Post magazine: South China Morning Post: Check out my feature this morning!

 Another post magazine feature out to day - grab your copy now. 

Online at Postmag.

Black, white and read all over.

Have had a few features in South China Morning Post recently. Where I started... all those years ago...

Archived here at SCMP. com

Mental Health: My feature in South China Morning Post

Writing for South China Morning Post. The pay ain't great but at least it's on time. Which is more than I can say for any other publication in the city - especially the glossy magazines. Four to six weeks after publication is the norm. Chasing cheques is standard. Only SCMP files like clockwork. Bless 'em. 

Complaining as a freelancer only gets you blackballed and with limited list of paying publications, the gatekeepers have their way. 

For now. 

The Indian Jet Set: How 209 Indian Billionaires travel.

The Richest Residents of India do not fly commercial. 

Around 1,000 VVIPs fly private jets, choppers and glamorous Gulfstreams as they zoom over palaces and capitals around the world. 

According to a leading business magazine, India now has 209 billionaires studded around the country’s 28 states. Luxury cars and bungalows aside, they are traveling in rarefied bubbles between hearth and heaven. Here’s a look at some of the super jet set. 

Read the entire feature at SCMP.com here.

After Covid-19 paused Bollywood , Hrithik Roshan is finally back on set – so how did he become one of India’s best loved stars?

More than a year after War – his blockbuster hit with Tiger Shroff – Hrithik Roshan posted an Instagram photo of him back on set: as the actor turns 47, we take a look at his bumpy rise to fame

The pandemic might have hit pause on the Indian film industry, but luckily for us, its masked superhero is back.

Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan kicked off 2021 with an innocuous post – “back on set” – that sent all 33.3 million of his followers into a tizzy. And for good reason – the Indian actor is on screen back where he belongs after a year of no film releases.

As the iconic Indian actor and dancer turns 47, we take a look back at the rise, fall and re-emergence of an icon.

Read the entire feature online at SCMP here.

My interview with Hrithik Roshan in the archive here, when he was in Hong Kong, training for Krrish.

Original Spin: Upspun: Will scan-to-fit revolutinise fashion?

Will scan-to-fit tech revolutionise fashion? Sweden’s H&M brand Weekday is among the first high-street brands to offer made-to-measure clothes – get the ideal cut and reduce waste

Hong Kong’s Unspun, Gay Giano and Isabella Wren are already using the system to tailor personalised attire for men and women

Body scanners can log your measurements in a matter of minutes to ensure the perfect cut – soon you’ll be able to scan your size at home with an iPhone

Read the entire feature at SCMP here. 

Health and diet in the Covid era; My feature with holistic dietician Mayuri Punjabi in SCMP: myeurekalife

My feature on Mayuri Punjabi is out this morning in South China Morning Post; 

Why clients rave about weight-loss coach who takes mind-and-body approach to shedding the kilos, with fasting at its core. Read it all here.

You can follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/myeurekalife/ 

The paper didn't have enough room for the addendum; here are a few healthy, easy tips she had

• Stop snacking - you don’t need to eat eight times a day, and should allow your digestive system a rest in between meals. 
• Do not drink liquids during your meals as it causes the digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid in your stomach to dilute, which makes it weaker and slows down the digestion process. This can lead to bloating and general discomfort. Therefore, drink liquids 30 minutes before and after a meal, not during.   
• Never compromise on your sleep. Seven to nine hours of sleep is required Those that say, “sleep is for the weak”, are seriously mistaken.   
• Learn to read labels and pay close attention to the ingredients list. The ingredient that is listed first is the most present, in terms of quantity. It is important to look out for ways in which sugar can sneak its way into ingredients lists, especially when masked under scientific terminology.  
• Trust your body to communicate and tell you what works and what doesn’t. Don’t just jump on the bandwagon of the next fad, as it may not be right for you. We are an evolved species and have done so without any fad diets or supplements. 
• AVOID:  
• Vegetable Oils: sounds healthy but deceptively so, they contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats that slow down your metabolism, disrupt your hormones, impair digestion and accelerate ageing. Instead try to replace them with traditional fats like Ghee, Lard, Duck Fat, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil and Coconut Oil.  
• Sugar: try and avoid sugar, both natural and artificial, as when it is added to make a product taste sweeter, you should be wary!    
• Processed food; any ingredient list that is a page long, esp junk and fast foods: avoid eating anything in a bottle, jar with more chemicals than food.  
• Don’t use the phrase “cheat days”, I try to steer clear of that term because it sounds like we are doing something wrong that should result in some sort of punishment. Balance is key! 

Fat to Fit: Timothy Skinner in Hong Kong

Outtakes from a shoot with Timothy Skinner, shot by Dino Busch.

My feature with Timothy is out in the paper - can read it online here at SCMP.com Body Transformation. 

Click to enlarge pics

Working out in the park instead of expensive and cost ineffective gyms:



Update: Ah the gratuitous Thirst Trap images.

Playlist: Joey Lee Pieterse: Personal Trainer: Kickboxing Champion:

Photo by Douglas Pieterse

Joey!! One of my fav people in Hong Kong! Get fit people. Head to 9 Dragons.

Pieces of Mind: Jewellery Designer Wendy Yue Dazzles

Wendy Yue

Sleepless nights help jeweller Wendy Yue conjure up the ideas for her dreamlike designs, writes P.Ramakrishnan


There is an understated elegance to fine jewellery designer Wendy Yue, and yet her phantasmagoric collections are certainly not for wallflowers. Hers are ornate pieces with resplendent stones, inspired by flora and fauna, animal shapes and legends. It is the vast ocean of her imagination that makes her exquisite, multicoloured collection something to behold.

"I don't sleep much and I'm often most inspired when I have difficulty sleeping," she says while in transit in Taipei, on her way to Hong Kong for a reception at her stockist Plukka's pop-up store in the Landmark. A restless night where she had garish visions of snakes invading her floor led to a serpentine collection a few years ago.

