hindustantimes brunch 4th-march-2012
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Hindustantimes Brunch 4th-March-2012TRANSCRIPT
WEEKLY MAGAZINE, MARCH 4, 2012Free with your copy of Hindustan Times
VIR SANGHVIThe restaurant wars
SANJOY NARAYANMusic of your choice, on air
SEEMA GOSWAMI Chocolate or broccoli?indulge
That’s the name of the awards we decided to give TV characters we actually like (yes, believe it or not, there are a few of them). And of course, the ones we hate...
Raaga’s high notesSinger Raageshwari fought facial paralysis to get back her life & her songs
How tosucceedBest-sellingauthor RashmiBansal’s five top secrets
Inkedforever?Sorry, but thecool quotient ofyour tattoosjust dropped
4 WATC H O UT FO R
04.03.2012
SSuunneeeell TThhoommaass The olive oil article by Vir Sanghvi completely blew my mind. Any brand recommendations?
AArryyaasshheeeell JJaaddhhaavv The new design looks great but what’sup with the font? Times new roman, really? It just doesn’tcompliment the modern feel. Even Helvetica looks better.
JJaayy BBhhaatttt Loved the updated version of Brunch. Kudos tothe editorial and the designing team for doing that week
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunchLIKE, COMMENT, SHARE
@@ssaacchhddeevvaa__ppaannkkaajj A poignant story where Mr. Shanghvicomes to terms with the sense of loss. Thank you.
@@ppuujjaabbhhaallllaa1144 Oil in Good Taste is a complete revelation ofOlive Oil. If Italy is victim of buying fake oil, then so are we.
@@VViidduusshhiiKKhheerraa I couldn’t have been happier. As a readermy heart has yearned to lay eyes on Shanghvi’s words.
TWEET YOUR HEART OUTtwitter.com/HTBrunch
Style FileTrawling the Net for body artinspiration? It might not be yourticket to cool anymore
6
VarietySerious about getting ahead?Ask yourself these questions
22
Personal AgendaActor Asin Thottumkal invitesLady Gaga and Gandhi for dinner
26
indulge14
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SPECTATORWhat if chocolate was diet food;and broccoli fattening?
DOWNLOAD CENTRALFind your music of choice, onBBC’s Radio 1 or USA’s NPR
RUDE FOODMore good restaurants haveopened in Bombay than Delhi
TECHILICIOUSRajiv Makhni has injured himself.Read his column next week!
Have you seen our Brunch Quarterly photoshoot with Vidya Balan yet? Log on now!
The lucky winnergets a SHOPPINGvoucher worth
R3,000!!
Split-Screen will split your mind!
Think You’re An Oscar Know-All?
The Brunch Blogs
Boy, do we love quizzing! That’swhy we can’t wait for it to be 2pm everyday and test your wits!And this week we’d like to chal-lenge your knowledge of IInnddiiaannMMyytthhoollooggyy. Bali and the Oceanof Milk author and mythologyexpert NNiillaannjjaann PP CChhoouuddhhuurryywill craft mind-bending questions that go beyond whattele-serials taught us. So, grabyour encyclopedias already!One LUCKY winner from theCCrriicckkeett week will be announcedon Twitter tomorrow!
The HT BrunchTotally Twisted, Ultra-Difficult WeeklyTwitter Quiz! Cycle 3: Indian Mythology
At least the portion that controls Bollywood.For award-winning writer/filmmaker GautamChintamani is writing this week on ‘Do we hatepoliticians because the movies taught us to?’Read SSpplliitt--SSccrreeeenn every Friday online!
We challenge you to read themost exhaustive coverage ofthe Oscars ceremony heldlast week! Behind-the-sceneaction, after-party merriment,
winning speeches and an India special edition!Could it be better? Log on to get all the dope!
Write to [email protected]
or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Kushalrani Gulab (Deputy Editor); TavishiPaitandy Rastogi, Mignonne Dsouza, Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna Tewari, Yashica Dutt,
Pranav Dixit, Amrah Ashraf, Saudamini Jain
DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor Design), Swati Chakrabarti, Rakesh Kumar,Ashish Singh, Saket Misra, Suhas Kale, Shailendra Mirgal
Undying human spiritCONGRATULATIONS ON the inaugural Fighting Fithealth series (26 February). The media makes celebsseem invincible. Thanks for showing us their humanside. Like us, they too have limitations and tempta-tions. But their undying spirit triumphs in the end.
– GISELLE ANDRADE, via email
Apps on my mindI READ your article A Day With Apps (Tech Talk, February 26), and liked the fact that it didn’t stereo-type apps with the likes of Angry Birds. I use a lot ofthe apps you mentioned, and the others are now onmy wish list. Two apps I particularly like are: Whats OnIndia, a TV guide app and Air Control, a game app.
– PRITHU SUREKA, via email
Cover design: ASHUTOSH SAPRUCover illustration: PRASHANT CHAUDHARY
We love Hindi serials. No, really!Why else would we willingly take on the painfultask of trying to find something good in allthat’s bad on TV? After hours of youtubing atwork and inane watching at home, we man-aged! Here are the Sari, Sindoor & Glycerineawards. But you won’t be crying, we promise!
new!
This week, read One Bite At A Time by MignonneDsouza. Food, recipes and all that’s good to eat!
BRUNCH ON THE WEBhindustantimes.com/brunch
Keep writing in; every weekthe best letter will get aSHOPPING voucher worth
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LETTEROF THEWEEK!
Closer to realitySIDDARTH DHANVANT Shanghvi’s (In a ClearDarkness, 26 February) disillusionment withMumbai and his move to Matheran touched myheart as it echoed some of my own sentiments.But, leaving a city and moving to a remote placeis a luxury affordable to super rich or super creative people. I became disenchanted with lifein Delhi and moved to a small village in Chamoli,Uttarakhand. While I could survive without thecomforts of city life, my small business could not. Ihave to live in Delhi, it is the reality of life for ordinary folks like me.
— VINOD KUMAR, via email
Vinod Kumar wins a shopping voucher worth `2,500! Congrats!
MARCH 4, 2012
AS A kid, one of my few (readonly) duties was to ferry milkfrom the milkmaid to thekitchen, preferably before
spilling most of the liquid. It wassomething I invariably failed at, for Ijust couldn’t get the inky green‘Ghanshyam’ (her husband’s name)writ deeply on the milkmaid’s innerforearm, out of my head.
‘That must hurt!’ ‘How can some-one allow someone else’s name to bepierced on their arm?’ ‘Wait, is thatpermanent?’ were only some of thequestions that tormented my youngbrain about her ‘godna’, a practicestill popular in Rajasthan.
But a few years later, when Saif AliKhan decided to get ‘Kareena’ tat-tooed on the exact same spot, closeon the heels of David Beckham’swrongly spelt ‘Victoria’ tattoo, mypredicament had long been replacedby a celebrity-infused ennui. From aprimitive practice to the hipster sym-bol of rebellion, tattoos were tracingthe same trail inked by many populartrends of the past. First, a tiny, fash-ionable clique discovers/adapts anew trend, then it quickly grows as asymbol of the latest ‘it-thing’. Soon,percolating into the mainstream, it’sseen in street markets and on yourfriendly neighbourhood electrician;by now it’s heading straight for thered-flagged ‘out’ zone. And tattoos,buzzing in no less than 195 parloursin Delhi alone, and probably as manyin other cities, have had ‘mainstream’street-cred for a while.
TAT SMEAR TESTLokesh Verma, owner of DevilzTattoos in Delhi, ranked theBest Tattoo Studio Chain inIndia by a lifestyle magazinerecently, agrees. “When I startedfrom a studio in Vasant Viharmore than eight years ago, Iinked about 15-20 clients a month.Now that figure is between 250-300.” And those lining up for the
needle are far from the usual sus-pects. No testosterone-fuelled, trib-al-motif-toting burly boys or cupid-cavorting-cohort of giggly girls here.“It’s more of a fashion statementnow and a lot of Delhi aunties cometo get tattoos from us,” says Lokesh,barely hiding his glee over the tele-phone line.
TO DECOR OR NOT TO DECORA design that eloquently reveals spiri-tual altitude with sartorial savvy onan off-shoulder dress or a body-fit tee,a tattoo is the certain, albeit slightlydated, lingua franca for many.
