Special Report: Global Brands Drive More Than 6,000 Crore In India’s Active Sportswear Market

If there is one market segment that is clearly marked by the dominion of global brands in India – it’s active sportswear. 

From a segment driven by a collection of largely unorganized and homegrown SMEs two decades ago, today these international icons have not just made the market much more organised but have bolstered its overall size to over Rs. 6,000 crores. Many pure-play brands today are also into sports accessories, gear & equipment, while others have expanded their offerings to include sports-inspired product lines.

Missed Call Service: Managing Customer Communications

Missed call service has become an effective way to engage and involve customers by any brands and enterprises. CSN Murthy, Founder and CEO, Ozonetel explains the viability and feasibility of this customer communication model.

How does ‘missed call’ service help marketers and brands?

The missed call service is a cost-effective means for businesses to reach out to their target audience. The target audience could be based in regions with little or no internet penetration or when you want to give a call of action to an online customer who needs to engage with you.

#BloggerDreamTeam #CWC15 Fashion Styles: Hair-Apparent 'Virat Kohli' Emulates 'Cristiano Ronaldo' Impressive Looks

What's in a mane? Lots they say: image, character, confidence and of course fashion and looks. A statement that used to come from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has shown the world that he is as passionate about sporting new hairstyles as he is about guns, cars and bikes. Some of them, he looks to have passed on to his lieutenant Virat Kohli.

India's new Test captain was seen at the team's training session on Friday with the sides shaved off and a parted comb over look. Now where have we seen this style before?

This Ad Breaks, The Notion Of How ‘Male’ And ‘Female’ Are Supposed To Look

By DEVIKA ASTHANA | INNLIVE

Is the new Jabong ad the revolutionary concept we need for gender equality?

In a world where young girls are starving themselves to fit into the “ideal” body type, and boys are committing suicide for being called “faggot” because they don’t match up to the ‘rules’ of masculinity, the latest advertisement by jabong.com, an online fashion brand, was maybe just what we required to break the binary construct of gender to achieve equality.

Corporate Wear Gets Designer Touch

More fashionable and ‘multitasking’ office wear is what the young executives are preferring nowadays, says Aditi Hindwan

High heels, uber-cool trousers and waistcoat — that is how 28-year-old chartered accountant Ananya Ghosh dresses to work everyday. And she is not alone. Both her male and female colleagues make sure that what they wear to office is in tune with the latest trend in corporate circuit.

Going to office was never so fashionable before. With more and more international fashion players stepping into the Indian market, corporate wear too is getting attention that was missing so far. “I make sure I look my best when I go to work, because in today’s world, people judge you by what you wear. Moreover, I want to look good for myself and with so many brands in the market, I have a wider choice now,” says Ghosh.

With long working hours and strenuous deadlines to meet, executives end up spending most of their time at work. So what they wear to work is what they wear most of the time and as such office wear becomes essential part of their wardrobe. “For six days a week and almost 12 hours a day, I am clad in office wear. So the statement I want to make through my dress has to be through the office wear only,” says Amit Anand, a banker.

Such outlook of the corporates has led apparel brands to evolve themselves accordingly. Says R Satayajit, COO, Allen Solly, “The Indian woman is high on fashion and likes to make sure that she looks good at her workplace and otherwise. When we started corporate wear for women in 2002, they liked to stick to the conventional skirts and blazers. Over the years, their demands regarding corporate wear have increased manifold.”

Executives also look for the clothes that can ‘multitask’. “If I plan to go for coffee after work, I want to ensure that I don’t look out of place. My dressing to work should be stylish enough to ensure that I can carry it post work plans with élan,” says Vikram Cheema, an investment banker. Adds Ghosh, “Weekends are the only time we get to be home with family, so most plans with friends for dinner or coffee happen only after work. The office wear thus become quite important as we get no time to change. The good bit is that today’s style of corporate dressing allows me to look stylish even at work.”

What about the price factor? Is corporate wear offered by the apparel majors affordable to the office executives? Says Satyajit, “Our brand caters to those who want to look stylish at work. Corporate executives take home exorbitant salaries, and with changing times, they want to spend a relevant part of it on how they look.”

Besides clothing, there is a whole lot of accessories that go with the corporate wear to help achieve that perfect look. “Accessories are big hit with the young corporate consumer. We have come up with a range of beads and bracelets for young women which they can wear to work. A string of pearls is a hit with most western wear formals. Bracelets and earrings too in pearls look classy and timeless at work,” says Anil Moolchandani, CMD, Archie’s India Limited. Such is the craze of accessories that other accessory brands too have come up with a special range for corporates. “The accessories for the smart, corporate women do not have to be overtly feminine and should be free of clutter besides being enough to add a dash of colour to the clothes,” says Sukanya Dutta Roy, country manager Swarovski India. “So we offer sleek and splendid pendants, pierced earrings, elegant hair clips, sparkling bracelets, lovely rings and stunning brooches, in range of colours and styles,” she adds.

Men too are high on accessories. “Ties can break or make your look for the day. And while at work I make sure that my tie matches with my handkerchief,” says Cheema. Designer Puneet Nanda of Satya Paul says “Although the corporate customer is still conservative when it comes to ties, we offer them a range in all shapes.”

