The U.S. Tennis Association is warning folks: "No Bryan Brothers chest bumps." That was among the suggestions from the USTA on Wednesday, when it offered return-to-play guidelines to help players and people running tennis facilities know when " and how " the sport should resume at the amateur level as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease.

The USTA thinks it will be safe to again play tennis "in some cities and states sooner than in others." One of the recommendations is to maintain social distancing by staying 6 feet apart from other people " and, therefore, to avoiding playing doubles, because it "could lead to incidental contact and unwanted proximity." The group that runs the U.S. Open went on to add: "If you do play doubles, avoid all incidental contact, no Bryan Brothers chest bumps and no whispering to each other from a close distance to strategize."

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan have won 16 Grand Slam titles in men's doubles together and celebrate wins by jumping simultaneously and bumping chests. All professional tennis has been suspended at least until mid-July. The U.S. Open is still scheduled to begin main-draw play in New York on Aug. 31.

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Former Slovak tennis star Daniela Hantuchova has launched her own podcast, The Real DNA, where she plans to have people who have inspired her, as guests on her show. After retiring in 2017, Daniela, 37, has been a tennis commentator for the past couple of years.

"The reason behind launching a podcast was that I love to communicate and learn from all the inspiring people I have in my life. I thought it would be nice to able to share their stories and their real DNA with our listeners. At the end of the day, one of the things I cherish the most in life is being able to sit down and have a cup of coffee with people I love, my family, friends, and people I admire, and listen to their stories and their experiences in life," she was quoted as saying by Tennis World USA.

"I believe the most inspiring people I've encountered in life share certain core values as humans that have helped get them where they are, whether in sports or somewhere else. I want my listeners to get to know these people and understand those core values," she added.

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Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova has allegedly flouted the strict Coronavirus-caused lockdown rules in the US, where over 55,000 have died due to the pandemic.

According to British tabloid, The Sun, Maria, 32, recently visited some friends around Los Angeles with boyfriend Alexander Gilkes, 41, whom she has been dating since 2018.

Maria was photographed on Friday, relaxing on a balcony alongside another couple at a Manhattan beach pad.

The quartet were in clear breach of the two-metre social distancing norm that has been laid down by the authorities in LA where there have been 850 COVID-19 deaths
till date.

A few days ago, Maria had announced on Instagram that she was heading to a friend's beach house. "Last night, we took a sunset road trip along PCH, picked up lobster brioche rolls from @broadstreetoysterco drive thru and made our way to a friend's beach house," the 2004 Wimbledon champion wrote.

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Tennis star Sania Mirza on Thursday became the first Indian player to be nominated for the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I Heart Award. Former world number one and multiple Grand Slam winner, Sania, returned to Fed Cup competition for the first time since 2016 and guided Team India with her stunning performance, recording three doubles wins in the Asia/Oceania Group I tournament earlier this year in March. Her performance, along with another senior compatriot Ankita Raina, proved decisive in India's historic qualification to the Fed Cup Play-offs.

Reflecting on her nomination, Sania said the Fed Cup result at the Asia/Oceania tournament is one of the greatest achievements of her playing career. "Stepping on to the court for the first time in India colours was a moment of pride for me, back in 2003. It has been an eighteen-year long journey since then and I feel extremely proud and privileged to have contributed to the success of Indian tennis. The Fed Cup result at the Asia/Oceania tournament last month is one of the greatest achievements of my playing career. These are the moments an athlete plays for and I am grateful to the Fed Cup Heart Awards selection panel for this recognition" Sania said in a statement.

The Fed Cup Heart Award is an International Tennis Federation (ITF) initiative that was established in 2009 to recognize Fed Cup players. This year, six players have been nominated for the three regional Group I Fed Cup Heart Awards. In Fed Cup Heart Award's 11th edition this year, Priska Madelyn Nugroho of Indonesia is the second player nominated from the Asia/Oceania region. They are joined by Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) and Eleonora Molinaro (Luxembourg) from Europe/Africa; Fernanda Contreras Gomez of Mexico and Paraguay's Veronica Cepede Royg from the Americas, as the remaining four regional Group I nominations.

The winners of the Heart Awards will be determined by online voting by fans which will go live on 1st May and will go on until 8th May.

In 2019, Zarina Diyas from Kazakhstan emerged victorious from Asia/Oceania Group I.

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British tennis ace Andy Murray won the Virtual Madrid Open title on Thursday after a semi-final walkover, when opponent Diego Schwartzmann, logging in from Argentina, suffered a connection glitch.

Andy beat Belgium's David Goffin in the final, but the drama of the online tournament was in the semis. Diego kept winning points even though Andy was hitting winners.

Andy exclaimed: "This is madness," following which Diego withdrew. "I don't deserve to be in the final you play the final," Diego told Andy. "Due to technical problems with @dieschwartzman's connection that prevented him from competing normally in his semi-final match, the players have agreed that @andy_murray should progress to the #MMOPEN Virtual Pro final," the organisers tweeted. Later, Andy said he would donate a part of his prize money to UK's National Health Services (NHS): "I'll be donating half of the USD 45,000 prize money to the NHS and the other half to the tennis players relief fund."

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Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina is making the most of the Coronavirus-forced lockdown by teaming up with her friends to start her food blog.

The World No. 5 recently shared a picture with her 5,96,000 Instagram followers to announce her new venture. "I am excited to share a new blog that I have started, together with my culinary friends, giving you easy healthy recipes and some new ideas for the use of 'superfoods'. Link in bio. More stuff to come. Stay tuned," she wrote.

 

 

 

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👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼 I am excited to share a new blog that I have started, together with my culinary friends, giving you easy healthy recipes and some new ideas for the use of ‘superfoods’. ⁣ Link in bio. ⁣ More stuff to come. ⁣ Stay tune. 😘

A post shared by Elina Svitolina (@elisvitolina) onApr 28, 2020 at 7:43am PDT

She recently shared recipes of coconut, strawberry, blueberry and spinach smoothies.

The link to Elina's food blog is: https://theesclub.com

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World No. 2 tennis star Rafael Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello has revealed that the media often misreport her name and date of birth.

Mrs Nadal indicated that Mery is her real name. Also, her birthday is not on July 7.

Mery has always stayed away from the media glare, but remains in the news for being Rafael's better half.

In a recent interview to Spanish daily La Vanguardia, she said: "Well, nobody around me calls me Xisca. And my birthday is soon, I will surely spend it in confinement. But it is not in July. There is still a little time left…" she was quoted as saying by essentiallysports.com website.

When asked about her interest in sports, she replied: "I exercise a lot, but always just for myself. Never seriously. I have played volleyball, done gymnastics, fitness and lately running. On vacation, I sometimes play paddle tennis with Rafael."

Mery, who is in self-isolation with Rafael in Mallorca, added: "We are confined like everyone else. We were very clear from Day One to train at home. We do rubber bands, push-ups, circuit…at least one hour a day in my case."

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Tennis legend Leander Paes, who made a guest appearance on the Education Webinar for Coaches, jointly organised by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), on Monday said it is key to focus on learning new skills during the lockdown period.

The country has been under lockdown for more than a month now to curb the menace of COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is important to focus on learning new skills during the lockdown", Paes said on how to best utilise this time away from tennis action and keep yourself active and mentally fit, as quoted by AITA's official website.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion also spoke on what keeps him going even at the age of 46. "For me, the relationships that I have had through tennis are the things that I cherish the most. "Those relationships over generations are what's special.

Paes recalled old relationships and had very special words for R.K.Khanna and Anil Khanna. "When I started playing tennis, R.K Khanna was the President of the AITA. I would not be who I am today without Khanna because he actually helped me in the Juniors, as a 14 or 15 year-old.

"He helped me get into the ITF Junior team. At that point, my family could not afford all the international coaching. And then after that Anil Khanna who was the President, took over the mantle of support."

Paes also thanked others including Bishwadeep, AITA CEO for having been there over the last two decades in Davis Cup ties that Paes had played, always being there to give support.

Paes signed off from the Webinar with a message to coaches saying, "Greatest joy you can have is to see your students do well at tennis. Use the sport as a vehicle to make them good human beings."

The Webinar, now in its second week, will have a session of "Coaching Young Children and Young People" by Kawaljeet Singh and Miguel Crespo from the International Tennis Federation will join as the guest speaker.

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The tennis club where Novak Djokovic broke confinement rules in Spain has said it mistakenly allowed the top-ranked Serb to practice and apologized for the error. Djokovic published a video of him training on Monday in apparent violation of Spain's current rules amid the coronavirus pandemic. The video posted on Instagram showed Djokovic exchanging shots with another man at the club in the coastal city of Marbella, where the Serb has been staying for the past several weeks.

Djokovic filmed the video while hitting shots and wrote he was "so happy to play on clay .. well, just for a bit with my phone in the hands. Spain has eased some of the lockdown measures that had been in place since mid-March, allowing professional athletes to return to practice, but most training centers and sports facilities must remain closed until next week. We are sorry that our interpretation of the regulation could have been erroneous, and this could have inconvenienced Mr. Djokovic or any other citizen acting in good faith," the Puente Romano Marbella Tennis Club said in a statement.

The statement, which was relayed by Djokovic's management team, said the club received a request from the player to practice and gave him the go-ahead with the "understanding that from May 4 all professional sports players were authorized to train." The club said it therefore believed he was "permitted to train in our facilities." It said it later received a "clarification" from the Spanish tennis federation and "both parties have agreed that training should resume" only next week.

Rafael Nadal said he also went to train on a court this week, but he did it on private property because the rules weren't fully clear to him. Soccer players were among the exceptions who could start training inside sports facilities beginning this week.

Spain has been one of the countries most affected by the pandemic but it started loosening some of its restrictions on movement as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 started to go down recently. The nation went into a lockdown on March 14.

Djokovic recently said he was against taking a vaccine for the coronavirus if it became mandatory to travel once the pandemic subsides, though he later said he was open to changing his mind.

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Tennis ace Sania Mirza said that one needs to be more sensitive while coaching young female sportspersons. Speaking in the All India Tennis Association and the Sport Authority of Indias digital Coachs Education webinar on Wednesday, Sania said that coaches need to be sensitive of the hormonal changes that girls go through while working with them.

"My dad always tells me that to work with a woman tennis player is a lot trickier and a lot more mental because I do think that there are a lot of issues that girls go through, especially when they are adolescent," said Sania.

"There are so many changes that are happening, internally in your body and externally as well. You are trying to be the best tennis player that you can be while there are so many hormonal changes happening as well, and it happens throughout the life of a woman.

"You can be a little bit more sensitive to their needs and the way they are because a lot of the times they are just trying to discover who they are, while they are also trying to be a tennis player. It can be a pretty tough job."

33-year-old Sania made her comeback to tennis this year after giving birth to her first child. She won the Hobart International in January before playing an integral role in helping India seal a historic playoff spot in the Fed Cup.

"Just the way I have managed everything else, I could manage both tennis and motherhood. I am lucky enough to have enough help around me as well, that is a huge plus point for me. My mom and my sister have played a huge part in giving me as much help as possible," said Sania on being asked about how she is managing the twin-role of mother and professional tennis player.

"A lot of people questioned it even when I was trying to make that comeback, how did you find time to lose so much weight. There's so much that happens with your body after you give birth. You just have to, sort of, adapt, find a way to take out two hours from your day to work-out and try to find that balance. It's also good for your own sanity as well, to find time for yourself."

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Tennis ace Sania Mirza spoke about the tweet she put up in March when Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc missed an ODI match to watch his wife and women's cricket star Alyssa Healy play the T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Sania, who is married to former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, tweeted: "Sure thing !! God forbid it would be a guy from the subcontinent, the guy would be called a ‘joru ka ghulaam' in one second ?? good on you Mitchell ???? couple goals for sure!!"

Sania on Thursday explained that she was speaking about the abuse that she or Indian actor Anushka Sharma face whenever their husbands miss out on the field. Anushka is married to Indian captain Virat Kohli.

"It (Tweet on Starc) was funny because me and Anushka probably relate to this the most," said Sania in a video interaction with Indian cricketers Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana on their Youtube chat show "Double Trouble."

"I think whenever our husbands perform, it's because of them and when they don't it's because of us. I don't know how that works," she said.

Sania said that the phenomenon points to a deeper cultural issue. "We are saying it as a joke but I think there is a much deeper issue. The deeper issue is that a woman can always be a distraction and not a strength.

"That's a cultural issue we have to deal with. Oh ‘if your girlfriend is there or your wife is there, he must be distracted because he is going out for dinner'. That doesn't even make any sense.

"When he (Starc) went back to his wife to watch the World Cup final and everybody was hailing him, I was trying to just picture Shoaib doing that for me and I was like, hell would have broken loose if that would have happened.

"They would have said that he is such a joru ka ghulam, he is going and watching a women's cricket match. I just felt it. Sometimes humour also brings out the truth in many things.

"Anushka and I had a long conversation about it. We both were like, my goodness this is so true."

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The three-day annual "Winter Fest 2017" took off here with fanfare on Friday with the city coming alive with colourful cultural and folk performances as well as traditional sports activities for visitors and tourists. The quintessential hospitality and warmth of the local people -- that Rajasthan has been known for -- further added to the cheerful disposition of the festival, being organised by the Rajasthan Tourism Department.

