Dear shutterbugs, here’s another set of stunning clicks sent by you for the theme colour me...

 

Sachin Varma gives you the holi prep sheet to avoid damaging skin, hair & phone!

The Holi wardrobe:

Cover your skin as much as you can with clothes. Wearing thick denims and white T-shirts or white pyjama kurta is the best option. Wearing customised similar clothes can be fun for a gang of friends. Wear a colourful hat to protect your hair and bright, colourful goggles to protect your eyes.

To protect hair:

Oil your hair and tie it. Don’t leave it open. Also wear a cap for extra protection.

Eye protection:

Wear goggles or transparent glasses.

The right gulaal:

One must give special attention to buying colours. Buy colours which are branded, preferably herbal or natural and preferably packed. If you’re buying gulaal, go for red and pink, as these can easily be washed off and do look good too. Gaudy purple, green, yellow and orange gulaal have more harmful chemicals in them and should be avoided. Shiny or sparkling gulaals contain crushed glass particles and mica, both of which are harmful to the skin. Whichever gulaal you pick, try to find out the contents before you buy and apply in small amounts. Commercially-made gulaal has a powder base, made up of asbestos talc, chalk powder or silica. Asbestos is a carcinogen, silica dries and chaps skin and chalk powder causes skin reaction and a host of other problems.

To protect your skin:

Slather on cream or oil before venturing out. You can also apply barrier creams like Vaseline for extra protection. Colours and sunlight when combined may cause a ‘photo toxic’ reaction, so don’t forget to apply sunscreen on face. Use waterproof sunscreens as ordinary sunscreens may easily get washed off.

For nails and lips:

Nail stains are most difficult to remove post-Holi. So start your prep with a bright nail polish the day before. On the day, use a transfer-resistant lipstick to prevent your sensitive lips from reactions. Alternatively, apply Vaseline on lips and side of nails to prevent reactions.

Wet colours:

Usually added colours are dyes meant for industrial use like dyeing textiles and are not meant for direct skin application. These contain heavy metals, acids and powdered glass. For instance, black paste has lead oxide, green contains copper sulphate, red has mercury sulphite and so on. All these are toxic and can result in anything from skin allergies to reactions, from eye irritation to blindness. Choose your colours carefully and apply in moderation.

D-I-Y colours:

You can get green with henna powder, dried gulmohar flowers give you orange, marigolds and turmeric (haldi) mixed with besan yield yellow, flowers like rose or red hibiscus, soaked in water overnight, can yield red colour.

Smartphone protection:

It is best not to carry your phone while going to play Holi. In case you need to, do carry an old spare phone that you may have at home. If that’s not possible, put your phone in a Ziploc bag or a plastic pouch. Try to use Bluetooth or hands-free extensions to avoid having to take it out repeatedly with wet hands.

Holi do:

Cover up well. If travelling in a car, keep windows shut. Keep fresh water nearby in case colour goes into your eyes. Avoid the area around eyes when applying colour. Also, wash off colour from hands before eating.

Holi don’t:

Don’t forcibly apply colour. Don’t use grease and paints. Avoid wet floors; avoid driving after drinking or intake of bhang.

Holi and health:

If skin reactions occur post-Holi, apply lots of moisturiser or calamine lotion on the affected area. If the reaction persists or worsens, consult a doctor. If colour goes into your eyes, wash immediately. If it still hurts, consult a doctor. For asthmatics, do keep medicines handy and if attacks persist, consult a doctor immediately. Holi is for fun and you must enjoy to the fullest but don’t overdo it. Be safe and prevent an un-Holi mess.

To safely remove colour

• Use cleansing milk on face and a gentle soap on body.

• For stubborn stains, apply oil and leave on for 15 minutes, before washing off with gentle soap. You can also rub lemon wedges on the skin. Its natural bleaching properties help remove stains.

• Colour on the hair should be rinsed off with a mild shampoo immediately. Conditioning is a must.

