A small introduction into “A Bad Girl” which would highlight the background, process, completion and the build up to the creation achieving virality. Furqan would then narrow down the various aspects of what makes an artwork connect with an audience on a large scale – one of them being typography and layout.
Over the years typography has evolved from being a “nerd’s” hobby to a full time “cool” profession, yet if one were to tell someone that he/she aspired to be a typographer, they would more often than not be received with a blank look. Most people don’t think twice about typography, when in fact typography can make or break a design.
At Smoke House Deli on Lavelle Road, the walls may not have ears, but they speak volumes about the neighborhood’s illustrious history. Some whisper secrets about the city’s glorious past, some pass on ideas about what the city can be. More often than not they reveal a mysterious, bizarre and curiously optimistic side of Bengaluru. To allow these stories to talk to you, they’ve tagged their baby with QR codes that will virtually transport you through time to a fascinating lesson in alternative-urban history, with a delicious meal for company.
As they say, cities are made by its people, and Smoke House Deli at Lavelle Road is a tribute to the locality’s foremost resident: Michael F. Lavelle himself, the neighborhood’s namesake and the region’s first gold prospector.
The restaurant is a hat-tip to a bygone British era of excessive luxuries, as its proportions will hasten to remind you. Invitingly spacious, it is divided into an outdoor area, a lounge and the restaurant at the end, giving you the choice of multiple experience formats. The trademark eccentrically hand-illustrated interiors recreate a hypothetical hunting lodge that one might imagine belonged to Michael F. Lavelle. The walls record his memories as a hunter, an art collector, a family man, a friend and most significantly, they parody his membership in the East India Company as a ‘gold-digger.’
Smoke House Deli, DLF saket
As you glance around the deli, there is a lot to take in, the menu, for starters. It draws on a variety of inspirations, some as old as the locality and others as avant-garde as the deli itself. The result is a flirtatious assortment of gourmet creations that tease you with tastes and aromas you think are familiar, but take a bite, and you’ll realise you’re wonderfully mistaken.
The cocktail menu makes for an exotic piece of literature, with combinations of fruit, herbs, flowers and high-class liquor from around the world. Hedonistic martinis are offered in ravishing red grape and sage, mandarin and rosemary and beguiling pomegranate and balsa. And if you’d prefer something a little headier, the pick of the world’s best wines is only a flip away, with selections from as far as South Africa to Sicily and nearly everywhere in between. We notice, gauging by the number of glassy eyes and happy faces, that their Sangrias are a big hit with the ladies, while their potent cocktail mixes are what lure the men in!
The kitchen and bakery churn out luscious breakfast offerings of pancakes, omelettes and concoctions like the granola chunks and yoghurt with honey and fresh fruit. Their Eggs Benedict has been given a 5-star rating by the city’s gourmands and their wide selection of coffees and teas have bleary-eyed diners walking in just for their favoured caffeine fix.
For the health junkie, a wide variety of choice exists in fillers like the House Spiced Smoked Chicken With Five Spice Jus, Green Beans And Lyonnaise, Smoked Pimento With Leeks, Herbed Balsamic Smoked Chicken with Smoked Tomato and Gherkin. And more devilish meals include the Chilli Crusted Cobbler with Saffron Risotto, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Sausage Stuffing, Sautéed Tenderloin Steak with Shitake, John Dory served with Smoked Shimla Chilli and even the My Boss’s Style Spaghetti.
Smoke House Deli, DLF saket
For those who don’t have a sweet tooth, make sure you indulge, at least once. The Baked Yoghurt of the day is most unique and leaves you feeling a wee bit less guilty (considering its yoghurt and all), otherwise let loose with the scrumptious Hazelnut Mousse Tart, Blueberry Panacotta, Citrus Tart, New York Baked Cheesecake and the array of wonderfully colourful Macaroons.
Portion sizes are like none other you will find in Bengaluru, so make sure you encourage your co-diners to share. And never be shy to ask for a doggy bag coz sometimes there just ain’t enough space in your belly!
Eat your hearts out ladies, for number 26 has just made its entry into Ila Naidu’s special Christian Louboutin shelf.
Another super sexy pair in pretty turquoise, Dalida’s voluptuous 100mm silhouette features a scalloped half d’orsay vamp, asymmetrical toe box, and mirage heel.
