Brunch 21 12 2014 by Hindustan Times

WEEKLY MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 21, 2014 Free with your copy of Hindustan Times

Keeping Up With KJo Directing, writing, producing, designing, hosting and now acting, how does Karan Johar do it all and still manage to stay friends with all of Bollywood?

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by Aastha Atray Banan

READERS’ SPECIAL 3 EDITION RD

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE

STARRING YOU!

We’ve been writing about famous people and not-famousbut-interesting people. But it’s time we celebrated the ones who matter most: you, our readers. So we invite you to be our celebrities for one issue, to be featured in Brunch

ry Extraordina j) (ad al or Very unusuble remarka ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS

What makes you extraordinary? It could be the story of your life (like going from rags to riches). You could have done something out of the ordinary (like taking an unconventional decision that took the world on). Or something ordinary but heartwarming (like falling in love for the first time at 55). It could be a quirky hobby (like collecting matchboxes), a curious habit (like learning a new language every year). It could even be some great advice (like making a fully functional robot).

Send us a little note (not more than 250 words) about an extraordinary something in your life. The best entries will be verified and then, we’ll call you – and interview you

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d ppene a H t a h Stuff Tast Sunday L

On The Brunch Radar

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by Saudamini Jain

n #Dialoguebaazi n Book lights. They’re the most useful little things and you must have one on your bedside, clipped to the book you’re reading n Soupy noodles n The trailer of Ugly. Anurag Kashyap, you’ve been missed! n The line-up of speakers at the Jaipur Lit Fest 2015

Coverimage:

AVINASH GOWARIKAR Cover design: PAYAL DIGHE KARKHANIS

Though he has professed his dislike for selfies on his Twitter account, he took one with me graciously

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for budding writers. e #Dialoguefor a cover story! The a Our Saxen lbaazi edition onam r from all #Dialoguebaazi of Bos o Loved it! P r o edit jour- -Him ng ove was a fun lywood. Its a collector angi Mathur still hu Tuesday. TV bos . a . d. ead rea tion g w edi rnin mo olla s till ho’d c logue -@hamrahi Made me the dia er Usman w ue, assured i se s s tho s all t is nt a oun cou Y a ha e rec nalist ith us on th ion laga diy zi Find Hindustan t movies. In Amrish aa w c b Times Brunch on d je e e u t in g a r aine Dialo Puri’s words-MogFacebook or tweet her, “m i der mei # jayega” hua r h sh a khu h t bo am kuc to @HTBrunch or ver u 3 hango - @ArchitSareen2

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DECEMBER 21, 2014

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Drop us a line at: brunchletters@hindustantimes.com or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

by Junisha Dama

Don’t get your Chris crossed

So many actors named Chris, so little time. Keep an eye out for these ones next year

I loved meeting Karan Johar, particularly because he gave me an insight into what makes a person successful. It’s not only about being creative but also working hard every day. I went thinking, this is Karan Johar, he has it all – his life must be awesome. And it is! But as Karan said, “It’s never been about resting on my success. You have to keep being consistent.” I also understood why he is so loved by his peers. It’s because he always takes out time to be there for his friends and family. “The most precious thing that you can give someone is your time. They don’t want anything material.” He is super fun to talk to: easy going, relaxed, candid and never one to mince his words – he charmed me off my feet. And damn, he is funny! As we talked about fashion and I confessed judging people who wear harem pants, he remarked, “What about Indian men who wear skinny pants! Those legs were not made for skinnies, please!”

Dialogues hi dialogues. Kitne aadmi thay isse compile karne mein? Hats off to the team. Keep giving us entertaining material every week uj - Jagdish Saluja

SHOVE IT

n Those Peshawar monsters. And that as the news unfolded, as the death toll went up, we could do nothing but continue with our daily activities, traumatised at the thought of the horrific massacre. We tweeted and retweeted. We watched the news. We were grief-stricken, And all we could do was feel so helpless

3. It must include your name, age, photo, occupation, address and phone number 4. There must not be an ongoing legal dispute regarding the incident you’re writing to us about. 5. Deadline: You must email us on or before January 4 (Sunday).

When I had coffee with Karan

Shortcut To Smart

CHRIS PRATT Who: He did the cutest monkey dance in Parks and Recreation. He seemed too fat to be a superhero, but he beefed up for Guardians of the Galaxy In 2015: Jurassic World. He promised, the film “is going to be 10 times better” than the trailer CHRIS EVANS Who: Three superheroes – Captain America (doh!), Johnny Storm (Fantastic Four) and Jake Jensen (The Losers). But he may retire from acting and start directing In 2015: The Avengers: Age of Ultron CHRIS PINE Who: He suited up for Starfleet and Captain James T Kirk turned young girls into fans. In 2015: The third Star Trek movie and Z for Zachariah CHRIS HEMSWORTH Who: Thor. He also plays F1 driver James Hunt in Rush, and the brooding hero of Snow White and the Huntsman In 2015: He’s trying comedy with Vacation next year. And The Avengers CHRIS MESSINA Who: The adorable Danny Castellano from The Mindy Project. He was also in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and in Julie & Julia In 2015: The next season of The Mindy Project CHRIS O’DOWD Who: The Charming cop in Bridesmaids and the grumpy computer technician The IT Crowd (“Have you tried turning it off and on again?”) In 2015: Icon, a sports biography CHRIS MARTIN Who: Lead singer of the most loved band (who doesn’t love Coldplay?), If you’re a fan you may have heard – the band’s next album will be their final. In 2015: Let’s hope they win at the Grammys

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WELLNESS

MIND BODY SOUL SHIKHA SHARMA

For any worries related to unplanned pregnancy:

THE WINTER PARADOX

Write to us at consumercare@piramal.com or call us at 1800-22-0502 (toll free) or sms ICAN to 56070 Website: www.i-canhelp.in

3. Dear Doctor, my periods are late by three days and I suspect I may be pregnant therefore I have taken an emergency pill. When can I expect my periods to start now? Emergency contraceptive pills are to be taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. They are ineffective if taken after that. If you had an unprotected intercourse last month, and since your periods are delayed, suggest that you wait for another week & then please do conduct a test to confirm pregnancy. In case it turns out positive, please consult a gynaecologist immediately.