• For very stubborn stains, use a cotton ball soaked in your nail polish remover and gently remove. Replenish and rejuvenate the skin afterwards with moisturisers, and hair with oils.

• Don’t repeatedly wash out colours while playing Holi, repeated washing will make the skin dry and irritated. Shower after the celebrations are over.

• Do not try to remove all the colour in one day. Some colours are resistant and naturally peel off in a few days.

• Don’t bleach or wax at least for a week after Holi. The skin is in a very irritable stage and will break out in rashes.

PRISCILLA CORNER GETS YOU PICHKARI PERFECT FOR HOLI

For hands

French polish finish for gel and acrylic nails is best avoided till the festivities end. Coloured stains on the whites are next to impossible to remove. Go for bright and heady nail art, gel/acrylic nails instead, it’s also well in keeping with the festive mood.

Apply Vaseline liberally over and under the nails if they are polish-free. Or use a top coat to seal off the nails. This will protect them from staining.

For feet

If the skin on your heels has cracked or is very dry take care of it. Colour can reach into the cracks and stay lodged for months. Having a pedicure pre- and post-Holi sees you rid yourself of the dead skin on the heels, an area colour loves settling into.

Post-Holi beauty tips

Use cool water to wash off, as hot water can see some stains settle in deeper

Use cleansing milk, coconut oil or gentle liquid soaps to remove colour

After shampooing, use a conditioner and serum on hair

Use herbal or organic colours whenever possible

Go in for a face clean-up and ask the therapist not to use a bleach or a scrub as this can irritate skin

If all of the above comes across as a big dampener, do what makes you feel best and just enjoy yourself! Happy Holi!

For Skin

Colours have chemicals that can cause allergies. Lead oxide in some black paints, copper sulphate in the green, and mercury in the red are some of the chief culprits. Going in for organic, eco-friendly colours would be your first and best line of defence.

Cover up as much skin as possible. You may not be able to dance with as much abandon, but not only will your skin not have to endure residual colour blotches for days, you will spend less hours cleaning up!

Colours that have silica, chalk and ground glass can draw all the moisture out of your skin, so keep the skin moisturised topically, and hydrated from within, in the days leading up to Holi.

Prevent flare-ups and break outs by removing all dead skin build-up and grime with a pre-Holi face clean-up.This keeps all the chemicals in the colour from reacting adversely to any skin imbalances caused by build-up combining with colour.

There is no better barrier to toxic colour penetration into open pores than a film of Vaseline spread over skin to be exposed. If your skin reacts unpleasantly to Vaseline then use any of the denser oils — castor, olive, coconut — leave it on for 10 minutes, then apply some sunscreen.

You should take extra precautions for acne-prone skins by using an oil-free compact over the face before Holi. Colour build-up around pustules and blackheads can cause further infection, so use a compact to prevent clogging in of colour.

Keep calamine lotion handy, this broad-spectrum multi-purpose product doubles both as protective if used before and remedial if used after a bout of gulaal fun.

For hair

If you have dry/virgin hair, or split ends, oil it liberally or apply serum meant to correct split ends in a downward motion from mids to ends before going out. This process seals the cuticles and the splits and prevents the colour from seeping in and lingering there forever in an unflattering array of hues. If your hair is coloured, use a leave-in conditioner for coloured hair before a colour spree.

If you need a root touch-up, get it done before the festival as Holi colours can stick to grey hair.

If you have bleached or highlighted hair, don’t go anywhere near gulaal. Lightened hair grabs colour and you could end up with unwanted, stubborn pink, green or purple tones over it.

Cleaning up post-festivity is hard work. So plait the hair or tie it up to give colour less access to your hair.

A t2 map for the holi hoggers who want a punch with their munch

Nine tolly stars share their fun holi memories with t2

RIDHIMA GHOSH

As a kid I would always look forward to Holi. I loved playing with colours that refused to come off! I loved putting silver and gold colours on myself. Strangely my brother or para friends never put colours on me so I would happily smear my face with all sorts of colours. And once since I bugged them so much, they threw me into the drain and I got drenched in dirty water!

