variety“Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.” — MARC BROWN

With most of your time spent in work-related ac-tivities, it’s hard to meet new peo-

ple, let alone fall in love with them. But for those who aren’t too keen on office romances, the internet is your new best friend. You chat, hit it off but are you ready to meet up? Here are pointers you need to keep in mind when you propose a real life encounter.

MAKE IT QUICKIf you start chatting with a woman and both of you really seem to get along, don’t string it along for months. Suggest meeting up within a few weeks. Sure, it may seem pushy, but do you really want to in-

vest so much time in someone on-line only to realise that you two don’t click without a keyboard? And if she’s not keen on meet-ing at all, it’s best to not con-tinue chatting.

KEEP IT CASUALGuys, do not call the meet-up a date. That puts too much pres-sure as you both think that there should be a romantic equation on the cards. It’s best to sug-gest ‘hanging out’ or ‘catching up’. Women will also be more comfort-able with a guy

who doesn’t come on too strong.

TIME MATTERS The first meet up should be as pla-tonic friends, so plan it in an area and time that doesn’t scream ro-mance. Afternoon or early evening meet ups are ideal because if it is going well, you can carry on, but if it’s DOA, you can make an excuse and scram.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATIONRemember for her sake to suggest a public space so that she feels com-

fortable. Sure, you’re not a creep, but the internet is full of them. Choose a crowded area so she is at peace and will actually be more relaxed in your company.

TAKE IT SLOWIf all is well and you two get along as well offline as you do online, don’t jump into anything. Even if you’ve been chatting for months, this is still the first time you’ve met. Being too eager will scare her off and make her think and question your intentions.

Ready to take it offline?

In the age of online dating, here’s how to take your flirtation out into the real world

PICS: GETTY IMAGES

In Masaan, Deepak contacts Shaalu on Facebook first

and after a few exchanges, embarks on a relationship

Calvin Harris and Rita Ora were introduced to each other on Twitter and decided to meet up and get together

George Clooney wooed Amal Alamuddin over emails after meeting her at an event

Scaling ambitious heights with stony gritOver a decade ago, three l i ke -mi nded dy na mic youths with a fascination for natural stones — Vikas Agarwal, Gaurav Agarwal and Saurav Agarwal — de-cided to innovate in the mo-notonous stone trade indus-try. In 2003, they moulded their dream into reality by establishing Stonex India, an ambitious company that over the last 12 years has successfully introduced a range of variants in the ex-quisite imported marbles and natural stones Indian market.

Saurav, director, Stonex India, says, “As a team, the three of us bring our unique strengths. Vikas is the backbone of the compa-ny. He looks after sales and finance. Gaurav is the plan-ning and strategy head. He also takes care of procure-ment. I am responsible for sales and marketing as well as the execution and devel-opment of our projects. We

complement each others’ personalities and areas of expertise.”

Before Stonex India, the stones sector was largely unorganised. It was also the first company that started the concept of experience galleries for its clientele to sense the exclusivity that surrounds their product range. Since then, the firm has successfully supplied imported natural stones and marbles to over 200 ho-tels across the country.

It achieved a major mile-stone in 2011 when it in-augurated its exclusive showroom in New Delhi. Saurav explains, “We’ve come a long way. We have a turnover of over `200 crore, 2 ultra-modern warehouses, a Lyca and a Natura showroom in Delhi, and offices in Chandigarh and Mumbai. We’re also opening a state-of-the-art Natura Gallery in Ahmedabad that’s spread over a 2,500 sq foot area.”.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is an ab-breviation. But it’s not something

you will deal with in the film. Instead, it’s more rudimentary as it deals with an actual uncle of a girl whose father is a Nazi sympathiser and also an accom-plished nuclear scientist on the verge of perfecting uranium enrichment, of course.

Ritchie’s last non-Sherlock Holmes outing was in 2008 (the disappointing RocknRolla)and it’s heartening to see that he has re-turned to his unique storytelling style with panache . The script by Lionel Wigram and Ritchie, based on a 1960s show, clearly takes its jingoism seriously and pits USA

against the Soviet Union, but with a twist. Forced to work together to prevent the fas-cists (Italians) from getting their hands on the tech, the two nations’ agents (British Cavill as American Napoleon Solo and American Hammer as the Russian Illya Kuryakin, because why not play musical chairs?) have to tap the girl, Gaby Teller (Vikander), and make inroads with the Vinciguerra family where the uncle and father may be working.

With excellent performances and the trifecta of splendid cinematog-raphy, slick editing and rollicking music (Daniel Pemberton creates a eclectic mix), The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a fast-paced spy thrill-er that induces nostalgia along the way. The film could be set in 1963 or 2015, the gorgeous styling (Joanna Johnston) and set pieces are just as timeless.

Cavill has an effortless charm and his back-and-forth with Hammer is quite fun. However, some jokes are better left unsaid. Verbalised, they

lose their potency or worse, appear silly. There is also the matter of Ritchie (some-times resembling a desi Karan Johar when handling romance)relying too much on happy coincidences and gags to distract from an otherwise run-of-the-mill story. However, it’s partly why you love it in the first place. It distracts very well.

