Get the look: Trendsetting Combo

Actor-singer Sophie Choudry was recently spotted at the launch of Ahakzai, a fashion boutique in Mumbai, looking swanky in a street-style ensemble. From her knotted top to her vivid cobalt pants, the British-born ‘item queen’ of Bollywood was flaunting all the hottest trends of this season. Here is a breakdown of how you can get a similar look:

Hair

Sophie left her luscious wavy locks open. While Sophie is gifted with natural waves, they are pretty easy to achieve even if your hair doesn’t curl naturally. Apply a good volumising strong-hold mousse and curl your hair with a thick-barrel curling iron or a straightener. After they’ve cooled, run your fingers through your hair to open up those tight curls into soft waves.

Make-up 

The Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara star’s face was glowing in the fall evening. Her soft make-up was refreshing and complemented her overall look. For this look, skip the foundation and let your natural skin glow through. For those blushing pink cheeks, try out Maybelline’s FITme! Blush in Medium Pink shade (Rs1,500). For well-defined eyes like hers and a peachy pink pout, apply Clinique’s Eye-defining liquid eyeliner (Rs1,000) and Maybelline Colour Whisper lipstick in Pin Up Peach (Rs1,500) shade.

Accessories and shoes

We love how she has paired her outfit with chunky gold rings and a statement necklace. Her studded nude half-circle crossbody bag is funky, edgy and totally adorable. Visit Accessorize for a similar bag (Rs3,500) and a host of gold accessories. Crisp white stilettos are a must-have this season. Check out Debenham’s shoe section (Rs4,800) or a local shoe store like WalkEaze, for a similar pair.

Outfit

Sophie is bang on trend with a knotted white tee and slouchy cobalt blue harem pants. While the outfit is casual, the combination of white with blue is glamorous and chic. For a similar top check out your nearest Next outlet (Rs3,000) or local trendsetting boutique Mantra (Rs2,800). For the pants, you can check the places mentioned above or head to Zainab Market for a cheaper alternative.

Karachista: The unsung doyenne of fashion

Shamaeel Ansari is known for her silhouettes, detailing and craftsmanship. PHOTOS: PUBLICITY

KARACHI: 

Elegant, cosmopolitan and oh-so-pretty – Shamaeel Ansari’s designer wear is a class apart. Despite being one of the pioneers of Pakistani fashion, Ansari is a relatively unsung hero. Her exquisite pieces wow at fashion weeks but are perceived as not being widely available. While relatively new designers are forging ahead with retail outlets and multiple lines, the Shamaeel brand has taken a more low profile route. This has led some to believe that designing is merely a hobby for Ansari and that she is not serious about the business of fashion. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Shamaeel label chooses to be a niche, premium brand. Its price points are high because of the pure fabrics used and detailing. “Shamaeel never was and never will be a mass market brand. I could churn out lawn kurtas for Rs4,000 but my design philosophy is about more value-added pieces,” says Ansari.

Known for her silhouettes, detailing and craftsmanship, Ansari’s design sense is rooted in a love of historical culture and textiles. Her love of tradition is balanced by a fashion-forward mindset inherited from her mother who spearheaded one of Pakistan’s first women’s magazines.

“I grew up seeing my mother organise shoots and fashion shows. She always loved fashion and beautiful clothes. The maternal side of my family pioneered hand-spun silk in Mysore. You could say fashion and textiles are in my blood,” she explains

Ansari’s career path to being a designer was, however, an unusual one. A star student of finance at Berkeley, Ansari’s thesis was on Oil Industry Mergers and Acquisitions. Despite job offers in the US, she decided to return to Pakistan where her grandfather encouraged her to join the family business. Fate intervened in the form of a charity benefit by Imran Khan at the Café Royal in London.

At the time, Ansari was spending two months in London with her family and was doing a diploma at the London School of Fashion to keep herself busy. One of the designers for the event’s fashion show backed out. At the personal request of Imran Khan, the young student Ansari stepped in with her few diploma pieces. They were a resounding success.

