SOUTH INDIA’S PREMIER UBER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 2015 VOL 12 | ISSUE 03
STYLES
PRABHU DEVA: "I HAVE DONE THE CRAZIEST THINGS IN LOVE!"
An exclusive chat and super stylish photo shoot with one of India's most sensational directors
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MY VIEW We are proud to present to you yet another smashing issue of RITZ, South India’s premier lifestyle magazine. As we near the date for the annual Audi RITZ Icon Awards, the team is already busy coordinating with our jury panel to draw up a list of the most successful, inspirational personalities from different fields across South India who will be chosen to receive this prestigious honour. Watch this space for more! I am sure you will enjoy reading this super stylish edition. Until next month, ciao!
ARUNA R KRISHNAN FOLLOW US
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Inside 62
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12 Buzzin The South has been teeming with activity. Check out who’s been keeping Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad buzzing with activity
20 New Products Some new and coveted luxury digs have hit the stands this month. Louis Vuitton pays tribute to Nicolas Ghesquiere and Michael Kors launches a new Indiainspired clutch to usher in the festive season And then there are always new products hitting the shelves - some that you need, some that you want and some that you just must have. Check them out.
24 RSVP We’ve been having hosts of parties, launches and hip soirees down South this month. Catch some of the action through our shutterbugs who scout the party scene in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad
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34 Trending Now It’s that season again - the festive time where gifts galore flood your homes. We check out some of South India’s avid gifters and understand how they keep their annual festive hampers fresh and unique each year. The startup bug has become a startup fever, and that fever may be driving many people to hysteria. RITZ is asking the question of the hour.... are there too many entrepreneurs in the country today?
43 Festive Special Nalli showcases ten great designs that are supremely suited to enhance your looks and are the perfect buy for the upcoming festive and wedding season
54 Look Book
Bengaluru saw the opening of the Rare Rabbit in UB City, while Encrustd made a dazzling entry with a special preview for select guests at The Olive Beach.
Military-inspired fashion - the newest trend to hit the South - is reporting for duty! Get ready to strap on some serious studded hardware
Madhur Bhandarkar brought his Calendar Girls to town to show them off at a specially organised evening before the movie’s release
Meet six of Bengaluru’s lovely ladies who never shy away from telling the world that there’s more to fashion than meets the eye
Young FICCI Ladies Organization, Hyderabad, held an interactive session with actresses Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan on Celebrating Womanhood
Actor Jayam Ravi in a high-powered fashion feature wearing Lawrence & Mayo’s haute new sunglass collection
RITZ OCTOBER 2015
66 Cover Story One of India’s most sensational directors, Prabhu Deva is styled by Planet Fashion in our exclusive photo shoot Hyderabad’s Moni Agarwal has dressed some of the biggest South Indian names and they’ve all got high words of praise for her talent and verve
80 Over A Cuppa Siddharth AMR Kalingarayar, a modern day businessman and aristocrat rolled into one is part of the 37th generation of Uthukuli Zamindars from the time his family made a mark in the history of the ancient Kongu country Coimbatore girl and former poster-girl of Indian tennis Nirupama Vaidyanathan has trained more than 3000 enthusiasts of the game at her tennis academy in the US. We catch up with her
84 Design Elements Businesswoman Geetaa Paul takes us on a tour of her blingy, yet tastefully decorated apartment in Bengaluru The Lahotis tell us the story behind their cafe on Road No. 10, Banjara Hills Sajan and Sheila Verghis from Chennai showcase the elegance and charm of their private abode
90 Point Blank Sanjay Pinto questions how fringe groups can pop up out of nowhere and dictate terms to cinegoers about what to watch and what not to
EDITOR & PUBLISHER ARUNA R KRISHNAN EDITOR’S SECRETARY & COORDINATOR JAFFAR HAMEED REGIONAL EDITOR - KARNATAKA ARCHANA SHENOY REGIONAL EDITOR - TELANGANA & ANDHRA PRADESH VANAJA BANAGIRI SENIOR CORRESPONDENT & CELEBRITY RELATIONS COORDINATOR SHANKARAN MALINI HYDERABAD CORRESPONDENT DEEKSHA MARUR CHENNAI CORRESPONDENT DIYA SUBRAMANIAN EDITORIAL AND LEGAL CONSULTANT SANJAY PINTO GENERAL MANAGER - MARKETING PRAVEEN KUMAR M MANAGER - CLIENT SERVICE SWATHI RAMAKRISHNAN DESIGNER NARAYANAN SATHISH MARKETING CONSULTANT - BENGALURU SANJAY JARIWAL EVENTS AND FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER - CHENNAI M.GURUNATH PRABHU EVENTS AND FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER - BENGALURU FAHEEM HUSSAIN Edited and Published by Aruna R Krishnan from 7th Floor, Sigma Wing, Raheja Towers, 177 Anna Salai, Chennai 600002. 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.
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To advertise in RITZ, call Praveen Kumar on +91 98419 73090 /+91 44 4211 3871 All correspondence should be addressed to: RITZ, 7th Floor, Sigma Wing, Raheja Towers, 177, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002. Contact: 42113871 / 2 Email: ritzmag@rediffmail.com or ritzmag@gmail.com
BUZZ IN’
ROCKING IN SINGAPORE Singer Chinmayi Sripada rocked Singapore when she took the stage by storm and belted out some chart toppers at a special musical event organised in the country. She tweeted: “The concert today was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He stayed right through and it was a huge honour.” We’re proud of you Chinmayi!
CHENNAI
SPEEDING PAST Chennai boy and Audi R8 LMS Cup competitor Aditya Patel took the Nürburgring race track by storm as he raced there as a guest driver in the Audi Sport TT Cup last month. While enjoying his time on the racetrack the speedster made sure he posted a video of himself racing on his social media page for all his fans and friends to enjoy.
BIKING FOR THRILLS He’s always taxing his vocal chords on stage and more recently on social media. Chennai boy and rocker TT Sriram took a break from it all when he exchanged his guitar for handlebars this month as he took off to Kodaikanal on a long and leisurely biking trip. We sure hope the trip inspired him to pen some new and vibrant tunes, though!
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BUZZ IN’
HOOKED AND BOOKED Tennis star Sania Mirza’s younger sister Anam got engaged to Hyderabadi businessman Akbar Rasheed, amidst much pomp and show. Wearing a pastel coloured, heavily embellished Manish Malhotra lehenga, Anam posed alongside her celebrity sister who looked super hot in a black MM creation with burgundy lips! We must say the sisters make a killer pair together!
HYDERABAD
IN TRIBUTE As a tribute to well-known curator late Ramani Nambiar, Lakshmi, her daughter, is all set to kick off the second edition of Ramaniyam – an art festival from October 31st. This year she has got George Martin to conceptualise and curate the works of 81 artists. The show entitled INBOX, will be one of the largest exhibitions of three dimensional artworks in Hyderabad. The exhibition seeks to understand the impact of “disposable culture” of consumption on the environment and human mind. And we’re really looking forward to it!
A SPECIAL GIFT OF AN AUDI A6 Who says birthdays and anniversaries are the only days you can gift people dear to you? Well it’s not and we’ve got Mahesh Babu showing us how it’s done. The Srimanthudu actor recently surprised director Koratala Siva with an Audi A6 Matrix to recognise his contribution towards the success of the film. On asking him why the A6 Matrix, Mahesh said, “It’s one of the coolest cars with a lot more features than the other sedans in that class and is a very smooth drive.”
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BUZZ IN’
BENGALURU
HELLO! BENGALURU Gap finally said Hello!Bengaluru in style. Actress Shruti Haasan was at the store for the much hyped up launch to style three lucky buyers who were the first to walk in when the store opened its doors to the public. With a strong social media campaign in place, the city waited with bated breath for one of the world’s most favoured brands to come to town. And they didn’t disappoint. Judging by the way in which buyers have been flocking the store, it is safe to say that the city’s fashionistas will be going the Gap way for while now!
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BENGALURU
BUZZ IN’
PERFECT PARTNERSHIP It isn’t often that the city gets to see cricketing legends around… and so Bengaluru cricket lovers were super excited when former Aussie captain Steve Waugh made his way to the city. He wasn’t here to play the game though; instead he flew in to promote the tieup of WaughGlobal with real estate giants Brigade Group. Steve’s Waugh’s Global reaches out to NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) across the world looking to buy properties in India. So the partnership seems like a win-win for both parties involved. Nice move Mr. Jaishankar… mixing sport with investment!
HYDERABAD
OF GOODBYES AND HELLOS Every chapter in the book called life has a new beginning and an end. You can relate to some characters from each chapter almost instantaneously while some just continue being in the book playing different roles until their purpose plays out. It is a similar scene with Pedhapally Kishan who after making a name for himself being associated with various wine companies like Sula and Charosa has now moved on to the beer industry. He takes on the role of an On Trade Manager with Carlsberg India Ltd. We wish him the very best.
BENGALURU
LUXURY INCARNATED Rosa Lladro, president of globally known Spanish luxury label Lladro was in the city recently to launch the Saraswati figurine, to mark the forthcoming Dusshera festivities. Designed by master craftsmen and artisans at Valencia in Spain, the idol, which the lady is confident, will find takers in India, and among NRIs globally, is priced at `7.5 lakh. Handmade, each unit comes with lavish decorations that include crown, jewels as well as handpainted feathers of peacock and flowers underscoring the majestic figure.
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PRODUCTS
NEW
MICHAEL KORS’ INDIAN ADDITION A first for this favoured American brand, Michael Kors has designed, exclusively for its Indian market and consumer, a special clutch crafted from gold Saffiano leather. Launched with the festive season in mind, this special clutch is designed with an exclusive inside logo plaque that reads Exclusive India 2015. Polished details like a gold-tone chain-link strap and chic hardware elevate this bag from simple to simply divine.
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LV CELEBRATES NICOLAS GHESQUIERE As we welcome the autumn season, Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche celebrates the new designs of Nicolas Ghesquiere, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of women’s collection, with a dedicated window display. Taking inspiration from the Autumn-Winter 2015 show, the brand has created a digital installation, complete with animations, video performances and lighting. Under Le Bon Marche’s central glasshouse, this exhibition merges contemporary designs that have become the brand’s icons, with archive trunks.
PROMOTION
The Complete Home Solution Store It’s the go-to place in Chennai for upscale home furnishing solutions. A onestop-shop when it comes to dressing up your home, there’s no better space than Elan located on KB Dasan Road to suit your needs.