Queries answered by Dr Nirmala Rao MBBS, MD, DPM; a well known psychiatrist who heads Mumbai based Aavishkar - a multifaceted team of expert doctors and health professionals. Aavishkar has a comprehensive approach to mental and physical health, with an emphasis scan this QR code to visit website on counselling and psychotherapy. Supported by:

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MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Dr Shikha Sharma and other wellness stories, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch DECEMBER 21, 2014

Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK, THINKSTOCK

2 . D e a r D o c t o r, a r e spermicidal creams 100% effective in avoiding pregnancy if used alone? Many advanced spermicidal creams and tablets these days claim to be effective in avoiding pregnancy when used alone. However, you must know that no form of contraception is 100% effective. The efficacy is

Yes, the winter makes us vulnerable to cough and cold. But it’s also the best season to build immunity

different for different products. We suggest you read the information on the pack carefully before using any spermicidal cream or tablets. We would also like to mention that if you use spermicidal creams as per the instructions mentioned on the pack, then it should be highly effective in avoiding pregnancy.

MediaMedic ICH/Q&A/1203

1. Dear Doctor, I consumed a n e m e r g e n c y contraceptive pill 30 hours after unprotected intercourse. Since then I am suffering from constant bloating and frequent urination. I have read that these are symptoms of p r e g n a n c y. D o t h e s e emergency contraceptive pills fail to work if taken after 24 hours? Emergency contraceptive pill need to be consumed within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse to prevent a pregnancy. As you took the pill within this time frame you need not worry. Bloating and frequent urination may also happen due to reasons other than pregnancy. Do not stress yourself up and kindly wait until your next monthly period begins. In case they are delayed for over a week from the expected date, then conduct a pregnancy test at home just to cross-check.

COVER STORY

The WORLD According To

KARAN JOHAR

He’s non-judgmental, doesn’t believe in taking a holiday and says ego problems are just not his style. For KJo, Bollywood’s poster child, it’s all in a day’s work

by Aastha Atray Banan

I WAIT for Karan Johar in the Khar office of Dharma Productions, above a Costa Coffee packed to the brim with, not surprisingly, aspiring actors. He is talking to his colleagues, one of whom casually tells me, “Don’t worry, you are on time. But as soon as he is free, we all need a bit of him.” In his room, there is a large desk upon which lie a few scripts and a copy of Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend. Behind his chair are piles of more scripts, and the Swiss cow bell that Raj bought for Simran in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). On the wall are pictures of SRK and Gauri, a framed poster of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and a picture of Johar’s parents. In one corner is a cabinet full of awards. He comes in, in a black Givenchy sweatshirt – he wears only brands, he sheepishly tells me later – and when I say I saw the same

one in Zara, he says, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been there.” It’s this brand of honesty and directness that dictates this interview. After all, Karan Johar is Bollywood’s golden boy – what can he say wrong? Or do wrong? And he is doing a lot. He started by being SRK’s sidekick in DDLJ, even styled a couple of his movies, then became the director of a brand of glamorous drama that has become synonymous with the last two decades of Bollywood, with movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001). As producer, he took us to places other than Switzerland in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), spoke about

infidelity (which we tend to avoid) in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006), got people talking about homosexuality in Dostana (2008) and still retained his dramatic Bollywood aesthetic in his short film in Bombay Talkies (2013). Besides directing, Johar has produced a host of successful movies and hosted what’s been India’s most popular talk show, Koffee with Karan, where he chats with his friends (basically all of Bollywood’s who’s who). He has also recently curated a fashion collection for an Indian high street brand and designed styles for a jewellery brand, and now is playing an antagonist for his once

“I don’t have a wife or a child. It’s just my mom and me. My professional life is my personal life. I love my job and pack all my hours with it”

DECEMBER 21, 2014

nemesis, director Anurag Kashyap, in Bombay Velvet (to be released in early 2015). This man is doing it all. And successfully too. And then he spills his secret. “Maybe it’s my temperament,” he says. “I like to pack my day. I don’t have a wife or a child. It’s just my mom and me. My professional life is my personal life. The four to eight hours you would dedicate to extensions of yourself – maybe responsibilities, a parent, a spouse – I don’t do that, as I don’t have those. I love my job and I pack all my hours with it.” You would think that taking on too much would stifle his creativity. But he just laughs at the question when I ask him how he manages all this. “I am intrigued by the word ‘how’,” he says. “I don’t know. I love to do it and I do it. I don’t regimentalise my creativity or compartmentalise my time by saying, ‘In one hour, I am going

“In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Gap and Polo were in your face. Remember SRK wearing that chain that said ‘COOL’. Today that would be so uncool”

Photo: RAJ K RAJ

to just spend my time on cinema or fashion’. Maybe I am fortunate to have a larger bandwidth where I can alternate between things. One hour ago, I was reading a screenplay, now I am giving an interview. For me, holidays don’t mean a thing. I hate Sundays, I create work for myself. What is a brunch? I have never taken an afternoon nap, not even when I was a child.”

BOLLYWOOD’S CHILD

The son of Yash Johar, producer of movies such as the original Dostana (1980) and Agneepath (1990),

Johar grew up on everything filmi. He insists he was a curious child, who couldn’t sit idle. “I was always doing something extracurricular. In fact, after college, I did some strange courses,” he says. “Export/import classes, fruit and flower arrangement, public speaking, French, computer lessons and cookery classes as well – desserts, because I liked eating meetha. I even packed my summer holidays with classes. That’s where I met new people, and exchanged new ideas. I interned in an ad firm, choreographed fashion shows, acted

in a play. I was always like this.” But he always knew movies were his calling. He hung out and exchanged ideas with friends like Zoya and Farhan Akhtar, Abhishek and Shweta Bachchan, Aditya and Uday Chopra and Hrithik Roshan — most of whom are now actors or directors. Zoya remembers Johar being charming, bright and perceptive, but she never thought he would become the maverick he is today. “He used to be such a fatty then,” says Zoya. “We used to just sit and eat chocolates! He was very intelligent even then, but I had no clue he was going to do what he does. It was only when I watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that I realised what he could do.” It was maybe because as Johar says, “Where else can you sing and cry and laugh and be at work? I used to feel bad for lawyers, engineers and doctors.” He recalls having a great bunch of friends as a child. “We all went to the same birthday parties,” he says. “I had conversations with Zoya about movies, and about Farhan and how he was such a wastrel, just like Sid from Wake Up Sid. I saw Abhishek dance at his sister’s wedding and I knew he was a superstar; Hrithik who was such a thin and shy boy but worked really hard for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Aadi [Aditya Chopra] was the leader of the pack and we still look to him for advice. Most of the relationships I had still exist. Last night, I was at Zoya’s with Hrithik, Ranbir, Farhan and we were going down memory lane. Memories are great to fall back on – they give you strength.” Johar also remembers discovering fashion at a young age – when kids were reading Archie comics, he says he would read Vogue and Cosmopolitan. His love for fashion and things swanky later reflected in his movies — have you ever seen a college that looks like the one in Kuch Kuch Hota

