MIND Mag SEP 2018 Issue #9

COVER

“Don’t kill if you can wound, don’t wound if you can subdue, don’t subdue, if you can pacify, and don’t raise a hand at all, until you’ve extended it.”

- Wonder Woman, DC 2 M.IND MAG September 2018 Mindmag.media

Team and Contributors Sukiran Singh, Editor Simarjot Wadhwa, Junior Editor Disha Shah, Creative Executive

Contributers Ranveer Dua, Photographer Sommy eric, Stylist, Contributor Tarsha Khurana, MUA Neha Verma, Stylist Abhishek Verma, Photographer Abhishek Chatterjee, Stylist Supreet Khurana, Stylist Hardeep Arora, MUA Ruchir Vashishtha, Photographer Shripriya Shetty, Writer Palak Gupta, Contributor Shivani Yadav, Writer Vishakha Rao, Contributor

Thanks to Inega Models Monica Kapoor The Body Canvas Tattoo Studios Play The Lounge, Mumbai

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CONTENTS

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R. K. Laxman

INDEX

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Dazzler

28 Pop Goes the comic

34 Sourav Mohapatra

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Cover Story

50 Sahil Vaid

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Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy

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Gypsy

Nightcrawler

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Editor’s note When the audiences got bored of visualizing the words, Graphic novels or later known as Comic books were born. Although they originated in 18th century in Japan, in west they started as graffiti to picturize a scene in Newspapers, later in early 20th Century, the comics ventured out at full blown books. They become highly glamorous and popular in 1960’s and the concept of superheroes got a wider audience with the movies and TV shows based on them.

Since their origin, Comic books and graphic novels have been weaving dreams of all the silent kids around the world, who wish to be find solace in an alternate reality. The art itself is beautiful, which has been changing continuously since 1930’s to now. The costumes have metamorphosed, music and culture as well, all depending on the time we live in and the ideas contained in the artist’s mind. You can travel the unlimited bounds of space or simple save your own world, just picture yourself as one of the million characters of millions of stories laid out beautifully. I guess I might have been a bit of a nerd, as the ‘cool’ lot started calling the story tellers and dreamers, for their own lack of imagination.

I love every moment I engrossed myself into the content I read and I loved when dreamt of being in an alternative life. It makes us creative and creativity is only redeemer of our desolate lives.

Our September 2018 Issue is all about comics and some of the most interested Characters. Enjoy the issue.

Sukiran Singh Editor, M.IND Mag

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R.K. LAXMAN – A TRIBUTE TO THE NOT-SO-COMMON MAN

by Shripriya Shetty “So far as I am concerned, I am not at all aware that there indeed exists a serious side as well to my cartoons drawn in an inspired mood of mischievous abandon.”

- R.K. Laxman.

Growing up in a small town, my young self religiously followed a ritual of reading the newspaper every morning. Given the lack of interest of a very young mind to comprehend the complexity of any news, even so, one could easily spot me dressed in a school uniform, gulping a glass of milk and hurriedly flipping through the morning paper immersed in a quest to find all the bits and pieces of comic strips that was spread across its pages while trying to outrun the blaring honk of the school bus outside my gate. Amongst classics like Archie’s or Calvin & Hobbes that have etched their presence in my mind, the character that easily stole the limelight was ‘The Common Man’ from the daily comic strip ‘You Said it’ created by Indian author and cartoonist Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman.

From its first publication in 1951, over half a century this character depicted the average Indian and his hopes, ambitions, struggles and the stark reality of the country’s corrupt politics.

Dressed in a dhoti, plaid jacket, round rimmed glasses and tufts of graying hair : Pixabay that sprayed out of his ears and defied the laws of gravity, what was onlyImage a funny character to young kids evolved into a harsh political lesson with time. R.K. Laxman exposed his iconic character as a silent spectator to different settings in his comic strips that carefully observed the country’s day-to-day political condition through the eyes of a regular Indian with an uncanny perception, sarcasm and a sense of humor. The baffling timelessness and relevancy of his illustrations from decades ago to today’s modern bureaucracy marks this man as an absolute genius. His remarkable work of art has earned many awards and fans from all over the country with his name on the tip of the tongue of every aspiring Indian cartoonist.

R.k. Laxman started drawing at a very young age. Little boy Laxman spent his day trailing his mother or sketching cartoons of his horrified father among other things that caught his attention. The lack of drawing tools barely bothered the artist who turned the walls and the floor of his house into a canvas whenever required. Armed with his artistic flare and his unwavering curiosity and fascination

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with the world, he was deeply inspired by his surroundings that later evolved to cartoons. Apart from ‘The Common Man’ R.K. Laxman drew illustrations for his brother R.K Narayan’s stories of Malgudi Days at a very tender age of 12 or 13 which was then published in newspapers and is aired on TV Channels and Online sites to this day.

During his stay in England, He met with prominent figures such as Bertrand Russell, Graham Greene, J.B. Priestly, and T.S. Eliot and drew caricatures of them.

In his autobiography, Laxman recalls how T.S. Eliot “sat still, as if posing for an oil portrait. I made an elaborate pencil study of him. When I finished I held it out for him to autograph. He continued to sit without stirring. I had to clear my throat loudly, for he had gone to sleep. He woke up with a start and looked apologetic. He gazed at my drawing with amusement and signed it cheerfully.”

Laxman once said of his Common Man, “He’s been with me throughout my career. I didn’t find him. He found me... I would say he symbolizes the mute millions of India, or perhaps the whole world, a silent spectator of marching time.”

An illustration that initially had to showcase the country’s various states, he would draw a Bengali, a Tamilian, a Punjabi and so on to represent Indians and cultures which then was reduced to a simple sketch revolving around a character due to strict deadlines, attracted massive popularity among the minds and hearts of his readers and continues to educate the future generations.

This satirist lived a robust life with many achievements and struggles and kept his readers thoroughly engaged with his comics throughout his career. In R.k.

Laxman’s honor, a bronze statue of ‘The Common Man’ is installed in front of the Symbiosis Institute in Pune and another erected at the Worli Sea Face.

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Bodysuit and Heels by Papadontpreach Shirt by urbansuburban Jewellery by Aquamarine

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at Play The Lounge, Mumbai

Ft. Paulina Starosielec

Photography by Ranveer Dua Retouching by Sukiran Si ngh Styling by Neha Verma HMU by Hardeep Arora Choreographed by Moni ca Kapoor Producti on by Di sha Shah Photography Assi stance by Ankur Bhoria Producti on Assi stance by Shreya Jindani

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Bralette- Papadontpreach Pants- urbansuburban Jewellery - Aquamarine

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jumpsuit -urbansuburban Blouse(worn as jacket) and Heels- Papadontpreach Scarf- stylists own

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Papadontpreach dress Jewellery - Aquamarine

Top pic : Anaamon model Hemant Kalra Bottom pic : Black outfit Virtues on Sunny Kotwal on the left.