The brainchild of entrepreneur and designer Poonam Jhaver, Elan reflects its owner’s penchant for fine colours, textures and perfectly visualised appeal. Like a Pandora’s Box of everything possible that one would want to look for while doing up their home, élan offers the complete solution for decor with respect to drapes, blinds, upholstery, wall paper, carpets and rugs and even floor coverings. The store that is seven years old is spread over a massive 2500 square feet of space and comprises of several well demarcated sections making the shopper’s experience that much more easy and relaxing. Says the proud owner, “I pride my store on having something for anyone who walks in with home decorating on their mind. Be it fashionable bed spreads, duvet covers, blinds and curtains, upholstery or even the perfect tie-backs for your drapes, we have the best selection on display.” From offering customised home solutions to those who come with a particular look or image in their mind, to advising clients who walk in with fabric swatches and paint samples, to offering suggestions to those who don’t have much idea of what they are looking for, we cater to the needs of one and all,” tells Poonam. With her vast knowledge of colour schemes, the right fabrics and textures to go with mood lighting and suggestions on the perfect decor for each room, Elan also offers custom tailoring services to those who are particular about things being done in a certain way. “From suggestions on what kind of furniture to buy for a room to the right kind of pottery and artefacts that will enhance the look of a space, we’re happy to cater to our customers’ every need,” says store manager Yagneshwari. Proud of her achievements in having managed to make Elan into a space that offers complete interior furnishing solutions to its clients, Poonam says she is elated with the satisfied
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expression on the faces of her clients when they walk out happy after a complete shopping experience at her store. 25, K K Dasan Road, Teynampet, Chennai +91 93815 03435
experience the expertise create a home where the notion of luxury is defined by style, sence, quality and perception of the soul.
the house of furnishings 25, K B Dasan Road, Teynampet, Chennai 600 018. Ph : +91-44-24361754, 044-42112421 Mobile No : 93815 03435 Email : elanfurnishing2011@gmail.com 23 wall papers furnishings bed linen carpets accessories table linen OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
RSVP
CHENNAI
Founded by 24-year-old Chaitanya MRSK of Hyderabad, Teach For Change has made its entry into Chennai. A social cause wherein volunteers of the organisation will teach English and leadership skills to students from 10 of the city’s government run schools, TFC aims to help improve the overall capacity of students from weaker sections of society. Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah inaugurated the project, alonng with actors Lakshmi Manchu, also TFC’s goodwill ambassador and Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Dr J Geeta Reddy, MLA Telangana and Aruna R Krishnan, Editor and Publisher, Ritz.
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RSVP
HYDERABAD
Young FICCI Ladies Organization held an interactive session last month with actresses Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan on Celebrating Womanhood. Hyderabad’s creme crowd was present and all ears. The session was hosted by journalist and author Nishat Fatima.
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RSVP
BENGALURU
The Rare Rabbit has come to town and the city’s fashionistas are hopping around in glee. A unique concept store showcasing cutting edge men’s fashion, contemporary art and design, Rare Rabbit is the brainchild of designer Manish Poddar and his lovely wife Akshika. Having thrown open the doors to the store that’s located at Bengaluru’s UB City, with much pomp and style, Manish hopes to revolutionise the fashion scene in the city with his stylish vision.
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RSVP
BENGALURU Deepa and Vineet Chikramane launched their Women’s Fashion label, Encrustd at The Olive Beach in Bengaluru recently. The city-based couple have been associated with fashion for the last 15 years. The duo are known for their innovation in embroideries and quality of stitching. The uniqueness of their product is that it can be ordered only via phone or online. The city’s fashionistas, who were extremely curious about what was on show, came out in droves to check out their wares.
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The Essence Of Ayurveda
Hailing from a family of illustrious Ayurvedic practitioners, Jayadevi and Pradeep Cholayil who run the reputed Cholayil Pvt Ltd, a multi-crore FMCG organisation, have introduced Sadayush to Chennai. Penetrating deep into the roots of Ayurveda and all its holistic and natural methods of treatment, Sadayush is a centre offering complete Ayurvedic care amidst the modern and aesthetic environs of this bustling city. “Our aim is to use this treasure trove of knowledge that our forefathers possessed and have handed down to generation after generation of Cholayils, and propagate natural healing and rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul,” says the charming Jayadevi Cholayil. The logo itself defines Sadayush - the ‘Hasta’ or symbol of the open palm, is the center of one’s identity. It is a symbol of blessing. The curls that form within the Hasta showcase its organic foundation. The five fingers represent the five elements of nature i.e., space, ether, fire, water and earth. “We specialise in various forms of holistic treatment ranging from regular weight loss to helping women regain body shape post giving birth, as well as offering natural and non-invasive treatments for medical conditions such as spondylitis, orthopaedic issues, breathing disorders, sinusitis, gastric disorders to name a few,” explains Jayadevi. She goes on to explain how Sadayush welcomes its clients to experience a healthy and blissful life through their expertise in this natural form of medication and healing. “We bring to you a bouquet of therapies that tackle the root causes of illness than merely alleviating the presented symptoms.” While one might not always feel the need for naturopathic treatments, Sadayush’s range of relaxing massages for relieving stress and rejuvenating the mind and body are highly recommended as well. “Our weekends at the centre are packed with people who work in high-stress jobs and feel the need for a few hours of relaxation through our expertly performed massage therapy. Presently the Sadayush centre in Chennai has three highly qualified Ayurvedic practitioners for advice and consultation, along with 12 skilled masseurs - six men and six women - who are experts at various forms of therapeutic and recreational massage. Address: Old No. 65, New No. 129, Above Raymond, Royapettah High Road, Royapettah, Chennai. Call +91 93804 31296 OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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Aliph by Gatsby - Cut above the rest
Gatsby, the long standing one-stopdestination for men’s bespoke tailoring fine fabrics and designer wear, launches the latest collection of Luxury Brand Aliph. With the new creative director Heeba Sait, Alumni of Central St Martins London and Royal University, Bahrain, at the helm, Aliph is all set to scale new heights. The New collection sticks to its original identity of incorporating the finest international and domestic fabrics, keeping its focus on International cut, fits and finish. The Aliph 2015- 2016 collection introduces, for the first time, four new themes; featuring something for everybody. From sharp tailored suits, tuxedos cutting edge party wear, to exclusive sherwanis that are masterpieces on their own with a unique spin on classic with a contemporary twist. Whether it is stylish men’s wear for the groom or his father, kids or young men, Aliph has something for everyone. The grand couture collection features surface textures using different techniques like aari, tessellation and French knots. The range comprises custom made Sherwanis, Kurtas and Fusion Tuxedos colour coordinated with your bride’s ensemble for you to stand out on your big day. The couture line also features custom made footwear, pocket squares, lapel pins and one of a kind precious stone Cufflinks. The second part of the new collection caters more to party wear; anchored around the midnight floral and tessellation themes . The collection uses different textures and materials to highlight the
intricacy of the work as well as custom made to order prints that adds splash of colour to the collection. Featuring a wide range of ethnic wear Kurtas, bundis, bandghalas, velvet jackets and party wear shirts. Rounding off the collection is what Heeba considers the mainstay or core of the collection, which features the largest variety of classic and contemporary designer tuxedos and suits. Featuring fabrics from Zegna, Loro Piana, Scabal and VBC, Super 110’s, 140’s, 170’s and even up to 200’s, it all comes together to offer a variety that rivals what’s on offer on high streets around the world. You’re sure to find something in every category whether it is a suit to wear to a corporate event, a business meeting, formal gathering, tuxedo for an evening party, black tie event, wedding reception, kurtas for Diwali or any special occasion, a combination of a bundi kurta for your sangeet or a sherwani for your D-Day. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, designer Heeba Sait and the store’s super talented and trained stylist/designer Varun Leo are always available by appointment to help you put your look together for any occasoin - be it a single event, an entire wedding weekend, a long business trip or even a leisure getaway with that special someone! The Aliph collection is available at Gatsby, 34, Kakani Tower, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, opposite Hotel Taj Coromandel, Chennai. +91 98411 82288 Gatsby, Jumeriah, Dubai 00971505159863
info@gatsby.in www.gatsby.in
_ Dubai: Vila 375a, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai | Tel: 0507782975
Chennai: #34 Khader Nawaz Khan Road, _ Chennai | Tel: 9841182288
Featuring fabrics from
wear and custom made.
your special moments. Available in ready to
bundhis, bandhgalas for weddings and all
Tuxedos, suits, shirts, kurtas, trousers, jackets,
TRENDING NOW Picture courtesy: Shutterstock.com
GiftingOut
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The Box It’s that time of the year again. The festive season is upon us… that means tons of gifts finding their way into our homes, miles of ribbon and wrapping paper and much more chocolate and sweet treats than one needs to eat. Yet with people getting more calorie conscious and environmentally conscious there is a band of well-known gifters whose festive hampers are much awaited and coveted. Meet some of South India’s most famous faces who not only celebrate the festivals in style, but also put much thought, sensitivity and loads and loads of love and good wishes into the unique gifts that they send out each year. We give you a sneak-peek at some of the most different, yet special gifts they’ve been sending out to their near and dear ones.
RAVINA BELANI Designer
BENGALURU
Talk about gifts and the receivers of these special Diwali treats can only speak of Ravina Belani. Her love for elaborate gifts is legendary in the city and we would be right in saying that a lot of her friends wait to see what the enterprising lady has planned for this year! “I don’t give food items,” she tells us. “Usually I have stationary that I get customised keeping in mind the ones I want to send it out to. I plan pretty paisley printed boxes that contain an assortment of stationary items like gifting envelopes, letter writing paper, gift cards and note pads. I have them made in various shades and always keep a festive colour scheme in mind,” says Ravina. Being a talented designer with a huge circle of friends, she’s usually planning gifts for at least 75 close friends and then about 50 to 60 more of her husband Sunder’s business associates. That’s taking gifting to a new level, we say!
GITANJALI MAINI Owner, Gallery G and Entrepreneur Diwali is an important festival in the Maini household. Matriarch Reva Maini has her set of gifts planned well in advance. Known for her green thumb in the city, Reva Maini gets ready a whole lot of tulsi saplings which she passes on to her daughter-in-law Gita to add to the festive hamper that she puts together each year. Says Gita Maini, “I always plan a hamper which I send out to our close circle of friends and family, along with a few key business associates. And I’m probably one of those people who send out gifts a bit early - sometimes around Karvachauth - a couple of days before the Diwali festivities actually begin.”
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BOBBY KANDHARI
TRENDING NOW
Entrepreneur
HYDERABAD
It’s the season of gifting! Today gift options are varied. From the traditional to the modern options, the sky is truly the limit. A lot of planning goes into large gifting depending on the season, occasion, profile, budgets etc. Gone are the days when one used to gift a box of mithai bought from a local store. Today everyone wants something unique and special, right from chocolates, cupcakes, brownies, sugar-free options for the health conscious and dates or almonds and other nuts both candied or roasted. Even the mithai has taken on new forms and shapes, the only constant being that the packaging should be amazing. I use a lot of different products right from mirrors, pearl-encrusted trays, mason jars - vases, colourful baskets, pretty planters, customised boxes with oodles of colourful ribbons and my all-time favourite - lots of candles! I have even got some wax urlis made to order which we fill with sweets and then pack with a flourish. That and my big wax lotuses are the new items I have introduced for this festive season. They act as containers for the goodies and are so beautifully appreciated because they light up your house forever. I also use a lot of fresh flowers in my packaging because it just looks so pretty. Of course corporates still prefer to gift utilitarian items but they too are now conscious of the importance of them being well packaged. Essentially one can make anything look pretty with a little bit of creativity!
SASHI NAHATA Entrepreneur Every year we get elaborate gifts customised for the festive season. Last year we gifted friends and family bottles of honey sporting customised branding with our surname Nahata. In the last few years, people have become very health conscious and prefer anything other than sweets. So we sent out the honey bottles. For Diwali last year, we had customised a set of playing cards and gave them to friends. This year too we will be doing something different and unique. We’re still in the process of thinking what to do though.
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I am 26 years old and my work involves being in the sun a lot. My friends say that I have developed a a darker complexion. What are the options available to regain my skin colour?
