FHM India - October 2016

...thus 

spake the 

TRIPPIN’ 

MASTER 

The man 

who Shot 

down the 1ST 

PAKISTANI 

AIRCRAFT in ‘71 

Emraan Hashmi 

& 

Elena Fernandes 

drag us down to the darker world 

INDIA EDITION VOL 9 ISSUE 11

October 2016 

CONTENTS 

52 

ON A FINAL 

RECCE TO THE 

NETHERWORLD 

Our 

favourite 

badass, 

Emraan 

Hashmi, 

makes ‘bad’ 

the new 

good in an 

uncouth 

covershoot. 

6 October 2016

CONTENTS 

28. FHM GIRLFRIEND: SHAMA SIKANDER 

18. SUPRIYA AIMAN 

86. ALEX OUTHWAITE 40. RANT OF THE MONTH 

68. VIR CHAKRA N CHATRATH 

72. FUTURE SOLDIERS 

8 October 2016 

34. ESSAY FOR MEN 

64. THE UNINDIAN BINGA: BRETT LEE

EDITOR’S LETTER 

The last thirty days have been 

pretty exciting. Apart from the 

regular bits like our team trips, the 

mad tussles with the finance guys 

for budgets, impromptu popping 

up of spirits at six in the morning 

and the other shenanigans, we 

managed to pull off one of the 

toughest cover shoots that FHM 

has ever done. We baked meth, 

sentenced a serial killer for 

execution, turned a pretty girl into 

a vampire and generally wrecked 

havoc... Why? Just because we 

were saying #FHMSuperVillains! 

And now that the magazine is 

out, you all know exactly what I 

am talking about. During the last 

couple of days that led to the day 

of the covershoot, everything that 

could possibly go wrong went 

haywire. When we reached the 

location, our production team was 

‘baking’ meth. With just about 30 

minutes to start on the Heisenberg 

look, our team was in the process 

of breaking glass, colouring them 

blue and giving me the chills! And 

with just about 15 minutes to walk 

into the Hannibal Lecter shot, we 

realised that the lenses for the 

character were missing. Overall, 

as I said, everything that could go 

wrong, went beyond wrong and set 

new standards. With characters 

as iconic as the ones we were 

trying to recreate, it was pertinent 

to do justice and not just glaze 

over things. I must say that our 

production team really stepped 

up and created sets and sourced 

props that were as close as 

possible to the real deal. Amod, our 

prosthetic specialist, drove all night 

from Ahmedabad to our location 

in Mumbai and straightaway got 

into the act and worked nonstop 

for ten hours to give life into 

these characters. Ace lensman, 

Suresh Natarajan, fought jet lag 

and picked up his Hasselblad to 

immortalise these icons for FHM. 

And yeah... our stylist and her team 

made some 500 calls to get the 

perfect attire and embellishments 

for these looks. 

But frankly, I must say that 

with the entire crew that managed 

and executed the photoshoot I 

don’t expect anything less. What 

actually pumped all of us up and 

the real person whose energy we 

were riding on was Emraan... our 

man of the moment. For someone 

who was recuperating from a 

really bad spell of viral, he literally 

went deep into the characters. 

During the entire ten hour 

process, we could feel the souls 

of these iconic characters flitting 

in and out of our studio. 

When Emraan went into 

Heisenberg mode, I really thought 

that Pinkman was also on his way. 

When he came out as Lecter, we 

could feel the chill in the air and 

the ominous aura that Hopkins 

had created. With Aro, Emraan, 

and his co-star for the shoot, 

Elena Fernandes, took us back to 

the age of vampires and we were 

all rushing to find garlic and holy 

cross. And finally, it was time for 

the pièce de résistance... 

The show stopper... The 

ultimate super villain... Joker. 

When this character came in 

front of the camera, his look, his 

walk, his expression... Everything 

reminded us of Heath Ledger. 

Emraan was gone and we had 

Nolan’s creation amongst us. I still 

can’t explain, or get over, the vibe 

of that particular moment. 

Overall, a very productive and 

satisfying month for FHM. And 

now we are headed to another 

exciting location for one more 

interesting shoot... 

Let’s see what all goes haywire 

this time! 

Hari Govind Nair 

Mask piece from 3M 

Publisher & CEO 

Associate Publisher 

Chief Operating Officer 

Editor 

Features Writer 

Correspondent 

Digital Content Editor 

Fashion Stylist 

Editorial Trainee 

Art Director 

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President 

Regional Head 

Manager 

Strategic Alliance 

EDITORIAL 

ART 

Nitin Agarwal 

Arpit Agarwal 

Alok Katiyar 

Hari Govind Nair 

Sachin Ruhil 

Prakash Shetty 

SALES & MARKETING 

Raju Sarin 

Tabriz Ahmed 

Amit Tiwari 

Sujyoti Chakravorty 

TCG MEDIA LIMITED 

Siddharth M Joshi 

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Simrita Sahney 

PRODUCTION/CIRCULATION 

Manager Rajesh Bisht 

Executive Rakesh Pandey 

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THE TEAM 

WHAT FHMers WERE UP TO LAST MONTH 

Siddharth trying to transform candy 

into beer using his brain power. 

Heath Ledger is back. Now all we need is Nolan to send the script... 

Being tortured by the team, Sachin 

decides to go Lecter on them. 

Hari 

counting 

his stash 

of cash 

after a 

successful 

meth deal. 

Wink! 

A certain 

Mrs Gandhi 

came to 

meet us 

after seeing 

this image. 

Sid has 

been 

missing 

since then. 

Just like 2-minute-noodles which never get ready in two, team FHM takes 

half-a-day to pitch a tent supposed to be all propped. up in 15 minutes. 


LETTERS 

10/16 

Get in touch! 

fhm@tcg.media 

fhmindia 

@fhmindia 

From Social Media 

Annu 

@fhmindia voting for #DrashtiDhami she 

is the best n she deserve to win 

Vishesh Sharma 

I love Neha Sharma. A big fan. Thanks 

@fhmindia for doing a covershoot with her! 

FilmyWave 

#NehaSharma’s Sizzling Hot Photoshoot 

For #FHMIndiaMagazine 2016! 

#CoverGirl #MagazineShoot @fhmindia 

Crazy robot 

When will you feature Sunny Leone again? 

Letter 

of the 

Month 

Neha Sharma - The muse 

Hey, it was indeed good to read about the 

other side of Neha Sharma who I have only 

seen in the bubbly-girl kinda roles. Kudos to 

the interviewer for the interesting 

conversation and the photographer for 

such a beautiful shoot with the masterpieces 

of art. Hope to see her on the cover again. 

Arjun Malick, (Delhi) 

Thanks for the words of 

appreciation, Arjun! 

Indeed, glad to know you 

liked the shoot and the 

interview. As for the cover 

page, we will definitely get 

her back on it. Promise! 

Speed dating is 

too much fun! 

Loved the write-up about 

the date with the dream 

machine, Ford Mustang. I 

always enjoy reading 

about the car review you 

guys do every month. It 

feels like I’m sitting inside the car while 

reading your piece. Look forward to more 

such beasty machines on FHM India. 

Ekta Deshmukh, (Mumbai) 

Thanks, Ekta. We do hope we could give you 

a taste of the speed date with Ford Mustang. 

Stay tuned to the coming FHM issues. We 

might just have more such dates. 

Hanky panty! 

Thanks FHM for such a fun and witty 

interview with the funny guy on the internet, 

Sorabh Pant. Brain teasing questions, I must 

say. Hanky Panty is such a happening 

character. Politically punny and funny, this 

one. Well done, team! 

Shruti Arora, (Ludhiana) 

Glad to know that you enjoyed reading our 

interview with Sorabh Pant. It was a fun 

experience for us as well. Thanks for the 

appreciation. 


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OCTOBER 2016 

Flying 

IT’S 

GREAT 

TO BE 

A MAN 

Sky 

High 

WHO’S 

SHE? 

Age: 

25 

From: 

Patna 

Vital Stats: 

36-24-35 

Twitter: 

@iamsupriyaaiman 

Facebook: 

@supriya.aiman 

SUPRIYA 

AIMAN 

An engineer turned super model, Supriya talks 

about casting couch, making out on a rooftop 

and mistaking pork for carrot… 

INTERVIEW BY SUDHAKAR JHA PHOTOGRAPHY FAIZI ALI 

COSTUMES VIRAL MANTRA 


Hi Supriya. How does an 

aeronautical engineer turn into a 

Miss India? 

It does surprise me as well when I look at 

this strange yet really exciting journey. 

From being a scholar and an all India 

topper to making a mark in the totally 

opposite glamour world is fantastic. To be 

precise, I participated in beauty pageant 

just after completion of my academic, I 

gave my best here as well and I won 

the competition. 

What exciting things you’re doing 

these days? 

Oh, there are a lot of things! First of all, I’m 

relishing holding the title simultaneously 

and learning the basics of a new world and 

experiencing a whole new life altogether. 

There are perks and privileges of being the 

Miss India, like circumventing the globe, 

experiencing cross border cultures and 

YES, CASTING COUCH 

DOES EXIST IN THE 

MODELLING WORLD 

AND I TOO HAVE 

ENCOUNTERED IT 

MANY A TIMES IN THE 

INDUSTRY. EVERY 

OTHER PERSON 

WANTS TO TASTE THE 

WINE, AND GET HIGH! 

meeting different people of various 

ethnicities. So I’m globe-trotting these days! 

We don’t know much about you. Tell 

us about yourself… 

I am a small town girl who dreamt of 

wearing the crown on her head and she 

achieved it. But before walking the road 

of her dreams she fulfilled her parents’ 

dreams by becoming an aeronautical 

engineer. I am a girl who knows that 

there are many talented and beautiful 

girls all over the world, but what sets me 

apart from them is my will power and 

hard work. 

What’s the naughtiest memory that 

you remember from your childhood? 

I was such a big foodie in my childhood 

that I wouldn’t even spare the sweets and 

dishes that were kept for the guests. I 

used to steal the sweets and because of 

this act of mine, I got a lot of love (as it 

was cute) and bad beating from my 

mother for being such a mischievous kid. 

Growing up in a small city and then 

coming into the glamour world, how 

hard was your journey? 

I feel it totally depends on your own 

perspective. For me, it was a target to 

achieve, no matter how big the obstacles 

were. It was my karma to do and that’s 

what I did and left the reward part to the 

almighty. And he did reward me graciously. 

We’ve heard that modelling is a bad, 

bad world. Have you ever faced the 

casting couch? 

Yes, casting couch does exist in the 

modelling world and I too have 

encountered it many a times in the 

industry. Every other person wants to taste 

the wine and get high, which really pisses 

me off. But you gotta deal with various 

sorts of people; you can’t give them what 

they want. Such practices exist in other 

industries and professions and that’s a 

harsh reality, but it is what it is. Being a 

woman you get to face a lot of hardships, 

but I like to face them head on. 

Having walked for so many 

designers, who is your favourite? 

I am not being diplomatic, but I can’t really 

name one or two. Every designer has got 

something wonderful that’s different from 

the other. And that’s what makes each of 

them unique and makes me respect each 

one of them for their precious qualities. 

Tell us about your most 

embarrassing moment on the ramp? 

There have been none. I always enjoy 

being on the ramp and it gives me great 

joy and pride the moment I step on the 

ramp. I feel like this is my world and this is 

where I belong. 

You’ve featured in a lot of 

advertisements. Which one is your 

favourite?

I AM A TRAVEL 

JUNKY! NOTHING 

TURNS ME ON 

MORE THAN 

BACKPACKING 

AND SETTING MY 

FOOT ON A NEW 

JOURNEY.


I ALWAYS ENJOY 

BEING ON THE 

RAMP AND IT 

GIVES ME 

GREAT JOY AND 

PRIDE THE 

MOMENT I STEP 

ON IT. I FEEL 

LIKE THIS IS 

MY WORLD AND 

THIS IS WHERE 

I BELONG.

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I have been a part of a lot of advertising 

projects, and have had the bliss of working 

with some great magnetic personalities 

like Ranbir Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari and a 

few others. I really can’t name one of my 

favourites as all of them are close to my 

heart and every project has blessed me 

with valuable learning experience and has 

made me a better professional. 

Do you like travelling? What’s the 

worst thing you’ve eaten on a tour? 

I am a travel junky! Nothing turns me on 

more than backpacking and setting my 

foot on a new journey. It was a disgusting 

(ewwwwwwww) experience for me when I 

mistook pork for carrot. 

Let’s talk about guys. Are you dating 

someone? 

Aha… here you come with your masala 

question (haha)! I am not dating anyone, 

ATTRACTIVE NECK, 

CURVED LIPS AND 

MUSCULAR THIGHS 

ARE MY WEAKNESSES 

AND WHEN IT COMES 

TO MEN THEN IT IS THE 

OVERALL PERSONA 

THAT MATTERS. 

CHIVALRY IS OF 

COURSE MANDATORY. 

but I could have chosen one from the list 

of proposals. However, I didn’t find that 

spark and magnetism that could drive me 

crazy. 

What are the 5 things that interest 

you in a man? 

Attractive neck, curved lips and muscular 

thighs are my weaknesses and when it 

comes to men then it is the overall 

persona that matters. Chivalry is of 

course mandatory and last but not the 

least, a good heart which never falls short 

of love. 

