Image Lifestyle Wedding and Conference Venue

 

On the 23rd of November, a week ago, my family and I were invited to the launch of the Image Lifestyle wedding and conference centre in conjunction with Unusual Functions. The event seen the coming together of numerous entrepreneurs, businessmen as well as government officials for a night of glitz, glamour and live entertainment.There were many guests from abroad who traveled to South Africa especially for the event. It was quite a pleasure meeting individuals from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan as well as from China. Guests were warmly welcomed by specially trained event specialists and were escorted to their seats after taking a photo at the foyer. Many media personalities also graced the event. Guests were blown away by the sheer magnitude of the hall along with the breathtaking decor.Opulent chandeliers graced the ceilings accompanied with elegant lounge suites and regal carpets. All the art pieces that adorned the walls were painstakingly created  by a charismatic and dynamic artist, Fazal Casetti Docrat. I was so excited to have met him and his family after many years. The master of ceremonies for the evening was Mr. Bushan Das who also entertained the crowd by singing a variety of songs like Chamak Chalo along with a few golden oldies as well. The opening ceremony kicked off with a rendition from the holy Quraan. All guests were then asked to rise for the South African National Anthem as the Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and her entourage were also present for the event.This was followed by a talk on Islamic Finance by Moulana Ragie.I found his speech to be quite thought provoking in a sense that he pointed out how Islamic Finance can have a positive impact on the global community at large basically reinforcing the fact that Islam along with its various rules regarding finances is not just for Muslims but for Non Muslims as well. Guests were treated to a five course meal whilst being entertained by live dance performances by two separate dance academies. Chicken salad and vegetable soup complimented with rolls was served as a starter. Steak roulade garnished with macaroni and masala chicken was served as a main course. Towards the latter part of the night guests then made their way back towards the foyer area where beautiful tables were laid out with an assortment of cakes, biscuits and desserts.It was an ideal opportunity for guests to interact and socialize with each other. I found the behaviour of some of the guests to be quite appalling though. Despite hailing from elite financial backgrounds, many of the guests were packing cakes and desserts in the decorative boxes that were on the dinner tables and taking them home. Chinese spoons filled with small portions of desserts were taken away by greedy guests as well.

Mr. Sayed Hussein Mia who is the chairman of the SHM group of companies was also invited to the event but extended an apology through his daughter for not being able to grace the function. His daughter however, used the event as a launching platform  for her newly acquired Middle Eastern clothing range "Shukr". Models strutted their stuff on the catwalk. I must admit though that I was not impressed with the range at all. I found the clothes to be old fashioned, mediocre and simply out of tune with the latest styles and emerging trends in Islamic clothing. Bold floral scarves matched with plain cotton pants and tops doesn't do it or me at all.It is a range that has seen its days in the Middle East a long time ago. The "Inspired" range of abayas were also showcased at the event. This range of abayas are designed in Dubai and retail in South Africa for between R2000 to R5000. Whilst many of the local South African Muslim women are gaga over this range of abayas, I personally only found a few of the abayas to be worthy of the price tag. The Image Lifestyle wedding and conference centre also boasts a bridal gown showroom along with abayas by " Unusual Couture". This range of abayaat is designed in Saudi Arabia. Each abaya is elegant and beautiful with a reasonable price tag. The premises also renders the professional services of a hair stylist, make up artist, along wih a fully kitted spa. My heartiest congratulations to Mr. Altaaf and Mr. Aadil Saith for making sure that the premises has all the amenities available in order to make that "special day" a memorable event. The venue is centrally located in the heart of Fordsburg allowing for convenience in terms of traveling distance and also allowing foreigners who grace the venue for conferences to be able to soak up the rich cultural heritage and history of the Fordsburg area.

