MUMBAI: Actor Alia Bhatt’s latest social media post proves that she is surely a beach lover. On Friday, the ‘Highway’ star posted then-and-now pictures of her posing on a beach. One image was taken recently, and the other one was captured when she was a child. “Because no matter who we are,” Alia captioned the post, leaving netizens in awe of her cuteness.

“Awww baby,” Alia’s mother and veteran actor Soni Razdan commented. “Aww,” actor Jacqueline Fernandez wrote, adding a heart emoji.

In the childhood picture, Alia is seen wearing a fish-printed swimsuit. On the other hand, in the recently clicked image, Alia is seen wearing yellow co-ords and a white bucket hat.

Her expression in the pictures seemed exactly similar. On the film front, Alia has a lot of projects in her kitty. She will be seen in ‘Gangubai Khatiawadi’ by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, ‘RRR’ with Ram Charan and Jr. NTR and ‘Brahmastra’ with Ranbir Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. Alia has been actively working on humanitarian grounds too.

The past year has made it clear that the actions of humans have far-reaching consequences on the entire planet. Hence, the theme chosen for this year’s World Environment Day commemoration — ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ — is an apt one, where people are being encouraged to do everything in their power to restore the ecosystem. A practical way of doing this is by adopting sustainable design practices in the construction of personal spaces. Certain architectural firms are leading the way by making sustainability their mantra, and being conscious of the methods and materials used.

For centuries, humans have harmed the ecological balance of natural landscapes through the largescale expansion of cities and industrial centres. Now it has become necessary to override the impact of this expansion by making smarter choices. Amit Khanna, Founder and Principal Designer of the architectural design firm, AKDA explains, “our cities should be dense with efficient mobility solutions and our industrial centres need to process their waste – whether its air pollution, effluent or solid discharge. Significant areas of the landscape need to be left untouched and preserved to conserve the natural environment for other species.”

It has also become necessary to use innovative materials to ensure a low carbon future. Mitu Mathur, Director of GPM Architects & Planners, asserts that sustainability can be achieved through the introduction of greenery in buildings and the promotion of less polluting technologies for construction. She believes in focusing on alternative energy generating materials like rainwater harvesting and solar power generation to ensure sustainability.

This makes it essential to be aware of local climatic and geographical conditions, and work around them. Anand Sharma, Founder & Partner, Design Forum International says, “architects and designers must be conscious of local conditions and use them well — take as little as possible from sources that are finite and maximise the use of sources that are infinite such as the sun and wind.”

Sustainability is as much about the process as it is about the end product. Hence, sustainable practices need to be incorporated through the entire lifecycle of a building — from its initial design and construction, use and maintenance, to its demolition and the reuse of its building materials. Rahul Kadri, Partner & Principal Architect at IMK Architects explains that this entails strategically placing the building on the selected site in a way that integrates it with the local ecosystem instead of disrupting natural processes like the flow of water and the growth and sustenance of plants and trees. Then one must aim to maximise natural light and ventilation in the interiors and choose natural and locally available materials which have lower embodied energy and carbon over materials that have to be transported from afar.

‘Net-zero energy’ buildings, where the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on or around the site, is the new buzzword when one talks of sustainability. Pioneered by Zero Energy Design Lab (ZED Lab), it aims to minimise energy consumption by adopting passive design strategies such as optimal building form, materials with high thermal mass, etc., along with active design strategies i.e. the use of renewable energy systems such as solar panels. While passive tools minimise energy consumption, active tools aid in producing renewables. However, Sachin Rastogi, Founding Partner and Principal Architect of the firm cautions that net-zero can only truly be successful and appeal to the masses if it is made affordable. He believes that ‘near net-zero’ does not need to be expensive to construct and run.

Meena Murthy Kakkar, Design Head and Partner at Envisage Architectural firm also believes in making sustainable practices affordable. She advocates mandating certain principles so that more people can implement these solutions, bring the costs down and make the practice and goal of attaining sustainability, affordable and within reach of everyone. She sums it up by saying, “the idea of creating something that is at loggerheads with its surroundings and then finding ways to resolve it through artificial interventions is a habit that we need to get rid of. Sustainable practices need to be incorporated as a core design philosophy, to be in sync with everything our creation engages with — at all levels.”

