Haircare: Is your shampoo damaging your hair?

 Hair breakage, Hair fall, Dandruff, Itchiness in the scalp,Less hair and many more. There are many problems related to hair and numerous home remedies, treatments and oils have failed to solve these common hair issues. Even after washing hair three or four times a week, the situation of the hair remains the same. Why is this happening? Have you ever thought of it?

Are you applying the right shampoo to your hair? A lot of hair and scalp problems are caused due to the wrong shampoo and conditioner. 

Dr Kalpana Patel, senior consultant, ARV Aesthetics skin and laser clinic in Gurgaon, said, “Shampoo is like soap for the hair. There is a natural protective layer of oil on the body skin and head scalp. Applying any harsh soap on the body will break the natural layer of oil. In the same way, repeated use of harsh shampoo, which is full of chemicals, will break the natural layer of oil. Then the hair and scalp become more susceptible to breakage from pollution, dryness, and air current. Using the right shampoo maintains the scalp naturally and makes it healthy.” 

How can you identify the right shampoo for you?

Whenever you think about oil, do think about your shampoo as well. Dr Patel explained the basic mantra and said, “Look out for those shampoos that are Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) free, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) free, Paraben-free, and have no high fragrance.” 

•     For choosing the right shampoo, get to know the kind of scalp you have
•     For too oily scalp, use a shampoo for oily hair to wash off the extra oil 
•     For too dry scalp, use mild shampoos and shampoos with moisturising and conditioning agents
•     For a normal scalp, use shampoos with less chemicals, detergents, and conditioning agents. These are the balancing shampoos that maintain the PH value
•     For scalp having recurrent dandruff, one needs to get proper consultation from a dermatologist and use a medicated shampoo recommended by a qualified doctor 

A healthy scalp tolerates strong shampoos once or twice. A healthy scalp is maintained only when you have a good hair care routine. Good oiling moisturises the hair and creates a protective layer.

But if you have sensitive skin or have dryness, dandruff, inflammation, there is no protective layer on the scalp. Strong shampoos will worsen the scalp’s condition. So avoid the wrong choice of shampoos.

What is the effect of wrong shampoos on hair?

Imagine taking a bath with a cloth-washing soap. What do you think will happen next? 

Your skin will get extremely dry due to the presence of excess soda in the soap. Those soaps will destroy the protective layer of the body. The same will happen with the hair. If you apply a shampoo with too many chemicals, detergents, etc, your hair will start becoming lifeless and lose its lustre. 

If this damage does not stop in the long run, then both hair and scalp will start destroying and there is a possibility of skin issues as well. 

Dr Sachin Maurya, consultant, Dermatology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, said, “If our scalp is extremely dry, then we are prone to have the allergic disorder (fungal infection) and a kind of “Irritant Contact Dermatitis”.

What is the general psyche regarding shampoos?

Dr  Patel said, “Generally, people believe that the shampoo which produces a lot of foam is better. Companies who manufacture professional shampoo targets this psyche of people and makes shampoos that have thick leather (a chemical). The chemicals used for making thick leather dries the scalp. But if we talk about medicated shampoos, those companies follow the set medical standard and keep the chemical concentration according to that.”

How can you take care of your hair?

Follow these steps of natural hair care.

• The oil acts as a moisturiser on the scalp. To dry the scalp, apply oil the night before. For a normal scalp, apply oil a few hours before the bath.
• You can even shampoo every day. But choose a shampoo that is not too harsh on the scalp. Use mild shampoos with less chemicals. 

Home remedies for hair care

For dry skin or normal skin, make a mixture of banana, honey, curd, and egg and apply this on your head. This mixture works as a “natural hair mask”. 

Put this mask one hour before the hair wash on Sunday and then there is no requirement for a chemical conditioner. For oily scalp, apply aloe vera gel as it acts as a protection layer. These all are better than using chemical conditioners. 

Tip: Chemical conditioner should not be applied on the scalp, only on hair

Legends AR Rahman and Gulzar create musical magic together

 

When the words meet rhythm, a beautiful song is born. Like it happened when lyricist Gulzar collaborated with composer AR Rahman.

Though the two have come together for only a handful of movies, their collaboration has given the audience soundtracks where every song evoked a powerful emotion and became memorable in its own right. 

AR Rahman and Gulzar's hit collaborations include  ‘Jai Ho’, a song from the Oscar-winning movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire', gained immense popularity. Songs from the film ‘Dil Se’ is another mark of the two prominent artists, AR Rahman and Gulzar where they have come together to win hearts. Other mind boggling collaborations include songs from 'Guru', 'Saathiya', 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' and 'Ok Jaanu'.

Music maestro AR Rahman and National award-winning lyricist Gulzar have joined hands to create an anthem of hope and healing titled ‘Meri Pukaar Suno'. Unveiled by Sony Music India, the song brings together the iconic duo once more after several successful collaborations.