If you wish to utilize the services of the Image Lifestyle wedding and conference centre kindly contact the celebrity events planner Mr. Aadil Saith at:

(w) 0027 11 413 2091
(m) 0027 (0) 827355559

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aditya Kripalani - Author of Back Seat

 

Aditya Kripalani, has a passion for writing in its myriad forms—short stories, poems, scripts screen plays and magazine write-ups, on topics as varied as watches, films, fashion and fitness.He is a post graduate, qualified in Script and Film Screenplay writing from the Film and Television Institute, Pune, and has also taught screen writing at St. Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai. 31 year old Aditya is fond of cooking, music, travelling, observing and analyzing people. He has the ability to get into the psyche of the characters, male and female, and view situations from each one’s unique perspective. He has spent a major part of his life in Mumbai city which has moulded and influenced him tremendously. Multi-faceted Aditya has a degree in fitness training from the Reebok University and is a Karateka practicing Karate in the GoJu form of Karate. His first book 'Back Seat' has received widespread appreciation and was placed in the top ten amongst 3000 other book titles in the 2009 Hollywood book festival. Read on to find out more in his own words....

Nationality: Indian

Pet Peeve: Racial discrimination. Sexual discrimination.

Drink that you would order at a coffee shop: I don't drink coffee or tea. I need things to calm me down not wake me up.

1. Firstly, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed despite your very hectic lifestyle.So tell me who is Aditya Kripalani? Tell me a little bit about your background. Where were you born? Basically a brief synopsis of your life from a child up until university.

Smart. This way you don't need to rack your brains about specific questions! ;) rebellious child due to strictness and too much disciplinary action at home. Mischievous school boy. Used to be punished for hours at a time and made to stand outside the class. I suffered from a tremendous inferiority complex physically in school as I looked goofy and had no subject I could excel in. Every other boy beat me up and ragged me. None of the girls really paid attention. When I went into college I began working out and suddenly saw people reacting differently. In college I became this super mean guy who used to make people cry just by pulling their leg. Not something I'm proud of. Then I met my wife and I began to change. Went to the FTII for a post grad in Script and Film Screenplay. There were 2000 applicants competing for 8 seats. I stood second or first and I realized that there's something they see in me which I did not seem to have discovered within myself. Did my post grad in film screenplay writing alongside a course in psychoanalysis. Really turned my life around, that one year. Back to Mumbai and very very trying times as a writer. 20 email exchanges for example arguing for 5000 rupees, having to wait for hours in film offices for my money after calling for days and being refused. Fought, cried, became depressed, put on 25 kilos. Low point.

Began Karate, lost 25 kilos in 6 months, regained confidence, understood genuine happiness and the power of cardio and things started looking up. Worked as a fitness trainer certified by Reebok to make money, began working at a film company as a script reader. Moved up to being the Creative Head of the film company (I Dream Production, makers of Bend It like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding) over 4 years. Then moved on to Percept Picture Company as their Creative Head. Credited on 6 films as SCRIPT CONSULTANT of which two, TAHAAN (won 11 international awards) and JOGWA won 37 national and state awards. And then frustrated that I couldn't write a film without a hundred opinions which were uninformed, I wrote a book. Rejected by every, yes EVERY Indian publisher. Depression again. And then I finally decided to self publish. My wife and I stood on roads, outside restaurants and sold the first 1000 copies. Then a national distributor took it up (names VASANT KAMAT) and it entered stores a year after publication. Became a best seller slowly over the next few years and now its a double best seller with over 40,000 fans on FB and another 10k on twitter. The power of social media is invaluable to independent film-makers and publishers alike.

Now I am in the process of releasing my second book FRONT SEAT which is a sequel to BACK SEAT.

2. Was writing always your passion? When did the realization set in that you wanted to pursue a career in writing?

I had no clue that I could write or that I wanted to write. I wanted to become a film director and had assisted on 2 feature films and shot for one of them at the FTII in Pune (the film institute). After being in that campus for a while I felt that I must learn more from 'here'. So I applied for the film appreciation course. Then I wanted to apply for a Post Grad in feature film writing and this was purely from a direction perspective. I got in and a month into working on my first screenplay I decided I want to write for life and not direct. This was 9 years ago and the feelings has n't changed.

3. Your first book 'Back Seat' has received worldwide recognition. Of course the journey was not all smooth sailing. What were some of the hardships you faced in terms of following your dream and wanting your book to be a major success ?

Bringing the book into bookshops was a tough one. Self published books hardly ever make it into book stores. Then finding a distributor was tough. However, having received fabulous reviews from many people who have expressed how the book has touched them has certainly made the journey a worth while experience.

