Games which celebs play at party!

Party games are what spice up any get-togethers. Apart from the entertainment factor, they help break the ice and help guests bond better. We ask a few celebrities from the south Indian film industry, who are regulars at the party circuit, about their favourite party games.

Srikanth 

The actor loves Taboo and Pictionary as they are activity oriented. However, Srikanth adds that he is selective when it comes to party games. "Most of the time, Pictionary and Taboo involve cheating and the teams end up fighting," quips Srikanth.

Nani 

This Telugu star says he is a fan of Pictionary - the guessing game. The game is played with teams, with the players trying to identify the words from their friends' drawings. Nani says it is lot of fun to guess words by looking at the weird drawings. "I also enjoy distracting the opposite teams. However, Pictionary is really a hard nut to crack," he says. 

Jishnu Raghavan

Jishnu is yet another M-Town star, who loves to play Dumb Charades. "It is a lot of fun and even large groups can easily fit in. I also like to play Botticelli, where the player pretends he is a particular celebrity and reveals just the initial letter of the name, and the group will have to find out who he is," says Jishnu.

Asif Ali 

The most happening M-Town star says he is a fan of Truth or Dare, a game which is very popular among adolescents and children, but is sometimes played by adults too. "It's a game full of thrill and excitement and l love it," he says and adds that he always chooses dare and does anything daring that his friends ask of him. 

John Kokken 

This handsome villain's favourite game is Spin the Bottle, where people stand or sit or kneel in a circle. "It is the most embarrassing game at parties as the person who spins the bottle will have to kiss the person to whom the bottle points when it stops spinning," he says. He also finds a couple of other games such as Truth or Dare and Taboo - a word guessing game, very interesting.

Kailash 

Kailash loves the question game, in which the player is made to answer the questions about his chosen partner. "Mostly, the questions are too silly like the number of buttons on the partner's shirt or the brand of jeans that he is wearing and so on," says the actor, who claims to be an expert in the game by now. 

Meera Vasudevan 

Meera and her friends love card games and the movie guessing games, using only objects as hints. "We usually play the movie guessing games and the losers are made to do several activities which lead to a laugh riot. That is the best part of the game," she says.

Ranjini Haridas 

This small screen diva, who is all set to sizzle on the big screen, is a party animal. She loves to play Dumb Charades, which she finds very exciting. "We can begin Dumb Charades without any prior preparation. Also, I sometimes cheat friends by surfing the net on my phone for movie names," she says. Another game she loves to play is Poker, but only if she is partying with her close friends. 

Ria Lakshman V

This article is published in Times of India on 17th July 2012.

Link-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-17/news-and-interviews/32699309_1_party-animal-pictionary-jishnu

Being aimless..

It was a day I had hundred reasons to laugh. I looked upon the sky and said I wanted to cry. While I do so, I had no idea if God existed or not. Perhaps, it was out of a habit I did so. And, the reason to cry was not known. As in the ghost movies, I expected a lightening to tear the sky apart, so that a figure could get revealed through the shimmering chasm. Nothing happened for a minute. I continued to walk straight through the leading path facing me, which actually said I had nowhere to go. I could sense a shiver within me because I was aimless. I had no past, no future. There was only a haunting present.  It was truly haunting. I felt as if I am lost.

Namelessly, a rain poured. Once again I looked to the sky, to see if a character had appeared. The sky was dark, in a shade of blue, which reminded me the colour of poison. However, I had never seen a poison. Yet my mind visualised it in dark blue.  I am unaware of the significance of the dark blue. But something from inside told me it is dangerous. Still, I continued to walk. I had nothing better to do.

After 1km, the road had a turn to the right. I decided to go through that turn. It was more shabby and unclean. I didn’t care the dirt that stuck to my slippers. The creepy sounds of insects never bothered me. I was only concerned about the reasonless fear within me. And, there I saw, a little girl, wailing. Her eyes reflected the fear I had. But those were not reasonless. There was something strong behind her tears. I could sense she was not aimless. I could feel she had a past, a present and an aspiring future. For few moments, my thought was only that little girl. My mind dragged my body towards her. Neither the feeling to cry, nor the feeling of directionless was lingering in me. As I queried her, took her with me and walked far, I felt a new energy. I felt to laugh. Now I know why I wanted to cry. It was because I was aimless and had no future!

