ISSUE 728 APRIL - JUNE 2023 AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLIC A TION THE NO. 1 ASIAN CELEBRITY & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AED 15 BHD 1.5 KW D 1.2 OMR 1.5 Inclusive of V AT A CHECKLIST MODERN LOVE FOR THE MODERN INDIAN THE RAMADAN GUIDE: FOOD AND FASHION BALANCING ART AND COMMERCE: ATHIYA SHETTY ON MAKING MEANINGFUL CHOICES IN FILMS Athiya in the palm SU U ISS S E 72 E 72 EE 88 PRI RI AP L - L - L -L JUNE EE JUN 202202 020 33 N I AN I AA P MM TPTP EDIAEDIA DID GROGRO PP UP P UP P BLI UBLIUBUB CA TI CA TI AT IONONOO TTHTHTHTHTTT EEEE NONONOONONONONO.. 11 ASASASSA IAN N CECELELEBRBRITTTTY Y YY &&& & LILIFEEF STSTYLY E MAMAGAGAZINENEEE AAAAAAA CCCCCCCHHHHHHEEEEEECCCCCCCKKKKKKLLLLLIIISSSTTTTTT MOMOMODEDEDEDERNRNRRN LLLLOVOVOVOVEEE FOF RR R THTHEE MOMODEDERRNRN IINDDIAIAN TTHHHHEEEE RRRAAAMMMAADDAAANNN RRRAAAAMMMAADDAANNN GGGUUUUIIIIDDDDEE:: FOFOFOOF ODODDODODODD AAAAANDNDNDNDND FFFFFFFFFASASASASASASASASA HIHIHIHHIHIHIH OONONONONONOON EXCLUSIVES KARTIK AARYAN RICHA CHADHA KARAN DEOL BABIL KHAN JIM SARBH ALI FAZALI. SUEDE VANILLA Provides a warm, light fragrance Opens with the sweet and comforting scent of vanilla with base notes of cardamom, rosemary, patchouli and vetiver. II. COTTON BLOSSOM A soft yet energetic, fresh fragrance With velvety sweet mandarin, delicate florals like jasmine, tuberose and violet and a pampering base of sandalwood and balsamic notes. III. SMOOTH VIOLET A relaxing and calming fragrance Sandalwood and discreet notes of patchouli, musk and amber bring warmth to the fragrance. THE A RT OF FR AGR A NCE ZONING discover 3 new luxury home perfumes Fragrancespeakstous individually and has the power to evoke all kinds of positive emotions. It can give you confidence, make you feel energetic or help you relax. No wonder, then, that the way you fragrance yourhomecanalso influence your day-to-day life. Aside from beautifully scentingyourhome, fragrance is thought to help compartmentaliseyour day – from focusing during the day to relaxing in the evening and allowing you to come bedtime. This is called 'fragrancezoning'.With the new Private Collection Comfort range, you can andelevatethesenses with three beautiful and comforting fragrances. I III II Scented Candle AED 190 Fragrance Sticks AED 275 Parfum d’Interieur AED 190 Scented Candle AED 190 | Fragrance Sticks AED 275 li 75 Fra g Parfum d’Interieur AED 190 Scented Candle AED 190 | Fragrance Sticks AED 27518 Bollywood 8 Interview: The Romantics 10 Op-Ed: Taj: Divided by Blood 12 Movie Review: Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar 14 Interview: Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha 16 What to expect: Shaakuntalam 18 Interview: Jim Sarbh 20 Interview: Kartik Aaryan 24 Interview: Babil Khan 26 Interview: Karan Deol Fashion 34 The Jewellery Guide Top picks for spring 36 The Fashion Guide Top picks for spring 38 The Handbag Guide Top picks for spring 40 The Footwear Guide Top picks for spring 42 The Lifestyle Guide Top picks for spring 44 Balancing art and commerce Bollywood’s Athiya Shetty explains the gap between her films 54 Ramadan Grace Encouraged fashion for the holy month ON THE COVER Athiya Shetty Photographed by Mox Santos 4 MASALA! CONTENTS70 86 Lifestyle 64 Ramadan Interiors Decor tips on how to spruce up your home this Ramadan 70 Top 15 offers Your guide to the best Suhoor and Iftars across Dubai 80 Modern Indian love A checklist to keep in mind when you’re looking to find love 82 The best: Beach Resorts Your guide to the best beach resorts in Dubai 86 The Top 10 Your guide to the best Indian restaurants in Dubai Food & Beverage 90 Chef’s Specials Recipes for days… Beauty 74 The Wellness Gift Guide These products from Rituals make the perfect gifts Horoscope 96 April & May What’s in store? You might be in for a surprise! MASALA! 