TRANSIT LOUNGE
FACE OF THE MONTH
MCG COUNCILLOR NISHA SINGH
SHAHID KAPOOR
POETRY IN MOTION
HOOKED ON TO BALLET
Citynews dlf
February 2015 Vol. 8 Issue 11
` 50
Commissioner
LIVING
Farmhouses Become
Preferred Getaways
Terms of
Endearment Decoding the Language
of Love
In The Millennium City Friendship, Relationships & Virtual Reality P-10
To Beat The Stress P-51
COMMUNITY CONNECT
The Parsi story is all
about preserving
traditions
While Embracing new ways P-43
Citynews DLF
CONNECTING GURGAON
RNI No.: DELENG/2006/19254 EDITOR Vinay Jha DESIGN & PRODUCTION Asia Media Design ASSOCIATE EDITOR Meenakshi Sharma SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR Dikhya Tiwari SENIOR FEATURES WRITER Reena Dhankher CONTRIBUTOR Rahul Ahuja PHOTOS The Deep Images MARKETING, AD SALES & DISTRIBUTION Touchpoints Marketing Services Printed and published by Vinay Jha on behalf of DLF Utilities Ltd, Shopping Mall, 3rd Floor, Arjun Marg, DLF City Phase I, Gurgaon -122002 Printed at G.H. Prints Pvt Ltd, A 256, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase –I, New Delhi - 110020 Envee Media is not responsible for the loss of or damage to unsolicited artworks and photographs, including transparencies and products, manuscripts or other material of a similar nature. The writing, artwork, photographs, graphics and illustrations published in this magazine may not be used or reproduced without a written permission from Envee Media. While all efforts have been made when it comes to the content compiled for themagazine, Envee Media assumes no responsibility for the effects arising there from
Letters:
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Relationships are all about caring, loving and nurturing. With the spirit of Valentine’s Day in the air, our Cover Story this time talks to some couples, young and old, on what keeps them ticking. We also look at the downside and focus on some of the challenges that could come up along the way. HUDA Administrator Anita Yadav believes that tackling the problem of illegal parking is a top priority for the authorities. Storm water distribution is another area which is getting a lot of attention, she tells us in an exclusive interview. We continue exploring communities in Gurgaon with our feature on Parsis who treasure their traditions even as they adapt to changing times. As a member of the community points out, their values are all about “Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds”. Transit Lounge plays host to Shahid Kapoor as he talks about life after the success of Haider. It comes as no surprise that the charming actor finds himself in the thick of things as the awards season kicks, with nominations galore and trophies aplenty. There’s something about a good cup of tea which sets the spirit soaring. As the city warms up to tea lounges and chai addas, we catch up with the latest tea trends and the entrepreneurs who are changing the scene in Gurgaon
VINAY JHA Editor
@DlfCityNews
DLF City News
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I February 2015 I 03
I N S I D E 34 34 35 39 59 61 65
Events Calendar Farmers Market Vir Das Jaipur Lit Fest Helpline The City Elders Movie Previews
Citynews DLF
FEBRUARY 2015 VOL 08 Issue 11
Faces
Living Farmhouses
30
Havens of natural beauty turn into weekend getaways, entertainment hubs and full-time residences. Away from the cacophony of the city, farmhouses are the perfect venues to beat stress and relax in calm surroundings
INTERVIEW
18
HUDA Administrator Anita Yadav takes up infrastructure improvement and new projects
22 Shopping in DLF Phase 1 Shopping Mall, Qutub Plaza and other shopping destinations attract visitors from all over NCR
35 Around Town Jaipur Literature Festival becomes the hotspot for erudite Gurgaonites in January MUST READ
43 Parsis
The community maintains traditions but is open to new ideas
40 Social Quotient DLF Foundation takes up initiatives like telemedicine to improve the health of the underprivileged MUST READ
MUST READ
46 Travel
Amsterdam is an enchanting and romantic experience
51 Tea Trends
From English Tea Lounges to Desi Chai Addas, Tea is the beverage of choice for Gurgaonites
Transit Lounge
62
Shahid Kapoor speaks about his passion for Hollywood cinema and the new Bollywood cinematic experience
Around Town New Year Fests
38
Condominiums and clubs in Gurgaon usher in the New Year with gusto
Ballet
Entertainment Season of Awards 64 Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor were among the many stars who hogged the limelight
66 Last Word Burying the hatchet, Hollywood actor Jennifer Aniston praises Angelina Jolie
26 Sangeeta Murthy This artist is blessed to have her family’s support as she continues her amazing creative streak
28 Nisha Singh Believes people’s participation can make positive things happen
36 Shubhavi Arya This young achiever from Gurgaon is a skating enthusiast
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Flexibility and grace make a comeback as academies attract people towards this dance form
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COVER STORY
RELATIONSHIPS
With the spirit of Valentine’s Day in the air, we decode the language of love in the Millennium City by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
The Language Of
Love February heralds good times! The weather turns conducive; hotels and airlines offer attractive packages and malls, restaurants and shops encourage couples to shop luxuriously and dine indulgently. As love grips Gurgaon, singles veer towards coupledom; couples come a bit closer and even those shy or bitten ones look for love online, DCN decodes the language of love in the ‘Millennium
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City’ whilst suggesting ways to nurture relationships.
LOVE IS FRIENDSHIP There is a scene in the film Kuch kuch hota hai when the teacher asks students about love and after a few filmi remarks they draw the conclusion that it is friendship that forms the basis of love. Fast forward to 2015 and this continues to be a
common refrain among many youngsters. MBA students Bipasha and Ramit are good friends. While their mutual attraction resulted in a comfortable intimacy, they have chosen to take one step at a time and are enjoying each other’s company. “Facing the same pressures helps us understand each other’s position and brings us together,” says Bipasha. Somewhat similar is the situation of
COVER STORY
RELATIONSHIPS
Maintaining loving relationships
Dr Preeti Singh
1 2 3 4
Shivangi and Nalen. When Nalen’s parents shifted out of the city, he stayed back to save his academic year and this is when a lonely Nalen met Shivangi through common friends and soon learnt that she was a year junior in the same college. He finds her sensitive and beautiful while she loves his childlike qualities and soon friendship turned into love. They look forward to a logical conclusion and want to keep this bond of friendship the basis of their love.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED Rahul and Priyanka are engineering
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students who both spent their childhood in Lucknow, their similar backgrounds bringing them closer. Rahul loves Priyanka’s spontaneity and easy going nature while Priyanka finds him handsome and caring. While they have been dating steadily, when you ask how serious their relationship is, Priyanka says candidly, “I want to study abroad and achieve success in my career. I am too young to decide what kind of a man I would like to spend my whole life with. For me this relationship is about having a fun friend and hanging out together.” Rahul adds, “We are not serious at this stage. Who
Have effective communication with each other, try not to raise voice and use derogatory language and accusations during heated arguments. Have common couple friends to socialize with. Develop individual and common hobbies to spend time separately and together. Do take and give “me” time. Find newer things to do together. Spend time frequently with each other rather than planning one big vacation.
knows the future? Right now we plan to chill and have a good time together.” A trip to Galleria market in DLF Phase 4 was an eye opener too. Ashish and Saunakshi declared their love quite clearly as Saunakshi said, “The main thing that attracted me to Ashish is his physique and looks but I soon realized he is very caring and lovable too.” While love is on the anvil but as of now they are happy to date and understand each other better. Anjana, a Delhi resident who works in Gurgaon, reveals a similar story, “Ravi and I are very loyal to each other and we understand each other’s problems,” says
Anjana. But probe about their future and they are reluctant to reveal more. Living each day as it comes is clearly their policy. Raishab and Priyanka, who we met whilst they were enjoying momos on a wintry evening at the mall, echo similar thoughts. “We knew there was something honest and special in our relationship,” says Raishab as he tells us more about their year long relationship. As neighbours, their chemistry is evident. Priyanka said, “I am very lucky having Raishab in my life. He cares for me a lot.” However, for now they are happy to be where they are and enjoy the moment without too many strings attached.
TOGETHER FOREVER Vivek Verma and Preeti Sharma are looking forward to a fairy tale ending to their love story. They met at Shaadi. com, a matrimonial site, and from then on it was a steady but beautiful falling in love. Unlike the typical matrimonial arranged marriage, nothing materialized from their parent’s side and yet they fell in love. They have been dating for the last 4 months and share their romantic journey full of trips outside town, long drives and spending time together. They have chosen February 14 – St. Valentine’s Day as the right moment to commit themselves to each other. Somewhat similar is the story of Sonal, a Gurgaon resident who is in a relationship with Nitin from Delhi. “We both met through a common friend and I even know his family members who are very cooperative” says Sonal. Nitin added, “Sonal is very intelligent and we understand each other though sharing our personal problems,” said Nitin. Fortunately for them, their families have given their blessings and marriage is on the anvil.
VIRTUAL LOVE Matrimonial and online dating sites are becoming a viable alternative for those who are single, divorced or widowed. Once users register with basic information such as name, age, gender, partner preference, hobbies and an image, matching profiles are generated. Depending on one’s comfort and preference, numbers are shared and meetings organized. Samrat Sethi, 39, (name changed) is a divorcee who is well read, cosmopoli-
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COVER STORY
RELATIONSHIPS
Maintaining loving relationships THE LEGEND OF ST. VALENTINE
Dr Samir Parikh
1 2
tan and most of all an open minded person. Within a month he struck a friendship with a single mother and they now see each other as much as thrice a week. Coffee dates, Sunday lunches, long drives and the love of music has ensured that this Kishore Kumar fan now adores the song Mere mehboob by Mohammed Rafi, which is her favourite song! Online dating is also for casual relationships and one gentleman who requested anonymity admitted, “I am not looking for long-term relationships. I plan to marry
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late and till then just want to meet interesting broadminded women.” While he has managed to find a fun-loving friend but he understandably refuses to share details. Ravi Sood, (name changed) is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company who has been on online dating site Tinder for five months and has met four people out of whom two have turned into good friends. Being a divorcee, Ravi was sceptical about online dating but now finds this is a great place to meet the right type of friends. “It’s nice to meet interesting peo-
Bad moments are a part of every relationship – the key to a healthy and loving relationship is to ensure that the good moments outweigh the unpleasant ones. Couples should do things that they both enjoy doing; a shared interest or hobby can be a great source of bonding for partners.
3
Quality time is essential for effective communication – as long as couples can be honest with themselves and each other.
4 5
Listen to the other without any judgment or bias. Understand things from the perspective of the other and say what they feel without bottling it up. In this way most conflicts can be resolved over time.
ple because I travel a lot and would not like to have strings attached,” says Sood who wants to stay far away from the web of tangled relationships.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Breakups are just as common as love in Gurgaon and this side effect of relationships was evident in our conversations with couples and counsellors. Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Hospitals, told DCN, “Our society is undergoing a tran-
As per popular legend, Valentine was a priest in Rome who lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. When Claudius found that soldiers were not keen to join the army because of their attachment to their wives, he cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine defied this decree by secretly arranging marriages. When Valentine’s defiance was discovered, he was brutally put to death on February 14, about 270 AD. For his martyrdom and dedication for the cause, Valentine was named a Saint after his death. By 498 AD, February 14 was declared as Valentine’s Day and became an occasion to celebrate love.
