hindustantimes.

com NEW DELHI/METRO

fVOL.
n
@hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
XX NO. 7 Sunday, February 14, 2021

Last Chance for Students going to Class VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI & XII
to start their training with FIITJEE
at the earliest possible and get an edge over others

Admission Test : Sunday, 21st February 2021

Last Date to Register & Registration Fee : Till 16th February Rs. 500/-* ; from 17th to 19th February Rs. 700/-* (*including GST) | Register at http://admissiontest.fiitjee.com | Test will be conducted in proctored online mode (can be taken from home)

Studying at FIITJEE is a Must for every student till Class X irrespective of the
choice of stream (Arts / Commerce / Engineering / Humanities / Medical)

FIITJEE classroom programs for classes VI to X lay a strong academic including NTSE, NSEJS / IJSO, Pre-RMO, RMO & Green Olympiad
foundation of the students through its unique pedagogy. besides laying a strong foundation for competitive exams like NEET,

These programs raise IQ of the students i.e. sharpen analytical skills JEE Main & JEE Advanced etc.
& mental ability and evolve students’ thinking process, making them

These programs help students balance life with stress free studies.
capable of solving complex problems.

These programs comprehensively prepare you for school, boards
These programs help you acquire right examination temperament,

and all scholastic & competitive exams at city, state & national level, ensuring optimum output in the exams.

Come, benefit from FIITJEE programs and transform your life & career

FIITJEE Classroom / Integrated School Programs

For Students going to Class VI, VII, VIII, IX & X having inclination For Students going to Class IX, X, XI, XII and XII studying Students
towards any stream - Arts / Commerce / Engineering / Humanities / Medical aspiring to ace Engineering Entrance and other Competitive & Scholastic Exams

Class Program Goals Class Program Goals

LITTLE GENIE - Four Year Classroom Program for

One Year
These programs comprehensively prepare you for school and all JEE Main & Advanced 2025
The long term goal of these programs is to help each & every
VI
Foundation scholastic & competitive exams at city, state & national level for RAMANUJAN - Four Year Integrated student get an optimum Rank in JEE Main & Advanced.
Program
IX
your class, and lay a strong foundation for higher level scholastic Program for JEE Main & Advanced 2025
Besides this, students will be holistically trained to ace
& competitive exams like NTSE, NSEJS / IJSO, Pre-RMO, RMO & SUPREME - Four Year Integrated School scholastic exams like NTSE, KVPY, Jr. & Sr. Olympiads etc.
Green Olympiad by raising IQ of the students i.e. sharpen analytical Program for JEE Main & Advanced 2025

These four / three years of intensive preparation works like
UDAYA - Two Year skills & mental ability and evolve students’ thinking process
VII Three Year Classroom Program for
ambrosia even in X & XII Board Exams.
Classroom Program making them capable of solving complex problems.
X
JEE Main & Advanced 2024

These programs lay a strong foundation for competitive exams
like NEET, JEE Main & JEE Advanced etc. Two Year Classroom Program

The long-term focus of these transformational programs is
for JEE Main & Advanced 2023
UDAYA - One Year
Along with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics, Biology is also to enhance your analytical, logical & thinking ability, which
VIII taught in these programs. Mental ability is exhaustively taken up. PANINI - Two Year Integrated Program
Classroom Program XI will empower you to not only achieve best possible ranks in
for JEE Main & Advanced 2023
JEE Main & Advanced but also attain phenomenal success in
PINNACLE - Two Year Integrated School
XII Boards, Olympiads & KVPY.
Program for JEE Main & Advanced 2023

These programs comprehensively prepare you for school,
boards and all scholastic & competitive exams at city, state &
Significant improvement in just one year in your preparation
national level, including NTSE, NSEJS / IJSO, Pre-RMO & RMO by which will have positive impact in helping you get into an
ASCENT - Two Year
IX raising IQ of the students i.e. sharpen analytical skills & mental One Year Classroom Program for IIT with a desired Rank. You may be able to improve your
Classroom Program XII JEE Main & Advanced Rank from below 5000 to Top 100.
ability and evolve students’ thinking process making them JEE Main & Advanced 2022
capable of solving complex problems. That’s not all, this rigorous preparation will equip you to give
a par-excellence performance in XII Boards too.

These programs lay a strong foundation for competitive exams
like NEET, JEE Main & JEE Advanced etc.
This program will empower the preparation of those students
who could not prepare well for JEE Main & Advanced 2021.

These programs help students to easily adapt to the exponential These students will be nurtured under the guidance of the
increase in the level of academics in Class XI & XII vis-a-vis those
XII
best faculty of the country who understand what academic
ASCENT - One Year who wait till Class XI to join a coaching institute. Pass One Year Extended Classroom Program
inputs such students need at this stage.
X (presently for JEE Main & Advanced 2022
Classroom Program
Special emphasis is laid on plugging the loopholes, toning-up

Along with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics, Social Studies
in XII) the skills and helping students build sound exam temperament
& Biology are also taught in these programs. Mental ability is
which together consolidate their preparation and drive them
exhaustively taken up.
to achieve optimum success in JEE Main & Advanced 2022.

Legends : NTSE (National Talent Search Examination) ; NSEJS (National Standard Examination in Junior Science) ; IJSO (International Junior Science Olympiad) ; KVPY (Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana) ; Pre-RMO (Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad) ; RMO (Regional Mathematical Olympiad) ; NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test for Medical)

Education with values...

29 YEARS OF INNOVATION, SINCERITY, ETHICS, CONSISTENCY & HARD WORK Please turn over...

The Premier Institute for JEE Main, JEE Advanced, Boards, various Olympiads, KVPY & NTSE
 Admission Test Dates from March to August 2021 Can the Cost of
Studying at IITs

be Zero ?
Admission Admission
Eligibility Eligibility
Test Date Test Date
For Students going to
21st March 2021 27th June 2021 For Students of Class IX, X, XI & XII appeared
Class VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI & XII
For Students of Class XI
4th April 2021 11th July 2021
& FTRE for XII appeared / pass
For Students going to Please note that the present cost*
18th April 2021 Class VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII & XII 25th July 2021 For Students of Class XI & XII pass
of pursuing a 4 Year Graduate /
appearing
2nd May 2021 1st August 2021 Xtra Ray Edge Test for XII pass Students 5 Year Integrated Course at any IIT is
approximately Rupees 14 - 15 Lacs
For Students of Class IX, X, XII & XII appeared
6th June 2021 8th August 2021
and Curate for Students of Class XI (*including reasonable personal expenses)
For Students of Class XI & XII pass
20th June 2021 For Students of Class IX, X, XI & XII appeared 22nd August 2021

Registration Fee for the Test : Rs. 500/- (including GST) | Last date to Register : Two days before the Test | Register at http://admissiontest.fiitjee.com Yes, it is possible
through

Free Live Online Coaching*

For Students going to Class VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI & XII and Students presently in XII
For Students presently in Class VIII, IX, X, XI & XII
*Classes will be conducted by FIITJEE Delhi (Aspiring for JEE Main & Advanced
2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 & 2021 respectively)
These Free Live online classroom programs will be taught by the experienced & adept FIITJEE faculty.
Nothing compares with an in-person classroom experience. We are hopeful that in-person classes will
commence soon. In case, you can join a FIITJEE Classroom Program in-person, please do not go for any online program Test Date: 21st February 2021
Limited seats are available | Students will be required to pay a token enrolment fee of Rs. 1000/- only | Selected Students of Class IX, X & XI are required to have their own tablet of desired specification & pay MDM Fee to our technology partner (Edfora)
FIITJEE being at the forefront of innovative excellence

Assessment Test for Admission recognises and rewards extraordinary talent through
IIT Genius Scholarships every year. 10 Students
21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th & 28th March 2021 from each Class VIII, IX, X, XI & XII will be bestowed
Take the Assessment Test for Admission on any of these days as per your convenience from your home (Test will be conducted in proctored online mode) |
Registration Fee for the Test : Rs. 50/- (including GST) | Last date to Register : Two days before the Test | You can appear only once | For more details about our
with the honour of IIT Genius title and will also get
Live Online Classroom Programs & to Register, visit www.fiitjee.com/liveonlinecrp their education at IITs sponsored* by FIITJEE. The
scholarship will cover all institutional expenses,
Helpline : North & West Region : 9560021031, 9599597455, 9599282329 & 9205261239 | East Region : 6292236537 & 6292236538 | Andhra Pradesh
& Telangana Region : 9885321526, 9966255597 & 9885337381 | Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Karnataka Region : 80 1089 1089 (Call us from 10 am to 7 pm) including Hostel Fee, Tuition Fee, Books Fee, &
reasonable personal expenses (Rs. 5000 per month).
Selection of Students will be based on IIT Genius Test

JEE Advanced 2021 & 2022 Aspirants ! followed by an interview.

*Visit www.iitgenius.com for more details

What is the importance of FIITJEE’s All India Test Series in your success ?
One doesn’t have to be a FIITJEE Student
to avail this Scholarship & Award or even join
Tremendous ! Unmatched ! a course at FIITJEE after being awarded

Computer Based#
ALL INDIA Who should appear ?
TEST SERIES School Toppers | NTSE Scholars | Jr. Science Olympiad qualifiers
T H E O R I G I N A L O N E # This year being conducted online. Appear from the safety of your home.
| Qualifiers of any stage of Olympiads till Class XI | KVPY
With Live Online Concept Strengthening Classroom Program (CSCP) by FIITJEE Delhi Centres + Stage-I Qualifiers & KVPY Fellows | JSTSE qualifiers (in case
Multidimensional Analysis of Performance + myPAT - Online Test Series* (*Marks for each test with analysis chart)
of Delhi) | Any State / City level Scholastic / Competitive exam
Inclusions qualifiers | Those who have the potential to become one of
Last Date to Enrol &
Program Details of Number of hours of Live Online Concept
Details of myPAT Online Tests Fee (including GST) the Top Rankers in JEE Main / JEE Advanced.
Computer Based# Tests Strengthening Classroom Program (CSCP)

5 (Main) + 6 (Advanced) 8 (Main) + 15 (Advanced) 66 25th February 2021 | Rs. 10,900/- Registration Fee : Rs. 100/- (including GST)
All India Test Series
for JEE Main & 5 (Advanced) 4 (Main) + 10 (Advanced) 30 29th April 2021 | Rs. 8,000/- Last Date to Register : 19th February 2021
JEE Advanced 2021
4 (Advanced) 5 (Advanced) 24 31st May 2021 | Rs. 5,400/-
For more details, visit www.iitgenius.com
For complete schedule, please visit https://fiitjeenonclassroomprograms.com/aits1schedule/

All India Integrated 14 (Main) + 14 (Advanced) 29 (Main) + 32 (Advanced) 150 25th February 2021 | Rs. 21,500/-
(XI & XII) Test Series
13 (Main) + 14 (Advanced) 29 (Main) + 32 (Advanced) 144 22nd April 2021 | Rs. 21,000/-
for JEE Main & Breaking Financial Barriers,
JEE Advanced 2022 12 (Main) + 12 (Advanced) 29 (Main) + 32 (Advanced) 126 27th May 2021 | Rs. 20,500/-
FIITJEE promises to help Students from
For complete schedule, please visit https://fiitjeenonclassroomprograms.com/aits2schedule/
Underprivileged Sections to
31st March 2021 | Rs. 15,000/-
All India Test Series 31st May 2021 | Rs. 16,000/-
realise their dream.
for JEE Main & 12 (Main) + 10 (Advanced) 24 (Main) + 27 (Advanced) 114
JEE Advanced 2022 31st July 2021 | Rs. 18,200/-

15th November 2021 | Rs. 19,200/-

For complete schedule, please visit https://fiitjeenonclassroomprograms.com/aits2022schedule/ A Social Initiative by FIITJEE to Help the Economically Deprived

Enrol online at www.fiitjeenonclassroomprograms.com FIITJEE Non-Classroom Programs Helpline : 9599597454, 9205261239 e-mail: query.ncrp@fiitjee.com
For Students presently in Class VIII & X
(Aspirants of JEE Main & Advanced 2025 & 2023 respectively)

Come, study with the best. 100% Scholarship on FIITJEE Programs & 100% Waiver on Hostel Fee

Selection Date: 21st February 2021

Where winning is a habit ! Last Date to Register & Registration Fee :
Till 16th February Rs. 50/-* ; from 17th to 19th February Rs. 100/-* (*including GST)

Eligibility : Student should be from a Central Government School or a State

Government School for under privileged section of society, for example Students
studying in Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Schools. The total parental income should
be less than Rs. 10,000/- per month.
29 YEARS OF INNOVATION, SINCERITY, ETHICS, CONSISTENCY & HARD WORK
Other Students (studying in public / private schools) may also apply, however
National Admissions Office : FIITJEE House, 29-A, Kalu Sarai, Near Hauz Khas Metro Station, Sarvapriya Vihar, New Delhi - 110 016 their application will be considered on case to case basis and on the discretion
Ph.: (South Delhi: 46106000 /10/13/15 / 9599597455 / 8527825858), (East Delhi: 9311828822 / 9311645577), (Punjabi Bagh: 45634000 / 45634003 / 8527664579), (Dwarka: 8527208022 / 8826116080), (Janak Puri: 45616600 / of the management.
9599183701), (Noida: 9871091470 / 9599596524 / 7042734422), (Greater Noida: 9871113448), (Gurgaon: 4628400 / 9871091545), (Faridabad: 9717444015 / 9910059641), (Ghaziabad: 9717775340 / 9599333531 / 9311822133)
For more details, visit www.fiitjee.com/f40.htm
Web: www.fiitjee.com Buy books at www.megacosmcognitions.com www.facebook.com/fiitjeeindia123 www.twitter.com/fiitjee www.linkedin.com/company/fiitjee www.youtube.com/fiitjeeltd www.instagram.com/fiitjee.india

The Premier Institute for JEE Main, JEE Advanced, Boards, various Olympiads, KVPY & NTSE
NEW DELHI/METRO
Sunday, February 14, 2021
n VOL. XX NO. 7
Densely foggy morning leads to road accidents
A cyclist makes his way through Vijay Chowk on a foggy morning in New Delhi on Saturday. In Greater Noida, around a dozen
people were injured in a multi-vehicle pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway due to reduced visibility amid the fog, police said. In UP’s
Kannauj, six members of a family were killed when their car rammed into a stationary truck.
COACH ARRESTED
AFTER FIVE SHOT
DEAD AT ROHTAK
WRESTLING ARENA
ROHTAK: A day after five per-
sons were shot dead and two
others hurt in a firing incident
in the wrestling arena of Roh-
tak’s Jat College, a joint team of
Delhi and Rohtak police
arrested the accused, Sukhvin-
der Singh, from Samaypur Badli
in Delhi. Police had announced
a reward of ₹1 lakh for informa-
tion on the accused, a certified
coach from NIS, Patiala. →P2
RINKU SHARMA
MURDER CASE
HANDED OVER TO
CRIME BRANCH
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on
Saturday said that the murder
case of Mangolpuri resident
Rinku Sharma has been trans-
ferred to their crime branch
that will look into the allega-
tions levelled by his kin and the
local police’s theory that the
crime was a result of personal
enmity. Sharma, who worked as
a lab technician, was stabbed
while returning home from a
party on Wednesday. →P6
2 years after Pulwama,
Interpol issues notices
Neeraj Chauhan
neeraj.chauhan@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Two years after a
terror attack on a Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
convoy in south Kashmir’s Pul-
wama killed 40 security person-
nel, Interpol has issued red noti-
ces against Jaish-e-Mohammad
(JeM) chief Maulana Masood
Azhar and three of his relatives
in connection with the brazen
strike that brought the already
fraught ties between India and
Pakistan to a new low, people
{ COUNTERING COVID }
Beneficiaries get 2nd dose of vaccine
NEW DELHI: The roll-out of the
second dose of vaccines against
the Covid-19 was off to a slow
start on Saturday, with just 7,668
beneficiaries receiving the sec-
ond jab, according to the provi-
sional data released by the Union
health ministry.
This accounted for just about
APART FROM
MASOOD AZHAR,
RED NOTICES HAVE
BEEN ISSUED
AGAINST HIS TWO
BROTHERS AS
WELL AS A COUSIN
familiar with the development
said on Saturday.
The National Investigation
Agency (NIA), which is probing
the case, hopes that authorities
4% of the over 191,000 health
care workers who received their
first dose on January 16, the day
the nationwide roll-out of the
vaccination drive took place.
The government has set a
deadline of March 1 to complete
the vaccination of the frontline
workers across the country, with
ARVIND YADAV/HT PHOTO
in Pakistan, where Azhar and
his aides are believed to be hid-
ing, will honour the red notices
and take action against the ter-
ror masterminds.
Apart from Azhar, red noti-
ces, or global arrest warrants,
have been issued against his
brothers Abdul Rauf Asghar
and Ibrahim Athar, and his
cousin Ammar Alvi.
The development comes at a
time when the Financial Action
Task Force (FATF) has begun a
series of online meetings that
continued on →8
a five-day period for “mop up”
activity to vaccinate those who
might have been missed out, said
joint secretary of the Union
health ministry. For health care
workers, the deadline is Febru-
ary 20. India has now crossed
the 8 million mark of the num-
ber of people vaccinated. →P2
ACCUSED TAKEN
TO RED FORT TO
RECREATE SCENE
NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-activ-
ist Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh,
both arrested in connection with
the January 26 Red Fort vio-
lence, were on Saturday taken to
the 17th century monument by
the Delhi Police’s special investi-
gation team (SIT) to recreate the
sequence of events leading to
vandalism and clashes that
erupted there during a tractor
rally by farmers protesting
against three new agricultural
laws.
The two were arrested
between Monday and Tuesday
from near Karnal Bypass in Har-
yana and Punjab’s Hoshiarpur,
respectively. They are presently
in the custody of the SIT of the
crime branch, which is probing
their alleged role in the Red Fort
violence on Republic Day. Police
have alleged that the two were
“prominent players” behind the
violence. →P7
Tracking
the virus
INDIA
CASES DEATHS
10,904,790 155,698
(+12,219) (+91)
DELHI
CASES DEATHS
636,796 (+126) 10,889 (+0)
CASES LAST 5 DAYS
142 141
127 126
100
Feb 9 10 11 12 13
India data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked
from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies
 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

A TWTW THE WEEK THAT WAS

Can you remember everything

that happened last week? Rachel
Lopez
Who did what and why. And why it matters. Take the quiz to check
how much of it is stuck in your mind

1
Questions It’s the world’s longest serving warship,
1 and 2 commissioned by the British Navy as HMS Hermes
have from 1959 to 1984 and then serving in the Indian Navy
roughly from 1987 to 2017. And yet, plans to turn it into a
the same maritime museum and adventure centre were
answer. abandoned and it was sold for scrap in September.
ANI Now, the Supreme Court has stayed the dismantling,
but we fear much damage has already been done.
Which vessel?

2
If you knew that answer, this one will be easier. Who
Name the has been India’s top celebrity endorser for four years
Indian film running, beating out Akshay Kumar and Alia Bhatt?
shortlisted Paternity leave notwithstanding, he’s maintained his Whitney Wolfe Herd became a self-made billionaire
for the brand value at $237.7 million. last week. Name the dating app she founded. REUTERS
Oscars.
AFP

3Rawiri Waititi, New Zealand MP and co-leader of the

Māori Party, knows that colonialism is a pain in the
neck. He got thrown out of parliament on
Tuesday for wearing a traditional hei-tiki
pendant instead of this mandatory accessory.
Parliament rules have been amended since. But
what was he being forced to wear?
7
On Thursday, while you were making Valentine’s Day
reservations, one dating-app CEO quietly became the
world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire at 31.
Whitney Wolfe Herd’s company, which she founded in
2016, after leaving Tinder, had a successful IPO. Her
stake in it is now valued at $1.5 billion. Bee smart and
name the app.

4 This week alone, she claimed she’s better at stunts

than Tom Cruise, won an online poll beating out
Meryl Streep and Gal Gadot for acting. She’s
declared Indians the “most brilliant race”. Which
actress, who won the Padma Shri last year?
8
In March 2018, Saudi Arabian activist Loujain Al-
Hathloul was arrested and imprisoned. She was
released this week. Which draconian ban, repealed a
few months after her arrest, was she fighting against?

9
Always at the office? The Centre’s new labour codes

5This company’s flagship product has had several

memorable slogans: The Great National Temperance
Beverage; Thirst Knows No Season; It’s the Real
Thing. But it’s also the world’s biggest producer of
plastic waste, with 1 million bottles bought per
minute. Now, it’s finally working to eliminate
will allow employers to let staffers work for just four
days a week. But to maintain the 48-hour workweek,
you might end up spending up to 12 hours on the job.
Which country has the shortest workweek – just over
37 hours?

10
landfill by selling 100% recycled plastic bottles They call it Dickinsonia, a creature that from more
in the US. Name the company or the brand. than 541 million years ago. Paleontologists discovered

6
India at the Oscars? Karishma Dev Dube’s
live action short film, about a fierce little
girl who refuses to be forgotten, is in the
top 10. Final nominations are on March 15.
But you’ve probably already heard of the
film. What is it called?
its beautiful leaf-shaped fossil, the only one in India, at
a World Heritage Site last week, on a rock shelter
featuring more recent (but still prehistoric) cave
paintings. Where?
Answers on page 8

A
l

Locals hired on contract assist in rescue and restoration work at Raini village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Saturday. At
least 38 people were killed and 166 are still missing and feared dead following flash floods after a glacial breach in the area on
February 7. Meanwhile, rescuers have begun drilling a wider and deeper hole into the tunnel at the flood-ravaged Tapovan-
Vishnugad hydel project in an attempt to reach the over 30 people trapped inside for nearly a week. PTI

Cops rule out rape bid
on Hyderabad girl
HYDERABAD: The police on
Saturday ruled out
abduction and rape attempt
on a medical student three
days ago on the outskirts of
Hyderabad, adding that the
19-year-old had fabricated
the story because she
wanted to “mislead” her
parents and “leave their
house”. “We found that it
was a false case after a
thorough investigation,”
Rachakonda police
commissioner Mahesh
Bhagawat said. “She
confessed that due to family
issues she wanted to leave
her house. Later, due to
police involvement, she
panicked and weaved a false
story,” the police said. →P10
TMC ship is about to
sink: Shekhawat
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya
Janata Party leader and
Union Jal Shakti minister
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,
who is in charge of five Lok
Sabha constituencies in
West Bengal, says the
Trinamool Congress’s
electoral ship is about to
sink. In an interview with
Hindustan Times, he also
accused chief minister
Mamata Banerjee’s
government of corruption,
and said “Jai Shri Ram” has
become Bengal’s election
slogan. “People in Bengal are
fed up with the TMC
government; they are
unhappy with corruption,
the red tape and politics of
vendetta,” he said. →P2
US asks for more Draghi sworn in as
Covid data from China Italy prime minister
WASHINGTON: The White
House on Saturday called on
China to make available data
from the earliest days of the
Covid-19 outbreak, saying it
has “deep concerns” about
the way the findings of the
World Health Organization’s
report were communicated.
National security advisor
Jake Sullivan’s statement
came days after a WHO team
returned from China and
suggested the virus might
have originated with frozen
seafood products, not from a
Chinese lab as some have
suggested. Sullivan
expressed “deep respect” for
the WHO but said protecting
its credibility is “a
paramount priority.” →P19
ROME: The Italian president
swore in the former chief of
the European Central Bank,
Mario Draghi, as prime
minister on Saturday at the
head of a unity government
called on to confront the
coronavirus crisis and
economic slump. All but one
of Italy’s major parties have
rallied to his side and his
cabinet includes lawmakers
from across the political
spectrum. Draghi is tasked
with plotting Italy’s recovery
from the pandemic and must
immediately set to work on
plans for how to spend more
than 200 billion euros in
European Union funds
aimed at rebuilding the
economy. →P19
hindustantimes.com NEW DELHI/METRO
fVOL.
n
@hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
XX NO. 7 PRICE ₹6.00 /WITH HINDUSTAN ₹ 10.50 (₹ 8.50 IN FARIDABAD) 62 PAGES. AREA SPECIFIC PAGES EXTRA.
n n Sunday, February 14, 2021

J&K to get statehood at Disengagement at

Pangong Tso set to
Pandemic-era
love
For better and worse:

Even 2020 had some happy endings.
On Valentine’s Day, meet couples who
found that most elusive of
things — love — in the midst
of a lockdown →P16
{ PROFILE }
Sleuth of
stories
appropriate time: Shah
HT Correspondents
letters@hindustantimes.com
J&K a priority, says home minister
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: The
Centre will grant full statehood
to the Union Territory (UT) of
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) at
an “appropriate time”, home
minister Amit Shah said in the
Lok Sabha on Saturday, stress-
ing that this government had
done more for the region since
the nullification of its special
status in August 2019 than those
who ruled it for decades.
J&K has been a top priority of
the National Democratic Alli-
ance (NDA) government since it
came to power at the Centre in
2014, Shah said. He added that
devolution of power took place
there after the government nul-
lified Article 370, which granted
special privileges to the erst-
while state, and said the move
{ URBAN } will hurt dynastic politics.
“We should not do politics on
Winter Jammu and Kashmir and
ON PAKISTAN REFUGEES
Are human rights available for some
people, not for the refugees who came
here from Pakistan or Kashmiri Pandits
who were forced to run away? Not for
Sufi saints? And not for the Valmikis who
have not been provided voting rights
over the last 70 years
conclude by Friday
Shishir Gupta
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Pangong Tso
disengagement between the
Indian Army and the People’s
ON J&K DEVELOPMENT Liberation Army (PLA) is pro-
ceeding as per the agreed
Modi government has done more for Jammu and Kashmir
since Article 370 was scrapped in schedule, with satellite imagery
showing rapid movement of
August 2019 than those who ruled it
for generations. J&K has been a top Chinese heavy vehicles beyond
priority for the current govt since the Finger 8 mountainous spur
it took power in 2014. We should on the north banks of the fro-
not do politics on Jammu and zen saltwater lake.
Kashmir and Ladakh. The disengagement process
There are several was reviewed in South Block on
(other) issues over which Friday, with the Indian Army
politics can be done. brass expressing satisfaction at
the process which is scheduled
to be completed by February 19
ON J&K REORGANISATION or in 10 days from the begin-
(AMENDMENT BILL) ning on February 10. “I under-
This legislation has nothing to do with stand good progress has
statehood, and J&K will be accorded the already been achieved towards
status at an appropriate time. Now this objective. The PLA is mov-
people chosen by the masses will rule Jammu ing very quickly as per the
and Kashmir, not those born to kings and agreed schedule,” said a senior
queens official.
As per the Pangong Tso dis-
engagement, the PLA will move
east of Finger 8 on the Srijap
Good progress has
already been
achieved towards
this objective. The
PLA is moving very
quickly as per the
agreed schedule
A SENIOR OFFICIAL
move back to the Dhan Singh
Thapa post on the Finger 3
spur. The entire area between
Finger 4 and 8 will be demilita-
rised with patrolling schedules
decided through consultations
between commanders at a later
stage.
There is evidence of the pull-
back by Chinese main battle
tanks from the southern banks
of Pangong Tso, matched by the
withdrawal of the Indian
armour and artillery guns.
However, there has been no
evidence of any withdrawal of
PLA forces or equipment from
depth areas or from central or

the century wonderland

Ladakh. There are several
issues over which politics can
be done. These are sensitive pla-
‘Rahul a doomsday man’: FM hits plain and the Indian Army will continued on →8

It’s been 100 years since India’s ski towns of

Agatha Christie’s Poirot
took on his first case. A
Gulmarg and Manali
offer perfect slopes,
ces and people have suffered a
lot. We need to assuage their
feelings,” he said, replying to a
back at ‘hum do, hamare do’ jibe { ROHIT SHARMA } INDIA BATSMAN
look at a unique career, an powdery snow in sea- discussion on the Jammu and Rajeev Jayaswal tionnaire-cum-rebuttal on related to the Congress’s elect-
unusual mission: to make
the world a better place →P13
son. So why aren’t they
getting more attention?→P18
Kashmir Reorganisation
(Amendment) Bill. letters@hindustantimes.com
farmers’ welfare.
Sitharaman asked Gandhi
oral promise of farm loan waiv-
ers in states such as Madhya P
He also rejected the Opposi- NEW DELHI: Finance minister why the Congress took a U-turn Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhat-
tion’s charge that the proposed Nirmala Sitharaman said on on farm reforms after it pro- tisgarh.
I believe 350 would be
law negates the hopes of the Saturday that Rahul Gandhi posed a similar move during the Speaking in the House, she good score on this pitch
region getting back statehood. was becoming a “doomsday 2019 general elections. “We asked Gandhi for at least one
Brunch Date
MOHANLAL
& DAUGHTER
VISMAYA
Creative minds
think alike
Digital Exclusive
Scan Below
is now in
Bengaluru
in an all-new
digital avatar!
The bill to merge the Jammu man” for India by creating fake need to recognise these two clause of the three farm laws and we still have four
and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of all- narratives on various issues, as tendencies of the Congress that would demonstrate that
wickets left. Pant and
o oesn t
in getting u in t e
i le o a ovie to
get o co n ut as
an acto ee
t at eo le watc
scenes ca e ull
a i a a an

it suc little ti e
an so uc to o
watc ing a ovie on a
la to o one see s
li e an easie tas

MEET THE NEW BRUNCH! India services officers with the she hit back at the Congress party. One is creating fake nar- farmers’ interest would be hurt.
Axar can score big.
i ant asse

A
Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizo- leader’s “hum do, hamare do” ratives and second, lack of belief “[Congress] participated in the
!
 

  

HT’s iconic Sunday magazine in a ram Union Territory (AGMUT) jibe that questioned the govern- in a democratically elected Par- voting [of the Bills in the Parlia- Related story on page 25
Love, Laughter, Logic
Is the craze for streaming
content here to stay, or
A TV/filmstar & an OTT
is cinema where the real
sensation argue about their
action’s at?
common : movies!
younger, more fun avatar cadre was later passed by the ment’s intent behind three farm liamentary system,” she said. ment], gave [its] support, and
continued on →8 laws, and posed a 10-point ques- Her second question was then changed its mind...” →P2
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02
Only 4% beneficiaries turn up
for second vaccine shot: Centre
TN, Goa, J&K, Bengal,
Odisha and J’khand
among states that
started the second
dose of Covid vaccine
HT Correspondents
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The roll-out of the
second dose of vaccines against
the coronavirus disease (Cov-
id-19) was off to a slow start on
Saturday, with just 7,668 benefi-
ciaries receiving the second jab,
according to the provisional data
released by the Union health
ministry.
This accounted for just about
4% of the over 191,000 health
care workers who received their
first dose on January 16, the day
the nationwide roll-out of the
vaccination drive took place.
The government has set a
deadline of March 1 to complete
the vaccination of the frontline
workers across the country, with
a five-day period for “mop up”
activity to vaccinate those who
might have been missed out, said
joint secretary of the Union
health ministry, Mandeep Bhan-
dari. For health care workers,
the deadline is February 20.
The two vaccines that have
been cleared for used in India –
Covishield and Covaxin – require
that two doses be given 28 days
apart. However, as per the rec-
ommendation of the apex drug
regulator, the doses can be taken
within a window of four to six
weeks.
“The second dose can be given
any time between four and six
weeks. That’s the window period
that we have,” Dr VK Paul, mem-
ber (health) of Niti Aayog previ-
ously told HT. He was one of
those who received the vaccine
on the day of the roll-out. He said
he would take the second dose
on Monday.
The weekend, half-day work-
ing at hospitals, could have been
Mahua Moitra
TMC MP MOITRA
ASKS DELHI POLICE
TO WITHDRAW
PERSONNEL POSTED
OUTSIDE HER HOME
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress
MP Mahua Moitra on Saturday
took strong exception to the sta-
tioning of three armed security
personnel at her home in the
national capital, wondering
whether she was under “some
sort of surveillance” and asked
Delhi Police chief to withdraw
them.
In the letter to Delhi Police
Commissioner S N Shrivastava,
she said the station house officer
(SHO) of Barakhamba Road
police station had come to meet
her at her residence on February
12 and shortly “thereafter,
around three Border Security
Force personnel armed with
assault rifles had been deputed
outside her house.”
“The conduct of these armed
officers indicate that they are
making notes of movements to
and from my residence, it
appears to me that I am under
some sort of surveillance.” “I
wish to remind you that Right to
Privacy is a Fundamental Right
guaranteed to me, as a citizen of
this country, under the Constitu-
tion of India, 1950” she stated.
She said, “Upon making
inquiries, I was informed that
the armed officers had been
deputed from Police Station Bar-
akhamba Road for my protec-
tion. “However, I being an ordi-
nary citizen of this country, did
neither ask nor want any such
protection. Therefore, you are
requested to kindly withdraw
these officers.”
P ment of corruption, and said “Jai
It appears to me
that I am under
some sort of
surveillance
MAHUA MOITRA, TMC MP
VACCINE TRACKER
317,594 VACCINATIONS ON
SATURDAY
TOTAL DOSES 2ND DOSE
ON SATURDAY
JAMMU & KASHMIR
128,756 809
PUNJAB
103,930 59
HARYANA
200,672 325
DELHI
179,748
318
RAJASTHAN
GUJARAT
609,459
676,453 0
0 on January 16 when the first
MADHYA PRADESH
DAMAN & DIU,
DADRA AND
NAGAR HAVELI
MAHARASHTRA
4,035 683,004
78 0 WEST BENGAL
GOA
12,949 0 JHARKHAND
KARNATAKA
495,980 0 said state immunisation officer
KERALA
347,776 0 CHHATTISGARH
LAKSHADWEEP
1,776 0 TELANGANA
TAMIL NADU
247,372 PUDUCHERRY
0 5,514 0
the reason for the low turnout.
Dr NK Arora, National Task
Force member on Covid-19 vac-
cines, said this was likely. “The
numbers will probably pick up
Monday onwards,” he said.
With 84,807 people receiving
the shot on Saturday, as per pro-
visional data, India crossed the 8
million mark of the number of
people vaccinated.
The administration of the sec-
ond dose of Covid-19 vaccines
started on Saturday, 28 days
after the first dose was given on
January 16, in several states
{ LAW ON ANVIL } HARYANA CM
Soon, protesters will
pay for damage: CM
HTC and agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Haryana chief min-
ister Manohar Lal Khattar on
Saturday said his government is
planning to bring a law under
which protesters will have to pay
for the damage to public proper-
ties during any protest.
Khattar made the statement
on the sidelines of his meeting
with Union home minister Amit
Shah. “We talked about party
matters. We also talked about
the farmers’ protest and I gave
the Home Minister all the infor-
mation that I had about dharnas
and Kisan mahapanchayats in
the state,” he said.
Asked about his government’s
proposed law against protestors,
Haryana CM said, “No, we have
not talked about the laws. We
have been planning to bring this
law even before the farmers’
movement started. Once
Supreme Court in its decision
had said that nobody had the
right to vandalise public prop-
erty, and we are bringing a law
under which people have to pay
for damage to public property.”
The statement comes amid
farmers’ protests across Delhi
borders for nearly 3 months over
the three new laws, which they
say favour big corporations. The
Centre has refuted the concerns,
‘Jai Shri Ram has become the slogan of Bengal polls’
haratiya Janata Party (BJP)
B leader and Union Jal
Shakti minister Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat, who is
in charge of five Lok Sabha constit-
uencies in West Bengal, says the
Trinamool Congress’s electoral
ship is about to sink. In an inter-
view with Smriti Kak Rama-
chandran ahead of the assembly
polls, he also accused chief minis-
ter Mamata Banerjee’s govern-
Shri Ram” has become Bengal’s
election slogan. Edited excerpts:
The BJP won 18 seats in the
Lok Sabha elections. How
confident is the party of
translating the gains in the
upcoming assembly polls?
People in Bengal are fed up with
NA AEFI ON Saturday
LADAKH
2,904 0 Data as at 10pm on
MEGHALAYA
HIMACHAL PRADESH 13,084
82,467
ASSAM
475
CHANDIGARH
8,915 143
UTTARAKHAND
108,774
0 tion, directorate of public health
SIKKIM
8,335
UTTAR PRADESH 0 0
858,602
0 ond dose as compared to 5,907
526,783
0 TRIPURA
216,970
ODISHA
412,439
247,992
278,936 3,196
ANDHRA PRADESH
354,868 3,434
across India, even though the
attendance of health care work-
ers remained low, according to
officials in multiple states.
Among the states that started
the second dose of Covid-19 vac-
cination were Tamil Nadu, Goa,
Jammu and Kashmir, West Ben-
gal, Odisha and Jharkhand, an
official said.
No second dose of the Cov-
id-19 vaccines was given in Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharash-
tra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pra-
desh, Madhya Pradesh and Ker-
ala. The process to give the sec-
Manohar Lal Khattar
and offered to put the laws on
hold for 18 months, but talks are
currently locked in a stalemate.
Reiterating the Centre’s stand,
Khattar said the three laws are
for the benefit of farmers and
will give a boost to the agricul-
tural sector. Some people are
protesting just for the “sake of
protest” and it shows their
“vested political intent”, the CM
said according to the statement.
Farmers would have died
even at home: Minister
Haryana agriculture minister JP
Dalal on Saturday said farmers
would have died even if they had
stayed back home. Responding
to a query over the “death of 200
farmers” in the ongoing protests,
Dalal said: “Had they been at
their homes, they would have
died there also.” “Listen to me,
out of one to two lakh, do 200
people not die in six months?” he
asked in response.
{ INTERVIEW } GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT, UNION MINISTER
the TMC government; they are
unhappy with corruption, the red
tape and politics of vendetta... it
took Mamata Banerjee 15 years to
make people believe that she can
change things. Till the last assem-
bly election (when the BJP won 3
seats), people did not believe that
the BJP can be an alternative. Now,
people are convinced that change
can happen only when the BJP
comes to power.
What gives the BJP an edge
over the TMC?
Development that took place
since the Narendra Modi govern-
ment was formed (at the Cen-
tre)…the changes in the lives of
ordinary people have sent out a
message to the poor and the mas-
ses that development can only
News
8,160,518
TOTAL BENEFICIARIES VACCINATED
ACROSS INDIA
Saturday; compiled from
91
states based on inputs from
HT’s correspondents and
news agencies
127,191 2,215
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
15,116 0
NAGALAND
11,467 0 Vinay, joint director, immunisa-
MANIPUR
19,607
MIZORAM
11,406 0 Immunization Officer, Dr Viren-
68,789 366
BIHAR
489,449 0
495,845 896
1,960
0
793
ANDAMAN
AND NICOBAR
3,646
0
ond dose will begin in these
states from Monday or early next
week, another official said on
condition of anonymity. Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana have not
announced the days for the sec-
ond dose of the vaccination.
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and
Serum Institute of India’ Covis-
hield vaccines require a two-
dose schedule to be adminis-
tered through the intramuscular
route.
Tamil Nadu health secretary J
Radhakrishnan, who inspected
the administration of the second
‘ABUSE OF LAW’:
COUNCILLOR GETS
J&K HC RELIEF IN
SEDITION CASE
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
letters@hindustantimes.com
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kash-
mir high court has quashed a
sedition case filed against coun-
cillor of the Ladakh Autono-
mous Hill Development Council,
Kargil, (LAHDC-K), Zakir Hus-
sain, for his comments on the
Indian Army following the Gal-
wan Valley skirmish in eastern
Ladakh in June last year.
Hussain was booked in June
19, 2020 under sections 124-A,
153-A, 153-B and 505(2), 120-B of
the Indian Penal Code after an
audio clip where he was pur-
portedly making objectionable
remarks about Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and the Indian
Army went viral.
Quashing the FIR, Justice
Sanjeev Kumar observed that
the offences charged against
Hussain were not made out and,
therefore, the registration of FIR,
which has culminated into filing
of the police report without pre-
vious sanction from the compe-
tent authority before the Chief
Judicial Magistrate, Kargil, is
sheer abuse of the process of
law. HC ruled that Hussain’s
comments though unsavoury
and detestable did not constitute
sedition under the Indian Penal
Code section 124A, or attract the
offences under IPC sections
153-A, 153-B, 505(2) and 120-B.
happen if the BJP government is
there. People are aware of how the
implementation of central
schemes is not happening in West
Bengal.
How will the BJP counter the
‘Bahari (outsider)’ vs Bengali
narrative?
In the last 10 years, her (Baner-
jee’s) slogan has been “Ma, Mati,
dose to health care workers at
the Government Rajiv Gandhi
Government General Hospital,
said the vaccination drive would
soon be extended to the public.
Only 1,154 health care workers
took the second dose in Tamil
Nadu on Saturday, as opposed to
the 3,027 beneficiaries for the
first dose. “It isn’t compulsory to
take the second dose exactly on
the 28th day after the first dose.
It can be taken soon after 28 days
and also because it’s a weekend
the numbers are low,” says Dr K
and preventive medicine.
In Chandigarh, only 325 peo-
ple were administered the sec-
dose was administered. State
dra Ahlawat said they will con-
duct more vaccination sessions
Monday onwards and make up
for the shortfall.
The Goa government, too, on
Saturday started administering
the second dose of Covid-19 vac-
cines to health care workers,
Dr Rajendra Borkar. Ranganath
Bhojje, a health care worker
from the Goa Medical College
and Hospital, was the first per-
son to get the vaccine shot on
January 16. He was again the
first person to get the second
dose of the vaccine on Saturday.
Those who received the sec-
ond dose of the vaccine will
develop immunity against the
infection after 14 days, Borkar
said. Of the total 19,952 health
workers in the state, 10,341 have
received their first dose so far,
while the remaining will receive
it by February 20, he added.
w
READ: Over 8
million people
vaccinated so far, says the
govt as second phase begins
Delhi Police framing
innocents: Farm union
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Accusing the Delhi
Police of framing and arresting
“innocent” farmers, the legal
team of Samyukta Kisan Morcha
on Saturday urged farmers
receiving notice from the police
to seek their help before making
an appearance.
The legal team of SKM, the
umbrella body of 40 farmer
groups protesting against three
contentious farm laws, also
accused the police of booking
farmers under sections of
dacoity and attempt to murder
with the aim to “implicate” them
in “fake cases” and to ensure
they don’t receive bail.
The legal team also demanded
that the cases against farmers be
taken back and the Republic Day
violence be investigated by a
“high-level judicial” team com-
prising a high court judge and a
retired Supreme Court judge.
“Since the police are arresting
farmers by calling them by issu-
ing notice, we urge all such
farmers to first approach our
legal team who will assist them
at every step. The farmers receiv-
ing these summons should not
visit the police without our law-
yers,” Prem Singh Bhangu, con-
vener of SKM’s legal team, said
at a news briefing at Singhu Bor-
der. “All arrested farmers are
sons of the SKM. We’ll fight your
Manush (mother, soil and peo-
ple)”. Today, the people of Bengal
are compelled to acknowledge
that they (the state government)
have not done justice to any of the
sections...
How do you read Banerjee’s
decision of contesting from
Nandigram?
She’s running away to Nandi-
gram because she is scared. She is
aware... that this time she cannot
win the election in Bhawanipore
(in south Kolkata).
The BJP accuses the TMC of
appeasement for votes. Now,
Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas
Siddiqui has floated his polit-
ical party. AIMIM is also
throwing its hat in the ring.
{ SLUGFEST OVER BUDGET } IN LOK SABHA
FM poses 10 questions
to counter Cong attack
Rajeev Jayaswal
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Finance minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman said on Satur-
day that Rahul Gandhi was
becoming a “doomsday man” for
India by creating fake narratives
on various issues, as she hit back
at the Congress leader’s “hum do,
humare do” jibe that questioned
the government’s intent behind
three farm laws, and posed a
10-point questionnaire-cum-re-
buttal on farmer’s welfare.
After responding to various
issues raised by members of Par-
liament in the Lok Sabha during
a debate on the Union Budget
over two days, Sitharaman asked
Gandhi why the Congress took a
U-turn on farm reforms after it
proposed a similar move during
the 2019 general elections.
“Shri Rahul Gandhi, when he
stood up [in Lok Sabha on Thurs-
day]... when the foundation was
being laid [by him] for the [reply
to the] Budget speech, which
never happened... I want to ask,
and I also share my expecta-
tions... Why the Congress party
had taken a U-turn in its position
[on farm reforms]... [mentioned
in its] 2019 election manifesto…,”
she said. “We need to recognise
these two tendencies of the Con-
gress party. One is creating fake
narratives and second, lack of
belief in a democratically elected
Parliamentary system,” she said.
Gandhi said on Thursday that
the three new farm laws would
allow corporates to buy unlim-
ited quantity of food grains for
profiteering, kill the ‘mandi’ sys-
tem, remove the Essential Com-
modity Act (ECA) leading to
hoarding, and deny judicial rem-
edies to farmers against corpo-
rate buyers of their farm produce.
“These laws will destroy India’s
food security system and will
hurt rural economy,” he said.
The “hum do, humare do”
expression was used by Gandhi
to say that only four people were
ruling this country, including two
business houses.
Speaking in the House, Sithar-
aman said she was posing 10
battle,” Bhangu added. So far, the
police have arrested 122 people
for their alleged involvement in
violence during a tractor rally on
Republic Day. These arrests
were followed by the registration
of 44 FIRs.
On Friday, members of the
legal team visited farmers lodged
in Tihar Jail and informed them
that a team of around 150 law-
yers was working to seek their
bail. “We will also be sending
monetary help to the jailed farm-
ers by Monday,” said Bhangu.
Members of the legal team
said of the 38 farmers reported
missing since January 26, only 16
remain to be found. “Investiga-
tion is going on and whoever is
served the notice has to join the
investigation,” said Chinmoy Bis-
wal, Delhi Police spokesperson.
Mahatma’s kin visits
Ghazipur protest site
Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaugh-
ter Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee
on Saturday visited Ghazipur on
the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border
to extend support to the farmers’
protest
“We have not come here as
part of any political programme.
We have come here today for the
farmers, who have fed all of us
our whole life,” Bhattacharjee
said, according to the statement
by the Bharatiya Kisan Union
(BKU), the farmers union lead-
ing the protest there.
Will the BJP benefit from the
divisions in the Muslim vote?
This is the first time that elec-
tions will be contested in West
Bengal on the basis of develop-
ment…the face of development in
India is Prime Minister Modi. If
there is a Modi versus Mamata
comparison on the issue of devel-
opment, then people have no
doubts about who to pick...
What is your comment
about the acrimony
between the parties over
chanting “Jai Shri Ram”?
Looking at her response to the
chant, people across ideologies
are questioning why she gets
irritated by it. Jai Shri Ram has
now certainty become the slogan
of the election in Bengal.
Nirmala Sitharaman
questions to the Congress, which
the party would have to answer
in the due course. She sought an
answer from the opposition party
over its “U-turn” on the farm leg-
islation, which she said it sup-
ported earlier. Her second ques-
tion was related to the Congress’s
electoral promise of farm loan
waivers in states such as Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattis-
garh. “Karza maafi Rajasthan men
nahi hua, Madhya Pradesh men
nahi hua... Chhattisgarh men bhi
wo karza maafi nahi hua,” she
said.
Sitharaman’s third point was an
expectation from Gandhi that he
would “order” the Punjab chief
minister not to implement the
“kala kaanun” [the three farm
laws]. “I thought, he would reveal
this in the House,” she said.
“When Rahul Gandhiji was
talking about the farm laws at
that time I expected that he
would say that farmers have
problems related to ‘parali’ [stub-
ble] and the Congress govern-
ment in Punjab will give some
relief to them. But, that didn’t
happen,” she said.
She asked Gandhi for at least
one clause of the three farm laws
that would demonstrate that
farmers’ interest would be hurt.
“[Congress] participated in the
voting [of the Bills in the Parlia-
ment], gave [its] support, and
then changed its mind...,” she
added.
Referring to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s reply to the
motion of thanks on the Presi-
dent’s speech that enumerated
several measures for small farm-
ers, Sitharaman said: “I thought
{ RAHUL GANDHI } CONGRESS LEADER
P
Narendra Modi said he is
giving options (by
bringing farm laws) but
the options are: hunger,
job crisis and suicide.
A
During a farmers’ rally in Ajmer
1 held in Capital for
shooting 5 dead in
Hry wrestling arena
Sunil Rahar
sunil.kumar3@htlive.com
ROHTAK: A day after five per-
sons were shot dead and two
others, including a three-year-
old child, were grievously
injured in a firing incident in the
wrestling arena of Rohtak’s Jat
College, a joint team of Delhi and
Rohtak police arrested the
accused, Sukhvinder Singh, from
Samaypur Badli in the Capital.
Police had announced a
reward of ₹1 lakh for informa-
tion on the accused, a resident of
Baroda village in Sonepat and a
certified coach from Netaji Sub-
has National Institute of Sports
(NIS), Patiala.
Rohtak superintendent of
police (SP) Rahul Sharma said,
“He was caught from Samaypur
Badli area... We will bring him to
Rohtak on a production warrant
and seek his remand.”
“Prima facie it appears that
the incident took place due to a
rivalry between the accused and
head coach Manoj Kumar. We
are collecting CCTV footage from
Jat College and nearby areas.
The victims’ bodies have been
handed over to their family.”
On Friday evening, coach
Manoj Kumar of Sonepat, his
wife Sakshi, two NIS-certified
coaches Satish Dalal of Sonepat
and Pardeep Malik of Rohtak,
were shot dead along with
national-level wrestler Pooja on
the campus.
Manoj’s three-year-old son
Sartaj is in the intensive care
unit (ICU) at Post Graduate Insti-
tute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak,
while the other injured, coach
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
he would stand and say, ‘Pradhan
Mantriji’ you have spoken several
good things about small farmers,
I will ask my friends to return
lands to the farmer... because we
took land cheap from them... We
are in politics, therefore, my fam-
ily and I have to take a stand on
this matter and return the land.”
She also referred to PM Modi’s
reply to the President’s address,
wherein he quoted former PM
Manmohan Singh that he also
supported such farm reforms. “I
thought, he [Gandhi] would say
[something about]... forgetting
the statement of Dr Manmohan
Singh.... I thought he would say
we will not dishonour Dr Man-
mohan Singh,” she said.
“While debating on Budget...
several members raised the ques-
tion whether any APMC [Agricul-
tural Produce Market Commit-
tee] has been closed after the
three [farm] laws were enacted?
They are not closed anywhere...
Prove even if one APMC mandi is
shut?” “Why does he choose to
insult constitutional authorities?”
she said.
Sitharaman also alleged that
the Congress was creating “con-
tinuously fake narratives”. She
alleged that Gandhi never
believed in the Indian govern-
ment but preferred to rely on out-
siders, did “politics with a fringe
group” and indulged in “bha-
yankar [frightful] abuse... total
unacceptable terminology for con-
stitutionally elected heads.” She
said Gandhi indulged in “destruc-
tive” politics. “I’m very scared...
probably he is becoming a ‘dooms-
day man’ for India,” she said.
Congress MP TN Prathapan
later moved a notice for privilege
motion against Sitharaman on her
“doomsday man” remark.
Reacting to Sitharaman’s com-
ment on “hum do, humare do” slo-
gan, Adhir Chowdhury, Leader of
Congress Party in Lok Sabha, said:
“Immediately we stood up there
and objected to the comments of
the Finance Minister and even
exhorted her that being a Finance
Minister of India, she should not
indulge in a such kind of unparlia-
mentary activities.”
Amarjeet Singh, is undergoing
treatment at Medanta hospital in
Gurugram.
Manoj Kumar’s younger
brother Parmoj Kumar, a Com-
monwealth Games medallist in
boxing, told HT that his brother,
Manoj, and sister-in-law, Sakshi,
were national-level players. He
added that their family had cor-
dial relations with the accused.
“Sukhvinder was working as a
wrestling coach at Jat College’s
akhara. My brother, who was the
head of the akhara, had asked
Sukhvinder to leave the college
after Pooja filed a complaint
against him,” said Parmoj.
Pooja’s father, Ram Gopal,
said his daughter had become a
victim of rivalry between
coaches. “My daughter was to
return home to Mathura on Sat-
urday. She had won two medals
at national-level events. She had
moved to Rohtak with an aim of
becoming an international-level
player. Despite financial con-
straints at home, I had ensured
that my daughter’s practice
never suffered. Unfortunately,
she was caught in the rivalry
between two coaches,” he said.
The incident shocked the
wrestling fraternity nationwide.
“What has happened is
extremely sad. I am here at the
national camp in Lucknow and it
has affected all of us that how
can such an incident happen in
an akhada. I did not know them
personally and I never visited
that centre but when you hear
such things it jolts you,” said
Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik,
who has trained at the Chhotu
Ram wrestling centre in Rohtak.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
No Covid-19 deaths recorded
in Delhi for 2nd day in a week
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: For the second day
in a week, the national capital
reported no deaths due to the
coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in
24 hours, according to the state
government’s daily health bulle-
tin. There were no deaths on
Monday — as reported a day
later on February 9 — for the
first time since May 11, much
before Delhi saw the first surge
in the cases of the viral infection.
So far, the most single-day
deaths were recorded on
AIMPLB moves SC on plea
for uniform divorce laws
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The All India Mus-
lim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) has moved the
Supreme Court to oppose a
public interest litigation (PIL)
demanding uniformity in
divorce laws across India.
Seeking to be heard as a rep-
resentative body of Muslims,
the board has emphasised that
since personal laws could not
be tested on the anvil of Articles
14 (right to equality), 21 (right to
life) or any other constitutional
provision, the court could not
issue judicial orders in this
regard.
In August 2020, Bharatiya
Janata Party leader and advo-
cate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay
had moved the top court, seek-
ing directions to the Centre to
take steps to remove anomalies
in divorce laws and make them
uniform for all citizens, without
any prejudice on the basis of
religion, race, cast, sex or place
of birth.
“The court may declare that
the discriminatory grounds of
divorce are violative of Articles
14, 15, 21 and frame guidelines
for ‘Uniform Grounds of
Divorce’ for all citizens,” it said.
Challenging the petition in its
plea filed through advocate MR
Shamshad, the Muslim rights
body submitted that the constit-
uent assembly had consciously
kept the personal laws outside
the ambit of the definition of
November 18, when 131 were
reported to have succumbed to
the illness as Delhi dealt with the
third and most brutal surge in
the number of cases.
Delhi, which was one of the
earliest Covid-19 hot spots in
India, is the only region in the
country that has reported three
distinct waves of infections.
“Today again within a week
no death has been reported due
to Covid infection. Please con-
tinue to take all precautions,”
Delhi health minister Satyendar
Jain tweeted.
So far, 10,889 people have died
laws in force in Article 13 and
consequently, the judicial scru-
tiny was not permissible.
The AIMPLB further stated
the laws related to marriage
and divorce even among the
Hindus were not uniform and
thus the customs and practices
have been protected by the
Hindu Marriage Act itself. It
sought dismissal of Upadhyay’s
petition “for the sake of justice.”
of the viral infection since the
first death, of a 69-year-old
woman – the mother of a Janak-
puri resident who had travelled
to Japan, Italy and Switzerland –
was reported on March 13.
New deaths usually reflect
infections that took place three-
four weeks ago.
As per government data, the
infection has affected 636,796
people in Delhi. However, many
more cases remain undetected
as shown by the seroprevalence
in January that showed 56% or
over 11 million Delhiites had
been exposed to the infection.
Three trapped after fire breaks out in vessel off Mumbai coast
Manish K Pathak
manish.pathak@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: A crew member sus-
tained burn injuries while three
others were reported to be
trapped in an engine room after
fire broke out in an offshore
News
supply vessel on Saturday.
The ship, Greatship Rohini,
was 92 nautical miles off the
Mumbai coast when the inci-
dent occurred. The injured crew
member was rescued and
brought ashore for medical
treatment, said Indian coast
guard officials.
On getting the information,
the ICG diverted an offshore
patrol vessel Samarth to the
location and an ICG Dornier air-
craft flew to the spot for an aer-
ial assessment of the emer-
gency.
03
ICG ship Samarth with its smoke and boundary cooling
advanced external fire-fighting
system, offshore vessel Priya 27,
and several other boats are
operation is going on, said ICG
officials.
The communication with
involved in rescue and bound- vessel Greatship Rohini is bro-
ary cooling operation, an officer ken. 18 crew members were on
said. “The fire has been doused board at the time of the inci-
but the engine room is full of dent, the officer added.
PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH
ANNOUNCES ADMISSION
Two-Year Full Time Management Programme
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)
(Session 2021-2022)
UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
PANJAB UNIVERSITY REGIONAL CENTRE, LUDHIANA
Candidates desirous of seeking admission to Two-Year Full Time Management
Programme MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) are required to visit
our website http://ubsIdhadmissions.puchd.ac.in for detailed instructions about
eligibility criteria, fee and Handbook of Information-2021. UBS Ludhiana admission
website shall remain open from 12th January, 2021 to 9th March, 2021 for online
registration through online payment. The hard copy of Application Form along with
necessary documents should reach the undersigned latest by 30th March, 2021
upto 4.00 pm. Thereafter, no application form shall be accepted. Panjab University
shall not be responsible for any postal delay in delivery or loss in transit of Application
Form.
Note: The admission to above mentioned programme at UBS, Panjab University
Regional Centre, Ludhiana is based on Common Admission Test (CAT) 2020,
conducted by IIM-Indore. NO SEPARATE ENTRANCE TEST will be conducted by
UBS Ludhiana or Panjab University for above mentioned programme. UBS
Ludhiana uses CAT-2020 score only for short-listing of candidates. IIMs have no
role either in selection process or in the conduct of the said programme.
Prof. Ravi Inder Singh (Hony. Director)
06
Only 43% health staff in city
turn up for 2nd vaccine jab
Anonna Dutt
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Less than half of the
health care workers in Delhi
who were scheduled to receive
their second dose of the corona-
virus vaccine turned up to get
the jab on Saturday, even as the
43% turnout rate in the Capital
far exceeded the overall turnout
across the country on the day.
Across India, only 4% of those
who received the shot on Janu-
ary 16, when the inoculation
drive kicked off, turned up for
the second dose of the vaccine
on Saturday, according to provi-
sional data shared by the Union
health ministry.
With 1,856 people getting the
second shot, Delhi accounted for
over 24% of the 7,668 second
doses administered, as per the
provisional data. In the Capital,
4,319 were slated to get a second
dose of the vaccine on Saturday.
Even then, administration
officials attributed the low turn-
out in Delhi to the weekend, and
the fact that hospitals were open
for only half the day.
“Today, fewer vaccinations
happened in total at the centre,
largely because it is a Saturday,
when many of our employees
have their weekly off or leave the
hospital by mid-day,” said Dr AK
Singh Rana, medical superin-
Delhi’s shot at
immunisation
189,330
FIRST JABS OVER Beneficiaries
vaccinated
THE PAST FEW DAYS
in Delhi
FIRST DOSES OVER
THE PAST FEW DAYS
Saturday
Friday 14,843
Thursday 15,807
tendent of Dr Ram Manohar
Lohia hospital, where 247 people
received the shot in comparison
to 319 the day before.
Dr Rana himself missed the
second dose as he was in a kid-
ney transplant surgery.
“It is a very delicate surgery
and I did not want to take the
vaccine before it, because of the
slightest possibility that I might
develop a fever or any other side
effects. By the time I was done
with the surgery the vaccination
centre had closed,” he said.
The number of people who
receive the second dose of the
vaccine is likely to go up Monday
43% TURN UP
FOR 2ND DOSE
Second doses
administered
1,856
4,319
Targeted
for 2nd
dose on
11,912 Saturday
onwards.
Among those who did receive
the second shot of the vaccine on
Saturday was 34-year-old Man-
ish Kumar, a sanitation worker
from the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who
was the first person in the
national capital to get a jab of a
Covid-19 vaccine, on the day the
immunisation programme
began.
“When I had gone to the vacci-
nation centre on the first day,
everybody I spoke to wanted to
wait for Dr Randeep Guleria (the
AIIMS director) to get the shot.
But I went ahead and said I
would like to get it first, if possi-
ble. That’s why the staff at the
vaccination centre was surprised
that I turned up very late at
about 4pm for my second dose;
my shift was from 1pm, so I
decided to come in late,” said
Kumar. He also urged all eligible
people to get the vaccine, and
said the jab had no side-effects
on him.
Dr Sandeep Nayyar, head of
the centre for chest medicine at
BL Kapur hospital, was first in
line to get his second shot of Cov-
id-19 vaccine on Saturday.
“I experienced no adverse
events after either shot and con-
tinued my day as usual. I will
urge everyone to get the vaccine
so that we do not have to go
through what we did in 2020.
However, getting the vaccine
does not mean that people stop
following the precautions as it
will still take a long time to
immunise everyone,” he said.
On Saturday, in addition to
the 1,856 people who received
the second dose of the vaccine,
11,912 people received their first
shots. The total on Saturday,
13,768, was lower than the 14,843
people who were administered
vaccine doses on Friday, and
15,807 the day before that.
Among those who received
the first shot of the vaccine,
around 30% were health care
News
workers, while the rest were
those classified as “frontline
workers”.
In North district, no health
care worker received their first
shot on Saturday and only five
health care workers in Northeast
district got a jab of the vaccines.
As per the centre’s directions,
the immunisation of healthcare
workers will end on February 20
and that of frontline workers on
March 1. Five days after each
deadline will be allotted for mop
up to give the shots to those who
might have missed it. After this,
immunisation of those over the
age of 50 will begin.
“There is a lot of messages
going around among doctors
and other health care workers
that the immune response is bet-
ter when the doses are given 12
weeks apart. This is the reason
many might want to wait till the
six week cut-off to get the shot.
Some might be scared of adverse
reactions as there could be more
reactogenecity during the sec-
ond dose,” said Dr Suneela Garg,
professor of community medi-
cine at Maulana Azad Medical
College.
No adverse events following
immunisation(AEFI) were
reported in people who got their
second shot on Saturday and six
AEFI were reported among
those who got the first shot.
{ MANGOLPURI MURDER } COPS MAINTAIN KILLING DUE TO PERSONAL ENMITY
City police crime branch
takes over murder probe
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on
Saturday said that the murder
case of Mangolpuri resident
25-year-old Rinku Sharma has
been transferred to their crime
branch that will look into the
allegations levelled by his family
members and the local police’s
theory that the crime was a
result of personal enmity.
Sharma, who worked as a lab
technician at a private hospital,
was stabbed while returning
home from a birthday party on
Wednesday night.
The murder of the 25-year-old
had taken communal colours on
Friday, with some leaders from
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
stating on social media that
Sharma was collecting money
for construction of the Ram
Mandir in Ayodhya.
The tension that has gripped
the neighbourhood since, con-
tinued on Saturday with a group
of people allegedly attacking the
house of one of the suspects
despite deployment of extra
security personnel to prevent
any untoward incidents.
The family of Sharma on Sat-
urday also refuted Delhi Police’s
theory of the murder having
happened over personal enmity,
and stated that Sharma had a tiff
with the arrested persons last
year because of his links with
Hindu groups. Sharma’s brother,
Mannu Sharma said his brother
was associated with the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.
Additional deputy commis-
sioner of police (outer) Sudhan-
shu Dhama did not comment on
Saturday’s mob attack at the sus-
pect’s house despite multiple
attempts.
Five persons, identified as
Mohammad Danish,36, Moham-
mad Islam,45, Zahid,26,
Mohammad Mehtab,20, and
Tajuddin,39, have been arrested
in the case, even as Sharma’s
family members have alleged
that five-six more persons were
involved in the killing.
“We are happy that the case
has been transferred to the
crime branch. Local police coop-
erated with us but they could not
have solved this case. At least a
dozen people were involved in
my brother’s (Rinku) murder,
but only five were arrested. We
hope the crime branch will do a
fair investigation” said Mannu
Sharma.
On Saturday, a crime branch
team, along with forensic
experts, visited the crime scene,
lifted evidence, and met
Sharma’s family members.
According to Mannu, the crime
branch officials took names of
the persons involved in his
brother’s murder from his fam-
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
ily members.
A police officer, who did not
wish to be named, said the crime
branch team will look into all
angles related to Sharma’s mur-
der and will once again record
the statements of his family
members, eyewitnesses, and
other people related to the case.
It will also examine all the video
footage pertaining to the crime.
On Friday, the police had said
that Sharma and the accused
were known to each other for a
long time, and had got into a
fight at a party over the shutting
down of a mutual friend’s res-
taurant.
The row escalated and
Sharma was stabbed on Wednes-
day night. Sharma’s family
members have, however, main-
tained that some of the accused
had fought with him last August
because of his links with Hindu
groups.
Some leaders from the BJP —
including Kapil Mishra and
Delhi unit chief Adesh Gupta —
had said on social media on Fri-
day that Sharma was collecting
money for construction of the
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Mishra
even linked the killing to the col-
lection drive, as posts demand-
ing “justice” for Sharma gained
traction through the day. Gupta
and party MP Hans Raj Hans
also visited Sharma’s house, as
did AAP MLA Rakhi Birla.
AAP CALLS FOR
SHAH TO RESIGN;
BJP SAYS KEJRIWAL
IS ’SILENT’ ON
MURDERS IN CITY
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP) on Saturday con-
demned the murder of 25-year
old lab assistant Rinku Sharma
in Mangolpuri and demanded
the resignation of Union home
minister Amit Shah over the
deteriorating law and order situ-
ation in Delhi.
Addressing a press confer-
ence, senior AAP leader and
chief spokesperson Saurabh
Bhardwaj said even Hindus are
now not safe under the BJP-
ruled central government.
“Union home minister Amit
Shah should take responsibility
for the murder of Rinku Sharma
and immediately resign. Earlier
only Muslims used to feel threat-
ened under the BJP, but now
Dalits, Sikhs and Hindus also feel
threatened. The BJP and Shah
are conspiring atrocities against
Hindus for their political bene-
fits and AAP condemns such a
mentality,” said Bhardwaj.
He said that under Shah, the
Red Fort was vandalised, and
Rahul Rajput was murdered a
few months ago. And now,
there’s a murder in Mangolpuri
case. He said the AAP also
demands stringent punishment
for those responsible for Rinku
Sharma’s murder.
“On behalf of the AAP, I want
to make it very clear that the
Union home minister is respon-
sible for these heinous crimes
which are taking place in the
national capital of India. These
crimes and murders are taking
place in Delhi and the Delhi
Police is completely failing to
protect the citizens,” he said.
The Union ministry of home
affairs did not comment on the
matter.
The Delhi BJP, on the other
hand, questioned the silence of
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
over the brutal murders and
riots in Delhi which have taken
place over the past few years.
“People of Delhi have seen that
the AAP leadership first tries to
ignore such murders or commu-
nal riots killings by a minority
community but mildly con-
demns the killings when the
public and BJP pressure
mounts,” said Delhi BJP spokes-
person Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
“People of Delhi very well
know that AAP politically stands
behind a minority community of
youths involved in the killings of
Hindu youths. The biggest proof
is that the AAP has till date not
expelled the alleged February
2020 riots conspirator AAP
councilor Tahir Hussain. AAP
in-fact stands by Tahir Hussain
and other conspirators, Sharjeel
Imam, Umar Khalid and Pinjda
Tod members,” Kapoor said.
While Delhi police main-
tained that the killing was a
result of personal enmity over
losses after a restaurant owned
by Sharma’s friend shut down,
his family members refuted
police’s theory and said that
Sharma had a tiff with the
arrested persons last year
because of his links with Hindu
groups. Sharma’s brother,
Mannu Sharma said his brother
was associated with the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
Two elderly men nabbed for
Jan 26 violence granted bail
Prawesh Lama
prawesh.lama@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Two elderly men
from Punjab — Gurkmukh
Singh, 80, and Jeet Singh, 70 —
who had been arrested by Delhi
Police for assaulting security
personnel during the Republic
Day violence, were granted bail
by a city court on Friday.
The two are the eldest,
among the 146 persons arrested
for the violence on January 26,
so far. The court while granting
the bail took into account the
age of the two men, the fact that
they had no criminal past and
the fact that they had served in
the defence forces.
Friday’s bail for the elderly
duo also meant that the number
of people who had received bail
after being arrested for their
alleged involvement in
the Republic Day violence so far
jumped to six. Papers seen by
Hindustan Times, show that in
these six cases, the courts
observed that the men had no
criminal record and were
merely picked up from the spots
of violence. In one case, where
three men were arrested, the
court noted that police are yet to
Sidhu, Iqbal Singh taken to Red Fort
to recreate sequence of R-Day clashes
Karn Pratap Singh
karn.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-activ-
ist Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh,
both arrested in connection with
the January 26 Red Fort vio-
lence, were on Saturday taken to
the monument by Delhi Police’s
special investigation team (SIT)
to recreate the sequence of
events leading to vandalism and
clashes that erupted there dur-
ing a tractor rally by farmers
protesting against three new
agricultural laws.
The two were arrested
between Monday and Tuesday
from near Karnal Bypass in Har-
yana and Punjab’s Hoshiarpur,
respectively. They are presently
FRIDAY’S BAIL FOR
THE ELDERLY DUO
ALSO MEANT THAT
THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE TO HAVE
MADE BAIL AFTER
BEING ARRESTED
FOR THE REPUBLIC
DAY VIOLENCE SO
FAR JUMPED TO SIX
connect them directly with the
violence.
To be sure, the six are only
out on bail and are yet to be
cleared of the charges. As part
of the probe and legal process,
police will gather evidence
against the six men and present
it in their charge sheet. The
court will then start trial against
the six men. The courts have
directed the six men to not leave
the country without permission
and not to threaten or influence
witnesses or complainants.
Sample this observation by a
city court in FIR 50 registered
by the Baba Haridas Nagar
police. Police had arrested three
men for allegedly assaulting
in the custody of the SIT of the
crime branch, which is probing
their alleged role in the Red Fort
violence on Republic Day. Police
have alleged that the two were
“prominent players” behind the
violence and “instigated the
mob” by delivering “provocative
speeches”.
During the recreation of the
crime scene, SIT members asked
Sidhu and Iqbal to describe their
movements and activities at the
Red Fort on January 26, a police
officer who did not want to be
identified said. They were asked
about the passage through
which they entered the iconic
structure and exited it after reli-
gious and farm union flags were
hoisted by some protesters.
police personnel when they
were asked not to deviate from
the pre-approved route of the
farmers tractor rally.
The court observed that the
alleged rioters Jaswinder Singh,
Lovepreet Singh and Ramdeep
Singh, were on a motorcycle at
the spot of the violence on Janu-
ary 26 but police are yet to link
them to the violence. “...It is
observed by the court that
nowhere in the reply, it has
been averred as to what was the
role of the accused/appli-
cant...The court has also
observed that there is no spe-
cific involvement of the
accused/applicant in any vio-
lence or breaking of the barri-
cade in the present case,” the
court said, while granting bail
to the three men. The court also
observed that the three did not
have a criminal record.
Jaswinder, Lovepreet and
Ramandeep were the first to get
bail on February 8.
In response to the release of
the six men on bail, former
MLA and president of the Delhi
Sikh Gurudwara Management
Committee, Manjinder Singh
Sirsa, said, “Delhi police have
arrested many innocent farmers
The investigating team
inspected the entire scene of vio-
lence at the fort to corroborate
their claims and to ascertain
how things unfolded at the mon-
ument, the officer said.
The Delhi Police have regis-
tered at least 44 cases in connec-
tion with the January 26 vio-
lence and the incident of Janu-
ary 29, when a group of people,
claiming to be locals, entered a
farmers’ protest site at the
Singhu border and clashed with
farmers and police.
Three more arrested in
Burari violence case
Police on Saturday said they
arrested three more persons for
the violence near Burari on
News 07
for the violence that day. The
DSGMC is working with a panel
of lawyers and offering pro-
bono services to ensure that all
innocent people arrested are
released on bail at the earliest.”
While Delhi police spokes-
person DCP Chinmoy Biswal
was not available for a
response, a senior Delhi police
officer who did not wish to be
named, said, “Bail is a legal
process and the right of the
accused. We have arrested 143
persons. We have evidence,
which is why the courts have
not given bail in other cases.
There are more than 100 people
arrested for the violence. The
circumstances of the arrest of
each person and their specific
crime are bound to be different,
even if the main allegation is of
rioting. There are also promi-
nent people, like Punjabi actor
Deep Sidhu and Iqbal Singh,
against whom we have concrete
evidence. We have presented
the evidence gathered (so far)
against him in court. Also, we
have arrest only 143 persons,
when the mob comprised of a
larger number. We arrest only
those who were violent that day.
Further investigations are on.”
Republic Day. A total of 146 per-
sons have been arrested for the
violence that broke out in differ-
ent parts of the city on that day.
Sukhmeet Singh,35, his
brother Gundeep Singh,33, and
Harvinder Singh,32, were
arrested on Friday, after their
presence at the scene were con-
firmed from video clips and pho-
tographs collected by the investi-
gating team, a senior police offi-
cer said, requesting anonymity.
“We have arrested the three
men on the basis of the video
footage and cellphone location
analysis. Their bikes are also
seen at the scene of the violence
in Burari. Their exact role in the
violence is also being investi-
gated,” said the officer.
08 News
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

