Indian weddings are synonymous to the big fat affairs especially if you belong to somewhere in the north of India, not to mention, the state of Punjab where the weddings are grand affairs demanding more attention than a lot of festivals.
Excited women of the house settled with a dholki (drum) churning out one wedding song after the other… a halwai (sweet maker) preparing oil dripping pakodaas (fritters) to go with the chai-shai and thanda shanda (hot / cold drinks) anxious relatives critically examining the preparations… cousins and friends planning the last minute details of a daru (drinking) party…
In India, a country that is steeped in tradition, it’s a joy to partake in the many rituals or watch it happening, more so at special occasions. Be it a ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’ or an ‘Intimate Lean Indian Wedding’, I have always looked forward to attending these ceremonies. Having friends from different parts of India, I found the many different traditions attached to these ceremonies particularly interesting. I used to be (and still am) fascinated by the colours, the flowers, the chants, the rituals and of course the gastronomic delights!
Old is gold: A phrase that features in the list of top ten clichéd ‘words of wisdom’ and yet struggles to find its place in the ‘must do’s’ of trousseau shopping. sporting heirloom jewels is classy but does slipping into a hand-me-down lehenga earn the same respect? does the glitter of the timeworn fade over time when it comes to outfits or does it too speak of the glimmer of the past? can the grandma garment work its magic on the girl next door’s wedding? can the blue-blooded royalty carry this charm? We explore the fine line between charm and…
Advertising has become a massive industry today with almost every brand spending an exorbitant amount in an effort to create awareness and ensure top of mind recall. The point is to break through from the clutter and make that one ad that resonates with the brand and ultimately becomes the anthem of the moment. That’s the power all brands crave! I have to be honest that most ads these days lack that power of connecting with the audience. Although they’re technologically advanced and have the best picture quality, etc., they seem to lag behind in creating that connection.
One of the most wonderful childhood memories that I am emotionally attached to, is religiously listening to the song Mile Sur Mera Tumhara and watching it with immense pride on our black and white television. Oh, how proud I would feel back then, of my India, my country! I still love this song!
I’ll be honest. I had a writer’s block with scripting a story based on Indians and our waste-saving type of behaviour. After all, I’m a middle-class Indian and I just couldn’t find the parody of us trying to squeeze a little more out of everything. Let me repeat: Everything.
Last week at the mall, submerged under a pile of children’s clothes at a kid’s store, I saw a pink skirt, which would perfectly t my 2-year-old princess. I had the exact same one (well, almost) that my uncle had got for me from a trip abroad. The only difference – I was six then and the dress wouldn’t t me till I was at least eight that was if I ate for three. The one in my hand had an adjusting elastic on the waist (an awesome innovation) – the one in my memory, my granny had to alter…
Every morning brings with it one particular task for all of us (well, most of us) that marks the start of the day and guarantees our mother’s permission to have breakfast, that is, the up-down, swish-swoosh, filling our mouth with froth ritual of brushing our teeth. And one of the key players in this ritual, which is seldom given its due importance due to the presence of several alternatives (applying toothpaste on the finger or reminiscing past with the good old neem twigs), is the object whose hair we put in our mouth, the toothbrush.