“It’s no more a question ofwhether, but where,” admitsAbhinav Tripathi, senior creativedirector at McCann Erickson, whoproudly sports no less than five dif-ferent tattoos. “And that’s made tat-toos something barely noticeable.”
Harmeet Bajaj, a former profes-sor at the National Institute ofFashion Technology, and a fashionand lifestyle consultant, supportsthat. “It’s now like an accessory,something like jewellry that people
can decorate theirbodies with. Andover the years,
it’s become anaccepted social
norm, rather than asign of ‘rebellion’.Tattoos hardly
6 ST Y L E F I L E
Those WhoDon’t, TattooTrawling the Net for body art inspiration?Think before you ink. It might not be yourticket to cool anymoreby Yashica Dutt
hindustantimes.com/brunch
It’s a decision that will stayfor the rest of your life,
so putting a little thoughtinto it always helps
VJ JUHI PANDE
The process has becomemore famous than theproduct; it’s not about
getting a tattoo buttattooing
Artist ROHIT KANT
Phot
o: T
HINK
STOC
K
MARCH 4, 2012
8 ST Y L E F I L E
raise the same eyebrows as they dida couple of years ago.”
“It’s a must-have, like the newphone or the latest car. Most of mycolleagues have tattoos and evenmore are getting them. It’s almostlike the piercing fad a few yearsago,” says Tripathi, who got inkedfor the first time in Goa in 2006, andconsiders his tattoos similar toAamir Khan’s amnesiac character’sin Ghajini. “For me they arereminders, kind of milestones ofpersonal achievements. Not manypeople were getting tattooed when Ifirst did, and I remember it achiev-ing instant cooler-talk fame in office.People would come and ask me toshow it to them. And even though Iwant more, the only reason I haven’tgone under the machine in the lasttwo-three years is because I havenothing new to add.”
BUZZ IS ALL AROUND US Needless to say, the party capital ofthe country, Goa, was the first to getaccess to safe and hygienic tattooartists, attracting enthusiasts likeTripathi from around the country.Professor A K Kapoor from thedepartment of anthropology,Delhi University, who did exten-sive research on the tattoo pat-terns among tribes in variousstates, says that tattoos havelong been the symbols ofidentifications for tribes
in rural India and urban tattoos alsodeveloped as a emblem of belongingto an elite outfit, thriving initially intourist-inhabited areas like Goa.
Juhi Pande, a popular VJ forChannel V, who has gone under themachine nine different times and isplanning a repeat soon, says thathigher accessibility is another rea-son for tattoos going mainstream.
“In the early 2000s, the populari-ty of tattoos suddenly hit India butgood artists weren’t easily available,unlike today. You had to wait to trav-el abroad to get a tattoo if you reallywanted one,” she says.
And it was that really badlywanting of the tattoos that madeone search one’s soul for the aptsymbol of self-expression, some-thing that today’s there-by-the-dozen tattoo parlours with theircompetitively lower prices, seem to
have obliterated. “It shouldn’t be like a trend, or
buying a pair of shoes, which caneasily wear off. I get tattoos becauseI am really fond of body art andview it as a personal, even if perma-nent choice. It’s a decision that’sgoing to stay with you for the rest ofyour life and a putting a littlethought into it helps,” says Juhi.
And the absence of that thoughtinfuriates Rohit Kant, proudflaunter of 13 tattoos, and a practi-tioner of hand-painted product art.“You wake up, select your favouriteband on the iPod, have a coffee anddecide to get a tattoo! The processhas become more famous than theproduct; it’s not about getting a tat-too now, but tattooing,” he says.
Directing his ire at those whowant tattoos so that others can seethem rather than themselves, Rohitadds, “Somehow, a lot of people wanttattoos where they can’t see them,but that defeats the whole purpose ofgetting one. You should want to see it
every day and be inspired.And that can happen onlyif it means something toyou and isn’t a randomdesign from the Net.”
As a sure-fire guideon whether your tat-too could be a mis-take, Rohit offers, “Ifyou have alreadythought about get-ting it clicked andfigured the detailsof the post onFacebook, then
think hard aboutyour reasons for get-ting a tattoo. And never
get one when
intoxicated, it hardly ends happily.”So what do Rohit’s 13 tattoos dis-play? Portraits of his entire familyand his adopted dog, along withdesigns of paint brushes.
WRONG TURN OF HANDWhen Johnny Depp converted his‘Winona’ tattoo (for his then girl-friend Winona Ryder) to ‘Wino’ andPamela Anderson changed her‘Tommy’ of ex-hubby Tommy LeeJones to ‘Mommy’, they brought theaftermath of the hasty tattoo intopublic consciousness. And if youwonder why Deepika Padukonegrins and bears with her ‘R’ tattoo,a symbol for ex-boyfriend Ranbir,the reason could well be the effortbehind the process.
Dr Chiranjiv Chhabra, dermatolo-gist at Skin Alive Clinic, Delhi,explains: “Depending on the kind ofink used, the process of tattooremoval could take anywherebetween three and eight months.Even though a world-class lasertechnique is involved, which ensuresminimal pain, you have to wait forone or two months between each ses-sion for the removal to be effective.”
When e-detoxes are becoming allthe rage, friend lists are gettingtrimmer than waists, and a no-Facebook status the new-statussymbol, it’s clear that the age ofanti-establishment is well upon us.No one wants to be doing as theirneighbour does, and tattooing rankshigh on that list.
Fashion trend analyst and blog-ger Harilein Sabarwal declares thetrend officially over. “India is acountry of herd mentality and fol-lows fads. Once it reaches the mass-es, it’s as quickly discarded. You cansee a tattoo guy along with a localmaalish walla on the beaches ofBandra. So, it’s no more a niche
thing to do.”That’s not to say that itwon’t follow the complete
cycle of a fashion trendand make a comeback
after it’s completelyout. We only hopethat if it does, it doesso as a classic.
■ Rihanna’s chart-toppingnumbers might have crownedher the First Lady of Hip-Hop,but her recent tattoo of ‘Thug Life’ in pink ink on herknuckles gets her the top spot on this list.
■ Rapper Gucci Mane tat-tooed a three-scooped ice-cream cone right on his cheek
(the face!) to tellthe world he is ‘ice cold’.
■ Couple tattoos seldom seea happy ending, but when tat-too artist Kat Von D got serial-cheater and Sandra Bullock’sex Jesse James’ portrait as a10-year-old child tattooed onher torso, it took them to anew level altogether.
■ Famous for being famous,Katie Price obviously didn’tthink her tattoo through whenshe got ex-hubby’s name‘Pete’ inked on her wrist.When they broke up, she simply had it crossed out!
■ BritneySpears not onlymessed up herChinese symbolwhich now reads‘strange’ instead of‘mysterious’ but also the Kabbalah symbols shetattooed on her neck. Theyare now a garbled messinstead of reading ‘healing’as they were meant to.
WORSTCELEBTATTOOS
THUG IT!Rihanna’s pink ink is beingcalled the ‘Worst Tattoo Ever’
SOME INKLINGSaif Ali Khan’s tat haslong been tabloid fodder
SPELLCHECKBeckham’s misspelt ‘Victoria’ tattoo raised many laughs
Phot
os: R
EUTE
RS
Photos: LOKESH VERMA FOR DEVILZ TATTOOS
Portraits have morepersonal meaning
than random motifs
twitter.com/HTBrunch
MARCH 4, 2012
10 COVER STORY
MARCH 4, 2012
WATCHING TV is not ourfavourite thing to do. True,the jerky camera motionsthat gave us migraines
have gone and the Ekta Kapoor kindof saas-bahu show has departed, soyou might think we’ve become con-verts. But no. TV has changed, butnot enough. While we have interest-
ing story concepts,they’re given the same oldsaas-bahu treatment. So westill hate watching TV. Butsince everyone and hisgoldfish seems to be gluedto their screens, we figuredthere must be something
to the idiot box that wemissed.
So we decided to seek the‘kamal in the kichad’. This
meant spending an excruciat-ing 100-plus hours channel-surf-
ing, but we were courageous (weare journalists after all) and afternights of torture, we finally man-aged to compile a LIKE list.
Because it’s true. There actuallyare a few characters, played bywonderful actors, who are puredelight to watch. Which is such amiracle that we decided to pres-ent them with our own, highlycoveted Brunch Sari, Sindoor
& Glycerine Awards! PS: We also have a loathelist. Heh.
