Star struck - img.gulf-times.com

CommunityDiane von Furstenberg, fashion designer,

author and activist visits Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar.

P6 P16 Community‘Beauty through the Eyes

of Women’ exhibition showcases modern and ancient cultures of both Qatar and India.

Star Star struckstruck

COVERSTORY

How is it like to meet Bollywood’s top stars in real life? Indian showbiz

journalist Arundhuti Banerjee off ers an insightful glimpse. P4-5

Wednesday, November 27, 2019Rabia I 30, 1441 AH

Doha today: 210 - 260

Wednesday, November 27, 20192 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

Community EditorKamran Rehmat

e-mail: [email protected]: 44466405

Fax: 44350474

Emergency 999Worldwide Emergency Number 112Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991Local Directory 180International Calls Enquires 150Hamad International Airport 40106666Labor Department 44508111, 44406537Mowasalat Taxi 44588888Qatar Airways 44496000Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444

Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies)Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365Qatar Airways 40253374

USEFUL NUMBERS

Quote Unquote

PRAYER TIMEFajr 4.38amShorooq (sunrise) 6.01amZuhr (noon) 11.23amAsr (afternoon) 2.24pmMaghreb (sunset) 4.45pmIsha (night) 6.15pm

“Progress is man’s ability to

complicate simplicity. — Dalai Thor Heyerdahl

Last Christmas DIRECTION: Paul FeigCAST: Madison Ingoldsby, Emma Thompson, Boris

IsakovicSYNOPSIS: Kate is a young woman subscribed to bad

decisions. Having accepted to work as Santa’s elf for a department store, she meets Tom. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.

THEATRES: Landmark, The Mall, Royal Plaza

Sangathamizhan DIRECTION: Vijay ChandarCAST: Vijay Sethupathi, Raashi Khanna, Nivetha PethurajSYNOPSIS: Set against a rural backdrop, the fi lm revolves

around a farmer who gets involved in politics and ends up going against the biggest politician in town.

THEATRES: Royal Plaza, The Mall

For movie timings and further details please scan

the QR code above with your mobile phone camera or visit qatarcinemas.com

3Wednesday, November 27, 2019 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYROUND & ABOUT

Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change

Gems and Jewels Exhibition WHERE: Museum of Islamic ArtWHEN: Ongoing till January 18TIME: 9am onwards The exhibition comes in celebration of

the 2019 Year of Culture Qatar-India and presents a look at magnifi cent gems and jewellery from India. Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels from Royal Indian Courts showcases more than 100 pieces from across Qatar Museums’ (QM) collections, including many masterpieces that have never been displayed before.

Photo Exhibition: ‘Experience Tanzania’

WHERE: Multaqa (Student Center) Art Gallery at Education City

WHEN: Ongoing until December 1TIME: 4pm‘Experience Tanzania’ is a yearly project

supported by Student Aff airs Division of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar that allows students and faculty to explore and immerse themselves in Tanzanian urban and rural cultures. During their trip, WCM-Q’s aspiring physicians off er basic healthcare services to the locals as a way of giving back to the community and learn about the lifestyles, traditions, socioeconomic

hierarchies and health systems of the local Tanzanian communities.

A collection of photographs of the wildlife, landscapes and people of Tanzania taken by WCM-Q professor Dr Dietrich Büsselberg will be exhibited.

Career GuidanceWHERE: Right Track Consultants, Al

SaddWHEN: Sunday – Thursday TIME: 6pm – 8pmCareer guidance for course, country,

college and entrance for students of Grade IX-XII, of all curriculum. Career assessments administered for stream preference, career test, branch preference, personality, multiple intelligence and learning styles and productivity. For more information, 55448835.

Katara Traditional Dhow Festival WHERE: Katara Cultural VillageWHEN: Ongoing till November 30

TIME: 9am – 10pmThe Cultural Village Foundation – Katara is

organising the 9th Traditional Dhow Festival. Inspired by Qatar’s rich maritime heritage, the festival will host exciting activities and tournaments at Katara beach.

After School ActivitiesWHERE: AtelierWHEN: OngoingMusic and arts activities for students

taking place after they fi nish their day in school includes Group Music lessons, Hip-hop, Ballet, Drawing and Painting, Drama Theatre & Taekwondo. Ages between 5 and 10 years old after school hours.

Artistic Gymnastic ClassesWHERE: Qatar Academy MsheirebWHEN: OngoingTIME: 3:15pm – 4:15pmThe olympic sport using horizontal bar,

rings and fl oor exercises on mats for the children from age 4 till 16.

Ballet LessonsWHERE: Music and Arts AtelierWHEN: OngoingTIME: 4pm – 8pmFor more info e-mail at registration@

atelierqatar.com or call on 33003839.

Hobby ClassesWHERE: Mamangam Performing Art

CentreWHEN: Saturday – FridayMamangam is an art and performance

centre started with a vision of spreading our knowledge, interests and experience in various disciplines in arts across diff erent countries for children and adults.

Mamangam has become the favourite centre for learning. We off er regular classes in the following disciplines like traditional classical and folk dance forms, art and craft, drawing and painting, personality development and public speaking, Bollywood dance, contemporary, hip hop styles, music both vocals and instrumentals. To develop health consciousness, we train them karate, yoga with special sessions for kids and adults. Mamangam has also come up with chess and robotics in regular batches in an attempt to give a better learning experience, as they sharpen their minds and brains too.

For those who wish to register for more details, visit www.mamangamqatar.in


COMMUNITY COVER STORY

The year: 1998. I was too young to sit down with the elder members of the family and watch a fi lm. Born and brought up in a middle class Bengali refugee family, I was only allowed to watch some of the black and white Bengali fare by fi lmmakers like Satyajit

Ray, Hritwik Ghatak, Tapan Sinha — basically movies that my grandmother would watch and most of them were about the Partition. Among those icons (I realise they were that only in my adulthood) because of his Gupi Bagha series and Apu’s Trilogy, Ray managed to fi nd a space in my childhood. And Tapan Sinha, too, courtesy Kabuliwala.

