most memorable project done so far? Why? gets distilled and streamlined along the set of challenges: understanding the It would be the Deli at Taj Gateway, way. The design process gets shared place is the most challenging aspect. Kochi. This won multiple awards - along across the regions, making it a lot more Designing in a new area throws up with the golden leaf award. The project diverse in terms of solutions. Our unforeseen complications, and time is design aesthetics and core values set us always limited. You have to understand used only mundane materials that we 54 RITZ September 2017

see or use on a day-today basis. These materials have transformed by simple interventions to achieve what we see. With so much travel, how do you manage work – life balance? It is tough. Though my travel durations are short, I do move around extensively. Weekdays are tough; it is certainly not easy to maintain any semblance of work-life balance. I am an early riser and catch up on my mails. I begin my work by 10 am, and by 8pm I am off work. Weekends I am with family and do not address any works based in India or Asia. However Sunday is when the Middle East starts - so there is a certain amount of matters I do have to look into.

What is the one thing you like most about your work? I love what I do – I am able to separate out what I personally like and what the client wants. This enables me to embrace an ever-evolving tapestry of all things esoteric, aesthetic and technical. One thing you dislike about the work. What I enjoy the most is the act of listening - interpreting and then drawing. Often I do lose a lot of time attending irrelevant meetings. This is something that I dislike. I could use this time for drawing. The best recognition you have received so far? Being recognised for our stand-out work is in itself a great reward as are

happy clients. We win multiple awards for our projects nearly every year. This encourages us to break the boundaries and get ever more creative. 100% of our projects till day are based on client references. What are your Interests out of work? • Haven’t had a hobby that I have pursued in leisure in a while. I love travelling and discovering new lands, cultures and food. • Paddle Surfing is something I picked up recently- its relaxing. • Cooking with family I can’t do without: I can do without a lot of stuff and luxury – except food (I need to eat on time) and sleep, I need at least five hours of sleep to recharge. And yes, my stationary - Pen and Pencil. What’s on your bucket list? • Being involved in the design or planning of matters that would benefit a larger number of people. Something that the general public could benefit. • Sailing • Stay at the Zero Star Hotel or something similar. • Designing a stadium What I Consider As ‘Rare’: • Holiday destination: ü Saigon – love the food and peaceful life. ü Amsterdam – It is one of Europe's foremost architecture and design cities. I am a visual person and am open to seeing things, there's so much to take in when you travel • Read: ü On the Road ü The Famished Road •

Possession: A small farm in the most peaceful place in the world – Bali

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Moment In Life: Every moment in life is rare!

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Compliment: When design students recognise me!

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Personality: My Parents!

September 2017 RITZ

RITZ SPOTLIGHT “IT IS THE BEST FEELING EVER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE FORMULA BMW CARS. I STARTED DREAMING ABOUT THOSE CARS FROM THE TIME I STARTED RACING. I HAVE WORKED VERY HARD FOR THIS.”

KOCHI

RACE’ING THE BAR At 16, her love for speed and passion for racing has catapulted her to the status of being the youngest Indian female formula car racer. She stepped into the world of motor sports at the tender age of nine and now, she has already completed 75 races including national championships. As she prepares for her 12th standard board exams, she is also gearing up for her big dream, the Formula BMW races! RITZ is in conversation with the young and fearless Mira Erda, who is determined to set new benchmarks for women in motor sports! TEXT: RIYA SONNY DATSON As a child, she loved going for long drives with her dad so when he built a go karting track in Vadodara, (her home town), she couldn’t wait to try her hand at driving. She was only nine when her father noticed her deep interest for the sport and asked her if she wanted to take it up professionally. She was

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thrilled beyond words! Together they travelled to Pune and saw one of the national karting championships, after which, they went to Kolhapur to get professionally trained. “I had no idea that it was a male dominated sport but when I realised that I was the only girl, I wanted to go for it!”

From day one, her family always cheered for their young champ. “My mom and dad have always accompanied me for all the races and my entire family has been very supportive. They are very proud of my achievements and never miss any of my races!” she says fondly. “My friends however, never had any idea about what racing was all about. In fact, initially, they used to make fun of me but I was unperturbed. Gradually, when they started to understand the sport and realised that I was the only girl competing, they were excited for me and now, they don’t miss my races and they wait for me to share my experiences with them,” she says proudly.

When asked about how she balances school and racing, she quickly replies, “It is tough handling both. I take my books with me when I am traveling. When I was younger, my mom used to help me with my studies. But now I manage on my own. If I miss classes during a race, I always make sure that I go for extra classes and make up for it. My school has also been very supportive. It is important for me that I score at least 60 – 70% for my exams. Since I am preparing for my 12th board exams this year, I am working extra hard.” LAURELS “It feels really great to be the youngest Indian female racer!When I started racing, no other girl was into motor sports. So the guys would try to demotivate me, push me off the track and try to defeat me but I was determined to prove them wrong! I knew I had to focus on the race to perform well. I would try to fight back as I wanted them to understand that I meant to compete. Gradually, once I started winning, they started to see me as ‘one of them’! Sometimes it does get aggressive while on the track but off track we are good friends,” she explains. She admits that she has had a couple of instances when her peers hit her car, she went spinning and lost the race. “I am not scared of aggressive racing anymore. Over the last years, I have learnt

when to be aggressive, when not to panic and to be in control. I am not scared to overtaking either, I think that’s my biggest strength,” she says confidently. After winning the National and Rookie championships, her biggest dream, the Formula BMW cars has come true. “It is the best feeling ever to be able to drive the formula BMW cars. I started dreaming about those cars from the time I started racing. I have worked very hard for this.” Her dad is her biggest inspiration. She says it was his dream to be a racer and when he knew that she had a passion for the sport, he motivated her to chase her dreams and reach this far. “I look upto Lewis Hamilton, I love the way he drives and the way he controls his mind and takes everything in a positive way.” Any fears? “When I get in the car, I forget everything else. Initially, yes I had my apprehensions about how my racing would turn out but now, I have overcome it and I really have fun and give it my best,” she smiles. On the wish list? “I think I need to go step by step. Right now, I want to improve, compete with the guys and do my best. I am looking forward to National level racing and the South East Asian Championships or the Formula 4 championship – that’s where I want to go next.”

TOUGH ROUTINES Mira makes it a point to train on the simulator for two hours and work out at the gym for another two to two and half hours every day. “My biggest challenge would be to work on my strength and stamina. That’s very important as I need to compete with boys to complete 15 laps of racing. I tend to grow tired after eight laps and I am aware that I need to work on that aspect.” Mira says that meditation helps her to control her mind and stay calm. While in Vadodara, she always makes a visit to the Swami Vivekananda ashram, where she likes to spend time meditating.

IRE F ID P A

Star Sign: Scorpion Interests: Soccer, reading, love sports! Favourite Holiday: Explore the world! Fashion Mantra: Cool yet stylish Favourite Cuisine: Chinese Favourite Colour: Blue

September 2017 RITZ

RITZ TRENDING NOW

HYDERABAD

THE POWER OF POWDERING

Our wedding is one event of our life that we plan to have something that looks like forever. From the wedding shoes to a wedding dress, and more, we want everything to be done flawlessly. We want the perfect venue, food, dress, flowers and makeup, because we want our most awaited day to be special. Isn’t it? I’ve always wondered what the fuss was about when it came to being a bride. You pick an outfit, match your shoes, co-ordinate jewellery, hire a makeup artist and you are good to go. But I was missing the point by a mile, until I lived through my best friend’s wedding! It’s easy to find a makeup artist, but tough to find a skilled and talented makeup artist, who would bring everybody’s attention to the beautiful bride. So whilst you are busy with your wedding preparations, we have put together a list of some of the best makeup artists in Hyderabad, in no particular order – to make your life easier. Know them a little before you make your pick. Text: ANAHITA AHUJA 58 RITZ September 2017

AFSHA AKBAR RANGILA Give her a few minutes with some colours, and you’d be surprised with the kind of magic her fingers do. Afsha Akbar Rangila started her career in 2010 and ever since has been working day and night to make this world look prettier. She is extremely popular with her clients due to her impeccable work and her perfectionist’s attitude. Read on to know more about her… What made you pick this career? I got into this line because I had seen my mom in this field. She inspired me to do this. I started as a hair stylist first and worked for a year, after which I joined my mother’s salon. That is where I slowly got into makeup. I had seen her doing it, so I knew my basics. The urge to make myself better is what’s got me here. How do you handle competition? I don’t feel competition with the other makeup artists around me, in fact I get inspired from them. I am not an insecure person by nature, so this doesn’t bother me. Must have makeup tools... Eye-brow filler, nude lipstick and a Studio Fix makeup foundation and powder Your favourite quote? “There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise”

Motto you live by? Go for it, no matter how it ends, it is an experience. Do you work for passion or money? Passion definitely comes first on the list. Success comes to those who work passionately for it, and once you are successful and on the right track it’ll make way for money as well. I strongly believe in not chasing the money, but chasing the passion. What is the reason you work? I love the feeling that I am empowering the people I work on, the bond that is created between me and my clients lasts for years and they become an important part of my life for years to come. I love connecting with them. Makeup to me is worship, I worship my work and strive to get better with each passing day, getting to learn something new and different every day. Dream celebrity to work with? Alia Bhatt. September 2017 RITZ

RITZ TRENDING NOW

What made you pick this career? I had always been inclined towards this field and in 2005, I actually took a year off after graduation, and took up a course in makeup and hairstyling. It all started then.

