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In a material whirl of mobiles and malls, Father Christmas is fast becoming a brand ambassador, says Saurabh Malik Santa
doesn’t believe in sliding down the narrow chimney of life with bag full of surprises on the Christmas Eve to stuff stockings of young innocents with festive spirit. No, not anymore! Inhaling the smoke of commercialism engulfing the material world of mobiles and multiplexes, he stands outside posh malls and superstores presenting éclairs laced with cheery offers to the gullible customers, merrily. In the process if he is making compulsive buyers out of the residents in the jolly season of gifts, Chandigarh’s own desi Santa of Dadu Majra is just not bothered about it.
Material bandwagon If he is not coaxing you to pick up Christmas special combo pack of popcorns and coke for just Rs 40 from the downtown in Sector 17, he is delivering a four-foot tall X’mas tree for free to customers buying apparels and other stuff worth Rs 1500 from a kids’ store in Sector 8. In fact, go to “Wonderland” in Sector 8 and you will find the entire sales staff dressed up as Father Christmas in red cloaks, flowing white beards and bags of sweets. The store even has a complete corner dedicated to Christmas gifts. Smile and you shall be clicked with Santa for free! Looking at the commercial Santas promoting ideas, goods and services, you realize materialism has brought about complete globalization. Even festivals that were alien to the city’s culture like Halloween and St Valentine’s Day are now occasions to celebrate the party of life. “Until a few years ago, you could see Santa — the embodiment of festive spirit — just in television serials or else dazzling under synthetic daylight on glass shelves in cards and gift shops,” says Raman of a Sector 11 gift shop, “The Jewels”. “For, his presence was still considered sacred!”
Christmas
goodies You may find it incredible if you recently haven’t been to the markets decked up in psychedellic lights, but even music shops and garment houses have now been decorated with Santa Claus and giant Christmas trees with glittery balls and boxes adding to the glee. And succumbing to the temptation of buying goodies are not just youngsters for whom love is an expensive affair. Even executives and professionals are going in for laptop “with fabulous New Year and Christmas offer”. Well folks, the glitter of streamers and paper-chains is obscuring the festive spirit. But then, that’s the way it is. |
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Christmas
is that time of the year, when like Divali, the house is lit up and beautifully decorated to welcome the family for a nice meal and festivities. Brightly coloured holly wreaths adorn front doors, decorated coniferous trees stand tall in living rooms and bright candles give the entire house a bright and warm feel. So where does one go to hunt down lovely Christmassy artefacts? Chandigarh has it’s own hotspots like Ebony and Dewson’s, but in Panchkula one store shimmers like an oasis in the desert— Panchkula’s very own Christmas stocking, Al’s & Jo’s. Beautifully lit-up and oozing with Christmas cheer, the store is a cornucopia of Christmas knick-knacks. With everything ranging from stockings to hang on your mantelpiece to colourful tee-lights to light up the home, swags (these are beautiful strips of traditional Pointsetta flowers) to adorn mirror frames to glittering glass flowers, the store is a hub of activity at this time of the year. “Christmas, until a few years back, was restricted to a few small celebrations for the kids or a few presents exchanged among the students and teachers from the city’s convent schools and of course celebrations among the local Christian community. Now, however, the spirit of Christmas is catching up in the city in a big way. A lot of people want to light up and decorate their homes to become a part of the world’s biggest holiday,” explains Vishal, the owner. As to what’s selling this year, “Just like any other year, Christmas this year is all about glitter, shine and bright, heart-warming lights,” says Vishal. “So as usual the wreaths, stockings and candles are selling in a big way. But what is selling even more are the different types of tee-lights. That’s because people feel that these can be used throughout the year.” The store showcases a variety of lovely tee-lights and candleholders, made of different colours of glass, wrought iron and beads. Sporting looks that are anywhere from ornately traditional to ultra-mod these lights are bound to make this Christmas brighter and warmer. — Angad B. Sodhi |
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He is all set to present an Indian counterpart to Harry Potter, says Anuradha Shukla
The
