WEEKLY MAGAZINE, MAY 13, 2012Free with your copy of Hindustan Times

VIR SANGHVITaste of Singapore

RAJIV MAKHNIGalaxy quest

SANJOY NARAYANMusic for the summer

SEEMA GOSWAMI In the mood for foodindulge

FamilydramaThe curtaingoes up onthe Babbars

Dunkin’donorWhat makesAyushmanntick?

SilverliningWhite hairright now:what to do?

RIDING PILLIONON WOMENBUYERS, THEHUMBLESCOOTERMAKES ACOMEBACK

RIDING PILLIONON WOMENBUYERS, THEHUMBLESCOOTERMAKES ACOMEBACK

4 WATC H O UT FO R

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@KumarSinha @seemagoswami loved your column (Spec-tator, May 6) this morning. Aamir Khan would fulfill manycriterion of desirability mention in 1st para

@djKachari @RajivMakhni Really nice & balanced article in@HTBrunch. Surprised that you actually wrote somethinggood about Apple! Nice predictions :)

@Iamsmitag It’s amazing how I could identify completelywith @seemagoswami in @HTBrunch...my kind of awoman! It was as if she had written all about me!

@BJ_bhaskarji @RajivMakhni @HTBrunch Good one. But Idon’t see any newcomer surging ahead of those Big-3 inthe next 3-4 years!

@Mittermaniac @HTBrunch’s travel special edition injects strong wanderlust in me!

TWEET YOUR HEART OUTtwitter.com/HTBrunch

indulge

Age of the AccidentalPhilosopher

Brunch Blogs

Judy Balan, author of the best-seller Two Fates – The Story ofMy Divorce, on why we shouldlook forward to old age. Readher column, The AccidentalPhilosopher on Thursday!

She’s got hot heels onhotter wheels. Womenacross the country areriding scooters. No, seri-ously. Scooters are backin vogue. Read the coverstory today and log onfor more pictures!

Drop a line atbrunchletters@hindustantimes.com

or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi,Rachel Lopez, Mignonne Dsouza, Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna Tewari, Yashica Dutt,

Pranav Dixit, Amrah Ashraf, Saudamini Jain, Shreya Sethuraman

DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor, Design), Monica Gupta, Swati Chakrabarti,Rakesh Kumar, Ashish Singh, Suhas Kale, Shailendra Mirgal

Set to visit BrazilYOUR ARTICLE on Brazil (A Real Deal, May 6) wasvery well-timed. My friends and I have been planninga trip there. Since we’ve been to many major citiesaround the world, we didn’t know where to go. How-ever, Brazil got us so excited that we booked our tick-ets and can’t wait to get there! — MILIND PAVASKAR, via email

Cover Design: ASHUTOSH SAPRUCover Photograph: MONISHA AJGAONKAR

Models: Rashmi Buntwaal and Amrit Sandhu; Courtesy: GlitzModel Management, Mumbai; Make Up: VLCC, Khar Road

branch, Mumbai; Clothes Courtesy: United Colors ofBenetton, Marks & Spencer; Shoes: United Colors of

Benetton; Scooters Courtesy: Vespa India

This week, check out The Glossover by Rachel Lopez. It’s timefor a few cosmetic changes.

BRUNCH ON THE WEBhindustantimes.com/brunch

Write in, the best letterevery week can win you aSHOPPING voucher worth

R2,500!!

Cover StoryWomen across allcities are riding awave of change inIndia’s scooter market

08

MAY 13, 2012

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The only thing that looks moredishy than actors Farhan Akhtarand Sonam Kapoor (on the coverof the latest issue of Brunch Quarterly) is molten, sinful chocolate (there are four to-die-for recipes). And of course, wehave many more delectable stories. Go grab your copy!

ALL-NEW FEATURES IN 136 PAGES!

LETTER OFTHE WEEK!

What else to look out for:■ Vir Sanghvi on how whisky’strendy again ■ Meiyang Chang, Neha Bhasin andYuvika Chaudhury hit the dancefloor to keep fit■ Ira Trivedi on a 14-day detoxification trip to the land of ayurveda, Kerala

‘Turning back time’ VIR SANGHVI’S article (Bite Into Sweet, WhiteSnow, May 6) took me back 37 years. After I gotengaged in May 1975, I had gone to meet my fi-ancée in Pantnagar near Nainital. It was a journeyfull of expectations and anticipation. When my fiancée served dessert, would you believe what itwas? Snowballs floating in a creamy custard! Alas,she hasn’t made it again. But I’m still waiting forher to prepare it! — RAHUL KUMAR, via email

Rahul wins a shopping voucher worth ` 2,500. Congrats!

Akbar Sheikh The article by Rajiv Makhni (It’s War, May 6)really shows what cutthroat competition it is, betweensmartphones. Great words!

Prajakta Memane Brunch, you make a fresh start for us,every Sunday! My friends and I make it a point to readBrunch for hours long even with our CA exams goingon!! You provide us a well-deserved break... ;)

Dev Raj Gulati Monica Bellucci’s responses (PersonalAgenda, May 6) were from the heart, not rehearsed asmany celebrities do.

Va-Va-Vroom, she rides away

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SPECTATORFood is probably the mostmood-altering substance around

RUDE FOODWhy Singapore is the food capital of Asia

TECHILICIOUSThe fortune of Samsung nowrests on the Galaxy S3

DOWNLOAD CENTRALAnimal Liberation Orchestra isthe perfect summer listen

Personal AgendaActor/anchor Ayushmann Khurrana is riding on the success of his film, Vicky Donor

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6 hindustantimes.com/brunchPEOPLE

MAY 13, 2012

“Each time an actor acts, he does not hide; he exposes himself” – US comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield

Passion for theatre is what drives thesethree members of the Babbar clan (themoney’s still not great)by Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi

Making Of AFamily Drama

ANUP SONI

For the longest time I believedthat stars were from a differentplanet and I had to go there. My

family had nothing to do with acting,cinema or theatre. But I was verysure that I did not want a typicaltwo-wheeler family who live their 9-to-5 life happily. It just wasn’t forme. So I convinced my dad to let mego to the National School of Drama. Itold him that after a three-yeardegree from there – since it was agovernment recognised institution –I would be eligible to get a securegovernment job if I didn’t make it asan actor.

Sure enough, earning a livelihood

after completing my course wasn’teasy. I started with teaching acting,voice and speech at Kishore NamitKapoor’s school in Mumbai and doingsmall roles on TV until a show called Sea Hawks happened. After thatoffers from TV started pouring in,but I was stuck on films. But ‘goodroles’ didn’t come my way… So it wasback to TV. CID, Balika Vadhu andnow Crime Patrol. Life is good.

But real happiness, I realised, wason stage. Being a part of Ekjute forover five years has brought me happiness in more ways than one. Ionly wish I got the damaad treat-ment on stage as well.