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E DWA R D S H I M R AY With close to 13 years of experience in this field, Edward Shimray is one of the most talented and patient makeup artists in town. With a niche of his own, this owner of Siro Make-up Studio is truly a man with magic in his brush – which is why his clients repose blind confidence in him and have never been disappointed. Having worked with celebrities like Diana Hayden, Zeenat Aman, Sania Mirza, Regina Cassandra, and Shubra Aiyappa, he surely knows his craft. He’s not only known for his bridal and fashion make-up, but also immensely popular for his workshops on make-up and styling.

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How do you handle competition? As a true artist, I believe in my uniqueness of my art and if my client comes to me seeing it than I feel, I have accomplished what I want as an artist. Competition is there is any field and that is what makes us less complacent. Must have makeup tools... Lash curler, mascara and kajal. What is your favourite quote? “Make up is all about working on the individual features of each person and enhancing the beauty of it.” Do you work for passion or money? To be very honest I work for both because I need both passion and money to be at the top. So there are times when I do free shoots just because I like the concept of the designers or photographers. What is the reason you work? I am here because I believe that this is a gift from God, this what I love and this is my passion. Dream celebrity to work with? Deepika Padukone!

TA M A N N A R O O Z There aren’t too many names that pop up in one’s head if one’s thinking of bridal makeup in the city – and Tamanna Rooz happens to be among the top of the list. After having graduated from the London School of Makeup, she has now opened her own academy in order to change the style of education in this field. Purely driven by passion, this lovely lady works round the clock only to have her clients walking out with a smile. Here’s more from her... What made you pick this career? Honestly, I was an artist at heart since childhood. Painting was my first love and I would spend hours being around cosmetic counters. But professionally it all started around 7 years ago. I made people feel good with my makeup and that in return, made me feel good. Now it is an unbelievable passion where I feel incomplete if I do not do one makeup a day.

What is the reason you work? I work as a Makeup-Artist because I feel it's my calling ...

Do you work for passion or money? I would today say it's pure passion. I feel, there are four phases in the life of an any professional: one is being recognised so you work for people to know you for your craft, then comes money where you enjoy the power of money as it gives you a sense of security. Third is when you have enough recognition and money, so you crave for fame. Then comes the fourth, which is where I am. I have kind of achieved what my initial goals were and now what excites me is to give back. I want every woman to enjoy this ride that I have had and hence I’m enjoying being a teacher. Hence the answer is Passion.

Motto you live by? To give wings to the talent around me.

Dream celebrity to work with? Sonam Kapoor

Must have makeup tools... A Shu Uemera eyelash curler, Trish McEvoy kajal and my Osis hair spray.

September 2017 RITZ

RITZ TRENDING NOW

RUBY BAL She is confident, friendly, talented, meet Ruby Bal, who absolutely loves what she does. Not only does she excel in bridal looks but also enjoys the fun, quirky ones. A powerhouse of energy, the lovely lady is a delight to work with. She takes into consideration everything from the client’s personality, dress, skin-tone and kind, to the face shape and features that need to be underlined. In a candid talk with her, we found out about her passion towards makeup and ways of working. What made you pick this career? I started doing professional makeup about 4 years ago. Before this I had been in the corporate sector for almost 9 years. While wondering amidst of corporate life, my closest friends suggested me to try out either cooking or makeup. Because of my love for colours, I thought of going ahead with makeup artistry. How do you handle competition? Competition always brings insecurity and pumps you to do well. Though I love healthy competition, which should be excelling in art, I see a lot of people drop their charges/ price to win over clients. I keep myself out of such a rat race, as I firmly believe that good things don’t come cheap. The same is true about art. Must have makeup tools... Kajal, brow kit and lip balm – are the products, while the tools would be ductape, lash curler and makeup brushes. Your favourite quote? Less is more! Motto you live by? I strongly believe that beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself. Makeup is not a mask; it's your confidence in conveying an expression. Do you work for passion or money? Definitely passion is what drives me. There is nothing worse than having to wake up every morning during the week to mindlessly go to work. If the work is big money or paying you millions, then the stress quotient is directly proportional to it. More the work, higher the level of stress. Health takes a toll and then everything related to you gets affected. One must follow their passion to stay happy as at the end of day, we all are running for our ultimate goal, which is happiness.

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What is the reason you work? I was first a model, and a banker. The things one is passionate about are not random, they are your calling. So I found my calling in makeup artistry. Dream celebrity to work with? Chitrangada Singh, Radhika Apte, RichaChadha and the ever beautiful Tabu.

S A C H I N D A KO J I He started working in this field about 27 years ago and since then has worked very hard to transform the coiffure scene of the city. Meet Sachin Dakoji, owner of Manea- The Salon, who believes in spreading his talent and hence has even opened a school. A man with magic in his brush, he is one of the top stylists in the country (He is a member of the prestigious Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oreal Dream Team). Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more about him... What made you pick this career? I cannot remember how long it has actually been, but playing 'dress up' as a child was always fun. I remember, I would gather my sisters and cousins to do their makeup during my teen years. It was during my second year of Medicine that I realised this was my true calling and took to it. Naturally, I followed my heart leaving the sciences behind. I enrolled myself in a course for cosmetology for six months and then ended up becoming a professional. How do you handle competition? I take it in my stride. I have had many students who are now handling work parallel to mine, and that actually pleases me today. Must have makeup tools... A spooley brush to tame the brows, my thread for the brows again and my fan brush for strobing. These are enough to create my signature 'clean' look. Your favourite quote? Judge not lest thou shalt be judged Motto you live by? Let there be light and love. If there is no love, there is no beauty. You need to love your work in order for it to look beautiful. Why do you work? I work because I was destined to be a makeup artist. My passion for this is only getting higher and I feel I have so much to give before I go. That is the reason I started teaching the art, for me to spread it among others. I want to give back my art by producing more for the industry. Do you work for passion or money? The art and commerce has always been confusing. I am an artist but we also have bills to pay, right? Dream celebrity to work with? Madonna September 2017 RITZ

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G A Z A L R AWA LYA N I One makeup artist who has created a name and brand for herself in an extremely short span is Gazal Rawalyani. She is friendly, talented, loves what she does – and could easily be mistaken for being the model. Not only does she excel in bridal looks but also enjoys the fun, quirky ones. She takes into consideration everything from the client’s personality, dress and skin-tone, to the face shape and features that need to be underlined. Find out more about this PYT. What made you pick this career? I didn’t start off in this field – but now I can proudly say that I have found my true calling. I was always artistically inclined and makeup was just a route towards that. It is an art and what better than painting faces? What made you pick this career? I didn’t start off in this field – but now I can proudly say that I have found my true calling. I was always artistically inclined and makeup was just a route towards that. It is an art and what better than painting faces? How do you handle competition? I don’t! (laughs) In my opinion, it is very healthy to have good work around. Everyone is out there making a mark and that is possible only because there is so much space for everyone to do so. Hence, the better work that people end up doing around, the better we make ourselves. Must have makeup tools... Mascara, brow pencil and lip gloss Your favorite quote? Be fearless in your pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.

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Motto you live by? Do it with fire in your soul, or not at all! What’s the point of doing something half-heartedly anyway? What is the reason you work? I work as a make-up artist because, as mentioned, I enjoy painting people's faces. It's an art! Do you work for passion or money? To say I only work for passion would be a lie! I think we all work for money, as it is needed for survival – but having said that, I got into this field for the love of it and hence I try to keep the passion alive in whatever I do. Dream celebrity to work with? Priyanka Chopra

So, the more the competition, the better it is, as one works towards heading upwards. Must have makeup tools... Makeup wedges, fluff brush for shadow and a lash curler.