White Outfit : Jenjum Gadi on Pratik Asnani on the right.

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CHICKEN SOUP FOR INDIAN NERD SOUL

by Simarjot Wadhwa

Beautiful illustrations of different characters and their expressions have always enchanted the children since long time. Their impact has been so deep that characters seem to be living lives with us. The reading had never been so fascinating , exhilarating and thrilling before advent of comic books. From ‘The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats’ in 1897 till ‘X-Men Grand Design-Second Genesis’ in 2018 , impressions are indelible.

The popularity of comic books was at peak from 1938 through mid 1940s. The debutant Superman on April 18,1938 highlighted the machoism ; Batman – the fictional superhero created in 1939, was an embodiment of abilities ,detective skills and indomitable will ; Wonder Woman first appeared in October 1941 and rose to fame owing to her strength by defeating ‘damsels in distress’. All these characters developed a huge association with people and influenced their fancies.

Even in India , local heroes made an everlasting impact on the minds of Indian audience. The children , adolescents or the elderly could relate themselves with the characters depicted. From mid 1960s , with the launch of Indrajal Comics

by The Times India till now , the comic characters have undergone different phases. Perhaps , the current young generation is least aware of the characters in Amar Chitra Katha but the middle-aged generation can never forget their bonds with the comic books . The publication of the comic named ‘Chacha Chaudhary’ in 1971 introduced the immortal characters of Chacha Chaudhary- a

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wise old man who possessed ‘a brain sharper than a needle and faster than a super computer’ ; Sabu- a loyal to chacha and his masculinity is a great support to him in dire situations ; Rocket – the pet dog of Chacha always helped him.

Their presence can never be detached from the common people. Other poular Indian comic characters include Pinki ,Nagaraj, Super Commando Dhruv , Doga etc.

With the advent of satellite television and social media, comic books publications saw a decline in the trend. Reading suffered a setback and the interests differed. Though the journey of fantasies through words was overshadowed by animation, the characters of comic books will never die .The images don’t fade away and never hinder the path to the Memory Lane.

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Juhi Godambe

as

Athena COVER STORY

Photographed & Retouched by Sukiran Si ngh Styli ng by Di sha Shah & SUpreet Khurana Makeup & HaiR by Tarsha Khorana

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Dress : Sunaina Khera Golden Metal Corset by Anishi Sheth Jewellery :Eurumme jewellery Shoes : Dune London

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Outfit : Flirtatious, Hair Accessory :Eurumme jewellery Ring & neck piece : Shilpa puri designer jewellery Shoes : Dune London

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Outfit : Kartikeya Jewellery : Deepa Gurnani Shoes : Steve Madden

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Outfit : Rocky Star Headgear : Aldo Handcuff & Jewellery : Deepa Gurnani Shoes : Dune London

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'Life doesn't give us purpose. We give life purpose.'

- The Flash, DC

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BLOGGER, ENTREPRENEUR

JUHI GODAMBE Cover Interview by Sukiran Singh

Q. Tell about about your Origins?

Mumbai girl, I come from a family that was always a part of the fashion and beauty industry. But also from a family that dint expose me too much to the industry so when I started out, it was pretty much a fresh start. Studied fashion in London College of fashion after which the blogging journey began.

Q. How did you decide to be a blogger?

The only way I can explain this is by saying it just happened! I was always someone who loved to dress up, take photos etc. and when I started about 3 years ago, blogging was not even a known thing in India. It was very vague, and everyone including me called it a hobby. I started writing articles on my blog consistently because I loved it and was very passionate about it. Eventually it got noticed and transformed into a job.

Q. What is blogging for you?

Blogging for me is the most amazing way for anyone to have an opinion about a certain topic. For example I talk about my life and experiences on my blog, my travel, my wardrobe, skin, makeup, fitness. And my viewers who relate to me enjoy my blog and it’s such a beautiful way to connect to people and create a digital diary online.

Q. Is writing an integral part of blogging, or not so anymore?

I think people don’t realize the difference between being a blogger and an influencer on social media. A blogger is someone who has a platform to pen down their thoughts or to create articles. So yes, writing is an integral part of blogging.

Definitely for fashion related articles I think pictures speak louder than words.

But a few words to sum up the article is very necessary. garbage, yet follow it to the core. All the idiotic versions of west, the Yo Yo’s and phoney kings, have further degraded the word ‘cool’ and the art form of tattooing with it. I remember one time I was in my hometown, in Punjab, and I went to a shopkeeper for something. He politely asked me smiling, ‘Bhaji, are you a rapper?’ I’m assuming, looking at my tattoos, as I don’t dress up like a circus magician who got an opportunity to be Q. There are 1000s of ‘bloggers’ originating today, iron‐ ically on instagram, with bought up followers. This is happening in India. What do have you say about this?

I feel it happens all around the world and not just India. But people don’t realize that buying fake followers is just a temporary sense of satisfaction. Brands, PRs

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etc that blogger aim to work with see beyond numbers and scan an accounts engagement before signing them up for campaigns. So my advice would be to never fake it because people on the Internet are smart and there’s no shortcut to success.

Q. Do you think this new herd will affect the otherwise small industry? If yes, how?

I think in the end, GOOD WORK counts, so the new lot or the old, as long as their energy is being focused on creating unique and engaging content, everyone has a place and a chance to success.

Q. Considering blogging as a serious business of the 21st century, how can one make the brands trust them, from a hoard of generic pretenders? I ask this as after you shared our shoot story, we got multiple messages from so called bloggers to collaborate.

The trust is build over time, brands notice you and your progress and then decide to invest in you. Its just like any other profession, getting on the top takes times and patience. And the ones that really work hard make it! Another tip is to keep every collaboration as transparent as possible, if a brand requests to see numbers and analytics, make it available to them before they even ask for it.

Q. What do you think is the future of blogging, specially in India?

Because of how social media works, India is pretty much at the same level of exposure to blogging as the western side of the world is. We are now working with similar international brands as the bloggers there are. Which is amazing! So I think blogging will progress and grow and may be transform into something bigger with time. With newer social media platforms there will probably be newer ways to reach our audiences. Cant predict the future but I know its going to be good.

Q. Everyone ventures out. How did the idea of Arabellaa came up?

I always wanted to start something of my own, I knew that even when most of my friends dint know what they wanted to persue. And the fact that fashion was always a huge part of my life also because of my parents, I decided to start a business in fashion Q. Do you design as well?

Nope I don’t design, I have a team working in-house on designs. But ofcourse I am involved at all times.

