Reef Watch Marine Conservation would like to invite all Bombay-ites join them on Saturday, October 2nd, in a unique initiative to start the Oceans' Cleanup Campaign, which celebrates the spirit of adopting our oceans, beaches and waterways by spending a day cleaning the seafront. This will be a symbolic cleanup of areas like the Bandra Bandstand, Carter Road,Worli, Dadar Chowpatty, Girgaum Chowpatty and Juhu Chowpatty. They are looking at a large turn out of school children, local communities, associations, volunteer groups and concerned individuals.
You can get further details on their web-site at www.reefwatchindia.org/mindsync. To participate, you just need to turn up at any of these venues between 10 am to 3 pm on October 2nd, and show that you care for our vibrant city with its beaches and seafronts.
For further details you can email Sheela at reefwatchindia@reefwatchindia.org or call at 30933851.
September 28, 2004
September 27, 2004
Dining at the Zenzi Resto-Bar
Had dinner at the newly opened Zenzi in Bandra yesterday night. This is the first time I tasted a fusion of French & Far Eastern cuisines, but it was worth every penny (an average meal for two, with one starter, two main course dishes, two deserts and one drink each sets you back by about Rs. 1500). Just wish they had more chicken dishes on the menu. In fact, there is quite an extensive vegetarian menu, so veggie-lovers will love the place - a rare thing in Bombay. Try to get a place on one of the plush sofas in the indoor lounge area - they are the best ones by far, whether its for the ambiance, the comfort factor or plain celeb spotting!
September 26, 2004
Its been a crazy couple of weeks workwise...haven't managed to sleep more than 3 hours on any given day, and am feeling totally dead now. Did I hear someone say that lifestyle journalism is easy and that freelancing allows you to set your own timings?????
But the funny part is that I love all this running around and working 20-hour days....would be bored to death if I was not working like this :)
Yesterday was again fun but amazingly hectic. First there was this trip to Curio Cottage in Colaba to review their new silver jewelry collection for a leading international fashion magazine. They have some truly exquisite pieces - spent a full two hours their immersed in wonderful designs and semi-precious stones, and then just could not resist buying a pair of gorgeous Victorian style earrings and a really chunky pendant for myself :)
In the night was the much anticipated music launch of Swades - Oscar nominated writer and director Ashutosh Gowariker's new film. The plan was to have the music launch at the Gateway of India, and then few selected guests were to move on to dinner at the Oberoi. And the arrangements at the Gateway were terrific, with some really cool divan-style seating and huge screens, but it started raining just as the first song was being played and ten minutes later we had to pack everything up and move everything and everybody to the Oberoi. Don't worry Ashutosh - it just means that the heavens are blessing your venture!!
Swades looks like a really good film, and though the comparisons with Lagaan are perhaps inevitable, I think this movie has the capacity to really make its own mark as well. The hero - Shahrukh Khan - of course needs no introduction, but even the leading lady - model-turned actress Gayatri Joshi - looks really good. In fact, in the song Saanwariya, she looks just like a much younger version of Madhuri Dixit. Can't judge her acting skills as of now, but she's got a really sweet and innocent look about her.
Talking of Indian films and Bollywood, these next couple of months are really going to see the return of the mega-budget blockbusters. The last few months were ruled by small budget, independent and some pretty experimental films that came in vogue, but now we are looking forward to blockbusters like Yash Chopra's Veer-Zara, Ashutosh's Swades, Aamir Khan's The Rising, Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice and so on. Its going to be a pretty interesting time.
In the meantime, I think you should really check out the music of Swades - especially the songs Yeh tara and Yun hi chala chal. In fact, with Aahista aahista, the movie also marks the return of the lullaby after a really long time in hindi films.
Anyway, after the launch, there was this mad rush to get to the annual dinner of the Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID) at the absolute other end of the city - at the Grand Hyatt near the airport. Got stuck in a 50-minute traffic jam under the Andheri flyover, and finally reached the venue after 12 in the night. Thankfully our interior designers and architects really know how to party and managed to catch up with everybody there despite the late hour. Would have been a tragedy otherwise to have irritated Ashutosh by leaving his party early, then driving 2-hours and finding everything had shut down - although staying in Bombay you do get quite used to such eventualities!!!!