56 MASALA! BOLLYWOOD | Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Editor’s Letter I am thrilled to announce that Masala had an amazing last quar- ter. We’re bursting with pride over our team’s hard work and dedication to get things done. Aer a massive stretch of one and a half years, Masala has now witnessed a gain of a million unique users on its website! Our readers are our prior- ity, and we want to ensure we deliver the best content for their entertainment. As an Editor, I’ve had the oppor- tunity to learn a lot about the world of digital media, from analyzing statistics to implementing strategies. It’s an enrich- ing experience not just for me, but for everyone else around me too. Even our sta’s friends and families have learned bits and pieces about how our side of the world works. We’re all speaking the same language now; it’s amusing to hear questions like, “What’s today’s number?” or “Can we enter the millions’ club this month?” is is a testament to how passionate we are about our industry, and I love every minute of it. Speaking of strate- gies, our latest cover star, Athiya Shetty, has sparked a lot of curiosity among our readers. Many have asked about the gap between her lms. However, instead of giving my opinion, it would be best to let Athiya speak for herself. Head over to page 44 to see her stunning photos and read the details she reveals about herself. Speaking of revelations, I must confess — I am not a Bollywood ‘fan’. Shocking, yes, but not being a ‘fan’ has helped me understand the business of showbiz so closely. It’s an empowering feeling to know you aren’t being ruled by emotions over the cra of your business. at being said, I have always been a lover of glamour and fashion. Aer studying the subject closely for over four years, I practically live inside my closet. You must have observed how Masala looks relevant now, and that is purely because we realised the importance of rst impressions. Bollywood and many other woods, I’m sure, are nally capitalizing on the true importance of style. We put a great deal of eort to ensure our photoshoots are dreamy and tell a story, and the one that makes it to your home is the one closest to the cover star’s heart. And speaking of our cover star, we had the pleasure of shooting this one in Dubai. Dubai, the city we’re rooted in, is unstoppable. Read a full guide to navigate Ramadan 2023 inside! ank you for your continued support, and we hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. Vama Kothari, Editor EDITOR’S PICKS Follow us on Instagram! Hemant and Nandita, Ruffled top, AED 925 Christian Dior, Slides, AED 3,000 Jacquie Aiche, Ring, POR Sunday Riley, All in one Lactic acid treatment, AED 303 Pat McGrath, Divine beige peach, AED 202 , c acid 303The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Published by ITP Media Group FZ-LLC © 2023 ITP Media Group PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 www.itp.com CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Managing Director Alex Reeve EDITORIAL Editor Vama Kothari Email: vama.kothari@itp.com Entertainment Editor Farhana Farook Editorial Executive Aminath Ifasa Editorial Writers Rida Lodhi, Krishti Khound ART Art Editor Mohammad Irqsosy Image Editors Emmalyn Robles, Jemima Joy PHOTOGRAPHY Photographers Efraim Evidor, Ajith Narendra, Mox Santos ADVERTISING Head of Revenue, ITP Media Group Gavin Dickinson Tel: +971 4 444 3683 Email: gavin.dickinson@itp.com MARKETING & CIRCULATION Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Coordinator Balasubramanian Tel: +971 4 444 3871 Email: balu.p@itp.comYash Chopra’s films took on where fairy tales left. Tulip- kissed landscapes, icy fields melting with passion and poetry, chiffons on songs with sensuality… his world was Utopian, his films a catalog of celebration and colour. Tapping on nostalgia and mitti ki khusboo… the films, our induction into romance, were also the NRI’s delight, who viewed his homeland with rose-tinted glasses. Smriti Mundhra’s four-part documentary, The Romantics, an ode to the film-making legacy of Yash Chopra, also unveils media-shy scion Aditya Chopra. The moment could not have been more opportune. Even