TIME TO

Transcription

TIME TO

FACE OF THE MONTH
GAURAV MEHTA
COMMUNITIES
PUNJABIS
TRANSIT LOUNGE
NICOLAI FRIEDRICH
Citynews
DLF
December 2015 Vol. 9 Issue 9
` 50
TRENDSPOTTING
MEN IN GURGAON
Become Increasingly
Particular About Their
Beard & Hairstyle
P-46
TIME TO
Travel
DESTINATIONS RANGE FROM
The Exotic To
The Tried & Tested
P-22
+
WINE & DINE
HOME-GROWN
PIZZA BRANDS
Become Popular
P-50
Citynews
DLF
CONNECTING GURGAON
RNI No.: DELENG/2006/19254
EDITOR*
Vinay Jha
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Asia Media Design
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Meenakshi Sharma
SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR
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SENIOR FEATURES WRITER
Reena Dhankher
CONTRIBUTOR
Rahul Ahuja
PHOTOS
The Deep Pictures
MARKETING, AD SALES & DISTRIBUTION
Touchpoints Marketing Services
(*Responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act)
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There’s a spring in the step of many people
these days for it’s the time of the year they most
look forward to. It’s not just to do with the festive spirit but
also with the elaborate travel plans which are being chalked
out by families. As we discuss in our Cover Story, the trend of
Indians opting for offbeat and exotic holidays continues. But
so does the insatiable urge to explore more of India this winter holiday season.
The city is set for a smart upgrade when it comes to power
infrastructure with the Centre sanctioning a Rs 12,000-crore
project. Officials promise uninterrupted power supply once
the project is complete.
In our People’s section, we catch up with Gurgaon’s very own
IronMan, Abhishek Mishra, who won the title after a gruelling triathlon held in September. He shares his journey, the
challenges he faced and the sense of satisfaction at winning.
We also get talking to Gaurav Mehta, the Chief Marketing
Officer at OLX.
We introduce a new section, Trendspotting, and begin with a
close look at beards and hairstyles. From the traditional to
the funky, Gurgaon men seem eager to sport the best when it
comes to making a style statement. This edition also carries a
feature on belly dancing, which some feel is the ideal means
of empowering women in this day and age
VINAY JHA
Editor
@DlfCityNews
DLF City News
Citynews.dlf
DLF
Citynews
I December 2015 I 03
I N S I D E
34 35
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Events Calendar
Haryana Day
Run For Health
Yuletide Spirit
Helpline
The City Elders
Movie Previews
Citynews
DLF
December 2015
VOL 09 Issue 9
Faces
Trendspotting Men’s Lifestyle
46
With Gurgaonites fascinated by stylish hair, moustaches and beards, we take a look at the latest
trends in salons across the city. Bollywood and Hollywood icons have done their bit to inspire
men, particularly the young, when it comes to deciding what style to go in for
08 Snapshots
City Update Diwali Melas across the city
get bigger and grander as
resident groups pull out all
the stops
Gurgaon’s power infrastructure
gets a boost from the Centre
with a project to ensure uninterrupted supply
14 Flying High
Udaan, a unique professional
training programme, is changing the lives of youngsters
MUST
READ
34 Haryana Day
A marathon marked
Haryana Day on Nov 1
Feature on Running in the
November 2015 edition
(Pages 48,49 & 51)–Photos
by Chetan Singh Gill
Snapshots Halloween
14
MUST
READ
54 Pet care
This month’s column
discusses cardiac issues among
cats and dogs
38 Belly Dancing
The dance form is no longer
a taboo and is empowering
women
42 Communities
The Punjabi community
believes in living life king size
Wine & Dine
50
Home-grown pizza brands
become popular; stand-alone
joints come up with unique
concepts
12
The young as well as the old turn up the scariness
quotient as the Halloween spirit casts its net wide
Celeb Talk Around Town Celebrity Couple All’s well between SRK, Sanjay Leela
Bhansali despite release dates clashing
18 Abhishek Mishra
The IronMan’s long journey has been a challenging and eventful one
20 Gaurav Mehta
OLX Chief Marketing Officer talks about
e-tail trends in the Indian market
Gurgaon held in thrall by master illusionist
who started out when he was barely four
06
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I December 2015 I Citynews
32
VJ-cum-model Maria Goretti and her actor-husband
Arshad Warsi charm the audience with their wit
66 Last Word
62 Nikolai Friedrich
64
Dilwale shows that the
chemistry between popular
screen pair SRK and Kajol is still
intact
Page 9 >>>
For Advertising, Please Contact:
Page 24-25 >>>
9810563407
SNAPSHOTS
DIWALI MELAS
Adding New Colours
To The Festivities
DIWALI CELEBRATIONS ARE CONSIDERED INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THE COLOURFUL
MELAS. AND, THIS YEAR TOO, THE RESIDENTS OF GURGAON CELEBRATED THE
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, THE ‘FAIR’ WAY!
by RAHUL AHUJA
With passage of time, Diwali melas
have become an integral part of the festive celebrations in the city. They are also
the best places to shop for ethnic products for Diwali.
This year, the fairs had come up across
different areas of the city, a few prominent
ones being held at Management Development Institute (MDI), DLF Phase I, DLF
Phase II, The Pinnacle, Park Place, Richmond Park, Silver Oaks, Epicentre and
colonies in Old Gurgaon among others.
Generally, the melas are organised just
a few days before Diwali to give the community a platform to come together and
have some fun.
Interestingly, this time, many of the melas were organised on a much larger scale,
that too in a professional way with the
help of event management companies.
The DLF Phase II Residents’ Welfare Association had hired ‘Brand Boaster’, an
event management company. Richmond
Park had approached ‘Happiness Always’, a company started by Neetu Arya
and Surbhi Nayyar this year itself.
Mukesh Sachdeva, an employee of
‘Brand Boasters’ told DCN that they received excellent response from the residents. “The mela had about 30 stalls that
exhibited various handicraft items. Everyone was seen enjoying and having fun.
While the kids were busy with different
kinds of games and fun-filled activities
that we had planned for them, parents
were busy shopping, buying home decor
items and clothes. No wonder, people especially children, wait eagerly for the Di-
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SNAPSHOTS
DIWALI MELAS
wali mela,” added Sachdeva.
The Park Place condominium saw over
6,000 residents and guests gathering at
the central lawns for an elaborate Diwali
Mela on November 8. The highlights included a fashion show by resident mothers and their children, the Egyptian
Tanura Act and the Rajasthani kalbelia
dance. Japanese residents of Park Place
were seen having a good time performing
on Bollywood numbers. While children
thronged the kids’ zone, retail and food
kiosks drew a good crowd.
Members of the Park Place Events
Committee (PPEC) like Siddharth Punia,
Mohit Malhotra, Rohit Gandhi, Col. De-
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vender Yadav, Shiv Vashisht and Yogesh
Saini had taken it up as a challenge to
set a new benchmark for the celebration.
“We are happy that with the help of resident volunteers and our condo management company Cushman & Wakefield,
we came out with flying colors,” said one
of the members.
At Pinnacle, the mela was organised
entirely by the residents. “We do it all
by ourselves and manage a footfall of
close to 1000! This time, we had 55 stalls
for shopping, out of which four stalls
had been set up by NGOs who were
selling their hand-made candles, envelopes, diyas, paintings and many more
things. We also had 10 food stalls with
the cuisines ranging from Indian, Sushi
to Mexican,” said one of the residents,
Nity Arya.
To this, Mukta Roongta, another resident added, “Diwali fever was at its peak
in our gated community. I bought paintings, cushion covers, handmade candles,
paintings and envelopes from the stalls
set up by the NGOs to provide them financial support.”
The three-day Diwali Mela at Epicentre
had special arrangements for the revelers and the place witnessed a gathering
of over 15,000. There were 90-100 stalls
where artisans from all over India had
put up stalls offering a variety of jewellery, apparels, gift items, diyas, candles,
painting and other Diwali items. And to
satisfy the taste buds of visitors, 50 food
stalls had also been set up, which offered
multi-cuisine delicacies.
Summing up the essence of a Diwali
mela, Ajay Loomba, a resident of Gurgaon said, “Diwali mela sends across a
message that on Diwali, you can do lots
of shopping, particularly for home décor
and lighting. It not only brings all residents together on one platform, it also
gives a chance to the new generation to
relish some old memories associated
with the festival.” ø
DLF
Citynews
SNAPSHOTS
HALLOWEEN
Gurgaon Gets Into
Halloween Spirit!
by DCN BUREAU
The spirit of Halloween has cast its net
wide. While it is quintessentially part of
the Western culture, Gurgaon too has been
bitten by the bug as Halloween parties
rocked the booming city on October 31st.
Anyone who stepped into Club Vita, DLF 5
would have vouched for it.
The ghostly decorations, kids flaunting the Halloween look dressed in scary,
blood-dripping costumes and frightening
makeup set the tone for the Halloween
evening.
The party had everything - from foot
tapping music to exciting food stalls by
Delhi 6, Chacha Takeaway, Buddy Catering and Candy Floss that offered an
array of mouth-watering cuisines to feed
the hunger pangs of the little ones. What
worked for children, as it always does, was
a variety of games and the DJ who ensured
that the kids danced their heart away.
Said little Nysa, “My mother had dressed
me up so well with a wig and nails which
was scary but also fun”. Her friend Shreya
and Nitipa also enjoyed the whole afternoon. “I enjoyed the hot noodles and the
DJ’s music. I was there till the end of the
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party,” said a thrilled Vedant.
Some kids had it all planned for the Halloween celebration. “It isn’t just masks
and fake nails that Halloween enthusiasts have been shopping for. More conceptual costumes were planned based
on last year’s party,” said Sampada Jain,
student of Delhi Public School, Sector 45.
She had also invited her friends to Club
Vita. At the end, they formed different
teams and went to every home and asked
for trick-and treat.
“Children enjoyed to their heart’s content as they made monster bookmarks
with faces of ghosts and vampires. It is
a day dedicated to honour the dead and
remember the faithful souls and saints.
This year, not only children but the par-
ents also celebrated,” said Dhiraj Singh,
Operation Head at Club Vita in Park
Place.
The fun of Halloween parties was not
restricted to Club Vita alone. Celebrations also took place at Pinnacle Condominium, Heritage City and other places
of Gurgaon. Exclusive dinner buffets
were available at competitive prices at
most places.
Navya Gehlot, a resident of Pinnacle
Condominium reminisced how she surprised her friend Monica Khosla with a
skeleton grab when she came over to her
place. “She was screaming and yelling
out loud as she was really terrified after
seeing me. I had to finally take off the
mask to pacify her. This is one occasion
which is really funny,” she added.
As Rakshita Kumar, a class 10 student
and resident of Park Place, Golf Course
Road, summed it up, “Halloween parties
give us an opportunity to dress up in
spooky costumes and masks and enjoy to
the hilt. This is the only party in where
we can have any type of bewildered look
on our faces. This time, I had coloured
my hair in different shades and done
make up as per my costume.”
CITY UPDATE
UDAAN
A Flight To Success
HELPING YOUNGSTERS ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS OF HAVING PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND
SUCCESSFUL LIFE, UDAAN HAS CHARTED A FLIGHT OF A DIFFERENT KIND
by DCN BUREAU
A
unique project by the Gurgaon Police is gradually
changing the lives of many
youngsters who are now being professionally trained and being offered placements to take the road ahead
on their own.
Inaugurated in July this year, UDAAN
has already completed its first batch and
now plans to reach out to 5000 more unemployed youth in the city. DCN talks
to Police Commissioner Navdeep Singh
Virk about it.
Excerpts from an interview.
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What is the UDAAN project all about?
UDAAN was conceptualised by Gurgaon Police with an objective to train and
transform lives of unemployed youth
from the slum areas and also EWS and
BPL candidates of Gurgaon district, who
have not been able to work due to lack
of education and training. This project
is helping needy people through a wide
range of techniques, initiatives and support, which aim to develop their skills
and knowledge.
The basic effort of Gurgaon Police has
been to channelise the energy of unemployed youth and prevent them from turning towards crime thus bringing harmony
in the society and also working towards a
crime free city – a truly Smart City.
The skill training adopts a systematic
strategy and planning process ‘leading
students from “Where we are now” to
“Where we want to be” and “How to get
there”. This initiative will bring great
changes in the life of people who are being trained and successfully placed in
different well-known brands. Today, they
Gurgaon Police in association with SSDH training the underprivileged for a better tomorrow
are not just confident about their future;
they are also inspiring others to move in
the same path.
How many youngsters have benefitted from the project so far?
Initiated in July, the programme started with an orientation and counselling
at Police Line, Gurgaon. There were a
total of 86 candidates who attended the
session. They were mobilised by Gurgaon Police from the designated police
stations.
There were 24 students who were
trained under this programme by SSDH
at their Gurgaon campus. The students
were given training for two months in
food and beverage service, life skills,
personality development and soft skills.
Interview skills and basic etiquettes and
money management were an integral
part of the training.
After completion of the training, the
students were given placement offers
from various multinational organisations like Devyani International Pvt Ltd,
Snapdeal, SRS Cinemas, Hotel Rajwada,
Crowne Plaza, ITC Bharat, Lemon Tree,
KFC Medanta, Costa Coffee, SBI Credit
Card, Pearl Engineering Company and
Felix Solutions to name a few.
It was a delight to see students show a remarkable improvement in their self-confidence. Each of them had a definite goal in
life which was missing earlier. They were
looking forward to a bright future. With
the training and newly acquired skills,
they were more than ready and eager to
join the hospitality/service industry
What are the tools being used by
Gurgaon Police to make it a success?
