catalysts of change

Transcription

catalysts of change

PEOPLE
RAVINDER SINGH
TRANSIT LOUNGE
KITU GIDWANI
ENTERTAINMENT
SEASON OF BREAK-UPS
Citynews
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March 2016 Vol. 9 Issue 12
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RNI No.: DELENG/2006/19254
Editor*
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It was a tough decision to make when they
decided to take a path less trodden. Many years
down the line, they are happy that they decided
to go forth and pursue their dreams. On the eve
of International Women’s Day, our Cover Story salutes the
spirit of a group of women whose life stories inspire respect.
That some of them plunged headlong into professions which
had traditionally been male-dominated only goes to underline their indomitable spirit.
In People, we bring to you the bitter-sweet journey of engineer-turned author Ravinder Singh who took to writing after
his love story turned into a tragedy. Singh, now a best-selling
author, talks about this and several other defining moments
which have shaped his life. In Transit Lounge, we host the
versatile actor Kitu Gidwani. In the city recently for a play,
she discusses her love for theatre and her experiences in the
film industry.
Concept restaurants are all the rage in Gurgaon these days.
It’s all about innovation and the quirkiness quotient, we find
out as we speak to restaurateurs and experts in our Wine &
Dine section. In Travel Talk, we take you to the idyllic surroundings of Lansdowne in the Garhwal hills which make for
an ideal weekend getaway. Closer home, we rediscover
Mehrauli through an interesting walk through history and
archaeolog
VINAY JHA
Editor
@DlfCityNews
DLF City News
Citynews.dlf
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 03
I N S I D E
11 12 34
37
55
59
61
65
Colours of Holi
Sufi Night
School Round-up
Say No To Plastics
Pet Care
Helpline
The City Elders
Movie Previews
Citynews
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March 2016
VOL 09 Issue 12
Wine & Dine Concept Restaurants
50
Passionate entrepreneurs share their personal ethos through concept based restaurants
where both ambience and food impart a slice of life experience. Innovation is the buzzword
these days and why not since everybody seems to be lapping it up!
Faces
14 Snapshots
Cricket Lounge 36
The Ishara Puppet Festival
celebrated its 14th year with
enthralling performances
Rapid Metro offers a one-ofits-kind experience
18 People
The ‘King of Romance writing’,
Ravinder Singh shares moments of grief
30 Sword of Honour
Recognises DLF’s adherence to world class safety
& compliance standards
40 Women’s Health
The Mehrauli Archaeological Walk was a treat for
history enthusiasts
41 Travel Talk
Lansdowne recreates old
world charm in the midst
of a disciplined military
cantonment
Social Quotient 46
The state-of-the-art
business district in Kolkata has
been designed with finesse
and has ample working space
DLF Foundation receives
the coveted Golden Peacock
Award for contribution to the
CSR sector
Snapshots Book Launch
44 Sightseeing
Effective treatment of Osteoporosis involves stopping
further bone loss
32 Project Update
MUST
READ
MUST
READ
08
The era of ‘middles’ may be far from over, proves
Gurgaon resident Krishan Kalra
Relationships 48
Relationships need nurturing
and communication is the key,
say experts on Valentine’s Day
Snapshots Surajkund Revisited 66 Last Word
Deepika & Vin Diesel begin shooting for
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage
20 Reggie Aggarwal
Aggarwal is recognized as ‘one of the 25 most
influential people in the meetings industry’
62 Kitu Gidwani
The actor known for her TV appearances
continues to court her first love – theatre!
64 Celeb Talk
Season of break-ups continues; ViratAnushka, Farhan-Adhuna hog the
headlines
06
I March 2016 I
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Citynews
17
Senior Citizen Mohan Gulrajani compares the past
and the present
Page 7 >>>
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Page 9 >>>
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SNAPSHOTS
BOOK LAUNCH
Potpourri of Everyday Life:
Krishan Kalra Releases an Anthology
by DCN Bureau
The All India Management Association
lawns glittered with corporate and literary luminaries on 8th February evening
as they came to congratulate Gurgaon
resident Krishan Kalra for publishing an
anthology of his writings over the years.
Past President of AIMA, Krishan Kalra
told DCN, “I was
writing “middles”
for almost 25 years.
Nearly 300 of my
pieces
have
appeared in national
dailies like the TOI,
HT, Indian Express,
Statesman and Pioneer. Sadly, almost
all papers have now
discontinued that
genre of articles.
LiFi
Publications
Pvt Ltd. has brought
out a collection of
100 middles written
by me which was
released by AIMA.”
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I March 2016 I Citynews
The foreword of this collection is written by Dr Amit Mitra, Finance Minister of West Bengal while the book was
released by the eminent journalist and
columnist Shekhar Gupta. Gupta, in his
inimitable style, regaled the audience
with newsroom tales. He described the
genesis of a middle and reasons why
leading dailies have stopped publishing
them even as he referred to Kalra’s book
as “a slice of life”!
Distinguished management guru, Padma Bhushan awardee, Dr M.B. Athreya,
journalist Leher Kala and Director General AIMA Rekha Sethi also appreciated
the consistent effort by Kalra who has
been writing letters to the editor as well
as middles in a consistent manner over
the years. As the panel
addressed the packed
150 seater auditorium,
it was evident that the
anthology had touched
many hearts with its
simplicity and eegance.
Kalra, who is a regular contributor for DLF
City News, calls the
anthology, “Light, anytime reading as these
are my reflections on
everyday life, an interesting encounter, an
emotional
interlude,
often with a touch of
irony, anti-climax or
humour.” ø
SNAPSHOTS
CITY LIGHTS
THEATRE
HOLI
Three Single Friends Mingle
& Come Up With A Brilliant Play
by DCN Bureau
For theatre lovers, it was indeed a treat
to watch fine actors like Kitu Gidwani,
Rituraj K Singh and Amit Dolawat, performing a light-hearted romantic play,
with a touch of humour that kept them
in splits even as it sensitively portrayed
the subject of changing definitions of relationships in modern times.
The introspective comedy that pushes
the boundaries of sexuality starts with
the girl ending up being intimate with
one of two guys even as she is committed
to the other and is about to get married
to him. Eventually she realises that she
doesn’t have to get married to feel settled in life even as she discovers that her
friend cum fiancée actually feels more
inclined towards men. The play gives
across the message that it is important to
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love yourself, accept who you are and do
what your heart says.
Directed by award winning theatre
director Smita Bharti and Padma Damodaran, the play exhorts the audience
to let go of their pre-conceived notions
of labelling certain aspects of people as
acceptable or unacceptable and invites
them to escape the realms of ‘tolerant’ or
‘intolerant thoughts’.
Speaking to DCN, Rituraj K Singh said,
“I find theatre most challenging. I also
feel that real world too is like a stage
where you have to perform. On why
he decided to do the play, he informed,
“The first reading of this script and I
made up my mind. The play is about human relations and sexual orientations
which need to be understood. It’s a part
of the world we are living in. My character Honey is the voice of the script,
literally shaking his friends to own up
to certain truths.”
For young actor Amit Dolawat too, the
script was the deciding factor. “I found it
very exciting. It has been a great experience working with this wonderful unit.
There was a lot of bonding and the beautiful atmosphere helped bring out amazing performances.”
Speaking about the challenges in getting a play together, director Smita Bharti said, “The first is the idea and then
the crafting of the story where you have
loads of ideas bouncing in. The next
stage requires seclusion from the world
to write your characters and script and
based on the characters, the auditions
are carried out to select them. Finally
once the play is ready, the next difficult
task is the staging. So, conceiving a play
and making it a reality is no joke.” ø
The United
Colours of
Celebration!
Gurgaonites are all set to celebrate
Holi, the festival of colours, later
this month. Avid photography
enthusiaist Gaurang Tambi shares
snapshots of how some city residents marked the day last year. The
23-year-old mechanical engineer says
that he’s always had this habit of
capturing what he sees around him
as images that tell a story.
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I March 2016 I 11
SNAPSHOTS
SUFI NIGHT
A Mystical
Treat By
‘The Soul’
by DCN Bureau
It was a slightly windy winter evening when the chill in the
air merged with soulful strings to create magic! The ‘Sufi Evening’ organised by GEMS Modern Academy, (GMA) South City II
was indeed a mystical treat for the parents and school staff as
‘The Soul’ band left them mesmerised with their performance.
While songs like ‘Dama dum mast kalandar’ compelled many
to get up and dance to the beats of music, the band also kept the
crowd hooked to their seats with soulful numbers like ‘Main
tainu samjhaawan’, ‘Main toh tere pyar mein deewani’, ‘Jugni’ and other Sufi hits by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida
Parveen, Sabri Brothers, Junoon (band), Wadali brothers, Mika
Singh, Reshma and Runa Laila.
The guest of honour for the evening was Suraj Pal Amu, President Haryana Gymnastics Association. Also present were senior executives of the GEMS family including Major General
Sunil Chandra, Chief of Operations, GEMS Education India;
Rajat Shail Kumar, President K-12 Business, GEMS Education
India and Sachin Dhingra, Group Head – Legal & Compliance,
GEMS Education India.
Speaking on the occasion, GMA Principal, Punam Singhal
said, “We at GEMS strongly believe that exposing children to
all genres of performing arts will help them develop holistically. It is extremely important for all students to get an exposure in the fields of sports, drama, performing and visual
arts. The Sufi night was an endeavour to promote performing
arts and also make parents understand that this could also be
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Gurgaonites were seen enjoying the Sufi tunes
a great career option.”
Interestingly, the school had made separate arrangements
for the students, keeping them engrossed in various activities,
so that the parents could enjoy the evening without any worries. So while the children were colouring, watching films and
munching goodies, parents could chill for a while!
Meanwhile, the band also thoroughly enjoyed performing
at the school. A band with expertise in fusing Indian Classical with westernised styles, The Soul, had won the “Battles of
Band” at Garden of Five Senses way back in 2010 and also been
selected for reality show ‘India’s Got Talent’. It has worked with
“Sahara Samay” for one and a half years and performed for several corporates including Reliance and Tata Indicom. ø
SNAPSHOTS
PUPPET FESTIVAL
Creative Displays
Enthral Gurgaonites
by DCN Bureau
Storytelling found a perfect medium
in ‘puppetry’ as various countries came
together for the Ishara International
Puppet Festival at Epicentre, Gurgaon
recently. With each participating nation
showcasing its distinct puppet show,
bringing in an element of innovation in
concepts, colours, music and imagination, all eyes were on the stage even as
the crowd was left wanting for more.
The countries which took part in the fes-
tival included Egypt, Italy, Switzerland,
India, Sweden, Russia, USA, Iran and Afghanistan. Each of them mesmerised the
audience with their creativity. The group
from Egypt showcased a unique celebration of the folk tales of Egypt through a
wide variety of highly entertaining acts.
This musical show featured a spectacular Sufi dance performance on stage incorporating puppets, something which
had never been seen before.
The Italian puppets depicted phantasmagorical Carnival starring actors,
puppets, rag dolls, animated figures, and
symbols from past ages in a sequence of
amusing, poetic and thrilling events. The
show presented by the group from Iran
was a touching one. It showed how wasting water causes drought, and ‘so Mr.
Foot was looking for a drop of water for
his flowerpot while a battle was taking
place for an empty water bottle!’
For Russia, the puppet signified the
Petrushka, a performance which created the original atmosphere of cheerful Russian Fair. Petrushka is the main
The 14th Ishara International Puppet Festival at Epicentre was a treat for the audience
character of the traditional, national
popular puppet show, over 300 years old.
For the one from Sweden, the variety
came in the form of a medley of marionette sketches that were performed in
different techniques such as string marionettes and bunraku puppet. The one
from USA was a big hit among children.
Paul Mesner Puppets presented the tale
of Little Red Riding Hood accompanied
by a collection of American folk and traditional rhymes. Performed with beautifully crafted glove, rod and hand puppets,
this show used humorous wordplay to
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explore the playful quality of the English language. Surprisingly, the Indian
one also caught the attention of the kids.
Since it was about a baby dinosaur looking for his mother, kids identified with it
very closely.
The most sensational aspect of puppet
shows is the creativity in presenting the
acts which requires years of practice.
Only then, they come across as entertaining shows. And, this international
saga for sure entertained the audience,
who were full of praise for the brilliant
presentation by the teams. ø
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I March 2016 I 15
SNAPSHOTS
SNAPSHOTS
ACHIEVERS NIGHT
SURAJKUND CRAFTS MELA
DLF Expresses
DOWN MEMORY LANE
Appreciation for
Its Associates
by Mohan Gulrajani
by DCN Bureau
DLF recently hosted an ‘Achievers’
Night’ at Golf Club, DLF 5 for its international property consultants and brokerage community with who the company
has been working with for many years.
The evening started with National Director, DLF Offices, Amit Grover’s welcome address. While thanking CEO, DLF
Rentco Ltd, Sriram Khattar, for giving
a new perspective to the whole business, he said, “I am truly indebted to all
our friends who have contributed to the
portfolio of DLF offices. When I joined
in 2003, the office space was one to eight
million square feet and today it is as
much as 30 million square feet thanks to
the leadership support and the inputs we
have received. This evening is dedicated
to each and every one who has helped us
in the take-off of every project including
our brokers and consultants”.
Explaining how DLF had spread its
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wings across six cities including Delhi,
Gurgaon, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata
and Bhubaneshwar, Grover went on to
talk about some of the upcoming projects
by DLF. The evening commenced with
the awards being given away to various
teams like CBRE, Colliers, Cushman
and Wakefield, JLL and Knight Frank by
Khattar. He was accompanied by Senior
Vice-President, DLF Utilities Ltd, Pushpa
Bector, and EVP Operations and Technical Services, DLF, Gautam Dey. Brand and
Equity partner Thinking Cap was also appreciated for its continuous efforts.
Appreciating Grover’s decision to make
this an annual event, Khattar said, “From
next year onwards, we will also have a
proper jury that will look into the selection of all awards. Since this was the
first attempt, this should be considered a
‘practice’ year”. After the award ceremony, Grover called his entire team on stage
Sriram Khattar addresses the gathering
(above); the award winners (top and middle)
to thank them for their hard work.
Meanwhile, the guests also had
their share of fun as comedians
entertained them with their energy-ridden performances while the
Saregama Band made it a lively
atmosphere ø
Our recent visit to the Surajkund Mela
brought back a lot of good old memories,
those of late 80s and 90s when the mela
was a fixed feature in our annual calendar. With our young growing children, we
used to have a good family time out there,
admiring the intricate products made by
the craftsmen (artists, painters, weavers
and sculptors) from all across the country,
relishing the local food from the various
stalls and enjoying the puppet shows that
took place near the entry gate.
Those days, the mela, now held during
the first fortnight of February, used to be
organised by the office of Handloom Development Commissioner.
In fact, our visit this time around, came
almost after a lapse of over 20 years! Although it was in the planning stage for the
past couple of years, this time we finally
decided to go and see the much enhanced
and enlarged version of the mela which
now boasts of international participation
as well.
Appropriately renamed as the ‘Surajkund International Craft Mela’, it is now
being organised by the Surajkund Mela
Authority & Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism,
Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.
The Google Map indicated that it was
very easy to reach the mela via GurgaonFaridabad road in just 40-50 minutes without encountering any traffic jams. The
ride was smooth and took us to the Entry
Gate No. 2 located on the Faridabad side.
Entry tickets were reasonably priced
at Rs. 80 per person and easy to get with
50% concession for senior citizens and
free entry for school going children on
production of age or ID proof. On entry,
we found that the mela had 1071 huts
divided into five zones named after various seasons - Winter, Autumn, Summer,
Spring and Monsoon. These zones had an
ATM, snack shop, toilet, chaupals, openair theatres and even selfie points (a new
age concept).
