WHEN, AS A cub Bollywood journalist, I first met Shammi Kapoor a decade ago, I was speechless. If there was one person I had the most enduring teenage crush on, it was this man. He probably sensed my discomfort and gave me a bear hug and patted my head. It was a truly electrifying moment for me and the fluttering butterflies in my heart turned to flying elephants. It was exactly the same feeling as I tore open the cover of this new book in my hand. It didn’t help much to see those unusually coloured eyes (they are a seductive mix of blue-green and brown) staring away on the cover. My mom would tell me how Shammi's rosy-white complexion and that wild charm would send women aflutter when she was in school and college. Sigh! It hadn’t changed even decades later.
In that sense, Shammi Kapoor – The Game Changer is perfect — an ardent fan of Shammi Kapoor; you get to know a lot about the man behind the actor who, in his quest for a fresh image for himself, carved a niche in Bollywood as the “rebel star”. It is intriguing to learn about his desperation to succeed in filmdom, however accidental and chequered his first steps into films may have been. His days of uncertainty while growing up, more than a dozen flops that he gave in a row right at the beginning, the doubts that had started creeping up within him and those around him, the comparison with elder brother Raj Kapoor, the book has it all.
Writer Rauf Ahmed desists from alluding only to Kapoor’s “comfort zone” in the industry. He, when needed, approaches the subject with an outsider’s view thereby lending the storytelling 360-degree credibility.
Once away from the screen, Kapoor retained his charm by choosing to age gracefully post his marriage with Neila Devi, and, in the last lap of his life, how he also proved to be a game changer in the technological milieu by embracing the internet. Rauf Ahmed also delves a bit into the spiritual journey of Shammi Kapoor with his second wife and his guru.
Since the subject of the book is no longer alive, Ahmed works with the limitations of binging facts, figures and observations basis his earlier conversations with Kapoor and the information that he gathers from friends and family members. Considering the fact that Kapoors are the First Family of Bollywood, one would have expected to hear a lot more about how Shammi interacted with dad Prithviraj Kapoor and his brothers. However, except for a cursory mention or two, this is conspicuous by its absence. The biggest gaping hole is, perhaps, the absence of any information on the kind of relationship that Shammi shared with his brothers Raj and Shashi.
Shammi Kapoor’s story is as much a story of Geeta Bali. Their love story is amazing — how he chased her and one fine day she tells him, “If you want to marry me, do it today,” and they were married in next few hours. The book also reveals that the Junglee star was smitten with socialite Bina Ramani and actress Mumtaz, and almost married them.
What is disappointing to a journalist’s eye is the half-hearted job the editors have done in letting the glaring errors stay. There are a lot of factual and grammatical errors, and this is really jarring.
AT CANNES THIS year, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s chillingly perfect portrayal of serial killer Raman Raghav drew rave reviews. It is true that India has had its fair share of macabre psychopaths such as Auto Shankar, The Stoneman, Beerman, Pandher- Koli duo, and others who kill for pleasure or are on a revenge spree.
Raakshas, Piyush Jha’s fourth book is a study into the life and mind of social aberrations that are serial killers. A spate of gory, horrific murders is occurring around Mumbai, the victims are all women, and all of them are found headless. Thus, the perpetrator of these crimes is christened “The Mundi Killer. Maithili Prasad, the Additional Commissioner of Police is entrusted with capturing the killer who has caused panic in the city that never sleeps.
Prasad, on her part, has to fight her inner demons that are a product of her past. In cracking the case — by ascertaining how the serial killer became one — Maithili is able to not only face her past, but also highlights the trajectories that make one person a guardian of law and another person its breaker. Raakshas gives an appropriate introduction to the background of the main character and the circumstances, and the incidents that lead him towards insanity and contrary behaviour.
The book throws up chilling moments in its narrative, which despite running on parallel tracks, does not once lose its grip on the plot or the interest of the reader. The gritty, uncompromisingly noir-ish story also conveys the collective lack of empathy in a teeming metropolis, where it is easy to sink into anonymity, change your appearance and identity, and no one may even notice your absence or problems until it is too late. Jha dwells on this topic in the afterword where he discusses the reasons for emergence of serial killers — both psychological and physiological — as part of the old inconclusive debate on whether criminals are born or made, and how the problem is compounded by Indian society and the law and order machinery’s denial about its presence.
As a bonus feature, there is also an appendix on some serial killers — Amardeep Sada, Mohan Kumar (Cyanide Mohan), Umesh Reddy, Darbara Singh (The Baby Killer), Chandrakant Jha (The Body Parts Killer), Sadashiv Sahu (The Godhuli Killer), Devendra Sharma (The Taxi Killer) and Shankariya (The Hammer Man), who have all been equally menacingly deadly.