SHAIK EMRAAN When you’re driven by passion and have hard-work and persistence as your biggest strength – there is no way you’d not succeed. One such man who proves it true is Emraan. He is a true example of a boy hailing from a small town with big dreams – slogging his way through to reach somewhere. It was only after years of immense struggle that he tasted success – to now having become one of Hyderabad’s best makeup artists. Leading a team of almost 40 people, the man is known for his out-ofthe-box ideas and hence loved for the freshness he brings to his work. What made you pick this career? I was all of 16 when I realised my love for this field and it has been a rather fruitful journey – and in 2010 I decided to take it up as a profession. How do you handle competition? You need to have competition to be able to get anywhere. No one emerges to be the best if he or she is the only one doing it.

Your favourite quote? If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Motto you live by? “What goes around always comes around” – so be nice to people and that is what will come back to you too. Do you work for passion or money? There would be a very few who would actually be in this field just for the money – it is always passion driven and that is exactly my case. What is the reason you work? I work because I love what I do – the happiness of creating something you imagine is a beautiful feeling. Dream celebrity to work with? Aishwarya Rai would definitely be my dream face to work on. September 2017 RITZ

RITZ TRENDING NOW

How do you handle competition? I believe I have never had competition. I always look up to the best work of the other makeup artists. It could be anyone out there – I draw inspiration from them. Must have makeup tools... There was a time when I actually worked on someone with no tools! I used my fingers to create the entire look. But I need to have an angular eyeliner and the lip brush. Your favorite quote? Live and let live. Motto you live by? To make a person look beautiful, and have them satisfied and happy with my work.

S A N DY A creative chameleon, Sandy is a perfect example of ‘all good things come in small packages’. He lives and breathes his craft – no wonder his clients repose blind confidence in him and have never been disappointed. This one-man army is not only known for his impeccable work but also his calm and friendly nature – that just makes him a perfect combination to work with. Read on to know more about this powerhouse of energy. What made you pick this career? I was a dancer since my childhood, so I was more inclined towards makeup and I used to do my own makeup. So it was naturally in me. What made you pick this career? I have been a dancer since my childhood, so I was more inclined towards makeup and used to do my own makeup. So it was naturally in me.

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Why do you work? Because my love for beauty never dies. I like to enhance the features and make the person beautiful and happy. Creating something beautiful is an art worth pursuing, isn’t it? Do you work for passion or money? It definitely has to be passion. No matter what happens, at the end of the day I would like to be satisfied with the work I do and then expect people to feel happy about it. Money is also important but it only comes when you put in all your effort. Dream celebrity to work with? I would love to work on people in Bollywood – but that is only possible if I ever leave Hyderabad! (smiles) Given an opportunity I’d work on Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Sridevi Kapoor.

RITZ fashion

BENGALURU

FABULOUS &

FESTIVE

Get into the spirit of the festival joie de vivre as you prep up for the season ahead

Text by NAMITA GUPTA

hannel your inner stylist and look like you’re ready to rule the world this festive season. Uniquely draped, stylishly cut and aesthetically sewn to create a statement and tell a story, let each of your festival pieces speak volumes about you and your personality. Let it be about celebrating the special woman that is you, while celebrating the rich Indian history, tradition and culture. Go back to your roots and experiment with the beauty of Indian handlooms and try recycling, upcycling, recreating and reinventing with fashion. After all, your style should reflect you as a person and not one that blindly follows the latest fashion trends. Go all out and feel like one with the royalty as you oomph up your look with the right accessories. If minimal is what suits your personality, then play safe with an understated 80 RITZ August 2017

and elegant style. Just be who you are this festive season as you take a cue from some of these top notch fashion designers. Here’s everything you need to know about festival fashion… Fashion designer Gaurang Shah states, “This festive season is all about celebrating grandeuralong with the festive mood, vibrancy and colours. A perfect accompaniment to up the celebration is to own a beautifullyhand painted kalamkari design created using natural dyed colours extracted from the bark and roots of plants, incorporated with the richness of kanjeevaram silks and accentuated with mukaish embroidery- a quintessentialb alance of shine and subtle. Handlooms also breathe air and are absolutely comforting. This season one can alsoopt for silhouettes like ghararas paired with short kurtis, long kurtas with pencil pants, lehengas with a lot of flair and of course the saree with long blouses.Kanchi-kalamkari,

says, “Quite naturally the vibrancy percolates to the palette in your wardrobe; classical ethnic silhouettes in handlooms with delicate thread embroideries. This season leave behind the glitter and bling. It's all about rustic subtleties, finer delicate finishes and a lot of flora/fauna embellishments done in 3D clusters. Allow for a marriage of contrasts where silhouettes could be western inspired but the embellishments and textiles are Indian traditional handloom. Wear a shirt kurta dress paired with linen palazzo pants and a sheer dupatta and you’re all set.”

Organza- Kanchi, Khadi- Kanchi and Tussar- Kanchi are some of the fusion trends we anticipate as the newest trendsetters in the fashion world. Let me also add that these are my all time favourite saris and dupattasthat still remain a must in every woman's wardrobe no matter what is trending.” According to Gaurang with varied designs and innovative techniques used in weaving our Indian Handlooms, there is something for everyone to choose for every occasion. We’re pumped about all the colour and celebrations that our Indian festivals bring with them. Talking of this year’s festive trends, designer Reshma Kunhi opines, “Ruffle sleeves on a kurti or saree blouse are in vogue this festive season. You can even have ruffles on the collars. Digital printed long silk gowns or printed silk skirts teamed with crop tops or long flowy tops are also trending. Fringes are a big trend this Autumn/Winter and for the festivals you can incorporate this trend on a kurti, crop top, sleeves or neckline or have them on pants, skirts, shoes, earring or bags. If you want a fusion look, try kurtis with asymmetrical hemlines, front high backlow kurti or C-cut kurti teamed with palazzo or crop pants. Also skirts are big this season - be it printed in silk or plain the fusion skirt trend is a must have this festive season. These can be teamed with cropped or long tops; even a long jacket or voluminous top teamed with cropped pants communicates a chic festive style. If you want to get a little adventurous, try a Dhoti drape with crop tops.” The festive season is a time for hope, reunions, fun card parties and a euphoric and vibrant atmosphere and disposition. Designer Sounak Pushpita Sen Barat

Susan Fernandes, of Anu & Susan design label, agrees, “This time, we’ve designed our festival collection to sustain the festive spirit all through the year. Out with just-for-the-occasion bling, glitz and glitter. In with timeless, spirited colours, painstakingly dyed and designed in textural handloom cottons and silks. We’re celebrating more than fabric and cuts. It’s the detailing that makes our fashion enduring and fun. Look out for delicate batik work from Assam, tribal hand embroidery patches, whimsical stitch lines and all those little additions that keep your wardrobe, and this festive season, fresh and exciting for longer.” But for Anjali Sharma, French Curve, it’s all about going the whole hog with sparkles and glitter. Anjali says, “Stunning Indian luxe jewel tones will make the necessary rounds this festive season. Ladies are going to dress-up above all and accentuate with statement details of embellishment or jewellery. Anti fit casual clothing is likely to reappear in a dressier avatar in exotic fabrics. We are doing lovely soft velvets in minimal silhouettes combined with distressed brocades and muted gold artisanal work! The look is rich, understated and loud without a word!” Bring out the inner diva in you.