"A lot of times I am on the road, whether driving to work, home, dinner, or running errands, my mind is often in its most stimulated state and all kinds of ideas are generated," Yue says. "I am a multitasker in that sense, I can never be doing one thing at a time."

And yet, among her travels, all roads led to the field of design. Yue, a Hong Kong native, spent her early days studying language and culture in Europe.

"I love Europe. Vienna was a stepping stone into the European culture. It's filled with ancient history and architecture and I find it very calm and soothing whenever I'm there," she says.

She documented her travels with her coloured pencils, sketching everywhere she went. Patterns and shapes formed the basis of future jewellery designs.

"The idea of creating jewellery to be worn daily reminds me of my travels," Yue says. "They are an enduring monument in remembrance of the bits and pieces of my expeditions."

Yue established her atelier, Diamond Tree, in 1998, and for years she worked with haute joaillerie, supporting famous luxury brands as the woman behind the scenes. It wasn't until 2008 that her eponymous brand, in collaboration with Annoushka Ducas (founder of Links of London), came about.

Whether from Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, or select boutiques across Europe, the US and Asia, there are many femmes fetale studded with Yue's whimsical creations.

If there's a trend away from simple rings and subtle earrings studded with a single stone, Yue might be the harbinger, springing away from the delicate and the darling to "statement pieces" of bold design and chunkier stones.

"I don't think statement pieces are necessarily a fashion trend; instead, they [reflect] the changing taste of Asian women in general. They have definitely opened up to a wider range of styles, without compromising either end of the spectrum. I think the Asian woman has always been confident."

Rapacious Rose necklace

While other design houses might find inspiration in endearing images of cats and nature, there's a strident, serrated beauty in Yue's designs, such as a sapphire-studded frog, sprawling on an aquamarine and jade swamp; or a floral piece intertwined with a serpent with evocative, sapphire-studded eyes, glistening with wicked glee.

"The narrative, of course, is inspired by nature, but I have also turned my focus towards more classic shapes, especially with earrings and necklaces," she says. "In the past I may have been known for my statement cocktail rings, but this year I chose to focus more on earrings and chokers, incorporating nature in a figurative but more classic way."

Egyptian Scarab ring-cuff set

But does the stone inspire the design or does the design lead her to the stone?

"For the most part, it all begins with the stones," Yue says. "I have a passion for stones and I have a huge safe filled with beautifully odd and unique gemstones. Many times it's an interwoven process: I have an idea and concept in mind, then I draw from memory my database of gemstones and know exactly which centre stone would match my design concept. It can be the stone that comes first, if I have the inspiration, but it is almost something that is in sync.

"Most of the pieces with carved centre stones or large centre gemstones are one of a kind. It is not in my interest to mass-produce my designs."

Dragonfly dip earrings

Yue eschews the cliché of East meets West. "I do not see my pieces in dual East-West cultural terms. Often it can be a mix, extracting from different cultural myths. Many times it is from my personal travels or experiences," she says.

But is there an Asian element to the collection?

"Certainly," she says. "I do have Buddha and oriental elements. I once had a coral cuff named 'The Lucky Seven' that came from a traditional Chinese story of seven children for good luck. I come from a traditional Chinese family so I do have inspiration from my background."

While Yue has her own "by appointment" gallery/show space in Sheung Wan, the designer's work has already spread worldwide. Her pieces have caught the eye of pop princesses such as Katy Perry and Rihanna and Hollywood actresses Glenn Close and Frieda Pinto.

"I feel honoured and humble seeing my jewellery worn by anybody who appreciates my pieces. Sometimes you can see the sparkle from their eyes when they look at a piece; it's truly an unforgettable feeling," Yue says. "But, of course, it's reassuring to some [customers] that top style icons such as Katy Perry and Rihanna have worn my pieces."

She says if there is one type of woman she designs for, it's "a woman who isn't afraid to show character".

Swan Fantasie cuff

E-mail: ramakrishnanp at hotmail dot com

Playlist: Helena Chan: Eurasian model on her favourite things

Click on image to ENLARGE and read

Hottie Helena Chan, famed for her stint on reality TV and a stellar modeling career studded around Asia, featured in Playlist in SCMP.

A Star is Reborn: Sridevi

Fifteen years after she stepped out of the spotlight to focus on her family, Indian film star Sridevi returns with a new movie. P.Ramakrishnan meets the Bollywood legend.

Queen, housewife, journalist, nurse, mystical snake-woman, princess, bandit, goddess, secretary, mad woman, fallen angel, police officer, drug addict, wannabe pop star, dancer, singer, embittered first wife, chief executive, Afghan tribal leader,  falsely implicated drug smuggler and streetwalker – Sridevi has been them all.

Star of  more than 200 Indian films (in five languages) and a member of the haloed pantheon of Bollywood celebrities, Sridevi is a larger-than-life figure.  She had done it all on-screen by the age of 34. With beguiling, sari-clad ease, she’d sung and danced, grieved and raged and cried and laughed on the big screen. As a child star – she won her first award before she was a teen – to a leading lady and screen icon, her cinematic journey was marked with box-office triumph, record-making paychecks and trophies galore.

Then she took a break – for 15 years.

WITH  A TEAR ROLLING down her cheek and a quivering smile, Sridevi faced a 10-minute standing ovation after the premiere of  her comeback film,  English Vinglish, at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14. At the event, her glistening  Sabyasachi  Mukherjee sari ranked her alongside  best-dressed celebrities Zac Efron, Penelope Cruz and Monica Bellucci – and that was before she brought her most potent weapons to bear.

Sridevi at the Toronto International Film Festival. Sept 14, 2012

“Those eyes – when she looks at you, you sort of get lost,” says writer and director  Gauri Shinde, who yanked Sridevi out of her self-imposed retirement. “As a woman, I  [was affected], I can’t imagine what it does to men.