Shoes complete the corporate attire. Both women and men look for high comfort and style when they choose their shoes. “For work it’s not very practical to wear high-heeled shoes, that’s why I like shoes which look good and are high on comfort level,” says Ghosh. “Brands too cater to the needs of the customer perfectly,” says Lokesh Mishra of Woodland. “Women prefer wedge heels at work as they are comfortable and men like to stick to basic colours of black, brown or tan.”

Which Brand will you Wear for your Funeral?

By M H Ahssan

For the fashion conscious, even death is a sartorial celebration. A project in Singapore now offers individuals an opportunity to showcase the clothes they wish to wear for their own funeral!

A wetsuit, a mermaid costume, clown attire, a T-shirt of the Liverpool Football club and an imperial Chinese robe are among a range of outfits chosen by some of the 23 people participating in "The Last Outfit",a photo project in the island city-state.
"Dressing is a way of life and even at death, our clothes can be a statement of who we are," says Lee Poh Wah, CEO, Lien Foundation, a philanthropic house which has partnered with Singapore daily "The Straits Times" for the initiative.

The project, an extension of the "Life Before Death" initiative of the same foundation seeks to remove the taboo of death and enthuse people to view life and death differently.

"Each exit outfit is one that best expresses the subject's unique life. Their outfits and candid attitude have given us a fresh and fun perspective on how to deal with death. If there's something like funeral fashion, they are setting a trendby wearing their souls on their sleeves," says Poh Wah.

Eight photographers of the newspaper captured the passion behind each subject's reflection on his or her own mortality.

"We are glad that our subjects were willing to put aside their superstitions and participate in this project. It wasn't easy toconvince people to talk about death, much less photograph them in their last outfit," says chief photographer Wang Hui Fen.

"We hope that through this project, the stigma of death will be reduced. Peopleneed to understand that talking about death is not going to kill you," he says.

For 46 year-old cancer patient Madam Foo Piao Lin, one of the subjects of the project the final curtain call came early. The Last Outfit project fulfilled her last wish by outfitting her in a chenogsam that she had always wanted to wear.

Rather than leave it to chance or for others to decide, Madam Foo took responsibility for her final affairs before passing away on August 1, 2011.

"There can be brilliance in the shadows of death. Her family was fortunate to be part of her good-bye plans," says Lee. Other subjects in the project shared Madam Foo's plucky attitude. They not only donned their last outfits with bravura, they saw it as a fitting way to proclaim a last hurrah to mark their final epic.

"These are the most elaborate costumes we have for our performances. When we die, we want to be remembered as performers," says part-time Chinese opera singers, Koh Goh Eng and his wife, Lam Chin Shin.

First conceived as a local campaign in Singapore in 2006, "Life Before Death" has evolved as an ongoing social experiment that harnesses unconventional online and offline initiatives to break the taboo of death and to foster 'die-logues' or conversations on end-of-life matters, according to a statement released on Asianet.

The initiative works with diverse partners to reach a wider global audience through social media, films, photography, cartoons and art, enthusing the public to view life and death differently.
A recent project, "Happy Coffins", allowed people to personalise coffins for themselves or a loved one, and by so doing, overcome the stigma of death.

An international feature documentary film that examines the global crisis of untreated pain will is set to be released by the end of 2011.

The film shot in 11 countries profiles palliative care professionals at the frontline as they seek to improve care for the dying. It uncovers the diverse cultural perspectives on pain, death and dying.

Narendra Modi Suit Fetches Rs 1.1 Crore For Ganga Shuddhi: Will Charity Wash Away The Vanity?

The Ganga, it is said, wipes away all sins. Certainly Narendra Modi must be hoping so as his bandhgala goes up for auction to raise funds for a cleaner Ganga. Mr Modi has had fashion faux pas before. 

Not everyone can carry off that hornbill hat from Arunachal Pradesh with an airy sangfroid. Or that traditional outfit from Leh which made him look like a portly Indian businessman in a golden dressing gown with a grand vizier hat. But those were fashion faux pas.

India’s Kid’s Clothing Market Grows Up

The kids’ clothing market in India is growing up. In 2011, it was Rs. 37,300 crore (around US$7 billion), according to research and consultancy firm Technopak Advisors. It will record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of above 10% for the next decade, says the Delhi-based firm. A study by apex chamber of commerce Assocham is even more upbeat. It sees market size in 2015 at Rs. 80,000 crore (US$14.8 billion). The figures in this industry cannot be compared across research organizations because of definitional issues. Some take “kids” as those under age 14; others prefer age 16 and below.

The numbers are comfortable enough for manufacturers and retailers to roll out big plans. For a long time, much of the market has been strictly utilitarian; school uniforms account for some 40% of the total pie. “Earlier, the trend was to buy functional kids’ apparel rather than branded [items],” says the Assocham study. “Children’s garments were usually purchased from small stores and from street shops, while branded garments were only bought by very high-income families.” (For Assocham, kidswear is up to age 21.)

