The Dawn at Dusk - Book Review

The Dawn at Dusk
By Sandeep Nayyar
Review By Ila Garg

The Dawn at Dusk, a novel by Sandeep Nayyar, is published by Ocean Paperbacks, a division of Ocean Books Pvt. Ltd. The cover shows a warrior woman. The backdrop of a dusty ground looks like a battle field scene. Let’s see what the book is about because the cover is quite intriguing!

Celebrate the season of gifting with Neesh!

Hi lovelies,

Continuing the blog series on gifting options that I have recently come across, here's the second post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a mail at ilagarg.president@gmail.com

So this is an amazing perfume brand called - Neesh. Let's explore this brand a little.

“NEESH” has a wide range of fragrance products. The company ensures the use of natural ingredients in the products to stay wary of the harmful effects of chemicals. They offer a delightful aromatic experience through their products.

Celebrate the season of gifting with Giftease!

Hi lovelies,

The season of gifting is here, so I decided to do a blog series on gifting options that I have recently come across. This is the first post in the series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a mail at ilagarg.president@gmail.com

So this is an amazing website called - www.giftease.com (rightly named 'gift-ease' as it really eases the process of gifting).

While browsing through the wide range of options available, I did come across a lot of innovative gifts. The gourmet chocolates looked tempting, spread across the site. I finally picked 3 products to check if the quality is what they promise and be the secret santa to some near and dear ones. I received my parcel in about a week.

Black Sheep Caught in a Cobweb - Part 1 - Book Review

Black Sheep Caught in a Cobweb – Part 1
By Mirabelle Pereira
Review By Ila Garg

Black Sheep Caught in a Cobweb, a novel by Mirabelle Pereira, is published by Partridge India. It is clearly a book series as indicated by ‘Part 1’. The cover didn’t impress me much but it rightly depicted the title of the book.

I have heard of crazy families before, but families who actually catch the attention of law enforcement and airport authorities are rare! So I had to read it. However, what a pity! The author has described the incidents but the reasons. For the reasons, one has to wait for the part two of the series.
The blurb of the book indicated that a humourous tale awaits me.

A Walk in the Rain - Book Review

A Walk in the Rain
By Udai Yadla
Review By Ila Garg

A Walk in the Rain, a novel by Udai Yadla, is published by Kyron Publications. The cover is not an exceptional concept, but managed to interest me with the beach scene and the two lovers running across the beach with the umbrella thrown off on the shore.

Kashmir 90 - Book Review

Kashmir 90
By Vineet Mishra
Review By Ila Garg

Kashmir 90, a novel by Vineet Mishra, is published by Frog Books, an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd. The cover was the first thing I loved about the book. The scenic beauty depicted on the cover reminds one at once, of the Dal Lake of Kashmir.

The Three Wise Monkeys - Book Review

The Three Wise Monkeys
By Jeet Gian
Review By Ila Garg

The Three Wise Monkeys is a novel by Jeet Gian. It is published by Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. The cover seems quite unusual with a pinch of evil and humour at first glance! The three wise monkeys remind us of Gandhiji but woah! after reading this book you will get a new perspective.

A Knotty Affair - Book Review

A Knotty Affair
By Dhaval Birajdar Jinadatt
Review By Ila Garg

A Knotty Affair, a novel by Dhaval Birajdar Jinadatt, is published by Leadstart Publishing Private Limited. The cover at first glance fails to appeal to general readers. However, if you look deeper, it symbolises an affair of sky and sea—the two extremes. The light blue of sky merging in the deep blue of the sea; indeed a thought provoking concept!

Adhira – Love: Lost and Found - Book Review

Adhira – Love: Lost and Found
By Aditti Gaur
Review By Ila Garg

Adhira – Love: Lost and Found, a novel by Aditti Gaur, is published by Author Paradise Publishers. The cover is love at first sight. The wintry snow is romantic and at the same time carries an air of separation. It’s beautiful, appealing and heart-wrenching.

