Bring Hair Alive with Himalaya Herbals!

For those who follow me on twitter, know how much I crib about my schedule and pathetic Mumbai locals. Day begins at 7 am and by the time I am back to my lovely bed, it is close to midnight. Yes, not kidding. This whole month has been one heck of a busy time due to which I was unable to blog too.

By the way, have you heard of blessings out of blue moon? Himalaya Herbals turned out to be one for me! Amidst the entire hustle bustle, Himalaya Herbals hosted an event ‘Bring Hair Alive’.

Shiny, bouncy, healthy, long, strong, and the list goes on. We all wish for such hair, don’t we?

I must say, the name of the event was intriguing enough. My hair has always been in need of rejuvenation and life, and my search stopped here.

The day was all about being pampered and give ourselves a hair spa treatment right at the comfort of home. Yes, the 6-step regime of Himalaya Herbals can be done right at home for the best hair treatment.

Himalaya Herbals Hair Care range focuses heavily on the natural ingredients which are easily available in India. The range has products ranging from Shampoos, Conditioners, Hair Creams and Oils. Whether you have hair fall, dry, damaged or dandruff hair, Himalaya Herbals has products in each category for all your hair needs.

Let’s get into the 6-step solution by following these easy steps to get you a hair spa at home. The treatment started with choosing between the Anti-Dandruff and Anti-Hair fall range. Since I have dandruff problem, the choice was made without any hesitation.

• Step 1. Begin the spa by massaging your scalp for 10-15 minutes using the Himalaya Herbals Oil. A good massage means, good blood circulation. It relives one off stress and brings one’s hair alive.
• Step 2. Wash your hair with lukewarm water. Shampoo it. I used the Himalaya Herbals Anti-Dandruff shampoo to not just soothe my scalp but also to get rid of dandruff. 
• Step 3. Apply a hair mask/cream from root to tip and leave in on for 15 minutes for nourishment and that desired softness.
• Step 4. Relax and give steam to your hair for 10-15 minutes for deeper penetration. Steaming helps in opening the pores. It also helps the nourishment reach to the roots.
• Step 5. Wash your hair again to remove the cream off it.
• Step 6. Apply conditioner to moisturize your tresses.

Few pictures from the event...

Apply the conditioner on each strand and leave for 2-3 minutes. Later, wash off.

The 6-step process and a wonderful head massage not only gave me relaxation but also made my hair feel soft, smooth and nourished.

The products are natural and easily available. I have always used their Neem face wash and after this event, the hair care range has become my go-to hair care solution!

Stay tuned for more stories!

#INK2014 - Melting pot of creative ideas

The last weekend saw a lot of events happening in Mumbai. One of which I attended was #INK2014! This is the first time I have ever attended INK with aspirations to be a part of it since many years. Let's take you through a quick recap of some of my favorite sessions at the event.

For those of you who don't know (am hoping that no. is less!); INK conference is a melting pot of ideas, creativity & innovation. The theme for which was "Beyond Boundaries" this year. Creative voices across fields spoke at the Conference, a couple of notable ones were 

• David Rowan, Editor, WIRED UK magazine, 
• Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Google India, 
• Artist Jitish Kallat, 
• Musician Ani Choying Drolma, 
• Film Critic and Author Anupama Chopra and 
• Dancer Vidhya Subramanian. 

There were also a host of film makers like Raj Kumar Hirani, artists and entrepreneurs at the event. You can read up more about the event here.

It was held between the 31st of Oct to 2nd Nov.

Let's take you through some of the sessions at this year's INK.

Tulsi Gurung, Social Media Listening & Support Manager, Dell India

Session: How to create your brand on social media? #DellAtINKLive

Perfect session for Social media beginners and the experts who are always looking out to learn something new in this field. My takeaways from the session has to be the following things:

• "Customer comes first." Tulsi took us through the case studies of Dell India and how as a brand they take care of the most important entity for a brand which is their customer. A customer can make or break your brand and hence exists - @DellCares and @DellHomeSupport.
• "Driving business results from the FB Fan base", introducing My Dell Rewards. Dell knows how to turn FB Fan base (potential customers) into prospective customers. You join the reward program and earn points on your next purchase. Cool, right?