“Meeting Sridevi the first time was surreal. Is this true? Is this happening? I felt like I was in the middle of  Requiem for a Dream, not sure what was real and unreal. I sat there and just watched her.  And she looks like a diva-movie star in her natural state. She was at home in blue jeans and a shirt. She had no make-up on, her youngest daughter was running around. She has this lovely, luminous skin and the most gorgeous, heart-breaking eyes…”

Heart-breaking indeed.  Oscar nominee and  Midnight’s Children director Deepa Mehta, who ran into Sridevi at the  festival where both their films were being screened the same week, tweeted: “There is something very poignant, heart-breaking about a megastar making a comeback after eons.”

Shinde flinches at the word “comeback”: “Oh that expression means nothing to me. The movie was never a vehicle to bring anyone back. My husband [producer/director  R. Balki] was in conversation with Sridevi’s husband,  Boney Kapoor, and casually mentioned that I was working on my first film. Sridevi overheard and was intrigued by the story. She asked to meet me.”

With a background in  advertising, Shinde wrote and directed a slew of  minute-long ads in Mumbai before she took a break and flew to New York to study film.  Her first short,  Oh Man! (2001), was screened at the  Berlin International Film Festival. Her latest script, written in 2008, was penned  without a specific actor in mind.

“My first full-length feature film, with the most famous Indian actress alive – who thinks like that?” laughs Shinde, pulling back copious curls. “I’m certainly not that optimistic. I feel everything fell into place by some miracle, from my DOP [director of photography], music director, crew and cast – that includes  Mehdi Nebbou [seen in  Steven  Spielberg’s Munich and  Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies], I can’t imagine this movie without them. The script   I had written, shooting that in cinematic New York, in Pune, where I grew up, in Mumbai, where I work, it was all a waking dream come true.”

“The script made me want to do the film, and, of course, Gauri,” says Sridevi,  when I grab a few minutes with her at the  JW Marriott hotel in Mumbai. She has just finished a workout and  stands before me in a tracksuit. Her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, her unmade-up skin showing few signs of her  49 years. She’s soft-spoken, notably shy, yet easy to smile.  And when she looks at me, I know immediately what Shinde was talking about when she mentioned those eyes …

I zone back in and ask about the reasons behind the 15-year break.

“When I had my daughters, I didn’t want to miss out on anything, so I took a break,” says Sridevi.  “I didn’t want to miss their first words, their first walk, by being on a set while the nannies took care of them. Because of my children, I didn’t miss the industry, not even a little bit.

“But I didn’t think I’d be away for so long. When Gauri gave me the script to read, I loved it. I could relate to it – so I did it. Had she come to me four or five years ago, I would have said yes then, too.”

Born to  Ayyappan and Rajeshwari in  Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu,  Sridevi was first cast in a Tamil film  at the age of four. One film led to another and  her  career as a formidable child artiste grew as she appeared in a spate of South Indian films. National recognition came a little later. Solva Saawan  (Sweet Sixteen; 1979),  her first  Hindi film, tanked  at the box office and Sridevi was happy to never do a  Bollywood  movie again. She’s often said she hated doing the film as she didn’t understand Hindi.  Years later, she gave Bollywood another try. With her voice dubbed by another artist (she learned Hindi years later), she exploded into the national consciousness in  Himmatwala (The Brave One, 1983).

So much has changed in the  15 years  she has been away from an industry that centres on the young, the new and  the endless parade of beauty queens and models with limited acting skills.  In her second act, will the audience find Sridevi as appealing as they did when  temples were created in her name? The premise of  English Vinglish is unlike any  of those that are garnering millions at the box office in India, or  elsewhere, where action-packed flicks and inane, slapstick comedies have been  filling cash registers.

And then, there’s the age factor.  As  Meryl Streep famously said in Vogue after having been offered three parts as a witch: “Once women passed childbearing age … they could only be seen as grotesque on some level.”

When Sridevi left the industry she was pregnant with her first child   and had seen the song and dance numbers peter out. She had been nominated for best actress at the Filmfare Awards – the Indian equivalent of the Oscars – consecutively for five years  and the critically acclaimed film  Lamhe (Moments, 1991) had garnered her nearly every major award, although the box office had not been kind.

If Shinde’s anxious about  ticket sales, though, she shows no sign of it.

“It’s been a blessing that I’ve not had a moment to think about opening weekend box-office figures,” Shinde says. “There’s always a modus operandi in the media to work a phrase into a film: it’s a ‘women’s picture’ – which it isn’t; I’m no feminist, neither is my film – it’s not a ‘comeback film’ – which is such an easy slot to pigeonhole this into – and I certainly don’t think about whether the movie will make a 100 million. I honestly haven’t thought about it as we’ve been working day and night to meet deadlines, firstly to send the final cut to Canada for the film festival, then simultaneously, as the movie is being made in regional languages, we’ve had launches and premieres in different states in India, so all that has to be overseen.

“Thankfully, my husband is Tamilian, he’s been going over all the details for the [southern] states in India.  We’ve not forgotten that Sridevi is one of the last pan-Indian stars. She’s a familiar face everywhere by the sheer volume of films she’s done.”

In English Vinglish, a linguistically challenged housewife,  Shashi (Sridevi), is  married to an educated patriarch  (stage actor Adil Hussain), who is condescending about his wife’s English. A family wedding takes Shashi to New York, where she’s traumatised by the overwhelming city and its foreign cacophony. Encouraged by her niece, she takes up English tuition, joining a class of immigrants.

Having been the leading lady in five regional languages, Sridevi  says, “I’ve always had a problem with language – so when I did this film, I could relate to it instantly. I’m not fluent in any [she says with a laugh].

