WATCH OUT

NEW TRENDS
FOR THE
NEW YEAR

` 150
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE HOUSE OF PIXELS
INDIA

THINGS
TO BE
EXCITED
ABOUT
IN 2021

RAJKUMMAR RAO

No Filter
 Contents
WATCH OUT

Pg.
NEW TRENDS
FOR THE
NEW YEAR

72
INDIA

THINGS
TO BE
EXCITED
ABOUT
IN 2021

RAJKUMMAR RAO

No Filter

NO
FILTER
In the zone:
Rajkummar Rao is
set to make 2021
spectacular.
By Arun Janardhan

COAT BY ANUJ
MADAAN. BLAZER
BY Z ZEGNA. SHIRT
BY DSQUARED2
AVAILABLE AT THE
COLLECTIVE

14 Editor’s letter
16 Contributors
131 Where To Buy
134 Humour

PHOTO: THE HOUSE OF PIXELS

SUIT, SHIRT; BOTH

BY AMIT AGGARWAL.
SUNGLASSES BY
L.G.R AVAILABLE AT
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4 — JANUARY 2021
 Contents
Let’s Dance The Final Stride On Baby
Pg. 32 Fight Pg. 42 It’s Cold
Against Outside
Global pop queer artist
Aish Divine breaks down Covid-19 Pg. 48

his music routine for us. Pg. 120 Crowd-pleasers that will
Get your game on with the help you with your skin’s
best-looking sneakers. protecting, hydrating and
Screen nourishing needs.

Time Conspiracy theories Pg.

GQ Taste
54
Pg. 18 about the corona vaccine
and how Bill Gates is at Pg. 38
the centre of it.
The DIY burger, the coffee
Five actors-creators 30 New and the dessert you need
with Indian roots
making a mark in Done And Trends to try this month.

international cinema. Dusted To Look

Pg. 30
Forward Elements
Bold Move To In 2021 Of Surprise
Pg. 110 Pg. 80
2020 may have
Could the smartphone Hublot hops on to the
been a pause, but we
become redundant in the integrated bracelet
list down things that
Edgy accessories to pair future? Tech guru Rajiv bandwagon with its
will make this
with your daily fits. Makhni weighs in. renewed Big Bang series.
year exciting.

Pg.

67

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

6 — JANUARY 2021
 Contents
Sun Chaser Pg.
Pg. 118

The Royal Enfield Meteor

93
and its unmistakably
classic appeal.

Up-And-
Comer
Pg. 116
Audi Q2 is the luxury
all-rounder you’ve been
waiting for.

Fighting Fit
Pg. 24

Our special edit to help you

prep on the tech front to
meet your fitness goals.

Colour
Theory JUMPER BY
Pg. 41 PAUL SMITH
Go big or go home: The
burst of hues you must
include in your wardrobe. The Big Win Perfect Pg.
Pg. 36 Wingman 93
Rewind, Pg. 90
Unwind Those little upticks in your
The Longines Spirit
Chronograph is a tribute to
Comfort
Pg. 70 progress chart are as the greatest icons of aviation. Zone
important as the The right style
major achievements. moves: Update
Rahul Bose’s mask-free
stay at a Maldivian resort.
Open your #WFHFits

Zip It Season with the trendiest

loungewear.
Pg. Pg. 42 Pg. 104

82 The top ten exciting car

launches worth looking
Great
Expectations
The season’s best fashion forward to in 2021.
A flex: Jackets that will see
Pg. 34

Star Is Born: you through winter in style.

Brendan A Twist In
Fernandes’ New Guard The Tale
Pg. 28
IMAGE: EDDIE BLAGBROUGH

Pg. 46
Very Big Year
Our spotlight’s on the Goan-
On our radar: Newest The latest in home
Canadian artist who works at
menswear brands that are Inside the mind of film- decor, design and
the intersection of dance and
not afraid to experiment. maker M Night Shyamalan. architecture.
the visual arts.

8 — JANUARY 2021
 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Che Kurrien
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NEW TRENDS
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Editor’s Letter

Straight
Drive
T here are many reasons to be buoyant about 2021, from the
vaccine to a nascent economic recovery. Also lifting the collective

0
sentiment is India’s hypnotic cricketing performance against
Australia, with the Boxing Day Test win arguably the greatest
in recent memory. The classic format of the game may not have

3
the razzle-dazzle of T20, but it does highlight and reward eternal
human qualities that never go out of style: resilience, intelligence, patience,
craftsmanship and tenacity. Stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane’s ability to lead
from the front with preternatural composure, on the back of a hapless batting
implosion against the pink ball in the previous game, and then inspire his

NEW
teammates to play out their skins and take India to victory, was a triumph
of the human spirit. It was an achievement that transcended sport, with life
lessons for us all.
The resurgence of the five-day game is one of the great stories of our TRENDS
times. To better understand the nuances and romance of Test cricket, one TO LOOK
could do worse than read historian Ramchandra Guha’s magisterial new book,
FORWARD
2021
The Commonwealth Of Cricket. It is a love letter to this most magic of games, TO IN
imbued with subtlety, nuance and grace. So it came as no surprise that at
the height of the drama during the Boxing Day Test, Guha wryly tweeted:
E D I T E D B Y
S H I K H A S E T H I

“T20, anyone?”
The good news is there’s a schedule packed with Test

PHOTO: MAX HERMANS/THOMPSON PHOTO IMAGERY (CHE), MANISH MANSINH (AJINKYA)

cricket for India this year, including a finger-licking nine
matches against the old nemesis England, played both at
home and on the swinging tracks of the British Isles. If
India does well in these series, we will be considered the
best in the world.
I have met Ajinkya Rahane just once, when he
showed up at glitzy GQ’s Best Dressed party in 2016. He
was confident but soft-spoken, poised but bereft of any
swagger. He was out of his comfort zone, but unflapped
by the drama of the red carpet or the flashbulbs going off
around him. Even amid this pulsating ocean of activity,
he stood out – for his serenity.

Ajinkya Rahane
at GQʼs Best
@chekurriengq Dressed event

14 — JANUARY 2021
Contributors

The first place you’d visit

once it’s safe

Vaishnav
Praveen
“PARIS WILL
BE MY FIRST
Vivek Shikha DESTINATION.” Selman Arun
Menezes Sethi WHO: Investment Fazil Janardhan
“MY SONS ARE “THE PHILIPPINES, banker turned “MALAPPURAM IN “NEW ZEALAND,
DEAD SET ON ANDAMAN & photographer; co- KERALA, WHERE FOR ITS EXPANSE,
RETURNING TO NICOBAR ISLANDS, founder at The House MY PARENTS LIVE, BEAUTY, OPEN
LAKSHADWEEP, MAYA’S CREST Of Pixels. Twitter PURELY TO ENJOY SPACES AND
BUT I’VE HAD IN KASAULI, @vaishnavpravee1 THE AUTHENTIC BUNGEE JUMPING.
KHONOMA MOZAMBIQUE, and Instagram MALABAR CUISINE IT DEALT WITH
(NAGALAND) TANZANIA. THE @vaishnavpraveen I CAN’T STOP THE PANDEMIC
DREAMS ALL LIST IS LONG!” WHAT: “No Filter”, RAVING ABOUT.” ADMIRABLY, HAS
THROUGH WHO: GQ’s Deputy page 72 WHO: GQ’s Junior
MORE SHEEP THAN
LOCKDOWN.” Editor who is Fashion Stylist who’s
HUMANS AND WAS
COVER STAR:
WHO: Writer and passionate about a passionate collector
THE SETTING FOR
“Rajkummar is one
photographer, based art and yoga, and of black leather boots
THE LOTR FILMS!”
of the best actors this
on the banks of the loves her Bandra industry has seen. The and Pat McGrath WHO: Writer based
Mandovi river where neighbourhood. ease with which he make-up. Instagram in Mumbai, who can
it meets the Arabian Instagram moulds himself into a @selman_fazil rewatch English action
Sea. Twitter @vmingoa @pinkmelon character is the reason films from any scene,
WHAT: “Comfort
WHAT: “A Star Is Born: he is liked by all.” any number of times
WHAT: “30 New Zone”, page 93
Brendan Fernandes’ while channel-surfing.
Trends To Look MY BOLDEST LOOK:
Very Big Year”, page 82 Twitter @iArun
Forward To In 2021”, “A pair of extremely
GOAN TRAIT: “They page 54 WHAT: “No Filter”,
high heels and a
tend to be fearlessly page 72
MY 2021 WISH LIST: gigantic trench coat
open-minded, which “Succession S3, yoga in draped as a skirt RAJKUMMAR RAO:
makes them highly the park with Phoebe using a couple of “He’s so pleasing
adaptable anywhere Baskett, seeing art in belts and a belt bag to watch, stands
in the world.” person, the new on-site to the 2019 GQ Best out in every film, is
museum at Humayun’s Dressed party.” completely relatable,
Tomb. Lastly, The and someone who
Nutmeg’s Curse by almost always gets
Amitav Ghosh.” your sympathy.”

16 — JANUARY 2021
NOTES FROM THE DIASPOR A
SCREEN
T I M E Hollywood continues to get mo
re woke, real and diverse,
and 2021 may just be the yea
r when brown faces on-scree
become commonplace. Meet
five young creator-actors fro
the Indian diaspora who are
key to the world of the play –
not just in their central craft,
but also in their mission to tel
universal stories rooted in the
South Asian experience
P T
G U
D H
I he recalls. After being cast in iZombie, he remembers
N I
B Y
E N
I T T
W R
18 — JULY 2020
THE VIRAL FACTOR: Late last year, Rahul Kohli and his
pornstache unlocked a new level of fame after they
appeared in Mike Flanagan’s superhit horror series
The Haunting Of Bly Manor on Netflix. “I had no idea the
’stache was going to get the amount of attention it did.
The thing that inspired it was just the time period really.
n
I looked at pictures of my father and uncles in the 1980s,
m rocking the big moustache, the Tom Selleck look.”
Of course, it helped that he delivered a sharp
performance as Owen Sharma, the big-hearted resident
l chef with a penchant for bad puns and dad jokes.
THE BREAKTHROUGH: Genre fans have known Kohli as
a rising figure in the sci-fi and horror space for years
now. Ever since he broke through with the mega-
popular series iZombie, he’s acquired something of a
cult following that hangs on to his every word, quip,
beef and recommendation on Twitter and IG. “Prior to
that, I was just auditioning in London for commercials,
A with some success, and guest roles on soap operas,”
IMAGE: EIKE SCHROTER
“that feeling of validation, the confidence that I’m in
the right vocation.”
RAHUL KOHLI
ACTOR, LONDON
ORIGIN STORY: Kohli grew up in London, a third-gen British-
Indian – his grandparents left India decades ago, and his
parents grew up in Kenya and Thailand. “At age 11, the Star
Wars trilogy came out on VHS and I pretty much watched it in
one go.” That decided it. “I wanted to be a part of this universe,
I just didn’t know how. Initially, I thought maybe I could get into
VFX as I was heavily into art and computers. Over time, I found
myself moving closer to the camera, then it was directing,
and eventually at 18 I dropped out of a film course to become
an actor. It’s always been Star Wars, that is the single biggest
influence in my life.”
COMING SOON: While on the sets of Bly Manor, showrunner
Mike Flanagan (otherwise known as the New Master of
Horror) cast Kohli in his next film project, Midnight Mass. He’s
thrilled: Flanagan is “just one of the most talented, generous
people”, with whom he has geeked out over everything, from
Star Wars to The Mandalorian to the newest video games. In
general, says Kohli, “I just want to be a part of great stories,
and play characters that are well-rounded and interesting
and aren’t really race specific. My mere presence in a show is
representation enough, we then don’t need to lean into these
lazy stereotypes to justify that character’s presence in the story.”
JANUARY 2021 — 19

SUJATA DAY
ACTOR, WRITER AND DIRECTOR, LA
ALPHABET SOUP: In fourth grade, Sujata Day won
a spelling bee contest at school. She went to the
regionals and lost because she misspelled “radish”
– but was hooked to the sport. “I started watching it
20 — JANUARY 2021
JULY 2020
NOTES FROM THE DIASPOR A
on ESPN and I noticed that almost every single
year, it turned out to be an Indian American kid
winning.” This would go on to be the premise for
a sketch “Where Are They Now: Spelling Bee
Winners”, which she developed into a script at
METHOD MAN: Thereʼs arguably no better time
than the present to be a character actor, but
the Sundance Screenwriting Lab for her debut Sacha Dhawan has been acing the game for
project as a film-maker and producer, 2020’s decades. Last year, Dhawan was seen in two
Definition Please. standout roles – as the Master in Doctor Who
and Orlov, the lion-hearted confidant to Queen
ROLE MODELS: “If you Google the winners of Catherine in Tony McNamara’s satirical series
past spelling bees, you’ll find they have triple The Great (and is shooting for its second season
PhDs, or are working on the cure for cancer, or now). Right before, heʼd played a pivotal part
I’m sure they’re working on the Covid vaccine in Marvelʼs Iron Fist, for which he’d built up the
right now,” says Day. “The comedy in my sketch muscles. “It was brilliant because it was a period
was that the last spelling bee winner would grow drama, but it was flipping history on its head
up to be a loser.” Day might herself fit the model slightly, so it meant that they were looking for
minority mould – to the extent that growing actors of colour like me.”
up in Pennsylvania, she was preternaturally
good at math and science, while also acing her ORIGIN STORY: Growing up in Stockport,
bharatanatyam recitals and learning to be fluent Dhawan remembers his family (who emigrated
in Bengali. She even completed a degree in from Punjab) as being artistically inclined.
engineering before hustling her way to LA via a While his dad “was the biggest Elvis fan ever”,
consulting gig with Accenture. But her film, also he practised his Michael Jackson impressions
starring Ritesh Rajan and Anna Khaja, wants and took tap dancing lessons, which led to his
to interrogate that pressure to overachieve and first film project at 12. His range of influences
what it does to your mental health. “Hopefully, stretches from Amitabh Bachchan to Irrfan
it starts a discussion – in the Indian American Khan – “watching Bollywood made me feel it
community we don’t talk about mental illness the was possible for me to be an actor too.” Soon,
way we should.” Alan Bennett’s The History Boys came along: A
project that would transition from stage to screen
THE WILD WEB: What you may already know with a world tour in between, and would be his
Day from is Issa Rae’s HBO series Insecure – breakout moment in 2006. Eventually, Dhawan
which she’s been attached with ever since it was would meet Mark Gatiss when he signed up for
a fledgling guerrilla project living on YouTube as the role of Waris Hussein (the first Doctor Who
Awkward Black Girl. “I met Issa on Twitter after director) for the biopic, An Adventure In Space And
she put out a call for a mixed-race girl to play the Time – leading to a long and fruitful professional
part. I told her I wasn’t mixed-race but I got it. I partnership.
figured I wouldn’t even get paid, but it just blew
up.” Apart from the glory and the annual yacht MIND THE GAP: In 2017, Dhawan signed up for
parties, Day finds it comforting to know they are Lynsey Miller’s The Boy With The Topknot – with
in each other’s corner. “It’s been a special journey slight trepidation. “I don’t speak fluent Punjabi
from its humble beginnings to being an Emmy- and I had to deliver a Punjabi monologue. I was
nominated show!” confronting the Indian part of my identity for the
first time. And it was about me understanding
LONG FORM: In her storytelling, Day is how privileged I am as an actor of my position to
influenced by everyone from Satyajit Ray to the help open doors for other artists.”
Duplass brothers, Mira Nair to Gurinder Chadha.
For the type of creative she wants to be, she CALLING THE SHOTS: Dhawan has lately been
looks to her peers: Like Michaela Coel, Donald reckoning with what it means to be British
Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and a growing Indian, versus simply passing on his parents’
league of multi-hyphenates “that are speaking
in their authentic voice.” While Definition Please
SACHA DHAWAN story as his own. He’s been reading books like
Nikesh Shukla’s The Good Immigrant – he also
IMAGE: GREGGYWAWA PHOTOGRAPHY
does the rounds of film festivals and she looks for collaborated with the author last summer on a
international distributors, Day is also activating lockdown drama in which he stars as a stand-
IMAGE: MICHAEL SHELFORD
her second feature film and an absurdist comedy up comedian. Eventually, Dhawan wants to turn
series that she wrote last year. Eventually producer. He wants to “stand at the beginning of
though, “I want to be able to shepherd the next an idea, to tell stories that are culturally specific
generation of writers of South Asian descent.” ACTOR, LONDON but donʼt necessarily need to be defined by race.”
JANUARY 2021 — 21
 NOTES FROM THE DIASPOR A

SUNITA MANI WATCH OUT: You may or may not remember

Sunita Mani from that bizarre music video
for DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down For and Silicon Valley. Last year, he shared the
What” from 2013. But her role in Evil Eye, the screen with Steve Carrell in Space Force. Next,
Blumhouse horror flick on Netflix, is no blink- you’ll see him in the much-anticipated Marvel
and-miss performance. “Playing Pallavi was series WandaVision, expected this month. “I’m
intriguing and meaningful on an intuitive level,” a part of the town that Wanda has taken over as
she says. “But I didn’t realise that the same she mourns the loss of Vision,” he says. “The
ACTOR AND DANCER, NEW YORK personal significance – and the sheer fact – show is going through time periods in a weird
that I was surrounded by so many Indian faces way. You’re alternating between her reality and
on set would be so publicly reciprocated. Also, then what actually is your reality.”
someone told me they liked Pallavi’s clothes.”
ORIGIN STORY: Ali, whose roots are in
WORDLY WISE: “I’m always drawn to the Hyderabad, grew up in Arizona a little obsessed
role or story first,” says Mani, who’s also with basketball. “I got good, but then I never
been a part of some interesting, left-of- grew. That was the universe telling me this
centre projects, like the sci-fi comedy series was not for me.” His second thing was comedy,
DreamCorp LLC, the Sundance-hit apocalypse- which he perfected during his university
comedy film Save Yourselves!, and the Netflix years in Chicago – a city he thinks is heavily
series GLOW. “Good writers know how to overlooked in the LA vs NYC binary when it
make life jump out at you on the page. Big or comes to the stand-up circuit. After a few years
small. I guess I’m drawn to the unexpected. I of being on the road and the stage, he dropped
enjoy trying to make characters fit within the out of college and moved to LA. There, his
seams of their skin, like they would be bursting world opened up, moving beyond stand-up into
out with millions of emotions and behaviours improv, sketch comedy and comedic acting.
otherwise, but they have to be contained within
this little framework they call a body, a line, DIVERSITY HIRE: Ali’s done hundreds of
a story.” pilots – including one with Tina Fey that
was exceptional but didn’t finally work out.
ORIGIN STORY: Growing up in Tennessee His lessons? “The accent itself is not the
in a Tamil household, Mani says she wasn’t problem,” he says, of the POC characters he’s
exposed to art and culture, but was gradually auditioned for, often running the loop of “cab
consumed by it. Films like Who Framed Roger driver” and “terrorist”. “It’s a problem when
Rabbit and Drop Dead Gorgeous, Saturday it’s slapped on to cover for bad writing.” Ali’s
Night Live and Christopher Guest films have
all left an impression on her. “I feel like the
meta-format of comedy and film-making still
resonates with me.” Her love for nonsense and
surreal also manifests in the “highly curated
ASIF ALI way of countering it, or coping with it, was to
write sketch comedy segments for Goatface
– “Brown SNL” as they liked to call it – along
with Hasan Minhaj, Aristotle Athiras and Fahim
Anwar. Now, thankfully, “that stuff doesn’t fly
ridiculousness” of her dance troupe Cocoon anymore. Things are changing, but very slowly.
Central Dance Team. “Cocoon was formed Still, I’ve been a little part of this new wave
out of an apartment in New York City. We were of South Asian people doing roles that aren’t
roommates who danced to keep ourselves pigeonholed in these boxes.”
happy through the harsh realities of post-
ACTOR AND COMEDIAN, LA COMING SOON: During the lockdown, Ali
college adulthood.”
worked on an animated sci-fi show called Devil
FUTURE TENSE: Mani is now developing May Care. In it, he plays a guy who wakes up in
her own idea for a TV show. “Iʼm excited NO JOKE: If someone told Asif Ali today that hell but has no clue why, and ascends to the
for more leading parts, but weʼll see what his account in Hollywood is suspended, that role of the devil’s social media manager. Soon,
happens. I feel like Iʼve been on some he could no longer work there, he wouldn’t be he’ll begin shooting for his first film, Olivia
incredible, genre-bending, comedy-dramedy mad. “I’ve done so much that I’m so proud of Wilde’s indie project Don’t Worry Darling. Next
style projects and Iʼm into the mix of all already,” he laughs. Since 2016, when the Lost- up, Ali wants to run his own TV show, a comedy
IMAGE: AMJAD ALI

those things. And then, who doesn't want to parody series Wrecked became an unexpected project where it’s jokes first: “Kind of like The
IMAGE: ERIC HOBBS

play a role like Jodie Comerʼs Villanelle in hit, Ali has consistently been a part of prestige Office, the stuff that we grew up on, and that is
Killing Eve?” projects like The Mandalorian, BoJack Horseman easy to watch on repeat.”