If ReeseWitherspoon and Rihanna can have a pair each, there’s no reason why Ila can’t. And do note, she chose just the colour Blake Lively did!
Hyderabad based artist/musician Pranati Khanna revealed her 20 feet mural for the newly opened cafe recently. After revealing her art work, she took center stage and crooned some retro numbers and some of her original music as well.
Aamer Javed hosted a party in honour of his friends Aditya Reddy. Harsha, Kiran, Pranay and Gupta for their new venture. Open on road no 45, this venture houses 3 different eateries. United Kitchens of India – a restaurant, Dawn to Dusk – a coffee shop and Eat, Talk & Chill a restro lounge.
Ladies, be ready to swoon over this beautiful Oscar de la Renta necklace.
It is indeed the ultimate statement necklace and a head turner. But what else can you do but swoon over, after looking at such intricate details like the array of hearts, balanced by an explosion of stars, and the shimmering brilliance of various shades of navy pavé Swarovski crystals set in the exclusive Russian gold? Buy it of course. (Wink)
This piece, artfully designed and crafted in America using the finest materials and techniques comes matching Crystal Pavé Star Studs and costs Rs 64,991.
Meet Fawad Tamkanat and his daughter Afza. Both are artists, each with their own influences and styles. Fawad is an internationally renowned artist whose works are found in the houses of Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. Afza’s work on the other hand can be seen in Imago Mundi, Italy, and the Vienna Biennale as well as showcased at a private collection in USA. She also recently showcased her collection in Dubai and Pune. We invite them for dinner and a conversation about their journey with art, at the new Deli 9 Bistro at Financial District.
Born into a progressive Muslim family that believed art was the way of life and thanks to his father (and well known poet) Shaz Tamkanat’s circle that comprised big writers, poets and singers, Fawad Tamkanat’s exposure to art happened at an early age. “A lot of creative people like Begum Akhtar, Ghulam Ali, Javed Akhtar and his father Jan Nisar Akhtar, used to visit our house. So I grew up in a creative environment and art being a way of our life, it was but natural for me to take up fine art with commerce for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.” He was awarded gold medals in both his graduation and post graduation and confesses to being bad and notorious when it came to other subjects.
The starters stream in and we are served a portion of Fiery Crispy Prawns and Deli 9 Bistro’s famous Smoking Cheese Barrels. We could tell by his expressions that Fawad really enjoyed them. “It’s an innovative way of presenting mirchi bhajjis – the taste is perfect, the cheese balances out the spice!” says Fawad. Afza too agrees and adds, “It is the best option for finger food when engrossed in deep conversations with friends!”
Continuing our conversation while we munch on the Fiery Crispy Prawns, Afza says she has been painting ever since she can remember as she stumbled upon the joy of colours at an early age. “Over the years, my work has been a synthesis of different creative expressions where I would experiment with various subjects and use diverse media.” From watercolours, photographs, to pen and ink, oils to acrylics, videos, collages and thread – she’s tested various techniques and has found new ways of communicating her ideas. She did her ICSE from Nasr School where she had the option of studying art from class 9 onwards.
A tall jar of Frioska arrives – a delicious fruit mojito – and we get to talking about their art, how it started and what they are presently doing. Fawad informs us that he has never participated in any art competitions. “ You can never judge someone’s creativity by grading them! I haven’t participated in competitions held by the government either.” His idea was to gain knowledge by being on the job, and that’s why he worked in international galleries and as a curator. When it comes to his art, his inspiration has always been the life around him. “At one point, it was purely women but today I believe in learning something new from life every day. Afza’s paintings however, so different from mine, inspire me. My nephews, Aqib and Atif paint with me sometimes, that too is very inspiring.”
For Afza, her work did not spring from external forces. She believes it’s always been an innate part of her and she discovered the joy of expressing her thoughts and watched them emerge in a physical form when she held the paint brush for the first time. “There is so much joy in watching your ideas take physical form which words can’t articulate. The feel of texture, the sight of colours and blending of forms to create a vision is a magical and mesmerising experience. Having said that, I think my work is a reflection of my life.” Afza looks up to her family for inspiration and treats her work as a pictorial diary imbibed with text in which she captures the people she relates to and those who have left a strong impression on her persona.