The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.

For connoisseurs of fine jewellery, Delhi’s AKM Mehrasons is a regular haunt. With a nearly 100-year legacy of fine craftsmanship capturing India’s heritage through their handcrafted creations, AKM Mehrasons Jewellers have always been at the forefront. Their age-old legacy now also includes Kasmia —their jewellery vertical with a modern twist. With their flagship store in Delhi and clientele across India and abroad, their steady growth has been inspiring. Deepak Mehra and Pooja Uppal Mehra spoke exclusively to The Daily Guardian about their iconic brand. 

Q. Tell us about the history of your brand — how has the journey of becoming India’s premier traditional jewellery brand been like?

A. Our brand was founded in 1925 in pre-partition Lahore, and since then we offer unparalleled quality and exclusive designs at AKM Mehrasons Jewellers. We aim to give life to the age-old traditions and customs woven into the cultural fabric of our country. Our forte lies in conceptualising and creating jewellery that brings out the radiance of the woman who wears it. By promising ethnicity at its finest, our jewellery stays true to its Indian identity, which the 21st-century woman appreciates. We believe it is the confluence of old-world charm and new-age thought, that has been responsible for our success.

Q. When did you branch out into your new vertical Kasmia? What was the vision behind this?

A. Born under the AKM Mehrasons Jewellers umbrella, Kasmia Fine Jewellery is a modern interpretation of timeless, precious jewellery aimed at the 21st-century global woman. Our vision was to deliver contemporary aesthetics through clean cuts, fine gemstones, and designs that make a statement. Hence, our pieces are perfect for an evening of elegance or joyous festivities. We believe we have achieved what we set out to do with Kasmia as it has earned a strong clientele across the globe. Our brand is known for retaining newness and keeping the integrity of crystal clear diamonds intact. We pay attention to every detail of production, from the design to the setting of diamonds, and even the cases they are eventually sold in. 

Q. Tell us about your latest collections and the design inspiration for them.

A. Our new collection — Kasmia Bride Tribe — is aimed at beautiful bridesmaids. The pieces have been inspired by the versatility of diamonds, that ensures they are understated yet effective, and can easily be paired with a range of outfits. For an evening gown, you can opt for an intricately handcrafted diamond necklace and earrings set that will perfectly frame your face or with a lehenga to make a statement. 

Q. How did the pandemic affect your business? Did you establish a strong digital vertical at this time?

A. We have always given importance to the digital medium and made sure both brands have a strong digital presence. During the pandemic, we stayed connected with our old clientele and built a new customer base from our website and Instagram page. This allowed us to thrive even during the pandemic. 

Q. Has investment in jewellery increased with the economic uncertainties of the last couple of years?

A. The pandemic has affected everyone, however, people still remain optimistic. Weddings have continued in an intimate fashion. Since people were not spending as much on guests and large venues, more was spent on the bride’s jewellery, that also served as an investment for the future. Kasmia, as a versatile brand, became quite popular with consumers at this time.

Q. To what do you attribute the popularity of your brand among celebrities?

A. At Kasmia, our strength lies in our timeless and classic designs, that attract many celebrities. Each piece is a memento of beautiful regalia paired with modern elegance. At AKM, the focus is on heritage jewellery through exquisite craftsmanship. We believe such qualities have led to celebrities choosing our pieces frequently — whether for personal commitments or promotional purposes.

Q. What are the jewellery trends one should look out for in the near future?

A. Since we have all been restricted to communicating virtually, the expression of our style is from the waist up. It’s no surprise that statement earrings are bigger — both physically and metaphorically — than ever. Another trend we see on the rise, are clusters of pear-cut white diamonds that taper elegantly into long diamond drops, that look opulent yet sophisticated.

The interviewer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.

NEW DELHI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary with his wife and actor Jaya Bachchan today. The veteran star marked the occasion by sharing unseen priceless pictures from their wedding day. Big B took to his Instagram account to share a collage of unseen pictures clicked during their wedding ceremony. Thanking everyone for their love, he wrote, “June 3, 1973 .. thank you all for your greetings on our Anniversary.” Soon, several B-town celebrities like Shilpa Shetty, Bhumi Pednekar, Dia Mirza, Bipasha Basu, Sonal Chauhan, Neha Dhupia and others wished Big B in the comment section.