22 — JANUARY 2021
JULY 2020 JANUARY 2021 — 23
 TECH TONIC

FI
GH
TI
NG

e
o u’r
t y ved
tha esol t
w r
No wly it (ye st in
ne get f inve two or
to ain), et or de f
ag adg e ma and
a g t ar ent eet
tha vem lp m
mo n he als
ca ur go
yo MI WATCH REVOLVE
A powerful, affordable smartwatch
packed with features (auto brightness
and the always-on display mode are a
boon), the Mi Watch Revolve runs on
some powerful proprietary software that
can effortlessly monitor your heart rate,
sleep quality, stress levels and oxygen. It
UNDER ARMOUR SPORTSMASK also comes with ten “professional sports
There’s a reason UA’s Sportsmask sold out in a day after modes” – running, hiking, spinning,
it launched last year – it’s so much more than a protection swimming and more – that will provide
tool. Designed specifically for athletes, it’s sleek, functional, you data specific to your routine. It’s no
water-resistant and offers SPF 50+ sun protection. It has three slob in the looks department either, with
layers: A spacer fabric to keep material off the mouth and a 46mm dial, a stunning AMOLED display,
WORDS: NIDHI GUPTA

nose, an open-cell foam layer to let air pass but block sweat, and ten watch faces and five strap
and UA ISO-Chill to keep skin cool. If you’re outdoorsy, you options. Plus, a gigantic battery that can
can’t venture out without one of these in a pandemic. last you two weeks straight. Up to you to
`4,000 approx match it for stamina. `9,999

24 — JANUARY 2021
 TECH TONIC
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

WHY TANDAV? WHAT WAS THE MOST

FITBIT ARIA AIR SAMSUNG CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR ROLE?
This bluetooth-powered smart scale doesn’t just GALAXY Politics is an interesting world
display your weight, but also syncs with the Fitbit FIT2 because it’s got people with varied
app where you can view BMI and track trends ideals who are driven by different
If you’d like to
over time. Using the app, you can do things like things. And when you put them under
keep your time-
set a healthy weight goal, log your food and view pressure, their positive and negative
teller and fitness
calories in and out. The truly serious can also qualities come to the fore. That makes
tracker separate, for compelling watching. India is
spring for the Fitbit Premium membership – with
the Samsung a political nation. We understand
which the Aria Air is compatible – for access to
Galaxy Fit2 is a the average Indian is interested in
personalised programs and guided plans. Apart
great option for and likes to discuss politics. So we
from learning how to paleo properly, you can even
the latter. Light, thought it would be a good idea to
tap into a community of fitness enthusiasts that
slim and good- make a show on it.
may be the final key in actually sticking to a plan.
looking, this The most challenging aspect of my
`4,999
fitness band can role was the fact that it was quite a
access Samsung speech-heavy one. As a public figure,
Health library’s I had to learn a number of speeches.
large collection Normally, in my experience, you
TANGRAM of features, track have a couple of big days, when

THE POWER
FACTORY everything from you’ve got heavy dialogues to learn,
SMARTROPE pace to heart rate, and then you’ve got easy days. With

DABBOO RATNANI
sleep to stress. Tandav, I had a big day every day for
ROOKIE It’ll even prompt about four or five days. But it was a

So who else has noticed
how skipping has slyly
become cool again? The
Rookie smart jump rope
BEATS makes this little classic
POWERBEATS feel suitably futuristic, with
an adjustable rope length,
PRO
ability to store and analyse
There are bluetooth earphones upto 1,000 data points.
galore in the shop today, but Still more jazzy is the
we haven’t seen a pair that’s SmartRope Chrome. Its 23
better suited for physical embedded LED displays
activity than Dr Dre’s totally fitness data mid-air as
wireless in-ears. Its adjustable you work out – the kind
ear hooks make sure it doesn’t of thing you want if your
budge from place no matter workout is destined for the
how hard you are pounding the ‘gram. It also comes with
pavement. It’s also sweat and a free app called Smart
water-resistant. The battery can Gym, to track jump count,
be juiced up for over an hour calories burned, work out
in five minutes and the sound times and interval training.
is flawless. Plus – possibly our If this is too extra for you,
favourite feature – you can use you can always opt for the
them independently, with full Rookie Pure, an all black
volume and track controls on minimalist beauty. Starting
each earbud. `21,500 at `3,000 approx
HYPERICE VYPER 2.0
Runners know just how important a roller can be in alleviating
muscle stress after a long jog. This smart roller remains
OF POLITICS
you periodically
to wash your
hands. But the
winning features
are the 50m “If you can’t be the king, be the kingmaker!” This line echoes in our
water-resistance heads as we sit down for a candid conversation with the nawab and
and Water Lock, kingmaker himself, Saif Ali Khan, as he takes GQ through the world
making it ideal for
of his upcoming Amazon Original series, Tandav
swimmers.
`3,999 A charismatic leader of a prominent
political party in the capital city of
the world’s largest democracy set to
inherit the chair of Prime Minister. An
incumbent Prime Minister who isn’t
keen on retiring yet. Party members
who also have their eyes on the prize.
And an idealistic campus activist eager
to overthrow those in power and sway
the youth’s votes. All come together to
set the stage for what promises to be the
biggest series to hit Indian streaming
services yet. Tandav is directed by Ali
Abbas Zafar, produced by Zafar and
Himanshu Kishan Mehra’s Offside
Entertainment and has a stellar cast that
sets the benchmark for an ensemble.
As we approach the series’ premiere
date of January 15, we ask lead actor
Saif Ali Khan – who is no stranger to the
world of digital streaming – about this
gripping series, his return to the digital
screen and more.
WORDS: NIDHI GUPTA
platforms. It’s great to have a piece of
work release during a time like this
when entertainment on television is an
important factor to maintaining mental
equilibrium and happiness. The fact
that cinema halls can shut down and
entertainment on this kind of platform
becomes the only kind that’s available
was something completely unforeseen.
It’s interesting that there is that option
for us as actors.
challenge I happily accepted and it
was actually very satisfying to deliver.
DID YOU ENJOY YOUR TIME ON SET?
We had a lovely time filming. There
were some civilised dinners in
Pataudi, where Ali would get some
of the cast to sing for us. And we’d
have all sorts of lovely conversations
late into the night. We also played
cricket together at Pataudi. Ali enjoys
playing cricket! He’s really noisy
about it and hates losing. But, the
important thing is, when you play
cricket like this, the light man and the
gaffer stop being just the light man
and gaffer, you know? You connect
to them personally and respect them
differently. You see them as a really
good left-handed opening batsman or
a really good spinner. And it’s a very
nice thing to do for a film crew...to
play together. The second best thing
to do is to drink together, but that is
not as reliable!
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH
DIMPLE KAPADIA?
I’ve worked with Dimple-ji previously.
She’s a lovely actor whom I respect.
She has played my mother in Cocktail
and a twisted love interest of mine
in Being Cyrus. In Tandav, we share
more of an antagonistic relationship.

unbeatable for it offers three vibrating settings that can HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RETURNING TO To me, she represents an era of films
help increase blood circulation and improve flexibility more THE DIGITAL SCREEN? that was larger than life. I’ve known
effectively than any regular foam roller would. A must-have if I’m very excited about Tandav. As an her since I was a kid. So, it’s always
you’re serious about the 10K. `16,500 actor, I don’t differentiate between a pleasure.

26 — JANUARY 2021
 S
UP STREAM
ome of the jokes that appeared on the
internet earlier last year, M Night
Shyamalan remembers, were about
how he wrote the year 2020. What has
been going around in the world since
February because of its dystopian nature, global impact
and the isolation it forced upon people, seemed similar
to the kind of supernatural stories he writes for films.
The director of The Sixth Sense, Signs and Glass,
had never thought about how much humans need to
be with each other in all his “isolation movies. The
fragility of human response to it [the pandemic] – we
can ignore it, say it’s fake or it’s the end of the world.
But the struggle to deal with a lack of control we have
in the face of mother nature is inspiring, just to see
how fragile we are.”
Fear and fragility are constant features in Servant,
the Apple TV+ series that returns with a second season
on January 15, in which Shyamalan is an executive
producer and director of some episodes. It is, in many
ways, a Shyamalan genre: about a nanny hired to
manage a baby that does not exist. But the show also
breaks a pattern for the independent-minded film-
maker, whose two-decade old bumpy career takes a
turn towards episodic web content and reaches out for
a second chance.
The “parents” in the show, Dorothy and Sean
Turner, live in a gothic, palatial house that’s also
a character – dark, pristine and intimidating. Food
plays a metaphor to what’s happening to the family,
A
since Sean (Toby Kebbell) is a chef. In scenes of
controlled violence, an eel gets slammed on the kitchen
counter before being cooked, heads of fish are chopped
off, meat sizzles on the pan as bottles and bottles
of wine are consumed. Shyamalan’s trademark big
twists come at a slow pace, in steady close-ups, in an
atmospheric and unsettling setting.
Shyamalan’s daughter had pointed him to a
1974 movie she saw in film school, Rainer Werner
Fassbinder’s Ali: Fear Eats The Soul, which used
colours and textures in a way that inspired him.
Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) is, therefore, “dressed
IN THE TALE
with big prints that match her mania and convey her
struggle with something internally. Bold patterns on
the wall reflect conflict and swirling emotions in a
household, which is [otherwise] formal. Everything else
As new episodes of in the production design is exploding, like their lives,”
his critically acclaimed Shyamalan explains.
“He [show creator Tony Basgallop] opened our world
series Servant get set
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES (M NIGHT SHYAMALAN) to life, death and creation, of when you make a dish,
to drop, film-maker all tactile and violent as it is. Never leaving the house
M Night Shyamalan was the thing I imposed on the show. That minimalism
talks to Arun Janardhan and play-like quality is important for me to make the
about his second innings show singular,” says Shyamalan, whose next film Old is
scheduled for later this year.
in Hollywood and telling For the Philadelphia resident, whose ambitions as
dystopian stories a film-maker while growing up were triggered by the
in dystopian times big-screen experience, the uncertainty of screening on
28 — NOVEMBER 2020
A still from
the Apple
TV+ series,
Servant
an OTT platform is new. He wanted to tell the story
of Servant over 40 episodes, and with a third season
recently sanctioned, Shyamalan just needs one more
to complete his wish. But that decision does not lie
with him.
“You want to have a healthy amount of risk – we
as artists have to be comfortable with great risks but
there is sometimes a crippling amount involved,” he
says over a call. “To begin a show is scary because
[the questions are] will we ever get to finish it? Will I
figure out the end? Will the audience stay with us?...
To have some security now that we will get 30 of the 40
episodes told can take a lot off my shoulders.”
He sees Servant as a series of half-hour thrillers and
finds excitement in its short, sharp storytelling. “More
people now have seen season one as we are about to air
season two than when we aired season one. It’s a new
relationship between the audience and the storyteller.”
Shyamalan was catapulted to the limelight with the
1999 film The Sixth Sense, considered by many to be a
perfect screenplay. He followed that with an unusual
superhero film, Unbreakable, but a subsequent string
of movies brought his career careening down. The
Village, Lady In The Water, The Happening and After
Earth are among the films that had people questioning
his ability to recreate the magic of his early career. But,
in what is being considered a resurrection, he put in his
own money to make The Visit (2015) followed by Split,
both of which earned substantial box office returns.
“My films take two years, between writing and
editing I am alone essentially for most of that time,”
says Shyamalan. “The partners I have [in Servant],
film-makers, writers, editors, new composers and
different actors, have opened me up to things that
I normally wouldn’t be able to do. It’s been a great
moment of renewal and reinvigoration for me.
“I would say every single artist is reinventing
themselves,” he adds. “When you start to think of
yourself as fixed, it’s a difficult mindset to break
from. If I could talk to my 30-year-old self making
Unbreakable, to say, hey, don’t try to win it right now.
Be happy that you felt great about this new form of
storytelling and in time, that resonance will come to
play out.”
JANUARY 2021 — 29

NE
O
D A
ND
T
S
U
D
T
he air was stale, the smell of sweat everywhere.
Multiple people jostled for space in the tiny room.
The man looked up and a pico projector the size
of a small matchbox flashed its image on to the
kitchen counter to give him a quick update about two new
important messages. He dismissed one with a wave of his hand
and dictated a quick reply to the second one.
Unsure of what to do next, the man moved forward, only to
be greeted by a second pico projector shining a bright image on
to the surface of a door. A holographic image greeted him and
asked if he wanted to be connected to his assistant on a holo-
video-call. Giving a voice command to set it for later in the
afternoon, the man touched a screen on the microwave and asked
for his lunch to be ready and also an update on the stock market.
The microwave whirred into action while its screen served up
data on the current performance of his portfolio.
30 — JANUARY 2021
SMARTER THINGS
A mirror on the other side of the room caught his image
and flashed a quick update on his heart rate, blood pressure
and other vitals, while reminding him that he needed to
hydrate as his skin looked particularly dry. The man spoke
into the small band around his wrist and a small green light
flashed, acknowledging that a new case of sparkling water
had been ordered.
While the above sounds like an interesting opening chapter
of a sci-fi novel, it’s actually all real. The man was me, the room
was a filled-to-the-brim demo area at the Consumer Electronic
Show in Las Vegas. The technology was a showcase of all the
tech and gadgets that we would be using in the future. Clearly,
the future had arrived.
Two things stand out though. One, this was in January 2018
– presumably, all this tech has been refined and become even
better. Two, it was an incredible showcase of the future and all
the gadgets that would become mainstream – and there wasn’t a
single smartphone there.
The death of the smartphone is one of the most popular
D
tropes in tech reporting. It’s the most popular piece of tech in
the history of the world. In fact, it’s also the only one that has
E
a phobia named after it (nomophobia – the fear of not having a
phone). It has been called the god device. At last count, it had
replaced over 100 stand-alone gadgets. Point and shoot cameras,
GPS devices, fax machines, pager, answering machines,
payphones, scanners, camcorders, alarm clock, portable music
players, calculators, voice recorders – it’s a long list.
The incredible miniaturisation of technology led to the
smartphone becoming a Swiss army knife of all things tech. The
System-on-a-Chip (SoC) was able to cram so much efficiency
and flexibility into a small slab of silicon that we started using
the smartphone for several functions at once. But this very
versatility will also be the smartphone’s undoing.
Multi-capability products always suffer from one major
problem – they may do it all but they don’t do it all very well.
Till now, we’ve been seduced by the incredible functionality of
the smartphone and have learnt to live with its shortcomings.
Small screen (even at seven inches, it’s still very small for easy
human interaction), poor battery life (it’s silly to be satisfied
with something that is a lifeline device and yet needs to be
charged every night), astonishing fragility (the screen breaking
and liquids destroying the innards are still very common) and
terrible interoperability (it’s a sad joke that we still have phones
OSs that don’t talk to each other). We’ve lowered our standards
and live with all of these to make sure that the magic of multi-
usage mediocrity is still delivered to us by our smartphone. But
They’ve been predicting
bigger and better things are about to make sure that we don’t
its fall from grace for have to.
years now, but it’s hard to
believe the smartphone MICRO PROJECTORS
Pico and micro projectors are the next big thing. Imagine a
could go away seeing just
home or office with about 20 of them installed in every place
how central it is to our
you need. Extremely tiny and economical projectors capable of
lives. Here’s why the death using any surface and automatically giving us a screen when
of the smartphone is not
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
and where we need it. Interactive screens as big as 150 inches
greatly exaggerated or as small as ten inches. Why would you need your little
smartphone to check the news or your social media or a quick
W R I T T E N B Y YouTube video when something much better is beaming its way
R A J I V M A K H N I into your life?
SCREEN EVERYWHERE
Everything will now come with a screen on it – even speakers,
refrigerators, cars and furniture. Plus, these devices now
have the capability to recognise you and display information
customised for you. You can conjure up a customised screen
anywhere to check up quickly on something. Exactly what you
blindly used to do on your phone every few minutes.
VOICE ASSISTANTS
They went from novelty speakers to a force to be reckoned with
in just two years. Now, they are everywhere and in everything.
When your geyser, air conditioner, gaming machine, air
purifier, bulb, door, security camera, headphones, smart screen
and a dozen other things around you all respond to your voice
command in the language of your choice without a go-between,
your phone usage completely plummets.
INTERNET OF EVERYTHING
It’s no longer about the Internet of Things because it’s now in
everything. Your car, TV, microwave, refrigerator, washing
machine, coffee maker, and even your thermos are all
internet-enabled and can make smart decisions based on your
preferences, and a controller like your phone just isn’t needed.
SMARTWATCHES
The Dick Tracy relic is finally getting its due. Simpler, more
efficient, always there by default, safer and more secure
on your wrist, the smartwatch can make calls now, packs
a smorgasbord of sensors that give medical grade health
data, is the perfect fitness companion, can control all smart
devices, and some can now even pull off a month of battery
life on one charge. The smartwatch is already starting to
become the control centre the phone once was. Watch the
smartwatch expand its tech prowess in the next two years.
AR/VR
The much touted, less understood next big thing. When
augmented and virtual reality come together, they are truly
magical. The problem is the devices that deliver them are
clunky and uncomfortable. Not anymore. With AR Glasses
(finally overcoming the nerd and privacy dilemma) and
AR contact lenses (these already exist, just need to fix the
ridiculous battery life) around the corner, almost anything
that you want will be in front of your eyes in mind-bending
virtual reality.
BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE
No longer in the realm of fantasy, the interface fusion between
man and machine that can read your commands, your thoughts
and your needs, is already in place. Elon Musk’s Neuralink
and a dozen other organisations and individuals are all on the
threshold of unveiling these for the everyday consumer. Why
pick up a phone when you can search the internet, read emails,
make calls directly in your mind?
The smartphone won’t just disappear at once. It will be a
phased out vanishing act. But vanish it will. Just like the rotary
phone, the pager and the fax machine – we will one day look
back and marvel as to how we all were so addicted to such
rudimentary and crude technology like the smartphone.
JANUARY 2021 — 31
 INDIE GENUS
T hese aren’t boom times for sex. Two years
ago, a leading American journal ran an
article investigating why today’s youth
were having less sex than ever. The writer
identified the decline of “couplehood” as a major reason
for some worrying statistics. Aish Divine, reading this
shortly after getting engaged to his now husband, was
paying attention.
“Apart from the scientific advances and the pressures
of having children, there’s the idea that a domestic
state doesn’t exist,” says the queer pop artist of Indian
origin over a Zoom call from New York. “Not only that,
gender has also gone out the window. My engagement
was a reckoning in a way, with the assumption that
monogamy is part of marriage, among other things.”
He found recourse in Esther Perel’s podcast Where
Do We Begin, and release in his latest album The Sex
Issue. His sophomore outing after 2018’s noteworthy
Mother, The Sex Issue is 15 songs of boisterous beats
and world-melding sounds that “serves sex realness
with sadness, laughter, euphoria and vogue.” It is also
“part autobiographical and part observational about
the generation we are part of. I’m musing on my sense
of identity beyond just a person who exists.”
Aish Divine, as he exists, is a Bhopal-born, NY-
Acquaint yourself based artist who has lived across three continents.
His main purpose is to represent those like him,
with the musical because there aren’t many like him that are prominent
stylings of queer in the callous world of Western pop music. “Maybe
brown pop musician MIA, maybe Zayn Malik,” he reflects, himself part of
Aish Divine, who is a league of LGBTQ+ musicians that stretches from
Hayley Kiyoko to Kehlani, Troye Sivan to Leo Kalyan.
infusing his beats
“Yes it’s growing, but swing a cat around and how
with a big dose of many of us will you find?”
diversity and being He has studied vocals and composition at Berklee,
the change he knows how to play the sitar, and is trained in both
wants to see Western classical and Hindustani classical music.
But, he’s here making pop music (and involved in
LET’S
every aspect of it – from writing to production to
visuals) because in pop he finds an easy conduit for
communicating big ideas coded into big dancey, happy
beats. “Pop is relatable,” he shrugs. “A part of good art,
as Nina Simone says, is to reflect our times. And her
work was very real. I wanted to make something real
yet poppy.”
Like the music video for “Common Questions”,
which he released last summer to some fanfare. “It’s a
satirical track about the world of online dating,” he says,
and the video is electric with a league of queer artists
taking over the streets. Or “Pulchritude Of Loss”, a track
about the ebbs and flows of love and sex in a long-
term relationship. Its surrealist music video features
armchairs, boring wallpaper and a couple trapped in
WORDS: NIDHI GUPTA
a simulation, in more ways than one. Or even “BBC”,
a song about “a popular track on sites of the raunchier
kind”, whose visuals feature Aish Divine and a host of
characters playing news anchors.
32 — NOVEMBER
JANUARY 2021
2020
“Going into it,” he says, “my vision was to work
with non-male video direction and production houses.
Because it is a very male dominated industry – and
diversity is a choice. It takes a little extra time to
find the right people, where there is representation
but that time is worth it. All talent [in the creative
visuals] for The Sex Issue was either trans, non-binary
or people of colour.”
If the visuals underline Aish Divine’s evolving
thoughts on his sexuality, the sound of The Sex Issue
streamlines his South Asian heritage. Co-produced with
Beau Sorenson (who has in the past worked with indie
band Death Cab For Cutie), the songs here incorporate
tribal Indian forms like Pandavani Geet (in “Unfurler”),
riff off qawwali beats (“BBC”) and even feature a
Persian santoor (“Objectify Me”).
“I have a very conflicted relationship with India,” he
says. A survivor of the Bhopal gas tragedy, Aish Divine
also faced several years of bullying in a public school in
Delhi. He remembers first dates at Nehru Park “under
the darkness of the evening and 377” just as brightly
as his visits to his mother’s ancestral village in central
India, where he discovered Teejan Bai.
In the US, living across cities like Oakland and San
Francisco, he acquired his taste for hip-hop and indie
pop rock. “And I’m getting my jazz influences from my
own listening. Sadness and sorrow in jazz is not that of
a victim, but of a spirit that yearns and burns with hope
and to be resilient and liberate itself.”
Now in New York, and living in the neighbourhood
where David Bowie breathed his last, Aish Divine
is retracing the steps of “the patron saint of pushing
boundaries”. Just before the pandemic struck, he’d
begun to take dance classes at Martha Graham and
joined acting school at NYU. “I could perform the music
I’d learnt exactly as it existed, but what’s the point of
performing something if you’re not evolving it,” he says.
“As an artist my job is to build upon what’s been given
to my generation.”
Part of this evolution is also reimagining what his
live set would look like, once that’s possible again. Pre-
pandemic, he wanted it to look like Lizzo’s – vibrant,
glittery and all-encompassing. But now, he’s considering
a gospel choir. As the pieces of that idea fall into place,
he’s also begun work on another album.
“I don’t yet have a theme but have a feeling that it
will be about the future of the ‘identity’ conversation,”
he says. “The way we talk about identity today
is very divisive. Yes, it’s true that there is lack of
representation, but there is also a lot of virtue
signalling and anger. I think we could use less of
cancel culture and more of empathy. I think we need
to get through this to get to that world where it’s less
about, ‘Oh look at me, a brown queer person’, and
more about, ‘Wow, this music is very different.’ One
where things are more about the idea than the person
behind them.”
NOVEMBER
JANUARY 2020
2021 — 33
 GREAT
Rooshad
Shroff’s new
gallery
DESIGN
DISTRICT
Located in Mumbai’s heritage centre,
Horniman Circle, designer Rooshad
Shroff’s new gallery and office has
the perfect view of the magnificent
Asiatic Library. It is also flanked
by two iconic boutiques – Hermès
and Louboutin (also designed by
Shroff). While Shroff has kept alive
the architecture of the past with high
ceilings and arched doorways, the pale
grey walls and open layout bring a very
modern aesthetic. This also allows
the flexibility needed to showcase
new collaborations. To give the
space a more homey vibe, Shroff has
brought in his personal art collection,
lending a complete experience to the
RooshadSHROFF furniture, lighting
and other products.
34 — JANUARY 2021
INFORMAL
SPACES
Durable products made out of
sustainable materials are all
the rage today (and for good
reason), and will continue to
be part of any new trends in
the future. Addressing this
growing need, and staying true
to its philosophy of Rethink,
Rediscover, Renew, is The Rug
Republic’s latest collection,
Upcycled Charm. Made out of
recycled denim, silk, cotton,
GREEN OFFERINGS
and even leather, there’s not As Marie Kondo would ask, does your home office spark joy? If your answer
only rugs but pouffes and isn’t entirely in the affirmative, then it’s time to improve your workday by
cushion covers included. So, creating a space that fits all your requirements. As #WFH carries on (for
why only wear washed-out most of us), one essential element is a touch of nature. Pick something
denim when you can bring small for your desk, or try to set up a green corner. On our radar right now
that cool but casual look to is Elite Earth for its range of concrete pots and vases. Trust us, these eco-
your home too? friendly products will bring some much-needed respite.
Fields Club,
UNFAMILIAR designed by Studio
Lotus in Bengaluru
PATHS
Multi-award winning architecture
firm Studio Lotus has grown
from strength to strength ever
since it was established in 2002.
Grounded in the principles of
conscious design, the five principal
architects and their team focus
on celebrating local resources,
Stay future forward and cultural influences, an inclusive
embrace the new with a little bit process and a keen attention to
detail. Their latest project, Krushi
of the old to spark creativity Bhavan, a government complex in
Odisha, is a lesson in designing an
administrative centre that houses
WORDS: JANICE FERNANDES. IMAGE: © RAVI ASRANI (FIELDS CLUB)
government offices as well as
EYE-CATCHING community engagement facilities.
Considering we’ve spent only most of last year at Their notable work transcends
home, you’re probably already bored of the way your categories including, but not
space looks. Here’s your chance to experiment with limited to, institutional, residential
elements that are different from the standard colours and hospitality. Two of their future
and shapes. Now, we’re not talking about changing projects we’re looking forward to:
all your furniture, but just bringing in accents like The Visitor Centre and Knowledge
a coffee table or a side table. And that’s where the Centre within the Mehrangarh Fort
latest collection from Ochre at Home comes in with its precinct, and an Interpretation
dose of playfulness. Geometric patterns and vibrant Centre at the Qutb Shahi necropolis
colours never looked better, and make the perfect gardens – both contracts won in
accompaniment to your seating arrangements. competition, might we add.
JANUARY 2021 — 35