...WHICH GO TO 11 CHARACTERS FROM HINDI TV SERIALS WE ACTUALLY LIKE
Characters/Serial: Arnav andKhushi, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya NaamDoon (Star Plus)This couple has such cracklingchemistry, the TV screen couldcombust. In a landscape litteredwith effete men and meek women,Arnav and Khushi stand out. He isrich, powerful, cruel, heartless (asimmering BBaarruunn SSoobbttii). She ispoor, self-respecting, soft-heart-ed, spirited (a very pretty SSaannaayyaaIIrraannii)).. They claim to hate eachother but are secretly in love. Un-fortunately, their story plays out ina typical TV family, full of evilmamijis and nonstop pujas. Somethings never change do they?
Character/Serial: Badi Maa,Sasural Genda Phool (Star Plus)To be fair, SSuupprriiyyaa PPiillggaaoonnkkaarr, theeldest daughter-in-law of thesprawling Kashyap family, hasevery reason to be like the curmud-geonly Dadisa in Balika Vadhu: herhusband deserted her for anotherwoman years ago and thenwhizzed off to the US of A.
But since a ‘Badi Maa’ couldhardly be shown walking out of themarriage and hooking up withsomeone else, she lives up to hertitle and becomes the backbone ofthe family, which is more than youcan say for most TV Saasu Maas.
THE MILLS & BOON AWARD
Character/Serial: Archana Manav Deshmukh, Pavitra Rishta (Zee TV)AAnnkkiittaa LLookkhhaannddee is a pleasantchange from the overdressed, terribly tortured, silent, sufferingbahus on television. Sure, PavitraRishta and its attendant melodra-ma (the mother-in-law’s constantmanipulations aimed at driving awedge between the ‘beta aurbahu’) can get a bit much.
But Archana is pleasant (in herbrocade blouses, cotton sarees, no jewellery), affable, stern when required and has a mellow voice.She almost (yes, it is true) seemsnormal!
Character/Serial: Bhairav, Balika Vadhu (Colors)Rather handsome for a father-in-law,AAnnuupp SSoonnii is quite good at playingthe character. Serious, sombre butvery strong and supportive of thewomen of his house, Bhairav is notinvolved in kitchen politics, but isn’ta wimp either.
He has a mind and speaks it whenit’s necessary. He is respectfulenough of his tyrannical mother, butdoesn’t buy into her demands if hethinks they don’t have merit. Thebest part though, is his evident support to the women in the house.We could do with more men like himon the small screen.
THE NEAR-NORMAL BAHU AWARD
THE F-I-L WITH A AWARD
Sari, Sindoor& Glycerine
Awards...
The
THE M-I-L WITH A AWARD
PRESENTINGPRESENTING
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch 11COVER STORY
MARCH 4, 2012
Character/ Serial: Chandra-mukhi Chautala, F.I.R (Sab TV)Have you seen KKaavviittaa KKaauusshhiikk inthat uniform? Need we say more?We like a lady who makes a khakiuniform ‘werq’. And who thought aHaryanvi accent could be that un-annoying and hot!
Never mind that the charactersin that show are more retardedthan the entire Indian televisionindustry put together, Chandra-mukhi’s timely slaps are a respitefrom the five-retakes thappadsthat are the benchmark of our TVserials. Hang around for herpunchy dialogue delivery.
Character/ Serial: Mona Singh, Kya Huaa Tera Vaada (Sony)Ever since MMoonnaa SSiinngghh debuted asJassi, she has been our heroine. Inthis serial, she’s a housewife and amother of three kids, playing therole with ease and conviction.
We love the way she is shownworking in the kitchen, frettingover what to put in her kids’ tiffinboxes and also for her remark “Bi-wiyon ko sab pata hota hai”. Whatwe love best: her friendly banterwith the husband, her ‘never’ nag-ging, ‘never’ making him to be the‘pati parmeshwar’ attitude. Plus,Mona Singh is Mona Singh.
Characters/ Serial: Pratigya andKrishna Thakur, Mann keeAwaaz Pratigya (Star Plus) PPoooojjaa GGoorr not only looks educatedbut also acts it. She manages tostand for what she thinks is right.AArrhhaaaann BBeehhll’’ss shiny maroon shirts,hairstyle from the days of RajeshKhanna and ‘chalbo’, ‘e liyu’ di-alect all add up to make him an in-teresting character.
Totally mawali, very volatile, hedotes on his wife – but doesn’tquite know how to get across toher. Intense, confused, cute – he isfun to watch. And oh! He does side with Pratigya.
Character/ Serial: Advocate K DPathak, Adaalat (Sony)Good looking and, for a change, intelligent. (He doesn’t makestatements like “yahan par laashhai, iska matlab yahaan khoon huahai!” like ACP Pradyuman in CID.)K D Pathak is quite a delight towatch as he solves bizarre caseson Adaalat.
That most of his women clientsfall for him adds to the masala ofthis courtroom drama. RRoonniitt RRooyystays cool and applies logic (sur-prise, surprise). He actually has asense of humour! And we neverdid mind watching him.
Character/ Serial: Ram Kapoor,Bade Achche Lagte Hain (Sony)He is fat, eats too much, lives onmedicines, (Tablet Kapoor is whathis wife calls him), is cranky mostof the time and loves his step-fam-ily unconditionally (to his wife andfriend’s peril), but he is adorable.
He is no romantic but at leastmakes an effort to realise hiswife’s silly fancies. RRaamm KKaappoooorr isjust the right mix for a husband.He has money, is busy so doesn’tinterfere too much, but is also at-tentive and caring. Even with allhis imperfections, he is a perfect10. We want more of him!
Character/Serial: SweetyAhluwalia, Parvarrish – KuchhKhattee Kuchh Meethi (Sony)SShhwweettaa TTiiwwaarrii is the loud Punjabimummy you can’t help but like (butare secretly glad she’s not yours).She constantly fusses over her kids,is a disciplinarian and tends to go alittle over the top.
But that’s what Indian mothers doand after all, she means well. Shebickers often, talks animatedly, androlls her eyes, but she’s Mamma,and mammas are comforting. Even ifthey name you Rocky and Ginny.
Character/Serial: Shiva, Devon keDev – Mahadev (Life OK)We rarely see good-looking men onTV, let alone Gods. But this Shivamakes our hearts somersault. Andnot just because Kashmiri model-turned-actor MMoohhiitt RRaaiinnaa is incredi-bly hot. His character in this mytho-logical love saga is the apotheosisof raw animalism – the tigerskinrobe, a serpent wrapped around hisneck. Bhaang is the poison of hischoice. And he’s the most powerfulman (er, God?) to have walked onearth (er, universe). Plus, the rest ofthe cast isn’t aesthetically appeal-ing, so that makes him stand out.
THE LEGALLY HOT AWARD
THE GOD-LOOKER AWARD
THE CHALK ‘NCHEESE AWARD
THE HOT-BOD IN UNIFORM AWARD
THE BIG FAT INDIANHUSBAND AWARD
THE BAD COPMOM AWARD
THE WIFE YOU’DWANT AWARD
12 COVER STORY
MARCH 4, 2012
...AND TO 10 CHARACTERS FROM HINDITELEVISION SERIALS WE REALLY DISLIKE
Character/Serial: Anandi, BalikaVadhu (Colors)Okay. Balika Vadhu has been apath-breaking show in more waysthan one and PPrraattyyuusshhaa BBaanneerrjjeeeehas topped the charts as the idealbahu. But come on, there has to bea limit to her goodness!
Her husband marries anothergirl and she stays martyr-like, inthe hope that one day Jagya will realise his mistake and returnto her. She’s the sacrificial lamball the time and that’s too much to digest every single day. There’sgot to be a limit to everything,even martyrdom!
Character/Serial: Shipra Sharma, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain(Sony)She’s the kind of mother you wantto sell on eBay, except there wouldbe no buyers. RReennuukkaa IIssrraannii is thefemale lead’s mother. So thankful-ly, she doesn’t have much screentime. She practically forced herdaughter to marry a rich, fat boy(whom we adore) and loves herspoilt daughter-in-law for her money. But she constantly yells ather middle class family. You mayforgive her for being a loud gold-digger. But every time she whines,you want to do something violent.
Character/Serial: Gopi Bahu,Saath Nibhana Saathiya (Star Plus)Being a subservient bahu is the or-der of the day. But even if you lightup every bulb in each over-brightpalace mansion, we bet our heavi-est sari-gown you’d be unable tofind someone as meek as JJiiaaaaMMaanneekk. It’s not only the irritatingdeer-stuck-in-the-headlights expression (the only one she has)but that her endurance for traumaborders on the inhuman!
