shopping, food

COMMUNITIES
KASHMIRIS
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
WWE ICON VISITS GURGAON
OCTOBER 2015 Vol. 9 Issue 7
` 50
Festive
SPIRIT
A SEASON TO CELEBRATE WITH
SHOPPING, FOOD
AND LOTS MORE
TRANSIT LOUNGE
SIDDHARTH BASU
ICONIC
ON
GURGA ARKS
ANDM
CITY L live Through
A
Come ketches
S
P- 4 6
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TAP AN
APP
ONLINE SHOPPING
FOR GROCERIES
Catches On,
Brick & Mortar
Stores Play
Catch-Up
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Citynews
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EDITOR*
Vinay Jha
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Meenakshi Sharma
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Reena Dhankher
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Rahul Ahuja
PHOTOS
The Deep Pictures
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It’s that time of the year once again. The festive
spirit is in the air and it is time to celebrate,
bond with those close to us and plan the next
few weeks down to the finest detail. Our Cover
Story this time couldn’t be more obvious – it’s
all about shopping, traditional food and gifting
ideas!
There’s no better way to demonstrate one’s commitment to
reducing traffic congestion and promoting a healthier environment than leaving the car at home while heading to work.
Many Gurgaonites joined the World Car Free Day, promoted
by the Gurgaon Police. We at DCN look forward to many
more car-free Tuesdays!
It’s the people who live in it that define a city. In our People
section, we celebrate the spirit of Ashish Chopra. He has
defied Parkinson’s disease to emerge a champion gamer after
being forced to drop out of a successful career in the hospitality industry. We also catch up with Jeevesh Ahluwalia. The
‘laughterpreneur’, as he calls himself, left a successful corporate life to enter the world of stand-up comedy and has no
regrets whatsoever.
Continuing with our series on the Iconic Panorama that
Gurgaon presents, we look at some landmark buildings which
define the city. Not just for its residents but also for the visitors and as much for the architecture as for the planning and
the thought that went into them
VINAY JHA
Editor
@DlfCityNews
DLF City News
Citynews.dlf
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 03
I N S I D E
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34
36
37
59
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65
Teacher’s Day
Events Calendar
Campus Buzz
Mysteries of Love
Helpline
The City Elders
Movie Previews
Citynews
DLF
October 2015
VOL 09 Issue
7
Department
of GynaecologyCommunities
& Minimal Access
Surgery 28
Kashmiris
A slice of Kashmir in Gurgaon is what the community is all about, from food to music to dressing
W Pratiksha Hospital's Department of Gynaecology and up for special occasions
Minimal Access Surgery brings you the best in women's
healthcare. A women-centric practice dedicated to
treating each patient with clinical excellence,
compassion and innovation, providing holistic
18 City Update
gynaecology services in a caring atmosphere.
Faces
W Pratiksha Hospital is at the forefront of changing
the focus of gynaecology services. We evaluate,
diagnose and treat a range of gynaecological
diseases in women in their early childhood,
pubertal, child-bearing years and menopausal
years, thus encompassing the full spectrum of
women's gynaecological well-being.
Gurgaon joins the World Car
Free Day as part of ongoing
initiatives to reduce traffic
congestion in the city
35 Future Workplaces
Innovation and the need for
comfortable workplaces dominates a discussion on what to
look forward to in the future
For a Cause Our multi-disciplinary team of dedicated gynaecologists,
with decades of experience, clearly explain the
diagnosis and provide treatment options for your
unique health needs by focusing on education and
prevention. Our highly specialized offerings include:
Services
Gynae oncology
Advanced
laparoscopy &
hysteroscopy
66 Last Word
GYNAECOLOGY
38
A unique car rally travels
MUST
READ
44 DLF Foundation
Annual Professional
Scholar’s Enclave focuses on
career guidance, skill training and
mentoring; awards students for
excellence in their chosen field
Feature Grocery Online
62 Transit Lounge
Indian TV’s first ‘Quiz
Master’ talks about what keeps
him ticking
46 Iconic Gurgaon
The second part of a series
covers four modern buildings which have become city
landmarks with the use of the
latest concepts in design
56
We
welcome
you to
come to the hospital and
through
Rajasthan
to raise
Pet Care
experience
the quiet
elegance, warm ambience
awareness about
cancer
and
healing
environment for you andThis
yourmonth’s
family. column discusses
among
children
Cover Photo Model:
Diksha Khanna
MUST
READ
prevention of and treatment
for urinary stones among dogs
and cats
50
Concept of grocery shopping as a tap on an app
catching on, we look at the emerging scenario
Sport Wine & Dine Food Freak Awards Pelvic
18 Jeevesh Ahluwalia
reconstructive
A stand-up comic and TVsurgery
actor, he calls himself a
‘Laughterpreneur’
Clinics
20Specialised
Ashish Chopra
Ÿ Menopause Clinic
Ÿ Breast clinic
Parkinson’s disease has doneŸlittle
to deter
Ÿ Anorectal clinic
Preventive
oncology
aiming high
ŸChopra
PCOS from
and androgen
Ÿ Female urology and
excess clinic
health clinic
33Psycho-sexual
Miss Palash
urinary incontinence
clinic
Page 9 >>>
Chandigarh girl Aittal Khosla wins first edi-
W
Pratiksha
Hospitalpageant
tion
of new beauty
S.
T 0124 413 1091
06
I October 2015 I
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Citynews
E info@w-hospital.in
For Advertising, Please Contact:
W www.w-hospital.in
54
Top chefs and critics come together to celebrate and
felicitate the best when it comes to food
Urogynaecology
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s comebackGynaecological
film
disease
Jazbaa grabs headlines before release
management
Ÿ
40
Professional wrestling icon Mark
Henry visits Gurgaon as the fan
following grows among youngsters in India
Page 4-5 >>>
9810563407
COVER STORY
FESTIVE SPIRIT
It’s raining discounts and offers as Gurgaonites get down to shopping for the festive season
A Celebration Of Life!
There is a nip in the air and festive spreads of gourmet food are putting
Gurgaon in celebratory mode. Restaurants or Decorators; Online forums
or brick and mortar stores – there are discounts galore on nearly everything
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
Come September and October, the festive season begins in
right earnest. While Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid set
the mood from September, October packs in the Navratras, Durga
Puja, Karwa Chauth and Dussehra and the celebrations finally end
with Diwali, the Festival of Lights in November.
Interestingly, this time of the year is dominated by both fasting (during Navratras and Karwa Chauth) and feasting! This
is also the best time for shopping with some great discounts on
offer, launches of new collections, and opportunities to scrub,
clean and redecorate.
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Retail therapy? Yes, please!
The phrase “retail therapy” comes from the sheer joy derived
from shopping which is considered healthy if indulged in small
doses!
College girl Purnima Singh, who is an aspiring model, agrees,
“It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that I’d believe in retail
therapy. While I’m usually concerned about my finances and
watch what I spend, it seems to me perfectly healthy to splurge
a little”. This holds particularly true for the festive season.
COVER STORY
FESTIVE SPIRIT
The second edition of the Grub Fest (brainchild of young
entrepreneurs Aman Kumar, Arjun Jain, Chaitanya Mathur
& Mani Singh Cheema) is slated from 23rd to 25th October.
But food celebrations are not restricted to festivals alone as
restaurateurs and chefs create interesting events for the love
of food. Last month was packed with food workshops and
culinary cook-outs. An interactive cook out was hosted by
Gurgaon Network and Inner Chef at De Ghent Café at DLF
Crosspoint Mall with Aditya Bal, celebrity chef, and host of
NDTV Goodtimes Food who cooked up magic with some excellent ingredients.
The ambience and mood at the Barbeque Nation at DLF
Place Saket and Sushant Lok Gurgaon was upbeat, boisterous
and celebratory from September 24th (the eve of Eid) right
through till early October as it recreated the colourful sights
and sounds of Muhammad Ali Road through a charming food
festival.
Navratra Delights
The nine days of festivities during the Navratras have a
charm of their own even though the majority fasts during
this period. Restaurants and homes innovate with creative
Dussehra is a much-awaited event on the city’s festival calendar (File photo)
So even though she has her “favorite
pair of jeans”, she is always ready for
another, or maybe a jacket! Not just that,
shoes are her all time weakness and a
change in weather is always a reason to
get over the “September slump”!
The glittering malls are an obvious
choice for shopping but most people we
spoke to visit the malls to check out the
designs and their window dressing before rushing off to find the same online.
The made-to-order couture line appeals
to the glamazons and brides, explains
the manager at a high-end boutique in
Grand Mall. For others, it is still the custom order online which gets shopping
done with a few clicks and gives you time
to enjoy a tall, cold glass of bubbly in the
comfort of your home!
With Diwali round the corner, the city
has truly caught the shopping fever.
Ranjan Bakshi loves Diwali for an opportunity to go ethnic and encourages his
girlfriend Amita Talwar to do the same.
“She normally opts for modern luxury
but this season she will go for colourful kurtis which is a pleasant change
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from her tees, sweatshirts and jumpers!
So yes, fresh, contemporary style is our
thing,” he says. Vikas Singh, a Sector-45
resident working in a shipping company,
says, “My wife plans to buy 3-4 sarees
and ethnic kurta and pyjama for me”.
Festive fairs and Diwali Melas are an
event most looked forward to as people
eagerly wait to shop at melas that boast
of different stalls lined up with designer
candles, lampshades, paper craft products, wooden furniture, clothes, artificial
jewelleries, flowers, coloured lights and
other household décor.
A Festival Of Food
“Enjoying good food is the best way to
celebrate! I love food-based traditional
celebrations,” said celebrity chef and
food show host Sanjeev Kapoor when he
came to Gurgaon to be a part of a food
award show in mid-September. In keeping with these sentiments, Gurgaon and
Delhi have embarked on a culinary treat
to mark these months of festivities with
a series of activities that pay tribute to
India’s rich and diverse heritage.
Implants & Dental Care
SHOP TILL YOU DROP
e-shopping is the flavour of the season with e-commerce websites/e-retailors raining discounts in cut-throat
competition. From electronic goods
such as television, microwave, smart
phones, to cars, furniture, gold, dry
fruits, sweets; you name the product
and alluring offers come your way.
Some of the high-end designer labels
have also gone online and offer trendy
outfits at affordable prices in order
to tap a larger market. The products
which are witnessing a good demand
this festive season also include fancy
eyewear and stylish shoes
twists on the traditional fasting food items and prepare a rich
culinary spread that is a feast fit for kings.
Home cooks devise ways and means of keeping alive the
divinity through saatvik and nutritious meals that avoid
pulses and grains and are yet so exotic. The creative culinary
journey culminates with Ashtami and Navami with purichole and kheer dominating the celebrations. “I make sweets,
snacks or food at home using desi ghee so that we can ensure
purity in the food we consume,” said Yamini Saluja, a resident of DLF Phase II.
During this time, Chef Satish Rohilla of the City Club conjures amazing spreads which gets Gurgaon excited about
the season of feasting during fasting. So do Bikanerwala,
Haldiram and many other fine-dine and quick-service restaurants that report excellent sales.
World class dentistry at your door step
Call us for Special Inaugural Offers
COVER STORY
FESTIVE SPIRIT
Yam & Sabudana Wada
Chef Jasmine D Souza of FoodFood
shares this innovative yet traditional
recipe.
YAM & SABUDANA WADA
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sago seeds (sabudana), soaked
l
overnight
50 gm yam, cooked (suran)
l
½ cup peanuts(moong phalli)
l
2 tsp cornflour
l
100 gms khoya
l
1 tsp cumin
l
2 tbsp sugar
l
½ tsp black pepper
l
2 green chillies, finely chopped
l
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
l
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
l
3 tsp clarified butter, ghee,
l
Oil for frying
l
Salt to taste
l
¼ cup desiccated coconut to serve
l
1/2 cup yogurt
l
1 tsp red chilli powder, lal mirch
l
200 gms mithi chutney to serve
l
Celebration is best done through food, believes Osama Jalali
Lost Recipes of
the Mughal Era
Food critic and home chef Osama
Jalali, who has written over 2,000 restaurant reviews, curated the Shahjahanabadi Food Festival at Le Meridien
as a run up to the Eid celebrations in
September. Promoted as a Jalali family affair with his mother (ammi), wife
and children participating in the event,
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it also signified the involvement of the
extended family in the celebrations.
He recalls those days when his doctor
father had grateful patients bringing
in the choicest of delicacies as a thank
you gesture and also sharing the secret
recipes with his mother.
“When my father died, my mother became despondent and I involved her in
cooking as a therapy,” he recalls. Over
time, those authentic recipes com-
PREPARATION METHOD
Heat oil for frying in a wok/pan.
Blend sabudana coarsely in a mixer and
add it into a bowl.
Take another frying pan and add ghee
in it. When the ghee is hot, add cumin
seeds and cooked yam. Keep stirring for
five minutes or until the yam becomes a
little dry.
Now add salt to taste, sugar, black pepper, green chillies and ginger and mix
well.
Add this mixture to the sabudana bowl.
Add roasted peanuts and crushed khoya
and mix well. Add cornflour and mix
well.
Make small dumplings with your hands
and deep fry them until golden brown.
Remove on a plate and garnish with yogurt, desiccated coconut, a pinch of red
chilli powder and coriander leaves and
serve with sweet chutney.
DLF
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I October 2015 I 13
COVER STORY
FESTIVE SPIRIT
Jewellery Trends This Season
“Everyone wants to make a
style statement with exclusive
jewellery. We can see the
exchange of designs and
accessories within the diverse
culture in India. Another trend
that is catching up is the versatile
jewellery. The brides can use
their gorgeous neckpiece and
wear it elegantly as a tiara or
maang tikka. The maang tikka
can be detached and worn as
a pendant and the pendant as
earrings”
Seema Mehta,
Director - Creative, Kirtilals
bined with Osama Jalali’s deep research
into the lost recipes of the Mughal era
became a popular food festival theme
which won rave reviews.