Detailed insight and knowledge of the
locality due to the very nature of our job
helped us identify the potential unemployed youth, school dropouts, and youth
from the economically weaker sections.
These are soft targets and can be easily lured into unlawful activities. Hence
their energies are being channelised
through this initiative and a new direction given to their lives.
Robust advocacy and mobilisation by
building trust through the unique concept of Community Policing and providing transportation facility will enable
students from all corners of Gurgaon to
avail the training.
Also, sponsoring the assessment fees
The UDAAN project is helping needy people
through a wide range of techniques.
and uniform for the students will ensure they do not spend anything during
the training. The hospitality training is
free of cost and is taken care of by SSDH
through Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas
Yojana (PMKVY)
What are the challenges you have
faced so far?
Lack of awareness about the hospitality industry as a career option and also
the attitude of our social fabric towards
hotel management and hospitality jobs
was a hurdle.
Dropout rates are higher today because
the young brigade is looking for instant
jobs without proper training, not realising the skill gap and their lack of job
readiness. Their unrealistic expectations to get into jobs that pay well even
when they do not have the matching
skills pose a tough challenge before us.
We are therefore planning to take up the
project in a bigger way to make the city
‘more literate.’ ø
DLF
Citynews
CITY UPDATE
POWER SUPPLY
Soon, No Power Cuts In Gurgaon
GURGAON IS ALL SET TO BE A POWER CUT-FREE CITY IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS
by DCN BUREAU
With the Centre approving a project
of almost Rs 12,000 crores for the upgradation of power supply infrastructure
in the Millennium City, Gurgaon can
look forward to a power cut-free experience soon, with transformation through
smart grid project.
Gurgaon MLA Umesh Aggarwal said
that the Centre has already released the
first instalment of Rs. 4,000 crores to ensure that the project begins on time. The
nodal officer for the project appointed by
the state electricity board is superintendent engineer Anil Goyal who along with
a team of officers will soon start working
on the project.
The basic plan is to have all cables and
wires underground which will not only
ensure safety but also minimise the risks
of entangled wires and short circuits.
For continuous supply of power, all power feeders will be connected to the ring
system. This will ensure that another
feeder from the ring will begin supplying
electricity if any feeder develops a snag.
Instead of electric poles, transformers
upgraded from 11 KV to 13 KV, will now
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be fixed outside the owners premises
(boundary walls). The stand-out feature
of this development will be the conduct
of project over 1.5 years without disturbing existing supply. Zone 1 of the project
will consist of DLF, Shushant Lok and
IFFCO Chowk that will be completed effective March 2016 in 18 months.
Sanjeev Chopra of DHBVN heading the
project told DCN, “This is an iconic project
for the country which will change the very
face of quality living in smart cities.”
Further, Sudhir Kapoor, Secretary
General DLF City RWA, said, “This is a
NO CUTS
Centre has already
released the first
instalment of Rs. 4,000
crores to ensure that
the project begins
on time
major project undertaken in Haryana,
particularly Gurgaon. The entire existing infrastructure will be upgraded and
there will be no power cuts once this project is completed.”
He further added, “This project will
take approximately 18 months or more
and DLF has been chosen as the first
area to start this project. After a meeting
with the GM of DHVBN, tenders will be
made public in the next two months and
by March 2016, the work will start. It’s a
welcome step taken for a rapidly growing
city like Gurgaon and will come as a big
relief for the citizens.”
Rohit Malik Director DEDL assured the
stake holders, RWAs and Civil society
that community centres in DLF City will
be the nerves centres of Public Private
Partnership to ensure that the project is
completed successfully within the time
bound limits said by the government.
One of the biggest advantages of the
project will be getting rid of generators
and invertors, which will help decrease
the pollution levels in Gurgaon, making
it a cleaner city to live in ø
PEOPLE
ABHISHEK MISHRA
The Iron Will of A Man
DCN TRACES A 30-YEAR-OLD’S INTERESTING JOURNEY FROM BEING A CORPORATE
EMPLOYEE TO WINNING THE TITLE OF IRONMAN
by REENA DHANKHER
just 2 hours and 30 minutes! When I also
saw old women and children running out
there, I could understand that ‘to realise
your capabilities, you need to break barriers’,” says Mishra, who won the IronMan
title after a gruelling Triathlon in Mediterranean Sea at Mallorca, Spain in September this year.
Thereafter, his passion for running
started increasing with every passing day,
compelling him to participate in marathons on a regular basis. His love for the
sports went a few notches higher when he
became the first Indian to finish the ‘Run
the Run’ Ultra run held in the Kutch desert of Gujarat. “It was tough. The run
was for 161 kilometres with 11 foreigners and six Indians and only eight could
qualify. We ran with GPS devices through
thorns on hilly sections and rocky paths into
the barren salt desert but ultra runs are like
that. I remember my legs bled due to thorns
and blisters but I had the willpower to do it
and I did it,” recalls Mishra.
Following this victory, came the next challenge in his life, the one which has made
Mishra a household name in Gurgaon today.
Marathon Man To IronMan
“There are two kinds of people in this
world - one who say I can and others who
say I can’t…”
For Abhishek Mishra, this was the one
statement that he saw in a video clipping
which motivated him enough to leave a
cushy corporate job, train for the world’s
toughest one-day sporting event, the
IronMan Triathlon, and win the title too!
30-year-old Mishra always had a passion
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for fitness, being a national-level soccer
champion. However, when he came to the
Millennium City in 2008 for his MBA, he
found no fields to practice soccer. And,
before Mishra could realise, he was busy
whiling away his time partying in the
fast-paced city life of Gurgaon.
It was only when he joined GE after
his MBA that his love for fitness started
blooming again, thanks to the Airtel Del-
hi Half Marathon (ADHM) invites that
the company employees kept receiving
from time to time. “When I received the
invite for the first time, I saw two categories of marathons, 21 and six kilometres.
The self ego in me motivated me to opt
for the 21-km run. Although I had four
months to train, I could not practice due
to hectic office hours. However, on the
day of the marathon, I completed it in
It was motivation from a friend Saurav, which made Mishra do the unthinkable – vie for the IronMan title and win
it! “Honestly speaking, till 2013, I was
not even aware of IronMan. I had never
thought in my wildest of dreams I could
win the title. But when my friend Saurav
sent me this video about the event, I was
all geared up. That one statement about
two kinds of people in the world was
the biggest inspiration for me and I was
ready to fight all odds to win”.
The IronMan competition comprises 3.8
km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and
42 km of running, all of which have to
be completed within 17 hours. However,
Mishra did not know how to swim. “Such
was my will power to compete for the event
that from April to September, I learnt
swimming and also mastered it to clear
the first obstacle in the water,” he remarks.
Although the target wasn’t easy, Mishra
was all prepared to give his best shot. “I
gave my 100 per cent when it came to the
preparations. Besides learning swimming,
I bought a cycle too for practice and even
though I had pain in my legs, I ignored it
because I was determined to become the
IronMan”. Out of the total 17 hours, cycling had to be done in eight hours. The
cycling path was all hilly area - incline,
recline, headwind - at Mayorpa in Spain.
“We had to climb a hill cycling 1500 feet
continuously; the cycling speed which is
35 km per hour on flat surface was 5 km
per hour on the incline,” explains Mishra.
Although the title has brought Mishra
both name and fame, for the young man,
each marathon is special as it brings
out his passion for running. A unique
barefoot run from Mumbai to Pune
holds a special place for him. He participated with none other than model and
Pinkathon Ambassador Milind Soman.
THE IRONMAN
Organized by the World Triathlon
Corporation (WTC) it consists of a
2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile
(180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run, raced
in that order and without a break. It
is widely considered one of the most
difficult one-day sporting events in
the world. Most Ironman events have
a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race.
Hurdles En Route
“Aapka beta kya karta hai? Ji woh
bhagta hai…(What does your son do?
Sir, he runs...)”. This answer by Mishra’s
father often surprised people. And, the
fact that he had left a big company like
GE for running was almost shocking!
But Mishra knew that he was happy
running and that’s the reason he decided to turn his passion into a profession.
He started his own company, which today arranges marathons and corporate
running events. His keen participation
in organising Raahgiri gave him both
the experience and confidence to march
ahead in his mission.
One of the biggest hurdles for him was
his extremely short-tempered nature
but he believes running has helped him
get rid of this. “I remember in my first
Ultra run, I was tired midway. I started
talking to myself. You know running is
like meditation; you are on your own and
end up getting solutions to most of your
problems. Running has changed me completely,” he explains.
Another significant challenge was that he
did not know swimming. “I faced the fear
of water for the first time in my life. I had
a coach called Manisha who trained me.
You see the fear of failure was another aspect. You have to accept that if you fail, it’s
not the end. Milind Soman who has been
my mentor has always taught me that one
needs to learn from success and failures.
So acceptance of failure was a hurdle for
me,” he points out.
Then, there was the financial aspect. He
did not want to take monetary help from
his father though he needed money to participate in the IronMan competition. He
decided to give crowd funding a shot. “Lots
of people supported me partly and, finally,
ONGC helped me,” says Mishra.
His mother and his helper-cum-cook Rohit have been extremely supportive in his
journey. “Rohit has been with me for seven
years and knows me well. I have always
treated him like my brother,” says Mishra.
“My mother used to always tell me, ‘go
and do it, don’t worry about anything,”
he recalls. Today, she proudly tells everyone that her son is the IronMan. He also
mentions many other people who have
supported him tremendously, including
Vinay Bansal CFO Wildcraft, Shailja and
his mentor Avinash. ø
DLF
Citynews
PEOPLE
FACE OF THE MONTH
PEOPLE
gaurav MEHTA
Chief Marketing Officer South Asia, OLX India Pvt Ltd
H
aving
studied in
Jaipur and
Mumbai, Mehta
is now one of the
faces of the e-tail
revolution in India
What are factors behind the e-commerce and e-tail
boom in India?
Multinationals are coming and setting up shop here
as growth in some of the most developed markets
has stagnated. While India as a consumer market is
growing, we also have the resources to buy today,
which are the key macro factors for this
consumerism wave.
The bigger cities like Delhi, Mumbai still get the best
of what the world has to offer but smaller cities
might not have that. That’s where e-commerce gets
in. What a person sees in Delhi or Mumbai, a person
sitting in Raipur or any other city, can access the
same and buy it as well through mobile phones.
How did the idea of OLX come about?
In a very robust internet economy, there are four or
five industries which are very important like social
network, communication, Banking, Financial
Services and Insurance (BFSI) kind of
infrastructure, e-tail and classifieds. Classifieds has
become big because it is an important thing that
internet economy demands, a peg on which the
whole ecosystem revolves. So, classifieds was bound
to succeed in India. We vested early in 2007-2008 but
we started investing in this business heavily three
years back and today we are among the top 10 sites
of the country.
What is your connect with Gurgaon and your interests
besides work?
With Gurgaon, the biggest connect is career
opportunities. That’s why people from all over the
country come to Gurgaon. I think it’s a nice
amalgamation of the talent that India has to offer
and with so many expats here, you get a chance to
meet a lot of talented achievers. As far as my
interest goes, I love reading and I don’t stick to one
genre in succession. That’s my de-stressor. I also
like swimming a lot and six months of the year, I
am a pretty active swimmer. And yes, I am
passionate about travelling and get to travel a lot
because of my work
DLF
Citynews
COVER STORY
TRAVEL
Winter
Wanderings
AS PLANNING FOR THE WINTER HOLIDAY GOES INTO OVERDRIVE,
WE PRESENT SNAPSHOTS OF SOME OF THE POPULAR
DESTINATIONS IN INDIA AND ABROAD
by DCN BUREAU
It’s that time of the year again – time to log in to multiple travel sites, speak to your travel agent and begin the hunt for
your perfect holiday destination this winter!
The past few years have seen Indians seeking out exotic and unusual holidays. The trend continues. As Deep Kalra of Makemytrip.com explains, travellers are becoming “adventurous and experimental”. (See interview on pg-29) He seems to hit the
nail on the head.
Gurgaon resident Harmesh Khanna, who works with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), says, “I am looking forward to
Christmas & New Year in NYC! While I have always been going in the summers, I am looking forward to enjoying the
winter.” She admits it will be freezing cold but is equally excited about the festivities. Adds Harmesh, In India I prefer
the less visited ones ... “Coonoor not Ooty , Subhatu not Shimla , Jim Corbett in winters is stupendous with the sigris
& the riverside”.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the popular travel site TripAdvisor, Bali tops the list of international holiday
destinations this winter, followed by Dubai. It should come as no surprise that Goa bags the top honours when it comes
to the list of sought after domestic destinations. (See box on pg-31).
We present snapshots of some of the popular winter holiday destinations in India and abroad.
more traditional or authentic. However, the days that followed
quickly dispelled this initial impact and I started relishing
the various adventures that were offered, Desert Safari….Ski
Dubai….Dhow Cruise and many more. But the place that I really enjoyed visiting the most was the Dubai Museum.
Unless one could travel back in time, this museum is the ticket to
learn about Dubai’s rise from a Bedouin village to a global centre
of commerce, finance and tourism. It is housed in the Al Fahidi
Fort built in 1799 and is the oldest surviving structure in town.