ACCORDING TO GAURANG WITH VARIED DESIGNS AND INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES USED IN WEAVING OUR INDIAN HANDLOOMS, THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO CHOOSE FOR EVERY OCCASION. September 2017 RITZ

RITZ food

HYDERABAD

Let The Good Times Flow

fter having created one of Hyderabad’s most successful properties with Free Flow Traffic Bar, the brand planned to carry the concept forward with a railway station themed gastropub - and that is how Free Flow Junction Bar was born. Located right in the heart of Hitech City, it is a must try for all the food lovers who like to unwind while pampering their taste buds. With a great line up of artistes throughout the week, with everyday bringing in a different flavour of its own – this 280 seater is spread across 7000 sqft and opened its doors to the city in August. Their menu consists of an eclectic mix of global cuisine designed to delight the senses with their bartenders having pulled out all the stops to create some brand new cocktails that guarantee to leave their clients buzzing. The Butter Chicken thali, Bheja Pao, California Beef Burger, Club Sandwich, and their Buffalo Chicken

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Wings are some of the must try names on the menu. With extreme importance being given to every minute detail, every part of the interiors at this eatery is reminiscent of the classic Indian railway station – of course, in a fancier and cleaner way. The idea was to pay an ode to the forgotten Indian rails which filled most of our childhood. The theme is a balanced contemporary expression which when not too loud strikes the right chord. The nostalgia coupled with all the right bar elements and a large performance area make this place tick. Get your share of a complete experience with some lip smacking food, thirst quenching cocktails, brilliant music and an even better ambience! WHERE: Free Flow Junction Bar, Opposite Cyber Towers, Hitech City, Hyderabad CALL: +91 91006 65588

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RITZ food boast of quirky elements with the Asian lady’s attire evolving into a dragon that also forms the “S” shape - a reference to Sriracha. But Bengaluru weather always beckons one to take a seat at the open air outside section. Directors of Embassy Leisure, Siddharth Mankani and Karan Virwani have left no stone unturned in offering the best of Asian cuisine that is loved all across the world. Quite evidently, we Bengalureans are true global diners.

BENGALURU

A SAUCY

AFFAIR Sriracha brings with it a medley of sublime flavours for discerning global diners

By NAMITA GUPTA

f you’re a connoisseur of SouthEast Asian cuisine then you will feel at home at Sriracha, the newest Pan Asian restaurant in Bengaluru. Located in the upmarket UB City, the eatery that was previously called Singkong dons a new avatar and brings with it nuggets of gastronomic perfection - from stunning Thailand to vibrant Hong Kong and the culturally rich Indonesia to the culinary world's pulsating hotspot, Singapore. The

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interiors of the restaurant showcase the eight countries that Sriracha represents. The eclectic selection of Asian cuisine curated by Chef Vikas Seth will leave you salivating for some more of the fascinating melange of traditional and the new. The menu is extensive with an endless variety of appetisers, mains, desserts and cocktails and is carefully designed using culinary nuggets by chefs who have traversed different countries of Asia. The walls on the inside section

MUST TRY: Som Tam Green Papaya Salad made live at the table, Banana Blossom Salad, Steamed Open Buns (Bao), Cantonese Roast Chicken and Khow Suey. Also try the Grapefruit Malta Salad and if you’re a dumpling fan, then don’t skip the Chinese Cabbage & Pakchoy Dumpling, Wild Mushroom Purple Dumplings, Char Siu Roasted Chicken Dumpling and Roasted Duck & Plum Dumplings that are best devoured with a hint of plum sauce. Togarashi Dusted Sriracha Prawns was the highlight of my lunch and even after a few hours I could still feel the bite of the prawn and light taste of the shichi-mi tōgarashi Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Vegetarians will love the Pandan wrapped Cottage Cheese that simply melt in the mouth with a medley of flavours. Those with a sweet tooth will love the Sumatra Dark chocolate mousse. RITZ LOVES: The Pan Asian flavours are bang on and every dish is flavourful and unique in taste and presentation. There is a separate menu for Sushi that features Maki, Nigiri and Sushi boats in non vegetarian and vegetarian options. I am told that each dish is designed on the concept of Yin and Yang and is made from scratch using special handpicked ingredients. I would go back any day for the dragon roll - avocado and cream cheese uramaki, salmon roll - salmon, avocado and cucumber, spicy tuna roll yellow fin tuna, tobanjan paste, new style oil and spring onion. No wonder then that you can taste the freshness in every bite. Our experience on this side of the Silk Route, you ask? Brilliant! WHERE: Sriracha, UB City, 24, Vittal Mallya Road, Bengaluru. MEAL FOR TWO: ` 1,800.

hearty portions was a wonderful sense of satisfaction and not that of lethargy or stuffy feeling. It promises to leave you feeling great not only from outside, but also from the inside and you can continue with the rest of the day’s work after grabbing a quick bite.

BENGALURU

THE GOODNESS

OF GREENS Good things come in little packages and Little Green Café is a testimony to that

By NAMITA GUPTA

engaluru is fast morphing into one of the most sought after dining destinations for organic and health food. With Little Green Café, Bikash Parikh is following his passion to present the best of healthy, yet tasty food to the conscious food connoisseurs around town. After the success of Green Theory, he wanted to showcase an extension of all the goodness that food can bring about even if you’re in a rush. This cute, quaint and thoughtfully designed cafe right in the middle of the bustling Museum Road is not just a delight for sore eyes, with its fresh interiors, but its clean and simple menu with no processed or canned foods, multigrain breads, olive oil, unpolished rice and healthy grains and veggies is also great for the heart. The interiors reflect the values that they bring to your plate; health, ecology and

authenticity. Natural materials like lime and clay plasters, together with chemical free paints render each textured wall and ceiling. Sharing his concept, Bikash tells us, “All our food is cooked in olive oil. We also grow our own herbs, tomatoes, beans etc and more than half of our kitchen is sustainable. One can even visit our kitchen garden located nearby and ask for your own ingredients. We grow some herbs like lemongrass, rosemary, basil, curry leaves, coriander, mint and parsley on the terrace of this café and source only organic rice, lentils, jaggery and spices.” Soups and broths are wholesome, hearty and inspired by cultures around the world and loaded only with goodness. We recommend the Mushroom Cappuccino and Chilled Avocado and Cumin Soup. While each of the dishes on the menu is flavourful, what I found at the end of finishing my

MUST TRY: The signature dishes include Raw Papaya and Soba Noodles with Som Tum Dressing, Mumbai Masala Sandwich, Green Gram Crepes with Mint Chutney and Tomato Relish, Pearl Barley, Vegetables and Roasted Tomato Risotto, Ricotta Tikki, Quinoa and Beetroot Tikki. If you’re a waffle lover, then you will like the healthy twist to the dish with the Semolina Waffles with Mint Chutney and Tomato Relish. Another healthy twist to the Italian pasta is the Whole Wheat Spaghetti served with Tomato Ragout. Do try the Oreo cheesecake for dessert if you’re craving some sweets. RITZ LOVES: Try the Mezze Platter that comes plated with Beetroot Hummus, Chia Seed Hummus, Tahini and Homemade Multigrain Breads. It is lip smacking and you will love the fresh flavours of the hummus. Also Roasted Fox Nuts in Indian Seasoning is a simple to-go snack and extremely healthy. The Thai Curry with Semipolished Kerala Rice is high on flavours and is also a healthy alternative to the regular steamed Thai curry white rice. The Pav Bhaji Fondue is served with multigrain pav. Wash it all down with a caffeine free Sweet Dreams Herbal Tea or pick from any of the other flavours of tea and coffee and you’re all set to take on this world. WHERE: Little Green Café, 9/3, Museum Rd, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru. MEAL FOR TWO: ` 1,400. September 2017 RITZ

RITZ food

vadas and papdi chaat. Follow this with steamed dumplings served on the table. We liked the choice of chestnut and silken tofu dumplings for vegetarians and garlic chicken cilantro dumplings for non vegetarians. You can’t miss the live barbeques on the table that include harrisa chicken, pepper three ways, spicy cilantro fish, grilled orange wedges and chipotle prawns. Even the vegetarians won’t be disappointed with an array of options like grilled cottage cheese satay, bok choy new aged potato, coriander pesto mushroom and bell pepper teriyaki and togarashi dust on the grills. If you still have room left for more, then go for the main course from the lavish buffet that serves Andhra chicken curry, Khatta meat, Malabar prawn biryani, Firangi kadhai paneer, Dakhni saag, BBQ'D in-house special dal makhani, Saunfyani veg biryani, Thai green curry and Crispy fried veg black bean sauce.

BENGALURU

ABSOLUTE BARBEQUED BEAUTIES The swish new barbeque and grills hotspot in Bengaluru is already drawing a large fan following By NAMITA GUPTA

f you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to barbeques on the table, then the new offering by the house of Massive Restaurants BBQ’D will urge you to think again. It is founder Zorawar Kalra’s endeavour to showcase global delicacies, including local favourites, in a contemporary fashion. Take your pick from several live counters including the Churrasco and table grills, special Craft beers made in the micro brewery right there, live pasta, chaat and dessert counters including soft serve icecream and cotton candy.