How do I plan a cosmetic surgery on myself? When planning a cosmetic procedure you have to consider several things: What is it that you want improved? You should be able to identify this with clarity and not be vague about it. Are you are doing this for your self or at somebody else’s behest? This is important, because external reasons for cosmetic enhancement leads to an unhappy result because you did not have a reason for the procedure in the first place. Also once done it is very difficult to reverse the change. Do some research on your procedure but do not overanalyse the information. Do research on your surgeon and satisfy yourself about their experience, qualifications and specialisation. Also ask to look around the hospital you would be operated at. Write down the questions you wish to ask the surgeon about the procedure and ask to see photos of their work. No surgeon should feel offended if you ask probing questions. After all you are allowing them to surgically alter your body. Advice your surgeon of your medications including herbal remedies. Finally, be honest about your personal habits and any previous procedures that you may have undergone for a similar condition. Always arrange for a second consultation to be able to reflect and digest the information and to bring any further questions to the next consultation. Do not hurry into a cosmetic surgery and never feel pressurised or obligated to have it done. The reasons have to be right for the procedure as it is a planned procedure not an emergency!
I had a road traffic accident three years ago needing a skin graft on my arm at the elbow. It has left me with an ugly scar. I am extremely conscious of this. Please advise me if this can be remedied.
DR RAMKUMAR SUSARLA Cosmetic Surgeon FRCS (Edinburgh) FRCS (Plastic Surgery) McIndoe Cosmetic Fellowship (UK) Dr Ramkumar Susarla is a British trained & qualified Plastic, Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgeon. Clinic: Cosmetic Surgery One No.2. Sriramnagar South Street Alwarpet Chennai 600 018 Mob: +91 98 4063 6991 Mail your queries to cosmeticsurgeryone@gmail.com or ritzmag@gmail.com Website: cosmeticsurgeryinchennai.com
I am sorry to hear that you were a victim of this accident. Your surgeon did the right thing in grafting the area of skin loss. There are two issues here: One is the tight scar spanning your elbow that prevents your elbow from straightening out completely, and the other is the cobbled appearance of the graft that does not look aesthetically appealing. For best results you would benefit from a two stage tissue expander operation (namely two operations two to three months apart). The first operation places a balloon under your normal skin to gradually expand the normal skin.The skin will form a bump similar to a bump of pregnancy. After this expansion in around two months time. The second stage will be to replace the graft with the new expanded skin and minimise the scarring. It should considerably improve the aesthetics as well as the elbow movement.
RITZ READER SERVICE
While the sun darkens the skin, it is very useful for your bones. I would suggest using a high factor sunblock on your face and other exposed parts if you wish to protect against tanning. This should be a minimum of SPF 30 and ideally SPF 50. The sunblock should have a barrier block like Titanium Oxide Or Zinc Oxide to enhance sun protection and safety. There are other chemicals including plant extracts that are used to decrease pigmentary production and help skin lightening. Chemical peels can also be used to help exfoliate the pigmentary layer and restore skin colour, texture and tone. Over the counter products are safe but very mild and take time to show results. Patience is therefore required. Quicker and more consistent results can be achieved with a more pronounced treatment. You will have to consult a Cosmetic Surgeon/Dermatologist for this. Results take a few weeks to months to reach the optimal level therefore if planning special events, do plan treatments in advance. Finally, a night time treatment helps to remove damaged pigmentary changes in the skin. This has to be used carefully with your doctor’s advice. Please contact a qualified cosmetic practitioner for appropriate advice and safe treatment.
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Picture courtesy: Shutterstock.com
The startup bug has become a startup fever, and that fever may be driving many people to hysteria. It is clearly one of the best things that has happened to the country. Still at the risk of sounding preachy isn’t it time someone examined the phenomenon of how the world is taking every good thing to excess and making it into a national pastime? Could that be what we’re doing with entrepreneurship today? RITZ is asking the question of the hour…. is there such a thing as too many entrepreneurs in the country today? Is it even possible that this excess of entrepreneurs could affect the conventional work environment by depriving it of talent? Are there going to be gaps in conventional work spaces considering the number of start-ups we see popping up? With strong inputs from business leaders, nurturers of incubator start-ups and entrepreneurs themselves, we bring to the table a myriad opinions.
TRENDING NOW
The Entrepreneurial Melting Pot
OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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TRENDING NOW
There are start-up schools teaching people to be effective entrepreneurs, there are short courses and seminars advocating the same and the heights of it all is that there are companies today, willing to teach their new employees who have just walked in through the door, how to start their own companies! They’re imparting training, advice and lessons to newbie employees on how to leave the company they’ve just joined and start one of their own. Ridiculous as it may read, that’s the fact of the matter. Whatever happened to contributing to an industry, having a positive effect on the work environment and working under an inspirational guru just to learn the ropes and further one’s career through experience and knowledge?
The career market is today filled with free agents, each of them with an idea in their head, an investor in hand and a three-year-plan in place. It’s all about improvising and tweaking ideas that have already proved lucrative, altering winning work models and taking things one step further by coming up with a little added advantage to an already working idea and an app that facilitates it. According to a recent report made public by the United Nations, here’s what it said: “In the emerging countries, most notably the BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India, China – impressive growth has been driven by a veritable entrepreneurial revolution. The need in these economies to sustain growth through sustainable access to resources, knowledge, markets, and low-carbon industrialisation puts a premium on innovative
HARISH BIJOOR entrepreneurship. But more entrepreneurs may also be associated with lower national happiness. This could be when most entrepreneurs are not so by choice, but by necessity. When people turn to entrepreneurship by necessity, they essentially lose their ‘agency’ or free will as far as their employment is concerned, and this is experienced as a loss of happiness. Evidence from the EU seems to support this: there is a robust negative relationship between the business ownership rate and entrepreneurs’ average job satisfaction across EU nations. Clearly, job satisfaction amongst entrepreneurs is much higher when fewer of them need to be self-employed.” Does this mean that the more entrepreneurs the country sees the lesser talent we will see
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LEENA THOMAS in the conventional work environment? Is this excess of brilliant entrepreneurs going to lead to a lack of proper talent in the job market? Would it ultimately mean that the business world would be filled with fewer satisfied individuals with higher levels of want, thereby leading to a surfeit of dissatisfaction with respect to work and life in general? We ask Harish Bijoor, brand expert and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. the question racing through our minds and here’s what he had to say: “Good point. Good thought. The reality however is that there are far fewer jobs than the minds and bodies that are required to fill them. This is particularly so in India, where there is a talent surfeit. This is a happy thing really. India has spent decades investing in education.
And Indians have spent decades educating and encouraging their children onto the path of education. In India, Saraswathi had led Lakshmi. Saraswathi has always been placed ahead of Lakshmi. The time to monetize that sentiment seems to however be dawning today. The job scene, in the wake of entrepreneurship gobbling up good manpower will see an easing of competition. However, more people will find jobs and water will find its own level in this space. There is plenty of water around though,” he opines. From starting and establishing programmes for the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) in India, to promoting clean energy technology and preparing Indian entrepreneurs to flourish in the global market, 38-year-old Leena Pishe Thomas has done
it all. The Director of Global Business Inroads has shares her opinion on the question we’re asking: “In my view, within the Indian context, it is great that people are seeing entrepreneurship as an option and that families are also encouraging budding entrepreneurs. Especially when it comes to technology domain, India needs more indigenous inventions of technologies and solutions that are relevant for our markets. We need more entrepreneurs to be confident about their ideas because the ecosystem is also there and present. And yes, this will impact larger companies as a lot of good talent is seeking opportunities in start-ups. But, I also expect that the smarter large corporations will encourage “intrapreneurship” – entrepreneurial mindset within organizations – and give a chance for their
MR SHANTARAM in-house talent to innovate and contribute to new business ideas. This can help them retain talent. Having a sense of opportunity and hope is always a good thing for economic growth and that is the fervor and frenzy our entrepreneurs are capitalizing upon and vice versa.” So its happening then… the job market is seeing and experiencing a slight dearth of talent due to the pace at which entrepreneurial enterprises are on the rise. Vijay Abhimanyu, director, Billionsmiles, began his entrepreneurial journey when he was barely 20 years of age. Today, some eight years hence this serial entrepreneur has expanded his business portfolio by leaps and bounds and continues to encourage younger talent to make the entrepreneurial leap, which he strongly
RASHMI DAGA supports. “I believe entrepreneurs will be the engine of growth for India. So my take is more entrepreneurs the better. The nation is going to be hugely benefited. Entrepreneurs will find it hard to acquire the right talent. It will be challenging. However entrepreneurs are generally great problem solvers and they would figure things out and make sure the right talent is made available to make their dreams come true.” Similar is the opinion of Bengaluru’s Rashmi Daga, a qualified engineer and IIM graduate who went to work with a start-up and got bitten by the startup bug herself. Today she runs one of the city’s premier prepared food delivery services Fresh Menu. An avid advocate of entrepreneurship she explains, “Entrepreneurship is not new to India. And there is no shortage of talent in the market. OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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Each individual has more choices now whether they want to be an entrepreneur, work at a startup or work at big firms. It’s eventually for the individual to find his comfort zone and risk taking appetite both of which decide what they do for their career.” Hyderabad’s M. R. Shantaram, CEO, Intercon International, has a different opinion to share with us. He says, “India has a lot of people. More people than what a country can utilise. Yet there is a dearth of talent which is employable. In this scenario if lots of people turn entrepreneurs then it makes an already difficult situation even more difficult. I definitely see a trend. Many young people I meet are saying that they are running their own enterprise or are in the process of starting one.
While this is good for them and the economy, in the near term talent crunch for organizations will get aggravated. IT industry handled the talent crunch reasonably well. Big IT companies have tied up with engineering colleges and have started training students from 2nd or 3rd year. Again, Infosys kind of companies have set up huge training facilities and supplement what colleges do in a six month power pack program At the entry level the IT sector has solved the shortage problem. More and more sectors will have to take the path of developing talent that their industry needs. When this happens we will be a happy country as, the new entrepreneurs would have created more jobs and all our unemployed will get jobs. Our per-capita and hence the GDP will zoom!”
VIJAY ABHIMANYU And while we consider his solution to be a tad too idealistic we speak to Jayadeep Krishnan, CEO T Hub, an incubator for startups, and pose our query to him. “There’s no such thing as ‘too many entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are great job creators and seek alternatives to existing jobs. The fact that tons of new entrepreneurs are being birthed everyday is an indication of a larger appetite for risk and the arrival of a fearless new brand of young Indians. It’s a great thing to have too many entrepreneurs.” And while we respect the opinions being shared we ask one more person what he feels of the current trend sweeping the career market. Sairam Mocherla, Founder and Chief Mentor, Capital Fortunes Project Development, encapsulates our queries into the form of an
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answer. He says, “Entrepreneurship is about putting passion to a sense of purpose, thriving in an environment of freedom with discipline with an ability to keep an open and flexible mind and being opportunistic for realising a shared vision. The ability to run the long mile than fall for instant gratification; spawning of entrepreneurs is a boon for individual enterprise indeed but also a shot in the arm for new age enterprises who can foster a work environment to unleash the creative and limitless energies of talented resources and help transform them to proven leaders. I have no doubt this cultural metamorphosis has the potential to catapult India into a foremost economic powerhouse rather than stymie and stunt the growth of industry and workplace.”
