11 September, 2013

State and Bollywood stars at the Auriga Launch in Bandra

Stars shine at Auriga launch

By Editorial



Mona and Sudhanshu Panday of Veera teleserial fame.
Auriga restaurant launch shines with stars
Actor Ira Dubey hosted the launch of Auriga – the sparkling new restaurant and lounge and welcome induction into the city’s culinary constellation. Located in mid town Mahalaxmi and dressed in utmost futuristic design, all guests present were mesmerised as much with the food and drinks as were they with the architecture and decor.

Kritika Nagpal, the lady behind the star space welcomed all of Ira’s guests with warmth and hospitality. Among those that were wining and dining with the delectable Pan Asian food, there was industrialist Atulya Mafatlal, theatre personality Dolly Thakore, society lady Nisha Jamwala, actor Lillette Dubey, adv couple Arti and Kailash Surendranath, internationally acclaimed designer Gayatri Khanna, Dr.Farhad Taraporewala, Parveen Dusanj and Mansi Joshi.

Gourmet Renaissance 

With dramatic architecture and a scintillating menu that bridges the gap between Asia and the West, Mumbai’s newest lounge-restaurant, Auriga  is a  shining star in the city’s lifestyle skyscape Auriga – which has both Greek and Chinese references –  is the mythological Latin word for ‘charioteer.  It is this pioneering spirit that spurred Kritika Nagpal in choosing it as the name for her restaurant-lounge all set to redefine Mumbai’s lifestyle experience. With a business administration degree in hospitality from ‘Les Roches’, Switzerland and experience in India’s finest hospitality brands, Kritika Nagpal’s maiden venture has the required pedigree to dazzle.

Dramatic Impact

Located in Mumbai’s chic Famous Studio Lane at Mahalaxmi, Auriga beckons with a subtly stunning turquoise glow at night. Architect Sanjay Puri has designed the two-level restaurantlounge with dramatic and futuristic highlights. Its 30-seater open café is designed with robust silver triangular metal louvers that form an open-to–sky roof and a beautiful blend of back-lit onyx and elegant cane furniture. The lounge itself – accommodating 250 people on the ground level – is a stroke of sculptural genius, with silver triangular metal louvers that are back-lit with colour-change to invoke an ultramodern and interactive experience. For night revellers, the mood is further enhanced DJ Shiva’s house music and a courteous but discreet staff.  

From the lounge, a flight of stairs sweeps up in steel-encased splendour to Auriga’s piece pièce de résistance- the wood-panelled 70-seater restaurant with smooth lines and a verdant view.

 Culinary Ingenuity
Chef Nilesh Limaye’s contemporary Pan Asian menu for Auriga – including little bites at the lounge and full courses at the restaurant and café – is a playful and artistic melange of Asian flavours with Western style. Weight watchers can indulge in the scrumptiously steamed Babycorn and mushroom Siu Mai, Green Leafy Rolls and Mushroom and Bamboo Shoot Tapioca Dumpling. The rest of the menu flits seamlessly between Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Singaporean and Malaysian influences with modish European influences.The restaurant also recognizes that Mumbai’s food connoisseurs are often time-pressed; hence the Meal-in-a-Bowl section of the menu, featuring Mung Bean Murtabak with Malaysian Vegetable Curry, Khao Suey and Yellow Noodle with Tomatoes and Crispy Okra, amongst other delights. The dessert menu is designed to be addictive, with Chocolate and Mint Samosas, Banana Strawberry Melt and Passion Fruit Cheesecake and many more soul-satisfying other classics.
With a menu and an ambience that will surpass Mumbai’s discerning gourmands and lifestyle aficionados, Auriga is all set to sparkle brilliantly.
- See more at: http://www.filmytown.com/stars-shine-auriga-launch/#sthash.pQgXiPRf.dpuf

Elegant Kareena Kapoor launches Filmfare’s new fashion, lifestyle avatar

Filmfare gets an all-new fashion and lifestyle avatar

The gorgeous Kareena Kapoor flagged off Filmfare’s new milestone ─ the all new  uber-stylish Filmfare, with none other than her on the cover. She also revealed the first look of the promotional campaign ‘And so it begins’ of All New Filmfare at Escobar, Bandra’s favourite hotspot.


Of the 100 years of Indian cinema, Filmfare has been a keen chronicler for 60 years, constantly keeping pace with the stars and their movies and documenting the changing trends of cinema.  With Filmfare, people not just followed their favourite stars’ dreams, their lives, their loves – but each time felt they had known them a little better, or been a part of their lives.
In the last few years, movie stars have evolved. When they are not making movies, they are at 20-20 extravaganzas, egging their favourite team on, or walking the ramp at one of the fashion capitals, or cheering their favourite speedster at a Formula One circuit, or collaborating with experts at a design studio, to launch a signature line. As their identities grow larger-than-life, their worlds intersect with those of their fans even more, making reel-relationships real.


And so unravels the all-new Filmfare. 60 years seemed like the right time to reinvent ourselves.  To get the reader to experience movie stars and everything associated with them like never before. The new Filmfare is almost like having front-row seats to exclusive parties, more-candid-than-ever pictures and exclusive heart-to-hearts with your idols. Lush photo features, star tweets, Instagram updates – you name it, it’ll all be in here. With dollops of hi-fashion, beauty secrets and travel itineraries that B-town likes to indulge in. We will take you to the homes of your favourite stars. To their favourite hangouts. To their gadgets, gizmos, cars. To their unwind moments with their children. To the essence of who they are and what they do.

CEO, Worldwide Media, Tarun Rai says, “There is no other magazine that can claim to have partnered Indian cinema for the last 60 years. And Filmfare has been able to do so because it has kept reinventing itself. Now, as our stars evolve from movie icons to fashion and lifestyle icons, it was only fitting that Filmfare followed suit. And so it begins a new journey for Filmfare. The All New Filmfare will now cover not only films, but fashion and lifestyle too.”

10 September, 2013

Shuddh Desi Romance - Bollywood film review ***

A romantic comedy which tells it like it is; and like it isn’t.

Does what starts physical always turn into love? And what reaches love, always turn into commitment? How do you figure out?

Shuddh Desi Romance is a fresh and real love story about the hair-raising minefield between love, attraction and commitment. Supposedly a romantic comedy that tells it like it is, but it isn’t.

Having a talented cast in this candid look at the affairs of the heart in today’s desi heartland like the endearing Rishi Kapoor, handsome Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra yet it is the debutant Vaani Kapoor who impressed the most.



This rom-com, directed by Maneesh Sharma, written by Jaideep Sahni, and produced by Aditya Chopra is a journey of three restless young people who junk the society’s syllabus for finding love and decide to follow their heart.

Full review and more pics of SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE at: