Man's World 2012-12

the party personality
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FOR THE MAN IN FULL | december 2012
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gopichand | RAHUL BHATIA | ANURAG KASHYAP | VIRAT KOHLI | AAMIR KHAN

good times with vIJAY MALLYA
BY AAKAR PATEL
MEN F THE YEAR
THE drinking man special

| machismo & bravado: drink and the malayalee male | | boozing in belgium | the champagne boot camp | | writers and drinking | 8 single malts every man should stock | | the heady world of wine investment |
| bacardi: The first 150 years |
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DECEMBER 2012
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Contributors
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Kushan Mitra
In addition to being an aviation nerd since childhood, Kushan Mitra was a business reporter for 11 years, before he joined The Pioneer in an ongoing attempt to try to work out a viable future for digital newspapers in India. He has covered the aviation sector for over a decade, from its halcyon days to its stunning and sudden collapse over the past year. He feels that despite the collapse of a few airlines, and rising airfares, the Indian aviation story is yet to play out fully, because we are still in the second act of a five-act play. This month, he profiles Rahul Bhatia, founder of IndiGo airlines, now the domestic market leader, for MW s Men of the Year section (page 166).
Rajyasree Sen
Rajyasree Sen, a senior editor with Newslaundry, is a foodie, an occasional elitist and an unsolicited
warren dsylva
Having suffered the misfortune of a happy childhood, Warren Dsylva decided that while he may never feel the pain his writing idols did, he would do everything in his power to feel the effects of the booze they used to numb it. This led him into that most noble of writing professions, copywriting. After one late night in the office, he thought up the idea for Monkey Bizness, a play about three copywriters who decide to become male strippers. The play was staged at St. Andrews auditorium and NCPA, in Mumbai, this
Krishna Nukala
Krishna Nukala is part of the Malt Maniacs an international conclave of more than two dozen
opinion-giver. She used to run the restaurant Brown Sahib in Delhi but, now, much of her time is devoted to being a popculture expert, in keeping herself up to date on the best and worst of whats on TV, and thinking up new ways of bringing home the bacon for her quartet of dogs. Which explains why she agreed to review a book on female genitalia for MW (page 80). Sen also blogs at brownsahiba. blogspot.in.
year. He is now working on his next play, The Last Song of Walter Smith. In this months Drinking Man special, he writes about the relationship between literature and alcohol (page 176).
fiercely independent malt whisky aficionados (more information on www.maltmaniacs.net). He worked for 25 years in the banking sector, and is presently employed with a multinational company as Credit Controller. But his passion is whisky; his mission is to spread the message of single malts in India and he frequently contributes articles on the subject to MW and other Indian magazines. In MW s Drinking Man special, he lists eight single malts that are essential to any collection (page 186).
16 decEMber 2012 MW
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Letters
letter of the month
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the worst part is, any one of these so-called A-grade actresses would shed their clothes in an instant if the attention shifted away from them.
Sourav Monga, Delhi
Dont mock us
of the article eventually gives a half-baked theory as to why De and Fitzgerald are not in the same league, but to even contemplate a world in which they are is blasphemy. I am not sure whether this piece was attempted as a dig at Des fatuousness. If it was, it failed in its endeavour and was instead a diplomatic ramble that made no point. In any case, I cannot understand why publications would continue giving people like De, a true anti-intellectual, attention, thus prolonging the myth that they are integral characters in our countrys media. Even if you were to completely ridicule her, you would only be doing her a favour. For De and her kind, any publicity is good, because their existence is not based on any talent that they possess but simply on the notion that they are controversial. Shobhaa De is not controversial. She is a bad writer and an idiot on television.
Ameyn Shaikh, Ahmedabad
Courting courtesans
I sleep with prostitutes. I am not ashamed to admit it. I do not sleep with them because I cannot get laid without paying for it. People who believe that desperation is the only reason men go to courtesans are conceited, pompous dimwits not worth my time. I sleep with prostitutes because they are wonderful women. They are kind and loving, and grateful to you, because you are putting food on their table. They are not full of pretentious hang-ups like other women. They dont whine and try to use their sexuality as a weapon. Some of them are extremely talented. They can sing and dance and recite poetry by Tagore. How many women in corporate skirts can do that? They care about you, and listen to your artistic dilemmas, unlike self-absorbed women these days who are only concerned about when they are going to be gifted the iPhone 5. Its little wonder that many great writers found inspiration in brothels Marquez even wrote a book about his whores. It is with these beliefs that I read Aakar Patels translation of Saadat Hasan Mantos Sharif aurtein aur filmi duniya, and I was touched by the sensitivity Manto showed towards courtesans. Manto, though, paints them as characters of pity; but I have met many a proud prostitute, who understands that her role in society is as, if not more, important than that of any other woman. By the way, I also completely agree with Patels views on Indian hypocrisy (Between Sexy, Slutty and Feminine, MW November 2012) and our tendency to label bold women as immoral. Unfortunately, a lot of this hypocrisy is propagated by women themselves the kind spoilt by rich fathers but still craving attention, who sneer at women with real balls trying to pull themselves up by their bra straps. These detestable daddys princesses populate our screens, leaving us with a pallid canvas of filmstars, while genuinely entertaining characters are cast aside. And,
18 december 2012 MW
Im a regular reader of MW and I love travel. Somehow these two interests havent seemed to cross paths recently, so I was excited when I found a travel piece about Barcelona (The Barcelona Way, MW November 2012) in the magazine. Unfortunately, the piece was mundane, elaborating on all the obvious tourist attractions in Barcelona without telling me anything new. Yes, one must sip on sangria and visit the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, but which reader doesnt already know that? Walk down La Rambla? Really? What are you going to tell me next? Visit the Statue of Liberty in New York. What I like about MW is that it assumes its readers are fairly well read. It assumes we know the difference between a stout and a lager, it refers to Marquez without feeling the need to mention his first name. That is why this piece stuck out like a sore thumb. Travel pieces are hard to do, I know; theres so much already written about places like Barcelona that its hard to think of information that will be new to a reader. But there must at least by an attempt. Dont freaking explain to me that Lionel Messi is Barcelonas best footballer!
Neeraj Chavan, Mumbai
Socialite or parasite?
I am aghast that MW would carry a piece about Shobhaa De (The Ubiquity of Shobaa De, MW November 2012), that too one that paints her as an important Indian figure and mentions her in the same sentence as Fitzgerald and Tom Wolfe. I know the author Got something interesting to say? MW is all ears. The best letter wins an Esprit Verdugo Silver watch. Email your feedback at editor@mansworldindia.com
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Letters
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vertising types. I, flitting from one group to another, walked in on a conversation among four girls about how repulsed they were by Sonakshi. Shes so fat, one shrieked. Yes, god, her body is horrible. Why cant she stay in shape? another chimed in. I was quite perturbed by this. I could not understand how these women thought a full-figured woman with an exquisite face like Sonakshi would not be appealing to a man. I was further disturbed when these women, all in decent shape to my eyes, started lamenting about how fat they themselves were, and going on about how they wanted to lose five kilos in a month. Men get a lot of stick for objectifying women, but frankly I think women are far harder on each other. Im inclined to think that this whole size-zero phenomenon came about as a result of women being hyper-critical of each other rather than any male chauvinism. Frankly, Id prefer a Sonakshi Sinha to an Anushka Sharma any day of the week. Problem is, when I said that out loud in my office, the women were in an uproar.
Parul Doshi, Mumbai
The problem with De
Your piece on Shobhaa De last month dodged what I would have thought would be the most important question about the author and socialite: is her donning the hat of a political columnist and voice dangerous? Your story paints De to be a silly but altogether harmless character, whose books are popular if not great. It ignores that fact that De has been extremely vocal about political and social issues, in particular the issue of homeland security and the terrorist threat to Mumbai. After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, De was seen screaming into the cameras of news channels how horrified she was that her beloved Taj Hotel, where she loved the coffee, had been attacked. Since then, she has continued to voice her opinion on Maharashtras home minister and the preventions the government is taking against terrorism. What needs to be questioned, though, is Des qualifications to write such pieces. She never seems to interview anyone or back up her opinions with references and new information, yet her work is passed off as columns. This can be dangerous, for a popular figure like her can influence opinion, and if these opinions are merely misguided rants rather than researched stands, they become a part of the growing balloon of misinformation our media is creating. In August, after the Azad Maidan riots, De wrote a piece titled Why Mumbai burns over and over again in which she claims that there is no unity in the state cabinet and evidently no real attempt at crisis management. Now, I am not saying that De is inaccurate, but thats something you should be contemplating, rather than feeding us meaningless drivel about a first meeting with her.
Suraj mathur, Delhi
Bond anyway. I can make a lot of money and I can buy cars and have many women. I have achieved some of this. I also follow some rules like only drinking vodka martinis and I try to dress like various avatars of Bond from the movies. People do laugh when I use the famous My name is Bond, James Bond type of line to introduce myself (maybe it doesnt suit my name) but it doesnt stop my passion. However, my real aim is to be a real spy. I want to not only live a glamorous life but help my country in fighting evil. Can you please write some articles explaining how someone can be a secret agent? I have trained myself in many ways for this, but if I can take some good advice from others it will be nice for me.
Ritesh Gadaongkar, Pune
The sexless marriage
Figuring out women
I am Bond
I have been fascinated with James Bond since I was a small child. While growing up, I took the decision to try to be like him and gave full effort to this. It was difficult because I come from a middle-class background and did not have any contacts in the government or police. I had no idea how to become a spy or whether there were spies in India. When I was a teenager, I felt becoming a spy was too difficult but I didnt give up on my dream. I decided I will be like James
20 december 2012 MW
Sorry, but this letter has very little to do with the November issue of MW. See, when I bought the issue, I flipped it open to a page on which there was a picture of Sonakshi Sinha. I stared at the picture for a few minutes and fell in love. Frankly, I didnt read a word of what was on the page. But Sonakshi came up a couple of evenings later, at a party among your typical Mumbai film and ad-
I will never understand sexless marriages, and I sincerely hope to never experience one. I dont think I can survive solely on love; I need more (and so does my better half). I found the MW column on sexless marriages (Whose Bedroom is it Anyway?, MW November 2012) a tad far-fetched. To cite the modern, working woman and the fact that she now has more of a say in matters of the bedroom as the reason for sexless marriages seems a bit ludicrous. A hot assistant, poor sex skills, or constant bickering maybe, but a womans super-organised schedule that
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Letters
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being associated with a single role is Matt Damon. Jason Bourne is one of the coolest characters in popular fiction and Damon does an excellent job of playing him. Yet, when you think of Damon, you dont only think of Bourne. This is because Damon has done such a wide variety of roles, several which dont have the slightest hint of machismo. The prize for doing the best job of being forever bound in memory to one role goes to Keanu Reeves. He will and always will be Neo. And, frankly, the world is better for it.
Prashant Prabhakar, Chennai
features playtime every alternate day of the week hardly seems like a reason for couples to stop having sex completely. The article piqued my interest in the subject, though, and I began, tactfully, asking my married female friends about their sex lives. I emerged with a whole lot of facts. The woman of today desires more sex than her partner strives to offer; she will always want more, and being the modern woman she is, she often manages to get it. What that means and how sexless marriages exist in a world where both men and women seem to want sex regularly I havent a clue. But, to be frank, neither does your columnist.
Karan Seth, Bangalore
in charge of that page completely mocked me in his answer. Not only did he make fun of my problem, but he cracked jokes about my English. I was extremely hurt by this. I can understand the answers being written in a humorous manner but to attack me so personally was uncalled for. I would request you to please discontinue that page in the magazine, or, at least, ask the writer to change his tone while dealing with peoples personal issues.
P Raju, Bangalore
A treasure unearthed
Daddy issues
I really like your new fatherhood column (Paternal Truths); its something MW really needed. A mans relationship with his father often defines his life and our relationships with our own fathers also influence what kind of parents we want to be. What Ive noticed, and this is strange, is that even when children have had a difficult relationship with their parents,
Bound to Bond
I am not a big James Bond fan. Ive watched a few of the movies, but dont have a wealth of knowledge on the character or titbits of trivia up my sleeve. Thats probably why I enjoyed the pieces on Bond in the latest issue of MW. The interviews with the former Bonds (Bond on Bond, MW November 2012) were particularly enlightening. I didnt know, for example, about Sean Connerys resentment of the Bond role for how it had typecast him and prevented him from getting other roles he desired. It is an interesting concept, actually: how actors that play iconic characters are often remembered only for that role, and struggle to make an impact otherwise. For example, I cant remember any nonBond movies with Pierce Brosnan in them, except for The Thomas Crown Affair, in which Brosnan basically played a less moral version of Bond. Daniel Craig faces a similar issue. Despite having made movies such as Munich prior to his Bond days, and making movies such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo after signing the Bond deal, his Wikipedia page still segregates his work into James Bond: 2005-present and Other projects. The actor who, to my mind, has done the best job of not getting pigeonholed into
My favourite piece in the November issue of MW was the one about Abbas Jarwala, the proprietor of a small store selling nautical memorabilia in Mumbais Chor Bazaar. The piece reminded me of the early issues of MW, in which there were plenty of short articles about interesting people. I understand that there has been a need for the magazine to sex itself up in the past few years, and people like Jarwala possibly dont fit into the new glamorous image MW has, but for us old readers the piece was as nostalgic as the shop it described.
sushant chotthia, Nagpur
Ban Sex Advisor

A couple of months ago, I wrote in to your sex Advisor, Dr Rockalingam, with a certain problem I was having. I do not wish to specify which issue the question appeared in, as it concerned a very private matter. I would, however, like to report that the writer
24 december 2012 MW
they tend to repeat the same mistakes their parents made. My friend had a father who put an undue amount of pressure on him. I remember him being severely admonished for ranking second in our school in our 12th grade board exams, because his father wanted him to rank first. Now, my friend went on to be very successful and his relationship with his father changed. They now get along well, and my friend now seems to believe his fathers draconian methods were the result of his success. He, therefore, is inclined to be similarly severe on his own son, who has just entered his teens. Its worrying how sentimentality about our parents often makes us forget their flaws.
Ankit Sagar, Mumbai
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WorldMags.net Managing Editors Letter

Drinking and the Malayalee male
In the early 1990s, when my father began winding up his nearly 30-year-old association with Mumbai, my sister and I were sent off to a maternal granduncles home in a little town called Palakkad, in Kerala. I completed my graduation and post-graduation from a 150-year-old college in the conservative, claustrophobic town. But it was there that I first made my acquaintance with alcohol. Unfettered from parental concerns, and eager to be viewed as an adult, especially among my cousins and peers, I drank widely and indiscriminately: toddy, gin, whisky, beer, rum and brandy. We drank in toddy shops with thatched roofs and fantastic fried sardines and frog legs; on the sprawling grounds of our college late at night; and backstage, before the college band I was the drummer, albeit, a mediocre one performed at inter-collegiate festivals. I drank to new friendships, and at farewells as well. Drinking, I suppose, was the only activity that I stayed committed to through the five years that I spent in Kerala, and the same could be said of most of my peers. What is it that drives the average Malayalee male towards ill-lit, overcrowded bars and state-government-run liqour shops every evening? I have never given the matter serious consideration, but, earlier this year, when a division bench of the Kerala High Court asked the government to consider shutting down bars during daytime, I decided it was as good a time as any to find out. So I sought out long-time MW contributor and Thiruvananthapuram resident K G Kumar and asked him whether he would consider exploring the relationship between alcohol and the Malayalee male, who consumes four times more alcohol than Indian citizens elsewhere in the country. On comedy shows, in TV serials, in college drama club productions, in films, in cartoon strips, the drunken Malayalee male has now become a fixed caricature, a reflection of the extent to which consumption of hard liqour, drunkenness and even alcoholism have spread their tentacles into the innards of the male population of Kerala, says Kumar in his well-researched and elegantly written piece, which appears in our Drinking Man Special in this issue. Enjoy the article, the issue, and Happy New Year. Murali K Menon mkm@mansworldindia.com
From the MW vault decEMber 2004

Man on Fire Abhishek Bachchan seems set to come out of that long, long shadow of his father, the great Amitabh Bad Times for the Tam Brahms Jayendra Saraswatis ignominious arrest has shaken a community that is already feeling marginalised Condemned Forever Muttiah Muralitharan talks about the controversy that dogs his bowling and his plans for retirement and the future of spin bowling in Sri Lanka Mortal Picture Stories? Anant Pai invented Amar Chitra Katha. We read them as kids and still remember them. But does anybody still read them? Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, paradox An attempt at decoding by Padmaja Punde Living together, growing apart It's the opposite of a longdistance relationship. Presence makes the heart go yonder for Sonia Faleiro Yin yang and the art of hair care Shilpa Paralkar waxes eloquent Tech: The best of 2004 Did you get the best bang for your buck last year? The Wild Ones Throw a leg over them and feel the throb. Were talking bikes that dhoom macha de Will the Game Go for a toss? Chucking has cast un ugly shadow on cricket. Rajan Bala take an angle on it
26 decEMber 2012 MW
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WorldMags.net Contents
december 2012
Cover Story M e n of t h e y e a r
152 Aamir Khan
What sets Aamir apart is that he can tell a good story from a bad one, and pick the most effective ones to bring to life on screen the size of the screen doesn't matter.
by mayank shekhar
old Indian girl beat the world no. 2. Behind it all is one man. by sanjay sharma
Features
142 Good times with Vijay Mallya
At a time when everything is going against him, our columnist on why the King of Good Times should not be written off.
by aakar patel
164 Virat Kohli
156 Anurag Kashyap
If Gangs of Wasseypur cemented his reputation as a major director, the year also saw Kashyap emerge as mentor to aspiring filmmakers, who helps them realise their ambition with his reputation as collateral.
by akshay manwani
In 2012, he scored almost twice as many international runs as any other Indian batsman. He also flipped off the Sydney crowd and openly wept in Colombo. With Kohli, it may not always be a smooth road, but it is always entertaining.
by sidharth monga
146 Spin doctors
166 Rahul Bhatia
160 P Gopichand
One month after Saina Nehwal won India's first Olympic medal in badminton, and P Kashyap came so close to another, a 17-year-
He doesn't attend parties or handpick airhostesses, but Rahul Bhatia has quietly gone about building India's largest airline.
by kushan mitra
The new breed of cycling enthusiasts in India has given rise to a new segment in the market, which the big Indian manufacturers are now targeting.
by shyam g menon
28 december 2012 MW
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vinit bhatt
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december 2012
88
52
94 53 100
44 Megaphone 46 Art 50 Personal Questionnaire: Manoj Bajpai 52 Tech 57 Basketball 60 Wheels 68 Being there: MSD with Superbikes 70 Evolution of the mountain bike 72 DVD days 74 Aesthete 76 Books 88 Grill skills 90 What the chef eats 92 Fitness 100 Stay: Le Touessrok
Front of the Book
102 Perhaps, the written word is not the only thing you can read, finds Jerry Pinto; Ditched by a woman? You might be one of the five types blacklisted by the sister hood, says Deblina Chakrabarty; Olivier Lafont wonders why we pretend to be someone else while having sex; Daddy San on whether kids have an innate sense of right and wrong.
Talk
50 62
Plus: Sex Advisor, Dr Know and Current Cinema
Aamir Khan has been photographed by avinash gowariker 30 december 2012 MW
ON THE COVER
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december 2012
style
128
Spin a fun twist on wardrobe staples this season with trendy and functional basics. MW guides you on how to best wear your party personality.
The Party Chameleon
+
116 A shirt maker's journey
Thomas Pink is all set to launch its first store in Delhi
120 Measured and made by Gucci

Gucci launches its new made-to-measure service in Gurgaon
bikramjit bose
127 LVs pop-up store

Louis Vuitton opens its first pop-up store in Dubai
32 december 2012 MW
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december 2012
206
sitting pretty
Actor and product designer Lekha Washington asks us to have a seat, on her just launched line of chairs
94 How to impress me: Gabriela Bertante The Brazilian model on neatly trimmed beards, diamonds and dating 96 The Javelin thrower: Leryn Francos The athlete-model on men being intimidated by her
34 december 2012 MW
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bikramjit bose
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december 2012
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The timepieces that walked away with 2012's top honours at the 12th Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix or the Grand PrixdHorlogerie de Genve, the watch world's Oscar night
watches of the year
213
TRACKING TIME
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222 From Sydney to Hobart
The Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, one of the worlds greatest and toughest ocean races, will kick off on Boxing Day later this month
225
224 Beyond brick and mortar

Looking for the perfect luxury
watch? Ethos, the leading timepiece retailer in India, helps you choose online
225 The birds of Jaquet Droz
The Bird Repeater is a salute to the companys communion with nature as well as its mastery of the decorative crafts and precision watchmaking
226 IWC Schaffhausens The Little Prince connection

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The Pilots Watch Chronograph
Edition Antoine de Saint-Exupry is a reminder of how the aviator, poet and humanist discovered his great passion
229 Tag Heuer in space
The Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX
Chronograph commemorates the brands first foray into Earths orbit in 1961, and its travel into space itself in May this year
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drinking man SPECIAL 2012

Through the years, literary greats have invariably been associated with alcohol. warren dsylva explores the lives and works of some famous alcoholic writers It is not possible to drink all the beer in Belgium. Or to taste every flavour of jenever. But that did not stop dustin silgardo from trying
176 The muse in the bottle
180 going froth in belgium
186 8 single malts every man should stock
From nutty, smoky Speysiders to peat bombs from Islay, malt maniac krishna nukala picks his favourites A day at the Mumbai Duty Free reveals interesting insights, into what the well-travelled Indian man is drinking and how much
varun bubber tries some Louis XIII de Rmy
188 india's largest liquor store
190 Ten grand for 30 ml
Martin, a grand champagne cognac, and comes away more than a little stunned
192 The heady world of wine investment
A husband and wife team of former investment bankers is helping steer well-heeled Indians through the intricate world of investing in fine wines. by shantanu guha ray Our pick of the recent launches What does it feel like to have 15 of the worlds best champagnes forcefully funneled down ones throat over a period of less than 24 hours? Our intrepid columnist subjected himself to this torture recently and lived to tell the tale.
by magandeep singh
194 the grateful gullet
196 A Champagne boot camp diary
180
202 Machismo and Bravado: Drink and the Malayalee Male
k g kumar explores the relationship between the Malayalee man and alcohol
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sunil raj p (illustration); getty images (hemingway)
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the megaphone
T h e w o r l d i n q u o t e s , w o r d s a n d n u m b e r s
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How Mika Singh got into camels It was his fetish for buying big cars which led him to buy camels. I had gone to buy a Rolls Royce. It costs some 4 crores. I was about to pay when I noticed a small kid who was crying because he wanted to ride a camel which was roaming outside. I realised owning a camel would give me a bigger thrill than owning a Rolls. From a report in Times of India's iDiva
Tea break
This happens only in India. The queue at the newly opened Starbucks Mumbai is so long that a boy has been spotted selling chai to those waiting.
Raj Kundra, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals
fitness mantras
Do you want to stay fit for life? Indian skipper MS Dhoni might help you out with some fitness fundas. Apart from captaining the Indian cricket team, Dhoni has now launched fitness centre, SportsFit. The cricketer was in the capital recently to launch it at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. Talking about the Indian team, he said, We have a really fit team. Some people like Virat Kohli and Manoj Tiwari manage to maintain themselves quite well." From a report in The Asian Age
Thus spak e Rajeev Shuk l a
Sachin will hang up his boots when he thinks its time for him to go. He does not need any advice on this. Before making a comment on his performance, you have to see his colossal record and his past performance. Shukla making a case for recalling Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble and other Indian greats. We will discuss the shortcomings and so will the team management to see how the performance can be improved, Shukla plagiarising from what Rajeev Shukla had said after the teams debacle against Australia earlier this year. Selectors are also former players and they will take a call on this. Whom to select and whom not to, it is their domain. Blasting the popular notion that the Indian cricket team is chosen by IPL team owners, who pick names out of a hat while drinking champagne and dancing to 'Chammak Challo'.
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GETTY IMAGES
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art
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Grace, Atul Dodiya
Measurement in time, leather and bronze, Joseph Semah
The edges of the world, Ernesto Nest
Line of Control, Subodh Gupta
Untitled, Sudarshan Shetty
Indias biggest art festival

With eighty artists from thirty five countries, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale is grand both in scale and ambition
casual conversation, in 2010, between M A Baby, Keralas minister of education and culture, and artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu is where it all began. He wanted us to create an event in Kochi that was international in scale but cultural in its scope, says Krishnamachari. The Indian art community has been discussing the need for a biennale for a long time. So, we jumped at the opportunity and suggested a large-scale,
city-wide art project like a biennale. When the Kochi-Muziris Biennale opens on December 12, it will be the biggest art jamboree the country has ever seen. The event will stretch over three months and have over 80 artists from 35 countries making site-specific installations and artworks. Hundred and seventeen years after the first biennale was held in Venice, India at last has its own version. Even countries like Cuba have beaten us to it! says
artist Atul Dodiya. Grand in scale and ambition, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has a team of 26, including Krishnamachari, who is the artistic director, and Komu, the director of programmes. Among the trustees are representatives of the Kerala government, Jose Dominic, MD, CGH Earth hotels, and Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, director of Mumbais Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. To be held every other year (which is what biennale means in Italian), the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will showcase works in a variety of mediums: painting, sculpture, film, installation, new media and performance art. It has been conceptualised to provide a platform for avant-garde contemporary art, says Krishnamachari, and to enable a dialogue between the public, artists, curators and art enthusiasts. Organising a biennale is a herculean task. The Indian Triennale has died a natural, slow death, while the Delhi Biennale was held only once, says Krishnamachari. Unlike week- or fortnightlong affairs such as the India Art Fair, which largely revolve around commerce, the KochiMuziris Biennale is expected to be a carnival of art, culture and literature, and will be peppered with workshops, debates and seminars. According to Krishnamachari, since 80 per cent of the works are site-specific projects,
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art
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Riyas (left) and Krishnamachari
the venues
Cochin Club
Krishnamachari and Komu say that the decision to host the biennale in Kochi was taken at a meeting in the Prime Ministers office in 2010. Being in Kochi has helped the duo to both keep costs down and the hype low. Historically, Kochi was an important hub on the spice route, says Komu. It was through Kochi that the world came to India and the city offers several heritage areas in which we can host the works.
Durbar Hall
Aspinwall House
they will be shown for the first time this month. Art fairs are common in a market that is maturing. Biennales, however, have no commercial aspects to them. They neither sell nor buy, but bring together the best of contemporary art to a city. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which has reportedly cost about Rs 70 crore to put together, has attracted its fair share of controversies, though. Chief among them are allegations of misuse of funds. A group of Kerala
artists, led by sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman, has termed it the biggest scam the world has ever seen. The allegations forced the Kerala government to withdraw financial backing beyond the Rs 5 crore that it had initially granted. Krishnamachari dismisses the allegations. Nothing happens in this country without a measure of controversy. The biennale is not an exception. DEEPALI NANDWANI
The 150-year-old Durbar Art Centre, among the biggest venues for cultural events in Kochi, has been beautifully restored by Vikas Dilawari, one of the finest conservation architects in India, to include climate control technology and lighting designed by ERCO, a German company that specialises in museum-art lighting. The challenge, says Dilawari, was to increase the exhibition space manifold by bringing down any construction that was not organic to the original structure and keeping our intervention inconspicuous and to the minimum.
the artists
Among the artists participating in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale is Ariel Hassan, an Argentinean, who lives between Germany and Australia, and does largely conceptual work. Alfredo Jaar, a New York-based Chilean artist, architect and film-maker, whose art and photography projects include the well-known Rwanda project on the Rwandan genocide, is creating a new project for the biennale. Other international artists include Bani Abidi, a Pakistani who lives in Delhi and who uses architectural elements in her installations to comment on state repression, and Amsterdam-based Fiona Tan. Indian artists participating in the show include Atul Dodiya, Subodh Gupta, Rohini Devasher, Sudarshan Shetty, Ranbir Kaleka, and Surendran Nair.
A temple in Muziris
Artists will also exhibit across venues in Muziris, the site of an ancient port city and a UNESCO-sponsored heritage project, in the neighbouring district of Ernakulam. Themes like excavation, cultural retrospection and voyages are being explored by artists in some of their works, says Komu.
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PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE WorldMags.net

my biggest extravagance. I have more than 50 pairs and Ive almost run out of closet space. I dont know what it is about shoes that attracts me. If I see a nice pair, I have to buy it. I have shoes that Ive never worn, which have now even gone out of style. What one experience do you want to have before you die? There are too many to name, really. Id love to have a house in London. Id love to do, probably, 50 more landmark films. And I would love to live long enough to watch my daughter grow, both as a human being and as a working professional. Which is your favourite place on earth? Any Scandinavian country is a favourite, but if I have to name one place, Id say Norway. Norway is an amazing mix of countryside and city, and is an ideal socialist world. What irritates you the most about other people? I dont like it when people impose their ways of living, their ideas and beliefs on others. I dont do that and I wouldnt like it if someone did that to me. Each person lives his life based on his own experiences. Why should anyone embrace someone elses ideals? Another thing that puts me off is loud people; I especially hate those who dont realise how loud they really are. What would you like your epitaph to be? Id want my epitaph to read, A man who dared. I mean, just look at my life and my career. Look at where Ive come from and how much I have achieved. I have done so many amazing films enough for my daughter to be proud of me. What are you searching for? Im searching for God in everything I do. Im searching for the reason behind why people enter or exit my life. They say things happen for a reason, and, I guess, Im trying to figure out those reasons.
Actor
Manoj Bajpai
What is your current state of mind? At the moment, Im focussed on getting the best roles I can for myself. My second priority is making a lot of money for my family, and, then, giving myself enough time to relax and enjoy everything that comes my way. What one thing should every man know about women? No man should feel that hes doing women a favour by letting them be his equals.
Whats your principal defect? Im ashamed to admit this, but Im very lazy. If I had my way, I wouldnt lift a finger to do anything. Id just laze around all day. This infuriates my wife, so I do my best to help around. But, honestly, Id rather be doing nothing. Whatpersonalresolution do you break most often? I am a Taurean, and though you might not believe that zodiac signs influence human behaviour in any way, I know that when I make a resolution, I see it through. Im very stubborn. What one movie of recent times do you wish you had acted in? It has to be Paan Singh Tomar.
Irrfan (Khan) has essayed the role brilliantly. Another character Id have loved to have a shot at is Nawazuddin Siddiquis in Gangs of Wasseypur 2. What is your biggest regret? My only regret is that in my pursuit of fame, money and making something of myself, I left my parents behind. Im disappointed that I forgot them when I set out to follow my dreams. What, according to you, is the most overrated virtue and why? That would have to be honesty because nobody is really completely honest. Id say truthfulness and honesty are the two most overrated vir-
tues. Everyone looks at things from his own perspective and what might be honesty for one might not be so for another. If you had a chance to be some other living person, who would you be? You know, most people would jump at the chance to be someone else, but Im perfectly comfortable being who I am. Id love to be as great as a Daniel Day-Lewis or a Robert De Niro, but I dont think Id be able to do justice to who they are, just like nobody else can do justice to who I am. What has been your biggest extravagance? (Laughs) I cannot stop buying shoes. Shoes have been
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Vinit Bhatt
interviewed by charlene flanagan
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tech
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Surface tension
there are two surface tablets: one runs on Windows 8 Pro, and the other is powered by Windows RT, a variant of Windows 8. The most anticipated tablet of this year is not just a tablet. Microsoft has aimed to create a gadget that will work like the iPad, with all the tapping and swiping, but which will also, with its keyboard and Microsoft Office, function like a notebook.
Can Microsofts new tablet dent the iPads hegemony? Heres a comprehensive hands-on review of the device. By Madhulika Mathur
microsoft gets full marks for the brilliant hardware. It is extremely well-designed, with chiseled looks and solid magnesium alloy chassis, and is as sexy as the iPad. The kickstand at the back is so slim that you wouldnt know there is one as it sits flush with the back of the tablet when closed. Its the kickstand that gives the Surface RT an upright position similar to that of a notebooks.
inside the hood, youll find an Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset, 2GB of RAM with 32GB/64GB of storage. It weighs almost the same as the iPad; however, its wider and thinner than the Apple device. The Surface RT may not have Retina Display, but its 16:9 screen is brilliant and sharp. It also features a memory card slot, a Micro HDMI port and a USB jack. There are 720p front and back cameras, but the photos they produce are nothing remarkable . The tablets battery life cannot compare to the iPads. And theres only Wi-Fi, no 3G. how good is windows RT? Though the OS comes with a desktop mode that resembles Windows 7, none of your legacy Windows applications will run on it, except the Office suite, which comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and In-
ternet Explorer. If you are not a heavy Office user, what you would probably use more is the tiles-based interface, formerly known as Metro UI. we wish microsoft had included the 3mm Touch Cover keyboard with the basic Surface package. It is very usable, despite absence of actual keys; there is no lag and, surprisingly, no learning curve. you will fall in love with the devices homescreen, on which your apps reside as icons or live tiles. These tiles are shortcut to apps, but they also display real-time updates for email, weather, tweets, calendar events and more without requiring you to dive into a web page or an app. windows rt currently offers a very small selection
of apps. Application selection on the Windows Store is no way comparable to that of iOS or that of Android, though Microsoft is spending a lot of resources to get new developers on board. But right now, its frustrating working with this limited ecosystem. The processor seems sluggish when you try to multitask. Theres no speech recognition, no virtual search assistant, and the device lacks a GPS receiver and also 3G. so, should one buy the Surface RT? If you are going to use the gadget mainly for heavy Office work, getting a bit of content and entertainment on the side, Id say the user interface will be good enough for you. But if content, games and apps is what you absolutely need, then you might want to wait till the third party apps arrive in a big way.
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sports books
Hoops of hope
How the NBA is penetrating new audiences in India
he overwhelming presence of the English and Spanish football leagues on TV is proof of the globalisation of sport: Indian sports fans no longer follow only the teams that play for their state or country. But, have the sports leagues based in the US, the foremost advocate of globalisation, managed to penetrate the Indian market? The 67th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) got underway on October 30, and with the Miami Heat having now won their first championship in the LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh era, the NBA seems to have become a viable product in India. Fan interest appears to be increasing, and the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are finally becoming household names. Over the past two seasons, weve seen a triple-digit increase in television viewership, says Akash Jain, senior director, NBA India. Weve also seen an increase of over 100 per cent in monthly unique traffic and a 50 per cent increase in video views on nba.com from India. In addition, the leagues socialmedia fanbase in India has tripled, and the merchandise business, in which Adidas is the leagues partner, has doubled. What has helped the NBA
is the continued emergence of superstar players in the league. When satellite television became popular in India, in the early 1990s, Michael Jordan was basketballs global ambassador, and his spectacular, gravity-defying athleticism captured Indian imaginations as well. Then came the likes of Shaquille ONeal, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, before James took over as the leagues marquee attraction. According to Karan Madhok, writer of the popular blog Hoopistani, it is players rather than teams that have a following in India. Loyalty isnt built on the franchise, but on players. The prime example is James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Until about two years ago, many hardcore NBA fans were Cavs fans because of LeBron, but once he moved to Miami, so did many fans affinities. The NBAs success in India, Jain says, also stems from its comprehensive approach to growing its brand here. In the past few years, the NBA has promoted the game not only in major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, but also in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Marketing activities have included bringing former NBA stars like Robert Horry and Luc Longley to India, and sending contest-winners to the annual NBA All-Star Weekend.
Miami Heats LeBron James is big in India
The NBA has also made an effort to improve the quality of basketball in India. There are grassroots programs like Mahindra NBA Challenge, NBA 3X and Junior NBA, which give young players a platform to improve their skills and build on their game.
The NBA is working with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to train and provide resources to coaches across the country. In the last two years alone, we have trained 1000
coaches in India, says Jain. Localised coaching guides and DVDs have been provided by the league to these coaches. The one problem that is voiced by the NBA fan community in India is the broadcast timings of live games. Since games are played in the night in the US, fans in India have to wake up very early in the morning to watch live games. Morning games means that fans have to cut short their sleep and risk skipping school or work, says Madhok. That concern didnt deter Sony Six from signing an exclusive multiyear television partnership with the NBA last month. Jain looks at the partnership as a way of resolving fan issues and providing better quality primetime viewing. What were working towards with our television partners is creating a unique localised programming and a broadcast schedule that has games in better time slots. Despite the issue of time difference, both promoters and fans seem excited by the NBAs potential to grow in India. Jain feels that basketball is suited for a country like India because it does not require a lot of space. The sport can be very successful in dense urban environments, he says. Improvement in Indian basketball is something vital to the sport and the NBA brands success, says Madhok. If one day an Indian player makes it into the NBA, the leagues popularity would skyrocket. Akshay Manwani
Five things to watch for this season

1
If the Miami Heats head coach, Erik Spoelstra, can guide his team to another successive NBA trophy, hed become only the third coach in two decades to win back-to-back titles.
2
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished runners-up last season. How much will they be impacted by the exit of James Harden, the 2012 Sixth Man of the Year Award winner?
4
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GETTY images
The LA Lakers, with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Paul Gasol, are the NBAs latest super team.
Can the New York Knicks, who are off to one of the best regular season starts in their history, bring home an NBA title 40 years after they won their last one?
Will the San Antonio Spurs trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili take their team to its fifth title in 15 years?
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Audi S4 > Aston Martin Vantage > V W Touareg
wheels
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KTMs Super stunner

The 1290 Super Duke R is an absolute hooligan, and it should hopefully find its way here soon
eld in November every year in Milan, Italy, the EICMA is the worlds biggest motorcycle show and a haven for bikers who dream of titanium con-rods, radial-mount brake calipers and adjustable steering geometry. This year, while a lot of new machines were unveiled, the hottest bike has to be the KTM 1290 Super Duke R. The Super Duke R is still a concept, but it is scheduled to go into production before the end of next year, and is undoubtedly the wildest, most insanely aggressive motorcycle that Austrian bike manufacturer KTM (now partly owned by Bajaj Auto) has ever built. A bare-knuckles street fighter, the 1290 Super Duke R is powered by a 180-horsepower V-twin and has a light, stiff steel tube trellis frame, single-sided swingarm, the best suspension components from WP, racing-spec wheels, brakes and tyres, a host of carbon fibre parts and top-notch electronics, including ABS and traction control. And we are fervently praying Bajaj gets a couple of hundred pieces to India when the Duke's road-ready.
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WHEELS
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The beauty of the beast

We drive the 2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
he Brits have always been biased towards their kind. Tim Henman was mediocre at his best, Beckham got way too much credit for his right foot, and anyone who follows the Bundesliga will tell you that the only reason the EPL enjoys widespread viewership is because of the English commentary. Things arent too different when it comes to Aston Martin. The British motoring press keeps telling us that the company makes the
worlds best-looking cars. But with the V8 Vantage, its credit where its due. The V8 Vantage is, and I am not taking any arguments on this, the best-looking car you can buy today. Firstly, the proportions on this car are, whats the word, perfect. Then there are the details that dont really come through in the pictures. Like the achingly gorgeous mirror stalks and that metal insert at the engine vent, which so effortlessly merges with the bone line. This is pure class. Motoring hacks all over the world
have criticised Aston Martin for how similar its entire model range looks. But honestly, I dont see the problem. I mean, I really wouldnt mind it if all my girlfriends looked like Scarlett Johansson. Besides, if this car is good enough for Bond, its good enough for anybody. (Strictly speaking, the Vantage isnt even a Bond car. He drives a DBS. But when they look so similar, who could really tell the difference.) Push out that handshake grab handle, swing a leg over the hand-built in England
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Aston Martin V8 Vantage

The V8 Vantage is, and I am not taking any arguments on this, the best-looking car you can buy today Engine 4700cc, V8, 420 bhp Performance 0 to 100 kph in 4.9 seconds; top speed 290 kph Price Rs 2.3 crore (ex-Mumbai) Contact Performance Cars, Aston Martin Mumbai, 022 6581 1007
plaque on the door sill, and you realise that some serious man hours have gone in to make the cabin look the way it does. There is leather and metal and glass, and all of it comes together to make you understand what craftsmanship really is. Now, because Aston was once a part of Fords Premier Automotive Group, there are bits here that came from some much cheaper cars. Ergonomically, too, the switch gear isnt topdrawer stuff, but, at this price what you really want is an interior that makes you feel
like staying inside forever. And, in my book, the cabin passes that test. To start the car, you insert the key fob in the slot on the dash (something that Q probably came up with), and watch that tacho needle jump anti-clockwise. The 4700cc V8 wakes up with a deep baritone and the stage is set for a great soundtrack. This noise does get you interested in pressing that right foot harder, and you wake up 420 horses that get you to a ton in under 5 secs. Not class-leading, but certainly not slow.
Astons upgraded the transmission on this car for 2012, and now, you can choose between a proper manual or the Sportshift II that our test car was equipped with. Its a seven-speed automatic or, rather, a clutchless manual. Which means its an automatic until you start using the paddle shift. At which point it behaves like a manual and wont upshift even if you are hitting the rev limiter, and thats something that would be really useful if you ever attend a track day. The Vantage is a front-en-
gined car, but Astons placed the engine behind the front wheels. Thats an important bit for weight distribution, and, once you dial in the meaty steering and give it the beans, all of it translates into a toothy grin. Driving the car is fun, not a respect the ability kind of fun, but high adrenaline, clenchedbuttocks kind of thrill. And it is reassuring to know that if things get just a bit too hairy, those massive brakes will lop off speed faster than it is put on. If at this point you are
thinking that all of this isnt going to be cheap, you are right. Prices for the base Vantage start at Rs 2.3 crore and escalate rather quickly depending on the number of boxes you tick on the options list. At this price, your alternatives are the Lamborghini Gallardo, a tricked out version of the Porsche 911, or a Ferrari 458. But then, to compare the Vantage to other stunners is to miss the point, because heres a car that you would buy to look at as much as you would to drive.
- shreenand sadhale
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WHEELS
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The missile you can take to the supermarket

The Audi S4 is both immensely practical and dangerously quick
alls. Cojones. Family jewels. Globes. It really doesnt matter how you refer to them: everyone with testosterone in their system wants a big pair. The Audi S4, then, is the automotive equivalent of buying yourself a bigger set, only without all the hassle of attaching them. Why are we putting this so, er, delicately? Its because the S4 is a comparatively lowly A4 sedan, with much bigger bulges in all the right places and its a cracking good drive for it. The S4 takes the A4s shapely, angular form and sexes it up a bit, with slick 18-inch alloys, quad exhausts hinting at things ominous, a lowered stance and those S badges; in red or blue, its quite an arresting package. The cabin carries over the lets snazzy things up scheme. Theres an overwhelming preponderance of black, but it all looks very cutting-edge, especially
with all the brushed aluminium accent its almost Scandinavian in its design philosophy. The sports seats are really well-finished and beautifully supportive, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel feels great in the hands; so far, it feels like the cars been tweaked for a focussed driving experience. This brings us to the S4s raison dtre, its bigger bulge: under the shapely hood lies a supercharged 3-litre V6 petrol engine, spitting out about 333 bhp from 5500-6500 rpm and 44 wholesome kgm of torque between 2900-5300 rpm. Audi opted for a supercharger because of the inherently quicker power delivery of such systems, as opposed to turbochargers; the result is a snarling whipcracker of an engine, but one that is brilliantly multi-faceted as well. Drive this car in town and, apart from the angrier exhaust note, its difficult to fully gauge its potential; its quite happy to potter about at city speeds.
Audi S4
Its hugely entertaining to floor the pedal needlessly, just to hear the supercharger and exhausts merge into one, knife-edge soundtrack. Engine 333 bhp, V6 petrol Performance 0 to 100 kph in 5.3 seconds Price Rs 47 lakh (ex-Mumbai) Website audi.in
Deliver a well-aimed kick to its expanded groin, however, and the flipping thing reacts in an instant, blasting down the road and battering the 0-100 kph run in 5.3 seconds, which is almost as quick as cars like the BMW M5 and the MercedesBenz E63 AMG, which have over 200 bhp more in the power department! The engine delivers power in a linear and virtually seamless fashion, and the 7-speed S-tronic transmission is a superb match for the buzzbomb under the hood, matching revs perfectly and shifting way quicker than a row-it-yourself gearbox. The quad pipes arent the loudest ones around, but theyre a great mix of growl and under-the-radar, and its hugely entertaining to floor the pedal entirely needlessly, just to hear the supercharger and exhausts merge into one, knife-edge soundtrack. One of Audis many party tricks has always been Quattro, the four-wheel drive system that it developed to such stunning effect. The S4 has it, and it makes the car a potent track weapon, albeit a slightly clinical one, and it also has torque vectoring, which involves changing the amount of torque being sent to the outside rear wheels, thereby cutting
understeer by forcing power to the outer wheel. With a 60-40 rear biased torque split, the S4 has massive amounts of grip, and the harder you push it through a corner, the happier it seems to be; if youre really adventurous with the loud pedal, you can even get some power oversteer into the picture. With a Drive Select system that lets you change between Efficiency, Comfort, Dynamic and Auto (as far as steering and throttle settings go), its easy to find a combination that youll be happy with. Naturally, you would expect a car this quick to have brakes capable of stopping it before you wrap yourself around a tree: simply put, it does. So heres the roundup: the Audi S4 has bigger balls, more show and more go, and its still comfortable and practical enough to use as an everyday commuter. Drive it to work, get the damned paperwork out of the way, swipe yourself out, head to the nearest racetrack and flog it to within an inch of its life easy, really. For almost Rs 50 lakh of your ill-gotten, youll have yourself a right hoot, and even though your own orbs may not ever double in size, at least youll know your car has bigger ones.
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VW Touareg
Engine 3-litre, V6, 241 bhp turbodiesel Performance Top speed: 230 kph Price Rs 58.5 lakh (ex-Delhi) Contact volkswagen.co.in
Bigger, better, sharper

