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GT-Feb 01-15-2017

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Mahlia S. Lone
Mahlia S. Lone

Reality show host turned U.S. President Donald Trump  has been  keeping us entertained not only during the Inauguration, but also with some of his more dubious first acts in office. To be fair, the American stock exchange is responding positively to the changes he’s making. The First Family, including Melania who escaped to NYC immedi- ately after the ceremony on pretext that their son Barron had to go to school when actually his school was closed, also has the world poring over the minutest details, such as the dresses, which of the family’s good looking women looked best and whether the First Lady can indeed be happily married to The Donald. It sure is good entertain- ment for a night in during the chilly weather — reality TV set in the White House, doesn’t get better than that for sheer low brow, mind numbing entertainment.

Locally, this is the season for weddings, weddings and more wed- dings. And, in case you happened to miss one, we at GT are keeping you covered. In fact, the issue starts with Qaim Ali Shah’s granddaughter Moriel’s wedding to Harvard educated entrepreneur Hassan Sultan. With an international cast of characters and set in different locales around the world, the festivities look super fun and you can tell that, unlike a lot of our compatriots  who take everything  too seriously,  these newlyweds have a great sense of humour and lightness of touch.

With the release of Raees starring Pakistan’s sweetheart Mahira Khan opposite Bollywood box office King Shah Rukh Khan, we went back to the roots of his successful marriage with Gauri. Despite all the tempta- tions he must encounter, the couple celebrated their silver wedding anniversary last October and is poised to launch their kids in movies in just a few years time. Theirs is a marriage based not just on shared his- tory and family, but also a pragmatic union with common business inter- ests of building and nurturing the SRK brand, much like the Beckhams. SRK and Gauri are worth a cool $600 million, a successful partnership by any standards.

Fashion-wise. we have a wide range of interesting stories in this issue. Eman Bachani, founder of Meraki Design House, aims to take our local artisans’ craft global. One of her first products is a redesigned khussa that she is selling to clients the world over. She’s even got cute tie dyed khus- sas in her collection. Pat McGrath has a fabulous range of innovative glit- ter makeup products that are just fascinating to look at. Here we have focused on his glitter eye makeup as popularized by Kim Kardashian. Next up will be glitter lips, which though wow to look at, may be a bit uncomfortable to wear. If you like cats, you will love the way this season designers have incorporated them into fashion. Pakistani-Indian lawyer/singer/entrepreneur Kiran Chaudhary’s new label Anaya has practical kameez and pantsuits suitable for any occasion that she plans to mass market.  On the other hand, the uber fashionable  British-Indian Kaur twins have such an exclusive brand that they make only one coat per month, their label PER/se abiding by the #Just One Fashion Philosophy. Enjoy the read!

Who? Mona Maqsood 

WHY? Her fruity cocktail matches the tropical print on her tunic. We love her modern sharara. Very cute!

Who? Frieha Altaf
Why? Always impeccably dressed, her neutral palette is classy and a great daytime look

Who? Hussnain Lehri
Why? The hipster beard may be a little dated now, but the rest of the outfit is perfection itself. The model is styled to within an inch of his life

Who? Wardha Saleem
Why? You can’t go wrong with a white shirt. Here, she plays with a classic look with fun silk trousers, a bright shoe and Outhouse jewellery

Who? Mantahaa Maqsood
Why? We love the asymmetric top and flared pants. Plus she has the confidence to not pile on the jewellery

Who? Anoushey Ashraf
WHY? She’s looking forward to Spring with this whimsical, floral jumpsuit

By Afshan Shafi

Uber fashionable British-Indian twins, Mandeep and Hardeep Kaur have imbued their label PER/se with a scrupulous fashion philosophy. They create one coat bi-monthly, usually in collaboration with an artist or crafted around a point of ineluctable influence. The result is a garment that is minimalist yet profoundly classical in its form. PER/se offers clothing that is functional and yet engineered with an intellectualism that doesn’t waver into an avant garde ballooning of form. These are refined and architectural investment pieces that feel coolly modern yet timeless. The sister duo has been featured in WWD, The Telegraph, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle for their immaculate aesthetic and they have notably dressed the ever stylish Olivia Palermo. PER/se is destined to cement its position as a fiercely innovativee label in years to come

Tell us about your label’s inception.

The story goes back nearly 30 years, when we came into the world together, the one behind the other, five minutes of life between one twin and the next.

The versions of this story could be many, but that wouldn’t be the point. There are only two that really count. And how they came together to create Just One.

We wondered what would happen if we created something that we could live by every single day, that would help us and those who surrounded us to expand our view of the world and to architect our own world, universe even. No more would we play along, the game of more, quicker, but always less somehow when the curtain went down.

CO-FOUNDERS

Twins (Mandeep Kaur (MK) + Hardeep Kaur (HK)); MK studied Law, HK studied English Literature & Language; London dwellers, Optimists, Doers and firm believers that it takes #JustOne, where less is optimal and substance is paramount

What if you could build a life based on individual moments, actions and thoughts?
This could be achieved by allowing these moments to accrue incrementally. No more deferment but rather the practice of the here and now. In case you hadn’t realised, life is fairly epic, in a completely cool way. So we present our contribution to this practice of less but better – #JustOne.

META, III was created in partnership with ceramicist Reiko Kaneko, using her signature glaze to create a bespoke print.

The Meta coat was captured at the Paternoster Vents.

Anthem II
Inspired by writer Arnold Bennett’s How to live on 24 hours a day, an inspiring 108-year-old book about making the most of every day and Anthem by the genius novelist Ayn Rand. The latter text is powerful in its rejection of collectivism, which Rand perceived as inhibitive to the individual spirit.
The Anthem coat was captured at The Arch.

Nebula 1
Inspired by an upholstery fabric developed and used by the iconic Danish textile company Kvadrat. Style icon Caroline Issa has called the Nebula a “distinctly millennial creation” and “a coat that is as functional as it is beautiful.”
The Nebula was captured at the Serpentine Pavilion.

META 

Anthem

Nebula

By Fatima Sheikh 

When we say magic we think of glitter, like Tinkerbell’s fairy dust. Glitter can be applied anywhere be it nails, body, hair, etc. Even men have been experimenting by glittering up their beards. For women, glitter lips is such a hot trend right now.

However, the most popular form of application of glitter makeup is on our eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul and adding a little magic to them can be breathtaking.

 

Pat McGrath has unbelievable glitter makeup products.  Kim Kardashian as  done up by the makeup guru for the cover of The Violet Files

Smoky eye glitter
Who is not in love with a smoky eyes? Add a touch of glitter and what you get is perfection.

Gold eye glitter
It’s a royal and bold look

Red eye glitter
A very seductive look. It’s fresh and edgy at the same time. Make it dark and dusky.

Peacock eye glitter
This over the top eye makeup will make your day.

Silver eye glitter
Silver is the new gold. The silver eye glitter is the easiest look to carry.

Animal print eye glitter
Not for our everyday events, but it is fierce.

Yellow eye glitter
Add black eyeliner with it and rev up the magic.

Nude eye glitter
Always number one for a minimal makeup effect.

Rainbow eye glitter
Not ideal for a sunny day, but works with a toned down face and outfit to balance it out. A look for the bold and daring

Black eye glitter
Cat eye lovers, this one is for you

White eye glitter
A subtle and snowy look, it will turn you into a snow princess

Pink eye glitter
If you are wearing pastels, then this is the perfect combination. Don’t use too dark a tone of pink, but go for a more subtle baby pink.
Minimal makeup or extravagant cat eyes, glitter can pull off any look and give you a completely mesmerizing look. Don’t be afraid to play with different colours and looks of glittery eye makeup.


The reigning King & Queen of Bollywood

King Khan wasn’t born a Prince with blue blood in his veins or a silver spoon in his mouth. He was born in an average family in New Delhi to a Muslim emigre from Pehawar who tried his hand at many business ventures including a small restaurant while housing his family in a succession of rented flats. The baby was named Shahrukh at birth, which was later updated to Shah Rukh when he went into acting. His father, Hindko speaking Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, was a pro Mohandas Gandhi supporter and follower of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan of the All Indian National Congress, in Peshawar. According to Shah Rukh, his paternal grandfather, Jan Muhammad, was an ethnic Pathan from Afghanistan. However, Shah Rukh’s cousins who still live in the Shah Wali Qataal area of Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar claim that the family is of Hindko origin from Azad Kashmir, not Pathan, and also contradict the claim that his grandfather was from Afghanistan. So Khan’s tweet claiming his ethnicity is a mix of “half Hyderabadi (mother), half Pathan (father), some Kashmiri (grandmother)” may very well be a partial reinvention of his true ethnicity, perhaps to fit in with the traditional Bollywood Pathan heirarchy.