• For people who said, Social Media cannot be measured; Tulsi busted a few myths by presenting Dell India's campaign, discussing a few tools that they use at Dell to analyse their campaigns correctly. 
• It doesn't matter what you think of your brand. Ultimately, it is the audience who decides what your brand is. Take them seriously.
• Social e-commerce: When asked about the future of social e-commerce in India, Tulsi pointed out that it will take some time for it to penetrate in India. It is slowly catching up internationally and the day is not far when e-commerce will be as easy as one tweet. Wait and watch out!
• Content marketing will get bigger with time. If not now, what you create will be important later.
• Technology and content go hand-in-hand when it comes to Social media.

Neeraj Arora, Vice President, WhatsApp Inc.
Session: To Infinity & Beyond

Co-hosted by Neeraj Arora and Vivek Wadhwa

Neeraj Arora manages “all things business at WhatsApp”. Arora spoke of his beginnings at Whatsapp “When I first met Whatsapp folks, they weren't just building a Silicon Valley product but a global one. There were only 20 people working at whatsapp at the time and they weren’t open to business people.” He then spoke about the company’s massive growth even though they shy away from the limelight “3 years ago there were close to 30-40Million active users. Now, there are 600 Million users. WhatsApp has 80 Employees right now. Business is not the core of the company."

Dave McClure, Angel Investor; Founding Partner, 500 Startups

Session: Sky Is The Limit

Dave McClure is a venture capitalist and founding partner at 500 Startups, an internet startup seed fund and incubator program in Mountain View, CA. Dave started the session with sage advice” Stay true to yourself and to your heart” and went on to share insights on branding- “ A brand is something that sets you apart from others and not just a product, we must be uni directional in telling our customers a story about our brand. Stand for ONE thing, or you will stand for NOTHING “ His advice to entrepreneurs-“ The most important thing in building your company, is to take risks. You have nothing to lose.”

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Documentary Filmmaker 

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is a film producer and journalist who has worked on 14 films for major networks in the United States and Britain. Sharmeen exuded confidence and determination in her session “I wanted to make a movie of Afghan refugee children on the streets of Pakistan. Doors don't just open. You have to kick them open” Sharmeen;s film covered the grave situation of children who've lost everything and are preyed upon by the Taliban. Her films have often been met with less than positive responses “They've spray painted my name with profanity across several neighborhoods. We were blackmailed and hounded despite the accolades the movie garnered.” 

Watch these videos to get connected with #INK2014!

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Thank you Dell India for giving me the opportunity to attend this prestigious event. You guys, don't miss out on attending it next year! Till then, keep being the creative YOU! :)

Ciao.

Perfect Weekend for the Bikers: Ride - Grill - Camp

A bunch of die hard riders are coming up with an exciting event this weekend. Read on to find more! 

Every true-blue biker desires a perfect ride or a perfect night out with his or her buddies "Downshift Group" is organizing that perfect ride and night out together. Hence, we ride to Karnala which is 58 Kms from Mumbai & 110 km from Pune. This night out will be totally different for your regular night outs, it will be a pure bikers night out where everything will be related to the motorcycling world. Once you reach the camp site, you will experience the scenic beauty and the motorcycling twist we have given to the place. At the same time everyone will experience the purity of nature and a proper camping environment. So gear up, rev your engines and get ready for this completely different experience.

Location: BRT Karnala Camp Ground
Date: 3rd & 4th May 2014
Ride fees Rs. 2200/-
(Includes – Tents sharing according to 3 people, 5 people and 10 people, sleeping bags, barbecue dinner veg/non-veg, breakfast)

Last Date to register is 30th April 2014! Time is running short, get going!!!

Package also includes:

• Unplugged band performance
• Treasure Hunt
• Photography & Videography Contest
• Mr. Control - Slow Riding Race
• Roadtrip Story Contest
• Night/Morning Trek

For more details, visit www.bikersnightout.wix.com/bikersnightout

For tickets, contact:
Gaurav Prabhu - 9819138077
Saurabh De - 9987998686
Shrey Sunil - 9819245624

*Terms & Conditions Apply
Official Camping Partner - Big Red Tent

[Guest Post] Oscars Fever

Oscars by Aniket Tari

So finally the Oscars are done. After three months of closely following all the other awards and debating which films will make it to the final race, we finally have somewhat satisfying results. And now begins the post-Oscars micro-analysis of the entire ceremony, the wins, the snubs and the memorable moments off-stage, on the red carpet, etc. etc. But what is surely undeniable is that despite all the criticism directed towards this particular awards show, a lot of people do watch it and they do discuss it an awful lot. And that's how the Oscars have always been; sharing a love-hate relationship with the audience.