Hai? “I was enamoured by the clothes and the men and women and how they looked. I later took the same aesthetic to my movies. Manish [Malhotra, the designer] and I just talked about movies – if I knew the song, he knew the movie and vice versa.” Johar created a new wave of Indian cinema. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was not just an explosion of Bollywood drama but also a celebration of the “branded” world Indians were just getting introduced to. “When we were on the DDLJ sets, there was so little focus on costume or art direction. We all brought in a new brief – Aadi, me and Manish. There was a new sensibility in town. For KKHH, we went shopping to London and my dad was like “Kaun jata hai kapde khareedne?” We wanted the labels to show – Gap and Polo were in your face. That was our thinking. Remember SRK wearing that chain that said ‘COOL’. Today that would be so uncool.”

KARAN THE SHOWMAN

If his movies were glamorous family and romantic dramas that you watched to escape real life – “Cinema is all about living vicariously,” he says – his real entry into the everyday Indian’s life came when he started hosting the chat show Koffee With Karan 10 years ago. He gossiped with his friends in an informal setting, often grilling them about their love lives and dirt we all wanted authenticated, and suddenly TV audiences felt they had found a new friend who just wanted them to feel included. He also was the most fun person on his show and I tell him so. “Thank you,” says Johar modestly. “I am a people person, and I thought it would be fun to chat with my friends. Not an interview, just an interaction, so that viewers could feel like insiders in an insider’s chat – like voyeurism. It was about the attitude, not

KARAN JOHAR: ALWAYS THE RULE BREAKER He said he would never do a movie without SRK, and then he made Student of the Year

He said he would never make a movie that didn’t start with the letter K, and then he made My Name is Khan

He said he’d never make a small-budget movie, and then he directed the short for Bombay Talkies

DECEMBER 21, 2014

He once suggested Anurag Kashyap see a psychiatrist, and now he’s acting in his movie.

COVER STORY

Imaging: PAYAL DIGHE KARKHANIS

A FRIEND OF THE WORLD

Johar has a knack for being buddies with everyone, even sworn enemies

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who has done his time. Johar quotes affirmations to himself every day. Like, “My only religion is humanity”. Perhaps this mantra has made him successful. And also made him one of the most liked people in the industry. Is there anybody who doesn’t adore KJo, or confide in him? He is in the SRK gang, the Salman Khan gang, the Bachchan gang, the Kapoor gang and even Anurag Kashyap, who once criticised his films and brand of direction, insisted he be a part of Bombay Velvet. “Anurag says I have a dark side. My alter ego maybe – after all, I am a Gemini.” Johar says that could be because though he has pride, he doesn’t have a big ego. “I am not on a film set thinking I am a bigger star than SRK. I am not deluded about my relationships. I offer them my time, because that’s what matters. I get shocked when people ask, ‘Should we meet at your office or mine?’ I will meet you on the road ya! Mujhe batao, I will come anywhere… problem kya hai?” He also wants to clear any misconception people may have that he leads a privileged life. “It’s a tough life – living up to expectations, holding on to your position, managing your work and relationships. I work at it. I get appalled when people don’t show gratitude. I will do anything for Aditya Chopra or Shah Rukh. I judge people by how large their hearts are and their level of gratitude.” When he isn’t working, Karan spends time with his mom or has dinner with one of his famous friends. And he also watches one episode a day of his favourite international TV shows before he sleeps. “Fargo, Game of Thrones, How To Get Away With Murder, Homeland, Girls, Downton Abbey, Orange Is The New Black – I watch everything and anything.” Right now though, he is excited about Bombay Velvet, for which he says the biggest challenge was to reinvent himself. “I didn’t want to be an extension of myself.” His next appointment is here and he is back to doing what he does best – multitasking without a sweat. His last line pretty much sums him up. “I don’t drink, don’t smoke, and don’t do drugs. I am very clean. I am not addicted to anything except my work.”

nyoa s ld d old u ou t I w aran K

Khanna asked him to run Twinkle school, and he got ca ught away from

information. There was never a grand revelation. But I could ask questions that a normal interviewer couldn’t. Like I could say to you, ‘Are you having an affair?’ and you would say ‘Noooo’ and I would say, ‘Don’t lie to me. I don’t believe you!’ I enjoyed doing it. I was doing it at parties, I thought why not get paid for it!” Along with being a director everyone wants to work with and hosting a show everyone wants to be invited to, Johar now is a producer everyone wants to collaborate with. In the last few years, Dharma has produced young and hip movies for an increasingly young, hip India. Much like 2012’s Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu in which the heroine decided she didn’t want to be in a relationship, 2014’s Hasee Toh Phasee about two misfits who find each other and 2013’s Gippi, about a fat teenager trying to deal with life. It’s because Johar believes in moving with the times. “Sensibilities evolve if your mind is open to changing times. You have to acknowledge what’s around you. We are a thinking population now – we want thinking cinema. I don’t think I would get away with KKHH today. When a mother leaves her daughter eight letters, how does she know what she would write in letters one to eight. How does a child that young comprehend what you are saying?” “But that’s what made KKHH so Bollywood. You can’t put logic to it now,” I object. He laughs. “Of course you can’t. But you have to grow up. When I made Kal Ho Naa Ho I was more careful, because Dil Chahta Hai (2001) had changed the way we spoke in Hindi movies. So KHNH was more conversational. They are all more chatty… it’s how we speak today. The melodrama has reduced, but we still have songs. You can never escape the trappings of Hindi cinema but you can make it more relevant.” He is also an ace at making Hindi cinema aspirational. We have all watched his movies and wondered about these people and the grand lives they live. Even his old friends like stylist and fashion director at Vogue India, Anaita Shroff Adajania, remembers watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and thinking, “So this is how the rich of Delhi live.” She also recalls Johar as being a unique character when they first met in their college years. “He was

Fell out twice with Kareena, only to bury the hatchet again

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a star choreographer, and I was a star model. Our shows were choreographed like dance routines. Everything on a beat — 5, 6, 7, 8. It was not about the clothes, it was pure entertainment. He showed us how Rekha danced — so we were privy to the early Karan performances.” She also knows why his movies work so well. “His characters are larger than life because he is larger than life,” she says. “He works from his heart and that translates into commerce. He knows emotions because he is very emotional. He never holds grudges and bounces back quickly.”