Festive cooking is about rich ingredients and great taste, but homely warmth
and love add the edge, explains Jalali
who had included some simple and delicious recipes like Chane Ki Dal Ka Bharta; Kachhe Keeme Ki Tikiya; Urad Gosht;
the ever popular Nihari Gosht; Qorma;
Shahi Tukda and the unusual All ka
Zarda and Gosht Halwa. Explaining how
wedding ceremonies are incomplete if
the ‘Walim’ (reception after the Nikaah
– or marriage) does not include Gulathi
and Taar Gosht, he reiterates, “In our
culture, celebration is best done through
food and it is home food that comforts
and denotes the festive spirit!”
Tech Savvy Gifting
The festive season is incomplete without gifts and the Millennium City is also
giving gifting a modern twist. Gone are
the days of mithai and namkeens. In
comes innovation and creativity that
gives you myriad gifting options which
are just a click away!
It is not just individuals who get into
gifting mode for friends and relatives.
The corporates too find it an opportune
time to create goodwill by gifting those
who they are associated or likely to be
professionally linked with. “From kitchen needs to expensive electronics gadgets
such as computers, laptops, and phones
as well as the silver and gold coins, gifting comes in many forms,” says Vidhi
Chopra who manages a gift shop in Delhi
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COVER STORY
FESTIVE SPIRIT
Home Decor
Fabrics, furnishings and home decor accessories
needs to be soft and delicate to provide warmth,
add colour and an aesthetic appeal
and Gurgaon.
Traditional gifts of candles, chocolates,
customized gift packs and linen have all
got a fresh breath of creativity with designers and retailers taking the time to explore the changing preferences for unique
and unusual gifts that may include pottery,
home décor, Swiss knives, sunglasses and
so on. Other items that are popular for
gifting this season include exquisite silver
ware and silver-plated items, porcelain
statues and glass and crystal ware.
Dress Your
Home In Festivity
“It’s the most auspicious time to decorate” says an excited Geeta Jethi, who
has recently changed her interiors for
the festive season. This is the time when
malls and market places are glittering
with new arrivals, trends and almost
every showroom is packed. Home renovation is an imperative aspect in this
festive season. “My house was in mauve
and purple, however this season I have
16
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I October 2015 I Citynews
changed to a different theme in rich
peach,” points out Jethi.
Talking to DCN, Prashant Saxena from
F&F (Floors and Furnishings) said, “The
trend is light colours this season. With
shades in off-white and beige, people experiment more with coloured cushions”.
Vridhi Batla Dhillon, owner Homesaaz,
says, “Fabrics, furnishings and home decor accessories needs to be soft and delicate to provide warmth, add colour and
an aesthetic appeal”.
Nina Singh, a resident of sector 17, has
also used grey and deep mauve coloured
sofas with light and dark shades of grey
curtains for her living room. “This season I liked the theme of mauve and grey.
I have used a lot of angels too along with
cut glass vases,” she explains.
Talking about curtains, Vridhi informs, “Plains, weaves, self-muted
stripes, linen and textured curtains are
in demand this year. In designs, vibrant
florals are more preferred against geometrics or abstracts on a polyester
look and cotton base fabric. Also sheers
in various concepts of applique work,
embroidered designs and linen selfprints are also in demand. Blinds are
also taking over the more contemporary homes”.
The colours that are evident in showrooms as a part of fresh stocks include
mauve, whites, pinks, beiges and shades
of lemon. According to Saxena, “Beige
and whites are most in demand and people are shifting to light colours again”.
Keeping the demand of the season in
mind, designers like Sarita Handa have
launched soft furnishings. Some collections this season have taken inspiration
from the Middle East and Central Asia
while others are inspired by the Suzani
pattern, Alhambra architecture and
Mughal influences. Decorative cushions
for the bedroom and living room are vibrant and distinctive for the festivity
ahead. Maroons, reds, aubergine, green,
indigo, blue, teal and purple are new additions in the embroidery palette ø
(Inputs by Reena Dhankher
and Rahul Ahuja)
CITY UPDATE
TRANSPORT
‘Public Transport
Is The Key’,
Reiterates Bharti Arora, Joint CP Traffic
OBSERVING THE WORLD CAR FREE DAY WAS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF INITIATIVES
TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC ACROSS THE CITY.
by DCN BUREAU
A
city that has grown to be a
massive corporate hub in recent times, Gurgaon seems
to be battling against traffic
and infrastructure issues, which act as a
stumbling block in it’s path to progress.
Joint CP Traffic, Bharti Arora talks to
DCN about the initiatives and plans of
traffic police Gurgaon, to make a difference.
Here are excerpts from an interview.
What is the most recent initiative of
Gurgaon Traffic Police?
Gurgaon celebrated the World Car Free
Day on September 22. We had selected four
corridors where no on street parking was
allowed. We had put in lots of efforts to con-
Navdeep Singh Virk, CP Gurgaon and Bharti Arora , Joint CP traffic cycle their way on car free day
18
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I October 2015 I Citynews
vince corporates and people of Gurgaon to
travel using cycles or public transport, on
the day. We had engaged some extra shuttles and around 400 extra buses for the day.
The rapid metro frequency was three to
three-and-a-half minutes on the day. The
four routes were Leisure Valley to Cyber
City, Sikanderpur to Genpact Chowk,
Huda City Centre to Subhash Chowk and
Electronic City. We had also provided cycling tracks in as many places as possible.
The use of public transport brings down
pollution levels, solves the traffic congestion and helps to keep you healthy. No car
today is for a better tomorrow.
Tell us about other initiatives that
you have been working on?
Amongst the other initiatives, we have
had a de-congestion drive on major crossings like Signature Towers, Sector 31 and
Rajeev Chowk. Further, we have been encouraging people to go in for car pools. As
far as the condition of roads is concerned,
the civil engineering has to take ownership
but for traffic we are making efforts.
We also had summer camps this season
where we trained children on traffic rules,
challans and also self-defence techniques.
The parents also joined as RSOs (Road
Safety Officers) to help in traffic management. One more interesting initiative was
the animation film camp for the underprivileged. The children have made animation and non-animation films on traffic, which will be screened at PVR soon.
You had recently observed ‘Zero
Tolerance Day’ on challans. Tell us
about it.
We had issued about 1,800 challans on
the day. All of them were due to visible
‘ No Car Today’ for
A Better Tomorrow
I
n a bid to encourage de-congestion
of traffic on roads and also improve
the environment, the World Car
Free Day was celebrated in Gurgaon on
September 22. In sync with the theme,
a sincere effort was made to reduce private vehicles on road. “The idea was to
encourage the use of public transport
and help people realise its benefits,”
said Bharti Arora, Joint CP Traffic.
“I took an auto from my residence
in Sector 45 to Huda Metro Station
and then reached Sikanderpur from
where I boarded the rapid metro and
ultimately a shuttle to Udyog Vihar. It
was nice to be a part of this initiative”
said Umesh, an employee of Digiworld.
Similarly, Nimisha Khanna, who works
for a BPO, said she was happy to have
contributed his bit to the environment.
Just as concepts of cycling, marathons
and ‘Raahgiri’ have been extremely
popular in changing the mindset of
people to improve the traffic scenario,
the Traffic Department too is trying to
make a difference with such initiatives.
offences like ignoring seat belts and helmets, talking on mobiles while driving,
uniforms for auto drivers and triple riders. The RSOs worked hard on the day
along with the large number of traffic
“We must make use of cycles for close
distances and even walking for ones in
close proximity,” said Prabhat Aggarwal, a cycling enthusiast.
There was strict vigilance on the day
on designated routes and as many as 20
cranes were kept ready to tow away vehicles which were wrongly parked.
cops. You see the people need to understand that these are for their own safety
even though we face criticism for it. However, this is our duty and we will continue
to do it to the best of our ability. ø
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I October 2015 I 19
PEOPLE
FACE OF THE MONTH
PEOPLE
sunil JAIN
Group CFO- Videocon
A
n IIM
Ahmedabad
alumni, he
hails from the Pink
City and is Group
CFO, Videocon
Tell us about your corporate journey and
experience?
I have been a part of the corporate world since 1990. I
started my first job with Autolite India Ltd, Jaipur. I
moved from Jaipur to Aurangabad, then to Mumbai
and finally Gurgaon. It’s been almost 20 years I have
been associated with Videocon Group and currently I
hold the position of a Group Chief Financial Officer (CE
– HA and Mobile H/Set div.) Prior to this position, I was
with Videocon D2h as a CFO. I enjoyed my tenure at
D2h, setting up the entire business model from scratch.
Being a qualified cost accountant and company
secretary, I always keep my focus on cost innovation and
system implementation. The field of finance is
extremely critical and challenging but what is life
without competing goals, so I enjoy every bit of it!
What challenges have you faced in consumer
durables industry as it is constantly evolving?
We at Videocon always focus on quality, technology
and cost innovation. We believe not only in ‘Make in
India’ but also ‘Research in India’. Since the industry
is very competitive, we always monitor the market
trend, customer need and economic situation and
keep reviewing every parameter to see a healthy
bottom line. We follow backward integration, top to
bottom and bottom to top approach to understand the
market needs and business requirements. Consumer
is at the forefront of consumer durable industry
hence continuous product and cost innovation is the
only key to success. Besides it’s interesting to analyse
consumer behaviour.
How has been your stay in Gurgaon?
It’s been six years now in Gurgaon. The city has
changed drastically in the last few years. I love the
space, the lifestyle and proximity to Delhi. Kingdom
of Dreams, India’s first live entertainment destination
and DLF CyberHub are great places of attraction.
Gurgaon, in fact, has got beautiful infrastructure, a
lot of it newly built. However, at the same time, it
lacks basic infrastructure like drainage system,
adequate power supply, roads and sewerage systems.
DLF
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I October 2015 I 21
PEOPLE
ASHISH CHOPRA
Crossing
Hurdles,
A ‘Game’
For Him!
FROM BEING AFFECTED BY PARKINSON’S
DISEASE TO BREAKING RECORDS IN KUKU
KUBE, ASHISH CHOPRA HAS FOUGHT ALL
ODDS TO BE WHERE HE IS TODAY. HE
SPEAKS TO DCN ABOUT HIS JOURNEY SO
FAR AND THE ROAD AHEAD
by REENA DHANKHER
Ashish, who mastered Kuku Kube on his smart phone once he was introduced to it, has been gaming his way to success
A hotel management degree from Switzerland, a career in
prestigious hotels and a great family, Ashish Chopra could not
have asked more from life. Till Parkinson’s disease turned it upside down. Once captain of the school sports team and a marathon lover, the disease left him struggling even to walk small
distances.
But then life gives everybody a second chance. And Ashish got
his too. It was a game that gave him that sense of purpose back
in life. During a casual conversation with a group of friends who he had studied with at Ajmer’s Mayo College - Ashish took
up a freak challenge to play Kuku Kube, an android-based game
considered a tough one in the gamers’ world. And boy, he did
play! A determined Ashish broke so many records that he is today the proud winner of awards and medals for his miraculous
achievement.
LOOKING BACK…
Ashish could never resist sports and was a fiery athlete in school
besides being the sports captain. He loved marathons while cycling, table tennis and swimming were his favorites. ‘A positive
22
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
boy with leadership qualities’ is what his friends from school recall him as. Ashish completed a hotel management course from
Montreaux in Switzerland and worked for many top cadre hotels
before Parkinson’s affected his work and he had to resign.
STRUGGLING TO SUCCEED
Once diagnosed with the disease, he felt the world come crashing down on him. “I felt lost and neglected. I just could not think
what to do in life,” he recalls. But God had his own plans for the
young man. Ashish got introduced to the game of Kuku Kube
and soon started mastering it on his smart phone. Kuku Kube
is an eye-testing puzzle game in which the number of squares
increases and you have to differentiate one out of the entire
lot. “My score is 82 in 60 seconds. I won several awards such
as Unique World Records for highest score in Kuku Kube Mobile Game, India Book of Records – Kuku Kube Puzzle Game,
Indian Achiever Book of Records – Kuku Kube Eye Testing Mobile Game, Golden Book of World Records – Highest Score in
Kuku Kube in one minute, World Amazing Records, and World
Records India,” says Ashish.
“He used to stay awake at night till as long as 2 am, practicing
the game. So much so that he had to get spectacles! But he used
to tell me one day the world will know me,” says Mita Chopra,
his wife. A life partner in the true sense, Mita has supported
her husband through thick and thin. She adds, “He saw potential in the game and hence was successful in breaking records.
His efforts show how well connected he remains with other record holders who have recognised his efforts.”
HIS LIFELINE
Ashish has had an extremely supportive family and he owes
his success to their love and affection. ‘It was their trust that
I could do it” he expresses. Says his son Tejas, “My father has
always taught me to try hard and never lose hope or get discouraged and I am proud of him”.
Ashish loves to spend time with his family. His parents, especially his mother, have been his pillar of strength, giving him
unconditional support when he needed it the most. “He was
given the best of education, sent abroad and now his parents
are proud of his willpower. You see Parkinson’s at such a young
age is one in a million cases,” points out Mita.
HIS INTERESTS
Apart from playing Kuku Kube, Ashish has not been able to get
over his love for marathons.
“A man who finds difficulty in walking was adamant to cycle
and so without telling anyone, he bought a cycle and started
cycling and by the time we got to know, he had perfected it,”
recalls Mita, explaining the naughty side in him. Ashish also
volunteers for marathons and tries to do what best he can.
Ashish is a good singer and also believes in staying fit through
yoga. One of his favourite activities is staying connected with
friends on ‘WhatsApp’ “I am in touch with my Mayo alumni.
They call me ‘Goldie’ because I used to have golden hair,”
smiles Ashish.
Ask him what is next on his list and he is quick to reply, “I have
realised that if you have the love and passion for something in
life, pursuing it isn’t difficult at all! That’s why I am now motivated to apply for a Honorary Doctorate from World Records
University, United Kingdom (UK).” ø
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 23
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PEOPLE
JEEVESHU AHLUWALIA
‘Laughterpreneur’
With Flair
COMEDY IS TRAGEDY PLUS TIME,
SAYS THE STAND-UP COMIC
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
If you have seen the recent Grofers
shopping app advertisement where a glib
talking charmer of a husband gets his
wife all romantic because he has ordered
groceries and prepared dinner, you will
know what a fine actor Jeeveshu is. His
smooth moves, easy charm and impressive baritone are well complemented by
his brilliant sense of comedy, not to forget that innocent expression at the end
of the commercial which makes you realise that it was all a dream! The tagline,
“You don’t always get what you want,
which is why we get what you need,” is
equally appropriate for the affable Jeeveshu Ahluwalia who has taken the Gurgaon comedy scene by storm.