And what are the turn offs? 

I hate men who have bad body odour 

and breath. 

Do you believe in the idea of live-in 

relationships? 

Yes, I do believe in the idea of live-in 

relationships. What’s wrong in two people 

living together happily and freely without 

hurting anyone. 

How does a guy approach you when 

you are sitting alone in a bar? 

They all want to buy me a drink and I am 

always not interested. 

When was the first time you ever 

kissed a guy? How was the feeling? 

It can’t be described in words! It was a 

mixed feeling of fear, excitement and an 

adrenaline rush. 

Do you like tattoos? Have you got 

yourself inked? 

No! It’s a big no for me when it comes to 

getting inked. 

What’s the craziest place you ever 

made out at? 

It’s a very personal and private question, 

but I wouldn’t mind sharing this with you. It 

was on the rooftop of an underconstruction 

building with a beautiful view. 

How do you rate your lovemaking 

skills on a scale of 1 to 10? 

That’s for my partner to answer. How can I 

rate myself! 

According to you, what’s the most 

striking feature in your body? For 

us, it’s from head to toe and 

everything in between. 

Since beauty lies in the eyes of beholder, 

every next feature strikes differently to 

different people. But for me, I love my lips 

a little more than my other assets. 

What are your plans of entering 

Bollywood? Do we see you soon on 

the big screen? 

I have turned down a few recent movie 

offers as I’m only going to do any film 

when I’m convinced that I should do it. So 

when that project comes up and proposes 

me and I say, “I do” then only you will see 

me on screen.

PLANNER 

More cool stuff happening across the world! Get out and explore 

what you’ve never seen before. The despot of your boss won’t let 

you take a leave? Leave your job and get lost... 

6-9 Oct 2016, 

Frieze Art Fair, 

London, England 

1-2 Oct, 2016 

CRSSD Festival, 

San Diego, 

California, USA 

30 Oct-2 Nov, 2016 

La Calaca, 

San Miguel de Allende, 

Mexico 

22 Oct 2016, 

Abu Simbel 

Festival, 

Egypt 



Amsterdam Dance Event, 

Amsterdam, Netherlands 


Frankfurt International 

Book Fair, 

Frankfurt 


Takayama Matsuri 

Autumn Festival, 

Japan 


Thimphu 

Tschechu, 

Thimphu, Bhutan 


Rocking the daisies, 

Darling, South Africa 

Oct 2016, 

The Melbourne 

Festival, 

Melbourne, Australia 

* Disclaimer: Map not to scale. 

October 2016 27

SHAMA 

SIKANDER 

WHO’S 

SHE? 

Age: 35 

From: Rajasthan 

Vital stats: 

34-26-36 

Facebook: 

@shamasikander 

Instagram: 

@shamasikander 

Shama is back 

with a bang 

and she is 

compensating 

quite well for 

missing in action 

for all this while 

with this hot 

shoot. Surgical 

makeovers 

aren’t that bad, 

we feel! 

Interview by SUDHAKAR JHA 

Photography PETER SVENSON 



Hi sweet-turned-sexy, 

Shama. What are you doing 

these days? 

Hey Sudhakar, thank you for the 

compliment. I am living life to the 

fullest at this moment (smiles). 

You have transformed 

drastically since your 

comeback. What did you do all 

this while? 

I was busy getting all the surgeries 

done (haha). On a serious note, I 

have been transforming since the 

time of my birth. It seems that this 

is my favourite hobby. I love to 

transform. I work hard on myself to 

look and feel different. Otherwise, I 

get bored with the same me. It’s 

not exciting to be the same. We 

should move ahead with nature 

and become our best with every 

day. And trust me, it’s a lot of work! 

Sexaholic created a lot of buzz. 

How did that happen? 

Yes, it did, indeed! And I’m so glad 

that it did in a right way as we were 

dealing with a very sensitive 

subject. I have known the director, 

Shailendra, for the longest time and 

in a party at his house he just 

happened to share this idea with 

me and it hit the right notes. I 

thought people must know about 

this subject, even if it is so 

controversial because most of the 

problems happen when we don’t 

talk about it. So I gave it a very 

deep thought as it could have 

backfired. But I had to be really 

sure and believe 100 per cent in it 

to do it with all my honesty and 

sincerity, because only then it could 

go right and once I was sure, I 

agreed to do it. 

What kind of inhibitions were 

there before doing the short 

film? 

THE ONLY 

INHIBITION 

THAT I HAD 

WAS TO BE AT 

EASE WHILE 

DOING SUCH 

SCENES IN 

SEXAHOLIC AS 

I HADN’T DONE 

ANYTHING 

LIKE THAT 

BEFORE. 

HOWEVER, 

ONCE I 

BELIEVED IN IT 

I WAS 

COMPLETELY 

AT EASE. 

The only inhibition that I had was 

to be at ease while doing those 

scenes as I hadn’t done anything 

like that before. However, once I 

believed in it I was completely at 

ease. I am not a kind of person 

who normally cares about what the 

world has to say because the 

world will say what it likes to say 

about you any way. I live my life on 

my terms and I do what I like 

without hurting anyone. 

In India, where sex is a very 

private thing, Sexaholic worked 

as an eye opener. What was 

your reaction to people’s 

feedback? 

Oh, you have no idea how happy I 

was! I am a very family person and 

anything could have happened. I 

took a big risk by doing the film. 

No matter what we pretend to be, 

but every human being needs sex 

to survive. It’s a basic need, just 

like food. And trust me, the sooner 

we accept it the better it is for the 

world and ourselves. And people 

appreciating the film is a big sign 

that the mind set is changing. The 

younger generation is so much 

more open and spiritual. They are 

looking for something meaningful, 

something deeper and balanced. It 

bothers me when I see close 

minded and judgemental people. 

It’s not a very healthy state to be 

in. It will only destroy you and I 

don’t like to see anyone being 

destroyed. I want everyone to have 

a great life and I want them to 

experience life in totality. 

Tell us about your new web 

series, Maaya? 

Maaya is a beautiful and intense 

love story. It’s so fragile yet 

extremely strong. And I am so 

happy to be a part of it. It’s a treat 

for an actor to show all the 

emotions so silently yet beautifully. 

How close are you to the 

character you are playing in 

the series? 

The only similarity between Maaya 

and me is that both have multiple 

personalities. There are some 

that we can share with the world 

in regards to different relationships 

and then there are some that 

we don’t or can’t share for 

different reasons. 

What’s more fun, TV series or 

movies? 

I like to shoot for movies more 

than TV. Although it all depends on 

the people you are working with. If 

they are bad no matter where you 

work, it’ll be hell. So yeah, I prefer 

to work with good people be it in 

films or TV series. But films 

definitely give you more time and 

they are a bit relaxing as you are 

not continuously running to meet 

your deadlines, which is an 

everyday case in TV. 

Tell us more about yourself. 

Where did you grow up? How 

fun was your childhood? 

Well, I grew up all over Rajasthan 

(laughs). Actually, we kept moving 

to different places in the state and 

half my childhood went in shifting 

within Rajasthan. We later shifted 

to Mumbai, and there too, we were 

shifting from one place to another 

since we didn’t own our home for a 

very long time. My childhood was 

good, in fact I would say it was 

excellent. I saw two sides of 

humanity at a very early age. I 

came from a very well off family of 

Rajasthan, but when we shifted to 

Mumbai, things changed 

drastically. I saw poverty, and true 

layers of people. When you are 

poor only then you get to see 

who’s there for you and most of 

them just run away. I saw a bit too 

much to be honest. I matured very 

early, and that’s why I say that my 

childhood was excellent. I got to 

learn so much. Although I can 

choose to say that it was pathetic

ecause of the pain and 

experiences, but I don’t see it that 

way. What I got to experience at 

an early age, people take a life 

time so I would say that I’m 

blessed and the chosen one. 

What’s the naughtiest memory 

from your growing up days? 

I was a good kid so there was 

nothing naughty. I am actually 

going in reverse (laughs). 

We heard that you are engaged 

now. Bad luck for us! But if a 

man wants to approach you, 

what does he need to do? 

Aww sorry! Well, I am a very easy 

person. I love a man for his guts to 

approach me because many have 

said that they are afraid to! I don’t 

know why though! He just needs 

to be himself, that’s it! I’m a simple 

woman, not very demanding, you 

see (haha). 

What are the things that turns 

you on in a guy? 

Honesty, kindness, compassion, 

simplicity, humour, great smell and 

good sense of clothing turn me on 

big time. 

And what are the turn offs? 

Show off, lies, pretentious 

behaviour, non-compassionate, bad 

odour and if someone doesn’t take 

care of himself is a big turn off. 

I AM A VERY 

EASY PERSON. 

I LOVE A MAN 

FOR HIS GUTS 

TO APPROACH 

ME BECAUSE 

MANY HAVE 

SAID THAT 

THEY ARE 

AFRAID TO! I 

DON’T KNOW 

WHY THOUGH! 

HE JUST 

NEEDS TO BE 

HIMSELF, 

THAT’S IT! 

Do you have a tattoo? If not, do 

you wish to get inked? 

Nope! I don’t have a tattoo and nor 

do I wish for one. I don’t like the 

idea of it on my body. 

What do you think you look 

sexiest in? 

I look the sexiest when I am in my 

total form which is most of the 

times except those dark and 

gloomy days in life. 

What’s the sexiest dress you 

have owned? Please describe it 

in detail… 

Oh my God, you are asking me too 

much! I love lingerie. I have a lot 

them, but I can’t describe them. I’m 

shy in that way. 

Where was the craziest place 

you ever made love? 

OMG! I ain’t answering that one. 

It’s too personal. And I guess 

the mystery of it makes it even 

more desirable so let’s keep it 

that way! 

What do you like wearing to 

bed? 

I love my pyjamas! I have tons of 

them and they are so comfortable. 

So how would rate your 

lovemaking kills on the scale of 

0 to 10? 

10! Boy, I’m a Leo and we are the 

best (laughs). 

Could you describe your most 

memorable date for us? 

My most memorable date would 

be when I got proposed at 

Burj-al-Arab by my boyfriend. It 

was the most emotional and the 

most beautiful night. The way he 

took me to one of my favourite 

restaurants, Al-Mahara and 

proposed me in front of everyone 

with a beautiful card that said, 

“would you be my wife?” in a very 

poetic way was touching. I just 

didn’t know how to react. I have 

met so many men and I’m so sorry 

to say that they have made their 

lives so complicated that deep 

down they all crave love, but 

unfortunately mix it up with so 

many issues of their own and get 

stuck in to it. I just loved the 

simplicity and non-complication 

of my man. I think a noncomplicated 

mind is such a turn on 

in today’s time. 

On a parting note, where do 

you see yourself next? 

Umm… I see myself ruling the 

world with love and respect. I 

see myself becoming the 

biggest superstar of our country 

and the world.

COMPASSION AND 

THE INDIAN MAN 

Are we walking away from the lessons that we learnt years back as a 

race – the lessons on compassion and benevolence? FHM explores... 

Words by SIDDHARTH M JOSHI 

A 

man walking on the road early morning is hit by a 

tempo. The traffic signal CCTV footage captures a 

stranger stealing his mobile phone that lies a few 

metres away from the fallen man. All this happens over 

90 lazy minutes, at the end of which the man dies, 

bleeding on the road, unattended, as hundreds of people 

walk by. The edited version of the video makes it to 

social websites and our minds, and gains a filthy viral 

status for half a day. 

Another man loses his wife to tuberculosis in a 

district hospital in Orissa and is denied an ambulance. 

He carries her dead body on his shoulders for 12 kms. 

This becomes an online sensation that is also widely 

covered by all popular news channels; stays in news for 

two days and gets archived in the library of Indian 

history, never to be pulled out again. 

These are two among a million examples where our 

brothers and sisters, as the national pledge recounts 

them, have failed on the primordial duty of a human 

being. The argument gets perplexing because East is 


supposed to have pioneered in and championed the 

concept of compassion long before the West made 

peace with its several reservations and survival wars. 

And like the intermingling of water and land in the 

natural history of the world, it somehow exchanged 

sacks — us having renounced the idea and them having 

embraced it in absolute reversion. 

WHAT CAUSED THE REVERSION? 

The modern Indian is shaped through a non-linear 

progression because of a very complex history, where 

his one leg remains fixed in the past and the other 

dwindles in the winds of change. From an evolved 

ancient background of stark reality to a romanticised 

dimension of nirvana, in the form of the middle path, the 

dream of compassion only grew till the art-destroying 

invaders shook the resilient race, and got the ball rolling 

for a change in character. 

Of course, not everyone was compassionate back 

then, nor has the reversal been a ubiquitous event. But 

there is a binary possibility of why a sensitive people 

originally inclined towards compassion and involvement 

switched sides with indifference and insensitivity. For a 

long time the populace of the Indian subcontinent was 

subjected to aristocratic and monarchical tyranny (in one 

phase the monarch was sitting in a distant island in 

Europe) that may have spurred a sadistic reaction and a 

misplaced vengeful backlash on those they could 

practice some control over. This, having become a forced 

trait, seeped into the personalities of the general people 

(not all) and over time they grew used to seeing mishaps 

and torture without being deeply affected by it. This 

psychological manoeuvre also exposed another 

interesting aspect in the society that continues till today 

— rift between the affluent and the poor. 