DIRECTING HIS PHILOSOPHIES

ing uc o d ro ill n rp Afte r, he w bi Ran

Actress Alia Bhatt, who started her career in Johar’s Student Of The Year (2012), says the most important thing Johar taught her is how to behave with people. “He is respectful of everyone – people who have been working for very

have just started out. I don’t just want to be a talented actress, I want to be someone who is a pleasure to work with. He has taught me how to be that.” She remembers his recent Blackberry Messenger status: Creativity is not a talent. It’s a way of operating. “That’s how you can describe him! He screams creativity and he screams genuineness.” He is quite a quotable person, as his Twitter account also reflects. But then it would not be surprising for a director who deals with emotions so well in movies to be highly emotional as well. One tweet reads, “Black and white are aspirations... grey is the reality.” “I don’t want to be black, and to be white, I would have to sit in the Himalayas. So grey is what we live. We lie to get out of situations, we manipulate – that’s grey. It makes you someone trying to live in the times of today,” Johar says. He comes across as someone

“I get shocked when people ask, ‘Should we meet at your office or mine?’ I will meet you on the road ya! Mujhe batao, I will come anywhere… problem kya hai?”

DECEMBER 21, 2014

aastha.banan@hindustantimes.com Follow @aastha82 on Twitter

indulge

This Wheel’s On Fire A In 1967, Bob Dylan and The Band recorded the Big Pink sessions. A new six-CD compilation of 138 tracks – all from the time – is intimate and brilliant

T THE fag end of 2014, came a musical blast from nearly 50 years ago. If you’ve been a Bob Dylan fan then you’d probably know of his sessions with a bunch of musicians who later came to be known simply as The Band. Those sessions in 1967 were recorded mainly in the basement of a house nicknamed the Big Pink in a small town called Saugerties, not far from Woodstock, in upstate New York. The musicians – Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm – made up Dylan’s backing band at that time and many of those early recordings came out first in bootleg form. Then, in 1975, an official double album, The Basement Tapes, was released and, I’m sure, most Dylan fans have that in their collections. But that 1975 album, a set of Dylan’s as well as The Band’s own songs, scratched the surface of those recording sessions. The blast from the past that I mentioned has come now: a six-CD compilation of 138 tracks, all recorded in those Big Pink sessions. For Dylan fans, it’s a big treat for many reasons. First, 138 tracks is a lot of Dylan to listen too – to be precise, six hours and thirty-five minutes of Dylan. To be honest, I’ve not yet finished listening to the album in its entirety – I am about three-fourths of my way in. But it is such a treat. The informal nature of the recordings – most of them were recorded by The Band’s organ player Garth Hudson – including much banter between Dylan and the band members conjures up images of how the May-October sessions in 1967 may have actually been. The atmosphere seems laidback and everyone appears to be having tons of fun. Then, there’s the music, of course. The 138 tracks cover many genres of American music. There’s the blues; there’s

Sanjoy Narayan

download central traditional compositions that get The Band and Dylan’s touch; there’s folk music; and there’s pioneering examples of folk rock. But most of all, there is 26-year-old Dylan’s vocals, already branded with its uniqueness but so fresh and youthful. Dylan and The Band cover many standards and songs from other people’s catalogues in the compilation. There’s Dylan's takes on Hank Williams’ You Win Again; Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues; Tim Hardin's If I Were A Carpenter and many others, including Dylan’s brilliant version of John Lee Hooker’s Tupelo Blues about the Mississippi floods; and Pete Seeger’s Bells of Rhymney (whose lyrics are from part of the Welsh poet Idris Davies’ work). Dylan and the other musicians refreshingly don’t appear to take themselves too seriously during the recordings, goofing around a bit, trying out new harmonies and backup vocals and doing repeat takes of songs. There are multiple takes of some of Dylan’s well-known songs, such as Tears of Rage, Quinn The Eskimo, I Shall Be Released, and Million Dollar Bash, offering a rare opportunity to listen to how some of his songs evolved before they got to their more famil-

DECEMBER 21, 2014

MILLION DOLLAR BASH

Bob Dylan and The Band's Big Pink sessions were officially released in the 1975 album The Basement Tapes (right). Now released, The Bootleg Series, Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete (above), is a must-have for all Dylan fans iar finished versions, both in terms of the instrumentation and the vocals. Old nuggets (well, not so old back in 1967!) appear on the new album. There are versions of Blowin’ In The Wind and It Ain’t Me Babe that are very different from those I’ve heard on other recordings; and a host of songs by Dylan that I cannot recall ever having encountered on any of his albums. When the earlier double album, The Basement Tapes, came out in 1975, some critics felt that interspersing Dylan’s compositions with those solely by The Band wasn’t such a good idea because it gave the album a mix of characteristics that did not necessarily gel. The new compilation doesn’t appear to suffer from that: all the songs have Dylan doing vocal duties, occasionally with backups from The Band’s members. For me the best part of The Bootleg Series, Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete is the intimacy and the brilliance of the music. There is an unhurried air about the recordings – as if the musicians had all the time in the world to do what they obviously were enjoying doing. If you’re a Bob Dylan fan, this album’s a must-have. But then if you’re truly a Dylan fan, you must have already got it! Download Central appears every fortnight

MORE ON THE WEB To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned in this column, go to blogs.hindustantimes. com/download-central. Write to Sanjoy at sanjoy. narayan@hindustantimes.com. Follow @SanjoyNarayan on Twitter

indulge

Tech Shouldn’T Be The Villain Let us look at the technology that a company like Uber could have used to make taxis safer

MORE ON THE WEB For more Techilicious columns, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter. com/RajivMakhni The views expressed by the columnist are personal

BER CAME riding a wave of technology and powered its way to a reported valuation of about $40 billion. That means it was bigger than any carrental company, bigger than most hotel chains, bigger than some airlines and even bigger than Twitter. Its expansion worldwide was unprecedented and it was signing up drivers and cars faster than it could accommodate. And then it screwed up its dream run with some really silly internal processes and messed up on what it touted as its most critical reason for success: Technology! This column isn’t a debate on whether banning Uber was the right thing to do as that’s clearly an emotional knee-jerk reaction rather than a well-thought-out strategy to make taxi travel safer. It is about the technology that Uber could have used and a small effort to dispel some of the ridiculous ideas being perpetuated as ‘perfect’ future solutions.