Today, however, children have become brand conscious, parents have more money (thanks to double-income families in the cities) and peer pressure is growing. This segment has not been impacted by the economic crisis, says Amit Gugnani, Technopak senior vice-president (fashion). “It is poised for significant growth.

“Many international brands have entered India recently, thanks to the growing market opportunity in this segment,” adds Gugnani. Armani Junior has opened a 2,000 square foot store at Delhi’s upscale DLF Emporio mall. It is one of Armani Junior’s 12 stores worldwide. Gron Stockholm, an Indian firm which represents a consortium of European brands of organic kidswear, has launched three new stores in Delhi. Its main brand offerings are Geggamoja, Bamboo Baby, and Mijn. “We decided to enter the retail space to fill the vacuum for organic kidswear in India. In Europe, organic clothes already enjoy one-third market share,” says Deepak Aggarwal, founder & CEO, Gron Stockholm. “We have started with three stores and are aiming to open 25 more, mostly in the metro cities, this year.” Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata have been identified as the next stops.

“Global retailers are assessing the Indian market with keen interest,” says a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers titled, “Winning in India’s Retail Sector – Factors for Success.” It lists children’s wear as a high-growth category. “[Global retailers] have recognized that the next wave of growth in terms of generating revenues, reaching new customers (including the large number of middle-class consumers) and harnessing R&D and innovative skills will come from emerging markets…. 93% of retail CEOs believed that they would expand their Asian operations over the next 12 months,” says the report.

While Armani Junior and Gron are opening their own stores, other global retailers whose brands have been available in India – though not through exclusive outlets – are also thinking expansion. These brands include Pinco Pallino, Fendi Kids, Miss Blumarine, Baby Dior, Burberry and Zara. These brands are much more expensive that their Indian competitors. For instance, a shirt for a toddler costs US$100 at Armani Junior. An equivalent Indian branded product would be only one-fifth that.

But local retailers are also on the move. Indian fashion designers are eyeing the premium space. Some have begun retailing their wares for kids through stores such as Kidology in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, and Mal in Mumbai. Big business houses are also examining the opportunity. This includes the Pantaloon chain and Mahindra Retail.

“Most of this segment is still unorganized,” says Technopak’s Gugnani. “However, there are domestic brands including Catmoss, Lilliput, Gini & Jony and Mothercare.” One challenge is to get the product mix right. The real threat is not competition but the high real estate cost, adds Gugnani.

Some entrepreneurs have discovered that already. Catmoss Retail (in which private equity major SAIF Partners had invested around US$18 million), Lilliput Kidswear (backed by TPG Capital and Bain Capital) and Gini & Jony (Reliance Capital and Arisaig Partners) are facing financial problems. “A clutch of private equity-backed retailers have landed in trouble after rapid expansions,” says a report in financial daily Mint.

The international chains with deep pockets should last the course. “The branded children’s wear segment is growing at more than 25% per annum,” says Assocham. Even if that includes young adults, the kidswear component has clearly come of age.

'Ashapura Intimates Fashion' Gains On New Investments

FEATURE PROFILE: Harshad Thakkar, 38, chairman and managing director of Ashapura Intimates Fashion, started his journey in the lingerie industry at the age of 15 as a sales manager in a store.

"I started my career with it (the lingerie business). At a very young age of 15 years as a sales manager I started this work. I was the sales manager in India's first lingerie store," Thakkar told INNLIVE.

With a capital of Rs 4 lakh, Thakkar started Ashapura Intimates in 1999. The company's market value now stands at nearly Rs 500 crore. In 2013-14, the company posted a net profit of Rs 5.41 crore over revenues of Rs 166.50 crore.

Corporate Wear Gets Designer Touch

More fashionable and ‘multitasking’ office wear is what the young executives are preferring nowadays, says Aditi Hindwan

High heels, uber-cool trousers and waistcoat — that is how 28-year-old chartered accountant Ananya Ghosh dresses to work everyday. And she is not alone. Both her male and female colleagues make sure that what they wear to office is in tune with the latest trend in corporate circuit.

Going to office was never so fashionable before. With more and more international fashion players stepping into the Indian market, corporate wear too is getting attention that was missing so far. “I make sure I look my best when I go to work, because in today’s world, people judge you by what you wear. Moreover, I want to look good for myself and with so many brands in the market, I have a wider choice now,” says Ghosh.

With long working hours and strenuous deadlines to meet, executives end up spending most of their time at work. So what they wear to work is what they wear most of the time and as such office wear becomes essential part of their wardrobe. “For six days a week and almost 12 hours a day, I am clad in office wear. So the statement I want to make through my dress has to be through the office wear only,” says Amit Anand, a banker.

Such outlook of the corporates has led apparel brands to evolve themselves accordingly. Says R Satayajit, COO, Allen Solly, “The Indian woman is high on fashion and likes to make sure that she looks good at her workplace and otherwise. When we started corporate wear for women in 2002, they liked to stick to the conventional skirts and blazers. Over the years, their demands regarding corporate wear have increased manifold.”

