The Fabulous Five - Hot List 2012!

Blogdosts, I have been very naughty this year. I skipped the Dream Run and sent off my two daughters to sweat it out on my behalf. I know I missed out. But there were reasons. Valid reasons. However, I am happy to report I raised a respectable amount of money for CHILDLINE, enough to qualify as a Dream Merchant. The girls felt exhilarated after clocking in decent timings respectively. Later, they met up with a REAL Marathoner, Siddhartha Mallya , who had successfully completed the 42 km run. They've been friends since they were kids... and they are so proud of Siddhartha's achievement. So am I!
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This appears in the latest issue of 'Hello'.

The Fabulous Five:Hot List 2012

Kicking off the list is an unlikely, low-key, virtually unknown individual called Cyrus Mistry. As recently as six months ago, most people would have looked totally puzzled and asked, “Cyrus…. who?” Today, the world of international big business is falling over backwards to get to know the man hand picked by Ratan Tata as his successor.This unassuming 43-year-old is perhaps the most-watched corporate honcho on the sub-continent at present . And why not!Brand Tata is valued at a staggering $50 billion.But more than the valuation, taking forward the mighty Tata legacy itself will pose the single biggest challenge to Mistry. As the son of a billionaire father ( Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry), Cyrus is no stranger to the world of immense wealth and power.And yet, it’s easy to miss this non-descript family man, even in a small crowd. I observed with some amount of amusement as Mumbai’s socialites clamoured to get introduced to him at a glamourous soiree recently. There was Cyrus, hanging around casually in an over-sized black shirt hanging over jeans, as assorted wannabes lined up to shake hands with the Crown Prince of the Tata Empire!
That brings us to the Princess of India, the charming and cheerful Priyanka Gandhi. Here’s a young woman who cannot escape her destiny. A destiny so loaded, it is at once scary and scintillating. Try as she might, Sonia Gandhi’s daughter will not be able to fight the magnetic pull of politics in 2012. There are murmurs and whispers galore doing the rounds in Delhi that Priyanka has already taken on her mother’s mantle and is being groomed for the same position (Party President). If this is being kept under wraps for now, it is with good reason. Politics is all about timing. With a huge question mark over Sonia Gandhi’s fragile health, Priyanka’s official entry will have to be perfectly calibrated. Chances are, Priyanka, and not brother Rahul ,will prove to be the real game changer in the run up to the elections. The battered and tattered Congress Party is banking on Priyanka to salvage what’s left of its prestige. Will Priyanka prove to be the lucky talisman? The verdict seems to be a big ‘Yes’! From her mother’s campaign manager in 2004, to her mother’s successor in 2012, Priyanka’s role was pre-written in her womb, as it were. “People are a strong pull, not politics,” she once famously stated. Well, by assuming her fated role, Priyanka will get her myriad admirers to chorus, “You’ve made the right choice, baby!”
Virendra Sehwag stole Sachin Tendulkar’s thunder on the 8th of December 2011, by becoming the highest individual scorer in an ODI match against the West Indies, thus propelling him into a league of his own. As a holder of multiple records, Viru , as he’s affectionately called, has had an extraordinary innings as a top order batsman known world wide for his right arm off break and his special ability to hit one boundary after another. An interesting factoid about this modest sportsman is his vegetarianism that has inspired a vegetarian restaurant aptly called Sehwag’s. His maiden venture may soon grow into an international chain given the glow of success he’s basking in right now. Married in 2004, at a wedding hosted by Arun Jaitley, the chunky cricketer nicknamed the ‘ Nawab of Najafgarh’ (his hometown) has a gigantic fan following of true blue cricket lovers across the world. 2012 may see this triple century man, create still more records.Clearly, the old order has to yield place to new…. about time, too.
From the world of fashion, I have my money on the Man from Nagaland – Atsu Sekhose. Not only is he talented and well-trained ( NIFT Delhi), but he has apprenticed with Tarun Tahiliani before branching out on his own. As a young designer from the North East, Atsu is proud of his roots and happy to flaunt them! Even though his design sensibility remains international and subdued, his ethnic identity, evident in his craftsmanship and individuality cannot be questioned. Bold enough to back the North East Fashion Weekend in an attempt to focus on craft legacies from a neglected region, Atsu has found several high profile supporters for his wearable, stylish clothes.To call him a ‘Rising Star’ will not do justice to his growing reputation. There is an enormous amount of originality and a painstaking attention to detail that define his collections. 2012 should see Atsu right up there with the best in India. That is, if he isn’t snapped up by an international fashion house before we can say, ‘ruffles’. If that does indeed happen ( he richly deserves a global platform), he will join the likes of Manish Arora and Bibhu Mohapatra who are making an impact on catwalks across fashion capitals of the world.
Nargis Fakhri has two choices ahead of her. She could fade away as the flavour of the season after her debut film (“Rockstar”). Or she could stick it out and take over from Katrina Kaif eventually. Tenacity, grit and ambition count for a lot in Bollywood. Katrina sensibly banked on all three during her arduous journey to the top. Yes, it is a cruel and competitive business. Does Nargis have it in her to hang in there, work hard – bloody hard – and succeed? If she follows Katrina’s example, and conquers exactly the same drawbacks Kat faced when she entered Bollywood ( language and nationality issues), Nargis would do exceedingly well. She has the freshness and beauty of a young Manisha Koirala , and the sex appeal of an international star, to win over this generation of fans ck of those Botox Beauties dominating Bollywood well past their ‘sell by’ date. Does this American product born to a Czech mother and Pakistani father, have what it takes to rock Bollywood?Definitely. But getting to know a certain Salman better, would fast-track her career. That’s for sure!