The beautiful Javanese Bride!

They say creativity is boundless. There are seldom any limitations, barriers and world borders for art practices. Each culture, creed and tribe observes beliefs and faiths in their own flamboyant yet creative way – thus bringing diversity with beautiful colors alive. Especially in the world of make up, innovation stands out vividly. And with Javanese people further adding to the creative art form of make-up and grooming, world only becomes a vibrant and exciting place to live in!

Scattering herself across the equator, Java is on one of the most active volcanic prone islands of Indonesia. Despite this, the Javanese islanders offer splendid taste of traditional folklore. Conventional Javanese families consider wedding as an important auspicious occasion and celebrate the ceremony with sheer extravaganza. Whereas, the Javanese bride is usually dressed in traditional colorful costume measured as a sacred societal tradition…(read more)

Look ravishing with the Revlon Color Stay Eyeshadow!

Circa 1932. The Great Depression period. Never ending foodlines. Jobless people. Empty shops. Bleak future. A mancalled Charles Revson dared to dream big. A dream that we all today know as Revlon. What also created make up and other products for the US Army, soon went on to become the pinnacle of fashion among the elite; Revlon was one of America’s top five cosmetic houses. Success after success followed – Revlon makeup, Revlon cosmetics, Revlon beauty tools, Revlon hair color, Revlon fragrances and many more.

So much that, every woman began to believe. Today, with such infinite vista of self enrichment available, she can cherish and live her dream of being and feeling beautiful inside-out. Be it the alluring lip gloss, that beautiful mascara or styling hair with a tinge of newness daily – this whole new world of cosmetic innovation has made street smart glamor-living easy…(read more)

Sahil Shroff: The brains behind the brawns

Published in Mega Modelz magazine – June-July 2009 Issue – © Manali

As those lats spread wide and the abs glisten as if they have been carved in stone, he walks down the aisle. It feels as if a Greek God has briefly condescended to stride among the mortals… You can almost hear the hearts beating faster. That’s the kind of spark, magic and aura this dangerously handsome super model Sahil Shroff carries on him! It’s not everyday that this hottest thing reveals his health and fitness secrets… Mesmerized Manali H. Shah is all ears, as she meticulously records every word he tales…

With his drop dead chiseled looks and playful grin, Sahil Shroff holds a pledge of sinful things and much more as he effortlessly continues to impress young girls and women alike with his famous stints in commercials like Tata Indica’s ‘Dumb, Dumb, Dumb’ and Lux ad with the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai, Cadbury Éclairs, HCL, Snickers amongst several others. No wonder, this 6 foot clothed horse is convincingly hot favourite of all the B town designers. Be it scorching the ramp for the IPL show with Shahrukh Khan or My Mumbai with Naomi Campbell, he has possibly walked the ramp for all of them in most of the fashion weeks. He has been there, done that, literally. And once again, he is all set to sputter the small screen with his two new commercials coming up on air soon! Clearly Sahil Shroff is the number 1 male model in the country today.

Amid such a busy schedule, how does he manage to maintain an incredible body like his? And the answer comes straight, “I love fitness. I have been training since a very long time now. Infact, I am pretty much evolved in my fitness,” he says. Unlike many, Sahil has a long history of training and today he is not only involved in grueling workouts, but he is equally indulging himself in running, strength training, jumping, swimming, Taekwondo and several other sports. “I never miss on my workouts, be it in any form. It allows me to easily stay in shape and moreover it’s a part of my profession now.” He continues, “I do Taekwondo 3 times a week, go to gym twice a week, go for a long run at Mahalaxmi race course during the weekends and I also like to swim, at least once a week. I thoroughly enjoy and love all of it,” he says.

I ask him to throw more light on Taekwondo and he says, “I go to Javed Khan’s Taekwondo School where I have a personal trainer. In my opinion, this form of Martial Arts is not something you get up one morning and head for. One needs to have a proper mindset to start this as it involves a lot of stretching, kicking, punching and the like. Besides, I completely enjoy the flexibility aspect and every nuance of this art.” Another nugget, “I personally adore action and I am eventually getting into films too. It is surely very hard, but at the end of the day, it’s a lot of fun too.” He feels everybody should try this kind of art at some point in their life.

So like most of the models in this tinsel town, is he neurotic about having that 6 or 8 pack abs as well? He answers with the same vigor, “Oh totally! I have always had 6 pack abs and that’s a part of me now. But its not my only pride and joy, as at the same time I also maintain my body weight proportionally and this matters a lot. I have a very good upper body, nice muscular and strong leg and that’s only because I focus on balancing everything.” Sahil has practically been working out all his life. Apart from being a very active sportsperson in his school days, he also used to workout dedicatedly in Australia, where he pursued his masters in IT. “Oh, Australians are very serious about their workouts and fitness,” he muses aloud.

Isn’t it difficult to manage this kind of workout schedule while on shoot? “Not at all. Its simple infact. When I am traveling or shooting at work, I always have a skipping rope… and my running shoes are my savior. Like when I was shooting two days ago, an hour prior to the scheduled shoot timing, I went running for about 45 minutes. You feel a million dollars and you feel fresh,” he validates. So what about the food? He shrugs his shoulders and says, “Finding my kind of food becomes tough but I am figuring out how to find my way. I believe in cleansing off the system, so I try and make sure to have a lot of fruit and salads around me and continuously eat these all the time. The energy stays and it makes me feel up.”