Shilpa wrote, “Happpppppyyyy Anniversary @amitabhbachchan ji and Jaya aunty, wishing you many more years of love and happiness.”

Bhumi commented on the post, writing, “Happy anniversary legends.” Bipasha wished the couple a “Happy Anniversary,” with a string of heart emojis. Big B also celebrated the special day by posting a heartfelt note on his Tumblr blog.

In his blog, the veteran said, “Thank you all with immense gratitude for the wishes for Jaya and me on our Wedding Anniversary .. June 3, 1973.. now 48 years!! Your wishes and your gracious words have been most moving and filled with love for us .. and we truly appreciate them .. For today and now.”

Amitabh and Jaya tied knot on June 3, 1973. The couple later in their life welcomed two children, Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan.

NEW DELHI: From Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Hrithik Roshan to Alia Bhatt, Janhvi and Arjun Kapoor—several celebrities have bought new apartments at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

HRITHIK ROSHAN

Hrithik Roshan has bought two new apartments of Rs 100 crore. The actor already owns a sea-facing apartment in Juhu. According to a media report, with two new apartments, Hrithik has planned to make a “mansion-in-the-air.”

AJAY DEVGN

The actor bought a 590 square-yards mansion worth Rs 60 crore in Juhu. The new building is close to his current bungalow—Shakti—which is located in Juhu.

AMITABH BACHCHAN

Amitabh Bachchan reportedly bought a swanky duplex apartment, which is worth Rs 31 crore. He already owns four bungalows in Mumbai—Pratiksha, Janak, Vatsa and Jalsa. He currently lives with his family in Jalsa.

ALIA BHATT

As per media reports, actor Alia Bhatt has bought a new apartment at the Pali Hill area in Mumbai’s Bandra. The apartment measuring 2,460 sq ft in the Vastu Pali Hill building, where her rumoured beau Ranbir Kapoor already has his bachelor’s pad, is reportedly worth Rs 32 crore.

ANUSHKA SHARMA & VIRAT KOHLI

Ahead of welcoming their daughter Vamika, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma were spotted checking out their latest home in Juhu. Their new apartment is reportedly worth Rs 34 crore.

JANHVI KAPOOR

As per media reports, actress Janhvi Kapoor recently bought a plush home in Mumbai worth Rs 39 crore. As per the same report, the new home of Janhvi is spread across three floors in a Juhu building.

AYUSHMANN KHURRANA

According to a report, Ayushmann Khurrana has bought a home worth Rs 9 crore for his family in Panchkula near Chandigarh.

Zainab Shaikh is going to play lead in the series India’s Most Sansanikhez Kisse Case File 03 hosted by Ronit Roy. Zainab is playing the lead in an episodic series. The show is hosted by the very sought after Ronit Roy.

Zainab spoke exclusively to The Daily Guardian where Zainab spoke to us about her new project and much more. How excited are you for playing lead role in the project India’s Most Sansanikhez Kisse Case Files03? I am playing a modern girl hailing from Delhi who is wicked smart but sweet innocent at the same time. She is shown beautiful and witty! A party animal. I guess I’m glad to play the role of Shubhi. How did you bag the role for the series? How was it working with Ronit Roy? I guess I will give all the credits to the casting director and actor Adarsh A Jain for casting me in this project. I auditioned for it and bagged the role of Shubhi. He said I will fit perfect to play the part. Ronit Roy is narrating the whole story and I’m glad I shared a screen with such veteran actor.

What does your character look like in the series? I am extremely shy at times but I get too excited the other time so I basically cannot explain the part of how bubbly or weird I can be at times. The character is not relatable to me in my real life as I don’t like joking and making fun out of situation. I like meaningful talks and sense in a conversation. Did you face any struggles or obstacles while the period of you finding work as this is your lead project? I have appeared in lot of commercials digitally and on television. I am active model and I have worked with amazing designers.