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On Friday morning, a grand procession with various cultural and folk performances, including Ghoomar, Gair, Kacchi Ghodi and Kalbelia, to the Nakki Lake marked the start of the festival.

Events like a football match, Tug of War and Musical Chairs between the locals and tourists were held in the afternoon. The evening had a scheduled performance of the best of European bands.

On Saturday, Day 2, a Boat Race will be organised on Nakki Lake. The other programmes, such as a Kite Show, Rangoli Competition, Matka Race, Dog Show, Turban Tying Competition and Best of Rajasthani Dress Competition, are scheduled to take place in the afternoon.

In the evening, there will be a live performance of the Army Band, followed by a stunning display of the Best of Rajasthan group performances.

On the third day, December 31, a marathon race has been planned from Polo Ground to Nakki Lake. There will also be a Horse Show and Kabaddi Match in the afternoon and in the evening, there will be a Rock band performance by the "All Events Mumbai", before a display of fireworks.

On all three days, as part of the festival, there will processions of various cultural and folk performances from Toll Naka to Nakki Lake.

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It's like a scene out of Princess Diaries. I enter my suite at Burj Al Arab and let out an exclamation. The large, plush living room in hues of blue and gold looks out on the pristine Persian Gulf. "This is my room?," I manage to squeak. "Yes," my personal butler says. "If you follow me, the bedroom is above." Above? The winding stairs lead up to more luxury, in the form of a walk-in dressing area, a bathroom that has my own private jacuzzi, and a bedroom that's a shame to be enjoying alone.

After the butler leaves, asking me to call him for anything my heart may desire, I decide to soak my weary, it's-December-and-I-need-a-break bones into a hot jacuzzi, as I listen to music and play with the foam. Ok, I know I have moved from Princess Diaries to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, but bear with me. And so, I prance into the bedroom, 20 minutes later, suitably loosened up, I plonk myself on the bed in my soft, white bathrobe. And that's when I see it — a ceiling mirror. And that's when I forget about being a princess or a pretty woman — I morph into a Kardashian as I take my first selfie of the trip. Don't blame me, it's a ceiling mirror after all.

Pics/ department of tourism and commerce marketing

As I post the picture on my Instagram with appropriate Kardashian references, I look around and admit sheepishly — it's easy to get used to luxury. It's rumoured that Dubai got its name from an Arabic proverb "Daba Dubai" which means "They came with a lot of money". Well, you have to come with a lot of money so you can really enjoy all that the city has to offer. Dubai has never shied from flaunting what its sheikh rulers have given it — gravity-defying skyscrapers (Burj Khalifa at 829.8 metres), high-fashion malls, ultra luxurious hotels and a glittering nightlife, among many other attractions. Though you may have looked at it all from far and shook your head in disdain at the unnecessary opulence of it all, once you are here, it seems just natural to enjoy it.

Thanks to the fact that I am staying at the Burj Al Arab, the only certified seven-star in the world, my short two-day trip to Dubai has started on a lavish note. After my bathing and preening routine, I am informed that I will be watching a production of La Perle (The Pearl) created by Franco Dragone (the Italian-Belgium director who was once creator at Cirque du Soleil) as the first resident show of Dubai. After a drive that acquaints me with the buildings I have only seen in pictures (the Burj Al Khalifa, the Dubai Frame among others), I find myself seated in front-row seats at the theatre, I really don't know what to expect. But the next 90 minutes are a mind-boggling treat. Performed at a theatre that uses state-of-the-art technology, and houses an aqua-stage and a 12-metre deep pool filled with 2.7 million litres of water, 65 world-class performers, dancers, circus acrobats from 23 countries, perform breath-taking and extraordinary stunts, ranging from acrobatics and contortion to flying and diving. At the end of it, believe it or not, I am tired of gasping. But the show is once again about how Dubai doesn't do anything half-heartedly. If you are going to get a resident show, make it big. The next morning, after having barely slept (the large, quiet room sadly doesn't come with a hot sheikh to keep you company, wink wink), I head down to have breakfast as I look out on the gulf. Arabic delicacies share space with European and American food at the expansive buffet, and it all looks delicious. If I wasn't a fan of mezze (made up of babaghanoush, hummus, muhammara and much more), I am a convert now. My relaxed meal sets me up for a day full of, let's see, yes, more relaxing.

As I sink into the massage table, I am once again forced to see myself as another pop culture icon. I transform myself into Carrie Bradshaw in a glittering, starry outfit, and high heels (bought at a mall visit in the morning), for my dinner at the Burj's Scape restaurant that serves Californian cuisine. I don't know if the delicious pizza I ate was Californian, but it was worth it. It's just fitting to end the day with another picture, this time in full Carrie style, with my hand on my hip and my glitter in all it's Instagram-filter glory. As I stand by a gold ceiling prepping my smile, our hotel guide observes, "that ceiling is made up of real gold", and I just smile, "I didn't expect anything lesser."

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"Game of Thrones" may return in 2019 but the winter is already here for the fans of the HBO epic fantasy drama who can now have a freezing experience in a new hotel that has opened in Finland, inspired by the show. The Leland Hotel SnowVillage transformed its annual ice hotel into a "Game of Thrones"-themed frozen resort in collaboration with HBO Nordic, according to Conde Nast Traveler.

The resort is complete with corridors and guest rooms lorded over by enormous hand-sculpted homages to the iconic White Walkers of mega-hit series. The hotel took barely one month to build with professional ice sculptors from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Latvia working on it. The GOT admirers also have an option of sleeping under the stare of a White Walker or under the direwolf sigil, which belongs to House Stark.

The temperature inside the hotel hovers around 23 degrees Fahrenheit, which warrants full winter wear, but in comparison to outdoor temperature, around 10 degrees, it is pleasantly warm. A night stay at the digs cost around USD 200 and one can additionally pay 18 dollars to get a day pass for exploring the SnowVillage.

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New Delhi: With beaches becoming the most preferred honeymoon destination, pack in funky and colourful tassel jewellery and chunky anklets, suggest experts. Nishant Tulsiani, director at Anaqa and Radhika Chitalia, designer at Joules by Radhika, have given inputs:

Your beach jewellery has to always be colourful to go with your swimwear, sarongs and the beach wear. For evening parties, you should go for some nice earrings with tassels in various colours. Always remember to wear light weighted jewellery.

A fine fusion of trinkets like sleek pendants and striking danglers in geometric shapes can be paired with both denims and sundresses and is always a good recommendation.

Chunky anklets in both silver and gold perfectly accessorise your feet when paired with your favourite flip-flops while on a beach with your partner.

Out of the huge variety available, layered neckpieces are an ideal companion for your honeymoon. They can be worn for a casual lunch or a formal night out with your husband.

Chic bracelets and bright coloured tassel earrings can also set the mood for a romantic outing with your beau.

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The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is working on a tie-up between hospitality provider Airbnb and locals for offering home-stay to tourists visiting the Elephanta Caves island located in Mumbai Harbour. The policy aims to overcome the security concerns due to high security installations facing the island that does not allow construction of hotels and night stay.

Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal said the 29th two-day Elephanta Festival, beginning January 27, will be held on the island itself again. After the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the festival venue was shifted to the Gateway of India in south Mumbai. "Seventy years after Independence, the island is soon to get proper electricity connection depending upon the testing of the electricity meters," the minister said. Rawal said there are about 1,200 to 1,500 homes on the Elephanta island, also known as Gharapuri Island, located east of Mumbai.

The minister said no new constructions are allowed on the island due to high-security installations of ONGC and the Navy. The Caves are declared a heritage site by the UNESCO and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Rawal said the government in a tie-up with the Mumbai Port Trust and the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) is planning a cable car over the sea for travelling to the island. The island is expected to get proper electricity connection within a week's time.

"The Elephanta festival will coincide with the culminating phase of the Mumbai Shopping Festival that will end on January 31," he said, adding that the Elephanta fest will comprise activities like treasure hunt at Elephanta, a sculpture and a painting contests with prize money. Besides this, the festival will have art, dance and music performances by Zia Nath, Sangeeta Trivedi, Sumeet Nagdev, Hans Raj Hans and others, Rawal said.

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Kerala is aiming to re-brand itself as a 'Land of Adventure' to increase tourist arrivals--both foreign and domestic in the next five years. The state was targetting the increase of foreign and domestic tourist arrivals by 100 per cent and 50 per cent respectively in the next five years, a tourism department press release said.

Kerala showcased its unexplored destinations and adventure tourism hot spots at the silver jubilee edition of SATTE-South Asia's leading travel and tourism exhibition at New Delhi today. On the rebranding of Kerala,Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said that over the years, the industry had changed rapidly with vistors preferring to go beyond the historic temples, monuments and modern sights.

Tourists prefer to explore hills, waterfalls and forests by indulging in adventorous activities, he said, adding that hencefourth the state aims to be re-branded as the 'land of adventure' to woo the younger generation by offering activity and water based tourism. Tourism Director P Balakiran said that the interest of travellers was increasingly gravitating towards adventure tourism offerings, including expanded world view, nature and discovery and fun and thrills. The activity related tourism would help the state achieve the target of domestic and international tourist arrivals, he said. The rivers, high altitude mountains, dense forests and vast stretches of sea offers an array of adventure packed destinations, he added.

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What is life if full of care, you have no time to stand and stare. To ensure that you stand and stare at the beauty that is the Western Ghats, Mapping Journeys is organising trekking, rappelling and cliff traversing at the Duke Nose peak of Khandala for four consecutive days, on the fourth edition of The Duke Nose Festival.

"There will be an 8 am pick up at Lonavala station, from where we'll proceed to the Duke Nose base camp for breakfast, followed by an hour-long trek to the peak. There, our technical team will be ready with rappelling gear. The wall stretches to above 1,000ft and the first 350ft of rappelling will be downwards," says Veeral Raj, co-founder of the travel firm. "Next up is cliff traversing, which is a walk along a cliff overlooking a valley. The participants will be harnessed to a rope for safety," Raj explains.

He adds that the final sport is often an element of surprise for participants as people usually look forward to rappelling alone. With a technical team that boasts 12 years of experience in the field, Raj assures the trip is safe for first timers and for people across all ages. So put on those trekking shoes and head out for an adventurous weekend.

On February 10 to 13, 8 am onwards meeting point Lonavala Railway Station.
Log on to insider.in
Call 9867697306
Entry Rs 1,650

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Google has introduced updates to its existing "Google Flights" service that will now let users book a hotel at their travel destination directly from Search. Earlier, the service helped users predict flight delays and find the cheapest fare by using machine learning capabilities.

According to Engadget, the company might introduce more integration to help users with the entire travel process.

According to Google, it also added improved price filtering, easier to find information on amenities, along with the new booking feature.

"There are some new interface features that help you check travel options on your mobile phone, too. Over the next few days, you'll see a 'Hotels' option to tap at the top of a 'Google Flight' search page," the report said.

If users want to search for hotels first, they could flip over to the 'Flights' tab as well to check prices and book air travel.

In addition, one could search by destination, then look up flights and hotels from there.

A simple tap on "More Destinations" at the top left of the search results and see more places to go.

"If you've booked travel via Google or have reservations in your Gmail, you'll be able to see it all in the new private 'Your Trips' section," the company said.

A user could also e-mail these details directly from "Your Trips". In case of offline access, the information would show up in the "Google Trips" app.

If lazing around pristine white shorelines and engaging in fishing off the coast is your idea of the perfect weekend, sign up for a fishing trip organised by Grassroutes, that will be set in the scenic Adgaon beach along the Konkan coast.

Participants will learn traditional hand fishing and also the line-and-hook type of fishing

Shreya Thaker, from the rural tourism-centric tour group, says, "We aim to organise events that connect people with different communities and help them financially. So with the trip, Fishing for Fun, we are working with the Koli community to host fishing and hiking activities to keep you engaged while you also enjoy the traditional hospitality of homestays in this region, which includes Konkan cuisine prepared by locals." She states that participants will learn the technique of traditional hand fishing practised by locals while the line-and-hook type of fishing will be taught by Donna Sequeira, a facilitator from the organising company.

Participants will be taken on an early morning tour of the local fish market to spot varieties caught off the coast. "We are also planning to visit mango and cashew farms along with a hike to a hidden waterfall near the village," shares Thaker.

ON: February 17 and 18, 12 pm onwards
AT: Adgaon Beach, near Divegar. call 9820464838 for bookings
LOG ON TO: bit.ly/2nZetPx
COST: Rs 3,000 (adult) and Rs 1,800 (child) [inclusive of food, accommodation and fishing equipment; not inclusive of travel cost to reach location]

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Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep is a group of islands, 200–440 km off the southwest coast of India. These islands form the smallest union territory of the country. The Lakshadweep region has about 600 species of fish, 78 species of coral and over 100 species of other marine invertebrates. This is the perfect opportunity to explore the fascinating marine life underwater.

This year BNHS will be visiting the Tinnakara Island; The charming isolated Thinnakara Island is situated just opposite side of Bangaram island and share the same lagoon and are part of the Bangaram atoll. You need not worry if you do not know swimming; you can still enjoy the deep blue sea and move among the amazing corals, fishes, shells, shrimps and crabs. Most of the snorkeling will be in waist-deep coral lagoons.