The entrance displays the old maps of Emirates and Dubai
depicting the incredible changes after the oil boom. Past the
Langkawi: Jewel in the Andaman Sea
INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
Dubai: A Complete Experience
THERE’S MORE TO THE UAE CAPITAL THAN GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
by AMRITA SINGH
D
ubai….the glitzy commercial capital of UAE, has been a
favourite destination with the Indians for an overseas holiday. So how could my travel diaries be complete without visiting the ‘Paradise’ of the Middle East? Indeed not!
September is not an ideal month to visit Dubai as it is unbearably hot and frustratingly humid. (December and January would
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have been an ideal time to visit.) Nevertheless, I was excited
about the trip and was armed with a well-planned itinerary to
make the most of my visit.
My first impression of Dubai was a bit disappointing, the vast
commercialization and materialism of the place kind of turned
me off as my personal choice is to look for something a little
Burj Khalifa
gates, the walkway culminates into a central courtyard dotted
with cannons, wooden fishing boats, including a hut made of
mud and traditional palm fronds that was the kind of dwelling
locals lived in till the middle of the 20th century.
A particularly interesting part is the mock souk with endearing dioramas depicting shopkeepers and craftsmen at work.
Various scenes illustrate traditional life at home, at the mosque,
in the desert and at sea. It also includes an exhibit on pearl diving, with sets of pearl merchants’ weights, scales and sieves.
And it was incredulous to learn that the men divers wore only
nose clips before descending to extraordinary depths!!
THIS DREAM ISLAND HOLIDAY DESTINATION OFFERS MEMORIES GALORE
by JAI KUMAR SHARMA
Eagle Square at Langkawi Jetty
L
angkawi, about 30 km off the mainland coast of north-western Malaysia, is a dream island holiday destination which
my wife and I headed to in September on a barely hour-long
flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Villa Molek at Tengah beach, where we spent some of the most
enjoyable moments of our life, was a home away from home.
Cottages were self-contained with a living room, bed room, a
small kitchenette and a sitting area near the pool. Our host Saida was always ready to help us, suggesting Indian restaurants,
areas of interest or finding a car rental next door; she suggested
hiring a self-driven car which proved to be a sensible decision.
DLF
Citynews
COVER STORY
TRAVEL
Happy Mother Monument
Iconic Cenang Beach at Langkawi
We drove and explored the island over the next three days without any hassle.
The day after we arrived, we drove down to Kuah town, the city
centre of Langkawi located a couple of hours away from where
we were staying. We proceeded to the Kuah Jetty and what is
popularly known as the Eagle Square. This is the defining landmark of Langkawi – a gargantuan statue of a brown eagle sits
at the centre of a star-shaped platform.
The third day was rather adventurous. From a jetty near Pantai Cenang, a speedboat took us on an island-hopping excursion.
In the evening, we headed to the romantic Rhu Beach, explored
the Mangrove forests for eagle feeding and visited a fish farm.
The speed boat came for Rs. 2,400, exclusively for the two us.
The next day, it was time to experience the cable car and the
“Sky Walk”. The walkway, which is half-a-kilometre long,
stands suspended in the sky in a deep valley, supported only
by a single beam. Walking over the “Sky Bridge” is a unique
experience when you look down at the crown area of tropical
forest from top.
QUICK TIPS:
Getting There: Malaysia Airlines/Malindo form Delhi.
Best time to visit: November to January
Getting Around: Rent a car—it’s affordable and petrol
is Rs.33/litre.
Uzbekistan: The Land of White Gold
IT IS CALLED SO FOR THE ABUNDANT, FINE QUALITY COTTON THAT IS GROWN
THROUGHOUT THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY
by AMRITA SINGH
A
Central Asian nation and former Soviet republic, Uzbekistan is known for its mosques, mausoleums and other
historical sites linked to the Silk Road, the ancient trade route
between China and the Mediterranean.
Tashkent or the Stone City, is the hub of Uzbekistan. It is a
curious mix of a newly built modern city and remnants of the
Soviet culture. On one hand, you see the hustle bustle of people
rushing through the busy city life and on the other, traditionally clad farmers cart their wares through a maze of mud-walled
houses to the grinding crowds of the bazaar. Right from the
moment I stepped out of the plane, I was charmed by the beau-
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tiful, well laid-out and sparsely populated city. The absence of
humungous crowds was a very welcome change!
The most prominent part of the city is the Independence
Square. Located in the heart of the city, it is a resting place
with vast green zones and gushing fountains. Under the Soviets, a statue of Lenin was erected and many worker demonstrations and parades were held here. Post Independence, this was
removed and replaced with the silver arch Ezgulik, with its figures of flying storks.
Passing through the Ezgulik, one comes to a high pedestal with
a golden globe on top and a statue of a mother holding a baby at
Independence Square
the bottom. This is the Independence Monument
erected in 1991 that marks the sovereignty of Uzbekistan and the desire of a young, independent
state to join the World Community. Also known
as the Happy Mother Monument, we were lucky
to visit it on the 24th Independence Day of Uzbekistan. Wreaths and bouquets lay at the memorial
as a mark of respect. Administrative buildings
like the Ministry’s offices, Senate and other offices
surround the Independence Square.
Tashkent is youthful and invigorating city, which
offers many options for sightseeing places and
things to do. It is a melting pot of Central Asian
traditions, Islamic architecture and the influence
of 18th century European cities. With the emphasis on improving the infrastructure and on reconstruction, it is a city waiting for a boom.
Uzbek Senate
Fiji: Paradise in the Pacific
THE CAPITAL CITY, SUVA, IS A MUST-SEE
by JAI KUMAR SHARMA
Fiji is one of the most exotic places to visit on the planet before
you die; it was quite evident when everyone waiting in the boarding area of Hong Kong airport started clicking pictures of Fiji
Airways aircraft the moment it approached the aero-bridge.
The 10-hour flight from Hong Kong to Nadi International Airport, over the Pacific Ocean, was smooth. The in-flight entertainment with its collection of Hindi movies helped in whiling away
time on what is otherwise a long journey when you fly from West
to East. Flaying via Brisbane (Australia) or Auckland (New Zealand) is much shorter and cheaper but problems in obtaining a
transit visa for Indians is a big put-off and makes Hong Kong a
favorite transit point.
As we started descending on the Island, a picture-perfect green
landscape, the fascinating silver lining on the coast and sparsely-
DLF
Citynews
COVER STORY
TRAVEL
‘Travellers Are Exploring Offbeat Destinations’
EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH DEEP KALRA, FOUNDER, MAKEMYTRIP.COM
What are the trends in holiday and
travel in 2015-16 and changes seen in
the way we travel?
From annual holiday to grandparents’
homes, Indian travellers have become
adventurous and experimental. Indian
travellers are exploring offbeat and exotic
destinations like Greece, Turkey, China and
Russia which together contributed around
12% of our summer holiday business in
2015, compared to single-digit share in sales
just two years ago.
The changes observed in travel include
longer international holidays though shorter
international itineraries also exist; decrease
in advance booking window and an increase
in the average holiday budget.
Luxury resort at Viti Levu Island, Fiji
located houses stunned everyone onboard.
Nadi to Suva is a memorable 200-km drive which takes about
three hours. We drove past fantastic lush landscape, through
sugarcane fields and passed clean beaches and backwaters. We
stopped at Sigatoka, a small town midway along the journey. As
I sipped masala chai, chatted with the driver in Hindi and heard
Bollywood songs on FM radio, it was difficult to imagine that
one was in a foreign country deep in the Pacific Ocean!
As Fiji’s capital, Suva is a must-see. The city has colonial architecture, plenty of nightspots and restaurants. Jack of Fiji,
a showroom in Central Market, offers the best collection of
floral-print shirts. Sea food restaurants are in every corner
but Maya Dhaba had everything that we could have in a restau-
rant in Gurgaon. My hotel, Five Senses, was located on a cliff
overlooking the harbour and in the middle of two acres of fruit
orchards. It was run by a New Zealander but offered different
Indian meals every day.
Fiji is a bit expensive for Indian Travellers but not unaffordable, it offers a variety of hotels on its two main Islands. Car
rentals are affordable and a must to explore the Island. An Indian driving license is valid for one month.
QUICK TIPS:
Getting There: To Hong Kong by Cathay Pacific and from there to
Nadi in Fiji Airways (Visa on arrival)
When to Go: Throughout the year (Avoid cyclone season;
November-March)
DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS
Go, Goa, Go
GOA CONTINUES TO TOP THE LIST OF THE FAVOURITE DOMESTIC
DESTINATIONS FOR HOLIDAYS by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
Wrapped cosily between Maharashtra and Karnataka and
flanked by the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, Goa enjoys
sun, sand and surf and dances to the beat of bliss and nirvana.
A former Portuguese colony taken over by India in 1961, Goa is a
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perfect example of cultural tolerance, religious heterogeneity and
friendly people. From religious tourism through its well preserved
16th Century churches in Old Goa which have been declared as
a World heritage Site by UNESCO, well-managed Hindu temples
What are the popular international and
local destinations?
We are seeing increasing interest in
other middle-eastern and Mediterranean
destinations such as Jordan, Turkey,
Greece and Hungary, as well as Cambodia,
Vietnam and China though South East Asia
remains popular. Couples are exploring
non-mainstream destinations like Greece,
What are the trends in adventure
tourism, snow tourism, beach tourism
and any other?
Travellers are looking for deeper experiences
that enrich their lives. Scuba diving, hot-air
ballooning or sky-diving form the fulcrum of
the travel planning. Winter snow sports have
become a hot tourist attraction. Gulmarg in
Kashmir is considered to be one of the best
skiing destinations in the world.
Travelling to attend sports events with family
and friends also picked up as a trend and
for the World Cup 2015, Australia queries
at MakeMyTrip grew by over 50% for the
February-March period.
Seychelles, Jordan, Spain and South Africa
for an exotic experience.Goa is slipping
behind Andaman’s and Ooty while South
destinations like Kovalam and Munnar
remain popular.
What do travelers prefer - group
packages or solo travels?
While family holidays still continue to a trend
amongst most Indian families, we are also
seeing an increase in solo-travel, womenonly travel and group travel.
Which is the most popular New
Year party destination - locally and
internationally?
Besides popular winter destinations like
Andaman’s and Goa, we are seeing an
increasing interest of people travelling to
Udaipur, Jodhpur, Munnar and Kovalam.
Internationally, Mauritius, Dubai, Thailand,
Singapore, Colombo, Hong-Kong and
Macau are popular destinations.
in Mangueshi, Ponda and Mapusa to the phenomenal beaches extending all along its
western periphery, this is both a versatile and yet throbbing dream destination.
Some of these beaches are well known, some are isolated and some are as good as
private. The beaches boast of good water sports, great shack cuisine and for the intrepid foreign tourist adequate tanning opportunities on deck recliners. Extremely
popular with foreign tourists for the warmth exuded by the Sun and the inhabitants,
Goa’s tourist season extends from 1 Oct to 30 April. This effectively covers relaxation
and religious entities with Christmas, New Year and the Goa Carnival being stand out
events. In keeping with the times, Goa is also developing adventure tourism inland in
the Western Ghats with trekking, para gliding and camping in the wild being prime
attractions.
Goan cuisine has also left its mark on the world epicurean plate with its fiery, spicy
and tantalising aroma and taste. A delicious fusion of Portuguese and Hindu Saswat
cooking traditions, Goan spices and delicacies like Vindhalloo, Recheado, Cafreal,
Balchao and the delicate Bacalao and Bebinca are household names across the world.
The availability of fresh sea food all around the year combines with them to make
Goan cuisine an irresistable palate temptation. An average Goan cannot do without
his fish and the world today cannot do without Goan cuisine.
A thriving nightlife around the coastal areas adds to the allure of Goa. Bars, discotheques and offshore casinos provide for an ‘international’ feel to the state unlike the
rest of the country. This too gives Goa a unique standing.
DLF
Citynews
COVER STORY
TRAVEL
WINTER TRENDS
TRIPADVISOR’S WINTER VACATION VALUE REPORT
Most popular destinations for Indian travellers during
the winter travel period (1 Dec, 2015 – 31 Jan, 2016),
according to TripAdvisor site search data.
INTERNATIONAL
DOMESTIC
1. Bali
1. Goa
2. Dubai
2. Kerala
3. Mauritius
3. Andaman Nicobar
4. Singapore
4. Jaipur
5. Bangkok
5. New Delhi
6. Phuket
6. Udaipur
7. Pattaya
7. Manali
8. Krabi Town
8. Mumbai
9. KoSamui
9. Shimla
10. Langkawi
10. Agra
Kerala: God’s Own Country
KERALA HAS ALL THAT IT TAKES TO ENTICE TRAVELLERS
by DCN BUREAU
Kumarakom Backwater, Kerala
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Situated in southern India on the Malabar Coast, Kerala has a
nearly 600-km long coastline with many upsacle sea-side resorts.
The state is also blessed with pristine backwaters providing an
intra state network of canals (Kochi is called the Eastern Venice
for a reason) totally suited for backwater cruises on self-propelled
house boats. The highest points of the Western Ghats like Ponmudi and Munnar provide the perfect salubrious climate for tea,
coffee and spice plantations as well as abundant native wildlife.
Ayurvedic treatments form another facet of feel-good-medicaltourism in the state drawing in vast numbers of tourists.
A rich culutral heritage is the added jewel in the crown for the
state as Kathakali artistes enthrall local and tourist populations
with dedicated performances. The thrill of being blessed by elephants outside the varied temples in the state is an oft sought
after event by all.
