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June 2016 Vol. 10 Issue 3
BEAT THE
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Senior ASSISTANT EDITOR
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Letters:
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When the mercury rose close to 47 degrees
Celsius in parts of the National Capital Region
(NCR) last month, it was time for many
Gurgaonites to begin looking at options to beat
the heat this summer. As we discuss in our Cover Story,
there are activities galore like swimming classes, theatre and art
workshops to keep the children occupied during the holidays.
Our People section continues to bring to you stories about the
youth, men and women who are defining Gurgaon in their own,
successful way. Connected neighbourhoods. That’s the theme of
one of our features this month as we talk about apps, social
media groups and online service providers that are making the
city a happier, and more comfortable, place to live in. We also
take a look at the Montessori Method of teaching which retains
its popularity at several institutions across Gurgaon.
The Leisure section looks at a quick getaway, the sprawling
DLF Mall of India in Noida, where the recently-open Ski
India and leading global and Indian brands are drawing
huge crowds for the cool experience it provides.
We introduce a new feature, My City My Life, where residents tell us what they like about the place they stay in. The
first column is by a couple residing at Park Place. Our regular features include Entertainment, Wine & Dine, Pet Care,
Transit Lounge and happenings Around Town.
VINAY JHA
Editor
@DlfCityNews
DLF City News
Citynews.dlf
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I June 2016 I 03
I N S I D E
06 08
29
38
59
61
65
Preserving
Cultural
Ethos Through
Local Talent
Tennis Competition
Night Marathon
City Update
Green Warriors
Helpline
The City Elders
Movie Previews
Citynews
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June 2016
VOL 10 Issue 3
Faces
Feature Mall of India
48
An amalgam of stunning design, latest technology and top brands, DLF Mall of India promises to
make this summer a very Happy Malliday!
12 Young Achievers
Art Exhibition 36
From a goal keeper to a midfield player, Shahen has played
to excel in soccer and aims to
become a world class player
A unique event provides a
platform for art enthusiasts to
showcase their talent
16 Shubhi Mehta
A festival at St Xaviers pays a
fitting tribute to the beauty of
English literature
Those Chak De India days may
be a distant memory, but Shubhi
Mehta’s never say die spirit
continues to guide her to new
heights
MUST
READ
30 Neighbourhood
Social media, online
portals and a variety of apps
make our neighbourhoods better connected
Column My City, My Life
MUST
READ
44 Social Quotient
DLF Foundation nurtures
talent to make dreams come true
37 Literary Fest
39 Guest Column
An expert analysis takes an
in-depth look at some key
provisions of the HRRS Act 2012
Montessori Method 43
The widely prevalent Montessori way of teaching is holistic
and provides a completely
hands-on learning experience
18
Park Place residents share their experiences about
the quality of life in condominiums in Gurgaon
Pet Care
Transit Lounge Eva Maria Pacheco 52
Spanish Artist Eva Maria believes spirituality and meditation guide her artistic talent
PeeCee, who’s playing villain in Baywatch,
might just play a Bond girl too!
22 Kumar Gautam
Whirlpool HR Head Kumar Gautam believes that
tapping the right talent leads to business success
46 Chef Liam Crotty
A deep understanding of the Indian guest
makes Liam Crotty a favourite Chef
Indian Beauty Aishwarya has become quite a
pro at walking the red carpet at Cannes!
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48
CGS Hospital shares tips regarding tick fever in your pet
66 Last Word
64 Bollywood Talk
by DCN Bureau
Page 7 >>>
For Advertising, Please Contact:
Page 9 >>>
9810563407
Project Ecofactory, a social venture by Sanshil Foundation for Welfare and Chameleon, Stiftung, Germany,
held an exhibition on May 22 at Sector 51, Gurgaon to
showcase the handcrafted products of the local artisans
of Jharsa village.
Called ‘Parampara’, this exhibition was unique as it gave
an opportunity to the ladies working at the Sanshil Stitching Centre to not only display their products but also sell
them to the larger community and corporate world. It was
for the first time that these women had stepped out of their
village for such an endeavour.
Bound by tradition until now, these women are finally
able to realise their dreams as some of the ladies have
started their own boutiques while others have picked up
work within the village to earn extra money and support
the family. Some of the products made at the stitching
centre have even found a market in Europe!
Sanshil Foundation has been running a six month
course in stitching for the village ladies of Jharsa, Gurgaon for the past five years, which in turn, has helped
empower them creatively and financially.
Interestingly, a student volunteer, Saloni Mishra of
The Heritage School Gurgaon was actively involved in
helping these artisans preserve the cultural ethos that
are so rich and traditionally Indian. Preserving and promoting local art forms also develops economic sustainability and confidence in the local community. By helping
to bring about an increase in the economic activity at
the centre, she was able to help these ladies build their
self-esteem while also empowering them to take their
life’s decisions themselves.
The exhibition was attended by the community as well
as many corporate houses. Nidhi Dua, from a renowned
clothing and fashion retailer shared, “It was a great initiative to empower women and give them a sense of financial independence.” ø
SNAPSHOTS
TENNIS MEET
Excitement Runs High
by DCN Bureau
Gurgaon is not just about zappy lifestyle, skyscrapers, swanky cars and good
food. The city shows a lot of enthusiasm
for sports as well, be it soccer, cricket,
skating or tennis. So, when Tebasq, a
racquet sports company, recently hosted
the First Tebasq Gurgaon Open Tennis
Tournament at Ryders Sports Academy,
Sector 57 Gurgaon, large number of players participated with zeal and passion.
The response for the event was overwhelming when against a planned
number of 100 entries in total, Tebasq
received over 180 entries and eventually
they had to stop taking entries! Even the
Tebasq social media campaign received
over 1000 likes and a similar barrage of
tweets. The age group that participated
was from 10 to 55 years.
Interestingly, the tournament was conducted not just for players but as a special gesture, a match was also organised
for coaches. The coaches felt good playing against each other displaying true
sportsmanship for the game. All coaches
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I June 2016 I Citynews
were given t-shirts and certificates, while
the winner got a cash prize and runnersup got vouchers from Sublym.
There was tough competition in various
categories. In the under 14 category, Yana
Dhamija and Chirag Dhuhan were adjudged winners; under 16 boys’ title was
bagged by Kanav Kashyap, Pallav Rousha won the men’s singles while doubles
were won by Deepanshu Garg and Arnav
Bhardwaj. In the senior category, the
winner was Om Chaudhary. The winner
in the coaches’ category was Vikas Chouhan and runner-up was Gaurav Tripathy.
Vikas Bagaria- CEO of Tebasq who was
personally supervising the tournament,
said, “We will continue to build on the
success of our first tournament and will
launch similar tournaments for badminton and squash along with friendly
leagues. The phenomenal response and
success of both the open tourney and
the coaches’ match has enabled us to
realise the first milestone towards
achieving our vision of using the power
of sports to promote healthy lifestyle
within communities.” ø
Displaying tennis skills at the Tebasq Tennis
Tournament
SNAPSHOTS
NIGHT MARATHON
Running
Under
The Stars
by DCN Bureau
On a beautiful starry night, Gurgaonites
ran the race of their life! The novelty of
the run on a hot summer night made this
a memorable experience for many people
who participated enthusiastically in the
‘Gurugram Starry Night Marathon’ which
was an initiative of Run With Me Foundation in association with Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG).
Supported by Alcobrew, W Pratiksha Hospital, C.VOX, Nestle, Gurgaon Moms and
many other enthusiastic organisations,
this unique marathon which was held at
night was indeed large scale and was also
backed by the Gurgaon administration.
A happy crowd of over 1,200 participants
ran in various categories like the 5 km, 10
km, 15 km and 21 km categories braving
one of the hottest evenings of this summer under the full moon and starry night.
A notable feature of the event was 30 per
cent participation by women.
Reeti Sahai, one of the participants of the
marathon, shared her experience and said,
“10.5 km done and dusted in 57 minutes
(official time awaited)! What an incredible
experience it was! Thank you coach Ravinder Singh for organising a fab night run. 35
degrees, disgustingly hot and humid and I
didn’t think I’ll manage it. But thanks to
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There were many runners who loved the concept of a Night Marathon
the superb planning by the coach - the fans
and mist fans enroute, water stations galore, energy drinks, tonnes of volunteers
who kept cheering and didn’t let one give
up and the music on the way – I survived it
and it couldn’t have been better! And let’s
not forget the fun and food one had post
finishing the run. Rain dance to cool oneself is how you started as you crossed the
finish line. Chilled water, lemonade, fresh
cut fruits, Greek yogurt, Indian buffet,
pizza and pasta - phew! An overall splendid
night-run experience; Precisely the reason
why I never think twice before signing up
for the coach’s events!”
Happy with the response, Coach Ravinder Singh told us that proceeds of the
event will be used to support less-privileged junior runners, which is the objective of Run With Me Foundation.
Deputy Commissioner TL Satyaprakash
and Additional Commissioner MCG
Amit Khatri participated in the 10 km
run. Special Commissioner of Police,
New Delhi, M K Meena and IAS officer
Sukesh Mishra also took part in the
event which demonstrated the safe nature of the city. ø
MY CITY MY LIFE
PARK PLACE, DLF5
DLF5 is synonymous with luxury and
boasts of fully-loaded condominiums.
We are living in The Park Place for almost two years now. Everything here is
extremely comfortable and convenient.
There’s a beauty salon, grocery store
and a dry cleaner too in the complex. My
neighbours are very friendly and helpful. We have a group on WhatsApp in
which everyone keeps posting about all
the new facilities and services available
and required.
For instance, if somebody needs a servant or a driver, he or she has to only send
a message in the group chat and the requirements are fulfilled instantly. One
of the best qualities of The Park Place is
that people here are independent. People
take initiatives themselves to arrange
everything.
We love the air conditioned corridors
and the security in The Park Place. The
lawns are also very well maintained. The
view from my balcony is spectacular. An
ATM, a restaurant, a well equipped gym,
squash court and a cricket pitch make
The Park Place an ideal place to reside.
‘Where Being Healthy is
A Way of Life’
In a new series, Gurgaonites share what life is all about
in the city and their neighbourhood
by Rajat & Roshee Vaid
Rajat and Roshee Vaid love to workout and party in style
The best thing about The Park Palace,
however, is its gym. We all make mistakes when it comes to staying healthy.
But whether we missed a week or more
of workouts or totally blew our diet, all it
takes to get back on track is a little motivation. We need to stay committed to our
decisions but flexible in our approach.
The gym in The Park Place can keep
people motivated through their fitness
journey. High energy music in the gym
helps to work out with more intensity
and focus. Knowing that there is a reward for tackling the fitness goals can
make the whole experience more fun and
exciting. The gym’s atmosphere plays a
huge part in our attendance and retention. Even during those dreaded times
when we are debating if we should work
out for the day or not, the atmosphere in
the gym motivates us enough to make it!
Walking into the gym and seeing people work out together, pushing, laughing and struggling, gives you that gymfamily feel. In fact, the camaraderie in V
Studio, as the gym is called, is awesome.
V Studio has a challenging atmosphere.
I appreciate people who are bit over the
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I June 2016 I Citynews
top, energetic, excited and even borderline crazy.
The employees, of course, are the backbone of the gym. Trainers, front desk
workers, group fitness instructors - they
all help to build the mood. I and my husband Rajat are happy to be connected
with VStudioF3. We regard our gym as
the best place on the earth. Going to the
gym has helped us channelise positive
thoughts and energy.
The gym has a very professional approach to training. It follows the ‘functional’ mode which involves weight bearing activities targeted at core muscles
of the abdomen and lower back, which
allows individuals to perform day-to-day
activities more easily. VStudioF3 provides a set time table which comprises
activities such as ‘circuit’, ‘zumba’,
‘yoga’, ‘HIIT’, ‘A’BT’, ‘step’, ‘HILO’, ‘pilates’ and many more.
These exercises set to music and led by
qualified instructors lead to structured
movements. It helps us burn calories
and reduce our body fat. It improves the
shape and tone of the body. In fact, these
exercises have given us a natural ‘high’
and eased our stress and anxiety levels.
These days, our lifestyle and living environment has a negative impact on our
body. Pollution, stress as well as pressures of socialising add to our woes on
a day to day basis. We are given only one
body to live our lives in and we have to
do everything to make it last. Though it
is not possible for us to be totally disciplined when it comes to diet and nutrition, exercising regularly helps to live a
healthy life. Jogging tracks in The Park
Place are also awesome. They are well
maintained which makes jogging enjoyable all the time. The best part is people
here are all health-conscious. Outdoor
exercising is very common here which
keeps spirits alive always. People share
their eating habits and nutritious food
recipes with each other which is an
encouraging practice. On the whole,
every resident living here motivates
each other to do more when it comes to
healthy living.
Notwithstanding our ambitious goals,
The Park Place has helped us achieve
them. We are enjoying our workouts
here. Thanks to DLF for the makeover. ø
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I June 20156 I 11
PEOPLE
YOUNG ACHIEVER
Shahen displays a soaring passion for soccer
Having the Right
‘Goals’ in Life
Having already played at the national and international levels, 16-year-old
footballer Shahen Ahuja now wants to become a world-class player
by Reena Dhankher
With sports academies and institutes mushrooming across
Gurgaon, cricket no longer enjoys star status among youngsters in the city. Soccer has become equally popular and 16-yearold Shahen Ahuja cannot agree more. A student of the Scottish
High International School, Shahen has been participating in
national and international tournaments on a regular basis.
Born in the United Kingdom, Shahen came to Gurgaon when
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I June 2016 I Citynews
he was barely four and by the time he was six, he was already
into the game!
PASSION FOR SOCCER
“I was fat, very fat,” says Shahen, recalling his childhood
days. His tryst with soccer started at his colony park where he
used to play with friends. During those days, he used to be the
PEOPLE
YOUNG ACHIEVER
goalkeeper since he had no idea that there were many other
interesting positions for players in soccer. It was in school that
he gained knowledge about this aspect. “I got into the school
team, started as a defender and by the time I went to Class IX, I
had become a mid-field player. Initially, the aim was only to get
into the team. But when you get into the role eventually, you
start developing your skills. With time you know your strong
points and get resilient at the game,” he says.
Talking about the nature of the game, Shahen explains, “It is
a game that requires talent and a lot of time. You have to be
strong in basics. It’s a very different sport. Our country has
always given more emphasis to cricket. But today you can see
how soccer is getting popular. Even though opportunities are
less, youngsters are going to Germany to pursue their career
in this sport. In places like Goa and Bangalore, there is a lot of
soccer but Gurgaon too has evolved amazingly when it comes
to this game.”
However, he does agree that compared to other countries,
teams in India are weaker. “Even though the situation is getting
better in our country, we still give more importance to education and academics. As a result, sport takes a backseat sometimes,” he adds.
So, what has soccer taught him, we ask and Shahen takes no
time to answer that behaviour and discipline are the most important aspects of the game. With a motto ‘behaviour is proper
performance’, Shahen also believes that communication plays
a vital role in soccer. “You get to meet so many people from various places and know their journey and you really gain a lot of
knowledge.”
The game of soccer has transformed Shahen into a fit player.
His daily fitness regime involves a lot of running and walking
for building stamina and leg exercises for strengthening muscles. He even takes care of his diet in order to remain healthy.
LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS
The past year has seen Shahen secure the first position in the
Big 7 National Youth Tournament. After winning at the district
level, he stood at the second position at the state level. He also
took part in the SingaCup at Singapore being part of one of the
three Indian teams that participated besides securing the first
position in an intra-school football competition.
Apart from soccer, Shahen is a brilliant student having secured 91.6 percent in Class X, is a blue belt in taekwondo and
has represented his school in Thailand for a quiz competition.
He has also secured first position in a science exhibition at an
intra-school competition besides winning the third position at
MUN Indian Youth Model United Nations at Jaipur recently,
where delegates across 11 states participated.
CHALLENGES & MOTIVATION
When it comes to challenges, Shahen admits that getting recognition in soccer is not easy since there are 11 players in a team.
“I feel if a player scores a goal, he gets recognition, like Ronaldo
and Messi. At times, I feel the defenders get overshadowed. But
then soccer is not about individual recognition. It’s a team effort,” he points out.