Ibelieve I was born with acting inmy genes. And though officially ithas been about 13 years that I

became a part of Ekjute, my associa-tion with it goes back much longer.Dad (Raj Babbar) never wanted meto act. A typical Punjabi father, hewas rather stern about my notdoing any “drama-shama”. But asthey say in films, “ma ke doodh aurbaap ke khoon mein theatre hai”, sohow could I be far from it?

Of course it was only after I finished my formal education and gota degree from NIFT, Bombay inCostume and Fashion, that dad wasfinally convinced of my love for act-

ing, and decided to produce my firstfilm, Kaash Aap Hamare Hote. Thefilm didn’t do too well and the roles Igot didn’t impress me enough. Andthe stage, for me, held far more value.

But this wasn’t easy. My mother isperhaps the toughest taskmaster Iknow. I get no liberties whatsoever.Initially some people thought that Iwould hog the spotlight simplybecause I am Nadira Babbar’s daugh-ter, but actually, I feel shortchangedmost times. Especially when I’d begiven a two bit role when I could playthe lead! But all that training hashelped me as an actress.

tavishi.rastogi@hindustantimes.com

BORN AND brought up inLucknow, I was introduced totheatre at 19. My father and I

had come to Delhi, and his friendEbrahim Alkazi, director at theNational School of Drama (NSD) atthe time, told him to enroll me – and Isigned up.

For a long time, I found theatreunnerving. I wasn’t really orthodox,but this world was more “open andfast” by my standards. But graduallyI adjusted. And of course I startedloving the stage. That love has stayedintact all these years. My other love,Raj Babbar, also happened during

my years at NSD. Our passion fortheatre brought us closer.

Life was happy but not exactlycomfortable. Theatre gave us a lot ofsatisfaction creatively, but our finan-cial situation got tougher with eachpassing year. It was after Juhi wasborn that Raj decided to try outfilms. He did well, and so did we.But theatre remained our passion.

Five years later, around the sametime that our son Arya was born, wefounded our theatre group, Ekjute.

It’s been 30 years now. The passion,intensity, the instant gratification andthe high remain intact.

Actor and TVhost, Anup ismarried to JuhiBabbar. Wantsto do a playwith his wifeand him in thelead roles

NADIRABABBAR

Actor, director.Founded theatregroup Ekjute 30

years ago

JUHI BABBARSONI

Actor. Raj andNadira Babbar’s

daughter triedher luck in

films, but didn’tmake much

headway. Beendoing theatre

for over 13 years

“A two-wheeler, 9-to-5 routine wasn’t for me” “I got two bit roles instead of the lead”

“Theatre and its society were too ‘open’ for me”

Phot

o: J

ASJE

ET P

LAHA

MAY 13, 2012

REMEMBER ROCKET Singh,Salesman of the Year? In themovie, Ranbir Kapoor zippedacross Delhi on a scooty

bought for him by his grandfather.Ranbir’s discomfort while riding thevehicle could partly be attributed tothe fact that a bright pink scooty isthe last thing that most men (retro-sexual or metrosexual!) would wantto be seen on.

Given a choice, most men wouldlike to ride a bike – perceived as asymbol of machismo. “Scooters areway too light for men. I can’t imagineriding one,” says 23-year-old AnshulKhanna, who works with a bank as aclient servicing executive. Perhaps itis sexist statements such as thesethat prompted the creation of thetagline ‘Why should boyshave all the fun?’ for abrand of scooters target-ed at women. Apart fromenhancing travellingpleasure quotient, formany Indian women,scooters signify freedomof movement, style andemancipation.

In fact, women ridersare fuelling a boom inIndia’s two wheeler mar-ket, not just in smallercities, but also in largecities.

It comes as no surprise then thatmany leading automobile brands arelaunching scooters created withwomen buyers in mind.

THE BIG PICTURETill the late 1990s, the scooterenjoyed a dominant position in India’stwo-wheeler market, before motorcy-cles took over. At present, the annualtwo-wheeler market in India standsat 12 million units, which includesscooters, mobikes and mopeds. Butautomotive industry body Society ofIndian Automobile Manufacturers(SIAM) says the scooter segment willsoon overtake other products in thetwo-wheeler segment. “By 2016, we

expect the scooter seg-ment to grow to 35 percent when the Indiantwo-wheeler market isexpected to double to 20million units,” YamahaMotor India CEOHiroyuki Suzuki saidrecently.

According to SIAMestimates, the sale ofscooters in the Indianmarket went up by 23.4per cent in the quarterending November 2011.

WOWING WOMENEarlier, owing to short commutingdistances and the absence of goodpublic transport, the sight of youngwomen driving to college and workwas common in cities such asBangalore, Pune, Chandigarh andmany Tier-II cities. Now, the largermetros such as Delhi and Mumbaiare also witnessing a surge in scootersales with the majority of the clientelebeing women. “Delhi alone sees salesof 4,500 scooters a month. In the past

8 COVER STORY

Woman Power GoesZip, Zap, Zoom!Across big cities and small towns, women riders arerevving up a revival in India’s scooter marketby Veenu Singh

Model name: Honda ActivaFeatures: Ergonomical design,combibrake, key-shutterUSP: Fuel-efficiency, durablemetal body, reliabilityPrice: R 43,100 ex-showroomDelhi

NAMRATASHARMA22-year-old student of MassCommunication,at Noida’s Marwah Studios

“I went on a hungerstrike to persuademy parents to buyme a scooter. But Ihad my way”

With morewomen

driving, themarket isshifting

towards lightscooters

Photo: JASJEET PLAHA

six months, there has been a margin-al increase in the number of womenpicking up scooters,” says VaibhavMadan, a Delhi-based Honda dealer.

The improving socio-economicconditions of the country have led towomen becoming more independent.Stepping out of theirhomes to work or study,many more women arefinding that the scooter isa convenient, lightweightand easy-to-manoeuvrecommuting option oncongested urban roads.

Take the case of 22-year-old studentNamrata Sharma, a stu-dent of mass communica-tion. Her tiring 90-minute commute fromher residence in Moti Bagh to her col-lege in Noida is now a distant memo-ry. “The crowd in the bus, especiallyin the evening, used to be terrible. So,when I finally bought a Scooty, I wasrelieved,” says Sharma.

Sharma is not alone. MonikaRajwaney, 22, who works with Delhi’sHDFC Bank, says her life has trans-formed since her parents offered tobuy her a scooter. “Commuting to myoffice in Connaught Place by bus andauto was never comfortable. Thebuses are unreliable and the autowal-lahs try to fleece you. Ever since Ibought a Honda six months ago, myparents are less stressed about me,”says Rajwaney.

Like Sharma and Rajwaney, manyIndian women are realising that ascooter offers them freedom of move-ment without having to compromiseon style. The logic holds as true onMumbai and Delhi’s congested roads,as it does in the more salubrious envi-

rons of Pune, wheremany young girls drive itto work. “In Pune, themoment you turn 16,your parents give you ascooter. Believe me, it isthe best gift a girl canget,” says Devika Halbe,25, a Pune-based engi-neer, who loves ridingher Activa.