4. What topics and subjects are you the most passionate about?
Equality. I hate to admit it but sex. Since it seems to form such a strong theme in both my novels. psychology. marriage. writing. novels. films. the lives of inspiring artists. art in general. Music, to a great extent. friendships.

5. If someone could grant you one wish and you could choose to have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?

To be able to write like Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 'Love in the time of cholera' or to have written a book like 'Life of Pi' or in what I feel is the highest degree of quality writing 'The old man and the sea'.

6. What are your favourite websites?

Facebook.com which has enabled my book to succeed. Flipkart.com where I buy all my books from now, goodreads.com where I get my recommendations from and apple.com and legalsounds.com where I buy music from.

7. What are your thoughts on polygamous relationships?
They have their own flavor just as monogamous relationships. no right or wrong. Just what the deal/understanding between you and your partner is. So if its going to cause tremendous hurt to your partner personally I'd say stay away from it. Again human beings do falter. If your partner falters but you see scope in him/her to change, grow, move on, and if that seemed like a phase fair enough. Else take a stand and don't allow yourself to be taken for granted. Also, there are no real rules for relationships which are universal. Hence its all about your particular deal/equation.

8. If you were not a script writer/author what would you be doing?
Writing songs and performing them.

9. What is your opinion about interfaith marriages?
They rock. Best of two worlds. of course you might get the worst of them both in terms of their regressive thinking but you can try to glean the best out of them both.

10. Who or whats inspires you?
Steve Jobs, Bob Dylan, U2, Miles Davis, good music, paintings, books, stories in general good films. I watched DDLJ (Dilwale dulhaniya Le Jayenge) 32 times in the theatre. My grandfather and grandmother and masi.

11. Define success...What does success mean to you?
Success to me means being able to stay in love, to build in love, to grow in love with your work and your lover.

12. Where do you see yourself five years from now? What are your future plans?Having written another novel. Being able to have gotten some more credibility as a writer. Met some more friends. Understood a little more about love and what it takes to keep it powerful.

13. What advice would you give to a young student who wants to pursue a career in writing?
Be ready for cartloads of heartache but then the highs are unparalleled too. Low lows. Super high highs. so if you want a placid peaceful life, leave writing.

14. Are there any additional comments you’d like to add for the blog readers?
Sumayya's observations about life is interesting. Watch this space.

Once again, thank you Aditya for taking the time to answer these questions. Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours!!!
Aditya's website address : http://www.adityakripalani.com/

BACK SEAT - A LITERARY MASTERPIECE

 

Wow, Wow, wow!! Aditya Kripalani's book 'Back Seat' has left me speechless. It took me two nights to get through 244 pages and when I came to the last and final page I continued to scroll down wishing that there were more pages that I could read. Aditya has an excellent command of the English language and lots of effort is placed on detail in the book. There are a number of colourful characters within the story line and each character is described in much detail. Every character can be visualized in terms of physical appearance and personality.It is almost as though you know the character on a personal level. I have visited India and I loved the vibe of Mumbai city. Aditya does an excellent job in describing Mumbai city as it is in reality.He simply brings the city to life. There is one scene in the book where Vijay stops the car opposite Shatranj Napoli and Olive and I had a huge smile on my face as I remembered having a sumptuous meal at the Italian restaurant during my trip. I recalled my experiences on Carter and Linking road as I read through this adrenalin pumping roller coaster ride. The only negative aspect of the book is its abrupt ending. I wanted to know more.I guess Aditya's rationale behind this, is to allow the reader's imagination to run wild. A more thorough spelling check could have been done as I picked up a few typos. Back Seat is a story that revolves around 15 year old Asawari Jog also known as Nikita who lives in a beach town called Ratnaghiri. Due to unfortunate circumstances she makes her way to Mumbai where she works as a dancer at Atithi dance bar, that is until a local politician imposes a ban on all bar dancers causing many of the girls to turn to prostitution in order to earn a reasonable living. Nikita's dream is to have her own restaurant so that she can escape from the body trade industry and after much effort she secures a restaurant premises by handing over a deposit to Mr. Louis for this dream venture.In order for her dream to materialize, she now requires to make up the rest of the money as soon as possible.