“My directors used to call me a parrot,” she said in an interview with CNN. “I’d retain the dialogue, emote what was necessary, but I didn’t know what I was saying in the beginning when I did films in Kannada, Malayalam and even in Hindi in the 1980s. Now I’m better but …”

A comedy of errors and miscommunication aside, the film is a gentle probe into class structure, alienation, fear and embarrassment brought on by a world that speaks a common language – but where the lead protagonist doesn’t.

“My mother’s the inspiration and starting point for the film,” Shinde says. “She’s a businesswoman and always felt had she been fluent or at ease with English, she would have prospered much more.  She thinks the film’s about her – but it really isn’t. There’s no Frenchman in her life who comes  and whisks her around New York. She’s happily staying put in Pune.”

How did the Frenchman, played by Nebbou, who is used to working in understated American and European films, feel about his love interest?

“He, like most of our cast, was in awe of our leading lady – my husband calls her the ‘hero’ of the film,”  Shinde says. “Sridevi has this awesome way of being completely true to her character on-screen and then she just switches back to being herself when the scene’s done.   She’s very shy and  keeps to herself, mostly. Well, she did originally and most of the crew – many of us who grew up watching her – were in awe of her. But she made the effort to put her co-stars at ease.”

As the late  photographer  Gautam Rajadhyaksha, who had known Sridevi from her first few Hindi films,  once said: “There are two Sridevis. Two people as different from each other as you can imagine, leading quite separate lives, who never seem to meet even though they inhabit the same body. I first met the off-screen Sridevi. She’s shy, unsure, awkward, an almost simple-looking girl who  talks in barely audible murmurs. Then, there is the screen Sridevi, who appears as if by magic the minute you switch on the  arc lights. She’s a sensuous seductress capable of unblocking your abused arteries with one look from her smouldering eyes.

“No matter how she saps my energy and spontaneity with her obsession for perfection, the Adrenalin spurts back the moment she turns to face the camera.”

At the Toronto  festival, co-star  Adil Hussain said: “Having worked on stage for years, I’m not in awe of stars. When I heard I had to work with her, I thought, ‘Good, she’s a good actor.’ But the one time I was nervous,  was during a scene near the end of the film  when I had to dance with her.” Hussain   covers his eyes with his hands. “Dance with the Sridevi. That day I was full of doubt.”

Says Shinde: “She  doesn’t live in the past, there are no affectations, she’s supremely  … normal. She’s just so calm and collected.”

The film itself has a patina that’s more Westernised than the glitz and glam of  the average Hindi movie. The director’s proclivity for independent films as opposed to mainstream, song-and-dance flicks, is visible  in the trailer.

“I think my film is not ‘filmy’ … Despite having such a glamorous mainstream actress, I didn’t want to fall into that trap. We kept it   suited to her character, there’s no big ‘item’ song number, and this is despite the many people who told us that you can’t have a film with a dancing diva and not make her dance. But I listened to no one. You’ve got to have conviction in your own story, what’s right for her character, it’s pitched that way. There are no jokes per se, there’s no slapstick, there’s humour, drama, emotion, romance, it’s all there, but it’s subtle.

“It’s a different masala.”

English Vinglish is showing on October 5 and 6th at Chinachem Golden Plaza Cinema, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Shows: 9.30pm
Tickets: HK$120 - HK$180
Tel: Morning Star: 2368 2947



NOTES: Have written for Post magazine for years, my first cover story and that too with my fav subject in the world; Sridevi. Every teenage dream of mine came true.

Got a note from Shobhaa De, author and a power-that-be at Penguin India, to write Sridevi's biography. Hmm. Something to think about in 2013...

An archive of other interviews and features of mine with B'wood actors:

Hrithik Roshan, The Master's Apprentice 

Aishwarya Rai: Hooray for Bollywood

Abhishek Bachchan: Heir and Graces 

Priyanka Chopra: My Life 

Sushmita Sen: Universal Appeal 

Amazing to see Sridevi on the cover of Hong Kong's largest circulated magazine (in English). South China Morning Post's weekend magazinee, Post magazine.

UPDATE: Note from Gauri Shinde below. I die! =0)

Tough to get toned confesses Alexa Towersey: Fit & Fab, Health Post, SCMP

Alexa Towersey, wearing a tracksuit and ponytail at the crossroads of Hollywood Road and Lyndhurst Terrace in Central, looks like any one of the tourists ambling about. That is, until her track top is lifted. 

There doesn’t seem to be an ounce of fat on her well-defined abs. Surely this body was built after a lifetime in the gym. 

“No, I was teased for being too skinny through intermediate and high school. My nickname was Alexa Anorexa,” says the fitness expert. “So, in contrast to a lot of people, I started going to the gym to get bigger and put on some muscle.” 

 Alexa Towersey. “I didn’t walk into a gym and transform overnight.” 

She was a runner at school. “I was far too polite to win, though. My mum told me I said ‘excuse me’ when I had to pass the other children on the track.” 

Then she tried soccer, netball and skiing, but her true passion was riding horses. On most weekends, she was up at dawn, competing in various events around New Zealand. These days, however, weight training has become a love affair. Like most gym-goers, she gets really “grumpy” when she hasn’t trained for a while. But she swears her body is the result of smart, not long, hours at the gym. 

“Doing crazy hours in the gym is how you get injuries, not results.” 

What are you doing differently? 

Honestly, it’s something as simple as having a goal. I started triathlons 15 months ago, and set myself a huge goal of getting to a World Championships of some sort. I’ve managed to qualify for this year’s Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Las Vegas [a triathlon race consisting of a 1.9-kilometre swim, 90-kilometre bicycle ride and a 21-kilometre run]. That’s my goal. 

Are you determined every day to reach that goal? 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wake up every day excited about having to train. There are days when the work-life balance is overwhelming and I’m tired and irritable, and it’s hard to find the motivation. But I do it. It’s just a choice I make. That said, the most important thing I have learned in the past six months is to listen to my body. I used to train through thick and thin, on no sleep, when I was sick and even injured. Recovery is just as important to getting results as training. 

