Jade Lui's dreamy kitchen

My kitchen feature on chef Jade Lui. For the interiors supplement, got to spend time with this gorgeous chef. I know she looks like she doesn't eat, but not only does she, she loves great food and recreating it. A very kind and lovely lady to boot. It was such a fun shoot and chat.

I forgot I wrote this feature for the magazine - was at a lounge waiting, flipping through a magazine and found the feature. When you're in the biz, you always look at credits, who wrote it, shot it, styled it. I... forgot I wrote it! ha

Rama loves.. Tina Loves! KOL Tina Leung

Happy birthday to the Instagram OG herself, Tina Leung (shot by Dino Busch). With nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram (cumulatively more with all her social media handles), she was one of the early birds who jumped on the wagon and took it to the stratosphere as a genuine fashionista and influencer. 

She talks about causes near and dear to her, plus shares her exuberant love for all things fashion (and junk food!) with alacrity and alarming frequency. 

Was lovely to feature her in 40 under 40 - but more so to see her interact with the team. Our hair stylist, makeup artist, wardrobe team and crew were all fans of Ms Leung and were thrilled to work with her - post shoot, they asked for selfies with the famed one before she zoomed off. She complied with such grace and humility - makes me like my ex neighbour even more.

My feature and shoot with Tina is online here.

You can follow Tina on her instagram here https://www.instagram.com/tinaleung/?hl=en

Her blog is online at http://www.tinaloves.com/

Above: Tina Leung in Loewe, photographer Dino Busch. 

Madhuri Dixit: A Certain Age

Madhuri Dixit by Dabboo Ratnani

TO PILFER A LINE and truism from The First Wives Club, Goldie Hawn’s character (an ageing, neurotic actress played with remarkable glee) explains to her dermatologist, “There are three stages of an actress in Hollywood: babe; district attorney; Driving Miss Daisy. Now fill me up!”

As she leans back for the hypodermic needle to permeate her every crack and crevice with age-defying, cosmetic toxins, the numbing words echolocate beyond Hollywood to Bollywood, and back.

The Indian film industry has no idea what to do with actresses of a certain age, certainly not with Madhuri Dixit, 46. The Indian actress, famed for her enduring beauty and dancing skills, has often played the pirouetting babe in designer bustiers. She has essayed the role of avenging housewife, constable, courtesan, princess and lawyer, among a host of others, in a resplendent film career marked with box-office success, accolades and awards. She now finds her cinematic options (Dixit has appeared in nearly 90 Hindi movies) reduced to a handful of prospective films. Post-marriage and motherhood, and despite her remarkable pedigree, ability and agility, Dixit is left wanting.

“I would ask screenwriters to please come up with strong scripts for actresses like me, where there’s more to the role, where we can play women of substance. I’m always looking for the right script,” she says at a press conference for Gulaab Gang (A Gang of Roses), her forthcoming film due for release later this year. “The conviction of the director, Soumik Sen, and the movie’s producer, Anubhav Sinha, made me sign up for the film. It’s such a lovely script that says a lot about empowering women – but in an entertaining way. It’s not a preachy film, but it shows how education and awareness can change one’s life, no matter what your status is in society. And the other thing that appealed to me is that there are a lot of women in this movie, be it the supporting cast, the protagonist or even the antagonist, it’s all women.”

Dixit is a fine example of the empowered Indian woman. She spent nearly two decades in Hindi films, rising through the ranks from supporting actress to queen of the marquee. She started out in largely forgettable flicks, but her prowess for song and dance – an essential ingredient in currying Indian cinematic favour – ignited her career. Step by step, she caught the eye of directors and choreographers, who shone a spotlight on this remarkable danseuse. For the thousands who attended the 14th International Indian Film Academy Awards in Macau earlier this year [2014] or the millions who saw the show telecast around the globe, Dixit’s closing number brought the house down.

It’s difficult to avoid hyperbole when describing this noteworthy actress who has a wax replica in Madame Tussauds (the only other sari-draped star being, of course, Aishwarya Rai). Her co-stars gush about her, as do her directors, but at the peak of her fame in 1999 Dixit hoodwinked the paparazzi, married cardiothoracic surgeon Shriram Nene and moved to Denver, Colorado. Not a single snap of the wedding of the most eligible girl in a nation of a billion leaked into the gobsmacked tabloids. She had two sons in the US and mostly kept mum. She kept an ear out for roles suitable not only for her age and grace, but also for her calibre.