Nikita was never comfortable with the idea of prostituting herself to many men. She therefore,chooses the lesser evil by becoming Shashank's escort for one month . He is the troubled son of Mr. Inder Mehta, a Mumbai based film producer.I loved the way Aditya portrays Shashank's character. There were times that I actually felt sorry for him. I could feel his pain, hurt and all the emotional turmoil within him. The plot takes a twist when Nikita falls in love with Vijay, Shashank's driver. Vijay's past is equally painful and traumatic. Mumbai for him is an escape route, an abode where dreams come true. At this point in the book, you are desperately trying to get to the end of it to find out if Nikita's dreams do reach fruition or not.The book is captivating and Aditya does well in revealing bits and pieces of Nikita's life, leaving the reader constantly intrigued at every moment.Back Seat is a well written, thought provoking realistic tale that reaches the depths of human character and emotion. It has all the ingredients to turn the book into an award winning Madhur Bhandarkar type film. If you have not read a book in a while, I suggest that you get hold of "Back seat" right away. This is one book that you just have to read. My heartiest congratulations to Aditya. I wish him all the best and I am looking forward to his next book Front Seat

 
About The Author ( As taken from his book)
The author, Aditya Kripalani, has a passion for writing in its myriad forms—short stories, poems, scripts screen plays and magazine write-ups, on topics as varied as watches, films, fashion and fitness.He is a post graduate, qualified in Script and Film Screenplay writing from the Film and Television Institute, Pune, and has also taught screen writing at St. Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai. He currently heads the Script Department of one of the film industry’s established corporate film houses, I Dream Production. Thirty one year old Aditya is fond of cooking, music, travelling, observing and analyzing people. He has the ability to get into the psyche of the characters, male and female, and view situations from each one’s unique perspective. He has spent a major part of his life in Mumbai city which has moulded and influenced him tremendously. Multi-faceted Aditya has a degree in fitness training from the Reebok University and is a Karateka practicing Karate in the GoJu form of Karate.
Readers can interact with him by email at backseat.theauthor@gmail.com

Extraordinary People

The best thing about traveling is being able to meet really fascinating extraordinary individuals.A few months ago at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, I had the opportunity of meeting the lovely couple below.Both the husband and the wife are dentists. They are originally from Germany but were enroute to Malawi via Jeddah. It was the first time that they landed in Saudi Arabia and they were fascinated with the abaya clad women and the Arab men dressed in their thobes and shemaghs or Ghutras...I was really impressed and honoured to meet them. There are few good people still left in the world and it is because of these people that the world is still functioning....The couple chose to leave their first world country and carry out voluntary work in Malawi under the auspices of an NGO organisation. They were filled with enthusiasm and pointed out to me the importance of helping others...A thought ran through my mind whilst talking to them...In our narrow minded South African Indian and Muslim communities we tend to brand anyone who is not a Muslim as a nasaara or a kaafir etc etc...And yet look at the good work that many of them are doing...How many of our South African Muslim doctors would leave their practices and luxury homes to render out voluntary services in poor, impoverished areas across the globe....How many of them will leave their money spinning businesses to assist another human being? Sadly my friends, its just a handful!!!!!

Three days ago I met a fascinating French couple who were also in transit at King Abdul Aziz International airport in Jeddah. This couple travel from country to country in a caravan . They have driven from France to New Delhi, India three times already passing through Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan . So you probably wondering what do they do for a living. The woman does nothing and is more like a companion to her partner. Her boyfriend Ritcha, is a tattoo artist, musician as well as a fire juggler. The couple spend an average of six months in one country travelling from city to city . At each city Ritcha does fire juggling shows and plays music on the street attracting the public who give him money. He also does tattooing from his caravan. The couple are not religious and do not follow any specific religion as such. However, Ritcha was quite upset about the French government banning Muslims from wearing the headscarf. He mentioned to me that even Christians in France are not allowed to wear a cross. In his opinion, all women across the board should be wearing a headscarf as a symbol of modesty and respect.His favourite country in the world is India. He told me that he is taken aback with the warmth and hospitality of Indian people in general. "In India I feel free.The people are simple, down to earth and humble...I am yet to see another country like India." he said. I suggested to them to write a book about their travels and experiences. After having a short conversation with the couple I bid them farewell and a safe trip. What incredible, extraordinary people indeed!!!!!