China was the partner country since
2016 is being celebrated as the ‘Year of
China in India’ and Telangana, the newly
formed state was the ‘theme state’. The
theme state showcased its handicrafts,
handlooms, performing arts, cuisine and
tourist potential. Some of the products
on display and sale included paintings,
textiles, wood stock, ivory work, pottery,
terracotta, stonework, lac work, cane
and grass work.
Particularly interesting products were
sandalwood and rosewood carving from
South India, chikri woodcraft of Kashmir, fine cane craft and kantha from
West Bengal, phulkari embroidery of
Punjab, banjara and bunni embroidery of Gujarat and chikan work of
Lucknow. The prices were relatively
low and there was scope for bargaining
and getting 10 to 15% discount.
Ram leela was being enacted in one
of the theatres and we were infor med
that various renowned national and
inter national folk artistes and cultural g roups were scheduled to perfor m at both the chaupals and the
open-air theatres.
After briefly going around the notso-exciting inter national stalls, we
decided to end our little tour but
not before relishing some Hyderabadi biryani from the food court,
which had stalls serving authentic
cuisine from various states.
While retur ning from the mela, it
almost felt as if we just had a trip to
‘Delhi Haat’! As compared to our earlier visits, although we found little
incremental innovation in the handmade or homemade products, it was
definitely a much more colourful affair.
S o, a l l of thos e who have b een
g o in g to Cotta g e I nd us tri es Empo riu m and S tate Emp ori ums on
B aba K a r ak S i ngh Marg may substitute one of their visits with a trip
to Surajkund Mela. It for sure is worth
visiting! ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 17
people
RAVINDER SINGH
Bestselling author Ravinder Singh who is now
based in Gurgaon, chronicles a remarkable
journey that emanated from pain and has now
become a healer for fans and readers
by Meenakshi Sharma
“I Too Had a
Love Story”
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Chatting with Ravinder Singh makes
one realise the true import of the aphorism, ‘Truth is stranger than fiction!’
Born in a humble Sikh family, Singh grew
up in the Gurudwara compound of Burla
in Odisha’s Sambalpur district where his
father was the head priest and his mother a dedicated homemaker. Recalling the
simplicity of those days, he says, “Burla
then had no book shops, not even a traffic
light and I had to study in schools which
were chosen based on their fees while
I made use of second hand books …my
education was restricted to charitable
schools and colleges where either my
fees were waived off or where I managed
a scholarship!”
Despite the hard life, there was a dream
Ravinder’s romance writing has captured
the imagination of the Indian youth
run of sorts for this hard working and idealistic young man who
appeared for Army and Navy entrance exams but opted to complete a Computer Engineering degree from a college in Karnataka.
It was his individual efforts again
that managed to bag him a prestigious Infosys job where he was
coding. “I still recall my Infosys
employee code as this job meant a
lot to me,” confesses Singh.
He remembers the excitement
of his new-found affluence and
how his life steadily transformed
for the better. “Burla to Belgium
is how my friends teased me
when I proceeded to Belgium for
an assignment,” he reminiscences. It was at the same time that
he and his four friends (who also
appear in his first book) began
creating matrimonial profiles
on marriage portal Shaadi.com.
This is how he met his soulmatedream girl Khushi who was eventually immortalised in his first
book, I Too Had A Love Story.
Theirs was a fairy tale romance
that largely bloomed on the
phone and on email even though
they did manage to meet twice
for no more than a few hours.
It was when they announced an
engagement for Valentine Day in
2007 that fate struck a cruel blow
on an impressionable young Singh who lost Khushi in a car accident just
five days before they were due to be formally engaged.
“I was devastated and lost faith in God,
the Master who never came to my rescue
even though I had been a devout all my
life. I gave up the turban and felt suffocated in the faith I had. Though my father understood my pain, he was hurt
and did not speak to me for a year,” narrates Singh, who admits that he had never read a book in his life and yet wanted
to write his story. This is when his mentor at Infosys recommended that he read
Erich Segal’s Love Story. He did and so I
Too Had A Love Story was born.
His debut novel, he admits, brought
him the much-needed closure. He kept in
touch with Khushi’s family and her dad
even edited the first draft of the book.
Ravinder
Singh
I had to study in schools
which were chosen based on
their fees while I made use of
second hand books …my education was restricted to charitable
schools and colleges where either my fees were waived off
or where I managed a
scholarship.
Though finding a publisher was a real
struggle, once he did, there was no looking back and Ravin, the protagonist, became an overnight cult figure. “The book
sold over a million copies and has been
able to immortalise Khushi. People talk
about her as if she is alive,” he
explains. Not just Infosys, where
he worked, but even the Shaadi.
com CEO promoted the book
as he remembers telling him
how that website was the forum
where he found his love.
In fact, he met his now wife
Khushboo through the same
quirk of fate where she connected with him because his story
touched her and she went to pray
for him. He smiles as he relates
the karmic connections, “Her
email id till today is ‘Khushi’;
she went to the Gurudwara to
pray for me and there was so
much empathy that we connected and decided to get married.”
It was around the same time
that he wrote, Can Love Happen
Twice? which coincided with his
new found love for Khushboo
and is based on his interactions
with fans.
Being a goal oriented man, Singh was also working towards the
realisation of his dream of doing
a premium MBA and when he got
into ISB Hyderabad, it became
one of those lifetime experiences that he still cherishes. It also
helped him land a prestigious job
with Microsoft which he loved
initially but gave up once again
in pursuit of a creative dream.
Your Dreams Are Mine Now was
his next novel set in the atmosphere of
anger and agitation following the December 16, 2012 gang-rape in Delhi. He
remembers how that revolution instilled
a ray of hope and faith.
He has now settled into his role as
writer and mentor while wife Khushboo chases a corporate career which has
brought them to the Millennium City.
Ravinder Singh has become a creative
factory - not just creating his own stories
but also helping others get published. As
a mentor and a launch pad for aspiring
authors, he has published anthologies
as well as edited and produced books
by three authors. Speaking of this new
phase in life, he remarks, “ I am a storyteller and so my dreams are about all
mediums that support stories- cinema,
TV, books or adaptations! “ ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 19
PEOPLE
FACE OF THE MONTH
reggie Aggarwal
Founder and CEO of Cvent
H
eads a
cloud-based
enterprise
event management
platform, was named
CEO of the Year and
Most Admired by the
Washington Business
Journal
What have been the highlights of your
entrepreneurial journey?
While working as a lawyer in Washington, DC and
organising events for a non-profit outfit that I started
called the India CEO Technology Council, I realised
how painful it was to organise events and resolved to
create the aspirin for these pain points. I started Cvent
in 1999 and we now have more than 1,900 employees
and 10 offices around the world. Over the last 16 years,
my team and I have built an unbelievable culture and
accomplished many key milestones. One of my
proudest moments was going public on the New York
Stock Exchange in August 2013.
What have been the biggest challenges that you
faced and how did you deal with them?
Cvent grew from five employees to 125 in late 1999
when the dot-com meltdown and reality hit us. We
had signed a five-year lease for space, but by 2001, we
were just one payroll away from running out of
money and were forced to cut 80 percent of our staff.
We were left with an office for 250, but had only 26
employees, and our landlord wouldn’t reduce our
rent unless I personally signed the renegotiated
lease. Not ready to give up, and with the support of
my team, we doubled down and essentially signed
the lease. We went back to the basics and by 2003, we
became profitable again when the first rays of hope
began to show.
What are your thoughts on the growth of Gurgaon and
your experience with the office here?
Gurgaon is the biggest hub of outsourcing in India
but what our employees in India do is far more than
low cost back-end work. We invest heavily in our
employees because they make up the DNA of our
organisation. I have personally spent a lot of time
with our HR department in India with our recruiting
efforts and am very bullish on Gurgaon shifting
from BPO centric businesses to product-centric
businesses.
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 21
FEATURE
R-DAY
Republic Day Celebrated
With Full Fervour
by DCN Bureau
Republic Day is one of those days when
one can literally feel patriotism in the air
because the celebrations are always an
elaborate affair in every city, every state.
And, Gurgaon is no exception. Like every
year, this time too, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar hoisted the
National Flag at a gala official function
at Tau Devi Lal Stadium while the entire
city immersed in patriotic celebrations.
The stadium at Rajiv Chowk showcased the spirit of patriotism as people
joined in huge numbers for the celebrations. From the march past and motor
bike stunts of police personnel to dance
performances and plays by school students, the stadium witnessed a number
of activities besides the flag hoisting ceremony. While the Chief Minister was the
chief guest, several MLAs and Deputy
Commissioner TL Satyaprakash were
also present on the occasion.
Celebrations were also visibly evident
in various condominiums, sectors and
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societies. Besides hoisting the flags,
the residents came up with a variety of
cultural programmes and activities for
young and old including patriotic runs to
set the tone for the day.
Residents of Sector 17, who have been
celebrating the day for the last 25 years,
were all geared up this time too as they
organised an interesting array of activities as per different age groups. So,
there was a baby show for those in the
age group of one to three, painting competition for those in the bracket of four
to nine years, lemon-spoon race for children in the age group of nine to 16, sack
race for couples and musical chair competitions for those above 50.
The scenario was no different for residents of Iffco Colony, South City, Sushant Lok, Park Place, The Pinnacle, Hamilton Court, Nirvana Country, Sector 15,
Old Gurgaon and New Gurgaon as they
hoisted the flag and enjoyed the day
through different activities.
Residents of Park Place, in particular,
celebrated the occasion in full spirit,
across their sprawling Central Lawns. “A
free dental check up camp was organised
for the residents and drawing competition
was held for kids of different age groups.
Various sports activities like tug-of-war,
lemon spoon race and sack race were also
organised. That apart, cricket, football,
tennis and basketball competitions were
also held and prizes given away. The best
part was that there were various food
stalls that kept the residents energised
throughout the day” said Pooja Kargupta
and Deepak, residents of Park Place.
On the other hand, for those like Suresh
Krishnan, who had never experienced
the life of a gated colony before, the Republic Day celebrations had turned extra special! “I am new to Pinnacle and
I thoroughly enjoyed this experience
along with my wife. Besides flag hoisting, several activities were organised
for children and women in our lawn. I
strongly believe that it is very important
to celebrate Republic Day as youngsters
need to be aware about the formation
and launch of constitution on this great
day,” said Krishnan.
Reshma Sinha Roy, another Pinnacle
resident, added, “We have a wonderful
community and that is the reason we enjoy so much. Be it Republic Day or any
other festival, we always come together
for the celebrations”. ø
COVER STORY
WOMEN ACHIEVERS
Gurgaon’s Change Catalysts
On the eve of International Women’s Day, we look at some successful
women from diverse fields whose lives inspire and empower
Looking back at her own family from
Uttar Pradesh, she agrees that society
and people’s perceptions have changed
over time and they are far more accepting of her long hours than was imaginable many years ago. Now she has a fine
standing in the family even as they look
forward to her ‘fancy cooking’. “I don’t
mind cooking some special dishes for
them as they love it,” she says of her willingness to oblige relatives and friends.
Needless to say, Chauhan gives credit to
the family support that helped her follow
her passion for cooking a foreign cuisine.
She points out that “Work-life balance in
this industry is very difficult to maintain
and it is the support of my mother, my
mother in law and my husband which
has allowed me to achieve this much”.
She recalls how her mother even came
and lived with her when her son was just
born so that she could pay attention to
her career. “Even now she is available to
me at a moment’s notice,” she says with
a sense of relief.
With a secure personal life and a fast
growing professional expertise fuelled
by the love for oriental cuisine, it is
sheer joy to see Chauhan whip up the
finest sushi and sashimi in town even
while she effortlessly bounces off names
of complex ingredients with the panache
that makes her one of the most respected
names in the field of Japanese cuisine in
India.
by Meenakshi Sharma & Reena Dhankher
This is a male-dominated profession.
But as long as you stay strong, sharp
and perfect, you can do anything
Bharti Chauhan [ Senior Sous Chef ]
Spunky and feisty, these are women who have had the guts and gumption
to take challenges head on. As they acknowledge the role of hard work and
passion in fulfilment of their dreams, they also salute their family for the
support that helped them become ‘Catalysts for Change’.
Queen Of Oriental Cuisine
The sheer contrast between the glitz and glamour of Gurgaon’s luxurious Trident Hotel and the disarming simplicity and humility of Senior
Sous Chef Bharti Chauhan ,who handles the Japanese restaurant Konomi,
brings out the role that passion and determination plays in achieving goals
set out for oneself.
Chauhan is used to being called a ‘star performer’ of their show kitchen
so it is no surprise to her that Executive Chef Sandeep Kalra recommends
her strongly as he highlights that it is her skill, expertise and commitment
which has given such a fairy tale quality to her life journey. “I started my
career with Jaypee Mussourie,” recalls the proud mother of a five-year-old
son who chooses to underplay her accomplishments. After a stint at The
Leela, Bengaluru, it was Hyatt, Delhi’s Teppanyaki Kitchen that helped her
make a mark in oriental cuisine before spending nine of her most fruitful
years with Konomi. Her oriental expertise extends to Thai and Korean with
the ‘Sushi’ speciality becoming legendary.
So perfect is that Japanese vibe that it is hard to believe that she has not
been born and brought up in Japan. No wonder, she found her vibe matching well with Master chefs like Ramon who mentored her and all those
Japanese and European guests who come to Konomi to enjoy her delicacies.
With 15 years experience in five star kitchens, she still admits, “This is a
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Giving Wings To Her Dreams
I went to get a private flying licence and in my
first flight, I fell in love and I was totally smitten by the flying bug
Capt. Sonica Chhabra [ Pilot, Jet Airways ]
male-dominated profession. But as long
as you stay strong, sharp and perfect,
you can do anything”. There is a quiet determination in this spunky woman who
is “passionate, goal focused and a good
planner” by her own admission. While
she is shy in admitting that she likes the
compliments that regularly come her
way, she says that she loves being compared to “Michelin Star Chefs”.
If you love what you do, work is sheer
joy, says Capt. Sonica Chhabra who
wanted to fly high and is now living her
dream. It was a summer holiday in the
US that made Chhabra recognise her
true passion. “I went to get a private flying licence and in my first flight, I fell in
love and I was totally smitten by the flying bug,” she recalls.
Today, Chhabra has many firsts to her
credit – One of the first few women to
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 25
COVER STORY
WOMEN ACHIEVERS
“Watching this city grow in a haphazard
manner prompted a group of us to start
Iamgurgaon in 2009 to create a platform
that enables every citizen of Gurgaon to
work towards improving every aspect of
life in the Millennium City,” she says.
Her name is also synonymous with the
popular Raahgiri DayTM which she describes as “a weekly street event which
provides citizens with the opportunity
to reclaim their streets, connect with
their community, celebrate their city and
therefore reclaim their lives. It is a carfree day, where streets are made open for
all and safe for walking, jogging, running
and other defined activities”.
Speaking of some of her other pet projects, she tells us about the Aravali Biodiversity Park which was developed to
showcase the finest forests of Northern
Aravali range. “With over 250 species
of native plants species (trees, shrubs,
herbs, climbers and grasses) and a pristine habitat for birds (resident as well
as migratory) and wild animals (Civet
cats, jackal, Neelgai and reptiles etc.) of
the Gurgaon region, this was an attempt
to recover the landscape from the scars
of the quarrying activities and merge
Reducing garbage can be done by each one of
us even without government intervention
organically into the surrounding,” she
explains.
Currently involved with the “Bring
your own bag for shopping” project at the
Shopping Mall on Arjun Marg, DLF City
Phase I, she can be seen encouraging
people to reduce garbage. “We are working with shopkeepers and customers in
Arjun Marg market and hope we have a
solution where we can make this market
totally plastic free,” she says with that
trademark passion that has made every
project that she has been involved with,
a huge success. Her focus in the coming
days is “to work on excessive garbage in
this city. “At this point in time, what bothers me is the garbage/construction material thrown all over the city. A solution is to
work with residents of Gurgaon towards
reducing and refusing garbage. This can
be done by each one of us and does not
require government intervention,” she
points out.
