FWD Life January 2013

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Happy New Year

Biennale 12/12/12

Kochi hosts the world

iffk 2012 Celluloid shots Parvathy Omanakuttan

A ringside view of the festival

Beauty means passion

EMMANUVAL MAKEOVER RAJEEV PILLAI

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FWD Life Magazine ISSUE 03 VOL 02 JANUARY 2013 ` 50 www.fwdlife.in

Happy New Year

Biennale 12/12/12

Kochi hosts the world

iffk 2012 Celluloid shots Parvathy Omanakuttan

A ringside view of the festival

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Pranam Guruji Pt.Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)

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n mid 90’s, walking into a friend’s new house, hours before the housewarming, I heard the strains of a strangely exhilarating composition. It was classical, yet almost defiantly folksy. That was the first time I heard Pandit Ravi Shankar’s composition. He became for me, like millions all over the world, the bridge between Indian classical and World music. The collaboration between Panditji and Yehudi Menuhin, West Meets East became the stepping stone for me from the strict notation sheet music in the western tradition to the more free flowing improvisations of Hindustani. Later exploring jazz in smoky pubs, discovered John Coltrane, Philip Glass and their Ravi Shankar influences. Somewhere in between all this, amidst college fests and camp fires, listen to not just the Ravi Shankar aura of the Woodstock, the Monterey Pop Festival; but also the Indian phase of the Beatles. The first mega star benefit concert to aid the war and famine victims of Bangladesh that he organised later became topic of debate during post graduate Critical Theory courses. Thank you ji for making my music lessons a series of happy discoveries.

EDITOR Abraham Tharakan

Beauty means passion

EMMANUVAL MAKEOVER RAJEEV PILLAI

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Contents 10 Kochi-Muziris Biennale 64 people

30 70

beauty

means

passion

Revolution

@ online

From lake shores

Siddhartha Lama

24

A Himalayan affair

Tryst with tunes

28

Experts talk on Music Therapy

The joy of music

26

Passion for music instruments

Theatre Musical extravaganza 8

Life

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57

leisure

Startups

36

62

WOW! designs

Life @ startup

63

Events at Startup Village

Award

78

Josco Group MD gets honours

Food

68

DJ Sukethu

82

Simply continental

IFFK

2012 16

Party scene at Dream Hotel

Health

61

A review of healthcare sector

Automobile

66

Sporty, stylish SAIL

Let's partaaay!!

74

Falguni, Shane Peacock in Goa

Party

46

FWD Life cover launch function

Launch

78

New office for Asten Mather co.

Music & Party

58

Moulded in luxury

Rajeev Pillai

81

Tickled pink with Kini Rao

WTF

80

Readers respond: "Capital punishment for rapists?"

Gadgets 76 Get to know what are the picks of this month

Thunderbox with DJ 79

50 Ladakh a photo story 2013 JANUARY

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biennale 12/12/12

Kochi hosts the world The epoch-making art carnival , the Kochi Muziris Biennale 12/12/ 12 has over 80 artists from 24 countries, half of them Indian, presenting their installations, paintings, sculptures, films and performing arts over the next three months at 14 venues spread across Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam. Though dogged by controversies, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has been able to overcome the hurdles and resistances in order to begin a “cultural shift through social and political engagement,” as Riyas Komu, secretary of the Kochi Biennale Foundation and co- curator of the event, puts it

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rtists, aesthetes and the common people gathered in Fort Kochi recently in protest against the vandalisation of a couple of works of art at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, and deplored the act as “heinous”.

At a sit-in was organized in front of the Cochin Carnival Office where a black-and-white portrait of a tea vendor was partly defaced earlier, they carried placards that said ‘Love Art’ and ‘Don’t Attack’.

It was on the fence of the Carnival office that Australian artist Daniel Connell had sketched the face of N.P. Ashraf aka Achu, a jovial middleaged man, who runs a tea stall opposite the road near the beach. The big charcoal-drawn picture, completed on Monday night amid a spontaneously gathered crowd of onlookers, was desecrated the next day by an unknown passerby.

“No one who loves art would do this. It can’t be somebody from an accommodative heritage town like Fort Kochi,” said Cochin Carnival Committee patron P.J. Josy.

Committee general secretary Jose Edwin called upon people to guard against repeat of such 'sacrilegious' acts.

The vandalization of Connell’s work came close on the heels of a similar incident at Aspinwall House, the main venue of the three-month festival, where a painting of South African artist Clifford Charles was seen sprayed with paint. Both the artists subsequently redid their work.

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Daniel Connell recreating his vandalised work

Art sans boundaries

In the first installment of the Binnale feature, some artiste who caught our eyes

Amar Kanwar

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f India has lost a large number of indigenous and organic rice varieties over past several years, it should be troubling agricultural bureaucracy and farmers - surely not an artist. Amar Kanwar thinks otherwise. The Delhi-based maker of films and art has found a platform in Kochi-Muziris Biennale to express his concern through a stunning video installation.

“The loss of rice varieties is only the sub-plot of a wider story, which encompasses a whole host of issues: the sovereignty of crops, the overpowering influence of market forces on the selection of crops, usurpation of land and the wider politics of power and violence,” says Kanwar, who has mounted his multi-channel video installation - The Sovereign Forest - at the Aspinwall House.

On the one hand, there is disappearance of rice

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varieties. On the other, there is the issue of existing varieties that may be lost as there is little demand for them. “Farmers are being compelled by market forces to grow only those varieties for which a demand has been created. For example, rice for biryani,” says the artist. As part of the installation, the artist has displayed 266 varieties of paddy seeds that are grown in Orissa, but face a threat of extinction. If their land is usurped, the knowledge about these crops will also be gone, rues Kanwar.

Kanwar, a recipient of the 1st Edward Munch award for Contemporary Art, Norway, says his focus constantly oscillates between ‘issues of justice’ and ‘resistance’. “Maybe I have now realised that justice and resistance’ is the same as ‘hope and despair’, ‘love and solitude’, ‘interconnectedness and separation’.

Paris Vishwanadhan

he Kerala-born Paris Vishwanadhan will showcase his 1976 work, ‘Sand’, at the first Kochi-Muziris Biennale beginning on Wednesday. The Paris-based artist has done several changes to the work for the installation at Aspinwall House, a major biennale venue.

“In 1976, I collected sand from India’s coastal areas and made a panel of 17 squares, filling up the sand in each of them, one square for each place from where I gathered the sand,” Vishwanadhan said ahead of the art event’s inauguration.

‘Sand’ went on to become a major work for the 72-year-old artist, who left India when he was 28.

“The installation is a ‘prathishta’. In that sense, my artwork is a ‘pratishta’,” says Vishwanadhan.

Vishwanadhan chose each place of his sand collection for its “cultural, historical and mytho-

logical memories”. The places included Dwaraka, Porbandar, Dandi, Somnath and Mumbai. In Kerala, he collected sand from Kannur. He also went to the beaches in Kanyakumari, Pondicherry and Chennai.

Celebrated Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan shot a film based on Vishwanadhan’s artwork. The 90-minute film, along with other films made by Vishwanadhan himself, will be screened at the Aspinwall House venue exhibiting the artist’s work.

Vishwanadhan has changed the position of the squares from his earlier work for the biennale, bringing the square denoting Dandi to the middle of the panel with the other square surrounding it. “Dandi is the central point of my work. It is a point of resistance,” Vishwanadhan said.

Vishwanadhan described the Kochi-Muziris Biennale as a “very important event”.

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biennale 12/12/12

K P Reji

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he bustle in his massive art work juxtaposes with the placidity of the blue sea kissing the venue. K P Reji seeks to glorify a local legend while thoughtfully letting a flurry of unrelated images distract the viewer at Pepper House a heritage house renovated for the event.

Reji describes how his work Thumbingal Chathan’ has given a twist to the folklore protagonist who is popular in his part of coastal Kerala.

“The good old tale surrounding him seeks to portray Chathan as a tragic victim. In my work, he is a hero,” points out the 41-year-old artist, a native of Chandiroor in Alappuzha district.

The story dates back to an imaginary time

when people of the Pulaya community had an upper hand in farming. To rule them, the members of the lowly-seen caste had brought in a warrior-class Nair family.As for culture in general, Kerala has seen a major shift in sensibilities over the past decade, Reji feels, attributing it to the film festivals hosted in the state. “Malayalis have begun enjoying cinema frame by frame. Such a rise in the level of appreciation can happen in their world of art too, courtesy the Biennale,” he says. “The future editions of the event will ensure it.”

Reji is sure that the days of keener acceptance of installation art are not far. “Those who ridicule that genre of art will sooner than later realise the worth of installations,” he adds.

Chris Dercon

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nfluential Belgian art scholar Chris Dercon, who is director of the Tate Modern art gallery in London is part of The Biennale. Dercon, 54, alongside his boss Sir Nicholas Serota, is shaping not only contemporary art, but the cultural policy in Europe. Tate Modern, the institution the duo runs, is one of the world’s most important centers for contemporary art. It is also the most-visited modern art gallery across continents — with around 4.7 million visitors per year.

Dercon, after working as program director of PS1 Museum in New York, became director of Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam in 1990. Three years later, he took over as head of

Vivan Sundaram

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or acclaimed artist Vivan Sundaram, urban metropolises are an irresistible infatuation.

Some years ago in Delhi where he lives, Sundaram created an installation — more precisely, a city of garbage made up of toothbrushes, plastic bags and empty coke cans.

At the biennale Sundaram’s installation is a lost city - the ancient port of Muziris, whose remains are being excavated near Kochi in central Kerala.

“In my new project, there is some continuation of a formal exploration of a city space,” says the 69-year-old artist, an alumnus of MS University, Baroda and Slade School of London. “And in a general sense, there is a relationship between my earlier city project and the present one.”

The point of departure for ‘Black Gold’, Sundaram’s installation at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, was a meeting with Dr P J Cherian, Director of Kerala

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Museum Boijmans Van Veuningen in the same city in the Netherlands.

His exhibitions include “unpacking Europe”, curated with Salah Hassan with non-Western Artists.

In 2003, he became director of the Haus der Kunst in Munich, where he organised an exhibition of Andreas Gusky that toured to Istanbul and Sharjah.

In 2010, an exhibition of Arab ancient, modern and contemporary art entitled “The Future of Tradition — The Tradition of Future”, looked back at the exhibition conducted 100 years before on Islamic art. In Munich, Dercon also produced exhibitions on architecture, design and fashion. He has also written about and worked in television and film.

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Council for Historical Research, in Kerala in September this year. With the Council being the nodal agency for the Muziris Heritage Project, Dr Cherian was heading the excavation work at Pattanam, believed to be part of Muziris, and Sundaram was looking for an idea for the biennale project.

“Dr Cherian said I could take the pottery shards on loan and I decided to create this imaginary city,” says the artist standing near his installation at the Aspinwall House, a major venue of the biennale, in the heritage town of Fort Kochi.

