Indholdsfortegnelse for January 21, 2019 i India Today

Last month, I read a report about over 2,500 tourists stranded in a snowstorm at Sikkim’s Nathu La being rescued by a local Indian Army unit. They provided them with hot food, first aid and warm clothing. But what happened next is why I consider it to be one of the country’s finest institutions—the armymen vacated their barracks for the tourists to sleep in. As the incident demonstrates, the army’s sense of chivalry and duty towards its citizens is second to none. What it lacks, however, is everything else, from modern helicopters, surface to air missiles to assault rifles and even proper boots. The shopping list runs into trillions of rupees and many items have been pending for decades. Writing about the 1962 Indo-China war, Time magazine said the Indian…

I was reading Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah’s memoirs, The Sarkari Mussalman, when the controversy about his brother, actor Naseeruddin Shah’s allegedly anti-national utterances erupted. The irony was stark. Here was the elder brother giving glorious accounts of his regiment in the celebrated battle of Longewala in the Jaisalmer sector during the 1971 war with Pakistan and the younger brother was being taken to task for the simple reason that those utterances were by someone who carries a Muslim name. The scale of Indian victory in Longewala is obvious from the number of soldiers killed: two Indians and 200 Pakistanis. Well, Naseer’s statement was not about soldiers but about a police officer shot dead by a mob outside the Bulandshahr police station. His point that more is made these days…

Speaking to journalists in Bengali, politician DILIP GHOSH offered fulsome tribute to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on her birthday on January 5. Talking up her prime ministerial chances is par for the course, you’d imagine, for one of her sycophantic party colleagues, especially as people start jockeying for positions in the ‘grand alliance’. Except Ghosh is the local BJP president. He later tried to backtrack. He didn’t want to say anything mean on Banerjee’s birthday. And, of course, her ambitions are a pipe dream and Narendra Modi is coming back as prime minister and... Ghosh might as well own up to his Bengali parochialism, his pride in Didi. If nothing else, when the BJP drops him, he’ll have somewhere to go.…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close confidant Zafar Sareshwala is meeting prominent Muslim personalities in Uttar Pradesh, indicating how the announcement of an SP-BSP tie-up for the Lok Sabha poll has spooked the BJP about consolidation of minority votes. Sareshwala, a former chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, held a closed-door meeting with All India Muslim Personal Law Board president Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi on January 4. They discussed the political situation and the Modi government’s efforts to better the lot of minorities. Next on Sareshwala’s itinerary are meetings with Muslim clerics in Bareilly and Deoband.…

The French Rafale combat aircraft is a political embarrassment and a military liability. It’s an inappropriate, cost-ineffective buy that adds no real operational value to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in terms of enhancing its reach, clout and mission versatility, but adversely impacts the air order-of-battle. Per current plans, by 2025 and with the induction of the 36 Rafales bought in flyaway condition, the IAF will have between 272 and 312 Su-30MKIs or 17-20 squadrons upgraded to the ‘Super Sukhoi’ configuration, more than 90 Jaguars or five squadrons, more than 60 MiG-29s or four squadrons, and over 50 Mirage 2000s or three squadrons—totalling 34 squadrons of 4.5 generation aircraft. Seven squadrons of the indigenous Tejas Mk-1A and Mark-2—also 4.5 generation—replacing MiG-21 for short-range air defence means an IAF force profile…

When he defected from the Congress to join the BJP in 2017, health minister Vishwajeet Rane told Manohar Parrikar that he revered the chief minister like his father. Since then, however, Rane has played spoilsport for the ailing CM. Last November, he revealed details of Parrikar’s pancreatic cancer much to the BJP’s embarrassment. He’s in the soup again thanks to a leaked recording in which he’s heard claiming that Parrikar had said he could not be asked to step down because the files pertaining to the purchase of Rafale jets were in his bedroom. An audio clip released by the Congress on January 3 purportedly has Rane discussing a state cabinet meeting that took place some two months ago with a local journalist. “The CM made a very interesting statement,”…

