Tag: ritika bhandari

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Guest writer

How fair are you being?

Come summer, and we are deluged with ads for skin whitening products. When will the ‘Fair is beautiful’ idea die?
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

There are some speeches that touch a chord and bring a perspective on unsaid things. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o gave one such inspirational speech that celebrates her pride in being a ‘coloured’ personality.

Before winning the 2014 Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actress in 12 Years a Slave this year, 31-year old Lupita Nyong’o immortalised her stature by reading a letter written to her by a dark-skinned girl. At the seventh annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon hosted by Essence magazine, Nyong’o not only won the Best Breakthrough Performance award but also a lot of hearts for revealing that her skin kept her away from feeling the word called ‘beautiful’.

In her acceptance speech, she read the letter highlighting the insecurities felt by a girl on being a black. The video went viral on social media sites with everyone applauding Nyong’o for raising the topic of commercialisation of fair skin.

 

So why raise this issue now?

fairness creamsWith the summer descending on us and sunscreen lotions being stocked in practically every home, I was reminded of how as Indians we too, love our fair and lovely beauties on and off-screen. Forget being racist to North-East Indians, the mere hint of a darker shade in skin brings about a different being in us. Talent aside, television advertisements say that a fair-skinned man can crack an interview and stump his bosses in minutes by just being the colour that he is.

Sit for 30 minutes in front of the idiot box and you’ll realise that our love for whitening spreads from the detergent to the deodorant. Fair underarms, fair face, fair hands, legs and much more – it isn’t fair to leave any body part with a hint of dark skin. Now take a look at yourself – how many beauty products do you use on a daily basis, or even occasionally? At least two products, if not more will be a whitening cosmetic product, right? From a daily ‘Light’ moisturising cream to an ‘Extra Whitening’ body lotion, the aura of fair skin engulfs us like nothing else.

A study says that products which claim to lighten, whiten and brighten our skin do nothing more than thinning out the epidermis layer. This thinning of skin is carcinogenic in Nandita Dasnature. But while we’re probably not looking at the medical side-effects of these products, at least a few of us are hitting back at the ‘Fair is beautiful’ line of thought. It is heartening to see that actress Nandita Das has started her ‘Stay Unfair, Stay Beautiful’ and ‘Dark is Beautiful’ campaign against fair skin commercials.

But more than the Youtube likes, it is our perception that needs to change. If we ditch the so-called whitening products, refuse to be seduced by fair skin and bring about a sense of respect and equality despite our skin colour, it will be the making of a happier society. So wear that shade of red lipstick that you always loved, because the ‘right’ colour is in the mind.

As Nyong’o says, “I hope my presence validates your sense of external existence and also get the deeper business of being beautiful inside, because there is no shade in that beauty”. So go ahead and look in the mirror and reaffirm – Life is beautiful and so are you.

(Pictures courtesy defence.pk, www.islandmix.com, economydecoded.com)

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Diaries

The wedding story makers

Mumbai is gradually replacing the old mausajis who take care of details at the wedding mandap, by smart, all-involved wedding planners.
by Ritika Bhandari

Part III of the Shaadi Mubarak Diaries

When Shama and Ramith Sharma decided to get married, little did they know what lay in store for them. From booking wedding venues to deciding on a decorator, to getting the innumerable licenses for the band, instead of enjoying the memorable occasion – everything had them screaming with stress.

Had the Sharmas watched the recent Bollywood hit Band Baaja Baaraat, they would have known better and hired a wedding planner. Neha Shroff of Momente Planners says, “With today’s hectic lifestyles, it becomes difficult to plan an entire wedding. To incorporate this changing schedule in your normal lifestyle is a task. So hiring a wedding planner works as the couple and their families can then handle the details.”

Introducing a wedding planner from the first stage of the marriage preparations helps in the long run-up to D-day. While the couple relaxes, the planners wear the anxious faces as they get involved in the minute details of the wedding rigmarole. Shroff says, “With a proper budget allocation, finalising the venues and the theme and design of the wedding becomes easier. Handling the caterers, decorators, florists, entertainers, the mehndi and makeup artists to the choreographer for the Sangeet, everything is handled by the wedding planner.”

Farida Venkat of Amante Wedding Planners says, “From A to Z, a wedding planner has his hands full with the invitation designs, gifts, menu selection to trousseau suggestions. We coordinate everything from the moment the baaraat arrives till the bride’s bidaai ceremony.” It also depends on the couple to see how involved they want the wedding planners to be.

Research analyst Neerja Shah hired a wedding planner to gift herself an entire new wardrobe. “I wanted my trousseau to be unique. And the shopping part of the preparations never tired me, so I shopped with the help of the personal stylist provided by my wedding planner.” Momente Planners provide jewellery services through their sister concern ‘Utsokt’, which specialises in creating one-of-a kind varmalas.

