Rashmikanth Davey started this shop 10 years ago, having a small section for accessories in the shop which dealt primarily in clothes. Word-of-mouth publicity, the response he got from customers and the quality of bangles he sold made him shift from clothes to bangles.

Don’t be surprised if it takes you an entire day just to do window shopping. Glass, metal, stone, plastic, Hyderabadi and Kolkata bangles – you name it and it’s available. The shop’s speciality is the 1-gram gold bangle, wherein you can mix a bangle of your choice with a gram of gold. And what’s more, it comes with a six-month guarantee. One can also return it within two years to get 50 per cent cash back.

The shop has a loyal clientele, which includes Kollywood stars like Kushboo, Meena, Jyothika, Sneha, Sridevi and also NRIs. “One can find more than 5,000 varieties of bangles in different colours and sizes,” says Davey. Available in sizes ranging from 1.02 to 2.12, you are sure to get a perfect fit. The latest addition to the store are the lac bangles. A pair comes at Rs. 1,500.

The unique custom followed by the shop is that they do not allow more than 10 customers in at a time, as they believe shopping should be done hassle-free.

A pair of bangles is available from Rs. 10 to Rs. 1,500. Besides the regular metal and glass bangle, one can find a variety of bangles like the colour kundan, multi-stone bangle with enamel coating, bangles made out of Polki stone, and embroidered bangles.

Another important facet to this shop is the customer service. Bangle matching is done for clothes according to one’s budget. And they also make bangles for customers if designs are given to them beforehand. “Apart form the traditional bangles, we also have wooden bangles and kadas to suit the taste of college girls,” says Lavanya, a salesperson at the store.

Certified tattoo artistes say the trend is on the rise in the city, especially for covering up eyebrow hair fall and scars.

Parlours such as Black Magic specialise in inking eyebrows, full lips, leucodermic patches, scars, outlining lips and colouring beauty spots to the skin. Raj, who goes by the name Reaper, says that he does up to three scar cover-ups a week and at least two eyebrow ink jobs a month – and across age groups. “The oldest cosmetic tattoo client was 45 years old, for leucoderma coverage.

We cannot tattoo minors, but youngsters prefer lip-lining. Those with smaller lips want them bigger, and we sync the lip-liner colour with the lipstick they are most likely to use.”

Muthulakshmi, owner of Pearls Beauty Saloon located on Santhome High Road, says that the tattoos do not have to be covered after the inking. “Permanent eyeliner will swell up the eyelids, but one does not need to cover the area with cloth to heal.”

Cosmetic tattoo artistes such as Muthulakshmi have completed their training abroad. “I finished a two-day course in Italy, which showed me how to use the equipment.

The machine looks like a pen attached to a gun. It is the needle which is changeable and we use only disposable ones.” Raj trained in Bangkok before studying further at Mike’s Tattooing Institute in Delhi, where he also worked.

Raj says he has had a number of clients from the IT corridor. “Many IT professionals have come to me to get cuts and bruises on their bodies covered. Some also wanted to alter tattoos referring to their former boyfriends or girlfriends.”

Joining hands with fellow lyricist and composer, Gopakumar, the trio released the album through Saregama on Monday at Alliance Francaise. A host of playback singers and dignitaries were invited – singers Karthik, Unnikrishnan, Rahul Nambiar, RJ Suchi, director Dharani and Saregama Bureau Head (south) Philip George were amongst the special guests who launched the album.

The first song of the album, ‘Paavaye Nee’, was sung by none other than Unnikrishnan. The optimistic song is merely a precedent to the sunny, foot-tapping numbders that follow, especially in Benny’s signature voice acrobatics, who has sung for A.R. Rahman in movies such as Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Azhagiya Thamizh Magan, Polladhavan, Dham Dhoom and the latest, Sakarakatti.

Speaking about their collaboration, Sanjeev said, “The songs have all been composed by Gopa and myself, whom I met through a friend I knew in college. He told me he had written some love songs for a girl he liked (now his wife?).” Philip George praised the trio, saying that the versatility of the group was the most promising aspect of the band.

“The best thing about Saregama is our overseas distribution, and their album should assuredly appeal to the Tamil population in places like Malaysia.”