2 YEARS AFTER
PULWAMA, INTERPOL
ISSUES NOTICES
will review Pakistan’s actions to
counter terror financing amid
signs that Islamabad is yet to
completely implement the mul-
tilateral watchdog’s action plan.
The crucial plenary meeting
during February 22-25 will take
a final call on Pakistan, which is
in FATF’s “grey list”.
The fresh Interpol notices
against Azhar and Rauf are in
addition to the red notices
issued against them previously
— for their role in the attack on
Indian Parliament in 2001 as
well as the deadly attack on the
Pathankot air base in 2016. Rauf
has another Interpol red notice
against him for hijacking Indian
Airlines’s Flight IC-814 in 1999,
which forced the government to
release Azhar and two other ter-
rorists (Mushtaq Zargar and
Omar Sheikh) in exchange of
about 150 passengers on board.
“Azhar and his brother live
freely in Pakistan despite killing
hundreds of innocent peo-
ple…they are globally desig-
nated wanted terrorists and
have three to four Interpol red
notices pending against them.
Pakistan must arrest them and
hand them over to India,” said a
counterterrorism official,
requesting anonymity.
Under FATF pressure, Paki-
Athar’s son Umar Farooq and
JeM commander Kamran (both
killed in encounters with secu-
rity forces) and one Ismail, alias
Saifullah, are the three others
on whom information will be
sought.
The Letter Rogatory request
has been approved by the minis-
try of home affairs and will be
sent to Islamabad in next two
weeks, said a second official.
In a 13,500-page charge sheet
filed in August 2020, NIA said
Azhar’s nephew Farooq, a
highly skilled Afghanistan-
trained improvised explosive
device (IED) maker, executed
the suicide bombing on the
morning of February 14, 2019,
when a CRPF convoy was mov-
ing on national highway in Pul-
wama.
“Since the Pulwama attack,
many of these high-profile ter-
rorist commanders have gone
under the radar in Pakistan and
haven’t been seen publicly as
part of Pakistan’s strategy to
show to the international com-
munity that the terrorists aren’t
active in its jurisdiction. As soon
as the global scrutiny subsides,
these terrorist commanders will
be back, operating openly,”
Sameer Patil , fellow at the
International Security Studies
Programme at Gateway House,
said.
{ }
benefit the nation,” Shah said.
He wondered what the ruling
NDA’s predecessors, who were
now asking questions about
development in the region, had
done for J&K since Independ-
ence.
Shah also stressed that the
panchayati raj system was in
place in J&K after the Article
370 move and cited the success-
ful conduct of local polls. “Even
our rivals could not allege any
wrongdoing in these polls,
which were conducted fairly
and peacefully,” he said.
“Now people chosen by the
masses will rule Jammu and
Kashmir, not those born to
kings and queens,” Shah added,
launching a scathing criticism
of “three families” that domi-
nated politics in J&K for long.
He did not name any party in
this context, but was apparently
referring to the Congress, the
National Conference (NC) and
the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi lauded Shah’s address and
also praised finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman’s “compre-
hensive” reply in the Lok Sabha
to a discussion on the Union
Budget. “A wonderful speech by
Home Minister Shri Amit Shah
in the Lok Sabha. Extensive in
detail and rich in content, it
highlights our efforts for
state was downgraded. The
decision was against the will of
people of J&K…The home min-
ister should now fix a time line
for the restoration of state-
hood,” Monga said.
Back in the Lok Sabha, Shah
said work on two All India Insti-
tute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) in the region had
begun, and the Kashmir Valley
will be connected to the rail-
ways by 2022. He said the gov-
ernment expected that around
25,000 government jobs will be
created in J&K by next year.
The home minister also gave
the assurance to the people of
J&K that “no one will lose their
land” and that the government
had sufficient land for develop-
ment works.
Replying to All India Majlis-
e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)
president Asaduddin Owaisi,
Shah said the decision to restore
4G services in the region last
week after 18 months was not
taken under pressure of any for-
eign government.
“…The (Congress-led) United
Progressive Alliance govern-
ment is gone. This is Narendra
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party
government. The nation makes
it decisions. Parliament makes
its decisions. No one can pres-
sure us,” he said.
Authorities restricted the 4G
services to buy some time and
{ THE CROSSWORDS }
DISENGAGEMENT AT
PANGONG TSO SET TO CRYPTIC CLUES PUZZLE 15845 © Gemini Crosswords 2018 All rights reserved
CONCLUDE BY FRIDAY
eastern sectors. ACROSS
According to the ministry of 1 Runs at twice the speed? (7)
5 Precise demand (5)
defence, the two sides will dis-
8 I must mix mid-Atlantic alcoholic drink (9)
cuss the disengagement in the
9 She comes from Nevada (3)
Gogra-Hot Springs area and the 10 Wine from a cask (4)
Depsang bulge after the Pang- 12 Found to have arrived (6,2)
ong Tso withdrawal is com- 14 Actors show they have star potential (6)
pleted to ensure peace and 15 Cut by a quarter? That’s serious (6)
tranquillity along the 1,597km 17 Girl thought to be like Queen Victoria? (8)
Line of Actual Control in the 18 Finish the roadwork (4)
Ladakh sector. 21 Sign the French love (3)
While Indian security plan- 22 The prime minister is pleased to gain
ners are satisfied with the dis- weight (9)
engagement after nearly 10 24 An air of simplicity (5)
25 Show place (7)
months of eyeball-to-eyeball
confrontation, they are aware
that the disengagement does DOWN
not mean peace on its own. 1 Measures intended to do good (5)
According to them, both sides 2 Touring centre in Switzerland (3)
3 A number of us scowl (4)
will have to go back to their
4 Unusually astute piece of work by an QUICK CLUES
bases prior to April 2020 all artist (6)
along the 3,488km LAC to 5 Once was inclined to be lengthy (8) ACROSS DOWN
ensure that there is no further 6 It makes a change (9) 1 Lachrymose (7) 1 Bulbous flowering plant (5)
military confrontation. “Disen- 5 Long-legged wading bird (5) 2 Intention (3)
7 Take steps to keep down (7) 8 Glare of publicity (9) 3 People (4)
gagement is only step one to 11 Look round for a way to throw a 9 Joke (3) 4 Roman army unit (6)
the entire process, with peace fight (4,5) 10 Ground-breaking tool (4) 5 Get along well (3,2,3)
and tranquillity a long way off,” 13 Have a fast time (2,6) 12 Computer programs (8) 6 Complicated procedure (9)
14 Joined up with the company at the 14 South American grassy plains (6) 7 Uncared-for state (7)
said a senior military com- 15 Exertion (6) 11 Club’s governing body (9)
front (7)
mander. 16 Possibly tread about quietly and 17 Offspring (8) 13 Ship’s biscuit (4,4)
Although the disengagement leave (6) 18 Steering apparatus (4) 14 An ocean (7)
is being verified through satel- 21 In good health (3) 16 Colorado state capital (6)
19 Firearm part (5) 22 Opponent (9) 19 Possibly (5)
lite imagery each day, the big- 20 Marine detachment (4) 24 Verify (5) 20 Forbidding (4)
ger worry for the Indian Army 23 Gout doesn’t start abroad (3) 25 Compunction (7) 23 Express publicly (3)
is the attitude of the PLA west-
ern theatre commander when FRIDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15844)
summer military exercises are { SUDOKU } DIFFICULTY LEVEL
held in Tibet and Xinjiang

stan issued an arrest warrant
against Azhar last month,
acknowledging officially for the
first time his presence in its ter-
ritory. But Indian counterter-
rorism officials call it “total eye-
wash”.
“The JeM chief has not even
been charged under terror laws
in Pakistan despite India shar-
ing massive evidence in all these
SHAH ON J&K
STATEHOOD
Lok Sabha by a voice vote. The
bill has already been green-
lighted by the Rajya Sabha. It
replaces an ordinance issued
last month.
“I am piloting the bill. I have
introduced it...Don’t impose
your apprehensions on the peo-
ple of J&K…This bill has noth-
Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,”
he tweeted.
In Kashmir, Shah’s remarks
drew sharp reactions. “HM’s
allegations that J&K was run by
three families pales in compari-
son to the country being run by
‘hum do humaray do’,” former
chief minister and PDP presi-
dent Mehbooba Mufti said on
Twitter, referring to Congress
make sure rumours were not
being spread (after the Article
370 move), Shah added.
Criticising Owaisi, he said the
AIMIM leader was creating a
divide between Hindu and Mus-
lim officers. Participating in the
discussion earlier, Owaisi said
the bill will further alienate
Muslims and Kashmir. He also
sought to know about the num-
CRYPTIC
region between March and
June.
The PLA deployment across
the Karakoram pass in Xiadul-
lah has not changed and the
same stands for deployment
across the Daulet Beg Oldi sec-
tor. It is for this very reason
that the Indian Army has
adopted a trust-but-verify
approach as a military flare-up

attacks. The court warrant is to
show before the FATF plenary
that some action is happening,”
the official quoted above said.
FATF president Marcus
Pleyer last year cautioned Paki-
stan that it would not be given a
chance “forever” to address out-
standing issues and that
repeated failure to deliver on
ing to do with J&K statehood.
The region will be granted state-
hood at an appropriate time,”
Shah told the Opposition that
has spoken out against the
move to nullify Article 370.
Targeting opposition parties,
especially the Congress, he said
Article 370 was a temporary
provision but they continued
leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge
that the country was being run
by and for four people.
NC spokesperson Imran Dar
said the government gave no
reason behind downgrading the
erstwhile state to a UT. “Even
now they gave no justification
as to why they are delaying the
return to statehood. At the same
QUICK
ber of youngsters from the Val- is not ruled out due to the
ley arrested under the Public aggression of local PLA com-
Security Act (PSA). manders on the ground.
Congress floor leader Adhir
Ranjan Chowdhury said local
officers should be posted in J&K
and accused the Centre of nulli-
fying Article 370 “without prep-
aration”. “This government is
facing a trust deficit there.
A TWTW THE WEEK THAT WAS
Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and
each of the 9X9 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.

the action plan would result in a with it for 70 years for the sake time, the disempowerment of There is a lot of trust deficit and
country being put in the “black of “vote bank politics” before J&K continues…They are bring- I suggest that posting local offi- ANSWERS
list”. Pleyer also said Pakistan the Modi government nullified ing legislation after legislation cers to the largest extent will be 1. INS Viraat { WEATHER } TEMPERATURE IN
ALMANAC
had fully complied with 21 of 27 it on August 5, 2019, and bifur- to disempower the state,” he good for Jammu and Kashmir 2. Virat Kohli TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW Today is FOUR METROS
14th February 2021 Delhi
points in the action plan. cated J&K into two Union Terri- said of the move to merge the administration,” he said. 3. A necktie 1 Rajab 1442
●
28°c I 12°c
As reported by HT on Decem- tories – J&K with a legislative J&K cadre with the AGMUT Shah later explained that 4. Kangana Ranaut ● Magha,
Shukla Paksha, 3 Mumbai
ber 12, India has also prepared a assembly and Ladakh without cadre. states such as Mizoram, Goa 5. Coca-Cola SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY ● Samvat 2077
30°c I 20°c
formal judicial request, or Let- one. J&K Congress vice-president and Arunachal Pradesh are part 6. Bittu Very dense fog Dense fog Moderate fog
Sunset: Sunday
at 06:10 p.m. Kolkata
ter Rogatory, seeking informa- “Who pressured you to con- Ghulam Nabi Monga said the of the AGMUT cadre and the 7. Bumble Sunrise: Monday
at 06:59 a.m. 30°c I 19°c
tion on Azhar, Rauf, Athar and tinue with it for years?...This government never consulted Opposition’s concerns on the 8. Women driving Moonrise: Monday
Chennai
Alvi, and three Pakistani nation- government does not believe in people before doing away with bill were unfounded. 9. Denmark at 09:14 a.m.
30°c I 22°c
als who came to India to exe- vote bank politics. This govern- the statehood. “It had never 10. Bhimbetka, MP 28°c I 12°c 29°c I 11°c 30°c I 11°c Moonset: Monday
at 09:31 p.m.
cute the Pulwama attack. ment takes decisions that will happened in the history that a (with agency inputs)

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
(ORIGINAL COMPANY JURISDICTION)
IN THE MATTER OF COMPANIES ACT, 1956
In Fond Remembrance of

LEVEL 6TH, C-WING, DELHI SECRETARIAT, AND

IN THE MATTER OF CREW B.O.S. PRODUCTS LIMITED
(IN PROV. LIQN.)
NEW DELHI - 110002 C.P. NO. 52/2013
ADVERTISEMENT OF NOTICE TO ALL THE CREDITORS AND
WORKMEN TO PROVE THEIR CLAIMS/INVESTMENT UNDER

PUBLIC NOTICE
SECTION 529, 529A AND 530 OF COMPANIES ACT, 1956
Notice is hereby given to the workmen’s/secured creditors/unsecured
creditors and other creditors of the above named company in terms of
order of the Hon’ble High Court passed on 27.03.2019 and they are
Ban on sharp synthetic/nylon kite flying thread including required to submit to the Official Liquidator, attached to the Hon’ble
High Court of Delhi to prove their respective investments/claims against
popularly known “Chinese Manjha” the above said company by delivering the same at the office of Official
Liquidator on or before 14.03.21 or sending by post to the Official
Mrs. BANITA TALWAR
18.09.1954 - 14.02.2011
Liquidator so as to reach at the office of the Official Liquidator, Delhi
This is for the information of the general public that in order to prevent the adverse effects not later than the aforesaid date along with an affidavit in support of Is Heaven a Physician?
their investments/claims on a Non-Judicial Stamp Paper in Form No.
on human beings, cattle population, birds, soil and ecology and in exercise of the powers 66 of the Companies (Courts) Rules, 1959, along with photocopy of
They say that He can heal -
But Medicine
conferred by section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with original documents proving their investments/claims and any title to
priority under Section 529, 529A & 530 of the Companies Act, 1956. Posthumous is unavailable
Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs’ Notification No. SO 667 (E), dated 10th Any Workman/Secured Creditor/Unsecured Creditor to the above said – (Emily Dickinson)
company who fails to submit his/her affidavit or proof of his/her debt
September, 1992, a Notification was issued on 10.01.2017 by order and in the name of within the aforesaid time limit will be excluded from the benefits of any
Fondly remembered
& missed by:
entitlement before his/her investments/claims is proved or as the case
the Hon’ble Lt. Governor of the NCT of Delhi with the following directions:- may be from objection to such entitlement.
D.P. Talwar
& Family Members
Any workman/secured creditor/unsecured creditor to the above said
1. There shall be complete ban on the sale, production, storage, supply, import, and company who has sent his/her proof, if so, required by notice in writing
from the Official Liquidator, Delhi shall either in person or, by his/her
use of kite flying thread made out of nylon, plastic or any other synthetic material advocate attend the investigation of such debt or claim at such time and
place as shall be specified in such notice and shall produce such further
including popularly known as “Chinese manja” and any other kite-flying thread evidence of his/her debt or claim as may be required.
that is sharp or made sharp such as by being laced with glass, metal or any other Visit website www.delhiol.gov.in & www.mca.gov.in for downloading
Form no. 66 of the Companies (Court) Rules 1959.
sharp materials in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Dated this 14th day of February 2021. (D. K. SINGH)
OFFICIAL LIQUIDAOTR
2. Kite flying shall be permissible only with a cotton thread, free from any sharp/ ATTACHED TO HON’BLE HIGH COURT OF DELHI

Unforgettable
8th FLOOR, A WING, LOK NAYAK BHAWAN
metallic/glass components/adhesives/thread strengthening materials. davp 07104/11/0006/2021 KHAN MARKET, NEW DELHI-110003

Any breach of the above directions may be reported to the office of the following:
S. Designation Email ID Helpline State Water And Sanitation Mission
No. Number Jal Jeevan Mission, Chhattisgarh
1. The Commissioner of Police, cp.snshrivastava@delhipolice.gov.in 100 EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
Name of Work : Rate Contract for Item of Works Under
Delhi Police
Jal Jeevan Mission, PHED, Chhattisgarh
2. The Divisional Commissioner, divcom@nic.in 1077 EOI-03/Dated 10.02.2021/System No. 71531
GNCTD On behalf of Mission Director, JJM Chhattisgarh, The Chief Engineer,
Public Health Engineering Department Raipur Zone, Raipur invites
3. The Chief Wildlife Warden, ccfgnctd@gmail.com 1800118600 Expression of Interest (EOI) from the contractors registered in “Any of
the Class - A, B, C, D, E” in the unified registration system of Government
GNCTD of Chhattisgarh, for fixation of rate contract for the works of :-

4. The Commissioner, North commr-northdmc@mcd.nic.in 155304 Probable amount of cost of work :- 2218.50 Lakhs, details of works
are as under :-
Delhi Municipal Corporation Name of Work :-
Fluoride Removal Plant (for the works in water quality affected
5. The Commissioner, South commissioner-sdmc@mcd.nic.in 155305 areas, as interim measures)- Providing, installation and
Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioning of Solar based Electro-de-fluoridation plants of
153 Nos. as CWPPs; in different villages of Chhattisgarh State for
6. The Commissioner, East Delhi commissioneredmc@gmail.com 155303 rural water supply schemes.
The above said proposed under Jal Jeevan Mission to be
Municipal Corporation implemented by Mission Director, JJM, State Water and Sanitation
Mission (SWSM), PHED, Chhattisgarh. Schedule of Date- Bid
Note: The violation of directions issued under the section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Start Date- 15.02.2021, Pre Bid Date- 19.02.2021, Bid Due Date-
27.02.2021, PHY Sub Date- 02.03.2021, Open Date- 03.03.2021.
Act, 1986, or the rules made thereunder shall be punishable under section 15 of the said The detailed EOI Document will be available in the e-procurement
Act which includes imprisonment upto five years and/or with fine which may be extended to portal https://eproc.cgstate.gov.in on 15-02-2021 from 10.30 onwards.
Bids are to be submitted online in the portal https://eproc.cgstate.
Rs. One Lac or with both. gov.in on or before 17:30 hrs of 27.02.2021, In no case manual EOI will
be entertained.
(Dr. M.L. Agrawal)
The avove said NOTIFICATION is available at: www.environment.delhigovt.nic.in Engineer-in-Chief
Public Health Engineering Department,
Dr. K. S. Jayachandran and Member Secretary
State Water & Sanitation Mission
DIP/Shabdarth/0544/20-21 Special Secretary (Env.) G-87037/8 Executive Committee, Chhattisgarh, Raipur
10 News
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HYDERABAD: The police on Sat-
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Qû ¦FªF I e QcSe, ¸FFÀI W` ªF÷ Se Email : sec24-sb@mppolice.gov.in dent three days ago on the out-
skirts of Hyderabad, adding that
the 19-year-old woman fabri-
cated the story because she
wanted to “mislead” her parents
and “leave their house”.
On Thursday, police officials
said the woman’s mother
reached out to the police and
said that she received a call from
her daughter saying she was
being abducted.
A police team began search-
ing for the woman and eventu-
ally found her in a state of semi-
consciousness in a bush in
Annojiguda, about 20 km from
the state capital. At that time,
police said that an auto diver and
his three accomplices allegedly
attempted to abduct, gang rape
and murder the 19-year-old but
failed after she resisted her
attackers and alerted the author-
Budget session: 99%
of allotted time used
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The first half of the
Budget Session, which began
with opposition parties boycott-
ing the President’s address to
Parliament and saw protests and
disruptions over three farm
laws, was able to utilise about
99% of its allotted time, accord-
ing to official records.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned
on Saturday, ending the first
phase of the Budget Session,
which witnessed 13 privilege
notices filed by MPs. Parliament
will reconvene on March 8 after
recess.
The recess allows depart-
ment-related standing commit-
tees to examine demands for
grants of various ministries.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings
ended on Friday, while the Lok
Sabha sat on Saturday morning
to complete the discussion on
the Union Budget. Rajya Sabha
chairman Venkaiah Naidu said
that the Upper House clocked
Growth is
not just about chasing success.
It’s also about learning from failures.
Growth is...On.
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THE WOMAN
FABRICATED THE
STORY AS SHE
WANTED TO
‘MISLEAD’ HER
PARENTS AND
‘LEAVE THE HOUSE’,
POLICE SAID
ities. “She was not abducted. We
found that it was a false case
after a thorough investigation
and gathering of evidence,”
Rachakonda police commis-
sioner Mahesh Bhagawat said.
In her statement to the police,
the woman said that she left col-
lege at 6:30pm and boarded an
auto to reach her home, roughly
4km away. She said that two
other men boarded the auto,
which she said did not stop at
RLR Nagar, where she was sup-
posed to get down. According to
her, the auto finally stopped at
Yamnampet village, roughly
6km from where she had started.
99% productivity, with a net time
loss of only 30 minutes due to
disruptions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
announced that the Lower
House utilised 99.5% of its time
by sitting for longer hours after
four consecutive days were
washed out over demand for an
exclusive debate on three farm
laws.
Parliament cleared two bills
— The Arbitration and Concilia-
tion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and
The Jammu and Kashmir Reor-
ganisation (Amendment) Bill,
2021— during the brief first half
that was cut short by two days
from its original schedule.
“We still have to go for the sec-
ond part. I only appeal to the
members not to miss any Stand-
ing Committee meeting. Please
see to it that you attend all the
Standing Committee meetings
and make contribution also,”
Naidu said. Birla, in his speech,
said: “49 women MPs partici-
pated in the vote of thanks on the
President’s address and discus-
sion on the budget”.
Standing National Committee on
Medicine (SNCM)
Stakeholders National Consultation meeting of
SNCM (for revision of NLEM 2015) will be held
on 19.02.2021
Venue: Through Video Conferencing, ICMR, New
Delhi
A) Interaction with NGO’s/Patients
representatives – 02.00- 03.00 PM
B) Interaction with Pharmaceutical Industries and
Pharmaceutical Association representatives –
03.30-04.30 PM
Those interested may communicate the intent to
participate by e-mail at: vc.sncmhcp@gmail.com,
link will be shared through e-mail.
davp 17152/11/0008/2021
Download App Now:
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
There, another man with a van
was already waiting, she told
police. The four men allegedly
bundled her into the van and
started for Ghatkesar, another
2km away, the police said on
Thursday.
However, during probe police
found that the woman’s state-
ment was in contradiction to the
evidence they found, the police
commissioner said. “We exam-
ined the footage obtained from
CCTV cameras which showed
that the woman got down at the
next stop from her actual desti-
nation, walked for about four
kilometres towards Yamnampet
and then boarded another auto
to reach Annojiguda, from
where she called her mother
stating that she was kidnapped,”
Bhagawat said.
“She confessed that due to
family issues she wanted to leave
her house. Later, due to police
involvement, she panicked and
out of fear weaved a false story,”
the police said in an official
statement.
TESLA TO SET UP
PRODUCTION UNIT
IN K’TAKA: BSY
HT Correspondent
BENGALURU: Karnataka chief
minister BS Yediyurappa on Sat-
urday said that tech giant Tesla
will set up its electric car manu-
facturing unit in the state.
The chief minister made the
revelation in a statement
regarding the Union Budget.
“American firm Tesla will open
its electric car manufacturing
unit in Karnataka,” read the
statement.
On January 8, Tesla had reg-
istered its subsidiary Tesla India
Motors and Energy Private Ltd
in Bengaluru. The firm listed
Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam
Sreeram and David Jon Fein-
stein as directors of the com-
pany. This announcement came
after Elon Musk in October
2020 said that the process to
bring Tesla cars to India would
begin in January 2021.
Apart from this announce-
ment, the statement stated that
Karnataka will get ₹10,904
crore for 33 national highway
projects 13 highway projects.
groups
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 My India 11
Road crashes increase household FORMER DU PROF 

 
SAIBABA TESTS
poverty in India: World Bank report COVID +VE IN JAIL 



Anisha Dutta

letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: More than 75% of
minister Nitin Gadkari on Sat-
urday, highlights the dispro-
portionate impact of a road
crash on poor households that
household income after a
crash. About 40% of women
reported a change in their
working patterns post-crash,
$
NAGPUR: Former Delhi Univer-


sity professor G N Saibaba, who
is serving life term in Nagpur
Central Prison for alleged Maoist

poor households in India
reported a decline in their
income as a result of a road
traffic crash and the financial


loss to them amounted to

$
 #
more than seven months’

 
household income, while it
was equivalent to less than one
month’s household income for
rich households, a World Bank


report released on Saturday
stated.
pushes them into a vicious
cycle of poverty and debt.
Post-crash impact among
low income households is
more severe compared to high
income households with inci-
dence of fatality among poor
households as high as 44% in
rural areas compared to 11.6%
in urban areas, the report
noted. The report also brings
out the sharp rural-urban
while around 11% reported tak-
ing up extra work to deal with
the financial crisis.
“The report is an eye-
opener... for the government.
Each death is precious,
'   !
whether it is from a poor fam-
ily or a rich family. Institu-
tional reforms are very much
needed, and it is very impor-
tant to have a streamlined and
robust and accessible legal,


links, has tested Covid positive, a
jail official said on Saturday.
Along with him, three other
inmates were also found to have

contracted the infection, he said.
Saibaba’s wife requested the

Maharashtra government that
he be released on parole and
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shifted to a private hospital. “He
will be taken for a CT scan and
   
other tests, after which doctors
will decide whether to shift him   

  
The report titled “Traffic divide and the disproportion- insurance and health care eco- to a hospital,” jail superintend-
Crash Injuries and Disabilities: ate impact on women. About system,” Gadkari said. ent Anup Kumre said. PTI
The Burden on Indian Society”, 50% women were severely    
 


 

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12
{ CHANAKYA }
Narendra Modi’s new
political narrative
By assuming political
ownership of agri laws and
the larger reform agenda,
tinged with an element of
nationalism and air of
flexibility, the PM has
outlined the nature of
the political battle ahead
O
ver the past week, Prime Minis-
ter (PM) Narendra Modi spoke
in Parliament thrice — while
responding to the discussion on
the motion of thanks to the
President’s address in the Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha and bidding farewell
to retiring Rajya Sabha members, particu-
larly Leader of the Opposition in the Upper
House, Ghulam Nabi Azad. The speeches
throw up a broad outline of PM Modi’s new
political narrative, the areas of focus for the
government, and the possible political fault-
lines ahead.
There is no doubt that PM Modi is an
effective communicator — not just in mass
meetings and election rallies, but in the
House too, which requires a more calibrated
approach and a mix of asserting one’s posi-
tion, engaging with the Opposition in a more
conversational tone, and lacing one’s speech
with wit and one-liners. Given his natural
oratory skills, the PM should speak in Parlia-
ment more often, for it will provide the
nation a sense of his line of thinking, ration-
{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS }
KARAN THAPAR
How Hamid Ansari
views India today
n a country where politicians rarely
I write memoirs — either to recall the
details of their life or comment on the
politics they were a part of — an auto-
biography by a recent vice-president (V-P)
is a very welcome development. However,
what makes Hamid Ansari’s book truly
special is the candour and, at times, out-
spokenness with which he has written of
the prevailing state of affairs. He was V-P
for the first three years of the present
prime minister’s tenure, and it’s only three
more since his term ended.
Consequently, his book is not just rele-
vant but also topical. Additionally, By
Many A Happy Accident touches on many
troubling aspects of Narendra Modi’s India
that others have been reluctant to write
about. So it’s unlikely to be universally
applauded.
Let’s start with Ansari’s view of the 2019
election which, I believe, he sees as the real
turning point and not 2014. He says it rep-
resents the “success of populism … assisted
Culture needs more
government support
ulture occupies prime space in our scheme for scholarships and pensions, has
C political imagination and enriches been cut to half, from ₹310 crore in 2018–19
our daily lives in myriad ways. But to ₹168 crore in 2021–22. Of the ₹310 crore
how much of this sentiment has got allocated, only ₹202 crore was spent. Fur-
translated into government support for ther, the number of beneficiaries is minus-
culture? The budget offers a window into cule. In 2016–17, 283 scholars were selected
State priorities. Allocations for the minis- for the Award of Young Artistes and only
try of culture (MoC) announced
in this year stand at ₹2,688
crore, ₹461 crore less than last
year. This 15% reduction comes
on top of a 30% mid-year down-
ward revision of the culture
budget for last year.
Padmapriya
This apathy towards culture,
reflected in low levels of public Janakiraman
spending, is not surprising.
Over the years, regardless of the
ruling dispensation, the will to
support the sector has been
declining. Actual expenditure
by MoC, as a percentage of GDP,
has reduced from a mere 0.017%
in 2010-11 to 0.012% in 2019-20. Maansi
This alarming trend was
flagged by the Parliamentary Verma
Standing Committee (PSC) on
Culture in 2020, when it noted
that with inflation factored in, there is nil needed resolution — lack of synergy
growth in allocations made to MoC in the between institutions; need for a grievance
last five years. redressal body to tackle institutional com-
Tracing just one of the mandates of MoC plaints; and delays in disbursing scholar-
— promotion of arts through fellowships ships. Most of these recommendations
and various akademies — demonstrates were either ignored or shot down by MoC,
the dismal status of spending. The Kala with insufficient explanations.
Sanskriti Vikas Yojana, an umbrella One of the reasons for policy gaps has
R. N. I. No. DELENG/2002/07317 ● Postal Reg. No. DL(ND)-11/6059/2018-19-20 ‘Licensed to post without prepayment’ LICENCE No. U(C)-249/2012-14 Air surcharge: Raipur and beyond by Rail or Road - Re 5/-, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Khajuraho, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and beyond by Rail or Road - Rs. 10/
ale for controversial policies, and encourage
more reasoned deliberation.
The key was not the manner in which he
articulated his points, but the content of his
speeches. A new political narrative is taking
shape — which may well last till the 2024
elections — and this revolves around three
pillars.
The first is political ownership of eco-
nomic reforms, and embracing the task of
communicating the efficacy of these reforms.
Over the past four decades, India has seen a
range of economic reforms — the process
started with Indira Gandhi’s return to power
in 1980, continued under Rajiv Gandhi, wit-
nessed preparatory work under the VP Singh
and Chandrashekhar governments, and then
got a boost under the PV Narasimha Rao-
Manmohan Singh duo in 1991.
But no political leader till then was willing
to own the reforms — even Rao had to frame
it as a continuation of Jawaharlal Nehru’s
legacy to neutralise the opposition within his
party. And that is why while India has pro-
ceeded, in terms of policy, with enabling the
rise of the private sector and cutting back,
partly, on the role of the State in enterprises
where it doesn’t have a role, at the ideological
level, there remains a distrust of capital and
big business. Indeed, it was this political fear
of being seen as close to capital that led to
PM Modi retracting from his reform trajec-
tory after Rahul Gandhi’s “suit-boot ki
sarkar” jibe in his first term and adopting a
strong welfarist avatar.
But at a time when the country is seeing
the biggest mass movement in recent history,
and the Opposition has centred its attacks on
by authoritarianism, nationalism and
majoritarianism”. This is both bold and
unvarnished but, in fact, he is a lot more
explicit when he analyses the outcome.
Today we have “a version of nationalism
that places cultural commitments at its
core and promotes intolerance and arro-
gant patriotism”. It has “take(n) over the
political and cultural landscape”. It’s left
the country with “an increasingly fragile
national ego that threatens to rule out any
dissent however innocent”. The term
Ansari uses to sum this up is particularly
telling — “hyper-nationalism”.
If you read his book carefully, you will
discover he also identifies the deeper con-
sequences of such hyper-nationalism.
First, it’s created “a subversion of core val-
ues”. The most worrying, perhaps, is that
“the term secularism itself has almost dis-
appeared from the government’s official
vocabulary”. In its place, he says, “the polit-
ico-ideological effort now (is) to superim-
pose … the primacy of a religious major-
₹4,000 per month pension was
provided to 3,133 artistes. The
2018 PSC report found these
numbers disappointing, given
the country’s vast artistic com-
munity and recommended
increasing coverage, but MoC
remained non-committal.
Similarly, allocations to
academies have been stagnant
around ₹350 crore, and fell this
year to ₹341 crore. They are also
ridden with vacancies — out of
878 posts, 262 were vacant as
on March 31, 2020. Besides poor
resource provisions, the func-
tioning of these akademies has
invited the ire of various com-
mittees. The PSC in in 2013 and
a high-powered committee in
2014 noted multiple points that
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Reflections
crony capitalism, the PM has doubled down.
He lauded the role of the private sector as
wealth creators, linked the process of wealth
creation with employment generation and
wealth distribution, openly took on the
bureaucratic stranglehold over public sector
enterprises and the power of the Indian
Administrative Service officers, and provided
a robust defence of farm laws — on the
grounds that agriculture needed investment
and modernisation, that land fragmentation
was making livelihoods increasingly untena-
ble for farmers, and laws expanded eco-
nomic freedom even while the old State-sup-
ported structure of mandis and minimum
support prices would remain.
This political message is also significant
for the budget has laid out an ambitious priv-
atisation agenda — including of public sector
banks — which is bound to provoke resist-
ance from unions and the Opposition. But
PM Modi has clearly decided that the next
generation reforms cannot be held back any-
more — and that he will politically own it and
attempt to convert it into an asset rather than
fear the political costs associated with it.
There remain legitimate concerns that Aat-
manirbhar Bharat could lead to a return to
insular policies and, even if partly, delink
India from global trading networks. But the
PM’s speeches indicate that even if this hap-
pens, on the domestic front, there will be no
return to the past — and instead, a liberal
economic agenda, focused on boosting com-
petitiveness and private sector, will stay.
How this plays out is to be seen, for there
will remain strong opposition to these initia-
tives, including from within the Sangh Pari-
ity.”
Ansari’s language is always careful and
correct. He is not given to colourful adjec-
tives or exaggerated suggestions. Yet it’s
not difficult to tease out his real meaning,
even if he hasn’t expressed it in so many
words. From a secular country, we’re
increasingly becoming a Hindu country.
There are two other consequences that
Ansari identifies. “Our commitment to the
Rule of Law seems to be under serious
threat, arising out of the noticeable decline
in the efficacy of the institutions of state.”
Instead, we have lapsed into “arbitrary
decision-making and even …. mob rule.”
And he doesn’t shy away from blaming the
judiciary, although he does so delicately.
“The approach of the superior judiciary …
does little credit to an iconic institution
and damages public confidence”.
The second consequence is more worry-
ing. Ansari writes: “The fault lines in our
society are visible.” He says “enforced
homogenisation” and “a simplistic or moti-
vated reading of our history” is “being
attempted in a social milieu traditionally
enriched by its diversity between commu-
nities and within them”. It seems he’s sug-
gesting cultural nationalism could end up
making India fragile. Unfortunately, he
doesn’t say more. But did he need to?
Surely, as a warning, this is enough.
So, is Ansari apprehensive about the
future of India? He doesn’t answer the
question directly but the reasons why he
might be have been clearly expressed. And
yet there is a sentence in his last chapter —
in fact, on the penultimate page — that
The immediate need is for the artistic community to unequivocally pursue its right
to public spending on culture and cultivate the political and administrative will for
the same. For, it is the State that has to be the primary patron of the arts SHUTTERSTOCK
been attributed to the absence of a com-
prehensive cultural directory — if we do
not know who we are spending for, how
will we know how much to spend. To this
end, an ambitious cultural mapping mis-
sion was launched in 2015 with an outlay
of ₹3,000 crore. Six years later, the exercise
has failed to take off — out of ₹43 crore
allocated, only ₹1 crore has been utilised.
Efforts to identify artistes across the coun-
try were supposedly abandoned due to
lack of IT and administrative support.
The government, beyond its own bud-
getary allocations, also has the reach to
create fund-attracting conditions for the
sector. MoC, in the ongoing budget session,
reported that Corporate Social Responsi-
bility (CSR) spend dropped from ₹306
crore in 2016–17 to ₹48 crore in 2019–20.
Further, the National Culture Fund (NCF),
set up to enable private participation in
cultural preservation, has been dormant.
Editor: KUNAL PRADHAN
PM Modi has clearly decided that the next generation reform process cannot be held back anymore — and that he will politically own
it and convert it into an asset rather than fear the political costs associated with the reforms
var. The message will also have much
greater traction if support for business is not
seen as support for a certain set of “national
champions”, the private sector at large is
seen to grow, and growth does not lead to
inequality, but is accompanied with equity.
The need to sustain a multi-class compact is
clearly recognised, for in all government
speeches through the week, the focus on wel-
fare schemes and pro-poor initiatives also
remained a part of the narrative.
The second, related, pillar of the PM’s
speech is nationalism. But this nationalism
now has both an economic subtext in the
form of a self-reliant India — playing on
Indian pride about becoming more autono-
mous across sectors or encouraging domes-
tic alternatives to foreign platforms — and an
emotive appeal in the form of rhetoric
against critical foreign interventions.
The fact that the ministry of external
affairs chose to issue a statement in response
to global celebrities tweeting in solidarity
with the farm protests, and the PM warned
against the perils of a “foreign destructive
WHAT MAKES HAMID
ANSARI’S BOOK SPECIAL
IS THE CANDOUR AND, AT
TIMES, OUTSPOKENNESS
WITH WHICH HE HAS
WRITTEN OF THE
PREVAILING STATE OF
AFFAIRS. HE WAS V-P FOR
THE FIRST THREE YEARS
OF THE PRESENT PRIME
MINISTER’S TENURE, AND
IT’S ONLY THREE MORE
SINCE HIS TERM ENDED
suggests the light at the end of the tunnel is
still glowing and could prove difficult to
dim. “Strident nationalism and its illusory
gains premised on falsehoods can also not
be long-lasting”. As I read those words I
thought I could also hear his voice, gently
but reassuringly, say: “This too will pass.”
But when? Will it be in my lifetime? Or
is salvation a fruit that will only ripen for
later generations to enjoy? And by then
how much damage will have been done? I
draw comfort from the fact the India I love
will rise again, but I’m saddened by the
thought I might not be part of it.
Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advocate:
The Untold Story
The views expressed are personal
This makes one wonder as to what pre-
vents the government from encouraging
spending on culture through CSR, NCF and
other measures.
As in other sectors, the pandemic has
adversely impacted art and culture, but
only more severely. Many art forms and
practices are on the verge of extinction or
decay as they have been languishing over
decades for want of resources. The imme-
diate need is for the artistic community to
unequivocally pursue its right to public
spending on culture and cultivate the polit-
ical and administrative will for the same.
For, it is the government that has to be the
primary enabler and patron of the arts —
no culture has survived without it.
Padmapriya Janakiraman leads Sahapedia’s
cultural mapping project.
Maansi Verma is a researcher with Sahapedia
The views expressed are personal
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
ANI
ideology”, indicates that the nationalist dis- and woo the weaker segments.
course will continue to be a part of the politi- The recognition of Punjab’s sensitivity and
cal toolkit. In the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sikh contribution to nation-building stems
ideological lexicon, nationalism has often from the awareness that India cannot afford
been, externally, directed against Pakistan to alienate a large minority in a border state.
and, internally, assumed a majoritarian col- The effort to reach out to Opposition leaders
our. This will stay. But, in addition, be pre- — be it Sharad Pawar or Azad — and the
pared for stronger rhetoric against the West, emphasis on how the government is flexibile
especially if there is a pushback by human and there is room to improve laws was an
rights, Left and liberal groups against what is effort to challenge the image of being
perceived as India’s democratic backsliding. undemocratic and show that the PM is will-
The PM knows well the need to remain ing to listen to diverse views. At the same
engaged with the developed democracies in time, the clear attack on the Congress for its
the West, but the idea of a “foreign hand” alleged inconsistency, and the coinage of the
destabilising or weakening India will be con- term “andolanjeevis”, indicates that the PM
stantly articulated too to rally the domestic will fight and fight hard against both the
base. principal Opposition and segments of civil
And finally, the PM appears to have society.
decided that he will adopt both a conciliatory How the Opposition responds to this new
and confrontational approach with those Modi narrative — based on reforms, welfare,
opposing him. His emphasis on the purity of nationalism, with a mix of flexibility and
the farm movement was an attempt to aggression — will determine India’s future
directly reach out to farmers; his focus on political trajectory.
small farmers was an attempt to showcase
the diversity within farming communities letters@hindustantimes.com
From the Himalayas,
a warning for us
he Himalayas are known as The revive Gross Domestic Product growth.
T Home of the Gods — yet, we mortals This may be true. But these projects will,
have shown scant respect for the also, inevitably give rise to concerns about
sacred mountains. Last week’s trag- their environmental impact.
edy in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand On the revenue side of the budget, the
is the latest example of the outcome of our plan is to raise the money for infrastructure
hubris in disregarding the nature of the development from privatisation and the
Himalayas. monetisation of government assets such as
We know, fully well, that the Himalayas land. If investors don’t like the country’s
are young, fragile, and unstable mountains; environmental regulations, they won’t
yet, we have constructed or are construct- come forward to buy government compa-
ing more than 50 hydroelectric projects in nies, businesses, or property.
the basins of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Just as we have received a warning from
rivers. The horrendous Kedarnath floods of the Himalayas about the need to be more
2013 claimed 5,700 lives. Instead of stop- respectful of them, the British government
ping to think about the implica- has published an eagerly awaited,
tions of that disaster, the govern- independent, comprehensive
ment, merely three years later, review of The Economics of Biodi-
launched a massive scheme — the versity led by Cambridge econom-
Char Dham road project, aimed at ics professor, Sir Partha Dasgupta.
constructing no less than 900 kilo- He was born in Dhaka and
metres of highways, linking Mark obtained his first degree from
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri Delhi University.
and Gangotri. Tully The review has been described
Apart from the damage to the by the Governor of the Bank of
mountains caused during the con- England, Andrew Bailey, as “a
struction of the roads, this will lead to an landmark contribution to our understand-
exponential increase in tourism. One of the ing of the relation between nature and our
causes of the Kedarnath disaster was the economy”, and by the renowned environ-
uncontrolled development of hotels, shops, mentalist David Attenborough as “compre-
and other tourist facilities, violating all hensive and immensely important”.
building regulations, and the absence of It is bound to be the basis of much dis-
any system of disposing waste except cussion if world leaders are able to meet for
dumping it in the open, which often meant their crucial climate summit in Glasgow in
on the banks of rivers or on the beds of September. Significantly, in view of the
streams. budget’s emphasis on reviving GDP growth,
The scientific community is still carefully the review looks beyond that as a measure
studying whether the Chamoli disaster was of economic growth, and suggests new
caused by an avalanche of snow, a land- tools for measuring biodiversity and con-
slide, or a glacier lake, which burst its servation efforts. It calls for “rebalancing
banks. But what is certain is that it is fur- our demand of nature’s goods and services
ther evidence that we are not taking into and its capacity to supply them”.
account the possible impact on nature
development.
While the Himalayas may be the abode
when we draw up plans for economic of the Gods, the review points out that
nature is our home and tells us “good eco-
The 2021-22 Union Budget will increase nomics demands that we manage it better”.
the pressure on the government to ignore The Himalayas have reminded us how
the concerns of nature. It is heavily focused urgently India needs to improve its house-
on investments in infrastructure, especially keeping.
roads and railways, which the finance min-
ister, Nirmala Sitharaman, hopes will The views expressed are personal
A
l
{ SUNDAY LETTERS }
Gender and the city Farm protests: The world has the right to comment
This is with reference to With reference to Chanakya’s The global scrutiny of
Lalita Panicker’s Make Indian democracy (February 7), I think there is nothing
public transport safe for wrong in people from other countries debating and
women (Engender, commenting on what is happening in India. In a
February 7). While globalised world that is obsessed with social media,
designing public this is the new normal. It’s time Indians and the
transport, policymakers government get used to this.
need to have a gendered Joyjeet Mukherjee, via email
understanding of
travelling patterns and
behaviour trends. These II
can help in designing and While the world has the right to comment on the
implementing more farmers protests, it’s time the agitating agriculturists
equitable policies and went back home and reassessed the government’s offer.
efficient means of This kind of long-drawn-out protest will not lead to any
mobility for women. solutions.
Rohit Dubey, via email R. Sharma, via email
Write to us at: letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 13

ILLUSTRATION: MALAY KARMAKAR

Hercule Poirot many books codifying the tenets chaos that surrounds us. The problem is

Sleuth
of detective fiction were written never the social order itself.

of the
in those decades too. When Christie wrote Poirot into exis-
TS Eliot, a fan of the genre, tence, women didn’t have the right to

century
wrote some of these: a key tenet
was “fair play” — an attentive
reader must have a shot at solving
the mystery, same as the detective.
For Eliot, “the character and motives
vote, and the first trans-Atlantic wire-
less telegraph had been relayed barely a
decade before. Vast changes were taking
place around the world: a war to end all
wars ended with a socialist government

It’s been 100 years since the Belgian
detective, created in wartime by Agatha
Christie, took on his first case. His was a
unique career, and the mission given to him
even more unusual: to make the world a
better place. (Warning: Spoilers ahead)
Dhamini Ratnam
which became an instant bestseller; the
fourth novel in this series came out last
year. Also released last year was a film
based on Christie’s 1937 novel, Death on
the Nile, starring Branagh and Gal
Gadot.
Poirot inhabited a genre that was
already marked by another genius
detective whose ratiocinative powers
brought his creator Arthur Conan Doyle
popular fandom as well as raucous
of the criminal should be normal”,
there should be no “relying either
upon occult phenomena” or “elabo-
rate and incredible disguises”.
Twenty Rules for Writing Detective
Stories by Van Dine in 1928 com-
manded that “no willful tricks or decep-
tions may be placed on the reader”. And
the mystery-writer’s group London
Detection Club to which Sayers, Christie
and Chesterton belonged, followed
Ronald A Knox’s commandments of
detective fiction. According to literary
critic Paul Grimstad, the club required
its members to take an oath that their
1
replacing the monarchy in Russia; and
in the rest of the world, including in
India, Britain’s imperialist power was
being severely challenged by national
movements. The collective anxiety of a
fast-disappearing world order was best Agatha
expressed by Irish poet WB Yeats in Christie was 26
1919: “Things fall apart / The centre can- when she
not hold / Mere anarchy is loosed upon wrote her first
the world.” book, The
“Yet the detective story has kept its Mysterious
hold; had even, in the two decades Affair at Styles,
between the great wars, become more in 1916
popular than ever before; and there is, I
believe, a deep reason for this. The

dhamini.ratnam@htlive.com
t’s no surprise that Hercule
appreciation from literary critics. But
Poirot was an odd man. His head was
egg-shaped. His moustache rose at the
tips and shone as though polished. A
stories would avoid making use of
“divine revelation, feminine intuition,
mumbo-jumbo, jiggery-pokery, coinci-
dence, or the act of god.”
2
world during those years was ridden by
an all-pervasive feeling of guilt and by a
fear of impending disaster which it
seemed hopeless to try to avert because

I
Poirot, the great Belgian refu-
gee detective (he served as a
policeman in Belgium before
moving to England), was cre-
ated in the middle of World
War 1.
Agatha Christie had served
in a Red Cross hospital in Torquay, in
southwest England, where several Bel-
gians had taken refuge. Barely 26, she
wrote her first work The Mysterious
Affair at Styles in 1916, though it was
pince-nez sat atop his nose at all times.
He wore pointy patent-leather shoes,
carried a pocket watch and hated dust.
Though older by a few decades, Sher-
lock Holmes was decidedly cooler: he
wore a deerstalker hat, cashmere muf-
fler and the overcoat with upturned col-
lar that was all the rage in the late 19th
century. Both were geniuses, of course,
but Holmes was the quintessential
upper-class gentleman with some bad
boy traits (his opium addiction, for
To be fair, Christie couldn’t do much
about the second oath but she turned it
to her advantage, creating not just an
oddball like Poirot — so unlike any mas-
culine standard that readers were famil-
iar with — but also a character like Miss
Marple, who relied on nothing but her
powers of observation and her unobtru-
siveness as an old woman who got in no
one’s way, to solve crimes that baffled
the police.
Poirot’s genius was sealed when The
it never seemed conclusively possible to
pin down the responsibility,” literary Since then,
critic Edmund Wilson wrote in a 1944 Poirot has
piece titled ‘Why do people read detect- appeared in 33
ive stories?’ published in The New novels, 59 short
Yorker. “Nobody seems guiltless, stories, a play
nobody seems safe; and then, suddenly, and several TV
the murderer is spotted, and—relief!— and movie
he is not, after all, a person like you or adaptations
me. He is a villain … and he has been
caught by an infallible Power, the super-
cilious and omniscient detective, who

published in 1920 in the United States
and the following year in the United
Kingdom.
A hundred years on, Poirot remains
example), while Poirot, already a retired
man albeit of the gentry, was the quin-
tessential outsider.
Poirot also bore a burden that Holmes
Murder of Roger Ackroyd was pub-
lished in 1926. Hailed as one of great
detective fiction novels, …Ackroyd
shook the very foundations of the
3
knows exactly how to fix the guilt.”
Poirot’s career continued undimin-
ished until Curtain, which Christie
wrote during World War 2, but which

p
one of the most famous literary charac-
ters of all time, appearing in 33 novels,
59 short stories, and a play. He has been
portrayed by several actors, including
Orson Welles, the more recognisable
David Suchet, John Malkovich and Ken-
neth Branagh, in adaptations across
mediums, from theatre and film to radio
plays, TV series and audio books. Nicara-
CHECK OUT gua even released a postage stamp in his
portraits of honour, in 1971.
prominent In 2014, long-time publisher Harper-
enactments Collins (earlier called William Collins,
Sons) also started an authorised contin-
uation novel written by Sophie Hannah,
didn’t: It was his task to restore order to
a world rent apart by the Great War.
Indeed, he was not alone in this. The
1920s and ’30s, referred to as the Golden
Age of Detective Fiction, were filled with
men labouring to do the same.
Christie counted as her contemporar-
ies accomplished writers such as Doro-
thy L Sayers, GK Chesterton and R Aus-
tin Freeman. Across the Atlantic, Ameri-
can authors such as SS Van Dine, John
Dickson Carr and Raymond Chandler
were churning out whodunits using the
same formulaic narrative structures. In
fact, such was the genre’s prolificity that
reader’s expectation: the trustworthi-
ness of the first-person narrator. But
while readers may have been fooled till
the very end, Poirot, who cracked the
case, was not.
Detective fiction is popular because it
perpetuates a socio-cultural ethos that
finds many takers. The detective doesn’t
just find the murderer in our midst. By
locating the evil — methodically, scien-
tifically and through sheer genius — the
detective allows us readers to collec-
tively heave a sigh of relief: the evil can
be cast out, a semblance of order and
morality can been restored despite the
was released several years later, in 1975.
In Curtain, Poirot commits a murder Christie’s tales
before ending his own life. are being taken
The victim was a murderer himself, forward by
and his weapon of choice wasn’t poison Sophie Hannah,
or a blade, but his ability to manipulate commissioned
people into committing crimes. Poirot to write an
did what he had set out to do at the start authorised
of the century: restore to us the world as continuation
we needed it to be, drained of the chan- novel in 2014
cers and manipulators, locating the evil
and fixing the guilt. But by the end of it,
Poirot had to turn into a criminal him-
self. His brilliant mind was no longer
enough.