NIGHT-VISION DRONES TO PATROL OUR CITIES

They are apparently already being used on a rental basis by the police in Delhi and they are about to acquire a gigantic fleet soon. The capital city will be patrolled by these low-flying drones that will keep signalling a quick response team as soon as they spot trouble. Some of the buzzwords

Rajiv Makhni

techilicious MAKE IT TAMPER PROOF A SIM-card-based GPS tracker that is constantly showing the car on a map monitored by the company can be useful

that seem to have been ignored are cost, battery life and flying time, expertise to fly them, size of the city, security and safety, and about a dozen other huge hurdles. To patrol a city the size of Delhi, they’ll need about 50,000 of them and at about `10 lakh for every drone – you do the math.

COMING ‘SOON’? A FLEET OF DRIVERLESS TAXIS!

Other than ROTFL and then giving a standing ovation, I have no reaction. The idea itself is ingenious but the imagination of the politicians and people behind this fantasy is astounding. Driverless cars are just about at prototype level, they still need years to be perfected and they currently come with a set of problems much bigger than all the problems we face today. To use ‘driverless cars’ and the word ‘soon’ in the same sentence easily wins the Oxymoron Of The Year Award.

THROWING THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER

Let’s first recognise that Uber’s technology will play the role of a saviour here. Services like Uber play a real role in solving serious urban transport problems. With almost no investment in car fleets and driver salaries – the Ubers of this world offer cost-efficient transportation that is sometimes lower priced than unruly three-wheeler autos. This empow-

DECEMBER 21, 2014

TRAVEL SAFE Cab companies should introduce a feature within their apps to click a picture of the driver with the number plate ers entrepreneurs to have a livelihood and introduces efficiencies into an unorganised market where government-led public transport is a gigantic failure. What’s needed is a better technology to take this to its next logical step.

SOME THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE

Uber provided each driver with a data-enabled smartphone that ran a driver-side version of the Uber App. And if the driver powered off this phone, Uber was left with nothing else to do but twiddle its thumbs. So let us go through the process all over again. The first thing that can be done is utilise dual fail-safe technologies. Companies like Uber have enough funding to come up with a proprietary device that is hardwired into the car battery. Thus to disable it, the driver must go through a far more intricate process than just pressing the power off button of a smartphone. This device would run the Uber app, signal to the passenger that the system is on with a green light on at all times and have a panic button on it accessible to the passenger. This device must also have a video camera attached that records the activity all through the journey. The second device that would act as a back-up would be an almost-impossible-to-access SIM-card-based GPS tracker installed that is constantly showing the car on a map monitored by the company. Lots of people have these as an anti-theft system as well as fleet management tools. Will these add-ons slow down the frenzied growth and expansion of companies like Uber? Yes! But it is a fraction of what bad press and poor safety incidents will do to completely shut it down.

MAKE TECH YOUR OWN SIDEKICK

The third role must be played by the government. Taxi driving licences as well as permits must go high-tech with biometrics as well as serious background checks that go onto a centralised database accessible to all companies that are going to hire the drivers. This process must start now. The fourth would be a role played by you, the passenger. Take a picture of the driver that comes to pick you up standing next to the car with the number plate clearly visible and email or WhatApp that to a few friends before you start the journey. Cab companies must encourage this as well as build it as a feature into their app itself and educate the drivers about it too. Newer technologies in the future will be able to get rid of almost all safety and security problems. Till then some of these can be implemented right away. Do you believe there are more things that could be done using current technology? Write to me on Twitter and let us make sure that tech becomes the hero of this story and not the villain it seems to be right now. Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3

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The Blue lagoons DEEP BLUE SEA

Water bungalows are typical of all resorts in the Maldives

Vir Sanghvi

rude travel It’s not only one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, but the Maldives is also where luxury chains are setting up breathtaking, top-of-theline resorts

’M TRYING to remember when I first went to the Maldives. I think it was 1994 or thereabouts. My trip came about almost by accident. I had gone to Trivandrum for an assignment and somebody asked if I had ever been to the Maldives. I said I had never been and was not sure I wanted to go. You are crazy, I was told. It has the most beautiful, clearest sea in the world. You can look into the water and see right to the bottom of the ocean. Intrigued, I did some checking and discovered that a) the Maldives were a short hop away from Trivandrum by Indian Airlines, b) Indians did not need visas and c) that the Taj Group ran two resorts which offered reasonable all-inclusive (i.e. room plus all meals) rates. So, I took the flight to Malé from Trivandrum. And I was blown away. As you probably know, the Maldives comprise thousands of tiny coral islands, only some of which are inhabited. The capital Malé is on a largish island. The airport is on another island. And each resort is on an island of its own. The Taj resort where I was staying was kind of basic, but it was comfortable and well-run. And I soon discovered that the resort did not matter as long as it had water bungalows. These are rooms, constructed on stilts directly above the water. They have stairs leading to what I thought was the Indian Ocean and because the water is not deep (around four feet or so usually) you can walk around. And yes, I had not been misinformed; the sea was so clear that you could look right to the bottom. Later, somebody explained to me that this wasn’t really the Indian Ocean or the sea. Each island was surrounded by a shallow lagoon of relatively still water. And it was this wa-

DECEMBER 21, 2014

ter that was so clear that you could see every shell at the very bottom. I was told not to feed the fish. But I did anyway. Each morning, I would throw pieces of my breakfast toast into the lagoon and hundreds of brilliantly coloured fish would swim up to my water bungalow to grab the bread. Later in that trip, they took me out in a glass-bottomed boat from which you could look at the floor of the lagoon and then, the clearer parts of the Indian Ocean. It was mind-blowing: the greatest aquarium on Earth. For years, I treated the Maldives as my own little paradise. I went back three or four times, stuck to the two Taj resorts and had the holidays of my life. It was not luxurious. Many of the guests appeared to be package tourists from Eastern Europe. The food consisted of rubbish buffets and I usually asked if I could eat the staff canteen dal-chawal. But it didn’t matter. As long as I had a water bungalow and the lagoon, I was happy. Then, early in this century, the world discovered the Maldives. One&Only, the Four Seasons, and other luxury chains arrived. The Taj upgraded one property (it is now a Vivanta) and opened the spectacular Taj Exotica (where I shot an episode of Custom Made two years ago). I tried many of the other resorts. One&Only Reethi Rah, Sonu Shivadasani’s trendsetting Soneva Fushi and others. And very soon the Maldives became such an expensive destination that I could no longer afford to go there as often as I used to. Pretty soon, all the islands near the capital Malé and the airport became resorts. But because demand would not let up, the government started leasing out islands that there were too far to get to by boat and were best accessed by helicopter or sea-plane. I tried some of the faraway islands and soon came to the conclusion that they were no prettier than the islands near Malé. They all had the same lagoons, the same clear water and the same natural beauty. Only the resorts seemed to get more and more upmarket. Around a year ago, I heard of two new resorts, both aiming for the very top echelon of travellers. One of them, Cheval Blanc, was on an island leased to a Bulgarian (I