WHAT’ S YOU R CODE
L
ife’s this game of inches. So is
football. Because, in either game,
life or football, the margin for error
is so small – I mean one-half a step
too late, or too early, and you don’t
quite make it... The inches we
need are everywhere around us…
On this team, we fight for that
inch… We tear ourselves and everyone else around us
to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails
for that inch, because we know when we add up all
those inches that’s gonna make the f*****g difference
between winning and losing!”
These are legendary actor Al Pacino’s words as the
fictitious Hall of Fame coach Tony D’Amato in the
brilliant Oliver Stone film, Any Given Sunday. Over
the years, this movie, and this speech, has meant a lot
to me. I’ve seen it at least a 100 times – often before
big matches during my tennis career. As I’ve grown
older, it still holds meaning, but less with regards to
sport and more with regards to life.
We are all determined to make 2021 so much better
than 2020. So, to start off on the best foot possible, I’d
like to focus on a concept that lies at the heart of this
speech, one of the most inspiring sports speeches in
recent memory. (In fact, I highly recommend finding
it on YouTube, or Googling “peace with inches speech”
for the written version.) In it, Coach Tony D builds on
the idea that American football is a game of inches.
E
A few inches to the right or to the left can be the
H
difference between winning and losing the game. But,
T
IG
in the extreme case of American football, it can also be
the difference between living and dying. He goes on to
B
affirm that the same goes for life. And with whatever
experience I’ve had in my 37 years on this planet, I
wholeheartedly agree.
There are many lessons we can take away from
these powerful words. But I want us all to focus on the
fact that it’s the little things, the inches, that make up
the big results at the end of the day.
Sometimes we’re all too focused on how daunting
a task may be. For example, if one’s goal is to lose
20 pounds, I’ve often heard, “Oh that’s so much, I
don’t even know how to get started.” But if that same
person were to focus on losing 2.5lbs in a week, it
wouldn’t seem like such a difficult task. If you’re able
to just maintain that one week focus eight times, in
the blink of two months, you’ve lost a whopping 20lbs.
IMAGE: MATT SAYLES (PRAKASH), ALAMY (AL PACINO)
It’s the same for progress in any field. If you’re a
golfer and you’re trying to cut ten strokes from your
score, that seems daunting. But if you were to focus on
dropping one stroke, that doesn’t seem like much.
A singular focus on small tasks that are part of a
larger plan, that is in turn part of a larger goal (inches
vs feet), is how all of the greats scale mountains. It’s
the focus on the steps, rather than the summit, that
makes the climb possible.
Why every inch counts Life is the same. It can seem extremely daunting
WRITTEN BY PRAKASH AMRITRAJ and challenging, especially as we get older. Problems
36 — JANUARY 2021
Al Pacino’s
character
makes a
rousing speech
in Any Given
Sunday
become bigger, with more obstacles to overcome.
“I wish I could just be a kid again,” is something I
often hear. But guess what, when we were kids, we
just focused on the task at hand. We didn’t get in our
own way. And that’s the subconscious goal we’ll be
achieving by focusing on the inches and not the feet.
We get out of our own way.
When you read about the lives of famous athletes
or entertainers, they’re often described as “overnight
successes”. But it’s the small inches gained over
the years that make way for that moment. When
Rafael Nadal won the French Open at 19, or Michael
B Jordan became a worldwide sensation, winning
hearts for his performance in Creed, it didn’t happen
overnight. Little upticks in the progress chart.
Smaller roles for an actor, then slightly bigger ones,
and then one day that big breakout. For an athlete:
Wins and losses, followed by more wins and slightly
less losses, and so on.
If it weren’t for all those other relatively minor
milestones along the way, the actor wouldn’t have had
the experience to take advantage of that particular
moment. But all the outside world sees is the big
breakthrough. So remember: If you haven’t had that
great big success just yet, give yourself credit for the
little wins you put together on a regular basis. Those
two extra workouts you squeezed in. That extra credit
you did on an assignment. The time you made space to
see that friend who needs you. That piece of cake you
chose not to eat at that party. These achievements are
your inches.
We all know the mind is our single greatest muscle.
We must train it to be stronger than the others. Belief
is a part of that. Confidence and a steadfast belief
in one’s ability to overcome and achieve is what sets
apart the ones who create the future they desire from
the ones who accept a future that’s created for them.
Recognise and allow achievements to constantly
appear in each and every facet of your life, and
watch your belief and confidence in yourself reach
unprecedented bounds.
Coach Tony D lets all of his players know he’s going
to ride and die with them. He says: “If I’m gonna have
any living left, it’s because I’m willing to live and die
for that inch.” I’m here to tell you I’m going to do the
same thing, as we all rise together in this new year.
Finally, let me leave you with the same words
Coach D leaves his players with:
“So… what are you gonna do?!”
JANUARY 2021 — 37
 S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

THE GRILLS

SLOW BARBEQUE | DELHI

In a delicious contradiction to the quick and easy fare which
we’ve become accustomed to, this slow barbecue, delivery-only
kitchen has a line-up that’s definitely worth the wait. Having spent
years researching, roasting and repeating recipes till he had a
playbook he could take to the bank, Chef Mousim Sidana’s grills
are marinated overnight (and longer) and cooked over several
hours in myriad experimental ways – from coal to bamboo bark. A
meat lover can choose from a range of farm-fed, handcrafted grills
like smoked slow-roasted chicken, Berber Culture lamb chops,
Carolina Gold baby back ribs, sticky pork belly or Sichuan Glazed
fish. These would be remiss without the sides and sauces: think was installed at over 100 stores
Aged Cheddar Scones, Spicy Jodhpuri New Potatoes and Truffle across Delhi, Gurugram, Ludhiana,
Hot Sauce. There’s an open-air barbecue brunchery in the works Mumbai, Goa, Pune, Hyderabad
for next year, but until then, it’ll come to you – just make sure you and Bengaluru, with the public
order well in advance. 88262 85095 being offered a chance to win a
miniaturised version of it by simply

Taste
scanning a QR code and uploading
an image with the ‘Jack Tree Of
THE ZERO-ABV COCKTAIL
Cheer’ at the store and registering

K
. T R AV
EL SVAMI NON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS their details.
FOOD . DRIN Best known for its flavoured tonics and ginger
The contest was further amplified
on social media, with participants
ales, Svami’s newest edits are a take on the playing a game of ‘eye spy’ and
Zero ABV beverages. Part of the vanguard for spotting the ‘Jack Tree of Cheer’ on
alcohol-free “alcohol-style” drinks in India, the the brand’s Instagram page. Several
ready-to-drink beverages come in three variants: lucky winners walked away with
Non-alcoholic Rum & Cola, Gin & Tonic and Pink special Christmas trees made using
Gin & Tonic. Wonder if they just taste like cola Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 bottles as
or tonic? The botanicals and formulas involved part of this unique festive activation.
create a closely simulated alcohol experience – What’s more? Jack Daniel’s also
with none of the effects. Choose these for when surprised a number of Indian
you need to make that morning meeting, sans influencers by sending them
THE SUGAR RUSH
the hangover. @svamidrinks the ‘Jack Tree of Cheer’ as a token
INDULGENCE of celebration.
DESSERTS | MUMBAI What made this consumer
activation particularly special was

IN THE SPIRIT
During the pandemic, Aly THE SPECIALTY ROAST
the fact that it tied seamlessly
Hajiani decided to resurrect KILTA COFFEE CO. into Jack Daniel’s’ latest global
his grandmother’s recipes campaign, ‘Make It Count’, which

OF CELEBRATION
from over two decades A tiny, 12-seater cafe called Kilta encourages people to really live life
ago. Coming from a Cafe in Manali was a town secret to the fullest – something we have
family of patissiers, the for several years, with owner and come to appreciate all the more
artisanal desserts have master roaster Robert Clark Floyd over the course of 2020. Not only
producing phenomenal blends did the ‘Jack Tree of Cheer’ spread
craftsmanship behind
made with locally sourced beans.
Adding a celebratory touch to Christmas and New Year much-needed festive cheer and joy
them, and a range that far
When father-son duo Kartik and festivities, Jack Daniel’s’ latest consumer activation saw after an especially bleak year but it
supersedes the average
home bakery. You’ll find Rakesh Talwar discovered it, they several lucky winners from across major cities in India walk also reminded us of the importance
brownies, handmade partnered together to package the cult roasts home with the exclusive ‘Jack Tree Of Cheer’ of celebrating life and making each
and take them wider – and so, Kilta Coffee Co. moment count.
chocolates, cookie slabs
and cheesecake in a range was born. The brand does a series of in-house
While 2020 was a challenging year Inspired by a long-standing For more information,
of renditions, making for blends – French roasts, espresso-specific and for all of us, ushering in a new Christmas tradition involving the
limited eds that change every month – sourced follow @jackdanielsindia on Instagram
both a post-dinner treat year is the perfect time to embrace original Jack Daniel’s Barrel Tree
as well as a great gift. from farmers from across the country. Look positivity and hope. And, to – which sees 140 white oak barrels
Currently delivered only to this if you’re after a new range of darks, spread some much-needed festive being used to build a 26-foot-tall
between South Mumbai mediums and lights to keep you cosy this winter cheer and lift spirits, for Christmas Christmas tree in Lynchburg,
WORDS: SAUMYAA VOHRA

and Bandra, but it’ll soon – we hear the Vienna edit (a medium-dark mix) and New Year celebrations, Tennessee – the brand launched an
expand to cover more of the is especially robust. @kiltacoffeeco Jack Daniel’s launched a unique India-centric activation to reinforce
city. @eatindulgence consumer activation across major the idea of Christmas celebrations.
Indian cities. A six-foot-tall ‘Jack Tree Of Cheer’

38 — JANUARY 2021
 12TH MOTY
Hype

GUCCI
ANNIVERSARY
SPECIAL

150
RANVEER SINGH
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE HOUSE OF PIXELS

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

LOUIS VUITTON
INDIA GOGGLES BY
DIOR MEN,
PRICE ON
OUR
ANNUAL

MEN OF REQUEST
THE YEAR
AWARDS
TOGETHER
WE STAND

Theory
SCARF BY
HERMÈS,
PRICE ON
REQUEST

STARRING

RANVEER
MOST STYLISH

Let fantasy take over with this

12TH MOTY
ANNIVERSARY
SPECIAL

season’s expressive, bold and

RANVEER SINGH
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE HOUSE OF PIXELS
150

INDIA

colourful fits. Nothing speaks

WORDS: RAHUL VIJAY. COORDINATION: SELMAN FAZIL. IMAGE: STUDIO DES FLEURS (HERMÈS)
OUR
ANNUAL

MEN OF
THE YEAR
AWARDS

optimism like a head-to-toe look

TOGETHER
WE STAND

drenched in a riot of hues: like this

STARRING

Alexander McQueen suit, or, for

RANVEER
a more balanced style, the Louis
12TH MOTY
ANNIVERSARY
SPECIAL

MOST STYLISH
RANVEER SINGH
PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE HOUSE OF PIXELS
150

INDIA

Vuitton in tropical blues. Our pick?

OUR
ANNUAL

BAG BY
MEN OF
THE YEAR
AWARDS
TOGETHER
WE STAND

PAUL Giorgio Armani’s millennial shades

SMITH,
STARRING

of red paired with blue with an

RANVEER
PRICE ON

GIORGIO ARMANI
MOST STYLISH

REQUEST easy-going attitude. Because, what’s

fashion without a little bit of fun?

BOOTS BY
FENDI, PRICE
ON REQUEST
 BOMBER BY POLO BOMBER
RALPH LAUREN BY CANALI, JACKET
AVAILABLE AT THE PRICE ON BY FRED
COLLECTIVE, `46,000 REQUEST PERRY,
`15,000

Thanks to Paul Mescal,

varsity jackets are making
a comeback. We suggest

ZIP IT
you pair it with
BOMBER BY JACKET
Chelsea boots and tailored TED BAKER, BY UNITED
pants for the ultimate grown- `39,000 COLORS OF
BENETTON,
up Ralph Lauren look `9,000

LINE-UP

A jacket is not
only a hero winter
silhouette but also a JACKET BY
wise addition to your BOTTEGA
wardrobe. From VENETA,
PRICE ON
rich suede to the REQUEST
varsity ones, here’s
how to start the JACKET BY
year with the right UNIQLO,
sartorial choices `3,000

BOMBER
BY PAUL
WORDS: SELMAN FAZIL

SMITH,
`30,000 BOMBER BY
BOMBER BY
NUMERO
REEBOK,
UNO, `3,700
`30,000

42 — JANUARY 2021 JANUARY 2021 — 43

 LINE-UP
SNEAKERS
BY DIOR
SNEAKERS BY
ASICS, `8,000
If your new year resolution like us is to MEN, PRICE
ON REQUEST
hit the gym, then make sure you do it
with these rainbow-hued, in-your-face
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Bringing back nostalgia,

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the classic comfortable trainers in
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bright hues, we present to you the shoes will be donated to

hottest kicks to cop at the moment RED, a charity that
fights against AIDS
SNEAKERS
BY PUMA,
`10,000
WORDS: SELMAN FAZIL

SNEAKERS BY
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 IN THE KNOW

NO GREY AREA
After working on it for almost two and a half years, Chennai-based
Arnav Malhotra founded No Grey Area last September. Born into
a fashion family, Malhotra was also instrumental in rebranding
Evoluzione, a multi-designer store run by his mother Tina Malhotra,
even with no formal education in fashion. The idea behind No Grey
Area was to create a brand that serves as a tool for self-expression,
to bridge the gap between the saturated Indianwear market and
the rise of athleisure and streetwear culture in the country, with an
emphasis on personal style. The brand plays with bold, eye-catching
hybrid prints on T-shirts, bomber jackets, and even kurtas. Fabrics and
trims are sourced from across the world lending an extra edge. If you
are looking to invest in everyday basics that are fashion forward, we
suggest you bookmark this brand.

Hype
From #WFHFits to
clothes that will ensure
you make heads turn,
these are the hottest
menswear brands to
take your style game to
the next level

MORAL
SCIENCE
To challenge the gender norms and binary
standards set by society, Isha Ahluwalia
launched this Goa-based unisex label – Moral
Science – in late 2019. The brand releases
limited collections with only one-of-a-kind
pieces that have sustainability at its core, like
SMR DAYS eco-friendly packaging and finding innovative
2020 was a year filled with uncertainties but one thing was clear: loungewear and ways of incorporating natural fabrics. Inspired
relaxed dressing would be the new direction in fashion. In October, Gautam Rajani, by utilitarian silhouettes and workwear
Adam Shapiro and Dan May, industry veterans who hail from diverse backgrounds, essentials, Ahluwalia’s designs are anything
founded SMR Days, a menswear brand that embodies the positive, effortless spirit but minimalistic, catering to a hybebeast
of laid-back days. They had one simple mission: to provide a season-less and generation. Take, for instance, a safari suit
mindful wardrobe solution meant both for travel and staying at home. This eco- made of unusual fabric combinations such
WORDS: RAHUL VIJAY

conscious, handcrafted brand uses natural fabrics and materials such as cottons, as corduroy and suiting fabrics, or even a Star
silks, mother of pearl and coconut. Our pick? The updated kurta-pyjama set, and Trek inspired spacesuit that can be worn in
the basketball shorts and shirts in bandhani print. multiple ways.

