'08 Issue 03

Once a hush-hush, clandestine procedure associated with movie stars, going under the knife is rapidly losing its social stigma and emerging as an open, often flaunted lifestyle choice. From plastic surgery holiday packages to mommy makeovers, a revolution is sweeping the world of artificially enhanced beauty, discovers Verve
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Chocolate baths in Perugia, water skiing among hippos in Kenya, dolphin counting in the Adriatic – travel is getting more adventurous and imaginative all the time. But, if you’re the scared-of-flying or the no-time-to-holiday kind, virtual or armchair travel empowers you to roam the world in 80 clicks, enthuses Verve
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Jaishree Misra’s new fiction novel, Rani, is based on a doomed love story of Rani Lakhshmibai of Jhansi. Verve meets the author at Imli, in London’s Soho, for a freewheeling chat
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It’s easy to get addicted to Switzerland’s gastronomic pleasures. A week long food fest spent sampling superlative wines, sinfully creamy cheeses and exquisite delicacies at vineyards, dairy farms and charming Swiss inns convinces Alpana Chowdhury that this picture-perfect country is the height of good taste
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Daughter of Bollywood’s cheery duo Rishi and Neetu Kapoor and sister of the country’s latest heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor has long since moved out of the shadow of the luminaries in her life. This perfectly poised Mumbai girl has carved her own place in the swish A-list social circuit of New Delhi. Married to her college sweetheart, businessman Bharat Sawhney, she has her own fashion design label, Ara, along with partner Devyani Bajoria, is a brand friend for a line of skincare products and also endorses a popular jewellery store with mom Neetu
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While other festivals have to do with personal prosperity and family reunions, the pooram or temple festival is about community and how deep your roots are sunk into Kerala, describes Anita Nair
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