Batch I: 3rd – 7th March, 2018
Batch II: 10th – 14th March, 2018
Batch Size: 15 participants only
Accommodation: Twin sharing in furnished Non Ac beach tents house on the Tinakara Island.
Camp fees: Rs. 47,500/- for members and Rs. 49,000/- for others (ex Aggati).
Cost Includes: Stay and food, Pick-up and drop from/to Aggati one snorkeling session per day on the island.
Cost excludes: Flight/rail tickets, all expenses of personal nature like laundry, tips beverages, camera fees, extra water activities, SCUBA, any cost not specified above.
Reporting: Participants to meet on Day One morning at Aggati Airport Lakshadweep 10.10 a.m. (as per the flight schedule) drop on last day at Aggati Airport at 10 a.m. (as per the flight schedule).

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Living in a city like Mumbai where views from a person's home consist mainly of bricks and mortar, and where people go about their daily business with such a frenetic pace that it mirrors a fast local train travelling at top speed, can leave its citizens feeling as jaded as someone who's been tied to a computer screen indefinitely for months on end. But a travel company is now offering people feeling the same the chance to join an expedition to Rishikesh, so that they can recharge their batteries before getting back to the daily grind.

"It will be a three-night stay," says Rohit Dube, co-founder of Moonstone Hammock, which is organising the tour. "The first day starts with a trek to a hidden gem, a waterfall about 5 km from the main city where people can actually sit in the water and have their food. And over the course of the rest of the trip, we will take the participants for two different evening aartis, rafting, to the Beatles ashram, cafés with live music, and local bazaars so that they can soak in the vibe of the place. We will also take them around the mountains on bikes, for instance to the beautiful road that heads towards Badrinath," he adds, meaning that it's time for you to pack your bags if you want to escape this concrete jungle, even if it's for a brief period.

On: March 29 to April 1
Call: 9769274340 to book
Cost: Rs.7,980

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"I feel second-borns don't get enough time with their parents, and are always jostling for space, so I had always planned a trip with Sairah," says former VJ and host Mini Mathur, of her show Mini Me, which has her traipsing around six European countries with her seven-year-old daughter. "In everyday life, kids get to know only a routinised version of you. But, when you travel, they see the real you. Now, she sees me as someone who can do anything - I am cool!"

Mathur and her daughter vowed to stay away from a touristy itinerary, and planned on getting the local flavour right - "so we travelled by train, air, cruise, cycle, and stayed everywhere from a vineyard and a luxury hotel to a youth hostel." Here, she recalls four experiences that she recommends every parent should try with their child. "The main thing to note is that one doesn't need to only go to kid-friendly places to have fun. Try new things and put your children in charge." For example, in Athens, Mathur gave her daughter the map and told her to navigate their way through. "We got lost, but then finding our way was also such an adventure. I now don't look at her as a child, but a best friend."

Eat, Eat, Eat
A lot of this trip centered around food. In Dubrovnik, Croatia, Sairah ate mussels for the first time. Initially, she exclaimed, "I don't eat creatures!" She is a very dal-chawal, vanilla ice cream girl, so I wanted her to try everything. In Rome, I told her to taste all flavours, and then if she still liked vanilla, it would not be because she didn't have options. In Venice, we sat at a farmer's market one day and just sampled cheese and meats all day. And in Barcelona, we ate paella!

Cycle through a city
Lucca, in Tuscany, is a walled city, surrounded by double walls on all sides. We got one of those adult-and-child bikes and rode all around the city. I had never got a chance in India to teach her to cycle, and so Lucca became that place. The weather was great and the whole experience was an exhilarating one.

Living on a Vineyard
In Rome, instead of doing the same old things like going to Trevi Fountain, we decided to live on a vineyard in Tarquinia, a tiny old city in Italy. We stayed with a family whose business is to make wines. And then his wife would cook all these different types of pastas for us. Sairah got to taste her first wine as well, as the winemaker said it's a tradition in Italy that the youngest child has to taste the first wine of the harvest. Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Whenever Sairah remembers this, she wouldn't have a memory from a textbook, but will recall this from experience.

Pizza chase in Naples
We made a list of the top pizzerias in Naples (the birthplace of the Pizza Margherita) and went to taste each pizza, all in one day. The places were spread out, so we travelled by train. I discovered that my daughter is a Pizza Margherita connoisseur. At one place, I said that I thought the pizza tastes off, and she said yes, the sauce is undercooked! It was a learning experience.

>> There are direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi to every major city in Europe
>> Mini Me airs on TLC every Friday at 9 pm

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Taiwan

Those caught up in the hustle bustle of a city life -- and craving for someplace pristine, calm and relaxed -- will fall in love with Taiwan. But along with its tranquillity and peace, there is also the effervescence of a place celebrating its culture and language with aplomb.

This small island nation in the South China Sea is truly the heart of Asia - and it is fast catching the attention of Indian travellers, offering as it does a perfect combo of fabulous food, superb night life, bustling markets, hot springs, culture, history, architecture and stunning natural beauty - from gentle mountains to lovely coastal landscapes.

It was around the Taiwan Lantern Festival 2018 that we landed at Taichung International Airport here to be greeted by our tour guide, the friendly and ever-smiling Charles Tung. And he wanted all of us - a group of travelling journalists - smiling as well. "Say cheese," he said as he got us to pose for a group photo before we embarked on our journey of exploration. And there is much to explore.

"Taiwan has a truly unique natural beauty. There are beautiful places like Sun Moon lake, Yangmingshan National Park, Black Dwarf Cave... to name just a few. These places provide an escape from the chaos of urban living," Noel Saxena, Country Head, Taiwan Tourism Bureau India Office, told IANS. Saxena said Taiwan is also very rich when it comes to art.

"Be it dance, music or even folk art, the Taiwanese have earned critical acclaim with an exceptional display of talent. Taiwanese hand puppetry and Taiwanese opera are two foremost examples of art forms that are authentically Taiwanese, in that they use the Taiwanese language, not Mandarin," he informed.

The Taiwanese love for music and art was evident at Ten Drum Ciatou Creative Park, located in Kaohsiung. Once a sugar processing plant, it is now the hub of a percussion group -- the Ten Drum Percussion Group that has won accolades globally, including a Grammy in the Best World Album category.

While taking a walk around the former factory, we had to take a path made up of the branches of trees... Quite literally, we were walking on trees without fear of falling down -- a unique experience.

Other stops included the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, a comprehensive recreational area featuring Taiwanese indigenous people's cultural relics as well as amusement park facilities; and the Sun Moon Lake, situated near Yuchi township, was truly mesmerising. One of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Taiwan, it is shaped like a crescent moon; hence the name.

The Buddha Memorial Centre at Fo Guang Shan is a landmark in the country. Touching 108 metres in height, the Buddha is made up of 1,872 metric tonnes of copper and iron and is currently the world's tallest bronze seated Buddha.

"Taiwan is blessed with natural beauty, scenic areas, great food, astonishing history and culture -- and Taipei 101. This makes it a great destination. It is a destination for all age groups," said Saxena.

The country is home to only about 20 million people and is a technology powerhouse. This was quite evident even at the traditional Lantern Festival - held earlier this month -- where all the work displayed was high-tech.

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Some of the band members saw snow for the first time in Gulmarg

It's rare for a young band, new on the scene, to get the traction that the Mumbai-based Aankh Micholi has got in the last year. Formed in 2015 at the True School of Music, the alternative folk fusion has been performing all over the city and country in 2018, gathering praise for their soulful music, which they describe as "a marriage between powerful lyrics and compelling storytelling". Recently, the five members - Osho Jain, 23, Bharat Chandore, 20, Pankaj Pathe, 26, Akshay Dabhadkar, 21, and Hansel Dias, 23 - performed at Winterfell Café in Srinagar, which is known for musical performances.

The band also used a sled as a percussion instrument

"We had heard about the café and we just took a chance and called them, and said, 'would you like to host us?', and they couldn't have been happier. They also told us that we were the first non-Kashmiri band to have played in the Valley. The band, Parvaz, had performed before us, but all its members are Kashmiri," Jain tells us. We asked the band why they think the Valley should be our next travel destination and this is what they had to say.

And sang a few songs, which they shared on Facebook

'The people are amazing'
We literally haven't met better people ever before. Firstly, at the café, which takes its inspiration from the Game of Thrones, a crowd of over 50 turned up, which is great for that area. This café has a lot of things happening all the time - open mics, storytelling, all performance-based art. The music that we were playing was very different from the kind of music they are exposed to, which is basically Kashmiri folk music. This was very new to them, but they just loved it, and responded with such gusto. People are just nice everywhere you go, and help is at hand whenever you need it.

A select few airlines offer direct flights from Mumbai to Srinagar, or you can fly to Delhi and take a connecting flight

As soon as we landed, we just dumped our bags at our hotel, and headed to the Dal Lake. We then sat in the shikaras, and started playing our guitars and singing our original songs. We were entertaining people, and they were loving it. After a while, people joined us in the singing. It was one of our most overwhelming moments.

The snow is magical
On the second day we were there, we headed to Gulmarg. It wasn't supposed to snow that day, and hasn't snowed for the last 20 days. But, as soon as we got there, it started snowing, and even the locals were surprised. Some of us had never seen snow before. We were on the slopes and we were sledding. We also used the sled as a percussion instrument, and sang a few songs as we did a Facebook live from the slopes.

Binge on Kashmiri Noon chai
Since most of were vegetarian, food was a bit of an issue. But, we all fell in love with the kahwa. That sweet, sweet tea, really hit the spot in the cold. We also sampled the Kashmiri noon chai, also called sheer chai, gulabi chai, which is a traditional tea made with salt, milk and baking soda. It's very different to taste, and it would be right to say that it's an acquired taste. But we loved it.

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Are you planning a long distance travel or a long vacation? Confused what to take and how to pack all your belongings? Worry not, as experts like Shikhee Agrawal, (Head - Training, The Body Shop India) and, Shubhika Jain (Founder of RAS Luxury Oils), have listed 10 must-haves for long distance travel. Also, while travelling long distances, it is best to choose products which are more multi-purpose and carry essentials in travel-size bottles. 

Here are 10 such travel essentials you just cannot do without:

1. Face mask: A face mask is one of those essential and handy things that will make you feel better instantly when you are travelling. If you don't have space in the bag to pack your sleeping creams, a mask will help you wake up with refreshed and moist skin.

2. Face elixir: A face elixir with a blend of beauty oils with rose, sandalwood, frankincense, patchouli, rosehip and vetiver nourishes your skin, ensuring your face always has a gorgeously glowing, satin complexion. After your morning/evening cleansing ritual, take 2-3 drops in the palm of your hand and rub them together to warm before pressing gently onto your face and neck to infuse into the skin. These elixirs can be used as a handy to-go multi-purpose moisturiser when in need of hydration.

3. Cleanser: Don't forget to carry your skincare routine with you especially when it comes to cleanser. They can prevent multiple problems like dust. It will even help you remove make-up and moisturise skin.

4. BB cream: This cream is not just subjected to ultra-fine glow of the face anymore but also contains optimal SPF factor and acts as the skin perfecto and primer. It's best and sensible to avoid multiple products but simply replace it with a good BB cream for the radiance with protection.

5. Eye concentrate or serum: Travelling can make your dark circles appear big due to the long journey and lack of sleep. So an eye concentrate or serum is a must to be included during your daily skincare regime. Eye creams are usually enriched with ingredients which detoxify and reduce puffiness around the tired eyes.

6. Lena perfume bottles: When you need to select a scent for your vanity, pick up one in a travel-sized package. The lean bottles easily slip into your bag and will never spill.

7. SPF enriched lip balm: Lip balm with minimum SPF 15, keeps your pout nourished and soft with moisture boosting lip balm that contains a minimum of SPF 15.

8. Hand and foot cream: A hand and foot cream is a must for keeping every part of your body moisturised, with no rough sides. Travelling while caring for your skin is a must.

9. Lavender and geranium salt polish: For exfoliation, a lavender and geranium salt polish is a good, safe and natural choice. It is a perfect way to get rid of dry, dead skin which may have resulted from a sunburn or just not enough hydration. The salt polish can also be used as bath salts.

10. Use distinct pouches: Keep similar items together and it's best to use distinct pouches for everything and pack them right in the middle of your luggage so as to form a gentle cushion over them and to make sure that they don't get squeezed accidentally.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI)

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While tourists from across the world come to Goa to enjoy on its picturesque beaches, the locals have of late been holidaying in the state's hinterland to get respite from the summer heat and humidity. Several Goans have been rushing these days to the riverfronts in the rural talukas of Sanguem in South Goa district and Sattari in North Goa district, thus encouraging a new trend of 'agro-tourism' in the state.

There are at least 100 farms in Goa, which operate seasonally, mostly in summer, away from the beaches, a senior state tourism official said. "While foreign and domestic tourists enjoy on the beaches, the locals in the beach belt try to search for something else. The agro-tourism has, thus, come as a good alternative," Goa's tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said. The state government plans to provide all possible help to boost this hinterland tourism, he said.

