RUBINA’S REVIEW | XU DUBAI

January 9, 2024January 9, 2024Leave a comment

JANUARY 9, 2024

Dubai doesn’t just flirt with food from around the world, it romances it with consummate ardour. There’s always a new restaurant, hotel, bar lounge or cafe opening in the exciting emirate of Dubai every other week or month, that speaks to its culinary coquetry. XU, an alluring new Cantonese restaurant and bar opened at the Kempinski Mall Of The Emirates hotel in November 2023 and it is fire! 2024 is the Year of The Dragon after all – it’s all about the element of fire. Ralph’s Coffee by Ralph Lauren is set to open its first cafe in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai, right by the POLO Ralph Lauren store at the Mall of The Emirates towards the end of January 2024. This will be Ralph’s Coffee’s third outpost in the Middle East, with a twin cafe presence in Doha, Qatar, since 2020, at the Hamad international airport and at Place Vendome. A highly anticipated opening in Dubai is that of the Dorchester Collection’s first hotel in the Middle East, The Lana, which is the company’s 10th luxury hotel worldwide. The Lana is scheduled to open on February 1, 2024 in Dubai’s Marasi Bay and I’m quite certain that it is going to light up the glimmering Dubai skyline with its stellar presence in the world of hospitality.

©XU Cantonese Restaurant and Bar, Dubai, UAE | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

As I walk into XU for dinner on a weekend, the restaurant’s decor of Chinese lanterns, red haute walls and mirrored ceilings make me go Nǐ Hǎo Xìnggǎn in Mandarin (Hello Sexy!). XU is busy and buzzing with people, an open kitchen, a bar with a speak-easy lounge vibe, yet it feels amorously intimate, with the night breeze wafting in from the dreamy, wrap-around terrace. To dine on XU’s terrace under the cool night skies of Dubai in December is what desert, and dessert dreams, are made of.

XU’s menu is inspired Cantonese (Guangdong, Yue) cuisine with Southeast Asian flavours. From Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne to sake to fresh juices to fun cocktails with Chinese pop culture references like the Bruce Lee inspired Be Water with gunpowder infused vermouth, Mango Pao with Horchata, Year of the Dragon with a Paloma tequila and the Hungry Ghost with Chinese Baijiu, XU’s beverage selection is impressive. Baijiu is a colourless grain spirit that is traditionally made from sorghum for over 5000 years in China. Baijiu is the national drink of China and it is to China what sake is to Japan and soju is to Korea. Interestingly, it is the most consumed spirit in the world.

©Foie Gras Bao at XU Dubai, UAE | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

XU had me at the first appetiser, the Foie Gras Bao with roasted Peking Duck – decadent, buttery with a warm caramelised crunch, it’s scrumptious and to fly back for! I chose well! Fruity hardwoods like maple, apple and cherry are used to smoke dark meat like duck as they add a delicious sweetness to the meat. I’ve always ever eaten apple wood smoked Peking duck, even in Beijing and Hong Kong, but now I am in love with the Cherry Wood Peking Duck at XU. The Mapo Tofu was flavourful and light, with steamed jasmine rice as was the Kale Egg Fried Rice. A Chocolate Hazelnut Tofu Pudding with chocolate ice cream is such an exquisite, yet simple amalgamation of textures and flavours and that’s why I love XU – it’s got its flavours and inspired dishes just right! From Peking duck to Wagyu to scallops to Alaskan crabs and Canadian lobsters, you will find a favourite at XU.

©XU Cantonese Restaurant and Bar, Dubai, UAE | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

Given I was all about the Peking duck on this particular XU night, a drink called Jinsé de Xu caught my eye. Jinsé de Xu is made with duck fat washed bourbon, fine tawny port, bamboo snow white tea cordial, chilli agave syrup, pandan and creole bitter – just the drink du jour to end the night. The service by the staff at XU is attentive, knowledgeable and friendly, making it very easy to stay on till 3AM. XU is only open for dinner everyday, 6PM onwards.

©XU Cantonese Restaurant and Bar, Dubai, UAE | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

XU is owned by the Rikas Hospitality Group, which also opened the first Tiffany & Co. Blue Box Café in the Middle East at the Dubai Mall in October 2023. This is the fourth Blue box Café in the world after New York, London and Hong Kong and the Tiffany blue-hued cafe is located within the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in the mall. Blue box Café not only makes Breakfast At Tiffany’s real, but an indulgent French-American culinary experience, without the arc lights and Audrey Hepburn of course.

XU
Kempinski Mall of the Emirates Hotel,
Al Barsha, Dubai, UAE.
Sunday-Wednesday: 6PM-1AM
Thursday-Saturday: 6PM-3AM
Phone: +971 4 341 0000

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the r ubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author. The © ahead of a name is the copyright of the subject in the photograph and not shot by Rubina A Khan.

©Rubina A Khan 2024

RUBINA’S REVIEW | THE ARCHIES

December 8, 2023December 8, 2023Leave a comment

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Netflix India’s most awaited film of 2023, The Archies, directed by Zoya Akhtar, released worldwide on December 7th, 2023 on a screen on your lap, in your hand or on your desk. Starring an ensemble cast of debutants in the headlining roles, The Archies is a musical adaptation of the American comic series, Archie, that traces the life of Archibald Andrews, a ginger-haired teen, and his friends in Riverdale, a town in the United States that is as fictional as its residents. Created by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom in 1941, every character in the Archie comics is beloved around the world since, be it Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Big Moose, Dilton Doiley, Reggie Mantle, Mr Weatherbee, Miss Grundy, Midge Klump, Ethel Muggs and of course, Archie himself. For lack of a contemporary reference, Archie and his Riverdale gang are the F.R.I.E.N.D.S of the comic world given anyone who has ever read an Archie comic, single or digest, knows and devours everything about the characters and their quirks, such is the endearing familiarity, yet thrilling simplicity of them all.

