Celebrating Indian Women Series: # 1

With only 3 weeks to go for International Women’s Day, I have decided to recall and salute the achievements of notable Indian and International (it’s IWD after all) women in my own little way.

Each day I will write about Indian women who have fought all odds, gained recognition through sheer hard work, challenged men in their respective fields and have won many accolades for their accomplishments. 

Some of them also went diametrically against the trend and did what they felt was right! Seriously don’t you think the power of such women should be celebrated?

My posts will not only highlight the recognition part but the hardships and challenges these women had to face, before they became a known face. So here I begin with the first post in this series.

Now, where else would you find famous Indian women but in Bollywood. So that’s my starting point!:) 

And yes, I do not plan to bore you with too much details and gossip. So for that you can always Google or check Wikipedia. I will only highlight trivia, some interesting aspects of these women and what I like about them. 

Today’s post features the beautiful wife of late Sunil Dutt and the mother of Priya and Sanjay Dutt, late Mrs. Nargis Dutt.

Nargis Dutt:

Tidbits: Nargis Dutt was the daughter of a courtesan who began acting in films at a very early age. Several interviews suggest that she was not fond of the fact that she had to work for livelihood from a tender age. She wanted to enjoy her childhood like other common Indian girls of her age.

She rose to fame as a RK Heroine but had the courage to leave the hugely successful RK Films camp, when it was clear to her that she was only a successful business partner for RK, and she would not transform into Mrs. RK ever.
Her passionate relationship with Raj Kapoor(RK) transformed into a sizzling chemistry on screen, which is yet to be re-created in cinema. And it was this chemistry perhaps, that attracted crowds to the theatre, making their films super hits in no time. 

And critics say, with the exit of Nargis, RK’s stint with good films (meaning sensible) ended. Later, he had to use explicit skin show to make his films tick at the BO.

Memorable for: The RK Studios emblem. The emblem is a replica of the poster of Barsaat that features her along with Raj Kapoor.

And her immaculate performance in the Oscar nominated film Mother India. After her death, a street in Bandra, Mumbai has been named in her memory.

What I like about her? Her beautiful large eyes, I feel, have a lot of depth. At one moment you can feel the pain and at the other moment you could see the happiness through her expressive eyes. No other Indian actress had such expressive eyes I feel. (You raise an eyebrow and think what about the Dream Girl? 
Well all I can say is Hema Malini’s eyes are only beautiful, not expressive as Nargis.) There is a 'nasha' in them, and if you look at her eyes for long, you would be totally intoxicated I bet! 
Another person who has similar eyes is Ajay Devgan. Pls check yourself ;)

I also feel she displayed immense courage during her reported liaison with RK, as being an "other woman'' in those days, was a huge taboo in itself. 
Also taking charge of your personal life, after her passionate relationship broke-off, (as reported it was she who proposed marriage to Sunil Dutt) instead of just resigning to fate etc, requires great maturity and courage. 

Other Achievements: After her marriage, she became deeply involved with charity and social work. She is known to have a soft corner for poor children and destitute women. Later, Nargis worked for the cause of spastic children and became the first patron of The Spastics Society of India. She was close to India's First Family of Indira Gandhi. 

Critics Say: According to M.L. Dhawan from The Tribune, "In almost all her films Nargis created a woman who could be desired and deified. The charisma of Nargis’s screen image lay in that it oscillated between the simple and the chic with equal ease."

Trivia: She passed away a few days (May 3 1981) before Sanjay Dutt's debut movie Rocky premiered on May 7, 1981. A seat was left vacant for her during this premiere. 

To learn more about Nargi Dutt, please refer to Wikipedia. 

Pics courtesy: Google

Celebrate V Day with Indian Belle's First Ever Contest

All of us crave to pamper ourselves and with our schedules becoming erratic more than ever before, therapies and spas have become an absolute must. And what better place to go to indulge in a luxurious therapy, than the Four Fountains Spa!  If you would like to read a review of the fabulous therapies and massages offered by this spa, then please visit here. 

Four Fountains Spa in association with Indian Belle presents a unique opportunity to all you lovely ladies and power women to rejuvenate and pamper yourself.  