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Military-inspired fashion - the newest trend to hit the South - is reporting for duty! But that doesn’t mean you have to dress in head-to-toe camo. No, this time around fashionistas are taking a minimalistic approach to military. Meaning, your uniform should be the same army green and neutral colour palette, just minus all the patterns. As for accessories? Get ready to strap on some serious studded hardware. CHENNAI
Photographs: Gurunath Prabhu
LOOKBOOK
Attention! Fashion
NANDINI Entrepreneur and owner The Armoire She holds a post graduate degree in entrepreneurship from the prestigious University College London, and is a former banking professional with The Royal Bank of Scotland. A self proclaimed fashionista and shopaholic, The Armoire is her debut entrepreneurial venture, post training with her other family owned retail businesses - Saumya (KNK Road, Chennai) and Global Desi by Anita Dongre (Express Avenue, Chennai). When she isn’t busy scouring the latest trends online, she also enjoys travelling, networking and the arts. The Armoire is a carefully curated luxe pop up that launches in Chennai this October, at the onset of the festive season. The brand philosophy is modern silhouettes meeting feminine chic in a palette that’s truly en vogue. And so, for its premiere collection, the store will feature avantgarde Indian and Indo-Western prêt, jewellery and other accessories from a chosen lot of designers from across India. “My personal style can be best described as feminine chic. So when I was asked to style a military inspired look, I decided to pair neutral tones rather than opt for typical camouflage prints,” she explains, talking about the look she’s put together for the photo shoot.
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SHALINI CHOPRA Fashion stylist and blogger
BENGALURU
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She’s stylish and never shy to show off her looks to the world. Calling her a bold dresser would be an understatement, for Shalini Chopra dresses the part perfectly to suit every occasion. One of the most well-known faces on the city’s fashion circuit she interprets fashion rather well, her personal style bordering on the flamboyant and slightly OTT. Going by her blog, which she updates nearly on a daily basis, her penchant for bright colours and red lips is evident. She recently also endorsed a cosmetic product for a popular brand, thereby making her debut as a model / actress as well. Her blog stylishbynature.com is an extension of herself, concentrating on the 3 Fs most important to her - fashion, food and fitness - with tidbits on lifestyle and fun thrown in for good measure. “My style is eclectic. I buy not just in luxury boutiques but also at high street stores. My goal is to show you how we can be beautiful, trendy and stylish in every sense, pondering the purchase according to the latest trends of the moment! I hope to be a source of inspiration for everyone who likes fashion,” says the fashionable lady.
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Photographs: Gurunath Prabhu
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HYDERABAD
Photographs: SK Lens Make up: Afsha Rangeela Hair: Swadeep
SHIVALI SINGH Fashion Designer She carries the tag of a fashion designer, stylist and yoga freak for about six years. She holds a masters degree in Finance and worked as a data analyst before studying fashion designing in Parsons and interning with Gucci. On returning, she got a chance to style for movies and her first go was with Kangana Ranaut for Mani Shankar’s film Knock Out. She is the only 28 year old Indian designer to have sold her fashion brand to Selfridges. Her fashion statement is that she strongly believes everyone should be confident in whatever they wear!
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BENGALURU
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The Essence Of Fashion
de by: Sarayu Heg d and curated tic At Conceptualise y ba m and The Bo Styling by: LBD vi Foley ad lla Pa : ry le el Jew ouse, Lavelle Ro sy: The Glass H te ur a and Salon, Co Sp e in gu Location Bi de air: Jean Clau Make up and H ad Ro Lavelle in Faheem Hussa Photography:
There’s the new breed of fashionistas in Bengaluru - vibrant, snazzy and oh! so vocal about their love for fashion and all that it entails. For them, there is much more to fashion than just the clothes they wear. Their careers, their attitude, their style and their exposure take them a notch above those who blindly follow trends and dress for the moment. Meet six of the city’s lovely ladies who understand and don’t shy away from telling the world that there’s more to fashion than meets the eye. OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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SHRUTI CHOUDHRI
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Director, Soul Space Projects Limited and Principal Architect, Chrysalis Design Studio Born into a construction family with strong entrepreneurship roots, the passion for buildings ran literally in her blood. “I grew up in an atmosphere rich with art, design and culture, thanks to my artist mother. Finding a balance between the building and art sides of my personality led me towards architecture,” explains Shruti. She completed her architecture, landscape architecture and art degree from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Sushant School of Art & Architecture, New Delhi. After practicing architecture for a while the entrepreneur in her kicked in and in 2003 after her move to Bengaluru, she started her first real estate development company at the age of 23. Currently director at Soul Space Projects, her company develops malls and residential projects all designed in-house. “Carrying forward my passion for design, in 2010, I started my architecture practiceChrysalis Design Studio (it is an entirely women-run enterprise). Keeping the entrepreneur in me going and giving wings to my passion for fitness, I have partnered with fitness professionals to open India’s first Hyper Gym, The Hood in Bengaluru.
TINA SAREEN Founder of Label - LBD What you wear is a reflection of your personality but one should never take fashion so seriously that they stop having fun, is what Tina thinks. “I have always paid a lot of attention to design detail of any sort. I am drawn towards things that are simple and beautiful with a story to tell. On returning from Melbourne and London after my studies, I was keen to bridge the gap between high street and designer fashion in India by introducing a bespoke European line of clothing which is more design centric versus brand centric. I am hoping to change set ideas that women in India have towards the way they dress, to add value to their wardrobes, to dress for themselves and to express through their clothes,” explains the stylish lady. She feels that through travel one is exposed to various cultures, art, street fashion and food. “Your wardrobe is a melting pot of your experiences, your travels and of different phases of your life which have made you who you are!”
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DIVYA NICHANI Founder of Puraw Vida Divya is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher from the Ramamani Iyengar Yoga Institute Pune and also a raw vegan associate chef from the world’s premier raw culinary school Living Light, in California, and dons the hat of a pastry chef, associate chef and instructor and is also certified in the science of raw food nutrition. In her journey of teaching yoga she realised that not just yoga but a combination of raw/ vegan foods and plant based foods could help people to heal emotionally and physically . She is very passionate about everything she does and firmly believes that learning is a life long process . As the mother of an eight-year-old, she is very conscious about the need for mindfulness and healthy living. Currently she holds yoga classes / workshops and raw vegan demos for kids and adults. She encourages people to experience for themselves the health and happiness the practice of yoga can bring. Her teachings anchor awareness in an ever more fragmented world, to help students stay connected to their true selves, through their bodies, minds and spirits.
KAVYA MADAPPA Entrepreneur, Managing Director, Amanvana Spa Resort, Coorg ‘Amanvana, the rabbit hole for the soul,’ was inspired by the beautiful river Kaveri that flows by the edge of its property. The inspiration was to enhance the beauty of an already beautiful place. Amanvana was created with an idea to help Kavya’s guests return to the essentials of life. “I quit my job working in an insurance company in Bengaluru and decided that I want to create something meaningful in this splendid location. Amanvana is 6 years old now and has had over 75,000 happy guests who are our support and our biggest inspiration to keep up our standards and create novel experiences; such as the eight island trek, four hand antistress massage with organic coffee scrubs to name a few.” The resort is created on straight clean lines with simple textures, colourful patterns and with over 300 species of flora and fauna woven in to create a serene atmosphere that is unforgettable. It is home to 42 species of birds with their numbers growing every year. The gurgling river Kaveri adds her charm to it all. “It has been the most satisfying experience to step out of my comfort zone and to trust my instincts,” tells this enthusiastic entrepreneur. Amanvana, a rabbit hole for the soul, is the outcome of it all! OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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PALLAVI FOLEY Jewellery Designer
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Creative visionary is a word synonymous with Pallavi, one of India’s leading jewellery designers, who is known for her innovation of avant-garde jewellery pieces and international award winning jewels. She graduated as an accessories designer from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi in 2000, and then worked for nine and a half years for Tanishq. Today, she creates her hand-crafted sculptural jewels, in rich 18 carat gold, in her studio and boutique in Bengaluru. Apart from having her own jewellery boutique, she also works as a design consultant to many Indian and International jewellery brands. Her remarkable ability to think out of the box has created many a masterpiece for she believes her work to be more than art. Pallavi says, “After conceptualising a design idea, it’s all about design detailing; there is as much science in a piece of jewellery as there is in art.” This ability has also encouraged traditional craftsmen to enhance and explore their skills with her design sensibilities. Pallavi’s foray into jewellery design is much like an artist’s journey, which is how she looks at it. One look at each of her designs tells us that her mind travels a road of rediscovery to use traditional Indian jewellery-making techniques very differently while pushing the envelope of design. Her profile speaks volumes in terms of quality of achievement. She has received numerous national and international design awards in jewellery design. With awards flowing her way, her shows are undoubtedly the most sought after in the fashion world.
SARAYU HEGDE Fashion enthusiast, curator and founder of The Bombay Attic Located in the heart of the city, the charming heritage space with its eclectic boho interiors offers a platform for the most promising talent in Indian fashion and design. Although her educational background was in food (Bachelors in Hotel Management ) her lifelong dream has always been to be a part of the fashion industry. “When I moved to Bengaluru from Mumbai three years ago, I wanted to curate a space for ready to wear affordable designer clothing with new talent from around India. We’ve introduced many promising designers to Bengaluru and in our one year of eventful existence we’ve had the opportunity to host trunk shows with some of India’s biggest names in the fashion scene,” tells the enthusiastic fashionista. “Travel is a big part of my job and I’ve discovered some of the best finds for my store at the most unexpected places. I also love to see how people from each city or country interpret world fashion trends with local sensibility. I wanted to create a space which was not just about the product we sell but an experience.”
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Jayam Ravi Fresh off the blockbuster success of ‘Thani Oruvan’, Jayam Ravi is gung ho about the future. We love his spirit. Shankaran Malini explores more in a candid tête-àtête with the actor.