In the next weeks, Sundaram read about Muziris. “About how and why this city disappeared,” he says. He soon found that Muziris was a port town with a trading presence and a barter system because money had just started coming in. It was around the first century AD and the port city mysteriously disappeared in the 14th century.

hues of desi flavour The various instances around Kochi that influences the artiste

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dding new colours to the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a group of art students from Gujarat and celebrated South African artist Clifford Charles have chosen novel and varied canvases –parasols (muthukuda) and a Royal Enfield motorcycle - to lend local flavours into art installations. The passion for colours has been the hallmark of the works by Clifford. Opting Enfield as his canvass this time, he is again on a task to play with his favourite colours. He first used colours to create an art work based on what he witnessed during his travel from the office of Biennale at Kunnumpuram to the Aspinwall House in a big canvas. He used the raw materials from streets and different business establishments to make this installation.

Clifford Charles customising a Royal Enfield bike

Joseph Semah at Jewish Synagogue, Kochi

The Iran-born Jew Joseph Semah set out for the city’s eight-century-old Bagdadi Synagogue, triggering religious activity in the shrine that had slipped into slumber for long.

For, the place of worship is typically sleepy, as it conducts no rituals despite a facelift over the past two decades. The shrine, built in the 1200s and renovated three centuries later, had fallen into disuse and dilapidation by the late 1980s following the migration of Kerala’s Jews in batches to Israel since the Middle East nation gained Independence in 1948.

Today, Kochi has some 45 Bagdadi Jews left — and most of them were assembled at the Kavumbhagam synagogue to embrace Semah, who was raised in Tel Aviv and is living in Amsterdam.

The artist, who lived in Iranian capital till he was two years old, lit the traditional Hanukkah lamp yesterday. “Yeah, I lit two wicks; it has eight in total,” said Semah, whose installation based on a 9th-century declaration by the last Chera king of Muziris (Kodungallur).

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biennale 12/12/12

Film Fraternity

@ Biennale When actors and directors turned up to view the installations at various locations...

Mammootty at Zhang Enli's space

the scale and grandeur of contemporary art that is happening outside Kerala and also abroad, renowned director Lal Jose said.“Some friends persuaded me to get a feel of the Biennale. That is how I came here. It is exhilarating. I’ll revisit the place — with my family. They shouldn’t miss seeing all this,” the filmmaker told the organisers. The multicolour images that Chinese artist Zhang Enli had employed to decked up the four walls of his site enthused the director. “Click as many pictures as you can, whichever angles possible,” he told a camera crew that followed him.

Lal Jose said he was not competent to review art. “Beauty, anyway, is subjective. Whatever can make you joyous is a work of art. I get to know how marvellous it is here,” he added.

Babu Antony, after seeing the works, said he has been an ardent admirer of art, having been a painter himself during his earlier years in Bangalore.

Actor Jishnu said it was particularly wonderful to see the Biennale providing the ideal kind of space for foreign and Indian artists. “The Biennale should have happened much before in India. Events like these would help us alter the notion that high art is only for the elite,” he said after a three-hour visit to Aspinwall.

B

ollywood star John Abraham paid a short-notice visit to a key site of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and sprang a bigger surprise by pledging Rs 10 lakh in support of the three-month art extravaganza. John, whose father is an architect from Aluva near this city, was taken around the various installation art and painting sites at the sea-facing heritage building by fellow Mumbaikar Bose Krishnamachari, the Malayali cocurator of India’s first Biennale.The actor said the Biennale had the capability to refine the mind of the viewer. “It is when you get to know deeper about an art that you plumb its amazing depths. I’ve now got the inspiration to visit more biennales across the world,” he said.

“What is not art here!” exclaimed Mammootty, as the superstar visited the Kochi-Muziris Biennale today and took a view of the installations and paintings displayed at the Aspinwall House.“See that flag-post over there.... Even that is a work of art,” said the celebrity actor, wearing cooling-glass and looking up at the cluster of green and yellow bamboo poles pitched in the central courtyard of the heritage building, where he was talking to the media after a 90-minute round of a variety of new-age art work.

Impressed with the magnitude and aesthetics of the work, Mammooty said the Biennale merited ticketed entry for the public.

Mammootty said the Biennale was a “great event” that should make his native Kerala proud, given that Kochi has become the country’s first city host the festival that has a 117-year-old history globally.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale will give the average Malayali a chance to sense 14

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John Abarham with Bose Krishnamachari

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iffk 2012

Dash of celluloid shots Text K.R. REJEESH Photo VARIOUS SOURCES

IFFK 2012 held in Thiruvananthapuram from December 7-14 showcased over 190 films, including films from Vietnam and Australian indigenous films

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated IFFK 2012 at Nishagandhi Auditorium by lighting the lamp

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very year when IFFK begins, Kalabhavan Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram will be the centre of attraction for all, including the media. This time too the serpentine queues at the theatre around 8.30 am conveyed what IFFK meant to be for film buffs in Kerala. Meanwhile, the commotion of delegates nearly broke the glass of the renovated theatre which was inaugurated the previous day. During the screening of the Chinese movie “Mystery”, delegates had to stand inside the hall due to want of seats.

Inauguration In the evening, the inauguration of the 17th edition of IFFK 2012 was held at Nishagandhi Auditorium.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp from the light handed over by actor Meera Nandan. When Priyadarsan asked for a ‘boon’ from the CM, he readily agreed.

The ‘boon’ was a cinema complex in the city. The Chief Minister assured that it will soon be a reality.

Actor Mohanlal, Chalachitra Academy Chairman Priyadarsan, director Sibi Malayil, Australian filmmaker Paul Cox, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Sasi Tharoor, Minister for 16

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Cinema Ganesh Kumar, MLAs K. Muraleedharan and Sivankutty, Mayor S. Chandrika, among others were present at the function. After the function, Hitchcock’s silent movie “The Ring” (1927) was screened in front of packed audience.

The live music accompaniment by famous hip-hop musician Soweto Kinch and seven musicians from the UK was a novel experience for the thousands of spectators thronged the Nishagandhi Auditorium.

Valedictory function The closing ceremony had the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Minister for Culture K.C. Joseph, Minister Ganesh Kumar, Priyadarsan, Paul Cox and Beena Paul et al.

The guest of honour, filmmaker Soleymane Cisse, described his experience here as ‘magical’. Nitin Kakkar, director of Filmistan, got thunderous applause from the ecstatic audience on his arrival at the venue and it carried on when he received the award too.

After the award ceremony, there was scintillating performance by Thavil maestro Karunamoorthy. From behind the audience, 100 Thappattam dancers armed with the Parai drum filled the stage.

Movies Ivan’s Woman Plot: This Chile film by acclaimed woman director Francisca Silva is based on a true story. It tells the story of Natasha, a little girl, who was kidnapped by Ivan. They live like family, despite the repressive regime they live in. With the young woman’s coming of age, they find themselves acquiring a new level of intimacy.

Response: Silva bagged the Best Director Award for the film at IFFK 2012. The film had housefull shows at the festival.

When it was screened at Sreepadmanabha Theatre, Kollywood filmmaker Vasanthabalan was also one among the audience.

Sta. Nina Plot: When Paulino Mungcal and his co-worker in a laharfilled quarry unexpectedly dig up the remains of his two-yearold daughter, they discover that she showed no signs of decay.

Could this be a miracle, could she-despite death- cure the sick?

Response: Directed by Emmanuel Quindo Palo, the film bagged Golden Crow Pheasant for Best Film. The film could generate an overwhelming response from the delegates.

Filmistaan Plot: An Indian wanna-be-actor is kidnapped by a terrorist group and they hold him captive in Pakistan. Soon the two realize they share a cultural bond. The film depicts how cinema can be panacea for co-existence.

Response: No other films at IFFK 2012 have got the appreciation as “Filmistaan” obtained. Moreover, director Nitin Kakkar was mobbed by people to express their joy at theatres.

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iffk 2012

The Repentant Plot: As Islamist groups continue to spread terror, Rashid, a young Jihadist, leaves the mountains to return to his village.

In keeping with the law 'of pardon and national harmony', he has to surrender to the police and give up his weapon. He thus receives amnesty. But the law cannot erase his crimes.

Response: This Algerian film by Merzak Allouache was selected as the Best Competition Movie. It had tremendous response at theatres.

Shutter Plot: Malayalam movie “Shutter� tells the life of a Gulf Malayali. The agony and ecstasy of life depicts through the realities of our voyeuristic Kerala society visualized through familiar characters in our current sociopolitical milieu.

Response: Directed by Joy Mathew, this film was on top at the audience poll from the outset. At the closing ceremony, the crowd applauded every time the movie was mentioned by the speakers on the dais.

On record Shaji. N. Karun, filmmaker: Audience is very strong here. Their participation and tremendous response to good cinema make IFFK an outstanding event than any other film festivals in India. This is an advantage for good films.

Beena Paul, Artistic Director, IFFK 2012: If you ask me about the biggest challenge this year, I would say it was the technical challenges. As there were changes in screening format -- 35mm, digital etc, it caused a few technical glitches. Baring this, I am very satisfied and we had quite healthy festival.

People were patient despite some technical difficulties. Their response was very good. Next year, I think we need to have improvements in technical issues.

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ART of cinema

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oorya Krishnamoorthy is an ardent fan of good films. Though unwell, he was seen among the delegates at theatres to watch some of the best films at IFFK 2012. We bumped into him during the screening of Malayalam film “Ithra Matram” at Anjali Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram. Excerpts from the chat:

As a film buff, how was your experience at IFFK 2012?

I was in hospital for a few days. So I couldn’t watch many films. But as far as IFFK 2012 is concerned, you can’t ignore the commendable work of Minister Ganesh Kumar. He did what he promised last year to rectify the drawbacks of IFFK. The construction of Kairali, Nila and Sree theatres were completed in time. It’s a great change.

As years go by, this festival becomes more important. You wouldn’t see such a public participation in any of the film festivals in the world. In Goa, the film festival is very high-tech, but the people’s participation is minimal. There are improvements

every year in the IFFK. I think IFFK 2012 is a great success compared to its previous editions.

And the

award goes to..

Do film festivals help Malayalam Cinema?

Golden Crow Pheasant for Best Film

Film festivals can improve the standard of appreciation by the audience. It can bring the change what film societies did here long ago.

Sta. Nina (Philippines) Director: Emmanuel Quindo Palo

There was a mad rush to watch award winning films. But why do such films bite the dust at box office?

Silver Crow Pheasant for Best Director Francisca Silva (Film: Ivan’s Woman)

We have to evolve a culture of watching all good films in theatres. Instead of watching it at festivals and film societies alone, we should watch such films at theatres. Also it’s important to talk about good films. Mouth publicity is important. Unfortunately, it’s Malayalees’ psychology to talk eloquently about flop films.

Nitin Kakkar (Film: Filmistaan)

Any disappointment this year…

ID (Hindi), Director: K.M. Kamal

Yes. I missed a few good films due to illness. I wish I watched “Shutter” and Paul Cox’s films.