Read the author interview here: Aditti Gaur

Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0 - Book Review

Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0
By Mohit Goyal
Review By Ila Garg

Colourful Notions: The Roadtrippers 1.0, a novel by Mohit Goyal, is published by Srishti Publishers and Distributers. The cover absolutely seems to make complete sense in accordance with the title. The long roadway and the car with three roadtrippers… must be a good read for all the travel enthusiasts out there. We will find out soon as we turn the pages! For starters, read my review on it.

Co-Wife - Book Review

Co-Wife

By Pradipta Panda

Review By Ila Garg

Co-Wife, a novel by Pradipta Panda, is published by Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd. The cover is simple and at the same time it has a strange calling to it. Its simplicity is addictive. It’s clean and apt – the colours of the scarf shows the connection with the LGBT theme that the novel is based on. 

Confused Bastards - Book Review

Confused Bastards
By Manav Vigg
Review By Ila Garg

Confused Bastards, a novel by Manav Vigg, is published by Srishti Publishers and Distributors. The cover seems quite unusual at first glance! But if you look closely, you will realise how confusion always exists in our mind and thus the maze inside the brain form an apt cover for this book. I also loved the font used for ‘confused’ showing the caricatures of 3 guys—seems like a story of 3 men who happen to be confused.

Mixr: Discover and meet amazing people!

In a vision to connect people in the real-world scenarios, a start-up company called Palatable has released a new app called Mixr that gets groups/squads of friends together in a platonic friendly way.

Brand Factory Store #DontGetFooled

So the season of festivity is here! Everyone wants to look their best, pick up the best branded stuff and on seeing the prices, the heart does falter a bit. And what happens when you see your friend wearing the same dress and finding out that you got it for a higher price...! You end up feeling like a fool, don't you? But not anymore!

Octavius Green Tea—The Magical Cup of Health!

I was always found gymming or pampering myself in a spa before being stuck in a 9 to 5 job. It has been over a year now since that has stopped. But the fitness freak in me could not be at rest for long. So I switched to green tea as a regime a few months back. I have tried a lot of brands and flavours. Some were a bad experience, some were good, but few were to be continued…

Octavius Green Tea came as a delight at my doorsteps. When I removed the packaging and saw the yellow can, my heart skipped a beat. It was love at first sight. I was so amazed by just the packaging that my expectations with the flavour and aroma increased manifold.

myDaily Meal - Eating healthy!

Recently, I received a sample satchet by Four Foundations. The packing was so tastefully done that it caught my attention in a jiffy. So what was it? It was myDaily meal (Vanilla flavour).

myDaily Meal has been founded by Four Fountains De-stress Spa team. The co-founders are Anurag Kedia, Saurabh Garg and Sunil Rao.

The idea behind launching this amazing product was to stop you from skipping meals and eating junk food in your busy schedules. myDaily Meal is a Perfectly Engineered Meal Replacement Shake that provides exact nutrients including Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins and Fiber as required by your body in 1 meal. This gives perfect nutrition to your body within 1 min.

“We believe that this is the real food-tech. While most of the players have been working around logistics and delivery, myDaily Meal is working on the real scientific aspect of food to make sure that you get perfect nutrition anytime, anywhere in few seconds. In our busy lives we end up either skipping a meal or eating junk food due to lack of time at least 10-15 times in a month. This positions myDaily Meal as a perfect solution to this urban problem,” said Co-founder and Business Head Saurabh Garg, who is an IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad Graduate with almost a decade of experience in healthcare with Four Fountains De-stress Spa.

Breaking Free - Book Review

Breaking Free
By Neha Nayak
Review By Ila Garg

Breaking Free, a novel by Neha Nayak, is published by Srishti Publishers and Distributors. The cover is so apt which depicts a girl behind the wooden boundary, as if a she is a captive. With such an interesting cover, I was sure it would not disappoint me.

Ashvamedha - Book Review

Ashvamedha
By Aparna Sinha
Review By Ila Garg

Ashvamedha, a novel by Aparna Sinha, is published by Srishti Publishers. The cover shows a horse from the chess board and a shadow of the real horse. The animal represents power and vigour, and resonates well with the subtitle of the book – The Game of Power.

