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GOODBYE 2020!!!

A quick look at the good, bad, and worst of 2020, which made this COVID pandemic year a unique one in every way possible!!!

AN OASIS OF LUXURY: LOHONO STAYS

In 2013, Nibhrant Shah started Isprava with the vision of becoming India’s leading luxury home developer.

LIVING HIS DREAM: Rohit Saraf

As Rahul Avasthi in Anurag Basu’s ensemble film Ludo, he was trying to escape a bunch of goons with a bag full of money. As Rishi in Netflix’s Mismatched, he was trying to woo his ‘future wife’. What actor Rohit Saraf didn’t have to try too hard for, is all the love and appreciation coming his way post these projects. “It is overwhelming because I did not expect to get such an amazing reaction from the audience,” the actor tells us. From minor roles in movies such as Dear Zindagi and Hichki to playing Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ son in The Sky is Pink, to now the lead in a web series, it’s been a roller-coaster journey for the actor who was born in Nepal, brought up in Delhi but now considers himself a full-fledged Mumbaikar. The 24-year-old tells us that he thrives on appreciation because that’s what drives him to give it his all! Excerpts from a conversation:

Streaming success: CARRYMINATI

The last time we checked, Ajey Nagar, aka CarryMinati had 27.3 million subscribers on his channel, making him numero uno among Indian YouTubers. This doesn’t come as a surprise – considering the guy has been at the forefront of content-creation all these years and his Hindi language commentary coupled with relatable content is what his millions of fans have come to love him for. Honoured by Time Magazine as the ‘Next Generation Leader’ in 2019, Carry, as he is fondly known as, believes he was destined for this. In a conversation with TMM, our cover star reveals that he has lots of new ideas in the pipeline. And all we can say is, ‘Carry on, Carry!’

TOUR WITH World BRUISED PASSPORTS

Meet Vidit Taneja (Vid) and Savi Munjal (Savi) owners at Bruised Passports, an award-winning writer/photographer duo, who have visited over 80 countries together.

THROUGH HIS EYES

Innovation and creativity has no limit and Nicklas Hultman, a Senior Art Director, based in Haslev, Denmark reflects it in the best form. His Instagram profile @nicklas.h with more than 3k posts celebrate ‘Baroque Ikebana’ an artistic expression, where he combines everyday mass-produced objects like sneakers, socks, hammers, bricks, a showerhead, beer cans, rugs, or cleaning products along with floral arrangements and presents it in the form of a photo series. TMM talks to him to know more about the unique art form and his perspective.

On A Song SHILPA RAO

If you stayed on till the end credits of Ludo, you would have been as surprised and delighted to hear Shilpa Rao’s version of Hardam Humdum as we were. The singer has done full justice to the beautiful track composed by Pritam. She gives full credit to the composer and to director Anurag Basu for creating the masterpiece. “Pritam had an idea of doing a ghazal in an EDM format and that idea became this song. I have been a fan of Anurag’s movies forever and I think this was the perfect way to collaborate with all of them,” she says. Here’s Shilpa in conversation with TMM.

SENSIBLE SUSTAINABILITY SIDDHANT AGRAWAL LABEL

Last year, fashion designer Siddhant Agrawal established his own pret-couture label. With sustainability at the core of Siddhant Agrawal Label, the brand uses innovative techniques to design modern-day couture for women, men, and accessories as well. TMM caught up with the designer to understand his process and his offerings.

Balancing lifestyle with Deanne Panday

Seldom do you come across a self-help book that doesn’t merely preach but subtly guides you into finding what you are seeking. Fitness expert and wellness coach Deanne Panday’s latest book Balance falls into that rare category. In Balance, Deanne discusses 13 aspects of life or ‘vital foods’ as she calls them, that lend it meaning, purpose and peace. She discusses relationships, home environment, finance, career, health, physical activity, joy, spirituality, home cooking, creativity, education, social life and the effect of climate change on our health, shares personal anecdotes and guides the reader with simple, easy-to-follow advice, tips and activities to help bring a balance to your life. “At the end of the day, we have to be our own heroes. It’s not always easy to have balance in our lives, but with a few simple changes, you can achieve a sense of wellness,” she says. TMM caught up with Deanne for a chat…

A CANVAS OF FAITH

Meet Rahul Dev, a Hyderabad-based artist, and the creative mind behind ‘Unhinged Customs’, a custom-made wearable art brand that is known for its impeccable handpainted sneakers and accessories. According to Rahul, after 25 years of trying his hand at multiple fields including science, finance, and sports, he decided to build a career around something he had been doing on the side all his life-Arts. He shares his slice of success story with TMM.