According to him, the belief that ‘I can also do this’ can be a
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I June 2016 I Citynews
not only to hone their skills but also give them
personal challenge to deal at times, in the end, it is
Shahen
that motivational push.”
a temporary feeling because when the team wins,
Ahuja
“That apart, when you are in a team, you
each player becomes elated.
“I got into the school team,
begin
to fight challenges together, discuss
Another challenge, according to Shahen, is
started as a defender and by
sorrows
and also motivate each other. As
the extra emphasis on studies. “If you see,
the time I went to Class IX, I had
you drop the jealousy factor and learn
the Indian board is very tough. That is the
become a mid-field player.
to achieve together, you also learn to be
reason why institutions have come up to help
Initially, the aim was only to
get into the team. But when you
there for each other,” he adds.
students. The competition is too much
get into the role eventually,
Of course, Shahen firmly believes that
and so you need to spend a lot of time on
you start developing
there is no comparison when it comes to
studies. But soccer too requires time and
your skills.
the support parents can provide. “My parthere is enormous amount of competition
in this sport as well,” he confesses.
ents Vikas and Preeti Ahuja have always
According to Shahen, his biggest motivation
been there for me and encouraged me to perhas been the Chairman of his school, Kartikey
form well. They have never pressurised me. They
Saini. “Our chairman has always encouraged our parhave been like my pillars of strength,” informs Shahen.
ticipation in sports and provided us with the best of facilities
He is today extremely proud of the fact that his younger brothto improve ourselves. He is a constant source of motivation for
er Krish Ahuja too is now walking in his footsteps. “Looking at
us,” he points out.
me, he too has started playing soccer and taking part in dramatAnother man who has played an important role in his journey
ics. That also motivates me from time to time as it is a great feelhas been his coach Deepak Ahuja. Says Shahen, “Coach is like
ing when you start influencing your sibling in a positive way,”
family to us. He has no selfish interest and just wants us to excel
he admits.
in life. At times when we are unable to go for practice, he makes
Well, having already made his parents and school proud of his
it a point to either arrange for our pick up or takes the trouble
performances, Shahen for sure appears to be on the right track
to pick us up. He is a man who really works hard on his players
for success. ø
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I June 2016 I 15
PEOPLE
SHUBHI MEHTA
Chak De Shubhi!
Gurgaon-based Shubhi
Mehta who starred in
Chak De India a decade
ago shares her life
and its lessons
by Meenakshi Sharma
Chak De India, an iconic film which
inspired sports biopics and got many
interested in hockey, also turned around
the life of every person who starred in
this 2006 film. One of them was Shubhi
Mehta a.k.a Gunjan Lakhani who has
moved to Gurgaon after marriage. Truly
a sunshine girl with her upbeat attitude
and zest for life, Shubhi, in an exclusive
interaction with DCN, relives those magical moments that forged an everlasting
bond with the Chak De gang!
“My parents were always into sports,”
she recalls about her interest in the field
of sports even as she reveals that she belongs to Delhi and shares her career journey from Delhi to Bangalore and then to
Mumbai. “What I love about Mumbai
is that you don’t have to look over your
shoulder unlike a Delhi where we had to
always carry a safety pin in a DTC bus!”
Revealing her qualifications, she adds,
“I did a hotel management course from
IHM Aurangabad and since I always
loved dancing, started a dance troupe
called Purple Haze and have enjoyed
some great opportunities with Shiamak
and Ashley. I also learnt and taught Latin
American dances. I stayed in Bangalore
till 2005 and for two years I indulged in
my love for music, dance and theatre”.
This was also the time that she nurtured
her interest in performances and emceeing. “While I loved the events, the parties
and all the adulation, I nurtured my dream
of becoming a sports anchor right through
till 2014 when I finally got a chance to anchor for Star Sports,” confesses Shubhi.
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I June 2016 I Citynews
Career Mover
A move from Bangalore to Mumbai was
inevitable for Shubhi as she decided to
push her career further. “It was the most
exciting moment when I finally decided
to move to Mumbai and booked a return
Air Deccan flight for Rs. 5000,” she reminiscences on that road to independence.
This trip was made for a Titan road show
and also because she wanted to test waters in Mumbai. “At this point I landed in
the coveted Season 3 of the Roadies where
I went on to become a finalist. But I have
to thank my younger brother as he guided
me into taking the right decision since I
was not fully convinced about Roadies
and it was he who urged me to give it a
shot,” confesses Shubhi. But was she happy with her decision? “Oh yes, I am totally
a biker chick,” she laughs as she narrates
her experience at the Roadies.
“Rannvijay was part of my dance troupe
Purple Haze at one time and he was and
is a great support. I have some great pictures of all of us when we shot our first
portfolio,” she reveals. Their seven-city
tour of Roadies and those tough mental challenges did help her get ready for
what destiny had in store for her. She
recalls how those were the early days for
reality shows and she feels it was somewhat prophetic what Kunal Vijaykar and
Cyrus Broacha once said to her about
shows like these. “We are all somewhat
guilty of providing entertainment based
on the misery of others. While I enjoy
watching Big Boss, I know it is a human
laboratory where people are poked and
prodded for giving us thrills,” she says.
The Magic of Yash Raj Films
It was just after Roadies that she got an opportunity to audition for Yash Raj films.
An offer from a Yash Raj Films is always
special, says Shubhi as she recalls that her
audition for becoming one of the Chak De
girls went surprisingly well even though
she felt she was ill prepared, sweaty and
grimy. “When we entered the majestic
and glamorous gates, we felt so over-awed
by the experience. I arrived all dirty and
sweaty for the audition and looked at the
awesome larger than life posters hardly
imagining that I would clear that audition,
much less star in a Yash Raj film. Clearly
the role requirement was such that they
couldn’t care less for our ugly looks, hairy
SHUBHI
MEHTA
“When we entered the
majestic and glamorous gates,
we felt so over-awed by the
experience. I arrived all dirty and
sweaty for the audition and looked
at the awesome larger than
life posters hardly imagining
that I would clear that
audition.
arms and legs and sweaty clothes,” she
laughs, recalling the disbelief she felt
when she was shortlisted for the role.
While she loved sports, she had never
really played the game and had to learn
hockey and now fully supports the sport!
“It was a tough life and it is not easy to
learn hockey but we were trained for
four months from April to August 2006,”
she shares. She also recalls how they
were treated not as stars but as players.
“We were carted to and fro in Tata Sumos
and our life revolved around sports camp
in the day followed by acting workshops
in the evening. We literally lived that
life and became the characters we were
playing,” she points out. She specifically
remembers that moment when the iconic
Big B (Amitabh Bachchan) came on the
sets. “While he was in a tracksuit, he still
looked super confident and glamorous
while we felt trampy and ordinary,” she
remembers those moments fondly.
Her bonding with the team developed
at this point. “We fought and we loved.
We developed all the emotions that went
into the film. We had all the possible
bitchiness that we displayed in the film
but we also cared for each other,” she explains how the four-month relationship
shaped them all.
But here too destiny played a big part.
Disappointed at not getting the role of the
captain of the team, the part that eventually went to Vidya, a disillusioned Shubhi
decided to quit the film in a month. “I was
emotionally charged and very upset and
told the director Shimit (Amin) that since
I had no lines and may not even appear
in the film, I would rather walk away,”
she recalls. When she was all prepared to
abandon the project, she was once again
convinced by her brother to hang in there
and now recalls gratefully how her role
was eventually developed and became
more meaningful as Gunjan Lakhani.
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Citynews
I June 2016 I 17
PEOPLE
SHUBHI MEHTA
SHUBHI
MEHTA
“My parents were always
into sports,” she recalls about
her interest in the field of sports
even as she reveals that she
belongs to Delhi and shares
her career journey from Delhi
to Bangalore and then
to Mumbai.
This moment when she almost quit Chak
De India is also a time when she understood herself better. The people around
her also accepted her innate honesty and
it was that honest yet straightforward
quality that made her the ‘go to’ person.
She also speaks of these bonds which
have survived the 10 years since the film
released in 2006 as she says, “We grew
up in the film and while we may have
had our gangs and our friendships back
then, about eight of us became very good
friends and kept in touch. Shilpa, Arya,
Chitu, Tanya, Seema, Vidya, Anahita
and I are still friends and all of them
except Anahita who is in Hong Kong attended my wedding in Delhi recently”.
As a person, she also developed her own
equation and became an indispensable
part of the team, a mother hen who was
protective and yet confident and forthright
to speak her mind. Someone who was even
noticed by SRK for these very qualities!
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I June 2016 I Citynews
SRK Connect
Everyone loved SRK for his role as the
frustrated yet remarkable coach named
Kabir Khan in the film. Shubhi had her
own fan moment with him in Melbourne,
Australia when they all went with SRK
for the screening of Don and people went
crazy on seeing him. This is when she
heard someone say that SRK was asking for Shubhi and she was completely
floored with the request. “I walked up
to him and he turned and said, “Where
should we go to party” and being the fun
person I was I suggested a place called
Lotus and the whole gang along with SRK
went and enjoyed thoroughly.” She recalls
wistfully, “Shah Rukh has so much love
to give,” as she describes his qualities of
patience, of being a great teacher and an
amazing person from whom one can learn
just by observing.
She also reveals that he is not just a great
co-actor for anyone but a person from
whom one can learn so much without even
realising. “He is someone who is always
present in the moment. He is 100 per cent
with you and never gets distracted and if
by chance someone interrupts him while
he is talking to you, he will keep holding
your hand so he doesn’t lose you,” reveals
Shubhi, thinking about those special moments with King Khan. No wonder he has
the knack of inspiring people and everyone including Shubhi was in complete awe
of him. “He has lots of love in him and
there is an aura around him which makes
him the king of romance,” she gushes.
Surviving Bollywood
Is it hard to survive Bollywood, we ask her.
She answers candidly, “Yes and No! It is not
difficult if you truly have that passion for
acting. For me, it all happened by chance
and it was easy and while I have done a few
films after Chak De India, I found my own
distinct career path. For one, I could never
learn that diplomacy and maybe it was too
easy for me at the start”.
She believes that she was perhaps not
as passionate about acting as some of
the other people who really deserve to be
there. “My aim was different and while I
did these films like Mere Khwabon Mein
Jo Aye, Aamras, 4 times Lucky and a BBC
telefilm, I wasn’t meant to be in Bollywood,” confesses Shubhi. “I always wanted to be a sports anchor and then I met
my now husband Apoorv and got into the
field of education. I am now a certified
trainer and a sports presenter. I recently
did the Mahindra Award Nights at KOD.
I also continue to nurture that love for
dance,” she says of her current role.
Elaborating on her Gurgaon connect,
she says that she is learning to accept the
city. “I have received recognition and am
hoping for more opportunities to meet
interesting new people,” she says. ø
CITY UPDATE
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY
The event at DLF Cyber City saw lively sessions by experts and volunteers
Strong message Against
Tobacco Consumption
An impressive event in DLF Cyber City witnessed active participation
of corporates as the message to eradicate tobacco consumption
came out loud and clear
by DCN Bureau
DLF, the real estate giant, has not only
proved its mark in the industry but also
has been a responsible developer. In addition to its CSR activities, the company
has been taking initiatives towards improvement of the society. Be it environment, health or safety, the objective has
19
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I June 2016 I Citynews
been to make a difference in order to
make the city a better place to live in.
Taking this idea forward, DLF celebrated ‘World No Tobacco Day’ at the DLF iQ
(Bldg. 14) recently. The event saw various
organisations come together to support
the cause. The Indian Cancer Society
(ICS) and volunteering partner Mercer
Consulting (India) Private Limited,
joined hands with DLF to promote the
noble cause. While DLF contributed with
complete logistics for the event, Mercer
volunteers conducted the entire event
which attracted a huge crowd.
CITY UPDATE
NO TOBACCO DAY
Tobacco consumption, one of the leading causes of cancer, has been on the rise
in our country. According to the World
Health Organisation (WHO), over 1.2
million die of smoking and that is like
150 people every hour! Lung cancer is the
number one killer for men. Even passive
smoking causes cancer. Gutka, khaini,
hookah are all the same- all tobacco products, which can have harmful effects on
the body.
The current working population seems
to be falling prey to tobacco consumption amidst high work pressure, stress
and demanding deadlines. And, the use
of tobacco affects the lungs and can lead
to various types of cancer. Observing the
‘World No Tobacco Day’ was an awareness drive to discourage its use and help
the current and future generations opt
for a healthy living.
The event started with a welcome
speech by Renuka Prasad, Joint Secretary, ICS, who herself is a breast cancer
survivor. Addressing the audience, she
said, “We have been doing this every
year before schools close in April. The
aim is to strike it early with the school
children as it is from Class 9 onwards
that peer pressure builds up and children take to smoking. If made aware of
its ill effects at an early age, children
can be stopped from getting addicted to
tobacco use. To make the celebrations
interesting and have a greater impact,
we also get children engaged in postermaking activities and skits to help them
highlight the negative effects of tobacco
within their families”.
Speaking about the importance of the
day, she further said, “Indian Cancer Society conducts awareness programmes
20
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I June 2016 I Citynews
all over Delhi/NCR for a broad spectrum
of people of all ages and from all walks of
life. ‘World No Tobacco Day’ is celebrated
all over the world on May 31 by WHO”.
Stating that WHO wants the world to
get ready for plain packaging, Sunita
Gupta, Joint Secretary, ICS, who deals
with the anti-smoking lobby added, “India already has shown tough resolve to
take strict measures in this regard. 85
per cent pictorial warning on every tobacco product will be implemented from
this year. Let’s resolve to send a strong
message - ‘Don’t mess with our lives’
and say ‘no’ to tobacco”.
Sony Rag from Mercer and Sanchita
Ghosh from DLF also addressed the audience. In sync with the mood of the day,
a group of ladies from ICS also presented
a few lines from the inspiring Bollywood
number, Dil hai chota sa, choti si asha in
different languages.
The event was a good way to bring about
awareness among the upper class of the
society since DLF had invited all the corporates housed in their buildings in the
Cyber City to participate. The idea was to
target the executives of these corporates
who often get used to tobacco consumption, be it in the form of smoking, gutka,
hookah or drugs, due to their flashy lifestyle.
The event also witnessed various competitions and activities based on the
theme. The esteemed panel of judges included Vineet Gill from WHO, Mira Aghi,
a renowned anti-tobacco activist and
Sunita Gupta, Joint Secretary, ICS. The
judges from DLF included Karamvir Singh Dagar - Head Bldg. Services Group 1,
DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon and K.S. Bawa
- Head of Operations of DLF Cyber City.
Creativity took a new dimension as
the corporates including Mercer, OLX
and Astitva, to name a few, presented
various skits. However, the ones who
walked away with the first prize were the
young children of Tagore International
School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, the
only school to present a skit. The skit
was based on cancer awareness and the
need to avoid tobacco consumption.
The second prize went to Mercer, Gurgaon, who had shown the beauty of life
contrasting it with the fatal effects of
tobacco and cancer. The third prize was
bagged by Mercer, Noida, and their skit
performance was based on the use of
cigarette, gutka and other tobacco products and how they are subordinates of
cancer, a slow poison for human beings.
Right after the skit competition, a
group of 60-70 volunteers from Mercer
presented a flash mob to charge up the
atmosphere while providing enjoyable
doses of entertainment. With just 15
hours of practice in four days that too
between hectic work schedules, the volunteers managed to create an electrifying atmosphere with their foot tapping
performance. Some of the songs they
danced on included O haseena zulfo
wali, Meri Umar Ke Naujawaano, My
Name is Lakhan, Yaara O Yaara milna
Humara, Gangam Style, Rangde Basan-
ti and Jai Ho.
Following their performance, a poster
competition was held which too witnessed active participation of various
corporates such as KBR Technologies,
CBNI, Zensar Technologies, Hyderabad
and others. The posters brought out
the latent talent of their executives.