CUPID Cupid is also called Amor, the ancient Roman god of love and is commonly represented as a winged, naked infant boy with a bow and arrows. This cute cherubic winged being is universally regarded as a symbol of love, often in a mischievous sort of way.
sition, as is society’s notion of what it means to be in a relationship. Marriage, once seen as a given, is now a more of a choice. With changing gender ideologies and increasing opportunities, many individuals today prefer to establish their professional identities and a sense of emotional and financial independence before committing to long term relationships”. Dr Preeti Singh, Senior Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist at Paras Hospitals, agrees as she says, “With both partners working, constant lack of time, increasing role strain due to different priorities of the couple,
difficulty in meeting emotional needs, increasing infidelity and divorce rates and parenting challenges, there is immense guilt in parents because the only thing they can’t give is time”. Singh believes that reasons for problems could be, “trust issues, adult depression, anxiety, poor anger control, excessive alcohol usage and smoking , psycho sexual disorders in men and loss of libido and interest in women.” She believes that some of these problems need a psychiatric intervention and whether it is behavioural, communication aspect or sexual, or its alcohol dependence, possibilities emerge both at individual level
and as a couple. Adds Dr Parikh, “With a high pressure work environment and reduced familial support, couples are struggling to meet deadlines and still take out time to spend with their partners. As a result, relationships at home get strained, such that the frustrations and disappointments of work and chores displace themselves onto relationships.” He believes that “trust remains a significant concern as partners experience a sense of insecurity that comes out of a shortage of together time, skewed expectations and a lack of open communication.”ø
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INTERVIEW
HUDA ADMINISTRATOR
Illegal Parking Our Priority,
Says Anita Yadav
SHE SPEAKS TO DCN ABOUT PLANS FOR THE CITY’S DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH IN TERMS OF NEW PROJECTS AND COMPLETION OF ONGOING WORKS by DCN BUREAU What are the challenges faced by HUDA? We have started a citizens’ charter. At the moment, our priority is illegal parking, which we have almost removed opposite Max and Artemis Hospitals; near Plot no 9, Sector 32, the commercial site near Medicity Sector 38, near Ansal Institute Chowk and Sector 54 among others. Malba has been cleaned during the cleanliness drives and we are finalising tenders so that there is better quality of work for a cleaner city. For a better environment, we will increase plantations by Feb-end. We have decided to work with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and hold regular meetings for progress of the city in all aspects. Tell us about the multi-level parking and cycling tracks projects?
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Multi-level parking projects that were proposed require a survey to identify which areas actually need it. Like Sector 29, though it is an open area, we are also trying to figure out if there is a need. As for the cycling tracks, we understand they are required to help reduce traffic and control pollution. Hence we have asked the Section in Charges for this project to ascertain the requirement. What are the developments on the Dwarka Expressway? The work for the expressway is our priority as also to resettle the people affected by it. That apart, the Railway Department will be inviting tenders for the Railway over Bridge (ROB) that needs to be built. What are the projects that HUDA is likely to complete in 2015? This year, we plan to finish some ongoing urgent projects. Like for Storm Water
Distribution (SWD), we are building a RCC surface drain alongside the 60-metre wide road. This drain will cater to rainwater harvesting and water from this drain will go to the Badshahpur nalla. This project is expected to be completed by end of May. Also, for the SWD for new sectors from 37C to 115, which is a 47-km stretch, an RCC is in mind. It’s a Rs 165-crore project for which tenders are yet to be allotted. Another important project is the HUDADLF Sector Road which starts from NH-8 till Sector 55-56. While one underpass is on trial, five more along with one flyover are being constructed. We are trying to complete this project at the earliest. In addition to these, we have acquired land to provide open space to Sector 9B and also for residential and commercial institutions for Pataudi and Sector 1 Farukh Nagar ø
NEIGHBOURHOOD
SHOPPING
TWO OF THE OLDEST AND MOST POPULAR SHOPPING DESTINATIONS IN DLF PHASE I, CONNECTIVITY AND A WIDE VARIETY OF CHOICES MAKE THEM A MUST VISIT by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
Shop Till You Drop At The
Shopping Mall & Qutub Plaza Do you fancy exotic fruits or a rare cut of meat? Do you have books on your mind or want to buy some trendy clothes? Are you searching for party decorations or do you need soft and creamy cottage cheese? All this and much more is available at two of the oldest and most popu-
lar shopping places in DLF Phase I. DLF Shopping Mall on Arjun Marg and Qutub Plaza in Phase I are sought-after destinations for residents and visitors who love to shop, eat or enjoy some leisurely moments at these complexes. One of the reasons for their soaring
popularity is the close connectivity they enjoy with the Golf Course Road as well as the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road which also ensures that autos and taxis ply routinely on this stretch. The location advantage of the Sikanderpur Metro station further enhances connectivity. An-
QUTUB PLAZA other reason is that they are surrounded by the upmarket Phase 1 residential areas and are in close proximity to DLF Phase 4, DLF5 and Sushant Lok.
SHOPPING MALL The Arjun Marg Shopping complex offers a wide variety of choices in terms of food outlets and eateries, readymade garments, book shops and stationers, sweetmeat shops, knick knacks and other general requirements. According to Puneet Narang, “My 8-year-old son grows so fast that clothes don’t even last a season. The Shopping Mall has very good quality and easy-for-the-pocket-too shops that have kid’s clothes. It makes sense to shop from here rather than spend double the amount on clothes from other malls, particularly when this is their growing age.” “The pasta at Sweet Obsession is out of this world,” adds Pallavi Kishore, a resident of South City 2 who regularly visits
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Arjun Marg Shopping Mall to satisfy her sweet cravings. Popular bakeries like Sweet Obsessions and the high-end Modern Bazaar are popular for fresh and organic produce while Gopala offers delicious milk-based products which are so popular that residents from Sohna Road also visit the mall regularly. Fresh fruits and vegetables are loved by expatriates and locals at the Fresh Produce Shoppe as much as finest cuts of meat and fresh seafood are relished from David’s Meat Shop. Pizza places like Fat Lulu, the delicious chaats at Sweets Corner and the ever popular Midland Books which witnesses book worms flicking pages of bestsellers together make the shopping mall a must visit. To this Vidyadhar adds, “There are some good shops for shoes too though my wife is a regular at Gopala. She also shops for bakery items that are available at Modern Bazaar and few other bakeries there.” Homemakers Vandana Sharma and Shilpa Sonal love the Shopping Mall complex for diverse reasons. While the former picks up woollens and track suits, the latter comes regularly because her son loves the masala paneer from Gopala. Sudershan Sharma, a senior citizen picks up heart-friendly diet from Modern Bazaar throughout the year and especially loves to shop during festival time when there is a bonanza of choices of decorations and sweet meats as well as presentation articles from crystals to curios.
A series of interconnected passages with lots of twists and turns add to the amazing variety that is synonymous with the Qutub Plaza. A mix of shops and offices give a unique identity to this office-cum-shopping arcade. One of the oldest in its area, the Qutub Plaza complex gets dozens of visitors from the nearby Silver Oaks and Phase 1 as well as from the vicinity. The advantage of a prime location close to Sikanderpur Metro station and easy parking all around the complex make the Qutub Plaza accessible and popular. Popular food joints like Dominos and Subway compete with home-grown brands like Sip n Bite, Dana Choga and Sunny Sweets attracting customers. The Qutub Plaza complex is equally popular with the fashion conscious who can choose between a variety of beauty salons and hair stylists while pet lovers and music connoisseurs too have their own favourite places. Bakeries like Binge, Sapra and Naushi’s Kitchenette as well as trendy stores like Tia and Affairs ensure that wedding or party, your trousseau is always updated. While youngsters like Kartik Khanna and Nadeesh Bhambhi visit the complex for food joints like Burger Point and Dana Choga, homemaker Neeru Ojha and her daughters shop here for clothes and cosmetics. Mona Singh sums it up when she says, “The momo carts and kachori stands have their own loyal fan following as does the Green Chick Chop for the meats and the Lohia Mart for groceries.” ø
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PEOPLE
SANGEETA KUMAR MURTHY
Love
Painted Her World
HER LOVE FOR ART AND THAT SHOWERED BY HER HUSBAND HELPED HER CREATE MAGIC ON CANVAS. by REENA DHANKHER
They say love makes the world go round. Sangeeta Kumar know how to make it without lines. For one-and-a-half month, I Murthy cannot agree more. It was the love of her life who just sat there and felt like crying. Then I started composition. I encouraged her to romance with art without inhibitions and started one painting, left it, started another and then came back sketch a beautiful career for herself. A national-level volley- to first. I gradually picked up,” she recalls. The turning point in her life during those days came with ball player, Sangeeta had no idea that her fingers could create magic on canvas. But today as she enjoys the reputation of be- an auction organised by NGO Khushi. “The auction was oring a renowned artist and painter, she gives the entire credit ganised at British High Commission and had Gujral ji, Menon ji and top most names in the art world. I was nervous. Who to her husband. “All this would not have been possible if he had not supported would see my paintings? I clearly remember my heart was me,” recalls Sangeeta with a smile. On February 14, 2015 Sang- pounding,” she recalls. However, her painting sold at almost four times the auction eeta completes 25 glorious years of her marriage. “It was a love marriage. I was a Punjabi and he was a South Indian. We got reserved price and instead of 70% that all artists donated, she married in three ceremonies one each as per our traditions and gave the entire amount for charity. “For me, my dream to be appreciated had come true and that meant the most to me. I later legally too,” she reminisces. Although as a kid, Sangeeta grew up academically strong and joined Khushi and worked with them for almost four years, proalso as an achiever in sports, somewhere inside, she felt incom- moting and meeting big artists,” she explains. From auctions to representing her work at interplete. She was always fascinated towards art but was never national art shows, she did it all. “In 2011, I was encouraged to pursue it till cupid stuck and changed selected out of 18 female Indian artists to repher life forever. As an Air Force officer’s daughter, Sangeeta Kumar Murthy resent my country and display my work in she had travelled widely and was passionate to put Saudi Arabia,” says Murthy. In 2012, she her creativity on canvas. On completing her eduHer initial struggle as represented India at SAARC, Korea, Sri cation, she got married after which there was no an artist was to find her Lanka, Florence and many more and in looking back. own style. “I was into 2013 was selected for the Korean Exchange Armed with the support of her husband, Murfigurative painting. They said Program. “There were four male and four thy started working on the canvas from a make a beam and I didn’t female artists and I represented India corner of her beautiful and cozy house. know how to make it there. After being to SAARC, I realised unDespite not having any formal training, she without lines” like other countries, artists in India enjoy a learnt the use of brushes through hit and freedom and get a very good platform to showtrial methods. In no time, her confidence grew case their talent,” she points out. and her skills helped her grab the opportunity to A long list of prestigious awards and honours have become an arts teacher. That’s not all. Her talent also got her a break in popular TV shows like Meri Saheli on Star made Murthy a proud artist today but her most memorable moment was in 2008 when she got the National Women Award by Plus and Zee Woman on Zee TV. “If an artist doesn’t have the hunger to learn more, he or Lalit Kala and Legal Authority of India on Women’s Day. “I was she cannot grow. Hence for professional knowledge, I joined standing with big artists like Anjolie Ela Menon, Arpana Kaur Triveni Kala Sangam. My love for art helped me make a choice and Jaishree Burman. That was very special,” she remembers. It has been a satisfying journey for Sangeeta Murthy so far and and I decided to concentrate only on arts,” adds Murthy, who has developed her style from the teachings of renowned artist though she cherishes her childhood drawing that her parents Rameshwaram Baruta and uses the medium of oil and acrylic have preserved, her husband, she believes, is her true hero who made her dreams come true. She expresses it as beautifully in on canvas. Her initial struggle as an artist was to find her own style. “I words as she paints, “Life isn’t a bed of roses but I draw roses was into figurative painting. They said make a beam and I didn’t when I don’t find them.” ø
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PEOPLE
FACE OF THE MONTH PEOPLE
nisha SINGH Councillor, Muncipal Corporation of Gurgaon
W
ith an engineering degree from Mumbai University and an MBA in Finance from London Business School, Nisha Singh has seen the corporate life at Siemens and Google before entering the hurly burly of municipal politics
Tell us about your current role as a MCG Councillor? As an elected member of the Municipal Corporation Gurgaon representing 40,000 plus residents of my ward, my role has two aspects. The first is to be directly accountable to the citizens of my ward by being their voice and putting forward their grievances before the executive wing of the MCG (the bureaucracy). The second aspect is to hold the MCG executives accountable to me. I try to deliver my role through a combination of logic, relationships, use of civil society pressure groups and regularly reminding the MCG officials and staff of this basic democratic principle. What is the change you want to see in Gurgaon and how are you working towards it? Better civic and social infrastructure like roads, parks, water and electricity supply, waste management, pollution control, security, public transport, education, healthcare and housing for the poor ‌the list is long. As elected representatives, administration, RWAs, civil society groups and citizens, we need to collectively work on all these issues and we do. I myself have been actively involved in initiating many citizen groups like Clean Gurgaon, NMT Cell Gurgaon, Gurgaon Governance and Safe Gurgaon For Women where we do lots of advocacy and ground work. Gurgaon needs financially and functionally empowered local governance that ensures direct accountability to the city residents and thus a more transparent and efficient administration and this is the change I want in Gurgaon. A democratically elected Mayor has to be the CEO of Gurgaon and the buck has to stop at his/her desk. What are your hobbies and interests? How do you rate Gurgaon? In my free time I like to read and I run to keep fit. Gurgaon is a great place to find professional success and make a career. As a city, it has much to be proud of - its industry, entrepreneurial spirit, civil society- and yet there is so much to improve upon
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LIVING
URBAN OASIS
FARMHOUSES
The Perfect
Getaway
AWAY FROM THE BUSTLE OF CITY LIFE, FARMHOUSES HAVE A SOOTHING EFFECT ON PEOPLE CAUGHT UP IN THE OTHERWISE FRENETIC PACE OF MODERN LIVING. by REENA DHANKHER
For Jyoti Arora, a midnight tea session in the balcony is more like an excuse to be close to nature. “That’s because we live in a farmhouse,” she quips. Away from the cacophony of the city, farmhouses may not be everyone’s cup of tea but they are turning into a dream des-
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tination for many an educated and welloff urban Indian. It is like an attempt to go back to the roots. Or at least feel the pulse of it. The canopy of trees, vegetable farms, fruit orchards along with interesting entertainment alternatives are attracting people to invest in farmhouses.