Q. What other things would you wish to venture into?

At the moment I think I’m gratefully doing everything I love, creating content and running a business. But maybe start a cute healthy café in the future, because I’m also super passionate about healthy food and wellness.

Q. What do you have to say to the people who wish to blog?

Be consistent, create quality content and be patient. Success takes time, just keep at it!

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Pop Goes the

Comic!!!

Model: Vi shakha Rao Photographer : Tejaswi Ghagada Styli st : Kayal Parakh Graphi cs & Artwork: Sakshi Sethi Make Up & Hair Styli ng : Aanal Savali ya

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SAURAV MOHAPATRA MODERN INDIAN COMIC BOOK WRITER Cover Interview by Sukiran Singh, Disha Shah

Q. Tell us about your origins.

When I was little, I was bitten by a radioactive writer and developed super writing powers ... Sorry, could not resist! Asking a comic book writer about their origins … that’s a juicy slow knee high full toss on leg stump.

On a serious note …

I was born in Odisha and have an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. I moved to the US in 2000 for my first job and currently live near Boston, MA. I always wrote stuff, but it was more the “singing in the shower” equivalent of writing. I started writing professionally in 2006. My first book was DEEPAK CHOPRA PRESENTS INDIA AUTHENTIC for the now defunct Virgin Comics. I went on to write quite a few other Virgin Comics titles like DEVI, SADHU, MUMBAI MACGUFFIN etc. and did some work for Image comics for WITCHBLADE as part of their Top Cow imprint. My first creator owned title was the original graphic novel MUMBAI CONFIDENTIAL (2013) about encounter cops in the Mumbai police.

My most recent work includes the graphic novels MOON MOUNTAIN (an adaptation of the by the renowned Bengali writer Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay of PATHER PANCHELI fame), WAY OF THE WARRIOR as well as the official SHOLAY prequel comics that tells the story of Gabbar Singh’s origins. I feel privileged (and obviously very proud) to have fulfilled a childhood dream -- as far as I know, I’m the only Indian writer to have written an official story for THE PHANTOM. Of late, I’ve been busy working on the sequel to Mumbai Confidential as well as the screenplay for the motion picture adaptation of the first volume. I’m also working on a sci-fi short story collection about a dystopian near-future India.

Q. When and how did you figure, you’re supposed to be storyteller?

Hmmm, I guess I always knew that I was good at telling stories. My mother can attest to that! :) Stories were an escape and a lifeline for me since childhood. I’m on the autistic spectrum (diagnosed with what was till recently called Asperger’s Syndrome). I

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could never process the world and how people interact normally. So as a teenager, I fell back on narratives, plot dynamics, character development as stop-gap tools to try and make sense of the world. Think about it. You’re born, you live, and one day you die. This is the story of you, yet it is not the whole story. You know how it began and how it will end. This is true for everyone you’ll ever meet. But the wonderful narrative of your own unique experiences is as compelling a page turner as the most exciting book ever written. The epiphany was quite simple. Everyone is in the middle of their own story (of which they are the protagonist) and I have always been fascinated with whence they came, where they’re going and why. To be able to connect better, I began to view the world and people I meet as stories in progress, using my intuition and imagination to fill in the gaps. In a way, I have never stopped. My stories exist in a continuum between my inner universe and the outer one. When you fall in love with this beautiful bridge between imagination and reality, it’s hard to turn your back on it.

Q. How did comic books come up as a medium for your writing?

I think very visually and comic books always felt like a natural medium to express my stories. I grew up reading the Indian staples -- INDRAJAL COMICS titles (THE PHANTOM, MANDRAKE along with BAHADUR), our homegrown comics like NAGRAJ, DOGA, CHACHA CHAUDHARY etc and foreign comics like TINTIN and ASTERIX. Once I moved to the US, I discovered a treasure trove of titles in the local libraries spanning from DC/ Marvel Superhero titles to gritty crime comics, splendid sci-fi stories and the like. It has been a lifelong love story.

Q. Our readers would love to know the most famous comic written by you.

Mumbai Confidential.

Q. Do you also do the graphic art in comics or have a say in how it looks?

Comic books always fascinated me as they present a very difficult problem of information compression. You have a two dimensional page and no control over how the reader is going to read it. You have to present not only a sense of a

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three dimensional world, but also the concept of time and motion. I can draw a little and tried making my own comic books, but I decided that I’m better off getting better artists to draw my stories and my strength lies in visualizing the narrative and progression. I work closely with artists when I can to explain the visual zone in my mind. But some of my frequent collaborators like Saumin Patel, Vivek L. Shinde are so in tune that I only express plot specific visual details (e.g. the exact look of a red rose in one of the panels of Mumbai Confidential), but otherwise I stay away from specific visual details. Think of comic books like the process of making a movie. The writer is equivalent to the Screenwriter and Director, yet the visual palette of the movie is ultimately best decided by the Cinematographer as well as the actors, which in comic books is the artist’s domain. Like any partnership, this works best if there’s trust and respect in your respective abilities and freedom to express your individuality.

Q. Which character created by you, holds the highest regard for you, and why?

This is a tricky question to answer -- a bit like asking a parent to choose between their kids. However, the most attached I feel to a “character” I created is the City of Mumbai (as Vivek and I depicted it in Mumbai Confidential). I lived in Mumbai for a short while in 1998 and obviously as an avid fan of Hindi movies, the celluloid version is embedded in my brain. I’m also a big fan of western crime-noir and pulp crime fiction and Hong Kong crime movies. So the Mumbai we showed in the graphic novel was a hotchpotch of all of these stylistic elements. We used to joke that our version of Mumbai is the love child of James Ellroy’s Los Angeles from LA CONFIDENTIAL and Salim-Javed’s very Bollywood version of Mumbai as seen in umpteen movies that was raised by Frank Miller’s SIN CITY on a steady diet of Hong Kong crime flicks. It was a joy to write and see it come to life in the pages of the comic book.

Q. How does inspiration strike?

Suddenly and without warning!

It’s like being hit with a sandbag with a syringe of adrenaline sticking out at the end! You feel the wind knocked out of you, yet you feel strangely energetic as if something inside you is trying to bust out of you and it’s your sacred duty to unleash it upon the world.

Q. One character in the world of comics, you think, you could write better?

Writing is an intensely individual and solitary activity. Each character you see brought to life has years of hard work and love infused in it. It’d be very presumptive of me to feel that I could do better than someone who loved and lived a character and birthed it onto the page. However, there are characters I’d really like to write someday. SQUIRREL GIRL from Marvel has always been my great white whale. One day, I hope I’ll write a story featuring her. Closer to home, I have always wished to reimagine Abid Surti and Govind Brahmania’s creation BAHADUR in an updated sleek modern day avatar.

