Yawn. Smirk. Yawn. Yawn. Force a smirk. Yawn. You’re already through with your “Sandwich”. Reminding myself that this is a movie review, and not that of a food festival, I’ll just tell you what sort of a situation you gotta be in, if you wanna catch this flick. Imagine there’s this girl you want to ask out, and lunch / dinner is too bold a step forward. Here’s a movie which you should ask her out to, if you want quality one on one time. Cos, in spite of your looking like a Razputin, and talking like a Vajpayee, she'd pick watching you rather than the flick.
If you needed a movie with ample conversation time throughout, and just a whiff of a hint-of-a-pint-of-a-tint of humor, it would be this. However, if you ignored these instructions, and tell your date that you brought her to this movie only because tickets were available at the last minute, then of course, you’re gonna witness more than a pint of humour.
A ticket to this movie promises to show you a first time producer, who takes 7 years in making an unmade film. It also promises you a car salesman who bosses over not only his own boss, but also his two wives. You will get to see the heroine resplendent in bridal makeup, sitting in her mandap, with a shiny new revolver. Perhaps one of the guests brought it along as a sensible gift. You will see another heroine, who in an extreme fit of anger and insecurity, pulls out a kerosene stove and…begins to cook food. Then there are the villains, who after chasing their target in open streets, shooting at him with pistols and what not, think it’s an accomplishment to throw him out the door when he actually lands up at their place. You’ll see a plastic surgeon, leaving aside his profession and hobnobbing with the villains for a few lakh of rupees. If you’re thinking the movie is a comedy, perish the thought. The movie is a joke.
Not that there aren’t some laughable moments. When Govinda goes “bhanda bachalo”, in his inimitable style, he rings some nostalgic bells of the days when ribs used to tickle, and sides used to split. The sad part is that this bell isn’t rung too often. And when it is, it’s so loud, that sides split all right… the sides of your eardrums. The comedy one liners sometimes (read mostly) try too hard to be funny, while of the ones that fell flat, you can tell that there just wasn’t any imagination.
In this three hour movie, it would be your responsibility to keep your date entertained for two and a half. Here’s all that it puts you through. Sher Singh aka Shekhar aka Govinda wakes up one morning and finds himself married to two women. How was that possible? Well, you just take a Bollywood movie, add a Govinda, and hey presto… Anything is possible. One wife, Sweety (Mahima) he keeps in his village, while he lives with the other one, Nisha (Raveena) in Mumbai. Fast forward through a song and a dance in which both the mothers get to exhibit their motherly love to the newborns, and watch them grow up a bit. You’ve become an uncle, and have aged 7 years.
Fed up with the separate existence, Sweety with mom in law (Reema Lagoo) and kid Tony in tow, land up in Mumbai to pep things up for the movie. Now the master of twin marriages, Shekhar spends half his time at one place, and the other half at the other.
Think life is too simple so far? Wait, for it gets more so. The children find there is something amiss, and begin to suspect that their fathers are the same. The suspicion rubs off on the mothers as well, and they begin to ask questions. Shekhar// Sher singh do as good a job of dissolving these suspicions as any… after all, they have Govinda to back them up. But it all goes awry when Govinda in the role of Sher Singh meets another Govinda, the fake real husband of Nisha.
The sad part of this comedy is that Govinda does not get too good a script. I mean, no one goes to a Govinda movie to dwelve on the story. It’s more like gimme me my slapsticks, and I’m outta here. More of his one liners fall flat on their faces rather than not. That said, there is surely a lot of action left in the man. Raveena plays an overtly suspicious wife / lover, a role she is not natural in. However, she can carry off some bits of comedy well, and manages to do so. Mahima plays a gharelu Sweety, who has to quickly adapt to modernity in the city, yet keep the rural outlook. Her role does not seem to trouble her acting skills too much, and she is probably one of the plus points of the film. The acting of the other sidekicks and villains was up to the low standards set by the script. Had the one liners been more imaginative, the medley could have been thoroughly enjoyable. As it stands, the movie seems to have fallen as flat as most of its one liners have.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Movie Review: Shadi Ker Ke Phas Gaya
Ever heard of the story where two monkeys fight over a piece of bread and along comes a cat which starts to weigh it and eat the excesses to balance it? The inspiration for Shaadi… must definitely have come from this story. Tit for tat. Tat for tit. Titat for Tatit. You get the point. Thankfully, they didn’t keep any actual cats or monkeys in the movie. They got Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Supriya Karnik to play the respective roles in this truncated soap opera.
The movie takes after Kramer Vs Kramer, but only upto a point. The similarity lies in that both dedicate a lot of reel time to the post marriage ‘sadly ever after’ scenario. After that point, it definitely becomes a masala Hindi film. Another thing about this film, is that you must leave the scale with which you attach importance to events outside in the theatre lobby. That a hawaldar has unquestioned access to a couple’s bedroom, and can dial up a magistrate sahiba at 6 am to threaten the wife to walk her unborn baby is completely normal. Even the thought of registering some kind of valid protest against this behaviour does not strike the wife. And this comes after she has walked out of her husband’s house because he read her diary before marriage. It’s a long story, and its best to start when the fighting monkeys were littler.
Ayaan (Salman Khan) meets Ahana (Shilpa Shetty) a couple of times before he gets hold of her diary by chance. In this diary, he reads all about her taste, likes and dislikes, which he quickly adopts for himself. In their meetings, she is obviously flabbergasted at the way all of their choices match. A couple of song and dance sequences happen, the chat mangni pat byaah takes place and she moves in to Ayaans house. This takes half the movie.
Just when you start thinking about what you have gotten yourself into and come back after a coffee in the lobby (where you once again got a glimpse at the ‘scale’ lying where you left it in the corner) things get better. Or worse, if you choose to look at things from Ayaan’s point of view. The fights that happen in the second half are the stuff of a gossipy neighbours’ dreams. It is here that couples watching the movie begin to take sides. However, the movie could have given its female audiences more justification for their stand. (Of course, it could just be that this sexist reviewer failed to see any) They fight about this. They fight about that. They fight about blah. They fight about bhuh. There is always curiosity to see how these people managed it. And manage it they do, as Salman Khan turns on his charm (!) on most occasions and the fight ends.
Eventually the diary gets found out, and the “unthinkable” happens - an instant separation. However, there is a problem. Ahana is pregnant again after her first miscarriage, and Ayaan’s taking no chances. An incredulous court scene follows, and Ayaan lands up at her mothers place along with a Jaspal Bhatti-ish hawaldar, who is no other than Salmans brother (Munish Behl). Some incredulous scenes later the baby is born, and now its Ahana’s turn to land up at Salman’s place to feed the baby. Remember the incredulous court scene? Now think of another equally incredulous hospital scene which leads to this.
One of the things that stood out in the movie was Shakti Kapoor’s acting as Ahana’s henpecked father. He really looks the helpless husband next to his ultra modern wife, Supriya Karnik, the main instigator throughout the movie.
Overall, a watchable movie, only so long as you don’t forget to pick up your scales at the end of the movie. Definitely explores some real life situations and a must watch for all those engaged, but not yet married. Those who are already married can go out there and derive sadistic pleasure out of others’ misfortunes.
The movie takes after Kramer Vs Kramer, but only upto a point. The similarity lies in that both dedicate a lot of reel time to the post marriage ‘sadly ever after’ scenario. After that point, it definitely becomes a masala Hindi film. Another thing about this film, is that you must leave the scale with which you attach importance to events outside in the theatre lobby. That a hawaldar has unquestioned access to a couple’s bedroom, and can dial up a magistrate sahiba at 6 am to threaten the wife to walk her unborn baby is completely normal. Even the thought of registering some kind of valid protest against this behaviour does not strike the wife. And this comes after she has walked out of her husband’s house because he read her diary before marriage. It’s a long story, and its best to start when the fighting monkeys were littler.
Ayaan (Salman Khan) meets Ahana (Shilpa Shetty) a couple of times before he gets hold of her diary by chance. In this diary, he reads all about her taste, likes and dislikes, which he quickly adopts for himself. In their meetings, she is obviously flabbergasted at the way all of their choices match. A couple of song and dance sequences happen, the chat mangni pat byaah takes place and she moves in to Ayaans house. This takes half the movie.
Just when you start thinking about what you have gotten yourself into and come back after a coffee in the lobby (where you once again got a glimpse at the ‘scale’ lying where you left it in the corner) things get better. Or worse, if you choose to look at things from Ayaan’s point of view. The fights that happen in the second half are the stuff of a gossipy neighbours’ dreams. It is here that couples watching the movie begin to take sides. However, the movie could have given its female audiences more justification for their stand. (Of course, it could just be that this sexist reviewer failed to see any) They fight about this. They fight about that. They fight about blah. They fight about bhuh. There is always curiosity to see how these people managed it. And manage it they do, as Salman Khan turns on his charm (!) on most occasions and the fight ends.
Eventually the diary gets found out, and the “unthinkable” happens - an instant separation. However, there is a problem. Ahana is pregnant again after her first miscarriage, and Ayaan’s taking no chances. An incredulous court scene follows, and Ayaan lands up at her mothers place along with a Jaspal Bhatti-ish hawaldar, who is no other than Salmans brother (Munish Behl). Some incredulous scenes later the baby is born, and now its Ahana’s turn to land up at Salman’s place to feed the baby. Remember the incredulous court scene? Now think of another equally incredulous hospital scene which leads to this.
One of the things that stood out in the movie was Shakti Kapoor’s acting as Ahana’s henpecked father. He really looks the helpless husband next to his ultra modern wife, Supriya Karnik, the main instigator throughout the movie.
Overall, a watchable movie, only so long as you don’t forget to pick up your scales at the end of the movie. Definitely explores some real life situations and a must watch for all those engaged, but not yet married. Those who are already married can go out there and derive sadistic pleasure out of others’ misfortunes.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Movie Review: Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna
People of the city can finally stop crossing off painstaking days on the calendar. Instead, they could try their hand at waiting in long queues. And this, for no small reason. All Shahrukh fans please stand up. All Amitabh fans, kindly also stand up. All Abhishek fans... you get the point. Or rather, you get a whole city of upstanding fans.
The hyperhyped KANK has hit the screens to some wild raucous cheering on the one hand, and possibly another cinematic landmark on the other. But that's just possibly.
What we have here, is some old Tequila in a long, long, bottle-necked bottle. By the time it comes out, the party is almost over. However, we'd admit... While the concepts that have been thrown in have definitely been seen before, they have certainly never been packaged in this way.
Charming football star Dev Saran (Shahrukh Khan) is already married when he meets Maya (Rani Mukherjee) for the first time, all decked up in her wedding regalia. Maya ho hum about her marriage to Rishi Talwar (Abhishek Bachchan). Dev’s suggestion: Try and be happy with her husband, or wait for a love that may never happen. Rani quips… What if she finds love after marriage?
This sets the base, the tone, the flavor, (the length) and, if you will permit us, even the scent of the movie. Or, the starting ammo, with which Karan Johar launches his latest melodrama from New York.
What happens when you fall in love with someone after you are happily (!) married? If you were from a so-called “Western mindset”, the answer would lie in a simple word starting with D. However, if you're even slightly in the know of Indian Culture, and further, more in the know of Indian cinema, then the answer lies in a complex word, starting with a T. Taboo!
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna goes much further beyond the barriers set by previous movies like Murder or Silsila. The difference is that there the affair stays the affair, and the wife stays the wife. In any case, in the older movie, the wife wasn’t allowed to know about big words starting with D.
KANK puts in your way, an extra-marital love which is out of this world, lust which knows no limits to passion, guilt which almost dredges you into the ground, jealousy which knows no reason, and enough ethics to drive YOU insane.
All these emotions and events come your way with a very surprising and refreshing free style approach: Nothing really matters to anyone in the movie, except you. But then, you aren’t in the movie, so, if they aren’t bothered, why are you? Dev’s atrocious fatherly behaviors, rarely gets a reprimand from mother or wife, let alone get noticed by child agencies. A full blown declaration of adultery in front of all and sundry gets passed off as a sense of humor. Divorce is a quick flash away.
Anyway, getting back to the screen, Dev turns into a frustrated short-tempered coach after an accident leaves him with a limp for life. His wife Ria (Preity) is the busy editor of a fashion magazine, and has a fewer number of hours on her watch than her husband. As far as Maya goes, it is clear that her marriage was a compromise in spite of her loving, amorous Abhishek.
Dev and Maya meet amidst some highly contrived circumstances, and help each other reclaim their marital bliss (?). Which reminds of the twisted jingle… Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, Dunno what they did up there but came down with a dau…
But boy, does Shahrukh Khan possess star power. He plays the devils advocate, the grumpy husband, the frustrated sportsman and the ardent lover with such consummate ease, that you could almost forget that he is courting two women in the movie. However, there’s the feeling that it’s not enough. With stars scattered around like this, you can never get enough of any.
Sam (Amitabh Bacchan), the flamboyant “Ahh, the bed broke this morning” widower, refreshes in his role. If this man’s got yet some more up his sleeve after all these years, I wouldn’t be the least surprised.
Preity Zinta does not have too many words, but plays the part of the modern woman in modern love. All she is allowed is one resounding “thappad” across Dev’s face. Kiron Kher does well for herself, especially while receiving compliments from the frisky "sexy" Sam about the growing size of her, well, of Chandigarh. Rani Mukherjee plays the loveless-wife-yet-passionate-lover role with consummate skill. Abhishek Bacchan performs fabulously as the husband, blinded to all faults. His passion and maturity come across very easily. But the movie’s real mark is in the way it ends. In Sippy's Sholay, Amitabh dies because society won’t accept a widow remarriage. Here, Karan Johar gets KANK to move the heavens and the earth, and of course the starcast, to be among the first to have brought off the new concept of finding love after marriage.
And perhaps, you may also just see that Tequila slowly squirming its way out of the mouth of the bottle as you move out of the halls.
The hyperhyped KANK has hit the screens to some wild raucous cheering on the one hand, and possibly another cinematic landmark on the other. But that's just possibly.
What we have here, is some old Tequila in a long, long, bottle-necked bottle. By the time it comes out, the party is almost over. However, we'd admit... While the concepts that have been thrown in have definitely been seen before, they have certainly never been packaged in this way.
Charming football star Dev Saran (Shahrukh Khan) is already married when he meets Maya (Rani Mukherjee) for the first time, all decked up in her wedding regalia. Maya ho hum about her marriage to Rishi Talwar (Abhishek Bachchan). Dev’s suggestion: Try and be happy with her husband, or wait for a love that may never happen. Rani quips… What if she finds love after marriage?
This sets the base, the tone, the flavor, (the length) and, if you will permit us, even the scent of the movie. Or, the starting ammo, with which Karan Johar launches his latest melodrama from New York.
What happens when you fall in love with someone after you are happily (!) married? If you were from a so-called “Western mindset”, the answer would lie in a simple word starting with D. However, if you're even slightly in the know of Indian Culture, and further, more in the know of Indian cinema, then the answer lies in a complex word, starting with a T. Taboo!
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna goes much further beyond the barriers set by previous movies like Murder or Silsila. The difference is that there the affair stays the affair, and the wife stays the wife. In any case, in the older movie, the wife wasn’t allowed to know about big words starting with D.
KANK puts in your way, an extra-marital love which is out of this world, lust which knows no limits to passion, guilt which almost dredges you into the ground, jealousy which knows no reason, and enough ethics to drive YOU insane.
All these emotions and events come your way with a very surprising and refreshing free style approach: Nothing really matters to anyone in the movie, except you. But then, you aren’t in the movie, so, if they aren’t bothered, why are you? Dev’s atrocious fatherly behaviors, rarely gets a reprimand from mother or wife, let alone get noticed by child agencies. A full blown declaration of adultery in front of all and sundry gets passed off as a sense of humor. Divorce is a quick flash away.
Anyway, getting back to the screen, Dev turns into a frustrated short-tempered coach after an accident leaves him with a limp for life. His wife Ria (Preity) is the busy editor of a fashion magazine, and has a fewer number of hours on her watch than her husband. As far as Maya goes, it is clear that her marriage was a compromise in spite of her loving, amorous Abhishek.
Dev and Maya meet amidst some highly contrived circumstances, and help each other reclaim their marital bliss (?). Which reminds of the twisted jingle… Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, Dunno what they did up there but came down with a dau…
But boy, does Shahrukh Khan possess star power. He plays the devils advocate, the grumpy husband, the frustrated sportsman and the ardent lover with such consummate ease, that you could almost forget that he is courting two women in the movie. However, there’s the feeling that it’s not enough. With stars scattered around like this, you can never get enough of any.
Sam (Amitabh Bacchan), the flamboyant “Ahh, the bed broke this morning” widower, refreshes in his role. If this man’s got yet some more up his sleeve after all these years, I wouldn’t be the least surprised.