However, I was allowed to listen to every kind of music, be it Indian classical, Bollywood or Indie pop. More than watching MTV and other music channels — there were hardly any — I would watch songs on the local cable channels. In fact, they used to telecast latest films as well. That is how one afternoon I was introduced to that iconic number Chaiya Chaiya featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora-Khan (back

Meeting the stars

After watching Dil Se a few years later, I told my mother, ‘You know Ma, I so love Shah Rukh Khan and his dimple; I will meet him someday’

— Arundhuti Banerjee

‘’

KING OF ALL HE SURVEYS: Shah Rukh Khan lights up the stage.

DREAM COME TRUE: Arundhuti Banerjee with SRK during an Eid party.

Every fan has a certain opinion of celebrity and perhaps, a crush saved in the attic.

How stars are in real life is an age old question that probably keeps the fans

guessing. Indian showbiz journalist Arundhuti Banerjee traverses some

distance in addressing it, with an account exclusively for Community


COMMUNITYCOVER STORY

then, she was a Khan).Beautifully composed by A

R Rahman, written by Gulzar, rendered by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi, that was one of most the hummable songs back then. I was not intellectually grown enough to understand the lyrics but still I would stand in front of the mirror, clap, dance and sing it several times.

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to watch the song in the presence of the elders — thanks to homebred censorship. I reckon a gyrating Malaika was deemed not suitable for a child like me. Perhaps, that is why from somewhere I managed to buy the cassette of Dil Se and lapped up all the songs by rote. And yes, in my opinion, that was one of the fi nest albums ever.

I knew each song so well that I felt like I was friends with even the creator of the album! And after watching the movie, few years later, I told my mother, ‘You know Ma, I so love Shah Rukh Khan and his dimple; I will meet him someday.” Since my mother is a Manisha Koirala fan, she said, “He has a big nose, look at Manisha. She is so beautiful, even in those scenes where she is silent.”

No, my mother never wanted me to meet Priety Zinta, who made her debut with that fi lm because Ma was uncomfortable with one word she uttered in one of the scenes in Dil Se. Preity’s character Preeti asked Amarkant (Shah Rukh): “Are you virgin?”

Many moons later, I was to meet both the dimpled movie stars along with the creators of that magical song, Chaiya Chaiya.

When I started journalism, I had no interest in entertainment journalism, being content largely with star gossip and fashion statements.

I started with the art/culture beat, which given the environment — I was living in Delhi, a city known for its rich history, art and culture — was perfect.

Destiny however, took me to Mumbai. When you are in the land of Bollywood, you cannot be immune to the infectious energy, glamour and glitz of the Indian cinema.

Fast forward to meeting the stars. Herewith glimpses of a select few that I was fortunate to meet along the journey.

Shah Rukh KhanA day prior to one Eid al-Fitr, I

got a call from the publicist and was informed that SRK was hosting a special lunch for a select group of journalists to celebrate Eid — and that I was invited to join the party.

After receiving the call, even before I pinched myself and felt the thrill of fi nally being able to rub shoulders with King Khan, I got another call from Delhi head offi ce with the instruction to send stories quickly based on what SRK says before the media.

Yes, reality bites but in my case it slapped and kept me on my toes, reminding me that meeting stars is ‘nothing but a part of my job’, so no time for romancing the ‘Rahul’ of my dreams.

Finally, when I reached Taj Lands

End, in Bandra, to attend the lunch party, I was more conscious of doing my job right than living the moment. After a while, SRK came to meet journalists, sitting in a small group of fi ve on a round table, for an informal chat.

Dressed in white Pathani suit, holding a cup of black coff ee in one hand, the man walked in with a big

smile and asked, “Sab ne khana khaya? Biryani kaisi thi?” (Did everyone have a meal? How was the biryani?) and continued, “Mujhe na…khana khilana zyada achha lagta hai, hamesha (You know, I love it more when I play the host, always)…I can live with black coff ee and grilled chicken.”

All the journalists asked several

questions on how he preferred to celebrate Eid; his vision on cinema; how he looked at success and failure…basically everything that he has answered a million times before.

A one-on-one photo session with each journalist followed. Perhaps, he noticed that I was the quiet one in the group, who only

exchanged a smile and few glances here and there.

So fi nally, I took the opportunity to say: Shah Rukh, Eid Mubarak, to which he replied: Aap ko bhi. Aane ke liye sukhriya. (To you, too. Thanks for coming)”. Then he asked, Naam kya hai? (What’s the name?) and looked into my eyes. Trust me that ‘look’ made me feel like I was the most beautiful creation of the Almighty and perhaps, the most important person at that moment.

I uttered my name and he then quoted: Ek noor hai tujh mein, khuda kare ye mehfooz rahe (There’s a light within you, God-willing, it always remains safe).

I would not be surprised if he has forgotten about this rendezvous, or what he said but each word that he uttered in that interaction of may be only 20 seconds sounded like music to my ears. And has stayed with me.

A R Rahman It was perhaps one of the most

random things that happened to me — meeting Rahman for the fi rst time — because it was my day off and I was having a super bad day.

I fought with almost everyone who came my way. From the vegetable vendor, who refused to give me free coriander to the auto rickshaw driver to the chaat wala, who added extra salt to the potato, to a shopkeeper of a garment shop who failed to give me XXS size of the dress I liked.

So when I got a call from the publicist of the event on a day off , I fumed. However, she was very sweet to me and said, “You are going to love me for what I have in store for you.” I retorted: “It better be a great one ha…”

She said, “How about you come and have a conversation with A R Rahman, for his concert fi lm One Heart. I know Rahman and his music is always a good idea for you!”

And that is how I met the creator of Chaiya Chaiya, Tu Hi Re, Jai Ho. Of course, the list of songs is long and I have space constraints.