“People descended on me backstage, wanting the outfits and I think I was so overwhelmed that I actually gave them away for free,” she says.

It was the start of a stellar journey. This was back in 1987 when the fashion scene in Pakistan was just nascent. Mrs Kazmi, Faiza Samee and Maheen Khan were perhaps the only designers in the scene.

Within 10 years, Shamaeel had become one of the stars of the Pakistan fashion world. She became known for her intricate bridals and chic couture. From the outset, customers appreciated her ability to marry Eastern sensibilities with a cosmopolitan look. She quickly developed a strong signature based on history and craft with a modern twist. This design strength is still visible in her pieces 25 years later. She was also responsible for some of the most creative fashion shows in Pakistan’s history. She showed a Moghul-themed collection at the Ismaili Gymkhana and an Orientalism collection at the Hindu Gymkhana. Her Orient Express show at Karachi City Railway station was perhaps the most memorable fashion show ever in Pakistan.

Ansari’s work is less known to the younger generation because she took a seven-year hiatus during which she entirely closed down her brand. However, this break was no holiday. She was working in the international fashion arena with the likes of Donna Karan as part of the design team, producing home fashions and textiles. The experience she gained was invaluable, teaching her volumes about outsourcing and in-time deliveries. It was a heady, challenging time which Ansari enjoyed greatly but she eventually decided that the constant travelling was becoming an issue. She then decided to focus once more on the Shamaeel label, although she continues a pared down version of her international work.

Although the older generation can remember Ansari’s heyday, her sabbatical meant that she had to prove herself all over again to a new generation of fashion lovers. She has shown at every Fashion Pakistan Council fashion week since she re-launched the Shamaeel brand. Pakistan’s fashion scene has changed in the interim and Ansari has adapted accordingly.

She continues to see her couture and bridal clients by appointment only but she has also developed pret and luxury pret lines. The luxury pret is sold through exhibitions every two months in Lahore and Karachi. She also exhibits in Dubai, Singapore and Istanbul, where she has regular clients. Shamaeel is also stocked by resellers in the UK and US, who buy the clothes outright and add their own margins. Ansari also stocks her pret at Melange in Islamabad, Showstopper in Karachi, Labels estore and Ensemble in Karachi and Dubai.

This is a brand that is serious about the business of fashion. Ansari has the flair and design nous to appeal to a sophisticated clientele. Shamaeel is perfectly poised to go from strength to strength as one of Pakistan’s premier design houses.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.com and tweets @karachista

Samsung Galaxy S4 shootout versus HTC One, iPhone 5

The Samsung Galaxy S4's camera goes for gold.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Samsung has absolutely stuffed its Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel camera with settings and modes, but none of that matters if the phone's image quality can't stand up to the hype.

And so, here is a smartphone shootout between the Galaxy S4's top Android rival, the HTC One, and another beacon of smartphone photographic excellence, the iPhone 5.

Related stories

• Samsung Galaxy S4: The 'everything' phone
• Gorgeous HTC One, fully reviewed
• Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One showdown

One important thing to note is that all three phones have very different sensors. The Galaxy S4 hosts a 13-megapixel camera, and the iPhone 5 has an 8-megapixel shooter. For its part, the HTC One has what it calls an UltraPixel Camera, which is actually a 4-megapixel camera.

Although there aren't a lot of other specific details available, it's pretty clear that each smartphone camera has different focal lengths.

A note on my methodology: I took all photos at the same time and from the same vantage point. In most cases, I used the camera's automatic mode and kept flash in auto mode as well. I want to show how well the cameras handled the common scenarios I set up without any special adjustments. If you're more photographically inclined, you'll be able to tease out even better images using manual settings and other modes.