SALES OVERDRIVETVS and Honda were

among the first brands to realise thepotential of the scooter market forwomen. In a way, Honda revived thescooter segment when it launchedthe bestselling Activa 11 years ago.Honda recently launched the Dio,the first automatic scooter in Indiawith tubeless tyres. “The aspira-

MAY 13, 2012

9

“Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death…” — Hunter S. Thompson

facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch

Model name: Hero PleasureFeatures: Anti-puncture sealantgel; self startUSP: Nine dazzling colours, oneof the pioneers of the genrePrice: R41,700 ex-showroomDelhi

Model name:Mahindra Duro DZ

Features:125cc; telescopic sus-pension; 20 litre storage USP: Designed for Indian roadsPrice: R43,599 ex-showroomDelhi

Model name: TVSScooty Pep

Features: 75cc; auto fuel tap;bag holderUSP: Futuristic styling, choiceof 99 coloursPrice: R45,300 on road

Model name: Yamaha RayFeatures: Alloy wheels, halo-gen headlamp, tubeless tyresfor the concept scooterUSP: Sleek, stylish, edgy design, feminine coloursPrice: Not yet in the market

DEVIKAHALBE25-year-old software engineerwith SunGard,Pune

“The moment a girlturns 16 in Pune, sheis given with ascooter. And believeme, it is the best giftshe can hope to get”

Nowadays,many moreparents aresuggestingthat theirdaughters

buy scooters

5FAB

MAY 13, 2012

Stars seen riding the iconic Vespa over the years: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and our very own Ranbir Kapoor

tions of women have evolved withthe globalised economy,” saysYadvinder S Guleria, vice president,marketing, Honda.

Advertising analyst PratapSuthan says that girls from smaller

towns, more than those in big cities,could identify with actress PriyankaChopra when she promoted a brandof scooters that promised them anequal footing with the boys. “Beingfrom Bareilly, Priyanka made just

the right brand connect.” TVS created the catchline “It’s not

a scooter, it’s a Scooty!” that becamea generic name for the category. Ithas a dedicated range of scooters forwomen. “Our scooties come with fea-tures like an under-seat mobile charg-er,” says H S Goindi, president (mar-keting) TVS Motor Company.

The success of TVSand Honda, along withrising fuel prices seem tohave encouraged brandssuch as Mahindra,Yamaha and Piaggio toforay into the scootersector. While Piaggio hasjust launched the iconicVespa in India (see box,above left), Yamaha is allset to launch a scooterfor women later this year.

“I’ve been looking for a scooterthat would not just look nice butwould also give me good mileage,”says Garima Prasad, 26, a Delhi-based student of chartered account-ancy. “The Ray, Yamaha’s conceptscooter showcased at the Auto Expo,looks like it will meet these criteria.”

A SAFE RIDE HOME?Manufacturers like Mahindra sayscooters may help women get awayfrom sticky situations faster. Adve-rtising professional Tanya Dewan, 23,recalls the evening when a group ofrowdies wanted to race her TVSScooty. She managed to put them offher trail and reach home safe.“At times, driving on your own issafer for girls than being driven by astranger,” says Vartika Mishra, 38,mother of a teenager.

But social analyst Syed MubinZehra isn’t convincedabout a scooter being asafe late-night commut-ing option for women,especially in big cities.“Late night driving isn’tsafe for two-wheeler riders, particularlywomen who have towatch out not just forrash drivers but alsosexual predators.”

THE GAME CHANGERSWith many more women driving, themarket is shifting towards gearless andlight scooters that are easier to handle,says Abdul Majeed, auto practice leaderat PriceWaterhouseCoopers. “Beforethe bike era in the ’80s, scooters werepopular with men. Older professionalsaged 30 or more have moved on to cars,which have become affordable. Withwomen outnumbering men in manywalks of life, it’s natural they’d wantmore mobility. It is time the marketrealised the power of women buyers.”

Women power rules even on theroad now. And how!

veenus@hindustantimes.com

Most of us believe in making astyle statements. When itcomes to automobiles, the

Vespa scooter has as much iconic value as say, a Harley Davidson, or anAston Martin. Among scooter connoisseurs, the Ves-pa evokes pride of possession; it’s ascool as owning the latest Birkin bag oran Armani suit. And now, Piaggio haslaunched the original Vespa in the In-dian market. For the uninitiated,here’s a primer on Vespa’s history.

The Vespa is one of the iconsof Italian technology and style.It has gone beyond a commut-

ing product to become a part ofsocial history and way of life.

Ever since its inception in 1946, theVespa scooter has been known for itspainted, pressed steel unibody. The

name Vespa, which means ‘wasp’ inItalian, has been derived from the vehi-cle’s shape: the thicker rear part isconnected to the front part by a narrowwaist and the steering rods resembleantennae. Says Ravi Chopra, chairman,Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd (India):“There is no better time to be in the In-dian two-wheeler scooter space withevolved consumers looking for lifestyleoptions that go beyond mobility.”The original Vespa is priced at R66,661. A FEW VESPA MOMENTS

The scooter inspired Spanish artistSalvador Dali to paint it.

It has featured in such popularmovies as Roman Holiday, La Dolce

Vita and Dear Diary. It is a character in books by writers

such as Folco Quilici, Gino andMichele or Vitaliano Brancati

Its first model was called Paperino – Italian for Donald Duck.

It even has a song to itself – LaVespa Y La Guapa (the wasp and

the beauty).

IT’S A WASP!

twitter.com/HTBrunch12

MONIKA RAJWANEY22-year-old operations executive with New Delhi’s HDFC Bank

“My parents suggested Ibuy a scooter to avoidhaggling with autowallahsand travelling in buses”

“Sometimesscooters can help

girls zip outof sticky

situations”

HOLLYWOOD HALL OF FAMEGregory Peck (centre) and AudreyHepburn (right) on a Vespa in Roman Holiday

AAKRITIGOEL19-year-old student of Commerce atChandigarh’sDAV College

“Driving on thehighway fromPanchkula toChandigarh on myscooter is a breeze”

Photo: JASJEET PLAHA

Phot

o: R

AJNI

SH K

ATYA

L

LAST WEEK I wrote about the kind of woman I couldimagine being best mates with. And how I couldn’t pos-sibly be friends with a woman who refused to break

bread – yes, literally – with me. To be honest, I’ve alwaysthought this to be something of a personal idiosyncrasy; myobsession with classifying people by what they do or do not eat.But going by the contents of my mail box, I am coming aroundto the view that I am not alone in judging people by their rela-tionship with food. As the cliché goes: you are what you eat.

Speaking for myself, I believe that food is the most powerfulmood-altering substance around. What I eat or drink has a directconnection to how I feel. And how I feel has a direct co-relationwith what I want to eat.

When I’m feeling a bit blah about the world, nothing cheers me up faster than a quick fix ofchocolate. On particularly stressful days, a judi-cious dose of carbohydrates can have a calmingeffect. And there’s nothing to beat the caffeinerush of a cold Diet Coke on a warm summer day.