While some are on traditional lines, others are modern in outlook - a small home within a farmhouse being the latest trend. Farmhouses today are an oasis that can hold both traditional and modern requirements for serving the best luxury comfort to the owner.
BACK TO NATURE Huge acres of land covered with lush green carpets of grass, air untouched by pollution and dust and long narrow roads leading to your desired destination – a farmhouse is like a dreamland.
There are a wide variety of plants and trees that play a vital role in their natural beautification. In fact, greenery and farming comprise the soul of a farmhouse. Says Saket Koul, who has a farmhouse in Bijwasan, “I have this deep love for cows and I love to serve them. When we go to our farm, I love taking care of the cows apart from enjoying the fresh milk without preservatives.” Initially, farmhouses, as a concept, were a huge replica of village farms which have fields growing vegetables, a tube-well and a tiny room for the farmer. The farmhouses are elaborate examples of such structures and in the last decades have been beautified with modern amenities. Most farmhouses now have an agricultural aspect, an outcome of the rising need and demand for organic farming. Pankaj Ahuja, who owns a farmhouse on Pataudi Road, describes, “I was fascinat-
ed by green vegetables and my purpose for a farm was to grow fresh seasonal vegetables. It was this four-acre farm that I decided to plough and today I enjoy the organic vegetables far from the maddening crowd of the capital.” Jyoti Arora, whose farmhouse is located near Ghitorni on MG Road, adds, “We have our own little organic farming area and a swimming pool in the backyard. Though it’s difficult to maintain a farmhouse, once you get used to it, it’s one of the best environments to be in. There is so much of tranquility away from the noisy city.”
WEEKEND GETAWAYS Besides the fact that farmhouses give him an opportunity to nurture his love for cattle, Koul loves the concept also because he finds farmhouses ideal getaways to spend weekends in complete
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LIVING
URBAN OASIS
peace and harmony. The owner of three farms, almost two acres in size and all flaunting flower gardens, he makes it a point to enjoy all the benefits they offer. On being asked about their ‘type’, he mentions, “We have not really categorised our farmhouses into traditional or modern. The idea was to make it a personal space where we could go rest or for that matter spend time together with family. We have a swimming pool, badminton court, pool table and couple of rooms fully equipped with modern amenities to make it comfortable to stay.” Kapil Kumria’s farmhouse, in Chhawla near the Gurgaon-Delhi border, is yet another example of a perfect weekend getaway. Influenced majorly by a traditional village, it has well-manicured gardens where one can relax in the winter sun, a tube-well and a cycle rickshaw and buffaloes too that create a typical village environment. He regularly visits the farmhouse with his extended family and together they bask in the lawns, play cricket or simply enjoy the fresh organic delicacies.
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“Though maintenance does exhaust you at times, the peace attained is far beyond the trouble taken,” points out Ahuja. “Besides the family outings, I love to visit my farm twice a month with a chilled beer to sit and read a book in the lawns or listen to music in the quiet and still environment,” he adds. Sudeep Jaiswal, who has recently purchased land for a farmhouse, shares his
plans for his dreamland. “A farmhouse is a place for relaxation and I would want mine to be centrally air-conditioned with a modern fully-equipped open kitchen, a fireplace and a good home theatre system,” he explains. However, once out of the built structure, he would want to hear birds chirping, see animals running across lawns, smell the aroma of wet mud and enjoy
the sight of a waterfall in the lawn.
COMMERCIAL VENUES In the last decade or so, farmhouses are also being exotically and delicately decorated for parties, weddings and functions. The open lush green lawns and flowers to highlight the freshness factor are something people crave for while
selecting venue for marriages or family functions. On the MG Road, one farmhouse that has attracted not only corporate attention and preference but also has been a sought after venue for weddings is Zorba. Owned by Ranjan and Shharyu Chopra as an extension to their residence, the farmhouse is also used for social events and by NGOs. One of its biggest advantages is its location. Says Shharyu, “I was always a farmhouse person. The feeling of enjoying the early morning dew barefoot on soil is unmatched.” She also expresses her love for nature and animals, talking about monkeys and peacocks often seen at her residence, which is a farmhouse in itself. Stressing on how Zorba believes in entertainment, she adds, “Whether it’s a birthday party of a one-year-old or a 90-yearold, Zorba has been arranging all kinds of parties. The recent event of an Oscar Jazz band from Russia took the audience on a musical journey along with mouthwatering snacks and exotic drinks.” Zorba is preferred by corporates for
conferences and it’s also every couple’s dream venue for marriage. Just the decorated vedi speaks volumes about the delicate beauty it exhibits. “We love to decorate the venue for marriage functions with lights, candles and fresh flowers. The use of diyas and beautiful looking candles also looks exotic and we dress up the champa and seethaphal tree that adds to the delicate look,” explains Shharyu.
FARMHOUSE CHALLENGES With comfort comes a price. As much as one may relish spending leisure time, refreshing oneself at farmhouses, there is a challenge of maintaining them. With kuccha roads, facilities available at a distance and security aspects to be taken care of, life here is not all that easy. The lavish gardens require gardeners and help is needed to upkeep them that too through reliable people. However, once these things are dealt with, it is a dream house in the arms of nature, nourishing you in many ways.ø
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AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
FEBRUARY 2015
e v e n t s
6-15th
6-15 February 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm & 7pm to 11pm I MAULSARI Hyderabadi Food Festival
February
City Club III
Karen Anand’s
Farmers Market
13-22 February 12.30pm-11.00pm I LOUNGE Cheese and Wine Promotion
14 February 7.00pm onwards I MAIN LAWN Musical Night with activities and food stalls
14th
February
Comes To DLF CyberHub On 6-7 Feb
City Club IV 6 – 15 February 12:30pm to 3:00pm & 7:30pm to 11:00pm I PALMS Yummy Noodles
15 February 7 pm onwards I LAWNS Valentine’s Special Brunch Buffet
After many successful farmers’ market all over the country that saw topnotch restaurants, world-class chefs, dozens of avid home bakers and amateur chefs, and wineries come together, Karen Anand’s Farmers’ Market - India’s first whole foods and lifestyle market brings a curated culinary experience at the DLF CyberHub. Gurgaon Farmers’ Market on February 6th and 7th will give the city’s denizens the perfect opportunity to leisurely enjoy the weather, walk around the gorgeous DLF CyberHub eating, drinking, learning and meeting other food & drink enthusiasts. Most importantly,
14th
14 February 7 pm onwards I PALMS Candle Light Dinner Buffet
by DCN BUREAU
February
14 February 7 pm onwards I LAWNS Musical Tambola
DLF CYBERHUB IN COLLABORATION WITH KAREN ANAND AND HER TEAM BRINGS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE WITH THE ‘FARMERS’ MARKET’
Kingdom Of Dreams 14 February Kingdom Of Dreams DLF 32 I June 2014 I Citynews Valentine’s Day Celebrations
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it will be a platform for them to familiarise with a market that represents sustainability, quality food and drink and lifestyle. The market will be a haven for all those who love food and fresh produce and will also be a great place to explore, mask questions, discover new flavours and savour a unique atmosphere with stalls on exotic, local or organic fruits and vegetables, cheeses, cold meats, non-perishable groceries (organic and natural), bakery, patisserie, confectionery, gourmet foods, ceramics, wine, natural beauty products, grains, oils, flowers and plants, natural beverages and many more ø
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
Shahid Kapoor Inaugurates Fortis Radiance at FMRI FORTIS RADIANCE IS A COMPREHENSIVE, STATE-OF-THE-ART AESTHETIC CENTRE FOR DERMATOLOGY AND COSMETOLOGY by DCN BUREAU Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor recently inaugurated Fortis Radiance, a centre for advanced procedures in Dermatology, Cosmetology, Aesthetic and Wellness at FMRI, Gurgaon, the flagship hospital of Fortis Healthcare Limited. Addressing the media on the occasion, the actor said, “The public today emulates Bollywood to look young and beautiful. Till few years back, those who needed corrective treatments used to travel overseas. I congratulate Fortis in their endeavour in making these solutions avail-
able to people at large maintaining high quality and safety parameters.” Empathising with the families of patients, he further said, spending time in the hospital is not just painful but also exhausting. “You go through a situation of stress so the effort here is to comfort those who are struggling with circumstances. This hospital ensures that you feel comfortable with the best team of doctors around,” added the actor with his characteristic smile. Explaining the objective behind the cen-
tre, Shivinder Mohan Singh, Executive Vice-Chairman, Fortis Healthcare said, “This centre supports that idea of not only the aesthetic but also the wellness bit of it along with an early diagnosis and a desired solution. Today the world is all about ‘feel good’ which is equal to look good and this centre is a step in that direction.” The Fortis Radiance centre will be managed by Dr Ajay Kashyap, Director, Cosmetology and Dr. Sachin Dhawan, Consultant Dermatology ø
Vir Das Enthralls
Gurgaon Audience At KOD It was fun unlimited when actor-cum-comedian Vir Das recently enthralled the audience at the Nautanki Mahal in Kingdom of Dreams with his rib-tickling humour. The ace comedian had the crowd in splits as he shared his jokes which had both a social and political touch. As he interacted with the
audience, poking each one and everyone, he evoked loads of laughter and applause. The evening, however, was not just about comedy. In fact, it started with a splendid performance by the Band of the Year, Zephyr which set the pace for a rocking party with magical songs of yesteryears mixed with latest Bollywood
tracks. Post the fun time the audience had with Vir Das, the DJ compelled the crowd to put on their dancing shoes with his hypnotic music. With food, fun and laughter, the event brought to Kingdom of Dreams by Xccetra Entertainment Pvt. Ltd turned out to be a huge success ø
AROUND TOWN
YOUNG ACHIEVER SPOTlight
The Multi-Talented Shubhavi Arya
Diabetes, the sugary HAZARD by DCN BUREAU
W
BESIDES EXCELLING IN ACADEMICS, SHE HAS EARNED FAME IN SKATING, PAINTING AND FILM-MAKING by RAHUL AHUJA
When Gurgaon-based Shubhavi Arya participated in the National Ice Skating Championship 2015 which was held in Gurgaon, it was a landmark moment in more ways than one. For one, this championship was held outside Shimla on an artificial ice skating rink (iSkate, Ambience Mall) for the first time. More importantly, it meant that Arya – a proficient scholar at The Sri Ram School, Moulsari – added to her existing portfolio of roller skating and figure skating achievements. Arya, who got the second position at the Asian Open Roller Skating Championship 2013 and is also a nationallevel medallist in artistic roller skating and figure skating, is a young achiever in several fields including academics. Scholarships, for instance, have become a way of life for her and she is pursuing a two-year IB Diploma Program (2014-2016) from the German European School, Singapore. A resident of Sector 14, 16-year-old Arya is an 11th grade student pursuing the IB Diploma Program with Maths, Physics and Chemistry at the higher level and Business and Management with English and Hindi at the standard level. Daughter of Jaibir Singh Yadav, Additional Chief Electoral Officer with the Haryana Government, she is also a passionate painter. She was one
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of the youngest artists at an exhibition “Sync” organised by Sree Arts India. She mostly does abstract forms of painting. “I won three prizes for three destinations - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai – at the International Painting Competition ‘Achieve Thru Art’, Singapore organised by Singapore Changi Airport,” says Arya, who was in Class 10 at the time. She received an Award of Appreciation for her services and support during the Special Olympics Bharat Athletes Figure Skating training at the final preparatory camp of the Indian delegation for the 2013 World Winter Games in South Korea. “It was a different feeling altogether. I was very happy that I had given skating training to four mentally-challenged students who won five medals at the Special Olympics,” she recalls. She is also into singing and film-making. “I was motivated by my parents and have learnt how to sing Indian classical music and also participated in TV reality show ‘Bol Baby Bol, Rock and Roll” when I was in class 4th. I have been involved in making animated movies as well and one of them called ‘ZAP’ was screened at a children’s film festival in Serbia and won an award at a film festival in Denmark,” she says ø
ith diabetes turning into one of the greatest threats to health, Consultant Endocrinology, Paras Hospitals, Dr Sandeep Kharb, talks about how we can take control of the situation by amending lifestyle and food habits. In his experience of nine years, Dr Sandeep Kharb has worked with hospitals like B R Ambedkar, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital and Army Hospital (Research and Referral). What are the warning signals of diabetes? Diabetes is fast gaining the status of a potential epidemic in India with more than 62 million diagnosed cases at present. Usually, there is a gradual development of symptoms of type 2 diabetes for which often patients are not aware of its existence. Warning signals include increased thirst, increased hunger, dry mouth, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, headaches, slow-healing sores or cuts, itching of the skin in groin area, frequent urinary infections, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet and impotency. What are the threats associated with diabetes? It is important to diagnose and control diabetes. If uncontrolled, it leads to kidney failure, heart diseases, paralysis, blindness and foot infections which may lead to amputation. These
complications can be avoided in most of the patients by regular monitoring of blood glucose levels, maintaining blood sugar levels in target range and regular evaluation of heart, kidney, nervous system and eyes at recommended intervals. Diabetic
patients need good control of blood glucose levels before, during and immediate after surgery. For that, transient use of insulin is done for few days. During any major surgery in a diabetic patient usually sugar levels go up because of increased stress levels. Insulin is the safest treatment in period just before and few days after surgery. What are the lifestyle changes that someone with diabetes should follow? Regarding lifestyle changes, it is advised that all individuals should be encouraged to break the amount of time spent being sedentary (> 90 minutes) into intervals. It is advisable to do a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic exercise over a week divided minimum over five days and also a minimum of 30 minutes of weight training over alternate days of a week. Smoking cessation is a must for diabetics. They need preventive vaccination for flu and pneumonia. Tell us about the kind of diet which is best to avoid a diabetic condition? People with diabetes are recommended to avoid sweet and fried foods. They are encouraged to eat fish cooked with less oil. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and dairy products are also advised, instead of intake from other carbohydrate sources. Add fibre to diet, fruit content of around 150 gram/ day and small frequent meals. Most importantly, diet for any diabetic should be individualised based on weight and dietary practices of that individual. Alcohol should be restricted to one drink per day in women and two drinks per day in men.