Preity Zinta does not have too many words, but plays the part of the modern woman in modern love. All she is allowed is one resounding “thappad” across Dev’s face. Kiron Kher does well for herself, especially while receiving compliments from the frisky "sexy" Sam about the growing size of her, well, of Chandigarh. Rani Mukherjee plays the loveless-wife-yet-passionate-lover role with consummate skill. Abhishek Bacchan performs fabulously as the husband, blinded to all faults. His passion and maturity come across very easily. But the movie’s real mark is in the way it ends. In Sippy's Sholay, Amitabh dies because society won’t accept a widow remarriage. Here, Karan Johar gets KANK to move the heavens and the earth, and of course the starcast, to be among the first to have brought off the new concept of finding love after marriage.
And perhaps, you may also just see that Tequila slowly squirming its way out of the mouth of the bottle as you move out of the halls.
Cinema Hall Review: Santosh Cinema
There are two ways of going to Santosh. Both of these will get you tickets, but one won’t let you watch the movie. The first way lands you at the ticket counter, where you can buy as many tickets you want, and go watch the movie. The second way will also get you a ticket (however, just one this time), and if you want more, you’ll have to repeat the journey. It’s only a small matter that the usher won’t accept these tickets or let you in. No, its not that the theatre is selling bogus tickets, it just that the second set of tickets are handed out by the khaki clothed men. Santosh lies on Abid Road, or Abids, which has been one of the oldest “one way streets” in Hyderabad.
Its unique location may have led to many of the following types of exchanges between two Hyderabadis. A: C’mon, let’s go or we won’t get tickets! B: Chill, we’ll call Prasad’s. A: Say what now? They’re sold out?” B (philosophically): O’ well … there’s always Santosh.” If you live north of Abids, you’ve probably met A and B. If you happen to live south of Abids, replace A & B with X & Y, and Prasad’s with Ramakrishna. However, the constant in both the equations remains Santosh. For that is what Santosh typically is. A reservoir for the ardent movie buffs, a movie screener of the last resort. Thanks to location which is bang in the centre of Hyderabad, it easily accepts the spillover crowd coming from all directions. Patrons who come here, are generally from the Old City, and Santosh mostly caters to them by playing only Hindi films. The norm here is to pay the distributors by the week for each movie, increasing the chances of you finding the latest craze which you want to catch.
In the 26 years of its existence, Santosh has been renovated 5 times. However, the teak wood paneling in the lobby still remains all of a quarter of a century old. And with the shiny polishing work, it still retains its charm and grandeur. It serves as an automatic deterrent to the Rajnigandha gobblers, forcing them to look elsewhere. One of the ironies of this cinema is the ramp. While some theatres use stairs, and others have gotten round to escalators, Santosh still uses its ancient ramp. It’s probably the only place in the world, where it is the audience which gets to walk a red carpeted ramp to see their models and actors.
A huge huge plus point once you get inside, is the distance between the two rows of seats. No wonder they don’t air the statutory message “Please don’t keep your feet on the chair in front” during intervals. The reason is not too far beyond comprehension. It’s impossible even if you wanted to. If you wanted to play at being Rangeela’s Aamer Khan inside Santosh, you’d also have to be Shaquille O’Neil. Or Michael Jordan. Or Completely Horizontal.
Come to think of it, Santosh is full of ironies. One message that they do air during the intervals is that of “no smoking”. However, the photo sports a James Bond sort of man casually lighting a cigarette, with the lighter obscured by a small encircled cross. The effect which gets conveyed is probably more to remind the smoker of his depleted serum nicotine levels, rather than advocate the evils of smoking to the general public. Little wonder then, that king sized Gold Flakes can be had for Rs. 5, just outside in the lobby.
The lobby has comfortable sofas, and small tables with bowls in front. Ostensibly, these are supposed to serve as ashtrays. However, the hovercraft class swinging pedestal fans make sure that flicking the ash on the ground or inside the bowl has the same net effect.
When you enter the hall, the red carpet welcome always gets a tad overdone. As you climb the stairs, and emerge onto the landing, remember to hold on to something. Stepping on to the red carpeted cushioning of the landing is like stepping on 10 feet of hay stacked in a vertical column. Air conditioning is absent, but you do have air coolers, with blowers powerful enough to make sure that you have bad hair days for six consecutive days.
In the end, the theatre stands good on the promise lent by its name, and the experience can be called just that. Satisfactory. Santosh is, and remains a place to go to when you’re out of options.
Its unique location may have led to many of the following types of exchanges between two Hyderabadis. A: C’mon, let’s go or we won’t get tickets! B: Chill, we’ll call Prasad’s. A: Say what now? They’re sold out?” B (philosophically): O’ well … there’s always Santosh.” If you live north of Abids, you’ve probably met A and B. If you happen to live south of Abids, replace A & B with X & Y, and Prasad’s with Ramakrishna. However, the constant in both the equations remains Santosh. For that is what Santosh typically is. A reservoir for the ardent movie buffs, a movie screener of the last resort. Thanks to location which is bang in the centre of Hyderabad, it easily accepts the spillover crowd coming from all directions. Patrons who come here, are generally from the Old City, and Santosh mostly caters to them by playing only Hindi films. The norm here is to pay the distributors by the week for each movie, increasing the chances of you finding the latest craze which you want to catch.
In the 26 years of its existence, Santosh has been renovated 5 times. However, the teak wood paneling in the lobby still remains all of a quarter of a century old. And with the shiny polishing work, it still retains its charm and grandeur. It serves as an automatic deterrent to the Rajnigandha gobblers, forcing them to look elsewhere. One of the ironies of this cinema is the ramp. While some theatres use stairs, and others have gotten round to escalators, Santosh still uses its ancient ramp. It’s probably the only place in the world, where it is the audience which gets to walk a red carpeted ramp to see their models and actors.
A huge huge plus point once you get inside, is the distance between the two rows of seats. No wonder they don’t air the statutory message “Please don’t keep your feet on the chair in front” during intervals. The reason is not too far beyond comprehension. It’s impossible even if you wanted to. If you wanted to play at being Rangeela’s Aamer Khan inside Santosh, you’d also have to be Shaquille O’Neil. Or Michael Jordan. Or Completely Horizontal.
Come to think of it, Santosh is full of ironies. One message that they do air during the intervals is that of “no smoking”. However, the photo sports a James Bond sort of man casually lighting a cigarette, with the lighter obscured by a small encircled cross. The effect which gets conveyed is probably more to remind the smoker of his depleted serum nicotine levels, rather than advocate the evils of smoking to the general public. Little wonder then, that king sized Gold Flakes can be had for Rs. 5, just outside in the lobby.
The lobby has comfortable sofas, and small tables with bowls in front. Ostensibly, these are supposed to serve as ashtrays. However, the hovercraft class swinging pedestal fans make sure that flicking the ash on the ground or inside the bowl has the same net effect.
When you enter the hall, the red carpet welcome always gets a tad overdone. As you climb the stairs, and emerge onto the landing, remember to hold on to something. Stepping on to the red carpeted cushioning of the landing is like stepping on 10 feet of hay stacked in a vertical column. Air conditioning is absent, but you do have air coolers, with blowers powerful enough to make sure that you have bad hair days for six consecutive days.
In the end, the theatre stands good on the promise lent by its name, and the experience can be called just that. Satisfactory. Santosh is, and remains a place to go to when you’re out of options.
Restaurant Review: Harahs
One way to describe Harahs accurately would be to call it the better of most worlds. We say this even though you won’t find outerworldly nirvana or moksha here. Pleasures from this world you definitely will. We say most worlds, because of the combination of foods on offer, their quality and their price.
The best thing about this rest-o-bar, is that it has something for every one. A traveling North Indian coming to town, who just does not want to leave his Mutton Lababdar, can find it cooked to perfection here. The meat is succulently tender and tastefully spicy, and will renew your love affair with the dish once again, in case you’ve fallen out with it on a date in another restaurant. Another interesting item is the Tandoori Platter which is an assorted combination of all the starter kebabs. At Rs. 325, it’s a crash course in kebabing.
A Southie will find all the food items ending with the da and other such syllables that he is used to. The thing about this place that strikes you, is that although they don’t have too many fancy items, it’s the everyday stuff that is well done.
Lunch time on a weekday will find the typical working populace, coming in to get a reasonable meal nicely cooked. However, if you call yourself a connoisseur, then you’d have to go for the full deal. Soups, starters, cocktails, main course and desserts. For the first, the chef recommends the Lemon Coriander. After that, you could try either of the following: the Hunan Chicken (not Human Chicken… please!), the Diced Chicken With Red & Green Pepper, Crispy Lamb Pepper, Prawns In Hot Garlic, or the Fish In Konjee Sauce. You would find that not only are all these extremely palatable, they are easily walletable as well.
We’ll leave the drinks to you, move on to the next course. The Roast Lamb In Barbecue Sauce On A Sizzler is another of the chef’s recommendations, and promises to be an entire 7 course meal by itself. The Sliced Chicken In Oyster Sauce, or the Chicken In Hong Kong style are also some of the better dishes.
For desserts, we’d make just one recco. The Fried Ice-Cream. Not that we’re going to give it away though. You’d have to land up at Harahs to find out what we’re talking about.
The ambience and the décor is tasteful. After you walk away from this place, you might have this vague conflict with your memory. Was there something, which reminded you of something else, on which you now can’t quite place your finger? Ahh, yes… The Yellow Brick Road. If you’ve ever watched The Wizard Of Oz, you would know that the Black Marble Road inside Harahs is just the modern day edible equivalent of a wonderous cinematic journey, done a long time ago. What’s special about this marble flooring is that they have drilled it with fine holes few and far in between, and inserted multicolored optical fiber lights into them. The result is that the floor glows the way you would expect a starry, starry night to.
The kids play area is more than just for namesake, with an entire room dedicated to the purpose. This gives the joint the dubious distinction of easily being the place to conveniently park your kids and your husband (remember there’s the bar), when you’re out shopping at Nagarjuna Circle. But yeah, never forget the food.
The best thing about this rest-o-bar, is that it has something for every one. A traveling North Indian coming to town, who just does not want to leave his Mutton Lababdar, can find it cooked to perfection here. The meat is succulently tender and tastefully spicy, and will renew your love affair with the dish once again, in case you’ve fallen out with it on a date in another restaurant. Another interesting item is the Tandoori Platter which is an assorted combination of all the starter kebabs. At Rs. 325, it’s a crash course in kebabing.
A Southie will find all the food items ending with the da and other such syllables that he is used to. The thing about this place that strikes you, is that although they don’t have too many fancy items, it’s the everyday stuff that is well done.
Lunch time on a weekday will find the typical working populace, coming in to get a reasonable meal nicely cooked. However, if you call yourself a connoisseur, then you’d have to go for the full deal. Soups, starters, cocktails, main course and desserts. For the first, the chef recommends the Lemon Coriander. After that, you could try either of the following: the Hunan Chicken (not Human Chicken… please!), the Diced Chicken With Red & Green Pepper, Crispy Lamb Pepper, Prawns In Hot Garlic, or the Fish In Konjee Sauce. You would find that not only are all these extremely palatable, they are easily walletable as well.
We’ll leave the drinks to you, move on to the next course. The Roast Lamb In Barbecue Sauce On A Sizzler is another of the chef’s recommendations, and promises to be an entire 7 course meal by itself. The Sliced Chicken In Oyster Sauce, or the Chicken In Hong Kong style are also some of the better dishes.
For desserts, we’d make just one recco. The Fried Ice-Cream. Not that we’re going to give it away though. You’d have to land up at Harahs to find out what we’re talking about.
The ambience and the décor is tasteful. After you walk away from this place, you might have this vague conflict with your memory. Was there something, which reminded you of something else, on which you now can’t quite place your finger? Ahh, yes… The Yellow Brick Road. If you’ve ever watched The Wizard Of Oz, you would know that the Black Marble Road inside Harahs is just the modern day edible equivalent of a wonderous cinematic journey, done a long time ago. What’s special about this marble flooring is that they have drilled it with fine holes few and far in between, and inserted multicolored optical fiber lights into them. The result is that the floor glows the way you would expect a starry, starry night to.
The kids play area is more than just for namesake, with an entire room dedicated to the purpose. This gives the joint the dubious distinction of easily being the place to conveniently park your kids and your husband (remember there’s the bar), when you’re out shopping at Nagarjuna Circle. But yeah, never forget the food.
Restaurant Review: Biryani Durbaar
You could step into Biryani Durbaar anytime, but it is recommended that you do so only when you find that all three of the following are happening to you in conjunction. A) You amazingly wake up after being cuffed, and find yourself at Trimulgherry cross roads. B) You realize that you are starving, and might need a drip soon. C) Your companion is also in your condition, or had once eaten at Gali Shahtara, near Jama Masjid, Old Delhi.
That it is popular, there is no doubt. Evidently, there are more people who fit the above mentioned bill than we reckoned. Or it could be something else. Something totally ingenious, something so extraordinary, that Biryani Durbaar actually clicks. We searched around for the reason. And found it. There is no other restaurant worth the name, in this vicinity. People from areas like Sainikpuri, Venkatapuram, Hasmetpet come here. No wonder… Sadly, they aren’t among those spoilt for choice.
The Mutton Biryani, is not something we would recommend. It could be a bad day, but the meat was slightly raw. And the rice was worth its weight in gold. Well, at least equal to it. The other Biryani’s, like the chicken, fish, and prawn we leave to you to find out. These come at an average cost of around Rs. 100 for two persons.
Arz kiya hai, Biryani Durbaar mein andher hai, par zyada der nahi Literally. Something wrong with the lights, we figure. Service time is average, and the waiters just need you to practice your whistling skills twice, every time.
However, the starters were good. Or, it could be an off day for them too, we really can’t say. We tried the Korra Menu Veppudu. It was good. Can’t really go wrong with fried fish. The soups were also palatable. Try the Chicken Lemon Coriander. If you like lemon, you’re sure to be okay with their version.
Deserts are also common everyday affairs. Qubani, ice creams, etc. We went for the Lovers Delight with the thought “let them give their best shot”. We got three scoops of ice cream, Butterscotch, Pista and Strawberry, with wafer cutouts in heart shapes. But eat on, for it gets better. There were pieces of fruit at the bottom, which served as a welcome surprise.
The ambience and décor is basic. The ground floor is like a men’s only (the andher section, where visibility is limited to your own table), with a family section on the 2nd floor. There is only a washroom, no loo, on the 2nd floor, and there is no water in the tap on the first floor, where the loo actually is. Ever had an off day while playing Snakes and Ladders?
However, in spite of all this, there is no doubt that the restaurant is popular. Inexpensive rates, a wide range of regular dishes to choose from (the menu is exhaustive), and the standard Hyderabadi fare, make it a popular middle class hang out. This is also a place where one could try their hands at cuisines like Tandoori, Chinese and Continental.
That it is popular, there is no doubt. Evidently, there are more people who fit the above mentioned bill than we reckoned. Or it could be something else. Something totally ingenious, something so extraordinary, that Biryani Durbaar actually clicks. We searched around for the reason. And found it. There is no other restaurant worth the name, in this vicinity. People from areas like Sainikpuri, Venkatapuram, Hasmetpet come here. No wonder… Sadly, they aren’t among those spoilt for choice.
The Mutton Biryani, is not something we would recommend. It could be a bad day, but the meat was slightly raw. And the rice was worth its weight in gold. Well, at least equal to it. The other Biryani’s, like the chicken, fish, and prawn we leave to you to find out. These come at an average cost of around Rs. 100 for two persons.
Arz kiya hai, Biryani Durbaar mein andher hai, par zyada der nahi Literally. Something wrong with the lights, we figure. Service time is average, and the waiters just need you to practice your whistling skills twice, every time.
However, the starters were good. Or, it could be an off day for them too, we really can’t say. We tried the Korra Menu Veppudu. It was good. Can’t really go wrong with fried fish. The soups were also palatable. Try the Chicken Lemon Coriander. If you like lemon, you’re sure to be okay with their version.
Deserts are also common everyday affairs. Qubani, ice creams, etc. We went for the Lovers Delight with the thought “let them give their best shot”. We got three scoops of ice cream, Butterscotch, Pista and Strawberry, with wafer cutouts in heart shapes. But eat on, for it gets better. There were pieces of fruit at the bottom, which served as a welcome surprise.
The ambience and décor is basic. The ground floor is like a men’s only (the andher section, where visibility is limited to your own table), with a family section on the 2nd floor. There is only a washroom, no loo, on the 2nd floor, and there is no water in the tap on the first floor, where the loo actually is. Ever had an off day while playing Snakes and Ladders?
However, in spite of all this, there is no doubt that the restaurant is popular. Inexpensive rates, a wide range of regular dishes to choose from (the menu is exhaustive), and the standard Hyderabadi fare, make it a popular middle class hang out. This is also a place where one could try their hands at cuisines like Tandoori, Chinese and Continental.
Store Review: Vaibhav
From the moment that women step into this shop, they cease to be women anymore. In their new avatar as the hunters of fine bargain, their plight can closely be compared to that of an ill fed zoo tiger, who, with the lazy blink of an eye, suddenly finds himself cramped for space amidst a herd of deer grazing calmly inside his very own cage. New Vaibhav, may not be such a cool place to hang out for real life members of the Panthera tigris clan, either of the caged or the wild variety (or the hungry or the well fed variety), but the 2000 plus women (and men) who horde it on a daily basis, sure do make their killing.