Sanjeev and Benny also performed Vizhiyoram from the album, with the former playing his acoustic guitar and providing backing vocals. The music displayed Rainbow Bridge’s adeptness at live performance, whatever the language.

But against the fancied Australians they are expected to tow a moderate line and may come short of tinkering with the combination. We profile the five men and try to get an insight on how they will go about in their first day in the hot seat.

Kris Srikkanth

The chairman of selectors has set out with an agenda to build a winning team for the 2011 World Cup but has made it clear that it is not ability alone that makes a cricketer but also his mental fortitude. The big five of Indian cricket might find some solace in his words as they have proved their resilience time and again in adverse conditions.

He has also gone on record and said: “An eye for the future is equally important. Hard decisions might have to be taken. The current Test team is one of the best India has ever had and it will not be easy replacing them.” Having played his cricket with a no-nonsense approach, Srikkanth has always been a vocal critic of board politics that have often pushed cricket to the backbenches and as a selector we expect him to follow that line and select a team based on its abilities and not regional colours.

Yashpal Sharma

A selector during the Greg Chappell-Kiran More saga, Yashpal Sharma had openly spoken against Guru Greg and More for targeting Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag. Having supported Ganguly throughout his tenure as selector, he may play a leading role if the elegant lefthander is to make an unlikely comeback to the side for the first two Test matches.

Narendra Hirwani

The talented leggie had burst into the Test scene with a record-breaking performance against the West Indies in Chennai in 1987. He picked up 16 wickets as a bespectacled 19-year-old and kept up his good form for the next few games. But yet his career failed to pick up pace and Hirwani played only 17 Tests for India, picking up 66 wickets.

He last played for India in November 1996 against South Africa. Many say the talented but moody leg-spinner was not nurtured properly by the Indian cricketing establishment, thus cutting his international career short.

But Hirwani went on plying his trade tirelessly in the domestic circuit till 2006. Accommodated as a national selector only two years after his retirement, Hirwani’s experience and hard work in the domestic circuit will give hope to the fringe players. He is expected to be sympathetic to players who have toiled hard in the domestic circuit.

Surender Bhave

The former Maharashtra opener is a player who had a prolific domestic record but never made it to the Indian side. A hard-working cricketer in his days, Bhave is expected to bring the same work ethic to the selection boardroom.

Having played with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly and Anil Kumble during his playing days and then credited to have a great working relationship with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s boys during the recent Bangladesh tour (he was the manger of the side), Bhave is expected to be honest in his opinion. His colleagues should expect him to come prepared for selection meetings and he may turn out to be a hard nut to crack if he sets his mind on something.

Raja Venkat

One of the key members of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy winning side of 1990, Venkat has the tough task of ensuring a place for Bengal’s beloved Dada in the Test side. Anything short of that will be considered a failure by the passionate Bengalis and a whole population will forget about Singur and vie for his head.

The soft-spoken attacking middle-order batsman knows the odds are against him but is not ready to go without a fight. He knows that if he can rope in two more votes in his favour he can give the people of Bengal their best Durga Puja gift, and with a friendly Yashpal Sharma on his side he will go all out to mould the opinion of at least one of the remaining three.

But one has to wait till Wednesday evening to see whether Indian cricket takes a new bolder approach or continues to take the same path of regional bias.

“Unlike other varieties of parotta, we keep aside the dough for five hours before we start preparing the parotta, thus making it even more soft,” says Imran, who is an Indian settled in Malaysia.

So, even if you are having the parottas after a day, it’s still soft and tastes fresh.

Murthapak (kheema parotta) is their hot-selling item, and with Id falling this week Al-Asli’s calendar is full. You must try the asli parotta, which is not very heavy and tastes great. The restaurant uses 50 kilos of maida a day.

Kottu parotta, priced at Rs. 40, is also worth a try. Adding to the Malaysian touch are varieties of accompaniments which can be had with the plain or stuffed parotta. Beef, chicken, liver fry and egg masala are all reasonably priced.

“The Baba Masala is very famous in Malaysia and every month I import it, adding to the unique taste and flavour of all the dishes,” says Imran. The eat-out also accepts outdoor catering orders and you could also try its take-away.