The new Touareg looks sharp, is both luxurious and spacious, and transforms into a proper goat when you want it to
t first glance, the new Touareg looks like a Passat thats suddenly had a growth spurt: this seems to be a conscious decision on the part of the VW group, in terms of design. Its sometimes difficult to tell the various models from Volkswagen apart, so the design language is certainly consistent. That said, its also true that the new Touareg is an improvement on the outgoing model, in terms of the way it looks. Where the older car had round and soft edges, this one takes the sharper, crisper route. Theres more aggression to the design, and the car looks a lot sportier as a result. The previous-gen car (although very capable in its own right) suffered cosmeti-
cally against its competition it was too understated, too quiet. In an SUV market like ours, where size and in-your-face looks matter, cars like the Audi Q7 easily outsold it. While this car still doesnt shout about its presence, it has the necessary ammunition to at least be in with a fighting chance. The new Touareg is also longer and wider, and the reason that it looks like a Porsche Cayenne from the back is because both cars share a common platform. When youre dealing with products from the Volkswagen group, the one thing that you can take for granted is that the interior of the car will be tasteful and well built: the refreshed Touareg is no different. The way that the various leather, wood, metal
and plastic bits sit together leaves no room for complaint. As standard, you get features like a panoramic sunroof, a very good touchscreen audio system with Bluetooth and USB, eight speakers, a rearview camera, park-distance control, cruise control, keyless entry, and a huge number of safety nannies (ABS, ESP, ASR, EDL et al). Overall, this is an extremely refined, comfortable and roomy cabin, the extra width and length having contributed to more space. Look under the hood and youll find a 3-litre, V6 turbo diesel, an engine that makes an appearance in several other cars, such as the Audi A6 and even the Porsche Panamera. Putting out 241 bhp at 3800-4400 rpm, and a very healthy 56 kgm of torque at 1750-2250 rpm, the power-
plant is a tried and tested unit. The Touareg is a big, heavy car (even though the new one has lost a massive 200 kg in weight), but the engine is more than capable of propelling this beast at fairly rapid velocities. The smooth spread of torque means that youre never short of grunt when you need it, making overtaking manoeuvres a breeze, and a top speed of 230 kph is yours for the taking if you have the balls for it. The engine is mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox, which shifts very smoothly; there are no paddle shifters on the steering wheel, though. The most surprising aspect about this car is how capable it is when the road disappears. Traditionally, people who buy SUVs of this nature never go anywhere near an off-road course, but the Touareg is a proper goat if you want it to be. With a height-adjustable suspension, you can get up to 305 mm of ground clearance, and with features like Hill Start and Descent, which make the car go up and down very
steep inclines pretty much all by itself, theres really no situation that you shouldnt be able to wriggle out of. On smooth tarmac, the Touareg handles remarkably well for its size. Attack a set of corners and it goes through with little body roll and a satisfying amount of feedback from its steering wheel, although the overall level of feel is on the neutral side of things. You can select the level of ride comfort, but even when you switch the Touareg to Sport mode (in which the dampers stiffen up), the ride quality is more than acceptable. In Comfort mode, its positively plush, and the car soaks up everything the roads can throw at it. This, then, is a better car in than the older model, in terms of looks, dynamics, features and comfort. Whether it can sell in the same numbers as its competition remains to be seen, but, by itself, its a very good addition to the VW portfolio and a car that can be recommended.
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MSD R-N Racing Team India was rebranded as Mahi Racing Team India last month
MSD and motorcycling

Packs of photographers, profound speeches and Captain Cool himself: the relaunch of M S Dhonis superbike racing team was an entertaining spectacle
odays event is gonna be all about three words. Any guesses what it's going to be about? The over enthusiastic MC teased the audience. Since she didnt introduce herself, it took me some time to realise that it was Neha Sareen, of Sony Pixs Chicks on Flicks fame (or should that be infamy?). The event, held at Mumbais Taj Lands End last month, was, indeed, all about three words: Mahendra Singh Dhoni. That evening, MSD R-N Racing Team India, which is owned by Dhoni, was rebranded as Mahi Racing Team India. Also announced were the names of the four riders of the team, which entered the Fdration Internationale de Motocyclisme Supersport World Championship, a support race of the World SuperBike Championship, last year. Dhonis team will be competing in the main
championship in 2013. The attendees had a chance to see the teams four riders on the stage where they posed for photographs alongside Dhoni and some of the other key team-members. One of the men present on the stage was Dhonis good friend Arun Pandey, a former cricketer and chairman and MD of the team. Pandeyjee delivered an perplexing address full of big words: the same spirit that established us as the largest democracy and every country in the world A part of that spirit that is in me. It is an incarnation of my passion to add a new dimension to Indian sport. I just want to mention one line which admires everyone, every individual Great moments are born out of great opportunity..their souls re-ignited with this brand new undertaking. My distinguished guests, I give you Mahi Racing Team
India. To find a parallel to such an inspirational speech, one will have to go back to Lincolns Gettysburg Address. The crowd was enthralled. The person seated next to me got up and went off to get himself a drink. I called for another cheese ball. Dhoni had this to say: I said, lets bring this motorsport to India. If
you see the last two years, of course, we have had F1, but biking was one aspect which was lacking. Not to forget, if you see the Indian market, we are among the biggest two-wheeler-selling markets in the world. I think, it gives opportunities for youngsters to show their skills and, at the same time, not be rash on the roads Of course, the connection between superbik-
ing/Indian bike market and rash riding was very clear. As Dhoni and co. moved towards the ballroom for the scheduled Q & A session, the photographers spotted Sakshi, Dhonis wife. No, no, she said, guarding her face, and hurrying out of the venue. But the lensmen, unsullied by the refinements of civilisation, chased her. Sakshi, Sakshi, they exhaled, and they followed her till god knows where. At the Q & A session, the journos scrambled to air their questions to MSD. One gentleman was relentless. Congratulations.why the name change? MSD R-N Racing Team Indian was quite a long name. For some other reasons also, we thought lets keep it straight and simple: Mahi Racing Team India sounds very good. You think the name is too desi? Whether its desi or not, it doesnt matter. You have four riders in your team. John Abraham is your friend, why dont you take him? *A round of laughter* I dont think we (John and Dhoni) are skilled enough to get into a race.these are the four riders who will do the trick for us, apart from the technical support. Aagla sawal yeh hai ki Sir, one-to-one nahin hain. (Its not a one-on-one.) Please also allow others to ask questions. More questions were hurled thereafter, but by then, I had stopped listening. I left the hotel before the press conference ended, as I wanted to reach home on time for dinner, and Sagarika Ghoses Face the Nation.
jaideep dave
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Lighter and faster: heres how the mountain bike has improved over the last two decades. By Werner Jessner
The wheel of time

1992 MARON KAMPFMASCHINE
In the early '90s, the Red Bull Maron team, with racers Gerhard Zadrobilek, Ekkehard Drschlag and Manfred Kornelson, won the Mountain Bike World Cup, and other major races such as The Red Bull Dolomitenmann. They were using the Marone Kampfmaschine, which was made in Peter Marons Salzburg workshop, in Austria. Raised chain stays, a sporty seat position and an aura of victory had made this one a silver dream machine for enthusiasts.
Ultra-taut square chain stays made from aluminium. Total bike weight: 13.44 kg
GEARS
Shimano Deore XT: then state-of-the-art, with seven gears at the back and three sprockets at the front. It made light work of any hill.
LONG, SLIM, LOW

In the 1990s, a more elongated sitting position was considered sportier. Putting pressure on the front improved the aerodynamics, but compromised the bikes off-road control.
RIGID FORK
When the suspension fork was introduced, in 1990, many crosscountry riders rejected it, believing that it squandered power.
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kurt keinrath (PHOTOGRAPHS) / the red bulletin
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2012SCOTT SCALESL
Weight reduction plus more functionality equals more speed. The frame, suspension fork, handlebars, stem, seat, seat post, crank and rims are all made from carbon, each part optimised for functional perfection. (Disc brakes and suspension fork are standard cross-country mountain bike components.) With a more comfortable seat position, this bike is much faster than the Maron, both uphill and downhill.
At 899g, the Scale SLs frame is mountain bikings lightest. Total bike weight: 7.91 kg
EASIER RIDE
The rider sits much more comfortably on the bike. Wider handlebars and shorter stem make for more responsive handling.
SUSPENSION FORK
The DT Swiss XRC 100 has a 10cm displacement and is locked using the handlebars. At 1.27kg, it weighs the same as the rigid fork.
GEARS
Ten sprockets in the back, two chain wheels in the front: the SRAM XX crankset has one fewer gear compared to the 3x7 formation, and weighs much less.
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the view
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Sins of omission
Four movies that didnt make it to Indian theatres this year, but are worth looking out for on DVD. By Uday Bhatia
Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen in Take This Waltz
YS DVD DA
sho now win
Ruby Sparks is a smart riff on the Greek legend of Pygmalion
Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe
Channing Tatum plays a stripper in Magic Mike
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The American designer, who recently won the Council of Fashion Designers of America's lifetime achievement award, on his favourite artists, his getaway and the car he wishes he had designed
The last thing you bought and loved? You can never have too many pairs of boat shoes. I get a new pair at the start of every summer. What you want to buy next? A new tennis racquet, to practise my game this summer with my wife, Dee. The book that you are currently reading? Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson Your style icon? Ive always admired John F. Kennedy for his iconic style; it was so symbolic of that period. What will we find in your fridge? Milk, for my requisite morning coffee. Your favourite shoe brand? Tommy Hilfiger: we do the ultimate classic, comfortable, casual loafer. What has been your greatest extravagance? My house in Mustique (a private island in the Caribbean): its my favourite place to get away with my family. Your favourite gadgets? My BlackBerry and iPad are essentials. A modern car you wish you had designed? My Ferrari Enzo. The one artist whose work you would collect if you could? I started collecting Andy Warhol artwork more than 20 years ago. I knew Andy and loved the way he provided a framework for pop culture. My first buy was his portrait of Mick Jagger. I also collect Jean Michel Basquiat, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. An unforgettable place you have travelled to in the past year? Ive always loved travelling. We opened a flagship store in Omotesand (Japan) in April, and it was a great experience to be back there. Ive also been travelling to India for years; its an amazing source of inspiration. The last meal that truly impressed you? I celebrated my CFDA Award with a great dinner at Monkey Bar in New York, surrounded by friends and family. It was an unforgettable night. Your favourite non-news website? I like to browse art sites for new artists and upcoming exhibitions.
TOMMY HILFIGER
T H E A E STH E T E
JFK
Ferrari Enzo
Mustique
Tommy Hilfiger loafer
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Craig McDean
WOMAN TR12820 BR MAN TR12901 BL DISTRIBUTED BY CHARMANT GROUP CHARMANT.COM TRUSSARDI.COM
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books
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Best English Fiction by Indian authors
Em And The Big Hoom, by Jerry Pinto (Aleph, Rs 495) Jerry Pintos autobiographical novel, set in the four-member Mendes household in which lives are centered around the ups and downs of the mothers manic depression, is a tour de force. Told through the eyes of the deeply affected young son, it is as much his own story: the sheer helplessness in the face of his mothers mental state, the struggle with god and belief, the fear of inheriting the illness, and, most importantly, the yearning for a normal life. An emotionally daunting story, told in a style that stands out for its restrained elegance. Narcopolis, by Jeet Thayil (Faber & Faber, Rs 499) Unlike the surfeit of books by New Yorkand London-based writers, who, after parachuting in and out of Mumbai a few times, claim to have figured out the city and its underbelly, Jeet Thayils dystopian novel, set in the opium dens of the notorious Shuklaji Street, has the feel and tone of gritty authenticity about it. This is a result, no doubt, of the years the author spent in the area as a heroin addict. The story of Rashid, who owns an opium house, and Dimple, the eunuch who fills his pipes, is a richly nuanced wormseye view of a cruel city. A truly Mumbai book.
N Radhakrishnan Jerry Pinto
corbis
Joseph Anton, Salman Rushdies memoir, is full of event and oddity
The best books of the year

From the best graphic novel to the best non-fiction work, heres our selection
The Best Non-Fiction Work of the year, masquerading as a general interest book, but, actually, pretty scholarly, is Taking Sides: Reservation Quotas and Minority Rights in India, by Rudolf C Heredia (Penguin India, Rs 499). The book quietly and intelligently looks at what is one of the most contentious issues in India. You think its died and gone away? Try raising the issue with a class in graduate college and see what Sturm und Drang results. Heredia works his material out carefully. First, he lets you know what version of justice he is considering, that kind of thing. Even if you do not agree with Heredia, and there are many who will not, you have to give it to him. He certainly knows how to choose the burning issues. The previous one was conversion, and that, too, pushes the buttons. The best book on why young Muslim boys do what
we know that young Muslim boys do not do but fear that they might do goes to How to Fight Islamist Terror from a Missionary Position, by Tabish Khair (Fourth Estate, Rs 450). The Best Translation of the year must go to Shanta Gokhale for her skilful handling of the complex and beautiful Marathi in which Arun Khopkar wrote his Guru Dutt: Teen-anki shokantika. Now out as Guru Dutt: A tragedy in three acts (Penguin India, Rs 250), this volume belongs in the library of every serious film buff and media school. But one must also say that the original Marathi had much better paper and much better reproductions. Here, everything seems stampsized and about to bleed. The Best Memoir? Surely you jest. Joseph Anton, by Salman Rushdie (Jonathan Cape, Rs 799). Rushdie writes it in the third person, an excellent choice because this gives him some distance between
The Best Graphic Novel of the year, though there wasnt much competition here, is Sudershan (Chimpanzee), by Rajesh Devraj and Meren Imchen (Hachette, Rs 550). Sudershan follows the fate of a chimpanzee who was once a big Bollywood star and now lives in retirement. One cannot help but feel thatImchens drawings needed a little more space and should not have been crammed six or seven panels in a page, but, nevertheless, the book is pretty good.
himself and himself. He writes it straight up, another excellent choice. When you have a story as good and as rich, as full of event and oddity, as dire and disastrous and heroic, you dont want to faff around with language. You just tell it as it comes, you tell it with no fear because you are the hero of this tale. You have survived everything that a sick world, thin-skinned and easily offended, has thrown at you. You have written novels in hiding, challenging the powers of darkness by throwing words into the vacuum. Why didnt he get the Nobel Prize? Cant imagine. Yes, Rushdie is almost ruthless with his women and with the people around him. But he can afford to. And you read this book with an almost eerie sense of foreboding. This could so easily be your story. This still could be your story. You might want to buy a copy just as a talisman against that moment. But you should remember that in India, if you offend someone, the police comes, not to help you, not to figure out how to save your life and property, but to arrest you and throw you into jail. Thats why Rushdie is important. Thats why Joseph Anton is important.
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The art of war

In his latest book, Journalism, Joe Sacco proves that issues as serious as the Bosnian War can be reported through the medium of comics
oe Saccos journalism comics, Art Spiegelmans Mausand Marjane SatrapisPersepolis are the usual examples held up to show that comics, too, can be serious and capable of handling complex issues, and are therefore worthy of being judged as literature. Critics like Noah Berlatsky challenge this premise, pointing out that documentaries or prose articles can do the same job. They hold that Sacco, by turning journalism into art, also turns the journalist into an artist.One would counter that it is better to be a good artist than a poor journalist. In Saccos latest book, Journalism (Random House India, 193 pages, Rs 499), both Sacco the journalist and Sacco the artist come to the fore in a reportage of journeys to hearts of darkness all over the world.The first piece takes place in 1998, at The Hague, at a trial of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, while the last is set in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, which Sacco visited last year. Sacco is a proud defender of the power of the ninth art. The blessing of an inherently interpretive medium like comics is that it hasnt allowed me to make a virtue of dispassion, he says in the preface to Journalism. For good or for ill, the comics medium is adamant, and it has forced me to make choices. In my view, that is part of its message. Yet, along the way, Sacco is called to defend his calling and his medium. While covering the war trials, Sacco asks the prosecutor and judge for an interview. When he meets them, he is subjected to
rigorous questioning about whether comics are suitable to handle such weighty matters as war crimes, and in the end, his request is denied. Later, during one of his assignments for the New York Times, a panel is held up because the sub-editor suspects that Sacco has been secreting the background with furtive crucifixes. It turns out to be just cross-hatching, a common drawing technique used to indicate shadow and give depth. Sacco runs again and again into comic book illiterates, those unable to decode picture and image. And they are usually the people who commission his articles. Sacco is at his most personal in the section on Malta, which, in recent years, has become a dumping ground for African refugees who fail to reach the European mainland.Sacco, born in Malta, began his career by writing the first graphic novel in Maltese it was, of all things, a romance comic. Before the breakthrough workPalestine,based on his travels there in 1990-91, Sacco had honed his talent writing reportage comics about his journeys through Europe, which was emerging from the Cold War. These comics later turned into the collectionNotes from a Defeatist. Palestineenabled Sacco
to win a Guggenheim Fellowship. He used the grant to travel through the death throes of Yugoslavia, producing works such asSafe Area GoradeandThe Fixer,which cemented his reputation as the premier conflict comics journalist. Number one in a field of one, as MAD magazine put it. Journalism is less experimental, and lacks the visual flair of Notes from a Defeatist. Instead, there is a pervasive sombre tone, one of an artist determined to do justice to the people who populate his pages. In a long sequence featuring women who have
fled the fighting in Chechnya, Sacco faithfully renders a cat design on an interviewees dress. India, with its complexities of caste and intricate mechanisms of oppression, has been a Waterloo for many a Western writer. Sacco, however, is no wide-eyed novice. In the chapter on India, Sacco and a local journalist travel to Kushinagar district, at the eastern edge of Uttar Pradesh. It is as BIMARU as you can get, though Kushinagar village has a storied past, being the spot where Buddha left his mortal form. Sacco meets Musahars and
documents their extraordinary struggle for survival. Musahars are a Dalit subcaste, at the very lowest rung of the caste ladder. As Sacco brings out graphically, their primary means of sustenance is by stealing food from rats. He captures their resigned expressions, the tired lines of their faces, with his usual empathy. Rather like the films of Ozu, Saccos camera angle is low, reflecting how most of his subjects squat on the ground while talking. (The upper castes POV is always a top-angle.)
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be by her lack of blended orgasms or the trauma of attending a party where shes invited to make vulvashaped pasta that the host calls cuntini. Wolf was so disturbed by this she could not type a word of the book not even research notes for six months.Now, if only the book had carried on with Wolfs own experiences, which make for a Sex and the City starring Germaine Greer experience. At least, just the sheer ludicrousness of it all would have made it interesting. But no, suddenly we get serious. And thats when things really go southward, towards the abode of the goddess you could say. There are obvious statements, such as getting females in the mood is scientifically a more complex and more mind-body process than is the analogue in the males. India finds mention because fifteen hundred years ago when the vagina was portrayed as the most sacred spot in the most sacred temple in a sacred universe, that was how womens brains experienced their vagina. There are no great insights into sexuality. What Wolf does, according to me, is reinforce the habit of identifying women purely by their sexual identity and gender and not by intellect, character, talent or persona thereby undoing her very mission as a feminist. The closing chapter ends with tips on stimulating women. These read quite similar to those Cosmopolitan tips which you can glance through at the parlour. I would love to know which man is going to pick up Vagina and turn to it for its not-so-short tutorial on how to turn on a woman. When you have to quote a Madonna lyric to introduce your closing chapter, it says it all. The last sentence of the book summed it up for me vagina, vagina, vagina, I thought with amusement. Rajyasree Sen is senior editor of Newslaundry and a columnist at Firstpost
corbis
Of false goddesses
Naomi Wolf is supposed to be a feminist. So why does she want women to identify themselves by their vaginas? By Rajyasree Sen
Naomi Wolf. Why, you ask? Maybe it has to do with the fact that shes written an entire tome 355 pages of small print, followed by 13 pages of notes, followed by a 10-page bibliography, followed by a 19-page index on the vagina. A biography no less, and a Kitty Kelley-esque unauthorised one at that. The index allows you to flip directly to prehistoric vagina or flagellation and spanking, just in case you dont want to wade through all the vaginal discourse in the book. To say that I wasnt afraid, very afraid, to wade through Naomi Wolfs Vagina would be a lie. Im not a bra-burning feminist. Im what I call an equalist. Im old fashioned,
h, how I fear Germaine Greer! But Im way more afraid of
in that I dont think you have to be superior to men, or refuse to wax, or burn your most expensive lingerie, to prove a point. Just make sure youre no ones fool boy or girl alike. And I definitely dont feel that restricting a womans identity to her gender and sex organs helps the feminist cause. So, to read a book dedicated to the vagina, with chapters which range from Your Dreamy Autonomic Nervous System to The Traumatized Vagina to Radical Pleasure, Radical Awakening: The Vagina as Liberator was not very enticing. At all. Not because I dont believe the vagina should be loved, but because I cannot imagine anything taking the joy out of loving your vagina more than reading a diatribe running into many hundreds of pages on it. According to Wolf, the vagina is a goddess-shaped
hole. And female consciousness is nestled not in our brain, but between our legs. If there is anything such as a feminist self-goal, I reckon this might just be it. You get what Wolf is talking about. Like all good American women who have never been treated as third-class citizens, who dont know what its like to be almost invisible through generations, her concept of feminism stems from her belief that no one must objectify you. Not these darned men for sure. And how do you prove your independence if not by the strength of your clitoris. Its a blinkered view of what truly downtrodden women those outside the developed world go through. They most probably end up having lots of sex, but still have to kow-tow to their husbands and fathers wishes. The solution of their everyday problems does
not lie solely in the goddess between their legs. We are introduced to the fact that Wolf is used to having blended orgasms. Wolfs most soul-shattering crisis is when she stops having her blended orgasm and one late night, sitting by the cold iron woodstove alone, frantic with questions, and feeling hopeless, I began literally bargaining with the universe, as one does in times of great crisis. Yes darling, Im sure this counts right up there with the woman who got run over by a truck and became a paraplegic, or the one who lost her child to a terminal illness or whose husband left her. This is the sort of selfgratuitous feminist drivel that can help no woman of sound mind or infirm clitoris. Wolf simply comes across as someone who is easily traumatised whether it
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Suicidal economics
How the US is driving away its job-creating immigrants
Vivek Wadhwa
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books
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What i read
Manu Joseph
getty images
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countries: Koreas pro-girl child policies in the 1940s that led to female empowerment, more Indian and Chinese women becoming part of their countrys workforce, etc. The number of women in Indian towns and villages, enrolling in Englishspeaking classes in a bid for jobs in call centres and back offices surpasses that of men, according to Rosin. But Indias virile population can rest easy, and heres why. Wielding a telephone to manage customers is just a step up from the role of the pleasant receptionist. Yes, I can see her trailing behind the husband, sans herpallu, selecting the washing machine or mixer she wants, but would this woman have a say in the choice of a television set, a male-controlled purchase? Not yet, probably. Rosin travels through American towns and interviews women who now no longer need a man to support them. She calls the woman of this new world Plastic Woman, because shes adaptable, and the man, Cardboard Man, because... One ofthe chapters, disappointingly, talks about a college hook-up culture; surely, a sign we are on par with men, or even surging ahead of them, but only by acting just like them. Freedom comes with a price and regardless of whether a woman is an upper class hotshot, a blue-collar worker, or a labourer, the responsibilities of maintaining the home and rearing children still fall squarely on her shoulders. Mine, I owe to a woman who cooks, cleans and manages my household, while her husband who wont do household chores, lest it demean his masculine status in society is happy to stay at home. I dont think that a woman, knowing her husband is at home making dinner, will be able to enjoy her post-work drink. Instead, guilt will prevail: the reason women seldom lead. And no amount of college degrees, no fancy designation, no fat paycheque, will obliterate this guilt. While Rosins account of a new feminist era brims withhope, it is evident that,be it in the west or in India, the second-class status of women is still strong. Erasing the programming that began with the dawn of mankind will take more than economic freedom. Unless women themselves rise above the feminism of sex, cigarettes, alcohol and us versus them, a feminist utopia will remain a dream. If feminism was more about the forming of all-women microcredit cooperatives, electing women as leaders ofpanchayats, creating employment and eradicating illegal liquor dens, and less about the ability to buy push-up bras, I would happily subscribe to the sisterhood, and to the premise of a Plastic Womenled utopia. More importantly, women at the helm wont necessarily be a sign of a better world perhaps, only of a different world. Women are equally prone to aggression, competiveness and power struggles. Male colleagues find it easier to deal with one another at work. Women are prone to cat-fights, and the muchrepeated clich of a woman being a womans worst enemy is closer to the truth than many would like to believe.
Getty images
Twilight of the manly man

A feminist utopia is near, argues Hanna Rosin in her recent book
ournalist Hanna Rosins The End of Men: The Rise of Women sounds like the ultimate feminist banzai, but does the book live up to its provocative title? The work examines the role of men in a world that no longer respects traditional systems of gender-based division of labour. This would relegate men into a domain where they are neither competent homemakers nor financial caretakers. Rosin firmly believes that the world is reversing traditional gender roles, and, even though, its been just 40 years since womens liberation, the fairer sex has taken great strides, both at school
and at work. There is a long way to go before we have more women CEOs heading Fortune 500 companies, and heavier pay scales still err on the side of men, but the winds of economic change are in favour of women. Cue the 2007-08 recession in the US, aptly renamed Mancession. It adversely affected manufacturing, construction and assemblyline jobs all male-dominated but didnt impact occupations that require soft skills, such as nursing and teaching, which are dominated by women. This has given many women a chance to prove themselves equal to men, by becoming the financial caretakers of
their families. Men, says Rossin, have a fighting chance if they could move more quickly into new roles open to them nurse, teacher, full-time father, but surely, this will be slightly offensive to the manly man. Or, men could now lounge at home doing nothing. Though it might be tempting to take Rosins arguments at face value, a huge gulf separates her sample the small industrial town in Alabama, USA and the world in general, so this Alabama matriarchy is unlikely to hit our shores anytime soon. But Rosins book also includes some examples of development and greater inclusiveness of women from developing
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the guide
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Thin cuts of pork or beef can be cooked at a high temperature
Grill skills
Some simple rules to ensure you dont burn your sausages or serve chicken that tastes like rubber
erhaps it is their primitive hunting instinct that makes men take such pride in manning the meat during the family barbecue. Or, perhaps, its because you dont need to be an ace chef to be good at barbecuing. What you do need is a good grill, a killer marinade and plenty of sides salads, garlic bread and
herb-tossed potatoes work best. While a gas barbecue is easier to light, control and clean than a charcoal grill, the latter gives food a smokiness that gas can never imitate. Weber makes good gas and charcoal grills. You can also buy a grill from Mumbai-based Just BBQs, a company started by ad man Prahlad Kakkar and Pratap Arora of CSS Hospitality Services, which
imports Australian BBQ grills. Kakkar and Gresham Fernandes, executive chef of Delhis Smoke House Room, give us some tips on mastering the BBQ.
Choosing the meat: Firsttimers should stick to staples such as burgers, sausages and chicken wings. Dont attempt fish, prawn or lobster till youve got some experience.
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Lighting the coal: With chimney starters around, lighting the charcoal has become easy. But if you want to do it old-school, you could use some tips: l Clean out the ashes from your previous BBQ. Ensure that the new charcoal you use is completely dry. l Cover the base of the barbecue grill with pieces of charcoal. l Put together a few pieces of newspaper in a conical shape and place it in the middle of the charcoal. l Build the coals up around the paper so that it resembles a pyramid. Light up this pyramid. It might take around 20 minutes to light up. When the top coals are covered with grey ash, you are ready to go. l Alternatively, if you have a gas stove nearby, you could light a few pieces of coal on it and then put them in the pit. l Avoid using kerosene as it adds a strange flavour to the food. Try a few drops of vegetable oil instead. l Use charcoal briquettes from a specialist store. These are 100 per cent natural, give off no smoke, odour or sparks, last five times longer than the charcoal youd buy at a local market, and leave behind only four per cent of their original mass as ash. Getting your temperatures right: Thins cuts of lamb, pork or beef can be cooked at a high temperature, but in general the best temperature to grill is around 80C. Delicate items like fish should be cooked at lower temperatures. Cooking the meat: The secret to great flavour is searing, a process which caramelises the surface of the meat, making it flavourful and crisp. Start off with a well-heated grill. Place the meat on the grill for a minute, then flip and reduce the heat till the meat is done. Serving: Let meat and poultry rest for a few minutes before serving, to allow the hot juices to thicken and coat the surface. Fish does not need to rest and should be served immediately.
beverly pereira
the ultimate grill

With six stainless-steel burners, a dedicated sear station, a side burner for other dishes, a smoke-box burner, an infrared rotisserie, a spit fork attachment and space to store ingredients, the Weber Summit S-670 gas grill can do pretty much anything. www.weberindia.com, Rs 2,99,995
tools of the trade
1. Chimney starter: A chimney starter will let you ignite charcoal without the need for lighter fluid, which tends to affect the taste of the meat. Flip the chimney over, fill the bottom compartment with either wood chips or balled-up sheets of paper (make sure there is some room for air between the papers). Fill the chimney with coal (use good quality coal), then light the wood underneath. There will be a lot of smoke at first, but eventually the wood/ paper will burn out, and the bottom char-
3. Stainless steel portable tool set: Spatula, to flip the meat, and non-slip locking tongs, to hold wriggly sausages.
coals will start to ignite. Once the flame moves up and the top charcoals start turning white, empty the charcoal into your barbecue pit. 2. Barbecue mitt: To avoid burns.
easy recipe
Pit Roasted Chilean Pork Ribs with House Rub, by Chef Gresham Fernandes Marinade (Mix ingredients and store in airtight container) 100 gm brown sugar, 100 gm paprika powder, 40 gm celery salt, 40 gm garlic powder, 40 gm onion powder, 10 gm salt, 10 gm black pepper 4. Silicone basting brush: To slather on the sauce. Mop sauce (Whisk ingredients and refrigerate) 100 gm brown sugar, 40 gm tomato ketchup, 100 ml apple cider vinegar, 20 ml Tabasco sauce, 10 gm chilly flakes, 5 gm salt, 5 gm black pepper BBQ sauce (Simmer ingredients till thick) 400 gm tomato ketchup, 250 ml red wine, 60 ml Worcestershire sauce, 120 gm brown sugar, 15 gm mustard powder, 10 gm ginger powder, 10 gm garlic powder, 10 gm cloves, 15 ml oil, 250 ml lemon juice, 10 gm red chilli powder, 330 ml Victoria Bitter beer
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FOOD
WorldMags.net What the

Vittorio Assaf Founder, Serafina (New York, Sao Paulo, philadelphia, Moscow, Tokyo and Mumbai)
chef eats
When Im home and Im cooking for my family, I stick to what we love best: homemade pasta, simple, traditional and absolutely satisfying. And the dish that, more often than not, pleases everyone is my version of penne alla pesto. Its a dish that I came up with during my many experiments in the kitchen. I grew up eating both pestobased and tomato-based pastas, and I could never decide which to choose from. I love them both equally and, whenever I had to cook, I didnt know if I should make pesto or tomato. So I thought why not combine the two sauces and see what happens. The best part about this dish is that you can experiment with the ratio of pesto to tomato. Ive tried both: tomato sauce with a couple of tablespoons of pesto added to it and the other way around. I love to keep this simple: just spaghetti or penne with the sauce. That way you can really enjoy the flavour. But you can add any protein of your choice, too. Thats the beauty of this dish.
Penne a la Pesto
pesto ingredients
Fresh basil leaves - 3 cups Chopped pine nuts - 1 1/2 cups 4 cloves garlic, peeled Grated parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup Olive oil - 1 cup Salt and pepper to taste 6 cloves Basil - 1 tsp Salt - 1 tsp Fresh ground pepper - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup
the pasta
Take a large pot, add salt and olive oil. When the water starts to boil, add 500 grams of penne pasta. Boil for eight minutes and refresh with cold water, and sprinkle some olive oil. Set aside.
method
In a food processor, blend basil leaves, nuts, garlic and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper.
method
In a large pot, saut the onion and garlic in olive oil. Empty plum tomatoes into large bowl and squash with your hands. Add all the ingredients to the pot and simmer for three hours. Simmer the sauce for approximately two hours, till it has reduced to half the quantity.
the main assembly

Take a pan, add chopped onion and garlic. Add the pesto sauce, salt and pepper. When the sauce boils, add in the pasta, mix well. Finish with one spoon of tomato sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.
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vinit bhatt
Serafina Level 3, Palladium, Phoenix Mills, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013 Tel: 022 40237711/12/13/14
tomato sauce ingredients

Peeled plum tomatoes - 3 cans 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 small onion, diced
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Victorinox Huntsman Lite
Winning duo
Swiss Knives from Victorinox make for perfect holiday season gifts
eramic knives are becoming increasingly popular. Multiple benefits include best possible cutting quality, the blade remaining sharp over a very long period and its neutrality with regard to taste. Victorinox Ceramic Blades are manufactured from high purity zinconium oxide powder compressed at very high pressures and sintered in furnaces at temperatures of 1500 C resulting in an extremely hard blade that is comparable to the hardness of a diamond. Victorinox offers the ceramic knives in three sizes: the 12 cm paring knife, the 15 cm carving knife and the 17 cm Santoku knife (a wellbalanced, all-purpose knife that originated in Japan). Thanks to the ceramic material, the knife is very light and weighs only half as much as a steel knife of the same size. It is resistant to corrosion and insensitive to acids. Each
knife is then complemented with a Fibrox Handle with signature textured grip, optimal safety and anti-slip characteristics. The handle is designed to minimize wrist tension while providing legendary cuts; no wonder it remains the choice of the professionals. Made in Switzerland, Victorinox
ceramic knives have a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. So, with the holiday season around, get the family together and cook up a delicious meal using this range of ceramic knives, priced at Rs 5,570 onwards (MRP). They are available at all leading outlets including Basecamp,
HyperCity, HomeStop, Godrej Natures Basket, Debenhams, Westside and Food Hall. The Victorinox Huntsman Lite lives up to the companys motto of providing practical, economical yet quality products for travellers. It has everything that one needs for adventure and leisure travel.
Victorinox Ceramic Blades
The tool is globally recognised for its functionality, quality, design and innovation. It fulfills the two major objectives of any traveller, which are ease of use and reliability. With a powerful LED light and a long-lasting battery, it becomes the ideal companion, which is both compact and multi-functional for all outdoor activities. The functions include large blade, small blade, can opener with small screwdriver, corkscrew, reamer, punch, wood saw, screwdriver 2.5 mm, Philips screwdriver, Key ring inox, toothpick, tweezers, mini-screwdriver, multi-purpose hook (parcel carrier), cap lifter with screwdriver, wire stripper, scissors, pressurised ballpoint pen and LED. Priced at Rs 3,410 (MRP), it is available at all leading outlets including Basecamp, Shoppers Stop, Central, Westside, Staples, Crossword, Reliance Timeout, William Pens and Debenhams.
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fitness
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me and my body
The Olympic bronze-winning wrestler on coming back from injuries and his favourite manoeuvre
The regimen
Yogeshwar Dutt
I train twice a day. My morning session starts at 6am and I train for about two to three hours. We do mat training, we spar; sometimes, it could be mat training combined with gymming, in which we work on our shoulder, back, hamstrings and calves. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, I usually do cross-country training. After running for about 8 km, I do sit-ups, rope training and dips. The evening session typically starts at 5pm and lasts till 8pm; on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, I spend time in the sauna and also get a massage.
I am a vegetarian. Before the morning session, I eat one or two bananas, and, after the session, I have almonds and whey protein. I have my lunch at around 10.30am fruit salad, two vegetable dishes, some raita and two rotis. I drink a glass or two of milk in the afternoon. My dinner is quite similar to lunch, except that it doesnt feature raita. Just before hitting the bed, I drink a glass of milk. I gradually reduce my food intake in the last few days leading up to a tournament.
The diet
I have suffered two major injuries in my career. The first was a knee injury, in 2009, during the Asia Championship trials. I tore two major ligaments and had to undergo two operations in South Africa. I took about six months to recover, but, after I came back, I won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, in 2010. The second major blow was a back injury, which occurred in 2010, during a training session in Sonepat. I had to go to America for physiotherapy, and it took me three months to get back in shape. These two injuries have changed the way I train, but how exactly I cannot articulate.
Injuries
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shiv ahuja
I played three matches in a span of 45 minutes during the repechage. Between these matches, all I could do was prepare myself mentally. I kept myself hydrated by drinking water and Gatorade, and visualised defeating my opponents; I was determined to win a medal for my country. I was feeling 100 per cent fit, both physically and mentally. I had hurt my eye during one of the previous bouts, but the pain was manageable. In my bronze medal bout, against Jong Myong (North Korean wrestler), I used the phitle move (a reverse three and a half somersault), which is one of my favourite manoeuvres. I had employed the same move in the Commonwealth Games final, and have been practising it and honing it since childhood.
Olympic 2012 battles
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company of women
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How to Impress Me
Gabriela Bertante
Neatly trimmed beards and good perfumes really turn me on. Dont buy me diamonds. They arent my best friends, at least for now, because I keep losing my jewellery. Two things that turn me off are chauvinists and body odour. If you want to date me, you should know that eventually I want to get married and have four babies. I love it when a man cooks for me and its got to be risotto, with lots of cheese. Its very important for a man to listen to his woman. If a man can hear you out when you are having a rant, he is almost perfect. Gabriela Bertante, a Brazilian model and actor, will make her Bollywood debut in Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya, which releases in early 2013.
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Photograph by Farrokh Chothia; Gabriela Bertante from Toabh Management Hair and makeup by Danielle Van Cuyck by Toabh Management
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woman we WorldMags.net like
Don't mess with her

Leryn Franco doesnt think it is a big deal that she has represented Paraguay three times at the Olympic Games (Athens, Beijing and London) at javelin throw and the fact that she is a world famous model who was part of Sports Illustrateds notorious annual swimsuit issue last year. In my country sportswomen cant make a living with sports only, we should have a job in order to support our sports career, thats why I took advantage of the fashion world, she says, getting ready to walk the ramp for Rocky S at the recent India Resort Fashion Week in Goa, followed by a yoga session with Deepika Mehta. I have been wanting to visit India for some time now and this opportunity came about. I did not think twice! Leryns looks made her an internet sensation at the Beijing Olympic Games, following which Sports Illustrated came calling. I asked them why they chose me and they said that I was one of the most beautiful athletes in the world. So does her javelin thrower reputation intimidate men? I dont know if intimidating is the right word but its true that men are scared of successful women, she says.
Leryn at Beijing 2008

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Lets Celebrate the Festive Season in Amazing Thailand
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Tourism Authority of Thailand New Delhi Office: (Areas of Responsibility: Northern and Eastern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal), Tel: 91-11-41663567-69, 46741111, Fax: 91-11-41663570 | E-mail: tatdel@tat.or.th | Website: www.amazingthailand.co.in Tourism Authority of Thailand Mumbai Office: (Areas of Responsibility: Western and Southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives), Tel: 91-22-22042727-28, Fax: 91-22-22042729 | E-mail: tatmumbai@tat.or.th | Website: www.tourismthailand.org Visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tourism-Authority-of-Thailand-India/480977881917088
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Christmas in a bottle
The guide to top Xmas beers from around the world
2012 anchor christmas ale
Each year since 1975, San Franciscos Anchor Brewing creates a distinctive Christmas Ale, available from early November to mid-January. A rich, dark spiced ale, their secret recipe is different every year. This brew pours a nice dark black cherry tint, with aromas of spice, licorice and pine. This full-bodied beer gives off great aromatics: distinctly clove, nutmeg and anise. Ham. This brew is best enjoyed at 7-10 degrees.
brooklyn winter ale

If youre looking for a beer to get you through the long winter nights, you can give this a shot. Inspired by the malty ales of Scotland, the coppercoloured Brooklyn Winter Ale has deep bready flavours, a round, smooth palate, and Willamette hops that pull the sweet malts into balance. At an ABV of 6.1 per cent, if winter means sipping on a brew near the warm fireplace, then this ones for you.
Tuborgs seasonal brew is on the market for only six weeks every year
Christmas spices. With a slightly lower ABV of 4.5 per cent, you can think of this as your Christmas in a glass!
tuborg julebryg
Tuborg Christmas Brew is a seasonal beer and is only on the market for six weeks every year. This one is a bottomfermented, wiener beer brewed on lager, mnchener and caramel malt with English liquorice. The beer is darkgolden with a fresh aroma of caramel, grain, liquorice and blackcurrant. This brew pairs well and is excellent with traditional Christmas recipes like Roast Turkey and Smoked
woodfordes: tinsel toes

Vivek Wadhwa
christmas ale by great lakes brewing co

This special seasonal from Cleveland-based Great Lakes Brewing Co is brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon. The specialty malts, including wheat, special roast, barley and crystal, makes for very clean beer, with hints of
This winter, Woodfordes Norfolk Ales, in England, will be bottling a taste of Christmas with its festive favourite Tinsel Toes. This brew is deliciously dark and will remind you of your Christmas pudding with all the spices and fruits. Take a deep breath and smell the caramel, fruits, mild earth and some slight spicy and herbal notes.
doolallys christmas special the bees knees

