NEW DELHI, mumbAi, beNGALuru, kOLkAtA, cHeNNAi, AHmeDAbAD, HyDerAbAD, cHANDiGArH*, puNe*, LuckNOw* VOL. 17 NO.

287

EMPTY NESTERS
OR FREE BIRDS?
SATURDAY, December 2 2023 With children moving out of
the family home to pursue
further studies—and having
considerably more means
than they had in their 20s—
couples are ticking off the
bucket-list items that they
had been putting off
SEE PAGE 12
Go from
‘Why are real estate
prices unreal?’

to
‘Is renting
really cheaper
than owning?’

In every answer lies the very next question.

You only grow when you ask better questions.
Get answers and updates on the latest business
news and its impact on us, only with Mint
Scan to watch the film.
 NEw DELHI, mUmBAi, BENGALURU, KOLKATA, cHENNAi, AHmEDABAD, HYDERABAD, cHANDiGARH*, PUNE*, LUcKNOw* VOL. 17 NO. 287 Rs. 10.00 . Price with Hindustan Times Rs. 15.50 18 PAGES

RIVERDALE
IN INDIA
SATURDAY, DEcEmBER 2 2023 Zoya Akhtar and Reema
Kagti went back to old
‘Archie Comics’ for their new
film, ‘The Archies’. Set in a
hill-station in the 1960s and
starring a young Indian cast,
Akhtar explains why they
kept the story simple
SEE PAGE 11

GST COLLECTIONS HIT ₹1.68 TRILLION IN NOVEMBER | PAGE 16

WALK UP
AN APPETITE
WINTER IS THE TIME FOR SOME OUTSTANDING FOOD
WALKS IN INDIA, COMBINING HISTORY, HERITAGE AND A
LOVE OF FOOD, PUT TOGETHER BY PASSIONATE
STORYTELLERS. LOUNGE TAKES YOU ON A VIRTUAL TOUR

PAUSE
Twinkle Khanna on her new book and
her fascination with getting older
BOOKS
Revisiting George
Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’
TASTE
Welcome December by
stocking up your pantry
STYLE
Trends that will
rule in 2024
02 SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi FIRST

NEW ON SCREENS
PLAN THE WEEK
A NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR
AHEAD
A raunchy comedy about a feminist fight club, an intimate
SHALINI UMACHANDRAN film from Darbangha, and other titles to watch

Explore on foot
and with food THE BEST OF EUROPEAN
CINEMA

T
ISTOCKPHOTO he annual European
Union Film Festival
returns for its 28th edition.
Twenty-eight films, one from
each EU member country, in 25
languages are being screened
across three venues in Delhi:
India Habitat Centre, Instituto
Cervantes and Max Mueller
Bhavan. Some of the notable
titles include the Dardenne
brothers’ Tori And Lokita (Bel-
gium), Alice Diop’s Saint Omer
(France), Antoneta Alamat Kusi-
BOTTOMS janovic’s bruising Murina (Croa-
Director Emma Seligman teams up with actor Rachel Sennott for another comedy after the well-received Shiva Baby (2020). tia), Lili Horvát’s Preparations
Sennott and Ayo Edebiri play unpopular high school students who, in a bid to attract the girls they are respectively pining To Be Together For An Unknown
for, start a “feminist self-defence club”. Edebiri, known for the TV drama The Bear, returns to her home turf, comedy; she’s Period Of Time (Hungary), and
perfectly matched with the hilarious Sennott. (Amazon Prime) Felix van Groeningen and Char-
lotte Vandermeersch’s The Eight
Mountains (Italy). The screen-
POKHAR KE DUNU PAAR ings are free. On till 10 December.
Darbangha is building a reputation as a Visit euffindia.com for details.
The nights have been getting chillier over the last few weeks, cradle for talented film-makers. This
and in most parts of the country, the weather is now perfect intimate 2022 film is by Parth Saurabh,
for long rambles through the city in search of stories, books, who directed, produced, edited and
music, food or history. A great way to learn about the city you wrote it. The film played the festival
live in—whether it has been your home for decades or you circuit and is now streaming in India.
moved in three weeks ago—is to sign up for a guided food (MUBI)
walk. Many food tours have, unfortunately, become a reason
to overeat at the most popular restaurants, but thoughtfully
created walks can be an immersion in a city’s culture.
Viewing a city through the lens of its food is not only a
way to learn about the best places to eat but also to under-
stand its socioeconomic history. Our cover story brings
together curated walks that reveal a different side to cities,
and serve as a guide to helping you find similarly unusual
tours in your own city, or any other you might visit. In Kolk-
ata, for instance, a mishti walk leads you through its centu- AMERICAN POP ART
ry-old neighbourhoods, the labour of its sweet-makers, and COMES TO TOWN
a way of life that’s slowly disappearing. In Mumbai, we lead

T
you on walks that will give you a glimpse of the city’s prohi- he Nita Mukesh Ambani
bition era, its rapid growth and urbanisation fuelled by a INCREDIBLE ANIMAL JOURNEYS Cultural Centre is present-
construction boom, and its unusual drinking habits and The series follows the incredible journeys animals take for survival. Beautifully ing Pop: Fame, Love And
watering holes. In Goa, rather than just hit the beach and filmed and narrated by actor Jeremy Renner, you will feel a roller-coaster of Power, which is being hailed as
the bars, you could also spend a day learning about the emotions: A humpback whale giving birth; a juvenile green turtle travelling the first-ever museum exhibi-
state’s indigenous communities through food tours. alone—she will come ashore only after 30 years to mate. (Disney + Hotstar) tion of American pop art in
In this same spirit of exploration, we have a story on India. The show features works
“empty nesters”, or couples whose children have left home, created in the 1960s onwards by
who have chosen to take long road trips and tick off their A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY artists like Andy Warhol, Robert
bucket list of things-to-do rather than wait for their now-in- Stella, 15, was sexually assaulted by a Rauschenberg and Tom Wessel-
dependent kids to call on them. We also have an interview coach on a school trip. Her parents mann. Pop art as a genre flour-
with Twinkle Khanna, who has reinvented herself time and decide not to report the matter, which ished in the US during the late
again; she’s now earned a master’s degree in writing and has affects the entire family. Stella (Alexan- 1950s as a response to rapid
published another book of short stories, which she dis- dra Karlsson Tyrefors) drops out of changes in the media, culture
cusses with Lounge. Besides this, we have our regular school and at 19 is working in a café and and consumer habits. The show
line-up of stories and reviews of streaming shows, books, dating a 32-year-old entrepreneur spans three floors of Art House
music, style, food and culture. Christoffer Olsen (Christian Fandango at the NMACC; the fourth floor
Sundgren). One night, he’s found is dedicated to an immersive
Write to the editor at [email protected] stabbed to death and Stella is taken into installation by Andy Warhol. At
@shalinimb custody. Based on M.T. Edvardsson’s Art House, NMACC, Mumbai, till
book of the same name. (Netflix) 11 February, 11am and 8pm.
—Compiled by Uday Bhatia
Compiled by Nipa Charagi and Uday Bhatia and Avantika Bhuyan

LOUNGE PLAY VISIT MOVE LIVE

ONLINE
Ten years of Pro Head to the Madras How to get over your Tree-spotting to
YOUR Kabaddi League Art Weekend fear of dentists understand climate
FAVOURITE
WEEKEND READ
T D A T
he early 2010s was the golden ecember in Chennai is consid- fear of visiting the dentist is fairly he time of the flowering and fruit-
period for sporting leagues in ered the kutcheri season, with its common, and there’s even a term ing of trees is an important indica-
NOW THROUGH India, from the Indian Premier abundance of Carnatic music for it—odontophobia. And it is tor of weather and climatic
League (IPL) to leagues in hockey, tennis concerts. This year, though, it’s the apparently linked to self-assurance, changes, and it also the best way to get
THE WEEK and wrestling. Many of them fell by the Madras Art Weekend that’s creating a social isolation and other complex emo- people to understand the impact of
wayside, but the league that gained the stir, with public art shows, installations,, tions. Dental anxiety may be caused by changing weather patterns. The ongoing
most popularity and drew the largest discussions and events. Twenty-two past traumatic dental experiences or fear November Tree Festival, through its
The best of Mintlounge.in from audiences is the Pro emerging artists from the of pain, but in its extreme challenges and events,
Kabaddi League, city, two international form, it leads to dental encourages people to
the week gone by and what to launched in 2014 in Mum- ones and 100 artists from neglect, where people observe the trees around
look forward to in the one ahead bai. Pro Kabaddi yanked across the country are tak- skip or delay essential them and understand
India’s rural sport into the ing part in the festival appointments, which their lifecycle, writes
21st century, from mud to organised by the Interna- impacts their health. This Aisiri Amin. If the tree
mat, from the sidelines into the spot- tional Foundation for the Arts, on until 3 neglect can result in dental issues that sheds leaves or flowers earlier or later, it
light. As Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi December. The highlights include an affect many facets if life, including one’s is an indication of a change in the envi-
League is about to begin, Deepti Pat- exhibition of Tamil Nadu textiles at Raw self-worth. Dr Karishma Jaradi suggests ronment—and it is in observing these
wardhan looks at the league that remains Mango and an installation by British a few simple tactics to help you over- small changes that we too can shift our
Indian sport’s most improbable success environmental artist Steve Messam, come your fear of the dentist, and get behaviours for the benefit of the world
story writes Indumathy Sukanya. that toothy grin. around us.

[email protected] In News >> Big Story In How To Lounge >> Art & Culture In Health >> Wellness In News >> Talking Point
@mint_lounge
@livemintlounge

ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPH FROM ISTOCKPHOTO

 FIRST SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 03

When the world is going to the pigs slogan of revolution, “Four legs good, two role of AI, there’s everything and more
RE READINGS legs bad”, is reframed as “Four legs good, that you would expect from a smart and
two legs better”. The rules on Manor gifted storyteller. But at heart, the prob-
A monthly column on backlisted Farm are tweaked repeatedly to accom- lems remain the same. The exploitation of
books that have much to offer in modate everything that serves porcine the labour of many for the gains of a few,
contemporary times interests, including sleeping on beds, the neglect of the poor by the rich during
drinking alcohol and, most frighteningly, times of crisis, like a pandemic. Worse
killing other animals. The new motto still, the world keeps turning, in spite of
Adam Biles’ new novel soon becomes “All animals are equal, but the litany of injustices that besiege the less
pushes George Orwell’s some animals are more equal than oth- fortunate. The rich keep getting richer,
ers”. No wonder the story hit too close to while the rest go to the dogs, literally and
‘Animal Farm’ a bit further the bone for Orwell’s figuratively in the case of
to show that the more human publishers.
Biles sets his story sev-
Biles’ novel.
Why do animal fables,
things change, the more eral years ahead from allegories, satires—call
where Orwell ends. them what you will—
they stay the same Manor Farm is prosper- appeal to our human
ing once again, though senses so much? There’s
the ground rules have a reason for exposing
Somak Ghoshal radically changed. It’s children to Aesop’s
now a petting zoo, one of fables, The Gruffalo, or

H
istory, as Karl Marx the most popular in Charlotte’s Web, early on.
famously said, repeats southern England, Instead of moral-spout-
itself first as tragedy and visited by fussy parents ing adults, it’s far more
then as farce. But often, it and excitable children palatable to imbibe life
simply repeats itself as a every day, who leave a lessons from talking ani-
mirror image of its former self. The cir- mess on the premises mals, especially those
cumstances change but the actors remain and irritate the animals. that teach us tolerance,
the same, and so do their motivations. But the residents put up love and kindness.
English writer and translator Adam with the menace, as the When an Orwell or a
Biles’ new novel, Beasts Of England, is a zoo is a major source of Biles removes this long
case in point. Conceived as a sequel to income for the farm, the cherished film of cute-
George Orwell’s iconic allegorical novella other being the electricity ness from our adult
Animal Farm, it is a response to Brexit and generated by its fabled eyes to reveal the same
the attendant social and economic woes windmill that is sold off to blighted troubles of
that afflict Britain in recent times. But if the neighbouring farms at our adult world, it
you zoom out a little, it also does have a a high price by Buttercup, pricks our conscious-
resonance beyond this specific cultural hand, already loathed Stalinism. He had Pigs are, by definition, self- are more powerful than others. the new pig in charge. ness just a bit more.
and political context. As one of the hens in witnessed the excesses of the Stalinist for- serving and corrupt. ISTOCKPHOTO What begins as a golden era of “Animal- It doesn’t take long for On the origin of
Biles’ story bitterly says, “Whoever you ces in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). As ism” on Manor Farm, with the ouster of things to go south. Butter- Animal Farm, Orwell
Chooz,” referring to “Choozin”, a byword a democratic socialist, he was prescient the drunk and abusive farmer Mr Jones cup is ousted through a wrote in the 1947
for democratic elections in the animal about the evils Stalin would unleash in the (believed to be modelled on Tsar Nicholas series of unfortunate and preface: “I saw a lit-
world, “you get a pig”. By pig, she doesn’t coming years. II, who abdicated after the Russian Revo- violent incidents. The new tle boy, perhaps ten
just refer to the category of animal alone, Even though Orwell wrote Animal lution of 1917), soon becomes a monopoly. regime is fractious, made up years old, driving a
but the real lack of choice the rest of the Farm as an allegory of the circumstances The pigs begin to take all major decisions of the Jonesists (who are tradi- huge carthorse
animals have. No matter who they pick as that led to the Russian Revolution of 1917, involving rules and regulations on the tional and human-oriented) along a narrow path,
their leader, they turn out to be a pig, who, leading into the Stalinist era, he knew the newly named Animal Farm. Soon, they and Animalists (modern and whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It
by definition, are corrupt and self-serving. explosive potentials of the material he was start keeping the best portions of food for pro-animals). Their vicious bickering and struck me that if only such animals
Inspired by Biles’ sharply ironic take, I dealing with. For this reason perhaps, he themselves because, unlike the beasts of thirst for power sets off an alarming cycle become aware of their strength, we should
re-read Orwell’s original recently. Pub- decided to call his book “A Fairy Story”, a burden whose physical toil keeps the farm of events, including the outbreak of the have no power over them, and that men
lished in 1945, amid much controversy, it’s subtitle his American publishers eventu- running, the pigs need to keep their brains Wufflu (Biles’ version of the covid crisis), exploit animals in the same way as the rich
a work that has aged remarkably well. ally dropped. Orwell’s animals, who live With his more expansive agile and functioning to ensure that no a confrontation with humans who do busi- exploit the proletariat.” Biles has run with
Written in the last years of World War II, on Manor Farm in Willingdon, are far human comes back to take away their ness with the farm that ends in a spectacu- the same idea, just to show us, the
Animal Farm caused much consternation from the cute, talking creatures from fairy canvas, Biles is able to pack in hard-earned freedom or to exploit them in lar destruction of a sports car, and the so-called beneficiaries of technocratic
among British publishers, including Vic- tales or Aesop’s fables. The pigs, dogs, the nuances of all that ails any way. arrival of a horde of robotic starlings. democracies, that the more things
tor Gollancz, Orwell’s publisher. As allies hens, cows, horses, geese, donkeys living contemporary politics and Soon, there’s anarchy all around. The With his more expansive canvas, Biles change, the more they stay the same.
against Nazi Germany, Britain and the on Manor Farm are opinionated, ques- pigs are walking on two legs, getting is able to pack in the nuances of all that ails
Soviet Union were yet to get into their tioning, querulous and manipulative by
society: from technocracy drunk every day, and treating the rest of contemporary politics and society. From Somak Ghoshal is a writer and editor
Cold War kerfuffle. Orwell, on the other turn. But, as with humans, a few of them to fake news to AI the animals as their inferiors. The original technocracy to fake news to the insidious based in Delhi

Medium Talk More than small talk

COURTESY ECHOES OF EARTH

A performance
from Echoes of
Earth, 2022.

Hear the music this month

An impressive lineup of there’s too much competition in the director of Magnetic Fields, lends a new
space. Ultimately, we are all fighting for perspective. “What’s noteworthy is the
Indian and global the same bucks,” he wryly notes. jump in festivals signing up domestic
artists at music festivals A sample of the FOMO-inducing head-
lining acts includes desert blues pioneers
musicians too. There’s a good balance of
both Indian and international artists,”
has left concert goers Tinariwen from Mali and Indian Ameri- says Chawla. Surendran believes the
can singer Sid Sriram at Echoes of Earth; increase in Indian indie names in lineups
spoilt for choice rock legends Deep Purple and Goo Goo could be attributed to Indian audiences
Dolls for the inaugural edition of Book- “slowly opening up to non-filmi music.”
Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran MyShow Live’s Bandland music festival Any festival curator will tell you that
[email protected] in Bengaluru (16-17 December), and NH7 having a wish list of artists is one thing
has British rapper, singer and record pro- and getting them in real life is a whole

L
ast time I checked, there were at ducer M.I.A. as the headliner. Guitar vir- other ballgame. We’ve been trying for
least 10 major multi-stage music fes- tuoso Steve Vai is set to perform in Ben- Tinariwen for four years. It finally
tivals happening across India this galuru on 8 December at the LiveBox worked this year,” laughs Netalkar, who
month—and that’s not counting Chen- Festival. “I wanted to go for NH7, Echoes describes the curation process as a tire-
nai’s Margazhi season and Pune’s Sawai and Bandland. I felt like I was spoilt for some one that goes on all year. “We have
Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav. Beginning choice,” says Sandhya Surendran, an already started reaching out to artists for
with the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in independent media and entertainment next year.”
Pune (1 -3 December), Echoes of Earth in lawyer based in Bengaluru. For Brar, the work of drawing up the
Bengaluru (2-3 December) straight up to So, what explains this “happening “ultimate lineup” is about balancing gut
the Hornbill Music Festival in Nagaland scene”? Mainly the growing interest with data. “It means booking a rapper like
(1-10 December), Magnetic Fields in among international artists to perform in YG who is huge among youngsters here
Rajasthan (15-17 December), the Mahin- India. “There’s no escaping India at this along with a band like Ezra Collective
dra Kabira Festival in Varanasi (15-17 point of time,” says Roshan Netalkar, who are great but have no data to back
December) and Sunburn Goa (28-31 founder and festival director of Echoes of them,” Brar explains.
December), you could do a cross-country Earth. He says the country’s “youth popu- Chawla describes curation as a balan-
trip and listen to music of all genres this lation” is the reason why international cing act between “bringing in artists who
month. musicians and talent management com- sell and those who match with our vision
Concert-goers have never had it so panies are taking note. Couple it with no of being an experiential festival”.
good. Tej Brar, festival director of Bacardi pandemic-related travel restrictions and Whether it’s going by gut or being led by
NH7 Weekender, recalls how a little over protocols, and you can see why there’s an a festival’s vision, one can safely say that
a decade ago, NH7 Weekender was the upsurge in bigger names on the marquee. the formula has worked well this year.
only “multi-stage music festival” that While it’s the international acts that are One hopes 2024 will be even more musi-
indie music lovers had. “Today, we have generating the buzz, Munbir Chawla, cal. But for now, it’s time to press pause
an audience that is willing to pay but co-founder and music and partnerships and head to a music festival near you.
04 SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi HOW TO LOUNGE

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Source A compendium of winter essentials to stay cosy this season

TURN UP
THE HEAT
Shawl Collar Jumper
This shawl collar
jumper from Phoebe A still from ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’.
Philo made from GRAND
charcoal washed ENOUGH
N
early every episode of Netflix’s excellent animated series Scott Pilgrim
English rib extra-fine Pure Pashmina Takes Off begins with an elaborate hair-colour montage: the show’s
merino and yak wool Resham heroine Ramona Flowers squeezes bleach out of a tube, applies bright
is designed for a and Tilla Shawl colours to her duotone hair, and wipes the fogged-up mirror clean. Each
roomy fit. Available Look classy in morning she emerges a different flavour. It’s like Kate Winslet’s Clementine
on phoebephilo.com; this maroon from the 2004 masterpiece Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Prime
₹1,58,768 pashmina Video) who used her green/red/orange/blue hair to signal the state of her
shawl heart.
embellished That’s the kind of thing I wouldn’t put past Ramona—or maybe this is sim-
with intricate ply hi-vis colouring, so she can be spotted while rollerblading across an intra-
resham and dimensional highway. A highway inside an unsuspecting boy’s brain.
silver tilla Like that boy, I appear to have gotten ahead of myself. His name is Scott Pil-
embroidery grim, and he first showed up in a graphic novel series that began in 2004.
Available on Written and illustrated by Bryan Lee O’Malley, the books told the story of a
taroob.in; clueless young bass-player who falls for this bright-haired girl, then realises
₹80,000 that in order to be with her, he would have to fight her seven evil exes. The
metaphor was straightforward and videogamey: these arguments turned into
full-blown Dragonball Z-style battles, where vanquished players turned into
coins for winning players to collect. The books are clever, sarcastic, surpris-
ingly introspective, and even achingly romantic.
A 2010 adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (JioCinema), directed by
Edgar Wright, faced the Game Of Thrones dilemma: the film ran out of novel.
Coming out before the final Scott Pilgrim volume, the film ends with a disap-
LET’S pointingly simplistic climax. Visually, it’s ground-breakingly inventive, but,
in compressing the events of six books, loses out on the increasingly nuanced
BEANIE UP subtext of the later volumes. It’s a riot—but could have been more.
Supreme x WTAPS More is what we finally have with this series, written by O’Malley with
Knitted Beanie BenDavid Grabinski. It starts like an exquisite cover version—frames and
Top your winter look lines from the books spoken by the superbly picked actors from the film,
with this blue and everything gorgeous thanks to Japanese anime studio Science Saru. Then—
DIG YOUR FEET IN white cotton beanie POW!—the narrative shifts. The song isn’t the same. The original characters
La DoubleJ Winter featuring a pompom are around, but this is a thrillingly new take on the source material.
Jacquard Slides detail. Available on The 8-bit heart is in place. I was Scott’s age
Winter slides lined and milanstyle.com; when I first read him, and I’m older than
trimmed with faux fur and ₹13,090 the show’s bearded future version of
jacquard upper. Available Scott — “Old Scott” is 37 — while I
on farfetch.com; ₹88,870 watch the show, and it’s pure STREAMING
Compiled by Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran. time-travel. The stakes of first TIP OF THE WEEK
dates and relationship back- Mike Birbiglia’s latest stand-up
stories are heightened again, special, The Old Man And The
as I watch these kids figure out Pool, performed on Broadway, is
their lives and loves. The par- now on Netflix. In a precisely

LOUNGE LOVES ticularly dim Young Neil, for

instance, decides he is now a
cinephile, and does a Paul
calibrated—and frequently
surprising—set, the comedian
talks about mortality,
McCartney (“I wrote a feature- fitness, ageing and
length screenplay in my sleep”) by loss.
Things to watch, read, hear, do—and other curated experiences from the team accident, then wears a David Cronen-
berg shirt during an episode about the
WORK-LIFE BALANCE making of his movie.