Talking of food, Sahil is equally particular about it and follows a strict diet on most of the days. “My diet is very good, well balanced and high on nutritional value. In the morning, for breakfast I have 3 vegetable juice that could be a mixture of Carrot, Cucumber and  Indian gooseberry (amla) and that is later followed by 3 or 4 fruits, bowl of oatmeal with dry fruits and a cup of coffee. For brunch, I like to have a banana or snack on muesli bar.” He continues in same saga, “Whereas, my lunch includes 2 rotis, a little bit of rice with mutton and fish and 2 vegetables, everything cooked in very less olive oil. Yoghurt is very important for me everyday. Then again around 4pm or so I have a fruit or 1 or 2 cereal biscuits which is followed by evening work out. Later, the dinner is healthy again, but very light. Here its compete no no to chapatti and rice. I only have vegetables and dal, accompanied with a very nice vegetable soup and a big salad. All in all it’s a good 5-6 meal course a day and that’s enough for me I think,” he smiles nonchalantly.

With his kind of workout, he feels, it is very important to eat every two hours. “I am always eating. In Taekwondo you need to have a lot of energy and you just can ‘not’ eat.” Nevertheless, there are times when Sahil does enjoy going easy with his diet. “I do like to binge on sweets and chocolates sometimes but I am generally in control of what I eat. Like if I am not shooting, I do enjoy my food with a little more liberty, however, the next day I do put in that extra hard work and cut down on my diet too.” He continues, “I don’t spoil myself much nowadays and I have substantially cut down on sweets too, as it takes too much stress on body to burn it off again. Hence, it’s not a priority anymore.” According to him, his metabolic rate is very good and this leaves him feeling gleefully good and strong most of the times.

This hot model is also involved in a lot of other activities when he is not working out or shooting. “I participate in a lot of creative workshops. I like working on my diction, speech and voice modulation. Other then this, I like to backpack and travel around the world,” he says. Predictably, his next step is to storm into bollywood too… but, with a big bang! So, when does this happen? “By God’s grace, hopefully soon. Though I feel it’s a slow and steady process… which I am enjoying. Everything good that happens doesn’t happen quickly. At the end of the day, you need to have luck on your side too. And you exactly know when is the right time for you…” he philosophies.

With this, I swiftly graduate towards his personal life and ask the obvious. And there is a moment of silence before he finally decides to be asked for next question! But I insist on him to share some bit of the heat… and he comes with his tongue firmly placed in cheek. “Oh, I have a very good personal life. Beyond that I am not allowed to talk. Ha ha ha,” he laughs, almost enjoying the sadistic pleasure. I sustain nonetheless. A little more push… and he finally gives up! “Well, okay. I used to be a naughty boy but I am a good and sweet boy now! Everything is very good and rosy though I continue to be one fun loving guy who is always up for adventure,” he cackles incessantly. Ahem, what can we say… More energy to you boy!

Sahil lists down ‘5 must have tips’ for great heath and good body

(i) If you are a vegetarian, eat anything that is natural. But make sure you have a lot of dal.

(ii)And if you are a non vegetarian, make sure you have ‘good quality’ of fish and meat.

(iii) Drink a lot of water, its indispensable.

(iv) Go hard or go home! Unfortunately, everyone in this space trains very softly. If you work hark, work your brain hard and do not work your body hard, what’s the point! One needs to train very hard to get good results. It’s quintessential.

(v) If you workout at gym, give your 100 percent and take your training seriously. It will help you stay strong, both mentally and physically without any injuries, illness or back problem. The feel good factor is fantastic and simply worth it!

Bollywood’s Beloved – Dabboo Ratnani

Published in Mega Modelz magazine – June-July 2009 Issue – © Manali

In the shadow of his own legacy, he has given celebrity photography a whole new meaning. Every picture he clicks becomes an extravaganza in itself. His forte of delivering on a consistent note, years after years is a longing dream for many others. Never bowing down to any commercial diktats, he has won laurels of gold. His success story truly warms the cockles of many hearts. Manali H. Shah traces down the trails and tribulations of the Bollywood’s beloved legendary photographer. Dabboo Ratnani comes undone!

Photos courtesy: Dabboo Ratnani page

After thrashing that little bit of oblivious anxiety, I finally fix my index finger on the doorbell and ring it. Within less than 15 seconds, the door springs open… and I see the maverick man himself. Fairly built, dressed in a traditional chaste white kurta-pajama, he already emanates an air of easy amiability.

Smilingly, he leads me towards the drawing room couch. The room looks white, clean and serene, very unlike a celebrity photographer’s residence. On the other side, I notice two desktop machines interfused on a huge glass table. For photography technicalities, I assume. By then, a young girl, apparently in her mid 20’s, walks in and offers me a glass of water… and I hear him asking me if I would like tea, coffee, juice or anything. I deny, politely. So finally here we are, I smile.

Many people consider his job to be one of the best on earth. Tell him and he thrills, “It’s great to be a celebrityphotographer, it feels really superb and I thoroughly enjoy my job.” In hindsight, he thinks most people have a misconception that being around bollywood stars and clicking their pictures all the time is an obstinately glamorous life. But it’s not as simple and glittery as it looks. He explains, “Like any other profession, there is a lot of pressure involved in this job too. You are dealing with high celebrities here and you simply cannot afford to go wrong. These stars come very time-pressed and each day of theirs is very precious. So within that short period of time they to do the manage shoot, you need to deliver great results.”

Does that mean these stars are quite finicky? “Most stars are not fussy. But they obviously want to look good. They trust you and that’s why they shoot with you. You also got to be capable enough to take care of screwball scenarios that may unpredictably occur in any shoot. So basically, that one picture people see on the magazine cover comes out after clicking hundred’s of them. It’s definitely challenging,” he affirms.

This means that he turns into a different person once behind the camera? He shakes his head. “No. I am as I am, very easy and relaxed. I have been in this industry for 15 years, so my rapport with most of the stars is quite honky-dory and they know my personality. I am a patient person who doesn’t express. But when it comes to work, I am a rather fast photographer who shoots in lightening speed instead of pretending to do that extra work… and that’s what they like about me. They know if they are shooting with Dabboo, its going to get over within 2-3 hours and not go till elongated 10 hours, and of course they know that they are looking good too.”

Unlike most peers of his ilk, Dabboo is not very rigid about having a firm plan for each shoot. “It actually depends on the nature of the shoot. Like for a magazine’s regular fun shoot, you have the liberty to try different things and that’s where you can afford to go impromptu. Otherwise for print campaigns and publicity, it’s a different ball game altogether.” Talking about peers, I prod him to name those photographers whom he considers to be a competition and he minuses, “Everybody has their own style in photography. Even if anybody is number one in the pile of 1 to 10, it doesn’t matter. All that counts for me is the amount and quality of work I do. I am shooting at least 25 days a month and I cannot physically shoot more than that. Though I don’t complain if someone is doing more work than me.”

Warming the topic, he further stances, “If the competitor is doing more work or as much work, even if I had a choice, I cannot do his share of work. It’s immature to consider competition as a threat, because for me, I am very self-satisfied with what I am doing. I don’t believe in undercutting or badmouthing anybody to get work. There is enough work for everybody in the industry. Particularly this over-hyped recession gaga, it just doesn’t bother me at all. Incase if there is no work, I get that time to spend with my family.” Waxing eloquent, he indeed admires work of his colleagues and ace photographers like Prabhudas Gupta, Farook Chotia and Bharat. Amongst the international sheen, he really enjoys the work of the Spanish pro photographer Sante D’orazio, Hollywood’s favourite Herb Ritts and the like.

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Dabboo worked with his dad at their Bombay Dying shop until he turned 17 anddecided to build his career in photography. “During my school days, I actually used to be selling bed sheets, shirts and stuff like that. It was a very basic and boring mundane where I never got the job satisfaction,” he says with candour and also reveals that he has always been a gismo guy since his childhood. “Once there was this new music system my dad bought and I opened the screws in-and-out to understand the system’s functionality,” he guffaws heartily and continues, “And one fine day I found a good-looking camera in my dad’s cupboard. I slid that and started experimenting instantly. Progressively, I started shooting sunset, people and things around me and I completely loved it. And since then I was very much clear that this is what I wanted to do in life.”

Interestingly, he bought his first camera from his brother who was an aspiring photographer then. “It was a semi professional camera,” he muses. Dabboo started clicking pictures for his friends, did some college AV’s, all working in his favour, and that’s when he finally decided to assist some photographer. “I was doing my commerce and after completing 12^th grade, I decided go for correspondence over regular college and use that time to assist photographer Sumeet Chopra, an ex Brooks Institute student himself.”

So did he ever attend a photography school? “I did not go abroad to study photography because it was very expensive,” he says in a humble tone. Conversely, Sumeet Chopra suggested him to spend those three years with him. “Doing that, you are learning on the job and actually interacting with clients and models. Also, you make a lot of contacts and meet the crème people from the industry. I feel it’s very important to learn the business along with learning the art and technicality of photography. Besides, I had thought to myself that if three years of assisting doesn’t guide me to my photography, I would go back to my dad’s Bombay dying business.” And as fate had it, there was absolutely no looking back for this magnum opus prodigy.

Nonetheless, he did have his share of knocking quite a few doors before landing a foothold. His first commercial shoot was for a film called Aatish that was shot in Mauritius, way back in 1993. “It was director Sanjay Gupta’s first film as well. Being a very close friend of mine, I told him to take me along and offered him to shoot the campaign free. I just asked to get paid for the travel, stay and material cost. It was a 40 days shoot and my first time abroad. We really did some good work and also partied harder… Certainly, it was a very memorable one. Infact, one shot of Sanjay Dutt fishing, is amongst my all time favourites…” he mutters in a nostalgic tone.

The movie starred Raveena Tondon, Karishma Kapoor, Aditya Pancholi, Atul Agnihotri and of course Sanjay Dutt. No wonder, the film forked a trail towards his ambition and this indisputably became a turning point in his life. “Seeing my pictures on huge billboards and hoardings, numerous magazines and newspapers for the first time was such a great high. People noticed and liked my work and this automatically snowballed into getting myself a stronger grounding in this field. That’s when I decided to branch out from assisting and start on my own…” The rest, like they say, is history.

With the number of nascent photographers basking out from every nook and corner of the country today, is he ever concerned about failure? He promptly retaliates, “No. It really doesn’t bother me. For me, consistency is very important and year after year you got to deliver good work. It’s an art; it has to be within you, something that has to be in your bloodstream. For me photography is… well… let’s just say I breathe photography. Even if I walk into a party or a restaurant, I keep looking at the location and I think if I could do a photoshoot here. It’s just that I am a complete ad infinitum when it comes to photography.” Now that’s a numbero uno!