Former corporate, now stand-up comic
and TV actor Jeeveshu Ahluwalia describes himself as tall, dark and handsome but happily introduces himself as
short, fat and cute when we meet him.
His visiting card is just as whimsical as
he is as it shows images of a man, a woman and a fat man with the words ‘Laughterpreneur’ emblazoned across.
Here is an entrepreneur who prioritises
a good laugh over any business matter
even as he explains that since most people look at fat people as the ‘third gender’
after man and woman, he depicted it on
his card!
The first thing that strikes one about
Jeeveshu (other than the tattoos all over
his arms which he says were done in
pieces across the world) is that glow that
comes from doing what makes him happy.
The other remarkable thing is his ability
to see humour in everyday situations as
he effortlessly comments on this and that
The affable Jeeveshu is a hit on the Gurgaon
comedy scene
26
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
with an intensity and passion which are
so much a part of his personality. By his
own admission, he believes in seeing fun
in everyday situations as he quips, “I gossip with my mom and stalk my exes on
Facebook. I am 35, live with my mother,
my best friend is my dog and to change
things, I decided to do stand-up. ”
Fat people are funny, isn’t that a cliché?
And what if he became thin? His answer
can’t help but make sense, even if it is
a bit hard to believe as he says, “I think
all fat guys are picked on when they are
young so they not only get immune to it
but also become good at giving it back so
it’s like payback time.” And then he adds
with a cheeky smile, “Yes, I think if I lose
weight I will lose my funny bone :-)”.
What inspired him to leave a fruitful
corporate career and take up stand-up
comedy on a full-time basis? “I create
laughs for a living so like an entrepreneur, I am a laughterpreneur,” he explains. He adds, “The biggest challenge
to stand-up comedy is to ensure it doesn’t
turn into a profession and that you have
fun while following your passion.” The
other compelling reason, he admits, was
his basic personality. He recalls how he
was a director at ‘Teleperformance’ and
after 16 years of regular corporate life
with companies like Genpact among
others, he realised it was about time he
stopped existing and started living. “So
stand-up comedy happened,” he adds.
He has been the life of parties too as
he explains, “I was always the funny
guy around and it was during one of
Jeeveshu
Ahluwalia
Former corporate, now
stand-up comic and TV actor
Jeeveshu Ahluwalia describes
himself as tall, dark and handsome but happily introduces
himself as short, fat
and cute when we
meet him.
these get-togethers, I met Kunal Rao, cofounder of East India Comedy based in
Mumbai. He got me introduced to Amit
Tandon who got me my first spot at his
restaurant. Since then, stand-up comedy
has been the most fulfilling part of my
life and each day has strengthened my
belief that it is important for each one of
us to follow our heart and passion.”
With so many stand-up comics today,
how does he stay different? “The regular
art form of comedy at grass-root level
stays the same however each one of us has
a different delivery style. I follow a very
anecdotal and a story telling sort of style
which deals with my life, observations,
happenings and that’s what helps me connect with the audience,” he points out.
When asked about his entertaining cameo in the Grofers shopping app advertisement, he reveals, “Grofers advertisement
is in fact my third commercial. The first
one was for Suits Season - 3 for Comedy
Central India, then Phillips and now Gro-
“I gossip with my mom and stalk my exes
on Facebook,” jokes Jeeveshu as he poses
with his mother
fers. I think each comedian can do so
many other things and doing TV, advertisement, movies is natural progression
for any of us. However, nothing matches
with the high that a live audience gives.
Having said that, the reach is far beyond
our expectations in other mediums”.
Many people believe that behind the facade of comedy is a tragic story. Is that in
any way true for him? He agrees wholeheartedly, “I personally think that loads
of stories do generate from tragic situations but not all. So as they say comedy is
tragedy plus time. As for me, I talk about
me being fat, my mother, divorce, marriage among other things and needless to
say all such experiences are not great to
begin with.”
Probe some more and he confesses that
after his divorce, he felt his life took a
turn and he was unencumbered enough
to give up a safe nine-to-five routine and
follow a dream. He even admits on a
lighter note that Indian men will always
love their mother and so the wife will always have a hard time.
He admires many in the field of stand up
comedy, though he says, “I don’t watch a
lot of comedy unless I perform with a fellow performer and see him live. I love each
and every comic who makes people laugh
and cracks them up and it’s truly a learning experience to see anyone on stage with
great jokes and stage presence.” ø
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 27
COMMUNITIES
KASHMIRIS
KASHMIRI
Kaleidoscope
A SLICE OF HEAVEN IS WHAT THIS GENTEEL COMMUNITY
PROPAGATES AS THEY HOLD ON TO PRECIOUS MEMORIES
AND AGE OLD TRADITIONS WHILE BLENDING INTO THE
GURGAON FABRIC
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
The tiny terrace garden atop her
apartment complex in Gurgaon grows
her favourite greens ‘haakh’ and ‘batta’
28
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
(green leafy veggies and rice) which Anita Kaul laughingly calls, “every Kashmiri’s lifeline though any meal without
non-vegetarian dish is frowned upon!”
This HR Manager who works in Cyber
City and lives with her environmentalist
husband and two daughters retains ‘Kashmiriyaat’ even in the hustle bustle of Gurgaon as she recalls how a recent visit to
Scotland made her reminisce about the
lakes and orchards in her home state
which surpass even the English country
with their sheer beauty and poetry.
Peaches and cream complexion, sharp
features, deep intellect and a compassionate heart - Kashmiris were a much-envied
community till they saw turmoil and
conflict which turned many lives upside
down. Circumstances also strengthened
their love for Kashmir and the resolve
to maintain their ‘Kashmiriyaat’. Having migrated to distant lands, they retain
their deep connect to their home state and
keep a slice of heaven in their hearts.
Rubina Sushil from Sohna Road, Gurgaon has
authored a coffee table book on Kashmir
For the love of Kashmir
Says Kaul, “As a true Kashmiri, born and
brought up in Kashmir, the call of the
valley often beckons, while sitting miles
away in high-rise buildings of Gurgaon,
sans the greenery or the fresh air. Having spent nearly 15 years in Gurgaon,
my family has tried to retain that special
Kashmiri touch, and we are proud to call
ourselves Kashmiri, speaking our own
language, and following some of our own
traditions.”
Writer and academician Rubina Sushil
who recently published a beautiful coffee table book on Kashmir insists, “You
may take a Kashmiri out of Kashmir...but
never Kashmir out of a Kashmiri!” Rubina’s maiden name was Basheer till she
married Sushil Prasad and moved around
the country with her husband. Years of
travel later, she still bonds deeply with
her hometown and understands the psychology of a Kashmiri as she says, “Being
highly emotional in nature, their bonding
is deep rooted in everything connected to
daily life...the culture, the faith, the food
and especially Mother Nature. The multitudes of forced displacements have made
this bond even stronger, and everyone just
yearns to go back to the only place they
can call home.”
The love runs so deep that it makes
many of them leave flourishing careers
to recreate those sights and flavours
of Kashmir. Take the example of Nasir
Andrabi who did his MBA in UK and
worked in Singapore for many years
before the desire to bring the delicious
Kashmiri Wazwan to the world made
him set up ‘Khyen Chyen” – a speciality Kashmiri cuisine restaurant in Gurgaon’s Crosspoint Mall.
He insists that this is not just a business
for him but a deep connect with Kashmir that makes him passionate about
bringing alive his childhood memories.
“I want to put Kashmiri cuisine, art and
culture on the world map,” he points out.
Artist Neerja Kalia, who also lives in
Gurgaon, seconds it. “Having been born
and brought up in the beautiful valley of
Kashmir, I only have to close my eyes and
conjure up any one of the hundred images from my youth and there you have
it, a one of its kind composition waiting
to grace a blank canvas.”
Karishma Gurtu Mehta is a new generation Kashmiri who enjoys the get-togethers arranged by
the Kashmiri Association
Past and Present
Rubina believes that the new generation of Kashmiris has evolved in their
thought process due to education and
exposure. She explains how Kashmiris
were divided into the Pandit community, who were the intellectuals and the
educated class, and the Muslim business community who indulged in saffron farming among other occupations.
She also recalls how education was the
corner stone of the displaced Kashmiri
Pandits who continued teaching their
children even at the refugee camps.
“The old generation and the new generation of Kashmiris are different in their
outlooks though each one of them is attached to their roots,” she explains
The gorgeous Karishma Gurtu cannot
agree more. A new generation Kashmiri, her mother and father belong to the
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 29
COMMUNITIES
KASHMIRIS
Nasir Andrabi’s connection with his roots led to the inception of the Khyen Chyen restaurant
Tankhas and the Gurtus families who
migrated from Kashmir to Lucknow and
Indore. However, even today, she maintains some of the traditions followed by
her mother Pearl Gurtu and continues
to prepare a thali for the Kashmiri New
Year with mirror, pen, lakshmi and so on.
Rich Culture and Traditions
Karishma loves the royalty of Kashmiri
weddings and the fact that there is no
dowry exchange. Even though she is part
of the new generation that hasn’t lived in
the Valley, she loves wearing their phoolo
ka gehna and the peru jeru (earrings),
the jadau ornaments and everything else
that reminds her of her roots. She agrees
with Rubina that Kashmiris are introverts and rather shy but they love dancing and music and enjoy life to the fullest
like her parents who live in Goa and are
Kashmiri at heart.
Kaul explains that traditional music
(sufiyana/chaakri) or vaakhs or lal ded
are often played in their house. “As a
small community, we like to stay connected with friends or relatives and try
to meet at society get-togethers at least
once or twice a year, when a havan is
performed or a folk music performance
is held.”
“My daughter plays a few Kashmiri
bhajans on the sitar, a musical tradition
30
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
passed down my mother, who learnt it in
Kashmir.” At the same time there is no
compromise on getting good education.
“We have tried to imbibe in our children
taste for a good read, and tasty food.
Kashmir may be away from us but when
I look around, the carpet on the floor, the
tapestry on the wall and the samovar
in the cupboard, they are all more than
enough to remind me of my identity.”
Talk of identity and Rubina believes
she cherishes her roots for many reasons, prime among them being the culturally rich heritage where even an
ordinary horseman or a barber can
recite poetry or sing a ghazal! “On the
one hand, music, poetry and culture are
deeply engrained in the Kashmiris, but
on the other, they are very simple people
who are most comfortable in their own
homeland,” explains the writer.
Rubina also feels that faith is the cornerstone of all things meaningful, and
submission to the Almighty is enlightenment. “Humble and down-to-earth, we
Kashmiris strongly believe that no matter where you elevate yourself to in this
materialistic world, you remain the same
in the eyes of the Almighty. Whether it
is a MBA living a chic city life, or a peasant in a nondescript village, we remain
grounded and totally in sync with our
faith. Tradition is followed to the T on eve-
ry occasion, be it the rituals at weddings,
festivals and other important occasions.”
Anita Kaul explains many of these customs as she says, “Various festivals are
celebrated with gusto, Shivratri being
the main festival, when different nonveg dishes (surprise!) are prepared and
a two- hour ritualistic puja is performed,
with the young and old participating
with enthusiasm. Walnuts are worshipped that night and later distributed
among friends and neighbours, and we
continue to do this even today. Fasting
on Janmashtami, decorating a thali on
the eve of Kashmiri New Year (Navreh)
and preparing and sharing a special
fish preparation (gada bata) on a winter
night still continues.”
Kashmiri Cuisine
Karishma Gurtu, who is now married
into a non-Kashmiri family, similarly recalls some of the traditional dishes that
she loves cooking like the Kashmiri Basbhatta – a unique pulao; dum aloo; phirni
and mutton with arhar dal and the kofte
kebabs. She loves the get-togethers of
the Kashmiri Association and enjoys the
food, the chatter and the camaraderie
even though she admits that the gathering mostly comprises older people. “But
I love being part of it,” she quips.
Rubina too loves Kashmiri cuisine as
Qamar Khan has recreated the flavours of the valley at the Kashmiri Kitchen in DLF Phase IV
she recalls her early days in Delhi when
she was part of a group of college friends
from Kashmir who got together only for
the Nun Chai (Kashmiri tea). She often
entertains herself with the delicacies
from her homeland.
Dal-roti is unheard of, desserts too are
rare to find. Exotic veggies like lotus stems
and giant turnips come from most kitchen
gardens, and when winter comes everything from tomatoes, brinjals to turnips are
dried to be turned into fantastic dishes. The
crown of the most sought out cuisine goes
to Wazwan- a 36 course meal with every signature dish outdoing each other in taste and
aroma. “The Wazas (chefs), descendents of
Timur’s chefs who came from Samarkhand
around 1500 AD, are patronised by affluent
Kashmiri families. Their closely guarded
secret recipes make them highly sought after. The Wazwan is served on a trami (large
copper plate) around which a group of four
sit cross-legged to eat. The trami is already
loaded with mouth-watering preparations
like tabakh maaz, kabab, methi maaz and
kokur. The Waza then goes around serving
one masterpiece after the other. The last
one to arrive is gushtaba, a delicious dish
of meatballs in yogurt gravy, a fitting end to
a most amazing culinary journey,” explains
Sushil.
Her love for Kashmir permeates her
home as she recreates memories through
traditions and food of the beautiful valley. “The Kashmiri Wazwan is reserved
for formal occasions and part of the secret recipes patronised by the rich families. Of course, the famed Kashmiri pulao and the phirni are much loved as are
the kebabs and the snacks,” she adds.
“Food forms an important part of our
ethos, and we all love the rogan josh (red
meat) and the haak (greens), the chuk
vangun (sour brinjal) and the maats
(mince balls). We also ensure that we
cook and eat this often, if not every day,”
Rubina further explains.
To this, adds Anita, “The special vegetables, haak, sachul, maunj and vastu haak
and lotus root, are commonly available
here in winter. And if not, I try to potter
around in my terrace garden, where I try
to grow some haak besides narcissus and
roses from Kashmir.”
That apart, for the love of Kashmiri
food, Anita and her family often visit the
local Lakshmi Kandur (baker) in Kanhai
village (near HUDA metro) who prepares
traditional breads in his tandoor, as is
still done in Kashmir. “Whether it is nan
like girda, kulcha, katlama, telwur, we
enjoy it often with friends over a cup of
kehwa,” she expresses.