T
he fuchsia cover does it no favours, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off solves for Main Character Syndrome. In the books
giving this book the façade of frothy, and film, everything (including Scott) is Scott-centered, but this series is
frilly romance, but Prajwal Hegde’s The about everyone. We get to know Ramona better and unravel what led her to
Way We Were is a gentle story of deep that rogue’s gallery of exes, and we see the exes themselves, stumbling to find
friendships, workplace culture, their own way. Some just want to escape that ‘evil’ branding.
intergenerational trauma and the different The cast is astonishing. Chris Evans, Kieran Culkin, Brandon Routh, Jason
ways people grieve. It’s set in Bengaluru, a city Schwarzman, Brie Larson, Alison Pill and Aubrey Plaza have an infectiously
that the author clearly loves. There is plenty of good time playing characters that may be absurd—Satya Bhabha, for instance,
romance, fun and heartache—as books of this plays Matthew Patel, an ex who spells out his overarching desire to be the
genre of writing made most popular by Helen main character—yet this stunningly empathetic show cares about every sin-
Fielding have—but this also a story that takes gle one of them.
the careers of its female protagonists In the middle are Scott (Michael Cera) and Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Win-
seriously. Set in an old-school print stead). He’s excited yet unperceptive, eager to blame everything on his exes,
DOG STORIES newsroom, where journalists go the extra DISHES WITH A GENTLE HUM while she, far brighter than him, is confronting her own past and her own pat-

E T
very dog has a story—and they mile to bring a story to life, this is an easy read here is nothing that elevates terns, realising her exes might not be as bad. “I’ve dated a lot of people who
can certainly strike a pose for the about life, work and love. cooking more than the warmth are suspect,” she admits. Yet they all count, the people you left behind — and
camera. That’s the central theme —Shalini Umachandran of chilli. For a long time, I vice versa.
for pet photographer Elias Weiss searched for chilli-infused oils which The show looks dazzling, true to the books—to Scott’s big round eyes and
Friedman, who has been running the could add that extra zing to dishes, Scorsese eyebrows—yet unique, with sprawling action setpieces set across
Instagram and YouTube channel The ART FROM ANCIENT ASSAM while suiting everyone’s palate. But, time and space, and, when in a video rental library, across different movie

A
Dogist for a decade. Friedman moves friend recently brought me two folders the products on offer were either the genres. The aesthetic is delightful, with virtual reality headsets in the future
around the US and other locations on the ancient art in Assam during a searingly fiery ones that numbed your basically designed as giant Viewmasters. The backgrounds are beautiful and
photographing dogs—be it on the visit to the National Museum in Delhi. senses, or the mellow ones that didn’t old-school, in contrast with the moving elements. Sunbeams hang in the air
pavement or the beach—and speaking One of them is about manuscripts from the make any difference. That’s when I like cobwebs, a red carpet rolls out of a black limousine like a tongue, and rock
to their pet parents to know the dog’s 16th century, and the other about rare came across Burma Burma’s chilli gar- music erupts from mics and guitars in the form of furious little lightning bolts.
temperament and special habits. In sculptures of the Brahmaputra Valley from lic oil drizzle. I have, for the longest As it should.
doing so, he has clicked thousands of the fifth and sixth centuries. Each of them time, been shopping for khowsuey Relationships are relative. Sometimes we have an evil ex, sometimes we are
dogs. The dog portraits are special, full comes with a booklet filled with deep paste from the speciality restaurant’s an evil ex. It all depends on where—and when—we are standing. When a lover
of expressions and the usual head tilts academic research supplemented by a clutch online pantry store. And I decided to punches a hole in the moon for you, it can be the most romantic thing in the
that are downright adorable. I have of fascinating photos. Blame it on sheer give the oil drizzle, made with flakes of world, or the most horrifying. Or both.
personally enjoyed learning more apathy, but I had no idea about these precious dried red chillies and fried garlic, a try. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is ingenious and sincere, with a punchy soundtrack
about interesting breeds—be it a ber- cultural relics. The National Museum calls What works for it is the versatility— and real feelings. Plus there’s a song about bread making you fat. The charac-
nedoodle or a pomsky. The Dogist’s them portfolios, and they have published you can use it to add a layer of depth to ters are naive, the metaphors are strong, and the lesson seems to be that we
YouTube channel says Friedman’s more of these, including on Assam’s soups and curries, or as dips for dump- should never plan it all. Leave enough room in your head for the person of
goal is to create a happy place on the centuries-old monuments and bronze lings and wraps. I usually add on top of your dreams—or even just your dreams—to run around.
internet for dog lovers. It has certainly figurines, an imprint of tantric Buddhism. I chilli cheese toasts, omelettes and
worked. want them all now. chillas for that gentle hum. Raja Sen is a screenwriter and critic. He has co-written Chup, a film about
—Nitin Sreedhar — Jahnabee Borah —Avantika Bhuyan killing critics, and is now creating an absurd comedy series. He posts @rajasen
 THINK SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 05

Rudderless boats in a sea of misinformation

The new preoccupation about what is authentic is more about anxiety than skill. In a
way, it’s quite fitting that wordwise we have gone from gaslighting to authentic

This one comes with a description that interview: “Every version of reality had madrasa?
reads “neutral white young-adult male different buy-ins at different points of As someone who left India as a stu-
CULT with short brown hair and blue eyes”.
Ortiz is an AI-generated author. After
time. Flat earth had more buy-in than
the earth being round at one point of
dent and came back 20 years later, I
have always been suspicious of authen-
FRICTION Sports Illustrated was questioned about time. But then the world being round ticity. As an immigrant, I spent much
the AI-generated content by the site gained more momentum because of sci- time trying to chase down the authentic
SANDIP Futurism, all those articles vanished entific evidence and that became the flavours of a home left behind and
ROY without explanation. dominant reality. But even now there sneering at the pumpkin spice chai
The interesting thing is there is noth- are people who believe the earth is flat.” lattes. Yet every time I returned, I faced
ing particularly 2023 about the search In fact, Singh said “a lot more separate questions about whether I was an
rom gaslighting, we have moved to for authenticity. At one time it was a alternate realities exist now than they authentic Indian any more. We fought

F authentic.
Authentic is the Merriam-Web-
ster word for 2023. Gaslighting was the
form of cultural snobbery. I remember
non-resident Indians (NRIs) debating
endlessly about restaurants in the US
did previously because previously the
sources of information that people con-
sumed were pretty similar”. Now that is
for the right to be our authentic selves
to be free of the standard society laid
down for us. But now we have come full
word of the year in 2022. The search for that served authentic Indian food as not true and social media has ramped circle as we realise that authenticity can
authenticity reached new heights this opposed to watered-down versions up the speed of dissemination and con- be its own prison, laying down its own
year. meant for Westerners. Yet the fact is sumption exponentially. At one time, Lakshmanrekha that we cannot cross.
“We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of that sometimes those versions tasted only a powerful state or the Catholic We are in the end hybrid creatures,
authenticity,” Merriam-Webster’s edi- pretty good, inauthentic as they were. Church could conjure up that alternate mixed up in many ways, yet to under-
tor-at-large, Peter Sokolowski, told the In Kolkata, where I live now, food reality. Now someone sitting in their stand there is no one-size-fits-all
Associated Press. “What we realise is that snobs discuss which restaurants offer bedroom can create deepfake videos authenticity. India is as authentic as
when we question authenticity, we authentic Bangladeshi food as opposed that can go viral as authentic. Bharat or Hindustan. Recently, we were
value it even more.” to generic Bengali menus and the sub- We are all in favour of finding our in thick of a family wedding and for
Merriam-Webster does not analyse tle ways in which you can tell the dif- authentic selves but do we really know months there was heated conversation
the reasons why people look up one ference. Authentic handicrafts. when we have found it? about what were authentic must-do
word or the other. But it’s not hard to Authentic textiles. Authentic masala When Alice went down the rabbit Bengali Hindu wedding rituals and
guess why we are anxious about authen- mixes. Authenticity (or rather the abil- hole in Wonderland and kept changing which were inauthentic, optional ones.
ticity these days. Actors Alia Bhatt, Kat- ity to discern it) was a mark of sophisti- size, she wondered at some point, “Who Each side had their own versions and
rina Kaif and Kajol have all fallen prey to cation akin to the skills of a tea taster or in the world am I?” When identity poli- the more people we asked, the more the
deepfakes. A woman with the morphed oenophile. tics gained ground, there was a great rituals kept piling up. More “authentic
face of Bhatt showed up making But the new preoccupation about push for everyone to find their authen- items” kept getting added to the wed-
obscene gestures while deepfake Kajol what is authentic is more about anxiety tic selves. That was the whole point of ding tray list till my sister said we should
was seen changing clothes in front of than skill. In a way, it’s quite fitting that It’s not hard to guess why we are anxious about authenticity these days. ISTOCKPHOTO coming out and Gay Pride, for example. stop asking anyone. I even finally learnt
the camera. ChatGPT has made it hard wordwise we have gone from gaslight- The idea was we didn’t have to keep our how to wear a dhoti so I could pull off
to figure out whether students are turn- ing to authentic. Gaslighting is about and deepfake videos a “big concern” and forwards replaced news outlets as authentic selves in the closet any more. the authentic Bengali babu look.
ing in papers that are really their work. manipulating someone so that they Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar “authentic” sources of news, there was But now we see the flip side of the Eventually, I found myself going to a
While editing a book, a friend discov- question their own sanity or reasoning, has promised to appoint an officer who no going back any more. You can same coin. The liberal cultural police wet fish market and picking up a 3.5kg
ered that an entire chapter was written where someone does something abu- will take action against such con tent. expose one lie but that does not change and its cancel culture, once the pioneers rohu fish dressed as a bride, with a paan
using ChatGPT, complete with authen- sive but then pretends the victim imag- Yet the fact is many politicians all the existing biases out there. of the push towards authenticity, even- stuffed in its mouth and a nose-ring. I
tic-sounding references that didn’t ined it all. It is but a natural progression over the world have thrived by passing What I have begun to only dimly tually became intolerant of everyone don’t even like rohu fish but authentic-
really exist. because once we have been gaslit off fake news as authentic. Former US understand is that you cannot puncture who could not keep up with their stan- ity demanded I do this.
Sports Illustrated magazine carried enough, we obviously lose all sense of president Donald Trump was a master these alternate realities with authentic dards. But is it just as okay then to bring And as we drove across town, balan-
articles by a Drew Ortiz whose bio said, what is authentic and what is not. at dubbing everyone who tried to facts. The alternate reality is more about one’s racist self or casteist self out of the cing that giant rohu precariously on our
“Drew has spent much of his life out- Now many of us are waking up to the debunk his claims as purveyors of fake emotion, feeding the recipient what closet and claim we are just being laps, I felt momentarily that I could pass
doors and is excited to guide you dangers of AI. Even Elon Musk, who dis- news themselves. That in itself was a they want to believe. Trying to pull authentic? In the name of authenticity, off as an authentic Bengali. And then it
through his never-ending list of the best mantled much of the misinformation form of gaslighting too and now we down that edifice by fact-checking is can we excuse songs that exhort their just smelt fishy.
products to keep you from falling to the safeguards that had been put in place on have lost all our bearings. We are rud- tough. Alternate realities coexist even listeners to play loud aggressive Hin-
perils of nature.” Then it turned out Twitter (now X), has urged for a morato- derless boats in a sea of misinformation though we all think we have the same dutva rap right outside a mosque so Cult Friction is a fortnightly column on
Ortiz didn’t really exist and his profile rium on AI development to figure out with no compass since mainstream set of facts. Shivam Shankar Singh, minorities can be shown their place? Or issues we keep rubbing up against. San-
picture can be found for sale on a web- shared safety protocols. Prime Minister media is no longer regarded as any kind co-author of The Art Of Conjuring Alter- peddle misinformation and paranoia in dip Roy is a writer, journalist and radio
site that sells AI-generated headshots. Narendra Modi has called misuse of AI of objective arbiter. Once WhatsApp nate Realities, pointed out in a 2021 the name of education in some host. He posts @sandipr.

REMEMBERING CHANDRIKA MAGO

The senior Mint editor Chandrika’s professionalism had her. Hundreds of errors identified and story. She was the editor and grammar
always been the unflappable and depend- matter-of-factly sent for fixing, often teacher I never had, but desperately
and head of the able bulwark on which we all rested. Her with a solution. And these were the mis- needed. Punctuation is my nemesis, and I
two allegiances were to the story she was takes that had survived her earlier rounds continue to struggle with semicolons and
Lounge desk passed editing, and to the editorial team. Watch- of edits. One mail, about a Satyajit Ray commas. Incidentally, my last message to
away on Wednesday. ing her carefully and meticulously fash-
ion award-worthy features from an
special we were bringing out, made me
smile. In it, she pointed out a misspell-
her was a punctuation-related question:
when and why is a comma added after the
The Lounge team inchoate jumble of words was an awe-in-
spiring experience. Her poise, and a
ing of “Riviera”, a missing film title,
queried the atypical spelling of Dhriti-
conjunction and? Her (unedited)
response, “traditionally never. now, allow
remembers our patient doggedness, was something we man Chaterji. Best of all, she noticed it if it’s a different point/thought and there
could all learn from. Chandrika was not how, in separate pieces about the is scope for the Americans to get confused.
beloved colleague the kind to suffer fools gladly, but if you’d same scene in Charulata (add year, this is their virasat.” Cmag always had the
want to argue—with civility and proof— she would say here), one author had last word.
her eyes would glint with interest, and an written “opera glasses”, the other — Jahnabee Borah
Team Lounge otherwise boring day would turn much ”binoculars”. I mailed back that
more invigorating. they were essentially the same

A
few months back she mes- — Bibek Bhattacharya thing. I know, but it can be con- About 10 years ago, while Chandrika
saged, “Pls make me laugh, fusing, she said. And, of course, was interviewing me for a copy editor’s
having a difficult week”. I she was right. Chandrika was position at Mint, she asked, “Do you like
joked, “Why on a Thurs- For the past five years, Chandrika had always thinking of the reader. going through the dictionary?” Why, in
day?” We put the Lounge been the voice in my head. While writing, When we were read, so was she. the age of Google, would anyone open a
issue to bed on Thursday, and it can get I could hear her asking for a fact to be veri- —Uday Bhatia dictionary, I thought to myself. “Yes,” I
chaotic at times. She replied, “Flurry of fied, tense to be corrected, gaps to be replied, desperate to land the gig. In the
tests not showing great results. Thursday is filled. Under her watchful eye, our pieces following years, I understood what lay
the best day to laugh—hysterically if need didn’t just get better, they bloomed... One Being the most recent inductee to behind her insistence to go back to the
be.” I could imagine her rolling her eyes didn’t just benefit from her expertise on the team and working remotely, miles basics, whether to check spellings or ask
and chuckling to herself. A close friend of the desk, but also from conversations on a from Delhi, means there’s very little I enough questions while reporting. From
hers mentioned that she would get whole range of subjects… It seems unreal know about Chandrika, the individ- her I learnt how to shape complex stories
annoyed if they dropped in on Thursday: to be talking of Chandrika in the past ual, yet there’s quite a bit I know with simple words. She was caring, but
“Don’t you know it’s my production day?” tense; but I know for sure that she will of Chandrika, the editor… A also a tough taskmaster. I always wanted
As if keeping that in mind, she decided to continue to be the voice in my head. question she didn’t hesitate to impress her, even outside work. Once
make her exit on Wednesday morning— — Avantika Bhuyan to ask you also was “What’s I had made halwa and brought it to
ironically, she hated early mornings. The the point of the story?” As office. Chandrika took a bite and said,
night before she had been listening to Dev a journalist, it is a tough “Bring more next time.” I’d promised to
Anand songs—hope you went with a song I joined the Lounge desk a little over question to answer espe- make her blueberry cheesecake. I’m
in your heart. You will be deeply missed. seven months ago and was nervous about cially if it’s an idea you sorry Chandrika, I should have brought
And sorry, you don’t get to ask the question working under the famed Chandrika. But loved but it’s an impor- it sooner.
this time: What’s the story? she was the first person who called me tant question. Because it —Pooja Singh
— Nipa Charagi over the phone and warmly welcomed makes you dig deep, prod
me to the team. From the manner in and arrive at the real reason
A sly, dry sense of humour, a deep love which she worked, it was ages before I why you want to write that She was a constant— steadfast, unwa-
for journalism and the work we did every even knew she was unwell. Her preci- 1,000-word story. … So long, vering, a voice of reason. You could always
day, and a true empathy for young jour- sion, eye for detail, and the way she Chandrika. And thank you for the count on her. In a world of shifting truths
nalists defined Chandrika. Despite her ill- transformed copies astounded me, as lessons. and many masks, this quality of consist-
ness, she had always said she wanted to much as it astounded writers… Aside — Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran ency in a person is so valuable. It was never
work “to the end”, and she did. Alternately from work, Chandrika was also one of the just about fixing the commas.
berating and praising us, she brought kindest people I’ve ever worked with. In —Anindita Ghose
depth, rigour, style and colour to our cop- my mind, I referred to her as the OG of Chandrika was always warm and her
ies, and it would be fair to say that many of the desk, and I don’t think there will be attention to detail was unparalleled. She
the awards Lounge won should have her another one like her. was crucial in my early years at Lounge, as Chandrika is one of the finest editors I
name on them too. I joined the team in the — Dakshayani Kumaramangalam I settled into the team. Every sentence have had the privilege of working with—a
midst of the pandemic; she was already Chandrika rewrote was somehow simpler factchecker extraordinaire with an unpar-
unwell, and her humour and poise were stories, give them a final read, trim a few Her sharp eye meant that she had my, and and made more sense. I’ll forever admire alleled eye for detail. In the frenzied days
an inspiration. Her knowledge was vast— ‘Would Chandrika clear this?’ is a ques- lines. Our newsroom and our lives will be more importantly, my story’s back…. It how she continued to work despite her running up to the launch of Mint, she was
she had worked as a reporter, covering tion I will carry in my head every day of so much poorer for her loss. wasn’t just the writer in me that Chandrika diagnosis and the strenuous treatment ever approachable and always had time to
various ministries and beats, under multi- my writing life…. We argued endlessly— — Shrabonti Bagchi shaped, she got me thinking like an edi- sessions that followed. Chandrika, I’ll mentor young reporters. Her mails with a
ple editors in different newsrooms, and over the use of italics for Indian words, tor…. Chandrika, for the warmth, the always hold on to our conversations. We long list of questions were legendary (and
had wide-ranging interests. She drew over the necessity of this or that para- humour, the many bits of bolded text and will all miss you. irksome, at times), but looking back now,
from all this to form her opinions, to give graph. There were no cut corners with There hasn’t been a week in my time in question marks—thank you. — Nitin Sreedhar it was this commitment to exacting stan-
advice—only when it was sought—that Chandrika; no loose ends... She was Mint that I didn’t dread receiving Chan- — Vangmayi Parakala dards and attention to detail that have
was always on point yet never didactic. patient and relentless, and taught us a val- drika’s edits on a story... Only Chandrika shaped Lounge into what it is today. Mint
And she would roll her eyes and sigh at the uable lesson—that creativity requires dis- could send me into an existential crisis over A question I dreaded from Chandrika still swears by the Style Book she put
grammar as well as the excess of emotion cipline. As we put this issue together, it a sentence with her “ok so?”, or “mean- In the aftermath of Chandrika’s pass- was, “On what basis are you saying this?” together when we launched the paper. We
on this page. felt bizarre to not get emails from Cmag, ing?”. But it was this level of matchless ing (she’d have insisted on “Mago’s pass- Now, it has become second nature for me will greatly miss her.
— Shalini Umachandran as we called her, asking us to check our meticulousness that saved many stories. ing”), I looked through my emails from to use it as a filter for every passage in a — Ravi Krishnan
06 SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi COVER