So what is his all time favourite ideal photoshoot like? “My passion lies in my annual calendar that I have beenpublishing since a decade now. Its one thing that I enjoy shooting a lot, because there I am shooting only for myself. No client, no agency… it’s only me.” The passion for calendar comes naturally to him because he ropes in those actors with whom he has worked all through the years, hence it gets very awe-inspiring for both the parties.

Especially the 2009 edition of the calendar with 48 actors that became quite a hit has still left most of us flabbergasted. Wonder how did he make it happen? “Because it was 10^th anniversary of my calendar, it had to be special. Also the fact that a calendar has a desk value and it lies in front of your face for the whole year, unlike a magazine. Thus, I started conceptualizing in April itself and went on floor in August. The plan did take a little longer because this time it was 48 actors and not the trademark 24. I went about doing meetings with the celebrities for theme briefing, sharing ideas, getting inputs. Happily, most of the actors were as excited and passionate about the picture and calendar as I was.” This annual calendar releases on 23^rd December of every year. “It happens to be both, me and my wife Manisha’s birthday,” he gushes.

How does Dabboo decide a theme for his calendars? He parries on this one and remarks, “Any theme that does not restrict creativity and variety works for me. For instance, Water was my theme in the 2007 edition. Here, water can be seen as an element in your glass, in the sea, in the fish tank, as a tear, a drop and likewise, so this doesn’t confine me. Although, personally I am not very adamant about themes, because then themes become the hero when photography is what I am trying to project.” Well said. So, what does he plan for 2010 calendar? “Nothing is planned as yet. Probably a theme this time but definitely not nature or anything, but some theme bound calendar for a change to 2009.”

Reports of him being keen on doing a retro calendar with legendary artists made rounds sometime ago. True? He clarifies, “I was actually thinking it to do as an exhibition rather than a calendar, because I don’t know how much I would be able to create as to people watching them for 1 month every page. Besides, the earlier actors and actresses I guess wouldn’t relate to an avant-garde calendar. I don’t know, it is just one of the thoughts. May be I will do it in a couple of years down the line…” Considered.

One thing that truly differentiates Dabboo’s pet project from other calendar is that no photographer has ever featured power-list of 24 or 48 actors ever. “Yes, I am not paying any celebrity to feature in my calendar. My calendar doesn’t advertise or sell anything, there is no money involved and I am not trying to generate any revenue. It’s a completely noncommercial activity that is based on rapport I share with them. It’s pure passion and love for art!”

But aren’t all the fans based far and wide complaining of the unavailability of the limited edition calendar? “I guess so. From the amount of emails I receive from people in Jan-Feb especially, asking where they could purchase the calendar from, is truly gratifying. But how many people can I cater to? I keep it limited edition for a simple reason that I pay for the whole calendar and don’t make money out of it. Hence, I cannot have unlimited pieces. My calendars are usually for my family and friends and people from the media, advertising agencies, film fraternity and other clients that I work with. It’s on its own is quite large and my database consists of around 4000 people.” But the infamous photographer confirms that the day he decides to commercialise the calendar, he will give actors a royalty too. He sallies, “If I can sell millions of pieces than I can certainly afford to pay the actors! I don’t want to make money out of it, but would definitely want people who are featured in it to gain something.”

Further, I ask him about his take on the divergence between shooting celebrities and models? “Honestly, it’s not very different. Be it an actor or a model, I have to make both of them look good. The foremost difference in shooting a model and an actor is that the look completely alters, like the clothes you make them wear and their styling, make up and hair. However, there are times when actors want to look like models and vice versa. It’s all essentially intermingled.”

What about the newcomers? They surely would get goose-bumps shooting with him for the first time. “I usually ease them out. I have a couple of meetings with them before the scheduled shoot. I talk to them, tell them how I see and visualize them and give them tips too. Usually when I meet a person, I kind of figure out how I should be shooting him/her.” With his clout many first-timers would doubt his approachability, but he certainly is very down to earth and an easy person to talk to. “The name Dabboo Ratnani does sound as if he is standoffish, but it’s not like that. I like to meet people and especially when my name is attached to the pictures, I totally want to do justice to them. I make it a point that every picture that goes out from my studio is a great picture. So whether it’s a newcomer or an established actor, it doesn’t matter as I always take a keen interest,” he says, truly like a pin-up photographer.

Dabboo Ratnani with wife Manisha D. Ratnani and the gorgeous actress Esha Deol

Dabboo’s recent work campaign includes the new season of 10 Ka Dum with Salman Khan, Provogue, Dabur with Preity Zinta, a Belmonte campaign with Shahrukh Khan, D’damas jewellery with Amitabh Bachchan, Idea with Abhishek Bachchan including the latest campaign for IPL too. Not only print, Dabboo has also clicked for hit flicks like Welcome, Hello, Dostana and the yet-to-release films like My name is Khan and Wake up Sid. Dabboo works are internationally acclaimed too as he regularly shoots for Australian and German based magazines and other overseas clients in Dubai. “I like travelling for work, but I will never leave this city and relocate anywhere else for sure,” he smiles.

So any wise words for the enthusiastic photographers out there who aspire to what he has achieved? “Don’t get into it only for the glamour quotient. Main thing is to have passion for photography. You have to have the fire, the excitement and the complete job satisfaction should be there, irrespective of shooting a portfolio or doing a big banner campaign. The enthusiasm level should prevail. And the day you don’t feel this way, might as well call it quits.” He further digs, “Make use of Photoshop, but as a photo correction contrivance and not as a manipulating tool. That’s not the essence of true photography.”