March 24, 2017 Orders closure of all illegal slaughterhouses in UP March 25, 2017 Bans smuggling of animals, instructs district magistrates to act against cow smugglers April 20, 2017 Orders shutdown of illegal meat shops. Meat shops within 100 metres of religious places and those located between vegetable shops are told to pack up October 11, 2017 Institutes ‘Nand Baba Award’ to encourage conservation of indigenous cow breeds November 5, 2017 Releases Rs 1 crore per district to build cow shelters December 19, 2017 Sets up ‘cow conservation committee’ in each district December 20, 2017 Announces Kanha Upvans (cow sanctuaries) in 24 districts…

Abhishek Banerjee’s growing clout in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is worsening the festering tug-of-war between the party’s ‘old guard’, which is firmly loyal to his aunt and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the youth brigade that unflinchingly backs him. One of the first casualties of Abhishek’s meteoric rise since the TMC’s phenomenal victory in the 2016 assembly election was Mukul Roy, the party’s second-in-command, who quit in November 2017 citing dynastic politics in the party. Roy’s exit boosted Abhishek’s stature, giving him a big say in choosing electoral candidates and appointments to party posts. As president of the Trinamool Youth Congress (TMYC), Abhishek has placed his loyalists in important positions at the district level. It has led to scores of violent clashes between Mamata’s followers and TMYC workers. Now, with…

COMEDIANS OF THE WORLD Three Indian comedians—Aditi Mittal, Atul Khatri and Amit Tandon—feature among the 47 comics from 13 different regions around the world showcased in this unusual stand-up series. Does laughter translate? Netflix THE FIRST Sean Penn’s epic series on humanity’s first manned mission to Mars was an epic fail by sci-fi reckoning. But some found solace in its depiction of real-world family drama. Amazon Prime RED SPARROW Jennifer Lawrence (in the midst of a stealth comeback) stars as a ballerina-turned-secret agent in this stylish spy thriller based on the book by Jason Matthews. Hotstar…

THE HISTORY OF ROBERT CLIVE AND the dawn of the British empire in India is a well-ploughed field. We know about his limitless ambition, monumental greed and ultimate humiliation back in England. Every battle he fought has been chronicled in great detail. And yet, Alex Rutherford makes him come alive in this gripping historical novel, Fortune’s Soldier. A lucky discovery of a metal box at an auction house in Calcutta, containing papers dating back to the 1700s about the Ballantyne family, seeded the imagination of Alex Rutherford (the nom de plume of Diana and Michael Preston). The resulting Fortune’s Soldier is a tale of quarrels among local rulers and the palace intrigues and double-crossing that helped the East India Company subjugate and rule Indians for more than 200 years. The…

Q Tell us something about your latest film Chola. Cholais a story centring around a teenage girl who has run away to a big city with her lover. A road film, it is not political like my earlier ones, includingS Durga (2017) andUnmadiyudeMaranam (2017), but a personal one. I would not like to reveal too much about the film but, yes, it is spread over happenings over three days. Q S Durga was also a long road trip and was tense throughout? Well, the similarity ends there. Chola and S Durgaare starkly different in terms of subject and treatment. Q How do you look back at all the controversy surrounding S Durga? Honestly, S Durga has been a lesson in life and Indian democracy. I have learnt that one cannot…

Belle of the Ball French actress Catherine Deneuve was 22 years old when she met Yves Saint Laurent for the first time. She was about to be introduced to the Queen of England and she had chosen Saint Laurent to dress her. This event would mark the beginning of an enduring friendship, one that would last for several decades. Christie’s France will auction some of the iconic dresses, suits and accessories created exclusively for the actress by the couturier over the past forty years on January 24. One of the standout pieces up for sale is a short, fringed and embroidered dress from the Yves Saint Laurent’s spring collection that Deneuve wore when she first met Alfred Hitchcock in 1969. Other lots include a long, peacock blue, silk evening dress…