But just as a good meal can have me burping withsatisfaction for days afterwards, there’s nothing quitelike a bad meal to put me in a vile mood for the restof the day. First of all, there’s the opportunity lost, ameal that I will never ever get to enjoy again. Then,there’s the small matter of all those empty caloriesthat have been consumed without any concomitantpleasure. Small wonder then that I am always so dis-gruntled at the end of a bad meal – and as hungryas when I began eating. No matter how many calo-ries I have scarfed, if the food doesn’t satisfy my tastebuds, it doesn’t assuage my hunger pangs either. So,after a dissatisfying meal, I invariably end up eatinganother meal to make up for the first.

And then begins the self-loathing. What was Ithinking? How could I possibly have eaten a sand-

wich after that three-course French dinner? Howcould I have come back home and stuffed my facewith chocolate after dining at a friend’s house?Why on earth can’t I just let one bad meal go?

But no matter how hard I try to resist, foodcontinues to exert its visceral hold on me.

It’s funny how this stuff works. I must have asteaming cup of coffee beside me before I feelready to power up my laptop and begin to work.But slip a sandwich into the mix and suddenly, allI want to do is surf endlessly through all thetrashier news sites on the Internet. Somehow inmy mind, coffee equals work but coffee plus foodequals mindless surfing.

Similarly, I don’t really feel like I am on holidayunless I can order a really sinful treat for my room-service breakfast (think French toast, pancakes,waffles, or anything that can induce a sugar rush).But once I’m at home, it doesn’t feel right eatinganything other than organic muesli with low-fat

milk first thing in the morning.In times of stress, I long for the comfort food of my childhood,

the nursery delights of nostalgia. The bread pakoras of the schoolcanteen; the mashed potato toasties mum would make for anevening snack; the frosted cupcakes that were served at everybirthday party; the illicit chaat that I would sneak away to eat.Just a tiny mouthful of any of these is enough to transport meback to the safe, secure haven of my school days.

I only have to plop one oversized, overflowing puchhka in mymouth to be transported back to my days in Calcutta when wewould stand at the balcony for hours, waiting for our favouritevendor to come trotting by (there was just something about his

water mix!). Unfortunately, I have never found apuchhkawalla to match his skills in all the years

since.There’s nothing that makes me obsess

more about food, though, than being on a diet. That’s when I begin to dream about such high-calorie treats as a greasy biryani, a creamy

risotto, fluffy puris, full-fat ice-cream, bakedcheesecake, and icy-cold magnums of champagne.

Ah, champagne! There’s nothing quite like a bit ofbubbly to elevate an utterly ordinary meal into a memorable occasion. In fact, Sunday brunch at afancy restaurant never seems quite right withoutcopious quantities of champagne (or Prosecco or anyother sparkling wine). There is just something so celebratory about the loud pop as the bottle is opened,the hiss of the wine as it hits the glass, the frothy bub-bles that always threaten to spill over and stain thetablecloth, and that first sip that hits the roof of yourmouth with memories of great meals past.

Ah, happy days!seema_ht@rediffmail.com. Follow Seema on Twitter at

twitter.com/seemagoswami

MAY 13, 2012

IF ONLY I COULD...Whenever I’m on a diet, I dream about such high-calorie treats as agreasy biryani, a creamyrisotto, baked cheesecake,waffles and icy-cold magnums of champagne

MY MUST HAVESNothing cheers me upfaster than a quick fix ofchocolate and I must have a steaming cup of coffeebeside me before I begin to work

Why food is probably themost mood-altering substance around

There’snothing tobeat the

caffeine rushof a cold

Diet Coke on a warm

summer day

hindustantimes.com/brunch

spectator

SeemaGoswami

WORD OF MOUTH

Phot

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14 indulge

IHAVE BEEN going to Singapore fairly reg-ularly since 1976 and have always loved thefood. At first, it was the Chinese cuisine butsoon I came to subsist on the hawker food.

As a general rule, you can eat well and relativelyreasonably if you stick to the hawker centres.

A decade or so ago, there were also the newly-opened fun places by the water: Clarke Quay andBoat Quay. There was always a slight theme-parkelement to them (but then, if you hate theme parks,you don’t go to Singapore, anyway). But you could-n’t go wrong with a few skewers of satay at ClarkeQuay or fish and chips at Boat Quay. (Time has notbeen kind; I wouldn’t recommend either place today.)

However, I never thought of Singapore as a finedining destination. That distinction went to Hong Kong andTokyo, cities full of haute cuisine restaurants run by great chefs.(Tokyo has more Michelin stars than Paris or London.)

A few years ago, Singapore’s dining scene began to transformitself. On a visit to the city two years ago, I was so startled by thecalibre of the restaurants that I wrote, in this column, thatSingapore was now the gourmet capital of Asia, offering quali-ty dining at all levels. Since then, things have got even fancierand celebrity chefs have invaded the city-state. Joël Robuchonhas both, a proper restaurant and the more casual L’Atelier. MarioBatali has a pizzeria. Wolfgang Puck has a steakhouse. DanielBoulud has a bistro. Guy Savoy runs a branch of his main (three-star) restaurant. The sushi chef, Shinji Kanesaka, has openedhis first restaurant outside of Japan. Tetsuya, Susur Lee, BrunoMenard, Singapore’s own Justin Quek (now back home) andmany others have either opened in Singapore or plan to. No doubt,more superchefs are on their way (Nobu? Alain Ducasse? Jean-Georges? They can’t be far behind.)

What’s made the difference? How has formerly cheap andcheerful Singapore now become the gourmet hub of Asia?

One reason, I would think, is the success of the World GourmetSummit, now a centrepiece of the global culinary scene.

The summit started in 1997, after Peter Knipp, the former exec-utive chef of the Raffles Hotel, went to a food event in Switzerland,spoke to chefs and thought about creating something big in Singapore.At the time, this seemed like a far-fetched idea. Most great chefsonly overflew Singapore on their way to Hong Kong or Tokyo.

But because of Knipp’s don’t-take-no-for-an-answer style andsupport from the ruthlessly efficient Singapore Tourism Board,the first summit attracted some interest. Knipp persuaded the

great Raymond Blanc to travel to Singapore and attracted thefamous San Francisco chef, Michael Mina.

The following year, Knipp got the chef from Paris’ Tour D’Argent;the third year, the summit drew Jean-Georges; and by the fourthyear, Knipp was set; he had Tetsuya, Pierre Hermé, CharlieTrotter and Santi Santamaria.

Since then, the summit has not looked back. Many of the world’smost famous chefs have turned up: Ferran Adrià; MarcusSamuelsson; Alain Passard; Heinz Beck; Anne Sophie Pic; GregDoyle; David Thompson; Michel Rostang; Klaus Erfort; LaurentTourondel; and Wylie Dufresne.