Referencing an American comic series with Anglo-Indianised versions of the characters set in India in 1964 seems to be the sole premise of this film, with teen angst roller skating into school, and after-school life, with milkshakes and burgers set to wonderfully choreographed musical interludes in marvellous 60s costumery. The costumes in the film are stars in themselves, never mind who is wearing them. But The Archies also appears to be a low-key environmental warrior film set in a year when climate activism did not exist worldwide, certainly not in India, but climate awareness did, and Earth Day was only recognised in 1970 in the United States. As I understand, the 60s teens didn’t really speak green, they did green.

Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Yuvraj Menda, Agastya Nanda, Aditi Dot Saigal, Khushi Kapoor and Vedang Raina in The Archies poster ©Netflix

The 143-minute film represents the Hindi film industry’s biggest names – it stars a Khan – Suhana, a Kapoor – Khushi and a Bachchan, Agastya Bachchan Nanda, who have simply joined the family business, ably and admirably. And, all three live up to the cinematic legacies they were born into, and have chosen to take forward of their own accord. They can act. If this film was created and mounted to showcase and launch the talents of the twenty-something progenies of some of India’s biggest superstars like Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sridevi, then it has succeeded as Suhana Khan and Agastya Nanda have it in spades, with Khushi Kapoor a few paces behind.

Suhana Khan is prodigiously expressive in her portrayal as the self-absorbed Veronica Lodge in the film. It takes an intelligent mind to play a clueless, millionaire teen and Khan does so with measured alacrity, her soothing voice adding to the allure of her act. And, she dances and pirouettes on skates, and without them, arched and poised like a ballerina, always in step, a grand jeté away from perfection.

Agastya Nanda’s got the Kapoor dance moves and the Bachchan voice and height, but it his very own Nanda je ne sais quoi that adds to his charismatic performance as Archie Andrews. He enunciates his lines beautifully and fills up the screen with boyish insouciance as Archie, a rhythm guitarist torn between Riverdale and England, and Ronnie and Betty, and every girl in the world. Nanda’s definitely got the rizz and has the girls, and boys, in a tizz! He is, after all, Raj Kapoor’s great-grandson and Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson!

Khushi Kapoor makes a pretty picture as the gamine Betty Cooper in the film. She is as graceful as she is statuesque in her role, but she needs to work on her dialogue delivery that is awkward and a tad mumbly. Yuvraj Menda is achingly vulnerable as he is adorable as the teen nerd finding himself, Dilton Doiley. His lilting ‘Thank you’ warrants an encore every single time! Ethel Muggs is perfectly played by Aditi Dot Saigal, a musician who has also worked on the lyrics and music of the film. Vedang Raina is slick and haute as Reggie Mantle, and he goes from smouldering silences to verbose angst with natural ease. Mihir Ahuja plays Jughead Jones ably, but the character written in the film doesn’t speak to the original essence of the forever-eating, oddball Jughead. All seven of the debutants on the film’s poster have got some serious moves and can dance their legs off. Not like Jungkook though, yet.

I loved that the sets looked unreal, with real people and real emotions swirling through – like an Archie in Toyland atmosphere. I loved Rudra Mahuvarkar’s Big Moose dumb, muscleman act – mistaking philanderer for Phil Anderson was a riot. Jughead should have been ditzier and clumsier, and eaten way more hamburgers and fries. Ronnie didn’t need to act fashionably sustainable in 1964 by repeating that eyesore of a canvas trunk bag everywhere in Riverdale – it was just so off the Lodge brand and entirely unnecessary. It didn’t add to her rich vibe; Khan’s enactment of Ronnie did. And, she does know a thing or two about being rich. Seasoned actors like Suhaas Ahuja, Aly Khan, Vinay Pathak, Delnaaz Irani and Deven Khote enriched the performances of the debutants in the film.

Did I love the film? No. Why did I sit through it? I wanted to see SRK’s daughter, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson and Sridevi’s daughter act, and they most definitely can. Is the film worth the wait, the worldwide marketing thrust, dollar spend and the hype? Not in the least, but all its debutant actors are! You cannot not love them all!

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author. The © ahead of a name is the copyright of the subject in the photograph and not shot by Rubina A Khan.

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | WHO’S YOUR MOMMY?

December 5, 2023December 6, 2023Leave a comment

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Daddy’s l’il girl who? It’s Mommy’s big girl season in fashion, with model Lila Moss recreating her mother’s iconic naked dress in London on Monday night and Khushi Kapoor wearing one of her late mother’s gowns for her big night out at The Archies premiere in Mumbai on Tuesday evening. 2024’s going to be all about ‘Who’s your mommy’ and how you play it in fashion.

LONDON: A moment in fashion’s history was created in 1993 when British supermodel Kate Moss arrived at an Elite Model Agency party for the Look of the Year contest at the Hilton Hotel in London, wearing a sheer silver dress by Liza Bruce, sans a bra, with just a pair of black underwear. With that outing, Moss turned owning a naked dress into a wardrobe must-have for every fashion forward around the world. The Liza Bruce dress was a part of Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear, an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert museum in London in 2016. According to Moss, the naked dress happened quite by chance, as the dress was not see-through in her Soho flat before she stepped outside. Interestingly, It also started Moss’ paparazzi trail as it was the first time she had really got papped, self-admittedly, by the photographers.

Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in London in September 1993.

This memorable look was recreated by the supermodel’s daughter, Lila Moss at The Fashion Awards 2023 for the British Fashion Council held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on December 4th, 2023. Moss wore a sheer silver gown by Albanian designer, Nensi Dojaka, with a black pair of underwear, referencing her mother’s iconic naked dress from 30 years ago. Lila recreated the dress with honourable sentiment, but failed to create a historic fashion moment like her mother. British photographer, Dave Benett photographed both Moss women in their respective naked dresses in London, in 1993 and 2023.

Lila Moss at The Fashion Awards in London in December 2023.

MUMBAI: Khushi Kapoor did not source an outfit nor buy one for her first red carpet moment as a debutant actor at The Archies premiere in Mumbai. She simply shopped at home, from her legendary mother, Sridevi’s wardrobe – a touching and sensitive start to her innings as a fashion forward actor. She chose a champagne-hued gown by designer duo, Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco of Kaufman Franco, that her late mother had worn 10 years ago to the 14th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IFFA) in Macau in 2013. Kapoor looked resplendent and poised in the gown, and the ice around her neck, also her mother’s, lent her extra sparkle on her big night out. She honoured the memory of her mother admirably, and with grace. Kapoor not only broke the predictable fashion sourcing trend with her choice, but also kept up with the pro climate call to the fashion industry to reuse, repurpose and recycle. With her lithe frame, Kapoor’s already a fashion favourite and an ‘it-girl’ in the making.

©Khushi Kapoor

Sridevi with Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor in Macau in 2013.

The Archies streams on Netflix on December 7, 2023 and has an ensemble cast of film debutants, aside from Kapoor – Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal and Yuvraj Menda.

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | ANCIENT SCULPTURES AND MODERN HISTORIES OF THE RAILWAY MEN

December 1, 2023December 2, 2023Leave a comment

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Humanity is but an amalgamation of ancient cultures, of the good and the great, but not without the bad and evil either. Modern histories on the other hand, are stories of yesterdays told today, with enchanting whimsy and hope, a great example being The Railway Men – The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984 on Netflix. Celebrating ancient cultures with Mediterranean sculptures is a new exhibit at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, India called Ancient Sculptures: India Egypt Assyria Greece Rome from December 2nd, 2023 to October 1st, 2024.

MUMBAI: A new exhibition, a first of its kind, Ancient Sculptures: India Egypt Assyria Greece Rome opens on December 2nd, 2023 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western from 1905-1998) in Mumbai, India. The Ancient Sculptures exhibit explores why we must look at, and look int our ancient connected world, with curators from CSMVS, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, The British Museum and The Getty Museum coming together to tell the stories of shared cultures. They have chosen sculptures to be exhibited alongside objects from Indian institutions at the exhibit which commences on December 2nd and goes on till October 2024. The objects on display were chosen by the curators at CSMVS in Mumbai that add to the cultural and historical significance of the stories of India’s rich antiquity, making for compelling storytelling from ancient Greece and Rome. The Indian public will be able to view historical artistic achievements of the ancient Mediterranean with India’s very own cultural treasures for the first time at CSMVS.

Sekhmet: Goddess of Destruction; Mottled granodiorite, Thebes (modern Karnak),
Egypt; c. 1390-1352 BCE ©Trustees of The British Museum, London, United Kingdom.

A panel discussion at CSMVS on opening day, on December 2nd at 5:30pm, has been organised with primary support from Getty, called Why Ancient Sculptures Matter(s) – A conversation on the making of Ancient Sculptures: India Egypt Assyria Greece Rome. Joyoti Roy, Project Curator of Ancient Sculptures (Curator Art, CSMVS) and Nilanjana Som, Curator Ancient Sculptures (Curator Art, CSMVS) will be in conversation with Professor Dr Andreas Scholl, Director of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin, Germany) and Dr Thorsten Opper, Curator Greek and Roman Sculpture, The British Museum (London, UK) moderated by Renuka Muthuswami, Curator Ancient Sculptures, CSMVS on the day.

The museum was named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India to honour HRH the Prince of Wales, as had laid the foundation stone of the museum building on November 11, 1905 in Mumbai. The Prince of Wales went on to become George V, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from May 6th, 1910 until his death in 1936. George Wittet, a Scottish architect, was selected through an open competition to design the museum building in 1909 and the construction of the building was completed in 1914. The magnificent Indo-Saracenic architectural style of the museum building embodies elements from Hindu, Islamic and Western architecture. Interestingly, during World War I in 1914, the building was used as a military hospital and named Lady Hardinge War Hospital, and it was used as a hospital again during the influenza pandemic from 1918-1920. The museum as we know it today, was opened to the public 17 years after its ideation and construction, on January 10, 1922 in Mumbai. Wittet also designed the Gateway of India to commemorate the landing of George V, the first British monarch to visit India, for his coronation as the Emperor of India in December 1911. George V had visited India earlier in 1905 as HRH the Prince of Wales, becoming monarch in 1910.

Ancient Sculptures: India Egypt Assyria Greece Rome is on from December 2nd, 2023 to October 1st, 2024 from 10:15 AM to 6:00 PM at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya: 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001.

MUMBAI: The Railway Men – The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984 released on Netflix on November 18th, 2023. The series is a spine-chilling, heart-wrenching portrayal of a catastrophic massacre of human life – the Bhopal gas tragedy in India in 1984 and the Sikh genocide in the same year. A 45 ton methyl isocyanate gas leak on December 2nd, 1984, from the US-owned chemical firm, Union Carbide Corporation’s pesticide plant set up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in 1969 as Union Carbide India Limited, killed thousands of people instead of the agricultural pests and insects it was supposed to. The chemical leak from the plant occurred due to substandard operating and safety procedures and understaffing at the plant. The four-part limited series, a cinematic tale of heroism and humanity in the face of imminent death and despair honouring the unsung heroes of the tragedy, is the first venture from Yash Raj Films’ Entertainment, the streaming content arm of Yash Raj Films. It also marks the beginning of a multi-year creative partnership between Netflix and Yash Raj Films.

R. Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu and Babil Khan in The Railway Men
©Yash Raj Entertainment ©Netflix

The Railway Men is an acting-led series. The series blazes through with phenomenal performances by every single actor in the series, but not without a flawless script, screenplay and dialogue, meticulously produced by YRF Entertainment and ably directed by Shiv Rawail. I loved Kay Kay Menon’s performance as Iftikhar Siddiqui, Bhopal Junction’s station master. Menon is an absolute acting masterclass in the series. You can read his face, expressive of every little human emotion and nuance, bereft of dialogue. And with dialogue, you can’t take your eyes off Menon’s railway station master act during the series. Dibyendu Bhattacharya’s performance as Kamruddin, a Union Carbide manager, is exemplary, as is Raghubir Yadav’s enactment of a train guard on the Gorakhpur-Bhopal Express. Babil Khan is terrific as the fresh and righteous locomotive driver Imaad Riaz as is Divyendu in his part as a multi-layered dacoit, Balwant Yadav. Juhi Chawla Mehta is a refined and succinct bad-ass in her portrayal of Rajeshwari Janglay, a railway bureaucrat. Sunny Hinduja is earnest and able as journalist Jagmohan Kumawat, as is Sunita Rajwar as Vijaya, a cleaning woman at the railway station. The Railway Men is an incredible series to come about from India, about India, and it is a must-watch!

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE F1 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2023 FOUR TIMES IN A ROW

November 27, 2023November 27, 2023Leave a comment

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

The Abu Dhabi racing weekend came to a close on November 26th, 2023 with Max Verstappen winning the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix 2023 at the Yas Island circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is a record win for Verstappen who won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 for the fourth year in a row (2020, 2021, 2022) and he also became the first driver in history to surpass 1,000 laps led in a single season. This was Verstappen’s 54th career win, wherein he surpassed Sebastian Vettel for third on the all-time win list, behind Michael Schumacher’s 91 and Lewis Hamilton’s 103. Verstappen’s 1,003 laps led this season equals the total led by McLaren in their 1988 season with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 performs donuts on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

After a stupendous final lap, donuts on the track make for some of the best victory shots in Formula 1 with the car in fumes and flames, and the winning Verstappen did not disappoint. The son of former Formula 1 driver, Jos Verstappen and former go-kart racer Sophie Kumpen, this was Verstappen’s 19th win out of 22 races of the season this year. Charles Leclerc, a Monégasque racing driver for Scuderia Ferrari, finished second and British driver George Russell for Mercedes, took third place in last evening’s race at the Yas Marina circuit.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023.

Verstappen is of Belgian and Dutch descent and competes under the Dutch flag in Formula 1 for the Red Bull racing team. Verstappen is a Formula 1 world champion of 2021, 2022, and 2023, having sealed his title in Qatar this year. He is at the top of his game this year, breaking and making many records with his wins, but he will officially be World Champion when he receives the trophy during the FIA’s annual prize-giving ceremony in the first week of December in Azerbaijan this year. In world sport like Super Bowl, the World Cup and NASCAR, the trophies are awarded immediately to winning champions as is the norm worldwide, but in the FIA, champions have to wait till the ceremony to be given their well-earned trophies.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023.

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a Formula 1 motor racing event which takes place over 58 laps of the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The first race took place at the Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island on November 1st 2009. Yas Island is a 2,550 hectares (25.5 km) island on the east coast of Abu Dhabi and the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the first major event to take place on the circuit. British Formula 1 driver and seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton has had the most wins on the Yas Marina circuit so far, winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019, driving for Mercedes AMG Petronas.

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author. The © ahead of a name is the copyright of the subject in the photograph and not shot by Rubina A Khan.

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | WESTLIFE IS COMING EAST

November 21, 2023November 21, 2023Leave a comment

NOVEMBER 21, 2023

The most famous Irish boy band in the world is U2 formed by Bono (Paul Hewson), The Edge (David Evans), Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. in 1976 whilst they were all still attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland. The global music landscape has seen very successful boy bands coming out of Ireland ever since, especially in the 90s, one of them being Boyzone (very imaginatively named) that was formed in 1993, followed by Westlife in 1998. Interestingly, Louis Walsh managed both Boyzone and Westlife. Straight off their shows in South Africa, Taiwan, Macau and Vietnam, Westlife is coming to India to perform live for the very first time in November 2023 with their Wild Dreams Tour 2023 and 2024.

MUMBAI: Irish pop band, Westlife, will be performing live for the first time in India in three cities – at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai on November 24th, at the Embassy Riding School in Bangalore on November 25th and at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on November 26th. Westlife was formed in 1998 in Dublin, Ireland, with Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving the group in 2004. They will be performing their pop chart historical numbers – Uptown Girl, Swear It Again, If I Let You Go, Flying Without Wings, You Raise Me Up, I Have A Dream, When You’re Looking Like That, along with the latest tracks from their twelfth studio album Wild Dreams, that was released on November 26th, 2021 by East West Records.

**Westlife performs as part of the ‘Festival Machaca 2023’ at Parque Fundidora on June 24, 2023 in Monterrey, Mexico.**

Kian, Mark and Shane performed in their school musical Grease together in the early 90s, and after their success on stage, they decided to form a band. Westlife has gone through many name changes since the band’s formation from 6 AS 1, I.O.YOU, Westside to finally Westlife named thus as Kian, Mark and Shane are from Sligo in west Ireland, with only Nicky being a Dubliner. Westlife recently announced their very first headline North American tour in 2024, starting with Canada in March 2024 to USA, Mexico and Brazil.