At 7 per cent ABV, this sparkling honey wine (known as mead), floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Made using obscene quantities of aromatic Kashmiri honey, it is probably the first batch of mead made in the country. Pale golden in colour, it has a lean body with its signature honey notes prominently on display on the nose and on the palate. The delicate honeyed sweetness ends with a clean crisp finish that will keep you going back to it with a vengeance.
Doolallys Xmas special is a sparkling honey wine
sweet caramel on the nose and toasty and biscuit flavours. The Hallertau and Cascade hops contribute mild bitterness and ne citrusy aromas that complement the beers heavy spices including cinnamon and ginger.
reinbeer
A rich, spiced ale, by Kirkcudbrightshire-based Sulwath Brewers, this ones as dark as a winters night. This brew uses the finest Marris Otter malted barley and chocolate malts, with a hint of various
oliver schauf
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sahil khan (Doolally Xmas Honey Mead); martin rosenauer (tuborg)
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travel
All-inclusive pioneers
French premium Club Meds resorts go beyond the usual in their all-inclusive concepts, with gourmet delights, adventures, entertainment et al
lub Med is a French corporation of beautiful resorts that free the spirit from the stress and anxiety of city life. At the heart of the resorts is a simple philosophy: They have been designed for happiness and peace of mind. These resorts are situated in
extremely tranquil, tropical or exotic destinations. They are therefore the perfect getaway for families and couples who would like to relax and enjoy amidst nature. Club Med has 80 premium resorts across the globe; some of the best being the resorts in the Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Mauritius. Tucked into the gentle
warmth and exquisite natural beauty of varied places, Club Meds properties are a cut above the competition. These world class resorts boast of international staff, an unparalleled range of sports activities, generous sumptuous buffets, unique locations, specialised kids clubs and unmatched hospitality. Unlike other hospitality corporations, happiness is Club Meds core value. The intention of bringing happiness to everyone is the corporation's true raison d'tre. With this concept at heart, every facet of each resort is innately tailored to making it a place of joy and peace. This is perhaps how Club Med became pioneers of the all-inclusive concept. Foremost of these is the dining experience. With a
choice of local and international cuisines, the guests have at their disposal exquisite buffets , chefs specials and specialty bars. And with dining locations set in picturesque spots such as lagoons, gastronomy is nothing less than memorable. Club Meds core charges also include unlimited quantities of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Guests need not think twice before opening the room mini-bar or calling for a chosen poison while overlooking a sunset. In addition, the all-inclusive concept ensures that the guests adrenaline levels dont reach safe lows, thanks to a cross-section of activities and adventures sports at each resort. These include the relaxing volleyball, surfing and golf;
the challenging archery, tennis and beach soccer; and the downright exhilarating kayaking, snorkeling and flying trapeze. More so, the chains Kids Clubs are state-of-the-art facilities where trained professionals look over and entertain the young ones while their parents and guardians have their time in the sunshine. Not to forget, there is an unmissable element of entertainment behind every Club Med stay. Daily entertainment shows featuring live performances strive to touch your senses with amusement and delight. Whats a vacation without colourful, eventful pictures? For holiday queries, contact: sales.india@clubmed.com or call at +91 22 6671 7832/7828 or visit www.clubmed.co.in
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destination STAY WorldMags.net
Each villa at Le Touessrok offers three bedrooms and a private pool
The indolent tides

Creole food, fine rum and a spectacular setting: we spend a few days in Mauritius, at Le Touessrok
arcelona has its architectural marvels, Switzerland its alpine peaks, Istanbul has its bazaars, and Mauritius its beaches. Travel journalists who have ventured to explore and describe this island have belaboured almost every sonorous adjective that exists in Rogets
Thesaurus, so, if this story has many overused descriptives, its to be noted that we didnt have the option of coining words. But what, indeed, could be more benumbing than the eternal sea? What could be more invigorating than basking under the tropical sun? We recently enjoyed lounging on the island, and
sipping many glasses of Green Island, a fine Mauritian rum, at what is one of the hippest resorts in Mauritius: Le Touessrok Le Touessrok is the flagship property of Sun Resorts, a Mauritian group, which also owns four other hotels on the island. The resort is located off the east
coast of Mauritius, on a crescent-shaped bay, and is a 50-minute drive away from the airport and about an hours drive from Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The thatched roofs, along with dark volcanic stones, lend a Mediterranean village charm to the place, and the dcor is elegant, uncluttered and French colonial. As befits a member of the Leading Hotels of the World consortium, the resort is lined with luxurious suites and private villas, all of them facing the sea. Every villa offers three bedrooms, a private pool, a garden area, and
a chef. Every room is provided with a personalised 24-hour butler service, and all the rooms are spacious, displaying a split-level layout (the open bathroom being at the higher level). The rooms feature chocolate brown wicker furniture, off-white stucco walls and floors made of porcelain and Indian quartzite. Not surprisingly, the hotel attracts the upmarket global traveller honeymooners, corporate head honchos, and reticent, bookish types who sit at the beach soaking in the sun and Albert Camus. Le Touessrok is not just about warm white sand and tropical
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From snorkelling to kayaking, there are many watersports you can indulge in Paul & Virginie restaurant serves fresh and delicious lobsters The golf course has been designed by twotime US Masters champion Bernhard Langer
bliss. There are many other aspects that go into making the place an ideal retreat for holidayers. Food The resort has three restaurants, and, at the Mediterranean-styled Three Nine Eight, we maxed out on Mauritian cuisine, which is a fascinating mix of Creole, Chinese, European and Indian cooking. Especially recommended is the Mauritian curry. Golf The Le Touessrok golf course
getty IMAGEs (snorkelling)
is one place that is bound to send Shaili Chopra, the host of Tee Time on ET Now and author of recently released Birdies in Business, into raptures of delight. The golf course is situated on Ile Aux Cerfs, an island whose coastline abounds in bays, inlets and promontories, which is a seven-minute boat ride away from the resort. It is an 18-hole (nearly half the holes run beside the Indian Ocean), par 72, 38-hectare course designed by two-time US Masters champion Bernhard Langer. With numerous lakes, ponds and bunkers, this is a chal-
lenging course. Le Touessrok offers courses for beginners, and seasoned players might want to check out the Golf Academy, an indoor studio where computers analyse a players swing. Massage therapy Like a hallucinogen, the Givenchy Spa can alter the way you view the universe. That is to say, one session at the spa convinces you that the world will be a far better place if only more people started getting regular massages. Is it sad that a large chunk of the globe is
poor? Then its equally tragic that many people have never enjoyed a massage, or, at any rate, have never experienced a massage at the Givenchy Spa. From the Canyon Love Stone therapy, which is carried out with pebbles from the river beds of the American West to the four-handed Ylang-Ylang to the traditional Swiss to Hawaiian Lomi-Lomi they are all both soothing and rejuvenating. Watersports Most of the hotels watersports facilities are located on
Ile Aux Cerfs, and the number of activities will satiate even the ardent adventure junkie. Theres, among others, kayaking, canoeing, laser sailing, snorkelling and deep-sea diving. Post their watersport session, many people head to Ilot Mangenie, another island owned by the resort, which is about 500 metres away from Ile Aux Cerfs to taste the delicious pizzas served by Crusoes restaurant. Le Touessrok Trou d'Eau Douce, Mauritius Phone: +230 402 7400 www.letouessrokresort.com
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talk
bunch of books so that she will have some books she hasnt read that dont make her feel guilty. All authors love the innocent reader. The other kind of reader is the implicated reader. She is implicated because she is also a writer, or wants to be one. In other words, she wants to be a published writer, because surely it is easy to be a writer sign your name on a cheque and you have written something and, by definition, you are a writer. But if you read enough, as Arvind Krishna Mehrotra said to me recently, you want your name on the spine of a book. This is the implicated writer: she has her name on the spine of a book and has discovered that it doesnt end there. One spine does not seem enough. One spine generates the need for another. She must, therefore, read with one eye out for the craft. She finds it very hard to read a good book because she must always be asking: why is it good? She can only relax when she is sure that the book is a bad one, and this does very little to relax her. This is because she wants to know how this book got published at all. She feels a slight sense of horror that this book should be out in the market because it takes all writers down a little. She wants to find the publisher and ask, What happened? What possessed you to publish this? She wonders if it sells well, and if it sells well, how well. Then she wonders that she has wondered. She thinks of that George Bernard Shaw joke. He asks an actress if she would sleep with him for a million pounds. She says she would. He then asks her whether she would sleep with him for five pounds. Of course not, she says. What do you take me for? We have already established that, madam, he says. Now were only haggling. Is that what she is? Is she at heart a writer of bad novels? Has she only been haggling with herself? Yes, I would write like that if it would make me very rich? If she has, who is she? The problem with being a writer is that you are never short on selfawareness. The problem with being a reader is that you can pretend to avoid selfawareness. The problem with being a writer who reads lets not even start. Jerry Pinto is contributing editor, MW
M e n & M at t e r Perhaps, the written word is not the only thing you can read
By jerry pinto
So what if you dont like to read? the young man asked. He was a beautiful young man, North Indian, with clear-cut features that belonged on a coin. At Whistling Woods, where I sometimes go to give a guest lecture, there are many such, all headed towards Bollywood. My lecture was supposed to be on the novel as the basis of the film. And naturally, it contained many references to novels. How some magnificent novels made lousy films: Marquezs Love in the Time of Cholera, for instance, was turned into a hash job. And how some pulp thrillers can inspire great minds! Kurosawa used an Ed McBain thriller, for instance, and everyone knows that Kurosawa makes great films, right? Right. The names of novels and authors were thick in the air. I dont know when the young man broke, but he suddenly threw a brawny arm into the air. He had a question. Everyone who comes here tells us to read, he said. They say, get this book. Read that essay. I came to do film. I dont like to read. He stopped, perhaps a little shocked at his own honesty. So what if you dont like to read? he asked. Confronted with the good-looking young man, I reached for the standard weapon in the Indian teachers armoury: sarcasm. To my own relief, I did not use it. Because I was a bit flummoxed. I didnt know the answer. People who dont like to read? Yes, there must be many of those. True, I probably teach a class full of them at the SCM department. But No, one minute, I thought to myself, one bloody minute. Why do you think people should read? At some level, the answer is obvious: brain bran, mind meals, more information, more knowledge, more wisdom. More neural pathways constructed inside the brain than from watching television. Greater skill at language... But what happens if you dont like to read, for whatever reason? What do we tell the dyslexic kid? What do we tell the kid whose parents were not readers? Final level of self-interrogation: could it be that I am such a passionate supporter of the book because I am so invested in books? I write them. I am involved in magazine journalism. I write articles for the newspapers. I want people to read this stuff. Because I earn my living out of the written word. Because those words broadcast my thoughts to the world. Am I so passionate about reading because of enlightened self-interest?
The fine print
and then a story popped into my head, a story told to me by a poet. Once upon a time, in the Mumbai of the 1970s when the term world cinema had not been coined; when video cassettes, never mind DVDs, had not been invented a film festival came to India with films from across the world. Only catch: the films had no subtitles. Most of the halls were empty, but this did not discourage the poet and his friend, another poet. They went into the cinema halls, and sat down and watched the films and tried to tell each other the story. Could that be one way of reading cinema? How about watching a film without the soundtrack? How about watching a film twice, once with the commentary and one without? How about taking cinema as your text and then making it a text you study? And therein lies the rub. According to me, there are two kinds of readers. The first kind is the innocent reader. She just enjoys reading. She buys books, more books than she can read and when she looks at their dusty spines, she feels a delicious guilt. This makes her go out and buy another
getty images
I like to think not. I like to think I believe that every book will find its readers, just as I found the books that have made me who I am. I also know that many great books will vanish unread, simply because we do not have enough time. One of those beliefs I hold as an article of faith; the other as warning against hubris. But the young man was still waiting;
the implicated reader finds it very hard to read a book because he must always be asking: why's it good? he can only relax when the book is a bad one
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The awards continue

SWISS builds on its daily flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Zurich and beyond with a plethora of amazing services
wiss International Air Lines, the the airline of Switzerland, is ending the year on a high by being named Europes Leading Airline Business Class in the 2012 World Travel Awards. It thus retains the title it earned last year. More than 183,000 professionals from the worldwide travel and tourism sector voted at the awards. Earlier this year, SWISS also earned the Best Business Class Catering award in this years Skytrax World Airline Awards. These annual industry distinctions are the result of a comprehensive survey conducted among several million air travellers by the UK-based Skytrax consultancy company. SWISS had won top honours in 2011 too, including being selected for the Best First Class Seat in the Global Traveler Awards. This was the second year in succession that the airline had earned such a distinction for its First Class product. The award came from the US-based Global Traveler magazine. In all, more than
25,000 frequent and premium flyers worldwide were polled. Serving 69 destinations (46 European and 23 intercontinental) in 37 countries with its 91 aircrafts, SWISS is one of the leading airlines of the world. In India, it operates state-of-theart Airbus A330-300 aircrafts with three classes of service offering daily departures from Mumbai and Delhi to Zurich and beyond. But SWISS is not one to rest on its laurels. The airline is always in the process of enhancing the quality of its various product offerings. Take SWISS First, for example. Comfort, luxury, peace, quiet and privacy are the hallmarks of this product category. The experience begins with separate check-in on arrival at the airport and dedicated lounges prior to departure. In SWISS First class, its the guest who decides when the kitchen is open. The gourmet restaurant aloft offers a full menu of up to seven courses, all created by leading Swiss chefs. Similarly, SWISS Business class passengers are also provided thorough quality services such as separate check-in, priority boarding and baggage delivery and business lounge access. On board, the innovative seating concept, giving customers high degrees of privacy, features a seat which can be converted into a totally lie-flat two-metre bed for a restful sleep. Even SWISS Economy guests have no cause for complaint as they are pampered with excellent value for money, outstanding and charming service and a special touch for
families. On intercontinental flights, the adjustable seat headrest and swivel ears offer optimum long-haul comfort. On the Airbus A340 and the A330300, the seat is also provided with special ergonomic padding for an even more comfortable flight. Food and drink form important aspects of the SWISS experience. SWISS Taste of Switzerland is its innovative culinary concept that showcases the cooking and specialities of its home countrys various regions. Each segment of the programme has a top Swiss chef from a particular canton develop specialities from their region (with accompanying wines). The concept proved to be very popular with passengers. It earned the airline the Mercury Award, inflight catering sectors highest accolade, for its innovative culinary approach. The popular SWISS Taste of Switzerland concept was further expanded in 2009 when SWISS concluded a long-term partnership with Hiltl, the renowned vegetarian restaurant. As a result, SWISS travellers in all three seating classes now enjoy sophisticated vegetarian creations.
In fact, SWISS passengers get a very good idea of the impeccable service that awaits them on board even before stepping on the plane. SWISS Lounges are zones of comfort, calm and relaxation far away from the usual airport bustle for travellers awaiting departure. At Zurich and Geneva, the three-lounge complexes offer dedicated facilities for First Class, Miles & More Senator and Business Class travellers. Elegant design, a luxury ambience, Swiss hospitality and carefully-selected food and beverages are all provided throughout, along with modern meeting facilities. SWISS First and SWISS Business guests and frequent travellers flying to Zurich can also freshen up after they land. The Arrival Lounge (located near the baggage claim in Terminal 1) includes showers and rest areas as well as selected food and drinks. Travellers to Zurich can also enjoy the amenities of a totally new Arrival Lounge in Terminal 2. The new facility, which opened last December, offers an extensive food buffet, free internet access, 20 showers, rest rooms, a meeting room, state-of-the-art workstations and more. The premium customers of SWISS are also welcome guests at further airport lounges all over the world.
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The Married Woman
Ditched by a woman? You might be one of the five types blacklisted by the sisterhood
Men in black
the workaholic type compensates for the lack of time by earning more money, and, in the process, feels entitled to a romp or two with eager colleagues/minions/ wannabes
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The inner Ron Jeremy
ALPHA MALE
to realise that either the girl is getting uglier by the moment or the alcohol is wearing off, while the girl is making a mental list of the guys shortcomings to share with her girlfriends the next day for a good laugh. To put it in plain words: people dont actually have sex with each other, the sexual roles they play that do, while the former hang back and wait until its over. The question is, whos having sex for you? And the answer is, whoever your sexual role model is. Whoever your sexual masculine role model is, even if its someone you didnt like, thats whos having the sex for you. Its rather inevitable. As children looking up to all the adults around us, we needed examples and role models to help us define ourselves. The problem is that most adults are flawed human beings, and some of them certifiably so. For example, one of the male role models I grew up with was an uncle who seemed really suave and smooth with women. Later on, my adult brain realised that he was actually a womanising, alcoholic loser who targeted divorced women with children, woman who had been abused by their husbands. Not quite the romantic hero. Fortunately, I had enough wits at a young age to sense that all was not quite right about him. Still, I was an awkward teenager unable to get a girlfriend, a fact he was humiliatingly vocal about, and it took me a while to get over that insecurity and realise I had more man in me than he ever did. So the people we know (family, friends, etc.) that we identify with is half the equation. The other half is sexualisation in the media. James Bond and Salman Khan, for example, are the more respectable facets of that, since we see their film personae only in romantic and pre-sexual mode. The more graphic facet is porn, which is readily available to almost everyone, thanks to the internet. There, right in front of us, are apparently real people doing apparently incredible things with apparent ease and fun. And as we watch it and convince ourselves we should be doing it the way they do it, the gap in our minds between who we are and who we should be widens. VD saw AY a few more times, putting up with a circus of performances in the name of science. Finally, AY confessed that when her brother moved to the US, vacating the flat they shared, she inherited his fish tank, his mail, and a sizeable porn collection. She began watching them out of boredom, and since her brother had a penchant for hard-core pornography just short of masochism, AY learned some unusual lessons. Why would AY choose to identify with a man rather than a woman the question had crossed my mind. VDs ego and masculinity had taken a bit of a battering, however, and leading him down that line of logic might have been a little too much for him to handle. Getting manhandled by a straight woman, he could argue, is a heterosexual kink, but getting slapped around by a probably-confused lesbian was another bag of tricks. But who knows? Maybe it could have exorcised his inner Ron Jeremy. Olivier Lafont is an actor and scriptwriter
Why we pretend to be someone else while having sex

By Olivier Lafont
Whats the nastiest thing youve ever done? VD (he of the unfortunate initials) asked me one day. Nothing unusual here, except that we were walking from one place to another in the middle of the day, that he was sober, and that there were no women around to impress. With a girl? I asked, just to be clear. One can never be too sure with VD. Yeah, VD said. Im not telling you. I know how fond you are of Facebook and Twitter. I wont burden you with the responsibility of keeping my secrets. I eyed VD appraisingly. Of course, the real reason youre asking is so that you can tell me your story and relieve your guilt, so spill the beans. Theres this woman, right? VD began. There always is So theres this woman, right? She AY is an accountant for a small film production house and VDs most recent squeeze. By all accounts, shes as middle-of-theroad as one can get: her family not too liberal nor too conservative, schooling neither too exclusive nor too public, job just close enough to glamour but not too far from white-collar. A regular woman, in other words. Except that the other night, while the duo was negotiating its first session of carnal calisthenics, AY took a peculiarly dominant position, spanked VD, and yelled You like that, [female dog]? VD, being by nature cowardly and compliant, hemmed, hawed, and quavered, Uh Yes? It could have been just an awkward improbability if she hadnt followed it up with a slap across his face and not growled, Whos your daddy? And then things got weird. Ive known for years that VD is what I like to call a pimpersonator. A pimpersonator is someone who pretends to be someone else while he/she is having sex. I know this because VD has this peculiar habit of narrating his sexual misadventures to anyone willing to listen, and I indulge him for the anthropological angle. When things get hot and heavy, VD becomes the Man. The Man varies slightly from guy to guy, but in broad strokes: the Man speaks in husky monosyllables because hes all business, the Man takes charge, the Man knows whats best for his woman. And thats fine, really, because guess what? The girl that the guy is having sex with, shes brought the Woman with her: the Woman makes regular staccato moans, the Woman is SO overwhelmed by the Man and his attributes. So the big powerful Man is having uber sex with the meek pliable Woman. In the meantime, the guy is wondering if this is really happening to him and the girl is wondering why the guy is fumbling around all over the place. Eventually, the guy begins
as we convince ourselves we must do it the way porn actors do it, the gap in our minds between who we are who we should be widens
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P A t e r n a l TR U T H S
Do kids have an innate sense of right and wrong, and does that get debauched with time?
By DADDY SAN
I write this at a bittersweet and poignant moment. Its past midnight in the US, and news has filtered through that Ajmal Kasab was executed by the Indian government a few hours ago. A man who participated in an operation that took away hundreds of innocent lives in Mumbai has been paid in kind. But, if we paid him, theres nothing he can do with that payment anymore. Secondly, there was nothing kind about it. As a parent, it was an uncomfortable moment for me. Uncomfortable,because its my responsibility to educate my child about the concept of justice and fairness. We tell children that all men are created equal. Then we tell them all actions beget equal reactions. Then we subvert that principle and apply it to justice: an eye for an eye. Should inhuman behaviour merit an inhumane response? I mentally prepare for that moment when a sincere gaze will accompany the question: Dad, why did we have to kill him? Because he killed someone, son. So he, too, must lose his life. Life. Ive held life. Ive seen it writhe and struggle into being in front of me. Angry red skin, angry cries and an even angrier countenance placed into my arms, as I stood shell-shocked at the beginning of a new, terrifying phase of my life. As the cries suddenly muted themselves and transformed into a quiet gurgle, I wanted to cry with joy. It was an exhilarating thrill, for I was privy to life, vigorous and determined to be something, do something. There was a fierce urge to protect this life against all harm, but to what extent? A friend pointed out that the only reasonable cause for taking another life is self-defence. We captured Kasab alive, accorded him the humanity of a trial and dignified incarceration, and then took his life anyway. I cant justify this to my child because I refuse to gloss over irony. As parents, we spend each minute obsessing over the health of our child until it becomes second nature and embeds itself in our subconscious. A part of our day gets dedicated to thinking about their sustenance, nourishment, development, growth and well-being. Theres an enormous amount of emotional and physical energy invested in a child, and yes, like all other humans, theyre still flawed. Some of them grow up and do terrible things, perhaps a consequence of their environment, their circumstances or even their upbringing. Laws deal with such transgressions. However, laws mirror the society, and as one commentator pointed out, in response to a pro-death penalty blog post of mine, its okay to accept them as a byproduct of who we are. The question is, what do we want to be? Ive seen life ebbing away, and the shell that contained it consigned to flames in front of me. There is a solemnity in that moment unmatched by anything else well ever experience in our lives, except, perhaps, the end of it. Ive, as youd expected, never seen happy faces at funerals. Even movies depicting executions never show smiling faces behind the screens as the viewers watch the prisoner breathe his last. Ive watched movies packed with gore and which propose vigilante justice, like Saw, but Ive never seen anyone in the movie theatre grin with satisfaction as a sword decapitates, or when an arm is sawn off. Ive seen people cringe. We cringe because it goes against our grain to see life being snuffed out. It makes us uncomfortable to be in the presence of death, reminding us of our own mortality, reminding us of the futility of a life someone cherished, nurtured and protected. A month ago, Tykes pre-school told them about the US presidential elections, which I thought was a great
Regression towards the mean
knowing that obama won the elections last time, my son thought it's fair that romney should get a chance at the presidency this time
thing to do. They told them about the candidates, what their favorite things were and humanised them. They created awareness around an event that was being discussed in their homes. The school even educated them about the electoral process by having a mockvote. The ballots had the names of both candidates and the children were free to choose. I wouldve expected the kids to make choices based on the information given to them. For example, Romney likes skiing, or Obama likes his dog, Bo. I asked Tyke whom he voted for. Romney. I was intrigued and asked him why. Because Obama won it last time. So? Everyone should learn to share This was incredible. Kids have an innate sense of fairness built into them, which is reinforced by their teachers, through the imparting of basic moral values. It didnt matter to Tyke that Romney is actually a two-faced liar, a duplicitous man. He didnt know. Given the information he had, he thought it is fair that Romney should get a chance at the presidency: take turns so no one is upset. My sons teachers have drilled into the kids heads that physical violence is not correct. They instruct them to call out the perpetrator if he or she resorts
to physical violence. If the child still doesnt stop, point it out to a grownup. The grown-up will put the child in time-out. At no point does the teacher ever say, Hit him back as hard as you can so he will learn his lesson. Violence is useless if youre merely trying to prove a point, because a point can be proved both ways. Violence becomes a necessary evil when youre trying to protect yourself with no hope of any other means of defense. (It is Orwellian that some invading armies are called Defense Forces by their countries. Such contradictions must be so confusing to kids.) Its unfortunate how we beat this innate sense of balance out of our children as we raise them. Poking holes in a smooth surface with ugly spikes of biases, prejudices and morals derived from the works of fiction known as holy books. Somewhere along the way, the central tenets of any religion namely be good, be fair, work hard, help your fellow man are corrupted in battlesof one-upmanship, and our children get pulled into taking sides and conforming to hazardous moral absolutes. Heresy is punishable by death because a different opinion endangers your life? I think its critical to maintain a sense of perspective for the sake of our children. We may have grown up in a world where death is an acceptable response to death, but it need not be what our children have to live with. We have to understand that if we believe that life is an inalienable right, we must stay true to that belief even for those who take it away. The writer uses his spare time to scribble thoughts on being a dad. He blogs at daddysan.wordpress.com and his Twitter handle is daddy_san
108 decemBER 2012 MW
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Y E A R S
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By dr rockalingam
sex advisor WorldMags.net
Doing a cokehead, riding the tricycle and a crisis of conscience
A tale of two sisters
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Okay, Im not a raging stud. More of your average, likeable Jai. You know, okay body, enough hair, enough muscles, enough of a job, enough everything, nothing a feast. Now, the woman Im doing wants out. She says Im not a goodenough lover. I dont know what she means. I have outlasted her, except on a couple of occasions. I go down on her and I know that most of my friends wont do that kind of thing. What gives? Youre having a crisis of confidence here, mon ami. You could go out and ask all the other women in your life whether you were good enough. That might really set them talking, give them something to discuss on girlie nights. (Yeah, some might respect your privacy because theyre women and so much more evolved than us. But most women are human beings and they like a good story just as much as anyone else. And a good story always begins with Do you know what Jai asked me? He asked me if he was a good enough lover.) So thats out. Next possibility: shes a slunt and you know what thats a portmanteau for. Does this make you happy? That you were involved with such a low venomous sort? No? Thought not. Next possibility: shes telling the truth. You did not float her boat. You did not give her the multiple orgasms she has dreamed of from the time she first discovered what a wealth of sensation there was to be had down under. You did not do it for her. Right. This is not your fault. This is the fault of both people in bed. Sometimes, its just chemistry. Doesnt work even though everything else is in good working condition. And most other times, its because sex is being taken too seriously, as if every occasion were a race run in reverse, the man slowing down so that the woman can come first, the woman willing herself to come first so she can keep the man happy and the man can keep himself happy, that kind of thing. Maybe she should not have been so honest, so brutally direct. Maybe she should have said something
you and see how many addicts there are already. The man who cant get off Facebook. The man who cant get enough porn downloaded onto his office laptop. The smoker. The alcoholic. The risktaker. Everyones an addict. Why should this woman be any different? And anyway, whats on offer here? Her body? In exchange for what? Your body. Once those exchanges have been made, once theres no currency or equivalence, everyone is free to move on. But are you sure youre ready for this no-G-strings-attached relationship if youre asking? Her sister is flirting with me. Madly. I could get her into bed like that. And I am very tempted. But I dont want to spoil what I have with Sister No 1. What do I do? In the bad old days, we all fantasised about doing two sisters. How could we not? It was one of the staples of those old creaky porn movies in which some woman with a bouffant and lots of lipstick said, Aaaoow, aaaaow, I love how you do that, would you do it to my sister too? and in walked another woman and she immediately took off her clothes and got into bed with her sister. This fantasy, the idea of a threesome, has so much currency because of a design flaw in men. Theres just one love stick and so many women. So what do you do with the other woman? Most of us, we have been told, are unable to multitask. Could this be because of the phallocentric nature of our bodies. There it is at the centre. And there is only one of it. So what do you do with two? Take a tip from your body. In the real world, this is it. Theres one of you. Theres one of her. The sister is flirting with you. Either you move on to the sister or you stay with the one youre doing right now. No way are you going to manage both. Only happens in the movies. What are you going to do? Youre going to sleep with Sister No 2 and hope that Sister No 1 does not find out. Then youre going to lose both of them. Thats life, buddy.
about it being her fault not yours. Maybe she should have dug out some old clichs and fed them to you, leaving you in exactly the same position: wondering if youre not a good enough lover. Our advice: get on with it. Find someone else. And dont be so proud of your mouth. Its not the meat, its the motion. She says shes just recovering from a cocaine addiction. She says she wants to be my effbuddy and nothing more. Is this a good idea? Who knows? Who knows what is a good idea and what is a bad idea? Mrs Crippen probably thought Dr Crippen was a good idea. And look where that got her. If she wants to be
In the bad old days, we all fantasised about doing two sisters. How could we not? It was one of the staples of those old creaky porn movies
your effbuddy and youre interested in her body, why should this be a bad idea? You mean: you dont want to let an addict into your life? Look around
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CURRENT CINEMA
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Yash Chopras tedious swan song

The best moments of Jab Tak Hai Jaan are its end credits, and thats saying a lot about the disappointment that the directors last film has been. By Maithili Rao
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yash raj films
ow you wish there was poetic justice in showbiz. That a swan song was a magnum opus, and that you could remember Bollywoods king of romance for a memorable love story. Yash Chopras obsession with romance matched by glossy production values is very much in place in Jab Tak Hai
Jaan, but, alas, all good intentions are betrayed by a script that strains every grain of credulity, however willing we are to suspend our disbelief as an act of homage to a man who was a filmmaking institution. Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a title both ironic and poignant. It is repeated like a litany by the hero to sum up the many moods and emotions that
love evokes. Ideally, the story should have flowed with the grace of poetry, because it is yet another retelling of the impediments to the marriage of true minds. Unfortunately, the script keeps creating more impediments to our wholehearted engagement with what seems to be going on forever on the screen. Often, a film fails because the director is unsure of his intent or has lost
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CURRENT CINEMA
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seen this in the refreshingly youthful Dil To Pagal Hai, in which he used Shiamak Davars choreography to make dance integral to the storytelling. There, Chopra employed a deux ex machina, and even in this film, fate intervenes in the form of that hoary old crutch of amnesia. In Samars case, it is retrograde amnesia in which time stands still in 2002, and the 10 years in the Indian Armys bomb disposal squad are erased from memory. So we plod through the tragedy of a still unmarried Meera playing loving, but sexually withdrawn, wife to Samar. It is as silly as the flimsy reason of hers of refusing to marry Samar 10 years earlier. She makes a bargain with Sir Jesus that she will give up what she loves most for Samars life, after he meets with a near fatal accident. Love and the sacrifice it demands need to have a magical quality for us to accept this foolish self-denial as something plausible. Katrinas wooden demeanour looks pretty for the camera, but there is no emotion on that picture perfection. Akira is offered as a point of contrast loud, spontaneous, persistent and utterly selfconfident but she soon becomes an unalloyed stereotype that is close to annoying. Who on earth designed her costumes? She is in Ladakh, with a whole platoon of soldiers, in brief shorts and cleavage-revealing tops. One of the first things a documentary filmmaker learns is to dress appropriately for the location and occasion. It is no wonder, then, that the many holes in the films script makes it so easy to parody. A really funny comic review is doing the rounds on the net, and its a pity that a movie moghul of Yash Chopras standing has ended up providing such eminently rich material for parody. The best moments of Jab Tak Hai Jaan come with the end credits: you see an energetic Yash Chopra on location in London and Ladakh, the man in command of a unit that seems alive with affection and camaraderie, shouting out Action with gentle but unmistakable authority. But then, for all the gushing sentimentality, show biz is cruel. Nostalgia and politeness demanded by death wear off soon enough.
control over his craft of telling a persuasive story, but here both the intent and mastery of medium are there for all to see. It is the laboured screenplay, credited to Aditya Chopra, that betrays the intended saga of love, longing, parting and reunion. The script is hopelessly dated even when there is a palpable attempt to make it as contemporary as todays headlines. Anushka Sharmas Akira, the 20-something feisty, fun-loving documentary filmmaker, to whom love is a series of instant makeouts and instant break-ups, is narrator, catalyst and participant. For her, 2002 is ancient, and the hero Samars (Shah Rukh Khan) unshakeable commitment is something beyond the grasp of her generation. The visuals of 2002 are modern, but the spirit that animates the doings of the lead pair smells musty with age. Along with the streets and tube stations of London, we are taken to vintage Chopra territory of candle-lit churches, empty for the convenience of our lovers, and snowflakes swirling over a short-skirted Katrina Kaif. Katrina plays Meera Thapar, an anglicised heiress who devoutly prays to her buddy Sir Jesus for a gora husband. Yet she wants to learn a Punjabi song to sing at her doting Dads 50th birthday and chooses Samar, street singer, fishmongers handyman, snow-shoveller and waiter, as her teacher. Samar is a runaway in London who shares a dingy basement with a loud Lahori friend, so that he can escape the family tradition of joining the army. He wants the uppity Meera to teach him to speak propah English. He also sets himself the task of freeing the wild spirit residing under Meeras stiff upperlipped decorum. So here comes the best part of the film: Meera sheds her inhibitions in the multi-racial company of Samars friends, who party with abandon in graffiti-decorated streets and subways. Katrina, post her Sheila and Chikni Chameli avatars, believes that shaking her booty is all that is required of a heroine: it is during this song and dance routine Vaibhavi Merchants alluring choreography fuses seductive Latin abandon with Punjabi gusto that she
katrina's wooden demeanour looks pretty for the camera, but there is no emotion on that picture perfection
comes alive. For the rest of the film, she mistakes non-emoting for underplaying. It actually leaves nothing for Shah Rukh Khan to ignite against, though he still manages to come up with one of his best performances. Wonder of wonders, we even accept him as a 26-year-old. But he is better as the reclusive, reticent loner we first meet: the stubbled Major Anand, riding into danger as the bomb-defusing expert who refuses to wear protective gear. Life is more dangerous while death kills only once thus goes his argument with the persistent Akira, who is intrigued by him, and, predictably, ends up falling in love with a man in love with his own past.
he script is pretty daring for a Yash Chopra film, in that we see Samar and Meera going to bed after they have declared their love. It is brave compared to the evasions of Silsila, where it is left pretty ambiguous whether Vijay and Chandni, who have left their respective spouses, consummate their elopement before the vows taken before the fire bring them back to the straight and narrow path of marital fidelity. Yash Chopra is ready to move with the times. We had
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Inside: The Party Chameleon > Thomas Pink > Measured and Made by Gucci
style
Textured striped shawl collar cardigan by Kenneth Cole, price on request
LIKES
MW
This smart, layer-friendly Kenneth Cole cardigan promises to be a gentlemans wardrobe staple this winter with its sophisticated cut and a neutral tone. Possessing as it does, the versatility to be worn over a shirt as a sensible option to a jacket, we cant help but swear by it.
The Shawl Collar Cardigan
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style
(brand story)
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A shirt makers journey

Thomas Pink, the luxury British shirt maker, known for its impeccable construction and use of exquisite fabrics, is all set to launch its first store at the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, this month, through local partner Reliance Brands Limited. Founded in 1984 by Irish brothers James, Peter and John Mullen on Londons eponymous Jermyn Street, famous for its concentration of shirt makers, and also the location that provided the name to its classic handmade Jermyn Street cotton shirts, the company was bought over by the French luxury fashion house LVMH in 2000. Long a favourite of stylish English bankers, it is now a global brand with more than 80 stores around the world. Thomas Pink is a leading international luxury shirt brand with flagship stores in Londons Jermyn Street; Madison Avenue, New York; and Rue Francois Premier, Paris. The brand carries a wealth of luxurious silk ties, tailoring, knitwear and accessories. On the eve of the New Delhi store launch, Jonathan Heilbron, CEO & President of Thomas Pink, a 15-year company veteran who has led its worldwide expansion since taking over at the helm in 2004, spoke to MWs Minal Surve at the flagship store in London
So Im just really excited about going to a market that is a shirtwearing market, that enjoys colours and is a fast-growing world economy. Not much is known about Thomas Pink in India. Could you tell us something about the company? Let me start telling you about Thomas Pink. He was a tailor in the 18th century in Mayfair, very near where were sitting at the moment in London. He made hunting coats. He made those bright scarlet beautiful coats that the aristocracy wore in the fields of England, many centuries ago, and still do today. They wore it when they went hunting. And those bright scarlet coats are called `Pink even though theyre not pink, because of Thomas Pink. The expression In the pink or Hunting pink comes from Thomas Pink. You knew you were a confident, wealthy person at that time if you could afford to go to Thomas Pink to buy a hunting coat. The company today is a shirt company but we still use the tradition of the detailing and the tailoring, the colour and the boldness of Thomas Pink. Thats our inspiration. The company started in 1984. It was set up by three Irish brothers. They were in their twenties at the time and were living in London and decided they wanted
"We spent an awful lot of time just thinking about shirts," says Jonathan Heilbron
to start a business and they thought of this lovely store of Thomas Pink in terms of converting it into a shirt business. The business started with a 230 sq ft store and today we have over a hundred stores in 14 countries in the world. Were now a leading international luxury shirt brand providing beautiful shirts to everyone who comes into our stores and visits us on the web. Tell us what is special about your shirts. Why should an Indian customer buy a Thomas Pink shirt as compared to what he is buying now? The specialness comes in the details and the years of experience
The flagship store in London
What are your expectations and apprehensions about the Indian market? I dont think there are any ap-
prehensions. I think its going to be fantastic. Were working with a great partner; weve got four stores lined up to open in the next six-nine months.
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of being a shirt maker. We sell suits, jerseys, socks, boxers and ties but a huge part of our business are shirts, for the last almost 30 years and even going back centuries for our inspiration. We spent an awful lot of time just thinking about shirts. And this comes through in the detail, whether its our slim-fit shirt that has a tailoring panel down on the sides rather than the side seam to give added flexibility, or in the choice of fabrics say for our super slim-fit where we have a stretch fabric that allows you to move very easily even though the shirt is very figure-hugging, to our non-iron shirt which is fabulous. We spent a long time developing a cotton that works, a cotton that can breathe and that actually is a non-iron shirt as well, right through to the top of our range where we use very high quality fabric to make beautiful shirts. And in this, as I said, its the fabric, the construction, the details, its the Pink stitching. I think its everything about it that makes us special as a shirt maker. We use exclusive fabrics for our exclusives theyre very colourful, very bold and very stylish. Theyre made in Jermyn Street tradition but with added touches to make it modern and contemporary. I think our white shirt is probably the best example of that. Everybodys probably got a white shirt, but weve 21 different varieties in our white shirt line, in different collar shapes, cuff shapes and the fabrics. What is the secret to your continuing success? After all there are hundreds of shirt manufacturers in UK alone? I think its just following on from what weve said. Its that absolute total attention to detail and being obsessed by how we can make a shirt better. Whether its in the fit, whether its in the use. In the past, for example, weve produced a shirt for the traveller which had two chest pockets, one for the glasses and the other for the passport. It even had a hidden pocket on the cuff for credit cards. The idea is to make shirts that are functional a s well as being beautiful and comfortable. How has the LVMH takeover in 2000 helped the company?
Thomas Pink uses exclusive fabrics for its various collections
The brand boasts of 21 different varities in its white shirt line
Its been great. LVMH is a fantastic shareholder. Theyre incredibly supportive and incredibly ambitious. They are very good at letting the entrepreneurial spirit of the brand play out. For me the absolute key benefit of the group is in the wealth of business talent they bring and their ability to touch upon people all around the world. Theyve got real expertise in their sphere and can share experiences, whether cultural or commercial. So theyre a very helpful shareholder. What has been your experience in other Asian countries so far, specially China? Its been good. In Asia we are in China, were in Hong Kong and sort of close to being in a few other territories at the moment. China has been a very good experience. Weve been there for six or seven years. We have
MW december 2012 117
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style
(brand story)
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Jonathan Heilbrons Shirt Tips
Be clear as to what you want the shirt for, is it for work, is it for a wedding, or is it for play? Be clear on the type of usage you want out of the shirt. A shirt is like any item of clothing, know your fit. Get yourself measured. A good fit will help you, will make you look better, will give you confidence, will show that you take care and pay attention to your appearance. You may get away with a larger shirt for the collar if youre not wearing a tie, but if you actually are, then it changes the balance of the shirt. Ask advice on what colours would suit you. Its very easy to go wrong you either get it or you dont. And the experts are the guys in the stores. Theyll look at your complexion and colour and advise you on which colour will suit you, which colours are the best to prevent that washed-out look. Have the confidence to push yourself and try out something a little different. We dont try and force style on people but we will challenge them a bit, to try something that they dont always try. Wearing a good shirt is a bit like a suit of armour. When you put it on you should feel good.
Customers decide on the collar and cuff styles as part of Personally Pink, the made-to-order shirt service
Apart from shirts, the company also sells a wide range of accessories
11 stores in Beijing, Shanghai and in some of the other cities. So far its been a very good experience. Weve learnt that our customer is mostly a local customer so its helped give us confidence that the product is appreciated worldwide by people from all types of cultures and counties. Were very ambitious in China. Were looking to grow our business very strongly and get into other Asian territories as well. Do people in different countries have different tastes in shirts? A best-selling shirt in the UK is very likely to be a best-selling shirt worldwide. So a general answer is no, its
very very similar. There are definitely few local changes whether its in a colour or in a style of collar or style of cut, but predominantly, the general rule is that a good shirt in one country is a good shirt in another country and liked by all. Whites are our highestselling shirts across most countries. Its the most stylish, most practical, most business-like. Everyone needs a white shirt. And whether its in the UK, USA or China, were pretty similar. Our tastes, ambitions and our aspirations are similar. How many shirts do you personally own? How many shirts should an average guy own?
My limitation is actually the size of my wardrobe. It gets up to probably around a 100 and then Im really struggling to fit any more. Probably every year I will do a bit of a count and change them around. But there are some staples that have been there for 10 to 15 years now. For someone who does not have the luxury of working with shirts, we did a research in the US and we saw that the average ownership was 20 to 40 shirts. But I think youd probably want more. It all depends on your domestic arrangement. Lets say you need a few for work, and then you have your casual shirts and your summer shirts. This will make it around 25. What convinced you about Reliance Brands for you to become their partner in India? Their overall expertise, confidence and understanding of our brand, understanding of the Indian market and their ambition. Its been really good talking to people who are as ambitious as we are in terms of establishing thinkers of a truly global brand, yet they are very sensitive to local needs. And I think we found that Reliance is a big company, but its brand side is very ambitious. Theyve been very supportive in terms of achieving what we want to achieve.
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minal surve
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style
(sartorial man)
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there is a skeleton trial (sometimes even two trials) where any adjustments required are accommodated. But in M2M, a fitted adaptation, you have a few pre-set templates for suits, shirts, trousers, shoes, etc. where each template is a fixed style. You try on the closest fitting size in a template of your choice and then they measure you for alterations to this existing template shortening arm lengths, taking in fabric for a sharper silhouette, the options of pockets, buttons, and perhaps, even an extra pocket for carrying the juice bottle. In the case of shoes this could include shoe width, the heel size, the colour of the finished product, and a few more embellishments. It is based on the idea of interventions made to a garment or product that has already been designed but each change being measured precisely and then executed deftly so as to provide a unique glove-like fit to the client. For e.g., in shirts, they have a few good fixed models to choose from short to slightly elongated collars, pocket/ no-pocket options, slim or generous silhouettes, different cuff styles (the double barrel was a nice party touch). You cant customise all these for any given model, but a permutation of these is already to be found among the choices available. Similarly, for the jackets, they have options on linings and pockets (to ticket or not to ticket), choice of buttons, the number of vents on the back, and the functional aspect of the cuff buttons (I like them working for example). They have everything
Measured and Made by Gucci
Guccis new made-to-measure service launched at their brand new Gurgaon store last month offers not just suits, trousers, vests and overcoats, but also shoes. By Magandeep Singh
plaque inside), and most interestingly for me the launch of India Guccis first made-to-measure services. They may not be the first to be introducing this service for mens clothing articles (shirts, trousers, vests, suits, and even overcoats) but they certainly are numero uno in extending a similar offering to cover mens shoes and also womens handbags. It is an entirely recent offering from the luxury house and is being rolled out almost simultaneously the world over so we are rather fortunate to be getting it now, rather than some jaded hand-me-down a decade later. This is a personalised service that they call made-to-measure and not to be confused with bespoke which is something more elaborate. But then, no luxury brand has offered pure bespoke services yet and this (M2M) is what has been on the market since some time. What is the difference? In bespoke, the suit is cut from a fabric where a pattern is drawn to your size specifications; a shoe is made from wooden lasts which are chiselled out to the shape of your feet. Before the finished product is handed over in bespoke,
Gucci's new Gurgaon store is its largest in India
Italian brands have a way of brandishing a sense of their culture and way of life that is only too temptingly addictive. Donning a good Italian suit, or walking about in their shoes, seems to put a certain flair in our stride, perhaps even our hand gestures. Other European brands , in contrast, are much more subdued. So when Gucci announces the opening of its swanky new boutique the fifth in the country and at 4,220 sq ft the largest in New Delhi (OK Gurgaon, but Ive always maintained that when they do something right, they can be allowed to call themselves Delhi), you know the experience will be one to remember.
The opening, which saw Gucci President and CEO Patrizio di Marco himself come down from Florence, also showcased pieces from their Milan Museum items that represent the Houses eternal icon the Flora pattern along with a selection of evening gowns from its Florentine archives. Womens ready-to-wear, original drawings of the Flora scarf from 1966, handbags with the flora and unique porcelain items, and Gucci Premire dresses worn by the likes of Jessica Alba, Berenice Bejo, Salma Hayek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were on display. Then there were the limited clutches (in anaconda skin no less with a Gurgaon Only engraved
Patrizio di Marco with Rahul Khanna at the launch
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Gucci is now offering made-to-measure shoes
For the jackets, they have options on linings and pockets, choice of buttons, and the functional aspect of the cuff buttons
from the crazy and out-there to the conservative and corporate (and even some lovely vintage-looking stuff) and barring a few subtle (textured) prints of the Diamante or the mini Guccissima for shirt material (and some for jackets too), nothing really screams the brand too loud or inyour-face. Of course the silhouette can be adapted to suit your tendency (thats polite for build, frame, and size) and with a choice of over 400 fabrics that I browsed and stroked through for a good part of an hour (including some unique mixes of cotton, silk, wool, cashmere, and mohair), from Super 120s up to 180s (which translates to a suit you can travel with and yet wont crease much in packing), safe to say that you will have to be a real persnickety pain in the posterior to not find one that wills your fancy. The overcoats, a more lavish service, will surely be pricier but given that they dont work with anything less than cashmere or equally soft wool (or mixes thereof), you can be
assured that when the next ice age cometh you will be prepared all snug and stylish. And finally, the best part, something that nobody else has offered so far, something that completes the ensemble and yet has gone ignored for so long so obviously: shoes. Gucci is known for some stylish tapers and this year, especially in India, they are launching a mix of three shape variants for customisation. They are mostly options on the classic Oxford lace-up but the toe shape may differ, as also the form, varying between shoes and boot. Most of the classic leather versions were hand-polished, in the sense that the uneven shading is a desirable (and quite mysteriously sexy, if I may add) feature of the shoes. The colour options are perhaps the zaniest that India has seen yet from bright yellow to garden green, a lucid orange to a luscious purple, and also a very special India Blu. The shoes will also carry a mention of their made to order status and you
may casually flaunt it every time you cross your legs in a meeting to subtly expose the sole. The Welted Goodyear construction will be launched soon and thereon, the existing collections will be rotated around the year, although should a client wish a certain shoe in a style that may not be featured for the season, Gucci will be only too happy to execute it. Exotic leathers, ostrich and crocodile that is, will always cost more, almost three to five times more. But thats not the real worry: the five-six month wait could perhaps be more painful. Find solace in the notion that they will mostly deliver sooner than what they claim is the requisite period. And of course everything comes monogrammed, if one need add that, and you can choose where you want it (on the shirt from the cuff to the front panel). The shoes carry it on the inside of the tongue. In a world where people are trying to escape the gravity of relationships like a Tourbillon and beat faster than
their Minute Repeaters, M2M services come like a breath of unadulterated mountain air. Sure enough they may not be everyones cup of tea, but it does provide a point of reference to peg our aspirations. It also helps remind us that the real luxuries are not a bevy of brands to display in our cupboards but to take out the time to choose what we like and to put our stamp of individuality on it, no matter how garish it might seem to the rest of the world. Guccis new store, designed by Creative Director Frida Giannini herself, is a great place to while an afternoon away, even if only to understand what style but more so, what pampering can be about. So, I end with what I started the Italians and their unique stylish way of flaunting their Renaissance outlook, something they have done extremely successfully since the very inception of the movement over 500 years ago. For someone who loves everything Italian, La Dolce Vita is closer than ever before.
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How to make a style statement
Advice this month from Anil Kapoor
l People say I am flamboyant. But have you ever seen me dressed in bright colours except on screen when needed? I love classics. Pristine white shirts, sharply tailored trousers. You can be flamboyant as far as your personality is concerned. But dress in classics. They never go out of style. l However, add a bit of quirkiness to your classics a yellow or blue-coloured pocket square peeping out of a pinstriped suit; an interesting T-shirt with a jacket; or a flamboyant scarf with jeans and a white shirt. Experiment with prints. Who says you cannot wear a striped shirt with a pinstriped suit? l I wear distressed denims, but only as casual wear. You will never see me wearing one to a party or on a formal occasion. I believe dressing right for an occasion is important or you end up insulting the event and your hosts. l I remember wearing torn jeans, a T-shirt and chappals when I was just starting out. Even now I wear torn jeans except that its called distressed and is considered fashionable. l My grooming staples include a nice perfume or deodorant, some hair gel, a moisturiser, but nothing more. I am not big on shaving unless I have to. However, do trim your beard if you decide to keep one. l If you really like to experiment with fashion, you need to be lean. Not thin, not fat, just lean. If you are too thin, clothes will hang on you. If you have piled on weight or have a buffed up body, they just wont fit you right. l A double-breasted suit is my all-time favourite. Also a tuxedo; it looks perfect on the red carpet. l I am a fan of brands like Brioni and Giorgio Armani. In denims, I like Diesel. l Dont try too hard to impress. It shows. As you age, your body language should be easy and laidback. l Stock up on blacks. I dont know any man who doesnt look good in black. It is a basic colour that every male wardrobe should have. l As you age, leather pants look tacky. But leather jackets are fabulous buys.
ASHAY KSHIRSAGAR
interviewed by deepali nandwani
124 decEMBER 2012 MW
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How to look good

the womans take
Bipasha Basu
Actor
l Check the fit of your clothes, make sure the colours arent too flamboyant and that your clothes do not hang on you or make you look fat these are my top three rules of style that applies to both men and women. l Discreet and understated is the best way to be. Really. Forget what the style gurus tell you about it being okay for men to wear bright pink shirts. l Nothing will make you look good until you are fit. Spend as much time and money on the gym or whatever you like to do to stay fit, as you would on your wardrobe. l Restraint and extravagance there is no reason why both cannot be part of your personality. Spend more on clothes that look good on you you think a grey suit works best for you? Then buy 20 of them. l Try and build a wardrobe of denims from ones that work at a formal occasion with a jacket to ones that you would wear on a holiday. Distressed, different kinds of washes, classic indigo, whatever you choose, denims never go out of fashion. l A good fit is everything. Take advice from people if you cant figure whats the right fit for you. Take a good look in the mirror. l You like carrying a bag? Make sure it is minimal. Make sure it is a messenger bag. Anything else is either too tacky or too feminine.
interviewed by deepali nandwani
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farrokh chothia
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Louis Vuittons first popup shoe store in Dubai
Louis Vuitton opened its pop-up store in Dubai, exclusively dedicated to mens and womens evening shoes, in Dubai Malls first ever shoe emporium The Level. In a classical and elegant setting, a selection of sophisticated evening collections for both men and women have been brought together in a range that has been especially chosen for the endof-year celebratory period and to reflect the refined interior. The architectural concept stays true to Louis Vuittons desire to make each visit to the store an exceptional journey. Paying tribute to the style and grace of an opulent French salon, the store welcomes visitors with a dark vestibule housing a rare vintage trunk: the Secrtaire Souliers, which suggests a glamorous past of travel traditions. In the womens area, an antique crystal chandelier display highlights rich velvet furnishings and Venetian mirrors. The walls wrapped in Louis Vuitton capiton are a subtle echo to the interior of the hardsided trunks. The mens area,
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inspired by a traditional mens club, has a rich dark chocolate ambience with a Chesterfield sofa. Chandeliers made of glass panels and brass act as the backdrop to the evening collection for men, cleverly floating around the room. We are absolutely delighted to be opening the first ever Louis Vuitton concept shoe store in the region. We have been offering shoes to our customers in this market since almost 20 years, so it was a natural step for Louis Vuitton to offer a stand-alone shoe store for our customers. Shoes are often indispensable elements to build personal styles and we are happy to be able to welcome our clients to our all-encompassing world of shoes, says Francois Pedrol, General Manager of Louis Vuitton Middle East. The popup shoe store will be open to visitors until mid-March when Louis Vuitton will make way for the first of its kind permanent dedicated shoes store within The Level, offering the complete Louis Vuitton shoe experience to visitors.
Re-imagining the Croc

The Brazilian Campana brothers, Humberto and Fernando, are renowned around the world for their quirky product design in materials like cardboard, rope, fabrics, plastic, etc. This season, for the second time, apparel maker Lacoste has commissioned them to re-imagine their iconic Polo for their Holiday Collectors 2012/13 Sushi series Diffusion Line for men. In the words of Rajesh Jain, Director, Lacoste India,The Collectors Series is a special gift for our brand connoisseurs. This not only fulfillsa tangible need but also creates a strong emotional connect with our consumers. As they go on sale in India this month, Humberto and Fernando spoke to MWs Alisha Netalkar. What led to your association with a clothing brand like Lacoste? Michael Young, who created the Plastic Polo for the second
forming colorful swirls to be applied in an array of limited and numbered pieces. Sushi started off as a nickname but soon became the title for the collection, which encompasses chairs, sofas, tables, puffs, and objects. The transposition of the swirls for the Lacoste Holiday Collectors Series #7 was a natural step. The composition of crocodile emblems arranged into a spiral becomes a playful reinterpretation. You have previously worked on a similar series for Lacoste in 2009. Could you explain the difference between the two collaborative designs?
Its always exciting to re-invent a true classic. For our previous collaboration, we were inspired by how crocodiles pile on each other in their natural habitat, lending to different design elements, while our upcoming 2012 series reflects the playful rendition of our iconic Sushi concept. A logo acts as the brands identity to the public. How do you think the audience will perceive this modification? As an adventure. Our playful reinterpretation incorporates the essence of the Lacoste logo and its origins. Your work exhibits a lot of cultural referencing and influences. How do you translate your inspiration on to your products? Brazilian multiculturalism nourishes our creations. To translate the Brazilian identity into design is one of our most important challenges. Many of our projects are reinterpretations of solutions we witnessed in poor communities in the country.
Holiday Collectors Series for Lacoste, introduced us to John Storey who handles these special projects for the brand. He visited us in Sao Paolo to show us what other designers had done and to present the idea of collaborating to us. How did the amalgamation
of the Sushi concept with the famous Lacoste logo come about? Back in 2003, while exploring new forms of upholstering, we created a technique of rolling together different types of materials from fabrics, carpets, felt and rubber nets, flat and three-dimensional elements
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The Rock n Roller

A leather jacket adds just the right amount of badass to an all-denim look. Top it off with a classic fedora and youre good to go Leather jacket by Dior Homme, price on request; Blue washed flora laser printed lightweight denim skinny shirt by Gucci, price on request; Fedora hat with satin band and feather detailing by Paul Smith, Rs 7,900; Snow boots by ZZegna, Price on request,
The Party Chameleon

Photographed By Aneev Rao Styled By Alisha Netalkar
Spin a fun twist on wardrobe staples this season with trendy and functional basics. MW guides you on how to best wear your party personality
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Go from simple to stylish by adding a layer of denim over a dark-hued graphic tee. Throw on a leather-accented jacket for a modern take on the classic staple Moto jacket - leather sleeves and versatile wool blend body by Kenneth Cole, price on request; Dark purple state T-shirt by Jack & Jones, Rs 1,095; Cotton shirt by VDot available at Van Heusen, Rs 2,199; Chalked black denims by Levis, Rs 2,299; Suede shoes by Tresmode, Rs 10,000
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The New Age Dandy

Pairing separates in dark hues will add a mature edge to a modern look. Make sure to work with slim silhouettes to avoid looking weighed down Wool blend jacket by Brooks Brothers, price on request; Cotton shirt by Zod, Rs 1,899; Chi-tight trousers by Diesel, Rs 12,911; Patent leather shoes by Ruosh, Rs 4,990
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A two-button jacket can instantly add a touch of sophistication to an old-school preppy look. Polish off with utilitarian hand accessories in leather and textured metal Main line black jacket by Paul Smith, Rs 69,000; Red grey silk cashmere cardigan by Canali, price on request; Umber tria printed stretch popeline slim shirt by Gucci, price on request; Cotton pants (luxury collection) by Paul & Shark, Rs 22,990; Leather belt with copper and black rubber details by ZZegna, price on request; Braided leather bracelet by Tods, Rs 11,000; Black PVD with rubber inlay ring by Montblanc, Rs 12,400
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The Club Hopper

Team a pair of statement hightop sneakers with a patterned jacket and coloured chinos for an urban, street vibe. Bold patterns and bright graphic prints are key to getting this combination right Camouflage reversible jacket by Benetton, Rs 4,999; Cotton T-shirt by Superdry, Rs 2,990; Cotton chinos by Z3, Rs 1,999; AO hook shot by Adidas Originals, Rs 6,499
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Go all out and pair eclectic separates for a carefree and effortless mix of prints. Stick with shades of a versatile colour like blue for just the right amount of madness to the method Cube pullover by Paul Smith, Rs 15,900; Blue moon and star shirt by Paul Smith, Rs 12,900 Egyptian cotton trousers by Ermenegildo Zegna, Rs 28,000 Black cashmere flannel cap with horsehair birds embroidery by Dior Homme, price on request
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The Music Festival Lover

Channel effortless cool by teaming a pair of shorts with a camo print shirt. Finish off with comfortable chukka shoes in muted colours and a pair of dark glasses Green maison shirt by Jack & Jones, Rs 2,995; Cotton T-shirt by Mark & Spencer, Rs 999; Tricotine cotton shorts by Boggi Milano, Rs 5,990; Earthkeepers handcrafted fabric chukka shoes by Timberland, Rs 6,490; Sunglasses by Tru Trussardi, price on request
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Make sure to stay geared up while looking your free-spirited part by strapping on a functional backpack Checked shirt by Timberland, Rs 3,990; Light blue Boston T-shirt by Jack & Jones, Rs 1,095; Pentol corduroy trousers by Diesel, Rs 23,784; Dual compartment everyday back pack by Victorinox, Rs 3,150 Assistant Stylist: Indira Pandey Model: Nick from Inega Model Management Hair and Makeup: Amol Photo retouch: Rohit Sawant/Sunil Tank
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Jack Black
To work the most prevailing trend this season, throw on a bit of leather to stylize your wardrobe staples.
1 Blazer with leather detailing by Diesel, Rs 40,069. 2 Leather studded shoes by Kenneth Cole, Price on request. 3 Leather cashmere gloves by Tods, Rs 20,000. 4 Leather jacket by All socks by Rs Paul Smith, Rs 1,900 Tods, 1,77,000.
Pho t ogra p hs by Aneev Rao. Styled by Al is h a N e ta l k a r
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Gear Up
Opt for these tough-as-hell hand accessories to add a masculine touch to your evening look.
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1 Braided leather bracelet by Tods, Rs 11,000. 2 Black leather with steel clasp bracelet by Montblanc, Rs 20,700. 3 Double wrap bracelet in leather and brass by Salvatore Ferragamo, Rs 9,500. 4 Silver ring by Montblanc, Rs 20,300. 5 Platinum ring by Orra, Rs 55,620. 6 Platinum bracelet by Orra, Rs 1,52,935
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These simple and stylish sacks will prove handy to carter essentials while making a lax style statement.
1 Slim line laptop backpack by Victorinox, Rs 4,360. 2 King bagpack by Puma, Rs 1,999 3 White Ledge large backpack by Timberland, Rs 4,490. 4 Bag with contrast logo embossing by Benetton, Rs 2,999.
Laid Back
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Top Man
Hop from club to club looking fresh by donning a pair of these high tops for a cool urban vibe.
1 Dark Grey Lea, Photonic Mid by Clarks, Rs 4,999; 2 Adi High Ext by Adidas Originals, Rs 6,499; 3
Grey calfskin leather and canvas high-top sneakers by Dior Homme, price on request; 4 Trimonic Trail Mid by Puma, Rs 5,999; 5 Louis Flat Strass Hematite by Christian Louboutin, price on request
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Volvo World Golf Challenge India 2012 national finals held in Aamby Valley
he national finals of the Volvo World Golf Challenge (VWGC) India 2012 was held at the Aamby Valley City recently. The national finalists were H S Kang from Chandigarh who was the winner in the Handicap Category 0-12 and Aditya Deshmukh from Pune who won the Handicap Category 13-24. Speaking at the National Finals, Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India
said, The Aamby Valley Golf Course is an experience which has no parallel in the country. It is a sheer visual delight and a marvel of British golf architecture. And similarly Volvo World Golf Challenge is a tournament which has no parallel either. The competition between 14 best amateur golfers from India was tough. It was amazing to see all the golfers give in their best and sweat out to win the exclusive work of art The Blu Octopus, created exclusively for the VWGC India
finalists by renowned blown glass artist Atul Bakshi and the uber-chic craftwork Blu Jacket specially designed by fashion diva Ritu Beri. Both creations capture the Scandinavian flavour that is synonymous with Volvo Cars global ethos Designed Around You, which customises products around an individuals preferences. The National finalists will now get an opportunity to play with professional golfers from around the world in January 2013.
Volvo World Golf Challenge in Pune
fter a game with enthusiastic golfers in Hyderabad, Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo Auto Indias popular global sports property the Volvo World Golf Challenge (VWGC) reached Pune. A nailbiting finish enthralled the galleries with Rajiv Pusalkar emerging as the winner in the Handicap Category 0-12 and Aditya Deshmukh winning in the Handicap Category 13-24. Speaking at the tournament, Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India said, After seeing the response in the previous cities, we are really excited to bring the tournament to Pune The Queen of the Deccan, Oxford of the East, and cultural capital of Maharashtra. The competition was close and it was a pleasure to see the golfers sweat it out to win the specially-designed work of art trophy The Blu Lotus. The trophy was created exclusively for Volvo World Golf Challenge India by renowned blown glass artist Atul Bakshi.
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G O OD TIMES
WITH
V i j ay
M A LLYA
AT A T I ME W HE N E V ERY T HI NG IS G OI NG AG A I NS T HIM, OU R C OLU M N IS T ON W H Y T HE K I NG OF G OOD T I ME S SHOU L D NOT BE W R I T T E N OF F B y A A K A R PA T E L I l l u s t r a t i o n B y R ahul D as
Nine years ago, Vijay Mallya almost died.

On July 27, 2003, the helicopter he was flying in, a McDonell Douglas MD 600, owned by Tata Tea, spun out of control over Bagalkot, in Karnataka. Mallya told the pilot to apply the opposite rudder, but it was too late. He prepared his fellow passengers and braced. The helicopter smashed into the ground, breaking into four pieces, but it did not catch fire. Kill the engine, Mallya told the stricken pilot. Mallya was canvassing for the Karnataka Assembly Elections with his campaign manager (my wife) Tushita Patel and actor Sanjay Khan. All three were unhurt, but an NDTV cameraman filming Mallya broke his arm. The following sketch of Mallya comes from the time that I have spent with him over the years. I have attended his birthday parties, including his 50th, his new year parties, stayed on his yachts, stayed in his villa in Goa and flown on his private jets, both on the Boeing he had earlier and the Airbus he now has. He is unique, and a fascinating subject for a writer. Fitzgerald said the rich are very different from you and me. Mallya is different in many ways. Hes a Brahmin, unlike Indias other wealthy people, who tend to emerge from mercantile castes. He is a believer and a regular at Tirupati. Till a few years ago, he kept the month-long observance for Ayappan of Sabarimala, not drinking, and wearing black.
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e was in his twenties when his father, Vittal Mallya, He has a talent for mechanical things, however complex the machine. died. The brands Bagpiper and Kingfisher, today After a Formula1 race in Barcelona, his Mercedes-Benz saloon would not associated with the UB Group, were launched start. His driver failed to revive it as did the mechanics from McLarenby the son. What Mallya inherited was little Mercedes who came over to see what was wrong. When they gave up, compared to what he built. Mallya came out, had a look and started it in one go. He is a qualified pilot, as we have seen, and a good sailor. He can His knowledge about India is not secondhand. He has travelled the countryside, setting park large yachts a difficult task and can tell you whether the captain up his distribution. He can tell you that the best dhabas in India are on parking one will be able to do so on the first try. He often himself sails NH 2, between Asansol and Banaras, on the old Grand Trunk Road. the launch, which is called the tender, and which takes him to the ship Those who think the Kingfisher Airlines crisis is in some manner anchored in deeper waters. One afternoon, a few years ago in Goa, we were returning from the linked to his lifestyle are mistaken. He is exceptionally and relentlessly yacht and he was parking the tender. A small crowd gathered to see him hardworking. I know this because I have long suffered from his work do it. He then drove to the villa from the pier, and I asked him if it was habits: his executive assistant Tushita often returned from work at 8am only to leave again at noon. He has exhausted legions of executive assistants usually the case that he was recognised easily. He said it was different in over the decades. the north, where they knew him less than they did in the south. This was, The openness with which he lives disguises the amount of work he of course, before he became a celebrity outside his businesses, due to the puts in. I have been to a party at his Nepean Sea Road home in Mumbai, IPL and Formula1. The people he spends time with, a small group, are where four groups of men in suits sat through the night while he shuttled friends he made many years ago, none of whom is a celebrity. between them. This weaving of his business into his life doesnt stop when hes abroad or on his plane or yacht. he wine he drinks is Ferrari-Carano, a Californian red After he turned 11, Babur never celebrated the feast of Ramzan with a chalky finish. He smokes cigarillos from a little in the same place for two successive years. Mallya probably hasnt spent square tin. He usually has a pint of Kingfisher near a full week in one place since his twenties. He was at work on one New him. My wife says hes not fussy, and, when travelling Years night, raising money, speaking to officials. He is a man not given in rural India, will eat and drink what is on offer, and easily to despondency. enjoy the specials. He has perspective on life. A few weeks after the chopper crash, I His drinking advice for parties is to start with spirits, then shift to was in the room when he was discussing with Kishore Chhabria some detail wine and graduate to beer. His doctors are usually surprised to see how well of his takeover of Shaw Wallace. The newspapers he does in his annual check-ups, portrayed their relationship as hostile, but at one given his hard-charging ways. point, Mallya stopped and took Chhabria He mixes his flashiness H i s dr i n k i n g a dv ic e f or through the crash with enthusiasm and with taste. He enjoys luxury in pa r t i e s i s t o s t a r t w i th in great detail. the manner a civilised Raja or Hes observant and Nizam might have experienced. s pi r i t s , th e n s h i f t t o Other than his 311-foot flagship, interested in the world. The w i n e a n d g r a dua t e t o the Indian Empress, he also night Obama won, we were be e r . H i s d o c t or s a r e having a drink in his house. owns the beautiful 165-foot u s ua l ly s u r pr i s e d t o s e e I mentioned that McCains Kalizma, owned previously by concession speech had been Richard Burton and Elizabeth how w e l l h e d oe s i n h i s masculine and generous. Taylor (and named after the a n n ua l c h e c k- u p s , g i v e n initials of their three children). Mallya was immediately h i s h a r d - c h a r g i n g wa y s One night, we left interested and took my phone Bombay harbour to sail for to read it, agreeing with the Goa. When I woke up, the sea sentiment. He knows the English language was a couple of feet below the well. Mumbai Mirror editor Meenal Baghel bedrooms porthole and the thing (Indian Empress) was flying, doing, noticed that in the original Kingfisher Airlines maybe, 22 knots. That is 40 kph, and imagine a 100-metre long, six-floor greeting, he thanked passengers for your custom. building at that speed. He takes great joy in his possessions, and rightly so. I think that was replaced after someone realised that He is an old-fashioned nationalist. He is proud of flying the tricolour many fliers might not know the word to mean patronage. on the Indian Empress in Monte Carlo and his racing team was named Hes an entertaining public speaker, though he rarely prepares quite deliberately. He made the winning bids for the sword of Tipu Sultan, and Gandhis glasses, sandals and watch (shamefully claimed by Ambika beforehand and few of his speeches are worked on by others. Hes competitive. At a party one night, someones son suggested Soni with the lie that this was all a Congress plan). I thought I should tell you all this at a time when much is going a go-karting race. Mallya is heavy and started slow in the little kart. His against him. Obituaries have been sounded for his airline, but hes cheated line was intelligent and his cornering very skillful. He edged past the death before. field and finished first.
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T H E GOOD LIFE
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Annual road cycling events such as the Tour de Mumbai are popular among the new generation of cyclists
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doctors
The new breed of cycling enthusiasts in India has given rise to a new segment in the market, which the big Indian manufacturers are now targetting. By Shyam G Menon
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In February 2012, Hero Cycles, the worlds largest bicycle
manufacturer, launched a carbon-fibre model called Red Dot, which was priced at Rs 43,000. Though it was less expensive than most carbon-fibre bikes, Red Dot was a clear sign that Hero, which has a volume-based model, had intentions of making a mark in the premium segment. It was important that we adapt ourselves to the changing times, said Pravin V Patil, president of Heros premium range, Urban Trail. The customer is changing and the market is slowly shifting from livelihood-oriented cycles to lifestyle-oriented models. Meanwhile, Heros reputation as a producer of inexpensive cycles has resulted in their products being made available in Walmart stores in the US.
bout a year before Hero announced Red Dot, TI Cycles, the secondbiggest player in the Indian cycle industry, with a 25 per cent domestic market share, had launched its own premium brand: Montra, priced at Rs 71,000. These are impressive developments for Indias cycle industry, but will Indian companies premium products be able to compete with foreign ones in a discerning market? The lessons from Indias automobile industry suggest that the Indian customer, weaned on paisa, peer group, passion and performance, owes no particular loyalty to Indian companies. He would, typically, start off with an Indian brand and then move up to a foreign brand. As with many things, when you aspire, India fades. At present, four players TI, Hero, Atlas and Avon account for 90 per cent of Indias cycle market, which is estimated by TI Cycles to be around 17 million units per annum, and which grew at nine per cent in 2010-11. The premium bicycle segment (bikes priced between Rs 7,500 and Rs 15,000) is around 3,50,000 units per annum and the super-premium segment (bikes priced above Rs 15,000) is around 16,000 units. These segments are growing at a phenomenal pace compared to the industry growth-rate, said KC Ramamoorthy, TIs general manager of international business. Most other companies read the market similarly. The upper tiers of the market are where the capabilities of Indian companies are now being tested. For decades, the major players chased volumes and catered to customers livelihood needs, seeing the premium categories as commercially irrelevant because they did not have a big enough market. As the popularity of cycling as a fitness activity and sport grew, a new generation of customers emerged, one that had grown up with rising purchasing power and access to information. The Indian brands found themselves prisoners
of a business model that did not include this new customer, and they stuck with traditional cycles, while brand appeal had shifted to the stuff of passion, performance and aspiration. Firefox was to the Indian bicycle industry what Maruti was to the Indian automobile sector: the catalyst of a change in thinking. In 2005, Shiv Inder Singh, who had worked in the import/export trade for several years, and Pradeep Mehrotra, who ran a bicycle assembling unit out of Sri Lanka, decided to start a company that would import foreign bicycles to India: Firefox started off with 36 models. These were better looking and more up-to-date with modern design than any other bicycles in the Indian market. They were
Now, in Lifecycle, in Pune, probably Indias biggest multi-brand showroom for high-end cycles, 24 different brands are spread across three floors. While I saw models of brands like Cannondale, Trek, Scott, Orbea, Bergemont, Merida, Giant, Firefox, Axis, GT, Schwinn, Bianchi, Fuji, Mongoose, Dahon and Huffy, I did not find any of Hero and TI Cycles premium offerings. The walls had cases stocked with cycling accessories; at one end was a TV showing a video on cycling. Lifecycle is one among the several stores that have opened in India that are built around the passion for cycling. There is Rohan Kinis Bums on the Saddle (BOTS), in Bangalore, TI Cycles Track & Trail Caf, in
We may well see a situation in which foreign brands drive passion in India and Indian brands reap the benefits by providing cheaper models to enthusiasts
also costlier, in a market described by its biggest players as price-sensitive and range-bound. To sell these bikes, a new retail experience was created. Store locations were carefully chosen; the stores were creatively designed; there were dedicated company outlets at Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune and Bangalore; and dealers were given higher commissions. In addition, the companys products and product details were displayed online to target a younger audience. Competition waited for Firefox to fold up. It didnt. A couple of years later, it began distributing Trek bicycles as well. That was probably the validation the industry needed. It was now time for the Hyundais, Fords, GMs, Toyotas and BMWs of the cycling world to arrive, not to mention time for the local powerhouses to shape up. Bangalore, Rahul Mulanis Gear, in Mumbai, and many more. In Bangalore and Pune, Indias two leading cycling cities, there are cycling clubs, communities and a regular calendar of events. In both these places, the current drivers of cycling include people who were passionate about cycling even when Hero and TI dominated what used to be a sellers market. They struggled in that environment, first putting Indian bikes to punishing use and then inquiring, researching and sourcing bikes from abroad. Consequently, they dont have much respect for Indias cycle manufacturers. Across the new-age cycle retailers I spoke to, there was a cool, guarded approach to Indian brands pushing premium carbonfibre cycles. This market has questions, access to information and knows cycling. It chats,
AFP
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The Track and Trail Cafe, in Bangalore, allows you to appreciate the design and engineering of the bicycles
Both TI and Hero have recognised that appealing to this new-age cycling community will require a shift in the way they sell bicycles
discusses; there is even an Indian mountainbike magazine, Free Rider. Cycling, cycle stores, cyclists these decide the DNA of the premium cycle industry now. TI and Hero have both recognised that appealing to this new-age cycling community will require a shift in the way they sell bicycles. The Track & Trail Cafe was an experience. It stocked all the cycle brands that TI Cycles imported and distributed through its network. The best part of it was that it recognised a cycle as a creation; the space was laid out to allow you to appreciate the design, geometry and engineering of the cycles. You could have a cup of coffee, walk among the cycles, gaze at the posters on the wall and browse through the many books about cycling kept on the racks. The Track & Trail Cafe serves as a platform for like-minded people who want to make cycling a way of life through active community participation. The concept encourages users to browse leisurely, said Ramamoorthy. Hero has planned Urban Trail showrooms. According to Patil, the top 200 dealers from Heros 2200 dealerships would sell Urban Trail models. There would be, in addition, 30 company-owned outlets, 30 franchise dealers and three experience centres for the Urban Trail brand, in Delhi, Pune and Bangalore. Both Hero and TI also sponsor major cycling events.
Hero's Urban Trail range targets the premium segment
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SHAMANTH PATIL
hile attempting to capture a bigger share of the premium segment, TI and Hero will also have to decide how exactly they want to manufacture their premium brands. While standard cycles are produced locally, higher-end cycles are often made by assembling outsourced components. Patil makes no bones about the fact that scale is his primary asset. As the worlds largest producer of bicycles, with 45 per cent market share in India, Hero has the capacity to source globally and leverage its scale to beat down price. Brand identity is, in any case, divorced from manufacturing location (a lot of leading international brands have their cycles manufactured in China and South Asia), so there is no urgency for Indian companies
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The most expensive bicycle sold in India is believed to be a Cannondale Jekyll Ultimate. In January 2011, a buyer in Pune paid Rs 6,50,000 for this model. One of the lightest bikes in the world, it features a mix of uphill and downhill cycling capabilities. The rider can change from one mode to the other, in the process altering the geometry of the frame and his position on it. From Hyderabad, a customer shelled out Rs 4,50,000 for a Trek Remedy 9.9. Also, as of early March, a Scott Genius LT 10 worth Rs 4,25,000 was scheduled for delivery in Hyderabad. All these models are full-suspension carbon-fibre frame mountain bikes with top-notch components. Earlier, Scott India had sold an aluminium-frame Spark 40 full-suspension mountain bike priced at Rs 2,16,000.
to manufacture high-end cycles in India. Till costs compel otherwise, why not outsource and assemble? Like Indias big automobile companies, cycle manufacturers are still aiming for a mix of pricing, perception and brand. They do not yet have the dedication to cycling, performance and engineering which iconic brands have been built on. At the moment, we may well see a situation in which foreign brands drive passion in India and Indian brands reap the benefits by providing cheaper models to enthusiasts, like Heros sub-Rs 50,000 carbon-fibre cycle. Again, though, we must remember that the Indian dealers and customers are shrewd. When I mentioned a sub-Rs 50,000 carbon fibre to a new-age dealer, he said, Do you know what grade and quality of carbon fibre that is? Hero Cycles have, in fact, imported the components of the carbon-fibre frame of Red Dot from China. The dealer told me he was in no hurry to showcase Indian premium cycles and would wait for a few years for their capabilities to be proven. Another dealer, however, pointed out that a lot of iconic foreign brands, today, also make their cycles in China. Are you sure the old care and personalised attention to manufacturing still exist among the foreign brands? he asked. The 2012 Union Budget was a game-changer for the Indian premium cycle industry. Customs duty on imported cycles and bicycle-parts was increased. While the livelihood-cycle category will not be affected by this, the growing premium and super-premium segments will be impacted. It's possible that the cost of imported cycles and cycles with imported components will go up, or cheaper technology will be used to preserve price point and there will be greater manufacturing in India. Currently, high quality cycle frames and gears are either not made in India or made on a
very small scale. There is an attempt to change this, though. TI Cycles, for instance, has invested in a new facility for aluminium bicycles and their Montra range has indigenously manufactured alloy and carbon frames. The governments move was aimed at constricting brands that are wholly backed by import. But what the average cyclist would ask them is, why are you taxing something that contributes directly to the health and fitness of a citizenry? Why do you let the automobile sector,
which contributes directly to fuel consumption, pollution, ill health, accidents and congestion get away without much cost? Cycling is at an exciting stage in India. It can become an integral part of our lifestyle, but large corporations and the government need to view it as a societal boon rather than as an industry to be protected or a product to be taxed. The author is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.
P o liti ca l
c i r c le s
The bicycle is one of the election symbols granted by the Election Commission to political parties. Despite its traditional association with the masses, the bicycle is not used by any of the six national parties. However, it has a following with the state parties. As per the Commissions website, parties having the bicycle as an election symbol include the Telugu Desam, Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party, Kerala Congress (symbol frozen in March 2011), Manipur Peoples Party and Samajwadi Party. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, had cycle rallies as part of his campaign before the 2012 UP elections. Photographs of these rallies, which appeared in the media, reflect how the humble cycle is changing: some of the cycles appeared to belong to the higher end of the market. In contrast, the cycle as approved party symbol continues to be a good old roadster from the days of controlled economy.
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We have changed 16 out of 405 parts and added another 46. For the benefit of an extra power reserve.
The eponymous power-reserve indicator of the Datograph Up/Down reveals that its autonomy has been extended to 60 hours. Moreover, it is endowed with a proprietary freely oscillating hairspring and a balance wheel with eccentric poising weights for superior rate accuracy. And
while no fewer than 62 parts were reworked, Langes watchmakers preserved the proven design features. They invested a considerable amount of work that reveals itself only to aficionados an A. Lange & Shne custom that has always been appreciated. www.lange-soehne.com
New Delhi: Johnson Watch Company, A-12 South Extension Part I, Tel. +91 11 2464 2299 Mumbai: Time Avenue, 189, Turner Road, Bandra (West), Tel. +91 22 2651 5757 Chennai: The Helvetica, S-02/03, Ground Floor, Express Avenue Mall, Royapettah, Tel. +91 44 2846 4095 Hyderabad: The Helvetica, No. 1 WorldMags.net Banjara Hills, Taj Krishna Hotel, Lobby Level, Tel. +91 40 6455 5088
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Men ofthe year 2012

AAMIR KHAN 152 ANURAG KASHYAP 156 P GOPICHAND 160 VIRAT KOHLI 164 RAHUL BHATIA 166
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real men real stories
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AAMIR KHAN
What sets Aamir apart is that he can tell a good story from a bad one, and pick the most effective ones to bring to life on screen the size of that screen doesnt matter. By Mayank Shekhar
Photograph by avinash gowarikar
Men ofthe year
Shabana Azmis brother, cinematographer Baba, has been a close friend and associate of Aamir Khan for years. Once, when Aamir was over at Babas place and both were deeply engrossed in a conversation, Shabana walked into the room with tea and asked Aamir if he would like some. Without giving it much thought, Aamir said yes, and continued with the discussion. She interrupted him yet again, to check how much sugar he wanted in his tea. Forced to look her way, Aamir appeared slightly disoriented, and asked, How big is the cup? I am told this is a story Shabana loves to recount about Aamir. I know its not that funny but it reveals a lot about the actors unwavering focus. Not being good at multi-tasking is a common male weakness. Some turn this into a professional virtue. Around the mid 1990s, when producers guilds had to restrict A-list Bollywood actors from signing more than six films simultaneously, Aamir suggested he would, in fact, take up just one movie at a time. It is common practice in Bollywood now. Back then, it was unheard of. A film takes at least a year to hit the screen. Heroes are about as big as their last Friday release. Nobody is out to score a masterpiece. A good film is the one that makes money for the producer. The star is its leading male actor, who can then use his most recent hit to land magazine covers, endorsement deals, fatter pay cheques and faster cars. By the mid 90s, you could see Aamir only once a year, in theatres. These were years when he did films like Raja Hindustani, Ishq, Ghulam, Earth, Sarfarosh, Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, hedging his bets
between commercial and offbeat, intelligent and blockbuster stuff. He had stopped speaking to the film press. His contemporary Shah Rukh Khan, an interviewers delight, waxed eloquent from all platforms about everything under the sun. In interviews that occasionally appeared in the Saturday supplement of The Times Of India, Aamir would talk about film and film alone, and mostly about his own films. This is probably why, in 2006, when he sat among activists of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) in New Delhi, who were demanding rehabilitation of villagers who would lose their land to the Sardar Sarovar Project, most of his fans were surprised. Narendra Modis government banned his forthcoming release Fanaa from playing in Gujarat. There was immediate financial loss. Aamir didnt submit an apology. The NBAs demand was simply an echo of a Supreme Court ruling, but it is not hard to tell why the BJP government in Gujarat reacted so strongly to an actors endorsement of the cause. The state has reasons to fear movie stars. They command greater attention and crowds than most seasoned politicians do. Theyre certainly more loved than politicians, even if Modis fans might disagree. Aamir adds to this natural popularity film stars have a touch of personal credibility, rare for people in his industry. Hes mindful of this image. The political party in question would have known this. They had to act fast, blow things out of proportion, swiftly divert the attention from Narmada. They succeeded. Realpolitik, in the short run, usually wins.
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In 2003, when Coca Cola faced flak from a non-governmental agency for pesticide and insecticide content in their drinks, the company chose Aamir to clarify their stand. The actor certified the safety levels of the product he endorsed on television. The general perception was that the star had to service his client: they paid him money. Aamir says he could have cancelled his advertising contract with Coca Cola and become a national hero overnight, for fighting for public health against a multinational giant. But he didnt. Without the companys knowledge, he had all claims of Coca Cola independently verified by his lawyers through a neutral laboratory. Once convinced, he spoke the truth. His argument was simple: pesticides and insecticides were not being added to make Coca Cola, they already existed in the water used to make the soft drink. That was the same water we drank, and the same water we used for agriculture. Since the water goes through five levels of treatment to manufacture Coca Cola, there were considerably fewer pesticides in the cola than in the water we drink and the food we consume.
repeatedly defy conventional market wisdom.

In 2002, at least three films, if not four, about the revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh released. They all bombed. Aamirs Rang De Basanti in 2006 was about the same era and the same set of revolutionary freedom fighters. The film remains a landmark in Indian cinema. Apparently, movies about serious issues, set in a village, or based on sports, dont work in Bollywood. Theres enough empirical evidence to support this. But Lagaan was both a village and a sports film. Taare Zameen Par was about the serious issue of child education. Peepli Live was a rural film, and focussed on the serious issue of farmer suicides.
In 2012, the actor cancelled all his product endorsement contracts.