Executives also look for the clothes that can ‘multitask’. “If I plan to go for coffee after work, I want to ensure that I don’t look out of place. My dressing to work should be stylish enough to ensure that I can carry it post work plans with élan,” says Vikram Cheema, an investment banker. Adds Ghosh, “Weekends are the only time we get to be home with family, so most plans with friends for dinner or coffee happen only after work. The office wear thus become quite important as we get no time to change. The good bit is that today’s style of corporate dressing allows me to look stylish even at work.”

What about the price factor? Is corporate wear offered by the apparel majors affordable to the office executives? Says Satyajit, “Our brand caters to those who want to look stylish at work. Corporate executives take home exorbitant salaries, and with changing times, they want to spend a relevant part of it on how they look.”

Besides clothing, there is a whole lot of accessories that go with the corporate wear to help achieve that perfect look. “Accessories are big hit with the young corporate consumer. We have come up with a range of beads and bracelets for young women which they can wear to work. A string of pearls is a hit with most western wear formals. Bracelets and earrings too in pearls look classy and timeless at work,” says Anil Moolchandani, CMD, Archie’s India Limited. Such is the craze of accessories that other accessory brands too have come up with a special range for corporates. “The accessories for the smart, corporate women do not have to be overtly feminine and should be free of clutter besides being enough to add a dash of colour to the clothes,” says Sukanya Dutta Roy, country manager Swarovski India. “So we offer sleek and splendid pendants, pierced earrings, elegant hair clips, sparkling bracelets, lovely rings and stunning brooches, in range of colours and styles,” she adds.

Men too are high on accessories. “Ties can break or make your look for the day. And while at work I make sure that my tie matches with my handkerchief,” says Cheema. Designer Puneet Nanda of Satya Paul says “Although the corporate customer is still conservative when it comes to ties, we offer them a range in all shapes.”

Shoes complete the corporate attire. Both women and men look for high comfort and style when they choose their shoes. “For work it’s not very practical to wear high-heeled shoes, that’s why I like shoes which look good and are high on comfort level,” says Ghosh. “Brands too cater to the needs of the customer perfectly,” says Lokesh Mishra of Woodland. “Women prefer wedge heels at work as they are comfortable and men like to stick to basic colours of black, brown or tan.”

Cricketer Virat Kohli To Invest 90 Crore In Fitness Industry

India's Ace cricketer Virat Kohli, after his fashion start-up Wrogn, is set to invest heavily in the fitness industry. 

According to reports, India’s Test captain will be investing a whooping sum of Rs 90 crore in a Rs 190 crore project with partners Chisel Fitness and CSE. 

The gym chain will be launched under the brand Chisel. Kohli is following the footsteps of his ODI skipper MS Dhoni, who already has a gym chain by the name of SportsFit.

Corporate Wear Gets Designer Touch

More fashionable and ‘multitasking’ office wear is what the young executives are preferring nowadays, says Aditi Hindwan

High heels, uber-cool trousers and waistcoat — that is how 28-year-old chartered accountant Ananya Ghosh dresses to work everyday. And she is not alone. Both her male and female colleagues make sure that what they wear to office is in tune with the latest trend in corporate circuit.

Going to office was never so fashionable before. With more and more international fashion players stepping into the Indian market, corporate wear too is getting attention that was missing so far. “I make sure I look my best when I go to work, because in today’s world, people judge you by what you wear. Moreover, I want to look good for myself and with so many brands in the market, I have a wider choice now,” says Ghosh.

With long working hours and strenuous deadlines to meet, executives end up spending most of their time at work. So what they wear to work is what they wear most of the time and as such office wear becomes essential part of their wardrobe. “For six days a week and almost 12 hours a day, I am clad in office wear. So the statement I want to make through my dress has to be through the office wear only,” says Amit Anand, a banker.

Such outlook of the corporates has led apparel brands to evolve themselves accordingly. Says R Satayajit, COO, Allen Solly, “The Indian woman is high on fashion and likes to make sure that she looks good at her workplace and otherwise. When we started corporate wear for women in 2002, they liked to stick to the conventional skirts and blazers. Over the years, their demands regarding corporate wear have increased manifold.”

Executives also look for the clothes that can ‘multitask’. “If I plan to go for coffee after work, I want to ensure that I don’t look out of place. My dressing to work should be stylish enough to ensure that I can carry it post work plans with élan,” says Vikram Cheema, an investment banker. Adds Ghosh, “Weekends are the only time we get to be home with family, so most plans with friends for dinner or coffee happen only after work. The office wear thus become quite important as we get no time to change. The good bit is that today’s style of corporate dressing allows me to look stylish even at work.”

What about the price factor? Is corporate wear offered by the apparel majors affordable to the office executives? Says Satyajit, “Our brand caters to those who want to look stylish at work. Corporate executives take home exorbitant salaries, and with changing times, they want to spend a relevant part of it on how they look.”