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author. The © ahead of a name is the copyright of the subject in the photograph and not shot by Rubina A Khan.

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | A JUMMA AND A CHUMMA IN MUMBAI

November 17, 2023November 18, 2023Leave a comment

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Attention is a heady elixir in Mumbai, and rather addictive at that. With the world blowing kisses at Virat Kohli for breaking and making new cricket records at the Wankhede Stadium and football’s invincible goliath himself, David Beckham on a walkabout of the very same stadium with none other than the revered lord of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, with Kohli as an assist, it’s been a very celebratory November so far. And with India playing Australia in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on November 19th in Ahmedabad, the attention on cricket is only going to escalate, particularly if India wins the cup.

MUMBAI: India’s colossus of cricket, Virat Kohli became the first batter in ODI history to score 50 centuries, breaking the record for most hundreds in ODIs during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar’s landmark record for most ODI centuries when he hit his 50th ODI hundred in the semifinal game against New Zealand on November 15th at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India. Kohli made his ODI debut in 2008 and has played 279 innings in 291 matches to score 13,794 runs at an average of 58.69 and a strike rate of 93.62 to date. He has scored 50 centuries and 71 half-centuries in the 279 innings to date. After the 2011 World Cup win, Kohli had carried his idol, Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders on the Wankhede grounds, and after hitting his milestone, he saluted towards the stands in the direction of his wife Anushka Sharma, and then to Tendulkar. “It’s the stuff of dreams, Anushka was sitting right there, Sachin was there in the stands. It’s very difficult for me to explain this, but if I could paint a perfect picture, I would want this to be the picture. My life partner, the person I love the most, she’s sitting there. My hero, he’s sitting there. And I was able to get there in front of all of them and all these fans in Wankhede as well, such a historic venue. It was amazing,” said Kohli of his historic moment and India’s win.

Virat Kohli at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India on November 15th, 2023.

Of course there was another sporting goliath, David Beckham, watching the semi-final game and Kohli’s record innings from the stands. Beckham was on his first visit to India as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and caught up with the revered god of cricket and ICC Global Ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai, ahead of India’s semi-final match against New Zealand. People went wild seeing Beckham, Tendulkar and Kohli together, and the three legends of sport were met with thunderous applause and excitement by the fans at Wankhede, especially when Kohli played assist for Beckham’s legendary kick. India plays Australia at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19th and it remains to be seen what records the boys in blue will make and break on the day.

David Beckham with Sachin Tendulkar, Akash Ambani, Kiara Advani, Siddharth Malhotra at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India

MUMBAI: The first edition of Himalayan Knot, a project exploring the textiles, weaves and crafts of the Himalayan region, namely Ladakh, orchestrated and nurtured by Royal Enfield’s (Eicher Motors Ltd) social mission, was held on November 17th at a Mukesh Mills in Mumbai. The Timeless Spirit of The Himalayas, a conversation between designer Prabal Gurung and sustainable activist and journalist, Bandana Tewari, both of Nepalese descent and heritage, spoke of their combined familiarity with the Himalayan region, and the pressing need for its rightful cultural identity on the global landscape. After all, conversations like these that stem from personal experiences, are the first drivers that action change, be it cultural, ethnic, political or climactic. The Himalayan region traverses India, Nepal, China, Pakistan and Bhutan, and is often othered and smothered by talks of the highest mountain peak in the world, Mount Everest, and not its indigenous people, their culture, their histories and the adverse effects of global warming on all aspects of their life. Tewari also moderated a panel on Empowering Communities Through Craft and Culture and Shaping Contemporary Fashion With Heritage Textiles during the course of the evening. Talking about the plurality in the singularity of our roots and our heritage is the only way forward in a world consumed with selective recognition. The Himalayan kitchen experience was crafted by culinary virtuoso, Chef Prateek Sadhu’s new restaurant NAAR (fire in Kashmiri) in Solan, and led by Chef Kamlesh Negi and a 10-member team, alongside Ladakhi home chefs in Mumbai. The Baqarkhaani, Yak Cheese Askaloo and Gucchi Pulao were incredibly flavourful and delicious. The affable Chef Negi lives in Dehradun, but he belongs to the Paudi Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, and his culinary talent for regional dishes is beyond compare. I am yet to eat something made by him that’s not wildly amazing and memorable.

©Prabal Gurung at Mukesh Mills, Mumbai, India | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

Strategically positioned on the banks of the Arabian Sea, Mukesh Mills, a favoured spot for film shootings, came alive for the night from its dilapidated, withered, barren and abandoned state of existence. Prior to this Jumma night, I had only ever seen Mukesh Mills playing shape-shifting characters in Amitabh Bachchan’s films, namely the Jumma Chumma track from Hum (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Agneepath (1990), all directed by the late Mukul Anand. I reckon Bachchan’s Tiger in Hum led to the spawning of many tigers in the film industry since, but Bachchan’s Tiger is an indomitably original and beloved character. I was deliciously excited to be at Mukesh Mills, a place I had wanted to visit for a long time, imagining Bachchan’s 90s era and the films he shot at the abandoned and obsolete mill. I shall go back to Mukesh Mills soon to see the jetty and the docks in all their geographical and historical glory under the warmth of the winter sun.