PS: Do you see the devil whenyour husband calls to inquire aboutyour broken limbs, eh Gopi ‘Vahu’?
Character/Serial: Thakur SajjanSingh, Pratigya – Mann KeeAawaaz Pratigya (Star Plus)AAnnuuppaamm SShhyyaamm,, the gutka-chew-ing, limping sasur, makes you wantto sign up with the women’s libera-tion movement and then run amokwith a stick the moment you seteyes on him. A ‘typical’ patriarch,he treats women the worst way.
Character/Serial: Mona, RamMilaayi Jodi (Zee TV)SSaarraa RRaazzaa KKhhaann won the Star Pari-vaar Award for ‘Best Patni’ in 2009.We would like to take that awayfrom her and blow her a big, wetraspberry for being an extra-bub-bly, extra-vivacious (had enoughof them in movies) and extra-irri-tating loud-mouthed Punjabi girl.
She is so over the top that wecan’t help but think of that as thekey reason why her (in-serial) husband kicked the bucket recently. Calm DOWN, woman!
Characters/Serial: Dr Ashutoshand Dr Nidhi Verma, Kuch TohLog Kahenge (Sony)The silent older man, the bubblymuch younger girl… everybody’ssecret fantasy. How can this gowrong? Enter life-saving surgeon((MMoohhnniisshh BBeehhll)) and fresh-out-of-med-school ((KKrriittiikkaa KKaammrraa))..Exit viewers.
He’s a good actor and she’s fair-ly pretty, but they have less chem-istry than shampoo and a tooth-brush. Mr Behl, the doctor thing isdone to death. Sing, dance, cookbut give up surgery. It’s not becoming anymore.
Character/Serial: Moniya,Dekha Ek Khwaab (Sony)
PPrriiyyaall GGoorr has taken the descrip-tion ‘bubbly’ too seriously. She
shouts, is hysterical and over-the-top. Also, can she please
stop shaking her head all thetime? It’s as though everyword she says has an in-stant and (vigorous) opposite head reaction. And
shouldn’t she dress in something nicer than those
beige rags? Character/Serial: Savita DamodarDeshmukh, Pavitra Rishta (Zee TV)UUsshhaa NNaaddkkaarrnnii is soooo vicious thatshe puts most other mothers-in-laws on TV to shame. She’s the kindof saas your saas should be prevent-ed from knowing. She never hasanything humane to say about herbahu. She lies, mollycoddles her son,throws her bahu out of the house.Every wife’s nightmare.
Character/Serial: Ichchha, Uttaran (Colors)Need to repay a debt? Check outTTiinnaa DDuutttt’’ss School of EndlessGiving. Ichchha makes her own lifemiserable. If after losing yourboyfriend, husband, second hus-band and child, you continue beinga meek, forgiving cow, we have onlyone word for you: MASOCHIST!
THE PLEASE BREAK UP AWARD
THE TWO-TIGHT-SLAPS AWARD
THE NODDY AWARD
THE I-WILL-NEVER-SMILE AWARD
THE WALK-ALL-OVER-ME AWARD
THE LOCK HERUP AWARD
THE GUTKA KING AWARD
THE CALM DOWN, WILL YOU? AWARD
THE GET ALIFE AWARD
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ONE OF the more infuriating, immutablelaws of nature – which Newton never paidmuch attention to – is that everything that
feels good is bad for you while anything that feelsbad is good. Think about it. All those things thatbring you pleasure: butter, chocolate, cream, cook-ies, cake, chips, pizza, parathas, mithai. Yes, allbad for you. All the stuff that you can barely holddown: broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, brussels sprouts,barley, oats, dalia. Yes, all good for you.
Clearly, God was in a humorous mood when hecooked up the dietary principles that would ruleour lives, delighting in playing some sort of cos-mic joke on us mortals. Or else how can you explainthat both sugar and salt are bad for us (one isimplicated in diabetes and the other in high bloodpressure). Or that deep-fried food actually clogsyour arteries instead of cleansing them. And thatred meat is bad for your cholesterol levels whilekarela is good for your system.
Now, where’s the justice in that, Dear Lord?What’s worse is that His perversity is not
restricted to food alone. It extends to almost all areas of our life.Staying up late at night, reading in bed or watching a DVD, witha brandy by your bedside. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But no, it is,in fact, very bad for you. Getting up early, on the other hand, andheading out for a jog to wake up your system and get your heartpumping. Now that’s very good for you – even though it sounds
like the stuff of nightmares (well, my nightmares, at any rate).Snuggling deep into a couch: bad for you. Sitting up straight
as a ramrod in a stiff-backed chair: good for you. Drivingto work comfortably in a nice air-conditioned car: badfor you (and for the environment). Getting all sweaty
and breathless as you cycle to work: good for you (andyes, the environment).
I could go on (and on) but I think you can just takeit as given that if you enjoy something – whether itis scoffing a triple sundae or wearing impossiblyhigh heels – then it will inevitably be bad for you.And if you detest something with all your life – therowing machine at the gym or the Isabgol that
your mother makes you drink every night – itwill be good for you.Of late, however, I have been wondering whether
it is human perversity that is to blame here, ratherthan the Almighty’s. Is it really that everythingthat tastes or feels good is bad for us? Or is it sim-ply that we are programmed to hanker after theforbidden, to love what we should not? And it isthat dichotomy in our nature that makes every-thing that is bad for us seem so bloody good.
In other words, if broccoli was in fact, fattening, would webe hankering for it like we do for chocolate instead of scraping
it off our plates when no one is looking? If butter was a diet food,would it taste half as good? Or would we be gagging even as itcoated our taste buds?
This perversity that seems to characterise human nature –
and behaviour – extends further. Anything thatis cheap and readily available seems to lose value in our eyes;while anything that is prohibitively expensive and hard to findbecomes infinitely desirable.
In 18th century England, for instance, when oysters were plen-tiful and cheap, they made up the staple diets of the poor. In thosedays, no prosperous person would think of serving them up fordinner guests. Now that they are expensive, they have been trans-formed into a luxury food item. But surely, they tasted much thesame no matter what they cost? It’s just our perception of themthat has changed, not the oysters themselves.
But the more things seem out of our reach, the more attrac-tive they become to us. I’m sure if caviar wasn’t so prohibitive-ly expensive, there’s a good chance that it wouldn’t have thecachet it does. Ditto champagne and first-growth wines. Andwhite truffles. Or any other high-priced ingredient that you canthink of.
I guess Shakespeare was right when he said that nothing waseither good or bad; but thinking made it so.
But if that is really true, then could we really re-think our per-ceptions of what is good or bad for us? And could we possibly re-define the rules instead of allowing them to define our choices?
Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?I know how things would be in my ideal world. The healthy
breakfast option would be parathas rather than muesli. Full-fatmilk would be better for you than that horrid skimmed version.Desserts would push your metabolic rate up. Exercise would bevery bad for your health. Staying up late at night would increaseyour energy levels (while getting up early would sap them).Dieticians would insist that you had five servings of caffeine everyday (rather than those dreary fruits and vegetables). And as yougrew older, your waistline would get thinner while your hair gotthicker (instead of the other way around).
If you ask me, that would be a world worth living in – and sur-viving to a ripe old age.
[email protected]. Follow Seema on Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami
What ifchocolatewas dietfood; andbroccoli wasfattening?
THE PLEASUREPRINCIPLE
INJURIOUS TO HEALTHAll those things thatbring you pleasure:butter, chocolate,cream, cookies, pizza, etc, are all bad for you
SeemaGoswami
spectator
GOODNESS GRACIOUSAll the stuff that you canbarely hold down:broccoli, cab-bage, brusselssprouts, oats,etc are all good for you
MARCH 4, 2012
14 indulge twitter.com/HTBrunch
Unhealthyfood we love
Healthyfood we hate
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Photos: THINKSTOCK
IT’S ALWAYS nice to meet someone who shares your tastesin music. You exchange notes, swap a CD or two or a fewzipped files of new albums, maybe just exchange tips and
leads on what blogs to follow, which bands to watch, or evenbitch about musicians whom most others think are fabulousbut you just want to avoid like the plague. But as you grow olderand have less time to meet too many new people and often arefinickier about who you meet, such encounters become rare.So I was pleasantly surprised last month when I met a new col-league in Mumbai who was not only as much of a podcast addictas I am but also a great fan of the NPR podcasts of which he isalso an obsessive listener. Of course, although his taste in musicand mine do intersect somewhere, he’s more loyal to Latin jazz,while my interests veer more towards rock.Still, when we met for a drink recently in histown, we forged an instant bond about widg-ets, apps and downloads from the NPR web-site and of how our commutes have becomeso much more bearable.