"We aim to provide a diverse experience to the visitors. They should know all facets of Goa, right from beaches to our green hinterland," Ajgaonkar said. Prashant Desai, the son of former panchayat minister Venkatesh Desai, has turned a bushy patch at Advai village in Sattari into an agro-tourism destination. "The initial concept was to have modern farming with the cross plantation of banana, areca nut, coconut, papaya, lemon and other trees. But, a few of my well-wishers suggested that I should develop this place into a farm to attract tourists," he said. Now, the locals in large numbers throng the place, famous as the 'peacock farm'.

"My weekends since last four months have been full and now with the vacations on, we have advanced bookings even on weekdays," Desai said.
He claimed that about 90 per cent of the people coming to his farm were locals, while 10 per cent were visitors from other places, including Mumbai, who got to know about it through the social media. In the hinterland, one can also find inspirational stories of aspiring tourism entrepreneurs. Ramchandra Salgaoncar, who manages a papaya farm at Bhironda village in Sattari, left his cushy corporate job to venture into 'agro-tourism'. "I left my job in October last year and since then have been associated with this project of agro-tourism. It is a satisfying experience," Salgaoncar said. While Goa has the image of being a beach destination, several hotel owners from the coastal belt drive to Salgaoncar's farm to enjoy a quiet vacation during weekdays.

"The hoteliers are busy during weekends at their own resorts, so they can spare time to visit the farm only on weekdays," he said. The agro-tourism concept has been welcomed by professionals from various fields in the state and also young students, who prefer to skip weekends and get some discounts during weekdays to enjoy at these farms, Salgaoncar said. "The concept of tourism has changed. Now, people don't want to go to public places with their families. They want a private space where their families can safely enjoy. That is where small farms like ours flourish," he said. The Tanshikar farm in Sanguem taluka has been among the first few 'agro-tourism' ventures. Chinmay Tanshikar, who turned his ancestral farm into a tourist attraction, claimed that the number of visitors to his place has been increasing every year. "The word of mouth publicity works better than any other media campaign," he said.

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View from the train before entering One-Kiss Tunnel

The tiny hill station of Matheran is a far cry from the peace and serenity that its British founder Hugh Poyntz Malet yearned for. In the 1850s, Indian Civil Service Officer Malet was the Thane collector and while camping below in the village of Chowk, he climbed up the hill-top to explore the region finding it lush green with clean air and water springs, an ideal spot for a vacation. In love with the place, he frequented it with friends and family. Soon, the then Governor of Bombay, Lord Elphinstone, visited the place to make it as a site for his bungalow (still known as Elphinstone Lodge). The rest is history.

Today, over 160 years later, Matheran has lost much of its peace to commercialisation, but it retains some of its charm and character. It remains an eco-sensitive zone with no motorised vehicles, allowing only for horse rides, carts and cycle rickshaws. Though paver blocks have surfaced much of the red soil is intact, and it remains a quick getaway from fast-paced Mumbai.

Peerbhoy original loco

Track record
The journey is fun if you are in a group as it takes just about two hours for the entire ride. Reach Neral on the Mumbai-Pune line and the Matheran narrow gauge train station is adjacent to it. The station and the line are well maintained and are in the tentative UNESCO World Heritage List. Tickets are available on the spot with no prior or on-line bookings due to its limited capacity. The Central Railway runs about 102 services every week (see box). With a width of two feet, it is one of India’s narrowest running passenger railways, and is similar to the Darjeeling Hill Railway.

Matheran Railway station

After booking our tickets, we settle down in our seats. We note that ticket checkers are quite strict. As the mini train pulls out, the initial stretch runs parallel to the Karjat railway line and we spot the local trains pass by, but a sharp right and a steep climb runs the train between two hillocks and the spirals begin. The railway line that was built as a private venture of the Peerbhoy family between 1901 and 1907 still maintains most of its original layout, except for a few stretches. The line winds around the mountain in spirals taking us 2,625 feet above sea level!

Token Machine

High on geography
The train chugs along slowly, at only 13 kmph. The first station is after a distance of 4.8km called Jummapatti. Here, the road that had vanished meets the rail again and we spot motor vehicles speeding by. The line operates on the old token signalling system and the train comes for a brief halt here. Steam trains ran on the stretch till the early 1980s; these were replaced with diesel locomotives in 1984. As the train proceeds, there are three stretches, where we spot our train as it zigzags the curves to avoid reversing points.

The next station is Water Pipe Road, called so due to its proximity to the twin metal water pipes that make their way to the station. It’s another place where tokens are exchanged. During the journey, the rail intersects the road at several places. A little ahead, we enter the One-Kiss Tunnel, popularly named so because it gives a couple time for just a kiss! The entire line has over 121 bridges (mostly minor), 221 curves and only one tunnel. As the train reaches the next station Aman Lodge, we spot tourists walking along the train and more crowds.

Picnickers at Echo Point/PICS/RAJENDRA B. AKLEKAR

This is the closest station to Dasturi Point till where motor vehicles are allowed. The railways have a number of special trains to cater to this crowd as beyond this point besides the train, only horse carriages, cycle rickshaws and carts are allowed. After we cross Aman Lodge, we reach Matheran in 20 minutes, and as we alight, the locomotive goes ahead in a spiral loop to make way for the return journey.

WHAT TO SEE
Located in the Sahyadris at 2,625 feet above sea level, Matheran has 38 points, including a lake. Panorama Point provides a 360-degree view of the surroundings and Neral, Charlotte Lake and Celia Point offer nice views of the dam. Echo Point, is a must-visit too.

While in Matheran
The marketplace on the main street is ideal for knick-knacks, curios and food items like chikki and fudge.
Phone network works well in the market, but weaken elsewhere.
Villagers are co-operative but remember that Matheran has inadequate medical facilities.

Ali Akbar Adamjee Peerbhoy

Remembering a legacy
“The story of the Matheran railway is intriguing. By the turn of the century, the hill resort became popular during summer vacation. Once, after arriving from Mumbai to Neral, Sir Adamji was unable to reach Matheran as no horses were available throughout the day due to the heavy rush. He returned with the thought that of improving things and came up with an idea of a small railway to connect uphill. It was the fastest available mode of transport and he was ready to fund it. This historic decision changed the destiny of the hill station. The next time he visited Matheran was only after his own railway was built,” recalls Ali Akbar Adamjee Peerbhoy (inset), second great-grandson of Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy. His forefather built the line as a family enterprise over a century ago.

Toy train schedule
Monday: 17 services Tuesday to Thursday: 14 services Fridays: 21 services Weekends: 22 services
COST 1st class (adult): R300, 2nd 2nd class (adult):Rs 75. NOTE: Bookings are done only at Neral station

Travel by road
If you prefer to drive down by the road, set your phone map to Dasturi Naka, the entry point into Matheran. It’s until here that motorised vehicles are allowed. It has ample parking space. From Dasturi Point, you can either walk up to Matheran — it’s a 20-minute trail — or opt for cycle rickshaws, horse rides or the train. The Aman Lodge station is next to the Dasturi Point car park. The services between Aman Lodge and Matheran is frequent and is a 10-minute-long-journey.

Rs 55k
The cash you will have to shell out if you wish to book an entire train with its steam engine!

Also read: Matheran toy train finally begins to run on the entire 21-km stretch to Neral from January 26

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Despite the scorching heat, Goa remains the most popular Indian holiday destination, followed by Jaipur, according to a study conducted by a leading travel portal.

Thanks to budget-friendly stay options and heavy discounts on flights, Indians also prefer short-haul international destinations such as Dubai and Singapore, according to a study by ixigo, based on bookings on its website.

The difference in domestic airfares for peak and off-season is about 45 per cent and for international airfares is about 18 per cent, said a statement.

As for stay options, while Indians prefer to keep a low hotel stay budget, they wouldn't mind paying extra for a great view at a beach or hill station.

Around 47 per cent tourists prefer to stay at 4/5 star hotels during summer holiday in Goa vs 62 per cent who prefer more pocket friendly accommodation options in Jaipur.

ixigo CEO and Co-founder Aloke Bajpai said: "It was interesting to find that travellers no longer worry about seasonality while picking a summer holiday destination. Places such as Goa and Dubai have become round the year tourist hubs! Off-season travel can be quite beneficial.

"Not only do you avoid all the rush, but you also save considerably on hotels and flights. If we compare flight fares from last year, average domestic fares for the summer season have dropped by around 9 per cent and average international fares have dropped by around 19 per cent. This, plus additional discounts offered by travel portals such as ixigo, enable travellers to plan trips, even on smaller budgets."

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Mount Everest. Pic courtesy/YouTube

Trekking is a mix of adventure, delight and self-fulfillment. The high-altitude treks offer a thrill-packed action - an experience that should not be missed at any cost.

The mighty Himalayas are the cure for those bitten by the adventure bug. Whilst it takes a lot of gusto, courage and determination, travelling smart is necessary.

Talking about the essentials of smart packing, Rupali Juneja, a travel expert, said, "If you are planning to explore the fascinating mystery of the snow-capped Himalayan beauty, there are several aspects that should be taken care of before starting the sojourn. Many times people over-pack their bags by stuffing it all. This is done because you never know what you might end up needing on your way. However, this is an absolute NO-NO! You must always pack your backpacks smartly so as to avoid wasting time trying to find things later. This will also ensure that you are carrying less/lightweight while climbing up."

"Take time to understand the terrain you are off to. If you have chosen arid mountains, make sure you carry a good hat or a sun cap and pair of glasses. Good trekking shoes, of course, are essentials as would be a sturdy rucksack. A water bottle, sunscreen, insect repellent, Swiss knife are the other essentials. For higher reaches, thermals, woolen caps and warm socks are a must," said Navneet Mendiratta, a content curator, and travel expert.

1. Prepare a checklist: A checklist always helps to remember and organise the items that one needs to carry. Always opt for travelling light.

2. Arrange them the right way: Arranging all your belongings is a task but if done in a right way, everything becomes easily accessible.

3. Quick snacks: Food will surely keep one energised during the trek.

A good and memorable trekking is always the result of a smart packing. So be a smart trekker and enjoy the thrill of trekking expedition in the Himalayas.

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Changing lifestyle habits, increasing work pressure and stress levels have left modern-day individuals with no time to pay heed to their health and one disease that seems to be emerging because of irregular lifestyle is breast cancer. So make sure you are keeping a check on habits that can lead to this disease. Meher Patel, Director at DIVA, Centre for Breast Care (partner with cosmetic brand AVON's #PayAttention campaign that raises awareness on breast cancer), says:

1. Lack of physical activity: Don't be proud of being laid back. One of the main reasons is that excess weight causes the body to produce and circulate more estrogen and insulin, hormones that can stimulate cancer growth. It is crucial to keep your body fit at every stage of life continuously using all body parts to sweat out intoxicants that one consumes in this polluted, fast-paced world.

2. Alcohol and smoking: The downside of relaxing in this modern world. The more glasses of drinks you down on the weekend, or packets of cigarettes you puff up, the more you are at risk of breast cancer. Also, for the night owls, it is advisable to find the right balance since irregular patterns of work, long hours and late nights are more likely found to be struck by cancer in the later years of life.

3. Long night-shifts at work: After conducting a survey with 300 women-some of whom worked at night, some of whom didn't the survey found that those who had worked nights for 30 or more years were twice as likely to have developed the disease.

Renuka Prasad- Joint Secy (Hon.) at Indian Cancer Society too has problems to share that can lead to this disease.

4. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and contraceptive pills: Medical improvisations you don't need! Avoid using the viral popular HRT or contraception tablets to abnormally treat menopausal symptoms and unwanted pregnancy.

5. Overweight: Start eating healthy and avoid eating out. Putting on weight in adulthood (after the age of 18) with those extra munchies and burgers, or being overweight after menopause can also lead to breast cancer.

6. Other causes: A few other causes that women tend to overlook is the excess use of deodorants and perfumes, underwired bras, bumping or bruising of breasts, breast implants and abortions that can also be potential threats to breast cancer.

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Representational picture

New Delhi: With travel bug catching up in India, European countries are a preferred destination for Indians this summer, according to a survey.

Searches were conducted by travel search engine KAYAK.co.in between October 1, 2017 to March 23, 2018 for travel dates between May 5, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

As per the search, Moscow and Istanbul are taking the lead with year-on-year increase in flight searches by 269 and 252 per cent respectively.

Other trendy destinations this summer show that Indians are interested in travelling not only to the well-known European destinations like Spain, Germany and Greece but also to some less conventional ones like Norway, Hungary and even Iceland.

Europeans on the other hand are travelling to Palma Mallorca in Spain the most, followed by London and Lisbon.

Considering the budget, several European locales are emerging as good options for travel from India without burning a big hole in the pocket.

Istanbul, which is also the second top-trending destination, is seeing a price drop as high as 95 per cent compared to the average trip cost.

This is followed by Milan, Italy, with a 37 per cent drop in the average trip cost. With warm weather in Europe, this represents a good opportunity to travel to these European destinations for a summer adventure at a reduced price.

Abhijit Mishra, Director of India and Middle East, KAYAK, said in a statement: "With the summer holiday period quickly approaching, travel planning is on the rise and it was interesting to see how European countries have emerged as the preferred destination for Indians this year."