Q. Who are your idols among writers -- comic books or otherwise. What are your

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I like reading anything by James Ellroy, Mickey Spillane, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Greg Rucka, Frank Miller, Ed Brubaker, and Mike Carey. One of my biggest influences has been my friend and mentor Ron Marz’s comic book work on GREEN LANTERN as well as his creator owned works like SAMURAI: HEAVEN & EARTH. Apart from crime fiction, I love sci-fi and love the works of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Neal Stephenson. I read a lot of non-fiction (especially true crime) and one of my favorite writers is S. Hussain Zaidi (the author of BLACK FRIDAY, DONGRI TO DUBAI). I really enjoyed Suketu Mehta’s MAXIMUM CITY: BOMBAY LOST AND FOUND as well as Gyan Prakash’s MUMBAI FABLES. I love watching movies and I feel like my work is influenced by my fascination of gritty Hong Kong crime movies like the work of Johnny To, Ringo Lam and John Woo etc. Among Indian directors, I’m a fan of Anurag Kashyap’s entire body of work and one of my favorite movies is AB TAK CHHAPPAN by Shimit Amin.

Q. India is way behind, in what is otherwise a serious international industry, on the comic book front. What do you feel needs to be done to promote it here?

We’re catching up. Still a long way to go, but we’ll get there. The basic dissonance stems from the fact that we treat comics as a genre rather than a medium.

There’s the dismissal of it as something juvenile than a bona fide art form. We’re obsessed with mythology and the strip-mining of “Indian Culture™” rather than experimenting with the format. Vivek and I did Mumbai Confidential because it is a book we ourselves wished to read as there were no good crime comics set in India at the time. Most artists and writers who work in comics do it because they

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love making them. One of the sad truths of making comic books in India is that the artists get paid very less (and sometimes don’t even get credited behind an unholy wall of “house artists” in what is essentially a sweatshop environment) for work for hire gigs. As the market evolves, we need to make sure creators are paid their due share of money as well as credit. If creators feel that their efforts are appreciated, we’ll see a better variety of stories and genres in comics which will take us to a healthier stage as an industry. Promotion wise, I think the Comic-cons are a good start. Jatin Verma of Comic-con India and his team have been doing some stellar work on that front.

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“Better to die as men, Than to live as slaves!�

- Black Panther, Marvel

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Adventures of

Gypsy

Sophia Certi kova Photographed by Abhi shek Verma Styli ng by Abhi shek Chatterjee Makeup & HaiR by Suraj Ti wari ft ,

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y

Shirt Dress & Long Jacket by Divya Sheth Choker by Amrapali Jewels.

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Applique Flower Embelished Printed Bomber Jacket by Divya Sheth Metallic Layered Skirt by Sunaina Khera.

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Peplum Top & Gown Draped on Shoulder By Sunaina Khera Chandelier Earrings & Bracelets by Amrapali Jewels.

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Emroidered Dress & Jacket by Bobo Calcutta.

Earrings by Amrapali Jewels.

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Peplum Top & Gown Draped on Shoulder By Sunaina Khera Chandelier Earrings & Bracelets by Amrapali Jewels.

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MODERN INDIAN ACTOR

SAHIL VAID Interview by Disha Shah Photographed by Dhruv Vohra

Q. To start with, I was researching and got really fascinated by the fact that you have dubbed for some prominent Hollywood movies and their actors like Tom Cruise, Paul Rudd, etc. How did this come to happen?

A: It all started with me trying to make money and acting wasn’t happening that time. It became a little difficult for me to cope up in the city. Then one day this guy asked me for a Corporate film to do a voice over, and that’s when it all started. Then Discovery channel, history channel, national geographic channel happen I started doing a lot of voice overs. Once that started movie directors started calling me for movie dubbing. Elijah Louis was the first person to call me to dub for a character in the theatrical film. It was the most difficult film I ever dubbed it took me four days to dub for the lead role it was the movie Final Destination 5. I dubbed for Sam the character that showed me the different level of qualities of voicing that required in the city. I don’t let go dubbing now. I taught this started as a mean of sustaining I always keep it with me.

Q. You have been acting for a long while now, how did the transition from Theatre to Bollywood happen?

A: Honestly the transition has not happened I’m stuck in the middle. the transition started but I’m very happy to be stuck in the middle because I keep jumping between the theatre and the theatre. I started obviously with stage I was in class 5 in Delhi. I loved that place so much that level I found acceptance.

I started doing a lot of theatre. the transition it was a natural transition I did not go to the National School of Drama cos a lot of people there who taught me were people from NSD. I had same teachers. I have really done intensive work for theatre Delhi. I have done light class, colouring, makeup, music class. I had an intensive workshop, for a year we only did theatre, and I top that class. I’m working with mottle right now whenever I get the the opportunity to act on stage. I was on stage yesterday for this play called aurat aurat aurat .one of the actors got ill.so day before I come to know I’m acting also so I was like let’s do this and it was so much fun. In a theatre that’s why they say theatre doesn’t have actors they have theatre people. If you do everything then you’re welcome to the theatre in itself is a very difficult thing to run economically financially. If a guy can do multiple jobs then he is always welcome to the theatre. If your Just an actor it’s a little difficult. Like for the last act I was operating sound and when my ace came I finished my sound cue and went backstage and started doingsound again, after doing all that when I go to films it’s like a cake walk. When your done theatre it becomes manageable you don’t find yourself in an alien situation you don’t find yourself in a place you have not been before.

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Q3. What is the biggest difference between theatre and cinema?

A: Us being theatre actors When I was in Delhi we made a lot of amateur films.

We would shoot the whole scene we didn’t know camera angles we dint know cuts. Cuts were one thing which when I came to Mumbai and learned. when I came here someone approached me for a short film. I was like, I will do it. he gave me a script I memories the whole script. Next day at the shoot I started saying my lines and in the middle of the line the director says cut and I was like what happens is there anything wrong he said no I got my shot I told him my lines are still left then he told me I want that line from that angled that location.

I asked him this is how it is done or I’m being a bad actor. then he told me this is how it works. That word cut is the biggest difference between theatre and cinema .in theatre nobody stopping you. A lot of people sat theatre is difficult but I find theatre easier. When there are cuts the continue emotions and to perform becomes difficult.

Q4. The roles you have taken in movies, are comic/ support in nature. Do you wish to play roles similar to those you’ve dubbed for? And are you working on other genres?