This would have slashed his annual salary by Rs 100-odd crore. He started a television show that would, every Sunday, take up a social issue, and examine it from all sides. It wouldnt have seemed moral to be seen peddling products while professing social causes between commercial breaks. He understood this, and on his own decided to take the hit. The show itself raised about Rs 100 crore from the public for chosen charities.
Six years since his sour tryst with a social cause, Aamir now had a platform of his own to speak his mind. What he said, the nation heard whether they bought into it or not is hard to verify. The government both at the Centre and states certainly took notice, and, in many cases, even swung into action. This time, politics didnt win. The intentions werent questioned. The facts were measured. Every Sunday, topics of national concern would trend on Twitter and be on every Facebook update, and phone calls would fly across the country, with people giving their own take on various social problems. Journalists resented the show Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Wins). It, possibly, reminded them of their own impotence. Most had, hopefully, joined the profession with the same missionary zeal the weekly programme stood for. One eye on the eyeballs had made most of mainstream news media blind towards addressing genuine, deeper, long-term public concerns. Satyamev Jayate was public-affairs journalism at its finest. It didnt break news, though it made some. And it came from a Bollywood star. Popular columnist Nalini Singh acknowledged this humiliation on behalf of her profession. The public acceptance of Satyamev Jayate must have also ensured healthy profits. In an interview with CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Aamir estimated the shows viewership to be 500 million people. This could be contested. But then, which estimates cant be. Besides Doordarshan and Star Plus, the show was simulcast in six languages on Star Network, and streamed online on YouTube. The channel managed to sell its ad spots and make money, and they would be happy to fund the next season.
aamir is often labelled a genius. that may be an inaccurate description of his true talent, which is his striking clarity of thought, something that eludes most geniuses. Talk to him about anything, and you sense his gift lies in finding the nutshell
Today, they are all considered Bollywood hits in their own right. The worst sufferer from market logic about serious issues is the entire business of journalism. Satyamev Jayate proved quality, researchbased programming on important subjects could deliver an interested audience. So what does Aamir Khan know that others do not? That people respond to engaging stories, effectively told? I suppose everybody knows this. What sets Aamir apart is that he can tell a good story from a bad one, and pick the most effective ones to bring to life on screen the size of that screen doesnt matter. More importantly, the honesty of his intent, even in a grotesquely mad-cap comedy like Delhi Belly, shows. People respect his choices. Theyre willing to bet on him. He becomes the change we want to see in our films, and on our televisions, and even in our public life. What about stardom? Is he the biggest weve had? That is subjective, of course, like any question about stardom ought to be. By the early 2000s, the prevailing commercial logic was, What you see is what sells (Jo dikhta hai woh bikta hai). You saw the same heroes on every billboard mapping the streets of post-liberalised India, selling everything from films to face-whitening creams. In 2001, after Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, Aamir, possibly at the peak of his career, disappeared altogether from movies and from the public space in general. He came back in 2005. In that sense, hes not like the superstars weve always known. The narcissism within him is, possibly, deeper than it is in most of his contemporaries. Money remains secondary. Hes taken his public persona and work more seriously than others. He genuinely wishes to be remembered. His legacy will survive in public memory for much longer. You can imagine an extensive Aamir Khan films retrospective at a major world festival five decades from now. This cannot be said of any of his competitors. Aamir probably doesnt think about these things too much. Most who attach a deeper meaning to their lives dont.
Aamir is often labelled a genius. That may be an inaccurate description

of his true talent, which is his striking clarity of thought, something that eludes most geniuses. Talk to him about several topics, and you sense his gift lies in finding the nutshell. He doesnt let complexities get in the way of a good first-principle argument. It is to his credit that, at least in pop-culture, hes been proven right most of the time. This helps him
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Men ofthe year
ANURAG KASHYAP
If Gangs of Wasseypur cemented his reputation as a major director, the year also saw Kashyap emerge as a mentor to aspiring filmmakers, who helps them realise their ambition with his reputation as collateral. By Akshay Manwani
Photographs by vinit bhatt
Many years from now, Anurag Kashyaps admirers will point

to 2012 as the filmmakers annus mirabilis. From the critical and commercial success of his epic two-part film, Gangs of Wasseypur to his emergence as a producer who has backed a spate of offbeat, non-formulaic films, including Chittagong, Shahid, Aiyya and Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, the past year has seen Kashyap become something of an iconoclast in the film industry. It is a year in which Kashyap has helped aspiring filmmakers realise their dreams, with his reputation as collateral.
Kashyap meets me on a Saturday evening last month, at a Caf Coffee Day outlet in Juhu, Mumbai. He walks in with a backpack slung over his right shoulder, and knowing that he was shooting his latest directorial film, Ugly, all through the previous night, one expects him to be tired. But the 40-year-old betrays no hint of fatigue. Instead, he starts talking cinema in a candid manner: about his approach to filmmaking, how he juggles his roles of director and producer, his burgeoning fan following, how he responds to criticism, and his next big project. Fame and success have taken their time in reaching Kashyap. Having worked as a writer on a number of films like Satya and Shool, which ushered in a new turn in Hindi cinema in the late Nineties, Kashyap went into what seemed like an irreversible downward spiral when his initial films, such as Paanch and Gulaal, were stuck for release in the early part of the last decade. Kashyap sees his producer garb as a way of seeking creative retribution for the days when nobody was willing to invest in him. When I really wanted to do things, nobody wanted to back me. I carry that in me. And when I see people, and I feel I can back
them, I do it. Kashyaps words ring true when evaluated against the films he has produced. From the 2008 film Aamir, where he came on board as creative producer for longtime associate Raj Kumar Gupta, to the recent indie spirit flick Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, which gave industry insider Sameer Sharma his first film as director, Kashyap has always backed the untested. There is a real desire on his part to get new talent out. Most of the time you will find him producing films of first-time directors, says Vikramaditya Motwane, who turned director with the 2010 coming-ofage film Udaan, which, Kashyap, likewise, helped produce. Kashyap, however, clarifies that his contribution as producer is mostly on the creative side. I dont bring in the money, he says, explaining that it is his associates like Guneet Monga and Sunil Bora who handle the financing. I just bring in my creative contribution. I protect the director from the insecurities of the studios. I take charge of the studios investment in the film. Despite the stated creative responsibilities, Kashyap prefers to let every director he backs do his own job, and focuses his attention on choosing the talents he would like to throw his weight behind. I spend one-and-a-half-years before allowing a film to happen. In that time, I make sure the director can handle everything. Im not trying to make my films through other people, says Kashyap. It is a quality that several of Kashyaps other collaborators, too, associate with him. Music director Amit Trivedi, who was roped in by Kashyap for Aamir, says that Kashyap never interferes in his work. He believes that he has assigned the job to a person who knows his craft. Once he sees his own passion in the person he has assigned the job to,
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he sets him free, says Trivedi. As director, too, Kashyap has refused to conform to any rules or stereotypes. Most of his films have a stark, credible element to them, and yet, he hasnt confined himself to any one genre. While Black Friday, based on journalist S. Hussain Zaidis book, was a hard-hitting take on the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, his Dev D was a refreshing contemporary telling of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyays classic Bengali novel Devdas. His films appeal to the urban intelligentsia, but he is never too far away from connecting with the hinterland with a film like Wasseypur. He will never do a film that he has already done before or a film that he feels is in the safe zone. He reinvents himself with every movie. Its a conscious decision, says Motwane. Zeishan Quadri, the 29-year-old storywriter of Gangs of Wasseypur, endorses Motwanes view, saying Kashyap is not one of those who believe, ki ek hi concept pe chaar filmein bana do (repeat the same concept again and again). Instead, says Quadri, blog Jabberwock, who doesnt necessarily view Kashyaps self-indulgence as a flaw. Art doesnt have to set out to be social service. In fact, it can become compromised if the artist consciously sets out to do something that way. Kashyaps individualism is what makes him one of the closest things Hindi cinema has had to an auteur-director, says Singh. As his fan following has grown, Kashyap hasnt isolated himself from his admirers. He is known to hold impromptu discussions with his fan base in the most informal environments, where he is often besieged by all kinds of people looking to get a break in the film industry. It is another of his attributes, which makes him stand out in the industry. I will walk on the road, Ill do whatever I want to. I like my freedom. I dont want to hide myself, says Kashyap. He says, If I set up boundaries around me, then new ideas will never reach me, says Quadri, who approached Kashyap with the broad storyline of Wasseypur at the Prithvi Theatre complex, in Mumbai, in 2009.
I spend one-and-a-half-years before allowing a film to happen. In that time, I make sure the director can handle everything. Im not trying to make my films through other people
he wants something new every time". Kashyap himself sees his relentless involvement with films as a way of tiding past peoples expectations of him. When Dev D worked, everybody wanted me to keep doing that. The pressure is too much, so you throw them off by doing a That Girl In Yellow Boots, he says rather matter-offactly. I dont want to repeat the formula. I want to do a film which is very far away from the formula, in a completely new zone. An oft-leveled criticism against Kashyap, however, is that he is a selfindulgent filmmaker. Critics point to his 2007 box office dud No Smoking and even certain sections of Wasseypur to highlight this aspect of his filmmaking. Kashyap, though, sees no harm in the label and justifies his brand of cinema by saying, For me any artist, any filmmaker, if he is not indulgent then what else is he bringing to the film. It is a statement that finds resonance with Jai Arjun Singh, film critic and writer of the popular Yet, when required, Kashyap has found a way to avoid the limelight. When I need my space, when I have to write, I disappear. I wrote Wasseypur in Madrid, Ugly in Amsterdam. But when I am here, I will not change myself. Kashyap doesnt seeing himself slowing down in the next five to seven years and says that he has about 10 to 12 interesting scripts floating around him. But the one project that has him hooked is a movie based on the comic book hero Doga, a vigilante who wears a dog mask, and he is hoping that his next big directorial venture, Bombay Velvet, does well, so that it can arm him with the necessary momentum to bring Doga to life on the silver screen. Kashyap says that Doga is interesting to him because he is human, fallible, and driven by anger. But he is in no hurry to make the film. I want to get it right, and I want to see the movie see the light of day. Its my Dark Knight.
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Men ofthe year
P GOPICHAND
One month after Saina Nehwal won Indias first Olympic medal in badminton, and P Kashyap came so close to another, a 17-year-old Indian girl beat the world No. 2. It was clear that Indian badminton had arrived. Behind it all was one man. By Sanjay Sharma
Photograph by kalyan kumar
I have had the opportunity of knowing Pullela Gopichand not just as

his biographer, but also as national coach of the Indian badminton team. I trained him in many camps between 2000 and 2003, and accompanied the national senior squad on numerous international sojourns. I have been able to understand him better than most, as we both belonged to the same fraternity, first as shuttlers I represented the country for a long time and then as coaches. The comparison, however, stops there, as Gopi excelled in both fields. He was an All England champion, and is now a Dronacharya-awarded coach. I, on the other hand, wallowed in shades of mediocrity on the international scene. Lots of qualities made Gopi unique. First and foremost, he was totally dedicated to the sport. There was nothing else I could do. Badminton was my life and failure is something I never thought about. I had to succeed at all costs and I was prepared to do my very best to achieve whatever goals I had, he once told me. He has that quintessential street-fighter type of thinking, as a player and now as a coach; he is aggressive and yet patient. An interesting anecdote from his first international event, in Malaysia, sums up the person he is. Gopi landed in Kuala Lumpur as part of the senior squad, after his mother had mortgaged her jewellery to ensure his participation. The Chinese and Indonesians ruled the roost, while Indians were hardly considered threats. Gopi, who had qualified for the event after three tough matches, won his first round match, and was drawn against the then China number two, Sun Jun, in the next round. The Indian coach and manager was eager to head back home and wanted to book Gopis return ticket for the next day. He told Gopi that since he had no chance against the Chinese star, he should also agree to depart early. I have not come here to lose, said an agitated Gopi. I have my pride as a player and I am going to defeat this opponent. I am surprised that as senior team officials you are talking like this. Please leave me alone and go back without me. While everyone else was surprised at this outburst, Gopi himself was least bothered. He lost a very close three-game match against the Chinese player and, for a long time, had a strained relationship with the officials concerned. He was never afraid to face any player, any time. His mantra was simple and this is what Saina Nehwal and her young colleagues are
taught today by this man: The game is played within the four lines of the court. How much faster your opponent can move, how high he can jump to contact the shuttle, how long he can last these things all comes down to training and strength. You may lose today and even tomorrow, but if you are constantly training, working hard and analysing these defeats, the day will soon come when you will overcome all hurdles. Gopi himself would train twice as hard as any other Indian player during the years he was trying to win the National Championships. He was ruthless on himself, and to his opponents. Badminton is not for the weak. If you cant last through a tough 75 minutes on the court, you are unfit to play competitive badminton, says Gopi. Gopis commitment to everything that he does in relation to the game was, and is, legendary. His refusal to endorse a cola brand, after winning the All England Championship, in 2001, is something that all his fans know about. Gopi refused a fairly large sum of money at the time because, I do not drink aerated drinks as I believe they are not healthy. How could I sleep peacefully if I saw even one young player drinking a cola because he saw me enjoying it in an advertisement? This is a commitment to myself money does not figure in this equation at all. As coach, his commitment has not dimmed one bit, and this is best illustrated by another story. Last year, Saina was finding it difficult to adhere to the strict diet prescribed by her coach. Her sweet tooth, and her weakness for aloo parathas and pizzas with cheese topping, is well documented. Adding to Gopis and Sainas woes was the fact that, around middle of last year, she hit a bad patch. After an early loss at the Danish Open, the player tearfully asked Gopi what was going wrong with her game. Your weight is the problem and you will have to follow a strict diet if you want to start looking like a champion, said Gopi. Saina asked Gopi to lead the way and give up junk food, so that she would also get motivated. He did just that. The result was the Olympic bronze medal and other big title wins this year. No one can do what he has done for me. He did not have to sacrifice any type of food for me after all, he is not playing nowadays. But he did that just to motivate me, said Saina, on her return from London. Gopis courage and ability to bounce back after injuries and defeats are as legendary as his commitment. Gopis career was almost over
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before it even started. He smashed his knee at the finals of the National Games in 1991, when he was just 19. While everyone gave up on him, Gopi hung on and, after three major surgeries on his knee, he not only staged a comeback, but also won five consecutive national singles championships. I knew I had the capability of taking on the best in the world. But I was so injury prone that I did not get a clear window to win big events. But I also always believed that I was going to win a big one someday. I was defeating all the big names in the world. In hindsight, I feel that had I not sustained that knee injury in 1991, I would have won more laurels for India, says Gopi. Even though he had only one long injury-free phase, of three years, Gopi left a huge mark on the international scene. He demolished the fabled wall of China, and showed his Indian peers that defeating the likes of Peter Gade (Denmark), Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) and Chen
Long (China) was difficult but not impossible. He beat every top player in the world during this period and also grabbed the historical All England title. He always used to say, If you can match them in training, you can match them on the court. The top Indian shuttlers of his era, such as Dipankar Bhattacharya, Rajeev Bagga and Abhinn Shyam Gupta, imbibed these qualities from him. Gopi retired in 2003 and plunged into coaching almost immediately. The major factor behind his decision to start the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, in 2006, was his desire to build a lasting legacy. There was no place in India where everything a player needed was available under one roof. I had observed these things abroad and felt that we must have something like that in Hyderabad. Today, six years after the academy was set up, almost the entire senior and junior Indian squads train there, under Gopis watchful eye.
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At London 2012, P Kashyap became the first ever Indian male shuttler to reach the Olympic quarters
PV Sindhu defeated Li Xuerui, the London 2012 champ, at this year's China Open
Gopichand with Saina Nehwal
We bagged our largest-ever haul of medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, and our first-ever Olympic and World Championship medals this year. But, not surprisingly, Gopi is still not satisfied
Gopi is a hard-headed man as well. When the Badminton Association of India asked him to take over as national coach in 2006, he insisted that the association meet certain demands before he accepted the role. I wanted long-duration training camps, enough exposure abroad, track trainers from Indonesia, physiotherapists present at all times, enough shuttles and other requirements. And I did not want to be disturbed by anyone in BAI. They had to have enough confidence in me to let me do things my way, remembers Gopi. Gopis contribution as a coach is unparalleled in Indian sports. In the seven years that he has been at the helm, he has revolutionised the way Indian players have approached the game. In no other sport, barring perhaps, shooting, do we have so many world-ranked players from India. Our shuttlers have eclipsed the Danes, the Indonesians and the Japanese. When PV Sindhu, just 17 years old, defeated the current Olympic champion and world number two, Li Xuerui of China, at the China Open this year, it did not raise many eyebrows. It was as if this was expected of an Indian player. When I asked her whether she was intimidated by Xueruis reputation, Gopis ward said, We have no fear of any player. They may be Chinese or Koreans, but they are just players. I just try to play my game and have the confidence that I can beat the very best in the world. The last couple of years have been an exceptional time for Indian badminon. We bagged our largest-ever haul of medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, and our first-ever Olympic and World Championship medals this year. But, not surprisingly, Gopi is still not satisfied. I am always asked whether we can one day match the Chinese, and my answer is yes. Individually, Saina or Sindhu or Kashyap (Parupalli) or Jwala (Gutta) and Ashwini (Ponappa) are fantastic. But we still do not have the bench strength to challenge the Chinese. My dream is India winning the Thomas and Uber Cups, the Sudirman Cup, the CWG team gold... This will take time, but I am a patient man.
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Men ofthe year
Virat Kohli
In 2012, he scored almost twice as many international runs as any other Indian batsman. He also flipped off the Sydney crowd and openly wept in Colombo. With Kohli, it may not always be a smooth road, but it is always entertaining. By Sidharth Monga
Photograph by colston julian/salt management
niceties come in the way of that pursuit. He can get pretty serious about a table-tennis match with a journalist he barely knows at the end of a days play. You swear at him once, he swears at you twice it doesnt matter if you are in the crowd or in the opposition. It is a dangerous route to take. He leaves himself open to judgement. People hate him because he expresses himself with a famous Hindi cuss word. They wait for him to fail. Kohli doesnt. He will one day, he surely will, but right now he doesnt. Right now, if you are a nervous India fan, the sight of him brings you more calm than that of any other Indian batsman.Right now, observers as sharp as Ravi Shastri say he is a better batsman than Rahul Dravid or Sourav Ganguly was at his age. Since the day he poured his heart out at the WACA, he has added five one-day centuries and two Test centuries to his impressive record.
People expect all this to get to his head,

but Kohli disappoints them. He has matured into an extremely level-headed person. It is usually easy to get under the skin of expressive, passionate characters. Not with Kohli. He is not apologetic about what he does well, and he doesnt hold back at what he does well. He is perhaps aware he gets the best out of himself when there is a bit of needle on. He sometimes goes looking for confrontation. It is often said Kolhi best symbolises the new brash India. That is off the mark. More than
Virat Kohli wouldnt make a good poker player. He doesnt do poker face. If you
sat across the table from him, you wouldnt have to worry about bluffs. You look at his face, and you can tell if India are winning or if he is out of form or if he has been under pressure or if the crowd has been misbehaving. I have seen Kohli use foul language on the field everyone has but I have also seen him suppress a lump at a press conference. It was in a basement at the WACA ground in Perth. Kohli was the only Indian who had done decently in the Test there, a Test that was the low point of a disastrous tour. One of the journalists there remembered that Kohli had once said that he had perhaps initially held Test cricket in such high regard that he had become afraid of it, that he had realised only later that whatever the format it was still the same game and that people like him could succeed at Test cricket too. The journalist asked him if he wanted to revisit those comments in the wake of the Australian tour. And Kohli just let loose, going off on a tangent. I dont know why people were after me even after the first game [in Melbourne], he said. There had indeed been calls to drop him after he had scored 11 and a duck in that first game. I had scored two fifties before that, in the match against West Indies [in Mumbai], and suddenly I was on the verge of being dropped after one match. Scoring eight hundreds in one-day internationals cant be a fluke. Its international cricket as well. I dont know why people have been questioning my technique and temperament so much. I have been playing at No. 3 in one-dayers, and I have not always gone to the crease with the team in a good position. All of this is a learning curve for me. I am playing on difficult wickets, in Australia. While saying that, he choked at least twice. Suddenly, you saw the man behind the gelled hair and stubble and tattoos and designer sunglasses. The thing about this man was he was willing to take you along on his journey. It is not considered cool for sportsmen to talk of insecurities, but this man didnt think much of it. People told you he was an arrogant young punk who had led a privileged and protected life, but here was a 23-year-old, insecure and wanting to excel. And, he doesnt let
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You swear at him once, he swears at you twice it doesnt matter if you are in the crowd or in the opposition. It is a dangerous route. he leaves himself open to judgement
representing brashness, he is the flailing arms a sinking team needs. Since the World Cup win last year, India have been through their worst phase in Test cricket. The last time India lost as badly as they did in England and Australia was in the 1960s. Not even the infamous lions-at-home-lambs-away 90s team of Mohammad Azharuddin did as badly. All you see around, though, is blas faces, hanging on to their places, making excuses, and promising rank turners at home. The openers, for example, hadnt scored a Test century in ages beore the home series against England, but they hide behind statistics accumulated long ago. These are times that call for desperation, for somebody like Allan Border, who rebuilt Australia after Kim Hughess captaincy broke down, and Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh and Greg Chappell all retired. Border, too, wasnt a man for niceties. He is believed to have once barred his team-mates from having a beer with the opposition. India have now lost most of their greats, who arguably stayed on for too long, and are about to lose one more. They are carrying at least a couple of other performers who are on their last legs if not completely past it. The only man who promises the Border-like reassuring desperation for India right now is Kohli. He is also capable of keeping the aesthetics of his batting intact even when he gets down and dirty. People like their cricketers modest, especially Indian. Kohli doesnt care about what people like. Kohli wants runs. Kohli wants wins. It might not always be pretty, but flailing arms arent supposed to be. Sidharth Monga is assistant editor, ESPN Cricinfo
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Men ofthe year
RAHUL BHATIA
He does not attend trendy parties or handpick airhostesses, but Rahul Bhatia has quietly gone about building Indias largest airline. By Kushan Mitra
illustration by priyanka
Le Bourget Airport, Paris, June 2005. Vijay Mallya has just

placed an order for 15 wide-bodied Airbus aircraft, including five A380 superjumbos. The Indian and global press alike are going gaga over Mallyas ostentatious order, as his airline Kingfisher is the first Indian carrier to order the 800-seat aircraft. Yet, Airbus, the European planemaker, subtly hints that there is more to come. The next evening, India time, Airbus issues a press release. A startup airline has just placed a massive order, worth $6 billion at list prices, for 100 Airbus A320 aircraft. What surprises almost everyone is that the airline is an Indian carrier and few people have heard of the promoters, even in India: Rahul Bhatia of Delhi-based InterGlobe Enterprises and his partner, Rakesh Gangwal, a Kolkata-born former chief executive of US Airways, one of the few American carriers that has managed to stay out of trouble. As newsrooms in financial publications scrambled to put together stories that June evening, there was but one quizzical refrain: Who is this Rahul Bhatia guy? In the winter of 2011, more than six years after that momentous order, and soon after IndiGo placed a follow-up order for 180 more planes from Airbus, Bhatia hosted a dinner on the lawns of Delhis Imperial Hotel. It was a different sort of evening. There were no buxom babes scampering around in skimpy dresses, no over-the-top celebrations. Executives from Bhatia's varied operations waited at the entrance to receive guests, mostly from the travel trade. The few journalists present were beat reporters, and not the high-flying elite of the Delhi media. The host was trying to make himself scarce. Bhatia stood quietly by the side, nursing a whisky, likely a Japanese malt. One of the few things that one knows about Bhatia is that he has a particular fondness for Suntorys Yamazaki 12-year-old single malt. The food served at the party was excellent, as one would expect at a party thrown by a person who loves his food: Bhatia owns one of Gurgaons top Chinese restaurants, China Club, which happens to be located on the ground floor of the tower block IndiGo calls headquarters. The nights performance was by qawwals from Delhis Nizamuddin area. But, before that, there was a short video in which Bhatia tried to explain just who he was. What became apparent was that he was not a Johnny-come-lately. Much like Jet Airways Naresh Goyal, Bhatia had started as a sales agent for global airlines during a time when physical travel agencies ruled the roost. As a young man, Bhatia worked at a travel agency started by his father, Kapil. But, armed with an engineering degree from the University of Ontario in Canada, Bhatia realised that the future of travel was in technology. InterGlobe Enterprises, the company that he
founded in 1989, well before the low-cost aviation rush in India, became the Indian distributor for Galileo, one of two global distribution systems for airline tickets and hotel reservations. But his smartest move came in 1998, when he partnered with American company Cendant to start InterGlobe Technologies (IGT). A lot of people might identify Bhatia with IndiGo and imagine the airline to be his biggest business, but, actually, it is IGT that has made him who he is today. The popular narrative is that the outsourcing revolution in India created behemoths like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro Technologies. But there were a lot of other companies that rode the outsourcing boom and became massive players in their own right. IGT was one of those companies. In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington D.C., the global aviation business, to use a tired clich, went into a tailspin. Costs had to be cut, and fast. And, as technologies were also rapidly changing around the same time, IGT entered the fray and became a global leader in providing technology solutions to airlines. When Indian low-cost airline pioneer Gorur Ramaswamy Gopinath approached IGT to handle technology and ticketing back-end for his start-up airline, Air Deccan, IGT took on the job. Around the same time, IGT also took on the task of creating the ticketing back-end for national carrier Air Indias low-cost arm, Air India Express. Nobody knows what exactly transpired afterwards, but Gopinath has alleged, over and over again, to anyone who will listen, that he was sabotaged by IGT, who sold him bum technology. Gopinath, however, has a habit of blaming anything but bad fiscal management at Air Deccan for the airlines eventual failure and acquisition by Mallya. One of Gopinaths main allegations is that InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of IGT, learnt the ropes of running a low-cost airline by using Air Deccan as a guinea pig. And the allegations of sabotage, particularly once IndiGo started operations, have not really gone away. But the fact of the matter is that Air Deccan is a distant memory in the minds of Indian air passengers. IndiGo was not the first low-cost carrier in India; in fact, by the time it started operations, in mid-2006, there was talk of a glut in Indian aviation. SpiceJet and the Nusli Wadia-promoted GoAir had started a year earlier, and Air Deccan ruled the low-cost space. IndiGos chain-smoking American boss, Bruce Ashby, decided to do something different, and that was to promote the fact that IndiGo had shiny, new factory-fresh aircraft and that the airline was always on time. IndiGos timeliness is slightly misleading, in that part of it was achieved by
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increasing the block times of flights (a Delhi-Mumbai flight once marked as taking one hour and 45 minutes on schedules was suddenly marked as taking two-and-a-half hours). But there did appear to be very few delays, their staff was pleasant, and most aircraft with a new plane smell always belonged to IndiGo. aircraft, it is Indias largest domestic airline, and it has a rapidly growing international operation as well. There is talk that Bhatia has channelled the money of all sorts of politicians into the airline, allegations that invariably do the rounds at Delhis evening parties the names of the politicians change depending on which session of Parliament is on. The allegations can often be traced to his business rivals, both past and present. Partially, that is because of the unconventional business model of the carrier, which sells its aircraft to aircraft-leasing companies and immediately leases them back, booking profits in the process. Most of these leasing companies operate out of offshore tax havens such as the Cayman Islands, and, while some are run by large global financial institutions, others have a more uncertain lineage, which some have suspected to be Indian black money. It is, on the face of it at least, a perfectly kosher method to make black money legal again. It may not be a traditional way of running an airline, in which the airline owns the aircraft, but it is perfectly legitimate; and guess what, Michael OLeary does the same thing at European budget airline Ryanair. In fact, every other Indian carrier, save state-owned Air India, does exactly the same thing. Even Kingfisher owned almost none of their aircraft. Bhatia, a giant of a man, standing over six feet tall and of a stocky build, reminds people who viewed 1990s professional wrestling of an old-school employee of Vince McMahon.
In 2008, at the first Aviation India air show, at Hyderabads old

Begumpet airport, Goyal was under severe pressure, having recently attempted to lay off several hundred junior employees. Indian television channels were all over him, and in strode Mallya to the rescue. At the first day of the show, the two aviation biggies were together on a golf cart, holding hands and hugging each other in front of the cameras. Bhatia, on the other hand, was at the back of another golf cart, looking on at the jamboree in front of him. When he was asked about the lovefest, he chose to praise the wine at the Airbus chalet. IndiGos fares were never the cheapest, albeit they were competitive and lower than those of full-fare carriers such as Jet and Kingfisher. However, their reputation grew among passengers who loved the punctuality, particularly since the boom in aviation travel had led to the
on board their planes, indigo could not help but take a swipe at their rivals. Their menu card once had the tagline: Eat Spice, Drink Beer, Fly Indigo
virtual collapse of aviation infrastructure in India. Bhatia had also delegated control to his deputies there was none of the I personally selected the airhostesses stuff, which Mallya had imposed on Kingfisher, in IndiGo. IndiGos famous arrowplane logo, their airline code, 6E (pronounced Sexy), and their few television adverts that oozed sexiness and confidence were all decisions taken by people like Ashby and his successor, the erudite and suave Bengali lawyer Aditya Ghosh. On board IndiGo flights, the sandwiches cost a bit, but were nice. Most importantly, as Air Deccans reliability went through the floor and SpiceJet battled red-ink on its books, IndiGo thrived because passengers believed that they were the most punctual airline around, even though statistics did not always bear this out. While Mallya hogged every bit of the limelight that shone on Kingfisher Airlines, and hosted massive success parties in five-star hotels, Bhatia entertained just a few people at his farmhouse in South Delhis Chattarpur area. Both Ashby and Ghosh did not talk much to the media. IndiGo prefers to communicate through occasional press releases. But, on board their planes, they could not help but take a swipe at their rivals. Their menu card once had the tagline: Eat Spice, Drink Beer, Fly IndiGo.
Even when IndiGo started flying to international destinations,

the airline kept it low key. In fact, Delhi Airport sent out a release announcing IndiGos first international flight before the airline did. But, at the end of 2012, IndiGo remains Indias only consistently profitable airline. There are days when outside the massive glass faade of Delhis low-cost terminal 1D all you can see is IndiGo planes. With over 50
He is rarely seen at parties, where gossip about him flows freely, and IndiGo and InterGlobe executives respond to SMSes only occasionally. In fact, the only time that Bhatia decided to go on a media-blitz of sorts was recently, when Mallya lashed out at him as Kingfisher was sinking. Even then, Bhatia did not have a bad word to say about anyone, but he did despair over the state of the aviation sector in India. It is not just the airline and the technology company that have made Bhatia a constant contender for various Businessman of the Year awards. He has, in the recent past, also tied-up with French hotel company Accor, and has opened up a few hotels under the Ibis brand; he owns the franchise for Hawker Beechcraft business jets in India and services the small planes; and, a year ago, he launched The ESTD, an ultra-luxury brand that deals in fantastically expensive boats, bikes and cars, such as Swedish supercar brand Koenigsegg. Bhatia sells these products to people whose parties he rarely attends, and, while he might well drive the Koenigsegg Evora or the Gumpert, his daily commute to office is in a large German sedan. Lately, Bhatia told Mint that he is also considering venturing into education, yet another booming sector. But the company is far from finalising their plans. When the Directorate General of Civil Aviation released the domestic passenger traffic numbers in October, which showed that IndiGo had the highest market share, there was little noise from the company. We keep our heads down and get the job done," an IndiGo executive had said to this columnist once. When asked about their owner, executives say that he does not interfere with their jobs; there is no unsolicited advice; nor are there strategic decisions that they find out about in the mornings newspapers. Bhatia has little desire to hobnob in that country-club some otherwise know as the Rajya Sabha. That said, one really ought to introduce Bhatia to Nikka, because they make better malts than Suntory.
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The idea: to combine a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar in a Lange 1.
Calibre L082.1 with the overhead calendar module
The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar is a timepiece created by A. Lange & Shne that combines superb legibility with discretion. The characteristic dial of the Lange 1 inspired the master watchmakers to reconfigure the classic perpetual calendar
complication in a totally new way: instead of on a subsidiary dial, the months are indicated on a peripheral ring whose advancement is controlled by a complex sampling mechanism for the durations of the months. This allowed the calendar indications, which all
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The result: readability and discretion.
LANGE 1 TOURBILLON PERPETUAL CALENDAR
advance instantaneously thanks to an ingenious mechanical energy storage concept, to be displayed without overlaps. The second complication, a tourbillon with patented stop seconds, delivers the ultimate in rate accuracy. It is not visible at first glance because,
again in the interest of readability, an aperture in the dial was omitted. However, its unerring progression can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback, in keeping with the discretion that characterises the A. Lange & Shne style. www.lange-soehne.com
New Delhi: Johnson Watch Company, A-12 South Extension Part I, Tel. +91 11 2464 2299 Mumbai: Time Avenue, 189, Turner Road, Bandra (West), Tel. +91 22 2651 5757 Chennai: The Helvetica, S-02/03, Ground Floor, Express Avenue Mall, Royapettah, Tel. +91 44 2846 4095 Hyderabad: The Helvetica, No. 1WorldMags.net Banjara Hills, Taj Krishna Hotel, Lobby Level, Tel. +91 40 6455 5088
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Only we can spend two years for you to read the date better.
Units disc and tens cross of the Lange outsize date
During the past two decades, the Lange 1 probably won more awards than any other watch and with its face has become the ambassador of the Saxon Manufaktur. With the new Grand Lange 1, A. Lange & Shnes master watchmakers have circumspectly
enriched its legacy: to safeguard the harmonious equilibrium of the Lange 1, its characteristic dial with the off-centre, nonoverlapping indications was enlarged exactly proportionally. It wasnt sufficient to merely enlarge the movement. Instead, the
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And we hope you will notice.
GRAND LANGE 1
Saxon master watchmakers had to develop a completely new manufacture calibre and in the process endowed its oscillation system with a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house. Even though the elegance of the watch with a case diameter of
40.9 millimetres and a height of only 8.8 millimetres is striking, a closer look is needed to discover the newly developed facets of the Grand Lange 1 a degree of understatement that reflects the values upheld by A. Lange & Shne. www.lange-soehne.com
New Delhi: Johnson Watch Company, A-12 South Extension Part I, Tel. +91 11 2464 2299 Mumbai: Time Avenue, 189, Turner Road, Bandra (West), Tel. +91 22 2651 5757 Chennai: The Helvetica, S-02/03, Ground Floor, Express Avenue Mall, Royapettah, Tel. +91 44 2846 4095 Hyderabad: The Helvetica, No. 1WorldMags.net Banjara Hills, Taj Krishna Hotel, Lobby Level, Tel. +91 40 6455 5088
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176 writers and drinkers 180 Going froth in Belgium 186 8 Single Malts Every Man Should Stock 188 INDIA'S BIGGEST LIQUOR STORE 190 Ten grand for 30 ml cognac 192 wine investments 194 new whiskies 196 champagne boot camp 198 bacardi: the first 150 years 202 Machismo and Bravado: Drink and the Malayalee Male
drinking man SPECIAL 2012

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| w h i s k y s to ry|
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he Balvenie Forty is a unique single malt created by Malt Master, David Stewart, by combining small quantities of The Balvenie Single Malt from some of the rarest casks at the distillery, where whisky has been maturing for at least four decades.
Each batch of The Balvenie Forty is unique and just 150 bottles of this fourth batch will be released for sale by the Speyside distillery.
David Stewart created this latest release of The Balvenie Forty, using a marriage of rare Balvenie whisky aged in six different European Sherry butts to produce a wonderfully refined and complex single malt. Batch four of The Balvenie Forty is almost syrupy in whisky terms; it has a
wonderful creamy fruitiness and a velvety texture underpinned by The Balvenies characteristic honeyed sweetness. For me, the notes of orange
marmalade and tangy citrus cut through to create balance and complexity, says Stewart. The limited edition Balvenie Forty is presented in a benery and hand-engraved by Sams father, John.
Glenfiddichs first-ever 19 year old single malt Scotch whisky is a tribute to the pioneering zest of 15th spoke wooden box, handmade in oak by Scottish craftsman Sam Chin- Century Portuguese explorers
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The Spirit of Adventure
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Rich and delicious, the 19 year old Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask Finish has aromas of ripe fig, caramelised fruit and spicy notes of cinnamon and black pepper. The Glenfiddich Age of Dicovery can be found at the following locations, amongst others: Delhi: B-Bar Saket, Leela Palace Chanakyapuri, Leela Kempinski Gurgaon, House of Spirits Saket. Mumbai: Hakkasan Bandra, Yauatcha BKC, Manjrekar Wines Domestic Airport, Silver Coin Bandra, Shah Wines Crawford Market. Glenfiddich has also unveiled a stunning new bottle and box for its exceptional Glenfiddich 21 Year Old. The deep burgundy packaging theme and infusion of spicy warmth and tantalising notes of vanilla and toffee with hints of ginger, spice and banana, makes Glenfiddich 21 Year Old the perfect gift. Uniquely finished in Caribbean rum casks, the beautiful bottle, exceptional taste and innovative production methods make this a truly special whisky. The intricately designed bottle and box reflect the exceptional taste of the special liquid inside. The premium box contains textured deep burgundy coloured paper, a removable plinth, filigree labels and a booklet highlighting the heritage, provenance and story behind the Glenfiddich 21 Year Old. Says Glenfiddich Malt Master Kinsman, Glenfiddich 21 Year Old is one of the most special whiskies we make. After patiently maturing in American oak casks, the precious liquid is then decanted into unique hand-selected Caribbean rum casks for its final maturation. Whether treating yourself or giving it as a gift, the Glenfiddich 21 Year Old is a whisky to be savoured.
ioneering the sea routes from Europe to Thailand and Malaysia in search of a sea passage to India, Portuguese explorers established the city of Macao in China; gave Taiwan the name Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island) and discovered the islands of Porto Santo and Madeira, revolutionising our understanding of the world. The Glenfiddich Distillery now celebrates the adventurous spirit of these 15th century explorers by launching Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask Finish. It is also Glenfiddichs first-ever 19 year old single malt scotch whisky. Says Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman, The pioneering and adventurous spirit of these explorers has stayed with us across centuries and we are delighted to launch a range of whiskies which celebrate and remember the Age of Discovery. In 1886, our founder, William Grant, had also set out on his very own journey to fulfil a lifelong ambition. Armed with self-belief and the help of his family he built up The Glenfiddich Distillery and, nearly 125 years later, this pioneering, adventurous spirit inspires us to create the very best dram in the valley. At Glenfiddich, we pride ourselves in offering a range of single malts. With Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask Finish, this is the first time we have used Madeira casks to finish a whisky, celebrating the adventurous spirit we share with such intrepid explorers. The Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask Finish comes in a black glass bottle embellished with a red cartouche compass and encased in an outer display box, adorned with creative illustrations, mapping out the travels of Portuguese explorers.
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drinking man
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The muse in the bottle

Through the years, literary greats have invariably been associated with alcohol. Warren DSylva explores the lives and works of some famous alcoholic writers
Ernest Hemingway pouring himself a shot of liqour at his home in Cuba
As an aspiring writer, I have followed closely the lives of several authors, who have impressed upon me, in many ways, that writing is a gift of circumstance. These writers, to my bad luck, have survived either a war, an abusive childhood, homosexuality, death or poverty; all allegedly key ingredients for being a bloody fantastic writer. In college, at the height of my existentialist writer phase, I discovered the greats: Dostoevsky, Camus, Hemingway, Truman Capote, Fitzgerald, Ken Kesey, Allen Ginsberg. And every one of their books left me in a state of depression, which further led to self doubt, isolation and drinking, which finally led to me being existentially aware of my utter stupidity. Since then, Ive given up trying to be a good writer and have instead modelled my life on the lives of many of my favourite writers. And, like most of my writer Gods, I take my drinking
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getty images (hemingway); Corbis (thompson)
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very seriously. Drinking, fortunately, is the only leveller I have with many great writers. I discovered Ernest Hemingway through anecdotes of his drinking escapades in Parisian bars and at the infamous house parties of Gertrude Stein, who had a considerable influence on Hemingway and his writing. Alcohol was the social glue that bonded together the best minds of the Lost Generation, under one roof F. Scott Fitzgerald, a champagne glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other; Ezra Pound standing by the bar sermonising on the virtues of absinthe; James Joyce lounging on a leather couch, a glass of scotch resting on his knee; and Hemingway stapled to a corner, pissing into the fireplace. Gertrude Steins menagerie of debauched intellectuals had prescribed a lifestyle for writers for decades to come. As Fitzgerald put it, Sometimes I wish Id went through those good times stone cold sober so I could remember everything, he said, but then again, if I had been sober the times probably wouldnt have been worth remembering. While the early 1900s brought with it war, economic depression and prohibition, it prepared a golden harvest for the literary imaginations of the 20th century. The modernists, as they called themselves, were cut from a different cloth, and prepared the world for a different subject and theme, one that sought to question and understand the new humanity that arose in the aftermath of the War. To cope with this new world, writers and artistes seemed to look for a mode of escape rather than a stimulus for legendary drinker, could write under the influence of alcohol. Truman Capote, one of the post-war era's leading American writers, whose prose shimmered with clarity and quality, died yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 59, Capotes obituary in the New York Times read. Capote, best known for his non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, was what you might call the quintessential literary celebrity. He took away the image of a writer sitting in a damp basement hacking away at a broken typewriter and replaced it with one of a novelist spending the summer in Spain, sipping sangria and contemplating the use of commas. I had to be successful, and I had to be successful early, Capote said in 1978. The thing about people like me is that we always knew what we were going to do. Many people spend half their lives not knowing. But I was a very special person, and I had to have a very special life. I was not meant to work in an office or something. But I always knew that I wanted to be a writer and that I wanted to be rich and famous. It was the rich and famous lifestyle that led to the drinking and drugs. Pleasures grew into addictions and the addictions created a wall of insecurities that resulted in Capotes tendency to discuss rather eloquently his ideas for upcoming books that he never planned to write. Capote, in a very entertaining conversation with Groucho Marx on the Dick Cavett Show, talks about writing under the influence of alcohol. I dont think anybody can write when theyre drinking. A writer can get
The stories about Hunter S Thompson, founder of the famous gonzo school of journalism, are far more popular than the stories he wrote
creativity. War made a mythical hero of Ernest Hemingway, just as the Depression was given its face by John Steinbeck. Hemingways success as a writer came from his experiences in war, bullfighting, fishing and hunting, and each of these macho expeditions were washed down with two bottles of rum and a case of beer. In an article written by Frank Rich, editor of Modern Drunkard (must read for all drunkards), there is an interesting bit about Hemingways routine as a writer in Cuba, where he wrote The Old Man and the Sea. He writes, Hemingway ascribed to a done by noon, drunk by three work ethic i.e. he would rise at 6 a.m., write standing up at his typewriter until noon, then sally forth to the Floridita Bar where he would hold court and invent the daiquiri. Another famous alcoholic writer and, not surprisingly, a close friend of Hemingways was F. Scott Fitzgerald. A champion of the jazz age and considered one of the finest writers of the 20th century, Fitzgerald sat back with a gin in his hand and witnessed his own fall from greatness. During his lifetime, he was a talented writer and a famous drunk known to introduce himself as F. Scott Fitzgerald, the well known alcoholic. Fitzgerald capitalised on this persona of being a hard drinker; his drinking became such a prevalent part of his life that alcohol and alcoholics appear as central characters throughout his writing. Whether it was the revellers at Gatsbys parties or the disastrously young married couple in The Beautiful and the Damned, he plied his characters with booze. Whether fictional or real, his life was one big riotous party that covered up the bitter scars of marriage and numbed the fears of being less than great. His marriage was doomed to tragedy and embarrassing public theatrics as his wife Zelda began to suffer bouts of depression and was finally institutionalised, at which time Fitzgeralds dependence on alcohol increased. In a letter to a friend he wrote: A short story can be written on a bottle, but for a novel you need mental speed that enables you to keep the whole pattern in your head and ruthlessly sacrifice as Ernest did in Farewell to Arms. If a mind is slowed up ever so little it lives in the individual part of a book rather than in a book as a whole; memory is dulled. A 2011 collection titled On Booze is said to be Fitzgeralds final contribution of drinking stories, from beyond the grave. Its unique in that it is far from fictional, but instead is a random collection of essays and story ideas related to drinking, and a couple of letters written while drunk. One entry reads, began tippling on page 2 and am now positively holy. While a lot of writers courted the notion of being fabled drinkers and revellers, none of them, according to Truman Capote, another
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It's impossible to drink and write, said Capote
Fitzgerald with wife Zelda
a days work done and then take a few drinks after to loosen up his mind, but its impossible to drink and write. If theres any one thing in the world that requires total concentration, its writing. Later in the show, he goes on to reveal that hes broke and had all his money taken away by the Internal Revenue Service. There are writers youd want to write like, writers youd want to be like and writers youd want to ride with. Hunter S. Thompson is one writer Id want to get into a car with and drive across state. The stories about Mr. Thompson are far more popular than the ones he wrote. Founder of the famous school of gonzo journalism (if others went to that school, I am ignorant), Thompson worked as a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, covering events with feverish anxiety and a
During his lifetime, he was a talented writer and a famous drunk known to introduce himself as F. Scott Fitzgerald, the well known alcoholic
restless loathing of politics and the rich. Following the success of his Fear and Loathing books, he was asked by a fellow Rolling Stone journalist about the possibility of writing a straight, serious novel. Thompson glanced at his arsenal of amphetamines and alcohol and replied, yes, but without that stuff, Id have the brain of a second-rate accountant. If you read Thompson, youd know that he only wrote under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It would be interesting to throw in another dangerous mind, that of William S. Burroughs, and make a Molotov cocktail out of the two. Both Thompson and Burroughs drank and used drugs in unconventional proportions (rock stars being the benchmark for being conventional), and experimented with substances to explore creativity. Both writers loved guns. Thompson shot a friend, fired at a millionaires mansion and shot himself dead. Burroughs shot his wife during a drunken game of William Tell in which he placed a glass on her head and took aim. Whats remarkable is not a drunk man wanting to play with a gun, but a drunken woman ready to play target. In fact, the two writers have shot together and theres an account of it, written by Thompson in Rolling Stone. William S Burroughs preferred drug was methadone and his drink of choice was vodka-coke. A central member of the post World War-II Beat Generation, which also included Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, it was Borroughs responsibility to test inspirational substances before his peers. His celebrated book, Naked Lunch, was an obscure, bizarre result of his inspirational substance testing. Nonetheless, Norman Mailer considered the collection of fragmentary notes, hallucinatory thoughts and drunken ramblings that make up Naked Lunch as genius literature. Allen Ginsberg later wrote about the best minds of another generation of Beat writers and artistes who were slowly being destroyed
by substances far more harmful than alcohol. It was creativity residing in squalid naked conditions, huddled in a corner in desperate need for a fix. It was a difficult, angry, bitter time, in which Ginsberg wrote: America Ive given you all and now Im nothing America Go fuck yourself with your atom bomb. Like I said, Ive never experienced war, sexual anomaly or abuse. It is impossible for me to be emotionally profound given my stable background, which is why I drink. I drink out of frustration at my pitifully joyous condition. And so I continue to aspire. Maybe, there will be a war. Dare I say it, another Partition perhaps? This time let it be between Christians and Parsis, and let the partition be a line of whisky bottles. Now thats a story.
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A rich, complex blend