But the funny part is that I love all this running around and working 20-hour days....would be bored to death if I was not working like this :)
Yesterday was again fun but amazingly hectic. First there was this trip to Curio Cottage in Colaba to review their new silver jewelry collection for a leading international fashion magazine. They have some truly exquisite pieces - spent a full two hours their immersed in wonderful designs and semi-precious stones, and then just could not resist buying a pair of gorgeous Victorian style earrings and a really chunky pendant for myself :)
In the night was the much anticipated music launch of Swades - Oscar nominated writer and director Ashutosh Gowariker's new film. The plan was to have the music launch at the Gateway of India, and then few selected guests were to move on to dinner at the Oberoi. And the arrangements at the Gateway were terrific, with some really cool divan-style seating and huge screens, but it started raining just as the first song was being played and ten minutes later we had to pack everything up and move everything and everybody to the Oberoi. Don't worry Ashutosh - it just means that the heavens are blessing your venture!!
Swades looks like a really good film, and though the comparisons with Lagaan are perhaps inevitable, I think this movie has the capacity to really make its own mark as well. The hero - Shahrukh Khan - of course needs no introduction, but even the leading lady - model-turned actress Gayatri Joshi - looks really good. In fact, in the song Saanwariya, she looks just like a much younger version of Madhuri Dixit. Can't judge her acting skills as of now, but she's got a really sweet and innocent look about her.
Talking of Indian films and Bollywood, these next couple of months are really going to see the return of the mega-budget blockbusters. The last few months were ruled by small budget, independent and some pretty experimental films that came in vogue, but now we are looking forward to blockbusters like Yash Chopra's Veer-Zara, Ashutosh's Swades, Aamir Khan's The Rising, Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice and so on. Its going to be a pretty interesting time.
In the meantime, I think you should really check out the music of Swades - especially the songs Yeh tara and Yun hi chala chal. In fact, with Aahista aahista, the movie also marks the return of the lullaby after a really long time in hindi films.
Anyway, after the launch, there was this mad rush to get to the annual dinner of the Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID) at the absolute other end of the city - at the Grand Hyatt near the airport. Got stuck in a 50-minute traffic jam under the Andheri flyover, and finally reached the venue after 12 in the night. Thankfully our interior designers and architects really know how to party and managed to catch up with everybody there despite the late hour. Would have been a tragedy otherwise to have irritated Ashutosh by leaving his party early, then driving 2-hours and finding everything had shut down - although staying in Bombay you do get quite used to such eventualities!!!!
September 18, 2004
Orra to launch in Bombay
Tuesday, September 21, 2004 will see the official launch of Orra, a part of the Rosy Blue group, which isthe world’s largest diamond manufacturing company, with a presence spanning across fifteen countries and headquarters in New York. The launch is accompanied by a fashion show choreographed by Marc Robinson. The star of the show will be the majestic Tamarine necklace, designed by New York based Lili Chu forRosiblu, Rosy Blue's flagship brand, and worn by JoanRivers at the 2004 Oscars.
Eight well known professional models, including SheetalMalhar, Jesse Randhawa, Diandra Soares and Candice Pinto will display ORRA’s exquisite jewellery some ofwhich has been graced in the past by international celebrities as well as a few pieces that featured inORRA’s first TV commercial recently shot in Malta with gorgeous South African model, India.
Eight well known professional models, including SheetalMalhar, Jesse Randhawa, Diandra Soares and Candice Pinto will display ORRA’s exquisite jewellery some ofwhich has been graced in the past by international celebrities as well as a few pieces that featured inORRA’s first TV commercial recently shot in Malta with gorgeous South African model, India.
Get ready for some hard core cricket mania, this Sunday, at the newly opened Sports Bar in Colaba (next to Regal Theater).
With the India v/s Pakistan match excitement in the air, who can resist the plasma screens in a sporty bar, serving your favorite beverage, in the company of friends?
The Sports Bar is a newly opened Hip and Trendy Hangout place frequented by sport lovers and corporate clients alike. A classic and cheerful sports tavern with its numerous TVs, plasma screens, wall-embedded television monitors and long spacious bar, are a part of the attraction. The sporting elements such as pool, basketball hoops, dartboards and punching bags aim at encouraging interactivity and a “let-your-hair-down” spirit.
If, on this Sunday, September 19th, you are looking for a viewing place that is devoid of any gimmicks other than those related to food and beverage in the form of a cover/package for the ICC Champions Trophy, then this is the place to be! Be a part of the cricket frenzy that always follows an India-Pakistan match, among a crowd of cricket buffs, and the perfect blend of food and beverage to match the sporty spirit! To tempt you further, there is a special offer.