Most pictures are resized and cropped; I'll point out if they're crops from full-resolution images. When it came time to evaluate the photos, I called on CNET camera editor Josh Goldman to review them with me. Down the line, Josh plans to put the Galaxy S4 camera through his usual battery of camera tests in New York. For now, though, I hope you enjoy this San Francisco shootout.

Arrow up

A very cool, colorful, and tucked-away statue stacks up arrows (or are they pixelated people?) in a towering arrangement.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
Josh and I thought that Samsung's Galaxy S4 colors look the most accurate, if a little cool. The image is also the most evenly exposed. HTC's One overexposes the shot, with blown-out yellow, and a lot of lost highlight detail in the background and in the reflection of the glass door on the left. However, you can see the seam on the black statue most clearly in the HTC One's shot. For its part, the iPhone underexposes the image a bit, but the rounded-out colors are a little more pleasing.

Ebb and flow

I shot these pictures of a fountain fixture in a nearby plaza.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
The Galaxy S4 loses this round. Its camera didn't seem to know where to focus, so it chose the steadiest thing around: the block of rock within the fountain. HTC's One is the clear winner, likely leaning on fast shutter speed to successfully freeze the running water. Of all three pictures, this image is also the most focused across the entire plane, but as before, the One blew out the detail in the water's the splash. The iPhone 5, meanwhile, fits right in between the two.

We also noticed that the HTC One's color is off, tending toward blue. You see that replicated in many images throughout this test.

Fountain close-up

Here's the cropped, full-resolution portion at the focal point in the water's stream.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
Up close, the One's dominance in this shot is even more crystal clear, though Josh notes that the water's definition is oversharpened and "crunchy."

Strictly forbidden

Don't park here. They really mean it.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
All three cameras did a nice job capturing this image, but the Galaxy S4 has the advantage for its most accurate color representation and lowest levels of noise. The One was our least favorite, losing a lot of background detail. The red was a little little rusty as well, a symptom of the camera's overall blue cast. Of the pictures, the iPhone 5's saturated red makes for a more lively image.

Signage, up close

These photos are full-resolution crops of the original, and all different sizes.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
The artifacts around the lettering are strongest in the HTC One and iPhone 5 pictures, which you can see in slightly jagged edges there. Colors are a little more accurate on the GS4, and while there's still noise, there's less of it.

Heads up

There's quite a lot of texture in this is clay noggin. I focused on the mouth, such as it is.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
This one's an interesting shot because it looks so different across the board. The S4's image is my favorite overall, once again blessed with the most even exposure of the three. You can see the clay detail and also some definition in the background street scene. The One's statue looks the brightest in the dueling light, but it's hopelessly overexposed, which you can tell when you take in the blown-out tree leaves, strip of white street, barely yellow meter, and color-striped taxi.

Although the iPhone produced the darkest image, it's the only one where you can see the actual road and the best taxi cab detail. There's more shadow detail as well. This may be the most technically proficient picture of the three, but my vote goes to the Galaxy S4 in this round.

Sweet ride

What better way to see how the phone cameras handle color than this awesome scooter?

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
All three of these photos look pretty nice. The Galaxy S4 and the iPhone produce rich, vibrant reds (the One once again is blued). If you look closely at the front of the Vespa, you'll notice that the One and, to a lesser extent, the iPhone, wash out the surface. For another example, fix your eyes on the mount just to the left of the handlebar area on the right.

Portrait

I took these photos indoors at dusk in a room with artificial lighting, focusing on her nose. I took multiple shots with each camera, and used automatic mode, so the camera algorithms could decide to use flash or not.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:

I'm still not sure what happened here. None of the three photos turned out as expected, which is to say, in focus. In fact, all three images look pretty terrible. The Galaxy S4 fired its flash, which filled in the picture but also made the subject look sallow.

The HTC One never focused and never attempted to use flash; it's the blurriest of the bunch, and this is (believe it or not), the best of the three shots I took. While the iPhone 5 picture is noisy, it's arguably better-looking than the GS4's picture, because it makes use of natural light. I think this one's a toss-up for me, but if I were sharing one of them over e-mail or through a social network, I'd choose the GS4's.