A: I tried a different kind of role in the Bankchor movie, honestly, the performance worked the role worked but the film didn’t work. I feel human beings have all kind of personalities within him. all the 9 emotions are a part of every human being. So what will people do if he gets angry or what will he do if he suddenly decides to be a serial killer there are all different kinds of role. The first film that released of mine I played a 36 yrs. old husband whereas I was 22yrs old at that time. and then when I was 26 I played 21-year Poplu so I would love to play the kind of roles which I dub for especially I really appreciate Jack Nicholson he is one of my most favourite actors. Sometimes the role decides I haven’t chosen these roles I haven’t chosen to do Poplu, Somdev or I haven’t chosen to play Jugnu from Bankchor. but I loved playing them. you know why cos I’m not at that level go and ask the producer or director that hey I loved that role can I do that. Unfortunately, that probably will come in life may it won’t I don’t know yet. but I loved playing this role to the fullest because then they make me go ahead and discover that different aspects of my life. Now when you see me you don’t see Somdev, people or Jugnu you see the totally different guy. I like to keep memorable in every movie. kind of like a part of my life.

Q5. While struggling to be in the movies, people tend to lose many roles due to any circumstances. Do you think you lost a role that could have changed everything if you had gotten it?

A: I haven’t lost a role but some of my projects dint work. There was this project called Fauji, it was a sequel to Shahrukh khans Fauji. We were a band of 5 actors who were doing a lead role. Pulkit Samrat was one of the Lead actors, Gaurav Ghanekar was one of the lead actors who’s now a Marathi star. It was an amazing team. we shot 7-8 episodes of that show and suddenly it stopped. That is one show that kind of decided my direction in life if that show would have worked I would have never continue doing theatre. There is no saying when will the show start again. There was a film which I taught if I was selected then it would have been a different story it was this amazing movie called happy days. But it didn’t

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start. So I have never lost a role because of any reason it’s just the projects didn’t work.

Q6. Did you face any kind of struggle in venturing out? Or things just played out in your career?

A: I did struggle a bit. Although all that struggle seems really small now. It all laughable but I know I understand 20-21year boy comes to Mumbai those struggles are big for him, I understand that now cos I have 2-3 people whom I kind of guide. They are very talented actors, film professionals. I don’t come from that privilege social economical background but at the same time what my parents could give me where values. Morals,self-dependence, freedom. I really appreciate them for that and today they are proud. In my life, I had Naseeruddin Shah who acted as a mentor to me always guiding me. The day you give up on yourself t is the day you stop being an actor that scares me. People come an say to me I loved you in BhadriNath Ki Dulhania and I asked them, didn’t you like me in Humpty Sharma Ki Dhulania?, and people are like where you were in Humpty also and I tell them that was me. people hardly know Sahil Vaid but people know Poplu, Somdev or Jugnu. I really love how they remember my character.

Q7. We got to know that you are working really hard to lose weight for a role. Is it of utmost importance to the role or is it an industry pressure?

A: It depends on the role and you should feel it from inside to do the justice to a character and yes I loosen up some weight for the role to give life to the character which you can see in the movie.

Q8. What would you like to tell those who do not understand the difference between a character artist or an actor, and a Hero?

A: I’m a hero. I play characters in my job I’m a hero in my life. I taught I would never succeed as an actor but I did and I’m going further I’m getting there. And I have people who love me and people who hate me makes me a hero and people who hate me a villain. My job is to go out there and play characters. I’m the protagonist. There are things that industry has coined which I don’t understand side actor what does he do acts from one side? The one who has lesser lines and doesn’t get the girl is the character actor. we are all actors and we are all trying to make the story come across to the audience in the most effective manner. Or is the richest guy on the set who gets the most lines or gets the girl that’s something? we need to change about our industry we all go through the same process. Even a guy who says one line if he messes up the whole day shoot is gone. the small actor has a small vanity or probably 4 small actors are put in small vanity, a big actor gets a big vanity with tv and all when does it change how does it affect the small actor at Mind. Either he quits or he stops believing in what he does or he gets really aggressive and ends up being a star one day and he turns out to be that person who becomes difficult to work with because he was treated unfairly when he started. My whole point is to be a director’s delight and producers delight.

Q9. What are the new things you are working on? What is next in Sahil Vaid’s box?

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A: Naina Dhar the one girl that changed my life from the past one year. I never taught I need a manager but this one soul has sorted my life out. She puts everything in order sometimes you need that one voice. There are a lot of projects, and this weight loss is only going to continue. I’m doing movies, web series.

I don’t like this one day jobs like ads where you don’t really get to connect to people much. I really like to connect with people on different levels. So when I’m doing a movie we really connect and makes the bond really beautiful. ***

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THE ART OF INK AND THE MODERN INDIAN ARTIST

by Sukiran Singh

Everyone loved the idea of my new tattoo, as many people got curious and asked what it meant when I shared the story on my social media, apart from my mother. When I sent a picture of it to her on WhatsApp, I got no response to it, but within the next 5 minutes she gave me a call. I kept saying hello for a few seconds, when she finally responded and said ‘why are you covering all your body? Don’t you have enough already?’ (Mind it, not even 5% of my body is covered.)

I’m quite close and unguarded with my parents. They know in advance, what happens in my life. Still, she took a long pause in her response, which showed her irrevocable dissent of my choice. Her discord is ignorant and originates from an unfamiliar mindset at best. I know for sure, it’s not her mindset that creates this conflict of discerning my choices, as she’s quite an open minded woman, and deep down understands how to respect others individuality, it’s rather the literate ‘illiteracy’ and a large cloud of ignorance she’s surrounded by, in form of the so-called society. I’m sure she accepts me for who I am, but this voice of ‘her son is doing this, her son is doing that’ is buzzing endlessly in her sub-conscious.

There are many like her, who, under societal pressure of producing cogs in a machine, have forgotten that life as a human comes only once and one has a right to atleast make the small everyday choices of their lives, specially when there is no control over the big ones.

And what is wrong with Tattoos? It’s a 6000 years old art form that humans can physically carry with them.

‘The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.’ Said Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest artists in history. Art brings serenity and pleasure to our senses and enlightens our monotonous, dull lives, even for a spec in time.

Art can be anything - Painting, poetry, writing, and acting, even the lousy and stinking versions of pretend cinema that we see many times, in the name of entertainment. If one’s dopamine (hormone that induces happiness and pleasure) levels can increase watching the nonsensical family soaps, another has a right to choose their weapons of ecstasy.

I’ll tell you what the problem is; obliviousness. The idea of the art of tattooing has changed in recent times, and pop culture has made it commercial. In India, the idea of commercial is quite different from the International scenario. In India,

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commercial is often synonymised to terms like Vulgar, ugly and low-intellect mass friendly; where audiences tend to believe the concepts of ‘what hero is doing is the right thing’ and the lost essence of word ‘cool’. Everyone, openly or secretly, watches and follows commercial crap, understands that it’s unrealistic garbage, yet follow it to the core. All the idiotic versions of west, the Yo Yo’s and phoney kings, have further degraded the word ‘cool’ and the art form of tattooing with it. I remember one time I was in my hometown, in Punjab, and I went to a shopkeeper for something. He politely asked me smiling, ‘Bhaji, are you a rapper?’ I’m assuming, looking at my tattoos, as I don’t dress up like a circus magician who got an opportunity to be on the catwalk. I looked at him and my brain screamed ‘Fuck no! It’s an art form, you imbecile. The world is living in the 2015 (that year), please, for God’s sake, come out of the dark ages.’ Of course I didn’t say that. I gently said no. He was disappointed, but I had understood where the idea was originating.

