Preserving A Legacy

Rukmini Varma was born in 1940 into one of its most ancient royal houses. Titled Her Highness Bharani Tirunal Rukmini Bayi Tampuran, Fourth Princess of Travancore, she is the great great granddaughter of Raja Ravi Varma, a master painter, venerated to this day as the Father of Modern Art in India. Now at the age of 76, Rukmini Varma, after a hiatus of 25 long years, has finally emerged from her shell to join art promoter and gallerist Gitanjali Maini in establishing the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation.

Heritage Call

Restored and refurbished from the brink of destruction, Ajay Rawla has made The Rajbari Bawali, a 350-year-old heritage mansion, a fitting getaway for all those looking for peace, serenity and luxury in the corridors of history.

The Lost Garden

Deo Bagh, a luxury heritage property run by the Neemrana group near Gwalior, is not just a weekend getaway for city dwellers. Owned by Sardar Dhananjayrao Jadhav and his wife, Uma Raje, of the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior, it is a beautiful throwback to the magnificent days of yore.

The Raj in Nainital

A wee bit away from the hustle bustle of Nainital lies a heritage homestay called Abbotsford, owned by Jahnavi Prasada. A gloriously pretty retreat, it is full of tales of the colonial days of the Raj and has quickly become a haven for writers yearning for creative rejuvenation.

Winner Takes It All!

There is no looking back for the ravishing Shraddha Kapoor, who's gone on to shake up the box-office with four back-to-back hits-a far cry from her launch vehicle that tanked miserably. This while also making a name for herself as a successful playback singer. In a candid interview, she tells Farhad J Dadyburjor why she still feels insecure when taking on a new film, how she's inspired by Lady Gaga and what's the most attractive quality of each of the leading hunks she's worked with.

Vino Wonder!

It’s her passion for wine that has seen Cecilia Oldne move from Sweden to Mumbai, where she’s now been based for ten years, as VP of Marketing and Global Brand Ambassador of Sula Vineyards. In an interview with Hi! Blitz, she talks about how the energy of the city drives her and the many wonders like yoga that India’s exposed her to.

the non conformist

she’s been tasting both commercial and critical success of late with a rollcall of films like kabali, phobia and parched, making radhika apte the girl of the moment. but the actress tells hi! blitz why she’s deciding to take a break from films and how she’s turned the notion of a married actress not getting work upside down on its head.

the royal spa

if you’re a new age hipster, eager to imbibe and experience the wonders of india’s ancient health heritage, you could take a short drive from delhi into that magnificence called the itc grand bharat. it is the repository of india’s indigenous wellness sciences, all luxuriously packaged to revive the exhausted body and mind.

the outsider powers in

it was her successful turns as a supporting actress that not only brought her critical acclaim but also led swara bhaskar to her first solo hit, nil battey sannata. not one to hold back her opinions, she tells hi! blitz how directors undervalued her potential in the past, about getting thrown out of a film once and facing the brunt of a sexist industry.

Twinkle Khanna: Having The Last laugh

Her Mrs Funnybones newspaper column has become famous for its satirical swipehumour mixed with fierce opinion, and now that quick-witted viewpoint is being extended in a book. Former actress and well-known interior design expert, Twinkle Khanna talks about the genesis of Mrs Funnybones, being stereotyped for her looks and why she sometimes thinks of herself as a fat teenage boy.

Agony Dad: Shahrukh Khan

Hollywood thinks Brad Pitt is the ideal dad, but here in Bollywood Tag Heuer brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan could easily win the top slot.

Most Popular Coffees Around The World

Coffee drinking has almost become a religion. Cashing in on the trend are a rapidly growing number of coffee houses offering every kind of flavour, combination, or permutation for consumers looking either for a quick fix of adrenaline, or maybe a bit of romance. Fareeda Kanga attempts to decode the now complicated world of a cup of coffee.

Akshay Kumar: Zen Is His Other Name

It’s been a steady evolution of that lean, mean, martial machine called Akshay Kumar. That long haul from being the penniless waiter from Bangkok to one of the highest earning actors in the world. The flying kicks that marked his entry into Bollywood eventually eased out for the comic actor, which in turn gets edged out occasionally for the real story genre. There are so many Akshay Kumar’s lurking in there, that predicting his next step is a constant mystery. Shalini Sharma tries to get inside the head of a man who has it all, but prefers playing it quiet and understated.

What To Expect In The City On Steroids: Dubai

There’s much more to Dubai than just shooting skyscrapers and shopping malls—there’s Michelin starred restaurants, adventure sports, cultural festivals, trendy promenades and even a theatre on the beach. With the upcoming art and food festivals to a gigantic Bollywood theme park, Hi! Blitz gives you a roundup of what to expect in the city on steroids...

Nostalgic Cuisine With A Contemporary Comeback

Long before culinary gurus thought of fusion food, it was Anglo-Indian cuisine that was perhaps the precursor or inspiration for this trend. By assimilating and amalgamating ingredients and cooking techniques from all over the Indian sub-continent, it became a completely new cuisine with a distinctive flavour of its own. Fareeda Kanga discovers nostalgic cuisine that has made a contemporary comeback.

Dance With Me

Dance is the new healer, say Madhav and Kanhai, two brothers who are revolutionising the fitness and wellness industry with their moves and philosophy. Kipa Dance Academy is a place where creative dancing in various styles is combined with several healing techniques to ensure fitness and a healthy mind and body.

Healthy & Happy

Sahibba K Anand and Ruhani Mitter are creative, enterprising and health freaks. These two pretty sisters have grown up in a household that always swears by health and fitness, games and outdoor activities, eating right and looking good naturally. They share their stories with Hi! Blitz, revealing how much their backround shaped their careers.

The Raw Truth

Handloom has become the most emotive word in fashion circles. Fashion weeks are built around the theme and social media has taken to the cause with alacrity. Shalini Sharma meets the poster boy of revivalism Sanjay Garg, whose brand Raw Mango gave a whole new contemporary spin to handloom sarees. In this interview the designer warns against the dangers of glib revivalism, cautioning that the biggest victims of the handloom frenzy could ironically turn out to be the weavers themselves.

Baby on a Budget

With his team of doctors at Aveya IVF, Sahil Gupta is making IVF treatment affordable and cost effective for the masses. Hi! Blitz meets the doctor who is revolutionising painless methods of infertility treatment and working with top MNCs to encourage their women employees to freeze their eggs.

Aditi in Wonderland

Six years in the industry and still awaiting her breakthrough role, things are about to massively change for the beauteous Aditi Rao Hydari as she gears up to star in Mani Ratnam’s Tamil language romantic drama Kaatru Veliyidai and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati. In a candid interview with Farhad J Dadyburjor, the actress talks about the predatory nature of the fi lm industry, how she wishes she’d had a more loving relationship with her father and the most upsetting part of the rumoured link-up with Farhan Akhtar.

Dutch to Desi

Natascha Chadha along with Marlies Bloemendaal is behind the funky co-working space in Mumbai, Ministry of New. Half-Dutch half-Indian, Natascha has been a journalist, copywriter and even acted in improv comedy. She tells Hi! Blitz about the challenges of settling into a new culture and how India has been a creative force.