While she loves Gurgaon “with all its
madness” and has made it her home
for, feeling as much part of this ‘Hariyanavi’ landscape, she acknowledges that
the biggest challenge is in dealing with
continuous change in the administra-
tion. “Any public project
has many opinions and
lot of your time is spent justifying
everything you are doing,” she says.
Undeterred, Thukral continues to
work on maintaining the Aravali
Bio Diversity Park and is quite excited
about their new project of reviving a
bund in Gurgaon.
FACILITATING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
A graduate from the New York School
of Interior Design, Ritu Grover’s hunger
for entrepreneurship became her guiding force when in 1998 she conceptualized The Global Helpdesk. A pioneer in
the Indian Facility Management, Grover’s Global Helpdesk has 10 offices catering to more than 400 companies by providing lifestyle management solutions to
corporate houses and residential estates.
“The service industry is like a rice field
where crop grows together,” says Grover
while highlighting how “innovation and
technology” played a major role at ‘The
Global Helpdesk’ which was founded in
1998. “The nature of work demanded us
to be on top of the situation and to always
Latika Thukral [ Founder, ‘Iamgurgaon’ ]
join a private airline, the first to get command in three years and the first women
examiner in the country. In fact, International Women’s Day 2011 witnessed
her felicitation as DE (Designated Examiner).
Remembering her childhood days, she
says, “I grew-up in Mumbai living in the
Air India society where everybody’s fathers had something to do with planes,
whether pilots and engineers, and this
nurtured my passion for planes.” Destiny did pave the way and once the initial
challenge for a perfect eye sight was corrected, she appeared for the Indira Gandhi Rastriya Udaan Academy (IGRUA),
one of the best institutes in India for
flying and got through the same while in
the second year of college. This was the
time when she decided to pursue her final year by correspondence. Incidentally,
she also met the man of her dreams at
this university.
Her 18 month course finally finished in
27 months and even after completion, Air
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India and Indian Airlines were not hiring thus making life tough. She recalls
the despair of those times when an airline even tried to convince her to apply
for a cabin crew position!
It was at this point that she could sense
a gender bias. “At one of my interviews,
they asked me whether I was married
and planning to have kids. And then one
day they told me they are new in the airline business and never hired a woman
and that taking me on was just too big a
step,” Chhabra says. Sheer providence
got her the lucky break when Jet Airways selected her. “Being from IGGRUA,
my knowledge was strong so I never had
to struggle and it was doubly interesting as in those days, there weren’t many
women pilots and I flew with Australians
and Malaysians and those young captains who had never flown with a woman
were extremely enthusiastic,” she explains.
Chhabra proudly credits her family for
being the biggest support system for her.
“I love the joint family concept and feel
it’s a blessing to have one” she affirms.
Home is clearly a priority as she reiterates, “Not flying international was a
compromise I made and I am happy with
the decision”. She prefers short flights
and tries never to miss her children’s
school functions. She points out that is
also the first person to take a flight back
to her family once an assignment is over!
Comparing the scenario then and now,
she says, “Women pilots are much more
confident, smart and intelligent and
for that matter men have undergone a
change too. Flying rules are stringent
and men and women have turned to
healthy food, health clubs, cycling and
marathons making fitness a priority”.
Epitomizing Gurgaon’s
Millennium Spirit
Latika Thukral, founder ‘Iamgurgaon’,
fondly recalls her 20-year-old association with Gurgaon as she tells us how
she took the plunge into social work.
Set Yourself Free
Sutapa Basu echoes Charlotte Brontë
in Jane Eyre who famously said, ‘I am
no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a
free human being with an independent
will.’ Basu, whose recent book ‘Dangle’
explores this phenomenon through
the story of travel journalist Ipshita,
believes that a woman is truly liberated when she attains freedom from
inner demons. “Power resides in every
woman and she should go out there
and just seek it. A truly emancipated
woman makes for a fine human being
in the truest sense. Harmony from her
inner self reflects in harmony around
her and her belief in self worth liberates her and helps her find the strength
to take balanced decisions in real life
situations.” These are Sutapa’s suggestions for women who want to conquer
their self doubt and believe in themselves:
ask for advice, yet if we are willing
to do so, it will save us valuable time
and effort.
l Ask for feedback: Another perspec-
tive lends better perception so it is
feedback - both positive and negative
that helps you move forward.
l Don’t allow the past to dictate the
l Move out of
your comfort zone:
Learn to take risks and push your
boundaries. This will expand your
horizons and increase your confidence.
l Keep learning: Innovation is the root
of progress so keep our minds alert
and constantly learn new things.
l Seek advice: While it is not easy to
present: Unless we make mistakes
in the past we will not learn any lessons.
l Never lie to yourself: It is so easy to
blame others but you often need to
accept that the problem may lie with
you. Face up to it, conquer it and
move on.
l Keep away from negative people: Be-
lieve in yourself and ignore people
who criticize for the sake of criticism.
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 27
COVER STORY
WOMEN ACHIEVERS
My dream vision is to open an
academy. I want to use the
knowledge I possess to make
people empowered
says.
As the daughter of an army officer, she
believes that she learnt to “fight situations, make new friends and be a fighter”. She credits extensive and frequent
travelling to remote places as a key factor towards “pulling oneself out of the
comfort zone”. Her ‘never look back’
mantra has helped her complete 18 years
in business and she is now ready to foray
to international shores. “I firmly believe
in my inner instincts, passion for work
and spending quality time with my family,” sums up Grover.
Rrummy Chaddha
[ Creative Director, About You ]
“Women are made to multi task. They
are so intelligent, compassionate and
they just have it in them. I know a lot of
men (who are) unable to multi-task but
(have) hardly known women who have
not been able to multi task.”
While acknowledging her husband’s
support, she says, “It comes from within.
When you are happy within, you are able
to get the same out in the environment!”
Crowning Glory
The nature of work demanded us to be on top of
the situation and to always think out of the box
Ritu Grover [ Founder, The Global Helpdesk ]
think out of the box so the TGH team and
channel partners grow together with
the same success story.” For Grover, to
have dependable list of channel partners
who could render support 24x7 to exceed
customer expectation time was quite a
task. But with characteristic self-belief,
she managed to deliver good results.
“Backed by years of in-depth experience
of undertaking corporate turnkey interiors and dealing with senior management
of reputed MNCs and corporate houses
,we had a clear roadmap and deep knowledge about the biggest challenge being
faced by them”, explains Grover, who
has bagged several awards as an entrepreneur. These include the Appreciation
Award by CNBC and AMEX in 2009 and
the Valued Partner Award by Wipro in
2008 and 2009.
She has a word of advice for women
who want to be successful in their chosen field. “It may seem to be smooth sailing to some, but it was not so, as women
experience an uneven playing field. Competing priorities play a huge role and often reduce the amount of time we have to
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enhance our skills and develop as leaders. The only way ahead was to challenge
the work head- on and keep going on
whatever the complexities,” she points
out. The biggest hurdle, she believes,
was “to change the mindset of the corporates and our clients to let go off the
penny wise pound foolish approach and
outsource the routine and mundane jobs
to the concierge desks being set up by
us so that they could have more time to
spend on their work and families.” At the
same time, she attributes her success to
“a supportive team which had no qualms
about being led by a woman boss and always looked forward to being guided and
mentored”.
She admits that work-life balance is
another big challenge. “However hard
one may try, there is always guilt that we
could have done more for our children.
We are constantly struggling to strike a
perfect balance. But I feel lucky that my
family support has been the biggest pillar in my life and I feel fortunate that I
did not have to resort to leaving my child
in day care from a very young age,” she
After 16 years of flying with the Indian
Airlines as Cabin Crew, it was a suggestion from her sister which gave Rrummy
Chaddha the direction to embark on
a brand new journey. She has now become a celebrated hair dresser. “Since
I started late, I wanted to train from the
best institute so that I could really stand
out. That’s when I went to Nalini and
Yasmeen in Mumbai and then to London’s Vidal Sassoon. I also did my makeup from ‘Make up Forever’ Paris. I really feel it’s very important to constantly
train and upgrade,” she explains.
What possibly worked in her favour, she
believes, is the fact that she was used to
looking after people and understands
their needs. “My dream vision is to open
an academy. I want to use the knowledge
I possesses to make people empowered,
especially women, and that’s my next
step. I keep getting updates from my institutes. Exposure flows in automatically
and then companies like L’Oreal and
Wella, keep us informed of new trends,”
she says.
“Leaving a well-paid government job
required a lot of courage,” she admits
while talking about her airline job. Another challenge was striking a balance
between work and family. “When I had
my baby while working for Indian Airlines and had to join in three months’
time, I thought my son needs me, but life
has a way of finding its direction and
path that’s best for you and I completely
believe in that,” she points out.
Now she is in an industry which constantly undergoes a change in fashion.
“My work is an ongoing challenge. I have
to ensure I read, meet people and keep
Graciously Hospitable
The comfortable and luxurious environment of their workplace may lead one
to believe that this indeed is one of the
most glamorous professions! “I remem-
I remember being given vim powder and scrubber and being told to make everything shine
and gleam when I first began working
KANIKA HASRAT [GM, Courtyard by Marriott ]
up with my industry for new trends. Doing good work to be appreciated is not
easy but I don’t believe in giving up,” she
states.
Chaddha believes that women need to
be financially independent and one of
the biggest challenges is multi -tasking.
ber being given vim powder and scrubber and being told to make everything
shine and gleam when I first began working in the hotel”, recalls Kanika Hasrat,
who says contrary to the image of having
a sexy life and wearing smart westerns
and saris, the tough life and long hours
make it a difficult choice
for women.
Hasrat is the General Manager of
Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon
which she has joined with an experience of about 16 years in the hospitality industry. She oversees total operations and plays a vital role in employee
training and development while driving
service quality, financial success, brand
value and guest satisfaction.
Born in an Air Force officer’s family,
she loved those postings to exotic locales
that gave her the flavour of travel and
adaptability at a young age. “I remember
studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Upper
Shillong where there were clouds floating into the classroom,” she says wistfully.
She opted for Hotel Management from
IHM Mumbai after which she joined the
OSHM of Oberois’s and went into Housekeeping. While life in the hotel industry is
not that easy for a woman, she believes it
was simply her commitment and leadership skills that kept her going. “I really believe that women make better managers as
they have the ability to be tough and soft at
the same time,” Hasrat asserts.
She attributes a lot of her success to the
family support as well as the complete
understanding from her husband. “It
really did help that he understood the
demands of the hotel industry as he himself is a chef who is now a consultant in
a 9-6 job,” she says. Like most working
couples, they adjusted and made sacrifices to keep the marriage and career
moving, especially when their daughter
came along and they really needed to
maintain a healthy balance. She recalls
those days as she says, “I often planned
an early shift when he had to travel and
we managed to keep both family and
work going but we couldn’t have done it
without our families and our employer
who was very supportive”.
She moved to Gurgaon from Jaipur in
2013 and is in love with the city which
she feels is “open minded, cultured and
cosmopolitan” much like herself and her
family thus giving her plenty of opportunity to meet like minded people. She
sums up her association with Marriott
when she says, “because I have loved
what I did, I have never found work a
challenge.”
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 29
DLF UPDATE
SAFETY AWARD
Proud Moment: Senior DLF representatives, including Sriram Khattar, CEO DLF Rentco Ltd (fourth from left), with the
BSC Chief Executive Mike Robinson (second from left)
British Safety Council Chief Executive Applauds
DLF on Achieving
‘Sword of Honour’ Again
by DCN Bureau
Gurgaon, the very mention of the city
is synonymous with DLF Ltd, India’s
largest real estate organization that is
committed to extremely high levels of
sustained growth, customer delight, and
innovation. DLF’s primary focus is on
residential, commercial and retail properties. The company has a unique business model comprising development and
rentals. Its exposure across businesses,
segments and geographies mitigates any
down-cycles in the market. From developing 22 major colonies in Delhi, DLF is
now present across 15 states and 24 cities
in India.
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Keeping the legacy of elevated safety
standards, DLF had been conferred
with the Five Star rating and “Sword of
Honour” by the British Safety Council
(BSC) in 2014-15 for its office complexes
in Gurgaon. The office complexes in
Gurgaon received the Five Star rating
again this year (2016-17) after an audit by the BSC. This award recognizes
DLF’s adherence to world-class safety
and compliance standards.
In 2015-16,DLF, which has continued
its safety excellence journey, received a
Five-Star rating in Occupational Health
and Safety Management and “Sword of
Honour” for Emporio Mall, Promenade
Mall, DLF Place (Saket), Multi-Level
Car Parks at DLF Cyber Hub and DLF
Center (Connaught Place, New Delhi).
With the aim of interacting with DLF
senior management and gain further
insights into DLF’s philosophy of safety in sustenance of its highest efficiency levels, Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, BSC, and Roni Kotecha, Business
Development & International Director,
BSC, visited DLF recently.
The British Safety Council’s Five Star
OH&S audit and ‘Sword of Honour’ provides organisations with a worldwide
benchmark of their safety management
systems against current best practices
to enable continual improvement. The
audit specifications were revised in
2013 and covers evaluation on 66 elements with special emphasis on leadership and continual Improvement.
Speaking to DCN, Robinson said, “For
an organization to achieve the Five
Star ratings and Sword of Honour on
many occasions that DLF has done in
the last three years shows the real commitment from the top leadership and I
think they really are a role model for
health and safety management systems. Not every organization gets Five
Star, many don’t even get three. So it’s a
real achievement to get Five Star rating
and Sword of Honour consistently.”
According to Kotecha, they go
through a robust process for the safety
audit and look at different areas of the
organisation’s health and safety management system. “We not only take a
view of the safety management but also
test it and speak to people across all levels to know what they feel about it. It’s
very important for us that what we read
in the safety document and what we see
on ground send the same message and
is demonstrated throughout. We are
pleased with DLF and can see the commitment at all levels,” he explained.
Sriram Khattar, CEO, DLF Rentco Ltd,
said, “A Sword of Honour from the British Safety Council is an overwhelming
achievement for us and a testament to
our passion, drive and commitment to
safety”.
Talking about the dedication and hard
work that has been put together for this
achievement, Amit Grover, National
SAFETY AWARD
DLF Ltd, India’s leading
real estate company,
has been conferred the
‘Sword Of Honour’ from
for best practices in
Occupational Health
& Safety
The DLF Centre in New Delhi is a proud
recipient of the Sword of Honour
Director, DLF Offices said, “For DLF,
the partnership with British Safety
Council has been very gainful and we
are very proud that DLF offices have
received these ratings. A lot of hard
work has gone in for preparing to meet
these high standards and expectations
by building operation teams. The implementation process has been very
detailed, analysing all aspects. We are
happy that the buildings have gone
through detailed assessments, raised
the bar and our customers have also acknowledged our endeavor”.
To this, Gautam Dey, EVP Operations
and Technical Services, DLF added,
“We have partnered with DuPont for
the last four to five years and sought
their help to measure us. Our employees and partners have worked very
hard to achieve this recognition from
the world’s best safety auditors”.
He went on to say, “The best part about
such an exercise is that all teams, right
from those at the senior level to those
working at the ground, cleaning the façade, are connected through a common
goal related to safety and health”.
Echoing similar thoughts, Grover
pointed out, “The idea is that everyone
is connected together with an objective
to achieve high standards. And, a goal
like this can be an important driving
factor to ensure sustainability. Also,
the pride of owning a Sword of Honour
helps you deliver even better in the future”.
Explaining the process, Suresh Babu,
AVP Fire & Safety, DLF Ltd, said, “Every year, we conduct safety perception
survey through an outside agency, Du
Pont, wherein all of our as well as our
partners’ employees participate. The
last two years results of the survey reveal that we are matching with global
best ratings in most of the parameters.
In some, we have also exceeded the
global benchmarks. This indicates that
DLF has been able to sustain high safety standards”.