However, the complexity of India is not the main reason. Essential for luxury brands to scale, the middle class is still narrow, and the ecosystem not professional enough. India is not yet a strategic market but rather "good to have". Even homegrown luxury brands have limited scale as they rely highly on "one-time purchases" generated on the occasion of weddings. Also, the number of high spending power tourists visiting India remains low. In addition, experienced management in the definition and the execution of luxury brand strategies, which require an obsession for It is indeed ironical that despite being at the heart of the luxury industry for 5,000 years, even while France and Italy have successfully developed and marketed luxury brands in the last century, influenced by the subcontinent’s styles and…

SUGAR RUSH If baking has been a goal you wish to cross off your wish list, this is the perfect opportunity to do that as Plapp brings to you a unique platform to do this. Plapp, a new home grown platform for various activities around town, will be holding a baking workshop in the city. And the best part is, the workshop will teach you how to bake with healthier ingredits including coconut milk, millets, whole wheat, apricot milk and more. ON January 19, AT Sector 6, Panchkula REGISTER plapp.in…

“I agree that the video of my latest single could have been shot better. Yes, the lyrics are light as the song caters to youngsters. But the women in skimpy clothes do carry themselves well.”SINGER JASBIR JASSI He sounds concerned and insists there are measures to ensure that the standard of popular contemporary Punjabi music does not fall any lower. He laments that vulgar lyrics and poor quality videos ornamented with guns, open jeeps, and of course skimpily clad women hit one in the face the moment a Punjabi music channel is switched on. He strongly believes that there needs to be a self-censoring mechanism in place.“This is not who we Punjabis are. Singers are not realising the power of folk, and sadly they are refusing to derive from its…

Ahmedabad-based Addheera by Dipika Udhani’s ‘vacay vibes’ were a big draw. Featuring anti-fit easy-to-wear silhouettes in completely natural plant-based dyes, all her are garments are hand-dyed in shibori style. “No two pieces are alike and these outfits are meant to fade and look worn with time,” says Udhani. Look her up on instagram.com/addheera Founders of the hipster label CORD, Neha Singh and Pranav Guglani caught our eye with their versatile and functional yet on trend look. Their design ethos is to “create contemporary classic pieces one can wear across seasons,” says Singh, who struck a pretty picture in an olive shirt dress by CORD. They also showcased antifit body positive dresses in subtle earthy colours like, cinnamon, olive and navy. And their leather accessories included a cool line of shoulder…

The spate and pace of resignations and firings from the Donald Trump administration has no parallels in the history of any 20th century American presidency. The five most recent and prominent departures, of course, have been Nikki Haley, the United Nations ambassador in October; Jeff Sessions, the attorney-general in November; Ryan Zinke, the secretary of the interior around mid-December; followed by James Mattis, the secretary of defense in late December; and, most recently, John Kelly, the White House chief of staff on January 2. What explains this wave of departures from an administration that is barely in its second year? At least four reasons, some overlapping, can be suggested. A number of key officials, including those in the cabinet, felt compelled to leave because they faced charges of ethical lapses.…

The BJP has a challenge finding new political roles for its former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh. Particularly after the party ruled out appointing them as leaders of opposition in their respective states. Chouhan, who has refused to shift to Delhi, is eyeing the president’s chair in the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit, a position he held before becoming chief minister in 2005. But that will mean unseating incumbent Rakesh Singh. Raman Singh is keen to become state BJP chief in Chhattisgarh. The post is held by Dharmlal Kaushik, who was recently appointed leader of the opposition. Raje is keen on a post to be able to strike a hard bargain during ticket distribution for the Lok Sabha election. The BJP’s national council meeting due on…

Arvind Kejriwal and BJP West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh wished chief minister Mamata Banerjee on her ‘official’ birthday, January 5. But there were no celebrations in the Trinamool Congress as it isn’t her real birthday. In 2012, the mercurial chief minister had yelled at party workers for attempting to celebrate her official birthday. Mamata’s actual birthday remains a secret; all that is known is that it falls in the Durga Puja season and is celebrated by close family members.…