Rajatha Chakoram for Best Debutant Director NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film in Competition category NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film Ee Adutha Kalathu (Director: Arunkumar Aravind)

FIPRESCI Award for Best Competition Movie The Repentant (Algeria), Director: Merzak Allouache

FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Movie Ithra Matram (Director: K. Gopinathan)

Audience Poll Award for Best Film Shutter (Malayalam), Director: Joy Mathew

Special Jury mention The Last Step (Iran, Director: Ali Mosaffa) and Today (Senegal, Director: Alain Gomis)

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iffk 2012

Flames of depression Text P.P. Govindan

When the authorities insisted for several ‘cuts’ in the movie, the creators must have feared that their creativity would lose its soul

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n the 17th edition of IFFK 2012, the controversy regarding the omission of the film “Papilio Buddha” created a buzz. As a member of the Selection Committee, the controversies have pained me a lot. In fact, the film had conveyed me a new phase of my childhood life which was filled with poverty and hardships. Once again I realized that when the impact of upheavals shrinks the veins of a society, expecting sympathy from the

world around you is like building castles in the air.

It is not necessary that an artist’s painting to be in terms with the visual experience of a spectator. There will be a lot of variations. Sometimes it may be like a balancing act. Those who were livid against the decision of dropping “Papilio Buddha” from the IFFK 2012 are connoisseurs of good creativity. They respect art. When the authorities insisted for several ‘cuts’ in the movie, the creators must have feared that their creativity would lose its soul. But those who took scissors might felt that the highly respected principles of a country could not be treated like throwing caution to the wind to create another world of creativity.

Unfortunately, had the makers of “Papilio Buddha” changed their minds earlier, we could have experienced another visual beauty at IFFK 2012.

Like the films “ID”, “Filmistaan” and “Shutter”, it could have provided a different experience to the audience. When “Papilio Buddha” gave a miss to the film festival, like many, I too had flames of depression in my mind.

(P.P. Govindan is a producer-director based in Kannur. An alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, he was a member of the IFFK 2012 Selection Jury)

They said…

Off-screen shots

It was my first film festival. Seven days at the festival gave the definition of cinema in the best possible way. Films of Alfred Hitchcock and Paul Cox gave chance to see the best films ever made. In the World Cinema section, “Holy Motors”, “Lawrence Anyways” and “Rose” are my favourites. “Filmistaan”, under competition films, was also a good cinematic experience which gave the feel of an Indian movie in every sense. Deepa Mehta’s “Midnight's Children” added colour to the festival. Above all, star of the festival turned out to be none other than Kim Ki-duk with all his films, “Arirang” and “Pieta”, screened in packed houses.

Emil Thomas, student

I had a good experience at IFFK 2012. I watched mostly Indian films. I am for the first time attending the international film festival.

So the curiosity was there. Along with my friends, I watched a few foreign films. Also it helped me get a good perspective about world cinema. I am not the kind of person to give an authentic review of films. But I reckon package of films could have been better.

Supriya, Mass Communication student

There were good Malayalam films at IFFK. I liked Bengali movie “Chitrangada”. There are fewer theatres here compared to Goa festival. We have to reduce number of delegates to give opportunity to genuine cineastes to watch films. In Goa there are only around 4,000 delegates. I saw people rushing in theatres and leaving the hall in a huff after 15 or 20 minutes of screening. I watched a lot of good movies.

Jithin, Assistant director in films

I have come to Thiruvananthapurm to attend IFFK 2012. The number of good films was lesser this time. I liked the Hindi film “ID”. I think Open Forum should be reinstated at IFFK. Previous years, it was a venue for healthy discussions for genuine film buffs; though some people took it as a stage for airing obscene remarks.

Charles George, Media professional

Paul Cox’s new movie will be an Indo-Australian production. Baby Mathew Somatheeram will be the co-producer of the movie.

There was a lukewarm response to Akira Kurosawa’s film “Stray Dog,” screened at Dhanya Theatre, compared to the overwhelming response got by his other films at IFFK 2012.

Chalachitra Academy to get a film complex in Thiruvananthapuram. A 30-seat air-conditioned van will be introduced to exhibit films in rural areas.

Filmmaker Suveeran protested the omission of his National Award winning movie “Byari” from IFFK 2012. Later, Minister Ganesh Kumar tendered an apology for ignoring the film.

Some 'delegates' raised slogans in front of Kairali Theatre complex against the surveillance cameras installed on the theatre premises and inside the cinema hall. They said it was an intrusion on their freedom of movement.

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iffk 2012

Midnight’s

Children rock!

Deepa Mehta-directed “Midnight’s Children” had its India premiere at IFFK 2012

T

he gala premiere of the much awaited film “Midnight’s Children,” directed by Deepa Mehta was one of the major attractions of IFFK 2012. It was the film’s first public screening in India. Based on the acclaimed novel written by Salman Rushdie, the film was screened at Anjali Theatre. The rush was such that it forced Minister Ganesh Kumar to sit on the floor to watch the movie!

The movie is a riveting tale of Saleem Sinai, a boy born at the exact time of India’s Independence.

From the unlikely romance of Saleem’s grandparents to the birth of his own son, the movie is a journey at once sweeping in scope and yet intimate in tone.

Hopeful, comic and magical – the film conjures images and characters as rich and unforgettable as India herself. The cast include Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Rajat Kapoor, Seema Biswas, Shriya Saran, Siddharth, Ronit Roy, Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Darsheel Safary, Soha Ali Khan, Shabana Azmi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.

Love letter to India “Salman Rushdie has often said that his novel “Midnight’s Children” is his love letter to India. In its essence the movie is about the search for a home, an identity and a family. A quest that is universal and familiar to us all. I’m thrilled to be here in Kerala. My love affair with Kerala started with my film “Fire”,” said Deepa Mehta.

Was Salman Rushdie ready to write the script for the film? Deepa replies, “He did not want to write in the beginning. He has healthy and pragmatic regard for his work. Also he has a very good cinematic sense. Of course, there were arguments between us. But there was none that couldn’t be resolved.”

The film’s producer David Hamilton too had sweet memories about God’s Own Country. “I was here with “Fire”. I was stunned to see the response 22

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to the film “Water”. So I had decided that any film we show should be here first. That’s the reason we do the premiere of “Midnight’s Children” here,” he added.

Recalling the occasion when Salman Rushdie watched the film, Deepa Mehta said, “I was very nervous. There was dead silence in the end. Rushdie was crying.” She recalled that Rushdie had sent an e-mail saying that he wanted to know about the response in Kerala once the screening is over.

As a director, she had been given complete freedom by Rushdie in deleting and adding certain scenes in the film. Interestingly, the voice over in the film is done by the maverick writer himself.

Magical realism Deepa Mehta finds the words in the book as stunning. It is based on realism opposite to magic.

The challenge she faced was how to make dream sequences magical. She said such scenes were shot

The film was shot in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Deepa Mehta said it was difficult to recreate the look of 1920s and 40s in Mumbai and New Delhi.

So they had to shoot those scenes in Sri Lanka rooted in reality.

The film was shot in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Deepa said it was difficult to recreate the look of 1920s and 40s in Mumbai and New Delhi. So they had to shoot those scenes in Sri Lanka. According to her, Sri Lanka hasn’t changed much.

“Midnight’s Children” has received wide acclaim at the Telluride and Toronto International film festivals. It is slated for release in February 2013 in India.

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in focus

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A Himalayan affair Siddhartha Lama, who was a child artist in the 1992 film Yodha, makes a come back to Mollywood with Lenin Rajendran-directed Edavapathi. He goes down memory lane about his debut in Mollywood Text & Photos Siji Pradeep

H

e links Mollywood with Nepal. The cute child Unnikuttan aka Rimboche in the 1992 Malayalam film “Yodha” is back here; this time as a handsome young man. In his new avatar, we can see him in veteran director Lenin Rajendran’s new film “Edavapathi”. The film tells the story of Tibetan refugees in India and Siddhartha Lama plays the role of a young Tibetan saint who searches for the soul of his own land.

When I met him in Nepal, first I noticed was his enduring innocent smile that captured the hearts of Malayalam audience. From the charming Unnikuttan in the movie, Siddhartha Lama has grown into a young man with a lot of responsibilities. In addition to his social activities, he is the personal secretary to his father who is the Secretary of Sports Council in Nepal Ministry.

Throughout the conversation, inter alia, Siddhartha Lama wistfully recalled his “Yodha” days.

Excerpts from the interview:

How did you become part of the film “Yodha”?

In addition to his social activities, Siddhartha Lama is the personal Does the character Rimboche really secretary to his father who exist in Nepal? is the Secretary of Sports Yes. But their life is not so dramatic as portrayed in Council in Nepal Ministry the movie. They lead a peaceful life. In my knowl“Bindi” to see me blushing. This time, I am eager to see and act along with actor Jagathy Sreekumar again.

edge, there are over 50 monasteries in Nepal. About five or six Rimboches are living there.

You went into oblivion after one film.

Why? After “Yodha”, I did two or three Nepali movies. My first film in Nepali, “Devta” was produced by my father. After that I concentrated on my studies. After studies I joined my father in his own film production company. I am the MD of Cine Craft Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Also I am the secretary of D-Care Foundation which works as part of the Anti-drug Campaign Preservation Movement. Apart from rehabilitation, it aims at creating awareness against the use of drugs among youth.

It was accidental. My father Yuvraj Lama is a fight master and film producer-director. He is one of the members of the first Karate black belt batch in Nepal. His friend stunt director Gopal Buttani was known to cinematographer Santhosh Sivan. Once when they visited my father, Santhosh Sivan happened to see me. Actually, he was in search of a boy of my age for the film “Yodha”. He asked me if I was interested in acting. Without hesitation I said, “Yes” (chuckles). I said so as I thought my father also will be with me. (His father also acted in the film “Yodha” as the long-haired henchman of the villain character portrayed by Puneet Issar).

Your memories about Kerala…

Do you remember the actors in the film?

My wife is Supriya Gurung Lama, who is the treasurer of D-Care Foundation. Mother is a homemaker and my brother Ananda Lama is doing the promotional works of Nepali handicrafts and Buddhist paintings.

I was a child then. Also your language is very hard to learn. But this time, I have decided to give it a whirl (laughs). I have interesting memories about the film “Yodha”. My pet name was “Bunty” at home.

On the set, everybody used to call me “Pindi” and

Once I had been to Kochi. But at that time I was not aware of that place. I remember the shipyard there.

Now I remember about South India through the song “kolaveri…” (laughs).

What about your second innings in Malayalam?

Definitely it’s a second coming. I am glad to accept the offer given by Lenin sir. When I met him, he narrated the story, and I realize that it’s a responsible job now.