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MUST TRY: Besides grills and barbeques, you can indulge in unlimited gourmet pizzas, fresh dimsums and hand rolled sushi. We liked the essential barbecuing techniques – Tandoor, Sighri, Tawa, Kadhai, and the live Churrasco grill and Table grill. There’s a special sauce for each of the meats and veggies that brings the flavours of the food alive with its spices and fragrant herbs for a holistic sensory experience. Begin your meal with some lip smacking chaats from the live counter. The chaatwala makes a stellar set of golguppas, dahi

RITZ LOVES: We recommend that you relish your favourites instead of just filling up trying the whole smorgasbord. The appetizers are delicious. We loved the Persian mutton chops, panko dust old street style fish & chips, bird eye chillies and Delhi fried chicken wings. Do try the four custom made Craft beers, that have been handcrafted by the finest brewmasters here which also pair well with the Indian delicacies. Those with a sweet tooth, can head straight to the live counters for their fix of live candy floss and ice cream, besides the de rigueur Indian sweets like green apple jalebi, saffron rabri, pumpkin halwa with fox nuts and some pastries. WHERE: BBQ’D, Level 2, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road, Lavelle Road, Bengaluru. CALL: +91 78997 00900, +91 80409 90151. WALLET FACTOR: Non Vegetarian Lunch priced at ` 690 and Vegetarian at Rs 580. Non Vegetarian Dinner priced at ` 775 on Monday and Tuesday and Vegetarian at ` 660. Wednesday to Sundays Vegetarian at ` 830 and Non Vegetarian at ` 953.

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BENGALURU

BANH with the BEST

Flavourful with no-frills attached is what this newest PanAsian eatery Banh Mi & Wok is all about By NAMITA GUPTA

anh is the Vietnamese word for sandwich bread; wok means a large, versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel, which is used for stir fry. And that’s how Banh Mi & Wok, a Quick Service Restaurant, with deliciously creative authentic Pan-Asian Union was born. The fresh and vibrant restaurant has its own character and essence and will find a place in the hearts of every well travelled foodie filled with passion for food and life. Do not expect any fuss, extra frills or all the drama that unfolds alongside the food that is served at most restaurants. It’s the food that does the talking here. Quick, flavourful, healthy and on-the-go Asian oriental cuisine served in a fun, casual dining style. Founder and owner and an avid biker who is often spotted taking to

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the highways on his Harley Davidson, Salamath Sharieff and his partners have brought out this Asian haven with their dream team headed by Chef Arup Kakati. MUST TRY: The menu covers specials from China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. After placing my order on the touch screen computerised menu, I started off with a Mixed Mushroom & Glass Noodles Salad, that has shitake, white, black fungus and button mushroom. Another signature dish from the Small Bites section is Stir Fry Tempura Chilli Prawns. They are crispy, piquant and bang on flavours. Also try the Sweet chilli lotus stem, bowls of fragrant Asian curries with rice, or stir fries that hit the spot perfectly. Wash

it down with bubble tea or Vietnamese style cold coffee that comes in the original bottles. RITZ LOVES: I loved the Sloppy Viet Bao, made with grounded lamb meat, red curry paste and hot basil. The baos are not made with the regular flour, but lotus seed flour for an authentic touch. I loved how the flavours, textures and the aromas intermingle and form the perfect blend of heavenly taste. The Sambal is another stir fried dish with shrimps that goes perfectly with egg fried rice or noodles on the side. You cannot leave without taking a bite of the Dau Phu Banh Mi, spicy fried tofu with chilli mayo. There are also chicken, lamb meat and prawn Banh Mi’s on the menu. Give in to your sweet cravings with the delicately flavoured and mildly sweet Tab Tim Krob, jellied water chestnuts in sweetened coconut milk with crushed ice. WHERE: Banh Mi & Wok, 295 & 296, 100 Ft Rd, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. CALL: + 91 89712 22220. MEAL FOR TWO: ` 800.

RITZ food

Culinary Voyages CHENNAI

he power of a brand name is hard to beat! Ayna the speciality Indian restaurant at the Hilton is a classic example.

Ayna, as the name suggests is truly a mirror, a reflection of what a discerning customer is seeking. Their search ends at Ayna. The restaurant’s offering covers cuisine from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari and is truly PanIndian in a contemporary and transparent setting. A 60 seater restaurant that is open for lunch and dinner,

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with Minnie Menon

it serves a sumptuous Sunday lunch buffet too. Very few speciality restaurants offer this eye-filling spread and it is, yes, kid friendly. Sunday afternoons are a family affair with loyalists returning time and again for their regular fix of biryanis, dosas, kozhi varuvel and other delectable fare. The restaurant went in for a major re-positioning exercise about two years ago. “From a South Indian restaurant that offered limited North Indian fare, it has expanded to a Pan-Indian one,” explained Executive Chef Achal Aggarwal. The concept changed but only after intensive in-house

The clientele that night I noticed were part hotel guests and part local residents including expats. “Can they handle the spice?“I enquired. “With ultimate ease,“was Chef Achal’s response. I learnt that a new menu is introduced once a quarter after due diligence in the form of a series of food trials internally. Chef Achal explained the exacting journey they undertake for about 25 days from flag-off to getting the thumbs up and unveiling the new menu. They also get feedback from regular customers. The food bloggers are called in at the final stage of this exercise. “Our cuisine is traditional, dishes that are accepted over the years with a contemporary presentation,” said Chef Achal. The tasting menu crafted for me started with an appetiser… a prawn and crab in a puff pastry. It was Indian in flavour but with an international aura. I was then introduced to ‘ABC. ABC? A cooking lesson for

AYNA research.“We held food festivals of dishes from the different states. This exercise extended over eight months. We then zeroed in on the favourite fare among our guests,” he explained. Quite scientifically done I thought. Chef Achal struck me as a chef who took pride in the journeys that he made in his quest for culinary excellence and the ultimate menu that was put out on offer. For this Chef, the customer is king. And his 18 years experience in leading hotel chains in Delhi and Chennai has been his bedrock in this mission. With pride he shared with me how his regulars kept coming back time and again.

Minnie Menon

September 2017 RITZ

RITZ food

a rookie like me? I wondered. “No, ABC does not stand for the first 3 letters of the alphabet but for Ayna Butter Chicken,” said Chef Achal gleefully. The taste was authentic but the appeal was different. The Ayna vada is another example of authenticity / transformation . It’s like a medu vada but made from tofu, therein lies the difference. My next course was a mixed platter of ‘Malabar chemeen fry’, a spiced prawn preparation. It was a true Kerala edition of this dish. Grilled grouper fish flavoured with curry leaf, tandoori salmon and chapli kebab - a minced lamb cutlet, completed the platter. My exercise regimen on the days I do a food review ensures a hearty appetite. I do full justice to the lavish meal crafted for

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me. I handled the next course a tad gingerly. An Ayna speciality…Haleem in the traditional gravy along with Haleem in a seekh kabab form cooked with chicken and mutton. It looked sinfully delicious and was finger lickin’ good. The dessert was the piece de resistance… an Indianized Baked Alaska named The Peak. How cool is that I thought! Externally it is a replica of its original western

Photography: Gurunath Prabhu

counterpart but the killer kick lies inside. It is spiced up with betel leaf, fresh fennel and green cardamom powder and raw mango chutney puree. Quite lethal I can assure you. This combination added a zesty tang to this classic all time favourite. Kudos! The concoction was sheer brilliance. Indeed, the inspiration for a WOW recipe can emerge in moments of creative ferment. And this Baked Alaska certainly scales the peak and dominates it. My taste buds had discovered the meaning of ‘seventh heaven.’ I lingered after my meal. I did not bother about my calorie count, that would have been sheer lunacy. But what suddenly struck me was that Chef Achal had been following my reviews faithfully and had noted my ‘no carbs at night fetish’. There was not a single tandoori roti or buttered naan served to me that night. ‘This is outright policing Chef! ‘I thought in jest. ‘Goes blatantly against the individual’s right to privacy act!‘ But I am not complaining!