■ With the Congress having only a slender majority (121 out of 230), it will have a formidable opposition in the BJP ■ The promises in the Congress manifesto—farm loan waiver, Rs 4,000 monthly dole to unemployed youth, reducing fuel and LPG prices—will really burden the state’s resources. The waiver alone is estimated to cost the exchequer Rs 56,000 crore ■ Law and order is another challenge: NCRB data shows the state has the highest incidence of rape cases and a bad record in preventing atrocities against SC/ STs…

1 Instruct police to register ‘zero FIRs’ to prevent spouse and in-laws from fleeing the country 2 Immediate raids at the last known address of the groom’s family to recover the dowry 3 Look-out circulars (LOCs) and impounding of passports of all accused named in the FIR within five working days 4 Non-bailable warrants if spouse and in-laws don’t join investigation within two weeks 5 Police mechanism for quickly sharing via e-mail details of case with Indian missions abroad 6 Time-bound filing of chargesheets 7 Murder charges under Section 302 in case of miscarriages 8 Rape charges in cases where wife is abandoned within days of marriage 9 Government aid to the victims, to be recovered from the accused after conviction 10 Legal and financial aid, including shelter for victims…

It’s a Bollywood love story. Jewish Juliet Abraham falls for the Hindu Rahul Abhiram at a catering school in Ahmedabad. The families are against the match. Juliet is sent to Israel, but Rahul follows her there. They return to Bombay, get married and move to Ahmedabad. Though furious, the families now accept them. The couple isn’t the lead in a film, but is the main character in Bombay Brides, the new book by Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Esther David. Known for her writings on the Jewish experience in India, David sets her stories in Ahmedabad. Bombay Brides is set in the fictional Shalom India Housing Society, a society David created in 2005 in an earlier novel, Shalom India Residence. In this book, newlyweds Romiel Rahul and Juliet Priya buy an…

Starting with Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998), the gritty gangster epic has wooed audiences away from bubblegum romance. More recently, Anurag Kashyap redefined the genre with Gangs of Wasseypur and took it to the small screen with Sacred Games (with collaborator Vikramaditya Motwane)—and the floodgates don’t look to be closing anytime soon. Following Eros Now’s middling Smoke and Amazon Prime’s Mirzapur, Zee5 in December unveiled Rangbaaz—amould-breaking gangster series set in Gorakhpur in the 1990s. Talented Saqib Saleem stars as Shiv Prakash Shukla, a dreaded criminal who’d dipped his hands in the blood of 20 victims before he turned 25. Surprisingly, Rangbaaz blows against the wind, with limited doses of blood and sex. The characters are so real that it sometimes becomes difficult to remember you’re watching a fictional portrayal by…

In 2001, Naina Sen moved from Delhi to Melbourne to study filmmaking. She was instantly drawn to one of the oldest living cultures in the world—Australia’s aboriginal people. “As a storyteller and filmmaker, how could you not want to know more?” she asks. “I feel a deep acknowledgement and understanding of its indigenous culture and real relationships with the First Nations was a defining factor of the Australia I choose to live in.” Australia has been Sen’s home now for 17 years. “I still find it strange that so little is known about aboriginal culture in Australia itself,” she says. “There are so many stories that still need to be told.” The drive to tell them has taken the Darwin-based projection and installation artist and filmmaker “to remote parts of…

THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT POINTS OF VIEW when it comes to trends; there are those who believe trends are passe and you must chart your own course and set the agenda. Then there are others who welcome direction and are happy to be schooled in the finer nuances of luxury living. We decided to cater to the latter group in this issue because very often, the start of the year leaves you flummoxed, with multiple to do lists, goals, and options staring you the face. As you grapple with the paradox of plenty, a nudge in the right direction is welcome, often even necessary. We take our job of bringing you the expert view very seriously, so in this issue we have let a clutch of experts do the trend…

Back to Basics This unisex backpack is the perfect accessory to carry on a business trip as well a luxury holiday. Price ₹13,990 Availability Brand boutiques Shiny Disco Bags Christian Louboutin’s bucket bags are the ultimate party companion. Embellished with crystals, this bag is large enough to hold your essentials yet chic enough to party with. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Star Studded This black leather clutch is a fresh take on a typical Alexander McQueen silhouette. What’s more, a unique shape and silver studs make it a collector’s item. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Jewel Tone This round suede bag from Tara Zadeh can be worn as a bracelet as well. Multifunctional and pretty, what more can you ask of a bag? Price $694…