Turning the focus away from photography to personal and interesting grounds, Dabboo enjoys music when he is not working, “I love music and I have collection of about 4000 CD’s.” Any particular genre he is favourable to? “It actually depends on the mood. I like to listen to everything, from Hindi and Arabic to House, Lounge and Rock. It keeps changing with time.” This endearing photographer has been married for nearly 5 years now and has a 2 months baby girl. “Her name is Deeva and she is very adorable,” he beams.

My curiously meter goes up and as a parting shot I ask him about his wife. “Manisha works with me. Everything from production to finance is taken care of by her. I just do the photography bit.” The photographer who had a love-cum-arrange marriage likes to spend quality time with his family whenever time permits, take his dog out for a walk, go out for splendid dinners and drives. Truly, Dabboo is a radical in his own subtle way!

Good Samaritans

Published in The Times of India, Mulund-Powai Plus – July 2007 – © Manali

As heavy rains lashed the city, and water levels continued to rise, forcing people to find higher ground, some residents from the Mulund-Powai belt were glad to find kind strangers who lent them a helping hand.

Heavy rainfall once again paralysed life across the city on June 30. Several roads and homes were flooded, throwing normal life off gear, but as Mumbai filled up, Mumbai stepped up as well.

Says Kaushik Deliwala, a businessman whose car was stuck in a gutter near Sambhaji Grounds, Mulund east, “The front wheels of my car were trapped in the gutter, and I couldn’t move it. However, four youngsters arrived on motorbikes and saw that I needed help.

They wasted no time and helped me get the car wheels out. I do not know them but it really feels nice when people help each other out during a crisis,” says Deliwala.

The situation was similar in Powai. Near the IIT main gate, all the drains were overflowing. Rakesh Deshmukh, a software engineer, was on the way to his office when he saw an old man struggling to walk. Moved by his plight, Deshmukh decided to leave behind an important business meet, and helped the man get home.

“Since it was a Saturday, the road was empty. While I was on my way to office for a meeting, I saw this old man stranded in the middle of the road. So, I decided to gave him a lift on my bike,” says Rakesh, who affirms that it’s a moral duty to help people out during such situations.

Volunteers from local NGOs helped the BMC drain water out by manning open drains. Normal life was hit hard as rail, road, and air transport was crippled.

The power was cut off between Mulund and Powai as well as other parts of the city and there were reports of landslides as the city battled against the season’s first big spell of rain.

Mulund resident Dipti Dave was touched by the kindness of a BEST bus driver who picked up stranded people and allowed them to alight close to their destination, even if it was not close to a designated bus stop.

“I had to visit a relative in the hospital at Paanch Rasta and boarded a BEST bus near the ESIS Hospital. I requested the driver to let me alight near the hospital, since there was knee-deep water in the area. He did so, and he also stopped to pick up anyone who was stranded,” she recalls.

In another incident at Mulund west, near M G Road, a man fell off his bike due to the potholes and was injured badly. “I was getting back from work, and saw him get hurt. I took him to a nearby hospital and I hope that he is fine now,” says Monil Dawda, a stock broker. He went on his way only after informing the man’s family.

Many roads and areas such as Veena Nagar and Tambe Nagar in Mulund west were blocked because of trees that fell due to the strong winds and intense rainfall. Nevertheless, people of the locality acted quickly and cleared the way by shifting the branches on the corner of the lane.

Rains may continue to lash the city every other day, and though parts of Mumbai may submerge, the spirit of Mumbaikars will continue to stay afloat, no matter what!

Gagan Arya – A Navi Mumbai kid on the block

Published in Vashi2Panvel.com  – April 2006 – © Manali

Gagan Arya, 24, a new kid on the block and a resident of Belapur, Navi Mumbai is on his way to make it big on television. He is making his debut in a serial named ‘Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao’ on Sony entertainment television which premiers today. Ask him how he feels about his first debut and he excitedly chirps, “The feeling is great. I mean, in such a short span I have hit a big platform – I feel elevated.”

Sudeepa Singh, Gagan's co-star in the television series Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao

So is his character based on atypical lines of Saas Bahu soap opera’s? “No, my character is not based on a boring family drama and this serial has no connection to Ekta Kapoor’s ‘K’ series too. Infact, I play a very fun loving character. Here, a rich guy who lives  life on his own terms is in search of a ‘perfect girl.’ Though, he is very scared of his father,” claims the lead of this serial.

If you think this is his debut on screen, you are remorsefully mistaken. He had worked in a Star One series ‘Family Business’ which was telecasted two years back. This handsome hunk has also done a music video called ‘Tammana’ which was a gazal, and has also appeared in Dairy Milk commercial. Too add more in the list, he has also played a very minuscule role in the hit movie Sarkar too. With such decent experience in past, what makes this soap so important? “Well, this is my first lead role and that’s what makes it’s special. I am really exited about it,” says Arya, who aims for Bollywood and idolizes Mr. Bacchan and King Khan.

This good looking guy has completed his graduation from S.I.E.S College, Nerul, and  today cherishes fond memories of college days. He beams, “College was truly fun. I was rarely to be seen in the classroom, in fact I was always more inclined towards extra curricular activities. I use to choreograph fashion shows and act for ad films that were made by college students. I was also a sports person.” With good reminiscences, he also recollects a ghastly incident, “Once my college professor asked me what I was going to do in my life and I right away replied ‘I want to act in movies’ and she made a big mockery of it in front of whole class. But now I am very much sure, she must be proud of me.” He further adds, “Despite the fact that my college was strict, it was no less supportive of my dreams either.”