The thing about NPR (America’s NationalPublic Radio) is that it isn’t just free but strad-dles a range of genres that is mind-boggling.You want blues? They have blues. You want todiscover new artists? They have them. You wanta sneak preview of a new album in its entirety?They stream it. You want Alternative Latin (as
my new friend no doubt does)? They have apodcast. They have interviews, reviews, chats andmore. It can, indeed, be a tough choice choosingfrom the buffet that NPR has but if you want tostay abreast of what’s happening in contempo-rary music no matter what the genre, it’s the placeto look. And if you have NPR Music’s iPhone oriPad app, it can make you incredibly happy. Itgives you radio 24/7, previews of latest albums, ahost of its regular programmes, concerts andblogs – all whenever you want and wherever youwant it, although in my experience a WiFienvironment is the best place to explore the app.
Last week I heard the still-to-be-released newalbum, Rooms Filled With Light, by London’s indieband, Fanfarlo, days before it was actuallylaunched. By the time you will be reading this,that album will be out and the stream most likely off the NPR website but if you wanted a preview you’d have got it. Fanfarlo fuse rock andpop and folk and use mandolins, violins and clarinets as well as the usual guitars and drumsand keyboards that are the fare of rockers andmake music that is joyful and full of energy.Frontman Simon Balthazer sings from the heartand Fanfarlo’s music is melodic and full of hooks.There’s drama, enthusiasm and emotion. If you’rejaded with the fare you get from chart-toppingbands and repeated-to-death FM-radio fare whilecommuting on Indian roads, reach for Fanfarlo.I’d heard the band’s first album, Reservoir, threeyears back, and was struck by how they tend todo pop songs but in a literate way – songs thathave clean and simple melodies and yet come withlayered music – trumpets and an orchestra and
great rhythm. NPR described Fanfarlo’s music as a “hug-and-a-handshake” music and I can’t think of any better way of describ-ing this charming band.
The legendary British disc jockey, the late John Peel, whoseshows on BBC’s Radio 1 made history and who is credited
for discovering and promoting a host of bands, had an annuallist called the Festive Fifty – the best tracks of the year. The listwas based on listener’s votes but in 1991, it was cancelled ostensibly because of the paucity of votes. But a couple of yearslater, in 1993, Peel revived the list and played a song from it everyweek. The topper on that list, which got named the Phantom
Fifty, was Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana’s KurtCobain died in 1994 and Peel himself ten yearsafter that, but if you want to hear the PhantomFifty, it’s compiled together and is on a pod-cast. I did and I’d recommend a quick download of #keepingitpeel (at http://keepin-gitpeel.wordpress.com/).
To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned inthis column, go to http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/
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Your music of choice, either on America’sNational Public Radio or the BBC’s Radio 1
ON AIR RIGHT NOW
FUSION FIRSTIndie band Fanfarlo fuse rock and pop and folkand use mandolins, violins and clarinets as wellas the usual guitars and drums and keyboards
LAST MANSTANDINGThe leg-endary discjockey JohnPeel’s showson BBC’s Radio 1 madehistory
AS I wrote some weeks ago, I’m neversure which side to take in the greatBombay vs Delhi food debate becausemy loyalties are divided between both
cities. When I’m in Bombay, I listen sympatheti-cally to friends who tell me that Delhi restaurantsare too fancy, too expensive and too full of richand powerful people intoxicated by their ownwealth and importance.
And when I’m in Delhi, I smile politely as restau-rateurs and hoteliers complain that the clientelein Bombay consists either of vulgar vegetariansor of Botoxed women with dyed hair, colouredcontact lenses, expensive but tasteless handbagsand wads of their husbands’ money.
In truth, both caricatures are probably unfair– but not entirely inaccurate either. Yes, there area lot of self-important people in Delhi. And thereare a lot of vulgar people in Bombay. But my guessis that the differences between both cities are nar-rowing more quickly than either side is willing toadmit. As people get richer and richer in India(and sometimes I am astonished by how muchmoney people – and kids, even – are willing tospend on food and wine these days), conspicuousconsumption becomes the great leveller.
That said, both cities have their strong points.For instance, I like Delhi chaat but I cannot bringmyself to love it. For my money, there is nothingto beat Bombay bhelpuri or other street food.(Though both Delhi and Bombay lose out in thepanipuri/golgappa category to Lucknow or evenCalcutta). Equally, most North Indian food in
Bombay is rubbish. You can’t get good Avadhi food unless youpay through your nose (at Dum Pukht or at Rahul Akerkar’sNeel). And, almost by definition, Delhi, as the de facto capital ofpast-Partition Punjab, has the best Punjabi food.
Where Bombay does score is in the South Indian/coastal foodarea. But even here, the city is oddly disappointing. You wouldexpect to find small joints serving good Goan food in every local-ity. Malvani food is a Maharashtrian cuisine so you would thinkthat it would be as ubiquitous in Bombay as Punjabi food is inDelhi, but good Goan or coastal (or even South Indian) restau-rants are few and far between and most people swear by Trishna,possibly the only tourist trap in the world that is also patronisedby locals because they don’t know any better.
That said, the Bombay restaurant scene is looking up though
Vir Sanghvi
SETTINGTHE RIGHT STANDARDAt Yauatcha,the serviceissues havebeen (large-ly) resolvedand the foodnow approachesthe standardsof the Lon-don original
18 indulge
MARCH 4, 2012
rude fo
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TABLE TURNERThe talents of the chef AlexSanchez (above) intriguedme enough to go back andtry his full menu at TheTable (right)
SWEET AND BESTThe Table has the best desserts in allof Bombay. I doubt if I will eat a better cheesecake (below) this year
THE GREATRESTAURANT DIVIDEThe differences between both cities arenarrowing quickly. But it is fair to say thatmore good restaurants have opened inBombay over the last year than haveopened in Delhi
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the top new entrants are nearly all in the international category.
This time I went to 212, a popular new restaurant in Worli thatis much loved by locals. I was nobbled from the moment we wan-dered in for lunch so I won’t comment on the service but I likedthe room and was impressed by the wine list.
The food was ambitious and interesting if occasionally heavy-handed. A dish of baked Camembert worked well but a smallpizza with truffles failed because the base was a little too limpand soggy. (I scraped off the top and put it on a piece of breadas a topping and it worked much better.) A porcini risotto wasokay if a very dairy-rich risotto is your thing but speaking formyself, I prefer a lighter dish where the starch is derived fromthe rice itself and not from a nearby cow.
The chef recommended the Bistecca, a steak dish that is asso-ciated with Florence where huge slabs of beef are cooked on anopen fire but which, in most restaurants these days, is essen-tially a sliced T-bone steak. The best such steak in the countryis at Le Cirque in Delhi. Given that this version is cheaper, I low-ered expectations and thought it was fine though everybody elseat my table found it unevenly cooked. Desserts were boring (prof-iteroles, a raspberry cheesecake-type thingy) and not particu-larly good. Overall, I thought the restaurant was nice but hard-ly the huge culinary breakthrough that people in Bombay seemto think it is.
I have been to The Table once before but that was for lunchand the talents of the chef Alex Sanchez intriguedme enough to go back for dinner and try hisfull menu. (Lunch is more small plates andburgers.)
I was glad I went. The Table is a nice two-storey restaurant near Apollo Bunder whichdraws a Thai Pavilion-type crowd – decent,sophisticated people who want to eat out ontheir own money, not on expense accountsand don’t have access to wads of undeclaredcash. Plus there is usually a smattering ofvaguely high-profile or glamorous people inattendance. (The first time I went I was host-ed by Mukul Deora. This time Conde NastTraveller’s Divia Thani Daswani held courtdownstairs.)