Besides clothing, there is a whole lot of accessories that go with the corporate wear to help achieve that perfect look. “Accessories are big hit with the young corporate consumer. We have come up with a range of beads and bracelets for young women which they can wear to work. A string of pearls is a hit with most western wear formals. Bracelets and earrings too in pearls look classy and timeless at work,” says Anil Moolchandani, CMD, Archie’s India Limited. Such is the craze of accessories that other accessory brands too have come up with a special range for corporates. “The accessories for the smart, corporate women do not have to be overtly feminine and should be free of clutter besides being enough to add a dash of colour to the clothes,” says Sukanya Dutta Roy, country manager Swarovski India. “So we offer sleek and splendid pendants, pierced earrings, elegant hair clips, sparkling bracelets, lovely rings and stunning brooches, in range of colours and styles,” she adds.

Men too are high on accessories. “Ties can break or make your look for the day. And while at work I make sure that my tie matches with my handkerchief,” says Cheema. Designer Puneet Nanda of Satya Paul says “Although the corporate customer is still conservative when it comes to ties, we offer them a range in all shapes.”

Shoes complete the corporate attire. Both women and men look for high comfort and style when they choose their shoes. “For work it’s not very practical to wear high-heeled shoes, that’s why I like shoes which look good and are high on comfort level,” says Ghosh. “Brands too cater to the needs of the customer perfectly,” says Lokesh Mishra of Woodland. “Women prefer wedge heels at work as they are comfortable and men like to stick to basic colours of black, brown or tan.”

Sunday Special: When Fashion Meets Food, It's A Feast

By Barkha Dutt | Delhi

What happens when fashion meets food? It seduces both the eyes and the appetite. Move over the flowy gowns, as here high street designer Roberto Cavalli is weaving food fantasies. Located on the ground floor of Delhi’s luxury hotspot, DLF Emporio, is the Cavalli Caffé which serves authentic Italian in a chic and classy setting.

It’s hard to miss the zebra print décor of the caffé even amid the glitz of iconic brands that Emporio houses. The Roberto Cavalli boutique and the caffé are inter-connected and a sliding door is swung open for shoppers who want a break from haute couture. There is also seating in the atrium of the mall, reminiscent of a European style café.

A 10 Month 'Girl Child' 'Health Fears' Weighs 'Three Stone'

A ten-month-old baby has weighed in at a whopping 2st 13lbs - making her one of the heaviest children in the world for her age.

Aliya Saleem, of Jharkhand, India, was born at a relatively large 9lbs, then began to rapidly gain weight from the age of four months - and is now as heavy as an average six-year-old girl.

Her parents are worried about her health, after another of their children died aged just one-and-a-half after gaining weight in a similar fashion.

Insight: 'Earning Makes A Living, Giving Makes A Life'

By Radhika Menon / Dubai

‘If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way’ — This quote from Napoleon Hill motivates Lakshmi to carry on with her social commitment. Lakshmi Menon is a religious person who does not rely on her ability but only on her availability. She is a happy-go-lucky individual who takes pleasure in the simplicities of life. “I can eat with my hands, walk on my feet, see with my eyes, listen with my ears and can communicate. I realise the value of these blessingswhen I see many challenged souls in the world struggling in life,” says this compassionate soul.

MANAGEMENT COURSES GET A TOUCH OF LUXURY

By M H Ahssan / Mumbai

Managers With Degrees In Luxury In Demand. With luxury companies setting up base in India, there is a growing demand for managers armed with specialized management degrees in luxury. Looking at the growth in career opportunities in luxury, leading business schools which offer management courses in luxury brand management, such as ESSEC in Paris and SDA Bocconi in Milan are witnessing an increase in demand from markets like India.

Vishwaroopam To Kadal: When Did We Become So Intolerant?

In an earlier time, when political India was a lot more innocent – despite Indira Gandhi’s Emergency excesses and other such political perversions – Bollywood directors oftentimes took it upon themselves to package ‘social messages’ into their cinematic offerings. Their scripts may have been packed to the gills with masala twists and turns and formulaic elements that are calculated to maximise cinemagoers’ vicarious pleasures, but the directors endeavoured valiantly to appear to be ‘socially responsible’ in the subliminal message they slipped in. The films themselves were a kind of sugar coating to the bitter pill that they felt had to be administered to Indian masses.

 

In January 1977, when Indira Gandhi’s Emergency was still in force, was released Manmohan Desai’s iconic film Amar, Akbar, Anthony, with its syrupy-sweet message of ‘secularism’. It milked what had by then become one of the enduring cinematic cliches of Bollywood – three brothers, separated when they were young by the quirk of fate – who find themselves abandoned at the foot of a Gandhi statue, much like the boys in the photograph at left. In the film, the three boys grow up under the influence of different faiths – the first as a Hindu, the second as a Muslim, the third as a Christian, and, after much singing, romancing and villianous action (and coincidences that happen only in films), are reunited.

With an easily digestible, entertaining storyline that advanced the merits of mutual respect for all religions, the film was enormously well received, not least because of the star value of its lead actors. The masses may have come for some time-pass entertainment, but when they left the movie halls, they were brimming with treacly, feel-good sentiments that reinforced their pride in their respective faiths without diminishing their respect for others’.
But look what a generation of politicking with religion, an abuse of the concept of secularism, and a widespread slide into intolerance have done to Amar, Akbar and Anthony.