Mukesh Mills in Colaba, Mumbai, India

An excerpt from ©Amitabh Bachchan’s blog, marked Day 75 reads thus:
“My dear friend and producer of the film, Romesh Sharma and I had been battling for a number for a sequence for a while. On a private visit to Brussels, Belgium I walked past a music store and heard the notes of a song which remained with me. A few months later driving up to Abhishek’s school in Switzerland I heard some attractive notes of another song on the radio and it all came together. ‘Mukhra’ Belgium, ‘antara’ Switzerland and we had the song. Soon after it was recorded, there was Holi at Prateeksha and in the madness of the revelry of the festival, we played the song out to the hundreds of guests at an open house. Billu, as I fondly call Romesh, and I knew we had a winner. We sat on the design, we sat on the location, we sat on the choreography and picked Mukesh Mills. Set up a section of the dilapidated factory into a workers entertainment centre and shot the song. I have never witnessed such enthusiasm and energy in all, during the shooting of this catchy number. We had our moments though. A few months before that shooting I had been on a concert tour – Jumma Chumma in London. Wembley Stadium. 65,000 people. A first for any Indian concert. There was just Sridevi and myself and Kalyanji Anandji with Viju and his orchestra. But I wanted more artists. Two young first timers had suddenly erupted on the film firmament and had perhaps just one film to their credit. Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. It was their first stage show ever. I invited them to join us. Along with Anupam and Neelam we had the concert of our time. A film was made of it and it is available on dvd and video. The popularity of the song and the concert visual was now known to all. We had performed it on stage with exquisite Broadway dancers from New York. They had looked stunning. Would the impression of the song in the minds of the audience get disturbed with what they were now about to see on screen? It was a challenge. One that dance director Chinni Prakash came out in flying colors with. The lovely Kimi Katkar, so gorgeous in her red dress and the only lady on set in the song, incredible. In every shot, the crew, the light men, the spot boys the producer, director, the crowds, all screaming and shouting, egging us on to give our best. What an atmosphere.”

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©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | TO BE AS FLY AS SLY!

November 14, 2023November 15, 2023Leave a comment

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

The world premiere of Sylvester Stallone’s documentary, Sly, was held at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16th, 2023 and released worldwide on November 3rd on Netflix. The film hits your heart and your mind with cerebral, introspective and gritty chapters of Stallone’s life, narrated by him, Arnold Schwarzenegger, directors Quentin Tarantino and John Herzfeld, his brother Frank Stallone Jr, Henry Winkler the cool icon Fonzie of the 70s and Talia Shire Coppola. The unvarnished documentary is a 96-minute account of his life (should have been multi-part limited series in my opinion) without Sly or Sly getting hagiographical. Born to Francesco (Frank) Stallone, a hairdresser and his wife Jacqueline (Jackie), a promoter for women’s professional wrestling, in Hell’s Kitchen, a rough neighborhood in New York, Stallone’s quest to fill the void of unrequited love from his parents drove him to seeking it from strangers through his films. And, very successfully too, by creating a Stallone world of what could be through his pen versus what wasn’t, and could possibly never be. Sly is a wildly inspiring streets to superstar story of Stallone and I loved it. In his words, he made his own fate in the face of adversity and rejection all around. Oh, to be as fly as Sly!

Sylvester Stallone, the original action man of Hollywood and a worldwide phenomenon, and one of only two actors in history, alongside Harrison Ford, to have starred in a box-office number one film across six consecutive decades is remarkably real in Sly. Stallone narrates his own story, in his words, controlling what he wants to share with the public about himself. Writer, director and star of three massive film franchises, Rocky (six films), Rambo (five films) and The Expendables (four films), Stallone made himself an actor by writing and directing his own movies since the 70s. Interestingly, when he moved to Los Angeles for work, he lived in a place in the San Fernando Valley, one street away from Balboa Boulevard. The name of the boulevard inspired the last name of his iconic screen character, Rocky Balboa, in his 1976 breakout hit film, Rocky. He wrote the screenplay of the film in three days, and starred in the film as the protagonist like only he could, leading the film to become an extremely successful and lucrative franchise over the years. Sly is an intimate conversation between Stallone and the viewer, with him revealing the varied layers of his persona without any stirring drama.

Sylvester Stallone leans against a doorway in a hat and a leather jacket in a still from the film, ‘Rocky’ directed by John G. Avildsen, 1976. (Photo by United Artists/Courtesy of Getty Images)

SYLVESTER STALLONE’S INSPIRED THOUGHTS IN SLY:

Do I have regrets? Hell yeah I have regrets but that also is what motivates me to overcome the regrets. I do that through painting or writing because I can’t fix it physically. It’s gone, that fucking thing called time.

I am just not going to break.

There was no possibility in our (John Herzfeld and Stallone) minds for failure. Never entered the conversation. We had to make our own fate.

The rejection is my encouragement. Are you going to accept their evaluation of you or are you going to evaluate yourself?

What is healthier — to live under the illusion and still have a glimmer of hope that you could’ve been great or actually have an opportunity to be great and blow it and then realise you’re a failure?

Once you get to your dream you realize that’s not your dream. My dream’s not turned out the way I thought. It also comes with a storm front that you’re constantly battling because you’re disappointed.

Once you make it to the top of the mountain, it was all blue skies. It’s not. The air’s thinner, it’s precarious, there’s not many people up there, it’s pretty lonely.

I’m a grinder. I just grind and grind and try to outwork myself and my insecurities — I become indifferent to the threat of failure because I know, no matter what, even if it is not a bonafide success, it is good to continue to push yourself.

90% of the journey is tumultuous and ugly but you have to go through it. You may not get there but you’re gonna be better off than doing nothing.

When we’re born, we’re soft clay and a heavy handed sculptor starts to put dents in it and that’s in our mold. That’s what we are and we cannot correct those distortions and that’s what develops personality. Not a lot of people can overcome it — it takes work.

Life is undefeated, you can’t beat it. You just have to go on the defense is a conversation he had with his son, Sage about what the future was all about, that inspired the line in the Rocky Balboa 2006 film, “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, it’s a very mean and nasty place. I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Life is addition up until age 40 and after that, it is subtraction.

The core of human need is requited love.