Banking on so many projects that he has done, seems like he is already getting celebrity status, and he laughs, “Friends do tease me sometimes and give me that celebrity grade. Yet at the end of the day, I am the same Gagan – mischievous and down to earth.” So which was his favourite hanging-out point in Navi Mumbai and he gleefully says, “Me, along with a huge gang use to go to Pandavgada, a waterfall in Kharghar during the rains. It used to be a lot of fun. But I would personally recommend not to try this adventure as out of the catastrophe, one of my friends has lost his life.” His also enjoys hanging out at Quickies in Vashi and of course Center One – the only famous mall in Navi Mumbai.

He truly loves his hometown, however he is not much appreciative about one thing in this twin city. “Everything is great about Navi Mumbai: the roads, the station, the soothing atmosphere but somehow this city is lagging behind.” He feels that this city is a bit socially aback. According to him, socializing should be further encouraged and there should be more number of coffee shops, go karting, game parlour and clubs to boost up the crowd of Navi Mumbai. Nevertheless, due to work, he is currently lives in a rented house at Andheri, but keeps visiting Navi Mumbai whenever he gets time. “I definitely miss Navi Mumbai,” he says and signs off.

An incredible public response forces the owner to extend the book fair at Vashi

Published in Vashi2Panvel.com – May 2006 – © Manali

There is a reason good enough for all the book lovers to rejoice as  one gets to choose from more then 10,000 books of different genres and subject, all under one roof – and that’s exactly the book fair at Vashi’s Novelty Book Centre offering its ardor readers.

Jamed Ahmed, the initiator of the book fair cum the owner of the bookstore is very idyllic about the response of the fair. “I an getting such an amazing response from the people… they liked my books collection and daily I get more and more people dropping by my shop, which is definitely a good sign,” he said elatedly. This book fair that started from 24^th March is still on and climbing the ladders of triumph. And that’s exactly the reason for the fair to still continue after almost one and a half month. “The fair was supposed to end on the 15th of May, but because of such unbelievable response, I have to extend the fair till end of the month,” he added.

To make people further aware about the existing fair, the owner is lagging no behind in publicising its fair, he candidly says, “I am still giving ads in all the newspaper like Navi Mumbai plus, Vashi Times, Twin City, DNA to mention a few.”

The fair encircles books of vast horizon from serious subjects like interior designing, architecture, fashion designing, management, art, advertising, computers, textile designing and embroidery to something light and casual such as story books for kids, puzzle books, fiction and non fiction novels, along with self-improvement and motivational books lined up in the catalog. The list also includes common reference books such as Atlas – the world geographical book, dictionary and the thesaurus. Children interested in art hobbies can also find wide range of books related to stained class designing, pot painting and much more.

Apart from the wide range of books, to accentuate better convenience and benefit for the buyers, discounts of ranging between 20 to 85% are given on all the books. For instance, the bestsellers are given 20% off and other subject books like science and arts, old magazines et al – the discounts ranges between 30 to 85%, which is always a benefit to the people, said the owner.

With such whopping discounts, it’s evident that huge crowd in this small bookstore must be mobbing up and the number of visitors must be only mounting further. One such visitor to the book fair is a resident of Panvel; Preeti Rawat, a media student, who is very enthusiastic about the fair, beams, “I  just loved the fair. I got my choice of novels like of Sidney Sheldon, Ayn Rand, Dan Brown and many more at very economical prices. I also managed to get some media related books which I was looking for since a very long time.” Continuing in same vein, she added, “It feels nice to have such fairs in Navi Mumbai. It reduces all the traveling to far off places like C.S.T just to get your preferred books at ordinary prices. Such fairs should be encouraged more often.”

Banking on success of the fair and large sales of the books, it seems that the owner’s pockets are all gusting with profits.  “No, this fair is not motivated from earning profits; on the contrary, the profit is very minuscule. The main intention behind the fair is to stock out all the books from both the branches,” assert the owner, who also runs a bookstore near C.S.T station.

This is not end of the good news. To add up to more zest, the owner is planning to have next season of book fair in coming month of November-December. With wide range of books and grounded prices it’s apparent the book fair is leaving no stone unturned in grabbing everyone’s eyeballs. So what are you waiting for, pull up your socks and grabs your favorite books at the store in Vashi!

Dancing with fire

Published in Yuva newspaper – Oct 2007 – © Manali

‘When passion turns into profession, you don’t really think about your life,’ says Vishal Desai, 27, who is into an implausible profession of Fire dancing! Started as a fire dancer six years ago, he has already done more than 1,300 shows in India and abroad and has accomplished his name amongst the handful few in this profession. An art that involves jeopardy to life can also take ones life, but Vishal has bared and dared it all!

So what ignited him to get into this profession? “When I was in Goa years back, I saw few foreigners fire dancing in front of enormous crowd. So I thought when an outsider can do something like this so well, why can’t we? Also in my childhood, I was burnt several times but recovered fast, so I realized that I am resistant to fire,” says Desai, who is a Mechanical Engineer by qualification. Having worked as an engineer in a factory, he later on quit his job only to follow his dreams, which is quite a unique profession. Today in India, there are barely 5-6 fire dancers who practice the art flawlessly and are evolving with new tricks each time.

Fire dancing, which in simple words mean dancing with and around fire, is not as easy and amusing as it looks. There are different kind of tricks in this art like fire eating (blowing fire from the mouth), fire painting (dancing with fire across the body), limbo (dancing around strand iron rod burning in fire across horizontal rod), dancing with poi (rolling iron string with a fire ball), Devils Stuff, Shaft and umpteen others.