Crystal Clear Bring glamour and luxury home with this crystal chandelier from The Whiteteak Company. Let it adorn the ceiling of your living or dining space for maximum oomph. Price ₹17,950 Availability Brand boutiques Velvet Throne This accent seat by Idus, crafted in velvet and gold is a plush addition to your entertainment space. Price ₹ 72,000 Availability Brand boutiques Fashion House A tale of aesthetic, Hermosa Design Studio X Nikhil Thampi’s home decor furniture is built for convenience and comfort. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques In-console-able Vissionaire’s Kobol console, designed by Alessandro La Spada, is the perfect blend of form and function. The stunning good looks don’t hurt, either. Price On request Availability www.visionnaire-home.com…

The government has proposed that reservations be expanded to include the economically deprived in the ‘general’ category, including the upper castes whose perceived resentment may have defeated the BJP in the recent assembly polls. It is perhaps telling that while observers have described the move as “cynical”, an obvious example of vote bank politics, opposition politicians have been more wary. They recognise the appeal such a promise holds for people who believe they are victims of reservation policies. While no clear path towards the government’s extra reservations has been drawn, it will have to amend Articles 15, 16, and possibly 340 of the Constitution to make room for those it believes are being unjustly excluded from government jobs and educational opportunities. 10% Reservations for the economically backward among the ‘general’…

Last week, the Supreme Court voiced its frustration with the government for still using Section 66(A) of the Information Technology Act as grounds to arrest people, though that part of the law was scrapped in 2015. Responding to a petition by a civil liberties group, a two-judge bench said it would take “strict action”, that it was “shocking” that 66(A) was still being used and that those officials who used it ought to have been “sent to jail” themselves. Nearly four years ago, the Supreme Court had agreed with law student Shreya Singhal’s petition to strike 66(A) down, saying the powers it gave the police were too broad and that it had the effect of punishing and stifling free speech. The court described the section, added to the IT Act…

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis relied heavily on Right to Information (RTI) activist Ravindra Barhate to expose scams in the former Congress-NCP government. Now, the shoe is on the other foot. Barhate has accused two state ministers of involvement in a Rs 1,600 crore land scam in Pune. The timing has raised eyebrows as Barhate is considered to be a protégé of Fadnavis’s rival Eknath Khadse. Sandeep Unnithan with Rahul Noronha, Rohit Parihar, Kiran D. Tare, Ashish Misra, Jeemon Jacob and Romita Datta…

Q India-Australia relations were long characterised by mutual indifference. Has that changed? A. It has changed significantly in recent times. The tangible aspects of that [are in] the development of Australia’s India Economic Strategy by Peter Varghese, a former high commissioner. It sets up 500 pages in great depth on the fundamentals of this relationship, how it has grown and will continue to grow. Its recommendation has been embraced with great enthusiasm by my government. Q. One of India’s grievances is that Australian exports dominate bilateral trade. A. We are a very open market and receptive to greater Indian engagement. Part of the work behind the India Economic Strategy is to address opening up those markets. There is a very significant focus right now on completing the Regional Comprehensive Economic…

Mehbooba Mufti’s troubles were only beginning when the BJP pulled the rug from under her government last June. The past seven months have seen unprecedented attrition in the People’s Democratic Party’s ranks, with 13 senior leaders, including seven former MLAs and ministers, quitting the party. Analysts say the PDP, founded by two-time chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 1999, could well implode in the run up to the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, expected to be held simultaneously. The latest to quit on January 5, former Chadoora legislator Javid Mustafa Mir, hasn’t yet revealed his plans, though other PDP rebels have headed straight to the National Conference or Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference. Among them are Basharat Bukhari and Peer Mohammad Hussain, two senior partymen, who were personally welcomed into…