The poor being closest to the scenes of atrocities and 

pain developed survivalist tendencies wherein they saw 

such incidents as probable facets to reality that they 

needed to avoid and save themselves from. The overexposure 

to the agony made them grow a sheath of apathy; 

something similar that doctors develop, having to see 

deaths and suffering every day. The affluent (not the ones 

indicting it), on the other hand, remained oblivious to most 

incidents and continued to remain in the original state. This, 

however, changed with the spread of media (news, books, 

films, theatre) and the sheath of apathy began to grow on 

them too, after a wave of shock and empathy. 

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE? 

The 21st century is a mixed bag in terms of how the 

media has taken over the world’s thought process. We 

think, we buy, we do what is forced upon us, having 

absolutely given in to the paralysing nudges of pop 

culture. Hence, many TV series and movies which are of 

immense popularity, carrying a lot of content with 

graphic gore and violence, leave a numbing effect on the 

psychology, making us acclimated with it all... so much so 

that now our reactions have taken refuge behind our 

guilt and only surface when the forefront consumes it 

completely. This was evident in the Nirbhaya case and 

every other instance when we drew placards and held 

them high with candles on long walks of regret to India 

Gate and Jantar Mantar. 

The future of compassion is intermingled with the 

general state of mind of the average Indian. And it is still 

rocking back and forth between visions of reality and an 

acquired taste for a distant one. If we take cue from how 

the psychological projectile arches in the West the ball 

game is up for a change because things are only 

heading to a saturated culmination. World leaders in 

spiritual sensibilities, like the Dalai Lama, have strong 

messages to convey. We just need to open up towards 

them and not take the words for granted like we have 

with every single observation from the ancient past. The 

Dalai Lama’s popularity in the West is the result of that 

saturation, which is leading people to return to calmer, 

non-material, more human practices. 

But it may be wishing for too optimistic a scenario as 

this would involve changes in the basic socio-economic 

structure of the land, and right now things are still on the 

waning side. As they settle down and the ghastly gap, 

between those who apparently matter and those who 

don’t melts down, love, compassion and sympathy will 

follow. An old Indian adage urges people to set 

themselves on an inward journey and reconnect with 

everyone in a place which is without stigmas and 

dogmas — a difficult proposition when the options to 

connect virtually through the internet have increased 

many folds. The right time may be brought about by 

creating a disconnect with frivolous corporal 

attachments and shedding an overload of information to 

get back to the original state of human nature that we 

had strived so hard to evolve over thousands of years 

only to lose it again. It’s time to go back. 

Dana Manjhi carrying his wife’s 

dead body, after the hospital failed 

to provide a vehicle. Odisha. 

“My religion is very simple. My 

religion is kindness.” 

— The Dalai Lama 

The worst way to treat anyone in 

need is by looking at him with an 

eye of indifference. 


This month’s challenger... 

Amaal Malik 

[ Composer & Playback Singer ] 

One of the youngest composers in the industry, 

Amaal has locked his targets sharp in the fame 

charts. But does he have what takes to be a bloke, 

as we test him on the manliest test on earth? 

01 Have you ever stared 

someone out? 

Yes... it was the craziest stare 

down! And I reckon, it was a 

guy who got scared of me, and 

came and said sorry to me 

without any reason hahaha! I 

didn’t even know him. 

No, I don’t use vouchers, 

vouchers- why really! 

07 Have you ever fraped 

someone? 

I do that with all my friends, 

whoever leaves their accounts 

logged in. 

02 Have you ever followed 

through on an exuberant 

fart? 

Nope, why would you!! This is 

where the good old adage on 

‘Curiosity kills... 

08 Have you ever shaved a 

part of your body other than 

your face? 

My chest, my hands and places 

you do not want to know. 

03 What’s the most masculine 

thing you’ve ever done? 

Climbing Mt Eden in New 

Zealand. Apart from the 

climbing which itself was a big 

thrill, the way up treats you to 

some spectacular views of the 

city centre and surrounding 

areas. The tracks, though, can 

be slippery as hell. 

04 What’s the biggest thing 

you’ve ever set fire to? 

My shoes. 

05 Have you ever growled at 

yourself in a mirror? 

I do it all the time. Every time I 

wake up I growl at myself. 

06. Have you ever used a 

voucher on a date? 

09 What’s the biggest 

sandwich you’ve ever made? 

I don’t even know how a kitchen 

looks like, so no question of 

being recipe friendly. Which is 

not necessarily a good thing, but 

well, that’s how it is! 

10 What’s the strangest 

thing you’ve ever drunk 

from? 

A perfume bottle. Now use your 

imagination! 

11 Have you ever had a 

successful naughty video 

chat session? 

I don’t do videos. I like getting 

naughty in person. That should 

explain it. 

12 Have you ever asked your 

date to pay in a restaurant? 

No. but I made the neighboring 

table pay. And mind you that 

takes tact and swag hahaha 

13 How would you sell your 

handshake? 

Firm, confident and means 

business. 

14 What do you smell like? 

Issey Miyake, meets Hugo 

Boss, meets Valentino. Three 

heady fragrances and then of 

course there’s me! 

15 What are the first three 

things you notice in a 

woman? 

Hair, Eyes, Legs. 

We hadn’t imagined 

you’d cut a high score 

with that cute face of 

yours. But we’re 

impressed. You’ve done 

some crazy shit and are 

honest to acknowledge 

them. Hope to see you 

grow on the bloke scale 

in future... 


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IoT: Changing the face of logistics

MOVIES 

Mirzya 

Drama 

Star kids 

Harshvardhan Kapoor 

and Saiyami Kher are 

making their debut in 

this Rakeysh 

Omprakash Mehra 

movie. The film has 

been inspired by the 

Punjabi folklore of 

‘Mirza Sahiban’. The 

movie is a timeless 

tale of love in two 

parallel worlds, one 

real and one fantasy. 

As the lovers are kept 

apart by forces, they 

realise that one 

moment of love is 

worth an entire 

lifetime. 

Cast- Harshvardhan 

Kapoor, Saiyami Kher, 

Om Puri 

Release date- 

7th Oct, 2016

Inferno Mystery 

The upcoming American mystery thriller is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code 

and Angels & Demons. Tom Hanks is reprising the role of Professor Robert 

Langdon as he awakens in a hospital in Italy, with no memory of the things 

that have happened in the last few days. With the help of Dr Sienna, Prof. 

Langdon tries to regain his memory and also solve the most intricate riddle 

he has ever faced. 

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Drama 

Karan Johar is back with his romance drama 

with the movie starring Ranbir Kapoor, 

Aishwarya Rai, Anushka Sharma and 

Fawad Khan in lead roles. Reeling from a 

breakup, Anushka develops a romance with 

singer Ranbir who is spelled under the 

charm of Aishwarya. 

Cast- Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Anushka 

Sharma, Fawad Khan 

Release date- 28th Oct, 2016 

Cast- Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Irrfan Khan, Ben Foster 


Shivaay Action 

Ajay Devgn second directorial venture and his most ambititious project till 

date, Shivaay highlights Lord Shiva’s human elements and how his 

imperfections make him strong. Sayyeshaa Saigal, grandniece of Dilip 

Kumar and Saira Banu makes her debut opposite Ajay in this family action 

drama movie. The story revolves around a man who is pushed to his limits 

and how he destroys everything to save his family! 

Cast- Ajay Devgn, Sayyeshaa Saigal, Erika Kaar 


Saat Uchakkey Comedy 

It’s a crass and chaotic world with seven 

mischievous characters planning a robbery 

in a wealthy man’s mansion. With the police 

getting involved and creating a ruckus, the 

movie is more than just a laugh riot, it 

seems. With a brilliant and diverse cast, the 

movie promises to be a low-budget hit! 

Cast- Manoj Bajpai, Annu Kapoor, Anupam Kher 



WE CRY FOR 

SWACCHTA, 

BUT WHERE IS 

OUR EFFORT 

IN THE 

SWACCH 

BHARAT 

ABHIYAAN ? 

Our guest writer for this month, Arjan Bajwa, rants on everything that he sees 

wrong in India. From wasting PM Modi’s valiant single-handed efforts to aping the 

western culture in a wrong way, where are we going wrong? 

Brace yourselves guys, my rant is 

going to be totally off the hook, 

and why don’t you buzz me if you 

don’t agree with even one point 

of my masterpiece! 

The Modi government has 

completed two years now. It’s not 

an easy job and is no humbug for 

sure. He has been voted for the 

people and by the people, then 

why is that if anything goes 

wrong anywhere in the country or 

with Indians anywhere in the 

world, we blame Modiji? It’s 

always like “acche din kaha hai?”, 

“Modi kuch nahi karta” and blah 

blah. Why don’t we look at the 

bigger picture rather than 

focusing on small things? He is 

literally “MODIfying” the country 

and cleaning the mess that has 

been created over the years with 

his hard work. It takes double the 

amount of time to right the wrong 

that has been done. Before 

pointing a finger at anybody else, 

look at what you are doing to 

maintain the decorum in the 

country and in your lives. 

For instance, take the 

problem of India’s cleanliness and 

filth. It has become a mandate for 

the Indian national anthem to play 

in all theatres before any film as a 

tribute to our country and the 

talent we possess. We stand tall 

and proud in respect of the 

anthem every time. But have you 

taken a look around after the film 

has concluded? We trash the 

theatre as if we are illiterate and 

living in a garbage dump. Ironic, 

isn’t it? Additionally, when it is the 

semi-annual sale time in all those 

high end and local brands in all 


the malls, it’s a fish market 

because of the slashed prices, 

which is understandable. That’s 

how a common man or even a 

rich man fulfills his wants of 

having the good stuff in life. But 

why is it that during these sales, 

the stores are trashed with the 

products lying helter-skelter, 

strewn across the floors with 

footprints, rips and lipstick 

stains? Where are our manners 

and etiquettes? We complain 

about how the roads are filthy, 

but the Modi government has 

done one good thing with the 

Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan. 

However, where are our efforts 

and why do we treat the outdoors 

as they are garbage dumps? 

Secondly, another annoyingly 

pressing issue is the chronic 

traffic fever in major cities! Its 

blood boilingly, frustratingly and 

blood pressure-risingly annoying! 

The media is a great outlet to 

bring all the faults and flaws out 

in the open and in the public’s 

view. We get to read about all the 

flawed plans and instances with 

respect to traffic laws, state of 

the roads, etc. Rants, rants and 

rants galore if I may say so. But 

there’s still no improvement. 

Every monsoon, it’s the same old 

rut that the roads are under 

construction, there are a million 

potholes with several accidents 

taking place (especially with 

bikers). There’s an increased 

amount of traffic when it’s 

raining, the list goes on with zero 

improvement. Zilch! I don’t know 

whether it’s our fault for not 

taking it up with the concerned 

people as our laws are 

incompetent or whether the laws 

are made in such a way that the 

authorities get more money or 

they do this to generate more 

employment. You know the 

vicious cycle of – build the roads 

with sub-standard materials – let 

it rain like a maniac for a week 

– create potholes due to the 

cleverly planned low quality 

tar/cement – pass a plan worth 

crores of rupees to redo the 

roads – that plays on loop 

every year. 

Lastly, the most horrific and 

unfortunately rampant issue in 

Mumbai, Delhi or any other city in 

India is the lack of security for 

girls and women. We are in the 

21st century where 

We complain about 

how the roads are 

filthy, but the Modi 

government has done 

one good thing with 

the Swacch Bharat 

Abhiyaan. 

westernisation is key and our 

government is trying to make us 

a first world country. In such a 

scenario, do you think safety for 

girls should really be an issue? In 

the West, girls, men, women, 

irrespective of their preferences, 

are given respect, but here it’s 

not like that. Why is it so? Why is 

it that people, during the Ganpati 

celebrations or any other festival, 

dance on the road with DJs 

playing Akon and Shakira songs, 

aping their moves and lyrics, but 

when a girl merely dresses in a 

kurta and leggings or a t-shirt 

and jeans, all eyes are on her and 

in the dirtiest way possible? We 

look at the West in awe of all they 

have achieved and how their 

lifestyle is, without judging or 

eyeing any of their vices. Then 

why is it that when the West is 

actually being adopted in our 

country with girls going to 

nightclubs, working late at night, 

travelling alone, they are unsafe 

and are done wrong to in the 

most disgusting way that is 

possible? I mean these rascals 

don’t even spare kids! And it’s not 

only illiterate people doing this, 

there are extremely literate ones 

too who have committed such 

heinous crimes. You want the 

western culture, you’re getting it 

and just the right amount, little by 

little, don’t abuse it or your power. 

I’m not saying everyone is as 

clean as a slate and we should 

live in a world of peace and 

purity. All I’m saying is that think 

before you talk and practice what 

you preach. Your actions speak 

on who and what you are. I’m so 

glad I got to rant on all this. My 

mind is lighter and now I’m going 

to hit the gym! 


Stitching 

a line 

with 

Daytona 

I RACED AROUND THE HIGHWAY ON THE 

CHIC TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675R, CHASING 

TRUCKS, CARS AND HOLY COWS. WHY 

SHOULD TRACKS HAVE ALL THE FUN! 