thirty something generation today belongs to the Nandan and Chandamama times, barring a Chacha Chaudhary and his associate Sabu. In age of a Harry Potter colonising their minds things have not changed much for the children today. The void of an Indian superhero felt by the likes of Prashant Singh from Delhi has for the first time given birth to one of his kind Indian superhero Ballay Shera. The first voyage of our very own boy superhero Ballay Shera is to get the Kohinoor back to the country says its creator Prashant. Our superhero is a “Sikh boy just ready to enter the realms of an engineering college. But before that he sets out to get the Kohinoor back to the country”, says Prashant. So he is the type who is fighting for national honour and not just saving lives from demons. “It’s about the superhero spirit inside all of us. Our hero fights for national pride and what better way to represent him than with a boy from a community, which has been doing the same for ages, be it in the Armed forces or otherwise. “Though I am not a Sikh but I have always felt that only a Sikh character could do justice to my imagination of a superhero boy wonder, a combo of power and pride”, says Prashant who is ready with the novel titled Ballay Shera’s quest for Kohinoor. “Ballay Shera, a young Sikh boy of eighteen hailing from a small village in Punjab, India. The boy is endowed with a magical ring with two stones. Depending on which stone is on top, the dominant trait in this boy becomes either cool and humorous or strong. The name combines power and the cheerful spirit gave the name Ballay Shera”, says Prashant. Wit, humour and power all combine in one super hero soul. The 140-page book, a light read as Prashant describes it, is ready for release in mid January and going by the critics’ response an animation film would soon follow plus the merchandise and memorabilia on Ballay Shera, says Prashant a former investment banker with HSBC UK and Fidelity Investments. So much was his conviction in following with the idea that struck him while he was working in Hong Kong, that Prashant quit his high profile job to create a superhero for us. Yes he is an engineer from Thapar Institute Patiala, and alumni of Utah State University, USA and also an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. “Yes I am very confident but also know that there is a lot of scope for improvement.” That’s why Shera is going to study engineering too. “I could never really identify with a Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew the same way Americans would question a Mahabharata because the culture is different and a planted superhero does not really gel but the idea concretised while in Hong Kong in 2005”, says Prashant. “The plans are for a Ballay Shera enterprise to come up the only hitch is for the readers to accept Shera and make him their own coz he is one of our own”, says Prashant. |
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Bollywood’s
famous director Priyadarshan is ready to take centre-stage with his new film Bhagam Bhag. It has a formidable star cast too. With heavy-weights like Govinda, Akshay Kumar, Shakti Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Asrani, Manoj Joshi, Jackie Shroff, Lara Dutta, Tanushree Dutta, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav and Arbaaz Khan, what else can you ask for. Want to know more about Bhagan Bhag? Read on… What is this film all about? It is about a theatre run by Paresh Rawal. Troubles start when a young girl, who happens to be a compulsive liar (played by Lara) joins the troupe and lands them in trouble. It is about the hilarious trials and tribulations Akshay and Govinda go through together as theatre artistes. It is a ‘laughathon’, which involves the comic trio running around from pillar to post trying to avoid the unexpected and funny situations only to get deeper into it. My good friend and actor Sunil Shetty is producing the film. Why did you replace Sunil Shetty with Govinda at the eleventh hour? It is true that we had contemplated on casting Sunil along with Akshay Kumar when we conceived the subject. Sunil suggested Govinda’s name and asked me to cast him because he did not want to be a part of it especially when he was producing the film. He also felt that if we cast him and Akshay, Bhagam Bhag will end up looking like yet another sequel to Hera Pheri. How did you agree to cast Govinda for he has the reputation of reporting late on the sets? I asked Govinda whether he would report on the sets on time. He promised to be punctual and kept that promise throughout. I enjoyed working with him. What is the highlight of Bhagam Bhag besides the script? My producer Sunil Shetty has spared no expenses and has even shot the film in 32 locations in London, including Green Park, Hyde Park, Oxford University, Kensington and Piccadilly Circus, just to create a gloriously romantic aura for a duet Tere Liye featuring Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta. Why did you refuse to direct the sequels of Hera Pheri? I have always subscribed to the view that a subject can be made only once. I refused to make the sequel to Hera Pheri for the simple reason that I doubt whether I can make it any better than the original version. When Feroz suggested that I direct Phir Hera Pheri, I refused like I refused point blank when he once again approached me to make a sequel to Phir Hera Pheri. Describe your journey as a filmmaker from Gardish till Bhagam Bhag? I feel I couldn’t have asked God for more. I have been blessed with five consecutive hits. It has never happened in the history of Hindi cinema. I am particularly glad that I am the only South Indian filmmaker who has been able to make a dent in Bollywood. I have survived because of my belief in God.