Kids Around introduces DKNY in their Pre- Fall Collection'16

New Delhi, October 02, 2016: Kids Around India's first premium multi store kids brand store launches its new Pre Fall Collection this season. The Kids Around Store also introduces the new brand  DKNY in their collection. Now the brands have DKNY, Hugo Boss, Little Marc Jacobs, Carrement Beau, Billieblush, Karl Legerfeld Kids, Billy Bandit under the umbrella.

Rendezvous with Aparna Sinha :)

Hi Aparna Sinha,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

It’s a pleasure to take your interview today. So let’s start:

1. Tell us something about yourself.

Aparna: Born and raised in city of Allahabad, by academician father (his book has won the national award) and writer mother; I was always a dreamer and always a story teller. After graduating, I did my MBA and became a marketing professional. The book happened when I was hit by chronic autoimmune disorder, which forced me to quit my job; while the world/society felt sorry for me for losing my perfect skin to a disease, which may or may not cure, I used the time to write the novel. I recuperated as the book finished. Even though my body still carries marks of that illness, but it doesn’t remind me of pain and sleepless nights; it has made me strong and I thank god for that!
Now, I am a mother of an 8 month old boy and I love every bit of motherhood.

Love Bi the Way - Book Review

Love Bi the Way
By Bhaavna Arora
Review By Ila Garg

Love Bi the Way, a novel by Bhaavna Arora, is published by Penguin Random House India Private Limited. The cover shows a woman’s partly bare back with a hand of a woman and a hand of a man embracing her, claiming her– quite an apt cover for the plot of Love Bi the Way. You will agree with me more as you go on reading this book that deals with bisexuality.

The Tantric Curse - Book Review

The Tantric Curse
By Anupama Garg
Review By Ila Garg

The Tantric Curse, a novel by Anupama Garg, is published by Rupa Publications. The cover shows two well-defined eyes and the fire symbol on the forehead is much noticeable. Next, I can see a white silhouette of the girl in the centre. Huge eyes amidst geometric patterns creates an hypnotising effect. The colour combination of red, black and white is appealing and at once, transverse you into the world of tantra.

I had recently interviewed the author Anupama Garg, immediately after reading the book. If you missed it, you can read it here.

Relationships: Wows, Vows and Woes!

Relationships are strength. Relationships are weakness. But whatever they may be, they are essentially indispensable. These days it is all the more necessary to keep nurturing these relationships every now and then. Be it a boyfriend-girlfriend relation or a husband-wife relation, fights, arguments, and whatnot are integral part of the bond.

It is also a typical notion that the guys in relationships are forgetful; they don’t remember dates and special occasions. But then the lady heart wants to be pampered on such occasions for she cares, understands and loves.

In Conversation With Anupama Garg :)

Anupama Garg is a post graduate in chemistry, and has received a Diploma in Business Management and completed law thereafter. She currently conducts programs under the name and style of “Life by Choice” with corporates, educational institutes, hospitals and organizations. The focal point of all the programs is self-awareness and self-cultivation leading to holistic wellness.

Here, she lets her readers know a little more about herself and her journey so far. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Anupama Garg:

Bollywood Actress Zeenat Aman walked the ramp for Jewellery Designer Akassh K Aggarwal at India Runway Week

New Delhi, September 19, 2016: Bollywood diva Zeenat Aman dazzled the ramp as a showstopper for Jewellery Designer Akassh K Aggarwal. The Muse Room by Akassh K Aggarwal is a celebration of Being a Queen Beyond her Peers.

Anya's Lyric - Book Review

Anya’s Lyric
By Nikhil Kumar
Review By Ila Garg

Anya’s Lyric, a novel by Nikhil Kumar, is published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. The cover shows a shadow of a girl with a halo of light in the backdrop. Her hair is spread high representing the power of her thoughts and imagination. It totally intrigued me to flip through the pages quickly.

Go Organic, Stay Fit: Rahul Dev

The beautiful hotel, Park Plaza Faridabad is a unit of Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd. It has a well-equipped spa, a swimming pool, and a gym to ensure a luxury stay. It recently celebrated the first anniversary of Breathe on 3rd September 2016, the gym chain introduced and led by Rahul Dev, which was graced by the actor himself.