CULTURE MIND URBAN

inside Still lit, after all these

years P14
Making sense Dashing
of loss P15 through the
It’s been 25 years since
Maachis, with its
Moving on depends heavily
on closure, and that’s been
snow P18

nuanced take on hard to find in a year of bad India’s ski towns of

radicalisation, hit the news followed by worse. Gulmarg and Manali
screens. Few films in Take a look at how the offer perfect slopes,
the years that followed pandemic has altered the powdery snow in season and a wide array of snow
can hold a candle to it workings of grief sports. So why aren’t they getting more attention?
14
lit
after all these
Still
years
It’s been 25 years since Maachis was released,
with its nuanced take on radicalisation. Few
films in the years since can hold a candle to it
Karishma Upadhyay
letters@hindustantimes.com
“W
hen some-
one has
been sub-
jected to
injustice
time and
again… He looks for others like himself...
Regardless of whom he’s fighting, it’s a
response to that injustice,” Sanathan
(played by the late Om Puri) says, in a piv-
otal scene in the 1996 film Maachis.
He’s explaining to the protagonist Kripal
(Chandrachur Singh) what drives an ordi-
nary person to rebel and take up arms.
Directed by Gulzar, Maachis was a rare
and fiercely political Bollywood film that
attempted to understand a turbulent period
of Punjab’s history. It was set in the late ’80s
in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the
storming of the Golden Temple to flush out
armed militants.
Kripal is a young man from a small vil-
lage in Punjab. He plays hockey with his
friends, hopes to marry his sweetheart
Veeran (Tabu), but ends up taking up arms
after his best friend, Veeran’s brother, is
detained unjustly.
“Usually, even when filmmakers show us
how ordinary people become terrorists,
they end up being stereotypical, but Gulzar
kept the story rooted, with small, ordinary
details,” says Meenakshi Shedde, film critic
and India and South Asia Delegate for the
Berlin Film Festival. “The film is relatable
because it’s so realistic. You think this could
happen to your family.”
Apart from a National Award for Tabu,
Maachis also won one for Best Popular Film
Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
“It was a very sensitive story that needed
to be told,” says Chandrachur Singh, of his
debut feature. “And the film was fair to both
sides. There’s a line in the film ‘Lakeer ke us
{ THE WAY WE WERE }
Poonam Saxena
Emotion express: Filmi
plots that stayed on track
From falling in love in a coupé to finding closure on a platform,
the railways have steered cinema in memorable directions
or decades and decades, the most
F memorable moments of love in
Hindi cinema — first meetings,
chance encounters, tragic farewells,
epic reunions — occurred in that most mun-
dane of Indian settings: the long-distance
train.
From the time the first passenger train
chugged its way from Bombay to Thane in
1853, the railways have knit the country
together and opened windows to unseen
parts. Toy trains circling hills and moun-
tains, thundering express trains traversing
plains, plateaus and desert — the Indian rail
network is at once a mammoth entity and a
vibrant character in our popular culture.
Over the decades, trains and railway plat-
forms have had starring roles in love stories
in film after film. A legendary example is
director Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah (1972),
set in Lucknow at the turn of the 20th cen-
tury. On a rainy night, forest officer Salim
Khan (Raaj Kumar), clad in dashing hat and
wknd culture
paar chala gaya hun, wapas aana mushkil
hai, Veera’ (I’ve crossed over to the other
side and it’s impossible to return)’ that has
always stayed with me because you can feel
the character’s anguish.”
The ’90s were when Hindi filmmakers
started to replace the evil Thakur or the
smuggler in his flashy lair with gun-toting
militants and terrorists, in keeping with the
new kinds of conflict looming to the fore-
front and capturing the popular imagina-
tion in the real world.
The insurgencies in Punjab, Kashmir and
to some extent the north-east began to be
reflected on the big screen. Over six years,
Mani Ratnam directed a trilogy of films
with such backdrops — Roja (1992, set in
Kashmir), Bombay (1995, set against the
communal riots), Dil Se… (1998, set in the
north-east). These are landmarks films in
the genre because Ratnam took militancy
out of the “macho, violent” space and pack-
aged it with stunning visuals and music to
make the subject more mainstream.
Even Hrithik Roshan signed up to play
militants in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Mission:
Kashmir (1998) and Khalid Mohamed’s Fiza
(2000). Both films has Roshan play charac-
ters thrust into a life of violence as a result
of circumstances in Kashmir and in Bombay
after the 1993 riots respectively.
“Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s web
series The Family Man is a more recent
example of a story that offered a deeper
understanding of the terrorist rather than
just using the character as cannon fodder,”
says film critic Anupama Chopra. “While
you are clearly rooting for the hero, who is
a part of a secret intelligence organisation,
the terrorists aren’t always painted black
either. There was a conscious effort to show
us why things unravel in the way they do.”
In the more “masala” space, though, mili-
tancy and terrorism have become vehicles
for black-vs-white heroism where one man
single-handedly takes on a group of ghouls.
Exceptions include Kabir Khan’s Kabul
Express (2006), New York (2009) and Ek
Tha Tiger (2012). “Kabir’s films are firmly
mainstream — beautiful people, locations,
songs and great action set pieces, but he’s
stayed true to his politics. It’s not easy to do
that in the mainstream,” Shedde says.
Khan says his experiences as a documen-
coat, jumps on to a moving train and finds
himself in a wood-panelled zenana com-
partment (ladies’ compartments were intro-
duced in 1870), festooned with its occu-
pant’s elegant belongings — a delicate jug,
an enamelled metal paan box. Sahibjaan
(Meena Kumari), a tawaif, is asleep on the
berth, her body gently swaying to the move-
ment of the train, a half-open book of Urdu
poetry beside her.
A bewitched Salim gazes at her feet, red
with alta, the ankles encased in ornate pay-
als. He slips the colourful feather which is
her page marker into his pocket and leaves
a poetic note that has since gone into the
annals of Hindi film history: “Aapke paon
dekhe, bahut haseen hai / inhe zameen par
mat utaariyega / mailay ho jayenge. (I saw
your feet, they are very beautiful / Don’t
place them on the ground / They may get
soiled.)”
This intimate encounter — chancing
upon a sleeping woman, as if she were in
(Left) Maachis stood out in the 1990s, a
decade when filmmakers began to
replace the evil Thakur and flashy
gangster with the gun-toting militant.
(Clockwise below) Among the few films
in subsequent decades that have
explored this theme with nuance are
Roja, Bombay and Mission: Kashmir in
the 1990s and Omerta in 2017.
tary filmmaker, particularly on Taliban
Years and Beyond, and The Titanic Sinks in
Kabul (both released in 2001), helped.
“I met a Talibani prisoner who, when his
daughter finally visited, became a sobbing
father. With a drama it’s interesting to
explore these human angles,” Khan says.
Hansal Mehta — most recently in the
news for Scam 1992, the story of the stock
market scamster Harshad Mehta — has had
two interesting takes on the subject in
recent years: Shahid (2012) and Omerta
(2017). Both films were based on true sto-
ries. In the first, Shahid Azmi is charged in
the 1992 Bombay riots and decides to chan-
nel his anger by representing those wrongly
accused in terror cases. In Omerta, the
highly educated Pakistani-origin British ter-
rorist Ahmed Omar Saeed takes hostages
and is eventually implicated in the 2002 kill-
ing of the American journalist Daniel Pearl.
“I was fascinated by why someone like him
would choose this life,” Mehta says.
In an industry where leading men
demand that their characters have redeem-
ing qualities, casting wasn’t easy for
Omerta. The role is played brilliantly by Raj-
kummar Rao, but “before I met Rajkummar,
I had met other people who would ask why
I wanted to tell this story. They would say
‘he’s not even a hero’,” Mehta says.
Mehta has an interesting link to Maachis
too. He edited all the TV promotions for that
film. Looking back on it, another reason it’s
unique, he adds, is because it was a “poet’s
compassionate look at the Punjab problem
and the angst of the youth of the time”.
In Hindi cinema, the railways have often steered the story. In Pakeezah, a zenana
carriage allows for an intimate encounter between a forest officer and courtesan. In
Ijaazat, a divorced couple spends a night at a railway station, laying their ghosts to rest.
her boudoir — couldn’t have happened any-
where but by accident on a train. And it is
the trigger for the epic romance between
Salim and Sahibjaan. She finds the note the
next morning. And from then on, whenever
she hears the whistle of a train, she goes,
trance-like, to the window of her kotha,
from where she can see them passing by,
streaming plumes of smoke, symbolising
her yearning for freedom and for the
stranger she has never seen but has fallen in
love with.
By the 1950s and ’60s, in a more modern,
progressive India, first encounters on trains
were quite different. In Tumsa Nahin Dekha
(1957), a typically jaunty Nasir Husain
romance, the hero (Shammi Kapoor) and
heroine (Ameeta) meet on a train and
sparks fly. He’s cocky, she’s arrogant. They
{ NEVER OFF KEY } BOSTON TYPEWRITER ORCHESTRA
The right type of music
Members of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra get ready to jam without paper jams.
Madhusree Ghosh
madhusree.ghosh@hindustantimes.com
t looks like a group of people at work,
I in the 1960s. But what the Boston
Typewriter Orchestra creates with its
old-school, mechanical typewriters is
a mix of music, comedy and satire. There’s
definite beat, rhythm, even tune. To offset
the lack of actual notes, there’s often sing-
ing, with comedic lyrics also commenting
on work culture.
“You will not be able to turn on, tune in
and white out / You will not be able to lose
yourself in copy and paste and skip out for
coffee during meetings / For The Revolution
Will Be Typewritten,” go the opening lines
of one song.
The core members are Derrik Albertelli,
Christopher Keene, Brendan Quigley, Alex
Holman and Jay O’Grady, aged 40 to 60, all
with day jobs (biologist, software engineer,
banker, crossword constructor, librarian).
All members perform in formal work wear.
They’ve been playing together since 2004,
perform live in the US and have released
three albums, the latest being Workstation
to Workstation (2020). Tunes range from
metal to hip hop, and their music is also
available on their website.
Wknd chatted with Albertelli about why
they do what they do — and how.
How did you come up with the idea of
music from typewriters?
v A former member of the group, Tim Devin,
received the gift of a typewriter from his
girlfriend while they were in a bar one
night. He started typing along to the music,
which began to annoy the staff there, who
asked him to stop. He replied, “It’s OK, I’m
the conductor for The Boston Typewriter
Orchestra”. Thinking there was something
to the idea, he decided to call up a handful of
WATCH people to see whether or not he could make
the Boston it a reality.
Typewriter
Orchestra How does it work — do you need a
in action. certain number of musicians, a cer-
tain variety of machines?
{ BRITNEY SPEARS } SINGER
P
Remember, no matter what
we think we know about a
person’s life, it is nothing
compared to the actual
person living behind the lens.
in an Instagram post. This is the 39-year-old’s first public
comment on her stand-off with her father, who retains
legal control of her career and finances. A new
documentary, Framing Britney Spears, charts her
rise to stardom as a teenager and her
A
years-long struggle to be freed
meet not in a zenana bogey but in a first-
class compartment that she, a single
woman, shares with a stranger of the oppo-
site sex, on a long, overnight journey. She is
going home after a trip to the city; he’s on
his way to a new job. Unbeknownst to them,
they are both bound for the same destina-
tion and this fiery first encounter will lead
to love.
The modest railway platform could be a
setting for love too. In Gulzar’s Ijaazat
(1987), for a poignant, lost love. Divorced
couple Sudha (Rekha) and Mahinder (Nas-
eeruddin Shah) run into each other in the
waiting room of a deserted, small-town rail-
way station on a stormy night. As the rain
pours down and they sip hot tea (the eternal
lifeline of train travel), they flash back to
their failed relationship and marriage.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
It’s effectively like a drum circle. We typi-
cally do not like to perform with less than
four people. At a maximum we’ve per-
formed with nine. The variety of machines
is an important element. Some are large and
have a really thumpy sound while the
smaller portable models have more snap.
We regularly employ plastic sheets, metal
pipes, bells and any other materials we can
fit into our typewriters.
What kind of music can a typewriter
make? How would you describe it?
When we began, everything was mostly an
improvised jam. We eventually grew to
adopt more traditional song structures and
added lyrics and singing. Surrounding all of
this is a sort of stage performance where
we’re playing the role of office drones. Inter-
stitial comedic bits are a feature of our live
performances.
What are its limitations?
We’re not creating notes per se, so melody is
not an option and that’s a big part of the rea-
son why we introduced singing. Another
[limitation] is the simple fact of using these
machines like instruments. They take a
beating and don’t always respond the way
you want them to.
What’s the most surprising thing to
you about music from typewriters?
That we’ve been doing it for so long… for
over 16 years. The public’s sustained interest
in the group has carried us further than any
of us had ever anticipated.
Who is this music for?
Generally, it’s for people who are into per-
cussive music or niche acts. Typewriter
enthusiasts definitely make up a fair part of
our audience.
What’s the easiest and toughest kind
of music to play on a typewriter?
I find being able to fall into a hip-hop type of
groove to be the easiest because it’s rhyth-
mic, translates really well. Because the
attack of a typewriter is so sharp, hip hop
helps to humanise it a bit.
When dawn breaks, there is the melan-
cholic farewell, as Sudha leaves with her
new husband (Shashi Kapoor). But that
thundery night has given them closure. In
the 1980s, where else could an estranged
middle-class couple meet and spend an
entire night reminiscing and laying their
ghosts to rest, if not at a railway station —
neutral ground, a temporary stopover to
onward journeys? Sudha and Mahinder
part ways to the sound of a train leaving the
station.
Let’s end with what has probably become
the most defining moment of love involving
the railways: the climax of Dilwale Dulhania
Le Jayenge (1995). Simran (Kajol) and Raj’s
(Shah Rukh Khan) first meeting becomes
the mirror for their cathartic reunion at the
end of the film.
But by the mid-1990s, we are in a global-
ised world, so Simran and Raj initially meet
in a London station, on a train going to
Europe. She’s about to miss the train but he
reaches out and pulls her in. After their love
story has played out over the next two
hours, once again, a train is leaving the sta-
tion, but this time it’s in Punjab. The dis-
traught lovers are being separated — till
Simran’s father (Amrish Puri) says the line
that has gone down in film lore: “Ja Simran
ja, jee le apni zindagi.”
Simran runs alongside the moving train,
hair flying, and a bruised and bloodied Raj
(he’s just been in a fight with her loutish
fiancé) holds out his hand and hauls her in.
It is a scene that has been copied, repeated
and parodied countless times, and is right
up there in Bollywood’s hall of fame.
I’ve merely tapped the tip of the iceberg —
what are your favourite examples?
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
JAYACHANDRAN
Making
sense
of
loss
Moving on depends heavily on closure, and
that’s been hard to find in a year of bad news
followed by worse. Take a look at how the
pandemic has altered the workings of grief
Melissa D’Costa
letters@hindustantimes.com
W
hat happens
when grief is
a daily occur-
rence? How
does the
mind process
loss in such a
reality? In the
past year, there has been more illness and
death to mourn. There has also been the
loss of normalcy, the loss of who we were in
our other lives — at work, with friends, at
the park or pub.
The pandemic represents big trauma,
says psychiatrist Parul Tank. “Something
many of us have never faced in our life-
times. As a result, the way our mind proc-
esses it is different from how we would
process grief or tragedy in normal circum-
stances.”
For people who have lost something or
someone during this time, there is an
incomplete sense of loss for two reasons —
because even mourning looks so different,
and in many cases, they never saw the loss
coming. “The same holds true for other
{ WITH LOVE }
Simran Mangharam
Do you know what
you want?
As with most things in life, the more clearly
you can articulate your goal, the greater your
chances of chasing it down effectively
achi’s sister signed her up for a
S coaching session with me. I sensed
her reluctance when my email and
messages received no response until
the last minute. And when she opened with,
“Listen, I really don’t want to do this.”
I promised not to pepper her with clichés.
I said we could just chat, to indulge her sib-
ling. Sachi is a 32-year-old lawyer. She loves
her job and the life she has built for herself.
She loves the fact that she can take off and
travel any time she wants to (pre-pandemic,
of course). She likes the fact that on some
days she can stay in her pyjamas and have
only copious amounts of coffee on the
menu.
She seems genuinely happy and I can
relate to that. I was voluntarily single until
I met the man who would become my hus-
band, at 35. In my sessions, I often remind
singles that there are the right reasons and
the wrong reasons to marry or enter into a
relationship.
Age, being “settled” in a job, having
friends and cousins who are rapidly marry-
ing and parents who won’t stop pushing —
these are less than ideal reasons. Falling in
love, wanting commitment and romantic
companionship, finding your life more
meaningful with your partner than without
them — these are some of the best reasons.
The days of “That’s just how it works” are
long over. People who marry and start fami-
lies solely because it’s what was expected of
them at the time, can tend to feel in the
wknd mind
associated traumas, such as the loss of a job.
Because many pandemic-era changes
occurred overnight and unexpectedly, we
were emotionally unprepared to face them,”
Tank says.
It doesn’t help that, nearly a year on, the
stressors are all still there. “This has led to a
constant perception of threat, and this is the
root of the anxiety many people are feeling,”
Tank says.
In the midst of ongoing stressors, with
continued threat perception, it’s much
harder to find closure. “Amid ongoing
trauma, the stages of grief can overlap to a
far greater degree,” says psychiatrist Dr
Sagar Mundada.
What makes it harder to process the grief
and loss effectively is that, in many cases,
the individual’s worst fears are being real-
ised — job losses, an uncertain future for
one’s children, contracting Covid-19 oneself,
the fear of being unable to provide for one’s
family and of course the fear of illness or
death of a loved one.
Reality becomes an anxiety trigger, and
the immediate stress-relievers and circle of
support that would be available in normal
times — friends, colleagues, extended fam-
ily, a weekend away from it all — are also
exit routes blocked off by the pandemic.
“Particularly during the lockdown, the
IN MANY CASES, THE
INDIVIDUAL’S WORST
FEARS ARE BEING
REALISED — JOB LOSS,
FEAR OF ILLNESS OR
DEATH, FEAR OF BEING
UNABLE TO PROVIDE
long-term like they never really got to con-
sider what they wanted.
Yet, how many singles ask themselves
that crucial question: What do I want? In a
growing hook-up culture, articulating what
one wants has become even more compli-
cated. I see mixed signals in many of the sin-
gles I coach. There are some who want to be
in a relationship but don’t admit that’s what
they want. In others, I hear hesitation and
statements such as, “But I think it’s time”.
Dig deeper and it often emerges that they
are lonely, want physical intimacy and seek
romantic love. It’s time we stopped hesitat-
ing to admit what we want — whether that
wish is to be in a relationship or get married
or, like Sachi, enjoy being single. The more
you verbalise what you want with convic-
tion the more likely it is that those around
lack of the ability to support a loved one
through their grief, and the absence of one’s
own support group, became a greatly dis-
tressing aspect,” says Dr Kedar Tilwe, con-
sultant psychiatrist at Fortis Hospital
Mulund and Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi.
“This led to feelings of helplessness, hope-
lessness and intense guilt in some. In others
there was also a precipitation of depressive
and anxiety symptoms. At the same time,
the lack of a traditional support system did
mean that new ones took shape — support
came from neighbours, acquaintances.”
Social media became a place where one
could reach out and grieve, though taking
this path comes with its own risks.
Responses can range from tales of more
tragedy to comments of judgement, criti-
cism, censure or denial of the subject’s
experience and feelings.
Grieving has become more complicated,
is how clinical psychologist Deekshaa
Athwani puts it. If one is grieving on social
media, Athwani adds, it is safest to treat it
like a form of the traditional practice of
journaling, allowing a close group of others
to validate your feelings. “It is important to
understand your needs and decide how to
grieve,” she adds.
And this is true even if the thing you are
grieving feels small — the loss of routine,
the loss of your other selves, or even just the
sadness of another summer spent indoors.
Parul suggests using social media to
reach out to people you know, and find the
help you need, whether it is a loved one far
away, a support group or a mental wellness
professional. It’s easy to forget that most of
the people we interact with online are, effec-
tively, strangers. “Anonymously reaching
out online for information is also a good
way to use social media without exposing
yourself to unkindness or worse,” she says.
Self Made Man, a
sculpture by
Bobbie Carlyle. It’s
easier to find what
you want if you’ve
worked to know
and improve
yourself.
you will recognise
and respect that.
Pressure from par-
ents is tough to han-
dle, but, given rea-
sonable parents —
and when it comes
down to it, most are
— it’s not impossible
to get them to under-
stand your point of
view. A calm, patient
approach has worked
for quite a few sin-
gles, including me, in
my long years of
being unattached.
First, though, you
have to define for
yourself what you
want from your
romantic life. Be una-
pologetic. As you
introspect, be honest.
Do you want a rela-
tionship? Right now, later, or not at all?
What kind of commitment would you like to
make? What would your ideal life look like?
There are those who fail at relationship
after relationship but never stop to discover
why, or what they could do differently. Oth-
ers seek a relationship but don’t want to put
in the work. Recognise what you would
need to do differently as well, to reach your
goal.
As with most things in life, the more
clearly you can articulate your goal, the
greater your chances of chasing it down. So
what would it take to elevate your life and
bring you joy? Do you like being single — or
would YOU like to change that status?
(Simran Mangharam is a dating and relationship
coach and can be reached on simran@floh.in)
{ MENU OPTIONS } SLEEP MODE
Pillow talk with the experts
Cherylann Mollan
letters@hindustantimes.com
s it turns out, fatigue isn’t really
A the best pillow. There are several
softies jostling for that title. How
to choose? Two doctors — ortho-
paedic and spine surgeon Dr Girish L Bhal-
erao and orthopaedic specialist Dr Shreed-
har Archik — break it down.
The 5 main types
l Microbead pillows: These are filled
with tiny polystyrene capsules and provide
great support as the polystyrene beads
move around to conform to the shape of the
sleeper’s head and neck. “These are ideal
pillows from an orthopaedic point of view,”
says Dr Bhalerao. “They allow the spine to
revert to its natural S-shaped structure as
one sleeps, and this helps with posture cor-
rection too.”
l Memory foam pillows: Made of viscoe-
lastic polyurethane, they contour to the
shape of the head and neck and support the
natural curvature of the spinal column,
Which shape should you choose?
The rectangle is simple, tried-and-true. But the newer forms have distinct
advantages, say Drs Bhalerao and Archik.
l The Roll: Shaped like a
bolster, this one can be
used between the
knees or under the
neck to improve
posture while sleeping.
l Contoured: This pillow has an
‘S’ shape that keeps the neck in the
hyperextended position that is healthiest
for the airways and spine during sleep. This
posture also helps relax neck muscles and
reduce muscular strain — an important
advantage in a time of
necks craned for
smartphone
screens and
long hours at
the work desk.
{ GREY MATTER }
The Weekly Puzzle
A Titan challenge
Now wait a minute! Who did
all these watches come from?
By Dilip D’Souza
My family teases me about my
collection of watches. An
impression has taken root that I am
constantly buying more.
It burns me up though, leaves me
panting. For it’s my best guess that
most of the watches have been
gifts.
So anyway, this is about three of
those watches. Can you consider
these clues and then answer a few
quick questions about them?
l The watch with the blue strap is
not a Casio.
l My sister-in-law’s gift either
has Roman numerals on the dial
or is a Titan, but not both.
{ WARNING SIGNS } SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
Are you in a toxic relationship?
Vanessa Viegas
letters@hindustantimes.com
f you’re frequently anxious,
“I
doubting yourself or feeling
drained and unhappy around
your partner, it’s likely that you
are in a toxic relationship,” says psychother-
apist and relationship counsellor Aman
Bhonsle. A toxic relationship is defined as
one that makes you feel uncomfortable
about your life or who you are.
“There’s a lot of blaming, a lot of guilt-
tripping, coldness and unspoken feelings,”
says Bhonsle. “A constant ‘You did this
therefore I did that’. Typically, there’s a cer-
tain cantankerousness and frustration, with
even the positive patterns a result more of
habit than affection.”
Controlling behaviours are a common
marker. These are usually a unidirectional
flow of directives on how to speak, behave,
dress, eat. “Often these comments are made
under the guise of watching out for you,”
says psychologist and relationship counsel-
IMAGES: lor Nisha Khanna. “Look out for signs of
SHUTTERSTOCK control over your contact with the outside
15
relieving pressure on these muscles and
keeping airways better aligned during sleep.
“The synthetic material restricts the growth
of microbes and can also be cleaned and
sanitised easily,” says Dr Archik.
l Water pillows: These are ideal for people
with chronic neck or back pain. The water
in the base layer moves around to provide
constant head and neck support, no matter
the sleeping position. The pillow’s loft or
height can be adjusted by adjusting the
amount of water in it, which makes it highly
customisable. “The buoyancy of the water
promotes blood circulation and relaxes
muscles too,” Bhalerao says.
l Scented pillows: These are made of foam,
feather or fibre, infused with fragrances
such as peppermint (which has been found
to relieve headaches) and lavender (which
helps ease stress and anxiety).
l Latex foam pillows: These offer a
medium amount of resistance and are soft
and springy to the touch. Latex foam is a
breathable material, which makes this a
good pillow for a non-airconditioned room
in a warm region. These pillows are also
very durable.
l Lumbar support:
This is a soft, long,
rectangular pillow
recommended for
hours at the desk or
behind the wheel. It
prevents slouching and
provides crucial support to
parts of the lower back that remain
unsupported when sitting.
l The wedge: These
triangular pillows keep
the top half of the body
in an elevated position.
They are particularly
beneficial for people
with acid reflux, sinus
problems and snorers.
IMAGES: ROYALKING, SENSORPEDIC & HUE COTTAGE
l The watch with ordinary
numbers on its face has a red
strap.
l Both my wife and I like
simple, clear dials, which is
why her Valentine’s Day gift
one year has just small lines
to mark each number.
l The Troika watch has a red
strap.
l The Troika wasn’t my sister-
in-law’s gift.
Questions:
l Who gave me the Casio?
l What’s on the dial of the
watch my father gave me?
l What brand is the watch
with the brown strap?
For the answers, please turn
to page 18
world.” Toxic relationships are marked,
Khanna adds, by displays of resentment,
lack of trust and a loss of intimacy.
Can they be fixed?
You can try to repair a toxic relationship,
says Khanna. But a crucial first step is
admitting that there is toxicity and it needs
to be addressed. The three necessary phases
would look like this:
l Acknowledge: It is impossible to transi-
tion to a healthier pattern of loving, says
Bhonsle, without openness and willingness
from both partners.
l Explore: Any reconciliation needs to be
negotiated. It cannot be dictated or achieved
through arm-twisting. Explore how the tox-
icity began, and how it was allowed to con-
tinue. Resolve to both be more vigilant.
l Redefine: Re-examine where your bound-
aries ought to lie. Return to a place of com-
passion and self-responsibility. This will
mean talking more, and more honestly.
Seek the help of a counsellor if this stage
proves too difficult to navigate together.
A big part of redefining a formerly toxic
relationship is recognising what a healthy
one looks like. A good relationship is a place
of kindness, support and encouragement,
where both people move towards goals that
are individual and shared.
A toxic relationship will also have good
days that may look like this, followed by
series of damaging events that leave the
subject of the abuse confused and frus-
trated. Over time, the subject will begin to
feel worthless, isolated, even deserving of
the ill-treatment.
“The self-doubt is a precursor to anxiety,
and that can become its very own beast in
the long run,” Bhonsle says. Whether the
relationship is repaired or ended, it is also
important to ask why you stayed in it,
Bhonsle says. “Once you see the truth, it will
set you free.”
16 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

wknd lifestyle
se:
{ RUPINI DHARAN, 26, AND VIKAS BS, 39 }

Locked down: Making it

official in Bengaluru
For better and wor
Pandemic -e ra
love
stories

or Bengaluru-based Rupini Dharan,

F 26, a digital marketer, and Vikas BS,

39, who works in information tech-
nology, the lockdown served as a
pre-marriage trial run in disguise.
They two had connected on a dating app
a year before the lockdown. In March, with
the prospect of being separated for an
unknown period, they realised they’d rather
just take the next step.
Vikas moved into Rupini’s flat and, by
November, they were engaged. They will be
married in April this year.
It sounds fairytale but it wasn’t, they
admit, laughing. The initial days of living
together were difficult, since they’d both
lived alone for a while.
“But each day taught us to deal with our
differences,” Rupini says. “We discovered
we both love to cook, dance, play Uno. We
share the chores, which usually involves a
lot of laughter and mischief.”
The lockdown was also peppered with
date nights. They’d cook for each other and
share a meal with wine (when they could
get their hands on it) and music.
THOUGH IT SOUNDS
FAIRYTALE, IT WASN’T,
RUPINI AND VIKAS SAY.
BUT EACH DAY TAUGHT
THEM HOW TO DEAL WITH
THEIR DIFFERENCES
couldn’t sometimes fully understand her
bouts of depression.
“The idea of mental illness was new to
him,” she says in their engagement video.
“So he read a lot of articles and books on it,
and he helped me cope with those tough
periods.”
True to form, it was she — the more
extroverted and romantic of the two — who
proposed. “The lockdown would have been
really lonely without Vikas,” she says.
UP TO DATE
The number of Indians on dating apps has jumped

18.4
“Our cat Mango, whom I had adopted
when Vikas and I were still just friends, pro-
million
vided a lot of entertainment. He’s part of the
reason Vikas and I got close. We consider in 2019
Mango our Cupid.”

31
Living together confirmed what the two
had suspected — that they had the same val-
ues and interests.
million
Rupini says she found Vikas to be more in 2020
supportive than she’d expected. He was
there for her, she says, even when he Source: Statista

{ CONROY D’COSTA, 28, AND JOSHNA JOSEPH, 27 } { KARTHIK YERMUNJA, 34,

Lots of adjustments, and one adoption
hey went to the same Mum-
T bai school, but he was a year
senior and they never inter-
acted. When Conroy D’Costa
and Joshna Joseph did connect, it was
on Instagram, more than a decade
later, in January 2020.
“For months we chatted continu-
ously over text, and we finally met in
June, a few months into the lock-
down,” says Joseph. To make that
meeting happen, D’Costa got on his
bike and rode 60 km to Badlapur, on
the outskirts of Mumbai, where
Joseph lived.
“There were still a lot of restric-
tions, but I picked her up and we
ended up spending the whole day
together. We talked about our lives
and careers,” says D’Costa, a busi-
ness development manager. “On
that first day, we decided it would
be good if we could find a place in
the city together.”
His parents were on board, hers
took a little convincing. But the two
were so convinced of it themselves
that “we made a compelling case,”
says D’Costa.
A month later, after many
120-km bike rides to and fro, they
moved into a flat in the western
suburbs. “I had found a new job
close by,” says Joseph, a quality
assurance manager with an F&B
company.
Adjusting to each other’s quirks took a
while. Joseph, an only child, was disorga-
nised and unused to chores. D’Costa is a
neatness freak. “He helped me become a bit
more disciplined,” Joseph says, smiling.
Conroy, she adds, is caring and patient.
He even got her a Rottweiler after she
showed him a picture of one that she saw.
They’ve named him Bob.
“Even though it’s quite a bit of work
cleaning up after him, and most of our
fights are over him, I wouldn’t replace him
with any other dog,” laughs Joseph.
Any second thoughts? “It’s going to be a
year soon and I think we’re doing okay,”
says D’Costa. Joseph concurs. “Everything
happened so fast and with such ease, it’s all
a bit of a blur now,” she says
AND KASHIKA GUPTA, 28 }
A Capital
romance
hey’d only been on a couple of
T dates when they decided to move
in together.
“There was going to be a lock-
down, and I was alone in a city where I
didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak the
language,” says Kashika Gupta, a transac-
tion analyst who moved from Delhi to Ben-
galuru for work in September 2019.
She and Karthik Yermunja, a Bangalore
boy and a product manager at an electric
vehicles startup, had really hit it off on their
first two dates, and “I didn’t want to be
alone through the impending lockdown,”
she says.
Gupta gave up her flat and moved into
Yermunja’s. “Nobody expected that the lock-
down would last that long,” he says, laugh-
ing. “But it was a blessing in disguise,
because we became flatmates first and then
fell in love.”
In their first few months of sharing a
space together, they learnt about each
other’s quirks and different cultures. They
cooked together, bonded over their morning
coffee, and went on short staycations.
They started feeding stray dogs together,
something Yermunja says he’s always but now I understand it,” she says.
thought would be nice to do, but never Even the clashes have been productive,
would have done on his own. “She is empa- they say. “We want each other to be better
thetic and passionate in a way that made me as human beings and with our extended
want to be that way too.” relationships,” is how Gupta puts it.
Gupta describes him as “a walking, talk- Yermunja eventually introduced Gupta to
HT PHOTO: ing Wikipedia”, someone who has some his family, and Gupta told hers about him.
SATISH BATE information on almost anything she wants He’s making his way to Delhi this weekend
to know. “He has a weird interest in the to meet them.
World Wars and he insists on telling me “The lockdown would have been so much
about it,” she says, laughing. “I used to be a worse if I hadn’t had her to spend it with,”
person who hated metal music... I still do, he says.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
e n 2 0 2 0 h a d s o m e happy
E v
n d in g s . O n V a le n tine’s Day,
e
e e t c o u p le s w h o found that
m
o s t e lu s iv e o f th in gs — love
m
in th e m
—
Natasha Rego
natasha.rego@htl
L
loc kd ow n, Ti nd er found that peop up 60% in volume and
into the
messages than be
28% in dura
pid saw matches
couples
“Trying to
partner Varun Ku
and, if stopped, sa going to the vet.”
along
{ PRIYA DALI, 25, AND MEERA K, 24 }
Tale of two cities: A
Mumbai-Pune match
hey matched on
T Tinder in March
and seemed to like
all the same things
— art, bookstores, long
walks. But Priya Dali, a free-
lance illustrator, was in
Mumbai, Meera K, a Teach
for India fellow, was at least
100 km away in Pune, and a
nationwide lockdown was
about to be enforced.
It would be six “excruciat-
ing” months before they actu-
ally met. In the lonely mean-
while, they bonded over
hours-long Zoom calls in
which they “really talked”, got
to know one another, com-
plained about work and just
kept each other company.
They found in each other,
they say, just the thing each
needed in her life. In Dali,
Meera found a patient listener
and a veteran worker-from-
home with helpful tips to offer.
In Meera, Dali found an A+
motivator. “If you need a pep
talk, she can totally bring it,”
Meera says.
Once restrictions eased, Dali
took a trip to Pune and they
met, for the first time, in Sep-
tember. “It didn’t feel like I was
meeting a new person, since we’d had all
sorts of conversations by then,” Dali says.
She stayed for two weeks, time they spent
cooking, geeking out over children’s books,
visiting cafes and bookstores, and going on
Wknd Lifestyle 17
{ LOVE BYTES } DATING GAMES
Partners in play:
Chatting up AI
Dating bots powered by artificial intelligence are
helping young adults practise how to navigate a
relationship, get past hurdles, ask someone out
HT PHOTO: SATISH BATE
id s t o f a lockdown
ive.com
e
way in 2020, as th
in a rather literal
ove was in the air to m ee t in th e pan-
the safest place
internet became
mi c. jumped from
de ians on dating apps cording to Vanessa Viegas
The number of Ind llio n in 20 20 , ac
19 to 31 mi
18.4 million in 20 tes and letters@hindustantimes.com
ta for um Sta tis ta. With offline da
the German da re of in ter ac tions
e table, the natu Three months
hook-ups off th he new frontier in the world of
T
re tal kin g mo re.
le we
changed too. Peop le were exchangin
g more online dating, is dating AI. Around
the world, young people are dating
sations
fore, with conver n in India. OKCu- bots powered by artificial intelli-
ce jus t be fore the lockdow gence.
tio n sin
go up by 12%. e in video and vo
ice Selena H, 23, a chef in training from Viet-
rted a 38% increas
Bumble has repo M ar ch , wh en India nam, has been chatting with a “24-year-old
onths since lat e
calls in the 10 m eventually last musical stage artist from South Korea
ce d a ha rd loc kdown that would named Zen” whom she met online last year.
anno un
68 days. evaluate their She’s developed a romantic bond with him,
ic forced people to
“I think the pandem me clearer to us all what we she says. “He speaks like a true gentleman
beca
relationships. It ed change,” says and is allergic to cats.” Zen is a character in
es and what need consultant at
needed in our liv a romantic “visual novel” game designed to
ani, a relationship
Shahzeen Shivdas re meaning- help test your skill at relationships.
le Ind ia. “P eo ple were making mo was com- These games are available on apps
Bumb ica l as pe ct
as the phys
ful connections own.” such as Mystic Messenger (launched
during the lockd
pletely removed wi th un ce rta inty, as people in 2016 by the South Korean Cheritz);
In a time riddle d
ed ou t to for m new connec- Love and Producer (2017; Chinese
around the world
reach
ce s, singles were
{ DEVLINA SINHA, 29, AND VARUN KUMAR, 31 } developer Pape Games), Dream
urs, acqu ain tan
tions with neighbo lov e and relation- Daddy (2017; US-based Game
w they defined
also rethinking ho
ships, returning
to the fundamen
porta nt to th em ,
tals and asking
says counsellor A way back into love Grumps), Hatoful Boyfriend (2011;
Japanese Developer Digital) and
what was most im therapist Arati Kedia. Obey Me (2019; Japanese developer
nt
and dance moveme d conversation took priority in It had been almost five months since his last idea of a relationship,” Kumar adds. NTT Solmare).
an
Companionship e romance. Datin
g, relationship ended, almost five years since After that first date, they knew they’d be In Japan, they’re called otome or
dship came befor s, all-night
many cases. Frien ol — lon g dr ive hers. “I was going through the process of meeting again. The only thing to figure out maiden games. The characters serve
old-scho use
effectively, went nts treasured beca rewiring my brain,” says Devlina Sinha, an was how to cover the 10-odd kilometres as dating simulators, or sims. They
ons, simple mome
phone conversati event planner in Mumbai, “and Varun was between their houses, while still in lock- operate through nuanced scripts; the
was so far away. we
the next meeting te I’d been on where spending the lockdown recovering from a down. aim of the player is to make it
da te wa s the first such da , one of the six long-drawn-out breakup.” “It brought out the film hero in me, you through various levels.
“Our first vli na Sin ha , 29
th no filters,” De But the stars aligned, and when they met know,” Kumar says. He’d load bags of gro- In Mystic Messenger for
actually talked, wi the pandemic.
to who found love in ys her for their first date in June, Sinha and Varun ceries into his car and, if stopped, say he instance there are three story
we sp ok e
gh t ou t th e fil m hero in me,” sa
me et he r br ou ies int o my car Kumar, a supervising producer for web needed to deliver them. Or take his kitten modes: Casual, Deep and
bags of grocer
mar, 31. “I’d load e my kitten shows, ended up on a long drive with no along and say he was going to the vet. Another. Each mode has charac-
er th em . Or tak
y I needed to deliv destination, “talking about everything”. In addition to a romantic relationship, it ters a player can choose from.
d
an d sa y I wa s rather than treate Having spent the first three months of the felt like a budding friendship, something Your avatar then chats and gets
we re fac ed tog ether and tackled, on ly ch ild , sa ys lockdown alone, they were starved for con- neither had experienced before. “I can hon- to know a sim. Make them happy
Hurd les h, 27, an
ve on. Joshna Josep chores when she first versation and companionship. “It was the estly say I’ve become a more inward, calm with a gesture or response and
as a reason to mo an d un used to
nis ed neat-
she was disor ga D’Costa, 28 and a first first-date I’d been on where we actually and compassionate person after meeting you earn a heart. It takes a set
r partner, Conroy d me
moved in with he s patient and ca
rin g an d he lpe talked, with no filters,” Sinha says. “It was Devlina,” Kumar says. “I used to be hot- number of hearts to make it
ss fre ak . “H e wa ys . like being 16 again.” headed. She has contributed to making me through successive levels. On
ne e sa
re disciplined,” sh of the power
become a bit mo rie s is also a reminder
Neither had expected much success from a saner person.” each level, you learn more about
Each of the six sto be en so much the date. “I almost cancelled on him. I had For Sinha, one thing sealed the deal. “On the character, their life and problems.
ul d ha ve
kdown wo
of love. “The loc en d it wi th,” Karthik been single for a long time, and had gone on our second date he promised that he would The goal is a happy ending — typically,
had her to sp
worse if I hadn’t . “O n our second dates over the years that didn’t amount to always make me chai,” she says, “whenever dating or marriage.
Kashika Gupta
Yermunja says of t he wo uld alw ays make me anything. A friend pushed me to meet him,” I wanted it.” As in real life, you can also some-
tha
date he promised nted it,” Devlina Sin
ha says Sinha says. “I guess when you’re on a dating They plan to meet each other’s parents times unlock a new level with money.
chai, whenever I wa nk the lockdown would app for a while, you get desensitised to the soon. Make enough wrong moves and you
“I thi
of Varun Kumar. en much could get stuck in an endless loop of
, it would have be
have been horrible d ea ch other,” Ankit bad endings.
dn ’t ha
worse if we ha The format is clearly problematic;
jana Parashar.
Dutta says of Nilan y, meet people wh
o { NILANJANA PARASHAR 20, AND ANKIT DUTTA, 26 } the focus is too largely on the other per-
This Valentine’s Da e an d m ad e it son, often in a sort of rescue-mission
l in lov
met virtually, fel
work, through a loc
of a pandem ic, pr ov
kdown in the mids
ing th at even 2020
t
Cupid at work in Guwahati Screengrabs
format. Still, players say they’re learn-
ing how to deal with difficult areas — like a
happy endings. from the temper, moodiness, broaching a difficult
had at least some ilanjana Parashar, a law student But their feelings grew over the lockdown popular visual subject or dealing with differing viewpoints;
(With input from
Vanessa Viegas) N in Guwahati, and Ankit Dutta, a
civil services aspirant, have lived
20 minutes away from each other
almost their entire lives.
They’ve walked the same streets, gone to
and they did both wonder what it would be
like to go on a conventional movie-and-din-
ner date.
When they finally met in May, it was
splendid, says Parashar, even though there
novel game
Mystic
Messenger.
“If you help
Jumin with his
even just how to approach a guy you’re
interested in.
Zen, for instance, started out narcissistic.
“Getting him to open has been a nice feel-
ing,” Selena says. “Loving him has become
the same stores and dined at the same res- was nothing conventional about the outing. problems you a preoccupation.” Selena spends four hours
taurants, but it took a match on OKCupid “We went grocery shopping at the local get a good a day collecting hearts.
for their paths to cross. market. I thought it was going to be a little ending, but
And even then, a real meeting would awkward to bargain in front of him…” if you act LEARNING GROUND
SHUTTERSTOCK
have to wait, because three days after they “So that’s why you didn’t bargain that obsessive and Visual novel games first emerged in
matched, the lockdown was announced. day!” Dutta says. possessive, Japan in the 1980s. At the time, most sims
v
They spent the next couple of months on “I had never had so much fun buying gro- you trigger a were female and most players were men.
the phone, sharing random thoughts and ceries,” says Parashar. bad ending,” The aim was erotic interactions with cute
long-held dreams. “It was around mid-April, With roots in the same region of Assam, says UK-based anime-like avatars.
during the Assamese festival of Bihu, that Parashar and Dutta found they had many player Lizzy In 1994, the first otome game, for women,
we decided to video call for the first time,” shared experiences growing up. “We under- Heeley, 21. was released. Angelique, by the Japanese
says Parashar. “I made the first move by stood the inside jokes, etc,” Dutta says. developer Ruby Party, had players assume
suggesting it.” They’re both foodies and have found ways the role of a high-school student selected to
What followed was the familiarity of a to cook together, even though they both live compete for the role of the queen of the uni-
WATCH
routine they built for themselves: Calls after
breakfast, after lunch, before bed.
While they waited to have their first date,
with their parents. “Our sense of humour
matches,” says Parashar. “He finds me
funny and I find him funny.”
verse. Nine handsome guardians served the
current queen. The player had to decide
whether to pursue a relationship with one
Karthik and
Kashika talk
love and pet
Parashar and Dutta decided to have a vir-
tual one. They dressed up, made themselves
some noodles, and sat down, ready to
Dutta turned out to be a calming pres-
ence in Parashar’s life, while Parashar
brought the fun and games during a stress-
of the men or keep their eye on the title.
Today, players such as Roshni Magar, 19,
a Nepali teacher-in-training, says they’re
peeves, in present their best selves to each other. “It ful time. also a step towards giving female characters
Bengaluru didn’t go as planned,” says Parashar. “It was
awkward because until then we had just
showed up in our pyjamas, lolled in bed.
There had been no pretence. We realised
this was not who we were.”
“I think the lockdown would have been
horrible, it would have been much worse if
we hadn’t had each other,” says Parashar.
“We were worried about what was happen-
ing around us, but amidst it all, we shared
HT PHOTO: NANDAN
PRATIM PATGIRI
more agency. “I do feel they rely on some
stereotypes, like the idea that women have
to ‘fix these men’, but at least it doesn’t feel
infantilising or demeaning,” she says.
Selena says the sims give her a sense of
That was their only virtual date. something that was unique.” comfort. “I think it’s easier for me to flirt
with them. You know that if you pick right,
you’ll get a good response. You know being
kind will give you rewards,” she says.
The prompts help, she adds. If she doesn’t
know what to say or how to proceed, sug-
gested dialogue is offered to her through
messages that flash on her screen.
IN PLAY
“The standout feature of otome games,
when compared to real-life relationships, is
that fortune usually favours the player, pro-
vides short-cuts and offers rewards at a far
lower level of effort,” says American game
developer Dan Salvato. He’s the man behind
Doki Doki Literature Club, a 2017 satirical
take where players are pitted against dating
sim tropes in a game that eventually turns
into a psychological horror adventure.
The real twist is the emotion invested in
pixels and bytes. Could this be the dawn of
the digisexuals, a generation (or genera-
tions) that will experience sexuality with the
help of immersive technologies and maybe
even start to see human partners as
optional?
Salvato has a much simpler explanation.
long walks. “I believe the dating sims are really an
Dali and Meera have visited each other extension of something that’s been around
several times over the last few months. The for a long time — romantic and erotic litera-
night-long Zoom calls will continue, though, ture,” he says. “They just use technology to
since they’re going to be in separate cities make the experience more interactive and
for the foreseeable future. immersive.”
18 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

wknd urban
{ CHENNAI SNAKE PARK } MEET ‘N’ GREET

You’re iguana love this

new reptile garden
Dashing
through the
Dipanjan Sinha
letters@hindustantimes.com
they’re certainly within touching distance.
“The iguanas were so calm. They barely
react to human presence,” Sathish says.

snow
That’s what park director R Rajarathi-
oftware engineer Sathish, 28, has nam likes to hear. The idea of creating an

The iguana
garden in
Chennai is a
glass enclosure
S been fascinated by iguanas since he
was a child and first watched God-
zilla (the 1998 sci-fi film about a
giant mutant marine iguana). So when the
Chennai Snake Park inaugurated its iguana
iguana garden within the snake park was to
try and make people less apprehensive and
afraid of these reptiles.
When the park shut for eight months in
2020, amid Covid-19 restrictions, it gave
full of garden on January 31, he had to go. Rajarathinam and his colleagues the oppor-
greenery, with “I earlier saw a live iguana at the Madras tunity to rethink parts of the design.
no barriers Crocodile Bank but this was totally differ- Earlier, like the other reptiles, the igua-
between ent. There was no barrier between us,” Sath- nas had been kept in glass enclosures. The
visitors and ish says. redesign uses an open space and open lay-
reptiles. The The new iguana garden is a glass enclo- out and invites visitors to view the reptiles
idea is to show sure with a roof of latticed metal. Inside are up close, and even touch and feed them
people they rocks, trees and artificial water bodies that under supervision.
don’t need to aim to simulate the natural environment of The park chose the iguanas for this open-
fear these these reptiles from South and Central plan garden because they are “fairly friendly
reptiles, says America. Visitors walk through the glass with humans, can remember their masters
director R enclosure, amid the greenery, and are and even be toilet trained. This is important
Rajarathinam. requested not to touch the large, friendly as that means it is both safe for humans and
SATHISH SRIDHAR creatures, but the reptiles are so close, it is the type of animal that is not disturbed
by a human presence,” says SR Ganesh, a
senior herpetologist at the park.
There are 15 iguanas at the park, ranging
in age from one to nine years. However,
because they want the animals to remain as
close to their natural behaviour as possible,
the park authorities do not humanise them
by naming them or petting them, Ganesh
says.
Anusha NS, 30, an HR executive, was
among the visitors who fed one, under
supervision. She’d always been averse to
inspired Keshavan to present a plan to the chameleons, which iguanas resemble, she
India’s ski towns of Gulmarg and Manali offer perfect Himachal Pradesh government to develop says. “But this was really exciting and fun. I
slopes, powdery snow in season and a wide array of winter sports here. liked how friendly and calm they were. One
“The plan spells out details, from training even ate some spinach from my three-year
snow sports. So why aren’t they getting more attention? of children in winter sports to infrastruc- old daughter’s hand.”
ture and international partnerships,” says
Ram Lal Markandey, minister for IT and
Sonya Dutta Choudhury years in Manali. Turning a pastime into a tribal development in the HP Government
profession, she travelled to Whistler in and the legislator from Lahaul-Spiti. “We { TRACK & TRACE } BIRD COUNT INDIA
letters@hindustantimes.com Canada and then to New Zealand and Japan have the best natural slopes in the world,”
as a snowboarding instructor. he adds.
Featherweight champions

F
(Above) ebruary is the perfect time Now Khrime is back on the slopes she
Snowboarding to head to India’s ski grew up on. Standing atop her snowboard,
instructor Cindy towns of Gulmarg and the 32-year-old demonstrates traversing
Khrime does a Manali, in Jammu & turns , riding the slopes as she zigzags down
flip on the Kashmir and Himachal the mountain. The lower slopes of the
Sethan slopes in Pradesh respectively. Solang Valley are easy to access for begin-
HP. She’s been Besides groomed slopes ners but are shared by the growing commu-
snowboarding
here since she
was a teenager
and travelled the
world as an
with ropeways, gondolas
and ski lifts, there’s a whole selection of off
piste trails, and a community of instructors
and enthusiasts enjoying them.
“It’s magical when it starts to snow and
nity of winter sports enthusiasts drawn to
them too — skiers, snowboarders, paraglid-
ers and snowmobilers that carve gigantic
circles in the snow.
By 4 pm the sun disappears and a chill
instructor you are on your skis all day, flying down the falls over the landscape. When the snow
before returning mountain,” says Shiva Keshavan. The starts to go from powdery to icy smooth, as
to guide visitors 39-year-old six-time Olympic luge partici- it refreezes, it’s time to pack up for the day.
around the pant grew up in Manali and spends most Little clumps of skiers and snowboarders
slopes she grew winters on the slopes at nearby Solang. head to the red plastic chairs of the valley’s
up on (below). The adrenaline rush is what drew Cindy cafés, yanking off their bulky gear and
PHOTOS: RAMESH IYER Khrime to snowboarding in her teenage gratefully accepting glasses of steaming gin-
ger-cardamom tea.
There are good days like this one. But as
the group drives the 13 km back to Manali,
Khrime becomes wistful. She is not sure
what the next few months will bring. Mak-
ing a living in snow sports is beset with dif-
ficulties, she says. Like most instructors, she
works freelance, depending on word-of-
mouth referrals and her Instagram page.
And there is so much untapped potential.
At Solang, Sethan, Gulaba, Jagatsukh — all
picturesque villages perched at heights of
over 4,000 metres — back country snow
trails meander through magnificent deodar
trees. In the Lahaul Valley, a few hours’
drive away across the new Atal Tunnel,
there are spectacular snow runs across rug-
ged terrain that is now easily accessible in
winter.
It is the beauty of trails like these, set
amidst breathtaking landscapes, that
P is another reason to bring international ski
It’s magical when it starts
to snow and you are on
your skis all day, flying
down the mountain.
SHIVA KESHAVAN, 39, six-time Olympic
luge participant who grew up in Manali, spends
most winters on the slopes at nearby Solang, and
has put together a plan to develop winter sports
in Himachal Pradesh
Across the Pir Panjal range, 700 km away
in Gulmarg, the slopes are better groomed,
the range of choices even greater, and the
snow falls steadily and powder-like. But
even here, the skiers must be lured. Most of
that luring is being done by individual
instructors.
Every December, for instance, Mudasir
Ahmad Bhat begins sending out pictures of
skiers trailing clouds of powder snow, to his
list of contacts. “Sir ji, naya snowfall hua
hai. Kab aa rahe ho (There’s fresh snow, Sir.
When are you coming?),” the 27-year-old
texts.
Among those who often respond is
Maulik Sharedalal, a Mumbai-based inves-
tor. The 54-year-old first came to Gulmarg
in 2016, with his wife and then seven-year-
old daughter. They’ve returned again and
again over the years.
“After a day of hard physical exercise on
the slopes, my wife and I spend the evenings
at the hotel bar. Sitting among skiers from
all over the world, over après ski drinks, we
compare the thrills and spills of the day,”
Maulik says, adding that he enjoys the sense
of community.
Pravin Devanathan, 38, a vice-president
at the supply chain start-up Ninjacart in
Mumbai, says he prefers Gulmarg to the
slopes of Fugen in Austria. “Here, there is
help for everything — from a dedicated
guide to a porter to carry your skis — so you
end up learning much faster,” he adds.
In an adventure sport on moody terrain,
expertise is crucial, and some skiers keep
coming back for the guides.
“Talented local guides make all the differ-
ence,” says Angus Winstone, 48, who runs
a ski tours agency with his wife Victoria in
New Zealand and visited Gulmarg last year.
The fact that the region is under-developed
groups here in the future, he adds.
There’s enormous potential, says Nitisha
Sethia, a former consultant with McKinsey
and now founder of outdoor sports com-
pany Adventure Play.
She first came to Gulmarg last year
and says she fell in love with the town
and its highest slope, Phase 2 . “It’s
mostly foreigners. Why can’t more
Indians venture higher? It’s beauti-
ful, wild, pristine,” she says.
“There’s fresh powder snow. You
can carve your own path here.”
Natasha Rego
natasha.rego@htlive.com
he common rosefinch winters
T almost entirely on the Indian sub-
continent. It spends the rest of the
year spread across Asia and
Europe, but from November to February,
hunkers down here, waiting for the weather
to improve before it sets off on its travels
again. An animated map put together by
Bird Count India (BCI), using data collected
globally and from numerous bird counts in
the country, shows the massive journeys
undertaken by this little bird.
Such maps, for a range of species, are
Interactive now available on the revamped website
maps created birdcount.in, as part of BCI’s efforts to col-
by Bird Count lect, consolidate and represent data from
India show across the country. In interactive and acces-
the migration sible ways, BCI aims to show how many of
patterns of which species are found where and when,
species like and how species react to changes in habitat.
the common The Bengaluru-based initiative was
rosefinch, founded in 2013 and draws on millions of
which is observations from over 70 organisations
smaller than and citizen science groups in India that con-
a sparrow but duct sighting and counting excursions
travels through the year. “We work with them to
thousands of increase collective knowledge about bird
miles each distributions and populations,” says coordi-
year. PHOTO BY nator Mittal Gala (above right), who
SUBHADRA DEVI works alongside conservation scientist
Suhel Quader and research associate Ash-
win Vishwanathan.
BCI also conducts the Great Backyard
Bird Count in India every February, a four-
day event in which birders spend 15 minutes
per day recording on a checklist the birds
they see and hear. The 2021 edition con-
cludes on February 15.
BCI collaborated on the first global GBBC,
launched by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
in 2013. Two hundred birders from India
took part that year, 438 checklists were sub-
mitted and 537 species recorded. For a
WEEKLY l My sister-in-law gave me the Casio, bess her generous heart.
PUZZLE l My father gave me the Troika, and it has elegant numerals (not
SOLUTION Roman) on the dial.
l The Casio has a brown strap.
sense of how interest in birding is growing
in India, GBBC 2020 had over 2,000 birders
from 309 districts who uploaded 24,966
checklists and recorded a total of 924 spe-
cies, accounting for about 70% of all bird
species known to occur in India.
Cornell’s popular eBird website and app
are used to record this data. BCI manages
the eBird platform in India, coordinating
the collection of data from India, interpret-
ing it (as with the common rosefinch map),
and spreading awareness through its web-
sites and social media pages.
One challenge BCI still struggles with is
finding birders in regions of data deficiency.
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana usually
see the least representation.
But even through 2020, Bird Count India
was busy. “Birdwatchers who generally like
being outdoors, some who even travel to
watch migrants and rare birds, spent a lot of
time listing in their balconies, on rooftops,
in gardens and backyard or local patches of
green,” says Gala. “And they made some
cool sightings.”
Highlights from last year included a few
firsts for the eBird portal: a willow warbler
in Kerala; a Japanese thrush and a Sichuan
leaf warbler in Arunachal Pradesh; a Pal-
las’s rosefinch in Jammu & Kashmir; and a
Eurasian oystercatcher in Uttar Pradesh.