I was blessed with this ability to deflect this bitterness into what I wish had happened. I wish I had a father like Rocky.

The children I created, Rocky and Rambo are now taking care of me. The beauty of being able to play those two is literally the entire spectrum of life — the disenfranchised, friendless and lonely Rambo and Rocky, the one that embraces everything, loves humanity and is loved by humanity, and I relate so well to both of them.

That’s real what lives, breathes, dies and bleeds — you better take care of that.

Sylvester Stallone sits on a staircase, holding the leash of a dog in a still from the film, ‘Rocky,’ directed by John G. Avildsen, 1976. (Photo by United Artists/Getty Images), a CBS news poster of the film, Sylvester Stallone in London to promote Rocky, on Tuesday 25th January 1977. (Photo by Allan Olley/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) and Sylvester Stallone on the set of the film ‘Rocky IV’ (directed by Stallone), Los Angeles, California, 1984. (Photo by Steve Schapiro)

Stallone and his third wife, Jennifer Flavin, whom he married in 1997, have three daughters, Scarlet Rose, Sistine and Sophia Rose Stallone together. He also has two sons, Seargeoh and the late Sage Stallone from his first wife, Sasha Czack. After selling their Martyn Lawrence Bullard-designed mansion in Hidden Hills, California, Stallone and his wife moved to Palm Beach, Florida two years ago.

Sylvester Stallone attends Netflix’s “Sly” world premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 16, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Ryan Emberley/Getty Images for Netflix)

Stallone rues selling the rights of Rocky to the day to producers Irwin Winkler (no relation to actor Henry Winkler) and the late Robert Chartoff, his anger stemming from being deprived of an equity stake in the franchise for his work — a longterm asset that could have been passed on to his children after his death. Stallone may not have the franchise rights to the films, but he is, and will always be, Rocky Balboa, a character he envisaged, wrote and gave immortal life to on screen. Obsolescence cannot touch Sylvester Stallone and his cinematic legacy. Never.

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RUBINA’S RADAR | KOREAN KING OF POP – JUNGKOOK

November 10, 2023November 10, 2023Leave a comment

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

In the artistic landscapes of music, fashion and seemingly never-ending Netflix dramas, South Korea is an indomitable power, as is the extremely gifted singer and performing artist, Jungkook. He has reintroduced himself in 2023 as an independent, multi-genre artist, dropping three singles and a debut solo album, Golden, this year. Jungkook has been promoting and performing his third single of 2023, Standing Next To You, to screaming fans and entranced audiences in New York. The single made its television debut on The Tonight Show on November 6th, NBC’s Today at the Rockefeller Plaza on November 8th and TSX in Times Square on November 9th.

Jungkook’s third single, Standing Next To You from his debut solo album, Golden, released on November 3rd, 2023, with over 29 million views as of today, making it a winning track. I am sure it will hit a billion views very swiftly, given his stellar track record. Born Jeon Jungkook in Busan, South Korea, and mononymously known as Jungkook, the back-up dancer-turned-headliner is on his way to becoming a global pop superstar.

Jung Kook performing at the Rockefeller Plaza in New York on November 8, 2023 (Photo by Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

A member and vocalist of one of South Korea’s most successful and popular boy bands, BTS, since June 2013, with the single 2 Cool 4 Skool, Jungkook has sung three solo songs, all chartbusters, as part of BTS’ discography — Begin (2016), Euphoria (2018) and My Time (2020). With Golden, Jungkook has reintroduced himself as an independent artist, given the name and fame he enjoys as a BTS band member. Jungkook became the first South Korean artist to release an official song for the FIFA World Cup soundtrack with Dreamers, which he subsequently performed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Doha, Qatar. His indie tracks seem to be outnumbering almost every K-pop artist’s in the world, with his debut solo single Seven (July 14) featuring American rapper Latto, becoming the fastest song in history to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify and went platinum. His second single this year, 3D (September 29) featuring Jack Harlow and his debut solo album, Golden, and his third single, Standing Next To You is steadily climbing the charts, competing with his own track record.

Jungkook’s Standing Next To You video

Jungkook’s dulcet sounds and vocal riffs on the track, with Michael Jackson falsettos and the smooth dance moves, make it a fantastic pop track. He even wore a very Jackson-esque, military style jacket for his appearance on The Tonight Show. Standing Next To You is clearly inspired by Michael Jackson, but it is all about Jungkook’s single sound energy, given he is the only vocalist on the track, without another artist like his earlier singles this year. The music video plays to his agile strengths as a terrific dancer, with every single vocal intonation of the determined love lyrics in sync with his dextrous moves. He traces a femme fatale love interest with untamed desire, through a tungsten hued tunnel and an abandoned theatre in a dusty industrial lot. The video was directed by Tetyana Robertivna Muinyo and filmed in Budapest, Hungary. Of Cuban and Ukranian descent, she is popularly known as Tanu Muino in the business. Muino directed the music video for Harry Styles’ As It Was in 2022 which was Billboard’s number one song of the year worldwide.

Jungkook performs Standing Next To You on The Tonight Show in New York on November 6, 2023 (Photo by Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

Jungkook named the album Golden as his mother had a golden dream when she was pregnant with him and when he looks back at his decade old journey that changed the music landscape worldwide, he considers it all a “golden moment” in time. Jungkook is also known as “golden maknae”, a nickname coined by his bandmate, RM, which means golden youngest in Korean, for his exemplary talent and being the youngest member of BTS. And it’s only a matter of days for Golden to go platinum!

Jungkook on NBC’s The Tonight Show in New York on November 6th, 2023

He’s keeping it real by being “most proud of BTS and the army” of fans over the past decade, but not without honouring his mother and his family at every step of his journey as a multi-genre performing artist. What’s next for the golden maknae? A world tour by Jungkook in 2025 hopefully!

