Rituparna Sengupta at the Ladies Study Group discussion on Monday. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Compromise stood out like a dirty word at a star-studded panel discussion at ITC Sonar Bangla on Monday. Organised by the Ladies Study Group, most panelists speaking about ‘Success — Commitment and Compromise’ agreed that while commitment feeds success, there can be little room for compromise.

“Commitment and compromise never go together. Everybody has the right to dream, but to make it come true, one has to work very hard — 100 per cent commitment is the only way out,” said biologist Anuradha Lohia. While compromise is out, living life on one’s own terms is certainly in. “Though I’m a designer, I’m not a very fashionable person. You’ll rarely see me at the happening parties in town and I don’t socialise much. But ultimately, people have to accept you just the way you are,” shrugged fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

But not everybody is as lucky and some have to pay a price for success, especially celebrities. Industrialist Sanjeev Goenka pointed out that panelist Rituparna Sengupta “cannot just go out to have bhelpuri” when she feels like it. “She runs the risk of being mobbed,” joked Goenka. Rituparna admitted that this is a small price to pay, however elusive success may be. “When I was a student, my parameter of success was doing well in maths. When I joined films, the box-office results and audience appreciation became the driving force in my life,” she explained.

The most sought-after Tollywood actress swears by “commitment and hard work” but rates “a balance between personal and professional life” high on her agenda. The sentiment was echoed by all the panelists, most of whom gave the credit for their stupendous success to their better halves. “When I went to the US for two years to do my research, I left behind a four-year-old son. I couldn’t have got this far in life without the unflinching support of my husband,” reminisced award-winning scientist Lohia. In the same vein, Goenka credited wife Preeti with being the one who “always compromises” due to his busy schedule. The word is clearly out — a firm grounding on the home front and single-minded commitment is what drive these public personalities.

Spotted in the audience were Harsh Neotia, Lee Alison Sibley, Nilanjana Chakraborty, Rita Bhimani, Renu Roy and a host of city socialites.

The Irish Tenors at the charity ball. (below) Model Nibedita at the grooming session. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Pied pipers

The Irish Tenors impressed as much with their dark good looks and charm as with their powerful performance at the charity ball organised by the Hope Calcutta Foundation at The Hyatt on Sunday evening.

Entertainment for a cause was at the heart of the event that was held to raise funds for underprivileged children in the city, supported by Spandan. Irish ambassador Philip McDonagh set the ball rolling, pointing out that some of Bengal’s biggest luminaries — Tagore, Swami Vivekanada, Mother Teresa and Subhash Chandra Bose — all had an Irish connection.

A documentary on the work of the Hope Foundation, an Irish funding agency supporting a number of projects for underprivileged children, was screened before the tenors — Paul Byron, Tony Norton and Ciaran Nagle — set the tone with an evening of classic melody.

In an unconventional performance for a trio steeped in opera, the tenors — who have collaborated with pop icons like Westlife and Sinead ’Connor — breezed through a set that took in ballads, popular songs and nuggets such as Ireland’s “unofficial” anthem, Ireland’s Call. Harmonising brilliantly, the performers brought the house down with Molly Malone, Carrik Furgus and Spanish Lady.

“Our brief is to try and tear down the walls that often exist between classically trained performers and a lay audience,” said singer Ciaran Nagle. With excellent backing tracks by the National Concert Orchestra and great stage presence, the tenors had no trouble winning over the room. A brief acapella interlude with Lee Alison Sibley, wife of US consul-general George . Sibley, lent a touch of humour to the evening before the tenors brought the curtains down with a spellbinding display of vocal prowess.

Eat and run

Power nap may sadly be frowned upon in most offices, but power lunch is the culinary trend de jour. The latest to whip up a quickie for the corporate crowd is south Calcutta’s Marco Polo.

“Corporate executives in this part of the city don’t have many options for a meal. And they usually don’t have the time to order and wait for the food to be served. So a power lunch fills this gap,” explained Kallol Banerjee, manager, Marco Polo.

The restaurant has on offer hassle-free vegetarian and non-vegetarian set meals. The menu takes a bite out of the fastest moving dishes served a la carte. Essentially north Indian in flavour, seven items are packed into the vegetarian platter: yellow Tadkewali Dal, Aloo Firdosi, Paneer Mewa Masala made of soft cottage cheese chunks and Hyderabadi Moti Matar and raita, served with dhania pulao and naan. For dessert, there is not-too-sweet kheer. The spread has worked its charms over the kitty party crowd as well, which is often seen dining out nowadays, instead of organising meals at home.

The non-vegetarian selection is just as lavish. Malka-e-Nishat (bekti fillets in gravy) and choice of either Rogan-e-Nishat or Murg Tikka Makhanwala, apart from dal, paneer and raita.

Can’t eat and run without coughing up a pretty paisa. The damages for vegetarians are Rs 175, and Rs 225 for meat-eaters.

Rule the room

Do-it-yourself tips on how to look like a million bucks were on offer at the Sananda-Vatika grooming workshop. Held at Moksh, 22, Camac Street last weekend, women of all ages lapped up know-how on dressing, make-up, jewellery and etiquette from some of Calcutta’s leading names in looking good.

The beauty and make-up session conducted by Indrani Bhattacharya, of Anandi Beauty Parlour, and Aniruddha Chakladar, make-up artist, offered useful tips on skin care, hair care and home remedies for common skin ailments. “The basic purpose of make-up is to give you a glowing and radiant look. And the worst mistake is applying too much powder on the face,” stressed Chakladar, adding that it was “important not to be self conscious” about one’s make-up.

Dressing to make a mark was next on the agenda. Designer Dibya Kanti Sen had ready tips on “correct dressing”. It is critical to develop a sense of fashion “suitable to one’s body”, said Sen. “Horizontal stripes are out for short people, terry-cotton pants look infinitely cooler than denim on people on the thinner side,” the designer added.

Accessories are every bit as important as clothes, and Ananya Chowdhury of Anjali Jewellers was on hand to teach people how to make the most of a limited budget. Alternative jewellery works just as well as more expensive options, she said, without compromising on sophistication. “The essence of jewellery is to enhance the personality of a woman. Care should be taken that the jewellery does not overpower the inner self. Jewellery works best when it accentuates a woman’s individuality,” said Chowdhury.

A session on etiquette, poise, posture and how to hold one’s own socially was taken by Sanchita Kushary Bose of The Dream Merchants. The event will travel to Durgapur, Midnapore and Behrampore in the near future.