This small state holds diverse geographical features and cultures
and thus, offers a perfect unity in diversity example. The timeless
beauty of the beaches at the palm-fringed Varkala and Kovalam,
the majestic undulating hills of Munnar and Vagamon, the serenity of the pristine backwaters of Kumarakom and Kuttanad, and
the enchanting woods and forests of Thekkady and the Silent Valley offer countless opportunities to the discernible traveller.
Malabar cuisine is famous for its aromatic and delicately flavoured dishes combining coconut milk with fresh sea food. Fish
Moilee, Prawns Malabar Curry, freshly baked fish in coconut
paste and Kerala Sadhya, an elaborate banquet prepared for festivals and ceremonies, offer a sumptuous brand recall of the state’s
epicurean delights.
DLF
Citynews
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Food, Love And Other Ingredients
Kitchen Secrets
Unveiled
A LOVING FAMILY AND ITS CHERISHED FOOD STORIES IS THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE
MADE OF. SO IT WAS WHEN MTV VJ MARIA GORETTI LAUNCHED HER COOKBOOK WITH
HUSBAND ARSHAD WARSI AND KIDS ZEKE AND ZENE SUPPORTING HER MAIDEN VENTURE
by DCN BUREAU
Good food, champagne, books and sparkling conversations
made for a memorable Sunday on November 15 as Om Books
International and BollyGoods launched popular VJ and model
Maria Goretti’s debut book From My Kitchen To Yours.
Maria Goretti and her actor husband Arshad Warsi were at
their witty and cheerful best as they chatted amiably with
friend and actor Tisca Chopra and Ajay Mago of Om Books.
Well-known personalities like TV host Rajiv Makhni, designer
Rina Dhaka, classical dancer Shallu Jindal, designer Mayyur R
Girotra and actress Sandhaya Mridul also attended the launch
which was made special by readings from the book by their
children who read passages amidst much applause.
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celebrates how Maria Goretti lives her life, with memorable recipes from
her mother’s East-Indian spreads, aromas from her grandmother’s kitchen,
and the food that she has seen, touched and tasted over her many travels
across India, and the world, as a VJ with MTV.
Divided into monthly menus with soups, salads, starters, non-vegetarian
and vegetarian main course dishes, and desserts, the recipes are simple
and delicious. With a foreword by actress and politician Jaya Bachchan, the
book presents a six-course meal layout for each month, and easy-to-make
recipes with ingredients readily available in any home kitchen. It contains
an array of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.
Maria Goretti, an Economics graduate, who studied Fashion Design,
worked as a dancer and spent five and a half years as a VJ for MTV, interviewing and touring with musicians from around the world, including Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, UB40, Abba, Ricky Martin, Ronan Keating, Peter Andre and Pentagram. She hosted the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards for
India from the Radio City Music Hall in New York. After working as an anchor and a roaming presenter for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in
2002 and the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, in 2011, Maria cleared,
with distinction, the Cordon Bleu certificate course in food and baking at
the Tante Marie School of Cookery, UK, run by Gordon Ramsay. She writes a
food blog that has recipes, slice-of-life stories and poetry.
“Frankly it started because I needed to cook for my little boy. I had never really learnt how to cook but, when I got into it, I realised that I loved
the whole process so much that I actually turned into a crazy demon. I just
wanted to learn each and every dish and wanted to acquire new knowledge
about baking, chopping, frying, tearing and about every little process that
was involved in cooking,” she says.
Goretti, who refuses to call herself either a writer or a chef, says that hosting the TV show “Do It Sweet,” also played an important role in inculcating in her a taste for cooking.”After I spent that time hosting the show, I
realised that I loved the process of making stuff. And it was actually post
that, that I got really interested in pursuing cooking in a bullish manner,”
she says.
Her favourite recipes in the book include Fresh Orange Almond Cake,
Strawberry Salad, Edamame with Soy, Strawberry Shortcake and Avocado Salad among others. Made from easily accessible ingredients, the
recipes are extremely ‘home style.’ “It is all home-style. It was made in
my kitchen and it was all made by me. The stuff that I use are ingredients
easily available in the market. So, it is a very easy, home-style book for
anyone who wants to try their hand at cooking,” she says ø
‘I love all the films I do’
“We are a very normal couple”, says actor Arshad
Warsi who was spotted at the book launch supporting his wife with their two adorable kids. Excerpts
from an exclusive conversation with DLF City News
What are the positives and negatives of being a celebrity couple?
We are a very normal couple and like it that
way. Yet being well known, there is often an invasion of privacy which is difficult sometimes.
However, we are public figures and it is natural
and if someone doesn’t like it then they should
change their profession (smiles).
Who is the better cook between the two
of you?
Now it is Maria (laughs) but there was a time
when it was me and one of the reasons she
began cooking was because I told her the children will grow up to remember ‘baap ke haath
ka khaana’ and not ‘maa ka khana’. On a serious note, she cooks with love only for those she
loves and she is brutally honest about that. We
all love her food especially that meringue and
stuffed chicken.
What are the kind of films you enjoy doing
and are there any you don’t?
I love all the films I do but some are iconic.
Munnabhai, Jolly LLB and Seher are all special
films and so are many others. Yes, with my kids
growing up, I am sure I do not want to do sex
comedies and have my kids discover them on
the internet.
DLF
Citynews
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
December 2015
e v e n t s
and kids activity
25th December |
12.30 pm onwards
Main Lawns
25th
X-mas Carnival with live DJ
December
The City Club,
Phase 3
New Year Bash
31st December
| 8 pm onwards
Main Lawns
live band and fire works
31st December | 8 pm onwards
Lawns
The Gourmet High
Street
Book Launch
Anurag Anand
22nd December
5 pm to 7 pm
Dhaba by Claridges,
DLF CyberHub
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I June 2014 I Citynews
The Millennium Day Marathon was flagged off by Milind Soman
Millennium City Marathon Flagged Off
by BY DCN BUREAU
4th - 6th
4th to 6th December
Leisure Valley (Inside Park
area), Gurgaon
31th
New Year Celebrations with
December
Christmas Carnival
25th December
| 12.00 pm onwards
Lawns
December
The City Club,
Phase 4
On a chilly morning, a handful of fitness-conscious people of the city converged
on deserted roads to be a part of the Millennium City Marathon that kicked off
from Tau Devi Lal Stadium to mark the Haryana Day on November 1.
The 42-km marathon was flagged off by Bollywood actor, model and athlete Milind
Soman and Kargil War Veteran, Maj. D P Singh, who is also the brand ambassador
for Pinkathon in the country. The marathon was conceptualised by Abhishek Mishra
who the IronMan title in September. Encouraging the participants with his presence
was Deputy Commissioner T.L Satyaprakash, who ran for 21 kms, half the length of
the marathon!
Also present at the event were Haryana’s Minister for PWD & Public Health Rao
Narbir Singh and Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma who too ran for a
distance to support the cause of fitness in the city.
Speaking to DCN, Milind Soman said, “Millennium City Marathon has been a very successful attempt to encourage people living in Gurgaon to take out time from their busy
schedules and work towards a healthy life. And, running is the best way to initiate healthy
living. These runners can go a long way in bringing about a change in mindset and this is
a great first step towards change”.
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Elaborating about his passionate involvement with the event, Major D P Singh, who
lost one of his legs in the Kargil war but
never let the disability dent his spirit, said,
“I had promised myself that I will never
compromise on my quality of life. To stay fit,
I run regularly. Besides, I believe in showing
my perception to the society through my action, not words”.
Stating that these kind of events are a great
step towards reducing pollution level, increasing the number of fitness freaks in the
city and also curtailing traffic jams to quite
an extent, DC T L Satyaprakash said, “I feel
such events should be promoted. As far as
my experience goes, I ran half the marathon. Frankly, half way through the race, I
slowed down but I completed the run as the
pacers were good”.
Marathon enthusiast Fergal O Flaherty
RUNNING
A great step towards
reducing pollution
level, increasing the
number of fitness
freaks in the city and
also curtailing traffic
jams to quite an extent
informed DCN that he had driven all the
way from Dublin to Delhi for the marathon.
“I was actually supposed to run this marathon with my father. However, due to his
sudden demise, I decided to complete this
in his memory. I am actually completing 13
marathons in 13 countries over a span of 13
weeks. That’s a target I have set for myself,”
he added.
Another participant Rupinder Kaushik,
who runs a residential academy in Zirakhpur, said, “I came with my husband to take
part in this marathon. While I did half of
it, he completed the entire bit. We were so
excited to be a part of this marathon that
we had been preparing for it for the last
four months” ø
DLF
Citynews
AROUND TOWN
EVENTS
Tribute To The
Golden Era
Old is not just gold. Old also harks
back to a time gone by, making you nostalgic. So when singers perform classics, they bring back the golden era,
turning a leaf from the old book. One
such evening “Geet Teen Sitaaron Ke
Naam,” recently held at Epicentre hosted by Media & Entertainment, took lovers of Indian cinema down the memory
lane, reviving their sentiments.
The musical evening witnessed soulful performances by acclaimed singer
Rajan David, whose voice resembles the
magical voice of Kishore Da, supported by two able female singers Smridhi
Malhotra and Sumita Saxena, who paid
A Run for
HEALTH
ON THE OCCASION
OF CHILDREN’S DAY,
GURGAON ROAD RUNNERS
(GRR), THE BIGGEST
RUNNING COMMUNITY
IN THE MILLENNIUM
CITY CAME UP WITH A
VALUABLE GIFT FOR KIDS –
‘JUNIORUN’.
by DCN BUREAU
A running event designed exclusively
for kids, Juniorun is an attempt on the
part of GRR to promote active and healthy
childhood. Brain child of Gurgaon Road
Runner’s chief mentor Siddarth Choudhary, it aims at bringing lifestyle changes
in the routine of today’s technology driven children and also break their sedentary lives.
The first such event planned by GRR,
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I Decmber 2015 I
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Citynews
Juniorun was officially unveiled at a curtain raiser event held recently. Desh Raj
Singh, IPS, Additional Director General
of Haryana Police was the chief guest
for the occasion. Haryana Police is, in
fact, the founding partner of this noble
endeavour.
The event saw representation of some
of the top schools, parent bodies and corporate houses. There was also a panel
discussion on which witnessed the participation of eminent experts including
Geetika Sasan Bhandari, Deputy Editor
of India Today, Digital Wing, Mansi Tripathy Chief Financial Officer, Shell Lubricants India and an avid runner, Sushant
Kalra, Founder, Parwarish Institute of
Parenting and Tina Sapra, Certified Diabetes & Lactation Educator). The session
was moderated by Tina Balachandran,
television professional and theatre actor/
director.
Juniorun will be targeted for kids from
0 to 18 years with distance categories falling under one, three, five and ten kms.
The first run will be happening at Kadarpur, Haryana Police Campus, Gurgaon
on 6 December. After Delhi/NCR, Juniorun will spread its wings to Jaipur. The
Jaipur run is scheduled for 20 March 2016.
Online registrations can be done at www.
juniorun.com ø
Grand Launch For
‘Abhimanyu’ At KOD
THE PALATIAL KINGDOM OF DREAMS BUSTLED WITH A NEW FOUND ENERGY AS
CELEBRITIES, STARS AND CULTURE ENTHUSIASTS OF GURGAON TROOPED INTO IT FOR
THE LAUNCH OF ABHIMANYU, TOUTED TO BE A DANCE AND MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA
by DCN BUREAU
Rajan David paying tribute to Kishore Da
a tribute to the two melody queens, Lata
Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. Also
present was a guest singer, S P Mishra,
who hummed a few songs while Anil
with his band gave the instrumental
support to the talented voices. A few
musical awards were also given away
during the evening by Sunil Khanna,
who was one of the top most heads of
Zee Network before heading Dish TV.
He is also one of the stalwarts responsible for starting TV industry of India at
top management level. Meanwhile, the
audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening with a few of them also shaking a
leg on some foot-tapping numbers at
the end! ø
Since 2010, Kingdom of Dreams has
won acclaim far and wide for the world’s
biggest and longest running Bollywood
musicals on stage like Zangoora, The
Gypsy Prince and Jhumroo, which continue to engage and enthrall the audience
each day. Into its fifth year of operations,
KOD’s latest musical, Abhimanyu – The
Fastest Feet, also regaled audiences with
a moving tale of a young man who teaches in a Gurukul in Rajasthan and follows
his art and heart.
With an exclusive compilation of 12
songs set to a magical and original score,
Abhimanyu’s story unfolded as a narrative woven into a dazzling dance spectacle on stage, against a backdrop of exotic
and mesmerising Rajasthan.
It was a heart warming tale about a
Kathak dancer, Abhimanyu, who is taken to USA by an International Broadway
dancer and how his life changes thereafter. His dreams, ambitions, struggles,
failure and final redemption turned out
to be a grand visual experience on stage.
Set to original lilting music of Deepak
Pandit and Sandeep Mahavir, the character of Abhimanyu was ably played as
were that of Baavri and a host of other
characters including a young American
dancer. The hero of the tale remained the
classical Indian dance form of Kathak
beautifully juxtaposed with hip hop and
audiences were captivated by its superb
dances, a breathtaking jugalbandi between the two dance forms, colourful
drama, glitzy costumes and scintillating
special effects brought alive with cutting
edge technology on a world class stage ø
DLF
Citynews
FEATURE
BELLY DANCING
Pure
Graceful
and Free
BELLY DANCING GAINS POPULARITY AND ACCEPTANCE,
BECOMES A TOOL TO EMPOWER WOMEN.