(Too Good for Critics is a weekly column to celebrate Namma Chennai’s ‘Kaiyendi Bhavans’ and small eateries. If you can think of a similar place, mail us at feedback@goergo.in)

I was a theatre artiste. Actor Nasser was my senior then. He approached me and asked me whether I could act in a movie called Mayan. Initially, I was quite apprehensive about entering the film industry as I felt I would not be respected. But Nasser banished my insecurities and convinced me to act in the movie.

Though the release of the film was delayed, Kamal Hassan had seen me during the shooting of the movie and, hence, approached me for playing a crucial role in Virumaandi and I, of course, readily accepted.

You had the opportunity to act with Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. How was the experience?

Both are legends and masters in acting. I’m seeing them on the big screen from childhood and now I have acted with them, which I consider a privilege. Kamal Hassan gives importance even to the smallest detail in his movie, which I adore, whereas Ranjinikanth has magnetism and style.

Who is the hero of Kuselan?

(Shocked) Obviously, it is Superstar Rajinikanth. I’m just a protagonist in the movie. How can I be the hero when Rajinikanth is in it?

We heard about your passion for music. Tell us about the musical instruments you possess?

Basically, I love music, so I started collecting musical instruments and I now have a Congo and Bowl, which are rare to find in India. I also have a great liking for collecting antiques and my most prized possession is an antique sword, which I really adore.

What’s the inspiration for the role of the visually-impaired?

While I was doing theatre, we had teacher for English diction, who was physically challenged. I picked up some of his gestures. And I went to a blind school to learn their mannerisms.

In Raman Thediya Seethai, my character is optimistic and I talk a lot, so the director thought the audience might think that the character is optimistic and too impractical for a blind man and what would he do if he himself gets into trouble. So he planned to include a fight scene for my character.

Initially, I was scared to fight because I thought it would be unrealistic. But when we finished, it turned out very well and realistic. I owe all the credit to the fight master and director. We got good response and compliments from everybody.

You and Gajala share a very good chemistry in the movie ‘Raman Thediya Seethai’. Your family’s take on this?

They found the movie entertaining and enjoyed it a lot. Some of their favourites among my movies are Virumandi, Maja and, of course, Raman Thediya Seethai.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the move a “landmark” in child protection. “The challenge for us is to make sure young people can use the internet safely and do so with the minimum of restrictions but the maximum of opportunities,” he added.

Surgeon Alistair Gibson told David Huckvale, 42, he had a spare leg in his surgery in the U.S. and he could have it for free.

Addressing mediapersons at his office on Monday, R. Sekar, City Police Commissioner, said, “The ban on smoking in public places will be seriously implemented from October 2.” An awareness campaign towards this has also been planned in the next two days in order to get the message to the public, he said.

The government has already identified and issued notices on places identified as no-smoking zones. The notice also says that first-time offenders will be fined Rs. 100, while the second and third-time offenders will fined Rs. 200 and Rs. 500 respectively.

The Commissioner also said that the police have acted strongly against goondas in the city and 334 anti-social elements have been jailed under the Goondas Act till September, this year.

He finally said that as the festival season is approaching traffic modifications and additional police security have been planned at crowded places like Purusawalkam, T. Nagar, Mylapore and Mambalam.

The concert, which kicked off with MSV’s famous song ‘Pullaankuzhal Kodutha Moongilkale’, saw MSV playing some of his best numbers, which included melodies like ‘Unnai ondru kaetpaen’ and foot-tapping songs like ‘Thedinaen vandhahdu’ and ‘Kann irandum minna minna’.

Maestro Ilayaraja, who came to the concert with his son Karthik Raja, was seen mesmerised while listening to the song ‘Maalai pozhuthin mayakkathile naan’. Ilayaraja, who spoke after the song was played, said the song was his all-time favourite.

Turning a bit emotional, he said, “I first heard the song while I was a school-goer. On my way to school I used to hear this song standing before a tea shop. This song is a proper blend of music and lyrics and it still touches the hearts of listeners.”

Music director Vidya Sagar said he grew up in recording studios listening to the MSV’s songs. “He is my inspiration and all that I compose now can in no way be compared to MSV’s compositions. I am a person who got interested in music because of MSV anna,” Vidya Sagar said.

The others prominent faces who came to the concert were yesteryear singer P.B. Srinivas, poet Vairamuthu, and Madan Bob.