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“My son gets upset if he finds my poster torn”:
A refreshing holiday While the makers are basking in the glory of ‘Thani Oruvan’, the film’s protagonist ‘Jayam’ Ravi and his wife Aarti had just returned from a short vacation to Maldives where he celebrated his 35th birthday. He can’t stop raving about the island country. “Usually, for my birthday every year, my wife plans an outing. In Chennai, even in India, or in Dubai sometimes, it’s difficult for me to roam around independently. I like staying aloof and prefer peace and quiet. So, I prefer going to a serene place where people don’t recognise me. Earlier, we’ve been to Macau and Langkawi but this time we chilled out in Maldives. It’s like heaven on earth. I have never seen such beauty underwater. We spent four days there. We don’t take the kids along on such vacations. Aarti’s parents took care of the kids while we were away,” says Ravi. The star couple also dropped in at the world’s first undersea restaurant and had a great time. “The beauty of the whole thing is that you can’t see any part of this restaurant on the surface. It’s a beautiful place and the tranquil setting gave life a fresh feel. It was a
Photography: Karthik Srinivasan of Dreeamcast Studios Location: Dreeamcast Studio Styling by: Studio 9696 Make up and Hair: Suman Clothes: Lifestyle; Shoes: Language Glasses: Lawrence & Mayo
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never-before experience for us,” shares Ravi animatedly. “I did not even propose to Aarti properly” Ravi and Aarti had also been to Dubai for SIIMA earlier this year. In his award acceptance speech, Ravi had mentioned that he is not a ‘romantic person’. Talking more about this streak, the actor says, “I meant that I am not a ‘textbook romantic. I did not even propose to Aarti properly. I mean I didn’t go down on my knees, serenade her with roses etc. I am what you would call a practical romantic. For instance, I may not overtly express my feelings,
but if I like someone they will know it,” he says, continuing, “Aarti has always been by my side, whether good times or bad. Up until recently she was handling my social media presence by herself. Now we have a dedicated admin resource, but she manages many of the communication even now. She always encourages me to try different things.” What’s so special about dad? “My kids – five year-old Aarav and one year-old Ayaan are my world. Aarav was named as a combination of both our names. I couldn’t devote much time to my family last year since I was busy shooting. But this time, I want to
around and spend quality time with them. Aarav is constantly in tough with me when I am away on shoots and he misses me a lot. Kids look upon their father as their ultimate hero,” Ravi shares, adding, “I could see the change in his behaviour over the years. Initially, Aarav used to wonder why people click pictures with me and what is so special about his father. Now, he has begun to understand better. On his way back from school, if he finds my poster missing or torn, he gets upset. He watches my films and in my recent releases, I think he likes ‘Romeo Juliet’ a lot mainly because of the ‘Dandanakka’ song. Being a boy he loves guns and Eyewear Courtesy of
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fighting and that’s probably why he likes ‘Thani Oruvan’ too. He says he likes the film so much he wants to watch many times over. He is hyperactive and has won many competitions in school.” One-year-old Ayaan is the new bundle of joy in their house, Ravi says. “For Ayaan, we couldn’t work on a combination name (he laughs), but we liked what we chose. It’s a beautiful name. He has started walking and it’s an absolute delight to watch him walk trying to balance his gravity. Now, I want to
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work more just for them.” “I grew up eating Andhra food” “It’s been a blessed life for me. My parents have always been there for me. Although my father is from Madurai, he worked hard and managed to become one of the top three producers in the Telugu film industry. He gave up all that and came here just because he wanted to launch me into filmdom. We grew up eating Andhra food and I have so many fond memories of our
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Photography: Karthik Srinivasan of Dreeamcast Location: Dreeamcast Studio Styling by: Studio 9696 Make up and Hair: Suman Clothes: Lifestyle ; Shoes: Language Sunglasses: Lawrence & Mayo
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Andhra days. I would want to work on a Telugu film sometime. Some of my Tamil films have been remakes of hit Telugu films, but I have never done a straight Telugu film as yet. Brother ‘Remake Raja’ takes the blame Ravi is very close to his brother and the duo understand each other very well too. He says a lot of dialogues, and that’s how he explains his scripts. “Raja had made a film while doing his film course and his vision at that age when he made his college diploma film was so uniquely different. It’s just that he needs his own space and time,” the actor explains. Raja is often referred to as ‘remake’ Raja because almost all his films have been successful remakes. ‘Thani Oruvan’ is his first original script ever and is the answer to his jaw-dropping and incredible potential as an independent director. “I hope he makes many more such original films and I will be there to support him. Whenever I go through a lull period, and feel down and out, he does a remake. I enjoy the success of the film and he takes the blame as ‘Remake Raja’ (smiles). As a brother he has always been there for me. Working with my brother is like coming home after work. We go out to work and then we get back home. I hope he does a straight film again this time. People are looking forward to us to working together again. It might happen at the end of next year,” adds Ravi. Remembering Arya’s appreciation Having done lighthearted, romantic and serious roles, Ravi agrees that it is the responsibility of an actor to treat his audience to a variety of roles. He fondly recalls Tamil actor Arya appreciating him recently for making a non-comedy, nonhorror film (‘Thani Oruvan’) work magic at the box office at a time when horror and horror comedies are the in-thing. Cheers to that!
CELEBRATING THE SOUTH INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY
ENTRIES ARE INVITED FOR THE 1st EDITION OF IIFA AWARDS IIFA. A Celebration. An Institution. A Platform Since 2000, IIFA has been the Global Ambassador for Hindi Cinema This year IIFA is proud to announce IIFA UTSAVAM – a celebration of cinema from South India. We invite you to send in your entries for the 1st Edition of IIFA Utsavam
In case of any queries kindly contact Ms. Smrithi Menon : +91 9597657689 Email - smrithi.menon@iifa.com
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Photographs: Haider Khan Styled by: Planet Fashion Styling: Shaira Chaudhry Make-Up & Hair: Pradeep Pandey
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Dapper 3-piece Suit crafted to perfection. Looks suave when paired with a classic pink shirt styled with a tone-on-tone tie and pocket square
“I have done
the craziest
things in love!� In the day and age of excessive hype, he stands out with his utter simplicity. Known as much for his lightning moves as his directorial successes and histrionics, he has made almost every superstar of Indian cinema dance to his tunes. Yet his demeanour is anything but that of a super achiever. The naturally charming Prabhu Deva Sundaram poses exclusively for RITZ and our sister publication Southscope, in classic and contemporary suits styled exclusively for him by Planet Fashion. Later tucking into a simple but well made lunch of brown rice and dal with potatoes and vegetables, in his spacious and elegantly done up Mumbai pad in one of priciest and most sought after apartment complexes, RITZ catches up with one of the most sensational directors in the country. OCTOBER 2015 RITZ 67
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From a gawky young lad who featured in a super hit dance number in Gentleman in 1993 to being hailed as India’s Michael Jackson, Prabhu’s journey has been as spectacular as his own dance moves and of course, the movies he makes. In just over two decades, he has carved a niche for himself that is so unlike anything he could have imagined when he set out to be a dancer/choreographer. Of late, he seems to have made Mumbai his home, belting out hit after hit with the superstars of Bollywood. His latest outing Singh is Bling has once again reiterated his position in the world of direction. Right now, besides the film’s performance at the box office, Prabhu is eagerly looking forward to meeting up with his sons. “I am taking a short break in October. I will catch up with my sons in Chennai during the Dussehra holidays - they are getting about four days off. I want to spend time with them.” Having positioned himself in Bollywood, which is known to be one of the most demanding film industries in the world, does Prabhu Deva feel enormous pressure to prove his mettle with every film? “Absolutely. Every Friday of my film’s release is a test for me. Every Friday our fates hang in the balance. This is an industry where you are celebrated if you have a hit and written off if your next film is a flop. So if my work is appreciated and the film does well, it’s fine. If not, then critics will say that I need to improve. In fact, I have had to prove myself at every point since my childhood. So I am used to the pressure.” But we wonder what made him shift so suddenly to Bollywood. Could it have been to take his mind off his breakup with Nayanthara, who he had come very close to tying the knot with? When will we see him back in the south? “I don’t even discuss those things now. I stopped talking about it a long time ago. But yes, about me being Bollywood bound, the fact is that it just happened. I didn’t plan anything. If you ask me about coming back to my home turf of South India, I do expect it to happen sometime soon. I recently turned producer and have my own outfit called Prabhu Deva Studios. We wrapped up our first film directed by Priyadharshan and co-produced by AL Vijay. The second project ‘Vinodhan’ has kick-started already. The third project, which will have ‘Jayam’ Ravi in the lead role, will start in November mostly,” he explains. “Being a producer is a source of constant tension. I don’t know why, maybe it is because I am still new to it.” How much freedom does he give his team as a producer? Wouldn’t his sensibilities as an actor/choreographer/director kick in, during casting, scripting and even in the direction stages? Prabhu laughs softly, “Look, I am here in Mumbai and the teams are working in Chennai on our films – isn’t it freedom enough? Once I trust someone with
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“The one thing I notice first about a woman is how hard she works�
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Classics never go out of fashion. Redefined Black & Whites with a new silhouette and cut, made versatile enough to be apt for the board room and the red carpet.
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a responsibility, I don’t like to interfere with their work much. Having said that, I am also very busy here. When I act, I submit myself completely to the director’s vision. I go to the sets as an artiste, I leave behind the baggage of my directorial and other experiences. Take ABCD for example. I accepted the role when I didn’t even know the story! Similarly, when I direct, I am fully involved with the intricacies of each and every role, the script, the attitude and the approach. I am also very particular about work being planned well and executed on time.” Talking of his forthcoming projects, he says, “Next year, probably in the beginning, I will be doing a Hindi film and I will act in it too, mostly.” We remark that his remakes of super hit South Indian films in Hindi have been his biggest blockbusters. “Why? I have done good straight films too. Take ‘R Rajkumar’ for instance. It was an original script and its screenplay is part of the Oscar Library. I would like to be known as much for my original scripts as my remakes.” Fair point. Talking of casting for his movies, we quiz him on his obsession with Sonakshi Sinha. Why has she been cast in so many of his films? “At the time of ‘Rowdy Rathore’, I needed an Indian face for the film and Sonakshi Sinha perfectly fit the bill. She had the ideal desi face I required. Again for ‘R Rajkumar’ I had the same requirements and naturally, she was my obvious choice. In the case of ‘Action Jackson’, there were three heroines. Now, you know how difficult it is to rope in multiple heroines. And since I had worked with Sonakshi already, I simply signed her on for the film. I must also state here that she is a good actress.” What about leading men? Who’s talented? Who grooves the best? “These days everybody is talented. People act, produce and direct. They have their own special brilliance. As far as good dancers are concerned, Vijay, Simbu, Dhanush, Jayam Ravi, Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Ram Charan – these are some names that come to my mind now.” His movies are normally said to typecast women into a masala mould. But in real life what appeals to Prabhu Deva, the man, when it comes to the fairer sex? “I have the deepest appreciation for hardworking women. In fact, the one thing I notice first about a woman is how hard she works. A housewife, for instance, takes care of everything at home. She takes care of her husband, her children, she cooks and does so much more. A working woman balances home and work. Whatever a woman does, I notice how she goes about doing it. And I admire diligence a lot in women.” We gently prod him about the crazy things he has done while in love. Prabhu Deva smiles shyly, “Everybody says that I am a born romantic. When in love, I have done the craziest things possible. But don’t ask me what; I guess the word ‘craziest’ should explain it all! So who is the current recipient of his crazy, romantic overtures? “My relationship status is ‘single’ for OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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now,” he says clearly. Talking of his early days, Prabhu reminisces, “You know, I started working very early. I dropped out of school after 11th grade. My teachers decided both they and I had had enough! I had a superb childhood though. I was a very shy, reticent child. I have been punished several times for being late to school and not doing my homework especially during my 8th and 9th grades. After 11th grade I decided to opt out and get into films. It was a major decision at that time. In those days, students my age would aspire to be a doctor or an engineer. Nobody would actively set about aspiring to act, leave alone pursue a career as a dancer. But to give my parents complete credit, they stood by my choices. I thought my dad would be reluctant to let me join films and was surprised to get his go-ahead. I have always been very close to my mom. I think I am most influenced by her.” How does he keep himself fit and when does he find the time to relax, we ask. “ I am a vegetarian and a teetotaller. Those are healthy lifestyle choices. A lot of people ask me if I keep fit by dancing regularly. Trust me, I don’t dance as much as I would like to. I lead the kind of life where if I have started a film, I wake up, get to work, give it my best shot and come back and veg out on my couch, exhausted. In my free time I usually watch films at home and catch up on the phone with my school friends. We recently had a high school reunion in Chennai and it was so much of fun! I unwind watching films like Bama Vijayam, Kadhalikka Neramillai etc. I am not big on the party scene nor do I have too many friends in the film industry. As for working out, I recently devised my own 45-minute exercise regimen which I do right in the comfort of my living room. The important part of this regimen is that it is done non-stop. It’s a combination of dance, yoga, pilates and strength training. I have been at it everyday for 7 days now. Today, because of our shoot, I skipped.” Setting aside all the trappings of his busy, super successful film career, what kind of a guy is Prabhu Deva in real life? “I am a normal, simple person who believes in taking life as it comes and taking it easy. A lot like the ‘Take It Easy Policy’ song I danced to! I believe that in life you should arrive, live happily and depart. That’s not to say my life so far has been a walk in the park. I have had my share of tough moments and times of acute crisis. I believe that my struggles have only shaped me better as a person, they have not made me bitter or left me scarred. Still without going into details, I went through an incident which I can call the saddest in my life ever. I sincerely wish I could undo it somehow. Believe me, it was really sad and painful.” Where does Prabhu Deva see himself five years from now? “I am 42 now and five years down the line, I will be 47. No matter what else I do, I want to keep dancing. I know for sure that at that age, I will be trying to dance like I am doing now,” he chuckles. That’s the way to do it!