I must have eaten the whole menu (we werea table of five) and here’s what I liked: whiteasparagus in a sauce, Brussels sprouts, a saladof lentils (masoor dal to you and me), lobsterand shrimp cakes, kohlrabi cooked in the styleof a Boeuf Bourguignon (the waiters calledit ‘Kolaveri’ but I think it was probably shal-gum or a close relative), excellent Frenchfries, a lamb shank, a crab risotto in whichevery mouthful tasted of crab and the bestdesserts in all of Bombay. (I doubt if I will eat a better cheese-cake this year.)
Here’s what I didn’t like: the wine list (because I had to strug-gle to find two bottles I wanted to order – but wine lists are asubjective business at the best of times), the pork belly (not crispenough), the rib-eye steak (cooked to the texture of a semi-moistartificial sponge) and the service.
In fact, the service is probably the most pressing issue. Thewaiters are helpful, decent sorts but there aren’t enough of them.The upstairs room needs at least one more server given that therestaurant is always full. Plus waiters need to be taught how toopen bottles of wine. I felt like reaching out and hugging our poorserver who looked distraught as he struggled for several min-utes, in full public view, to extract a single cork. And somebodyshould teach the waiters to write down orders and to not com-mit them to memory – that way they won’t get confused.
If The Table is the restaurant of choicefor people who want good food at pricesthat are not excessive, then Vetro, at theOberoi, is the canteen for Bombay’s richand famous. The night I went, a proces-sion of expensively dressed people keptarriving, greeting Rohan, the manag-er, by name and ordering bottles ofpricey wine, each of which cost as muchas a whole meal at The Table.
But, in this case, at least, the rich knowwhat they are doing. Vetro is one of theOberoi chain’s two collaborationswith Rome’s Hassler Hotel and– as of now – the food is bet-ter than at Delhi’s Traver-tino. The chef, a jolly LucaBrasi-lookalike calledVincenzo Di Tuoro, knowshis ingredients: deliciousbacon, wonderful farm-fresheggs with orange yolks, light home-made pasta and a thick Dutch veal chop.
The flavours are authentic too. My lamb shank in an intensewine reduction came with textbook-perfect risotto. But the sin-gle best dish was an orange souffle so light that you feared that
it might float up and hit the ceiling. The last time I went to Yauatcha, I
thought it was a work in progress. I’mglad to say that the restaurant has final-ly reached its target. The service issueshave been (largely) resolved and the foodnow approaches the standards of theLondon original.
Though the cooking at Yauatcha’s sis-ter restaurant Hakkasan is still better,this is the place that I think will reallytake off. Prices are not as stratospher-ic as in Hakkasan, the vibe is happy andcheerful, the room is bright, airy andstunningly designed and the idea of anall-day restaurant where you can dropby for an excellent Chinese meal at fouror five pm is an appealing one.
If I have a criticism it is about themenu’s over-reliance on chicken for thedim sum. If I want a char siu cheungfan, I want it made with pork. And as much as I love the Bombay’sYauatcha’s riff on the original venisonpuff, I would prefer it if they didn’t make
it with chicken. That said, the food was good this time. The dumplings are
finally coming out as they should: little balls of delicately flavouredmeat wrapped in a translucent skin. The stir-frying is as good asever: we had beef in black pepper, double cooked pork andSingapore/Malaysian style street noodles.
Kishore Bajaj who is the Indian franchisee for both Hakkasanand Yauatcha (and is one of Bombay’s greatest foodies with apassion for gastronomy that verges on the obsessive) now plansto open a large Italian/Mediterranean informal restaurant nextto Yauatcha. The Bandra-Kurla complex is crying out for a goodEuropean restaurant so I don’t see how Kishore can fail – thoughthis venture is his own outside of the Hakkasan umbrella.
So, where does that leave us on the great Bombay-Delhi divide?I am still not taking sides but I think it is fair to say that more
good restaurants have opened in Bombay over the last year thanhave opened in Delhi.
MARCH 4, 2012
FOOD FACTSAt 212 (top), the food wasambitious and interesting if occasionally heavy-handed. A dish of bakedCamembert (above)worked well
BETTER IN TASTEThe food at Vetro (above)in Bombay is, as of now,better than at Delhi’sTravertino (below)
The dumplings atYauatcha are finallycoming out as theyshould: little balls ofdelicately flavouredmeat wrapped in a
translucent skin
hindustantimes.com/brunch 19
Photo: KALPAK PATHAK
WE KNOW her as a popsinger, an actress, amodel, a TV anchor, aVJ and a yoga expert –
but primarily as a person with ahuge love for life and an attitude sopositive, it can take your breathaway. In fact, when Raageshwari(fondly known as Ragz) participatedin the latest season of Bigg Boss,her fellow contestants nicknamedher ‘Positive Raaga’ and referred toher as the messenger of peace.
So it’s hard to believe that therewas a time when Raageshwaricouldn’t so much as smile. And thathad nothing to do with her attitude.It was the result of an afflictioncalled Bell’s Palsy that paralysed theleft side of her face and left her witha slur in her voice.
Yet, there’s no sign of that pain onher face today. That famous smile isback, and even during that one yearwhen it was physically difficult toproduce one, she just kept smiling.
“Problems are like steppingstones,” says Raageshwari. “You caneasily find your way out of bad situ-ations if you approach them with apositive attitude, hope and faith.”
WHAT HAPPENEDBell’s Palsy is caused by a dysfunc-tion of the facial nerves, resulting inthe inability to control facial mus-cles on the affected side. What causes this nervous dysfunction noone knows – according to doctors,several conditions, such as a braintumour or a stroke, can cause facialparalysis. But if no specific causecan be identified, then the conditionis known as Bell’s Palsy. This is themost common cause of acute facialnerve paralysis, characterised bythe fact that partial or completepalsy often occurs overnight.
For people who’ve overcome Bell’sPalsy, this would be something to for-get. But Raageshwari is comfortabletalking about it. “Things could havebeen worse, but by God’s grace, I did-n’t have to suffer much,” she says.
It all started in the year 2000.Excited by the switch from the 20thcentury to the 21st, Raageshwarihad planned to work on an albumwith her father, music composerTrilok Singh Loomba, dedicated tothe new millennium titled Y2K SaalDo Hazaar.
“I had malaria, but despite that Ishot for the video of one of thesongs from the album,” she recalls.“Then on January 7, I woke up,meditated for a while, and then gotup to brush my teeth. While brush-ing, I realised that I couldn’t holdwater in my mouth and that the leftside of my face wasn’t responding.Surprised, I tried to yell out to myparents, but my voice was slurredand my mouth seemed to touchingmy ear.”
Raageshwari’s parents wereequally stunned and rushed her to adoctor. After a thorough examina-tion, the doctor diagnosed Bell’sPalsy and recommended a course ofelectric stimulation and steroids, aswell as a meeting with a neurologist
for the slur. But he couldn’t tell herhow long it would take her to getback to normal.
“I couldn’t believe what the doc-tor told me, but I tried to be as nor-mal and composed as I could,” saysRaageshwari. “But my mother wasinconsolable. So I decided to be asstrong as possible.”
There was only one thing thatmade her sad. Her old school wascelebrating its centenary and shehad promised to do a charity showfor them. “My only prayer to Godwas to give me back my voice. Iwasn’t that worried about my face,but my voice… I wanted it back,”says Raageshwari.
BRAVE HEARTThe treatment took some gettingused to. While her mother removedall the mirrors in her room so shewouldn’t be startled by her face, herfather persuaded her to keep herchin up. “I didn’t like going to thehospital for treatment, the way peo-ple looked at me made me uncom-fortable,” says Raageshwari. “Butmy father told me to go out and facethe world. Soon I became braveenough to answer people’s ques-
‘Problems AreLike SteppingStones’
Nothing stoped singer Raageshwari fromsmiling. Not even a semi-paralysed faceby Veenu Singh
F i gh t i n g F i t Part 2 of a series on celebs who’ve beaten health disorders
Raageshwari, singer Photos: KALPAK PATHAK; LOCATION: ITC GRAND CENTRAL, MUMBAI
20 WELLNESS
‘Faith and hope are two of the most important aspects of our lives,
and can help anyone overcome any obstacle in their path’
THAT’S THE SPIRITPositive thinking saw Raageshwarithrough a bad bout of Bell’s Palsy
MARCH 4, 2012
tions. And at the hospital, I sawsome women who couldn’t move anentire side of their bodies. Thatmade me realise how small myproblems were.”
That positive attitude helpedRaageshwari through the next fewmonths. Though she couldn’t sing,she wasn’t ready to give up. Shedecided to look at different profes-sions to keep herself busy.