WALK UP AN Winter is the time for some outstanding food walks in India, combining history, heritage and a lov

TAVERNA AND TRIBAL

TALES FROM GOA
Joanna Lobo

O
nce upon a time, Goa’s tavernas were popular chill-out spots. It’s
where people gathered to have a cop (shot) of urrak and feni,
exchange gossip and news about the village, and perhaps, bet a little.
These tavernas served different clientele at different locations across the
state. Today, a few tavernas exist, having fallen by the wayside in the surge
towards development and modernity.
Yet, they are still places worth visiting for a feel of the Goa of yore.
In 2019, experiential travel company, Soul Travelling launched a Secret
Food & Taverna Trail in Panaji, aimed at telling stories of these tavernas. “We
wanted to create a pub crawl but with a side of Goan culture,” says
co-founder, Varun Hegde.
The offshoot of this is a taverna trail, customised to only include tavernas,
and includes visits to about five such places. Each of them has some story to
narrate—there’s one known for serving only one dish, xacuti; another has
different varieties of feni; yet another has been ren-
The Tribal Food ovated into a modern pub that has bookmarked its
Trail in place as the city’s most popular tourist spot. “It’s not
Canacona offers just a pub crawl. We tell you stories, organise fun
activities like ‘guess the flavour of feni’ or make a
an introduction cocktail, and you can even speak to the owners and
to Goa’s Velip learn about their history,” adds Hegde.
community There’s good food to be found everywhere in
Goa, even deep in the forest. Down south, Soul
Travelling conducts another tour that introduces
people to a different kind of history, that of a tribal community.
The Tribal Food Trail in Canacona is a half-day experience (on enquiry
only) that offers an introduction to Goa’s Velip community. The bonus: it
happens deep in the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. There, you are introduced
to a proud member of the Velip community who offers your breakfast, with a
side of history. Later, you take a walk in the forest to see some sacred groves,
and forage for roots and wild vegetables. If conducted in the monsoon, you
even get to go fish at a nearby stream. Once back from your walk, you will
learn how to make simple dishes like donne (steamed rice sweet). Lunch is a
treat containing local rice, aamil (ragi porridge), karanda (air potatoes),
bhakri, chirko (guinea arrowroot) and more.
“Initially, this trail was meant to be about Canacona. But, when we met
Devidas from the Velip, we realised he had so many stories to tell, and he was
so proud of his identity…we thought about sharing it with others,” adds
Hegde. Though focused on food, you also get to learn about the community’s
farming practices, and local crafts.
The Taverna Trail costs ₹2,199 plus GST per person; Tribal Food Trail costs
₹2,499 plus GST per person. Contact www.soultravelling.in

Joanna Lobo is a Goa-based journalist.

LUCKNOW WITH ANUBHUTI

A PIECE OF THE REAL LUCKNOW

Shrabonti Bagchi chaat and kebab trail. The next day, there’s more food and history: the Bada
[email protected] and Chhota Imambaras, Residency and other parts of old Lucknow, a tradi-
tional Lucknavi breakfast of kachori, aloo, dahi-jalebi and lassi. On the last

T
hese are the things I would plan for you if you were my house guest and evening, there is a baithak with music and memories at a Lucknow resident’s
I wanted to show you Lucknow,” says Anubhuti Krishna about home followed by a dinner of more kebabs and kormas.
the two-day walking tour of Lucknow, involving both “Most of our guests are from other cities, so we try to find the
food and history, that she and her husband Debashish Kar lesser known places, and try to show them the real Lucknow
have been organising in the city of her birth. A travel writer through the lens of someone who grew up here. We take
(whose words have often appeared in Lounge), Krishna them to five different places for kebabs, for instance,
started organising the tour on a whim earlier this year, where each place specialises in one particular kind of
taking her first group of tourists around Lucknow in kebab,” says Krishna. “We know where to find the best
June after announcing it on her Instagram. Despite paani ke batashe or malai makkhan… which street cor-
keeping it low-key and the intense summer heat, 18 peo- ner has a vendor selling roasted singhara (water chest-
ple showed up—some locals and others coming from out nuts) in winter, who makes the best paan.”
of town. Now, it has become a fixture every couple of The tour includes some shopping as well: visits to chik-
months, and slots get filled up quickly. “We try not to take ankari stores and one of the oldest perfumers in the city—
more than 15-16 people in each group, deliberately keeping Sugandhco in Ameenabad, which is over 150 years old. Ram
it small and intimate,” says Krishna. Asrey Sweets, a 200-year-old mithai shop, makes the best
The first day’s activities are concentrated around Hazratganj, malai paan in the city, Krishna believes, and guests almost
the bustling heart of Lucknow, beginning at the General Post Office always carry away boxes of laddoos and packets of namkeen. “The
and Philately Museum and including chai-samosa breaks and a traditional attempt is to make sure you take away a piece of Lucknow with you after the
home-style Lucknavi lunch at a resident’s home, made using 200-year-old tour—and it doesn’t have to be something physical,” says Krishna.
recipes. In the evening, Krishna and Kar meet the group at the St Joseph’s The two-day tour costs ₹7,500, inclusive of meals. The ‘baithak’ is optional
Cathedral and take them on an architecture walk of the area, followed by a and costs ₹1,500. Contact Instagram.com/lucknowwithanubhuti/ A break for biriyani during
the Old Lucknow walk

HIC HIC HISTORY OF DRINKS IN MUMBAI

Jahnabee Borah Gandhi to Gangsters, also by Sarkar. This one unpacks Mumbai’s prohibition era,
[email protected] underground establishments, and gangsters who rose to power on the back of the
illegal liquor trade. Centered around the Dhobi Talao precinct, it starts at Metro

A
sweltering evening is not ideal for a walking tour of the maximum city, but Cinema and fittingly ends near the office of the commissioner of police.
a group of about 10 were ready, coffee in hand. We were led by drinks I lived in this area about 20 years ago and never once suspected that it could
writer Priyanko Sarkar (who has written for Lounge on occasion) through have a link to the city’s alcohol history. In the 1950s and
the tree-covered lanes of dockyard in Colaba, bustling roads of Fort and the his- The so-called 1960s, it became famous for the so-called “aunty bars”
toric Taj Hotel that overlooks the sea, making multiple pit-stops as Sarkar aunty bars were during prohibition. As the name suggests, these places
explained the connecting themes: alcohol, cocktails and Mumbai’s ice trade. The were run by women whose husbands were out at sea on
Popular weekend walk, Past Forward, explores the history of alcohol and water in run by women cargo ships, or were unemployed. The wives took on the
Mumbai, and while the city is filled with heritage and food walks, this is the only whose responsibility of earning an income by opening their tiny
one that spotlights Mumbai’s alcohol story. On the walk we learned, for instance, husbands were houses to people from all walks of life and served them
that the oldest licensed bar in the city is the Harbour Bar at The Taj. It has a cock- out at sea drinks, usually made from scratch at home. Sarkar
tail, From The Harbour, that was created in 1933 by an American who wanted to emphasised while there are many popular modern bars
commemorate the end of the prohibition era in his country with a stiff drink. The that feature drinks from the prohibition era in America,
Priyanko Sarkar starts walk ends on a high note at Colaba’s Smoke House Deli with a drink, Cool Your there are none that represent Mumbai’s socioeconomic connection with alcohol.
the Past Forward walk Sol, a cocktail created by Sarkar in collaboration with the restaurant; a refreshing Now, that’s an idea that can stir conversations and new menus.
at Flora Fountain. gin-based drink made with cucumber cordial. Past Forward costs ₹1,250 and includes a special cocktail, Gandhi To Gangsters
Intrigued by this experience, I signed up for another alcohol-focused walk, costs ₹800. Contact Priyanko Sarkar on Instagram @priyanko.
R STORY SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 07

N APPETITE
ve of food, put together by a bunch of passionate storytellers. Lounge takes you on a virtual tour

SIBENDU DAS

SAVOURING ‘KEBABS’
IN OLD DELHI
Nitin Sreedhar
[email protected]

W
hat is it about kebabs and old Delhi? No one has a definite answer.
I recently joined Anubhav Sapra, founder of the tourism com-
pany Delhi Food Walks, on a special kebab trail from Sui Walan
near Jama Masjid to Chawri Bazar. Sapra says this niche walk is enjoyed best
during Ramzan and winter months. “The vibe and feel during Ramzan is dif-
ferent,” adds Sapra, referring to the numerous delicacies on offer during the
holy month.
After an e-rickshaw ride from the Chawri Bazaar Metro station, we disem-
bark in front of Jama Masjid. While most other shops are closed for the day,
the streets are now lined with tandoor grills, dry fruit stalls, attar sellers and
As part of the walk, you don’t just taste sweets, you also get to meet the owners neon light shop signs that illuminate this cauldron of food in Old Delhi.
of the shops and the artisans, who craft these desserts We make our way through the crowded Matia Mahal road to reach our
first stop: Kaley Baba Kabab Waley, located in Sui Walan. Their speciality is
the sutli seekh kebab— just ₹15 for one seekh— that is tied with a thin piece of

ON A HERITAGE string to hold the soft meat together. Hold the kebab from one end and the
other piece just rolls down the string, performing almost a pirouette on to
your plate. As a sign of goodwill, shop owner Naseemuddin refuses to take

‘MISHTI’ TRAIL any money from us. People are always warm in this part of the city—a com-
mon theme during the walk.
There are kebabs shops on every corner—some in
Avantika Bhuyan
This is a niche spaces where only the kebabchi (the person who
‘kebab’ walk cooks them) and the grill can fit in. Babu Bhai
[email protected] Kabab Wale, in Chitli Qabar, is one such modest
enjoyed best shop where you get kebabs for just ₹30 a plate. The
during Ramzan curd-based chutney elevates the taste here, along
N
ovember brings with it a slight nip in the air of Kolkata—perfect to
embark on long walks through the city. For those interested in his- and winter with a splash of butter.
tory, there are enough old baris (houses) and paras (neighbourhoods) months Butter is a key ingredient at Aslam Chicken, in
to explore. However, one interesting way to view Kolkata’s heritage is Matia Mahal, renowned for its butter chicken. But
through the lens of its mishti, or sweets. You could visit centuries-old shops their chicken seekh kebab is a revelation. “We use all
such as Girish Ch Dey and Nakur Ch Nandy, which has been doling out a natural ingredients in our kebab,” says Arbaaz Khan, who is part of the family
variety of sandesh since 1844, or head to Maa Kali Mistanna Bhandar in Nak- that owns the restaurant. “Green chilli, yellow chilli, homemade spices and
tala for a really good gajwa—a kind of bhaja mishti, or fried dessert. chicken keema—that’s it,” says Khan, as I taste the kebabs that sit on top of a
While a simple visit would yield sweet results too, you would be deprived golden layer of butter. Four pieces of their chicken seekh kebab cost ₹200.
of the many stories and secrets of these desserts and their makers. That’s Quantity and quality differ. Another shop for kebabs here, says Sapra, is
where Sibendu Das steps in. A content consultant with a real estate firm, he Qureshi Kabab Corner on the main Jama Masjid road. “The amount of meat
has been chronicling culinary stories and lesser-known food practices from and quality is value for money,” adds Sapra. We go off track here to try the
across Bengal on his Instagram account, Pickle to Pilaf. The Heritage Mishti fish kebab, made of surmai fish; it costs ₹280 for four pieces.
Trail, which he started last year, is an extension of this study. Our last stop is Sangam Kabab Corner, located on Gali Qasimjan, opposite
In November last year, Das did his first commercial the Hamdard Dawakhana of Lal Kuan. Their succulent buff kebabs sell for ₹15
Joseph Bar is an important pit- mishti walk. The first season of the walks, con- per piece. Shoprunner Adil pairs them with a fiery green chutney and a dash
stop on the Secret Food & Taverna ducted on weekends during winter, lasted till of lemon. Demand is high, even for a weekday. People show up to buy the
Trail in Panaji COURTESY SOUL TRAVELLING April, and he has just embarked on the second kebabs in bulk. Adil sets up shop around 6pm. By 11pm, they are out of kebabs.
season. The kebab trail costs ₹2,500 per person and includes all the food on the walk.
He takes participants to some of the old- Contact Anubhav Sapra @delhifoodwalks on Instagram.
est parts of Kolkata, which are not always NITIN SREEDHAR

accessible by vehicle. “We hop across

neighbourhoods in Kolkata in a car, park
somewhere and then walk around in the
locality,” says Das. The trail usually starts
early, between 7.30-8 am, with a hearty
breakfast at Mejda-r Dokan, Notun Bazaar, so

Tripping on food that you don’t feel heavy and saturated from all
the mishti to follow later in the day.
So, he doesn’t just take you to sweet shops but also to
markets that the mishti makers buy ingredients such as milk, chhana, khoya
From Jodhpur to Amritsar, famous from. “There is a fourth ingredient, which isn’t discussed as much—safeda,
or what Bengalis call sobeda atta. I have grown up hearing chikoo being called
food walks from across the country sobeda in Bengal. So, when I heard of sobeda atta, I thought it was made from
the fruit. But when I went to the market, I realised that this flour, used as a
Jodhpur Heritage Walk: Takes you through the lanes binding agent, was a combination of rice flour, semolina, and more,”
and markets of the Old City of Jodhpur, including the explains Das. During the walk, you get to interact with the suppliers and hear
famous “blue city” around the Mehrangarh Fort. Includes their stories. For instance, you get a glimpse of the chhana network. Suppli-
hunting down ghee ki kachori and other savoury snacks. ers from different districts of Bengal make chhana with fresh milk in the
For more: Jodhpurheritagewalk.com morning and get it to the city via the suburban railway network.
While scheduled walks are priced at ₹1,500 per person (inclusive of vehicle
fare), the cost of the customised walks differs from group to group. For details, Qureshi Kabab Corner, located on the main Jama Masjid road, is known for its
Dehradun Food Walk: Dehradun’s culinary history has call 8910449981 mutton ‘seekh’ and fish ‘kebabs’.
been influenced by varied cuisines such as Pahari,
Afghani, British and food from the plains of Uttar Pra-
desh, as this walk through Paltan Bazaar, the heart of
Dehradun city, proves.
For more: Beentheredoonthat.org/dehra-food-walk

Cantonment Snack Walk, Pune: The cantonment area

of Pune, popularly known as “Camp”, is a true urban
melting pot. Explore the different food cultures of Camp
SCENES FROM A NIGHT MARKET
with vada pav, mutton cutlet, Ardeshir’s soda, bun maska COURTESY GULLY TOURS

and bun maska jam, dhokla chat, chicken and vegetable Shrabonti Bagchi
sandwiches and more. [email protected]
For more: Thewesternroutes.com

T
he sun has gone down by the time the tour begins at the ancient
Anjaneya Temple on the tautologically named Avenue Road in Benga-
Amritsar Food Trail: Visit handpicked street food luru—going by local legend, it was built by Kempe Gowda I, the
heroes like Kulwant Kulchian Wala, Gurdass Ram Jalebi founder of Bengaluru, and could be over 400 years old. It’s 6.30pm, but the
Wala, and the famous Kesar da Dhaba on this walking day’s business doesn’t show any signs of winding down in the Pete,
tour of Amritsar. the city’s oldest commercial district. We are on a walking tour
For more: Amritsarheritagewalk.com called Pete By Night, a 2.5km-stroll through the busiest hive
of shopping lanes in Bengaluru, with entire streets dedi-
cated to rows of shops selling only one thing—fabric,
‘Ghee ki kachori’ and other utensils, jewellery, flowers, fruits and vegetables—orga-
snacks at a Jodhpur market nised by local travel experience company Gully Tours.
JODHPUR HERITAGE WALK
The Pete area has been cosmopolitan for centuries,
as merchants and artisans from across India came here
to work. This is reflected in the street food as well; for
instance, in the Bengali sweet shops catering to jewellers
from West Bengal who settled here decades ago. One of
the first food stops we make is a vada pav stall in Anchepet, Bengaluru’s Pete area has been cosmopolitan for centuries.
which our guide Parvathi Bhat uses to tell us about the Maha-
rashtrian influence in the area. Our next stop is the State Bank of stopped for dosas at the popular darshini Lakshmi Natraja
Mysore building—constructed in 1923 at what was initially the loca- Refreshments; thick, dry-fruit laden shakes at Shyam Mishra Juice
tion of a lunatic asylum. Over the next couple of hours, we are immersed in Centre; and snacked on jalebis from a thela. Even for a hardened Bengalu-
the history of the city via its buildings like Mohan Building, built in 1909 by rean, this is a side of the city seldom seen come alive through masterful story-
businessman Haji Sir Ismail Sait, with textile shops and warehouses; Chick- telling.
pet’s Rukmini Hall, a sari store established in 1942; and end up back on Ave- The Pete By Night walk from Gully Tours costs ₹999 and includes all food on
nue Road to visit the The Rice Memorial Church. Along the way, we have the tour. Contact www.Gully.tours
08 SaTurDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi TASTE

FRATELLI WINES CHHEDARG

CHEESE FROM A VINEYARD
This is a unique cheese made in Fratelli
LAFOLIE’S vineyards. It ‘s a “chhedarg” that blends two
THE BERRY cheeses (cheddar and cornish yarg). Each
block is wrapped in Sangiovese leaves and
GOOD BAR matured for up to five months. The smokey
A PARTY GIFT notes will go well with a variety of drinks.
This is the kind of Priced at ₹450 for 150g. To buy, visit
chocolate that’s best fratelliwines.in.
reserved as a return
present. LaFolie’s The
Berry Good Bar is a
luxurious
combination of
Guatemalan and
Kerala chocolate. The
silky smooth texture
is punctuated with
strawberries, On the Dooars tea trail through Alipurdar. ANIRBAN DUTTA
raspberries and wild ELEFTHERIA
blueberries. For “live-
BRUNOST CHEESE
rs” (cue in the viral
videos of Orry), this is A CHEESE WITH TOP HONOURS
TEA NANNY
the perfect giveaway. Last month, homegrown cheese brand
Priced at ₹330 for
60g. To buy, visit
lafolie.in.
Eleftheria was crowned a winner at the
World Cheese Awards third year in a row.
It’s a Norwegian-style whey cheese,
named Brunost, that almost tastes like a
Dooars and the
mithai with a rich texture akin to mawa,
hint of sourness and a bit of jaggery-like
sweetness. Priced at ₹400 for 150g. To
buy, visit eleftheriacheese.com
Aberforth of tea
Aravinda Anantharaman

I
am drinking a strong CTC from the Dooars, in north Ben-

The party pantry

gal, this week, made by a small tea farmer, unbranded, but
Welcome the month fresh from the factory. It brews a potent cup if I don’t watch
how long it steeps. If I didn’t know it was from the Dooars, I
of celebrations by would have assumed these dark granules were from Assam.
For those familiar with Harry Potter—I am thinking of the
stocking up on bit when Harry meets Elphias Doge at Bill and Fleur’s wed-
ding. Albus Dumbledore has died and Doge has written an
premium wines, craft

of December
obituary. Doge tells Harry he certainly knew Dumbledore the
longest, pausing to add: “That is if you don’t count his brother,
chocolates and award- Aberforth. And somehow, people never do seem to count
winning cheeses Aberforth.”
The Dooars remind me of Aberforth—somehow we never
seem to include it enough when we speak of tea regions in
India and the tea they produce. So close to Darjeeling and
Assam, nearly as old, producing so much tea…surely it has a
story that needs telling.
SULA’S THE SOURCE TEQUILA ROSE STRAW- First the name. Dooars, from dwar marking its entryway to
WELCOME DRINK Bhutan, this region lies east of the Teesta river and runs along
The Source Sauvignon Blanc Reserve by BERRY CREAM LIQUEUR a 350km stretch, much of which (about 97,000 hectares) is
Sula is aged in oak for complexity and TEQUILA FOR DESSERT covered in tea. Because of its elevation—sub-5,000ft—it has
foregrounded with pleasant aromatics. This is a delightful cream liqueur been planted with the Assamica tea cultivar. And when the
Its tropical citrus notes pair well with all with strawberry and tequila. CTC machinery came into play in the 1950s, the Dooars took
kinds of cheese. Priced at ₹1,195 for 750ml Drink it like a shot, drizzle it over up CTC tea production and now, nearly all tea made here is
(in Mumbai). ice cream and brownies, or mix CTC. This means all the leaf goes into machines that crush,
it up with cocktails. The flavour tear, wither, oxidise and curl it until it emerges as dark, even
profile and mouthfeel are granules. Unfortunately, this also means Dooars tea is made
similar to a rose milk shake. and sold as a commodity, a bulk tea that is bought and blended
Whether a guest nurses just one with Assam tea—the Dooars add more body to the cup and also
drink through the party or help keep prices down.
prefers a liquid diet, the Like Assam, the workers were also brought from the hinter-
indulgent liqueur will appeal to land and have created a unique culture. Like Assam, change
all. Priced ₹4,800 for 700ml (in is under way here as large estates shrink in numbers, nudged
Mumbai). aside with the proliferation of small holdings and stand-alone
factories. The estates that are still standing, like Goodricke
Groups Leesh River, or Rydak Syndicates’s Baradighi estate
VINA SAN that offer tea tourism, carry an old legacy, some producing fine
tea but a rare find in the market. The Dooars have just never
PEDRO SIDERAL been marketed or sold as a single-origin tea.
SUBKO’S COATED A WHOLESOME RED
This is a red wine that
On my bucket list is the Dooars Tea Heritage Trail, which
includes tea history, visits to some of the oldest plantations
CHOCOLATE really brings the party here, walks and factory tours. Anirban Dutta, who curates that
SPICING IT UP home. The Chilean walk (₹7,500, himalayanalchemytravel.in), recommends the
Subko’s Podi Milk blend, named Sideral, Dooars as an antidote to the crowded upper north Bengal and
Chocolate has a mouthful of also for its history, “not just tea but also a lot of tribal history”.
Almonds is a desi grapes: Cabernet
version of spiced Sauvignon, Syrah, TEA TAKES
Mexican chocolate. Carménère, Petit Some of the storied estates from here retail direct from gar-
It combines Verdot and Cabarnet den, making it possible to buy Dooars tea today. Try Jayshree
mulagapodi or franc. The dry-style Tea, Manjushree Tea Store, Gopaldhara India, and Teas from
gunpowder with cacao vino has mature tannins India’s Delightful Dooars collection.
from Kerala and roasted and a smooth finish. Priced
almonds. Priced at ₹795 for at ₹8,750 for 750ml (in Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series steeped in the world of
250g at subko.coffee. Mumbai). tea. Aravinda Anantharaman is a Bengaluru-based tea blog-
ger and writer who reports on the tea industry. She posts
@AravindaAnanth1.
Compiled by Jahnabee Borah.