Artistes KS Chithra, Alka Yagnik, Shreya Ghoshal, Sadhana Sargam, Armaan Malik, Shashaa Tirupati, and Asees Kaur have all been featured in the song.

The anthem is essentially a call from 'Maati Maa' (Mother Earth) urging her children to unite as one during these difficult times and assuring them that this too shall pass. The anthem is also meant to stir hope and optimism in us again. Through its lyrics, ‘Meri Pukaar Suno’ encourages people to continue having faith and talks about how the dark times we face now will bring about a brighter and happier future. 

The song promotes the belief of ‘Ek Jahaan. Ek Umeed. Ek Waada – together, we will heal'. (One World. One Hope. One Promise)

Explaining the motive behind the creation of this song, AR Rahman said, “This time, this period of the pandemic, is an extraordinary phase in everyone’s life. There is so much uncertainty and pain, and yet, so much resilience and healing. Gulzar ji and I wished to create a song of hope because we all need comfort and reassurance. ‘Meri Pukar Suno’ is like Mother India singing to her children through her daughters. It’s to say that human beings have survived and thrived through different periods of time and that we’ll emerge through this bravely.”

Meanwhile, lyricist Gulzar heartily praised Rahman and said the music director had given his words a “truly magical composition as always.” Gulzar said, “This is a story about Maati Maa, our Mother Earth, as she appeals to us to listen to her. She gives us hope with her bountiful resources, cool breeze, flowing streams and endless sunshine; asking us for a promise to look after our gift of life. Rahman sahab has given my words a truly magical composition as always.”

The video for the anthem is a touching narrative of a child who struggles to find inspiration in life. The song is available on online streaming platforms and 50% proceeds from the revenue raised will be used for Covid-19 relief work.

Gujarati food is much more than just fafda and dhokla

A burst of flavours, an array of colours, and a sweet tinge constitutes irresistible Gujarati dishes. Welcome to a part of India that not only is fond of food but cherishes it as a way of living. To think that Gujarati food is enjoyed worldwide is a testament to the fact how Gujarati cuisine has hit the right notes with people all around the world. It’s only fitting that a culture which prides itself on being welcoming, eccentric, and full of life, has at least a hint of sweetener in everything they consume.

Gujarati food is much more beyond the glorified fafda and dhokla. If you ever thought that gujju food is just about adding sugar to every dish then be ready to get your myth bubble busted. These drool-worthy dishes are proof that vegetarian food is not only healthy but also amazingly delicious. Read on and treat your tummy with these right away:

Undhiyu

Gujarati dishes originating from Surat have a unique flavour, preparation, and taste to it. Undhiyu is a mixed vegetable dish that is cooked upside down and underground in clay pots. A seasonal dish that awaits the arrival of Uttarayan (the Kite Festival in Gujarat) in the winter month of January.

The dish derives its name from the Gujarati word ‘undhu’ which translates into ‘upside down’. The ingredients include eggplant; fried chickpea flour dumplings, bananas and beans, potatoes, green peas, slow-cooked to perfection with buttermilk, coconut, and spices.

Handvo

Handvo is a vegetable cake and an important part of the Gujarati cuisine. It is often made with a bottle gourd filling, though many other vegetables can be added. Sometimes crushed peanuts are also added.

Patra

Patra is a traditional Gujarati vegetarian dish prepared with nutritious colocasia leaves which are stuffed with a mix of ingredients such as garam masala, gram flour, mustard seeds, sesame seeds, turmeric, chili paste, and asafetida. The leaves are then rolled, steamed, and fried or deep-fried until crispy.

Mohanthal

A region like Gujarat, that has a particularly sweet taste palette, is bound to have delectable sweet dishes being served up in each and every household. Mohanthal is one such Gujarati food that is made in all the regions of Gujarat with their original taste, composition, and texture.

In general, mohanthal is a fudge-like sweet that is made from sweetened gram flour (besan) and added with rich flavors like saffron, cardamom and nuts like almonds and pistachios.

Sev tamatar

A stormy confluence of flavours can be felt in every bite of the sev tamatar nu shaak, one of the very few Gujarati dishes that bring a sweet, salty, tangy, and spicy flavour in one go. After sauteing diced onions and tomatoes in oil and spices, the dish is cooked and sev is added on top of it to get the spicy and salty flavour to the dish.

Traditionally enjoyed with flat-breads like theplas, rotis, or paranthas, Sev tamatar nu shaak is a popular dish for children in Gujarati households.

Gujarati kadhi

One of the most recognisable Gujarati dishes made from buttermilk or yogurt and gram flour. An essential part of Gujarati food, kadhi prepared in Gujarat is lighter than its variants prepared in north India. 

The lighter gravy is obtained by adding a few cups of water to the curd and gram flour mixture. In Gujarat, people like to consume kadhi piping hot with khichdi, roti, or rice.