46 — JANUARY 2021
 THE WINTER EDIT
CHIVAS X GQ MEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS

BABY, IT’S

COLD OUTSIDE
Milind Soman

Vicuna scarves and cashmere coats may protect

you from harsh, frosty winds, but your skin needs Bhumi Pednekar
a different kind of saving. We’ve rounded up the
season essentials that’ll make sure there isn’t the Mandira Bedi

slightest chink in your winter armour Ali Fazal

LANEIGE
HYDRATION TO-GO! (TRAVEL SET) Jitendra Kumar
A fail-safe, compact travel set for
Chetan Bhagat
anytime you decide to jet off to the
hills – or anywhere equally chilly.
This five-piece kit includes
a Cream Cleanser, Water Bank
Hydro Essence, Moisture Cream,
Sleeping Mask and Lip Sleeping
Mask, taking the curation out of
your skincare regimen.
LʼOCCITANE `1,850
AQUA ULTRA THIRST QUENCHING GEL
Contrary to grooming folklore, not all
dry skin responds well to a luxurious
cream. Some need hydration sans
the heavy oil input, and a good
moisturising gel is the answer to that.
We’re partial to this Provence-origin
aqua gel for its water-based formula, Nikhil Kamath
which is effective when it comes to Arjun Mathur
both locking in moisture and giving FOREST Chivas XV
your skin a brightness boost. ESSENTIALS
`2,800 HYDRATING FACIAL
MOISTURISER SANDALWOOD
& ORANGE PEEL
WORDS: SAUMYAA VOHRA. COORDINATION: MEGHA MEHTA

A great dry skin facial

SHISEIDO MEN
SKIN EMPOWERING CREAM
Falling in the fixing-the-damage
category is this deep-impact hydration
cream, known for its effective tackling
of both dryness and ageing. A firming
and smoothing formula, look to this for
its collagen-boosting Beach Bud extract
and skin-strengthening Carnosine DP.
We like that it works brilliantly both as a
day cream and an overnight one.
`5,700
moisturiser in general, this
Ayurvedic blend is especially
handy in the crisp winter
months because of its deep
moisturising powers. Apart
from the titular, sandalwood
and orange peel, the basil,
ashwagandha and barley
protein tone and soften.
A worthy alternative to a
regular face cream.
`1,725 Saiyami Kher Sonu Sood Hansal Mehta

48 — JANUARY 2021
 THE WINTER EDIT
GQ PROMOTION

CLINIQUE
SPF 50 UVA/UVB MINERAL
SUNSCREEN FLUID FOR FACE (30ML)
While slicking your daily sunscreen
onto your face is definitely better than
nothing, it’s not as effective as a face-
specific sunscreen. One more suited to
the rigours of literally facing the sun. A
light, fluid-consistency SPF is a good
bet for most skin types – we like this
one because it’s oil-free, fragrance-
free and great for sensitive skin.
`2,700

THE ART OF TASTEFUL LIVING

Fusing luxury and grandeur with form and function to design interior spaces that exude a timeless
KIEHL’S aesthetic, Mumbai-based award-winning architecture and interior design firm, The BNK Group, is
ULTRA FACIAL CREAM redefining what constitutes exceptional residential and hospitality design in India
Few brands have the razor-focused
skincare game that Kiehl’s does, and
Good design is about pleasing company. Currently, The BNK Group
its trusted, paraben-free Ultra Facial
Cream is a solid example of that. It aesthetics, but great design is about SKY VILLA, NASHIK offers consultancy and construction
features Glacial Glycoprotein and being aware of the past and taking In what was perhaps the most services across three principle
Squalene – ingredients that sound CLARINSMEN into account the present, but with challenging project to design for The business verticals—Design, which
right out of Dexter’s Laboratory, but SUPER MOISTURE BALM your sights set firmly on the future. BNK Group, the top three storeys of includes architecture and interior
are no-nonsense hydrating agents Some products on this And no company understands this a building had to be converted into a consultancy; Design and Build,
sourced from sea glaciers and list prepare you for the better than The BNK Group, one of family home, complete with a theatre, covering solutions from design to
olives. A cold climate staple. harsh cold – but a select India’s marquee architecture and spa, gym, home office, and bar for a delivery; and Build, which overlooks
THE BODY SHOP `2,550 few remedy you from interior design firms. Founded in client. An existing rigid design meant execution for outsourced projects.
VITAMIN E GEL MOISTURE CREAM the damage it’s already 2005, the Mumbai-based firm is that the rooms had to be constructed Since 2005, the firm has executed
Just because your skin gets dry done. The Super Moisture renowned for its focus on luxury keeping the column locations in mind. over 300 projects in the residential
come winter doesn’t mean dry is its Balm is the latter, with design in the hospitality and With beige and grey as the main colour and hospitality sectors across India
default state – you may still break out its Hydra-Resist Phyto scheme for the space, the carefully
lifestyle sectors. and has delighted clients with its
under a particularly heavy cream. Complex (made with
Helmed by Behzad Kharas, a true strategic use of a brown mirror helped ‘form follows function’ approach
This gel-based moisturiser solves organic houseleek and
visionary who serves as Chairman camouflage the columns whilst to design.
that because its oil-free formula with leaf of life extract) that
community trade organic aloe vera tested powerful enough and Managing Director, The BNK helping create extra storage units. The Now, with a revamped Board of
has a soothing, hydrating effect that to repair the skin of divers Group harnesses commitment, client also expressed a desire to have Directors including Hitisha Mehta
doesn’t pump your skin full of grease in Arctic conditions, so creativity, and perspective through a spacious living room, and so, a huge (Director, Design), Vikram Godbole
as a side effect. you do the math. the 3 H’s of honesty, humility, and slab was demolished to give the house (Director, Contracts), Jueta Hemdev
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solutions to his clients that emphasize The BNK Group is surging forth
quality over quantity while offering towards a brighter future, armed with
WORDS: SAUMYAA VOHRA. COORDINATION: MEGHA MEHTA

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30
LANDOUR

1
HOURS'
DRIVE

DELHI

NEW
NO.
HITTING
THE
ROAD
A massive spike in cabin fever

TRENDS
has sired a surge in travel,
but jonesing for a getaway
isn’t always enough to risk
flying. A road trip is a happy
compromise. Driving in your
own car to a socially distanced

TO LOOK
resort or hotel a few hours
away eliminates most of the
exposure that comes with
air travel. Lesser known
destinations closer to the

FORWARD
metros are also getting more
tourist traffic for this reason –
think Pushkar or Landour from
Delhi, Kabini from Bengaluru,
Shillim from Mumbai and
Raichak from Kolkata. There’s

2021
really no better time to get to
know your neighbourhood.

TO IN
—SAUMYAA VOHRA
PHOTO: ERRIKOS ANDREOU (ROAD TRIP)

E D I T E D B Y
S H I K H A S E T H I

54 55
2
CRICKET

4
FEVER
Indian cricket fans are going
to be spoilt for choice this

3
year. While most will be
transfixed by the razzle-
dazzle of the T20 World
NO. Cup, to be played at home,
connoisseurs of the game
will be licking their lips at NO..
NO
the prospect of a whopping
MUCH-ANTICIPATED JAB nine Test matches against
England. The series kicks
Never before have so many waited so
off on February 9 in India
eagerly to get poked. A few potential
and lasts an entire month.
heroes can save the world from a
The action then moves to the
pandemic that’s devastated economies
NO. BREAKING and public health systems by developing
vaccinations in record time. Under
bucolic grounds of Britain
in August, where a five-Test

GOOD
Breakdance – or breaking – joins
various stages of approval and evolution,
developers of these vaccines include,
series will be played, an
epic battle between two
powerful teams led by Kohli
among others, Pfizer, Moderna, University SERIES
skateboarding, sport climbing and Root, duking it out for the KICKS
of Oxford-AstraZeneca (to be distributed OFF
coveted Pataudi Trophy.
9
and surfing as a debutant Olympic by the Serum Institute), Bharat Biotech
sport in Tokyo 2021. Part of the —CHE KURRIEN
and Russia’s Sputnik V. Even if one can
Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires only be cautiously optimistic about their FEB
in 2018, breaking could become effectiveness and robustly sceptical 2021
a medal event in Paris 2024 about their perils, the vaccine will
as the International Olympic liberate people everywhere, literally,
FAMILY GUY

5
Committee tries to stay in step and “normalise” everything that was
with the modern world by making till February 2020 taken for granted, The Mach-E may not look anything like the Ford Mustang that
the multi-sport extravaganza including travel, going to the cinema and adorned your bedroom wall, but it is one power-packed, family-
more urban, gender balanced shaking hands. —ARUN JANARDHAN friendly pony. The first ever electric car to bear the Mustang name,
and youthful. The sports that are Ford’s latest offering, due to arrive in India this year, defies every
likely to be collateral damage are notion of what a muscle car should be: loud and full of bombast.
squash, chess, snooker, baseball Instead, it brings a bit of muscle-car glamour to a suburban
and softball – all of which will dad-mobile, thanks to its name. With a claimed range just a few
have to wait longer to get in – and kilometres shy of 500, the Mach-E – a nod to the power-crazed
the reduced number of medal NO. Mach 1 Mustang of the 1970s – can pack anywhere up to 332bhp
categories in weightlifting and in standard form. Which means the kids get to be dropped off at
boxing. Criticism of the move school in a silent but ridiculously quick ‘Stang. —PARTH CHARAN
is obvious: If breaking can be a
part of the Olympic movement,
why not cha-cha-cha?
—ARUN JANARDHAN
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES (SPORT CLIMBING, VACCINE, CRICKET FEVER)

56 57

NO.
6 NO.
REINVENTING
FLYING
Till the pandemic struck, the pointy end
of the plane made international carriers
most of their profit. With deep uncertainty
around the future of business travel,
the aviation industry has been forced to
fundamentally rethink their strategies.
As a result, the days of the super jumbo
jet seem to be numbered, making way
for smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft,
like the Airbus A320neo family and the
A350 for long-haul flights. Expect airlines
to increasingly pivot towards leisure
travellers, who can expect an enhanced
experience for a reasonable increase in
price. Japan Air’s new low-cost carrier
ZIPAIR has introduced a lie-flat seat on its
Tokyo-Seoul route, whose fare includes
just the basic seat, and nothing else.
Seating assignments, carry-on bags and
meals will all need to be selected and paid
for separately. Welcome to the future of
flying. —CHE KURRIEN
8
NO.
58
9
7
LET THE NO.
GAMES BEGIN
Sony is yet to announce a
release date for the new
Playstation 5 in India, but
that hasn’t stopped console
loyalists from reserving
a spot for it on their TV
cabinets. The PS5 ushers in
the next phase in gaming.
Not only is it the largest
console in gaming history, it
packs the sort of hardware
that allows for a higher
refresh rate – making games With a standard disc-based
smoother – significantly version and a cheaper digital
higher loading speeds and a version, the PS5 is the most
more streamlined interface. pixel-heavy form of escapism
In fact, it’s such an advanced in the modern age. Top tip:
slice of the future, it’ll take You’ll want to invest in a 4K
a couple of years for the television before you consider
gaming industry to be able buying the PS5.
to make it break a sweat. —PARTH CHARAN
FANTASY ISLAND
If there’s one place where you can forget the pandemic ever
happened, it’s Dubai. True to form, the Emirate is raring to go
with an action-packed calendar, starting with the Dubai Shopping
Festival in January and the Dubai Food Festival in February,
which will see the launch of new restaurants such as Brasserie
Boulud, Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud’s first restaurant in
the region. Art Dubai kicks off in March, though we’d recommend
a visit to Alserkal Avenue or the Jameel Arts Centre at any time
of the year. Pencil in a trip to the Theatre of Digital Art, which
offers 1,000sqm of large HD screen projection all over the walls
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK (ZIPAIR), GETTY IMAGES (FOOTBALL)
FOOTFALL FOR FOOTBALL
and ceiling for a truly immersive art experience. Monet’s lilies and
Van Gogh’s swirling cypresses were never so captivating. After a EUROPEAN
CHAMPIONSHIPS
breather for Ramadan, expect a string of high profile openings,
including the Shaun-Killa designed Museum of the Future and The postponed European Championships – 24 teams playing across 12 cities – will be held
from June 11 to July 11 this year. But, amid doubts of whether the event will go ahead at JUNE 11
the Dubai Eye. The more adventurous should take a 90-minute
drive to Hatta, near the majestic Hajar mountains, where you can all, or will have reduced numbers of cities and competitors, the challenge for the governing TO
spend the night under the stars at the Hatta Sedr Trailers, the body, UEFA, is how to hold a major football championship with fans. International club JULY 11
football resumed in the middle of last year in empty stadiums, but as vaccines become
region’s first-ever trailer hotel. Sometimes all it takes is a short
more accessible and fatigue replaces pandemic paranoia, football fans are straining at the
2021
three-hour flight to take a break from reality. —SHIKHA SETHI
leash to squeeze into a playing arena. Besides, this could be the last Euro for Portugal’s
Cristiano Ronaldo, an opportunity for Kylian Mbappé to seal another major title for France,
and for England to prove that the World Cup semi-final in 2018 was not a fluke.
—ARUN JANARDHAN
59
10
NO.
EATING OUT
IN A SOCIALLY
DISTANT ERA
Many diners are still wary of
stepping out, which means delivery
will remain a favoured go-to. Cross-
kitchen pop-ups, which started
towards the fall – like Mumbai chef
Amninder Sandhu’s Dinner Box (a
curated menu launched for Delhi), or
Masque & Friends (a collab between
chefs Prateek Sadhu, Alex Sanchez,
Shahzad Hussain and Gresham
Fernandes) – will keep going strong.
For diners returning to eating out,
new restaurants will tailor their
vibes to a post-pandemic world,
working with “community isolation”
in mind. Some existing restaurants
like Social have created new outlets
with cordoned-off booths to ensure
social distancing. There are also
some exciting new launches to look
forward to, like the open-air dinner
service at Tamil Table in Assagao,
Goa, or the Latin Asian Tori in
Mumbai. —SAUMYAA VOHRA
60
11
NO.
GETTING FIT
REMOTELY
As gyms closed and stepping
out became perilous early last
year, many took to exercising
vigorously at home – partly
driven by boredom. The trend
continues, with more remote
health and fitness options
opening up. Recently launched
home gym brand, The Cube, has
combined an entire equipment
THE
CLIMATARIAN DIET
12
set with an online community,
nutritional plans and the works
– in an aesthetic box. Bengaluru- Simply put, it’s a diet focussed on reducing your carbon footprint
based digital fitness start-up by making choices that favour consciously made food and
Tread raised a million dollars
within three months of its
NO. beverages. As people become more aware of what they’re
putting into their body, the parallel impact of how that produce
inception in July, while platforms
such as Healthify, Cure.fit and
impacts the earth has come to light. Climatarism has a sharp
focus on going local, zero-waste and organic foods that are
Fitbee strengthened their online
expertise. Nutrition, as a tool
to build immunity against the
land-efficient as well. Backstory and production process
count for more than ever before, and how consciously brands
make their F&B products matters. The specialty coffee space
deadly virus, cashed in with is already two steps ahead, with several well-known brands
companies like Fast&Up, Oziva qualifying as “fourth wave” brands – Araku Coffee, Halli
and dieticians weighing in. The Berri, Black Baza Coffee, Seven Beans Coffee Company and
year 2020 ensured that you’re Maverick & Farmer, among others. And, in case you needed
no longer stretching at home more convincing: Various food and snack brands like Paul &
only to reach for the remote. Mike chocolates, The Butternut Co. nut butter, Raw Essentials
—ARUN JANARDHAN and Conscious Foods are proof that sustainable food tastes
fantastic, making this a double win. —SAUMYAA VOHRA
13
NO.
SMARTER HOMES
If you thought automated homes are a thing of the future, think again. The
IoT wave is very real and very affordable, with the world’s biggest brands
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK (SMARTER HOMES)
introducing a league of smart products that can be controlled by voice or an AI
assistant. From smart plugs to electric toothbrushes, smart bulbs to security
cameras, lamps to vacuum cleaners – there’s either an affordable appliance
(from brands like Realme and Xiaomi) already in the market, or it’s coming
soon. A sign of where things are headed is the spotlight on the smart home
speaker last year – which would hold pride of place in this ecosystem as the
central hub connecting all these functions. The tech is out there; you may want
to up your password game to keep the hackers at bay. —NIDHI GUPTA
61
ART ATTACK
2020 provided an unexpected fillip
to the arts ecosystem as new online
platforms sprung up, such as In
NO.
14
Touch, a collective of legacy Indian and
Dubai-based art galleries, including
Experimenter, Chatterjee & Lal, Gallery
Chemould, GALLERYSKE and Gallery
Isabelle van den Eynde that hosts
curated digital exhibitions every couple of
months. The Art Platform India employs
a similar format with 14 other galleries
on board, including Apparao Galleries,
Akar Prakar and Emami Art. There’s
been a spurt of newer collectors, who’ve
used the lockdown to make “fiscally
prudent” investments in art, thanks to
the rise in disposable income (in the
absence of spending on foreign holidays
or dining out, for example), and the desire
to upgrade one’s home, says FAQ Art
Co-founder Keshav Mahendru.The new
year will likely see a hybrid of physical
and virtual models. Art Basel will be
back as an on-ground extravaganza (HK,
May 21-23; Basel, June 17; Miami Beach,
December 2-5), but complemented by
Online Viewing Rooms. If the situation
continues to improve, expect physical
editions of the Venice Architecture
Biennale (opens on May 22), the
Kochi Biennale (opens on November
1; the Student’s Biennale will launch
in February online), and the Chennai
Photo Biennale (opens December). The
Himeji-based Glenbarra Art Museum
will cap off the year with an exhibition
of abstract artist Nasreen Mohamedi’s
works that will travel to her hometown of
Baroda (October), before moving to Goa
(December), Delhi (Jan-Feb 2022) and
Mumbai (March 2022). —SHIKHA SETHI
62
WFH
(WORK
FROM
HOLIDAY)
AND
SPARTAN
TRAVEL
Holidays come in more hues in the
new normal, and two of the primary
colours are long working getaways
and digital-detox vacations. The
“work from holiday” – relocating to
a nicer setting for a month or three
– has become increasingly popular,
with many companies working
remotely. As WFH policies continue
into the year, people will choose to
work out of a picturesque Airbnb
or rental home until a return to
reality is imminent. For those who
can only swing a week away at best,
the tenor of travel changes to cut
out (virtual) connections altogether.
It involves a full-fledged digital
16 NO.
disconnect and rendering you
unreachable. Properties like The
Machan in Lonavala (pictured), with
its isolated, forest-view treehouses,
or The Oberoi Vanyavilas, are
perfect for this sort of idyllic, quiet
retreat. —SAUMYAA VOHRA
NO.
15
DRESS DOWN TO FLEXITARIANISM IS
DRESS UP
It’s official: the only #BigFitOfTheDay that you THE NEW VEGANISM
need is, well, big fits. Invest in extra wide- Simply getting through the pandemic was energy-sapping enough that people
legged trousers, drawstring tracksuits, (finally) took some pressure off themselves, easing up on trying to function
cotton tunics and flowy kaftans. Take a cue at 100 per cent capacity. Part of that reflected in diets and eating habits, like
from Jacquemus Spring/Summer 2021 where flexitarianism – or, colloquially, “soft veganism”. A midway point between the
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES (FLEXITARIANISM)
the models paraded in button-down shirts, hard lines of a vegan diet and a meat-eating one, flexitarianism encourages
oversized chambray pants worn with slippers, sticking to a plant-based diet while eating meat in moderation. Methods vary,
proving that you can look both louche and but approaches like Meatless Mondays (which can grow to more days during
polished. After all those years of adhering to the week), going vegan for a month to acclimatise (like The Veganuary
17
the rules of traditional workwear, it’s time to Pledge) can help to ease you in. Products like Wakao Foods (jackfruit meat),
breathe a little. Admit it, you’ve always wanted Blue Tribe Foods (plant-based chicken nuggets), Goodmylk (plant-based
to show up to a work meeting in a stylish onesie. milks and curds) and WhiteCub (vegan ice cream) can also help transition out
Well, now, you can. —RAHUL VIHAY some dairy and meat staples. —SAUMYAA VOHRA NO.
63
 18
NO.
THE NEW
WAVE
With runway shows and fashion
weeks being cancelled across
the globe, the pandemic forced
designers to get creative with their
presentations – and they didn’t
disappoint. JW Anderson at Loewe
conceived of a beautifully presented
“show in a box” for his Spring 2021
collection, shipping guests a box
comprising paper block lookbooks
with accompanying swatches, the
show’s soundtrack and a cardboard
pop-up of an imaginary set. Guests
of Alessandro Michele at Gucci
were given backstage access to
a live-streamed fashion show. At
Dior Men, Kim Jones streamed the
brand’s first ever virtual show – his
Pre-Fall 21 collection – on Twitch.
Then, just last month, Georgian
designer Demna Gvasalia at
Balenciaga went one step further
and launched its own video game
set in 2031, called Afterworld: The
Age Of Tomorrow, to showcase its
Fall 2021 collection. Designers are
likely to embrace tech to surprise
and delight audiences, but there is a
feeling among insiders that despite
all the novelty and innovation,
video fashion presentations can’t
replicate the magic and buzz of
live shows. Fingers crossed, that
by the end of 2021, we’ll be back to
experiencing fashion shows the way
we’re supposed to. —RAHUL VIJAY
64
NO.
19
THE COMING OF AGE
OF COMIC BOOKS
Ambitious new books keep pushing comic
books into the realms of serious literature
and journalism. Nick Drnaso’s Sabrina was
nominated for the Booker, Jake Halpern and
Michael Sloan’s Welcome To The New World
won the Pulitzer, and Matthew Dooley’s
Flake won the Wodehouse Prize. This year,
there’s a lot to look forward to from India,
including the republication of Orijit Sen’s
landmark River Of Stories – the first-ever
Indian graphic novel, out of print for 25
years – as well as Comixense, a comics-
based quarterly magazine for young people
spearheaded by Sen, set to launch in April.
There is also a graphic journalism project in
the works from Amruta Patil. This February
will see the launch of Amitav Ghosh’s
Jungle-nama, with gorgeous illustrations by
the artist Salman Toor. A verse adaptation
of a folk tale from the Sundarbans, Jungle-
nama will also be published as a graphic
novel later in the year. —VIVEK MENEZES
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK (CLEAR SKIES)
CHICAGO
SAN FRANCISCO
HYDERABAD
BENGALURU
THE RISE OF
THE BOTTLED
COCKTAIL
The cocktail-in-a-bottle has been a
global trend for a few years, with brands
like Buveur, Crafthouse, Courage+Stone
doing premixed martinis, margaritas
and negronis. In India, however, it began
in earnest at the end of 2020 with the
Bombay Canteen x Stranger & Sons
collab: the Perry Road Peru – guava
and gin, just add tonic. Grover Zampa
Vineyards launched the country’s first
ever bottled mulled wine, the One Tree
Hill Mulled Wine Kadha, with a mix of
spices used in a traditional kadha as
well as the more classic star anise,
orange peel and cloves. India also just
20 NO.
got its first spiked seltzer, Bro Seltzer.
The stage has been set, so you can host
and mix at home with the confidence of
21
a veteran bartender.
—SAUMYAA VOHRA
NO.
CLEAR SKIES
The pandemic, which brought the aviation industry to its
knees, hasn’t deterred Air India from its ambitious plans. The
beleaguered national carrier, which has been up for sale since 2018
and has found no takers (though the Tata Group made a bid for it
in December), recently announced its newest route – Hyderabad
to Chicago, home to the second largest Indian-origin population
in America. The Windy City is the first in North America to be
connected to Hyderabad on a direct hop, starting January 9 on a
bi-weekly basis.
If that wasn’t enough, the Maharaja will also make a splash
in San Francisco’s Bay area, with a direct bi-weekly flight from
Bengaluru, starting January 11. Taking advantage of the Air Bubble
agreement signed between the two countries, this new route will
involve 17.5 hours of fuel-burn, making it the airline’s longest route
and one of the top five longest routes in the world.
With the launch of this flight, AI has skipped ahead of the
competition. United and American Airlines have both been
planning a Bengaluru-SF and Bengaluru-Seattle flight
respectively. After all, India’s Garden City is the second most
lucrative market to recruit techies after Delhi in the subcontinent.
So, get ready to engage in a geeky chat with the brilliant IT nerd sat
next to you. —MIHIR SHAH
65
QUOD
HOMME
NO.
22

EKA AKAARO
LEAP FORWARD
Menswear in India has never been more exciting or more experimental.
Recently, three established womenswear brands – QUOD HOMME, Eka
and Akaaro – jumped into the fray. “When I started doing womenswear,
a lot of men asked if I could make the same for them which prompted
me to start my own menswear line. Since the aesthetic of my brand
leans towards gender-neutral silhouettes and androgyny, it was easier
for me to do this,” says Ikshit Pande of QUOD HOMME. An extension of
its existing womenswear aesthetic, expect upcycled wardrobe staples
in organic fabrics from Eka, engineered jacquard bomber jackets from
Akaaro and modern streetwear in suiting fabrics from QUOD HOMME.
—RAHUL VIJAY
FIELD OF
STREAMS
It’s been a long time coming, but the
events of 2020 have cemented the
place of e-sports in our daily roster
of entertainment. With the biggest
brands investing serious money in
regional, national and global level
competitions for the world’s most
popular video games – be it console
games like CS:GO and World Of War,
or mobile games like Ludo, Poker or
25
NO.

