|
|
|
|
|
Seal with a click
Making through the snail-paced traffic, jostling with swarming crowd, checking deals from market to market and managing to buy, pack and store all the stuff you need for home or for your near and dear ones or sitting comfortable in your home, taking out your credit card and surfing the options aplenty on net, ordering home delivery and getting stuff delivered? It does not need much brainstorming to choose the latter actually!
Online shopping has arrived, and virtual players are aggressively making way into the Indian market. With online giants making their presence felt on newspaper jackets ahead of the Festival of Lights, you know they are not leaving any stone unturned to woo the customers. The number of delivery guys with Flipkart.com or Myntra.com carrying the merchandise in the neighbourhood only confirms that. And, customers today aren't shy of trying new things. Prachi Shukla, a working mum from sector 33, has it all sorted. "Remembering the traffic snarls last year, I have made up my mind not to step out for shopping this time around." In fact, she already has her gift's list. "I have zeroed down on what I want, just waiting to see if they give juicier offers." Orders ringing in has Nitin Vyas already in the busy mode. Vyas, who is a partner of Jackandgill.com, is ready for this is the time of the year when orders are in bulk. "The season is warming up and I already see the online market has trebled than last year." His site delivers gifts across the country and gives same-day delivery in case of orders placed before 6 pm. "The quality of our products is unmatched, and our customer care is excellent and that has been fetching us good business." There could be two reasons-one fopr the boom in the online business, one aggressive marketing and second, the consumer is no longer scared to flash out the credit card and have faith in quality of goods delivered. Says Sakshi Gupta, "The more you explore the online world, the more you get sucked into it. Few years back I was too happy accompanying my parents and brother to special Diwali shopping, not any more." In Sakshi's case one of the reasons is that she no more is a student but a working girl with little time on her hand. Another reason is probably we are increasingly getting active on web, be it our work, socialising or even shopping. And, online portals are only too happy to encash this trend. eBay India has already ramped up their product portfolio with great deals and deep discounts across a wide range of products. "Our customers have an opportunity to win an iPhone 6 every hour along with many other exciting offers like free shopping coupons and bumper discounts. So, if you shop big, you win big on ebay.in," says Shivani Dhanda, head-marketing, eBay India. With a product range of over 3 crore items across 2,000 categories on offer for customers, she foresees a considerable surge in the number of online shoppers this year as well. With the number of Internet connectivity increasing in the country and the surge in the number of users accessing Internet through mobile devices, this festive season, India will shop online to avoid the hassles of traditional shopping and search for their favourite products and get the best deals shopping from anywhere, at any time, she believes. With Diwali festival offering juicy deals already, looks like it's hard to resist! mona@tribunemail.com
|
|
A matter of hearth
Pen pals with Julia Child, a chef at the age of 13, host for an Emmy-nominated cooking show, co-author of award-winning The Culinary Professional, a wizard with the knife, a showman behind the slab and an American at heart trying to make the world look at American cuisine differently-Chef Christopher Koetke’s luminous introduction is enough to spark an afternoon of sumptuous conversation.
Currently the vice-president of Kendall College, Chicago, Chef Koetke was in Chandigarh, at JW Marriott, on Tuesday for a master class for his 'students'. While he amazes you with his precision on the slab, Koetke doesn't forget to be perpetually charming for the camera. We catch up with Chef Chris Koetke after the two-hour long class of hunger-inducing flavours. American food is widely looked at as greasy burgers and French fries. Why? After the 1950s, Americans came up with 'concept food'. This 'concept' food comprised of American-made pizzas and burgers at outlets like McDonalds and KFC, and that's all that people see as American food; that's their only exposure to our cuisine. What people don't know is that our country has a food history that's at least 100 years old. What happened in our country post 1950 was that there was this push to make food the same, all over, with the fast-food concept. You could drive from New York to Ohio and you'd get the same food. And somehow, everybody thought that was a great idea! But, what's happened now is that you have talented, young chefs who have been going around for the past 20 years, talking to their grandmothers, in search of traditional food, and they're all bringing this back to their restaurant's kitchen. And what led to this change? Why now? It's been a long journey; there were a bunch of influences that came together at the same time. One of them was an amazing, amazing woman named Julia Child. I used to be pen pals with her as a teenager. She used to be a food expert in America for a bunch of years. She came to the US in the middle of this homogenous food movement, where everything being produced was the same and she said, 'But you know in France, it's not that way. We have different food everywhere, be it Normandy or Brittany.' So, she was the one who got people thinking that maybe it is not such a good thing that everything is the same. So, for Americans, what denotes Indian food? You know what, in our country, we have no idea what Indian food is. We do have okay Indian restaurants there, but they are nowhere near the actual Indian food you taste in India; they don't have the complexity of flavour there. The flatbreads in this country are to die for. I could actually cry at the smell of one freshly-cooked Indian flatbread—be it lachcha parantha or naan. And the best Indian food you've tasted in the two Indian trips so far? The daal at ITC Maurya's Bukhara in Delhi and the biryani at Paradise in Hyderabad.