Muthiya

Named after the action that is used to shape the dough, these fist-cakes make for a great breakfast or evening snack. To prepare these, a mixture of chickpea flour, bottle gourd and spices is prepared, steamed, pan-fried and seasoned. If you skip the pan-frying, it becomes a great meal for the health-conscious folks. 

Other varieties include usage of spinach, fenugreek, amaranth or even bitter gourd. Juicy and fluffy on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside, no one can ever say no to a bowlful of muthiya. 

It is best relished with a dash of mint-coriander chutney or ketchup, and a cup of steaming hot tea. Try this Gujarati dish to know what the fuss is all about.

Bakarwadi

Bakarwadi is a traditional crispy, deep-fried, disc-shaped, sweet and spicy snack popular in western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Bakarwadi is made from gram flour dough shaped into spirals stuffed with a mixture of coconut, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. It is then fried until it gets crispy. It can be stored for weeks and enjoyed as an evening snack.

Gujarat offers a lot to please your taste buds. And if you love food, but don’t have time to visit and taste, all you need to do is drive down to Gujarat Bhavan near Kautilya Marg and indulge in their special food. 

From special Gujarati dal, rice, bhakadwadi, to fresh theplas, farsaan, and kathod, their menu includes everything that will make you feel like you are in Gujarat. Don’t forget to try their frothy buttermilk. 

Urooz Rizvi Hussain: Social activist and entrepreneur

 Watch today’s CitySpidey LIVE with 28-year-old social activist and entrepreneur Urooz Rizvi Hussain, who broke societal barriers and came out openly as trans-woman. Hear her story on our Instagram page. 

Talking about her struggles Urooz said, “My journey was full of ups and downs but I have never given up, and still I am fighting. I wanted to be an independent person because I don’t want to rely on my family. I have always felt feminine and girlish. My colleagues harassed me, taunted me at my workplace, that’s when I decided to start my own cafe.”

Urooz, winner of Australia's beauty pageant for transgenders, runs a cafe ‘Street Temptations’ in Noida Sector-119. She was born and brought up in Bhagalpur, Bihar, and in 2013 came to Delhi to pursue her dreams. 

Urooz shared that running a cafe was her dream, however, due to Covid she had to temporarily keep her cafe closed. Urooz said, “It was my dream to start a cafe a place with no discrimination, where everyone will be treated equally as humans. I started saving money to start my own cafe while I worked at a BPO and in Lalit Hotel.” She also mentioned that she was the first transgender who did a job in Lalit hotel where her co-workers were friendly.

Urooz talked about the role of parents in creating acceptance, awareness and space for the rainbow community. She also emphasised on the role of communication during the LIVE session.

Talking about her most challenging moments, she said, “I never give up on the challenges life has put me through. I take some time to understand the situation because life is full of challenges, and being a trans woman I have to keep winning the challenges that come across for my community”

During the lockdown, Urooz helped the needy and distributed grocery kits to them. 

Urooz said, “I want to open an NGO for transgender and educate them”.

Despite opening of markets, Palika Bazar shopkeepers find tough to sustain

 As the process of unlock has started, many markets have started opening again in the national capital. The businesses were affected a lot during the lockdown. Now, it is expected that shopkeepers will again be at ease and get their businesses back on track.

CitySpidey talked  to shopkeepers at Palika Bazar and tried to find out about the present situation of market.

Ashok Kumar, owner of Silver Moon Jewellery shop said, “The situation of  the market is not good. There are a lot of tourists who visit Palika Bazar. As the international flights are not operating as usual, the tourists are not coming. We are hoping that  the bad time will pass soon and our work will come back on track.”

Ajay Singh, shopkeeper of Garden Shoes said, “This is a tourist place and since the end of the first lockdown, I haven’t seen any tourist in this market. The sales for a day has decreased by 80 per cent. The market  situation is very bad and even we are not able to pay the rents of our shops. The markets used to have a lot of customers on Saturdays but the situation is not same anymore. We get only 4-5 customers in a day.”

Himanshu Grover, owner the shop no 21, Grover said, “The market opened on June 7 and still the condition of the market is very bad. Only 4-5 customers come in a day. Most of the days, I don't earn a single penny. Before Covid, we used to have a good sales but now we are not able to pay the rent of our shops. We all are hoping for the better situation ahead.”

Sahil, owner of a garment shop said, “The sales have dropped significantly. It has become very difficult to pay the rent of the shops. Here, 80 per cent of the shops are on rent. It is getting tougher as the owner of the shops always ask us for rent. My shop is in losses. I also have few helpers at the shop. They are also asking for money. It is very tough to sustain. At present, the market is totally dependent on local customers.”

Water tariff hike is not justified during pandemic, says NOFAA

 The Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA) has written to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Noida Authority Ritu Maheshwari raising the issue of a hike in water tariff and reasoned that it was not needed as there was no changes in consumption patterns.