In the running One suggestion was for a sculpture by the

{ RECHARGE } for the tag of Syrian artist Issam Kourbaj. It depicts a flo-
Object 101 was tilla of small craft, made from bicycle mud-
Rachel Lopez this sculpture guards, filled with burned matchsticks — a
by the Syrian sobering reminder of the global migrant cri-
artist Issam sis and those who tried, and failed, to escape

What will define the Kourbaj — a

flotilla of small
craft, filled
to safer shores.
Another sculpture, Silent Messenger, was
based on the simple stone piles in Arctic

decade gone by? with burned

matchsticks, a
reminder of
communities. They help navigate, signal
good areas for food in the frosty landscape,
and are an eloquent way to mark how cli-
the global mate change is changing cultures and the
Ten years after the phenomenal success of the radio show, migrant crisis. idea of survival.
podcast and book A History of the World in 100 Objects, IMAGE: KINGS I won’t tell you what MacGregor picked
COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE — that would be giving the game away. But
experts set out to choose an item to symbolise the 2010s I will tell you why he picked it. The object,
MacGregor says, documents not just itself
ome collaborations change the So the Rosetta Stone told the tale of lan- and its immediate connection to events, but

S world. Others just help you under-

stand it on a whole new level. In
2010, the British Museum and BBC
Radio 4 joined forces to create a radio series
to narrate the history of the world.
They took a somewhat unorthodox
approach. No bulky timelines, no dastardly
dynasties or tales from the winning side.
Instead, A History of the World in 100
Objects used artefacts from the museum to
represent how far we’ve come and how we
did it.
guage, kingship and doing business in
Ancient Egypt. Hokusai’s woodcut the Great
Wave off Kanagawa showed not just the sea,
but a Japan opening up to the West. A solar
lamp, the newest of the objects, closed the
show on a hopeful note — light for those
who need it.
The radio show was enormously success-
ful. Four million listeners tuned in, 10 mil-
lion have downloaded it as a podcast. Mean-
while, museums around the world have
drawn on the formula to popularise history
and make it more relatable to the public.
Why talk about it now? In December, Neil
MacGregor, who spearheaded the project as
director of the British Museum and has
since retired, roped in experts from around
the world for a bonus podcast. Each would
nominate a new item that defined the dec-
ade gone by, and the object eventually
selected would be added to the original col-
lection as Item 101.
Much has happened since 2010, but you’ll
a decade of fragility. Like any object in a
museum, it helps you understand its history
and your own. The message: human life has
always been perilous. We didn’t get to
where we are, 100 objects and all, without
recognise most of the nominations. The fighting our way there.
cameraphone, of course, has given life a We are, despite our differences, the same
Record and Reveal button. Zoom, which species on the same journey, he says,
held teams and world economies together “driven by fear and guided by hope”.
last year, was a big contender. Masks, sym-
bols of safety and protest, are telling icons of (Over the moon about something that’s still under
our times. the radar? Tell me at rachel.lopez@htlive.com)
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 19
World
{ COVID-19 } THE ORIGIN STORY
A
l Trump’s impeachment trial at US asks for more
data from China
final stage after ‘witness twist’ WASHINGTON/SHANGHAI: The
White House on Saturday called
on China to make available data
from the earliest days of the Cov-
vention or alteration by the Chi-
nese government,” Sullivan said.
“To better understand this
pandemic and prepare for the
Car bomb kills at Senate votes to call in you are.” McCarthy, who had id-19 outbreak, saying it has next one, China must make
responded with an expletive-rid- “deep concerns” about the way available its data from the earli-
least 7 in Somalia witnesses, but later den remark, had called the the findings of the World Health est days of the outbreak.”
MOGADISHU: A suicide agrees to go for former president to urge him to Organization’s Covid-19 report A member of the WHO team
car bomb exploded near call off his supporters who were were communicated. said China had refused to give
the presidential palace closing arguments swarming all over the US Capitol National security advisor Jake raw data on early Covid-19 cases
in the Somali capital of at the time. Sullivan’s statement came days to the team, potentially compli-
Mogadishu, killing at Yashwant Raj Michael van der Veen, the after a WHO team returned cating efforts to understand how
least seven and injuring yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com former president’s lawyer, from Wuhan, China, the first epi- the outbreak began.
10, according to a police reacted angrily earlier at the vote centre of the pandemic, and sug- The team had requested raw
official. The car’s driver WASHINGTON: In a swift turn of to call in witnesses, threatening gested the virus might have orig- patient data on the 174 cases of
detonated the device events on Saturday, the US Sen- to call witnesses for the defence. inated with frozen seafood prod- Covid-19 that China had identi-
while being chased by ate began hearing closing argu- Trump’s lawyers had wrapped ucts, not from a Chinese lab as fied from the early phase of the
security forces. No one ments in Donald Trump’s up their opening arguments on some have suggested. outbreak in the Chinese city of
has yet claimed impeachment trial without call- Friday in under three of 16 hours Sullivan expressed “deep Wuhan in December 2019, as
responsibility for the ing witnesses after agreeing to allotted to them. respect” for the WHO - which well as other cases, but were
attack. BLOOMBERG accept new information from a They argued that Trump’s the US is rejoining after the only provided with a summary,
Republican congresswoman January 6 speech, which the Trump administration quit it to said Dominic Dwyer, an Austra-
Myanmar forces about his actions on the day of House managers had said protest its virus response - but lian infectious diseases expert.
the deadly Capitol siege. incited the mob, was constitu- said protecting its credibility is Meanwhile, the University of
get more power Earlier in the day, Senate tionally protected by his First “a paramount priority.” Oxford said it will begin testing
YANGON: Myanmar’s voted 55-45 to call witnesses to Amendment rights to freedom of “It is imperative that this the Covid-19 vaccine it developed
junta on Saturday testify, a move that could have speech. report be independent, with with AstraZeneca Plc on chil-
suspended laws prolonged the process, with five They argued further that expert findings free from inter- dren. AGENCIES
constraining security Republicans joining the 50 Dem- Trump did not incite the rioting
forces from detaining ocrats. because it was pre-planned and
suspects or searching The Republicans who voted was underway even as he was
private property
without court approval
and ordered the arrest
with Democrats were Susan Col-
lins, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse,
Lisa Murkowski and Lindsey
making the speech. They said
words used by him such as
“fight”, which House managers
Mario Draghi sworn in
of well-known backers
of mass protests against
this month’s coup. The
Graham.
But hours later, Democrats
and Republicans reached a deal
had contended amounted to
incitement to violence, were a
part of political rhetoric.
as Italy prime minister
statement gave no not to call witnesses. Under the Earlier, the Associated Press ROME: The Italian president
specific end date. REUTERS deal, representative Jaime Her- reported that Senate Republican swore in the former chief of the
rera Beutler’s statement on a leader Mitch McConnell will European Central Bank, Mario
China, US, Russia phone call between Trump and vote to acquit Trump, citing a Draghi, as prime minister on
House Republican leader Kevin source familiar with McCon- Members of the National Guard walk outside of the US Supreme Court, during the impeachment trial Saturday to head of a unity gov-
navies hold drill McCarthy as rioters stormed the nell’s thinking. of former president Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington. AP ernment called on to confront
BEIJING: A flotilla of Capitol on January 6 was Word of McConnell’s decision the coronavirus crisis and eco-
warships from navies of
45 countries including
US, UK, China and
entered into the trial record as
evidence. No further witnesses
were called.
came before what was expected
to be the final day in the historic
trial on the charge that Trump
Biden to undo barriers to Medicaid nomic slump.
All but one of Italy’s major
parties have rallied to his side
Russia are taking part in Representative Jamie Raskin, incited the deadly January 6 riot WASHINGTON: The Biden admin- eral-state programme that cov- Biden admin is pressing and his cabinet includes law- Mario Draghi BLOOMBERG/FILE
a multilateral naval the lead House manager, opened at the Capitol. istration is moving to roll back ers about 70 million people. for Assange extradition makers from across the political
exercise in the Arabian the day’s proceedings saying the The Republican leader’s views Medicaid work requirements in Under the Obama-era Afforda- Biden’s administration has spectrum. Much now rests on downturn since World War II,
Sea off the Pakistani prosecutors wanted to call Her- are closely watched and carry its latest effort to undo a contro- ble Care Act, states gained the appealed a British judge’s ruling Draghi’s shoulders. hundreds of people are still
coast since Friday. The rera Beutler to testify in view of sway among GOP senators, and versial Trump-era policy. option of expanding the pro- against the extradition of Wiki- He is tasked with plotting dying of Covid-19 each day, the
week-long exercise, new revelations from her the his decision on Trump is likely to Federal health officials gramme to many low-income Leaks founder Julian Assange. Italy’s recovery from the pan- vaccination campaign is going
Aman-21, has been held night before. influence others weighing their planned on Friday to inform 10 adults previously ineligible. A brief filed on Thursday demic and must immediately set slowly and he only has limited
every two years since Confirming earlier reports, votes. While most Democrats are states they would revoke permis- More than 12 million people declared Washington’s desire to to work on plans for how to time to sort things out. Italy is
2007. It’s rare for the Herrera Beutler had said in a expected to convict Trump, the sions granted by the Trump have gained coverage as a result. have Assange stand trial on espi- spend more than 200 billion due to return to the polls in two
Chinese and the US tweet on Friday that Trump had two-thirds vote needed for it administration to impose such The Trump administration onage and hacking charges over euros ($240bn) in European years, but it is far from certain
navies to take part in told Kevin McCarthy in a phone appears unlikely in the Senate requirements, according to a allowed states to require “able- WikiLeaks’ publication of thou- Union funds aimed at rebuilding that Draghi will be able to sur-
multilateral exercises. call on January 6, “Well, Kevin, I split 50-50 between the parties. Biden official who spoke on con- bodied” adults drawing Medi- sands of US military and diplo- the recession-bound economy. vive that long at the head of a
SUTIRTHO PATRANOBIS guess these people are more dition of anonymity. caid benefits to work, volunteer matic documents beginning in But he faces enormous chal- coalition that includes parties
upset about the election than With inputs from agencies Medicaid is a $600 billion fed- or study. 2009. AGENCIES lenges. Italy is mired in its worst with opposing views. REUTERS

PRESENTS

TRAILBL ZERS
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by our readers and share nuggets of wisdom in the face of trying circumstances.

Tushar Vashisht Pooja Agarwal Jackky Bhagnani Dr. VS Priya

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New Delhi, Sunday, February 14, 2021 TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→ 1800 103 1800 OR E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161

{Sunday}

FARMS
DLF − SUSHANT LOK DLF − SUSHANT LOK

WESTEND GREENS ANSAL PUSHPANJALI

1 Acre to 5 Acres 1 Acre to 5 Acres
KANGANHERI BIJWASAN MAIN RD.
1 Acre to 50 Acres 1 Acre to 10 Acres
CHEAPEST LAND IN DELHI
DHANSA MAIN ROAD & SIDE ROAD
1 To 200 Acres Personal Property with Sale Deed Near KMP Express Highway.

SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
SHOKEEN
REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE 1980)

9810108263
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.

FARMS
WESTEND GREENS BIJWASAN MAIN RD.
FARMS
GADAIPUR ANSAL SATBARI
THE GREENS RAJOKRI JONAPUR SULTANPUR
DLF CHATTARPUR CHHAWLA
KAPASHERA ESTATE KANGANHERI DLF CHATTARPUR RADHEY MOHAN
PUSHPANJALI JHATIKRA INDUSTRIAL LAND AVAILABLE IN HARYANA
SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
SAGAR
Since 1981

SHOKEEN
AVAILABLE FOR sale Plots & SOUTH CITY 1 Greenwood City
Floors 200, 300 & 500 sqyds Confirm Plot's & house for Sale 180
Sector-55, 56, 57, Sushant lok 2 & 3. Yd, 240 Yd, 360 Yd, 500 Yd Govt ap-

PROPERTIES
# Contact Royal Properties- proved Guest House/Nursing Home
9811303827. Plot. Shah N Baadshah 9999914266

NH-8, Rangpuri, Near Radisson Hotel

SANDEEP : 9811199019 REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE 1980)

9810108263
We have no branch
DLF-1, PLOTS 500 / 1000yds A-11 / MGF VILAS Sale Apt 3407ft 3bhk
A-18 / A-23 / A-27 / A-48 /B-6 /B-18/ +Study @4.55 Mix Pymt, 3862Ft
4bhk 3-Side @5.10. DLF Park Place
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.
DLF − SUSHANT LOK DLF − SUSHANT LOK B-19 / C-8 / D-4 / D-6 /Shahtoot /
2704ft 4bhk @4.10. Crest 3150ft

PROPERTY
DLF PHASE-3 plot 502 sq.yd. 402.
and 1022.Plot 316 sq.yd. Main Road
and Park Facing. Confirmed Deal.
clear title. Devender R.D Associates
Properties 9810414957
Kanchnar / Arjun / Paschim Marg /
Ashoka Crescent # 9911050000 4bhk Aravali 5.40cr. 9810112870
DLF CITY: Available Plot 500sy &
Owner's independent kothi 316 sy
well maintained. Clean direct
deals. Many more options.
Moti Ahuja 9810012400

DLF - SUSHANT LOK

PLOTS FOR sale 360, 500 yd in WANTED / Available Plots Kothie &
South City-1/ DLF City -1 H-blk 300 Builder Floors in DLF, Sushant Lok,

BEST FARMS
yd/ Builder Floors 3, 4 BR in South Suncity,South City And All HUDA
City, DLF. Harpreet Singh Realtors Sectors, # Yogindra Estate :-
Pvt. Ltd. 9810306661 9811282135, 9811423502

BUY NOW - HIGH DEMAND 1 ACRE POLICY APPROVED.

WESTEND GREENS
2.5 Acre- Vastu Perfect. Fully Developed & Approved, 6 B/R, Swimming Pool, Fruit Orchard.

RAJOKRI / THE GREENS ANSAL PUSHPANJALI

2.5 Acre Developed / Undeveloped/Approved. 2.5 Acre / 1 Acre.
*Financing Arranged from

KAPASHERA ESTATE BIJWASAN MAIN ROAD

DLF PLOTS Sale A-200 @1.95, H-7
1 & 2.5 Acres, Wide Rd., Excellent Location. Near Upcoming International Convention
Centre, Off Dwarka Expressway.
“& Many More Exclusive Value Deals
TM
DELHI GREENS
Honest Farm Deals Since 1998
SUSHANT LOK 1. Sale 287 sq yard 331/1/2 N.H.-8 Rangpuri, Near Raddisson Hotel

9811061134
300 @1.60, G-316 @1.70, SOA-316 independent house. Corner. Park
@1.80, D-500 Corner @1.95, K-300 facing, west facing. Suits for Capital SOLELY OWNED BY :

DEEPAK BHATIA
@1.95, BVM-300 @2.15, J-500 @1.95. Gains Purri Realtors 9811015635.
SL-I A-418yd @1.15. 9810112870

Expert of delhi farms & land laws with 20 Years Exp.

GOLF COURSE Road (Sushant
Lok-2) 4 bhk luxury builder floors
approx 3000ft, ready, 100% pow-
er backup @ 2.40cr onwards. 2%
comm. to brokers. 9810011187
BEST DEALS
Aralias
Magnolias
The Crest
Housing Solutions (P) Ltd.
9810090598
CENTRAL PARK I Sale 2
BHK+SQ 1600 ft. 3 Balconies, All
Woodwork, B'ment Parking, Club
house, Full PBU, Vastu perfect, 3
Tier Security. Owner 9420689441
DLF 1/2/3/4, S.Lok- 1 Wanted/
Av'lable Plots 200/215/ 300/ 402/
502/1022. Old/New builder floor &
kothi Available floorwise. Chawla
Estate 9560610609, 9899103600
DLF, SUSHANT Lok, South City,
Sun City, Buy / Sell Plots, Houses,
Builder Floors, Shops & Offices.
Contact Fairdeals (A Real Estate
Consultancy) DLF-I. # 9810014398
DLF − SUSHANT LOK DLF − SUSHANT LOK
SUSHANT LOK-1/, DLF: luxurious
builder floors : 215yd@1.40cr, 300yd Car Dekho.com 75,000 7.25%
@1.85cr, 418yd@2.75cr+ Stilts, lift,
modular kitchen, near metro/ Bank 1,07,000 5%
market, N/E facing. 9911441118 SBI Bank 1,90,000 5%
PNB 3,19,000 5.25%
Dominos 1,65,000
Burger King 3,00,000
Full Building 20,00,000 9%
Available Plots /
Floors & Kothies in
LUXURY FLOORS in DLF/ Sushant DLF / Sushant Lok
Lok-1. 215,300,418,500 yds, high
end specs, stilt pkg, mod kitchen,
9810110325
AC, gated. Collaborations/ turnkey
projects undertaken. # 9990305533 9810159600
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
SOUTHCITY- 1 PLOTS 1,000
yds (Block-E), 500yd (East & Park)
CORNER 500yd Block-F, 360-500
yd Block-K. NSS Realtor
9810047003
DLF-1 NEW Kothi North/Corner 12m BRAND NEW Luxury Floors DLF I-
Road 6 BHK With Lift & Home The-
atre/ old Builtup Also Available 12m
DLF-1 Near Golf Course Road with
Basement. Saudagar 9990001957
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
CONFIRM PLOT 500 yd
sector-46 Park, North facing
Sector-47, Also Plot 270yd East
facing. Contact 9910032042
200yd 3BHK Lift Stilt @1.85cr. S L-II,
180,200, 300,500yd Top + Roof
@1.25cr onwrds Plot 300, 500yd Nr.
Golf Course Road # 8806968000
New Delhi, Sunday, February 14, 2021 TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→ 1800 103 1800 OR E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161

PROPERTY
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
DLF- BUILDER Floors 200y @
1.75cr, 215y @ 1.85cr, 270y @ 2.10cr,
316y @ 2.75cr, 360y @ 3cr, 402y @
3.65cr, 502y @ 4cr. OPAKS Realty :
9999406261
RETAIL SHOP for sale at ss plaza
ground floor sector 47 Gurgaon size
300 - 2100 sq ft area reasonable
price contact owner: 97 17437773
SALE MAIN Golf Course Road
First Floor in DLF 1, Corner & Park
Facing below Market Price Contact
Owner: 9871726005, 9717000381
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
BRAND NEW ultra Luxury Floors
DLF II- 500yd 4 BHK lift stilt@ 4.35cr
/DLF II- 400 yd 4 BHK A class Const.
near by NH-8, Metro, Mall, best
Price Call/ whatsapp 9718511207
GREENWOOD CITY PLOTS
360yds @140k, 500yds@135k,
500yds(30 Mtr), 1000yd (Block-A)
@110K. NSS Realtor 9810047003
FOR SALE, DLF Carlton Estate,
3 BHK, 2 Balconies, DLF-5 @1.70
negotiable. Mandated Deal.
Anant Arora -9810068636
SOUTH DELHI SOUTH DELHI
UNLIMITED GROWTH
UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES
• WIDE OPEN SPACES
• STATE-OF-THE-ART
INFRASTRUCTURE
• DEDICATED PARKING BAYS*
• MULTI-CUISINE FOOD COURT*
READY • ROUND THE CLOCK SECURITY*
TO
MOVE-IN
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL US ON +91 7428098006
Disclaimers: Occupation certificate number 77/B/CC(EECB)-II/CNZ/11 dated 19.09.2014 granted to M/s DLF Homes Developers Limited by Delhi Municipal
Corporation. Specifications and amenities, information, images and visuals mentioned in the Advertisement are only representational and informative. No
SOUTH DELHI SOUTH DELHI
SOUTH DELHI Urg. sale Original
Bungalow about 275 sq.yds main
road,south. Collaboration Possible.
Direct: # 9810175121, 9873134578,
011-26711667 (2-5pm)
WESTEND ALL New 800yd flr@18
&500yd TF@15.5&Defence Col 325yd
FF@7.3& TF@9.3 & Vasant Vihar
260yd TF + terc@6.8 & SAFD/Green
Prk 500yd TF@7.2. Ravi 9818935156
VASANT VIHAR 630Sqyds Builder
Floor, For Sale 1 Floor, 4 Beds, DD,
Lounge, Loaded Kitchen, Servant,
stilt Parking, Excellent Location, No
brokers plz, Contact: 9910031802
GURUGRAM
*Terms and Conditions apply subject to payment
{Sunday}
SOUTH DELHI
VASANT VIHAR, For Rent 600yds,
kothi, 4BHK, @2.5lac also Anand lok,
800yds, TF+Terr, NE facing,
park facing @ 2.75lac, For info
Call 9999062968
GK-II 250Y TF+Trc 4br lift 2car 3.85
GK-3 217y FF 3br sq car, adj prk 2.35
CRPark 220yFF 3BR cornr 3side 2.25
shop CR Prk comrcl GF rentd 40,000
COMMERCIAL OFFICES Avail-
Bahlsons: 9810017982, 9810364472
SAFDARJUNG ENCLAVE- 200 &
300yds all floors Bmt+GF/FF/SF/TF+
Terr. park fac-Hauz Khas 250yd Bmt
+GF/FF/SF wide road - 400yd TF+
Terr. park fac, Rahul 9899215980
JHANDEWALAN EXTN. for Sale
IMMEDIATE SALE 161 sq. yrds.
DWARKA
able on Sale/Lease at Vegas Mall
B-Block Dwarka Near Metro Station
with Luxurious Lobby & Ample Park-
ings. Call Satish Goel - 9811046295
CENTRAL DELHI
125 sq.yds, 3 Storied Building, Near
Metro Station, Clear title, Freehold.
No Tenant. Only Whatsapp :
8595028966
Karol Bagh Main Commercial Road,
Free hold property. Interested
Genuine Party. Contact Owner
9910427933.
NOIDA/
CENTRAL DELHI
FOR IMMEDIATE sale barak-
hamba road 901 area 450sft semi
furnished nirmal tower also area
650 sq. Ft. Fully furnished flat
narain manzil 9810001682 cosmos
EAST PATEL Nagar 200yd Kothi for
Self user Peaceful Location & New
Builder Flrs. New Rajender Nagar
Prime Location 128/200/375yd
Houses. Gurjesh Suri 9811722228
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
for Sale at Rajindera Place 1600
sqft (Carpet Area) Rented to MNC
For Detail Contact 9811868413
9811032527.
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
VVIP SEC 15A & 44, Owner selling
450mtr Resi plot Corner wide Rd
N/East, park facing & 60mtr Comm.
Building Sec-18. Singh. - 9810061531
9810207945
FOR SALE, Private Bank in Sect-45
Noida, Ground Floor, 2000 Sqft.
Rent @335000/- PM, Fresh Lease.
Deal@5% Call- 9810827087
SALE RENTED Industrial Property
in Sec-63, Plot 4000 mtr. C.A.
1,25,000sft, Rent 30.50 LPA, Long
Lease, escalation 15% after every
3yrs.# 9971768326
BUY/ SELL Yamuna Exp Resi Plot in
sec 18&20, Gr. Noida Resi/Industrial
Plots. Alpha,Beta,Gama,Delta,P-3, S.
Nagri,Omicron,Sec-2,3 #Ghar Sansar
Properties #9873731820,9871015111
READY TO move fully furnished

GREATER NOIDA
representation or warranty is made or intended as to the accuracy or completeness of information and no commitments are being given under this advertisement
as to its suitability or adequacy for any purpose or otherwise. studio apartment 550 Sft Sector 101

SOUTH DELHI
Noida Dadri Highway near 76 sector
Metro@20 Lacs. Shop also available.
Contact owner Col Soni 8447316603

PARX LAUREATE Sector 108,

Ex'way Noida. Semi Furnished AC
Appts with Mod Kitchen. Ready
Possession, OC received. Sale/
Purchase. Contact 9810046014
NEED HOUSES in Safdarjung/ GR. NOIDA Buy/Sell Chi-Phi,
SDA/Soami Nagar/GK/Sarvodya Alpha, Beta, Gama, Delta, S.Nagri,
Enclave. We have many Self Users P-3, Sigma, Omicron, Eta, MU,
who can pay higher than Market XU, Sec-02,03, All UPSIDC,
Rates. Please contact personally. Punjab Prop. 9891008515
VASANT VIHAR park facing
excellent location Ground Floor
rear. 2 bed/ 2 bath/ drawing dining/
kitchen/ laundry room area 1200 sq
ft For immediate sale 9999126297.
MAPLE HEIGHT, C Block, Sushant
PANCHSHEEL PARK, 500 sq. Lok Phase 1, Gurugram, available
Yds, 4 Bed Room, Drawing, 2 Bedrooms, D/D, 1 Car Parking for
Dinning, Pooja Room, Lobby, Immediate Sale. Salwan
lounge, Car Parking. Contact 9910034566/9810062871 SECTOR-15A NOIDA, Residential
Mob. 9811033883. Bungalow for sale,450sqm,North
East Facing,Club road, VIP Sec ,6
GREEN PARK Extn. 500/350/ Bedroom, Owner want Immediate
300 yds 2nd Floor Corner East fac- sale,7838871119
ing Excellent Loc. brand New, stilt
Lift Sept. gate for Parking Reputed
builder Best Price # 9811273367 INDEPENDENT HOUSES in REQUIRED FLOORS /Houses for GHAZIABAD
Navjeevan Vihar, Kailash colony, Self Users willing to pay higher than
GK-1, NEWLY Designer Floor, Area GK 1, South Ex 2, Gk 2. 300 to 500y. Market Rates for good locations. NOIDA RESI. Plots 450mtr N/E SECTOR-39 NOIDA, Brand new
500sqyd, First Floor, Park Facing, All owner deals with neat and Please call for personalized deals. on Highway Sector, 387mtr corner Kothi for Sale, 360sqm ,30mtr wide FUNCTIONAL INDUSTRIAL
Huge 4BR, All Italian Flooring, Sep
SOUTH CITY 1, Luxury Floor G-25, Sec-108 ,300 & 450mtr Sec-44, 47, Road,All Amenities,Lift, Modular Shed with 90KW Electricity, 35 ft
clean title. Suitable for Users. Puneet Bhogra 9810417610 GK1 300YDS, For Sale Brand New, 240yds stilt prkg.with separate
Car Parking with CC. Call 7838871114 FARM HOUSES / Farm Lands, 105, 108,93B, Industrial plot 450 to Kitchen,6 Bedroom,Near Metro, Height 3T. Crane 5500 sqft. Near
DLF Chattarpur, Sultanpur, GF, corner, @5Cr also safdarjung Driveway, Lift, Park in Back, 3rd & Mohan Nagar Metro & Hindon Air-
4Th Floor, Mandate deal # Indo 10000mtr.Raj Assotech 9871146434 Call 7838871119
enclave, 272yds, corner, TF+terr,
RENTED Radhey Mohan Drive, Gadaipur,
Ansal Satbari, Dera Mandi 1 bigha, East facing, @5cr for info Scottish 9990005817 SALE RESIDENTIAL Plots 300 IT/ CORPORATE Plots Sector-136,
port available for Sale. 9650702211
Call 9910000257
Indian overseas 3,45,000 1/2 acre & 1 acre # 9810229004 Mtr. Sector-44, 450/44, 300/92, 1000 & 2000 Mtr. 24 Mtr Road. INDUSTRIAL
RBL Bank 3,60,000 FARIDABAD 450/47, 300/47, 450/105, 300/105, and Building 2400M/Ph-II, 2100M/ PROPERTY
CWG VILLAGE Akshardham 450/108, 250/92, 450/93B, 300/93B 140, 4000M/135, 85, 3000M/80.
Vodafone 3,78,000 3/4 /5 BHK Sun/Garden Facing DLF 360 sqyd luxurious Builder FOR SALE Industrial Building 185
& More. Jain 9811322684 best deal. Jain 9811322684 RENTED-OUT SHED for sale,
Axis Bank 7,00,000 Best Location Reasonable Price.
Exclusive Mandate to Sell.
floor 4BHK, N/E, Green belt lift, stilt sq.yd. 3 story HSIIDC Ind. Estate, GR. NOIDA Buy/Sell-Plot, Kothi- 250 SQ mt kothi on 45 mt road one Plot Size 1650 mtr, Covered area
13000 sqft, RCC, rent income
Cinepolis 9,00,000 GREATER KAILASH 2 market DEFENCE COLONY 325 sq. Yd. Ajay Bhatia 9811319811
parking, Corner Servant room ready
to move @3.25cr onwards
Sec-31,Fbd.& 150 Sq.yd. Residential
Building at Indra Gandhi Colony,
Alpha Beta Gama Delta p3 Eta Sigma
Chi phi S.Nagri Nri City & sec-2 & 3
Time lease rent paid, simplex with
Full bsmt, Ground, Ist & 2nd Flr Add- 3.41 lac, @8.25 Cr, Company trf
resale / luxury builder floors avail-
PVR 10,00,000 Sale /Rent 1700 sq ft to 8000 Sq ft
Showroom/ office space. Excellent able for sale, 3 BHK, stilt parking. #9999973766 Faridabad # 9911166639, 42 Yamuna Exp-Sec-18&20 or ind. Rent C4 sec.- 49 Noida. Price 3.10 crore.# Contact #9999327596
& Sell # 9999004005, 9999555900 Owner Dr Anand at 8860008999
INOX 11,50,000 Location. Purri Realtors 9811015635 Contact 9811015635, 9810913153 B- 72 Paschimi Marg Vasant Vhr
1044 Double or Single Units Gr Flr
BEST VALUE Deal 1800Mtr factory
Warehouse 58,00,000 in Noida Phase-3, Nearest to Metro,
G.K-1 B-BLK Main Rd, Corner Plot
FARIDABAD
& B'ment, Seprate lift & driveway

ANAND AGGARWAL PROP.
9810327243, 9811257394
VASANT KUNJ (South Delhi)
LIG Flat For immediate Sale in N-7
Narmada D-6, Top Floor. Contact:
RKJ Properties: 9810038099.
REQUIRED HOUSE in Green
Park, Hauz Khas & SJE, Area 200 to
500sqyd, Ready Payment, Only
Seller Call 7838871114
BUNGALOWS & FLOORS
Amrita Shergil Marg
of 1000 Sq.Yds. The Best Built &
Most Beautiful Ground Flr For Sale.
N/E Facing, Vaastu Perfect, Plenty
of Car Parking # 9810806666
JORBAGH, 375 sq yds, Park facing
clear title Independent Bungalow for
immediate sale. Contact D. Salwan:
9910034566
SAFDURJUNG ENCL 4BHK 3rd +
Terr 3 car parking new @3.55, 3 BHK
@2.90, 300yds 3rd +Terr p/f stilt
@5.50 cr, Green park 311yds new
@4.55 Gurleen Singh 9953818769
VASANT VIHAR Floors 250/400/
600 yds brand new spacious 3/4
bedrooms D/D lounge, park facing,
Rich specifications, made by top bui-
VASANT KUNJ C 5, 276 sq yards,
South West facing well maintained
Furnished Duplex of Ground & First
Floor 5 bedroom D/D, Study & SQ.
Salwan : 9810062871/9810063191
SAFDARJUNG ENCL 300 yd
Duplex Ground+ Basement with excl.
Lift,4 B/R, DD, huge lounge, Modular
kitchen,top loc.Ready to shift,also TF
with terrace Sandeep 9266600627
VASANT KUNJ: B1 Duplex
Ground & First Floor 3 BHK
Excellent Location & D3 First
Floor 4BHK Ample Parking. Good
Location. Contact: 9810203614
HAUZ KHAS Enclave P-Block
540 Yds, Park View, 2 Years Old
Construction, B'ment+G.Flr Du-
plex 4 BHK, S.Qtr with Indepen-
UTTAR PRADESH
Prime Location, 24mtr wide road,
Suits Prof. Windchimes Construc- Immediate Sale Call #9999011114
tions 9810014771,9810019279.
OFFICE/SHOPS/
VASANT VIHAR – 400 – Park GODOWN
Facing - Third Floor with Terrace,
Rajesh 9810014771, Amrit OWNER SELLING Original Allotee
9810019279. Freehold DDA Shop 200 Sq Ft
Corner DDA Market Sarita Vihar
Prime Location Immediate Sale
SAFDARJUNG ENCLAVE: 5 year
old & well maintained 4bhk house # 9999353522 9350608899 Owner
with 4 bathrooms. Corner plot, Airy
& sunny, 3 side open & east facing.
Ground floor with lift & separate PROPERTY WANTED
gate for parking. Close to green belt
& market. Owner- 9560049853,
PROPERTY WANTED A Re-
9818290066 nowned Sector Skill Council working
under the Skill India Mission is
looking for a standalone built up
space of approx. 10000 to
12000sqft for setting up its Center
of Excellence in NCR preferably in
Noida / Gurugram. Space should
have adequate parking space for 20
vehicles and close to metro station.
Send your enquiries to: 7835027708
DEFENCE COLONY Kothi 325yd
Clear title/Freehold. Collaboration NORTH DELHI WEST DELHI

TO-LET
lder # Rahul KKaushik 9899215980 avail. in Jorbagh, Def.Col., GK etc.
dent Driveway. Call 9311394364 Apptts/Floors at very reasonable
Prithviraj Road HAUZ KHAS Encl / Greater Kailash prices. 9811560156, 9899820048
ROHINI- WE Provide & Ensure the
Best Offer & Rates for Your Plots in
APPROVED SHOWROOM /
Office building at 65,South Patel Ngr
Luxury floor, Bsmt + GF Duplex. Also LSC COMMERCIAL Ground Floor, Sectors-20 to 38. Direct Meetings on Mkt, Main Patel Rd, Nr Metro Stn,
Kasturba Gandhi Marg FF & Top Flr+T.Gdrn, 4 beds & 5 bath South Ext-1, D block Market, 2800
sq ft, 2 Entrances, Freehold. Ideal
SOUTH X2(250/500) TF/GF lift/ Commission Basis. Shri Radhey 67yds, builtup area allowed 3000 ft.
D/dining Lobby Kitchen, Sep Lift, stilt @4.0/7.0 Cr; GK1(250) Bas+GF (Since 1988) - # 9810118217. Rs. 2.65cr. Owner 9625244883
Ferozshah Road, Jor Bagh S.Qtr, driway 3 cars. # 9811654291 for banks/office/showroom @ 8.25.
lift/stilt@4.30; (208) TF @2.85; (250) SOUTH DELHI
SOUTH DELHI
Call : 9810688074
GF @ 3.25; CR Park(320) FF@4.0;
Golf Links, Malcha Marg COMMERCIAL DEF Col. 0pp
Mool- Chand, D-Blk, B.G,FF. 10 Cars
EOK(200) new@2.80 - 98188-88333
SARVODAYA ENCLAVE FF 3BR,
Toilets, DD, SQ, 2 Car Parking in
Kautailya Marg, Sunder Nagar Prkng. 360 yds, New-Corner. 2 Lifts,
Glass Frontage 100 ft. For office, Re- Stilt, Separate Gate, Builder Floor.
tail. Clinics. Jewellery : 9873622215 SAKET J-65 Basement 1700sq.ft. 300- 500 sq brnd new resi flr avlb ACs, Geysers, Inverter, Park Fac,
Westend Colony (Commercial) fully furnished with
cabins, A/c, pantry, washroom,
on Lease Gulmohar pk Defence. col-
ony, GK, also comm. kailash colony
Lift, Quiet location. #9560193091

Shanti Niketan, Vasant Vihar SAFDARJUNG ENCLAVE
Livable House For Sale Basement /
Panchsheel Park Ground/ First / Second Floor Plot
Area 300 Yds. Contact : S. Kumar -
Friends Colony (East) 98110-31558, Desraj 98110-72035
LOOKING FOR Collaborations/Sale
Niti Bagh, Anand Lok
Defence Colony
Greater Kailash - I, II
Arjun Kohli VASANT VHR, Anand Niketan1000
/800/600yd TF+T, Shanti Niketan,
Westend 1200 F.Flr, Kothi Vasant
9810093636 Vihar Anand/Shanti Niketan 400yd
reasonable price. Tara 9899755500
MAHARANI BAGH 200 Sq Yds,
Independent Old House for Sale,
Park facing, Excellent location, clear
title. Serious buyers please call:
Prashant 7982146106, 9810073183
GREATER KAILASH Encl 217yd
First Floor, D/D, 3Bedrooms, Still
Parking, Lift well Maintained Few
years old Excellent Location. Grover
Associates 9810173911, 26511118
OKHLA-II 1250Y 3sty f'hold 10.50
Okhla-I 600y 4 story 80'wide rd 7.25
E-28, ANAND Niketan, 3bedroom
in South Delhi for Reputed Builder &
Outright Purchase Immediately.
Rohit 9811072455, 9811655886
VASANT VIHAR – 400 – East
Facing - Confirm Bunglow Rajesh
9810014771, Amrit 9810019279.
EOK 250YD 4BHK each Flr 2nd &
GREATER KAILASH 300Yds
top flr+terr.Gdn.4beds d/d lounge
qtr. separate parking lift East/
Park facing 7 star const. CC ready
Pavneet9811036030,9999926224
GK 3, Park Facing Flrs booking,
217 yds First & Second Flr. GK 1,
corner & park facing 208 yds
Booking, Bsmnt + Ground & First
Flr.. Sumit #9810086833
PANCHSHEEL GF Park fac 3 BR @
FRESH LEASE
Drawing & Dining, 200 SqYd, First &
Second Floor Possession 15th April
2021. Hemender Sharma 9811078311
3rd Flr+Terr North Facing & Vastu
perfect Next to Park 2car prkg for
each Flr Price on Request & Many
options. Vivek Batra 9818927892
5.20; South Ex-II 3rd Flr+Tr 4 BR @4;
Hauz Khas 3rd Flr+Tr 4 BR @5.10;
Hauz Khas Enc 500y FF @5.90. #
PLOTS & Builder Floors Available /
Wanted 40 to 400 Sq. Yards in
Pitampura / Shalimar Bagh / Ashok
Vihar. Cont.: shopnhomes.com
9811978870 / 9350090500.
TDI CITY/ Ansal City / Jindal City /
Mapsko /Omaxe /eldeco city, kundli
/ Rai Industrial area. buy/ sell/ rent
plot/ appt/ factories/ godown.
Trident Properties 9999404127.
BISHT PROPERTIES Pvt. Ltd.
(Since 1980) Managed by Retd. Govt.
officer. Sale, Purchase, Rent & Colla
boration. All Sectors in Rohini.98111-
34984, 9650045100, 9999784468
ROHINI, SECTOR-26, Sale and
JANAKPURI, 375 yds, Upper gro-
und floor, corner, 3 side open, park
fac, independent 4 inside car park-
ing, Exclusive deal, f'hold imm. sale
Surjeet 9811035422,9999456789
PUNJABI BAGH West, Plot Area
280 sq.yards, East Facing Double
Storey House on road no. 62,
immediate sale. D. Salwan :
9910034566
URGENT SALE 48 Bhera Enclave
300 sq.yds, Corner, 2nd floor, 4BHK,
Lift, Furnish @ 4 Cr. Also Basement
Club Road 9 No. 1000 sq.ft @ 2.25
Cr. # Deep Properties 9810444293
AVBL FOR GF sale on Main Road
parking etc. avalb on lease Contact:
9818860436.
RENT: G.K.-I 208 Sq.Yds. 3BHK
Apartment on 3rd Floor @ 65000/-
& G.K.-I 500 Sq.Ft. Ground Floor
Fully Furnished Residential Office
@ 35000/-. Owner 9899315513.
E- BLOCK East of Kailash First Floor
3bed DD, park facing. Contact
9810044402
KALKAJI 250 Yards Fully
Furnished, 3BHK 1st Flr and 2BHK
2nd Flr, Power backup, Lavish
Interior with car parking, Security.
Prefer Company Lease 9811155195.
JASOLA BAANI Comm Office 2245
Sft, Fully Furn, East fac, Cent AC, 26
W/S, 2 Conf Room, Cabin, 2 Toilet,
Power Bk-up, 6 Lift, Parking, Secur-
ity, Near Metro. Owner 9810040681
GK2 G+BSMT 3Bd+1study servant
quarter 3250 sqft separate parking
3 cars. Ist flr fully furnished 3BHK
# 8826700444
FOR RENT Renovated 3 Bed Room
Set & Studio flat near Huaz Khas
mkt, Metro Station Contact:-
9350538730, 9625379116
MOHAN CO-OP Ind Estate Space
main road 1500-2500 sq. ft contact
Khanna Associates.9811116363
SAFDARJUNG ENCLVE. B4/67
one Bed room/balcony, attached
Bath, kitchen, 1st floor. annexy.
facing east & park Bachelor only...
Contact: 9315793088, 01126108132.
A2/6, VASANT Vihar, New Delhi
basement, GF, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor,
2 Kitchen, 2 Dining Hall, 9 Rooms,
detach bathroom. Contact:-
9971300139, 9971859607.
PANCHSHEEL ENCLAVE,
Basement Avail For Rent, Area 1800
Sqft, Natural Light & Vent, Suits
Professionals, CA, Lawyer office,
Doctor,Contact: Owner:9810078626.
MULTI NATIONAL Company/
Embassy Requires Flats/ Houses/
Bungalows/Farm Houses in South
Delhi # Anil Makhijani 9811047035/
Kajal 9811647035 / 29835250
ISHWAR NAGAR available for
Rent 1800sqft 3BHK with SQ,
2nd Floor, Peaceful Location,
Well Maintained, Gated colony,
Contact: 9810011698
HAUZ KHAS Prime Location
SARVODAYA ENCLAVE GF &
2nd Floor, 300 Sqyd each, 3 Bedro-
om, Drawing / Dining, Servant room.
Car parking. Excellent Location.
Owner # 9999371425, 9811077105
COMMERCIAL C-42, DDA Sheds
Okhla Phase-I, Brand New Modern
Building with Lift, Glass Facade, 2nd
Floor 1250 Sq.Ft., Near Crown Plaza
Hotel. Contact: 7042633224.
GREEN PARK, Basement (behind
Market), 900 Sq. Ft Carpet Area,
Suits Professionals, Fashion Desig-
ners, Consultants, Online Business,
Affordable Rent. # 9810992211
ONE BEDROOM Set - bath &
kitchen, annex block, furnished,
Fridge, AC in Gulmohar Park
available for Rent @ 18K. Contact
9810163974
NEWLY BUILT 3rd Floor, Friends
colony West, 4 BR, Att Baths, Italian
Flooring, Daikin ACs, Mod. Kitchen,
P'backup, Pressure Pumping Water
System etc. Owner:- 9810035127
BHIKAJI CAMA Place, Madam
Bhikaji Bhawan, 5th flr. 1460 sq.ft,
2 cabins, 1 Conf. room, 12 w/stns,
2 bath, Pantry, Good access to Hyatt,
Airport, Metro & CP. # 9811015080