Chit-Chat with Aditti Gaur :)

Hi Aditti Gaur,

Hope this finds you in good spirits!

It’s a pleasure to take your interview today. So let’s start:

1. I know it’s cliché, but tell us something about yourself.

Aditti: About myself! It’s always been a tricky question for me. But I’ll try to describe myself to you (laughs). I am a graduate who has an ample experience of working with a leading DTH brand for almost half a decade. Later, I quit that 9 to 5 corporate culture job, got married and moved to Gurgaon. I was born in Delhi but my complete up-bringing was done in Meerut (U.P.). Presently, I am living in Gurgaon with my husband and a 11-month old baby girl. Apart from that I am an introvert person, an observer, music and book lover and a live cartoon to my little kid.

The Rigveda Code - Book Review

The Rigveda Code
By Rashmi Chendvankar
Review By Ila Garg

The Rigveda Code, a novel by Rashmi Chendvankar, is published by Partridge India. The cover shows a picture of an archer and no wonder a reader who picks up this book will be instantly transported to the mythological era where Arjuna and the likes were creating history. So is this a book on mythology then? Let’s look at the author’s bio and blurb before we venture further.

Hygiene First with Pee Safe!

Hey lovelies,

Today I have a question for you all… Are you comfortable using public toilets or you tend to avoid them? If hygiene is your concern, there’s a solution for you: it’s called Pee Safe!

Recently, I received samples from the brand to test and say no to germs forever!

1ka3 Bundle of Joy - Website Review

Hi lovelies,

So today, I am gonna tell you about this awesome website that I recently came across. This works on the philosophy of ‘the more you buy, the less you pay’.

Yes, you heard it right. First, let me tell you how this site works. You can select any product from the wide range of quality stuff that is listed on the site. Once you choose your product, you can fill in your shipping details, choose whether to pay online or opt for COD and simply relax.

The site’s delivery is pretty fast. They deliver in 3-4 days of the order receipt. Also, the packaging is such that the products that reach you are not damaged in the process. Once you receive your parcel, open it with bated breaths because you are in for a surprise. Of course, a good one!

In your parcel, you will find the product that you ordered, packed very neatly. Along with that, there will be two freebies. Voila! And these two bonus products wouldn’t be trash, they will be useful and equally worth it. Your primary product (the one you ordered) can be a little expensive in comparison to the two freebies that you got but see you bought just one and got three! Isn’t it a delight?

So eventually the product that you bought wouldn’t feel so costly. This is therefore a cost-effective way of shopping as well. So what are you waiting for? Grab on the opportunity and #Karo1ka3

Le Creuset – The Iconic French cookware brand

Le Creuset – The Iconic French cookware brand hosted a Gastronomical Affair with Chef Ranveer Brar at Select CITYWALK, New Delhi

New Delhi, 29th August 2016: Le Creuset, world’s leading cookware brand famous for its cast-iron products, hosted a live gastronomical session with renowned celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar, who curated recipes that were beautifully prepared in Le Creuset cookware at Select Citywalk, New Delhi.

Will You Be My Dirty Little Secret? - Book Review

Will You Be My Dirty Little Secret?
Edited and Compiled By Nehali Lalwani
Review By Ila Garg 

The anthology comprising of 10 short stories, Will You Be My Dirty Little Secret? is published by Gargi Publishers.The printing quality of books by this publication house has always been its strength. All the stories are well written and deal with the hidden desires that one keeps covered up.

Her Resurrection - Book Review

Her Resurrection
By Soumyadeep Koley
Review By Ila Garg

Her Resurrection, a novel by Soumyadeep Koley, is published by Gargi Publishers. The cover is an absolute delight, however, if you go deeper into the layers – the meaning that it brings out is profound. The eyes that compel you to look into them twice are full of pain and anguish, but is there something more to those eyes? We will find out only when we read this book that is based on sex trafficking.

CHOICE Life Insurance introduces Investshield

Life is very precious and sometimes, our loved ones too are dependent on us. Their lives are connected to us. But we must not forget that nothing in this world is permanent and thus, we need to be insured at all times – we need to make sure that our finances are well organized and keep protecting our dreams along with securing the lives of our near and dear ones.