Girls are hard-core gamers too

... taking a liking for noisy boyish games than their mellowed down versions

Photo Courtesy: TOI

Youngsters are spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment, with a plethora of games at their disposal. However, most of the apps and online websites are compartmentalised for both genders — clear, calm and lightweight games for gals, and hard, tough and noisy games for guys. But girls don't want this exclusivity. "We are hard-core gamers too," they say.

Banushree, a college student, says, "I am a hard-core gamer. I need vigorous, stalwart games and not those cold, unexciting ones." However, most of the girls begin their visit to game zones with their male friends. "Girls often accompany boys. It is only after their second or third visit that they start playing on their own," says Jithu, a game zone manager in the city. He says little boys and girls are also his customers and are accompanied by their parents.

"Little girls are in fact addicted to play stations. We have a minimum of 15 to 20 customers per week and they are mostly girls," says a shopkeeper in the city. He adds that the trend is fast catching up and most of the homes have at least one play station. "Usually, parents purchase one set of games for the boys. Soon girls too get wooed by the excitement of the games from their brothers and naturally lose interest in playing soft games," says Dr Raveendran, a parent.

Gaming sure seems to have crossed the gender barrier!

RIA LAKSHMAN. V

This article is published in Times of India on 9th July 2012.

Link-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-09/man-woman/32589076_1_hard-core-gamers-boys-and-girls-gender-barrier

I never break rules: Anoop

LOYAL CITIZEN: Anoop Menon

Anoop Menon sternly imprints himself as a law abiding citizen by all means. "I am a rightful person. I never break rules — not even the traffic rules and that is where I have to adjourn my driver," says the actor. "By law, I mean the right way of living. When I live by laws, I feel proud that I exist," he adds. 

The actor who plays the character of an ethically veracious doctor in the movie 916 is happy that he got a character that he can relate to. "916 is not my cup of tea. I may not be able to write such characters and that is why I need to be a part of this movie," he shares. 

RIA LAKSHMAN. V

This article is published in Times of India on 7th July 2012.

Link:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/news-and-interviews/I-never-break-rules-Anoop/articleshow/14715861.cms

Tradition meets contemporary home decor

Despite the demand for contemporary home decor, Keralites continue to treasure traditional Kerala architecture.

Inspired by the West, many Keralites are incorporating modern aesthetic sensibilities while designing their dream homes. Flamboyant, carved and wooden furniture are passe. The craze is for elegant and minimal designs. At the same time they can't completely do away with the traditional designs. This has resulted in a harmonious blend of the traditional and the contemporary. Kochi Times takes a look at a few traditional architectural designs that have found their way into modern homes.

Nadumuttom (Central courtyard)

The central courtyard has always been a part of Kerala architecture and it has several advantages too. It brings in a lot of daylight and fresh air and thereby brings the outdoors in. However, these courtyards in modern homes have undergone a change due to security concerns. They are now covered with steel railings or thick glasses.

Aattu Kattil (The swinging chair)

The old wooden swinging chairs called aattu kattil wide enough to accommodate three or four people have attained new forms and are now available in wrought iron as well. They add an ethnic touch to a large modern living room.

Manichithra-thaazhu (The ornate lock)

The front doors of many urban Kerala houses are adorned with a manichitrathaazhu, the ornate lock made of gold-plated metal and carved with intricate designs. This timeless design gives an impression of grandeur and elegance to any entrance.

Mural paintings

Mural paintings or frescos depicting stories from mythology and legends once used to adorn the walls of palaces. Now these paintings have found a pride of place in the living rooms of modern homes. Keralites are ready to spend a fortune on these paintings these days.

Chuttu verandah

The wooden benches with carved decorative resting are another feature that has found its way into modern homes. It helps to accommodate an ample number of guests and makes a perfect place for visitors to sit and chat.

RIA LAKSHMAN.V

This article is published in Times of India on July 4th 2012. 

Link-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-04/home-garden/32524863_1_keralites-designs-contemporary-home