A ‘Beery' Good Time: Effingut 2 Go

Much like the wider F&B industry, the current pandemic has had a significant impact on craft beer as well. For Manu Gulati, Founder of Effingut Breweries, priority shifted to ensuring the health and safe passage of their staff as they went back to their hometowns. “With support from the government, we first started home delivery of food, followed by the unique opportunity to not only offer consumers growlers from our own brewpubs but also set up our own retail stores,” he tells TMM. To begin with, Gulati plans to take Effingut 2 Go, their retail craft beer chain, across Mumbai and Pune in the next 6 months.

Rooted IN LUXURY GAURI KHAN

Diamonds surely are a girl’s best friend. And when those diamonds tell a story, they become even more valuable. Recently, Zoya, the exquisite diamond boutique from the House of Tatas, introduced its new collection, Rooted — an exquisite line up of over 45 pieces for the modern sophisticate. The stunning new collection was virtually launched by celebrated designer Gauri Khan, who was joined by Ajoy Chawla, CEO of Titan’s Jewellery Division, and Titan’s Chief Design Officer, Revathi Kant.

THE ULTIMATE VISUALIZER - Roop Pratap Choudhary

Meet Roop Pratap Choudhary, Managing Director, Noor Mahal, Incredible Indian Palace Hotel, Jewel Group of Hotels, who is here to re-define the world of hospitality with his instincts that is deeply rooted in his upbringing and balanced with new-age technology, comfort, trend, and need of the hour. In the fragile post-COVID luxury and hospitality market, where hospitality brands have resorted to layoffs, he as a visionary had been planning things in a way that his existing is not disturbed. He tells TMM about his art of functioning and future plans of expansion.

THE BODY SCULPTOR - Prashant Sawant

Meet Prashant Sawant, a celebrity fitness trainer, who has been sculpting bodies since 1998. His brainchild ‘Body Sculptor’, established in 2003 in Mumbai is a personal fitness training studio that has been training names like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor and more. According to Prashant, it’s been a journey full of exploration and understanding the mechanism of the body and crafting personalized plans for his clients. For Prashant, the pros of being a celebrity fitness trainer are that they (celebrities) know what they are doing, why they are training, and why workout is important. While he feels that there are no cons of being a celebrity fitness trainer, he surely affirms that there are myths that people believe and one of them is, results can be obtained quickly, and one kind of diet suits everyone to lose weight faster. In a detailed conversation with TMM, Prashant clears it all and shares a slice of his success journey in the world of fitness.

LIVING LIFE LA STYLE SUNNY LEONE

In the past few months that she shifted to her Los Angeles home with her husband, Daniel Webber and kids Nisha, Asher and Noah, Sunny Leone has been giving her fans a chance to see what life is like for her out there. From attempting new workouts to going to the zoo with her children, or just hanging out by the poolside, the actress is living it up in the California city. “We have a different sense of freedom here. Children get to be outdoors. We get to be outdoors. It’s wonderful,” she says. With no house help, it’s just the five of them in the beautiful space they have created in LA. The actress, who is also the owner of StarStruck cosmetics, told TMM she is looking forward to being back in Mumbai soon. Excerpts from a conversation with our gorgeous cover girl.

ON A ‘MUSICAL' NOTE: SHREYA CHAUDHRY

One of the most refreshing and beautiful shows of this year, Amazon Prime Video’s Bandish Bandits has received a lot of love and appreciation for its music, performances, and visual landscape. The story of two lovers who come from different musical backgrounds has the vivacious Shreya Chaudhry as one of the protagonists.

LIFESTYLE DIARY HELLY SHAH

For Indian television actor Helly Shah, acting is her passion that makes her happy. In her words, acting is a very creative field, where one gets to work on characters, craft, and emotions. In a quick chat with TMM, Helly, who is known for her portrayal of Swara Maheshwari in Swaragini and Devanshi Bakshi in Devanshi divulges her lifestyle and favourites.

BORN TO BE ON STAGE - AKHIL SACHDEVA

Some people just never disappoint and the same can be said of Akhil Sachdeva. The composer and singer with the melodious voice has once again proved that when it comes to romantic tracks, he is right up there with the very best. His song Galliyaan from Alt Balaji’s web series Bebakee is a beautiful track of love, separation and heartbreak and has been appreciated by his fans.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL: CHEF RAHUL AKERKAR

If destiny hadn’t intervened, Rahul Akerkar would have become a biochemical engineer and the world would have been deprived of his stupendous culinary skills.