The award-winning Grants 12 Year Old introduces connoisseurs to another dimension in Scotch whisky
rants Whisky is a story of passion, commitment and craftsmanship. These attributes are as pronounced today as they were five generations ago when the founding family set up the renowned company. Grants 12 Year Old grabs your attention right away it is warm and fruity with just the hint of spice. It is a masterful blend of only the finest single malt and grain whiskies, each matured in oak casks for a minimum of 12 years. The blend is then finished in first-fill American whisky casks for a further six months. This imparts an extra flavour layer, resulting in a complex whisky where individual tastes fit together perfectly to create a full-bodied Scotch of exceptional richness Heres the best way to enjoy this whisky. Pour a measure of Grants 12 Year Old into a glass. Adding an equal amount of water releases more flavour. Swirl the liquid around, then draw in the aroma through your nose. You will definitely enjoy the nosing process. When you sip, the taste is sweet and rich, with a mix of vanilla, honey and spice. This leads into a long, soothing and warm finish.
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Fuck, the pages are all over the floor. In my greenhorn hands is a tome. More than 600 beers, many of them vintage, some over 30 years old, meticulously catalogued in a dusty folder. And what have I done? Ive let the three beers, two jenever shots and one glass of horrid red wine already in me undo the spiral binding, causing several sheets of paper to cascade onto my boots. I can never get used to going to a bar alone. I remind myself, endlessly, of how irrational my selfconsciousness is. I am not someone who has no
one to drink with. I am, at times, surrounded by so many people that I have to fend them off and run away, to drink alone. I can walk into a bar and down two large pegs of rum while waiting for someone with brazen confidence, knowing that the security of company is only temporarily delayed rather than altogether absent. But I find it impossible to conjure up the illusion, even in my own mind, that someone is coming when I know no one is. I feel like the new kid in school again, whose conspicuous isolation everyone has stopped their private
Going froth in Belgium

It is not possible to drink all the beer in Belgium. Or to taste every flavour of jenever. But that did not stop Dustin Silgardo from trying.
conversations to observe. None of this, however, is an excuse for destroying the earnestly maintained menu at Kulminator, in Antwerp. It is simply background to illustrate the intense rush of panic I, already nervous just for being
there, felt when I found myself clasping a quickly disintegrating plastic folder. I expected Kulminator, a regular winner of international best beerpub awards, to be a lot larger and airier than it
was. I did not expect a dark, cellar-like ambience, something I associate more with wine bars. That proves how little I, even after two trips to Belgium, know about beer. The beers served at Kulminator are not meant to be chugged at large tables amid boisterous toasting, or even swigged lazily on a riverfront; these are aged brews, meant to be consumed intensely they are to be looked at for a few minutes in the bottle, then delicately poured, then sniffed several times, before you even take the first sip. The pub is run by
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Dirk Van Dyck and Leen Boudewijn, an old married couple who run the place without any other employees. Leen plays bartender and waitress. She flashes a look at me and I can tell she has glimpsed the mortification in my eyes; she knows I have done something clumsy. I wait till she is distracted by another customer, then frantically gather up the loose pages of the menu and stuff them back in the folder in random order. Im still trying to shove the last few pages in when the man next to me at the bar asks, in a thick Australian accent, if he can have a look at the selection. I shrug, hand it to him; he takes it, the pages fall to the floor again, he thinks its his fault; he, being Australian, is barely apologetic, announcing loudly that hes destroyed the menu; Leen looks at him disparagingly, takes the remnants of the folder from him and starts carefully piecing it back together; I hide my face in my glass. The Australian and I later talk about how much better aged beer is than new stuff, we debate over which years batch of Westvleteren 12 (globally acknowledged as one of the best beers available) was the tastiest, he grabs me by the arm and leads me to a glass window through which you can see the temperaturecontrolled room in which the beers are ageing, and he tells me that the late Michael Jackson used to frequent Kulminator. This is probably the one place in the world you could hear that and not picture a white glove holding a Belgian ale, though that is an amusing image. Everyone here knows the name Michael Jackson as that of the British beer and whisky expert. We look
Delirium, in Brussels, serves over 2000 types of beer
Kulminator, in Antwerp, is famous for serving aged beer, from as far back as the 1970s
through a list Kulminator has kept of their visitors from different countries. They have data up to 2003, when three Indians visited Kulminator in the whole year. I feel special. I am glad of one thing: Kulminator is the culmination of my trip to Belgium. Had my stash of Euros not been depleted to the point it is, I would probably have spent 30 on a 1977 Chimay Blue. As it is, I end up spending 10 (Rs 704) on a 330ml bottle of 2006 Rochefort 10 and then 12 (Rs 850) on a 1995 La Trappe Quadrupel. These sound like obscene amounts to spend on beer, I know. But frankly, Id have paid even more. This is not just a night out at the pub. Its an experience. The Rochefort 10, brewed at the oldest of Belgiums six recognised Trappist breweries (Rochefort Brewery has been brewing beer since 1595), is a reddishbrown dark beer. I like the beer even normally, for its distinct cocoa and caramel notes, and, when aged, those flavours are accentuated. The La Trappe 1995 arrives in a bottle so old it no longer has a label. The neck of the bottle is covered in dust the beer looks like its been pulled straight out from an entanglement of cobwebs in a medieval dungeon. La Trappe is actually a Dutch beer, from the only Trappist brewery in the Netherlands, the De Koningshoeven brewery. Ive already tasted the beer earlier in the evening and loved its creamy feel and fruity taste. In the aged form, any chance of the beer becoming too sweet has been eradicated by 17 years of ageing, and whats left is a sophisticated smoky, spicy beer. You can taste the oak in which the beer has been aged too. I also manage to fit in a glass of Malheur Bruin, a strong, dark chestnut ale that Kulminator is serving on tap. Our night ends with Dirk animatedly telling us the story of how he travelled to Rajasthan and Haridwar some years ago. When I see the long-haired yogi in the picture he is showing me start waving, I know it is time to head back to my hotel. day in Antwerp with my head feeling about as cloudy as the sky outside. The night before had started with a glass of Duvel Tripel Hop at Lux, a chic contemporary Belgian restaurant. Duvel is traditionally made with two hops Saaz-Saaz from the Czech Republic and Styrian Golding from Slovenia and the Tripel Hop made its first appearance in 2007, when Amarillo (from the USA) was the third hop used in the brewing process. The Tripel Hop was brewed again in 2010, after a Facebook group demanding its return garnered a significant number of members, and Duvel has now announced that they will brew one
I had begun my second
batch of Tripel Hop a year, with a different third hop used every time. The 2012 batch is the first of these, and it includes Citra, a citrusy American hop with a heavy aroma of tropical fruit. I was particularly excited at the prospect of tasting the Tripel Hop as I had a visit to the Duvel Moortgat brewery scheduled the next day. I was so excited, in fact, that I went right ahead and drank three glasses of the Tripel Hop, and then three glasses of De Koninck at Cafe Pelgrim, and missed the morning bus to the brewery. De Koninck, by the way, is a local Antwerp ale, served in a round glass called a bolleke (pronounced bollocker), and dangerously gentle on the palate. Caf Pelgrim is right across the road from the De Koninck brewery, so the ale off the tap tastes fresher than anywhere else. Some local Antwerpers like to chase a glass of De Koninck with De Koninck yeast. Some local Antwerpers like to encourage nervouslooking tourists to drink more than they should, so that they wake up late the next day and miss what was supposed to be the highlight of their trip. I still had a chance to make the tour of the Liefmans brewery, which is owned by Duvel. Liefmans is famous for its lambic beers sour, cidery beers produced by exposing the wort to natural yeast and bacteria in particular, its Kriek (cherry beer). Getting to the brewery, though, involved travelling close to 100 km using an alien public transport system, reading directions in Flemish, in the pouring rain. I took the wrong tram, then the wrong bus, misunderstood a message delivered in
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Beer Mania, one of Brussels' famous beer stores
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sign-language, was asked to step off the bus by a bus driver for reasons as yet unknown, and Boom. Thats where I landed up. Its a municipality, north of Antwerp. A good traveller is never afraid of being lost. A good traveller, when lost, has a look around, gives up easily, and thinks, Ah well, may as well have a pint. In these situations, the best pub is the one closest to where you are. I walked into one not 20 metres from the bus-stop at which I had been curiously offloaded. It was a nondescript establishment, the kind where the waiter hurries outside every time he sees an unattended car, to stick a flyer under its windshield-wipers. The kind where old men walk in and are brought their Westmalle Tripels without needing to order. I took the opportunity to order a Grimbergen Dubbel, a beer that has been the source of some conflict in my family. My cousin exalts it as his favourite beer the boor doesnt know his ales from his lagers whereas I, though secretly fond of it, denounce it on the grounds of it being owned by Heineken, a company that is an aspiring beer snobs sworn enemy. Here, in Boom, I feel distanced enough from my world to drink it, albeit with a guilty grin. Originally produced by monks in the Grimbergen abbey, north of Brussels, Grimbergen beers are now made by Alken-Maes, which is indirectly owned by Heineken. The Dubbel has the right amount of sweetness caramel,
While everyone knows Belgium for its beers, there is a lot to be discovered in the world of flavoured jenever
brown sugar and toffee cut by the 6.5 per cent alcohol content. It has a relatively light body, which is not such a bad thing when you have to find your way back from the middle of nowhere. A good traveller never stops after one beer. Once back in Antwerp, literally as soon as I entered the city, I walked into another nondescript bar (once again chosen by virtue of proximity to the bus-stop) and ordered a glass of Palm Speciale. This is a beer I had been intrigued by for naive reasons I had assumed that fermenting palm leaves was part of the process of making it, as it is in making Goan palm feni. I was rather upset to know that it was an ale, made in the traditional Belgian style, and am even more upset now, as I cannot find anywhere the reasons for it being named Palm. Anyway, I drank it. It is a light, refreshing beer, with a little bitterness and also a hint of lemon. I must admit that my memory of the beer has been slightly marred by recently gained knowledge that it is a commonly drunk ale in Belgium and even quite popular in New York. I was headed back to my room, where I planned to nap for a couple of hours before stepping out for the evening, when I was compelled to stop outside this empty bar by a sound. Aretha Franklins Ill say a little prayer a song whose modern version makes one feel truly embarrassed to be a part of this generation was playing off an old vinyl player. On the walls hung a bunch of other old records Id sell a kidney to own. The only drawback was that the bartender could not understand a word I was saying, and my attempt to order a pint of Duvel resulted in me being handed the most awfullooking and tasting glass of red wine Ive ever been around. Of course, I drank it anyway. and wrote about those beers with the haughtiness only a young brat who thinks he is the only Indian who has ever drunk a Belgian beer can manage. I then proceeded to write several stories about gin, regularly referring to history accumulated from Wikipedia and trivia websites. This September, when I went to Belgium, I did not recognise the word jenever. I am a truly loathsome, detestable human being. Jenever, or Dutch gin, is the spirit from which modern gin evolved. It originated when juniper was used to mask the strong, unpalatable flavour malt wine had when the Dutch distilled it to 50 percent ABV (Alcohol by volume). That is all the history I am going to narrate. My fear of sounding like a conceited arse only to be disproved is, Im sure you will agree, well warranted. In Belgium, jenever is drunk in shot glasses, and these days the young folk like drinking flavoured jenever you get it in everything from lychee to mango. Ghent is a university town in which the rebellion of youth is ingrained in the
cobblestones 65,000 of the 165,000 people living in the main city are students. This is a town in which the students once stormed and took over a fort because the government had raised the price of alcohol. It is the kind of town where you find shoes hanging on clothes-lines as a sign of some unknown protest; where the meat markets are landmarks for places you can buy cannabis; where things are slow on Monday mornings because people are recovering from the weekend. So, when your 60-year-old, punkhairstyle sporting, denimjacket wearing guide named Anna Marie tells you to beware of drinking jenever in Ghent, you tend to take her seriously. That is, of course, until you discover how tasty it is. Dangerously for me, this discovery took place around six hours after I had started sipping champagne aboard a leisurely cruise along the citys canals. Since then, I had consumed a couple of glasses of beer a Lindemans Kriek and an Achel Brune at the trendy restaurant Pakhuis, and then headed to Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, Ghents most famous pub. Set on the waterfront of the river Lys, Waterhuis
I am a loathsome human being. In the summer of 2008, I spent four days in Belgium. In those four days, I drank many beers. I came back
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A bottle of 1995 Rochefort, at Kulminator
is renowned for its wide selection of beers and its exclusive house brews. I start with one of them, the Gandavum Dry Hopping, an exquisite, balanced, strong golden ale. I sip it slowly under an umbrella, on the terrace by the river, and listen to a couple of Marwari businessmen talk to two locals about investing in India. Next on tap is the Klokke Roeland, an 11.5 percent monster of an amber ale. I must admit, I tried this mainly as a challenge, to see if I could stand afterward, but I ended up sincerely enjoying the bittersweet flavour, the hints of strawberry and ginger, and the creamy texture. At about this time, I discovered that the door behind me was not another entrance to Waterhuis, but, in fact, another bar altogether. And not just any bar, but 't Dreupelkot, home to more than 200 different varieties of jenever, including some homemade ones. The owner, Pol, a large man with a neat white beard, is an expert on jenever and has made some varieties himself. He is not, however, an expert in English, and I have to order my drink by pointing, with stubby finger and hazy eye, at the menu. I try his homemade vanilla jenever and he stares over me as I bend low to sip from the full shot glass while it is still on the table, in order not to spill. He smiles in approval at my technique, then quickly becomes alarmed when I down the rest of the shot in a gulp and ask for a chocolate one. It wasnt till two days later, when I was sitting in Antwerps best jenever bar, De Vagant, that I realised what had perturbed Pol so. Jenever is meant to be sipped slowly and ponderously. I find this quite hard. At De Vagant,
The owner of 't Dreupelkot, in Ghent, makes some varieties of jenever himself
which has around 400 varieties of jenever available, I try the mango flavour. Served cold, the drink goes down extremely smoothly and I am tempted to drink it quickly so I can try more varieties. I decide to keep pace with the man sitting beside me. He, however, has clearly come to the bar primarily to deliberate over some pressing internal conflict. He precedes each sip with a look of astonishment, as if he is surprised each time to find himself in a bar with a glass before him. I finish the shot of mango jenever and one of orange before he is halfway through his first shot, and head to Kulminator. It is to be noted, though, that neither on this day, nor the one at 't Dreupelkot, did I pass out or totter home the way Anna Marie predicted I would. Perhaps, what she didnt know was that while the Belgians are indeed committed drinkers, I am a Goan. drink, drink a lot. I took this very seriously. In Bruges, while the rest of our touring party pedalled leisurely through all those canals and bridges and cobbled streets and those churches and all that beautiful fucking fairytale stuff, I raced my cycle to the local brewery, De Halve Maan, which produces Bugse Zot, winner of the 2012 World Beer Award for best Belgian style blonde. The brewery serves two beers on tap, the golden blonde ale and a darker version of the ale, called Bruges Zot double. Both are refreshing beers, though the aroma and taste of yeast is slightly overpowering. In Brussels, I abandoned a guided tour of the city and hustled through the crowded, narrow streets, clutching my wallet firmly all the time, towards Delirium Caf, where I was to meet my cousin and his girlfriend. A tourist going to Delirium is a bit of a clich, and I should probably have scouted out some little-known bar, away from the tourist area, but how can you argue with a place that is in the
Guinness Book of Records for serving over 2,000 beers? What was intended to be a quick one-pint stop invariably turns into a binge of which I shall restrict my description to a few highlights. You cannot go to Belgium and not drink Kwak. Its a beer popular among both locals and tourists in pretty much every city in the country. The novelty value lies in the unique test-tubeshaped glass, which is slotted into a wooden stand, but beyond that is a beer that serves as a great introduction to the world of Belgian ales. An amber strong ale, Kwak has moderate flavours and good balance, with enough taste of Belgian yeast to introduce you to the genre. From the Lefebvre Brewery come Barbar and Hopus, two beers we tried as much for their quirky names as anything else. We found the Barbar, a strong pale ale containing honey, too sweet for our liking while the Hopus, a strong pale ale featuring five different hops, had a nice blend of herbs and dried fruits. The Cookie beer, from La Brasserie d'Ecaussinnes, and Mongozos coconut beer, served in a coconut shell, are novelty beers that you take three sips of, hand to your girlfriend and
I was sent to Belgium with a simple directive:
then never drink again. (If saying women like their alcohol sweet is sexist, Im guilty). The star of the evening was, without doubt, the Tripel Karmeliet. Brewed with wheat, oat and barley, this golden abbey tripel performs the improbable task of being both light and creamy. The first thing that strikes you about the beer is the massive head you get when you pour it. The cereals give you the impression youre drinking a witbier, but theres enough sweetness to remind you its a Belgian tripel. Some things you do in life are hard to explain later, even to yourself. I am not quite sure why, after having left Delirium for an excellent veal cheek at Les Brigittines, I found myself back in the pub, alone, at around 11pm. I know this, it was not because I wanted another glass. Well, it was not only because I wanted another glass. I knew that to get through this trip to Belgium, Id have to get over my fear of drinking alone. I struggled through the bodies at the now packed bar, and sheepishly ordered a Delirium Tremens, the pubs exclusive beer that features on several lists of the worlds best beers. I took my mug to a corner of the bar and tried to look inconspicuous. The taste of the Delirium Tremens is a nice balance between alcohol, fruits and spices. Somewhere between that corner, the waterfront in Ghent, the brewery in Bruges, watching my pondering partner in De Vagant and the 1995 La Trappe in Kulminator, I come to this conclusion: drinking alone is hard, but its a lot less hard when youre drinking something great.
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Amrut
Cluster: World Whiskies, Bangalore Owner: Amrut Distilleries (Jagdale Group)
8 Single Malts Every Man Should Stock

From nutty, smoky Speysiders to peat bombs from Islay, malt maniac Krishna Nukala picks his favourites
What is an Indian whisky doing in the world of single malts? Well, actually, Amrut is making waves in Europe and America. Amrut is produced on the outskirts of Bangalore, on Mysore Road, and the guys at Amrut make single malt the way it is meant to be made: with loads of passion. The barley is sourced from Punjab and Rajasthan, and, if it is a peaty malt, the peated barley is imported all the way from Scotland. The standard 43% abv Amrut is available only in a few select stores, in Bangalore, and the same holds true for the highly regarded Amrut Fusion, which is Indian barley combined with peated barley from Scotland, and matured in carefully selected ex-bourbon casks.
Amrut Fusion, 50% abv: Massive on nose; lots of fudge, barley sugars and peat playing intermittently with orange zests and oak wood. It is very syrupy on the palate, and almost viscous, with a long-lasting finish.
Glenfarclas
Cluster: Highlands, Scotland Owner: Family of John Grant
The Balvenie
Cluster: Speyside, Scotland Owner: William Grant & Sons
The Glenfarclas distillery, in Ballindalloch, makes a fiercely traditionalistic and much-feted whisky. From the outside, the distillery might look like an abandoned cattle yard, but inside the low buildings about 100,000 casks of Glenfarclas lie in hibernation. The water for making the whisky runs down from the Ben Rinnesmountain; the new spirit begins its transformation into Glenfarclas once it is casked in Spanish sherry casks. All Glenfarclas is natural in colour, and, when colour adjustments are called for, whiskies from sherry and bourbon casks are mixed. Glenfarclas 105 NAS, 60% abv: Big, complex, malty and lots of fruits; has a lot of body, with caramel and licorice on the palate. And it is chewy as well, making it an enjoyable after-dinner malt. For those who like their smoke, the whisky is even better with a nice cigar.
Built in 1892, in Dufftown, Banffshire, much of Balvenie looks the same as it did a century ago. The distillery is a serene place that still continues with the ancient practice of floor maltings. The base spirit, whose variations the distillery manager considers for aging, owes its heavy, nutty and malty character to the stubby short-necked stills at the distillery. The Balvenie is highly popular and this has a lot to do with David Stewart, who recently completed 50 years of craftsmanship at the distillery.
Balvenie 12 y.o., 40% abv: The nose is fresh oak, honeyed, with some nutty and fruity flavours. On the palate, you get lots of fruit notes, sweet notes due to butterscotch and some spicy notes. It finishes with a flourish of fruitiness, spices and some floral honey.
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Ardbeg
Cluster: Islay, Scotland Owner: Glenmorangie Ask any distillery manager in Scotland about his second favourite whisky (the first, of course, would be the one he makes) and, more often than not, the answer will be Ardbeg. The resurrection of Ardbeg in 1990 has been among the best things that have happened in the world of whisky. The distillery, which was closed down in the 1980s, was bought by Glenmorangie, and put under the charge of Dr Bill Lumsden, one of the top distillery managers in Scotland. The age-old process of making whisky at Ardbeg has been kept the same, albeit with minor tweaks, says Dr Lumsden. For this, the old-fashioned stills had to be retained. Back in the old days, malting used to be done at the premises, but not anymore. All the malted barley, with predetermined phenolic specifications, now comes from the Diageo-owned Port Ellen across the street. Most of the casks nowadays are first-fill American oak casks. Ardbeg is a whisky with history, and it is no wonder that the US space programme chose to take it into space last year for a two-year study on the effects of zero gravity on the maturation process.
Yamazaki
Cluster: World Whiskies, Osaka, Japan Owner: Suntory
Laphroaig
Cluster: Islay, Scotland Owner: Allied Distilleries
The terroir of Japan is very akin to that of Scotland: undulating mountains, crystal clear streams fed by constant rains and oak trees. Shinjiro Torii, the father of Japanese whisky, always wanted to make whisky as it was made in Scotland. So, when Masataka Taketsuru returned to Japan after his two-year apprenticeship in Scotland, he was promptly hired by Torii. The result was Yamazaki, founded in 1923. I first tasted a Japanese whisky, a Nikka White, in 2003, and I thought Japanese whisky had the potential to pose a serious threat to single malt Scotch. I was proved right when the Yamazaki 20 y.o., 56% abv Sherry Cask was declared the overall winner in the Malt Maniacs 2006 Championships. Yamazaki is now a regular winner at many international events.
Ardbeg 10 y.o., 46% abv: Typical soot and peat, with lots of fruits especially oriental fruits such as custard apples, passion fruits and green bananas and hints of asafoetida and seaweed. On the palate, you get sweet candy and dry coconut, and the whisky feels very chewy. An extremely satisfying mouthfeel, with loads of honey and peat, and a crescendo of a finish.
Talisker
Cluster: Islands, Scotland Owner: Diageo
Lagavulin
Cluster: Islay, Scotland Owner: Diageo
Yamazaki 12 y.o., 43% abv: The nose is a combination of ripe fruits melon and grapefruit interspersed with florals. You get loads of good oak wood and, with a dash of water, you might detect some vanilla. On the palate, the sweet fruits return, along with a silky mouth-feel. It has a good body that almost makes you want to chew the whisky.
The Lagavulin distillery lies on the edge of a bay, overlooking the ruined Dunyvaig Castle, which acts as a sentinel. Most of the fame acquired by Lagavulin is due to Sir Peter Mackie, who created the famous White Horse brand from the Malt Mill, a distillery within a distillery, which ran from 1905 to 1960. Whenever I visit Lagavulin, I gaze at its four stills and wonder how such small stills can produce such a giant of a whisky. Lagavulin 16 y.o., 43% abv: Warm nose; an instant attack of smoke and peat followed by fruity notes and vanilla. Many find a lot of sherry on the nose, though modern day Lagavulin is not matured in sherry or Oloroso casks. On the palate, it is very syrupy, sweet and complex. The finish is peaty and everlasting. A massive whisky.
Situated right on the edge of the sea at Loch Harport, with the dramatic Cuillins range as the backdrop, this is a gem of a distillery. The mountain ruggedness runs into Talisker and, if you are not careful, the spirit hits you like a volcano. That is why they call it lava on the palate. What intrigues me most about Talisker is the inverted U-shaped lyne arms of the wash stills and the open worm tubs at the rear of the still house. I am sure much of the complexity of Talisker is brought out because of these uniquely shaped wash stills. Talisker 10 y.o., 45.8% abv: A bomb on the palate. It is smoky like an Islay and yet fruity like a Speysider. With a dash of water, the initial pungency explodes into a complex bouquet. Sweet and full-bodied, you get toffee and nuts with an everlasting finish.
This is a whisky that polarises opinions. There are many who do not like its hospital corridor notes, but there are scores of others who like Laphroaig for the exact same reason. A part of Islays Kildalton trio (Ardbeg and Lagavulin are the other two), this one is a highly smoky and peated whisky. The single malts very sweet and syrupy palate, which originates from the exbourbon casks of Makers Mark, is complemented by its extreme flavours. Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig are very different from one another, even though their distilleries are located within a few hundred metres of each other. Why? Whisky pundits have been trying to figure this out for decades, but there is, as yet, no scientific explanation.
Laphroaig 10 y.o., 40% abv: Sweet oak lurking behind faint smoke with distinct peat. Interplay of iodine and vanilla, and, with a dash of water, you g et citrus notes. One can also discern some seaweed and fish notes, very similar to aromas on the seashore. On the palate, the peat returns with lots of sweet and honeyed notes, and the finish is smoky and peaty.
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India's biggest liqour store

DFS India, at the Mumbai International Airport, sells as much as 2,000 bottles of whisky a day
The duty free at Mumbai's International Airport is run by a global travel retailer that was, at the time of its inception, rather unimaginatively called Duty Free Shopping, and now goes by simply DFS. Part of the Louis Vuitton Mot Hennessy group, DFS is the worlds largest travel retailer. The Hong Kong-based company, which started operations in 1960 at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong, at present, runs 21 international concessions across the world. DFS set up its stores in Mumbai in 2008, replacing the moribund and poorly stocked ITDC dutyfree outlets. DFS is present in locations such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, which are frequented by Indian tourists. This helps us update ourselves on the buying patterns, and preferred brands of the Indian traveller, says Manishi Sanwal, managing director, DFS India.
Whisky World, at the arrival and departure lounges in Mumbai, is the star performer at the concession, which also sells perfumes, cigarettes, cosmetics, high-end luggage and watches.
Not surprisingly, its whisky section,
DFS sells over 2,000 bottles of whisky a day, and single malt sales make up about 20 per cent of that figure. While blended scotch such as Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal remain the most popular brands, the outlet has also seen growing single malt sales, says Sanwal. Apart from popular single malts such as The Macallan, Ardbeg, Talisker, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, DFS India also stocks malts such as Aberfeldy, Clynelish, Dalwhinnie and Glenkinchie, which are tough to find in liquor stores in the city. The total number of single malts available at DFS is well over 30, says Sanwal, and the costliest whisky available is John Walker, which costs a stratospheric $3,300 (Rs 1.8 lakh).
The welltravelled Indian man drinks mainly scotch, says Sanwal, but over the last three to four years, he has also been curious about single malts. A lot of people want to know more about single malts, and many people even ask for particular brands. The other spirits that are being favoured today include high-end vodka and tequila. DFS India sells as many as a thousand bottles of tequila a month, says Sanwal. The Indian traveller is not too hot on wines and cognac, says Sanwal.
Rum diary
Allen Smith, master blender, Mount Gay Rum, on sneaking a drink, pairing, and on mixing ginger ale with his drink
Good rum pairs well with many types of food. Classic Bajan dishes, such as blackened white fish with rice and peas, and grilled steak are among my favourites. Which is your favourite rum cocktail? Well, I am a little biased here, as my latest blend, 1703, just got the Best Rum in the World award. So, I would have to say 1703 neat. Which is your favourite bar in the world? I am a bit partial to the bar at the Mount Gay Visitors Center. Ryan, our bartender, gives a round or two on the house to visitors, who come there from all over the world. How do you like your rum? Mount Gay Extra Old on ice mixed with a small amount of ginger ale really brings out the robust, ripened fruit and toffee aromas of the rum. Tell us one thing we didn't know about the connection between Barbados and rum. Many people dont know that Barbados is the official birthplace of rum.
Liquor companies could well gain from asking their employees to keep an eye out for fast-moving spirits at the airport's duty free. Duty-free outlets such as DFS India often sell new launches many months before they are available in regular outlets. The Absolut Unique and Elyx editions, for example, says Sanwal, are extremely popular at the moment.
When was the first time you drank rum? Many moons ago, I snuck a capful of rum from my dad's liquor cabinet. Well, as you can imagine, I was in a bit of a hurry and did not have time to look at the label. But, given that I grew up in Barbados, and Mount Gay is the market leader here, I would bet that it was Mount Gay. What myth about rum riles you up the most? There is a common misperception that rum is a low quality spirit, which really riles me up because Mount Gay is a handcrafted rum blended with distillates from copper pot stills, and aged in barrels, then blended for a smooth, robust flavor. What do you like eating while drinking rum?
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My first experience tasting Louis XIII de Rmy Martin couldnt have been more different from the first time I tasted cognac. The latter occurred at home, when my already-few-whiskiesdown father generously suggested some VSOP with hot water and honey as a remedy for my sore throat. My Louis XIII tasting, however, occurred in the rather rarefied confines of the executive lounge of the Sofitel in Mumbai. When the French company's PR got in touch with me, with the news that Vincent Gr, the director of Rmy Martin Estates & Oenology, would be in town for an exclusive interaction, I responded saying I would be more than happy to show up, provided a Louis XIII tasting happens in concert. Some usual PR waffling later, it was confirmed: a bottle of Louis XIII would be made available for an assisted tasting. And that's how I ended up in the corner of an executive lounge with two enthusiastic Frenchmen (Vincent Cleme, the so-handsomehe-makes-other-menfeel-insecure Louis XIII brand ambassador, was there as well) taking me through the history of the brand, what makes Rmy cognac unique (the phrase "the heart of cognac" was repeated several times), and other bits of marketing spiel. My eyes, however, were firmly set on the rather regal-looking bottle at the end of the room. Over the last few years, Rmy has managed to place bottles of Louis XIII in prominent positions at high-end bars across Mumbai, and the distinctive fleur-de-lis crown and spiky bottle had caught my attention several times. I had, however, always shied away from ordering a drink of the amber-gold liquid within; at around Rs 10,000 for 30 ml, I figured I could just buy a bottle later on in life (around Rs 1.25 lakh at duty-free shops). And then, it's tasting time. A rather nervouslooking bar manager brings over the bottle, and we're off to the races. A big part of the allure around Louis XIII is that it contains cognac that's been aged for more than 100 years, and that it represents the absolute pinnacle of skill at one of the world's great cognac houses. Even the bottle comes with a story: it's made of Baccarat crystal and based on the design of a metal flask found on the site of a battleground near Cognac, in 1850. The colour of the liquid is deep red, ambery gold. The depth of colour is a sign of the age, I'm told. A brief swirl later, the exceptional legs, or deposits left on the insides of the glass are apparent; the time it takes for these to trickle back down to the bottom is a sign of how thick and rich the cognac is. Another swirl later (and not too much swirling; that disturbs the complicated structure of the 1,200 individual eaux de vie, or component brandies that comprise the cognac), I nose the cognac. A three-step nosing process (from a distance, a few inches away, and deep inside the glass) completed, the main takeaway is that its bouquet is rather intense, with a range of 250 fruity, flowery, and spicy notes there for the, well, nosing. My French tasting guides are quick to note that in smaller spaces, just opening a bottle of the stuff can fill the room with
Ten grand for 30 ml

Varun Bubber tries some Louis XIII de Rmy Martin, a grande champagne cognac, and comes away more than a little stunned
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a distinctive aroma. And, finally, I'm allowed to drink the stuff. Just a single drop at first, because one drop is enough to coat the palate. It is. And then, when I sip it more substantially, it's like a thousand liquid suns exploding in my mouth. I've never tasted anything like this before: it's supremely intense, amazingly smooth, but also, to my surprise, balanced, which makes it tremendously drinkable. The Frenchmen tell me that I'm tasting a century in a bottle: the work of several generations of cellar-masters (some of whom passed on without tasting the final product), more than a century of painstaking ageing, and the culmination of what began as grapes picked from a field in France around 1900. I appreciate the rigour. I can taste the rigour. The Frenchmen tell me that I'll continue tasting it for over an hour after I'm done chasing the last of the dregs down; they take great pride in Louis XIIIs hour-long finish, and rightfully so. After leaving the hotel, my car breaks down, and, amid the din of Mumbai's rush-hour traffic, I have to wait for several hours before assistance shows up. However, I realise that I'm being pretty zen through it all. It's probably the Louis XIII, I decide, and I immediately begin scheming to get my hands on a bottle before the year gets over. Louis XIII is available at most five-star hotel bars across India. A full list is available at facebook.com/ LouisXIIIIndia. Rs 10,000 for 30ml; Rs 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh for a 700 ml bottle.
How to drink like a gentleman

The experts weigh in on the rules of refined drinking
Drinking with Dita

The renowned burlesque dancer and Cointreau brand ambassador on love, classic cars and her favourite drink
What's your favourite drink? The margarita, which is Cointreau, tequila and fresh lime juice. So easy to make.
When entertaining guests at home, make sure you have a decent variety of simple classic cocktails available, and make sure that you have some nonalcoholic alternatives at hand, too. When in the company of women, order the classics: gin martinis, Manhattans, Negronis. Be generous to a fault. Make sure you make direct eye contact with your servers when ordering drinks. Remember to thank your servers for a job well done, both verbally and monetarily. Gary Regan, author of The Joy of Mixology
The bar is neutral ground and so it follows that disagreements of a political or religious nature or even if you don't like how someone looks have no place in the bar and cannot come into play. Colourful characters should be cherished in the barroom, never judged. If you like a joint and want to become a regular, overtip. The returns will far outweigh your investment. Never drink alone, unless you are waiting for a friend, and never drink to forget. Dale DeGroff, president of The Museum of the American Cocktail, New Orleans
Cocktails should be enjoyed while the drink is still cold and the balance is good. It is a form of unspoken respect to the bartender and a sign that you approve of the taste of the cocktail. When in the company of women, order a classic cocktail that has been tried and tested. Personally, I would recommend a martini or gimlet for white spirits, or Rob Roy or godfather for brown spirits. When ordering a drink, look the bartender in the eye. Treat him with respect. That is where good relationships begin. -- Manabu Ohtake, winner of the Diageo Reserve World Class Global Finals 2011
How much is enough when it comes to drinking? I usually stick to two drinks in public, maybe a couple more if I am around close friends. Which drink would you like your man to make for you when get home? Id like the margarita, or Perrier with Cointreau and fresh lime. We've heard you own vintage cars. How many, and which brands/models are these? I have a 1953 Cadillac Fleetwood, a 1939 Packard and a 1940 LaSalle convertible. What are you searching for? Love! How did burlesque happen to you, and where do you enjoy performing most? I started performing my shows in 1991. I love performing for a roomful of fans in a beautiful old theatre, and it doesn't matter which city. What do you drink apart from cocktails? Water and tea.
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The heady world of wine Investment

A husband and wife team of former investment bankers is helping steer well-heeled Indians through the intricate world of investing in fine wines. By Shantanu Guha Ray
Chenoy (left) and Ahuja set up wine advisory Drayton Capital in 2009
Ayesha Chenoy and Ishaan Ahuja work out of a small office in New Delhi, in a building close to a desolate facility that once produced Campa Cola. Since 2009, the husband and wife team have been selling a new investment opportunity to Indians with both cash and taste. Chenoy and Ahuja, who kicked their fancy investment banking jobs in London, are encouraging investors to go beyond traditional areas such as stocks, bonds and real estate, and look at fine wines, a product that has consistently beaten the
bourses in returns over the last few decades. The wine-loving couple, who are in their 30s, trained at Londons prestigious Wine & Spirit Education Trust, before setting up Drayton Capital. The first couple of years were tough, since India doesnt have much of a wine tradition. Ahuja remembers how people dropped cutlery at dinner tables when they first talked about the idea. But there were some who did see the logic behind the couples pitches, and what started out as a trickle of investors has now, three years later, turned into a
stronger flow. While the duo wont reveal the identities, or the actual number, of the clients that invest through them, the fact that they have raised the minimum investment figure from a few lakhs to Rs 10 lakh shows they are in demand. We knew our idea would catch on, especially among people who lack options, says Ahuja. We also had the first-mover advantage. India, a nation of whiskey drinkers, was rarely into wines. There is a reason why investors would have initially been wary of
Ahuja and Chenoys enticement. Investing in wine is very different from investing in stocks. When you invest in wines, you are not buying shares of a winery or liquor company, but are purchasing a case or more of the worlds most expensive wines. Considering the demandsupply equation, over a period of time, the price of a storied wine made in a good year has to consistently go up, since only a finite number of bottles exist in the cellar, and the quantity available for sale will continuously decrease as more and more people demand to
consume that wine. As countries like China have prospered, the rich there are looking to quaff more and more of top of the line French wines, many of which are investmentgrade. The fun of this business is that every time someone opens a bottle somewhere in the world, the remaining wines increase in value, says Chenoy. Adds David Elswood, international director of wines in Europe and Asia, Christies, "Luxury wines are tangible assets, and hence, recession-proof, offering good returns. Investments range from
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$5000 onwards and go up to $50,000 a case." As compared to the stock market, the wine market is relatively very small, with less than 100 investment grade labels in the world, 90 per cent of which come from Bordeaux, the famous wine-growing region in southwestern France. Though wines produced in other parts of France, like Burgundy, Rhone, Champagne, and some in Italy, California, Australia and New Zealand, are also considered investmentworthy, Bordeaux is held in the highest regard by wine connoisseurs, and as a consequence, tops the list of wines the investors buy. The prices of wines from this region have risen four-fold, or even more, over the last decade. Lafite Rothschild, of 1982 vintage, for example, saw its price go up more than 10 times between 2000 and 2010. The Bordeaux wines are classified into five varieties. The top of the line wines, five in all, are known as first-growths: Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Margaux and Chateau MoutonRothschild. These, the most expensive wines in the world, are followed by the super seconds, third, fourth and fifth growths. Wine, as is known, gets better with age, and the best ones, such as the first growths, are aged for as many as 15 to 20 years, and sometimes even more. But the drinking of the wine starts earlier, as a result of which the number of bottles (only 15,000 to 20,000 cases of each of the Bordeaux varieties are produced in any particular year) that is available for both drinking and investing in each of these varieties goes down with every passing year. Typically, an investor will have to buy a minimum of one case of the investment grade wine, the price of which could start at a few lakhs. The advisors will buy or sell the wine on your behalf at the Londonbased wine exchange called Live-ex or at auctions conducted by the likes of Sothebys or Christies. Since 2001, when it was set up, the Live-ex 100 index has been seen as the barometer of the ups and downs of the wine investment market. In the first decade of its launch itself, the exchange has provided an annual return of more than 16 per cent, consistently outperforming international stock markets. An investment-grade wine is priced at three stages in its career. The first is En Primeur or when it is still in the barrel, in which the investor can buy the wine at its cheapest, but also runs the risk of losing money if it turns out to be mediocre after bottling. The second stage is two years later, when the wine is bottled and shipped, and the last is on maturity. The actual pricing of a new wine is also dependent on the opinion of one man, the American sommelier Robert Parker Jr, who is the worlds most feared and respected wine critic. On erobertparker. com, he rates the fine wines produced every year on a quality scale of 50 to 100. Any wine that gets more than 96 points is considered to be extraordinary and those that score between 90 to 95 points are considered outstanding. For a wine to be considered investment-worthy, it has
Wines from Chateaux Latour, Margaux and (below) Haute-Brion are much sought after by investors
Investment is in the form of a 'liquid purchase' wines are bought and stored in the investor's name
to score at least 90 points in Parkers estimation. Theoretically speaking, an investor who has bought a case of wine can ask for it to be delivered to him in India. But in practice, not many do that because of the hassle of importing it into the country and the lack of proper storage options. Unless you want to consume the wine yourself, the wine is kept in a professionally-run storage facility in London or New York or wherever the wine has been initially shipped to. The investor has to pay a small fee for using this facility till the time he decides to sell it. The investment itself is in the form of a liquid purchase, whereby the wines are bought and stored in the warehouse in the investors name. There is no lock-in period, which means that he can sell it anytime he wishes to. More and more clients are realising that investing in wine is a smart way to diversify returns,
says Chenoy. Adds Stephen Mould, head of Sotheby's European Wine Department, "We have seen an increase in the number of people investing in wine over the last few years, particularly in the developing countries, and so it's possible that wine will increase its presence in investment portfolios in India in the future." But there are some drawbacks for Indian investors. While the government has reduced taxes on wines, unfavourable weather conditions, and lack of storage facilities prevent them from getting their stock to India. Ahuja, though, is not worried. Investors buy mostly for returns. We advise them to keep their stocks in overseas cellars for years. And those who want to tell the world about their investments, they can keep their investment certificates framed in gold-plated boxes. Many Indians might find it surprising, but
the worlds most feted expert on the intricacies of investing in wine is a chartered accountant and management consultant of Indian origin: Mahesh Kumar. Kumar's 2005 book, Wine Investment for Portfolio Diversification How Collecting Fine Wines Can Yield Greater Returns than Stocks and Bonds, which is considered to be the bible of the field, won the 2006 Gourmand World Media Award for the 'Best Wine Education Book in the World. Educated and trained in London, Kumar, a former management consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, is now a full-time faculty member and Finance program leader at the School of Business at Camosun College, in Vancouver, Canada. He is among the most popular speakers on the fine wine investment circuit, and is now working on his second book, Collecting Fine Wine and Fine Art for Pleasure and Investment.
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The Grateful Gullet

Our pick of the recent launches. Happy New Year
photograph by vinit bhatt
Ron Zacapa
23 Years
The Ron Zacapa 23 Years is one of our favourite sipping rums. Made from virgin sugarcane honey in Guatemala, it is especially smooth and balances sweet fruity flavours with spices. Rs 6.035; zacaparum.com
Black Dog
21 Y.O.
After the launch of the 18 Y.O. last year, United Spirits is out with yet another premium scotch. The Black Dog 21 Y.O. is a blend of fine single malts and grain whiskies, and has been aged in Oloroso sherry casks. Rs 14,000 to Rs 17,000; unitedspirits.in
Ultimat Vodka
The Polish have always claimed to be the inventors of vodka, much to the displeasure of the Russians. One is inclined to agree with the Poles, especially after having sipped the Ultimat, which is made from wheat, rye and potato, and comes in a cobalt blue crystal decanter. Rs 8,600; ultimatvodka.com
Patron Reposado
Ready to start sipping tequila? Try the Patron Reposado, which is aged in oak barrels for two months and is oaky even as it is fresh and crisp. Each bottle is made of recycled glass and is handnumbered. Rs 11,500; patrontequila.com, aspri.org
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Smirnoff Espresso Chivas Regal Brothers Blend
A tribute to James and John, the Chivas brothers, the Brothers Blend is modern, and yet, traditionally and famously, smooth. The whisky includes higher proportions of Strathisla and Longmorn Speyside malts. Rs 3,950; thechivasbrothersblend. chivas.com How do you get a caffeine high and a pleasant kick simultaneously? You imbibe the coffeeflavoured, tripledistilled Smirnoff Espresso, and get the best of both worlds. Just in case you are wondering, it goes great with cola. Rs 960, smirnoff.co.in
Estrella Damm Inedit

A couple of years ago, the famous Spanish chef Ferran Adria felt the need for a beer that could complement a dining experience. So Adria called up Barcelonas leading brewery, Estrella Damm, and, after a series of meetings, the idea of Inedit was born. The slightly cloudy Inedit has a creamy texture and a delicate carbonic aftertaste, and pairs well with both informal as well as more sophisticated types of food. Rs 600; estrelladamm.com
Savanna Dry
If sweet cider is not your thing, you should be drinking Savanna Dry. Made in South Africa, the 100 per cent apple cider is best had with a lemon wedge popped into the bottle neck. Rs 400, savanna. co.za, aspri.org
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A Champagne Boot Camp diary