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Styled by
Trendy Linen collection – goes best for a casual outing with friends. Make a lasting impact with this high contrast coordinated ensemble.
“I have had my share of tough moments and times of acute crisis. I believe that my struggles have only shaped me better as a person, they have not made me bitter or left me scarred”
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HYDERABAD
A Bejewelled Encounter
She’s one of the most talented jewellery designers the country has seen, most definitely in the top five from South India. Hyderabad’s Moni Agarwal made headlines this year when she got tennis ace Sania Mirza to walk the ramp for her at the recently concluded India International Jewelley Week. No stranger to stars and their adoration, the pretty designer from the city of Nizams has dressed some of the biggest South Indian names from movie stars, to socialites and top businesswomen. And they’ve all got high words of praise for her supreme talent and verve. RITZ spends time with the effervescent designer, taking time to delve a bit deeper into her psyche to understand her design philosophy, her penchant for all things that glitter and her zeal to be the best at what she does.
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COVER STORY Moni Agarwal with tennis ace and showstopper Sania Mirza wearing her jewellery She’s the go-to girl for unique, imaginative creations in diamonds and pearls. An expert in gemology, Moni Agarwal, jewellery designer par excellence is also one of the most well-known faces on Hyderabad’s business and social circuit. From having top movie stars and sports stars flaunting her startlingly different pieces to having made a name for herself in the jewellery business with her cutting edge design and eye for detail, there’s several different facets to her personality that she says are still unexplored. She was the first South Indian
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designer to be invited to the prestigious India International Jewellery Week and took it upon herself to showcase the rich heritage of Hyderabad at the event. Having created a name for herself in the business for her delicate Nakshi work and her Bhagmati series of jewels, Moni has always garnered inspiration for her designs from the rich cultural heritage of the city that she calls her home. “Not only is Hyderabad my beloved home town, its also, for any artist, a haven of constant inspiration,” she tells. “There is a plethora of iconic culture and design that surrounds you, and in my case, has engulfed me, ever since I was a little girl. The tremendous Nizami influence on the city has found its way into my own design language, specifically in my Meeravali Collection. The Mughal architecture, the delectable cuisine, the kayda and tehzeeb; the very essence of Hyderabad fills each pore of my being, and manifests in some form or fashion, in each design of mine. For my latest collection Zohrakshi, it is the ‘flower’ that has served as its primary influence. The beautiful gardens of Hyderabad have spoken to me, and found their way into my subconscious.” Speaking about influences of history and culture on her work she clarifies, “There is however one point I want to emphasise here. Many people perceive only the old and classic to serve as a muse. My jewellery and design aesthetic is all about drawing from the timeless and historic and giving them their rightful place in the present time. I try and do this by staying true to my roots, yet marrying those roots with the contemporary. In some sense, you could think of it as fusion. And here is where Hyderabad also really inspires me. It’s the perfect metaphor for fusion – for seamlessly and successfully merging ancient and modern, timeless and trendy. At the heart of this great city is its legendary heritage, while its beating soul is cutting edge information technology! It’s a truly amazing place. I owe Hyderabad my everything,” she tells with deep emotion and pride. Born into a traditional Telugu South Indian family, Moni married into a Marwari household. However, she’s quick to rubbish the mindset that people generally attach to inter-caste marriages, choosing instead to think more broad-mindedly and embrace
each religion and caste for what it is and not what it dictates. “Too much is made of this inter-caste ‘adjustment’. Don’t get me wrong, I am not for a moment being insensitive or dismissive of the huge adjustments people, especially women have to make when it comes to this aspect of their lives. Having said that, I feel, with my generation, times have changed. And changed for the better. See, small peculiarities will always be there – that’s what makes communities uniquely beautiful. Having said that, in my case, my husband and I, my in-laws and I, we get along so wonderfully, that the few and far between ‘adjustments’ that one has made, have been made happily, without even noticing them actually. People, in essence, are the same. Fortunately for me, our two families have similar values and similar life philosophies. So you tell me, where really is the big adjustment? As for changing after marriage... Everyone changes. But again, I feel it is less because one’s status has changed from ‘single’ to ‘married’ and more because you’ve grown and evolved as a person. I love being married. I love being a ‘bahu’. I am more responsible. I am more appreciative. And I am a better person. All of which, I’m loving! As for my name – it was, and remains Moni!” Taking the personal route we ask her how she met her husband and how the two families accepted the news of their relationship. She tells us, “I met my husband through common friends. Our families only wanted to ensure that he and I got along, so in that sense, one can’t really say there was any real opposition.” Her romantic heart and nature are possibly one of the many factors that contribute to Moni’s creativity and she has no qualms in proclaiming the same to the world. Considering her love for the dramatic and penchant for design and style was she expecting a romantic proposal? She laughingly divulges, “My husband proposed to me very sweetly and romantically over a candle-light dinner (and that’s the extent of details you shall get, no more)!” We continue to cajole her, goading her for details on the first date and here’s what she shares. “First dates are sacred, I’d want it to be between just him and me, forever! Having said that, we’ve made many memories together that I’ll cherish.
Both of us love to travel, so we’ve been to some lovely places the world over. Beach destinations are a hit with us. He is a businessman with interests in edible oil and other sectors.” And is he a strong backing both emotionally and literally as far as her work is concerned? “ As far as supporting me in my work goes, he’d better, or he’d be in deep, deep trouble! Jokes aside though, his biggest way of supporting me in my work is to give me the freedom to explore. When
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you’re in love, you have to set your loved one free. My husband practices that adage completely, and I adore him for it!” Recalling her childhood, Moni tells us how she was a naughty, but good kid. We ponder on this contradictory description of herself and she responds: “Contradiction? I don’t think so. No one is black or white. We’re all shades of grey aren’t we? So when it was study time, I’d be a good girl. When it was play time, I could be quite the prankster and trouble-maker. I remember once locking my grandmother in her store-room because she loved being in there anyway, and it was this big joke in the family! But silliness aside, I think what defined me as a child, and come to think of it, continues to be my most admirable, if sometimes annoying quality, is my curiosity! I was always a very very
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curious child – as curious as a cat! But it wasn’t curiosity for gossip or slander, rather intellectual and knowledge-based curiosity. A genuine hunger to explore, find out, and soak up as much as I could. I drove everyone around me crazy asking questions constantly… I still do!,” she adds in a laughing aside. So how did a person as curious as her get into a creative field like jewellery design. Why not science or mathematics where she could let her mind run wild solving puzzles and asking infinite questions? What, we ask, has been her strategy to choosing design as a career option. “Since you’ve asked about strategy let me say at the very outset, I have never strategised. I don’t know how to. I simply can’t. I sometimes wish I could. But no such luck. I design by instinct, gut, and inspiration. If there’s a trend I don’t catch, a season I miss, so be it. I got into jewellery quite naturally. Ever since I can remember, I was obsessed with jewellery. I would admire all the jewellery I’d see around me – from the classic Satlada Necklace to the timeless String of Pearls. It made me go weak in the knees! With that kind of impact, it is hard to imagine doing anything else. I would get inspired when I travelled, read something poetic, and connect it to all the stunning jewellery I’d been exposed to growing up, and something, somewhere, inside of me would germinate organically and the designs just came pouring out!” From organic growth of design to the heights of glamour and glitz, Moni Agarwal’s name has now become synonymous with movie stars. From getting the best celebrities - be it the hunky Rana Daggubati, or the ethereal Soha Ali Khan and tennis ace Sania Mirza to walk the ramp for her, she’s had more than her fair share of adulation and praise from them. “Without meaning to sound pompous, I think true creativity attracts the best people. At least in my case, that’s been my experience. Only if a celebrity genuinely respects and likes your creation will the endorsement come your way. It’s as simple as that. I never use a connection or remuneration in the mix. Best you ask these people how and why,” she tells us with a smile. And what would she have done had she not been a jewellery designer?
“Now that’s a very scary thought. Like a friend of mine who’s a very talented singer told me recently, “Just because I’m not singing professionally doesn’t mean I’m not a singer.” I think even if the world didn’t know me as a jewellery designer, and you weren’t asking me these questions right now; I’d still be creating jewellery. Maybe just for myself, but it would still be what I’d be doing! It’s my first love. And its not that I don’t know how to do other things, I’d just rather not!” Strong words from an equally strong woman, we think! In keeping with her passion and love for design Moni plans to continue her forage into the design world at a much faster pace than she’s been doing so far. “I’m excited about a
few specific projects that are in the pipeline. Possibly a book, and a totally different type of jewellery line. It’ll all fructify in good time,” she tells. So where does she see herself five years from now? “Right here, hopefully,” she tells with her trademark tinkling laugh. “But seriously, I want to be right here in this beautiful city, amongst my families and friends, doing what I’m doing now. I would like to have had some more collections that I’ve felt charged and compelled to create. I would like to have expanded my retail footprint a little more. But mostly, you’ll find me right here, with my repertoire of designs and travels, having increased! OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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COIMBATORE
The Zamindars Of Uthukuli The Kalingarayars are an ancient clan of rulers who ruled parts of Western Tamil Nadu from the times of the Cholas. Siddharth AMR Kalingarayar is a modern day businessman and aristocrat rolled into one and shuttles between Uthukuli which is located on the outskirts of Pollachi and the industrial city of Coimbatore. He is part of the 37th generation from the time his family made a mark in the history of the ancient Kongu country. Text: Rajesh Govindarajulu
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Zamin Uthukuli has been under the tutelage of the Kalingarayars for the last several centuries. Siddharth A.M.R. Kalingarayar is the youngest grandson of the Zamindar of Uthukuli A.M.R. Kalingarayar. He did his schooling at the prestigious Lawrence School at Lovedale. Thereafter he took to organic farming, production of organic manure while also offering solid waste management solutions to local bodies and NGOs in Tamil Nadu. He has been associated with the famous green NGO of Coimbatore, Siruthuli and is also an active member of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage). “Our ancestors ruled the Vellode part of the Kongu country and around the year 1282 they dedicated the Kalingarayar canal to the people of Western Tamil Nadu by creating a union between the rivers Bhavani, Amaravathi and Noyyal - the three tributaries of river Cauvery. The canal measures 56.5 miles and has been irrigating over 30,000 acres of land for the past seven centuries. We created our own strain of paddy which came to be known as the Kalingan paddy. Even today water flows through the Kalingarayar canal for 10 and a half months a year. The ruler of Vijayanagar bestowed the title ‘Rayar’ on us for perpetuity in recognition of our services and our family moved over to Uthukuli near
Pollachi in order to ensure that the benefits of the Kalingarayar canal were completely given to the farmers of the region. The grateful agrarian community continues to celebrate the 5th of the Tamil month of Thai each year as the Kalingarayar day,” states the dynamic Siddharth. The Kalingarayars fought wars on behalf of both the Nayaks of Madurai and the Wodeyars of Mysore in Tirunelveli and Coorg respectively. The Uthukuli Palayam came under the East India Company after the death of Tipu Sultan and the rulers were granted a Zamindari Sanad by the British Monarch during the 19th century. “Our zamin consisted of over 10,000 acres
of land during the time of the English and we began integrating ourselves with the industrialised society during the times of our ancestor Diwan Bahadur Muthuramaswamy Kalingarayar who belonged to the 33rd generation of Kalingarayars. Our family moved over to Coimbatore during the times of my grandfather A.M.R.Kalingarayar and has made substantial contributions to several institutions in this region,” adds the ebullient aristocrat. The sprawling palace of the Zamindars of Uthukuli is spread over four acres and is vested with Siddharth and his cousin Vishnu. The palace has several bedrooms, OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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OVER A CUPPA a library, sheds for bullock carts and cars, a large granary, a kutchery were the Zamindars held court during the yesteryears in addition to a large garden which provides produce for the palace and flowers for the twelve temples managed by the royal family. Large parts of the palace were restored by Siddharth and his parents Arunkumar and Seetha, who happens to be the grand daughter of the doyen of the Murugappa Group - AMM Murugappa Chettiar. He shows a keen interest while describing the ancient palace, “The Pollachi region is close to Kerala and therefore the design and terminology have its influence. We have a Kottaram as in Kerala. A lot of wood and tiles are found in our palace. The second phase is a few hundred years old and has Indo-Saracenic influences in it. This was the residential portion
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until the modern wing was added in the twentieth century. We have some nice pieces of furniture, curios, old pictures and records belonging to the different eras. As you move from one part of the palace to the other you will feel like you are moving through different time zones. The place is full of history. My ancestors were important rulers who had fought battles all over the South while also administering thousands of square kilometres of territory during their heydays and therefore much was witnessed by the palace,” he tells. “I spend my weekends off roading, working on my own breed of dogs - the toy boxer or spending time on a coracle in the large lotus pond in Samathur. Incidentally, my wife Shrinidhi is the daughter of Ramaraj Vanavarayar from the ancient Samathur Zamindari,” shares Siddharth. Multi-faceted Siddharth has a large
collection of stamps and coins. He happens to be a member of the Madras Naturalists Society and also NASBA due to his interest in solid waste management. He is authorised to train organic farmers by virtue of a programme that he participated in Uttarakhand some years ago. The World Tamil University has recognised him by conferring an Honourary Doctorate recently. Siddharth echoes positive sentiments while talking about the future. “My daughter Alankrutha just loves to be at Uthukuli. I want to bring the international traveller to our palace and usher in sustainable heritage tourism in the near future. Our first batch of visitors from Canada are due sometime in November. I hope that this will be a new beginning for our centuries old heritage at Uthukuli,” he says, signing off with flourish.