Words by SIDDHARTH M JOSHI 

Speed is something that I‘ve never 

fancied about despite having 

tried my hands on several sports 

versions. But the Triumph Daytona has 

done elaborate rounds among speed 

fanatics and power junkies, so the 

revised 675R was an essential tryout. 

Most brats who own racers in the city 

take them out on nocturnal runs or 

early morning hurls. In order to add 

quirk to my ride, I woke up early, put on 

some gear and slid it to the backyard 

of the NCR, instead of a racing track. 

The handlebars of 675R have 

limited movement span, obviously so, 

and that may be a tad dangerous for 

city manoeuvres in traffic and sharp 

turns. One needs to develop subtle 

leaning techniques, and once you get a 

hang of them, it’s the most fun you’ll 

have with the bike. The aluminium body 

makes it easy for you to comfortably fit 

your legs on a good position, but right 

where the seat winds itself up near the 

tank the edges are noticeably sharp. 

The engine revs up with a beautiful 

growl and as I prepared to enter a 

short high-speed sprint, it blew me 

away with an easy 100 in just about 4 

seconds and a smooth but sturdy halt 

with an effortless squeeze of the 

Photography SACHIN RUHIL 

Brembo brake pads. With occasional 

trucks frequenting the road it was easy 

to stitch a line through them in nippy 

slights. The maximum I could pull it to 

was marginally short of 180 because 

of random cows, stray bikes and 

overtaking cars. But the engine is so 

strong that you don’t need to keep 

pulling on the accelerator to keep the 

speed up, and a modest go at the 

pedal will take you way up. 

An interesting idea caught me after 

the traffic grew heavy and we were 

done with the shoot. Our photographer 

sat on the pillion seat which is so high 

that he was almost a foot over and 

above my shoulder at the back and I 

made the bike roar. Not always a good 

idea. Now if you’re planning to do this, I 

suggest you to bring the speed down 

and avoid sudden brakes because the 

entire weight of the pillion is on you 

and sensitive things may get squished, 

if you know what I mean. 

This is probably the most 

expensive bike that you can buy in the 

600cc range in India, but also the 

best in terms of performance. If that 

new job allows you to burn holes in 

your pants, there’s nothing better for a 

sports biking fan. 

SPECS 

ENGINE TYPE 

LIQUID-COOLED, 12 

VALVE, DOHC, IN-LINE 

3-CYLINDER 

CAPACITY 

675CC 

BORE STROKE 

76 MM / 49.6 MM 

MAX POWER EC 

128 PS/126 BHP (94 KW) 

@ 12,500 RPM 

MAX TORQUE EC 

74 NM @ 11,900 RPM 

CLUTCH 

WET, MULTI-PLATE, 

SLIPPER 

GEARBOX 

6-SPEED 

BRAKES FRONT 

TWIN 310 MM FLOATING 

DISCS, NISSIN 4-PISTON 

RADIAL MONO-BLOCK 

CALIPERS (SWITCHABLE 

ABS) 

BRAKES REAR 

SINGLE 220 MM DISC, 

BREMBO SINGLE 

PISTON CALIPER 

(SWITCHABLE ABS 

PRICE 

`11.40 LAC EX- 

SHOWROOM, DELHI 


Staying away from the lime 

44 September 2016

light keeps me grounded” 

THE MAN WHO’S COMPOSED SUCH INTENSELY 

ROMANTIC SONGS SUCH AS ATIF ASLAM’S 

“KUCH IS TARAH”, AND “TUM HI HO” FROM 

AASHIQUI 2, CONFESSES HE’S CHICKEN WHEN 

IT COMES TO FALLING IN LOVE HIMSELF. READ 

ON FOR MORE REVELATIONS FROM MITHOON... 

Interview by MALLICA SINGH 

If you were asked to create a TV show what would it be about? 

As a viewer I enjoy watching National Geographic a lot. So it would be 

nice to do a show on wildlife and nature. I also find the biographies on 

History channel very enriching and entertaining. I’m especially 

fascinated by the lives of geniuses and how their personal life affects 

their professional life. For instance, the letter found amongst 

Beethoven’s possessions addressed to his “Immortal Beloved” — the 

mystery woman who influenced him, inspired him, made his world go 

mad — these kind of personal details intrigue me. A show along those 

lines, that brings to light India’s many unsung heroes, would be great to 

watch. I’d also love to do something on Chanakya, the man behind the 

rise of the Mauryan Empire. I think he’s underrated and today’s 

generation could really benefit from his wisdom. 

You discover a beautiful island where you can be king and build 

your own kind of kingdom. What’s the first rule that you’’ll put 

into place? 

I’d ban money. And that’s where my responsibility as a king would come 

into place — to provide citizens with all the basic necessities and to be 

able to manage things without money. The Bible says the the love for 

money is the root of all evil, and I do believe doing away with it would 

solve a lot of issues. 

If you could be a superhero which one would you be and 

why? 

Batman — because of his hidden identity. I like that the face the world 

sees is of a superficial billionnaire playboy but he’s actually a crimefighter. 

I love that contrast. I consider it truly heroic when you can avoid 

the glory and just do your job. That’s how I try to function in my 

professional life too. I’ve been working for 11 years now, I don’t 

socialise or go to events. Staying away from the limelight keeps me 

grounded. 

Could you recount an embarrassing episode or experience from 

childhood that still makes you cringe? 

I used to play the keyboard in school. I was in the 7th grade when 

during one of my performances, the keyboard just went off. I just froze 

and didn’t know what to do. The world crumbled around me… seeing 

that light go off onstage. A couple of minutes later I gathered my 

courage, plugged the keyboard back on, and continued. I was in tears 

but it was a good lesson. Life teaches you to get back on. 

The other experience is more generic. Till quite some time I was 

uncomfortable about my complexion. I wouldn’t say I was heavily 

complexed about it, but yeah, I knew I’m not a “fair” kid. Things changed 

in college when I started getting appreciated as a serious musician — I 

realised my identity is not about the way I look or my skin colour but 

what I contribute to the world. 


HARD CHOICES 

WOULD YOU RATHER...? 

...be forgotten or 

remembered with hate? 

I’d choose to be forgotten. 

...be bitten by a dog or 

stung by a bee? 

Bitten by a dog. 

...be stuck in an elevator 

for hours with Donald 

Trump or Arnab 

Goswami? 

Arnab Goswami. I could try 

and convince him to raise 

issues regarding 

musicians’ rights. 

...be the PM or the 

President? 

President. Much less 

stressful. 

...know for sure who 

killed JFK or what really 

happened to Marilyn 

Monroe? 

What really happened to 

Marilyn Monroe. C reative 

people and their personal 

struggles really inspire me. 

...have a birthmark 

covering half your face 

or have a two-foot tail? 

I’ll go with the birthmark. I 

don’t consider myself very 

good looking anyway. 

...be the first to find a 

cure for cancer or 

definitive proof that 

aliens exist? 

Find a cure for cancer. 

...see blurry all the time 

or see everything in 

black and white? 

See everything in black and 

white. 

...be extremely 

paranoid or extremely 

naive? 

Be naive. 

...be the last person 

alive on the planet or 

just be dead? 

Last person alive on the 

planet. I live my everyday 

life like that. 

...be painted by Van 

Gogh or Da Vinci? 

Van Gogh. 

...be smart and unlucky 

or dumb and lucky? 

Smart and unlucky. Smart 

guys know how to turn 

unluckiness into luck. 

...die by drowning or by 

fire? 

Drowning. Really scared 

of fire. 

I CONSIDER IT TRULY HEROIC WHEN 

YOU CAN AVOID THE GLORY AND 

JUST DO YOUR JOB. 

You can flip a switch that will wipe off any band or music artist 

from the face of the earth. Your pick... 

One way of choosing is to choose someone whose music is so good 

that it puts you in an emotional turmoil because of its sheer intensity, 

and you can’t handle it sometimes. But I don’t believe in slamming 

any music because everyone has their own listeners and one has the 

choice to listen or stay away from what they don’t like. 

Who would you really like to just punch in the face? 

Well, sometimes it does happen with my assistants (laughs). While 

working I can be quite a task master. Some of the people who I 

idolised — like the composers Pyarelal and Ilaiyaraaja — were very 

careful about executing work. It was not just the result but the way 

of achieving it that they were particular about. I’ve imbibed that and 

thrive on the procedure of making music. 

If an angel grant’s you a lifetime supply of the beverage of 

your choice, what would it be? 

It would be chocolate milkshake. I’m really into it. 

Three songs you heard and can’t believe were hits given the 

lyrics... 

I don’t think lyrics are a criteria for a song to be a hit. Nonsensical 

stuff is fine if it gives people a high, like “Kolaveri D” or “Bhaag D K 

Bose”. I’m not very critical that way. For me, music is an opinion. 

What is your favourite expletive? 

I’m a certified pastor at church. “Don’t freak me out” or “frickin’” is the 

maximum you’ll get out of me. 

If you could choose to be born in any period of history you 

like, what would it be?

JUNG’S COUCH 

A GAME OF 

ASSOCIATION 

Dark 

Sleep 

Night 

Best time of the day 

Drunk 

Don’t be 

Hero 

Soldier 

Dirty 

Perception 

String 

E string on the violin 

Heart 

Clean 

Funny 

Not me 

Snake 

Mysterious 

Tattoos 

Avoidable 

Guilt 

Not from God 

Porn 

Your choice 

Bubble bath 

No time 

Smell 

Your weapon 

Hate 

Destructs 

Scary 

Deadlines 

Poetry 

Daily dose 

Chocolate 

In liquid form 

Ninja 

Would love to be 

Hurt 

Should heal 

Cheating 

Not done 

Marriage 

Think twice 

Pink 

Not my colour 

Survivor 

All of us 

WHEN I STARTED 

GETTING 

APPRECIATED 

AS A SERIOUS 

MUSICIAN IN 

COLLEGE, I 

REALISED MY 

IDENTITY IS NOT 

ABOUT THE WAY 

I LOOK OR MY 

SKIN COLOUR, 

BUT WHAT I 

CONTRIBUTE TO 

THE WORLD. 

In the time of Christ so I could witness his life. Israel is one of my 

favourite countries in the world — not only for spiritual reasons but 

also because I respond to its culture. 

If you could come back from the dead and haunt someone, 

who would it be? 

Producers who owe me money (laughs). Most of them are my friends. 

What are your views on modern love and dating? 

I personally believe love never changes, be it in the time of Mohenjodaro 

or be it today. It’s just a matter of whether you are in love or not. 

Recently I was offered a period film to compose music for and was 

dwelling on the same thought with poet Sayeed Quadri. He 

expressed it perfectly: “Ehsaas ki koi umr nahi hoti/Jazbaat ka koi 

daur nahi hota.” 

But in today’s time and pace it’s a question of if we have the time 

to fall in love or not — or do we just settle for convenience. Having 

said that, I’m sure there are people in this day and age too who are 

into it with the same amoun t of dedication and sacrifice that we hear 

of in legends. 

There’s a beautiful quote I read that stayed with me: “There are 

too many mediocre things in life. Love should not be one of them.” 

Everything else in life is calculated, systematic, disciplined… Love is 

meant to be crazy and out of line. But it takes a lot of courage to 

love that way. My own song says: “Zindagi ab tum hi ho/Chain bhi, 

mera dard bhi/Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho.” But do I have the steel in 

me to face strife because of love? I don’t think so. I’ll be the first one 

to run away. 

What is something that you’ve always wanted to try but have 

been too scared to? 

Bungee jumping. My friends did it. I chickened out. 


HIGHWAY TO LIGHT 

Almora has been a melting pot of thinkers ever 

since it has been chronicled, be it the hippie 

movement of the 70s, or the more low-profile 

spiritual quest of higher men. Italian journalist and 

writer, Tiziano Terzani writes about it in detail in his 

spiritual memoir, besides his journey with cancer. 

Book: One more ride on the merry 

go-round 

Author: Tiziano Terzani 

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Price: Rs 599 

When he is diagnosed with 

cancer, in the silence of the 

hospital room broken only by 

the swish of cars outside, Italian writer 

Tiziano Terzani realises that his whole 

life has been one long ride on a 

merry-go-round where he has always 

journeyed without a ticket. Now, for the 

first time, the ticket collector has come 

to demand his dues. 

At first, Terzani turns to Western 

medicine for a cure, but a question 

soon begins to haunt him: is cancer, as 

the doctors say, an enemy that needs to 

be destroyed, or is it a friend one can 

talk to? Travelling had always been a 

way of life for him, so he decides to 

make another trip, in search of a 

solution to India. This final ride turns out 

to be very different though. And more 

difficult. Because every step, every 

choice — often between reason and 

faith, between science and magic — is 

inextricably linked to his own survival. 

As he criss-crosses the country from an 

ashram in Coimbatore to a hut in 

Almora, the external journey in search 

of a cure transforms into an inner 

journey and a return to the divine roots 

of man. Then, one day, as he looks at 

the sun rising over the mountains, he 

stumbles upon the one truth that has 

eluded him: death is as desirable and 

eternal as life itself. 

A bestseller in Europe, this is a book 

about modern medicine and alternative 

cures, and the quest to understand the 

true meaning of mortality. 