The NOFAA stated that the pandemic has been extremely challenging for everyone. They said that the residents are already facing many problems like salary cuts, losses in business, increased expenditure on health care, mental health and many more. Amid all this, the rise in water tariff in the current fiscal has added to the miseries of residents.

Rajiva Singh, President of NOFAA said, “The pandemic has been extremely harsh on residents on multiple fronts. A hike in water tariff has increased the woes. We requested the authority to defer the hike to next fiscal.”

“The worst part is that the supply is erratic in last 3-4 months. The Ganga water pipeline is under maintenance for many reasons including the cleaning at Haridwar. This increase in water tariff was not needed,” said Nisha Rai, Secretary of NOFAA.

“There has been an increase of 160 per cent in the water bill as compared to last year. There was no explanation given by the administration. This has happened without installation of water meters at many places. There was also no changes in the water supply lines. At the same time, irregular supply of water and high TDS levels are bothering residents,” said Puneet Sharma, President of Aditya Celebrity Homes in Sector 76.

“The hike in water tariff during the pandemic time is not really justified. The residents have already been struggling with jobs and business losses. They are incurring health care costs,” said Prof Rajesh Sahay, Secretary General of NOFAA.

It was stated in the letter that with no change in water consumption patterns in the last one year in societies, the sudden hike in tariff may be unwarranted. Few societies have even reported a 100 per cent rise in these charges which is actually a very serious concern.

Providing transgenders healthcare services: Still a long way to go

 From getting turned down from hospitals and not getting RT-PCR tests done to  facing homophobic health professionals, it is still arduous for trans  people to seek medical facilities. City Spidey spoke to Tanvi Nair, a proud trans woman who is a core committee member of the Pride Business Resource Council and also started an Ally Nation Project which gives free gender sensitization training said, "Recently, Manobi Bandhopadhya who is a prominent member of the  community was denied access to an RT- PCR test in a government  hospital. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights Bill) 2019 clearly defines this as an offence that is punishable with  imprisonment and fine. But unfortunately, the government did not ensure that the provisions in the bill were acted upon".

She also added, "Manobi news was covered everywhere, so she got into the hospital the next day, this is what I see on her Facebook. She was a prominent person hence the media went crazy. However, what happens to a regular trans person?".

It's still a long way when it comes to trans inclusion.

When City Spidey spoke to Ritushree, a transwoman who is a lawyer, LGBTQIA + activist and constantly writes about issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community said, "After section 377 was decriminalized in India, the health outreach has not improved enough. It is now better because after  the decriminalisation of 377, more people are being vocal  about Queer rights and the situation if you compare before and after is a kind of drastic change but still, a lot of work has to be done, especially for the transgender community. They are the most  marginalised group in society and most of the health care is still not  within their reach. Take the example of the Covid vaccination situation, it is awful"

On the other hand, Anuradha Krishnan, a Dentist, proud trans woman, founder of Queerythym, a registered community for queer individuals, which aims in making society free of discrimination against gender and sexual minorities said, "The health outreach has not much outreached after section 377 decriminalised. I am a medical student, still  there are doctors who are practising conversion therapy to rectify transgender people and homosexual people. They are still considering  it as a mental disorder, mental collision and whatnot. Health outreach  is still in stigma and trouble because the majority of trans people are afraid to approach any health institution for their health  purpose. Health professions as such are mostly highly transphobic and  homophobic so there is a stigma inside the trans people community to  approach medical professional and it leads to a dangerous situation  like self-treatment even complicated hormonal therapies".

She also added, "Self-treatment is creating more side effects, affecting their physical health. Also, mental health professionals  are also not aware of gender identity disorder, minority stress.  So it's a big problem, even the medical curriculum is still not  revised after the IPC 377 verdict. The IPC 377 declines that  homosexuality or sex between transgender people is not at all a sexual  offence, it's not an unnatural sexual offence but still, nothing much  improved especially in the medical curriculum".

There still remains a lot to be done to make the healthcare facilities more accessible to the trans people and everyone else from the LGBTQIA+ community.

Futec Gateway: Residents protest against builder to demand basic amenities

 The residents of Futec Gateway, Sector 75, Noida on Sunday protested against builder to demand basic amenities. They protested by displaying black flags and also organised a candle march.

The residents informed that out of the total 550 flats, 250 flats are occupied at the society. They brought many issues prevalent in the society during the protest. The residents said that they are facing issues with the lifts.

Many residents claimed that people get trapped inside the lifts too often. They alleged that the lifts have been made operational without license and proper testing. They also raised many other issues like frequent disruption of power at the society which is affecting people to work from home and children in attending online classes.

According to the residents, the builder is not doing proper maintenance of the society. They said that snakes, dangerous dogs can often be found inside the society and it is happening because the cleanup of bushes are not done regularly.

The residents said that they have also written to the District Magistrate, Noida Authority, Electricity Department and Fire Department but nothing concrete have happened inside the society.