When a life ceases, other lives are affected too – their dreams are crushed in a jiffy with a looming aim of sadness surrounding them. CHOICE Life Insurance understands the connected lives that we live. They know that we always want the best for our family and would not want to leave them saddened ever – the least we can do for them is insuring their dreams and happiness. With #InvestShield we can now do that in simple and easy steps.

A Window Seat - Book Review

A Window Seat
By Vishala Katta
Review By Ila Garg

A Window Seat, a novel by Vishala Katta, is published by Frog Books, an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd. The cover was the first thing I loved about the book. It’s been quite some time since I saw a cover so beautiful and yet meaningful. It represents a journey of mind and a journey via train – quite an apt cover for the plot of A Window Seat. You will agree with me more as you go on reading this book.

Male Gaze in Indian Cinema

It is to be observed that the male gaze has always been predominating the films. From the time when cinema began, it was the male who held the camera in his hand and viewed things with his perspective. He directed and he decided the way he wanted viewers to see a particular scene. It was his world that was showcased in the films starting from short silent films to talkies to the long narrative films. Females had no freedom to voice out their opinions and they were totally ignored as spectators for a long time. In fact, they were not even allowed to act in the beginning days. Then, gradually women did come to be associated with the industry but they were not considered good and their character was always taken to be shallow.

Thus, when men operated the camera, they depicted women either in stereotypical roles of a good daughter and a dedicated traditional wife, or they objectified them through exposing certain parts of their body to excite the male audience. No wonder, the pioneer actresses were seen as whores and were considered outcasts. As a consequence, the women on screen were treated as the women of public. After all, prostitutes are referred as women of bazaar and bazaar (or the market place) implies outside space that was not meant for good cultured women.

“Tawaif ke aangan ki mitti mila kar hi Durga ki murti ubharti hai…” (In the soil at the courtesan’s doorstep is moulded the idol of the Goddess Durga). This dialogue by Chandramukhi (a character played by Madhuri Dixit in the film Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in 2002) is quite significant. On one hand, especially in Bengali culture, it is believed that the idol of Goddess Durga requires a handful of soil from the prostitute’s courtyard and on the other hand, they are exploited and treated badly. Even the lower caste women were not given equal platform. What was even more astonishing was that the upper caste women often threw remarks at the lower caste women. Even marriages were not possible in case of caste differences. In Devdas, when Sumitra Chakraborty (Paro’s mother) proposes the nuptials of Devdas and Paro in front of Kaushalya Mukherjee (Devdas’s mother), she had to bear insult for her societal status despite not being a courtesan. “Arey jab kuye ka paani hi kharab ho toh ghade ki jaat kya dekhni Sumitra. Bas tumhari ada mei reyaas nhi lekin khoon toh wohi hai… nautanki wala. Hum zamindar hai, machi khate hai lekin kaatein ko halak mei phasne nhi dete kabhi. Ek toh padosi ka ghar, upar se neech kul… Chalo bhul jao ki tum neech kul ki ho, thodi der ke liye bhul jao ki tum neech kul ki ho. Lekin apni aukaat ka toh khayal rakhti. Apne khote sikke ko yahan chalane ki koshish mat krna, Sumitra.” (Why to draw water from poisoned wells, Sumitra? You may not practice the traits, but your blood remains the same as the dancing girls... We are landlords, we may eat fish but we won’t let bones stick in the gullet. For one, you are a neighbour and on top of it, as a family, you are disgraced... Even if we momentarily forget your disgraced state, but what about your standing? Don’t you try to palm off your bad coin here, Sumitra!)

The legendary love story of Devdas and Paro could not be fulfilled because of this societal dogma that clutched the mind-sets. Women were thus, confined within the boundaries of the home and thus there was a stark contrast with which the women at home and women on screen were looked at. At both places, women were not treated with respect though and led an undignified life.