Robinson summed it up by saying,
“As an organisation, we are proud to
work with DLF which is so committed
towards health and safety and values
safety of everyone who works in their
office buildings and malls. The company makes sure that when people get into
offices and malls, they come out safely
too. That’s amazing commitment”.
BSC five-star certification not only
enhances an organisation’s safety performance and productivity, it also potentially reduces accidents and occupational ill health. DLF offices and malls,
being the first in India to get the fivestar ratings, stand tall with enhanced
reputation and brand image ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 31
DLF UPDATE
KOLKATA
and 4BHK variants, along with duplexes
and penthouses.
High Urban Living in the
City of Joy
by DCN Bureau
The New Town Heights condominium
comprising 11 towers housing simplex,
duplex apartments, and penthouses, is
abuzz with fun, joy and festivities as more
and more families move in to their houses.
Having received the requisite certificates
of completion in 2013-2014 for Phase 1 with
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nine towers (Towers A-J), 328 apartments
have been handed over till date and over
80 families are currently residing in the
complex. The remaining two towers, Towers AA and JJ, are expected to be completed by the end of third quarter of the financial year 2015-16. Also, for the convenience
of the customers, there is a retail plaza
in the vicinity with outlets by Spencer’s
among others.
The New Town Heights, Kolkata located
at Action Area III of New Town Rajarhat,
is spread over a total land area of 15 acres.
The apartment variants are of 2BHK,
3BHK and 4BHK. The first NTH project,
consisting of nine towers (Towers A – J)
was launched near the end of 2007 and
is now ready for occupation. Towers AA
and JJ, launched in 2011, contain centrally air-conditioned apartments of 3BHK
Serving Excellence
with Care
The eleven towers extend from 16 to 32
storeys with apartments ranging in size
from 1243 sq ft to 4200 sq ft. The apartments are further designed with lifestyle
conveniences such as piped gas, basement car parking, CCTV cameras and airconditioned lobbies at the ground floor of
each tower, among other facilities.
The Festival Experience
Last year, Durga Puja had a special
meaning for the residents of New Town
Heights, as families residing at NTH as
well as other NTH customers celebrated
their first puja with much fanfare in the
premises of the recently opened NTH
Club. Children, women, and elders of the
families found it convenient to attend the
celebrations since the pandal was set up
at the club itself. The club is now opera-
KOLKATA
The New Town Heights,
Kolkata located at
Action Area III of
New Town Rajarhat,
is spread over a total
land area of 15 acres
tional and being utilised diversely by the
residents. It hosts a variety of facilities
including swimming pool, squash court,
billiard room, card room, party halls, and
library. The club’s floors can be easily accessed by an elevator for the convenience
of senior residents. Also, tennis courts
would soon be ready for NTH residents.
The Luxury Shopping
Destination
Sprawled across three acres with 0.42
million sq. ft of office and retail space,
the Galleria is located at the heart of
Action Area – I in New Town, Kolkata.
Surrounded by major IT parks and commercial offices of DLF, Unitech and TCS,
along with numerous residential and
retail complex developments, the Galleria enjoys the advantage of being on
the main expressway to the Kolkata airport. The airport metro is under construction and will only be a few minutes’
walk from the Galleria. Its ambience
of greenery, ample parking space, and
modular offices are ideal for both big and
small businesses.
At present, the Galleria is operational with outlets by Café Coffee Day,
Frank Ross Pharmacy, Apple Store, and
Jagdish Store doing brisk business.
Others, such as Apollo Clinic (approx
20,000 sq. ft) and a micro brewery, are
currently doing their fit-outs. As regards
offices, almost 40 units have already commenced business operations from the
Galleria and a few others are completing
their fit-outs. With so much going on already and more in the pipeline, the number is only expected to grow in the coming weeks. ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 33
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
St. Xavier’s Celebrates
Second Annual Sports Meet
by DCN Bureau
T
he St. Xavier’s High School, Gurgaon recently held their second
annual sports meet, amidst great
euphoria, euphoria and revelry. The
chief guest for the occasion was Meena
Bohra, Regional Director of Sports Authority of India, who presided over the
event. Also present were dignitaries
from the Russian Embassy, who were
welcomed and presented with bouquets
by the tiny tots of nursery sections.
The programme started with a march
past led by sports captain Jiya Raj Singh
with contingents from the four houses.
The meet was declared open by the chief
guest by lighting of the flame and release of balloons. The sports and house
captains ran a torch relay symbolising
faith and purity. The gathering was then
addressed by Principal, Nicholas Gomes
who highlighted the importance of the
true spirit of sports.
The Xaverians participated with full
zeal, vigour and dedication. While the
main attraction of the event was the
drill by the students of grade IV-VII, the
synchronisation and coordination of the
dumb bells was praiseworthy. The girls
in the drill enchanted everyone with
their graceful performance. The addition of Japanese fans, pom-poms, hooplas, umbrellas and trampolines added to
the charisma of the drill. Demonstrating
the importance of fitness and sports, students not only came riding bicycles but
also performed yoga asanas.
The school band was also appreciated
for its dulcet and congruous presentation which took the parents back in
time to their good old school days. With
neck-to-neck competition in flat races,
relay races and tug-of-war, the students
enjoyed their participation as much as
the parents enjoyed watching them. The
parents felt proud seeing their children
perform so articulately. The programme
ended with the finale drill by the students
of grade I-III. Finally, the winners were
awarded with medals and certificates by
the chief guest.
HelpAge India
felicitates Ryan
International
School Sector -40
R
yan International School, Sector-40, Gurgaon, has been recently
felicitated by HelpAge India with
the Highest Donor trophy. The school,
carrying out benign acts has been a regular contributor to HelpAge India and this
year too, the school donated magnani-
mously to the cause. The school was felicitated with the appreciation trophy for
being amongst the highest school donors.
Even the students from all grades have
been making efforts to generate good
amount of donation, which reflects the
love and care they have for senior citizens in the society. Om Fartale of Class
VII, Manish Saikumar of Class I and
Sriya Patnaik of Class V were bestowed
with the highest contributor trophies.
On the occasion, Peeya Sharma, Headmistress of the School highlighted how
philanthropy is not about money; it is
about feeling the pain of others and caring enough about their needs. She therefore motivated the Ryanites to follow the
Nine Riches laid down by the visionary
Chairman Dr. Augustine F Pinto and en-
couraged them to spread smiles and happiness in abundance while also trying
to make an effort to bring about a difference in people’s lives.
A Fest That Celebrated Inventions
& Discoveries!
T
he Shri Ram Police Public School
recently hosted ‘Shri Anvetion’, a
festival of inventions and discoveries. A variety of interesting competitions like spell bee, quiz, poetry writing
and JAM added to the flavour of the festival which witnessed participation of
various schools from across Gurgaon.
The children were either seen exhibiting various functioning models of their
innovation or showcasing improvisation of an existing technology. However, the highlight of the event was a
panel discussion amongst eminent scientists on the spirit of inventions and
discoveries, which left a deep impact
on each and every student attending
the festival.
Dr. A Sivathanu Pillai, who is also
known as ‘Father of Brahmos’, attended
as the chief guest and shared an interesting presentation with students of middle
school on inventions made by Indians.
He patiently responded to questions
from the students and also gave them
an insight into Dr. Abdul Kalam’s life
and achievement, with whom he had the
privilege to work with very closely.
School principal Sudha Santha mentioned how ‘Shri Anvetion’ is the first
collaborative event with the parents
of the school and also praised the
tireless efforts of the teachers, support staff, students and their parents,
working towards the event over the
last couple of months.
The two-day fest ended with a fashion show where children walked the
ramp dressed in unique futuristic designs. Shilpa, one of the judges, who
appeared really impressed with the
show, said, “Today, fashion designers
are looking for sustainable material
for their designs and these young students for sure are very much in tune
with the need of the hour.” ø
Shri Anvetion keeps children creatively inclined
Helpage India felicitates Ryan International School sector 40, Gurgaon
34
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 35
Around Town
FEATURE
EVENTS
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Elderly Women & Osteoporosis
Consultant Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement Surgeon at W Pratiksha
Hospital, Gurgaon, Haryana
by Dr. Kshitij Srivastava
What Women Need to
Know
R Ashwin inaugurates a cricket lounge at Sikandarpur Rapid Metro Station
Rapid Metro Comes Up With
Lounge Cricket For Commuters
by DCN Bureau
Whether it’s stadiums, parks, schools
or even streets and lanes, cricket fever
can catch up anywhere! That’s the passion people have for this game. And to
cater to cricket lovers in Gurgaon and
increase engagement with its regular
commuters, Rapid Metro has opened a
mini indoor cricket stadium in association with ‘Lounge Cricket’.
A unique initiative, the stadium, which
has come up at Rapid Metro, Sikanderpur, will provide a one-of-its-kind indoor
experience to cricket enthusiasts with
best of infrastructure and technology.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Rajiv Banga, MD & CEO, IL&FS Rail Ltd
stressed on the fact that commuters are
their prime focus. “We always strive to
offer the best to our customers. After Joy
Express, Lounge Cricket is another initiative introduced for them. We are excited
to get associated with Lounge Cricket to
provide an exciting experience to cricket
aficionados.”
Adding to this, Varun Pasricha, Direc-
36
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tor, Lounge Cricket, said “Lounge Cricket, as a game, is a treat to engage in terms
of the best of infrastructure, phenomenal coaching tools and nail biting acceleration which will bring out the player
in everybody. Adding to the facilities, we
have an eclectically designed café serving scrumptious contemporary cuisine.
We are also buoyant about our alliance
with Rapid Metro in terms of being an
apt, unique and established platform to
build engagement excellence.”
The star attraction during the opening
ceremony was famous Indian cricketer
R Ashwin, who has been in news for his
exemplary performance in the game and
symbolises perfection and commitment
which is in synergy with the mission of
‘Lounge Cricket.’
Speaking to the media during the
launch, he said, “This idea of ‘Lounge
Cricket’ is very close fit to any cricketer.
It’s in fact one of my dream projects. It’s
a new concept where you get to learn a
lot too besides being entertained. The
video simulation of bowlers bowling can
teach a lot about techniques. It’s particu-
larly going to benefit kids over a period
of time as they can improvise on their
game while having a lot of fun.”
He further went to add, “When I was
growing up, every evening was play time
for me. Sadly it’s not the same now. There
was a time we used to play on streets and
some natural abilities used to come along,
but today there is a big shortage for children in terms of getting space to play and
facilities like Lounge Cricket are very
important for them to utilise. I myself opt
for indoor cricket in Chennai.”
On being asked about the forthcoming
Asia Cup, he informed, “The Sri Lanka series has been a curtain raiser. The grounds
here are smaller than those in Australia
and every time we play Asia Cup, it’s pretty
heated. Last time we went to Bangladesh
and lost so we have to figure out our combinations and match up to the ground size,
pace of the wicket and all.”
The cricketer was all praise for Gurgaon as he said, “I have been here a few
times and particularly enjoy this side of
the city. It’s very well done and whenever
I am here, I prefer staying this side.” ø
Being a female puts you at a higher risk
of developing osteoporosis and having
broken bones. Here are some facts:
n In most Western countries, while the
peak incidence of osteoporosis occurs at
about 70-80 years of age, in India it may
afflict those 10-20 years younger, at age
50-60.
n 1 out of 8 males and 1 out of 3 females
in India suffers from osteoporosis, making India one of the largest affected
countries in the world.
n 1 in 4 women over 50, suffer from osteoporosis.
n 1 in 2 women in their menopause will
fracture their bones.
n A woman’s risk of osteoporosis-related
hip fracture is equal to her combined
risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
There are multiple reasons why women
are more likely to get osteoporosis than
men.
n Women tend to have smaller, thinner
bones than men.
n Estrogen, a hormone in women that
protects bones, decreases sharply when
women reach menopause, which can
cause bone loss. This is why the chance
of developing osteoporosis increases as
women reach menopaus.
What’s Your Risk?
Here are two cases to exemplify that Osteoporosis may not cause any apparent
symptoms. Patients may not know they
have osteoporosis until they break (fracture) a bone.
Case 1 : A 65-year-old woman develops
severe pain in the lower back while trying to lift her grandson from the floor.
She was then rushed to the hospital and
on investigating was found to have osteoporotic collapse of lumbar vetrebrae.
Case 2 : A 72-year-old female sustained
a small twisting jerk while walking over
the uneven surface and developed sharp
pain in the hip region followed by difficulty in walking and when examined
was found to have fracture in the hip.
Common sites for osteoporotic fracture are the spine, hip,
wrist and shoulder.
n Hip, vertebral and wrist fractures
cause acute pain and loss of function.
n Hip fractures - recovery is slow and
rehabilitation is often incomplete - with
many patients permanently institutionalised in nursing homes.
n Vertebral fractures can often recur,
and the consequent disability increases
W Pratiksha Hospital, a centre of excellence
for osteoporosis and orthopaedic care
with the number of fractures.
n In wrist fractures functional recovery
is usually good or excellent.
At W Pratiksha Hospital, we opt for
the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
(DEXA) scan to screen for osteopenia
(bone loss that precedes osteoporosis).
This test is more precise than an X-ray.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following groups
of people should have DEXA scans to
screen for osteoporosis:
n All women aged 65+
n All postmenopausal women under 65
who are prone to osteoporosis
n Postmenopausal women with fractures
n Women with medical conditions associated with osteoporosis
How is Osteoporosis Treated and Prevented?
Osteoporosis treatment involves stopping further bone loss, and strengthening bones that show signs of weakness.
Prevention of osteoporosis is the key.
Preventive steps:
n Exercise : Exercise is important in
helping improve muscle strength and
balance. Consult your doctor for the type
and duration of exercise that is right for
you.
It is also important to consider other
medical problems that may also be present (heart disease, diabetes, high blood
pressure) before starting any exercise
program.
n Quit smoking and curtail alcohol consumption
n Take calcium supplements & fortified
foods, and Vitamin D supplements.
n Menopausal estrogen hormone therapy.
The Good News
People used to think that osteoporosis
was an inevitable part of aging. At W
Pratiksha Hospital, our department of
Orthopaedic Surgery & Joint Replacement provides state-of-the-art care across
all ages. The faculty are internationally
trained, recognised as experienced orthopaedicians and know how to prevent,
detect and treat the disease. You are never too young or old to take care of your
bones. Good lifestyle habits can help you
protect your bones and decrease your
chance of getting osteoporosis. And, if
your healthcare provider hasn’t talked to
you about your bone health, it’s time for
you to bring it up! ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 37
AROUND TOWN
GUEST COLUMN
EVENTS
SUNIL K JAIN
WRITING YOUR WILL
Intestacy: Dying without a will and its consequences
Campaign Against
Polythene and Plastics
by DCN Bureau
To discourage the use of plastic and
polythene within the city, Mahesh Dayma, Municipal Councillor, Ward 32 recently kicked off a campaign at HUDA
Market Sector 56, which witnessed active
participation of several RWA members
from various sectors, NGOs and enthusiastic residents from across the city.
The event started with a skit by senior
students while children carried banners
and asked people to stop using plastic.
Also present on the occasion was Deputy
Commissioner TL Satyaprakash, who
called upon the people to come forward
and work together to make the city a
cleaner and healthier place to live in. Citing international examples, he also suggested starting a few initiatives that could
go a long way in supporting the cause. On
the occasion, people took pledge not to
use plastic and contribute their bit to the
society.
Later, DCN caught up with Mahesh
Dayma to understand his action plan for
making Gurgaon a dream city. Excerpts
from an interview
How and when did the idea of discour-
38
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aging plastic come into your mind?
It has always been on my mind. In fact,
for the last four to five months, I have
been working on discouraging plastic actively with my team which includes Osho
Kalia, Sachin Mirza from 98.4 Chemists
and Shyam Sunder of Red Cross. We are
working together to make it a success in
Ward 32 and would soon implement the
same in the entire city.
How are you planning to make the
campaign a success?
The foremost thing we want to do is
make residents aware of it and encourage them to be involved in this actively.