CAST AWAY

Velaa Private Island – the most expensively constructed hotel in the world – is a small, 45 keys, all-villa hotel where each of the villas is designed for long stays think) who had cleverly got LVMH involved in the management, knowing that the moment wealthy Chinese hear the words ‘Louis Vuitton’ they reach for their wallets. But it was the other one – Velaa Private Island – which is room-for-room the most expensively constructed hotel in the world (between $4 to $5 million a room to build, depending on which figure you believe about the project cost) that intrigued me. Why would anyone spend nearly $250 million dollars to build a 45-room hotel in the Maldives? My friend Sanjay Menon, the wine expert, supplies wine to Velaa and a few months ago he called with a proposal. Would I accept an invitation to a food and wine pairing weekend at Velaa? Would I? Of course, I would! Which is how I ended up again in the Maldives in what must be the most unusual resort in the country. The resort manager, Mohamed Nihaj, told me the story of how Velaa came to be built. Nihaj was a butler at Huvafen Fushi, one of the top resorts in the Maldives, when a Czech billionaire called Jiri Smejc came to stay. Of the 14 days he was in the Maldives, it rained for 11. “You’ve come at the wrong time of year,” Nihaj told him. “Come back again”. So Smejc did and he fell in love with the Maldives, just as nearly everyone who goes there does. He told Nihaj, “Find me an island. I want to buy one here”. Butlers are used to big talk so Nihaj thought nothing of the conversation. But within months, Smejc was back. “So have you found me an island?” he demanded. Of course, Nihaj had not. “Ok, find me one by the next time I come!” he commanded. So Nihaj went looking and when a suitable island was put on the market by the Maldivian government, he called Smejc. The billionaire flew in, looked at the island, liked it and began the process of leasing it from the government. Once he had the island, he resolved to build a villa for himself. But what would he do with the rest? That’s when the idea of a small all-villa hotel was born. Smejc knew that he could not compete with the standard resort hotels in the Maldives. So he gave his resort an exclusive, residential ambience with only 45 villas (something like One&Only that has around 130 rooms), each of them

huge in size and designed for long-stay guests (with large cupboards, pantries etc.) But because that would not be enough, he also turned it into a food and wine destination. Unusual for a resort with 45 keys, it has three restaurants and a room service menu that stretches on and on. The cellar has over 10,000 wines and apart from Romanée-Conti and Château Margaux, it also has real gems from boutique wineries that only collectors know about. The consulting chef is Adeline Grattard of Paris’s highly-regarded Yam ‘Tcha but the real star in the kitchen is the young Sri Lankan chef Gaushan de Silva. Smejc hired Gaushan from Huvafen by telling him, “You can spend a year travelling the world and training where you like at my expense.” So Gaushan spent three months at Noma and other great restaurants to supplement his previous experiences as personal chef to Queen Rania of Jordan (“a very discerning but demanding boss”). As tends to happen at resorts which are partly vanity projects for billionaires, Gaushan can order whatever ingredients he wants: one evening, he did an eight course menu alternating white and black truffles with each dish. But what I liked most about his food was the attention to detail: a Peking duck consomme was better than Matt Moran’s famous version; he cooked the best OHMI and Kobe beef till the outside was crisp and the fat had melted inside; his clams were a triumph of taste and presentation; and he slow-cooked a freshly caught Maldivian lobster so that it paired perfectly with white truffles. He is potentially one of Asia’s great chefs. So far, at least, Velaa has been lucky. There are lots of Russians and other millionaires prepared to pay these prices. The average spend on food and beverage per villa is in excess of $1,000 a day. But the management is looking further. It knows that Indians have money and there’s no shortage of millionaires looking for something more than the standard Four Seasons-One&Only experience. And Velaa’s air of exclusivity makes it attractive to the very rich. For the rest of us, of course, there’s still the rest of the Maldives. It’s not cheap any longer. But it is still one of the most beautiful destinations in the world.

MASTER OF SPICES

Sri Lankan chef Gaushan de Silva is the real star in the kitchens of the Velaa and is potentially one of Asia’s great chefs

MORE ON THE WEB For more columns by Vir Sanghvi, log on to hindustantimes.com/ brunch The views expressed by the columnist are personal

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Photos: SHUTTERSTOCK

A MAtter Of fAith

Let’s not allow Hindutva to destroy the essence of Hinduism: tolerance and openmindedness

VER THE last week, there was no escaping the controversy surrounding the Agra conversions. In case you have been hiding under your bed to avoid all the high-decibel, bad-tempered debates on primetime TV shows (and who can blame you!), an organisation called the Dharma Jagran Samanvay Vibhag (an offshoot of the RSS and Bajrang Dal) recently converted a community of Muslim ragpickers to Hinduism in what is called a ‘shuddhikaran’ (purification) ceremony and what the Sangh Parivar has dubbed ‘ghar vapasi’ (returning home). But even as the two houses of Parliament went into meltdown, and the voices of the commentariat became shriller than ever, all I could think about was an incident that happened in my own childhood. Like most kids of my background in those days, I studied in a school that was run by Christian missionaries.