When he banned illegal slaughterhouses—a BJP poll promise—soon after taking over as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath perhaps didn’t anticipate the implications. Two years on, he faces a public outcry over rising stray cattle population causing road accidents and destroying crops. The problem is so acute that scores of farmers have fenced their holdings or shifted to traditional wheat, paddy and vegetable cultivation. K.S. Sharma, deputy director in the state agriculture department, says more farmers are growing sugarcane, which is relatively safe from foraging by stray cows and bulls. According to him, 2018 saw a 17 percentage point increase in the area under sugarcane. In Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Meerut and Kanpur districts, many cultivators have taken to herding the strays into school, hospital and police station compounds. To deal…

1 FIELD ARMY CURRENT Army Command Corps (3 divisions) Division (3 brigades) Brigade (3 battalions) Battalion (800 men) PROPOSED REORGANISATION AND RIGHTSIZING Focused on making the fighting formations that face the Pakistan and China borders nimbler Main suggestion Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) To be commanded by a major general, and operating directly under an Army Corps The army’s existing 40 divisions will be broken up into 140 smaller IBGs. A Corps HQ which commanded 3 divisions will now head 6-8 IBGs Composition of IBGs to be terrain-specific. Number of infantry, tanks and artillery will depend on whether they are deployed in mountain, desert or plains INTEGRATED BATTLE GROUPS Bulked-up brigades with a combination of artillery, infantry and armour will replace divisions Artillery divisions—500 guns—to be redesignated Integrated Theatre Artillery Battle…

How does one choose the best new restaurants in a country as diverse as ours? For this listing, we left the task to the professionals—the reviewers and critics and the writers who know their food. It’s not exhaustive or extensive or strictly objective, but it’s honestly delicious. Casa Playa, Goa Casa Playa is a beach house bar and grill offering live music, fire dancing, and a great view of Vagator beach. “Casa Playa enhances your sundowner experience with heady cocktails. The food is curated by chef Pablo Miranda and his specialty is the paella,” says Nolan Mascarenhas, travel and food writer, Goa. Must try: Paella Marisco, Goan Choris Arancini, Chocolate Anarchy Chin Chin Chu, Mumbai Another new contender vying for attention in Mumbai’s already crowded pan-Asian restaurant scene is the…

Richard Pryor, all-time great standup comic, went to Africa for the first time in 1979. The trip changed his life. The first ‘shock comic’ to flamboyantly use the n-word in America, Pryor was notoriously reckless, committed to the sex-and-drugs life. Then, his psychiatrist suggested a trip to Africa. It ended up healing Pryor. He stopped using his signature n-word, revealed a new sensibility and depth. But was overwhelmed by heart disease and multiple sclerosis. The comic, who inspired generations of Black comics, including Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock, never actually rode a second wind. It’s come a full circle now, though. Africa has sent a comic to America with prodigious intercontinental talent. South African Trevor Noah came to global attention when he, at the age of 31, took…

A Conjuror’s Archive’ at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi (between December 4, 2018 and January 12, 2019), focusing on the work of Jangarh Singh Shyam, is the first retrospective of a contemporary Indian folk artist. Shyam, who hailed from Madhya Pradesh, is credited with the genesis of the Gond painting tradition. But curator Jyotindra Jain points out that the term ‘Gond’ itself is a misnomer, as Shyam belonged to the Pardhan tribe, whose pantheon of deities and mythologies were the subjects of his art. The show draws upon Jain’s decades-long engagement with folk culture, and sets new paradigms for the study of indigenous artists’ interaction with modernism through what he terms as “extra-cultural interventions” such as paper, industrially produced pigments, new techniques of printmaking and the freedom…

ALEJANDRO BATALLER VICE PRESIDENT, SHA WELLNESS CLINIC Born in Argentina, Alejandro Bataller completed his degree in business management at Harvard Business School before launching Sha Wellness Clinic with his family in 2007. Bataller lives in Madrid, Spain with his wife Rossana and his sons. PHILIP HO SENIOR VP, LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD Philip Ho began his career at Singapore Airlines and later joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts, before being appointed senior vice-president of LHW for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. SHARAN GRANDIGAE FOUNDER & CEO, REDD EXPERIENCE Sharan Grandigae is the founder and CEO of Redd Experience Design, a specialised user experience (UX) design company established in 2015. SULABH PURI EDITOR, GADGET BRIDGE.COM A content specialist, Sulabh Puri was the editor of Times of India…