Is there a weakness anywhere in your regimen? 

Swimming is not really my forte, and has been a humbling experience for me. I have progressed from hating it, to disliking it, to enjoying it on the odd occasion – “odd” being the operative word there. 

What’s the secret to rock-hard abs? 

I don’t do traditional sit-ups – never have, never will. It’s just not my thing. My core strength comes from a background in heavy weights, and when I’m eating well, you can see the definition, which is always a bonus. To see abs, you need to have low body fat. To lose fat, you need to gain lean muscle, and you can only do that when you train and eat for your body type. 

How much weight training do you do? 

I enjoy lifting heavy weights, and my body responds really well to this type of training. One of my pet peeves is that there is a huge stigma attached to women and weights. Girls shouldn’t be afraid to do weights. I know I’m not everyone’s ideal body type, and a lot of girls are intimidated by how much muscle mass I have, but you have to put this into perspective. I have spent a good proportion of my life doing this. I didn’t walk into a gym and transform overnight. Most women don’t have the hormonal profile to be able to develop this much. And it takes time and dedication on so many levels. 

What’s your diet like? 

I think people really underestimate how important good nutrition is. You can train as much as you like, but unless you’re a genetic freak, if you don’t eat right, you won’t get the results you want. I’m definitely not into deprivation, I like clean, green and lean. Clean and organic fruit and vegetables where I can, Brussels sprouts, lean white meats, and fish. I tend to avoid gluten and dairy – that cuts out a lot of processed foods – and I don’t drink any more. 

What do you indulge in? 

My one weakness is Cadbury’s Creme Eggs. I once ate 18 in a row, then had to give the last six away, not because I felt sick, but because I felt guilty. 

Photo: Sabrina Sikora 

By P.Ramakrishnan

Behind the label: AFH: Designer Ayesha F. Hashwani

Who started it? AFH was established in 2005 by designer Ayesha F. Hashwani and is known for its dizzying swathes of fabric, splashes of colour and timeless, luxurious and (surprisingly for a Pakistani designer) sexy ensembles. Applying the richness of traditional Eastern crafts and motifs to contemporary fashion trends from the West makes for beautiful looks with a distinct touch of exotica. AFH's colours for 2012 range from bright shades such as tangerine to soft muted tones and "fun-loving pastels", says the designer, "with lots of white chiffon, a must-have for summer". 

The main fabrics include voluminous voiles and light silks with a cotton blend. The Karachi-based designer's outfits have been flying off the racks at O'Nitaa in London and Studio 8 in Dubai - and are finally making an appearance in Hong Kong. 

Why we love it: for outfits that are both figure hugging and forgiving. Covering a multitude of sins with long kaftan-like shapes and flowing cocktail dresses, the designer provides a variety of lengths, styles and volumes for any woman. Whether it's asymmetrical hemlines, trains or pleats, there's no shortage of glamour at the label. 

What we'd pick: the airy, long, wispy white dress with arm-length embellishments (left; HK$4,100) and the ornate black cocktail dress (above left; HK$5,300). 

Where can you get it? Online at www.afhashwani.com or through Aliya Zaidi in Hong Kong (to book an appointment, e-mail aliya666@gmail.com or call 6088 9898). 

Byline: P. Ramakrishnan (ramakrishnanp @ hotmail.com)

Health Post: Fit & Fab: How yoga straightened me out: South China Morning Post: 2012

German-born, American-bred Claudia Whitney, 36, wasn't always keen on the idea of doing yoga pretzel poses. She once saw yoga as a foreign form of exercise that wasn't meant for her.

"I had the same excuses as a lot of people I meet today: 'I'm not flexible', 'There is not enough time', or 'This isn't for me'," she says. "But I finally got into it 11 years ago in New York. I was hooked from my first class. I struggled the whole way through, but the experience shifted me on so many levels that there was no looking back."

An ancient practice originating in southern India, it seemed like a fad at first, when celebrities (and then everyone else) took to it. But why did the fad not fade?

"Yoga is more than a workout; I think that it becomes a way of life for most people," says Whitney, now an instructor at Pure Yoga. "You start to shift destructive patterns on the mat, and then you're capable of changing things in your everyday life. Without this outlook, the poses we do in class mean nothing, and I think that is what keeps people coming back."

Whitney thinks yoga would benefit youngsters, too, to help calm teenage anxiety and hormonal turmoil.

"I was a wild child - well, I'm still a wild girl - but growing up, I had to face some tough times," she says. "Yoga has helped me find balance and calmed me down. I wish I had started earlier, as it really centres you. I've learned to let go of a lot of the nonsense and focus on positive things ... I've honestly never been happier in my life."

Were you a sporty person as a child?

I was not a sporty child, and my diet was terrible. I ended up being overweight in my late teens and early 20s, so I started educating myself about nutrition and fitness, and that is when I first committed to working out. Changing my diet and working with a personal trainer helped me to shed the extra weight and improve my confidence. Eventually, I found yoga and, while it keeps me fit, it has become more than a physical practice. I can't imagine my life without it.

I guess you had the diet of most teenagers?

Yes, I grew up eating fried food, junk food and fast food. When I made the choice to lose weight and get healthy, I stopped eating all of these things and started experimenting with my diet. At one point I ate only raw vegan food for three years, and I felt amazing. When I moved to Asia, I was so excited about the variety of food and flavours that I reintroduced cooked food, and now I'm about 70 per cent to 75 per cent raw vegan, and I've never felt better.

Have you made a spiritual journey to India?

I spent three months in India six years ago. I travelled to Mysore first to study ashtanga yoga with Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy. Practise started at 5am, so I had the rest of the day to study anything I was interested in. I learned a southern Indian style of painting called Kannada, and I studied meditation and drawing with another teacher. We would sit outside his house on the ground and meditate before each lesson, which started out with scribbling with crayons to get me to loosen up. I also took vegetarian Indian cooking classes and studied Carnatic music [the classical music of southern India].