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AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
New Year Festivities At Gurgaon THE NEW YEAR KICKED OFF WITH CELEBRATIONS AS GURGAONITES CAME TOGETHER TO RING IN 2015 WITH LOTS OF FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT by DCN BUREAU
Over 500 residents of Hamilton Court, Windsor Court and Regency Park -II condominium came together to celebrate Christmas and New Year with an evening of wining and dining. Bonfire, Christmas tree, DJ and the enthusiasm of everyone present were the highlights of ‘Saath Saath’. Sanjay Bansal, Chairman of CAC, Hamilton Court, who dressed as Santa Claus with a singing cap, said “We at the condominium believe that celebration means togetherness.” The children also enjoyed themselves by playing with balloons and around the bonfire, singing carols and eating sweets. A resident of Hamilton Court, who won the gift hamper in the lucky draw, was overjoyed. “It came as an icing on the cake after spending such a wonderful evening with my friends. The gift hamper for sure made the new year feel very lucky for me”, said Ms Amita. Beverly Park II residents also celebrated the New Year’s Eve with a lot of cheer, music and dance that continued till late night while there was a fantastic celebration at Silver Oaks DLF Phase 1 where 400 people were seen dancing away to glory while also keeping themselves busy at the bar and food stalls. The City Clubs too had a Mega New Year at the lawns with a ‘Red and Black’ theme. A live band and DJ for entertainment, delicious snacks and a lavish buffet spread had the guests in party mood till the wee hours of the morning. Oysters at Appu Ghar had a party followed by dinner and the highlights were the performances by Divya Kumar and Shefali Alvares. Kingdom of Dreams also had a grand celebration as 2015 arrived ø
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Gurgaon Residents Throng
Jaipur Literature Festival LITERARY READINGS, BRAIN-STORMING SESSIONS AND INTERACTIONS ALONG WITH MUSICAL PERFORMANCES HAVE MADE JLF A DESIRED DESTINATION FOR LITERARY CONNOISSEURS by DCN BUREAU The presence of Nobel Laureate Sir V. S. Naipaul, 2013 Man Booker Prize Winner Eleanor Catton, acclaimed novelist Hanif Kureishi, celebrated American travel writer Paul Theroux, Man Booker Prize nominee Neel Mukherjee, best-selling novelist Amish Tripathi among other well-known authors ensured that all roads from Gurgaon led to the Jaipur Literature Festival! Many a Gurgaonite was seen camping at Jaipur to attend this annual mecca of literary readings, discussions, and interactions held from January 21 to 25 at the picturesque Diggi Palace venue in Jaipur. Mohan Gulrajani, Professor Emeritus at IIT Delhi and Secretary of the Senior Citizens Council who resides at Hamilton Court, has been visiting JLF for the last three years. He explains his attachment with JLF by telling us that it gives him an opportunity to meet some of the well-known contemporary authors and listen to their world views on various topics of current interest. He finds the discussions very stimulating and finds this a great opportunity to get author signed copies of their best books. Music is a special bonus for Gulrajani as he informs us, “The soul soothing morning music sessions are something to cherish and remember”. Anita Khuller, a resident of DLF Phase IV, who is a post-graduate in environmental sciences and a consultant in the clean energy sector, loves the “absolute variety of authors and literature at JLF.” According to her, the event is well-organised and has built up its reputation over the years, attracting versatile authors each year. The talks revolving around thematic areas and books give insights
into the author and their books that go way beyond just reading reviews. The musical mornings and evenings are an added treat. Of course, being held in Rajasthan itself is a big bonus, says Khuller, as this gives an opportunity to sightsee and shop as well! Asha Shenoi, former HR Manager with Air France who lives in DLF Phase II is an avid book lover who has been heading to Jaipur Literary Festival every year. “The JLF symbolises for me all that is rich in literary culture, free speech and entertainment. It stands for five days of pure enjoyment for the senses and a rejuvenation created by the imbibing candid, often amusing and always interesting viewpoints of prize-winning authors.” She not only feels excited about the opportunity of listening to the thoughts of world-renowned thinkers and writers but looks forward to those, “superb vocalists and instrumentalists who perform in the open air, colourful ambience in great weather.” Musical performances held in the evenings after the literary sessions, in fact, attract plenty of socialites from Delhi and Jaipur. While some Gurgaonites believe that Jaipur has a huge advantage because thousands of tourists visit Rajasthan every year, others like Asha Shenoi and Mohan Gulrajani believe that “World class authors, a great setting, passion and free speech can ensure Gurgaon becomes a hub too!” Gulrajani goes a step further as he insists that Gurgaon has all the ingredients of becoming a significant literary hub and a brain-storming session with the authors residing in NCR will help Gurgaon hold its own version of JLF! ø
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SOCIAL QUOTIENT
HEALTHCARE
a healthy lifestyle, the foundation organises many activities like awareness camps, street plays, talk shows and community quizzes throughout the year with a purpose to create awareness amongst the communities about the benefits of good health practices. While the activities are based on various themes depending upon the seasonality of the preventive diseases, special fumigation drives are also conducted to check the spread of vectorborne diseases. In an attempt to provide clinical services to the population, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been set up in the targeted villages over the years. Initially, there were two PHCs operating for two hours a day. However, sensing the tremendous response and further need of the villagers, the number of hours they work for has been gradually increased. Besides, the PHCs run for six days a week now. Believing in upgrading services with the increasing needs of the people, “Laboratory in Suitcase” model has been introduced that can conduct more than 24 essential diagnostic tests like glucose, haemoglobin, lipid profile, kidney functioning test, liver function test, electrolytes, ECG and so on. Also, the foundation engages with the existing medical functionaries by building their capacities through various activities in order to ensure sustained impacts.
Access To 24X7 Healthcare In Gurgaon Villages
DLF FOUNDATION HAS BEEN TAKING UP HEALTH INITIATIVES FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED PEOPLE IN VILLAGES by DCN BUREAU
I
n a country where more than half of the population resides in villages, dearth of qualified medical functionaries, lack of quality infrastructure and non-access to basic medicines and medical facilities have thwarted the reach of rural India to good healthcare. Looking at the grim facts, there’s an urgent requirement of new practices and procedures to ensure that quality and timely healthcare reaches the deprived Indian villages. As part of a sincere endeavour to fulfill these needs, DLF Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DLF Limited, has been introducing various healthcare projects under its flagship Village Cluster Development Programme over the years. The foundation recently introduced a new project, “Telemedicine”, which has taken its mission to provide healthcare 24*7 to the rural areas, a step further. Under this project, local health workers have been equipped with required skills and technology to consult an on-call doctor via internet calling. The project covers two clusters comprising 10 villages in the Gurgaon district. A kit with over the counter medicines, blood
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pressure machine, thermometer has also been provided to all the health workers. It helps to eliminate distance barriers and improve access to specialist health services and support and lessen the inconvenience and/or the cost of patient transfers. The project is in its pilot phase but a good initial response has been observed. In fact, Telemedicine is one of the most significant steps that the foundation has taken to provide access to healthcare in villages of the cluster that were not adequately covered, which has also been the primary objective of the foundation. When DLF Foundation had started health interventions in these villages, it had chalked out a three-pronged strategy: (i) Focus on preventive healthcare (ii) Providing clinical services to the population (iii) Referral Services Over the years, the foundation has successfully carried out all its healthcare programmes based on its strategy. Since to sustain the health initiatives, it is important that the communities practice
HEALTHCARE
The project covers two clusters comprising 10 villages in the Gurgaon district. To augment the PHCs, multi-speciality camps are held quarterly at each cluster which takes care of the larger outreach requirements. Hospitals are also linked through referral services for those who need in-hospital treatment. The PHCs reach out directly to over 12,000 persons every year. Arunodaya Deseret Eye Hospital in association with DLF Foundation organises DLF Eye Camps in various villages that aim to screen patients with various vision anomalies. The patients that require further treatment are provided in-hospital treatment. The programme has been able to prevent many
blindness cases with its reach of nearly 2000 people every year. That’s not all. Well aware of the fact that sanitation and drinking potable water help in maintaining good health and preventing diseases, DLF Foundation has also started its waste management programme called Kachre se Kamai, linking it to income generation. The programme comprises intensive mobilisation and sensitisation activities to make people aware about the issue. Infrastructure has been created for effective management of waste which includes waste collection centres, waste treatment units where bio-degradable waste is converted to manures, cycle rickshaws for door- to-door collection of waste and so on. For potable drinking water, water treatment plants are being installed in the villages. The initiative comprises active involvement of these communities, day-to-day operations of the water ATMs and door-to-door facilities. It’s indeed a different journey that DLF Foundation has embarked on, almost on a missionary zeal, to provide a healthier life to the underprivileged people in rural belts ø
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COMMUNITIES
PARSIS SPOTlight
BREAST CANCER: FROM
Detection To Treatment
H
aving carried out over 12,000 cancer surgeries, Dr. Vedant Kabra has a vast experience in complex oncosurgical procedures. After training from the Tata Memorial Hospital and National Cancer Centre, Singapore, he is currently the director of surgical oncology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute. He talks about breast cancer and its treatment. What are the symptoms of breast cancer and how can it be detected early? Any of the following may be an indicator of breast cancer: Lump in breast or armpit that grows with time and is usually painless Bloody or straw-coloured nipple discharge Recent inversion, ulceration or destruction of nipple Dimpling of skin Thickening of skin to give an appearance of orange peel Three-pronged approach helps in early detection. Breast selfexamination every month around five days after the periods are over or on a certain day of the month for postmenopausal women, annual breast examination by a trained doctor after 20 and regular mammogram after 45. How to diagnose breast cancer and its extent? Diagnosis is usually confirmed by a needle biopsy after the mammogram. Sometimes, MRI, ultrasound and additional tests are needed to rule out the spread of disease. There are four stages of breast cancer depending upon the size and extent of spread of tumour. How are various stages of breast cancer treated? Treatment plan depends on stage of the disease and the need to conserve the breast. Surgery forms the mainstay of the curative treatment and is ably supported by
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by DCN BUREAU chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy and targeted therapy. Stage I & II: Early cancer is treated by surgery first. Additional treatment is decided after the final biopsy results. Stage III: The locally advanced requires chemotherapy followed by surgery and radi-
ation. Hormone and other targeted therapy are needed in select group of patients. Stage IV: The Distant organ spread is treated either with chemotherapy or hormone therapy or both. Symptom directed therapies are required in select situations. What are the different types of treatments? Surgery: It is possible to conserve the breast while getting rid of the cancer. However, a careful assessment of the disease, patient’s wish and her understanding of the disease are essential before embarking on such a plan. Breast Conservation Surgery (BCS): Ladies with early disease can have their breast conserved. BCS is possible even for larger tumors after reducing them with chemotherapy. Sometimes, help of plastic surgical techniques is required to maintain adequate shape and size of the breast (Oncoplasty). Breast removal (Mastectomy): Those who undergo Mastectomy do not necessarily have advanced disease. If precancerous changes in a wide area of the breast or multiple tumours are present which are wide apart from each other, these warrant Mastectomy. Breast can be reconstructed using patient’s own tissues with or without synthetic implants. Lymph glands in the armpit also need to be addressed during surgery. Systemic (Chemo, Hormone or Targeted) Therapy: Requirement is decided by stage of the disease. Chemotherapy usually consists of 6-8 cycles administered in day care at an interval of 15-21 days. Hormone therapy, in form of tablets, continues for five years or more. Radiation: All patients who undergo BCS, those with large tumours or with involved lymph glands require radiation therapy in addition to surgery and systemic therapy.