Elaborating further about authentic
Kashmiri food, restaurateur Andrabi explains, “Everyone has heard of Wazwan
but it is not easily available. I brought
eight authentic chefs from Kashmir called
Wazas and decided to recreate everything
I loved about this delicious cuisine.” He
explains how the pounding and mincing
is done with hands because they don’t use
machine for cooking in Kashmir!
Do they get many Kashmiris, I ask.
“Everyone loves the food and we get a
lot of Kashmiris – about 40% of our customers are Kashmiris who are passionate about food and go overboard with
the Goshtaba, the kebabs and the street
food,” says Andrabi who tells us that
people love ‘kanti’ which is a tangy and
spicy starter. Such is the demand that
home deliveries and house parties see
many a dish becoming a surprise winner.
At the same time, he shares, “Europeans
and Koreans also love the food and we even
have Japanese translations for them.” Andrabi now wants to create a Kashmiri Association and get talented musicians come
together for poetry and ghazals, thus creating a space for art and culture too!
So, what makes all of them nurture this
deep love for Kashmir? Rubina sums it
up well as she says Kashmir is nature’s
playground: “There is beauty all around,
the valley is indeed blessed- as if God has
painted it with His own brush. Reason
enough for any Kashmiri, or non-Kashmiri to visit at least once in a life time! ø
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 31
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
Teachers’ Day
Celebrations in Gurgaon
TEACHERS’ DAY TURNED OUT TO BE A GRAND AFFAIR IN THE MILLENNIUM CITY AS
VARIOUS CULTURAL PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES WERE HELD ACROSS THE SCHOOLS
TO MAKE THE TEACHERS FEEL SPECIAL ON THE DAY
Chandigarh Girl Wins
‘Miss Palaash 2015’ Title
by DCN BUREAU
“We all have been students at some stage
of our life and benefited from our teachers.
The day provides a wonderful opportunity
to students to show their gratitude and appreciation to their teachers,” said Nelima
Jelka Sharma, teacher in a private school.
To provide a unique experience to the
teachers, Amity International School,
D.A.V Public School, Gyan Mandeer
School from Naraina, New Delhi Public School from Rohini and many other
schools took their teachers, over 600 of
them, to the ‘Culture Gully’ in Kingdom
of Dreams to have a fun-filled day packed
with activities. “It was a wonderful and
one-of-its kind experience for the teachers. Usually we take them out to restaurants or parks for lunch to mark the occasion but this is the first time we visited a
place like this. The teachers thoroughly
enjoyed the experience,” said the principal of one of the private schools.
“I have received hundreds of messages
from our teachers expressing their gratitude for allowing them enjoy this unusu-
32
I October 2015 I
DLF
Citynews
al opportunity. They also acknowledged
the hospitality provided by the Kingdom
of Dreams,” she added.
Most of the schools and institutions
had made elaborate preparations for the
celebrations. Students of Salwan Public
School, Sector 15 offered gifts like greeting cards, flowers, chocolates and pens to
their teachers on this special occasion.
“Teacher is a person who always helps
students gain knowledge and stands beside them when they have problems. I
want to thank all my teachers for being
there for me,” said Pihu Jindal, a student
of 11th class.
To this, Gulshan Dewan, Principal of
Rotary Public School added, “A teacher
never differentiates between students.
They teach students as per the level of
their understanding. Teachers are always there for students”.
Scottish High International School also
celebrated Teachers’ Day with great zest
and zeal. The day started off with students of Grade XI and XII greeting and
wishing all teachers at the school entrance. As per tradition, the students got
together to put up a charismatic show
for their beloved teachers. School Chairman Kartikay Saini, the School Director
Sudha Goyal and Director Operations
Bakhtawar Saini helped the students.
At Lt Atul Katarya Memorial School,
Gurgaon, the morning assembly commenced with a special tribute to Dr
Radhakrishnan followed by a cultural
programme comprising dance and song
performances and elocution. Flowers,
cards and tilak ceremony made the occasion even more beautiful. A special
programme by the teachers was an
added delight. Principal Anshu Nakra
motivated the teachers with her inspirational words. She highlighted the role of
a teacher in today’s world and the great
responsibility shouldered by a teacher to
bring about a change in society. Chairman Col Dhananjay Katarya and Director Sumitra Katarya also graced the occasion ø
Miss Palaash Winner Aittal Khosla (second from left) and the runners-up with Mugdha Godse (third from left)
by DCN BUREAU
The six-month old hunt for the perfect mixture of beauty and brains, ‘Miss
Palaash 2015’ finally came to an end with
Aittal Khosla from Chandigarh winning
the first edition of the beauty pageant. Bollywood actress and supermodel Mugdha
Godse crowned the 19-year-old girl at a glittering evening at the Kingdom of Dreams.
The event kicked off with the 26 finalists, shortlisted after a multi-city audition, sashaying down the ramp after
which started the elimination rounds
which kept the audience on tenterhooks.
While all the girls sizzled in their shimmering costumes, it was Khosla who
swept the judges and audience off their
feet with her grace and intelligence. Niharika Dholua from Guwahati became
the first runner up while Neha Dabar,
also from Chandigarh was crowned the
second runner-up.
Praising the talented participants,
Godse said, “I would like to congratulate the winners and all the participants
who showed their determination and
perseverance throughout the competition. It is a matter of delight that Indian
women are becoming more confident and
coming forward to take part in such pageants. They are no longer shying away
from showcasing their talents.”
Speaking to DCN, Pallavee Sharma
Chairperson and Managing Director of
Panache Global Pvt Ltd, said, “We are
elated to announce the winners of our
first edition of Miss Palaash. We have
received tremendous response from the
people for the event and we believe this
is only going to grow in scale in the future. The idea behind the event was not
only to honour Indian women but also
encourage them in their various endeav-
ours and talents. We worked in sync with
the ideology of our global leader and
eminent Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi ji to promote Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan by getting our girls associated with
the campaign.”
To this, Inderjeet Singh Soni, Executive
Director, Panache Global Pvt Ltd, added,
“For us, this has been one of the most
overwhelming experiences. Throughout
the event, we were amazed to have come
across such diverse forms of beauty and
talent. We would like to congratulate the
winners and hope that they treat this
achievement as a stepping stone for future success. Besides the Swacch Bharat
Abhiyaan, we also got our girls promoting the ‘Beti Bachaao, Beti Padaao’ mission as we wanted to add a new definition
of Indian-ism to the world of glamour
and fashion” ø
DLF
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I October 2015 I 33
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
OCTOBER 2015
e v e n t s
Grub-fest
Rapid Metro Inaugurates
Sustainability Wall
23rd
October
23rd to 25thOctober
Ambience Lawns, Gurgaon
Panel discussion on workplace efficiency catches corporate attention
A Peep Into Future
Exciting Grand
Finale of a Car Rally
Enjoy exquisite Navratra Thali
13th to 20th October
Lunch and Dinner
I Maulsari
Dusshera Carnival
22nd October | 4pm onwards
I Main Lawn
13th - 20th
Club 3
October
23rd October
Club 4
Halloween Night
31st October | 7 pm onwards
I Oasis
32
DLF
I June 2014 I Citynews
31st- October
Dusshera Carnival
22nd October | 3 pm onwards
I Lawns
The wall that speaks...Rapid metro sustainability wall
by BY DCN BUREAU
Rapid Metro in association with NGO UDAAN, recently inaugurated the ‘Sustainability Wall’ at the Sikanderpur Metro Station, in an attempt to promote sustainable modes of transport. The objective was to make people responsive to the
harsh effects of air pollution in the city.
Children from UDAAN created the wall and painted it colourfully to illustrate
the issues affecting the environment to send messages for a cleaner, healthier
and greener Gurgaon. Different images adorned the wall including that of traffic jam, increasing air pollution and Co2 emission with messages like ‘save time,
save energy’ and ‘relieve stress’.
The paintings, through a character ‘Chintu’, depicted how personal vehicles
have been causing pollution and traffic snarls. Till Chintu’s father used his own
vehicle, he would often return home late and tired but the use of public transport
gave him the option of safe, relaxed and economical commuting. Volunteers of
the NGO appealed to the people to use public transport and there was also a ‘nukkad natak’ to create awareness on this aspect.
Increased traffic and air pollution have been causing high stress levels that
have led to road rage cases and incidents. In order to support the cause of environment, propagating the use of public transport has been a step that has been
promoted across the city
CEO&MD of IL&FS, Rajiv Banga, who was also present on the occasion said,
“We would request people to switch on to sustainable modes of transport and
help reduce the pollution levels in the city.”
The wall was unveiled by Bharti Arora, Joint Commissioner of Police, Gurgaon. Extending her support to the cause, she said, “The city’s traffic system is
congested today and commuters need to make an effort to use public transport.
With so much aggression on roads and road rage incidents, every step will make
a difference. The traffic police will continue to make efforts in controlling the situation but a little responsibility from commuters will also help a great deal.” ø
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I October 2015 I
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Workplaces
by BY DCN BUREAU
When corporate bigwigs from across the Millennium City
came together to discuss future workplaces, the emphasis wasn’t
just on lavish and sparkling interiors; it was on the need to provide innovative and comfortable environment to the employees.
As part of Corenet Global’s India Chapter Event on Workplace Design and Efficiency, top corporates from Gurgaon
were invited to deliberate on the present trends in office spaces while also trying to visualise how workplaces could look
like in 2030!
The event, which was organised at Club Magnolias, DLF5,
was sponsored by DLF Cyber City. The panel discussion witnessed the participation of eminent names from the corporate
world including Amit Grover, National Director- Offices, DLF
Cyber City Developers Ltd.; B.R. Nagaraj, Director - Real Estate and Workplace Services, Google India Pvt. Ltd.; Deepak
Ohlyan, Executive Director, Global Facilities Management,
Dell; Prachish Vasudeva, Senior Director - Design & Construction, Hines and Sanjay Wadhwa, Managing Director, SWBI Architects Pvt. Ltd.
Syed Moinuddin, Director - Global Real Estate & Workplace
Enablement, Amex India moderated the discussion.
The views expressed were both creative and exciting. While
Deepak Ohlyhan gave preference to moving workstations which
could help in breaking monotony, he said, “Dell has made use of
bright colours and open workstations with comfort as the foremost requirement for employee satisfaction.” However, Moinud-
din felt there could also be treadmill workstations!
Grover, on the other hand, stressed on consistency as he said,
“We must incorporate changes that have a reasonably long life
making use of the dynamism available.”
To this, Grover added, “Commercial buildings need servicing, every 12 to 15 years. AHU change needs to happen and
refurbishment is part of our business plan which is critical
to providing comfortable office spaces. I feel the idea of an
eco-system here is imperative with features like green wall,
no cabins and collaborative workspaces and bright coloured
interiors which can further enhance the look of office spaces.”
A couple of highlights of the discussions were ‘having swimming pools in offices and coming up with a technology where
one could scribble anywhere!’ The panelists firmly believed
that advances in technology will further enable collaboration
and innovation.
The audience raised the issue of certain considerations for
women employees such as CCTV cameras for security, a feasible transport system, crèche facilities for mothers with toddlers and flexible working hours.
Speaking to DCN, Maneesh Chugh, VP of a corporate company, said, “It was good to see senior members from organisations discuss workplace challenges.” Sarbjit Singh Wadhwa,
from HP said, “The discussion was relevant and interesting.
These discussions give an idea about the elements that can be
included in workplaces in the near future.” ø
DLF
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I October 2015 I 35
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
Suncity World
School Celebrates
Ten Years
J K Business school event: Graduating with pride, students at the convocation ceremony
7th Annual Convocation
Of JK Business School
THE 7TH ANNUAL CONVOCATION OF JK BUSINESS
SCHOOL (JKBS) SAW 93 STUDENTS FROM BATCHES, 20122014 AND 2013-2015 GRADUATING WITH HOPES FOR A
BRIGHT FUTURE IN THE CORPORATE WORLD
by DCN BUREAU
The 7th annual convocation of JK
Business School (JKBS) saw 93 students
from batches, 2012-2014 and 2013-2015
graduating with hopes for a bright future
in the corporate world.
The convocation, which was held at their
Gurgaon campus recently, was attended by
P. Balaji, Director, Vodafone India Ltd
and Dr. P.V.Gupta Member, Advisory Committee, MDU, Rohtak (Former Director,
Thapar University, Patiala) among others.
While diplomas of PGDM programmes
were given away to all the students, the
girls bagged five of the seven medals in
academic excellence.
Speaking on the occasion, P Balaji said,
“In the present times, young managers
have the luxury of choices in terms of
types of jobs and entrepreneurship. The
need is to dream, explore and experiment.
It is also important to build bonds and
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I October 2015 I
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create strong networking with one’s colleagues at college and work-places.” He
also spoke of the need to serve the society
at large, especially the underprivileged.
Dr Sanjiv Marwah, Director JKBS told
DCN that the present set of students understand and respect the fact that education can get them better careers. “They
have evolved with internet and multiple
information channels, hence they have
fixed viewpoints and they believe everyone has a right to do well in life. The generations are changing and so the teaching
pedagogy also has to undergo a change,”
he said.
He added, “Change is a big challenge but
our teachers have changed themselves as
per the demand and hence they command
the respect they get today.” The ceremony
ended with the National Anthem after
which the guests planted saplings. ø
The Suncity World School recently
completed 10 successful years in Gurgaon and to mark the occasion, they
organised an interschool quiz competition, which was attended by popular
quizmaster Siddhartha Basu.
The celebrations began with the lighting of lamp by Director Laxmi Narain
Goel, Vice Chairman Ankit Goel and
Principal Rupa Chakravarty.
While there was a wave of enthusiasm
among the students, Basu took the excitement a few notches higher when he
stepped on to the stage to welcome the
teams that qualified for the finals. Although the teams appeared a bit nervous in the beginning, they smoothly
raced ahead as the rounds progressed.
A rapt audience enjoys the discussion
Gurgaon Celebrates LOVE
by DCN BUREAU
The last two rounds turned out to
be the deciding factor for victory and
the first position went to DAV Public
School, Gurgaon. While Delhi Public School, Sector 45 came second, the
third position went to Chiranjiv Bharati School. Students who were a part of
the audience also got a chance to win
prizes as Basu asked them questions to
keep them hooked to the show.