Excerpt 

In so many years of visiting India, 

Angela had only seen the Himalayas 

from afar, from Dharamshala. So we 

decided to spend Christmas in Almora, 

an old hill station on the great 

mountain barrier where India borders 

with China to the east. We were 

staying in a nineteenth-century 

bungalow that had been converted 

into a hotel. It bore the name of the 

majestic cedar trees that had once 

covered the whole area: The Deodars, 

the trees of the gods. 

Almora has a long history. Mention 

of it is made as early as in the 

Puranas, the ancient legends, and for 

centuries it has been the gateway to 

some of the most sacred peaks in the 

Himalayas and their secrets. The 

sanyasis who decided to ‘go to the 

forest’ used to stop there, as did the 

holy men who retreated even higher 

up on the glaciers. Poets such as 

Tagore stayed in Almora, as did 

mystics like Vivekananda, who 

founded one of his ashrams here. 

Gandhi too spent several weeks here, 

pronouncing it the ideal place for the 

health of both mind and body. 

In terms of sacred geography, 

Almora is located at the centre of a 

tantric triangle – other say a swastika 

– which contributed to its reputation 

as a place especially well suited to 

concentration and the spiritual life. 

With the Himalayas everywhere on 

its horizon and its forests still virtually 

intact, in the nineteenth century 

Almora also attracted a small number 

of non-Indians in whose footsteps I 

had decided to follow. They had all 

gone to live along a narrow ridge 

between two deep valleys which 

extended for several miles from The 

Deodars to the old temple of Kasar 

Devi. It was because of the eccentric 

foreigners who sought refuge here 

that in the course of time it came to b 

known as ‘Cranks Ridge’. 

One of them was the theosophist 

W. Y. Evans-Wentz, an American of 

German descent who was responsible 

for the first edition of the classic 

Tibetan Book of the Dead and Tibet’s 

Great Yogi Milarepa. There was also 

Lama Angarika Govinda, born in 

eastern Germany, who had arrived on 

the Ridge after studying Pali, the 

language in which the earliest 

Buddhist texts were written, in Naples. 

After an extended residence on the 

island of Capri, some had taken him 

for the reincarnation of Novalis, the 

first German romantic poet. Novalis 

had died of tuberculosis in 1801 at the 

age of twenty-nine, leaving a novel 

half-written. Bizarrely, Lama Govinda 

wrote the ending to it while still very 

young, without knowing anything 

about Novalis or his unfinished work. 

Another character who arrived 

here via Capri was the American 

painter Earl Brewster, friend of D. H. 

Lawrence and Aldous Huxley. Yet 

another was a Dane named Alfred 

Sorensen, who had been lured to India 

by Tagore. For several years, he 

worked as a gardener in his academy 

at Shantiniketan, then moved to the 

Ridge and became a sadhu by the 

name of Baba Sunyata, or Father Zero. 

I too was looking for some kind of 

refuge, and the idea of spending 

some time on the Ridge appealed to 

me, maybe even in one of the cranks’ 

own habitations. But here too 

everything had changed. The house 

that had belonged to Evans-Wentz 

and then for ome forty years to Lama 

Govinda had been divided up and ugly 

concrete houses had been erected on 

the site where these two scholars had 

lovingly sought to recreate a mini- 

Tibet. Where the bungalow, in which 

Brewster had lived for almost half a 

century and died aged eighty-one, 

had stood, there was now a modern 

house. And right behind Kasar Devi, 

one of the most sacred temples in the 

whole region, in the centre of the 

tantric triangle a signal repeater for 

telephones had been installed, thus 

desecrating the entire panorama with 

its enormous metal pylon. 

In the world’s biggest democracy, 

everyone is free to do as they please, 

especially when it involves pursuing 

their own interests. This is how the 

Ridge, which once upon a time was 

covered with dense woodlands, came 

to be deforested and is now dotted 

with white concrete cubicles to be 

rented to the new generation of cranks 

– no longer the cultured, eccentric 

personalities of some decades ago, 

but crowds of hippies attracted 

primarily by the good quality hashish 

that grows wild along the walls here, 

including those of the police station. 

I had gone to see if I could rent 

one of those cubicles, but had fled in 

despair. Until one morning, while 

having breakfast on the sun-kissed 

terrace which, like the deck of a ship, 

looked out over the sea of mist that 

was filling the valley, the owner of The 

Deodars, Richard Wheeler, pointed out 

to me behind the other mountains 

fading away to blue, a peak in the 

distance that was darker than the rest. 

“See, up there nothing has 

changed. The forest is the same as 

ever, and I believe an old Indian man 

still lives right at the top,” he said. 

The peak began to speak to me. I 

watched it, and as I did so I heard 

these lines from Kipling’s The Explorer 

whisper: Something hidden. Go and 

find it/ Go and look behind the 

Ranges/ Something lost behind the 

Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go! 

Book: Moonwalker 

Authors: Virendra Shahaney 

Publisher: BecomeShakespeare.com 

Pages: 408 

Price: `399 

Book: Penumbra 

Authors: Bhaskar Chattopadhyay 

Publisher: Finger Print 

Pages: 208 

Price: `250 

Book: Remember Death 

Authors: Ankush Saikia 

Publisher: Penguin 

Pages: 400 

Price: `399 


AND WE ARE BACK AGAIN… 

100 SEXIEST 

WOMEN IN THE WORLD 2016 

FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS, 

100 SEXIEST WOMEN IN THE 

WORLD HAS BEEN THE MOST 

FASHIONABLY DEMOCRATIC 

EVENT IN INDIA. THIS YEAR, 

THE LIST GETS BETTER AND 

BIGGER, SO GET READY AND 

DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO BE A 

PART OF THIS DEMOCRACY 

IN FHM KINGDOM! 

GUYS, HAVE YOUR 

SAY AT 

FHMINDIA.COM

EMRAAN HASHMI 

ELENA FERNANDES 

WHAT IS SO GOOD THAT IT CAN’T BE CONTAINED IN THE REALM 

OF WORDS? IT’S GOT TO BE SOMETHING BAD FROM THE 

LUCIFER’S STYLE SHEET, RIGHT? AND NO ONE ADDS GLAMOUR 

TO THE SWAMPS OF THE UNDERWORLD BETTER THAN OUR 

FAVOURITE BADASS, EMRAAN HASHMI. 

Interviews by SIDDHARTH M JOSHI | Photography SURESH NATARAJAN 

Styling HARLEEN (RUBY) BHATIA | Prosthetic make-up AMOD DOSHI, THE TABS INDIA (OVI ACADEMY) 

Hair TEAM HAKIM’S AALIM | Fashion assistant MALA AGNANI 

Fashion intern SHIVANSHU NIRUPAM | Production ABS PRODUCTIONS

No one can argue against the charm of an uncouth rebel 

who breaks the norms and lives by his own rules. We have 

been balancing this idea of playing around the theme of the 

most iconic villains (negative shades) in popular media for 

quite some time, but there were several logistical concerns. 

It would be a failed experiment if the wardrobe wasn’t 

just perfect to recreate the mood, or if the makeup was a 

tad dull than the original. But one thing was settled. We 

needed Emraan Hashmi to play all of them, not just 

because he’s good at being bad but because his intensity 

as an actor and love for these characters was just the 

perfect combination. Together we waited for the right 

time, till the alignment of the proverbial stars was 

accurate. These pages are our tribute to the genius of 

these characters as fans, followers and devotees to the 

eternal bad man who sleeps a sinister siesta within all of 

us. And before you flip, three cheers to the man who 

helped us bring it about... Emraan Hashmi. 

Tie from Tiekart

Hi Emraan, how did you like 

the concept for the shoot? 

Oh it was great. Obviously it was a 

lot of work, but huge pay off 

because I’ve never done a photo 

shoot of this nature. More than the 

shoot, I think the team had 

prepped so well and the concept 

itself was so unique that the 

results, I knew, would be fantastic. 

Did you have a good time 

shooting? 

Ya ya... We shot for almost 12 

hours. The original plan was to 

shoot for six-seven hours, but it 

went up and I didn’t feel a minute 

more because it was so much fun 

getting into all these looks. It 

didn’t feel like work at all. 

Did you have to do some 

homework for it? 

I have been a huge fan of all these 

characters, right from Hannibal 

Lecter to Aro to the Joker to 

Heisenberg. So, there was no 

homework as such because in 

seeing and loving these 

characters, investing my time for 

even something like Breaking Bad 

that concluded two years back... 

that was my homework. 

I think you’ve pulled all the 

looks off very well. But the 

Joker is just amazing... 

Ya, that turned out pretty good. 

We saw it in the screen and we 

were trying to get as close to the 

way Heath Ledger had done it... 

his body language. And kudos to 

the makeup, I think it was Amod, 

he’s done a fantastic job with the 

makeup. And Suresh has clicked 

the snaps very well. Even the 

costume department has done a 

fantastic job; they got the 

authentic clothes which 

Heisenberg cooks the meth in, 

with the mask and everything. 

And, of course, the entire team, 

the credit goes to them. I just had 

to go there, stand and get shot in 

front of the camera. (Laughs) That 

was all the hard work by them. 

Which was your favourite look 

among the four? 

I would say, it’s a close tie 

between Heisenberg and the 

Joker. Because, I love both these 

characters and when I saw myself 

in the mirror it was like a stark 

resemblance, and I was like ‘Wow! 

We’ve nailed it!’ 

Which was the most 

challenging of them all? 

We started working around lunch 

time. So, the Heisenberg look 

took the maximum time; getting

Suit from 

DuPont 

Tychem(r) C 

Protective 

Apparel 

Socks from 

Footsy

the skull cap, beard, shaving, all 

that took a lot of time, because it 

was the initial thing. It took around 

two hours. So, yeah... I’d say 

Heisenberg. 

Like these characters 

everybody has a dark side 

hidden inside them. What is 

that one dark corner that you’d 

like to get rid of? 

I wouldn’t want to get rid of any 

dark corner in my personality. 

These are only cultural norms, 

which tell you this is not right. But 

if you feel it, it has to be right 

because it comes from within. It’s 

only the society that imposes itself 

by saying that everything has to be 

righteous and good. We as 

individuals do feel jealousy, rage, 

anger, etc. all these varied 

emotions... which is healthy. But 

you have to understand that the 

way you act on the emotion is 

really the deciding factor of the 

morals and values that you’re 

caught up on. These characters 

are the amplified versions of those 

so-called dark, negative emotions 

that we feel. We don’t really react 

like these characters do, but 

there’s a bit of all these characters 

in all of us. They are as primitive as 

it gets. 

You have been branded as a 

serial kisser but I am one of 

those who believe that you’re 

much more than that as an 

actor. So, in your acting career 

if you had an opportunity to 

play a legendary role, what do 

you think you would do most 

justice to and why? 

I’ve grown up watching a lot of 

Martin Scorcese films, so I would 

say the character of Aviator in the 

movie because of the way he’s 

pulled it off. A mad hat character 

like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. 

Godfather would be another iconic 

character; and Scarface, Al Pacino. 

There was a Michael J Fox era in 

the late 70s and 80s, and I loved 

watching his films, especially 

because the kind of films he had 

done at that age was amazing. 

Now that we’ve mentioned 

kissing, let me stoop to a 

cliché... among all the women 

you’ve kissed in the industry 

who is the best kisser? 

(Laughs). God, you’ll get me into 

trouble man. I’m a married man. I’ll 

come down to being as diplomatic 

as possible... everyone has been 

special. And based on how 

audiences have reacted to them, I 

would say Murder was very steamy 

and also Murder 2 to some extent. 

If we ever do a shoot with a 

similar concept with the most 

iconic roles from Indian 

cinema, who would you like to 

play? Four roles... 

Mogambo and Gabbar. For the fun 

of it I would include something like 

Shahanshah also because of the 

costume. Then... I guess, Shahrukh 

in Diwale... 

Would you rather be the keeper 

of the law or the one who 

breaks it? 

As far as cinema goes I would be 

the guy who breaks it. I find those 

characters more interesting. And 

there are no surprises about it, if 

you see the characters I’ve played 

in my career I’ve made it by playing 

a drug peddler, conman, 

matchfixer. I’ve played the darkest 

persona because I find it 

interesting. Those characters are 

very layered, so you want to find 

out what really led them to doing 

what they do. Also, because I 

imagine the keeper of the law is 

slightly uni-dimensional, generally 

in the films that you’ve seen. They 

are the righteous characters. 

If you were to choose a parallel 

profession for yourself, what 

would that be? 

I think it will be something in video 

games or graphics, animations and 

VFX. That’s something I’ve always 

been interested in. Even before I 

became an actor, my plan was to 

fly to The States and do a course 

in animation and movie effects. It 

comes from my love for video 

games and big budget 

blockbusters with big effects. I’m a 

big fan of those. So, even to this 

date if there is a film coming out, 

from Jungle Book to Star Wars I 

have to go and watch it in the 

cinema hall. And I have seen the 

evolution of gaming all the way 

from Atari, right down to PS4. So, 

that’s a profession I would 

definitely take. 

If you woke up with a super 

power one morning, what is the 

first thing that you’d do? 