38
DLF
Meher Malik’s Banjara Dance Studio encourages women to express themselves through belly dance
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
Kahlil Gibran once said, “The philosopher’s soul dwells within his head,
the poet’s soul dwells within his heart
and the dancer’s soul abides within her
whole body”.
Priyanka Valecha cannot agree more as
she enthrals Gurgaon crowds with her
sinuous and flowing belly dance movements, which are sensual yet pure and
leave her audience spellbound.
“When I started belly dancing, it was a
completely new dance form for me. I had
no knowledge about it. However, today
belly dancing is getting popular as people have started accepting it. There are
reality shows, there is Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and so on. Media is
helping us spread the art and India has
a lot of belly dancers who are putting all
the efforts to spread the culture. There
have been ups and downs but it is growing,” says Priyanka, who is comfortable
with herself and proud of her art.
While this dance form has been under
wraps for long, it has now come out in
the open with a vengeance and women of
all shapes and sizes and from all strata
of society are embracing it with fervour.
“If we could peer back through the haze
of time and secretly watch our cave sister, what kind of a dance do you think
she would be doing? The belly dance, of
course”, elaborates Serena Wilson in an
excerpt from The History of Belly Dance.
ORIGINS AND GROWTH
The term “belly dance” is a translation
of the French term “danse du ventre”,
which was applied to the dance in the
Victorian Era. It originally referred to
the Arabic tribe of Algeria whose dance
used more abdominal movements than
the dances described today as “belly
dance”.
Belly dance has the ability to put together all elements; there is fluid soft motion
like water, there is aggressive muscular
movement like fire and there’s an earthy
base to it too. In fact, it can empower like
no other dance can!
Meher Malik, who is quite easily the
face of belly dancing in India having participated in iconic shows like India’s Got
Talent and Just Dance, whole-heartedly
agrees. She tells us how she has lived in
the Middle East for 17 years in Muscat,
Oman and has always enjoyed Arabic
music and culture. But contrary to popular thinking, she says belly dancing was
actually banned in the Middle East as it
DLF
Citynews
FEATURE
BELLY DANCING
Sensuous and graceful, this dance empowers as it makes women feel good about themselves
was against the tenets of Islam. She recalls how on a school trip to Egypt as a
14-year-old she was enamoured by the
graceful belly dance she saw on a cruise
on the Nile and was hooked forever.
With Egypt being a cultural capital for
the Arabic film industry, she was exposed
to the best of music, art and culture and
was inspired enough to learn the dance.
She is very realistic as she recalls, “My
parents couldn’t accept it initially, more
so because I got admission in NIFT Delhi
but dropped out as I considered myself
a misfit in the fashion world and found
it too superficial. I felt tormented and
chose to drop out and concentrate on
dance even though I did join Kamala
Nehru to do Psychology Honours”. A
year later in 2009, she got the opportunity to get be a part of India’s Got Talent
without even an audition and there was
no looking back.
TAKING ON A CHALLENGE
“Indians really did find it hard to see any
difference between prostitution and belly dancing”, she admits rather bluntly.
Rather than getting disillusioned, she
took this challenge head on and decided
to leave self doubt and motivate herself
40
DLF
‘intrinsically’.
Today, she runs the Banjara School of
Dance at Hauz Khas village and every
belly dancer in the country is either her
student or is learning from her student,
she informs with pride.
“Today I have the full support of my
family members, who are proud of
Belly Dancing Movements
l Percussive movements - Staccato
movements, most commonly of the
hips, are used to punctuate the music
or accent a beat.
l Fluid movements - Flowing, sinuous movements in which the body is
in continuous motion, which may be
used to interpret melodic lines and
lyrical sections in the music, or modulated to express complex instrumental
improvisations. These movements require a great deal of abdominal muscle control.
l Shimmies, shivers and vibrations
– Small, fast, continuous movements
of the hips or ribcage, which create
an impression of texture and depth of
movement.
me.” Her mother is teaching in Shriram
School in Vasant Kunj while father is in
Sales. Her brother is a musician as well
as a BBA LLB from Amity.
“Belly dancing is no longer a taboo.
Yes, it is sensual but certainly not vulgar. Women have broken stereotypes to
pursue this love for dance,” she admits
as she says “While earlier women had to
lie and come to a belly dance class saying
it was yoga or even CAT coaching, now
there is no hypocrisy and women come
openly to enjoy this dance form.”
Agrees Priyanka as she adds, “Belly
dance is sensual but a lot of times it is
called sexual. Because belly dance has
different body part movements like
chest, hips, people relate it to sex. I feel
it’s up to the people and their mentality. Belly dancers wear costumes which
show a lot of skin which makes people
think like that. Skin revealing costumes
are worn to show the internal movement, the muscle movement which won’t
be visible if we wear full body covered
costumes. It is said that earlier women
used to belly dance to entertain men. But
I doubt it is like that anymore. There are
better reactions now. Of course, we still
have those who ask ‘aap sirf dance karte
hai ya kuch aur bhi?”
EMPOWERING WOMEN
Meher recalls a documentary she did
for Jamia Milia Islamia called ‘Paunch
and Prejudice’ where she spoke of this
parallel women empowerment movement which came from the belly dancing
Freedom. “While traditionally mothers
taught this dance to daughters as a preparation for the womb, today, many men
also do belly dancing,” says Meher.
She is dismissive of the celebrity status
she enjoys as she does shows and film
choreography as a ‘performer’ for fulfilling a ‘commercial’ requirement’ and
continues to patronise fine arts and culture as an artist. “Glamour is an illusion
and any idiot can become famous,” she
says as she reveals that she has strictly
turned down many offers to do belly
dancing as ‘item numbers.’
She is now rediscovering herself as
she reveals, “Art opens your heart and
mind”. She has finally found the much
missing balance and is concentrating on
both her professional and personal life.
“This dance is spiritual in many ways
as it opens up the chakras and is a form
of meditation that connects with the
womb,” she points out.
She goes on to add, “The story of bel-
ly dancing is very similar to that of
Kathak, which began as a story-telling
dance form initially. Somewhere along
the way, it came to be known as a courtesan’s dance and today, it’s called a classical dance form. Same is the case with
belly dancing. Originally, it was a spiritual art form passed on from a mother
to her daughter to prepare the womb to
give birth and had nothing to do with
enticing men. When Western influences
began to appear, it started being termed
as ‘harem’s dance’ and was called ‘exotic’. But the perception has now changed,
thankfully!”
Talking about her inclination towards
belly dancing, Priyanka recalls how she
was always motivated to do something in
dance but ‘had never planned a thing.’
A COMPLETE DANCE FORM
“I was in Danceworx (Ashley Lobo) learning jazz and my growth as a dancer was
constant. I wanted a change. One of my
friends told me there is someone taking
a belly dance class in GK and it’s a very
difficult form. I took it as a challenge
and joined the class. I saw changes in
my body...the changes I was looking for. I
loved the dance form and when my teacher asked me if I wanted to work with her
and teach belly dance in her school within a month of joining the class, I was both
excited and scared. I learnt all the techniques of belly dance and started teaching in three months. Each and every class
made me realise the worth of this dance,
made me stronger and confident. It’s been
eight years and even today when I step
into a belly dance class, I feel the same
way. And I hope to make my students feel
the way I feel about it. Belly dance is no
less than any other Indian classical dance
or western dance form,” she informs, the
pride reflecting in her eyes.
It is also believed that there are tremendous health benefits to belly dance. Priyanka adds, “It gives you everything you
need. It gives you confidence, makes you
strong and makes you accept your body
type. Besides, it also benefits abdominal
muscles. It strengthens the core, the back
and the knees.”
Both Malik and Valecha are categorical
in their assertion that ‘everybody can
and should learn this dance.’ Priyanka
sums it up best, “Today, there are people
from different age groups who approach
us for the classes. Also there are some
men who come to learn belly dancing. So,
it’s definitely a bright road ahead for this
beautiful and graceful dance form.” ø
DLF
Citynews
COMMUNITIES
PUNJABIS
recalls how the India-Pakistan partition
was one of the toughest challenges for
the Punjabis but they refused to be cowed
down and continued to keep their hearts
and homes open.
Eat, Drink and Make Merry
Punjabi food is loved by everyone but
no one loves it as much as a true blue
Punjabi, adds Kamal Mehta who missed
her Maa ki Dal and Butter Chicken on
a recent trip to Vietnam. “Lassi, kulchechole, sarson ka saag....everything is
awesome and we insist everyone takes at
least three helpings as Punjabis believe
the way to a person’s heart is through
their stomach”, she laughs.
Chawla adds that Punjabis love their
food and drink as he recalls the legend of
the Patiala Peg. “The Maharaja of Patiala,
an avid sportsman, invited the Irish team;
“The Viceroy’s Pride”, to play a friendly
match of tent pegging and invented the famous “Patiala Peg” to trick the Irish team
Festivals are a great time for bonding
between members of the community
Strong, Sensitive and
Successful
Punjabis have often been considered
aggressive, agrees Chawla, due to high
decibel levels, loud blaring music and an
aggressive persona. But he adds that this
is just a personality trait from their rustic and rugged background. “Most Punjabis may speak a bit rough but are very
sensitive and soft once you know them,”
points out Ghosh. He has many friends
who appear aggressive just because of
their big build and strong voice.
“Being agricultural in background and
straightforward in temperament makes
us appear aggressive”, adds Krishna,
who feels it is this quality that makes
them so hardworking and hospitable.
Young Priyanka agrees that their style
of talking is tough but they are not abusive and in fact the young generation is
very sophisticated, she adds. “With the
likes of Dr Naresh Trehan of Medanta
and Chef Kunal Kapur of MasterChef, it
is clear that the Punjabis of Gurgaon are
share their happiness by being charitable and distributing food and clothes.
“We live in DLF Phase 1 and have been
celebrating all festivals but on Gurupurab, we make sure every house gets the
Kada Parshad from our own kitchen,”
points out Sarabjeet Singh.
Hindus or Sikhs, another festival that
is celebrated enthusiastically is the Karwa Chauth where women are spotted in
their bridal finery performing the evening ‘katha’ followed by the breaking of
the fast on moon rise. “Punjabis believe
in the legend of Karwa Chauth and many
others and despite modernisation are
very traditional”, says Krishna Agarwal,
who has been reading the katha for the
last 10 years at the community centre.
Weddings and festivities are synonymous with Punjabis and every occasion
is a reason to eat drink and make merry,
says Sunil Chawla who is proud to say, “A
Punjabi wedding is full of colour and fun
and we love having a DJ or just breaking
into our good old bhangra with a dhol for
accompaniment.” Agrees Sunaina Bak-
Pictures courtesy - Pinnacle resident Gaurang Tambi
Live Life Punjabi
Style
HAPPY, JOLLY AND HOSPITABLE – PUNJABIS AS A
COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED IN ALL THESE WAYS
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
“Punjabis are the happiest people in
the world,” says software professional
Puneet Wahi as his eyes twinkle with
mischief and he challenges us to disagree. He continues regaling us with jokes
and witty one-liners all the while laughing uncontrollably at his own jokes with
a gusto so typical of his community.
Positive Vibes
Happy, jolly and hospitable – Punjabis
as a community have been described in
all these ways. “Living life king size is
our goal and we enjoy life to the hilt,”
adds Rajiv Gulati, who has been living
in South City, Gurgaon for many years
and has been a part and parcel of all the
42
DLF
celebrations with that familiar Punjabi
enthusiasm.
Gulati explains how he is a Punjabi
from the agricultural community which
has traditionally loved their food and
drink. He, however, is deeply religious
and a teetotaller and freely quotes from
the Holy Guru Granth Sahib as he speaks
of the virtues of simplicity. “Worry does
not solve any problem so it is best to enjoy what we have,” adds his mother, who
lives with Rajiv and his wife.
Never Give up
“Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan,
Amrita Pritam’s Pinjar or even Bhisham Sahni’s televised version of Tamas,
show the tragedy and strife of Partition
but even when the Punjabis lost everything, they did not lose their positivity,”
says former Air Force officer and an avid
book lover KN Sharma who saw his family flee Pakistan with just the clothes they
were wearing. Adds wife Sudershan,
“Even when we stayed in a refugee camp
and did not see our father for six months,
we never gave up hope.” This never-saydie spirit is what has made Punjabis
succeed in business as is apparent from
their determination and doggedness.
Hard work and determination to succeed
is part of their psyche and happy times
or tough times, Punjabi hospitality is unmatched, explains Varinder Oberoi. He
into drinking more than what they could
handle so his own team could win. And
guess what....they won!!” he says.
“My Punjabi friends are great fun and
have such a typical way of talking that
even though we make fun of them, we
love to copy them”, says Nandita Ghosh,
who enjoys hearing her office colleagues
talk of “dinner-shinner, mutton-shutton
and party-sharty”.
Ghosh loves their food, their delicious
and rich curries but most of all she loves
their boisterousness and finds it very
sweet that ‘they always give you a warm
hug and welcome you to their closest
functions.’
doing very well in their own fields,” asserts Rajiv Gulati.
Festivals and Celebrations
Festival time is great bonding for the Punjabis and apart from Baisakhi and Lohri,
they celebrate every festival from Holi to
Diwali with great fanfare. “The Punjabi
Hindus visit the Gurudwara as well as
follow the nine days of Navratra fasting,”
says Bakshi, whose family has been hosting the Navratra Satsang in their house
for many years and celebrate Ashtami
and Navmi with traditional fanfare.