In his celebrated travelogue, Down Under: Travels in a Sunburned Country, author Bill Bryson confesses to being completely “smitten” by Australia. “The people are immensely likeable… Their cities are safe and clean… The food is excellent. The beer is cold. The sun nearly always shines. There is coffee on every corner… Life doesn’t get much better than this.”
It’s so easy to agree with Bryson when you experience Australia for yourself — you taste the sea in the perfectly-grilled ocean trout, you discover meditation in the depths of the oceans, you find love while hugging a koala, you wake up on a pontoon in the middle of the ocean to discover the most beautiful morning of your lifetime... At every step Australia inspires you with its curated experiences and glorious moments.
Here’s a list of the most unique experiences that will make your holiday in Australia a memorable one.
Reef sleep: There’s no bigger high than experiencing the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef structure. While snorkeling and scuba diving will get you up, close and personal with the rich marine life, what’s worth experiencing is the one-of-its-kind Reef Sleep adventure that Whitsundays Tourism organises. Imagine sleeping in the middle of the ocean, on a pontoon, and watching around you the changing landscape — the flaming red and orange hued skies with the setting sun in the background, and the earthy brown texture of coral reefs gets revealed to you as the low tide starts and it emerges from the water. The sight is breathtaking. You have the reef to yourself (not more than 12-14 people are allowed to stay overnight on the pontoon) and that’s why there’s no better way to enjoy a dive in the Great Barrier Reef the next morning. Our dinner was fantastic — scrumptious prawns, warm bread, grilled veggies served on a bed of mashed potato. You allow the gentle light of the moon to drift you to sleep. And then you wake up to the most fabulous sight, a glorious sunrise even as the coral reef is partially submerged under water again. http://www.cruisewhitsundays.com/
Hugging a Koala bear: While all other parts of Australia allow you to stand close to a koala and pose for pictures, it’s only in Queensland that you can actually cuddle one. I experience this at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary where I meet Peppermint, a one-year-old rescued koala. I rest my hands gently to allow Peppermint in my arms, reassuring the animal by stroking her back while she rests her head in my chest, giving me a warm hug. There’s more you can do here — feed kangaroos, walk through the natural bushland and rainforests, engage in ziplining, and other adventurous activities that Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary lines up on a daily basis. Top the experience with treetop walking followed by breakfast with koalas. http://www.cws.org.au/
Hot air ballooning followed by champagne breakfast in an 18th century vineyard: You cannot come back from Australia without hopping into a wicker basket and chasing the wind on a hot air balloon. There cannot be a more spectacular dawn for you to experience, there cannot be a more memorable breakfast — English breakfast with bacon, eggs to order, creamy mushrooms, grilled — and giant — tomatoes, baked beans, freshly-baked bread and croissants at O’Reilly’s Canungara Valley Vineyards. www.hotair.info
Dinner in the desert underneath the stars and 50,000 “bulbs” of light: As darkness falls and Uluru is thrown into silhouette, a “field of light” illuminates. The Field of Light art installation, a global phenomenon by internationally acclaimed artist Bruce Munro, has come “home” to the place that inspired it - Uluru. More than 50,000 slender stems crowned with frosted-glass spheres bloom as darkness falls over Australia’s spiritual heartland. The installation comes to life under a sky brilliant with stars. There’s no greater experience than nature and art coming together and a dinner underneath the stars with the massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory’s Red Centre desert in the backdrop. https://www.voyages.com.au/
Luxury helicopter safari in Kimberley: It is landscape as old as time itself and this is a curated experience you wouldn’t want to miss — the extraordinary views of Kimberley, Western Australia’s sparsely settled northern region, known for large swaths of wilderness defined by rugged mountains, dramatic gorges, outback desert and isolated coastal sections. To truly appreciate the size, scope and beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, a scenic helicopter flight is a must do! www.helispirit.com.au/
The Outback train stretch: Regarded as one of the world’s greatest train journeys, the train tracks of the Ghan (shortened form of Afghan) cuts through the heart of Australia, allowing you to see the heart of Australia through the comfort and solitude of your private cabin as you spend three nights, four days in Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy, watching Australia at its dramatic best. http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/trains/the_ ghan/
Penguin parade: One of Australia’s most popular attractions, the world’s smallest penguins waddle up the beach to the safety of their homes in the sand dunes. It’s a magical procession, not to be missed. Since Phillip Island has among the largest penguin colonies in Australia, it’s a great idea to observe this spectacle. What’s more, you can also adopt and sponsor little penguins to aid in their protection and welfare. https://www.penguins.org.au/
Walk through timeless tropical rainforests: I’d rate this as one of my favourite experiences. Arriving in O’Reilley’s Retreat, the hinterland of Gold Coast, which hugs the UNESCO World Heritage site, Lamington National Park, it’s charming to escape to a world of ancient forests and the magic of the subtropical rainforests complete with 160kms of walking trails, over 500 waterfalls and 250 species of unique Australian wildlife. The piece de resistance is a night session with glow worms. Underneath the canopy of ancient trees — many of them not seen anywhere else in the world — it’s an achievement to walk in an area that’s a rich remnant of an ancient landscape, going back 300 million years! https://oreillys.com.au
Do the bridge climb in Sydney: Ascend the arches of the historical Sydney Harbour Bridge (it opened in 1932), 134m above sea level, right in the heart of the magnificent city for an uninterrupted panorama of the city and surrounds. The 3.5-hour climb offers you panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House, Blue Mountains and more. http://www.bridgeclimb.com/
Sunset at Hamilton Island: If you want to experience heaven on earth, head to the sunset point in Hamilton Island for what can be rated among the best views on earth. You’ll see several cockatoos, the sweet laughter of children around you, the fabulously coloured sky and the pristine water sparkling with the reflection of the glazed orange sky as the sun sets on the horizon. http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/
Proclaimed to be the only-oneof- its-kind restaurant, The Spice Route is poetry in design. The restaurant has been designed to reflect the journey of spices from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam.