Okhla-I 375y 5 storey lift 200'rd 8.50

wntd rented factory any size in okhla
Bahlsons: 9810017982, 9810364472
NEW FRIENDS Colony 500y Gr+
Basmt duplex 4 B/R 6 cr, FF 4 B/R 5
cr, 300 yd FF 4 B/R 3.75 cr, Friends
Col. 500 FF 4.50, Kalindi 400 FF new
4 B/R 5cr. Sandeep 8851220707
SALE / GK-1 1000yd. 5 bedr, Gf & 1st
flr gd location brand new Reason-
able price new Kailash clny, 500yd.
4bedr, 2nd flr New Loctd 4CRprkng
S.Delhi-20 # P.Gupta 7827723906
FARM HOUSE / Land Live it up
with Luxury Vasant Kunj,
Chattarpur, Dera Mandi, 1 Bigha to
2.5 acres @7cr onwards
CFW 870-0387212
SIGNATURE RV Homes 9953101010, 9811227622
Purchase, Plots / Floors. All Sizes.
Area 2400 SQ FT APPX. Adjoinee
HDFC Bank C-3 Block Janakpuri avail for rent Approx 6000sqft at
G. Floor & Approx 6000 sqft at
A-Grade, 3rd Floor, 3000 sq.ft
Commercial Office Space for Rent
HAUZ KHAS Excellent located
well lighted 2 room independent,
TOWER Rahul Properties 9350483000. Suitable for Bank/MNC Very Prime
Location Contact: 9999768808 Basement Suitable for industry,
office & storage Owner 9811097822 ,
with Lifts, 100% Power backup.
Contact Owner : 9871724610
2nd floor (barsati) attached bath
kitchen, Store Open Terrace with ac
AREA : 5000 SQ. FT. LOCATION ROSHAN ARA Rd Delhi-7. Free 0LD RAJINDER Ngr, 88yds free- 7011402340. fitted .Contact Owner:-7982684176
RENT : 97 PSF NH-8 Hold Property. 1885 SqYd. 138 Ft
Front. 2 Side Open. Part Commer- hold Building 15 Rooms attach Bath NEW FRIENDS Coly Fully Furn. In-
TWO SIDE CORNER & ENTRANCE Suitable for Rental income. Also 3rd OKHLA PHASE-2, 1000sqft, HAUZ KHAS D-Block, Lower G.Flr
cial. Occupied by old tenants. dependent Room with Atch Kitchen,
BEST ROI IN MARKET Owner: 9810373912, 9953743533 Floor with roof, main Salwan school 2nd Floor, Corner, Ample Parking, Toilet & Terrace. Suitable Single without Stilt on Rent, Wide Road,
BROKER’S WELCOME Marg Sabharwal 9811047417 Independent Entrance, available for Working Executive. Owner 99107- Carpet Area 1800 Sq Ft, 2 Hall, 4
SALE FREEHOLD 4 BHK DDA Flat Washrooms, Pantry. Suits Professio-
9015555511
Rent, Contact: Owner 9810011698 04290, 9810496675, 011-40153129.
OWNER FARMS CHATARPUR, Radhey (Gated Society) in Rohini Sector-8 nals. Verma 9811981130,9711981130
Mohan drive & Dera Bhati Main Ground floor semi-furnished corner
Road 5 BHK + Pool Sanctioned Plan 3 side open. Owner going Contact
ANSAL TOWER, Nehru Place 500 E-349, EAST of Kailash Park facing
sq.ft . Furnished Office with Work
Rent & Sale. 9811072455, early Ph: 9953408791. 125 Yds Third floor with Terrace
Stations for Rent. Call / Whatsapp 3 Beds att. toilet Drawing/Dinning
9811655886
FOR SALE, 3 BHK (New) Builder Ashok Chandhok 9899397045 with Lift, S.Qtr, 1 stilt car parking.
Floors, FF, SF, TF, Corner, North 9315130939. Varun Dhawan 9811565632
FARM HOUSE: 1 Acre, 2.5, 5 & Facing, 220 sqyd, in Tagore Park,
Above.1000,2000Yds at Westend Model Town, Delhi @ 2.75 Cr. SALE FURNISHED Flats at Rajouri ANAND NIKETAN First Floor APPROVED SHOWROOM/ Off-
Green, Vasant Kunj, Sultanpur, Brokers Excuse, Call: 9818075150 Garden J-Block Near Nehru Market Two Bedrooms Attached Baths, ice Space Prop No. 68 Adchini, Sri
DLF Chattarpur, Dera Mandi. 3BHK on 2nd Floor @95 Lacs & 1BHK VASANT VIHAR & around 2,3,4 BR Drawing Dining, Kitchen and Aurbindo Marg, Main Road, Near IIT
Ravi Bhatnagar: 9810081507. on 3rd Floor @ 35Lacs. Call floors, Independent Houses, Build- Also Second Floor 3 Bedrooms crossing, Upper Ground Floor, 550ft.
WEST DELHI 9811046295, 7838733463 ings suits all. Comml Properties also Call: Dogra 9811087358 Rs.45000/- Owner 9891483481
available. Syal Prop. 9811130012,
JOR BAGH 615 Yds Park JANAKPURI SELLING: 150 & KIRTI NGR 3BHK 170 yd Delux Flrs: 7982907869, dksyal @gmail.com TAJ APT. Ring Road, Near Safdur- N-18A GREEN Park Extn. 2 BHK,
Facing Ground & Basement Floor
325 Sq.Yds. Old Floor with Lift & Upper Ground Floor @1.80cr (Fully jung Hospital. Approx. 1800 sq.ft. 1 BHK furnished, semi furnished
for Sale Also 375 Yds Park
Facing Floors Available. Rohan Parking, 225 Sq.Yds. New Floor, Also Furnished) Ample Prkg/ Lift/Vastu FOR RENT 75 Uday Park, LGF, 3 Ground Floor for Office/Co. Guest near AIIMS, S.J. Hospital, Metro
Kothis Available. Please Contact Perfect Also Bsmt Hall (11ft Height) BHK, D/D, 3 Toilet, Prime Location, House with ample parking. Reason- walking distance, Security at gate
Sabharwal 9873333207
Chandan Bhardwaj 9810083499. @1cr. No Bargain Call 9810053533 Car Parking, Contact: 9810343103. able Rent. Sachdev 9811070908. for lease. Contact: 9811344557
New Delhi, Sunday, February 14, 2021
TO-LET
SOUTH DELHI
OFFICE CABINS. A/C fully furnish- MORI GATE, Ram Bazar, 3584, first
ed @20K PM incl. (Tea/coffee, Inter-
net, Elect.),Okhla Main Road. Adjoin-
ing NSIC Metro Stn., Capt.Gaur Marg.
Brokers welcome. # 9899966622.
A-55 VASANT VIHAR,
VASANT MARG.
1040 Sq. Yard Plot.
First Flr, D/D, Lounge
5 Bedrooms, S/Qtr,
With AC, LIFT. Two
Parking in Driveway.
Separate Power back
up. Available from
1st March.
Mobile- 9810095151
PANCHSHEEL ENCLAVE Indpt.
House 3 Levels, Newly Renovated, 5
BR, 5Bath, 3 Car parking, 2 S.Qs.
Ideal for MNC, Ltd Cos., Embassies &
Co. Guest house. # 9811015080
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
INDUSTRIAL PLOTS /Sheds
/Buildings/ Warehouses in Udyog
Vhr/Ggn/ Manesar/Sec-33/34/ 37
Pace City-I&II / Bilaspur/ Patodi/
Farukngr/Bawal: 98-118-118-80
GURUGRAM
WAREHOUSE/ CLOUD Kitchen
space for Lease, 1500-5000 sq.ft. on
Old Delhi Road, Near Udyog Vihar,
Gurugram. Contact- 9821694666
9BEDROOM, SEMI Furnished
Indep. House + 2000Sq.ft. basement
located at Prime Loc. at 32 Sukhchain
Marg,DLF Ph-1, Gurugram. Rent of @
2.5 Lacs/ month, negotiable. Contact
: 9820079044 / 9820483803
AVAILABLE SHOWROOM for
rent Ground and Basement in Sector
4, Huda Market, Gurgaon. Call
Owner 9815265252
FOR RENT Fully Furnished 4 B/Rs,
4Bath, 2195.15 sq.ft Flat, 11th Floor,
Servant Qtr, Car Parkg, Vipul Green,
Sec-48, Gurgaon. # 9871428477,
9810407121. Direct Owner
2511 SQFT 1st floor space fully
furnished independent unit avail-
able for rent at BPTP Park Centra
Gurgaon Contact 9811200919.
FARIDABAD
OMAXE FOREST SPA 4,tulip tower
sec43, 3200sqft,4BHK attach bath+
S'vent, 3balcony, 85k rent suits, co.
lease, MNC,Bank,govt lease# 931123
5586, shaanestate1995@gmail.com
NORTH DELHI
PITAMPURA RANIBAGH 4000
sq ft Commercial Space ground floor SEC 15-A Kothis and SDF 3BR + Sqtr,
partially also available, suitale for
Bank's Insurance Co., Showroom &
Mnc's etc.#9210027962,9810582924
PRIME LOCATION Show Room +
WC. Main Road Chandni Chowk,
Ground Floor 410 Sq.Ft. Opposite
Sis Ganj Gurudwara, Rent @ 3Lakhs.
Mob : 8826855558
NORTH DELHI
Floor, 600 Sq. Ft. Commercial space
for Rent, Attached Toilet. Suitable
for Business of Auto Parts etc. Cont.
Agarwal # 8459172015, 9810497105
CHANDRAWAL MAIN Rd, near
Kohlapur Rd/Kamla Nagar, Delhi-7,
3x1000 sqft each Floor. Ideal for
Educational Coaching Inst, Boutique,
Gym etc. owner 9810373912
EXCELLENT 3 side corner HIG
Flat FF. 3 BHK DD+2 washroom,
balcony. A 3, Sect. 9 plot no. 6
New India Apart. available rent
for lease min. 2 Yrs. Rohini Delhi.
Pahwa .9810226075
EAST DELHI
FOR RENT Commercial Space 550sq
foot covered area 1st Floor, Road
Facing,east facing CSC 1 DDA Market
I P. Extension Patparganj, Delhi-
110092 #9811104930, 8851563274
FOR RENT Mayur Vihar-1,2,3,4 Bed
D/D attached bathroom in DDA
and Society. Brokers excuse.
Sachar Retd. Engr. 9212113427
WEST DELHI
SPACE AVAILABLE on Rent Prime
Location Commercial Space in Kirti
Nagr. 1500 SQ. Ft. each Flr. Suits:
Office/Warehouse/Factory/Banks.
Cont: 9810299994, 9910299994.
AVAILABLE ON Lease For Banks
Only 1880 Sq. ft. Main Road Ground
Floor East Punjabi Bagh Contact
9811095215.
TOLET, 2 roomset, 1 roomset, 2BHK,
A2/144 Janak puri, Rent 18k, 9k,32k,
1×600, 2×1800, 2800sqft.
9899576109, 8130137647
COMM. SPACE. Avail. for Rent/
sale. Adj. Pusa Road/ Rajinder Nagar
Ground floor /1st Floor, Area Approx
5000 sq.ft each. Ample Parking, lift.
Cont: Kapur Properties 9811094229.
COMMERCIAL JANAKPURI
D- Block Bus Stop Nangal Raya
main Pankha road. 3 side open, 3rd
floor 2000 Sq.Ft, available on rent.
Contact: 9899005227.
FACTORY / Godown/Offices/ Ware-
house Indl/Coml Naraina, MayaPuri,
Kirti Ngr,Rama Rd, Najafgarh Rd etc.
reqd plots for builders DLF-I, II, III
/S.Lok I&II # 98100-06330
NEWLY CONSTRUCTED Building
Space Ground Floor, Area 2400 sq.ft
(1200+1200) at Cottage no-25, Main
Market, West Patel Nagar for Bank/
MNC. # 9811128295, 9818828769
CENTRAL DELHI
2300 SQ ft approved comm 2nd flr
avail for lease, pillar less hall on
D.B. Gupta Road, chowk Pahar Ganj,
N.Delhi-55 exellent location & Suit-
able for Banks, NBFC, Ltd cos., Back
Offices or Insurance Co. Contact
9999253333 (Brokers welcome)
56 JANPATH, FF, Above YES Bank,
Front Facing, 1,100 sqft & 3,200 sqft
two separate offices, Furnished,
Power Back Up, Owner 98101-33696
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
Immediately available. Prime sector
with all amenities. Many options in
other sectors. For best call
@ 9810152466
PG & Rooms for women opposite
botanical metro station Sector 37
Noida. Contact 8860008999
SHOP/OFFICE RENT
GK-2, MAIN Savitri Cinema Road,
1500 ft. tastefully Semi-Furnished
space on Ground Floor, Front
Entrance, for Professional use.
Owner Mr. Kohli 9811155195.
TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→
ACADEMIC ACADEMIC
EMPLOYMENT
ACADEMIC
Walk –in-interviews at
Queen's Carmel School
(An Exclusive School Only for Girls)
(Air conditioned & E-Enabled School)
HS-05, Pocket-D, Beta-1, Greater Noida, U.P.
Proposed Senior Secondary School (CBSE pattern)
Under the Management of Carmel Education Society (Regd.)
TELE. – 0120 – 4225050, 0120 - 4225090
Of experienced FEMALE candidat es with excellent academic recor d
for the following posts :
1.Headmistress : Pre requisites: (I) Trained Post -graduate with good
academic record, (ii) Minimum 08 years of teaching as PGT including
3 years in administrative capacity in a Public School.
2. Primary Teacher(s) : (All subjects): Hons.Graduate , Trained from
recognized Institution.
3.Nursery Teacher(s ): Graduate , trained from recognized Institution.
Age as per Rules.
Salary : Selected candidate(s) will be offered an attractive package
commensurating with qualifications and experience.
Candidates qualifying through distance education need not come.
Interested candidate(s) who can join immediately should come for
interview along with original testimonials, certificates and latest
photographs as per the following schedule on Saturday , the 20 February
th
, 2021
11.00 a.m. - Primary and Nursery Teachers
1.00 p.m. - Headmistress
REQD. TRAINED Exp. Female
PGT-Maths. TGT-Science, English,
S.St. PET & PRT. Cont personally b/w
9-11 am: N.S. Public School, E-3B,
Sec-26, Noida Em: nsps26@yahoo.in
ACCOUNTS/FINANCE
REQD. SR. Accountant 15 yrs
exp.Busy Software, GST, Income Tax,
Balance Sheet Preparation,Salary 40-
50 K, Pref East Delhi & Paper industry
(incentive will provided). 9811673810,
Email: pulkit.jain51999@gmail.com
URGENTLY REQUIRE
Accountant for GST+Tally, Walk-In
Interview 209 Vardhman Plaza
LSC Ghazipur Delhi 92. email:
info@sdcconsultings.com
JAI PRAKASH Singh & Associates -
CA, CA INT, CS, ICWA, LLB GST/ Tally/
Startup Accountants, Articles/ Stud.
X- M.Com., 9555110424, Gurugram,
jaiprakashsingh1959@yahoo.com
SALES & MARKETING
REQ. PGT: Eng.,Maths,Physical Edu. PGT History, Pol Sci,Eng,Maths,Phy,
TGT & PRT all subjects & Academic Comp. Sci. TGT-Maths,Eng,Hindi, Sci,
Incharge. Vanasthali Public School , Sst,Snskrt, Asst Tchrs, Spl Educator. REQD. TELECALLER with Good
Mayur vhr Ph-3,Delhi-96,011-42316- G.D. Lancer's Pub School, R3/A3, typing speed. Walk-in 3-6 pm, Media
717, 22622934, info@vpsphase3.com Sainik Enclave, Mohan Garden Nr. Today P. Ltd, J-73, Paryavaran Com-
Gandhi chowk 9899304209/4210
plex, IGNOU Rd, Neb Sarai. South
Delhi pref. Sal 9K # 9899380104.
REAL ESTATE Company in Rohini
Req. Sales & Marketing staff,
Tele callers, experienced, good
communication, talented. Good
salary package. RK- 9810118217
REQD EXPD Sales Person for
Industrial Electrical/Electronic Item.
Nutronics India: A-72 Mangolpuri
Industrial Area Ph-2 ND # (Interview
after lunch) 9871090354, 41543666
REQUIRED SALESMEN fresh &
experienced for Wintex tissues in
Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad.
Cont 144 Sant Nagar,East of Kailash,
New Delhi-65 or call 9810044402
1800 103 1800 OR
{Sunday}
SALES & MARKETING
REQD. DELHI based Sales
Executive and Field Staff for Project
Sales with Bike and knowledge
of Local Routes & Big EPCs for a
Reputed Timber Co. Contact
9311156003, E-mail:-
himanshu@chaudharytimber.in
REQD. SALES Girls/ boy Exp./
Fresher for Boutique showroom in
C.P Near Rajive chowk, Metro Gate
No-3, Also req full time social media
handling person # 9810123361,
9811123361
MEDICAL
WANTED OT, X-RAY, TMT,
Technicians , Hospital Caretaker,
RMO For General Duty. For East
Delhi Hospital. Contact Dr Saxena.
9810811678.
REQUIRED PHYSIOTHERA-
PIST for a Charitable Dispensary at For official work. Language knowl-
Kailash Nagar, Gali No. 11 from 9am
to 1pm daily (Sunday Closed).
Contact on Mob : 8800277373
E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161
fcdkÅ gS
Govt Certified
DESHWAL ORGANIC
d`f”k QkeZ 40 lky iqjkuk
20 ch?kk tehu esu jksM ij
tsoj ,;jiksVZ ls ek= 30 feuV dh nwjh ij
9871580131
WWW.DESHWALORGANIC.COM
ADMINISTRATION/ STENO−TYPIST/
MEDICAL SECRETARIAL OFFICE ASST
REQD. FEMALE Personal Secretary, OFFICE ASSISTANT Female
fluent in English,pleasing personality, Min. 5 yrs of exp. , good English &
Broad Minded, below 30,part time job good service record for office in
also good salary.freshers may South Delhi. Contact 9811331144
apply,wapp-8448012376,9311838005 Email : bhaibalbir@gmail.com
Walk –in-interviews at
Queen's Carmel School
(An Exclusive School Only for Girls)
(Air conditioned & E-Enabled School)
HS-05, Pocket-D, Beta-1, Greater Noida, U.P.
Proposed Senior Secondary School (CBSE pattern)
Under the Management of Carmel Education Society (Regd.)
TELE. – 0120 – 4225050, 0120 - 42425090
Of experienced candidates for the following posts :
1. Admn.Officer : Recently retired senior Govt. Officer, with
proficiency in computers and rich administrative experience.
Should be capable to take independent charge of office and liaison
with concerned Govt. Departments.
2. Asstt. Accounts Officer: Recently retired Govt. Officer, with
experience of writing accounts books, keeping financial records,
preparing Balance sheets etc. He should be capable to handle
accounts branch independently.
3. Accounts Asstt. : M.Com/B.Com/ Inter CA/MBA : preferably with
3 years experience.
4. Front office Executives : MBA/MCA /Hons . Graduates having
pleasing personality , fluency in English and computer literate
5. Estate / Housekeeping Supervisor : Graduate , Degree /
Diploma in Hospitality with at least 8 years experience in a large
hospitality organisation .
Salary : Selected candidate(s) will be offered an attractive package
commensurating with qualification and experience.
Interested candidate(s) who can join immediately should come for
interview along with original testimonials, certificates and latest
photographs at 11:00 a.m. on Friday , theth 19 February , 2021
th
ENGINEER/ ENGINEER/
PROD/TECHNICAL PROD/TECHNICAL
REQ. PURCHASER, Safety Engr,
REQUIRED ENGINEER with
Min 4-5 Yrs. Exp in Steel Tank Acc. Asst. for in Bldng Works, exp.
Fabrication, welding in Faridabad. handle proj. indp in Delhi. Cont:
# Contact: 0129-4045901 E-108, LGF, G.K.Enc-I, ND-48
8750055210. Email: info@anergy.in # 011-26242723, info@confoss.com
AN ISO 9001 Certified Co.req Female
NASA PATHOLOGY, D-11/150, candidate having Dip/Eng in Inst./
Sector-8, opposite Metro Pillar Elec./Mech for office job. Walk-in on
no.390, Rohini, Delhi Requires Lab 15 & 20 Feb'21 at- F 61 Okhla Indl
Technician. Contact Personally Area Ph-I bet. 2-5 pm # 9873001323
between 1 Pm to 5 Pm
REQ PERMANENT only Female REQUIRED FOR conveyors, trommel
screen, compost plant, RDF plant,
Graduate Nurse, below 30years Biomining plant Exp. fitters, erection
For Home Care of Young Lady.
supervisor, welders.# 9810014957,
Best Salary # 9911227796 Email: Email :- precesion@gmail.com
thukralhome@yahoo.com
REQUIRED STAFF Female Nurse
for a Polyclinic in Greater Noida EXPORT HOUSE JOBS
West for day shift only & Required
Doctors ENT & Dermat for regular HOME FURNISHINGS Required
OPDs call:- 9871632207, 9717972207 Experienced Designer for a Export
House with works in Noida & South
CALL CENTER JOBS Delhi. Malika # 9811155195, Send CV:
malikaint@gmail.com
URGENT REQUIRED Female staff HARPAR GROUP, A leading
Textile co. Req Merchandiser.
edge Kannad, Telugu, Assamese & Walk-In 11-2.30pm at A-234, Okhla
Malaylam. good salary + incentive Industrial Area-I, New Delhi-20,
contect- 9315534113 Ph: 011-42444444, 66777777
New Delhi, Sunday, February 14, 2021
EMPLOYMENT
EXPORT HOUSE JOBS
REQD. COMPUTER Operator for
Engineering Export Co. with min. 3
yrs exp. # Alok Int'l Pvt. Ltd., Udyog
Vihar, Ph-IV, Gurgaon, Ph: 0124-422-
7095 Email CV: jobs@aloktools.com
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
URGENTLY REQUIRED Personal
Assistant (Female) Fluent English
Fresher Also Apply Attractive Salary
Call- Anurag 9899142515
EXPERIENCED FEMALE Off.
Assist. cum Computer Optr, Tele.Optr.
Acct. Assist. Field Excu. Sigma Diag.
18-19 DDA Mkt. Pitampura Opp. Metro
Piller No.365. # 9999777329
WE AT Swift Packers & Movers Pvt
Ltd are looking for a Male Executive
with own conveyance Starting Sal.
20,000/- photograph at: admin@
swiftpackersandmovers.co.in
ASST. MGR comm. 4-5yrs exp, good
comm skills in written & spoken Eng.
Walkin 3-6pm Media Today Grp, J-73,
Paryavran Cmplx, IGNOU Road, Neb
Sarai, Sal 18K-20K # 9899380104.
REQD. IMDTLY Exp Store
Managers (Civil) for projects at
Hodal and Badli (Har). Cont
36servicespl@gmail.com/
9711309410
REQ SMART & educated caretaker
a couple upto 35yr for a couple
aged 68yrs. Good salary and
accommodation, Pitampura.
# Gupta 8287415512
REQ WELL groomed female
Graduate Assistant below 30yr
for Delhi respectable family home
Care. Best Salary # 9911227791
Whatsapp 9354040511
REQD. ACCOUNTS Trainees,
Computer Operator, Receptionist,
Office Assistant, PA for CA Firm in S.
Delhi # 011-46593786, 9868520786,
Email: vivek.khurana@icai.org
SADAR24.COM REQS female
office staff with Advance Excel skills
& Experienced male sales executive
for e-commerce on-boarding. Cont:
9310674669, jobsmsn24@gmail.com
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
MATRIMONIAL AGENCY in
West Delhi Req. only Female
Relationship/ Asst. Manager, Tele-
callers, Peon. Salary +Incentive
# 8595716983, 7982832266.
DELNET INVITES applications for
the post of Assistant Software
Programmer. MCA Candidates with
minimum 3 years working experi-
ence and with good knowledge of
Java Scipt, Net Basic, SQL Server,
HTML Bootstrap and Open Source
Technologies (LAMP), VuFind, Koha,
Dspace, etc. may apply immediately
to Director, DELNET, JNU Campus,
Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant
Kunj, New Delhi-110070. Email :
delnetjobs@gmail.com Salary as
per qualifications & experience.
HOTEL/RESTAURANT
REQD. PASTRY commies 4 nos /
senior barista 2 nos / bakery chef 2
nos & bakery helpers 4 nos walk in:
B-92, G.T. Karnal Road, Ind. Area,
Nr. Arya Bhatt Polytechnic # 98113-
65631, thecrustboyz@gmail.com
ARCHITECT
URGENTLY REQD. Exp. Structural
Engineer (Staad), Architect, Drafts-
man, Receptionist. Cont: Shukla,
C-55, Sec-10, Noida # 9811142911,
shuklapromoters@gmail.com
REQUIRED ARCHITECTURAL
Assistant 5 Years Experience, South
Delhi Preferred. Call SK Sareen
9811078300, 9911079300. Email:
sksareen1948@gmail.com
PART TIME JOB
URG REQD efficient Part /Full Time
professionals Age-30-70. Retd/Ex-
Bankers/Ex-Rail/Ex-Govt service/
VRS/Housewife/Businessman. Sal-
ary+Incentive+PF # 8178925546
REQUIRED PART Time/Full time
MNC in Delhi Need Retired persons ,
Self employed , House Wife ,are
allowed , High Income & Inctv,
Contact : 9999106532
EXCELLENT PART /full-time
opportunity in an MNC based in
Noida. Housewives and retired
persons preferred for details,
contact - 9818841859
COMPUTER/IT
WANTED FEMALE Good looking
Computer opt. Office at Karol Bagh.
Exp 3yr age max 26yr.Graduate
Must hv good English. Salary 15k to
18k Em: kldelhi@kedialogistic.com
M: 7982921692
DESIGNERS
REQUIRED GRAPHIC Designer
for Apple Mac knowing Photoshop,
Illustration, InDesign with good
command over English & Hindi.
Email:- kam@kamstudio.net
COMPUTER
OPERATOR
REQUIRES MALE /Female DTP
Operators Expert in Corel &
Photoshop for Reputed advt agency
in East Delhi. Attractive Salary
Contact: 9810604740, 9650208245
WANTED EXPERIENCE.
Computer Operator Having Good
Knowledge of English and Comme-
rce Background. Apply with Biodata:
sodhiprakashmww@gmail.com
BUSINESS
BUSINESS OFFER
LOOKING PARTNER For running
Business since1972.mfg.all coil &
wire forming springs from CNC
Machines in Fbd own Ind. Buld.
Invest 50Lakh -1cr. 9911166639,42
FULLY OPERATIONAL
Namkeens & Chips plant and
factory on sale / lease at Delhi NCR
contact 9871129289.
LOAN/FINANCE
DO U have the potential to Perform?
But due to Financial Mess, your
account is heading or already NPA/
Auction notice received etc and
pending issues to be taken up with
Ombudsman from/against any
bank/NBFC. For Result oriented,
best final settlements and
rescheduling claims - Consultation
available from veteran merit holder
Ex-DyVP, HDFC Bank . 9953074528/
1stconsultantinos@gmail.com
UNSECURE BUSINESS loan
from NBFC @ 2% pm for loan above
20L & 2.5% pm for loan below 20L.
Sanction. Contact : 8851766605
SERVICES
ASTROLOGY
NADI ASTROLOGY Guruji-B. Raju,
Services in Delhi from last 20 years.
Give your Thumb impression and
know your total life future. Contact:
9968508239, 011-29817280
MATRIMONIALS
G R O O M S WA N T E D
AGARWAL
GARG, 10.11.90,(10:20AM)
Hisar, very fair, 5'5", MBA (XLRI,
Jamshedpur) 20 Lpa (Aditya Birla
Group) Highly Edu & B'ness fmly.
call/Wsp profile & photo: 9354323752
PQM4 SLIM fair b'ful 25/5'4" Bisa
Aggarwal girl MS (Elec) wrkg US
big5 compny H1B Family hi'ly
edutd/ status Delhi # 9811083259
Email: sgoyanka098@gmail.com
PQM4 GARG slim girl Aug89 5'5"
MBA wkg Gurgaon Mgr Large
Corporate. Highly edu fmly Father
retd top mgt. call/wsp profile &
photo: 8375882754
SUITABLE MATCH for Vaish/
Agarwal Indian smart well qualified
in computer from the US, 23 years
old, 5’-3” Tall, very fair, slim girl
from a highly respectable family.
Boy must be qualified and in a very
good job or business preferably
outside India."Cont - 9899061374
BISA AGARWAL
RASTOGI, 05.07.86, 5'0", MBA,
working in MNC, 15 lakhs, Delhi
based family, Seeks veg, well-edu-
cated boy working in Delhi NCR.
Contact- 9650890600, 9650878690
SM 4 Unmarried Delhite Singhal
40/5'3" Slim Looks Very Young MA
Spanish Dip. Looking Well Educated
Boy Delhi/ NCR Divorcee- Excuse
Email: artidarsh2690@gmail.com
PQM 4 26/162cm/NM, Fair, Slim,
Beautiful, Mangla Gotra, B.Tech,
Wkg MNC GGN,15 LPA, Father
Associate Professor in PG College
under Haryana Govt. Email:
jps_0329@rediffmail.com
BRAHMIN
GOUR BRAHMIN Manglik Girl
2.4.87 / 8.07 PM Del / 5'3" Antya, BA
(DU), MCA, MBA, Working IT Sector
Delhi. Seeks S/M All Brahmin Boy
Delhi / NCR. Father ACP / DP Retd.
Cont: 9810214868 Sharma (Delhi)
SM 4 Brahmin girl very beautiful,very
fair,smart.highly educated.5'7" D.O.B-
7.10.1993.seeks belongs to a very
well settled business family. Contact-
9810014045,9654649620
BRAHMIN
DIVORCED ISSUELESS Gaur
Brahmin, fair girl, 14.5.93/5'3" delhi,
mca, working govt. public sector,
highly educated family.9582458586
Em: neelamvashisht72@gmail.com
SARASWAT BRAHMIN, Non
Manglik Beautiful, Fair, Smart Girl.
MBA, NIIT. Diploma/ 5'4"/1993 Pref
Professionally Qualified Suitable
Match. Contact- 9810552549
SM 4 Parashar Bhramin Girl, 30/5'3",
Veg, Madhya (28.08.90/ 9:22am,
Delhi), Beautiful, Pursuing MBA,
Consultant - MNC, 12 Lpa.
Mobile:- 9810886789
JAT
BTECH CS, MBA from United
Kingdom sm4 slim fair beautiful Jat
girl 28/5`3" seek pqm from family
of repute Contact-9818437663
e-rana2manju20@gmail.com
KHATRI
DOCTOR KHATRI B.ful Girl
1987/5'4" Phd. India PDF USA
Biotechnology Assistant Professor
national Institute Govt. Job
Transferable Hyderabad 9467726073
SM 4 Mnglk/07.10.84/09:50pm Fbd/
5'3'' M.Sc.,Phy& NET Qulfd,Asst. Prof
YMCA Uni. Fbd,60K PM Seeks edu &
Hi Status boy 8447672844, 742872-
7483, mehtapromila5@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH for fair
beautiful 158 c.m 16.9.92 CA finalist
working as finance executive 5lkp
Punjabi arora girl 9910778998
YADAV
YADAV GIRL, Greater Noida Based,
27/5'3" B.Tech. MBA (Finance) Color
Fair, Job MNC mob: 9412575944,
8755897113.
KASHTRIYA
KSHATRIYA RAJPUT girl
25.02.1986 (Times 8:18am in Dubai),
5' NSD graduate free-lancer
South Delhi Resident Contact:-
9350538730, 9625379116
SAINI
SM 4 Saini 28/5'2'' B'ful, fair girl Non
Manglik B.Tech, MBA(IIM)wrkg in MNC
Gurgaon 17Lpa Delhi based (Cast no
bar) seeks handsome well educated
settled (MBA) boy Cont-9868324421
HIMACHALI
QUALIFIED/WELL SETTLED
match for beautiful well cultured
slim himachali rajput divorcee girl.
Short marriage, issueless, 5'9", June
1984, Delhi. Working in a reputed
educational institution. Looking for
unmarried /issueless divorcee boy
(preferably Himachali Rajput)
pchauhan2412@gmail.com;
+91-9811321384
TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→
SIKH
SM4 GURSIKH B'ful Div. Girl
28/5'3" Post Graduate from respect-
able Business family of Ludhiana.
Contact: 9217191613, 9654538854
Em: paramjitsingh2@yahoo.com
PARENTS INVITE proposals for
daughter, Canadian PR holder, 30,
5'7” well edu.& well settld. Lkng for
gursikh boy,settld in Ontario,Canada
Cut surd excused #9810476477
PQ,GURSIKH M 4 Bhatia girl,32/5'5" PBI HINDU Saini Bful 5'3" B.Com(H)
B.Tech (India),Certification (US),
CANADA PR,Wkrg as Mngr in MNC
(Bangalore) Call/Wsapp:9988008355
Email: ravinderkamal@gmail.com
SIKH SAINI Family Seeks Alliance for
their daughter Oct. 1979/5'6", M.Com,
MBA, Working Bank Gurgaon, Good
Pkg, Never Married, Respond with
Biodata with Photo.# 09818896779,
Email: 3241singh@gmail.com
WELL ESTABLISHED Jat Sikh
Family seeking a professional match
from USA/Canada for their USA born
beautiful daughter, 26, 5'9". She is
doing Dermatology Residency (1st
yr) at a prominent university in the
USA. Cont. balkar76@gmail.com
Alliance invited for Services
officer’s, Graceful Daughter
26, 5’2” Post Graduated in NCR BASED Respectable Punjabi
family invites alliance For smart,
Journalism from reputed beautiful, Very fair daughter
university, well settled, South 31Yrs/5'4", MBA (FIN) IMT Dubai
Looking for handsome, educated,
Delhi Based Sikh family, looking Well settled Boy of similar back
for Smart Sikh Boy, Professionally Ground. Send Bio -data /photo on
Whats App 9811167775 or Mail to
Qlfd, working with well reputed akapur16@hotmail.com
Organization or from well SUITABLE MATCH for Anshik
established Business Family Manglik Punjabi khatri Beautiful
Preferred from ,South Delhi /NCR fair girl, B.com +JBT 07-11-1989,
5'.5", Parents retired govt job Aritist
Pl Cont:- 9891081700,9891665636
E mail:- harmander@live.in
SM 4 Sikh Kyshap Rajput Mehra Girl
05.10.1988/5'5" Convent Edu, B.Tech,
MBA Software Engr, Wkrg in MNC
Gurgaon 8Lpa #9971119557, 96503-
39827, surjeet.singh5423@gmail.com
PUNJABI
NM PQM for Punjabi Khatri Slim girl,
5'4"/ Nov.85/ B.Sc/MBA/B.Ed/ Officer
Central Govt.,Delhi, 10 LPA, Parents
Gztd. Officer (Retd.). Ph. 9873938174,
9873438174, JSID: ZVVU6163
SM 4 Punjabi Khatri Suri,Beautiful girl
5'4",14.10.90/ 00:05AM/ Delhi,wrking
Graduate in Spanish & English (Hons.)
Father-Business man. # 9810823855
Email: dmwaterrakesh@hotmail.com
PHD FRM IIT Dr Arora girl, 1989/ 5'
wkg scientist. Seeks wkg highly edu,
well stld profile Delhi/India/abroad
9811425233, 9910012552.
Email: dr6arora@gmail.com
PB SR Br slim Fair bful Girl
MSc(Comp Sci) wkg IT MNC
Chandigarh 5'3" Nov 79. Never
married match #8054426749 or
28shagun@gmail.com
PQM4 FAIR B'ful slim NM Hindu
girl 5'5" 16.8.90/18:31 Del MBA re-
siding Noida 8 yrs MNC wkg exp Pref
qlfd wkg boy Del/Ncr & family. Send
BHP pardeep.kmratta@gmail.com
GROOM WANTED for Upper
Middle Cls, P.Q Sikh b'ful fair girl
29/5'3"/ LLM, B'ness Fmly. From
established B'ness/pronl. Qlfd,
well placed, Delhi 011-45615292,
9818325000.
PUNJABI
PQM4 B'FUL : Girl (Minor Dibatic)
24-10-1988/5'2"/9.50am,Delhi, BTEC
only Pbi,req Grud,boy income 25lacs
Bus & Ser both Suit'le #9818687070
E:matripunjabi72@gmail.com
SM FOR Punjabi Khatri Beautiful, Fair,
Slim CA, M.Com, Working Girl 17-08-
1982 (10:12 am) Delhi, 5', Looks very
younger. WhtsApp 9873425820 E-
mail : ca_mahinder@yahoo.com
D.U. B.Ed 2-7-80 13:42 Ludhiana Nvr
Married Ttotaller Writer Status
Family CNB Seeks non-smoker
geets_saini@yahoo.com
SUNNI MUSLIM 34/5'5" fair
beautiful MBA girl working in MNC
seeks educated boy preferably
family #9899527034, 9582004487.
PQM 4 PB Khatri A.Mglk fair girl 5'6",
21.01.89/1:28pm/Delhi, BCA/MCA
(Regular) wkg as Asst. Professor (IT)
6 LPA, Father Govt.Offcer. Contact:
9810259160
SM FOR Very Fair, B’Ful Punjabi Girl,
6Nov 87/9:21 pm/Kolkata,5'7", M.Sc.
Wkg MNC Ggn seeks clean shaven
Sikh/Hindu Punjabi well settled boy
frm corporates/self-owned business
Send biodata W'app 9830049687;
Email: kabiwalia@gmail.com
DIVORCEE/WIDOW
ALLIANCE INVITED for CA
32/5'3" working in MNC Punjabi
Khatri high status South Delhi
business family. Issueless short
marriage seeks smart high profile
preferred South Delhi based
professional/ b'man. Pl send detail
at : exportscena@gmail. com
or whatsapp : 8368215820
DOCTOR
WANTED GROOM for 5'/Slim,Pre-
tty, MBBS, MD(Micro),32yrs, Working
Central Govt Delhi.Reputed Family.
Prefer Doctors, Engineers, Govt
officers, IAS/Allied, Defence, CA.
Well educated settled boy & family
main consideration # 9811557086
MD/MS/DM/MCH MATCH for
MD Radiology aggarwal girl 5’2” /
1994 affluent doctors family mobile
no7986569173
SM4 BR Girl, 29/5' Approx,
Bhardwaj, DR BDS, Hospital
Management, MDS, wkg Senior
lecuturer, Pref BR 9818033774,
9891799453
PQ MATCH For Fair Slim V'ful, 5'6",
5/91 Born Working Dentist Arora
Girl from affluent Modern family
father Dr., Cast No Bar Contact:
9453367336, 9935720600
Email: singhdr171@gmail.com
SUITABLE JAT Sikh Doctor match
from USA only for Jat Sikh Doctor
girl, 29yrs Height-5ft. 10 inches US
Citizen. Educated Doctors family.
Email: bobby796@outlook.com
MEDICO MATCH for Sikh
Saini slim Fair Girl 28/5'3" pursuing
MD Anesthesia from PGI Rohtak
complete in 2022. Call: 8595516703.
1800 103 1800 OR
{Sunday}
MUSLIM
working in Delhi/metro cities.
09454817993/ 09368564973
MANGLIK
SUITABLE MATCH for Punjabi
Saraswat Brahmin Manglik, MA,
B.Ed, Homely, Aug 79/ 5'1", Never
Married. Cont- 9312009222,
Em : jatendar.bhaskar@gmail.com
PQM FOR (Noida) based fair girl,
1994 / 5.3 , Software Engineer
BTech/CS father class one officer
GOI., seeks liberal minded Rajput
Boy suitable match in early 30 s.
E: shivsunita93@gmail.com
9829595181.
MGLK GIRL 6.3.91/12:55pm Del/5'2"
/12LPA B'Ful PB. B.Tech. Q.A. Engr
in Rep. MNC seeks PQ/Srvc/B' ness
Boy of Rep. fmly D/NCR 8368768057
BHP: sakshidhingraa@gmail.com
WORKING GIRLS
SIKH BHATIA 28/5'3" 1992 born,
Delhi based Divorcee working girl,
Business Class Family seeks Hindu /
Punjabi & Sikh boy. M: 09818535362
Em: rahulbatra1881@gmail.com
NRI
SEEKING PROFESSIONAL qual-
ified, Handsome, boy for US citizen
Indian beautiful, fair 26yrs hindu
(Jatav)compassionate Batchelor girl.
Caste no bar. Em: lata62@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH from Doctors for SM HINDU Jatav girl fair, 5'1.5'/
a Sikh girl born in USA, 28/ 5'4".
Working Attorney in NY & NJ. Email:
kskasuri@yahoo.com
COSMOPOLITAN
PQM 4M Rich/affluent
Del/ NCR families for similar
status Dec'82/5'6 Surgeon/
V well settled. Email:
doc.surgeon26@gmail.com
PQM4 KORI b'ful 30/5'4" BE, MBA
(IIM koz.) wkg MNC Mumbai, Canada
PR, seeks intellectl well groomd boy
whatsapp- +15196393698,
aviralanand@hotmail.com
E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161
BENGALI
BENGALI KAYASTHA girl 29/5'2''
B.Tech. employed in MNC Pune
seeks only Bengali Kayastha Soft-
ware Engineer boy Contact Mobile
no. 9939940285, 9472927465
HINDU
BEAUTIFUL, BRAHMIN girl.
Clinical Psychologist, 28, 5'4".
Father VP at an MNC. Looking for
well educated, well off boy. Contact
8800788366
HINDU JATAV girl Sept.89/5'8",fair
MCA,wkg in Income Tax Deptt. father
retd. from PSU/ Mother Gztd. Officer.
Seeks Govt. Employed (Del/NCR) with
position. Caste no bar. # 9212691110
CANADA/US BASED well
educated groom for b'ful fair
Agarwal 26/5'6" brought up in
India pursuing Ph.D. in Toronto.
M 7518704500
REMARRIAGE
GUJARATI, UPPER middle class,
S Del based fmly. SM4 Bful,divorcee,
I'less, Aug/79, 5-4'', wrkg in Ggn at
snr posn. Want well settled boy,
upper caste no bar. Ideally from
Delhi NCR/ Mumbai. Contact:
matrishah2021@gmail.com
SUITABLE DEFENCE Services
groom for issue less High income
Divorcee Kyastha girl 36 / 5'4" MNC
with global profile. Father Sr retd
PSU officer. Seeking similar
issueless groom. anishshrivastava88
@gmail.com
JATAV
Sept.'1993, MA, B.Ed, School Teacher,
Resp. Delhi bsd fmly. Seeks Employed
Groom with Position in Respectable
Job. Ph : 9953786011, 7838085518
B R I D E S WA N T E D
AGARWAL
BEAUTIFUL MATCH for goel boy
Sep1991,5.5 1/2 , b.tech diamond
graduate & gemologist, jewellery
showroom karnal, prefered c.a or
jewellery designer 9812184800
DEFENCE COLONY Delhi based
Goel bachelor 36/185, only son, self
employed, Diploma in Jewellery
Design & Manufacturing, Diamond
Grading # 9810235079,9990814000
SM4 NM Aggarwal, Singhal, 32 yrs,
5'8'', Sonipat, B.Tech (IT), MBA, B.I.
analyst at Ahmdbad, 7.5 LPA.
Contact: 8295997079, Email:
mkguptasnp@gmail.com
HANDSOME GARG boy 5'7"/27
working MNC Package 8lac seeks
Govt teacher, banker, Doctor, other
govt jobs in Delhi. # 9911110152
swarangupta.sg@gmail.com
WELL QUALIFIED science/tech
girl for MS (Comp Sc) Apr94 5'10"
Agarwal boy working in USA on H1B
visa msraj99@yahoo.com
9821089791
GOEL BOY 5'8" 70kg/4.12.88/9.15
am(Meerut)/ MBA(IIM)/ BTech(DCE)/
Own House(Delhi)/ Working in Axis
Bank/ 16 LPA/ 9810008451 /
agoel488@gmail.com
HSME JAIN/GOEL boy 21.5.74
/4pm/Panipat 5’7” BE (E&C) /
60Lpa. Wkg as Engg. Manager for a
large US MNC in Noida. Email:
jain1974s@gmail.com
BISA AGARWAL
SM4 HANDSOME Gupta kashyap
Boy 27yrs/5'10"/MBA. Delhi based
family own business Import/Export
Electrical Transformer.Seeks beauti-
ful homely educated girl from upper
middle Business class family. #9818-
887156, m1993gupta@gmail.com
ARORA
PQM FOR Punjabi Professional
M-Tech+MBA (US )/36/6', Athletic,
Fair, Working in MNC in HYD.
Parents Doctors 9415279889.
akk70739@gmail.com
BRAHMIN
GAUR BRAHMIN Mglk Boy/ 12.01.
92/ 2:44pm 5'8"/DLI/Wkg Pvt. Sect
10+ Lpa/Teetotaller, H'some, Smart,
Well Qlfd, Convt Edu. Del Bsd. Seeks
Wkg, Suitable Match. # 9899315445
HIGHLY EDUCATED & Cultured
match 4 H'some, Highly Edu. Phy
(Hons.), MBA, MCA, LLB, 39yrs/5'10",
Brahmin boy, Divorcee having 1 issue
only. # 7827214366, 9643213534
MATCH FOR South Delhi based
Brahmin boy. 5.11", BA LLB wkg in
MNC. DOB 13-2-1991 TOB 11AM
POB Delhi. Contact: 9810022960
/ 9910612836.
KHATRI
PQM 4 T'Totler Khtari boy, 9.8.1986/
10 PM (Delhi) 5'11', MCA, wrkg MNC
NCR, 25 LPA, own house in Delhi.
Seeks Delhi based punjabi girl from
respectable family. # 9310044658
Email: rituvig2017@gmail.com
PQM4: KHATRI Boy, 6',May'91
M.Tech, Wkg MNC,NCR Ggn based
Edu. Family, Father Sr. Defence Ofcr
(Rtd) Seeks professional wrkg girl
8447812220, 9711391314(wtsap)
PUNJABI KHATRI, Handsome,
32 yrs, 6 ft, B.Tech., Job, PSU,
Pilot, Delhi Based. Seeks Edu,
tall, b'ful match. Contact:
rajiv02121957@gmail.com
24 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

Online Tender Document “Equipment” for M.P. Police

POLICE HEADQUARTER, M.P., BHOPAL
No. PHQ/15/GPC/900-1/2021 Bhopal, Dated : 10/02/2021
“e-TENDER NOTICE”
Office Of Municipal Commissioner, Nagar Nigam, Haridwar Online tender are invited by Assistant Inspector General of Police (Provisioning)
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G-18854/20 Qû ¦FªF I e QcSe, ¸FFÀI W` ªF÷ Se For : Director General of Police M.P.

PUNJABI LOST & FOUND
MATRIMONIALS I SUDERSHAN Kumar Khanna
S/o Shri Keshav Chand Khanna C/o
Sarvesh Chowdhry, 20, Lower
Ground Floor, Todar Mal Road,
Bengali Market, New Delhi-110001
Lost flat buyer agreement, posses-
sion letter, full & final receipt, Se-
curity deposit receipt of property
documents pertaining to Flat No.
B-34, ground Floor, Platinum Floors,
Ardee City, Wazirabad, Gurgaon,
Haryana-122003, If any finds these
papers, Please Contact Sarvesh
SAVE TIME & MONEY Chowdhry # 9818558899.
PUBLIC NOTICES
{Sunday}
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Custom House Agent (Custom Clearance Location):-
1. Mumbai – Nhava Sheva Port (Western Region)
2. Delhi/NCR (Northern region)- Dadri/Palwal/Tkd/Delhi/Garhi

B R I D E S WA N T E D SM4 WELL settled Punjabi Arora

KAYASHTHA
SM 4 30/5'6", B.Tech(EC) in HCL,
Caste no bar # 9971686454
SC/ST
SM4-KHATIK (SC) BOY Doctor
MBBS MD (Medicine)1989 Born
/5'/11" Father retired Govt. Officer,
seek Medico MBBS/PG Girl,
E:jpbun dela58@gmail.com
Contact: 9119216529.
YADAV
WANTED YADAV working Girl for
my son 32/5.7", Wheatish,
Handsome salary. Upper middle
Class family. Contact with CV &
Photograph. (9896088655).
GUJJAR
SEEKS 35-45 yrs match for Issueless
widower,Advocate DHC,53/5'7",Smart
looks younger, Delhi bsd status fmly.
Avoid Dedha,Bhati. Issueless Widow &
Divorcee accptble.Whtsp: 9871221607
HINDU
MATCH FOR India born UK citizen
Bachelor Punjabi Brahmin boy 6
feet handsome fair and slim Oct
1984 born. MSc Finance from UK.
Working as Director in the largest
bank in London. Required
Unmarried professionally qualified
girl, Above 5'3'' feet tall, Below the
age of 34 years Willing to settle in
UK. Caste no bar. Contact
hksmn1956@gmail.com,
9958005224
BENGALI KAYASTHA Fair
handsome 30/5'7" School St.
Xaviers, BE(IIEST) MBA (IIM)
Working in renowned MNC Gurgaon
(25LPA) divorcee(very short
marriage, never lived together, no
issue) Both parents working as
Central Govt senior officers in
Kolkata. Seeks suitable matching
educated bride within 26yrs. Caste
& language no bar. 9875511953.
SIKH
SIKH ARORA, 31/5'9" fair, 50 LPA
Professional boy from educated
status family seeks educated, smart
girl from elite family 9407554463
SUITABLE MATCH for a Graduate
Gursikh Handsome boy, 30yrs/ 5'5",
Involved in Family Buisness. Email :
aman_cg@yahoo.com, Contact :
9255568864 (Mrrge Bureau excused)
LOOKING FOR suitable Gursikh
match for handsome Gursikh
businessman boy, March 97, 5'-7",
well educated, vegetarian teetotaler
family -reputed Gold Jewellers in
Singapore. Both parents hold
Master's Degree. Sister & Brother-
in-law are specialist MD Doctors.
7291966949
SIKH
PQM FOR Delhi bsd Jat Sikh Aulakh,
Amritdhari, MA, 33yr/5'11", Div.,
Short mrrg, Vice-Principal in a Sr. Sec
School, Caste No Bar. # 9871886082,
Email : maninder_eng@yahoo.co.in
MUSLIM
PUNJABI
PBI KH, H'Sme, V.Smart,Gud lkg 45,
Delhi afflu Status fmly, Sr. Post CTC
55lpa short mrg,no issue,cast no bar
prf unmrd wkg/n.wkg,# 8130332039
no broker, E: vivahelite@gmail.com
M4 PB Mahajan, H'some,boy,8/6/82,
9:37am Del, ht 5'9",MBA(Rglr),12LPA
+ Additional Incme, Uppr middle
class Highly Edu. fmly #9999113975,
9971416235, nitinmh79@yahoo.com
SM 4 Non Mglk Punjabi Boy 5'10"/
28.03.88/ 5:39 AM/ Delhi. Graduate,
Diploma in Computer, Own B'usines,
seeks working /homely girl.
Wats App- 9871211213
MEDICO / HIGHLY QLFD. Wkg. Mtch 4
Pb Kh Fair H'some Nov.'80/170 cms
M.D. Anesth (MAMC) Astt. Prof. Govt.
Hosp. Del Nvr Married #9810664816
Em:anesth80@gmail.com
SM4 PB. Hindu boy 08-4-1992/5'6"
MBA Mktg & own business, income
of 8-10 LPA. Own house Ballabgarh
fbd.Caste no bar.Family preferred
settled in Delhi NCR #9899270179
Non Manglik Boy H-1B (US) Maryland
27/08/1987, 8.20 PM, Delhi family.
Email:- prateek.arora3@gmail.com
#09289486793.Visiting Delhi in Feb.
DELHI BASED h’some Punjabi boy
5'10" / 23 Dec 88. B.Tec wkg WIPRO,
12 LPA .Father Faculty Yes Bank,
seeks well qlfd girl . #9654813081,
Em : devindergosain@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH Delhi Bsd pref
Unmarried Less than 40 for Fair
H'some PB Khatri Medico Boy
47 div. Issue with Mother. Whatsapp
7838098317, sju2325@gmail.com
SM 4 Punjabi Manglik Boy 5'-11",
Born 87, B.Tec. (I.T), Working
in Pune, Handsome Salary
Pref working Girl. Email:
avneetnagpal.haridwar@gmail.com
COSMOPOLITAN
PQM4 PUNJABI, H'some boy, 33,
5'10", B.Tech, MS-Germany , working
MNC Germany, 50 Lpa. Send BHP if
the girl is open to relocate:
mhmatch7@gmail.com
DIVORCEE/WIDOWER
PQM 4 Delhi bsd Punjabi Khatri V.Fair, SM4 HIMACHALI Dhiman Manglik
30/ 5'9" Doctor boy, MBBS, DNB Gen.
Medicine (Gold Medalist) Central
Govt. Prmnt. Job. Doctors Fmly. Very
Short mrrge (3weeks). # 9643515049
SM4 MANGAL Gotra Manglik
Widower Boy 13.1.79, 9:30AM GGN,
garment shop, 12yr Boy. Caste no
bar. # 9818884306, 8585979425
NRI
MATCH FOR well-settled brahmin
US citizen innocently divorced 6'.1"
handsome boy (December 16th,
1970) cast no bar, whatsapp
001-703-585-8340.
SM4 H'SOME Khatri Dr. 44/5'-7"
U.K Ctzn/P. R. Wrkg. C'sultant.
Canada Div./I'less V.Short Marriage
Drs. Family Seeks B'Ful Prof. Girl
9416378082
deepak.hansraj@gmail.com
SM4 WELL settled Punjabi Arora
Non Manglik Boy H-1B (US) Maryland
27/08/1987, 8.20 PM, Delhi family.
Email:- prateek.arora3@gmail.com
#09289486793.Visiting Delhi in Feb.
WELL EDUCATED high status
Gursikh Ramgharia family seeks fair
slim tall b'ful PQ Gursikh girl for
their h'some son Dec'90/6'2" B.Tech
MBA, Canadian PR. Visiting India
Jan-Apr. #9650990194,9968189895
Email: prabhjotcbse@gmail.com
PUNJABI GUPTA business family
wants a Loving, tall professional girl
for their Canadian son born in June
1991, doing family business in Tor-
onto with his elder brother. Pls. re-
spond with complete details in con-
fidence email to : matrimony9292@
gmail.com along with photo.
DOCTOR, ENGINEER, Veg in US
Match for Gaur Brahmin Boy 30/6',
Slim, H'Some, Veg. Born in Nairobi
(Kenya), B.Tech (Elect), US, Wkg in
Petroleum Industry, Houston
(USA). Contact. +254786954818,
Em: rekhasharmaa109@gmail.com
MANGLIK
Boy, 1975, 5'7", Senior Manager,
Divorced,Issueless 15 days marriage,
only Upper Caste, Pref: Himachali
9780978156, 8847434259
SM 4 Punjabi Khatri H'sme M'glk
Boy 42/5.8 PG Gzted Officer
2nd Marrge seeks tall educated
Prof Qualified girl # 9289547763
CHANGE OF NAME
I, SADHANA Rawat W/o Late Sh.
Amit Rawat R/o F-684, DDA Flats,
Mangolpuri, New Delhi - 110083,
have changed my minor daughter's
name from Tanvi Rawat to Jiya
Rawat for all future purposes.
I, SMT. Anita W/o Sh. Sunil Kumar
R/o Vill. Jaihaka, Tehsil and Distt.
Palwal (Haryana) declare my name
wrongly mentioned in my husband's
Army Service Record is Smt. Anita
Devi but my correct name is Anita
for all future purposes.
I, SHASHI Raheja D/o Arjun Dev
Chaudhri R/o H.No. 202, Ambica
Vihar, New Delhi - 110087, have
changed my name to Shashi for all
future purposes.
IN MY service record my mother
name Balbere Devi and father name
Lahari Singh was wrongly
mentioned but their correct name is
Balbiri & Lahar Singh. In future
they will be known by correct name.
Dinesh Balyan S/o Lahar Singh R/o
Vill. Kutba, Distt. Muzaffarnagar
I, DISHA Kala W/o Anil Kumar
Ghildiyal, R/o C1-29/4, Kendriya
Vihar, Sector-82, Noida have
changed my name to Disha Kala
Ghildiyal for all purposes
I, AMAR Nawariya / Amar Singh
Navariya S/o Ram Swarup R/o C-
IInd-169, Madangir, New Delhi-
110062 have changed my name to
Amar Singh for all future purposes.
LOST & FOUND
I, VEENA Shridhar W/o Leela Dhar
Shridhar R/o 138,SFS Shakti Apart-
ments,Ashok Vihar ph-3,New Delhi,
Have Lost my property Allotment
letter of Unit no.204C, welldone
Tech Park Sohna road Gurgaon.
Finder please Contact:-9810071735.
RAMA NAND Gupta S/o Late Shri
Munishi Ram Gupta & Mrs. Pushpa
Gupta w/o Shri Rama Nand Gupta
R/o D-65, Nairana Vihar & Ramesh
Chand Gupta S/o Late Shri Munishi
Ram Gupta, Ms. Pinkey Gupta w/o
Shri Ramesh Chand Gupta R/o D-81,
Nairana Vihar, New Delhi have lost
original property papers of E-21,
Nairana Vihar, New Delhi - 28 in Fire
Accident.
I, CHANDER Kanta,W/o Late
Manohar Lal Khattar & D/o Late
Himmat Lal Chitra, am the absolute,
exclusive owner and original
allottee (Membership NO. 126) of
one build-up society Duplex Flat no
44,Unique Apartment, Plot no 02,
Sector-13, Rohini, Delhi 110085.
Original Share certificate, Allotment
letter, Payment receipt slips and
Provisional Possession letter etc.
of my above Society Flat have been
misplaced. FIR(LR No.128695/2021
dated 12/02/2021) has been Lodged.
Founder inform me at my above
residence.
3. Haldia/Kolkata (Eastern Region)
4. Chennai (Southern Region)