We have given a time period of 10-15 days
to the shopkeepers to get rid of plastic
bags, after which we would be issuing
challans. We are also working on giving
alternatives to the residents by making
cloth/jute bags available at low cost. In
fact, we are going to install 50 sewing
machines in Bhondsi Jail to get the cloth
bags manufactured. We will be more
than happy to receive inputs and ideas
from the residents for the same too.
What are the other initiatives you
are working on?
We are working on making rain harvesting more effective and my plan is to maintain the existing rain harvesting units and
install new ones as this is the need of the
hour to get our water level maintained. I
am also working for uplift of HUDA market, Sector 56 which caters to five different sectors and is spread across 26 acres.
Initially, we would be getting a waste treatment plant installed in the market and
then the focus would be on beautification
with provision for basic amenities.
How do you think we can make the
city better?
We have already taken the first initiative by making the city polythene-free.
We need to work on slip roads and service
lanes to improve traffic. Drainage system
and encroachment are the other major
problems we need to get rid of to make
the city flaunt a much improved look. ø
Sumant, a real-estate dealer belonging to a non-descript village near Hyderabad, did nothing to attract fame during his
lifetime. But when he died all of a sudden due to a heart attack in
2012 at the age of 48, he quickly became famous for something he
failed to do during his lifetime: “Write a will”.
Even if he did write one, he kept it at a place where none could
find it. With no living family members, Sumant passed away
leaving behind a huge estate worth nearly Rs. 25 crores which
was a very astonishing figure going by the status and style of
the village he was residing in. And unless the court-appointed
administrator of his assets finds relatives through a genealogist search, every paisa of his could end up going to the government treasury!
In another case, a famous musician died without a will in the
late 70s, and ever since, his estate has been dealing with a family
fight. While his father ended up taking over the estate as the next
of kin, his brother fought over rights to use his name and images
for decades. Part of the reason for the ongoing battle: His estate
continues to generate income from music royalties and other
sources, and publicity rights remain extremely valuable.
Most of the people in our country or rather worldwide die without a will and also without considering the consequences of their
actions on their family members
who survive them. It’s not just the
rich who need an estate plan; anyone who has assets that they wish to
pass on to their heirs needs a will.
Dying without one can create problems for those you leave behind.
Your property would then be divided as per the law, which may not be
the way you would have wanted it!
In the wake of an unforeseen
tragedy where your entire immediate family passes away, your
property may go to a relative you
may have never spoken to, or
liked, as a matter of fact! Instead,
you may make provisions to generate an inheritance through
benevolent gifting. The nonexistence of a legitimate will means
that your noteworthy other may
not receive anything from your
estate upon your demise. Besides,
you are unable to take advantage
of tax savings while subjecting
your kin to expenditure on lawyers and court costs following
your demise.
A will is the most significant,
but frequently mistreated part of
a famous musician
a sound estate plan. What’s surdied without a
prising is that the rewards from
will
in the late
preparing a will are countless,
70s, and ever
and enormously priceless. So
since, his estate
why do so many of us put it off ?
Hopefully with a slight responhas been dealing
siveness those of you, who do not
with a family
have a will, will begin thinking
fight.
about getting one.
Once you decide to take action
you would observe how little does
a will cost, in comparison to the legal charges that can come up
when there are troubles with an estate.
It doesn’t have to be intricate, even an easy will is sufficient to
communicate your objective as to who should be given your assets following your death. Moreover, if you have minor children,
wills consent you to name a custodian for them that will keep you
away from any insecurity or fear about who would be taking care
of them if something happens to you.
Once executed and preferably
registered, it will go a long way
towards avoiding family feuds
after your death and having your
memory overshadowed by discord among your loved ones. It’s
often advisable to consult a professional about your situation
to ensure that all of your wishes
are addressed and that your will
conforms to the applicable laws. A
lawyer can without difficulty prepare a will for you, often for just a
reasonable fee. ø
The author, a Gurgaon-based
practicing Chartered Accountant, has presented papers on
Taxation, Accounts, Finance
and Insurance in seminars and
addressed tax planning lectures in various forums. He has
been a member of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(PHDCCI), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and other
prestigious bodies. He is happy
to provide free consultation on
tax planning matters to senior
citizens. His email ID is: sunil@
sunilkumarjain.com
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 39
TRAVEL TALK
LANSDOWNE
THE VIEW
One can see the
Chaukhamba on the
Himalayan range from
the mess, a view which
is completely beguiling!
The residential accommodations and the valley offer a fascinating view, particularly when the clouds hang low
An Unrivalled Paradise
Childhood memories come alive during a weekend trip to
this getaway in the Garhwal hills
Text and Images by Reena Dhankher
I am not much of an early riser. So, 5
am on my watch really does not exist. But
this time, it was different. A road trip to
Lansdowne had, as if, set the clock ticking. May be it had something to do with
my childhood memories of Garhwal. So,
I was up and ready in a bit to start our
journey from Gurgaon to the little hill
town, located 1700 metres above the sea
level in the Pauri Garhwal region, cut-
40
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ting through Delhi, Modinagar, Meerut,
Muzaffarnagar, Bijjnor, Najibabad and
Kotdwar, covering approximately 250
kilometres by road.
Our midway stop for breakfast was
at the Cheetal Grand, a clean and tidy
place to refresh ourselves with relatively
scrumptious breakfast. The restaurant
with lovely flowers and a small fish tank
kept the kids amused, while the rest of
us posed to get ourselves clicked with the
flora.
Just as we drove across Muzaffarnagar,
one thing that caught my attention was
the vast tracts of mango orchards. I realised how UPites love mangoes. If only
the trees bore fruits at this time of the
season! Further as we drove ahead, huge
stretches of sugarcane fields were visible on either sides of the road. All major
sugar mills of the state source their raw
materials from the local farmers which
was evident from the long row of trucks
and tractors, loaded with sugarcane,
waiting to move to their destination. Another not-to-miss aspect of the route was
the number of bhattis that came at regular intervals which were busy churning
out gudd (jaggery) from the sugarcanes.
The much-loved gudd today is as much a
part of city life as village!
Just as we reached Kotdwar, the milestone read Lansdowne 42 kilometres and
my eyes for sure lit up with excitement.
Somehow, along with the childhood memories with my father from Garhwal Rifles, this little getaway was one that was
orderly, discreet and not that commercial
as yet. We started the climb to our destination and I rolled down the windows
of the car to enjoy the fresh air. The cool
breeze greeted my face and I almost felt
rejuvenated! We crossed various resorts
on the climb, some old, some new and finally up hill, a dwaar read ‘Welcome to
Garhwal Rifles.’
A QUAINT EXPERIENCE
Our car stopped at the MES IB mess,
where we had bookings. For those who
may have access to this place, the army
cantonment is the quietest place in Lansdowne with just the sound of the bugle,
the parade and of course the army band
that is heard only when the men in uniform carry out their daily practice.
We had reached by lunch time and
wanted to have a taste of the local restaurants of the city. So we drove down to
Sadar Bazar and settled for Mayur Hotel, prominently well known. If you are
looking for sophisticated fine dining, this
may not be your cup of tea, but otherwise
it is a tasty treat!
Finishing lunch, we decided to go
around the cantonment. The closest
to our room was ‘The Garhwali Mess’
which is an institution par excellence
and is located on a hilltop. One can see
the Chaukhamba on the Himalayan
range from the mess, a view which is
completely beguiling! The guest rooms
built to provide accommodation in the
mess are impressively maintained while
the library at the mess is like a treasure
trove for book lovers, boasting of ‘gems’
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 41
TRAVEL TALK
LANSDOWNE
written by British authors of 1920s and
30s.
The war memorial of the Garhwali soldiers, who lay in eternal sleep in battle
fields not only in India but also abroad, is
a monument that brings back the memories of the brave hearts who sacrificed
their lives for the nation. But there is a
restriction on visitors here. The museum
next door speaks volumes about the history of Garhwali soldiers and how they
continue to be the best and a regiment
second to none. The museum has old
historical tales of the regiments besides
arms and weapons used during those
years.
We found the parade ground, truly impressive with early morning practices of
the soldiers marching with the regimental band, which was both a captivating
and majestic sight! There is somehow a
natural sense of patriotism that one can
feel here; such is the aura of the regimental centre. However, patriotism apart, the
locals also believe in ghost stories of a
British officer riding on a white charger
galloping across the parade ground!
By late evening, we had returned to
our rooms to enjoy the hospitality of the
mess staff. The rooms had small verandas attached to them and sitting in the
chill after dinner and talking late into
the night, we could only hear our voices
along with some night insects of the jungle. Of course, we had no plans to be adventurous and venture out in the night
since one of the mess boys had very casually informed me (after of course, I had
enquired into the matter!) that a leopard
had been spotted near the mess during
midnight hours, a few days back.
TIME FOR SIGHTSEEING
The second day as per forecast was supposed to have rain. So we decided to do
some sightseeing while it was sunny.
One advantage of Lansdowne is its close
proximity to different places. So, we first
took a trip to the ‘Bulla’ lake. Incidentally Bulla, means younger brother and that
is how the soldiers are addressed by their
seniors and fellow mates.
The lake is now a picnic point clean
and maintained by the centre. There are
swings for children, some white handsome pigeons in a huge cage and a whole
lot of little rabbits who can be seen nibbling the grass, a sight that amuses the
kids. The Bulla Lake gets lots of tourists,
who come mostly for boating in colourful
pedal boats that also give them a chance
to exercise their legs! The lake has beautiful looking white ducks, which keep the
kids entertained while some eateries and
a couple of shops nearby are the other
options for amusement. Even though
we thoroughly enjoyed our ride, the moment it came to an end, it started raining as per the weather prediction! The
raindrops had started falling when we
rushed back to our rooms.
The next morning greeted us with
bright sunshine and low cloud base in
the valley below, which added to the ensemble of the colours that were visibly
evident and we decided to embark on a
religious journey. In fact, the religious
connect that Lansdowne has, appears to
The Garhwali Mess at Lansdowne is located on a hilltop
42
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Tourists enjoy the boating experience at ‘Bulla Taal’
be pretty ancient. It seems years back,
local cinema was extremely popular
amongst the villagers during festivities
and mostly religious movies used to be
screened for which villagers used to
come in hundreds dressed in colourful
costumes.
We decided to visit the old Santoshi
Mata temple and two churches well
known in the area. The temple is an old
structure but has a serenity and purity
to its existence. After our darshan, we
headed back and en route halted at the
Tip and Top. Standing at this point, one
can feel the tranquillity that rests in the
valley, bustling with birds and pine trees
that create a strikingly beautiful view.
We now headed for St. Mary’s Church,
constructed by an engineer officer in
1896. It is said that a number of marriage
ceremonies have been conducted here
and quite a few British Garhwali officers
have met their match at this holy church.
The church is well kept by Garhwal rifles and visitors get to see a short film on
Lansdowne. The next splendour was St.
John’s Catholic Church, established in
1936 and encourages the ancient spirit of
‘Sarv Dharam Sath Bhawna’. The walls
of the church have lovely phrases on
them that are a pleasant read.
With the intention of stopping over at
Kotdwar for lunch, we decided to finally
head back. En route, we came across a
stream, which again was fresh in my
memory. The stream used to have huge
stones alongside it where one could sit
and enjoy the water. Though these days,
it is all dried up, we did manage to see
adequate amount of water in it since it
had rained the previous day.
After lunch at Kotdwar and late evening
mouth-watering snacking time at Jain
Shikanji, near Meerut, we were finally
home by late night – completely exhausted but happy. A trip to this picturesque
little hill town is recommended for its
nostalgia, patriotism and ability to recharge ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 43
SIGHTSEEING
MEHRAULI
It was a bright winter morning with
the sunshine just stepping in, when Delhi Karavan arranged for the Mehrauli
Archaeological Walk with a group of enthusiasts who were passionate to know
about the history of our country in general and the city in particular. Meeting at
a point on Qutub Minar, all eyes were on
Asif Khan Dehlvi, the storyteller from
Delhi Karavan, who was all ready to take
the group back in time.
Delhi Karavan was started in 2013 by
Dehlvi, who is also a heritage enthusiast.
It is a group that works around India’s
culture and stories of the bygone era. It
organises heritage walks, baithaks, food
walks and musical evenings. The stories
are narrated in Hindi and Urdu and that
is their USP.
Delhi, the city of cities, has a rich historical background, having been the capital for 1000 years for various dynasties
- be it the Tomars, Chauhans, Sultans or
Mughals. “The city of Delhi was also famous for poets who would not just write
poetry but in their poems, there would be
history of their times and sometimes a
sense of revolt too,” informed Dehlvi.
It was interesting to know that Delhi as
a city was considered to have natural defence with Aravali range on one side and
Jamuna on the other while the third side
had the ruler. Delhi was then a site of
A Walk To Remember In Mehrauli
Archaeological Park
In the passionate city of Delhi are hidden historical facts which once
unraveled certainly generate curiosity for more. A group of enthusiasts
join Delhi Karavan to know their city a little more.
by Reena Dhankher
44
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Enthusiastic citizens embark on a journey to
know Mehrauli better!
seven cities - Mehrauli (Lalkot, Qila Rai
Pithora), Siri Fort (Dar ul khilafa), Tughluqabad, Jahanpanah, Firozabad, Dinpanah, Shahjahanabad and New Delhi.
Also during the 14th century, Mehrauli
was a huge city drawing people from all
over the world.
The three-hour walk aimed to take us
through the Mehrauli Archaeological
Park which started with a huge stretch
of roses of various varieties and colours
that greeted us pleasantly. The group
was then taken to the farmhouse of Sir
Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, the 4th
Baronet. A civil servant, he was the last
British resident here. Metcalfe had let
the park remain a huge stretch of lush
green lawns with various historical
monuments that depicted the beautiful
design and architecture that must have
existed in those times. “Metcalfe used to
sit and write poetry in this farmhouse. In
fact people had started calling it Metcalfe
Kothi but due to difficulty in pronunciation, they later renamed it Matka Kothi.
Even today, it’s known by this name
among the locals,” added Asif.
As the Karavan proceeded ahead, we
reached Dilkhusha, which flaunted beautiful Indo Persian baradari style of design and just as the word implied, it was
a delight to the heart! Earlier the tomb of
Quli Khan, Dilkhusha was transformed
by Metcalfe into a guest house that was
usually given to newly married couples.
With a serene green environment and
beauty of colourful flowers and well
maintained gardens, Metcalfe would often use this as a retreat during monsoons
and springs.
Another attraction of Dilkhusha was
a water pond on the backside with complete privacy which could have been used
for swimming and leisure. The steps
from the pool led to a room which could
have been one of the changing rooms or
bedrooms.
“Metcalfe spent a lot of time here with
his daughter Emily who was very fond
of eating mangoes. She would eat mangoes and always dirty her dress which
would make Metcalfe angry. However,
she would still manage to hide mangoes
under her dress and go to Qutub Minar
and eat them,” Asif expressed.
The next monument that greeted the
Karavan was ‘Jamali Kamali’, one of
the most maintained monuments of
Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Shaikh
Fazlu’llah, also known as Shaikh Jamali Kamboh was a famous poet and
Sufi saint who lived here during the preMughal period. A court poet during the
Lodi dynasty, Kamali was equally well
known among the Mughals too. However, there are no sources to really know
about Kamali. The monument comprises
a mosque and a tomb. The atmosphere
here was quiet and tranquil as this was
the place where prayers used to be held
in a large courtyard that had five arches.
The structure had plain roofs except for
one central arch that had a tomb where
blue and red Koranic inscriptions almost
took your breath away, while showcasing
the delicacy in the designs. There were
also two graves there, one of Jamali and
the other of Kamali.