Sunil Gupta, a residents of the society said, “The project was launched in 2010 and it was expected to be completed by mid 2013 with an extension of six months. But we in 2021 and still the flats have not been built properly. There is only one lift in the society which doesn’t work properly. The residents get stuck inside the lift due to frequent power cuts. Also, there is no proper water supply. To raise these issues, we protested against the builder.” Futec Gateway

Rajeev, another resident of the society said, “The society does not have a proper power connection and due to this, residents get stuck in the lift for hours. There is no proper water connection either. The society has two basements, one has half occupancy and the second basement is full of construction material. It can harm the building structure.”

CitySpidey talked to the builder Sanjeev Sharma, he said, “I request all the residents to wait for three to four months. Everything will be well maintained. I am not ignoring anyone. The construction was halted due to Covid-19. I will ensure that the problems are resolved.” 

Ray: Surreal, brilliant and everything in between

 “I have written all kinds of stories — humorous ones, for teenagers, for kids, and stories that border on the fantastical. But I particularly like to write about lonely people and things happening to them,”  Satyajit Ray famously said in a 1989 interview to Pierre-André Boutang.

Any adaptation of Ray's work is bound to evoke extreme reactions. The makers Sayantan Mukherjee of this anthology were perhaps aware of that while taking on the challenge of reimagining the master storyteller's short stories that have had their cult following over decades.

'Ray' is a 4-part anthology web series on Netflix, based on a corresponding number of the eponymous Satyajit Ray's short stories. Each episode (Forget Me Not, Bahrupiya, Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, Spotlight) is around 50-65 minutes long, and deals with issues like infidelity, chauvinism, pride, anonymity, kleptomania, religion and fame.

1. Forget Me Not adapted from Ray’s Bipin Chowdhury’r Smritibhrom

True to his penchant for thrillers and adaptations of popular Bengali fictional characters, Srijit picks a story about the hubris of a man with a phenomenal memory and arrogance to match.

Srijit Mukerjee’s Forget Me Not is everything about memories and the workings of the mind. It is about a man (Ipsit Rama Nair played by Ali Fazal with a controlled swagger), who cannot afford to forget, has built an empire out of his memory bank. He even gets a tagline: “Ipsit Nair never forgets.” Mukerjee’s portion arrives out of a simple ‘what if’ case scenario. What if Ipsit Nair, the dynamic entrepreneur of the year, the man who has made a millions by memorising numbers and  storing them in his memory the size of a supercomputer, doesn’t recall one particular day in his life? And the irony writes itself.

Forget Me Not begins right with this problem statement, when Ipsit Nair doesn’t remember Rhea Saran (Anindita Bose), nor having had a fling with her on his 30th birthday. The entire narrative is  constructed around this problem. By getting to Nair, we also get to know the people around that say a thing or two about his character. Like, for instance, Nair’s high school friend who has left the job to take up a role in Nair’s company or, his manager Maggie (Shweta Basu Prasad) who accompanies him for baby shopping or his most-trusted aide who knows him in and out and has his personal details including credit cards and company passwords.

But then, there comes a twist and as they say, the devil is in the details. There is a sweet little touch when Nair and his family goes to a theatre to watch Drishyam, a film that dealt with pulling off a  near-perfect crime story based entirely on convincing others about a certain memory. This particular memory, which Nair does not remember, breaks his routine and begins to haunt him, yielding into  the destruction of the empire he very dearly built; it is almost like the malfunctioning of a computer in the event of a virus attack.

Forget Me Not has a gripping premise, though you could say that the final twist seemed a little too convenient for its own good. If that were the case, the resolution should have started to happen much earlier. But it does set the tone for the rest of the series.

2. Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa adapted from Barin Bhowmick-er Byaram

Abhishek Chaubey’s Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa is a beautiful film out of the lot. It gets going when Musafir Ali (Manoj Bajpayee), a revered singer and a shayari exponent, boards a train where he comes across a stranger Baig (Gajraj Rao), whose face he is familiar with. Let me not spoil the fun, but let us say the two are mirror images with kleptomaniac tendencies. When they stumble onto each other, years later, they come to terms with their destinies.

Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa is a simple film and it remains grounded till the very end. For the most part of its runtime, the film does not try to do much which can be construed as a result of a clear-cut idea of what to avoid. Though it may have the aesthetics of a theatre production, it is anything but theatre-ish and has a perfect beginning, middle and end. It is plot-driven and a classic example of a story for children about two characters and their redemptive arc. And it does end with a “moral of the story.” It is  actually quite fun but makes you take it too seriously by the “serious” performances by Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao, who seem to revel in their seriousness. I like these sugary films.