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A Writers Retreat session in progress

While most of us aren't as lucky as Ruskin Bond to call the hills of Uttarakhand home, a brief escape to nature can help get the creative juices flowing. If you love writing and feel you could do with some inspiration as well as insights into honing your prose, the upcoming edition of Writers Retreat might be your ideal getaway.

The sprawling open-air venue

Designed by the live storytelling event series, Tall Tales, and Grassroutes, an organisation that seeks to connect the urban dweller with the rural community, the two-day retreat will take place in Dehna. The village, located at a two-hour drive from Mumbai, is nestled in the Sahyadris. And thanks the many streams and rivulets that spring up during monsoon, it is also called the land of a thousand waterfalls.

Michael Burns

The retreat features seven workshops rolled into one along with some free time to explore and soak in the rural life. "The first day is all about the universal story structure - how to start stories, what to do in the middle, and how to end them. Irrespective of the language or genre, there is a basic structure that many writers with great ideas find difficult to adhere to," says Michael Burns, director of Tall Tales. The day will end with a film screening, where participants will watch a structured story unfold on screen.

The next day will get into the nuances of good writing, like designing unforgettable characters. "Some writing exercises will encourage participants to explore their relationship with nature; something that's difficult to achieve amidst the distractions of a busy city like Mumbai," signs off Burns.

On: October 1, 9 am onwards
Meeting point: To be decided three days prior to the trip
Log on to: instamojo.com
Email: akshay@talltales.in (seats limited)
Cost: '8,000 ('7,000 for students)

Arijit Datta hobbles into The Fatty Bao with a twisted ankle. Sidd Coutto bustles in 10 minutes later. The former's a music composer who's moved away from bands like Agni and Airport towards film and advertising, while the latter is probably the busiest musician in the city's indie circles. They first dive into starters — Crystal Dumpling, Spicy Mushroom Sushi Roll, Dancing Prawns and California Rolls — and then into conversation about their craft.

Sen: How do you switch seamlessly from making indie music to more commercial projects?
Datta: It's not a switch really. I think that for me and for Sidd also, wherever there is a mode of expression, we just go there and do our thing.
Coutto: Yeah, true. For commercial concerts, you just go up there and rock 'n' roll, dude. It's just a two-hour gig, where you're hanging with your buddies on stage and partying away.
Datta: It would be different when it comes to writing songs, which we both do, because if you have to mould yourself according to the audience, that's what you might call a switch.

Sidd Coutto (left) and Arijit Datta share a laugh at The Fatty Bao in Bandra. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Sen (to Datta): So when you were composing for the movie Filmistaan, did you have to keep the audience in mind?
Coutto (answering for both): See, performing is one thing and composing is another. When you're writing for films, you have to be clear that it's the director's baby. You are facilitating his vision. Yes, it's your baby at one level, but you're not both the mummy and the daddy.
Datta: The good part about Filmistaan was that the director let me interpret the film my own way. So I never had to break away from my own self, because the music came naturally to me. Plus, the movie had no market pressure as such, so I didn't really have a brief.
Coutto: ...Which by the way isn't the norm, so [singing to the tune of a Daft Punk Song] you got lucky.
Datta: Yeah, and for me, I think very cinematically. Even with my band's songs, if I just change the arrangements a bit, they can be in a film.
Coutto: Also, when most people come to you for work now, they come for what you make. It's not like the old days when it was like, 'Aisa banaa aur waisa banaa.' So you don't have to switch so much, since they want you for you.
Datta: I think there are newer minds. There are newer storytellers with a different language altogether, who go in search of newer sounds, voices and composers.

Sen: So it's not the era of Jatin-Lalit and Anand-Milind anymore?
Datta: No. But they also had their own sound. At that time, Jatin-Lalit were the kings, ya. Of course, they didn't move with the times.
Coutto: Or, the times moved away from them. But they did try. Infact, [Anand-Milind's] Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak is my favourite Hindi film album of all time.

Datta: Yeah, it's my favourite too. It was a complete album. Even the least-remembered song [sings a bar from Kaahe Sataye], even that I remember! So yeah, they did their time; they brought in their sound and gave us memorable tunes. But then our tastes started changing. MTV, Channel V and VH1 came in, and the world suddenly became bigger.

The mains, Asparagus Bacon Fried Rice and Exotic Mushroom Ramen, arrive. This is followed by moments of silence interspersed with appreciative sounds such as 'mmmm'.
Sen: What are some of your favourite places to eat at in Mumbai?
Coutto: Over the past couple of years, I've discovered that Social actually has awesome food. They have a vast variety of things, with small dishes included. Did you know that they have something on the menu called Staff Khaana? It's exactly what their staff eats and it's great, dude. But I don't end up ordering it as much because there are so many more things I like. But they have removed bheja from the menu, and I love bheja.
Datta: I can never have bheja, man.
Sen: So if you go to Bangkok you're never going to try cockroaches and locusts?
Datta: Never. I can't go in that direction. I know that people are adventurous with their food and everything. But I can't do that.
Coutto: For me, when it comes to food, I let my nose guide the way. Otherwise, I have no restrictions.
Datta: I love going to this place called National. It's a dhaba that a Sardar owns and it's been running since 1952, near Bandra Talao. It serves pure food, you know, the sort with less oil — makki roti with butter on top, rajma, bhindi — and you can even have their water and nothing will happen to you.
Coutto [Putting his fork down and rubbing his tummy]: Yeah, I'll go there with you sometime. But right now, I think I'll go home and play some slow blues songs.

The recently-released Emma Stone film, Battle of the Sexes, takes a relook at the debate on gender equality. Four Indian women, all in a minority in their professions, share mantras to come up trumps at the workplace

Go beyond misogyny
Priyanka Kochhar, Model and professional racer
Motorcycling remains a male-centric field. I model for a living so that makes it even stranger for men to see me on a bike. Luckily, I am my own boss but for every motorcycle I ride or event I participate in, I'm usually the lone woman. It used to be intimidating at first because I knew I wasn't as well-read about the technicalities of motorcycles.

But now, after two years of BikeWithGirl [her Instagram account], many male riders have begun to see me as they see their colleagues. I'm happy to note that motorcycle brands treat me the same way they treat male bikers. Maybe my hunger to do this is what they see and not my gender. The way I've tackled misogyny is by going beyond it. It used to rile me up at one point.

But work still has to get done, so I figured there was no point mulling over it. It has been hard, there's no denying it. And yes, there are still some critics but I've received a lot of support as well.

Be proactive at work
Archana Savleram Hadawale, Code-maker and software engineer
I am the only woman in a team of 11 men. I love to accept challenges, and coding offers a new challenge every day, which is why I picked the profession. You press an enter key, and the world changes. I come from a simple family where no one is a post graduate.

It wasn't easy to pick software engineering. My parents weren't supportive at first; they wanted me to get a nine-to-five job and pay attention to household work too. They also didn't want me to stress too much due to a health condition. There is a solution for everything. I meditate to deal with the stress that comes with the job.

If someone says you can't do it, tell him or her, 'Maybe I can't, but I will sit with you to get it done.' Don't wait to get work, ask for it. Whenever I work late, I see to it that there is someone whom I can trust around. Having a good senior helps. Since I don't come from the same social background as my colleagues, my manager provides me guidance to tackle hurdles. In the end, your work will do the talking.

Women must support women
Devita Saraf, Technology entrepreneur
Technology is challenging, engaging and futuristic; it's why I chose this field. I have two challenges, one that I am a woman, and two, I am a leader; people don't take this combination seriously. Whenever I am meet somebody or am at a meeting with a retailer, I show that I am in charge.

Your confidence should be high and your words must carry weight. This helps people take you seriously. It gets difficult in towns and cities outside metros where the older generation might show disregard. But you need to react graciously as they may not have dealt with women in business.

The number of women in technology is increasing; I interact with several female technology graduates but many suffer from parental pressure to choose marriage over career. I push for women in my company; women must support other women. Several department heads in my company, be it corporate sales or R&D, are women. Technology is a good industry for women as you are known for your IQ, and if you walk the talk, men respect you.

Set up pro-women systems
Seethalakshmy Narayanan, Investment banker
The female:male ratio in my company is 10 women to 65 men. However, the men are supportive. It is important for workplaces to set systems in place to help women produce a solid output.

An action as simple as having a peon stay back for the safety of a woman when she is working late makes a big difference. Give your 100 per cent, no one will hold you back.

What pushes you to include indie sounds in film music?
It's exciting. We hear so much of template music each day. It sounds too similar, and gets boring eventually. Indie music gives you the edge to experiment and push the envelope. I follow my instinct.

Singer-composer Amit Trivedi

What will we hear at your performance at The Red Bull Tour Bus-Off The Roof gig?
I make alternate and mainstream Bollywood music, and you'll hear more of alternate sounds at this gig. I'll play music from Udaan, Lootera, Dev D and even Rukh [an upcoming film starring Manoj Bajpayee]. Mainstream songs will include tracks from Ayesha, Ishaqzaade and Shaandar. Divya Kumar, Arun Kamath and Yashita Sharma will accompany me. Expect a bit of Coke Studio-kind of sound as well.

What was it like working on Secret Superstar and Rukh? And exchanging notes with Aamir Khan?
I dealt with two different worlds. While Secret Superstar is the story of a mother and daughter, Rukh is the story of a father and son. The songs in Secret Superstar are from a 15-year-old's viewpoint. They are light and breezy; it can't be party music. Now, this is something important - a lot of people complain on social media about their dislike for a song. What they don't understand is that we make music for cinema, which is storytelling and where characters are involved. It is not necessary that every film needs to have a blockbuster song. And that's the beauty of Aamir Khan [producer of Secret Superstar]. He puts all his energy into every aspect of the film. Usually, the songs that get popular are romantic or melancholic, or club songs; this film has none of it.

Do you take social media seriously?
Earlier, there was a gap between the celebrity and the audience. Now, it's seamless. Everybody has a phone and an opinion. And this access is taken for granted. People say whatever sh*t they want. So, I just look at the good side of it. Bombay Velvet was a commercial disaster but till date, I get good reviews for the music.

Tell us about your interest in folk music.
When I was a kid, my mom would sing a lot of Gujarati garba songs. The environment [to nurture music] was appropriate. I've got many favourites - Tara Vina Shyam, Kaho Poonam Na Chand Ne, Sonal Garbo Shire, Ek Vanjari Julan Julti Thi, Krishna Bhagwan Halya Dwarika Ne.

On: October 14, 5 pm onwards
At: PJ Hindu Gymkhana, Marine Lines
Log on to: www.insider.in
Entry: Rs 500

She's sizzled on lists featuring the world's hottest women. So, when South African model-designer Gabriella Demetriades walks into The Daily, it's easy to figure why. There's no discernable make-up on her face; her slip dress is perfect to take her from day to evening. It's impossible to ignore Nikhil Thampi too, with his tall build and sunglasses in place. "You always wear amazing boots," he tells Demetriades. The two designers, known for their sexy western creations, slip into comfortable chatter.

Fashion designers Gabriella Demetriades (left) and Nikhil Thampi at The Daily Bar & Kitchen in Bandra. Pics/Sneha Kharabe

Sabhnani: What made you enter menswear?
Demetriades: Because no one's doing it! I am doing more of a casual daywear line that is unisex — jeans, tees and jackets.
Thampi: Menswear has evolved from what it was five years ago. Men are more experimental. I remember I had done cowl kurtas in my GenNext show; it wasn't big back then. Every top designer today is doing drapes for menswear. I thought, let's revisit it. Although, it is mostly Indian, nobody is doing predominantly western clothes. We thought of doing a small collection of eight looks to check the market. We have been flooded with offers. I never believed in celebrity showstoppers till today [Hrithik Roshan walked for his show].
Demetriades: It's amazing when they wear them as it goes viral. But then it depends on the celebrity too. As a foreigner, it was interesting to see that.
Thampi: We both owe a lot to celebrities; my career graph accelerated because of it. But it's important only if it translates into sales. A Deepika Padukone wearing an outfit is not as aspirational as Sonakshi Sinha or Kareena Kapoor wearing it, as they are full-bodied. Fashion weeks should focus only on design, not showstoppers.

Sabhnani: Speaking of model sizing, how did you shift from modeling to designing?
Demetriades: My family business involves textiles and haberdashery. My grandmother started it 50 years ago. My mother owns a small knitwear label in South Africa. The production capability there isn't amazing and we always thought of moving to India. We first came to India to look at production possibilities.
Thampi: Production is a nightmare in Mumbai. It costs half in Delhi or Kolkata. I cry every day due to bills and production issues.

Sabhnani: We have a long way to go, right?
Demetriades: It's very young. The Indian sensibility is conservative, so you have to tone it down. But it's a growing economy and there are risk-takers too.
Thampi: To survive, you have to be an all-rounder, especially a PR maestro.
Demetriades: Exactly. What's in the public eye becomes the identity of the brand. There's a big gap between lounge and high-end Indian wear — I can't buy a four-lakh gown for every occasion. There are no sexy/fun labels. The price point between $100 to $700 is massive in the West, and you can buy something beautiful.