Exciting isn't it? I'm highly excited to present this contest to you as well, since this is the first one in my blog. :) Now, read on to know more about the rules and the terms and conditions of this contest. 

Terms and Conditions: 

Do’s 

• The contest begins from Friday 8^th Feb and ends on 22^nd Feb. Yes, the contest will run for 15 days. So that you get plenty of time to think about your answer.
• You need to answer one simple question. Your answer should be descriptive and it could be as descriptive as you want.
• There are 2 prizes to be won!
• The winners will be decided on the basis of the best answers I receive.
•  The 1^st prize is a 1 hour complimentary spa voucher and the 2nd prize is a 30 min spa voucher. 
• You can send only 1 entry.
• Email your answers to me at nivedita0806@gmail.com with the subject line TFFS Contest Answer
• Please do write about spa therapies that include massage, and reflexology etc. You can write about Ayurvedic therapies that are not related to weight loss.
• Rejuvenation and pampering are the words here. So no other therapies are included.
• Open to Indian residents only.

Don’ts

• Please do not write about regular facials done at the neighbourhood parlours.
• Fictitious accounts of experiences are unwelcome. (If I get a hint of imagination, I might ask you to mention the details of the place where you got such a therapy done etc. So please do not force me to do so! I know it’s uncomfortable and very very weird to ask such things in the first place… :) )

Contest Question: So here’s the question for you.

Which spa therapy according to you is the most relaxing and why? 

Hints: Write about the spa therapy that (you have experienced,) you think leads to pure bliss and relaxation and makes you yearn for more and more and why.

The best answer wins a 1 hour voucher and the second best answer wins a 30 min voucher from TFFS. So hurry girls!  

Participation rules are quite simple: 

• Follow this blog through Google Friend Connect
• Subscribe to Indian Belle through email here.
• Like my Facebook page here.
• Share this post on your Facebook wall tagging 5 friends
• Share the following details in the Comment box below:

• GFC name
• Email id through which you have subscribed
• Facebook name
• URL of the Facebook sharing link with tags

So what are you waiting for? Participate to experience the pleasures of a massage therapy. All the best to all the participants. 

PS: Please check the TFFS site to see their locations. :)   

Glimpses of My Hyderabad Trip

You may wonder why I’m always late in writing about my trips etc. Well the answer is quite simple — I love to go down memory lane, after a considerable time has lapsed. Recalling the happy times and the laughter, the shopping sprees and the lip-smacking food I enjoyed during a trip after a few weeks or a month has passed, gives a new high altogether. Anyways, that’s me! J Coming back to the Hyderabad trip I undertook during the last week of 2012— man, what a trip it was! Read on…

The Highlights:

The highlight of this trip has to be the awesome Hyderabadi food, particularly the Dum ki Biryani and the variety of non-vegetarian food (yeah I'm a non-vegetarian you see) you can savour.  The list is endless, the food is amazing and the price — simply unbelievable. Throughout the 4 and a half days (sad! It was a very short trip.) we lived on shawarmas, kababs, and tikkas, apart from Biryani.

Places to eat: We ate shawarmas, kababs and tikkas only at Siddique Kababs and More, near Mehdipatnam. They specialise in kababs, tikkas and grilled food. And if you don’t believe my word about the prices, check their menu in Zomato.

Biryani: By now, all of you must have heard and read (if not eaten) a lot about the awesome Paradise biryani and other items in the menu. So neither I’ll bore you nor tickle your taste buds. :)

Though I had the privilege of eating Paradise biryani in Pune (carried all the way from Hyd by my sister-in-law’s husband) a dozen times, nothing can match the experience of eating it there. Plus you must try their gajar ka halwa and khubani ka meetha. And if you do not find find haleem too rich and heavy, you could taste that too.

Midnight Buffet at Orri’s: The buffet here is very good and the food as usual is quite good. I simple loved the Mirchi ka Saalan here. And yes you can eat here till 1 am or so. My hubby’s friend Su treated us here on his birthday on 30^th Dec.