Speaking to DCN on the occasion, Director Laxmi Narain Goel said, “The
idea of having a quiz programme was to
try and inculcate reading habits in children. In our times, we never had so many
facilities, but today there is internet that
is easily available and even the children
have tremendous talent to make the best
of the opportunities coming to them.”
To this Vice-Chairman, Ankit Goel
added, “In our school, even though we
are technologically sound, we try to
give emphasis on conventional reading
as I firmly feel Kindle can never replace
physical books.” ø
Is it about convenience or quick gratification; romance or social norm - the
mysteries of love are clearly confusing
and difficult to understand as was obvious when columnist and entrepreneur
Suhel Seth, bestselling writer Yashodhara Lal, film critic and author Anna MM
Vetticad and stand up comedian Jeeveshu Ahluwalia in an informal chat with
the intellectual and artistic Gurgaonites
deconstructed the many shades of love.
The meaningful, compelling and fun
discussion took place at Le Meridien
Gurgaon on 5th September.
While confirmed bachelor Suhel said
“love is highly overrated”, recently divorced Jeeveshu felt he could never be a
successful comic if it weren’t for his divorce which freed him of encumbrances.
Anna, on the other hand, refused to give
up on love and commented that cinema
may indicate that people no longer pine
away but lovers still face the same challenges as society expects them to follow
norms. Yashodhara, whose books are all
based on love relationships, felt ‘this the
most exciting time for an author as one
gets to observe the reactions of young
people to marriage, live in and unconventional relationships’.
Suhel and Jeeveshu added the male perspective to the discussion while Anna
and Yashodhara gave the feminine angle
making it a delightful debate on relationship dilemmas which have confounded
even poets and philosophers!
The audience too had their share of interesting questions as a young lady asked,
“Who is allowed to love?” while wondering if homosexuals were accepted. Anna
Suhel Seth and Yadhodhara Lal
shared their views
agreed with her as she pointed out that
whether people fit the norms or not,
they should be allowed to exercise their
choice.
A question on whether a man and a
woman can be just friends sparked off
a debate on whether attraction between
friends can be detrimental to their friendship. The discussions spoke of romantic
love, filial love, even the long term love
that comes from a partnership of married people. Jeeveshu’s quip on Indian
men loving their mothers evoked hearty
laughter as did Suhel claiming that he
doesn’t believe in love but can happily be
an agony uncle.
The event was organised by Le Meridien Gurgaon in association with GLiterARTi (Gurgaon Art and Literary Club)
and Harper Collins Publishers India. David Hopcroft, General Manager, Le Meridien Gurgaon added, “Books and art mirror life. Eclectic guests, conversations
and snacks make this evening deliver
our hotel’s brand promise - We are committed to offering authentic experiences
through art and culture.” ø
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I October 2015 I 37
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
The rally was a four-leg event, with participants
attending awareness camps along the route
FROM ‘BEST DRESSED CARS’ TO ‘SPEED RUN WINNERS’ TO ‘TIME-SPEED-DISTANCE
RALLY WINNERS’, IT WAS A THOROUGHLY EXCITING CAR RALLY THAT CAME WITH THE
SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF CREATING CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS IN GURGAON.
by DCN BUREAU
Car Rally To Raise
Childhood Cancer Awareness
The four days and three night car rally
organised by CanKids with Western Motor Sports along the Gurgaon - Ajmer/
Pushkar – Udaipur route was open to
both men and women. Those who participated in the rally helped raise funds
38
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I October 2015 I Citynews
and create childhood cancer awareness
in addition to driving over 1700 kms in
four days from September 10 to 13.
Talking about the objective of the rally,
organiser Archana Malhotra said, “We
are taken aback by how much stigma and
gender bias there is about cancer. If girls
get diagnosed with cancer, they either
don’t start treatment or abandon it later
and that’s the reason we want to spread
awareness about the disease.” With Blossom Kochhar as their ambassador, this
mission has been steadily gathering steam
through a series of activities which eventually saw Gurgaonites get together for the
car rally to Rajasthan.
CanKids chairman Poonam Bagai said,
“In keeping with an international initiative to highlight childhood cancer with
gold colour, CanKids decided to observe
September as a “Go Gold” month. The
theme of the rally was also ‘Go Gold’ and
drivers wore golden ribbons to show solidarity with the childhood cancer cause.
Gold as a colour was identified as the
perfect symbol of cancer journey for children and their pricelessness,” she added.
The rally also saw the youth coming
forward to be a part of the cause with
21-year-old Vedika Singhal being the
youngest of them all. “I was in school
when I accompanied my parents on a
similar rally a few years ago. This was
my debut rally and I participated only
because I want to make an impact by
spreading childhood cancer awareness,”
she said. On the other hand, two-time
child cancer survivor Ritu Bhalla, 24,
said, “I wish to share my experiences
with people in Rajasthan and help them
counter the stigma related to the curable
disease.”
Apart for competing for top honours
in the four-leg event, the rallyists also
took part in awareness camps along
the route to share information on early
signs of childhood cancer and nearest preliminary reference centres for
screening tests. Community activities
with involvement of heads of villages
that fell on the rally route were encouraged while bilingual pamphlets on early
signs of cancer were distributed among
the people.
CanKids...KidsCan, a registered charitable National Society, focuses on providing treatment and care to children
affected by cancer by bringing them
closer to medical professionals for access to advanced treatment. Earlier, an
event to flag off the rally was held on
September 9th at the Good Earth City
Centre, Gurgaon’s Joint Commissioner
of Police Saurabh Singh, brand ambassador Blossom Kochchar and car rallyist Garima Avtar had flagged off the
rally.”Age is no bar to give something
back to the community,” ø
DLF
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I October 2015 I 39
SPORTS
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
Sarthak Sharma got a chance to catch up with the wrestler, who is also a
powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter and a strong man. Excerpts from
an interview with Mark Henry
Enthusiastic fan frenzy greets strongman Mark Henry at Gurgaon’s Kingdom of Dreams
WWE Fever Rises
GLOBAL JUGGERNAUT AND LEADER OF “SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT” EYEING
OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA?
by SARTHAK SHARMA
Parents have been fighting a losing
battle keeping their children away from
watching professional wrestling fraught
with violence and vulgarity for over a
decade. While that may have been a regular occurrence in Indian households at
40
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I October 2015 I Citynews
one time, it is safe to say that The times,
they are a-changin, an adage made famous by Bob Dylan.
With World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) becoming PG rating and a lot
less violent and vulgar, the Indian mom
might just be willing to allow her teenage son to enjoy the art on the television
screen!
WWE is the global juggernaut and leader of “sports entertainment” in world today. Its theatrics mixed with in-ring
You’ve been one of the few people
who has made the transition from
weightlifting to pro-wrestling and
done it successfully. How did that
happen?
Well, they’re both very different sports
and I think my size helped me make an
impression on WWE in a manner where
Vince McMahon (Chairman of WWE)
wanted me on board. With the outburst
of social media, wrestling has changed
with time. People are more informed and
educated about sports entertainment
today. Earlier, wrestling was based on a
simple fundamental - big vs. small, fast
vs. slow and evil vs. good. Now it’s complicated. We now entertain a smarter and intellectual group of people.
You say you have enjoyed every single minute of life as a WWE
superstar which of
course is almost unheard of these days.
Would you change anything about your run
with the company?
As I’ve said several
times before, it’s been
a beautiful journey for
me personally. Yes, I’ve
had my fair share of injuries but then again,
who hasn’t? It’s a risky
business but one that I’ve
loved from the bottom
of my heart. To do what
we do requires having
brains too.
One of the most infamous WWE storylines
was the great Olympian Mark Henry being known as a sexual
chocolate. Would you
care to elaborate on
the Attitude Era?
Well we have to understand that it was a very
different time back then. I was on board
with anything they wanted to give me
and it was a hell of a ride. It was almost
like a touring frat party! Parties in every
town with heavy drinking were almost
a mainstay at the time. Wrestlers made
huge amounts of money and spent it just
as much.
The Attitude Era happened organically because of the youth. Steve Austin
was young, Shawn Michaels was in his
prime. Everybody was in the prime of
their careers. However, with the current
corporate set up, it’s almost impossible
for fans to relive another Attitude Era.
India as a country has huge po-
tential in upcoming superstars but
lacks the right wrestling schools and
environment for youngsters to grow.
What advice would you give to us?
India has huge potential. WWE wants
to promote wrestling here as much as
we can. At the moment, we can neither
confirm nor deny whether there’s going
to be a WWE live event in India soon
but fans can certainly expect a number
of visits from various WWE superstars.
Indian wrestlers definitely have a place
in the industry. I really hope that the
future beholds the best for both. With
the strict no-racism policy of WWE,
I’m sure Indian wrestlers have a huge
opportunity to become
big in USA and possibly find another Great
Khali!
Share some impressions about India and
the kids out here.
I love India. The food
is great and I love samosas and butter chicken.
As for the kids, they
are the same wherever
one goes, be it India,
China or Russia. You
see them restless, full
of energy and enthusiasm and I love that in
children. Not just the
kids, I also want to reassure the parents that
what we are promoting
here is clean entertainment which is about
strength and power and
technique and stamina.
In fact, one of the reasons why I’m in India
is to motivate potential athletes to pick up
sports entertainment as
a career. With the right
amount of exposure,
you never know what
wonders kids can do.
DLF
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I October 2015 I 41
SPORTS
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
MARK’S
CAREER
MARKS!
Mark Jerrold Henry, born June 12,
1971, is a two-time Olympian (1992 and
1996) and a silver and gold medalist in
the 1995 Pan American Games. He is
credited with the biggest raw squat and
raw powerlifting total ever performed
by a drug-tested athlete, regardless of
weight class, as well as the greatest raw
deadlift by an American citizen. Since
joining the World Wrestling Federation
(now WWE) in 1996, he has become a
one-time WWF European Champion
and a two-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008
and the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011.
With 19 years of WWE experience,
only The Undertaker and Triple Hand
Kane have served a longer tenure with
the company than Henry whose WWE
career even allowed him to reinvent
himself repeatedly. “Becoming the
world’s strongest man again after 10
years was another highlight which led
to two World Championships. I’ve had
a pretty storied life,” he remarks as he
sees parallels between the 90s’ glory
days, and today’s generation.
Two-time Olympian and WWE Champion Henry signs an autograph
ability of muscular athletes, topped with
the gripping storylines, has for years attracted young fans to packed arenas.
That WWE has been trying to expand
its horizons in India was apparent when
Ten Sports and WWE brought American
wrestler Ryback to Gurgaon’s Kingdom
of Dreams in September 2013. The euphoria that generated among the young
masses made it clear that the craze for
WWE in India was here to stay!
WWE then went ahead to promote its
product widely in India with its flagship
show ‘RAW’ being aired live for the first
time in the country.
A growing and niche sector in its own
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I October 2015 I Citynews
right, professional wrestling is gradually becoming a phenomenon in India and
the wrestlers, huge role models for kids,
most of whom aspire to be as good as The
Great Khali.
The recent successful visit of ‘The
World’s Strongest Man’, Mark Henry
to India has further re-emphasised the
hold of professional wrestling over the
youth of the country. It is clear that the
WWE is making efforts to increase its
fan base in countries like India and if
the outcome is anything to go by, wrestling fans in India might get to see their
favourite stars perform live in their
country very soon!
WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN
BOWLS OVER GURGAONITES
‘Thank God, it is Friday’, swore hundreds of fans as they trooped into Culture Gully at the Kingdom of Dreams
where excitement was at fever pitch
in anticipation of the arrival of the
World’s Strongest Man. From boys to
men, everyone was chanting his name.
Finally when the music that heralds the
entry of WWE superstars started playing in the background, it was nothing
short of frenzy till the man himself arrived on the balcony, waved and chatted
with his fans. ø
SOCIAL QUOTIENT
DLF FOUNDATION
Annual Professional
Scholars’ Conclave 2015
Lt. Gen Rajender Singh, CEO DLF Foundation awarding Ram Kripal the Golden Award in B tech
Prof. C P Shrimali, Director MDI, Gurgaon awarding Pinki the Golden Award in MBA
THE TWO DAY EVENT FOCUSED ON CAREER GUIDANCE, SKILL TRAINING AND MENTORING
by DCN BUREAU
Professional Scholars undergoing a Training Program
The first ‘Annual Professional Scholars’ Conclave 2015’ of Nurturing Talent Programme (NTP) was held at DLF
Phase IV City Club in Gurgaon from
July 30th to 31st. The two-day event was
attended by over 107 professional scholars from 21 colleges, three states and
eight cities.
DLF Foundation has 234 scholars in
the professional category, spread across
the country, of which 120 were invited
from Delhi / NCR. Most of them were
engineering, MBBS and management
students.
The focus was on counselling, training and mentoring activities including
soft skills training, career guidance
and imparting skills for accessing job
markets, creating general awareness
on socio-political issues, economy and
foreign policy and so on.
The objective of the programme was
to enhance the skill set of the scholars, award the high achievers as well
as provide a platform to the scholars
to manifest their multi-faceted talents
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I October 2015 I Citynews
and skills. The event also gave them
the much needed networking platform
and inspiration and guidance to continue to move towards their aspirations and career goals.
The NTP team also looked forward
to establishing a one-to-one relationship with each scholar to understand
their requirements and challenges, if
any. Thematic sessions covered were
diverse yet generic to all professional
streams.
The Chief Guest for the event was
Prof C.P. Shrimali, Director, Management Development Institute (MDI),
Gurgaon. With a combination of entrepreneurial experience, teaching and
consulting proficiency, he turned out to
be the perfect role model for the scholars. His address to the audience with
excerpts from his own life experiences
was highly inspiring and left a lasting
impact on all the scholars.
The Guest of Honor was Lt. Gen Rajender Singh, CEO DLF Foundation.