COIMBATORE
First an ace tennis player, now a mentor who trains and nurtures youngsters out of Niru’s Tennis Academy in Santa Clara, California; ever since she retired from the competitive aspect of the sport, Coimbatore girl Nirupama Vaidyanathan, who at one time was the poster-girl for Indian tennis, has trained more than 3000 enthusiasts of the game along with her brother KV Ganesh at their acclaimed academy in the United States. We caught up with her on her visit to her home town to talk about her life post tennis, her book The Moonballer and her newest passion - a cooking blog. Text: Rajesh Govindarajulu Nirupama Vaidyanathan is the first Indian woman tennis player to have won a singles match in a Grand Slam at Australia in 1998. She won the gold medal in the mixed doubles category in the SAF Games when she partnered with her cousin KG Ramesh. She went on to win bronze while partnering with Mahesh Bhupathi at the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998. She has played with Sania Mirza, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes at the Commonwealth Games. For over a decade this dynamic lady was ranked number one in the country and now, continues to strive to keep the sanctity and pleasure of playing tennis alive with her tennis academy in California. She began playing tennis as a child with her 83 father KS Vaidyanathan and brother, and by the time she had reached her teens, thanks to her self-taught father who was also her coach, she began rising in the ranks of the game with her sheer grit and determination and the fact that she loved the sport. “When I reached Class X, my father advised me to play the game before dealing with my board exams. My father was a sportsperson himself and he played cricket for Tamil Nadu at the Ranji level. He used to attend training programmes for coaches in those days and used to apply those techniques with my brother and myself,” tells Nirupama, while recalling the past as we chat over a nice cup of filter coffee prepared by her mother Meenakshi Vaidyanathan. The family are long time residents of Coimbatore for over a century. In fact K Narayana Sastri, Nirupama’s great grand uncle, was a proponent of the free library movement and co-founded the Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club during the year 1891. The senior Vaidyanathans live in an apartment called Centre Court, aptly named after the famous tennis court connected with Wimbledon. Her autobiography The Moonballer was published a few years ago. “Moonballer is
a metaphor. Moonballing is not considered to be good for tennis. It is rallying for a long time in order to make your opponent blink and make an error. It is evolving from being a Moonballer to becoming an aggressive serve and volley player that makes life interesting. I wrote this book primarily to shed the myth surrounding women in sports. It was tennis legend Vijay Amritaraj who released this book and I have been a tournament commentator along with him on a number of occasions. I learnt much from other players like Ramanathan Krishnan, who was like an artist while on the tennis court. Steffi Graf was my role model,” states the determined lady. She moved to the United States after her marriage and lives in Santa Clara with her husband Sanjiv who works in IT and daughter Sahana. While talking about her tennis academy in the US she happily shares the fact that about 20 of her students have progressed rapidly in playing categories and she divulges further, “Our academy uses about five centres in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Summers are really busy for it is then that we work all day. We offer a holistic approach where fitness and the game are evenly balanced. Parents are very happy to
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From Serve to Volley
see their kids play good club class tennis and the onus is on them to encourage their children in sport. I am also in the process of writing my second book which I propose to name Sports Parenting or Parenting a Wimbledon Champ,” she tells. “My parents game me everything that was needed and I could not have scaled these heights without their inputs. My father sacrificed his legal practice and hired a tennis court in order to train me and my mother was a pillar of support during those tough formative years. Parents of sporting kids must look beyond academics and I am really happy for this is beginning to happen in India more and more,” adds Nirupama. A self-proclaimed foodie she has her own blog where she shares recipes that she gathers from her travels across the world, alongside some traditional Indian recipes as well. “It’s a food blog where I share mostly vegetarian recipes from around the world based on my travel experiences. I share the details of my discoveries with regard to food and its cultural background. My favourite is Cous Cous with a Ratatouille which I came across in the Moroccan quarter of Paris. Coimbatore’s famous Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal is also featured on my blog,” she tells with a smile. “Soon, I will be promoting Benevolent Bacon, a vegetarian substitute made of soy and tofu for the American company Sweet Earth Foods as their brand ambassador,” she adds. Her future plans include establishing an academy in Coimbatore that will focus on tennis philanthropy helping financially under privileged children with promise in the game to get necessary coaching, equipment and guidance. “Not everyone is fortunate and it is my turn to do something for the less fortunate which will in turn put Coimbatore on the tennis map of the world,” she says, signing off with flourish. OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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BENGALURU
Romancing The Bling There is an element of her personal style in every part of Geetaa Paul’s plush home in Bengaluru. The savvy businesswoman loves and appreciates the good things in life and she wasn’t shy to proclaim the same in her apartment which she shares with her mother and daughter Chahat. We take a peek into the Paul residence on Bengaluru’s Hosur Road. Text: Archana Shenoy 84
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“My only mandate to my decorator when she took on the job to design the interiors of my apartment was that the house should reflect the personalities of all its inhabitants. The one pre-requisite from my side was an opulent temple to house my favourite deity - my Ganeshji,” tells the stylish lady as she takes us on a tour of her home. From the elaborate foyer decorated in mother-of-pearl tiles to the cozy living room with its beige and gold theme and eye-catching metal flowers mounted on one wall, Geetaa’s home speaks of her love for the colours gold and beige. The space has been liberally coloured in gold - from walls to drapes to bits of furniture and the curios - they all speak of the lady’s love for richness and opulence. “I wanted the space to look blingy, yet classy. Hence I was specific that bright bling tones like red and purple be kept out of the colour scheme. I chose instead to use gold as the primary share through the apartment, breaking the glitter with use of dull beige and wood finishes as required,” she explains. A partner in Vibes Healthcare, Geetaa manages their five fitness centers in Bengaluru and two in Chennai. “I used a decorator Roshni from Auspice in Chennai to do up my home,” she tells. “Once I’m back after a hard day at work I want to come into a place where I can relax and kick back for some down time with my mother and daughter.” The three bedroom apartment has been decorated with much care by Geetaa, who personally selected curios, Lladro figurines and other artefacts to decorate the space in a way that exudes tranquility. “I’ve been shopping for my dream home for a long time now,” she tells. “These figurines - a gold leopard from Europe and a mother-of-pearl swan from Delhi, occupy a place of pride in the bar and living area respectively, and I picked them up on some of my personal travels. Then there’s the reclining Buddha in the foyer that I got on a trip to Thailand. Similarly the Lladro figurines were picked up in Europe. I always knew that I wanted my home to show off my taste for fine things and hence I’ve been shopping in advance waiting for the time to display my collection,” she tells us with a laugh. Huge metal flowers have been mounted on a gold wallpapered wall in the living room to
break the richness of the colour scheme. A beautiful temple or puja room is tucked away on side with a splendid Ganesh idol seated on a beautiful wooden mount. “This is the most important part of the house for me,” tells Geetaa revealing her deeply religious side. The bedrooms are done to suit the personality of each of its inhabitants - baby pink mixed with gold for Chahat, Geetaa’s daughter, beige and brown for her mother and pure gold for her. “Chahat loves pink and hence that’s the predominant shade in her room. The vanity is done exactly how a girl would love it with a mirror surrounded by lights and loads of storage space for clothes, shoes and cosmetics. My room just had to be gold, even the Chinese blinds have hints of gold in them,” she tells. The dining space boasts of a well-stocked bar, as the Pauls frequently entertain, along with comfy seating where they can kick back and spend family time together.
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HYDERABAD
State of the Art Café The story behind the design of this quaint café on Road Number 10 in Banjara Hills is a heart-tugging one – this was reputed interior designer Aparna Karve’s last design before she passed away. Text: Deeksha Marur
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Hyderabad lacked an open café where people could simply hang out sipping a cuppa while indulging in some art therapy. So between Aparna and the owners - father-daughter duo Prashant and Supriya Lahoti, they embarked on a mission to create a space that was nature friendly. Unfortunately, Aparna passed away before completing this project. Talking about the design factors Supriya says, “Most of the ideas were my father’s, and when Aparna passed away, her associate Supriya Bhalerao helped us build The Gallery Café.” The added attraction of visiting the café is the Kalakriti Art Gallery, also owned by the Lahotis, situated indoors. Enter the gate and you will enter a world where art is the main focus. A 20 foot digital art of the café hangs outside near the parking lot on one wall and on the other are two metal instillations that give you a glimpse of the artsy interiors. Sharing space with their art gallery - Kalakriti, the café has approximately 12 tables and offers some delectable vegetarian continental cuisine.
When it comes to the furniture, the tables are specially designed by different artists from Hyderabad and are available for purchase as well. It is the only café in town that has furniture painted by artists and is what makes the café stand out. If one table has been designed by young artists Afza Tamkanat and Priyanka Aeley, then, another table has been painted on
by the much sought after Sachin Jaltare and others by senior artists like Ravikanth Masuram, Laxman Aeley and Rajeshwar Rao. There is a Creative Corner where anyone who loves art and knows how to sketch or draw can use the set of colours they provide. The adjacent wall showcases paintings/sketches done by their patrons and keeps changing every week.