BARKHA BISHT SENGUPTA

I got married in March 2008 and right after my marriage all friends got together to celebrate Holi. Since it was my first Holi as a newlywed, we had a lot of fun. I was high on wine and Indraneil (Sengupta, husband) and I danced in artificial rainwater. We also had a splash in the pool. That Holi is memorable, still etched in my memory. And that was the first time I saw Indraneil dance!

KONEENICA BANERJEE

A couple of years ago I had coloured my hair for a film and I had continuity shot the next day. But Holi fell in between and I love playing Holi. I went to a party where my friends sprayed vodka and whisky mixed with all sorts of colours and my hair turned magenta! I still had to shoot, covering my head with a bandana!

ABIR CHATTERJEE

Holi is my day, my name! You cannot play Holi without abir! The one Holi that stands out in my memory is as college kids we would hire cycles from our neighbours and go to a few of our girlfriends’ places to play Holi with them. But we would end up playing Holi with their parents!

Last year, Holi was really special. I had gone to Santiniketan with Sudeshnadi (Roy) and Ranada (Abhijit Guha). After playing Holi we dug into pulao and mutton curry. In the evening all of us went to Shonajhuri and stayed there till 1am. There was a lot of music and dance. It was great fun!

GAURAV CHAKRABARTY

During my stay in FTII Pune, we would play Holi in the most crazy manner. Lots of food, adda, colours and bhang. I was always the sober one though. The other students would get so drunk that they would sleep for two days to recuperate. As a child too, I have lovely memories of Holi. All the para kids would gather to play and it used to be great fun!

SREELEKHA MITRA

Holi for me is all about getting high on bhang ! Last year Holi was a lot of fun because after having a few glasses of bhang sherbat I started imagining myself to be an aeroplane! I was trying to fly around in my room! After having bhang, people often lose the sense of time and space so it felt like I was going on eating dal and aloo posto for a very long time. Everything becomes eternal. I also laughed a lot and my belly and face started aching but I just couldn’t stop! But I really look forward to Holi because I get to drink bhang and be merry!

MONAMI GHOSH

As a kid I was very scared of playing Holi. We lived in a joint family and whenever my cousins came with colours I would lock myself in a room. I would only play Holi after they would leave and guess who my partners were? Our pet cat and dogs!

A couple of years back all our industry friends got together for a Holi lunch and before that I had bhang and I couldn’t stop laughing the whole day!

LOCKET CHATTERJEE

I used to play Holi as a child. Baba would buy us colours and we would play among ourselves at home. But I have a memory about Holi from my childhood where the para dadas would come with dhol and kartal and smear our faces with all sorts of colours; that is something that I was really scared of. Then after Prem (son) was born I had gone to Santiniketan during Holi. I had just started off as a TV actress and I had stepped out of the hotel room with Prem in my lap when I got mobbed and people started putting abir on me and I still remember Prem was screaming....

I love to make different types of mocktails during Holi and malpoa with kheer is a must.

ARUNIMA GHOSH

I was once made to drink bhang unknowingly at a Holi bash and I was totally gone! I slept for two days, ate a lot and kept repeating a few words again and again and again. To tease me for the rest of my life, my friends even made a video recording of the crappy things I did! I have promised myself never to touch bhang again in my life!

Eight calcuttans on What They like and What They don’t

Subhashree, actress

This Holi I’ll be in Dubai shooting for Game. But I have great Holi memories. A few years ago we were in Malaysia shooting for Poran Jay Joliya Re. On Holi, after the shoot got over, the whole unit played with the colours used for make-up! The people there were quite surprised seeing us play with the colours on the streets.

I have fond memories of playing Holi with my family members in Burdwan. We are a joint family with 24 cousins and on Holi we would all step out and put colours on whoever walked past!