I would obviously put the super 

power to good use. I think 

invisibility would be a cool super 

power. I could do a lot of things 

with it, but I can’t think of what 

good deed. So, I’ll decide once I 

get the super power. 

A major chunk of an active 

actor’s life is spent in trying to 

be like someone else, i.e. the 

role he plays. Have you played 

a role for which you were 

yourself for the most time? 

These 

characters 

are the 

amplified 

versions of 

those socalled 

dark, 

negative 

emotions 

that we 

feel, and 

there’s a bit 

of these in 

all of us.

Grey 

sweatshirt 

from Zara

Most of my films are character 

based. They’re not technically 

the ‘traditional heroes’. So they 

are nothing close to the way I 

dress up or where I come from. 

I would say the most diverse 

character that I had to play 

would be something like 

Shanghai. Coming from a small 

town, getting me to play a 

character like that was a tough 

job, because I couldn’t 

understand him. It was very 

diverse from who I am, so it 

was the toughest job. I had to 

do a lot of workshops to get 

into the character. 

Who is your celebrity 

crush? Have you done 

anything about it? 

I guess when I was growing up, 

it was Madhuri Dixit. And in 

Hollywood it was Charlize 

Theron. But what could I do 

(laughs). 

What is the weirdest thing 

that a fan has done for you? 

Oh they do weird things ya... I 

have been gifted a box of 

under garments by a woman. 

It was pretty shocking 

because she had come to see 

me in my shoot in Mumbai and 

it was 2 in the morning. She 

gave me this gift wrapped box 

and said that it was a surprise 

so don’t open it here. I 

obviously gave it to my driver 

and opened it at five in the 

morning... and there it was, 

her undergarments, I’m sure 

they were hers. So that was 

hilarious and at the same time 

pretty bizarre. 

I have been 

gifted a box 

of under 

garments by 

a woman. It 

was pretty 

shocking 

because she 

had come 

to see me in 

my shoot in 

Mumbai and 

it was 2 in 

the morning. 

Cut-work embroidered 

off-shoulder crop top by 

Mayyur Girotra 

What kind of music do you 

listen to? 

I listen to anything from 

alternative to electronic. While 

growing up my huge influence 

was the kind of music my 

mother used to listen to. So, 

Carpenters when I was very 

young. Then when I was 

growing up I’d listen to Pink 

Floyd, Phil Collins, Michael 

Jackson. And right now, I 

would say something like 

Maroon5, Coldplay and a lot of 

electronic artists like Above 

and Beyond, Binka, etc. I don’t 

listen to Jazz and all... 

What do you like to do the 

most when you’re not 

working? 

I like to travel. I don’t have a lot 

of time off, but when I do, I love 

to get out of the city and take 

a trip somewhere. 


Cut-work embroidered 

off-shoulder crop top by 

Mayyur Girotra

i Elena, how was the shoot? 

Did you have fun? 

Oh it was amazing. I had the 

most fun. It was completely 

different from what I have done 

before. Emraan looked exactly 

like Joker. I looked at him and I understood 

why people were scared of Heath Ledger 

when he became the Joker, because he 

looked exactly like him. It was an amazing 

transformation. 

What was your favourite look from among 

the list? 

I loved the Joker look. Hannibal Lecter was 

really cool as well, but the Joker was not like 

him at all. It was a whole new thing. 

It’s common understanding that women 

are attracted to bad boys. Why do you 

think it is so? 

I think it’s because of the excitement that goes 

with being a bad boy. It’s kinda unpredictable 

so you don’t know what to expect, so that 

unknowing is kind of exciting. But I am sort of 

a control freak, and I need to know what’s 

gonna happen. I don’t like surprises. So, I’ve 

never really gone for a bad boy. Also, because 

I’ve studied law, so I wouldn’t like him to break 

the law or something (laughs). 

In a previous interaction with FHM I 

remember you telling us that you’re 

scared of going even close to a needle for 

a tat. How would it be been bitten by a hot 

vampire? 

(Laughs). Yeah, that I am. It would be probably 

an enjoyable, yet scary experience. So, they 

put a little blood on me and by then Emraan 

got into character as well and I could feel a 

little pin prick from the teeth on my neck. We 

tried to make it as life like as possible. So, if it 

was Emraan who was the vampire I think I 

would manage (laughs). 

Have you watched Breaking Bad? 

I watched just a few episodes of that. I’ve never 

seen Game of Thrones or Pulp Fiction. I get into 

things much later after everyone else. May be a 

few more years and I’ll watch Pulp Fiction 

(laughs). I don’t really get time to properly sit 

down and watch TV series. It’s probably around 

Christmas break when I know I have a good two 

week holiday. That’s when I pick up my popular 

series and stuff, and then I watch it all in one go. I 

hate to wait for the next episode to come out. 

If you were Walter White’s wife, how would 

you react if you found out that your 

husband was a meth cook? 

I’d take the money and donate it all to my 

animal welfare charity. I’d ask, “How much 

money have you earned, and if you’ve hurt 

any people in the process. Hand over all 

your money.” And I’ll donate it all to my 

charity. I won’t even leave a dime. I am 

hardcore (laughs). 

If you were to star in an Indian remake of 

an iconic badass film, which one would 

that be and why? 

I want to be like James Bond, so I’d like to play 

the Indian Bond. It would be such a kickass 

role. And if I can’t be the Indian Bond I’d be the 

character Jaws from the older films with Roger 

Moore, the big evil guy. And I’m tall as well, so 

height would work in my favour. If it was a 

female lead... umm that’s a trick question. I 

watched Fan recently, and I loved it so I’d like 

to do something like that. But from Hollywood 

maybe something like Fast & Furious. I can’t 

drive but if I did learn how to drive, I’d like to do 

things like starting the car without the keys, 

something kickass like that. 

What are the plans now? 

I am in the process of reading some scripts, 

then I’m a judge in a film festival that starts in a 

week, so I’m pretty excited. I’m also the 

international supermodel judge for the Elite 

model contest. In terms of films, I’m reading 

scripts here in Bollywood, and also in 

Hollywood. This is why I don’t have time for 

sitcoms right now (laughs). Also, in Bollywood 

films I have to really focus on my Hindi. There 

are many projects in the pipeline and I’m very 

excited about them. 

How good is your understanding of Hindi 

language? 

Whatever we were talking on the sets 

yesterday (at the photo shoot) I could 

understand that. But if I need to speak back 

I’m like hmmm (laughs). So you can’t flag me 

off in Hindi, I understand it. I have my Hindi 

teacher, so it’s more like an ongoing process. 

One of the first things that someone learns 

in a new language is the bad words. What 

are the cuss words that you know in Hindi? 

Oh I know the bad words. Ma**ch*d and 

Bh**ch*d (laughs). I use them on my friends 

and they find it quite endearing and sweet. 


The 

Un-Indian 

Binga! 

APART FROM LOVING THE 

SOUND OF THE 

TIMBER, BRETT LEE ALSO 

HAS A ROMANTIC SIDE 

THAT HAS COME ONSCREEN 

WITH HIS DEBUT MOVIE, 

UNINDIAN. WE SAT HIM 

DOWN TO DISCUSS 

HIS CRICKETING 

SUPERSTITION, FIRST HINDI 

SONG AND MUCH MORE… 

Interview by SUDHAKAR JHA

From picture perfect timberhitting 

moments to now 

movies… Tell us about your 

affinity towards the camera. 

I’ve always enjoyed being in front 

of the camera. My first opportunity 

to do a feature film was a lot of 

fun. I enjoyed every moment of it 

and just hope that the movie does 

well in India. 

So, how Indian is your 

Bollywood debut, UnIndian? 

It’s an Australian made romantic 

comedy with a lot of Bollywood 

flavour and spice. It was fun 

shooting for it. 

Tell us more about the movie… 

It’s a really romantic and cute story 

of how an English professor who 

teaches culture tries to fall in love 

with an Indian single mum. And 

how her family reacts to the love. 

How did you bag the role? 

I guess the opportunity just arrived 

at my doorsteps. And moreover, I 

think they must’ve thought that I 

was very hungry for the role 

(haha). 

So, you are the UnIndian guy 

who’s gonna end up in an 

Indian family? 

You will have to watch the movie 

and find it out yourself! 

How is Tannishtha Chatterjee 

to work with? Did you learn 

new Hindi words from her? 

She is a wonderful actress and a 

beautiful person. I have learnt a lot 

from her, from acting to a bit more 

words in Hindi (haha). 

What was the first Hindi song 

you listened to? 

Oh, it was Muqabala Muqabala! I 

still remember the steps that 

Prabhudeva did in the song! 

It’s been about 10 years since 

your debut album with Asha 

Bhosle. Any plans of singing 

another Hindi song again? 

Yes. I’m all game for it. It will be 

great to sing in Hindi again. May 

be this time I will have better 

diction (laughs). On a serious note, 

I would love to sing if the 

opportunity arises. 

You’re one of the Aussie 

cricketers who’s absolutely 

adored in India. Do you have 

any plans of settling down 

here? 

I spend about three months a year 

in India, but Sydney will always be 

my home. 

What has kept you busy since 

your retirement from cricket? 

I’ve really gotten into my 

commentary work in India and 

Australia. It keeps me very busy! 

And commentary has helped me 

stay in touch with the game I love 

so much. 

Do you enjoy the role of a 

commentator? 

Yes, as I said, I love keeping in 

touch with the game. And mind 

you, talking about the game is 

harder than playing it (laughs). 

Did you have any superstitious 

beliefs during your playing 

days? 

It wasn’t actually a superstition but, 

I always used to put on my left 

shoe first. I don’t know if it 

did any good to my career, but 

yeah, I just did it throughout my 

playing days! 

Do you remember your first 

and the last ball in international 

cricket? 

Yes, I do remember my first, but 

not my last.

I’VE REALLY GOTTEN 

INTO MY COMMENTARY 

WORK IN INDIA AND 

AUSTRALIA. IT KEEPS 

ME VERY BUSY! AND 

COMMENTARY HAS 

HELPED ME TO STAY IN 

TOUCH WITH 

THE GAME I LOVE 

SO MUCH. 

And what about your first Test 

wicket? 

How could I forget that! It was the 

best moment in my entire Test 

cricket. I made my debut against 

India in 1999, at the MCG. It was 

the fourth ball of my first over and 

Sadagoppan Ramesh played on 

to gift me my first wicket! 

How did people come up with 

the nickname, Binga? 

There is an electrical store called, 

‘Bing Lee’ in Sydney and I guess I 

was named after that. 

During playing days, who was 

that one batsman that you 

dreaded bowling at? 

I loved bowling to Sachin 

Tendulkar. 

Tell us something about your 

association with Almond 

Fresh? 

It feels implausible to be 

associated with a brand like 

Almond Fresh. Almond Fresh is a 

plant-based almond milk. Each 

drop of it is made of a whole 

almond. It is made of pure 

almond which you are not eating 

but drinking. Being a cricketer, 

fitness freak and now an actor, it 

is a great privilege to be 

associated with the brand. 

How do you think this product 

is going to help people who 

hate dairy products? 

Almond Fresh is a milk from 

which you can get the all the 

important nutrients without 

lactose. People are turning more 

towards fitness nowadays. And 

they tend to have products which 

are low in fat, lactose free, high in 

calcium and healthy. So Almond 

Fresh would actually be a great 

alternate for people who do not 

like dairy products. 

Being a fitness freak yourself, 

have you tried it? How did you 

like it? 

When I saw Almond Fresh for the 

first time, I knew it is going to be 

good in taste and it does really 

tastes great! Flavours are very 

nice, but natural is for those who 

do not like the sweet taste of milk. 

Being a fitness freak I also 

consider having things which are 

good in taste and Almond Fresh is 

one of them. 

So, on a parting note, when do 

we get to see you romancing a 

girl onscreen again? 

Soon! Just go to a theatre and 

watch UnIndian (winks)! 


Braving heights 

WE WERE HOSTED BY A SEASONED WAR VETERAN AND VIR CHAKRA AWARDEE, AIR 

COMMODORE, N CHATRATH, ON OUR VISIT TO DALHOUSIE. HE LIVES IN A BEAUTIFUL 

COLONIAL BUNGALOW WITH HIS GORGEOUS WIFE, ALL SET TO ENTER THE NINTH 

DECADE OF HIS LIFE. EXCERPTS FROM OUR CHAT ON WAR & PEACE WITH THE HERO... 

Interview by SIDDHARTH M JOSHI | Photography SACHIN RUHIL 

“I’m a very old guy, now 89 years 

old. And I have loved my life in the 

Indian Air Force. I have spent 

more than 80 per cent of my 

tenure on the air bases 

commanding squadrons, and 

commanding air bases towards 

the end of my career... 