In his address to the scholars, he em-
Sessions Covered
Career Café– by NTP Team
Transition from Campus to Corporate by
Inspirion Consulting
l Perspectives on Career Prospects, Higher
Studies, Internships, Job Search and Placements
by Ms Arti Ahluwalia, MD, Baltis L&D
l Preparing for Interviews for a successful Career
by Lt. Gen Rajender Singh, CEO DLF Foundation
l Perspectives on Participation in Group
Discussions & Interviews by Ms Arti Ahluwalia
l Mock Interviews- Extempore & Role Play
l My Visions, My Challenges: Coaching as
an effective tool for Career Growth- by Dr.
Keezhangatte J. James SAMAGRATA
l India’s Foreign Policy and The New World Order
by Ambassador Skand Tayal, IFS (Retd)
l Business Communication -The Non Verbal Self
– Body Language and Perception Management
l Business Communication- Speech Orientation
- Speech Clarity, Speech Expression and
Continuity of Thought
l Mock Interviews
l Training Needs Assessment & Feedback
l
l
Practical Session on Preparation for Interviews
phasised on the importance of personality grooming – from dressing sense
to code of conduct to everything that
makes today’s youth thorough professionals. His charismatic persona and
motivating speech struck a chord with
the scholars and set the tone for the two
day conclave. Incidentally, he was also
instrumental in selecting the topics for
all the sessions
List of Awardees Recognised For
Their Outstanding Academic
Achievements for 2014-15:
Golden Award in the MBA Category Ms. Pinki of BPSMV, Sonepat.
Golden Award in the MBBS Category Ms. Amrita Rathee of ACMS, Delhi.
Golden
Award
for
outstanding
performance in B.Tech. Category -
Mr. Ramkirpal Kumar of GGSIPU, Delhi.
Silver Award for outstanding performance in B.Tech. Category Mr. Sandeep Kumar of GGSIPU.
All award winners shared their heartfelt
experiences with the audience and gave
them an insight into how the scholarship
impacted their lives and gave them a professional boost and confidence in life.
Observation, Impact and Feedback:
The two-day conclave was a huge success. Scholars benefitted from the sessions which were generic to all streams.
Topics relevant as per the current requirements of scholars were addressed.
Scholars got ample opportunities to clarify their doubts from industry experts
and delve into the finer points particu-
larly regarding code of conduct during
interviews. They understood the importance of having holistic knowledge on
world’s current affairs, India’s Current
Socio-Politico scenario, Indian Economy
and Foreign Policy.
Feedback collected through interactive sessions particularly regarding
challenges faced by the scholars, and
their dreams and aspirations gave the
NTP Team an insight into more focused
workshops that need to be organised
for scholars to address their various
requirements ranging from career
guidance and personality grooming to
communication skills, expert advice
on subject matter particularly for
medical students seeking guidance on
research skills ø
DLF
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I October 2015 I 45
ICONIC PANORAMA
BUILDINGS
Standing Tall,
They Enthral All!
EVERY CITY HAS ITS LANDMARKS FOR RESIDENTS AS
WELL AS VISITORS. GURGAON, WHICH HAS SEEN RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, HAS ITS FAIR
SHARE WHEN IT COMES TO MODERN BUILDINGS WITH THE
LATEST CONCEPTS IN DESIGN. WE COVER SOME OF THEM IN
THE SECOND PART OF OUR SERIES
Sketches by MANOJ GUJRAL
DLF Square:
As Iconic As
It Gets
C
Dlf Gateway Tower:
Gateway To Gurgaon
T
his iconic building is variously referred to as ‘the Ship’ building or ‘Titanic’ by residents and visitors but for those who work
at DLF Cybercity, its location on National Highway 8, minutes after
you enter the city from Delhi, is the reason why it’s aptly named
‘Gateway’ Towers.
The building is an aesthetic piece of design and looks different
at different times of the day as it catches the light or silhouettes
against the blue skies! It stands out for its beauty, functionality and
location, all of which make it iconic.
In an earlier article, DLF Senior Project Manager Alok Kumar had
told DCN that this modern marvel designed by celebrated architect
Hafeez Contracter was inspired by a ‘drop’ shape and built on a mere
1.15 acres of land! Professor of Architecture Nimish Anand had said
that Gateway Towers signified that Gurgaon was no more a village as
its name suggested while architect Goonmeet Chauhan felt that “with
its beautiful bold skyline, the Gateway has panache to it!”
With the experiential environment of DLF CyberHub right opposite Gateway and the bustling Udyog Vihar across the NH 8, the
Gateway Towers Rapid Metro station has ensured ease of movement as the entry to the station is not even 10 steps from the building ø
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I October 2015 I
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ontinue cruising on National
Highway 8 and as you approach
IFFCO Chowk, DLF Square and Nestle
building stand out in the landscape as
a proof of DLF’s commitment to exemplary architecture. The building,
which is actually square in shape, is
built on an area of 435,000 sq.ft and is
located very strategically at the edge of
DLF Phase 2.
The design element of this iconic
structure has been compared with international buildings and still continues to be admired. While the square
shape of the building makes it more
efficient functionally, the surface area
covered on the ground for the lobby is
less as compared to the floors above
which makes it look different from others. According to Prof Nimish Anand,
the four masonry structure on the edges glorifies its beauty and enhances the
glass façade in contrast.
Chauhan has described the DLF
Square as “a very smart building” with
a nice inverted pyramid entrance - international, clean and uncluttered, the
result of some fantastic work done. For
architect Anoj Tevatia, the building
carries “a sense of symmetry” so that
the visual impression from all sides is
same ø
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I October 2015 I 47
ICONIC PANORAMA
BUILDINGS
Airtel Building: More To It Than
Just Colours
T
hat funky looking building with red and blue colours that catches one’s eye on the left along National Highway 8 as one travels from IFFCO Chowk
towards Delhi is the Airtel building! With its quirky
colour combination and strategic location, it has become identifiable with the cosmopolitan and eclectic
character of Gurgaon which gives a modern twist to
working spaces.
“An architect is the painter of the city, one who
adds colour to the surface. Very few architects have
had the courage to play with colours. Surely, the architects were bold enough to experiment and it certainly is a way to get noticed,” Goonmeet Chauhan
had told us. Our sketch of the building conveys what
Chauhan was referring to. Those who work in the
building and even it its vicinity love the exclusivity
that they enjoy being in such a landmark location as
it has the ‘wow’ factor!
According to Nimish Anand, “Airtel Building is a
perfect example of rhythm and symphony in coloured glass. This building also consumes less of resources due to use of coloured glass in its façade which
reflects the heat transmission and not the light. Therefore this building is an energy efficient building and
also marks the change in the construction techniques
and designs with the change of era” ø
Signature Towers:
A Familiar Landmark
C
ommuters and cab drivers are equally familiar with another iconic and strategic structure popularly known as
Signature Towers which is clearly visible when one crosses
IFFCO Chowk on National Highway 8. The square-shaped
structure has been combined with a semi-circle with striking precision and generates the attention it deserves. It also
enjoys close proximity to the huge food destination that Sector 29 is famous for.
Professor Nimish Anand has described it as “a unique piece
of architecture, form-wise and functionally”. It is often de-
48
I October 2015 I
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Citynews
scribed as one of the best-designed office complexes in India from the elegant foyer to the modern amenities, a neat design
language all over.
Many leading multinational and Indian companies have
chosen to operate their businesses from Signature Towers
because of its location which is just a few hundred meters
off the National Highway 8 in Gurgaon.
Interestingly, Signature Towers also appears in the list of
tallest buildings in Delhi/NCR which ranks buildings by
height! ø
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 49
FEATURE
GROCERY APPS
The hyperlocal connect is a win-win, says Navneet Singh,
co-founder and CEO of Peppertap
What are the highlights of the PepperTap journey?
At PepperTap, we have built a superloved, on-demand, hyperlocal delivery
service. Starting from scratch, this
service is now present in five cities, and
is expanding soon to five more. PepperTap, having started only 10 months ago,
currently is at an annualised GMV rate
of about Rs. 300 crores.
What have been your observations
about the Gurgaon-Delhi consumer?
The acceptance of our product has
been extremely high in Gurgaon and
Delhi. More than 60% of our customers
are repeat customers as of now, showing
a high rate of stickiness. Most of our TG
in metros like Delhi and Gurgaon comprises the working class who is highly
crunched for time to shop for their
groceries and that’s where PepperTap
comes in as a saviour.
With so many new entrants, how do
you retain that edge making it the
chosen brand?
Our business model differentiates us
from most of the other players in this
segment. We work on a hyperlocal model
with zero assets as against the brick and
mortar players. The inventory based
model fundamentally requires more
upfront capital expense, higher fixed
running costs and higher working capital needs. It is more prone to wastage
losses, and has sub-optimal logistics and
limited delivery slots. With no hassles of
handling inventory, we are able to provide seamless grocery-delivery services
to our users in quick time. Directly connecting the consumers with all grocery
stores in their vicinity, we ensure all our
patrons a unique and superlative shopping experience. The hyperlocal trend is
a win-win for both buyers and physical
retailers. It enhances the sale of physical retailers by giving them an online
platform to sell their products. Hence,
in the grocery focused market, an ondemand, hyperlocal, asset-light model
like ours is better placed to win.
What role do you envisage for the
local kirana stores in the coming
days?
We aren’t a competition for offline
retailers. Our business model helps
increase the sale of partner stores
indeed. Some of our partner stores have
recorded a sale growth of as high as 50%
since the time they have collaborated
with us. We envisage building a cuttingedge platform that enables selected partners to compete with the leading online
e-tailers of the country. The brick-andmortar stores are never going to be our
competition but our facilitators.
Supermarket Lohiya Mart is popular in DLF Phase 1 for its free home delivery
Groceries
Go Online
WORKING COUPLES OR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS,
STUDENTS OR THE ELDERLY, HARRIED HOMEMAKERS
OR BUSY STAY-AT-HOME MOMS – EVERYONE CRAVES TO
HAVE THEIR GROCERIES HANDPICKED AND YET EASILY
AVAILABLE AT AFFORDABLE PRICES!
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
Like most women, Mitali Banerji, a
stay-at-home mother, loves fresh vegetables for her kitchen every morning. “I
remember I used to watch my mother
50
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
(sometimes father) head for the freshest produce to the ‘haat’ just as dawn
broke on a Sunday morning and used to
wonder what motivated her to give up
that early morning ‘me’ time to catch
the best veggies! Now I understand how
important it is,” says Banerji. However,
she also admits that she can never find
the time or energy to do what her parents did and therefore she opts for her
favourite grocery app every time!
Many of us today detest the thought
of driving to a sabzi mandi or a Hyper
Mart on busy roads yet we cannot ignore
the love for fresh fruits, vegetables and
meats that contribute to lip smacking
final cooked products. And, grocery apps
completely understand it!
Convenient Shopping
In the past year or so, India has seen a
virtual mushrooming of online grocery
portals - with some even promising free
delivery on the same day, if ordered
within the first half, not counting the
attractive discounts and promotional
offers that make it worthwhile.
Although a decade ago, home delivery
options made many lives simpler as
friendly kirana stores catered to all those
who lived in the vicinity, more often than
‘We get it’, says Albinder Dhindsa, co-counder of Gurgaon-based Grofers, as he shares the journey
Tell us the highlights of the Grofers
journey since its launch.
We worked on a B2B model for a few
months, and then started the B2C
business with the launch of our app in
December 2014. This is when we started
catering to end consumers directly.
Since this shift we now serve 25,000+
orders every day. Customers get to
choose from 40,000+ products by 5,000+
merchants who are listed on Grofers.
Our app is available on both Android
and iOS platforms. We stand at 9,00,000
lakh downloads and counting.
What has been your observation
about the Gurgaon/ Delhi consumer?
Delhi-NCR has become a melting pot
of working professionals. The typical
habit of weekend grocery shopping has
become taxing because of tight working
hours and an increasing need of convenience at the doorstep. The transition
of traditional shopping method to shop-
ping on-the-go has paved way for greater
demand of online grocery shopping.
With so many new entrants, how
do you retain that edge which makes
Grofers such a popular brand?
We believe that the service that will
give a great experience to the consumer
and solve a lot of the underlying infrastructure issues will win at the end of
the day. So we don’t worry that much
about competition or new entrants, we
just focus on making our customers
happy!
The recent advertisements of
Grofers are very unique and edgy.
Who is the target audience for these
advertisements?
The campaign ‘‘We Get It” says “You
don’t always get what you want, which
is why we get what you need”. This is
aimed at young working professionals
between 25-35 years who lead busy lives
and value convenience. We want them to
leave their daily chores to us and focus
on other priorities in their busy lives.
What role do you envisage for the
local kirana stores in the coming
days and how do you compete with
the bricks and mortar shops?
We bring the neighbourhood stores
closer to users. We provide a platform
to the local merchants and help them
make the transition to online. Instead
of competing with them, we bring them
visibility among users who are not
reachable through offline channels. We
don’t compete; we collaborate with the
local stores.
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 51
FEATURE
GROCERY APPS
SPOTlight
Friendly Neighbourhood Grocers
D
emand for online shopping notwithstanding, neighbourhood
grocery stores continue to see
shoppers who love browsing, touching
and feeling the freshness of the products as they reiterate that their loyal
shoppers enjoy visiting their stores and
opt for home delivery only on busy days.
In fact many of them go out of their
way to accommodate the demands of
their regular customers and get them
exactly what they need. For instance,
Lohiya Mart, a grocery store in Qutub
Plaza in DLF Phase 1, sends regular text
messages to customers with promotional deals and feels proud of the fact that
it enjoys a loyal patronage.
Many others like Arvind Singh at Le Marche Sugar & Spice
at Galleria trash the claim that
not, we had to be satisfied with
their range of products, availability and delivery routines. Enter technology and e commerce
and a host of options are today
available at our fingertips with
minimal worries about the quality and packaging!
An ever-growing urban and
cosmopolitan population leaves
hardly any time to shop for routine stuff
like pulses and vegetables and so most
Gurgaonites are opting for that click of
the mouse or those mobile-based apps.
Riya Sharma, resident of Sushant Lok,
agrees, “I do not need to go out of my home
to get fruits, vegetables and other household items. Online shopping saves time
and money and gets us our desired products at our doorsteps”. Swati Mehta, working in the Human Resources department
of a private company, adds, “I don’t need to
get ready to go out; I don’t have to drive anywhere in my car and get stranded in long
traffic jams. And also I don’t have to stand
in any queues on billing counters.” She
feels online grocery shopping is especially
useful for those living far from the market
as she says that in many new townships,
supermarkets are not easily accessible.