“I also started doing yoga withNamita Jain and took cooking lessons from Asha Khatau,” shesays. “And then I started doingshows on television to stay in touchwith my fans. Shows like Ek DoTeen and Baar Baar Dekho onMTV; Kuch Kehti Hai Yeh Dhun onSony; Quest for BBC and One onOne With Raageshwari on TenSports kept me alive in public mem-ory.” Meanwhile, therapy and reha-bilitation continued. She went forphysiotherapy, electrical stimulationand yoga, and trained in classicalmusic to heal her vocal chords.
AND SHE’S BACK!It took her nearly six months to getback to some kind of normality. “It
took that long before I finallybecame comfortable enough to goout and meet people,” she says.“Even the closest of my friends inshowbiz weren’t aware of my condi-tion, and those who were didn’tknow what to say to me. I realisedthat even if you have people sup-porting you, it is your fight in theend. I started spending a lot of timewith kids, reading to them and evenblowing up balloons which was agood way to keep my mouth active.”
While Raageshwari struggled toget the paralysed side of her faceunder control, her eye was still aproblem. It wouldn’t close on its ownand she’d have to tie something to itto keep it shut. Eventually, she con-quered the paralysis and has beenworking on several projects since,including an album of Sufi music.
“I just completed a wellness DVDon the Five Ancient Tibetan Ritesthat are mostly practiced byTibetan monks,” says Raageshwari.
“They work on our seven keychakras and the endocrine system,slowing down the ageing process. Ihave been religiously practicingthese rites and the results are for allto see in this inspiring film.”
[email protected] WEEK: Chef Vikas Khanna once couldn’t walk
straight because of misaligned legs
21twitter.com/HTBrunch
Ageing is a part of life, yet no one wants to agebefore time. Fortunately, ayurveda has many
procedures, nutrition plans and herbs to delay thesigns of ageing and keep the body youthful.
NUTRITIONFoods have different effects on the body. Some canhave an inflammatory effect which causes the bodyto age and develop disorders. The second type offoods gives energy and some degree of regenera-tion. But it is not very effective, and hence ageing
continues. The special third kind of foods(coupled with therapies) slows downageing.Foods that cause accelerated age-ing: Sugar, refined foods like maida,cornflour, sooji, other refined carbo-hydrates, alcohol, too much salt, dairyproducts with oxytocin, non-vegetarian foods, fried foods, and packagedfoods. Certain lifestyle traits such as sleep depriva-tion and stress result in ageing.
NUTRITION FOR REJUVENATIONThe foods that aid in slowing down ageing work byreplacing old cells with better cells. These includeall foods that are highly alkaline in nature after di-gestion. Some examples of such foods are:Herbal plants: Aloe vera juice, amla juice, seabuck-
thorn, rhododendron, barley grassjuice, wheat grass juice, harar.Spices and condiments: Ginger, cinna-mon, saunf, elachi and cumin seeds.
Seeds and nuts: Flaxseed, sunflowerseeds, almonds, walnuts, pinenuts.
General foods: Mung and wheat sprouts,fruits, vegetable juices. Foods that are free of
preservatives and organically grown.Meal times: Fixed meal times should be followed.Ideally between 7 am and 6 pm.Seasonal foods: Try to avoid non-seasonal foods. Food combinations: Certain food combinations pro-duce toxins and should be avoided, such as dairyand fruits, fruits and cereals, melons and citrusfruits and non-vegetarian food and fruits.
(To be continued)
MIND BODY SOULSHIKHA SHARMA
COMING OF AGE
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RAGZ’S DAILY DIARY Raageshwari believes in doing things in moderation and never lets her body cravefor anything. So, for instance, if she feels like eating chocolate, she allows herself tohave it but also makes sure she works out.
MORNING: Water andfruits such as applesor bananas, or dryfruits like almonds,walnuts or dates. Thisis followed by work-outs like circuit train-ing or squats andcrunches, after whichshe does yoga andthe five Tibetan rites.After that comesriyaaz for 45 minutesto an hour.
BREAKFAST: Sheloves eggs. Sobreakfast consistsof two eggs (ei-ther an omelette,sunny side up orscrambled) withtwo slices ofbrown bread anda glass of milk ororange or appleand celery juice.Then she’s off forrehearsals.
MID-MORNINGSNACK: A glassof nimbu paani,a slice of somefruit or dryfruits and asmall portion of jaggery orpeanuts.
LUNCH: One or two rotis,lots of veggiesand dahi.
EVENING SNACK: Be-tween 5 and 6 pm, sheeither has homemadepaneer or a slice ofcheese, or a sandwichalong with an energybar, or dry fruits or tilladoos and green tea.
DINNER: This is eatenbefore 8 pm, and generally includes rajma or any other daland lots of veggies.
22 N I N E TO F I V E
There is a story about a youngman, who – like all young men –wants to become a millionaire.So, he goes to see a wise guru.
“Meet me at the beach tomorrow at 4am,” says the wise guru, “And I willreveal the secret to success.”So the next morning, the young manshows up on the beach at 4 am, wear-ing a suit and tie. The guru is alreadyin the water and reluctantly, the youngman wets his feet.“Come out further,” the guru says.“This is an expensive suit,” the youngman replies, “I came here to learn thesecret to success, not the secret toswimming.”“The secret must be told in this water.It is your choice to learn the secret ornot,” replies the guru.So the young man goes waist-deep.“Further,” the guru says.So the young man wades deeper, untilthe water is up to his neck. “Now tell me the secret,” the youngman demands.
“Sure,” says the guru, and sudden-ly forces the young man’s head
under the water.The fellow resists and tries topush the guru off, but can’t.Just before the young manloses consciousness, the
guru pulls him back up andasks a question:
“When your head wasunder water, what did
you want to do?”“I WANTED
TO
BREATHE,” the young man sputters.“When you want success as much youwanted to breathe just now, then, andONLY THEN, will you have success.”
The difference between peoplewho are successful in life and thosewho aren’t can be summed up inone sentence: Successful people arealways willing to get their suits wet.
A ‘suit’ is just a metaphor for yourcomfort zone. A belief or an idea thatyou hold dear. Perhaps you wantedto become an artist but you wereconditioned to think: artists cannever make money. To earn my liv-ing, I must be a doctor or engineer.
So that’s what you do with your life.You might make a lot of money. Youmight even be seen as ‘successful’ bythe world. But deep inside your heartyou know. This isn’t what you wanted.And if you didn’t get to live your lifethe way you wanted to, how the hellcan it be a success?
You are merely sittingon the shore, watching thewaves of possibility. Youaccepted the role of an‘extra’, when you could havechosen to be a star.
But it’s never too late, to rewritethe script. Because the movie that’splaying out is your life. If you wantsuccess, you need to start by askingyourself some tough questions. Hereare five of the most important ones.
1. How much do I really want it?So you daydream about how yourlife could be or should be. But then
you snap out of it andcome back to ‘reality’.
That’s not goodenough. Whateveryour project, yourplan, your idea – itmust be a burningdesire. You must wantit so badly that itbecomes a reality – atleast in your own head.
When you hold avision of that magni-tude within you, itgives you courage.The courage you needto leave the safety ofthe shore, and wadeinto the unknown.
2. How far am I wiling to go?You have a vision in your head, that’sgreat. But other people don’t seewhat you see. Can you deal with that?
The world is full of cynics andknow-it-alls (and parents) whobelieve that things should remainjust the way they are. You will haveto turn your back on them all, know-ing that you know better.
You have always been rewarded for‘good behaviour’. Now, learn to seekout and stand up for your own good.
3. How long will I hold out?Success doesn’t come in a day, in amonth, or in a year. Rishis andmunis stood on the mountain tops,on one leg, until Gods descendedfrom the heavens.
Choose your mountain and choosewhich leg to stand on. Then be there,with utmost devotion and sincerity,for as long as it takes. That istapasya – the passion for your work.
One day, you will open your
eyes and ‘Success’ willbe standing there, infront of you.
4. How does it makeme feel?Anything worth hav-ing takes blood, sweatand toil. But anythingworth having also feelsvery good. And I don’tmean when you actual-ly have it, but even asyou sweat for it.
A life is enjoyed inits living, and not insome distant futuremoment of achieve-ment. When you lose
yourself in what you do,every moment is a luminous pearl.