Last but certainly not the least was a
visit to Rajon ki Baoli. “Rajon here refers to the masons while Baoli is a water
reservoir used for drinking purposes and
washing clothes by the people. It is said
that during the early 20th century, masons used to live around and inside the
premises of the Baoli. They were then
moved to another place by the British to
preserve the 15th century heritage monument. Since that time, it is known as
Rajon ki Baoli,” said Asif, bringing the
walk to an end but not the memories we
carried from there ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 45
SOCIAL QUOTIENT
DLF FOUNDATION
DLF Foundation Conferred With
Golden Peacock Award
The award recognises the foundation’s innovative
programmes in multiple fields
by DCN Bureau
DLF Foundation was recently conferred with the internationally acclaimed Golden Peacock Award 2015 at
the 10th International Conference on
CSR held at a glittering ceremony in
Mumbai on February 5. The award was
presented by Minister of Rural Development and Women & Child Development,
Government of Maharashtra, Pankaja
Gopinathrao Munde.
The Golden Peacock Award for
Corporate Social Responsibility
recognised DLF Foundation’s innovations in its Nurturing Talent Programme, Skill-a Million
Programme, Village Cluster Development Programme, Swachh
Haryana Programme and Urban
Underprivileged Programme. The
grand event was attended by over
300 eminent personalities including senior government officials,
industry stalwarts, bureaucrats,
media houses and the civil society.
The Golden Peacock Awards, insti-
46
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tuted by the Institute of Directors, India
in 1991, are now regarded as a benchmark
of corporate excellence worldwide. Justice P N Bhagwati, former Chief Justice
of India, is the Chairman Emeritus. Justice (Dr.) Arijit Pasayat, former Judge Supreme Court of India and former Chairman of Competition Appellate Tribunal
DLF Foundation stall at the 10th
International Conference on CSR
& Authority for Advance Ruling
is the Chairman of the Golden
Peacock Awards Secretariat.
The Golden Peacock Awards
Secretariat receives over 1,000
entries per year from over 25
countries worldwide.
Speaking on this occasion, Lt
Gen Rajender Singh (retd), CEO
DLF Foundation, said, “I would
like to compliment the entire
team of DLF Foundation for
their hard work, dedication and
commitment to excellence which
has helped DLF achieve this success. This award will act as a
great source of encouragement
and inspiration to continue to
work with zeal and enthusiasm
in all our future endeavours.”
The Director General of Golden Peacock Awards Secretariat, Dr. A.
N. Saksena, commented on DLF Foundation’s initiatives, “Your unique CSR
initiatives including Nurturing Talent
Programme, Village Cluster Development Programme, Swachh Haryana
Programme and Skill Development Programme for the community have caught
the attention of all jury members. Nurturing Talent Programme, in particular,
which is a Special Social Project aimed
at promoting quality education among
the talented or gifted children from underprivileged families to enable them become leaders in their own chosen area of
excellence, has been highly appreciated.”
While addressing the audience on the
theme ‘Making CSR Work for Business’,
Lt Gen Singh said, “CSR should not be
just an add-on or charity driven initiative. It needs to be built on a fundamental
assumption that businesses must
play an indispensable role alongside government, civil society and
communities to solve complex
national development challenges.
Corporations need to believe in creating value for the underprivileged
sections of the society, to enable
them lead a life with dignity. Also,
as per the vision of Chairman, Dr.
K. P. Singh, DLF Foundation’s initiatives must be aligned with the
national priorities set forth by the
government and they must concentrate on nation building”. ø
DLF Foundation Participates in
Gifting Warmth
DLF Foundation embarked on
various campaigns recently to
help the underprivileged fight the
chilling winters. The efforts which
started in November 2015, culminated last month, with the primary
aim being to collect woollens and
blankets.
In the first campaign, the Foundation in partnership with Navbharat
Times, provided the latter with locations for collection. The drop boxes were conveniently placed, thus
enabling the public to contribute to
this noble cause. The places designated for boxes were DLF Phase 1,
2 and Ridge Valley School. The response
was phenomenal and the woollens and
blankets collected were later distributed
among the needy by Navbharat Times, in
the presence of DLF Foundation representatives.
The second campaign reflected the compassion of DLF employees as they came
Woollens and blankets being distributed
forward to contribute. The boxes for collection were placed at Gateway Towers,
the Shopping Mall and the DLF Centre.
The distribution of woollens among the
underprivileged was carried out by the
Foundation.
In the final campaign, DLF Foundation actively participated in the ‘Gifting Warmth’ initiative organised
in association with Times of India.
It was an efficiently organised endeavour, where a missed call on the
helpline number, was all that was
needed to initiate blanket pick-ups
from designated points. The month
long event culminated at Prabhat
Society for Child Development at
New Delhi. The chief guest of the
occasion was Vijay Goel, MP Rajya
Sabha. The DLF Foundation donated
500 blankets that were distributed by
Times of India.
Speaking to DCN, Ritesh Sinha, Director
Programmes, DLF Foundation expressed,
“Gifting Warmth is a direct impact initiative. It is very important for people to get
access to the right resources. This is one
of the best opportunities to save lives of
thousands of people who face the harsh
winter conditions” ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 47
TRENDS
RELATIONSHIPS
The Romance in
Relationships
‘Cupid’ took over many lives in the month of
February like nothing else did
by DCN Bureau
Let’s Talk!
T
here cannot be a better day to
discuss about love and relationships than Valentine’s! And so,
matchmaking app ‘Woo’ used the day as
the right opportunity to showcase their
‘Let’s Talk’ campaign at DLF CyberHub –
a place forever buzzing with young people.
In a live Q&A session, people were made
to sit in a couch and were asked questions
on love and relationships. The couples
who came out with interesting answers
were given gifts and movie tickets. According to the organisers, just as communication is the essence of good relationships, their event too was all about asking
and highlighting the right questions.
With a primarily young population ex-
48
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posed to global influences, young people
and their relationships are undergoing
evolution and transformation at a rapid
pace. This was apparent from the manner in which the youth communicated
with disarming honesty and candour.
‘Genuine profiles, real people and real
conversations are what Woo offers to the
users. We believe there are great conversations waiting to happen. All you need
to do is ask the right question and this
is what we are trying to convey to our
users. We were there at DLF CyberHub,
Gurgaon to interact with people and ask
them candid questions from romance to
heartbreak, turn-ons to what men really
want as this is what are new web seriesLet’s Talk is all about,’ said Mr. Sumesh
Menon, Co-Founder and CEO Woo.
In a similar vein, the ‘Let’s Talk’ web
Online retailers, restaurants, hotels,
cake and flower stores were all talking
the language of love last month. ‘Cupid’
took over many lives in the month of
February like nothing else did! As excitement built up over an entire week dotted
with Rose Day, Propose Day, Chocolate
Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Hug Day
and Kiss Day creating a love week for
couples, DLF Mega Mall, DLF CyberHub, Galleria market, Ambience Mall,
Crowne Plaza and Sector-29 market saw
couples shop, wine and dine in style.
A trip to Sector 14 and 17 markets was
an eye-opener too as one could spot lots
of couples as well as families with their
kids enjoying the season of love. In
KOD (Kingdom of Dreams), Romanza
was a two-day Valentine festival which
was filled with loads of entertainment,
music, shopping, food and drinks. Bollywood musician-cum-singer Himesh
Reshammiya and the mesmerising Palak
Muchhal ensured that the crowd had a
gala time, dancing to their tunes as they
gave a rocking live performance.
Needless to mention, surprises and gifts
too were a part of the V Day celebrations!
Gurgaon resident Pooja Singh wistfully
recalls, “When I got home from office, my
husband had our bedroom set up with a
candlelit table. He is not a cook but on
the day, he made an awesome meal with
a beautiful salad, creating a five star res-
series aired weekly on Woo’s YouTube
channel and Facebook page points out
how there is more to every guy than
meets the eye, and that asking the right
questions can bring that out. Each episode features five men from various
walks of life. These guys are urban,
single, professionals, achievers in their
fields; they are the kind of guys that are
found on Woo. The personalities and stories of these men unfold as they answer
questions like: ‘What is romance to you?
Three things you look for in a woman?
What turns you on? How do you deal
with heartbreaks? When did you last
cry?’ A lot of unexpected heart-touching
and hilarious moments that ensue make
sure that people get talking! The series is
produced by Mumbai-based production
house Electric Dreams Film Company.
‘Communicate
Openly For Better
Relationships’
I
taurant at home after which we enjoyed a
romantic movie.”
Sharing a similar story, Jyoti Pandey, a
resident of Dwarka, Sector21 adds, “My
boyfriend sent across 11 roses delivered
at my doorsteps through courier service
and gave the 12th rose personally.”
And, it weren’t just the men who made
all the efforts! “I was pleasantly surprised when my wife gave me a bouquet of flowers, decorated the bathroom
mirror with her lipstick and gifted me
clothes making the day truly special,”
says Mohnish Sapra. Similarly, for young
professional Manoj Arora, his girlfriend
had planned a wonderful lunch followed
by a couple spa! “She really made it special for me and we ended the day spending a romantic evening at the club,” he
says.
Interestingly, irrespective of the Valentine Day celebrations, couples today
have become much more vocal and expressive when it comes to relationships.
Like Himakshi Nagpal, a college student
talking about her boyfriend Rishi, says,
“I have known him since we were kids.
And now, we both love each other and
are very serious about our relationship.
In fact, I have a great bonding with his
parents too.”
Similarly, 21-year-old Shriya believes
that her boyfriend is already like family
to him! “We both are very loyal to each
other and treat each other like family
members. Even our families are happy
with our relationship. The best thing
about us as a couple is that we both are
very caring and lovable,” she quips.
The guys too are more than willing to
express their feelings for their partners.
Aditya Sharma, a resident of Delhi and
working in Gurgaon with a private company adds, “Every time, I look at my girl
friend, I realise how important she is to
me. She has been an integral part of my
life and she really makes me happy.”
Well, with couples getting more expressive and India embracing Valentine’s
Day like never before, romance in relationships is clearly here to stay! ø
s it only young India which is getting
vocal in their relationships? Well,
Dr. Samir Parikh, MBBS, DPM, MD
(Psychiatry), Consultant Psychiatrist and
Director, Department of Mental Health
and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Hospitals is optimistic when he says, “Age definitely is not a determining factor when
it comes to relationships. It depends entirely from person to person. However, the
context in which they put the relationship
and the importance they give it with respect to other aspects of their lives plays
a more significant role.” He also points
to some of the typical issues that create
problems in relationships as he says ‘lack
of communication, not giving space, not
compromising enough, low frustration
tolerance’ are red flags.
Rejecting the notion that love relationships in today’s times are progressively
short lived and contentious, he remarks,
“That relationships are becoming progressively contentious can’t be generalised in this manner. What matters is the
amount of quality time people are able
to spend with each other, the importance
they give to that particular relationship,
and the extent to which they are able to
communicate openly with one another.”
He does believe that parents and bosses
can relate better and improve communication with young adults by opening
up to them. “An age gap is nothing more
than a gap in communication. It’s best to
try and relate to the other by looking at
things from the other’s perspective, trying to understand their priorities and
the pressures they face based on their
current life situation,” he explains.
As a leading clinical psychologist who
has been handling delicate relationships, he had the following suggestions
for those looking at commitment. “Life
needs to be looked at as a balance of the
cross-sectional and longitudinal. Make
sure you spend quality time together. Do
the things you both enjoy doing. At the
same time, it’s also important that you
communicate openly and build a relationship based on trust,” he pointed out.
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 49
WINE & DINE
CONCEPT RESTAURANTS
CUSTOMISED CREATIVITY
Bikers Cafe flaunts their USP as ‘fun, friends and freedom’
What an Idea!
Innovative and quirky - concept based Gurgaon restaurants reflect
a distinctive ethos that matches the temperament of a very creative
entrepreneur
Yadav, who has been running the Bikers
Café brand in India for the last four years
and now owns one in Kolkata, another in
Delhi and the latest in Gurgaon, agrees
that the café is an extension of his personality and resonates with his personal
values. ‘Fun, Food, Friends and Freedom
– these are the buzzwords associated with
the Georgia based brand Bikers Café and
I totally believe in them,’ says this rugged biker who is an appropriate mascot
for this restaurant zipping around the
city in leather jacket and biking gear.
From the creatively customised cutlery
in tool box style containers to vintage
helmets and posters of leading motorbike brands cozying up with live and exclusive paintings of biker couples, there
is so much brand recall that one can only
dream adventure and fitness in these surroundings. “The designs are customised
and have a disruptive feel to them that
comes from respect for the brand.” No
wonder, from the Royal Enfield to Ducati
to Harley Davidson – all these and more
like to have their get-together in these
compatible surroundings. The ‘bike’ dev-
il is indeed in these details!
While Yadav reveals how he has been
‘riding all his life’, he also gives us
glimpses of his personal vision unfolding through the brand. “We open for
breakfast, early at 7.30 am and contrary to
those who believed no one would buy this
concept, we have regulars,” he says with
pride. As a fitness buff, he has not only
created a place where everyone connects
but there is also focus on good quality and
healthy food which is freshly prepared.
His café also has the best juices and stress
busting tea selections like the lotus flower
which gives health and taste benefits.
“I worked in the corporate sector for
years before I took this plunge and so I
am process driven and believe in food audits to ensure consistency,” says Yadav.
It helps that he loves food, is innovative
with his menu and is regularly producing difficult and challenging dishes with
flair. “My food is fresh and healthy and
ranges from Arabian to Belgian to Thai.
I can offer the best drinks at night and
then detoxify your body with the best
breakfast and juices,” he confesses even
as he recalls how a handful of armed
forces personnel came over for a healthy
breakfast to his café on 26th January
on their bikes after attending the OROP
(One Rank One Pension) rally.
There is happiness and pride evident
even as Yadav walks up to the deejay
Biker Sanjay Yadav is an appropriate mascot for the cafe
by Meenakshi Sharma
‘Biking is an attitude’, says adventure
enthusiast Sanjay Yadav pointing to the
swanky Harley Davidson that is definitely ‘neighbors envy; owners pride’ as it
occupies prime place at the entrance of
his entrepreneurial venture, ‘The Bikers
Café’ on Golf Course Road.
Meanwhile, a retro version of a vintage
bike blends beautifully with the old world
charm of the outdoors as Yadav confess-
50
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es that his heart beats for his many motorbikes. He calls them his trusted companions who have accompanied him on
long arduous drives, spanning the length
and breadth of the country with Leh and
Goa being some of his favourite ones.
Pawan Soni, founder FoodFreak.
com, loves the Bikers Cafe concept as
he explains, “ A concept based restaurant is not only to be judged on basis
of decor (including the washroom),
but also needs to take into account the
food, bar menu, ambience, server dress,
and music.” He believes that the best
concept restaurants in the world are
unique and while some may serve food
on skates, other may have a jail theme.
He fondly recalls a ninja theme based
restaurant in Japan which he found extremely exciting.
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 51
WINE & DINE
CONCEPT RESTAURANTS
PARSI BAZAAR
console and turns the volume gently
to fill the room with the roar of a bike
engine whose sheer fury can get the
adrenaline going. This, he believes,
adds up to the Bikers Café charm as
does the ‘Wall of Confession’ in the restrooms which is a great stress buster
to relieve us of emotional baggage in
a safe way. “60 percent of our patrons
are ladies and they feel happy and safe
here!” he reveals. With intelligent food
and a unique concept which has been
honestly executed, he knows he has a
winner in Bikers Café!
PASSION UNLIMITED
Somewhat similar is the passion that
young Sharad Bishnoi, a product of
Lawrence School, Sanawar, carries as he
shares his journey in India, followed by
a course in Australia and then back to
complete graduation from Amity and get
into the family business. Despite his success in the family business of automo-
52
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The ambience, the bar and the music are all Out of the Box at OTB
biles, he wanted to venture into an area
that echoed his passion. And that is how
‘Out of the Box’ happened.