Jiyo Parsi ! THE PARSI COMMUNITY IN GURGAON HAS BLENDED SEAMLESSLY WITH THE SOCIAL FABRIC EVEN AS THEY KEEP TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS INTACT. by MEENAKSHI SHARMA The Parsi Bazaar at DLF CyberHub, organised recently by Sodabottleopenerwala, attracted much attention for the sheer variety of exotic Parsi items. From the delicious guava cheese and Dhansak
masalas retailed by Nilufer Dhondy to the sali boti and cutless by Veera Mavalwala to the exquisitely embroidered saris of Ashdeen Lilouwala, it was that rich legacy of the Parsis that fascinated
“Many girls are better educated and picky. Late marriages are common. But there is no gender discrimination in Parsis” VEERA MAVALWALA Manages the Parsi matrimonial site and is a NCW member
the visitors. But while we have all appreciated the community for their refinement and versatility, the understanding of their customs – and the way they live their lives – is not very thorough.
COMMUNITY CREDO From that elegant seedha pallu drape of the sari with the detailed embroidery worn charmingly by the ladies to the peaches and cream complexion of the
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COMMUNITIES
PARSIS young girls and their love for music and dance, Parsis are synonymous with what Yezad Kapadia, President of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman who lives in DLF Phase 1, calls “a rum lot! ” As the community anchor and an involved citizen who participates in all activities with gusto, he believes that the mantra of the Parsis has been, “Eat, drink and be merry” and that is true for the Gurgaon Parsis who meet often and enjoy their life. Kapadia believes that the typical stereotype of a laid back people has transformed into a very participative and involved community which understands the need to change with time. Take the example of Ashdeen Lilouwala, a designer who retails from Green Park
in New Delhi under the designer label ‘Ashdeen’. He has been holding regular exhibitions in Gurgaon and shares his happiness at the tremendous response to the hand embroidery or ‘gara’ which is inspired by the Chinese embroidery. He is completely involved in restoring the Parsi heritage and keeping the community’s legacy alive even as he notes with amusement that being a Parsi is a great conversation starter since most people know so little about the community and have so many misconceptions and questions. “I have so often been asked whether I will go through the death ritual of being eaten by vultures,” he laughs, even as explains that there is no ‘Tower of Silence’ in Delhi so Parsis opt for burial. Farokh and Veera Mavalwala, a traditional couple who have been living in Gurgaon for over a decade, point to their their place of worship where the fire burns continuously symbolising an eternal flame and say, “People know so little about our religion that they ask us if we are Christians or Catholics”. While the holy place at the DLF Phase 1
home of the Mavalwalas is tastefully decorated, the traditional ‘chalk’ welcome, much like a rangoli, at the entrance of the house is played up with different colours. Their young grandson Zion brings the pet dog and joins the group even as the family offers the Parsi traditional vermicelli sweets with raisins and cashews.
THE ROAD AHEAD Veera Mavalwala is a Trustee of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman and has retired after 44 years of working with leading companies. Her husband of 40 years, Farokh Mavalvala, has been in employment as well as business. Culture wise, Veera is proud of the community’s love for music, dance and food. Education is a big advantage, say the Mavalwalas, even as they express concern about the dwindling Parsi population. Veera calls it inevitable as she speaks of how the traditional members of the community do not believe in inter-caste marriages though they are now realising how it affects the community. The couple have a son, Zubin, and a daughter, Afrid. Veera
recalls that she was upset with Zubin when he decided to marry Rohini, a Hindu. But she now adores her as a daughterin-law who is also carrying forward Parsi traditions. However, Farokh didn’t take it as bad because in his own family of 11, at least five married out of the community. Ashdeen Lilouwala, who is actively involved in the Parsi Delhi Anjuman and has authored a book on Parsi practices which is a handy reckoner for the community, emphasizes that inter-caste marriages are acceptable. In fact, he and the Mavalwalas are actively involved in the ‘Jiyo Parsi’ campaign. Though the community is close-knit, they welcome inter-religion marriages, Ashdeen points out. Many also opt to have their children’s navjote (thread ceremony for community initiation). Veera and Farokh attribute other issues to this dwindling population, “Late marriages are fairly common,” explains Veera. This, coupled with the fact that a woman who gets the husband’s marital name is no longer a Parsi once married out of the community, makes it difficult for the legacy to survive, say the Mavalwalas.
BEING THEMSELVES Ashdeen emphasises an amazing thing about Parsis – their sense of humour and ability to make fun of others as well as
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themselves even as he adds, “the food is amazing too!” Creativity is another trait, points out Ashdeen, as he speaks of his own choice of profession in design and says, “With just 700 Parsis in NCR (Delhi and Gurgaon), we are becoming a diaspora of sorts and have realised how important it is for us to maintain the treasure of our traditional heritage which is just too precious to lose.” He tells me about the Parzour Foundation and the revival of Parsi Culture as he speaks of the book he has penned which is a treasure trove of information about the community. Navroze and Nilufer Dhondy, a dynamic couple whose daughter Chef Anahita Dhondy is handling the kitchen at Sodabottleopenerwala, are equally active in the community. While Nilufer retails Parsi food and spices, Navroze is an advertising professional. Between a busy work schedule and a hectic social life, Navroze finds time to attend the meetings of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman where the Fire temple is situated.
No wonder, Yezad Kapadia is all praise for their initiative and involvement as he mentions, “Although Gurgaon Parsis stay far from the Anjuman premises, they are foremost in attending most of the Anjuman functions.” The most important aspect of the Parsi community is undoubtedly their values, says Veera. As a Parsi and a Joint Secretary of the NCW, she is happy that there is no gender inequality. She speaks of the values of “Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds’ and emphasises how important it is for every Parsi to continue to believe in their traditions. Veera praises the Jiyo Parsi campaign of Dr Shernaz Cama who has spearheaded the attempt to increase the population. She is supplementing this effort through a matrimonial website which helps Parsi couples meet each other. While the website is popular, she is aware of the limitations as she says, “Girls are more educated than the boys and a lot of them earn more.” She also feels that the women are very picky and very strong and as often said, the Bombay Parsis who are part of the typical Parsi colony seem to be Mama’s Boys! And yet, despite the challenges, the Parsis continue to be themselves - articulate, educated, creative and great fun with a wealth of contribution to the society. ø
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TRAVEL TALK
AMSTERDAM
On the approach to Schiphol Airport, one could spot verdant greens and neat rows of buildings. But nothing had prepared us for what we saw once we drove out of the airport and entered Amsterdam city. Rows after rows of houses in different colours, landscaped parks with flowers in full bloom and traffic which was disciplined to the extent that it looked straight out of a science-fiction film! We stopped at the hotel only long enough to check in and refresh ourselves. In less than an hour, we were out on the streets, exploring the weekly market which had come up right next to our hotel, sampling the fare from street-side cafes which would compel us to come back and checking for transport which would lead us to the city centre.Before I left, a friend had told me that Amsterdam was the bicycle capital of the world and had even suggested that I hire a bike to get around. I didn’t take his advice, preferring instead
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to use a mix of bus, tram and long walks to explore the city. But bicycles were indeed the preferred mode of transport for most city residents, whether going to school or when out shopping. Amsterdam, as we discovered, is all about life in its myriad hues. From the rack of steak served with generous mugs of draught beer at a steakhouse near Westerkerk to an Egyptian baker at Centrum who gifted us fresh loaves of bread on learning that we were “from the land
of Shah Rukh Khan” and the illusionist who had tourists enthralled at Dam Square, each encounter with the city was an experience in itself. A visit to Amsterdam is incomplete without going around Jordaan, one of the most upscale and expensive localities in the country, and we included it as part of our city tour.
WELCOME TO WATERWORLD There was a nip in the air as we set off
by VINAY JHA
Venice of The North
for what is billed as the high point of a visit to Amsterdam – the canal cruise. We had ignored suggestions that we book one of the packages before leaving the hotel. Instead, we set out in the morning intending to walk around, soaking in the sights of the bustling city, before catching a cruise at one of the many points were these were offered. As it turned out, we had taken the right decision. We hopped on to a cruise near Westerkerk and spent the next few hours travelling along several canals and the Amstel River, passing historic buildings, posh hotels and landmarks like the Nemo Science Centre. One could not help but marvel at the manner in which the city had been developed. The network of canals, we were told, was dug in the 17th century to facilitate transport, resi-
dential development, water management and defence. Amsterdam has four large canals which form concentric belts around the city. These, along with smaller inter-connecting waterways, add up to well over 100 kms. In 2010, this ‘Canal Ring’ area was put on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO. It comes as no surprise that the city, which has over 1,000 bridges of all sizes, is described as one of the most “watery” cities of the world.
COUNTRYSIDE SPLENDOUR I vaguely remember having heard about Edam cheese back in Delhi. It was only while planning the itinerary for the Amsterdam visit that one realised Edam was a sleepy village not too far from the city, a
Accomodation: It’s advisable to book a few months in advance to get the best deals. We stayed at a hotel, the Best Western Blu Square, but apartment options are also available and should be explored while planning a visit. We had been warned about the small size of hotel rooms in Europe but found ours to be fairly comfortable. Travel: The city has a very efficient public transport system. A mix of bus, tram and train travel (for neighbouring cities) is the best way of getting around. The adventurous can rent bicycles. WHAT ELSE TO EXPLORE The Hague: The seat of the Dutch government, it is about an hour’s train journey from Amsterdam. The city, which also houses the International Court of Justice, is famed for its distinctive architecture. Delft: Famous for its blue and white pottery called Delftware, it is less than an hour from Amsterdam by train. The factories which produce this pottery are a major tourist attraction. Rotterdam: The city, known for its busy harbour, is a short train-ride away and is a must-visit if you are staying in Amsterdam for four days or more.