Madhuri Dixit-Nene in Aaja Nachle

In 2007, Dixit tested the waters with Aaja Nachle (Come Dance) to find out if audiences were ready to welcome her back. The film, burdened with a flawed script, unbankable male leads and bad timing (action films were the rage and this musical was ill-fated from the get-go), tanked. And yet the leading lady garnered glowing reviews. From The New York Times for example, “Ms Dixit reminds us that whatever ‘it’ is, she’s still got it. Now stories will have to be found that can show it off…Hindi cinema will have to figure out what kind of heroine a middle-aged woman can be.”

That was five years ago, and following the project’s box-office failure Dixit moved on without a whimper, appearing in reality TV talent shows as a well-paid judge and starring in lucrative advertising campaigns (age-defying creams, household products and toothpaste ads), again playing to her strengths as a ridiculously good-looking housewife with untold talent.

Madhuri Dixit hits the stage at The Veneitan Macao, Picture by Forbes Conrad

Earlier this year she signalled a return to the big screen by signing for a new-age Hindi film. As the curtains rise, Dixit will have to live up to certain benchmarks – that of her own oeuvre of wildly successful movies, as well as the box-office receipts she has to face, like any of her contemporaries.

Introducing her modest-budget flick Gulaab Gang, Dixit sits before me in a sparkling sari, her petite Madonna-sized frame unblemished by any sign of age, her voice resonating with a calm maturity. “It is an exciting time to be a part of the Indian film industry. There are all kinds of roles being offered to actresses. I think the industry has changed a lot since the 1980s and ’90s, when I first started. Either you played the victim or the vigilante, there was no middle ground. Now there’s definitely a variety…but the roles are infrequent.”

Infrequent is putting it mildly. With an endless parade of young beauty queens entering Bollywood each year, mature actresses are relegated to the sidelines while actors keep themselves busy cavorting with their increasingly younger co-stars. All the current leading actors in Hindi films are in their late 40s, while Amitabh Bachchan, at 72, shows no signs of slowing down. Being a leading lady is tough enough in La La land, (just ask Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock or Meg Ryan) but in the ageist, sexist, nepotistic clique of Indian cinema, it’s tougher still.

As she speaks about her role in her upcoming film, she says with neither anxiety nor fear of box-office fate, “My character leads the way for many women in a rural setting. She asks women to not be a victim to their circumstances. There are many unheard stories of women enduring that go untold. In a small way, this shows some unsung heroes; it is my salute to them.”

Many moments endure while reflecting on an encounter with Mumbai’s favourite citizen, including a prophetic one. As Dixit was asked to address the media, she rose from her seat and walked up to the stage. As she made her way to the dais, the embroidered frill of her glistering sari wrapped around her foot and she tripped on the stairs. With that trademark grace, she caught herself, rose to the occasion and smiled without a hint of mortification as the audience gasped.

And quick to the quip: “I think it’s good to stumble once in a while, it gives you a lot of strength,” she said with that iconic smile of hers. “It allows you the grace to get up and rise again.”

See earlier post on Madhuri Dixit here.

See earlier post on Sridevi here.

See earlier post on Amitabh Bachchan here.

See several posts on Shahrukh Khan here.

See earlier post on Hrithik Roshan here!

Left: My brief, freelancer bio in Prestige magazine - before I joined the magazine! 

P. Ramakrishnan has been a journalist and editor in Hong Kong for the past decade and takes more than a causal interest in the magic and mayhem of Mumbai cinema. Bollywood's global reach is undeniable, as is its sustaining power that engenders billions in revenue. he interviews one of the genre's undisputed queens, Madhuri Dixit ("A Certain Age", page 300). 

Jewellery Shoot: Behind the Scenes

One of my fav shoots ever; all you need is a good photographer, model, makeup artist and stylist. Smaller the team, the better it turns out. Almost always. 

Too many cooks and all that stuff otherwise.... 