The chefs take over the kitchens of local Singapore restaurantsfor several days and cook their best dishes. They also run cookingmasterclasses and explain their secrets. They discuss their tech-niques with other chefs, including those at Singapore’s restaurants,and make themselves available for interactions with the media.Along with the chefs come the winemakers. Though everyone talksabout the food, Knipp also draws some of the world’s best wines:Mouton Rothschild; Opus One; Ornellaia; Palmer; Cos d’Estournel;both branches of Pichon; Beaucastel; Vega Sicilia; and Angelus.

The winemakers work alongside the chefs on dinners where thegreat wines are paired with superior food. They offer tastings of

Vir Sanghvi

rude fo

od

STAR POWERMarco Pierre White, theoriginal Bad Boy of thekitchen, the first celebritychef in Britain, was in action at the summit

GOOD AND AFFORDABLEIn Singapore, as a generalrule, you can eat well andrelatively reasonably if youstick to the hawker centres

COOKING IN STYLEIt is a mystery to me how Peter Knipp (second from right, seen with

participating chefs at the summit) manages to persuade famous chefsto come to Singapore and to hold themselves up to public scrutiny

SING A GREATFOOD SONGSingapore offers the best food in Asia.And that is a direct consequence of theWorld Gourmet Summit and the globalfoodie culture it has encouraged

MAY 13, 2012

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MAY 13, 2012

their best vintages and they talk about their wines at public forums.The wonderful thing about the summit is that every event is

open to the public. Tickets are not cheap but much cheaper thanit would be to eat at the famous restaurants that the chefs runin their own countries. And you can eat and drink what you like.Anybody who buys a ticket can learn from the chefsor chat to the winemakers.

At previous summits, I have attended small, inti-mate masterclasses where 12 people sit around akitchen table and watch such Michelin-starred chefsas Michel Rostang cook. I have gone for smallishvertical tastings of such wines as Sassicaia and dis-cussed the wine with the man who made it. Mostgreat chefs no longer cook with their own hands attheir own restaurants. But in Singapore, they near-ly always do. Two years ago, I watched DavidThompson cook an a la carte menu for scores ofguests at Mezza9 at the Hyatt, where he was guestchef. And I’ve heard Ferran Adrià defend himselffrom charges of being a scientist rather than a chefto a packed audience.

It’s hard to quantify how much the summit hasdone for Singapore but it has certainly turned itinto the sort of city that every foodie in the world has heard of.Moreover, the summit has raised the level of food awareness inSingapore. Local diners have eaten the best and will accept noth-ing less from their own restaurants. Singapore chefs have workedalongside the world’s greatest chefs and have learnt how to bench-mark themselves internationally.

I went to the summit for the fourth (or perhaps it was the fifth)time this year and it was even better than ever. I learnt how tocook a perfect steak from the Australian/British chef Ian Curley.

I saw our own Vikas Khanna bowling guests over. I had Pekingduck cooked by one of the most famous Peking duck chefs inBeijing. I chatted to Fergus Henderson (whose Saint John restau-rant is among the world’s top 15 restaurants in that famous butslightly silly list) and I discussed the Japanese approach to foodwith Bruno Menard, who ran the top French restaurant in Tokyo(three Michelin stars) for many years.

And I saw the summit star Marco Pierre White in action.Marco is the original Bad Boy of the kitchen, the first celebritychef in Britain, and has employed Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthaland Gordon Ramsay in their early years. Then, he returned histhree Michelin stars, announced that he was giving up cookingand made a new career out of featuring in gossip columns wherehis love life and his divorces were dissected in great detail. Allthis has been financed by the fortune he makes as a pitchmanfor Knorr stock cubes.

Marco was a great performer but he phoned in his demo, mak-ing a rubbish pepper steak. Even the hordes of Singaporeanswho had lined up to be photographed with the great man beforehe started cooking, slunk away once they had tried his steak.

It is a mystery to me how Peter Knipp manages to persuadefamous chefs to make the trek to Singapore and to hold themselvesup to public scrutiny. Knipp is tight-lipped about his techniques butrumour suggests that he does not pay them particularly well. Mostchefs get only an air ticket, a hotel room, and 5,000 dollars. Two-star chefs get 10,000 dollars and three-star chefs get 15,000 dollars.

It is not a lot of money for the best chefs in the worldwhen you consider how hard Peter works them oncethey get to Singapore.

I imagine that Knipp’s task is easier these daysbecause such is the reputation of the GourmetSummit that chefs long to be invited. They enjoy theprestige, the break from their routines and the chanceto meet other chefs from all around the world.Moreover, Peter always seems to know who to invite.His Indian guest chefs have included the big names:Ananda Solomon, Hemant Oberoi; London’s VivekSingh; and New York’s Floyd Cardoz. But he has alsoinvited lesser-known chefs: Manish Mehrotra (beforehe became one of India’s best-known chefs); and thebrilliant but low-profile Naren Thimmaiah.

Singapore is now an expensive destination:cheaper than Tokyo but twice the price of Bangkok

and on par with Hong Kong. Nor is there much todo once you get there unless you want to jostle with the hordesof tourists from the Chinese mainland at the casino. Even theshopping, once Singapore’s biggest attraction, lacks the varietyof Bombay or Delhi and is more expensive.

So, why on earth would any tourist from India want to go there?There is only one good reason: to eat. It offers the best food inAsia. And that is a direct consequence of the Gourmet Summitand the global foodie culture it has encouraged.

If you are a foodie, then you should go next year.

17

IN SELF DEFENCEI’ve heard Ferran Adrià de-fend himself from chargesof being a scientist ratherthan a chef to a packed audience at the summit

TWO TASTESJoël Robuchon has both, a proper restaurant and amore casual L’Atelier inSingapore

RIVERSIDE STORYA decade or so ago, there were newly-opened fun places by the water:Clarke Quay (above) and Boat Quay

CHEERSAt the summit, Knipp alsodraws some of the world’sbest wines: Mouton Rothschild; Opus One;Vega Sicilia among others

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CHEF CHARMINGOur own Vikas Khanna bowled the guests over in Singapore

The wonderfulthing about

the summit isthat every

event is opento the public.And you caneat and drinkwhat you like

THREE THOUSAND journalists! For a non-Apple event, this was unique. And theexcitement in the air as also the level of

anticipation was near-delirious. Even before thelaunch, this one single device had created euphoria and noise that neared fanaticism. Andnow it was about to be unveiled.

ALL BRIT!Just hours before, I had arrived in London for theSamsung Galaxy S3 event, only to find that the cityhad put in a supreme effort to tick mark every single cliché about itself: it was cold, damp and wetand it started raining as soon as I got out of the airport. The traffic was bumper to bumper all theway to the hotel and it left me almost no time todouble back to my final destination – Eaton’s Court.The only way to make it through the perpetuallytraffic clogged city was by taking the Tube, theJubilee line, and one station change and 35 min-

utes later I was staring at a huge sign thatsaid “The Next Big Thing is Coming”.