Ritu Bakshi, a school teacher, is also
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I October 2015 I Citynews
online shopping would impact their prospects. He believes that despite a growing
trend of online shopping, people actually
enjoy window shopping and love visiting
markets and malls. Says Singh, “People
love going out whether it’s for grocery
shopping or other stuff. Through online
shopping, customers don’t get the liberty
of physically examining the product’s
quality and differentiate between good
and bad. Besides, our shop is in the main
bustling market area so I don’t think online shopping has affected our sales.”
Mewa Singh, owner of Vita Fresh, DLF
Phase IV Market, agrees. “Buyers like to
touch and judge vegetables and this is
quite convinced that shopping online is
convenient as it saves time and fuel. “For
fruits, vegetables and grams including
spices, I opt for online shopping and have
them delivered at my home,” she explains.
Tech-Savvy Generation
The main reason why grocery portals are
doing well is that people are getting more
tech-savvy, says Raghav Mehta who cannot dream of standing in a queue to buy
groceries. He also quotes the latest data
released by the Internet and Mobile Association of India which says that the online food delivery market has seen an impressive 40 % growth in 2014 and reached
Rs.350 crore by the end of December.
Fortunately for the physical retailers
and the kirana shops in the neighbourhood, online stores need them. “We
home deliver goods to our customers
not possible in online shopping. Customers like fresh and healthy food and many
don’t trust mobile apps or websites.
They buy from us only after visiting the
shop,” she adds. Latika Munjal, resident
of DLF Phase IV is in complete agreement as she says, “I have been shopping
here since childhood and this market is
just near my home. I don’t want to buy
grocery items online because I like to
judge the products myself ”.
Many others are more conducive and
having understood the trend, refuse to
be left out. “We have both the options of
online as well as direct buying. There are
some products which are sold online so
we have left it on the consumers to decide
subject to the availability of delivery options. And a majority of our customers
are interested in using the online shopping options,” says
Rahul Singh, who works with a
leading grocer.
in the locality through phone
orders. If big chains or online
portals tie up with us, it will
take our business forward,”
says Ajay Yadav, who runs a
store in Supermart.
Nielsen Global E-commerce
and the New Retail Survey mentions that while respondents
love shopping physically, many
were already ordering groceries online
for home delivery and more than half
were willing to use it in the future.
Navneet Singh, chief executive and cofounder of PepperTap, believes that it is
a capital-efficient model as logistics is
provided by them. From 50 orders a day
in January, they are now touching 15,000
orders. “We partner with local stores and
put their catalogues online and have tieups with 140 retailers so far,” he says.
Since the number of products available
in the online format is much higher than
neighbourhood shops, it is attractive
for consumers as well. Add to that the
professional packaging and guaranteed
quality and it is a winning option as long
as the price is right! Finally, it is the consumer who has the choice and many of
them are heading the online way! ø
(Inputs by Rahul Ahuja)
ECMO, the Artificial Lung
D
r. Sandeep Dewan is the Director and Head of the Department of Critical Care Medicine
at FMRI, Gurgaon. He is also
the Director of Critinext, Asia’s first E-ICU.
His field of interest includes E-ICU and
Extra Corporeal Life Support in refractory
septic shock and toxicology.
What is an ECMO? How does it function?
In intensive care medicine, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or
extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is an
extracorporeal technique of providing
both cardiac and respiratory support to
persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide adequate amount of gas
exchange to sustain life. This intervention
has mostly been used on children but
is now seeing use in adults too with increased cardiac and respiratory failures.
ECMO works by removing blood from the
person’s body and artificially removing
the carbon dioxide and oxygenating red
blood cells. Generally, for a person with
heart or lung failure, it is used as treatment at a later stage as it is solely a lifesustaining intervention. It takes away the
work load of the failing organs due to
which the organs recover faster and with
minimal permanent damage.
What purpose does it solve? What
principal does it work on?
ECMO helps the failing organs (mostly
heart and lung) when they are damaged
to such an extent that they are unable to
function despite ventilator support and
other lung and heart assist devices. It is a
kind of ‘Artificial Lung’ which gives oxygenated blood to the body as the native lung
is unable to perform its function because
of infection which may be viral like H1N1
or bacterial. In case of patients with heart
disease, it helps improving blood pressure,
particularly when the shock state is so bad
that the blood supply to other organs is
impaired due to heart dysfunction. The
heart dysfunction may be because of primary heart disease or due to bad effect of
sepsis or infection in the heart.
Can all patients be put on an ECMO
if they are in the ICU or there are specific conditions for it?
ECMO is not a modality for all the patients in ICU but there are no contraindications as long as the medical team
believes that the respiratory failure and
cardiac failure is reversible.
Criteria for the initiation of ECMO include
acute severe cardiac or pulmonary failure
that is potentially reversible and unresponsive to conventional management.
Examples of clinical situations that may
prompt the initiation of ECMO include the
following:
n Hypoxemic respiratory failure where
the oxygen levels are not maintained despite being on a ventilator
n Severe ARDS due to H1N1 viral infections
n Hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients who are chronic smokers with high
CO2 Levels
n Refractory cardiogenic shock due to
Acute MI
n Cardiac arrest
n As a bridge to either cardiac transplantation or placement of a ventricular assist
device
Does this technology have limitations?
ECMO has limitations if applied late as this
has best results when applied early. Unfortunately because of lack of public awareness on this front, most of the patients are
referred quite late when the damage has
reached the stage of irreversibility. Otherwise this modality when applied at the
right time can undo most of the damage
done to the organs due to H1N1 infections,
pneumonia or heart dysfunctions. In H1N1
patients, it can increase the survival significantly. Potential complications of ECMO like
bleeding should be kept in mind as the patient is kept on blood thinners.
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 53
WINE & DINE
FOOD AWARDS
THE BIG F AWARDS HAD WINNERS ACROSS VARIOUS
CATEGORIES WITHIN TWO AWARD SEGMENTS:
(i) The Jury’s Choice Awards where the jury comprising Chefs Manjit Gill, Kunal
Kapur and Sabyasachi Gorai and food critics Sourish Bhattacharya, Pawan Soni
and Osama Jalali selected their own winners in each category with each jury member having one vote.
(ii) The Popular Choice Awards where the nominated contenders were awarded
through a public voting system.
Categories
World Cuisine
All day dining in a Five
star hotel
American
Cafe
Chinese
European Cuisine
Italian
Japanese / Korean
Big F Awards Turn Out
To Be A Big Hit!
IT WAS A CELEBRATION OF GOOD FOOD AS TOP CHEFS AND FOOD CRITICS
CONVERGED FOR THE SECOND EDITION OF THE FOOD AWARDS.
by DCN BUREAU
That celebrated chefs, popular restaurateurs and food loving population
of the city clamoured to get an invite to
the 2nd edition of “Gurgaon-Centric”
food awards has made it clear that the
Millennium City is fast emerging as the
food capital of NCR! The Big F Awards,
54
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
that took place on September 18, acknowledged the efforts of all those who
have raised the standards in the culinary
world in their own little ways.
The pioneer of food shows, Celebrity
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the man responsible for modern Indian food innova-
tion, Chef Manish Mehrotra, the much
awarded Chef Saby Gorai, author and
TV host Chef Saransh Goila and Masterchef Australia top contestant Sarah
Todd were the major attractions of the
award ceremony.
Amid cheers and fanfare, the evening
Jury
Mediterranean
Multi-cuisine
Pan Asian
Latest Recipe
(Le Meridien)
Smokey's BBQ & Grill
Di Ghent Café
China Club
Pintxo
Zanotta (The Leela Ambience)
Eest (The Westin) –
For Japanese categories
Olive Bistro
Drift
Wokamama
Others
Biryani
Kebabs & Street food
Pizza
Biryani Blues
Quereshi
Fat Lulu
Biryani Blues
Tikka Town
NYC Pie
Pizza Express
Aman Dua (Farzi Café)
Machaan
Angels in my Kitchen
Soneeka Kannan
(Love at First Bite)
Smita Sabharwal
(From My Kitchen)
Sandeep Verma (Sandy's)
Area 69
Baker Street
Soneeka Kannan
(Love at First Bite)
Abhilasha Jain
(Marwadi Khana)
Sonica Singh
(Healthy Bakers)
Gul Ali
(Gul's Kitchen)
Nightlife
Best Stocked Wine Bar
The Wine Company
Micro Brewery
Pub/Bar
Soi 7 - Pub & Brewery
Café Delhi Heights
Rubicon Bar
(The Leela Ambience)
7 Degreees Brauhaus
Story (The Westin)
Indian Cuisines
North Indian
Indian Regional Cuisine
Dhaba by Claridges
Soda Bottle Openerwala
Punjab Grill
Khyen Chyen
RK Geetha
(Indian Food Freak)
Farzi Café
Sonali Priy Kapoor
(The Farzi Café)
Mr. X (Yummraj)
Home Caterers
started off with a bang with a stand-up
comedy act by Vasu Primlani (who was
also the emcee of the award ceremony)
followed by the award announcements interspersed with enthralling performances by belly dancer Priyanka Valecha and
psychological illusionist Karan Singh.
The evening culminated in a friendly
mingling of all attendees who thoroughly
enjoyed the delectable spread of Westin.
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who had specially
flown in for the awards from Mumbai,
said, “It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be a part of this event. I am delighted to see how much Gurgaon has
evolved into a foodie destination on its
own. I wish all the winners success in
life and even more accolades to come and
kudos to the Big F Awards for bringing
so much talent under one roof !”
Masterchef contestant Sarah Todd said,
“I am delighted to be a part of this event
Jury
Spectra
(The Leela Ambience)
Smokey's BBQ & Grill
Café Delhi Heights
Monk
The Wine Company
Prego (The Westin)
Gung - For Korean
Categories
Olive Bistro
The California Boulevard
Wokamama
Gurgaon Special
Best Mixologist
Aahata
Bakery
Home Baker
Awards were given out across categories which included World Cuisine, Indian Cuisine, Gurgaon Special and Nighlife
Popular
Food Freak Special
Best Restaurant Blogger
(Name with blog URL)
Debut of the year
Best Inhouse PR
and am wowed by the amazing talent
people possess here. It is so heartening to
see these awards giving recognition and
encouragement, not just to the biggest
names in the food world but also to the
smaller ones.”
Pawan Soni, Founder and CEO of In-
Farzi Café
Sonali Priy Kapoor
(The Farzi Café)
dian Food Freak and The Big F Awards,
while acknowledging the efforts of all
who made the event a success, observed
that “We have tried to include all sorts
of brands, even home bakers and home
caterers because we feel that talent is not
about size but the joy it brings us all.” ø
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 55
COLUMN
PET CARE
SPOTlight
Taking On Urinary Stones…
FROM THE VET’S DESK...
“Mrs. Malhotra panicked when she
saw her 5 year old Pug, Muffin agitated
and struggling to urinate, only to later
pass a few blood mixed drops.”
Like Muffin, pets in metropolitan cities
are facing increasing urinary health issues like Cystolithiasis (urinary stones)
due to the excessive mineral content of
potable water, recurrent urinary tract
infections, abnormal feeding trends
and genetic/breed predispositions as in
Cocker Spaniels, Dalmatians, Pugs, Shih
Tzus. Urinary stones primarily present
in dogs and cats are Struvite (Magnesium ammonium phosphate), Calcium
oxalate and Carbonate. Urinary stones
should be differentiated from kidney disease, inflammation/ infection/ tumours
of the urinary bladder, prostate gland
enlargement to name a few.
“So how do we proceed? “
From the diagnostic aspect, consult
your Veterinarian and get your pet’s
complete blood profile analysis including kidney and liver function tests done.
Urine assessment and culture/ antibiot-
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DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
ic sensitivity tests are mandatory. An abdominal radiograph can help pin-point
the location of the urinary stone(s). Ultrasonography is a routine diagnostic
tool for all such issues. Cystoscopy at
CGS Hospital provides a real-time internal view of the urinary bladder.
“What are our treatment options?”
Treatment differs as per the individual
case prognosis and definitive diagnosis.
Antibiotic and fluid therapy will be initiated; however, surgery remains a common option for Cystolithiasis.
A break through surgical procedure for
female dogs with urinary stones lodged
in their lower urinary passage and bladder is the non-invasive, painless Holmium-YAG Laser Lithotripsy Surgery
at CGS Hospital. When the Laser beam
comes in contact with the stone, it pulverizes the stone into sand-like granules
that are easily passed in the urine. In
male dogs, the success rate depends on
the number and location of the urinary
stones. Multiple stones will require more
than one sitting. Post surgery, pets need
to be housed indoors for 2-3 days.
Invasive life-saving surgical procedures
to evacuate the same include Urethrotomy and Cystotomy. In cases of recurrent
stones, Urethrostomy i.e. making an artificial permanent opening in the lower
urinary tract, is performed.
Post surgery, the retrieved urinary
stone should be analysed in order to
know its composition thereby helping in
preventing recurrence.
“How can we prevent our furry friends
from developing urinary stones?”
Provide ad libitum demineralized water to drink. Add the same to commercial
canned food. Ask your Vet about special
Prescription Diets available for your
pet’s specific need.
Remember: Early diagnosis equals better care! When in doubt, consult your Vet!
Cheers to your pet’s “Stone-free” life!
All the above mentioned diagnostic and
treatment services are available provided by the highly qualified and specialized
veterinarians at the CGS Hospital which
is setting standards in pet care. ø
By: Dr. Salisha Whitney Correia
(M.V.Sc. Vet. Surgery and Radiology)
and Dr. Parmod Kumar
(M.V.Sc. Vet. Medicine)
Diabetics and Oral Health
G
ood dental care is essential for
everyone but for those suffering from diabetes, it becomes
all the more important! “The
presence of diabetes can bring down the
chances of fighting infection. It reduces the
resistance to an infection and most importantly, slows down the healing power
which in turn affects the gums and teeth.
In fact, in diabetic patients, bad oral health
can often lead to periodontal disease. A
person is likely to fall prey to severe gum
disease and end up with tooth loss if the
blood glucose levels are high,” explains Dr
Heman Verma.