The first prize in poster competition
went to Chetan Gaur, L&D Team. The
poster was based on the theme of plain
packaging by WHO. The second prize
was bagged by Renu Kumari, Mercer
UK DB, team with the poster based on
oral cancer. The third prize went to Tek
Chand Sharma, from Mercer ANZ. His
poster was based on awareness about
No Tobacco Day. Vikas Kumar from
Mercer-implementation was given a
consolation prize.
There was a quiz competition too with
exciting on-the-spot prizes. The prizes
included dining vouchers and DT Cinema tickets by DLF which were welcomed
by the winners.
The event, which was a sincere attempt to
discourage the use of tobacco, was appreciated by all the participants, who not only
went back home with better awareness but
also had an enjoyable experience. ø
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Citynews
I June 2016 I 21
PEOPLE
FACE OF THE MONTH
kumar gautam
Director HR, Whirlpool
A
n alumnus
of SIBM
Pune,
Kumar Gautam has
won accolades for
his contribution
to the human
resources sector
Tell us about your professional journey and experiences
from it?
I see the world through the lens of an adventurer or
explorer. In my professional journey, my purpose has
been to positively impact an employee’s life and
business at large. Having worked with companies like
Jubilant Organosys, Xerox and then Whirlpool, I have
considerable exposure in “General Management
Leadership” besides expanding “Breadth of Human
Resource Expertise”. Further, the move between
different context of manufacturing, sales, marketing,
business and R&D to manage human resources as well
as experiencing HR management across different parts
of the globe (largely China, Hongkong, Australia
besides India) has broadened my horizon.
What are the competencies you look for while employing
people?
You see it’s hard to find the buried treasure unless you
have a map. And, it’s impossible to hire “talent” unless
you know exactly what you are looking for.
In my experience, it’s important to hire talent for “how
he thinks than what he knows”.To be good at anything
requires some knowledge, skills and technical
proficiency. However, what separates best from the rest is
the ability to adjust, adapt, respond to and be resourceful
in the face of change. Regardless of how intelligent or
technically skilled you are, the best way to increase your
effectiveness is to improve your learning agility.
What do you feel about the quality of life and career
opportunities in Gurgaon?
Gurgaon is a “brand”. The city is a source of fodder to
thousands of dreams, thanks to its meteoric development
and the ability to accept one and all. Even though there
have been problems of infrastructure here, it has still
merged with varied economic activities and influx of IT
industry, BPOs, international auto manufacturing units.
Presence of such clusters creates conducive economic
ecologies for others to move in. Consequently inflow of
youth looking for jobs follows. And since all of them
want to live close to their workplaces, the city has to
expand its horizons to new lengths, breadths and
heights
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Citynews
I June 2016 I 23
COVER STORY
SUMMER SPECIAL
SUMMERS
BEAT THE
Learn, indulge,
enjoy–This is the
new mantra
as swimming,
art and theatre
workshops
take the sting off
a harsh summer!
HEAT!
There is
e ver y
reaso
n to
ch il
l th i
s su
by Reena Dhankher
MAKING A SPLASH
The summer season often has cars
clogged outside clubs and swimming
pools for people who find the ultimate relief from temperature hitting 47 degrees.
In the last decade Gurgaon has had a lot
of swimming pools come up with season
memberships which have seen a tremendous response. In addition the various
clubs that exist in the city, other pools too
have made swimming popular in the city.
Surprisingly, it was a general observation that not too many people knew swimming. Elders are seen learning the sport
now which surely means, ‘It’s never too
late to learn” While for some the sport is
just relaxing and playing in water to beat
the heat while for others it’s a strong exercise regime that they follow instead of
sweating it out. While DLF clubs have
clean and hygienic, beautifully designed,
state-of-art pools, the HUDA gymkhana
clubs have also provided standard pools
with various trainers and lifeguards to
ensure a smooth season. Smiriti Malhotra says, “Swimming is fun. I find it
the best form of exercise and the best
24 I June 2016
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I Citynews
part is,
it’s cool in
the pool”
The pool activities not
only include swimming but also
diving and water games. However, the
scope of diving remains limited as there
are no pools with various boards at various heights and hence learning professional diving is still a challenge.
However, water activities like water
polo, playing with Frisbees and enjoying
the water rides at water parks like Oysters is something Gurgaonites love. “Avinash Kapoor, a resident of South City I
said, “We frequent the Oysters at weekends playing in the water for hours.”
EXPLORING
CREATIVITY
Gurgaonites love theatre! Well today we
can surely say this with confidence. A
confidence, which has stemmed out of
the eagerness and ardour with which
plays are viewed. Various artists like
Lillete Dubey, Asrani, Kitu Gidwani and
many more who have performed at the
mm
er m
ak i n
g it t
he
perfect season to da
in
bble
a
t
s
o
h
o
t
f in
e
tin
s
e
r
g
sui
r
u
p
t s!
Epicentre have talked
about the increasing
interest that they have seen
in the audience here. We have certainly come a long way.
Watching plays and spell bound with
creativity, it’s not surprising that people
want to take a step forward. The enthusiastic and explorative nature of people in
Gurgaon, has created a desire to emote.
While the capital has a rich nature for
theatrics, Gurgaon sure is walking on
those footsteps too. For years now there
has been a yearning to learn dramatics and people working to teach this art
have found budding artists waiting to
flourish, in this city. One of the most premier institutes of the country, National
School of Drama (NSD) had selected students for its summer workshop which is
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Citynews
I June 2016 I 25
COVER STORY
SUMMER SPECIAL
Quench That Thirst
Summer Camps
already in progress.
“Gurgaon has a lot of talent, but needs
consistency” says eminent theatre personality Bubbles Sabharwal, who has
been associated with Wizwits, a show
that gained immense admiration at the
Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon. However
she feels that theatrics is a holistic learning and needs to be given a lot of time
and patience. “Summer workshops on
theatre are good for slow learners, it’s a
healing touch but being able to showcase
talent requires a deeper understanding
and commitment.”
Siddharth Khanna, line producer,
Barry John Films, Tie (theatre in education), adds “The niche audience here has
a keen eye for creativity and somehow it
reflects in the appreciation they have for
theatrics”
Bubbles experience with holding summer workshops has been phenomenal.
“This season we are currently running
a workshop in the capital and have more
lined up for the season. You see acting
is nothing but inside out. During the
course of our workshops, some children
are more imaginative with scenes while
others stick to the script. It’s no doubt
an inner journey. And yes there is a lot
of solitary work for the actor. Once you
have your script you have to work on
getting into the character”.” The people
at Gurgaon are showing a keen interest
towards learning which is obvious with
the workshops which are held every
year. In fact young kids are more serious
26 I June 2016
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I Citynews
about absorbing all they can for their
love for theatre.
Speaking about the content of workshops, Siddharth shares, “Our workshops for children focus on developing
the child’s ability to express themselves
fully and spontaneously. They are engaged in storytelling, improvisation,
writing and acting in a final performance based on their own solutions to
a particular problem in their lives, or in
society. Even the youngest children begin to think critically and observe their
environment clearly. Of course, we also
have voice exercises and games to develop
their physical (and sometimes mental)
agility. And it’s fun - the energy levels are
always high throughout the workshop.”
Bubbles explained how the workshops
start with learning integration which is
really a social skill. “At this initial stage
60 percent of the hours spent are on voice
modulation, projection and diction. Only
after that, it graduates to more on voice,
imagination and story. We try to make theatre workshops a fun experience for children along with teaching them the basic
elements of theatrics” she explains.
With a current workshop running in
Kunskapsskolan, a school at DLF phase
I, Barry John Acting Studio would be
starting another workshop at the Epicentre Gurgaon. “This workshop is different
than most as it is only two weeks long,
so we are not spending much time on the
final performance, but rather doing what
we can in the limited time to develop
The kiddies simply love it! Mention
the word summer camps and their
eyes lit up. With creative activities,
they don’t miss the opportunity to
be with other children make friends
and enjoy the holidays from school
routine.
The Kunskapsskolan at DLF Phase
I, besides theatre, are concentrating
on sports, learning about concepts
relating to science and nature, dance
and music but most importantly personality enhancement.
The Sixth Element at South City
I, has since years holding summer
activities for children. This summer
they are introducing children to the
concept of night safari, learning
through kinder dance, basic cooking and art and craft. Do it yourself
is another activity giving exposure
to children in making working models. Making sculptures, art without
brushes are other interesting activities which are the pulling forces for
children to wake and get going even
in this scorching heat.
creative self-expression and confidence”
says Siddharth Khanna.
He adds, “The workshops at Epicentre
are four weeks’ duration so students
will get to do everything on our summer
syllabus, and then perform at Epicentre itself. The Epicentre workshops are
divided into two groups - “juniors” age
8 to 12 and “seniors” age 13 to 16. This
means the workshops will be tailored to
both age groups, so the seniors can do
more complex exercises and perhaps include more mature themes in their final
performance. We basically focus on our
“3Cs” - Creativity, Confidence and Cooperation.”
The opportunity to enjoy chilled drinks, crisp salads and refreshing
desserts makes it a special summer!
by Meenakshi Sharma
As the mercury rises, so does the thirst
and while the summer is clearly on a
high, so are the people of Gurgaon who
agree that the nicest part of summer
is undoubtedly the chilled drink that
quenches a parched throat, soothes the
body and satisfies the soul.
Aam Panna, Chaach and Nimbu
Paani rule the roost
Foodies, home cooks, students and professionals all seem to veer towards some
common choices as they discussed their
favourite drinks. So while Priya Singhal declared her favourites as, “Aam
panna, masala shikanji...made with jain
shikanji masala, khus ka sharbet and
homemade bel ka sherbet” as her chosen
options for instant relief, Meenu Suri
added her own options as “nimbu soda
- bante wala and thandai.”
Khushboo Singh vouched for nimbu
pani, nariyal pani and lassi while Dipali Kumar went for the much loved
“Aam panna, badam sharbat, khus sharbat, nimbu pani, roohafza with sabzaa,
nariyal pani and chaas.” Shruti Singh
had a similar list which included, “Nimbu pani, aam panna, roohafza, bel ka
sharbat, false ka sharbat, nariyal pani
and lassi” with beer featuring as a perennial favourite.
Home chef Shaista Iqbal who runs the
popular Mrs Ahmed’s Kitchen adds her
dream list as, “A glass full of cold chaach
with roasted jeera and dry mint powder with rock salt”. She also suggests
roohafza with a dash of lemon and chia
seeds served chilled with crushed ice
and homemade falooda which she says is
a blessing, especially during Ramadan.
Vivek Mishra loves his ‘aam panna’ as
does Rupali Puri Malik who like Renu
Dheer is also a fan of ‘nimbu paani’ in
all its avatars! Sumant Vijayant Singh
chips in with ‘sugarcane juice and bel
sharbat’. Nikita Goel, Pawan Soni and
Ekta Sawhney all vote for “homemade
chachh” calling it an all time favourite while Anu Yadav harks back to the
combinations of ‘aam panna, fresh lime
soda, masala shikanji, mojito & coconut
water.”
Coconut Water or Smoothies!
Sonali Chatterji is a fan of coconut
water served Caribbean style while
Saurabh Girdhar and Swati Singh love
smoothies with strawberry, cherry and
mangoes, cold coffee and of course lemonade!
M a n j u
Khanna goes for the
roohafza lassi, Rohan Monga suggests
Phalse ka sharbat and .. Shivani Manchanda and Prabhjot Kohli look for fresh
juices and water infused with lime, mint
or cucumber
College student Anshul Malhotra can’t
wait to go home and devour the “watermelon cooler her mom makes with watermelon and mint’ while home baker
Pragati Joshi who stays in Sohna road is
a roohafza fan as she loves it in a mojito
or with chilled milk. She also loves the
mango shakes and kokum crush with
chilled soda!
Aadhar Bhardwaj, Avni Bhatnagar,
Megha Verma, Shweta Shangar, Anupa
Gupta, Charu Chitwal, Amrita Mitra,
Geeta Moudgil Sharma, Arti Raj, Monisha Batra, Bhavna Chopra Srikrishna,
Anuj Kapoor, Vikrant Shrivastava and
Utkarsh Gulat all agreed that there
is nothing quite as refreshing as
chilled coconut water, homemade
lemonade, aam panna or chaach!
Cold coffee, lassi, mango shakes
and fruit juices came a close
second. Leena Siag also added
‘ganne ka juice’ or sugarcane
juice to the list while Rosme
Chaube revealed that green tea
is a good summer option as it actually combats heat.
Vandana Malhotra
suggested
one
can take any
fruit like tarbooj, kharbuja,
aadu…
put
them together
and mash them
to keep safely in
the freezer. These,
says Malhotra, can be
served as required with a
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Citynews
I June 2016 I 27
COVER STORY
SUMMER SPECIAL
Exclusive Recipes Courtesy Hyatt Gurgaon
SMOKY MARTINI
Glassware • Cocktail Glass
Standard Recipe • 30 ml
Vodka
• 15 ml Single Malt
Whisky(Smoky)
• 15 ml Dry Vermouth
Method of
Preparation
• Stir well in a shaker with
ice and serve in a chilled
cocktail glass
Garnished with
• Smoked mozzarella
stuffed green olives (3 nos.)
RUDE COSMOPOLITAN
Glassware • Cocktail glass
Standard Recipe
• 45 ml Tequila
• 15 ml Cointreau
• Lime Juice
• 10 ml Cranberry Juice
Method of
Preparation
• Put all ingredients first
in shaker with ice and
shake it and then pour it
into chilled cocktail glass.
Garnished with
• Green lemon rind knot
TAMARIND MARGARITA
Glassware •Margarita
Glass
Standard Recipe
• 45ml Tequila
• 15 ml Cointreau
• Lime juice
• Orange juice
• Tamarind paste
Method of
Preparation
• Rim margarita glass with
salt
• Add all ingredients in a
cocktail shaker with ice &
shake well.
• Pour into margarita glass.
Garnished with
• Orange peel twist
Summer Fun At
DLF Promenade
pinch of salt, lemon and soda!
High on Drinks
While Meenu Suri also loves her Mojito and Gin and lime, Pankaj Yadav
chips in with the eternal favourite – beer!
Reema Ganguly agrees beer is as welcome
a choice as nimbu paani even as Dinesh
Batra is quick to add that all his chosen
drinks are available at the ‘Wine Shop’.
Sammy Chanda suggests a summer punch
with vodka while Dhruv Roy voted for the
chilled Reisling Sangria with peaches.
Simmi Sood of Hyatt Regency Gurgaon
adds, “Our signature cocktails are innovated by our skillful bartenders, after several interactions with different
guests. We customise these cocktails as
per the guests, as per the demand! ”
Pubs and breweries are a favourite
haunt for foodie friends who love the
summer coolers which are life saviours
during the scorching heat. Talli Singh
28 I June 2016
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I Citynews
at Gurgaon has got some worth-drooling
mocktails, cocktails, flavoured ice teas
and smoothies to keep the heat at bay.
Some of the signature drinks which are
a must try are - Creamy Guava, Watermelon Fizz, Coconut Coolant, Coastal
Cooler, Mango Smoothie, Lychee-Mint
Smoothie, Berry Delight, Kiwi Cranberry Mojito, Mint Ice-tea and many more.
Kashmiri Coolers
Nasir Andrabi, the dynamic owner of
Kashmir Restaurant Khyen Chen is excited about their expansion plans this
summer as he tempts Gurgaonites, “This
summer, try something different; come
to Khyen Chyen to feel the coolness of
the Himalayas in the middle of a scorching North India summer.” He believes
his guests will start loving summer
when they get ‘manna straight from the
paradise on earth’. Whether you choose
these soothing drinks and desserts, you
are sure to be tempted by “a glass full of
Kashmiri freshness that cools the body,
mind and soul.”
Babri Byol - A drink relished across the
valley. Made with cold milk and myrtle
seeds, healthy & perfect for summers
Kateer - Made with milk and some sugar,
awesome for healthy bones and the perfect drink for summers
Zaffran Lassi - Curd based drink infused
with top quality saffron
Pudina Lassi - Thick lassi made with
dried home grown pudina
Kulfi - Our Chef ’s special - you don’t get
this kulfi anywhere outside the valley.