The food arrives; Quinoa Salad and Champagne Mushroom Fricassee for Demetriades; Pollo Funghi e Jalapeno, Drunken Prawns and Banana Peanut Butter smoothie for Thampi.
Demetriades: This looks good! Avocuddle sounds cute [we ordered a blueberry avocado shake called Avocuddle].
Thampi: Food is my happy space. I eat everything; I can eat a human being!
Demetriades: That's mean! I gave up meat three months ago. But my family is Greek, so everything has lamb. They asked me, 'What are you going to eat!' When I watched the film Okja, I was in tears. And I was hosting people for dinner that day. When a pork dish was served, I thought, 'Oh god, I can't do it.' Since then I haven't had red meat or chicken.

Sabhnani: So, do you eat before shows?
Thampi: I can't eat anything, but I compensate after the show.
Demetriades: French fries. When I am stressed, I eat. When I am super happy, I don't. When I was in South Africa, I was 10 kilos lighter. It's very hardcore there. When I came to India, it was the opposite. People liked that I was curvy.
Thampi: She's so thin! It's a profession; you need to maintain yourself. But none of us would want to project our clothes on an extremely thin model.

Sabhnani: What do you like and hate about the industry?
Thampi: Nepotism. You pick up any magazine, and you'll spot the same five people, all over again. The same people are given awards every time. Move on!
Demetriades: Fashion and celebrities are a single entity in India. I don't think that just because you are a celebrity (Bollywood or cricket), you are fashionable. Also, there is hierarchy and power play in the industry, which is scary for newcomers and outsiders or foreigners like me.

What's common between rapper Sofia Ashraf, filmmaker Fathima Nizaruddin and Urdu-Kashmiri poet Mohammad Muneem Nazir? Besides a form of expression, they use their art as a tool of resistance. Next week, they will come together at Godrej India Culture Lab for Performing Protest, an evening that explores how art works with hunger strikes and marches to help create change. "The idea is to highlight alter-narratives [alternative narratives]. Young India is protesting in a number of ways — through candle-light marches, online petitions and flash mobs. Art is also one of them," says Lab head Parmesh Shahani.

A still from Nuclear Hallucinations

Fathima Nizaruddin

Ashraf will share more on the causes she supports through her music — the viral hit Kodaikanal Won't, protested against the mercury poisoning due to Unilever's thermometer plant, and Dow Vs Bhopal: A Toxic Rap Battle, appealed to the White House to help bring Dow Chemicals to bring justice for the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. "Today, the culture of dissent is looked down upon and those practising it are shown in a bad light, as the powers that be clamp down with terms like anti-national. So, it's important to stress on art's role in dissent," says Ashraf, who will also showcase the tongue-in-cheek music videos she creates under the series, Sista From the South.

Sofia Ashraf. Pic courtesy/Pretika Menon

Mohammad Muneem Nazir

Delhi-based Nizaruddin, currently pursuing practice-based PhD from London's University of Westminster, will showcase Nuclear Hallucinations. The 54-minute film on the anti-nuclear struggle against the Kudankulam Atomic Power Project in Tamil Nadu, highlights cases of sedition and war against the state that have been filed against the protestors. "Cases are even filed against grandmothers running coffee shops. The film questions the totalitarian nature of pro-nuclear assertions in the form of a satirical documentary. Instead of conducting interviews, I asked the villagers to wear masks and stage impersonations," shares the director, who will also present a performance before the screening.

Parmesh Shahani

Nazir will perform Urdu poetry that reflects the turmoils in the Valley. "My music appeals to people to be compassionate," he says. The trio will come together for a panel discussion about their work process.

ON: October 27, 5 pm
AT: Godrej One, Vikhroli East.
RSVP: indiaculturelab@godrejinds.com

Steve Vai at 2015 Rock in Rio concert. Pic/Getty images

You visited India 23 years ago. What are your memories?
I came to India as a spiritual soldier. Most people know me as a musician, but perhaps my most focused attention throughout my life has been on spirituality. There was a period I went through when I was researching various eastern philosophies and this brought me to India on several occasions. It was a tremendously rewarding experience.

How did you manage to keep your personal style of music intact?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a composer and so, I started studying music. But when I was an early teenager in the '70s, I discovered rock music by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Queen, Jethro Tull and Deep Purple. I've always loved the energy of rock music. When the opportunity came to join those bands in the '80s, I felt that a part of my musical sensibilities would work well with them. So, a particular style of my music was used during that time. But when I started doing my solo music more, my innate musical style emerged more powerfully. All the artistes I've worked with in the past have shaped what I do.

How would you describe the journey of your music?
I was very emerged in Zappa and his music while I was working with him from the age of 18 to 23. During that time, I was also writing my own music and, to some degree, it was highly influenced by Frank (Zappa). When I started working on the music of Modern Primitive, it was directly after my Zappa years and there was still much residual leftover Zappa influence in it.

Tell us about your life as a 20-something rock star in the '80s...
Well, it was certainly a good time to be a rock star. We could wear the oddest clothes, had a gigantic stage to run around on and were playing our a***s off! To be honest, I enjoyed it very much. I took great advantage of all the situations, but never lost myself in them. I knew they were all fleeting moments. Dave Roth threw the best parties, though. They were notorious. I saw and discovered things that could fill volumes of books and which you would not believe even if they were written and truthful. Imagine having at your disposal an abundance of fame, drugs, sex, money, etc. But as mentioned, I never got lost in any of it… except perhaps the fame, ha!

Will the heydays of rock ever return?
I don't know what young artistes do backstage anymore, but any time I've been there, they were nothing like what I remember in the '80s. For some, the heyday is now. There is still enough fame, drugs, sex and money to go around that could spin the head of any young artiste. But then again, there seem to be 'rock stars' in every field.

Any Indian musicians you admire…
I was fortunate to do some work with violinist L Shankar in the '80s. He's a phenomenon. I also enjoy the work of Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, U Srinivas, Ali Akbar Khan, Anoushka Shankar and others.

Who are your all-time favourite guitarists and why?
Jimmy Page was my first real guitar discovery and is, in my books, the best arranger, writer and producer of rock music. Allan Holdsworth has an inner ear unlike that of anyone.
Jimi Hendrix. Well, because he's Hendrix. When I heard Al Di Meola play as a teenager, I became aware of the extremes that a human being can achieve in terms of tone and chops.
Brian May has the most identifiable tone and touch. Joe Satriani, he speaks through his guitar in a way that is deeply moving and creative. He is the master of inspired instrumental guitar melody. I could go on and on.

What have you planned for your performance here?
I was happy to discover Mohini Dey, an extraordinarily talented Indian bass player. She played on a track on Modern Primitive called Bop. She's truly a marvel and if everything works out, she will be joining us at the show for a jam. Also, I have a backing video screen that has some of my friends appearing on it, who I will jam with from the stage. They include Joe Satriani, Brian May, John Petrucci, Tommy Emmanuel and Frank Zappa. I want to be connected to the evolutionary impulse of the universe when I play, thus, bringing an experience to the people that is captivating and even shocking.

Steve Vai performs at the Meghalaya (October 28) and Pune (December, date to be announced) edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2017
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Anoushka Shankar, who scored the recently restored silent film, Shiraz, recalls the challenge of the task, her upcoming India tour with the film and why Mumbai will always remain special

An emperor's love for his queen was immortalised in white marble in 1653. Three centuries later, when cinema was still at a nascent stage in India, the Taj Mahal and the love story of Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal became one of the earliest subjects to be celebrated on the big screen with Franz Osten's silent classic, Shiraz (1928). Almost 90 years on, the film starring Himanshu Rai, Charu Roy, Seeta Devi and Enakshi Rama Rau was restored to its former glory by the British Film Institute (BFI), in a manner most fitting.

The music for Shiraz is a blend of Indian and western instrumentation

While sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar was invited to score the music of the film, she will also present a live performance, alongside a screening in four Indian cities, being brought here by the British Council and BFI.
We spoke to Shankar about what went into reliving an era musically. Edited excerpts from an interview:

How did a project of this nature come about?
The BFI undertakes frequent film restoration projects, and in 2017, as part of the UK-India Year of Culture, they decided to work on Shiraz. When they asked me to do the score, I was thrilled. I had been wanting to start scoring films for some time. And this seemed like a lovely fit with my musical background and skill set.

Stills from the restored film

How did you approach the music for a silent film?
It's much more challenging to score for a silent film because there's no conversation, and this means it needs constant music. The sheer volume of output required was huge. While we tried to give a feel of the time in which the film is set and the time in which it was made, we also wanted the audience to enjoy a cinematic effect in the music with a rich, modern sound. In some ways, it's been the most creative process that I have been a part of. I found it incredibly fulfilling.

Shiraz: A Romance of India. Pics/British Council and BFI

What does the music sound like?
We are an eight-member orchestra, and it's relatively evenly spaced out for the Indian and western instrumentation. We've used Indian percussion, the bansuri, sitar, cello, piano, violin, clarinet and some elements of live electronic music as well. It's a long film of an hour and 47 minutes, and throughout the duration, I have tried to create variety. For example, the opening piece is purely classical and then, within the course of the first half hour, we move to a different soundscape. When scoring the film, I knew it was going to be a live show as well and I was mindful of making music that people would want to sit and listen to and watch as a show.

How has composing music for Shiraz impacted you as a musician?
Whenever I take up any music project, it involves a mix of something that I have to offer, but also an opportunity where I can learn and grow. With Shiraz, I have grown a lot as a composer. I have learnt how to orchestrate my own music for an ensemble within a western harmony, in a way that allows Indian music to stay. I have also learnt a lot technically.

Around the time Shiraz premiered in London, the Taj was called a blot on Indian culture by an Indian politician...
If you take out the politics and think of it in terms of people, it's like one person putting another person down in order to make himself feel bigger. There is a lack of confidence in that. If someone is a fantastic human being in a way that's different from me, it doesn't make me a bad human being. We are different, but we can both be wonderful. As a culture, we have so much diversity in our history that there is room to celebrate everything.

How do you look at Mumbai as a performance venue?
Mumbai is a place that I have been coming to since I was a child. As a classical musician, it's such an important city. I have had years of memorable concert experiences here with my father initially, and with my own work in more recent years. I am always happy to play for Mumbai. It's a kind of place where you get a cosmopolitan audience that listens to diverse types of music.

On: November 5, 7.30 pm
At: Sri Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Sion East.
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
Entry: Rs 300 onwards

An article he had read a little over two years ago changed Rohit Ingle's life forever. It espoused the cause of veganism so persuasively that Ingle says he was convinced overnight to give up eating meat. "I can't remember where I read the article," he confesses. "But it had a very simple line - if you are an animal lover, you can't eat them. If you love someone, how can you be the cause of their misery?" he adds.

Rohit Ingle while flagging off his journey from Ahimsa Fest this week. Pics/Sneha Kharabe

That message is what he now hopes to spread across the country, riding a cycle. Ingle embarked on his epic journey - and it can only be described as that - from Bandra on Thursday, a week ahead of World Vegan Day on November 1. The plan is to cover 19,000 km over one year, stopping not just at different state capitals, but especially in the hinterland. "Hardly anyone in India knows about veganism," he says, adding, "I'll pitch my tent at places like highway dhabas. There, I can interact with the customers and tell them more about what I am doing, hopefully inspiring some of them [to take up veganism] in the process."

Does he feel any apprehension? "Yes, I am nervous, I won't lie about that. But I am motivated by my cause. There are also people who will be there to welcome me at Ahmedabad and Surat initially, and that will hopefully give me further encouragement. So, as the journey goes by, I am sure this feeling will go away."

But, Ingle adds, he's not quite sure about how he will sustain himself financially to get through an entire year. "I have raised `60,000 [of his `3.5-lakh target] through crowdfunding. I have also received money from The Pollination Project, an organisation based in the US that has sponsored me for $1,000. So, I have around `1.3 lakh and can easily start my journey for at least three to four months."

After that, he hopes to keep going till November 2018, inspiring as many people as possible along the way. "See, the message is very simple - if you want to eat meat or wear animal products, an animal that doesn't want to die is definitely going to be killed. So, you have to keep that in mind."

Nick Seluk, the American artist behind the popular The Awkward Yeti comics, on his ingenious organ characters and more

What made you pick a blue yeti as the central character?
I imagine the blue yeti [Lars] as a misfit among the attractive, extroverted white yetis. He looks, acts and thinks differently than the average yeti, and for that reason, feels disconnected. To me, it was a funny way of exaggerating my own awkwardness and introversion.

Nick Seluk

What is the key to creating intelligent comics for kids?
The key is that I don't make them for kids. I make them for adults, but I simplify the information to the extent that people of all ages can enjoy them.

Why did you decide to study psychology?
I have been very introspective, and psychology was an interesting way to learn about myself and others, like how we differ and relate. Much of what I learned reinforced what I already knew through observation, and gave me the confidence to use those concepts (albeit abstractly) later on in comics.

Pic courtesy/theawkwardyeti.com

If turned into a film, who do you think should voice Lars?
There are so many great options. I imagine a sort of deep, awkward voice for Lars, perhaps a John C Reilly or Brian Posehn.

What's your favourite organ character?
I love Heart because it represents my desire to be myself, be weird and try new things (not always successfully). My favourite character to write for is Tongue, because the character takes impulse to a new level.