First the grass facts. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Koti bus stop and the Osmania Medical College, this “Family Fabric World” has a lot of issues to deal with. The first, the three thousand & fifty fourth, and the last of them being the supercrazy doses of human traffic that pass by. Vaibhav dangles out its bait, (read bargain) and waits for the bite. And the hunter becomes the hunted. Oh hell, being hunted was never this good. If you’re the one who’s just starting out in life, and need some decent dinner wear, or wanna attend that friends engagement, here’s the place to begin. If you’re the one, who’s got to where you are by being smart (read stringy) but now unfortunately need to buy miles and miles of sarees to hand out to your never ending line of in-laws or outlaws for your daughters wedding, here is the place to be once again. Then again, if you’re of the stinky super-rich types, and 50 quid don’t mean a thing to you, but don’t want to miss out on a Kanjivaram silken that other middle and upper class stores are out of, or never had, here is the place to be again. But don’t miss out on the following statutory warning. If you’re the type who can’t quickly decide on whether to have spinach or bhindi for a home lunch, this is NOT the place to be. Either of the following scenarios may emerge. A, you’d freeze from decision paralysis, or B, you would see your husband freeze to the spot, trying inanely to stammer a protest when the charge card bills do find their way home.
In store service can make you feel pampered on an off day, with over a 100 attendants at a given time. A bunch of ladies stepping in in the morning and leaving only in the evening are not unseen of here. The store itself is more like four stores in one, with each floor dedicated to a different section. No prizes then for guessing correctly, that you would find the wedding wear on the ground floor. Want designer sarees with handwork on silk? Stay on. Have a budget of Rs 98? Stay. Rs 50,000? Why, you’re most welcome.
1st floor goes to ‘fancy sarees’ and dress material. The endangered breed of men shopping for themselves finally finds its ground in this store, only on the 2nd floor. Shirts, pants, and party wear can be had between Rs 150 and Rs 4500. The heaviest dose of splurging on wedding suits can dent your wallet by 20,000 max. However, quality is something you must personally satisfy yourself with. The last floor, the 3rd one, goes to the children, the energetic adorables. However, whether their mommies are as energetic, and find the displays as adorable after that long climb, is anybody’s guess. Kids reading this, eyeing a pair of ‘J Family’ branded jeans for themselves, may find it worthwhile to tell their mothers that the store does indeed possess an elevator.
First the grass facts. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Koti bus stop and the Osmania Medical College, this “Family Fabric World” has a lot of issues to deal with. The first, the three thousand & fifty fourth, and the last of them being the supercrazy doses of human traffic that pass by. Vaibhav dangles out its bait, (read bargain) and waits for the bite. And the hunter becomes the hunted. Oh hell, being hunted was never this good. If you’re the one who’s just starting out in life, and need some decent dinner wear, or wanna attend that friends engagement, here’s the place to begin. If you’re the one, who’s got to where you are by being smart (read stringy) but now unfortunately need to buy miles and miles of sarees to hand out to your never ending line of in-laws or outlaws for your daughters wedding, here is the place to be once again. Then again, if you’re of the stinky super-rich types, and 50 quid don’t mean a thing to you, but don’t want to miss out on a Kanjivaram silken that other middle and upper class stores are out of, or never had, here is the place to be again. But don’t miss out on the following statutory warning. If you’re the type who can’t quickly decide on whether to have spinach or bhindi for a home lunch, this is NOT the place to be. Either of the following scenarios may emerge. A, you’d freeze from decision paralysis, or B, you would see your husband freeze to the spot, trying inanely to stammer a protest when the charge card bills do find their way home.
In store service can make you feel pampered on an off day, with over a 100 attendants at a given time. A bunch of ladies stepping in in the morning and leaving only in the evening are not unseen of here. The store itself is more like four stores in one, with each floor dedicated to a different section. No prizes then for guessing correctly, that you would find the wedding wear on the ground floor. Want designer sarees with handwork on silk? Stay on. Have a budget of Rs 98? Stay. Rs 50,000? Why, you’re most welcome.
1st floor goes to ‘fancy sarees’ and dress material. The endangered breed of men shopping for themselves finally finds its ground in this store, only on the 2nd floor. Shirts, pants, and party wear can be had between Rs 150 and Rs 4500. The heaviest dose of splurging on wedding suits can dent your wallet by 20,000 max. However, quality is something you must personally satisfy yourself with. The last floor, the 3rd one, goes to the children, the energetic adorables. However, whether their mommies are as energetic, and find the displays as adorable after that long climb, is anybody’s guess. Kids reading this, eyeing a pair of ‘J Family’ branded jeans for themselves, may find it worthwhile to tell their mothers that the store does indeed possess an elevator.
Star Hotel Review: Taj Residency
Ostensibly called the Taj Residency, Hyderabad, in line with its similarly named siblings in other cities, the hotel comfortably manages to cater to the suited visitor hallowed with a blooming business, as well as the looted visitor hollowed with a booming family. Its secretarial service and finely equipped business centre make sure of the former, while its lawns and gardens take care of the latter.
The erstwhile Holiday Inn became a part of the Taj Group in 2000, and has managed to reshape its mental image, from that of a hotel with hammocks, cocktail umbrellas and lazy late-morning breakfasts, to that of a value for money top star hotel.
The soul of the auberge, however, has a hint of the wild and the untamed in it. The essence of this spirit is driven home, made tangible, even touchable by the huge IMAX screen sized sculpture of half a dozen wild horses prancing around and being just that. Wild. Bringing to life the works of the painter Aziz, this paneling inside the hollow centre of the 4-5 storey hotel, is truly the custodian of its spirit. Meaning, it’s not like Buckingham palace where everything works like clockwork. Nor is it like the streets of Italy’s, where clocks don’t work at all. It’s more like a Buckingham palace inside Italy, where things would work efficiently, but there’s no escaping the care free spirit that fills the atmosphere. Let’s put it this way. If hotels wore clothes, this would be the best in Friday Dressing.
All right then. Down to the wooden flooring. 35 standard rooms, for around Rs. 8,000 for someone single. 58 Residency rooms for around Rs 9,500 and 48 Premium Residency rooms. 5 Junior Suites come for Rs. 12,000 each, while the 4 available Deluxe Suites will cost you Rs. 25,000 a room. The unique Presidential Suite comes with a price tag of Rs. 35,000. Cheap. Peanuts. Hey there banker, got some extra cash?
The hotel has three dining areas / watering holes. The first is the Paradise Lounge, the 24 hour coffee shop cum international eatery. This occupies the hollow centre that we spoke about, and looks up on the Aziz. A few of the Italian fares promise an interesting engagement. The lounge is a few feet below floor level, walled in with curvaceous paneling. Were it not for the sofas and the tables, you could easily overlook it as some fancy indoor swimming pool.
The next to tease your palette is the Blue Flower. This is the sit down lunch & dinner service, which has a heavy bias towards North West Frontier Province cooking. Meaning Murgh. (Mind you, its not just any chicken… It’s Murgh. There is a lot of difference in what comes to mind between the expressions in the two languages. A Murgh by any other name, doth NOT taste as good.) A lunch or a dinner here can cost around Rs 550 plus taxes. If you fought in the Vietnam war and liked the food while you were out there, you could try out some more of it right here. Not the war, the food. In case you didn’t fight in the Vietnam war, and missed the chance to try their food, you could try that here too. Again, not the war, just the food.
Then comes a favourite, the Atrium Bar. Cozy and uncrowded, it comes with unmatched personalized service, the works. Did I forget the liquor? And liquor. The menu reads out, and I quote “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine ~ Louis Pasteur”. The menu also reads out the following: Dom Perignon (Rs. 25, 000), Chablis (Rs. 5,500), Beaujolais Villages (Rs. 3,000). Aperitifs like Campari, sherry, port and vermouth come at Rs 395. The usual blended and single malt whisky’s are available along with the usual fares, and the popular cocktails. However, if you think that the menu is the be all and end all of Atrium, then ‘by eggs and by bacon, you’re sadly mistaken.’ In the even chance that you don’t find something to tickle your fancy, ask for bartender Laxman. No relation to Rama, this Laxman did spend some time on an island although. An island by the name of Maldives. After mixing drinks at this hungovers’ hangout, he’s been doing the tcha-tcha-tcha at this place for 7 years now, and is an absolute authority on mixing and matching (women who googled this search term for their salwars and their churidars may please return back to the search results). Once this bartender comes over for a chat, he will ask you to challenge him to make absolutely anything you please, in the full faith that it will taste excellent.
For non residents, there is membership available to the Fitness centres and the swimming pool. There are many types of membership, with prices ranging from Rs. 28,500 for single, to Rs. 83,200 for corporate membership. Includes steam room, showers, massage room (extra), gym, jacuzzi and swimming pool.
So, whether you’re hallowed or hollowed, or even better – both, you can take a call on Taj Residency.
The erstwhile Holiday Inn became a part of the Taj Group in 2000, and has managed to reshape its mental image, from that of a hotel with hammocks, cocktail umbrellas and lazy late-morning breakfasts, to that of a value for money top star hotel.
The soul of the auberge, however, has a hint of the wild and the untamed in it. The essence of this spirit is driven home, made tangible, even touchable by the huge IMAX screen sized sculpture of half a dozen wild horses prancing around and being just that. Wild. Bringing to life the works of the painter Aziz, this paneling inside the hollow centre of the 4-5 storey hotel, is truly the custodian of its spirit. Meaning, it’s not like Buckingham palace where everything works like clockwork. Nor is it like the streets of Italy’s, where clocks don’t work at all. It’s more like a Buckingham palace inside Italy, where things would work efficiently, but there’s no escaping the care free spirit that fills the atmosphere. Let’s put it this way. If hotels wore clothes, this would be the best in Friday Dressing.
All right then. Down to the wooden flooring. 35 standard rooms, for around Rs. 8,000 for someone single. 58 Residency rooms for around Rs 9,500 and 48 Premium Residency rooms. 5 Junior Suites come for Rs. 12,000 each, while the 4 available Deluxe Suites will cost you Rs. 25,000 a room. The unique Presidential Suite comes with a price tag of Rs. 35,000. Cheap. Peanuts. Hey there banker, got some extra cash?
The hotel has three dining areas / watering holes. The first is the Paradise Lounge, the 24 hour coffee shop cum international eatery. This occupies the hollow centre that we spoke about, and looks up on the Aziz. A few of the Italian fares promise an interesting engagement. The lounge is a few feet below floor level, walled in with curvaceous paneling. Were it not for the sofas and the tables, you could easily overlook it as some fancy indoor swimming pool.
The next to tease your palette is the Blue Flower. This is the sit down lunch & dinner service, which has a heavy bias towards North West Frontier Province cooking. Meaning Murgh. (Mind you, its not just any chicken… It’s Murgh. There is a lot of difference in what comes to mind between the expressions in the two languages. A Murgh by any other name, doth NOT taste as good.) A lunch or a dinner here can cost around Rs 550 plus taxes. If you fought in the Vietnam war and liked the food while you were out there, you could try out some more of it right here. Not the war, the food. In case you didn’t fight in the Vietnam war, and missed the chance to try their food, you could try that here too. Again, not the war, just the food.
Then comes a favourite, the Atrium Bar. Cozy and uncrowded, it comes with unmatched personalized service, the works. Did I forget the liquor? And liquor. The menu reads out, and I quote “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine ~ Louis Pasteur”. The menu also reads out the following: Dom Perignon (Rs. 25, 000), Chablis (Rs. 5,500), Beaujolais Villages (Rs. 3,000). Aperitifs like Campari, sherry, port and vermouth come at Rs 395. The usual blended and single malt whisky’s are available along with the usual fares, and the popular cocktails. However, if you think that the menu is the be all and end all of Atrium, then ‘by eggs and by bacon, you’re sadly mistaken.’ In the even chance that you don’t find something to tickle your fancy, ask for bartender Laxman. No relation to Rama, this Laxman did spend some time on an island although. An island by the name of Maldives. After mixing drinks at this hungovers’ hangout, he’s been doing the tcha-tcha-tcha at this place for 7 years now, and is an absolute authority on mixing and matching (women who googled this search term for their salwars and their churidars may please return back to the search results). Once this bartender comes over for a chat, he will ask you to challenge him to make absolutely anything you please, in the full faith that it will taste excellent.
For non residents, there is membership available to the Fitness centres and the swimming pool. There are many types of membership, with prices ranging from Rs. 28,500 for single, to Rs. 83,200 for corporate membership. Includes steam room, showers, massage room (extra), gym, jacuzzi and swimming pool.
So, whether you’re hallowed or hollowed, or even better – both, you can take a call on Taj Residency.
College Review: St. Frances Junior College
If St. Francis Junior College and St. Francis Degree College were sisters, they would be as similar as Sheryl Crow and Toni Braxton. They both can make you hum a tune (or a hymn), but that’s as far as the similarity goes. If you’re looking for a hint of the elder one in the younger sibling, look out the window, cos that’s where the rest of it has gone. Take out your notepads, folks, and whether you believe it or not, the following statement is true. Students of this junior college, actually like their college.
This is as opposed to purely liking being from their college, liking the crowd, or liking this or liking that. They actually like their college. It’s that simple. The ‘why’ is the complicated part.
SFJC is one left-and-right turn too many away, to describe how to get there. If you’re going there for the first time, just land up near Sangeet, (Rezimental Baazar would be closer) and ask your way there.
Whenever one thinks “convent school”, one word immediately comes to mind. Discipline. This one is no different. It’s walled in, as if it’s the college that Bush is after, and not oil. It’s walled out, as if the students (or their teachers) have actually discovered some oil, are rushing to get out with it. There’s just no overlooking the wall and its gate. Seriously.
Getting inside, a lot of what you’ll see, depends on the time of the day or year that you arrive. If you arrive at anytime during the day, its fine - you’ll see a smattering of kids all over, but with most of them tucked away in what they would like to describe as ‘academic pursuits’. But at around 3 of the clock, as soon as you enter through the fortress, you will find another wall. This time, it’s a moving, breathing, and a highly impatient wall. For this is the hour of independence, ushered in by a single watchman. Many a plan to give that lone warrior the slip has been hatched and thwarted. But the girls of SFJC still like college.
The students of the college - resplendent with a Resident ‘Hitler’ - find a lot to cheer. There are the usual idiosyncrasies of the teaching faculty, which amuse the young students to no end. One “desi-videsi” lecturer goes “Yes, what do you have in your ‘packet’?”, when the subject the distinguished academician is actually broaching, is the child’s ‘pocket.’ Then there is someone who goes “Swish-jer-land” instead of you know what. Of course, it doesn’t beat the Raja Babu of HPS fame, who goes “open the window…let the ‘weather’ come in”, but it’s still fun.
French classes can be fun too, especially with “bon jour madam” greeting, which gets morphed into “bon jour ‘badam’”, later degenerating into pista, kishmish, and other such items of dry fruit nature.
If the students are any judge, then we’d go on record saying what St. Francis does have, are some teachers of excellence in the subjects of Civics, English, History, Commerce. However, all lecturers, without bias to subject, are said to be extremely approachable.
The infrastructure is basic, with a small isolated one room canteen, various labs, library, and the multi specialty playground. By that, we mean a basketball court, a volleyball court and other such courts all pressed into one small rectangle, with Mother Mary on the side as the constant audience and supporter. However, after paucity of space, there comes a paucity of time. Students are expected to spend whatever free periods out of the 7 classes that they have daily, in … inhale sharply… the library. There are always some exceptions. But those are generally restricted to the students, and never the rules.
The crowd is supposed to be very good here. Inspite of the top down orders of wearing only Shalwar Kurta’s, you’ll still be able to spot a wide variety of students. The girls try to make up for the uniformity in clothes, by trying out various footwear, face wear, head wear, hair wear, hand wear, and God only knows what other wear. These girls are are young women, and probably only they themselves and Mother Mary can understand the lot completely. That said, people are ‘humble’ here, and making friends is a breeze. They candidly admit that they have “more rules than degree college”, but that “it’s good to have rules… you don’t go wrong.”
Computers are not a strong point here, but easily over looked by the range of extra-curricular activities on offer. First off, they have a cultural week every year, where compettitions are held in all sorts of group song and dance events. The buzz in the college at this time is loud enough to ring your home doorbell.
Then there are the christmas compettitions, where events like flower arrangement, icing the cake, vegetable carving, painting, sketching and tie & dye are held. In further addition, there is genuine individual compettitions like elecution, debates, extempo speeches, dance and drama, which are held all through the year.
The girls indeed feel lucky to have joined such a place, and not a ‘corporate college’ where the only emphasis is on ‘cracking’ some common tests. But before you start increduously thinking whether any of the studies that occur in those 7 classes everyday actually result to something, you can pause a bit. SFJC has produced its fair share of state rankers, in both academic and professional examinations. A highlight of the study system here is that there are after hours ‘remedial classes’ for the weaker students conducted by the regular faculty, totally free of charge. In fact, sometimes even a group of girls who are toppers stay back and help with the classes themselves!