Cold, sweet & out of the world (plain &
banana based)
Fireen - Semolina based dessert with
Kashmiri rose water and dry fruits
Egg Custard - An awesome dessert to
cool off in summers, made with egg as
the main ingredient
S
ummer vacations are fun for
everyone except the parents
who wonder how to keep the
kids happy and cool. DLF Promenade
provided the perfect escape by organising a month long summer fiesta that
kick-started on the 14th of May and
will continue till the 12th of June.
While weekdays activities range
from funky nail art designing and
exquisite hairdos to role-playing gigs,
weekends include rain dance and
pool party at the Kiddyland, upping
the thrill and frolic. The creative environment is further boosted by Play
with Paint event at Spin Art Zone and
classes by Foodhall for little chefs
to hone the art of cookies and cupcakes decoration. There is no dearth
of sports activities either as foosball,
air-hockey, target shooting and building blocks form important line-ups of
the event.
A month long
extensive and
fun-filled camp
enthralls kids
during their vacation
The fun-filled carnival has the added
incentive of assured takeaways like
doughnuts, candy floss and popcorn
that can be enjoyed while gaming at
the exclusive zone at Sony Playstation. Those who sign up for the event
can relish a complimentary shake
from Johnny Rocket and grab a free
pair of Crocs too.
The fun quite literally does not end
as favourite characters from Hamleys
greet kids at this lifestyle destination
while lucky draws are held to find the
winners of the hoverboards! With
creativity, fun and happiness booming at the carnival, what better way to
chill this season!
The gift partners for the summer
fiesta are United Colors of Benetton,
Tommy Hilfiger, Gron Stockholm, Lil
Diva, MOD, Sugar Threads, Uni Style
Image and 4700 BC. The event is powered by Crocs.
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Citynews
I June 2016 I 29
FEATURE
NEW-AGE NEIGHBOURHOODS
You can get RWA updates, shop for grocery or plan an exotic vacation
through a series of interactive online platforms, social media groups
and innovative apps
by Meenakshi Sharma
STAYING CONNECTED
Looking for an apartment to buy or
rent? Or may be packers to plan the relocation? Interested in a second hand
car or does your vehicle insurance need
renewal? Scouting for the best summer
workshops for the toddler or a name
starting with ‘P’ for the new born? There
is a wedding in the family and you want
to design a unique wedding card…or perhaps you want to surprise your fiancée
by hiring a limousine!
It does not matter if you are new to
Gurgaon or a settled denizen - FB pages,
WhatsApp groups and online portals
have clearly emerged as the best choices
for any queries in the Millennium City.
For all those open to this idea, it is very
heartening to know that so much is available at the click of a button. “By creating
a transactional platform for users, the internet has made it easy for the buyer and
seller to connect,” explains Porus Arora,
founder of anything500. In the process,
it has turned this city into a very nerdy
neighbourhood!
When Karan Malhotra received an attractive job offer with an American company with its India office at DLF Cybercity, Gurgaon, he was excited yet slightly
apprehensive as this was the very first
time that his wife Neeta, kids Aryan and
Armaan and 65-year-old mother Mamta
had to adjust to a change from their
THE ONLINE MARKETPLACE
A
n online marketplace for services
and skills is a model that is getting
very popular these days. Platforms like
UrbanClap enable users to find any service professional be it a plumber, a wedding photographer, a yoga teacher, or an
interior designer. They have become the
go-to platform helping customers complete projects that are important to their
urban lives – everything from designing
their homes to capturing key moments,
learning arts, filing taxes, and getting
healthier. They are now busy strengthening their technology and team while
they scale the platform to more service
categories and cities.
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I June 2016 I Citynews
In a similar vein, innovative marketplaces for digital services like Anything500
allow people to monetise their services,
skills, resources and talents in a fun and
amusing way. Says Tanushree Jain of
Sparkling Threads – Kids’ wear, “For just
Rs 500 each, I got a precise business plan,
a logo and the entire stationary for my
start-up”. Gaurav Sharma tells us, “I am
a graphic freelancer who very casually
signed up in the platform. Surprisingly
enquiries started coming in from the very
next day. I have already successfully delivered double figures order and got my
share of remuneration the very next day
of completing the order”.
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I June 2016 I 31
FEATURE
NEW-AGE NEIGHBOURHOODS
‘WE HELP PEOPLE WITH SKILLS
MARKET THEMSELVES’
Excerpts from an interview
What is Anything500? When did it
start?
This is a template based programme
where it is easy to get the correct output
if the correct inputs are fed in. This is a
digital services based process where we
have priced all services at Rs. 500 only,
whether you are a buyer or a seller. For
instance if you want a creative writing project where you need a 300 word
article, fifty words will cost you Rs. 500
and then it increases according to the
requirement. We began in October 2015
and since we believed ‘Jo dikhega, woh
bikega’, it has taken us some time but
now people want to try our services.
How did the idea come about?
My family business was into cosmetic
manufacturing and I was busy generating new product ideas. At this time, I
was looking for a design for a new hair
colour when I realised how difficult it
was to find the right person. Even after
doing so, I was unable to find someone
suitable and ended up spending a lot of
money and not getting exactly what I was
looking for. I remember spending upto Rs
80,000 without even getting exactly what
I wanted. This is where the idea
of ‘Anything500’ began to take
shape. The other inspiration
came from a friend who despite
tending to a three-month-old
baby that took up all her time,
didn’t want her copywriting
skills to rust. Eventually, Anything500 gave her what she wanted. She not only registered as a
seller, soon she was getting offers
to write captions and jingles by
small and medium companies.
What is the USP of Anything500?
What kinds of services are available?
We have about 1,000 services and about
11,000 users. There is a simple registration process and you can connect online
or even chat about the requirement, for
clarifications or even to sort out any
problems. As I reiterated, it all depends
on the correct input given as that translates into the right output.
Many people have skills that they would
like to use and yet don’t know how to
market them or don’t want to waste time
in marketing it. There are many marketing people also who have additional
skills. One of our users had worked at
O&M and now wanted to use her skills
from home after having a baby. Many
people are into 3D or graphics, some senior citizens want to get a FB page made.
Many of them need help in actually putting interesting posts.
In Gurgaon, there are so many young
people who may need assistance for their
children’s school projects or even help in
planning a travel itinerary. Then there are
those silly stuffs like a secret FB friend to
confide in. There are also some supersilly
options. So just as UrbanClap boasts of
anything for your home, Anything500 is
about the stuff you cannot even think of.
What if it doesn’t work out or there
is a problem?
The platform has an in-built mechanism
to promote the sellers meeting the high
standards of quality. In case of a disagreement between the buyer and the
seller, the entire amount is duly
refunded. We have been able to
help many men and women who
had an idea and wanted to convert
it into a viable service. However,
problems can happen… If the
specified timeline is not followed
or the time window is not sufficient or the transaction is not successful, we have a refund option
where we pay the seller only after
satisfactory completion.
Tell us about yourself and
your own hobbies and interests.
I enjoy spending time with near and
dear ones, whenever I have free time. A
travel enthusiast, I believe travelling together brings people closer and hence I
combine quality family time with travel
and visiting unexplored destinations.
Besides, technology continues to remain
my true focus and I like reading the latest editions of tech-magazines and blogs
from time to time.
hometown Chandigarh.
“It was while I was looking for a suitable apartment to rent that my work
colleague advised me to join helpful online platforms on Facebook. This is how
I connected with members of Gurgaon
Helpline and Gurgaon Connect and from
day one, I was given a wealth of information!” he recalls.
Thanks to these groups and some new
ones that his wife joined like ‘Gurgaon
Moms’, they were able to connect with an
online community of friends and wellwishers who helped them decide everything from the locality in which they
should stay to the schools where they
should admit their kids and even helped
them connecting their mother with a
senior citizens’ group!
It was a relatively easy movement for
him in the company of many friendly
people who gave him accurate inputs on
the basis of his honest queries. As he
chose to live in one of the condominiums
in DLF Phase 4, he was lucky to have a
good support system. “I was very happy
to see that all households were well connected through a WhatsApp group making this a virtual neighbourhood. Notices like water supply, garbage disposal,
community activities, swimming pool
timings and even hobby classes are conveyed through the groups,” he shares.
In that sense, it was a little unnerving
for Neeta at first as she missed the charm
of the community in Chandigarh. “Back
home, we used to get really fresh milk in
the morning and here it was all in the
packet. But someone asked me to go on
www.iorderfresh.com and I am enjoying
the same organic milk in a hygienic way.”
IOrderFresh, in fact, offers a wide range
of organic products 365 days a year; from
a wide range of meats and poultry to exotic vegetables like zucchini, bok choy,
drumstick flowers, leeks, iceberg lettuce,
lemongrass and even milk in glass bottles. They also have numerous tie-ups
with leading lifestyle brands including
Wenger’s, Natural’s, L’Opera, Depaul’s
and lots more.
Young professional Ishita Arora who
lives in Noida and works in Gurgaon
swears by the freshness and timeliness
of this site as she explains, “You have to
order a day in advance as they follow a
‘Zero Inventory’ system, which means
that they only get into motion after you’ve
placed your order, and promise to deliver
within an eight hour window. Naturally I
understand it takes time but for me it is a
small adjustment in the larger scheme of
things because iOrderFresh ensures you
get farm fresh produce (free of additives
and preservatives) without the fuss of
running around and getting it!”
Similarly, career consultant and homemaker Deepti Kakkar who lives in
Porus Arora – CEO, Co-Founder, Anything500
A self-confessed tech enthusiast, Porus
Arora is the Co-Founder, CEO of Anything500, a marketplace that bridges the
gap between service providers and individuals or brands looking for the same.
In order to further streamline and escalate the procedures, the marketplace
fixes the upper ceiling on amount to be
charged on service offering to Rs 500, an
affordable price anyone can opt for comfortably.
An alumnus of St. Xavier School, Porus
Arora went on to receive higher education from elite colleges across the globe.
After completing his Bachelor’s Degree
in Business Administration from the
University of Bradford, Porus found his
true calling in marketing, going ahead to
pursue a specialisation degree in Marketing from Hass School of Business,
University of California, Berkeley.
After completing the education, Porus
took charge of the family business, expanding the product line and marketing
the service offering to hither to untapped
consumer markets. Once, struggling to
get a logo made for one of his ventures
and ending up paying a bomb for the
same, Porus got the idea to create a mar-
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I June 2016 I Citynews
ketplace that would render all the limitations obsolete. Driven with the cause of
streamlining freelance services, he cocreated Anything500, a platform bringing service providers and seekers together, whilst fixing the amount charged for
services to Rs. 500.
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I June 2016 I 33
FEATURE
NEW-AGE NEIGHBOURHOODS
“We deal with anything on Wheels”-
I
n April 2014, Sandeep started Droom,
India’s first marketplace to buy
and sell used and new automobiles.
Droom is a completely disruptive business that is creating unpanelled trust
and pricing advantage for buyers. With
17 years of experience in business operations, strategy and investment, focusing
on internet and technology, Sandeep
is an internet expert who is regularly
quoted by Wall Street Journal, Fortune,
Forbes and other prominent media outlets. Sandeep has an MBA from Washington University in St. Louise, USA
and is a chartered member of TiE
Silicon Valley. Prior to being an
analyst, Sandeep worked in strategy roles with senior leadership
team at Microsoft in Seattle and
Schwab.com in San Francisco.
Prior to Droom, Sandeep founded ShopClues.com, India’s first
and largest managed marketplace
to empower 15 million SME sellers and unstructured categories
such as fashion, home/kitchen
online.
Excerpts from an interview
Tell us why you set up Droom.
India is the third largest auto
market in the world and yet it is
a low trust market. In the second
hand market especially, trust is
very important since there are
lots of unknowns. While automobiles were invented in the 19th century,
even in the 21st century, it is not a pleasant or easy experience.
Droom was set up to give that trust,
transparency and convenience that
comes from buying and selling online.
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I June 2016 I Citynews
Sandeep Aggarwal - Founder and CEO, Droom.in
Of course, this transition from online
to offline has to be similar as in Flipkart
where the final deal is done offline.
How is Droom unique?
We have consumer-to-consumer connect and for the auto dealers, we are not
a competitor but an OEM or service provider and an enabling platform.
Whether it is young people who are buying a second hand car or an older couple
who are upgrading their car and want to
sell their old car or even someone who
needs an additional car or someone who
wants to sell or buy a two wheeler to go
to tuition classes...this is a technology
based transaction platform where automobiles are bought, sold or rented. Our
mission is that if there is anything on
wheels and needs transport, then we are
the right place to deal with it. We also offer additional services like auto loans.
Share some inputs on your users
and the ease of using this platform?
We have excellent client testimonials
and 2.8 million apps have been downloaded. With 1.8 lac FB fans, ours is the
largest community page. We have been
doing this since January 2015 when a
Dwarka-based buyer bought a Bajaj Pulsar 2012 model.
As a transactional platform, the buyer
searches for the product they want. From
our end, we promote the ‘full service trust code’ where the seller
and buyer must be able to fully
satisfy themselves. 98% of this
cost is paid offline while 2% is
done by credit card and we give
five days for a buyer to meet a
seller.
You also deal with luxury
rentals. Please elaborate on
that.
We make it possible for you to
rent planes, yachts, limousines,
Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari’s and helicopters too. These
rentals are now becoming quite
affordable and can be hired for
one hour for around Rs. 1.56 lac.
These can be done for a bachelor
party, destination wedding and so
on. Sometimes a guest needs to
be picked up and taken to Agra,
Udaipur or Jodhpur. Other times
it could be a politician on a campaign
trail. Of course we are often expected to
customise it…Often celebrities like to
rent planes to locations and want some
extra frills on board like champagne.
Hamilton Court in DLF Phase 4 tells us
how till last year, her mornings were so
crazy that she was too busy to even enjoy a morning cup of tea! “My day used
to start at 6 am as I wanted to personally
make nutritious and healthy tiffins for
the entire family.” But now Kakkar has
tied up with an online company that supplies healthy breakfast and lunches for
the entire family.
“The most interesting part is that we
are involved in choosing the menus and
mixing and matching. I often give my
own suggestions to ensure there is a personal touch when my son opens his tiffin.” Not just that, her retired father-inlaw who is a diabetic, is also getting his
choice food delivered at home while the
rest of the family is away at work.
And, it isn’t just about food or grocery.
25-year-old Sneha Gupta who moved to
Gurgaon in 2015 recalls the problems they
faced in the rented apartment at Sohna
Road. “I and a friend of mine struggled for
three months as we were always coping
with household emergencies in plumbing
or electricity.” Now they have registered
on online portal, housejoy.in and simply
text or call and get their job done at their
own convenient time.
For fitness freak Rajiv Verma, it is
happy days once again since he can now
shop online and even get society updates on the WhatsApp group. “Morning
walks were restricted to buying home
essentials and checking on the society
notice boards for power cuts or water
supply disruptions,” he recalls. Now
they have a truly smart association, he
says, “as our president is a young IT expert and he has ensured all updates are
posted on our FB page and any special
announcements also come on our WhatsApp group”. They have got enough responses for the summer vacation hobby
classes and even a book club and card
playing group for his 70-year-old mother
who was reading books to pass her retired life but is now back in an active
social circle.
Middle aged chartered accountant
Parminder Khullar who resides in DLF
Phase 1 adds, “We live in a new-age
neighbourhood. While we want the community support system, we don’t want to
compromise on our privacy.” From mundane matters like paying maintenance
fees to noting the society meetings, to
his carrom get-together and Sai Samaj
groups, professionals like him and those
in other gated communities are relying
on such portals to interact with the people next door.
Clearly, online options are transforming our lives and as we choose to stay
connected, we definitely enhance the
quality of our lives so we can stop sweating the small stuff and focus on making
the most of our time. ø
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I June 2016 I 35
Around Town
Around Town
EVENTS
SCHOOL EVENTS
‘Euphony’ strikes the
Right Chord With Students
A newly launched organisation seeks to provide a platform for contemporary art and artists
For The Love Of Art...