He broke all the myths that I had in mind, or had heard of: yes, he is a man of few words but if asked the right question, he can go on endlessly. Yes, he isn’t very vocal about himself like many other celebrities and therefore, it is diffi cult to grasp what he is thinking or feeling while answering a question but he always smiles from his eyes.

And once he knows you and likes you, he pays special attention to you, and yes, obliges for even a selfi e!

Every time I made eye contact with him, I noticed a warrior in him; a man who is strong enough to admit his fault and stand by his belief. And, if anything, apart from the joy of music that drives him, is not complacent. No wonder that young keyboard player from Chennai, after ruling the world with his music, and bagging several awards including Grammys and Oscar, is now encapsulating his journey as a fi lmmaker with 99 Songs.

To be continued

CHAIYA CHRONICLES: Malaika Arora so gyrated in the Chaiya Chaiya number that it was deemed out of bound for the author, who was very young at the time, to watch at home.

“A R Rahman broke all the myths that I had in mind, or had heard of: yes, he is a man of few words but if asked the right question, he can go on endlessly. Yes, he isn’t very vocal about himself like many other celebrities but he always smiles from his eyes”


COMMUNITY

Diane von Furstenberg visits VCUarts QatarDiane von Furstenberg, fashion designer, author and activist who created the iconic wrap dress, recently took part in an interactive session at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar). The talk was moderated by Christopher Fink, Chair of Fashion Design at VCUarts Qatar.Von Furstenberg, who was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, was welcomed by Amir Berbić, Dean of VCUarts Qatar. Speaking on the occasion, the Dean said, “We are honoured that Diane is here with us today to share her vitality, experience and wisdom, and we know our students will appreciate

this great opportunity to meet her, learn from her, and be inspired by her.” In the hour long talk with VCUarts guests in the University’s Atrium, Von Furstenberg, said, “To be in charge is a commitment to ourselves, it is owning who we are – it is respecting and trusting our character knowing that it is forever the home and the core of our strength.” The second half of her visit included a brief ‘critique’ in the Fashion Design Department where she met with the faculty members and students of VCUarts Qatar’s fashion design programme and reviewed the work they were developing for the upcoming Fashion Trust Arabia Competition.

TRAQ organises flagship quiz competitionThiruvananthapuram District Residents Association Qatar (TRAQ) recently organised its flagship quiz competition ‘TRAQUEST’ at Birla Public School. Students from eight Indian schools in Doha took part in the competition. The competition was conducted by Manzoor Moideen, quiz master, motivational speaker, toastmaster and trainer. Adithya Hubli and Shourya Prathap Bisht, students of Shantiniketan Indian School, bagged the Ever-Rolling Trophy, which was followed by Mohammed Imteslal Nassir and Raneem Abdullah K, MES Indian School, and Trivikram and Shashwath Praveen, Birla Public School, with first and second runners-up positions, respectively.A P Sharma, Principal of BPS, presented the trophy to the winners. Ashraf from Brilliant Education Centre Qatar distributed Robotic kits to the winning team. Soji Nair, General Secretary at TRAQ,

and Pradeep Madhanan, Vice President, presented the trophies to the first runner and second runners trams, respectively. In the Family quiz category, Joice and Saritha Joice bagged first position, which was followed by Vishuprasad and Bijina Vishu, with first runner – up position. Santhosh Pillai, ICBF Managing Committee Member, presented a trophy to the winning team. Seena Manoj, President of TRAQ, handed over the trophy to first runner-up. The event was sponsored by Desert Line Group, Brilliant Group of Institutions, City Exchange, Mosafer Travel & Tourism, FALCON FIRE, Levis Manpower, Joyalukkas, Zaitoon Restaurant & Grills and M.P.Traders, Badr Al Samaa Medical Centre and Radio Suno.

Girls Team of PISQ excel at Qatar Secondary Schools Debating League 1The Girls Team of Pakistan International School Qatar (PISQ) recently excelled at Qatar Secondary Schools Debating League 1 (Championship 2019-20) held at Raba’a Al Adawiya Secondary School for Girls.Team 1, including Amna Ahsan, Sara Akbar and Maheen Malik won all four rounds, while Team 2, including Fatima Yousaf, Hafsa Farhan, And Zoya won three out of the four rounds. In the Individual Speakers category, Fatima Yousaf bagged 4th position, which was followed Maheen Malik, Hafsa Farhan and Zoya with 6th position. Sara Akbar and Amna Ahsan bagged 35th position. The team was coached by Naheed Nadeem. Nargis Raza Otho, Principal of PISQ, congratulated the participants, coach and Vice Principal Girls Wing.


COMMUNITY

PPFQ organises event to raise awareness for Deaf Reach ProgrammePakistan Professional Forum Qatar (PPFQ) recently organised an event to introduce Deaf Reach Programme and have an open discussion on how the expat Pakistani community in Qatar can create more awareness and support the cause. The guest speakers, included Richard Geary, Founder and CEO of Deaf Reach Programme, and Sarah Shaikh, Development Director. The speakers were in Qatar to attend World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Conference 2019. Last year WISE, an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), announced the Pakistani project ‘Technology-Based Deaf Education’ as a winner of the 2018 WISE Awards for their Pakistan Sign Language Learning Resources.Mohsin Mujtaba, Chairman of PPFQ, introduced Richard Geary on the occasion. Richard along with his wife Heidi have been living in Pakistan for the last 30 years. Richard told his story of how he and his wife were devastated when they found out that their child was born deaf. Richard said that life threw him in a position that could either make him ‘bitter’ or ‘better’ and he is thankful today for choosing the ‘better’ option. In 1983, Richard and his wife launched the Deaf Reach tuition programme for deaf teenagers in Manila, Philippines. And then after spending some years in India, moved to Pakistan and made it their home. The Deaf Reach Programme journey began in 1995 with a small donated one-room classroom in Saddar Karachi Pakistan where they provided literacy, IT and English training to young deaf adults, assisting them to find employment. That was followed by initiating classes for 12 small deaf children whom they transported daily from Baldia Town, a slum in Karachi.Richard told the audience that there are more than 1 million deaf children in Pakistan and that less than 5% of them have access to education. “If we view the Deaf community not as a disability group, but as a minority culture that speaks another language (sign language), our perception changes. We then realise that to succeed