6 Degrees - Game of Blogs - Book Review

6 Degrees – Game of Blogs
By Various Bloggers
Review By Ila Garg

6 Degrees – Game of Blogs, a book by various bloggers, is a result of a unique concept initiated by BlogAdda.com and is published by Leadstart Publishing. Months ago, BlogAdda.com came up with this unique concept under the #CelebrateBlogging where they announced a competition for bloggers to get published. 30 teams of 10 bloggers each took part in this contest and penned down 30 different stories using the same set of characters - Shekhar, Tara, Roohi, Cyrus and Jennifer. As the contest progressed, a panel of 6 judges selected 3 teams as winners - Team By Lines, Team Potliwale Baba and Team Tete-a-Ten. The stories penned down by these three teams are compiled in the book called 6 Degrees – Game of Blogs.

The cover shows a number of happy excited faces, perhaps representing the various bloggers who competed to have a place inside the book. The colour scheme of black and white and the simplicity of the cover is the USP here. It looks very soothing and is clutter-free.

The blurb reads as, “As part of their #CelebrateBlogging initiative, BlogAdda.com, ran the first edition of Game of Blogs in September 2014. Five characters and their descriptions were provided. The objective was to write a fictional story revolving around these characters. Bloggers came together as teams and after three rounds filled with its own set of twists and turns, three stories made it to the end.
The three stories in this book are a fascinating example of how one set of characters can have interesting lives with completely different dimensions. Six Degrees is a result of how collaboration can truly breed creativity in the modern day world of connected living.”

The first story ‘The Awakening’ is written by the team By Lines. It is sci-fi tale with a dash of Hollywood. Elements like aliens and space craft add to the plot. The pace is kept smooth and perhaps this one is the best story among the three with more than 130 pages of length. The second story is by the team Potliwale Baba and is titled as ‘Entangled Lives’. It is a murder mystery with a lot of Bollywood masala to it. Resembling the storyline of a typical Hindi flick, this one is an interesting read. The third and the last one is by the team Tete-a-Ten and is titled as ‘Missing: A Journey Within’. This one is based on the theme of kidnapping where each character is missing something or the other. I felt that this one lacked pace and tends to get boring. It could have been kept more crisp.

Further, this 422-page book is a light read and overall a compelling book. Apart from some minor editorial errors, the book is highly recommended. Check out my video review here:



Ratings: 4/5

Buying Links: Infibeam | Flipkart | Amazon

The Soft Target - Book Review

The Soft Target

By Kalyan Nanda

Review By Ila Garg

The Soft Target, a novel by Kalyan Nanda, is published by Srishti Publishers. The cover shows iron man and in the backdrop is the path leading to a destination that is unknown. As I read the PDF edition of the book, so I can’t say much about the feel of the book, print or cover.

Kalyan Nanda lives in Mumbai with his wife. He enjoys theater and movies of all genres, and is a voracious reader. His favourite authors are Sir P G Wodehouse and George Orwell. He can be reached on kalyan.nanda@gmail.com. The Soft Target is his literary debut.

The blurb reads as, “Is God good? Or is He a manipulative villain who plays with the lives of his creations in the name of karma? As far as Mohan Mishra is concerned, God is a villain. Mohan is God's soft target, for He 'blesses' him with a strange mental problem and kills his support system when he needed it the most. The Soft Target is the story of a boy's journey into manhood, as he takes on God with his mental prowess, defeating Him at every stage, thus making God his soft target. Supported by great friends and a loving wife, Mohan fights an epic battle against the murderous society, the conniving legal system and ultimately God himself, with remarkable courage and spirit.”

The story begins on a familiar note of relatives poking their noses in our personal matters. How parents often try to keep it subtle in front of the relatives is where the story starts finding its first characters. It is then that the readers are introduced to the most astonishing character of the book, Mohan Mishra. He is a brilliant student with an IQ that is much higher than that of any kid of his age. However, he can never say what he wants to say and ends up saying something incomprehensible. People term him as mad because of this but this doesn’t affect him much and only helps him be more determined to prove his mettle.

The author has sketched all the character beautifully, nowhere will the readers feel them to be exaggerated. The plot thus seems quite realistic and successfully portray deep and intricate emotions that children go through and how they handle peer pressure. The language is simple and easy to comprehend. Nowhere will a reader feel any disconnect. It’s so well-written that once you pick up, you cannot keep it down without finishing it off. It took me a couple of hours to complete the book. I found it quite engaging. The subject is tackled beautifully by the skillful author.