With destination weddings being the flavour of the season, a wedding planner definitely comes in handy. But the main niggling question is the increase in budget while hiring a planner. On this, Ruchita Parelkar of SR Event Planners says, “We believe hiring a planner is a cost-effective approach for a couple. If you have dreamed of a fairytale wedding, then we come in to bring your visualisation to life. We come to couples as their friends and provide them something different.”

So what requests do planners usually get? While Farida believes that every couple is a special one and complying with their demands helps to make their dream wedding possible, Ruchita says, “We have got requests like using only white candles on the wedding ground or getting a bridal outfit which is a combination of olive green, dark maroon and white!” She remembers having to outsource invisible chains from Dubai to hold tents, as the family didn’t want a shabby tent held up by ropes.

With the hectic lifestyle that symbolises Mumbai, couples need the relaxation and breathing space provided by wedding planners. Farida says, “Every person wants to be involved in their wedding preparations and chaos. So if you share this vision with a wedding planner, they will make sure that all the elements are encapsulated and you end up enjoying the wedding.”

‘Diaries’ is a series of stories on a single issue. The ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ Diaries aim to capture the essence of the wedding season in Mumbai. Part III is the concluding part of this series.

 

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Diaries

Let them eat cake

Give a miss to the shaadi ka laddoo – bite into the trendiest cakes that Mumbai bakers have to offer.
by Ritika Bhandari

Part II of the ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ Diaries

When American cartoonist James Thurber said, “The most dangerous food is the wedding cake,” little did he know that a three-tier, rich plum cake is a delicacy not to be missed for the world. Borrowing from the traditional White Wedding concept of Christian weddings, today several Mumbai couples are opting to cut a beautifully-decorated cake to spread the sweetness of their wedding.

Every function, from a sangeet sandhya to a cocktail party, calls for a cake these days, and definitely, the D-day is when out comes a special, unique, satiny rich cake covered with fondants and marzipans. Aditi Limaye Kamat of The Cake Studio, Dadar, says, “Indian weddings have started to give a lot of importance to cakes. Earlier, we would get requests only for church weddings. But now it is definitely changing.”

Aditi is the co-owner of The Cake Studio along with cake decorator, Niketa Patil Rampal. “Niketa is the reason for our good looking and tasty cakes,” says Aditi. “Her chocolate cakes with truffles or cream icing are really famous, but the cakes with marzipan can be decorated more beautifully. We can create designs like flowers, couple figures and also add food colours like pink, blue, gold and silver.” Along with the cake’s looks, Aditi stresses on the taste as well, because the Big Fat Indian Wedding has to be a palate-pleaser.

22-year old Sonica Baptist runs Crimsons with her family. While her mother Marceline bakes the cakes, her elder sister Malaika juggles with the baking and decorating, with help from Sonica, who works as a graphic designer. Sonica says, “The tier form of designing is the most popular style for any wedding cake. The oldest way of enhancing the cake’s complete looks is with edible sugar work of drapes, flowers, ribbons and a centre piece of the couple.”

With the humongous crowd that one tries to accommodate at weddings, cakes start with three tiers and can go up to an eye-popping 10-tiers, too. “Also the flavour of the rich plum cake is substituted for a chocolate cake, vanilla cake or a red velvet cake among favourites,” Sonica tells us. “A wedding cake is a big deal and one should book it at least a month in advance to enjoy the culinary delights of their favourite baker.”

As with weddings, special requests are de rigueur and the decorator at The Cake Studio complies by matching the marzipan bride and groom’s outfit colours. Another customer favourite is topping the wedding cake with real flowers like orchids and anthurium. “The elegant look of a pastel-coloured marzipan on a gooey chocolate cake made on a bed of orchids, or topped with anthurium is our bestseller,” reveals Aditi.

Bride to-be Khushi Baldota says, “Tiered cakes are way too usual. I wish to have cupcakes as my wedding cake.” And with all the icing and frosting showered on cakes in Mumbai’s patisseries, one cannot blame her for diverging from the beaten path. Sonica says, “Cupcakes can be used, but they need to be arranged in a tier form. One can use the cupcakes as an element in the larger design of a cake, but the right essence of a wedding can only come through a cake.”

With couples marrying throughout the year, a wedding cake really has no season. So chocolate, strawberry, or rum and raisin, Indian couples love the fact that they can cut the cake and eat it too.

‘Diaries’ is a series of stories on a single issue. The ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ Diaries aim to capture the essence of the wedding season in Mumbai. Look out for Part III.

(Pictures courtesy The Cake Studio and Crimsons)

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Trends

Sweet khakras, anyone?

The ubiquitous khakras have found their way to the dessert section too. Is this just a fad or something more?
By Ritika Bhandari

Is this some kind of Willy Wonka trick? Who’s ever had khakras for dessert?!