It mesmerises all your senses, enrapturing you with its exotica. It offers a unique dining experience in a distinctively beautiful setting. The Spice Route Courtyard transports the guests to the wonderful world of Southeast Asia. Adorned with traditional Thai sculptures from the Chiang Mai region in northern Thailand, the Courtyard is a visual spectacle. A picture-perfect water-body with floating candles and thoughtfully strewn petals forms the centre of the Courtyard. The far end of the pavilion has traditional Khantok seating for six under an Oriental pagoda.
Designed to reflect the journey of spices from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam, the restaurant is a visual depiction of the art and culture that travelled with the spices through these regions. Designed by Rajeev Sethi, the celebrated cultural czar of India, The Spice Route took seven years in the making and is entirely hand-painted with vegetable and flower dyes, by mural painters brought in especially from a temple in Guruvayur in Kerala.
Designed on the principles of Feng Shui, this restaurant is divided into nine different sections, each a part of the journey of life. The Knowledge section at the entrance, for instance, has four 16th century pillars from a temple marking a narrow entrance. The next section signifies the three stages of life — artha, kama and moksha, that is, materialism, lust and the ultimate salvation. The next section is that of help and support and shows off an antique ceiling from Kerala, unique in the aspect that it lets the sunlight in, but not the rain.
The fourth section, closest to the kitchen, denotes creativity. This is followed by the relationship section demarcated by two-seaters and with antique beams in rosewood and Burma teak. The Fate and Fortune section with its “Wall of Fortune” is next, ensued by the Wealth section, embellished with 24-carat gold leafing on the wall and the ceiling, and is extremely popular for business lunches. The eighth section — the Ancestral, indicating the end of the journey of life — has replicas of the panels from various Thai temples. The courtyard in the middle of the Restaurant is the Food and Health section and blends the architectures of a Thai and Kerala home.
Besides the stunning décor, The Spice Route boasts a menu that caters to the taste buds of a seasoned food connoisseur. Orchestrated with passion by Chef Veena Arora, the menu stars gems such as Chemeen Thoren (Kerala style prawns, stir-fried with coconut, curry leaves and black tamarind; flavoured with mustard seeds), Tom Yum Kung (Famous Thai soup with prawns, flavoured with lemon grass, lemon leaves and galangal), Kung Nang Phad Khing (Stir-fried lobster with ginger and Thai black mushrooms, served in the shell), Kaeng Kheow Waan Kai (Chicken in Thai green curry with pea and cherry aubergines) and Phad Phak (Chef’s special stir-fried baby spinach with black mushrooms, flavoured with soya bean paste).
A non-smoking restaurant, the restaurant flows naturally into a strikingly pleasing courtyard that forms a backdrop for an extraordinary culinary fiesta during star-lit evenings and sunny, winter afternoons. The courtyard is bedecked with traditional Thai sculptures from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. While one corner of the courtyard is done up with handmade bricks that are easily 100 years old, the far end entices guests to a khantok-style seating.
Indian summer is never easy, is it?
But this year definitely tops all the Code Orange records. And if you haven’t been bombarded with the weather conditions across the country, here is a ready reckoner.
Delhi and Lucknow touched 47 degrees Celsius, while Mumbai was at a never-before 42. Why, even the so far untouched Bengaluru touched the 40 degree mark this year. Telengana recorded highest deaths from heat and even the hill stations that people usually rush to, to get a respite from the heat, recorded temperatures of up to 35 degrees. And it’s not even mid-June!