Out comes the main course and the conversation gets more intense as we talk about the art scene in Hyderabad. Fawad orders a Pan Grilled Fish Steak, while Afza calls for the Cottage Cheese Steak and we decide to spoil our taste buds with Thai Green Curry with Steamed Rice.
The current art scene, Fawad says, is in a pathetic state. “There are only few well read young women artists who are doing well; whereas everybody else is following the old trend of cows, carts and goat!” However, his daughter seems hopeful about the art scene; she says, “Hyderabad is a place where budding artists are encouraged and supported very well by galleries. With innovative ideas and shows coming up, there is a lot of scope for experimenting here.”
Ending an interesting conversation where father and daughter give us their inputs about the art world, we call for dessert. While all of us indulge in the sweeter things of life, such as the Blueberry Cheesecake and the Red Velvet Roulade, Fawad chooses a healthier option – Green Tea. On taking leave, we ask them where they see themselves in five years’ time. Fawad says, “Today, you can find my work in the National Gallery of Modern Art, five years from today it will be up in all the major museums in the world!” And as for Afza, she says, “I would like to see myself exhibiting my work and travelling around the world!”
Deli 9 Bistro is at Wipro SEZ Parking Route, Financial District, Nanakram Guda, hyderabad, Telangana Ph: +91 40 33165206
-Inaugurated by Actress Gazal Somaiah and Bhavya Sri
Solo Art Show by Artist Deepali Kapatkar
Deepali Kapatkar, an award winning artist, architect and interior designer by profession, organised her “Impressions” Solo Art Show” at Muse Art Gallery,Hotel Marriott , Hyderabad, It Will be on till July 5th 2015, Timing 7pm to 10pm. Tollywood Actress Gazal Somaiah, Bhavya Sri Inaugurated the Art Show, She saw Checking out on exhibition paintings on display.
Saw the whos who of the city Page 3 ,Ttown stars , graced occasion. Kaali Sudheer played the perfect host, ensuring that every one had good time. Sushila Bokadiya, Aparna, Shilpa Singhgaur, Alekhya Reddy, Dr Manjusha, Dr.Manisha, graced the Ocassion.
She is an Impressionist Artist …
Deepali is an impressionist painter; her paintings merely represent the feel of the subject matter. Her works primarily in oils and pastels; both plein air and in studio from photographs that she takes during her Travel.
She has always been fascinated by the play of light on shapes, texture and color. Deepali took up painting when she moved back to the US after her two year sojourn in India. However, she did not start painting in earnest until 2011. Although it was very daunting to paint ‘plein air’ and finish a painting ‘alla prima’, she quickly learned to enjoy it and became passionate about it.
Various Shows and Competitions..
She has been juried into various shows including Filoli’s Angles, Lines and Curves, a Fine Art Photography Exhibition, Los Gatos Art Association’s 2015 Spring Members Show & 2014 Fall Member Show, The Society of Western Artist’s 2015 Apr/May Show & 2014 Oct/Nov Show, The Triton Museum’s 2014 Statewide Photography Competition/Exhibition, Spring 2014 Emerging Plein Air Artist Contest, The Triton Museum’s 2013 Statewide Painting Competition/Exhibition, Los Gatos Art Association’s Member Show 2014, Pacific Art League’s 2014 Member Show, and Pacific Art League’s 2013 Member Show. She also had a solo show in Hyderabad, India, in Dec 2014.
With her world renowned elegance and style, OMEGA brand ambassador Cindy Crawford was at the OMEGA boutique in Mumbai on Thursday to launch the new Constellation Pluma Collection. Looking as stunning as ever, the model graciously posed for photographs while showcasing the gorgeous new timepieces of the luxury Swiss watchmaker. Also present at the occasion was Mr. Raynald Aeschlimann, Vice President and Head of International Sales OMEGA. This is Cindy’s second visit to India, the first being in 1998.
The OMEGA Constellation Pluma with a light coral-coloured dial is reminiscent of the warm sunshine on a summer’s day. OMEGA’s Constellation collection of watches with the exclusive Co-Axial caliber 8520, has long been admired for its elegant yet understated design and with the introduction of OMEGA’s Constellation “Pluma”, the collection is enriched with timepieces that combine a state-of-the-industry mechanical movement with exquisite styling.