How Mohan overcame his disability, how he was the soft target who emerged as strong as iron, how Nikhil’s stammering problem causes him embarrassment, the various date scenes of Brij, the sarcastic one-liners, how Samidha understands Mohan, how Nisha ends up betraying Nikhil and how Revathy who is IIT Mains topper falls in love with Brij are some of the many reasons why you will keep turning the pages to find out what happens in The Soft Target. 

Further, this 214-page book is a light read and overall a compelling book. I specially was hooked to Mohan’s character and wished to quickly reach the climax to know what happens with him further in the story. Apart from some serious editorial errors, the book is highly recommended.

Ratings: 4/5

Buying Links: Infibeam | Flipkart | Amazon | Sapna

Celebrate one-month anniversary with us: ‘कला’ Sisters at TGC

Holla Cocktails!

At TGC, we have completed exactly one month of cocktailing and it has been a tremendous ride so far!

You guys have been an amazing support throughout. Your likes and comments were encouraging, and here we are hosting a giveaway for you all. This is our first giveaway, be assured that there are many more coming your way!

What are we giving away?

Of course, you would want to know about the prize. Since TGC started off with book reviews, we have decided to keep a romance book as a prize for this contest. We love reading and hope you do too. This book tells a love story that would touch your heart… at least, we hope so! We love surprises! So we won’t disclose the name of the book right now, but we assure you that you will find it a good read.

What do you have to do to win?

Well, winning is simple. All you have to do is enter the contest and get going. Please follow all steps to win the surprise book:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND:

• There will be only 1 winner chosen by ‘कला’ Sisters.
• Winner has to contact us within 48 hours through an email to claim the prize. This is our email id: thegeminicocktail@gmail.com
• If the chosen winner fails to contact us in the given time, another winner will be drawn.
• You have to follow all the steps to win.
• The giveaway is for India residents only.

Simple, right? Still, if you have any questions, shoot us an email here:thegeminicocktail@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The decision of ‘कला’ Sisters would be final. Images in the blog are taken for http://www.google.com for representation purpose only. They are not the actual prizes.

Excited? So are we!

ALL THE VERY BEST GUYS! CHEERS!!

Happy Reading! Happy Cocktailing!

Team The Gemini Cocktail

We love you! xoxo

Valentino AW 2016 Footwear Collection Showcase at Pragati Maidan (5-7th Aug 2016)

Valentino, the name that represents distinctive styling, unrivalled craftsmanship & exquisite detailing in its stylish shoe and accessories, has been embellishing the grace since its inception. Valentino - the most reputed name in the exotic world of leather today is internationally lauded for its fine quality & exquisite product range. It is among one of the top 5 formal footwear leather brand in India. Valentino was instigate in the year 1985 by Mr. Moti Lal Daultani, founder, Valentino. Presently, the company is spearheaded by its second generation entrepreneur Mr. Chander Daultani, Director, Valentino who entered into his family business with a vision to take the footwear industry to next level. Mr. Chander Daultani can well & truly be called the inheritor of the rich legacy & credited with reviving the 31-year-old family business.

The brand has been growing exponentially and has successfully created a strong foothold across every nook and cranny of India. The company has expanded its wings and now possesses national & international strong presence. Valentino has a well built retail presence through more than 700 Multi Brand Outlets across India and selected nations.

Inspired with passion to exude elegance & comfort, Valentino products are crafted from world’s premium leather using traditional as well as ultra modern methods to deliver some of the world’s most comfortable leather shoe and accessories. Fusion of modernity with elegance, contemporary, yet classic in colors and designs of the season. Every single product is backed by Valentino guarantee of leather purity, snazzy cool look, and light in weight, heavy in durability and extremely comfortable.

Valentino has redefined fashion by offering a fine range of classy shoes along with trendy leather accessories like hand bags, sling bags & wallets to add glamour to the outfits. The entire range weaves a magical spell because of fine mixture of colors, beautiful designs, graceful elegance and ethnic flair.