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TRAVEL TALK
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visit to which came highly recommended by travel blogs and tour operators. The journey from Amsterdam to Edam was an experience in itself. A bus ride from the hotel brought us to Amsterdam Centraal, the city’s busy and sprawling train terminus. From here, another bus took us through Volendam, a picture-perfect town with neat rows of houses, shops and restaurants, and then to Edam. The high point of the bus journey was the ‘sighting’ of multiple windmills of different designs and vintage along the way.
When we got off the bus at Edam, it slowly sunk in that we were in the middle of what one had only read about in books – Dutch countryside at its picturesque best. The desire for a cup of coffee and something to eat since the children were hungry led us into a small but well-stocked cafe right next to the bus stop. Anita, who runs the cafe, was all smiles when she learnt where we were from. “Delhi... Hindi movies!” she exclaimed. She told us how she used to work in Amsterdam for long years before deciding to start her own business in
Edam so that she could cut down on travel time and be close to her family. The next few hours were sheer bliss as we walked along the main canal and the narrow streets of Edam lined with beautiful houses on either side. It was a leisurely and peaceful afternoon barring a group of noisy – and excited – tourists and the occasional car which would cruise past. Expectedly, we shopped for some Edam cheese. As the day neared an end, we decided to make a quick dash to Volendam which we had passed earlier in the day and stop for
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TRAVEL TALK
AMSTERDAM
some souvenirs and candy which the children had spotted from the bus! A visit to Marken, a small fisherman’s town a short distance from Volendam, is also recommended for the experience it provides. It was night by the time we returned to Amsterdam but the city was bustling with energy, prompting us to head out on another of those long walks to explore Amsterdam.
MUSEUMS GALORE A visit to the Anne Frank House was high on the family’s agenda, particularly when it came to my 16-year-old daughter who had grown up reading her famous diary. As travel blogs had warned, a serpentine queue was already in place by the time we reached the museum. A few hours and several cups of coffee later, we were finally inside. The Diary of Anne Frank provides a chilling account of the tumultuous lives led by Jews during World War II. Her family spent two years – in a portion of the
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building which is now the museum – in hiding from the Germans during their occupation of the Netherlands. They were ultimately discovered and she was killed in a concentration camp. Otto Frank, Anne’s father, was the only member of her family who survived the war. He pub-
lished her diary several years later. The museum, opened in 1960, allows visitors to explore a reconstruction of the Annexe that the Frank family shared with four other Jews while in hiding. It houses a permanent exhibition on Anne’s life, tracing it not only through the diary but also through photographs and objects from her life. While the city is reputed to have over 50 museums showcasing different aspects of life, science, culture and the arts, the Van Gogh Museum tops the list when it comes to lovers of art. The museum, located in the aptly-named Museum Square, houses the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings (200) and drawings (400) in the world. The museum also displays works of contemporaries from the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist eras. Other museums in Amsterdam which would be of interest include the Rembrandt House Museum, the National Maritime Museum, Science Centre Nemo and the Diamond Museum. ø
WINE & DINE
TEA TRENDS
The Cup That
Cheers! TEA LOUNGES AND CHAI ADDAS BECOME POPULAR AS GURGAONITES WARM UP TO THE IDEA OF AFTERNOON TEA AS A COOL WAY TO SOCIALISE by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
If this were a guessing game, the clues you would have are these - You can start or end your day with it; it is the preferred beverage when you are extending hospitality to friends or strangers and whether you are happy or sad, cold or wet; with friends or without – this is a cup that doesn’t just cheer but also symbolises warmth and companionship like nothing else does!
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Tea and sympathy, it is said, go hand in hand. But tea and company seems to be the new mantra which is evident when you walk into the Tea Lounge at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi or the Daily Treats at The Westin in Gurgaon or perhaps at the Teapot in South Point Mall or Chaayos in Galleria or Cybercity. Wherever you go, tea seems to have become a
drink of choice for almost everyone – be it the corporate or the tourist; the elite or the locals who have begun warming to the idea of socialising over afternoon tea served in style with Indian or international delicacies. While Westin Gurgaon labels it as, “Spreading the cheer as Gourmet Patisserie, Daily Treats, offers guests an opportunity to sip on the finest from our varied selection of Jing Tea, every day from 3 pm to 6 pm”, Goodricke calls it “English style tea in a Victorian setup”. At Westin, chefs bring you canapés that best compliment your favourite beverage. From delectable sandwiches to scrumptious tarts, they have an array of delicious preparations for you in a special menu designed with a balanced selection of ingredients to keep you healthy, while you devote the afternoon to absolute relaxation. At the Goodricke Teapot at Southpoint Mall, on the other hand, the mood is completely English and the setting “very propah and Victorian!” When this tea cafe opened in Gurgaon, people wondered if a tea lounge could be as popular as a coffee shop but the response belied their expectations. No wonder, Medha Gupta
WINE & DINE
TEA TRENDS
The Perfect Cup
ASSAM CTC Generally taken with milk, most people give at least 3-4 boils to the water mixing the tea with it, followed by milk and sugar. However, the correct method which brings out the best flavour of Tea is as follows: l Put at least one-and-a-half cups of water to make one cup tea and give it one-two boils. l Then add two-three teaspoons of milk and give two more boils of the water. l Add one tea spoon or 2.5 gms of tea to milk water and just give one more boil. l Lastly add one teaspoon of sugar or as per taste. l Before straining the tea, always wash the cup with hot water and serve the tea hot. DARJEELING TEA l Wash the kettle with hot water. l Pour one-and-a-half cups of water in the kettle. l Remember to shut the kettle just before the water starts to boil. l Wash a brewing cup with hot water and put one teaspoon or 2.5 gms of Darjeeling tea leaves in it. l Pour the hot water from the kettle in the brewing cup over the tea leaves. l Let it brew for five minutes. l Before straining the tea, always wash the cup with hot water and serve the tea hot. Courtesy: Goodricke Teapot
of Teapot is delighted with the response. “There is no better place than Gurgaon to experiment with new concepts as expats like the Japanese and Chinese are avid tea lovers. Moreover, the culture of a teapot in an entire Victorian setup is something which is gradually gaining popularity in Gurgaon,” she explains. Clearly, tea is going commercial and tea cafes have sprouted in many a mall and marketplace where one can enjoy this beverage. Be it cafes like Coffee & Chai, Goodricke Teapot or another new entrant, Chaayos, the focus is on a good cup of brewed tea in myriad varieties. So while a cold wind whistled all around, it was a relief to nurse a piping hot cup of adraktulsi chai at Chaayos, located at the lobby of Tower B of building no 5 at Cybercity. The young IITians Raghav Verma and Nitin Saluja who are founders of Chaayos, a desi style tea lounge located at Cybercity as well as Galleria, are upbeat about this new-found popularity of tea lounges. As Verma explains, “The concept of chai adda or “Tea Room” took centre stage in our country for many years, with discussions on life, society and politics happening over chai. It was a place that brought together the young and old, rich and not-so-well to do. A kadak chai and samosa shared after work, an irani chai with bun maska over meeting a prospective life partner or a hot adrak chai in the morning to wake you up - chai was a part of every social setting for us”. Chaayos was born in November 2012 out of this premise - a contemporary interpretation of the chai adda, serving freshly made chai. “Our focus is on serving your “Meri Wali Chai”, a chai made exactly to our customers’ liking the min-
Raghav Verma and Nitin Saluja
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ute they place their order - be it an adraktulsi, kadak chai or a paani kam elaichi cinnamon chai. Our option of 12 add-ons gives our customers a total of over 12,000 ways to make their chai at Chaayos,” Verma points out. Gupta, owner of Goodricke’s franchise Teapot, agrees and adds, “70 per cent of the Indian population sips tea every morning to rejuvenate themselves. Four p.m is that hour of the day, which is synonymous with tea and snacks. I get lot of walk-ins who sit for two to two-and-ahalf hours with a book and a cup of hot tea. We are not one of those who ask clients to vacate the table. Anyone can sit here for as long as they want to.” Emphasising on what makes them dif-
ferent, Verma of Chaayos adds, “We do not do any pre-infused tea and use natural and fresh flavours like our aam papad tea. Everyone enjoys a good cup of tea during the winters at the thelas or in the desi kullars and this is a concept that we are reviving. After seven outlets in Delhi and Gurgaon, we are on to our eighth so yes, we are doing well too.” He recalls how the idea came from his partner Nitin Saluja who worked in Houston and could never get his “Meri Wali Chai”…and so the two IIT engineers who loved tea and were always fascinated by the F&B side of life got into the tea business. “Indians are tea lovers and our busiest time is from 4pm to 6pm though the winters have brought in the anytime is tea
time,” says Verma. The snacks have been inspired from the typical desi Indian tea time style, including his mom’s recipe of poha and some great recipes of keema pav, vada pav and a delicious Maggi sandwich. Explaining what they offer as an advantage, he speaks of “a different mindset” which comes from” “a lot of common sense.” He is all praise for the Gurgaon customers, who he believes are well travelled, well read and willing to experiment. So, what next? “We are into retailing teas and are online as well … the blend of doodhwali chai and green teas and the signature chai masala are all popular,” adds Verma. Medha Gupta too sees the future optimistically as she speaks of how “Tea-
tasting sessions for corporates, kitty parties, power point presentations and birthday parties are getting regular at Goodricke Teapot.” Both Teapot and Chaayos understand the need for training the staff and the importance of good understanding of tea. Says Medha, “Tea brewing is a very critical process and therefore, one needs to be highly trained in the same. It is a herculean task to brew the perfect tea. Every client we host has his own taste and whenever someone places an order, we always ask them whether they want a half body or a full body, less brewed or a strong tea. If the clients are unable to understand these terms (since these are technical terms), our staff politely explain them. Our staff brews the tea for two minutes, three minutes, four and five minutes according to the order placed.” Both Teapot as well as Chaayos want people to get familiar with the tea terms and are building awareness about tea. As Medha sums up, “Clients take their time to go through the entire A la Carte and we provide free tea samples as well. So I feel the disconnect will no longer exist in the near future. People are slowly understanding the difference between Assam Tea and Darjeeling Tea” ø
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FEATURE
BALLET
‘A Lot Of Hard Work Goes Into Ballet Training’ Fernando Aguilera (Artistic Director, Choreographer and Ballet Teacher IFBC) Together with Rafi Khan, one of the directors of the company, he wants to make every possible effort to promote ballet and create better trainers for the present and future generations
F
Poetry In Motion WITH SEVERAL BALLET SCHOOLS IN GURGAON AND DELHI, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS INTERESTED IN LEARNING THE ART FORM IS ON THE RISE by REENA DHANKHER
At the age of four, when Monet joined the ballet class, she was not too serious about dance. She was just another naughty girl, pulling her pigtails and giggling away. But discipline, devotion and concentration have today transformed her. Once a shy girl on stage, who tripped often while dancing, she says, “When I perform now, I feel the music racing through my heart and mind. And I keep on dancing.”