Shopping and Sight-seeing:

Shopping: If you’re on a trip to a shopper’s paradise like Hyderabad, can shopping be far behind? Nah.. no way! We went to the Madina Bazaar, near Charminar.

I bought the famous lac bangles (sadly forgot it at my hubby’s friend’s place, so no pics here), a set of pearl earrings and shapeless pearls necklace for my mother-in-law. There were beautiful junk jewelleries and I fell for it. Bought a nice red chunky necklace at 50 bucks (OMG! Right?) In addition, I bought 3-4 salwar kameez materials for myself. Of these, two materials are meant to tailor A-line anarkalis only.

The hubby bought a beautiful collared kurta and pyjama for himself. Surprisingly, beautiful printed sarees were being sold at throwaway prices and my friend bought two of these for herself.



The Charminar



Places of Interest: We visited quite a few places, but skipped the famous Ramoji Rao Film City, for one simple reason. Paying exorbitant entry fee to visit a huge complex full of film sets seemed pointless to us. However, we did go to Hussain Sagar, Lumbini Park, Golconda Fort and the beautiful Birla Temple.

Hussain Sagar is a lovely place to visit late in the evening. The large Buddha statue casts a serene and calm on you and the fountains add to the charm. There are lot of eateries here, but we did not give them a shot. On the 31^st we were casually strolling and chilling beside the lake in the evening.



A panoramic view of the Hussain Sagar



Lumbini Park is a huge garden in the city and this made me wonder, why can’t we have such parks in Pune, instead of malls growing like mushrooms everywhere? A trip to this spark is refreshing to say the least. The only con is you have to wait in a long queue to buy tickets for the laser show. And being the holiday season, I guess the park was doubly crowded. So we skipped the laser show, which tell you the history of Hyderabad. Many say the show is amazing, but we simply lacked the patience to brave the crowd.

Talking about Golconda Fort delights me! Here’s why. We were driving from Mehdipatnamand I was lost in a conversation with my friend Sa. The road was deserted, clean, broad and nice. After a while Su stopped to know the direction. We were told to drive straight and I and my friend resumed chatting. A few minutes passed by and suddenly I noticed the surrounding change as we were engulfed by high walls all around us. My jaws dropped and wondered, how the hell did this happen? Later we figured that the fort’s boundaries are quite inside a locality, unlike other places where forts are in a secluded area, far from the city. So you don’t really know you’re nearing the fort beforehand.  Cool na? You should make a trip here to see this.

The Golconda Fort is spread across 11 km in total. The amusing part is the way it is constructed. As we entered, we saw people clapping continuously. Later we learnt the story about clapping — if you clap when you are below the dome at the entrance, its echo can be clearly heard at the topmost pavilion ‘Bala Hissar’, almost 1 km away. Amazing is the word!

I loved the green parks with colourful flowers blooming inside the fort. There are a number of such parks, which are nicely maintained. You can relax and chat in these parks. Su told us that the light and sound show at the Fort should not be missed. And he was absolutely right! The show tells you the history of the Golconda Fort in a story and audio drama format. With Amitabh Bachchan as the narrator, the show is indeed quite interactive, particularly in describing the different parts of the fort. For example, when the Big B tells us where the ‘Bala Hissar’ is, he says “There, there it is…” and consequently the topmost pavilion beams with colourful lights.

The flowers in a park in Golconda Fort

The only 2 cons are – the audio at times is hardly audible and the mosquitoes compel you to walk out well before the show ends.  

These were parts of the Fort, though they look like caves now. 

The Golconda Fort,as the sun sets

Birla Temple: A new year was fast approaching and so visiting and praying at a temple was important. In every city, Birla Temples are almost alike, but in Hyderabad the location is superb. This temple is perched on a hillock, from where you can see the entire city and the Necklace Road. A very serene place, where devotes can sit and enjoy the ambience. 

So that was all about my trip. Did you take a break recently? 

An Hour at the Four Fountains Spa

Today’s post is not about any product. Rather I’ll talk about my experience at the Four Fountains Spa. 