The master of classes
Chef Christopher Koetke was in Chandigarh for a master class at JW Marriott, where he painstakingly cooked the Duck Breast, Chartreuse of Braised Duck, Chowchow with Confit Gizzards and Maple Syrup Sauce for the audience. Currently the vice president of Kendall College of Culinary Arts (since 2012), Chef Koetke is also the host of Emmy-award nominated cooking show, Let's Dish, which is aired on Live Well HD network.
somya@tribunemail.com
|
|
A firm head over her shoulders
The next fifteen minutes effortlessly stretch to three quarters of an hour. Till finally what sounds like a confirmation, 'She has decided to speak while in the car,' gives way to, 'She is travelling, so it won't be possible.' Getting Kareena Kapoor Khan on the phone can be quite a task. All this amidst rampant reports claiming that she is rejecting films left, right and centre and is comparatively not at the busiest phase of her life.
Meanwhile, she plays the brand ambassador of Head and Shoulders to the hilt and is ready to take on any queries on hair care, share styling tips and much more. "I love my hair and Saif loves my long hair, he will never let me cut them. So, there is no way I can risk it to hair fall." Pick and choose
Blame it on the other side of fame but even the personal discretion becomes a subject of public speculation. The recent one being on her choosy stance. She clears the air, "It is not about being extremely choosy or picky about my scripts. It is an artist's prerogative to decide the roles they want to take. My choice of film depends a lot on my co-stars. I prefer actors who can complement my age. No matter how wonderful these young actors may be, we might make an odd couple, at least that is what I think." In happy space
Thankfully, at least someone is not ready to jump onto the mismatched bandwagon. A thoughtful approach that she would like to maintain even when asked to star opposite Saif. "We do not like to mix our personal and professional lives. We like to maintain that space and that is what works in favour of our relationship. Saif says he gets a tad conscious working with me and that's a decision I am okay with. If were to ever star together I think a romantic film will be something I will look forward to as that is something we have never done before." Meanwhile, coming up is Bajrangi Bhaijaan with Salman. "We start shooting in October. The film is different and I am really looking forward to it. Rest you will all see in time." She is more than happy in her space. "I believe in small joys. I have the perfect family and a perfect husband. My career is at the peak and I would love to act till I am 80 years old. I am not the over achiever type because there is time for everything. Currently I am extremely happy and satisfied spending time with the people who matter the most to me." Kudos to that.
Lock up
This one's for those who would like their locks just like Kareena! "First and foremost it is essential to keep your hair healthy and this can only be done by avoiding dandruff and hair fall. Use an effective anti-dandruff shampoo to get rid of flakes. Along with that it is important to eat healthy and exercise regularly. I also believe in the benefits of oiling and the blend of oils as it definitely brings out the shine in hair. I shampoo thrice a week and oil my hair at least twice. I don't believe in too much styling, like to keep everything minimal, I never go to spas and all, very rarely I like to blow dry.”
|
||
|
Driver — maximise distance and accuracy
Jesse Grewal To be able to keep the ball in the fairway and then maximise distance is an important key to good golf. The driver is a club which very often produces mistakes in direction on both sides, often confusing many golfers. It is also the club which golfers replace frequently as they hope that new technology would do the job for them. There is hardly a driver bought for accuracy. Most golfers change drivers to improve their distance.