— DP |
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Colours of the EARTH A fashion enthusiast in town, who takes pleasure in doing her own designs and rode the glittering multi-coloured waves with aplomb, was heard saying: “I am suddenly drawn to browns and greys. There is too much of colour around so it is a sign that a subtle style statement is bound to follow.” A glimpse of the Monapali collection seen just the other day at the Centurion Bank show in The Taj in town proved the home-nurtured fashion forecast so true. Mona Lamba and Pali Sachdev, who are the duo behind the Monapali creations, have always taken inspiration from the Indian tradition. Mona, who had come to town with the collection, said: “Indian designs have so much of potential and we have always tried to keep close to the roots. The spring and summer collections that we are showcasing are in tonal tones and the response to them has been tremendous.” So the next time one is out shopping for fabric or garments, one has to keep in mind the colours of the good earth as the hues of blossoms, birds and bees pass with the season. |
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Film & Fashion Scarlett
Johansson is desperate to play the role of Eva Peron in the proposed remake of 1996 musical Evita that stars pop icon Madonna in the lead. The Lost In Translation beauty fell in love with the musical flick, directed by Alan Parker that won Madonna the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in 1996, as a teenager. “I became fascinated with Evita as a teenager and I’d love to play that role but Madonna was awesome,” Contact Music quoted her, as saying. Evita was based on the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice of an Argentine woman, Eva Peron who was an actress and performer. Peron dedicated her life to help the poor in Argentina till uterine cancer caused her inopportune death at the age of 33. Comedienne Joan Rivers has lashed out on Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, branding the two stars as dumb blondes. In a letter to her university alumni appealing for donations to her old sorority, Joan pleaded for the support of smarter women, and snidely used the two hotties as examples of Stupid Girls’. “We must support women who have a sense of confidence and self- worth,” Contactmusic quoted her, as telling Barnard alumni. Sharp-tongued Joan also took a swipe at the women she was asking for money, by suggesting they would have to dig in their husband’s pockets for donations, as they did not have their own money to give.
— ANI |
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Innovative cards When
it comes to parties, Indians are known to be at the forefront always. Be it throwing a big, lavish birthday bash, a big fat Indian wedding or attending one, they do not lag behind. Occasions like birthdays ring ceremonies, wedding anniversaries always call for a party and now even mundan ceremonies are in the league. And parties without invitations are considered ‘no parties’ at all. And if invitations are anything to go by, it’s a whole wide world that has ‘innovation’ as its Mantra. Card ’n’ Art is one such store that offers an array of innovative ideas for invitations, fancy boxes and wedding stationary. The store happens to be a franchisee of ‘Big Byte’ in Khanna (near Ludhiana) that is a one-stop store for meeting such requirements and has some of the well-known names as its clientele as the likes of Lovely Sweets in Jalandhar and Gopal Sweets in Patiala. As you enter the store in Sector 26, having a punch line saying, ‘Ideaz Unlimited’, the décor of the store (including the walls) done as if a wedding card itself, welcomes you. The store came into existence, sheer by chance, as Surendra Mohan, owner of the store tells the story behind it. “It all happened when my son was to get married in October this year. We visited all the probable places to look for a wedding card of our choice but couldn’t find it. Then somebody told about Big byte in Khanna and we landed up there.” “So we end up opening a franchisee store of the place they went to buy their own cards”, tells Sumit Mohan. This one-stop-shop caters to all your invitation needs, starting from Rs 15 to Rs 1200 per card, this store has it all. You can choose from the cards made in pure silk with zari and dabka work on it along with the tray done in the same colour and fabric to keep those shagun ke ladoo and small goodies in it. You can also get your invitation card custom made to match your wedding outfit as well. No wonder many of their orders are in fuschia, mauve and turquoise colour to perfectly match the wedding lehengas of brides-to-be. That’s not all as there are cards that are designed by using pearls, swarovski, gotas and doris. The USP of this store is the customised designs at low prices. “Not only customised cards adds traditional value but they lend a personal touch to the invite as well”, tells Surendra. If you think invitations are only for birthday parties or for weddings et al, think again! There are cards even for mundan ceremonies and Ramayana path nowadays as well.