Cover yourself for a small measure of an alcoholic beverage at Rs. 200 per head (from 3:30 pm). Orders for additional spirits and beverages and sumptuous snacks will also be taken by stewards while you cheer for Mother India.The buffet lunch spread of soup of the day, salads, vegetarian and non vegetarian main courses, dessert and either a mug of draft beer or Iced Tea will be available from 12 noon until 3:30 pm at Rs. 199 (plus taxes).
So while you head south, let’s hope the Indian team doesn’t!
With the India v/s Pakistan match excitement in the air, who can resist the plasma screens in a sporty bar, serving your favorite beverage, in the company of friends?
The Sports Bar is a newly opened Hip and Trendy Hangout place frequented by sport lovers and corporate clients alike. A classic and cheerful sports tavern with its numerous TVs, plasma screens, wall-embedded television monitors and long spacious bar, are a part of the attraction. The sporting elements such as pool, basketball hoops, dartboards and punching bags aim at encouraging interactivity and a “let-your-hair-down” spirit.
If, on this Sunday, September 19th, you are looking for a viewing place that is devoid of any gimmicks other than those related to food and beverage in the form of a cover/package for the ICC Champions Trophy, then this is the place to be! Be a part of the cricket frenzy that always follows an India-Pakistan match, among a crowd of cricket buffs, and the perfect blend of food and beverage to match the sporty spirit! To tempt you further, there is a special offer.
Cover yourself for a small measure of an alcoholic beverage at Rs. 200 per head (from 3:30 pm). Orders for additional spirits and beverages and sumptuous snacks will also be taken by stewards while you cheer for Mother India.The buffet lunch spread of soup of the day, salads, vegetarian and non vegetarian main courses, dessert and either a mug of draft beer or Iced Tea will be available from 12 noon until 3:30 pm at Rs. 199 (plus taxes).
So while you head south, let’s hope the Indian team doesn’t!
September 13, 2004
My aunt - mother's eldest sister - passed away in Delhi early this morning. In the past 10 years or so, I have just spoken to her once, because of some major arguments we had. Today I wonder if the anger and the long silence were worth it. Its just so easy to snap off relationships, but its so difficult to glue them back together again. And sometimes you just never get the chance to make amends. If I had another chance, I would do things differently.
September 12, 2004
One of the only good things about the monsoons coming to an end is that the fishing boats are back on the waters in the night....there are at least a 100 twinkling lights in the sea right outside my window, and they look so amazing, so ethereal. Then there is the drama of the huge ships lying in harbour. I just want to keep drinking in the sight - don't even feel like shutting the drapes and going to sleep.
But I really need to sleep - started going back to the gym after ages today, and my trainer took me through all these strength training machines that left me feeling totally and completely dead :( But despite the fact that each one of my muscles is screaming in agony at the moment, its a wonderful feeling to be exercising again after so long. And Golds Gym is a wonderful place - have tried other gyms in South Bombay, but have found this to be heads and shoulders above the rest.
Golds has also bought out Exert Gym in Worli, and thats a really good things as the latter is a wonderful property with lots of potential, but was completely mismanaged. The trainers were so bad, that I got an abdominal ligament tear because of them when I used to go to Exert. But my new personal trainer at Golds is really good, and has assured me that she will have me back in perfect shape in just 2 months :) :) :) :)
But I really need to sleep - started going back to the gym after ages today, and my trainer took me through all these strength training machines that left me feeling totally and completely dead :( But despite the fact that each one of my muscles is screaming in agony at the moment, its a wonderful feeling to be exercising again after so long. And Golds Gym is a wonderful place - have tried other gyms in South Bombay, but have found this to be heads and shoulders above the rest.
Golds has also bought out Exert Gym in Worli, and thats a really good things as the latter is a wonderful property with lots of potential, but was completely mismanaged. The trainers were so bad, that I got an abdominal ligament tear because of them when I used to go to Exert. But my new personal trainer at Golds is really good, and has assured me that she will have me back in perfect shape in just 2 months :) :) :) :)
September 11, 2004
Throughout Fida, Shahid Kapur's lipstick is far deeper and brighter than Kareena Kapoor's :)
And Kareena Kapoor is looking terrible almost throughout the movie...Besides that, though, its a pretty good movie...different from the sloppy sweet fare that has been hitting the Indian screens for a while now.