Five Ladies in Hong Kong

Five gorgeous ladies I worked with - and photographed for the magazine/paper; Beckaly Franks, Reanne Mo, Pirate (all by photographer Dino Busch), Alison Chan El Azar 曾昭亮  (by Ricky Lo) and supermodel August Zhang.

Always great chat and great pictures! I can pull a team together like ya won't believe (and then hog all the credit. I kid - its always because of the photographer, stylist and makeup artist + bone structure of the subject!).

Thank you ladies.

See earlier post: Five Guys in Hong Kong. 

Nicholas Hoult in Dior Homme

Dressed in Dior Men on the Oscars red carpet in February, Nicholas Hoult topped many a best-dressed list by taking an out-of-the-box approach to black tie in his wrap-around tuxedo.

Yet you could say that Hoult’s career has been defined by his bold choices. He shot to fame, aged 10, in About a Boy before taking a punt on Tom Ford’s directorial debut, A Single Man. And last year we saw him gleefully powdered, coiffed and camp in The Favourite. Before he hits the road to promote two more mega films to be released this year, the 29-year-old actor sat for our cover shoot in London. Unfailingly friendly and down-to-earth, Hoult arrived on time and even stayed late, on a Saturday no less, until we had the perfect shot.

See the cover shoot and feature at PrestigeOnline.com

Behind the Scenes: Orlando Ho x Hugo Boss

TBT: To this shoot with Orlando Ho in Hugo Boss. At the eve of launching a new game with his company, we had a long chat for a feature and shoot. You can read up on it at Prestige Online.com

Perennial fav photographer Dino Busch  took all the shots, while Megumi Sekine did the grooming.  Jeremy Wong helped art direct the shoot. Ovolo Southside provided us gorgeous location and options to take several shots around the venue. A very photogenic place and far from the madding crowd of Central. Felt like a mini vacation away from town.  

Five Guys in Hong Kong

No, not the burger joint in Wan Chai, but these five gents who I've interviewed in the past in Hong Kong have been brilliant chat - and as the photographs in the scroll below show, great on cam too.

Truth be told there have been some painful conversations with monosyllabic subjects that make life, well, certainly feature writing difficult. But (newly married) Jimmy Yu, Edwing Chuang, Peter Cheung, Nick Buckley Wood and Jonny Rees provided ample quotes, something to think about and a good laugh to keep the whole gambit interesting.

Take a bow gents.

PS: All portraits by either Olivier Yoan or Dino Busch.

TBT: Wilfred by Jeremy Wong

TBT: Location scouting with model Wilfred Wong - shot by Jeremy Wong (a successful model and TV personality in his own right).

For a very Hong Kong-centric shoot around popular spots in the city.

The shoot itself looked grand. One of the rare series where every image was a double-page spread in the final edit.

Fav shot; Wilfred in Hermes. For more, check out the official web site of Prestige.

The hunt for exquisite Jade

For a profile of Hong Kong designer Barney Cheng, I did an extensive multiple day interview and shoot, marking the 25th anniversary of his eponymous brand. The popular designer has several celebrity fans, including Michelle Yeoh and model turned actress Celina Jade.

Between her packed film shooting schedule, I interviewed the actress regarding her long-standing collaborations with Cheng and we did several looks featuring Barney Cheng couture and jewellery, as an accompanying piece to the main article. Everything you see in the left picture is from Cheng's design house. While photographer Ruby Law was taking perfect snaps of the perfectly poised Jade, who was studded with rubies and glittering diamonds, I was taking BTS shots in my often blurry phone camera. I posted this picture on social media for my.. 10s and 12s of followers!

What followed was... unprecedented on the account. An avalanche of trolling and hate speech, the likes of which I have never seen, bombarded the page. A mixture of bile filled comments in both Chinese and English. Apparently some... crazy person... in China? In some God-forsaken artery in Kowloon?.... slammed us for the shoot and feature as they hated Celina Jade for dating or breaking up some guy. Allegedly. We would delete the comment and three more would pop up the following day. Someone very unemployed who had time to write near-essays of virulent trolling.

For the record, Jade was a wonderful interview, a thorough professional at the shoot and lovely to work with. So the spewing that we read online was shocking.