INDO-CHINA WAR, 1962 

I had just come back from Egypt, 

having been on a detachment to 

train the Egyptian Air Force, when 

the ’62 war with China started. At 

that time I was commanding a 

squadron, and I and my 

commander were posted at a 

place called Chabua. We would 

be asked every morning to do a 

weather check, to places close to 

the border. But we were not 

allowed to fire a shot or even fly 

over the battle area. When 

Dibrugarh, the nearest air base to 

Chabua, was evacuated I, without 

any authority, supposedly to go 

for a weather check, diverted 

along with my commander, 

Deshpande. Four or five minutes 

later we were flying over the 

Chinese. I did not fire a shot. I was 

so low over them that it was eye 

ball to eye ball. It was early 

morning and the clouds were 

coming. I pulled up and asked 

Deshpande to pull up also and we 

went back to base. I told the 

Officer-in-charge Flying that this 

is where the Chinese are and I 

have not fired a shot. But we can 

easily go and drop thousand 

pound bombs along both sides of 

the ravine and that will stop their 

coming. But I had disobeyed 

orders and I was told I’d be up for 

a court martial. I was marched to 

the Group Captain, Parker, who 

was understanding enough to 

assure me that despite having 

done something without 

permission, because I had done 

what I thought was right he’d 

pretend that it never happened. 

A POSSIBLE VICTORY 

I would like to think that a victory 

was possible. A day or two after 

we had flown over to the Chinese 

territory there was a unilateral 

cease fire. The Chinese had no air 

power at all. They were 

completely out of logistics 

support because they were at, 

what we call, the foothills. We had 

the Hunters and the Vampires 

standing by and we could see 

what was going on. We were 

ready to go but were not given 

the orders, because our political 

leaders thought that this may lead 

to a full scale war. If this was not 

a full scale war then I’d like to 

FOUR OR FIVE MINUTES LATER WE WERE FLYING 

OVER THE CHINESE. I DID NOT FIRE A SHOT. I WAS SO 

LOW OVER THEM THAT IT WAS EYE BALL TO EYE 

BALL. IT WAS EARLY MORNING... 

know what is? If we had used the 

Air Force there would have not 

been so many casualties and we 

wouldn’t have been so humiliated. 

But our army did fight and our last 

man fought to his last bullet. We 

take our hats off to them. But we 

hang our heads in shame 

because of what the political 

class thought and decided. The 

belief was that if we used the Air 

Force the Chinese would come 

and bomb Calcutta. We were also 

called in very late in the Kargil 

war, at least 24 hours late. In 

affairs of warfare the Air Force is 

the first one to take charge. 

INDO-PAK WAR, 1971 

In 1971 after being warned 

against the genocide that was 

happening in the then East 

Pakistan, when Pakistan 

continued to drive out hordes of 

Bangladeshis, most of them 

Hindus, from the territory, the 

political leadership decided to go 

for war. The chiefs of all three 

wings came together and the 

dates and timings were 

coordinated, and we went to war. 

Even then we were hit by the 

Pakistani Air Force in places like 

Halwara and Pathankot. Our first 

strike into East Pakistan was on 

the 4th of December. And I am 

proud to say that I was honoured 

to lead the first strike and hit a 

place called Kurmitola, which was 

in the outskirts of Dhaka. 

SHOOTING DOWN THE ENEMY 

I was commanding the 17th 

Squadrons then. On the 4th, four 

of us took off in our Hunters, 

which is a fighter bomber. My sub 


section leader’s undercarriage 

would not retract so he had to 

return to the base, and we carried 

on with three hunters. I being the 

Squadron commander was, 

obviously, leading the first sortee. 

We got just short of our pull up 

point; we were flying very low 

over the Brahmaputra, not more 

than 15 feet or so. We were 

against four Sabres which were 

better equipped with air-to-air 

missiles. So, it was an uneven 

fight. Two of us were hit, but all 

three of came back successfully. I 

was fortunate enough to be able 

to shoot down a Sabre, right over 

the airfield, flying at over coconut 

tree height. 

BENEFIT OF DOUBT 

I recall it was the third day 

wherein I was supposed to go 

and give a close report to a place 

called Hili, where our troops were 

being marauded. We were, in fact, 

taking a lot of casualties. Our 

target was Hili, but on the left 

hand side, which was the enemy 

side. Once getting just shot of 

Hili, on my left (the enemy line) I 

saw a lot of dust coming which I 

had marked being on the enemy 

side. When we got closer we saw 

a convoy of several tanks, 

armoured vehicles and troop 

carriers. I flew over that and told 

Arora, a Flying Officer who was 

with me, to keep his height above 

12,000 ft to avoid the ground fire. 

I flew without any intention of 

attacking and even after getting 

close to the area, and the entire 

convoy opened up. 

I still couldn’t decide whether 

it was our troops or theirs 

because it was just into the bomb 

line. I made another pass and 

again the whole thing opened up. 

I, in my initiative, decided that it 

was a Pakistani convoy which we 

need to attack. I and Arora got 

into an attack formation. When 

we’re going for a close report we 

carry four guns in the Hunter and 

four rocket projectiles which are 

meant for hard targets like tanks 

and bridges. My first rocket 

overshot the tanks that I had over 

sight. The convoy began to rush 

into the mangroves, back into the 

East Pakistan. And I got three 

tanks with my rocket projectiles. 

After we reached the base 

operations room and reported 

that we attacked this column of 

troops and got three tanks. There 

was pin drop silence in the room 

because I was informed that there 

were only Indian troops there are 

no one from the enemy side. I 

couldn’t grow over the fact 

because I knew what havoc had 

been played in our attacks. But 

the mystery was resolved when I 

WE WERE 

AGAINST FOUR 

SABRES WHICH 

WERE BETTER 

EQUIPPED WITH 

AIR-TO-AIR 

MISSILES. SO, IT 

WAS AN 

UNEVEN FIGHT. 

TWO OF US 

WERE HIT, BUT 

ALL THREE OF 

US CAME BACK 

SUCCESSFULLY. 

I WAS 

FORTUNATE 

ENOUGH TO BE 

ABLE TO SHOOT 

DOWN A SABRE. 


YOU WILL 

HARDLY FIND 

ANY CHILD 

WHOSE 

PARENT IS IN 

THE SERVICES 

JOINING THE 

ARMY. IT HAS 

BECOME LIKE 

ANY OTHER JOB 

OPTION NOW. 

got a call at midnight that ‘the 

core commander sends you his 

heartiest congratulations. These 

were the same Pakistani troops 

and tanks that were on a 

rampage over our Indian army in 

Hily.’ That was a relief. 

POLITICAL UN-WILL 

We had 93,000 Pakistani troops 

as prisoners of war after it was 

over. They were all very well 

looked after, because we treated 

our prisoners of war as per the 

Geneva convention. But this is 

where the political leadership 

failed. We did not follow through. 

When we had these 93,000 

prisoners of war I don’t think 

there were many families in 

Pakistan who didn’t have a father, 

son, nephew or a brother who 

was not a prisoner of war. We 

could have solved the entire 

Kashmir situation. 

CORRUPTION 

There are several hundred 

systems that go into making an 

aircraft, and several companies 

that come into play. During 

procurement deals people used 

to come and go, about which 

even the high commission didn’t 

know and these deals would be 

done. This corruption started as 

something prominent especially 

after Rajiv Gandhi’s time. He 

personally, I believe, was an 

honest man, but many people 

fired shots off his shoulder. There 

were many big companies who 

had their connections with the 

babus and big deals were done. I 

don’t want to name anyone, but 

the netas would then 

automatically come in. That is 

when the corruption started, and 

ever since there was not even 

one deal that was done 

transparently. I’ve seen it happen 

right in front of my eyes and when 

I tried to interfere in one of them 

because they were charging too 

much, I was asked to stay out in 

the next meeting. 

LIFE IN A FIGHTER BASE 

Life in a fighter base is beautiful. 

It’s like an exclusive club. What 

you see on celluloid is not even 

close to how a proud fighter pilot 

feels. It takes a lot of hard work 

and the cream of the lot is 

selected. Every fighter pilot vies 

for doing more and more sorties 

every day, and he is never afraid. 

If he is afraid, then we know he is 

and he is pushed out. 

Other than that there is no 

formality as such. I was a Wing 

Commander then, and my 

younger officers used to come to 

wife and say, “Ma’am aj toh hum 

ye khaengey,” and Pam (Pamela, 

his wife) would humour it. We had 

lovely dance parties. My young 

officers would ask Pam for a 

dance and it was alright. It was 

never taken amiss. In the Army, 

you’d never be able to meet a 

brigadier or a station commander 

without making an appointment, 

but it’s not like that in the Air 

Force. It’s very homely kind of an 

environment where anybody can 

drop in at any time and that will 

be OK. Also, our airmen are 

technicians, so they are highly 

educated. 

THEN AND NOW 

We came from very different 

backgrounds. Generals’ children 

would join the army. The Air 

Marshalls’ children would join the 

Air Force. But it’s not like that 

now. You will hardly find any child 

whose parent is in the services 

joining the army. It has become 

like any other job option for 

youngsters now. 

In the old days if you were 

going to the mess there were 

separate clothes for it. You 

couldn’t wear jeans or t-shirts or 

shorts inside the mess. Also, no 

children were allowed inside. Now 

if you go to the mess, families 

come with toddlers and babies in 

their arms. But I don’t blame it. 

But the background of the people 

who joined the services is dying 

out. The corruption in the services 

is also coming in because of this 

shift in the background. 


WORDS: ANDY JONES, ANDREW LOWRY, ANTHONY TEASDALE; 

ILLUSTRATIONS: DHRUV ADITYA DAVE

The 

Days 

of 

Future! 

They look ordinary. They lace up the same. But it’s not the boots that matter, 

it’s the soldier in it that does. They say that the wars of future will be fought by high-tech 

computers and futuristic weapons, so why not prepare! 

Because it’s good a have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it! 

Words by SUDHAKAR JHA | Illustrations by SACHIN RUHIL (opener) & ANWITA MUKHERJEE

F- INSAS -India- 

Conceived in 2005 as the Futuristic Infantry Soldier As A System (F-INSAS) for the Inventory 

Vision 2020, the Indian army aimed to harness the advanced and cutting edge military technology 

that would enhance the operational capabilities of the infantry soldier with abilities of lethality, 

survivability, mobility, communications and situational awareness. 

HELMET & VISOR 

The level IV bulletproof 

helmet will be 

capable of stopping 

a 9mm round 

at close range. 

Facial protection, 

ballistic and laser 

eye protection and 

flame-resistant. It 

is also equipped 

with eye & face 

protection. 

WEAPON 

Soldiers will 

be equipped 

with a gun 

that can be 

reconfigured 

from and 

assault rifle 

to carbine to 

fit the need of 

combat. 

CLOTHING 

Non flammable and waterproof, the level IV 

bullet proof jacket will allow the soldier to carry 

extra load and also resist the impact of nuclear, 

radiology and chemical warfare. The new uniform 

will also have vests with sensors to monitor the 

soldier’s health parameters and provide quick 

medical relief. 

BAGPACK FRAME 

The bag will hold personal computer 

which will be integrated with radio 

and GPS. 

ACCESSORIES 

The soldier will be provided with 

integrated multifunction sight 

device, night vision equipment, 

thermal imager, a laser range-finder, 

colour charge-coupled-device 

(CCD) camera, global positioning 

system (GPS) and a digital 

magnetic compass, compact 

laser-based instruments, integrated 

electro-optical surveillance and 

fire control systems, advanced 

GPS receivers, infrared sensors, 

thermal sensors, electro optical 

sensors, spectroscopic sensors, 

electromagnetic and radio 

frequency sensors and among other 

sensors, radars and jammers. 

FOOTWEAR 

The footwear will protect against 

small landmines.

FFW -USA- 

The US Land Warrior is an integrated fighting system for individual infantry soldiers which gives 

the soldier enhanced tactical awareness, lethality and survivability. The Land Warrior system will 

be deployed by infantry, and combat support soldiers, including rangers, airborne, air assault, 

light and mechanised infantry soldiers. Launched in 1994, the program was merged with Future 

Force Warrior in 2005 for more efficient results. 

HELMET 

The helmet will house a GPS receiver, radio 

and the wide angle LAN connections. It 

resembles a mini computer screen that will 

allow the soldier to view the terrain before him, 

track location of his teammates and 

mark his objectives. 

WEAPON 

M16 and M4 carbine, 

both with reduced 

mass, smaller physical 

size, new munition 

packaging (caseless 

propellant), higher 

firing rate, improved 

field reliability and 

maintenance, with an 

additional critically 

important additional 

feature of enhanced 

weapon aiming that 

will not require a 

soldier to aim with his 

eye using a weapon 

installed sight. 

BODY ARMOUR 

The concept liquid body armour consists of 

small iron particles suspended in silicon oil. 

The fluid transforms from liquid to solid in 

just milliseconds when a magnetic field or 

electrical current is applied to it. The current 

causes the iron particles to lock into a uniform 

polarity and stack on top of each other, 

creating an impenetrable shield. 

UNIFORM 

The Future Force 

Warrior uniform 

suit is based on the 

Soldier Protective 

Integrated 

Ensemble System 

(SPIES), fabricated 

from highly durable, 

flexible textile, 

embedded with 

protective pads 

for elbow and 

knee protection. 

EXOSKELETON 

In the shoulder of the Future Force 

Warrior uniform will be a fabric 

filled with nanomachines that 

mimic the action of human muscles, 

flexing open and shut when 

stimulated by an electrical pulse. 

These nanomachines will create lift 

the way muscles do and augment 

overall lifting ability by 25 to 35 

percent.

FELIN -France- 

Between 1997 and 2000, the French Ministry of Defence Procurement Agency launched its FELIN 

(Fantassin à Équipements et Liaisons Intégrés) future infantry soldier programme. The system is 

set to provide the soldiers with improved close combat capability in terms of lethality and C4I 

(command, control, computers, communication and information). 