If the ball hits the higher part of the face of the driver, the face rolls backwards which makes the ball start high and have less backspin making the ball roll more. If the impact is low on the face, the ball will start low and rise afterwards with the increased backspin. This would also reduce the distance the ball rolls. To maximise accuracy with the driver, it is imperative that we hit the ball of the centre of the club face. If the driver is too long, it increases the chance of off centre impact. The average length of the driver the professionals use is an inch shorter than that club golfer's play with. For them accuracy is far more important than just length. To check if you are making centre contact, put a computer label sticker on the face and hit some balls. The mark of the impact with the ball would be visible. To maximise distance, one needs to have the correct launch angle and spin rate. The launch angle should be approximately 14-16 degrees with a spin rate of 1800-2400 rpm. Slow swingers would need a more lofted driver to achieve this launch angle while fast swingers need less loft or stiffer shafts to keep the spin rate down. More on the driver in the next week's article. (Grewal has coached several national champions and professionals apart from being coach of the Indian golf team for the Eisenhower Cup (World Cup) in 2008. He is currently the Director of National Golf Academy of India and CGA Hero Honda Golf Academy. If you have any queries get in touch with him at parexcellence@tribunemail.com)
|
||
|
Fashionable lanes
Well, it seems like the festive fever is catching up with the city folks and if you are looking to revamp your wardrobe, let Suprita Kang and Beenu Singh's residence be your first stop.
Laying out a series of designer suits in silk, chanderi, cotton and velvet, the exhibition showcases a number of suits, with a special layering design that seems to be a significant distinguishing feature.
"I studied fashion designing a long time back and was then settled in Mumbai, so it gave me very little time to exhibit my work here. However, now I shuttle between Mumbai and Chandigarh and have been exhibiting my collection biannually for the last three years," says Beenu Singh.
Accompanied by her sister, Suprita Kang, Beenu shares that the casual range begins from Rs 4,000 onwards while the more elaborate and exquisite suits go up to Rs 19,500. The exhibition will be on till Friday at house number 75, Sector 2, Chandigarh. — TNS
|
||
|
Suit yourself
With the advent of Diwali, it's time to shift the style gears to a more traditional zone and suit yourself up. All you have to do is put on your jogging shoes and run to Aroma, Sector 22, Chandigarh, where Ritu Wadhwa, the owner of Ritu's Boutique, showcases her collection of hand-painted suits and saarees. The exhibition offers a huge variety of Pakistani suits, kurtis, saarees and palazzos in fabrics like cotton, silk, crape, georgette and semi-georgette. This is Ritu's first exhibition in the city and she seems quite excited about the idea of organising one for the masses.
"I wanted the pricing to be done in such a way that it would appeal to the masses," says Ritu. While the kurtis are priced at ~2,500, which is the starting price, a crepe suit with embroidered front and back can be availed at ~5,000. This exhibition thereby offers a variety that fits the budget of the consumer. It is on till October 1. — TNS
|
||
|
Through Pooja’s eyes
Pooja Bhatt broke away from the Bhatt clan years ago and set up her own production house. She has produced films like Jism and Jism 2. She talks about the changing face of films in India. Gender stereotype
Bollywood has been a man-dominated world, so I know this happens at times. But thankfully, I don't crave for respect from the industry. I'm just happy doing what I'm doing. But to address your question, it's true that a female director tends to make films that concentrate on female-related concerns and as a result, they get branded. I think this is pretty much true for other professions too. I, for one, look at myself as an actor who turned into a producer before directing films and then I became a production designer too. How are you going to slot me in terms of my gender? Independent filmmaker
As far as the funding for a film goes, I don't take any help from the so-called Bhatt camp. I raise money on my own. But when it comes to seeking advice on something, I turn to both my uncle (Mukesh Bhatt) as well as my dad (Mahesh Bhatt). Having said that, getting funds is never easy. You have to keep telling people all that your film will boast of, the budget that you have in mind and of course, the profit you're looking at making. At times, you have to credit yourself a bit more and forget all the bad reviews your movies got (laughs). Or else, you'll never make a film again. Mainstream and non-mainstream films
Not long ago, there was a clear demarcation between art-house cinema and commercial cinema. But over the last few years, we have seen the two streams merge into one. Lines between the two are blurring at a rapid pace. A film today can have the best of both worlds as well as the worst of both worlds. Boldness in films
We tend to believe that boldness is all about skin show; it is not. Boldness has a lot to do with our thoughts. Jism released around a decade ago and it opened a Pandora's box for us. We had a female protagonist (Bipasha Basu) tell us that the human body understands lust, not love. And if you remember, there weren't many scenes showing skin in that film. After this film, we have seen a spate of bold films where the female character isn't afraid of speaking her mind. She doesn't have to prance around in a bikini to put forth her point of view.