September 2017 RITZ

RITZ TRIBUTE

(Instead Of The Regular Profile Of A Bureaucrat, This Is A Parting Tribute To My Very Own 'CORRIDOR OF POWER' All My Life)

MOTHER OF MINE

BY SANJAY PINTO

hen life throws diapers at you, be happy as long as it's dry. That's a new age parenting consolation. My mother had to go way beyond diapers; and cleaning up the mess went much beyond my kindergarten years, as I used to wet my bed till the age of ten. Not once did she ever grimace or scold me, let alone use the cane. Such inate kindness and unlimited patience were not reserved just for me but for generations of students at Don Bosco School, Egmore, where she was a teacher for 33 years. Fairness too. Decades before I could join Law School, my mother had taught me a legal maxim 'you cannot be a judge in your own cause' by example, and had me shifted from her class to another section. No wonder when she was in the CCU of Kauvery Hospital for 17 days, following a massive heart attack, students she had taught even 40 years ago – from politicians to doctors to business leaders, made a dash to check on her, exchange notes with the medical team and pray. No wonder I am still being flooded with messages from around the world with her old students recalling her kind and gentle ways. Tragedy struck, rather unexpectedly, just a couple of days after her shift from the CCU to a room and a few days before the planned discharge from

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the hospital. What was poignant - her end came the day after being her most cheerful self, on the eve of my dear dad Vincy's birthday and less than 3 months before what would have been their Golden Jubilee. As a son, it was beyond painful to see the goddess who brought me to the world, leaving this world, taking her last few gasps as I held on to her feet, begging God for a miracle. It is said in the Bible, “if you have faith even the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.” I wasn't trying to move anything. I was just pleading for my mother's heart to not stop beating. I would have pulled every string in the world to save my mother. There was one string I couldn't pull - with God. Maybe my faith wasn't strong enough. Maybe He had a tatkal vacancy for the sweetest angel in heaven. Although I wasn't a 'Mama's Boy' in the conventional sense, I was deeply attached to my mother. I lived under the same roof in our modest villa in Little Mount for 32 years. I was her travel companion to school for 13 years. I was her lunchmate till I was in the 8th Std. I was her first resort. Till I got married, she was my only confidant.

Judith Pinto

The gentle look on my mama's beautiful face in the freezer box seemed like she was having one of those rare naps. Never a Queen Bee, always the Worker Ant, she had gone grocery shopping the day she suffered her first heart attack.

As I gazed at her lifeless body draped in her favourite maroon sari, the images that flashed across my mind, triggered a burst of tears at regular intervals. Of her walking home from the end of the street carrying two bags – one with our daily evening goodies from Vijay Bakery, not for herself, but only for us. Of her slogging after school hours taking tuitions to earn a little extra money to buy that new North Star shoe or Witco bag for my sister Juliana and me. Of her treating me to Rose Milk and Kesari at the Railway VLR Stall in the Egmore Station, usually on salary days. Of her annointing us with Holy Oil every single day before we left the house. Of her bidding goodbye at the Airport to all her siblings and mother who migrated to the US decades ago and her decision to fall in line and stay put here. Of those fluffy cheese omelettes and sandwiches oozing with butter, she would whip up, even as early as 3 or 4 am whenever I had to catch an early morning flight for one of my NDTV shoots. Till date, no 7 star hotel chef has been able to replicate those items from 'Judy's Kitchen'. Of the time she walked up to a stranger at a mall in the US to say:” Excuse me. My son is of your build. May I know your collar size, please, as I want to buy his favourite red shirt.” Of her so lovingly nursing my dad back to health after his return from Mangalore. Of those straight from the heart 'Thank You' Notes or Poems, almost in calligraphy, for every little duty we performed, even for something as simple as doing an online payment of her electricity bill. If she had recovered, every doctor and nurse in Kauvery Hospital would have got such 'Thank You' poems. Of her watching every story or show or debate of mine on TV, reading every article of mine in the papers. Of her ringing the doorbell sharp at 8 am on Sundays and greeting my children Sanvi & Vidan in her trademark affectionate voice: “hello my babies.” Of her tearful prayer when my little son was unwell: “God, take away my grandson's pain and give it to me instead.” Of her sad comment “sorry I'm troubling you. I'm feeling giddy, can you give me something to drink”, an hour before her hospital admission. Of her showing us the needle marks on her arms in the CCU. Of my wife Vidya trying to feed her special home cooked items in the hospital and her plea “I can't eat”, owing to an apparent loss of appetite and difficulty in swallowing solid food. Throughout her over three decade stint at Don Bosco, my mother has never ever been late to school. As I said in the funeral eulogy, it's only in her death that she will be called 'Late Mrs. Pinto'.

the coffin was about to be closed and lowered into the pit, my world came tumbling down. I sobbed inconsolably. Come to think of it, which son or daughter wouldn't? If teachers and mothers got Report Cards, mine would get an A Plus + Three weeks ago, I vividly remember my beloved mother chatting with us in the balcony. Today, she is a picture on the wall. Mother, you gave me everything. Much more than words can say. I miss you with every heartbeat.

(Sanjay Pinto's biggest badge of honour is being called 'Judy Pinto's son. He is also a Lawyer at the Madras High Court, Columnist, Author, TV Political Commentator, Public Speaking Mentor & Former Resident Editor of NDTV 24x7)

A mother is a mother, whether she is 74 or 104. So as the cortege left home, when the funeral mass was over and when September 2017 RITZ

RITZ POINT BLANK

MAKE IN INDIA A 911 EMERGENCY SERVICE

BY SANJAY PINTO

hree questions. Do you remember all your passwords? For your net banking transactions, to alter your profile, for your debit and credit cards, your email ID s, mobile PIN...the list can be quite endless. Now,do you remember all the helplines that exist? Apart from 100 for the Police, you may still be confused between 101 and 102 for Fire & Ambulance, or whether you need to dial 108 for a medical emergency, or individual hospital hotlines, not to speak of helplines for Senior Citizens, Child Abuse and all the myriad situations we may find ourselves in. Passwords are like helplines. There are too many. And most of us cannot remember them all. I know of folks who cannot remember their own mobile numbers, not to mention that of their wives. Forgetting your wedding anniversary is no longer a sin! So tell me, what's a more urgent need in our country – the much hyped Aadhaar or a nationwide toll free emergency number like 911 that even a child in distress can dial and get help? No matter what the emergency is – medical, security threat, fire or natural disaster, it's about time we had a common number that delivers express relief. I know they are just TV serials, but when I watch Chicago Fire or Chicago Med, the alacrity and competence with which the emergency response teams function makes me wonder why we cannot have something just as efficient in India. That such missions are not just reel was proved when an airplane crashed into the Hudson River many years ago and the heroic rescue of every single passenger that took place for the world to see. And learn from. We have no dearth of bravehearts in our country – from Police Commandos to Firemen to our National Disaster Response Force. I have seen even District Collectors wading

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through neck deep water during the tsunami to save lives. We just need a coordinated effort to put together a crack team that can respond to any SOS call from a citizen in the most remote corner of the country in seconds or minutes. Just recently, I faced a medical emergency at home. The living example of a former colleague who suffered a heart attack but drove to the hospital clutching his chest instead of waiting for an ambulance, came to my mind. What also popped up were legitimate doubts that any of us reading this column would face. Would the power go off when you hurry down the elevator, true to Murphy's Law, or should you play it safe and scurry down the stairs? Would some irresponsible soul have parked a vehicle right outside your gate? Would the pharmacy deliver a life saving medicine on time, at least as fast as a pizza? If the emergency is past midnight, would a specialist doctor be available 24x7 to plunge into action rightaway? Or would we be faced with a mere 'duty doctor' who will have to diagnose the symptoms and wake up the right specialist? Would his phone signal be available? When the specialist give instructions on the phone or would he rush to begin an operation or a surgery? Would your mediclaim cashless hospitalisation card be accepted? Or should you run to an ATM to withdraw money for an advance deposit at the hospital? Would the ATM have cash? Or would your card get stuck inside? Gosh, someone can make a movie on this theme. We are all so eager to enrol our kids in karate, dance, singing classes or cricket coaching. What about First Aid? How many of us know how to administer Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)? How many of us are wondering just what that

medical jargon means? We engage (and I plead guilty too) in meaningless debates on whether Sanskrit should be taught in schools or not. On what syllabus is best suited for our children. On entrance tests. Not a squeak about making a life saving skill like making First Aid a mandatory subject in our schools? Where's our grand ordinance power? How many of us motorists automatically give way for an ambulance? Do we need a cop at every signal or intersection to physically clear the path? If the Chennai Police can have a green corridor for ambulances carrying human organs for transplants, if Bengaluru can come up with helicopters to beat the traffic from the airport to the city, and if politicians can hold up traffic for their cavalcades to pass, why can't ambulances be enabled to breeze through traffic? I know there will always be folks who may misuse such facilities but we must devise a way to deal sternly with such miscreants. Talking of admission in hospitals, I have seen first-hand, sterling examples of 'Service First' at even private hospitals like Kauvery in Chennai, where they don't insist on any payment before starting treatment. Humane treatment in a corporate hospital need not be an oxymoron. No money can buy the blessings of patients whose lives were saved. The Supreme Court's directive 'Medical Attention First, Legal Formalities Later' in accident cases, is still not always adhered to. And talking of mediclaim, I know of cases where senior

citizens are discriminated against â&#x20AC;&#x201C; higher premium, no policy after the age of 75, only 70% of the policy can be utilised and further exclusions and caps on the most common reasons for hospitalisation like cardiac ailments. For all you know, investing money every year towards your personal medical fund in a fixed deposit may be a better idea than pleading for settlement of a medical insurance claim. I have also heard of cases of hospitals jacking up rates for 'insurance patients'. If are to truly be a Welfare State, the Right To Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, must be held sacred. For infants who need oxygen in hospitals to the youth to the middle aged to senior citizens. Because wealth cannot be health.