Seema Goswami

spectator

DIFFERENT CALLINGS

My cousin, at age 12, wanted to become a Christian after reading the Bible and other religious tracts

So, we would start the day with a Christian prayer in the morning assembly; we would say Grace before heading for our lunch break, and a small prayer would be said before we broke up for the day. There was a lovely chapel on the premises, and come exam time, we would all file in of our own volition, bend down on our knees and cross ourselves nervously as we prayed fervently for good marks. No matter what our religion – and we had a smattering of Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists along with Hindus and Christians – we all went through this routine year in and year out. And yet, none of us felt that our own faiths – the religions we practised at home – were compromised by a few ‘Hail Marys’ or ‘Our Father, who art in heaven…’ The only exception (that I knew of, anyway) was my second cousin, who lived in Agra. At age 12, she became fascinated by Christianity, read the Bible and other religious tracts, and decided that she wanted to become a Christian. So, she took her request to the great patriarch of our family, her grandfather, a Sanskrit scholar of some distinction himself. Instead of exploding angrily at her request, as a lesser man may have done, he listened to her patiently, and asked her why she wanted to convert. She told him what she admired and loved about the Christian faith. Yes, he said to her, all of that is true. But do you really understand what you would be losing by giving up on Hinduism? No, she did not, she conceded reluctantly. No problem, said Bauji (as he was universally known). He would give her a few books on Hinduism that she could read over the month. They would meet and discuss what she had read every day. And if at the end of the month she still felt that Hinduism was not for her and she would rather be a Christian, then he would personally organise her baptism in the faith. Well, to cut a long story short, in the end my cousin decided to stay in the faith she was born in. But to this day, I

DECEMBER 21, 2014

TO EACH HIS OWN

My faith is an intensely private matter. It is an integral part of my being, but it is not what defines me am struck by the strength and sagacity of Bauji. He didn’t yell at my cousin that she was being stupid to even think of such a thing. He didn’t patronise her by saying that she was too young to make such a decision. And nor did he lay down the law: you are born a Hindu; and a Hindu you shall remain till the day you die. Instead, he appreciated why the tenets of Christianity had appealed to her. But rather than say that one religion was inferior/superior to another, he encouraged her to study both, and then make up her own mind. And whatever decision she made, he promised to support her. To me, Bauji epitomises the essential tolerance and fair-mindedness that is the hallmark of Hinduism; the acceptance that there are many paths that lead to God, and no one path is better than the other. It is that tolerance and fair-mindedness that makes me proud to be a Hindu. And it is that essential truth of Hinduism that Hindutva seeks to destroy, with its insistence on conversions that are brought about with inducements and blandishments rather than a reliance on a genuine change of heart. For me – as I suspect it is for most Indians – my faith is an intensely private matter. It is an integral part of my being, but it is not what defines me. I would still be the same person if I were a practising Muslim or Christian instead of a practising Hindu. At the end of the day, which God I worship comes entirely down to an accident of birth. Speaking for myself, I am happy that I was born in this faith. But an essential part of that faith is being tolerant of those who were born into others; and to respect the choice of those who wish to convert to another. Hinduism was not weakened when Muslim invaders came and converted thousands of Hindus to Islam over the centuries or when the missionaries came proselytising. And it will not be strengthened if various affiliates of the RSS go around ‘re-converting’ thousands of Muslims and Christians in the 21st century. At the end of the day, Hinduism derives its strength from the philosophy of life it espouses. It is a great religion because it teaches us that the entire world is one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). And it will stay strong because of people like my Bauji, who teach their children and grandchildren that it doesn’t matter what the road is called, just so long as it reaches God.

MORE ON THE WEB For more SPECTATOR columns by Seema Goswami, log on to hindustantimes.com/brunch. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami. Write to her at seema_ht@rediffmail.com The views expressed by the columnist are personal

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Ask Santa For Books

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo. And with that opening line, Little Women became the obvious go-to book for festive cheer. Add to that, some Dickens (A Christmas Carol – because how can you not love the jolly spirit, you Scrooge you!) or even O Henry (so what if your Christmas present is useless, it’s the thought that counts anyway and that is The Gift of the Magi). If you read as a kid, Dr Seuss gave you the grinch who stole Christmas (little lesson: Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.). And these books pretty much make most people turn red and green and all things warm and wonderful in December. So we decided to look through our bookshelves and Kindles and find you some of our favourite Christmassy books

by Saudamini Jain

The best Christmas story ever A CHRISTMAS MEMORY by Truman Capote This is the last Christmas seven-year-old Buddy spends with his very distant sixty-somethingyear-old childlike cousin Sook, who is also his best friend. They bake fruitcakes, go into the woods looking for a Christmas tree, save pennies, make kites for each other and on Christmas Day, ﬂy them together. In short, it is our favourite Christmas story of all time. Most of us discovered it tucked in our copies of Breakfast at Tiffany’s - A Short Novel and Three Stories. And it’s one we revisit over and over again. Lines to quote this Christmas: “Oh my,” she exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, “it’s fruitcake weather!”

The one book that belongs on your bookshelf LETTERS FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS by JRR Tolkien In 1920, when his ﬁrstborn was three years old, Tolkien began a Christmas tradition. For 23 years, he wrote letters to his four children, from Father Christmas. Some are short, some are long – they’re all written in a shaky handwriting. For some years, there are several letters written across the winter months. These are the adventures at the North Pole. There’s Father Christmas, his elvish secretary, crafty goblins and many other creatures. There are accompanying illustrations (which Tolkien drew himself). There are references to the Second World War too (The number of children who keep up with me seems to be getting smaller. I expect it is because of this horrible war...). You must buy a copy of the book if you love The Lord of The Rings, have children or if you ever wrote a letter to Santa.

A new book for the season THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS by Chris Priestley This is a fantasy book for young adults, really. But fullgrown adults like us also enjoyed it because it is a wonderful retelling of A Christmas Carol. We use the word, ‘retelling’ a little loosely here. Because although you know the story, this has its surprises. Two freezing, hungry children Sam and Lizzie follow a rich man (Scrooge, that is) on the street and ask him for money. When they are rudely refused (Bah! Humbug!), Sam vows to kill him. And so, from the very beginning, you move back and forth between the familiar territory of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future from Dickens’ original and the strange story of Sam and Lizzie. Read it because as the last line of the book states, For what would Christmas be without a ghost story?

DECEMBER 21, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Eat, Drink, Gift, Love...