ACE IN THE PACK: BILAL SIDDIQUI

With The Phoenix, Bilal Siddiqui returns to his favourite genre – the spy thriller. The author, who made a sparkling debut with his first book – The Bard of Blood, tries to keep the plots fast-paced and the characters relatable. “What really helped me actualize my dreams of writing a spy novel was working with my mentor S. Hussain Zaidi sir,” he says about his latest novel published by Penguin Random House India.

A SIP OF SUCCESS

If you can dream it, you can achieve it! These words of wisdom surely fits the success story of Jagdish Kumar, a hotelier from New Zealand with an experience of 20 years in the industry, who returned to India with a dream of having a cup of tea with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Love for Nature

Following your passion helps you understand the nitty-gritty of profession and that is where you take a leap of faith to build something bigger. For entrepreneur Sadhika Malhotra, her passion for cosmetology helped build her own brand ‘The Nature’s Nest’. ‘The Nature’s Nest’– is a nest of naturally made certified products specially made with all-natural herbs and fresh fruits, you can fill your basket with your ever-changing flavors and fragrances for your daily care needs. In conversation with TMM, the passionate entrepreneur talks about the journey of the brand and her future plans.

ON THE FRONT FOOT: SHUBMAN GILL

When Shubman Gill posted the TMM cover on his social media and shared it with his fans, he captioned it with the line – ‘If it weren’t for the dark days, we wouldn’t know what it is to walk in the light…’ The 21-year-old opener from Kolkata Knight Riders could not have said it better. Over the years, it is his dedication and single-minded focus on cricket that has made him a household name today.

From the Roots VILLAGE DEGH

Do you like going back to roots, to under the true flavours of foods that are now cooked in oven and gas stoves? If yes, food entrepreneur Osama Jalali and his partner Sameer Dhar are here to take you through a unique experience called Village Degh, which brings a taste of food as it used to be made traditionally on woodfire ovens decades back.

Living The Dream - Victor Robinson

It takes a lot of courage to follow your passion and make it a profession in this competitive world. For Victor Robinson, stylist-turned-designer it had been equally challenging but what kept him going was his inner strength and passion for everything creative. As he embarks on a new journey as a designer, he talks to TMM about his journey and future plans.

L'Opéra's Diwali Treat

Think of festive delights and the first name that pops up in mind is L’Opéra. The classic brand also leaves no stone unturned to make it a flavourful festive season.

HEALTHY HAMPER

Amidst the Covid pandemic, one thing which each one of us has realized is the importance of healthy eating and healthy living. Born out of pandemic, entrepreneur Vidhika Batra thought of introducing a luxurious gourmet store Simply Rooted. Nestled in GK 2, New Delhi, Simply Rooted is an answer to all your gourmet concerns.

Destiny's Child - ISHA TALWAR

There are quite a few new players who entered the murky, dark, and revengeful world of Mirzapur’s second season on Amazon Prime Video last month. One of the foremost players is Madhuri Yadav Tripathi, CM Surya Pratap Yadav’s widowed daughter who marries Munna Tripathi and also becomes the next CM. Playing the complex character is Isha Talwar, the lovely actress from movies such as Tubelight, Kaalakandi, Kaamyaab, and Article 15. Isha, who started her journey in showbiz as a model and actor in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil cinema, is getting all the compliments for her portrayal of Madhuri and she is busy lapping them up, she tells TMM.

THE COVID Fashion

The pandemic has resulted in some revolutionary changes and one of the changes that the fashion industry has witnessed is, ‘digitalization’. Apart from this, Made in India and sustainability has seen a major comeback, and a part of it is a unique jacket that can actually protect you from the deadly disease too. Meet CoVest, a COVID-19 protection jacket, designed by Somesh Singh, a former professor at NID Ahmedabad. This stylish and sensibly crafted jacket has various in-built capabilities to protect the wearer from infections and is a daily wear garment, which can surely fit in your regular wardrobe. In a detailed conversation with TMM, Somesh Singh talks about the key features of the jacket and how it came into existence.

BRIDAL SPLENDOUR: Threads of Love

When it comes to offering timeless masterpieces for brides-to-be, nobody does it better than JADE. This year, Monica Shah and Karishma Swali have brought out their bridal couture collection ‘Threads of Love’ - a hypnotic coming together of EkTaar, a painstaking craft form that has become synonymous with JADE with new age silhouettes. The duo has taken their commitment to craft a step further by bringing a long-held dream to life: a collaboration with The Gondwana Art Project, a community of artists under the aegis of Craft and Community Development Foundation (CCDF). The collaboration sees an integration of artworks from The Gondwana Art Project across different creative expressions such as Gond, Bhil, and Warli. Here, Monica tells us more about the collection: