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Interview Lifestyle Lite Blogs

‘Animation Is Simply fun’

Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya

With demand for Indian animated content growing among global audiences, especially with children who are a significant consumer group for animations like cartoon shows, a home-grown animation brand Cosmos Maya, the creator of popular children’s show ‘Motu Patlu’, shares that it is an exciting time to be in the animation business. Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya interacts with Siddhi Jain.

The animation studio and Arbaaz Khan Productions have recently come together to adapt the blockbuster franchise ‘Dabangg’ into an animated series. This news comes right in line with the tenth anniversary celebration of the film franchise that introduced the character of Chulbul ‘Robin Hood’ Pandey for the first time in 2010. The show will feature animated avatars of all of the franchise’s characters. Targeted at kids and family audiences, Season 1 will be launching in summer 2021.

Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya – whose content is airing or streaming in over 150 countries on major OTT or TV platforms in 18 languages, speaks about Indian animation and how promising its future is, globally. Excerpts:

Tell us about the making of some of your most popular IPs.

Our idea behind most of our content output is to ensure familiarity with novelty. Implementing insights, we derive from everyday familial and social life that are relevant for kids in a package that adapts to changing sensibilities and requirements of our young audience. For example, naughtiness and clumsy behaviour is something which many kids expect to be reprimanded for and is often the subject of most kids’ animation, so ‘Motu Patlu’, showing on Nick and Voot Kids, subverted the trope by providing a set of adults indulging in such behaviour instead.

New Delhi: Popular cartoon characters Motu Patlu on a visit to IANS ahead of the TV premiere of the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards (KCA), to be aired on January 6; in New Delhi on Jan 3, 2019. (Photo: Amlan Paliwal/IANS)

‘Selfie with Bajrangi’ streaming on Disney TV and Disney+ Hotstar takes the fantastical power of invisibility and shape-shifting and provides the lead character a friend in Bajrangi, a junior version of a revered god who is known for such powers. We largely credit our business spread and market share of over 60 percent to this core philosophy. We are always looking out for arenas where we can be first innovators, such as the Dabangg animated series coming out on Disney+ Hotstar soon, which will be one of our first projects and a step for the Indian animation business towards working with established Bollywood IPs and provide them a creative and lucrative extension.

How exciting is it to be in the animation business right now? How has it picked up over the years?

Our company is in the remarkable position where we have only witnessed but been a significant catalyst to the growth of the animation and post-production industry in India. We have seen the transition of this market from a solely outsourcing-based service provider sub to and IP-rich industry. Additionally, more and more media outlets and business entities have come to realise that this medium helps them accomplish greater storytelling and advertising potential, as it works perfectly for the zaniest of narratives and visual mandates.

Animation is simply fun, being one of the first visual interfaces a child has for the world, and it is a sector that has proved resilient in the face of global calamities, which reflects in the performance of the industry despite an entire locational shift in the workspace of people involved. The projected growth of the sector is expected to reach almost $26 billion in FY21, and we strive to make the most of it.

Children are huge consumers of animated content. How do you create content around them?

We have a think tank comprising of people from the creative, business, sales and executive departments and concept artists, who come together to discuss and derive actionable insights from everyday life and how kids are adapting with the times. How life reflects in their worldview and behaviour, and what kind of ideals their parents as the content moderators want to inculcate in them. Our show ‘Titoo’ on Pogo takes the story of an everyday boy akin to ‘Dennis the Menace’, and delivering it in a tone and language relevant to kids today in a slice-of-life narrative. ‘Bapu’ and ‘Gadget Guru Ganesha’ take a similar setup as ‘Selfie with Bajrangi’ to provide known and respected figures as best friends/role models to the lead characters and helping them navigate through, discussing relevant topics such as social responsibility in a non-pedagogical manner.

Please tell us about animation as an art form.

Two things render animation its artistic status – that it adapts to nearly every creative requirement that a content creator may have of its narrative, and that it’s limited only by their imagination. Animation lends itself to the most randomly imaginative narratives and visual detail and nearly every genre of storytelling in a manner that is adaptive, conducive and cost-effective.

Anish Mehta, the CEO of Cosmos Maya

What’s the global appeal of Indian animated content as of now? Animation is mostly thought of as Japanese or Korean.