Selena Gomez wore Look 40 from Louis Vuitton’s FW 2015 RTW collection to the “Hotel Transylvania 2” photocall in Cancun, Mexico. The petite beauty offset the perkiness of the look perfectly with her super-cute looks and casual and hair do.
The collection is a tribute to the 70’s, one of Sabyasachi’s favourite season as he considers himself a 70s child. The seventies has been reinterpreted with current modern glamour. While disco and flower power were the major recurring trends throughout the 70s, Sabyasachi likes to reinterpret the whimsical period with sophisticated power dressing. Sharpening the sari, romancing military influences and glitter bugging audacious evening wear are key to the collection.
The collection on at Collage, Bangalore, till the end of the month.
The country is a treasure trove of big skies, lonely landscapes, outstanding sea-food, the finest single malts and of course, legends galore. The dynamic Vikram Cotah, CEO of GRT Hotels and Resorts and his family took a road trip through the scenic highlands. From the streets of Edinburgh where they tucked into fried Mars bars, fish and chips, washed down with a fine local brew, tastings of various single malts sold on the streets of the capital city, as well as visits to some of the finest distilleries, they did it all.
Driving around the countryside in a sturdy Fiat Diablo (for Vikram laments that the amount of luggage his wife Sowmya and daughter Ramya had would not allow him to rent a muscle car) they drove through stunning towns from Oban to Skye, onward to the plateau of Cairngroms, the Speyside and finally took a cruise on the Lochness in search of the mythical, elusive monster.
Huddled in winter gear, for the temperatures oscillated between 10 to 18 decrees Celsius, the Cotahs explored as much of Scotland as they could over a span of 10 days, ensuring that they kept the RITZ mailbox filled with chronicles from their dream holiday.
R.Madhavan’s love for all things adrenaline pumping is well known. The adventure aficionado apart from owning an envious collection of bikes and being a professional golfer, recently also happened to be the first Indian to ride the Chic Air Board.
A cross between a segway and a skateboard, the revolutionary vehicle is a self-balancing electric board that remains stationary until a user steps on it. Riders then power the device by leaning forward. The AirBoard reaches speeds of up to 12mph and cover 20-25 kms/hour.
While shooting in London, Maddy traveled on the sets with the air board. While the vehicle is fast gaining popularity abroad, it is yet undiscovered here in India, making Madhavan, the first Indian to ride it.
Says Maddy, “ Its novel, fast and revolutionary and I enjoy discovering these fun advances in technology. It saved me a lot of time traveling to and fro from the sets and brought out the child in me, which is always a great thing”.
KRSMA Estates, producers of world class wines from India, announced the launch of their new varietal K2 in Bangalore. The exclusive launch event by KRSMA was held at Chianti at Indiranagar, Bangalore and was attended by food and beverage bloggers, wine enthusiast and connoisseurs alike.
Mrs. Uma Chigurupati, founder director, KRSMA Estates graced the occasion by addressing the audience with her insights and industry overview of wines in India. She also spoke about KRSMA’s journey from being India’s premium wines to recently expanding to New York and being the toast of the town internationally.
KRSMA Estates are the only wine producers from India to have won a Gold medal at the coveted San Francisco International awards and numerous awards such as the Decanter (Touted as the Olympics of wine awards). They have their vineyard based out of Hampi.
The Opening Day of ‘Prestige Masters Series 2015’ was a huge success with an overwhelming 102 participants playing the first leg of the tournament. Businessmen and corporate honchos from across the country came to participate in the tournament including David D’Souza: Amateur Golf Legend and Owner – Garden City Fashions, Eric Kim: Director – Samsung India, Divesh Wadhawan – Hotelier and Entrepreneur (Mumbai), Anand Srinivasan – Business and Entrepreneur (Africa), among others…
It was a good day for Scoring thanks to the benign weather conditions early this morning. However, the latter part of the day saw the wind pick up and wreck havoc into the Scoring. The winner of the first leg today, Balachandra Nair was in sublime form as he proceeded to shoot 6 birdies and submit a card of 42 points. He was followed by Nanje Gowda and Sonam Chugh on 39 and 36 points respectively. Overall, it was a fantastic mix of golfers from across the country including Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad.