Noddy, one of the most favourite cartoon characters of kids has found his way in mundan cards. So you see Noddy with his cap on the front of a card and on pulling a thread along with ‘Noddy’ and he goes bald. That’s Innovation. With theme parties becoming a rage, how can invitations be far behind! |
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Word Play
And never mind R.l.Stevenson's Treasure Island, "Fifteen men on a dead mans chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Tis winter and the season for good liquor, when the men separate from the boys and the whisky drinkers switch to rum. When Plum-Brandy cakes laced with Cognac (or the humble rum in most cases) are oh so scrumptious. When parties end with liqueur, whether it be Drambuie, Benedictine or Amaretto. For some nothing short of Stolichnaya Vodka; the Smirnoff's and Absolutes are for the sissies and young lads… Of course not to miss the wave of political correctness… Wines are in and the so called hard liquors are out. So the Bordeaux's and Rose's for the heart, the Chardonnays and other white wines for the not so health conscious. And the Sherry's, Ports and Madeira's for the ones missing their kicks. Here's a list of drinks from Santa Clause to keep you warm and cheerful through the Christmas season. 'Whiskies next week' 1. Brandy — A strong alcoholic spirit distillate from wine or fermented fruit juice. 2. Bordeaux — Wines from the Bordeaux district of France 3. Chablis — A dry white burgundy wine. 4. Chardonnay — A variety of white wine from Chardonnay grapes used for making Champagne. 5. Chartreuse — A pale green or yellow liqueur of brandy and aromatic herbs. 6. Chianti — A dry red Italian wine from Tuscany province. 7. Cointreau — A colour-less orange flavoured liqueur. 8. Drambuie — A Scotch whisky liqueur. 9. Madeira — A fortified white wine from the Spanish island of Madeira. 10. Port — A strong, sweet, dark red fortified wine from Portugal. 11. Sherry — A fortified wine originally from Spain. 12. Tia Maria — A rum and coffee based liqueur from Jamaica (West Indies) Answers to last week questions: 1 - Communism, 2 - Gandhism, 3 - Nazism, 4 - Fascism, 5 - Socialism, 6 - Indianism, 7 - Sufism, 8 - Humanism, 9 - Cubism, 10 - Euphemism, 11 - Prism No Teasers for next week. Merry Christmas!
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Look warm and earthy Excalibur’s fall winter collection available in 5 distinct ranges, the collection promises a new look and feel of the brand. The Excalibur Fall Winter collection offers warm looking sweaters in simple yet trendy colours, striped full sleeve pull overs from their After hours collection, soft corduroy shirts and trousers. The collection’s earthy look gives this season’s fall winter collection a newer and fresher look which would appeal to the fashionable. The winterwear collection has sweaters in classic as well as in sporty designs. Also available are jackets and stylishly cut blazers and suits that would give the wool feel and are simple, trendy and functional as well. Winter Jackets
Nautica® a leading global lifestyle brand presents a fashionable, yet totally functional range of Limited Edition Jackets this season! With a wide selection of fabrics, styles and fits from fleece, canvas and twill to camouflage hoodies, lightweight zip-ups, bomber jackets and reversible jackets, the Limited Edition Jackets Collection is sure to keep you warm this season! Nautica offers a large selection of outerwear each crafted to stylish perfection. All styles are not only functional in design and purpose but also very versatile. The jackets are either engineered to reverse to a different fabric or incorporated with the Nautica “Systems” concept offering “3-in-1” adaptability. Dream shave
Gillette, leading player in the male grooming segment offers three spectacular fundamentals for the unmatched shaving technique: Gillette Series gel, Gillette Mach3 Turbo Razor and After Shave Splash. Conceptualised for complete shaving everyday, ‘Gillette Perfect shave’ encapsulates the attributes that every man dreams of. It comes with a unique promotional offer of Rs 50 off on the Gel (Rs 225) and Splash (Rs 315). The Mach 3 Razor (Rs 315) comes with a Mini-splash (Rs 170) absolutely free. Get in shape with Wonder Belt