From Hanoi to Chennai, the crunch of banana stem

ISTOCKPHOTO

The inner core of trees It was here, in the summer of 2018, that usual flat rice noodles.
I had my first taste of the country’s Another place I saw hearts of palm
like banana and palm is uncrowned national dish of mohinga. standing in as a vegan substitute for a sea-
used to create nutrient- Besides containing an entire kitchen cabi- food dish is in Brazil. Here, the popular
net’s worth of ingredients like rice noo- vegan, coconut milk-based stew moqueca
rich dishes in many food dles, shredded cat fish, shrimp paste, the de palmito is made with cubes of hearts of
cultures across the world lemongrass and turmeric-redolent broth
of this comforting fish noodle soup has
palm replacing prawns in the orange-hued
moqueca de camarão. Interestingly, both
chopped bits of banana stem for that iterations also feature another derivative
Raul Dias crunch factor. of the palm tree in the form of the almost
This, in turn, teleported me to my year neon-orange coloured, thick dende oil.

F
ood memories and their domino of living and working in Chennai in
effect on my thoughts always seem 2011-12. I remembered making my way RED FLAGS
fascinating: Each link of the culinary through the meandering gullies of Rajaji Sadly, the superfood status accorded to
chain trigger sights, smells, textures and Salai, or First Line Beach, in the commer- the hearts of palm, especially those har-
tastes of a similar one in the past. This hap- cial hub of the city called Parry’s Corner to vested from single-stalked palm trees like
pened to me a few months ago as I sat reach a spot called Burma Bazaar for my the coconut and sabal palm, has lead to
down on a rickety plastic stool at a food weekly fix of a very similar soup. Vazhait- their cores, a.k.a. hearts of palm. major worldwide deforestation and
stall in Hanoi’s chaotic Dong Xuan Market handu, or banana stem, soup is said to be Used in cooking since the time of the destructive monocultures. This is because
for a mid-day snack. I soon learned that in a local, vegetarian adaptation of mohinga Mayans, this is another superfood that is harvesting the core from a palm tree with
Vietnam, the crunchy inner core of the that the Burmese refugees who populated taking the modern culinary world by only one stalk means the entire plant dies.
banana tree stem is an essential compo- this area of Chennai brought with them storm. With similar benefits to banana In Brazil, which was once both the larg-
nent of the fresh-herbs-and-veggies plate when they fled that country in the 1940s. Palm hearts; and (right) sliced banana stems. stem, hearts of palm are also an excellent est producer and consumer of hearts of
that accompanies the utterly delicious The soup is rich in fibre and low in carbs source of potassium, and rich in nutrients, palm, illegal harvesting of the single-
northern crab-and-noodle soup called and fat. The juice of the banana stem in vazhaithandu thoran (banana stem tem- into little pieces and mixed with onions, while at the same time being low in carbs, stalked juçara palm (a cousin of the other
bun rieu cua. raw form is said to be good for weight loss, pered and garnished with coconut) are garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and fat, and sodium. superfood açaí) has run rampant across
and the treatment of high blood pressure very popular. In Bengali cuisine, the stem fenugreek seeds. Meats like duck and pork Much like artichoke hearts and water the country, leading to the almost extinc-
INSIDE STORY and kidney stones. This is because it is rich is called thor and can be found in thor-er are also cooked with banana stem for addi- chestnuts, hearts of palm are imbued tion of this particular palm. Nowadays,
Biting into the toothsome, snow-white in minerals like iron, potassium and vita- ghonto or banana stem sabzi as well as the tional textural and taste. with a tender, crunchy texture and mild multi-stalked palms like the more sustain-
disks of the blanched banana stem took min B6, making it a veritable superfood. mustard oil and mustard paste enhanced taste, which makes them a perfectly mal- able peach palm grown in Costa Rica,
me back, not just to Butuan in the Phil- In both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, thor chechki. EATS SHOOTS AND STALKS leable addition to salads, stir-fries, and Ecuador and South-East Asia are the most
ippines, where it is added to a chicken the banana stem is put to good use. In In Assam, kol posola is a popular dish Grown mostly deep in the forests—from pasta dishes. At Veganerie Concept, a popular varieties.
stew called binanihan, but also to the Tamil Nadu, dishes such asvazhaithandu prepared with the inner part of banana South America to Asia—many palm tree vegan restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, I
faded grandeur of Yangon’s Rangoon poriyal (a type of stir-fry), vazhaithandu shoots. The banana stem’s bark is peeled varieties (like peach palm, coconut palm, recently enjoyed a pad thai made of rib- Raul Dias is a Mumbai-based food and
Tea House. kootu (banana stem cooked with lentils), off and the tender core section is chopped açaí palm, and sabal palm) are prized for bons of the hearts of palm instead of the travel writer.
 STYLE SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 09

THE PERKS
OF A GOOD
HAIRSTYLE
Be it the supermodel blowout, or mermaid hair,
it’s all about contouring with the right layers
COURTESY INSTAGRAM/SHRADDHAKAPOOR

Trends THAT WILL RULE

Actor Shraddha Kapoor; and (below) model Emily Ratajkowski.

Dhara Vora Sabhnani

U
nderpainting like model Hailey Bieber or contouring like entrepreneur
Huda Kattan, and chiselling your face with the help of make-up isn’t every-
one’s cup of tea. Fortunately, a flattering haircut and colour can do an
equally good job of enhancing your cheekbones and jawline, and framing your
forehead.

in 2024
In fact, this year’s trendy haircuts are all layered contour cuts for every face
shape. Be it the layered 1990s’ supermodel blowout, facing framing fringes from
the 1970s or even mermaid hair, this year has been all about contouring with the
right layers, regardless of the era the hairstyle originates from. Here are some
tricks and tips to help you:

CuRLY VS STRAIGHT
Long straight hair may look more beautiful but it can also be shapeless and unfor-
COURTESY INSTAGRAM/
MISHO giving, dragging down your features, says Audrey D’Souza, the national creative
director at Lakme Salon. “By breaking the length with some shorter pieces around
Experts predict ing and refinement. the face or a long, grown-out fringe, we can make the hair sweep out over the fore-
Shivan Bhatiya, founder and head to frame the eyes and have sections that curve around the ears to accentuate
fashion and head designer at label Shivan & your cheekbones.”
Narresh, says fashion has Statement-making cuts will do all the work and require low-maintenance styl-
accessories trends for undergone a significant trans- ing, according to Megha Sonawane, creative stylist at Looks Salon, Mumbai.
formation, moving from extrav- classic styles and designs. “There are ample options like shaggy layers, blunt fringe and retro styles…. We
the forthcoming year, agant and loud runways to a are doing updates on vintage bobs, bangs GETTY IMAGES

from playful layering focus on functionality.

“The shift towards muted
SHINE IN STYLE
Gold and metallics will enjoy their
and long cuts. Layers can give life to curls,
especially for short styles. Add lots of lay-
to chunky jewellery tones and simple silhouettes is moment in the sun. Designer Payal ers and a voluminous set of bangs for
now prevalent in global fashion Singhal says: “Chunky jewellery—a curly hair, whatever you think of fringes,
trends. While this mood may not nod to the 1990s—like hoop ear- curly hair hairstyles go well with front
Manish Mishra entirely translate to India, where rings, jewellery with coloured ringlets, especially when you need to bal-
vibrant styles persist, there’s a stones will be a major trend. ance your bone structure or direct atten-

I
f 2023 saw a return to refined noticeable trend towards func- Besides, revival of chokers and tied tion to your eyes,” says Sonawane.
glamour, quiet luxury and a tional silhouettes and ‘it’ bags,” neckpieces (leather straps with For fine straight hair, a blunt haircut is
pared down take on sensuality, he says. beads or flowers at the neck) the way to go. Excessive layers will only
then 2024 will see a continuation will be seen.” cause fine hair to look thinner, so resist the
of these trends with fresh MIx IT uP wITH LAYERS urge to get choppy layers, says Sonawane.
updates. Of late, the minimal and mildly Fashion in 2024 is likely to be a MICRO SHORTS She suggests keeping all the layered
grunge 1990s and Y2K eras have made a toss-up between nostalgia of the GALORE weight at the bottom for your hair to
comeback, in the shape of slip dresses, 1990s, made popular by fashion- Short shorts are everywhere appear thicker and fuller. “Blunt cuts look
cashmere twin sets as well as leather micro conscious Gen Zers, and the desire and in 2024, they are likely to amazing on straight hair but don’t be
shorts seen across luxury and high street to wear garments and accessories be a go-to separate for celebri- afraid to add a slight wave to enhance tex-
labels. Experts, including designers and that look edgy and contemporary. ties and stylists. ture and movement,” she says.
stylists, observe that these two decades Designer Nachiket Barve says: From Versace and Gucci to D’Souza likes to create a little root lift at
will dominate the coming year too. What’s “Monochrome, transparent mate- Ferragamo, Fendi and Isabel the parting and crown to enhance the
more, sheercore, which has been a key rials and sculpted volume will be Marant “legs for days” seems to shape of the cut and your cheekbones.
trend since 2021, will take centre stage important for the coming season. be the trend for spring-summer “All hair textures are unique and need to
next year as well, with designers continu- Long silhouettes and layering will 2024 for the coming year,” says be cut and styled differently as per the
ing to style naked dresses appliquéd with be key. And we will see many more acces- (clockwise, from above) Chunky stylist Priyanka Yadav. face shape. Enhancing the natural tex-
3D ornamentation. sories with a futuristic vibe.” jewellery by Misho; Goyard’s iconic tures will frame the face and contour it
We asked some designers and stylists to Dé Trunk bag; from 2023 shows of DENIM AND VELVET well,” she says.
share their thoughts on what trends will VINTAGE IS EVERGREEN Hermes, Louis Vuitton; Shivan & REDux According to D’Souza, contouring can
continue in the new year: In 2024, there will be a resurgence of vin- Narresh and Valentino. Velvet twinsets and denim sepa- be done with hair colour as well. “Hair
tage styles in ready-to-wear, with a mod- rates have rarely gone out of style colour for contour combines dark and
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND REfINED ern twist, particularly influenced by the GO Off-KILTER and it looks like they will continue light shades to highlight your best fea-
Creative director Sabato De Sarno at 1970s and 1990s. In terms of accessories, expect the to be part of the 2024 closet as tures and give it a 3D effect. This tech-
Gucci brought back the old school luxe However, these will be re-imagined unexpected. “Bold, oversized well . “We will see denim and nique is a combination of free-hand appli-
synonymous with the brand’s Tom Ford through a contemporary lens. Designer pieces will dominate, velvet being re-imagined cation and careful positioning of depth
era for his spring-summer 2024 collec- Nupur Kanoi sees high-waisted trousers, whether in the form in fun and experimental and definition around the face. The
tion. From logo-ed leather pencil skirts to flared jeans and oversized blazers, offering of chunky boots or ways,” says Singhal. darker section of your hair gives the face a slimming effect whereas the high-
cocktail coats accented with delicate frin- a blend of comfort and style for people of statement jewel- Think about lighted strands help to define the best features of the face,” she explains.
ges—there was a nod to simplicity, detail- all ages. lery. There will be having more
AFP a newfound embellish- STYLE IT RIGHT
appreciation for ments, a range Face-framing layers are one of the most flattering, slimming haircuts that not only
artisanal, hand- of embroidery contour the cheekbones but also the jawline, says D’Souza.
crafted items, and even cut- For thin, long hair, long layers add volume and allow flexibility while styling.
representing a outs. “Ask your hairdresser for long layers at the back and smooth, graded layers to
move towards frame the face. You can balance the layers with long bangs that can be styled to
individuality PEEKAbOO either side or straight,” says Sonawane.
and away from DETAILS Consider your personal style when choosing layers, though. Long layers that
mass production,” Skin is likely to blend with one another look smooth and sleek, while a long shag hairstyle looks
explains Kanoi. be in. Brands like more undone and messy. A short haircut is great for virtually any face shape, says
Coperni, Chloe, Courreges Sonawane, as it can highlight your features and create depth and dimension on
1990S AND Y2K RuLE and Jil Sander paved the way for thicker hair types.
From crop tops and baggy jeans to cutout detailing in their spring-sum- “Short hair works for all hair types and textures, and they lift up the face. There
vibrant colours and bold patterns, mer 2024 collections and more brands are so many ways to style a short hairstyle whether you are in for a bob, lob, shag
these iconic styles are here to stay. are following suit. Fringes will also con- or pixie cut,” says Sonawane.
“It’s not just about reviving these tinue to rule the coming months. “Lus- Curly face-framing pieces, on the other hand, create a shadow that can make
trends, it’s about reinterpreting them in a cious, tactile and statement-making tas- your cheeks look super sculpted, says D’Souza. If you are scared to chop it
way that resonates with the current times. sels and fringes will continue to enjoy short, she says that the “fail-safe style that snatches the face but still gives hair
So, while we are borrowing from the past, their moment in the sun,” adds Yadav. that texture is a slicked back messy bun that was also seen all over the ramps
we are also looking forward to the future this season.”
of fashion,” says Kanoi, adding that more Manish Mishra is a Delhi-based writer
brands will continue to experiment with and content creator. Dhara Vora Sabhnani is a Mumbai-based journalist.
10 SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi ZOOM

Kurukulla
dancing in her Bodhisattva
mountain grotto: Manjushri
Folio from a (Wenshu), wood,
manuscript of the late 10th-early 12th
Ashtasahasrika century CE,
Prjnaparamita, Northern Song
early 12th century Dynasty, China.
CE, Pala Period,
West Bengal or
Bangladesh.

Mahabala,
bronze, 11th
century CE,
Eastern Javanese
Period,
Indonesia.

THE ART OF TANTRIC

BUDDHISM
A new book looks at
Asia’s Buddhist art
traditions, especially
that of tantric
Buddhist painting
and sculpture
Bibek Bhattacharya
[email protected]

O
ver its long, 2,500 year old
history, the art of Bud-
dhism has undergone
many changes, while stay-
ing true, in essence, to the
Buddha’s tenets of liberation and compas-
sion. The ways that these changes have
manifested themselves are entirely
dependent on the ways that different cul- Vajradhara, Nairatmya, Mahasiddhas Virupa and Kanha, ‘thangka’ painting, c. 1450 CE,
tures have received and adapted Bud- Central Tibet.
dhism over the years. R.M. Woodward’s
Buddhism: A Journey Through Art is an
excellent visual representation of this pro- Bodhisattva
cess. Manjushri, bronze,
Woodward is an artist who is also inter- 11th-12th century
ested in theological art and especially in CE, India.
Eastern philosophical systems. So, while
it isn’t surprising that she should combine
these interests in this book, it must be said
that trying to band together so many dis-
parate eras of Buddhism and Buddhist art
into one package is a daunting task.
Woodward manages do so, just about, by
dividing the material into six sections:
Tantric Buddhism, Gandharan art, depic-
tions of the Buddha, of the Bodhisattvas,
of religious officials like bhikshus and Conch shell with a
arhats, and of religious artefacts. figure of Hevajra,
The photographs of the objects them- shell and bronze,
selves are sourced from 12 museum collec- 12th century CE,
tions from around the world, with the Cambodia, Angkor..
largest number coming from the Metro-
politan Museum of Art, New York. The lay
reader of Buddhist art would be hard
pressed to otherwise come across the gor-
geous objects depicted here, so in that
regard, the book represents an excellent
introduction to this vast subject. Hope-
fully, this will usher them towards
immersing themselves more deeply in the
various eras of Buddhist art, as well as spe-
cific cultural depictions, be they from (above) Green Tara, ‘thangka’ painting, gum tempera, ink, and gold on sized cotton, c. 1260, Tibet; and Vajracharya Priest’s crown, gilt
Bengal, or the Kathmandu Valley, or copper alloy and semi-precious stones, 1717, Nepal.
Japan.
The most fascinating collection of art ther their rule. On a completely different birthed the majority of Asian Buddhist art inal writers of Buddhist tantras them-
objects in the book are the ones that relate level, Vajrayana represented the most styles that we still see today, was vigor- selves, or the composers of mystical
to Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism. It is egalitarian and mass-based version of ously internationalist in nature, with new dohas and charjya geetis in the apab-
sometimes called the third yana or Buddhism yet, making a huge political philosophies and art styles travelling from hramsa language of eastern India.
vehicle of Buddhism—after claim against upper caste India to other parts of Asia by maritime These songs not only are the founda-
Theravada and Maha- hegemony and empower- and land-based trade routes. tional texts of modern languages
yana—but in reality it is ing ordinary people This is how a fierce Indian tantric medi- like Bengali, but also mark the
much more complex. (upasaka), who are tation and protector deity like Achala beginning of a tradition that
On one hand it given as much could transform into Fudo Myoo, the state includes both Kabir as well as
includes a vast importance as protector deity of 14th century imperial modern-day Bauls of Bengal.
body of conse- religious special- Japan. It’s something of a pity that Wood- Similarly, a 12th century
cration and ists like monks. ward doesn’t make these connections Tibetan painting of the Bengali
meditation To that end, explicit, but then again, this isn’t a book of monk Atisha Dipankara is fascinat-
(sadhana) prac- the rich tapestry art history. ing not only because of the fact that
tices that arose of objects here, Equally fascinating are the painted the painting was made a mere century
out of a need to be they the 12th depictions of various famous Indian Bud- or so after his death, but also because
formally ritualise century minia- dhist monks and siddhas in the book. A the life and career of Atisha
the philosophical ture painting from 15th century Tibetan painting, for exam- encompasses a huge chunk of
tenets of the Maha- Bengal of the tantric ple, depicts two of most important Indian final centuries of Vajrayana
yana. goddess Kurukulla, or siddhas from eastern India (who have been Buddhism in India.
At another level, it rep- the 18th century gilt and entirely forgotten in this country): Virupa Buddhism: A Journey
resents the reality of medie- copper alloy crown worn by a and Kanha. In this painting, they are Through Art is brimming with
val Asia (especially India), where Vajracharya (tantric priest) from Buddhism: A Journey depicted as yogis who are a part of the such echoes and epiphanies,
dominant religions, like Shaivism, Vaish- Nepal, tell a fascinating story. Through Art: By R.M. transmission lineage of specific tantric and, given its design and the
navism and Buddhism, was adopted by The final phase of Indian Buddhism, Woodward, Roli Books, traditions. resplendent works of art it con-
kings and kingdoms to legitimise and fur- from the 8-13th centuries CE, which 351 pages, ₹2,995. What goes unsaid is that they were sem- tains, is gorgeous to boot.
 CULTURE SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 11