Our show ‘Eena Meena Deeka’ can be called to the stand to answer this. A non-dialogue show about three chickens and their battle of wits with a hungry fox, is one of our best performing shows in over 80 countries, and is one of the most highly viewed shows in Europe and Latin America. ‘Vir: The Robot Boy’ has nearly 11 billion views globally on our YouTube multi-channel brand WowKidz. From long-format to short-format content, Indian animation is catering to audiences across the world and is steadily creating its own niche. If the demand for Indian animation is going anywhere, it’s up.

Some new trends you may be observing in the industry or consumer group?

Thanks to the near simultaneous growth of video-sharing websites, OTT streaming and e-commerce, the issue of piracy is very nearly taken off, with financial losses on that front reducing significantly. Moreover the Indian industry is moving fast to make a foothold in the licencing and merchandising market which is the largest profit driver for the global animation industry. Cosmos-Maya is taking active steps in that direction as well, with advertising-funded modules being discussed with brands. Animation is being explored in detail as an effective communication touch point for business consumers.

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Fashion Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Make Your Beard Baby Friendly

Is if your beard really baby friendly?. (Photo: Unsplash)
Is if your beard really baby friendly?. (Photo: Unsplash)

While the world has been busy adjusting to the ‘new normal’ thanks to the pandemic, a few people have been blessed and celebrate the biggest highlights of their life at home.

Many couples celebrated an engagement while other got hitched during the coronavirus. Some are revelling in the joys of parenthood as they welcome a new addition to their family. Once you become a dad, a lot of your life’s choices are dictated by your baby. For instance, you start seeing the world from a different perspective, by prioritising your baby over yourself. Upgrading or even creating an additional living space for your child. Along with your change in lifestyle, you also need to update your looks. Is if your beard really baby friendly?

Mumbai-based celebrity stylist and Gillette Grooming expert, Aalim Hakim, says keep it simple, short, and soft to avoid any pain when your baby pulls your beard or causing micro abrasions from cuddles. It is important that your look is baby friendly. Father to two sons, Aalim has played a key role in styling and guiding the new dads and expectant fathers on how they must maintain their beard including the likes of Hardik Pandya, Sumeet Vyas and Suresh Raina, who have all had to alter their looks to suit their new-borns.

Aalim says, the easiest and the least time consuming is to go clean-shaven, since you can then feel your toddlers’ hands on your cheek, it is an unmissable experience. But if that is too much to ask, then men can look at maintaining a light stubble or a simple moustache. The celebrity stylist shares some secret hacks to get your beard right for the baby.

To begin with, gather all your tools; pick up a good razor – depending on your skin and beard type use a Mach3, Fusion Proglide or a Skinguard. Along with this you will also need a comb, scissors, aftershave gel to get the desired style:

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has shaved off his signature “’83” moustache. The actor took to Instagram on Monday night, where he shared his clean shaved look. Ranveer captioned the image: “Ae Chikne”.

CLEAN SHAVE

While everyone might not like to be clean shaven, it is one of the most recommend method of maintaining personal hygiene and getting rid of dead skin.

This look is considered to be a confident and trustworthy look, because your beard can alter your face- structure. This look is an honest and open book. If you have good face structure like a sharp jawline and great facial features, why not flaunt it instead of covering up under facial hair.

The benefits of a clean shave are: It keeps your child safe from bacteria residing in your beard,
It can help remove dead skin cells (often the cause of acne and bad skin), It often makes you appear younger, It will compliment a formal appearance.

ANCHOR BEARD

Use a scissor and comb to even out your beard hair length. Wash your face with hot water or apply a hot towel on your beard as it will help soften the facial hair as well as open the pores. Apply a shaving gel or foam and massage it in a circular motion all over the face and neck area to condition the skin for a smooth shave. To achieve this look, the soul patch and goatee at the chin will be connected to create an anchor shape. The corner of the anchor will be hugging the jaw line of the face keeping the length and shape as required. You can keep your moustache in a pencil shape, or a pyramid shape disconnected with your anchor beard. Shave with a light and gentle pressure to give yourself a close shave.

Beard care

After the complete process wash your face with cold water and apply aftershave lotion or balm as it is the best possible way to close your pores, soothe the skin and smell nice
The benefits of an anchor beard are: Keeps your cheeks clean, giving your baby room to feel your face, gives you a sleek, sharp and confident look, it will compliment your formal appearance if done. regularly

BALBO BEARD

Balbo beard is one of those styles that is a combination of both, the moustache and a goatee. This style is unique in its own way since the moustache and the goatee are not connected. The goatee is created in the shape of the letter ‘T’ where the letter is inverted.

Using your scissor and comb, reduce the density of the beard around your cheeks and disconnect your moustache with your goatee. Give yourself a clean shave with the best razor on the cheeks start shaping your goatee as an inverted T below your lower lip. It can be as thick/thin as you like.
Create a straight line while you move your strokes downwards from the top. Ensure your strokes are extremely sharp & strong. The benefits of a balbo beard are: Keeps your cheeks clean, giving your baby room to feel your face, it avoids areas that commonly experience patchiness, it’s an easy style to pull off and one that transitions seamlessly from day to night and a great go-to look for men of all face shapes.

HANDLEBAR MOUSTACHE

Using your scissor and comb, bring down your overall moustache length to about 1/5 of an inch. Keeping it longer at the edges around your mouth

Start defining the shape of your handlebar moustache by following your lip line to the corner of your mouth and trimming in a downward direction, create clean edges and tidy up any stray hair around your handlebar moustache

LAHORE, March 1, 2019 (Xinhua) Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman with his trademark handlebar moustache (Xinhua/ISPR/IANS)

Create a neat parting with rounded edges in the middle of your handlebar moustache. Give yourself a clean shave with the best razor on the cheeks, chin and neck, taking extra care around your moustache. Comb and re-shape the ends of your moustache by twisting the edges around your fingers into a curl you like.The benefits of a handlebar moustache are: Keeps most of your face clean, square and wide faces are typically better suited for the

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Health Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Resilience, A Pathway To Cope With Stress

5 natural alternatives to help you cope up with work stress.
5 natural alternatives to help you cope up with work stress.

Covid-19 has triggered a global financial crisis and due to strict adoption of lockdown measures, the magnitude of poor mental health is increasing across the world. The ‘New Normal’ hopes to bring a positive outcome, but the fear of contracting the virus is making it difficult for people to live through these times.

All we need is to do is go back to basics and work on maintaining mental health by sculpting resilience on a daily basis. Resilience is a healthy pathway to cope with stress, fear and anxiety. It will make you, the people you care about and the community stronger. The bounce-back-ability is a kind of “miracle drug” personality trait, something that can heal all wounds and right all wrongs. It is a wonderful trait to have as it is related to a plethora of positive outcomes, and “perhaps most important of all” it can be improved.

Resilient outcome doesn’t come about as a result of something particularly earth shattering, it’s just everyday stuff, like getting a teacher to give a bit more attention to a particularly weak or disadvantaged student.

According to the research, resilience contains 5 essential elements:

Knowing your inner self — Your inner self is who you really are on the inside, to know your purpose, values, vision, goals, motivations, and beliefs. Your inner self is who you really are on the inside.

Challenge — Resilient people encompass an adverse situation as a challenge and not as a paralysing phenomenon. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from, and as opportunities for growth in future. They don’t view themselves as a negative reflection on their abilities or self-worth.

Analysing situations — Resilient people are very good at analysing any negative situation and turn the situation into a positive phenomenon.

Commitment — Resilient people possess a strong sense of commitment, they are committed to their lives and their goals. Commitment isn’t just restricted to their work – it’s to their relationships, their friendships etc.

Self control — People with resilience, focuses only on self-regulation and self-control. They like to invest their time and energy focusing on situations and events that they have control over. They put their time and effort where they can have the most impact, they feel empowered and confident in.

9 ways to build resilience and tackle mental health problems. (Photo: Unsplash)

Here are nine ways to build resilience:

Cognitive Restructuring — Do you often find yourself “stuck in your own head,” caught in endless spirals of negative thinking? Try cognitive restructuring! It is a simple but powerful technique for identifying and undoing negative thinking patterns like worry and rumination. When thought patterns become destructive and self-defeating, it’s a good idea to explore ways to interrupt and redirect them. That’s what cognitive restructuring can do.

Sleep is vital — Sleep is a vital component of every person’s overall health and well-being, often neglected. It reinvigorates the body and prepares it for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration. Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Sleep apnea and depression – Is there a correlation?

Maintain perspective — Resilient people are well-versed with the fact that although a situation or crisis may seem overwhelming in the moment, it may not make that much of an impact over the long-term. Remind yourself of your priorities. Doing the “things that matter most” is all well and good – but it requires actually knowing what your priorities are.

Physical Wellness — Physical activity in any kind is a great way to keep you physically healthy as well as improving your mental wellbeing. Research shows that doing physical exercise influences the release and uptake of feel-good chemicals called endorphins in the brain.

Building Social Connections — Being social enables you to interact with these people and relate to them in a positive manner. People with social connection helps build our resilience and improve our physical and mental health, and help us cope with life stress.

Thought awareness — People with resiliency don’t let any negative thoughts destroy their efforts. Instead they consistently work upon restructuring a positive mindset.

(Photo: Unsplash)

Empathetic and compassionate — Resilient people don’t think of themselves as a victim. They don’t waste time worrying what others think of them. They maintain healthy relationships, but don’t bow to peer pressure.

Balanced diet — A recent study found that a balanced diet (a diet high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.) supplemented with fish oil led to a reduction in depression among patients. To boost your mental health, focus on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables along with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Dark green leafy vegetables in particular are brain protective. Nuts, seeds and legumes, such as beans and lentils, are also excellent brain foods.

Spirituality — Spiritual resilience comes by cultivating gratitude and counting your blessings. Be thankful for what you do have rather than focusing on what you’re missing. Build optimism and be positive, accept the past and focus on the future.

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Fashion Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Aggarwal’s True Vision Of The Futuristic Fashion

Contemporary Couture with Amit Aggarwal. (Photo: India Couture Week)
Contemporary Couture with Amit Aggarwal. (Photo: India Couture Week)

“As we experience the world through the safety of our homes, the oceans continue to churn, the wind continues to blow and the sky still holds her secrets and celebration from sunrise to twilight. Their freedom and lightness is a promise of new beginnings every moment,” says designer Amit Aggarwal as he launched his latest couture collection on Day 2 of the first-ever digital edition of the India Couture Week (ICW) on Saturday.

Contemporary Couture with Amit Aggarwal. (Photo: India Couture Week)

The self-confessed traditionalist has reinvented the wheel so to speak when it comes to traditional ensembles. “We constantly try and evolve the language of modern Indian craftsmanship. I think the pandemic has really got us all thinking about a higher responsibility towards our surroundings and nature. I feel nature has played a very important role in this collection,” reveals the designer.

Aggarwal captures nature through “the weightlessness of the ocean, the caress of the wind, and cradles the earth” with this collection in a dramatic underwater show, which played on various FDCI platforms for five minutes.

Contemporary Couture with Amit Aggarwal. (Photo: India Couture Week)

Staying true to vision of futuristic fashion and use of industrial material and signature polymers, the designer presented three dimensional, hand embroidered blouses in pearl and industrial yarn, paired with structured hand woven metallic polymer lehenga, striped structured lehengas complimented b structured lace palla, three-dimensional, hand embroidered blouses in pearl and yarns. The ensembles also consisted of three dimensional moulded blouses with lace and metallic polymer details.

Contemporary Couture with Amit Aggarwal. (Photo: India Couture Week)

“Couture for me is a feeling of wearing an outfit that is made especially for you, embodying your spirit and aesthetic. We always tread a balance of the surreal and functionality of the garment and it’s exciting to translate that vision into a digital experience. At the heart of it is our constant brand story of intricate craftsmanship and hand embroidery,” says the designer.

Through his show, Aggarwal also launched his website which offers sarees and lehengas, dresses, separates and his luxury pret line.

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Fashion Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Falguni Shane Bridals On Peacock Trend

Falguni Shane Peacock's collection focuses on the new age bride.
Falguni Shane Peacock’s collection focuses on the new age bride.

Designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock forayed into a full-fledged bridal segment with the launch of their latest couture collection at the digital India Couture Week (ICW), being held digitally for the very first time.

The duo presented a fashion film titled “Spectacle Prive” which featured Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor as the showstopper. Directed by the designers, the fashion film recreates all the hustle-bustle happening behind the scenes of real-time fashion shows.

Falguni Shane Peacock’s collection focuses on the new age bride.

We spoke to the duo to know more about their collection, the experience of a virtual fashion show and the pros and cons of the digital format. Read excerpts:

Tell us more about the collection. What is it inspired of?

Falguni: The collection is inspired by the rich heritage, culture, architectural marvels, and the abundant flora fauna of Jaipur – ‘The Pink City’. The city fuels the collections creative ingenuity and its element percolates in the designs. We have forayed full-fledged into the bridal segment the very first time and the showcase includes bespoke bridal lehengas in classic red – a colour that is immensely significant to the Indian bride.

How was the experience of being a part of a virtual fashion show?

Shane: The experience was exciting. Planning things for this year’s India Couture Week was similar to a certain extent to our previous physical shows. The rush of showcasing something different, the designing and creative processes is just the same. That said, we are happy to be a part of India Couture Week’s first digital showcase.

Falguni Shane Peacock’s collection focuses on the new age bride.