Success is visible when you’vestrung all those pearls together, whenthe necklace is ‘complete’. But theprocess of creation is the real miracle.
5. How much further do you wantto go?You have name, fame, money,lifestyle and ‘success’ in your chosenfield. Everything you ever dreamedof has come true, now what?
Yesterday you were nobody, todayyou have something to lose - yourmarket cap, your popularity, your‘price’ in the market.
The trouble is, the more you tryto hang on to things outside of you,the more they weigh you down.
Success is ultimately about light-ness of being. About peace and quiet,internal joy.
If you were to ‘lose it all’ –can you still preserve that
state of mind?Then you too will be a wise
guru, beckoning young men andwomen into the water. To make theirmillions, then look back and laugh.
Because what you thought was‘success’ is no big deal, after all.
– Rashmi Bansal is the bestselling author ofStay Hungry, Stay Foolish and I Have A Dream.
You can connect with her on www.facebook.com/rashmibansal
facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
The Secret Of SuccessSerious about getting ahead? Ask yourself these five tough questions by Rashmi Bansal
‘Whateveryour plan oridea, it mustbe a burning
desire’-Rashmi Bansal, Author
Photo: THINKSTOCK
MARCH 4, 2012
AT A MEDIA interaction atthe Hindustan Times office,actor Aamir Khan memo-rably recounted his experi-
ence of achieving overnight fameafter the success of his debut movieQayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT).“I used to play cricket in the build-ing, and would always get yelled atby the watchman, who would tellme that the other residents didn’twant their cars damaged,” said thesuperstar. “But after QSQTreleased, those same residentswould instruct that watchman thatif I wanted to play cricket, theywould move their cars so that Icould play in peace.”
Khan’s anecdote provides just one insight of how life can changefor people once they achieve fame.But while there are many books onhow to handle failure, success canalso bring with it an equal numberof challenges – which need to bedealt with.
THE INSECURITY FILESExperts agree that it can be equallyimportant and difficult to handlesuccess. Says Mumbai-based psy-chiatrist Dr Seema Hingorrany,“Even successful people come in fortherapy.”
According to Dr Kersi Chavda,consulting psychiatrist at HindujaHospital in Mumbai, a sudden burstof fame is often accompanied byinsecurity.
“There is this near constant para-noia about whether their friendsand people close to them are withthem because they really like themor because they want somethingfrom them. That is what oftenbrings them in for therapy,” he adds.
Hingorrany also feels that one ofthe problems successful people faceis that once the desired goal is
achieved, it tends to go to theirhead. “It is important to keep yourarrogance levels down,” sheexplains. According to her, whilepeople are pursuing their dream,they are very driven, and can losemany friends as they cannot com-partmentalise their life. “Once suc-cess is achieved, the person’s tone,manners, clothes change, and thatcan cause friction,” says Chavda. Atsuch a time, the successful personmust remember that they need toshow discretion and wisdom, and ineffect always take a few steps for-ward first. “You must say ‘goodmorning’ first,” adds Hingorrany.
STAYING GROUNDEDSinger Meiyang Chang, who firstshot to fame when he attained thefifth spot in Indian Idol 3 in 2007,acknowledges that staying ground-ed is very necessary.
“It’s easy to get carried awaywhen people flatter you,” says theTV host and actor. “I was deter-mined not to let anything changeme, but a little bit of corruption didseep in. However, you have to keepmonitoring yourself, since no oneelse will do that for you. The otherday, on the sets of a show, I threw afit about something, but in retro-spect, I thought how childish I hadbeen and was sorry about it.”
It’s the support of friends andfamily that many famous peoplecome to count on. Says Chang, “I’mlucky to have my family and friends,and also I tend to undervaluemyself. It’s not a defeatist attitude,but it does stop me from buildingcastles in the air.”
Pooja Dhingra, the owner ofMumbai-based French patisserieLe15, says that it is very easy to beconsumed by success. “When Istarted Le15 two years ago,” shesays, “I worked 365/7, and cameclose to burning out. I then realisedthat it was important to achieve a
balance, and have learned to take astep back, and delegate responsibili-ties sooner than later.”
DEALING WITH ENVYAlong with the hard work camesome envy. “There were people whowould say that all the success was afluke,” says Dhingra. “They wouldsay – we’ve been working for 20years and she has just been workingfor two. My strategy is to workharder and ignore them.”
Dr Hingorrany says that success-ful people need to recognise whypeople are jealous and not getaffected by it.
“Even a person’s family andspouse are not immune from suchfeelings,” she reveals. “They see youchanging – and that is not accept-able to many. This can drain a suc-cessful person, but the importantthing is to recognise that jealousy isnatural and give them time.”
According to Hingorrany, the say-ing that it’s lonely at the top is tootrue. “Since successful people arealways in the limelight, people takethem for granted,” she explains.
KEEP WANTING MORE Both Chang and Dhingra say thatone way to deal with success is to“stay a little hungry,” as Chang putsit. “You must hanker for more cre-ative satisfaction,” he explains.According to Dhingra, if you getcomplacent, “You will get stagnant.”You need to set new goals, she adds.
24 hindustantimes.com/brunchN I N E TO F I V E
MARCH 4, 2012
HOW TO STOP BEING USEDOne side effect of your success isthat you may get into a situationwhere family and friends begin totake advantage of you. This is actually a very common problem,says Mumbai-based psychiatrist DrSeema Hingorrany. “It is hard forpeople to maintain a balance, especially if in the first flush of having money, they have bought expensive gifts for people close tothem. The secret is to not be afraidto put your foot down if a personbecome too demanding.”
‘Once success is achieved, the person’s tone, manners, clothes change,
and that can cause friction’
If you’re successful,you’re a star. Butmishandle it, andthings could come crashing downby Mignonne Dsouza
Stay Grounded,Stay Cool
ILLUSTRATION: TEJAS MODAK
26 twitter.com/HTBrunchPERSONAL AGENDA
Asin ThottumkalActor
SUN SIGNScorpio
BIRTHDAY26 October
SCHOOL/COLLEGENaval Public School, Kochi, St Teresa’s College forWomen, MG University, Kochi
OCCUPATIONActor
CURRENTLY DOINGThe new Mirinda TVC withthree flavours directed byRaju Hirani. Shooting forBol Bachchan and Housefull 2
HOMETOWNKochi, Kerala
FIRST BREAK In Bollywood,Ghajini
if i could...
MARCH 4, 2012
Phot
os: T
HINK
STOC
K
Your first acting assignment? A BPL mobile TVC.The longest you have worn heels? Day in and day out on shoots.If you weren’t an actor, you would’vebeen? I would have joined the civilservices.One Hindi word/sentence you’re stillstruggling with?I am quite comfortable with theHindi language.Who is on your mind these days?My boyfriend Subhaan whoproposed to me. (He is thenine-year-old son of Sajid Nadiadwala.)After a long workout, you love togorge on?A high protein snack.If you could turn producer, whatwould your dream cast be like?My favourites Rishi Kapoor and
Madhuri Dixit. What a lovelypair! If you could have chosen to makeyour Bollywood debut with a classicHindi film or a blockbuster, which onewould it have been?I think Ghajini was a perfectlaunch pad.The last line of your auto-biography would read?See you on the otherside!What touches your heartthe most?Acts of kindness.What makes your day?A surprise visit frommy dear friends.What spoils it?When my phonehangs.You are closest to…My parents.
When did you last have a bad hairday?Thanks to my team, I don’thave one at all. If you could invite five people for dinner – living or dead, who wouldyou call?Mahatma Gandhi, James
Dean, Jim Carrey,Lady Gaga and OprahWinfrey. A good mixof people. What could you live in?Jeggings and T-shirts.One thing you can nevereat?Gizzards, hearts andintestines of animals.Has anyone every strug-gled with your last name?
Yes, a lot of people in the Northreally find it hard to pronounce.
THE LOVE OFYOUR LIFE…
My iPad
—Interviewed by Veenu Singh
I WOULD GO ON A WORLD TRIP WITH MYGIRLFRIENDS
That would be socool
I WOULD WANT TO GOWHITE WATER RAFTING
Down the ZanskarValley
I WOULD LOVE TO BUNGEE JUMP
Specially from Royal GorgeBridge, Colorado,USA, since it is1,053 feet high
HIGH POINTOF YOURLIFE When I wonmy first FilmfareAward
LOW POINTOF YOURLIFEWhen my godmotherpassed away