What does it feel like to have fifteen of the worlds best champagnes forcefully funnelled down ones throat over a period of less than 24 hours? Our intrepid columnist Magandeep Singh subjected himself to this torture recently and lived to tell the tale
A few weekends ago, I found myself in the lappiest of luxuries. I was invited to the gorgeous Udaivilas, in Udaipur, to partake in what sounded like an orgy of all things hedonistic, all in the name of education and awareness. I am all for education, but I am more so for hedonism, and it didnt take much arm-twisting from Rajiv Singhal, the India representative of Frances Champagne region, to ensure my presence. The idea was to have us spend 24 hours with champagne. Quotes on champagne abound: about its generosity on the palate, or its sociability on the circuit. From Winston
Churchill to Napoleon, from international playboys and socialites to royalty the world over, everyone has had something marvellous to say. (Even James Bond used to quip about champers, till possibly recession struck and he switched to all else and what not.) And yet, even with the best of minds and noses having already had their say, there remains so much to be worded. All of us have some preconceived notions regarding this marvellous beverage. For one, we treat it as luxury, whereas the idea of champagne is not to be seen as elusive and exclusive, but to
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elevate even the most humdrum of experiences to a more festive realm. Another aspect of this beverage, which remains unexplored, is its ability to pair with food, and thats something even the French havent gotten around to entirely exploiting. The truth is that champagne is among the most versatile wines to accompany a meal. The crispness of the bubbles, especially of a nonvintage, can cut through the greasiest of platters, whereas the nuanced toasty layers (imparted through ageing the wine on decomposing yeast cells) can stand up to dishes with a heightened sense of flavour, leading to a pronounced delivery on the palate. Finally, champagne is the wine for the impatient. It comes preaged. The dirty cellar work has already been Barely had I arrived and walked up to my room, I was dosed with what can only be called the social ointment. The message was clear: a fruity ros from the house of G.H. Mumm was being deployed to distract my sensory agility. I knew I couldnt succumb, but I wanted to lead them on. I quickly polished off two coupes, much to their surprise. The BillecartSalmon that followed was much crisper, almost serving as a wake-up call.
Session 2
Philippe Gonet Brut Blanc de Blancs, Drappier Brut Carte d'Or, andJoseph Perrier Rose Cuvee Royale I should have guessed their ulterior motive when they started with the Rose on the pier. Nothing creates dependence better than an excuse for thirst-quenching, and we had all succumbed like willing prey. Like meek sheep, we followed our herdsman into the master chamber of horrors: the Kohinoor suite. One by one, the potions followed. The Blanc de Blancs, a specially designed elixir of mayhem, is made purely from Chardonnay. It isnt without reason that this grape sells the most in the world. The wines that it gives birth to are irresistibly smooth and unspeakably
Lakeside Digression
Laurent Perrier Rose Brut They took us on a boat, the ride around the lake was almost dizzying with so much history to take in from every direction. They didnt serve anything on board here, and we all noticed. The withdrawal, unknowingly, had set in; we were only too eagerly
Nothing could have prepared us for what followed. Having survived the suite, we were now seated lakeside. Each bottle glowed gently in the candlelight, barely giving away its identity. My mind was reeling when the first course came. It was chaat, and besides it sat the Dom Perignon. Confusing. Bizarre. Unprecedented. The vintage 2002 Dom was fresh like tomorrow, deceptively young, never once hinting at its decade old existence. The next course took us down south. It was a Chettinad attack, the spices played on the flanks, the meat in the middle was game (partridge), and it was almost willingly falling off the bone for you. I went in, armed with a Bollinger Grande Anne, again 2002, but this time, a richer and toastier wine. The next opponent
was a Winston Churchill favourite and what was good enough for that dandy ol man was sure as shot good enough for me. All of a sudden, I knew the end was near. The sweet platter was an array of flavours, but I almost overlooked them. The stuff in the glasses had cast a spell over me. I sat there, in my own skin, radiating positively with all the goodness it had absorbed, more addiction than vaccine, and I knew that the road ahead would be replete with dismay and withdrawals.
The Farewell
Mot & Chandon Brut and Piper Heidsieck Brut The next morning, I sat quietly and forked my food. I drank willingly and even asked for more. I knew I was beat. But what saddened me most was that they were
executed when the wine reaches our tables, or the neighbourhood tipple shelf. All one need do is uncork and pour forth. Here is a log of how we were subjected to a merciless onslaught of champagnes that weekend.
Session1
G.H. Mumm Brut Rose, Taittinger Brut (not served, eventually) and Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV
playing into their hands. Once back on shore, we raced for the first stemware within reach, and it had been cleverly brimmed with a Laurent Perrier Ros Brut. The gentle soothing sensation of the fruity bubbly was almost like a balm and we happily allowed ourselves to be intoxicated, even as the very pier we stood on bobbed gently in the lakes water, further amplifying the headiness of the sunset moment.
delicious. The Drappier and the Joseph Perrier followed in quick succession. The former was as sharp as a whipcrack and the latter creamy and layered.
Session 3
Dom Perignon 2002, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2000, Bollinger La Grande Annee 2002, Krug Grande Cuvee, Louis Roederer Brut 2003 and Pol Roger Rose 2000
was a beast: Lal Maas, and it came armed with a Krug Grande Cuve. Now to even try and stand up to such a brave duo is worthy of mention and I knew somewhere that my fate was sealed. This guerrilla attack of gastronomy was too much for even an ironman like me. I had to do something. I downed the dregs of my glass and prepared for one last attack. It was Pol Roger; this
now releasing us from this prison and I didnt know how much life had changed on the outside. For one, I had changed and I sat there, almost dumbstruck, not knowing how I would ever get back to normal life. How would I start days and end them without champagne? Who would make friends with a character who expects a glass of Mot beside his morning papers and his Piper-Hiedsieck with the mushrooms on toast?
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Celebrating Bacardis 150th birthday

The worlds most popular rums tumultuous history is a mix of passion, struggle, and success
The origins of the worldwide icon goes back to Cubas second largest city, the colonial port of Santiago de Cuba, where in 1862 Don Facundo Bacard Mass purchased a small tin roof distillery for the price of 3500 pesos and created the first smooth, light-bodied spirit that he called Bacardi Rum. Close to a century and a half later, the Bermuda-headquartered Bacardi Ltd is the largest privately held company with hugely successful operations around the world including India. Says Mahesh Madhavan, President & CEO, Bacardi India, We are extremely proud and excited to be celebrating 150 years of Bacardi. It has reached a milestone that only a few international companies reach. Don Facundo started as a rum manufacturer by paying special attention to every step of the process. His idea was to create a drink that could be consumed in his polite circles. So he created the worlds first light rum by filtering it through charcoal. The result was a drink that was smooth, flavourful
and mellow. He was also the first to use a proprietary strain of yeast that is still in use today, and high quality molasses for fermentation to distil his rums multiple times to remove impurities, to purposely age his rums one to 12 years in mature oak casks. Later he blended his rums into different expressions including the inimitable Bacardi Superior. Due to the high rate of illiteracy in 19th century, Don Facundo created a memorable graphic logo the bat device for his rums to become identifiable and sell. The bat is a symbol for good health, fortune and family unity in Cuba. Soon his rums became known by the local populace as `el Ron del Murcilago or `the Rum of the Bat. The next 40 years though were full of disappointment and pride. The companys distribution lines were severed by three successive wars for independence, Don Facundo and Don Facundos children and son-inBacardi Masso law struggled to keep the company alive. Despite economic troubles, Bacardi Rum competed at world expositions where it won many awards earning the titles of King of Rums and Rum of Kings. After Cubas independence from Spain, Bacardi used its experience during times of war to focus on markets outside the coun-
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the evolution of the bacardi bottle
Daniel Bacardi at a Bacardi warehouse in 1967
try. After opening manufacturing facilities in Spain and the United States, the company transformed itself into the countrys first multinational corporation. But when the US introduced prohibition in 1919, Bacardi was forced to close its New York bottling facility. Then an interesting thing happened. Americans started eyeing a holiday in Cuba for their favourite drink and fun. Bacardi lured them with the invitation to Come to Cuba and bathe in Bacardi rum. So they came in droves to a country where parties were the national pastime and to drink Cuba Libres, Mojitos and Daiquiris, all of which originated with Bacardi. Celebrities, athletes, heads of state, everybody came to Cuba in search of outstanding Bacardi cocktails and legendary parties. These parties captured the brands very essence they were open to all, inclusive and embracing of different classes and kinds. The combination of the music, the people and the Bacardi rum created a special energy which is still true to the brands philosophy today. During this time, the company also diversified by creating Cubas number one beer brand Hatuey. Though the company continued to grow tremendously, the early 1950s ushered in a time of great political turmoil in Cuba. Because of the political instability, the company moved ownership of its trademarks and proprietary formulas to the neighbouring Caribbean country of Bahamas. And after the triumph of the Castro revolution, the companys assets in Cuba as well as a multitude
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Old headquarters in Santiago de Cuba
Current headquarters in Bermuda
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Chairman Facundo Bacardi
ofBACARDI others corporations were confiscated. Bat Device Evolution For more 30 years, the company operated as five separate These Batthan Devices appeared on our labels. companies without a headquarters. They were bound through licensing and distribution agreements between and with Bacardi International Limited, the Bermuda company that owned the distribution rights for Bacardi Rum, and Bacardi & Company Limited, the Bahamian company and owner of the Bacardi bat trademark. Both these companies were based in the Bahamas till the mid 1960s when Bacardi International Limited was moved to Bermuda in order to geographically act as a bridge between the Americas and Europe. With a common shareholder base, the companies witnessed unforeseen growth. By 1978, Bacardi Rum gained the title 1959 Number 1 1890 1900 Spirit Brand in the United States. In the following year, it was Number One in the World. Less than a decade later, it became the first and
only premium spirit brand to surpass sales in one year of 20 million nine-litre cases. Then in 1992, the five different companies were joined under the ownership of the Bermuda company now renamed Bacardi Limited. It was here in 1972 that the company had constructed a building originally designed for its old Santiago de Cubas headquarters by the legendary German Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Today, an exact replica of this building stands as Berlins National Gallery as well. The monumental step of joining the companies was followed by another step in 1993 when Bacardi Ltd started the movement for industry consolidation by acquiring the big European spirit maker, the Martini & Rossi group. Instantly, the company doubled in size and gained a powerful distribution force in Europe while adding a list of premium and super-premium brands to its portfolio. In the past decade not only has the Bacardi Rum line expanded to the flavoured range, Bacardi Ltds brand portfolio has grown exponentially to include as many as 200 brands including Martini Vermouth, Grey Goose Vodka, Dewars Scotch Whisky, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Eristoff Vodka, Cazadores Blue Agave Tequila and several others. Bacardi Ltd operates 27 production facilities, including bottling, distilling, and manufacturing facilities, located in 16 locations including Puerto Rico, Scotland, Italy, India, France, Spain, Germany, England and Mexico, among others. Mahesh Madhavan of Bacardi India captures the ingredients behind the companys success in India: Over the years, people in India have appreciated Bacardi, may it be the classic cocktails such as the Bacardi Cuba Libre and Bacardi Mojito or the iconic TVC and the unprecedented music experiences that we deliver. We as a company are focused towards bringing people 2002 together and making them have a good2010 time, in the true spirit 2005 of Bacardi. This also facilitates in introducing our new global campaign ISWAP- It started with a party."
BACARDI Bat Device Design Evolution the bacardi
These Bat Devices appeared on our marketing materials.
bat over the years
1890
1890s
1900
1931
1959
2002
2005
2010
When Don Facundo bought his original distillery in Santiago de Cuba, the first thing that his wife Dona Amalia noticed in the tin-roof shed was a colony of fruit bats. In local Cuban lore bats were known to bring good health, fortune and family unity. Thus was born the Bacardi Bat, which with the help of periodic changes to suit the times, continues to be the brands enduring symbol worldwide.
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cubed ice. Add 60 ml of Bacardi Apple, lemon juice, sugar and mix. Top it up with lemonade. Garnish using a green apple slice.
Dragon Berry Mist

Ingredients: Bacardi Dragon Berry, 60 ml; soda, water or Sprite, 120 ml; fresh lemon wedge, 4 nos; ice.
The legend of the Bacardi Cocktail

Bacardi, as is well known, is mixable with anything. This unique quality has made it a favourite of bartenders from the early days and led to the creation of some legendary cocktails. The most classic, of course, is the `Rum and Coke created by an American army officer. The other biggies include the Authentic Bacardi Mojito, the Original Bacardi Daiquir, the Original Bacardi Cuba Libre, the Bacardi Pia Colada, the Bacardi Presidente and many others. Bartenders continue to create newer cocktails with Bacardi rum every year. Here are recipes for some of the classics and a few new ones.
Bacardi Original Mojito

Ingredients: Bacardi Superior, 60 ml; fresh mint leaves; fresh strawberries, 10 nos; lemon wedges, 4 nos; castor sugar, 2 tsp; soda; crushed ice. Method: Take a Collins or Highball glass. Add lemon wedges, fresh strawberries and castor sugar. Mix them up well. Drop mint leaves into the glass. Add plenty of crushed ice and pour 60 ml of Bacardi Superior. Mix with a spoon and top up the glass with soda.
cubed ice. Add 60 ml of Bacardi Superior and top it up with Coke. Squeeze a lemon wedge and drop it into the glass. Gently stir.
Bacardi Apple Fizz

Ingredients: Bacardi Apple, 60 ml; fresh lemon juice, 10 ml; sugar, 2 tsp; ice; lemonade; green apple slice. Method: Take a highball glass and fill it with Method: Take a rock glass and fill it up with cubed ice. Add 60 ml of Bacardi Dragon Berry and top it up with soda, water or sprite. Garnish using lemon wedge.
Bacardi Limon & Cranberry

Ingredients: Bacardi Limon, 60 ml; ice; cranberry juice; orange slice. Method: Take a Highball glass and fill it up with ice. Add 60 ml of Bacardi Limon and top it up with cranberry juice. Stir and garnish with a slice of orange.
Cuba Libre
Ingredients: Bacardi Superior, 60 ml; ice; Coke; fresh lemon wedge. Method: Take a Highball glass and fill it up with
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drinking man
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Machismo and Bravado: Drink and the Malayalee Male

God's Own Country has the highest per capita annual consumption of hard liquor among all Indian states. In September, a bench of the Kerala High Court advised the state to consider shutting down bars during the day. But the government itself has a big stake in drunkenness the public-sector enterprise Bevco is the only authorised owner of liquor shops in Kerala. K G Kumar attempts to trace the origins of the Kerala souse and wonders if the malaise will get worse.
I l l u s t r a t io n s b y S u n i l R a j P
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The balmy south Indian state of Kerala has long prided itself on a hoary profusion of processions and queues a seemingly never-ending line of men, women, young, old, lungiclad, saree-wrapped, dhoti-draped,sometimes shirtless, often bandanatopped, fists slicing the air as if taunting the rain-laden skies to open up, tonsils reverberating to the warble of heady slogans, forefingers stretched out to be anointed with the purple dye of the electoral officers stamp. However, the state has now been jolted out of a luxuriantly drunken developmental stupor to find that the serpentine queues crowding the streets most days and nights are not outside fair-price ration shops selling rice, kerosene or palm oil, nor are they leading to polling booths or primary health centres, not to railway stations or bus stands or airports, not to churches or mosques or temples, and certainly not to health clubs or fitness centres.... In the Kerala of today, queues can inevitably be found outside the wire-mesh pigeonhole opening at the altars of the Malayalees newfound temples of tipsiness the outlets of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco), that quaintly misnomered public sector enterprise in which the government of Kerala dons the garb of Bacchus to dispense daily oblations to the increasing ranks of the states tipsy tipplers. On comedy shows, in TV serials, in college drama club productions, in films, in cartoon strips, the drunken Malayalee male has now become a fixed caricature, a reflection of the extent to which consumption of
In the Kerala of today, the longest queues are found not outside fairprice ration shops, polling booths, or railway stations, but outside the wire-mesh pigeonhole openings of government liquor shops
hard liquour, drunkenness and even alcoholism have spread their tentacles into the innards of the male population of Kerala. From toddy( kallu in Malayalam), the white, frothy, often sweet, sometimes sour beverage fermented from the sap of the coconut palm, healthy enough to pack a dieticians dose of B-complex vitamins, to arrack, the more potent distilled spirit that A K Antony, now Union Minister for Defence, famously banned in 1996, hoping to win the state elections (his party, the Congress, lost, despite that populist proscription, hic!), the drunken Malayalee has today gravitated towards IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor), bureaucratese for spirits like rum (still the Kerala males favourite tipple, making up over 55 per cent of sales, and often mixed with beer), brandy (around 40 per cent), whisky and, lately, vodka and white rum, which are popular among the younger rookies. The sales of liquor through the outlets of Bevco among the few profit-making public sector enterprises in Kerala went from Rs 2,320 crores in 200405 to Rs 5,538.90 cores in 2009-2010. Today, through its 22 warehouses and 383 retail outlets spread across the 14 districts of the state, Bevco earns close to Rs 8,000 crores annually, a revenue which only burgeons each year, egged on by spirited spikes in sales during festival seasons, especially during the week-long August-September Onam fiesta and the ChristmasNew Year closing curtain finale. This year, Bevco earned Rs 200 crores during the Onam season, notching sales worth close to Rs 70 crores during the two main days of the season. One estimate says that fiscal alcohol sales are expected to cross Rs 8,000 crores, fetching the state exchequer over Rs 7,000 crores in excise revenue. Bevcos contributions account for between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of the states annual revenues. According to Alcohol and Drug Information Centre-India (ADICIndia), an NGO set up in Kerala in 1988 by some of the stalwarts of the states prohibition and temperance movement, Kerala tops the country in annual consumption of hard liquor at eight litres per capita, slightly ahead of their more robust and ravenous fellow imbibers in Punjab, which reports a 7.9 litres per capita consumption. The World Health Organisation puts the average national per capita consumption at under two litres, which means the tipsy Keralite consumes four times more alcohol than Indian citizens elsewhere in the
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law. Apart from the first day of every English calendar month (usually payday and arguably the day that dipsomaniac wage-earners head for the Bevco queues and bars), the birth and commemoration days of Mahatma Gandhi, and the birth and samadhi days of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, who campaigned against toddy tapping, are also days when drinking alcohol is officially a no-no.
country. So great is the demand for alcohol during festive seasons that liquor is routinely smuggled into Kerala each year from the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Sometimes the results are deadly literally. Hooch tragedies from consumption of moonshine are often reported during these seasons of merrymaking. Toddy is often adulterated with chemicals to make it impart that extra, knockdown kick. The potency of the illicit brew is reflected in the local names given to such toddy aanamayaki (elephant snoozer, stuff strong enough to put an elephant to sleep), and pocket-nokki (pocket looker, a concoction designed to make the dipso spend the rest of the day head slumped over, gazing into his pocket). Alarmed at how widespread the malady of alcoholism has become in Kerala, in late September this year, a division bench of the Kerala High Court advised the state government to consider shutting down bars during the day. Hardcore boozers in Kerala often start the day with an eyeopener or two, even if they are rushing to catch earlymorning trains or buses to far off destinations. Hotels in the vicinity of railway stations and bus stands often serve booze surreptitiously through killivathals (literally, birdcage doors, tiny shutters that swing open to the frantic knocks of desperate drinkers). Little wonder, then, that the Kerala souse has no fear of dry days, when all liquor-vending outlets like retail shops, bars and clubs, are compulsorily closed by
Such strictures dont go down well with the likes of renowned actor and photographer, N L Balakrishnan, a burly happy-go-lucky Bud Spencer-like veteran of over 200 films, who doesnt qualm at publicly boasting that his own father initiated him into the world of alcohol when he was a mere boy of four. In 1983, Balakrishnan, now in his late 60s, formed the Forum for Better Spirits, whose brazen demands include provision of liquor through the state-subsidised public distribution system, boosting toddy production, slashing prices for elderly drinkers and supplying alcohol free to drinkers over 90 years of age. But flights of fancy and wishful thinking aside, what is it about booze that so entices Kerala men? Perhaps it is only alcoholically apposite that a woman she of the ilk that bears the brunt of the alcohol-induced violence and frissons of mood swings that her often inebriated partner/ husband/brother/father/ son displays with nary a damn for any semblance of filial, communal or societal propriety be
From toddy and arrack, the drunken Malayalee has moved to 'Indian-made foreign liquor', bureaucratese for drinks like rum, brandy, whisky and vodka
allowed to versify the seductive power of the devil within the bottle... And what woman is better placed to wax thus eloquent, even if posthumously, than the literary madwoman of Malayalam and IndianEnglish letters, Kamala Das, better known to her Malayalee fans as Madhavikutty, the daughter of the renowned mother of Malayalam poetry, Balamaniamma. In her autobiography, Kamala Das recalls The Cocktail Season in Calcutta, where she spent her formative years, but she might as well have been speaking for the hundreds of Malayalee men who stagger in and out of bars, toddy shops and all-male drinking congregations: What is this drink but/ The April sun, squeezed/ Like an orange in/My glass? I sip the/ Fire, I drink and drink/Again, I am drunk/Yes, but on the gold/Of suns ... which recalls a classic Malayalee prescription for enjoying kallu or toddy, the fermented stuff of the dreams of Kerala poets and epicureans: Down a couple of bottles of fresh, frothy toddy, then take off your mundu or lungi (the wraparound sarong that macho Malayalee men drape around their waists when they are not clambering over walls to forage in neighbouring femaledom), and wander down the main street of the village or town, under the blazing noon sun. The midday heat on your skull will be deliriously countered by the bubbles of toddy-joy bursting through your brain and making your eyes glaze over and your knock-knee macho stagger inviting tolerant smiles... In an article on drinking and society in Kerala, titled From Pleasure to Taboo, historian Dilip Menon, a former Fellow of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Delhi, traces Keralas move from community drinking to individual drinking sanctioned access to alcoholism; from toddy to arrack; and the move towards drinking in arrack shops controlled by the State. Locating the role of drink within Keralas agrarian economy and work routine, and the integral part that toddy played in religious festivals and rituals, Menon points to the temporary camaraderie that existed between men of all castes who gathered at the local toddy shop, at the end of a hard days work in the paddy fields in a transcendental mix of uneasy intimacy and formal hierarchy: Drinking was seen within the context of work and lubricated enthusiasm for work. An ethic of work and an ethic of drink went hand in hand. Menon quotes a 19th century account that characterises the lords of
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large-landed households as debauched and irregular in their habits and prone to eating flesh and drinking strong liquors. Drinking, in the Kerala of a bygone era was often located in a social context of appropriateness. Toddy has long been central to religious festivals and ritual in the region, and sumptuary communal drinking by members of all castes (high or low in the traditional hierarchy) was a characteristic fixture of many festivals. Drunkenness was often tolerated, if not condoned. Drinking toddy to the point of losing consciousness within the context of a festival could be seen as moderate consumption, Menon points out. In their study of the Izhava community of Kerala, social anthropologists Filippo Osella and Caroline Osella note that time was when liquor was seen as a fairly harmless substance whose consumption helps men make a difficult life more bearable, while being a central part of male sociality. A trip to the shaapu (toddy shop), centre of relaxation, gossip, politics and chitty funds, a strictly gendered space where men can drink with friends after a hard days work, is considered a working mans legitimate right and pleasure... The Osellas recall visiting a teetotaller Communist Party activist in a coir-belt village during the annual Durga temple festival and being offered a surreptitious peg (oru cheriya hot, or a small hot drink) before a meal in a side room where father, sons and son-in-law sat in front of a bottle of good imported brandy. Since alcohol plays a part in both celebration and in masculine sociality, Nayar-dominated festivals and Christian weddings and baptisms all have a similar boozy atmosphere..., the Osellas note. No longer in todays Kerala. The social constructions of masculinity and the pressures on male identity have also played important roles in the rise of alcohol to its dominant status in contemporary alcohol-sodden Kerala, whose magnet sobriquet ought to be not Gods Own Country but Somas Own Retreat. An often prissy perplexity of machismo, nostalgia, gravitas and hypocrisy has carved into the psyche of the typical mustachioed Malayalee male a stolid indurate indifference to malady, which is only occasionally jolted out of the cocoon by bouts of alcohol-free clarity. This is what happens to Raghunandan, the alcoholic TV journalist played by one of Mollywoods best actors, Mohanlal, in the film Spirit, which proved to be one of this years successes at the Malayalam box office. An intoxicating mixture of intelligence, arrogance, bravado and nervy masculinity defines Mohanlals portrayal of the hipflask-toting, wisdomspouting journo who is fast spiralling into total self-destruction until in a moment of clarity he decides to confront the genie in the bottle. this incident involving Ravi Varma, the legendary artist-prince whose paintings once defined the princely sensibilities of the royal courts of Travancore. According to biographer Deepanjana Pal, Ravi Varma, a known teetotaller, declined a drink from a persistent man at a party in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state. The offering was probably sherry, the drink of choice then among the British officers and Travancores aristocracy. On hearing that the artist preferred tender coconut water, the astonished man laughed: So that was all the alcohol can drive even the most creative of minds to devastation and untimely death was that of the modernist poet A Ayyappan. A solitary erstwhile working class litterateur, and an iconoclast of sorts, Ayyappan could be found wandering the streets of Thiruvananthapuram, bumming around all day, soliciting friend and foe alike for a few rupees todown a couple of pegs. In the end, he was found dead on a city pathway outside the railway station, on the eve of his departure to Chennai to receive the 2010 Kumaran Asan Prize. and patriarchy continue to exert strong social and cultural agency in Kerala, particularly in pockets of outliers, such as tribal and fishing communities, the issue of domestic violence is often inextricably linked to the consumption of alcohol. A social worker in Marianad, a fishing village near Keralas capital city, was trenchant in explaining to anthropologist Busby the high prevalence of domestic violence: A lot of this is due to drinking; if you could only stop that then the violence would stop. Drinking leads to violent behaviour in general, not just against women but children and other men, too. It is unlikely that Kerala will see a drop in consumption of alcohol any time in the near future. With rising disposable incomes in the hands of Keralas men whether they work in government service, in IT companies in software parks or in the El Dorado of the Middle East and with revenue from excise duties continuing to fill the coffers of a high-wage state economy, the bottle will never be far from the hands of the Malayalee male. Allow, then, a Malayalee woman, again the immortal Kamala Das, to rue the state of Keralas love affair with the bottle: I have left colourful youth behind. Perhaps I mixed my pleasures as carelessly as I mixed my drinks and passed out too soon on the couch of life. But does it matter at all? I have turned weary and frigid. My heart resembles a cracked platter that can no more hold anything. K G Kumar is an independent journalist and editor based in Thiruvananthapuram
Alcohol as a magnet for creativity and manliness, and, by extension, the nemesis of mediocrity has long been propagated in fashionable circles. Take
celebrated artist could handle, coconut water? Kerala has had its share of drink-happy writers and Bacchanalian bards: poets like Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan and Balachandran Chullikadu (both gave up the bottle later in life), writers like Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, lyricists like Vayalar and Gireesh Puthenchery, filmmakers like John Abraham, actors like Murali and Thilakan. Perhaps the most heartrending recent instance of how
The perpetually aching irony was that no one recognised the body. Cast away, abandoned, emptied of all verve, bereft of spirit like the dregs of that last one for the road. In her ethnographic study of gender relations in a fishing community in south Kerala, anthropologist Cecilia Busby quotes a fisherwoman on the natural affinity between men and arrack: You just cant stop them, they have to have it. As male dominance
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the dot, wallmounted seat
100 november 2012 MW
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sitting pretty
Photographs by bikramjit bose Styled by alisha netalkar hair and make-up by elton fernandes chairs by lekha washington
Actor and product designer Lekha Washington asks us to have a seat, on her just launched line of chairs
he modern artist is, at every corner, forced to choose between his integrity and his need to eat. Artists deal with this dilemma in different ways. Some lock on to their ideals with firm jaw, and have to be pulled away from them kicking and screaming, teeth gnashing, arms flailing, eyes welling up with tears that will flow for several years in luxury trailers and dressing-rooms of large theatres, until their tortured-genius persona is turned into a caricature and played by some other tortured genius in a commercial movie. Some make a virtue out of selling out, remorselessly bragging about how unpretentious and unselfish they have been in hanging their principles out on a clothes-line somewhere in the Arctic to give themselves to the masses. For Lekha Washington, the artists quandary can only be met with pragmatism. Its a game of percentages, she says. I am all right with putting up with a lot of bullshit if five per cent of my time is dedicated to doing good work. In an ideal world, of course I would get to choose my roles; I would love to have a wealth of choice, so I could say, Im only going to be philosophical and brooding. That option doesnt exist. So, when the opportunity arises, I will play a serious role, but the rest of the time Im happy to play the smiling, ditzy city girl that commercial films require me to play. Also, if you play the girl-next-door in a popular commercial film, youll get the brooding roles. Washington, who studied film at the National Institute of Design, caught film-makers' eyes after her appearances as a host during the 2008 IPL. She was signed on to a Telugu multi-starrer called Vedam and a Tamil comedy, Va Quarter Cutting. Washington, who was born in Chennai but lives in Mumbai, also shot for a Bollywood film Peter Gaya Kaam Se, which is stuck in post-production, and is wrapping up shooting Power, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn. Bollywood, though, she says, is not ensconced in a special aura in her eyes. There is an underlying vibe in Bollywood that were Hindi and therefore were smarter. But theres so much interesting work coming out of the south. Like Va Quarter Cutting was so out there, and I loved it. I want to do films in any language as long as its good work. Creativity balanced with pragmatism may, perhaps, not be a puritans recipe for a great artist. But it is exactly the kind of thing youd look for in a product designer. Washington, who studied lifestyle product design at NID before dropping out to do the film course, recently launched the first collection of her design venture, Ajji, The Odd Product Company. Washingtons line of innovative yet comfortable chairs (available at Pallate Design Studio, Rs 40,000 onwards) has received rave reviews. She is now planning to extend her designs beyond furniture, and her next collection will include light-fittings. The brief Ive given myself is to make completely original designs, and products with which a user interacts. Washington, who counts Dali as among her inspirations, is also a sculptor. These myriad roles may give one the impression that Washington is a little bit of a crazed artist, floundering around with different mediums to release her passion. One conversation with her, though, and you will see that she is just a down-to-earth person looking to balance several interests, who happens to be strikingly beautiful.
MW MW november december 2012 100 207
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"the pink sink looks like there's no way you can sit on it, until you do, and then you realise it's extremely comfortable"
the pink sink, a foldable chair with maximum bounce
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Sweater with eagle print by Zara, Rs 1,790
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woman we like
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Button-down shirt by Zara, Rs 2,390
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my design philosophy is to come up with products that are original and interactive
the square chair
Sweater with studded offshoulder sleeves by Zara, Rs 2,790
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MW noW on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and android devices.

Subscribe through Magzter, the Digital Web Store, on iTunes and Android Market, or log on to magzter.com
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tr acking time
IWC NEW LAUNCHES ROLEX
Tradition Breguet 7047 Tourbillon Fusee, Pink Gold
reguets emblematic Tradition collection is being enriched this year with an original model in 18 carat rose gold. This Grande Complication timepiece featuring a tourbillon, fusee and chain transmission, and a Breguet balance spring in silicon, joins the existing models in yellow gold and platinum. Inspired by the legendary souscription watches created by A L Breguet, this objet dart symbolises both a return to roots and a resolutely forward-looking brand vision. Its pure, modern aesthetic sets the stage for the tourbillon and the fusee and chain transmission located on the upper part of the mainplate. In 2006, Breguet presented
the first watches with silicon balance spring and escapement. The flat silicon balance springs, made using a raised terminal curve, also known as a `Breguet overcoil, were recognised as an authentic feat by the watch industry. The rose gold re-edition of the `Tradition
7047PT also features a silicon Breguet balance spring, as well as a new black galvanic-coated and engine-turned 18-carat gold dial.
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tr acking time Watch talk
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Return of the Tourbillon

Two centuries after it was invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the tourbillon has again taken the watch world by storm
reguets Grandes Complications salute the centuries-old meeting of peerless watchmaking and mechanical mastery. Thinking and working in four dimensions, generations of Breguet watchmakers have driven their art to new heights turning out minute repeaters, perpetual calendar watches and tourbillon designs. Of the many beautiful inventions as well as horological marvels created by Breguet, the tourbillon is the most important one. In fact, company founder Abraham-Louis Breguet would be proud (and maybe surprised) to see whats become of his tiny, twirling invention which he developed in 1795 to make his already extremely precise watches even better. On June 26, 1801, the Ministry of
the Interior ofFranceawarded him the patent (image on right) for his invention, a new type of regulator featuring a permanently rotating escapement assembly designed to offset the effects of gravity. The tourbillon continues to provide unrivalled precision and has over the last two centuries become a horological superstar. Its the very symbol of watchmaking prowess, conferring instant stature on its wearer and its maker. To sport a tourbillon on your wrist is to tell the world you have arrived. In an ironic twist of fate, what used to be its greatest drawbacks its astronomically high cost and the level of skill required to produce it are now its greatest assets. In the following pages we present the best of Breguets most recent tourbillions.
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Classique 5335 Grande Complication Tourbillon Messidor
The tourbillon regulator ranks high among Breguets most significant inventions. Having determined that gravity interfered with the regularity of watch movements, company founder A L Breguet got the idea of fitting the escapement in a cage or carriage effecting a complete rotation on itself in exactly one minute. This way, whatever the position in which the watch may find itself, its rate variations cancel themselves out by recurring at regular intervals. The Classique Tourbillon Messidor design salutes the masters ingenious invention. Driven by a handwound movement and lodged in a spacious-looking carriage, this uncluttered tourbillon design adds its distinctive character to the watchs already fascinating personality. Its trim, horologically elegant design features curving, swirling bridges and bars that add an unexpected look to the composition. Its discreet sapphire crystal stresses the entire designs airy construction, providing a transparent background for the steady pace of the blued Breguet hands. The overall effect is one of grace and harmony, of floating serenely through space in step with the tourbillons circular dance, an array of meticulously finished parts polished, chamfered, chased and scored with parallel decorative strokes by the most versatile of all instruments, the human hand.
Case: Round in 18-carat rose gold with finely fluted caseband. Sapphire-crystal caseback. Rounded horns welded to the case with screw-pins to secure the strap. Water-resistant to 30 metres. Diameter 40 mm. Dial: Pink gold ornaments set into a sapphire crystal. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Chapter-ring off-centered at 12 oclock. Running seconds on the tourbillon carriage at 6 oclock. Breguet hands in blued-steel. Movement: Openworked hand-wound mechanical Cal. 558 SQ2, entirely engraved by hand. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. The tourbillon shaft is held by two sapphire crystals. Power reserve 50 hours. 25 jewels. Monometallic 2.5 Hz balance-wheel with screws. Adjusted in six positions. Also available in platinum 950.
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Classique Grande Complication 5347 Double Tourbillon

The spectacular outcome of years of diligent development, the Breguet Double Tourbillon includes a hand-wound movement fitted with a pair of tourbillon regulators rotating on the hour axis. An aesthetic as well as a technical masterpiece, the watch features today a pink gold case 44 mm in diameter housing over 570 components, all painstakingly assembled by Breguets master watchmakers. Working independently from one another, two tourbillons are coupled by means of differential gears and mounted on a rotating centre plate effecting a complete revolution in 12 hours. The differential device conveys the two tourbillons mean rate to the rotating centre plate and to the time-display mechanism. The rate of the watch is thus the mean rate of the two tourbillons, making its movement twice as precise as a normal one. The hour is shown by the bridge connecting the tourbillon regulators doubling as a watch hand, while the minutes are indicated by a standard hand at centre. A manually engine-turned mainplate, a chapter ring inscribed with Roman numerals, pink gilt Breguet hands, a movement with decorated bridges and bars and other parts beveled and polished further testify to an exceptionally handsome design of unrivalled beauty and refinement. Case: Round, in 18K pink gold, with finely fluted caseband. Sapphire caseback. Diameter: 44 mm. Rounded horns welded to the case. Water-resistant to 30 metres. Dial: Ring-shaped, forming a flange in 18K silvered gold. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Chapter ring with Roman numerals. Rose gilt open-tipped Breguet t minute hand. The hour hand is an extension of the bridge supporting the two tourbillon carriages. Movement: Hand-wound mechanical movement with twin tourbillon regulators mounted on the manually turned rotating centre plate. The two regulators are coupled by a differential gear that combines the mean rate of the two movements. The tourbillons effect a complete revolution in 12 hours. Movement numbered and signed Breguet. 50 hour power reserve. 85 jewels. Breguet overcoil. Frequency 2.5 Hz. Monometallic Breguet balance wheels with four gold regulating screws. Adjusted in six positions. Back of movement with hand-engraved representation of the solar system.
Marine Tourbillon 5839 High Jewellery

The use of the innovative material silicon for the balance-spring, escapement wheel and lever made it possible to create a tourbillon that was light, and therefore highly shock resistant, nonmagnetic and requiring no lubricants. The use of titanium for the tourbillon carriage also made the entire watch lighter. The combination of this prestigious complication with a chronograph function marked the birth of an exceptional timepiece. Here it is presented as a high jewellery version in which Breguets watchmaking and jewellery expertise intersect. It has a case measuring 43mm in diameter, fully paved with baguette-cut diamonds. The lugs and the space between, casebands, flat surfaces of the pushpieces, and sides of the crown are all paved. The ultimate expression of this is the bezel, which is set with trapeze-cut diamonds arranged in staggered rows. The entire piece boasts of 186 gems totalling about 11.77 carats. The silvered solid gold dial is hand-engraved on a rose engine in the Breguet tradition, in this case with a `wave pattern, a motif that also rims the chapter ring. The dial is set with 132 full-cut diamonds, about 0.356 carat in all. The buckle, set with 58 diamonds totalling 0.23carat, completes this masterpiece. The Marine Tourbillon High Jewellery watch marks yet another exceptional achievement by Breguet. Case: Round, in 18-carat white gold with finely fluted caseband. Bezel, caseband, lugs, pushpieces, and crown set with 186 baguette-cut diamonds. Caseback handengraved on a rose engine. Rounded lugs welded to the case. Wave-shaped chronograph pushpieces. 43 mm diameter. Waterresistant to 3 bar (30 metres). Dial: In silvered 18-carat gold, handengraved on a rose engine and set with 132 diamonds. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. Chapter ring in Roman numerals and luminous dots. 30-minute totalizer at 3 oclock. 12-hour totalizer at 6 oclock. Small seconds on the tourbillon carriage, partly in titanium at 12 oclock. Open-tipped Breguet hands in blued steel. Movement : Hand-wound, numbered and signed Breguet, with tourbillon. 12 lines. 28 jewels. Cal. 554.4 50-hour power reserve. Balance-spring, escape-wheel and lever in silicon. Breguet balance-wheel. 3Hz frequency. Adjusted in 6 positions. Strap: In alligator leather. Tradition Breguet 7047 Tourbillon Fusee, Rose Gold
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Heritage 5497 Grande Complication Tourbillon
This is the first great complication in the Heritage collection. The 5497 watch surrenders its tonneau shape to a tourbillon driven by a manually wound movement. Leaving aside the mechanism, the timepiece itself boasts of a sophisticated design: curved on two axes to fit more than perfectly on the wrist, the case, here in platinum and typical of the collection, presents a recurring challenge to Breguets watchmaking craftsmen and engineers. The double camber, which demands great technical mastery, also applies to the dial. The basic Breguet calibre 187 has been modified and truncated to meet the requirements of this piece. This watch displays its functions on a costly face wrought in silvered gold. The spectacular play of materials and reliefs puts the tourbillon in perspective, highlights the least detail of styling and emphasises the technicalness of the piece. The chapter ring has been painstakingly cut out and superimposed like delicate lacework on the cambered dial that has been engine-turned by hand. Made of a single piece, the tracery of Roman numerals subtly hugs the contours and intensifies the architecture of the object. The tourbillon bar takes its part in the tableau in the role of the hour marker at 6 oclock.
Case: Tonneau-shaped case, curved in two axes, in platinum 950 with finely fluted caseband. Rounded horns stamped to the case with screw-pins to secure the strap. Sapphire-crystal caseback. Water-resistant to 30 metres. Dial: 18-carat silvered gold handengraved on a rose-engine and curved in two axes. Individually numbered and signed Breguet Chapter-ring in Roman numerals cut-out in one piece and applied on the dial. Open-tipped Breguet hands in blued steel. Small second on the tourbillon carriage at 6 oclock. The `tourbillon-barrette is shaped to serve as index number 6. Movement: Hand-wound mechanical with tourbillon. Individually numbered and signed Breguet. 21 jewels. Cal. 187H. Power reserve 50 hours. Lever escapement on the side. 2.5 Hz balance-wheel with load-screws. Breguet overcoil. Adjusted in six positions. Also available in 18-carat rose gold.
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tr acking time watch talk
The 12th Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix or Grand PrixdHorlogerie de Genve, the watch worlds Oscar night, was held on November 15, 2012 at the Grand Thtre de Genve in the presence of the biggest names in the industry. As many as 190 new watches launched this year were nominated for the nine awards that were given out. An elaborate screening process first whittled down the number of pre-selected watches to 70, after which the timepieces were taken on a multicity exhibition to Zurich, Hong Kong and Shanghai and finally back to Geneva. Three nominees were selected eventually for each category from which the winners were chosen. Of course, as in the past, some of the leading luxury brands in the world kept away this year as well. While the Best Watchmaker Award was won by Carole Forestier Kasapi of Cartier and the Jury Prize went to the Swiss Chronometry Society, here are the watches that walked away with 2012s top honours.
Best Mens Watch & Public Prize (Prix de la montre homme & Prix du public)
Watches of
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MB&F Legacy Machine N1
While MB&Fs futuristic Horological Machines have a firm foundation in the very best of traditional horology, founder Maximilian Bsser wanted to pay homage to that rich tradition by imagining the type of timepiece he might create if he had been born 100 years earlier, in 1867 instead of 1967. With its large, sedately oscillating balance, domed dials, historical bridge design and classical fine-finishing, this watch is the very contemporary, yet traditionally elegant, fruition of that dream.
Best Womens Watch (Prix de la montre dame)
Chanel Flying Tourbillon

On the 25th anniversary of Chanels first watch the Premire, whose shape was inspired by the octagonal geometry of the No. 5 perfume bottle stopper and the Place Vendme, Chanel has created a watch decorated with the motif of the camellia, a tribute to Coco Chanels favourite flower. The floral design creates a delicate texture with the use of interlocked petals and a heart that is paved with diamonds. The Flying Tourbillon makes one rotation per minute, with the petals indicating the seconds.
Grand Prix, The Golden Hand (Grand Prix, de LAiguille dOr)
Tag Heuer Mikrogirder

This watch is undoubtedly Tag Heuers greatest achievement in watchmaking engineering to date. It features the fastest mechanical regulator ever crafted and tested. Accurate to an unprecedented 5/10,000 of a second, the new regulator system a coupling blade and excitatory blade system working with a linear oscillator (versus a spiral shape in a classical hairspring) that vibrates isochronously at a very small angle, as opposed to a traditional watch, which vibrates at an angle of up to 320 degrees.
Best Innovation (Prix de la montre innovation)
HYT H1 Black DLC

Fine watchmaking meets fluid mechanics in this radical timepiece, where a combination of a fluorescent aqueous liquid and a transparent viscous liquid powers the mechanical watch. As one of the two reservoirs at 06:00 compresses, the other expands and vice versa, pushing the fluids through the capillary tube. As the hours pass, the fluorescent liquid advances inside the tube. The half-moon meniscus marks the boundary where the two fluids meet to indicate the hour. At 18:00, the liquid returns to its initial position in a retrograde movement. The upper section of the watch is an unstructured geometry of super-positions and reliefs. The small seconds counter which overlaps the minute regulator in the centre bears a striking resemblance to a waterwheel. An intuitive time-telling object and high-flying mechanics that blow existing approaches apart. The inspired design leaves no doubt as to the revolutionary nature and out-of-the-box creativity of the whole.
218 dec ember 2012 MW
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the Year
Best Complicated Watch (Prix de la grande complication)
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Best Jewellery Watch (Prix de la montre joaillerie et mtiers dart)
Chopard Imperiale Tourbillon Full Set

This watch crystallises the full measure of the brands expertise in the two fields on which it has built its reputation. The gem-setting work is a virtuoso demonstration of jewellery-making skills; while the L.U.C 02-14-L movement designed, developed and crafted in hand, is equipped with a Tourbillon, a complication rarely seen on ladies models. The overall result is a blend of Haute Joaillerie and Haute Horlogerie that sets a new benchmark in the field of complicated womens watches.
Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 2

In 10 years, no less than six significant inventions have sprung from Greubel Forseys think tank, three of which (to date) have been celebrated by Invention Piece (IP). In 2007, IP1 paid homage to the Double Tourbillon 30; in 2009, IP3 honoured the Tourbillon 24 Secondes; and the new IP2 pays tribute to the Quadruple Tourbillon with a completely new architecture in which the focus is on its exclusive mechanism. The two double tourbillon systems are presented head to tail and coupled by a spherical differential. A sub-dial at 5 oclock conceals triple mainspring barrels and features a red triangle indicating hours and a rotating disk indicates minutes. Small seconds dial at 10 oclock and 56-hour power reserve indicator at 11 oclock complete the dial.
Best Sports Watch (Prix de la montre sport)
Habring2 Doppel 2.0