For starters, the majority of the audience has always had problems with the academy for always choosing to honour old-school, conventional films over ground-breaking ones such as Crash over Brokeback Mountain, How Green Was My Valley over Citizen Kane, Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan and so on. So when this year Gravity was up against the slavery-drama 12 Years a Slave, it was expected that the latter would win. And it did win, but after Gravity was honoured for all the right awards. But the Best Picture snub left the fans of Gravity disappointed nonetheless. Why does a breathtaking film like Gravity lose when it has everything a film should have? Which eventually leads us to the question - what makes a film worthy of Best Picture? Answer - Nothing. Cate Blanchett in her acceptance speech said that the award is "random and subjective" and she is so right! Each year, hundreds of thousands of films are made worldwide. Among them a few thousands might stand out for their amazing storytelling, creativity and resonance. It isn't possible to award all of these films. And why must they be awarded? We don't need awards to decide the greatness of a film. Every person finds specialty in a different film. What one might view as a mediocre film, can be inspirational to another, resonating with them on a different level. So when 12 Years a Slave wins against Gravity, there isn't a need for an uproar. We have no right to pit two completely different films against each other in the first place. So why is there a need for such an extravagant award ceremony that supposedly puts people in an extraordinary league? Well, the Oscars can be viewed as the Olympics of films. A competition among films and artists. Simple.

So when I read about people boycotting the awards ceremony, trashing it publically and calling it foul, I have a hard time understanding them. Why do we have to take these awards to heart? All awards are subjective. It is widely known that most among the 6000-member jury of the Oscars consists of retired artists from different fields such as actors, directors, producers, cinematographers and other technicians who have been out of touch with making films for a long time. So what appeals to their old-school sensibilities, might not necessary go down well with us. And in recent times, it has been the other way around as well. The academy has been grappling with diminishing TV ratings, primarily because of the choice of films being nominated but also because the ceremonies are awfully long and boring. 

The academy's insistence on doing things the old-fashioned way hasn't always gone down well with the audience, especially the younger audiences. So they've tried attracting the younger demographics by appointing younger hosts like Anne Hathaway and James Franco, Seth MacFarlene, etc. However, this attempts backfired horribly when the hosts either couldn't manage the pressure of hosting an event viewed by a billion viewers worldwide or went too far with their attempts at edgy comedy. So when this year, the academy appointed Ellen DeGeneres to return as the host, after her stint in 2007, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Ellen, in her previous gig, had managed to salvage the academy from its ratings slump with her charismatic persona and immense popularity, giving us an entertaining ceremony in return. So she seemed like the best bet this year after the previous years' misfires.

But this year the ceremony took a different turn; the host wasn't just on the stage taking digs at the actors and announcing presenters, this year the host spent majority of her time interacting with the audience and that's where they nailed it! We're living in the social media age where we are not content just seeing the actors from a distance but where we want to interact with them and have a conversation. And that's precisely what Ellen did! We want to see our favourite actors act normal and behave in an everyday manner by letting go of their celebrity act once in a while. So when Ellen began taking selfies with the actors and the actors began jumping and cramming to get into the picture, the audience rejoiced! Next came the pizza act, where Ellen distributed pizza in the audience and the starving actors let their guard down to enjoy America's favourite food in their tuxedos and magnificent gowns. Gone were the days when presenters came on stage with sombre faces to hand off the trophies and actors sitting in the audience with equally sombre faces. These artists of the Twitter age were honest, playful and, well, tweeting during the ceremony! The result? Highest ratings for the ceremony in a decade, 75% rise in live tweeting during the ceremony and lots of discussions about the ceremony that lead people to watch the repeat telecasts. Despite being a three and a half hour long event, it didn't feel like a drab. Instead, it just passed by, leaving us fairly satisfied.