Valentino produces the genuine leather products driven by a passion for perfection at every single stage of the critical manufacturing and evaluating process & stages. Only the finest ‘best of season’ lots are carefully selected by Valentino. The design house and embellishment centre incorporates the highest level of skills in embellishments and decoration by experienced shoe designers.

I attended the AW 2016 Collection showcase event yesterday at Pragati Maidan and it was awesome. 

About Mr. Chander Daultani:

Born in 1975, Mr. Chander Daultani has been instrumental in diversifying, establishing and growing the core businesses of leather footwear manufacturing industry. Studied from Jai Hind college Pune, Mr. Daultani is prepared well to take on his Father’s’ Mr. Moti lal Daultani’s thriving footwear business in 1998.

Mr. Chander Daultani is the director of India’s leading premium shoe brand- Valentino, based in Agra. He has an experience of more than two decades in the footwear manufacturing industry and had all the dynamism and capacity to cut, shape and strengthen the muscles for a strong company. Each of his products is a realization of his dream to create a brand that touches people and builds relationships. 

A pioneer in creating a market for premium leather shoes and accessories, Mr. Daultani oversees the entire operations of the company including the design and product ranges that are produced under VALENTINO & WESTPORT brand which is sold in the international markets

Today, Valentino has established itself as one of the top 5 major brands of leather footwear in India.

Epitomizing the new confidence of a nation at a watershed period in its history, Mr. Chander Daultani attempts to capture the spirit of his times and engage in the exciting potential that bubbles at the surface of modern India.

Mr. Daultani is married and has two children. Apart from being involved in the design and product ranges that define Valentino, he likes reading in his spare time. 

Visit Valentino today to see the premium collection and buy the branded bags and footwear.

P.S. Valentino has been generous enough to let me select a pair of footwear for myself, which I will review on my blog as soon as I receive. Keep checking! :)

Movie Review: #Madaari

Madaari
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Language: Hindi
Review By Ila Garg

I have been watching a lot of movies off late. This weekend, I got a chance to watch this socio-thriller movie, Madaari directed by Nishikant Kamat. The movie released on 22nd July 2016 and is presented by Bharat Shah, produced by Shailesh Singh, Madan Paliwal, Sutapa Sikdar and Shailja Kejriwal and co-produced by Nishant Pitti and Kshitiz Bhardwaj.

Irrfan Khan is known for choosing out of the box subjects and this time he chose to do a movie that is based on the present political situation prevailing in India. His onscreen presence took the movie to a different level. No one could have played Nirmal Kumar the way he did. He was into the character – top to bottom. Not only that, the way he portrayed the hard-hitting subject is commendable. The emotions can be felt by one and all, no wonder it is often said that Irrfan Khan has one of the most expressive eyes.

Madaari is a story by Shailja Kejriwal. However, the credit for writing the power-pack dialogues and screenplay goes to Ritesh Shah. Vishal Bhardwaj gave the music to the film. Avinash Arun did the cinematography and Arif Shaikh did the necessary editing to ensure that the movie is well-received by the audience.

Right from the opening scene, the movie was a delight to watch. Indian political scenario has been much talked about, but the way this movie unveils the subject is indeed jaw-dropping! Irrfan’s acting is natural and realistic and did gave me goose bumps. I won’t give you spoilers here as I want you all to watch the movie yourself as good cinema has become a rarity, and when it comes, no one should give it a miss.

The mise-en-scène of the film is great too as the director has chosen perfect setting and time frame to shoot the scenes. Even the montage is done well and looks smooth onscreen.

This complete family film #Madaari is a definite must-watch as it convincingly delivers the message to the audience!

Here's the star cast of the movie:

• Irrfan Khan as Nirmal Kumar
• Vishesh Bansal as Rohan Goswami
• Jimmy Shergill as Nachiket Verma
• Tushar Dalvi as Prashant Goswami
• Uday Tikekar as Nimbalkar
• Nitesh Pandey as Sanjay Jagtap
• Sadhil Kapoor as Cheeku

Ratings: 4/5

Do watch it and share your views in the comment box below. I would love to hear your opinions.