On the rocks

I shot this cocktail without any flash in a very low-lit indoor environment.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
Oh, Samsung, what have you done? The GS4 camera clearly picked the wrong light source to focus on, creating an inky low-light image, while the HTC One's picture actually came out strong enough to tell that you're looking at a beverage in a glass. Strange highlights and a floating blue window put a hitch in the One's victory dance, but you get the general idea. The iPhone 5 takes this round with the best colors, evenness, and detail.

It's all textual

A single, flickering candle illuminated this drink menu, taken indoors with the flash off. I focused on the large "R" and kept this cropped image at full resolution. These images represent the best of three shots per camera.

Galaxy S4

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

HTC One

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

iPhone 5

(Credit: Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

The verdict:
This is one of those photo setups that's pure stress test, though few would likely re-create this exact scene. Once again, Samsung's Galaxy S4 completely wiped out, which leaves the bout for the top low-light prize for this full-resolution crop between the iPhone 5 and HTC One. The One hits the technically better shot when you account for the highest amount of detail and least amount of color noise. The iPhone 5 image contains a tremendous helping of noise, but I think that if you were to take a photo of a menu like this in its entirety, the iPhone's picture would be the easiest to read.

Final assessment

Josh and I both agree that the HTC One's camera is the weakest of the three. Its color reproduction is cooler and adds a blue cast to shades. It also overexposes more shots and conveys the least amount of detail. However, the One's low-light performance was pretty good, and in many instances, we'd be happy using a picture from the One in casual photo-sharing situations.

When it comes to the out-and-out winner, the tussle between the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 grows murkier. In well-lit photos, the choice for the "better" camera is a coin toss. The iPhone's slight underexposure captures the most detail across a scene, but the GS4 camera produced a lot of the photos we liked best.

Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57581522-85/samsung-galaxy-s4-shootout-versus-htc-one-iphone-5/#ixzz2kXva0PbQ

Bollywood known as ‘item number’ abroad: Irrfan Khan

Irrfan has been a part of movies such as The Namesake and Oscar-winning films Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi. PHOTO: FILE

ABU DHABI: Irrfan Khan, who has been in the news for his work in the highly-acclaimed low-budget movie The Lunchbox, feels that Indian cinema needs to speak a universal language and change the world’s perception about Bollywood being an ‘item number.’

“We cannot continue being known as item number film-makers. Bollywood is known as an item number, and we have to change that,” Irrfan said. “We have to connect with a universal audience in a way that they think there is an interesting kind of cinema coming out of India.”

“We need to find a universal language, which I think The Lunchbox has done in a big way, and Qissa will also be able to strike a chord with,” added the 46-year-old.

Irrfan’s work takes him around the globe — he works in the international arena and his appeal stems from the fact that his movies are a breath of fresh air for an audience for whom Bollywood has only provided films full of songs and dances.

He has delivered powerful performances in movies such as The Namesake and Oscar-winning films Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi. On his home turf, he has amassed accolades for movies like Maqbool and Paan Singh Tomar.

The actor recently starred in The Lunchbox — a unique, simple story of an exchange of notes and thoughts between a lonely man and a lovelorn lady via a lunchbox. It is a moving tale that has been appreciated in festival circuits around the world. Qissa, screened at the seventh Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF), seems to be working up the same magic.

Qissa is not a light-hearted drama. According to Irrfan, “It is meant to shake you, not please you”, but the Punjabi movie has a “universal” quality which allowed its multi-layered message to transcend to a multi-ethnic audience at ADFF.

“We need to find a way of telling stories where a universal audience finds itself engaged in storytelling. That is the one thing we have not been doing,” said Irrfan, who believes the onus is on established directors and producers. “There are new directors who are trying to tackle subjects that weren’t dealt with earlier. Madras Cafe is an example because we don’t make political films [often enough]. That’s a well-made movie,” he added.