— tasneem.balapurwala@timesgroup.com

There’s not much Meryl Streep can’t do. We have been impressed

by her chameleon-like capabilities since way back when. So convinced are we of her invincibility that we keep throwing challenges her way.

But Ricki And The Flash may just be her Achilles’ heel. Her last few ven-

tures have indicated her fallibility (The Giver, Into The Woods), but here, she simply fails to convince with her portrayal of rocker Ricki Rendazzo; Linda Brummel in a previous life.

Chasing her dreams to LA, she has abandoned her pristine American

dream of a family, husband Pete (Kline) and three children Julie, Josh and Adam (Streep’s real daugh-ter Gummer, Sebastian Stan, Nick Westrate) who grow up to be — di-vorced on the verge of a psychotic break, engaged and hoping to avoid inviting her to the wedding, and an-gry and gay, respectively. She has clearly made a muck of things as we first see her as the lead of the house band at a local bar covering songs — everything from Tom Petty and Springsteen to Lady Gaga and Pink — to later a misfit but heart-in-the-

right-place mother. The see-saw of the choices (Kramer vs Kramer anyone?) and her constant bankruptcy should have taken its toll on her, but she has an unexplained effer-vescence that is hard to buy.

Sure, Streep sings and even learnt to play the guitar for the

role, but it is not enough to keep one from realising that the screenplay from Diablo Cody (Juno fame) is ul-timately lacking in substance. The lack of direction, an uneven pace and the constant breaks in momentum don’t help either. It all comes to a head in a Bollywoodish climax, complete with a dance number, and one real-ises its potential. The talent pool, the family drama, the musical — direc-tor Demme just couldn’t decide what he wanted it to be.

— tasneem.balapurwala

@timesgroup.com

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Spy Action Comedy) 1/2

Ricki And The Flash (Comedy Drama) 1/2

Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie

Hammer, Alicia Vikander

Director: Guy Ritchie

Language: English

Cast: Meryl Streep, Mamie

Gummer, Kevin Kline,

Rick Springfi eld

Director: Jonathan Demme

Language: English

Poor Average Good Very Good Excellent

Movie Reviews

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon met Amy after he was set up on an online dating website by his friends

TREASURED CONNECTIONThis Raksha Bandhan, show your sibling how much you care by gifting them something they can treasure for years to come

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Working with a sibling is not always easy. A lot depends on the personal equation the siblings share, their temperaments, goals and ambitions. But brother-sister duo Dhiraj and Payal Bathija, managing directors at luxury footwear brand Heel & Buckle, seem to buck the trend of sibling rivalries and ac-tually work together, not against. On the oc-casion of Raksha Bandhan, they open up to ETPanache about their unique bond:

The formative yearsPayal Growing up, I remember I would go to his room at night and we would watch the stars, especially on Christmas Eve. We never really fought as kids and were pretty close. He’s my best friend. Dhiraj Being the older one, Payal was always protective of me. But at the same time, we share a good bond, laugh at the same stuff and feel comfortable talking about every-thing.

Pros and cons of working with your siblingDhiraj Growing up in the same house and having each other around has always just seemed customary. Even at work, we’ve man-aged to establish a healthy work-ing relationship where we have drawn the lines and respect each other’s decisions.Payal We’ve never had any competi-tion. We have the same vision and can safely assume that each will do whatever it takes to

achieve it.

Business lessons learntPayal He always tells me, “There is no business without risk. Always be prepared for the worst and know how to handle a crisis.” Dhiraj There are two imperative things: An extraordinary idea and a dedicated team. Payal comes from the thought process that communication is everything. Make sure, your thoughts are communicated well.

Sibling pet peevePayal When Dhiraj pretends to be very healthy and critiques others on how they eat, and then eats all sorts of food all day long.Dhiraj Payal has a bit of an OCD issue. She doesn’t like sharing her food or drink unless she is done.

Best rakhi gift everPayal It was one of the Raksha

Bandhans while I was still in college. The following week-end, Dhiraj planned a four-day break to the Havelock Islands. He had planned the

entire trip, includ-ing deep sea div-ing and various

other places to visit. He just handed over a list to me, marking the things that I needed to p a c k a n d not to ask wh e r e we w e r e g o -ing. It was a pleasant sur-prise. In fact, a vacation is

part of my rakhi wishlist.I hope he’s listening!

Stars, pranks and exotic vacationsHeel & Buckle’s managing directors, siblings Dhiraj and Payal Bhatija, on the bond that keeps them together

Saurav Agarwal

Salman and

Alvira Khan

Adele says she set up an online dating profile and met up a few people as well

Corrigendum The piece about the Emirates superjumbo airbus ‘Why size matters when it comes to fl ying’ that appeared in the August 27 issue of ETPanache, carried a picture of the wrong airline. The error is regretted.

etpanache@timesgroup.com

Growing up, Payal and Dhiraj even

pranked each other, like the time Payal

stuck chewing gum on Dhiraj’s hair or

when he stole her entire Kit-Kat stash

NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, 28 AUGUST 2015 02

Product: ETNEWMumbaiBS PubDate: 28-08-2015 Zone: PanacheDelhi Edition: 1 Page: ETPANDP2 User: saurabhg0603 Time: 08-27-2015 17:03 Color: CMYK