After Partition, Meer moved from Peshawar, now in Pakistan, to the Punjabi refugee neighbourhood of Rajendra Nagar, central Delhi, since he was pro-India. There he married a Hyederabadi girl, Lateef Fatima, in 1959. Their first born was a daughter named Shehnaz Lalarukh, who now lives with Shah Rukh permanently. Shah Rukh spent his primary five years in Mangalore, where his maternal grandfather, Ifthikar Ahmed, served as the chief engineer of the port in the ‘60s while it was being built. After this, Meer moved his family back to Delhi where the head of the household tragically succumbed to cancer in 1981.

His parents, Meer Taj Mohammed & Lateef Fatima Khan with elder sister, Shahnaz Lalarukh

Baby Shah Rukh

Shah Rukh attended St. Columba’s School, New Delhi. Because he excelled academically as well as at sports such as hockey and football, he received the school’s highest award, the Sword of Honour. More importantly for his future career, he acted in stage plays and was known as a teenager for his imitation of Bollywood actors like Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and, funnily enough, Mumtaz. Amrita Singh, who became a top Bollywood actress in the ‘80s, was one the teenage friends with whom he acted.

In high school

One evening in 1984, when Shah Rukh was 18, he met 14 year old Gauri Chibber at a party where the boys and girls stood separately. She was the daughter of Punjabi-Brahmin Hindu Colonel Ramesh Chandra and Sarita Chibber, residents of the South Delhi suburb of Panchsheel Park. She attended first the Loreto Convent and then the Delhi Modern School. Boldly, Shah Rukh mustered up his courage and crossed over to the girls’ side and asked Gauri to dance.

Shah Rukh Khan confessed in an interview, “I am very shy in my personal life. I had never asked a girl out. I danced with her, she was very good. I asked for her telephone number and she was the first girl with whom I had danced or asked for their number. I felt that she is the one for me, as she had not said ‘no’ to me up till now.” He promptly asked her for a date the next day to have a soda. She assented and soon they started dating regularly.

At their wedding

Gauri was not entirely happy with Shah Rukh’s decision to join Bollywood. She even secretly wished his films would flop so they could return to Delhi where he could work for her father. “When I went to become an actor, she didn’t like it, because actors have such a reputation and also ours was an inter-religion marriage,” SRK said on The Anupam Kher Show 

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh got his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hansraj College in 1988, simultaneously studying at Delhi’s Theatre Action Group (TAG) under the mentorship of renowned theatre director Barry John. Gauri also got her Bachelor’s degree in History from Lady Shri Ram College and then took a six months course in fashion design and tailoring from the National Institute of Fashion Technology to join her father’s garment business.

Shah Rukh began his professional acting career in the late ‘80s by appearing in several television series, in which he started making a name for himself as critics compared his look and acting style with that of Dilip Kumar, the film thespian. But where Gauri was concerned, Shah Rukh was an insecure and possessive boyfriend who did not even like her keeping her hair open, let alone talking to other boys. He said in his defense, “I don’t know whether I am a nut but I am very intense about my love for Gauri. She’s a part of me.”

However, Gauri got fed up with this attitude. Only her mother knew of her relationship with a Muslim boy, that too a struggling actor, as she was too scared to tell her father. So when she was invited by friends to a trip to Mumbai, she left without even telling him. Suddenly, Shah Rukh felt abandoned by her and realized he didn’t want to let go. He told his mother about Gauri and his mother asked him to go and search for her. Armed with INR 10,000, Shah Rukh drove to Mumbai in his trusty, old Fiat in search of his errant girlfriend with no idea of her exact whereabouts. After much searching, in true filmi fashion, he headed to the beach knowing she would definitely visit there. There, he spied her and ran towards her. The moment the two met, they flung themselves upon each other in an embrace and started crying, realising the depth of their love.

Shah Rukh recalled in a TV interview, “I had a Fiat back then and I was dropping her home. That is when I asked her if she will marry me and went off, I didn’t even wait for her to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

Gauri added, “my parents were obviously not for it because we were so young and then to take a decision to get married to a person who was going to join films and also from a different religion.”

But her brother supported her decision after warning Shah Rukh, “Don’t do anything hanky panky with my sister!” 1991 turned out to be an eventful year in his life. Shah Rukh’s mother died that year from complications from diabetes. Then, in April, he moved from Delhi to Mumbai and was signed by Hema Malini for the film Dil Aashana Hai that she produced and directed opposite Divya Bharti, in addition to signing three more films. Alone and back in New Delhi, his sister Shahnaz sank into depression. Shah Rukh and Gauri remained in touch, but found the long distance relationship hard. Gauri decided that either they should get married or break up for good. After much cajoling, she finally convinced her strict Hindu, vegetarian father to let her marry Muslim boy Shah Rukh and managed to get his blessing. They got married on 25th October, 1991 in a Hindu ceremony.