“OTB is new café style bar which has
met with great success in Delhi’s happening and artistically inclined neighbourhoods,” says Bishnoi who felt that
the cafe resonated with his belief. “Our
brand is highly recognisable and individually designed to give a vibrant, friendly
environment to our guests,” he elaborates as he points to the earthy wood
tones with a mix of jute creating a rugged yet sophisticated environment. “The
place is not just experimental but hugely
successful at bringing global street foods
like Tacos from Mexican spread to Mezze
from the Lebanese cuisine,” he adds.
Music is clearly a big differentiator and
Sharad is proud to say that “OTB promotes alternate music which is a combination of Indian and Western.” Listening to some of the best international
music tracks, one can completely justify
his claim that they never play popular
music for the sake of it but make this
place a happening venue with the best
music in the genre. No wonder it has a
formidable reputation for the best gigs
in town as is evident from the stage that
takes centrestage.
The cuisine and the bar are popular
draws and whether day or night, one can
see office goers and party animals hang
out at OTB where a young look and feel
combines with happiness and energy.
Just above OTB in Sector 29 is Vapour
Drink Exchange. Just as the name suggests, this pub follows the stock exchange
concept and offers a range of alcoholic
beverages with prices fluctuating with
demand. The sheer adventure of following rising and falling stocks seems to
resonate with the Gurgaon public who
also love its food.
Another popular concept based restau-
While SodaBottleOpenerWala has created a unique demand for Parsi food in
the city, a recent Bombay Parsi Bazaar
organised on 29th and 30th January
at DLF CyberHub, took the concept to
another level as a wide range of Parsi
products like pickles, chutneys, masalas,
books and an interesting array of Bombay and Parsi specialties like Bhel Puri,
Sev Puri, Bacon Vada Pav, Dhanshak
rant which recreates the regional ethos is
SodaBottleOpenerWala - a quintessential
Bombay Irani Café with all its idiosyncrasies boldly in place. From the authentic
food to that ubiquitous biscuit jar to the
disco music of the 70s and the quirky
posters which caution you to avoid spitting, combing and even flirting, there is
innovation and humour all around.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
An interesting addition to the list is “7°
Brauhaus”, an authentic Bavarian Mi-
Parsi masalas and pickles as well as the Masterclass by Chef Anahita were very popular
masala, Mawa Cake and Nankhtai were
available to enjoy and learn!
Not only was the Parsi Bazaar an opportunity to sample the best of Parsi offerings in Delhi at one place, but also meet
the Bawas and the Bawis of GurgaonDelhi along with a host of participants.
With paintings from Vietnam by Frenny
Billimoria, treats by Nilufer’s Kitchen
Secrets, Parsi Goodies by Hofrish among
other delights, there were some amazing
master classes enjoyed by the culinary
fans of this cuisine. A Nankhatai workshop by Chef Akshata Karkaria, talk
by Ava Khullar on the Parsi saga, Parsi
style fish cutlace by Nilufer N. Dhondy,
Parsi food discussion by Frenny Billimoria, Patra ni Machhi by Chef Anahita
N. Dhondy, Dhaandar Patio master class
by Chef Kainaz Contractor and Saas ni
Machhi by Triety Cawasjee made this a
perfect Parsi fiesta.
crobrewery and Kitchen set up in 12,500
sq ft. area in DLF South Point Mall, Golf
Course Road. The ambience and theme of
7° Brauhaus are designed to take you instantly to the Bavaria region of Germany,
says owner RN Rathi who is well travelled
and has the passion to go that extra mile
to offer an authentic experience to his
equally well heeled patrons. “We have a
lot of high profile guests like the CEO of
Genpact to the top management of Japanese companies. They expect the best and
we never compromise on the experience,”
says the passionate owner who has preserved the concept of an open air German
style pub right down to every element he
has personally enjoyed in Germany.
The beer garden theme and décor
complete with large chestnut trees and
brewery bowls you over as much as the
authentic German delicacies like farm
raised Pork knuckle, grilled German
Sausage platter with Sauerkraut, Holstein Schnitzel and the German Eistorte
which is an interesting dessert. With sal-
ads like “German potato salad”, “warm
vegetable salad”, “salmon platter” and
a variety of sausages imported from
Germany, here is a concept that goes a
couple of steps further that just regional
cuisine to add to the overall effect.
The Farzi (illusion) concept of Zoravar
Kalra is another interesting molecular
concept that has resonated with the Gurgaon audience. The flair and panache of
molecular gastronomy match with the
careful fusion of food and atmosphere to
create innovation and fantasy that has
made it so popular. As Farzi spreads its
wings to Connaught Place, Gurgaon enjoys it in Cyber Hub.
While regional cuisine has always
spawned speciality concept restaurants,
it is interesting how entrepreneurs like
Zoravar Kalra, Sanjay Yadav, RN Rathi
and Sharad Bishnoi, among many others,
are creating a restaurant culture which is
closely connected with the way they think
and feel making these brands young, relatable and very, very popular. ø
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Citynews
I March 2016 I 53
COLUMN
PET CARE
Spotlight
Cervical Cancer Demystified
D
r. Rama Joshi, M.B.B.S. Gold
medalist, M.S. (Obst. & Gynae)
is currently the Gynae Onco Surgeon & Robotic Surgeon, Director Department of Gynae Oncology, FMRI.
She is UICC Fellow, B.G.H. Buffalo, NY, USA
and talks to DCN about the most prevalent
cancer affecting women today.
What is Cervical Cancer and the risk
factors associated with it?
Cervical Cancer is a common cancer in
women. The cancer that starts in the cervix,
the lowermost part of the uterus or womb,
is called cervical cancer. India contributes
more than a quarter of this global cervical
cancer burden. However, the good news is
that Cervical Cancer is preventable. It can be
diagnosed in early stages, where the cure
rate approaches 90% with optimal treatment. However, in our country, most cases
are diagnosed in advanced stages leading to
high mortality
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection
is now a well established cause of cervical
cancer. In India about 6.6% of women in the
general population and 76.7% of invasive cervical cancer are estimated to harbor cervical
infection with HPVs 16 & 18. Though HPV is
a necessary cause of cervical cancer, it is not
a sufficient cause. Other established cofactors are high parity, smoking, unsupervised long term use of oral contraceptives, promiscuity, HIV & other sexually
transmitted diseases. Immunosuppressant and certain dietary deficiencies are other probable co-factors.
What are the warning signs or
symptoms?
It is important to note that in the
precancerous condition and very
early stages, there may not be any
symptom. Usually there is no pain
in the early stage of the disease
but there may be symptoms like
spotting / bleeding, increased/blood
stained vaginal discharge, intermenstrual /
irregular vaginal bleeding, postmenopausal
vaginal bleeding, severe backache and pain
in abdomen in advanced stages.
The above symptoms may be present
in conditions other than Cancer Cervix
54
dlf
hence a proper clinical evaluation is mandatory.
Early detection is possible with the help
of screening tests, Pap test and HPV DNA
Testing (high risk HPVs). A Pap test is a
simple test in which the surface of the cervix is gently scraped and the cells from the
surface of the cervix are examined under
the microscope to detect any abnormality. A definitive diagnosis is made upon
colposcopy and directed biopsy & histopathology. Usually there is a clinically visible
lesion on the cervix and a biopsy is
taken from the lesion for histopathology to
establish the diagnosis.
How can cervical cancer be prevented?
As far as the primary prevention goes, it is
the HPV Vaccination. Prophylactic HPV Vaccine
seems promising for reduction in cervical cancer especially in developing countries. It is recommended in young girls between the ages
of 9 and 26 years. Regular screening is recommended as the vaccine offers around 80% protection. Social and life style modifications like
healthy sexual practices and avoiding smoking,
and avoiding sexual activity at an early age, help.
Amongst the secondary prevention, by diagnosing and treating the precancerous conditions,
the disease can be avoided. An annual gynaecological check-up including screening Pap test
is essential for the prevention and early detection of Cervical Cancer in women after three
years of marriage or sexual life.
What does the treatment comprise?
After establishing the diagnosis, metastatic workup is done to define the clinical stage as the treatment will depend on
the stage of the disease. The treatment
in early stages is done by either Primary
Surgery of Radical Hysterectomy and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy (not by simple
removal of uterus) or Radiation
therapy. The surgery can either be
open or minimal access Robotic
surgery. Robotic surgeries have
the advantage of reduced blood
loss, less hospital stay and faster
recovery. In selected young patients, fertility preservation can
be offered with the surgery
of radical trachelectomy. In
advanced stages, usually a
combination of Radiation
Therapy and Chemotherapy
is employed. When properly
diagnosed and treated, this
particular cancer has a high
success rate in terms of survival and quality of life. The most
optimal management of cervical cancer can be done through
a Gynae Oncologist The most optimal management of cervical cancer can be done through a Gynae
Oncologist
Pet sterilisation .....
red or green signal?
by Dr. Salisha Whitney Correia
“Oscar has become uncontrollable... he
storms out seeing the local dogs in heat.”
“Jackie has had pups twice before but
they never survive... and this time there
was a misalliance.”
“Cookie is 10, has pus in her uterus...we
never wanted puppies... should have if
only we had gotten her spayed earlier.”
These are a few common complaints
and regrets we receive from owners of
intact pets. The sterilisation procedure
in male dogs and cats is termed as castration (neutering in layman terms) and
in females, oophorectomy or ovariohysterectomy (spaying in colloquial terms).
Both procedures have to be performed
surgically under general anaesthesia by
a qualified veterinarian. However, emotions, fear of the procedure, inadequate
knowledge of sterilisation benefits often
hinder our judgement. So, to help you
take the initiative to get him/her fixed,
we have weighed the sterilisation pros
against the cons.
MALES:
Dogs with descended testi-
cles can be castrated earliest at the age
of five months, after completion of the
vaccination schedule. This helps retain
secondary physical characters, prevent
an enlarged scrotal sac as well as control wandering behaviour. Castration, at
any age, reduces the prostate size to its
optimum and therefore, helps prevent
life threatening diseases like prostatic
cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia
and testicular tumours. Your pooch can
be free of sexually transmitted diseases
like Trans Venereal Tumour (TVT) and
Canine Brucellosis. Furthermore, castrated dogs tend to have lesser urinary
dlf
Citynews
I March 2016 I 55
COLUMN
PET CARE
Spotlight
Mothers with a history of epilepsy, hip
dysplasia or any other conformational
issue should not be bred, as the condition is hereditary and passes to the offsprings.
Queen cats can be spayed earliest at the
age of five months. The cat-heat season
is generally very vocal and strenuous for
the cats involved, as well as, for your family and the neighbours! It is very difficult
to house-arrest cats in heat!
tract problems and this is highly beneficial in small breeds. This fairly simple
procedure can decrease male aggression.
After all, intact or not, dogs are territorial and possessive of their owners! The
only down side to castration is weight
gain. However, it is easy manageable
with regular exercise and diet control.
Intact tom cats can be castrated from
seven to eight months of age. This will
save your cat from running off and prevent eventual dog bites! It will also prevent him from spraying all over your furniture, clothes and house!
If your pet is cryptorchid (having retained testicles in the abdomen), surgical excision of the same is important
because the retained testicles have a 60%
probability of becoming cancerous. We,
56
dlf
at CGS Hospital carry out an ultrasound
examination to locate the same and then
perform surgery.
FEMALES: Getting your bitch spayed
is in itself gifting her with an “Add-on
Life” coupon. Spaying before the first
heat (less than nine months) reduces the
chances of breast cancer by a whopping
80 percent. The chances drop to 50 and
then a mere 10 percent when spaying is
done after the second and third heat onset. This procedure helps eliminate pregnancy, unwanted off-springs and misalliances that later require abortions.
Spaying also eliminates the chances of
uterine infections, the most lethal being, Pyometra (pus in the uterus). It also
prevents sexually transmitted diseases.
The benefits definitely topple over the cons.
Now, that we have decided to go ahead
with castration or spaying, the next steps
are as follows:
n Schedule a routine physical examination of your pooch with a qualified Veterinary Surgeon.
n Get a complete blood profile done to exclude any liver, kidney or systemic infection and adequate platelet and haemoglobin count and tick fever. This is critical
in determining anaesthetic risk.
n In older dogs, a chest x-ray would also
be required.
n In case of cryptorchidism, an ultrasound examination by a qualified and
trained sonologist is useful in locating
the intra-abdominal testes.
n If all the reports are normal, you can
schedule the procedure in the next two to
three days.
n Post surgical care is essential to prevent wound dehiscence, bruising, bleeding and infection at the surgical site and
incisional hernia. Pay heed to the surgeon’s advice. With the advancement in
veterinary surgery, spaying and castration are now the keyhole surgeries that
minimise intra and post-operative complications.
If you don’t want to breed your pet, get
him/her fixed. Add years to life..... ø
The author holds a Masters’ degree
in Veterinary Surgery and Radiology
and is currently practising at CGS
Hospital, Gurgaon.
Spaying and castration procedures
are routinely performed at CGS Hospital, Gurgaon by its team of qualified, trained and experienced team
of Veterinary Surgeons. Advancing
in Veterinary Surgery, CGS Hospital
will soon start Laparoscopic spaying
procedures.
Teething & Molars:
A Guide For Parents
M
ost mothers get jittery when
their babies start teething.
Often, babies find it painful
and can display varied symptoms. It is therefore advisable to be well
informed about the process.
Elaborating about teething, Dr Heman
Verma informs, “The appearance of first
primary molars takes place in the back of
the mouth between 13 and 19 months.
However, the tooth buds of the baby start
to take form during the second trimester
of the pregnancy. The first teeth to grow
are known as primary central incisors that
are located in the bottom centre of the
mouth and those on the side are called
lateral incisors.”
He further explains, “The visit to the dentist for your baby must start in the first year
to ensure the teeth are free from dangers
of cavities and tooth decay.”
The second set of primary molars appears
between 24 and 33 months. Dr. Verma
says, “This set usually pains more than
the first one. The symptoms could include
itching on cheeks, ears and chin. At this
stage, babies usually are cranky, low on
sleep and may lose appetite.”
Dr Priyanka Verma adds, “This stage requires the dentist’s attention and in addition to giving cold things to the child, it’s
important for the dentist to prescribe a
treatment that would be effective and comfortable. Also, blaming high fever or diarrhoea on teething is not always correct.”
The first permanent molar appears at the
age of six. The second appears between 11
and 13 years. The third molar also known
as wisdom tooth appears between the
age of 16 and 24. According to Dr Heman
Verma, “There are four wisdom teeth that
may exist in a mouth.”
The presence of wisdom tooth often
causes problems as food particles get
stuck in the gum area around them. The
brush often is unable to reach the position of this tooth. As far as solutions to this
problem are concerned, removal of the
tooth is the best option.
The team at Dental Stylers is equipped
to handle all such dental issues including surgeries with most ease and comfort
to make the visit of the patient a memorable one.
Dr. Heman Verma
One of the leading orthodontists &
implantologists of the country, Dr.
Verma spearheads Dental Stylers,
one of the most premium dental
centres of Northern India with
comprehensive education in behavior management, sedation and
anesthesia techniques.