DO OR DIESamsung got thatright! With the amount of buzz andhype coursing through and expectations running sky high, this was a critical one for the company to pull off. Many believe that Samsung hasbecome the smartphone leader because of the pop-ularity of its predecessor – the Samsung Galaxy S2.Many believe that for Samsung to be able to standtaller in a sea of other Android smartphone brands,the S3 would be key. Thus the importance of theGalaxy S3 to Samsung cannot be underestimated.A mistake here and that amazing clout would allbe blown away like a house of cards.

A NEW DIMENSION The gigantic hall was awash with muted bluefocus lights playing on flowing whitedrapes and soothing sounds ofnature were piped through. Littletrays of exquisitely-presented littlefood were doing the rounds, a hugescreen glowed ominously in frontwhile 3,000 people were all talking at the same time. And then,there it was – the third dimensionof the Galaxy.

THE THIRDThe Galaxy S3 is quite nice looking – still plasticky but more

shiny. Even though it has a big screen, it doesn’t feelawkward in the hand thanks to a very thin bezel(8.6 mm) and weighs in at 133 grams. Also, no boring blacks here – only a Pebble Blue and a MarbleWhite. But then Samsung did something unheardof in the mobile phone market – it wasn’t talkingabout the insides of the phone at all. Rather it wasbandying about something completely different.

INTELLIGENCE INSIDEThis was a huge departure for the Korean hardware giant. Rather than shouting itself hoarseabout blinding specs and blazing hardware, thepresenting team was deliberately underplayingthe machinery inside. Rather, the focus was allabout the S3 being “Designed for Humans”! It’snot that the hardware disappoints – it is actuallyrather good (an Exynos 4212 Quad chipset, 1.4GHzCortex A9 Quad processor, 4.8-inch HD SuperAMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720,an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video,a 1.9-megapixel front-facing cam, 16 or 32GB ofinternal storage expandable to 64GB via microSD,4G LTE, NFC support and a 2100mAh battery).So it’s no slouch on the specs at all. But it is the“intelligence inside” that was being touted.

THE HUMANOIDThey call this the “humanisation of the phone”.Phrases like “built for humans” and “intelligencewithin” were liberally sprinkled around. Here area few examples of what humanising a phone means:■ Direct Call: When texting or messaging some-

one, lift the S3 to your ear and it will automatically dial that person. ■ Smart Alert: Put your phone away for a few hours. The minuteyou pick it up it will vibrate to notify you of missed calls and messages that need your urgent attention. ■ S Voice: Siri’s twin brother that uses natural languagerecognition to look up stocks, search information, give you aweather report, set an alarm and more.■ Tap to Top: When you’re in the middle of a Web page or at thebottom of a contact list, tap the top of your phone (not the screen)and the phone jumps to the top. ■ Buddy Photo Share: Take a picture of a few friends and it willuse face detection to identify who that is and instantly email orMMS the picture to all the people in that image. ■ AllShare Play: An AirPlay-like system that lets you share yourscreen and media with other S3 users or DLNA devices. ■ Smart Stay: The S3’s front camera tracks you to keep the screenon while you’re looking at it. Look away and it dims the screen.

■ S Beam: Tap your S3 with another phone that hasS Beam and you can transfer files at blazing speeds(a 16GB HD video in less than a minute).

So that’s some smart stuff there. For Samsung, thiswas playing Apple’s game and being one up on them.For the first time, it was all about the user experience– the ease of use and the separation of complex hardware from the simplicity of features that weall want.

Did Samsung do enough? Did they pull it off? Howdoes the Samsung Galaxy S3 fare against the otherbiggies like the HTC One X, The Sony Xperia S andthe iPhone 4S? And has it done enough to get Apple

nervous about the upcoming iPhone 5? A no-holds-barred shootout next week.

MAY 13, 2012

Rajiv Makhni

techilicious

18 twitter.com/HTBrunchindulge

GENTLE GIANTThe S3 has a big screen but it doesn’t feel awkward in the hand thanks to a very thin bezel

Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru,Cell Guru and Newsnet 3. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter.com/RajivMakhni

Is Samsung’slatest salvo at othersmartphonebiggiesenough tomake themtremble intheir boots?

FROM A GALAXYFAR FAR AWAY

A mistakewith this

phone wouldblow away allthe amazing

Samsungclout

19hindustantimes.com/brunch

MAY 13, 2012

IT MAY have been a cool April and a deceptively temperate beginning of May inDelhi (which otherwise scorches at this time

of the year) but I am sitting and writing this andlistening to what I think is one of my ideal summer-listening albums. It is a 2004 album calledFly Between Falls and it’s by Animal LiberationOrchestra (ALO) and it has all the ingredients youneed to make it best suited for summer: the bandhails from sunny California; their music is upbeatand so are their lyrics; there’s a relaxed yet nicelyfunky groove to their sound; and they don’t tendto pound the stuffing out of your head no matterhow loud you want to listen to them.

It’s the perfect-for-summer music that thesemonths make you crave. A bit like the kind of fiction that is best read in the summer. And I think,as the heat starts building up, I’ve found the bestcombination: I’m reading the ultimate slacker novel and listeningto the laidback summery upbeat music on Fly Between Falls. Thenovel, Adam Wilson’s Flatscreen, has a protagonist who is an archetypal loser – is unemployed, is permanently high, stays withhis mother, is compared constantly to a successful brother and isrejected repeatedly by women. A good combination, I think theymake – the book and ALO’s album. But first, some more on ALO.

Part of the reason Animal Liberation Orchestra have remainedan underrated – well, you could even say, unknown – band is theirname. It’s an unfortunate name that does little to give you any ideaof their music. There’s nothing animalistic about ALO’s music andthey’re hardly an orchestra. It’s hard to pigeonhole ALO’s music,though. Some reviewers take a cue from their proclivity for

improvisation and call them a jam band but thatdoesn’t necessarily do it. ALO are Zach Gill, SteveAdams, Dan Lebowitz and Dave Brogan and on FlyBetween Falls, the quartet plays, apart from the usual guitars, drums and keyboards, the penny-whistle, a wood flute, a clavinet, a Wurlitzer andcongas. You can hear groove and funk and Latininfluences, and several of the songs have the ‘earwormy’ attribute – with the melodies inclined

to stick in your head and recur through the day.ALO are signed on to the Hawaii-based surfer-songwriter Jack

Johnson’s label, Brushfire Records, and Johnson features on atleast one of the tracks on Fly Between Falls. The band has releasedfive or six studio albums since the late 1990s and the latest one,Sounds Like This, is just out but the best way to enjoy the band is probably to try and hear them live. I heard recordings of their performances at a couple of rock festivals, notably, Vegoose at LasVegas, and realised that it is at gigs that they are at their best,improvising and jamming and taking songs off their catalogue toother heights. You can stream or download their entire 2005 Vegooseset at archive.org or explore the countless gigs that are stream-able on that website and treat yourself to great improvised ver-

sions of the band, whose songs never sound boring nomatter how many versions of them you hear.