Look at Ungli
The official poster of Karan Johar's Ungli, starring Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut, Sanjay Dutt and Randeep Hooda, is out. Directed by Rensil D'Silva, the film is a sleek, edgy, vigilante drama and also stars Neha Dhupia, Angad Bedi and Neil Bhoopalam and Arunoday Singh in key roles. Ungli is a story about friendship and what happens when a gang of friends decide to take justice into their own hands. It is expected to release on November 28.
Shooting in Shimla
Hema Malini has begun shooting for Ramesh Sippy's Shimla Mirchi in Shimla with Rakul Preet and Rajkummar Rao. It is the veteran filmmaker's directorial comeback after more than two decades.
Launch pad
The trailer of Shaukeens has been launched and can be viewed online. Akshay Kumar plays an alcoholic superstar in the film that also stars Lisa Haydon, Anupam Kher, Piyush Mishra, and Annu Kapoor.
Alia is the Half Girlfriend
Alia Bhatt is becoming everyone's favourite. After playing the female lead in Chetan Bhagat's 2 States, she will now play the female lead in the film adaptation of his Half Girlfriend, to be directed by Mohit Suri. Hoping for a better future
Neil Nitin Mukesh has completed seven years in the industry as he debuted in Johnny Gaddaar in 2007 and he feels that he has not arrived yet. He has received some good reviews and had a few hits but overall, he has not done very well. His hopes are pinned on Prem Ratan Dhan
Payo. No rumour please!
Writer Shagufta Rafique says a lot of misunderstanding ensued ever since it was reported that she has moved out of the Bhatt camp (Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt). She claims she did not make any such comment. "This news has created a lot of misunderstanding in my life. I have never said that I have moved out of Bhatt camp, it's just that at present I am concentrating on direction," Shagufta said. Once a bar dancer, Shagufta started her career with Mahesh Bhatt by assisting him on movies such as
Tadipar. Bang on!
Nargis Fakhri has rapped for Hrithik Roshan as part of his #BangBangDare challenge. She rapped for nearly two minutes before going for an awards ceremony and was totally
amazing! Honest portrayal
Shahid Kapoor says that Haider is his most honest work and that is why he shed his hair also for the role. He feels that it will have a long-term effect on his career, the way Kaminey did. He does not want to predict its box office results. Aishwarya gets going
Sanjay Gupta's next film Jazbaa starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, which was slated to go on floors in January 2015, has been preponed owing to certain issues. Going with the reports, the film will now go on-floors in December, 40 days ahead of its schedule. This news was confirmed by the director on a micro-blogging site. Aishwarya, who was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish in 2010, will be portraying the role of a lawyer while Irrfan will be playing a suspended
cop.
|
||
|
Bang Bang to release in 4500 plus screens!
Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif's Bang Bang is going to be huge. The film is getting the widest release for a Bollywood film when it releases on Thursday. Exhibitors are gung-ho about Siddharth Anand's directorial that has become the hottest film of 2014 given the reaction its teaser and the songs have received. "Bang Bang is going to be huge! There is an incredible anticipation for the movie and the advance bookings across all PVR screens are really good. Certainly the hottest film of 2014; we are expecting a massive day one and the five-day holiday weekend should result in record breaking numbers." Gautam Dutta, COO, PVR Cinemas. "Bang Bang looks to be the biggest film of the year, both in terms of its look as well as the timing of the release, with an extended five-day weekend. We have opened the advances and the response has been more than terrific, both off the counters as well as in terms of block bookings from corporates. We expect this to become the biggest film of the year looking at the audience response." Ashish Saksena, COO, Big Cinemas. Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios (the producer), says, "On October 2 Bang Bang will see the widest release ever for a Bollywood film across the world. Over 4,500 screens across 50 countries with record breaking number of screens in the USA, UK and the Middle East."
|
||
|
Movie feast on the anvil
Zee Classic is all set to entertain with an exciting line-up of movies from the timeless era of Hindi cinema this Dussehra, Friday, October 3, starting from 7:30 am. Celebrating the grand message of the 'victory of good over evil', the movie line-up will star some of Bollywood's iconic villains. Celebrated villains of Indian Cinema — Pran, Ajit, Kanhaiyalal, Ranjeet, Kadar Khan, Jeevan, Shakti Kapoor, Amrish Puri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda aka Shakaal — come together this Dussehra in a series of movies back to back all day.
Mouni’s b-day bash
Producer Suhana Sinha threw a surprise birthday party for actress Mouni Roy last weekend. All close friends of Mouni Roy turned up to wish her. Producer Nikhil Sinha, Ruby Tandon, Munisha Khatwani, Dristhi Dhami, Mohit Raina and Lauren Gotlieb were spotted at the party.
End of the road
Rumour has it that youth-based show O Gujariya on Channel V is all set to go off air. We hear that there will be huge drama in the coming episodes as Vaibhavi (Swati Negi) will be kidnapped by Veer (Shaleen Malhotra). Veer's Chief Minister father (Deepak Chadha) will vow to nab his son. But the climax will reveal that Veer kidnapped Vaibhavi to protect her from Siddiqui, as his men were planning to kill her. With this, the show will have a happy ending!
It’s time once again
Once Upon a Time Season 4 is finally here. Get ready to meet Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff. Time travel, a couple of curses and memories restored, the town of Storybrooke now awaits the next threat to cross their border. Starting October 1, catch the latest episode at 9 pm on Star World Premiere HD. Simone in Vidya’s look!
Simone Singh's character Saakshi Goenka on Star Plus' show Ek Hasina Thi is inspired from Vidya Balan's look. Simone, who recently won the award for best actor in a negative role, dresses similar to Vidya Balan. On the show, Simone plays Saakshi Goenka who will go to any length to get what she wants. Her character is shown wearing elegant sarees and jewellery. It is also believed that the very beautiful and talented actress takes keen interest in the styling of her
character.
|
||
|
Young notes
After the success of her duet album Geele Geele with Uvie, young singer Shirin has her priorities set and she is ready to prove her talent in the big music industry. Shirin, who is from Yavatmal, Maharashtra, is all set to present her brand new Gujarati-Hindi mix Garba dance track with Abhimanyu Singh. We catch up with her.
Did you always want to be a singer? I am from a non-music background, but was fond of singing since childhood. I never thought that music lovers would like my voice, but when my album Geele Geele received compliments from all over, I really got a boost. How do you rate yourself
as a singer? I am working hard and I hope I can prove myself in the world of music. I think it is up to the fans to rate me. What kind of songs do you want to sing in the future? I want to sing in all genres. I am a person who loves quality lyrics. Have you found a calling in music? Yes. I love music and it has given my life a meaning. Now my new tracks are ready — a Gujarati and Hindi mix with singer-composer Abhimanyu Singh, Rang Rasiya, a solo track and Ranjhana with Uvie. The videos of two tracks have been directed and choreographed by Tejas Dattani of widely appreciated show Bharat Ki Shaan: Let's India Dance fame. Who is your role model? I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar Ji, who is an idol in the world of music. — Dharam Pal
|
||
|
The year ahead
If your birthday is October 1...