And all of them are equally dangerous he reveals. “Fire dancing that is originated in India has not really grown as much as it should have. People often puzzle bar juggler with firedancers, whereas both are poles apart,” he protests. However, he is trying to make this profession very popular by innovating new tricks and styles such as Indo-western fusion and Sparkle Poi, which no one has tried before.

He has also performed his recital in a famous song ‘Aksar ye hota hai pyar main’ from the movie ‘Jurm’ in 2005, which gave him good recognition. While others usually need big stage to perform, he is confident to perform in a small confined area as well. “Knowing the fact that fire not only involves risk to your life, but others life is also at stake, its very important to be careful. From my experience, I have performed both outdoor and indoor and I am very comfortable in performing in tiny confined area too,” he proudly says.

Ask him if he has faced any causality and he promptly says, “Of course! In all my shows I perform bare chest with no ointment or oil on, so there are times when sparks touch my body. In fire eating my throat, upper jaw usually burns and due to this my teeth alignment has suffered tremendously. But all this is the part and parcel of the profession and I still enjoy it!”

Vishal not only masters in fire dancing, but is also into talent management and model co-ordination as well as dance and fashion choreography. He has choreographed for famous models like Aditi Gowitrikar and Rahul Dev in the past.  

Evolving HR practices and systems in IT industry and its challenges & progress

Published in New Global Indian magazine – April 2008 Issue – © Manali

Manali H. Shah in one-on-one conversation with C. N. Rao, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cybertech Systems & Software ltd, an IT company on evolving HR practices and systems in IT industry and its challenges & progress. Cybertech is mainly involved into Software Solutions and Consultancy Services for various clients overseas.

NGI: What is the current scenario of IT industry in India like?

C. N. Rao: Currently, IT industry is growing at a marginal level, not too aggressively and is neither on declining stage. There are certain issues such as for smaller IT Company like organizations who have overseas clients have the maximum risk factor these days because of dollar fluctuation, which can adversely affect the whole system. Conversely to resolve the issue at large, companies incorporate several hedging strategies to pass through the flux period.  But over all, Information Technology in India is doing very well, and has a lot of potential.

NGI: What challenge does IT face today with regards to recruitment of its employees?

C. N. Rao: Right kind of recruitment is always a challenge and a conscious concern that every HR is concentrates on, especially while mass campus recruitment. Most of invest minimum period of 2-6 months and spend funds and energy on the training period. So here, it is very essential to realize the true skill set of the recruit, his frame of mind and approach, thus to optimize on his talent and put him on to right kind of project. If this is properly done, then evident positive results of the employee will show up, which is the ultimate motive of any company.

NGI: Today where employee retention has become a serious issue, how does the IT industry cope up with such high attrition rate?

C. N. Rao: Attrition has always been there. Not only in India, but also abroad. People want to move on if they get better opportunities, high end technology, good project to work on and elevated pay package, and these are most common reasons for employees to reallocate. Here, vehemently enforcing bond system does not work, as you can’t have an employee working in an organization forcefully. If the attrition rate is high then equal employment is also there. Besides, attrition rate in this sector has comparatively declined and currently is only 25%, which is very common in other fields to. Thus, coping up with attrition isn’t really a task.

NGI: For over all progress, keeping the workforce stress free has become very essential today. So how is the challenge of ensuring the employees productivity and performance dealt with?

C. N. Rao: Along with providing regular stress busters like yoga, art of living, celebrating festivals, gymnasium and office get-always, I also think good food, healthy working conditions and a gym are a bonus for any employee – which today most of the IT companies are striving and are successful at delivering. As far as productivity and performance is concerned, regular appraisal, annual awards, get away coupons, frequent appreciation reward, on sight working opportunities like sending the employee aboard on rotational basis and giving them exposure and so on helps in improving as well as enhancing the employee morale. So these minuscule things are seen to be taken care today, and the working atmosphere is really improving in Indian IT industry.

NGI: What are the evolving practices and systems in HR that are being importantly considered these days?

C. N. Rao: Well, in current picture, every employee is like an HR. As today ‘team’ is recognized and persisted upon rather then an individual – team work, team targets and team performance is of absolute importance. So this is one of the evolving change that is to be seen in this industry. And also problems like communication barrier between HR and employees is passé.  There is more and more candid communication one would notice in an organization, especially between HR and the other departments, as they are the main nerve bridging all the departments. Over all a good sign is evolving and bring practiced.

NGI: On final words, what are the other HR practices today that ensures individual employee growth an ultimately organisations success?

C. N. Rao: A lot of company’s growth is dependent today on the HR management, thus they becoming the main skeleton of the organisation. Yes, identification of issues and involvement of HR in minutest problems, resolving them at every stage and guiding each one as a mentor leads to a strong and healthy working atmosphere and thus definite individual satisfaction. This will definitely be an affirmative boost to the success of an organisation on whole.

Destination Fiji

Published in New Global Indian magazine – April 2008 Issue – © Manali

Fiji Islands, infamous for its pleasant unwinding atmosphere, vivacious milieu and gracious nature of its inhabitants is world’s eminent and preferred holiday destination. The country with so much spark and energy has a lot common with India with regards to historical, cultural and ethincal ties. Also, not to ignore the flourishing trade destination, Figi surely promises a lot more…  Discovers Manali H. Shah.

