Best of Weekender: From a candid chat with improv artist Arjun Mehra to the flavour of smoky Scotch with Malabar fish curry

A virtual fashion show was recently held online with digital avatars walking the ramp. This event, conceptualised and created by Bengaluru-based company, Bigthinx, and its founders, Shivang Desai and Chandralika Hazarika, was highly acclaimed and appreciated by people across the world.

The idea of the show came into being in April 2020, when a client who had been hard hit by the cancellation of fashion weeks and travel bans during the lockdown asked them if they could create a virtual photo shoot by using the avatar of a famous supermodel.

Shivang and Chandralika created a short demo video of the supermodel’s avatar walking a virtual ramp. This video went viral, and soon, Fashinnovation reached out to Bigthinx and asked them to put on a virtual fashion show at their Worldwide Talks.

Within a few weeks, the duo successfully delivered a virtual fashion show themed around “World Oceans Day”, which featured clothing from 10 designers and brands from around the world,

Don’t miss reading what the co-founders of Bigthinx have to say about their online fashion show, their digital avatars, and the future of fashion in the post-COVID world.

Improvisational theatre, an ‘unplanned’ and ‘unscripted’ art form, is one of the most creative ways to express your deep-seated emotions, tell a story, and provoke a response from the audience. Improv Comedy Bangalore, a professional Improv company, aims to help individuals break out of their comfort zone, experiment varied roles and characters, and gain a newfound sense of confidence in the process.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, ICB held online improv classes and workshops with themes like ‘How to build a world of characters’; ‘How to improvise compelling stories', and many more.

Don’t miss reading our interview with Arjun Mehra, artistic director, Improv Comedy Bangalore, as he talks about his love for improvisational theatre and how the performing arts will change in the next one year.

Pairing food with wine is well known, but have you ever paired food with Scotch whisky?

When pairing Scotch cocktails with food you need to follow some simple rules. You must make sure that either the cocktail complements the flavour of the food or offers a contrast. The cocktail should always enhance the flavour of the dish and not dominate it. Adding herbs to a cocktail helps match it to the flavours of the dish.

Check out all our tips and recipes on how to pair Scotch cocktails with food.

Thirty-one-year old Asees Kaur recently released a hit single titled ‘Wanga Kaaliyan’. This is a spirited song, which describes the tender gestures that a girl expects her lover to do - from holding romantic conversations to taking her shopping and spending quality time with her.

The video of Wanga Kaaliyan is an animated lyric video with words beautifully penned by Raj Fatehpur, and composed by Vikas and produced by Sunny Vik.

Read our exclusive interview with singer Asees Kaur where she talks about how she got into playback singing, and her plans for the future.

You might love the rains or hate the rainy season. Either way, the monsoon brings with it some dramatic changes to your physiology. If you know how to tweak your diet and lifestyle to cope with these external changes in the season, you can do a lot to support your body.  

You always have to eat differently and live differently whenever the seasons change in order for your body to move harmoniously through them.

For instance, during the monsoon, you need to begin your day with a warm breakfast. A millet porridge made with ghee and some nut butter is a good option. You could also eat warm Indian breakfasts like brown rice poha made with some ghee, sweet potatoes, green peas, and lots of Indian spices to fire up the digestive system.

Read all the tips from our nutritionist as she tells you how to alter meals to adapt with the seasons.

Are your favourite authors Walter Isaacson for his balanced biographies and Richard Thaler for his deep research on Behavioural Economics? Is your hero of fiction Master Shifu of the movie Kung Fu Panda, because of his inner peace, his wit, and truly inspiring life lessons? If so, meet Ankit Gupta, Chief Operating Officer & SVP, Frontier Businesses, OYO India, who feels the same way.

Ankit has over 14 years of work experience, and at OYO, he has the responsibility of strengthening and consolidating existing opportunities in the co-living, student housing, self-operated hotels, and vacation homes businesses of the company in India and South Asia, under the Frontier Businesses umbrella.

According to Ankit, his motto, “Don’t strive to be the best, strive to be legendary”, is the best way to motivate yourself towards excellence and reach the pinnacle of success.

Don’t miss reading Ankit’s responses to our Proust questionnaire where he talks about his greatest treasures, loves, regrets, heroes, and much more.