Saurav Ghosal
Squash player

The 20-year-old squash star is the only Indian to boast of three Under-19 titles and now that he’s crossed the junior mark, Saurav is ready for bigger things. The year 2006 got him a bronze in Doha at the Asian Games. “2007 is important for me because I play big tournaments — the Qatar Open, Super Series in Mumbai, World Open in Bermuda and World Teen Championship in Chennai. I will be in the final-year of college so I will also be studying hard,” says Saurav. The Calcutta boy vows to get into the top 40, if not the top 30. Way to go, Saurav.

Dev and Nil
Designers

This designer duo got noticed at the Lakme Fashion Week ramp in Mumbai in 2006 and is set to hit the international ramp in 2007. The boys from Howrah will be showcasing at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney in April-May. That apart, Dev and Nil will also participate in both editions of the Lakme Fashion Week this year.

“We are looking at expanding our manufacturing unit to meet increased market demands. Plus, we want to make our Indian wear segment stronger. The men’s wear line we launched sometime back will venture into many more areas like lounge wear and office wear,” says Nil. The designers will be present in many more international stores like Designer Lounge in Kuwait and Bulbul in New York.

Abhijit Chanda
Make-up artist

He has assisted make-up artists at different editions of the India Fashion Week and has also done some stints with Ambika Pillai for the Blender’s Pride fashion tour in 2005 and 2006. After consolidating his position in the industry last year, 2007 will see Abhijit working hard to update his skills. “Calcutta has gone up quite a few notches when it comes to fashion, but I think it has miles to go when compared to the other big cities like Mumbai and Delhi. I am going to do all it takes to get the city on the fashion map. My plans for 2007 include a trip each to the fall-winter editions of Lakme Fashion Week and Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. I hope to travel to Thailand and Singapore to soak in the trends and update my make-up kits,” he smiles.

Rituparna Sengupta
Actress

Rituparna rocks for starting over, bold and beautiful. She has taken a step away from the turf tussle in Tollywood and is aiming big in Bollywood. Having finished Saab Chai Pani and Gauri with Sonu Sood and Atul Kulkarni, Rituparna is now on to Sirf, co-starring Manisha Koirala and Kay Kay, House Arrest with Shekhar Suman, Love Game opposite Randeep Hooda and Kalpana Lajmi’s period piece alongside Isha Koppikar. Back home, she is teaming up with Tarun Majumdar again to repeat the Aalo magic.

Bidita Bag
Model

A favourite face with most big designers in town, this svelte beauty is eyeing the national ramp this year. For a start, the Bengali belle plans to shift base to Mumbai. “I have worked with almost all big designers of Calcutta and now I think the time is right for me to move to Mumbai,” she reasons. “Hardly any big shows happen in Calcutta these days and I will stagnate here after a while.” Once in Mumbai, Bidita plans to tie up with a modelling agency to make it to the national ramp. Her sights are set on Bollywood, finally. “I will be learning a dance form since that’s a pre-requisite for Bollywood heroines. But dancing around trees for Tollywood movies is a complete no-no for me,” smiles the third-year economics student of JU.

Davide Cananzi
Chef

He came to Calcutta in March 2004 and had an immediate impact on the city’s dining experience. After his stint with Hyatt Regency Calcutta, in July 2006 Davide took over as executive chef at The Park since the “boutique set-up complemented him perfectly”. In the New Year, The Park “assumes top priority”. He says: “I intend to make The Park number one as a food destination. We are already leading the beverage sector and are very strong in Continental food and Oriental cuisine. We want to be the leader in every cuisine — Indian and international. Last year, we launched Aqua, the first al-fresco hub and this year, we plan to take clubbing food to new heights with innovation and presentation and service,” says the chef who has been in the hospitality industry for the past 16 years.

Anshul
DJ

The 23-year-old DJ is one mover-turned-shaker. After Dublin and Big Ben he has joined his current console at Underground in HHI. His strengths are Hindi remixes and Anshul already has two mixes to his credit. The year ahead will see him releasing his album, complete with a music video. “I am going to Mumbai on January 22 to finalise the deal and will finish work on my other six remixes,” reveals the dimpled DJ. A superhit with the crowd, Anshul’s strengths are eclectic mixes and a dash of house, which he plays on Wednesdays and Fridays at “home” (that’s what he calls Underground).

Ujjaini Mukherji
Singer

This winner of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu contest on Zee TV is the new kid on the music block. The Calcutta girl has recorded a song with Himesh Reshammiya and done a project with Lalit, of the Jatin-Lalit duo, which is ready for release in 2007. Director Mukesh Bhatt is also looking to sign her on for some of his projects this year. Ujjaini is looking forward to the release of the album with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu partner Aishwarya slated for early February. She has also play-backed for the character of Priyanka in the serial Dhoom Machao Dhoom on Disney Channel, which will air from the first week of January.