The school stresses on “value oriented education” and “stress free education” for all its 1,000 students, and with one look at the girls, you’ll think that this discription hits bang on. Value classes and co-operative classes are held every week, where the students learn from short stories, or just sit and freely discuss issues relevant to them.
In short, SFJC would not be the place to go to if IIT or EAMCET is all that you or your parents can think, dream, or salivate about, nor would it exactly give you the time or the place to “disco”. But it will certainly ensure that your last years of schooling, (in a girls-only environment) remain memorable for life.
This is as opposed to purely liking being from their college, liking the crowd, or liking this or liking that. They actually like their college. It’s that simple. The ‘why’ is the complicated part.
SFJC is one left-and-right turn too many away, to describe how to get there. If you’re going there for the first time, just land up near Sangeet, (Rezimental Baazar would be closer) and ask your way there.
Whenever one thinks “convent school”, one word immediately comes to mind. Discipline. This one is no different. It’s walled in, as if it’s the college that Bush is after, and not oil. It’s walled out, as if the students (or their teachers) have actually discovered some oil, are rushing to get out with it. There’s just no overlooking the wall and its gate. Seriously.
Getting inside, a lot of what you’ll see, depends on the time of the day or year that you arrive. If you arrive at anytime during the day, its fine - you’ll see a smattering of kids all over, but with most of them tucked away in what they would like to describe as ‘academic pursuits’. But at around 3 of the clock, as soon as you enter through the fortress, you will find another wall. This time, it’s a moving, breathing, and a highly impatient wall. For this is the hour of independence, ushered in by a single watchman. Many a plan to give that lone warrior the slip has been hatched and thwarted. But the girls of SFJC still like college.
The students of the college - resplendent with a Resident ‘Hitler’ - find a lot to cheer. There are the usual idiosyncrasies of the teaching faculty, which amuse the young students to no end. One “desi-videsi” lecturer goes “Yes, what do you have in your ‘packet’?”, when the subject the distinguished academician is actually broaching, is the child’s ‘pocket.’ Then there is someone who goes “Swish-jer-land” instead of you know what. Of course, it doesn’t beat the Raja Babu of HPS fame, who goes “open the window…let the ‘weather’ come in”, but it’s still fun.
French classes can be fun too, especially with “bon jour madam” greeting, which gets morphed into “bon jour ‘badam’”, later degenerating into pista, kishmish, and other such items of dry fruit nature.
If the students are any judge, then we’d go on record saying what St. Francis does have, are some teachers of excellence in the subjects of Civics, English, History, Commerce. However, all lecturers, without bias to subject, are said to be extremely approachable.
The infrastructure is basic, with a small isolated one room canteen, various labs, library, and the multi specialty playground. By that, we mean a basketball court, a volleyball court and other such courts all pressed into one small rectangle, with Mother Mary on the side as the constant audience and supporter. However, after paucity of space, there comes a paucity of time. Students are expected to spend whatever free periods out of the 7 classes that they have daily, in … inhale sharply… the library. There are always some exceptions. But those are generally restricted to the students, and never the rules.
The crowd is supposed to be very good here. Inspite of the top down orders of wearing only Shalwar Kurta’s, you’ll still be able to spot a wide variety of students. The girls try to make up for the uniformity in clothes, by trying out various footwear, face wear, head wear, hair wear, hand wear, and God only knows what other wear. These girls are are young women, and probably only they themselves and Mother Mary can understand the lot completely. That said, people are ‘humble’ here, and making friends is a breeze. They candidly admit that they have “more rules than degree college”, but that “it’s good to have rules… you don’t go wrong.”
Computers are not a strong point here, but easily over looked by the range of extra-curricular activities on offer. First off, they have a cultural week every year, where compettitions are held in all sorts of group song and dance events. The buzz in the college at this time is loud enough to ring your home doorbell.
Then there are the christmas compettitions, where events like flower arrangement, icing the cake, vegetable carving, painting, sketching and tie & dye are held. In further addition, there is genuine individual compettitions like elecution, debates, extempo speeches, dance and drama, which are held all through the year.
The girls indeed feel lucky to have joined such a place, and not a ‘corporate college’ where the only emphasis is on ‘cracking’ some common tests. But before you start increduously thinking whether any of the studies that occur in those 7 classes everyday actually result to something, you can pause a bit. SFJC has produced its fair share of state rankers, in both academic and professional examinations. A highlight of the study system here is that there are after hours ‘remedial classes’ for the weaker students conducted by the regular faculty, totally free of charge. In fact, sometimes even a group of girls who are toppers stay back and help with the classes themselves!
The school stresses on “value oriented education” and “stress free education” for all its 1,000 students, and with one look at the girls, you’ll think that this discription hits bang on. Value classes and co-operative classes are held every week, where the students learn from short stories, or just sit and freely discuss issues relevant to them.
In short, SFJC would not be the place to go to if IIT or EAMCET is all that you or your parents can think, dream, or salivate about, nor would it exactly give you the time or the place to “disco”. But it will certainly ensure that your last years of schooling, (in a girls-only environment) remain memorable for life.
Store Review: Ofen
Nestled in the heart of Banjara Hills, with a warm red facade and a seemingly incongruous mobile army van at its doorstep (that too a Swiss one), the Ofen is a popular bakery celebrated for having the best breads in town.
Its popularity can be attested by the long line of cars outside its doors, their owners having stepped in for a bite fresh from the oven. The oven, indeed is what Ofen means, and is all about. A marvel of Swiss engineering, the eco friendly mobile oven produces baked goods of a quality and variety randomly found in Europe, but utterly unique here.
If you’re interested, you could also get them to show you round the insides of the oven. No freaky paranoia over intellectual property rights infringement here. Just a sober and quiet pride. The oven uses just one bag of charcoal per day. And boy, if you’re thinking that they don’t put it to use, you can think again. With just 25 kilos of coal in its belly, it can churn out breads and other suchlikes, which have been baked at 200º C. And mark you, that churn is all through the day. That’s the marvel of Swiss engineering that we are talking about.
Their celebrity for their baked goods is well earned as each item has been carefully thought out (by guess who? We asked, and the answer was… a food technologist!!!) and planned to ensure a quality, healthy treat.
For the health conscious or even the finicky gourmet, the selection of breads available is truly eye opening. From the Whole Wheat, Multi Grain, Rye and Farmhouse Loaves to the French Baguettes, Focacias and Gogel Hopfs, the choice is wide enough to keep you coming back for more. (Or never again, if you know that picking and choosing was always your weak point.) And did we talk of the Baguettes which were just yummm!? Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, they tasted absolutely nothing like the “sandwich bread” available in departmental stores.
The breads are low in gluten (sticky protein substance) and egg free where specified. Should you choose to play the role of host / hostess and wish to impress, you could also avail the new pre-baked service (75% baked), and serve their delectable baguettes from the comfort of your own kitchen.
While the breads are certainly stars in their own right, the bakerie has not forgotten the old adage that “man cannot live by bread alone.” Their extensive menu featuring many pastas, salads, grills and sandwiches reflects this thought. The Chicken Pepper Steak and the Penne Chicken are classic favorites. However, some of the sandwiches which are supposed to be of spring vegetables were lacking in imagination.
In a city largely inhospitable to the early bird, it is refreshing to find a place that opens its doors for breakfast at 8 am, and has a continental breakfast menu including Waffles and Pancakes.
The atmosphere here is a feast for the senses, as you are surrounded by the warm smell of baking bread or the fruity smell of a hookah. The conversation of friends, with coffee and desserts that appeal to the eye and the palate makes Ofen the quintessential international bistro.
For the traveler who is yearning for a taste of home, or the local who is searching for a taste of Europe, the Ofen is the place to go.
Its popularity can be attested by the long line of cars outside its doors, their owners having stepped in for a bite fresh from the oven. The oven, indeed is what Ofen means, and is all about. A marvel of Swiss engineering, the eco friendly mobile oven produces baked goods of a quality and variety randomly found in Europe, but utterly unique here.
If you’re interested, you could also get them to show you round the insides of the oven. No freaky paranoia over intellectual property rights infringement here. Just a sober and quiet pride. The oven uses just one bag of charcoal per day. And boy, if you’re thinking that they don’t put it to use, you can think again. With just 25 kilos of coal in its belly, it can churn out breads and other suchlikes, which have been baked at 200º C. And mark you, that churn is all through the day. That’s the marvel of Swiss engineering that we are talking about.
Their celebrity for their baked goods is well earned as each item has been carefully thought out (by guess who? We asked, and the answer was… a food technologist!!!) and planned to ensure a quality, healthy treat.
For the health conscious or even the finicky gourmet, the selection of breads available is truly eye opening. From the Whole Wheat, Multi Grain, Rye and Farmhouse Loaves to the French Baguettes, Focacias and Gogel Hopfs, the choice is wide enough to keep you coming back for more. (Or never again, if you know that picking and choosing was always your weak point.) And did we talk of the Baguettes which were just yummm!? Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, they tasted absolutely nothing like the “sandwich bread” available in departmental stores.
The breads are low in gluten (sticky protein substance) and egg free where specified. Should you choose to play the role of host / hostess and wish to impress, you could also avail the new pre-baked service (75% baked), and serve their delectable baguettes from the comfort of your own kitchen.
While the breads are certainly stars in their own right, the bakerie has not forgotten the old adage that “man cannot live by bread alone.” Their extensive menu featuring many pastas, salads, grills and sandwiches reflects this thought. The Chicken Pepper Steak and the Penne Chicken are classic favorites. However, some of the sandwiches which are supposed to be of spring vegetables were lacking in imagination.
In a city largely inhospitable to the early bird, it is refreshing to find a place that opens its doors for breakfast at 8 am, and has a continental breakfast menu including Waffles and Pancakes.
The atmosphere here is a feast for the senses, as you are surrounded by the warm smell of baking bread or the fruity smell of a hookah. The conversation of friends, with coffee and desserts that appeal to the eye and the palate makes Ofen the quintessential international bistro.
For the traveler who is yearning for a taste of home, or the local who is searching for a taste of Europe, the Ofen is the place to go.
Store Review: Karachi Bakery
It’s funny how it does it, but life does come around a full circle. Pakistan has always had a Hyderabad. But just five years after separation, Hyderabad got itself its very own Karachi! Building its brand over 50 years, Karachi Bakery has now come to be almost as famous as Charminar itself. Or perhaps slightly more. The offerings here are completely in tune with Hyderabadi culture, where one lives to eat, not eats to live. You can’t eat a Charminar, no matter how hungry you may be.
And boy, is that ‘offering’ good. If there is one thing that Hyderabadi engineers slogging in the states miss, its their mommy. If there is a second thing, it’s these biscuits. Perfected a long time ago, these sans-preservative, sans-additive biscuits are as close to baked perfection, as you can get. The actual act of getting it, however, might pose a problem. You’d think that food rations were being distributed free of cost to war refugees the way the biscuits disappear off the shelves. There is no particular time which is the best to get fresh baked biscuits. The store purports to have its 3 kitchens and its ovens running 12x6, so that you get freshly baked hot biscuits throughout the day.
The first thing that strikes you about the bakery (after you’ve ingested some of their foodstuffs) is the location. When it started, it must have been a sleepy store, working a few hours a day at a small intersection, albeit opposite a big market. Today, the roads at the same intersection lead to places called Afzalgunj, Koti, Abids, and Nampally. The ‘big market’ is still called the same, but means something different altogether in this day andage. Mozamjahi Market. Had the original founders tried harder, they couldn’t have found a better place for their bakery. This strategic location mostly determines its clientele. From burkha clad women coming to pick up something for the children, to white liveried chouffers selecting fare for their masters. There is definitely enough stuff for everyone teeth. Being affordable, makes it all the more satiating. A kilo (which weighs 900 grams in this part of town) of ‘Fruit Biscuits’ costs Rs 110. Fruit biscuits - Crunchy, with a liberal dose of small chewey thingalings embedded - are probably Karachi Bakery’s masterpiece on the wall, its fame and its fortune. Its not so much the pastries or its cakes (Rs 140 to Rs 300 per kg), which also are good, nor is it so much the French items like the brioche or the foccasia (which to my mind are better left to the French) but the biscuit, that defines Karachi Bakery. Remove the fruit biscuit or the kaju biscuit, and Karachi Bakery loses its edge. It looses its core competence, its raison d’ etre.
The store in its wabbly footed Hyderabadian attempt to become more modern, has tried its hand at change. Now change may be good, change may be bad and change may be inevitable. But change just for the sake of change is never a good thing. Imagine a VW Beetle, which ends up looking like a sleek sports car. Imagine a hand rolled Cuban cigar, which ends up trying its hands at new international flavours. Or, even closer home, imagine a Famous ice cream, which ends up tasting like frozen ice. Karachi Bakery has had mixed results with its tryst with change. Parking, for over 100 car-worths of it, can never be a bad thing. Nor can sleek looking counters, with neon signs which say ‘pay cash here’, or ‘get this here’, or ‘that there’. The bad change is when it tries to become something its not. It positions itself as a departmental store, an area bounds away from its core competence. The range of goods is of the type which is available in Mumbai’s Crawford market. Not that that’s a bad thing. You get things like foreign brands of orange juice and other eatables, to packaged foodstuffs from common Indian brands. Why, they even have a small cosmetics section (!) But there is the sad part. If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, try and picture this. Ever been to a market with only one good shop, which gets all the crowds, with 50 other hawkers who are joblessly idling away their time? The same goes on inside KB. At any given time, you’ll find two dozen people around the biscuits and the pastries section, while row upon row of shelf space packed with ‘departmental’ goods hardly get a pasing glance. This utter, sheer and total wastage of space turns the service standards to very low levels. Imagine having to jostle for biscuits.
On the other hand, imagine biscuits good enough, to merit jostling over.
And boy, is that ‘offering’ good. If there is one thing that Hyderabadi engineers slogging in the states miss, its their mommy. If there is a second thing, it’s these biscuits. Perfected a long time ago, these sans-preservative, sans-additive biscuits are as close to baked perfection, as you can get. The actual act of getting it, however, might pose a problem. You’d think that food rations were being distributed free of cost to war refugees the way the biscuits disappear off the shelves. There is no particular time which is the best to get fresh baked biscuits. The store purports to have its 3 kitchens and its ovens running 12x6, so that you get freshly baked hot biscuits throughout the day.
The first thing that strikes you about the bakery (after you’ve ingested some of their foodstuffs) is the location. When it started, it must have been a sleepy store, working a few hours a day at a small intersection, albeit opposite a big market. Today, the roads at the same intersection lead to places called Afzalgunj, Koti, Abids, and Nampally. The ‘big market’ is still called the same, but means something different altogether in this day andage. Mozamjahi Market. Had the original founders tried harder, they couldn’t have found a better place for their bakery. This strategic location mostly determines its clientele. From burkha clad women coming to pick up something for the children, to white liveried chouffers selecting fare for their masters. There is definitely enough stuff for everyone teeth. Being affordable, makes it all the more satiating. A kilo (which weighs 900 grams in this part of town) of ‘Fruit Biscuits’ costs Rs 110. Fruit biscuits - Crunchy, with a liberal dose of small chewey thingalings embedded - are probably Karachi Bakery’s masterpiece on the wall, its fame and its fortune. Its not so much the pastries or its cakes (Rs 140 to Rs 300 per kg), which also are good, nor is it so much the French items like the brioche or the foccasia (which to my mind are better left to the French) but the biscuit, that defines Karachi Bakery. Remove the fruit biscuit or the kaju biscuit, and Karachi Bakery loses its edge. It looses its core competence, its raison d’ etre.
The store in its wabbly footed Hyderabadian attempt to become more modern, has tried its hand at change. Now change may be good, change may be bad and change may be inevitable. But change just for the sake of change is never a good thing. Imagine a VW Beetle, which ends up looking like a sleek sports car. Imagine a hand rolled Cuban cigar, which ends up trying its hands at new international flavours. Or, even closer home, imagine a Famous ice cream, which ends up tasting like frozen ice. Karachi Bakery has had mixed results with its tryst with change. Parking, for over 100 car-worths of it, can never be a bad thing. Nor can sleek looking counters, with neon signs which say ‘pay cash here’, or ‘get this here’, or ‘that there’. The bad change is when it tries to become something its not. It positions itself as a departmental store, an area bounds away from its core competence. The range of goods is of the type which is available in Mumbai’s Crawford market. Not that that’s a bad thing. You get things like foreign brands of orange juice and other eatables, to packaged foodstuffs from common Indian brands. Why, they even have a small cosmetics section (!) But there is the sad part. If you’ve been there, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, try and picture this. Ever been to a market with only one good shop, which gets all the crowds, with 50 other hawkers who are joblessly idling away their time? The same goes on inside KB. At any given time, you’ll find two dozen people around the biscuits and the pastries section, while row upon row of shelf space packed with ‘departmental’ goods hardly get a pasing glance. This utter, sheer and total wastage of space turns the service standards to very low levels. Imagine having to jostle for biscuits.
On the other hand, imagine biscuits good enough, to merit jostling over.