If you’re playing Santa this Christmas, here’s a quick guide to what you can stuff in stockings. And if you haven’t got around to soaking the raisins in the rum yet for a traditional plum cake, we also have two quick-fix recipes. Many merry smiles are guaranteed in return.

by Satarupa Paul X-MAS LOLs You are no longer judged by the shoe you wear but by the cover your mobile wears. This cool phone jacket printed with new age acronyms will make your loved ones’ Christmas super KEWL. Available at: voxpopclothing.com; Price: `850

REEL THEM IN We all need a little help sometime. And when help is as funky as this packing tape that will make gift wrapping so much more fun, who are we to refuse? Available at: happilyunmarried.com; Price: `150

A LITTLE BLING A hot pink clutch is the perfect accessory for parties this week. This one will score you some brownie points with your wife/girlfriend. Available at: Hidesign stores; Price: `3,000 (approx)

SWEET SOMETHINGS No one says no to sweet delights, especially when they look cute as buttons as these Christmas cake pops. Available in two flavours – chocolate and red velvet. Available at: divinelicious.com; Price: `150 onwards

BOX OF CHEER When they pull out this delicate little silver box from their stockings, they will be in for a surprise inside a surprise! (Tip: You can fill the box with pretty silver earrings and anklets) Available at: Episode stores; Price: On request

PARTY NIGHTS Let your husband/boyfriend get a little goofy this Christmas with these fun drinking goggles. And when he gets a little too tipsy, they are all yours to flaunt. After all, why should boys have all the fun! Available at: giveter.com; Price: `299

A Pudding And A Punch INGREDIENTS For the batter: Butter 450 gms, Breakfast sugar 250 gms, Eggs 8, Refined flour 470 gms, Ground cinnamon 2 gms, Coco powder 50 gms, Curd For the Christmas mix: Tutti Fruti 100 gms, Cashew nut 100 gms, Golden raisin 100 gms, Candy Ginger 25 gms, Candy orange peel 25 gms, Dry black currant 25 gms, Chocolate chips 150 gms, Dark Rum 120 ml, Red Wine 90 ml METHOD Take room temperature butter and beat it with the sugar. Begin stirring the eggs in it one by one until the mixture becomes fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix refined flour, cinnamon and coco powder. Add this dry mixture into the egg, butter and sugar mixture. Add curd to the above and mix well. Also mix in the dry fruits and chocolate chips. Add the dark rum and wine and mix it well. Take silicon moulds and fill them up with the mixture. Set them in a pre heated (180 degree) oven for 30-35 minutes. Unmould and dust with sugar

INGREDIENTS Vodka 60 ml, Rum 60 ml, Gin 60 ml, Tequila 60 ml, Red Wine 150 ml, Sugar syrup 60 ml, Cranberry Juice 150 ml, Red Apple 1 Whole, Orange 1 Whole, Clove 8 pcs, Star Anise 3 pcs, Black Pepper 8 pcs, Cinnamon 2 small sticks METHOD Place a non-stick frying pan on a low flame and add all the spices. Toss them for a minute to release their aromatic oils. Remove the pan from fire, add the cranberry juice and let it sit for 15 minutes so that the juice can absorb all the flavours from the spices. In a pitcher add sliced apples and oranges, the wine and the spirits. Add the spiced cranberry juice and give a good stir. Add sugar according to taste. Serve the punch warm or with ice. Recipe courtesy: Anthony Phillip, manager and sommelier, The Chatter House, Epicuria Mall, Nehru Place, Delhi

Recipe courtesy: Chef Sanjeev Sharma, Amour The Patio Restaurant Café & Bar, Hauz Khas Village, Delhi

DECEMBER 21, 2014

PERSONAL AGENDA

twitter.com/HTBrunch

DJ/Music Producer

David Guetta BIRTHDAY HOMETOWN

November 7

Paris, France

SUN SIGN PLACE OF BIRTH Scorpio

Starting the EDM revolution

Spicy curry

DECEMBER 21, 2014

The best place to make new music. I love being on planes; I make a lot of music on flights because there’s no phone, no Internet, no meetings. What kind of music did you play when you were starting out as a DJ? It was a mix of funk and new wave. It’s funny because it’s what I do today, a mix of dark electronic sad sounds with happy groovy songs. I’m actually producing the music today that I was playing when I was 17. What is your favorite music-related meme? Harlem Shake, for sure. I love the way the dance became owned by everyone. The best place in the world to party. Ibiza is the mecca of house music. It was once the only place where underground music was mainstream. What does it take for a song to catch your attention? Melody, rhythm, emotion, energy. Any artists from other genres you listen to? If I’m home, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Home is where… The party is! – Interviewed by Satarupa Paul

CURRENTLY I AM...

In India to play at the Enchanted Valley Carnival

LOW POINT OF YOUR LIFE

I can’t remember any as I tend to overcome them easily

ONE EDM ARTIST YOU LIKE TO DANCE TO

Avicii

ONE DANCE MOVE YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN

my music

If you weren’t a DJ or music producer, sneakers, but no brand made you would’ve been... me go, “I want to I’m a DJ at heart; buy all the pairs” ONE INDIAN DISH music is my vitamin like girls do. YOU WANT TO pill. I love to make A side of you no one TRY OUT THIS people dance; knows about. TIME it’s a great way of I don’t drink or bringing people smoke. together regardless Ten years from now… of religion, I’ll be DJing on the nationality, sexuality moon, maybe! or belief. Adventure for you is... The first time you realised Playing in new cities you wanted to become a DJ. and experimenting with While strolling down my sound. Parisian streets barefoot at Being French, what’s your the age of eight. secret to wooing women? Your favourite music festival. Don’t try too hard. The French Every time I play a track at Ultra are a little laidback. But there (in Miami), it brings me luck! are different kinds of women, so Your most memorable award moment. you can’t have one rule. MTV’s European Music Awards One tip for beginners getting into in Belfast; I was the only DJing or music production. electronic music artist invited. The application of knowledge is Playing in a club and at a music festimore important than the name val, how are they different? one makes. Collaboration is When I play in a club, it’s healthy; be an eternal learner. like going back to my roots Many of the old school believe as a resident DJ. I try more electronica is not real music. experimental stuff there. At a We are the laptop generation. fest, when you play to 20,000 We make computer music. or 50,000 people, they want to If the party’s flagging, what’s your hear your records. That’s more go-to record? Smack My Bi*ch Up. It works like a show, like a concert. every time. Fashion for you is... What does 2015 hold for you? Definitely Louboutin shoes. Lots of experimentation and Shoes are my new obsession. collaborations. I used to have a collection of

FIRST BREAK

Launched Gum Productions

Paris, France

HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE

Photo: THIINKSTOCK

The moonwalk, maybe

NEW ELECTRO DJs TO LOOK OUT FOR

What’s really exciting for me is to find really talented people who are not necessarily the most famous. I like Bastille, Afrojack, John Newman, Calvin Harris, Nicky Romero and Natural Born Chillers ONE DJ OR MUSICIAN YOU IDOLISE

Michael Jackson. I would have loved to collaborate with him, but it’s too late now