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RUBINA’S RADAR | LUXURY IS A FEELING

November 7, 2023November 10, 20231 Comment

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Fashion is a luxury, but luxury is not necessarily fashion, simply because luxury is not all materialistic and worldly; it’s spiritualistic too. Luxury is not always what you can buy, but also what you can feel. Silence and quiet in the morning is as much a luxury as buying a jet, sleeping and waking up without fear, speaking your mind, wearing runway couture, choosing to love who you want to, buying a mansion, sharing your private time or going on a bespoke holiday – these are all life’s luxuries that we choose to indulge in of our own volition. A rooftop swim past midnight under the stars at The Dorchester Collection’s first property in the Middle East, The Lana, with the Dubai skyline adding more shimmer to the night, is just the kind of luxury money can buy, and the soul can feel. The Lana opens in Dubai in February 2024 and it is going to be the hottest luxury hotel opening of the year because the Dorchester Collection hotels are always beyond cool.

DUBAI: The Lana is the 10th Dorchester Collection hotel that will open in February 2024 in Dubai where water, land and sky will converge with humans in luxurious, manmade excellence. A waterfront location with definitive modern architecture in the Marasi Drive, The Lana’s infinity-edge, rooftop pool with a bar, has stunning views of the adjacent marina facing the Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai. Comprising of 225 guest rooms and suites, with showstopping balconies, you can watch the changing landscape around you from sunrise to dusk. “Inspired by the bold spirit of Dubai, my team and I are thrilled to be opening Dorchester Collection’s first hotel in the Middle East. We look forward to offering you a truly exceptional experience, crafted with the utmost care,” says Richard Alexander, General Manager of The Lana. One cannot think of a London without The Dorchester and 45, Park Lane, Los Angeles without The Beverly Hills and the Bel Air, Paris sans the geranium dotted façade of The Plaza Athenee and Le Meurice, Italy without Hotel Eden Rome and Principe Di Savoia, or the beautiful English countryside without Coworth Park in Ascot. Each one of these beautiful Dorchester Collection hotels is iconic, luxurious and glamourous, shaping the histories of the cities they’re located in, and being a part of history in people’s memories. These hotels have played architectural parts in films and Netflix series and are stars in themselves, such is the indomitable presence of all nine Dorchester Collection hotels in the world of luxury, with The Lana all set to create its own history in the Middle East with a Marhaba Dubai! I think the Dorchester Collection hotels are architectural actors really, representing the past and present of their cities and more importantly, their people.

SWEDEN: H&M is a forerunner in the world of fashion collaborations with the late Karl Lagerfeld being their very first partnership in November 2004, followed by Versace, Comme des Garçons, Balmain, Maison Margiela, Stella McCartney and Sabyasachi over the years. H&M is ready to drop its second designer collaboration of the year with Rabanne online and in stores, on November 9th, 2023, the first being with Mugler in May 2023. Paco Rabanne, the fashion label, known only as Rabanne as of 2023, was founded in Paris in 1966 by Spaniard, Paco Rabanne, whose real name was Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo. The 1966 debut show of Paco Rabanne in Paris, with a collection called Manifesto: 12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials, made of metal plaques and organic plastic linked with wires, was shown on black and white models, who walked barefoot as he could not afford to buy shoes for them. An original fashion anarchist, the show earned him fame with art collector Peggy Guggenheim buying and wearing his creations. Rabanne was also known for his fragrances – Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, 1 Million and Lady Million that are immensely popular to the day. He was awarded the Legion of Honour by France’s minister of culture, Frederic Mitterrand in November 2010, with Mitterrand highlighting Rabanne’s early work, especially his Manifesto collection during the ceremony. Rabanne was acquired in 1987 by Puig, a Spanish fashion and fragrance company, with Julien Dossena reimagining the textile alternative design language of the maison since 2013 as its creative director. “As a designer, I’ve always been interested in exploring hedonism and empowerment. I was very enthusiastic to work with H&M on a collection that will introduce Rabanne’s avant-garde energy to a wider audience in a democratic way,“ says Dossena of the H&M collection that includes womenswear, menswear, shoes and accessories, and a capsule home décor line. In the 60s, Rabanne’s metal couture was met with disparaging rebuke and today, almost 60 years on, metal couture is a haute step forward in sustainable fashion.

Jared Leto, Damson Idris, Irina Shayk, Julien Dossena, Creative Director of Paco Rabanne,
Elle Fanning and H&M Creative Director Ann-Sofie Johansson.

WORLD: The ongoing strife between Israel and Palestine for the siege of Gaza marks a month today, with horrific loss and devastation all around in both countries since October 7th. Christian Dior seems to have replaced Palestinian-Dutch model, Bella Hadid with May Tager, an Israeli model, in their new holiday beauty campaign. There is no official statement from Dior on the replacement, if that holds true, or if Tager is another beauty ambassador alongside Hadid and many more. Hadid, a beauty ambassador for Dior since 2016, has never shied away from vocalizing her thoughts on Palestine over the years. She is very aware and cognizant that her advocacy for Palestine could jeopardize her modelling career, but she has stood firm in her stance and beliefs to honour her roots. Hadid’s father, Mohammed Hadid, an American real estate developer born in Nazareth, Palestine, was married to her mother, Yolanda van den Herik, a Dutch model and television personality, born in Papendrecht, Netherlands, from 1994 to 2000.

Bella Hadid

The worldwide ramifications of the war between Israel and Palestine remain to be seen in the days and months to come, with over 10,000 people killed since October 7th, 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah. As the war rages on and the world watches history being written, it is humanity that is being written off the Earth rather tragically.

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