Art Gallery Review :Chitramayee
Have you ever felt like making the entire city and its pop in law go “hmm” and “awww” at your ‘masterpieces’ with gusto? Well, for 350 rupees a day, you could either order a pizza and master it to pieces, or you could rent an art gallery and present your paintings, sculptures, or terracotta potteries to the world. Only, you would now have to paint, sculpt or pott those very things. Interested in promoting fine art rather than showcasing the best of it, the Chitramayee stands out among its peers. Its got 10 galleries. One auditorium. One conference room. One restaurant. Even 3 guest rooms for incoming artists. And hectares of parking.
When compared with say a Jehangir Art Gallery or other contemporary galleries within the city, it looks like an orange set against an orangutan, much less like an orange against its usual nemesis, the Himalayan apple. That’s because, this gallery is the newest kid on the block. The architects must have tried to fuse both history and future into the building. Old rock formations left in the middle of here and there, glass elevators, lots of false ceiling, and futuristic looking rain shelters in the balcony. However, being a non profit state-run organization does take its toll. Cement patchwork can be seen in the cracking rocks. The glass backed elevator inside the building looks out at some more glass walls. The false ceiling looks very much the part, hanging from its alluminium supports. And so do the futuristic shelters, which now look as if they’ve been part of some alien invasion. (Of course, “all of this is under repair.” Gita Reddy’s Department of Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture is in charge.)
However, this is all hearsay. What the place attempts, it achieves, which is namely to promote art. For no charge at all, you could get a taste of what the upcoming artists in Andhra have to offer. Fresh art students find it easy to display their wares here, and you could buy their affordable pieces for Rs 2,000. You would also get to view and buy works of artists who have crossed the initial stages, and are now churning out paintings worth Rs 6,000 to 12,000. If you’re looking at reasonably denting your pocket, and names like T. Vaikuntam, Surya Prakash, Laxma Goud, Krishna Reddy or Kavita Deauskar mean anything to you, you could come here and sign an easy cheque for anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. However, if you want something that costs 7 zeros after the digit, here’s a statutory warning. Don’t come here.
You could also flavour national and international exhibitions hosted by governments interesting in promoting their own native art works. Being a state owned gallery with loads of space, Chitramayee becomes the preferred destination for such shows. From art work done by Australian Aborigines to the Triennale Painting Exhibition, your visit here may not be fruitless.
Its proximity to Cyberabad, has indeed resulted in the gallery adopting some technology of its own. It has acquired a messaging software, with which it can sms programme details to all the people who have signed up. You could stay in the loop with the familiar beep beep coming in as a handy reckoner. Or come back to Fullhyd.com.
Chitramayee conducts painting classes, and two certified MFA (Master of Fine Arts) graduates do the coaching. Classes are held Tuesday to Friday, between 4pm and 6pm. On Saturday it’s between 3 pm and 5pm, while on Sunday, classes are from 10 to noon. Registration costs Rs 500, and then there is the monthly fee, which is also Rs 500. Paint maker Camel, sells its paints and brushes here at discounted rates.
The best things in life may or may not be free, but if you’re seriously interested in sampling local art and visit a gallery to see more than just a signature, Chitramayee might not be a bad idea on an odd day.
When compared with say a Jehangir Art Gallery or other contemporary galleries within the city, it looks like an orange set against an orangutan, much less like an orange against its usual nemesis, the Himalayan apple. That’s because, this gallery is the newest kid on the block. The architects must have tried to fuse both history and future into the building. Old rock formations left in the middle of here and there, glass elevators, lots of false ceiling, and futuristic looking rain shelters in the balcony. However, being a non profit state-run organization does take its toll. Cement patchwork can be seen in the cracking rocks. The glass backed elevator inside the building looks out at some more glass walls. The false ceiling looks very much the part, hanging from its alluminium supports. And so do the futuristic shelters, which now look as if they’ve been part of some alien invasion. (Of course, “all of this is under repair.” Gita Reddy’s Department of Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture is in charge.)
However, this is all hearsay. What the place attempts, it achieves, which is namely to promote art. For no charge at all, you could get a taste of what the upcoming artists in Andhra have to offer. Fresh art students find it easy to display their wares here, and you could buy their affordable pieces for Rs 2,000. You would also get to view and buy works of artists who have crossed the initial stages, and are now churning out paintings worth Rs 6,000 to 12,000. If you’re looking at reasonably denting your pocket, and names like T. Vaikuntam, Surya Prakash, Laxma Goud, Krishna Reddy or Kavita Deauskar mean anything to you, you could come here and sign an easy cheque for anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. However, if you want something that costs 7 zeros after the digit, here’s a statutory warning. Don’t come here.
You could also flavour national and international exhibitions hosted by governments interesting in promoting their own native art works. Being a state owned gallery with loads of space, Chitramayee becomes the preferred destination for such shows. From art work done by Australian Aborigines to the Triennale Painting Exhibition, your visit here may not be fruitless.
Its proximity to Cyberabad, has indeed resulted in the gallery adopting some technology of its own. It has acquired a messaging software, with which it can sms programme details to all the people who have signed up. You could stay in the loop with the familiar beep beep coming in as a handy reckoner. Or come back to Fullhyd.com.
Chitramayee conducts painting classes, and two certified MFA (Master of Fine Arts) graduates do the coaching. Classes are held Tuesday to Friday, between 4pm and 6pm. On Saturday it’s between 3 pm and 5pm, while on Sunday, classes are from 10 to noon. Registration costs Rs 500, and then there is the monthly fee, which is also Rs 500. Paint maker Camel, sells its paints and brushes here at discounted rates.
The best things in life may or may not be free, but if you’re seriously interested in sampling local art and visit a gallery to see more than just a signature, Chitramayee might not be a bad idea on an odd day.
Store Review: Brisah
The Femina of clothes stores, Brisah meaning prosperity in Irish, cuts out half of the population completely from the picture. And when we say this, we mean it literally. Not only can’t men find anything of their own interest here, they find that even showing their genuine interest, in inanimate things like their wallets and bank balances, is a lost cause. But what Brisah can do to the other ‘better’ half, really has to be seen to be believed. There is no doubt about it… few stores can cater to women and find clothes to suit every occasion and need, the way Brisah collection does. The catch is that you’ve got to be looking only for the high end stuff here.
Brisah has an in house designing unit, along with designers working all over the country, which churn out one cool apparel after the other. How many such designers they have, and in how many cities, was not disclosed. Could be one, could be a hundred. It is said that the store also keeps exclusive designer wear from names like JJ Walia, Tarun Talani, Renu Tandon, Nisha Sagar and others.
The store has 5 floors of clothes, with each floor as different from the other as a roomful of UN delegates. The first floor is for western wear and womens business wear, where items come for around Rs 300 to Rs 5000. Teenagers stepping in with their mothers are not uncommon here, and neither is the nagging from the parent urging the ‘sweet sixteen’ to go for something other than just jeans.
Second floor is for exclusive fabrics, where material can be had from between Rs. 120 per metre, to Rs. 4000 per metre. The lighting effect in the entire store is brilliantly done, and so are the seating arrangements for the customers, where the staff can show you the wares. However, as with the designers of the clothes, the name of the designer of the store was also a “secret”.
Third floor goes to sarees which can cost anything between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1,00,000 per piece. With this reviewer not being an expert on the delicate and tricky subject of sarees, he shall refrain from embarking on a prolonged discussion on the merits and demerits of each individual one of them.
Fourth is where the modern style elements come in. The floor is given to what they call elite wear, or designer wear which host the names we had dropped earlier. With all branded as a “Brisah”, the prices are definitely also brisah. They starts at Rs. 2,500 and can go up (or take you down by) to Rs. 2,00,000.
Final floor is for salwars, which come for around Rs. 1400 to Rs. 10,000. However, there is one contradiction which seeps up, not in the materials or the clothing itself, but with the management. While the owners going all out with their publicity campaigns, it seems that a store manager had her head too full with her brisah to devote time or attention to charitable organizations indulging in free writeups. Reading between the lines, it spells that if you’re not too moneyed, they’re not too bothered.
Brisah has an in house designing unit, along with designers working all over the country, which churn out one cool apparel after the other. How many such designers they have, and in how many cities, was not disclosed. Could be one, could be a hundred. It is said that the store also keeps exclusive designer wear from names like JJ Walia, Tarun Talani, Renu Tandon, Nisha Sagar and others.
The store has 5 floors of clothes, with each floor as different from the other as a roomful of UN delegates. The first floor is for western wear and womens business wear, where items come for around Rs 300 to Rs 5000. Teenagers stepping in with their mothers are not uncommon here, and neither is the nagging from the parent urging the ‘sweet sixteen’ to go for something other than just jeans.
Second floor is for exclusive fabrics, where material can be had from between Rs. 120 per metre, to Rs. 4000 per metre. The lighting effect in the entire store is brilliantly done, and so are the seating arrangements for the customers, where the staff can show you the wares. However, as with the designers of the clothes, the name of the designer of the store was also a “secret”.
Third floor goes to sarees which can cost anything between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1,00,000 per piece. With this reviewer not being an expert on the delicate and tricky subject of sarees, he shall refrain from embarking on a prolonged discussion on the merits and demerits of each individual one of them.
Fourth is where the modern style elements come in. The floor is given to what they call elite wear, or designer wear which host the names we had dropped earlier. With all branded as a “Brisah”, the prices are definitely also brisah. They starts at Rs. 2,500 and can go up (or take you down by) to Rs. 2,00,000.
Final floor is for salwars, which come for around Rs. 1400 to Rs. 10,000. However, there is one contradiction which seeps up, not in the materials or the clothing itself, but with the management. While the owners going all out with their publicity campaigns, it seems that a store manager had her head too full with her brisah to devote time or attention to charitable organizations indulging in free writeups. Reading between the lines, it spells that if you’re not too moneyed, they’re not too bothered.
Movie Review: Anthony Kaun Hai
Amitabh Bachhan. That is what the name Anthony Gonzalves will always be remembered as, long after the reels of Anthony Koun Hai join Amar, Akbar and Anthony on the shelves. Yes, yes, that’s quite all right, but who is this Anthony of AKH? Hmm that’s funny… I don’t seem to remember. Was it a blackmailing journalist now? Well yes, I’m pretty sure that’s who Anthony Gonzalves is. Or rather, was. However, before you hit fullHYD with your hate campaign of strong mails online or maelstroms offline for ruining the suspense, we’d just like to get one word in. It’s not important. And yes, Arshad Warsi took his dig at pretending to be Anthony too. But no, you can still save your brickbats for another review, for even that’s not important. Although the movie contains the hit pair of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, if you’re expecting the jugalbandi you saw in Munnaibhai, then by eggs and by bacon, you’re sadly mistaken. Every minute of the movie, some thick plot is unfolding. Sanjay Dutt was underused, and Arshad Warsi ended up covering the ruse. As good an actor that Warsi is, it is here that it becomes apparent that he can’t take the weight of an entire film squarely on his own shoulders.
The ruse itself was so long and elaborate, it almost didn’t fit in the movie itself. There are movies where the story will fit into one small sentence, like, man lost memory, man found love, man found memory, love lost man. However, this movie has none of that. Come to think of it, you could call it the Indian version of the 1001 Arabian nights. Only minus Sindbad and Ali Baba and his 40 thieves. No, the movie would have got too unwieldy with all that. Definitely unwieldy. Champ, (Arshad Warsi) is telling his story to stay alive. After having admitted (in half a syllable) to Master Mohan (Sanjay Dutt), that he is Anthony Gonsalves, he spends the rest of the time (eight tenths of the movie) trying to explain that he is not actually Anthony Gonsalves.
The movie blesses the assassin Master with the speaking skills of Arnold Schwarzenneger, the fighting skills of Keanu Reaves, and the shooting skills of Clint Eastwood. This cocktail of a character is hired by the villains to kill Anthony Gonzalves, who is traced to a room in a hotel.
Trying to save his life (in the minute and the half that he is allotted by Master) Champ flashes back 15 years when magician Raghuveer, (Raghubir Yadav) uses his powers to steal diamonds from some princess looking lady. Accompanied by his small daughter, he buries these diamonds in the ground in front of a small temple in the forest. While trying to sell one of them, he gets caught and is sent to jail. We flash forward to some more Schwarzenneger styled one liners with Master, and then flash back to see our Champ running round trees trying to woo Roza, (Anusha Dandekar). Self employed as a counterfeiter, Champ finds himself arrested and lands up in the same jail as Raghuveer. Warsi is released, but not before Raghuveer offers him half the diamonds in exchange for arranging for an escape. Champ effects the escape, and meets Raghuveers daughter, Jiya (Minisha Lamba). But to his luck (and ours), he lands up with the ID of a murdered blackmailer, Anthony Gonzalves.
The villains want to kill the newly resurrected Anthony, and send Master after some failed attempts. In between these plots, you’ll find some good performances by Suraj Singh, who just can’t sing (Gulshan Grover), who plays an Interpol officer. Also in between, you have some kabutar ja ja ja type sequences where love letters are exchanged and the diamonds (which find themselves inside a prison compound) are salvaged.
Arshad Warsi excels as an actor, and looks the part while proposing to his first love “Oye bhen di takki, shaadi kerti kya?” However, the story becomes too plot heavy, and soon begins to require intense concentration power and a lot of memory. Sanjay Dutt once again plays the type of role that the audience has come to love of him, but the common grouse of all the movie goers was that his role was majorly limited to that of a flash back listener. There just isn’t enough of him in the film. Minisha Lamba had an awkward role to play…she had to deal with the romance from Champ, in the aftermath of Raghuveers death. In the end, she just about managed to hang on. Grover is excellent with his constant discordant singing.
The film is worth half a watch… that is if you can cut out the boring story and the thickening plot, and enjoy half with the all characters and the dialogues. In the end, if you do decide to go to the hall and watch it, be sure to take a notepad along.
The ruse itself was so long and elaborate, it almost didn’t fit in the movie itself. There are movies where the story will fit into one small sentence, like, man lost memory, man found love, man found memory, love lost man. However, this movie has none of that. Come to think of it, you could call it the Indian version of the 1001 Arabian nights. Only minus Sindbad and Ali Baba and his 40 thieves. No, the movie would have got too unwieldy with all that. Definitely unwieldy. Champ, (Arshad Warsi) is telling his story to stay alive. After having admitted (in half a syllable) to Master Mohan (Sanjay Dutt), that he is Anthony Gonsalves, he spends the rest of the time (eight tenths of the movie) trying to explain that he is not actually Anthony Gonsalves.
The movie blesses the assassin Master with the speaking skills of Arnold Schwarzenneger, the fighting skills of Keanu Reaves, and the shooting skills of Clint Eastwood. This cocktail of a character is hired by the villains to kill Anthony Gonzalves, who is traced to a room in a hotel.
Trying to save his life (in the minute and the half that he is allotted by Master) Champ flashes back 15 years when magician Raghuveer, (Raghubir Yadav) uses his powers to steal diamonds from some princess looking lady. Accompanied by his small daughter, he buries these diamonds in the ground in front of a small temple in the forest. While trying to sell one of them, he gets caught and is sent to jail. We flash forward to some more Schwarzenneger styled one liners with Master, and then flash back to see our Champ running round trees trying to woo Roza, (Anusha Dandekar). Self employed as a counterfeiter, Champ finds himself arrested and lands up in the same jail as Raghuveer. Warsi is released, but not before Raghuveer offers him half the diamonds in exchange for arranging for an escape. Champ effects the escape, and meets Raghuveers daughter, Jiya (Minisha Lamba). But to his luck (and ours), he lands up with the ID of a murdered blackmailer, Anthony Gonzalves.
The villains want to kill the newly resurrected Anthony, and send Master after some failed attempts. In between these plots, you’ll find some good performances by Suraj Singh, who just can’t sing (Gulshan Grover), who plays an Interpol officer. Also in between, you have some kabutar ja ja ja type sequences where love letters are exchanged and the diamonds (which find themselves inside a prison compound) are salvaged.
Arshad Warsi excels as an actor, and looks the part while proposing to his first love “Oye bhen di takki, shaadi kerti kya?” However, the story becomes too plot heavy, and soon begins to require intense concentration power and a lot of memory. Sanjay Dutt once again plays the type of role that the audience has come to love of him, but the common grouse of all the movie goers was that his role was majorly limited to that of a flash back listener. There just isn’t enough of him in the film. Minisha Lamba had an awkward role to play…she had to deal with the romance from Champ, in the aftermath of Raghuveers death. In the end, she just about managed to hang on. Grover is excellent with his constant discordant singing.
The film is worth half a watch… that is if you can cut out the boring story and the thickening plot, and enjoy half with the all characters and the dialogues. In the end, if you do decide to go to the hall and watch it, be sure to take a notepad along.
Movie Review : Ahista Ahista
First day, first day screening of Ahista Ahista (AA), and the cinema hall is half full / empty (depending on your leanings). Now that’s really surprising. It should have been totally empty (now you can lean as much as you want). For AA, is one long and ahista journey to … no where. Its like you wanna get somewhere in your car, and your grandmom in the back seat keeps holding you back saying Ahiste bete, ahiste.