As a yoga teacher, what's your sales pitch?

If someone is really interested then I usually invite him or her to try a complimentary class at Pure Yoga. Most people are usually only interested in the physical benefits because practising yoga creates a toned, flexible and strong body, but there are benefits beyond that, like feeling more energetic and maintaining a balanced metabolism. You're promoting cardio and circulatory health, and it helps stress levels. When you practise steadily, you are also building awareness of your body, feelings, relationships and the world around you. It's a complete package.

Are men more averse to yoga than women?

Men who go to the gym usually have a misconception that yoga is only stretching and meditation, and they don't realise that it is also extremely physically challenging. I have noticed an increase in male attendance in the past couple of years. They find it's a great complement to their gym workout or any sport. Anyone can do it, and it's not going to tear up your body.

Pic Caption: Strike a pose: Pure Yoga instructor Claudia Whitney. Photo: May Tse


Byline: P. Ramakrishnan
e-mail ramakrishnanp@hotmail.com
January 3, 2012
Health Post

Reality Chick: Cara Grogan: Eurasian supermodel Cara G on the modeling scene and more

An exotic mix has its perks for this model, writes P.Ramakrishnan. 

All photos by Hyvis Tong.

According to the reality show America's Next Top Model, the world of modelling is a jet-setting, high-paying, glamorous vocation for the chosen few. Reality TV needs a reality check.

"I was at a casting in Singapore with this sunglasses brand and had to meet these two Italian guys in a hotel room," recalls model-turned-VJ, Cara Grogan. "And this girl came out of the room crying. They wanted her to pose completely nude. I called my agency immediately. Outside the room I saw a long line of girls - most in their teens - waiting in the corridor in a panic, calling their agents. There are some dodgy folks out there."

"Folks" is a euphemism for the word Grogan used but you get the gist. Her ascent from print to television may seem rapid but she's been working hard for the past decade: from the best ("commercials shot in Prague, Canada, Japan with the best team in Asia") to the worst ("I was asked to wear a string bikini that barely covered. I refused to step out of the dressing room").

Grogan's the versatile model whose dimpled smile and flawless skin has stared out of numerous ads, her mixed background working to her advantage in every market she's worked in.

"I had a complicated family history, so at 14 I left home and started working," says the 26-year-old. "I've been working ever since." When she came to Hong Kong seven years ago, it was intended to be a short stint; but she kept coming back. "Now, Hong Kong's definitely where I'm grounded."

Grogan grew up in Australia's Victoria and Gold Coast. The mix of Chinese, Swiss, Irish, German and Arabic has its benefits, language not being one of them. "I speak Australian, American and English! I never picked up any other language despite my travels and mixed origin. Shameful isn't it?" She laughs. "One of the best things about being a mixed mutt is that wherever I land, people think I'm from there. When I was in China, they thought I was Chinese, when in Japan, I was Japanese and so on."

Grogan says that while she has been working hard, jobs do come in waves. "Sometimes you're busy every day, rushing to gigs and other times, well, it's me walking my dog through Soho."

As we sit and chat in a trendy new bar tucked away at the crescent of Hollywood Road and Lyndhurst Terrace, an editor of a luxury magazine strolls by. "We've worked together before right?"

Grogan nods, gives a warm hug and mentions a multiple-page fashion shoot she did with them. They agree to work together on another shoot and the editor makes a note to call her agency. "I think it's important to be nice to the people you work with, the diva tantrums don't work anywhere," says Grogan. "You don't get cast again or recommended if you behave badly. I'm really happy when someone rings me back again for a job."

It was probably this attitude that helped propel her into the limelight at Channel V. "The VJ gig happened by chance," says Grogan. "I had auditioned several times before but never gotten through and, on a lark, a friend of mine asked me to audition again. I hesitated a lot, having been rejected so many times before, but they said to me `You're older now, it's a different look; you'll have a lot more to say than before.' So I did go back - and got the job."

Grogan enjoys working on screen, and says her love of music helps her to think on her feet. Perks of the job include meeting the biggest names in the music industry, award shows and of course, travel. Her first modelling job was also something she landed by chance, during her travels around Asia. "I was in Bangkok and I sent a message home saying I was modelling and no one believed me. `Bet you're a hostess,' they laughed."

According to Grogan, she was far from the prettiest girl in class when she was growing up. "Not even close! I wasn't a thin teenager at all, I was pretty chubby - there's a photo my mother put up on Facebook and my boyfriend didn't even recognise me. No one ever found me in a mall and said I had to be a model," she says, laughing. "Then the weight fell off, no crash diet or exercise. Just in the genes I guess, but even then, I didn't have any pretensions of being Elle Macpherson."

Having done countless editorials and worked around the continent, there are a few tricks of the trade Grogan's picked up. "I always know when a shoot's going to go bad," she says. "When there are a lot of people hanging around a set doing nothing, there's trouble ahead. They won't know how to style and just throw everything into one shot. The best photographers work with the best hair and makeup artists; it's a package."

-- April 2011, Interview for Style magazine, by South China Morning Post. 

Tom and John woo Hong Kong: Press conference in Hong Kong with Tom Cruise, John Woo: SCMP,

One of my earliest celebrity assignments... maybe even my first, while I was in HKU, had to do a write up on the Tom Cruise/John Woo press conference as they did the media route across Asia.

Tom Cruise flew in on his own jet, which he piloted and the press conference at The Peninsula was intense. Tom and John were the only two people on stage (and Winnie Chung on the side translating) and over 120 media reps in the audience. Basically anyone with a press badge - that of course included me. Was writing for South China Morning Post's official entertainment site and had to file the feature within hours. Didn't have the luxury of weeks like the magazine scribes. 'Twas fun and got a kick out being published.