Shah Rukh Khan bought his mumbai mansion, Mannat, for just INR 15 crores (US$2.5 million) in 1995. a tourist landmark, it’s now reportedly worth a whopping INR 2000 crores (US $333 million). He was also gifted one of the most expensive homes in Dubai, a villa on Palm Jumeirah, worth US$65 million. In addition, He also owns a palatial bungalow in Delhi and a GB£20 million flat near the Dorchester on Park lane, mayfair, London. The second richest movie star in the world, SRK is worth…wait for it…$600 million

Shah Rukh reminisced on fellow actor Anupam Kher’s TV chat show, “I started shooting in June and in October we got married. Our honeymoon was on the sets of Dil Aashana Hai.” The young couple set up home in a small, rented apartment in Mumbai.
Shah Rukh’s debut film turned out to be Deewana, releasing in June 1992, in which he was a supporting actor. The film’s leads were Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti. It became the second highest grossing film of the year, launching his film career. He was awarded the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. The same year, he also starred in Chamatkar and the comedy Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman opposite Juhi Chawla, a hit pairing. The roles he played were similar in that they were full of energy and enthusiasm. Film critic Arnab Ray of Daily News and Analysis wrote that Shah Rukh brought a new kind of acting “sliding down stairs on a slab of ice, cartwheeling, somersaulting, lips trembling, eyes trembling, bringing to the screen the kind of physical energy … visceral, intense, maniacal one moment and cloyingly boyish the next.”

The next year, he played villainous anti-hero roles in the hits, Darr, in which he plays an obsessive lover, and Baazigar, in which he plays a murderer. In Yash Chopra’s Darr, which was the first of his many collaborations with the filmmaker and his company Yash Raj Films, Shah Rukh’s stammering portrayal and the use of the phrase “I love you, K-k-k-Kiran” became memorable and popular with audiences. He received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role, also known as the Best Villain Award, for this role. In Baazigar, Shah Rukh plays an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, shocking Indian audiences and turning the standard Bollywood film formula on its head. In The Cambridge Companion to Modern Indian Culture, Sonal Khullar called the character “the consummate anti-hero.” Cast for the first time opposite newcomer Kajol, he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The Shah Rukh-Kajol pairing has been so successful over the years, that two decades plus later, they are still playing the leads in films together. They have starred in nine films together to date.

With his star in the rise, in 1995 Shah Rukh starred in a total of seven films, the first of which was Rakesh Roshan’s melodramatic thriller Karan Arjun. Co-starring Salman Khan and Kajol, it became the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India.

Aryan has dated Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter  Navya Naveli Nanda

The highest grossing film of the year and one of the most successful Indian films of all time is the romcom, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) opposite Kajol. Written and directed by Aditya Chopra, Yash’s son and later husband of actress Rani Mukherjee, the film’s plot revolves around two young non-resident Indians (NRIs), who fall in love during a vacation through Europe with their friends. Though Shah Rukh was initially hesitant to portray the role of a lover, the audience loved him in this film as a “romantic hero” so much that it became the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. It won a record of 10 Filmfare Awards, the most for a single film at that time, including the second of Shah Rukh’s Best Actor Awards, as well as winning the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Its soundtrack also became one of the most popular albums of the ‘90s. Film critic Raja Sen said, “Khan gives a fabulous performance, redefining the lover for the 1990s with great panache. He’s cool and flippant, but sincere enough to appeal to the [audience]. The performance itself is, like the best in the business, played well enough to come across as effortless, as non-acting.”

After Gauri’s brief foray into show business with her hosting gig on weekly Hindi music countdown show, Oye, for MTV India behind her and with Shah Rukh’s star status secure, the couple decided it was finally time for them to start a family and in 1997 their son Aryan was born.

Aryan, now 19, is a mini-me of his famous father. He graduated from the prestigious Sevenoaks School, Kent, half an hour from London. In his own right, he has won the Maharashtra Taekwondo competition in 2010 and was presented with the black belt, the highest achievement level in the martial arts. He is also a budding actor. While Shah Rukh won for best dubbing voice male animation, for Hum Lajawab Hai, the dubbed Hindi version of the Oscar winning cartoon feature movie The Incredibles, Aryan won the award for best dubbing child voice artist male for it in the children’s category. He is also rumored to have dated Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda. Aryan is currently enrolled in the University of Southern California where he is studying filmmaking. His godfather is fittingly Karan Johar.