Ushoshi Sengupta, model

Oh, I love Holi! It’s more precious to me than Diwali. For me, it is a party from morning. I play a clean Holi though, with organic colours. I don’t like playing with messy colours, especially with hair like mine! I remember when I tried bhang with my friends for the first time... I never stopped laughing that day! I think it was Dimpy (Mahajan) who tricked me into having it and we had a blast!

Neel Adhikari, singer-songwriter

I love Holi since all the walls society has built around us crumble on this day. You find everyone completely gone on Holi! I remember the first time my wife Audrey played Holi and her hair turned all purple-orange-green! I usually play with my friends and we move from one place to another. A lot of insanity happens but everything is done in a spirit of fun.

Mumtaz Sorcar, actress

Our entire family goes to our farmhouse in Mallickpur for Holi and all of us go crazy! We play with all kinds of colours, especially with purple so that at the end of the day all of us look similar. Last year, we had a blast. I was playing Holi with my sisters Moubani and Maneka and we had a friend who spiked our mocktail with bhang. We drank a few glasses and were fine but Moubani totally freaked out! She laughed uncontrollably and crawled on the floor the whole day! Later we found out that she had been drinking on an empty stomach.

Agnimitra Paul, fashion designer

I don’t like playing Holi at all because I have nightmarish memories associated with it as a kid. I used to find it really scary and since I have pimple-prone skin, I have faced several skin-related problems that are caused by colours. Spending Holi in Santiniketan is something I really look forward to and the couple of occasions I have been there, I had a really nice time… I loved the whole song-and-dance ritual. And there they ask before applying colours. My son Vighnesh loves playing Holi, and after he comes home, I cannot recognise my own son!

Sonika Chauhan, model

I don’t like playing Holi because of the colour that gets stuck on you. I have shoots and shows and I cannot be looking like a monkey! I am always the one behind the camera, clicking people getting drunk and throwing up on each other and throwing dirty colours on each other. Then, they also throw tomatoes. My friends, including Shaheb (Bhattacherjee), play Holi like pigs! (Laughs)

There is also another reason why I don’t play Holi. My mum is Catholic and Holi always comes during Lent when I am not supposed to play Holi. So, I have a major reason to get out of the situation!

Shaun Kenworthy, chef

When I first came to India, I played Holi in Jaipur and it was insane. I had black colours in my ears for weeks after! I avoid playing with colours because of my job. In our industry, imagine standing in front of the customers with faces black and blue! I have no plans of playing Holi this year too. I usually run away to Bangkok for a couple of days. The festival is great though!

Pinky Kenworthy, artist

I like playing Holi only with dry colours. You can have some great fun. I tend to buy really bright colours like yellow, pink, red, blue, green. I haven’t played Holi in the last two years since Mr Kenworthy (Shaun, chef and husband) doesn’t like playing with colours at all! But this year, I am going to be here and play Holi. It’s good fun to get together with friends. It’s a bit private so you can throw those water balloons at each other! And get drunk on bhang and laugh till your tummy hurts, and then you come back and sleep for five hours!

...or stick to your bollywood roots A La Rekha

 

A t2 map for the holi hoggers who want a punch with their munch

 

THE t2 CAMPUS TEAM DRAWS UP A READY RECKONER FOR A ROCKING HOLI PARTY AT HOME

The venue

Terrace: The best place to host a Holi party is on a terrace. Someone in the friends’ circle is bound to have a terrace that can become the venue. Why is it the best you ask? Well, it is airy and secluded from the prying eyes of not just neighbours but also your parents. Pelting unsuspecting friends, as they come in, with water balloons is an added advantage of playing Holi on the terrace. Disadvantage? It is a long way down if you are colour (or otherwise) high and in need for a quick getaway.

Lawn: What could be better than having an entire lawn for Holi revelry? There is more space to run around and spread out Holi paraphernalia. The added advantage is that by the end of the day the ground will turn squelchy, just perfect for a mud fight. The disadvantage is that not many people have gardens and if they do, they would not be willing to let you destroy it.