23
even PUBG – it’s never been more
lucrative to become an e-sports
athlete. The ongoing PUBG Mobile
STEP OUT Global Championship, for example,
(SAFELY) has a mammoth prize pool of $2
million. What’s more, platforms like
2021 will be a big year for luxury Twitch have elevated gaming’s cool
hotels. Raffles introduces its first
property in Udaipur, a 101-key NO. quotient by adding live concerts and
other forms of entertainment to
resort set on a private island in the the mix (and by the likes of T-Pain,
middle of Udai Sagar Lake, and 21 Savage, Logic, no less). Which
Raffles Bahrain, luxury villas in is all to say: E-sports is now a legit
Manama, is also slated for 2021. spectator sport. Welcome to the
The Oberoi Marrakech finally arcade. —NIDHI GUPTA
opened late last year too, while the
Taj opened doors to its latest – the
sprawling Taj Chia Kutir Resort &
Spa, Darjeeling. The much-awaited
launch of Aman New York happens
this spring, featuring a three-storey NO.
Aman Spa, the brand’s new flagship

26 AGENT OF
wellness centre, as well as the
very first urban Aman Residences
worldwide. It’s a year of ribbon-
cuttings for Nobu Hotels, which
launch in Atlanta, São Paulo and
CHANGE
London-based menswear designer
Toronto this year. Whether you’re
Priya Ahluwalia is on a roll: In
staying in India or heading out,
2020, she was one of eight winners
there’s no dearth of fabulous new
of the prestigious LVMH Award, a
places to stay at.
star of GucciFest with her debut
—SAUMYAA VOHRA
feature Joy, as well as of London
Fashion Week, where she presented

24
her widely acclaimed collection
Liberation. She also self-published
NO. ZERO ABV DRINKS Jalebi, a visually stunning book that
documents the Punjabi diaspora in
West London. Ahluwalia champions
Drinking without drinking has taken its time to come to India, but the zero-
alcohol era has finally dawned upon us. As people take to healthier diets and sustainability by transforming
routines, alcohol starts to seem out of place in the equation, save for a special vintage and deadstock material
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES (FIELD OF STREAMS)

occasion. Enter the zero ABV drink – which brings the sensory experience of through a unique design process
drinking with it, sans the hangover. The last year saw alcohol-free beers like that involves beading and dyeing – a
0.0 Budweiser and Kingfisher Radler come to the fore, and global brands nod to her Nigerian-Indian roots –
like Patritti and Carl Jung doing non-alcoholic wine. Home-grown brands PRESTIGIOUS making her a vital creative voice in
like Svami are increasing the range of options for non-beer drinkers with a world of conscious consumerism.
specialty variants like Non-Alcoholic Rum and Coke and G&Ts, using some LVMH 2021 is here, and we can’t wait to
interesting botanicals. Go on, teetotal without the crippling fear of social AWARD see what the Ahluwalia juggernaut
rejection. —SAUMYAA VOHRA WINNER has in store. —RAHUL VIJAY

66 67
 WATCH WORLD
Let’s be honest – none of us could’ve stayed sane through
a shelter-at-home mandated 2020 without our OTT
platforms beaming in entertainment from the farthest
corners of the world. 2021, hopefully, brings with it a NO.
return to theatres, but also a host of new content to
consume on our private screens. Apart from new episodes
of Indian hits like Made In Heaven, Mirzapur and Delhi
Crime, keep an eye out for international series like the
28
Himesh Patel-starrer Station Eleven, Showtime’s Ripley led
by Andrew “Hot Priest” Scott, Amazon’s much-hyped and
very expensive Lord Of The Rings series – all of which are
likely to be hot topics of discussion for varying reasons.
Going to the theatre may feel a bit daunting for a while,
but we may take the risk when Tom Cruise is feeling the
need for speed in Top Gun: Maverick, or there’s a rare
sighting of Aamir Khan, in Laal Singh Chaddha, or to see
just how perfectly Ranveer Singh plays Kapil Dev in ’83. A MARVEL-OUS
Don’t forget the masks or the popcorn. —NIDHI GUPTA YEAR AHEAD
What’s a year without some superhero
GLOW UP
#Makeuphasnogender. Social media
action on the screen? Marvel is raring influencers such as Abhinav Mathur
to make up for its absence in 2020 by and Ankush Bahuguna are ushering
doubling down on releases this year. in a new dawn in men’s beauty with
Phase 4 kicks off a tad belatedly this quick videos on easy fixes to dark
month with WandaVision, the Disney+ circles, blemishes and correcting
series that takes you into Scarlet Witch’s uneven eyebrows with the help of
life and times after Vision’s no longer beauty products. While international
around. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, brands like Gucci and Tom Ford
Loki, Hawkeye, and an animated (we love their under-eye concealer)
series called What If..? will follow, all are yet to bring their men’s make-
arriving on the streaming platform up ranges to Indian shores, San
through the year. Meanwhile, the Scarlett Francisco-based Benefit Cosmetics is
Johansson-led Black Widow will arrive in doing brisk business with its eyebrow
theatres a year after it was set to release; range for men (including tweezers,

27
Eternals will then hopefully take its place eyebrow pens, brushes and setting
NO. in theatres in February; followed by gels). The continued dominance of

30
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of Ten Rings Zoom calls also means that we’ll care
(with a predominantly Asian cast). And more about how we look on a screen
with new movies in the works for Thor, than what we’re wearing.
Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Black —SELMAN FAZIL
Panther and even a Fantastic Four reboot
– it’s going to be a long run.

29
—NIDHI GUPTA
NO.
NO.
THE HOME-GROWN SPIRIT
2020 was a red-letter year for many local booze brands. While a couple
of whisky and vodka launches like Amrut’s Triparva and Smoke Vodka
dotted the landscape, a slew of Indian-made beers and gins really got
our attention. Beer and ale brands like Maka Di (Goa), Geist (Bengaluru),
PHOTO: BIKRAMJIT BOSE (JIM)

Briggs Brewery (Bengaluru) and Brewolf Craft Beer (Mumbai) were born
(or began retailing their beer-on-tap), amidst the lockdown. Gin won the
day, though, with the launch of the Himalyan-origin Terai, craft hemp
Gin Gin and small-batch Goan gins like Tickle, Pumori and Jin JiJi. More
cool brands continue to develop, making 2021 a year of local discovery
for any spirit savant worth their salt. —SAUMYAA VOHRA

68 69
RE
WI you reach the resort, the management politely and

ND
with great warmth request you to take another
test after which you are asked to spend that day
and night quarantining in your villa and enjoy
its delights – swimming pool, sunset deck, online
streaming on the television, room service – but are

,
welcome to swim in the sea that every villa leads
down to. On day three of my five-day trip, I was
required to be tested again so that there are no
problems with Indian immigration. And finally, I
chose to test as soon as I reached home in Mumbai
along with the mandatory home quarantine. So
that’s four tests in nine days. But the great thing

D
is that since everybody on the resort island is
tested, masks are unnecessary and it turns into
exactly the kind of holiday you spent in pre-
pandemic times.

IN
of its cuisine, the aesthetics of its resorts. But it is
the hidden lures of the place that make me return
there time after time. First up, let’s be clear:
Unless you are sailing around the archipelago The
delightful
with your boat as your home, your Maldivian
cuisine at
experience rests solely on the resort you are in. Soneva
The dive centre, the food, the service, your villa – Fushi
Without a doubt, that was the most precious
element of the trip. We have lived in dread,
uncertainty, gloom, worry and a continuing
unquiet depression these last nine months and
have forgotten what it means to hug people
unthinkingly, share food during a meal, have

W
all of it relies on your resort. There is no “non- an animated conversation on a long car journey
(Opposite) without inhibition. The spectre of the pandemic
resort” Maldivian essence. (Unless you choose to
Rahul
shack up in a flat in Male, which would make you Bose after runs like a continuous malevolent river under our

N
a very curious species indeed.) a diving quotidian existence, a remorseless evil, like all
But, above all else, it is the Maldivian ocean session in successful evils, silent and difficult to pin down.
the clear
that stays with you long after you’ve left. Nine To spend five days and nights without that fear
Maldivian
shades of blue (a friend who is an artist named waters was like breathing free. Running free. Laughing

U
them for me one morning), water so clear I looked
into the deceptively dangerous mouth of a manta
ray and swear I saw its tonsils. An ocean that
always seems to be the right temperature: Cool at
noon, perfect at sunset and warm as you refresh
yourself with a late night swim to wash away the
excesses of the evening.
And, its people. Depending where you source
your history, this is a centuries-old culture
with a gentleness, civility and conservatism
unique in itself. The Maldivians are unfailingly
courteous, serene of spirit with the unhurried
free. How little we treasured these pleasures. How
much we yearn for them every day. Diving, dining,
just cycling around the island, birdsong, wind and
sunlight on your face. Can these pleasures ever be
taken for granted again?
Yes, they can and they will. When, only time and
the world’s coordinated efforts to beat the virus will
tell. But till then, thank you, Maldives, its people
and the resort for letting me breathe. As I exhaled
deep, true gratitude, Rillwan came back and asked
what we would like for dessert. I answered: Thank
you, but I don’t want anything more.

IMAGE: SONEVA FUSHI (AERIAL VIEW, FOOD), COURTESY RAHUL BOSE (RAHUL BOSE, POOL)
pace that characterises islanders everywhere.
The hospitality culture of each resort definitely
Rahul Bose’s visit to the contributes to the staff’s deportment, but you
Maldives and its ethereal sense the essence of the Maldivian character much
waters is a reminder of like you sense the essence of the Goan character
what’s beautiful in the world no matter where you stay in the state.
Still, in these times, the question that
during these grim times
never leaves you is: Will your holiday be just

I
superficially enjoyable with the dark monster of
t was a cool, bracing evening. Tables had been placed on the pandemic threatening to overturn everything
the beach. Paper lanterns swayed gently over linened like the “undertow” in John Irving’s A Prayer For
shoulders. The seafood was fresh, the conversation Owen Meany, or will it live and breathe with the
stimulating. Rillwan, our waiter, interrupted with a ease and carelessness that a week in an idyllic
murmur of apology. He took a bottle of sparkling water and island resort (I stayed at Soneva Fushi) should
placed it in front of the candle on the table, remembering from suffuse? The short, happy answer is – a bit of the
the previous night that I dislike the light from a naked flame. former, but delightfully still, most of the latter. I
There are many obvious charms to the Maldives – some of tested, like all tourists to the Maldives have to,
the best diving in the world, the clarity of the sea, the quality a couple of days before my departure. As soon as

70
NO
Rajkummar Rao delivered
two superlative back-to-back
performances last year – as
a diffident school PE teacher
in Hansal Mehta’s Chhalaang
and an endearing small-town
lover in Ludo, reminding us
that few actors can do what
he does. Arun Janardhan
spoke to the versatile actor
who stars in this month’s much
anticipated Netflix release
The White Tiger, about his craft
and what’s next for him

FILTER
P H O T O G R A P HE D B Y THE HOUSE OF PI X EL S S T Y L E D B Y A NISH A JA IN

SUIT, SHIRT;
BOTH BY AMIT
AGGARWAL.
COAT BY ANUJ
MADAAN

73
 W
When he walked, rather danced, on to the sets of
the Netflix film Ludo for the first time, Rajkummar
Rao carried a boom box playing music from
Mithun Chakraborty’s films. His character Aaloo, a
restaurateur, is a fan of the actor, to such an extent
that when Aaloo reels off the menu to customers, he
does so in rapid speed, thrusting and twisting his pelvis
in a mock dance reminiscent of the Disco Dancer star.
When Rao’s mother passed away while he was
shooting in Chhattisgarh for the 2017 film Newton,
the actor had to leave the set to attend to her last
rites. Even as the producers contemplated a break in
shoot schedule, Rao was back on the job two days later,
leaving the crew in awe.
While shooting a sequence in the 2013 release
Shahid, where his character is tortured in a police
station, Rao took off all his clothes because he felt
wearing trousers would mess up the scene. He wanted
to be left alone for some time, didn’t say anything
when the crew came back into the room, and just
nodded to indicate he was ready. As the cameras rolled,
he started crying. Even after director Hansal Mehta
called “cut” and the scene was done, Rao kept crying
for three hours.
Anecdotes, news reports and conversations about
Rao reveal stories of professionalism, discipline, a
dedication to his craft and an absence of self-obsession.
“He has no airs about wanting to look good,” says Raj
Nidimoru, who co-wrote and co-produced the 2018 film
COAT, BLAZER; Stree. Amit Masurkar, who directed Newton, India’s
BOTH BY entry to the Academy Awards that year, says, “A lot of
SAHIL ANEJA. actors prefer [to be shot at] certain angles, they have
SUNGLASSES notions about themselves… You can put him in any
BY GIVENCHY clothes, with no make-up, and he will do what it takes.”
AVAILABLE
It’s only been a decade since Rao made his debut
AT VIJAY
in Dibakar Banerjee’s LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha,
OPTICIANS
but it’s been a layered career, filled with nuanced
74
performances and a professionalism that is repeatedly
recounted. He has played a range of characters,
adapting to them with a skill and discipline that his
directors find admirable. Whether it was losing weight
for Trapped (2016) or gaining it for Bose: Dead/Alive
(2017), accruing an accent for Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017),
or curling his hair for Newton, the 36-year-old with a
National Award (for Shahid) is not someone who just
shows up for the shoot having memorised his lines.
“I don’t live in a bubble,” Rao says over a Zoom
call. “I have to recreate realities on-screen. If I don’t
know [regular] people, how do I portray them? I talk
to everyone – doctors, someone giving me a boarding
pass, autorickshaw drivers… It’s important to know
everybody’s journey.”
Dressed in a fitted, sleeveless hoodie, his arms
bulging in true Bollywood leading man style, Rao’s prep
for his next role made it to the newspapers because
it’s the kind of stuff publicists and daily rags love – an
actor “hitting the gym” to bulk up. His topless pictures
holding dumb-bells dominate online searches for his
name currently, but bring him the kind of attention he
does not crave. The added muscle, he quickly clarifies,
is for Badhaai Do. Unlike the way he delivers dialogues
on-screen, he speaks slowly, clearly, correctly – Rao
has seldom said or done anything controversial. Only
people who know him well and he trusts are privy to
his lighter side.
The most difficult aspect of being an actor, Rao says,
is the “hoopla around the kind of person you are when
you are not on-screen. I don’t want to get ready for my
airport look. I am an actor for myself, because I love
it, not for any other reason. I didn’t come to the city
for fame, I didn’t want people to scream out my name
on the streets...” Attention, he accepts, is a by-product
of his profession. If his face is going to be plastered on
billboards, he can’t resent being stopped for a selfie.
Rao always wanted to be an actor, from the time he
can remember, growing up in Gurugram, because he
believed in the stories and characters he saw on-screen.
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)
opened up a new horizon as he became familiar with
world cinema, with the works of Daniel Day-Lewis and
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
75
 “I DON’T WANT TO GET READY
FOR MY AIRPORT LOOK...
I’M AN ACTOR FOR MYSELF,
BECAUSE I LOVE IT... I DIDN’T COME
TO MUMBAI FOR FAME, I DIDN’T
WANT PEOPLE TO SCREAM OUT
MY NAME ON THE STREETS...”
“Now, if a character demands you bulk up, that
does not mean I am into bodybuilding or in a sports
competition. I am just being as sincere to my character
as I can be,” says Rao, who spent a part of the lockdown
last year attending online acting and screenwriting
workshops, and watching content such as the miniseries
I Know This Much Is True and Don’t Fuck With Cats:
Hunting An Internet Killer.
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, who directed him in Bareilly
Ki Barfi, remembers how Rao was unconvinced about
his performance in a scene because he felt the colour
of his T-shirt was somehow holding him back. “He was
not feeling wacky enough at that time to emote that
scene,” she says. “His character, from being submissive,
transforms into [being] more hero-like by the interval.
He does that diligently. For me, the transformation was
not becoming a hero with bulk; it was a transformation
of inner psyche that shows outside.”
R
ao first came to Mumbai, the city of
celluloid dreams, in the early 2000s to
audition for the TV dance show Boogie
Woogie. He used the opportunity to
also wait outside Mannat for a glimpse of Shah Rukh
Khan or near Amitabh Bachchan’s home in Juhu. It
was perhaps for the better that the dance show didn’t
work out.
He got noticed in his first film itself, LSD in
2010, before Shahid allowed him a career-defining
performance. In subsequent movies like Kai Po Che,
Citylights and Trapped, among others, he made a mark,
whether in an ensemble cast or as the only character
in the story. Dramatic roles soon evolved to different
shades, like comedy, which he is currently revelling in.
One of his forthcoming projects is a remake of Chupke
Chupke, where he reprises the character of Pyaremohan
played originally by Dharmendra.
76
“If you’re doing something to make someone laugh,
that’s tricky,” Rao says, referring to Ludo. “You have to
enjoy what you are doing. The monologue in the film
where Aaloo says he was a Bachchan fan but became a
Mithun fan for her… That was an emotional scene for
me but I saw people laughing.”
Conversations with people familiar with his work
often veer towards his passion for his craft. FTII
classmates remember how he would attend parties and
disappear early, so he could get up in the morning to
exercise. Till recently, Rao neither drank nor smoked,
yet, he does that with conviction on-screen, like staggering
a wee bit in a drunken scene from his next release,
The White Tiger. “I know a lot of people who drink and I
have observed them, I have attended parties,” he says. “I
like observing people, how their body reacts when they
are drunk. Observation helps with those scenes.”
“He’s not really aiming for effect,” adds Masurkar.
“When someone does that, the simplicity tends to
surprise you. For example, he came up with a twitch
in his eye [for Newton]. I was OK with it, as long as he
could control it. He would remember that in every take.
He has amazing physical memory and body intelligence.”
“His fundamentals are super strong,” says Nidimoru.
“If I ask him to metre it differently, he knows how to
deliver. If you can get improvisations, that’s a bonus. I
get all of that from him. You can put him in any role and
he’ll rise to it.”
Rao says one has to understand performances, know
one’s own truth. “There are films I know I was horrible
[in],” he says. “If someone tells me I was good, I know in
my heart that it was pure shit. Then you give your heart
and soul, like for Shahid and Trapped, and you feel
satisfied. If it does not work, it’s not your fault.” BLAZER BY
He won’t reveal his weaknesses as an actor, saying ROHIT GANDHI +
RAHUL KHANNA.
he’s working on them. Often, he has struggled with
TROUSERS
accents, like putting on a British-Asian one for Omerta
BY SHIVAN &
(2017), or an American one for The White Tiger, which
NARRESH
drops on January 22 on Netflix. “It’s tough [learning a
77
 BLAZER BY Z ZEGNA.
SHIRT BY DSQUARED2
AVAILABLE AT
THE COLLECTIVE.
SUNGLASSES BY
SUIT BY L.G.R AVAILABLE AT
SAHIL ANEJA. VIJAY OPTICIANS
SHOES BY
SOUTHSIDE HAIR: VIJAY RASKAR
MAKE-UP:
ADITYA SHARMA
PRODUCTION:
MEGHA MEHTA,
BY THE GRAM

foreign accent]. I thought it would be easy… Since I’ve
done various Indian accents.”
He wants to work internationally, and is hoping TWT
will allow him that opportunity. Masurkar believes
Rao has an action film in him, given his reasonable
martial arts skills. He already has a head start to
contemporaries like Jaideep Ahlawat (Paatal Lok) and
Pratik Gandhi (Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story),
and the lockdown reminded him how much he missed
being on a movie set. He got some quality time with
girlfriend Patralekha, furry housemate Gaga and spent
“six months writing six pages” of a story he is excited
about, but is now trying to outsource.
At the beginning of his career, he changed his
screen name a few times, starting with Yadav,
then dropping the last name totally, then adding Rao.
But now, perhaps, he feels more settled in his career,
the kind of roles he attracts, the niche he has
carved for himself. The “front bencher”, as Iyer Tiwari
calls him, believes he’s one of the fortunate ones
from the many who come to Mumbai chasing the
same dream.
“To live that dream and do what I love most in this
life, I feel overwhelmed. It’s wonderful to go beyond
your text [in a film], explore and search for something
that’s not there.”