Red hot in an Herve Leger bandage dress, Suhana can’t wait to be a Bollywood star

Suhana in a Manish Malhotra ghagra choli attending the Bachchan’s Diwali bash

Shah Rukh’s next big blockbuster was the song and dance vehicle Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) with Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, the highest grossing Indian film of the year worldwide, followed next year by Karan Johar’s directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) Shah Rukh’s fourth film opposite Kajol and a coming of age romcom drama. The third highest-grossing Indian film of the year, it’s the first Bollywood film to enter the UK cinema top ten.

In 2000, the couple had their daughter Suhana. Now 16 and enrolled at Dirubhai Ambani International School, she is a pint sized fashionista, standing at 5’2”, a footballer, playing football tournaments for her school, and even captaining the U-14 team. She loves dancing, and performed in the Pop video of Shiamak Dawar’s Summer Funk show. She also enjoys writing, winning an award at Katha national story writing competition. Shah Rukh has proudly stated in many interviews that Suhana is desperately waiting to finish her studies and join films. She too has her father’s looks, especially his distinctive nose. Shah Rukh plans to send her to the U.S. for college to study acting.

Next Shah Rukh starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein (2000), and Karan Johar’s family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), which SRK cites as a turning point in his career, as he held his own against the veteran actor who stars in both films. Amitabh’s role in both is that of an authoritarian figure, the movie shows ideological struggles between the two men. Shah Rukh was awarded his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for Mohabbatein, while Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, also starring Kajol remained the top-grossing Indian production of all time in the overseas market for the next five years.

2001 brought a reversal of fortune for SRK. Shah Rukh’s production company Dreamz Unlimited produced Santosh Sivan’s historical epic Asoka, a partly fictionalised account of the life of emperor Ashoka, starring Shah Rukh in the titular role. The film was screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival, but despite opening with much fanfare, it performed poorly at the box office. So heavy was the loss incurred that Shah Rukh was forced to close srkworld.com. Then in December, Shah Rukh suffered a spinal injury while performing an action sequence for a special appearance in Krishna Vamsi’s Shakti: The Power. He was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc, which caused him severe pain during shooting. His condition worsened to the point that he finally had to undergo the complicated anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery at Wellington Hospital, London in 2003. After this, Shah Rukh has reduced his workload and limited the number of film roles he accepts per year.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s remake of period romantic tragedy Devdas (2002), the most expensive Bollywood film ever made at the time, starred Shah Rukh in the title role of a rebellious and love lorne alcoholic opposite Ashwariya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. The film became an instant classic and earned numerous awards including 10 Filmfare Awards, with Best Actor for Shah Rukh and even a BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.

 “That she is stylish, enigmatic, and poised is known, but at the shoot we saw another side of her. Even in the frames she shares with Shah Rukh, she holds her own impressively” wrote Priya Tanna, editor of Vogue India

Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), a comedy-drama set in New York City, starring Shah Rukh, Jaya Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta, became the second-highest-grossing film domestically and the top-grossing Bollywood film in external markets that year. His tear jerker portrayal of a man with a fatal heart disease won over the sentimental audience and critics alike. In the 2003 edition of the Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema, it was written that Shah Rukh “defied the image of the conventional hero in both these films and created his own version of the revisionist hero.”

Then, conflict broke out between Shah Rukh, Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza, all partners in Dreamz Unlimited over the failure to cast Juhi in their 2003 production of Chalte Chalte instead of the much younger Rani Mukherjee, and they parted ways, despite the film’s success. Dreamz Unlimited was disbanded and gave birth to Red Chillies Entertainment with Gauri emerging as producer (uptill now the production house has released nine films). In the company’s first production, he starred in choreographer Farah Khan’s directorial debut, the action comedy masala film Main Hoon Na opposite Sushmita Sen, a fictionalised account of India–Pakistan relations. The film is the story of Indian army Major who becomes embroiled in the events to ensure that “Project Milap,” the releasing of civilian captives on either side of the border of India and Pakistan, can take place as a sign of trust and peace between the two nations. Perhaps because of his familial links with Pakistan, the film consciously moves away from the stereotypical portrayal of Pakistan as a villainous country and shows the Indo-Pakistani conflict from a neutral point of view. In Yash Chopra’s romance, Veer-Zaara, Shah Rukh plays an Indian Air Force pilot who falls in love with a Pakistani woman, played by Preity Zinta. The film, screened at the 55th Berlin Film Festival to critical praise, was the highest earning film of 2004 in India, while Main Hoon Na was the second-highest earner. So Shah Rukh was ruling the box office with both the highest and second highest grosser. Is it any surprise then that he became the reigning King of Bollywood?

