The Writer’s Flight

Rarity and durability make the true white metal appealing to people searching for understated class Namrata Kohli   |    New Delhi Platinum jewellery stands out for its clarity and class. (Stock photo) Resilient, beautiful and pure: platinum is all these, giving it an appeal that  jewellery  made of gold, silver and diamonds lacks. Platinum jewelry pieces are classy and exclusive. The metal is hypoallergenic, meaning virtually no one has an allergic reaction to it. Platinum is widely known for its ability to withstand daily wear without thinning. This noble metal, one of the strongest, natural materials on the planet, is also one of the longest-lasting. Platinum jewelry is almost entirely pure, at 95% purity even when it’s set with diamonds makes platinum one of the finest metals available on the market today. The metal is naturally white, versus white gold which is made with the addition of alloys, often nickel, that can cause allergic reactions. Very high on r...

Two years of pandemic gloom appear over as e-commerce websites and malls report people splurging and bring them business Websites, shops and malls are reporting a surge in Diwali gift shopping. (Stock photo) Archana Dhole’s plan for  Diwali  gifts is made: she will give plants to her friends and relatives. “No point giving sweets which are a repetition and also make people add on body weight,” said Dhole, a 52-year-old Mumbai resident. Last year, she had gifted air fryers to her closest friends. Sitting at home, you can buy a range of gifts from Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon India and other portals offering discounts and offers. “The Amazon Great Indian Festival kicked off to an exciting start with a great response from customers and seller partners. It is encouraging to witness small and medium businesses, start-ups, artisans, women entrepreneurs offer a wide selection of products to our customers across India,” said Manish Tiwary, vice president and country manager, India Consume...

The director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra explains what it takes to be a good theatre artist Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi   Shobha Deepak Singh, director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra Shobha Deepak Singh  is the director of Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, one of the oldest cultural centres of India, and a producer-director of thought-provoking productions on themes drawn from Indian mythology. The government awarded her Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, in 1999 for her contributions to arts and culture.  Namrata Kohli  interviewed Shobha Deepak Singh during the staging of one of the longest-running plays in independent India titled 'Shri Ram'. You run a successful institution that trains theatre artists besides other art forms. Which are the various aspects one can be associated with? What are the key attributes required for becoming a good theatre artist? There are certain significant aspects that a the...

Not just actors, the stage is open to a wide range of talented people. We tell you the skills you need to be a theatre artist and the training institutes that produce the best Namrata Kohli   |   New Delhi   The Shri Ram play, which had its 66th edition this year, is Delhi's landmark theatre event staged each year from Dussehra to Dhanteras Photo credit: Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra This musical drama is timeless after more than 60 years and has been watched by Indian Presidents and Prime Ministers: we are talking about the 66th edition of 'Shri Ram', a production by Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi. “For a regular at Shri Ram, there is a new learning every time, the minutest of details when pondered upon, open an all-new chapter for one to imbibe and take home with,” said Bhawna Katoch, a 33-year-old school teacher and theatre fan. The drama has performances of Bharatanatyam, Kalaripayattu, Mayurbhanj Chau and North Indian folk dances and it uses mu...

The sale of properties that only the super-rich can afford is bumping up two years after the pandemic hit the country Namrata Kohli   Luxury homes are the investment choice of India’s super rich. (Stock photo) The rich and famous are making a safe investment bet: super  luxury homes .  Tata group  chairman N Chandrasekaran this year bought a duplex for Rs 98 crore in Mumbai, actor Madhuri Dixit-Nene bought an apartment worth Rs 48 crore in the same city, and Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan purchased twin properties in Bengaluru worth Rs 76 crore. “Liquidity from capital gains including stake sale, start-ups, IPOs, dividends, stock market is driving demand for  luxury homes . Large homes in posh areas, large size plots, bungalows, farmhouses are showing highest traction,” said Amit Goyal, chief executive officer (CEO) of India Sotheby’s International Realty. Compared to the time before Covid-19 in 2020, the sale of such properties has increased. “Buoyed by...

Lucrative discounts and packages lure Indians: here is how to choose the best deals Namrata Kohli   London, Dubai or Singapore: there is a world of places to travel, and Indians will go there, making up for the two years lost in the pandemic. International flight prices have increased some 38 per cent since 2019, according to KAYAK, an online travel agency and search engine. The bill for a night in a double room in a 3- or 4-star international hotel has increased about 22 per cent since 2019. The prices are not holding back Indians, though this year their international vacations looks to be shorter at 24 days (decreasing about 13 per cent from 2019), according to an analysis of KAYAK’s flight search data. Apart from travel costs, there is visa delay to consider, especially for the US and UK. “The visa challenge is two pronged: obtaining appointment slots coupled with extended processing time. Appointments for the UK are available within a week, the visa-pro...