We don't know if it was a bot or some aggressive person with severe mental issues, but it was relentless for weeks on end and we had to turn off the comment section on both the official account of the magazine and my personal account. Oyve.

The perils of fame, fandom with a pinch of cray cray.

On the plus side, the normal somnambulism of our social media account has never seen so much fire and ire. ..

TBT: Peter Cheung: Society feature and shoot at The Grand Hyatt

Peter Cheung by Dino Busch photography

Outtake from a shoot and interview I did with Peter Cheung at the fabulous Ambassador Suite at The Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong. The spectacular view, the shimmering accessories (Van Clef & Arpel), the festival of colours (Versace wardrobe) and the uncensored conversation, spiked with wicked laughter, there was much we talked about - that was mercifully not recorded on video. Lost in meandering chit-chat as he tried on the accessories, we completely forgot we were being taped for the video. When the dawn of realisation hit - I had to double-check with the videographer that none of what we spoke was on the record. Phew! 

As an erstwhile Society Editor who has seen socialites of all shapes and sizes run in and out of favour and flavour, he knows far more than he'll ever let on. 

For the final article in print we had two chats. One that was rather... PC... and we don't mean his initials. But so matter-of-fact that it read a bit like a press release. Then, we had another, over champagne by the pool at the Hyatt. Far more fun. The long walks down memory lane, the glamorous shoot and the video is online at the magazine's official site. 

Peter was one of the first few people I interviewed for the Society column for the paper so long ago, Jesus was a boy back then. 

Check out: http://www.petercheungasia.com/

Above portrait by Dino Busch. 

Below: Video with Peter Cheung, behind the scenes of the shoot and the interview. 

On set with Hsieh Ling-ling

I met Hsieh Ling-ling long before Elly Lam [Lifestlye cover girl], for a feature and shoot with the magazine. We've shot a lot of celebrities for the magazine and paper, but I've never seen my usual crew fan out completely for someone like they did when the legendary actress came in for a portrait shoot. Having done several films as a child star, teenager and leading lady, she's been the part of everyone's childhood and teenage years as they've all seen one or several of her movies.

She was magnificent. We were all in awe of her and kept a healthy distance. Such a graceful and gracious lady who made time for everyone on set who wanted a selfie with her - after the shoot and interview.

You can read the entire interview and see the shoot by Until Chan here at PrestigeOnline.com

These outtakes from the shoot - she is so exquisite; mother of five, and a few grandchildren included! 

Shooting with Sammi

Outtake from a shoot I did with Sam (https://www.samuelsalvadore.com/)

To save money, the house has been doubled as a set several (hundred!) times.

Sam and I sit at the dining table and come up with ideas and concepts, he heads to the fire exit to smoke (ze French!) and then he comes back and we get some shizz done somehow.

We didn't have a budget for a model for the shoot so we grabbed our buddy who is a personal trainer and Sam (who was a model) directed him. Got some amazing shots that day. This was one of them.

BTW the brand that we were working with didn't like the shots. Cause taste is... rare.

You know how common sense is anything but?! Along the same vein...

Modern Art is... Lit.

Saw this in an art feed as Art Basel Hong Kong got cancelled.... that sounds harsh, postponed as the city deals with COVID - 19.

TBT: Happy Birthday Jeremy Wong

Last week, 'twas the birthday of popular KOL, model and reality TV star Jeremy Wong. He was the Society Editor at large for Prestige Hong Kong for several years, the face of the magazine at events and the cynosure of all eyes and cameras when he hit the red carpet with impeccable contemporary style.

We rarely saw the man in the office as his busy schedule, shoots and event hopping kept him away, but on his birthday, our then-editor buzzed him and asked him to attend a very important meeting...

If ever there was anyone to win the popularity and congeniality contest, Jeremy would win hands down. The office printed out pictures of the model, glued them on our tops and surprised him when he turned up at the door. Birthday lunch, copious vino (the boy can out-drink YOU!) and insta' fame snaps. That rare occasion when we saw him have carbs and sweets. Well, once a year...

Bless his (designer) socks. Happy Birthday #JWow You are one in a million. Well, one in 7.4 million (Hong Kong population!).

Follow model Jeremy Wong on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jeremixmatch/?hl=en