(Sanjay Pinto is a Lawyer at the Madras High Court, a Columnist, Author, TV Political Commentator, Public Speaking Mentor & Former Resident Editor of NDTV 24x7) September 2017 RITZ

RITZ buzz in'

BENGALURU

SCORCHING THE RUNWAYS

The Wear. Style Bangalore Fashion Week, 2017 saw designers Vaidehi, Aishwarya Tyagi, Seema Singh, Rohan Pariyar Studios, Abhishek Dutta and students of Dream Zone College showcase their latest collections on the ramp at Clarks Exotica, Bengaluru. Actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bidita Bag walked the ramp for designer Abhishek Dutta. Mrs. India Universe 2016, Lakshmi Seshadri used the fashion platform to spread awareness on

her initiative ‘The Joy Box’. Glitz and glamour continued throughout the second day featuring designers Amukta & Kriti, Rajesh Nepal, Parimal Jayakar Shetty, Mini Shangle and Monapali. The four-day fashion week embarked from August 3-6, 2017, rolled out the finest collections of 25 brilliant designers. Day Three of BFW saw brilliant masterpieces by designers Prreeti Jain, Pranshu Garg, Kavya & Pooja, Rahul Singh and Pria Kataria Puri who was the highlight of the evening with her collection “Firdaus”. Grand finale featured designers Shruti Chopra, Govind Singh, Purvi Doshi, Rajyalakshmi Gubba, Zeba & Rahul and Riyaz Gangji. The last day witnessed names like actor Rahul Dev and popular South Indian actresses Sharmeila Mandre and Pranita Subash showcasing some of the finest collections of designers Govind Singh, Shruti Chopra and Rajyalakshmi Gubba.

MUSICAL EVENINGS

In an endeavour to showcase and nurture art in India as a part of their Responsible Luxury initiatives, ITC Gardenia hosted its latest edition of the WelcomArt Concert 2017 – a concert of Indian ragas featuring unique piano-tabla jugalbandi with Utsav Lal and Pt Kalinath Mishra. The evening saw many popular faces of Bengaluru like Prakash and Ujjala Padukone, Manjusha Maheshwari and Aloma Lobo besides others.

CLUB FASHION SUNDAY SHENANIGANS AT SHERLOCK’S

The new hotspot to let your hair down and have a good time opened doors in Whitefield, Bengaluru. After five successful pubs, Sherlock’s Pub launched its sixth new watering hole with a big bang. Guests kept trickling in all through the Sunday evening for an afternoon of sheer revelry. They sipped on sangria, bubbly, whiskey, cocktails and interesting mocktails and tucked in from the hearty buffet spread. A live music band kept the guests entertained. Everyone was raving about the lush green and open spaces of this pub that has an old-world charm with welcoming water bodies and a vintage clock tower. The owners of Sherlock’s, Manoj Kuma K, Sai Natesan, Prashanth Radhakrishnan and Hari Menon welcomed the guests and attended to each one of them personally.

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XU – Fashion.Bar. Kitchen was launched at The Leela Palace, Bengaluru with a wild and wicked fashion show choreographed by Faheem. Founded and managed by Syed Haris Ali, XU promises to indulge your sartorial senses with interesting cocktails, canapes and chic fashion. The launch bash saw models sashaying down the ramp followed by Behram Siganporia and his music band Best Kept Secret perform live till past midnight.

RITZ buzz in'

‘A

HYDERABAD

FASHION, LUXURY AND MORE

raaish’ – a luxury, designer exhibition was held in the city on August 10, at Taj Krishna. The brand is owned by actor Suniel Shetty’s wife Mana Shetty with Sharmila Khanna, and was organised in Hyderabad by Samia Alam Khan. The one-day shopping extravaganza saw the swish lot of the city, making a beeline to indulge in some serious retail therapy. Vikram Phadnis, Mahi, Wo-do-robo, Archana Shah, Kalakari, Divya Seth, Pink Polka, Meghna Panchmatia, Bhumika and Jyoti and Mandira Wirk were some of the brands that displayed their exclusive collections. Spotted browsing through the designs and mingling with the crowd before leaving the building with their bags full were Pinky Reddy, Laila Khan, Shikha Sharma, Anju Jain, Swathi Kilaru, Namita Singhvee and Ashu Gauri.

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advt RITZ

FESTIVE TRUNK Chennai, get ready for the year’s most fun shopping event this Diwali! Oh, Coimbatore get set too! Festive Trunk is the next pop-up show under ‘Lime Soda Pop Up’ by Chennai girl, Soundariya Anil, an entrepreneurship graduate from IIM Bangalore. There’s something for everyone at the one-day event in Chennai and the twoday affair in Coimbatore this September. From clothes to accessories, gifts to home-décor, tea to organic cosmetics, Festive Trunk brings together the best of India’s young talent in a quirky and unique setup. “We’re integrating unparalleled shopping with experiential dining. Expect cocktails amidst couture clothing and food amid footwear. There’s a lot that's new besides the food component – like our new partners exhibiting quirky, wearable and affordable art in different forms!,” shares Soundariya. Do not miss to test drive the new Audi A3 Cabriolet: Elegant yet sporty, this four-seater convertible is an absolute head turner on all the roads it travels. Glam-brand Posh Pride adds some drama to your everyday clothing and Chambray & Co. combines comfort and contemporary. Fahd Khatri’s fusion of Art and western silhouette presents Hi end Evening and occasion wear! Do the new with personalised gifts and hand-made décor pieces from Pot of Earth and Avec Amour. For hand-picked artefacts from across Asia, and unique gifts and accessories, Little Lavish is your go-to. Choose from Mahatriya’s elegant art jewellery, Zaveri Bro’s sterling silver label Mirror White’s pieces or Rajatamaya’s contemporary and traditional jewellery. Anaya Accessories has the perfect west-inspired accessorizing options for you. Coimbatore will get its share of haute couture fashion with Lux 214’s latest hi-street collection, bridal couture from Yantraa, Shibori and cotton kurtas from Creative Hub, Tadka’s indo-western outfits and Hina Jain Label’s elegant dresses, Clothing Palette’s Winter 2017 pieces and Kimara Fashion Studio’s western favourites. Go organic with Grandma’s Love and sip on some specially curated teas from Tea Box. Alankrit’s ecofriendly bags and Tasche Bags trendy accessories are the perfect addition. Participate in the Instagram / Radio contests by Fever Fm and you could be the lucky winner of a return ticket to Thailand from Thai Airways! Winners of the other contests are entitled to spa vouchers from the rejuvenating Thai Sabai and salon vouchers.

ARE YOU READY TO EXPERIENCE GREAT POP-UPS CHENNAI AND COIMBATORE, PEEPS? CHENNAI Oct 5th – 11 am – 12 midnight The Slate, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Chennai.