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NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
{ JACK LEACH } ENGLAND SPINNER
P
They were checking
LBW, we knew that
would be not out, we
were trying to get
them to look at what
happened after the ball
hit his (Rahane) pad. It
A
is a bit like VAR...
Crumbling track
sets second Test
on rocky course
Somshuvra Laha
somshuvra.laha@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The first puff of dust
came off the fifth ball of the day,
a full Stuart Broad delivery to
Rohit Sharma. In the ninth over,
left-arm spinner Jack Leach’s
drifter again kicked up some
dust. So did the Moeen Ali deliv-
ery that dipped brilliantly to
sneak through the gap between
Virat Kohli’s bat and pad to clip
the top of off-stump. All this hap-
pened before lunch. These are
ominous signs, even by Indian
standards. Indian pitches can’t
be typecast because of the vary-
ing nature of base soil, but they
generally aid batting till the third
day before wear and tear afford
purchase for spinners.
Chennai, however, seems a
different deal altogether. Not
often do you see two pitches on
the same square sporting com-
pletely different top soil shades—
the one used in the first Test was
dusty red, while the second one
bore a darker look. The pitch
report before toss spoke of a dry,
completely different surface that
may not have been rolled a lot
for it to firm up. It was in keep-
ing with earlier reports that said
even though the base will have
local red soil, and the top layer
will be primarily black clay that
breaks down faster.
Those puffs of dust are proof
of rapid disintegration of the top
soil. And it spun. A lot. If the
pitch in the first Test spun more
than 3° on average, Day 1 of the
second Test began with 4.4° in
the first session before going
past 5 after tea. Leach, who gen-
erally bowls better in the second
innings, looked threatening for
the bulk of the 26 overs he
bowled on Saturday.
What can you expect from
such a pitch? If the top soil
comes off easily, roughs outside
the crease are created earlier
than expected. Balls turn and
bounce more when they land on
the rough, like the one that bam-
boozled Kohli. The odd ball will
turn more, some stay low and
some spit off the cracks. “You’re
never in on this wicket, so it was
important to be positive,” said
India vice-captain Ajinkya
Rahane after play. “The key was
good footwork. We had a strat-
egy (with the sweep) and wanted
to make them bowl to our
strengths. The first 20-30 balls
were important. Then you get an
idea of the pace and bounce.”
The pitch for the first Test
took two days to change from a
slow strip to an unpredictable
track for batting. This one will
wear out quicker. It’s thus not a
very ideal pitch for Test cricket.
“It is a difficult track where
you don’t know whether to come
forward or remain on the back-
foot,” said Sunil Gavaskar while
doing TV commentary. The only
reason India finished the day
with a smile was because they
had won the toss and batted.
Quelling lockdown blues, race walker trio makes Tokyo Olympics cut
Sandeep Kumar at the National Open Race Walking in Ranchi.
The pitch in the background,
which was used for the first
Test, has a reddish tinge. The
one on which this Test is being
played has a darker tone. BCCI
Rahane made no bones about it.
“We knew it was going to turn
from Day 1, so obviously, it was
good to win the toss,” he said.
Batting technique too needs a
tweak on this pitch. Playing
against the spin, for which Kohli
paid a hefty price, is a strict no
early in the innings. Rahane
showed how coming down the
pitch negates slower bowlers.
Centurion Rohit Sharma, like
Joe Root in the first Test, used
the tried and tested sweep shot.
He didn’t look entirely at ease
executing it at times but Sharma
got the results till he was dis-
missed, ironically, trying the
sweep.
“I was sweeping from the
rough (outside off-stump)
because it’s a good option as you
can’t be leg-before. It also cuts
out the chance of the ball going
up. It’s a percentage shot on this
pitch,” Sharma said in the media
interaction after play. He said
350 would be good enough on
the pitch where something is
“happening every ball”.
Given how the pitch behaved,
it’s remarkable India are not far
from that target. England too
have batsmen who adapt well.
And they have a template now,
having watched Sharma and
Rahane go about their business
against the spinning ball. “As
you saw with Rohit Sharma and
Rahane, once you get a partner-
ship going with that older ball it
can get a little bit easier,” said
Leach. “So we have to certainly
believe we can do the same
when we come to bat.”
It’s a tall ask though, espe-
cially on a pitch clearly ear-
marked to trouble batsmen
more with every passing hour.
Today’s 350 could feel like 500
tomorrow.
w
READ: Good
footwork and
positive intent was the key:
Rahane
HT
Rohit rules on a rank turner
Opener rides close
calls on way to his
seventh Test ton on a
wicket that didn’t let
batsmen settle down
Aditya Iyer
aditya.iyer@hindustantimes.com
CHENNAI : All of two balls,
bowled in succession and in a
matter of seconds, had the nar-
rative power to sum up the
entirety of the 88 overs bowled
during the first day of this Chen-
nai Test. The first of those was
the fourth ball of England’s 38th
over, when off-spinner Moeen
Ali jogged towards the popping
crease from the Anna Pavilion
End of the MA Chidambaram
Stadium on Saturday. Waiting
for Ali to release the ball was
India’s opener, Rohit Sharma.
It was flighted and full, and
on pitching the ball emerged
from an explosion of dust and
scooted past the outside edge of
Sharma’s bat. The close-in field-
ers sighed and even Sharma
held his defensive pose a frac-
tion longer than usual, his eyes
fixed on one of the many spots
of rough that had emerged dur-
ing the opening few hours itself.
Ali smiled, possibly even
smacking his lips in anticipa-
tion of the next ball. This is how
he had earlier dismissed Virat
Kohli for a rare duck at home
and this is how he was later
going to dismiss Ajinkya
Rahane when he was primed
for a hundred—by giving the
ball plenty of air around off-
stump and allowing the pitch to
do the rest.
The next ball to Sharma was
tossed up too, and was fast nar-
rowing into the minefield when
Sharma stepped out of the
crease and crunched the half-
volley over the bowler’s head.
The shot swerved violently right
in the Chennai air and ended up
clattering against the concrete
steps above the Madras Cricket
Club. Had a spectator (allowed
into an Indian ground for the
first time since March, 2020)
watched only those two deliver-
ies and nothing else, he would
still have a complete picture of
this fire-and-brimstone sort of
day; a day when England’s spin-
ners tag-teamed with the pitch
Cheers, cheerleaders return to Indian cricket
Aditya Iyer
aditya.iyer@hindustantimes.com
CHENNAI: “Cricket namakku
ulleye ooripona vishayam,” says
Saravanan Hari in Tamil, which
translates rather inadequately as
“cricket has seeped into our
soul”. This, Saravanan says in a
matter-of-fact way, his facial
expressions further hidden by a
yellow face mask worn over yel-
low face paint. But he claims he
has seldom been “as emotional
as I was when I entered Chepauk
today.” The spectators scattered
around Saravanan in the Lower
C Stand of the MA Chidambaram
Stadium in Chennai—them wait-
ing patiently for a selfie with
him—nod in agreement.
Saravanan is better known in
this part of the country as an MS
Dhoni Chennai Super Kings
super-fan—forever under a curly
wig and with his hero’s name
and number (7) scrawled in jar-
ring font over his bare chest. But
today his CSK-themed body
paint is buried under a tri-colour
T-shirt; today, he is just one
among the 11,000 fans to attend
the first day of the second Test—
the first such gathering at a
sports venue in India since coro-
navirus changed the world in
Avishek Roy
avishek.roy@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: For three months
during the lockdown, 20km
race walker Sandeep Kumar
trained on paddy fields on the
sliver of farm land he owns in
Haryana’s Sureti Jakhar village.
At home in Meerut, Priyanka
Goswami, another 20km race
walker, was struggling to stay in
shape. Uncertainty gnawing at
both, the Olympics looked a dis-
tant dream. That changed on
Saturday.
At the National Open Race
Walking Championships in
Ranchi, Kumar and Goswami
showed great resolve to not only
book Tokyo Olympics berths,
but also shatter the national
records. Kumar clocked 1 hour
20 minutes and 16 seconds and
Sport
Rohit Sharma drives one through the covers during his 161 on Day 1 of the second Test against England in Chennai on Saturday.
and yet Sharma retaliated with
161 runs. That’s more than half
of India’s total at stumps of
300/5, a great team score con-
sidering what it could have been
without Sharma’s runs.
“See, on a pitch like this, you
have got to be proactive before
it is too late,” Sharma would
explain his mindset at the press
conference. “You cannot be ten-
tative or have two thoughts. If
you want to sweep, you sweep.
If you want to use your feet,
then you do that and play with
the turn.” For the five-and-a-
half hours that Sharma’s
innings lasted, he did just that—
predominantly sweeping Ali
and using his feet to Jack Leach,
and occasionally the other way
around. His runs alone are
proof that the strategy worked.
Swept away
It is rather incredible that
before this series, then 34-Test-
old Sharma had played just one
long-form match against
England, and even that came
way back in 2014—near the
beginning of his stop-start Test
career. In that Test in South-
Cricket fans returned to the stands after close to a year.
early 2020.
Fifty percent of the stadium’s
box seats were released online
for occupancy by the Tamil Nadu
Cricket Association—with a list
of Covid protocols to abide by—
and Saravanan ensured he was
one of them. “I can’t quite
explain what life was like with-
out being able to attend cricket
matches,” says Saravanan, even
as a cheer ripples through this
stand for a Rohit Sharma cover-
drive.
“This sound is what I missed
the most,” he says instantly. “I
may never have played cricket
well, but I have always been
Goswami timed 1:28:45 to win
the 20km men and women’s
events respectively. Kumar
erased the national record
1:20:21, jointly held by KT Irfan
and Devender Singh. Goswami
surpassed Bhawana Jat’s mark
of 1:29:54 which is awaiting rati-
fication.
Another race walker Rahul,
who finished second with a time
of 1:20:26, also qualified for the
Olympics. The Olympics qualifi-
cation cut was 1:21:00 for men
and 1:31:00 for women. Irfan
and Jat having already quali-
fied, the number of Indian race
walkers in Tokyo has swelled to
five.
When Kumar and Goswami
returned to the national camp
in Bengaluru last July, coach
Gurmeet Singh had his job cut
out. They had gained weight
Third umpire gets it wrong
CHENNAI: A DRS referral was
restored to England after an
error by the third umpire.
England were left frustrated
and captain Joe Root miffed
after a blunder by Anil
Chaudhary denied them the
wicket of India vice-captain
Ajinkya Rahane and a DRS
review. After it became clear
that Chaudhary had erred,
the review was reinstated.
In the 75th over, a Jack
Leach ball brushed Rahane’s
gloves on the way to Ollie
Pope at forward short-leg.
England’s appeal for a catch
was turned down by the
ampton, he scored 28 in the first
innings as a middle-order bat,
which wasn’t bettered in the
two innings (6 and 12) in his
new-ish avatar of an opener in
the first Chennai Test.
He got past that barrier with
gusto on Saturday, welcoming
Ben Stokes to the bowling
BCCI
excellent at being a supporter,
even ending up making a name
for myself by my style of cheer-
ing. It was the hope of returning
to the stands to do what I do best
that kept me going through the
dark times.”
The “dark times”—or the time
of no sport in India followed by
sport behind closed doors—
extends all the way back to a
T20I against South Africa in
Dharamsala last March.
Although no cricket was played
that day due to rain, it was the
last time there were fans in the
stands, albeit drenched and
dejected ones. Both the sun and
and their motivation levels had
plummeted. Singh’s biggest
challenge was to get them back
to peak fitness and keep them
ready for unscheduled events.
The domestic calendar had
been wiped out and the coach
did not know when his wards
would get another chance to
qualify for Tokyo.
Then came the national event
in Ranchi. “It was a do-or-die
situation for race walkers,” said
Singh, a former international.
“After the Asian Race Walking
Championships scheduled in
Japan from March 21 (last year)
was cancelled because of Cov-
id-19, the target was to qualify in
the very first event. It is quite
possible that they won’t get any
other event to qualify,” he said.
Ranchi was holding the first
major athletics meet in the
on-field umpire before
Chaudhary, failing to read
the passage of play, also
rejected the review thinking
that the ball had pitched out-
side leg-stump and so it was
not an LBW. England players
appeared to clarify that they
were appealing for a catch off
the glove and not the bat.
Seeing the replays on the
big screen, Root was left
unimpressed as replays did
not show what happened
after the ball hit the pad.
Rahane, though, was dis-
missed six balls later, bowled
by Moeen Ali for 67.
crease with a first-ball bound-
ary through cover. It took him
to 29, from as many balls. It is
easy to say he was looking omi-
nous with the help of hindsight,
but the innings until then (or
even later) was far from chance-
less. There were inside-edges
that narrowly missed the
smiles had returned to the ter-
races around an Indian cricket
field on Saturday, lending the
only missing spice to an already
flavourful contest.
The presence of the spectators
was felt by the players in the very
first over of the day when Stuart
Broad pulled up in his run-up
because a fan had moved just
above the sight-screen. Even
Sharma, whose focus was
unbroken for 161 runs, made it a
point to mention the role their
presence made at the end of the
day. “It was great fun to have
them at the ground -- they really
do liven up the whole atmos-
phere in the ground,” said
Sharma. “I think the intensity
was low from both sides without
the fans around in the first game.
It has been a long time since they
have come and watched a game
in India, so I am happy they got
to enjoy themselves.”
They did, they really did. For a
while, they cheered at the Che-
pauk simply because they were
back, even as Sharma’s early
shots went straight to the inner-
circle fielders. One of them
cheering at just about anything
was D Venu, a 29-year-old man
who works at a marketing com-
pany. Placed at the opposite end
country and an Olympics quali-
fying event at that. Exactly a
year ago, the race walkers had
last competed in the same event
but Kumar had missed the mark
by 34 seconds. “I was very dis-
appointed and immediately
after that the lockdown started
and Tokyo Olympics was post-
poned. Everything was uncer-
tain. There was no motivation
to restart preparation,” said
Kumar. “We had no choice but
to pick ourselves up. I was walk-
ing in paddy fields in my village
for three months, trying to
remain as fit as possible,” says
Kumar, 34, who competed at
the Rio Olympics in the 50km
race walk.
For Goswami, the dream of
taking part in her first Olympics
was all but gone. “I had given up
hope and I went back home. It
BCCI
stumps and paddle sweeps that
squirted uppishly and landed
between fielders. But on a
wicket as nasty, Sharma would
have expected nothing less.
Immediately after Sharma
spanked a four and a six off suc-
cessive Stokes deliveries—both
pulls, one high and the other
low—England captain Joe Root
brought Leach into the attack.
And he nearly struck. Sharma
poked from the back of the
crease and the edge fell just
short of first slip. He was on 42
then.
To Sharma’s credit, his
course-correction was almost as
instant. Next ball, he lunged for-
ward to take the ball on the full
and swept Leach hard towards
the boundary to get to 46. Two
balls later, he let the ball bounce
and swept against the spin. The
result was the same, and as a
bonus, he had brought up his
fifty.
“The sweep is something that
can frustrate a bowler. There is
not much a bowler or the pitch
can do if you are playing that
shot well,” Sharma said. “It is
also the safer option, because
of the cricket-fan spectrum from
Saravanan, Venu is attending his
very first live match.
“Not because I am not a fan,
but because I never really got
around to booking tickets. I
always wanted to come and
watch India or CSK here, but
something or the other always
got in the way,” says Venu, mak-
ing it a point to soak in the
atmosphere as first-timers at live
events tend to do. “But then cor-
onavirus happened and every-
thing stopped. So I told myself
that the next time there is a
game at Chepauk with fans, I will
attend.” Not long after he said
that, Sharma struck the first
boundary of Venu’s in-stadia
experience and he grinned with
the subsequent roar. “Television
cannot really capture that
sound,” he says. “I cannot imag-
ine what that sound will be like
in a full stadium.”
But he was soon about to find
out what collective disappoint-
ment sounds like, at the fall of
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat
Kohli’s wickets in quick succes-
sion. That sound was a stunning
silence, somehow quieter and
more eerie than the ever-present
silence of a spectator-less sta-
dium.
was difficult to train at home.
Though our coach would con-
stantly tell us to train,” she said.
Singh said the biggest chal-
lenge was to keep them moti-
vated. “When they returned to
training in Bengaluru, it was a
fresh start. I had to work on
their physical fitness and
encourage them. I made them
watch motivational videos. It
was also important to keep
them injury-free because there
was no competition. We put in a
lot of hard work and they
responded to the challenge in
tough times. That’s why they
have been able to come back so
well in the very first event.”
For Kumar and Goswami, it
was double bonanza as they
also became the first Indians to
qualify for next year’s World
Athletics Championships.
25
SCORECARD
INDIA
R Sharma c Ali b Leach 161
S Gill lbw b Stone 0
C Pujara c Stokes b Leach 21
V Kohli b Ali 0
A Rahane b Ali 67
R Pant batting 33
R Ashwin c Pope b Root 13
A Patel batting 5
Total (88 ovs, 6 wkts) 300
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-85,
3-86, 4-248, 5-249, 6-284.
Bowling: Broad 11-2-37-0,
Stone 15-5-42-1, Leach 26-
2-78-2, Stokes 2-0-16-0, Ali
26-3-112-2, Root 8-2-15-1.
both fielders were on the
boundary. And so my top edges
also fell in safe places. And with
Moeen Ali bowling outside the
off-stump, LBW also doesn’t
come into play.”
In the space of just one
Sharma run at the end of the
first session (from 63 to 64), he
lost two partners, Cheteshwar
Pujara and Kohli. When the
teams took lunch, Sharma had
scored 80 out of 106 runs. But in
the afternoon session, his Mum-
bai mate Ajinkya Rahane would
help share his thus-far lone bur-
den. “We really understand each
other but the main thing was
that we were constantly chat-
ting. I think that’s why we had a
good partnership,” said Sharma,
before revealing one of the
things they chatted about. “I
was telling him to sweep.”
Although he was scoring in a
hurry before lunch and was just
20 short of his first hundred
against England at the break,
Sharma bid his time in the after-
noon. Until he got into the nine-
ties, that is. On 91, Ali bowled
those two balls that encapsu-
lated the day’s play—a danger-
ous dot followed by a six to take
him to 97. But the nerves didn’t
end there.
On 98, he tried to lap sweep
his way to century off Ali, only
for the ball to clip the toe end of
his bat and fly over short mid-
wicket. But on Saturday, it was a
case of try-till-you-get-it-right
with Sharma. Three jittery overs
later, he lap swept Ali towards
fine leg and trotted two runs—
the second of those with his bat
in the air.
NADAL STAYS ON
TRACK FOR SLAMS
RECORD AS BACK
INJURY EASES
Agencies
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
MELBOURNE: World No 2 Rafael
Nadal said his minor back injury
was improving by the day as he
accelerated his pursuit of a
record 21st Grand Slam title with
victory over Cameron Norrie at
the Australian Open Saturday.
The Spanish second seed has
altered his service motion due to
lower-back tightness that has
plagued him all tournament,
although it didn’t stop him
emphatically demolishing his
first two opponents in straight
sets. Britain’s 69th-ranked Nor-
rie proved a tougher assignment,
with Nadal pressed much harder
before emerging a 7-5, 6-2, 7-5
winner in an empty Rod Laver
Arena as Melbourne went into a
five-day coronavirus lockdown.
It put him into a Slam last 16
for the 49th time, behind only
Roger Federer (67) and Novak
Djokovic (53). “Today is better.
First day I feel an improvement,
and that’s the most important
thing, more than any other
thing,” he said of his back. Nadal
next faces fiery Italian Fabio
Fognini, who beat Australian
Alex de Minaur in straight sets.
Nadal’s victory keeps him on
course to meet Djokovic in the
final, although the defending
champion is under an injury
cloud after suffering what he
called an abdominal “muscle
tear”. It remains unclear
whether the Serb will be able to
play his fourth-round match
against Milos Raonic on Sunday.
Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos
Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev all
reached the last 16 on Saturday.
Ash Barty, the women’s top
seed, said it was “very strange” to
play behind closed doors.
Barty’s straightforward 6-2,
6-4 win over Russia’s Ekaterina
Alexandrova put her into the
fourth round without dropping a
set as she bids to become the
first Australian winner since
Chris O’Neil in 1978.
“It’s very strange, it changes
the sound in the court a little
bit,” Barty said of the empty,
7,500-seat Margaret Court
Arena.
“It kind of felt a little bit like
practice,” she added.
Sunday, February 14, 2021
ANANYA PANDAY
The latest heartthrob on the block too is rumoured to have found
love on the sets of a film. This was actually out of the blue because
no one saw it coming. The story started when Panday made a joint
appearance with Ishaan Khatter at Sidhant Chaturvedi’s Diwali
party in 2020, and then drove to Katrina Kaif’s Christmas party
together. Then came their Maldives vacation earlier this year.
Panday featured in many of Khatter’s posts, even appearing in a
video he made on the trip, and he gave her ‘videography credits’.
They were spotted returning together at the airport too.
‘We help each
other be the
best version
of ourselves’
Juhi Chakraborty
juhi.chakraborty@htlive.com
ditya Narayan and
A Shweta Agarwal
have celebrated
many a Valentine’s
Day over the 11 years of their
courtship, but this year it is
special as they will be cele-
brating the day of love as a
newlywed couple.
“You should celebrate
every single day. Over the
years, we have gone out and
done the regular couple
things but this year is spe-
cial,” shares Agarwal, who
tied the knot with the singer
on December 1, last year.
Narayan adds, “I look at it
as one more day and one
more excuse to love each
other and do lovey-dovey
stuff.” The couple, who met
in 2008, began dating in
March 2010. Talking about
their relationship and how it
has evolved over the years,
Narayan, 33, says it has been
a long journey. “Like every
relationship, we’ve had our
ups and downs especially in
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now. While the two have never come on record to
ly ab o u t c y their
comment, their near and dear ones have more than
isn’t on or d e n
just spilled the beans. While the family laughed off
V-Day
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Dhawan replied: ‘I truly am. Hope you are ready.’
SU G LE
SIN KIARA ADVANI
Rumours are strong that this actor is taken. It started when
she came on board the film, Shershah, starring alongside a
certain Sidharth Malhotra. Advani shut rumours in March
2019, saying, “No, I’m not dating Sidharth, I’m very much
single.” Cut to January 2020, the duo shared similar pictures
of a lush landscape from Africa on social media, and fans
concluded they are vacationing. This January they posted
similar pics from a vacay in Maldives on their Instagram
stories and were spotted returning together at the airport.
What confirms matters is Advani’s recent reply to a portal on
what she’d write in Malhotra’s Tinder bio: “I don’t want to
put him on Tinder at all,” followed by “I’m kidding”.
KL RAHUL
The relationship between this cricketer and actor Athiya Shetty is said to have
started in 2019. When her dad, actor Suniel Shetty was asked about it, all he said was,
“I am not having the relationship. You will have to ask Athiya.” Their public
appearances, social media exchanges have said it all, but they refuse to talk about it.
They keep posting cute pictures with each other, and their captions make it
abundantly clear. Sample this: Rahul posted a sun-kissed picture with Shetty on
Instagram in November 2020 and captioned it ‘Happy Birthday mad child’, with a
heart emoji. They were also spotted having dinner recently. What more do we say?
Text: Rishabh Suri
Actor
Dia Mirza is set to STOP PRESS
P tie the knot with { RANA DAGGUBATI } ACTOR
I look at it as
one more day
Mumbai-based P
and one more businessman Vaibhav You get a feeling of being
excuse to love Rekhi on February 15, in balanced. The bond you share
each other what may be a close-knit is a great source of calm.
and do lovey-
A
affair. Mirza hasn’t yet
dovey stuff. On enjoying married life
made any
ADITYA NARAYAN,
Singer statement.
Special days
are about
spending
time: Punit
time, I will have to do better and better.
There is no end to these special days. I
think, they became special because you
spend time with that someone special
and not because you do something spe-
cial. Ab mujhe lagta hai ke main aur
Nidhi thode bade hogaye hain, aur
thode buddhe bhi (laughs), to get that
excited about Valentine’s Day. The good
part is Nidhi doesn’t expect a lot, so she
loves what I do. She knows me well and
the initial years, as that’s for sometime now, I’ve come out of my
when we were both growing comfort zone and been open about my
up. I was working, there was feelings for her. So whatever I do, hon-
personal life, it could have estly, will be enough for her.”
been really difficult for her
but she was there rock solid
beside me. She is the emo-
tional anchor in the rela-
tionship. We empower and
He reveals he’s never done anything
elaborate even as a teenager, on ‘special’
days. “I don’t get excited even for my
birthdays! There is too much pressure
to execute what you plan and you don’t
help each other become the end up enjoying the day,” he says.
best version of ourselves, As the couple has not been on a hon-
which is great,” he shares. Kavita Awaasthi eymoon yet, Pathak says he is waiting to
Agarwal says when they kavita.awaasthi@htlive.com
travel to Europe. “We went to Goa right
met, they were very different after our wedding to celebrate my par-
people and over the years have been thinking how to crack ents’ 35th wedding anniversary but
they’ve both evolved and
learnt a lot from one
another. “I love the fact that
both of us are secure about
each other. We let each NOTE TO
I this,” says Punit J Pathak on plans
to make his first Valentine’s Day
special, after his wedding to Nidhi
Moony Singh on December 11, last year.
“I will light up my terrace, dance to
everyone thought it was our honey-
moon. We want to go to Europe for 30
days or so. Let’s see kab hota hai,” he
concludes.
other do our things and we READERS: Some some good music, have a candle-lit din-
are also connected and of the coverage ner and play a movie that she likes. Dur-
spend time together like a
regular couple. I am very
that appears on
our pages is
ing the lockdown we were chilling, but
since the unlock, both of us have been
P
happy with how it has pro- paid for by the
concerned
working. We are torn apart as far as I’ll light my terrace,
gressed,” says the actor. work is concerned. Saath mein
While V-Day this year
brands. No
baithenge and will spend quality time,” dance to good music,
sponsored
looks like a working day for content does or says the choreographer, director and have a candle-lit
Narayan, he promises to shall appear in actor, who’s been busy with his shows.
make it up to Agarwal later. any part of HT Pathak isn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day dinner, play a movie.
“We’re planning a vacation without it being and says, “I don’t have a problem with
next month, that will make declared as such people celebrating it, but I also feel
PUNIT J PATHAK, ʔʇʍʊʋʒʇʑʏ
to our valued Choreographer-actor
up for this one,” he adds. there is too much pressure on people. If
readers.
I take Nidhi out for a cruise, the next
02 showbiz
ANMOL-AMRITA’S
V-DAY SURPRISE
RJ Anmol
and Amrita
Rao
PHOTO: VIKRAM
BAWA
Rishabh Suri
rishabh.suri@htlive.com
ull of giggles and laughter is
F what a chat with actor Amrita
Rao and her husband RJ Anmol
is like. Five years into their mar-
riage and 11 years into their
courtship, they remain as excited for
Valentine’s Day as they were on their
first one.
MADE IN
INDIA FIRST V-DAY
since 1994 It all started when Rao visited RJ
Anmol’s radio station for an interview.
The two took a liking to each other, and
started meeting. Recalling their first
date, she says, “We were driving around
in Bandra, Mumbai, and impromptu
decided to drive all the way to Lonavala.
The day ended at Bandstand. I remem-
ber it vividly.” Anmol chimes in, “The
initial years, we went around on a lot of
drives. Our love story is a love triangle
between me, Amrita and Mumbai.”
The actor is always excited for the
day. “I’m still that girl who gets excited
about the day. I’m hoping Anmol has a
surprise planned,” she laughs. To which
RJ Anmol quips, “You’ve to understand,
the party who receives the gift is always
more excited than the one giving it.”
In 2020, though the duo couldn’t be
together for the first time on V-Day, RJ
Anmol pulled out all the stops to
surprise his wife. Rao reveals, “He
raised the bar by giving me a solitaire,
While Amrita hopes for a
special V-Day surprise from
her husband, RJ Anmol,
the latter leaves it on
their three-month-old
to decide their
plans
we had completed 10 years of
relationship.”
WHAT DO THEY LIKE ABOUT
EACH OTHER?
Happily married and madly in love,
what’s the one thing they like the most
about each other? Rao says, “He is
extremely positive, he doesn’t let any-
thing negative stay with him for too
long. He is like ‘I want to be in a happy
zone all the time, I will achieve that’…”
For RJ Anmol, loving Amrita comes
naturally to him. “For me to fall in love
with her was not rocket science...She’s a
star who’s so grounded, so beautiful not
just from the outside but inside too. She
came to my radio station in 2009, and
that’s been her longest interview till
date,” he chuckles.
FIRST TIME AS PARENTS
As this is their first Valentines Day after
becoming parents, are their plans any
different this year? “I don’t know what
surprise Anmol has planned, but it’ll be
a special one. The first time experience
of everything is special,” says Rao.
While RJ Anmol reveals that every-
thing will be decided by their three-
month-old, “It all depends on how Veer
is planning for the day. Every plan is
now followed by his plans to cry; (if) he
plans to poop, we have to take care of
that! We have no plans, we don’t know
what he has in mind, what surprise he
has planned for both of us.”
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
‘I’m very big
on celebrating
Valentines Day’
Juhi Chakraborty for another reason. “I only
juhi.chakraborty@htlive.com
remember Valentine’s Day as
it comes a day before our
W
hile the concept wedding date, February 15.
of Valentine’s Day You see I’m very bad with
can be polarizing, dates,” she says, adding, “Ek
actor Namit Das baar main bhooli thi uske
is hardcore romantic at heart baad se I made sure I never
and hence does not mind hav- forget. So every year I thank
ing one day dedicated to cele- Valentine’s Day,” Vyas says.
brate love. Like other couples,
he too, is looking forward to
The couple has been
together for 12 years now and
celebrate the special day with
his wife, actor Shruti Vyas.
will be completing 6 years of
their marriage, tomorrow.
“We are very big on Valen-
tine’s Day, at least I’m. I’m not
Vyas says over the years, the
definition of love has kept on
a cynic. There are some peo-
ple who feel and say things
changing. “Now we’re at this
stage where we express how
that love is to be celebrated
every day, so why have one
we like to take care of each
other. We connect on music
day to celebrate it? I don’t
have that thought. Yes, we
very well. These small things
keep us together,” she shares.
need to love everyday but we
need a reminder one day
Elaborating on how love
becomes stronger with time,
when we can tell our loved Das, 36, explains, “Now I
one that we love them. If know that when I say I love
there is a day for it, I’m ready you, it doesn’t exist just in
to celebrate it,” says Das. words but in what I do. When
Vyas on the other hand you do things for each other,
admits that she is not as
romantic as her husband,
though she thanks the V-day
it’s done with ease, grace and
glory. The moment it
becomes something that
needs to be done, the purpose
is lost.”
ILLUSTRATION:
SHUTTERSTOCK
Scan the code
to read more
about actor Namit Das
Amrita Rao and
and RJ Anmol’s Shruti Vyas
love story and
V-Day plans.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
movers & shakers 03
#instastyle

# O OT D: PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/SUNNYLEONE

Celebs’
Bas ic an d
breezy asy-breezy and

E effortlessly cool
seems to be the style
mantra for these celebs, Actor Sunny Leone shared a heartfelt note for her twin boys on
spotted in and around their birthday. “My little nuggets are 3! Asher Singh & Noah Singh
Mumbai. While actor Weber you both are so so different but are the sweetest, nicest,
Pooja Hegde opted caring, intelligent little men,” she wrote, with this adorable snap.
for jogger pants with a
vibrant bomber jacket,
actor Parineeti Chopra
went for a basic attire Malaika Arora Adah Sharma PHOTOS: YOGEN SHAH
and accessorised it with a
perfect pair of sunnies.
Among others papped by
shutterbugs were actors Pooja
Malaika Arora and Adah Hegde
Sharma. HTC

Parineeti
Chopra
06 relationship NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

{ YOUR TAROT THIS WEEK } Manisha Koushik is a renowned tarot card reader and astrologer.
She can be contacted at: +91-9650015920
Manisha Koushik February 14-20, 2021 Email: support@askmanisha.com; Website: www.askmanisha.com

ARIES MAR 21-APR 20 CANCER JUN 22-JUL 22 LIBRA SEP 24-OCT 23

Love: The Lovers Mood: The Fool
CAPRICORN DEC 22-JAN 21

Love: The Hermit Mood: Two of Swords
Career: Two of Coins
Learning about new management concepts
would enhance career prospects. Raising capi-
tal for buying your dream home will not pose
much difficulty. Opting for healthy lifestyle
choices will benefit you remarkably. Avoid
Shraddha Kapoor getting influenced by false promises on social
front. Domestic front could be a little troubled
as family will be very demanding. Some dif-
ferences may crop up on marital front.
Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Lemon
Love: The Moon Mood: The Hierophant
Career: The Tower
Positive developments on personal and
professional front are in store this week. Your
patient handling of things at work is likely to
bring awards. You need to reassess investment
plans to avoid losses. Erratic behaviour of
Bhumi Pednekar partner may change your getaway plans. You
need to tactfully deal with an overbearing
person on social front. Long pending legal
matters may get decided to your satisfaction.
Lucky Number: 17 Lucky Colour: Violet
Career: Strength
You can feel positive vibrations all around you,
as you are ready to dive into new goals. You
need to cross-check all changes you are keen
to implement on the professional front. Finan-
cial position is set to improve with timely
decisions. A short vacation promises to be
Ranbir Kapoor exciting. Family members are likely to remain
demanding this week, but you will be able to
meet their expectations. It is a good time to
initiate a repair or renovation at home.
Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: Lemon
Love: Judgment Mood: Magician
Career: Ten of Wands
Power of persuasion and sincere efforts bring
you back in the limelight on the work front.
You make good progress on academic front.
You succeed in consolidating your financial
position with timely action. Those ailing for
Vidya Balan long are likely to show improvement soon. You
need to make efforts to bring back spark in
your romantic relationship. A short drive or
stay with friends is likely to recharge you.
Lucky Number: 3 Lucky Colour: Coffee

TAURUS APR 21-MAY 20 LEO JUL 23-AUG 23 SCORPIO OCT 24-NOV 22 AQUARIUS JAN 22-FEB 19

Love: The World Mood: Justice
Career: King of Wands
Your attention to detail and creativity is likely
to bring you into prominence at work. You
need to work as a team to smooth out issues
on marital front. Those feeling reticent in love
are likely to gather courage to confess true
feelings. Good health is assured with healthy
choices. Those looking to rent out their house
or a part of their house may find ideal tenants.
Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Crimson
Love: The Hanged Man Mood: The Magician
Career: Eight of Cups
Promising opportunities may be headed your
way. Keep seniors in the loop about develop-
ments on the work front. Avoid being compla-
cent on academic front. You are likely to meet
Anushka Sharma romantic partner after long separation. You
need to avoid a strenuous exercise regimen
for now. Indications of acquiring a plot in
prime locations appear strong this week.
Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Peach
Love: Devil Mood: Three of Coins
Career: Knight of Wands
Following an innovative approach brings
unlimited success on professional front. Those
in retail business can look forward to a profit-
able period. Family members are likely to
Taapsee Pannu appreciate your efforts to guide a younger
relative. Tempting real estate deals may come
your way this week. Avoid losing your temper
as it will undo all the good work of the past.
Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: Golden
Love: Wheel of Fortune Mood: Devil
Career: Two of Wands
Self-starters are likely to find the work front
productive. You give a boost to your finances
by choosing lucrative investments. Keep a tab
on competitors to maintain lead on academic
Athiya Shetty front. Peaceful atmosphere will reflect posi- Abhishek Bachchan
tively on children. You may get to meet your
dream person in a family event. You will
remain in demand for your wise counsel.
Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Light Pink

GEMINI MAY 21-JUN 21 VIRGO AUG 24-SEP 23 SAGITTARIUS NOV 23-DEC 21 PISCES FEB 20-MAR 20

Love: Temperance Mood: The Chariot
Career: Three of coins
You will be able to tackle all problems on
professional front. Your cheerfulness will
enable you to enjoy perfect health. Invest-
ment in business expansion will fetch hand-
some returns. You are likely to experience a
Sonam K Ahuja wonderful time on family front. Your packed
schedule this week may leave you with little
time for romance. If possible, maintain dis-
tance from supporting contradictory opinions.
Lucky Number: 3 Lucky Colour: Coffee
Love: Nine of Cups Mood: Six of Coins
Career: Three of Wands
You may get an excellent opportunity to make
a mark on professional front. Businessmen
may seal a lucrative deal. Those looking to go
abroad for studies may get good options.
Time spent with family will prove enjoyable.
Pankaj Tripathi You succeed in attracting your dream person
with your wit. You may need to approach an
old problem with a fresh perspective.
Lucky Number: 22 Lucky Colour: Dark
Turquoise
Love: Temperance Mood: Two of Wands
Career: The Moon
Your diligence on the job is noticed. Your
inventive overturns bring back spice in your
marital relationship. Retailers need to be care-
ful about dealings involving credit. An impor-
tant development brings jubilation for the
Kartik Aaryan entire family. There is a strict need to avoid
self-medication. Avoid hesitation while asking
your friends for help. Your commuting prob-
lems are likely to get resolved once and for all.
Lucky Number: 15 Lucky Colour: Lavender
Love: Nine of Swords Mood: The Magician
Career: The Empress
You will be able to multi-task efficiently on
professional front. Businessmen will succeed
in expanding their horizons. Students need to
put in more efforts on academic front. Prepa-
ration will make your journey comfortable.
Alia Bhatt Maintaining distance from junk food will ben-
efit health. Unilateral stance of spouse may
trouble you but deal with it patiently. It is
excellent time for a social or religious do.
Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Bottle Green

{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR
REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)
Experts explore Sunday, February 14, 2021
Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat
how the pandemic to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)

opened people to
themselves and ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS
MAR 21-APR 20 JUL 23-AUG 23 NOV 23-DEC 21
realigned their
A L s
A loan is likely to be sanc- Marketing personnel will Financial worries become
tioned. A senior at work be able to achieve what a thing of the past. Be
outlook on may put in a good word
for you to the higher ups.
they set out for. Someone
you had helped when in
careful of professional
rivals out to unseat you. A

Valentine’s Day Good health will keep you energetic

and in a positive frame of mind. A
short trip out of town is possible.
celebrations LOVE FOCUS: A passion-filled evening
is on the cards on the romantic front.
LUCKY NUMBER: 11 LUCKY COLOUR:
Peach
need will be keen to repay you.
Chance to go on an official trip to an
interesting place is likely for some.
LOVE FOCUS: A tiff with spouse or fam-
ily member cannot be ruled out.
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:
Yellow
family reunion is on the cards. It is
best to take some more time in taking
a decision on the property front.
LOVE FOCUS: Love is in the air and you
are likely to enjoy it to the hilt today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR:
Peach

TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN

APR 21-MAY 20 AUG 24-SEP 23 DEC 22-JAN 21

T I c
Deskbound professionals Financially, you will find Help required for a task

PANDEMIC CHANGED
will manage to get a whiff
of fresh air. Family togeth-
erness will prove fulfilling.
A long drive with friends will prove
quite enjoyable. Taking possession of
yourself very well off.
Good understanding with
co-workers will be in your
interest. A marriage in the family will
get you completely involved.
will be forthcoming. You
may end up spending
money you had been sav-
ing for something. Travelling to a
place of worship is likely.

V-DAY PERSPECTIVE
property is indicated for some.
LOVE FOCUS: You may find much ful-
fillment in your love life.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR: Red
LOVE FOCUS: Lover may not agree to LOVE FOCUS: Partner does not seem
your terms and conditions. romantically inclined, so respect that.
LUCKY NUMBER: 15 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR:
Rosy Brown Rosy Brown

Ruchika Garg 2020, people seem to have says, “Lockdown was the time ent on others for happiness.”
GEMINI LIBRA AQUARIUS
MAY 21-JUN 21 SEP 24-OCT 23 JAN 22-FEB 19
ruchika.garg@hindustantimes.com
found a connection with their when most of the people, prob- Another survey by a match-

G l a
families and loved ones.” ably for the first time in their making service found that 46% Financially, you will man- Your bank balance is likely Your financial horizon is
bandoning the clichéd Also, as the survey suggests lives, spent some ‘me time’ and of single people find being age to remain in a com- to keep you in an upbeat set to brighten. You will be

A Valentine’s Day, 45% of

Indians will celebrate
the day with friends or
family, according to a survey
by a leading matrimonial site.
Rohan Mathur, business head
of the site, says, “Having spent
most of their time at home in
that “21% of women believe
they are their own Valentine,
as compared to 9% of men”,
many women plan to celebrate
the Valentine’s weekend by
pampering themselves. Ana-
lysing this trend, Dr Shweta
Sharma, clinical psychologist,
explored their hobbies.” Agree-
ing, Jai Madaan, relationship
expert, says, “The pandemic
changed the way we think…
After all the anxiety and stress,
people realised that they can be
fine in any circumstances and
they don’t need to be depend-
asked, ‘So, what’s the plan?’
most annoying. Adhish Zaveri,
senior director, marketing,
says, “Almost 40% of the peo-
ple feel the pressure to be with
fortable position. Some-
one influential will be able
to resolve your problems at work.
Those into side business will be able
to expand their horizons.
mood. This is the best
time to establish authority
at work. It is best not to raise any con-
tentious issue at home.
LOVE FOCUS: Lover is likely to make
assertive enough to get an
outsourced job completed
in time. An outing may be shelved
due to unavoidable circumstances.
LOVE FOCUS: Your love life is likely to
someone on V-Day. We urge LOVE FOCUS: Misunderstandings will love life rock, so enjoy while it lasts! turn for the better, so rejoice!
them to let go off the pressure.” disappear as you communicate. LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR: Light LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
Talking about the how it LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR: Blue Pink Magenta
impacts the psychology, Dr
Preeti Singh, senior consultant
- clinical psychology and psy-
chotherapy, says, “It’s embar-
CANCER SCORPIO PISCES
JUN 22-JUL 22 OCT 24-NOV 22 FEB 20-MAR 20
rassing for the youngsters to

C S P
not have anyone. They are also Things begin to look up on Driving a good bargain A boost in earning can be
made to feel awkward by social the financial front. Play- will help save much. Com- expected by some. There is
media. This breeds low self- ing one against the other munication skills are your a good opportunity await-
esteem and confidence.” on the work front may not strength in impressing ing you on the work front.
To this, Madaan adds, V-Day prove favourable. Family bonding is those who matter on the work front. Family ties get strengthened. Travel-
is not what it used to be ten likely to warm your heart. Travelling Those feeling under the weather will ling is not advised. Good returns are
years back, it’s just about to a distant place is quite possible. succeed in restoring their health. foreseen from rented property.
spending time with people you LOVE FOCUS: Your tender approach LOVE FOCUS: Love life appears promis- LOVE FOCUS: You may feel attracted to
love, family, friends and others. will bring you closer to lover. ing, so make some exciting plans. someone you have met recently, so
Asking about plans is irritating LUCKY NUMBER: 11 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR: expect romance to blossom soon!
and even hurtful.” Light Pink Peach LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR: Blue

True love knows no distance

Neharika Sharma
neharika.sharma@hindustantimes.com
alentine’s Day is one of the
V-Day calls for a celebration and visit and plan a meal with their
here are some expert approved tips family. Surprise your beloved by
on how couples in a LDR can make sharing pictures and videos of this
the most of this day together: meeting. You can video call them.

V most special days to celebrate

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)
love and fondness. Couples
around the world try to make this
day extra romantic by planning
small vacations, dinner dates,
presents, etc. However, that’s not the
case for the couples who are in a
long-distance relationship (LDR).
But that doesn’t make February 14
any less significant for them.
l Virtual date: Cook each other’s
favourite dish, get dressed nicely
for the date, and chances are high
to fall in love all over again!
l Movie date: Login to an OTT plat-
form, steam something you both
love together. Let no boundary dull
the spark of your love.
l Spread love: While you can’t meet
your partner on February 14, pay a
l A personal touch: Send your part-
ner a hand-written letter. The effort
and love that you’ll put in will make
your relationship stronger.
l Understanding is key: Don’t sulk
and frown. Instead, express your
affection and warmth and plan for
the next meeting.
(Inputs from psychologists Pulkit
Sharma and Kanika Khosla)
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
lifestyle 07
Entertainment &
Promotional Features

THE MAGIC AND

HT
TRAILBLAZER
2021
POWER OF GRIT
AND COURAGE
POOJA
AGARWAL

The winners of the HT Trailblazer Award 2021, presented by

Ambience, answer questions posed by our readers and share HT
TRAILBLAZER
nuggets of wisdom in the face of trying circumstances. 2021
TUSHAR
Here are our next set of winners interacting with the readers VASHISHT

What advice do you have for young-

You researched before transitioning and
your family was there to support you,
but how did you gather the strength?
Do you feel society has become
more accepting towards the LGBTQI+
community?
- Gunjan Khera, 19, Student
It took three years for my research on the
transition process, and towards the mid part of
my research, I started gaining confidence to
move ahead. It felt more powerful being a
woman than acting like a man. Earlier, I did not
have the strength and felt obligated to my
TRAILBL ZERS
sters who are trying to make their start
-ups run about what it takes to create a
successful start-up?
- Sanjay Kataria, 28, PhD student
Build perseverance. Staying at it — through
thick and thin — is probably the biggest factor
PRESENTS in becoming successful. The first 1,000 days will
be hard; expect to run out of money as well,
once or twice. But if the customer
fundamentally loves what you build, you will
find success eventually. Stay with it.

What was the most daunting implications but we thought if we

family and profession. I finally the gathered
courage to do what my mind said, and that’s
how I overcame the fear and the male ego I
survived on during college days, and started
building started my female ego. I was
overwhelmed with myself but felt very
liberated. And as far as society is concerned,
though a lot of progress has been made, there
are many who are still conservative and don’t
want to accept the reality of us. They want to
obey the social norms but certain things
need to be changed. The
attitude towards transgender
You are an inspiration to many. What is the people or the queer
one piece of advice that you would like to community needs to change
give to other young para athletes? the way. The way people look
- Naveen Kishore, 29, Self-employed upon us, we don’t have to be
I believe in the principle that whatever you do, mocked or shown as a ‘toy’. We
do it with all your heart. For young para athletes, have a long battle to go and
it’s important to focus diligently on their sport win!
and be cognizant of the fact that there is . quarantine and tested before
enormous scope for para athletes, not only in
India but the world over. Upon examination, it
becomes clear that para athletes have secured HT
more medals for the nation than their able- TRAILBLAZER
bodied counterparts. 2021
For para athletes, there may be limitations DR VS PRIYA
owing to their physical abilities; however, the
capacity of the brain remains limitless.
thing about being the first
producer whose film went on
HT floors amid the pandemic?
TRAILBLAZER And how did you overcome
2021 that risk, apprehension and
JACKKY inhibition?
BHAGNANI - Gauri Sharma, 23,
Entrepreneur
It felt great, and at the same
time, I was nervous as I was taking
over 100 people from India. And
then to manage a crew of 200
over there was a huge
responsibility. I felt like a parent
and made sure to take care of
them and test every seven days.
PHOTO:
FACEBOOK/ The worry that what if someone
JACKKYBHAGNANI tested positive was constant. We
OFFICIAL
followed all protocols, tested
before leaving, did the 14-day
returning, too. We travelled with
everyone to maintain a bubble
and so, even if a person had to
shoot on the 17th day, they were
with us from day one.
There was a batch that came 45
days later, and they were
quarantined before they joined
us. Sure, there were financial
were taking the plunge, then this
moment would go down in
history. We should do all it takes
and all of this would not be
possible if Akshay sir (Kumar) had
not given the go ahead and said,
“Let’s do this”.
There were many
apprehensions. I was scared as I
am this kid on the block, trying to
make films. Do I really have it in
me to make films? Thoughts like
‘Can I really take a whole crew to a
foreign land to shoot during
Covid-19 pandemic?’ I remember
when we tested before leaving,
while waiting for the results, I was
so nervous. I kept thinking that
here people are not stepping out
of the house and here I wanted to
take a crew to shoot. Back then,
we didn’t know much about
Covid-19, we were still exploring
things, everyday was new. We’d
hear often that someone got
Covid-19 and that person died. So
it was nerve-racking. I have to
give it to the team. Had it not
been for them, we would not
have been able to pull this off.

Design is intelligence made

visible, says Dr Sanjay Gupta
orld University of What is WUD’s connect 12-acre green campus, in-cam-

W Design (WUD) has

emerged at the top of
design education pyramid in a
with the world?
We have agreements with
world’s best universities. Stu-
pus housing dining, sports
facilities, unmatched social
and academic opportunities.
PHOTOS:
HTCS

very short span. It is India’s
only university focused on edu-
cation in the creative domain.
WUD’s vice-chancellor Dr San-
jay Gupta is an IIT and IIM
alumnus, former dean of NIFT
and a design education evan-
gelist. He was involved in the
initiative of bringing fashion
schools worldwide under
International Foundation of
Fashion Technology Institutes
(IFFTI). A prolific author, edi-
tor, and consultant to national
and international organisa-
tions, he has been a member of
bodies such as ASSOCHAM,
CII, BIS, IFFTI, NISTI, besides
being on editorial boards of sci-
entific journals.
How did WUD ensure unin-
terrupted learning for its
students during Covid-19?
We foresaw the lockdown in
early March ’20. Students went
home over the weekend and
online learning started a week
before lockdown. The classes
still continue with our gradu-
ate show, placements, entrance
exam and admissions also
being conducted online.
dents participate in joint pro- Universities attract the best
jects and cultural fests, too. minds as faculty and provide
We’ve international professors choice of electives to build up a
on advisory board. They also unique portfolio. It matches
teach at WUD. any top-of-the-line global
design school at a fee less
What new programmes are than top government
taught uniquely by WUD? institutions. HTC
The latest are Computer Sci-
ence and Design, UI/UX and
interaction design, animation
and game design, film and
P
video, data analytics AI and We’ve exchange
design thinking, service design,
digital architecture, built envi- agreements
ronment, contemporary art,
film acting and integrated per-
with nearly 20
forming arts. universities in
US, UK, Europe
What’s unique about WUD? and South
WUD has students from 22
states and 30 specialisations, a
America.
DR SANJAY GUPTA,
Vice-chancellor, World
University of Design

Upcycled Creative
denim for the product
gender fluid shoot for
human form garment
design and
styling
project by
second-year
students

{ NICK JONAS } SINGER

P On his leadership
advice

My father is an exceptional man with a

wealth of knowledge. He always said walk

A
with humility even in leadership.
08
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

on Sunday Scan here to visit

HTCityfoodies

#dailyfood

HAVE YO UR High on spirits

CAK E A ND without the alcohol
EAT IT
A bit of sparkle and cheer come together
flawlessly in these mocktails, perfect for V-Day

TOO!
Dump the no-good maida. From
cassava and coconut flour, cakes
made with healthier alternatives
bring you refreshing flavours
Swati Chaturvedi
swati.chaturvedi@hindustantimes.com

F
rom picture-perfect focaccia to
banana bread, baking reintroduced
itself to all of us in the pandemic. While
traditional flour is still the mainstay of
baking, owing to its easy availability,
people have now started choosing other more
nutritious and often gluten-free alternatives.
Chef Rishabh Anand, executive pastry chef,
The Leela Palace New Delhi, says, “The rising
demand of gluten-free products has made way
for alternate flours such as amaranth flour,
coconut flour, almond flour, buckwheat flour
and banana flour. Apart from offering health
benefits, alternative flours are versatile enough
to be experimented with.”
Rich in fibre, containing high amounts of
amino acids and vitamins, these flours are
slowly becoming the staple of many kitchens.
Chef Rahul Chahar, bakery chef, Taj Mahal.
“Each type of alternate flour offers a different
set of health benefits you can decide which one
best meets your needs. We follow health trends
closely as well as seek guest feedback for their
preferences helping us understand dietary
preferences and offer alternates that are
healthy and trendy.”
Made from fruits, nuts and seeds, chefs are
turning to these myriad alternatives to explore
new textures, flavours and aromas.
Ambika Seth, executive director, Caara, says,
“Our orange and almond cake is a moist gluten
free cake made with almond flour and orange
zest. There is no artificial flavouring in any of
our food and is topped with a light cream
cheese frosting.” Her other creations include
olive oil, zucchini and jaggery cake. She adds,
“Made with whole wheat flour, a healthier
alternative, it’s also sugar free as we substitute
sugar with jaggery. Spirals of dehydrated zuc-
chini that binds the cake together.”
HEALTH BENEFITS
High on fibre, alternative flours are packed
with nutrients, ranging from magnesium, zinc,
micro nutrients to calcium. Almond flour can
improve insulin function. Wheat and coconut
flours have more carbs with a lower fat con-
tent as compared to almond flour.
If you are looking to experiment owing to a
gluten intolerance, or culinary curiosity, here’s
a guide to the alternative flour landscape.
Orange and
Almond cake made
with almond flour
and orange zest
PHOTO: CAARA
Here’s to flour power!
Swati Chaturvedi Colours says it all. It can be vibrant,
colourful, appealing and creates the
rom Raspberry Hibiscus Soda to perfect setting for a date. It can have
F to Cranberry Mockjito, mock-
tails are having a moment. Val-
entine’s Day is the perfect occa-
sion to insert a little magic into the
mundane, create lasting memories and
exemplary variations starting from
watermelon to edible rosella flowers to
strawberry.”
Ankit Ghawana, head nixologist at
Molecule Air Bar, says, mocktail for
strengthen bonds with the ones you Valentine’s Day is the perfect way to
love as you experiment with non-alco- enjoy the season of love as they are a
holic drinks. mixture of different flavours. “With
And when celebrating in the com- fresh ingredients, these booze free
Variety A binding force fort of your home with maybe a movie
marathon, a herb-induced energy kick,
drinks are a visual treat and a refresh-
ing retreat and are not unhealthy,” he
Amaranth and buckwheat flour Nutty cake, sweet quick bread, instead of the numbing tiredness that shares.
are rich and have an earthy
flavour. Cassava flour is gluten,
pineapple upside-down cake,
banana bread and ragi
Versatility is the key comes with an alcoholic drink is the
way to go ahead. After all, these spirit
When it comes to winter recipes,
cranberries are a staple. Sharing his
grain and nut-free. “Coconut pancakes are just some of Expanding your flour horizons isn’t just going free sips are the new luxury tipple. recommendation, Shivam Sehgal,
and almond flour are the most delicious creations which the gluten-free. It’s about texture and flavour. And With a little imagination, one can founder, Josh - The High Energy
popular alternatives”, says alternative flours have lent most importantly, it is about having fun in the mix and match a variety of fruits such Bar, says, “Mocktails are fruity and a
Manish Sharma, executive chef, themselves to. Options abound kitchen. “I love using jowar for my cakes, almond as strawberry, wild berry, kiwi, orange, perfect blend of many flavours. Hence
The Oberoi, Gurgaon. for vegans to try. Suchali Jain, flour for my brownies, ragi for my crepes and oat grape, pineapple and pomegranate to to keep the spirits alive and taste buds
founder, Suchali’s Artisan flour for the pancakes,” says Shivesh Bhatia, create vibrant flavours. high, a classic combination of fresh
Bakehouse, says, “In egg-free blogger and food stylist. Chef Nishant Choubey, says, “A rose petals and cranberry juice with a
baking, ground flax seeds can mocktail is an instant seduction. It is twist of peach works well.”
be used effectively as a binder the best way to express love and desire. Makers of high-end non-alcoholic
in a variety of products. We use drinks focus on a unique mastery to
almond flour, oats flour and rice
flour in making our gluten-free
Patisserie and boulangerie create drinks that indulge the con-
sumer. They zero in on experience-cre-
desserts, especially tea cakes Muffins, Linzer cookies, coconut dacquoise, ation instead of the omission of alcohol
and muffins.” Unlike the hazelnut dacquoise, pain de genes (French as their main point. They talk about
predictable and unhealthy almond cake), almond macaroon, coconut the creative processes of transforma-
maida cakes, they unravel macaroon and almond génoise are some of the tion, creation, or combination and use
refreshing flavours and alternative flour based artisan products that give exotic ingredients. Served in more
textures. that extra burst of taste. unusual colours than their alcoholic
counterparts, mocktails add a bit of
charm too.
Like Jasmeet Singh Banga, owner,
Pirates of Grill, says, “Specially curated
Guilt-free indulgence mocktails bring in a personal touch
and are considered as romance in a
glass.”
Gluten-Free Red and 1 tsp salt. In another three pans. Bake until the Mixologists and restaurants intrigue
bowl, beat together 1/2 cup cakes spring back when the imagination by stimulating the
Velvet Cake unsalted butter and 1 ½ cup touched lightly, about 20 taste buds in a way that many alcoholic
INGREDIENTS sugar until light and fluffy. minutes. Let them cool beverages cannot do. They rather focus
Almond flour, cocoa Add 2 eggs, and fold in the down for 10 minutes and on well-being. Aryan Khati, mixologist
powder, unsalted butter, almond flour mixture 1/3 at then shift them onto a at Mai Bao, says, “My personal favour-
sugar, salt, eggs, baking soda, a time, beating just until cooling rack. ite is a beautiful blend of rose cordial,
apple cider vinegar, puréed combined after each addi- l Place one layer on a cake dill leaves, cold milk and fresh water-
beets tion. Mix in 3/4 cup freshly stand. Layer with two melon chunks.”
pureed beets for that scoops of gluten-free coco- Moreover, mocktails are not about
PREPARATION amazing red colour. nut ice cream. Add another imitating an alcoholic drink but pro-
l Spray three 9-inch cake l In a small bowl, combine 1 cake layer topped with ice viding a completely refreshing experi-
pans with non-stick cook- tsp apple cider vinegar and cream and finally add the ence. And as Sushil Dhanai, founder,
ing spray. Preheat the oven 1 tsp baking soda. (The mix- top layer. Freeze the cake Cafe Delhi Heights, puts it, ”The idea of
to 350ºF. In a bowl, whisk ture will bubble up.) Fold until ready to serve. preparing mocktails is simple. One
together 2 1/4 cups almond into the cake batter. Divide Recipe by Prerna’s remains fresh as there is no hangover
flour, 2 tbs cocoa powder the batter evenly between Handcrafted Ice Cream and one also gets to enjoy a whole
bunch of seasonal fruits.”

#newsinbrief { FOOD FOR THOUGHT }

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/MICHELLEOBAMA

skillfully photoshopped by the Monish Gujral, Chef-restaurateur

A funny farewell
In a cheeky and humorous
stunt, Uzair, a food delivery rider
from Malaysia, took to social
media to share some cute
pictures of himself with a panda,
while going out and about
delivering orders on his last day.
Not real, it was intelligently and
PHOTO: FACEBOOK
rider. The internet can’t get
enough! What a way to sign off!
Food for
thought
The former First lady of America,
Michelle Obama, is credited for
drawing much needed
attention to healthy eating
habits. Taking it a notch
further, she will be launching a
new children’s food show, Waffles
+ Mochi. The former FLOTUS will
be hosting the show with two
puppets — Waffles and Mochi.
She wrote on Instagram, “It’s all
about good food: discovering it,
cooking it, and of course, eating it.
These two will take us on
adventures all around the world
to explore new ingredients and
try out new recipes.”
A delicious treat
A new food trend to hit us is ‘Little
Moons’. Derived from an old
S or salty, pickles have been a
Japanese dessert, these are round
balls made with ice cream and
mochi, a traditional Japanese
steamed rice cake. They come in
flavours such as chocolate,
coconut, mango, green tea,
vanilla, pistachio and matcha.
Compiled by:
Swati Chaturvedi
Pickling is a
delightful,
vibrant craft
Let’s revive our artisanal food
culture; it’s part of our heritage
weet and sour, pungent, zesty,
part of our culinary tradition
since time immemorial.
The reason could have been
mainly preservation of perishable
food items owing to the harsh cli-
matic conditions. But they make
for a delightful, vibrant addition to
our meals.
We are living in an online era,
where most goods are delivered to
our doorstep on a press of a but-
ton which unfortunately has
taken away from us the artisanal
cooking of our grandmothers or
mothers.
I distinctly remember strings of
drying turnips, carrots and cauli-
flower on the terrace for making
one of my favourite mixed vegeta-
ble pickle, which my grandmom
would make in winters.
I also remember the pieces of
raw mango drying over muslin
cloth in the garden for making the
mango pickle in summer which
the entire family would enjoy with
freshly baked tandoori roti and
home made white butter and
chhaj (butter milk garnished with
fresh mint from the garden ).
The urban millennial are oblivi-
ous to such nostalgia as they have
seen only nicely packed food items
arranged in beautifully labelled
mason jar bottle or fancy tetra
packs, delivered straight from
state of art factories.
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK
But, unfortunately the soul of
the food is missing in such retail
items.
I am an advocate of home arti-
sanal cooking, be it be churning
butter milk or making humble
pickles.
This is what I consider food
with a soul. This is what we need
to preserve and revive.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here
are author’s personal.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
lifestyle 09

CREATIVITY Tech innovations

have also
brought changes
to the traditional
Over time,
restaurant men
have evolved in
us

FUELS MENU
menu format
to
an interesting
blend of creativ
ity

OVERHAUL
Prerna Gauba Sibbal
prerna.gauba@htlive.com
ining out is no more lim-
D ited only to the food, of
late, it has become a multi-
faceted experience. A
visual and gastronomical delight
that aspires to impress as soon as
and innovation
,
that aims to add
more flavour to
the
don’t want to be monotonous. overall dining
They want people to start their
food experience from the menu experience of a
itself which is why they are toying
patron
with the designs, names and
medium of the menu.
To communicate with the cus-
tomer, menus need to be on point.
“Our menu is fun and quirky
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR
REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY)

you step into an eatery and feel its
aroma, admire the décor or simply
get bowled over by its innovative
menu on the wall or table.
Yes, over time, restaurant
menus have also undergone a
drastic change. Restaurants today
because our theme is such. We
don’t want anything to be monoto-
nous. With innovative menus, cus-
tomers take more time to read and
order, to see how the dish actually
turns out,” says Vikrant Batra of
Cafe Delhi Heights.
Restaurants are using
references of childhood
memories or landmarks
to outline signature
dishes in their menu
Moreover, it’s not just the crea-
tivity but also the tech-innovations
that are fuelling the evolution
menus. A good-looking menu is
important because the experience
starts there. At our outlet, we give
a visiting card to patrons and one
can scan the code and open
the menu on his/her phone.
The menu starts with the
chefs’ note ... The caricatures
make the menu more intri-
cate which the customer
enjoy,” says restaurateur Priyank
Sukhija of Plum By Bent Chair.
Menu’s themed around school
texts, ’90s memories or popular
landmarks are also being tried by
restaurants. “Our beverage menu
is something that every individual
would relate to since periodic table
was the first thing we learnt in
high school science. We decided to
replicate the same since it reso-
nates with the theme of popular
show Breaking bad,” says Harsh
Gupta of Breaking Brew.
Even Batra tries to trigger mem-
ories that one might have of popu-
lar places and dishes, by naming
dishes on his restaurant’s menu in
the similar format. “Our ISBT
Makhani Maggi is derived from
the famous maggi available in
ISBT, Delhi. Railway cutlet from
our menu reminds us of the cutlet
at railway stations packed in silver
foil and so on,”
he shares.
A beverage menu
inspired by the
periodic table,
attempts to invoke
curiosity in
patrons

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR

REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

Why living
in the
moment is
the only
way to be
happy
iving in the present, we
L are engulfed in the flames
of the past or in the fear of
the future. We make our lives
stressful when our minds are
cluttered with previous chats,
hurtful memories, and anxieties
and fears of what’s to come.
Today’s so-called scientific and
technical era has given way to
desires and wishes that never
seem to be satisfied, and so we are
always dwelling on the past or the
future. As humans we need to
control our thoughts and not the
other way round, where our mind
is led by our thoughts.
NOT LIVING IN THE PRESENT
CAN BE A SOURCE OF STRESS
If we analyse our problems and
the causes of stress, we will be
surprised to find that 90% of our
stress is due to over analysing our
past or planning about the future.
In simple words, it means that we
are not worried about the present
and the reason for our stress is
either a past event or about what
is to come.
If we are constantly knocking at
the past, it means we are still not
able to accept it. Until we accept
the incidents in the past, we will
not be able to move on. The past is
now gone and nothing can be
done about it. So fixating on it can
prevent us from performing an
action in the present, just because
we’ve had negative experiences in
the past.
The moment we start worrying
about our future, we very clearly
move away from the present — as
we begin to visualise negative
experiences of the past and how
they will impact our future. And
so, we let the mindset that evolved
out of them influence our present
behaviour.
THE MANY BENEFITS OF
LIVING IN THE PRESENT
Living in the present has a striking
effect on our emotional quotient
and our physical health. We are
well aware of the fact that the
amount of mental stress we carry
has a detrimental impact on our
health. It is only when we live in
the present that we are living a life
in a state of acceptance. It’s only
then that we accept life as it is
now, not how we wish it could
have been. You have to experience
the bad to appreciate the good.
Indulging in the past or
over thinking about the future has
little value in life — it is ever
important to live our present to
the fullest. Conscious thought
INDULGING IN
THE PAST OR
OVER THINKING
ABOUT THE FUTURE HAS
LITTLE VALUE IN LIFE.
CONSCIOUS THOUGHT
ABOUT THE PRESENT
DIRECTS OUR LIVES
TOWARDS A
PROGRESSIVE
FUTURE.
about the present aids the
decisions we make, which direct
our lives towards a progressive
future. Yes, we definitely need
to take lessons from our past
experiences to help us in our
future decisions, but it should be
done without letting it affect our
present.
LIVING IN THE MOMENT IS
IMPORTANT TO BE HAPPY
Happiness is not something
about which you have to think.
You can only experience joy and
happiness by feeling it in the
present moment. The happiness
you receive or experience does
not depend on tangibles and
wealth, but it depends upon your
ability to be grateful for the things
you have in life.
Shivang Mathur
10 my city NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY)

(PHOTOS FOR
REPRESENTATIONAL
PURPOSE ONLY) The

DENIZENS quintessential
college romance is

PLAN something that

college students

MOMENTS OF are eager to

experience

LOVE,
AWAY FROM THE DU freshers
PHOTO: ARUN
SHARMA/HT
MADDING sad to miss out
on Valentine’s
CROWD! Day fervour
on campus
This Aprajita Sharad tions high kar diye the. Ab vir-
Some are opting for tual campus mein koi kya hi
cycling dates when
meeting prospective
year, couples in aprajita.sharad@hindustantimes.com

alentine’s Day, or the

romance kar sakta hai,” rues
this Atma Ram Sanatan
partners
PHOTO: BIPLOV BHUYAN/HT
Delhi-NCR are opting
for road trips and Can’t go to
P
college, can’t be out
V run-up to it, for a col-
lege student, would
usually entail unoffi-
cial house parties, receiving
Dharma College student.
Mansha Khanna, a Hansraj
College student, was hoping
things would be different this

Mallika Bhagat heritage walks gifts from their beau, and

sneaking out of class to catch a
year. “No feeling like having
new college crushes or enjoy-
on the pretext of movie. However, such isn’t the ing with friends at LP (lovers
Couples are choosing to
spend the day in the lap of
mallika.bhagat@hindustantimes.com

lanning the perfect

to celebrate college, basically no case, this time around, owing
to the pandemic. The batch of
point) when in North Campus,
but now, I think it’s just gonna
nature
PHOTO: PARVEEN KUMAR/HT

P Valentine’s Day can be

#dilse
s Momo, Happy Valentine’s
Day.. I love you!
Your Salman
s My Love, I don’t need no
Valentine’s Day to say that I love
you. Every breath I take l, every
move I make is because of you.
On this Valentine’s Day and every
day after that...in love forever!
Piyush
s D. Kriti, Many happy returns
of the day.May all your wishes
come true. I would give ur card
whenever an opportunity
arises... I remain.
Anil
s Meenakshi, I love you
more than I have ever found
a way to say to you.
daunting, especially
amid a pandemic.
Couples in Delhi-NCR
are, therefore, trying to make
the most of today while ensur-
ing safety and privacy, by opting
heading to
nearby places
for a calm evening.
V-Day
One such Delhiite is Sheel
Agarwal, a data analyst, who
plans to drive down to Alwar,
Rajasthan, with her boyfriend.
work and
other respon-
sibilities, we rarely
get time to explore our city or
spend time together. So, we’re
trying to do both, this time
around,” says Payal Solanki, a
choice left.
MANSHA KHANNA,
Student, Hansraj College
freshers which made it to Delhi
University (DU) but is waiting
to soak in college vibes, is
experiencing serious #FOMO
for all the campus romance
that brews in a student’s life.
“I recently came close to a
be a lazy Sunday,” she sighs.
Agrees Disha Bhatia, a Gargi
College student, who says, “I
was thinking this time, on Val-
entine’s Day, I’ll be in college
and will get to explore more
about relationships like ‘Hook
for road trips or historical walks “We both love road trips, and Noida-based teacher. girl, and we’ve become great up tu karle’ types… But, alas!
at less-crowded nooks in the Alwar is where we’re headed. For those waiting for Cupid’s friends over the last few Saare sapne kahin kho gaye
city. Ditching the dine-in scene, It’s a short drive, so we don’t arrow to strike, meeting prospec- months. But, not being able to (laughs).”
many are even venturing out to have to take leave the next day tive partners away from crowded hang out does pose challenges Covid-19 has brought with it
explore Nature. from work, as we’ll be back on places is a priority. “I’ve been to the progression of a relation- a set of hurdles, but not being
Take for instance Harish the same day,” she says. talking to this guy on a dating ship. Had we been on campus, able to romance on campus
Kumar. This Gurugram-based Also on the V-Day itinerary app for a few months now. We’re our friendship could have seems to be one of the most
corporate is taking his wife for
hiking. “People think romance
for some is exploring Delhi’s
heritage. “My husband Aniket
finally planning to meet today,”
says Akanksha Sharma, a
P blossomed into something
more over coffee, noodles and
complicated! “The pandemic
has rendered meeting people
dies after marriage, but that’s and I are major history buffs! Delhi-based UPSC aspirant. Ab virtual conversation in the canteen,” totally useless, let alone getting
so not true,” he says, adding, He’s planned a day-long heri- “Meeting in restaurants is very says Vinit Mehta, a Hansraj into a relationship! We com-
“We’re adrenaline junkies, and tage walk at Mehrauli Archaeo- clichéd and honestly, not too safe
campus mein koi College student. municate with our classmates
love hiking and running. So, logical Park. We also plan to go right now. So I suggested we go kya hi romance kar Some like Manish Mourya on WhatsApp groups. There
we’ll do that first at Aravalli to Rahim’s tomb, known as cycling around the city, consider- can’t stand the thought of not are around 60 people, of which
Biodiversity Park, followed by Delhi’s monument of love, ing we’re both regular cyclists. sakta hai! being able to mingle! “Singles only 20-30 talk. And among
a nice dinner date.” which has recently been Thodi privacy bhi mil jayegi aur MANISH MOURYA, Student, ki aatma roti hai V-Day aate hi! these, most don’t have profile
To escape the hustle and bus- restored by the Archaeological initial awkwardness bhi nahi Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma
A huge part of campus was pictures. Aisa lagta hai 60s-70s
tle of city life, many couples are Survey of India (ASI). Between hogi!” she adds. College
campus romance... Band Baaja me flashback chal raha hai,”
Baaraat (2010) and 2 States quips Tejas Malhotra, a Sri
(2014) jaisi films ne expecta- Aurobindo College student.
y
ing on valentine’s da
g we continue cring
pin
s To QT, Here’s tochhooth er messages on suc
h columns ever again
...
and never send ea Day!
Happy Valentine’s
With love, Always. together on video call. I now From Dory s Hello Dear My Besties, my child, The last 22 years have Viveka, I don’t believe in the
JoHn realise it wasn’t the songs or gs, Happiness can be found even in been the best years of my life. I conventional idea of love. It’s not
expressing my feelin t
their lyrics or the emotions ow I’m not good at now tha the darkest of times, if one only thank god every single day for about a loving partner anymore. I
s To Dexter, That first sweet they convey. It was you. Truth
s Dear Jojo, You kn mind putting in the
effort to change
remembers to turn on the light. blessing my life with your adore you, friend. You have been
but i certainly don’t Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.
puppy love still has me panting be told, we would have bonded I’m with you. You are the best. Be happy... And i beautiful soul. With you every one of the best writers I have
for you. You are the only one I even if there was absolutely Your XoXo miss you so so much.. I hope you r day is Valentine’s day! known and your struggles will
will ever love, my sweet no music to make us feel I safe in this pandemic... XoXo. Love, Dinesh never go futile. To the
ngs, but somehow
Valentine! something. You’re the music. ke me do weird thi rest Fatima celebration of love and
Anonymous You’re the most comforting song.
s Dear Vivz, You mathe m. Let’s be weird tog ether, for the
s Deal Alisha, When I met you friendship this Valentine’s Day. I
ing
always end up enjoy Valentine’s Day!
Happy V Day! of our lives. Happy s My Dearest Wife, Har saal first in the library, amongst all love you.
s Dearest Vandana, Though Yours Lakhwi Your Bestie mai apko is column se wish karta the wonders of literature, you Your Friend
a
we are yet to meet, but I have nothing more than hun... Corona ne is saal sab ki life were the only thing I ever
never felt even a bit separated s Dear Rakhi, I know how you I wa s lying wh en I said that you were sure of it ev en hila di, aur humari bhi, par bhir wanted to set my eyes on. s My Dear, You’ve taught me
s To V, ago and I’m
from you, I truly wish you could feel when you just seek my when I said it 5 years u, I’ll take anything you bhi aap humesha ki tarah is ghar Arya love. I hope to give you half the
friend. I knew that red of losing yo
be with me, nevertheless we’re attention but I continue with my stly so sca intance.. ka support system bani hui ho. happiness you’ve given me.
today. I’m hone ndship, your acqua
together and I’ll always love you.. calls and PPTs. I know you just to off er. An y scrap of you. Your frie Aap bachchon ke sath mera bhi s To My Dearest Friend Without wax.
ha ve Anything.
Happy Valentine’s Day! need a few moments of my day bahut support karti ho. Sabke Yours Only
Yours Shravan dedicated for you. From this True Friend liye thank you aur Happy
Vday I will make sure to dedicate with Valentine’s Day!
d beautiful 50 years DISCLAIMER: Dil Se is a compilation of fun messages from our readers.
s Maangsho, I used to think some time with you every day. My Sw ee th ea rt Rameshwar, I ha ha ve such a nic e Your Husband, VP The views expressed belong entirely to the senders and are not to be
that we bonded when we Love you....
s friend to me. I am lucky
to
you
you. You are like a th him . I lov e construed as an endorsement by the publication. Send your messages to
eryday wi
started listening to music Your Avi enjoyed each and ev s To Smita - the mother of meandmycity1@gmail.com.
person in my life. I my next births .
and want you in all
Suraksha

#gramit
SH Raza the modernist, { ASHWINY IYER
TIWARI } FILMMAKER-WRITER

man behind the canvas P

As a storyteller,
every once in a
while there are
Mallika Bhagat
stories I want to say
n Indian artist whose work
in a medium that
A evolved from expressionistic
landscapes to abstracts and found
global recognition in pure geometrical brings out the
forms, is Sayed Haider Raza. Narrating
the journey of this iconic modernist is essence in true
an ongoing exhibition in the city, titled
Antrung Raza. On display are letters, spirit.
books, catalogues and invitations Raza On her decision to
drew himself, for his exhibitions. write a book

CATCH IT LIVE
What: Antrung Raza
Where: Triveni Kala Sangam,
Tansen Marg
On Till: February 22
Timing: 11am-8pm
Nearest Metro Station: Mandi
House on Blue and Violet lines
“The intention is to make his strug-
gles, aesthetics and art known through-
out the country,” says Ashok Vajpeyi,
poet and managing trustee, The Raza
Foundation. “As an artist, Raza took an
alternative modernist approach. His
work is deeply spiritual and expresses a
sense of tranquillity,” he adds.
Raza’s belongings have been put
together from the largest single artist’s
archive, and offer a glimpse into the art-
ist’s evolution. “This exhibition, the first
one I’ve visited since the pandemic hit,
brings out the perfectionist in Raza,
who wrote letters with almost as much
care as he drew lines and painted can-
vases,” says Purushottam Agrawal, an
A
On display
art enthusiast and former professor. at the
February 22 will mark the onset of exhibition
Raza’s birth centenary celebrations, are books,
and this retrospective kick starts the catalogues,
events that will pay a tribute to the mas- and
ter. “This is the first ever archival show thousands PHOTO: SHIVAM SAXENA/HT
on the artist,” says Akhilesh Varma, of letters
curator of the exhibition. “Most know
Raza the painter, but it’s equally impor-
written to
Raza
Winged beauty! @BAJRANGPUNIA
tant to know Raza the person. This As the Mughal Gardens open for visitors, amid magnificent flowers and It isn’t History that creates
exhibition features over 20,000 letters fountains is spotted a peacock. The feathered creature, too, soaked in
that were written to Raza! He wrote the vibrant sight of roses, dahlias, pansies, and many other varieties of Heroes. It’s Heroes that create
back to each one of them, and saved flowers that are in full bloom at the President’s Estate. Entry to the History
these letters even while moving houses gardens is only through online booking, this year, in order to maintain
in France,” he adds. social distancing. Bajrang Punia, Wrestler
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2021 11
12
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 14, 2021

MET MY HUSBAND
AT THE AGE OF 59,
SAYS SUHASINI
MULAY (Inset) With
husband
Atul Gurtu
PHOTOS: FOTOCORP
AND FACEBOOK/
SUHASINI MULAY

Completing a decade
of marriage, Suhasini P
Mulay talks about a t a g e does r
Wh lea
t m a kes it c t you
her unconventional is, i
r
ha
head w e in a
y o u
love story in gotiat
will ne nship and
Rishabh Suri relatio ou won’t.
rishabh.suri@htlive.com what y MULAY,
INI
e live in the era of speed SUHAS Actor

W dating and dating apps,

with love supposed to be
just a tap away. Old
school love seems to have faded.
Which is why actor Suhasini Mulay’s
love story comes as a breath of fresh
air! Deciding to take the plunge at 59,
actor Suhasini Mulay broke a lot of
societal norms. “I met my husband
on Facebook! I didn’t have an
account till then. A colleague once
said I should open one, usse kaam
milta hai. She did it for me,” recalls
Mulay, who became “cautious” upon
receiving weird responses.
One day, she found a suggestion
on her feed about a particle physicist,
Atul Gurtu. “I had some interest in
science. He was working on an
experiment; there was then this
whole business about the God parti-
cle. I wrote to him, asking if he was
working on that; he said yes. I sent
another question, and we got talk-
ing,” shares the National Film Award
winner, 70, adding, “He was looking
for a change in life; he was a wid-
ower. He once asked if he could have
my mobile number, and I wrote
back, ‘Good girls don’t give mobile
number to strangers’. I checked out
his photo, the website of his institute;
the name and face matched, so he
was not bullshi**ing about that!”
Marriage wasn’t on the cards, she
asserts, but Gurtu made her think.
“He wrote, ‘You are happy busy run-
ning around, but if you want change,
it won’t happen automatically’. I
thought baat waajib hai. I was going
on 60 then, but then
I thought ‘Kya jata hai...’
We met, and had a long conversa-
tion,” the Jodhaa Akbar (2008) actor
adds.
One of her friends, who had also
married again after losing his wife,
helped her make up her mind. She
was told that if the other person is
rational, and if things don’t work out,
one can say it. “You commit because
you want to, not because society is
pushing you. There is enough pres-
sure from friends... luckily not from
my mother, who I wanted him to
meet first. We got married within a
month and half of meeting. It has
been 10 years now,” shares Mulay,
who recently came back from a vaca-
tion in Hampi with her husband.
 Brunch Date
MOHANLAL
& DAUGHTER is now in
Bengaluru
VISMAYA in an all-new
Creative minds digital avatar!
think alike
Digital Exclusive
Scan Below

o oesn t
in getting u in t e
i le o a ovie to
get o co n ut as
an acto ee
t at eo le watc
scenes ca e ull
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it suc little ti e
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li e an easie tas
i ant asse

 

  

Love, Laughter, Logic!