Tell us about your family…

(Siji Pradeep is a theatre personality based in Thiruvananthapuram)

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art

The joy of music

Joseph V. Fernandes is a one-man army who leaves no stone unturned in his effort to ferret out the disappearing traditional music instruments of Kerala

Text K.R. REJEESH Photo VARIOUS SOURCES

A guitarist by profession, Joy rues that there are few people in this field to carry on his research

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H

e faces the music for snapping up diminishing traditional music instruments of yore! The passion put him in debt, but the music world gained from it. Despite huge financial loss, Joseph V. Fernandes alias Joy, the owner of Joy Musicals at Kunnukuzhi in Thiruvananthapuram, vows to carry on his research on music instruments. With his exhaustive research, Joy was able to collect some of the quaint and rare music instruments in the world.

In his home cum shop, he has over 2,000 different music instruments in his collection. Joy has even made music instruments from scraps. On entering his shop, one can spy delicate and traditional instruments cramming for space along with his own crafts; mostly using parts of coconut tree. It seems that his palate is influenced by the sound of music.

“Yes, I trace music in every object. I have dedicated my life to the research on our ancient instruments,” says Joy who has set up Research Centre for World Musical Instruments at Kunnukuzhi.

To inculcate the knowledge he earned over the years, Joy imparts training to students who visit his centre during holidays. A guitarist by profession, Joy rues that there are few people in this field to carry on his research. “I have incurred heavy loss in pur-

suing my passion. I am not getting any grant from government or any other agencies. The instruments occupy most space in the house. So I have decided to hand over some of these instruments to the Kerala Folklore Academy for money,” he divulges.

Sound of music About 15 years ago, Peter, an American research scholar, approached him with a list of unusual instruments. In fact, his visit left a spark that marked the beginning of an eventful journey in search of traditional music sounds. The 500-year-old original model of “Nanduni,” “Cheenkanni Veena”, an ancient string instrument in the shape of a crocodile, and “Kudukka Veena,” which was in use during the period of Shadkala Govinda Marar are also adorn his shop.

The instruments “Nanduni” and “Kidupidi” were used in temples in and around Palakkad. “Kidupidi” is played today only in the Guruvayur temple. His occasional visits to tribal areas have fetched a good number of unusual tribal instruments to his collection.

Some instruments like the “Elimooli” were used by the tribal people to chase away wild animals.

Joy has learnt to make these instruments from the

Naadan instruments Rumb Used during gothra era while dancing to propitiate goddesses of hills.

Khada Singari Made of soil and it’s similar to khadam.

Makudam Used in Ayyarukali, a folk dance .

Velathakil Instrument used for Ambalappuzha Velakali.

Eezhara In Kazargod district, people from Mannan caste use it for kalam paattu. tribals themselves. He has even been approached

by Australians to make the Didgeridoo, an instrument that is unique to the aborigines of that country.

Instruments like Didgeridoo (Australia), Bamboo Bells, Egyptian Harp, Tibetan Gong, Berin Bao (South America), Sansa-Thumb Piano, Kwica and Conga (Africa), Mazengo (Ethiopia), Chinese Rattler, Portuguese Rajao, Kashmiri Violin, Zither (Brazil), Oud (Arabia), Balaika (Russia), Txalaparta and Hariparta (Spain) are some of the rarest collections available in his shop.

Artist Joy was born in a family of artists. His father was an artist, photographer and interior decorator in the Travancore palace. Apart from his collection of instruments, he is an adept in the making and repair of music instruments. He has made over 200 different ‘charatta’ (coconut shell) vadyams.

According to Joy, traditional music instruments are the much sought-after items in his shop by foreigners. Joy has published a book, “Vadyakala Vinjaneeyam,” using his research information. It throws light into the in-depth description of ancient

and traditional music instruments of Kerala. Perhaps it’s the first-of-its-kind book in this field. Joy has conducted several exhibitions of his collection of instruments in Kerala and Chennai.

He has supplied music instruments for as many as eight films, including K.G. George-directed “Elavamkodu Desam,” by converting them corresponding to the period when they were popular.

Though his passion has cost him dearly, it’s certain that this musicologist’s extraordinary collections would help the posterity get a deep insight into our tradition and arts.

Kudukka Veena It can produce all swaras and gamagams from a human throat .

Akappey Kinnari An instrument used by Pulaya caste. It is made of using coconut shell and bamboo.

Kingini Ariva The scythe with bells, used as accompaniment for “Koythu Pattu” in ancient Kerala.

Kodanki Vadyam Used by Tamil hawkers who sell herbal medicines in the border areas of Kerala-Tamil Nadu.

Eka Thari Used by tribals living in PampaAchankovil forest areas.

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music

Tryst with tunes Music Therapy has got wide acceptance across the world. Let's take a look at what Carnatic musician Dr K. Omanakutty and Dr Sumathy Sundar explain

Text K.R. REJEESH Photo VARIOUS SOURCES

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f there is a panacea for all problems, music would be the unanimous choice. Needless to say, the ragas are not only soothing but also alleviate our pangs. When we fall for our favourite music, its magic permeates into our soul. So can music perform wonders? While conversing with Carnatic music legend Dr K. Omanakutty on music therapy, this question aroused naturally. We may get the answer when we realize that how she has successfully adopted music as a ‘healing panacea’.

As she puts it, music therapy can’t fully cure a disease but its impact is phenomenal. At the outset, she conveys that music therapy began as a course in Michigan University in the US. “Music therapists have great demand in western countries. It became institutional first in Michigan University. There are associations who produce music therapists. They visit houses and institutes to perform music therapy,” says Dr K. Omanakutty.

Though not popular in India, music therapy has references in Vedas.

The treatment “Music therapy gives mental satisfaction to patients.

Autism patients have obsession for certain things.

We work based on this basic principle,” says Dr Omanakutty.

During counselling, the patient’s tastes from childhood are identified and the treatment will be focused on that genre of music. “We record their favourite music at the time of counselling. Then we include the ubiquitous “omkaram” in it. The vibrations of “omkaram” are good for our body. The next step is to prepare a package for their favourite 28

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songs. Overall, we do it scientifically,” she reveals.

As a follow up, 45 days of package, including daily 45 minutes of treatment will be prepared. Dr Omanakutty feels that individual treatment is better than group treatment.

Dr. Sumathy Sundar, Ph.D, director, Chennai School of Music Therapy, says that music Therapy is a customized treatment helping a client to restore, maintain and improve physical, mental and social well being. The methods vary from receptive listening to recreating experiences, playing musical instruments, composing music and discussion of lyrics.

The approaches are mainly humanistic, psychodynamic, behavioural and also music medicine.

Dr Sumathy adds: “The present day medical doctors believe in treating the person as a whole and not just treat the disease/symptoms. One doctor told me “I am not treating the stomach in room no. 2 or the liver in room no. 3. I am treating the person.”

Music Therapy has increasingly received attention with the medicos. They also show interest in knowing about how music works therapeutically and are open to learn the ways by which they can make a change in their patients through music.”

Agreeing with Dr Omanakutty, she says that Music Therapists do not talk about curing a disease and are not substitutes for doctors. “They work to enhance the Quality of Life which is an important outcome in health care delivery system today. They work on bringing in a balance between their body mind and soul,” Dr Sumathy clarifies.

Courses Dr Omanakutty: Now there are students who are

keen on doing research on this topic. I am the guide and head of the music therapy course offered by the Kerala University in association with Pankaja Kasthuri. This is the first time in Kerala such a course is being conducted. The students must have taste and talent for music to join the course. There are four papers—music, psychology, physiology and music therapy. There are also project works for students.

In the last batch, we had projects on BP. The current batch of students concentrates on four diseases—insomnia, depression, cancer and autism. For music therapy treatment, they have identified certain centres for mentally retarded people.

“I am a guide to a researcher, Soumya from Bengaluru. She is doing research on school students who are under depression. Long ago, during the reign of Sethu Parvathy Bhai, there were music classes in school courtyards in erstwhile Travancore.

The rulers had implemented it as a relief for students from their studies in the classrooms. Now we seldom have periods for music classes in schools,” she says.

“We need interaction with nature. Music itself evolved from nature. When wind passed through the holes of Bamboo, it produced different sounds and thus odakkuzhal originated. Before there was language, man used different voices to express emotions. During the Vedic period, these tones became classical,” she adds.

Dr Sumathy Sundar: Chennai School of Music Therapy offers a one year professional post graduate diploma course in Music Therapy, the first-of-its kind in India with a collaboration of the IMC University of Applied Sciences, Krems, Austria for curriculum development and also integrates the local sensitivities. The students are also offered internship training of 750 hours in Global Hospitals, Chennai.

The School also runs an online certificate course in Music Therapy for medical professionals and also applied health care professionals and is starting the second batch in the New Year.

Ragas Patients like songs based on certain ragas that are ingrained in their minds without knowing the nuances of it. “We explore familiar ragas since their childhood. Our ancestors have classified certain ragas as ‘lively ragas’. Unlike rare ragas, it can move human minds and it’s apt for music therapy,” says Dr K. Omanakutty and adds that ragas which express navarasam are very melodious. The famous lullaby “Omanathinkal kidavo” is composed in nav-

arasam ragam.

According to Dr K. Omanakutty, patients like not only film songs but also classical and devotional songs. “We have to found it out during counselling.

Medicine also should continue along with it; but the dose can be reduced as the therapy progresses,” says the veteran classical singer who considers Nature as the mother of man.

The certificate course in Music Therapy at Kerala University will be a diploma course from next year. Dr K. Omanakutty opines that music therapy has to be included in all hospitals. “When it becomes job-oriented, it will have more students.

There are good opportunities for music therapists,” she concludes. The Carnatic singer has also plans to approach authorities to take steps to promote music therapy.

A few ragas for treatment Sankara Bharanam Shyama Kalyani Anandha Bhairavi Mohanam Hamsa Dhwani

Music Therapy in hospitals Global Hospitals Chennai trains Music Therapy students of Chennai School of Music Therapy on clinical internships. The students work in the hospitals with various population and get trained in all clinical areas. Apollo Hospitals, Chennai also has a Music Therapy Department.

Chennai School of Music Therapy is engaged in providing pioneering Music Therapy Training programmes to aspiring music therapists, offer consultancy services in setting up music therapy programmes in Hospitals and NGOs and also provide music therapy services to special children with developmental delays, learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders. The school also has a vision of introducing music therapy training programmes in Universities.

Global Hospitals Chennai trains Music Therapy students of Chennai School of Music Therapy on clinical internships.

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beauty

means

passion Former runner-up at Miss World 2008, actress Parvathy Omanakuttan shares how determination and perseverance are important in life

Text thabitha marion Costume courtesy Ritukumar Photography Sabu Aadithyan Makeup Renju Co Ordination Maxxo Creatives

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s a toddler, she had her first few wobbly steps in Kerala, at Changanasserry, a small town near Kottayam. But before her first birthday, as her family had shifted to Mumbai, she had her schooling there with a bit of kathak and bharathanatyam. Even without her knowing, an infatuation bloomed in her. Like every other girl of that age, she too kept it to herself. Secrets that ooze excitement and interest can’t be hidden for long.