Garage: May not be the ideal choice for GenY but the garage is still a viable option, especially for those living in apartment complexes. Just roll out the car and set up tables of colours, food and drink. Added advantage? You don’t have to worry about keeping colour off the walls or cleaning the floor after the party. The disadvantage is that it is not that private.

Campus tip: Make sure you get permission for using the venue. Try to minimise damage to the venue. If it is a terrace make sure it is properly fenced, you don’t want any accidents. If it is the lawn, stay away from the flower beds and trees. And if it is the garage make sure you don’t get colour on the cars.

The food

If you are having a Holi party you must make sure there is enough food. And by enough we mean loads of it. It doesn’t have to be anything tricky or complicated, just plentiful. We don’t believe that the host has to foot the food bill so a potluck party is what we would suggest. Each brings their favourite dish, adding variety to the table.

Finger food is an absolute must with the tipple. Chips and chanachur are easy on the pocket. Pakodas, sausages, ready-to-fry chicken nuggets and french fries are easy to manage.

Mangsho-bhaat (mutton curry and rice) is the most popular choice for lunch at Holi parties. Puri and Aloo Dum or just plain khichdi with aloo bhaja and beguni are also popular, especially because they are easy to make.

Sweets are a must for the complete experience. Dry sweets like kaju barfi and sandesh are a better bet because the syrup from other sweets ends up being used to mix colour, making for a not-too-sweet experience.

Campus tip: Keep it simple. Make sure there is enough. Keep paper napkins handy and make sure you use paper plates and glasses if you don’t want your mother to ground you for the rest of the year for spoiling her favourite dinner set.

The drinks

If you play Holi you will be thirsty and you’ll need a drink for your parched throat. But drinking thandai, laced with bhang or otherwise, is more than just quenching your thirst. It is a Holi tradition that needs to be upheld.

Some of the favourite places to pick up thandai are Shibuji (outside Vardaan Market and at Shakespeare Sarani-Wood Street crossing), Shiv Mandir (near Hedua) and Ralli’s (Gol Park).

Those hosting the party, get your parents’ approval before you add alcohol to the list of drinks along with regular cola. But be warned, bhang and alcohol don’t mix well.

Campus tip: Drink responsibly. You don’t want to be a nuisance for your friends or your host. Drink lots of water. Playing colour dehydrates you as do bhang and alcohol. Don’t drink and drive. Wait till the effect of bhang wears off before you leave for home. And please, don’t force anyone to drink. We are old enough to decide if we want to or not, so respect our choices.

The games

What is a Holi party (for those above 21!) without innovative and fun drinking games to add that extra sparkle, or rather blur, to the day? Here are a few drinking games that you can try to make sure that every person leaving the party has had at least one “ohh sh*t” moment. The most daring should be asked to say “She sells sea shells on the sea shore”. The results are priceless.

King’s Cup: This game is deadly and be sure you have a ride back home before you decide to play this. In a deck of cards, each card stands for a particular act that is usually drinking or leads to drinking. Sometimes it might have to do with you surrendering your drink. For example: If you pick “2” of any card, be it hearts, spades, diamonds or clubs you get to choose a person from the group who will have to take a sip; “8” is for mate, so you choose a mate for the entirety of the game, and whenever you drink that person HAS to drink as well; “7” is for heaven, so everyone has to point skywards and whoever does it last has to drink. The most deadly of all the cards is the King itself, where everyone has to pour a little of their drink (whatever kind it may be) into an empty glass and the person who drew the card has to drink the whole thing. This game will have you shhlllurrrring your speeeech in no time!

Never Have I Ever: This popular drinking game has even been featured in films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. In this game, one person in the group has to say something that he or she has never done in his/her life, for example: “Never Have I Ever flunked in maths” or “Never Have I Ever kissed a girl” and all those in the group who have, have to take a sip. The idea is to stick to common things so that a majority of the people will drink. And, of course, if you are targeting a particular friend, it is always fun to say stuff about their lives specifically so that they HAVE to drink. And the best part is, the more drunk you get, the more wicked the situations get.