As you must have understood by now, I love the art form. For me, my tattoos represent the emotional state I was in, when and where I got them done. They are like chapters of my life’s book, the struggles I went through, things I’ve seen, people I’ve met and achievements I achieved, how matter small or big they are.

I’d be lying if I said that they are meant just for me, like many people tend to say, as they think they try not being part of the new pretentious ‘cool’ club. They are open for the world to see and interpret the meanings of them as the audiences deem fit, like any other art form. For me, they are symbols of my individuality and people seem to recognize me from the hoard of millions, through them. So, as I love the art form so much, I can’t seem to stop the extension of my gallery.

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Body Canvas- My choice of Art Dealer While I was at work one day, I received an email from someone at the marketing team of Body Canvas, to review their work in form of an article, in one of our issues. At first I was a bit hesitant about the article. I’ve had terrible experiences with Indian tattoo artists before. Some didn’t know basic forms of art, like what realism was for instance, then there were others who made blotches in the name of shading, and almost all screwed the skin so much that it would raise up and swell, every time I had an allergy. The only good tattoo I had, was a phoenix that I got done in London, in 2010. I had it fixed in my mind that Indian tattoo artists are yo yo’s and not true artists, which is true to some extent. Anyways, I emailed back, saying that I’d like a practical experience, to be able to write anything, after looking at their Instagram. Their Instagram had impressed me, but I wanted a real taste. You cannot be certain about a 100-year-old Bourbon when people say it is the best, unless you have a sip.

Next thing, we fixed a date when their star artist was coming back from his international conventions. I had to get it done from the Chef and not the support.

A little about Body Canvas, It came into existence in 2003 when Vikas Malani got inspired by his Artist Mother. He had been tattooing much before that, since the time he learnt the art from a Spanish artist called Lydia. Since then, Vikas and his brother Mickey have expanded the business to many cities around India and World. But later on to Vikas, lets continue with the story.

So, on the decided date, I showed up at this neat Tattoo parlour, one of their Mumbai Branches, placed on the Carter Road, Pali Hill. The studio is on the first floor, for which I had to climb a few stairs. As I entered the Studio with the glass door, I felt the presence of being in an artistic environment. Even though my Liaison, whom I had been discussing things with, was not there, the team who receives clients made me feel quite comfortable. Please mind that at this moment, they did not know that I was here for a piece, or atleast I believe so. I was like any other client to them. I understand that all businesses are sweet to the potential customers, but the environment at the Body Canvas is quite different. There are no fake courtesies, no ‘customer is God’ philosophy; there is rather a general air of politeness and friendliness. In first 5 minutes you realize that these people are here for the art and not only for the livelihood, they actually love what they do. How many people can truly say that about their work?

So, as I waited there, on one of the Sofas, several customers came and went, several of them, quite permanent. As I looked at this scared girl on the opposite sofa, discussing her first tattoo design with this quiet, mysterious, beautiful girl, who actually turned out to be one their core team artists, Shikha, a long haired and bearded fellow showed up. This was Vikas, but it this point I did not remember his name, just the Surname. He introduced himself, we chatted for a bit. He was quiet friendly and asked me about the design I wanted. Next thing I knew, in 5 minutes, all the hesitance was gone and it felt like I knew the man for a long time and I was in experienced hands. He told me to wait as they custom design

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my idea, on spot, as he went on to finish this Canadian client’s tattoo. One thing I loved in our Discussion that he was hesitant of doing a design that I showed him, as he wanted to pick up the idea but do something original. As an Artist, he has an artistic integrity, where he has respect for other artists’ work. He also is a perfectionist, who likes to work in bound of pre-decided time. This makes him fast. So, the plan has to be solid before he even takes out the tattoo gun, as changing the ideas later is a no-no for him.

Sudhir Rao – Art Negotiator After about 30 Minutes, one of his main artists’ Sudhir showed up (along with their really sweet manager, Sheetal, who was my Liaison), with whom I had some further discussion about my design.

Sudhir and Vikas both had come from Euro tour, so most of the evening there were several discussions of International work and people. We immediately bonded over the fact that he just met my favourite artist in Berlin, Chaim Machlev (Dots to Lines). I hope he reads this and shows me the pictures he promised. This man has an interesting story too. He was a Magician in US while he was studying there, which he proved by an interesting card trick. Then he was in a Viking Band, and then finally became a Tattoo artist. I

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don’t know what he was studying in US, but it’s a good thing that an artistic soul like him didn’t turn out to be another blip in the system. Anyways, Sudhir took me to his computer, where we spent about an hour to fix the design I wanted.

He took cm to cm measurements for exact size and placement. No room for error when it has to be the first that you see the rest of your life.

I met this interesting lady at the parlour, during the process, who owns a restaurant in Sri Lanka and mostly covered in impeccable tattoos. Sudhir made some of them, and the quality of shading is immaculate. I specially love the joker one she had on back of her calf. He is definitely the person to watch out if Vikas is not there. She had specially come as they were visiting.

Vikas Malani – Artist for the selected work While Sudhir finished the design, I closely watched Vikas, deal with some new potential clients who had just popped in. Now, as good as an artist he is, he is a much better businessman. Talking is his forte. He might have the tongue of Hermes, but I think travelling and working with the people around the world has made him Silver-tongue. He brings you in with words, and then you do not wish to work with other Artists.

The couple he was giving free consultation to, started haggling after a bit. If it was I rather than he, the ground would have shook and I certainly would have dropped a chunk of the final amount, just to get the customer in.

He did not bow. After 20 minutes of explaining them everything, they did not get the tattoo done that day and left. But one interesting thing happened, the lady of the couple thanked Vikas at least 10 times before leaving, when the guy kept on giving her the eye to leave. The simple fact is that Vikas had proved that they certainly would get cheaper artists outside, but the amount of knowledge he has, makes him the only one they are safe with. I don’t know if it’s the power of conversation here, but I believe him; all previous

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Indian Artists, big and small alike, had delivered bad work. I knew for a fact that the couple would return in a few days and get it done.

‘I can’t compromise the quality of my work. A tattoo is like a stamp, a mark of the artist who creates it.’ Vikas told me. He’s seen almost everything in the line, not to mention he’s etched his art on the skin of many Celebrities.