The Sikhs celebrate both Diwali and
Gurupurab with equal enthusiasm and
shi who is all set to celebrate her brother’s wedding and is arranging the best
of entertainment even while admitting,
“our entire family loves dancing so we
don’t need anyone else to entertain us.”
“Weddings are incomplete without Punjabi songs and dances,” maintain young
Priyanka and her friend Richa who love
Bollywood films with bhangra and giddha.
Punjabis do not have their regular associations or get-togethers but that is only
because they can be found everywhere,
absorbed in every aspect of life, says
Dhiraj Singh who calls himself a Punjabi
of Gurgaon because of his “large heart”
and his zest for life ø
DLF
Citynews
SOCIAL QUOTIENT
DLF FOUNDATION
COURSE CURRICULUM
Knowledge of the subject area (concepts
of security on a systems approach)
CCTV Operation
Public Conduct
Physical Fitness Training
Fire Fighting
Crowd Control
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Identification of Improvised Explosive
Devices
Crisis Response and Disaster
Management
Use of Security Equipment and Devices
Leadership and Management (only for
supervisors)
Grooming Soft Skills and Customer
Service
CONTROL ROOM ETIQUETTES
AND DUTIES
Detailed Documentation and Reporting
Scrap/ Waste Material Handling
Frisking and Vehicle Checking
Bomb Threat Procedures and Follow ups
Highly Qualified and Accomplished
Faculty
The faculty deployed is highly experienced and qualified drawn from the
private security industry, military,
police, and eminent educators in
the area of security.
First batch of Skill Training in Security
DLF-OSSIM SKILLS TRAINING
Centre For Security Personnel
MANY A TIMES, PRIVATE SECURITY OFFICERS ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE AVAILABLE
by DCN BUREAU
Many a times, private security officers are the first line of defence available, and for most, it is comforting to see
security personnel on the job. Today,
the scope of a private security officer’s
work has expanded vastly and includes
everything from preventing industrial
espionage to providing personal security, conducting investigations and managing facilities. According to industry
sources, the private security industry
is estimated to cross Rs 40,000 crores by
2015. Today, the industry is perceived to
be growing at 40 per cent.
44
DLF
DLF-OSSIM Join Hands
Envisaging the future growth potential
and the need to concentrate on critical
issues of security, DLF Foundation’s
Skill-a-Million Programme has partnered with OSSIM, Asia’s first Security
Education and Training Institute to open
a skill training centre in Chakarpur in
Gurgaon where nearly 4,000 security personnel will undergo training over a twoyear period.
State-of-the-art Training
The Foundation believes in imparting
world-class quality training and educa-
Grooming in Soft Skills and Customer Service
tion in security through innovation.
This initiative will provide state-of-theart training crucial in making the security workforce ready to take on the daily
challenges. This course is therefore designed to meet this increased need for
use of technology in managing security.
Training will be conducted for various levels of personnel including
guards, supervisors, field officers,
security managers/branch managers. The month-long course covers the
basic skills required by a security officer to succeed in their role, including
Electronic Security, CCTV Operation,
Training on CCTV Surveillance
ACCREDITATION & RECOGNITION
Training partner OSSIM is accredited in
India, and is recognised by the London
Metropolitan University, UK.
Emergency Response System, Patrolling,
Fire Safety, and so on.
As a part of the company’s commitment to
the ongoing training and education, training
will be imparted on a security course curriculum that is unmatched anywhere else in
the security industry.
The DLF Security Training Centre is well
equipped with high resolution CCTV cameras along with Monitoring System, Door
Frame Metal Detectors, Model Improvised
Explosive Device (IED), Fire Fighting Equipment, Projection Systems and Classrooms. ø
DLF
Citynews
TRENDSPOTTING
BEARD & HAIRSTYLE
Fabulous
Fuzz
Bearded people from all over the
world converged at the small village of
Leogang in Salzburg recently where the
Beard World Championship jury chose
the world’s most attractive and unusual
beards. The DLF City News team em-
STYLISH HAIR,
MOUSTACHES AND BEARDS
FASCINATE GURGAONITES
by DCN BUREAU
barked on its own journey to explore the
male fascination for beards, moustaches
and stylish hair in Gurgaon
Beard Trends
According to senior stylist, Looks, Deep-
ak Jalhan, “Some of the latest trends in
beards that are in demand include Stubble, Jack Sparrow, Grey French Beard
(Amitabh Bachchan), Darwin, Fully
Grown Beard, Stark Hipster Beard, Handle Bars and Zappa.”
Beard has been an integral part of
men’s grooming history since the early
80s and like any other fashion trend
which keeps coming back, beard is now
back in style. Jalhan adds, “I feel beard
has always been in fashion. It’s just that
these days everyone wants to keep it in
shape with professional help of stylists. I
have also heard a lot of men saying that
they keep beard because women love
it and it makes them stand apart in the
crowd! Youngsters in particular are carrying it really well and it actually gives
them a mature and classy look, which in
turn provides them more options to experiment with their wardrobe”.
To this, Mone, a DJ by profession, adds,
“Often people buy external accessories
to improve their look forgetting they
already have something to play around
with. Facial hair is just like scalp hair
...you leave them messy, they will look
messy but if you can style and cut them
as per what suits you, it enhances your
personality and gives a big change to
your look. As the saying goes, ‘With great
beard comes great responsibility’!”
Rohit Gupta, 24, a graphic designer who
works with the Real Estate Council of
Haryana, is a style icon with his wellgroomed beard. “I get complimented a
lot, especially by the girls,” he laughs.
He recalls how he began keeping a beard
when he was in Class 12. “While my parents and older people preferred a clean
shaven look, I always preferred a rough
look,” he explains and recalls how he
kept experimenting with various styles
and emulated the Hollywood movie X
Men’s Wolverine style of Hugh Jackman.
BEARDS
Many men say
that they keep
a beard because
women love it and
it makes them stand
apart in a crowd
Style Quotient
He admires Brad Pitt and Hrithik Roshan
equally for their style quotient and has put
his own creativity to test since the second
year of college when he began using a
trimmer and blades to maintain his mane.
“It’s all about patience and creativity,” says
Gupta who remembers how he once overdid it and cut off part of his moustache before even using that to his advantage!
An equally enthusiastic Raj Kumar
Saini, a Sector 4 resident working with
DLF, adds, “The bearded look is strikingly macho and commanding. Beards and
moustaches make a real man”. Sanjeev
Malik, 32, a sector 47 resident who works
in Cybercity, however, disagrees. “I think
the clean shave look suits me though at
18, I used to have a beard”.
While facial hair is proudly displayed
by the Sikh Community for whom ‘kesh’
(uncut hair) is a religious requirement,
Mandeep Singh who runs a restaurant in
DLF City admits that many young people
are no longer flaunting it with pride. He
himself loves his manned look and diligently, “brushes and grooms” it.
While the modern and metrosexual Indian youth chooses the clean look with
many youngsters going for a hair free image, moustaches do run a parallel story
of a macho India where cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Ravinder Jadeja and
actors Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan
Deepak Jalhan of Looks Salon giving DJ Mone a stylish cut to flaunt
46
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DLF
Citynews
TRENDSPOTTING
BEARD & HAIRSTYLE
twirl those moustaches and many follow suit! The love of handlebar moustache also continues to be popular and
many a man twirls it with pride.
Danveer Singh, another Gurgaon resident adds, “We all want to look distinct
and different from the rest. I think it looks
odd for a man to be clean shaven as this
blurs distinction between men and women.” He admits he is inspired by singers
and Bollywood actors in keeping a beard.
Speaking about the ongoing trends
with people, Mukesh Kumar, Hair Stylist at Beyond Beauty Salon in Gurgaon
feels one of the trendiest beards is that
of TV anchor Manish Paul whose side
burns are a huge hit. “Both Manish Paul
as well as Mika Singh with a ‘goatee’ are
well loved,” says Kumar who believes
youngsters like a rugged look where
they don’t shave for some time and
then use a trimmer for a cool look.” He
advises people to stay without a shave
Clean-shaven Sanjeev Malik (top left) earlier
had a beard; Rohit Gupta (above) is proud of
his beard
and haircut for a month at least before
attempting any style as “maintenance
of these hairstyles requires a visit to a
salon every 20-25 days; you cannot maintain them at home”.
Undoubtedly popular icons are the
reason why the craze is growing with
older people loving Amitabh Bachchan’s
exquisite silvery French beard and the
younger ones gushing over Shahid Kapoor’s wild style besides the elegant and
well maintained look of David Beckham
and Fawad Khan.
Jalhan concludes, “I personally love
beard and carry it myself too, after all it
is a specific gift given to us by God and
I surely feel that it enhances a man’s
personality. At the same time I would
say that beard is not for everyone. Keep
it if it suits you rather than just following your favorite stars because beard is
about what you are as an individual. You
must consult a professional”.
“The bearded look is strikingly macho and
commanding. Beards and moustaches
make a real man”.
RAJ KUMAR SAINI
Hairstyles In Vogue
When it comes to hair, Jalhan informs
that the styles which are popular among
youngsters and middle aged today include Undercuts, Pompadour and Classic
Retro looks.
Kumar believes that Shahid Kapoor
and Aamir Khan are very popular in
influencing hair (and even beard) style
trends among young people. The Honey
Singh cut is also in demand, explains
Kumar and adds, “Short from the sides
and long from the top of the head is a
popular trend. Lots of people even ask
for zig zag on the sides and tattoos made
on sides by the stylist.” He recalls how
Aamir’s Ghajini haircut had become a
craze and surprisingly continues to be a
popular choice.
Jalhan agrees, “Yes people surely follow
their favourite stars from Bollywood and
Hollywood be it Robert Downey Jr and
Nick Booster or Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. In fact, Akshay’s beard
look for the film Gabbar and Amitabh’s
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DLF
“Some of the latest trends in beards that are in demand
include Stubble, Jack Sparrow, Grey French Beard
(Amitabh Bachchan), Darwin, Fully Grown Beard, Stark
Hipster Beard, Handle Bars and Zappa.”
DEEPAK JALHAN
French beard are a huge hit among middle-aged men”.
However, Gurgaonite Puneet Duggal
feels that though following stars is ‘cool’,
it is always advisable to consult a professional ‘to get that perfect style that complements your look.’ He recalls how at
22, he emulated Shikhar Dhawan’s moustache and singer Babbu Mann’s hair but
now that he is employed, he prefers the
clean look.
Sandeep Sharma, another Gurgaonite, elaborates, “It is always the
younger generation that loves to
experiment while the older class
sticks to conventional looks”. On the
hairstyles in demand among professionals like him today, he informs,
“these days, everyone is emulating the
close cropped look with the “fauji cut”
gaining popularity.”
According to Kumar, “In all these styles,
(be it for hair or beard), maintenance is
tough. For instance, hair wax is essential
on a regular basis while to maintain designs, one needs to visit the stylist every
20 days.” The last word comes from the
young Rahul Gupta. “At the end, it is a
personal statement and if you have the
attitude and creativity to be a style icon,
you should definitely flaunt it!” ø
(Inputs by Rahul Ahuja)
DLF
Citynews
WINE & DINE
PIZZA
For the Love of
Pizza
ELLEN DEGENERES SERVED IT UP TO THE LIKES OF
HARRISON FORD, BRAD PITT AND JULIA ROBERTS AND
YOU CAN ORDER IT IN 30 MINUTES WHENEVER AND
WHEREVER YOU WANT.
by MEENAKSHI SHARMA
It’s delicious, quick, and best of all,
there’s a combination of toppings for
everyone. What’s more, when pizza is
made to include the four food groups, it
can even be a healthy choice.
Pizza for a crowd; at a birthday party,
an office celebration, or a get-together to
watch a game on TV...the venues and occasions are unlimited. So whether you go
to a fancy restaurant or order a takeaway,
everyone simply loves to get together
with friends or family and eat, naturally
– a pizza!
Originating in Naples, Italy, pizza has
become an ultimate in comfort food in a
rapidly escalating trend for over 30 years.
As every foodie will agree, pizza can never be boring and can almost always meet
your expectations, whether you opt for a
classic or reinvented version. ` “Pizzas
and biryanis are two cuisines that are
most popular amidst the corporate because of the ease of eating, plating and
quick delivery,” believes Rohit.
So we have actor Kevin James say,
“There’s no better feeling in the world
than a warm pizza box on your lap” while
Daniel Radcliffe continues to find pizza
parties most alluring as he explains, “I
just get four friends around, we eat pizza
and we’re really lazy!”
Pizza really does have an eternal appeal. It could very well be because of its
versatility and the fact that it can be altered to suit anyone’s palate. Perhaps the
main reason is what Atul Narang says
when he reiterates, “It tastes good – pizza
is just so yummy.”
Home-grown Brands
Entice Foodies
Pawan Soni, self-confessed foodie and
founder of Indian Food Freak has discovered an interesting trend. “Sales of Mc-
Donald and KFC are showing a negative
trend world over given their unhealthy
connotation and yet pizzas which fall in
the same category have seen many more
brands and increasing sales.”
Soni finds Gurgaon to be providing an
excellent platform for many home-grown
pizza brands that are now doing good
very well. “From Fat Lulu to Crusty to
Instapizza to NYC pie, we all love our
pizza mostly the same way - cheesy with
a tangy sauce and thin crisp base.”
In keeping with the trend of stand-alone
and niche pizza places, Vivek Bimbrahw
vouches for Mamma Mia at 32nd Milestone while Pritika Sardana and Vineet
Chopra Dubey endorse Pizzavito. Barkha
Nangia loves the “Insta Monster Pizza
loaded with cheese, paprika and basil.”