3.  Bahrupiya adapted from Bahurupi

Bahrupiya directed by Srijit Mukherji, the character Indhrashish Shah (Kay Kay Menon) is a spiteful loner, an anti-hero who is bitter about his living condition. He is a textbook definition of a person rejected by society. Think of movies like Taxi Driver, King of Comedy and their copy, Joker. Humiliation follows him like a shadow wherever he goes. First comes the humiliation of love, when he goes down on his knee (Well, not exactly. Let’s say he’s made to) to propose to the actor he does make-up to and she slaps him with words that are meaner than the sense of rejection. Then there is humiliation at the workplace and from the house owner. Shah finds a sense of purpose when he is left behind a will and a book called Impersonation by his grandmother (also an artist who is into prosthetics). From being an almost faceless man, Shah becomes the devil with a thousand faces.

“There is dirt on my face but I kept cleaning the mirror,” he tells someone. This transformation is the most interesting aspect of  the short, although it does not provide the intended effect given the  time constraint. Shah gets back at those who “neglected” him with armour: his face.

It is not the revenge plot that makes Bahrupiya, my most favourite work in Ray, a compelling watch but the philosophical musings that come with it. Come to think of it, Shah is allured by the devil and when he succumbs to the temptations, he becomes the evil himself. By rejecting the idea of God and by impersonating other people, Shah begins to think of himself as the supreme one who can change and rewrite destinies. Until he comes to know about Peer Baba, a Muslim fortune teller who “reads” into a person’s face. When Shah and Baba’s path crosses, it becomes an allegory between God and the Devil, at least their humble representatives. Though I really liked the idea of  Bahrupiya, how it was shown in the series.

4. Spotlight adapted from Spotlight

Vasan Bala’s Spotlight starring Harshvardhan Kapoor who is made a scapegoat yet again and the butt of jokes about his supposedly non-existent acting chops (hello, Bhavesh Joshi fans do exist), is  pitched as a satire. At least it claims to be, on paper and in theory. But as a film, it does not quite deliver the desired effect that was intended in the first place, though, yes, it does have a fascinating  concept: the umbilical cord that runs between Bollywood and the government. Although you could argue that Spotlight is not exactly that. Such a derivation, even if not implied, can be drawn from the two primary characters: a “one-look” rising star Vikram Arora (Harshvardhan Kapoor) and Didi (Radhika Madan), the leader of a religious cult. More than Bollywood’s nexus with the state, it is about the idea of a cult — of any kind.

The concept arises from a very simple idea of self-doubt: a celebrated superstar in the country is troubled by questions of his personality cult, in the wake of another cult. The self-referential jokes about everything Bollywood keep coming. In that sense, it is both “Kafkaesque and Lynchian.” I am kidding, but I screamed when Harshvardhan said that. It is a sort of arid humour that Vasan Bala  has made his own. And, of course, there is a Kamal Haasan reference. But there is something totally off about Spotlight. It needed to be punchier. Instead, it meanders quite a bit.

A revolutionary film maker, an auteur, and the creator of the iconic Feluda series, Ray is also celebrated for writing some of the best short stories India has ever seen.

Here's how you can make your apples interesting

 Apple is evergreen! One of the most low-effort fruits that you can just wash and eat, however, you can make apples interesting. How, you ask? Well, I’ve pulled together a collection of delicious and  irresistible apple recipes for you to try. Crunchy, juicy and sweet, apples are a wonderfully versatile ingredient; they can be used in all sorts of ways, from mouth-watering pies, crumbles, cookies, and jellies to savoury salads and soups. Apples make a great addition to any dish and they pair so well with warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom or with cheese and nuts.

Make the most of your apples with these sweet and savoury apple recipes, your family will love them and your kitchen will be filled with a lovely cosy scent.

1. Apple Tart

The classic French Apple Tart (Tarte aux Pommes) gives you a double dose of apples. It begins with a pre-baked Sweet Pastry Crust. This  has a wonderfully crisp texture and a sweet buttery flavour. A layer of lightly sweetened apple sauce that is topped with artfully arranged apple slices.  You can serve this Apple Tart warm with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of softly whipped cream.

2. Bom Chount Wangan

Bom Chount Wangan - exotic sounding names for this easy and very tasty Kashmiri Green Apple Brinjal Curry. Gets made in no time at all and  the flavours of the tart green apple added to that of the fried  brinjal makes for a very different eggplant curry.

3. Caramel Apple Nachos

Apple nachos are one of our favourite snacks for fall. Whether you're looking for a smart tailgating recipe or a Netflix & chill recipe, these don't get any easier. You simply layer slices of apples on a platter, top with whatever candy you love and then drizzle with  caramel sauce and melted white chocolate.

4. Apple Halwa

Apple Halwa is a traditional North Indian recipe and is a flavourful sweet dish that you can make for festivals like Navratri and Ram Navami. This popular dessert recipe is made of apple, milk and dry fruits and is truly delicious and healthy. If you are bored of having the usual atta or sooji halwa, then this recipe will definitely offer a different experience to your taste buds. Kids would also love to  gorge on this lip-smacking and unique sweet dish.