That might make it seem that ALO are a typical jamband but they’re not. For one, it’s a band that you canlisten to anywhere – sitting at a desk and doing somework; driving on a trip somewhere; or, just doing nothing and having them play in the background. Forme, that third mode works best – do nothing and just letthem play. Or, you could read Flatscreen, like I am doing,to the accompaniment of ALO. It helps that the anticsof the book’s chronically high main character are kindof summed up by some of ALO’s lyrics, such as this bitfrom one of their songs: “They just got a sack weighing 3point 5. /It was 4:19. Just about that time; / I saw crazy Bruce.He was waiting for / someone to buy him some fine maltliquor. / When he gets it in his system, / he’s a real shit-kick-er;/” and “Somebody stuck a doob in my hand. / Well, I tooka hit and passed it on. / I woke up on the pavement not beforetoo long.” That song’s called Wasting Time but then I thinkyou must’ve got the drift by now.

To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned inthis column, go to http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/

download-central, follow argus48 on Twitter

SanjoyNarayan

down

load c

entralSitting back with a slacker novel and

cranking up some Animal Liberation Orchestra on my player, that’s how

ANY TIME, ANY PLACEYou can listen to AnimalLiberation Orchestra anywhere – sitting at adesk, driving on a trip orjust doing nothing

SITTING EASYJack Johnson is a surfer-songwriter who features on atleast one of the the tracks on ALO’s Fly Between Falls

HOW I SPENDMY SUMMERS

On FlyBetween Falls,

ALO plays aWurlitzer andcongas apart

from the usual guitarsand drums

indulge

20 facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunchVARIETY

THERE ARE two things I discovered while researchingthis piece. The first is that ifyou’re a man, going grey isn’t

necessarily a bad thing, especially ifyou are on the wrong side of 30. Thegeneral consensus, especially amongthe women that I spoke to, seemed tobe that a salt and pepper-fleckedmop scores way higher on the sexappeal scale than a jet black one(also, it helps if you have a face likeGeorge Clooney or Richard Gere).

The second thing is that thisdoesn’t hold true if you start grey-ing before you hit your quarter-lifecrisis (although it still helps if youhave a face like Clooney or Gere) –or are still in school, as was in mycase. Having the historyteacher interrupt a DandiMarch lesson to

squawk “Goodness, you have greyhair!” as I was sitting in the firstrow, has to feature in the top 10most embarrassing moments in mylife. She was concerned enough tobring it up in the PTA meeting,which freaked Dad enough to hangme head down, legs up, five times aweek in a shirshasana pose to“make the blood flow to my head”.Then, he’d quietly slink off to dye hisown locks. Mom bought enough bot-tles of coconut hair oil to last a year.

I don’t think it worked. At 21, I hadresigned myself to shocked gaspsfrom practically every person I met

about how very visible my grey hairwas. “What do you think so muchabout?” asked a distraught aunt at awedding. The truth is thatbeing a young person in2012 – when every maga-zine and movie demandsthat you be impossiblybuff, complete with six-pack abs – is rathertough when you look likeHarry Potter’s scrawnytwin with a shock of grey.It’s mildly irritating andextremely frustrating tobe constantly offered tipsand advice from every second personyou meet when you’ve just aboutmade peace with the fact that there’s

nothing you can do about yourhair short of colouring it

(I’ve been down that

road and have no desire – and nomoney – to be tied to a decade of dyejobs, root touch-ups and treatments).

My colleague,Aasheesh, who wentthrough the colourspectrum from pepperand salt to salt andpepper to completelysalt by 32, offers hissympathies. “But thebest thing is that youget a seat in theMetro!” he declares. Igive him a glare.

I’m still hopeful,though. I read a few days ago thatL’Oreal is developing a pill that prevents grey hair as long as youstart taking it before you go grey(darn, there’s always a catch!).

This magic pill may be availableby 2015 (which probably means thatI should schedule daily shirshasanasessions over the next three years to save as much of my black strands as possible).

Last week, however, I was in for asurprise when, after a mushy movie-watching spree, the girlfriend lookedme in the eye, smiled, ruffled my hairand said: “You know how matureyour grey hair makes you look?”

I think I’ll skip that pill after all. pranav.dixit@hindustantimes.com

“I’ve had enough, this is my prayer, that I’ll die livin’ just as free as my hair” – Lady Gaga in her song, Hair

MAY 13, 2012

■ What causes premature greying? One of the most important reasons forpremature greying is the presence ofsynthetic materials in the food we eattoday, not just in processed food, butvegetables as well. The other reason for premature grey-ing is the increased use of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) in shampoos.This is the same chemical present incar washes and detergent bars usedfor washing utensils. Harsh shampoosdamage melanin cells, which ultimate-ly strips hair of its natural colour.

■ What is the earliest you can start going grey?I’ve seen it in children as young as 14!And over the past decade, I’ve seen itbecoming a more common condition.■ Is going grey early a symptom ofsome kind of deficiency? Does it sayanything about your overall health?No, it is not necessarily a reliable indi-cator of your health in general. The human body is a very complex system.But yes, you can go grey if you are vitamin or mineral deficient or if yougo on a crash diet. This, however, is

reversible. Your hair will go back tonormal when you improve your diet. ■ What about stress?Oh yes, of course. Constant and severemental stress can result in a conditioncalled telogen effluvium, which resultsin rapid hair loss and greying. If youare under stress, you can go grey in aslittle as three months. Shah Jahan issaid to have suffered from this afterthe death of Mumtaz Mahal. This is also a common complaint witha lot of women after childbirth. ■ Does colouring your hair make it

grey faster?It absolutely does. Most artificial haircolours contain chemicals like hydro-gen peroxide and ammonia, which areharmful for hair. In fact, hydrogen peroxide is used to whiten teeth. If youhave to get your hair coloured, usecolours that are hydrogen peroxideand ammonia-free. ■ So what can you do if you’ve startedgreying earlier than normal?Not much, sadly. Don’t eat too muchprocessed food – and grow your ownvegetables!

QUESTION? Trichologist Dr Arvind Poswal, Director, Dr A’s Clinic, New Delhi, spells it out in black and white

I read that acosmetic

company isdeveloping apill to prevent

greying

20 to 25 yearsWe know, life’s notfair. Buy a cap

GREY IS GOOD (WHEN YOU’RE OLD, THAT IS)If you are going grey, don’t worry. These celebs aren’t exactlyyoung, but the women out there still find them drool-worthy!

HUGH LAURIEAt 52, ‘Dr House’ is still a dish

GEORGE CLOONEYThe Silver Fox is stillworking it at 50

RICHARD GEREHow many peoplecan be sexy at 62?

ANTHONY BOURDAINWe find the 55-year-old chef hot. Et tu?

My FirstWhiteYou know what sucks about the 20s besides a quarter-life crisis? Going grey!by Pranav Dixit

Hairs

25 to 30 yearsJust when you accept yourfate, the kid next doorcalls you ‘Uncle’. Argh!