He further adds, “The worse aspect of ill
dental health is that various problems like
gum diseases may cause high sugar levels and diabetes may not actually get controlled. Some other diseases are cavities,
infection, dry mouth and a fungus caused
infection thrush.”
In order to identify oral diseases that could
be a result of diabetes, Dr Priyanka Verma
informs, “Swollen, red and bleeding gums
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
that cause loosening of teeth are indication
of trouble for oral health. Dentures not fitting well could also be a signal.”
Besides taking precautions, you need to
keep your dentist aware of your diabetic
condition, so that they treat you accordingly. “Mandatory dental routine should
include daily flossing that does not let
plaque deposit on the teeth. Brushing
twice a week and rinsing with mouthwash
can help you stay away from bacteria. Also,
people who make use of false teeth need
to maintain great hygiene levels. And yes,
quitting smoking is a precaution that’s necessary. In fact, two to three times a year,
one must get teeth cleaned by the dentist and get routine oral health check-ups
done,” she adds
Dental Stylers have a professional qualified team of implantologists who will help
you take care of your teeth and keep gum
and other deadly diseases at bay. Regular
care with timely visits to your dentist can
help you evade even the biggest of health
hazards.
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 57
UTILITIES
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Citynews
I October 2015 I 59
UTILITIES
UTILITIES
STATUS REPORT
WHO’S WHO
DLF CITY
THE
CITY
STATUS OF PROJECTS
PACE OF HABITATION IN PLOTTED PROPERTIES
Name of Project Status
SI. New Town Heights
Handover/Finishes in advanced stage
1I
3658
69.38
The Primus Terrace/upper floors slabs cast. Rough finishes in progress
2
II 3220 67.04
Regal Garden Terrace/upper floors slabs cast. Rough finishes in progress
3
III
Corporate Greens
Possession starting soon
Skycourt
4th-10th floors slabs cast. Club finishing in progress
4
IV
Ultima
GF, 1st and 2nd floor slabs cast in Towers H &L; K; E, J & S
Total
The Crest DLF5
Structure work in progress. Project reached 14th floor level
PACE OF HABITATION IN GROUP HOUSING
Project
Total No. of Plots
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
Phase
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 October 2015 I
ELDERS
YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS
DLF
Citynews
Silver Oaks Condominium Association – DLF Phase-I 0124-3034146-47
Mr. Tariq Raza
President
Mrs. Shalini Sawhney
Vice President
Mr. S.K. Sharma
Manager
Mr. S.M. Kehair
Secretary
Ms. Rupali Jain
Treasurer
Oakwood Estate Condominium Association – DLF Phase-II
0124-4052005
Major General A.K. Kher
President
Mr. R.P. Kaushik
Manager
Mr. Abhijit Malkhani
Vice President
Mr. Gaurav Dua
Treasurer
Beverly Park-I – DLF Phase-II
0124-4011757
Mr. P. S Duggal
Mr. Sarabjit Singh Dhawan
Mr. Rajiv Inamdar
Mr. Soumya Dutta
Mr. C B Singh
President
Vice president
Secretary
Treasurer
Manager
Beverly Park-II – DLF Phase-II
Mr. Adil Shiavax Nargolwala
Ms. Anita Kapur
Ms. Davinder Kaur
Mr. Arvind Srivastava
Mr. Ajay Goyal
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Joint Secretary
Belvedere Tower – DLF Phase-II
0124-4068251
Ms. Savita Malhotra
Dr. Manoj Talwar
Mr. Amit Malik
Mr. Deepak Sahai
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
9999270000
9818078883
9811059845
9818111000
9818549665
9810063523
9810056302
9811084744
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Belvedere Park Condominium Association – DLF Phase-III
Mr. Jai B Yadav
Estate Manager
Prof K Sundaram
President
Col. Ajit Singh Rana
Vice President
Mr. Rajiv Agarwal
Secretary
8800308285
9818621084
9650804787
9582210561
Ridgewood Condominium Association – DLF Phase-IV
Mr. Sanjay Batra
President
Mr. Vijay Kumar Verma
Vice President
Mr. Deepak Mathur
Secretary
Mr. Amit Dhanuka
Treasurer
Mr. Sunil Kumar Jain
Jt Secretary
9818093097
9810287402
9818664883
9810086577
9911317189
Hamilton, Windsor and Regency Park-II – DLF Phase-IV
0124-2396331
Mr. Vikas Gupta
President
Mr. Arvind Roy
Vice President
Mr. K.K. Bhattacharya
Secretary
Mr. Rakesh Sachdeva Treasurer
Mr. Yogendar Rajput
Manager
9810064017
9891357555
9810016816
9810266737
9871622323
The Aralias – DLF5 0124-4144848
Mr. Rajbir Sharma
9650493525
Estate Manager
Mr. Saurabh Joshi
Operations Manager
9650493521
Exclusive Floors Owners Society – DLF5 0124-4109536
Ms. Pallavi Sawhney
President
Mr. S N Miglani
Vice President
Mr. Apprajeet Bhatia
Secretary
Mr. Manish Purohit
Treasurer
Carlton Estate Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. N.C. Chatterjee
President
Mr. Arun Verma
Vice President
Mr. L.N. Sharma
Secretary
Mr. Raj Kumar Rathi
Treasurer
9873991945
9873757570
9650029189
9810405787
Trinity Towers Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. Jawahar Lal Vij
President
Mr. Rajan Misra
Vice President
Mr. Anuj Chadha
Secretary
Mr. Rajul Kulshrestha
Treasurer
9818967911
9910588700
7838802020
9899892911
Summit Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. Arun Bharadwaj
President
Mr Ajay Kalra
Vice President
Mr. Dipak Roy
Secretary
Mr. Bipin Sapra
Treasurer
9810725825
9818910123
9810398865
9971147072
The Pinnacle – DLF5
0124-4228770
Mr. RC Kesar
Ms. Parul Kaushal
Mr. Atul Sarin
Mr. Kuljit Singh
Mr. Jai B Yadav
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Property Manager
Wellington Estate – DLF5
0124-2385469
Mrs. Smeeta Roy Jain
Mrs. Sudha Kiran Sinha
Mr. Ajay Jain
Dr. Gautam Sen
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
DLF City Residents Welfare Association (Regd.)
0124-4055094, 2561888
Mr. H N Chopra
President
Mr. Sudhir Kapoor
Secretary Gen.
9899140100
9811555743
DLF CITY SENIOR CITIZENS COUNCIL (REGD.)
0124-2570417
Mr. Ganesh Dutt Gureja
President
Mr. Mohan Gulrajani
Secretary Gen. 9810638595
9818253979
Condominiums
Richmond Park
Royalton Tower
Princeton Estate
Park Place
The Belaire
The Magnolias
Address
DLF Phase-IV
DLF Phase-V
DLF Phase-V
DLF Phase-V
DLF Phase-V
DLF Phase-V
Contact
Mr. H S Shukla
Mr. Bijendar Singh
Mr. R Bhagchandani
Mr. YC Sharma
Mr. Anil Kumar
Mr. Sanjeev Saxena
DLF
Citynews
Telephone No.
0124-4272776
0124-4292418
0124-4055277
9873603572
9811109205
9654132300
I October 2015 I 61
TRANSIT LOUNGE
SIDDHARTHA BASU
1980s. Those were the early days of the good old Doordarshan and a professional quiz show was unknown territory on
TV. Then Siddhartha Basu, a lean man with a razor sharp accent and a smile on his face, burst into the drawing rooms on
Sunday mornings. He did not just throw trivia at students of
top notch schools, he went on to create a legacy for quizzing on
Indian TV. But the affable man was not a quiz master to begin
with. Very few people know he had a background in theatre.
Excerpts from an interview
How did the quizzing happen?
For me, it was like a means of drama because my background
was theatre. You see, I had done a lot of active theatre and
learnt film making. The first eight years of my career I was
majorly into making documentary films, in black and white. It
was at that time when Doordarshan opened up to independent
producers for the first time, during the Hum Log days sometime during the end of 1984. That’s when a former colleague
was making this pilot and asked me to introduce someone to
conduct the quiz show but two months later I was asked to do
it! Hence, I came into this field of edutainment by accident but
Curiosity is the first step towards knowledge, feels Basu
my background was always theatre and drama. Still, I think I
tried to do my best!
Tell us what is it required for students to excel in quiz?
I think curiosity is the first step towards knowledge. Interest
and awareness come from reading which is extremely important. In the present era, we resort to reading, watching as well
as listening because there are numerous opportunities than
ever before, whether through the internet, television or the radio. There is immense amount of information. However, the
key thing here is to navigate your way since it can be confusing
as well. So we came up with this set of books ‘Know For Sure’
meant for children having interest in various spheres. We ensure
that our quiz events are interactive and audio visually enriched
so that children are eager to participate. The idea is to make education exciting and this is just an initiative in that direction.
What do you think of the education scenario today?
Education is the hope for our country. Here I am talking about
education in well-equipped schools as well as those at the grass
root levels. In a literate place like Kerala for example, even a
driver and bus conductor like to read and learn. There I have
noticed, even if people have little houses or gardens, they keep
it clean and there is dignity of labour which has come through
decades of education. I think education needs to reach everybody. Our society’s responsibility is to unlock the genius in
every child and extend a helping hand to educate them.
As a quizmaster, what have been the challenges you have
faced?
There were many challenges, beginning with the content. We
started at a time when it was not easy to verify information.
Today with the internet, it’s easy though it can be confusing
too. So to finalise the content, ensure that its veracity is beyond
‘There’s No
Substitute
To Reading’
THE FATHER OF INDIAN TELEVISION QUIZ
SHOWS WAS IN GURGAON WHEN DCN
CAUGHT UP WITH HIM FOR A TETE-A-TETE
by REENA DHANKHER
62
DLF
I October 2015 I Citynews
QUIZ SHOW MAN
The first eight years of my career
I was majorly into making
documentary films, in black and
white. It was at that time when
Doordarshan opened up
doubt. Of course, making the content interesting, imaginative and entertaining is also a big challenge. We have
this initiative called ‘Tree of Knowledge’ through which
quiz shows can be held at school level and also across corporate and clubs with customised content for entertainment.
Tell us about your passion for theatre?
Theatre happened to me at an early age. Even my parents
used to do theatre at a professional level. My mother was
a well know bhajan singer and my father used to play the
piano. I started theatre in school and by college, we were
ultra active! While studying in St Stephen’s College, we
had formed this ‘Theatre Action Group’ and Barry John
was our guru, artistic director. My favourite and last play
was Dance Like a Man directed and produced by Mahesh
Dattani that has been appreciated by people all over the
world. Also, Amadeus and Oedipus were ones I enjoyed
doing. Looking back, I could have made a career out of
theatre but since in this country, you can’t really sustain
yourself with theatre, I resorted to drama by other means.
Any recent films you have liked?
I loved the film called Masan. People thought it would
be depressing and morbid but it was so poetic and life
affirming. It was hugely received all over the world and
had some wonderful performances by all the actors. Even
in the mainstream, my very good friend Kabir Khan has
made this film Bajrangi Bhaijjan which people have
liked and connected with and of course Shoojit Sircar’s
film Piku was also lovely. I am glad different things are
happening in cinema. ø
DLF
Citynews
I October 2015 I 63
ENTERTAINMENT
LAST WORD
Jazbaa
In The News Again!
MOVIE
PREVIEWS
English
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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s comeback film Jazbaa has been
in the news ever since its trailer came out. With just a few
days left for its release, the film has once again hogged limelight thanks to Sanjay Dutt. The actor, who is out on a 30-day
parole, dropped onto the sets of Jazbaa recently and since
then rumours started doing rounds that Dutt is doing a
cameo in the film. But filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has rubbished the rumours on Twitter. ” BAAVLE ho gaye hain kya
sab? Where do these bizarre rumors even stem from?,” he
said. Meanwhile, a 10-second teaser of Bandeyaa, an upcoming song from Jazbaa is out. It shows Aishwarya Rai
Bachchan, dressed in black, wandering through the ruins of
an old fort. The teaser, which has a tragic feel to it, captures
her anguish. The film, an action thriller, which also stars
Irrfan Khan and Shabana Azmi, is slated to hit the theatres on October 9.
Pan 3D
The film directed by Joe Wright is about a 12-yearold boy who finds himself in Neverland where he
comes across two friends. The trio must save the
land from the pirate Blackbeard. Levi Miller plays
the lead role in the film, the story for which has
been written by J M Barrie.
The Walk 3D
Written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film
is a biographical drama revolving around a French
high wire artist who tries to cross the Wold Trade
Centre. The star cast includes Joseph GordonLevitt and Ben Kingsley.
Spectre
The 24th in the James bond series, this one will see
Bond trying to uncover the existence of a sinister
organisation. The film is written by Sam Mendes.
Hindi
Jazbaa
A remake of the film Seven Days, this action
drama is produced and directed by Sanjay Gupta.
Aishwarya Rai will be seen in the lead while Irrfan Khan and Shabana Azmi are in supporting
roles. The music has given by Amjad-Nadeem and
Sachin-Jigar.
Megan,
The ‘New
Girl’ On TV!
Sexy Hollywood actress Megan Fox will replace
Zooey Deschanel in the popular American sitcom New Girl in Season 5. Megan will play the
role of Reagan, a pharmaceutical representative
who rents out Jessica Day’s (Zooey’s) room,
while she is away on jury duty. The Transformer
star, who is taking a break from the silver
screen, will be introduced in the sixth episode of
the season which begins in January, next year.
The fifth season of the sitcom also stars Jake
Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone and
Lamorne Morris. Megan was last seen in
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and will
also appear in its sequel next year.
Pyaar Ka Panchnama 2
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Written by Tarun Jain and Luv Ranjan, the film
revolves around three roommates who fall in love
only to realise that their lives have totally changed.
A sequel to Pyaar Ka Panchnama, the film stars
Nushrat Bharucha, Kartik Aryan, Omkar Kapoor,
Sonali Sehgal, Ishita Sharma and Sunny Nijjhar.
Shaandar
A romantic comedy, the film is produced by
Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane and
directed by Vikas Behl. The film is about a business
venture, which brings with itself love between two
young people. Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt play
the lead while Sanjay Kapoor and Pankaj Kapur
are in supporting roles.
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