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Kingfisher Swimsuit Special calendar released
Mumbai, Monday, January 9, 2006: Kingfisher, India’s No. 1 Beer brand, unveiled the fourth edition of its eagerly awaited annual swimsuit calendar – ‘Kingfisher Swimsuit Special Australia 2006’, over an exclusive brunch hosted by Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman, United Breweries, at the Taj Lands End, on Sunday, January 8, 2006.
The ‘Kingfisher Swimsuit Special Australia 2006’ was launched by none other than Saif Ali Khan, amongst much fanfare.
Live band Merlin and DJ Bosco entertained the likes of Sohail & Seema Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Maria Goretti & Arshad Warsi, restaurateur Rahul Akerkar, Bhavna & Chunkey Pandey, Cyrus Broacha with wife & Jr., Aarti & Kailash Surendranath, creative gurus- Piyush Pandey, Prahlad Kakkar & Prasoon Joshi, Ravi Deshpande, model Sampada Inamdar, Ila & Ishita Arun, Esther & Raju Daswani, model turned actor Upen Patel, fitness expert Leena Mogre, Inder Mohan Sudan, Tejaswani Kolhapure, Suman Raganathan, Udai & Nalini Gupta, Zeba Kohli, Reshma Bombaywala, Shamita Singha, Vinod Advani, Aditi Govitrikar, Manoviraj Khosla, Mandira Bedi & Raj Kaushal , Sanjay Narang, Lascelles Simons and Tania Zeatta, amongst several others.
There were several beer games and fun titles awarded, suitably compared by the king of humor Cyrus Barocha, where gifts from Tag Hauer, Patchi chocolates, MAC, Thalgo Spa, Canon, Malaga and others were given out.
Shot in Australia across the modern tropical city of Cairns, the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, Sydney & Kangaroo Island, this year’s calendar features 22 new upcoming designers from 12 design schools around India including NID, NIFT, SNDT, Srishti & Sophia Polytechnic. These designs are showcased by 6 strikingly gorgeous fresh faces: Deepika Padukone, Karishma Kotak, Mashoom Singha, Neelam Chauhan, Shilpa Reddy and Shruti Agarwal, with an exclusive cover done by Wendell Rodricks.
The internationally acclaimed award winning (Winner of the FAB (The International Food & Beverage Creative Excellence Awards) 2004 & 2005 in London), a ‘Must Have’ limited
edition Kingfisher calendar is magnificently shot by India’s ace photographer Atul Kasbekar.
Introduced in 2003, the Kingfisher Swimsuit Special, the first of its kind calendar in India, promises 12 months of fun, glamour and visual appeal. A showcase for the Indian fashion industry, the calendar is a rare combination of photography and fashion-symbolizing life, fun, glamour and beauty.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman, United Breweries, said: “The last three editions of the ‘Kingfisher Swimsuit Special’ have been a resounding success not just in India but across the world. The calendar symbolizing life, fun, beauty & glamour this year too will be a much coveted possession and a premier international platform for Indian fashion.”
Commenting on the Kingfisher Swimsuit Special Australia 2006, Atul Kasbekar, said: “Every year, we try and take the calendar to the next level – be it with the models, designers, locations or techniques, like we used underwater photography for the 2004 calendar and this year the calendar has totally been shot on digital equipment. I have shot in Australia before but this has been an enriching experience amidst the rich and varied beauty of the Australian landscape.”
The Kingfisher Swimsuit Special has won the FAB (Food and Beverage) Award in London for two years in a row (2004 & 2005). The award is given to international food and beverage brands that have achieved creative excellence in their communication.
The calendar website, www.kingfishercalendar.com, won the 2004-05 International DesignFirms award for excellence in web design. The site attracts over a million hits from all over the world every week.
This year interestingly no film was used to shoot the calendar. All images were shot with state of the art digital equipment from Canon.
The models for the calendar, trained with Deepika Mehta, trainer to stars like Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu at the Taj Lands End Gym.
The official stylist for the shoot was Rakhi Parekh Patil, who has styled Rahul Dravid for Reebok and also styled multimedia brand campaigns like Elle 18, Wills Lifestyle, Tanishq, Lee and Global Village Mall in Dubai.
Vimi Joshi of MAC, the official makeup brand, devised a special look to go with the seasons & each month, as the year progresses.
The calendar is designed by Apparatus Media Lab a Bangalore based design firm that works with clients like Dell, Meru Networks and Adea in the USA.
The travel schedule was a logistical challenge in itself but more than ably handled by Beacon Holidays.
‘The Kingfisher Swimsuit Special Australia 2006 has been conceived and produced by Matrix, the entertainment consultancy firm that first took the idea to Mallya in 2002 and since then has been producing the calendar.
The launch event was managed by Matrix and Sharmilla Khanna.
While the calendar continues to be produced in a limited edition, a select few lucky individuals can own a copy of this year’s calendar by flying Kingfisher Airlines or by participating in an online contest on contests2win.com. So log on or fly and get your hands on The Kingfisher Swimsuit Special 2006. The Coolest Place to Look for Dates!
About Kingfisher
Kingfisher Beer, the flagship brand from the stable of brewing giant United Breweries Ltd, is the market leader and enjoys a market share of 30% in the Indian Beer market. Its classic taste, refreshing feel and association with fun & fashion has made the brand a global warhorse. With style, substance, taste and performance to match, Kingfisher will continue to lead from the front.
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National Geographic launches ‘Postcards from Hong Kong’ with Ridhi Dogra
New series explores the city’s hidden gems and vibrant contrasts, premiering 28 March.
MUMBAI: Ridhi Dogra just sent a postcard from Hong Kong that’s worth framing because when a bustling metropolis reveals its quiet trails and timeless traditions, even the skyline takes a back seat. National Geographic has unveiled Postcards from Hong Kong, a refreshing travel series hosted and curated by actor Ridhi Dogra. Produced by National Geographic Creative Works in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the show offers an intimate, Indian traveller’s perspective on one of Asia’s most iconic cities, moving beyond its glittering harbour and skyscrapers to uncover serene beaches, scenic hiking trails and deep cultural traditions.
Across three visually rich episodes, Ridhi journeys through contrasting sides of Hong Kong. The first episode takes her on a quieter path of self-discovery to places like Sai Kung, Big Wave Bay, Dragon’s Back, Tai O, Ngong Ping, Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha. The second episode dives into the city’s energetic side, from the bustling streets of Causeway Bay to Happy Valley Racecourse, Michelin-starred spots and luxury shopping at Landmark.
Ridhi Dogra said, “Being part of Postcards from Hong Kong with Nat Geo was a deeply enriching experience. What I love about this journey is that it goes beyond the obvious; it’s not just about the skyline or the speed of the city but about the stories that live in its quieter corners.”
A National Geographic India spokesperson added, “With Postcards from Hong Kong, we set out to go beyond the familiar and explore the city through a more intimate, human lens.”
Hong Kong Tourism Board director of South Asia Puneet Kumar noted, “Postcards from Hong Kong is a reflection of meaningful storytelling that brings the city to life in an immersive way. It beautifully captures the diversity and spirit that define Hong Kong.”
Blending travel, culture and personal storytelling, the series celebrates Hong Kong as a city of contrasts where modern life meets tradition and every corner holds a story waiting to be discovered. It premieres on 28 March at 8 pm on the National Geographic Channel and will also stream on JioHotstar.
In a world of hurried travel reels, Postcards from Hong Kong slows things down just enough to let viewers truly see the city not just its lights, but its layers, proving that the best souvenirs are the stories you bring home.