AbRam was born via surrogacy

Shah Rukh’s third collaboration with Karan Johar was the romantic drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), the story of two unhappily married people in New York City who begin an extramarital affair. The film, featuring an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Kirron Kher, was India’s highest-grossing film in the overseas market. His role in this as well as in Don, a remake, earned him Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards, though critics negatively compared his portrayal to that of Amitabh Bachchan in the original film.

Shah Rukh Khan bought his mumbai mansion, Mannat, for just INR 15 crores (US$2.5 million) in 1995. a tourist landmark, it’s now reportedly worth a whopping INR 2000 crores (US $333 million). He was also gifted one of the most expensive homes in Dubai, a villa on Palm Jumeirah, worth US$65 million. In addition, He also owns a palatial bungalow in Delhi and a GB£20 million flat near the Dorchester on Park lane, mayfair, London. The second richest movie star in the world, SRK is worth…wait for it…$600 million

In 2007, Shah Rukh revisited his hockey skills for his portrayal of a disgraced hockey player who coaches the Indian women’s national hockey team to World Cup success in Yash Raj Films’ semi-fictional Chak De! India. Critic Bhaichand Patel stated that Shah Rukh essentially portrayed himself as a “cosmopolitan, liberal, Indian Muslim.” For this, he won another Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN critiqued that his performance was “without any of his typical trappings, without any of his trademark quirks,” portraying the character “like a real flesh-and-blood human being.” Filmfare magazine included his performance in their 2010 issue of the Top 80 Iconic Performances.
Shah Rukh starred alongside Arjun Rampal and Deepika Padukone, in her debut role, in Farah Khan’s reincarnation melodrama Om Shanti Om, in which he plays ‘70s junior artiste who is reborn as a 2000s era superstar. The film became the highest grossing Indian motion picture of 2007. Khalid Mohammed, film critic for Hindustan Times wrote, “the enterprise belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, who tackles comedy, high drama and action with his signature style—spontaneous and intuitively intelligent.”

Receiving his honorary degree from University of Edinburgh, Scotland

In 2008, Shah Rukh bought ownership rights for the Kolkata Knight Riders team in the Twenty20 cricket tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) in partnership with Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta for USD 75 million. The team’s performance improved over time, and they finally became the champions in 2012 and 2014. To enhance the team’s brand, Shah Rukh himself performed at the opening ceremony of the 2011 season, dancing to Tamil songs. In 2013, he entertained the crowd alongside Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Pitbull at the cricket staduim.

Gauri also remained in the spotlight by appearing in a TV commercial for the home furnishings brand D’decor along with Shah Rukh in 2013. The next year, the couple walked the ramp together for Karan Johar’s debut fashion sown at the HDIL India Couture Week 2009.

Celebrating Kolkata Knight’s IPL win with Shoaib Akhtar

My Name Is Khan (2010), Shah Rukh’s fourth successful collaboration with Karan Johar and his sixth with Kajol, is a true story about the prejudice against Islam in the U.S. after the 11 September attacks. His character is a Muslim suffering from mild Asperger syndrome that sets out on a journey across America to meet the country’s president. Shah Rukh spent several months researching his role by reading books, watching videos and talking to people affected by the condition. My Name is Khan became one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time outside India and earned Khan his eighth Filmfare Award for Best Actor, equaling Dilip Kumar’s record of most wins in the category. Jay Wiesenberger wrote in Variety how Khan portrayed the Asperger’s sufferer with “averted eyes, springy steps, [and] stuttered repetitions of memorized texts”, believing it to have been a “standout performance sure to receive the Autism Society’s gold seal of approval.”

Furthermore, over the years, Shah Rukh has systematically played roles that “present NRI identity in global Bollywood,” earning him a billion fans the world over. ”

Shah Rukh and Gauri’s lavish neo classical Bandra bungalow, Mannat has been done up by Gauri in a myriad of styles. While the formal entertaining area of drawing and dining rooms are Louis XIV inspired with much use of gilt and heavy, ornate curtains, the lounge has exposed brickwork displaying Art. You can tell that for better or for worse no expense has been spared and the house is meant to impress the viewer. In the home, notably the Quran can be seen lying next to the statues of the Hindu deities.