My mum’s cousin believes that breakfast is only complete when you have finished it with a khakra spread with ghee. So much so, that for outstation tours, the dabba of khakra and ghee is always ready for him. As for me, give me a khakra spread with spicy seeng chutney, and I can have two of those for breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snacks.

Despite khakras being made at home daily, you will still find the majority of Marwaris’ and Gujaratis’ making a beeline for the methi khakras, the pav bhaji ones and the pani puri-flavoured khakras at the many farsan stores in Mumbai.

During one such sojourn to the khakra aisle, I chanced upon ‘Roasted Pepper Chocolate Khakra’ and the more fanciful ‘Roasted Pepper Vanilla Khakra’. While one was a chocolatey circle, the other was a white one. Not ready to try it, I searched for another food item to munch on. Yet, something about those two variants got me.

I needed to know if this was just tempered chocolate shaped like a khakra with a slight curve in the centre. Or was this really a genuine attempt to introduce this dish in the dessert arena? And within two hours of buying the whole packet, I knew. They were khakras for sure! The same thin, crunchy, crispy and unmistakable taste of a khakra infused with the lightest vanilla flavour. If your palate isn’t strong, you might just miss it.

But the chocolate khakras, they are worthy of their dark flavour. Just one bite and you want to eat more. The best part about these sweet khakras is their not-so-overwhelming taste and flavour. It does not reek of essence, as one would imagine.

So how do I make everyone eat them without making them look like khakras? Maybe cut triangular decorative pieces as a garnish for the chocolate mousse? Or maybe with some fruit on top, the roasted pepper chocolate and vanilla khakras can be a twist on the traditional nachos and dip dish. What do you think? Any Mumbai Willy Wonkas at hand?

 (Pictures courtesy www.thatsthesecretformula.blogspot.com, Ritika Bhandari)

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Hum log

The shoe stopper

Chondamma Cariappa’s blog, The Sole Sisters, lets you find and drool over the prettiest shoes in the country and abroad.
by Ritika Bhandari

This shoe blog will have you go ‘One, two, buckle my shoe…three, four, preen and post’. Adding a fun twist to the old nursery rhyme is a unique blog for the sole which loves shoes, and is aptly titled ‘The Sole Sisters’.

Advertisers are always in search of inspiration, and Chondamma Cariappa was no different. But instead of a commercial, she started a blog titled ‘The Sole Sisters’. The 32-year old Creative Director with Bates Advertising, Mumbai, took a cue from her personal Facebook album ‘Fetish’ and decided to give women all over the world a new pair of shoes to drool on every day.

Chondamma says, “Each time I travelled, I put up pictures of shoes I had bought from various parts of the world. This led to discussions and comments from friends. So I thought, ‘Why not start a blog for women who are passionate about shoes?’ That’s how the idea for The Sole Sisters was born.”

A shoe lover, the Bandra resident talks about how the space constraint in Mumbai doesn’t allow her to keep too many pairs of shoes. Originally from Bangalore, she moved to Mumbai six years ago and owns 50 pairs of shoes.

Her blog prologue reads, “You walk in wearing a nice pair of shoes and somewhere in the room a woman wonders, ‘Where did she get them from?’ and ‘Is she thinner than me?’  Sole Sisters is a blog dedicated to answering one of those two questions.” And Chondamma answers them with pictures of shoes sent in by readers and contributors from across the globe.

From wedges to high heels to knitted ballerinas, the blog features all kinds of lovely shoes. Till date, more than 400 contributors have sent in their photographs and 70 per cent of these are from India. But she says that the international demographic, as well as posts from small Indian towns intrigue her. “Initially, it started with friends and colleagues sharing their pictures. Soon, the word spread and we started getting emails from women all over asking us to feature their shoes,” she says.

Despite the overwhelming response, she only has herself and her friend Parveez Shaikh handling the blog – Parveez handles the PR and marketing for her. But how does one get an entry into the featured posts? Chondamma says, “We give high points to pictures which are shot interestingly or artistically. Having said that, sometimes a great or funky pair of shoes shot in a simple way also makes for a great picture.”

The Sole Sisters blog is definitely growing in popularity with the presence of a Facebook page, and the tags ensure that contributors help to spread the word. “Also, while travelling in India or abroad, when we come across anyone wearing nice shoes, we take pictures right then and there, or just give them our visiting card,” says Chondamma.

There is a website in the pipeline, which will feature sections like shoe reviews, discussions and online shopping, among other things. The first step in this direction has taken place with the launch of the Neon footwear collection by a local designer through The Sole Sisters blog.

Chondamma says that the best part about running the blog are the mails of appreciation she receives from women she has not even met. And yet they connect, not over coffee or clothes but shoes.

Simply put, her blog underlines the fact that a combination of a good pair of boots and a nicely shot, clear picture, can get your favourite pair envious likes, shares and comments. After all, isn’t Cinderella proof enough that a pair of shoes can change a person’s life?

The blog is at http://thesolesisters.blogspot.in

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