COIMBATORE Sept 27th & 28th, 11 am – 8 pm Kanakavalli , #1 GD Naidu street, Race Course, Coimbatore. September 2017 RITZ

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CHENNAI

FASHION FROM DOWN SOUTH

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t was a fashion filled evening at the first edition of the South India Fashion Awards (SIFA), awarding the best icons in fashion and related segments across the four southern industries. SIFA also showcased design collections from award-winning designers. It is conceptualised and produced by Ajit Menon Trendz, a leading event, modeling and celebrity management agency, based in Chennai. A man of many talents, Ajit Menon is a choreographer for over two decades, a model coordinator, grooming specialist, event director and celebrity manager. At the awards night Max, the title sponsor of SIFA launched its Autumn collection by a stunning fashion show showcasing global trends ‘Peace Army’, ‘Indigo’ and ‘Glam Rock’ with its edgy styling. SIFA is curated by a well informed advisory board consisting of the following personalities including Ajit Menon – Organiser, SIFA 2017, Aruna R Krishnan – Managing Editor of Ritz, South Scope and Galatta, Chaitanya Rao – Fashion Designer, Vijay Adiraj – Actor, Director, Media Personality and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj – Actor. The awards were presented to Rakshitha for Best Runway Model (Female), Atul for Best Runway Model (Male), Pradhayini Sarvothaman for Best Commercial Model (Female) and Akhil Iyer for Best Commercial Model (Male). Vivek Karunakaran bagged the Best Fashion Designer (Men’s Wear) and Best Fashion Designer (Women’s Wear) was given out to Anushree Reddy. The Rising Star Fashion Designer award was presented to Shalini James and Best Fashion Photographer to Venkat Ram. The Best Stylist award was won by Neeraja, Best Makeup Artist by Ralph Daniel, Best Hairstylist by Rachel, Fashion Icon (Female) by Rakul Preet Singh, Fashion Icon (Male) – Dulquer Salmaan and Fashion Mentor by Prasad Bidapa. The Special Jury Award was presented to Sohia M Joe.

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CHENNAI

GLITZY GALA

he third edition of Cosmoglitz Awards 2017 held in August by Chennai Plastic Surgery witnessed a glittering guest list. As part of creating awareness for a positive body image, the evening featured two panel discussions titled ‘Fair is not always lovely’ on Farces of Fair Skin & Body and the panellists included Rohini Manian, budding entrepreneur, Dr. Renita Rajan MD – Dermatologist, Dr. Abhilaasha - Psychiatrist, Dr Kannan MD – Psychiatrist, Jane Jayakumar, Model and RJ and Dr Karthik Ram, Plastic Surgeon, Chennai Plastic Surgery. The other topic was Body Shaming & Imagined Ugliness Syndrome where the panellists were Rohini – Actor & Social activist, Dr. Shivaram Bharadwaj – Cosmetic & plastic surgeon, Dr. Hema Tharoor – Psychiatrist, Dr. Mini Rao – Psychologist, Shiny Surendran- Sports Nutritionist and Weight Management Specialist and Jules - Fashion Designer and Stylist. The evening also saw Professor R. Venkatswami, Head, Apollo’s National Institute for Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery and Hand Surgery, Chennai and Emeritus Professor, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai launching the book “Liposuction – The Big Fat Story" authored by Sunitha Raj. Glitz Phoenix 2017 award that celebrates the success stories of burn survivors and Glitz Avatar 2017 Award that recognises citizens who make a difference to society and prove to be role models are both a part of Chennai Plastic Surgery’s CSR initiatives. This year, the judges chose Writers Cafe Team and Sujatha Menon respectively for the above awards. The additional award categories were Mr. Glitz, Ms. Glitz, Mrs. Glitz, Mr. Fresh Face and Ms. Fresh Face.

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HYDERABAD

DOUBLE DELIGHT

t was quite a day to remember as Hyderabad witnessed the confluence of two designers, both of whom have created a niche for themselves in no time. The collaboration, by the name “Botanical Illusions”, had Shriya Bhupal’s line ‘Shriya Som’ of Bridal Couture coming together with Ananya Malhotra Reddy’s eponymous label of Fine Jewellery – to create a surreal, fantastical experience in a stunning installation at Taj Krishna. Floral Spirituality or Floral Fantasy has always played an important role in their individual collections. And the soiree was nothing but a grand display of that. They explored this fantastical world of flora, and took their guests on a journey of utopian wonder, presenting a perfect constellation of fashion and fine jewellery. In order to introduce this collaboration to the city, a formal press conference was hosted where both the designer divas not only spoke about their collection on display, but also unveiled the cover of Ritz, South India’s largest lifestyle magazine, with the two of them on it. Aruna R Krishnan, Editor and Publisher of the magazine, was also present with them, to address the gathering.

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KOCHI

RITZ ANNIVERSARY BASH

ITZ celebrated its first anniversary in Kerala with a mega Anniversary Bash at the Kochi Marriott on August 30th, 2017. It was an amazing evening of glitz and glam as many eminent stars like Prayaga Martin, Sijoy Varghese, Sanju Shivram, actor & playback singer Siddharth Menon, Ann Benjamin, renowned fashion photographer Shani Shaki and the celebrated Sports Icon, C K Vineeth gathered together to celebrate the success of the anniversary edition featuring Mr. George Muthoot George, MD of Xandari group of resorts. Ms. Aruna R Krishnan, Editor and Publisher of RITZ took this opportunity to announce the group’s recent acquisition of Galatta. com, the popular online media that is exclusively meant for movie buffs, closely following trends in South Indian Cinema. The grand show was sponsored by Spice Coast Harley Davidson that announced its milestone achievement

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of selling 1000 Harleys in Kerala. Mitesh Patel, Dealer-Principal of Spice Coast Harley Davidson and Sony Mathew, Ladies of Harley (LOH) Chapter Officer were also present at the event. Our hospitality partner, the Kochi Marriott, organised a delightful spread of ethnic European and Italian delicacies. Prakash Chettiyar, Executive Chef at Kochi Marriott and his team presented an elaborate choice of carving station that served Chicken Diavalo and Baked Snapper, Live stations that served Blinis with smoked salmon, capers, pickles, Home-made pasta and Arancini of Duck and Mushroom. The spectacular dessert station had umpteen delectable delights like Classic Linzer Torte, Grand Truffle cake, Milk Chocolate chocolate cremeax, Almond tart and much more. Our mobility partner, Peninsular Honda and Vallaki Events, our event partner need special mention for executing RITZ’s milestone event in Kerala to perfection!

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INDIAN FASHION LEAGUE 2017

fter creating pleasant ripples in the fashion world with stunning major events, Espanio Events India Pvt. Ltd took another remarkable stride with its latest fashion Utsav titled “Indian Fashion League 2017” sponsored by Mahindra and Mahindra, a major automobile manufacturing company. This event that was held on August 2 at Crowne Plaza, Kochi was co-sponsored by renowned brands Max and Koral. “Though India has seen an immense surge in the number of young and aspiring fashion designers, our country is still lacking platforms for them to showcase their talents and novel creations. With Indian Fashion League 2017, which featured a long line of internationally known Indian designers, we hope to bridge this gap for the young masterminds in Indian fashion world with the latest and topmost trends in the fashion industry,” said Zulfi Ali. 30 renowned international designers like Shravan Ramaswamy, Naushija, Unais Mustafa, Swetha Menon, Rasnim Arif, Apeksha Binoj, Santhosh Kumar, Roshan and Farza showcased their latest creations at the show while more than 70 internationally acclaimed models walked the ramp. Bollywood actress Koena Mitra walked the ramp in the exclusive grand finale by Unais Mustafa. Besides, other celebrity showstoppers like Nikki Galrani, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Bhama, Neha Saxena, Vishnu Priya, Drishya, Anjali Nair, Kamini Singh, Leona, Priya Lal, Malaika, Gournika, Saranya, Mareena Michael, Sarayu, Megha Mathew, Ramya Panicker, Nayana, Kavya Suresh, Roshan Mathew, Vaishakh Nair and many other Bollywood as well as Mollywood celebrities set the ramp ablaze through diverse rounds.

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VOLVO’S BRIDAL FASHION TIDE SWEEPS KOCHI

t was the first time that a premium brand like Volvo joined hands with supreme builder, Shobha developers to support Kerala’s bridal fashion fiesta. The event held at Vivanta by Taj was a tribute to Indian weavers. Renowned designer, Hari Anand showcased his bridal collection at the event, titled ‘Obsession of Love’, inspired by the renaissance of handlooms in India giving it a breath taking modern twist. Mr. Krishnakumar, CEO of Indel Automotives, said, “The effort of Volvo is to create a deserved space in bridal wear for Indian artisans and weavers.” Photography: RAMESH

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Registered With The Registrar Of Newspaper For India Under No. Tneng/2004/17667 Total Pages -116, Postal Registration No .Tn/Ard/71/2017-2019 Wpp Licence No. Tn/Pmg (Ccr)/Wpp 122/2017-19, Ritz September 2017 Date Of Publication On The 5th Of Every Month