I had to wait for another 30 minutes for Vikas’s previous appointments to get over, one of which he did a nose piercing on a guy (I guess it’s a fad, yo yo/ cool bros effect I must add), and then started the work on me.

The man is a machine himself. I’ve never seen a tattoo artist work so fast, yet accurate. He doesn’t like errors as I established before. So once he’s on the tattoo, he’s focused on it. The interesting thing is, major part of my tattoo, he was doing accounts with Sheetal. I can’t stop laughing, as I think about now. Don’t worry; his eyes were set on my arm.

He started with the alphabets, done in less than 5 minutes. Then he started the outline of the design, which took him about 60 minutes. It wasn’t a small design.

He noticed that I was touching my back as I was sitting in a little bent position and it had become uncomfortable. ‘I think we need a small break’ He put it on him and let me relax. I walked off; check the outline in the mirror, which was a perfect trace of the stencil.

He started again in 5 minutes, with the shading. Vikas being Vikas, felt like trying something different on my arm. He wanted to try pepper shading. It’s basically a gradient created by spotted pattern. Denser the patter, darker it is, and vice versa. This can be painful at times; so stronger people should indulge in this style of

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shading. Although the results are quite spectacular.

The Shading took the most of the process’s time; almost 2.5 hours. Well, it would have taken 1 hour, 1.5 max., but Vikas seemed like on a mission to get the most perfect strokes. He was visually measuring millimetres and creating an exact replica of one side on another. ‘Uniformity is the key’, he said. During the process he told me that he has become the brand ambassador of the European tattoo machines manufacturer, Shine, in India. He also is providing these to the top Tattoo artists of India.

By the end, my back had started hurting, so was my head (I wasn’t too well) Strangely my arm did not. It was a fascinating experience, and 7 hours in their studio had passed in a jiff. Once it was done to his satisfaction, he let me see it in the mirror for a minute, before taking a wet tissue and covering the worked upon area. I felt a cool soothing experience. In all my experiences before, including the one of Portobello Market, London, all the artists just finished the tattoo and wrapped it with plastic immediately. Then took their money and said Bbye. Vikas sat and gave me ideas on how to protect it and take care of it.

When the tissue started to dry and cooled my arm, I took it off and went on to take the team’s images, who had given me an exceptional experience. After all the pictures, there was another first for me. No more wrapping of bad plastics.

A special plastic bandage was stuck on my arm, covering the treated area, and I simply had to change one the very next day, which I did at their Malad branch.

All set after that.

Summing up, it was an incredible, one of a kind experience. And, undoubtedly, Vikas Malani is the best Tattoo Artist I’ve had a pleasure of working with. He keeps travelling around the world for new challenges and interests. If you want a tattoo by him or one of his core team, call Body Canvas’s Parlour near you.

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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Ruchir Vashi shtha Intervi ew Questi ons by Sukiran Si ngh Intervi ew conducted by Moto Flare Intervi ew conducted at Backpackers Panda, Lets Bunk Poshtel Seri es by magi c Man

Ruchir met some Backpackers , travelling through IndiA. Photographed them and asked them a few questions .

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Eloise Daytona Country: France Q. Why did you Pick Backpacking As a travel option?

A. Backpacking is simple, travelling with my backpack, and meeting different people and Exploring Q. Why did you include India in the List? and honestly How was your Experience?

A. I have a very strong Feeling about this country, and it's quite a Crazy country with many different contrasts, like it's a very noisy and polluted and on the other side it is very beautiful place hidden in nature and i was interested in Spiritual piece like yoga, dances like Bharatanatyam and food , i love Indian food, I actually like food in Gujrat little soft sponge like dish (Dhokla) is so funny but i really like it, but I'm definitely in love with Kaju Barfi, Like it's the best sweet ever Q. If You had a super power to Hitchhike a ride to anywhere int eh galaxy, which place would you pick and why?

A. I Would go to Peru, as i really want to see the Rainbow mountains, and if I go there I can go to countries nearby and explore more.

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Carolis Country: Lithuania Q. Why did you Pick Backpacking As a travel option?

A. I really like traveling to mountains and wild places.

Q. Why did you include India in the List? and honestly How was your Experience?

A. I have been doing Backpacking Around the Europe and I just wanted to take it to the next level, so I came to Asia and India is where I begin, and since I really like mountains that I have my plans laid out to visit Himalayas and do some trekking. This is a big difference from Europe because in Europe where ever you go it's quite same and when you come here it's like a completely different World to me.

Q. If You had a super power to Hitchhike a ride to anywhere int eh galaxy, which place would you pick and why?

A. I would go to Somewhere to different planet, I guess. Because I'm just looking to something very different from that I have seen before.

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Soren Country: Germany Q. Why did you Pick Backpacking As a travel option?

A. I started backpacking when 18, I think, the thing about backpacking is that, it is one of the most interesting ways to travel, i mean a lot of people travel to holidays but it's something very different to traveling with suitcase and traveling with backpacks most people travel or go abroad for holidays. But this is more spontaneous it’s more adventurous You may or may not have any plan and you have no idea what’s going to happen.

Q. Why did you include India in the List? and honestly How was your Experience?

A. India is the Extreme one or should i say the most different one of what you can Experience. India is crazy, i mean Traffic is the most obvious thing, you are blowing the horn all the time, you are going where ever you want, it’s chaotic and there is waist on the streets and its noisy and it smells it's a just a big mess and it’s also very beautiful. Like if you over look on all the chaos you will also find the beauty in that chaos for example the market its super crowded it’s super busy but each person setting there fruits input the fruits their own very nice order makes it look beautiful still the place is a big mess but there is still a beauty in each place, but i think lot of time people have hard time to also see the beauty because you are so overwhelmed by all the confusion , all the chaos, and they are like i want to go away again, you are have these moments and you are like you are fucked up and you just want to go now, and want to go to a calm place and get relax, so India can be very challenging when you travel but it can be super hard like you can have lot of rains and all these things and you can also see very interesting things i mean it's hard to figure out, as India never gets boring because it’s hard to understand all there all village and so many different counter, i mean if you go to Kashmir it’s a complete different world and if you go to Amritsar places with Sikhs is a complete different vibe, i mean it’s so peaceful that they want everyone to come there and they prepare free meal for everyone, server it to the rest it's amazing feeling and it just goes on with the Positive vibe all around.

Q. If You had a super power to Hitchhike a ride to anywhere int eh galaxy, which place would you pick and why?

A. I have been out to couple of months now and i really is looking for to go back home as this has been long time I'm traveling.

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Tom Wiko Country: England Q. Why did you Pick Backpacking As a travel option?

