Ever since she appeared on the scene, Saiyami Kher, the doe-eyed actress, whose debut film will be released this weekend, has been compared to the classic beauties of yore
Saiyamiâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Kher and Waheeda Rehman
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Ever since she appeared on the scene, Saiyami Kher, the doe-eyed actress, whose debut film will be released this weekend, has been compared to the classic beauties of yore.
Be it her pared down simplicity, in direct contrast with her miniskirt high-heeled colleagues, or the vivaciousness of her 1,000-watt smile, the grand-daughter of the legendary star of the fifties Usha Kiran, Kher is being described as a throwback to a more elegant and graceful era. No surprises then that when we asked her about this photograph taken with the iconic Waheeda Rehman, she was thrilled.
“Waheedaji is my absolute favourite,” she says, adding, “And so, when I was introduced to her at a recent reading of Gulzar sir’s poems, I was so keen to invite her to a preview of my film.”
As for the film, Rehman was delighted with the newcomer’s debut. “She gave me her blessings and said I reminded her of my late grandmother,” says Kher, adding, “But no, they were not contem-poraries, as Waheedaji’s era was later.”
Scent of A Woman
Lisa Ray sure doesn’t allow the grass to grow under her dainty feet. Not only is the actress, super model and brand ambassador to be found jetting across the world on her various assignments, but now, word comes in that she has beaten many others at the post and launched her own perfume, ‘Jasmine of India: A labour of love to support the jasmine growers across the country.’
Lisa Ray (right) The fragrance
Best of all is her tagline introducing the fragrance: ‘#Make perfume not war.’ Truly an apt idea in these stricken times.
O Captain, My captain
Word comes in that Dubai-based author and columnist Pranay Gupte’s much awaited biography of the late Capt. CP Krishnan Nair will be published in May 2017. Nair, who died at the ripe old age of 93, was a phenomenal personality who in a single lifetime achieved more than what most do in three.
Captain CPâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Krishnan Nair and Pranay Gupte
To begin with, he had a distinguished career in the army (which gave him his ramrod straight demeanour and his slightly imposing but empathetic nature). After retiring from the services, he embarked on a flourishing career as one of India’s leading textile exporters, not only inventing ‘Bleeding Madras,’ the rage of the Seventies, but creating an international brand in ‘Leela Lace’.
As if this was not enough, at the age of 65, Nair embarked on yet another career, perhaps his most ambitious, launching the Leela group of luxury hotels, and raising the industry benchmark as he did so. “A mutual friend, Dr. Prathap Chandra Reddy, founder and chairman of Apollo Hospitals, had introduced me to Captain Nair,” writes Gupte about how he had approached the icon for the book. “The doughty old Captain was initially reluctant to cooperate, arguing that so much had been written about him and that a random search would yield tens of thousands of articles on him.
My response was that a biography containing insights about what drove him, and anecdotes that illustrated special episodes of his long life had simply not been done. I also said that a biography did not mean a hagiography,” writes Gupte in the introduction, adding: “How did he make himself into that success story? What did it take? How did he re-invent himself at various stages of his professional life? What are the lessons that can be drawn from the way Captain Nair led his life? And what should today’s young people know about him that they could apply in their own lives, regardless of their profession?”
An Indian Accent in London?
We caught up with Manish Mehrotra, the celebrated chef of the Indian Accent restaurants in Delhi and New York, last week. Mehrotra, who many consider India’s best chef, was in town for a pop-up over four days, and given his reputation, it had all been oversubscribed. So just as well that a foodie couple had booked out the entire establishment for their friends.
(From left) Manish Mehrotra, Rohit Khattar and Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra
We asked the chef, given his popularity in Mumbai, if he had any plans to open an outpost in Maximum City. “I would love to come back to Mumbai, but I am needed in New York currently,” said the soft-spoken chef, who leaves for Manhattan this week. But sources inform us that Indian Accent owner Rohit Khattar, has already turned his attention to London, and is busy scouting for locations to open the next Indian Accent restaurant. One more high-end Indian fine-dining establishment in London? Watch this space for more.
Small and big potatoes
The chatter at a smart Mumbai eatery over the weekend was about how ‘poor old Vijay Mallya was just a scapegoat,’ owing as he did what was being described as ‘small potatoes’ compared to others. “Take the case of the gentleman seated on the adjoining table,” said a fellow diner indicating a non-descript portly gent fixedly slurping his soup across the room. “He owes R21,000 crore to various creditors and he is absolutely fine.”
“That’s the point of the story, isn’t it?” interjected an astute SoBo grande dame. “Vijay brought all his troubles on himself by his flamboyance and conspicuous consumption.” And as if on cue, the Rs 21,000-crore debtor quietly paid his bill and was about to leave the eatery when he remembered to check if service tax had been added to the bill. When he was informed it had been, he returned to retrieve the few notes he had left in the folder as tip and quietly placed them back in his wallet. The banks will not be getting their money back either, it appears.
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