Two like-minded people, Nandini Ghosh and Neeraj Mitra, come together to
open a centre for contemporary art and artists
by DCN Bureau
‘Art is not what you see, but what you
make others see’. This quote by Edgar Degas can best be understood by an artist,
who puts his heart and soul into a painting, expecting nothing but appreciation
in return. Although there is no dearth of
talent in this field, the fact remains that
there are very few platforms for artists
to express their creativity. And, that is
what has motivated Nandini Ghosh and
Neeraj Mitra to come together and open
a centre called ‘Art’est an art abode’ for
contemporary art and artists.
‘Art’est an art abode’, a dwelling for
art, is a non-profit contemporary art
organisation based in Gurgaon which
provides physical and intellectual space
to artists through its various activities
and programmes. It provides a platform
to like-minded people to come together
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I June 2016 I Citynews
and engage in critical discussions on Indian contemporary and modern art. The
gallery encourages and promotes study
and research in the fields of creative
arts such as painting, sculpture, graphics, video arts, printmaking and so on. It
also fosters cultural contacts within and
outside the city through art exhibitions,
which facilitates exchange of personal
and art objectives.
Talking to DCN, Neeraj Mitra, a Masters in Fine Arts from Delhi College of
Art said, “Bridging the gap between the
artist and the audience, the gallery will
play host to a series of talks and lectures accompanying the exhibitions. We
wish to sensitise the audience about the
concept of art transcending its aesthetic nature and becoming a living part of
culture itself. The artist will be free to
hold active and interactive discussions
and debates.
Adding on to this, Nandini Ghosh
shared, “We believe in promoting
young and budding artists who must
be recognised and nurtured. We want
to give them a space to grow and develop together. Also, the future programmes would include workshops,
residencies, exhibitions, talks, sitespecific projects and special weekend
classes.”
Since both Nandini and Neeraj share
the same passion and zeal for art, they
want to make the centre a one-of-itskind forum for young curators and a
place for artists to interact with critics
and expose their talent by transforming their emotions into stunning works
of art for public consumption ø
Xavierians seen displaying sheer passion at Euphony, the literary fest
by DCN Bureau
The St Xavier’s High School at Gurgaon recently organised a three-day literary festival ‘Euphony’, which engaged
the students in an array of activities related to English literature.
The fest commenced with lamp lighting
by Chief Guest Anupa Lal, a well-known
book writer and story teller along with
Venessa Ohri, an eminent theatre personality. To begin with, Lal narrated a
story to the Xavierians, which left them
spellbound. Her inspiring story with a
moral message inculcated the feeling
of compassion and forgiveness among
the young lads. She also gave valuable
tips to the students on how to improvise
their writing skills to contribute to the
field of literature in a better way.
With theatre becoming increasingly
popular these days, the theatre workshop was a huge hit among the students
with Ohri focusing on voice modulation
and facial expressions. The first day
also witnessed other interesting activities like Spellathon, an inter school literary quiz competition and a creative
workshop wherein students were made
to design the cover of their favourite author’s book.
On the second day, ‘Literary Character Parade’ turned out to be the major
attraction as students of grade IV to
VIII, came dressed as their favourite
characters from their favourite books.
It was enthralling to watch them deliver
the dialogues of Julius Caesar, Sherlock
Holmes, Cleopatra, Matilda and many
more even as the judges had a hard time
choosing the winner. There was also a
treasure hunt activity, where houses
competed to search the hidden treasure
on the basis of clues. The day concluded
with an inspiring session by Sarbani
Mandal, Senior Editor, Mc Millan who
gave the students tips on editing which
was followed by the screening of filmHelen Kelller- the Miracle Worker.
The concluding day saw the students
organise a literary exhibition. From
portraying renowned authors to showcasing works of famous authors from
four different eras - Shakespearean,
Romanticism, Victorian and Modern the exhibition was well conducted and
widely appreciated. As a mark of encouragement, the students were also
provided with certificates for their meritorious performance.
The literary fest was an endeavour on
the part of the school to promote English
literature through a host of interesting
activities while also reviving the glory
of the classic eras by engaging in Shakespearean sonnets, relishing the beauty of
nature with Wordsworth and indulging in
the romance of Jane Austen! ø
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I June 2016 I 37
Around Town
GUEST COLUMN
SCHOOL EVENTS
SUNIL K JAIN
Haryana Registration and
Regulation of Societies ACT, 2012
(HRRS ACT 2012)
Notification for relaxation in the collegiums clause…but is this a sufficient relief?
A
Environment Week:
Students Pledge to
Make a Differenve
by DCN Bureau
The students of Lt Atul Katarya Memorial School, Gurgaon, turned ‘green
warriors’ when they took a pledge to
protect the environment during the Environment Week which was observed in
the school recently.
The week was officially declared open
by the Director and the Principal of the
school in a special assembly organised
for the purpose. The students presented
them with paper bags, armed with a resolve to reduce usage of plastic bags and
encourage use of eco-friendly paper bags
for all purposes.
Twenty young stewards of the Atulyan
family also took out a spectacular cycle
rally, flagged off by Sumitra Katarya, Director of the school, carrying colourful
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I June 2016 I Citynews
posters that displayed Go Green and Save
Earth messages to educate and sensitise
the people living in the vicinity about the
urgency of protecting and preserving
the environment for a better future.
The students performed a nukad natak
depicting the need to make a sincere endeavour to spread greenery which was a
visual treat for the audience. Addressing
the students on the occasion, Principal
Anshu Nakra said, “We have not inherited the earth but borrowed it from our
children. It is a gratuitous gift of God
and we are duty bound to better it before
we present it to the next generation.”
The Environment Week had various
other activities for the students including talk shows. While the topic of discussion for students of Classes VI-VIII, was
‘Delhi Government’s Odd Even Vehicle
Students participated enthusiastically to create
awareness during the Environment Week
Formula Will Work towards Curbing Pollution’, that for students of Classes I-V
was ‘We are Serious about Saving Wildlife and Environment’.
It was a golden opportunity for the students to debate on the environmental
issues which in turn gave the audience
enough thought to ponder over. The teachers were asked to share some amazing
facts on environment before they commenced their classes and the Principal
led them from the front by example. The
Director and the Principal applauded students and teachers for taking earnest initiatives to heal the environment and celebrating the week with fervour and zeal
while also making the school and neighborhood richer by planting saplings contributed by each class to make the weeklong events more meaningful. ø
cream of the crop condominium, near the
M.G.Road Metro Station in Gurgaon, that has
more than 700 flat owners (members), felt happy
to note that the Govt of Haryana, vide a notification issued in September 2015, had at last,
relaxed the collegium clause from earlier 300 members to 1000
members. Now, under the new Act, for a condominium/society
that has at least a 1000 (300 earlier) members, a collegium will
need to be formed.
As a result of public objections to several provisions of the
Registration of Societies Act, 2012, the Haryana government
has gone through multiple proposals of amending the law, but
the result is disappointing.
If we talk of quorum, the provision in the original Act of requiring 40% attendance of members for quorum in all general
body meetings still stays. In the amended Act, if a meeting is
adjourned for the lack of quorum, next time at least 25% will be
the requirement for attendance. If this does not materialize, the
quorum figure will come down to 15% for
the third attempt. This is a very difficult
condition to meet in societies that have no
internal issues, nor face litigious issues
and are by and large healthy run. Many
members just do not feel the need to be
present at the meetings. The amended Act
is, however, quiet on how to carry on, if
the minimum required numeral is not in
attendance. Earlier, after any meeting was
adjourned for lack of quorum; it was still
possible to conduct business with smaller
number of members, as residential societies were given abundant leeway in laying
down their minimum number.
Section 23 of the 2012 Act had removed
all body corporate or firms of any description from the members’ lists of the
RWAs in Haryana. In the case of group
housing societies, this was felt to be quite
unfair because of the fact that the corporate/firms that are owners of respective
units in a society pay the same amount
demanded by the society for maintenance
and other dues as by an individual. The
law says that they could be represented as
individuals who are partners of a firm or
‘members or shareholders’ of the corporate. Who is a ‘member’
of a company? This is not defined in the statute. Through casual conversations about these queries at the Registrar’s office in
Gurgaon, it was told that an advice or a letter from the company
nominating any staff member as their representative would be
good enough.
Another change introduced was that each flat, irrespective
of its size, is entitled for one vote. Previously, voting was on
a weighted basis, and the weight (%) of the vote to which the
owner was entitled to, was the weight assigned to the independent flat in the declaration (as per its area) which was logical too.
The Model Bye-laws applicable on the Housing Societies as per
the Act of 2012, also give specific direction to members of a condominium to contribute towards various expenditures of the
Society. The act further direct that all expenditure incurred
on the maintenance of the common facilities and services
of the housing complex shall be recoverable from and payable by the members on a prorated basis i.e. divided or
multiplied by a factor of (no. of members)
in a uniform manner.
In the beginning, most of the condominiums in Gurgaon were reluctant to register
under the new Act because of a number of
apprehensions like the collegium clause
which indirectly challenged the right of
each member to be a part of the general
body as it mandates virtually one member
to be elected for every 10 members who
in turn is supposed to elect the governing body. Now, whenever grievances are
reported to the office of the Distt. Registrar by the members of a Society, the direction/order is to firstly adopt the new
Act of 2012 and form the society’s bye-laws
accordingly. However, the amended Act
retains the government’s right to exempt
any Society or class of Societies from any
specific provision of the Law. ø
The author, a Gurgaon-based practicing Chartered Accountant, has presented papers on Taxation, Accounts, Finance and
Insurance in seminars and addressed tax planning lectures in
various forums. He has been a member of PHD Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and other prestigious bodies. He is happy to provide free consultation on tax planning matters to senior citizens.
His email ID is: [email protected]
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I June 2016 I 39
SPECIAL FEATURE
MONTESSORI METHOD
As 3-yr-old Raghav Sharma,a student
of ‘Our Montessori House’, Sohna Road,
Gurgaon, sat down in his class, he had
two bowls in front of him. One had water
while the other was empty. With the help
of a sponge, he was transferring water
to the empty bowl before reversing the
process all over again. While enjoying
the activity and having a great sensory
experience, he was also learning how to
squeeze out a sponge to avoid drips. It
wasn’t just Raghav, the entire class of
toddlers was busy with other activities;
yet there was pin drop silence. That’s
the charm of the Montessori Method
of learning. A traditional approach to
education, Montessori learning continues to be popular even today with quite
a few schools across the city following
the methodology which is based on selfdirected activity, hands-on learning and
collaborative play.
The Montessori Method owes its existence to Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian
physician and an educator, who came to
India in 1939 and stayed on for a considerable period of time. It was during her
stay here that she founded the Indian
Montessori training course.
An in-depth understanding and training in the Montessori approach not only
equips a teacher but also young mothers
in understanding the needs of the child
and raising them to their full potential.
DCN speaks to a few Montessori schools
across the city to get an insight into this
beautiful methodology of education.
IMPORTANCE OF THE
MONTESSORI METHOD
“The only source of knowledge is experience.” This quote by Albert Einstein
holds true for the Montessori way of
teaching. The method is based on extensive research and characterised by
an emphasis on independence, freedom
within limits, and respect for a child’s
natural psychological, physical and social development.
Elaborating further, Anita Sharma,
Principal American Montessori School,
DLF Phase 2, explains, “The main feature of this system is that a trained
Montessori teacher teaches in a mixed
age classroom. Students have a choice of
activity from within a prescribed range
of options and learn concepts from working with specialised educational Montessori materials. They have the freedom of
movement within the classroom and also
uninterrupted blocks of work time.”
To this, Nandini Ghosh, Chairperson,
Our Montessori House, Sohna Road
adds, “One of the reasons why Montessori Method is important is because of
its approach. Developed after 22 years
of research and observation, this method is concrete and hands-on! Children
are keen to explore and learn to perfect
themselves. The beauty of the method is
that, they will do an activity 62 times to
perfect themselves without getting impatient. You will see them engrossed as
they get intellectual stimulation which is
absent in any other toy or material given
to them”.
Shedding light on the most important
aspect of the method, Charu Kumar,
Principal, Maria Montessori School says,
“The Montessori method is believed to
prepare children for a life full of personal satisfaction and transforms them into
better citizens of the world.”
It is often seen that this methodology is
good enough to help children shape into
responsible adults through their own
practical experiences. The child learns a
sense of compassion, self-knowledge and
has an open-minded approach to grasp.
The first six years are considered to be
very crucial. As per Dr Maria Montessori, it is universal among children that an
astounding growth occurs in the first six
years of human life. This is an intense
period of learning through absorption,
assimilation and experiences in the environment. During the early years of life,
the child is self-constructing the human
being he or she will become. “Children
who live in a supportive and nurturing
environment learn to love themselves
and feel safe in the world,” she adds.
SHAPING A CHILD’S PERSONALITY
The most vital part of learning today
is not the emphasis given on academics
but the kind of person the child actually
turns into. Qualities play a significant
role in shaping a personality and hence
the Montessori Method, since ages, has
been considered safe and secure for children. “The method ensures that the children get a keen sense of order and routine. They simply love movement. In the
lab, they will walk around pick up their
activity and get it to the mat and after the
activity they will neatly go and keep it
back. The best part is they love to get involved in what they are doing. Also when
it comes to selection of activity, they have
a freedom of choice within a prepared
environment. Moreover, the materials
are self-corrective. So, by working again
and again, they can correct themselves,”
explains Ghosh.
Most of the Montessori schools in the
Children engaging in activities at Our Montessori House, Sohna Road
Hands-On Learning,
the Traditional Way
A traditional approach to education, this method based on self-directed
activity has managed to retain its hold and continues to be followed
across many schools
by DCN Bureau
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SPECIAL FEATURE
MONTESSORI METHOD
Essential
Features of
Montessori
Learning
T
he Montessori environments
have
age
appropriate
learning
materials that are truly childcentered and hence appealing
to the child.
The child between the ages
three-six is a sensorial learner and needs to work with his
hands and senses to understand abstract concepts.
Many of the early materials
have mathematical concepts
embedded in them that the
child takes in without consciously being taught. When
he is three and a half, he starts
learning numbers and counting from 1-10, steadily progressing to
handling large quantities up to 1000 or
even more with the material.
The child is introduced to addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division using arithmetic material and
when he repeats the activities with interest, the child begins to learn the tables ‘ by heart’.
Language is started with the focus on
developing the child’s spoken language
and he is gradually introduced to the
letters through sounds. The child is also
encouraged to listen to all the sounds in
a word in succession and this leads the
child to naturally start writing.
The Montessori environment looks
at the natural urges of the child to
learn, provides what is appropriate and
makes him self-motivated, self-confident and spontaneously respond to all
that is available to him in the world
around him. The journey therefore is
that of joy and pleasure.
(As told to DCN by Nandini Ghosh,
Chairperson, Our Montessori House)
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city have an identical environment that
is uniquely designed to meet the growing
need for movement which is essential to
the development of intelligence and independence. This forms the foundation
for further development to take place.
The children are generally seen to be
kind, confident and have the ability to
love and appreciate life which reflects in
their behaviour.
Sharma informs, “In my experience, I
have seen children getting more creative
and they are better equipped to deal with
anxiety and negativity. They are able to
control their impulses and with moral
courage turn out to be better human beings and good citizens of the nation.”
One of the most obvious qualities seen
is independence. The children learn by
doing. Kumar adds, “Our goal remains
to help them develop coordination and
concentration. Like pouring is a fundamental exercise to help young children
develop eye-hand control. Besides, it is
a practical skill in everyday living. Children begin with pouring various forms
of dry materials. The size of the pitcher
is another aspect of pouring. Different
types of pitchers provide increasing levels of challenge for small hands. Cleaning up every last grain spilled is a key aspect of the activity. With the Montessori
way, we assume that children are born
intelligent and learn and progress in different ways at their own pace.”
Ghosh further talks about the vertical
grouping, wherein children from the
age group of two to seven work together. Here the older ones are there to help
younger ones who in turn follow their
seniors. This helps to imbibe a feeling
of community and encourages social
interactions along with bonding. Also,
with one activity of a kind in the lab, if
a child wants a different activity which
someone else is doing, he or she learns to
wait for it, which brings about patience
and discipline.