Perhaps the best thing about the movie was its music. But then, when Himesh Reshamia is the best ‘part’ in any assorted ‘whole’, one can estimate what the big picture is gonna be like.
At times, one undergoes a tortuous journey to reach a favored destination. At other times, the journey is fantastic, but at the end you feel like shit. But the plot in this movie is an exception. Not only does it end at square 1, the encircling journey there isn’t any good either. And man… it’s slow. But you’ll have to leave the tomatoes behind. The director has delivered as promised. AA.
In an age where movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious have come and gone, AA seems to have hit the Asspot. Ok… lets define slow. Close your eyes, and imagine you have called your friends at tea time. The guests come and then leave. Years pass. They all age, have children, and some even have grandchildren. A few die. You’re invited to one such funeral. So you put on your dentures, take your walking stick in your wrinkled hand and get someone to drive you there. At the venue, you see someone, and say with great difficulty “Oh I’m fine, thank you… Can I get you tea or some coffee?” Now imagine this played in front of your eyes in … slow motion. Now open your eyes. What you can see now, as clear as crystal, is the movie AA.
So what happens in this slow saga? Megha (Soma) is waiting for her would be at a marriage office, where Ankush (Abhay) is self employed as a witness, ever present to sign on the dotted line for a sum. The would be Dheeraj (Shayan), opts for a no show.
Having run away from home, and now without money or relatives, Megha finds herself in deep shit. The friendly neighborhood witness docks her at a home for the aged, and slowly…excruciatingly slowly… falls in love with her. Imagine a small light feather falling in a draughtless, bottomless pit.
Nevertheless, hurt over the no show and having taken one favor too many from Ankush, Megha accepts Ankush’s proposal.
If only all that’s well that ends well, the movie certainly needs urgent paramedical attention. The deserter Dheeraj, finds his way into Delhi and the plot, is now looking for his lost love. After some tomfoolery with trying to get him out of the way, Ankush falls out with a friend who leads the old wannabe right upto Megha, armed with an unshakeable alibi.
And, now Megha asks Ankush what she must do?
The movie does have some points on the non negative scale as well. For one, it has revisited the aam aadmi hero, something amiss since Karan Johar stepped into tinsel town. It does have traces of the Raj Kapoor flick, Mera Naam Joker, where the hero is not the larger than life cutout, but one who lives in worse conditions.
When it comes to the acting, the less said the better. That the actors successfully managed to recite their dialogues in the final edited version, now in hindsight, seems to be an absolute miracle. All of them, Soma, Abhay and Shayan, underplay their emotions, in a role in which was never too emotional in the first place. And the supposed comic relief Khala is an eyesore cum earsore and should be told as much. As far as the story goes… that far it comes back also. Much ado about nothing. Back to square one. Life comes full circle, ahista, ahista.
Perhaps the best thing about the movie was its music. But then, when Himesh Reshamia is the best ‘part’ in any assorted ‘whole’, one can estimate what the big picture is gonna be like.
At times, one undergoes a tortuous journey to reach a favored destination. At other times, the journey is fantastic, but at the end you feel like shit. But the plot in this movie is an exception. Not only does it end at square 1, the encircling journey there isn’t any good either. And man… it’s slow. But you’ll have to leave the tomatoes behind. The director has delivered as promised. AA.
In an age where movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious have come and gone, AA seems to have hit the Asspot. Ok… lets define slow. Close your eyes, and imagine you have called your friends at tea time. The guests come and then leave. Years pass. They all age, have children, and some even have grandchildren. A few die. You’re invited to one such funeral. So you put on your dentures, take your walking stick in your wrinkled hand and get someone to drive you there. At the venue, you see someone, and say with great difficulty “Oh I’m fine, thank you… Can I get you tea or some coffee?” Now imagine this played in front of your eyes in … slow motion. Now open your eyes. What you can see now, as clear as crystal, is the movie AA.
So what happens in this slow saga? Megha (Soma) is waiting for her would be at a marriage office, where Ankush (Abhay) is self employed as a witness, ever present to sign on the dotted line for a sum. The would be Dheeraj (Shayan), opts for a no show.
Having run away from home, and now without money or relatives, Megha finds herself in deep shit. The friendly neighborhood witness docks her at a home for the aged, and slowly…excruciatingly slowly… falls in love with her. Imagine a small light feather falling in a draughtless, bottomless pit.
Nevertheless, hurt over the no show and having taken one favor too many from Ankush, Megha accepts Ankush’s proposal.
If only all that’s well that ends well, the movie certainly needs urgent paramedical attention. The deserter Dheeraj, finds his way into Delhi and the plot, is now looking for his lost love. After some tomfoolery with trying to get him out of the way, Ankush falls out with a friend who leads the old wannabe right upto Megha, armed with an unshakeable alibi.
And, now Megha asks Ankush what she must do?
The movie does have some points on the non negative scale as well. For one, it has revisited the aam aadmi hero, something amiss since Karan Johar stepped into tinsel town. It does have traces of the Raj Kapoor flick, Mera Naam Joker, where the hero is not the larger than life cutout, but one who lives in worse conditions.
When it comes to the acting, the less said the better. That the actors successfully managed to recite their dialogues in the final edited version, now in hindsight, seems to be an absolute miracle. All of them, Soma, Abhay and Shayan, underplay their emotions, in a role in which was never too emotional in the first place. And the supposed comic relief Khala is an eyesore cum earsore and should be told as much. As far as the story goes… that far it comes back also. Much ado about nothing. Back to square one. Life comes full circle, ahista, ahista.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Tennis Academy Review: Kiran's Tennis Foundation
Do you Tennis !? There goes the catch line of Kiran’s Tennis Foundation, (KTF), formerly known simply as The Tennis Foundation. And, it seems that a lot of the city’s junior junta is doing just that. Catching Tennis. A little birdie told me that there are over 40 tennis coaching centres spread over the city, with most of them catering to school children. However, KTF promises to be one with a difference. It has positioned itself as the place where beginners… absolute novices can turn to.
Think of it as the play school near your house, to which you send your toddler to. It’s close, it’s cheap, and you can always quit and get a better one if you so want. The time your tot spends here is never going to be a waste, because he/she is going to learn at least something. But the second, and main reason why you can let your kid come here, is simple… At this level, it just does not matter. Later, when they grow up, they can go to the ISB, AIIMS, Oxford, Massachusetts or whatnot. KTF works very much in the same way. Its raison de etre, is to introduce complete beginners to the game, and they have no qualms over letting their students move on to get higher levels of training if they so choose.
With 7 tennis courts spread over the city (4 clay + 3 synthetic), and more perennially in the pipeline, they gain greater proximity than centres located in just one area which might become a tad far off for some. 5 of these courts are in three schools, Bharti Vidya Bhavans, International School of Hyderabad, and Meridian School. The remaining two are at Kauvri Hills in Madhapur.
KTF also comes across as an inexpensive alternative. At Rs. 1,000 for registration, (non-refundable), coaching also comes at a monthly fee of Rs. 1,000. Should you not want to play 6 days a week, you could go for the 3 day a week option at Rs. 750. 2 days per week will cost you Rs. 500. A single day’s play for a guest (accompanied by a member) is Rs. 50, while those coming without a member will have to pay Rs. 100. All sessions last for an hour, but, depending on space and light, you could play on. Some centres are closed on Sundays, while others on Mondays. You could also play 7 days a week if you so choose, at no extra charge, by going to a different centre on one of these days.
So, it’s a win win deal. Youngsters (specially in Banjara Hills areas) scared off tennis for want of a court nearby or for the exorbitant fees charged, now have no excuse.
There are 3 sessions of an hour each every evening. The first starts at 4.30 pm, the next at 5.00 pm, and the last one at 5.30 pm. There is a move on, to have flood lights at Meridian School, where adults can play and learn after dark.
The coaches, 7 in number, are young but experienced. Most have the required certification. The foundation uses novel methods to teach, like asking the beginners to serve with their eyes closed, to develop better co-ordination. Started in 1996 with a prestigious contract of coaching at The Country Club, the Foundation has grown to where it is today. It now has the distinction of coaching the students even at the ISB. So, maybe where you put that toddler of yours does make a difference after all!
KTF has a speed gun, along with a ball machine which they put to use or hire out for events, tournaments, or commercials. They are planning to install this as a regular feature at one of their playing areas, but logistics remains a huge issue.
They hold events like Smash Tennis, where youngsters get to play against celebrities, professionals, and cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. All this, so that they can justifiably ask you, one Zany question. Do you Tennis !?
Think of it as the play school near your house, to which you send your toddler to. It’s close, it’s cheap, and you can always quit and get a better one if you so want. The time your tot spends here is never going to be a waste, because he/she is going to learn at least something. But the second, and main reason why you can let your kid come here, is simple… At this level, it just does not matter. Later, when they grow up, they can go to the ISB, AIIMS, Oxford, Massachusetts or whatnot. KTF works very much in the same way. Its raison de etre, is to introduce complete beginners to the game, and they have no qualms over letting their students move on to get higher levels of training if they so choose.
With 7 tennis courts spread over the city (4 clay + 3 synthetic), and more perennially in the pipeline, they gain greater proximity than centres located in just one area which might become a tad far off for some. 5 of these courts are in three schools, Bharti Vidya Bhavans, International School of Hyderabad, and Meridian School. The remaining two are at Kauvri Hills in Madhapur.
KTF also comes across as an inexpensive alternative. At Rs. 1,000 for registration, (non-refundable), coaching also comes at a monthly fee of Rs. 1,000. Should you not want to play 6 days a week, you could go for the 3 day a week option at Rs. 750. 2 days per week will cost you Rs. 500. A single day’s play for a guest (accompanied by a member) is Rs. 50, while those coming without a member will have to pay Rs. 100. All sessions last for an hour, but, depending on space and light, you could play on. Some centres are closed on Sundays, while others on Mondays. You could also play 7 days a week if you so choose, at no extra charge, by going to a different centre on one of these days.
So, it’s a win win deal. Youngsters (specially in Banjara Hills areas) scared off tennis for want of a court nearby or for the exorbitant fees charged, now have no excuse.
There are 3 sessions of an hour each every evening. The first starts at 4.30 pm, the next at 5.00 pm, and the last one at 5.30 pm. There is a move on, to have flood lights at Meridian School, where adults can play and learn after dark.
The coaches, 7 in number, are young but experienced. Most have the required certification. The foundation uses novel methods to teach, like asking the beginners to serve with their eyes closed, to develop better co-ordination. Started in 1996 with a prestigious contract of coaching at The Country Club, the Foundation has grown to where it is today. It now has the distinction of coaching the students even at the ISB. So, maybe where you put that toddler of yours does make a difference after all!
KTF has a speed gun, along with a ball machine which they put to use or hire out for events, tournaments, or commercials. They are planning to install this as a regular feature at one of their playing areas, but logistics remains a huge issue.
They hold events like Smash Tennis, where youngsters get to play against celebrities, professionals, and cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. All this, so that they can justifiably ask you, one Zany question. Do you Tennis !?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Amara Raja Batteries’ fortunes are linked to prices of lead
Najaf Ishrati
ET Intelligence Group
Dec 31, 2005,
ET Big Bucks, Pune.
LEAD producers around the world are benefiting enormously from the prevailing high prices, but the same is not the case for consumers of lead. Amara Raja Batteries (ARBL), better known for its “Amaron” brand of car batteries, is at the receiving end. The company makes lead acid batteries for automotive as well as industrial use. Its sales have shown a secular increase over the last five years, growing in FY05 to Rs 236.8 crore from Rs 175.9 crore in the previous year. For the half-year ended September ’05, its net sales were Rs 154.3
crore already, up 64% y-o-y. The company’s profit for FY05 is just Rs 8.6 crore. But this is 525% higher than last year’s and the same is a telling comment on the state of its margins.
The company maintains an OE (original equipment) agreement with Maruti Udyog, Hyundai Motor and other major car makers. The government’s push and shove in the telecom sector continues to underwrite an increasing industrial demand for batteries. Directors maintain that demand from railways is also expected to remain stable. ARBL’s principal nemesis over the last few years has been prices of its primary raw material lead, which have increased by over 200% in the last five years. The percentage of raw material used in net sales was 47% in ’03-04, which rose to 58% in ’04-05. In H1FY06, this ratio has risen to a high of 65%. The fact that lead accounted for 58% of total raw materials in FY04 and a whopping 71% in FY05, gives the investor an inkling of the situation. Simply put, ARBL’s costs were rising at a rate higher than its income.
The company’s return on equity for FY05 was less than 5%, while return on assets was a paltry 2.52%. Its net profit margin, which is the ratio of PAT to sales, was 3.24% in the same year. However, low profitability need not be associated with a lack of financial soundness, and in this regard, Amara Raja shows impeccable records. Its current ratio for the same year was 2.26, while its overall debt asset ratio was a very sound 0.36. The debt to equity ratio stood at 0.55 for the last financial year.
Had ARBL been able to pass on the increase in input prices like international oil companies, the story would have been entirely different. The record books of the company reflect measures taken to rectify its profitability, mainly by an increase in capacity. It showed an expansion in capacity from 12.75 lakh units in March ‘04 to 17.75 lakh by March ’05. It also had plans for a further 50% increase to 26.75 lakh units by December ’05. The company is fully geared to increase sales numbers, as it is not in a position to increase prices. This is apparent when you look at the turnover figures. The increase in net sales mentioned above is almost entirely on account of
an increase in units sold (29%), and not a
hike in price (4%). As costs are increasing, it appears as if the company must continuously increase the number of units sold to keep up the pace. The good news for the company is that with batteries having a three-year life, the auto sector which was already in its boom phase by ’02-03 is underwriting a growing demand.
This said, an increase in demand is good so long as margins do not keep eroding. Ideally, companies would like profit growth to be directly proportional to their turnover growth, after a threshold point. But when in FY01, the average lead price was $469 (per tonne), the PAT was Rs 20 crore. If we jump to FY04 when lead price averaged $628, ARBL’s corresponding PAT tumbled to Rs 1.3 crore. In FY05, when the average lead price was $949, PAT was Rs 8.6 crore. This shows that over the last year, the company has heavily absorbed and discounted the lead price factor with growth in sales. A promising sign is that this far into the current fiscal (April-September ‘05) lead prices have marginally decreased to an average of $947. Corresponding half-year PAT was up 15% YoY, at Rs 6.8 crore. But this again is significantly due to an increase in “other income”, to the tune of Rs 6.3 crore. Thus the future outlook for ARBL will be charted by how it wrests market share from current leader Exide, but any significant change in lead prices will be the key factor.
ET Intelligence Group
Dec 31, 2005,
ET Big Bucks, Pune.
LEAD producers around the world are benefiting enormously from the prevailing high prices, but the same is not the case for consumers of lead. Amara Raja Batteries (ARBL), better known for its “Amaron” brand of car batteries, is at the receiving end. The company makes lead acid batteries for automotive as well as industrial use. Its sales have shown a secular increase over the last five years, growing in FY05 to Rs 236.8 crore from Rs 175.9 crore in the previous year. For the half-year ended September ’05, its net sales were Rs 154.3
crore already, up 64% y-o-y. The company’s profit for FY05 is just Rs 8.6 crore. But this is 525% higher than last year’s and the same is a telling comment on the state of its margins.
The company maintains an OE (original equipment) agreement with Maruti Udyog, Hyundai Motor and other major car makers. The government’s push and shove in the telecom sector continues to underwrite an increasing industrial demand for batteries. Directors maintain that demand from railways is also expected to remain stable. ARBL’s principal nemesis over the last few years has been prices of its primary raw material lead, which have increased by over 200% in the last five years. The percentage of raw material used in net sales was 47% in ’03-04, which rose to 58% in ’04-05. In H1FY06, this ratio has risen to a high of 65%. The fact that lead accounted for 58% of total raw materials in FY04 and a whopping 71% in FY05, gives the investor an inkling of the situation. Simply put, ARBL’s costs were rising at a rate higher than its income.
The company’s return on equity for FY05 was less than 5%, while return on assets was a paltry 2.52%. Its net profit margin, which is the ratio of PAT to sales, was 3.24% in the same year. However, low profitability need not be associated with a lack of financial soundness, and in this regard, Amara Raja shows impeccable records. Its current ratio for the same year was 2.26, while its overall debt asset ratio was a very sound 0.36. The debt to equity ratio stood at 0.55 for the last financial year.
Had ARBL been able to pass on the increase in input prices like international oil companies, the story would have been entirely different. The record books of the company reflect measures taken to rectify its profitability, mainly by an increase in capacity. It showed an expansion in capacity from 12.75 lakh units in March ‘04 to 17.75 lakh by March ’05. It also had plans for a further 50% increase to 26.75 lakh units by December ’05. The company is fully geared to increase sales numbers, as it is not in a position to increase prices. This is apparent when you look at the turnover figures. The increase in net sales mentioned above is almost entirely on account of
an increase in units sold (29%), and not a
hike in price (4%). As costs are increasing, it appears as if the company must continuously increase the number of units sold to keep up the pace. The good news for the company is that with batteries having a three-year life, the auto sector which was already in its boom phase by ’02-03 is underwriting a growing demand.