Getting in shape is now a breeze with the new OSIM uZap. If you really want to zap your fat away and discover a new you, here’s the perfect solution. U-Zap from OSIM is a product that is bound to excite and delight all those who are fed up with battle of the bulge and dealing with brands that do not match unto expectations on product quality and innovation If you want to lose that unwanted fat around your middle, your rear, your legs or wherever that unsightly fat has chosen to settle, then OSIM, The Global Leader, in Healthy Lifestyle Products has now launched an amazing Fat-Burning revolutionary product – uZAP. Priced at Rs 10,500 the product is available at Godrej Lifespace, SCO Nos. 120-121-122, Sec-17 C, Chandigarh. Numero Uno in footwear
Numero Uno, the flagship brand of hi-fashion clothing Co, one of India’s most fashionable wardrobe brands has recently introduced a range of casual footwear in Leather, suede and Canvas in trendy colors and styles. Numero Uno’s range of casual footwear are sleek, versatile and maintenance free. This funky collection of shoes for both men and women are crafted from top quality leathers, comfortable suede’s and sturdy. Hip and trendy, this range is available for men in stunning colours like camel, navy blue, khaki, beige, olive, grey, white, black and dark brown and is priced between Rs 1,399 and Rs 2,699. The range for Women is available in pretty colours like pink, silver, green, white, blue and black and is priced between Rs 1,199 and Rs 1,349. No more black and brown
Here is Homme’s Winter Hue Collection to pep up your sprits. Homme Shoes has unveiled a whole new range of exquisitely crafted shoes in Suede leather in an electrifying combination of colours like red and blue and yellow and black to beat the winter blues. Donning this pair will add pizzazz to any outfit. Homme’s Winter Hue collection priced at Rs 3,290, is perfect for your outdoor escapades or party that goes well with trousers, jeans, cargos, and capries and can be matched with jackets. Be a Santa
Café Coffee Day (CCD) is gets into the Christmas spirit by giving away exciting prizes this season to its fun loving and young at heart customers with an exciting month long promotion, “Be a Santa” at all its 365 cafes across 70 cities in the country. Keeping in with the tradition of gifting during Christmas, CCD celebrates the season of joy with some great give-always for all of its coffee loving customers. The fun and easy to participate ‘Be a Santa’ contest is running from date to the December 31. It has been specially designed to help CCD customers maximize the festivities of the Christmas season. Santa vs Santa Claus
Come Christmas and our indigenous Santa of SantaBanta.com fame will keep its date with its ever-increasing community of netizens in doling out freebies. The bag of Santa’s goodies contains animated and musical e-cards, lip-smacking wallpapers, rib-tickling jokes, sweet and sour gossip, and riveting visuals. All these are available to Internet users for free downloading. |
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Health tip of the day
Knee joint pain does vary with the weather (e.g. pain is experienced just before
rains). The nerve endings in the knee joint are sensitive to pressure therefore respond to a drop in atmospheric pressure (as occurs prior to rains).
— Dr Ravinder Chadha |
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Right guys, you have guessed it correctly. Cloaked in the cheerful red wrap of worldliness, Santa is fast becoming the ‘brand ambassador’ for classy stores across the city. Come Christmas and you actually see him riding the commercial bandwagon with ho, ho, ho on his lips. 
Taking you around the shop having aisles lined with celebratory temptations, she asserts: “But now things are fast changing. The gift-giving icon, who distributes presents to sleeping children and adults who have been “good” all year on Christmas Eve, is fast turning into an advertisement tool”. 
The
The sisters in design have woven such beautiful dreams in ivory and beige as well as and charcoal and silver. The accent is on the weave and the texture with the silver lining coming in silken thread and not tinsel. These are the colours that dominate both Indian and Western wear. The Monapali saris are enchanting to say the least with a touch of embroidery, appliqué and mix ’n’ match of silken weaves. A flair for design and extensive research in Indian art forms has been the guiding force that has helped these designers to reach a pinnacle of creativity. Their touch is an expression of the diversity of Indian art and culture in beautiful and well-structured ensembles that are simple and sophisticated, yet fresh and trendy.
Blondes with no brains?