Is the craze for streaming content here to stay, or is cinema where the real action’s at?
A TV/filmstar & an OTT sensation argue about their common : movies!
4 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

guest column
{ I SAY, CHAPS }

#SameLove
After his passionate on-screen kiss with Milind Soman that EDITORIAL
Jamal Shaikh
“they said” could derail his career, the actor holds forth on (National Editor – Brunch and
New Media Initiatives)
gender-fluidity and its growing acceptance in the mainstream Lubna Salim
Shruti Nair
Karishma Kuenzang

By Sahil Salathia DESIGN

Sunil Kumar Mallik
(Art Director – Brunch)

T
Amit Malik
he most difficult part about Kishore Rawat
playing Bhanu – a gender- FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES:
fluid classical dance teacher in Ad Sales (North): Amit Gandotra
amit.gandotra@hindustantimes.com
Paurashpur (ZEE5) – was to be graceful; Ad Sales (West): Gautam Buragohain
because, in reality, I’m a total goofball! gautam.buragohain@digicontent.co.in
Ad Sales (South): Mockbul Haque
But the series is not about the dance mockbul.haque@digicontent.co.in
teacher being bisexual or gay, just like Find Hindustan Times Brunch on Facebook.
Follow @htbrunch on Instagram and Twitter.
it’s not about Milind Soman playing the Drop us a line at: 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
third gender. The romantic relationship New Delhi - 110001
Email: htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
between the two is intriguing .
I worked on ensuring that I represent NOTE TO READERS:
the community with respect and The feature titled ‘Brunch Focus’ is a promotional article.
We would like to emphasise that no sponsored content
responsibility. The love I’m gettingg on does or shall appear in any part of Brunch without it
social media is proof of that, thouggh I’m being declared as such to our valued readers.

also gettingg DMs with peop ple say

ying
g ‘You COVER CREDITS
shouldn’t have done this part’. This is also Cover photo shot exclusively for HT Brunch by
Prabhat Shetty
something many seasoned people from Styling for Vikrant by Priyanka Mishra and for
the film industry echoed, stating that the Radhika by Meagan Concessio
Make up for Vikrant by Rohan Shelke; Hair by Vinit S
gender-fluid role would categorise me Make up for Radhika by Shraddha Inder Mehta;
and I may lose out on other projects. Hair by Sourav Roy
On Vikrant: Outfit, Celio; shoes, Adidas
On Radhika: Jewellery, Ayana Silver Jewellery; shoes, Fila
P
“IF FILMMAKERS WON’T
CAST ME AS A “HERO”
[AFTER THIS], IT’S OKAY. AS
AN ACTOR, NOTHING CAN
STEREOTYPE YOU. IF YOU The writer, If you’re a trained actor, nothing
TAHIRA KASHYAP
KHURRANA
DO GET TYPECAST, YOU’RE Sahil Salathia, can stereotype you. And if you do get Author and thought leader
30, made
NOT A GREAT ACTOR!” his debut in typecast, then you aren’t as great an actor
{ Q+A }
—SAHIL SALATHIA Ashutosh because you need to kick-ass in each role. An
Gowariker’s actor’s filmography should be varied.
Stereotype debate Everest six I HEAR YEA
Q
years ago, and
If producers and directors who are very
is known for
New Age act I’m a successful guy of 30,
but I tend to get nervous
old school won’t cast me as a “hero” in his fitness and Younger actors today are more open to
around people; so I end up
their movie… then it’s okay because I fashion on doing diverse roles. When it comes to older talking a lot. How do I appear
anyway don’t even fit into their idea of social media actors, some of them are stuck up with being more dignified?
films. Not that I have anything against themselves on screen. A majority of actors in —PI, Mumbai
commercial content. India are actually just entertainers. And this,
at a time when we have access to some great T he best part here is you know
about your shortcoming
and that’s half the battle won.
international content!
A still from The other half, you can win by
Look at Aamir Khan. He plays the father listening. Work towards being a
the web series
Paurashpur, of two old girls in Dangal (2016). Is that good listener.
in which something he should get an award for? No.
Sahil Salathia But in India? Yes, because a lot of other actors After becoming a poster girl of
plays a dance his age are still being paired with 25-year-olds! strength with her fight against
teacher while cancer, author Tahira Kashyap
Milind Soman As told to Karishma Kuenzang Khurrana’s straight-speaking has
plays the brunchletters@hindustantimes.com inspired many
third gender Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
 6 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

upgrades
{ GAME SHOW }

Who will pop the question first?

The girl who asked her boyfriend out, the “in love” business partners or the colleagues-turned-lovers?
By Karishma Kuenzang

Urvashi Barman, 29 Kimberly Fernandez, 23 Moumita Majumdar, 27

and Rahul Bhatnagar, 30 and Nigel D’Souza, 25 and Zayyan Sharif, 25
Lawyer and travel journalist Entrepreneurs Brand strategists

How they met: How they met: The How they met: The
They connected now-business couple met at an office
via common partners met off-site in 2018
friends in three years and felt an
February ago while instant spark.
2020, studying at They started
exchanged St Xavier’s dating and in
numbers College. February 2019,
THE EXPERT
and began They began Zayyan moved
talking. But talking from Delhi
Rahul was after she to Mumbai.
shy, so Urvashi expressed Yin and Yang?
made the first interest in “At times, I
move and asked playing football can be a wreck
him out. with his team. with my mood
Yin and Yang? Yin and Yang? swings but
Rahul and Urvashi “Nigel is my the way he
are total opposites! biggest critic and deals with me
She’s a total Type A supporter. We are patiently, Geeta
and he’s laidback. business partners talking me Ramakrishnan
But they know they and I can turn to through it. I is an ontological
Zayyan and coach and has authored
can lean on one him for honest feed- Kimberly and Nigel lucked out,” the book titled
Moumita started
another when the world Urvashi and back,” Kimberly says. have been dating Moumita admits. The Game of
dating last year
seems to be conspiring Rahul have Fights? “They are for three years now They order food for Change
been together
against them! for 10 months mostly about work each other and watch shows together.
Fights? “Not often! He’s and I must confess that I’m always the Fights? “We fight about silly things. But I
much quicker to apologise,” Urvashi says. one to pick a fight,”she says. can’t stay angry at him for long,” she says. Which of these
three couples will
Progress report: “We’ve discussed marriage Progress report: “We’ve discussed Progress report: “We’ve become like
take the plunge
eventually, choosing to know each other better marriage and our folks know about us. family to one other in the city. So, first? Turn to Page
each day,” she says. There’s no pressure, though,” she says. marriage is on the cards,” she reveals. 9 to find out.

NEW
COLUMN!
{ Q+A }

D-DAY DILEMMA
AY DILEM BEAUTY SECRETS
Q On my wedding day, I want to look like the
most beautiful bride ever. But I don’t like
the idea of being styled like so-and-so actress
Q beauty
How can yoga be used as a
hack?
—Mariam Sharif, Bengaluru Now playing!
from such-and-such movie. I also find the idea of
spending lakhs on one outfit absurd. Help!
—Jitisha Goel, Via email
Bpractise
eauty is a side effect of yoga. Whether you like
it or not, it’s inbuilt in the practise. When you
yoga all the inner faculties calm down, your
The HT Brunch
Podcast.
Listen to your
AMI PATEL
Celebrity stylist F irst of all, I would recommend you do not look at any
celebrity for inspiration. Your body type is different, your
skin is different, your budget is different. I believe one can
entropies cool down and that reflects back not just
in your face but your entire mind-body system. It
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favourite stars,
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be the most beautiful and memorable bride ever! image consultant and faculty with the Art of Living
 8 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

nostalgia
{ WHEN I WAS 22… }

Dharmesh Darshan,
(Above) The director in the pool
at Otters Club in Bandra; (Left)
Dharmesh with his mother, who

Filmmaker he was extremely close to

“I wanted to be with my
parents and not fly the nest”

Dharmesh Darshan at his father's office in Seeking the blessings of his parents, Darshan and Dharmesh all dressed up for his birthday at his
Indore, where his passion for films developed Sheila, before launching Lootere (1993), his first film Pali Hill bungalow, in Mumbai

Where were you career-wise? So what was your mindset like?

I had graduated from Sydenham College
and had not yet taken a plunge into the film
industry. Video cassettes were at their peak
popularity at the time, and I began to study
cinema by watching Indian and international
classics on them.
And the money situation...?
Zilch, as I had not begun earning. Although
my parents were well off, I believed in being
economically self-sufficient and directed my
first film while still in my 20s.
Any romance in the air?
I was deeply romantic but hardly dated. I had
my share of crushes, but I channelised my
passion into filmmaking and writing.
What was your focus in life?
To make my family proud and help them
realise their unfulfilled dreams. I was very
protective about them.
To be with my parents and not fly the nest.
What was your biggest dream?
P
“[ONE THING I’D CHANGE
To fulfill my mom’s dream of seeing me as the
number one filmmaker. She was the daughter
ABOUT ME] IS MY NATURE.
and sister of filmmakers, but was married off
I WAS AND CONTINUE TO
at the age of 16. I inherited my love for films BE TOO IDEALISTIC”
and music from her. What did you do
Tell us about fashion sense, then. for fitness?
I had a great sense of style, which reflected I was super fit at 22,
in the way I presented Juhi (Chawla) in but when I became a
Lootere (1993) an nd Karisma (Kapoor)) in director and started
Raja Hindustani (1996). Sadly, however, I 18-hour workdays my
THEN AND NOW underplayed my own outfits to conform to th he fitness flew out of the window. Because I don’t
Dharmesh
Darshan at image of a typical director. I sported glasses, indulge in alcohol and drugs, that has helped
22 (top) and now dressed soberly in muted colours. me regain lost ground, recently.
at 52 (above) What was your most prized possession If you could rewind and change one thing
at that time? about yourself, what would it be?
My collection of non-fiction and My nature. I was and continue to be too idealistic.
cinema-related books! —DINESH RAHEJA

Continued from Page 6

{ Q+A } And the winners are...
BREKKIE IDEAS PRESSURE TEST Urvashi and Rahul
Q What’s an easy breakfast to cook
Q I’ve always cooked in a pressure cooker, "Fighting is healthy!”

for a group of 10 hungry children
between 8 and 10 years old, for the
morning after a sleepover?
—Dhvani C, Via email
“R
but I’ve now been advised to slow cook
my meats for better nutrition. Give me some AHUL and URVASHI have a
tips, please. mature mindset towards their
—Toral, Chandigarh relationship, and make up for

T H
hink French toast, but done in the ere’s a tip: that’s just bad advice! There’s each other’s weakness,” says Geeta Ramakrishnan,
PRATEEK SADHU oven - it’s the easiest hack for a crowd! nothing wrong with pressure cooking ontological coach. Fighting is healthy as long as you
Award-winning Chef Just lay your bread in a baking dish and meats and most other foods - it’s a method discuss it later – something couples forget. “It’s okay to be
pour an egg-milk-cinnamon mixture over that actually retains more nutrients than most, angry with your partner,” she explains. End the day with
it. Dress it up with whatever other spices especially if you repurpose the cooking liquid. a 10-minute chat sans gadgets, and set relationship goals
and flavours you want, and bake it for Luckily that’s easiest to do here, where you can and ask each other why you are together once a month.
about 30 minutes. All the kids get fed in turn that liquid into a gravy, sauce or dressing KIMBERLY and NIGEL have a trusting relationship, but
one go, and you can treat yourself to go with the meat. since she’s usually apologising, Nigel may unconsciously
extr
to some silence and an extra Prateek’s signature restaurant, Masque, is changing be projecting an air of superiority. MOUMITA and
cup of coffee instead of
o India’s culinary landscape and was awarded the ZAYYAN seem well balanced but their constant
standing over the stove. One To Watch Award by Asia’s 50 Best in 2020 bickering on small things could eventually escalate.
10 FEBRUARY 14, 2021
social media
s
{ SOCIAL MEDIA STAR OF THE WEEK }
@tedthestoner
For enabling over 17,000 pet adoptions via his Instagram pages
By Karishma Kuenzang
I
t started when @tedthestoner aka Jitendra
Sharma got a request to help recover a
follower’s pet in Delhi. Jitendra, 26, posted
a story via his page. Days later, the owner
DM-ed to thank him for sharing as it helped
find his dog. “That’s when I realised social
media can make a difference,” he shares how
he unknowingly started his adoption drive
in 2017-2018. Today, his page, along with a
secondary official page @tedthestoner2.0
(409k followers), has managed to enable over
17k adoptions including dogs, cats, rabbits
and guinea pigs.
He’s gone from getting 10-20 requests a
day to over 1,000 a day. “The best part is when
owners send pictures with the newest member
of their family,” smiles the creator who has one
rule: Asking people why they are giving the pet
up, and dissuades them if possible.
All for indie breeds
The biggest problem the Mumbai boy,
who started from a Facebook page
before switching to Instagram
in 2014, faces? Indie breeds
the animal lo ing
itendra Sharma
adoptions. “When I put a post
about adopting a pure-bred,
I get 1000s of DMs within
minutes. But with indie
breeds, I’ve had to post three- Vishal
Dadlani
four times,” he says, adding that
there’s a misunderstanding that
indie dogs aren’t suitable for homes.
“Whenever you use social media for a
good cause, some people will have issues,” he Kumari the ‘follow back’ option instead. “I’ve
says. Like last year, when breeder groups on
WhatsApp and Facebook put posts accusing
him of charging for adoptions. But he follows
a fairly transparent process – posting a story
with the number of the person reaching out
for help. After that, the two take it forward.
P
“MY BIG MOMENT
WAS WHEN I WENT TO
FOLLOW VIRAT KOHLI,
I SAW THE “FOLLOW BACK”
OPTION, AND DISCOVERED
HE FOLLOWS ME”
—JITENDRA SHARMA
w
JEREMY JAUNCEY
Int’l travel entrepreneur
{ Q+A }
Why SAFE TRAVELS
@TedTheStoner?
Q always paranoid about losing
“There’s no reason really my passport and money when I
and it’s got nothing to do travel. What’s the best way to keep
with getting stoned. After these safe / get over
the Sushant Singh Rajput my fear?
case, many celebs kept their —Tanya T, Via email
distance from my account
for a bit because of the
handle name.” Iknow what you mean, I have the
same with my passport. We’re a few
years off having biometric scanners
that will do away with passports
(they are coming though), so for now
my passport is always with me and I
know where the British Embassy is of
any place I’m headed to. I rarely carry
cash these days – either loading a local
currency debit card or using mobile.
THE MEMORY CARD
Q Tell us about the most
memorable road trip you’ve
ever taken.
—Ravish Sarna, Dubai
18 years old, in a 1984 (the year
I was born!) beat up Honda
Civic with very dodgy brakes and
no indicator lights... I was travelling
around New Zealand with some
eleb mates, playing rugby and living in
who follo hostels. No worries, no commitments
Star power and easily the best road trip I’ve ever
Jitendra
Sharma, a done. I’m pretty sure that’s when I fell
He’s also in contact
former finance in love with travel.
with celebrities,
executive, has Jeremy Jauncey is the founder and CEO
who often repost his over one million of one of the world’s best-known travel
stories, which helps followers on communities called Beautiful Destinations,
Aditya Roy spread the word. His Instagram which was born out of a social media
Kapur big moment was when
he went to follow Virat
Kohli, the day the cricketer
Raja
SUNDAY IN A SENTENCE
made his Instagram debut, he found
{ FREDDY BIRDY }
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR
now spoken to him thrice thanks to Anushka,
who’s even helped out with a doctor’s number
when someone had a medical emergency and
people like her, Raftaar, Vishal Dadlani, etc, “The happier you are on
aren’t doing this for f ame,” he says. social media, the less
“The funny part is that we aren’t really you are in real life.”
saving the pet’s life, but the life of the #BrunchBook-
@freddy_birdy
person adopting him/her. We get a Challenge
lot of messages from people with presents book
readings with
mental health issues telling us how
your favourite
much better they feel with a pet
authors. For
around,” he concludes. Kiran Manral,
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com scan below
Follow @KKuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
Who should be the next
HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The
Week? Nominate using the hashtag
#BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email
htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
 FEBRUARY 14, 2021 11

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cover story

{ Valentine’s Day Spat! }

LoveOr
mome nt, Radh
Infatuation?
ika Ma dan, 25, an d Vikrant Massey, 33, address the
Stars of the
debate du jour: has OTT finished larger-than-life cinema for good, or is it just a passing phase?
Text by Shruti Nair
Photos shot exclusively for HT Brunch by Prabhat Shetty
Styling by Priyanka Mishra (for Vikrant Massey)
and Meagan Concessio (for Radhika Madan)

I
vividly remember going to watch
Devdas (2002), my first movie in a
single-screen theatre, when I was all of
eight. It doubled as an extended family
outing, for which we had booked an
entire row in the cinema hall. Now that
used to be the charm of watching a movie on
the big screen! Cut to last year at home, when
we finally got a decent Wi-Fi connection,
thanks to work from home, my grandpa
would nudge me to stream Malayalam movies
post lunch, which kept him glued to the sofa.
The seismic shift in the Indian film
industr y has been gradual and it is
happening again. The year of the pandemic
has changed the way content is being
consumed, movies included.
So, a few minutes into my Zoom interview,
when I ask actors Vikrant Massey, 33, and
Radhika Madan, 25, about their viewpoints
on the announcement of censorship on
OTT, Vikrant says, “I honestly don’t find a
difference. We have to concede that when
there was no censorship, people would go
{ VIKRANT MASSEY } ACTOR
“The definition of
heroes and of big filmsl
is changing. Also, the
concept of heroes in
real life itself
re
is changing.”
P very fortunate because, whether OTT or
“NOW THAT MAXIMUM
VIEWERSHIP IS ON OTT,
WHO IS THE HERO?
THE SCRIPT!”
—RADHIKA MADAN
overboard.” Radhika spontaneously chimes
in: “Vikrant, I’m sorry to cut you off but do
you think that a show like Mirzapur will be
possible after censor board comes on board?”
As for me, I smile to myself
(victoriously), as the conversation has
set the premise for the debate of OTT vs
theatre-going experience!
THE STREAMING
STORY
So, when I ask our actors to choose their
stance, Radhika says: “Of course, there’s
comfort [in streaming]. I can pause it
anytime; I can go to the loo and continue
to watch on my phone. I can multitask and
watch, let’s not get into it in detail,” says
Radhika and Vikrant chuckles almost as if
he’s guilty of doing it.
“But,” she adds, “I also feel that our
attention span is reducing. According to
stats, the short films are working more,
whereas if the duration is longer, a lot of
people tend to get distracted faster. Rest
Vikrant sir will tell us,” she smiles.
Vikrant nods and says: “True. Due to the
Covid phase, lot of people have lapped on
to OTT because they had no choice. I was
theatre, people have been very kind to me.
Plus, given that there are so many takers
for good content and diverse platforms,
God has been kind! And it is here to stay.
Not just in India, but the consumption
of entertainment worldwide shows that
streaming platforms have found their
footing. It’s in a transitional phase still,
but it is a welcome change.”
COUCH COMFORT OR
CURTAIN-RAISER?
Making a movie is an effort involving
hundreds of people. How, then, does it feel
when the audience pauses a movie midway
to go cook or to take a nap?
Radhika takes the first pass, and says:
“Look, for a lot of people, movie-watching
is not a serious thing. For an actor, or for
people from the industry, it is. My mom
doesn’t mind getting up in the middle of the
movie to get popcorn, and I react with, ‘How
can you get up in the middle of a scene?’ So,
while I’d prefer that people watch my scenes
carefully, I’ve also realised I cannot expect
that all the time.”
“Cinema-viewing is akin to culture in our
country and the last 30 years have seen a
huge transition from the single-screen to
multiplexes,” says Vikrant and adds: “For a
middle-class family, to go watch a movie once
a month is an event. It’s an experience!” (Now
I realise why Devdas is etched in memory
so clearly.)
To watch themselves on ‘the big screen’ is
 cover story
    
  
  

   

   

           

      
    

   

  #  "

 

#   !

# !
"#
   

 

   !


  
     

   

     

 
 

  



 

   

  
 
 

14 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

cover story

P
“OTT IS A SPACE THAT
IS ALLOWING CREATIVE
PEOPLE TO SHOW
THEIR ART THROUGH
STORYTELLING!”
—VIKRANT MASSEY

often an actor’s big dream and this year has

deprived us of that experience, and advent
of the OTT has furthered it.
“With such little time and so much to do,
watching a movie on a small screen seems
like an easier task. If I speak of Mirzapur,
people have watched it while commuting
to work, or my building watchman watches
it at 11 pm after he shuts the society gates.
While you may want to have that community-
viewing, larger-than-life experience, and I
am missing it but these are two different
things,” he says and adds: “OTT is a space
that is allowing creative people to show their
art through storytelling.”
To this, pat comes Radhika’s retort, “It
depends on who is watching what kind of
content. There are people who feel if ‘I take a
subscription equivalent to a movie ticket, my
entire family can watch lounging in our hall
for a month. Why then should I pay money to
go to the theatre? So, it really depends. I feel
a Rohit Shetty movie can truly be enjoyed in
a theatre, but others might not feel the need.
As Vikrant said, it’s an experience!”

TO CENSOR, OR NOT...
Circling back to the censorship issue,
Radhika takes a five-second pause before
answering, “It depends on the script, to be
very honest! I liked the fact that there was
no censorship on OTT platforms because
you could show the reality through real
emotions and real language, and you don’t

have to decorate the premise, you know? It’s
{ RADHIKA MADAN } ACTOR
not a Sooraj Barjatya kind of movie, where
you’ve to show hum sab saath hain (we are
all together) and only that is celebrated. That
“I liked that there reality and freedom is going to be amiss!”
was no censorship Vikrant believes in the need for self-
on OTT platforms check. It helps stay closer to realism. This
because you could isn’t necessarily compromised with a censor
show the reality board being present but depends on the kind
of censorship that’ll come into effect, he feels.
through real
“Censorship was always there, whether it
emotions and was cinema, television or even newspapers.
real
re language” I believe that there is a manner in which
everything has to be told and that needs to
be ensured. If they want me to talk about a
pressing issue that I also relate to, I may have
a problem but if the censor board wants
me to reduce the nudity in the film, fair
enough. I’ll wrap it in a different manner,
but I’ll continue telling my stories. Also,
this thing about realism can only be shown
through a particular language is not entirely
true. When I did Balika Vadhu it ushered
in a new era of shows, which had social
realism, so if it is meant to be within rules,
it can happen.”
‘IT’S ALL SCRIPTED’
Speaking of Balika Vadhu and television
shows, since both Vikrant and Radhika started
their acting journey from TV shows, has OTT
leveraged on TV’s regressive scripts, I ask.
 FEBRUARY 14, 2021 15

cover story
y

“B R S
WHAT WOULD YOU
PREFER: PLAYING A
”
SIDEKICK IN A BIG
FILM OR A SMALL,
MEMORABLE ROLE?

“It’s not necessary that

a big film is a good film”
Vikrant: “The definition of heroes
and of big films is changing.
Also, the concept of heroes in life
itself is changing. Today, it’s not
necessary that a big film is a good
film. However short a movie or
not, the important aspect is how
good it is. So, I want to be a part of
good movies and speak my mind
through my work. I was mostly
the sidekick or did smaller parts.
It’s now that I’m getting bigger,
meatier roles as my producers,
audiences and directors want to
see me that way.”

“Every 100-crore hero

kept changing…”
Radhika: “Earlier, there used to be
these conversations about actors
making 100 crores, so they are the
heroes. But with every 100 crore,
heroes kept changing. Now that
maximum viewership is on OTT, who
is the hero? The gap has bridged and
now, the script is the hero. Whether
it is five-minute or a 15-minute
role, or I’m in the entire movie, it
should make me think when I’m
sleeping, bathing etc. I’d want to be
appreciated as an actor more, than
as a heroine.”

“There are only five per cent shows which
speak in larger context as opposed to 95 per
cent shows, which have bad content but end
up influencing the majority. It’s high time TV
producers and script writers make impactful
content that’s also entertaining. We are over
the saas-bahu sagas. Stop the plastic surgery
redo yaar and let’s have shows like Balika
Vadhu!” says Radhika. To which, I quip:
“Even though Radhika pushes for shows
like Balika Vadhu, don’t you think they lose
their track over time?”
“Television is like a door-to-door medium.
Even today, our country’s majority is the
middle-class and their main entertainment
consumption is via TV. The structure
P is business. So many people are still ready
“WE ARE OVER THE
SAAS-BAHU SAGAS.
STOP THE PLASTIC
SURGERY REDO”
—RADHIKA MADAN
remains the same, so regressive content
is there, unfortunately. But we can’t look
at it from a one-dimensional perspective,
because when we ask questions like ‘Why
are shows like this still made?’, the makers
say, audiences are buying that, there are
sponsors willing to pay and eventually, it
to buy the substandard content to escape
from their mundane lives. As an actor, what
I can do is not be a part of such movies or a
performer of such content,” says Vikrant.
As we end our chat, I’m relieved to have
not fuelled a heated argument between two
amicable actors. My takeaway: it’s always
multiple, contrasting voices that round off
an intelligent argument. Wouldn’t you agree?
So, go enjoy a smart squabble, this
Valentine’s Day!
shruti.nair@hindustantimes.com
Follow @MissNairr on Twitter and Instagram
16 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

columns

{ rude food }

VIR
SANGHVI They’re
back
How three of India's finest chefs,
Alex Sanchez, Ritu Dalmia and Regi
Mathew, have been to hell and back

I
n the early months of 2020, I finally managed to score a table
at Mumbai’s Americano. I had heard good things about the
restaurant and had admired the chef-patron Alex Sanchez
when he was at The Table, a lovely and influential restaurant
near the Gateway of India.
But it took me three tries to get a table because Americano
was always packed out. When I finally ate there, I discovered
why Sanchez had disappeared after his stint at The Table: he had
spent much of his time travelling through Italy, cooking in small
towns with nonnas and learning the secrets of ‘real’ (as distinct
from ‘restaurant-style’) Italian food.
His learnings were all there on the plates. Americano, I wrote
after my visit, was easily the finest European (using the term
loosely: Alex is American) restaurant in Mumbai and possibly all
of India. The food was not showy or fancy. But each dish had a
distinctive and delicious flavour of its own.
A few weeks after I went, even as I was planning my next trip
to Mumbai, Americano shut down. Covid had just hit India and
though there was no requirement for restaurants to shut, Alex
PIZZA POWER closed Americano. He was being cautious, he said, but his priority
When Americano was to protect the health of his staff, many of whom journeyed to
had started
the restaurant’s Kala Ghoda location from the suburbs by public
food delivery,
people from all transport: buses and local trains.
over the city A little later, the state government shut down all restaurants
ordered their and stopped public transport. So Americano would have had to
famous pizzas close anyway.
For three months, as Mumbai went dark, I heard nothing
more about Americano. Then I was told they had started delivery
food. People from all over the city ordered their famous pizzas.
Sanchez put together pasta kits that were not exactly DIY, but let
you assemble the dishes at home.
Then, finally, a few weeks ago Americano opened for business
again. I called Alex to ask how he had coped through this dark
period. It was gloomy, he said, because for much of the time he
could not see a light at the end of the tunnel. His commitment was
to his staff (he did not sack a single person) and to his loyal band of
regulars who ordered delivery food when Americano was shut.
He was luckier than most, he said. His landlord was flexible
and understanding. He found a perfect delivery service in Thrive,
which was ideal for neighbourhood restaurants like his. But no,
he did not think that Americano would recoup its losses any time
soon. The struggle was always to simply stay afloat.
If one of India’s best restaurants, with a loyal clientele, a packed
waiting list and an understanding landlord had to struggle so
HOUSEFUL HEROES
Chef Alex Sanchez with Mallyeka Watsa, the co-founder of
Americano, which was always packed out prior to the pandemic
much during the pandemic, how have the others coped?
I spoke to Ritu Dalmia, queen of the Delhi restaurant scene, and
she conceded that the restaurant industry has never known a bigger
crisis or a worse time. In the Greater Kailash market, where she ran
the supremely trendy Café Diva, she says, restaurants are shuttering
up every week. Even Café Diva, with its formidable reputation, has
had to shut down. So has Ritu’s newly-opened Diva Spice.
Some of it has to do with social distancing regulations, she
says. All restaurants have a business plan that depends on
serving a certain number of meals a day. If they have to, say, halve
their seating capacity, then the economics collapse.
Plus, says Ritu, there are short-sighted Delhi landlords
who will demand full rent even when the restaurant is shut.
Obviously, this means that restaurants have to close down. But
the landlords can’t find new tenants either. So the space goes
empty. This works to nobody’s advantage, so Ritu says she can’t
understand the inflexibility of some Delhi landlords.
Ritu also runs two restaurants in Milan, Italy and their
fortunes have been mixed. They were shut down in the early
part of 2020, re-opened to roaring business in the summer and
then closed again as the lockdown was re-imposed in the winter.
But, says Ritu, the Italian government helps pay staff salaries,
which makes a huge difference. In India, on the other hand, the
hospitality sector has received no government support.
P
ALL RESTAURANTS HAVE A BUSINESS
PLAN THAT DEPENDS ON SERVING A
CERTAIN NUMBER OF MEALS A DAY.
IF THEIR SEATING CAPACITY IS HALVED,
THEN THE ECONOMICS COLLAPSE.

SOUTHERN STAR
Chef Regi Mathew (right) is
best known for Kappa Chakka
Kandhari, one of the best
restaurants in Chennai; (Above)
(Above
An assortment of vegetarian
food at the restaurant
Ritu has found ways of coping. Fortunately, three of her
restaurants continue to flourish: the flagship, original Diva,
Latitude 28 in Khan Market and the wonderful café she runs at the
Italian Embassy Cultural Centre. She forayed into delivery during the
lockdown and her (CasaDiva) pasta kits have become wildly popular
during the pandemic. But, like Alex, she is against treating delivery
as a replacement for customers at restaurants. Restaurateurs can
raise some revenues from delivery to help with cash flow, she
explains, but the Diva group’s delivery revenues rarely exceed 10 per
cent of the total turnover. She is in the restaurant industry, she says,
and until that recovers her business will suffer.
SMART MOVES
Ritu Dalmia forayed into delivery during the lockdown and her
pasta kits have become wildly popular during the pandemic
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 17
columns
Photo: Vinayak Grover
Photo: Ashok Raj
Listening to Alex and Ritu, I wondered what things were like
for chef-patrons in the South. I have known Regi Mathew since
the 1990s when he was the Thai cuisine chef at Bengaluru’s
Taj West End. Regi left the hotel business fired by a mission to
popularise the food of his native Kerala.
He opened the stand-alone Thai place, Benjarong, after
leaving the West End but he really made his solo reputation with
Chennai’s Ente Keralam.
At present, he is best known for Kappa Chakka Kandhari,
which is easily one of the best restaurants in Chennai.
The concept is unusual. Regi and a few friends went back to
their mothers to ask for home recipes. Each of them also asked
their mothers to introduce them to 10 ladies of their mothers’
generation who liked cooking. They then requested the ladies
to give them home recipes. Not content with this, they went to
Kerala’s toddy shops to look for popular recipes.
Kappa Chakka Kandhari is like no other Malayali restaurant in
India because it still relies on home chefs in its kitchen and refuses
to serve Malabar Parotta (“it is not a mother’s dish”) or biryani
(“mothers don’t make it”: I’m not sure about that one, frankly).
When the lockdown hit, Regi was devastated. He had to close
down his Bengaluru operation and offered the home chefs
who cooked at his Chennai restaurant the opportunity to go
home. Most stayed with the restaurant and he struggled to find
cash flow doing some delivery and supplying food to the state
government’s Covid relief schemes.
He has kept his head above water though and his Chennai
place has re-opened successfully and by the time you read this,
Bengaluru should have too. He has taken a huge financial hit, but
is proudest of having stood by his people.
Alex, Ritu, Regi are among the finest chefs I know. They are
not mere food entrepreneurs. They work in this field because
they love food. All three of them have been to hell and back.
But perhaps better times are coming. Regi says that he expects to
be back at full capacity in a couple of months. If the market improves,
Ritu will look for a new location for Café Diva. And ironically
enough, there has never been a better time to go to Americano. With
customers only trickling back slowly to restaurants, this is the one For more columns by
time when it is not too difficult to get a table at Americano. Vir Sanghvi, scan the
I can’t wait to go! QR code. Follow Vir on
The views expressed by the columnist are personal Twitter @virsanghvi
18 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

columns

{ humour }

REHANA
Love on a platter
MUNIR Food compatibility is the essential
ingredient in long-term romantic bliss

‘I
f music be the food of love, play on’ wrote the over-quoted
Bard, whose love interests were as diverse as they were
intense, as his sonnets prove. I humbly wish to offer a counter-
view. Food, to me, nourishes love more than anything else. Jazz,
long drives and a shared addiction to reality TV are all very well,
but anyone who wishes to sustain a long-term, mutually fulfilling
romantic relationship must accept that food compatibility is
where it’s at. (Second only to temperature compatibility.)

Budget romance
The early days of dating abound in candlelit dinners of dainty
sushi and bite-sized bruschetta, nibbled at absently between long
gulps of wine. Food is simply an excuse to stare unabashedly at
the angel across the table. Items that are fiddly are a strict no-no
here; whoever wants to see their romantic fantasy struggle with
a five-layered burger with onions and pickles? I’ve spent most
of my salad days quaffing idlis at Udipis and bun maska at Irani FEED ONE’S MIND
Taste is a matter of infinite variety and complexity, yet we tend to
cafés, safe in the knowledge that the affordable meals held few find common ground with those we care about
dangers for sloppy eaters. But there’s the matter of having to be
quick about it; both kinds of establishment depend upon a quick tend to eclipse others. Spicy food is not intrinsically superior to
turnover of tables. So often, you’re just about starting to exchange bland food, for example, but it is a widely held opinion where
languid looks as the bill is served in a bowl of dubious saunf. we live. Luckily, highly developed palates are not a pre-requisite
for romantic bliss; cultural and emotional sensitivity is.

P One of my favourite eavesdropping categories is ‘Kitchen

HIGHLY DEVELOPED PALATES ARE
NOT A PRE-REQUISITE FOR ROMANTIC
BLISS; CULTURAL AND EMOTIONAL
SENSITIVITY IS
Once upon a time, theatres offered great possibilities for a
budget romance. Somewhere between the unaffordable caramel
popcorn and edamame momos at a multiplex, I find myself
missing the comfort of cheap matinee shows with superb
samosas. A year before the lockdown, I tried to recreate that
lost charm by ordering a chai at the canteen of the ageing Gaiety-
Galaxy theatre complex. Just as we had drained our chipped
cups, my companion and I both realised we had left our wallets
at home. It was left to the kindly couple at the next table to bail
us out. A budget romance indeed.
Kitchen politics
Taste is a matter of infinite variety and complexity, and yet we all
tend to find common ground with those we care about. If you, for
discussions between couples’. The passive-aggressive insinuations
around grocery shopping. The agony of planning daily menus. The
pressure of entertaining. On the happier side, olive branches are
regularly offered on a plate. An extra serving of dessert connotes
passion. An early morning beverage, devotion. But it is in the cleaning-
up department that true love reveals itself. If there’s someone who
will stay up with you doing the dishes long after the guests have left
and the music has died down, they’re a keeper.
Cupid the connoisseur
MasterChef Australia has a lot to answer for. Just about anything
that comes out of that fantastic pantry and kitchen is an ode
to love. The thought that goes into every dish, the meticulous
processes, and the impeccable plating and serving, have set
impossibly high standards. As if that weren’t enough, some of
the challenges that the show sets its participants are planned
explicitly around the theme of love. And so we get madly attractive
dishes, from flirtatious hors d’oeuvres to seductive desserts, a
culinary theatre that casts cupid as a connoisseur.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of thoroughfare along the stomach-
heart highway. One is just as likely to be floored by a hurriedly
Photo imaging: Parth Garg

instance, accept my dahi mania, I’ll be good about your dhania
fixation. But some food-related differences between couples are
irreconcilable. Like the mutton fiend and the vegan. (Good name
For more columns
by Rehana Munir, for a contemporary take on an Aesop’s Fable, don’t you think?)
scan the QR code. Or when one partner’s idea of a celebration is a Gujarati thali
Follow Rehana on while the other swears by khow suey. Invariably, one partner
Twitter @rehana_munir dominates the food discourse, just like certain flavour profiles
assembled toastie as an elaborately planned roast. It all depends on
the timing. As the world celebrates some version of Valentine’s Day,
it’s useful to remember that love can be poured out of an instant
packet just as easily as a vintage bottle. May we all be mindful of
our audience, and keep both our wits and wallets handy.
rehanamunir@gmail.com
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagram
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20 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

relationships
“There are many [of
dad’s films] that I love “Vismaya has
and there are also never critiqued my
many I haven’t seen” performance in a
film, but shares
her opinion about
the storyline, and
the making”

Her
father’s
daughter
Hit Malayalam actor
Mohanlal’s daughter,
Vismaya, has opted for a
career in poetry and her
dad is all praises for
her dedication
By Priya Bala

A
cting, it might seem, is the
predetermined or obvious career
choice for most star kids in the
Indian film industry. Bollywood
sees them being ‘launched’ ever so often; in
Malayalam cinema, Dulquer Salman stepped
effortlessly into the large shoes of his father,
Mammootty, while Pranav Mohanlal
debuted as a child artiste in Onnaman (2002),
his father’s film, and has gone on to establish
himself as an actor, assistant director
and songwriter.
His younger sister, Vismaya, however, has
chosen a different realm for her creativity, most
recently publishing a collection of poems and
illustrations titled Grains of Stardust.

P
“I HAVE READ ALL OF
VISMAYA’S POEMS
AND, MUCH LIKE THE
MEANING OF HER NAME,
THEY TOO ARE STRANGE
AND OTHERWORLDLY”
—MOHANLAL

y Mohanlal, who’s written an eloquent
a foreword – in which he quotes Matsuo Bashō
– to the book, told HT Brunch, “I’ve never
t
planned a career in cinema for Maya. She has
d
been involved in theatre productions during
her school days, and has expressed interest in
performance art. If she wishes to pursue that
it would be entirely her choice, and if she does,
she has all my blessings.”
Poetic justice
According to Vismaya, she’s never felt pressured
to enter cinema or follow a certain career path.
“That said, I am interested in performance and
I’d be open to acting if I came across a good
script,” she says. So, we may just see her follow
in the footsteps of her father and brother.
Right now, it’s her skill as a poet that is being
talked about, and her father is admiring it. “I
have read all of Vismaya’s poems and, much
like the meaning of her name, they too are
strange and otherworldly. They are simple yet
philosophical and can be interpreted in many
ways…on a spiritual level, in a personal manner,
and so on. It depends upon the reader.”
Participate in the
#BrunchBookChallenge
Visit online: read.ht/yrz
Vismaya says the book came together quite
unexpectedly. ‘I would write a little here and
there, but I never saw myself as a poet and I
never imagined that what I was writing or
scribbling would one day become a book.”
Some of the poems, she says, are personal,
others emerging from her imagination.
Claim to fame
While she has stepped into the limelight with
this work, she has not grabbed the attention
that starkids do. Compare this with the focus
on,say,TaimurAli KhanorAaradhyaBachchan.
“I did almost all my schooling in an
international boarding school where people
either didn’t know or it didn’t matter that I
was ‘Mohanlal’s daughter’. So, I never felt any
different to anyone else growing up there,”
Vismaya says.
After schooling at Hebron in Ooty, Maya went
to the US and Europe to pursue her interest in
art and theatre. “Due to this, she has not been
exposed to the limelight and therefore wasn’t so
involved in the industry. It was not a conscious
decisiontokeepherawayfromit.Itjusthappened
to turn out that way,” Mohanlal says.
Creative call
While being different from typical star kids
who are prepared for cinema from a young age,
Vismaya shares her father’s tangential creativity.
“She is someone who loves to explore
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 21
relationships
Mohanlal’s film new and different aspects each one’s duty to find that
Onnaman (2002) of life, someone with thing towards which they
(above) where
somewhat strange and feel that pull. If you do not
his son Pranav
debuted as a child different thoughts, and I find it in one place, seek it
artiste; Vismaya’s think this is a quality we someplace else. It is a deeply
book (right) is share,” Mohanlal says. personal thing, and only you
a collection of The two also share also a can know where it lies,” says
poems, titled
Grains of common love of nature and Mohanlal, who is known for
Stardust a certain conviviality. “She his deeply philosophical
hasadesiretogetalongwith approach to his art.
people and doesn’t like rifts. Given his complete
Having said that, she can be immersion in his work, the
firm and argumentative. If time he spends with family
I were to look at aspects in is limited. “Because of my
which we differ, I’d say that while I believe in profession, and because of the fact that Maya
the truth of my convictions, I am more flexible went to a boarding school, we have not had
and accepting of circumstances and events. the opportunity to spend several days at a time
That is perhaps due to my age, my travels, my together. Now she is an adult with her own
experiences and my profession.” opinions and views, and we are able to discuss
and share ideas with each other. We share
P a good rapport. I would say that she is more
connected with her mother, but we still have a
“I WOULD WRITE A good and healthy relationship,” Mohanlal says.
LITTLE HERE AND Vismaya says she enjoys the time she gets
to spend with family. Cooking together, or
THERE, BUT I NEVER rather her dad cooking and the rest of the
IMAGINED WHAT I WAS family eating, listening to music, travelling,
WRITING OR SCRIBBLING anything really. “I honestly just enjoy
spending time with my family, regardless
WOULD ONE DAY
of what we’re doing,” she says.
BECOME A BOOK! ” And watching her dad’s films? “There are
—VISMAYA MOHANLAL many that I love and there are also many I
haven’t seen,” Vismaya says.
Vismaya says her father allowed her to figure Mohanlal says she watches her fair share
things out for herself. She does go to him when of movies and reads a lot. “I find her feedback
she’s making a big decision. “I am not one to quite valuable. Vismaya has never critiqued
advice people. Apart from the few general my performance in a film, but shares her
norms, I share what I have learned from my opinion about the storyline, and the making.”
own experiences that I think might be of help. brunchletters@hindustantimes.com
As far as being an artist is concerned, it is my Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
belief that one needs to have the fire, drive and
commitment to persevere and succeed. I still Priya Bala is a Bengaluru-
based senior writer who
have that desire, and remain one hundred per
specialises in food, travel and
cent dedicated to what I am doing. When I lose lifestyle writing. She has edited
that, I will know that it is time for me to stop. several major mainstream
The same goes for anything in life, and it is publications in the past
22 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

music

In the “Nidhi would

name of
keep saying I can’t
let my musical
sensibilities go to
waste, to the
point that it

love...
was annoying”

Composer Anand
Bhaskar tells us how
his wife, Nidhi Sethia,
helped him take a
second shot at his first
love, music, which
turned his life around

By Karishma Kuenzang

C
an meeting the ‘right person’
change your life? Or, is this just
a cliché that the right and left
swiping millennials will never
relate to? For musician Anand Bhaskar,
who’s now done the music for both the
seasons of Mirzapur, meeting ‘the one’
– Nidhi Sethia, gave him the push to go
back to his true calling – music – after a
decade in advertising.
She “annoyed” him till he recorded his
originals, and his band Anand Bhaskar
Collective came together.

Couple goals
The couple tied the knot in April 2013,
his debut album released in August
2014, prompting him to quit his job
in October 2015. Snide remarks
came his way for leaving work
early for band practice. By 2018,
he had a bankable reputation in
the music scene, becoming the
go-to person for last-minute
jingles and other projects.
“Nidhi would keep
saying I can’t let my musical
sensibilities go to waste,
to the point that it was
annoying. I was 33 when
I quit my job and worried
about rent kaun dega. She

said I should dedicate at least six months to
it, after which I could decide if I wanted to
go back to a job,” the now 39-year-old says.
Anand did the rounds of composers’
offices and production houses, when he
got a jingle gig for Amul in March 2015 for
`10,000, and before long he was doing a jingle
with Akshay Kumar and got `1.5 lakh for it.
The advertising professional spent the first
three years pitching himself and learning
production and practising.
“I was aware I had started late in life and there
were many kids half my age, who sing 10 times
better than me. I needed to do whatever kids
were doing but three times over,” he says, adding
that smoking and drinking over the years had
also taken a toll on his voice.
Not that singing was a new thing for him.
He’s been singing since he was three, and even
trained in Indian classical music, growing
up in a household where his parents played
plenty of Malayalam film music, Rafi’s songs,
AR Rahman’s Tamil works and, of course,
Michael Jackson, which introduced Anand
to the world of international music.
P albums old,
“I DON’T BELIEVE IN LOVE
AT FIRST SIGHT, BUT
IT WAS – MAYBE THE
LIGHTING WAS RIGHT”
—ANAND BHASKAR
“I even stole money from my dad’s briefcase
to buy cassettes,” he sniggers. But he stopped
training when he was 17, brainwashed by peers
and the society to go for engineering or a masters
degree. “I did a BA in Stats, which I’ve never
used,” he laughs.
Anand spent two years working in a BPO,
before coming to Mumbai to do a Masters
in Fashion Management and Technology
from NIFT, and then joining Mudra, where
he met Nidhi.
Cut the chase
The couple, whose birthdays are five days
apart, met in 2005 when Anand wasn’t looking
to date anyone and both of them had stayed
back late at work one day. “I don’t believe
in love at first sight, but it was – maybe the
lighting was right,” he laughs.
Then, one night he got drunk and sent her
a formal email-style message on Facebook,
while he still wasn’t on her friend list, asking
her out. But his display picture was a tad old
and since Anand didn’t look anything similar
to it in real life, she couldn’t recognise him and
thought it was a prank. “I had to tell Nidhi I sit
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 23
music
c
(Above) Two next to her, for her to finally recognise me,”
Anand Bhaskar
he recalls, chuckling. But she didn’t respond
to his messages and so, he stopped trying.
Collective is also
working on an But one day, when his boss asked Anand to
get his guitar and he was forced to sing in office
EP, called Ufaq;
(Right) Anand (Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here), Nidhi first
first noticed his noticed him.
wife Nidhi,
when they were
When they accidentally met in the elevator
working late at soon after, Anand was determined not to
work one day ‘give her bhaav (attention)’, so when she
complimented his singing, he replied with:
“You don’t check your FB messages.” Quick
wit and a golden voice worked, and soon
they were texting on Hangouts and then
they SMS-ed for two months as Anand didn’t
have a smartphone in 2011.
“That hardwork was worth every second. It
took me 59 days to ask her out. Even now I feel
she’s way out of my league.”
They’d discuss music and Bhaskar discovered
that Nidhi loves Bollywood music. So, he invited
her to listen to an original (Hey Ram) and that
day she started pushing him to do music. “Today, Boy and the band
I’ve been doing music exclusively for six years His band, Anand Bhaskar Collective, too grew by
and don’t feel bored or burnt out! That’s insane leaps and bounds in the five years. Like Ankur
compared to the fact that I changed my job seven Tewari from Ankur & The Ghalat Family, who
times in 10 years of being in advertising and is the one to have recommended Anand for
BPOs,” he exhales! Mirzapur. Anand, in turn, got his entire band
Not that he didn’t take up all household chores on to play for one track as well as indie musician
after he quit his job – he learnt how to make Isheeta Chakravarty to sing the track Tittar Bittar.
perfectly round chapatis, besides cooking. “My Season 2 was also distinctively different than
wife would come from work (she’s currently the season 1, complete with a rap song, Munna. “My
head of development at Window Seat Films LLP) first draft got rejected,” he confesses. Then, he
and ask me how I’d managed to make them so turned his composition process around – getting
round!” laughs the musician who’s now sung in the lyrics from Ginny Diwan for Tittar Bittar. The
Baaghi 2, Mission Mangal and has also worked line ‘ho jaaye saare tittar bittar’ sparked a melody
with Amit Trivedi. and the song was done in an hour. “It’s an ‘item
24 FEBRUARY 14, 2021
music
“Today, I’ve been doing music
exclusively for six years and
don’t feel bored... That’s insane
compared to the fact that I changed
my job seven times in 10 years of
being in advertising and BPOs”
song’ from a woman’s point of view while a fight
is on. I’m grateful the directors supported our
wacky ideas,” he sighs with relief.
With so much of the indie scene in it, does
he consider Mirzapur a commercial project?
“I don’t see projects as commercial and
non-commercial. I feel music is divided into
accessible and inaccessible melodies, which
can be produced with indie or film or ad or web
series sensibilities. My goal is to make a melody
with high recall value, which leaves an impact
on the listener’s mind,” he explains.
You definitely have more freedom in web
series as the directors are from the new school
of thought, he points out, which allows new
composers to showcase their talent.
P
“MY GOAL IS TO MAKE
A MELODY WITH HIGH
RECALL VALUE, WHICH
LEAVES AN IMPACT ON
THE LISTENER’S MIND”
—ANAND BHASKAR
“In films, there’s a parallel compulsion to
make something commercially successful so
producers also take a call on the casting of the
singer as there is so much money involved,” he
says, before citing the likes of indie musicians
Shilpa Surroch and Keka Ghoshal, who are
singing for web series. In shows, songs make a
comeback and appear again and again and you
also check out song and credits, which makes a
big difference. Proof of which can be seen as his
YouTube subscribers and Instagram followers
have shot up, and he’s crossed 200k listeners
per month on Spotify from a week ago when it
was 30k per month. And it’s also trickling into
support for the band!
Looking ahead
Bhaskar is also doing the music for Netflix’s
Bombay Begums, which will focus on lyrics.
One song has a reggaeton vibe with vocals akin
to Nadia Hassan in the ’80s! He’s also rapping in
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s anthem, besides
working on a solo album with a pop, electronic
and hip-hop vibe.
Two albums old, Anand Bhaskar Collective
is also working on an EP, called Ufaq. The lyrics
of the titular song is being co-written by the
couple, their (fifth) song together. And no, it’s
not a mushy song, but a high-intensity rock
number about determination and reaching for
the horizon no matter how long it takes and
how becoming strong not just involves hard
work but also overcoming your inner evil and
toxicity. Just like the story of his life.
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com
Follow @KKuenzang on Twitter and Instagram

TRIBUTE
RAJIV KAPOOR
AUG 25, 1962-FEB 9, 2021
Larger than life
Rajiv Kapoor will remain etched in memory as a bon vivant,
large-hearted and generous member of the first family of Bollywood
By Dinesh Raheja
I
first interviewed the three Kapoor
brothers – Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv –
when I was paying a written tribute to
their father Raj Kapoor, within days of
his death... And then, last year, I wrote an
obituary for Rishi and today I am penning
one, with a heavy heart, for his younger
brother Rajiv (Chimpu).
The first time I saw Rajiv was outside
Minerva cinema for the premiere of his
debut film Ek Jaan Hain Hum (1983). He was
sitting in his car with a friend, the door left
ajar, palpably nervous and excited, drinking
beer to calm his nerves. It was the era of star
progeny – there was Sanjay Dutt, Kumar
Gaurav and Sunny Deol – and the 21-year-
old debutant was expected to shoot to fame
in the same comet-like manner.
Screen presence
His launch vehicle was fuelled by big guns.
The film was produced by F C Mehra, a friend
of Rajiv’s uncle, Shammi Kapoor. The second
generation of Kapoors and Mehras – the two
Rajivs, one an actor the other a director –
became friends during their joint venture,
Ek Jaan Hain Hum. Chimpu seemed to be
following the template expected of star sons...
even dating the heroine of his film Divya Rana
in those days. However, their pairing on and
off screen fizzled and so did Chimpu’s career.
His first film was breezy and Chimpu was
(Above) Rajiv
Kapoor in Ram
Teri Ganga Maili,
the film that
turned his
career around;
(Left) He debuted
with Ek Jaan Hain
Hum opposite
Divya Rana
full-of-beans as an actor, but his performance
and looks seemed heavily-influenced by his
uncle Shammi, whether by design or default, I
am not sure. It didn’t work in his favour because
Shammi was a tough act to follow. Chimpu
made amends and forged his individuality
a couple of years later with Ram Teri Ganga
Maili (1985), directed by his father, Raj Kapoor.
Chimpu got a meaty role and a much-
needed shot in the arm with this golden
jubilee hit, though the film’s nubile heroine
Mandakini stole some of his thunder, thanks
to the famous sequence, where she stood
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 25
obituary
P
“I UNDERSTOOD WHY NEETU
KAPOOR AND CHIMPU GOT
ALONG LIKE A HOUSE ON
FIRE – HIS KAPOOR CHARM
WAS INFECTIOUS”
underneath a waterfall in a sheer sari. Rajiv’s
illustrious father, Raj Kapoor, had finally
managed to bring out the best in his youngest
son with Ram Teri, but, unfortunately, his
subsequent death abbreviated any chances
of further collaborations, which could have
taken Chimpu’s career to the next level.
In the mid-1980s Chimpu was signed on by
big banners such as Nasir Hussain (Zabardast,
1985), Tito-Tony (Aasmaan, 1984) and Saawan
Kumar Tak (Preeti , 1986), but Lady Luck kept
snubbing him at the box office.
Getting personal
My date for the premiere of Chimpu’s
directorial debut under the RK banner Prem
Granth (1996) was the feisty veteran actress
Nadira. The venue was the FC Mehra-owned
Minerva cinema again. Nadira introduced me
to Chimpu as her son, and he touched her feet
and asked for blessings after acknowledging
me with a smile and a “thanks for coming”. If
Prem Granth hadn’t gone awry in its plot in the
second half, Chimpu would’ve been enthused
to direct more films for his home banner.
I met him a couple of times thereafter – once
when I dropped in on the sets of Rishi Kapoor’s
directorial venture Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) at
RK studios, for which Chimpu was the producer.
I witnessed first-hand how close the three
brothers were and how they worked in tandem
on their collective passion for filmmaking.
I bumped into Chimpu last some years
back, when I was having dinner with my
friend Santosh Sud and her filmmaker
husband Guddu Dhanoa. Chimpu was sitting
by himself at another table but the extroverted
Kapoor couldn’t refuse Guddu’s invitation to
join us. He was in high spirits and regaled
us with his stories. Chimpu was no longer
the lean youngster of Ram Teri Ganga Maili,
but his smile and demeanour were intact.
I understood why his sister-in-law Neetu
Kapoor and he got along like a house on fire
– his Kapoor charm was infectious.
And that’s how I would like to remember
him... just as he was that evening – gregarious,
large-hearted, bon vivant and a foodie!
brunchletters@hindustantimes.com
Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
Dinesh Raheja is a reputed film historian,
columnist and TV scriptwriter who has been
writing on cinema for over three decades
in bed with…




  

 

 




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MOHANLAL
& DAUGHTER is now in
Bengaluru
VISMAYA in an all-new
Creative minds digital avatar!
think alike
Digital Exclusive
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Love, Laughter, Logic!