Not to forget the forest fires in Uttrakhand, of course, which caught not just national but international media attention as well. Forest fires this season, which began in February, have so far destroyed nearly 4,048 hectares of land in Uttarakhand in 1,857 incidents. As the fires spread, smog enveloped the hill-state and smoke rose beyond forest ranges in all 13 districts of the state. Soon the lush green hills were burning infernos that licked thousands of trees, flaura and fauna.
As if that wasn’t news grim enough, we have been hearing and reading about the water crisis in most places, especially western India. Whoever thought we would have trains carrying water to parched areas and fight over water becoming a reality?
To make matters worse, Chennai fears another round of floods. The writing on the wall — Mother Nature is crying out for help – not for herself, but so that we save ourselves. And since it’s easier to get people’s attention around events and now that we are all celebrating or at least hearing about World Environment Day that falls on June 5, it’s time we rethink the way we treat our planet. Every little step counts.
Let’s also talk of something that kept us all away from all the depressing heat news — cricket. A reason why we have Anurag Thakur on the cover. A sure treat for our readers. Also, don’t miss the ever charming Shashi Kapoor in our Looking Back section.
On a parting note, let’s not waste water. Every drop counts.
TRAGEDY// EgyptAir Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo with 56 passengers and 10 crew, crashed over the Mediterranan Sea last month about 130nm north of Alexandria (Egypt) and about 210nm north-northwest of Cairo, when a number of ACARS messages indicating cockpit window temperature sensors faults and optical smoke detector activations were received.
The hunt is now on for the plane’s black boxes — the flight data and cockpit voice recorders that could unlock the mystery. Authorities say the plane lurched left, then right, spun all the way around and disappeared out of radar reach at 10,000 feet and finally plummeted 38,000 feet into the sea — never issuing a distress call. In the aftermath of the crash, both the French and Egyptian leaders said that terrorism could not be ruled out, but there has been no claim of responsibility from any group. The aircraft was located crashed in the Mediterranean Sea; there were no survivors. Egyptian authorities say they believe terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure, and some aviation experts say the erratic finale to the flight suggests a bomb blast or a struggle in the cockpit, although no evidence of either has emerged.
NATO// Ahead of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s visit to India, and to bolster defence ties, US lawmakers approved amendments to a defence bill that seeks to bring India at par with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies for sale of defence equipment and technology transfer. Over the past 10 years, defence trade between the US and India is one of the strongest areas of the bilateral economic relationship. It has risen phenomenally from $300 million to over $14 billion. However, the lawmakers voted to increase restrictions on military assistance for Pakistan, including immediately blocking $450 million in aid, ignoring objections of the White House. This come as an opportunity for India to encourage the government to authorise combined military planning with the US for missions of mutual interest such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter piracy, and so on.
AGREEMENT// On the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran, both countries signed the “historic” Chabahar port agreement, which has the potential of becoming India’s gateway to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, “Today, we have this chance to develop relations further to be even more beneficial to the people of our two countries.” Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani also joined the two leaders and a trilateral transit agreement was signed. That was not all. Anticipating threat to peace and stability in the region, they also agreed to cooperate on “intelligence-sharing” to combat “terrorism”, “drug trafficking” and “cyber crime”, in addition to discussing political issues as well. The two sides signed a total of 12 of agreements on economy, trade, transportation, port development, culture, science and academic cooperation.
CALAMITY// Beginning February, forest fires have destroyed nearly 4,048 hectares of land in Uttarakhand and killed six people. Forest officials fear wildlife could have faced distress, too. Uttarakhand was reeling under heat wave conditions for over more than a week in May, with most places recording temperatures that are four to five degrees above normal for this time of the year. This was one of the main reasons for the forest fires. However, some experts also suggest poor rainfall, El Nino and climate warming as causes.
IAF helicopters and government agencies stepped up their fight against raging forest fires in Uttarakhand even as officials said the blaze was “completely under control”. The situation prompted the Centre to send in three companies of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to put out the flames and conduct rescue operations. Earlier satellite images by the Indian Space Research Organisation showed more active forest fires in Uttarakhand. The hill regions of three other states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have been affected as well.
TECHNOLOGY// The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully testlaunched the first “Made in India” space shuttle called the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV-TD) early on May 23 morning from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Although the final version of RLV-TD, which is a scaleddown model of the reusable launch vehicle, is expected to take shape in 10 to 15 years, it was for the first time ISRO launched a winged flight vehicle, which after its launch, returned and landed on a virtual runway in the Bay of Bengal, some 500 km from the coast.
The government had invested Rs 95 crore in this 6.5 metre-long aeroplane-like structure weighing 1.75 tonnes, which was sent into the atmosphere on a special rocket booster. India hopes to bring down the cost of access to space if these reusable rockets become a reality. After NASA abandoned its reusable space shuttle project in 2011, this launch is considered a significant step in India's space endeavour.