This said, an increase in demand is good so long as margins do not keep eroding. Ideally, companies would like profit growth to be directly proportional to their turnover growth, after a threshold point. But when in FY01, the average lead price was $469 (per tonne), the PAT was Rs 20 crore. If we jump to FY04 when lead price averaged $628, ARBL’s corresponding PAT tumbled to Rs 1.3 crore. In FY05, when the average lead price was $949, PAT was Rs 8.6 crore. This shows that over the last year, the company has heavily absorbed and discounted the lead price factor with growth in sales. A promising sign is that this far into the current fiscal (April-September ‘05) lead prices have marginally decreased to an average of $947. Corresponding half-year PAT was up 15% YoY, at Rs 6.8 crore. But this again is significantly due to an increase in “other income”, to the tune of Rs 6.3 crore. Thus the future outlook for ARBL will be charted by how it wrests market share from current leader Exide, but any significant change in lead prices will be the key factor.
Friday, March 23, 2007
On the slow track
Mutual funds have miles to go to make the most of the stock market boom. Their low share of savings in financial assets stands testimony to this, says Najaf Ishrati
May 10, 2006,
ET Money and Banking, Mumbai
"IF YOU torture data sufficiently, it will confess to almost anything.” So goes the US chemist Fred Menger. Data published by the mutual fund industry and the Reserve Bank of India reveal that assets under management of mutual funds grew 60% last year, while bank deposits rose only 22.8%.
The growth in the asset base of mutual funds and the shortage of deposits faced by banks received so much attention that anyone would be forgiven for believing that Indians are shovelling all their savings into mutual fund schemes and that the share of bank deposits is on the decline.
Assets under management of MFs have been picking up at a phenomenal pace. At the end of April this year, MFs were managing assets worth Rs 2,53,560 crore, a growth of 60%. A year ago the figure was Rs 1,57,998 crore. Bear in mind that we are talking about the entire assets under management, including the element of corporate surplus in liquid instruments and capital appreciation.
Meanwhile, banks, which have been struggling to match the deposit growth with the increase in advances, have grown their deposits by Rs 3,87,471 crore, which is 33% more than the entire assets base of the MF industry. With outstanding deposits standing at Rs 21,13,100 crore, mutual fund assets account for less than 12% of deposits in the banking system.
Instead of looking up with the three-fold rise in the sensex since 1994, things have actually worsened for the MF industry. As against a 7% share of the savings in financial assets in ’93-94, MFs today account for less than a 4% share of savings in financial assets.
A decade ago, during the heydays of the Unit Trust of India when funds managed by MFs accounted for nearly a fifth of bank deposits, fund managers spoke about how MFs would rival bank deposits in future.
What the fund managers had not accounted for was the collapse of the flagship UTI. Having failed to build a suitable distribution system, private mutual funds were not able to occupy the space created by UTI.
Nilesh Shah, chief investment officer, Prudential ICICI MF, takes a clear angle. “Globally, investments into MFs have shown a geometric progression. Here we haven’t yet reached the critical stage for the takeoff.” Typically, the middle-class makes investments based on trust rather than return, he explains. “They would prefer to go to the government, banks, or anywhere where they feel that their hard earned money is safe. Also, their experience with equity has not been positive because of the crashes and scams. It is up to us mutual funds to keep performing, and gain that trust.”
SV Prasad, CEO, Birla Sun Life MF, makes another point. “Typically, Indians have always looked at equity as ‘quick money’, while this is not true. Someone investing in an 11-year-old fund would have made an annualised return of 31.5% per annum. The awareness that equities give better returns in the long-term than real estate or commodity is now spreading, and the scope for the future is tremendous.”
An analysis of mutual fund investments shows that they are not the major equity players they are made out to be. If one looks at the net inflows into equity schemes of MFs, the picture becomes abysmally bleak. In calendar year ’05, as little as Rs 23,812 crore found its way into equity schemes (this figure is the final flow, net of purchase, repurchase and redemptions of units in growth, ELSS, and balanced schemes. To be on the safer side, three-fourth of the net flow into balanced funds was assumed to be headed for equity). In CY04, this flow was Rs 9,524 crore. These inflows are bound to be minuscule compared with the money flow into bank deposits.
The question is, why aren’t we putting any sort of sizeable money into MFs? It is one thing to say that the industry is growing at a
large pace. It is another matter, though, that the base is so small that any increase hardly amounts to anything. To look at the issue from another angle, we go back to some more data. India’s gross savings are estimated to be around 30% of India’s GDP. However, the latest annual report of RBI puts the share of gross financial savings in ‘04-05 at a lesser 13.7% of the GDP. This comprises elements of currency (1.3%), deposits (5.4%), shares, debentures, equity and MFs (0.2%), claims on government (3.3%), insurance funds (1.8%), and provident and pension funds (1.8%).
It is clear what kind of battle MFs are fighting. First, over half of the entire savings of the country goes into non-financial assets like real estate and commodity. Secondly, even of the financial pie, currency, debt and small savings eat up into the equity market share. The funds are literally left with the financial crumbs.
That India is still pretty much under-invested is a point driven home by Naval Bir Kumar, managing director, Standard Chartered MF. He says that this is “because Indians are so used to high interest rates and huge tax-free returns from small savings schemes that some amount of laziness has crept into the psyche. However, as interest rates are lowering, and the small schemes are unable to deliver beyond a point, there is definitely growth in store for MFs.”
Then there are some systemic problems for the industry. To tap new markets, funds have to venture out to newer places, requiring investment from asset management companies (AMCs). The return on this has to be obviously higher than the cost.
Rajan Krishnan, business head, asset management, Principal PNB MF, says: “MFs face the classic chicken and egg symptom of whether to first let the market grow and then enter (losing the first mover advantage), or whether to be the first to set up your shingle and beat the competition, enduring long gestation periods.” Off the record, fund managers candidly admit that a 2% market share in Mumbai could get you more money than say a 35% share in Bhatinda.
There is also the risk angle to deal with. Rajiv Shastri, CEO, Sahara MF, says: “MFs are a complex product with a fair amount of risk. If we can make the products simpler, and have the complexity managed by the AMC, it would make it much more appealing for the investor.” He says that a product with derivative exposure, with the AMC providing a capital guarantee after five years with a 50% upside, may find many takers.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Diversified equity MFs fail to match sensex’s march
Najaf Ishrati MUMBAI
April 10, 2006,
ET Front Page
FIRST, the good news. In absolute terms, open-ended diversified equity mutual funds have delivered returns that are more than twice the 15% figure bandied about frequently.
The bad news is that as an asset class more than half of them have underperformed the BSE sensex. Simply put, a larger number of investors would have been better off had they blindly put their money into the 30-sensex stocks basket rather than going through the tedium of research before investing through mutual fund schemes.
Most funds choose to measure themselves against a benchmark index and some will quickly tell you that, although they have performed worse than the sensex, they have beaten their preferred yardsticks.
Let us first take a look at how the indices have performed. The top-performing cross-sector index was the sensex, which yielded returns of over 78.9% over the past year. Next come the BSE midcap and smallcap indices at 78.8% and 76.7%. The S&P CNX Nifty racked up a growth of 70%. Of the 112 openended diversified equity funds that ET looked at, 54 generated returns above 78.9% (sensex), while 58 underperformed it. Around 33 funds delivered returns that were lower than what the Nifty generated.
SBI Magnum series a hit
FINALLY, the stinger: Whatever time you consider— a week, a month, 3 months, 6 months or a year — diversified funds have, on an average, emerged among the top three schemes. This just goes to show that among the dozen or so equity-oriented schemes, chances of underperformance would have been far greater. In any case, 52% of the diversified mutual funds have been unable to match the sensex.
If diversified schemes have finished among the top five, three have come from the SBI house. The Magnum series has done well, with the Magnum Multiplier Plus generating the best return of 120%, thanks to the weightages in its portfolio given to engineering, automobiles and construction. Prudential ICICI, and Sundaram took the other places in the top five. It may be interesting to note that the worst diversified equity performer had a one-year return of 42%.
While the rankings based on performances may keep changing, investors need to allocate more time and energy in selecting their funds. This is because, going forward, relative returns may become a luxury, and even absolute returns could start turning negative.
April 10, 2006,
ET Front Page
FIRST, the good news. In absolute terms, open-ended diversified equity mutual funds have delivered returns that are more than twice the 15% figure bandied about frequently.
The bad news is that as an asset class more than half of them have underperformed the BSE sensex. Simply put, a larger number of investors would have been better off had they blindly put their money into the 30-sensex stocks basket rather than going through the tedium of research before investing through mutual fund schemes.
Most funds choose to measure themselves against a benchmark index and some will quickly tell you that, although they have performed worse than the sensex, they have beaten their preferred yardsticks.
Let us first take a look at how the indices have performed. The top-performing cross-sector index was the sensex, which yielded returns of over 78.9% over the past year. Next come the BSE midcap and smallcap indices at 78.8% and 76.7%. The S&P CNX Nifty racked up a growth of 70%. Of the 112 openended diversified equity funds that ET looked at, 54 generated returns above 78.9% (sensex), while 58 underperformed it. Around 33 funds delivered returns that were lower than what the Nifty generated.
SBI Magnum series a hit
FINALLY, the stinger: Whatever time you consider— a week, a month, 3 months, 6 months or a year — diversified funds have, on an average, emerged among the top three schemes. This just goes to show that among the dozen or so equity-oriented schemes, chances of underperformance would have been far greater. In any case, 52% of the diversified mutual funds have been unable to match the sensex.
If diversified schemes have finished among the top five, three have come from the SBI house. The Magnum series has done well, with the Magnum Multiplier Plus generating the best return of 120%, thanks to the weightages in its portfolio given to engineering, automobiles and construction. Prudential ICICI, and Sundaram took the other places in the top five. It may be interesting to note that the worst diversified equity performer had a one-year return of 42%.
While the rankings based on performances may keep changing, investors need to allocate more time and energy in selecting their funds. This is because, going forward, relative returns may become a luxury, and even absolute returns could start turning negative.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Reward points: FIIs pay brokers ‘soft dollar’ for fringe services
Najaf Ishrati
April 24, 2006,
ET Front Page, Mumbai
THE concept of ‘soft dollar’ payments has been around in the US securities market for quite sometime now, and has recently made its way into India.
The term ‘soft dollar’, in the Indian context, is described as payments made by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) to Indian brokers, which are outside the ambit of normal brokerage charges. According to some Indian brokers, whom ET spoke to, this ‘soft dollar’ share can, at times, be as large as 5-10% of their total income.
These payments are for various services rendered by Indian brokers to their FII clients. These payments are legitimate, but are of a discretionary nature. They are over and above normal commission charges.
There is a rise in number of Indian brokerages which ramped up their research capabilities, and even those who were earlier providing a pure transacting platform now have begun to generate research based ‘buy and sell’ reports. Basically, it is for these reports, which FIIs receive, that brokers are paid ‘soft dollar’.
Further, these brokers service their FII clients by setting up meetings with the management of any company that the FII client wants to invest in. Also, some Indian brokers send their analysts abroad to their clients’ offices in Singapore, New York or London ( in most cases) for discussions and advice.
Finally, hotel and travel arrangements are made by brokerages for their clients. Obviously, all this comes at a cost, but there is no official ‘fee’ that is charged for these services, including the reports. FIIs, which use these services, have their own limitations in terms of the business that they can provide.
SEC concerned over ‘soft dollar’ transactions
INDIAN brokers are receiving ‘soft dollar’ payments for the services rendered to their FII clients.
Internal compliance regulations as regards the balance sheet size of their broker-dealers limit the number of brokers that they can make transaction through. Secondly, major funds invest across the globe and prefer to maintain an on going relationships with their broker-dealers across continents. Thirdly, although there is a restriction on domestic mutual funds that they should not give more than 5% of their business to a single brokerage house, there is no such requirement on FIIs.
The net result is that nearly 80% of the business by foreign funds in India would go to Tier I brokerages, (local arms of foreign brokerages like CLSA or Deutsche). Up to 20% of the business would go to Tier II brokerages, which are major domestic firms. In India, they would be the likes of Enam, Motiwal Oswal, ICICI Securities. And around 5% would be invested through small Tier III brokerages. Some of the FIIs, which utilise inputs offered by Tier II and III Indian brokerage houses, do not end up giving them a huge volume of business. It is in these cases that a few FIIs choose to pay ‘soft dollar’ instead.
Sources say that the US SEC is looking to curb soft dollar transactions, as the regulator sees it as a grey area, which may be used to push up prices of equities. The Indian brokerage industry is following developments in this area, but is not unduly worried, as they say that it is the ‘hard dollar’ that they are looking at, and any `soft dollar’ received is considered more as a bonus rather than as revenue.
April 24, 2006,
ET Front Page, Mumbai
THE concept of ‘soft dollar’ payments has been around in the US securities market for quite sometime now, and has recently made its way into India.
The term ‘soft dollar’, in the Indian context, is described as payments made by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) to Indian brokers, which are outside the ambit of normal brokerage charges. According to some Indian brokers, whom ET spoke to, this ‘soft dollar’ share can, at times, be as large as 5-10% of their total income.
These payments are for various services rendered by Indian brokers to their FII clients. These payments are legitimate, but are of a discretionary nature. They are over and above normal commission charges.
There is a rise in number of Indian brokerages which ramped up their research capabilities, and even those who were earlier providing a pure transacting platform now have begun to generate research based ‘buy and sell’ reports. Basically, it is for these reports, which FIIs receive, that brokers are paid ‘soft dollar’.
Further, these brokers service their FII clients by setting up meetings with the management of any company that the FII client wants to invest in. Also, some Indian brokers send their analysts abroad to their clients’ offices in Singapore, New York or London ( in most cases) for discussions and advice.
Finally, hotel and travel arrangements are made by brokerages for their clients. Obviously, all this comes at a cost, but there is no official ‘fee’ that is charged for these services, including the reports. FIIs, which use these services, have their own limitations in terms of the business that they can provide.
SEC concerned over ‘soft dollar’ transactions
INDIAN brokers are receiving ‘soft dollar’ payments for the services rendered to their FII clients.
Internal compliance regulations as regards the balance sheet size of their broker-dealers limit the number of brokers that they can make transaction through. Secondly, major funds invest across the globe and prefer to maintain an on going relationships with their broker-dealers across continents. Thirdly, although there is a restriction on domestic mutual funds that they should not give more than 5% of their business to a single brokerage house, there is no such requirement on FIIs.
The net result is that nearly 80% of the business by foreign funds in India would go to Tier I brokerages, (local arms of foreign brokerages like CLSA or Deutsche). Up to 20% of the business would go to Tier II brokerages, which are major domestic firms. In India, they would be the likes of Enam, Motiwal Oswal, ICICI Securities. And around 5% would be invested through small Tier III brokerages. Some of the FIIs, which utilise inputs offered by Tier II and III Indian brokerage houses, do not end up giving them a huge volume of business. It is in these cases that a few FIIs choose to pay ‘soft dollar’ instead.
Sources say that the US SEC is looking to curb soft dollar transactions, as the regulator sees it as a grey area, which may be used to push up prices of equities. The Indian brokerage industry is following developments in this area, but is not unduly worried, as they say that it is the ‘hard dollar’ that they are looking at, and any `soft dollar’ received is considered more as a bonus rather than as revenue.
Friday, March 16, 2007
NSDL to run a check on Indiabulls clients
Sebi Tells Depository To Verify If 559 Suspect Clients Are Genuine; Scam Final Order Expected By May 10
Bodhisatva Ganguli and Najaf Ishrati
MUMBAI
May 01, 2006
THE Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked NSDL to start examining the demat accounts of 559 clients of stock broker Indiabulls from Monday. This exercise will continue, at least, till Wednesday. If the NSDL scrutiny results in Indiabulls getting a clean chit, Sebi may pass a final order in the week beginning May 8, possibly around May 10, according to industry sources familiar with the matter.
The examination by NSDL is intended to verify whether the 559 clients mentioned by Sebi, in its interim order, are genuine or fictitious entities created to ‘corner’ shares during the IPO process. Thus, NSDL will check details such as permanent account number (PAN) details and proof of residence. NSDL may even call investors or visit their homes to verify that they exist.
The final order on Indiabulls may come before the final order on Karvy and the other alleged operators and financiers named by Sebi in its April 27 interim order, according to industry sources.
On Friday afternoon, Sebi had kept part of its interim order, relating to Indiabulls in abeyance, after a personal representation from Indiabulls chairman Sammer Gehlaut.
In its interim order, now kept in abeyance, Sebi had alleged that Indiabulls received 13,939 TCS IPO shares from 559 different accounts. It, thus, implied that these investors had applied for the TCS IPO on behalf of Indiabulls and that these shares have been transferred to its account just after the TCS IP0. In doing so, TCS had acted as a “key operator”, according to the Sebi order.
In its defence, Indiabulls said that the 559 account holders, who transferred shares to it, had done so in the Client Margin Account of the company. It said that this was towards meeting their margin requirements for trading, as per existing rules. According to the rules, clients must either hold cash or shares with their brokers, before they can trade on their platform.