Is the craze for streaming content here to stay, or is cinema where the real action’s at?
A TV/filmstar & an OTT sensation argue about their common : movies!
2 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

guest column
{ I SAY, CHAPS }

#SameLove
After his passionate on-screen kiss with Milind Soman that EDITORIAL
Jamal Shaikh
“they said” could derail his career, the actor holds forth on (National Editor – Brunch and
New Media Initiatives)
gender-fluidity and its growing acceptance in the mainstream Lubna Salim
Shruti Nair
Karishma Kuenzang

By Sahil Salathia DESIGN

Sunil Kumar Mallik
(Art Director – Brunch)

T
Amit Malik
he most difficult part about Kishore Rawat
playing Bhanu – a gender- FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES:
fluid classical dance teacher in Ad Sales (North): Amit Gandotra
amit.gandotra@hindustantimes.com
Paurashpur (ZEE5) – was to be graceful; Ad Sales (West): Gautam Buragohain
because, in reality, I’m a total goofball! gautam.buragohain@digicontent.co.in
Ad Sales (South): Mockbul Haque
But the series is not about the dance mockbul.haque@digicontent.co.in
teacher being bisexual or gay, just like Find Hindustan Times Brunch on Facebook.
Follow @htbrunch on Instagram and Twitter.
it’s not about Milind Soman playing the Drop us a line at: 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
third gender. The romantic relationship New Delhi - 110001
Email: htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
between the two is intriguing .
I worked on ensuring that I represent NOTE TO READERS:
the community with respect and The feature titled ‘Brunch Focus’ is a promotional article.
We would like to emphasise that no sponsored content
responsibility. The love I’m gettingg on does or shall appear in any part of Brunch without it
social media is proof of that, thouggh I’m being declared as such to our valued readers.

also gettingg DMs with peop ple say

ying
g ‘You COVER CREDITS
shouldn’t have done this part’. This is also Cover photo shot exclusively for HT Brunch by
Prabhat Shetty
something many seasoned people from Styling for Vikrant by Priyanka Mishra and for
the film industry echoed, stating that the Radhika by Meagan Concessio
Make up for Vikrant by Rohan Shelke; Hair by Vinit S
gender-fluid role would categorise me Make up for Radhika by Shraddha Inder Mehta;
and I may lose out on other projects. Hair by Sourav Roy
On Vikrant: Outfit, Celio; shoes, Adidas
On Radhika: Jewellery, Ayana Silver Jewellery; shoes, Fila
P
“IF FILMMAKERS WON’T
CAST ME AS A “HERO”
[AFTER THIS], IT’S OKAY. AS
AN ACTOR, NOTHING CAN
STEREOTYPE YOU. IF YOU The writer, If you’re a trained actor, nothing
TAHIRA KASHYAP
KHURRANA
DO GET TYPECAST, YOU’RE Sahil Salathia, can stereotype you. And if you do get Author and thought leader
30, made
NOT A GREAT ACTOR!” his debut in typecast, then you aren’t as great an actor
{ Q+A }
—SAHIL SALATHIA Ashutosh because you need to kick-ass in each role. An
Gowariker’s actor’s filmography should be varied.
Stereotype debate Everest six I HEAR YEA
Q
years ago, and
If producers and directors who are very
is known for
New Age act I’m a successful guy of 30,
but I tend to get nervous
old school won’t cast me as a “hero” in his fitness and Younger actors today are more open to
around people; so I end up
their movie… then it’s okay because I fashion on doing diverse roles. When it comes to older talking a lot. How do I appear
anyway don’t even fit into their idea of social media actors, some of them are stuck up with being more dignified?
films. Not that I have anything against themselves on screen. A majority of actors in —PI, Mumbai
commercial content. India are actually just entertainers. And this,
at a time when we have access to some great T he best part here is you know
about your shortcoming
and that’s half the battle won.
international content!
A still from The other half, you can win by
Look at Aamir Khan. He plays the father listening. Work towards being a
the web series
Paurashpur, of two old girls in Dangal (2016). Is that good listener.
in which something he should get an award for? No.
Sahil Salathia But in India? Yes, because a lot of other actors After becoming a poster girl of
plays a dance his age are still being paired with 25-year-olds! strength with her fight against
teacher while cancer, author Tahira Kashyap
Milind Soman As told to Karishma Kuenzang Khurrana’s straight-speaking has
plays the brunchletters@hindustantimes.com inspired many
third gender Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
 FEBRUARY 14, 2021 3

upgrades
{ GAME SHOW }

Who will pop the question first?

The girl who asked her boyfriend out, the “in love” business partners or the colleagues-turned-lovers?
By Karishma Kuenzang

Urvashi Barman, 29 Kimberly Fernandez, 23 Moumita Majumdar, 27

and Rahul Bhatnagar, 30 and Nigel D’Souza, 25 and Zayyan Sharif, 25
Lawyer and travel journalist Entrepreneurs Brand strategists

How they met: How they met: The How they met: The
They connected now-business couple met at an office
via common partners met off-site in 2018
friends in three years and felt an
February ago while instant spark.
2020, studying at They started
exchanged St Xavier’s dating and in
numbers College. February 2019,
THE EXPERT
and began They began Zayyan moved
talking. But talking from Delhi
Rahul was after she to Mumbai.
shy, so Urvashi expressed Yin and Yang?
made the first interest in “At times, I
move and asked playing football can be a wreck
him out. with his team. with my mood
Yin and Yang? Yin and Yang? swings but
Rahul and Urvashi “Nigel is my the way he
are total opposites! biggest critic and deals with
She’s a total Type A supporter. We are me patiently, Geeta
and he’s laidback. business partners talking me Ramakrishnan
But they know they and I can turn to through it. I is an ontological
Zayyan and coach and has authored
can lean on one him for honest feed- Kimberly and Nigel lucked out,” the book titled
Moumita started
another when the world Urvashi and back,” Kimberly says. have been dating Moumita admits. The Game of
dating last year
seems to be conspiring Rahul have Fights? “They are for three years now They order food for Change
been together
against them! for 10 months mostly about work each other and watch shows together.
Fights? “Not often! He’s and I must confess that I’m always the Fights? “We fight about silly things. But I
much quicker to apologise,” Urvashi says. one to pick a fight,”she says. can’t stay angry at him for long,” she says. Which of these
three couples will
Progress report: “We’ve discussed marriage Progress report: “We’ve discussed Progress report: “We’ve become like
take the plunge
eventually, choosing to know each other better marriage and our folks know about us. family to one other in the city. So, first? Turn to Page
each day,” she says. There’s no pressure, though,” she says. marriage is on the cards,” she reveals. 9 to find out.

NEW
COLUMN!
{ Q+A }

D-DAY
AY DILEMMA BEAUTY SECRETS
Q On my wedding day, I want to look like the
most beautiful bride ever. But I don’t like
the idea of being styled like so-and-so actress
Q How can yoga be used as a
beauty hack?
—Mariam Sharif, Bengaluru Now playing!
from such-and-such movie. I also find the idea of
spending lakhs on one outfit absurd. Help!
—Jitisha Goel, Via email
Bpractise
eauty is a side effect of yoga. Whether you like
it or not, it’s inbuilt in the practise. When you
yoga all the inner faculties calm down, your
The HT Brunch
Podcast.
Listen to your
AMI PATEL
Celebrity stylist F irst of all, I would recommend you do not look at any
celebrity for inspiration. Your body type is different, your
skin is different, your budget is different. I believe one can
entropies cool down and that reflects back not just
in your face but your entire mind-body system. It
improves blood circulation, hence a natural facial. You
favourite stars,
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only look their best when one brings out their personal will find yourself smiling more and almost feel like Scan the QR
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be the most beautiful and memorable bride ever! image consultant and faculty with the Art of Living
 4 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

nostalgia
{ WHEN I WAS 22… }

Dharmesh Darshan,
(Above) The director in the pool
at Otters Club in Bandra; (Left)
Dharmesh with his mother, who

Filmmaker he was extremely close to

“I wanted to be with my
parents and not fly the nest”

Dharmesh Darshan at his father's office in Seeking the blessings of his parents, Darshan and Dharmesh all dressed up for his birthday at his
Indore, where his passion for films developed Sheila, before launching Lootere (1993), his first film Pali Hill bungalow, in Mumbai

Where were you career-wise? So what was your mindset like?

I had graduated from Sydenham College
and had not yet taken a plunge into the film
industry. Video cassettes were at their peak
popularity at the time, and I began to study
cinema by watching Indian and international
classics on them.
And the money situation...?
Zilch, as I had not begun earning. Although
my parents were well off, I believed in being
economically self-sufficient and directed my
first film while still in my 20s.
Any romance in the air?
I was deeply romantic but hardly dated. I had
my share of crushes, but I channelised my
passion into filmmaking and writing.
What was your focus in life?
To make my family proud and help them
realise their unfulfilled dreams. I was very
protective about them.
To be with my parents and not fly the nest.
What was your biggest dream?
P
“[ONE THING I’D CHANGE
To fulfill my mom’s dream of seeing me as the
number one filmmaker. She was the daughter
ABOUT ME] IS MY NATURE.
and sister of filmmakers, but was married off
I WAS AND CONTINUE TO
at the age of 16. I inherited my love for films BE TOO IDEALISTIC”
and music from her. What did you do
Tell us about fashion sense, then. for fitness?
I had a great sense of style, which reflected I was super fit at 22,
in the way I presented Juhi (Chawla) in but when I became a
Lootere (1993) an nd Karisma (Kapoor)) in director and started
Raja Hindustani (1996). Sadly, however, I 18-hour workdays my
THEN AND NOW underplayed my own outfits to conform to th he fitness flew out of the window. Because I don’t
Dharmesh
Darshan at image of a typical director. I sported glasses, indulge in alcohol and drugs, that has helped
22 (top) and now dressed soberly in muted colours. me regain lost ground, recently.
at 52 (above) What was your most prized possession If you could rewind and change one thing
at that time? about yourself, what would it be?
My collection of non-fiction and My nature. I was and continue to be too idealistic.
cinema-related books! —DINESH RAHEJA

Continued from Page 6

{ Q+A } And the winners are...
BREKKIE IDEAS PRESSURE TEST Urvashi and Rahul
Q What’s an easy breakfast to cook
Q I’ve always cooked in a pressure cooker, "Fighting is healthy!”

for a group of 10 hungry children
between 8 and 10 years old, for the
morning after a sleepover?
—Dhvani C, Via email
“R
but I’ve now been advised to slow cook
my meats for better nutrition. Give me some AHUL and URVASHI have a
tips, please. mature mindset towards their
—Toral, Chandigarh relationship, and make up for

T H
hink French toast, but done in the ere’s a tip: that’s just bad advice! There’s each other’s weakness,” says Geeta Ramakrishnan,
PRATEEK SADHU oven - it’s the easiest hack for a crowd! nothing wrong with pressure cooking ontological coach. Fighting is healthy as long as you
Award-winning Chef Just lay your bread in a baking dish and meats and most other foods - it’s a method discuss it later – something couples forget. “It’s okay to be
pour an egg-milk-cinnamon mixture over that actually retains more nutrients than most, angry with your partner,” she explains. End the day with
it. Dress it up with whatever other spices especially if you repurpose the cooking liquid. a 10-minute chat sans gadgets, and set relationship goals
and flavours you want, and bake it for Luckily that’s easiest to do here, where you can and ask each other why you are together once a month.
about 30 minutes. All the kids get fed in turn that liquid into a gravy, sauce or dressing KIMBERLY and NIGEL have a trusting relationship, but
one go, and you can treat yourself to go with the meat. since she’s usually apologising, Nigel may unconsciously
extr
to some silence and an extra Prateek’s signature restaurant, Masque, is changing be projecting an air of superiority. MOUMITA and
cup of coffee instead of
o India’s culinary landscape and was awarded the ZAYYAN seem well balanced but their constant
standing over the stove. One To Watch Award by Asia’s 50 Best in 2020 bickering on small things could eventually escalate.

{ SOCIAL MEDIA STAR OF THE WEEK }
@tedthestoner
For enabling over 17,000 pet adoptions via his Instagram pages
By Karishma Kuenzang
I
t started when @tedthestoner aka Jitendra
Sharma got a request to help recover a
follower’s pet in Delhi. Jitendra, 26, posted
a story via his page. Days later, the owner
DM-ed to thank him for sharing as it helped
find his dog. “That’s when I realised social
media can make a difference,” he shares how
he unknowingly started his adoption drive
in 2017-2018. Today, his page, along with a
secondary official page @tedthestoner2.0
(409k followers), has managed to enable over
17k adoptions including dogs, cats, rabbits
and guinea pigs.
He’s gone from getting 10-20 requests a
day to over 1,000 a day. “The best part is when
owners send pictures with the newest member
of their family,” smiles the creator who has one
rule: Asking people why they are giving the pet
up, and dissuades them if possible.
All for indie breeds
The biggest problem the Mumbai boy,
who started from a Facebook page
before switching to Instagram who follo
in 2014, faces? Indie breeds
the animal lo ing
itendra Sharma
adoptions. “When I put a post
about adopting a pure-bred,
I get 1000s of DMs within
minutes. But with indie
breeds, I’ve had to post three- Vishal
Dadlani
four times,” he says, adding that
there’s a misunderstanding that
indie dogs aren’t suitable for homes.
“Whenever you use social media for a
good cause, some people will have issues,” he Kumari the ‘follow back’ option instead. “I’ve
says. Like last year, when breeder groups on
WhatsApp and Facebook put posts accusing
him of charging for adoptions. But he follows
a fairly transparent process – posting a story
with the number of the person reaching out
for help. After that, the two take it forward.
P
“MY BIG MOMENT
WAS WHEN I WENT TO
FOLLOW VIRAT KOHLI, I
SAW THE “FOLLOW BACK”
OPTION, AND DISCOVERED
HE FOLLOWS ME”
—JITENDRA SHARMA
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 5
social media
a
w
JEREMY JAUNCEY
Int’l travel entrepreneur
Why { Q+A }
@TedTheStoner?
SAFE TRAVELS
“There’s no reason really
and it’s got nothing to do
with getting stoned. After
the Sushant Singh Rajput
Q always paranoid about losing my
passport and money when I travel.
What’s the best way to keep these
case, many celebs kept their safe / get over my fear?
distance from my account —Tanya T, Via email
for a bit because of the
handle name.”
Iknow what you mean, I have the
same with my passport. We’re a few
years off having biometric scanners
that will do away with passports
(they are coming though), so for now
my passport is always with me and I
know where the British Embassy is of
any place I’m headed to. I rarely carry
cash these days – either loading a local
currency debit card or using mobile.
THE MEMORY CARD
Q Tell us about the most memorable
road trip you’ve ever taken.
—
Ravish Sarna, Dubai
18 years old, in a 1984 (the year
I was born!) beat up Honda
Civic with very dodgy brakes and
no indicator lights... I was travelling
around New Zealand with some
eleb mates, playing rugby and living in
hostels. No worries, no commitments
Star power and easily the best road trip I’ve ever
Jitendra
done. I’m pretty sure that’s when I fell
He’s also in contact Sharma, a
in love with travel.
with celebrities, former finance
executive, has Jeremy Jauncey is the founder and CEO
who often repost his over one million of one of the world’s best-known travel
stories, which helps followers on communities called Beautiful Destinations,
Aditya Roy spread the word. His Instagram which was born out of a social media
initiative, and is today a model for start-ups
Kapur big moment was when
he went to follow Virat
Kohli, the day the cricketer
Raja
SUNDAY IN A SENTENCE
made his Instagram debut, he found
{ FREDDY BIRDY }
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR
now spoken to him thrice thanks to Anushka,
who’s even helped out with a doctor’s number
when someone had a medical emergency and
people like her, Raftaar, Vishal Dadlani, etc, “The happier you are on
aren’t doing this for f ame,” he says. social media, the less
“The funny part is that we aren’t really you are in real life.”
saving the pet’s life, but the life of the #BrunchBook-
@freddy_birdy
person adopting him/her. We get a Challenge
lot of messages from people with presents book
readings with
mental health issues telling us how
your favourite
much better they feel with a pet
authors. For
around,” he concludes. Kiran Manral,
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com scan below
Follow @KKuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
Who should be the next
HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The
Week? Nominate using the hashtag
#BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email
htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
 6 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

cover story

{ Valentine’s Day Spat! }

LoveOr
mome nt, Radh
Infatuation?
ika Ma dan, 25, an d Vikrant Massey, 33, address the
Stars of the
debate du jour: has OTT finished larger-than-life cinema for good, or is it just a passing phase?
Text by Shruti Nair
Photos shot exclusively for HT Brunch by Prabhat Shetty
Styling by Priyanka Mishra (for Vikrant Massey)
and Meagan Concessio (for Radhika Madan)

I
vividly remember going to watch
Devdas (2002), my first movie in a
single-screen theatre, when I was all of
eight. It doubled as an extended family
outing, for which we had booked an
entire row in the cinema hall. Now that
used to be the charm of watching a movie on
the big screen! Cut to last year at home, when
we finally got a decent Wi-Fi connection,
thanks to work from home, my grandpa
would nudge me to stream Malayalam movies
post lunch, which kept him glued to the sofa.
The seismic shift in the Indian film
industr y has been gradual and it is
happening again. The year of the pandemic
has changed the way content is being
consumed, movies included.
So, a few minutes into my Zoom interview,
when I ask actors Vikrant Massey, 33, and
Radhika Madan, 25, about their viewpoints
on the announcement of censorship on
OTT, Vikrant says, “I honestly don’t find a
difference. We have to concede that when
there was no censorship, people would go
{ VIKRANT MASSEY } ACTOR
“The definition of
heroes and of big filmsl
is changing. Also, the
concept of heroes in
real life itself
re
is changing.”
P very fortunate because, whether OTT or
“NOW THAT MAXIMUM
VIEWERSHIP IS ON OTT,
WHO IS THE HERO?
THE SCRIPT!”
—RADHIKA MADAN
overboard.” Radhika spontaneously chimes
in: “Vikrant, I’m sorry to cut you off but do
you think that a show like Mirzapur will be
possible after censor board comes on board?”
As for me, I smile to myself
(victoriously), as the conversation has
set the premise for the debate of OTT vs
theatre-going experience!
THE STREAMING
STORY
So, when I ask our actors to choose their
stance, Radhika says: “Of course, there’s
comfort [in streaming]. I can pause it
anytime; I can go to the loo and continue
to watch on my phone. I can multitask and
watch, let’s not get into it in detail,” says
Radhika and Vikrant chuckles almost as if
he’s guilty of doing it.
“But,” she adds, “I also feel that our
attention span is reducing. According to
stats, the short films are working more,
whereas if the duration is longer, a lot of
people tend to get distracted faster. Rest
Vikrant sir will tell us,” she smiles.
Vikrant nods and says: “True. Due to the
Covid phase, lot of people have lapped on
to OTT because they had no choice. I was
theatre, people have been very kind to me.
Plus, given that there are so many takers
for good content and diverse platforms,
God has been kind! And it is here to stay.
Not just in India, but the consumption
of entertainment worldwide shows that
streaming platforms have found their
footing. It’s in a transitional phase still,
but it is a welcome change.”
COUCH COMFORT OR
CURTAIN-RAISER?
Making a movie is an effort involving
hundreds of people. How, then, does it feel
when the audience pauses a movie midway
to go cook or to take a nap?
Radhika takes the first pass, and says:
“Look, for a lot of people, movie-watching
is not a serious thing. For an actor, or for
people from the industry, it is. My mom
doesn’t mind getting up in the middle of the
movie to get popcorn, and I react with, ‘How
can you get up in the middle of a scene?’ So,
while I’d prefer that people watch my scenes
carefully, I’ve also realised I cannot expect
that all the time.”
“Cinema-viewing is akin to culture in our
country and the last 30 years have seen a
huge transition from the single-screen to
multiplexes,” says Vikrant and adds: “For a
middle-class family, to go watch a movie once
a month is an event. It’s an experience!” (Now
I realise why Devdas is etched in memory
so clearly.)
To watch themselves on ‘the big screen’ is
 cover story
    
  
  

   

   

           

      
    

   

  #  "

 

#   !

# !
"#
   

 

   !


  
     

   

     

 
 

  



 

   

  
 
 

8 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

cover story

P
“OTT IS A SPACE THAT
IS ALLOWING CREATIVE
PEOPLE TO SHOW
THEIR ART THROUGH
STORYTELLING!”
—VIKRANT MASSEY

often an actor’s big dream and this year has

deprived us of that experience, and advent
of the OTT has furthered it.
“With such little time and so much to do,
watching a movie on a small screen seems
like an easier task. If I speak of Mirzapur,
people have watched it while commuting
to work, or my building watchman watches
it at 11 pm after he shuts the society gates.
While you may want to have that community-
viewing, larger-than-life experience, and I
am missing it but these are two different
things,” he says and adds: “OTT is a space
that is allowing creative people to show their
art through storytelling.”
To this, pat comes Radhika’s retort, “It
depends on who is watching what kind of
content. There are people who feel if ‘I take a
subscription equivalent to a movie ticket, my
entire family can watch lounging in our hall
for a month. Why then should I pay money to
go to the theatre? So, it really depends. I feel
a Rohit Shetty movie can truly be enjoyed in
a theatre, but others might not feel the need.
As Vikrant said, it’s an experience!”

TO CENSOR, OR NOT...
Circling back to the censorship issue,
Radhika takes a five-second pause before
answering, “It depends on the script, to be
very honest! I liked the fact that there was
no censorship on OTT platforms because
you could show the reality through real
emotions and real language, and you don’t

have to decorate the premise, you know? It’s
{ RADHIKA MADAN } ACTOR
not a Sooraj Barjatya kind of movie, where
you’ve to show hum sab saath hain (we are
all together) and only that is celebrated. That
“I liked that there reality and freedom is going to be amiss!”
was no censorship Vikrant believes in the need for self-
on OTT platforms check. It helps stay closer to realism. This
because you could isn’t necessarily compromised with a censor
show the reality board being present but depends on the kind
of censorship that’ll come into effect, he feels.
through real
“Censorship was always there, whether it
emotions and was cinema, television or even newspapers.
real
re language” I believe that there is a manner in which
everything has to be told and that needs to
be ensured. If they want me to talk about a
pressing issue that I also relate to, I may have
a problem but if the censor board wants
me to reduce the nudity in the film, fair
enough. I’ll wrap it in a different manner,
but I’ll continue telling my stories. Also,
this thing about realism can only be shown
through a particular language is not entirely
true. When I did Balika Vadhu it ushered
in a new era of shows, which had social
realism, so if it is meant to be within rules,
it can happen.”
‘IT’S ALL SCRIPTED’
Speaking of Balika Vadhu and television
shows, since both Vikrant and Radhika started
their acting journey from TV shows, has OTT
leveraged on TV’s regressive scripts, I ask.
 FEBRUARY 14, 2021 9

cover story
y

“B R S
WHAT WOULD YOU
PREFER: PLAYING A
”
SIDEKICK IN A BIG
FILM OR A SMALL,
MEMORABLE ROLE?

“It’s not necessary that

a big film is a good film”
Vikrant: “The definition of heroes
and of big films is changing.
Also, the concept of heroes in life
itself is changing. Today, it’s not
necessary that a big film is a good
film. However short a movie or
not, the important aspect is how
good it is. So, I want to be a part of
good movies and speak my mind
through my work. I was mostly
the sidekick or did smaller parts.
It’s now that I’m getting bigger,
meatier roles as my producers,
audiences and directors want to
see me that way.”

“Every 100-crore hero

kept changing…”
Radhika: “Earlier, there used to be
these conversations about actors
making 100 crores, so they are the
heroes. But with every 100 crore,
heroes kept changing. Now that
maximum viewership is on OTT, who
is the hero? The gap has bridged and
now, the script is the hero. Whether
it is five-minute or a 15-minute
role, or I’m in the entire movie, it
should make me think when I’m
sleeping, bathing etc. I’d want to be
appreciated as an actor more, than
as a heroine.”

“There are only five per cent shows which
speak in larger context as opposed to 95 per
cent shows, which have bad content but end
up influencing the majority. It’s high time TV
producers and script writers make impactful
content that’s also entertaining. We are over
the saas-bahu sagas. Stop the plastic surgery
redo yaar and let’s have shows like Balika
Vadhu!” says Radhika. To which, I quip:
“Even though Radhika pushes for shows
like Balika Vadhu, don’t you think they lose
their track over time?”
“Television is like a door-to-door medium.
Even today, our country’s majority is the
middle-class and their main entertainment
consumption is via TV. The structure
P is business. So many people are still ready
“WE ARE OVER THE
SAAS-BAHU SAGAS.
STOP THE PLASTIC
SURGERY REDO”
—RADHIKA MADAN
remains the same, so regressive content
is there, unfortunately. But we can’t look
at it from a one-dimensional perspective,
because when we ask questions like ‘Why
are shows like this still made?’, the makers
say, audiences are buying that, there are
sponsors willing to pay and eventually, it
to buy the substandard content to escape
from their mundane lives. As an actor, what
I can do is not be a part of such movies or a
performer of such content,” says Vikrant.
As we end our chat, I’m relieved to have
not fuelled a heated argument between two
amicable actors. My takeaway: it’s always
multiple, contrasting voices that round off
an intelligent argument. Wouldn’t you agree?
So, go enjoy a smart squabble, this
Valentine’s Day!
shruti.nair@hindustantimes.com
Follow @MissNairr on Twitter and Instagram
10 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

columns

{ rude food }

VIR
SANGHVI They’re
back
How three of India's finest chefs,
Alex Sanchez, Ritu Dalmia and Regi
Mathew, have been to hell and back

I
n the early months of 2020, I finally managed to score a table
at Mumbai’s Americano. I had heard good things about the
restaurant and had admired the chef-patron Alex Sanchez
when he was at The Table, a lovely and influential restaurant
near the Gateway of India.
But it took me three tries to get a table because Americano
was always packed out. When I finally ate there, I discovered
why Sanchez had disappeared after his stint at The Table: he had
spent much of his time travelling through Italy, cooking in small
towns with nonnas and learning the secrets of ‘real’ (as distinct
from ‘restaurant-style’) Italian food.
His learnings were all there on the plates. Americano, I wrote
after my visit, was easily the finest European (using the term
loosely: Alex is American) restaurant in Mumbai and possibly all
of India. The food was not showy or fancy. But each dish had a
distinctive and delicious flavour of its own.
A few weeks after I went, even as I was planning my next trip
to Mumbai, Americano shut down. Covid had just hit India and
though there was no requirement for restaurants to shut, Alex
PIZZA POWER closed Americano. He was being cautious, he said, but his priority
When Americano was to protect the health of his staff, many of whom journeyed to
had started
the restaurant’s Kala Ghoda location from the suburbs by public
food delivery,
people from all transport: buses and local trains.
over the city A little later, the state government shut down all restaurants
ordered their and stopped public transport. So Americano would have had to
famous pizzas close anyway.
For three months, as Mumbai went dark, I heard nothing
more about Americano. Then I was told they had started delivery
food. People from all over the city ordered their famous pizzas.
Sanchez put together pasta kits that were not exactly DIY, but let
you assemble the dishes at home.
Then, finally, a few weeks ago Americano opened for business
again. I called Alex to ask how he had coped through this dark
period. It was gloomy, he said, because for much of the time he
could not see a light at the end of the tunnel. His commitment was
to his staff (he did not sack a single person) and to his loyal band of
regulars who ordered delivery food when Americano was shut.
He was luckier than most, he said. His landlord was flexible
and understanding. He found a perfect delivery service in Thrive,
which was ideal for neighbourhood restaurants like his. But no,
he did not think that Americano would recoup its losses any time
soon. The struggle was always to simply stay afloat.
If one of India’s best restaurants, with a loyal clientele, a packed
waiting list and an understanding landlord had to struggle so
HOUSEFUL HEROES
Chef Alex Sanchez with Mallyeka Watsa, the co-founder of
Americano, which was always packed out prior to the pandemic
much during the pandemic, how have the others coped?
I spoke to Ritu Dalmia, queen of the Delhi restaurant scene, and
she conceded that the restaurant industry has never known a bigger
crisis or a worse time. In the Greater Kailash market, where she ran
the supremely trendy Café Diva, she says, restaurants are shuttering
up every week. Even Café Diva, with its formidable reputation, has
had to shut down. So has Ritu’s newly-opened Diva Spice.
Some of it has to do with social distancing regulations, she
says. All restaurants have a business plan that depends on
serving a certain number of meals a day. If they have to, say, halve
their seating capacity, then the economics collapse.
Plus, says Ritu, there are short-sighted Delhi landlords
who will demand full rent even when the restaurant is shut.
Obviously, this means that restaurants have to close down. But
the landlords can’t find new tenants either. So the space goes
empty. This works to nobody’s advantage, so Ritu says she can’t
understand the inflexibility of some Delhi landlords.
Ritu also runs two restaurants in Milan, Italy and their
fortunes have been mixed. They were shut down in the early
part of 2020, re-opened to roaring business in the summer and
then closed again as the lockdown was re-imposed in the winter.
But, says Ritu, the Italian government helps pay staff salaries,
which makes a huge difference. In India, on the other hand, the
hospitality sector has received no government support.
P
ALL RESTAURANTS HAVE A BUSINESS
PLAN THAT DEPENDS ON SERVING A
CERTAIN NUMBER OF MEALS A DAY.
IF THEIR SEATING CAPACITY IS HALVED,
THEN THE ECONOMICS COLLAPSE.

SOUTHERN STAR
Chef Regi Mathew (right) is
best known for Kappa Chakka
Kandhari, one of the best
restaurants in Chennai; (Above)
(Above
An assortment of vegetarian
food at the restaurant
Ritu has found ways of coping. Fortunately, three of her
restaurants continue to flourish: the flagship, original Diva,
Latitude 28 in Khan Market and the wonderful café she runs at the
Italian Embassy Cultural Centre. She forayed into delivery during the
lockdown and her (CasaDiva) pasta kits have become wildly popular
during the pandemic. But, like Alex, she is against treating delivery
as a replacement for customers at restaurants. Restaurateurs can
raise some revenues from delivery to help with cash flow, she
explains, but the Diva group’s delivery revenues rarely exceed 10 per
cent of the total turnover. She is in the restaurant industry, she says,
and until that recovers her business will suffer.
SMART MOVES
Ritu Dalmia forayed into delivery during the lockdown and her
pasta kits have become wildly popular during the pandemic
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 11
columns
Photo: Vinayak Grover
Photo: Ashok Raj
Listening to Alex and Ritu, I wondered what things were like
for chef-patrons in the South. I have known Regi Mathew since
the 1990s when he was the Thai cuisine chef at Bengaluru’s
Taj West End. Regi left the hotel business fired by a mission to
popularise the food of his native Kerala.
He opened the stand-alone Thai place, Benjarong, after
leaving the West End but he really made his solo reputation with
Chennai’s Ente Keralam.
At present, he is best known for Kappa Chakka Kandhari,
which is easily one of the best restaurants in Chennai.
The concept is unusual. Regi and a few friends went back to
their mothers to ask for home recipes. Each of them also asked
their mothers to introduce them to 10 ladies of their mothers’
generation who liked cooking. They then requested the ladies
to give them home recipes. Not content with this, they went to
Kerala’s toddy shops to look for popular recipes.
Kappa Chakka Kandhari is like no other Malayali restaurant in
India because it still relies on home chefs in its kitchen and refuses
to serve Malabar Parotta (“it is not a mother’s dish”) or biryani
(“mothers don’t make it”: I’m not sure about that one, frankly).
When the lockdown hit, Regi was devastated. He had to close
down his Bengaluru operation and offered the home chefs
who cooked at his Chennai restaurant the opportunity to go
home. Most stayed with the restaurant and he struggled to find
cash flow doing some delivery and supplying food to the state
government’s Covid relief schemes.
He has kept his head above water though and his Chennai
place has re-opened successfully and by the time you read this,
Bengaluru should have too. He has taken a huge financial hit, but
is proudest of having stood by his people.
Alex, Ritu, Regi are among the finest chefs I know. They are
not mere food entrepreneurs. They work in this field because
they love food. All three of them have been to hell and back.
But perhaps better times are coming. Regi says that he expects to
be back at full capacity in a couple of months. If the market improves,
Ritu will look for a new location for Café Diva. And ironically
enough, there has never been a better time to go to Americano. With
customers only trickling back slowly to restaurants, this is the one For more columns by
time when it is not too difficult to get a table at Americano. Vir Sanghvi, scan the
I can’t wait to go! QR code. Follow Vir on
The views expressed by the columnist are personal Twitter @virsanghvi
12 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

columns

{ humour }

REHANA
Love on a platter
MUNIR Food compatibility is the essential
ingredient in long-term romantic bliss

‘I
f music be the food of love, play on’ wrote the over-quoted
Bard, whose love interests were as diverse as they were
intense, as his sonnets prove. I humbly wish to offer a counter-
view. Food, to me, nourishes love more than anything else. Jazz,
long drives and a shared addiction to reality TV are all very well,
but anyone who wishes to sustain a long-term, mutually fulfilling
romantic relationship must accept that food compatibility is
where it’s at. (Second only to temperature compatibility.)

Budget romance
The early days of dating abound in candlelit dinners of dainty
sushi and bite-sized bruschetta, nibbled at absently between long
gulps of wine. Food is simply an excuse to stare unabashedly at
the angel across the table. Items that are fiddly are a strict no-no
here; whoever wants to see their romantic fantasy struggle with
a five-layered burger with onions and pickles? I’ve spent most
of my salad days quaffing idlis at Udipis and bun maska at Irani FEED ONE’S MIND
Taste is a matter of infinite variety and complexity, yet we tend to
cafés, safe in the knowledge that the affordable meals held few find common ground with those we care about
dangers for sloppy eaters. But there’s the matter of having to be
quick about it; both kinds of establishment depend upon a quick tend to eclipse others. Spicy food is not intrinsically superior to
turnover of tables. So often, you’re just about starting to exchange bland food, for example, but it is a widely held opinion where
languid looks as the bill is served in a bowl of dubious saunf. we live. Luckily, highly developed palates are not a pre-requisite
for romantic bliss; cultural and emotional sensitivity is.

P One of my favourite eavesdropping categories is ‘Kitchen

HIGHLY DEVELOPED PALATES ARE
NOT A PRE-REQUISITE FOR ROMANTIC
BLISS; CULTURAL AND EMOTIONAL
SENSITIVITY IS
Once upon a time, theatres offered great possibilities for a
budget romance. Somewhere between the unaffordable caramel
popcorn and edamame momos at a multiplex, I find myself
missing the comfort of cheap matinee shows with superb
samosas. A year before the lockdown, I tried to recreate that
lost charm by ordering a chai at the canteen of the ageing Gaiety-
Galaxy theatre complex. Just as we had drained our chipped
cups, my companion and I both realised we had left our wallets
at home. It was left to the kindly couple at the next table to bail
us out. A budget romance indeed.
Kitchen politics
Taste is a matter of infinite variety and complexity, and yet we all
tend to find common ground with those we care about. If you, for
discussions between couples’. The passive-aggressive insinuations
around grocery shopping. The agony of planning daily menus. The
pressure of entertaining. On the happier side, olive branches are
regularly offered on a plate. An extra serving of dessert connotes
passion. An early morning beverage, devotion. But it is in the cleaning-
up department that true love reveals itself. If there’s someone who
will stay up with you doing the dishes long after the guests have left
and the music has died down, they’re a keeper.
Cupid the connoisseur
MasterChef Australia has a lot to answer for. Just about anything
that comes out of that fantastic pantry and kitchen is an ode
to love. The thought that goes into every dish, the meticulous
processes, and the impeccable plating and serving, have set
impossibly high standards. As if that weren’t enough, some of
the challenges that the show sets its participants are planned
explicitly around the theme of love. And so we get madly attractive
dishes, from flirtatious hors d’oeuvres to seductive desserts, a
culinary theatre that casts cupid as a connoisseur.
Thankfully, there’s plenty of thoroughfare along the stomach-
heart highway. One is just as likely to be floored by a hurriedly
Photo imaging: Parth Garg

instance, accept my dahi mania, I’ll be good about your dhania
fixation. But some food-related differences between couples are
irreconcilable. Like the mutton fiend and the vegan. (Good name
For more columns
by Rehana Munir, for a contemporary take on an Aesop’s Fable, don’t you think?)
scan the QR code. Or when one partner’s idea of a celebration is a Gujarati thali
Follow Rehana on while the other swears by khow suey. Invariably, one partner
Twitter @rehana_munir dominates the food discourse, just like certain flavour profiles
assembled toastie as an elaborately planned roast. It all depends on
the timing. As the world celebrates some version of Valentine’s Day,
it’s useful to remember that love can be poured out of an instant
packet just as easily as a vintage bottle. May we all be mindful of
our audience, and keep both our wits and wallets handy.
rehanamunir@gmail.com
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagram
HAVING AN INSIGHT IS ON.
GROWTH IS ON.
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14 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

relationships
“There are many [of
dad’s films] that I love “Vismaya has
and there are also never critiqued my
many I haven’t seen” performance in a
film, but shares
her opinion about
the storyline, and
the making”

Her
father’s
daughter
Hit Malayalam actor
Mohanlal’s daughter,
Vismaya, has opted for a
career in poetry and her
dad is all praises for
her dedication
By Priya Bala

A
cting, it might seem, is the
predetermined or obvious career
choice for most star kids in the
Indian film industry. Bollywood
sees them being ‘launched’ ever so often; in
Malayalam cinema, Dulquer Salman stepped
effortlessly into the large shoes of his father,
Mammootty, while Pranav Mohanlal
debuted as a child artiste in Onnaman (2002),
his father’s film, and has gone on to establish
himself as an actor, assistant director
and songwriter.
His younger sister, Vismaya, however, has
chosen a different realm for her creativity, most
recently publishing a collection of poems and
illustrations titled Grains of Stardust.

P
“I HAVE READ ALL OF
VISMAYA’S POEMS
AND, MUCH LIKE THE
MEANING OF HER NAME,
THEY TOO ARE STRANGE
AND OTHERWORLDLY”
—MOHANLAL

y Mohanlal, who’s written an eloquent
a foreword – in which he quotes Matsuo Bashō
– to the book, told HT Brunch, “I’ve never
t
planned a career in cinema for Maya. She has
d
been involved in theatre productions during
her school days, and has expressed interest in
performance art. If she wishes to pursue that
it would be entirely her choice, and if she does,
she has all my blessings.”
Poetic justice
According to Vismaya, she’s never felt pressured
to enter cinema or follow a certain career path.
“That said, I am interested in performance and
I’d be open to acting if I came across a good
script,” she says. So, we may just see her follow
in the footsteps of her father and brother.
Right now, it’s her skill as a poet that is being
talked about, and her father is admiring it. “I
have read all of Vismaya’s poems and, much
like the meaning of her name, they too are
strange and otherworldly. They are simple yet
philosophical and can be interpreted in many
ways…on a spiritual level, in a personal manner,
and so on. It depends upon the reader.”
Participate in the
#BrunchBookChallenge
Visit online: read.ht/yrz
Vismaya says the book came together quite
unexpectedly. ‘I would write a little here and
there, but I never saw myself as a poet and I
never imagined that what I was writing or
scribbling would one day become a book.”
Some of the poems, she says, are personal,
others emerging from her imagination.
Claim to fame
While she has stepped into the limelight with
this work, she has not grabbed the attention
that starkids do. Compare this with the focus
on,say,TaimurAli KhanorAaradhyaBachchan.
“I did almost all my schooling in an
international boarding school where people
either didn’t know or it didn’t matter that I
was ‘Mohanlal’s daughter’. So, I never felt any
different to anyone else growing up there,”
Vismaya says.
After schooling at Hebron in Ooty, Maya went
to the US and Europe to pursue her interest in
art and theatre. “Due to this, she has not been
exposed to the limelight and therefore wasn’t so
involved in the industry. It was not a conscious
decisiontokeepherawayfromit.Itjusthappened
to turn out that way,” Mohanlal says.
Creative call
While being different from typical star kids
who are prepared for cinema from a young age,
Vismaya shares her father’s tangential creativity.
“She is someone who loves to explore
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 15
relationships
Mohanlal’s film new and different aspects each one’s duty to find that
Onnaman (2002) of life, someone with thing towards which they
(above) where
somewhat strange and feel that pull. If you do not
his son Pranav
debuted as a child different thoughts, and I find it in one place, seek it
artiste; Vismaya’s think this is a quality we someplace else. It is a deeply
book (right) is share,” Mohanlal says. personal thing, and only you
a collection of The two also share also a can know where it lies,” says
poems, titled
Grains of common love of nature and Mohanlal, who is known for
Stardust a certain conviviality. “She his deeply philosophical
hasadesiretogetalongwith approach to his art.
people and doesn’t like rifts. Given his complete
Having said that, she can be immersion in his work, the
firm and argumentative. If time he spends with family
I were to look at aspects in is limited. “Because of my
which we differ, I’d say that while I believe in profession, and because of the fact that Maya
the truth of my convictions, I am more flexible went to a boarding school, we have not had
and accepting of circumstances and events. the opportunity to spend several days at a time
That is perhaps due to my age, my travels, my together. Now she is an adult with her own
experiences and my profession.” opinions and views, and we are able to discuss
and share ideas with each other. We share
P a good rapport. I would say that she is more
connected with her mother, but we still have a
“I WOULD WRITE A good and healthy relationship,” Mohanlal says.
LITTLE HERE AND Vismaya says she enjoys the time she gets
to spend with family. Cooking together, or
THERE, BUT I NEVER rather her dad cooking and the rest of the
IMAGINED WHAT I WAS family eating, listening to music, travelling,
WRITING OR SCRIBBLING anything really. “I honestly just enjoy
spending time with my family, regardless
WOULD ONE DAY
of what we’re doing,” she says.
BECOME A BOOK! ” And watching her dad’s films? “There are
—VISMAYA MOHANLAL many that I love and there are also many I
haven’t seen,” Vismaya says.
Vismaya says her father allowed her to figure Mohanlal says she watches her fair share
things out for herself. She does go to him when of movies and reads a lot. “I find her feedback
she’s making a big decision. “I am not one to quite valuable. Vismaya has never critiqued
advice people. Apart from the few general my performance in a film, but shares her
norms, I share what I have learned from my opinion about the storyline, and the making.”
own experiences that I think might be of help. brunchletters@hindustantimes.com
As far as being an artist is concerned, it is my Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
belief that one needs to have the fire, drive and
commitment to persevere and succeed. I still Priya Bala is a Bengaluru-
based senior writer who
have that desire, and remain one hundred per
specialises in food, travel and
cent dedicated to what I am doing. When I lose lifestyle writing. She has edited
that, I will know that it is time for me to stop. several major mainstream
The same goes for anything in life, and it is publications in the past
16 FEBRUARY 14, 2021

music

In the “Nidhi would

name of
keep saying I can’t
let my musical
sensibilities go to
waste, to the
point that it

love...
was annoying”

Composer Anand
Bhaskar tells us how
his wife, Nidhi Sethia,
helped him take a
second shot at his first
love, music, which
turned his life around

By Karishma Kuenzang

C
an meeting the ‘right person’
change your life? Or, is this just
a cliché that the right and left
swiping millennials will never
relate to? For musician Anand Bhaskar,
who’s now done the music for both the
seasons of Mirzapur, meeting ‘the one’
– Nidhi Sethia, gave him the push to go
back to his true calling – music – after a
decade in advertising.
She “annoyed” him till he recorded his
originals, and his band Anand Bhaskar
Collective came together.

Couple goals
The couple tied the knot in April 2013,
his debut album released in August
2014, prompting him to quit his job
in October 2015. Snide remarks
came his way for leaving work
early for band practice. By 2018,
he had a bankable reputation in
the music scene, becoming the
go-to person for last-minute
jingles and other projects.
“Nidhi would keep
saying I can’t let my musical
sensibilities go to waste,
to the point that it was
annoying. I was 33 when
I quit my job and worried
about rent kaun dega. She

said I should dedicate at least six months to
it, after which I could decide if I wanted to
go back to a job,” the now 39-year-old says.
Anand did the rounds of composers’
offices and production houses, when he
got a jingle gig for Amul in March 2015 for
`10,000, and before long he was doing a jingle
with Akshay Kumar and got `1.5 lakh for it.
The advertising professional spent the first
three years pitching himself and learning
production and practising.
“I was aware I had started late in life and there
were many kids half my age, who sing 10 times
better than me. I needed to do whatever kids
were doing but three times over,” he says, adding
that smoking and drinking over the years had
also taken a toll on his voice.
Not that singing was a new thing for him.
He’s been singing since he was three, and even
trained in Indian classical music, growing
up in a household where his parents played
plenty of Malayalam film music, Rafi’s songs,
AR Rahman’s Tamil works and, of course,
Michael Jackson, which introduced Anand
to the world of international music.
P albums old,
“I DON’T BELIEVE IN LOVE
AT FIRST SIGHT, BUT
IT WAS – MAYBE THE
LIGHTING WAS RIGHT”
—ANAND BHASKAR
“I even stole money from my dad’s briefcase
to buy cassettes,” he sniggers. But he stopped
training when he was 17, brainwashed by peers
and the society to go for engineering or a masters
degree. “I did a BA in Stats, which I’ve never
used,” he laughs.
Anand spent two years working in a BPO,
before coming to Mumbai to do a Masters
in Fashion Management and Technology
from NIFT, and then joining Mudra, where
he met Nidhi.
Cut the chase
The couple, whose birthdays are five days
apart, met in 2005 when Anand wasn’t looking
to date anyone and both of them had stayed
back late at work one day. “I don’t believe
in love at first sight, but it was – maybe the
lighting was right,” he laughs.
Then, one night he got drunk and sent her
a formal email-style message on Facebook,
while he still wasn’t on her friend list, asking
her out. But his display picture was a tad old
and since Anand didn’t look anything similar
to it in real life, she couldn’t recognise him and
thought it was a prank. “I had to tell Nidhi I sit
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 17
music
c
(Above) Two next to her, for her to finally recognise me,”
Anand Bhaskar
he recalls, chuckling. But she didn’t respond
to his messages and so, he stopped trying.
Collective is also
working on an But one day, when his boss asked Anand to
get his guitar and he was forced to sing in office
EP, called Ufaq;
(Right) Anand (Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here), Nidhi first
first noticed his noticed him.
wife Nidhi,
when they were
When they accidentally met in the elevator
working late at soon after, Anand was determined not to
work one day ‘give her bhaav (attention)’, so when she
complimented his singing, he replied with:
“You don’t check your FB messages.” Quick
wit and a golden voice worked, and soon
they were texting on Hangouts and then
they SMS-ed for two months as Anand didn’t
have a smartphone in 2011.
“That hardwork was worth every second. It
took me 59 days to ask her out. Even now I feel
she’s way out of my league.”
They’d discuss music and Bhaskar discovered
that Nidhi loves Bollywood music. So, he invited
her to listen to an original (Hey Ram) and that
day she started pushing him to do music. “Today, Boy and the band
I’ve been doing music exclusively for six years His band, Anand Bhaskar Collective, too grew by
and don’t feel bored or burnt out! That’s insane leaps and bounds in the five years. Like Ankur
compared to the fact that I changed my job seven Tewari from Ankur & The Ghalat Family, who
times in 10 years of being in advertising and is the one to have recommended Anand for
BPOs,” he exhales! Mirzapur. Anand, in turn, got his entire band
Not that he didn’t take up all household chores on to play for one track as well as indie musician
after he quit his job – he learnt how to make Isheeta Chakravarty to sing the track Tittar Bittar.
perfectly round chapatis, besides cooking. “My Season 2 was also distinctively different than
wife would come from work (she’s currently the season 1, complete with a rap song, Munna. “My
head of development at Window Seat Films LLP) first draft got rejected,” he confesses. Then, he
and ask me how I’d managed to make them so turned his composition process around – getting
round!” laughs the musician who’s now sung in the lyrics from Ginny Diwan for Tittar Bittar. The
Baaghi 2, Mission Mangal and has also worked line ‘ho jaaye saare tittar bittar’ sparked a melody
with Amit Trivedi. and the song was done in an hour. “It’s an ‘item
18 FEBRUARY 14, 2021
music
“Today, I’ve been doing music
exclusively for six years and
don’t feel bored... That’s insane
compared to the fact that I changed
my job seven times in 10 years of
being in advertising and BPOs”
song’ from a woman’s point of view while a fight
is on. I’m grateful the directors supported our
wacky ideas,” he sighs with relief.
With so much of the indie scene in it, does
he consider Mirzapur a commercial project?
“I don’t see projects as commercial and
non-commercial. I feel music is divided into
accessible and inaccessible melodies, which
can be produced with indie or film or ad or web
series sensibilities. My goal is to make a melody
with high recall value, which leaves an impact
on the listener’s mind,” he explains.
You definitely have more freedom in web
series as the directors are from the new school
of thought, he points out, which allows new
composers to showcase their talent.
P
“MY GOAL IS TO MAKE
A MELODY WITH HIGH
RECALL VALUE, WHICH
LEAVES AN IMPACT ON
THE LISTENER’S MIND”
—ANAND BHASKAR
“In films, there’s a parallel compulsion to
make something commercially successful so
producers also take a call on the casting of the
singer as there is so much money involved,” he
says, before citing the likes of indie musicians
Shilpa Surroch and Keka Ghoshal, who are
singing for web series. In shows, songs make a
comeback and appear again and again and you
also check out song and credits, which makes a
big difference. Proof of which can be seen as his
YouTube subscribers and Instagram followers
have shot up, and he’s crossed 200k listeners
per month on Spotify from a week ago when it
was 30k per month. And it’s also trickling into
support for the band!
Looking ahead
Bhaskar is also doing the music for Netflix’s
Bombay Begums, which will focus on lyrics.
One song has a reggaeton vibe with vocals akin
to Nadia Hassan in the ’80s! He’s also rapping in
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s anthem, besides
working on a solo album with a pop, electronic
and hip-hop vibe.
Two albums old, Anand Bhaskar Collective
is also working on an EP, called Ufaq. The lyrics
of the titular song is being co-written by the
couple, their (fifth) song together. And no, it’s
not a mushy song, but a high-intensity rock
number about determination and reaching for
the horizon no matter how long it takes and
how becoming strong not just involves hard
work but also overcoming your inner evil and
toxicity. Just like the story of his life.
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com
Follow @KKuenzang on Twitter and Instagram

TRIBUTE
RAJIV KAPOOR
AUG 25, 1962-FEB 9, 2021
Larger than life
Rajiv Kapoor will remain etched in memory as a bon vivant,
large-hearted and generous member of the first family of Bollywood
By Dinesh Raheja
I
first interviewed the three Kapoor
brothers – Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv –
when I was paying a written tribute to
their father Raj Kapoor, within days of
his death... And then, last year, I wrote an
obituary for Rishi and today I am penning
one, with a heavy heart, for his younger
brother Rajiv (Chimpu).
The first time I saw Rajiv was outside
Minerva cinema for the premiere of his
debut film Ek Jaan Hain Hum (1983). He was
sitting in his car with a friend, the door left
ajar, palpably nervous and excited, drinking
beer to calm his nerves. It was the era of star
progeny – there was Sanjay Dutt, Kumar
Gaurav and Sunny Deol – and the 21-year-
old debutant was expected to shoot to fame
in the same comet-like manner.
Screen presence
His launch vehicle was fuelled by big guns.
The film was produced by F C Mehra, a friend
of Rajiv’s uncle, Shammi Kapoor. The second
generation of Kapoors and Mehras – the two
Rajivs, one an actor the other a director –
became friends during their joint venture,
Ek Jaan Hain Hum. Chimpu seemed to be
following the template expected of star sons...
even dating the heroine of his film Divya Rana
in those days. However, their pairing on and
off screen fizzled and so did Chimpu’s career.
His first film was breezy and Chimpu was
(Above) Rajiv
Kapoor in Ram
Teri Ganga Maili,
the film that
turned his
career around;
(Left) He debuted
with Ek Jaan Hain
Hum opposite
Divya Rana
full-of-beans as an actor, but his performance
and looks seemed heavily-influenced by his
uncle Shammi, whether by design or default, I
am not sure. It didn’t work in his favour because
Shammi was a tough act to follow. Chimpu
made amends and forged his individuality
a couple of years later with Ram Teri Ganga
Maili (1985), directed by his father, Raj Kapoor.
Chimpu got a meaty role and a much-
needed shot in the arm with this golden
jubilee hit, though the film’s nubile heroine
Mandakini stole some of his thunder, thanks
to the famous sequence, where she stood
FEBRUARY 14, 2021 19
obituary
P
“I UNDERSTOOD WHY NEETU
KAPOOR AND CHIMPU GOT
ALONG LIKE A HOUSE ON
FIRE – HIS KAPOOR CHARM
WAS INFECTIOUS”
underneath a waterfall in a sheer sari. Rajiv’s
illustrious father, Raj Kapoor, had finally
managed to bring out the best in his youngest
son with Ram Teri, but, unfortunately, his
subsequent death abbreviated any chances
of further collaborations, which could have
taken Chimpu’s career to the next level.
In the mid-1980s Chimpu was signed on by
big banners such as Nasir Hussain (Zabardast,
1985), Tito-Tony (Aasmaan, 1984) and Saawan
Kumar Tak (Preeti , 1986), but Lady Luck kept
snubbing him at the box office.
Getting personal
My date for the premiere of Chimpu’s
directorial debut under the RK banner Prem
Granth (1996) was the feisty veteran actress
Nadira. The venue was the FC Mehra-owned
Minerva cinema again. Nadira introduced me
to Chimpu as her son, and he touched her feet
and asked for blessings after acknowledging
me with a smile and a “thanks for coming”. If
Prem Granth hadn’t gone awry in its plot in the
second half, Chimpu would’ve been enthused
to direct more films for his home banner.
I met him a couple of times thereafter – once
when I dropped in on the sets of Rishi Kapoor’s
directorial venture Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) at
RK studios, for which Chimpu was the producer.
I witnessed first-hand how close the three
brothers were and how they worked in tandem
on their collective passion for filmmaking.
I bumped into Chimpu last some years
back, when I was having dinner with my
friend Santosh Sud and her filmmaker
husband Guddu Dhanoa. Chimpu was sitting
by himself at another table but the extroverted
Kapoor couldn’t refuse Guddu’s invitation to
join us. He was in high spirits and regaled
us with his stories. Chimpu was no longer
the lean youngster of Ram Teri Ganga Maili,
but his smile and demeanour were intact.
I understood why his sister-in-law Neetu
Kapoor and he got along like a house on fire
– his Kapoor charm was infectious.
And that’s how I would like to remember
him... just as he was that evening – gregarious,
large-hearted, bon vivant and a foodie!
brunchletters@hindustantimes.com
Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
Dinesh Raheja is a reputed film historian,
columnist and TV scriptwriter who has been
writing on cinema for over three decades
in bed with…




  

 

 




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