Emboldened by her questionable success in doing up her own splendid home, in 2010 Gauri partnered with Hrithik Roshan’s ex-wife Susanne Khan to design exclusive interior projects. Their first project was a 60,000 square foot mansion Vadodara. In 2012, they launched a line of furniture at Susanne’s home store in Mumbai – The Charcoal Project. In an interview with Vogue India, she said that she chose interior design because of her interest in art, “I started off as an artist in school with various sketches. I continued that as a hobby for many years, and I think that is where my designs come from.”

Shah Rukh’s third child AbRam was born in 2013 via surrogacy, since Gauri was well over 40 by this time. The birth mother is not known and, to quell public curiosity, Shah Rukh is most protective of this child who was born premature and spent a lot of time in the hospital after birth. All three kids have been brought up practicing both their parent’s religions.

After this, SRK starred in the hits Chennai Express (2013) Happy New Year (2014), his own production Dilwale (2015) yet again opposite Kajol, and Fan (2016) in which his grand mansion Mannat appears. Raees (2017) is this year’s upcoming release opposite the charming Mahira Khan. He has appeared in more than 80 Bollywood films to date, and won 14 Filmfare Awards. In terms of audience size and income, he has been described as one of the most successful film stars in the world. For his contributions to film, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, and the Government of France awarded him both the Ordre des Arts et des Letters and the Légion d’honneur. He also has countless endorsement deals, earning him the nickname, Brand SRK. His philanthropic efforts include health care and disaster relief, and he was honoured with UNESCO’s Pyramide con Marni award in 2011 for his support of children’s education. In 2015, he received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Shah Rukh is one of the wealthiest celebrities in India, topping the Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 List in 2012, 2013 and 2015, his wealth being estimated at US$600 million. He owns several properties in India and abroad, including a GB£20 million apartment in central London, and a villa on the Palm, Jumeirah in Dubai. He was named by Newsweek as one of their fifty most powerful people globally in 2008. His wax statue is at six of the Madame Tussaud’s museums around the world.

Speaking of his success, Shah Rukh said in an interview, “Such great things have happened to such a normal guy like me. I am a nobody who shouldn’t have been able to do all this but I have done it. I tell everyone that there’s this myth I work for; there is this myth called Shahrukh Khan and I am his employee. I have to live up to that … I’ll do it, I am an actor. But I can’t start believing in this myth.”

“We have known each other for so long, we have surpassed a stage,” he said regarding his relationship with Gauri on Koffee with Karan. “One of the stages that we have passed is that we don’t need to sit under a moonlit night. I think just passing each other across from the bedroom to the living room is romantic. Love is in the air. We have wonderful children who are a proof that we have a wild, loud, screaming romance going on in the house all day long.”

They sure seem like a rock solid couple at least outwardly despite their starry life with its myriad of hazards and pitfalls.

Fatima Kasuri narrates the story of her beautiful and tropical trip to Bali 

Why ?
There is no other place like Bali. It has great beaches, wonderful natural sites and awesome spas. It’s an extremely soothing and relaxing atmosphere.

What is the best time to visit ?
Since Bali has a tropical climate, the weather is almost the same all year round so it’s perfect to visit anytime of the year.

Where did you stay?
Samabe Suites & Villas, a posh and relaxing resort with its own private beach.

Favourite restaurant?
I just loved the sea food at Blanco, an Indonesian restaurant.

How to get around?
We went around Bali with a personal tour guide.

What did you get up to during the day?
During the day, we visited either the beaches or we explored the city. It was pretty mesmerising.

Where to stay?
This island has a lot of beautiful resorts to choose from. You can pick the one that best caters to all your needs. I liked all of them.

What to eat?
Fresh seafood and fried crispy duck are a must try while visiting Bali.

What to see?
Bali is full of temples. A few of the must see places are Uluwatu Temple, which has a fantastic view of Bali. Be watchful of the monkeys who snatch everything from sunglasses to handbags though. Tegallalang Rice Terraces, Ubud and Bukit peninsulas too are worth seeing. These and the numerous pristine beaches abound in Bali.

Five essentials you cannot live without when traveling?
1. Phone
2. Sun hat
3. BB cream/sunblock
4. Solid Lip Oils by Body Shop
5. My all time favourite Chanel flip-flops

Tehmina, currently working as a journalist/editor, was previously a research associate in the Economics Department at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), having graduated with a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Waterloo, Canada. wary of sounding pretentious by saying “I find myself in books,” but since that is her reality, She hopes people understand and forgive her for it. Tweeting occasionally as @tehmina_k., Tehmina talks to Afshan Shafi about the books that mean the most to her

Late Nights onAir by Elizabeth Hay

I read this book in the summer, the week I turned 23, during my last semester of college in Canada. It is penned by a Canadian author and set in the Canadian North. It features very grown up, very whole female characters. I identify more with Gwen but was more in awe of Dido (“Don’t look at me like that, she’d told him once, you’ll wear out your eyes.”) It was my first brush with female characters like them and it somehow pushed me along to be a bit more sure of myself. There’s also something beautiful about the placid and long Canadian summer, and this book was a perfect harmony of reader and book in terms of timing,setting, and pace.