You need to be prepared to handle unexpected trends in finances this year. Take care of increasing expenses. Health will be normal. Benefits at work will increase your confidence. Stop being so sure of your own self; try to work with others in a flexible manner. Pursuing a course of study will be fulfilling. A reliable person like you often gets stuck with boring chores. If you play your cards right, you can have a paper or article published in a respected magazine or journal. You'll feel the urge for new experiences, which will highlight your good points and flair for long-term business deals. Fun gatherings are on the cards. Positive colours: Golden, Red. Select days: Sunday, Monday. Favourable numbers: 1, 4, 2, 7. Gems recommended: Yellow Sapphire, Ruby. Charity on Birthday: Donate vegetables to the needy.
|
||
|
Astro turf
ARIES: Around the end of the day your intuitive and perceptive skills will be especially sharp. You will be unusually sensitive to the vibrations you receive.
Tarot message: Let things run their course and start afresh later. Lucky colour: Red.
Magic number: 25.
TAURUS: With the presence of Saturn in your money sector, you will need to work out your plans for investing and saving as much as possible. Your love life will be quite interesting. Tarot message: Avoid the tendency to criticise others.
Lucky colour: Purple. Magic number: 46. GEMINI: Relationships are vital to our existence and therefore, you must be patient with people around you. There will be times when you feel neglected, but it will only be temporary. Tarot message: Avoid situations that can turn nasty. Lucky colour: Saffron.
Magic number: 57. CANCER: Be attentive and careful about everything that you do at work, since it will affect your overall career. Have a good time with friends today.
Tarot message: Focus on professional changes. Lucky colour: Yellow. Magic number: 26. LEO: There will be an increase in confidence and energy as you go about your work. Most of you will also start planning career moves and get a good response from prospective employers.
Tarot message: Do not lend money to strangers. Lucky colour: Crimson. Magic number: 41. VIRGO: Finances and spending will be your focus today. There will be some splurging due to the festive air and some of you will also be surprised by a sudden windfall. Tarot message: Do not leave things to chance.
Lucky colour: Blue. Magic number: 62.
LIBRA: The focus of the day will be on your ability to deal with more than one thing at a time. It is vital that you deal with hurdles that can come your way.
Tarot message: Strive for perfection at work. Lucky colour: Rainbow pastels. Magic number: 60. SCORPIO: This will be quite an inspiring day. You will be able to realise your goals for the future and start working towards them in full earnest.
Tarot message: Take no chances despite the assurance of people. Lucky colour: Ebony.
Magic number: 28. SAGITTARIUS: Take care of your health and exercise caution while driving. Some of you will decide to take concrete action to improve your personal life. Tarot message: Allow a sick situation to settle before starting again.
Lucky colour: Green. Magic number: 33. CAPRICORN: Some of you have overshot your budgets in the past few days due to celebrations, so now will be a good time to be prudent. Domestic affairs will be calm; however, you can feel overburdened. Tarot message: Be honest to your desires. Lucky colour: Pink. Magic number: 36. AQUARIUS: Your instincts and reactions will be relatively fast today. As a result, you will be able to make the most of situations. Deal with any pending tasks at work and also, delegate. Tarot message: Take one step at a time. Lucky colour: Black.
Magic number: 47. PISCES: Although you are driven and focused on your goals, it is also important that you avoid being critical of team members as well as partners.
Tarot message: Accept responsibility for yourself and others. Lucky colour: Grey.
Magic number: 58.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The point of impact on the face plays a huge role on the direction of the ball with the driver. Drivers have a curved surface both horizontally and vertically. This is called bulge and roll. This curvature on the face of the driver creates 'gear effect'. When two circular objects come in contact with each other the direction of movement of one has an opposite directional effect on the other. So if one turns clockwise, the other will turn anti-clockwise. So if one hits the ball on the toe of the driver, the driver face opens and imparts the opposite spin on the ball causing it to hook. The face at the toe is pointing to the right (for right-handed golfers), which makes the ball start to the right and then hook. The opposite holds true for heel impact. The ball starts left and then slices. 
You share your birthday with Shraddha Nigam (October 1, 1979), who gained popularity after her debut serial Choodiyan. She has also essayed roles in serials like Krishna Arjun. The stars do not support her career in the glamour world.