5. Apple Pie

Master the art of nailing the classic, all-favourite pie. This has a double crust pie with cinnamon flavoured apple filling; you can finish with a raisin relish. A delectable breakfast meal to relish with  family and friends.

What are you waiting for? Try all these amazing apple dishes at home!!

Floral print: The best staple for summer look

 In summers we all want to feel free and easy-breezy floral print clothes are a must-have. They provide a chic and bold look at the same time. The fun fact is Indian street markets are filled with this particular kind of print at cheap rates. However, you just need to bargain there and not get fooled by the sellers. 

Here is a tip - always pair a floral fashion staple with the right staple to not spoil your overall styling.

Here is the list of the fashion staples you can look out for:

Floral dress

To avoid accessories, puffed sleeves dresses are “a one-man army”. You just style it with flat footwear and breezy hair and your look is ready. These puff sleeves dresses come in varieties like off-shoulder, full sleeves, quarter sleeves, and many more. 

Floral skirts

Not only shorts but long floral print skirts have been trending and slaying for the past many years. Try to style floral skirts with plain tops or shirts. When you are wearing a dark coloured skirt, match it with a light coloured shirt and vice versa. 

Floral shirts

More than women, men are a big fan of floral shirts. Floral shirts can be dressed up and down in both summer and winter. So when in doubt, go for formal shirts without giving a second thought. 

Floral pants 

Call it floral pants or floral palazzos, they are worn more in summers to avoid tight skinny pants. It has turned out to be a street fashion currently. They are preferably paired with heels to give a bold look. 

Floral scarf

Scarves are generally used to tie around the neck in winters but are now gaining importance in summers too. Women are using scarves to save their hair in summers. Though scarves come in different patterns, floral print scarves suit many outfits. Try it out. 

Floral belts

If you are bored wearing the same single-coloured belts, especially the black ones in your everyday life, here is the belt for you - floral print belts. Floral prints in belts will be the most highlighted part of your body if you are wearing a normal outfit. 

So here are some of the important fashion staples that can be carried well in summers - yes, without any burden and will still make you the centre of attraction wherever you go

A proud North-East trans model

 Every year the Month of June is celebrated as Pride Month. The world celebrates Pride Month in honor of the LGBTQIA+ community, who have been through a lot just to be recognised and respected for who they are and they have come a long way.

Pride Month is about acceptance, pride, history, and love. Several campaigns and drives are held every year to educate people. The LGBTQIA+ community has fought a long battle for their rights to live a dignified life. It also showcases how far gay and lesbian rights have come, and what all is yet to achieve.

CitySpidey talked to Sandy Sair, she is a transgender and a trans  model. She is 28 years old, born and brought up in Khongjom Bazar, Thoubal, Manipur, and she has a double graduation degree, BSc Forestry from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University and BSc honours in Physics from Manipur University, she is North-East trans model, now living in Delhi.

When we asked her about her family’s reaction to everything, she replied, “They weren't in shock as  they have seen me since birth that I'm feminine and girly. I belong from a very strict family and they just ignored me and just wanted me to study more.”

“Around the age of 24, I came out and told my parents about myself. It was the time where I was thinking about who I am. I explained the  difference between transgender and gay. Later my family supported me. They knew that I am doing good and I am not doing anything wrong. So now they are supporting me,” she said.

She added, “Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, most of the people bullied me but it didn't affect me to the core and at the same time there are many teachers who supported me in my studies. The problems I faced when I was growing up are like those of ignorance by the family and by our loved ones. There was no one to mentor me and so I followed my heart, got inspiration from many famous personalities.”

She continued, “I work with Robèrt Naorem, Arbin Tonjam, Suraj Waheng, Seema. These are famous designers from Manipur. They are working internationally and I also know a few famous designers of Delhi. I have been living in Delhi since 2012.”

“I came out after my 10+2 and changed myself. I have many friends, there are so many male and female friends, they support me all the time. I think my achievements as a model have helped people to accept themselves and be proud about it. Right now, I am working with Delhi Duty Free located at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Now, I live in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. I live alone but it doesn't mean that my family doesn't support me. We meet, have dinner and do family things together,” she added

She concluded, “In future, I want to live out of India to continue my career as a trans model and at last, I would like to say to my community, you be who you are and live life to the fullest, do no harm any living soul and environment.” 

‘I sought gender affirmation as a transwoman from my partners’

 Life is not easy for a trans person, the struggle starts the day they realise that they are different and it just never ends. This is the story of Abhina Aher, 44, a resident of Delhi who struggled while coming to terms with her gender identity. She is the daughter of a single mother who is a dancer. In her childhood, Abhina was skinny and feminine, although she was a boy back then. She cherished wearing her mother's sarees, doing makeup and dancing exactly like her mother.