How do you think the audience takes to the whole virtual experience?

Falguni: We believe the virtual experience is a great format as we will be able to reach out to a wider audience across the world as compared to a physical fashion show. It is definitely a more disruptive and a democratic format. People who may not have had access to fashion weeks will now be able to see the collections through a lens of curiosity and excitement.

What are the most important points to keep in mind while showcasing a collection virtually?

Shane: The most important thing to keep in mind is the storytelling should be clean and crisp and of course the purpose of the film is to show the concept thus engaging the audience.

Falguni Shane Peacock’s collection focuses on the new age bride.

What are the pros and cons of holding virtual fashion shows?

Falguni: If you plan things properly, then you can overcome any challenge. Since we had enough time on hand to prepare for our collection as well as for our shoot, these challenges don’t seem insurmountable. The challenge of social distancing, reduced staff, remote working can be taken care of with the right mindset and planning. We have planned for these new ways of working and we had enough time to prepare a breathtaking new collection.

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Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Have A ‘Homely’ Cricketing Action In Dubai

Heading to Dubai for IPL 2020?. (rep pic)
Heading to Dubai for IPL 2020?. (rep pic)

Lockdown blues? Guess what, you’re not alone; but we have a solution, why not bring back some enthusiasm, some partying, cheering and fun by visiting Dubai for the Indian Premier League 2020.

As India’s cricket heartthrobs fly to the Middle East, there’s no reason why shouldn’t travel too. Make the most of the UAE’s travel bubble with India, in a year which probably had you believing that your suitcases would remain in storage and your passports unstamped. With India and the UAE announcing a travel bubble, as well as the upcoming cricket season, Dubai and Abu Dhabi now top our list of places to visit this year.

While you may not get to see them live in action in stadiums, book a few beautiful Airbnb homes where you and your homies can sit back after a day of sightseeing and shopping to watch your favorite T20 teams battle it out. Satiate your wanderlust and get close to all the cricketing action of the upcoming IPL season from these Airbnbs:

Have A ‘Homely’ Cricketing Action In Dubai

Luxury Tuscan-style Villa with private pool

Enjoy a round of golf in the morning, a swim in the private pool in the afternoon and end the day by watching an exciting cricket match at this spacious and thoughtfully equipped Tuscan-style villa. Set in an exclusive gated community that is part of the prestigious world-class Jumeirah Golf Estates, this quiet haven is perfect for a well-deserved family getaway.

Bab Al Qasr Residences-Studio with Private Beach

With iconic architecture and modern Arabian inspired decor, Bab Al Qasr Residences is a unique landmark on Abu Dhabi’s skyline. The spacious apartment is designed and decorated in a contemporary style with earthly colours and promises ultimate comfort and convenience. A King bed, lounge area, a fully equipped kitchen and a large bathroom with a walk-in shower and tub await you after a day spent at Abu Dhabi’s numerous amusement parks. Don’t forget to catch your favourite cricket icons battle it out for the coveted trophy on your television screen later in the evening.

Spectacular 3 BR Burj Khalifa view

Imagine waking up to the view of the tallest building in the world. This home offers just that and more! This luxury property located in the heart of Downtown offers a spectacular view of Dubai’s iconic skyline with an unobstructed view of Burj Khalifa and the famous Dubai Fountain. After watching your favourite team win the day’s match, you can walk down to the magnificent Dubai Mall to treat yourself to a shopping spree or indulge in a relaxing spa at the property’s in-house spa area if you decide to stay in.

2BR Breathtaking Waterfront in the Heart of Marina

Have A ‘Homely’ Cricketing Action In Dubai

Stay in this luxurious waterfront apartment for a truly memorable getaway. When not glued to the TV screen watching the match, you will find yourself in the balcony that offers mesmerising views of the Dubai skyline. The best part? In case you run out of snacks while enjoying the match, simply order in from the many restaurants in the vicinity. This is the perfect place for those looking to shut out the world and celebrate their cricket fever uninterrupted.

4 BDR Marina Penthouse I Private Pool & Terrace

This modern penthouse defines luxury-living at one of Dubai’s most prestigious addresses – The Marina District. The floor to ceiling windows display spectacular Marina views and offer ample sunlight during the day. Spend the day exploring Dubai’s world-class hot spots, including Marina Mall, Pier 7 Restaurants, The Marina Boardwalk and JBR Beach. In the evening, watch the match on the home’s 65″ TV, challenge your friends to a game of foosball or just gaze at the gorgeous skyline from the pool on the terrace of this luxurious penthouse