Comic relief: The makers of

‘The Archies’ on their new film
Zoya Akhtar and ter archetypes—archie-types, if you
will—who have filtered through pop-cul-
Reema Kagti on ture over the years. Rachel Green from
Friends, for instance, is definitely a
adapting ‘Archie’ for Veronica. Even those who haven’t read
Archie Comics have encountered The
India and the big Archies in some shape. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sik-
screen, and why kids andar is an Archie comic. Kuch Kuch Hota
Hai is an Archie comic. Kabhi Haan Kabhi
are a tough audience Naa is an Archie comic.
The film rests on the 23-year-old
shoulders of Agastya Nanda, who
Raja Sen impressed Akhtar with his mix of charm
and innocence. His Archie goes through

Z
oya Akhtar knows the value the film befuddled and unaware of him-
of a double digest. The self, even as his friends have been given a
director of films like Luck touch more depth.
By Chance and Gully Boy The film’s Reggie Mantle—ever ready
used to cycle in the early with a snarky put-down in the comics—
1980s to lending libraries on Hill Road, harbours ambitions of being a stand-up
Bandra, Mumbai, to unearth issues of comedian. “Reggie Mantle is cocky in the
Archie Comics. Sometimes, however, she comic, we all know that,” says Akhtar.
would get to buy one. “If you got a new “He’s a little more well-to-do than Archie
one from the bookstore,” she gushes, Andrews, but not Veronica Lodge. I
“that was a real treat. The double digest, thought it was an interesting space to use
the big 500-pagers, those were big treats the stand-up comic. So there’s a peacock-
that you shared and exchanged. You ness to him, and there’s a flashy vanity to
opened that comic and you were trans- him that comes out. And we also kind of
ported to this fictional, magical place.” styled him on James Dean, and Johnny
Akhtar’s latest film The Archies comes Nogerelli from Grease.”
out on Netflix on 7 December, and the Akhtar considers Veronica a brat, but
day after I watched the film, I sat with her not just that. “She’s the one that will be
and co-writer Reema Kagti to talk about wearing a miniskirt when it’s just come
Reggie Mantle, Archie Andrews and that out in London, but also, she is the only
Riverdale crew those of a certain vintage child of very busy parents. And there is a
know so well. The film stars Agastya A still from ‘The Archies’; and (below) Zoya Akhtar (left) and Reema Kagti. loneliness inherently in her, which is
Nanda as Archie Andrews, Suhana Khan touched upon in the comic, but not in the
as Veronica Lodge, Khushi Kapoor as commentary into their freewheeling and it’s genuine adolescent confusion.” way that a movie can.”
Betty Cooper, Mihir Ahuja as Jughead adventure. It was therefore important to get a new At one point, Archie’s friends break
Jones, Vedang Raina as Reggie Mantle, “No, because it’s a children’s film,” actor. “You needed someone to fill into a song called Everything Is Political,
Yuvraj Menda as Dilton Doiley, and Dot says Akhtar, clear that The Archies has Archie’s image and not bring some other and I tell Akhtar how delightfully this
as Ethel Muggs. not been made for our demographic but personality onto Archie,” says Akhtar. “It contrasts with her Gully Boy actors Alia
The character names stay the same and for pre-teens who can look up to this should be Archie’s personality.” This Bhatt and Ranveer Singh proudly—and
have not been Indian-ised—unlike, say, idealised version of the teenage years, meant that Akhtar and Kagti, who have infamously—declaring themselves “apo-
Peter Parker and Mary Jane becoming full of shenanigans, milkshakes and only worked with experienced actors in litical” in interviews promoting that 2019
Pavitr Prabhakar and Meera Jain in the making out. their projects so far, had to work doubly film. Were they at all tempted to delve a
mercifully shortlived Spider-Man: India I remind Akhtar that kids are a tough hard to get these young actors—many of bit more into politics, or subtext, I persist,
comic series—therefore Akhtar was sure audience. “Yeah,” she agrees. “And an whom were debuting with this film, conditioned to expect depth from the
to set her film within the Christian com- honest audience.” Keeping stories this including Nanda, who plays Archie, and Tiger Baby team.
munity. Instead of opting for a city, they simple is risky given the edgier content Kapoor and Khan, who play Betty and “At the end of the day, it’s a coming-of-
chose to set the film in an idyllic hill sta- youngsters watch nowadays. Netflix Veronica—ready for Riverdale. Akhtar age movie,” says Akhtar. “it just came
tion in the 1960s. “You had that kind of serves up Sex Education, Derry Girls, 13 always workshops with actors ahead of from a thought of also building Archie
space, that colonial architecture and that Reasons Why and even the bizarre, shooting but this time it was, as Kagti Andrews’ arc on a level. And it was just a
community base, like Landour or adults-only Archie adaptation Riverdale describes, a proper boot-camp. fun classroom song to do.”
Mccluskieganj, those places existed,” —where, in the first episode, we see “We did about three acting work- Akhtar has, therefore, made a film
says Akhtar. “The culture of country Archie sleeping with his teacher Miss shops,” says Akhtar. “We did a dance designed to make pre-teens feel the way
clubs, the culture of fashion. They are Grundy. class, so they had to study it. They had she did when she read Archie. “It was
Westernised in a sense, music is big with That was exactly what Netflix did not by a supercilious Alyy Khan—could make never sung. It’s a musical, and you have to slightly aspirational when you’re like a
Anglo-Indians, food is big with Anglo-In- want, as they specified while briefing that list. When Veronica asks her father believe that they are singing. So you can tween, and you want to be older and be
dians, and they were liberal in the sense Akhtar and Kagti’s production company, why he’s always throwing Archie out of get very self-conscious if you are a first like these girls. The friendships were
of dating and stuff.” Tiger Baby. “They wanted to retain the the house, he replies, “Everyone’s enti- time actor, because you have to sing great. The spaces were always green and
This “Riverdale” is a snowglobe of a original characters and not give a River- tled to a hobby.” We prepped them so much loudly on set so that it looks like you are pretty. The dresses were nice. The jokes
town, quaint but lavish, an unreal story- dale twist to it, not contemporarise it to Archie was hard to find. “The look and and they were so trained singing. Agastya had to learn to play the were funny. Everything worked out. And
book place. That, Kagti says, is by design. that point,” says Kagti. As a result, Akhtar the tone had to be right,” says Akhtar. guitar. Mihir had to learn to play the the family values were nice.”
“You have to understand that we are try- asked for older comics. “Now the comics “Because he can come off as a cad, you that by the time they came drums. All the girls had to learn to skate.” So nice, in fact, that even Reggie Man-
ing to recreate Riverdale. It is not a real that are available are obviously geared to know. He can very easily come off as to set, honestly it just went “We prepped them so much and they tle isn’t really mean. “At the end of the
place anyway. We are not trying to recre- today’s generation, so it’s very different something that, today, is not very nice.” like they were flowing were so trained that by the time they day in a movie,” Akhtar explains, “you
ate India in the 1960s.” and way more inclusive, way more Archie Andrews, a red-headed boy for- came to set, honestly it just went,” Akhtar want everyone to land, everyone to be
The Archies is set in 1964, which gives diverse.” She wanted to go back to the ever torn between blonde and brunette. ZOYA AKHTAR sweeps a hand from left to right, as if likeable.” More Baby less Tiger, then.
17-year-old Archie a rather special year of comics she grew up reading. Girls in high schools today might well FILM DIRECTOR clearing an imaginary table, “like they This time.
birth. Archie Andrews, midnight’s child? “Actually,” Kagti says with a smile, “we cancel him. “He has to come off as genu- were flowing.”
I ask Akhtar and Kagti if they sensed an used lines from the comics.” I suspect ine and sincere, heart on his sleeve, and Created in 1941, the Archie Comics Raja Sen is a Lounge columnist. He posts
opportunity to slip in any sociopolitical many lines said by Hiram Lodge—played you have to believe him. It’s true blue, characters have come to stand for charac- @rajasen

Meet Cillian Murphy, deejay extraordinaire

oboe solos with vocals on Number Man give interviews, never play live gigs and
Cillian Murphy
THE LOUNGE (a cantata for the ghost of J. S. Bach), by have never released music videos.
FIRST in a still from
‘Peaky Blinders’. LIST
the American composer David A. Jaffe.
Murphy’s conversational style, made
On a Sunday night not long ago, Mur-
phy began his show by playing some
B E AT Five tracks to sample from
all the more appealing by his accent that staples by stars such as David Bowie,
has a touch of the Irish brogue, con- Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed, but then he
SANJOY Cillian Murphy’s shows nects informally and easily with the lis- introduced Arthur Russell, with a ver-
N A R AYA N tener as he recounts his memories sion of his track Let’s Go Swimming,
1. ‘Sweet Leaf Of The North’ by Mik about a song or a band or a musician. A which is dubbed by the Montreal synth
Artistik’s Ego Trip relatively less known fact about Murphy and bass duo Gulf Stream. Russell, who

P
erhaps you are just as big a fan of is his own past as a musician. In his I must confess I had never heard before,
2. ‘Manhattan’ by Cat Power
Cillian Murphy as I am. The Irish teens, he was part of a band in his home- was an American cellist, composer and
actor is as highly talented as he is 3. ‘Music For The Sun King’ by town of Cork in Ireland. The band, singer, who died at 41 in the early 1990s.
versatile. His recent performance as J. Tonbruket which explored acid jazz, progressive I learnt that Russell briefly dated Allen
Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher and psychedelic music, was called The Ginsberg and sometimes accompanied
4. ‘Let’s Go Swimming’ (Gulf
Nolan’s biopic on the physicist who led Sons of Mr Green Genes, inspired by a the beat poet’s live readings with his
Stream Dub) by Arthur Russell
the development of the atomic bomb Frank Zappa song title, and Murphy cello solos.
during World War II is stunning. In the 5. ‘Won’t Give You Up’ by Tom Tom played guitar and sang in it. Those sort of rabbit holes are plenti-
role of the complex and controversial Club Murphy’s monologues during his ful in a Cillian Murphy show. One
physicist, who later regretted his part show are short and non-intrusive but moment you are listening to Dylan
in creating one of the world’s most dev- interesting, funny and informative, singing I Want You from Blonde On
astating weapons, Murphy captures hours IST) but it is archived for a few delivered without an iota of self-impor- Blonde (1966) and in the next, you are
brilliantly the transformation of an weeks on the BBC 6 website and can be tance. The best thing probably is the whisked away to lesser-known terri-
ambitious and highly intelligent scien- streamed any time. new music that you can discover on tory, a song titled Jesus Going To Clean
tist to a remorseful, haunted man Murphy certainly has an eclectic taste Murphy’s show. In a recent episode, he House by Nashville duo Lee Tracy and
accused of treason. in music and plays songs from a stagger- played a rare and unusual cover of a Isaac Manning.
Or you might have been captivated by ingly varied array of genres. You can famous song, Mister Big A´Stuff, by the The third series of Murphy’s show
him in the Netflix series Peaky Blinders, early roles in the film, Breakfast On phy’s Limited Edition. He started the hear familiar tracks from Frank Zappa, American soul and funk singer Jean finished with the 10th episode on 19
in which he plays Tommy Shelby, the Pluto, in which he plays a transgender show in 2019, first as a guest presenter Van Morrison and Iggy Pop but also Knight. Only, this version, titled Sister November but you can still check it out
ruthless but charismatic leader of a post person growing up in a conservative sitting in for Guy Garvey, the frontman Jamaican reggae from the 1970s band, Big Stuff, was by John Holt, the Jamai- along with earlier episodes in BBC6’s
World War I Birmingham underworld Irish town in the 1970s. of the English rock band Elbow. Sub- Zap Pow, electronic trance from the can reggae singer who died in 2014. archives. And, enterprising listeners
gang. Murphy is an anti-hero in that It doesn’t matter which role you have bing for Garvey soon turned into a regu- British producer James Holden, and Murphy’s show can help you delve have made enormous playlists of all the
sprawling but highly addictive series. seen Murphy in, it’s likely that you lar gig for Murphy and continued to rural country blues by Geeshie Wiley, deeper into music you didn’t know that music that Murphy has played on his
You may have also seen him in Incentive, instantly became a fan. As I did. There host a late-night Sunday show for the the 1930s singer who recorded only six much about. Such as the mysterious shows that, with a bit of googling dex-
a film in which he plays the heir of a is, however, another role of his that I BBC. He did it in two series till 2021 and songs and who, had she been better British collective Sault, which make terity, are not too difficult to find.
powerful corporation and is the target have lately become really enamoured then reprised it last autumn with a third known, could well have been one of neo-soul, R&B, and neo-classical music,
of dream thieves led by Leonardo DiCa- of. Cillian Murphy, the disc jockey. Yes, series. America’s earliest and foremost female but about whose members little is First Beat is a column on what’s new
prio. You might even have been lucky Murphy has hosted a music show on It is a late-night show that starts at blues singers. Or he could choose to known. Their music is compelling (lis- and groovy in the world of music. Sanjoy
enough to have caught him in one of his BBC Radio 6 Music called Cillian Mur- 10pm UK time (so, in the very early intrigue you with the intertwining of ten to the song Wildfires) but they never posts @sanjoynarayan
12 SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi PAUSE

FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

‘Whatever I think
shows up in fiction’
In her new collection
of short stories,
‘Welcome To
Holidays for empty nesters can have a more mature theme.
Paradise’, Twinkle ISTOCKPHOTO

Khanna examines
themes of mortality
Jahnabee Borah
Empty nesters
[email protected]

discover the joy

I
t was a chilly November morning
in London. The boiler in Twinkle

of slow travel
Khanna’s bathroom wasn’t func-
tioning; the water was lukewarm.
She was running late for this
interview. After a delay of a few minutes,
she logged in for the video call in an emer-
ald sweater, kohl-ed eyes and dishevelled
hair—just like a writer’s.
With kids grown up, couples are ticking off the
“I was standing there, looking at the bucket-list items that they had been postponing
lukewarm water and thinking it could be
used as a metaphor in a story where some-
one is in a relationship which is not freez- Rishad Saam Mehta
ing, not really warm, but they are hoping

A
it will get warmer; then they give up,” she few years ago, when I posted videos on social media about my adventurous
said. Khanna’s latest book, Welcome To road trips with the Jeep Compass, about seven couples got in touch with
Paradise—a collection of five short stories me saying they had bought the vehicle and were looking forward to their
published by Juggernaut—released last own adventures.
week. Fresh from completing a master’s The single thing that united them: They were all recent empty nesters. All of
programme in fiction writing from Lon- them said they were done with squeezing holidays into school holiday timetables
don’s Goldsmith college, she is brimming and taking red-eye flights to maximise the time at their destination. Now that their
with writerly learnings. children had left home, they wanted to travel without the shackles of schedules
Khanna has been writing professionally or the constraints of check-in luggage. They wanted to experience the freedom
for a decade as a columnist for DNA and of slow travel and the romance of the open road.
The Times Of India and has authored three Empty nesters is a term for couples whose children have moved out of the fam-
books, Mrs Funnybones (2015), The Legend ily home to pursue further studies or live on their own. This usually happens when
Of Lakshmi Prasad (2016) and Pyjamas Are the parents are in their late-40s or early-50s. In a figurative full circle, these cou-
Forgiving (2018). While juggling two dif- ples are back where they were before they had children—and with considerably
ferent writing careers, she launched the more means than they had in their 20s. Rather than describe themselves as
digital content platform, Tweak India, and “lonely” empty nesters, feeling a void, they prefer the term “free bird” since they
a publishing company, Tweak Books. Her are now set to do all the things they had dreamt of when they were young.
breezy prose punctuated with her trade- “The biggest shift for me has been a renewed sense of ambition and purpose
mark wit signalled her fourth book would for work that I love waking up to,” says Los Angeles, US, based Anahita Fitter, 48,
be an easy read too, but it was not so. whose children have left for university. “My work (for a non-governmental orga-
Themes of mortality and elderly isolation nisation, or NGO, in India) is no longer limited to projects and jobs that allowed
underpin the stories; The Man From The me the flexibility of being at home to be around for the kids. I can now travel for
Garage opens with a funeral, Nearly work and combine it with pleasure.”
Departed deals with euthanasia, and the Empty nesters are realising that this is an exciting new phase in their life to tick
last story, Jelly Sweets, is about a grieving off bucket-list items that they had been putting off because they were stuck in the
young mother. quagmire of school holiday schedules, child-friendly travel destinations and eco-
In an interview with Lounge, Khanna, nomics of travelling as a family of three or more.
50, talks about her writing process, tools Holidays can have a more mature theme and can include cultural events such
of fiction and truth being like a potato. as a visit to the opera. A luxury hotel room, business class travel or hiring a con-
Edited excerpts: vertible sports car, all suddenly become practical and affordable when it is a cou-
ple travelling rather than a family. Fitter explains: “Our evenings and weekends
Did you plan to write a book about have a sense of ease. We can afford spontaneous vacations. We have privacy, a
mortality? renewed sense of romance and fewer arguments about kids.”
I did not. Before Goldsmiths, I com- Loveleen Multani Arun, director of Panache World, a Bengaluru-based bou-
pleted two short-term writing courses in tique luxury travel company, says: “I have couples in their late 40s and even well
Oxford, and one of the things we were into their 50s who are booking holidays that require a degree of fitness. These are
taught is to never decide the theme before scuba-diving trips, multi-day climbs and even the Everest Base Camp trek. I often
writing a story. The story always comes get feedback that these adventures give them a renewed sense of purpose and
first. But I am 50, I have already lost a bonding that they haven’t known for years.”
number of people, and with the amount of Empty nesters are breaking societal stereotypes that expect them to start steer-
coffee I drink as my primary fluid, I don’t ing towards a laid-back lifestyle, living on a diet of morning classes of yoga and
think I am going to make it to 100. You This is Twinkle Khanna’s fourth book. laughter, and philosophy discourses. Many empty nesters of today have spent
know, the truth of my existence appears in their 30s watching what they eat and taking full advantage of their gym member-
my writing. The truth is like a potato: You present when she an octogenarian living of experience, and have layers to them timespan. The quickest story in this book ships, so the mind is eager and enthusiastic and the body is healthy and keen.
can make French fries or aloo jeera but the with Parkinson’s. To indicate this, there’s that younger people may not have. It was probably The Man In The Garage that Mumbai-based consultants K and KB, who are in their early 50s, had a bucket
chemical composition does not change. a scene where her phone falls, and her fin- comes up in this book. A protagonist in her took three months. list drawn up when they got engaged in their 20s and had ticked a few items off
You could call it a mid-life crisis or an exis- gers are trembling. It’s deliberate attempt 30s is not as interesting as her mother or What were you reading while work- it. With the arrival of kids, the list went into a drawer. Now with their children
tential crisis; but whatever I think shows to bring the physicality of the characters aunt in their 60s. So, there is a fascination ing on it? moving out to jobs and university, that list is out again. “We just ticked off a signifi-
up in fiction. into the narrative. Other cues would be with getting older and it’s something that I was a student, and there was a lot of cant one which was scuba diving between the tectonic plates of North America
Why did you pursue these courses? significant events, like the Emergency, I have been preparing for since I was course material. We read extensively— and Europe in the cold waters of Iceland,” says K; the couple did not want to be
In the pandemic, for the first time, I food such as drinking Gold Spot, and cars young. This is not to say that any stage in almost a book a week. There were stories named. Items still on their list include chasing a tornado.
realised that I was a writer. At one point I that were fashionable, like the Fiat. These one’s life, be it 20s, 30s or 40s, is lesser by Alice Munro, Zadie Smith and Chima- Arun says that couples often make a side trip out of visiting their kids studying
was unable to process the world because elements appear in the narrative to than the other. It’s a progression: First you manda Ngozi Adichie. If you want specific in universities away from home. “They spend a few days with the kids and then
I just couldn’t write. So, I signed up for two ground the reader. run, then walk and finally sit. book titles, there’s Cursed Bunny by Bora extend their trips to have a getaway of their own.” Fitter agrees that she makes her
courses in Oxford that ran for three What prompted you to create these What is your writing process? Chang, The End Of The Affair by Graham plans like this: “We sometimes drive to visit our kids at university but more often
months each: One was beginner’s life characters, especially sketches of I am extremely disciplined; in fact, my Greene and Family Life by Akhil Sharma. than not, the visit is just a pit stop on a larger road trip the two of us have planned.”
writing, followed by advanced fiction. ageing women? discipline is like a straight jacket, and I I like science fiction—Ted Chang is my Pune-based Naval and Persis Bharucha, who are entrepreneurs and both just
Then I felt the need to learn more by pur- When I was younger, I had this notion would like to be less disciplined. I start favourite—and need to read those every shy of 50, with children in university, say that what they enjoy the most is the abil-
suing a master’s degree in fiction writing that 60 is a grand age to reach. Now, I am writing between 4.30-5am, and this book night. After completing A Man Called Ove ity to travel during off-season. “After years of crowded airports, bawling babies
at Goldsmiths. 50 and feel very young compared to what came to life with my daughter sleeping by Fredrik Backman, I banged my head on on flights, inflated prices and queues and crowds during summer holiday to
In this programme, for the first time, I I planned to be my evolution at 60. The beside me, while I was propped up in bed a window thinking I would never be able Europe or South-East Asia, it is a joy to be able to travel during the off-season,” says
was able to analyse the text of my peers as other thing is, I have always been fasci- in a dark room illuminated by the laptop to write like that. I go through four-five Persis, who is planning their next trip to the north of Sweden to see the Northern
well as other writers’ work. It helped me to nated by older people; as someone gets screen. By about 12pm, my neurons go on pages of God Of Small Things practically Lights. “Now I can carry my tripod and my photography paraphernalia with me,
take a critical look at mine. Apart from older, they start turning invisible to the a strike and I stop. The second half of the everyday and like to read them aloud. This take as much time over a photograph as I want without the worry of my children
that, I was always intrigued by how time world. I see them and I like observing day is reserved for columns and Tweak. I is my copy, as you can see, there are some getting bored. I guess this is what people call the joy of slow travel.”
works in linear and non-linear narratives. them because they are so much more. try and write every single day. There is no 300 post-its. I remember somebody com- Empty nesters are also realising the pleasure of hobby travel, which does not
I did a dissertation on the non-linear sto- They have led a rich life, acquired a depth such thing as waiting for a muse: you sit at menting about Arundhati Roy’s writing necessarily mean doing the same thing together.
ries in Alice Munro’s work. It helped me your desk and if the muse is on their way to and saying Saraswati sits on her type- Ahmedabad-based Mandavi and Siddharth Mehta have been married for 23
find ways to use time as an effective navi- someone else, you are right there to catch writer. years and their daughter-is-now studying in the US. “Sid has always wanted to do
gational tool in fiction. In Welcome To Par- them and bring them to your desk. I love I approached the book as a light read multi-day motorcycle trips and I cannot bring myself of spend days bouncing
adise, some stories move back and forth taking day flights, because that’s where but was overcome with emotion and around on the pillion seat,” says Mandavi, who is a homemaker; Siddharth is a
rapidly. There are two ways of writing a uninterrupted and thorough editing hap- paused several times… businessman. “I am a foodie. So on our last trip to France, I spent three days driv-
short story: One is where it is centred on a pens. If I am in-between books (like now), I don’t want you to feel miserable. I had ing around little villages in Provence eating at local bistros and cafés, while he did
monumental event, and the other is when or only have to write columns, then I will somebody, a friend, who said it made a motorcycle ride in the Pyrenees. And then we spent four days taking it easy
an entire lifespan plays out. I fall in the lat- take a night plane. I don’t use inflight them feel really lonely. But it’s validation together in St Tropez.”
ter group and I was struggling with time, Wi-Fi; maybe it’s the Gujarati in me that for me when you are feeling lonely, or Amol and Sukriti Kachroo, who are in their mid-40s, have been free birds for
because there’s a lot of back and forth. doesn’t want to spend any extra money overcome with emotion… we are mean six years now and in that time they have taken holidays within India every six
Look at it as the behind-the-scenes work, just for this. After a decade of writing, I can writers, we want you to feel everything. months and yet not taken a single flight. “During our courting days, we used to
almost like what you are seeing (or read- finally call myself a professional writer. So, what’s next for your readers? often go on long drives with no fixed destination in mind,” smiles Sukriti, who is
ing) is on stage and then there’s all the When did you start working on this I am completely in transition and my a corporate professional, adding, “and now on these long trips it feels like Dating
scaffolding to hold it up. book? brain is unable to focus on this next Season 2.” They have bought themselves an SUV and have driven from their home
Can you illustrate this with an exam- It’s very difficult to say when or how a project. I am thinking of doing something in Mumbai to far-flung destinations. “We have done road trips to Kashmir and
ple from the book? book begins; because so much of it lives in in the speculative fiction genre—a deep Ladakh, to Kerala and Khajuraho and even to Nepal and Bhutan.” Amol, a doctor,
In the story Nearly Departed, there’s a my head for a while before I actually put interest. I want to stay away from redoing says. “Both of us love to drive and we are in no hurry to get somewhere, so we stop
passage where the 85-year-old protago- anything on paper. I began working on the things. It’s easy to grow horizontally but I where we fancy and don’t necessarily take the shortest or the fastest route.”
nist Madhura is looking out of the window story Jelly Sweets about eight years ago. I am trying to grow in different directions. Arun is of the opinion that the pandemic was also a clarion call. It made couples
at the rain. I used the framework of the used to be a columnist with DNA then, and This book challenged me and I set myself on the other side of 50, who have been saving for a rainy day all through their 30s
rain to bring up her past in the 1970s when the editor Sarita Tanwar had seen the up for these things; maybe I have some and 40s, realise that a sudden thunderstorm like covid had the potential to drown
she is with her partner and the ceiling is notes of this story. She encouraged me to sort of persecution complex that leads me dreams. It spurred them to start ticking off aspirations and ambitions.
leaking. I had to mention the year and age Welcome To Paradise finish it, but it needed time and some to feel the need to struggle. I like that “And then there is Instagram, with its barrage of stories and reels that seem to
of characters to peg the narrative to a cer- By Twinkle Khanna thinking. It was the last story I finished in notion of stretching myself; physically I fuel wanderlust with hashtags proclaiming fitatfifty, FOMO and YOLO,” she says.
tain point in time. There is a part when Juggernaut Books, this book. So, how do I tell you when I don’t do so much, so I like to do things Rishad Saam Mehta is a Mumbai-based author, travel writer and budding travel
they are teenagers, and it flips to the 224 pages, ₹297. began working on this book: what’s the with the mind. video maker.
LIVEMINT.COM NEWS SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 13