METHODOLOGY APPLIED
TO ACADEMICS
If developing the personality is one
aspect of Montessori Method, academ-
ics certainly is the other. The first step
taken towards academics is forming the
grip. There was a time when teaching
children how to write was not considered
a necessity before they attained the age
of four. But in today’s scenario, it is apparent that parents want their children
to hold the pencil and write soon. The
Montessori Method, however, does not
embrace this practice. The idea, rather,
is to teach them various types of grips in
order to prepare them for writing.
Ghosh explains, “Montessori method
writing and reading is initiated at the
age of four. Writing and reading happens spontaneously. We let spontaneity remain and also encourage it. From
holding cylinder blocks to working with
tweezers, with each activity, they work
on their grip and fine motor skills, which
help them to write later on.”
Elaborating further, she shares, “There
is a complete hands-on approach to learn
language and mathematics. The prepa-
ration for writing through sand paper
letters, making words by identifying
picture cards and using the movable alphabet box, these activities help a lot. So,
by the time the child is ready to write,
he has already gone through the process
and retained concepts at a sensory level.
In mathematics, one starts working with
materials that help to relate with quantity and number together right from the
beginning through number rods, spindle
box hence giving a sound grounding for
further concepts. Concept of ones, tens,
hundreds and thousands through the
handling of golden bead material leads
to easy learning of addition and subtraction through a hands-on approach. Montessori emphasises learning through all
five senses, making learning an exciting
process of discovery leading to motivation and love for learning. For instance,
working with knobbed cylinders help
children to relate to concepts of depth
volume dimension in their later years
Interacting together to help each other encourages love and confidence
with ease.”
Kumar, based on her experiences, further explains, “Montessori students
learn through investigation and research. They become actively engaged
in their studies, rather than passively
waiting to be taught. After graduation,
the values learnt, serve them well in
high school, college, and in their lives as
adults. They develop a love for the natural world. Natural science and outdoor
education are an important element of
our children’s experiences. Students
learn not to be afraid of making mistakes but they come to see their mistakes
as natural steps in the learning process.”
An interesting observation in the lab
at Our Montessori School was the manner used to teach continents to children.
The globe has the area of continents in
a rough material while that of water is
smooth; so by simply touching the globe,
the children learn where the land and
water is! Similarly, to help them distinguish between flavours like sweet, sour
and salty, the children are made to taste
different things and feel the difference,
rather than being explained theoretically about it.
According to Sharma, the fundamental
principles of the Montessori curriculum
are such that they help children grow
academically as they become more observant, learn to assimilate information in vastly different ways and paces,
learn to be surrogate teachers to their
classmates, get plenty of time and space
to practice and perfect their developing
abilities with the Montessori material
and also learn self-reliance skills which
in turn foster self-empowerment.
In the Montessori environment, teachers let the children make discoveries in
their daily lives. A most important aspect of allowing students to find their
track is the timing. With progression
using natural process, the method certainly does not take ‘No’ for an answer! ø
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SOCIAL QUOTIENT
DLF FOUNDATION
Nurturing Tomorrow’s
Leaders
DLF FOUNDATION’S NURTURING TALENT PROGRAMME HAS BEEN CHANGING THE LIVES OF
UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN FOR BETTER, GIVING THEM A NEW DIRECTION IN LIFE
by DCN Bureau
DLF Foundation, through its flagship
initiative Nurturing Talent Programme,
has this year given 1143 scholarships including the 257 new scholarships. The
foundation has been impacting the lives
of meritorious underprivileged children
under this programme since 2011.
The programme aims to deliver quality
education to the underprivileged children through various educational initiatives. The idea is to tap the brighter students who have the zeal to perform, but
do not have the means to avail quality
education.
These scholars are selected through a
rigorous selection process comprising a
Common Entrance Test and subsequently written interviews with scholars and
their parents to assess their merit and
income. The selected scholars are then
earmarked for partner schools namely
Jhankar Senior Secondary School in
Shikohpur, Drona Public School and
Lady Florence Convent School at Basai
Road, Gurgaon.
The scholars from these schools are
then provided with various training programmes that not only groom them into
strong personalities but also sharpen
their skills to make them better achievers.
They are also encouraged to select any
particular field of their interest and to
that, the programme provides a roadmap
to help them emerge successful. What is
interesting is that even after hailing from
disadvantaged sections, these young lads
DLF NTP Scholarship Recruitment Drive: An interview session in progress..
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are invigorated to prove their merit.
Akshita, a student of Grade VIII, Lady
Florence School, Gurgaon showed her
mettle when she emerged outstanding
in academics scoring 97 percent marks
despite coming from an economically
weaker family. She struggled and successfully crossed barriers of language
shifting from a Hindi medium to English
and peer pressure of leaving old friends
and making new ones. She coped up brilliantly, proving her competence even after shifting from a government school to
a private school.
The programme is designed in such a
way that the potential of scholars is likely to get channelized into multiple fields
so that they can desire to follow vocational courses, diplomas or skills. The fields
may not necessarily be related to academics. In fact, one scholar Pawan Prajapat
has recently made the foundation proud
by winning the bronze at the 27th Haryana State Sub Junior and 2nd Cadet Boys
and Girls Taekwondo Championship
2015. The exposure he got through this
programme, helped him hone his talents
that surfaced through various sessions
on soft skills and confidence building, at
the workshops carefully planned by the
NTP team every quarter. Today, Pawan is
not only a champion at Taekwondo, but
also a budding artist at theatre as seen in
his recent performance in ‘Chandalika’,
a drama DLF scholars presented at the
Annual Scholars Conclave 2015, at Subroto Park, New Delhi.
Another such example is Shivanshi,
from Grade VII of Drona Public School
who along with good academic perfor-
mance proved her talent in sports, dance,
music and art. Her all-round development took place, after her parents were
encouraged to boost her confidence and
she was given opportunities to perform
in different activities. Today, she stands
confident of being an all-rounder which
has made her school, parents and foundation proud.
Nurturing Talent Programme transforms children into potential scholars
thus giving them a sign post in life. This
initiative that has helped children from
downtrodden sections script success
scholarships
Akshita, a student of
Grade VIII, Lady Florence
School, Gurgaon showed
her mettle when she
emerged outstanding in
academics scoring 97
percent marks
(Haryana State Board).
stories in the past will continue with its
endeavour in future too. The purpose is
to provide impetus to their aspirations,
abilities and skills so that they are able to
flourish in their areas of interest. From
Grade VI to XII, the seven year old journey provides them with regular counselling, training and mentoring to keep up
their motivation and inclination. This
further ensures that they overcome obstacles and constant supervision helps
them keep their focus and safeguard the
deliverables expected of them.
Nurturing Talent Programme has always been instrumental in improving
the quality of education, by providing
specialised training for teachers through
the Innovative Training Programme. Besides teachers, parents actively participate at workshops specifically designed
to address academic behavioural and
emotional issues of growing up children,
based on the feedback given by NTP
counsellors. The sessions are conducted
by renowned professionals to address
topics like Secure Internet Usage, Understanding Your Child’s Temperament,
and Improving Communication with
Children.
The way rough diamonds get polished
into sparkling solitaires, likewise, education can change the lives of disadvantaged children for the better. Who knew
that Sonu, a cobbler’s son and a school
dropout who used to be seen on streets,
would make an impressive comeback
with a 90 percent in his annual examination in Grade VII, thanks to the Talent
Nurturing Programme! DLF is proud of
such prized pupils. ø
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WINE & DINE
INTERVIEW
time. More recently after joining Hyatt
International in 2007 and spending four
and a half years in two Dubai properties,
at the age of 29, I was made Executive Chef
of the first Park Hyatt resort in the company,
The Park Hyatt Maldives.
What are your favourite dishes in European cuisine?
I love seafood dishes. I think you can do a lot
with fish and shellfish. If you get fresh fish,
there is nothing better. It depends where you
are and which dishes you fancy. It’s always
nice to keep it local. Where I am from, we
get the best of fish so chowder is a comforting dish with brown bread and a pint
of Guinness. When we talk about French
cuisine, a Sole Meuniere or Seafood Bouillabaisse are classic dishes while Spanish
Paella is a summer’s evening favourite.
I am Irish and we love food, says Hyatt Gurgaon Executive Chef Liam Crotty
For the love of cooking
Chef Liam Crotty, who is known for his culinary surprises, says that he
has adapted well to Gurgaon
by DCN Bureau
Watching Liam Crotty enjoying his
game at the golf course is a fairly good
indication of his desire to excel in whatever he takes up. Quite predictably, he
loves cooking. Executive Chef of Hyatt
Regency Gurgaon, this dynamic chef is a
connoisseur of culinary arts from across
the globe. Chef Liam’s stint started at a
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rather young age when he began working in a seafood restaurant in the fishing village of Ballycotton, Co. Cork, Ireland. There simply was no looking back
for this passionate young man who has
worked in the finest restaurants in his
area before moving to the world famous
Park Hotel Kenmare and Packies Sea-
food Restaurant in Kenmare, Co. Kerry.
Prior to joining Hyatt Regency Gurgaon,
Liam was a part of the preopening team
at Hyatt Regency, Dubai Creek Heights.
Chef Liam holds a graduate degree
from Cork Institute of Technology
(C.I.T) in Professional Cookery and secondary education from St. Colman’s
Community College, Middleton, Co. Cork,
Ireland. Chef Liam loves travelling, golf
and outdoor activities.
Given his globetrotting career, Liam has
a bag of culinary secrets of various world
cuisines and with his understanding of
food, is able to adapt them according to the
Indian tastes and sensibilities. As Executive Chef of the largest convention hotel in
Gurgaon and with over 18 years of professional experience, Chef Liam is in charge
of overseeing all the culinary aspects of
the kitchens, menus, training modules and
most importantly securing the standards
of excellence expected by both domestic
and international patrons.
DCN spoke to Chef Liam Crotty about life
in Gurgaon.
Tell us about your childhood in Ireland? How did you develop a passion
for food?
I am Irish and we love food. I grew up in a
fishing village and got my first summer job
in a seafood restaurant which was owned by
a couple - the wife was a chef, and her husband, a fisherman with two large trawlers.
This was at the age of 13 years! From there
I moved to few of the best establishments
where I worked either during weekends or
picked up summer jobs for the remainder
of my schooling years.
What have been your most memorable
achievements in the culinary field?
On completion of college, I was selected
for one of Ireland’s most prestigious hotels for my placement, the Kenmare Park
Hotel. They choose from hundreds of candidates from different colleges so I was
very proud to be selected there at the
What have you learnt about India
and the Indian guest in your stint here?
What can the Gurgaon guest expect
from you?
I have been in Dubai since 2007 so I know
the Indian clients very well. India is so vast
that it is important to know where the particular guests you are dealing with belong
to; besides it has so many cultures and different cuisines that it’s important to cater to
their needs and expectations. I think Indians
love a buffet and a large choice so I try to
accommodate accordingly.
Very soon the city is going to see a bit
more of Hyatt Regency Gurgaon because
we are planning a bit of a surprise. It’s
great to be a part of the team here in Hyatt
Regency, Gurgaon and I am excited about
working in such an atmosphere ø
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FEATURE
MALL OF INDIA
It is never easy to plan an outing when
everyone has refined and unique tastes
in shopping, food, movies and even ambience. While junior will want to try his
hand at skiing, skating, gaming zone
or the bowling alley, teenage daughter
craves for her retail therapy at a Forever
21 store and the lady of the house wants
to check on the newest collection of Ritu
Kumar and Anita Dongre’s designer outlets or the latest offerings at the sprawling
H&M store. It is much the same story over
lunch or at the movies where everyone
has a different choice and hopes to enjoy
the outing in their own distinctive way!
Being synonymous with quality and
detailing, DLF has never done things by
half. And so it was not surprising at all to
see the full page advertisement splashed
across the national dailies of the day heralding the opening of DLF Mall of India
in Noida. The advertisement did pique interest as the biggest and best brands were
comfortably ensconced as were the best
names in the food industry. That coupled
with another announcement of a heat
wave for the week was enough to ensure
that a day out at the mall was a given.
It may be a longish drive from Gurgaon
to Noida, but it was a pleasant surprise
to see that the approach for LMVs was
thoughtfully created across the Dadri
Road by the mall authorities and the entrance for HMVs was different. So there
was no issue to park vehicles vis-a-vis
jostling for space with goods carriers
of the three wheel and four wheel categories to turn into the mall. The merry
go round style entry into the basement
gives one an adventure ride for free and
ensures that wannabe Schumachers
slow down. The good thing about the
entire basement parking is the clear division into colour zones which allows
one to narrow down the car parking spot
broadly, and then narrow it down to the
actual bay. Visitors were overheard extolling the thoughtfulness of the markings
as elevators now were also colour coded
at all floors. So it does become extremely
convenient to shop, shop and shop.....just
remember the colour code! Maybe the
next DLF Mall will be smart with GPSAndroid handshake which would lead
you to the spot with unerring accuracy.
The escalators leading from the basement
to the ground floor are the moving walkway or ‘travelator’ with no steps but just
a gentle inclined angle. This makes it convenient to carry shopping carts with ease
and is also wheelchair friendly making it
a rather amazing gesture, to say the least.
It was also rather pleasant to be greeted
with a massive smart TV right opposite
the travelator as we emerged from the
basement as this allowed us to have all
mall related information at our fingertips as we scrolled, pressed and browsed
our way through the mall virtually courtesy the software.
This bird’s eye view and the floor plan
armed us with enough knowledge to
make our way through the amazing
labyrinth that is the DLF Mall of India.
Welcoming corridors, inviting aromas
and incredible energy permeated the air
as we started the mall heist by attacking
our most preferred shopping brands.
Hunger is bound to strike soon when
heavenly wafts of food are never too far
Happy Holidays (Mallidays)
Are Here Again!
Beat the rising mercury with a super cool, action-packed trip to the Mall
of India at Noida where the ‘fun’ never ever sets!
by Meenakshi Sharma & Reena Dhankher
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FEATURE
MALL OF INDIA
and during such times, it is never easy
waiting for that lift that never arrives
or the round and round merry go round
of descending escalators on the left and
ascending ones from the right that can
kill a healthy appetite! And that is why
we were thrilled with the planning at the
Mall of India. It was heartening to find
that the escalators were thoughtfully
planned and did not just go to the next
floor but also had direct connection to
the food court floor, making it a big boon
for the time that hunger strikes.
The mall conveniences (restrooms for
men and women) are similarly strategically located towards the centre of the
mall and have been provided entrances
from both sides. This is thoughtful, logical and extreme good space utilisation as
plumbing issues get sorted out and everyone knows where to go when nature
calls irrespective of the floor you happen
to be shopping in. The corridors are also
interspersed with smart TVs so one can
ever get lost. More important, that rendezvous with friends becomes that much
easier as does that elusive shop which
one was desperately looking for.
The food court in the DLF Mall of India
was where we were headed after a good
three hour exploration. There were numerous brands of stand-alone options
like Café Delhi Heights, Pirates of the
Grill, Carls Jr Burgers and Big Wong
among many more. And while each was
good as the other, we believed that the
pulse of a mall is its food court as it tells
one whether the mall has arrived or not.
The DLF Mall of India hosts the largest
food court with 1200 seating space which
offers a delectable dining experience
through 22 casual dining restaurants.
Generally all shopping options are similar at all good category malls. But it is
their services, conveniences and food
courts which are the tipping factors.
And here too, one is not disappointed.
Fine dining, fine culinary experiences
and regular QSRs elbow for space in the
food court and one is literally spoilt for
choice. It really is great going.
Our group of five literally relished five
different options and tanked ourselves
on the juice bar and the dessert counters
at three different outlets. How’s that for
variety? We were not even complaining
about identification and location as we
all agreed on checking out the colourful
and varied pop up bazaar cubicles which
will be part of the mall on a regular basis
on the ground floor.
Well known for its business acumen
and real estate savvy, Brand DLF certainly seems to have ticked the right
boxes with the DLF Mall of India and
has announced its arrival in Noida with
fanfare. Futuristic technology coupled
with customer conveniences have always
been the hallmark of success and it does
appear that the DLF Mall of India is another winning hand for DLF.