Before 20 yearsWelcome to the prematurely greyclub. Brace yourself for snide remarks, concerned aunts andunwanted advice

30 to 40 years“You look incrediblyfit for your age!” saysthe office intern

Over 40Seriously, whyare you evenreading this?

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21WELLNESStwitter.com/HTBrunch

IN SUMMER, your health can take aserious beating if you don’t give it

the necessary nutrients to tackle theheat. Here’s what you need.WATER: Our bodies are 2/3rds waterand it’s an important component offood. Think of it as not just a fluid butalso a source of essential minerals. BARLEY: This is one of the more effec-tive cooling foods. It is rich in mineralslike copper, selenium, manganese and phosphorus. It is verygood for treating kidneyailments, gastritis and ulcers. Barley-basedbeverages are very pop-ular in summers.COCONUT WATER: It isrich in calcium, potassi-um and magnesium. Coconut water is verycooling for the bodyand also provides essential electrolytesthat prevent you from getting dehytrat-ed. It is beneficial for people with uri-nary tract infections and good forthose who suffer from hypothyroidismand water retention.BROWN RICE: The process that produces brown rice removes the outermost layer – the hull – of the ricekernel and is least damaging to its nu-tritional value. The com-plete milling and polish-ing that converts brown

rice into white rice de-stroys 67 per cent of vita-

min B3, 80 per cent of vita-min B1, 90 per cent of vita-min B6, half of the man-ganese content, half thephosphorus content, 60 percent of the iron content,and all of the dietary fibre

and essentialfatty acids.Brown rice isvery coolingand is recom-mended for almost alldigestive problems. Brown rice khichdiis a must in summer to tackle heat-related ailments.BOTTLE GOURD/LAUKI: It is excellentfor treating liver ailments, intestinalproblems and heat-related problems.

The vegetable comprises 96 percent water and minerals.Lauki juice mixed withtomato and beetroot isan ideal drink for thosebattling weight issues.

However, never con-sume bitter lauki as itcan be toxic.MELONS: They are ex-tremely rich in waterand minerals. Melonjuice is beneficial forthose with liver disorders, stomach

problems, fatigue and diseases con-nected to the nervous system.CUCUMBER: They provide a variety ofphytonutrients like flavonoids, lignansand triterpenes.

Cucumbers are an excellent sourceof the anti-inflammatory vitamin K anda good source of the enzyme cofactormolybdenum.

They are also a good sourceof free radical-scavenging vi-tamin C, heart-healthy potas-

sium and magnesium,bone-building manganese

and energy-producing vitaminB5. Cucumber is rich in water,which is important in summeras it hydrates the body. It’sdelicious too.

ask@drshikha.com

MIND BODY SOULSHIKHA SHARMA11? Get Serious

About Your Skin That’s what beauty experts advise – butwith the right kind of productsby Veenu Singh

PLAY IT COOL

GENTLE REMEDIES■ Rose water is a

natural toner.■ Mix 1 tsp yoghurt with

2 tsp mashed papaya. Massage well into the faceand wash when dry. Itcleans the face and helpsto balance the pH level.■ Add 8-10 drops oflemon juice to 1 tspolive oil. Dip cotton in

it and wipe the face to get instant results.■ Use this face pack every 15days. Take 1 tsp Fuller’s earth,add 1 tsp fresh ground mint,add a few drops oflemon juice and rose water and apply on theface. Wash with coldwater once dry.

Courtesy Suparna Trikha

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Keeping in mind thepolluted environmentthat we live in, beautyexpert Suparna Trikhasays that a good skincareroutine should start in the pre-teen years. “Children are reachingpuberty much earlier now,” she says.

Cosmetic dermatologistKavita Deva, headof training with Skeyndor In-dia, points out that a basiccleansing routine with fa-cial foam or even milkshould be fine. The idea isto keep dirt and grimeaway from the skin withoutdisturbing its pH balance.

Younger skins are ideal forsomething very light, non-

greasy and preferably pHbalanced. Even honey isgood as it hydrates the

skin. Apply a tea-spoon of honey onthe face for 5-10 minutes and wipeclean for soft andsupple skin.

WHY SO EARLY? CLEANSE

Avoid products with oil and alcohol. Also, heavy andgreasy creams are a no-no.

The idea is to havea basic skin careregimen whichwill preventproblems later.

AVOID

MOISTURISE

Coconutwater is verycooling and

providesessential

electrolytes

‘I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful’ – Anonymous

Which character from Sholay do youmost resemble and why?I think I’m Dhanno, the darkhorse.You would turn gay for... Myself. I love myself and youneed to ‘love’ yourself to be asperm donor.If you were given a chance to remakeone film, which one would it be?

I would love to make a prequelof Vicky Donor called VickyBoner or a sequel with a female lead as an egg donorcalled Pinky Donor.The last line of your autobiographywould read?...to be continued.One song that describes your currentstate of mind?

I can’t get my song Paani DaRang out of my head.Your darkest fantasy?One, it’s a fantasy and two, it’ssupposed to be dark. Answerthis? Are you kidding me?The most embarrassing moment afterVicky Donor?I was in a mall with my momand I heard this random shoutfrom a girl: “Oye Vicky, I needyour sperms!”How would you explain Twitter to

your grandfather?I think he’s quite cool,I’ll tell him, “Dadaji,Twitter is Facebook’squickie!”The last time you donatedsperm?It was in 2004 as partof a Roadies 2 task inAllahabad. I was 19then.If you were to give up adessert, what would it be?Rasmalai. I think it’soverrated.The most clichéd answeryou’ve ever given in an interview? Words like “over-

whelmed” and “feel-good”.The colour you look hottest in? Blue.The one lie you got away with? That I don’t lie...Which actress would you want to romance on screen? I’m a huge Madhuri fan and canstill romance her. Of my contemporaries, Anushka[Sharma] is quite cute and talented and Parineeti [Chopra]is very believable and natural.What’s the biggest surprise you’veever given your date?I forgot to turn up!

22 hindustantimes.com/brunchPERSONAL AGENDA

—Interviewed byTavishi Paitandy Rastogi

FIRSTBREAK Winning the second season ofRoadies onMTV

if i could...I WOULD HOST KBC

SUN SIGNVirgo

BIRTHDAYSeptember 14

SCHOOL/COLLEGESt John’s Boys Schooland DAV College inChandigarh

PLACE OF BIRTHChandigarh

LOW POINTOF YOURLIFEI am a very happyperson who enjoyed hisstruggle

HIGH POINTOF YOURLIFE My currentstate is thehigh point ofmy life

HOMETOWNChandigarh

CURRENTLY DOINGChilling and enjoying the success of mydebut film Vicky Donor, and meeting directors for future projects

THE MOSTOVERRATEDMOVIE/BOOK?

HarryPotter

BE A SUPERHEROCALLED AYUSHMANN!

MAY 13, 2012

ALLOW OLDER FEMALESTARS TO KEEP ACTING

TV Host/Actor

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Ayushmann Khurrana