Bucket Mafia: This game is exclusive to Holi. The rules are the same as normal Mafia, with the civilians, the cop, the healer, the terrorist and the mafia. The only difference is, every time a person is voted out, be it civilian or cop, a bucket full of colour-mixed water is dumped on them and if the people who are voting turn out to be wrong about the identity of the person they voted out, then they have to take a swig of their drink or a shot. And if the Mafia win, then all the townspeople have to drink and if the townspeople win, then the Mafia have to drink up. Also, if the Mafia are caught, then they get a bucket-full of coloured water dumped on them.

Water Balloon Wars: This is not a drinking game per say, but most games can be made into drinking games with the right amount of creativity. With every water balloon that hits someone, that person has to take a shot. And if you miss and the balloon bursts elsewhere, then you have to take a shot. This takes a lot of concentration and by the end of it all the balloons are bound to hit everything but the target.

Campus tip: The whole point of the Holi games is to get as sloshed as you can, so if you can’t hold your drink then better not to play. Or if your friends love you enough they’ll let you play with just the regular soft drink or juice. We reiterate, you should drink responsibly, so know your limit. The point of the games is to have fun, not fall ill.

The props

No Holi party is complete without props, both the usual, like the abir and the “one-week”permanent colour and buckets, and the unusual, like crazy hats, eyewear and wigs. The t2 campus team shopped for some fun things on a budget of Rs 500 . Their favourite destination? The Gariahat crossing.

Campus tip: Bargain like your life depends on it. You’ll be surprised at how much you can get for Rs 500.

What: Heart-shaped sunglasses with yellow blinking lights ala Chulbul Pandey.

Price: Rs 120

Post-bargain: Rs 100

What: Guitar-shaped sunglasses for the hatke effect. After all, on Holi the crazier you are the better.

Price: Rs 95

Post-bargain: Rs 70-75

What: Chhota Bheem Moni Pichkari to bring out the child in you.

Price: Rs 60

Post-bargain: Rs 50

What: Colourful glitter masks to add sparkle to the party.

Price: Rs 150

Post-bargain:

Rs 120-130

What: Herbal abir for the ones who want to go organic and play it safe.

Price: Rs 20 per 100gm

Post-bargain: You might get an overall discount of

Rs 10 or 20 on the total quantity of purchase

What: These crazy plastic hats with colourful wigs are not only wacky, they can also provide some actual protection to your hair!

Price: Rs 60

Post-bargain: Rs 40

The clothes

White is old school, white is Bollywood and white turns see-through. So, girls and boys, ditch the white kurta/shirt ka Silsila and go for colours instead. Four Xaverians show you how to wear it right this Holi.

Girls are opting for layering, like Ankana Sarkar (extreme left) who has donned two contrasting vests and teamed it with a shrug and colourful harem pants. The shrug can be taken off while playing Holi and put back on while going back home. The harem pants are light and won’t become heavy and cumbersome when wet. The bandana adds a touch of boho to the look and is also a good way to protect your hair from colour.

Nidhi Hirjee (second from right) has taken her cue from Deepika Padukone in Balam pichkari and gone for denim cut-offs teamed with a spaghetti top and knotted shirt. Staying cool in what is bound to be a hot and humid Holi is her primary aim.

Raj Mathur (second from left) chose to keep it simple with linen three-quarters that won’t become heavy when wet and a dark-coloured tee. Tanvir Singh Sidhu (extreme right) went for the trademark college dress-code — kurta and jeans, adding a dash of style with a dupatta.

The shades, the boys claim, are essential because it is bound to be sunny and most of the parties will be in the open air.

Campus tip: Don’t burn a hole in your pocket buying clothes that are going to be ruined anyway. Dig out the old ones or ones you are bored of. Take out your old jeans and cut them into shorts, get the harem pants you’ve already worn to death. Don’t wear accessories, you are bound to lose that earring! Carry a change of clothes, replace your fancy slippers with flip-flops and you are set for the day.