Few weeks ago, I received a complimentary offer from the Four Fountains Spa and I utilized this opportunity, to rejuvenate myself, before leaving for the mini year end-vacation in Hyderabad. Though I had been to their spa before for a Foot Refloxology session, I wanted to try their therapies etc.

The Four Fountains Spa is India’s largest chain of affordable day spas. They have 19 spas located in prime locations across 10 cities of India such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Aurangabad, Goa, Manali, Bhopal, Kolkata, Delhi and Gurgaon. In Pune there are 5 centres, catering to different parts of the city.

The therapies offered at the Four Fountains Spa include spa therapies for de-stressing, de-toxification, immunity and beauty for women as well as men. There are special therapies designed for prospective brides and grooms and lifestyle packages designed for IT Professionals, Homemakers etc.

I went to the spa on Dec 27^th and was greeted by the staff who were quite cordial. As soon as I entered, I could feel the relaxed, coziness and calmness of the interiors. The melodious music playing subtly in the background and the soft lights create the perfect mood, making you eager to plunge into the experience.

The lady at the reception informed me that I could choose any therapy I wanted. And though I felt like choosing all the therapies, I settled for the Healing Facial eventually. I chose this facial because I knew the after-effects of the Hyderabadi biryani hogging, would eventually show on my face, after I’m home.

While the health-in-charge (the term used by the staff for your therapist) was preparing stuff for the facial, I was asked a series of questions as part of the Stress Test, to determine the level of stress in my life! The questions were based on my profession, the kind of lifestyle I lead – meal habits, and whether I experience headaches etc. Ratings were done on three categories – Often, Sometimes, and Never. And to my surprise – I fell into the Highly Stressed category (shucks ya!) and was advised a spa therapy every fortnight.

Right after this, my therapist summoned me to proceed to a room. Here too, the soft lights and the melodious music and the clean room soothed my nerves a great deal. I was asked to change my upper garments and wear the tube top provided by the spa. I was quite impressed by the towels and the garments they provided. Now, I was all set for the experience.

The facial began with cleaning. The therapist cleaned my face with a cleanser. Then she massaged my face with a cream for quite some time and strokes were very soothing, almost lulling me into sleep. Thereafter, she wiped off the cream, and scrubbed and massaged my face with an exfoliator. Lastly, she massaged my face using a thick cream and then she did the best ever foot massage. I wish the therapists at Four Fountains increase the duration of this foot massage, which would be like a cherry on the cake!

I’ll conclude by saying that the facial at the Four Fountains has been a truly experience and now I’m planning to try a few of the other therapies that they offer, Shirodhara, for instance. And yes, I have not spotted a single zit on my face, even after hogging the rich Hyderabadi food, non-stop for 4 days, which is like a miracle for me. :)

Lastly, here's me with a clean face posing inside the Golconda Fort, Hyderabad. 

Keep watching this space for an interesting contest where you can win vouchers sponsored by the Four Fountains Spa. Click here to check the various therapies they offer. 

A Jewellery Haul for my 3rd Wedding Anniversary

As you have already read, my 3rd wedding anniversary is only a few days away. Hence, I am in a good mood. And you dont need an astrologer to say that good moods lead to hauls or shopping. :)

I hauled and this time I bought two sets of jewellery and they are as different as chalk and cheese. The first one is a maroon colored traditional dokra set with the neckpiece made of thread. And the second set is a lovely oxidised set that I was lusting for... I don’t know since when.

However this does not mean that I was not in hunt for the first one though.
 

I bought these sets from a dear friend, who is my classmate. She is a junk jewellery enthusiast herself, and sells her own handcrafted jewellery too.

Now I will let the pictures do the talking. Take a look at the pictures and please be cautious, since this is a picture heavy post. :)

 

How did you like my haul? Please share in the comments below. :) Am already overjoyed and cannot wait to wear these sets. :)

Of Weddings and My Ramblings: Part I

Only 8 days are left before my cousin becomes a husband of a blushing bride officially. And only 5 days to go for my 3^rd wedding anniversary. Yay!

Yeah I cannot stop rejoicing and you guessed right. It’s marriage season and hence today I’ll talk about how I prepared myself for my special day, about 3.5 years ago.