The first half of Dhoom is OK, but the second half is completely avoidable. Its just a rehashing of Ocean's 11 - without the finesse, the technical resources or any kind of believability whatsoever. What I really liked about the movie was Abhishek Bachchan. John Abraham can't act to save his life (though in those low slung jeans and bare-chested scenes, his acting is not really what you are expected to focus on!!) and Uday Chopra is cute (though he has put on lots of weight), its Abhishek's movie through and through. I never used to like him earlier, but the guy is really maturing into a fine actor, and is developing an impressive personality of his own. He is looking so much better after the break-up with Karisma Kapoor.
Am now looking forward to watching Yash Chopra's Veer-Zara and Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades. Both have pretty cliched story lines, but am sure that given the prowess of the respective directors, the treatment should be interesting.
And Kareena Kapoor is looking terrible almost throughout the movie...Besides that, though, its a pretty good movie...different from the sloppy sweet fare that has been hitting the Indian screens for a while now.
The first half of Dhoom is OK, but the second half is completely avoidable. Its just a rehashing of Ocean's 11 - without the finesse, the technical resources or any kind of believability whatsoever. What I really liked about the movie was Abhishek Bachchan. John Abraham can't act to save his life (though in those low slung jeans and bare-chested scenes, his acting is not really what you are expected to focus on!!) and Uday Chopra is cute (though he has put on lots of weight), its Abhishek's movie through and through. I never used to like him earlier, but the guy is really maturing into a fine actor, and is developing an impressive personality of his own. He is looking so much better after the break-up with Karisma Kapoor.
Am now looking forward to watching Yash Chopra's Veer-Zara and Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades. Both have pretty cliched story lines, but am sure that given the prowess of the respective directors, the treatment should be interesting.
September 02, 2004
Just read this by Kristen Kemp, who is a big-time freelancer based in New York:
"There's no ending point in my field. When I've finished an assignment, I hope to have nine more on the horizon. If I don't have a project to begin immediately, I obsess about lining stuff up. This loop, this obligatory freelance cycle, warps the spirit. A writer may seem to have the charmed freebird schedule, but we take our hits. Freelance writers receive one accolade for every 15 criticisms. The good hacks get one acceptance for every 10 pitches. Loneliness and self-deprecation creep in as we wait for checks that arrive on the backs of snails.
Less taxing but equally time-consuming are the tasks we do for others: Freelancers are the secretaries, personal chefs, messengers, and pack mules for loved ones who are stuck at the office all day. The schedule is frenetic, unstable. We are busier than anyone gives us credit for, always loathing ourselves while we do God-knows-what.
Mild depression sets in as a bad day turns into a lousy week then becomes a shitty month. Self-doubt intensifies. I go from thinking I'm successful to fully believing I am a worthless failure with the talent of Milli Vanilli. I conclude that people become head cases only after embracing this profession. Would Hemingway have become an old man if he'd choen to be a dog walker? If Sylvia Plath hadn't spent her time waiting for editors to accept her work and then sign her checks, might she have used her oven more safely?"
I agree completely!!
What's been a shitty week is turning into an even shittier month. Have been down with the nastiest case of food poisoning that I have ever, ever experienced - 103 fever, stomachache, throwing up - the works! Someone tells me that some kind of stomach flu is going around in Bombay...so be careful of what you are having. Trust me, this is BAD!!
While stuck in bed, have taken this as opportunity to catch up on loads of celeb gossip from my other journo friends in the entertainment field...and there is lots of it. Madhuri Dixit's having a second kid (although why, with a doctor husband, would she say that she "doesn't know how it happened", I have no clue), Saif Khan and Amrita Singh splitting up and about to file for divorce (never saw this coming - always thought of them as the perfect couple, people who made it work despite all the odds stacked against them), and, of course, steamy updates on the Anil Ambani-Sushmita Sen link-up!!
Actually, after working with the film industry people for four years, I can literally count the number of sane, heads-on-their-shoulders kind of people that I have found. Only four - Tom Alter, Ashutosh Gowariker, Nana Patekar and Kajol. I am sure there are more out there, but I don't know of them yet!!