Peek-a-boo in the past

Located in the heart of South Pacific, Figi Islands is one of the worlds most favorite resort destination, catering to the every travelers need. Especially Indians, as Indians have an enduring knots and elderly historical, ethnic and cultural ties with Fiji. Although the first inhabitants of the island arrived long before the European explorers in the seventeenth century, pottery excavated from Fijian towns shows that the island was settled before or around 1000 BC. It was not until the nineteenth century that the Europeans settled the islands permanently.

The islands came under British control as a colony in 1874, and the British brought over Indian on contract basis as labourers. Granted independence in 1970, democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 because the government was perceived as dominated by the Indo-Fijian i.e. the Indian community.

The second 1987 coup saw the British monarchy and the Governor General being replaced by a non-executive President. Thus the country changed the long form of its name from Dominion of Fiji to Republic of Fiji, which was later on changed to Republic of the Fiji Islands in 1997. This revolution contributed to heavy Indian emigration.

Culture No Boundaries

Fiji’s mixed racial background contributes to a rich cultural heritage. Culture wise, there are a lot of similarities in Indian and Fiji’s customs. It is a rich mosaic of indigenous vibrant and old traditions of Indian, Chinese and European civilization. Like Indians, Fijians are also known for their friendly modest nature and amicable attitude towards an outsider. Fijian culture is very rich in traditional beliefs and many aspects of their life today remain the same as they were a hundred years ago.

Fijian and the South Pacific culture go hand in hand with regards to many aspects like the traditions, language, food, costume, belief system, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance and sports., making the native culture is very dynamic and full of life. English is widely spoken language there, but one will of course hear the local language. Since it is a multi-cultural country, don’t be surprised if you happen to hear Hindi as well. The most common Fijian word you hear will be Bula (pronounced as “Boo-lah”) This is the Fijian way of saying ‘Hello’.

Like in traditional Indian villages, even Fijians live within a strict hierarchical system with the village chiefs receiving the respect of all. Land there is sub-leased mostly to Indian sugar cane farmers, industries and tourist resorts under the discretion of the village elders and the money used for village improvements, schools and social functions like weddings and funerals. Fund raising is an important part of the communal lifestyle.

Some famous things about Figi include a native drink called Yaqona, which is the traditional drink that serves as a ceremonial and social mediator between parties. In traditional dance, ‘The Meke’ is a very popular show performed on special occasions in the villages or town parks. The dances can involve both powerful actions and more graceful movements. Mekes tell the stories of ancient legends and in particular the victories in war. Similar to Indian preference towards arts and different dance forms such as Kucchipudi, Bharatnatayam et al, even Figians are quite fascinated toward various dance forms.  This display of “traditional” Fijian culture, music, and dancing make an important contribution to tourism.

Another common trait between India and Figians is that even today most Indian women in Figi continue to wear the sari together with traditional jewelry in gold and silver. Traditional marriage ceremonies are practiced, as are customs such as fire walking and ritual self-torture as part of important religious ceremonies. Cinemas showing imported Indian films are popular. Traditional Indian festivals are still acknowledged and celebrated there. Popular festival Diwali, the Hindu Festival of the Lights, is celebrated every October and is a public holiday in Figi even today.

Ethnically Eminent

The population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, who are of both Melanesians, and Polynesian ancestry. There is substantial population of Indians in the island too, who are called Indo-Fijians, descendants of Indian contract labourers brought to the islands by the British in the nineteenth century.

The percentage of the population of Indian descent has declined significantly over the last two decades due to migration for various reasons. Though lately the relationship between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians at a political level have often been strained, because of this the tension between the two communities has dominated politics in the islands for the past generation. But over all, there are also good indications of racial harmony with the recognition of cultural and religious holidays by all races in Fiji.

Indian culture, which is marked by a high degree of syncretism and cultural pluralism, has still been able to associate ties with Figi on the grounds of the previous established traditions, while also absorbing modern customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants.

As a consequence, India’s history, traditional ethnic custom and civilization arrangements are still highly prominent in Figi even today.

Destination Fiji

Fiji has always been famous for being the ultimate tourist attraction and as a romantic destination, where one can relax on the beach by day and later enjoy cocktails pondering over a stunning tropical sunset. Tourist from neighbouring countries like Austrialia, new Zealand and a lot of Europeans visit the island very often. Since, Figi has a lot of Indian inhabitants too, one may find Indian tourist often as well. What makes Fiji spectacular is the dive sights, that amongst the best in the world, with soft corals, incredible sea life, walls, drifts and shipwrecks to explore. Sailors and surfers alike rave about the waters and friendly local environment.

There are hills to climb for stunning views, waterfalls to cool off in, several National Parks with trails, nature reserves for bird watching and walking, rafting trips down rivers and village visits to experience the very traditional Fijian way of life. There are lively markets to visit, Fijian ceremonies to participate in and colourful Hindu festivals to see. What’s more, the Fijian people are extremely warm and hospitable and are excellent with kids, making it a great family destination explore one of the most peaceful areas of the world, Fiji is an all-round excellent destination for a vacation.

Flourishing Wings

Although popular for tour and tourism, Fiji is more than a booming tourist destination. It is a growing economy, uniquely positioning itself as a communications and supply hub to the Pacific region, as well as a producer of manufactured goods and commodities. There are ample of business opportunities one may find in the small island. From small scale local handicraft industries to information technology and communication hub, it has it all. From real gold to ‘green gold’, the range of goods and services, Fiji has always added value to its exports.