Today, each of those brothers-separated-at-birth has become an excessively prickly, easily offended specimen nursing a wounded pride that reeks of latent insecurity. Each of them has yielded space in his mind to what may have earlier been merely a stray thought on the fringe – to the point where the outlier sentiment has come to colonise the mind.

Today’s Amar, for instance, likely sees Hindu right-wing groups that disrupt fashion shows on the grounds that they “denigrated Hindu gods and goddesses” as defenders of their faith. According to this report, the Kingfisher Ultra Vizag Fashion Week, organised in Visakhapatnam, had to be cancelled on Sunday following a complaint from a local VHP leader that the models had had pictures of Ganesh and Lakshmi on their “skimpy” clothes. Police said they had booked a case against the organisers on the charge that they had deliberate and maliciously intended to “outrage religions feelings.”

Elsewhere, in Mangalore, the self-appointed vigilante force of the Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the RSS, targeted young women who were smoking and drinking at a restaurant, ostensibly on the grounds that they were an affront to “Indian culture”. Police intervened to ease the tension, although no crime was committed.

Likewise, today’s Akbar too is touched to the quick. He is offended by everything from a slick spy thriller from Kamal Haasan to author Salman Rushdie’s participation in a literary festival in Kolkata to an all-girl rock band in Kashmir. And in every case, he will intimidate governments into capitulation merely on the threat of disrupting law and order.

It’s true, of course, that at least in one case – in Kashmir – Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has, somewhat rarely for a politician in power, given public support to the intimidated group and dismissed those calling for a ban on the all-girl rock band as “morons”. But, as this editorial points out, Omar Abdullah’s influence doesn’t extend beyond the Twitter world into the real world; on the ground, the group, Pragaash, has not been reassured by his expression of support and the band members’ families feel sufficiently intimidated to force the girls to disband the group.

And what of Anthony? When his separated-at-birth brothers are so prickly, how can he be immune? After all, it’s a congenital disease that afflicts the entire family. So, Anthony today is offended by Mani Ratnam’s latest cinematic offering Kadal. And much like the extra-judicial, extra-constitutional authority wielded by Muslim groups in Tamil Nadu to get Kamal Haasan to excise seven minutes of his film Vishwaroopam – Anthony now wants some scenes deleted from Kadal.

According to this report, the Indian Christian Democratic Party had filed a complaint with the police alleging that Mani Ratnam’s film had “objectionable scenes” referring to Christianity, which it wants deleted. If the police failed to act on their complaint, the party warned of “intensified protests.”

The report adds: Christudas, a representative of the organisation, told reporters that the filmmaker had hurt the sentiments of the people belonging to the Christian community. “We have demanded that the director remove scenes which hurt sentiments of the Christian community. They should take action against the director if the scenes are not immediately removed,” he said.

So, if there’s one thing that unites Amar, Akbar and Anthony in 2013, it isn’t any pride in a shared cultural heritage, but a prickliness about their own faith that sees imagined slights everywhere and in every action. And, as often in such cases where the voice of reason has been stilled, it manifests itself in a muscular assertion of religious identity and in brutish bans on anything that is deemed “offensive”.

All this can be directly traced to the failure of successive governments over the decades to conduct themselves in the true spirit that resonated with the ‘secular’ siblings of 1977. Instead, over time, governments have perverted the notion of secularism by pandering to religious sentiments – first on one side, then on the other – and effectively whittled their own authority to the point where governments can be held to ransom by even the most inconsequential fringe groups.

Today’s Amar, Akbar and Anthony are tearing away at each other’s souls. And, sadly, this isn’t a Bollywood film that ends after three hours.

How To Get Those Fab Abs?

Lifestyle plays a huge part in gaining or losing weight. But one can burn belly fat using simple yogasanas, says SHAMEEM AKHTER

Most abdomen tighteners used in different forms of exercises are borrowed from yoga. However, in yoga one is discouraged from developing a six-pack because such tautness implies a weak breath due to the unnatural pressure on the large respiratory muscle called diaphragm. Also, internationally, the anorexic supermodels who flaunt a boyishly flat stomach have done the unthinkable: They have removed the last pair of the rib bones to get washboard abs! In yoga, such drastic interference is deemed unnecessary when you have intense and well-designed asanas complemented by regular pranayam (breathing practice) that involves breath retention and bandhas (energy locks). Then you, too, can boast of yogic abs without recourse to either starvation or surgery.

Lifestyle plays a huge part in one’s gaining or losing weight. Fighting weight has a lot to do with your state of mind and habits. Below are a few yogic lifestyle suggestions that you must use to boost your yoga regimen.

Control your stress
Even slender people, who are chronic worriers, tend to lard on at the waist. This is because the stress hormone cortisol affects the lipogenic and lipolytic enzymes. These control the flow of fat in and out of the cells where it is stored, thereby increasing body weight. Control your stress level through meditation, belly-breathing, relaxing pranayam or pursuing breathing practices like ujjayi, soothing forward bends (both standing and seated).