HELMET 

The helmet is composed 

of three components: head 

protection, communication 

headset, and optronic 

equipment. The ballistic shell 

optimises protection and 

load-bearing ergonomics. It 

can accommodate various 

items required for the mission 

(facial protection screens) 

and its shape is compatible 

with all firing positions of the 

weapons used. 

CLOTHING 

Basic combat clothing will 

have a full cut allowing 

free movement. Bellows 

pockets will provide 

ample carrying capacity. 

The material (fabric) 

offers good mechanical 

properties, but still allow 

good air permeability. The 

fibres (aramid/viscose 

FR) are flame- and washresistant. 

WEAPON 

The weapon systems 

include the Giat FAMAS 

F1 5.56mm assault 

rifle, the Giat FR-F2 

7.62mm sniper rifle and 

the FN Herstal Minimi 

5.56mm light machine 

gun. The weapons are 

to be fitted with new 

sights for day and night 

operation and improved 

target acquisition. 

PORTABLE ELECTRONIC 

PLATFORM 

The PEP lies at the heart 

of the Félin system. 

Designed to utilise 

all the electronic 

resources found on 

the electronic jacket 

(computer, energy 

manager, peripheral 

equipment interfaces, 

user interfaces).

SICS -Sudan- 

The Sudanese Integrated Soldier Combat System (SICS) debuted at the International Defence 

Exhibition and Conference and showcased a digitised weapon equipment that is designed to 

enhance individual soldier’s combat capabilities. From fire-power lethality to day-night video sight 

technology and ballistic protection equipment, the African nation is gearing up for the battlefield. 

NIGHT-VISION GOGGLE 

One of the key elements of the SICS is 

the domestically manufactured SARY 

SMZ03 night vision goggle. It uses 

ambient star and moon light 

illumination to aid soldiers while 

walking, driving, firing weapons, 

vehicle maintenance, map reading, and 

providing medical assistance. 

WEAPON 

Firepower for the Sudanese future 

soldier program is provided by the 

Chinese 5.56 mm bullpup QBZ-97 

assault rifle. This rifle is identical 

to the QBZ-95 in domestic service 

in China in all but two respects. 

(A) QBZ-97 uses the NATO standard 

5.56 mm round instead of the 

5.8 mm Chinese round of the 

QBZ-95, and (B) Sudanese version 

has a deeper magazine as well 

that matches the NATO standard 

magazines. 

PERSONAL SOLDIER 

RADIO SYSTEM 

The Sudaneseproduced 

DABAKA 

SSZ09 STR-2100 VHF 

transceiver appears to 

be the personal soldier 

radio system. 

The MIC of Sudan also 

claims anti-jamming 

and anti-listening 

capabilities because of 

500 hops per second 

frequency hopping and 

a digital encryption 

algorithm. 

CLOTHING 

Improved front/back ballistic 

protection against small caliber 

ammunition and shrapnel from 

bullet-proof jackets.

WIN AT LIFE 

OBJECT of desire 

24-KARAT GOLD BOTTLE 

BY VALLURE VODKA 

Vallure Vodka is the world’s finest super premium vodka brand that is 

made with a unique, age-old recipe, and from the top percentage of 

the world’s finest German winter wheat. 


Every drop of Vallure 

vodka is subjected 

to a high level 

multi-distillation process 

followed by a genuine 

triple gold-filtering 

process, whereby the spirit 

is passed through three 

24-karat gold filters, 

boosting its flavour and 

increasing its smoothness. 

To represent the worth of 

the spirit and the unique 

triple gold-filtering 

process, every bottle of 

vodka is cased in 24 karat 

gold. Vallure’s quality 

management team tests 

every distilled batch and 

ensures that every bottle 

of Vallure is filled with the 

world’s smoothest, best 

tasting vodka. The bottle 

is accompanied by a 

two-part, black shell 

packaging and is 

showcased in a red velvet 

interior, a design greatly 

influenced by the last two 

centuries of aristocratic 

Eastern Europe. 

TASTING 

NOTE: 

IT IS AN INCREDIBLY SMOOTH 

AND SUBTLE SPIRIT, WITH A 

WISP OF NATURAL HERBS AND 

A SOOTHING, SIMPLE 

AFTERTASTE.

ENCAMPING 

IN UPLANDS 

HEY BACKPACKER! PLANNING TO HIKE UP AND 

BIVOUAC IN GREEN MEADOWS AMIDST FORESTED HILLS 

AND WOODED TRAILS? HERE’S YOUR GUIDE TO THE 

LIST OF MUST-HAVE CAMPING ESSENTIALS BEFORE YOU 

WAYFARE TO THE DISTANT LAND. 

Words by DEVIKA OHRI | Photography SACHIN RUHIL 

WILDCRAFT TENT 

For those 

impromptu 

decisions to make 

an unfamiliar spot 

your home! 

Wildcraft’s 

durable, tough & 

waterproof 

tent for is a key 

travel accessory. 

PRICE: `4,995 

WILDCRAFT SLEEPING BAG 

Breathable, snuggly Wildcraft D-Lite 

camping sleeping bag offers a comfortable 

stay wherever you like. 

PRICE: `2,995 

CAMPING ESSENTIALS 

COLEMAN’S FYRECOMMANDER 3-IN- 1 

PROPANE STOVE 

Cooking while camping is easy with a 

sturdy, wind-proof propane stove 

equipped with spacious cooking area. 

PRICE: `32,711 

PORTRONICS POWERNOTE 

Charge your gadgets on the go 

with the world’s slimmest 16K 

mAh power bank with sleek 

notebook features and an LCD 

display window. 

PRICE: `3,299 

QUECHUA CAMPING FOLDING ARMCHAIR 

To sit at your comfortable spot amidst 

nature, or while on the go for some 

rest off your car seat. 

PRICE: `1,199 


WOODLAND HIKING BAG 

A large rucksack to 

carry all your travel 

essentials together is 

a must-have. Invest 

in Woodland’s strong 

& durable hiking bag 

with 70 litres 

capacity. 

PRICE: `8,495 

SPORTY AVIATORS FROM GLARES BY TITAN 

A bold and sturdy pair of sunglasses is a 

promising travel companion. With metal and 

aluminum body, Titan Eyeplus’ sunglasses can 

take on slips and falls in the wilderness. 

PRICE: ` 3,495 

WOODLAND BOOTS 

A resilient pair of 

boots from 

Woodland will 

make striding on 

the unknown paths 

a joy. Got to invest 

in a stout and 

rugged pair of 

boots for the 

wanderlust you. 

PRICE: `10,000 

VICTORINOX HUNTSMAN LITE 

What can be better than a Swiss army 

knife with over 20 tools, and an LED 

flashlight included! Go off the beaten 

path with Victorinox Huntsman Lite. 

PRICE: `4,440 

BOSE SOUND LINK MINI 2 

It’s all about big sound with deep bass. 

These portable speakers come with 

rechargeable battery that plays up to 

10 hours. 

PRICE: `18,000 


WHO’S 

SHE? 

From: Manchester, 

England 

Age: 26 

Vital stats: 

36-25-38 

Twitter: 

@alexouthwaite 

Facebook: 

@alexouthwaite

COOL ADVICE FROM 

A HOT GIRL 

ALEX 

OUTHWAITE 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DATE 

LARGER THAN LIFE! 

When a travel show TV presenter is sharing tips on dates, you better take 

note, guys. After drooling over the pictures, of course! 

Interview by Sudhakar Jha Photography Rogue Productions Makeup Ema Purghel 


WHAT EXOTIC 

LOCATION 

A GUY SHOULD TAKE 

HIS GIRL TO? 

I THINK THAT IF A GUY 

KNOWS SOME SECRET, 

FUN PLACES IN ANY 

AREA THAT NOT A LOT 

OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT 

THEN IT’S PRETTY COOL. IT 

DOESN’T REALLY HAVE TO 

BE EXOTIC. WHEN I WAS 

FILMING MY TV SHOW FOR 

TRAVELXP HD IN INDIA, 

WE WENT TO A REALLY 

REMOTE AND BEAUTIFUL 

AREA IN MEGHALAYA 

CALLED SHNONGPDENG. 

WE CAMPED BY THE RIVER 

AND COOKED ON THE 

BANKS, IF SOMEONE TOOK 

ME SOMEWHERE LIKE 

THAT I’D BE IMPRESSED AT 

HIS LOCAL KNOWLEDGE!

WHAT OUTLANDISH 

FOOD SHOULD 

HE ORDER TO 

IMPRESS HER? 

YOU KNOW, IT’S ALWAYS 

GOOD WHEN SOMEONE 

IS UP FOR TRYING NEW 

THINGS WITH FOOD. I LOVE 

SEAFOOD AND ITS SUPER 

ROMANTIC IF YOU GET 

TO PICK IT OUT TOGETHER 

AND IT’S COOKED 

RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU 

ON THE BEACH. 



WHAT’S THE 

UNUSUAL YET 

ROMANTIC 

TRADITION FROM 

AROUND THE WORLD? 

I GUESS IT’S NOT REALLY A 

TRADITION, BUT I ALWAYS 

LIKE LITTLE SURPRISES. 

LIKE IF A GUY HAS BEEN 

AWAY AND BRINGS YOU 

BACK A LITTLE TOKEN 

OF HIS AFFECTION, IT 

JUST SHOWS HE WAS 

THINKING OF YOU, WHICH 

IS LOVELY. EQUALLY, SOME 

OF THE MOST ROMANTIC 

THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE 

DONE FOR ME HAVE BEEN 

MAKING SOMETHING FOR 

ME. I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL 

HAND-PAINTED CHARCOAL 

PICTURE OF A LION IN 

MY ROOM.

WHAT ADVENTUROUS 

THINGS CAN THE 

COUPLE DO TOGETHER? 

WOW! THERE’S SO MANY 

CHOICES! I LOVE SCUBA 

DIVING WITH SOMEONE. I 

THINK TRAVELLING TOO CAN 

REALLY BRING YOU CLOSER 

AS A COUPLE. GOING TO 

NEW PLACES, LIKE NATIONAL 

PARKS, TREKKING OR EVEN 

MARKET. NOT EVERYTHING 

ALWAYS GOES ACCORDING 

TO PLAN ON TRIPS, 

BUT IT’S ALWAYS THE FUNNY 

AND ADVENTUROUS STORIES 

THAT END UP BRINGING 

COUPLES CLOSER. 

July 2016 91

WHAT TO DO IF 

SOMETHING GOES 

WRONG? 

(HAHA) I THINK THAT 

TOTALLY DEPENDS ON 

WHAT GOES WRONG! 

SOMEONE ONCE TRIED 

TO TAKE ME TO A WINE- 

TASTING CLASS AND WE 

GOT ON THE WRONG TRAIN 

AND MISSED THE CLASS. 

HE DEALT WITH IT WELL 

THOUGH. WE LAUGHED 

ABOUT THE MISTAKE AND 

ENDED UP JUST GOING 

SOMEWHERE NEARBY! I 

THINK IT’S ON THE GUY 

ON HOW HE HANDLES 

THE SITUATION. 


FHMSTORE.COM

pandora’s box 

Bottle organiser from WhyKnot 

Home decor and gifting brand, WhyKnot offers a varying range of products 

which are not only impeccably designed but are also utilitarian. This wooden 

beer holder is a perfect companion for your bottles when outdoors. 

`2,190 

Skeyndor anti-aging 

cream 

Energising anti-age serum 

provides the skin with an 

invigorating dose of 

energy. Made with Siberian 

ginseng, an adaptogen 

that stabilises cell 

metabolism and activates 

the immune system, 

improving the skin’s 

resistance to stress and 

extreme atmospheres. It 

prevents and soften signs 

of skin fatigue and ageing. 

`2,100 (30ml) 

Philips introduces Visapure in India 

Philips India has entered men’s skincare market by launching the internationally acclaimed 

VisaPureMen range in India. VisaPure is a range of face-cleansing brushes designed for 

different skin types and cleansing needs. 

`3,995 


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H&M modern 

essentials by 

David Beckham 

Masculine, urban 

and sharp, the 

Modern Essentials 

selected by David 

Beckham creates a 

new male uniform 

for the city for 

autumn 2016 at 

H&M. The nylon zip 

up bomber sets the 

urban mood and is 

a must-have 

essential for men 

this season. The 

stunning wine red 

piece can be styled 

with other pieces 

from the collection 

or can be worn on 

it’s own. 

`2,799 

Nivea Men body 

deodorizer 

Nivea Men has 

launched two new 

variants of the body 

deodorizer, Sprint and 

Intense. Where 

ordinary deodorants 

only mask body odour 

superficially 

making consumers 

use their deos 

multiple times during 

the day, the body 

deodorizer works on 

the skin to control 

body odour with 

just 1 use! 

`250 

Breitling Chronomat 44 Blacksteel 

Special Edition 

Breitling’s stellar chronomat model gets a whole 

new face in a special edition featuring a 

resolutely technical and masculine style. 

The satin-brushed steel case and bezel stand 

out by their black carbon-based high 

resistance treatment. 

`6,28,000

FHM India - October 2016

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