Description
On two of my holidays, I had the pleasure of meeting Pakistani couples. The Anwars, originally from Pakistan, had re-settled in London, and belonged to the swish set. I got talking with them, and off came the layers! To cut a long story short – the wife was in love with India! How pleasant it is to meet someone in an alien country, who cherishes the land you are born in, and unconsciously, take a few things for granted, which are not ‘free’ anywhere else!
The other couple was elderly. The husband was a doctor, who at a young age had sold off everything in Pakistan, and shifted to US, converted to Christianity, and years later, moved to Athens. For good. Surprised, I tentatively asked that it must have been dif À cult to make such radical changes, and the wife gave me a sad, tearful look.
In life, we meet several people, and realise that, at times, we misuse the liberty of speech and action, and oftentimes, suppress those, who need a platform to vocalise their thoughts. Based on this situation, we have framed the cover story around women. On this International Women’s Day, we put the spotlight on seven strong women, who have voices that are booming across the world. They are the epitome of power and recognised for their contribution in uplifting underprivileged women in India. Shahnaz Husain, Dr Blossom Kochhar, Bharti Taneja, Vaishali K Shah, Dr Chiranjiv Chhabra and Dr Kiran Lohia, among scores of women, who have made a mark for themselves, are role models for others to follow in making their dreams come true. They talk about the initiatives they want to take up in promoting women empowerment, and more.
In the hair section, we meet up with Ross Charles, who gave his first haircut at age 12, and at 16, had showcased his collections in magazines. Today, he runs a successful salon in York, England, and is the proud winner of the North East Hairdresser of the Year 2016 at the BHA. On the home front, we showcase the skills of Namita Rai, the Gangtok-based hairstylist and salon owner, who has done us proud. She shares her rise to fame and the necessary education that made it all possible. Karishma Tecksingani, the Master Trainer at Comfort Zone, shares her entry into the beauty industry, experiences, and views on the evolving business!
In the beauty section, we feature Zorain Khaleeli, the celebrity make-up artist and owner of the Zorain’s Studio in Bangalore. Khaleeli aims at introducing new techniques in make-up, initiating product development, and building her brand further. Prasenjit Biswas, Saloni Arora and Gursewak Singh are independent make- up artists, who are giving their creativity a free run. Not fettered by timings and regular jobs, they experiment and light up the faces of their clients with only their imagination.
In the spa section, we present the visually appealing Vedic Sutras Wellness Centre in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. We also meet On-Uma Jitbunjong, the Spa and Wellness Manager of Mala Spa at Keemala Phuket Resort. She shares her view on the wellness industry of Asia.
All this and more – do keep writing in!