m MINT SHORTS
GAIL seeking $1.8 bn from former
Nifty hits a
new record, Manufacturing rises in Nov,
Gazprom unit for LNG non-supply
New Delhi: State-owned Gail (India) Ltd on Friday said it has ini-
tiated legal proceedings against a former unit of Russian energy
giant Gazprom for non-delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG)
buoyed by
Q2 growth
input costs at 40-month low
and has sought $1.817 billion in damages. In a stock exchange fil-
ing, the gas utility said it has filed an arbitration claim before the FROM PAGE 16
London Court of International Arbitration for “non-supply of
LNG cargoes under long-term contract.” In 2012, GAIL signed to 13,381.20. Demand stays high despite price hikes; labour costs increase even as inflation cooled
a 20-year deal to buy as much as 2.85 million tonnes per annum Thursday’s trading session,
of LNG with Gazprom Marketing and Singapore. The Russian which coincided with the
parent gave up ownership of the company, now called Sefe, after expiry of the November series Rhik Kundu remained central to the success of the
Better output
Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow over its invasion of of futures and options, indi- [email protected]
The purchasing managers index for sector,” said Pollyanna De Lima, eco-
Ukraine. Sefe stopped supplying LNG to Gail in June last year to cated a continuation of the New DelhI manufacturing rose to 56 in November, nomics associate director at S&P Global
meet its own demand. PTI bullish momentum, with mar- up from 55.5 in October. Market Intelligence.

I
ketwide rollovers hitting a his- ndia’s manufacturing activity “Expanded capacities, rising work-
toric high of ₹3.03 trillion, accelerated in November from an 59 loads and the need to replenish stocks
Adani group plans $84 billion Nuvama Research said. eight-month-low recorded the pre- of finished goods collectively indicated
Rollovers involve investors ceding month on robust demand, that India’s manufacturing economy is
infra spend over next decade and traders carrying forward while input cost inflation slipped to
58
clearly in good shape as 2023 draws to
BLOOMBERG
their stock futures contracts to 40-month low, a private survey said. a close, with expectations for a contin-
the next month, which then The purchasing managers index 57 ued strong performance in 2024,” she
becomes the active futures (PMI) for manufacturing rose to 56 in added.
contract. Monthly contracts November, up from 55.5 in October, 56 During October, the output of eight
56
expire on the last Thursday of though it remained below 57.5 core infrastructure sectors that
every month. The activity of reported in September, according to 55.7 accounts for two-fifths of India’s indus-
traders on expiry suggests the S&P Global Market Intelligence. Dur- 55 trial output rose by 12.1% against 0.7%
market mood. ing October, manufacturing activity Nov 2022 Nov 2023 expansion reported in the year-ago
“The market’s recent recorded the slowest rate of expansion Note: A reading above 50 denotes expansion, period due to a sharp uptick in produc-
while one below 50 indicates contraction.
undertone and roll costs since February. The 50-mark separates Manufacturing PMI of 56 in November tion of coal, steel, cement and electric-
Source: S&P Global
strongly suggest the potential expansion from contraction. was still below September’s 57.5. MINT ity, according to the official data
for new highs; possibly reach- The latest survey result comes a day PRANAY BHARDWAJ/MINT
released by the commerce ministry on
ing 20,450 will be a cakewalk,” after the data showed that the Indian translated into increased selling prices, deficit widened to a record high in Thursday.
Mumbai: The Adani group plans to spend ₹7 trillion ($84 said Abhilash Pagaria, head of economy grew at an impressive rate of albeit one that was the weakest in seven October to $31.46 billion last month, Commerce ministry data showed
billion) over the next decade on infrastructure projects, research at Nuvama. “Expect 7.6% in the second quarter. months,” it added. with imports at $65.03 billion and that the output growth of coal, steel,
chief financial officer Jugeshinder Singh said on Friday. some volatility around state The rise in manufacturing activity Retail inflation fell to a four-month exports at $33.57 billion. electricity, and cement grew at double
“Our capex will go up to run and develop infrastructure,” election results this weekend, was accompanied by a substantial eas- low of 4.87% in October as food prices Exports continue to be impacted by digits during October.
Singh said, without elaborating on the type of projects the presenting opportunities to ing of price pressures, the a slowdown in global The survey said while total new sales
port-to-power conglomerate would undertake. The group add long bets on any market survey said. “Although ExPANSION MODE growth, especially in rose, demand conditions remained
will also decide on divesting its stake in Adani Wilmar, its declines.” average purchasing costs advanced economies, positive and input supply improved,
joint venture with Singapore’s Wilmar International, in the At the start of the December rose again, the rate of DURING October, ALSO in October, ThE manufacturing which are also seeing resulting in manufacturers scaling up
next three months, Singh said. REUTERS series, meaningful open inter- inflation eased to the manufacturing the output of eight
activity recorded the core infra sectors
survey said output
expanded sharply
tightening interest rates production volumes. Output expanded
est (outstanding positions) lowest in the current slowest expansion rose by 12.1% against and at an above- due to nagging inflation, sharply and at an above-trend pace, the
addition is seen in auto (cur- 40-month sequence of since February 0.7% in year-ago trend pace slowing down global PMI-Manufacturing survey said.
ATF rate cut by 4.6%; commercial rent open interest at ₹20,500 increases and was negli- trade. “Manufacturing employment in
crore on the long side), cap gible by historical stan- “India’s manufacturing India increased for the eighth succes-
gas cylinder price hiked by ₹21 goods (₹11,700 crore long dards,” it said. eased, remaining within the Reserve industry maintained its robust per- sive month heading towards the end of
New Delhi: New Delhi: India’s state-owned oil marketing firms side), realty (₹4,300 crore long The survey said Indian manufactur- Bank of India’s (RBI’s) comfort zone of formance in November, with output the 2023 calendar year,” it added. The
(OMCs) on Friday cut the prices of jet fuel by 4.6%—the second side), pharma (₹14,900 crore ers that hiked prices reported strength- 2-6% for the second consecutive regaining growth momentum. Firms’ S&P Global India Manufacturing PMI
reduction in a month—while hiking the prices of 19kg commer- long side) and energy (₹7,400 ening demand amid higher labour month. ability to secure new business, both survey for November was compiled
cial gas cylinders by ₹21 in line with international benchmarks. crore long side). costs during November. “Rising costs However, India’s merchandise trade domestically and from abroad, from responses of 400 manufacturers.
In New Delhi, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) will now be ₹5,189.25
cheaper at ₹1,06,155.67 per kilolitre compared with ₹1,11,344.92
earlier, according to a price notification from the fuel retailers.
Jet fuel prices, which make up around 40% of an airline’s oper-
ating cost, were cut by nearly 6% on 1 November. The price of
cooking gas for domestic consumption has been kept
Auto demand steady in Nov GST collections hit Ola the
unchanged at ₹903 per 14.2kg cylinder in the latest round of
rate revisions. PTI FROM PAGE 16 (HMSI) and TVS Motor com- ₹1.68 trillion in Nov surprise
Power consumption grows 8.5% in November, riding on an
pany saw strong wholesale and
retail growth in November in
the domestic market. FROM PAGE 16 states had crossed the 100-
visitor on
to 119.64 bn units in November
MINT
improvement in supplies and
strong demand for SUVs in the
Bajaj Auto saw a 77% pick-up
in its domestic motorcycle sales nominal 10.5% economic
million mark in October.
GST revenue receipts and Day Zero
market. in November at 218,597 units, growth rate projected for this e-way bills are taken as barom-
SUVs accounted for over
53% of all PVs delivered to deal-
even as it suffered 7% lower
exports y-o-y the same month.
year. eters for household consump-
The GST remitted in tion, the biggest growth driver
at IIT
ers in November—the highest The industry’s stock levels TVS Motor Co. saw 50% growth November by businesses is for for the economy, since these
in a month. For Hyundai, SUVs have come down a bit at the in its overall domestic two- their sales in October. Experts give an early indication of the FROM PAGE 16
comprised 68% of all its sales in end of November. MINT wheeler sales (both motorcy- explained that after businesses trend.
November, in large part due to cles and scooters together), push out inventory ahead of Cooling consumer price companies to participate in the
the introduction of its micro- on the higher side and an area while HMSI saw 19% y-o-y the festive season, wholesale inflation could help offset the placement season.
hatch Exter and its refreshed of concern,” Srivastava said, improvement in its November transactions would moderate impact of high interest rates in High-end trading firms and
portfolio. adding this will prompt lower domestic sales. a bit towards the end of the coming months in boosting software firms offered salaries
Interestingly, more hybrids wholesales in December. On the retail front, two- year. Bulk of the indirect tax consumption, while lowering ranging from ₹80 lakh to ₹1.4
than electric cars were sold in “We did foresee that whole- wheeler registrations were up collection hap- input costs for crore, according to placement
November, the second straight sales in November and Decem- 21% y-o-y (excluding electric pens at the The healthy GST businesses. In the executives across IIT Delhi, IIT
New Delhi: India’s power consumption grew nearly 8.5% month for the trend. “Hybrids ber will taper off, which is being scooters), while passenger wholesale level revenue was September quar- Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Khar-
year-on-year to 119.64 billion units in November, showing accounted for 2.1% of the over- reflected. We are now looking vehicle retail was better than where margins anticipated given ter of the current agpur, and IIT Kanpur.
a surge in demand due to festivities and increased eco- all market and EVs were at reducing stocks, so a 3% wholesales at 348,422 units are higher. the generation of fiscal, household These companies, including
nomic activities. The peak power demand met—the highest slightly lower at just under 2%,” growth is along expected lines,” registered in November against The ministry consumption has Databricks, Quadeye, Graviton
e-way bills had
supply in a day—rose to 204.60GW in November against Shashank Srivastava, senior Tarun Garg, chief operating 284,660 units last year, a also said that rev- seen a 3% rise to Research Capital, Maverick
187.34GW in the same month last year. PTI executive director, Maruti Suz- officer, Hyundai Motor India growth of 22.4%. enue from crossed 100 ₹23.7 trillion, Derivatives, Da Vinci, Optiver,
uki said, adding that customers said. “However, at Hyundai, we But given that the festive sea- domestic transac- million in October data released on NK Securities, Cumberland-a
are starting to see the value of are entering December with son concluded in October itself tions and import Thursday by the DRW Company, Quantbox
RBI says ₹2,000 notes totalling hybrid cars vis-à-vis EVs in the only three weeks of stock and last year, retail figures in of services rose statistics ministry Research, and Squarepoint
form of lower upfront costs and going forward into January, we November are largely not com- 20% in November from a year showed. have offered roles that are both
₹9,760 crore still with the public low emissions, even as hybrid expect this to reduce to two parable, as Diwali and Bhaidooj ago. Experts said that besides the based out of India and, in some
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said nearly options expand. weeks”, he added. elongated the festive season After settlement of taxes for festive demand, the emphasis cases, the UK, the US, Singa-
97.26% of ₹2,000 banknotes have been returned to the banking “The industry’s stock levels, Two-wheeler sales, on the this year to mid-November. inter-state sales, the Centre on compliance, focused recov- pore and Hong Kong.
system, and only about ₹9,760 crore worth of the notes are still because of higher retail than other hand, benefited from a Meanwhile, a report by Icra collected ₹68,297 crore and ery measures undertaken by “The offer includes joining
with the public. On May 19, the central bank announced the with- wholesale this month, has low base of last year, an said recovery of two-wheeler states collected ₹69,783 crore. the authorities, and the bonus and, for some of the trad-
drawal of banknotes of ₹2,000 denomination from circulation, come down a little bit from improvement in rural demand demand is uncertain for the The healthy GST revenue in revamp of the tax regime for ing companies, the domestic
though they continue to be legal tender. The public and entities 335,000 to 330,200 units esti- and wedding-season buying. near term, as the impact of une- November was anticipated online gaming sector are also salaries are at par with the
holding such notes were initially asked to either exchange or mated at the end of November. All two-wheeler OEMs, includ- ven monsoons on farm given that the generation of significant contributors to global counterparts,” said a
deposit them in bank accounts by 30 September, but the deadline However, at 30-35 days inven- ing Bajaj Auto, Honda Motor- incomes and cash flow will be e-way bills needed for ship- the healthy GST revenue placement team member at
was later extended to 7 October. PTI tory, stocks in the channel were cycles and Scooters India key to sentiment. ping goods within and across receipts. one of the top three IITs. On the
first day of IIT placements,
which started in the early hours
of Friday, the trading compa-

Top Vini Cosmetics executives Fed may hit pause, but officials guarded nies offered salaries similar to
last year, but the number of
roles was fewer.