ENTERTAINMENT@MALL
OF INDIA
The Mall that India Deserves - DLF Mall
of India cannot be described in a better
way! Be it for its distinctive architec-
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ture and interiors, the widest variety of
brands on display or the gigantic food
court, the mall is indeed worthy of all
the attention it is getting.
Entertainment is another sector wherein the mall has a lot to offer to its customers. The seven-screen DT Cinemas is a
case in point. Standing tall with its modern design and contemporary looks, the
seven screens have been designed on the
basis of the rainbow theme. The colours
used in the seven screens are in fact the
various shades of a rainbow! Each audi,
as they are called, has been given a designated colour and a path of that coloured
tiles lead you to that auditorium. It’s a
very fresh concept and looks perky.
Audi number four, in particular, draws
your attention for its uniqueness. Even
though this audi is the tiniest, it is the
most exceptional because it has been
designed exclusively for kids, a new
concept or DT Cinemas. Since majorly,
movies for children will be screened in
this audi, it has been delightfully done
in green with motifs of various animals. One of the most striking aspects,
however, is the multi-coloured seat arrangement inside the audi. That’s not
all! There is a small party section outside
the audi where birthday parties can take
place. And that’s the reason, there is special counter for Candy Floss here!
Amongst the audis, the largest one is
Audi no 1 with 432 seats. With 36 speakers, the effect of the sound system here
is fantabulous! Also, the hanging projector is a latest feature introduced by DT
Cinemas.
As far as snacks options are concerned,
you can enjoy a variety besides the flavoured popcorns while watching your
movie. There is a live kitchen which
cooks and serves amazing hot snacks.
Chocolates, shakes and soft drinks add to
the treat! Sonia Sethi, a journalism student from Amity University told DCN,
“I have seen a film here already and the
cinemas here have a neat sound system.
I loved the experience. In fact, the entire
mall is very western and classy. The architecture is different and the food court
here has its own character. The design
of the mall and the colours used literally
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FEATURE
MALL OF INDIA
FASHION DESTINATION
B
y bringing the world’s leading international retail brands, Mall of India
is indeed on its way to becoming the fashion destination of the country! Amongst
the established international labels are
H & M, Uniqlo, Marks & Spencer and Forever 21 that are showcasing their eclectic
ensemble in the International Boulevard
zone, which is spread across 5, 60,000 sq.
feet area. The DLF Mall of India has also
signed with other well recognised and
leading franchisees of international premium fashion labels like Major Brands,
Arvind Ltd and Aditya Birla Nuvo to unveil more than 30 international labels.
Another zone, called the High Street,
houses the cult high street fashion under
one roof. One can spot an array of brands
such as Anita Dongre, Global Desi, Meena Bazaar, Kalpana, Study by Janak,
Shakuntalam and so on.
transform you to a new world!”
When ‘Smash’ opened in DLF
CyberHub, Gurgaon, it not only became
the talk of the town, it got the entire capital interested in it! And, the excitement
that it is generating at Mall of India is no
different. A soccer enthusiast Abhimanyu Vashist, a student of Class XII said,
“I have enjoyed a lot here. Along with
football shots, I loved the bull which was
slippery and also the finger roller coaster
which was scary at times. This is my second time here and I’m loving it!”
Ojasvi Gulati, a student of Class X
had come all the way from Delhi to see
Smaaash. “This is my second time here
and it’s been a great experience. I feel the
Mall of India is very modest and wellmade. I had heard so much about the
H&M that I had to see it.” The youngsters
at Smaaash were seen enjoying cricket,
walk the plank, sharp shooter, gliding
and racing cars and bikes. In fact, Fun
City, a complete fun entertainment zone
for kids is also coming soon at the mall
with latest attractions.
One of the largest attractions in the
entertainment sector today is Ski India. Promoted by Chiliad Procons, one
of India’s leading Hospitality and Entertainment groups, Ski India blends
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cutting-edge technology and world-class
concepts to impart iconic attractions and
beyond belief experiences to its visitors.
Spread across an area of 100,000 sq ft
property at the mall, this one-of-its-kind
entertainment destination offers neverseen-before skiing experience and an array of intergalactic games.
With temperatures soaring high, this
actually can be the coolest and most entertaining option to indulge in to beat the
heat! The people who booked the hour
and half inside Ski India were seen having the time of their lives, all geared up
with snow boots, coats and caps. There
were various snow activities like sledging, skiing and ice skating along with
many others like snow play areas, ski
ride, frozen land and snowfall, all of
which were a massive source of entertainment.
Talking to DCN, Priyanka Jain, Head,
Business Development, Ski India expressed, “We inaugurated this April.
Ski India, we call it a snow planet as the
theme is sci-fi based. We provide the attire for minus ten degree temperature
and people have to pass through a buffer
zone which has temperature around zero
degree before entering the snow planet.
One of the most interesting aspects is
that the snow is non-hazardous, made
of just air and water. Besides, there is a
walkthrough area where our 14 characters can be seen.”
There is no doubt that this destination
is getting popular by the day and Ski India is set to deliver the biggest themed
snow and ski park of India at DLF Mall
of India, Noida.
EXPERIENTIAL ZONES
The DLF Mall of India is spread across
six levels of retail experience with zones
marked as - International Boulevard,
Market Place, High Street, Family Hub
and Entertainment City. The unique differentiator of the mall is the creation of
these experiential shopping zones. This
will give consumers a feel of shopping at
an entire mini city or, many malls within
a mall.
With many first to its portfolio, the
DLF Mall has over 450 brands under one
roof. It houses a 1, 10,000 sq. ft. GLA hyper market Reliance Mart in the Market
Place zone. An added feature is the largest indoor Entertainment City of the
country, which is spread over two levels
– with 7 DT star screens. The Fun City,
which is a leisure division of Landmark
group would set its first super flagship
store across 28,000 sq. ft. GLA.
With its unique selling proposition, the
DLF Mall of India is going to set a benchmark in the Indian retail business. The
first LEED gold mall which has been designed by international architect firm
Benoy, DLF Mall of India is touted to become one of the must-visit destinations
within the Golden Triangle Route tapping
nothing less than 4.9 million consumers
since it connects South, Central and East
Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida.
Happy with the initial response, Pushpa
Bector, Senior Vice-President heading the
DLF Mall of India, said, “We have always
believed in approaching key milestones
and it is no different with Mall of India.
We are extremely proud of our partnerships with national and international
brands which are making a debut in the
country through their first flagship stores
in DLF Mall of India. Bringing these
global brands to one stop destination reaffirms our commitment to the retail industry and our discerning customers. We
look forward to a long lasting and successful relationship with all our partners and
hope that the mall and the brands receive
warm response from the customers.” ø
dlf
Citynews
I June 2016 I 53
COLUMN
PET CARE
Spotlight
Awareness On Breast Cancer
D
r Vedant Kabra is Director of
Surgical Oncology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. With over 12,000 cancer
surgeries to his credit, he has also successfully performed various complex oncosurgical procedures including Robotic
Surgery for Cancer. Dr Kabra is passionate about spreading cancer awareness
through regular health talks, awareness
drives and self-examination camps.
What are the common myths and
facts about breast cancer you come
across as a specialist?
The common myths we hear on a day-today basis:
Myth 1: Breast cancer is always hereditary, which means it passes from one
generation to another.
Fact: In fact, only 5-10% of
breast cancers are likely
to be hereditary
Myth 2: Breast cancer
can be caused by wired
bra and deodorant use.
Fact: There is no evidence for this. However
constant irritation due to
these may lead to trauma
/ skin problems
Myth 3: Cancer can be
passed on from one individual to another. And, doing a biopsy or a surgery in
breast cancer (or for that matter in any other cancer) will lead
to cancer spreading like wildfire
Fact: This is not an infectious
disease and cannot be passed
on from one person to the other.
Doing a biopsy or surgery does
not spread breast cancer
Like cervical cancer
vaccine, is it possible
to have a breast cancer
vaccine to prevent its
occurrence? Why or
why not?
Ninety percent of
cervical cancers are
caused by HPV (Hu-
54
dlf
I June 2016 I Citynews
man Papilloma Virus) and thus a vaccine
against this virus can be highly protective
against cervical cancer. So far, no causative
bacterial or viral agent has been identified
for breast cancer and hence the difficulty
with vaccine. There is research going on
using other proteins expressed on the
breast cancer cells to develop a vaccine
but no effective solution has been found
yet to be practically and widely used.
Who are in the vulnerable group who
are likely to get breast cancer? How
does self-examination help?
n A family history does increase the risk
of breast cancer. Closer the relation with
the person, larger the number of people
in a family suffering from it and younger
the age of the family member(s) who suffered from breast cancer, higher would be
the risk for other family members
n Those who have had early menarche
and late menopause
n Late first childbirth (> 35 yrs) or not
having any child
n Not breast feeding the child
n Smoking and obesity
n External hormonal intake such as
oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and
ovarian stimulation for infertility
Self-examination helps in understanding your normal breast feel
and in detecting any abnormal
lump at an earlier stage. Earlier
the detection, better are the
treatment outcomes
Who and how often
should a woman undergo a mammography? Are there any
side effects as commonly believed?
It is advisable to have a
baseline mammogram between the age of 40 and 50
years and every 2-3 years thereafter until the age of 75 years. Sometimes, it may be done more frequently
to follow certain abnormal findings
noted on the mammogram and in
those people who have higher than
normal risk of breast cancer. Mammogram is considered to be quite safe
and the amount of radiation delivered
by a mammogram is negligible as
compared to a routine chest x-ray
MORE THAN
“JUST A FEVER”...
by Dr. Parmod Kumar
Tick fever is the term commonly used
for Ehrlichiosis and sometimes Anaplasmosis. The prevalence of tick fever
is very high in the Delhi-NCR region
throughout the year, but higher in summer due to the rampant tick population.
Some other diseases like Babesiosis
(common in Delhi NCR region) and Lyme
disease (rare in India) are also transmitted by ticks. There are different types of
ticks that attack dogs- soft leathery ticks
(argasids) and hard ticks (ixodids).
“I have never seen any ticks on my
pet, how can he suffer from this disease?”
This is the most common question
posed by pet owners. Remember only a
single infected tick’s bite is sufficient to
transmit the disease.
“Can my pets play together if one
has the infection and the other
doesn’t?”
Tick fever is not transmitted by dogs
playing together living in close proximity but only due to exchange of ticks between two dogs. Hence, tick control is of
utmost importance.
Anaplasma sp. and Ehrlichia sp. affect multiple organ systems of the body.
There are two forms of this disease. First
one is acute, producing symptoms very
quickly and second is a chronic form in
which lower infection level propagates
in the body for longer time causing continuous mild illness (usually overlooked)
and can shift to a lethal form producing a
sudden life threatening situation.
“How will I know if my pet has tick
fever?”
Tick fever produces variable symptoms
depending on breed, age, parasitic load
and immunity of the pet. Certain breeds
dlf
Citynews
I June 2016 I 55
COLUMN
PET CARE
Spotlight
sensitivity, and hence, chances of getting
positive sample are very rare. Nowadays,
a recent diagnostic test like Rapid Card
test, which gives a result within 20 minutes, is used. We, at CGS Hospital, use
this for rapid and accurate diagnosis of
Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Borreliosis
and Heartworm. Detection of Babesia
sp. is performed via a peripheral blood
smear screening by our experienced lab
technicians.
“Is it a treatable disease? How can
we treat tick fever?”
Certainly tick fever is a treatable disease by specific antibiotics prescribed
by your veterinarian for a period of four
to six weeks. One specific targeted medicine (Imidocarb dipropionate) is found
to be very effective and is used regularly
for treatment at CGS Hospital. However,
chronically ill and severely affected dogs
sometimes do not respond to treatment
because of irreversible damage caused
by the disease. Hence, early detection is
essential. As we all know prevention is
better than cure, the following are a few
preventive tips:
Keep the tick
population in check
Apply a tick collar
Provide regular anti-tick wash
Injectable anti-tick medicine
Spot on application and anti-tick
and flea sprays
n Hand picking of ticks and daily
combing
Owners usually complain about reoccurrence of tick infestation. In these
cases, please treat all the dogs together
and also the living area of dogs.
As a prophylactic measure for dogs
prone to tick fever, consult your vet about
a prophylactic antibiotic dose for your
pet during summer. ø
The author is a post-graduate in
Veterinary Medicine and is currently
practising at CGS Hospital, Gurgaon.
CGS Hospital has an in-house laboratory that provides quick and accurate
diagnostic assistance. The elegant
and spacious grooming centre at CGS
Hospital, Gurgaon offers anti-tick
washes, medicated baths and an array of spa services.
For more information, please visit:
www.cgshospital.com
n
n
n
n
like German shepherd are predisposed
to chronic Ehrlichiosis. Affected dogs
initially show inappetance or anorexia
with lethargy, loss of stamina and fever
followed by hindlimb weakness (posterior
paresis), difficulty in walking, incoordination (ataxia), nasal bleeding (epistaxis),
red haemorrhagic patches on skin, blood
in urine (haematuria), blood in stool (melena) which in later stages could lead to
56
dlf
I June 2016 I Citynews
cerebellar ataxia, liver and kidney failure
and meningitis causing epilepsy. It, then,
becomes very difficult to save the pet due
to irreparable damage.
“Is early diagnosis possible?”
Diagnosis can be based on symptoms,
haematological findings like anaemia,
thrombocytopenia and presence of inclusion bodies in the white blood cells
and red blood cells. These methods lack
From Passion To
Profession, Journey of
Dr. Heman Verma
A
t Dental Stylers, the sparkling ambience gives you a feel of luxury
and comfort, more than being
just another dental orthodontic
and implant centre. The clinic has professionally qualified orthodontists, paedodontists, endodontists, surgeons, anaesthetists, implantologists and periodontists
who consistently work towards giving you
the most appropriate treatment while
making your visit a pleasant one.
Conceptualised by Dr Heman Verma
and Dr Priyanka Verma, the 20-year-old
eight-chair setup also has an exclusive
section designed for special kids. The centre boasts of state-of-the-art technology
and modern equipment including hi-tech
medical machinery such as computerised
digital radiography and integrated imaging
that offers painless treatment and fastest
recovery with the help of lasers.
Dr Heman Verma has done his Masters
in Orthodontics (MDS)/MS in implantology from New York University/Residency
in Periodontics (gum surgeries) from University of British Columbia, Canada and
speciality training from NYU in sedation
dentistry, root canal treatment, surgery,
dentures and dentistry for special needs.
Having acquired speciality training from
American Academy of Facial Cosmetics for
botox and dermal fillers, he is a fellow of
International Congress of Oral Implants,
World Federation of Orthodontics, World
Society of Cosmetic Dentistry and of American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
From passion to profession, dentistry has
been a vital part of Dr Heman Verma’s life.
An orthodontist, implantologist, surgeon
and a man with a sublime touch, he can
sculpt that perfect smile for you with his
wide experience in dentistry. With rich
skills in gum surgeries, periodontics and
implants from New York, he is one of the
few orthodontists certified to practice invisalign since the last 12 years. He also
holds expertise in lingual braces from
Manchester University, London.
Cosmetic dental surgery and implantology are his forte. Dr Heman has already rehabilitated more than 30,000 patients that
include children too. His kind and friendly
approach towards children helps him
gel well with them. His patients who are
residents of Gurgaon, foreigners and even
embassies are extremely content with his
treatment that provides them the ultimate
comfort from all dental issues.