Another unique factor about this café is that they can mould the space according to the event. So for a mini dance show, they can create a platform for the dancer and for a musician, a stage can be created. What makes this space so special is that it allows for intimate interaction between the performer and the audience, even if only a small number of people can attend the shows. Supriya shares with us that when they decided to create this space, they wanted to make the trees a part of the design and were particular about not cutting down any tree. In fact, one of the trees has installations of metal leaves on the trunk. “We call this the `Blessings Tree.’ When we opened we had a lot of customers who would leave a blessing or feedback on the café and their experience.” With the perfectly lit Industrial lights, a space open to all things art and performing art, and the food that is as good as home cooked food and the vibe of a place where creativity meets freshness are what make this café a cozy little place to hang out. OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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DESIGN ELEMENTS
CHENNAI
Elegance And Charm Personified As houses go, the home of Sajan and Sheila Verghis from Chennai speaks of bespoke elegance and charm and is a perfect reflection of the calm personality of its owners. We take a look at this luxurious dwelling that comes outfitted with a swimming pool and some of the most opulent comforts money can buy. Text: Diya Subramanian 88
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Located off the East Coast Road, Sajan and Sheila Verghis have built their dream house making it look modern, but with a homely touch. Located in the interior parts of Neelankarai, what looks like a humble abode does not set you up for what you see when you enter the house. With a beautiful sprawling lawn which is perfect for hosting a lavish dinner party, there is also a beautiful pool - the perfect space to spend a lazy weekend morning. Strangely enough it is the rear half of the house that is the eye-catcher. As you walk to the backyard you are greeted by a beautifully done patio with enough collectible items and art to keep you visually and sensually occupied for hours, each piece having a story of its ow to tell. Sajan says, “Most of the furniture here is from Sri Lanka. We wanted the house to have a more homely feel than to just be about show pieces. Although most of the outdoor furniture is from Sri Lanka there are some pieces like the table out side that was purchased from Anjali Venkat.” As a couple they had decided that they didn’t want the property to just be about the house but also wanted the space around it to speak for itself, adding a depth of character to the house. Moving to the interiors which were sourced from different places in India as well as abroad, we’re delighted by the amalgamation of textures and shades that greet us. While talking about the construction of the house Sheila says, “A lot of things changed since the first design of the house. Even as it was being constructed, we started changing things here and there. We were very keen on having a lot of wood integrated into the inside space but had heard it was hard to maintain. But then we found some easy maintenance solutions and went ahead with it. Once the wooden flooring was done we then started to look at furniture that suited this theme of the house.” They collected pieces from different places, including the United States, as their main aim was to keep the space maintenance friendly as well as homely. The house reflects a lot of the owners’ interest in art, which further grew as they were sourcing artefacts for the various
spaces. While on an outing to look for fittings for the house they walked into the wrong store which happened to be an art gallery. While talking to the owner, they found their interest in art growing and went on the purchase a lot of the art that you now see in the house, from her. They found pieces they both liked that they felt added spark and character to the house. The upper level of the house holds all the bedrooms - for them as well as their two children Tarun and Tara - and have been decorated to suit the personality of their children, once again reflecting their initial mandate that the house needs to feel like a home. They have a television room with a surround sound system for family evenings. The terrace upstairs is classily done with a spiral staircase leading to the top making it the perfect place for their kids to hang out with friends on a quiet evening. The house is a perfect example of modernity, having carefully worked into it a weave of comfort showcasing the personality of its occupants.
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POINT BLANK
NOW STARRING: SELF-STYLED CENSORS
TO BY SANJAY PIN
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“Naan yeppo varuvaen, eppadi varuven nu yaarukum theriyadhu. Anaal varavendia nerathla correctaa varuvaen” is a Rajini-ism that I used to end my NDTV news reports with, whenever speculation on the superstar taking the political plunge cropped up. That cryptic punchline from his blockbuster ‘Muthu’, meaning “no one knows when I will come, how I will come. But at the right time, I’ll be there.” Quite the Arnold Schwarzenegger equivalent of “I’ll be back”! I remembered this statement while participating in a recent Newshour debate on Times Now anchored by my friend and former colleague Arnab Goswami. The topic was on ‘Fighting the Fringe’. Rajinikanth was warned by some outfits not to star in a film on Tipu Sultan as they viewed the warrior as a ‘tyrant’ who had tortured innocent people. Although my under graduate degree was in History, I will not get into the merits of the charge. History is often interpreted in many ways and as a votary of free speech, I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion. And as a secular citizen, I also believe we must respect the sentiments of all sections and not hurt any feelings. What rankles is something else. Who are these fringe groups who suddenly pop up and dictate terms to others, especially actors ? How are they entitled to decide what you and I should see or not see? How do they know what message a film will convey even before it is shot? What clairvoyant powers do they possess to predict audience response? Why are celebrities, particularly popular actors soft targets? Is it because latching on to them guarantees instant publicity?
With what authority do they behave like self-styled censors? Who gave them the right to impose their extra constitutional writ and usurp the power of the Censor Board? Such incidents do perhaps call for an overhaul of the way we pack political loyalists into the Censor Board to make the body more representative in its outlook by involving all relevant stake holders so there is no room for parallel censoring of films and possible blackmail and extortion. South India has had its share of controversies and protests before the release of films. From the title to specific scenes to the overall message portrayed, there have been sticky points, prompting even State Governments to ban some films in the interest of Law & Order, which justifiably, is a State subject. The BJP, miffed by the upcoming film, at least acted in a more mature fashion by writing a letter to Rajinikanth, requesting him not to act in the ‘controversial’ movie. One can’t say the same about a few outfits that claim to represent the collective conscience of society. Rajinikanth is a reasonable man. Remember how after PMK Leader and Former Union Health Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss appealed to him to quit smoking in films, he readily obliged? By all means let’s debate issues. There is no need to take to the streets and hand out threats. I can never forget the way certain groups led protests against actor-politician Khushbu over her remarks on pre-marital sex. The protesters were ostensibly upset over what they construed as a threat to ‘Indian culture’. Ironically, these torch bearers of culture, didn’t mind holding aloft slippers and brooms and mouthing expletives! Look at the fatwa issued against Oscar winning music composer A.R.Rahman over another film. Rahman’s response on facebook was rational, objective and in keeping with his stature. As I said earlier, let’s not hurt sensibilities. Movies are for entertainment, not to divide us and lead to breach of peace. No audience will enjoy a movie if the threat of hooligans storming into the theatre looms large. If there are issues, let people fight it legally. Our Courts have been sensitive to such issues and have stayed the release of movies that were found to be inflammatory. But clearly, issuing threats is no solution. If our conscience keepers need real issues to protest, I can suggest one. Ask fans of stars to stop pouring milk over their giant hoardings at theatres and give it to starving children instead. (Sanjay Pinto is a Lawyer, Columnist, Author, Public Speaking Mentor & Former Resident Editor – NDTV 24x7) OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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WANDERLUST 92
An Asian
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Odyssey
It most definitely is a clichÊd destination for a holiday - noisy, polluted, architecturally nondescript and so crowded it sometimes takes an hour to drive across a stretch of 200 metres. Yet, it is one of the fastest evolving cities in South East Asia, with a vibe so powerful and colourful that even the most jaded traveller would be forced to break out into a smile in this charismatic city. Archana Shenoy explores the sights and sounds of Bangkok from one of the city’s highest vantage points.
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WANDERLUST
vantage points are man-made! Located on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel on Sathorn Road is Vertigo, one of the city’s classiest fine dining spaces. The viewing deck in the restaurant offers a 360 degree panorama of the city. And for this view and the experience on dining in the clouds, one has to pay a price. In this case the extremely weighty cheque that is delivered at the end of a fabulously crafted meal. The Thai way of relaxation So, you haven’t washed away the fatigue of your hectic Bangkok holiday if you haven’t experienced an authentic Thai massage. Don’t go thinking of skimpily clad masseurs and naked oily bodies. Think instead of a full white pyjama and top, a highly skilled and trained therapist who uses his or her elbows, palms, fingers and even feet to relieve your aching body of any existing tension and aches and pains. At the end of the hour, make sure you tell your brain to remember your legs, for they’re more likely to feel like limp noodles!
There is no love or hate at first sight when it comes to Bangkok. One needs to make an effort to discover little experiential gems hidden deep under the concrete, bustling ethos of the Thai capital. Like the rest of South East Asia that’s in the rat-race to make it to No.1 spot on a traveller’s bucket list, introducing new man-made attractions each summer, Bangkok too has nothing much to write home about, save for its artificially created structures and experiences. There’s no mountains to bunjee jump from, no hiking and trekking trails. It’s humid, loud, stinky in parts, back alleys filled with overflowing garbage bins. Yet, there’s something addictive amidst this man-made cacophony, a few experiences that one must try in order to get the true feel of this vibrant city. There’s the floating market, shopping malls, quirky restaurants, tuk-tuk rides and a visit to Ocean Park and Safari World that the first time traveller should not miss. Then there’s also that
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‘little bit extra’ that the jaded traveller looks for. An evening on the river front Discover the new face of Bangkok at Asiatique - The River Front, a hangout so hip and vibrant created to lure the average traveller away from the shady glamour of shopping at MBK Mall and Chatuchat Market. Asiatique boasts of a giant ferris wheel (if London, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur can have it, why can’t Bangkok?) as their newest tourist attraction, an option to watch a live cabaret and a Muay Thai live theatre with scheduled fights for overnight. Add to that the market place thats filled with branded rip-offs, a central courtyard boasting super dining spaces and the option of a relaxing river cruise on board the Reur Khun Mae dining boat, makes this place one of the most bustling spaces in the city for tourists. Dine in the clouds Not surprisingly, all of Bangkok’s
Street-style heat Street food in Bangkok is as highly revered as the bhel puri is in Mumbai or the puchkas are in Kolkata. You haven’t completed your culinary journey of Bangkok is you haven’t tried their spicy street fare. From the fireextinguisher worthy Tom Yum Goong to sticky, sweetsour Phad Thai noodles, don’t be scared of getting sick when you eat at one of the many street carts that dot the Sois of this vibrant city. If you watch their clean-up ritual once they shut shop, you will rest assured that their levels of hygiene and cleanliness are on par, if not higher than any star rated restaurant in our country. Shop till you drop Though it’s not as cheap as it once used to be, Bangkok is still a shoppers’ delight. Unlike the rest of South East Asia, where size is an issue for most well-built Indian women, the same scale of measure does not hold good in Thailand. There’s brands galore to choose from, every main street in the city boasts of at least one luxury mall, there’s something for every kind of shopper in Bangkok. Even local designers, who have small shops with little tailoring units attached, are great shopping finds as some of the designs and fabrics used are much in keeping with an Indian’s sense of fashion. OCTOBER 2015 RITZ
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FOODIES INC.
BENGALURU
A slice of Italy in Bengaluru
RITZ drops in at Ottimo, the very popular Italian restaurant at ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru.
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Ottimo, which translates to ‘excellent’, is the signature Pan-Italian dining experience at ITC Gardenia, that celebrates quintessential Italian dishes prepared using fine local and imported ingredients. It is a unique offering of modern and contemporary cuisine while ensuring the traditional elements of Italian cuisine are not compromised. If one looks around, they can take a trail to the mountains, valleys, farms and coasts of Italy from a specially compiled menu that is complemented by an impressive wine and grappa library, all combined with the heartwarming aromas drifting from the oven at the centre of the show kitchen. The menu boasts of thoughtfully composed appetisers, soups, pastas, risottos, pizzas and main courses that showcase inverted specialties from Rome, Florence, Parma, Milan, Livorno and many other characterful areas of the country. The dessert section seals the case for Italian culinary mastery. Ottimo revels in interesting ingredients. Olive Oil Ice Cream, Frozen Honey Drops, Indian Naan Khatai all come together for sinful delights, with a twist of contemporary Italian. Nature peeps in through all corners at the restaurant, like the “Terrariums” which are micro gardens in jars and the Ottimo Coat of Arms represents their affair with rustic herbs and woody essences. Address: 1 Residency Road, Bengaluru Phone: +91 80 2211 9898
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