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Such is the intriguing passion of ballet – an art form in which music, posture, coordination and expressions play a vital role. “Louis Phillip XIV used to entertain his friends by performing ballet which till today is among the most aristocratic forms of dance in the world,” says Sanjay Khatri, founder and artistic director of Central Contemporary Ballet (CCB). He adds, “Ballet is a beautiful dance form. Even in a simple stance such as
Ballet as a classical dance form originated in Italy in the 15th century. It was codified during the Italian Renaissance in the 17th century
or choreographer and professional ballet dancer-cum-teacher Fernando Aguilera, it is essentially passion that can help one learn ballet. Having graduated from the Colon Theatre Ballet School in South America, Fernando, who has also made a mark in Bollywood with films like ABCD and Happy New Year, has been running the Imperial Fernando Ballet Company as its artistic director in Gurgaon and New Delhi. Here are excerpts from an interview. Tell us about the basic requirements to learn ballet? Ballet requires a lot of flexibility and ability for turning out postures. Lot of physical requirements like a long neck, beautiful face and long arms and legs are preferred. You have to be a very good artist and use your expressions because ballet is all about fairy tale stories and we cannot talk. So what we convey is through expressions. What’s the passion level you see in people in India for ballet? In my ballet school, we have 75% who are serious and have dreams to be ballet teachers and dancers. That’s the reason I am here for the last 15 years. I see passion in students dreaming to become like me or even better. I am teaching them what I was taught. Today, we have
18 dancers who have been trained by me for the last 8-10 years and they are with us as dancers and teachers. They can join other schools as ballet teachers as we give them certification for the same on completing the training. Ballet is not
very popular in India and those who take it as profession are few but it’s growing gradually. Is there a gender bias in ballet? If a boy is doing ballet, a lot of people feel he could be a ‘gay’! Actually it’s not true. See, ballet is a very soft dance and some movements are very feminine because we have to be very graceful and represent a prince. The costumes we wear, like for example, men wear tight stockings, so it may look a little weird but the ballet technique is more from hips to feet so costumes are tight so that you can see the movements. There also people get confused why men are wearing tights. It’s a form which requires one to jump and leap and split legs in the air. So, we can’t wear trousers. And not all roles are feminine, there are masculine roles too. Actually to become a ballet dancer, you have to be really macho. How does ballet help in fitness? It’s the best exercise to reduce weight. You also need to follow a balanced diet routine. You can do ballet for maintaining fitness. You should try and see the result; how your body changes. All age groups can do it. We start with floor and bar exercises for fitness. The dance part is a very good cardio vascular exercise as it requires hops and jumps.
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FEATURE
BALLET SPOTlight
Lingual Braces,
An Aesthetic Solution arabesque, the attitude is something to watch out for and it has glamour too. Once the dancers get hold of the rhythm and understand how to dance, it’s hard to stop”. Young girls, in particular, are extremely hooked to the dance form as the fairy tale prince which every girl dreams of is the soul of many ballet performances. It takes one to the era of elaborate costumes, eternal piano tunes and grooving style which have captured the fancy of all age groups. Eight-year-old Annouk Zappa who trains at the National Ballet Academy (NBA) says, “I love the piano notes and want to learn ballet and take part in shows.” Risham Bindra, a 14-year-old, loves the smoothness and grace of the dance. Hannah, a seven-year-old loves the stage, the music and the girlie costumes. Says Sameer Mehta, Director NBA, “I see a lot of young girls interested to wear
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point shoes and try and imitate the Barbie in ballet movies. However, though the girls start learning at an early age, the right age for point shoes I feel is at least 13. By that time, the foot is formed.” Samir, who left the corporate world to join ballet lessons in New York for 10 years, today has only one aim – to get as many children trained in the dance form. “We even have them perform on stage to get their confidence level in place,” he explains. Purva Patra, a student with CCB says, “I travel four hours just to come and learn ballet. It’s my dream. When I dance, I for-
Ballet gives strength to the legs. It is also the best exercise for joints and muscles
get the world around me.” Boys Purnendu and Narayan are equally passionate about the dance. While Purnendu believes it is improving his body, Narayan feels ballet has given him a smooth body language. According to Sameer, ballet was originally performed by men before women became an incredible part of it. He explains, “The ballet costumes to start with were heavy wooden costumes and men played both male and female parts. However, now with women into it too, heavily embroidered costumes in net and shiny fabrics are in demand.” Khatri agrees and adds, “After the romantic tutu (costume) which was till the ankle, the classical tutu used now in performances is upstanding and costumes are in colours and designs as per the characters. But net and lycra with laces and gold, silver and diamond stones transform the costumes giving them an elaborate look” ø
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ith dentistry constantly evolving, an important achievement in recent times has been the 3D imaging and CAD/CAM technology which has facilitated one of the most popular in dentistry solutions, “Lingual braces.” Lingual braces are basically invisible braces put behind the teeth. The conscious element of visible braces is dealt with quite an extent with the help of lingual braces that provide efficient dental solutions. Explains Dr. Heman Verma, “Lingual braces require greater perfection since on the inside there is requirement for smaller wires since distance is less between teeth. One needs a good dentist for proper and precise fixing of lingual braces and this treatment does take a little more time. However, results are that people end up smiling without being conscious. It’s a step towards a cosmetic dental solution.”
To this, Dr Priyanka Verma adds, “Initially a patient may also feel uneasy with the braces in direct contact with the tongue and speaking may be a little bit of a problem. But in a couple of days once you start getting used to it, there is no issue. But one aspect that people must keep in mind with these braces is to use wire brushes and floss threads to maintain dental hygiene.” The professionally qualified team of doctors at Dental Stylers ensures that fixing up lingual braces becomes a pleasant experience and since this treatment is little more complex compared to other braces, a good dentist is the answer to the problem. Custom fit, invisible and ‘giving you a confident and aesthetic look’, that’s what lingual braces help in. At Dental Stylers, orthodontists will advise you on this best and treat you in a comfortable and relaxed environment.
Dr. Heman Verma One of the leading orthodontists & implantologists of the country, Dr. Verma spearheads Dental Stylers, one of the most premium dental centres of Northern India with comprehensive education in behavior management, sedation and anesthesia techniques. Dental Stylers 8 Dakshin Marg, DLF Phase- II, Gurgaon Ph. 9810296979, 2356609, 2356610, 2351159 Email: hemanverma@hotmail.com www.dentalstylers.com
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DLF I February 2015 I Citynews
Ph: 0124–4778873, +91 9810563407 Email: advtdcn@gmail.com DLF City News, 8th Floor, DLF Gateway Tower, DLF Cyber City, Phase III , Gurgaon 122002
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION T L Satyaprakash (IAS) Deputy Commissioner Anita Yadav (IAS) Administrator, HUDA Vikas Gupta (IAS) MCG Commissioner RS Dalal Director, HIPA S Duhan SDO(C)–I Yashender Singh GM, Haryana Roadways Satbir Singh DRO, Gurgaon Parveen Garg Civil Surgeon Balraj Ahalawat Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board Ashok Divakar Principal, Govt. Girls College SS Bokan Principal, Dronacharya Govt. College B M Hooda GM, Telephone RS Sangwan Information and Public Relation Officer
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In addition, DLF may be contacted on the following telephone and mobile numbers for Single Window complaint resolution: Mr. Surender Ph-I 9266677681 Mr. Rishi Pal Ph-II 8130446660 Mr. Amit Sharma Ph-III 9582900616 Mr. Dinesh Ph-IV 8860390274
DLF CUSTOMER CARE 24/7 CALL CENTER-9266 16 9266 Central Control Room of DLF functions round the clock and complaints pertaining to External General Maintenance, Street Light, Water, Horticulture, Safety & Security DLF Security Control Room: Phase-I 2355591 9266677683 Phase-II 2353677 8860771008 Phase-III 2350419 9560095439 Phase-IV 2392965 7503062758 DLF Community Centre: Phase-I 2352423 Phase-II 2351522 Phase-III 2350782
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Gateway Tower Ericsson Forum Building 9A/B Cyber Greens Building 7 Building 5 Building 14 Building 6 Infinity Tower Building 8 Building 10 Cyber Hub DLF Centre SEZ Silokhera IBM Silokhera Centre Court Plaza Tower SQUARE ATRIA
Praveen Sharma (Praveen.Sh@ap.jll.com) (9650666885)
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E-mail ID
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Building Manager Contact No.
Kuldeep Raghav Sanjay Gupta Ravikant Sharma Gaurav.S@ Hira Singh 9971666494 ap.jll.com Varun Bajpai Pankaj Yadav Ishwinder Singh Satish Parashar Virender Negi Manpreet Singh Raj Kumar Arun Kumar Ashish Dubey Anurag Yadav Kartar Sharma Panchanan Nayak Ashok.Ruhil@ 813003324 ap.cushwake.com Vishnu Ojha Ramesh Wadehra Neelkamal Maurya
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Ambulance Service (dial from mobile) Police Commissioner Helpline 10 am – 2 pm (Mon to Friday) Unwanted Obscene Calls: Mr. Anirudh Chauhan Police Control Room
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DLF
Citynews
I February 2015 I 59
UTILITIES
UTILITIES
STATUS REPORT
WHO’S WHO
DLF CITY
THE
CITY
STATUS OF PROJECTS
PACE OF HABITATION IN PLOTTED PROPERTIES
Name of Project
Location & Status
SI.
New Town Heights
2292 flats handed over, all others ready for possession
1 I
3658
69.38
The Primus
Structure nearing completion. Twr E, H, J: Terrace complete
2
II
3220
67.04
Regal Garden
Structure nearing completion, Finishing in progress
3
III
Corporate Greens
Possession starting soon
Skycourt
Structure in progress
4
IV
Ultima
All foundations complete, GF complete for Tower-E, S
Total
The Crest
Project has reached 1st floor
PACE OF HABITATION IN GROUP HOUSING Project Wellington Estate I,II & III
Total 555
Phase
Project
Total No. of Plots
5462
1626
64.94
53.01
13966
Total
Regent House
Habitation%
65.20
34
Occupied
%Occupied
520
93.69
Belvedere Tower
222
Occupied
32 200
%Occupied
84.7
918
847
92.27
Belvedere Tower
318
280
Carlton Estate I & IV
485
453
93.40
Exclusive Floors
516
490
94.96
Exclusive Floors
516
498
96.51
Trinity Towers
234
215
91.88
Trinity Towers
234
216
92.31
Westend Heights
368
316
85.87
Westend Heights
368
333
90.49
The Aralias
254
210
82.7
76
74
97.37
Royalton Tower
76
73
96.05
The Pinnacle
280
220
78.57
The Pinnacle
200
71.43
The Icon
364
334
91.76
The Icon
297
81.59
The Summit
228
158
69.30
The Summit
228
141
61.84
544
450
82.72%
1508
1300
86.20%
589
320
54.32%
The Belaire The Park Place
544
449
82.54
The Belaire
1508
1425
94.50
Park Place The Magnolias
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DLF I January 2015 I Citynews
280 364
Silver Oaks Condominium Association – DLF Phase-I 0124-3034146-47 Mr. Tariq Raza President Mrs. Shalini Sawhney Vice President Mr. S.K. Sharma Manager Mr. S.M. Kehair Secretary Ms. Rupali Jain Treasurer Oakwood Estate Condominium Association – DLF Phase-II 0124-4052005 Major General A.K. Kher President Mr. R.P. Kaushik Manager Mr. Abhijit Malkhani Vice President Mr. Gaurav Dua Treasurer
94.1
Princeton Estate I,II & III
Royalton Tower
ELDERS
YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS
88.1
Beverly Park-I – DLF Phase-II 0124-4011757 Mr. P. S Duggal Mr. Sarabjit Singh Dhawan Mr. Rajiv Inamdar Mr. Soumya Dutta Mr. C B Singh
President Vice president Secretary Treasurer Manager
Beverly Park-II – DLF Phase-II Mr. Adil Shiavax Nargolwala Ms. Anita Kapur Ms. Davinder Kaur Mr. Arvind Srivastava Mr. Ajay Goyal
President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Joint Secretary
Belvedere Tower – DLF Phase-II 0124-4068251 Ms. Savita Malhotra Dr. Manoj Talwar Mr. Amit Malik Mr. Deepak Sahai
President Vice President Secretary Treasurer
9999270000 9818078883 9811059845 9818111000 9818549665
9810063523 9810056302 9811084744 9811600888
Belvedere Park Condominium Association – DLF Phase-III Mr. Jai B Yadav Estate Manager Prof K Sundaram President Col. Ajit Singh Rana Vice President Mr. Rajiv Agarwal Secretary
8800308285 9818621084 9650804787 9582210561
Ridgewood Condominium Association – DLF Phase-IV Mr. Sanjay Batra President Mr. Vijay Kumar Verma Vice President Mr. Deepak Mathur Secretary Mr. Amit Dhanuka Treasurer Mr. Sunil Kumar Jain Jt Secretary
9818093097 9810287402 9818664883 9810086577 9911317189
Hamilton, Windsor and Regency Park-II – DLF Phase-IV 0124-2396331 Mr. Vikas Gupta President Mr. Arvind Roy Vice President Mr. K.K. Bhattacharya Secretary Mr. Rakesh Sachdeva Treasurer Mr. Yogendar Rajput Manager
9810064017 9891357555 9810016816 9810266737 9871622323
The Aralias – DLF Phase-V Mr. Rajbir Sharma
9650493525
0124-4144848 Estate Manager
Mr. Saurabh Joshi
Operations Manager
9650493521
Exclusive Floors Owners Society – DLF Phase-V 0124-4109536 Ms. Pallavi Sawhney President Mr. S N Miglani Vice President Mr. Apprajeet Bhatia Secretary Mr. Manish Purohit Treasurer Carlton Estate Condominium Association – DLF Phase-V Mr. N.C. Chatterjee President Mr. Arun Verma Vice President Mr. L.N. Sharma Secretary Mr. Raj Kumar Rathi Treasurer
9873991945 9873757570 9650029189 9810405787
Trinity Towers Condominium Association – DLF Phase-V Mr. Jawahar Lal Vij President Mr. Rajan Misra Vice President Mr. Anuj Chadha Secretary Mr. Rajul Kulshrestha Treasurer
9818967911 9910588700 7838802020 9899892911
Summit Condominium Association – DLF Phase-V Mr. Arun Bharadwaj President Mr Ajay Kalra Vice President Mr. Dipak Roy Secretary Mr. Bipin Sapra Treasurer
9810725825 9818910123 9810398865 9971147072
The Pinnacle – DLF Phase-V 0124-4228770 Ms. Meera Soni Mr. Amit Vikram Sinha Roy Ms. Tina Dhawan Mr. Pranav Barthwal Mr. Rishi Srivastava
President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Joint Secretary
Wellington Estate – DLF Phase-V 0124-2385469 Mrs. Smeeta Roy Jain Mrs. Sudha Kiran Sinha Mr. Ajay Jain Dr. Gautam Sen
President Vice President Secretary Treasurer
DLF City Residents Welfare Association (Regd.) 0124-4055094, 2561888 Mr. H N Chopra President Mr. Sudhir Kapoor Secretary Gen.