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
I June 2016 I 57
UTILITIES
UTILITIES
BI TY R
TT E
ER SI
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EE TS
T
EX SHA
PE RE
RI TH
EN EI
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PE ORS
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IN lan rs a oth
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16 yov sm
fl r a
fo
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LA hink
T
SPORT
Young
Professionals
Take to
District Administration
T L Satyaprakash (IAS) Deputy Commissioner 0124-2321144
Anita Yadav (IAS)
Administrator, HUDA
0124-2321650
Vikas Gupta (IAS)
MCG Commissioner
0124-2220011
RS Dalal Director, HIPA
0124-2340413
S Duhan
SDO(C)–I
0124-2321808
Yashender Singh
GM, Haryana Roadways
0124-2322391
Satbir Singh
DRO, Gurgaon
0124-2322877
Parveen Garg
Civil Surgeon
0124-2322412
Balraj Ahalawat Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board 0124-2332775
Ashok Divakar
Principal, Govt. Girls College
0124-2320783
SS Bokan Principal, Dronacharya Govt. College
0124-2320322
B M Hooda
GM, Telephone
0124-2391818
RS Sangwan
Information and Public Relation Officer
0124-2321479
Running
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dlf
Citynews
I June 2016 I 59
UTILITIES
UTILITIES
STATUS REPORT
WHO’S WHO
DLF city
The
City
Status of Projects
Pace of Habitation in Plotted Properties
Name of Project Status
New Town Heights
Handover/Finishes in advanced stage
1I
3658
69.38
The Primus Terrace/upper floors slabs cast. Rough finishes in progress
2
3220 67.04
Regal Garden Terrace/upper floors slabs cast. Rough finishes in progress
Corporate Greens
Possession starting soon
Skycourt
4th-10th floors slabs cast. Club finishing in progress
Ultima
GF, 1st and 2nd floor slabs cast in Towers H &L; K; E, J & S
The Crest DLF5
Finishing & Services activities commenced
SI. Pace of Habitation in Group Housing
Phase
II 3
III
4
IV
Total
Project
5462 1626
Habitation%
64.94
53.01
13966 Total
Occupied
%Occupied
34
32
94.1
700
93.5
Belvedere Tower
222
202
90.99
Beverly Park I
158
132
83.5
Belvedere Park 318
278
87.42
Beverly Park II
182
171
94.0
Exclusive Floors 516
500
96.90
Total
Occupied
%Occupied
Regent House
Total No. of Plots
749
Project
Silver Oaks
Regency Park I
320
273
85.3
Trinity Towers 234
216
92.31
Regency Park II
500
445
89.0
Westend Heights 368
324
88.04
Hamilton Court
266
252
94.7
The Aralias 254
Windsor Court
132
125
94.7
Royalton Tower
Richmond Park
280
271
96.8
Ridgewood estate
924
831
Oakwood Estate
322
307
200
78.74
76
70
92.11
The Pinnacle
280
221
78.93
89.9
The Icon
364
330
90.66
95.3
The Summit
228
161
70.61
544
448
82.35
Wellington Estate I,II and III
555
505
91.0
The Belaire
Princeton Estate I,II & III 918
868
94.6
The Park Place
1508
1340
88.86
485
453
93.4
The Magnolias 589
406
68.93
Carlton Estate I & IV
60
I June 2016 I
Elders
Your Elected Representatives
Condominium Associations
dlf
Citynews
Silver Oaks Condominium Association – DLF Phase-I 0124-4287457
President
Mr. Tariq Raza
Mrs. Shalini Sawhney
Vice President
Mr. Pankaj Kumar
Manager
Mr. V K Jain
Secretary
Ms. Rupali Jain
Treasurer
Oakwood Estate Condominium Association – DLF Phase-II
0124-4052005
President
Cmde. Hitendra Singh
Dr. Amish Vora
Vice president
Secretary
Mr. Rohit Kapoor
Mr. Naveen Thukral
Treasurer
Beverly Park-I – DLF Phase-II
0124-4011757
Mr. Mr. Depak Kapur
Mr. Sarabjit Singh Dhawan
Mr. Rajiv Inamdar
Mr. Soumya Dutta
Mr. C B Singh
Beverly Park-II – DLF Phase-II
Mr. Adil Shiavax Nargolwala
Ms. Anita Kapur
Mr. Naresh Arora
Ms. Nandini Roy Choudhary
President
Vice president
Secretary
Treasurer
Manager
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
9999270000
9818078883
9810036324
9810019787
Mr. Saurabh Joshi
Operations Manager
9650493521
Exclusive Floors Owners Society – DLF5 0124-4109536
President
Ms. Pallavi Sawhney
Mr. S N Miglani
Vice President
Mr. Apprajeet Bhatia
Secretary
Mr. Manish Purohit
Treasurer
Carlton Estate Condominium Association – DLF5
President
Mr. Sachin Jain
Vice president
Mr Nitin Gianchandani
Mr. Sameer Nigam
Secretary
Mr. Syed Ibrahim Ahmed
Teasurer
9811240572
9818183275
9899970269
9810122090
Trinity Towers Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. Jawahar Lal Vij
President
Mr. Hitesh Puri
Secretary
Mr. Rajul Kulshrestha
Treasurer
9818967911
9910263846
9899892911
Summit Condominium Association – DLF5
Mr. Nitin Chopra
President
Mr. Rajiv Chopra
Vice President
Secretary
Mr. Tejinder Singh
Ms. Nira Mongia
Joint Secretary
The Pinnacle – DLF5
Belvedere Tower – DLF Phase-II
0124-4068251
Ms. Savita Malhotra
Dr. Manoj Talwar
Mr. Amit Malik
Mr. Deepak Sahai
9810063523
9810056302
9811084744
9811600888
0124-4228770
Mr. RC Kesar
Ms. Parul Kaushal
Mr. Atul Sarin
Mr. Kuljit Singh
Mr. Jai B Yadav
Belvedere Park Condominium Association – DLF Phase-III
President
Prof K Sundram
Vice President
Mr. V K Vatts
Mr. N Mishra
Secretary
Treasurer
Mr. Gagan Chawla
Estate manager
Mr. Madan Sen
9818621084
9818902080
9811199826
9810274750
8800731747
Wellington Estate – DLF5
0124-4228162
Ms. Neena Bhattacharjee
Mr. Vineet Bagga
Mr. Ajay Jain
Ridgewood Condominium Association – DLF Phase-IV
President
Mr. Sanjay Batra
Vice President
Mr. Vijay Kumar Verma
Secretary
Mr. Deepak Mathur
Mr. Amit Dhanuka
Treasurer
Mr. Sunil Kumar Jain
Jt Secretary
9818093097
9810287402
9818664883
9810086577
9911317189
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Hamilton, Windsor and Regency Park-II – DLF Phase-IV
0124-2396331
President
Dr. Kamlesh Bajaj
Vice President
Wg. Cdr Pran K Kaul (Retr)
Mr. Virender Sareen
Secretary
Mr. Vijay Sood
Treasurer
Condominium Mgr
Mr. Yogendra Rajput
9910501633
9811147596
9910109013
9650275500
9871622323
The Aralias – DLF5 0124-4144848
Mr. Rajbir Sharma
9650493525
Estate Manager
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Property Manager
President
Vice president and Treasurer
Secretary
DLF City Residents Welfare Association (Regd.)
0124-4055094, 2561888
President
9810402438
Mr. J S Damija
Mr. Sudhir Kapoor
Secretary Gen
9811555743
DLF City Senior Citizens Council (Regd.)
0124-2570417
Mr. Ganesh Dutt Gureja
President
Mr. Mohan Gulrajani
Secretary Gen. Condominiums
Richmond Park
Royalton Tower
Princeton Estate
Park Place
The Belaire
The Magnolias
Address
DLF phase IV
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
DLF phase V
9810638595
9818253979
ContactTelephone No.
Mr. Madan Singh
0124-4272776
Mr. Bramprakash
0124-4292418
Mr. Attar Singh
0124-4055277
Mr. Y C Sharma
9873603572
Mr. Dinesh Bajpai
9711497034
Mr. Sanjeev Saxena
9654132300
dlf
Citynews
I June 2016 I 61
TRANSIT LOUNGE
EVA MARIA PACHECO
Spanish artist Eva María Pacheco’s painting exhibition
‘Being Light’ is a confirmation, verification and evidence of
her practice in meditation. Organised at Creativity Art Gallery, Hauz Khas Village from May 22 till June 10, 2016, the
exhibition is winning rave reviews. Pacheco’s paintings are
composed through the raja yoga meditation and spiritual
knowledge she has experienced in her yogi life. They give a vision of spirituality through art where the spectators can find
and resonate with their inner spiritual space within the self.
Her art is unique in that it is a confirmation of the bridge between art and spirituality.
The artist spoke to DLF City News about her passion, her journey and future plans in India.
Please share your artistic journey?
I have been painting since 1993 and am a PhD researcher in
Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona. My line of investigation is the process of spiritual development through art and
meditation. I am a postgraduate researcher from National Autonomic University of Mexico and have also obtained a financial aid to study at the Fine Art Faculty University of Athens
in Greece. I have participated in international events and been
working on cultural programmes, films, and also in theatre as
art director and painter. My art has been shown in collective
and solo exhibitions in art galleries and spaces in several cities of the world.
While I’m painting, my connection and concentration with
the inner self is such as if I’m in meditation. I require deep
silence to take action. To create this particular group of paintings, I have been in the expression and energy of Love and
ART SCENE
“India has a
global outlook
and as an
international
artist I believe
we must work
more to reach
further”
T STYLES
UPER EX
Indian Ethnic Creaaons
Wholesale Prices
INDIA CONNECT: Pacheco feels that India, which will be her base platform for now, can provide experience and richness in meditation and yoga
‘Meditation is a
Lifestyle’
Paintings by Eva Maria Pacheco
bridge art and spirituality
by DCN Bureau
62
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I June 2016 I Citynews
Truth, and sometimes this is hard to work out because
the final battle is with my mind. I only want to follow the
feeling, which at the beginning can be in contradiction
with the mind, and the mind tries to control the matter
- paintbrush, colours and effects. Yet, if I trust my flow
and synchronicity, I’m flowing with the present time
and feeling, as per the energy. The viewers will identify
themselves with the images. They can resonate to them,
because these paintings are part of the original and universal energies of Love and Truth.
What is the importance of India and meditation in
your life and art?
I am not inspired by meditation. Meditation, for me, is a
lifestyle where I am practicing raja yoga with the Brahma Kumaris Association for the last 15 years. India gave
the knowledge, experience and so many ways to understand this subject deeply. I believe that the biggest gift I
can give in this life is to surrender and allow life itself to
show me the direction.
As a painter I’m expressing this through paintings and
it is becoming an extraordinary process of self-respect
and honesty. Paintings are the mirrors of this inner soul
and development. In my method of creation, the heart
is directing the composition and the mind is not leading, letting the intuition and feeling to direct my hands.
Enhancing the method is so extraordinary, delicate and
subtle that if I’m not self-centered, aware and focused,
the process and images will not come natural. Each one
of us, are in their unique transformation and evolution
and one of my purposes when the audience is contemplating my paintings is that they can resonate with their
own vibration of Love and Truth. If you are aware and
vibrate with the paintings, we are somehow in the same
direction and that’s the wonder! We co-create together
in incognito way. Energetically we are connected. We
vibrate and these paintings are the beauty reflection of
these vibrations and energies. When everything is in
equilibrium, the sensibility of the composition, colours,
materials and forms have no resistance in the physical
matter of the canvas. ø
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dlf
Citynews
I May 2016 I 63
ENTERTAINMENT
CELEB TALK
Aishwarya’s 15-Yr-Old
Bond With Cannes!
by DCN Bureau
15 years of Cannes and Aishwarya Rai
Bachchan now appears as if she is tailor
made for sashaying down the Red Carpet!
From being criticised for being a fashion
disaster to making heads turn with her
style, even when she had oodles of baby
weight, Ash, over the last few years, has
become a hot favourite among the paparazzi and her fans when it comes to
her red carpet appearances.
This year too was no different as the
former Miss World dazzled in a stunning Ali Younus golden cape gown that
made her look like a queen. And, her
fans made sure she felt like one too as
they poured their love and appreciation
on Twitter! #CannesQueenAishwarya
was trending like crazy on the microblogging site with her photographs
splashed all across Twitter.
Even her appearance at the Sarabjit
premier at Cannes was trending on Twitter; not for her costume though but for
her purple lips! While some made fun of
it, others found it bold and very fashionable. Whatever be the reaction, Ash did receive her share of attention for Cannes,
like every year.
It was in 2002 that Ash made her debut
on Cannes with her canary yellow sari
designed by Neeta Lulla and heavy-duty
gold jewellery. However, she was ripped
apart by fashion critics at home, who
called it a red carpet disaster. The next
few years continued to be not-so-happy
experiences for the beauty queen as far as
her style quotient was concerned. It was
only in 2005 that Ash was appreciated for
her Cannes appearance. However, she garnered the maximum compliments in 2007,
when she wore a silver white gown with
shimmering diamonds with her husband,
Junior Bachchan alongside her for the
first time. Since then, Ash has been getting better every year, stunning her fans
with her choice of gowns and dresses.
Even though over the last few years,
other Indian celebrities such as Sonam
Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat and Katrina
Kaif have been gracing Cannes and also
grabbing eyeballs with their red carpet
appearances, Ash continues to rule the
popularity chart. Indeed, this actress
does know how to carry her diva image
with aplomb! ø
MOVIE
PREVIEWS
English
The Conjuring 2
A sequel to The Conjuring, the film is a supernatural horror directed by James Wan with story by
Chad Yaes, Carey Hayes and James Wan. The film
stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Francis
O’Connor. The plot revolves around how the home
of a mother and four children is saved from malicious spirits.
Independence Day Resurgence 3D
Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film is a science
fiction. It is a sequel to Independence Day. The film
stars Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Jeff Goldblum,
Vivica A Fox and Brent Spiner.
The Legend of Tarzan 3D
An adventure film directed by David Yates, the
story revolves around how Tarzan returns to Africa after years as a trade representative but ends
up being involved in a deadly plot.
Hindi
TE3N
An Indian thriller, the film is written and directed
by Ribhi Dasgupta. Amitabh Bachchan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vidya Balan play the lead roles
while the music has been composed by Clinton
Cerejo.
Udta Punjab
A Balaji film produced by Shobha and Ekta
Kapoor, this is a crime thriller written and directed
by Abhishek Choubey with music by Amit Trivedi.
The lead star cast includes Shahid Kapoor, Kareena
Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh.
Sultan
Under the Yash Raj Banner, the film is produced
by Aditya Chopra and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.
The film has Salman khan playing the pivotal role
of Sultan Ali Khan, a wrestler from Haryana, who
struggles to achieve his dreams. The film also stars
Anushka Sharma and Randeep Hooda.
For corporate and bulk bookings
(Book minimum 50 tickets) (Timings: 11am-7pm)
Phone: 8860003310 email: [email protected]
Tickets also available at
64
I June 2016 I Citynews
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bookmyshow.com
dlf
Citynews
I May 2014 I 65
ENTERTAINMENT
LAST WORD
Priyanka
In & As
James Bond?
>>
Brad Pitt
Turns Hero In
Real Life Too!
It isn’t every time you get to see a hero on screen turn
into one in real life too. So when Brad Pitt came to the
rescue of a little girl who appeared in danger of being
crushed by a crowd of eager fans, it obviously had to
become news!
While shooting his upcoming World War II film, Allied,
in Spain’s Canary Islands, the actor took a break to
greet fans. Waving to the crowd, which had become
overzealous, he noticed the young girl being pushed up
against a fence. In a video of the incident, Pitt can be
seen pointing to the girl before rushing over to help her.
Along with two bodyguards, he then lifted her over the
fence. He can be seen comforting the girl, rubbing her
head and back as medics arrive. After the situation
was resolved, Pitt gave a final wave to the crowd before
making a movie star’s exit.
66
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I June 2016 I Citynews
Who would have thought that our ‘desi girl’ would want to play James
Bond? Yes, Priyanka Chopra, whose name was being thrown around as
one of the candidates for the role of Bond girl, says she would rather be
Bond, James Bond!
“I get that all the time,” Priyanka said when asked whether she would be
playing a future Bond girl. Fans are already starting to throw in their
support to Priyanka with a handful of actors, including Tom Hiddleston
and Idris Elba, being tipped to pick up Daniel Craig’s mantle. Complex
magazine recently reported that the idea of giving the part to a woman
was catching steam on social media. However, as of now, the Quantico star
is happy getting a chance to play the role of villain in her upcoming film
Baywatch. “I wanted to play a bad guy for a really long time. And I’m doing
that in Baywatch, so I’m excited,” she added
>>