the Deaf simply need empowerment through education; the same opportunity that is everyone’s right,” he said.Today Deaf Reach is running 7 campuses across Pakistan, teaching more than over 1,000 children. The children start as young as 4 years of age and now can study up to BA level. The students are provided with uniforms, transportation service from their home to school and back, a healthy lunch and a lovely environment to study in – all on ‘pay as much as you can’ basis. Richard said that Deaf Reach schools initially provided education till Matriculation level but slowly expanded to Intermediate level and now have also launched a BA programme in aff iliation with the University of Karachi.Deaf Reach also train them with various skills, including pottery, sewing, embroidery and fashion design. The handmade by the students is then sold which helps them raise funds for the programme.Sarah Shaikh added that they not only provide formal education, academic literacy and vocational skills training to deaf children and youth but also runs a Parent Training Programme, where the parents of these kids learn how to assist and communicate with their own kids. They also run a Teachers Training Programme and in-fact over 60 percent of Deaf Reach’s teaching staff and management are deaf.They also have a job placement programme for their graduates where Deaf Reach works with the corporate sector. More than 1,000 students of Deaf Reach have been employed by companies, including Gul Ahmed, KFC, DHL, Engro, Bank Alfalah and Pizza Hut via this programme.Sarah also told the story of two of their students, Usman and Babar, who have been accepted into the oldest and the largest school for the Deaf in the United States, American School for the Deaf, on a five-year full scholarship. – Text by Shehar Bano Rizvi

Photos by Tahir Mehmood

Sarah Shaikh, Development Director of Deaf Reach Programme

Richard Geary, Founder and CEO of Deaf Reach Programme.

La Cigale Hotel chefs excel at the Salon Culinaire competition 2019The chefs of La Cigale Hotel recently excelled at Salon Culinaire Competition conducted as part of the Hospitality Qatar exhibition that took place at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre for 3 consecutive days, stated a press release.La Cigale Hotel Kitchen and Pastry chefs participated in 11 different categories and won 8 exclusive awards in the following segments, including Four Plates of Desserts, Fruit and Vegetable Showpiece, Live Cooking Signature Dish, Live Cooking Individual for Young Chefs, Three Plated Dessert Chocolate Challenge and Ice Carving. On the first day, 3 Medals were

seized for by Chef Michael Boongaling, Chef Philip Estrabo and Chef Muhammad Fajar Sidiq. On the second day, Chef Ahmat Abu Zairi bagged 2 medals (1 gold and 1 bronze), and on third day Chef Michael Boongaling, Chef Philip Estrbo and Chef Jenny Marie Orea concluded the event with 3 medals.“We are very proud of the outstanding success of our participating chefs, it was a great opportunity to prove our exceptional hospitality and high standards and to show the high level of professionalism of our chefs,” said Anwar Aboul Hosn, Assistant Director of Marketing at La Cigale Hotel.


COMMUNITY

POWERE

NOTES FROM AN ENTREPRENEUR

Meddy, the Qatar-based online medical appointment booking platform, recently made headlines with raising nearly $2.5 million (equivalent to about QR9 million) in a Series A funding venture. What started off as a simple class project in university seems to be turned into a major

entrepreneurial success.One of the crucial players in this transformation has been Abed Alkarim

Khattab, Meddy’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), and according to Khattab, it has been quite a journey. He said that the drive, passion and belief that one exhibits while working on an entrepreneurial project is what made the journey exciting for him. That is why he said he chose to focus on Entrepreneurship as part of his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. “I wanted to have a company that I would be proud to say about ‘I worked on this and the team worked on this,’” Khattab said.

Khattab and his colleagues refer to their brainchild as the ‘Talabat of doctors,’ a platform that people can use to find all the information they desire about doctors before choosing one to visit. Currently, Meddy has

Meddy: Revolutionising access to quality healthcare in QatarMeddy is a platform that people can use to find all the information they desire

about doctors before choosing one to visit. Currently, Meddy has partnered with

over 2,000 doctors from over 250 private clinics, writes Abdul Rahman Abid

“Ensure that there is a need for your product, for your service, then absolutely, that’s the way to go. Read a book on Unit Economics, that’s one advice I’d like to give to budding entrepreneurs”

— Alkarim Khattab, Chief Operating officer

at Meddy

9GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYWednesday, November 27, 2019

TRAVEL

ED BY

partnered with over 2,000 doctors from over 250 private clinics. This network, however, is bound to expand after the company’s exceptional performance at the Series A funding, according to Khattab. Meddy will add new faces to its team as it plans on “launching a lot of new products soon,” Khattab said. Among the new features is a blog called ‘Hakeem’ that is focused on telling

the readers how they can best make use of Meddy’s services, he added. “A lot of exciting things are coming, for sure!” Khattab said.

Meddy’s success story is not free of ups and downs, of course. For Khattab, the things that one takes for granted the most when establishing a business are the ones that pose the biggest challenge later on. Reluctantly speaking about Meddy’s own struggles as a

start-up, Khattab used an analogy to say that new businesses often do not invest enough on customer service training. In a restaurant, he said, for example, money is spent on how the menu looks like and how the food tastes like, but rarely do restaurants think about investing on waiters, the first, and sometimes the only, points of contact between the restaurant and the customers. He said, “The ones

that you think are probably the easiest to deal with…turn out to be the hardest ones to deal with, I am pretty sure of that,” Khattab said.

Khattab’s advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs is simple, to leave no stone unturned when doing the market research for your product category. “Ensure that there is a need for your product, for your service, then absolutely, that’s the way to go,”

he added. Khattab said that he does not believe that big time entrepreneurial decisions should be based upon hunches, instead, thorough market research and analysis is the way to go. “Read a book on Unit Economics when starting a business,” Khattab said, “that’s one advice I’d give to budding entrepreneurs. I just wish someone had given us that advice when we were starting,” he added.

GROUP: Team of Meddy, an entrepreneurial project for Healthcare sector.


COMMUNITY INFOGRAPHIC


COMMUNITYLIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE

ARIESMarch 21 — April 19

CANCERJune 21 — July 22

LIBRASeptember 23 — October 22

CAPRICORNDecember 22 — January 19

TAURUSApril 20 — May 20

LEOJuly 23 — August 22

SCORPIOOctober 23 — November 21

AQUARIUSJanuary 20 — February 18

GEMINIMay 21 — June 20

VIRGOAugust 23 — September 22

SAGITTARIUSNovember 22 — December 21

PISCESFebruary 19 — March 20

Your parents or another couple close to you may be quarrelling,

and you might be expected to take sides. Don’t do it! It’s better to

stand aside and let them work it out for themselves while reminding

them that you care for them both. The best you can do under these

circumstances is try to help mediate a compromise, but finding a

win/win situation could be hard.

Emotions might run high with today’s astral energies. Your friends

may be snapping at each other and even getting into quarrels. Stay

out of it! It’s best to concentrate on getting the problem taken care

of and take away the reason for the tension rather than try to control

it. Hang in there.

You might have gotten home later last night than is good for you,

and you may feel a little tired and dragged out. Take your vitamins

and don’t use coff ee as a stimulant. Take a brisk walk to clear your

head and get the endorphins going. It will lift your spirits. This will

enable you to function as sharply as you normally do. Watch out that

those late nights don’t become a habit!

Your significant other may be expected at your house tonight but

not show up, and may not even communicate with you. This might

cause you to be understandably worried. Don’t make yourself crazy.

All signs are that your partner is OK. Traff ic is the likeliest culprit

keeping the two of you apart. Your friend may show up a lot later

than expected.

Someone you know well could be saying one thing to you while

your intuition tells you another. Your friend is probably troubled by

something embarrassing. Don’t press for information. It will come

out in good time. If you want to help, distract your friend by taking

him or her out to dinner or a movie. This should take your minds off

the trouble for a while.

Some people with whom you spend a lot of time could get into a

debate over spiritual or metaphysical concepts. This could make

you and everyone else very uncomfortable. This isn’t the time to try

to mediate. Both parties involved are too attached to their points of

view. It’s best just to nip it in the bud and ask them not to discuss it

now. Change the subject!

Your emotions may cloud your intuition today. You might not pick up

on the thoughts and feelings of others the way you normally do, and

you could feel at a disadvantage. This is only a temporary condition.

Today you’ll just have to rely on logic. This could be helpful in the

end. Intuition is at its most useful when it’s combined with intellect.

Someone you need to contact for information may be temporarily

unavailable. You might have to try to find whatever you need

somewhere else. This could be diff icult. You could go in circles as

you’re referred to someone who refers you back to the person you

can’t reach. You might have to put off this problem and work on

something else.

A female friend may seem to be upset with you and might not admit

it. If you ask what’s wrong, she’ll probably say, “Nothing.” Use your

intuition to deduce what’s bothering her and then try to make it up

to her in some way. You might want to re-evaluate your friendship.

She may be too uncommunicative. The term “acquaintance” might

suit her better than “friend.”

Disagreements and hot tempers could hinder the completion of

an important project. There may be a detail to the plan that some

people just can’t agree on. It’s best to attempt to rework it rather

than try to bring everyone around to the current point of view.

Everyone is too tense to listen to reason. Instead, hear what they

have to say and act accordingly. Remain objective!

Today you might feel especially energetic and may want to spend

time with your friends. However, your friends may be detained by

other responsibilities. This could be frustrating, but don’t get angry.

You aren’t being rejected, although it might seem that way. Set a

time for tomorrow.

You’re probably doing better financially than you have for a long

time, but you still might not have reached some of the monetary

goals you’d set. This could be on your mind today. If you aren’t

careful, you could work yourself into a frenzy. It might be more

productive to calmly find a way to progress more quickly. You can

do it.

High-fat diet may increase colon cancer risk: Study

Two genes that appear to help stem cells in the intestine burn dietary fat may play a role in colon cancer, according to a

new study.The study, published in the

journal Gastroenterology, described a new connection between the way cells consume fat and how genes regulate stem cell behaviour in the intestines of mice.

“This is important because scientists have shown that when there’s too much dietary fat in the intestine, stem cell numbers increase, boosting susceptibility to colon cancer,” said senior author Michael Verzi, associate professor in the Department of Genetics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

People naturally lose millions of intestinal cells daily, much like they lose skin cells.

Intestinal stem cells undergo constant renewal and fuel the continuous turnover of the lining of

the intestine, but altered stem cell functions can lead to colon cancer.

Recent studies have shown that intestinal stem cells can increase in animals on a high fat “Western” diet, potentially explaining an elevated cancer risk from such a diet.

The team recently discovered that two genes (HNF4A and HNF4G) work together to promote the proper function of the intestinal lining.

In the new study, they found that mice lost intestinal stem cells when these genes were inactivated, confirming their importance. Scientists believe that the genes help stem cells burn fat, providing them energy.

Going forward, the researchers hope to further investigate whether the two genes alter stem cell numbers and cancer risk during a high fat diet, said Verzi, who is also a member of the Rutgers Center for Lipid Research. – IANS


COMMUNITY CARTOONS/PUZZLES

Adam

Pooch Cafe

Garfield

Bound And Gagged

Codeword

Wordsearch

Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. Squares with the same number in have the same letter in. Work out which number represents which letter.

Puzz

les

cour

tesy

: Puz

zlec

hoic

e.co

m

Sudoku

Sudoku is a puzzle based

on a 9x9 grid. The grid is

also divided into nine (3x3)

boxes. You are given a

selection of values and to

complete the puzzle, you

must fill the grid so that

every column, every anone

is repeated.