Rohit Mohan, Payal Gupta and Mandeep
Singh all back Fat Lulu with Payal also
endorsing NYC Pie.
While pizza chains continue to have a
Variations and fusion in Pizza make it a universally popular choice
CHEF PARTHIV JOSHI,
Area Kitchen Manager,
California Pizza Kitchen,
India On What Makes Them Different
“A
s a full service casual dining
restaurant with a very relaxed
environment, we are quite different
from other brands in terms of the quality of
dough, the size of the dough and the different
types of pizzas we have on our menu including
different flavours; Mexican, Italian, American, Indian and Asian which are created using
different recipes. There are also an extensive
range of pastas, mains/speciality salads, appetisers and desserts to choose from. We have
the actual thin crust pizzas on our menu which
one can relate very closely to the ones made
in Italy. The quality of pizzas we serve along
with the variety makes us different from other
brands,” asserts Chef Parthiv.
Talking about the USP of their brand, he
informs, “California Pizza Kitchen offers its
guests extensive varieties of pizzas with fresh
ingredients and mouth-watering flavours from
around the world. Besides, ours is an open
kitchen where people can actually see the pizza
making process live in action and California
Pizza Kitchen, India takes pride in the way the
recipes are created.”
50
DLF
DLF
Citynews
WINE & DINE
PIZZA
CRUSTY’S OWNER ROHIT NARANG
TALKS ABOUT HIS BRAND AND
THE EVER GROWING LOVE FOR
PIZZAS
loyal fan following, the clamour is more
and more for unique and novel concepts
as long as the flavour and taste is intact.
So we have Vandana Kohli recommending California Pizza Kitchen at CyberHub which serves American style pizzas
in a classy setting with a lot of additions
on the menu.
Crusty’s Pizzas with three outlets in
Gurgaon, one in Galleria Market, DLF
Phase 4, the second at Baani Square, Sector 50 and the third in Sector 56, seems to
win hands down with foodies, reviewers,
bloggers and diehard pizza lovers like
52
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Rinku Singh, Gagan Anand, Smita Jain
Kapoor and Megha Nainwal Deorani endorsing its “thin crust and full of flavour
fresh toppings.”
Avni Bhatnagar can’t stop gushing
as she gives her choice as “Crusty’s always.....perfect combination of ingredients with choice of base and cheese.....
has been the best for me.” Adds Seema
Sachdeva Sandhu, “Crusty’s.... converted
me to a pizza-lover! Their sauces are totally unique ...makes their pizzas stand
apart from all the other chains.”
Agrees Parul Battu who even goes so
far as to say, “Please go and try it... you
will forget all pizzas.” RK Geetha, a well
known food reviewer and blogger adds
Pizza Express to the list but admits,
“While Pizza Express and Crusty’s are
my favourites, the quality of pepperoni
of the latter is very good.”
Fat Lulu’s and Smokey’s are the other
favourites with Nitin Kumar endorsing
the pulled Pork and Feta cheese pizza.
No matter what type of cooking method
is used, the delicious smell of a pizza
straight out of the oven is unmatched in
this world. “Love fades but pizza is forever”, this quote quite aptly summarises
most young people’s philosophy in life
just as it sits pretty in that petite little
pizza place that youngsters frequent in
Gurgaon. Clearly pizzas are here to stay
and no one seems to be complaining. ø
“W
ith a clear vision in mind
and after having surveyed
the market, I realised
that though the market had multi pizza
brands, there was something missing, in
terms of fusion with authentic Italian
food and which could be cost effective
as well. Besides, I had some very special
recipes in my kitty which I wanted to offer to the market,” he explains.
He further adds, “Our kitchen is very
strategically made with potential to serve
food to over 500 people a day. We give utmost importance to cleanliness while also
focusing on using only premium quality
fresh ingredients.”
Ask him about their most popular
pizza and he takes no time to reply, “Our
Chicken Peri-Peri pizza is the most trending item on the menu which is topped
with our unique Peri-Peri Mayo and Pesto
Mayo sauces. We are also proud to serve
Peri Peri Pizza, Laal Maas Pizza and
Crunchy Peanut Chicken.”
Rohit feels a lesson that he has learnt
from the Gurgaon customer is that ‘one
can easily survive and grow by delivering
quality at an economical price and being
a consistent performer’. He sums it up
with a compliment he received from one
of his customers, “You guys have truly
justified your punch line - We did not
invent the pizza, we just have set out to
perfect it.”
SPOTlight
‘How To Protect Your Newborn
During Changing Weather’
D
r T J Antony is the Director &
HOD, Neonatology at Fortis
Memorial Research Institute,
Gurgaon and has won many
accolades for his remarkable work in the
field of neonatology. He has various publications in national and international journals to his credit. He is a Member of Indian
Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), The National
Neonatology Forum and the Royal College
of Paediatrics and Child Health.
How can infants and small children
be protected during the onset and
retreat of winters?
Newborn, infants and small children
are vulnerable to infections throughout the year and especially so when the
seasons change. With the change in seasons, different viruses appear and most of
them are transmitted by air. So, the first
step in prevention is to avoid contact with
children/adults who have cough or cold.
Next is to avoid crowded places or closed
environments where the chances of picking up the bug from a stranger would
be high. Avoidance of smoke, especially
cigarette smoke, is something else that
can be done as these predispose babies
to respiratory infections. Immunising babies and children between the ages of six
months and five years against the influenza virus is also recommended. Exposing babies to sunlight is also a good thing.
However, placing a fully covered baby in
the sun is not very useful as only the face
would be exposed and that will not help
synthesise adequate amounts of Vitamin
D. Babies should be given Vitamin D supplementation as a routine, from the time
of birth.
Layering is good as is commonly believed but where to stop for a newborn?
I agree, layering is a good way to keep
babies warm. How many layers would
depend on the environmental temperature, but rough guide would be one
layer more than what mum requires
to stay warm. However one should
constantly check the baby’s temperature by touching the baby’s
hands, feet, head, tip of nose and
tummy. If the baby feels warm to
touch at all these sites then the
clothing is probably adequate. If
however the baby is sweaty over
the back and chest or has damp
hair, then the baby is probably hot
and needs to be unwrapped.
Are there any food supplements
doctors recommend to keep babies
warm during winters?
There are really no special food supplements to keep babies warm during the winters. Babies less than six
months of age should be exclusively
breast fed. During winter the added
advantage they would have, would
be, that they would receive through
breast milk, antibodies against common respiratory infections from their
mother. Babies and children after the
age of six months should be given
the age appropriate diet. Foods such
as ‘Brandy’ which are thought to be
useful in keeping babies warm during
winters should be avoided as they can
potentially cause harm to the baby.
Should bathing be a routine for infants during winters?
Babies need to stay clean and so should
be bathed regularly. This however need
not be a daily routine for the very small
babies. On cold days when a bath is not
possible, a sponge with a warm cloth or at
the minimum washing the face and bottom would do.
DLF
Citynews
COLUMN
PET CARE
Cheers to a safe
and happy heart!
Les affaires de Coeur
PETS LOVE, PETS CARE, PETS SHARE, PETS ADORE.... BUT NEVER HATE!
by DR. SALISHA WHITNEY CORREIA
The heart is the most vital organ in
the body regulating blood circulation.
Its efficient functioning depends on
many internal body factors. Like humans, pets too have numerous cardiac
issues like congenital heart disorders,
congestive heart failure, degenerative
mitral valve disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, heartworms and so on. The
most common cardiac issue in cats is
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. With the
increasing import of foreign dog and
cat breeds into India, cardiac issues are
also on the rise as few of these exotic
pets like Dachshunds, Cavalier King
Charles Spaniels, and Dobermans are
predisposed to certain heart problems.
Recent estimation of the mortality
caused by cardiac disease in the general
canine population indicates that about
54
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seven percent of all dogs die or are euthanised because of heart failure before
10 years of age.
Early diagnosis of any cardiac disease
is the hallmark of cardiac treatment.
Symptoms that owners need to keep
an eye out for are laboured breathing,
cough, exercise intolerance, cyanosis,
fainting and reluctance to lie down (especially in cats). Correct diagnosis by a
veterinarian involves many steps such
as history, signalment and auscultation.
Step-wise diagnosis of
veterinary cardiac issues:
Auscultation: It is the first step in diagnosing a cardiac problem. Arrhythmia
(irregular heartbeat), bradycardia (slow
heartbeat) or tachycardia (fast heartn
beat) can be differentiated. The origin of
clinical signs can also be distinguished.
n Radiography : Taking a chest x-ray in
two or three orthogonal views is critical to establish an enlarged heart, fluid
in the chest, specific heart chamber involvement or lung issues.
n Electrocardiography: An ECG can help
your veterinarian find out specific flow
abnormalities, heartbeat irregularities
and/ or a missed beat.
n Echocardiography: This is the latest
non-invasive cardiac diagnostic tool
in veterinary medicine. The echocardiogram cannot be used to examine the
lungs, but this ultrasonographic examination allows the veterinarian to see inside the heart. For moving organs such
as the heart, the size, tissue character
and muscle function can be assessed in
what is called a “real time” examination
that resembles a motion picture. Echocardiography provides a wealth of data
concerning cardiac morphology and
function.
n Blood tests: A complete blood count,
kidney and liver function tests, serum
mineral/electrolyte profile are essential
in diagnosing cardiac problems as the
primary cause.
n Canine Heartworm Screening: Critical
for pets travelling abroad, the specialised CGS Hospital laboratory conducts
routine Canine Heartworm screening
using the latest Snap Test (CaniV4). A
buffy coat smear for specific diagnosis of
female Canine Heartworms, if present in
blood circulation is also performed.
Following diagnosis, treatment starts
immediately. Cardiac patients need to be
carefully monitored during the course of
treatment. Most have life-long prescriptions that require periodic alterations
based on re-evaluation of the patient.
Medical treatment includes diuretics, a
heartbeat regulator, a bronchodilator, a
mineral stabiliser and a vasodilator. Surgical treatment may include stent placement or chest tube placement as per the
specific condition.
Tips for cardiac patient
owners:
8 If you notice any of the discussed
symptoms, get your pet checked by a
qualified veterinarian.
8 Adhere to the medical prescription. Do
not abruptly stop or alter any medication.
8 All exotic pets should be screened for
Canine Heartworm routinely.
8 It is okay to take your pet for a walk,
but limit strenuous exercise.
8 Avoid using collars / choke chain.
8 Keep your pet in a cool shady place,
away from extreme heat or cold.
8 Restrict sodium in the diet. Special
Veterinary Prescription Cardiac diet is
also available.
CGS Hospital, Gurgaon is proud to
have Dr. B.M. Yadav as the head of the
Clinical Radiology, Ultrasonography
and Echocardiography Department.
A Graduate from CCS HAU, Hisar,
and a Post Graduate from GADVASU,
Ludhiana, he obtained his training
from Dr. Annie Marie, Netherlands
in Echocardiography and also had a
short training in Vet. Small Animal
Cardiology in Portugal, organised
by the European School of Advanced
Veterinary Studies. He also holds
a certification in Veterinary Ultrasonography by Govt. of Haryana.
His great analytical skills ensure
nothing is hidden from his eyes, thus
giving an accurate diagnosis.
8 Focus on weight control.
8 Always inform your concerned veterinarian about your pet’s diagnosed cardiac ailment, medication he/she is on;
as certain drugs can cause allergic reactions. Anaesthetic protocols employed
are different.
8 Monitor your pet’s breathing and colour of the tongue.
8 In case of an emergency, rush your pet
to the vet! ø
(The writer is M.V.Sc. Vet. Surgery
& Radiology and is Veterinarian,
CGS Hospital, a unit of CGS Charitable Trust, Gurgaon)
DLF
Citynews
FEATURE
CHRISTMAS
SPOTlight
Christmas Is In The Air
by DCN BUREAU
Most of the Indians celebrate
Christmas and New Year “saathsaath”. Festivities that look to be
tapering off after Diwali take off
again around Christmas and linger on till New Year’s Eve.
Gurgaonites too celebrate New
Year and Christmas with great
enthusiasm with an evening
of bonfire, DJ and musical extravaganza and sumptuous food
RECIPE
Ginger Bread Semifreddo
Ingredients
6 pcs egg yolk
80 gm sugar
15 gm ginger chips
2 leaves of gelatin sheet
300 gm whipped cream
80 gm ginger biscuits
30 ml fresh orange juice
For Ginger Tuile
110 gm icing sugar
60 ml orange juice
30 gm flour
60 gm almond powder
60 gm butter
7 gm ginger powder
Method to make the Ginger Tuile
n Gradually mix all the ingredients together. Pour the
mass on the prepared baking tray by using a mould.
Bake the Tuile in the pre-heated oven at 190 c until it
turns golden.
n Method to make the Semifreddo
n Soak the ginger biscuit in orange juice.
n Whip the cream in slow speed until it gets thicker.
n Beat the egg yolk with sugar till ribbon consistency.
n Add the soaked ginger biscuits mixture into the egg
mixture, fold the melted gelatin & chopped ginger chips.
Finally, fold the whipped cream. Pipe the mixture into a
silicon dome shaped mould and freeze it overnight. Glaze
with dark chocolate and decorate with fresh raspberry,
Ginger Tuile and gold leaves.
(Recipe Courtesy: Executive Pastry
Chef, Le Meridien, Gurgaon, Anil Kumar)
56
DLF
on both 25th and 31st December.