brought in after KKR deal exit FROM PAGE 16 During a question-and-an-

swer session that followed,
Compared with last year, the
placement season this year is
modest as the global economy
UBS. Waller stoked investors’ remains sluggish and compa-
FROM PAGE 16 its branded deodorants, cos- tion was supposed to happen to In 2021, inflation surged in expectations for lower rates nies had over-hired from the
metics and toiletries through this professional team…but that the spring and then initially next year when he said the Fed batch of 2023. Among finance
company’s strategy and opera- its flagship brand Fogg and isn’t happening, and that’s why retreated that summer, giving could cut rates if the current and consulting majors, Bar-
tions largely aligning with the other brands such as Ossum people started leaving,” said a the central bank false comfort run of mild inflation readings clays, Goldman Sachs, McKin-
way promoters wish to run the and GlamUp. Fogg is among person familiar with the devel- the pickup would be short- continues into the spring. sey & Company, and Arthur D.
company. the top-selling deodorant opment who asked not to be lived. The Fed maintained an “It has nothing to do with Little offered roles for the grad-
After KKR’s investment, sev- brands in the country. identified. ultra-stimulative monetary trying to save the economy or uates ranging from ₹17-35 lakh.
eral senior executives from the Others in the know said In the fiscal year 2021-22, policy put in place when the recession,” he said. If “we feel IIT Roorkee said that in less
consumer goods industry were high-ranking Vini Cosmetics Covid pandemic erupted. confident that inflation is than half a day, it got three
tapped by the company to executives were After investment Pvt. Ltd’s consoli- Price increases accelerated really down and on its way, you global and 358 domestic offers.
bring about professional man- brought in to by KKR, Vini hired dated revenue that fall, forcing the Fed to could start lowering the policy IIT Guwahati got 164 offers
agement in the day-to-day manage day-to- many executives from operations make an abrupt policy U-turn. rate just because inflation is from 59 firms by evening across
operations. day operations at for professional stood at ₹926.39 As a result, officials today US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. REUTERS lower.” core, software, and business
For instance, Kaul, who was the company. crore. Profit for want to see more evidence that Waller’s reasoning about analyst job profiles. It received
management of
appointed CEO in February However, the the period was inflation doesn’t settle above the economy is still growing per i od, t he C om m er c e why the Fed could cut rates 11 placement offers with more
2022, joined the company from transition and the firm’s day-to- ₹191.25 crore, up 3%, a level unacceptably high comfortably. Department said Thursday. even absent a recession wasn’t than ₹1 crore salary packages,
PepsiCo India where he was handover are yet day operations 16.6% year-on- for a central bank with a 2% Still, investors have been Those reports have led sev- a major revelation, but his will- compared with seven last year.
vice-president and business to be completed. year, according to target. eager to bet on rate cuts after eral Fed officials who have ingness to attach a clear time “More than 50 startups have
head for the beverages business “There was a cer- financial intelli- Fed officials also don’t want October inflation reports most vocally called for higher frame to it was surprising, said also registered for recruitment
for India, Bangladesh, Sri tain management control gence platform Tofler. to encourage market rallies showed price pressures have rates over the past 20 months Karim Basta, chief economist in the ongoing academic year
Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. which was supposed to happen Darshan Patel launched Vini that could stimulate economic broadly cooled since June. to signal much greater comfort at III Capital Management in along with seven public sector
Pant, who was hired in March after the KKR deal. And that’s Cosmetics in 2010. He said Vini activity by declaring an end to Core prices, which exclude with leaving them where they Boca Raton, Fla. undertakings,” the statement
2023, came from ACC & when they got in a lot of profes- continues to expand opera- rate hikes. They particularly volatile food and energy items, are now. Fed governor Chris- Eric Wallerstein contributed said. Some of the firms that
Ambuja Cement, and had long sional managers such as the tions. “The company is set to want to avoid prompting ran at a 2.5% annualized pace topher Waller said this week to this article. visited these campuses include
stints at Kimberly-Clark and CMO, CFO, CHRO, and CRO. enter two new categories in the investors to expect even more during the six months ended he was “increasingly confident Flipkart, Google, Microsoft,
Marico earlier. Vini manufac- Some good work and transfor- coming months,” he said, with- aggressive cuts than officials in October, down from 4.5% that policy is currently well ©2023 DOW JONES & COM- Texas Instruments, Navi and
tures, markets and distributes mation happened. The transi- out sharing details. are willing to entertain when over the previous six-month positioned.” PANY, INC. Jaguar Land Rover.
14 SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi NEWS LIVEMINT.COM

‘Change in GST law

needed for benefit
COP28: Food security gets $2.5 bn
of producer states’ Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed another $200 mn to respond to threats to food security
Gulveen Aulakh &
Gireesh Chandra Prasad
Puja Das
NEW DELHI [email protected]
DUBAI
India seeks
L
egislative changes are
to host
A
needed in the goods and fund aiming to promote
services tax (GST) law to food security while com-
give a higher share of revenue
to producer states such as
Chhattisgarh, a senior legislator
batting climate change
mobilized $2.5 billion on
the second day of the
COP33
from that state said on Friday.
Chhattisgarh deputy chief
global climate summit on Friday. The
fund is part of a declaration on sus- summit
minister T.S. Singh Deo also Chhattisgarh‘s deputy CM tainable agriculture, resilient food
said the Centre’s share of GST T.S. Singh Deo. HINDUSTAN TIMES systems, and climate action. Puja Das
revenue should not be more The declaration, an initiative of [email protected]
than 20%. applies till FY26, as recom- hosts UAE, was announced at a spe- DUBAI
“The states are getting only mended by the 15th Finance cial session led by Indonesian Presi-

P
71% of the revenue. The Commission, prescribes devo- dent Joko Widodo, Italian Prime rime Minister Narendra
(remaining) 29% that the states lution of 41% of the Centre’s net Minister Giorgia Meloni, Samoan Modi proposed to host
were getting during the VAT tax revenue to the states. Among Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi the 33rd Conference of
(value-added tax) regime is the states, the share is decided Mata afa and US Secrtary of State the Parties of the UNFCCC
going away to the central gov- by a formula designed to incen- Anthony J. Blinken. (COP33) in India in 2028.
ernment, which is completely tivize demographic perform- Additionally, the Bill and Melinda The remarks were made
unfair. What must be corrected ance and the state’s effort to Gates Foundation joined to commit during an address in Dubai on
is the GST structure that is mobilize its own tax revenue, $200 million in funding to respond to Friday as the latest edition of
unfair to producing states and besides its geographic area, for- immediate and long-term threats to the climate change conference
mineral rich-states like ours,” est cover and per capita income. food security and nutrition caused by (COP28) began. Modi said
he said. Deo added that changes to climate change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a session at the climate summit in Dubai on Friday AFP India had achieved its emission
He explained that while 50% the GST law have been done The initiative seeks to address intensity targets 11 years ahead
of GST revenue before and this global emissions while protecting the climate ambitions, addressing both will help in strengthening food sys- While food systems are vital for of the committed time frame
goes to states, of Chhattisgarh demand from lives and livelihoods of farmers who global emissions and protecting the tems, building resilience to climate meeting societal needs and enabling and remained on track to
the remaining deputy CM T.S. producer states live on the frontlines of climate lives and livelihoods of farmers living change, reducing global emissions, adaptation to climate impacts, they achieving its Nationally Deter-
50% that goes to Singh Deo also should be taken change. on the front line of climate change. and contributing to the global fight are also responsible for as much as a mined Contribution targets.
Centre, 41% is said the Centre’s up by the GST The $200 million partnership for Today’s commitment from countries against hunger, aligned with the UN third of global greenhouse gas emis- “We must rise above self-in-
devolved back to Council in the Food Systems, Agriculture Innova- around the world will help to build a Sustainable Development Goals sions. Many smallholder farmers in terest and transfer technol-
share of GST
states as per the spirit of coopera- tion and Climate Action, focused on global food system fit for the future,” (SDGs). low- and middle-income countries are ogy,” said Modi. “In spite of the
Finance Commis- revenue shouldn’t tive federalism. agricultural research, scaling she added. The Declaration – the first also facing heightened vulner- 17% population, our global car-
sion formula. This be more than 20% He said state agricultural innovations Quoting Almheiri, Mint of its kind for the COP pro- ability to climate change. bon emission is less than 4%.
brings the states’ local bodies were and funding technical in September reported cess—stresses the need “The launch today of India is one of those few econ-
share of revenue
to about 71%.
being kept away
from a third of the devolution
assistance for imple-
menting the Declara-
countries have
134 that the UAE would cir- for common action on
culate a draft landmark climate change, which bn
The number of
the UAE Declaration on
Agriculture, Food and 5.7 omies of the world that is on
the path to meet NDC targets,”
This, he said, was lower than of funds, which should be cor- tion. declaration for food adversely affects a large Climate is a wonderful he said. “India is committed to
what the states were getting rected in the terms of reference “There is no path to signed a food security transition to portion of the world’s people residing in development and the UN Framework for Climate
prior to the GST regime when of the 16th Finance Commis- achieving the goals of security declaration member countries aim- population, particularly the 134 countries moment when food truly Change and that is why I pro-
VAT was levied. sion, while the Centre was try- the Paris Climate Agree- ing at transforming food those living in vulnerable comes of age in the climate pose from this stage that
“Not more than 20% should ing to take ownership of the ment and keeping 1.5 systems to ensure that it is countries and communities. process. The declaration COP33 Summit in 2028 be
be going to the Centre from state-level schemes without degree Celcius within reach, part of national climate efforts. “Today signals a turning sends a powerful signal to the hosted in India,” Modi added.
GST,” he added. providing funds for it. that does not urgently address the The 134 signatory countries to the point, embedding sustainable agri- nations of the world that we can only India also intends to “bring
Finance Commissions make “On paper, you’re doing dev- interactions between food systems, Declaration are home to over 5.7 bil- culture and food systems as critical keep the 1.5-degree goal in sight if we down emissions intensity by
recommendations on sharing olution, but in effect the central agriculture, and climate,” Mariam lion people and almost 500 million components in both dealing with cli- act fast to shift the global food system 45% till 2030” and had
of the Centre’s tax revenue with government only gives one- Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate farmers produce 70% of the food they mate change and building food sys- in the direction of greater sustainabil- decided to increase the share
states and also on tax reforms, third through the devolution to Change and Environment and eat and are responsible for 76% of all tems fit for the future. Together, we ity and resilience,” Said Edward Leo of non-fossil fuel to 50%. India
efficiency in tax administration the panchayati raj,” the legisla- COP28 Food Systems Lead, said. emissions from global food systems will deliver lasting change for fami- Davey Head of the World Resources is working towards a goal of
and in expenditure reforms. tor said. “Countries must put food systems or 25% of total emissions globally. lies, farmers and the future,” said Institute, UK; Partnerships Director, net zero by 2070.
At present, the formula that [email protected] and agriculture at the heart of their Endorsement of the Declaration Almheiri. Food and Land Use Coalition.

Disgorge RBI inks pact with BoE on bond clearing settlement Govt guidelines on
unlawful gains,
of ₹624 crore,
Gopika Gopakumar
[email protected]
inspection and audit over the to the existing law,” said a per-
domestic clearing house. son aware of the matter.
dark patterns out
MUMBAI However, in June this year, UK-based banks like Stan-
Sebi tells Raju the UK Treasury accorded dard Chartered Bank, Barclays FROM PAGE 16 ing them into a purchase;

T
he Reserve Bank of India equivalence to central counter- and HSBC, with a significant “basket sneaking”, where the
PTI on Friday signed an parties authorized by RBI, the presence in Indian bond and trick customers into clicking inclusion of additional items
[email protected] agreement with the first such decision after Brexit. derivative markets, handle on them, the notification said. such that the total amount
NEW DELHI Bank of England (BoE) on Subsequently, CCIL had filed a transactions worth billions of Guidelines for the preven- payable by the user is more
exchange of information for fresh application to BoE for dollars. These banks are also tion of misleading advertise- than the amount payable for

I
n the 14-year-old Satyam settlement of bond trades recognition as a third-country custodians of foreign invest- ments and endorsements for the product; “subscription
Computer Services case, through Clearing Corporation central counter- ment flows into misleading advertisements, trap” to make cancellation of
markets watchdog Securities of India Ltd (CCIL). party with effect The Bank of India. Lack of 2022 will also be applicable a paid subscription impossi-
and Exchange Board of India Under the new memoran- from 31 January England will access to the on e-commerce entities, it ble or force a user to provide
(Sebi) has directed the erst- dum of understanding (MoU), this year. assess and C C I L wou ld said. payment details or authoriza-
while company’s founder B. the BoE will assess and recog- The memorandum of understanding pertains to settlement of “Today’s recognize CCIL severely curtail According to the notifica- tion for auto debits for avail-
Ramalinga Raju, four other nize CCIL as a counterparty to agreement with
bond trades through CCIL. ,MINT
as a counterparty such trade. tion, dark patterns will also ing a free subscription, among
individuals and an entity to dis- clear and settle bonds and Bank of England Earlier this include showing false popu- others.
gorge “unlawful gains” worth overnight indexed swap trades ing of the RBI and the BoE supervisory practices.” CCP is could set prece- to clear and year, the French larity of a product or service to “Any person, including any
over ₹624 crore. done by England-based banks that the cooperation arrange- short for clearing counter- dent for the settle bonds financial market manipulate user platform, shall be
Sebi has also barred Rama- and investors. ments specified under this party. ESMA-RBI regulator had also decisions. Guidelines for the considered to be
linga Raju and Rama Raju from CCIL is the RBI-supervised MoU recognise the primacy In October 2022, the Euro- standoff. UK had granted an Dark patterns prevention of engaging in a
the securities markets for central counterparty which of the RBI and its mandate in pean Securities and Markets engaged in negotiations with 18-month extension to French are defined as misleading ads dark pattern
nearly five years, but the direc- hosts the trading platform for the supervision of Covered Authority (ESMA) had derec- the RBI before enacting a law banks after these lenders any practice or 2022 will also be practice if it
tions will be subject to the Indian government bonds and CCPs; they are also based on ognized six Indian clearing on this matter. This MoU raised concerns over the ter- “deceptive engages in any
applicable on
Supreme Court’s decision on overnight indexed swaps. mutual respect for each juris- houses, including the CCIL, could set a backdrop for the mination of their membership design pattern” (of these) prac-
the pending appeals filed by The agreement states that diction’s current regulatory after RBI refused to permit the negotiation between RBI and towards the Indian CCPs fol- using user inter- e-commerce tice(s),” the noti-
them. “It is the mutual understand- regime and each authority’s overseas body the rights of ESMA as they explore changes lowing the ESMA order. face or user expe- entities fication said.
The scam came to light on 7 rience interac- Tricks by
January 2009 when Ramalinga tions on any plat- travel aggrega-
Raju, then Satyam’s chairman, form that is designed to tors like “only 2 rooms left! 30
admitted to manipulating the
company’s accounts. Sebi’s
probe also revealed that the
Israel knew about Hamas attack in advance: report mislead or trick users to do others are looking at this right
something they originally did now” would constitute a dark
not intend or want to do. pattern.
individuals traded in the com- These practices include Similarly, creating time-
pany’s shares during the period AP detailed a hypothetical Hamas anyahu or other top leaders abducted and taken to Gaza— through a replica of the border those subverting or impairing bound pressure to make a
from January 2001 to Decem- [email protected] attack on southern Israeli had seen it. would uncannily mirror the gate, sweep in on pickup consumer autonomy, deci- purchase, such as describing a
ber 2008 when in possession of communities. It was unclear The document predicted one outlined in the battle plan. trucks and then move building sion-making, or choice. sale as an ‘exclusive’ sale for a

I
unpublished price sensitive srael’s military was aware of how the document was that Hamas would bombard But Israeli officials had by building through a full- Specific patterns include limited time only for a select
information about the firm’s Hamas’ plan to launch an obtained by Israel, but the arti- Israel with rockets, use drones brushed off the plan, it said. scale reconstruction of an Isra- creation of “false urgency” to group of users, will come
adverse financial position. attack on Israeli soil over a cle said that it had been trans- to disable Israel’s The report eli town, firing automatic mislead a user into creating a under the dark pattern defini-
In a 96-page order dated 30 year before the devastating 7 lated—indicating it may have security and sur- The New York comes amid pub- weapons at human-silhouet- sense of scarcity and then lur- tion.
November, Sebi directed October operation that killed been in Arabic and directly veillance abilities Times said Israeli lic fury toward ted paper targets. In the video,
Ramalinga Raju, Rama Raju, B. hundreds of people, The New intercepted from Hamas. at the border wall, officials were in the government the militants destroyed mock- CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
Suryanarayan Raju, V. Srinivas, York Times reported Friday. The Israeli military declined and take over possession of a of Prime Minister ups of the wall’s concrete tow-
G. Ramakrishna and SRSR It was the latest in a series of to comment on the report, say- southern com- Benjamin Netan- ers and a communications The headline of a 29 November, Page 1 ‘don’t miss’ pointer should have
Holdings to disgorge the
40-page battle
signs that top Israeli com- ing it was “currently focused munities and mil- yahu for failing to antenna, just as they would do said Adani group stocks add ₹1 trillion in market capitalization.
unlawful gains totalling manders either ignored or on eliminating the threat from itary bases. plan, code-named prevent an attack for real on 7 October.
₹624.09 crore. The amount has played down warnings that the terrorist organisation Another 2016 “Jericho Wall” that appears to Adding to public outrage Mint welcomes comments, suggestions or complaints about errors.
to be paid along with an annual Hamas was plotting the attack, Hamas”. “Questions of this Israeli defense have been pre- over the military’s apparent Readers can alert the newsroom to any errors in the paper by
interest of 12% from 7 January which triggered a war against kind will be looked into in a memo obtained ceded by numer- negligence, the Israeli media emailing us, with your full name and address to
2009 till the date of payment. the Islamic militant group that later stage,” it said. by the Times said Hamas ous warning signs. has reported that military offi- [email protected].
Sebi’s latest order came after has devastated the Gaza Strip. The document was seen by intended to take hostages back The attack was planned in cials dismissed warnings from
the Securities Appellate Tribu- The Times said Israeli offi- many Israeli military and intel- to Gaza. plain sight. A month before the female border spotters who It is our policy to promptly respond to all complaints. Readers
dissatisfied with the response or concerned about Mint’s journalistic
nal in June asked the regulator cials were in possession of a ligence officials, the report The 7 October attack—in assault, Hamas posted a video warned that they were wit-
integrity may write directly to the editor by sending an email to
to pass a fresh order on or 40-page battle plan, code- said, though it was unclear if which 1,200 people were to social media showing fight- nessing Hamas’ preparations [email protected]
before 30 November. named “Jericho Wall”, that Prime Minister Benjamin Net- killed and 240 people were ers using explosives to blast for the attack.

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First published in February 2007 to serve as an unbiased and clear-minded chronicler of the Indian Dream.
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LIVEMINT.COM NEWS SaturDay, 2 December 2023
New Delhi 15

Tesla’s much-delayed Electric 2-wheeler sales rise

Alisha Sachdev
StrideOne
acquires stake
in MoEVing
Cybertruck rolled out [email protected]
New DelHi

Sales of electric two-wheelers

at just over 91,000 units in
Naman Suri
[email protected]
New DelHi
November were up nearly 20%

S
compared with the same trideOne Capital Pvt. Ltd
month last year, and 22% com- on Friday said it has
Cheapest version costs $60,990; Cyberbeast priced at around $100,000 pared with October, suggest- acquired a strategic stake
ing that demand for the vehi- in MoEVing Urban Technolo-
cles is growing at a brisk pace gies Pvt. Ltd, the operator of
Bloomberg again, after lower subsidies electric vehicle tech startup
[email protected] took the sheen out in the mid- MoEVing.
dle of the year. Ola Electric continued to lead the pack, securing the top spot The deal will help Stride-

A
fter two years of delays and Interestingly, incumbents with 29,764 units registered in November REUTERS One, a non-banking financial
production snags, Tesla Inc. like Bajaj Auto and Hero Moto- company set up by the
has finally handed the first Corp are steadily gaining mar- maintained a 5% penetration On a month-on-month founders of venture debt fund
Blade Runner-esque Cybert- ket share and asserting their rate in November, consistent basis, Hero MotoCorp Stride Ventures, to enter the
rucks over to customers. presence in the segment, scal- with the previous month, Jay emerged as a standout per- last-mile EV financing sector.
Chief executive officer Elon Musk ing up both production and Kale, senior vice president, former with a remarkable 57% The companies did not dis-
delivered a handful of vehicles to their distribution for their products, Elara Capital, said. growth, while Ola Electric and close the deal size.
new owners Thursday, including Reddit as well as launching new, Ola Electric continued to Bajaj Auto also posted Besides acquiring MoEV-
co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The hand- revamped products. lead the pack, securing the top impressive gains of 25% and ing’s finance tech platform,
overs at Tesla’s Austin headquarters were The year-to-date registra- spot with 29,764 units regis- 29%, respectively. StrideOne will provide capital
part of a live-streamed launch event on X, tion figures for electric two- tered in November, com- In contrast, some players for its overall business as part
the social media platform Musk owns. wheelers revealed an encour- manding a substantial 32.6% like TVS Motors and Ather of the first phase of the deal
The Cybertruck comes in three config- aging trend, with the average market share. TVS Motors fol- Energy witnessed a more announced on Friday.
urations: rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive monthly run rate for Novem- lowed with a 20.8% share, modest month-on-month The deal will also help
and the so-called Cyberbeast. The cheap- ber standing at 70,700 units, trailed by Bajaj Auto, Ather growth, reinforcing the dyna- MoEving with rapid fleet elec-
est version of the Cybertruck will cost surpassing the FY23 average Energy, and Greaves Electric mism of the sector at a time the trification and take care of its
$60,990, which is more than 50% over the of 60,500 units. (formerly Ampere) at 12.8%, market is still in a state of rela- “capital requirements,” the
price Musk floated when he announced Electric two-wheelers 10.1%, and 4.8%, respectively. tive nascency. statement said.
the vehicle in 2019. That version, a rear-
wheel drive model with a battery range of File photo: Tesla’s new Cybertruck is shown on display at a Tesla store in San Diego,
250 miles, won’t be available until 2025. California, US, on 20 November. REUTERS
Tesla is offering delivery next year for the
two more expensive models, including the When Tesla started taking deposits for The fastest Cybertruck can reach 60
Cyberbeast, which has a price tag of nearly the Cybertruck in 2019, it marketed start- miles per hour from a standstill in 2.6 sec-
HUL splits beauty, personal care business
$100,000. ing prices ranging from $39,900 to onds, as fast as a Porsche 911 Turbo S —
“It’s a lot more expensive than I $69,900. though not as quick as a Tesla Model S Suneera Tandon of ₹21,831 crore. aging director Rohit Jawa said
thought,” said Gene Munster, managing Tesla’s website shows “probable sav- Plaid. Tesla says it can tow up to 11,000 [email protected] Other divisions at HUL in a statement on Friday. “The
partner at Deepwater Asset Management. ings” for the Cybertruck models including pounds, more than a battery-powered New DelHi include food and refreshments, transition will allow us to bring
“They need to get production up to get the federal tax credits and estimated gas sav- Ford F-150 Lightning and some gas- and home care. more focus, and leverage our