A new organ character that you would want to introduce?
Most organs have made an appearance at some point, but the one I still want to make into a character is the mesentery, because it's sort of a bizarre grotesque shape that would be fun. I don't know if it would make regular appearances, but I hope it will show up some day.

Do you run your comics by your family for critique?
I used to do that a lot, but now I usually post the comic on Twitter first. It's my smallest social media audience, so I kind of use it to test it out. If it does well enough, I share it with my larger audiences on Instagram and Facebook.

Which artists inspire you?
I grew up reading and gaining great inspiration from Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and The Simpsons. In the past few years, I have found a lot of inspiration from artists whom I meet while travelling.

Are you familiar with the works of Indian artists?
I am not, but I'm excited to be at Mumbai Comic Con because what better way could there be to start learning about them?

On: November 11 and 12 (11 am to 8 pm), Seluk's special session on 12, 4.30 pm
At: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon East
Log on to : comicconmumbai.com
Entry: Rs 499 (day pass)

When we meet them on a windy November afternoon, the quartet that calls itself Sanam (named after lead singer/composer Sanam Puri) is comfortable taking questions on, and dealing with fame. They could be the biggest band in India, say insiders. Their YouTube channel has 208 million subscribers and enjoys 14 million views per month. And they have fans across South Africa, Trinidad, Netherlands, Bangladesh, England, Nigeria, and even Suriname. "We just realised the other day that there isn't a country in the world that hasn't visited our channel," says Keshav Dhanraj, drummer. Thank God Indians are everywhere, we say, and he laughs, "Yes! Bangladesh is the biggest consumer of our music!" And they admit that they are drawing in more women than men. "It's quite a tough fight," says bass guitarist Venkat Subramaniyam, who is scrolling through figures as we talk over watermelon juice at the clubhouse of their plush residential complex in Madh-Marve. "It's 50:50," he adds, "women are more active on social media, I mean they comment more, but otherwise the gender ratio is roughly equal."

Pic/Nimesh Dave

It has taken them a while to get here. Brothers Sanam and guitarist Samar Puri, from Delhi, Subramaniyam, from Bengaluru and Dhanraj, from Chennai won a contest called SUPASTARS hosted by a recording label in 2010. Free gigs, great for exposure, but not of particular value, followed, until they met their manager Ben Thomas. "Under Ben's guidance, we started making videos and music of all types [originals and Hindi, English covers], says Dhanraj. Their first song, Hawa Hawa, saw a decent traction. But then, a cover of Lata Mangeshkar's Lag Jaa Gale got them almost 36 million views (and counting).

But their success is also a product of consistency. The first-time visitors on their channel often discover other songs, which they may not have done as well when they released, but gradually gained popularity. "So, our song, Dua [23 million views] which is an original, got popular after people had already discovered us through perhaps a cover version of some song, and wanted to listen to other stuff," says Sanam. They do remember the time that they tried first to get their songs heard. "I have been banned by Facebook so many times because I have spammed so many people [in an attempt to get them to hear our music]!" laughs Dhanraj. "I remember tagging people in the comments section of our videos. Facebook only allows 10 mentions per comment. So, you can imagine how many comments I posted!" smiles Sanam.

Today, they have the numbers, but they won't take their success for granted. They try and put up at least one new video every month (original or cover), update their social media accounts every few hours, and tour the country and outside. They now have a team that handles the logistics, including mixing and editing of videos, so they can "concentrate on the music". "We used to do it all ourselves. Now, it's about making music we are proud of so that you, the listener, likes it."

Ask them if they will ever ditch covers for originals only, and they have a smart, sorted reply. "In India, originals are respected more. We get that, and we aim to make more and more of them. But in many countries we visit, our fans are into the classics, like Mohammed Rafi's songs, and we want to give them what they want. They are our unique versions, they carry our stamp, in any case," says Subramaniyam.

As we leave them, they tell us about their musical influences, and there are some surprising answers. Sanam doesn't listen to much else because he doesn't wish to influenced, but if he must, he will pick, "strings and background music". Subramaniyam loves funk and blues, and Dhanraj and Samar like Arabic tunes. As Samar says, "We sing in all languages, and with our success and fan base, we now get that music really does have no language."

On the stage at the majestic Royal Opera House, artistes take their seat in a semicircle for what is an unusual gathering. At the centre is British radio and television presenter Nikki Bedi, who, along with familiarising her guests with the flow of the show is also breaking the ice between participants. They are here to record The Arts Hour, a BBC radio production that goes on a tour once a month to capture the best in arts across the world. The Mumbai edition airs today.

Actor Bhumi Pednekar (with Nikki Bedi to her right) calls out the boors behind Padmavati protests. Pics/Pic/Bipin Kokate

In the city on the evening of November 22, the researchers have picked six artistes who they feel best represent the dynamic cultural scene of the city. Flanking Bedi are film critic and director of the Mumbai Film Festival Anupama Chopra, and actor Bhumi Pednekar. Seated next to them are stand-up comedian, screenwriter and novelist Anuvab Pal, and Shamir Reuben, head of content and social media at the spoken word collective, Kommune. On either side of the stage, fine-tuning their arrangements are the popular Hindi rock ensemble Anand Bhaskar Collective and pop duo from Kolkata — with a big fan following in Mumbai — Parekh & Singh in signature fruity suits. "The show is a way of seeing a people and their culture, and understanding their politics and issues through the prism of art. Stand-up comedy and spoken word are burgeoning fields in Mumbai. There is also a sea change in the kind of subjects that Indian cinema is choosing. Issues like sanitation, erectile dysfunction and fat shaming are not just making it to film, they are also managing to attract audiences into theatres," says Bedi about why it was a good time to come to Mumbai.

Nischay Parekh readies to perform the band's hit song

For this edition's research, Bedi, who was born a Moolgaokar and has roots in Mumbai, played the fact checker for producer Nicki Paxman along with providing other insider inputs. A regular feature of the show, The Culture Cab, involves the presenter hailing a cab with an artiste who then takes her around the city to explore it like a local. Though her Mumbai guide was Pal, with whom she explored the splash of global colours at the ongoing Sassoon Docks art project and the murals of Bandra, Bedi shared her favourite part of the city with him, too — Walkeshwar's Banganga.

Throughout the recording that lasted two and a half hours, the team's homework kept the conversation alive and relevant. Bedi, a natural at hosting, puts her guests at ease. It comes across in Pednekar's candour, who minces no words when asked about the ongoing controversy around Padmavati. "You know, these are people who don't give a s**t about history," she says, a word Paxman gets politely replaced at the end of the show with the milder "damn". Bedi then moves on to ask Pal and Reuben if comedy and spoken word have become popular for similar reasons and how social media has played a part. With artistes as guests, each segment packs in a performance. While Pal's jibes about SoBo residents have the audience in splits, Reuben's poetry moves many to tears. Vocalist Nischay Parekh of Parekh & Singh shares the inspiration behind their music video with a million hits, I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll, before performing it, and Anand Bhaskar shares why all his compositions are in Hindi before segueing the show to its end with a rendition of Fanaa.

An audience member comments about the need to see more everyday people in films

Rahul Baswani, who came to know of the show through Pal's tweet, is happy to have made it in the audience. "I listen to a lot of podcasts. So, the most fascinating bit for me was towards the end when they did the retakes," he says. In the green room, mutual understanding and fandom fill the air. "At the end of the day, we are all artistes, and we could feel the synergy and a shared language throughout," says Parekh, who has just promised Pal that he'll be there for his Kolkata gig the next day, even as Pal admits that the music duo is everything he would have wanted to be as a 27-year-old.

The sound engineers at work

Chopra, on the other hand, is happy that the show recognises the power of Indian cinema and how it is evolving. "Outside India, there is a fixed notion of what Bollywood is. But there is a different language [spoken] now, which most people don't know of. I am hoping that the show will communicate that." For Reuben, it has been a platform for artistic exchange. "The beauty of tonight was people might have come to watch comedy and they learnt a bit about spoken word. Or that they wanted to hear a poem and they left with music," he says. "For the BBC to say that there is something stirring in Mumbai is a statement."

When we reach a swish Bandra restaurant at the exact hour scheduled for lunch with Natalie Di Luccio and Mikey McCleary, we find Natalie already seated there. Mikey, though, hasn't arrived yet, and this leads to inevitable jokes about 'Indian Standard Time'. But to be fair to the New Zealander, he reaches only a few minutes later and immediately hits it off with Natalie, whom he knows from before. But the two haven't met in a while, their individual projects having kept them too busy to find the time. Mikey, 48, is a composer who dabbles in Bollywood projects such as Shaitan (2011) and most recently Ribbon, which released last month. Natalie, a 28-year-old Italian-Canadian, has made a mark in Bollywood too, as a playback singer in films like English Vinglish and Chennai Express. A Hindi video in collaboration with Raghu Ram is also just around the corner. She's recovered from an appendicitis operation only a few days ago, she tells us, and explores the menu with Mikey before they settle down for an engaging conversation.

Mikey McCleary and Natalie Di Luccio at a restaurant in Bandra West. Pics/Shadab Khan

Shunashir to Natalie: How did your relationship with India begin?
Natalie: Well, I remember I was in the library in McGill (a Canadian university where she studied) around 2009 and I had all my songs on Myspace at the time. I don't know if you remember Myspace?
Shunashir: I do remember it.
Mikey: Yeah, I do too.
Natalie: So this is then, okay? And I got a message on Myspace from someone from India, who said, "Hi, we'd like you to come to India and record on this fusion album on the chakras." But the whole thing didn't make sense to me at the time. So, I said, "Thanks; yeah, maybe one day." But I didn't know who that album was by. Long story short, they messaged me again and said, "Can you do some recording for us from Canada?" and I said, "Okay." Two months later, I get back home from school in Quebec and there's a CD in the mail; it's Sonu Nigam's Maha Ganesha album, which is what I sung for!
Mikey: Wow.

Shunashir: Yeah, wow. And how was it for you, Mikey?
Mikey: My relationship with India actually began because I was born here, in Chennai. My parents were missionaries in the country, in Andhra Pradesh. But anyway, let's fast forward. I moved to New Zealand when I was five years old, did my schooling there, got into music, moved to London and got a studio there. And one day, somebody knocks on the door of the studio, some Indian fellow, and says, "Hi, I'm your new brother-in-law." And this guy is Lucky Ali.
Natalie: Oh my gosh!
Mikey: Yeah, but he hadn't released anything then, so he wasn't known as a singer. He had come to do some sort of recording in Watford and said, "Can I come in and maybe, we can do some music together?" So, I said, "Okay, come back over the weekend," and that's how we recorded a couple of songs, Oh Sanam and Sunoh.
Shunashir: ...Which kind of changed the Indi-pop game at that point of time, at least in terms of videos.
Mikey: Right. And the Oh Sanam video was shot in Cairo, at the pyramids. And the woman who was dressed in the purdah, with everyone in India wondering who this person with blue eyes in Lucky Ali's big hit song is — that's my sister!
Natalie: That's so funny, and really cool.

(The food — poached pear and blue cheese salad, grand chicken Caesar salad, meatballs in creamy sauce and pizza American — arrives)
Mikey: Have you noticed how so many Mumbai menus suddenly have watermelon and feta salad?
Natalie: I think it's a Greek combination and you're right, it's everywhere now. But the pizza in Italy (which is where part of her family is from) is totally different from the one we get in Mumbai. They have less ingredients and the main thing is always the tomato sauce. You can tell the restaurant by its tomato sauce.

Shunashir: Have you not taken to Indian food?
Natalie: No, no. It's not that. But I am fonder of North Indian food because I find that it's a little sweeter in general, all your butter chickens and navratan kormas. And I think North Indian food is pretty much what you mean by Indian food elsewhere in the world, right?
Mikey: Well, do you know what the national dish in the UK is?

Shunashir: It used to be chicken tikka masala, but I'm not so sure about now.
Mikey: I think it still is. By "national dish" they mean the most commonly ordered dish in restaurants.
Natalie: I don't know why it is, but when I'm at home here, I don't like having cooked food as much. Maybe it's the weather?
Mikey: Yeah, it could be. You'll also see that countries that are hotter actually have more chilli in their food. That's because it's counter-intuitive. Chilli kind of cools you down, and brings the heat out.
Natalie: It's so funny how that works.

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It's painfully humiliating for a 12-year-old to stand before his class during an extempore speech and fumble over words. The derision that one might invite can cripple an adolescent's confidence. But, it can also teach the child to face his demons, participate again in the same competition the next year, and then go on to win the district finals for three straight years representing his institution, which, in Siddhant Sharma's case, was a boarding school in Kurseong.

Siddhant Sharma

Ten years after that incident, Sharma has emerged as this season's winner of The Stage, a reality show that promotes western musical talent in India. This, though, was his second shot at the title, after he was unable to get past the auditions last year. Failure, in other words, seems to have been the singer's constant companion, only for him to climb every mountain that crops up in his path. "I am actually a man made of failure, so it doesn't scare me," he tells us over the phone, having just landed in Mumbai from Kolkata. He adds, "Even in life, a lot of things that I have expected haven't happened. Not all of us grow up in the greatest of situations, but the worst thing a rocker can do is give up. [Rock music] is about fighting failures. So, if I can do it in life, music and competitions are nothing for me to handle."