Even corporate entities of US, UK
and Europe origin, who have a
large number of their executives
as expats, are caught in the festive
fever.
The malls, condominiums, local stores are decorated with colourful lights, Xmas trees, Santa
Claus and other embellishments.
You can shop for candles, Christmas decorations, Christmas tree,
cakes, Santa Claus clothes for children and much more.
“Preparations for Christmas begin at least one month in advance,
particularly when it comes to the
traditional Christmas cake. This
time, I have decided to visit the
Church with my neighbours and
then go out for dinner together. Of
course, we will be distributing gifts
and sweets among children, decorate the Christmas tree and wear
he Santa Claus dress,” says Mebin
Babu, a resident of Sector 17.
In fact, most of the families have
already chalked out their plans.
“This time, we are planning to
make Christmas cake at home and
mix dry fruits in it. Little before
Christmas, we will start visiting
homes of all friends and relatives
asking them to join our groups and
sing carols. After all, Christmas is
the time to enjoy with family and
friends,” informs Philip, a resident of Gurgaon, who belongs to
Kerala.
Even schools across the city
make it a point to celebrate the festival in a grand way. “It is the time
of the year when the decorations
come out, happy voices sing out
loud and the celebrations begin.
On this occasion, we plan different activities for our children, who
also present their teachers with
Christmas cards and gifts. Even
non-Christian students enthusiastically participate in such celebrations and sing carols. Of course,
the mandatory cake distribution
is something all children wait
for,” says Rakhi Verma, Principal of Ryan International School,
Bhondsi. ø
Contouring Teeth For
A Beautiful Smile
H
ow often have crooked and
unshaped teeth made you
conscious? Well, you can
keep all your worries at bay
now! Thanks to advanced dental procedures, cosmetic surgery can transform
your unshaped teeth into well-shaped
white pearls!
Contouring of teeth is one such method
of cosmetic dentistry that can improve the
shape of teeth, which are pointed, chipped,
or overlapping. Speaking about it, Dr Heman
Verma, a leading implantologist, explains,
“There is something known as enamel on
the teeth. This coat of enamel is buffed to
change the shape of the teeth. Even slight
buffing can make a significant difference
to improve not only the shape of the teeth
but also alter size besides smoothening the
teeth which are uneven.”
He further adds, “The process involves an
X-ray where we see the current shape of
the tooth and with help of markings decide what best shape can be given to it.
We end up the procedure by finally pol-
ishing the tooth. The procedure does not
require anaesthesia and is painless too.”
Contouring of teeth can deal with minor
fractures, overcrowding and sharp edges
as well. To this, Dr Priyanka Verma adds,
“Teeth contouring is a simple method with
immediate results. Once we sculpt and
polish the teeth, one look at you in the
mirror will flash that smile back. Also, this
procedure may be combined with whitening to make the teeth look even more vibrant and clean. Contouring is used along
with bonding and veneers too. A combination of these can remove huge defects and
imperfections from the teeth.”
She further informs, “People who opt for
contouring of teeth need to have healthy
teeth and since this is a cosmetic procedure, if the alignment or defect is huge,
then the use of orthodontist therapy is the
solution.” Contouring of teeth is a simple
process which usually needs a single sitting. However, at times there could be a
requirement of multiple sittings too based
on the need and extent of treatment.
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: [email protected]
www.dentalstylers.com
DLF
Citynews
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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
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II 3220 67.04
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III
Corporate Greens
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Skycourt
4th-10th floors slabs cast. Club finishing in progress
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IV
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GF, 1st and 2nd floor slabs cast in Towers H &L; K; E, J & S
Total
The Crest DLF5
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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
ELDERS
YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS
DLF
Silver Oaks Condominium Association – DLF Phase-I 0124-3034146-47
Mr. Tariq Raza
President
Mrs. Shalini Sawhney
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Mr. Pankaj Kumar
Manager
Mr. V K Jain
Secretary
Ms. Rupali Jain
Treasurer
Oakwood Estate Condominium Association – DLF Phase-II
0124-4052005
Major General A.K. Kher
President
Mr. R.P. Kaushik
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Mr. Abhijit Malkhani
Vice President
Mr. Gaurav Dua
Treasurer
Beverly Park-I – DLF Phase-II
0124-4011757
Mr. Mr. Depak Kapur
Mr. Sarabjit Singh Dhawan
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Mr. Adil Shiavax Nargolwala
Ms. Anita Kapur
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Ms. Savita Malhotra
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9810063523
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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
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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
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DLF Phase-V
DLF Phase-V
Contact
Mr. H S Shukla
Mr. Bijendar Singh
Mr. R Bhagchandani
Mr. YC Sharma
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DLF
Citynews
Telephone No.
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TRANSIT LOUNGE
NICOLAI FRIEDRICH
Casting
a Spell!
AMAZINGLY TALENTED GERMAN
MENTALIST MESMERISES
GURGAONITES ACROSS ALL AGE
GROUPS AND LEAVES THEM
YEARNING FOR MORE
ence, who I believe, are losing their sense of wonder. So, I
try my best to give them that ‘wow effect.’
What is the most important thing to learn to be a
magician?
If you want to be a magician, first of all you need to know
and practice the sleight of hands, learn moves, misdirection and also how the mind works. You need to understand
why people see things that happen in front of their eyes
and why they do not see things that happen in front of
their eyes; how does misdirection work and so on.
How did you perfect your skill?
I went through a lot of training and practice. I remember
practicing for hours in front of the video camera, mirror,
people and friends, asking for their feedback. As a magician, you have to make your audience feel amazed. When
you do the mental magic thing, you have to know a lot
about psychology, which forms the foundation in this art.
We try and suggest things to people, by getting into their
minds and not through hypnosis. The idea is make them
behave in a particular way for which you have to know
how people think and how they react. And, of course, you
have to get a lot of experience because the psychological
Nicolai Friedrich creates ripples with his mentalism
by REENA DHANKHER
Beware of your thought waves for he knows what’s going on
in your mind! You think of a number, and he knows it...that’s
the magic of German mentalist Nicolai Friedrich. The man can
work wonders with his magical fingers and his mind-boggling
mentalism.
After performances at Pune and Bangalore, Nicolai had come
to the Millennium City to make the crowd go berserk and that
he did, not just with his mind-reading skills but also with his
creativity and comic timing. So, he tore a newspaper and put it
back into a single piece, guessed the zodiac sign of a lady, gave
out the number a young man had thought in his mind and left a
girl completely speechless as he casually mentioned her date of
birth! No wonder, he had the audience glued to their seats and
also away from their mobile phones.
With his charming personality and talent, Nicolai ensured
that he had the complete attention of the bewildered crowd that
comprised a mix of corporates, professionals, women and children even though it was busy Tuesday evening.
62
DLF
INSPIRATION
When DCN caught up with him, he spoke about the challenges
that come in the way of conceptualisation of great ideas, ones
which have the potential to amaze all age groups. “Most of my
creations are original and in some, I change a few elements to
make them more interesting and interactive. My audience is
my biggest motivation,” says the 39-year-old mentalist.
Excerpts from an interview.
Seeing a magician create
the wow effect among
the audience inspired
me to take up magic
How did you get inspired and start magic?
I started very early at the age of four when I saw a magician
performing live. I remember sitting in the audience and I was
like wow! That feeling inspired me to take up magic. I also had
a friend who had a magic box and could do quite a few tricks. I
was so fascinated by it that I asked my parents to buy me a magic box for Christmas. And that’s how I started doing magic as a
hobby but soon it turned into my passion. I started performing
at family events and every time I would manage a new trick, I
would share it with my neighbours. Slowly, people started hearing about me and that’s how I evolved as a magician and became
popular. I always want to give this ‘amazing’ feeling to my audi-
aspect is a bit theoretical. Generally, people tend to react
in a particular way but they may act different too. So you
need to try out with as many people as you can to develop
your own experience.
How should one start if one is ambitious to become
a magician?
The first step is to buy a magic box and perform tricks,
next is buying tricks from the magic shop, then you read
books and the fourth step is to come up with your own
creations. Of course, as far as the reading part is concerned, you can get hold of as many as you can in order
to perfect your skills ø
DLF
Citynews
ENTERTAINMENT
CELEB TALK
MOVIE
PREVIEWS
English
Snoopy and Charlie Brown- The
Peanuts Movie 3D
A treat for kids, this one is an animated comedy
directed by Steve Martino based on ‘Peanuts’ by
Charles M Schulz. In the film while Charlie Brown
tries to catch the little red haired girl’s attention,
Snoopy writes a book to protect his love interest.
Star Wars Episode VII – The Force
Awakens - 3D
The seventh instalment in the Star War series, the
film is a space opera directed by J J Abrams. The
story revolves around Han Solo, and his allies who
face a threat from the army of storm troopers.
Alvin and the Chipmunks 4
SRK, Kajol
& Gerua...
THE FIRST SONG OF SHAH RUKH-KAJOL
STARRER DILWALE IS OUT AND IS
BEING TOUTED AS THE ROMANTIC
ANTHEM OF 2015!
by DCN BUREAU
Gerua, as the song goes, brings out that impeccable chemistry between the two stars, which the fans have been in love with
since the days of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. The song is
already trending on social media. Even filmmaker Karan Johar
took to Twitter to express his happiness on seeing his favourite
pair together, which incidentally made him revisit the days of
shooting for the romantic track of Suraj Hua Madham for the
film, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam.
“Seeing the stunning and exotically executed #gerua bought back
An adventure comedy, the film is directed by Walt
Becker and is the fourth instalment in the Alvin and
Chipmunks series. Will Alvin, Simon and Theodre be
able to stop Dave from proposing a new girl?
Hindi
Bajirao Mastani
so many memories!! @TheFarahKhan @iamsrk,” Karan tweeted
along with an on-location picture. The picture sees the choreographer of the song Farah Khan being clicked by Shah Rukh.
Gerua has been shot majorly in Iceland with SRK and Kajol romancing to the tunes of music composer Pritam. Both the actors
look like a dream, leaving the fans wanting for more! Both SRK
and Kajol go back a long way, having worked for the first time in
Baazigar. However, it was DDLJ that made their on-screen romance an epic and Raj and Simran, the most ideal couple. No wonder, the two have given only super-hit films from DDLJ to Kabhi
Khushi Kabhi Gam, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to My Name Is Khan.
In fact, Shah Rukh finds it difficult to refer to Kajol as just a
friend. “Kajol is such a close friend of mine that I find it strange
to refer to her as a friend. It’s been 20 to 22 years since we began with our careers. We have a very comfortable relationship
and there is a certain ease,” the actor was quoted as saying in
a recent interview. “We care for each other in a very easy way.
Naturally, whenever we meet each other, we feel as if we’ve begun from where we left. So that comfort, love, care and genuine
desire is there. Even if she’s not there in a film with me, and
wherever she is, I’ll hope that the best things happen to her. She
will also wish the same for me,” added Shah Rukh.
Dilwale is all set to hit screens on December 18 and if the reaction to just the first song is anything to go by, it would not be
wrong to say that the film might just turn out to be the biggest
hit of 2015. ø
A Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, Bajirao Mastani is a romantic historical saga based on the story of Maratha
warrior Peshwa Baji Rao I, played by Ranveer Singh.
The role of his first wife is being played by Priyanka
Chopra and second by Deepika Padukone. The music
is composed by Bhansali himself.
Dilwale
Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film has romance,
action and comedy and besides the super hit pair
of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Also in the lead are
Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. The music has
been composed by Pritam Chakraborty.
Wazir
Produced by Raj Kumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod
Chopra and Aquib Khan, the film is a drama starring Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao
Hydari and John Abraham. It revolves around two
friends who have been brought together by destiny
and who decide to help each other win their individual games only to realise they have an opponent
not so easy to deal with!
For corporate and bulk bookings
(Book minimum 50 tickets) (Timings: 11am-7pm)
Phone: 8860003310 email: [email protected]
Ticket also available at
64
DLF
bookmyshow.com
DLF
Citynews
I May 2014 I 65
ENTERTAINMENT
LAST WORD

All’s Well Between
SRK & Sanjay
Leela Bhansali?
It’s just not Dilwale that releases on December 18. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s
Bajirao Mastani is also hitting the screens on the same day. The film’s new
poster featuring lead couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone was
released recently and looks nothing short of royal. Ranveer, who plays
Bajirao, holds on to his ladylove Deepika who portrays Mastani. Priyanka
Chopra who is seen as Kashibai, Bajirao’s first wife can be seen observing
the two in the background. Meanwhile, notwithstanding the reports of
rising tensions in Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shah Rukh Khan camps
over the Bajirao Mastani-Dilwale clash, the filmmaker and superstar
bonded big time at Amitabh Bachchan’s Diwali party. According to a
guest at the bash, “Sanjay and Shah Rukh hugged each other and were
even seen locked in serious conversation for a good half-hour”.
Sanskari
James Bond!

66
DLF
As Daniel Craig’s Spectre hit the screens, what was trending was not the action in the film but
‘#SanskariJamesBond’, an ironic hash tag prompted by a
censor board decision to “cut short” Daniel Craig’s kissing
scenes in the film. According to the Indian censor board,
James Bond in his current avatar, simply kisses too much
when it comes to an Indian audience and so they had been
reduced in length. Flabbergasted fans took to social media
to shower their sarcasm with full gusto! The barbs ranged
from the ‘Name’s Bond, ‘#SanskariJamesBond’ to
‘#SanskariJamesBond Chikoo and milk. Shaken not
stirred’.

TIME TO

Transcription

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