Ruby Embrace Undoubtedly a collectors piece, Mirari’s finely crafted necklace is encrusted with Burmese rubies and diamonds. Ready to have all eyes on you? Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Starlit Party Varda Goenka’s chic bracelet dazzles with white and black diamonds. Let this be the investment piece you wear and enjoy for years to come. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Colour Riot Add an extra spark to your personality with brightly hued jewellery from Minawala. This statement coral ring has a whimsical charm that suits every mood. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Fringe Benefits Lightweight and buoyant, this tasseled set from RK Jewellers is perfect for Indian and western looks. Wear together or separately. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Gala Look Latique’s…

History inspires both nostalgia and emulation; Breguet’s new creation, Reine de Naples 8905, which has historically has been designed for women, is part of the Reine de Naples collection. The collection pays homage to the wristwatch that Abraham-Louis Breguet made for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1812 and is the first known wristwatch in the world. Inspired by this historic piece, the Reine de Naples is distinguished by a curved, oval, slightly elongated case. This year, the marque plays with shades of pink, inspired once again by the original display, with the dial dressed in iridescent pale pink mother-of-pearl, a moon and several stars in white gold that take hold their own against the deeper pink of the moon-phase indicator. The pink cabochon-cut sapphire set on the crown lends…

The wellness industry is currently booming. One of the major reasons for this is that we have gone back about 50 years in many aspects of nutrition and lifestyle. We are now suffering the consequences of our excesses and are searching for answers for optimal health. Here are some of the major wellness trends that I have seen emerging in the last few years. HOLISTIC NUTRITION IS BIG While there is a huge interest in the food and pharmaceutical industry, very few take interest in finding out which is the best path to wellness. There are too many mixed messages about what is healthy and what isn’t. We have a huge number of people who think they are suffering from a genetic or chronic illness but they don’t relate it…

At first there are the kites. White kites next to a window. It seems they are yearning to fly away. A blue sky outside is a metaphor too. The kites are part of Indu Antony’s exploration of memories and dreams. Exploring Carl Jung’s theory of the Personal Unconscious, she traces the way memories get ‘boxed’ and their eventual resurfacing in unexpected ways. The idea was to explore these ‘boxes’ using oral history, visuals, objects and performances. In this project she tells the story of a specific personal memory that resurfaced after 14 years. At Adil Shah Palace in Goa, one of the venues for the third edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, there was a bold attempt to look at current photography practices and find out what holds them together…

What happens when Indian cuisine gets dressed up in hipster shades and finds its way overseas? You get a swish bar that’s modern yet Indian. Chef Sujan, who once helmed Olive Bar & Kitchen started Rooh, a dining space in San Francisco, and soon after, Baar Baar was born in New York. The Indian tapas bar has been running successfully in the Big Apple since 2017 and now, in a role reversal of sorts, the brand returns to test its Indian roots. The Baar Baar pop up at Khan Market will run till March and there has been an attempt to replicate its NYC formula here. This is the place to head to for Indian ingredients-inspired cocktails and mocktails that are really inventive. The beetroot and raspberry kanji with chilli…

Refined femininity and astounding automaton aren’t usually enunciated in the same breath for most luxury watch brands. But this where the virtuosity of the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art comes into play with the Lady 8 that comes in the form of a blossoming lotus flower. The Lady 8 Flower is made up of two superimposed circles creating a figure of eight, not just an emblematic number for the brand but a symbol of harmony, perfection and infinity. While the upper circle reveals a lotus flower under a sapphire crystal dome, the lower circle features a delicate butterfly with outspread wings. The watch is available in two versions: one where the butterfly’s wings are painted and engraved in translucent red enamel on a guilloché background and the other features a butterfly…