78 79
 I 
H E AV Y M E T T L E

ntegrated bracelets are clearly in vogue,

with pretty much every card carrying
member of the Swiss luxury watch club
Ever since
keeping one loaded in the chamber, ready its launch
for deployment, should the need arise. in 2005, the
Not exactly a novelty in our times then,
we’ll all agree. But when Hublot joins
Big Bang
the bandwagon with the very uber-athletic Big Bang series has
series, ditching the rubber strap after 15 years, it’s
time to sit up and take notice.
played a
Ever since its launch in 2005, the Big Bang series pivotal
has played a pivotal role in establishing Hublot as a role in
maker of robust and flamboyant watches that could
be spotted from a mile away. And that makes the
establishing
watches perfectly suited to being accompanied by Hublot as
some more metal. In a way, the Big Bang could have a maker of
very easily been an all-metal watch, given how well
the new three-link design of the bracelets complement robust and
the overall design. But it was its juxtaposition of a flamboyant
sporty rubber strap against a large, ornate watch that
made it such a curious item. Which is why Hublot
watches
has released the latest addition to the Big Bang that could
Integral collection in three different materials – a be spotted
from a
comparatively pedestrian titanium version in grey, a
King Gold version and one in all-black ceramic. The
absence of a stainless steel version is noteworthy, mile away
proving that Hublot, as usual, wants to keep things
highly exclusive. It’s also proof that the brand isn’t titanium and ceramic versions match the colour of
afraid to defy convention every now and then, even the case. It should also be noted that while the black
while conforming to the stylistic norms of our times, ceramic version isn’t the most expensive one (`17
by producing such a collection. lakh, plus taxes), it is the only one whose production
If you think the bracelet is the only thing that’s is limited to 500 units, making it the one to look out
different about the new watches, look again, and for at future auctions.
you’ll find that the case has also been redesigned. At 42mm, the Big Bang Integral watches aren’t
The Arabic numerals have been replaced with bold the biggest integrated pieces out there – an attribute
and luminescent indices, and the pushers on the case which only broadens their appeal. However, with a
now resemble the ones on the original model from thickness of 13.4mm, they certainly aren’t shrinking
2005. Its in-house manufactured UNICO movement violets. They sit on the wrist as almost all Hublots
comes with a column-wheel chronograph function (a do – loud and full of bombast. The collection manages
notched rotating wheel placed inside the movement

OF
to mix intricacy with ruggedness, sophistication with
that allows the chronograph hands to return to their strength, and that ultimately is what sets it apart, not
original position), a flyback function and a three-day its choice of materials. Even though there are many
power reserve. iterations of the Big Bang that we’re yet to see, the
Each of the three editions, despite having the collection does, for the moment, feel complete.
same shaped bracelet and chamfered case, have very
different personalities. The King Gold version will
quite likely find many takers, not just in the Middle
East but in India as well, despite its `52.7 lakh price
tag (plus taxes). It’s opulent but not ostentatious,
thanks to the heavy use of copper along with the
platinum. This results in a red tinge that helps it
appear understated when compared to its yellow
Hublot’s Big Bang
ditches rubber straps in
gold counterparts. The titanium version is the least
expensive one (`15.42 lakh, plus taxes), and heroically
The borders of the
favour of an integrated indices match the colour
WORDS: PARTH CHARAN

allows the openwork movement display to take centre

bracelet – a sign of stage. The ceramic version is the lightest and toughest of the case
changing times one of the lot, lending itself to athletic pursuits a
lot better than its metallic counterparts. Hublot has
ensured that the bridges of the openwork dials on the

80 — JANUARY 2021 JANUARY 2021 — 81

 AR iS BO
ST RN
A

Brendan
Fernandesʼ VERY BiG YEAR
Few artists on the global scene are as multi-talented and inventive as the
Goan-Canadian Brendan Fernandes. The 40-year-old rising star, who works at the
intersection of dance and the visual arts, had a spectacular 2019, including a headline
slot at the prestigious Whitney Biennale. Last year, he debuted a witty online work
that riffs on our current Zoom-dominated reality. Vivek Menezes tells you why this
creative powerhouse should be firmly on your radar

Mog Asundi is an essential Konkani catchphrase, which

literally means “let there be love”. While most often shared
to bid farewell, it’s also an illuminating encapsulation of the
profoundly peaceable and inclusive world view of Goa. The
late laureate Bakibab Borkar poetically described it as “the
universality of the spirit of the Goan artist”, whose “genius
branches off in all directions, even when he is flung in distant
climes. No aesthetic influence, no matter from which corner of the
world it might come, is unacceptable to him as long as it is prone
to blend with his basic texture.”
The great littérateur died in 1984, when Brendan Fernandes
IMAGE: NATHAN KEAY

was just five years old and still living in Nairobi as the youngest
member of the fifth generation of his family in the diaspora in
Kenya. But there’s no doubt Borkar would have delighted in just
how true his words have proven across the oceans and eras, and writ

83
 From Lost Bodies, 2016,
for the Textile Museum
of Canada
anew in his fellow Goan’s stunning, kaleidoscopic
career that is largely unrivalled in the history
of South Asian art. This is the story of the greatest
artist of Indian origin that you’ve never heard
of, and the golden year that catapulted him to
global acclaim.
We must begin in early 2019, back when
blithely meeting, greeting and rubbing shoulders
was still the way of life. At that time, in an
uncanny preview of our pandemic predicament,
the distance between Chicago and Goa
compelled me to converse with Fernandes – we
had never met – only via video chat. It was
always very early for him, and generally past my
bedtime, but we had an unprecedented project to
plot: his debut in his ancestral homeland (there
had only been one brief visit to India before) as
part of Mundo Goa, my curated section of the
2019 Serendipity Arts Festival.
I had been following Fernandes closely after
he first showed up on the radar in the landmark
2009 Yale School of Art exhibition Shifting Shapes
– Unstable Signs, alongside Gauri Gill, Shilpa
Gupta and Ram Rahman, who were already
some of my favourites. The acutely perceptive
New York Times critic Holland Cotter singled
out Fernandes, Riyas Komu and Abir Karmakar,
saying he was “grateful for the introduction.” I
was too, and have watched delightedly ever since,
as the Goan-Canadian artist shot ever-upwards.
84
When Fernandes and I connected online for
A still from As One
the first time in the springtime of 2019, the (2015); posters
conversations blurred excitedly far beyond any that were a part of
predictable time limits. We pored over cultural Fernandes’ Mog Asundi
work at the Serendipity
history and the up-to-date, and an infinite variety Arts Festival (SAF) in
of details about the physical setting of Panjim as Goa, 2019
well as its socio-political landscape. He probed
about food, fashion, architecture, religion, caste,
language, colour palettes and taste palates. galleries hedge desperately, by describing his
Then, like a laser, in an extraordinary feat of work as an intersection of dance (he is trained
imagination that I still don’t entirely fathom, in ballet, though no longer dances himself due to
he zeroed in on Mog Asundi. We decided to call injury) and the visual arts, but there are so many
his project Let There Be Love, and Fernandes other facets besides. He also makes films, videos,
began bookending it with disparate ideas that posters, pins, sculptures and installations. He
he intended to dovetail: performance, protest, designs fabrics and T-shirts (including an amazing
teamwork, shared spaces and safe spaces, one for Mog Asundi) and also organises parties.
generosity and identity. Exhilarating, but also This is a serious scholar on the art faculty at
bewildering. I couldn’t precisely figure out what Northwestern University, and also an irrepressible
any of this was doing together, or what it would dandy, perennially rated amongst Chicago’s best-
finally look like. dressed, and also an important activist with a
In due course, I was to learn this kind
F
mature voice on everything from labour rights to Palacio Idalcao, the 19th century Goa Medical
of dizzying shape-shifting is de rigueur for LGBTQI+ issues. College heritage precinct, and the children’s park
Fernandes, his personal brand. Museums and right by the water. Here, Fernandes trained a
IMAGE: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND MONIQUE MELOCHE GALLERY, CHICAGO (LOST BODIES, AS ONE)
ernandes and I kept talking and troupe of 16 young dancers to break into a set
emailing, and Mog Asundi started of silent movements that appeared to have the
to become real. There were five aspect of a spontaneous protest, then became a
beautifully designed posters, which process of expanding, contracting, coming
Fernandes has evoked the instantly recognisable
oyster shell windows of Goa, with
together and moving in unison, which ended
with smiles, handshakes, embraces and gifts for
a stunning,
each one in a separate pastel everyone watching.
colour and bearing our essential I can describe it now, but when this played
catchphrase in a different script: out in December 2019, it was unclear how things
kaleidoscopic Devanagari, Malayalam, Kannada, might go. The performances were scheduled in
Urdu and Roman. This highlighted fraught times – our minds were occupied by
career that that Konkani is the only language
in the world written every day in five different
images of violence against students in Delhi – and
even in Goa, the atmosphere was charged with
is largely scripts, but also underlined the basic truth that we
are all one. We had T-shirts made with the same
tension. But the young dancers showed us how to
share space and make place for each other, with
unrivalled in the motifs, as well as gorgeous sets of ceramic tiles.
The posters were plastered all over the city,
acceptance and accommodation. It was deeply
moving and there were many tears. The first time
history oF south and also – along with the T-shirts and tiles –
given away in sets at the end of scripted dance
the crowd dissolved into hugs and high-fives,
I looked across to Fernandes to tell him that I
asian art
interventions in the most iconic festival venues finally got what he’d been talking about, and saw
along the Mandovi riverfront: the 500-year-old his own eyes wet with emotion.
85
 Let There Be Love was the culmination of an
incredible year for Fernandes, where he broke
decisively into international stardom. Back
to back, throughout 2019, he reeled off solo
exhibitions in the Guggenheim and Noguchi
Museums in New York, the Smithsonian American
Art Museum in Washington DC and the Museum
of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Best of all, for
five months from May to September, his work
drew non-stop crowds and raves at the Whitney
Biennial, the premier showcase for American arts.
Goa was just the cherry on his cake.
How did the little boy from Nairobi rise, and
rise again to international prominence in the art
world? It began with his family’s growing unease
with the changing political scenario of 1980s
Kenya. Like so many other Indians in a similar
(Top and bottom)
situation – the Mississippi Masala generation of
From Contract And
Release (2019) at the displaced East African Asians – the Fernandes
Noguchi Museum clan pulled up stakes and relocated to the suburbs
of Toronto. Fernandes found himself most at home
in the art classes in his new schools, and then
went on to study ballet, eventually melding the

Fernandes two into his own expressive language, which has

steadily expanded to include, and prominently Ballet Kink at the Young

Found himselF

IMAGE: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND MONIQUE MELOCHE GALLERY, CHICAGO. PHOTO: NICHOLAS KNIGHT. ©INFGM / ARS (CONTRACT AND RELEASE), COURTESY
showcase, many different aspects of his identity: Collectors party at the
Guggenheim,
race, gender, activism, fetish, fashion. New York, 2019

most at home In 2019, that intricate mix was most often

OF THE ARTIST, THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, NEW YORK, AND MONIQUE MELOCHE GALLERY, CHICAGO. PHOTO: SCOTT RUDD EVENTS (GUGGENHEIM)
expressed through dance installations, which

in art classes,
consistently struck a powerful nerve. As the critic
Helen Georgas pointed out, “the suffering behind

and went on to
the beauty is the artist’s point. Fernandes renders every ripple and contraction apparent – that the and wooden hobby-horses. At an unseen cue, a
visible the invisible. His work investigates the role body is laid bare as a site of power, vulnerability posse of dancers lined their way in and started

study ballet,
of the (queer, non-white) body in contemporary and fetishisation.” to stretch and wind themselves in and around
art and forces viewers to pay remarkable, almost I was grateful to have the opportunity to see the objects. If this sounds boring, you should
voyeuristic, attention to the body. We are so close – this for myself in September 2019, when I stopped know that it was not. Our party was riveted.
eventually by in New York City on the way to drop my oldest Time seemed to slow down, then stop entirely
son off at college and visited one of the last days (the performance wound up taking 40 minutes).
melding the of the Whitney Biennial. It was a defining and At one point, I had to remind myself to start

A
celebratory moment for us – after decades of breathing again.
two into his visiting the great city museums, here was an
opportunity to see something by “one of us” – and merica’s critical establishment
own expressive so we made a small party of Goans, including Dr
Helga do Rosario Gomes and Dr Joaquim Gomes,
found itself in much the
same situation. The Pulitzer
language, who are among the world’s leading experts on
climate change in ocean biology and on the
Prize-winning critic Jerry
Saltz described his experience
which includes faculty at Columbia University. We wandered
through the magnificent Renzo Piano-designed
vividly: “I thought Brendan
Fernandes’ minimalistic black

diFFerent aspects galleries, pausing specifically to take in Jasper

Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko and
jungle gym with dancers
moving about it would be just

oF his identity: Andy Warhol, and then trooped off to see amcho
Brendan’s work.
generic modern dance until
two of the dancers locked eyes with me and I was

race, gender, Fernandes’ Master And Form unfolded in the

most striking room in the building, with a wall
caught in some sort of parasexualized movement
enacted on various S&M-like devices.” The New

activism, Fetish
of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the iconic York Times rhapsodised about “the genre-bending
High Line elevated urban park. In the middle and boundary-pushing method” of “the impresario

and Fashion
of the room was what looked like a climbing of ballet kink” that “fits a cultural moment”. Its
frame, and there were also some dangling ropes review covered an entire page of the newspaper.

86 87
 “It was very emotional for me to attend the
Whitney Biennial,” says Tamara Fernandes,
one of the artist’s two older sisters. She told me,
“Because I’m not part of that world I don’t always
find it easy to understand the depth and extent of
his accomplishments. But that’s when I knew he
had really made it big, and I know that he’s done
so with a lot of hard work, persistence, and the
support of really good friends. But you know, even
if he didn’t shine on the biggest of stages, he would
still be a success in my eyes.”
Of all the people I have spoken to about
Fernandes, it was his wonderfully loyal and
protective sisters who gave me the best insights
about his rollercoaster ride into the art world.
When I asked about their Goan heritage, which
has manifold easygoing aspects, but can be
straitjacketed about religion and sexuality, his
other sister, Lisa-Marie said, “I definitely knew
about the Church’s beliefs while growing up,
but they didn’t matter to me. My concern was
the cruelty of the world, and how it would treat
Brendan... What mattered to me was his ability to
freely live his life.”
Just a little while after Fernandes returned
home from Goa, the pandemic erupted across the
world to overturn all our lives. A few months ago,
I emailed to catch up, and the artist responded
in a thoughtful mood, “Most of my work is
based on the idea of social solidarity and people
gathering together to affect change in the world.
Today, gathering as we used to is no longer a safe
possibility. I am going to have to rethink the
way my work is put together. These are
precarious times.”
Some time later, he wrote to me more pensively.
“If there is anything that’s made my life and
career possible, it is the drive to keep going and to
continue to grow… Drive and determination are
necessary to overcome the fears and uncertainties
of beginning an arts career. But resilience is also
important, and the ability to not give up in the
face of rejections or failures.”
Those were the long American summer months
of the Black Lives Matter movement, which
convulsed cities around the world with explosive
protests following the public murder of George
Floyd by the Minneapolis police. Amid the racial
polarisation, Fernandes – with characteristically
fluid grace – unexpectedly emerged in the Black
Futures project, curated by Jenna Wortham and
Kimberly Drew to be “an archive of contemporary
Black life by Black people and for Black people.”
Here too, Fernandes is in the unique category of
one: not just the only Indian, but the only person
who isn’t actually Black.
When I asked him how to account for this,
Brendan told me, “I am at a place where I put
88
much personal value on my hybridity. I don’t think stylish lumberjack – and it was the last day of his The artist was missing his family. November 7 had
of myself as static or as one thing, but as many. classes at Northwestern, where he was scheduled been even more emotionally wrought because it was
A many that is complex and complicated and ever to teach Drawing Practices to five undergraduates the day his mother retired from her job at the local
changing. My cultural identities are one thing, but in a socially distanced classroom. magazine The Month Ahead that she had started
I also have subcultural identities, like ballet and By now, the initial euphoria of the American decades earlier. Fernandes said, “She’s the classic
punk rock, that have also influenced who I am and elections had faded, as it became clear that Trump immigrant mom, who just kept working hard, and
how I think socially and politically. As an artist, I would try to remain in office. Worse still, Covid-19 never giving up. It’s definitely where my sisters and I
T
travel and live in many places and so my cultural had ravaged back across the country, and Chicago get our work ethic from. That evening, when Kamala
compass has developed from that experience.” was heading into strict lockdown once more. Harris spoke about her own mother, it hit me hard.
Fernandes told me, “I’m feeling a lot of dread She looks just like my sisters. 2020 has been an awful
again. There’s a lot of fear that it’s going to be a year, but that moment was full of promise about
long, hard winter with the isolation and cold. For what’s just ahead. The world has changed, and we’ll
hose traits are serving him a moment it felt like we were really going to live be doing things we’ve never done before. Honestly, I’m
well through the pandemic, again, but a different reality has set in.” excited about what the future holds for us.”
which Fernandes is negotiating
with considerable aplomb
from isolation in Chicago.
He has completed an online
residency at the University
of California at Berkeley, and
recently debuted The Left
Space, a smashing online dance
performance/installation at the
Art Gallery of Ontario, which extremely cleverly
utilises, riffs off, critiques and celebrates the Zoom
calls that we are all being forced to endure, and
played out live on November 6, 2020 – just after
the recent US presidential elections.
Although it was 6.30am IST, I tuned in to
watch. There were six blurry figures “on the call”
and then dancers in their individual squares
came into focus against a shifting graphic
backdrop. They moved wordlessly, but in sync
with the electronic soundtrack: slow, menacing,
intrusive, then looser and more abandoned. There
was purposeful fragmentation, and missing
participants who reappeared. It captured all
the terror, tedium and connected tensions of our
current moment like no other artwork I’ve ever
seen. I felt certain I was witnessing the first
masterpiece of the Covid-19 era.
November 7, 2020 was a complicated day
for America, because the media called the
presidential elections in favour of Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris, and it looked like the end of
four years of Donald Trump. Fernandes joined
crowds of people who poured out on the streets in
IMAGE: ARUNA D'SOUZA (SERENDIPITY ARTS FESTIVAL)
spontaneous joy. His carefully choreographed AGO
project had been meant to provoke the question,
“If we’ve left something behind, what is it that we
are heading for instead?” And now it seemed like
there was part of an answer on hand, the glimmer
of light at the end of the tunnel.
“After such a long time, I felt real joy,” said
Fernandes a few days later. We were video
chatting again – inevitably on Zoom. It was Fernandes described
his time at SAF Goa
getting very cold in Chicago – he was wearing a
2019 as a homecoming
dapper woollen beanie that made him look like a
89
 A I R PAT R O L

EC T
F
E R AN
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST ` 200 DECEMBER 2020
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD INDIA

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Longines’ latest pilot’s watch is a nod

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ongines’ tryst with aviation is a

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J A I SA LME R
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90——
0 JANUARY 2021
NOVEMBER 2020
 JUMPER BY
PAUL SMITH

OR’S ED
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10
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COLL

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THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL INDIAN EDITION

OCT-NOV 2020 | 200

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THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL INDIAN EDITION

OCT-NOV 2020 | 200

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THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL INDIAN EDITION
OCT-NOV 2020 | 200

T
NEELESH
M FOR
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MODEL:KANDARI.
TOMAR & PRASHANT SUPA MODEL
& MAKE-UP:
SINGH/