Dental Stylers
8 Dakshin Marg, DLF Phase- II, Gurgaon
Ph. 9810296979, 2356609,
2356610, 2351159
Email: hemanverma@hotmail.com
www.dentalstylers.com
dlf
Citynews
I March 2016 I 57
UTILITIES
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dlf
Citynews
I March 2016 I 59
UTILITIES
UTILITIES
STATUS REPORT
WHO’S WHO
DLF city
The
City
Status of Projects
Pace of Habitation in Plotted Properties
Name of Project Status
New Town Heights
Handover/Finishes in advanced stage
1I
3658
69.38
The Primus Terrace/upper floors slabs cast. Rough finishes in progress
2
3220 67.04
Regal Garden Terrace/upper floors slabs cast. Rough finishes in progress
Corporate Greens
Possession starting soon
Skycourt
4th-10th floors slabs cast. Club finishing in progress
Ultima
GF, 1st and 2nd floor slabs cast in Towers H &L; K; E, J & S
The Crest DLF5
Finishing & Services activities commenced
SI. Pace of Habitation in Group Housing
Phase
II 3
III
4
IV
Total
Project
5462 1626
Habitation%
64.94
53.01
13966 Total
Occupied
%Occupied
34
32
94.1
700
93.5
Belvedere Tower
222
202
90.99
Beverly Park I
158
132
83.5
Belvedere Park 318
278
87.42
Beverly Park II
182
171
94.0
Exclusive Floors 516
500
96.90
Total
Occupied
%Occupied
Regent House
Total No. of Plots
749
Project
Silver Oaks
Regency Park I
320
273
85.3
Trinity Towers 234
216
92.31
Regency Park II
500
445
89.0
Westend Heights 368
324
88.04
Hamilton Court
266
252
94.7
The Aralias 254
Windsor Court
132
125
94.7
Royalton Tower
Richmond Park
280
271
96.8
Ridgewood estate
924
831
Oakwood Estate
322
307
200
78.74
76
70
92.11
The Pinnacle
280
221
78.93
89.9
The Icon
364
330
90.66
95.3
The Summit
228
161
70.61
544
448
82.35
Wellington Estate I,II and III
555
505
91.0
The Belaire
Princeton Estate I,II & III 918
868
94.6
The Park Place
1508
1340
88.86
485
453
93.4
The Magnolias 589
406
68.93
Carlton Estate I & IV
60
I March 2016 I
Elders
Your Elected Representatives
Condominium Associations
dlf
Citynews
Silver Oaks Condominium Association – DLF Phase-I 0124-4287457
President
Mr. Tariq Raza
Mrs. Shalini Sawhney
Vice President
Mr. Pankaj Kumar
Manager
Mr. V K Jain
Secretary
Ms. Rupali Jain
Treasurer
Oakwood Estate Condominium Association – DLF Phase-II
0124-4052005
President
Cmde. Hitendra Singh
Dr. Amish Vora
Vice president
Secretary
Mr. Rohit Kapoor
Mr. Naveen Thukral
Treasurer
Beverly Park-I – DLF Phase-II
0124-4011757
Mr. Mr. Depak Kapur
Mr. Sarabjit Singh Dhawan
Mr. Rajiv Inamdar
Mr. Soumya Dutta
Mr. C B Singh
Beverly Park-II – DLF Phase-II
Mr. Adil Shiavax Nargolwala
Ms. Anita Kapur
Mr. Naresh Arora
Ms. Nandini Roy Choudhary
President
Vice president
Secretary
Treasurer
Manager
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
9999270000
9818078883
9810036324
9810019787
Mr. Saurabh Joshi
Operations Manager
9650493521
Exclusive Floors Owners Society – DLF5 0124-4109536
President
Ms. Pallavi Sawhney
Mr. S N Miglani
Vice President
Mr. Apprajeet Bhatia
Secretary
Mr. Manish Purohit
Treasurer
Carlton Estate Condominium Association – DLF5
President
Mr. Sachin Jain
Vice president
Mr Nitin Gianchandani
Mr. Sameer Nigam
Secretary
Mr. Syed Ibrahim Ahmed
Teasurer
9811240572
9818183275
9899970269
9810122090
Trinity Towers Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. Jawahar Lal Vij
President
Mr. Hitesh Puri
Secretary
Mr. Rajul Kulshrestha
Treasurer
9818967911
9910263846
9899892911
Summit Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. Nitin Chopra
President
Mr. Rajiv Chopra
Vice President
Secretary
Mr. Tejinder Singh
Ms. Nira Mongia
Joint Secretary
The Pinnacle – DLF5
Belvedere Tower – DLF Phase-II
0124-4068251
Ms. Savita Malhotra
Dr. Manoj Talwar
Mr. Amit Malik
Mr. Deepak Sahai
9810063523
9810056302
9811084744
9811600888
0124-4228770
Mr. RC Kesar
Ms. Parul Kaushal
Mr. Atul Sarin
Mr. Kuljit Singh
Mr. Jai B Yadav
Belvedere Park Condominium Association – DLF Phase-III
President
Prof K Sundram
Vice President
Mr. V K Vatts
Mr. N Mishra
Secretary
Treasurer
Mr. Gagan Chawla
Estate manager
Mr. Madan Sen
9818621084
9818902080
9811199826
9810274750
8800731747
Wellington Estate – DLF5
0124-4228162
Ms. Neena Bhattacharjee
Mr. Vineet Bagga
Mr. Ajay Jain
Ridgewood Condominium Association – DLF Phase-IV
President
Mr. Sanjay Batra
Vice President
Mr. Vijay Kumar Verma
Secretary
Mr. Deepak Mathur
Mr. Amit Dhanuka
Treasurer
Mr. Sunil Kumar Jain
Jt Secretary
9818093097
9810287402
9818664883
9810086577
9911317189
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Hamilton, Windsor and Regency Park-II – DLF Phase-IV
0124-2396331
President
Dr. Kamlesh Bajaj
Vice President
Wg. Cdr Pran K Kaul (Retr)
Mr. Virender Sareen
Secretary
Mr. Vijay Sood
Treasurer
Condominium Mgr
Mr. Yogendra Rajput
9910501633
9811147596
9910109013
9650275500
9871622323
The Aralias – DLF5 0124-4144848
Mr. Rajbir Sharma
9650493525
Estate Manager
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Property Manager
President
Vice president and Treasurer
Secretary
DLF City Residents Welfare Association (Regd.)
0124-4055094, 2561888
President
9810402438
Mr. J S Damija
Mr. Sudhir Kapoor
Secretary Gen
9811555743
DLF City Senior Citizens Council (Regd.)
0124-2570417
Mr. Ganesh Dutt Gureja
President
Mr. Mohan Gulrajani
Secretary Gen. Condominiums
Richmond Park
Royalton Tower
Princeton Estate
Park Place
The Belaire
The Magnolias
Address
DLF phase IV
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
9810638595
9818253979
ContactTelephone No.
Mr. Madan Singh
0124-4272776
Mr. Bramprakash
0124-4292418
Mr. Attar Singh
0124-4055277
Mr. Y C Sharma
9873603572
Mr. Dinesh Bajpai
9711497034
Mr. Sanjeev Saxena
9654132300
dlf
Citynews
I March 2016 I 61
TRANSIT LOUNGE
KITU GIDWANI
‘You Have To Be A Musician
To Be An Actor’
by Reena Dhankher
From sashaying down the ramp in style to showing her acting prowess in theatre, serials and films,
Kitu Gidwani has proved her versatility in everything she has done. A complete natural in front
of the camera, Kitu debuted on small screen as an
airhostess in the popular soap ‘Trishna’ on Doordarshan and the viewers loved her. Since then, she has
given many power-packed performances and earned
critical acclaim for films like Earth, Abha, Deham
and Dance of the Wind for which she also won the’
Best Actress Award’ in the Three Continents Festival in France.
On a visit to Gurgaon for a theatre performance,
DCN caught up with the talented actress-cum-model
for a tete-a-tete.
You have done both theatre and films. How different are the two mediums?
Well, in theatre you are in front of a live audience
and yes, it’s scary while in front of the camera, it is
less scary, as you can always have a retake. In films,
everything is micro directed, the way you look, turn,
move, the number of steps you take but on stage if
you give one line badly, it’s your job to raise the energy in the next one and come back to that level. You
have to be a musician to be an actor who can listen to
the rhythm of each scene as well as the pauses. You
know at times you get into a trance and don’t know
that there’s an audience there, so theatre has a very
different kind of magic. Once you are on stage, you
are the master. You are dealing with instant energy
and creating magic whereas in films, the element of
magic mostly comes from the sets and special effects.
Not that films are less interesting but sometimes the
director wants a scene in a certain way while you
may be dying to do it differently! So, in that case, it
may not be so much fun but when the director understands you completely and allows you the freedom to
improvise, it can be thrilling.
You have done French films too. How was it different there?
I have done two French films long ago and the treatment is very different out there. They give emphasis on natural acting and therefore their scripts are
Kitu Gidwani, the natural actor next door!
62
dlf
QUOTE UNQUOTE
I am very versatile
and can play
both dark and
light roles. There
is no particular
role I look for.
Most actors want
complex
characters.
subtle with fantastic dialogues. I feel dialogues make a
character, if you don’t have good dialogues, character
becomes very multi dimensional. In foreign films, even
a small character will have complete reality to itself. We
still have to learn how to make films that are dialogue
based and which actually sound real.
What goes into the preparation of a role for you?
It depends, like for this play ‘Single Mingle’ for which I am
in your city, I didn’t have to do much research as the character was pretty much like me. In fact, there are only a few
subtle differences between the character Fanny and me.
What are your future projects?
I am supposed to do a big TV series on freedom fighters,
coming up on August 15. I have also done a project for Zee
Theatre, a new channel where they are going to televise
plays. They will select plays and invite actors to rehearse
them and then you act as if on stage. They will have three
cameras and will finish shooting the whole play in three
days. That way the audience will get to see theatre in
their own homes.
What prompted you to do this play?
After I read it, I liked it. I had not done a play for two
years and was on the lookout for one. This script clicked
completely and it was a perfect vehicle for me. As far as
other roles are concerned, well written roles excite me,
even if it’s a cameo. If a role is badly written, who ever
might offer, I will not do it. I don’t mind playing, a corporate person, a queen or a comic character. I am very
versatile and can play both dark and light roles. There is
no particular role I look for. Most actors want complex
characters, beautifully written which are strong enough
to emote. There should be something inside the character
that comes out. But yes, I would love to do a crime thriller,
a female detective cop!
What are your other interests?
I am a big animal lover and do lots of wok for animals
in Mumbai. I help in rescuing and treating them and also
find homes for them, especially cats. Last five years, I
have specialised in that. I am also a dancer. Tango is my
passion. I have spent almost five years learning Tango
which I feel is a beautiful form of art. ø
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dlf
Citynews
I March 2016 I 63
ENTERTAINMENT
CELEB TALK
by DCN Bureau
Last month was the season
of love but it seems B-Town has
been buzzing with break-ups. It’s
as if Ranbir and Katrina have
set a trend of sorts! After the
lovebirds headed for splits-ville
during the first week of January, Virat and Anushka called
off their relationship and then
Farhan and Adhuna Akhtar followed suit, ending their 15-yearold relationship.
Of course, it was Ranbir and
Kat’s break-up that hogged the
maximum limelight particularly
when a few days prior to the separation (Ranbir moved out of the
house they had rented together
leaving Kat alone), a recent picture of the actors kissing on
their balcony had been trending
on social media. But then, finally
it was official that the two have
parted ways.
Similarly, the Virat and Anushka break-up story remained in
news for quite some time, almost
more than a week. It all started
when the two celebrities unfollowed each other on Instagram
during the end of January. A few
days later, Virat uploaded a selfie
on Instagram with the caption,
“Heartbroken.”
But, after some time he deleted
the same image. After he deleted
the image, the fans reacted which
forced the Indian Test skipper to
re-post the image. Virat posted
the snapshot again and wrote,
“Feels like I committed a crime
deleting this picture. Haha sorry
guys ????. Here it is again (sic).”
Within a week, official reports of
a breakup started pouring in even
when none of the two have given
statements yet. However, the relationship has for sure gone sour
as was evident when recently in a
press conference, Virat, while being asked about his relationship
status, hit back: “Relationship
with who? Anyone? I am not a relationship counsellor. So that’s not
a question you should be asking
Not Love, It’s
The Season Of
Break-Ups!
me. Ask the expert please.”
The apparent reason of
break up is said to be disagreement between the two
about marriage, which it
seems was also the reason for
Ranbir and Katrina.
Then came another bouncer
- A break-up between Arbaaz
Khan and Malaika Arora! Reports that the two are heading for a divorce after being
together for 17 years and that
Malaika has moved out of
her Bandra house and has
shifted to an apartment in
Khar along with her 14-yearold son Arhaan started doing
rounds. It went on for a few
days till Arbaaz finally found
a perfect way to shut all the
reports about the alleged
divorce by using dubsmash
of ‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’
from 1972 movie Amar Prem!
He posted the video and captioned it – “Some people need
to mind their business, stop
talking and writing bullshit
and concentrate on their own
miserable lives.”!
But the reports have still
not stopped! Reason, Arbaaz
posted a picture of his workout equipments on Valentine’s Day and captioned it,
“Spent my Valentines with
these dumbbells… it was
quiet, peaceful and no arguments… cannot complain.’
This has once again given the
media food for thought!
Meanwhile, the Farhan-Adhuna separation also had its
share of limelight with various reports suggesting different reasons for the break-up
even though the two decided
to refrain from speaking anything about it. Break-ups, for
sure, are not a new phenomenon in B-Town. It’s just that
2016 kicked off with quite a
few happening at the same
time. Well, we can only hope
that this ‘break-up spree’ in
the industry ends soon! ø
MOVIE
PREVIEWS
English
Zootopia 3D
Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and
directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, this
film is a computer animated action and comedy
starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman.
The story revolves around a police department official who teams up with a con artist to solve a case
and is confronted by a massive outbreak.
Batman Vs Superman
Directed by Zack Snyder, this is a super hero film,
where Batman and Superman are up against each
other. Will they keep fighting or decide to prevent
the destruction of the metropolis? The film features Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and
Jesse Eisenberg.
Kung Fu Panda 3, 3D
A sequel to Kung Fu Panda 2, this one is a computer animated martial arts film starring Jack
Black, J K Simmons, Bryan Cranston and Dustin
Hoffman. Written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn
Berger, the film has a touch of comedy in it too.
Hindi
Kapoor & Sons
Directed by Shakun Batra, the film is a romantic
comedy. The star cast includes Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, Fawad Khan and Rishi Kapoor.
The plot revolves around two brothers who have
their love interest in one girl.
Rocky Handsome
Directed by Nishikant Kamat, the film is an action
packed thriller starring John Abraham, Shruti
Hassan and Nathalia Kaur. It is based on the novel
‘The Man From Nowhere’ by Lee Jeong-Beom.
Ki and Ka
A romantic comedy film, Ki and Ka will see Arjun
Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles.
Directed by R Balki, the music of the film has been
composed by Nadeen Shravan. The story revolves
around gender issues faced by a married couple.
For corporate and bulk bookings
(Book minimum 50 tickets) (Timings: 11am-7pm)
Phone: 8860003310 email: dtcorporatebooking@dlf.in
Tickets also available at
64
dlf
bookmyshow.com
dlf
Citynews
I May 2014 I 65
ENTERTAINMENT
LAST WORD
Deepika Gives
Sneak Peek Into
‘xXx’
Deepika Padukone has started shooting for her debut Hollywood film
“xXx: The Return of Xander Cage”, opposite Vin Diesel at Canada and the
pictures and the videos that the two have shared from the shoot are
already trending on social media! Deepika, who plays the character of
Serena in the film, not only looks super hot but also quite at ease with the
entire cast and crew of the film, including her sexy co-star.
Meanwhile, even as the actress was busy shooting for the film, she did get
a chance to celebrate Valentine with boyfriend Ranveer Singh, who flew all
the way to Toronto to be with the love of his life! It seems Ranveer also
charmed the director of the film DJ Caruso who took to Twitter to share a
picture of the three of them from the sets. He wrote “Special visitor on set
today. #RanveerSingh and a very happy #DeepikaPadukone. Great spirit
and smile. #Cooldude,”
‘Desi’ Girl
Goes
‘Videshi’ Again!
While fans are eagerly waiting to see Deepika in her debut
Hollywood film, the actress who has actually started the trend
of working overseas, has added another feather to her cap.
Desi girl Priyanka Chopra is now the latest addition to the allstar Baywatch movie. The actress will appear as an antagonist
in the film which already features Dwyane “The Rock”
Johnson, Johnson’s San Andreas co-star Alexandra Daddario,
and Kelly Rohrbach. Upping the ante on the male sexiness
will be Zac Efron, while Hannibal Buress will also be chilling
on the beach. The film will release in May 2017
66
I March 2016 I
dlf
Citynews
>>

catalysts of change

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