9899140100 9811555743
DLF CITY SENIOR CITIZENS COUNCIL (REGD.) 0124-2570417 Mr. Ganesh Dutt Gureja President Mr. Mohan Gulrajani Secretary Gen.
9810638595 9818253979
Condominiums Richmond Park Royalton Tower Princeton Estate Park Place The Belaire The Magnolias
Address DLF Phase-IV DLF Phase-V DLF Phase-V DLF Phase-V DLF Phase-V DLF Phase-V
Contact Mr. H S Shukla Mr. Bijendar Singh Mr. R Bhagchandani Mr. YC Sharma Mr. Anil Kumar Mr. Sanjeev Saxena
DLF
Citynews
Telephone No. 0124-4272776 0124-4292418 0124-4055277 9873603572 9811109205 9654132300
I January 2015 I 61
TRANSIT LOUNGE
SHAHID KAPOOR
THE ACTOR SPEAKS ABOUT HOW THE AUDIENCE TODAY LOOKS FORWARD TO A GOOD CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE. by REENA DHANKHER
‘Competition Also Brings Opportunities’ A talented actor, a tremendous dancer and a fitness freak, Shahid Kapoor has all it takes to be a heartthrob. Riding high on the recent success of Haider, the 33-year-old actor was all smiles when DCN caught up with him for a candid chat during an event in the city. Haider has been critically acclaimed and your performance appreciated. But what were the challenges you faced while adapting to the character of Hamlet and also what is next in store for your fans? Haider is a significant and serious film. I was very scared doing it because it was not an out-and-out entertainment film but Haider has been well appreciated, I think, because it had a nice story. Star Guild Awards are decided by our fraternity and I feel happy that my fraternity appreciated my work. As far as character adaptation is concerned, I guess Kashmir has been slightly disconnected from the rest of India especially in the last few years and so it was a different world out there and playing a local Kashmiri was not easy. But what was most challenging was portraying the character of Hamlet. Regarding my upcoming projects, my fans will soon see me in a Vikas Behl film, Shandaar, with Alia Bhatt. My father is also there in the film. The shooting is over and the film should release around September. There is another film Udhta Punjab where
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DLF I February 2015 I Citynews
I play a Punjabi character. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film will be shot entirely in Punjab and will also feature Alia. Two more actors for the film are yet to be confirmed. You father has done off-beat films alongside mainstream. Do you have any such plans? I don’t think there is any off-beat or mainstream now. There are films which are going to be out-and-out commercial and appeal to the masses but since people are also getting educated about cinema really fast, I feel they are very open in their thoughts and basically want a good cinematic experience. They give a good story an opportunity which today makes Bollywood an amazing place to be in for actors. Can you tell us something about your passion for dancing? I was 16 when I joined Shiamak Davar troupe and became an instructor and dancing continues to be a passion even today. Simultaneously, fitness has also been very important to me. I become very uneasy if I don’t get to work out and end up being a lazy, lethargic and a negative person. What do you feel about the importance of wellness and whom do you consider the fittest actor in Bollywood? Wellness is important as it makes you feel good about yourself but it’s advisable to take help from good doctors so that you do not end up causing any damage while trying to look better. In
today’s times, it’s important to look good and feel good about how you look. As far as fittest actor is concerned, I feel Akshay Kumar is very fit. He has been doing martial arts for a long time and his dedication to fitness can be seen. With tough competition in the industry, what are the challenges that an actor faces? You know there are two sides to it. It’s not just that new actors, filmmakers and technicians are coming in. Earlier the industry was limited with just four to five big actors and directors, and everything functioned around them but if you see Hollywood, it’s not vertical and works sideways. That’s happening in Bollywood now and our industry is growing in size which is great. There are more people to create better films and if there is competition, there are also opportunities. I know who I am and where I am and feel happy to appreciate other people’s work and don’t feel a need to be insecure.
SHAHID KAPOOR I become very uneasy if I don’t get to work out and end up being a lazy, lethargic and a negative person. Who are your inspiration from Hollywood in terms of actors and directors? I really like the way Leonardo DiCaprio has worked on his career and Matthew McConaughey has been doing some amazing work of late. In terms of filmmakers, there are so many. I just saw David Fincher’s Gone Girl and it was absolutely outstanding. There is also some great work happening on television internationally. Shows like Game of Thrones, House of Cars and Boardwalk Empire are a reflection of the fact that the industry is growing in various ways. Though big screen will always be the most amazing experience for a viewer, the television world is making some great content right now and we should all learn from it. ø
DLF
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I February 2015 I 63
ENTERTAINMENT
STARRY AFFAIRS
Award Season In Full Swing
MOVIE PREVIEWS English
Jupiter Ascending 3D Directed by the Wachowskis, the film revolves around a woman who is a cleaner in houses. An engineered hunter makes her conscious of the great destiny that her birth sign predicts. The film has Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum as the lead.
Seventh Son
ONCE A TALKED-ABOUT PAIR, SHAHID KAPOOR AND PRIYANKA CHOPRA SHARE THE TOP HONOURS IN ALMOST ALL THE AWARDS SO FAR
Kingsman: The Secret Service
by DIKHYA TIWARI From designer dresses and scintillating stage performances to the ‘thank you’ speeches (of course, only for the lucky few), January is when stars hog the limelight during the awards season. We zoom in on the award ceremonies held so far.
SANSUI COLOURS STARDUST AWARDS The first star-studded event this year, these awards were all about colourful performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ritiesh Deshmukh, Parineeti Chopra, Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Sonu Sood and Kareena Kapoor Khan. While Queen bagged the Searchlight award for the Best Film, Kangana Ranaut received the Best Actress award. Randeep Hooda was adjudged the best actor for his performance in Highway. Priyanka Chopra received the Best Drama Actress award for Mary Kom. The best film of the year was Happy New Year While yesteryear actress Asha Parekh was felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement award, Anupam Kher received the Pride of the Film Industry award and Amitabh Bachchan was given the International Icon award. The event ended with SRK receiving the Star of the Year (Male) award and Deepika bagging
An American fantasy directed by Sergei Bodrov, it is based on a novel, The Last Apprentice. The story is about how a witch takes revenge on a supernatural champion. It stars Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore and Ben Barnes.
the Star of the Year (Female) award.
RENAULT STAR GUILD AWARDS This is the only event where the awards are chosen by the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, in other words, the fraternity itself. With Kapil Sharma hosting the ceremony, it had doses of laughter besides the glamour provided by star performers Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Jacqueline Fernandez. Shahid Kapoor walked away with the Best Actor Award for Haider while Priyanka Chopra was adjudged the best actress for Mary Kom. She also received the Hindustan Times Celebrity for a cause award. Riteish Deshmukh won the Best Actor in a Negative Performance Award for Ek Villain while PK bagged the Best Film Award. Alia Bhatt was the Gionee Most Stylish Youth Icon while Deepika Padukone walked away with the award for Entertainer of the Year and Shraddha Kapoor won the Star Plus Shining Superstar Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rakesh Roshan by his son Hrithik and friend Jeetendra.
LIFE OK SCREEN AWARDS Like every year, this time too, the awards function had some dazzling performances. Jacqueline Fernandez, Malaika Arora Khan, Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Gurmeet Chowdhury and Tiger Shroff were the star attractions. Tiger Shroff, who has been walking away with the Best Debutante Award in all the ceremonies (including Screen), had some stunts to flaunt on stage too. The one actor who was all smiles at this event was Shahid Kapoor, who bagged three awards in total - Best Male Actor for Haider, Best Jodi with Tabu and also the Male Hero of the Year Trophy. Priyanka Chopra received the Best Female Actor award for her portrayal in Mary Kom. The Female Hero of the Year Trophy went to Alia Bhatt while the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to ‘Dream Girl’ Hema Malini. In the Popular Choice category, the lead pair from Happy New Year, Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, was given the Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor awards. Queen was adjudged the Best Film while box office hit PK was recognised with two awards, Best Dialogue and Best Costume. But there is lots more action to come with the most prestigious of them all, the Filmfare Awards, on January 31.
Based on the comic, The Secret Service, it is directed by Mathew Vaughn. With Collin Firth, Samuel L Jackson and Mark Strong, the film has a young protégé led by a secret agent into the world.
Hindi
Shamitabh Written and directed by R Balki, the film has Amitabh Bachchan with Dhanush and Akshara Hassan in her debut role. With a list of producers including Sunil Lulla, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Dhanush, Ekta and Shobha Kapoor, Sunil Manchanda, the film is an eagerly awaited one.
Roy A romantic thriller produced by Bhushan Kumar, Roy is directed by Vikramjit Singh and has Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Rampal in the lead. The music has been composed by Ankit Tiwari, Meet Bros Anjjan and Amaal Mallik.
Badlapur Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the film has Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi as the main cast. The story is about a man who takes revenge for his wife and child’s murder. The music is by Sachin Jigar while the film is produced by Sunil Lulla and Dinesh Vijan. For corporate and bulk bookings (Book minimum 50 tickets) (Timings: 11am-7pm)
Phone: 8860003310 email: dtcorporatebooking@dlf.in Ticket also available at
64
DLF I February 2015 I Citynews
bookmyshow.com DLF
Citynews
I May 2014 I 65
ENTERTAINMENT
LAST WORD
Jennifer’s Praise For
Angelina
It seems Jennifer Aniston finds her so-called rivalry with Angelina Jolie ‘too tiresome and old’. While both grabbed headlines at the star-studded Critics’ Choice Awards, Jennifer was later quoted as saying that her rivalry with Angelina was like an old leather shoe. “Let’s buy a new pair of shiny shoes,” she said. Both were nominated — Jennifer for her performance in Cake and Angelina for directing Unbroken and the former also praised Angelina for her film. “I mean, that movie is so beautiful and she did such a gorgeous job. I think that it’s time people stop with that petty kind of silliness and just start celebrating great work,” she said
Rahul Mahajan Can Be An Actor:
Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt, who gave Bollywood the sizzling Sunny Leone after picking her up from the Bigg Boss house in its fifth season, reentered the house as he came promoting his next, Khamoshiyan, with actors Gurmeet Choudhary and Ali Faizal. The director gave a scene to the housemates to enact. After he came out and was quizzed by Farah about the potential talents in the house, the director named, no not Karishma Tanna or Gautam Gulati, but Rahul Mahajan and Sambhavna Seth! Mahesh was heard saying that Rahul had it in him to be a good character actor and that Sambhavna too had a wild streak
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DLF I February 2015 I Citynews