As last year’s events paved a new way for loungewear,

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we photographed a bunch of stylish men unwinding

in their homes in the best of “runway to couch” fashion
IMAGE: EDDIE

R E M O T E L Y S T Y L E D B Y S E L M A N F A Z I L

OCTOBER 2020 — 93
94
SHIRT,

HARAGO
BOTH BY
TROUSERS;
IMAGE: RUKSAR SYED. MODEL: SAMIR SUHAG

IMAGE: HYWEL JENKINS. MODEL: PRANAV BHARGAV / INEGA

VAN NOTEN
BY DRIES
BELT; ALL

95
TROUSERS,
JUMPER,
 IMAGE: RGEVSKAYA. MODEL: YANNICK FERNANDES / FEAT. ARTISTS
TURTLENECK,
MAGE: RUKSAR SYED. MODEL: RABANNE VICTOR

TROUSERS;
BOTH BY
ALEXANDER
McQUEEN

SHIRT,
TROUSERS,
LOAFERS; ALL
BY SABYASACHI

96 — OCTOBER 2020 97
 EARTH
BY GOOD
SHIRT

BODE
BOTH BY
CARDIGAN,
TROUSERS;
MODEL: ELTON J FERNANDEZ

IMAGE: MAX REPIN. MODEL: HITESH BISHT / MUSE NYC

99
100
EKA
SHIRT,

BOTH BY
TROUSERS;

IMAGE: MAHIMA DHAWAN. MODEL: ABHINAV TYAGI

IMAGE: RUKSAR SYED. MODEL: SAGAR KADAM

SANDEEP
ALL BY
SARAH &
TROUSERS;
ROBE, SHIRT,
102
GOYAL
JACKET,
T-SHIRT,
SHORTS;
BY KANIKA
IMAGE: SANJAY PREMANAND.
IMAGE: SEHAJ CHAUDHRY.
HAIR & MAKE-UP: MODEL: ADITYA BHALLA
RANDY SCARHOL

IMAGE: SHIVYA KOCHAR. MODEL: TJ GIL

SUKET DHIR
BOTH BY

103
TROUSERS;
SHIRT,

T
he switchover to
electric mobility
might seem glacial,
but a steady influx of big-
ticket e-vehicles along with
a diverse and potent range
of fuel-powered vehicles
makes this the best time
to buy cars. Or to simply
bask in their glorious
existence. Packing features
that are on the bleeding
edge of both technology and
physics, the cars arriving in
2021 are here to fatten up
your fantasy garage.
104 — JANUARY 2021
SHOWSTOPPERS
Audi e-Tron
The foundation stone for Audi’s path to
electrification, the e-Tron makes its long-
awaited debut this year, officially kicking
off the race for electric luxury cars. With
two electric motors powering each axle,
this neon-glazed slice of science fiction
is the sort of all-purpose SUV that mixes
gut-crushing acceleration with Audi’s
pedigreed road-holding prowess and
everyday utility.
With over 17,641 units sold
internationally, the e-Tron has already
established itself as a Tesla-rivalling
force, and will go a long way in
N
furthering the cause of electric mobility
E
in the country. To be brought in as a
completely built unit (CBU), expect the
P
e-Tron to come in limited numbers, with
O
Audi capitalising on new government
regulations allowing the import of 2,500
units sans homologation. Here’s to
ushering in an era of silent performance.
IMAGE: MERCEDES-BENZ AG (MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS), AUDI AG (AUDI E-TRON), © CITROËN COMMUNICATION / DR (CITROËN C5 AIRCROSS)
CITROËN
C5 Aircross
Citroën’s arrival might be delayed,
From the looks of it, 2021 is the bridge but the C5 Aircross is well worth
to the automotive future we all want the wait. With its comfort-oriented
set-up and quirky French design,
E D I T E D B Y PA R T H C H A R A N
the Aircross is, quite rightly,
the brand’s flagship SUV and,
therefore, its first offering to the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Indian market. As such, it comes
The arrival of a new S-Class is always a seismic moment, given the sheer array of genre- with flagship-worthy levels of
busting features that Merc’s luxury flagship comes with. The upcoming one, due for launch in space and refinement. A full-sized
the second half of this year, is peak Mercedes-Benz – in that, is set to be the next benchmark SUV, the Aircross will come with
in connectivity and safety. To begin with, the cockpit is dominated by a massive 12.8-inch a 2.0-litre, turbo-diesel motor
OLED touchscreen that’s equipped with Merc’s second-generation MBUX system. The system mated to an 8-speed gearbox.
is now 50 per cent faster, more intuitive and accepts voice commands in 27 languages. Likely to be priced around the
The new S-Class also comes with Level 3 autonomous driving tech, which means it `30-lakh mark, the completely
can automatically brake, steer and accelerate (should it pass the government’s regulatory knocked-down version we’ll
laws). What will most certainly make it to the country, apart from the additional seat back- get isn’t necessarily the most
mounted airbag, is the car’s new “pre-safe impulse ride” system. It lifts the window side of powerful or off-road capable car
the car in the event of a crash, channelling the impact to the bottom of the car and securing in its segment, but it does ooze
the passenger in doing so. To be served in long-wheelbase forms only, the S-Class will style and character in a way its
undoubtedly be the smartest car on our roads. competition simply does not.
JANUARY 2021 — 105

JAGUAR I-PACE
Riding in hot on the coat-tails of
the Mercedes-Benz EQC is the
2019 World Car Of The Year, the
Jaguar I-Pace. Jaguar’s very
own all-electric offering, much
like the e-Tron and the EQC, is a
wholesome, all-purpose luxury
crossover. The I-Pace may be
unusual looking to some, but its
design is peak 2020, with big,
20-inch wheels and muscular
wheel arches of sports cars,
and the overall silhouette of a
crossover. What also works in
the I-Pace’s favour is the fact
that unlike a lot of electric cars
of its ilk, there’s an old-school
warmth to its interiors. It’s not a
screen-heavy affair and, as such,
doesn’t alienate the driver and
the passengers.
Its electric motors produce
an equally sports-car-like
394bhp along with nearly
700Nm of torque, which can
put most sports cars to shame.
And what’s a Jag without any
performance credentials?
BMW M4
The BMW M4 with its oversized vertical grille may be a dog’s
breakfast when it comes to design, but that doesn’t change the
fact that underneath that polarising exterior lies a ferocious
and highly pedigreed performance car; arguably one of the
finest to roll out of BMW’s M division. This is because the new
M4 is looking to break every lap record set by its predecessors,
with over 473bhp pouring out of its twin-turbo inline-six engine.
It’s got a rear-biased, all-wheel drive system that can be set
to rear-wheel-drive only for some old-fashioned, tail-out
buffoonery. Pack an extra set of tyres.
106 — JANUARY 2021
SHOWSTOPPERS
Kia Sorento
With the success of the Sonet, all eyes are on Kia
Motors, as the brand readies itself for its next
offering. Kia is thinking big this time, bigger than
the Seltos. The Sorento is a mid-size SUV, which
is likely to serve as the brand’s first hybrid offering
in India. Of course, it’ll also come with a diesel
option, but it’s the hybrid that’ll differentiate it from
its immediate competition. Though Kia has been
silent about its future plans, it stands to reason
that something is in the pipeline, and it’s likely to be
Kia’s most premium offering yet.
Ford Ranger Raptor
Looks like 2021 is the year Indian off-road
enthusiasts will be treated to a bona fide American
pick-up truck bearing a “Ford” badge. The Ford
Ranger Raptor, which will be brought in in limited
numbers using the homologation-free route, may
not be the V8-powered juggernaut that is the F-150
Raptor, but it’s the closest thing we’re getting to a
glide-anywhere super truck that will barely take
notice of India’s damaged road network. Based
on the Fortuner, the Ranger Raptor has tuned the
2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine to put out 213bhp and
500Nm of torque. It also gets a four-wheel drive,
terrain management system along with special
off-road racing suspension allowing you to power
through pretty much any quagmire or crater. The
perfect vehicle for Indian roads.
 SHOWSTOPPERS

Skoda Octavia
Still flying the posh-sedan flag in the face of crossover
domination, the Skoda Octavia just gets better with
every iteration. The new Octavia, whose launch has been
pushed to the second quarter of 2021, dispenses with
its famous diesel powertrain, retaining only its petrol
engines (now including a 2.0-litre TSI option) along with
the trademark visual flair that’s made the Octavia so
popular over the decades. The interiors have also been
contemporised, with a “Virtual Cockpit” system, a 10-
inch touchscreen infotainment system and nine airbags.
Long live the luxury sedan.
Volkswagen Taigun
Volvo S60 The VW Taigun – known the world over as the T-Cross – will soon be available in India, strengthening
the brand’s portfolio, while adding to the country’s already formidable range of crossovers. Expected
With its genteel, unfailingly
to launch in the first quarter of 2021, the Taigun will be the first heavily localised VW SUV in India,
sensible and safety-oriented
based on the carmarker’s MQB-A0-IN platform. Likely to get two engine options – 1.0-litre and
underpinnings, the Volvo S60
1.5-litre turbo petrol, the latter making 147bhp – the Taigun is expected to bring in some exciting
is everything you’d want or
performance to an otherwise dull segment. Along with the safety and refinement that’s standard to
need from an everyday car.
all VWs.
The 2021 version is sharper
looking, with sufficiently updated
interiors packing large, tactile
touchscreens, an astonishingly
smooth powertrain and the sort
of ergonomic splendour that
comes naturally to all things
Swedish. As always, the S60
prioritises comfort over outright
speed, but its 2.0-litre, turbo-
petrol motor pushes out 190bhp
and can be quite brisk.
In an age where increasingly
fussy looking cars are breaking
cover, while disrupting all
unwritten rules of automotive
aesthetic, the S60 is a back-to-
basics sedan with handsome
proportions, a quiet, supple ride
and comfortable seats – all you
need at the end of a long day.

JANUARY 2021 — 109

 Striking prints, maximalist
patterns and logo mania –
go big or go home with these
standout accessories

BAG BY GUCCI

(OPPOSITE)
PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIM RAE YOUNG SHOES BY PRADA

110 111
BAG BY DIOR

DUFFLE BAG BY
LOUIS VUITTON

112 113
CROSSBODY BAG BY FENDI

HAT BY BERLUTI

PHOTO ASSISTANT:
KIM JEE WOO
FASHION EDITOR:
LEE YEON JU

114 115
 M EET CUTE
Hot hatch performance meets
SUV practicality. There’s much to
love about Audi’s latest Q ship
U
OM
P CCO ER
R
E
M
-
N D
-A
There’s something very inviting about the new
Audi Q2. Not because of the four rings on the
grille, although, I’m sure that has a role to play.
It’s because something about its proportions and
the knowledge that it houses a punchy 2.0-litre
turbo petrol engine stirs something in the
enthusiast. It’s also got to do with how curiously
unfamiliar the Audi Q2 appears. It breaks away
from the visual tradition established by its bigger
siblings, opting for a form that’s more innocuous
and fiesty at the same time. A bit like a Jack
Russell Terrier.
The Q2 is officially Audi’s new entry-level
offering. It’s part hatchback, part SUV and in
profile it appears smaller than you’d expect it to
be. Great if you value compact dimensions and
the performance benefits it brings, but a bit of a
downer if you want your first Audi for on-road
116 — JANUARY 2021
Audi Q2
ENGINE POWER PRICE
2.0-LITRE, 187BHP `34.99 LAKH -
FOUR-CYLINDER, `48.89 LAKH
TURBO-PETROL TORQUE
320NM
intimidation value. If you belong to the latter wraps around you that chiefly endears you to
group, there’s not much the Q2 or I can do for it. Because, let’s face it: it’s not the `34.99 lakh
you. But if you, like me, enjoy an invigorating (ex-showroom) price tag (despite being the least
and comfortable drive, read on. expensive Audi in the market).
Step inside and you discover the sort of spatial The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol
ingenuity that Audi has deployed. Up front, the unit in the Q2 makes a fairly potent 188bhp.
cockpit feels a lot roomier than the Q2’s exterior It’s one of the most capable four-pot motors
would suggest. Once you get over the noticeable in the world, one that continues to serve as a
and lamentable absence of powered seats and a staple across brands part of the VW Group. In
touchscreen, you begin to appreciate the small the Q2, however, it benefits from a fairly low
WORDS: PARTH CHARAN. IMAGE: AUDI AG
design flourishes, like the rotary vents and the kerb weight of 1,430kg. It feels no more heavy
overall quality of the dashboard. The seating than your average hatchback (thanks to the
position can be calibrated to be low enough to MQB platform), entering corners with childlike
really enjoy the hot hatch aspects of the Q2, and eagerness, while keeping the suspension supple
yet, benefit from the excellent visibility offered enough for Indian roads. Torque is spread out
up front. There’s wireless charging, mood lighting nice and evenly, and the S-Tronic dual-clutch
and USB-C ports that make it satisfyingly gearbox keeps things seamless with the usual
ergonomic, but it’s really the way the Q2 shrink Audi aplomb. It really does make for a very
Among other things,
the Q2 is equipped with
Audi’s best-in-class
virtual cockpit display
hassle-free driving experience, especially
in the city where its nimble attributes shine
particularly bright. There’s a certain formula
that makes for a wholesome car in the Indian
context, and Audi has mastered it. The Q2, with
a front-biased AWD system, is intuitive enough to
absorb bumps, agile enough to tackle corners and
eager enough to chew through turbo lag quickly.
To truly appreciate the car that the Q2 is,
one has to briefly suspend all the conventional
notions of value for money and strip the car
down to its essence, along with what it means
to own one in the city. An MQB platform-based,
driver-oriented Audi which rides as well as
its much more plush siblings, is thoroughly
engaging and a breeze to drive in heavy city
traffic. In a world devoid of appearances, that’s
pretty much all you need from a car. The fact
that that’s not the world we live in might, to
a certain extent, hamper the sales of the Q2.
None of that can take away from the fact that
given the option between this or a bulkier SUV
featuring all the segment-specific bells and
whistles, I’d pick the Audi Q2 any day.
Audi’s
7-speed,
“S-Tronic”
dual-clutch
gearbox is
one of the
smoothest
units out
there
OCTOBER 2020
JANUARY 2021 — 117
SUN
FLY BY
Is the latest and, thus far, the only cruiser
in Royal Enfield’s
Enfield’s stables a suitable
replacement for the iconic Thunderbird?
The top-
the Royal Enfield Meteor a tricky follow-up
end Meteor
The arrival of the 650cc, twin-cylinder Interceptor act given that the bar has been raised. In
Supernova in
and its clip-on sporting counterpart, the Continental full view order for the new Meteor to be considered an
GT 650, marked a major turning point for Royal improvement over the outgoing and hugely
Enfield. Up until 2018, Royal Enfield remained popular Thunderbird, it has to add a layer of
a well-preserved vestige of mid-century British refinement and smoothness to the engine and
motorcycling. Overseas, it remained a charming the overall quality of the bike, while retaining
and esoteric delight, defiantly analogue in an age the trademark “thump” that’s come to define
of faux-retro motorcycles. Back in India though, the brand. So, just how different is the new
its sheen appeared to be wearing off, thanks to Meteor from the Thunderbird?
consistent quality-control issues, despite having an Almost completely. The Meteor features
enormous and enthusiastic, country-wide customer an all-new 349cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder
base. The twins, however, catapulted the brand engine, now bequeathed with a long-awaited
into a different league. Royal Enfield proved that balancer shaft to quell out any excessive
it could produce smooth, iron-clad motorcycles vibrations. It also gets a new double-downtube
dripping with character and potential for speed. cradle frame chassis, with a conventional twin
This stands to reason that their next offering fork suspension up front, and twin shocks
couldn’t afford to be anything less. Which makes with six-way adjustable preload at the back.
RE has thrown in some more tech in the
form of a funky new instrument cluster that’s
WORDS: PARTH CHARAN
accompanied by a coloured TFT screen display
that gives you turn-by-turn navigation prompts,
which prove very handy in the city. The feature
can be accessed by pairing the Royal Enfield
app on your smartphone to the bike.
Given that the “Thunderbird” moniker
can’t be used overseas, Royal Enfield decided
to resurrect the old “Super Meteor” name from
the 1950s (dropping the “Super”) and slap
it onto a bike that’s clearly the next step in
the Thunderbird’s evolution. The Meteor for
its part doesn’t try too hard to distance itself
from its predecessor. It makes roughly the
same amount of power at 20.2bhp and 27Nm
of torque. Out of its three variants – the
Fireball, Stellar and the Supernova – it’s the
third one that’s properly kitted out for long
distance tours, with a large windscreen and a
backrest accompanying a more classic looking
metal badge on the fuel tank. Plenty of bright
colour schemes do their bit to enhance the
“neo” in this neo-retro package, but on the
whole, the Meteor is unmistakably classic in
its appeal. Royal Enfield has also included
the Meteor in its “Make Your Own” service,
allowing you to customise your bike through
myriad options ranging from different foot
pegs, paint schemes, wind-screen size and
custom exhausts.
Swing a leg over and it’s clear that the
riding position has been calibrated to suit the
inner-city rider as much as it has the highway
one. As a result it’s a hybrid of both – not too
laid-back, not too upright. The suspension has
been stiffened to make the Meteor easier to
flick around the bends. Despite this, the ride
feels supple enough in the city.
Right off the bat, the engine appears
noticeably smoother. It still reverberates with
the 350’s characteristic “thump” but it’s clearly
a different sort of animal. There’s also a new
oil-aided cooling mechanism in place, even
though the engine remains air-cooled; so in
the longer run, it should help immensely with
reliability. This is still a motorcycle that likes
to take it easy, but RE has managed to find a
balance between meeting the needs of loyalists
demanding that the bike retain its original
flavour, and a new generation of buyers
demanding greater reliability and refinement.
Revving all the way up to 6,000rpm, the
engine feels robust and eager enough for the
city, buzzing with good bottom-end torque that
finds its stride, mid-range.
For the highway? The math doesn’t add
up. At a starting price of `1.76 lakh (ex-
showroom), the Meteor is not an inexpensive
proposition. But for roughly a lakh more, you
get the far more capable 650 twin. Sure, `1
lakh isn’t an inconsiderable amount by any
measure, but what you’re getting is, arguably,
twice the motorcycle and worth the extra
dough. However, until the brand launches
a cruiser that’s powered by that gloriously
smooth parallel-twin, this is the only cruiser in
sight. For the money, the Meteor is a striking
looking machine with tangible qualitative
improvements. And, despite having some
competition in the form of new entrants in the
neo-retro space, the Meteor remains, through
its configuration alone, peerless.
Royal
Enfield
Meteor 350
ENGINE
349CC, SINGLE-
CYLINDER, AIR-COOLED
POWER
20.2BHP
RE has equipped
TORQUE the Meteor with
27NM grippy CEAT
PRICE Zoom Plus
`1.76 LAKH - `1.90 LAKH tubeless tyres
(EX-SHOWROOM)
JANUARY 2021 — 119
THE FINAL Bill Gates wants to
immunise the world
against the most deadly

FIGHT
pandemic in a century.
But given the rising tide
of corona conspiracy
theories – with some
of the most outlandish

AGAINST
directed at the Microsoft
billionaire himself – the
battle for people’s minds
is becoming just as

COVID-19
important as developing
a vaccine. Here’s how the
anti-vax lobby is quietly
gaining a foothold in the
Middle East – and the
risks it poses
W R I T T E N B Y
L A U R A M A C K E N Z I E
A N D B E N F L A N A G A N
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