I still get a kick out of my title - the fact that it got got approved and went to print.

Ah to be young and restless again...

Personal Taste: Bernard Dance: Interview with Culinary Legend Bernard Dance: Chef of Moet & Chandon

Bernard Dance is chef of champagne house Moet & Chandon's Chateau de Saran in Epernay, France. He was at the InterContinental in Tsim Sha Tsui recently to lead a pairing of champagne and Chinese cuisine.

What restaurants have you tried in Hong Kong?
I've been to Hong Kong many times but always for work, so I haven' really had the chance to explore, but the restaurants in all the hotels I've stayed in have been impressive. Last night I tried Yan Toh Heen (in the InterContinental) and it was wonderful. I wanted to see how the chefs approach their craft and in this massive kitchen I saw how creatively they work together. The food was excellent.

It must be very different from a French kitchen.
For a French chef in a Chinese kitchen, it's lie being on another planet, but it was fascinating. Cuisine is a reflection of a culture and, with China's rich history, I see it as a country of many stories. Though our worlds are opposite, I can see the enrichment of the culture and tradition when I see the food being prepared.

Did you get any ideas that you can use?
Yes of course. As a chef, you need to be constantly learning and exploring and I liked the way the food was prepared here. In France, we don't see live fish in the kitchen. Here it is really fresh. The way the food is made is also different: short and fast, quickly and efficiently.

Have any Asian techniques made it to France?
Yes, you can find woks in kitchens there now. They are very popular in France. The concept is wonderful: you cook quickly, don't use a lot of fat. This has spread across London and the rest of Europe.

Have you eaten anything unusual in Hong Kong?
I've tried everything - snake, shark and all that you read about. The snake was not bad, it was like eel. I have trouble with foods if the aroma is disagreeable, but that is a matter of conditioning. Once I get used to it, then I try it. You eat with all your senses, not just taste, so it has to look good, smell good and even feel good. The texture should not be offensive.

What is always in your refrigerator at home?
Fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, yoghurt, eggs and butter. I have two daughters and they eat only salads and light things because they are so conscious of their figures. I also have spices from around the world.

What countries have you enjoyed eating in the most?

All have been good - Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, all across Europe. But when I went to Argentina 20 years ago, no one spoke English or French where I was staying and I couldn't communicate with the head chef. He brought his friend over to help - this beautiful Argentinian woman. Now we're married and have two daughters! So that's my most memorable trip - but for different reasons of course.

almost famous: Rani Asra Gidwani: Indian Dance Instructor and Choreographer Balances Motherhood and Bollywood Moves

Eight days before she delivered her beautiful baby girl Raina, Rani Asra Gidwani was squatting on cushions on her mother's living-room sofa, addressing a room full of dancers. Gidwani teaches Indian dance all year round but she's busiest during the months leading up to Diwali, the Indian new year, which falls on October 25 this year.

"I said no to everything, but when people want you, they want you," she says. "I had an assistant; I showed them what to do and taught all the way till my last trimester."

With no formal training but with three decades of experience behind her, Gidwani combines Bollywood-style "filmy" dancing with MTV-inspired sequences and dollops of originality and style.

Officially, she's been instructing for nine years at her Kowloon School of Dance but as far back as she can remember she's been grooving to music. "I've been dancing since I was three years old choreographing my own dances since I was five," says the 33-year-old. "I've always been one of those people who leads the dance; I can't follow other people and copy them. That's not my style. What I have to offer is unique and original. I can't blindly copy what's on TV."

Apart from the vast number of youngsters, she's taught over the past nine years ["Ninety-five per cent of the Indian kids in Tsim Sha Tsui who dance have come to some class or another with me"]. Gidwani's worked with Chinese, Japanese, Russian, British and Americans, enthused by the exuberance of Bollywood musicals and joie de vivre.

"For the older ladies especially, or couples who just want to look good when they're dancing at events, it's a great workout. with Indian dance, bhangra especially, you shake everything. Bhangra-cise is huge in Britain and I'm sorting out a schedule in Hong Kong too.

"Indian music has crept in to so many remixes. From Eminem to Ricky Martin, the influence has spread into the club scene as well, so when people want to learn to move to it, they come to me. I'm sure I was the first person to mix hip-hop and Indian songs and teach dance."

A voluminous file reveals her students' information -- an age group from three to 60. "I worked with an international school last year, with teachers, students, all of whom were putting on a Bollywood show after Moulin Rouge, I think. They were eager to learn and that made it fun for me to teach. The best part was that there were no hassles because they were so enthusiastic."

Opportunity to work in Bollywood, the world's largest film industry, came often, but she didn't grab the offers. "I've had offers to work in showbiz many times but I wasn't ready to leave home - I was born and brought up in Hong Kong. To live in Mumbai and cater to stars and their egos and try my luck - I wasn't sure. Deep down, I didn't have the confidence then."

And now? 

"Now, I'm happily married and a mother of a 10-month-old. I still get to do what I love and seriously have no regrets."

Words: P.Ramakrishnan.