ABSTRUSEENIGMATICSECRETARCANEESOTERICSHROUDEDCLOUDED

EXOTICUNCANNYCRYPTICMYSTICUNKNOWNDARKMYSTERIOUS

VEILEDDEEPOCCULTWEIRDEERIEPUZZLINGFATHOMLESS


COMMUNITYPUZZLES

Colouring

Answers

Wordsearch Codeword

Across1 It’s played after HQ dance (8)6 Queen Victoria’s final age? (3)9 Some game Antony had in mind? (5)10 Lose oar tossed about in spray (7)11 Chips and an odd green vegetable (7)13 Pinch small duck (5)14 Spies sat about gathering in information (6)15 Hounds romping in North American river (6)18 Satan makes a large number wicked (5)20 Sun cast out for Italians (7)21 Get worse – get worse ere slap (7)22 Descendant collecting coins (5)23 Wager with little Elizabeth (3)24 Sea-dog in abandoned US naval base (3,5)

Super Cryptic Clues

Solution

Down2 I crave – a form of greed (7)3 Take in food – trimmed meats? (3)4 Father’s upset, hurt by Red Indian (6)5 Bloomers made by singer joining football team (9)6 Lee is odd name for girl (5)7 Have ye all sung and recollected old times? (4,4,4)8 The terrible Marsh Gas Band robbery (5,3,4)12 Insect runs away from animals (8)16 Thus a ruler gets very wet (7)17 Scattered showers, torrential rain, easily wet naked heads (6)19 Gentleman’s gentleman allowed to follow Virginia (5)22 A little Eskimo is to take part in winter sports (3)


COMMUNITY SHOWBIZ

Glitz &

GlamBy Muhammad Asad Ullah

Your shaadi statement

The country is abuzz with fashion weeks; it’s a big fl are that fi zzles out once the shows are over for most of the designers. A

few new designers have made their mark and moved on to retail while bigger designers without retail presence of any sort have still stuck to ‘appointment only’, although trends are changing drastically worldwide, which leaves consumers high and dry. In times of ready to wear (RTW), the only thing that merits a one-on-one between designers and customers is bridal wear. Bridal wear still remains the cornerstone of the fashion industry. It is desi fashion’s high point; it is to the subcontinent what couture is t the west.

In some ways, the poles of bridal and “real fashion” have never been further apart. The top shows of Winter Festive RTW made powerful statements about climate change, identity, race, politics, gender; in short, they were about a lot more than just clothes. Bridal, on the other hand, remains rooted in the idea of a woman looking her absolute best on ‘the most important day of her life’ with traditionally feminine silhouettes and embroideries.

It won’t be erroneous to say that Pakistan has fi ve seasons, spring, summer, autumn, winter and… the wedding season! The wedding season is when relatives fl y in from all over the world to gather at the

gold-dipped, henna-encrusted, week-long dance-fest that is almost mandatory for anybody seeking to tie the knot in the land of the pure. With that extravagant fest comes some extravagant expectations from the bride in opting for her designer bridal wear. It needs to be perfect and it needs to be perfectly traditional.

The fashion desk lists down top 4 designers to look out for when deciding your perfect dress.

Fahad HussaynIf you want to walk on the wild

side at your wedding day combined with the perfect tinge of traditional heritage, you can always depend on Fahad Hussayn to take you there. His recent off ering Labyagawachi

– the musical features some heavy wedding-wear – so beautiful and quite prototypically Fahad Hussayn in the way in which the embellishments are intricately meshed together. Constructed mostly in pink here-and-there, the collection includes the classic heavy bridal with intricate work, but Fahad updates it with his choice of motifs, interesting block colours and the highlight of Labyagawachi: very fl owy silhouettes.

Republic WomenswearOne of the thing that’s our

favourite when it comes to Republic Womenswear is that Sana of Republic Womens Wear create pieces for masses and specifi c clientele alike.

Where they off er ready-to-wear bridal collection, stretching to a maximum range of Rs.2,50,000, the best bargain for customer in parallel to the quality of work their fabrics adhere, for specifi c order-to-make clientele their collection Bridal Heritage Collection S/S Volume II-2019 is to die for equally. Gorgeously constructed with cinched waist, voluminous lehngas and perfectly intricate embroidery work — that extends from the pallu of dupatta to the tip toe of lehnga — all sequins with immensely fashion forward approach makes you feel like a royal in real sense.

Hussain ReharIn a world where pastels, sequins

and Swarovski crystals refuse to leave the collections – ever – young, vivacious fi recrackers are rare. Hussain, with his skill for uniqueness, proved what a fashion graduate of today’s time can do: bring the right twist to the traditional bridals whilst paying homage to Punjabi heritage and culture. Bright colors and intelligently-placed embroideries, gold nudged shoulders with corals and old-school green and pink combinations, paired with statement bridal pouches and clutches, some of them worked with traditional chata-pati, culottes, jackets, lehngas and fully embellished shirts that swooped low at the back or backless cholis, held together merely by a web of strings: all millennial with the burst of fi recrackers. Something for today’s carefree candid bride who wants to defi ne individuality.

Nida AzwerNida Azwer’s new ‘Anarkali’ is

an ode of Mughals in real sense — painstakingly detailed hand embroideries etching Mughal scenes on shawls and jackets and the silhouettes fl ow romantically from anarkalis to kalidars, lehngas, saris and izars. Nida uses pastels as the base and her lineup of saris, ghagras and umbrella-cut short shirts in kamkhwab, velvet, organza and net with fi tted trousers that leaves a room only for the royal throne to sit on whilst wearing her creations. Her collection draws inspiration from old-embroidery techniques and shows her complete dominance on texture and prints. The separate Pakistani wardrobe, they are staples and embellished for bridal wear, they become heirloom pieces you can hold on to as you mix and match season after shaadi season.