as his 1995 blockbuster, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), continues its marathon run in a Mumbai theatre, Aditya’s latest production, Pathaan, has grossed over 1000 crores worldwide, validating YRF’s ability to straddle generations. The documentary, which features megastars including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ranbir Kapoor, spotlights the Chairman of the colossal entertainment conglomerate Yash Raj Films (YRF) – Aditya Chopra! Masala: How did the idea of making the docu-series, the romantics, come about? Have you been a Yash Chopra enthusiast? Smriti Mundhra: Yeah, I grew up watching his films without even realizing they were Yash Chopra’s films. Many of them have left an indelible impression on me. So, when I had the idea of making something on Hindi cinema that took a deep dive into its expanse, Yash Chopra seemed like a natural choice through the lens. Masala: As indians and cinema lovers, most of our lessons about love and life come from Hindi films. Did yours too? Smriti Mundhra: Yeah for better or worse. More than life lessons, my understanding of what India was came from Hindi films. Because I have mostly been raised abroad, the way I celebrated festivals, my idea of what an Indian wedding was about just like my perception of romance came from Hindi films. (Smiles) Maybe, I had a little bit of a skewed perspective as a result. Masala: What were the films that you were greatly influenced by? Smriti Mundhra: I’d definitely say Chandni (1989). To this day it’s one of my favorites, a film that I watch again and again. When I was younger, I was responding mostly to the eye candy of it – the costumes, the beauty of locations, Sridevi’s incredible performance and the songs. As I grew older, I began to appreciate the craft and the storytelling as the wonderfully complex relationships the film portrays. Masala: How difficult/exciting was the process of putting together a collage of 50 years of YRF? How long did it take you to complete the series? Smriti Mundhra: It was indeed an exciting and gratifying experience to make this series. It took a little over three years. Masala: To be a Yash Chopra heroine was an honor for an actress. How would you describe his sensibility towards women? Smriti Mundhra: Yash Chopra had a progressive view of women, especially for a man of his generation. You can see that in the characters. The female protagonists have agency in their stories. They have complexity. They’re not judged for the choices they make. Masala: The greatest ‘casting coup’ in this multi-starrer of a docu-series was getting aditya chopra to face the camera. How did this happen? Smriti Mundhra: Getting him to agree to do the interview was definitely the most challenging part of the series. As this was to be a definitive series about the legacy of his father, we were able to get him to agree. Masala: Aditya comes across as articulate. What explains his reluctance not to be seen or heard? Smriti Mundhra: It’s not that Aditya Chopra is hiding from the world. If I can speculate, it’s about him wanting his space to focus on his work and thus maintain a connection with the audience for whom he makes films. This is the driving factor behind him and something I respect greatly. It proves his fidelity to his audience, which is his first priority. Masala: Yashji was all heart and stated that he didn’t much understand the business. Would you say aditya is both heart and mind, in that he’s behind the largest film studios in india? Smriti Mundhra: Definitely! Aditya is the rarest of talent. He’s an extremely gifted director and also a visionary businessman. The foresight he has and the heights he has taken YRF to are impressive. It’s extraordinary to possess story sense, aesthetics, directorial capabilities, and a business perspective. “Aditya Chopra is not hiding himself from the world!” – Director, Smriti Mundhra, lifts the veil on him Words by Farhana Farook Opinion: THE ROMANTICS MASALA! 9 BOLLYWOODNext >