A. It’s the convenience and the location which backpackers choose encouraged me, you just don’t know where thing is going to be, you could be in the jungle one night, you could be in some city, you might not have a plan and soon as you do have a plan you just get packed up and you are always ready to make a move, you go buying the budget stuff there.

Q. Why did you include India in the List? and honestly How was your Experience?

A. There was a degree of randomness and if had an opportunity to travel in a different place and kind on un similar terms then I could have gone there but India came at me, I saw this opportunity to go and live in India for 6-month. And the overall alternative was to get a job and I can't do that, I just want to go to India, and it was mover over like I wanted to Travel and explore.

Q. If You had a super power to Hitchhike a ride to anywhere int eh galaxy, which place would you pick and why?

A. If it possible I would like to time travel back to the big bang and how it happened knowing beginning of everything.

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TREND ALERT: 2018

MEGHAN MARKLE MADE BOATNECK TRENDY!

by Shivani Yadav

Image : People.com

It’s been just 4 months since the Royal Wedding where the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle marveled in the exquisitely designed Givenchy gown. The highlight point of the wedding dress was the boatneck (or bateau) neckline; and there was a pretty noticeable spike in Google search for that. So what exactly is deal with this?

While you may not be unfamiliar with this neckline, it has not exactly been in trend for decades. Vogue first wrote about it in the 40’s and by 50’s and 60’s, it was everywhere. Audrey Hepburn, the muse of Hubert de Givenchy, put this neckline on map and people could not get enough. With the right amount of skin show of collarbone and clavicle, this neckline walked the line between sexy and sophisticated, perfectly.

But with the hippie movement of the 70’s, disco style of the 80’s and hip hop era of the 90’s, there was just not enough space for classic sophistication; it was never “in trend” again.

Coming back to Meghan Markle, since her wedding, she was spotted on 5 dif-

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ferent occasions sporting that neckline and I’m guessing, this may very much on to becoming a signature style of her’s.

She received a lot of criticism for this move in the first 2 months because people considered it outdated but another thing to note here is that, there has been an upsurge in demand of this particular neckline from everyday consumers and she is a big reason for that!

Yes, the bateau has not been spotted on any runway this season but they are not the only predictor of trends. Meghan’s fashion choices are heavily scrutinized on a regular basis and if there’s one detail that is becoming synonymous to her style, then be ready to see it everywhere. Isn’t that what happened with Marilyn Monroe’s sheer figure-hugging dresses, Jackie Kennedy’s tweed Chanel suits and Audrey Hepburn’s couture gowns?

As for this particular bateau resurgence, you now know who to thank or frown at, depending on your taste. ***

Images : tomandlorenzo.com

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Night Crawler ft ,

Anant

Abhi k Nandy

by Sommy Eri c & HaiR by Suhaan Petwal

Photographed by Styling Makeup

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Outfit: Sahil Aneja, Zara India, HM

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Outfit: Sahil Aneja, Zara India, HM

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Outfit: Sahil Aneja, Zara India, HM

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LAKME FASHION WEEK AW 2018 COVERED BY SOMMY ERIC

Over the years, the format of the Lakmé Fashion Week has become rather familiar to industry insiders. From the Gen Next designer showcase that starts off the event, to Day 2, earmarked as Sustainable Fashion Day, and the super glamorous grand finale (a phenomenon only seen at Indian fashion weeks) that ends with Lakmé brand ambassador Kareena Kapoor-Khan taking the runway along with models, certain shows have become a tradition for the bi-annual event.

Timmy Trumpet Interview

In its latest edition (22-26 August, marking Winter/Festive 2018), the schedule stuck to its signature events, showcasing a mix of handloom labels, bridal ensemble and party season garments. Blame it on the perennial spotlight on Bollywood showstoppers and reiteration of the same silhouettes, fashion week doesn’t always score on fresh ideas.

There are only so many handloom dresses and bridal lehngas one can admire without growing just a little tired.

So why do we keep going back? Despite a sense of sameness, there was plenty to love. A number of notable labels, old and new, made their debut, designers signed up for cool collaborations and new looks promised to make winter 2018 brighter.

MONA SHROFF COLLECTION

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INTIMATE PANEL TALKS

Timmy Trumpet Interview JEF ALBEA

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INTIMATE PANEL TALKS

Timmy Trumpet Interview JEF ALBEA

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INTIMATE PANEL TALKS

Timmy Trumpet Interview JEF ALBEA

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INTIMATE PANEL TALKS

Timmy Trumpet Interview JEF ALBEA

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INTIMATE PANEL TALKS

Timmy Trumpet Interview JEF ALBEA

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CONFESSIONS of a Fashion Week Model

by Palak Gupta (Runway and Print Model, Blogger) Fashion weeks are back and so are the long days and tiring schedules. Models are kind of the back bones for the entire season but in all honesty, we guys have very little to do in terms of DECISION making.

As our brains rot and bodies get tired, we have some survival SKILLS that help us barge through the entire show.

Below are listed, in no order of preferences, we can do whatever we want whenever we want……..

RESERVOIURS OF COFFEE- We models turn into this ‘coffee sucking monster’ during fashion week. Why? Cause changing 10000 clothes in a single day does require some sanity, doesn’t it?

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS- Lack of sleep is another characteristic of a seasoned model. A pool model can be FOUND complaining about long shifts and sleep deprivation. Hence, we can sleep at the drop of a hat. Sleeping models can be spotted anywhere from rehearsal to shows to makeup chairs – it is the SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST after all.

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EAT AWAY – Yes you guys!!! We eat and hog on food during fashion week. A silent useless brain sends out signals of hunger pangs and models can’t help but eat. You TRY TAKING our snacks away we WILL take your soul. It’s a simple barter *wink*

CHAT OUR HEARTS OUT- Countless women in a room, I wouldn’t expect anything less than a chat session and laugh riots. Our backstage team does have a hard time with us all. We aren’t proud of it but we are who we are.

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SNEAK IN A WORKOUT – Heavy clothes, unlimited working hours, places far apart, we aren’t complaining. We will do it all in the name of a good workout.

PHONE PHANATICS – When it comes to our phones, we models are huge fanatics. So much of our work happens on our phones. Gossip sessions, social media, job enquires, coordination… well it’s a lot! You can take the phone away from us but you can’t take us away from the phone… get it get it!!

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LET ME TAKE A SELFIE- No wonder this made it to the list. Kudos girls… our social media rocks :) Mike drop… models exit So now you guys know what we do at fashion weeks. It is a fun post, I hope no one finds any offence in this because most of it is true. Thankyou all the models for letting me take weird pictures of you.

Untill next time Adios amigos!

Signing off Xoxo….

Follow Palak Gupta at https://palakguptaaa.wordpress.com/

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'Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk' - Iron MAN, Marvels

94 M.IND MAG September 2018 Mindmag.media

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