Only crunches won’t help
Spot reduction does not really work since you need to work the entire body for that perfect hip-waist ratio. Combine an effective exercise regime, at least for 45 minutes, five days a week with diet checks.

Cut down alcohol intake
Apart from making you gorge on greasy stuff during the binge, alcohol seems to affect the brain’s satiety signal, which indicates when you have eaten to your fill, as well as tampering with detoxifying organs like liver involved with fat storage. One needs to follow the asanas (see the box) to fight the flab that rests on your abs.

Naukasana (Boat pose)
Instructions:

• Sit up straight with hands on either side of the body.
• Inhale as you lift up legs. Move hands up to either side of the knees.
• Hold the pose, breathing normally as long as you can.
• To return to the starting pose, gently lower legs to the floor as you exhale.
• Over a few weeks build up stamina in the final pose, so you can hold it for a minute or more. In a few months, you must learn to hold it for three minutes or more for proper impact.

Avoid: If you have severe lower backache.

Benefits: It is a cellulite-fighter. Tones the stomach, thighs and powers the abdominal muscles. Boosts metabolism, aiding weight loss due to the pressure on abdomen and liver.

Naukasana (The crunch version)
This is easier for beginners. Those with advanced practice may hold hands on side or hold them locked behind the head.

Instructions:

• Get in the boat pose following the above instructions.
• Inhale. As you exhale, move knees closer to chest, using hands to hug the knees. From this crunched position, move back into the boat pose again, inhaling. This is one round.
• This must be done in a dynamic fashion, continuously flowing from the starting boat pose into its crunch variation.

Caution: This is easier after you acquire mastery over the first version. Also, the lower you drop your body back in the boat pose, the greater the effort of the stomach muscles and greater the impact.

Avoid: If you suffer from severe lower backache.

Benefits: It is a powerful ab crunch and has all the above benefits in a higher degree.

Viparitakarani mudra (Psychic union pose, crunch version)

Instructions:

• Lie on your back.
• Fold legs at the knees so they are at a right angle to the ground.
• Inhale. While exhaling, raise head and neck.
• Simultaneously raise hands, placing them alongside knees.
• Hold the pose breathing normally.
• Inhale, relax back to the starting position.
• Learn to hold the final pose for longer to enjoy greater impact. This must be learnt in a graded fashion over a few weeks.

Caution: Do not over-exert. Allow the neck muscles to strengthen by phasing this over a few weeks.

Avoid: If you face neck problems.

Benefits: A powerful ab crunch. Boosts metabolism, aiding weight loss. Tones the spine.

Dwipada uttanasana (Double leg drop)

Instructions:

• Lie on the floor, hands by the side or fingers linked to hold the back of head.
• Inhale, raise both legs at 90° to torso.
• Continue to breathe as you slowly lower both legs. If you have slack stomach muscles, this can be excruciating. So as a beginner it is better to do it fast, increasing stamina over a few days.
• You may also place hands, palms flat under your hips to take the strain off the lower back.

Benefits: It is one of the best poses to control abdominal bulge. It also improves mood, is therapeutic in most ailments, including circulatory problems (improves skin tone), removes varicose veins, tightens flesh around hips and thighs.

College Teens make Fashion Scene

By Golden Reejsinghani

Teen Fashions today cover everything from happening apparel to bizarre visible bra straps, loose drawstring pants, three fourth length trousers, and pierced eye brows, plenty of rings, bangles and glamorized chapels to dazzling colors. Vibrant rose, flaming orange, bright purple and solid blue. The colors are stunning with glitter and shine. No longer are the girls attired in loose flowing Kutras reaching up to their feet, they now display tight fitting Kutras which are worn three inches above the knees and even the saris are worn much above the ankles. The ankles are adorned with multi – colored and stylish anklets. But what stunned me was that everyone was into exposing some or the other portion of his or her body.

Kashish was wearing a stylish sari, “why are you wearing the sari high above the ankles”? “ this is an Indian-western fusion”, and this I said looking at the attire of her boy friend “ this too is the same”. He was wearing a denim pant with subtle intricate work done on the tapered ends of his pants. What ever any one might say they were looking real cool in these clothes.

What I learnt that day was that today’s youngsters were proud of their bodies and they wore clothes not only to show off their bodies but also to please themselves and not others. “I like to show off my midriff therefore I am wearing this dress, even my boyfriend likes to show off his mid riff. My boy friend loves to wear designer underwear on see through pants”, said Nita shah of Xavier’s college. “You know something said her friend Muskan, “I am getting married next month and I have asked my designer to make my wedding dress in such a manner so that some exposure of my body is seen, but I have made it clear to him that it should not appear obscene.

“If a person has the body then why shouldn’t we show it off” reasoned Karen who studies in Jai hind college “one should have the personality to carry it off. Am I not looking stunning in this dress”, she said pirating before me in her low cleavage short mini dress.

Not only girls but even guys are into real fashions, Rahul had a short t- shirt exposing his waxed naval and every young chic ooh! And aahed over it. Rahul’s friend Dean sported a loose pair of trousers cut off at the calves with criss- cross shaved head. “You look best in what you wear depending on how you carry it”, said Sabina khan.