I genuinely hope that the academy learns it's lesson from this year and loosens up a little, in the way it plays out the ceremony and also by letting newer films with newer narrative styles win the coveted trophy. The academy got most of the things right this year and Gravity was really close to winning. And that's a great feat. If it continues like that, maybe the Oscars will be able to come out of its ratings slump and again become one of the most watched TV event of the year.

Ciao!

The Mud Rush is Back - Monsoon Edition – August 31st 2013

Asia’s first ever Mud Rush was a huge success at Kolad this year in February and is back with their Monsoon edition in Pune, Maharashtra on the 31st August 2013.

The Mud Rush is back with a monsoon edition! As promised, it’s going to be bigger, better and with a LOT more mud. On 31st August 2013, feel the thrill of a quest accompanied with adrenaline along the terrain of the Fort Jadhavgadh situated in the beautiful rolling hills in the heart of Jadhavwadi, Pune. What better place to host the Monsoon Edition with Fort Jadhavgadh’s tag line being Ladh, Jhagadh, AageBadh!

Friends, picture this: a 300 year old Fort, rains, fog, and a 5+ kms muddy trail with over 21 obstacles. This Monsoon, be prepared to run like the famous game character in Temple Run! And you will get the feeling of accomplishment with an epic reward at the finish line comprising of a Signature Frosty Beer and a Medal stamping you as a true Mud Rusher! This race is not intended only for the super athletic but for the entire family. It requires you to just unleash all your energy and head for the finish line. You can participate individually or as a team. We encourage you to dress in unique uniforms, either for fun or to support something you really care about. Participants can choose to bypass challenges or exit the race at any given point of time.

As the day proceeds, The Mud Rush will be host to a post event Sun-Downer party for all to enjoy and dance away to some crazy music. Well-known DJs and bands will showcase their talent, giving you another reason to celebrate your achievement and party in the heart of nature. This event is not only for people who want to run but audiences can come along as spectators and cheer up their team or their subordinates who are taking part and tons of motivation will be pouring in from them. At the end of it, The Mud Rush has been designed for fun and not mere competition. What better way to work out, test yourself, party and help a social cause! This year The Mud Rush is proud to announce their association with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI) as their Cause Partner. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive incurable disease of the Central Nervous System, in which simplest everyday tasks can no longer be taken for granted. In India today, very little is known about this debilitating disease and hence the aim with such a partnership is to support the MS cause and spread awareness for those afflicted by it. The Mud Rush is proud to host the team ‘MS Warriors’ who will participate with their patients, caregivers, volunteers and well wishers along with their Cause Ambassador, MILIND SOMAN. 

Bands performing

Clement D'Souza

Anish Sood

SequEl

Ajit Pai

What happened last year? - A Recap of The Mud Rush at Kolad (9th Feb 2013) 

Preview: The Mud Rush (TMR) at Kolad was an all-terrain marathon style run that stretched across a 7km circuit with challenging obstacles designed by the Indian Special Forces. This event encompassed 30-foot stacks of hay, water bodies, barrier walls, 100 feet stretches of tires, 45 degree hills, fire, ice, and, of course, a whole lot of mud. The fun didn’t stop here, making sure this event doesn’t end at the finish line. After the rush was over, the day had just begun. Once completed the run, participants or official Mud Rushers got ready to wine, dine and celebrate their accomplishments of the day. The Mud Rush recreational area featured an assortment of cover bands playing great music along with a wide array of food and beverages. 

And if this has not tempted you to join THE MUD RUSH, then watch it yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0G7lSOmxMg&feature=youtu.be 

Dirty gets dirtier

The Final Leap

Slide down the mud


Proud Associates and Partners of the Event!

About The Mud Rush Team

The Mud Rush is a JV between Happy Feet Entertainment and Sheer Management. With Happy Feet Entertainment’s philosophy of concept events and Sheer Management’s 15 year experience in ideating, designing and creating events, The Mud Rush Team is ready to produce an event of epic proportion for one and all to come and enjoy!

For more Information, visit: http://www.themudrush.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheMudRush

https://twitter.com/TheMudRush

Block your dates for The Mud Rush!

Thank you PHOTOKATHA for getting in touch. PHOTOKATHA is the events digital partner of The Mud Rush.