Gaachkouto, name of the red item in the Bride's hands here.
Symbolically, it is supposed to be held in the hands of Goddess Lakshmi.  

To begin with, this post will be divided into two parts. So part 1, will focus on my preparation 6 months before my wedding date was finalised. And part 2 will discuss my beauty regime and tips 2 weeks before the Big Day. Here you go!

Part I

6 months to go: My Ramblings

·         My wedding date was finalised in Aug 2009. This gave me 6 months to rejuvenate myself for the D Day. By the way, I am a Bengali, and I did deck up as typical Bengali bride.

·         As soon as the news was broken to me, I felt goose bumps. Why? Because I was overwhelmed to know that my life would be changing 6 months down the line.

·         I would not be able to plan my life for myself. Instead my plans and life henceforth would revolve around my husband and his family.

A typical Bengali Bride

Plus Points:

·         I knew my husband for quite a long time, before I wed him. And we got along very well and are great friends to this day! So the fear of getting married to an unknown man was thankfully not there.

·         My friends and seniors and my aunts were very helpful in bolstering me. They advised me that though a wedding changes a woman’s life in many ways, yet it’s not an earth-shattering event. So all will be well in due course of time.

·         This frank tête-à-tête gave me a lot of confidence.  

A Bengali Bride and Groom

The Basic Problems:

·         Body Weight: My mum reminded me of this problem that I was always happy to ignore previously. But now I could not, since I knew I would be scrutinised keenly by a lot of people on the D Day.

·         My strategy: My work timings and my long commute did not allow me to go to a gym for a workout. Plus, I was living on my own, which compounded the problem manifold. A very good friend G (who’s very senior) came to my help. She suggested me to alter my diet. I ate less of rice and more of chapattis. Green vegetables and fruits became part of my diet. I opted for plain ghar ka khana and seldom ate at restaurants.

·         Beauty Regimen: I always followed a beauty regime before. So I just made slight alterations to this. My skin is combination type with a fair complexion, and by God’s grace, I am blessed with a smooth and glowing complexion. But my only problem was acne. And of course, as a would be bride, I wanted my skin to glow more.

·         My Strategy: To tackle the acne problem and to add more glow to my skin, I resorted to internal care. That is, I took the help of a skin purifying tonic. Many people, including my roommate, recommended Safi, which is extremely bitter. So I bought Baidyanath Surakta. Being sweet, I drank 1 tbsp of this tonic every night. And I did see results. Often I also drank Triphala soaked in water, when my tonic would finish and I could not buy another bottle due to lack of time etc. J

·         Natural skin care: I began using natural herbs like fresh Aloe Vera gel to moisturise my skin and to reduce acne and acne scars. I applied a solution of honey and lemon juice all over my face for 30 mins at times. At times, I made a paste of mint leaves and left it for 20 mins on my face. The results were great I must say.

·         As advised by a lot of people, I adopted natural skin care and did not get facials done until before my wedding.

·         Hair Care: I have always used Ritha, shikakai and awla to wash my hair. And I continued that. The addition here was head massage! I went in for a head massage every fortnight and boy, how relieving it was!

And lastly, I would just relax and enjoy the last few days (read months) of my spinsterhood, read books, laze away and think Positive! 

That’s it for today ladies... And as I leave, here's a sneak preview of how I looked during the Haldi ceremony.

In the next part, I will discuss what I did 2 weeks before I got married. And you will get to see a few more of my wedding pics in that post itself. So wait and watch! Until then Tada! :)

What did you do as part of your preparation for your Wedding Day? Pls share

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays

Hello pretty Ladies!

Me and my husband are taking off on a little vacation during the year end. We'll meet up with my husband's friend and his spouse and ring in the new year together.

Incidentally, my husband's friend's birthday falls on the 31st Dec. So it will be a double bonanza for sure. I'm soo looking forward to this mini-break.

Meanwhile, I'm sure you all will have a fabulous time with your families and friends. So eat, drink and be merry and have a great time. And here's wishing you all Happy Holidays and a super duper Happy New Year. 