HERITAGE: Intelligently-placed embroideries, gold nudged shoulders with corals and old-school green and pink combinations, paired with statement bridal pouches and clutches, Hussain Rehar’s bridal colleciton pays homage to Punjabi heritage and culture.

Republic Womenswear Nida Azwer Fahad Hussayn

Wednesday, November 27, 2019 15GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYSHOWBIZ

Rapper Aaron claims his family wants him dead

Rapper Aaron Carter is again waging war with his family after he was slapped with restraining order on the request of his brother Nick Carter and sister Angel Conrad.

Over the weekend, the 31-year-old took to Instagram to claim that his family and Sony Records conspire to kill him, and to describe an unsuccessful attempt to harm him, reports aceshowbiz.com

“What’s up guys? Just enjoying this beautiful mountain range,” he said in a now-deleted video.

The former teen singer cryptically said that he had to go into hiding after someone swatted him. “Going to a diff erent location. I just got swatted ... and it didn’t work,” he said.

The act of swatting involves making a prank call to law enforcement claiming the reported person carries threat that results in the reported person being ambushed by SWAT.

Aaron said that someone was “trying to claim that I’m paranoid, or schizophrenic. And the cops were very honest with me.”

“They knew that I had 500 grams of weed,” he shared, before boasting, “And I still have it in my bag.” He continued, “They did all of the tests. They checked me for all of the drugs that everyone says that I do.”

Taunting his reported enemies for the unsuccessful attempt, Aaron said: “Clearly, I’m driving my car right now. And it didn’t work.” Warning that the person who allegedly tried to set him up “is gonna be in big, big trouble,” he added, “Having friends call me, threaten my, trying to kill my wife, all this crazy... it ain’t gonna work.”

“I’m not playing your game. You’re playing mine,” he concluded the video, before returning with another post.

In another video which has been deleted too, Aaron greeted his followers again: “Hey everybody out there. This is Aaron Carter.” He used the opportunity to ask for fans’ help fi nancially. “I want to verify that this is actually my GoFundMe page,” he announced.

Through the crowd-funding page, Aaron tried to raise $100,000 “so I can move to an undisclosed location where I am safe.” He explained his fi nancial trouble, “My realtor won’t sell my house. They’re all involved in this. And they’re trying to keep me there.”

He said that he’s been targeted by his family “from being a silence-breaker, for my brother, who is a rapist, and now

they’re after my life.” He went on accusing, “My whole family is after my life. They’re setting me up.”

He also spoke against Sony Records, saying: “Sony Records owes me $3.5 million. And they don’t want to pay me. And it would be in their better interests, just like Michael (Jackson) told me. They owe me money and they’re trying to kill me off .”

“There’s been a lot of misdirection that I’ve had to do in order to protect myself,” the Crush on You hitmaker admitted, seemingly hinting that he had to spread misinformation on social media to mislead his enemies.

Aaron additionally claimed cops came to “check for rope in my garage,” because someone’s “saying that I wanted to hang myself. So please trust what I’m saying. And please donate the money.” – IANS

Vivaan: Romantic tragedies aren’t made anymore

Bollywood actor Vivaan Shah’s upcoming fi lm Ae Kaash Ke Hum is a romantic tragedy, and the actor feels Bollywood does not attempt the genre enough these days.

“Ae Kaash Ke Hum is a very sweet romantic fi lm, more a heart-wrenching romantic tragedy than a romantic comedy. It’s really a throwback to the kind of fi lms that aren’t made anymore,” said Vivaan.

Vishal Mishra, who directs the fi lm has in the past made Coff ee With D, Marudhar Express and Hotel Milan. Vivaan stars alongside debutant Priya Singh, while Sophiya Singh plays a pivotal character. The poster of the fi lm is out now.

“Vishal Mishra is a very poetic director and it was a treat to work with the great cinematographer Anshul Chaubey, who really made each frame look like a painting. Priya Singh is a

fantastic young actress who is full of emotional intensity and spontaneity as is the rest of the wonderful cast,” said Vivaan.

The story of the fi lm revolves around Ayush and Pari, played by Vivaan and Priya. The young lovers are about to confess their love for each other but a twist of fate keeps them

away. When they reunite years later, Ayush must learn to love Pari, who is not herself anymore.

“We have tried to revive the nostalgic feel of the ’90s, which got lost in today’s times where the rom-com are too well-packaged with plastic emotions. The fi lm is a musical at heart with six beautifully composed songs. We have tried to keep the music very clean, free from rap, Hinglish lyrics or remixes,” said Vishal.

The fi lm is a love story about two school students, and Vivaan said it “was great to be back in school uniform”, adding: “It took me back to my boarding school days”.

Ae Kaash Ke Hum, slated to release on January 17 next year, is shot in Dharamshala and MacLeodGang, and Vivaan shared: “It was spectacular to shoot in these places. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I think the fi lm refl ects that.”

The fi lm is produced by Kiran K Talasila. – IANS

Lohan’s ex-beau Harry Morton found dead

Lindsay Lohan’s ex-boyfriend Harry Morton has died at the age of 38.

The restaurateur was found unresponsive in his Beverly Hills home on Saturday and was subsequently pronounced dead, reports aceshowbiz.com

According to tmz.com, an autopsy is pending but authorities do not suspect foul play.

The founder of US restaurant chain Pink Taco is the grandson of Arnie Morton, who founded Morton’s The Steakhouse chain in 1978, and the son of Hard Rock Cafe creator Peter Morton.

He launched Pink Taco in 1999 when he was only 18, and was also the owner of Hollywood nightclub the Viper Room.

Morton dated Lohan in 2006 and was also previously linked to Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston and Hayden Panettiere. – IANS

Rani to discuss juvenile crime with students during Mardaani 2 promotion

Actress Rani Mukerji will embark on multi-college visits all over India, as part of her promotional tour for the upcoming fi lm Mardaani 2, and discuss juvenile crime rate in the country.