This innovation on the traditional chrono rattrapante or the double chronograph by the small Austrian boutique watchmaker omits the traditional column wheel which is not only complicated to produce but also requires complex adjustment in conjunction with a split-seconds function . Highlights include accurate chronometer measurement and superior reliability. The sub-dials have a classic east-west orientation while the sapphire crystal base offers an unrestricted view of the manual mechanism.
Small Hand (Prix de La Petite Aiguille)
Zenith Big Date Special

Echoing the historic chronograph watch from the 1960-80s, the new Pilot Big Date Specials steel case is a moderate 42 mm in diameter, with classically styled alternating polished and satin-brushed finishes. The matt black dial, sandblasted five times, sets off the time displays, which visually are in perfect balance. The small seconds counter is at 9 oclock, exactly opposite the 30-minute counter at 3 oclock. Both feature a snailed decoration. A pair of hands treated with black ruthenium and highlighted with Superluminova mark the hours and minutes in a decisively masculine and modern style.Powered by El Primero 4010 calibre.
MW decEMBER 2012 219
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From Sydney to Hobart
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, one of the worlds greatest and toughest ocean races in the world, will kick off on Boxing Day later this month
n December 26 when Australia take on Sri Lanka for the Boxing Day test match at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds, the lunch hour, for sports fans across Australia, will be devoted to watching the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, one of the worlds greatest and toughest ocean races. The spectacular start of the race at 1.00 pm at the Sydney harbour where more than 80 yachts will depart in unison on their 628 mile odyssey, will attract a crowd
of close to half a million people, the largest live audience for any single sporting event anywhere in the world. Millions more will follow the race on television and the internet across the world. Two days later, thousands more will greet the boats as they arrive one by one in Hobart, the capital city of the Southern Australian island of Tasmania. This year will see a total of 82 yachts participating including 100 footers Wild Oats X,RagamuffinLoyal and Wild Thing, and the 98 feet Lahana. Although numbers are
slightly down on last years 88 starters, we are pleased to have the quality fleet we do, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore, Howard Piggott says. We expect a spirited battle for line honours, especially between Rolex Sydney-Hobart race record holderWild Oats XIand the renamedRagamuffin Loyal, which took line honours last year. First run in 1945 and sponsored by Rolex since 2002, the race has gained legendary status worldwide, thanks largely to the often turbulent and challenging conditions as the fleet heads south across the Tasman Sea, crossing the eastern part of Bass Strait on the way. The race is notorious for its shifting and unpredictable weather, which in 1998 resulted in the death of six sailors. In fact no boat has won the race in two consecutive years since the mid-1960s. This years line-up will include seven previous overall winners. The 2011 winner,Loki(Stephen Ainsworth) heads the cast of favourites. Its most recent effort was breaking the 13-year-old record for a conventional yacht in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race in August, and winning the race
overall. If any boat can back up and make it two in a row, Loki can. Other winners unable to resist the urge to try again include 2010 winnerSecret Mens Business 3.5(Geoff Boettcher) and Andrew Saies Beneteau First 40, Two True(2009). The 1993 winner,Wild Rose, a 30-year-old boat owned by Roger Hickman, is always a contender, despite her age. Last years race provided several moments of high drama including an enthralling cat-and-mouse battle for line honours between five-time winner and race record-holderWild Oats XIand her fellow 100-foot opponent,Investec Loyal. Heading into the last stretch in the Derwent river, in Tasmania, the two boats were tantalizingly close together, withInvestec Loyaleventually winning by a mere 3 minutes and 8 seconds, the fourthclosest finish in the events rich history. The race came about in April 1945 when an early member of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), Sydney artist Jack Earl, was anchored at Quarantine not far from where the Tasmanian yacht Saltair was also anchored. Earl and his family were planning a
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Rolex/Kurt Arrigo
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the skippers watch
The Oyster Perpetual YachtMaster II is a unique regatta chronograph dedicated to both yachting enthusiasts and experienced sailors. Created in 2008, the watch features an exclusive function developed by Rolex, a programmable countdown with a mechanical memory that can be synchronised on the fly. A function that responds ideally to the need for precise timing during the crucial starting sequence of a regatta. Although technically complex, it is essentially very simple to use. The countdown can be programmed from 1 to 10 minutes and allows skippers to precisely time and follow each races specific official starting procedure. This flexibility is one the major assets of the watch and its development was a considerable mechanical challenge. Further, the programming can be mechanically memorised so that the hand returns to the same setting at a reset. Once launched, the countdown can also be synchronised on the fly to match the official countdown. The countdowns functions have been designed to be easily set and operated using just one hand. The preliminary programming of up to 10 minutes is accessed, and then locked, via the Ring Command bezel. This innovative interaction between the movement and the bezel redefines the functions of the rotatable bezel. The bezel in 18 carat yellow and Everose gold is equipped with a 10 to 0 minute graduated blue Cerachrom insert made of an extremely hard and corrosion-resistant ceramic which makes it virtually scratchproof. The numerals and the graduations are engraved in ceramic and coated with gold using a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) process patented by Rolex. On the 18 carat white gold model, the bezel has raised markers and is made of 950 platinum. The Oysters case is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 330 ft. The characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block of 18 carat gold or corrosion-resistant steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers.
Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
cruise to Hobart at Christmas time, and Jack rowed over to Saltair, owned by two other early CYCA members, the experienced Tasmanian yachtsmen Bert and Russ Walker, to look at their charts. The Walkers asked if they might join the cruise. Peter Luke, a photographer and avid sailor got wind of it and said hed like to go along, too. In May 1945 Luke invited the wellknown British ocean-racing yachtsman, Commander John Illingworth, who was stationed at Garden Island, to address a meeting of the CYCA. That evening Luke told Illingworth that three of them were planning a cruise to Hobart, and would he care to join them? Illingworth is believed
We expect a spirited battle for line honours, especially between Rolex Sydney-Hobart race record holder Wild Oats XIand Ragamuffin Loyal"
to have said, Why dont we make a race of it? Thus what was supposed to have been a cruise turned into a race. Charlie Cooper, whose brother was a wing commander with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), managed to arrange air cover for the race. A fleet of nine yachts took the starters gun on December 26. One day later they
ran into winds of 50 knots accompanied by blinding rain and rising seas. Many sought shelter along the New South Wales coast. Peter Luke and his crew on their boat Wayfarer sought refuge behind Broulee Island , went ashore to phone home to say they were okay, then got back aboard and cooked up their 12 pounds of fresh beef (before it spoiled they had no refrigeration in those days) and had a hearty stew before going to bed for the night. They may have been racing in the ocean, but they were not yet ocean racers. The RAAF plane following the fleet reported not sighting several yachts. For the next several days the race made front-page headlines, with yachts feared missing. The drama captured the imagination of post-war yachtsmen in Australia, and from that point onwards the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and other ocean races became the main focus of the newlyformed `cruising club.
The experienced John Illingworth on his boat Rani won the first race in a time of 6 days 14 hours 22 minutes. Peter Luke, on the other hand, still holds the record for the slowest finish, having taken 11 days 6 hours 20 minutes to reach Hobart. Most yachts these days finish the race in two to three days. The overall fastest time record is held by the then 98 ft super maxi, Wild Oats XI of 1 day 18 hours 40 minutes and 10 seconds, set in 2005. Last years winner Investec Loyal, a 100 ft super maxi, owned by Anthony Bell, finished the race in 2 days, 6 hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds.
Rolex/Daniel Forster
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Rolex/Daniel Forster
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The objective of making the overall buying experience an enriching one for the customers has led the team at ethoswatches.com to go all out in providing only the best and latest content from the watch world. The in-house editorial team is constantly on its toes to ensure that up-to-date news is delivered to watch enthusiasts visiting their site. So if you want to know which celebrity is sporting what watch brand and which watch models made it to the big screen, then this site should definitely be on your RSS feed reader. With a flexible and progressive vision, the team believes in being a part of the all-important and fast-growing social media. So, if you like a particular watch you can Pin it, Share it, Like it or even Tweet about it. Different features such as being able to speak with a luxury watch consultant for any support, sending an instant mail for a friends opinion on a chosen model and discovering as well as learning about thrilling new watches highlighted by the editorial team, are all qualities that make this portal stand apart. Ethoswatches.com has a remarkably young team headed by Pranav Saboo, 24, also the CEO of a digital media company called Dream Digital. He says,Ethoswatches.com is managed by a very young and motivated team. No one is above the age of 30. They have international exposure and are experts in their fields. The numbers that the team has been achieving in such a short span of time are quite commendable and an encouraging indication for the business. They already boast of clocking over 200,000 visitors with more than 120,000 watches being researched and over 4,000 calls being received by the Luxury Watch Helpline every month. Such progress within seven months of commencing business is a telling sign of an imminent success story. Expansion plans include going the e-commerce way in the near future. The target is to achieve the 1 million visitors per month mark within the next 12 months. And looking at the growth curve, it actually doesnt seem like just another number. Says Saboo, Google recently published a research report which said that of all cars sold in India, 50 per cent are researched online. We believe that the same will happen for luxury watches and ethoswatches.com will be the leading place to finda luxury watch.
Beyond brick and mortar

Looking for the perfect luxury watch? Ethos, the leading timepiece retailer in India helps you choose online
Carl F Bucherer Alacria
The Ethos online portal and (right) some of the watches on the website
thos Watch Boutiques, a pioneer in the retailing of luxury watches in India, has achieved yet another milestone in the watch segment. It has launched the countrys first and largest online portal for exclusive viewing of luxury watches at www. ethoswatches.com. The one-of-a-kind portal has created a niche for itself by targeting the luxury watches sector in the online space, a hitherto largely untapped area. The online team at Ethos intends on changing the way luxury watches are bought in the country by making it more of an experience rather than just another shopping spree. With over 3,000 watches and over 30 luxury brands to choose from on the website, customers are exposed to multiple options and are literally spoilt
for choice. Watch lovers can search from these watches by applying filters like strap type, dial colour, brand, watch size, etc. to narrow down their choice in the quest to find the perfect piece. Watch lovers no longer need to be restricted only to watches at their local watch retailer, which, on an average, stocks only about 400 luxury watches. Ethos has set up a special support system called Luxury Watch Helpline where customers can dial in and speak with exclusive Luxury Watch Consultants for assistance in choosing these watches. Once a customer selects a particular watch on the site, he or she can contact a Luxury Watch consultant and request for an exclusive viewing of the piece. This can be arranged either at one of the stores as per their convenience or via a special home visit.
Edox Iceman 1
Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Heritage Chronograph
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The Birds Of Jaquet Droz
The Bird Repeater is a salute to the companys communion with nature as well as its mastery of the decorative crafts and precision watchmaking
orn in 1721, Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the founder of the company that was soon to bear his name, was above all a child of the Swiss Jura. In these valleys that are still the cradle of Swiss watchmaking excellence, there is a sense of life in communion with natural surroundings. The sound of birdsong accompanies the cycle of the seasons. Their songs, which were a source of fascination during the Age of Enlightenment (a cultural movement of intellectuals) for naturalist and fashionable aesthete alike, must have sounded sweet to the young prodigy during his summers beside the waterfall of Saut du Doubs. While Jaquet-Droz made his mark as a virtuoso of horological en-
gineering, he was also an audacious businessman as well as an aesthete, in tune with the tastes of his time. He and his successors made a reputation with their breathtaking singing watches. At first incorporated in real birdcages, these creations benefited from developments in miniature clock-making, and were soon transformed into pocket watches and table clocks of proportions as small as they were refined. True stars of their period, the `birds at the famous farm of Sur le Pont at La Chaux-de-Fonds are treasures, not only of mechanics, but also of the decorative arts of the period. Enamels reproducing the finest nuances of plumage; gold, pearls, precious stones nothing was too good for these exceptional timepieces, which won Jaquet-
Droz the international renown that persists to this day. Jaquet Droz, the company, is now adding a new dimension to the age-old dream of flying with The Bird Repeater. In a stunning visual show, this watch shows two Blue Tits, symbolic of Pierre JaquetDrozs native Jura region, together over the nest containing their fledglings. In another nod to the origins of the company, the Saut du Doubs waterfall also figures on the dial. The three-dimensional picture comes to life when one of the birds bobs to give a beakful of food to its offspring, while the wings of its companion spread to reveal their delicate shades of color. An egg in the middle of the nest opens to reveal a chick, while the water of the stream flows in a continuous
The Jaquet Droz Bird Repeater and (top) a close-up view of its mechanism
cascade. The Bird Repeater is an automaton, with a cam system inherited directly from the century of Enlightenment, and it calls upon the resources of all the decorative crafts. The exquisite yellow, blue, white and deep black of the birds plumage, the perfectly balanced volumes and the finely detailed wisps of grass forming the nest were produced by Jaquet Drozs own team of engravers and painters . To achieve the realism of this scene no less than eight different animation mechanisms act in synchronism including the movement of the birds heads and wings, the movement of the fledglings, the hatching of the egg and the sparkle of the flowing water. Jaquet Droz has also given The Bird Repeater one of haute horlogeries most virtuoso complications: Minute Repetition. Simply pressing the pushbutton makes the watch strike the hours, quarters and minutes and sets the animated sequences in motion. The resonance and mellow tone of its cathedral gong, generated by two turns around the mechanism, are equaled only by the complexity of the system of chimes incorporated in the gold case, 47 mm in diameter and only 18.4 mm thick. The Bird Repeater, made up of 508 separate components, has a 48-hour power reserve, and is available in two versions, in grey gold set with diamonds and in red gold, each one in a limited edition of just eight pieces. The outcome of two years of development, the watch is already on view today, but the company is in the process of completing a piece that will be the crowning glory of its historic link with the world of birds when it is presented at Baselworld 2013.
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IWC Schaffhausens The Little Prince connection

The Pilots Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint-Exupry launched recently is a reminder of how the aviator, poet and humanist discovered his great passion
Antoine de Saint-Exupery in 1935, shortly before his attempt to set a new long-distance record from Paris to Saigon
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Henri Guillaumet (left) and Antoine de Saint-Exupery making preparations for a transatlantic flight to New York on July 7, 1939
The newly -launched Pilots Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint-Exupry
Writer-philosopher Antoine de SaintExupery, best known worldwide for his 1943 novella The Little Prince, was also an aviation pioneer
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You also worked on a partnership to launch a watch that recalled the memory of another legend, Charles Darwin, through the Charles Darwin Foundation of the Galapagos Islands in the re-launch of the Aquatimer family in 2007. Do you see any similarity between the two launches? One thing came out very clearly through the two projects: you can do well by doing good. Both Saint-Exupry Limited Editions and Galapagos Special Editions are real commercial successes, huge communication platforms, and serve a greater cause, as a legacy of our corporate social responsibility philosophy. IWCs big success this year has been the watches named after the legend of Top Gun and Miramar. What was the genesis of the idea behind this collection and how has it done? Since the 1930s, IWC was one of the most consistent suppliers of time pieces to the different air forces in Europe and America (Luftwaffe, Royal Air Force, US Air Force, etc). The best fighter pilots in the world took off and came back safely partially thanks to IWC Pilots Watches. The Fighter Weapons School of the US Navy, better known as Top Gun, trains the best fighter pilots in the world. What better testimony of quality and precision then to be associated with this academy? It is as simple as that: simply the best. How do you see Indias potential as a watch market and what is IWCs strategy to exploit this potential in the coming years? India is a great market for IWC. We are very happy to be able to develop this market ourselves and we believe people will fall in love with our watches, just as they have in Europe, America and Far East Asia. You are an avid collector of watches. Can you tell us a little more about this hobby and the really special pieces in your collection? I collect pieces that relate to my personal life. I am a pilot so I have many pilots watches, including the St Exupry Editions. I love scuba diving and am a fan of Jacques Cousteau, so I also own a couple of those as well. And I would definitely recommend the Portuguese collection which not only reminds me of the passion I have for sailing, but also for fine watchmaking. IWC is a real mans world.
Honouring The Last Romantic Hero

Maxime Fert, Regional Director, IWC Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and India, has over 13 years of experience in the luxury and watch industries, having worked with the likes of Cartier, Piaget and Vacheron before arriving at IWC. Here, for the last decade he has overseen business development in markets like Latin America, The Caribbean, Mexico, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Spain, Portugal, Middle East, Turkey and India. His career highlights include conceptualising a partnership with the Charles Darwin Foundation of the Galapagos Islands, to celebrate the re-launch of the Aquatimer family in 2007. Fert is an avid traveller who dabbles in outdoor sports such as scuba diving, sailing and windsurfing. He also enjoys searching for unique time pieces in antique boutiques and markets to add to his watch collection. He spoke to MW about the new Antoine de Saint-Exupry limited edition watch and his expectations from the Indian market
Can you elaborate on the IWC strategy behind creating watches that recall the legend of men like Antoine de Saint- Exupry? IWC has a long history in the field of aviation. Since the early 30s, the manufacture has been involved in the production of time pieces that were part of the making of modern aviation. Those times are now legendary, as are most of those who took part in it. Antoine de Saint-Exupry is one of those legends, maybe the last romantic heroes that ever lived. A novelist, poet, and also an adventurer, pioneer, and much more. And now his legacy is being used for a greater cause: education and the fight against illiteracy. IWC is proud to be a part of the same history along with such a figure. By honouring Antoine de Saint-Exupry
we not only honour a man, but a whole generation of adventurers all of whom we miss very dearly. Antoine de Saint-Exupry is loved around the world by different people for different reason. Some recall his still popular 1943 novella The Little Prince, some his work as a poet and others remember him as an aviator. What is your favourite memory of him? For me Antoine de Saint-Exupry is the last romantic hero that ever lived. He was a passionate man. He loved his country, he loved flying, he loved adventure, he loved writing. He found love in the midst of all that. He is a hero of modern aviation. He is a legend in literature. He is a national emblem.
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Watch talk
Tag Heuer in Space

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX Chronograph commemorates the brands first foray to the earths orbit in 1961, and its travel to space itself in May this year
he legendary space race between the Americans and Russians began in earnest on May 25, 1961 when US President John F Kennedy announced to a joint session of the US Congress the audacious goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth before the end of the decade. The first step in this journey was to successfully orbit the earth, a feat achieved earlier by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in April
1961. The US programme, codenamed Project Mercury, followed on February 20, 1962, with astronaut John Glenn piloting the Friendship 7 Spacecraft for three orbits of the earth. A key part of Glenns equipment for the historic flight was a Heuer 2915A stopwatch. NASA had fitted the timepiece with a custom-made elastic band and strapped the timer to Glenns wrist. Tag Heuer thus became the first Swiss timepiece in outer space. Glenns timepiece is kept at
Astronaut John Glenn wore a Heuer 2915A stopwatch when orbiting the earth in 1962
Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX Chronograph
the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC, with a replica on display at Tag Heuers 360 Museum in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. The spirit of daring and adventure that drove Glenn and his fellow astronauts lives on today at Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), an American company that designs and manufactures some of the worlds most advanced rockets and spacecrafts. SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, the co-founder of PayPal and founder of Tesla Motors. SpaceX, as is well-known, was chosen to re-supply the International Space Station (ISS) with their Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft. On May 31, 2012, SpaceX successfully completed the historic mission that made Dragon the first commercial spacecraft to visit the ISS. Previously only four governments - the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency - had achieved this challenging technical feat. The Limited Edition TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX Chronograph honours both, the 50th anniversary of the first Swiss watchmaker in space and the first successful SpaceX mission to the ISS. The iconic Carrera case design is reinterpreted for 2012 with a new, larger diameter (43mm) stainless steel case featuring finely polished surfaces, including the bezel, crown and chronograph pushers. The silver dial faithfully
reproduces the design of the Heuer 2915A, with triangle markers at both 12 and 6 oclock and printed Arabic numerals that share the same font as the stopwatch worn by John Glenn. Similarly, the shape of the central chronograph hand echoes the design of the original. A graphic at 3 oclock shows the lettering `1962-2012 and below that an image of the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage and Dragon spacecraft in low earth orbit. On the opposite side of the dial is the Tag Heuer logo and the letterings `First Swiss Watch in Space. Powering the watch is Tag Heuers in-house calibre 1887 movement, visible through the smoked sapphire caseback, which also features an image of the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft, as well as the SpaceX logo. The ultimate test for TAG Heuers manufacture Calibre 1887 movement came in May when the watch travelled on SpaceX as it made its record-breaking visit to the ISS. After returning to earth, the chronograph underwent a full series of tests to measure its resistance to G-forces experienced during the launch, rendezvous with the space station, re-entry and landing. With all functions operating normally, the trip demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of the watch and its movement under extreme conditions.
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tr acking time Watch TA L K
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Frederique Constants affordable tourbillon
Frederique Constant has always believed that truly exceptional handmade watches of quality dont have to come at an outrageous price, the company says in a press note. Up till now, anyone looking at a true tourbillon watch could expect to pay anything from 50,000 to 60,000 and upwards. Some of our competitors `boast of watches that cost many multiples of those prices. For that reason, we are pleased to offer the new Slimline Tourbillon Manufacture models starting at just 26,500 for the stainless steel version, and 28,500 for the 18-karat rose gold bezel version. The launch of the Slimline Tourbillon Manufacture follows Frederique Constants successful Ladies Slimline Collection. There are two models, a polished all-stainless steel case and the other with a shining stainless steel main body accentuated with a 18-karat solid rose gold bezel. Both models feature a 60-second tourbillon in which the seconds hand is an integral part of the rotating tourbillon cage. One complete rotation of the dial takes place each minute. The silver, curved dial features a day-night indicator, the tourbillon cage at 6 oclock and rose gold-plated indices, hand applied in-house at Frederique Constants workshop. Clean lines give the slim stainless steel case an even more sophisticated, 50s-style appearance. The watch is powered by an advanced manufacture movement with a silicium escapement wheel and lever. The silicium movement provides durability, unrivalled accuracy of timekeeping, and a 48-hour power reserve. Individually numbered, each of the limited edition 188 pieces is presented in a beautiful wooden gift box.
Longines celebrates 180th anniversary with new launches

The Longines Telemeter Chronograph and Longines Tachymeter Chronograph are part of a series of launches to celebrate Longines 180th anniversary this year. The 41 mm case of both watches is powered by L688, a self-winding mechanical movement with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism that can be seen through the transparent case back. They feature a date aperture at 4.30, a small second at 9 oclock, a 30-minutes counter at 3 oclock and a 12 hours counter at 6. The white lacquered dial in the case of the Telemeter comes with nine black Arabic numerals and features the red telemeter scale and a spiral tachymeter scale. In the case of the Tachymeter the white lacquered dial, inspired by the one of a chronograph developed by Longines in 1934, contrasts perfectly with the black Arabic numerals and the tachymeter scale in blue (1000 m) and red (100 m). Breguet hands indicating hours and minutes and a black alligator strap complete the picture.
Longines Telemeter Chronograph Longines Tachymeter Chronograph
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tr acking time NEW LAUNCHES
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New on the shelf
An addition to Piaget's Black Tie collection; a multi-version, limited edition from Corum; and Tissot's tribute to bike racing among the latest attractions
Zenith El Primero Espada Gemset Rose Gold

TheEspadaseries is a new chapter in the history of El Primero since, for the first time, the legendary movement comes in athree-hand version.The rose gold 40 mm diameter watch is graced with gemset lugs and bezel, all with clear-cut lines and subtle gemsetting (totaling 0.7 carats). In all, 22 diamonds adorn the hour-markers, while the date window is at 3 oclock. The watch has a 50 hour power reserve.
Piaget Gouverneur Automatic Pink Gold Harry Winston Ocean Tourbillon Big Date
The tourbillon carriage and the regulating organs in this 45 mm diameter watch appear to float freely in space with no visible mechanical connection to the rest of the movement. The effect is achieved through the use of sapphire crystals on the front and back and a special bridge which `suspends the tourbillon cage. The watch comes with a power reserve of 110 hours. Part of Piagets Black Tie collection, this 43 mm diameter watch stands out for the subtle balance between two shapes round and oval. Besides this automatic version it also comes in chronograph and tourbillon models and has a power reserve of 85 hours.
Ulysse Nardin Monaco Limited Edition

This is a watch that celebrates the Monaco Yacht Show where Ulysse Nardin has been a sponsor for the last four years. Its 45.8 mm diameter stainless steel case has been specially treated with a vulcanisation process giving it a blue rubber coating. A wave pattern adorns the structured strap and dial. The hour markers and hour and minute hands are covered with blue luminescent material. The power reserve indicator is at 12 oclock. The case back reveals the self-winding movement with a 42 hour power reserve.
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Dior Chiffre Rouge A05 41mm Automatic Chronograph
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Rado HyperChrome Yellow And Rose Gold Ceramos
The two new editions have rose gold coloured and yellow gold coloured elements made of Ceramos, a combination of titanium carbide and a metallic alloy that makes the watch lightweight, ultra hard, scratch-resistant and adaptable to the wearers skin temperature.
The new version of the Chiffre Rouge which is dedicated to Diors traditional colour (black), comes in a steel case moulded with black rubber and a red case back. The tachymeter scale dial measures the average speed over a distance of one km or one mile. The automatic chronograph has a power reserve of up to 42 hours.
Corum Admirals Cup Legend 42 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor

This limited edition 42 mm diameter watch which comes in three versions 18 carat red gold (15 pieces), twotone 18 carat red gold bezel and steel (30 pieces), and steel (75 pieces) features an openworked dial with facetted hour and minute hands and the tourbillon at 6 oclock. It comes with a 60 hour power reserve.
Breitling Navitimer Blue Sky Limited Edition 60th Anniversary

This 500 piece steel limited edition with a 43 mm case, blue dial, silver inner bezel and red central chronograph seconds hand celebrates the 60th anniversary of the historic timepiece. The transparent caseback displays the Breitling Caliber 01 self-winding chronograph movement. The series number is engraved on the case middle at 9 oclock. The watch comes with a 70 hour power reserve.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date Yellow Rolesor

Rolesor is the name that Rolex gives to its watches which combine the two tones of steel and gold, as in this version of the legendary Submariner Date. Everything else remains the same including the 300 metre waterproof case and the rotatable 60-minute graduated bezel with the virtually scratchproof cerachrom insert.
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Tissot T-Race MotoGP Limited Edition 2012

The bicolour black and yellow stripe gives this watch an aerodynamic feel. The tribute to the worlds biggest bike race can be seen in details like the bezel that resembles a brake disc and the dashboard-like dial. It features a carbon with silk-printed MotoGP logo on the case back and is limited to 8,888 pieces.
Casio Edifice Active Racing Line EFR-520SP

Part of Casios new re-energised Edifice line, this watch features a multi-layered face with a 1/20-second disk indicator that spins at high speed in the 12 oclock position, the date display and the tachymeter. It has a battery life of approximately three years, and is water-resistant to 100 metres.
Corrections
l In the October issue Watch special, in the Platinum watches article, the A. Lange & Shne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar was represented by a wrong picture. l In the October issue Watch special again, the Casio G-Shock GB-6900AA battery life was mis-stated. The battery life is two years. The errors are regretted.
Victorinox Alpnach Limited Edition 2012

This 44 mm diameter black PVD edition of the Alpnach chronograph line named after the main helicopter base of the Swiss armed forces is limited to 445 pieces to celebrate its 445 metres altitude. Many of the features recall the famous AS 532 Cougar helicopter including the small seconds indicator at 9 oclock inspired by the four-bladed rotor, the chronographs zeroreset push-piece at 4 oclock reminiscent of the choppers collective lever, and the power-reserve indicator at 3 oclock in the form of a fuel gauge.
A. Lange & Shne Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar
Casio G-Shock GB-6900AA
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Nota Bene
This month in fashion and style
Levis
As part of its sustainable design initiative, Levis has launched an innovative denim collection known as the Waste<Less Denim Collection made from recycled bottles and food trays across the United States. The Spring 2013 mens line will feature Levis 511 Skinny jeans, Levis 504 Straight Fit jeans, and the famous Levis Trucker jacket.
This winter, add some vibrancy to your wardrobe with Z3s latest range of attire in a new set of colours. The new Z3 chinos are available in New Blue, Phantom and Plum that can be paired well with a wide range of shirts. Z3 shirts and chinos all carry the trademark Vintage Wash, and have a super soft hand feel.
Z3
A new eco-friendly range of denims by Jack & Jones aims to reduce the impact the production process has on the environment. The new Low Impact Denims range has the same great look that the Danish brand is known for but has been produced using sustainable methods, reduced water and energy. Natural ozone gas is used to fade the denim instead of water.
Jack & Jones
Power dressing takes on a new shade this season with the revival of a business staple. Paul&Shark presents the Black Collection, a line that includes shirts, polos and T-shirts that carry a rich and polished look. The collection includes classic shirts in solid charcoal, formal stripes and casual checks, as well as longsleeved knitted polos.
Paul&Shark
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Lacoste, the iconic French sportswear label, has inaugurated yet another exclusive boutique - in Mumbai, at Palladium, High Street Phoenix. Celebrities like Carol Gracias, Rocky S, Nayonika Chatargee, Shilpa Chavan, Bhavna Sharma and Vikram Raizada made it for the launch event hosted by Rajesh Jain, Director and CEO, Lacoste India. The highlight of the evening was two times Limca record holder Himanshu Agrawal decoding the iconic crocodile logo to create a eight feet long crocodile. In addition, celebrities and shoppers alike enjoyed making their own small croc origami at the Lacoste boutique during the day. To celebrate the festive season Lacoste launched its limited edition super light pique kurta with a golden croc emblem. Exclusive to India, this collectors edition will also be available at the Palladium boutique along with other key boutiques across India.
Lacoste
ZOD! Club Wear has introduced a new shirt that is all set to redefine the wearers style. Known as Sabbath, this shirt has a contrast button down collar and is further styled with the use of two different colour contrast piping on the placket and the use of contrast stripe fabric under the collar and cuff.
ZOD!
British luxury goods brand Globe-Trotter has made its foray into India with a store in New Delhi. The brand stands for heritage and craftsmanship, values that match its philosophy with original Victorian-era manufacturing. Globe-Trotter is known for its durable cases that have been used by the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, and more recently Daniel Craig, Sofia Coppola, Dita von Teese, Sir Terence Conran and Kate Moss, among others.
Globe-Trotter
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Quiksilver
Victorinox has launched a range of ceramic knives that are lightweight, corrosion-resistant and offer the best possible cutting quality. The blade of this knife remains sharp over a long period. The new ceramic knives are available in three sizes: the 12 cm paring knife, the 15 cm carving knife and the 17 cm Santoku knife (an all-purpose knife that originated in Japan). Each knife has a Fibrox handle that offers a textured grip, optimal safety and antislip characteristics.
Dont let the cold weather prevent you from using your touch screen. Quiksilver has introduced Nootka Gloves, touch screen friendly gloves that will appeal to technology buffs. Made with 100 per cent polyester, these gloves are ideal for use with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Kindle, all smartphones, and any other touch screen gadget.
Victorinox
This festive season, Korbel Champagne gives you a good reason to celebrate. Two new varieties available are Korbel Natural and Korbel Brut that are made with organically grown grapes using the traditional champenoise method. Korbel Natural is a crisp, dry and delicate champagne while Korbel Brut is light and crisp.
Korbel
The Natures Co has introduced a new line of products for men. They include Marine Mud Mens Face Wash that removes impurities and tightens open pores; and the Spirulina Mens Moisturising Cream calms and protects the skin from irritating agents. The Water Mint-Sugar Soap consists of mint crystals that hydrate, peppermint oil that cools the skin, and sugar that helps to moisturise and protect it from toxins.
The Natures Co
Montblanc has introduced a range of formal bags, tote bags and wallets as part of its Meisterstck Canvas Collection. This stylish collection is perfect if you are looking to make a statement at the office. The collection of bags has been crafted to perfection in steel grey with black leather trimming.
Montblanc
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Victorinox presents the Tourist 25 2-in-1 bag (CH 97 2.0), perfect for travellers of all kinds as it can be worn as a backpack or wheeled as an upright. The aluminium dual-trolley handle and 80 mm inline skate wheel make it easy to manoeuvre, while the adjustable external compression strap system helps stabilise heavy loads. Its Lockable YKK Racquet Coil zippers can be secured with the included Travel Sentry Approved key lock to safeguard the belongings.
Victorinox
Declaration dUn Soir by Cartier is a revamped version of the best-selling Declaration fragrance for men. Perfect for a grand evening, it reprises spicy notes, and is boosted with pepper, cumin and a nutmeg top note for a piquant and refreshing feel. The woodiness comes from the sandalwood, a very seductive ingredient in the fragrance, while a hint of rose adds a floral touch with heightened sensitivity.
Cartier
To honour the Spanish painter, draughtsman and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Montblanc has introduced a new writing instrument. It has been issued in a worldwide Limited Edition of 91 to honour his lifetime achievements and in a more precious Edition of 39 to honour his 39 paintings and drawings of his muse Sylvette.
Montblanc
Since 1972, Porsche Design has continued to create its very own category of luxury Engineered Luxury. Porsche Designs new fragrance Titan is a blend of noble and premium quality ingredients opening with dynamic notes of grapefruit and spearmint leaf with a touch of black pepper. It then develops in aromatic notes of green basil, lavandin and geranium, and settles on a comforting Virginia cedar, amber wood and musk note.
Porsche Design
Kenzo Homme Sport kicks off on a mint-grapefruit and lemon note that moves on to the light and zesty freshness of a ginger and geranium heart. The base note is dense with hints of cedar and vetiver. Created by Francois Demachy, this fragrance is set in a grey-blue bottle emblazoned with Kenzos famous bamboo motif.
Kenzo
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(nota bene)
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Pursuit of excellence
ne of the most sought-after prizes in sports, winning the Americas Cup, is the biggest honour in the sailing world. The intense competition highlights the obsession and dedication of its participants and thrilling advances in design and engineering. The race is enjoyed the world over for the excitement of the competition as well as the grace of the boats as they cut through the waves. Italian luxury brand Pradas association with the event was the result of a fortuitous meeting in 1997 between two men, each an achiever in his own field. The Luna Rossa sailing team emerged from the shared determination and grand ambition of Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of Prada and German Frers, one of the worlds foremost yacht designers, who met to discuss a cruising boat. The designer made a provocative jibe Why not the Americas Cup? There was
Prada has launched a new fragrance to celebrate its association with the coveted Americas Cup
no turning back. In order to meet strict entry deadlines, Bertelli organised a crew from scratch in a record time of just two weeks the process usually takes many months. Since then, the Luna Rossa team is one of the most renowned competitors at the Americas Cup the oldest and most prestigious trophy in sport. The Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series was launched in 1993. Team Luna Rossa won the cup in its very first attempt in 2000. Seven years later, it reached the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. In 2012, the Luna Rossa team competed in the Americas Cup World Series, a sequence of regattas around the world, and a proving ground for the Louis Vuitton Cup and Americas Cup races. This is also the year when Prada introduced its Prada Luna Rossa fragrance. Pradas new masculine fragrance has evolved from the quest to always be excellent. Taking the esteemed Luna Rossa name as its own, it is a scent with a reverence for the natural world and a passion for innovation. The strength and freshness of the elements is evoked by the interpretation of classic notes in novel forms. A striking bottle and outer packaging reflect the confluence of nature and technology, human emotion and strength that bind to push the limits of possibility. Blended by Daniela Andrier, Prada Luna Rossa is a fragrance without compromise, reinterpreting traditional ingredients with agility. A wave of aromatic freshness crashes through the scent conveying strength and dynamic energy, while its signature is noble and sensual. The backbone of the fragrance is Lavender an unmistakable natural ingredient in perfumery but here pushed to the edge in a unique modern interpretation. This ability to rediscover and awaken the sleeping stars of scent and give them contemporary appeal is at the heart of Prada fragrances. The bottle and packaging is also unique. Designed by Yves Behar, the Prada Luna Rossa fragrance bottle is inspired by the technological excellence and sleek, dynamic beauty of extreme sailing boats. The power of the elements is reflected in the materials and design, which project both strength and sophistication. Highquality natural materials are combined to modern effect. The glass bottles metal carapace cut with vertical apertures reveals the silver juice inside. The dark, stormy silvers of the bottle are shot through with an iconic red line, a symbol of innovation. The outer packaging plays a game of contrasting textures. The upper part is in luminous steel grey and the lower in rich, soft black. Again a red line is the striking finish, frozen as if in motion across its centre.
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Dr KnoW
ing for you to hook up with someone you really like and then shell descend and say, You know I had an STD and he was sleeping with me so chances are maybe youll get it too. She could also make her reasoning sound exactly like yours: I am not doing this out of any revenge thing, I am only doing it as part of my desire to be a socially committed person. I am only doing it because he effing did it to me and he effing said to himself that he was only effing doing it for the greater good of society, and so let me now do likewise. And would you be able to fault her for that? By the way, who died and made you the town crier? I think I am a sex addict. What should I do? First, were your fingers dry when you wrote this? A sick question? What do you think? Youre well? So the question is: are you sure youre sick? Do you want to join the ranks of the mentally unwell? Do you want people to look at you like youre mad? Because sex addiction is not a joke. Its not about logging on to porn sites a couple of times or wanting to have another go after youve had a ho. Its about taking risks with your life. Its about stashing porn on your work computer even when you know it could get you sacked. Its about masturbating when youre at a funeral. Its about being unable to stop yourself even when youre feeling sick about yourself. Thats sex addiction. So, if youre joking about it, dont joke here. If youre thinking this is a way to say to your lady friend: hey, Im sorry that I tried to feel up your best friend, but Im a sex addict, then you should think again. And if you are a sex addict, then go get help. The way you would if you were mainlining heroin.
This month: To tell or not to tell, to eat or not to eat, to write or not to write
I dont want to say this but I think shes cheating on me. Not sexually, but that isnt the only way, is it? I mean, we promised that wed be vegetarian. Because its kind to animals. Because its good for the planet. Because its healthy. And now I have proof that shes sneaking hamburgers behind my back. I mean McDonalds hamburgers? The same guys who did that super-size-me thing? The ones who are determining what kind of wheat and meat and potatoes get grown? Those guys. I love your tone of moral outrage. She is such a bitch, shes out there chowing down on hamburgers. Throw her back, shes not the one for you. Or youre not the one for her. We cant decide which. Why is this about some trust thing, some deal that you made? Why isnt it about love? Why arent you sitting down with her and asking, Babe, do you really want to eat those burgers? Why are you behaving like some Victorian gent whos discovered his daughter has a sex life? Vegetarianism may be a deal-breaker for you but thats your problem. It isnt hers. As for all the rest of the arguments you sneaked in, make those to her. If shes still not convinced, you should go find someone of a similar moral high-tone and you could eat your stirfried vegetables together instead of turning some poor non-veggie girl into a sneak because of some stupid pact you made. You dont get to tell her what to do. You get to do that only to yourself. You be the change you want to see and let her be who she wants to be. Oh, and a question. When you go down on her, when she goes down on you, what do you think youre both made of: sugarcane? When you kiss her and she kisses you and you exchange body
fluids, does that count? As for the McDonalds thing: perhaps its just the easiest place to get some meat, the fastest way to get some animal protein. You might have driven her to it. Is there any point in writing to you? You just make fun of everyone. I wish to point out that I have been writing answers now for several years and my mailbag gets thicker and thicker. Perhaps it is because there are many idiots out there who enjoy being mocked. Or perhaps its because I do some good. Or perhaps I mock good. Or perhaps I good mock. Oh by the way, if theres no point writing in, why did you?
sex addiction is not about logging on to porn sites a couple of times. Its about taking risks with your life. Its about stashing porn on your work computer even when you know it could get you sacked. Its about masturbating when youre at a funeral
Okay, she left me for him. She has a sexually transmitted disease. Should I tell him? I mean, its not AIDS, but herpes can be a little trying. What youre really saying is: please let me tell him, please let me get my own back at the bitch. Yeah, sure, go ahead. I mean, at the end of the day, we do what we want and then we explain it to ourselves, sanctimonious-like. We say, Ooh, Id like to be told if I were in his place, so Ill just hop along there and spoil it for him. But just watch out. Two can play that game. She can be watching you and wait-
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SHUTTERSTOCK
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Engineered for men who know that the best things in life are complicated.
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Portuguese Perpetual Calendar, Reference IW502306, in 18 ct red gold with dark brown alligator strap
or as long as anyone can remember, the full moon has been steeped in mystery and legend. It even served Portuguese seafarers as an aid to navigation on the open sea. Its influence on coastal shipping was even more important at new and full moon when high tides are exceptionally high and low tides exceptionally low. Tidal currents have left many a proud traveller/sailor stranded in the shallows. Having a precise idea of the moon phases is still vital for nautical purposes. The moon exercises magical powers of attraction not only on the worlds oceans but also on us human beings. Many believe it to have an influence over them and numerous cultures hold celebrations during the nights of the full moon. Its fascinating character was the inspiration for the master watchmakers at IWC who de-
veloped the Portuguese Perpetual Calendar. Even if the moon on this miniature stage measures a mere five millimetres, or about 700 million times less than in
reality, it deviates from the moons actual progress by just twelve seconds in a given lunar period. With the help of the countdown display, it is an easy matter
to read the exact number of days remaining before the next full moon. The 18-carat red gold case houses other sophisticated complications, such as the mechanically programmed perpetual calendar, which, apart from the date, day and month, also shows the year in four digits. The movement, which has a Pellaton automatic winding system, also features a seven-day power reserve. For IWC, time is more than a series of figures: it is a rhythm. Like the ebb and flow of the tides. Like the waxing and waning of the moon. Like the beating of our hearts. IWC watches transform the abstract notion of time into a sensory experience. And as complicated as our watches may be, the secret of their success is quite simple: they are among the best mechanical timepieces in the world. IWC. Engineered for men.
IWC Schaffhausen Boutiques: Dubai | Abu Dhabi | Beirut | Kuwait | Istanbul | Moscow | New York | Paris | Geneva | Zurich www.iwc.com
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Man&#39;s World 2012-12

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Man&#39;s World 2012-12

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the party personality

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gopichand | RAHUL BHATIA | ANURAG KASHYAP | VIRAT KOHLI | AAMIR KHAN

MEN F THE YEAR

THE drinking man special

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Publisher & Editor

Design & Fashion Director

Senior Deputy Editor

Junior Fashion Stylist

Assistant Art Director

General Manager, Circulation

Deputy General Manager, Circulation

Asst. Manager, Circulation

Sr. Circulation Exc. (Mis & Opr)

MW.Com (India) Pvt. Ltd

Contact for editorial: editor@mansworldindia.com; for circulation: circulation@mansworldindia.com

The problem with De

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WorldMags.net Managing Editors Letter

From the MW vault decEMber 2004

164 Virat Kohli

156 Anurag Kashyap

146 Spin doctors

166 Rahul Bhatia

Front of the Book

Plus: Sex Advisor, Dr Know and Current Cinema

Aamir Khan has been photographed by avinash gowariker 30 december 2012 MW

The Party Chameleon

120 Measured and made by Gucci

127 LVs pop-up store

watches of the year

222 From Sydney to Hobart

224 Beyond brick and mortar

225 The birds of Jaquet Droz

226 IWC Schaffhausens The Little Prince connection

229 Tag Heuer in space

The Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX

drinking man SPECIAL 2012

176 The muse in the bottle

180 going froth in belgium

186 8 single malts every man should stock

188 india's largest liquor store

190 Ten grand for 30 ml

192 The heady world of wine investment

194 the grateful gullet

196 A Champagne boot camp diary

202 Machismo and Bravado: Drink and the Malayalee Male

sunil raj p (illustration); getty images (hemingway)

Thus spak e Rajeev Shuk l a

Grace, Atul Dodiya

Measurement in time, leather and bronze, Joseph Semah

The edges of the world, Ernesto Nest

Line of Control, Subodh Gupta

Untitled, Sudarshan Shetty

Indias biggest art festival

PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE WorldMags.net

interviewed by charlene flanagan

Man's World 2012-12

Man's World 2012-12