Bbye and see all of you in the New Year. :) 

Kareena's Top 5 Best Looks of 2012

With 11 days to go, it’s time to rewind isn’t it? Today’s post is dedicated to Kareena Kappor Khan (whuff! KKK) , where we’ll explore the top 5 looks she sported onscreen and off it in 2012. 

When it comes to Kareena, one has to admit that this lady is like wine, getting better with the passage of time. She appeared in quite many films this year and her filmography is as follows: 

• Ek Main aur Ek tu – This was her first film of the year. 
• Agent Vinod  - This much hyped film bombed at the box office. The whole of India was expecting her wedding to be held immediately after the film’s release. 
• Rowdy Rathore – Special appearance in Item Song
• Heroine – Author backed role and the film was directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. Due to its similarity with his earlier film Fashion, the movie was not well received by the audience. 
• Talaash – An interesting role played by her. She did put in a sensitive performance, and looked great. 

I will not talk about the item songs she appeared in. So it's only about the full fledged roles Kareena played in her movies this year. 

Ek Maun Aur Ek Tu: Starring along with Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor looked every bit the girl-next-door and sported the normal everyday girl look. I loved her glossy lips in nude shades, with rosy cheeks. In some scenes, one could see her eyes thinly lined with eyeliner and kohl. She also donned the messy hair look in this film. 

Agent Vinod: Who can forget this actress in the song ‘Dil Mera Muft Ka’? She looked great and very different with the Jhumar on one side. Her look was quite varied in this film, where she sported a natural no make-up look to a slightly glamorous look in the mujra.   

Heroine: Honestly speaking, Kareena looked quite ugly in some portions of this film, particularly the greenish make up in the press conference scene. She looked pale and sick. But, she did look awesome in the black and pink bikini blouse and black saree, the sliver and golden short dresses with the gorgeous maroon lipstick and the bright red dress. As usual,she looks great in dark lipsticks on the screen. Her look in the Halkat Jawani was not too good according to me.

Finally I loved her look in one of the promotional tours of Heroine. Her overall look was just perfect… nothing more and nothing less. 

Talaash: Well, my opinion is Kareena just does not look like a top class escort, however much she tries. She looks like a super model, even in plain Jane type clothes. I guess my first choice would be her look in the promotional song ‘Muskaane jhoothi hain’. Her peaches and cream complexion completely gels with the berry color gown and lipstick. She looks every bit of an enigmatic woman and one cannot take off his eyes off her. It’s just the perfect look, I would say. 

Another look that I loved was the last scene, where she looked ethereal in the ivory dress. 



These were my takes on Kareena’s looks in 2012. Which ones did you like? 

My 1st Haul Post

Girls here's my first haul post. Agree it took me a long long time to write one. But then better late than never isn't it? So without much ado, lets check the picchas!

What I bought:

Himalaya Neem Pack
Himalaya Fairness Face Pack
Avon Senses Sunset Deo
Avon Senses Lagoon Deo


Himalaya Face Pack: I had bought this pack to combat tanning on my face and neck. This is a good product as well. After washing off my face, I can see the difference, as it really makes you fair. I like the fact that it is made up of natural ingredients and it smells great too 

Himalaya Neem Pack: A good product and works wonders for your skin. I use it when am ina hurry and have no time to prepare a face pack, from the scratch.. It is effective in removing the oiliness from my face and cleans really well. I love the sweet smell of it. The pack is dark green in color and the pack mentions the ayurvedic ingredients it consists. So I'll buy this again as it works just right for my skin. 

Avon Senses  Sunset Deo: I was hunting for a citrusy orangey deo from time immemorial. And after reading a lot about the Avon Senses range, I bought these deos. The Sunset deo has become my all time fave. And I have finished it already! I love the orangey smell, which lasts for 3-4 hours and yeah, I'll buy it again. 

Avon Senses Lagoon Deo: This was sitting in my dresser, since I could not wean myself from the Sunset Deo. The Lagoon Deo has a colognish smell, which did not impress me much. However, the smell lasts for 3-4 hours. This is a definitely a no-no for me. 

Have you used any of these? How did you like them?