(From left) Gp Capt Vijayakumar, Simran, Mohammed Shams Aalam Shaikh, AR Rahman, Tinkesh, Jayshree, Madhan Karky, and Revathy at AbilityFEST 2025: India International Disability Film Festival in Chennai 
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Mid-year mood in Chennai: Style, shine, and surprise moves

As July lands with a jolt of reality, the city stays on its toes with launches, luxe edits, and fitness with a flying twist

Paloma Rao

And just like that, half the year is already over. Can you believe it? And that ambitious to-do list? Let’s just say, it’s mostly still ‘to-do’. Funny how in January it felt like we had all the time in the world, and now July is already here with a reality check. But hey, we’ve still got six months to surprise ourselves.

Reshmi Menon

Speaking of which, I managed to check one item off my list, getting to try bungee fitness this week. The workshop by Bungee Fit at Studio Thithili was a whole lot of fun. For the uninitiated, it’s a high-energy, low-impact workout while you’re harnessed to a bungee cord. As someone joked, it’s like ‘flying meets fitness’. It builds strength and improves balance while making you feel like a superhero.

The rest of the week unfolded with fashion, skincare, and lots of bling. Danny and Jones showcased a collection of custom-tailored suits and handcrafted shoes at Eldorado in Nungambakkam. Brothers Irshad Ali and Ahmad Ali welcomed friends, well-wishers, and popular city faces, who were excited for the spotlight to be on the guys for a change. Guests took their time checking the new space and understanding the various components that go into the creation of bespoke pieces. The shoes got a lot of attention, with many guests placing specific orders.

Lee

Next on the launch trail was Kushal’s fashion jewellery, which opened two new stores at Velachery and Mogappair. The ladies were spoilt for choice with a huge range of jewellery to choose from, but the Indian sets emerged as winners.

Shubam

We saw a few of the same faces at Phoenix Market City for a special evening at Forest Essentials hosted by Renuka Praveen. A select group of ladies were invited to preview their summer collection, the Moonlight Muse-Mogra Edit, and the much talked about sheer sunscreen spray. People these days don’t step out without sunscreen, like they’re heading into battle, not sunlight. This one gives glow, not grease, and the ladies loved how luxe it felt. And so invisible, it’s basically SPF in stealth mode.

Our next stop was at the launch of Grand Continent Premiere T Nagar, designed to meet the needs of both business and leisure travellers.

This week also saw the Ability Foundation, a national cross-disability organisation based in Chennai, announce AbilityFEST 2025: India International Disability Film Festival at a press meet, which followed the jury meet for the 60 Seconds to Fame: All-India One-Minute Film Competition. The shortlisted films will be screened during the festival. The press meet featured jury members composer AR Rahman, actress Simran, lyricist-screenwriter Madhan Karky, and para swimmer Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh, who spoke on the occasion.

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