“College kids, given their age, are quite vulnerable to this threat against them and there is a growing sense of this fear among families because all we want is to protect our children and give them a great, unscarred future. I want to connect with as many students as possible through my campaign and bring as much awareness about the sharp rise in violent crimes committed by juveniles against young women in India,” Rani said.

The actress wants to meet members of the Women Development Cell to understand the steps taken by them to make colleges a safety hub for girl students. She will also interact with both male and female students in colleges to make them sensitive towards standing up against predators.

She added: “I will be meeting and interacting with members of the women’s cell from across colleges of our country to discuss at length how they are raising awareness about this critical and challenging social issue that the students are facing in the college premise.

“Students need to be made aware of menace because the threat is all around them, walking with them, sitting around them and constantly looking at them as preys. It’s a tough world that we are living in and raising our children, especially daughters, and we have to protect them at any cost. I hope I can spread the message of awareness to as many people as possible.”

Rani is reprising the role of the fearless and committed Superintendent of Police, Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani 2. In the movie, she has been pitted against a very young yet dangerous villain who can be called pure evil. Produced by Rani’s husband and Yash Raj Films boss Aditya Chopra, Mardaani 2 is set to hit theatres on December 13. – IANS

THREATENED: Aaron Carter took to Instagram to claim that his family and Sony Records are conspiring to kill him.

ROMANTIC: Vivaan Shah’s upcoming film Ae Kaash Ke Hum is a romantic tragedy.

SOCIAL WORK: Rani Mukerji wants to enlighten college students about standing up against abusers.

RESTAURATEUR: Harry Morton, left, with Lindsay Lohan.


COMMUNITY

By Mudassir Raja

Many people are passionate about photography in Qatar. More and more people fi nd it easy to pursue their love for photography in the country as

they fi nd suffi cient time and support.A recent exhibition of engaging photos

from Qatar and India was inaugurated at the gallery of Fraser Suite Hotel. The well-received exhibition includes the works of fi ve female photographers.

Photography enthusiasts gathered in large numbers on the opening day of the exhibition and appreciated all the 20 photographs that will remain on display till December 3. The photographers whose works are being exhibited are namely; Latifa al-Derwish, from Qatar, Meghna Shirish Iyer, Geraldine J Menezes, Shilpa Mannangi and Manjri Saxena from India.

The chief guest on the occasion was Ritu Kumaran, wife of the Indian ambassador to Qatar, and the guests of honours were Dr Saif al-Hajri, Chairman of the Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC) and head of ‘A Flower Each Spring’ programme, and Dr Nayana Wagh, Head of Indian Cultural Centre.

The exhibition titled ‘Beauty through the Eyes of Women’ included photos representing modern and ancient cultures of both Qatar and India. The exhibition is organised in accordance with the ongoing Qatar-Indian Year of Culture 2019. The exhibition was opened by the chief guest by cutting a ribbon. Later the guests along with photographers and guests cut a cake to mark the occasion.

The guests were briefed by the photographers about their works and passion for the photography. The photographs showed the landmark architectures of both the countries and their way of life. The visitors took great interest in the photos taken by the women photographers.

Talking to Community, Ritu Kumaran appreciated the works of the female photographers. She said: “The creativity that these girls have brought out is amazing. Each one of them has chosen diff erent themes whether it is in portrait or landscapes. It is fascinating to see how much travel these girls have made to show diff erent aspects of the two countries.

“I am very happy to be here and see the

wonderful photos. I would like to see more of such exhibitions to highlight the cultures of India and Qatar. We have a long history of bilateral relations with Qatar. The country has been very generous in accepting everyone coming here.”

Dr Saif al-Hajri was all praise for the exhibition, adding that such occasions bring people close to each other and provide a chance to meet and greet. “Artists always help create such gatherings where people can get together. I also appreciate the organisers for holding the exhibition and promoting the works of female photographers.

“The relations between Qatar and India have been very strong for a long time. The exhibition also shows that the ties are growing stronger.”

Geraldine J Menezes follows photography as a profession. She is a wedding photographer. She is also a co-founder of

Sharp Shooters International. “Wedding photography is what I do for living. Street, portrait, and travel photography is what keeps me going. I love interacting with people of diff erent backgrounds. That is what you see in my works here. That is mainly portrait photography. I am exhibiting six images that are mainly about my travel in India. It is all about Indian culture.

“It is wonderful experience to be a part of the exhibition. It is actually my fi rst exhibition in Qatar. I got the chance to meet other female photographers. We are learning from each other. it was also a great experience to curate and select the photos.”

Meghna Shirish Iyer is the photographer who mainly pushed for the exhibition. “I wanted to showcase some photographs from India and Qatar for the cultural year. I approached the hotel and we have brought together few female photographers. I have

exhibited 11 photographs. Five of them are related to food representing the two countries.

“This is my second exhibition. I am overwhelmed by the interest the visitors have shown. In Qatar I am getting more work as a female photographer. I work as a full time photographer. I have specialised in documentary, commercial and fashion photography. The prospects for the female photographers are very bright in Qatar.”

Manjri Saxena is very young as a photographer. “I started photography only two years ago. This is my fi rst exhibition. It is my hobby. I want to capture moments and life with my camera. I also like capturing wildlife.”

Female photographers present cultures of Qatar, India through lens

Group: From left: Shalini Gunawardena, Director of Sales and Marketing Fraser Suites; Meghna Shirish Iyer, Dr Nayana Wagh, Ritu Kumaran, Dr Saif al-Hajri, Geraldine J Menezes and Manjri Saxena.

“Artists always help create such gatherings where people can get together. I also appreciate the organisers for holding the exhibition and promoting the works of female photographers”

— Dr Saif al-Hajri, Chairman of the

Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC) and head of ‘A Flower Each Spring’

programme

EXHIBITION: The exhibition titled ‘Beauty through the Eyes of Women’ included photos representing modern and ancient cultures of both Qatar and India.

Star struck - img.gulf-times.com

Documents

Transcript of Star struck - img.gulf-times.com