Along with the change in the nature of subjects and storytelling, India also needs a renewed understanding of the importance of an Oscar, advised the versatile actor. The Lunchbox was initially a frontrunner for the country’s selection for the foreign language film category at the Academy Awards this year. However, the Gujarati film The Good Road was the final submission over The Lunchbox. Irrfan is not complaining, but he believes a larger understanding of the ballgame needs to persist.

“You can’t make a film and sit in your room and watch it. You have to change the perception about Indian cinema when you go to a universal audience, and what better way is there to say that your film is universally accepted than [winning an] Oscar,” he added

Robert De Niro gorged on Kashmiri food in Mumbai

Actor Robert De Niro. PHOTO: AFP

MUMBAI: Hollywood star Robert De Niro, who visited Indian actor Anupam Kher’s acting school here during his visit, even gorged on some tradition Kashmiri dishes, prepared by Kher’s mother.

“My mother and aunt prepared a traditional Kashmiri meal for Robert. He seemed to enjoy it without reservations,” said Anupam.

De Niro and Kher worked together in Hollywood film “Silver Linings Playbook”. The international star, who was in the country for the THiNK fest in Goa. He made an impromptu unscheduled visit to Mumbai Sunday purely on Anupam’s request.

“When he informed me of his scheduled visit to India, I requested him to come to Mumbai for at least some hours. I wanted him to visit my acting school. He happily obliged. He was at my school from 5 pm until 9pm. It was a pleasure to host him in Mumbai,” Anupam said.

While the young guns of Bollywood like Ranbir Kapoor and Sikandar Kher trooped into Anupam’s school to meet the “Raging Bull” star, De Niro also addressed the students and teachers of Anupam’s school.

“I hadn’t informed them about who was coming to visit. When they saw the god of acting walk in, a couple of teachers almost fainted,” he said.

Valdés: "To me Messi seems sad"

11/12/2013

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Víctor Valdés has claimed Barça will always suffer some form of 'Messidependence': "He is god, the best there is and he always will be, for what he has given to this team and what he has made me experience as his team mate. For me, Barça will always depend on him because he is the best in the world".

The Barça keeper admits that the Argentine is not having the best of times at the moment: "To me he seems sad. By defect we players are selfish and we can't understand it when we can't play. Knowing him and the winner he is I have no doubt what he will now put into recovering, in fact he is already doing so".

On Barca's current style of play he said: "We reached an excellent level that even surprised Guardiola, but you have to applaud what we are doing now. Winning games and the three points is the most important thing and playing well comes after that. Now the opposition knows us well and we have to look for alternative ways".

Did you know? Ali Zafar’s Aman ki Asha has been renamed Total Siyappa

Zafar stars opposite Yami Gautam in this upcoming Bollywood rom-com.

Seems like Ali Zafar has made quite a place for himself in Bollywood by starring in rom-coms. The Pakistani singer-turned-actor, who was last seen in David Dhawan’sChashme Baddoor, will now be seen in yet another light-hearted romantic movie opposite actor Yami Gautam.

The movie is about a Muslim boy Aman who falls in love with a Hindu girl (Asha) who takes him home to meet her parents, which eventually leads to comedic mishaps and confusion. Considering the names of the two protagonists, the movie was aptly titled Aman Ki Asha. However, it seems that the film-makers were not quite happy with it as they have now changed it to Total Siyappa.

“We had earlier called the film Aman Ki Asha as the boy’s name is Aman and girl’s name is Asha. But the film is more than that. So, we have now changed it to a Punjabi title, Total Siyappa,” said a source, according to post.jagran.com. Nevertheless, Zafar is incredibly excited. “This is a story that people from both sides of the border will be able to relate to. The trailer is coming out soon and I cannot wait to see how audience from the sister states react to it. The venture is the first of its kind, making it an exhilarating project to work on,” he said, according to a presser. The film is scheduled to release some time next year.