Further, following the sale of TCS shares by these clients, the company clarified that the proceeds of the sales were forwarded back to them.
Indiabulls also said that the client accounts had been `in existence for years’ and were not fictitious or benami accounts, and neither were they opened for the sole purpose of making IPO applications.
The Sebi order had also claimed that one Ajay Kumar Gupta was a “financier” of Indiabulls. However, the fact that Mr Gupta had made a profit of Rs 2,345 after selling 17 shares cast some doubt on these assertions on the part of Sebi. Indiabulls, for its part, claims that Mr Gupta is a regular client trading through Indiabulls since September ‘03.
On the basis of the arguments by Indiabulls, Sebi had issued another order on April 28, holding its earlier ruling in abeyance’, u ntil its claims could be verified. This verification will hold the key to the final order, is likely by mid-May.
Sebi’s change of mind on Indiabulls was preceded by high drama on Friday morning, as reported by ET in its April 29 edition. Top Indiabulls officials, after working through the night, are believed to have gone to the residence of senior Sebi official R Ravichandran to explain themselves. Mr Ravichandran, who had spearheaded the probe, is the chief lieutenant of Sebi whole-time member G Anantharaman, the author of Thursday’s interim order. Talks among senior Sebi and finance ministry officials, which involved a flurry of SMS and cellphone conversations, is believed to have resulted in a clarification issued before market hours, which said that the ban on brokerages related only to proprietary trading.
Later on Friday morning, Mr Gehlaut appeared before Mr Anantharaman to explain his case.
Bodhisatva Ganguli and Najaf Ishrati
MUMBAI
May 01, 2006
THE Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked NSDL to start examining the demat accounts of 559 clients of stock broker Indiabulls from Monday. This exercise will continue, at least, till Wednesday. If the NSDL scrutiny results in Indiabulls getting a clean chit, Sebi may pass a final order in the week beginning May 8, possibly around May 10, according to industry sources familiar with the matter.
The examination by NSDL is intended to verify whether the 559 clients mentioned by Sebi, in its interim order, are genuine or fictitious entities created to ‘corner’ shares during the IPO process. Thus, NSDL will check details such as permanent account number (PAN) details and proof of residence. NSDL may even call investors or visit their homes to verify that they exist.
The final order on Indiabulls may come before the final order on Karvy and the other alleged operators and financiers named by Sebi in its April 27 interim order, according to industry sources.
On Friday afternoon, Sebi had kept part of its interim order, relating to Indiabulls in abeyance, after a personal representation from Indiabulls chairman Sammer Gehlaut.
In its interim order, now kept in abeyance, Sebi had alleged that Indiabulls received 13,939 TCS IPO shares from 559 different accounts. It, thus, implied that these investors had applied for the TCS IPO on behalf of Indiabulls and that these shares have been transferred to its account just after the TCS IP0. In doing so, TCS had acted as a “key operator”, according to the Sebi order.
In its defence, Indiabulls said that the 559 account holders, who transferred shares to it, had done so in the Client Margin Account of the company. It said that this was towards meeting their margin requirements for trading, as per existing rules. According to the rules, clients must either hold cash or shares with their brokers, before they can trade on their platform.
Further, following the sale of TCS shares by these clients, the company clarified that the proceeds of the sales were forwarded back to them.
Indiabulls also said that the client accounts had been `in existence for years’ and were not fictitious or benami accounts, and neither were they opened for the sole purpose of making IPO applications.
The Sebi order had also claimed that one Ajay Kumar Gupta was a “financier” of Indiabulls. However, the fact that Mr Gupta had made a profit of Rs 2,345 after selling 17 shares cast some doubt on these assertions on the part of Sebi. Indiabulls, for its part, claims that Mr Gupta is a regular client trading through Indiabulls since September ‘03.
On the basis of the arguments by Indiabulls, Sebi had issued another order on April 28, holding its earlier ruling in abeyance’, u ntil its claims could be verified. This verification will hold the key to the final order, is likely by mid-May.
Sebi’s change of mind on Indiabulls was preceded by high drama on Friday morning, as reported by ET in its April 29 edition. Top Indiabulls officials, after working through the night, are believed to have gone to the residence of senior Sebi official R Ravichandran to explain themselves. Mr Ravichandran, who had spearheaded the probe, is the chief lieutenant of Sebi whole-time member G Anantharaman, the author of Thursday’s interim order. Talks among senior Sebi and finance ministry officials, which involved a flurry of SMS and cellphone conversations, is believed to have resulted in a clarification issued before market hours, which said that the ban on brokerages related only to proprietary trading.
Later on Friday morning, Mr Gehlaut appeared before Mr Anantharaman to explain his case.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
MFs lay out chic options for high-end clients
Najaf Ishrati MUMBAI
Apr 12, 2006
AFTER resorting to repackaging the existing schemes as new products, the domestic MF industry is entering into a phase where it is looking to offer completely new and innovative products for the sophisticated investor. Industry watchers say that there are many products waiting in the wings, held back either by the lack of demand or by regulatory hurdles. “That the industry has been able to launch advanced products like exchange traded funds and fund of funds reflects on the level of innovation and ability to cater to specific investment needs,” says Sukumar Rajah, CIO, Franklin Templeton Investments. “However, we might see demand developing for sophisticated investment products such as absolute return funds, tactical asset allocation across various asset classes and currencies amongst the institutional segment,” he adds.
A few products waiting in the wings include UTI MF’s Retirement Benefit Unit Plan (RBUP). This pension plan will tie up with organisations to collect small amounts from employees and invest into the fund. “The speciality of such an offer is that employees in the non tax-paying, lower income brackets will have a product with an exposure to equity with the potential to give better returns than EPFO or PPF,” says UK Sinha, CMD, UTI AMC.
Industry observers say that there could be more development in the multi-manager format. Optimix, an arm of ING, is looking to launch the ‘manage the manager fund’. This fund would either give the money or the mandate, to managers from other funds with a speciality in their sector.
Sumeet Vaid, CMO, Optimix adds that another product which the industry could see, is the ‘capital guarantee’ product, in which a fixed percentage of the funds invested will carry some sort of insurance or underwriting. Obviously, a part of the allocation will go towards the payment of insurance premium. Another category of MFs neglected by the industry are geographic funds. Sources say that if demand rises, we could have a mandate to invest in companies from a particular state or region.
Sources say that what is missing from the picture is a benchmark fund which will try to capture the gains of the upside, while protecting the initial Rs 10. Regulations permitting, a fund which could invest in say, a 2-year sensex call option, could find ample demand, as part of the allocation will go to the derivative premium and the remaining into debt. The benefit of any rise in the index will be available to the investor.
Another scheme missing from scene is the ‘dynamic asset class’, with which the fund will invest in gold, commodities and real estate, apart from equity. Fund managers say that if they are allowed to reinvest in, say an HDFC real estate fund, they could offer their investors the chance to gain from an appreciation in land prices, which they can’t obtain directly due to high entry requirements.
Two types of funds launched recently which could see a spurt in demand are special situations funds and funds investing in foreign equity. Launched by Fidelity and Franklin Templeton respectively, these will be closely watched by the industry. Fidelity says that special situations arise out of the ordinary situations that companies find themselves in from time to time. These situations present an investment opportunity to those who can foresee and interpret the implications of that opportunity early enough. As obvious, research requirements will be high for such funds, and not all AMC’s will have the capacity to launch it.
Fund managers are looking to regulators like Sebi, RBI and the government to clear their roadblocks.
Apr 12, 2006
AFTER resorting to repackaging the existing schemes as new products, the domestic MF industry is entering into a phase where it is looking to offer completely new and innovative products for the sophisticated investor. Industry watchers say that there are many products waiting in the wings, held back either by the lack of demand or by regulatory hurdles. “That the industry has been able to launch advanced products like exchange traded funds and fund of funds reflects on the level of innovation and ability to cater to specific investment needs,” says Sukumar Rajah, CIO, Franklin Templeton Investments. “However, we might see demand developing for sophisticated investment products such as absolute return funds, tactical asset allocation across various asset classes and currencies amongst the institutional segment,” he adds.
A few products waiting in the wings include UTI MF’s Retirement Benefit Unit Plan (RBUP). This pension plan will tie up with organisations to collect small amounts from employees and invest into the fund. “The speciality of such an offer is that employees in the non tax-paying, lower income brackets will have a product with an exposure to equity with the potential to give better returns than EPFO or PPF,” says UK Sinha, CMD, UTI AMC.
Industry observers say that there could be more development in the multi-manager format. Optimix, an arm of ING, is looking to launch the ‘manage the manager fund’. This fund would either give the money or the mandate, to managers from other funds with a speciality in their sector.
Sumeet Vaid, CMO, Optimix adds that another product which the industry could see, is the ‘capital guarantee’ product, in which a fixed percentage of the funds invested will carry some sort of insurance or underwriting. Obviously, a part of the allocation will go towards the payment of insurance premium. Another category of MFs neglected by the industry are geographic funds. Sources say that if demand rises, we could have a mandate to invest in companies from a particular state or region.
Sources say that what is missing from the picture is a benchmark fund which will try to capture the gains of the upside, while protecting the initial Rs 10. Regulations permitting, a fund which could invest in say, a 2-year sensex call option, could find ample demand, as part of the allocation will go to the derivative premium and the remaining into debt. The benefit of any rise in the index will be available to the investor.
Another scheme missing from scene is the ‘dynamic asset class’, with which the fund will invest in gold, commodities and real estate, apart from equity. Fund managers say that if they are allowed to reinvest in, say an HDFC real estate fund, they could offer their investors the chance to gain from an appreciation in land prices, which they can’t obtain directly due to high entry requirements.
Two types of funds launched recently which could see a spurt in demand are special situations funds and funds investing in foreign equity. Launched by Fidelity and Franklin Templeton respectively, these will be closely watched by the industry. Fidelity says that special situations arise out of the ordinary situations that companies find themselves in from time to time. These situations present an investment opportunity to those who can foresee and interpret the implications of that opportunity early enough. As obvious, research requirements will be high for such funds, and not all AMC’s will have the capacity to launch it.
Fund managers are looking to regulators like Sebi, RBI and the government to clear their roadblocks.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Are You Covered?
Your health may just be the most precious thing you have. Take your medical insurance seriously, says Najaf Ishrati
Jan 30, 2006,
ET Personal Finance, Mumbai.
INSURANCE companies are currently facing the classic chicken and egg syndrome, and more so when it comes to health insurance or mediclaim. A high claims-to-premium ratio, as seen with major PSU insurance providers, makes spending on advertising an unaffordable luxury. However, since insurance has always been a product that has to be sold in India, and not bought, high spending on advertising is needed to increase revenues.
Unlike other countries, India cannot afford to make health insurance mandatory as there is a cramp on infrastructure, with only about 0.7m beds available with the healthcare industry, according to estimates.
Current premium charges are roughly around 1% of the sum assured. This means with the premiums received from a hundred policy holders, the company can clear the entire claim of just one. This is an astounding statistic if you compare the cost of medical insurance in the West, which is much higher. Second, roughly 6% of all policy holders make claims every year, making it difficult for insurance firms to continue at the prevailing low rates. The claim-premium ratio in some firms is 110%, whereas it goes up to 127% in others.
The fact that it is statistically advantageous to get insured even though the insurance firm may be bleeding, the following percentage comes across very strongly. Of the total Indian population, less than 2% have health cover of any amount.
Dr Sandeep Dadia, with TTK Health Services, a leading TPA, says that the time to get yourself covered is now, as these cheap premiums are bound to rise given the cost of medical inflation, which is estimated at around 15% every year. A mediclaim policy is available to persons between 3 months and 75 years of age. For children under three, the policy has to be tied with one held by their parent. In many cases family packages are available which offer attractive discounts.
Mediclaim covers reimbursement of hospitalisation expenses for illnesses, diseases or injuries sustained to the extent that the policy was taken out for. It includes costs incurred for nursing charges, doctors fees and other hospital costs.
All policies have certain exclusions, where the insurance firm refuses to reimburse certain medical conditions. The significant ones are the illnesses which existed prior to the signing of the policy, alcohol and drug abuserelated problems, AIDS, pregnancy and child birth and dental treatment. This list varies from policy to policy.
Also, the policy amount or the sum that you can assure yourself for currently varies from Rs 15,000 to Rs 5 lakh, though efforts to raise the minimum sum assured are already underway. But the big question is, how much do you insure yourself for?
Industry players say that ideally the sum assured should be a function of your age and your capacity to pay. They say if you can afford, go for the upper limit. If you cannot, then there are several ballpark figures to ensure that you are not under-insured. For a child under 25, the most common purposes for which claims are made are medical conditions arising out of colds, fevers, and fractures, for which Rs 75,000 is proposed. This figure would vary from hospital to hospital.
The age group of 25- 35 commonly reports to the hospitals for infectious diseases and injuries, and a minimum sum assured of Rs 2 lakh would cover most expenses. From 35 onwards, things start getting dicey with heart problems and diabetes creeping in. A minimum sum assured of Rs 3 lakh is advised.
Currently, people under the age of 45 can get insured without having to undergo a test, although there is a move to bring this age down to 35. After 45, industry sources say that one should avail the maximum of Rs 5 lakh, and even take multiple policies to cover oneself if there is a family history of genetically passed illnesses. The 45-plus age group have commonly been treated for hypertension, diabetes, kidney stones, knee transplants and cancer. The range for the annual premium is vast and varied. It starts from a minimum of Rs 213 per year for a person less than 35 years of age with a sum assured of Rs 15,000. This could go up to Rs 17,156 per year for someone over 76 years who is renewing an existing policy for Rs 5 lakh. It may sound expensive, but it should always be looked at as a cost in proportion to the total sum assured. This cost ranges from just under 1% in some cases to around 2.5% in cases of elders. Industry people put it this way. If you think spending 1% of the sum assured on health is expensive today, what will you say if you have to shell out the entire 100%, without an advance notice?
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
What’s In It For You?
Insurance policies are not much about insurance anymore. Aspects like tax savings and investment have crept in and expectations run high. Know exactly what to watch out for, says Najaf Ishrati
Published Jan 10,2006,
ET Personal Finance page, Mumbai.
EVERY one knows insurance policies are being marketed more as an instrument of investment and tax saving, than for the sake of insurance per se. Go to any agent and before he starts to tell you about the nitty gritty of the policy, he will first discuss the tax
implications.
Then, he would proceed to tell you what returns you would get, over time, with your policy. Finally, he may mention a word or two on the insurance aspects, but only as ‘good to know’ information. So, if people are really taking these policies as investment vehicles, then an important issue they must address is the return generated by the insurer.
Insurance companies collect regular premiums and invest them in a common pool of funds. Every year, they use these contributions and the returns generated on them to set off claims arising from death and maturity benefit liabilities. Most companies share a part of the difference between these two cash flows, which is the profit of the company, with their contributors.
This sharing of the profit is done by means of accruing some extra returns of “bonus” to participating policies (policies where payment of bonus option was chosen), at the end of each financial year. If the person whose life was insured were to die during the term, his nominee would get the sum assured plus bonuses accrued till the date of death. If he were to complete the term, the policyholder himself would receive the maturity benefit with all the accrued bonuses. These bonuses can be paid yearly (reversionary), on termination of policy (final), or interim. It must be noted here that for unit-linked insurance policies, ULIPs there is no concept of a bonus.
Investors look forward with great expectation towards the
bonus declared by insurance companies on their various policies. However, actual bonuses declared have not been sending policyholders laughing anywhere, least of all to the bank.
The point is that, with insurance companies having to compulsorily wed a bulk of their disposable funds to gilts, the profits earned by them cannot be in the margin of 15% or 20%. Thus, as expected, even rallying bulls in financial markets see mediocre bonuses being given out.
This year, the market leader, LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) has declared bonus on its various policies in the range of 3.1% – 5% on the sum assured. For policies maturing in its fiftieth year, that is, September 1, ‘05 to August 31, ‘06, it plans to pay an additional bonus.
Max New York Life has a proportionate basis for doling out bonuses. Say, if your policy matures after 30 years, then every year, it will give you bonuses at a lesser rate, than if the term of your policy were 10 years. With a shorter policy, you would get higher rates of bonus so that effectively, both such policyholders in the company stand to benefit equally. Then, there are companies which have a coupon rate of bonuses that are guaranteed throughout the life of the policy, irrespective of portfolio ups and downs. ICICI Pru pays a flat 3.5% of your sum assured as bonus. It has maintained this rate for quite a while now. Kotak has paid 6.75% on premium paid, net of all policy charges this year.
Similarly, SBI too, has a rate of 4% on net contribution, but some SBI Life policies have been given extra remuneration, up to a further 4%. Aviva has no fixed rate and declares bonuses every year. This year saw policyholders getting between 4.25 to 4.5% reversionary, with a final bonus of 14%.
When it comes to selecting the insurer, people must look at how the company is allocating its portfolio. Secondly, since the base, the sum assured, net contribution or others- on which your return was percentaged- will make a huge difference to your pocket, it makes sense to be aware of it before signing the contract.
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