Abhina said, “I wanted to learn dancing just like my mother but due to rigid gender roles, I was not allowed to dance or play with dolls. Right from early childhood, my mother was worried about me as I had fallen prey to hatred a lot. I was bullied and traumatised during my schooling. A bunch of older guys raped and abused me. I faced issues related to washrooms since all the washrooms in my school were binary, which gave me a urinary tract infection and constant pain in my abdomen. Teachers hardly gave any support to my gender congruence since they were also not aware of what was happening to me.”

During college life, Abhina started hating herself as her body was not developing as a woman but instead turning masculine.

“I used to envy all the girls in school and college who had amazing bodies and was always at the centre of attraction for the same boys I used to have a crush on. I started experimenting with my sexual desires as I came to know that I wanted to be with men. It was not a great experience since I was looking for love and several boys/men used me only for sex. After those sexual encounters, I didn’t feel great as I did not have friends. Everyone who used to have sex with me was not comfortable been seen with me in public,” said Abhina.

After completing college, Aher became a teacher and started teaching in a computer institute. Life was still not easy for her as the centre manager used to bully her and often gave disrespectful statements in front of other students.

“Students never used to respect me as a teacher since they came to know about my gender identity from the remarks passed by the centre manager. It was difficult for me to manage my professional work since I used to feel traumatised going to work every day. Public transport was a big issue as I wanted to travel in female compartments and was not happy being touched and harassed by other men in the railway,” said Abhina.

She also said, “Mental health was a huge challenge for me due to two major issues: my gender incongruence and my sexual identity. I faced hatred and humiliation from an early age which impacted my self-respect. I was suicidal and attempted to kill my life almost three times. I used to punish myself whenever I had any sexual desires. I had no one to talk to. When I started having continuous headaches, my mother took me to a public hospital, however, they could not understand my issues. Life was difficult for me since I was looking for dignity and support. Lack of information was killing me, and I just wanted to connect with someone like me who can understand my struggles.”

Abhina started transitioning in her twenties, but still, she was not considered as a woman. In the middle of it all, she lost her job and for three years, she had to survive on sex work.

“Financial situations become precarious since several male partners who promised to love me took away all my savings and left. Life was lonely and I lost my motivation and goals. Complexities of gender transition were taking a toll on my mental and physical health. Expensive surgeries and hormones were giving me the pleasure of having body transformation, however I started losing calcium from my bones, my mental health was impacted and my physical energy to do the things was drained. As I started transitioning, I have been shunned down in public places, I face huge stigma in public spaces, public transport and my residential area as well,” said Abhina.

She also added, “People used to throw pebbles at me and used to call me Gud, Mamu, Chakka, Hijra while I passed by them. I could not manage to attend any of my family functions, all my cousin brothers started keeping their distance from me. I did not want to meet anyone, or to be seen by anyone. I was in a dilemma whether I should run away from home and leave others. My mother and I were not on speaking terms since she was not happy with my gender transition issues and was unable to answer the questions raised by my relatives and neighbours. No one was willing to employ me and if they were, they were putting conditions on my attire and behaviour.”

Whoever Abhina loved was not ready to accept her in public or spend their life with her as a husband. She said it was her huge mistake for trusting such men from whom she looked for affirmation on her gender as a transwoman. She realised an important lesson that one should love themselves as no one can affirm anyone's gender other than themselves.

After getting such hits from her life, Abhina came to know about the Humsafar Trust which is an LGBTQIA+ organisation. From there, she started working in that organisation and also met people of LGBTQIA+ community from India and outside. “I spoke to several mental health professionals and discussed my issues with several trans leaders. Initially, I was extremely worried about my mother since she was quite disappointed in me during my gender transition. We did not speak to each other for almost six years, even while we were staying  in the same house. Finally, we broke down and cried in front of each other. She mentioned that she was worried about me and that I won't get respect and inclusion in society. I assured her that I will be working for the community and will make her proud. Once she started accepting me, it gave me a lot of courage and encouragement. Once my mother stood next to me, I was not afraid to face society at all,” said Abhina.

Abhina shifted to Delhi in 2010, she was later chosen to  become the national program manager of the Global Fund Program which is working with 4,00,000 sexual minorities in India. It was Sonal Mehta, Director of Policy working in Alliance India who chose her to become the national program manager. Abhina started meeting international trans activists and shared her story. Through this, Abhina got in the eyes of several platforms who wanted her to be a part of trans initiatives. Later, Abhina applied for the chairperson position with Asia's largest trans network APTN (Asia Pacific Transgender Network) where she got selected. Along with this, her initiative in India to start a trans-led dancing group called 'Dancing Queens' got an award from the Human Right Association in Washington.

“My mother never taught me dancing though she is a professional Kathak and folk dancer. I used to go to all her shows and observe her. I used to practice her moves silently in private and at the age of 19, I performed in front of her on stage. I was also involved in a dancing group in my college. It was a big surprise for my mother and she asked who teaches you dancing? I smiled and said – I am your Eklavya, you taught me dancing and you didn’t even know,” said Abhina.