Portrait: SCMP

Published in South China Morning Post

South China Morning Post

建立日期： 2003年07月19日

繁體中文（香港適用）

在產下美麗的女嬰 Raina 的八天前，Rani Asra Gidwani 還正蹲坐在她母親客廳沙發的靠墊上，向滿屋子的舞者說話。Gidwani 全年都在教授印度舞，但在印度曆新年「排燈節」（今年落在 10 月 25 日）前的幾個月裡，她是忙得不可開交的。

「我拒絕了所有的邀請，但當人們需要你時，他們就是非你不可，」她說。「我有個助手，我會示範動作給他們看，並一路教學直到孕期的最後三個月（第三期）。」

雖然沒有受過正式訓練，但憑藉著三十年的豐富經驗，Gidwani 將寶萊塢風格的「電影感」舞蹈與 MTV 啟發的舞步融為一身，並注入了大量的原創性與個人風格。

名義上，她在九龍舞蹈學校（Kowloon School of Dance）任教已有九年，但早在她有記憶以來，她就一直跟著音樂翩翩起舞。「我從三歲起就開始跳舞，五歲就開始自己編舞了，」這名 33 歲的舞者說。「我一直都是帶頭領舞的人，我無法跟在別人後面模仿。那不是我的風格。我能提供的東西是獨特且原創的，我無法盲目地照抄電視上的東西。」

除了過去九年間她教過的無數年輕人［「尖沙咀 95% 會跳舞的印度裔小孩，都曾跟我上過這樣或那樣的舞蹈課」］，Gidwani 還曾與中國人、日本人、俄羅斯人、英國人及美國人合作過，這些人都被寶萊塢歌舞片的活力與熱情所感染。

「特別是對於年長的女士，或是只想在活動場合舞姿好看的小夫婦來說，這是一項很棒的健身運動。跳印度舞，尤其是旁遮普舞（Bhangra），你會晃動全身的肌肉。旁遮普有氧舞（Bhangra-cise）在英國非常流行，我也正在安排香港的課程時間表。」

「印度音樂已經滲透到許多混音歌曲中。從 Eminem 到 Ricky Martin，這種影響力已經延伸到了夜店圈，所以當大家想學著隨這種音樂扭動時，他們就會來找我。我很確定自己是第一個將 Hip-hop 和印度歌曲結合並進行教學的人。」

一個厚厚的資料夾揭示了她學生的資訊——年齡層從 3 歲到 60 歲不等。「我去年曾與一家國際學校合作，教過老師和學生，他們當時好像是在《紅磨坊》上映後準備製作一場寶萊塢表演。他們非常渴望學習，這讓我的教學過程充滿樂趣。最棒的是完全沒有任何麻煩，因為大家都太有熱情了。」

進入全球最大的電影產業——寶萊塢工作的機會屢次降臨，但她都沒有把握。「我曾多次獲得進入演藝圈工作的機會，但我還沒準備好離開家——我在香港出生長大。去孟買生活、伺候明星和他們的脾氣，然後在那裡碰撞運氣——我當時沒有把握。在內心深處，我那時缺乏那種自信。」

那現在呢？

「現在，我婚姻美滿，是一個 10 個月大孩子的母親。我依然能做自己熱愛的事，而且說實話，我一點也不後悔。」

撰文：P.Ramakrishnan。攝影：SCMP

刊登於《南華早報》

《南華早報》

發布日期：2003 年 7 月 19 日

简体中文（中国内地适用）

在生下美丽的女婴 Raina 的八天前，Rani Asra Gidwani 还蹲坐在她母亲客厅沙发的靠垫上，面向满屋子的舞者说话。Gidwani 全年都在教授印度舞，但在印度历新年“排灯节”（今年落在 10 月 25 日）前的几个月里，她是忙得不可开交的。

“我拒绝了所有的邀请，但当人们需要你时，他们就是非你不可，”她说。“我有个助手，我会示范动作给他们看，并一路教学直到孕期的最后三个月（第三期）。”

虽然没有接受过正式训练，但凭借着三十年的丰富经验，Gidwani 将宝莱坞风格的“电影感”舞蹈与 MTV 启发的舞步融为一体，并注入了大量的原创性与个人风格。

名义上，她在九龙舞蹈学校（Kowloon School of Dance）任教已有九年，但早在她有记忆以来，她就一直跟着音乐翩翩起舞。“我从三岁起就开始跳舞，五岁就开始自己编舞了，”这名 33 岁的舞者说。“我一直都是带头领舞的人，我无法跟在别人后面模仿。那不是我的风格。我能提供的东西是独特且原创的，我无法盲目地照抄电视上的东西。”

除了过去九年间她教过的无数年轻人［“尖沙咀 95% 会跳舞的印度裔小孩，都曾跟我上过这样或那样的舞蹈课”］，Gidwani 还曾与中国人、日本人、俄罗斯人、英国人及美国人合作过，这些人都被宝莱坞歌舞片的活力与热情所感染。

“特别是对于年长的女士，或是只想在活动场合舞姿好看的小夫妇来说，这是一项很棒的健身运动。跳印度舞，尤其是旁遮普舞（Bhangra），你会晃动全身的肌肉。旁遮普有氧舞（Bhangra-cise）在英国非常流行，我也正在安排香港的课程时间表。”

“印度音乐已经渗透到许多混音歌曲中。从 Eminem 到 Ricky Martin，这种影响力已经延伸到了夜店圈，所以当大家想学着随这种音乐扭动时，他们就会来找我。我很确定自己是第一个将 Hip-hop 和印度歌曲结合并进行教学的人。”

一个厚厚的文件夹揭示了她学生的信息——年龄层从 3 岁到 60 岁不等。“我去年曾与一家国际学校合作，教过老师和学生，他们当时好像是在《红磨坊》上映后准备制作一场宝莱坞表演。他们非常渴望学习，这让我的教学过程充满乐趣。最棒的是完全没有任何麻烦，因为大家都太有热情了。”

进入全球最大的电影产业——宝莱坞工作的机会屡次降临，但她都没有把握。“我曾多次获得进入演艺圈工作的机会，但我还没准备好离开家——我在香港出生长大。去孟买生活、伺候明星和他们的脾气，然后在那里碰撞运气——我当时没有把握。在内心深处，我那时缺乏那种自信。”

那现在呢？

“现在，我婚姻美满，是一个 10 个月大孩子的母亲。我依然能做自己热爱的事，而且说实话，我一点也不后悔。”

撰文：P.Ramakrishnan。摄影：SCMP

刊登于《南华早报》

《南华早报》

发布日期：2003 年 7 月 19 日