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
(Technically, this is a play, not a book!)

I’m always drawn to stories about families, especially if they’re forced by circumstances to come together all of a sudden. The Weston family is extremely dysfunctional. There is one exchange between Barbara, the eldest daughter, and her estranged husband, in particular, that gave me major pause. It was like seeing something you could become, and being cautioned to be careful: “You’re thoughtful, Barbara, but you’re not open. You’re passionate, but you’re hard. You’re a good, decent, funny, wonderful woman, and I love you, but you’re a pain in the ass.”

Overwinter by Ratika Kapur

(Thank you Afshan for turning me to this author!) I’ve rarely felt so aligned with a character as I did with Ketaki. Especially since I was the same age as her when I read the book and was being set up left and right. Much of the book is her just doing her own thing, but also being pressured/convinced to give set ups a shot and those shots ending “in disaster.” The heroine is in the creative field as well, “she of scattered ambition and ability,” and is protective of her work, which is very relatable. And naturally the aversion to being “coupled” springs from deeper, more complex reasons, and one of the plotlines (regarding an uncle) can seem off-putting, but it’s handled deftly and makes complete and utter sense.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Hailed as the next JK Rowling (no pressure!) Samantha is one of my absolute favourite authors. I love following her on Twitter. She started The Bone Season series when just a student at Oxford. Part of a seven-book series that is a work in progress, the novel is a supernatural, dystopian fantasy with Paige as its protagonist. Often when I feel beat or cowed down, I remember Paige and it gives me a kick, because she’s such a fighter. Other than that, it’s just a completely gripping, super imaginative, thrilling, mysterious and addictive series. Can’t wait for book three, out this March.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

I read a lot about dark dysfunction, and to bring back the light joy in my (reading) life, I turn to historical romances. They’re quite clever and heart-warming and I never laugh as much as I do while reading them. Julia Quinn writes about the flip side of family – the warm, charming, annoying but loving side. This novel is a part of the “Smythe-Smith quartet” about a bunch of cousins who are forced to participate in the annual family musical and publicly embarrass themselves. Naturally one girl falls in love during the course of the story, but the warm, cosy embrace of the Smythe-Smith family, to me, is where the real love is.

By Fatima Sheikh

The latest nifty gadgets are one way people proclaim their status as well as stay au courant. Quench your thirst for innovationa nd stay updated by checking out the  best buys the tech world has to offer

New iPads

Finally in 2017, iPads are being refreshed and updated, with emphasis on screen size and pencil stylus. The improvements will be made focusing on the Pro line. We cannot wait!

Google Smartwatch

Google delayed its big software update for Android watches until 2017, and now the company will be launching a new watch. These circular smartwatches are Google’s strategy to add new interest to the market for buyers. Let’s see if they can duplicate Apple’s success of the Apple watch or fall flat.

Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung’s opportunity to recover from the losses incurred by Galaxy Note 7 will come with the launch of a new and improved phone. In the spring of 2017, Galaxy S8 is to be launched. The company announced the addition of an artificial intelligence/personal assistance named Viv, programmed by the same people who made Siri. Sounds like fun!

All 4 products are to be launched in 2017. I personally cannot wait to explore the specs of each one of them.

Foldable phone by Samsung

Speculations claim that finally in 2017, Samsung will introduce bendable phone displays, which they have been working on for quite some time. This revolutionary, new technology will be certainly be a game changer.

Forever Young Night Cream by Du’vi Stockholm

Forever Young Night Cream by Du’vi Stockholm is essential in winter! Enriched with Seaweed extracts, it consists of 98% natural and organic ingredients, is Paraben free and is suitable for all skin types. Say goodbye to fine lines, wrinkles and other signs of ageing!

Cosmetic Candy

We adore all things Huda Beauty and need this rose gold palette in our lives!

Spa in a bottle

If you want thick, fluttering lashes then this goodie is a must buy! Order online from their fb page.

Chapter 13

We are loving these intricately embellished khussas from Chapter 13. Order yours from their fb page.

Penguin Pop

Penguin Pop is a small artistic venture hailing from Lahore. They sell hand painted shoes, customized for each client.

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