121

For Ali Khalifa,
it’s like having the “mark of the
beast”. The 41-year-old Algerian is
not warning against worship of the
antichrist, fretting over biblical sea
monsters, or debating the meaning
of the number 666. He suggests
that the modern-day sign of the
devil may be both very real, and
far unlike any described in the
Book of Revelation. These days, it’s
administered via needle by
doctors and aid workers – the
foot soldiers, as some believe,
of an evil global elite.
And one man stands out in
this shadowy, sinister group, the
existence of which is entirely
unsubstantiated: Microsoft co-
founder Bill Gates.
Khalifa is one of a global band
of anti-vaccine advocates, whose
voices have grown louder, yet
arguably no more rational, in the
wake of the corona pandemic. Like
many campaigners in the West,
where the movement is far more
prominent, Khalifa is “100 per
cent against vaccines” – despite
their role, according to the World
Health Organization (WHO), in
saving as many as 3 million lives
a year. Khalifa also believes that
the coronavirus cannot be spread
from person to person, and thinks
Gates wants to use a Covid-19
vaccine programme as a vehicle
for implanting tiny tracking
devices in people in order to gain
control over them. The “mark
of the beast” might actually be
a microchip.
Of course, such views are at
odds with accepted wisdom that
vaccination is one of the most
effective ways to prevent diseases,
and that Covid-19 is transmitted
through saliva or discharges
from the noses of infected people.
The microchip claim has been
widely debunked and, along with
other disinformation campaigns,
dismissed by Gates as “stupid”.
122
But Khalifa – who, along with a
Saudi friend, makes videos on such
topics for the 1,50,000 subscribers
to their Arabic YouTube channel
“Reality Today” – rejects the idea
that he is a conspiracy theorist.
“We don’t have any evidence
that vaccines really protect us from
infectious diseases,” he claims,
dismissing as “untrue” figures
that show a drastic reduction in
the number of people contracting
or dying from infectious diseases
following the introduction of
vaccines. Rather, he argues that
we should be focusing on food and
nutrition, and believes that the
microorganisms causing diseases
are only harmful if we allow them
to be. Again, this view goes against
the consensus of the global health
community that deadly diseases
will return if we stop vaccination.
Khalifa, however, believes that
pharmaceutical companies are
lying about the results of research
in order to sell vaccines and make
money. “Laboratories and ‘Big
Pharma’ dictate everything about
medicine and vaccines,” he adds.
That Khalifa holds views
more commonly associated with
the “anti-vax” movement in the
US are, perhaps, all the more
surprising given that he is a
microbiologist by profession, and
works as an infectious diseases
and microorganisms researcher
for a big pharmaceutical company
in Switzerland. (He did not name
which one, but says he has become
disillusioned with his work and
wants to leave.) Khalifa goes by a
different first name professionally,
which he declined to specify, but
supplied WIRED with documents
to certify his credentials.
He is far from being a lone voice
in the Arab world when it comes
to vaccine opposition. Although
there is no organised anti-vaccine
movement of the likes seen in the
Multiple social media posts
have claimed that a research
institute funded by the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation owns
the patent on the coronavirus,
while others have said Gates
US, it doesn’t take much searching specifically told us about the
to find discussions on the topic coronavirus in 2015. (He did give
on social media, with Covid-19 a warning about global pandemics
and talk of potential vaccines in a TED talk of that year, but only
seemingly reigniting interest in in general terms.) Such claims
the area. Accounts with thousands come against a backdrop of wider
of followers promote the idea that conspiracy theories: a global elite
vaccines are unsafe or ineffective – aims to depopulate the world,
sometimes in conjunction with the 5G technology has helped spread
promotion of alternative medicine corona, or the virus was engineered
or certain eating, exercise or as a bioweapon in a Chinese lab.
lifestyle regimes. Perhaps most outlandish were
While some accounts seem to the reports falsely stating that
use individuals’ real names and Gates is behind a plot to use
photos, others operate under vaccines to implant microchips
names such as “the_realheal” and in people. Despite there being
“vaccines.truth”, likely reflecting no evidence to back such claims,
both the controversial nature of a poll found that 28 per cent of
the topic and the fact that dissent Americans, including 44 percent
is not welcomed in parts of the of Republican voters, wrongly
region. Khalifa says he is in a believed the rumours.
number of WhatsApp groups with While such anti-vax
others from the Middle East and misinformation has not held up
North Africa who are also, as he any government donations at this
puts it, “on this new road of truth.” stage, Gates said it could have
repercussions in terms of hitting
IT’S a very different “true herd immunity” after a
road to the one taken by Bill vaccine arrives. “If you don’t get a
Gates. His philanthropic broad uptake [in vaccine adoption],
organisation has for years then it would have a dramatic
supported vaccination effect,” he said in June. “So the
programmes, and in June misinformation could hold us back
renewed its commitment to at some point.”
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Gates believes that true global
with $1.6 billion in funding cooperation is required to beat
to deliver treatments to Covid-19. “As long as the virus
300 million children in the remains in any part of the world,
world’s poorest countries. it has the potential to reappear
On top of that came a in others,” the Microsoft co-
smaller but also significant founder tells WIRED Middle East.
pledge: $100 million (half “Researchers are making good
of which is new money) to help progress on drugs and vaccines to
ensure that once a Covid-19 fight Covid-19. But responding to
vaccine is developed, those most in this epidemic requires more than
need are not overlooked. breakthrough science. We also need
But one man’s philanthropy breakthrough cooperation, on a
is another’s villainy. Gates has global scale.”
been the subject of some wild and He also praised regional
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES
entirely unsubstantiated anti-vax countries’ efforts to ensure fair
conspiracy theories, which have distribution of a vaccine. “Gulf
gathered momentum since the countries’ contributions to efforts
coronavirus pandemic took hold. such as the Access to Covid-19
Tools (ACT) Accelerator will
help ensure everyone can access
Covid-19 drugs and vaccines,
no matter where they live or
their ability to pay,” Gates
tells WIRED. “Global, equitable
access is crucial if we hope to
contain this outbreak.”
DESPITE the lack
of evidence for the wildest
Covid conspiracies, the
spread of disinformation
around vaccinations has
a long history – and has
cost lives.
Controversy has plagued
jabs containing the measles
antigen, largely stemming
from a now infamous 1998
paper published in the
Lancet medical journal that
hypothesised a link between
measles vaccines and
autism. The paper was later
withdrawn by the Lancet
amid a scandal over unreported
conflicts of interest and flaws in its
conclusions, while the WHO states
on its measles, mumps and rubella
(MMR) vaccines information sheet
that “the overall evidence clearly
indicates no association of MMR
vaccine with… developmental
disorders including autism.” But
despite this, fears that the vaccine
causes autism persist.
Hassan Damluji, the Gates
Foundation’s deputy director for
global policy and advocacy in the
Middle East, Pakistan, Japan and
Korea, acknowledges that such
sentiments pose a challenge to the
foundation’s work.
“There are now more measles
cases – in Italy, France, the UK,
in America – because people
are refusing vaccines for their
children. So it is a real reason to
be concerned. We just have to do a
really good job of communicating,
and that’s not easy,” he says.
Damluji says the mainstream
media is generally balanced in its
coverage of vaccination issues – but
that disinformation is being spread
widely on social media.
“Conspiracy theories are rife at
the moment, with regards to what
caused the coronavirus, whether
The anti-vax
movement is
vocal in the West,
but remains
largely hidden in
the Gulf
123

the vaccine is going to be a help, or
some kind of plot. That is obviously
a source of concern, because we
need people to protect themselves
against the disease, and if they
don’t believe in that, then that’s
going to make it harder to get
economies back on track, and to
stop people dying,” he says.
“The proof of the pudding will be
– when people have the opportunity
to protect their elderly parents,
themselves, and their children –
will they take up that opportunity,
or will they say ‘no, we actually
think this whole thing is a plot’.”
Damluji is sanguine about
public attitudes toward vaccination
in the Middle East, where – notably
in the Gulf – regional governments
124
have pledged big money toward
immunisation programmes.
“In the Middle East region,
people vaccinate their kids.
Vaccination rates are very high
in the countries that are not
affected by conflicts, or a failure
of the government system. There
is nothing in the region that says
that people just don’t like vaccines
– and so that’s really powerful,”
he says.
The government of Saudi
Arabia early in 2020 pledged
$150 million to Gavi, the Vaccine
Alliance to support its response
to the Covid-19 pandemic, while
the UAE has a longstanding
relationship with Gavi and the
Gates Foundation, with Sheikh
“When we do finally get
a vaccine, there will be
the question of whether
you want to get true herd
immunity – that is, so many
people who don’t transmit
the disease, that it can’t
spread in a population.
Depending on how
effective the vaccine is,
you’ll probably want to get
over 80 per cent coverage.”
“If you don’t get a broad
uptake, then it would
have a dramatic effect…
So the misinformation
could hold us back at
some point, but I wouldn’t
say that that’s hurting us
at this stage.”
Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown
prince of Abu Dhabi, having
“It’s almost hard to deny
in 2017 jointly announced the this stuff, because it’s so
launch of the Global Institute for
Disease Elimination (GLIDE) in
stupid or strange, that
partnership with the foundation. to even repeat it almost
Such moves by Gulf states, says
Damluji, reinforce the reality that
seems to give it credibility.”
vaccine programmes are not “part
of some conspiracy theory” – but
a vital necessity. “What they do,
in addition to putting money in, is
to show that this is a really global
“The polls [about people
thing. It’s not a Christian versus believing conspiracy about
Jew versus Muslim thing, or a
believer versus non-believer thing.
vaccination programmes
being designed to secretly
IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES
Every government in the world
is coming forward and saying
‘we need this for our children’,
‘microchip’ people] are a
and that is powerful,” he says. little bit concerning.”
“The Gulf’s role… is important
not just because of their money,
but also because of their voice,
people trusting these countries.
So [people] say: ‘It’s not just an
American plot if the Muslim
Middle Eastern countries are
also doing it’.”
SOME Middle East
governments may have
thrown their weight behind
high-profile vaccination
programmes, but that
doesn’t mean all citizens are
supportive of such schemes.
In fact, anti-vax sentiment
is widespread in the region
– but, perhaps due to real
and perceived suppression
of dissenting views, it’s a
great deal quieter when
compared to that found in
the US or Europe.
Contrary to Damluji’s
assertion that there’s no evidence
of an anti-vax lobby in the Middle
East, a YouGov survey conducted
for WIRED found that many
people in the region share the
movement’s sentiments.
The poll, conducted in June,
questioned 3,000 people across
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt
about their attitudes toward
Covid-19 and vaccination more
broadly. The results suggest that
when a coronavirus vaccine finally
arrives, the battle for people’s
minds will remain.
Gates estimates that more than
80 per cent vaccination coverage
would be required to ensure “true
herd immunity”, and points out
that many people may not be able
to take the coronavirus vaccination
due to, perhaps, factors like
pregnancy or pre-existing medical
conditions. That means that
should even a small proportion of
medically-ready people refuse to be
vaccinated, it would make that 80
per cent target hard to hit.
The YouGov/WIRED poll found
a general reluctance among people
in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and
Egypt to be vaccinated straight
away, with only 34 per cent of
respondents saying that they were
125
happy with this. Almost half said
they would wait, due to concerns
over a vaccine being rushed or not
tested well. A small proportion
– five per cent – said they would
flatly refuse the vaccine for both
themselves and any dependents.
Wariness about vaccination
programmes also veers into the
realm of conspiracy, at least
according to some respondents to
the survey. Three in ten said they
thought vaccination programmes
are designed to control or monitor
populations, while a third believe
the virus was intentionally created
to make a profit.
WHILE there is
evidence of anti-vax
sentiment in the Middle
East, within that a wide
range of views exists –
and not everyone posting
about the alleged risks of
vaccines are 100 per cent
against them.
Fatima Issa from Jordan,
who runs the website
novax.org and associated
social media accounts,
says she is not opposed to
vaccines as her site’s name
would imply (she says she
chose it because “shorter
is better”), but objects to both
compulsory vaccination schemes
and the “absence of informed
consent before vaccination in all
Arab countries.”
Issa – whose social accounts
have a combined following of more
than 70,000 – describes vaccines
as “unavoidably unsafe”, and
points out that many countries
have compensation schemes for
vaccine-related injuries. She is
demanding that Arab legislators
establish similar programmes, and
encourages visitors to her website
to report any negative effects they
have experienced, in what she
calls the Arabian Vaccines Adverse
Event Reporting System.
The WHO’s global advisory
committee on vaccine safety has
acknowledged that “occasional
severe vaccine-associated reactions
will continue to be identified” as
126
countries extend vaccine use and
strengthen safety surveillance, and
said it considers vaccine injury
compensation programmes to be
“a measure to maintain confidence
in immunisation.”
When asked about the Gates
microchip theory, Issa said it
sounded “like science fiction,” but
like Khalifa – the microbiologist
who completely shuns the idea
of vaccines – she dismisses
the idea that her views are
based on conspiracy theories or
misinformation. “The increase in
[vaccine rejection] comes mainly
from parents with horrible
experience with vaccines,” she says.
Khalifa, who says he was not
always against vaccines, believes
his own daughter experienced
difficulty in speaking as a result of
receiving the combined MMR jab
– something that appears to have
been at least a contributing factor
in the development of his views
(though he’s keen to specify
that he is not only against the
MMR vaccine).
Elsewhere, a regional Twitter
storm erupted in May after the
Lebanese singer Carole Samaha
posted a series of controversial
tweets about vaccines that began
by expressing opposition to a
coronavirus vaccine, and went on
to claim that a high percentage
of autism diagnoses are caused
by vaccines filled with mercury
(presumably a reference to the
mercury-based preservative
thimerosal, which is used in some
multi-dose vaccines to prevent the
growth of germs).
The posts led many on social
media to decry Samaha for
spreading misinformation – a
charge that also got levied at
Jemman Ammary, founder of the
Jordan-based NGO Autism MENA
Foundation, after her organisation
retweeted two of the posts,
prompting Samaha to publicly
thank the NGO for its support.
Ammary, who says she faced
a “vicious” backlash afterward,
with some who saw the retweets
reporting her to the Jordanian
Ministry of Health, is adamant
that neither she nor Samaha (who
did not respond to a direct request
for comment) are anti-vaxxers.
“I am not against vaccines,”
she says. “I just think our kids
have the right to access the right
vaccines that are good for them,
that they really need.” Ammary
adds, however, that parents have
the right to doubt everything
because of the extent to which
medical research is funded by
pharmaceutical companies.
The topic is close to home for
Ammary, who believes her 13-year-
old son’s autism was caused by
the MMR jab, which he received
at around the age of 20 months.
“I lost him 22 days after he took
his MMR,” she says, stressing
that no prior testing or extensive
documentation both during her
pregnancy and after had revealed
any issues. She points to the fact
that her son’s fraternal twin, who
was never immunised due to being
born with an open heart at birth,
doesn’t have autism. “So see why I
feel like this?” she says.
According to the Vaccine
Education Center at the Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia in the
US, however, the MMR vaccine
is administered at a time many
children are diagnosed with
autism – and thus, the fact that
many parents link the two is
to be expected. The centre also
highlights that it is far more
common for both twins to be
diagnosed with autism when they
are identical rather than fraternal,
something it says is one of the best
indicators that a particular disease
or syndrome is genetic. In fact,
it says multiple studies “support
the fact that autism occurs during
development of the nervous system
early in the womb.”
But what about the thimerosal
that Samaha alluded to? According
to the WHO, it isn’t used in the
MMR vaccine because it would
kill the immunising component.
And while it’s used in others, such
as the diphtheria, tetanus and
pertussis combination vaccine,
figures from the US show that
autism rates continued to increase
even after thimerosal was removed
from almost all childhood jabs.
Ammary believes, however, that
autism diagnosis numbers have
been “played with” in certain places
and stresses that she is not alone
in her views, but part of a wider
movement, including a closed
Facebook group that counts some
doctors as members.
“If anyone wants to add
[someone to the group, they go]
through so much to make sure
he is really [who he says he is
and shares the same views as
others in the group]. Because we
are under attack from all over,”
Ammary adds. Khalifa says the
WhatsApp groups he’s in are also
difficult to join because they don’t
want anyone publishing something
about them out of context. (They
used to be open, he explains, but
the people that joined who were
against their ideas used “banal
arguments and insults.”)
DR. Hossam Al-Tatari,
pediatrics infectious
diseases consultant at the
Heart Medical Center in Al
Ain, Abu Dhabi, believes
social media has played a
major role in the spread of
anti-vaccine sentiment in
the Middle East in recent
years, with people being
affected by “propaganda
that originated mainly
in the United States
and started with a big
campaign against the
measles vaccine.”
Though the political
climate in much of the region
means there is an absence of
organised anti-vax elements,
the consultant says there are
“cults of parents and families
who share their sources together
over WhatsApp groups, over
social media, with regard to anti-
vaccination,” as well as influencers
espousing anti-vaccine views
who have no medical background
but are thought of “like gods” by
their followers. Such groups and
communities can serve as echo
chambers, with information going
unchallenged and only serving to
confirm members’ existing biases,
says Jad Melki, associate professor
of journalism and media studies at
the Lebanese American University.
Melki says the factors driving
support for anti-vax views in the
Middle East and North Africa
differ from country to country,
and could in some places be partly
attributed to the belief held by
some that vaccination is not
compatible with religion. More
generally, however, he attributes it
largely to uncritical consumption
of social media – in other words,
“sharing information without
really double-checking or fact-
checking or being critical.”
Though Melki sees media
illiteracy as a global phenomenon,
he believes it has been exacerbated
in parts of the Arab world where
conflict has affected education
and literacy rates. Meanwhile,
the lack of affordable healthcare
in some countries, coupled with
government inaction, has resulted
in “a lot of quacks in this part of
the world [who] try to sell you
herbs that cure cancer,” among
other things, says Melki. The
professor believes his own uncle
died after being convinced by
such a person to take a certain
fruit rather than his blood
pressure medication.
While some of those posting
about the alleged dangers or
inefficacy of vaccines say they
are simply promoting “choice”,
a term that sounds relatively
innocuous, Al-Tatari suggests
that the spread of such content is
having a harmful effect.
“The United Arab Emirates
used to have one of the highest
rates for vaccination in the world…
Until in 2015 we were hit with the
fact that the UAE had 826 cases of
measles,” he says.
The doctor and his colleagues
then noticed that the uptake of
the MMR vaccine had dropped
significantly. “We started to wake
up to the fact that we had people
who were refusing vaccines,” says
Al-Tatari, who in 2018 conducted
a survey, along with colleagues, of
nearly 400 parents in the
UAE and found that ten per
cent did not agree that vaccines
were effective in preventing
certain diseases.
The UAE government
responded to the 2015 measles toll
with a near mandatory measles
immunisation programme for
children aged between one and
18 years old, and by 2019 the
number of cases had dropped to
just a handful – something that
Al-Tatari says is the “biggest
proof” to people locally and
regionally that vaccines do work.
Now, as the coronavirus pandemic
affects uptake of immunisations,
with people confined to their
homes, the doctor is trying to
observe how views surrounding
vaccines will also be affected.
It seems clear that some of
the new or rehashed fears about
vaccine safety that have been
circulating online in the wake
of the coronavirus are being
listened to by at least some
parents; Al-Tatari says some
have expressed concern that drug
companies are trying to benefit
from the pandemic by competing
to expedite a vaccine (something
he agrees with), while others have
repeated the Gates-microchip
claim to him (something he
definitely doesn’t).
Despite this, Al-Tatari is
hopeful that Covid-19 will
actually help to restore trust in
vaccines, and says he has had a
huge number of parents phoning
up to ask about a possible
coronavirus vaccine – even those
who had refused to take vaccines
in the past.
“Most of the people who are
anti-vaccine haven’t seen these
diseases. They think that measles
is something simple, they think
influenza is simple, they think
[chickenpox] is no big deal,” says
Al-Tatari. “But now [there is]
Covid-19, with people dying on a
daily basis in almost every single
country and the numbers going up
and up. Once a vaccine is there, I
think people are going to get the
trust in vaccines again.”
127
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JANUARY
JANUARY 2020
2021 — 131
— 131

LUXURY AND FASHION IN STANDOUT STYLE
Matters Of The Art
For its inaugural auction, Cymmon’s Auctioneers
is presenting this striking work of legendary artist
FN Souza as its cover lot. The first Indian painter
to use acrylic paint as early as the 1960s, Souza
was renowned for his penchant for thick strokes of
colour, evident in his signature landscape paintings.
Seemingly inspired by a violent force, his landscapes
are portrayed in green, brown and black, with
striking buildings and bold trees inhabiting the same
frame effortlessly.
Bid online at www.cymmons.com
A Room With A View
Blending privacy with functionality, Fenesta’s
latest Switch Glass range of window solutions
affords you the flexibility of controlling the
transparency of your glass windows with the
click of a remote button, thus doing away with the
hassles of blinds and curtains. When the power
is switched off, liquid crystals scatter and turn
the glass opaque; when switched back on, the
Piezoelectric effect kicks in, getting the crystals to
realign and turn the glass clear.
`1,000 per sq ft onwards. For more information,
visit fenesta.com
132 — JANUARY 2021
A Celebration of Love
To pay tribute to couples who have displayed
the values of strength, resilience,
patience, perseverance and optimism
through what was an incredibly
challenging year, Platinum Guild of
India - International has unveiled
a collection of exquisitely crafted
platinum love bands. Each set
of these two-toned love bands
represents and celebrates the
unique journey of the couple
adorning it, with a design narrative
showcasing intricate geometric
Sail Away patterns, delicate markings and
Give your wardrobe a fun refresh with clean lines, accentuated with hints of
Nautica’s Navtech range of polo T-shirts. precious stones.
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collection are the perfect blend of style and
performance. With innovation at the heart
of the brand, the latest line also boasts
an Active Stretch feature, which offers
versatility, flexibility and a comfortable fit.
Shades Of Cool What’s more, Navtech’s polo T-shirts flaunt
A new year calls for new resolutions. In 2021, resolve to up your style game. moisture wicking capabilities to ensure that
Consider accessorising your everyday looks with this pair of sunglasses from your skin stays cool and dry through the day. Design That Inspires
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the Hyderabad-based iconoclast constantly
Here Comes The Sun challenges conventional notions of design
The Sunshine Collection from Bovet 1822 comprises
by tying in symbolism and subliminal
seven limited-edition Brainstorm Chapter Two
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The Perfect Frame
Luxury eyewear brand Ray-Ban’s
Ace Your Fitness Game latest collection of funky frames
A Bingeable Delight This new year, make health a priority by is a celebration of the brand’s
Leading streaming service app Lionsgate Play investing in a smartwatch from Garmin. latest campaign, You’re On, which
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JANUARY 2021 — 133
 HUMOUR

New Uses for

Forgotten Office Items
With mostly everyone working from home, many office items have gone unused for months.
But never fear! Here are some useful ways to repurpose these relics from your nine-to-five days

TEXT: KATHRYN KVAS. ILLUSTRATION: VIGNESH SESHADRI

134 — JANUARY 2021