I really admire Kajol for the way she has settled into married life within a joint family...it cannot have been easy for someone as independant, successful and in the media glare, as she is. Her priorities have always been very straight. As she told me when I met her a few days back, and asked her why she had refused Babul, which would have been the perfect comeback vehicle for her: "Frankly, I haven’t really made up my mind whether I want to start doing films again. I am listening to a lot of scripts, I am talking to a lot of people but I have honestly not made up my mind. And now I can't only go by the script - it also depends on how accommodating the people making it will be, whether they will be able to take it into consideration that I am a mother with a small baby and that’s just not easy. I don’t want to do anything that makes me feel guilty – if I am not going to enjoy it then what’s the sense of doing it?"
There are not too many stars who would spell it out so frankly. Most of them would nicely accept the film and then just accept the directors and producers to fall in with their demands and the kid's schedules. Kudos Kajol!! Or, maybe, the kudos should go to Tanuja, who taught her daughters "never, ever to lie – this was very, very categorically drilled into our heads by my mother. We could not even twist the truth a little. It was a HUGE deal, when I was a kid. I knew that if I ever lied I was going to get the crap beaten out of me. And that has remained with me till date!" Which is probably why you never have to read between the lines when perusing a Kajol interview!
"There's no ending point in my field. When I've finished an assignment, I hope to have nine more on the horizon. If I don't have a project to begin immediately, I obsess about lining stuff up. This loop, this obligatory freelance cycle, warps the spirit. A writer may seem to have the charmed freebird schedule, but we take our hits. Freelance writers receive one accolade for every 15 criticisms. The good hacks get one acceptance for every 10 pitches. Loneliness and self-deprecation creep in as we wait for checks that arrive on the backs of snails.
Less taxing but equally time-consuming are the tasks we do for others: Freelancers are the secretaries, personal chefs, messengers, and pack mules for loved ones who are stuck at the office all day. The schedule is frenetic, unstable. We are busier than anyone gives us credit for, always loathing ourselves while we do God-knows-what.
Mild depression sets in as a bad day turns into a lousy week then becomes a shitty month. Self-doubt intensifies. I go from thinking I'm successful to fully believing I am a worthless failure with the talent of Milli Vanilli. I conclude that people become head cases only after embracing this profession. Would Hemingway have become an old man if he'd choen to be a dog walker? If Sylvia Plath hadn't spent her time waiting for editors to accept her work and then sign her checks, might she have used her oven more safely?"
I agree completely!!
What's been a shitty week is turning into an even shittier month. Have been down with the nastiest case of food poisoning that I have ever, ever experienced - 103 fever, stomachache, throwing up - the works! Someone tells me that some kind of stomach flu is going around in Bombay...so be careful of what you are having. Trust me, this is BAD!!
While stuck in bed, have taken this as opportunity to catch up on loads of celeb gossip from my other journo friends in the entertainment field...and there is lots of it. Madhuri Dixit's having a second kid (although why, with a doctor husband, would she say that she "doesn't know how it happened", I have no clue), Saif Khan and Amrita Singh splitting up and about to file for divorce (never saw this coming - always thought of them as the perfect couple, people who made it work despite all the odds stacked against them), and, of course, steamy updates on the Anil Ambani-Sushmita Sen link-up!!
Actually, after working with the film industry people for four years, I can literally count the number of sane, heads-on-their-shoulders kind of people that I have found. Only four - Tom Alter, Ashutosh Gowariker, Nana Patekar and Kajol. I am sure there are more out there, but I don't know of them yet!!
I really admire Kajol for the way she has settled into married life within a joint family...it cannot have been easy for someone as independant, successful and in the media glare, as she is. Her priorities have always been very straight. As she told me when I met her a few days back, and asked her why she had refused Babul, which would have been the perfect comeback vehicle for her: "Frankly, I haven’t really made up my mind whether I want to start doing films again. I am listening to a lot of scripts, I am talking to a lot of people but I have honestly not made up my mind. And now I can't only go by the script - it also depends on how accommodating the people making it will be, whether they will be able to take it into consideration that I am a mother with a small baby and that’s just not easy. I don’t want to do anything that makes me feel guilty – if I am not going to enjoy it then what’s the sense of doing it?"
There are not too many stars who would spell it out so frankly. Most of them would nicely accept the film and then just accept the directors and producers to fall in with their demands and the kid's schedules. Kudos Kajol!! Or, maybe, the kudos should go to Tanuja, who taught her daughters "never, ever to lie – this was very, very categorically drilled into our heads by my mother. We could not even twist the truth a little. It was a HUGE deal, when I was a kid. I knew that if I ever lied I was going to get the crap beaten out of me. And that has remained with me till date!" Which is probably why you never have to read between the lines when perusing a Kajol interview!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)