Sabina’s friend Sara was wearing gaudy colored loose pajamas or casual pants. “I live in these clothes, especially the loose pajamas; they are so very cool and comfortable”. And the pajamas or casual pants as they are called are popular in every teen’s closet. A pair of loose draw string pant is far more comfortable then pair of tight pants or trousers and therefore the teens are all opting for it in a big, big way.

At Jai hind College I found a young chic wearing an off shoulder dress with the bra straps showing. “Shouldn’t they be concealed under the dress”? , I asked Raima “ No , peek a boo straps are totally in fashion and the straps come in all kinds of colors , even fabrics from transparent to detachable to colors matching your dress”.

Not only the dress scene is bizarre but even the accessories are stunning. Body piercing is the in thing and most collegians are having eye brows, noses, ears, navels, and even their tongues pierced. Raja Singh of National College Bandra wears long shirts, with two ear rings and plenty of rings adorning all his fingers the rings could be of any metal steel, gold, silver or even bronze depending on your pocket. His friend Dilip also wore chokers and rings on all his fingers and even thick bangles; he claimed he just loved any and all types of accessories. In footwear college girls are opting for slippers. Big and bulky shoes are out and slippers are in especially the OSHO sandals.

What was very interesting was that nobody showed off their skins even though they had well toned bodies and the makeup was the barest minimum which gave them a clean scrubbed look most of them only wore a little mascara, kaajal and lip balm. The collegians today have come into their own, they are very confident about their looks and sport fashions which they feel looks good on them, they are individualistic and very, very cool about it.

College Teens make Fashion Scene

By Golden Reejsinghani

Teen Fashions today cover everything from happening apparel to bizarre visible bra straps, loose drawstring pants, three fourth length trousers, and pierced eye brows, plenty of rings, bangles and glamorized chapels to dazzling colors. Vibrant rose, flaming orange, bright purple and solid blue. The colors are stunning with glitter and shine. No longer are the girls attired in loose flowing Kutras reaching up to their feet, they now display tight fitting Kutras which are worn three inches above the knees and even the saris are worn much above the ankles. The ankles are adorned with multi – colored and stylish anklets. But what stunned me was that everyone was into exposing some or the other portion of his or her body.

Kashish was wearing a stylish sari, “why are you wearing the sari high above the ankles”? “ this is an Indian-western fusion”, and this I said looking at the attire of her boy friend “ this too is the same”. He was wearing a denim pant with subtle intricate work done on the tapered ends of his pants. What ever any one might say they were looking real cool in these clothes.

What I learnt that day was that today’s youngsters were proud of their bodies and they wore clothes not only to show off their bodies but also to please themselves and not others. “I like to show off my midriff therefore I am wearing this dress, even my boyfriend likes to show off his mid riff. My boy friend loves to wear designer underwear on see through pants”, said Nita shah of Xavier’s college. “You know something said her friend Muskan, “I am getting married next month and I have asked my designer to make my wedding dress in such a manner so that some exposure of my body is seen, but I have made it clear to him that it should not appear obscene.

“If a person has the body then why shouldn’t we show it off” reasoned Karen who studies in Jai hind college “one should have the personality to carry it off. Am I not looking stunning in this dress”, she said pirating before me in her low cleavage short mini dress.

Not only girls but even guys are into real fashions, Rahul had a short t- shirt exposing his waxed naval and every young chic ooh! And aahed over it. Rahul’s friend Dean sported a loose pair of trousers cut off at the calves with criss- cross shaved head. “You look best in what you wear depending on how you carry it”, said Sabina khan.

Sabina’s friend Sara was wearing gaudy colored loose pajamas or casual pants. “I live in these clothes, especially the loose pajamas; they are so very cool and comfortable”. And the pajamas or casual pants as they are called are popular in every teen’s closet. A pair of loose draw string pant is far more comfortable then pair of tight pants or trousers and therefore the teens are all opting for it in a big, big way.

At Jai hind College I found a young chic wearing an off shoulder dress with the bra straps showing. “Shouldn’t they be concealed under the dress”? , I asked Raima “ No , peek a boo straps are totally in fashion and the straps come in all kinds of colors , even fabrics from transparent to detachable to colors matching your dress”.

Not only the dress scene is bizarre but even the accessories are stunning. Body piercing is the in thing and most collegians are having eye brows, noses, ears, navels, and even their tongues pierced. Raja Singh of National College Bandra wears long shirts, with two ear rings and plenty of rings adorning all his fingers the rings could be of any metal steel, gold, silver or even bronze depending on your pocket. His friend Dilip also wore chokers and rings on all his fingers and even thick bangles; he claimed he just loved any and all types of accessories. In footwear college girls are opting for slippers. Big and bulky shoes are out and slippers are in especially the OSHO sandals.

What was very interesting was that nobody showed off their skins even though they had well toned bodies and the makeup was the barest minimum which gave them a clean scrubbed look most of them only wore a little mascara, kaajal and lip balm. The collegians today have come into their own, they are very confident about their looks and sport fashions which they feel looks good on them, they are individualistic and very, very cool about it.