Those are strong words for a 22-year-old to utter. But Sharma comes across as someone who has truly internalised the rock 'n' roll philosophy of facing adversity with a show-me-what-you've-got swagger. He gives us an example of what that means when he says, "I have a friend who would party all the time and only listen to electronic music. She would never attend live concerts. After a bad phase, she started listening to Pink Floyd, and now she is more of a rocker [in persona] than I am, with all her locks chopped off. I mean, there was a guy who cheated on her, and she's like, 'You think I am going to cry? No. I don't give a f*ck about you or your existence.' That's rock."

One of the biggest adversities that Sharma himself faced was when his parents separated over a decade ago, a fact he had revealed in one of the later episodes of the competition. Talking about that difficult phase, he says, "I'm not a guy who speaks a lot and I anyway didn't want to trouble my mother with all of that. So, I ended up keeping things inside me, which wasn't a good thing since I developed serious anger issues. But art has always helped me. I was a painter and then I got into music, and that just let me be who I am."

Who he is now, having won the show, involves signing a contract with MTV and being flown around the country for concerts. The limelight is well and truly on him and yet, he keeps emphasising how failure is the clay that moulds a person's character. "Do you consider the people who have not got the trophy to be losers?" he asks us, before answering, "No, they are not. You never know, tomorrow they might be working in much bigger places and doing way better stuff than I am. The thing is, you have to be satisfied with doing what you're doing and yet keep trying to be better than who you are. That's really all."

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In 1996, when lyricist Nitin Raikwar dropped by on the set of Aamir Khan's Ghulam, on the recommendation of actor and filmmaker Neeraj Vora, it was to craft gimmicky dialogues for Khan's next film, Sarfarosh. "They wanted me to write funny shayaris for one of the characters in the film," he says. The shoot was at Sanpada in Navi Mumbai, and due to a technical snag, the crew had plenty of time to kill. "I noticed that Aamir was relatively free at that point, so I went up to him and requested that he give one of the songs I had written a listen. He heard it, and immediately called director Vikram Bhatt. They both thought the song was unusual but nice," recalls Raikwar. That song was Aati Kya Khandala, eventually sung by Khan himself, becoming a number that would make it to every Bambaiyya Hindi song list after.

Nitin Raikwar, sought to capture the mood of Goa. Pic/Satej Shinde

Raikwar went on to continue to use the slang in some of his memorable songs including Apun Bola Tu Meri Laila from Josh (2000), Excuse Me Kya Re from Style (2001) and the iconic Khallas from Ram Gopal Varma's Company (2002). Raikwar has also worked on children's films, and penned lyrics for Chota Chetan (1998), Jajantaram Mamantaram (2003) and others like Pyar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), Aankhein (2002) and Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003). "I think what worked for me at that point was the novelty factor. People dig variety. For instance, we may love our vada pav, but when the burger made an entry in early 2000, we started queuing up for it. It's the same with songs," he says. These days, Raikwar is working on his debut album for which he has collaborated with Shrikant Ahire, one of Maharashtra's foremost shadow dancers. He plans to release a single from it next month. The song is called Khan Sahab Apne Ladke Ko Sambhal. "I thought I'd write in a manner that people identify with. I can't write in a flowery and larger-than-life way. It's not me."

Apun Bola from Josh, which was written by Nitin Raikwar

Writing in tapori language was a skill that Raikwar developed after he moved to Mumbai from Pune in 1987. By then, he had already tried his hand at singing in orchestras, something his father wanted him to do since he was a successful show organiser. "But I didn't see myself singing in orchestras all my life. I was aware of the risk and struggle involved in Bollywood, but I was adamant to make it," he says. With little money to spend, Raikwar's story reads like that of so many others who move to Mumbai from smaller towns to try their luck. "When a man is struggling, he spends time with people who are like him. So I would sit at chai tapris and talk to rickshawallas, drivers and daily wage labourers. Because I'm talkative and an extrovert by nature, I could strike up a conversation with just about anyone. That's how I picked up the slang," he says. Even when he didn't have projects, Raikwar would write and seek feedback from his friends, some of whom were already working in the film industry as supporting actors. And it's through their assistance that he finally met Anil Kapoor on the sets of Ladla. "I consider that the turning point in my life.

Anil Kapoor felt I had potential and introduced me to directors and filmmakers," he says. Raikwar's first song was Teri Tirchi Nazar Main Hai Jaadoo for Anil Kapoor-starrer Loafer in 1996. But it was Aati Kya Khandala that earned him fame like no other. In fact, it helped him bag a Shah Rukh Khan film soon after. "I remember writing Apun Bola in 15 minutes after I heard the script. I wanted it to reflect Goan culture so I included words like kokum curry. You'll also find words like 'hoinga' and 'karenga', just the way a Catholic aunty would say them," he says.

In 2014, Raikwar had to put all work on the backburner for two years due to an illness. It began with bouts of headache, and he was later diagnosed with subdural hematoma of the brain. "The clots had to be removed through surgery. For a long time, I couldn't work because of the illness. I'm fine now, and hope to get back to what I do best," he says.

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On a Wednesday morning, the cottages that line St Roques Road in Bandra bask in the winter sun. The lane is quiet, except for the occasional bark of a pet or scooters zooming off into the nearby Ranwar village. As a taxi driver wipes the dust off his kaali peeli, Jay Weinstein approaches him with a camera in tow. He doesn't ask for his name, ethnicity or life story; only for a couple of photographs. Seeing him puzzled, the Australian-origin photographer breaks into crisp Hindi, "Main kahin bhi jaata hoon, anjaane logon ki tasveer banata hoon [Wherever I go, I make images of strangers]."

Hearing the familiar language, the driver is game to play the subject. First, he's asked to wipe the expression off his face and stand next to his cab. Satisfied with the shot, Weinstein tells him, "Ab muskuraiye [now smile]," and captures his wide grin on camera. The interaction lasts only for a few minutes but we spot the driver smiling even after Weinstein's DSLR is back in his bag.

Jay Weinstein documents  the smile of a taxi driver in Bandra. Pics/Bipin Kokate

This connection forms the essence of the 38-year-old's ongoing photography project, So I Asked Them to Smile (SIATS). Over the last two years, Weinstein has shared 250 portrait pairs - non-smiling and smiling frames of kids and adults from all walks of life - on digital platforms. Next week, he will display 30 most compelling frames for the first time at an exhibition.

The photographer shows the images he takes to each subject

The backstory
It was a trip to Bikaner in 2013 that gave birth to this project. When Weinstein raised the camera to photograph a man with a wispy beard, he was greeted with a stern look. Miffed, he turned away, only to hear the man urging him to take his picture. "We make judgments about strangers in binaries as friendly-unfriendly or good-bad. These are rarely accurate. The idea is to change the way we view a stranger, and see how their smile changes our assumptions," says the US-born photographer, who spent his growing up years in Vrindavan, studied recreational sports coaching in Australia and returned to Mumbai in 2004 to pursue acting.

"He was jumping around in the water with a friend one afternoon, as I wandered down Juhu Beach," says the photographer

Soon, he ventured into advertising, and rekindled his love for travel and photography. "It gave me a reason to notice things that we walk past, and start conversations with strangers," says Weinstein, who considers the art meditative. "The calmer you are, the more of the outside world you notice."

"She was exploring the stunningly restored Kaiyuan temple complex one evening, with her daughter in Quanzhou, Fujian, China"

Say cheese
For the last few years, he has turned a full-time traveller and spends most of his time in India. "I love Mumbai but when you step out, you realise how different the rest of India is," shares Weinstein, who has visited Meghalaya, the interiors of Maharashtra, Orchha in Madhya Pradesh and the coast of Kerala, where he found his subjects to be camera-shy. "In rural areas, I also had to translate 'smile' as 'daat dikhaao' since they don't understand the meaning of muskurana."

Language also poses a barrier in non-English speaking countries. "In China, instead of 'say cheese', they say 'chetz', which means eggplant," he laughs. What's the next country on his wishlist? "Pakistan. The project's initial followers were Pakistanis. I assumed they wouldn't be happy seeing these photographs but realised where else would they have seen images of Indians as humans, without an agenda. Indians don't get to see their photographs this way either."

From: December 20 to 26, 11 am to 7 pm
At: Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
Call: 8828472412

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Portrait-making tips
While there is enough information about how to get your technique right, I'd suggest you interact with your subjects and treat them with dignity

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Matt Preston likes to dress and stand out in the crowd, and over the nine seasons of food reality show MasterChef Australia, we've seen his dapper style evolve. A flamboyant dresser, he exuded elegance this season with his well-cut suits and tasteful cravats. The 55-year-old journalist and food writer juggles writing and television with equal élan, calling the former his "happy place". "I love nothing more than sharing my adventures in food, whether from my own kitchen or around the world, in recipes and stories. I worked that out with my newspaper and magazine columns plus five cookbooks, last year I wrote my 2,000,000th word about food! Three million here I come!"

The balance, he says, is simple as there is so much waiting when making a TV show, that it gives him the time to write while filming. "Then I travel for five months when we aren't filming," he tells us in an email interview. Edited excerpts:

Matt Preston

Your connection with India is strong. Which Indian chefs do you admire? Any particular dish that makes your mouth water?
So much of the great food I've enjoyed around India is from street stalls and holes in the wall, where the chef doesn't have a PR team, a cookbook or his/her own line of branded chutneys! Largely, I enjoy these simpler places better than the fancy ones. I do, however, try and enjoy the company of Manu Chandra whenever I'm
in India.

Where does Indian cooking stand on the global platform?
Indian cuisine in undoubtedly one of the world's great cuisines and stands proudly alongside the likes of French or Italian in that ranking. The way India is embracing unique, indigenous and wild ingredients — like the gongura I enjoyed in Hyderabad or the kachampuli vinegar I fell in love with in the south west — it's bang on trend. Indian cuisine is also receiving new global prominence, thanks to the explosion of interest in vegan and vegetarian food around the world. With this in mind, Gary [Mehigan, fellow judge] came back from his most recent trip to India raving about fresh green chickpeas and green sorghum; something we seldom see here but which could easily find a place in my kitchen.

Tell us about the creative process of setting the challenges on the show.
A crew of over 200, including a department of challenge producers, is responsible for this. We look for challenges that seem impossible but are achievable, so when accomplished, the excitement, pride and pleasure of the contestants is palpable. This means that a pressure-test dish might be cooked a dozen times to ascertain how long the contestant should be given to achieve it.

What are some of the funny off-the-camera incidents that occurred this season?
Our trip to Japan was a lot of fun. As was spending the week with [Israeli-British chef] Yotam Ottolenghi. Most of the anecdotes are scurrilous, so you'll have to wait for my autobiography!

How did you get into food writing?
A friend gave me a restaurant review column as she knew I was a good cook and had written a column back [about life, music, the arts and politics] in the UK.

How different was food writing back then?
Very much. In many ways, I was once like you are now, I was young but I was happy. I'm still happy but much older and wiser!

What was your first job?
I made tea at the offices of the UK's biggest tea importer. I had a rickety trolley and in a radical move, introduced coffee for the first time.

The show airs Monday to Friday at 9 pm on Star World.

London: Dog owners, take note! Your pet pooch may not only comprehend the words that you speak, but also how you say them, a new study suggests.

Researchers have found that dogs have the ability to distinguish vocabulary words and the intonation of human speech through brain regions similar to those that humans use.

Representational Picture

Attila Andics from Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary said that vocabulary learning "does not appear to be a uniquely human capacity that follows from the emergence of language, but rather a more ancient function that can be exploited to link arbitrary sound sequences to meanings."

Words are the basic building blocks of human languages, but they are hardly ever found in nonhuman vocal communications.

Intonation is another way that information is conveyed through speech, where, for example, praises tend to be conveyed with higher and more varying pitch. Humans understand speech through both vocabulary and intonation.

Andics and colleagues explored whether dogs also depend on both mechanisms.

Dogs were exposed to recordings of their trainers' voices as the trainers spoke to them using multiple combinations of vocabulary and intonation, in both praising and neutral ways.

For example, trainers spoke praise words with a praising intonation, praise words with a neutral intonation, neutral words with a praising intonation, and neutral words with neutral intonation.

Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyse the dogs' brain activity as the animals listened to each combination.

The results show that, regardless of intonation, dogs process vocabulary, recognising each word as distinct, and further, that they do so in a way similar to humans, using the left hemisphere of the brain.

Also like humans, the researchers found that dogs process intonation separately from vocabulary, in auditory regions in the right hemisphere of the brain.

Lastly, and also like humans, the team found that the dogs relied on both word meaning and intonation when processing the reward value of utterances.

Thus, dogs seem to understand both human words and intonation. The researchers noted that it is possible that selective forces during domestication could have supported the emergence of the brain structure underlying this capability in dogs, but, such rapid evolution of speech-related hemispheric asymmetries is unlikely.

Humans are only unique in their ability to invent words, they said. The research appears in the journal Science.

Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by mid-day online. This story is taken from a syndicated feed & is published on AS IS basis.

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