H
price down, and they know they can’t pro- ings over three years. The company calcu- fueled F-150 models. It also boasts a industan Unilever Ltd HUL also announced key strong portfolio in both busi-
duce a lot of them next year. 17-inch ground clearance, (HUL) is splitting its changes and appointments to nesses.”
The reality is that the Cybert- ELECTRIC RANGE which is more than all ver- beauty and personal its management committee, Harman Dhillon will lead the
ruck isn’t really out yet.” sions of the F-150 and electric care business into two, one naming a chief digital officer, B&W division, and Kartik
Tesla shares fell 2% in CYBERTRUCK has TESLA started THE fastest of these Rivian R1T pickup. dedicated to beauty and well- Arun Neelakantan, as part of Chandrasekhar the PC busi-
extended trading at 5:15 p.m. three configurations: taking deposits for
rear-wheel drive, the Cybertruck in
trucks can reach
96.5 km an hour
But the cheapest Cybert- being (B&W) and the other to reinforcing the company’s digi- ness, both from 1 April. Madhu-
New York time. all-wheel drive and 2019; starting prices from standstill ruck is thousands of dollars personal care (PC), as it looks to tal agenda. Neelakantan, cur- sudhan Rao, who was executive
The Cybertruck marks the Cyberbeast ranged from $39,900 in 2.6 seconds more than the commercial take on younger, mostly digi- rently vice-president, digital director, B&W and PC, has
Tesla’s first entry into the grade electric F-150, which tal-focussed companies that are transformation and growth, decided to retire, HUL said.
highly competitive pickup starts at $49,995, and the base challenging the incumbents. HUL’s beauty and personal will take up his new role effec- Dhillon, currently India skin-
truck market in the US, and the move has lates the cheapest version will cost retail model starting at $54,995. With the transition, effective care division contributed 37% tive 1 January. care head, joined HUL in 2006.
been met with excitement, but also heavy $49,890 with those savings. “It’s an incredibly useful truck,” Musk 1 April, HUL’s beauty and per- of its revenue in FY23. MINT Beauty and personal care Between 2015-16, she led the
criticism and doubt. One analyst sug- Musk said on Thursday he’s confident said. “It’s not just a grandstanding show- sonal care business structure “continues to be a source of TRESemmé business as global
gested last week the automaker should it would meet buyers’ needs, whether they piece — like me.” will mirror that of parent Uni- of its revenue in FY23, with value creation for us. However, brand director. Chandrasekhar
cancel the Cybertruck altogether because be flash or utility. The Cybertruck is “a The Cyberbeast is capable of having lever, which too has B&W and brands such as Lifebuoy, Lux, the business model, innovation is currently global vice-presi-
it’s unlikely to be profitable, while Musk better truck than truck while also being a more than 440 miles of range by adding PC as separate divisions. Sunsilk, Clinic Plus, Dove, rhythm and competitive land- dent and head of oral care and
himself has lamented how “insanely diffi- better sports car than a sports car,” Musk an additional toolbox-sized battery HUL’s beauty and personal Lakmé, Pond’s and Closeup. scape for both, B&W and PC, skin cleansing for developing
cult” the vehicle is to produce. said to the audience. against the back of the cab in the bed. care division contributed 37% The division reported revenue are diverging,” CEO and man- and emerging markets.

¦FPÞ ½FF»F ¸F¯O»F d½FI FÀF d³F¦F¸F d»Fq

´FÂFFÔI :626/BÊ qA³Fbq(³Füq)d³Fd½FQF Expression of Interest dQ³FFÔI 01.12.2023
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GMVN), a Government of Uttarakhand Undertaking intends to take up
Development of EV Charging Infrastructure on Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra Marg in 28 properties on
following routes
1. Route 1: Manglor - Roorkee - Haridwar - Rishikesh (GMVN and UTC Properties)
2. Route 2: Barkot - Syanachatti - Phoolchatti - Jankichatti (GMVN Properties)
3. Route 3: Kaudiyala -Srinagar - Srikot -Gauchar - Adibadri - Gairsain - Kaleshwar- Nandprayag- Pipalkoti-
Auli - Pandukeshwar - Badrinath (GMVN Properties)
4 Route 4: Guptkashi - Rampur - Triyuginarayana Road Sonprayag (GMVN Properties)
5. Route 5: Ghanshali (UTC properties)
EOI is invited from reputed firm/ organisation having experience in similar nature of work. While submitting
the proposal the firm should produce drawing (suggested charger designs and planning layout), cost

FACTS WITHOUT
estimates, work order of similar type of work and their successful completion certificate (Government/
Private- Last 2 years), Technical Staff, Infrastructure, Service Tax number and last 3 years return and IT Certificate
in the office of Undersigned. The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) must comply the
standards and specification of Ministry of Power, Govt of India as per latest guidelines.
The last date of submission of the proposal is 21st December. This is a competition type bid, no payment should
be made to the partles for the proposal submission. An Expert Committee shall select best proposal oul of the

FILTER,
proposals received. The ΕΟΙ document can be downloaded from https://gmvnonline.com/tender
General Manager (Const)

NEWS WITHOUT
BIAS

Read Number Theory to access unparalleled

data-journalism with statistically analyzed news.

hindustantimes htTweets www.hindustantimes.com

 NEw DELHI, MUMBAI, BENGALURU, kOLkATA, CHENNAI, AHMEDABAD, HYDERABAD, CHANDIGARH*, PUNE*, LUCkNOw* VOL. 17 NO. 287 Rs. 10.00 . Price with Hindustan Times Rs. 15.50 18 PAGES

Saturday, December 2, 2023

India seeks to host COP33 Cheapest Cybertruck from

livemint.com summit uP14 Tesla only in 2025 uP15

SENSEX 67,481.19 492.75 NIFTY 20,267.90 134.75 DOLLAR ₹83.30 ₹0.10 EURO ₹90.79 ₹0.31 OIL $81.11 $2.24 GOLD ₹62,546 ₹106

GST collections hit Going strong

Aided by record festive season sales for passenger vehicles and
strong double-digit recovery in two-wheeler sales, demand for
personal mobility remained robust in November.
Centre puts
e-commerce
DON’T MISS
MINT

dark patterns
₹1.68 trillion in Nov
PASSENGER VEHICLES TWO-WHEELERS (in %)
BAJAJ Auto's y-o-y
3.9% YEAR-on-year growth in
production in November 77 growth in domestic
motorcycle sales
on notice
TVS Motor Co.'s y-o-y
335,354 TOTAL number
of units produced
50 growth in domestic
two-wheeler sales
Dhirendra Kumar
Monthly average of GST receipts now ₹1.66 tn, above govt’s target Y-o-y growth in Honda
[email protected]

53% SHARE of SUVs in

passenger vehicle sales 19 Motorcycles and Scooters
India's domestic sales
NEw DELHI
RBI, Bank of England ink pact
Gireesh Chandra Prasad

T
he Central Consumer on bond clearing settlement
[email protected]
NEw DELHI
CASH COUNTER NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
 RECORD-breaking sales of SUVs
Protection Authority
(CCPA) on Thursday
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday signed
November GST receipts showed a 15% improvement from a year an agreement with the Bank of England,
 HYBRID sales surpass EVs for the second consecutive month
earlier, the fastest pace of growth since the inception of GST in 2017.
notified guidelines to prevent under which BoE will assess and recognize

G
Source: Companies, industry estimates
oods and Services Tax deceptive behaviour of Clearing Corporation of India Ltd as a
(GST) collections GST revenue receipts Year-on-year growth (in %) SARVESH KUMAR SHARMA/MINT
e-commerce companies by counterparty to clear and settle bonds and
15.1
touched ₹1.68 trillion
in November as festive
demand lifted sales,
1.9
1.87
(in ₹ trillion)
11.6 11.5 11.7 10.8 10.8
10.2
13.4
Auto demand stays defining certain wrongful
practices known as ‘dark pat-
terns’ as offences under con-
overnight indexed swap trades. >P14

StrideOne buys stake in EV tech

but the figure was lower than Octo-
ber’s receipts of ₹1.72 trillion.
The healthy tax revenue collec- 1.7 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
steady in November sumer protection law.
Dark patterns, intended to
trick users to take unintended
startup MoEVing’s operator
StrideOne Capital Pvt. Ltd has acquired a
tion comes at a time GST-related 1.68 actions such as making pur- strategic stake in MoEVing Urban
E-way bills (in million) Alisha Sachdev
audits for the initial years of the Apr 84.4
rationalizing factory-gate dis- chase decisions, amount to Technologies Pvt. Ltd, the operator of
indirect tax reform are under way at May 88.2 [email protected] patches ahead of the new year. misleading advertisement or electric vehicle tech startup MoEVing.The
a hectic pace. Jun 86.1 NEw DELHI Maruti Suzuki, the country’s unfair trade practice or viola- deal will help StrideOne to enter the last-
Monthly GST collection, which Jul 88.0 largest passenger vehicle tion of consumer rights, mile EV financing sector. >P15
1.5 Aug 93.4

A
Apr Nov
saw a record ₹1.87 trillion in April, Sep 92.0 fter a record festive sea- maker, said its domestic pas- CCPA said in an order effec-
has remained robust subsequently, Source: Ministry of finance, GST Network Oct 100.3 son for sales of passen- senger vehicle wholesales last tive 30 November. The order
with collections in six out of the ger vehicles and riding a month improved 1.7% y-o-y, lists 13 dark patterns. Hindustan Unilever splits beauty
eight months up to November TAX FACTS strong double-digit recovery in while for South Korean car- “No person, including any and personal care businesses
remaining above ₹1.6 trillion. CUMULATIVE y-o-y COMPLIANCE focus, COLLECTIONS in 6 two-wheeler sales, demand for maker Hyundai Motor India, platform, shall engage in any Hindustan Unilever Ltd is splitting its beauty
Monthly average GST receipts is growth in April-Nov focussed recovery, out of 8 months till personal mobility remained the domestic market grew 3% dark pattern practice,” the and personal care businessin two—one
now at ₹1.66 trillion, a notch above collection at 11.87% gaming tax aid receipts Nov stay above ₹1.6 tn robust in November as auto- over last year with wholesale at guidelines said. dedicated to beauty and well-being and the
policy makers’ initial estimate of makers continued to produce 49,451 units. Guidelines to bring dark other to personal care, as it looks to take on
SARVESH KUMAR SHARMA/MINT
₹1.65 trillion. and dispatch vehicles at a For Tata Motors, wholesales patterns under strict regula- younger, mostly digital-focused companies
A finance ministry statement said healthy pace. of passenger vehicles were 1% tion was a demand of con- that are challenging the incumbents. >P15
that November GST revenue
receipts showed a 15% improve- Manufacturing picks up While passenger vehicle
production grew 3.9% in
lower y-o-y in November, with
a modest 7% increase in its EV
sumer forums after CCPA’s
establishment in July 2020.
ment from the year-ago period, the November year-on-year (y-o-y) sales. Mahindra & Mahindra, E-commerce players will Israel knew about Hamas attack

I
fastest pace of growth the indirect ndia’s manufacturing activity ket Intelligence. The purchas- at 335,354 units, the pace of however, clocked a 32% growth also face a penalty for deceiv- in advance, says NYT report
tax has registered since its inception accelerated in November ing managers index (PMI) rose growth was slower compared in its utility vehicle wholesales ing consumers by pushing
Israel’s military was aware of Hamas’ plan to
in 2017. from an eight-month-low in to 56 in November, up from with October (15.9%) as retail news articles or false adver- launch an attack on Israeli soil over a year
However, cumulative growth in October, supported by robust 55.5 in October, though it demand soared ahead of pro- TURN TO PAGE 13 tisements, which are before the devastating 7 October operation
the April to November period works demand, while input cost infla- remained below 57.5 reported duction, monthly sales data designed to blend in with the that killed hundreds of people, The New
out to 11.87%, which is closer to the tion slipped to a 40-month low, in September. reported by auto firms showed. Electric 2-W sales grow
rest of an interface in order to York Times has reported. The Israeli military
according to S&P Global Mar- READ THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 13. Automakers have taken steps 22% in November >P15
declined to comment on the report. >P14
TURN TO PAGE 13 to manage high stock levels by TURN TO PAGE 14

Nifty hits a new record, F&O Top Vini execs brought in

rollovers signal momentum after KKR deal walk out
Ram Sahgal Chhattisgarh and Telangana Suneera Tandon & while Pant could not be
[email protected] in its pocket, reinforced the Ranjani Raghavan reached for comment. KKR,
MUMBAI bulls who are waiting to buy which bought a 54% stake in
every dip,” said Nilesh Shah, NEw DELHI/MUMBAI Vini Cosmetics for $625 million

S
tellar growth in the sec- managing director, Kotak in 2021, did not respond to

V
ond quarter and positive Mahindra AMC. “With ini Cosmetics, the emailed queries.
cues from state exit polls expanding retail and HNI maker of Fogg deodor- Several mid-level employees
lifted the Nifty to a new record appetite on display during last ants and GlamUp are on their way out, too. Zonal
Bhavish Aggarwal led Ola made offers in the ₹27–45 lakh on Friday, while the Sensex week’s IPOs, and FPIs turning creams backed by private sales director for East India,
range to students at IIT-Bombay for several key profiles. came within kissing distance buyers, the momentum equity firm KKR, has seen a Devi Prasad Raul, quit in Octo-
of its all-time high. should continue,” Shah said. flurry of top-level exits in the ber after a year with the com-

Ola the surprise The Nifty hit a record

20,291.55 during the day,
before slipping somewhat to
The NSE’s Nifty 50 index rose
to a record 20,291.55 points in
The previous highs for Nifty
and Sensex stood at 20,222.45
and 67,927.23 on 15 Septem-
recent past, even as the com-
pany’s founder-chairman Dar-
shan Patel remains unfazed. Darshan Patel, chairman, Vini
pany, and moved to Nigeria
with DP World, per his
LinkedIn profile. And national

visitor on 1st day

close at an all-time high of intraday trade on Friday. MINT ber. The market has since cor- According to several people Cosmetics. trade marketing manager
20,267.90, up 0.67% from its rected from those levels, with aware of the developments, Umesh Kumar, as well as go-to-
previous close. The Sensex showed, beating expectations the Nifty falling 6.8% to a low CEO Vishal Kaul, human started looking for a replace- market head Viraj Kamboj are
rose 0.74% but missed hitting by a wide margin. Meanwhile, of 18,837.85 through 26 Octo- resource head Manisha Kadag- ment,” said Patel, who founded also on their way out, according

of IIT placements its all-time high, closing at a

10-week high of 67,481.19.
Analysts expect the
exit polls for assembly elec-
tions suggested the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) might win
ber on selling by foreign port-
folio investors (FPIs), before
picking up on strong retail
athur, and chief revenue officer
Amar Jethithor have tendered
their resignations. Chief mar-
the company in 2010. “Our
business is growing at about
15–18%per annum. We are not
to the people mentioned above.
The development comes
amid differences between the
Devina Sengupta wal posted on social media plat- momentum to continue with Rajasthan and put up a strong buying and the resumption of keting officer Sushrut Pant, downsizing anything.” Patel professional management that
[email protected] form X that he will be heading demand outstripping supply, fight in Madhya Pradesh. foreign inflows. who joined Vini this March, also appeared confident about was brought in over the past
MUMBAI to his alma mater IIT Bombay as witnessed last week when “The confluence of a blow- The small-cap and mid-cap quit in November and joined KKR, saying it continues to be two years, and the company’s
for recruitments. five public share sales to raise out GDP print and exit polls benchmarks hit fresh highs for Shree Cement as head of mar- invested in Vini. “They have original promoters Darshan

D
ay Zero dawned at “We are a growing organiza- ₹7,378 crore attracted bids giving BJP Rajasthan and call- the second straight session— keting, according to his just entered the business. They and his brother Dipam Patel.
India’s top technology tion and are looking to hire worth a whopping ₹2.6 tril- ing a close contest in MP, while the NSE Midcap 150 made a LinkedIn profile. will be invested for many Several executives Mint spoke
campuses on Friday more talent across verticals. As lion. showing that a stronger Con- fresh high of 16,127.95 while Darshan Patel, chairman of years,” he said. with cited differences between
with companies ranging from part of this, we are meeting stu- The Indian economy gress could lead the Opposi- the Nifty Smallcap 250 surged Vini Cosmetics, confirmed the Calls made and texts sent to their working styles, with the
trading firms to tech firms and dents from IITs and Tier 1 engi- expanded 7.6% in the second tion coalition for the national CEO’s exit. “He has put in his Kaul, Kadagathur, and Jethit-
consultancies jostling for the neering colleges and looking to quarter, Thursday’s data elections next year, with TURN TO PAGE 13 papers. We have already hor remained unanswered, TURN TO PAGE 13
brightest talent in the 2024 hire around 150 top talent
placement season. A dark horse across engineering domains
at the Indian Institute of Tech- including Autonomous Tech-
nology (IIT) Bombay was Bha-
vish Aggarwal-led Ola, which
aimed to hire for several key
nologies, AI, ML, Silicon
Design, Vehicle Engineering,
Cell R&D, and more,” an Ola
Fed’s rate hikes probably over, but officials reluctant to say so
profiles in the ₹27–45 lakh spokesperson said.
range for the ride hailing and Ola is not the only one look- Nick Timiraos raised its benchmark federal- Dec. 12-13 meeting will focus “I’m not losing too much
electric vehicle businesses. ing at students who will fit into [email protected] funds rate in July to a range on how much longer to signal sleep” over how markets have
Day Zero is the first day of the clean energy business. between 5.25% and 5.5%. that rate increases remain a “shifted their views.”

F
placements starting in Decem- According to IIT placement ederal Reserve officials Holding it steady at the Fed’s possibility. Officials are Officials are cautious for
ber for older IITs, and can con- teams, Reliance Industries Ltd are increasingly confi- third-consecutive policy unlikely to remove this several reasons. They don’t
tinue till early next year. As is offering about ₹15 lakh to dent that they don’t need meeting would leave it so-called tightening bias at the want to hastily announce
usual, the day saw several cro- engineers for its new energy to keep raising interest rates to unchanged at least through gathering, which would be a “mission accomplished” on
re-plus salary packages on business. defeat inflation. But they January. necessary first step before inflation, even if they are
offer. IIT-Bombay saw 40 compa- aren’t satisfied enough to Monetary policy is at its considering whether to cut heartened by the recent slow-
An IIT student appearing for nies turn up, with about 80% of declare an most eco- rates. down, because the economy
placements said Ola made the regular recruiters partici- end to nomically “If inflation is going to flare and inflation have been very
offers for about 14 profiles, pating compared to last year. hikes—let restrictive back up, I think you want to tricky to forecast over the past
including program manager Among the recruiters were alone to setting in have the option of doing more three years.
for founder’s office, business Google India, Apple, Microsoft start a discussion about lower- 25 years, and it will need to on rates,” Richmond Fed Pres- “There is no reason to
strategy manager for founder’s India, Procter and Gamble, ing rates. stay tight “for quite some US Federal Reserve most recently raised its benchmark federal- ident Tom Barkin said this declare victory on inflation
office, research engineer, soft- Sony Japan, Texas Instru- This leaves them on track to time,” New York Fed Presi- funds rate in July to a range between 5.25% and 5.5%. REUTERS week. prematurely. There is even
ware developer, data scientists, ments, Qualcomm, and Tata hold rates steady at their dent John Williams said at a Williams, a top lieutenant to less reason to do so when the
chemical engineers, and group, the IIT said. While over December meeting while conference on Thursday. “We inflation readings have led see more evidence that Fed Chair Jerome Powell, dis- economic expansion barrels
machine learning experts, 250 pre-placement offers were maintaining public guidance need to watch,” Williams told investors to speculate that the monthly inflation readings missed questions Thursday onward, impervious to seem-
without specifying if these accepted, the engineering col- that their next rate change is reporters after a speech. “I Fed will cut rates by May or remain subdued or that the about when officials might ingly anything,” said Jonathan
were for the EV business or the lege expects more than 350 more likely to be an increase have to assess, ‘OK, how is this even earlier. But officials economy and hiring are slow- lower rates as a hypothetical Pingle, chief U.S. economist at
ride hailing business. than a cut. playing out?’” aren’t ready to entertain such ing more than they anticipate. that concerns “something well
On Thursday, Ola’s Aggar- TURN TO PAGE 13 The Fed most recently Several months of subdued deliberations. They want to That means the Fed at its off into the future.” He added, TURN TO PAGE 13