It was 1994, a late evening in the city of Mumbai. A night which had millions of Indians glued in front of the television to watch Aiswarya Rai being crowned ‘Miss World1994’.

As she was watching this proud moment on television, she explicitly made use of the opportunity to convey to her family, her dream to be a ‘Miss World’ someday.

With their constant support and encouragement added to her endless efforts and confidence, she climbed up the ladders of modelling. The year 2008 had her crowned as Miss India World, followed by the Miss World Asia & Oceania, the first runnerup title at the Miss World 2008 pageant.

Today this babelicious glittery-eyed ‘gorgeous’ Parvathy Omanakuttan is India’s one of the most sought-after models, with a fair number of films in her kitty.

For the cover shoot, modelesque Parvathy strides into the studio at Kochi, dressed in a grey T-shirt and ash legging, wearing flip flops.Though seated like a doll for the makeover, she continues chatting with whoever passes her way. Though brought up in Mumbai, she has so much of a Malayali in her which I could make it out from her food tastes and from her colloquial chats in Malayalam.

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spotlight

A peppy party wear with printed multi-coloured cowl necked sleeveless top.

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Excerpts Define yourself in two words..

Impulsive and perseverant

which fits the outfit. Salman Khan... he looks hot in whatever he wears.

Having got a taste of Bollywood, Tollywood and Mollywood, you are more comfortable with…

I am an adjustable person, who gets fussy the least. For me, the exposures which I had from these industries were unique and beneficial. This experience taught me that language is never a barrier.

If you were to interview a celeb, who would it be…

I would limit this question to Kerala.

It would be actress Manju Warrier.

I have some questions to ask her, based on some rumours.

Your dream role in a Malayalam movie…

Any good role which has a strong and old existence in the movie, be it comedy, serious or even negative roles.

An embarrassing moment in your life…

Have many. Couple of days back, me and my manager got stuck in a lift. To engage myself, I was singing and dancing and all of sudden when the doors opened people found me standing in an odd pose.

If Hollywood makes a movie on your life, whom would you like to see playing the lead role as you…

It would be me, myself. No one else can be what I am.

Your take on the brutal rape which took place in Delhi…

The victim has undergone the worst and no point in discussing the pain she is suffering. The question should be "How to curb such brutal attacks on women?" In Kerala, talks about such incidents will go on for a few days and then forget. Play your role to stop such atrocities.

According to you, who is the worst dressed man in Bollywood…

There is nothing like a ‘worst dressed person’. Even the most uncouth dress can look good on a person who carries the right attitude

What makes you angry?

People’s behaviour which can be annoying at times.

What do you look for in a movie, before signing up?

Its script... definitely Like to be called ‘sexy’ or ‘pretty’…

Combination of both One attribute in a man which can make you fall in love with him…

Can’t tell you what I love. There are good looking men around, but the minute they open their mouth for a conversation, hopes are doomed.

Films in your kitty...

‘KQ’ a Malayalam movie releasing in March is the next. I will be playing the role of ‘Sunaina’, a girl who comes to Mattanchery from the UK, to write an article about art for the "London Times".

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Multi-coloured heavily embroidered Chinese collared full sleeve top with buttons, paired with bronze earrings.

Hairstyle – Puffed up coiffed hairdo.

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trends

7 icon Jeans Designed for the Cowboy

Reinvented for the Biker Since 1947

Wrangler, the original outdoor denim brand presents the 7 icon jeans, which was designed in 1947 for the cowboy now reinvented for the biker. Every pair of Wrangler 7 icon jeans is known for 7 key functional elements designed keeping in mind the comfort a biker needs when taking long road trips.

felled seams

Flat Rivets

Wrangler makes this feature functional. By creating a downward lip at the back yoke, above high back pockets, your wallet is prevented from slipping out.

Wrangler’s smooth flat rivets don’t scratch. They give jeans a refined aspect, they’re more comfortable & they prevent damage

rope logo

The rope is a symbol of action.

The rope identifies Wrangler as the original American outdoor denim brand.

7 belt loops

Unlike the traditional five belt looped jeans, Wrangler’s seven looped jeans ensure your belt is held securely in place. Giving you the best & most comfortable fit.

the patch

The right back pocket of Wrangler jeans has carried a patch since 1947. Today it represents tough, top quality authentic denim garments.

watch pocket The pocket’s high opening along with the waistband gets sealed by a belt, meaning that anything you keep in there is securely shut away.

w stitching

Introduced in 1947, the W stitch defines Wrangler.

Each pair carries two ‘W’s’, initials that represent ‘Western Wear’.

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Black half sleeved round neck T-shirt paired with ripped faded blue denim.

Hairstyle – gelled backcombed hair

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Makeover Rajeev Pillai

The handsome actor turns a smart hunk with Emmanuval Makeover World's largest fashion Empire Emmanuval Silks helped him transform Photography by Jamesh Kottakal

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Grey round necked T-shirt and blue denim paired with a khaki full sleeved, buttoned cotton jacket and glares.

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Printed grey T-shirt and ripped off faded denims paired with a sleeveless navy blue wind shielder and glares.

Emmanuval Special Collection 40

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Printed white T-shirt and faded light blue denim paired with an off white full sleeved jacket and glares.

Makeover 2013 JANUARY

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Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 201

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he Navy Queen red carpet is truly a platform to catapult the budding models to the fashion arena. The magic of the event is more evident when you realize how ex-Navy Queens like Parvathy Omanakuttan made it big even in the film industry. It’s a platform where a killer dress, some smart posing and talking can change the fortunes of an aspiring model.

As always, the Navy Ball 2012 was kickstarted with the signature event of rolling the ball by Vice Admiral Satish Soni, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.

The navy queen beauty pageant, a four-hour extravaganza took off with 10 finalists’ catwalk the ramp, smoking the stage with their daring attitudes. The jury who sealed the fate of the winners of the contest comprised of Payal Soni, President of the Navy Wives Welfare Association (Southern Region), Parveen Hafiz, entrepreneur, playback singer Manjari, Lieutenant General Vijai Sharma, Engineer-in-Chief of the Army and Rear Admiral Ashok Kumar, Chief of Staff of Southern Naval Command.

After the third round, just before the coronation ceremony, the audience screamed out ‘chest no: 10’. Yes, they were right. It was Melissa Raju Thomas, daughter of a former army officer from Thiruvananthapuram, who was crowned the Navy Queen 2012. Aneesha Salma Ummer and Pavithra Menon were adjudged the first and second runners-up respectively.

The Navy Queen won jewellery worth Rs 1, 25,000 along with Rs 1, 00,000 as cash prize. The first runner-up bagged jewellery worth Rs 1, 00,000 and a cash prize of Rs 75, 000 while the second runner-up won jewellery worth Rs 75, 000 and a cash prize of Rs 50,000. The winners also got tickets for two to international destinations. The event was conducted by Ayushmann Khurana of ‘Vicky Donor’ and Mayanti Langar. The navy night was entertained with a contemporary dance performance by ‘Nritarutya’, followed with a rocking performance by ‘A Band of Boys’ that electrified the atmosphere making the ‘uniformed’, families and friends to trip the light fantastic.

Prelims

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Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 201

12 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen

Dinner party

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12 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen

Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 201

Finals

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Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 201

12 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen

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12 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen 2012 I Navy Queen

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t was an afternoon of high spirits during the December issue cover launch of premier lifestyle magazine FWD Life. The magazine cover launch was held along with the grand launch of ‘Regatta’, Cochin’s first elite sailing club, at the Sailing Club House, Kochi on December 1. Organized in association with realty major Asten Mather Company, the occasion saw the presence of water sport enthusiasts, Raffi Mather, Head of Asten Mather Group, film producer O.G. Sunil, Reshma and Famitha from Fariyadh, O.C Thomas, proprietor, playback singer Ranjini Jose and actor Vineeth Kumar et al. The event began at 2 pm and went on till 6 pm.

The presence of the elite dressed in casuals made the pleasant afternoon more fun-filled affair. Some of them enjoyed their first-hand experience in sailing, water skiing and kayaking. Along with enjoying the music and food, the guests unwound themselves on the informal occasion.

As the sun was about to set, the December issue cover launch of FWD Life took place in the presence of a host of celebrities and well-known personalities in the society.

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photo story

Ladakh The land of future Buddha, high passes, steep mountains and valleys abound Text & Photos Chandan D'Souza & Smitha D'Souza

Tourism contributes to the economy of Ladakh.

Here is one such beneficiary, a old woman who has a roadside shop on the way to Pangong Tso Lake, after Chang La Pass. She has a few Yak and provides tea/ biscuits for travellers who stop during their 160 road trip from Leh to the lake.

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A young girl filling water from a roadside borewell in Leh. Education here, though expensive is available in good schools, both government and private. If you move out of Leh to the hills beyond the capital, the children living in remote rural areas have very little chance of education.

Majority of the Ladakhi people live in villages that are scattered in between the high mountains and most of these villages lack proper transport, communication, education and other basic facilities like medicine.

The Maitreya (Future Buddha) overlooks the Valley. This is a glorious of the panoramic Nubra Valley form the Diskit monastery, where the 32 metre statue of The Maitreya faces down the Shyok river. The Maitreya is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. The statue was built with the help of local donations, and 8 kgs of gold was donated to decorate it. It is said that the statue was built with three main intentions in mind - protection of Diskit Village, prevention of further war with Pakistan, and to promote world peace.

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photo story

The Nubra Valley in Ladakh is one of the most visited places after the Pangong Lake. Nubra is a high altitude cold desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along river beds. The valley is known for have four distinct types of terrain all together ": Rock, Sand Dunes, Water (from the melting ice) and Greenery; this can be seen in the picture. It is also the only place in India where one can find double humped Bactrian camels, and one of four places in the world (the other being Gobi Deserts of Mongolia, the Taklamakan Deserts of Xinjiang and Southwest Kazhakastan) 52

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wedding

Moments for Ever Technology has even added glamour to weddings! Wedding photographs now go on to assert a lifestyle statement with glamour Text Dhanya Menon

Image courtesy : Weva Photography, Kochi

There is a considerable change in people’s approach to wedding photography

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I

t is said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and so is with your wedding pictures.

As the excitement of the event turns hazy, your wedding album will be the only thing left to bring back those wonderful memories.

Your wedding day will be memorised through your photographs and that memory is not just for your two, but for your family and will be passed down to your children and grandchildren. So why not try something different?

Just as the traditional big, fat, ornate photo albums are out, the parade of formal poses, uptight family portraits and fake expressions too are passé. There is a considerable change in people’s approach to wedding photography. Many couples today want to have their wedding albums quite different from the usual one’s.

More and more couples turn to a professional photographer instead of relying on neighbourhood photographers. They share their ideas, choose

Image courtesy : Colours Productions, Kochi their locations and even enquire about technology.

The wedding photography packages today consists not just photograph packages and wedding albums, but several additional services that aims at an enhanced personalisation and presentation of the event in a way that it “tells a better story.”

Let's here explore the latest trends in Wedding Photography which would add an additional flare to the regular ones.

Candid photography or photojournalism Candid photography or photo journalism relies more on expressions and is a narrative mode so as to weave a tale through photographs. In this art, photographs of couples as well as guests are taken with innate spontaneity and with natural lighting rather than formal posing. Today many prefer this to artificial expressions as it is a more realistic record of the event.

Return to classic If an urban downtown setting interested the previous decade’s couples, now a vintage-inspired theme is more preferred. It is a rediscovery of the

beauty of the old. Intermingling of black n whites, sepia, vintage or rustic settings etc make the albums different.

Fashion wedding photography This style incorporates the classic style with an additional emotional background. There will be a more romantic interaction between the couple.

This will be a more personalized one with no restrictions in poses, expressions and gestures. But this technique has some limitations as the entire focus goes to the couples.

Latest in wedding photography is the use of cinematic techniques to enhance and elaborate a usual and monotonous wedding video

Artistic wedding photography An artistic wedding photography tries and experiments with new angles of shots, a variety of colors and shadows and different lightings to create a dramatic effect to make the images well-crafted apart from the traditional portrait style. Many new generation photographers practise this. But if you are going in for this, do ensure that it has a timeless elegance with more natural expressions. This is because, only honest and free expressions have a timeless appeal.

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wedding

Image courtesy : Weva Photography, Kochi

Wedding websites, blogs, 360 degree virtual tours and photo booths are the common additional services offered today

Wedding cinematography Latest in wedding photography is the use of cinematic techniques to enhance and elaborate a usual and monotonous wedding video. With wedding cinematography, there is a visible change in the style of videos with several creative techniques.

Extra services Wedding websites, blogs 360 degree virtual tours and photo booths are the common additional services offered today.

With the increasing influence of social media, the numbers of couples asking for wedding websites, blogs and 360 degree virtual tours are increasing.

Virtual tours include panoramic wedding scenes, 3D images etc using digital media.It can also go one step ahead as you can change the angle of pictures from the ones which the wedding photographer has taken it. Photography booths / instant prints are wonderful idea with which guests could get their copies soon they are clicked.

Things to Note Before You Decide: Clear all your doubts Ask whether it will be a direct assignment or the photographer will assign his assistant. Ask if you can choose the images and page layouts. And also don’t forget to ask about the delivery time and about the extra services.

Choose a style that blends with your personality Trends can be many, but ensure that the style suggested suits with your personality. If you are confused, ask for packages where a mixture of both candid and usual types are offered.

Image courtesy : Colours Productions, Kochi

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Know your photographer It is ideal to understand the photographer and his

style through interactions before the D-day. This will help avoid confusions and contradictions.

Also it helps get a more comfortable feel before the clicks if you know the person better.

Budget Hiring a professional wedding photographer obviously costs more. But you can ask the quotes for different packages and different services separately. Some even say that women photographers can best capture a bride’s moments.

Whatever is the trend, there is no arguments on the fact that you should have great memories for the rest of your life.

theatre

The Choice School in association with JTPac presents an all-time favourite ‘”Lion King", a musical

W

ith more than 20 years in the educational front as a premier school in Cochin, empowering students with a strong academic foundation coupled with sensitivity to the arts and fine inter personal skills, they have decided to take a courageous step forward in presenting the all time favourite "The Lion King", a musical adaptation, using the talent of their own students and the creativity of their teachers backed by the strong support of professionals in the field.

The Choice School in association with JTPac is presenting the ‘Musical’ mentored by JTPac chairman, Mr. Mohanlal.

Enthused and encouraged by the success of the shows and presentations staged so far by the students and teachers, we have decided to present one of the greatest musicals ever staged till date in the Broadway Theatre - “The Lion King” (a musical adaptation of the world renowned Walt Disney movie “The Lion King”). The musical is directed by a theatre group from Mumbai - Silly Point Productions.

The unique feature of this presentation is that the cast consists of over 350 children. An added attraction is the live musical score for the entire two-hour programme performed by the choir comprising over 150 children.

This display of talent will have over 300 children on stage and over 60 working back stage.

The practices and rehearsals are already on, to put up a show that matches standards that are par excellence. The mammoth sets, numerous props and intricate costumes are being worked on painstakingly.

The strenuous practice sessions conducted by

Silly Point Productions, Mumbai have toned the acting talent of the young actors. The fleet footed gazelles, the wild stampede of the wildebeast, the majestic pacing of the lionesses are being replicated on stage by the immensely talented students who are being trained by the Stepz dance team from Mumbai.

The choir, singing all the tracks live, has been trained by Mr. Joe Peter. It is no mean feat considering that there are 20 songs, most of them in Swahili.This musical will be staged on the grounds of the Choice School on January 20, 2013 as a mega production with colourful dances taught by professional choreographers, a live musical score, a grand multi-level design for the sets and much more.

This display of talent will have over 300 children on stage and over 60 working back stage

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architecture

Moulded in Luxury Text Dhanya Menon

Photos Damodar Architects

This house located in Payyanur, Kerala redefines luxury and is soaked in all natural experiences Saikripa’s design took cue from organic architecture where lines between the indoor and outdoor spaces blur

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harmonious home bustling with life!

That’s how it could be explained in a single line. When today’s houses are surrounded by miles and miles of concretes, there is ample green inside and outside this house. With a tropical magic in mind, this 7,500 sq ft house is created with a perfect blend of luxury and every natural elements inside - sunlight, fresh air, garden and an oasis.

This house holds a well kept secret that only those invited have the privilege of experiencing.

Architect K Damodaran leaves a stylish mark on this suburban residence. “Sometimes it is a daunting task to give form to someone else’s imagination especially when there are many things to be given equal care.” says Damodaran, the architect of Saikripa. “But here, the owners have a sense of design.” he continues. When the well-

travelled Mumbai based Keralite Mr. Sreedharan approached him to design an expansive house, he knew exactly what he wanted.

Concept Saikripa’s design took cue from organic architecture where lines between the indoor and outdoor spaces blur. A variety of angles and interlocking forms go beyond minimalism; every line in the design has a purpose which adds to the totality.

There is a vibrant oasis right inside the living spaces and with view from every room. Incredulously, this cocoon is located in the cerebral system of the house. Every corner of the house is lined with plants and miniature shrubs. The charming corners here tempt anyone to sit back and get relieved from the stress of daily life.

Sunlight from the east, sky-view from the top and fresh air from the west, the smart design incorporates all these. The design is not pure contemporary, but a blend of contemporary with traditional Keralite.

Living Spaces The house has a spacious formal living area and a private living space. There is an evident blend of traditional with the contemporary, especially with the teak wood panels and partitions.

The formal living area takes the visitor away from the private spaces but let them mysteriously glimpse the spaces within through. The oasis with water lilies and the sunken garden around is abso-

lutely spectacular.

A teak bridge in the middle extends to the door outside and to the pool outside. It just gives the feel of an outdoor garden on the banks of a pond with benches set in to sit by the side and relax.

The glass roof on the top of this space immediately engulfs you in warmth.

The fluid space in living area is further accentuated by the play of lights and shadows. The natural light filtering through the skylight over the central courtyard lends vibrancy to the spaces.

The family living overlooks the greenness on one side. Kitchen is not visible from any of the living spaces as it is separated with plants.

Kitchen and Dining There are two kitchens – an ordinary one and an open one with breakfast counter. Ample natural light flows in here too. The dining space is lined with greenery around giving a feel of outdoor.

Vertical adjustable wooden shutters separate dining and private living spaces. A Kerala style ‘aattukattil’ is placed near breakfast counter to enjoy views from here.

Bedrooms There are five spacious bedrooms; two in the lower floor and three in the upper. All rooms are open to the water way inside either directly or through bridges.

All bedrooms are attached with spacious bathrooms, inbuilt cupboards, dressing rooms, inbuilt

Project

Independent House at Payyanur, Kannur

Owned by

Sreedharan

Built area

7,500 sq ft

Architects

Arch. K Damodaran, Damodar Architects, Architects + Structural Engineers, S N Park South, Kannur

Interior Design

Damodar Architects

Project Managed by Design World

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architecture

The upper space overlooking the water is also interesting. The piece de resistance is the wooden bridge. Just opposite to the home theatre is a gym with all modern facilities.

water space, the most coveted corner in the house.

The home theatre in the upper space with wooden windows extending to the floor level resembles traditional Keralite temple theatres. The classy looking furniture, black and white themed single wall pictures, touch of traditionalism, all makes it unique.

The magic effect of LED light varies at different places- rainbow effect near water, special effect near greenery, concealed lights and subtle effect in bedrooms.

Interiors

Colour Scheme

The interiors display a fluid modernism with traditional elements. With a definite lean towards earthy, the décor comes alive with black n white combination. Even though interiors are contemporary there is a classy feel on a whole with teak finishes, wooden blinds and mural paintings.

With subtle accessories, warm colours and contemporary furniture the home spells chic elegancy. The play of ample natural light and interesting accents makes the whole house, especially the

The overall black and white colour scheme stands contrast to blue waters and wooden finishes. Earth tones accentuate the décor and lend character to the fluid living spaces.

Apart from all these the house has a prayer room of which roof extends to the upper space, servant’s outhouse, solar heaters, water purifiers for the oasis and built in cameras here and there. Exterior are well landscaped with lawns and interlock tiles.

seating panel, lap top area and balconies opening to the greenness around.

The master bedroom in the upper space is attached to an open bathroom to feel the rain showers.

Upper Space

Location Advantage - Suburban Locale, tranquil and green surroundings

What FWD Life Liked - Modern comforts, visual treat

Rating Location 60

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JANUARY 2013

Amenities

Price

health

For a healthy care Healthcare sector in India is about to witness a fillip in near future

I

ndia’s GDP growth is about five to six per cent of $2 trillion whereas China has a GDP growth of six to seven per cent of $8 trillion and growing faster. The US stands at $15 trillion double the size of Chinese economy where Germany and European Union stand at 3.8 trillion and 17 trillion respectively.

As the fiscal issues of the US economy get resolved and fiscal deficit, which we face, would be tackled by the government with the new reform measures taken recently and divestment target of Rs 35,000 crore will help inflation to cool down by below six per cent and rate cut by the RBI will boost the economy, which will propel back our economy to seven to eight per cent GDP growth, we may call it as first face out from the recessionary pressure.

Recession Along with the economy, our healthcare sector is also expected to grow next a few decades. The healthcare industry doesn’t face any recessionary pressure other than inflation (as of inflation is created; we can’t call it as a part of global crisis).

As people get more income to spare, our health insurance sector grows faster. People now search for more quality service, and this improves hospital margin and investment.

In sectors like oil and gas, resource miners, IT, banks and pharma, there are Indian giants with market cap of over $20 billion, but the hospital sector is not even in the picture.

Of late, private firms like Apollo and Fortis are on huge expansion plans and many others are also in the fray, which is encouraging and appreciable.

Buy the end of 2020, 140 million people will be above 60-year-old, people will yield high income.

Likewise, now there are 30 cities with 10 lakh population and 10 more cities will be added within 2020.

Moreover, health insurance and cashless facility is growing at an appreciable CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 40 per cent, as the new FDI limits

in the insurance sector and entrance of new player will increase competition in the sector will help to reduce the premium. Like the mobile revolution, insurance sector will do the same with the penetration into the rural market which means a higher need of healthcare services.

These factors make visibility of the growth in the sector, which helps private players increasing their market share and makes them to invest more.

Riding on this wave, the Indian healthcare industry is poised to double from $60 billion to $120 billion by 2015, growing at a 15 per cent CAGR. Most of the expansion would be propelled by organised private players, especially hospitals. What makes this growth story intact and most interesting is the growth of the allied sectors like pharma, wellness, medical technology, medical tourism, medical education, and health insurance will witness in the next decade. This would be largely fuelled by innovation in technology and delivery mechanisms.

In sectors like oil and gas, resource miners, IT, banks and pharma, there are Indian giants with market cap of over $20 billion, but the hospital sector is not even in the picture

Healthcare marketing Healthcare advertising is not that trendy and awardwinning creative material. Intricate and expensive media plans and enormous medical advertising budgets are what it takes to win the hearts and minds of new patients.

In fact, there’s more science and psychology at work in the business of influencing human behaviour than one might realize. And what’s more, the various principles of persuasion are not reserved for healthcare marketing, advertising or public relations.

Whether we realize it or not, the same principles that work in medical practice and hospital marketing are part of our daily interactions. Physicians, surgeons and dentists, for example, use persuasion techniques in treatment recommendations winning patient compliance. Administrators influence and persuade while leading personnel and staff. Hospital marketing and other healthcare professionals encourage healthy living and lifestyles.

Lijo Thomas (MBA HCS) Manager Marketing Sunrise Hospital Seaport-Airport Road, Kakkanad -682 030 2013 JANUARY

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startups

Wow! designs

MobMe’s founders realized that there were only a few Indian startups heavily focused on design and decided to give WowMakers a shot

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owMakers is a design studio based in Kochi, Kerala. They specialize in Branding and Animated explanation videos.

They are the first company to be incubated at Startup Village.

The people behind WowMakers are Vivek Raghavan, Jaseem Thayal Shareef and Jithesh Lakshman who founded the startup on August 1, 2011 in a tiny 100 sq. ft. office in Kanhangad in northern Kerala.

The trio were friends from their college days who had dreamed of establishing their own company some day rather than working for the stereotypical “giant faceless corporations”.

They had started off by competing in 99designs, a crowd sourced design marketplace while in the second year of college. Eventually they built a great design portfolio and started taking up freelance projects. The three of them joined a startup right after college and quit two years later to start WowMakers.

In late 2011, they met the founders of Kochi-

based company, MobMe Wireless, who agreed to help mentor these passionate designers. MobMe’s founders realized that there were only a few Indian startups heavily focused on design and decided to give WowMakers a shot. Soon MobMe collaborated with the team on some projects. Following the advice of the MobMe team, WowMakers moved to Kochi in early 2012. Here, they became the first company to be incubated at Startup Village.

Moving to Startup Village helped them meet many new clients and they got to work on some very prestigious branding projects. This includes Startup Village, MobMe Wireless, Blackberry’s Rubus Labs and Unpluggd.

After moving to Kochi, they expanded their services to include animated explanation videos.

The animation team came up with their first animated explanation video - Sentinel. Since then, the WowMakers animation team has done explanation videos for products like Mobile Xpress and 4tranz4.

They also put together a small application development team that isn’t involved in services and is instead fully focused on product development.

Life @ startup Fun at Startup village, seriously!

W

e all know that while the young entrepreneurs have ants in their pants to transform their ideas into business and make their dreams come to realization, no one has to tell them to go have fun, they just do it on their own. And Startup Village takes it seriously, investing in the fun! At dusk you can see spontaneous volleyball fun, cricket, badminton, table tennis and rumour has it there will be a new basketball court set up at the parking lot. This marvelous time when the lots team up and interact with each other, it really gets under your skin and becomes a part of your innovative mindset.

‘The Living Building’

F

or India's first Biennale taking place in Kochi this winter Jaaga.in & StartupVillage.in have collaborated to create a large scale art installation called 'The Living Building' in which we explore the use of industrial shelving materials to create the skeleton of a 'living being' in which the internet acts as the mind & soul.

The Living Building is a process installation and will evolve and develop over the three months of the Biennale. The public are invited to come and view the Living Building on the second Saturday of January and February from 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm.

The Hangout India with us

L

ong gone are the days when development was a synonym for long hours of just endless coding. Think about an environment where you are bound by restrictions. Nithin George Charuvila & Shahul Hameed (co-founders of Hangout India) have taken it upon them selves to change this attitude and brought about a new culture into the entrepreneurial world and thus Hangout India was born. They are serving as the official campus connect programme for Startup Village. With a vision to create and connect 1000 student developers in Kerala and form an entrepreneurial network, they have organized informal parties to month-long programmes.

The Tailor-made Events

S

tartup Village has a very beginner-friendly array of events that are custom-fit and tailor made for the budding entrepreneur community which calls Startup Village home.

These events are organized to provide even the newbies with more than enough information about various disciplines required to build a complete entrepreneur. The session on Brand Building for Startups that was organized by Startup Village this month in association with Yorke Communications Private Limited is a great example of such an event at Startup Village. Startup Village also plays host to various events conducted by other organizations.

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technology

Revolution

@ online As a mentor, Freeman Murray from the US is an inspiration for youngsters who step into the online media

With the Startup School, he aims to help young people setup profitable technology companies, learn technical skills, live sustainably, meditate, do yoga, be happy and grab the opportunities of a lifetime

F

reeman Murray is a second-generation technology entrepreneur from the Silicon Valley, US. He has been working with Internet startups as a volunteer, employee, founder, investor and mentor for almost

20 years.

Having been in India the past seven years exploring how to help young people here create technology enabled businesses, Freeman truly believes the power of India and the Internet revolution belongs to the youth. But what is the ideology and belief system behind all of the numerous, innovative projects, the fuel that keeps this legendary entrepreneur up and running with success? Freeman’s answer describes how with a combination of hard work, good fortune and a curious predisposition towards a very low cost standard of living he has been blessed with a significant amount of freedom from very early of his life.

Conclusion Extreme freedom gives the chance to ask: “What do I really want?” After travelling and soul searching, Freeman came to a conclusion: he wants a happy, healthy, sustainable lifestyle with the aim to use his skills, time, energy and money to make the happy, healthy, sustainable lifestyles more readily available to others. He believes that motivation and dedication are the primary ingredients people need to be successful.

“With these, ambitious people will learn and do 64

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whatever necessary to achieve their dreams. Looking inward at the gifts I carry, perhaps the most important is an almost religious personal identification with the Internet. I believe education, justice, money and meaningful membership in the international community are widely available via the Internet to those with the access and understanding of how to engage it properly,” he describes.

Startup School Work on Freeman’s current project, Startup School, is going on in full swing at Startup Village in Kochi.

With the Startup School, he aims to help young people setup profitable technology companies, learn technical skills, live sustainably, meditate, do yoga, be happy and grab the opportunities of a lifetime.

“Teams entering the Startup School are like the first eight cells that make up a person just after conception. The attitude of the stem cell is one of flexibility. They can become anything. If the body needs a muscle to be successful, they’ll become a muscle. If the body needs a brain, they’ll turn into a brain. Internet startups need software developers, people doing marketing, customer support, and graphic design etc. There’s no room for founders to say, such and such a task is not in my job description. If the task needs doing, you do it. If you don’t know how, you learn. Repeat this every day for several years and you become the kind of wellrounded resourceful person a startup needs to be successful,” he signs off.

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automobile

Sporty, stylish Sail Appearance Radiator grille design is a lot improved from the earlier U VA and now sports a modern design with chrome inserts at the edges. A bold Chevrolet logo at the centre marks the new fact of Chevrolet models. The front design distinctly reminds of the premium segment Cruze.

First look of the car and it makes you believe that Chevrolet has improved a lot on this version. The lines from the fender travel smoothly across till the rear quarter panel and also at the lower side of the door panel. There is an aerodynamic flow in the design of body and the new tail lamp extends to the quarter panel which adds to the good look.

Along with stylish exteriors, the interiors too have been improved in the Sail U VA. Inside, the instrument cluster which Chevrolet describes as a Raising sun styled displays all the needed information in a compact and stylish matter. Front dashboard like neat and stylish Luggage compartment Lamp and Rear parcel shelf etc are some of the additional convenience aspects of the car. Best part of the interior is the 60:40 split folding rear seats. With this one can vary the ample space for the luggage as required. Overall, the Sail U VA offers great headroom, legroom and also very good cushioned seats with lumbar support.

Performance The petrol variant which we drove is indeed very smooth. In fact, we had to make sure the vehicle is idling for real as we didn’t realize it. There is no chunky hand brake lever and instead there is a small button which does the work. In our brief encounter inside the city, the drive was impressive and was very convenient to be driven around in small corners. Once seated inside the visibility factor is superb from all angles A turning radius of 5.2m is very impressive especially in occasions where one is forced to take tight U turns or while steering out from narrow lanes. This is also handy while parking the car. Transmission is very smooth. The ride experience is very positive. AC does its bit very efficiently and at a fast pace.

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Specs Engine Max. Power (PS@rpm) Max. Torque (Nm@rpm) Transmission Length Width Tyre size Height Seating capacity Kerb weight (kg) Petrol

86@ 6000

113@ 5000

5 MT

3946mm 1690mm 175/70 R14 1503mm

1065

5

2013 JANUARY

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food

Photo credits : Jinson Abraham

Simply Continental Like to kick-start 2013 with some lip smacking authentic Continental cuisine?, then drive into ‘The Avenue Regent’ on MG Road, Kochi

Dine as a couple for a romantic dinner, a small private party or as a large group, and make the get-together memorable

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M

ezzo, rightly pronounced as Metzo, one of the resto-bar in Kochi serving the best of authentic continental cuisine is a winner to set a relaxed mood. It’s definitely the pinch of heavenly mood with a spoonful of perfect lighting, music and soul-drenching interiors blended with the ‘good food factor’ that makes Mezzo the one sophisticated spot for the young and the elderly. To spend some time in solitude reading

a book for hours, this place offers the luxury of open air seating, groomed with pebbles, climbers and wood works. Dine as a couple for a romantic dinner, a small private party or as a large group, and make the get-together memorable.

Like to kick-start 2013 with some lip smacking authentic Continental cuisine, then drive into ‘The Avenue Regent’ on MG Road, Kochi and step into ‘Mezzo’ to taste some tapas or steak. It's sure to set tongues wagging for all the right reasons.

Cognac Steak ‘Cognac flavoured meat tenderloin steak with a slice of bacon and mashed potatoes served with chopped veggies and garlic bread’

Chef about the dish: ‘It is a buttery smoked meal which tastes of herbs, broth and cognac’

Price: ` 475+Tax

Angels Crostini ‘Crostini topped with sun dried tomato pesto and jalapenos’

Chef about the dish:

Mezzo The Avenue Regent MG Road, Cochin

‘A veggie Spanish starter with flavour of basil leaves, canned sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese’

Price: ` 175 + Tax 2013 JANUARY

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travel

From

Lake shores Located adjacent to backwaters, the picturesque Kayal Resort at Kumarakom redefines solitude Text Thabitha Marion Photo Jinson Abraham

As we decided to get rid of the kerfuffle of city, we began surfing the Internet for serene hangout spots to spend a day

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A

s Friday’s enthusiasm was knocking our doors with weekend plans, we five friends, sat together to plan something out-of-the-box for the weekend.

Selez, who never gets tired of her routine stress buster, surprised us saying, “Too many parties, crowd and noises. I am sickened of it. Let’s do something different. A short trip to a peaceful

destination would be nice.” As we decided to get rid of the kerfuffle of city, we began surfing the Internet for serene hangout spots to spend a day. Backwaters were everybody’s choice; so we constrained our Google search to Kumarakom.

Abhishek whose choice is always thumbs up said, “Hey, how about this place, Kayal Resort at Kumarakom. The feedback seems to be good. And

guess what... Rahul Gandhi had been here last year to attend a wedding. It should fairly be a decent place.� What a reason for him to presume it to be good? Going through their website, we fell in for its description. Keeping our fingers crossed, we decided our weekend destination. Wishing good night we dispersed with a lot of expectation and excitement thinking about the next day.

By 6.30 am the quorum was complete and we started off keeping in mind that we need to halt at a food station. So before we drove off the outskirts of the city, we stopped the car at a restaurant. We ordered for egg roast with appams. After a few minutes, steamy hot appams and spicy chilli red egg roast were served. The flavour of spices was so much that we all thought it to last on our palms for hours.

Destination Clarifying routes with the help of local smokers at the roadside and the people at tea shops, around 8 am we entered the long stretch of road with glistening paddy fields on both sides.

On the way, we saw men climbing areca palm

and swaying it to hop on to its neighbouring palm.

As there were many dilapidated shacks all around (read toddy shops!), we got to see a good number of bare-bodied toddy collectors with plastic barrels tied around their waist hurriedly climbing palm trees and dropping-off sliding with the grip of a handmade coconut leaf which functions to be a safety belt for smooth landing.

After some visual rejuvenation, we moved on.

But it was a bumpy ride in the next one-and-a-half hour and we reached the wooden entrance of the water engulfed Edassery Kayal Resort. The gates creaked open painstakingly to an unsullied gift of nature.

On the way, we saw men climbing areca palm and swaying it to hop on to its neighbouring palm

The resort After parking our car, we treaded on to the gaped stony bridge, an architectural opening which showed us the dawdling water underneath. On arrival, we were served with a glass of tangy fruit juice, the welcome drink. We sat at the reception enjoying the breezy air which carried along with it a strong fragrance of the backwaters.

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travel

The foyer was dexterously adorned by wooden tress, brass accessories and water-filled antique vessels sprinkled with rose petals, adding grandeur to the ethnicityof the building

The silence of the place was often rhythmically disturbed by the shell chandelier which swayed to the moods of the wind. The foyer was dexterously adorned by wooden tress, brass accessories and water-filled antique vessels sprinkled with rose petals, adding grandeur to the ethnicity of the building.

Its walls have indigenous terracotta murals depicting birds perching on tree trunks pecking on tiny fish near the lake. As we were admiring the artist’s creativity and imagination carved on the wall, Shaji, who is in-charge of the resort, joined us. He gave a vivid description of the uniqueness of the resort.

“All the 24 well-planned cottages are built in slanted parallel rows which make it possible for all our guests to have an uninterrupted ringside view of the serene backwaters. This construction is one-ofits-kind,” says Shaji. The credit for this architectural masterpiece goes to architects Ramesh J. Tharaka and Monalitha Chatterjee who won the IIA Asia Gold Leaf Award for Resorts in 2009.

A stony passage from the reception led us to the six-feet deep crystal clear swimming pool and then to the accommodation. We were escorted to the resort boudoir which looked modern and luxuriously spacious with uncluttered styling, well-groomed wooden furniture with a semi-open air bathroom decked with bamboo shoots and white pebbles scattered around its roots. I slid open the white frilly curtain and there I saw how close we were to the edges of the

water body.

Getting out of the room, we walked to the sheltered deck where we could sit down for hours together enjoying the incredible boundless beauty. The peace and solitude we enjoyed there got spoiled with the interruptions caused by ‘Anthoni’, ‘Thoma’ and more of its kind. These were passenger boats commuting people.

As it was hot and humid, we took cover under the canopy of trees. We sat down and chatterboxes continued jabbering with no room for gossips. It was more of childhood talks about how we used to fish with towels, collect pebbles and some dangerous encounters we had with water. We had a whale of time there.

Bon appétit As we had already decided to have authentic Kerala fish curry rice, we didn’t take much of captain’s time.

Masala pappads, fried fish, fish curry, salads and rice filled our table. It was a hearty meal, freshly cooked and served at Rani Restaurant. To sum up our meal, we ordered for some puddings and payasams. An hour back, we were tired of the heat, but now it was heavy stuffing which made us feel exhausted.

Then we went to the banquet hall ‘Marthandam,’ coffee shop ‘Spain’ which is furbished with cane furniture, an entertainment zone and an executive bar furnished with rugged cart wheel designed furniture.

Twilight beauty The sweltering heat prompted us to take a dip in the pool. There we met Steve, Anne and their twin girls, from the UK. We became friends. It was a kaleidoscopic view to see the herons flocking across the sun, which was about to be swallowed by the waters, and the far off palm trunks kissed by water fading overtime in darkness.

It was around six in the evening, so we thought of having some high tea before we return to Kochi.

It was hard, but time was up for us to pack our bags.

The twilight lent an ornate appearance to the resort and our footsteps bid adieu to the beautiful place.

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business

Business as usual Businesses built around your strengths and talents will have a greater chance of success

M

any first-time entrepreneurs feel the need to jump at every “opportunity” they come across. Juggling multiple ventures will spread you thin and limit both your effectiveness and productivity. Do one thing perfectly, not 10 things poorly. If you feel the need to jump onto another project, that might mean something about your original concept. So having a better focus on what you are going to do is vital when you start up a new venture. It is important that you know the fundamentals of running a business.

You need skills to manage your employees, negotiate deals and contracts, communicate effectively with the public and network with other industry professionals. A passion for success is what will make you stand out from the average. There are many ways to learn business principles such as marketing, management, finance and operations. A successful entrepreneur must be able to rely on himself to get the job done. You must learn to manage and run your company on your own to sustain success in the business world. A businessman may have to make quick decisions each day that can affect the future of his company and his career, so self confidence is important. Here are some tips:

Know what you do. Do what you know Don’t start a business simply because it boasts large hypothetical profit margins and returns. If your heart isn’t in it, you will not be successful.

Know what you know and don't know No one knows everything, so don't come off as a

know-it-all. Find successful, knowledgeable individuals with whom you share common interests and mutual business goals that see value in working with you for the long-term.

Practise the art of being frugal Watch every rupee and triple-check every expense.

Maintain a low overhead and manage your cash flow effectively.

Learn under fire Never jump right into a new business without any thought or planning, but don't spend months or years waiting to execute. You will become a well-rounded entrepreneur when tested under fire. The most important thing you can do is learn from your mistakes-and never make the same mistake twice.

Raising capital Find ways to prove your business model on a shoestring budget. Demonstrate your worth before seeking investment. If your concept is successful, your chances of raising capital from investors will dramatically improve.

Know when to call it quits Know when it's time to walk away. If your idea doesn't pan out, reflect on what went wrong and the mistakes that were made. Assess what you would have done differently. Determine how you will utilize these hard-learned lessons to better yourself and your future entrepreneurial endeavors. Failure is inevitable, but a true entrepreneur will prevail over adversity.

Grooming True businessman Passion for business Be an example Flexibility Boldness Timely decision No ego Self-belief Accept criticism Strong work ethic

Good salesman Skill of listening Giving solutions Good personality Choose a good product Create rapport with customers Be an expert

Marketing strategies Irresistible free offers New product launch Update website Effective network Advertising Use social media 2013 JANUARY

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73

party scene

Falguni Peacock, River Viiperi, Paris Hilton, Shane Peacock, Sunil Chawla and Elena Starkova at the party

Pooja Bedi and Sky

Anushka Manchanda with Gaurav Arya

Sabina and Anil Chopra with a friend

Zulfi Sayed and Aditya Pancholi

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Paris Hilton and boyfriend River Viiperi enjoy an elephant ride

Vijay Mallya at the party

Asmita Marwah, Sania Sheikh and their friend

Models Asif Azim, Candice Pinto and Himangi Parte with their friend

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gadgets Apple iPod Touch 5

Samsung Galaxy Camera What FWD Life Liked: Tried and tested media player with the latest iOS6 Slimmer and easier to fit and carry around Totally re-designed earphones Great video quality

What we disliked Proprietary charging adapters No GPS, so no maps or navigation features Limited audio format support Price: ` 24,000/- approx Samsung Galaxy Camera is a stylish Android camera with powerful features all around. The 16 Megapixel camera is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad core processor, making it faster than most smartphones around. The camera has support for 3G, 4G LTE and Wifi direct which allows you to the share the photos you take instantly without hassles. Running on Android, the biggest plus that the camera has is the host of apps that are available to totally revolutionize the whole photography experience. Having said that, this camera is not for the hard core professionals, but is a great pick for all you amateurs, hobbyists and instagramers.

Price: ` 29,900/- approx

FWD Life Rating :

Nintendo Wii U What FWD Life Liked: Controller pad with a touch screen!

Off-TV play for a selection of games Superbly integrated social aspects

What we disliked Poor battery life for the game pad

FWD Life Rating :

Huawei Ascend D1 XL What FWD Life Liked: 1.5 GHz quad core processor, super fast Dolby 5.1 surround sound Superb battery life, amongst the best

What we disliked Android ICS, not yet updated to Jellybean Poor build quality Display screen doesn’t hold up to the competition Price: ` 27,000/- approx

FWD Life Rating : Collection of available games is lacking Price: ` 27,000/- approx

FWD Life Rating :

Disclaimer: Price and features are subject to change. Buyers are advised to act on data after cross-checking.

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award

Tony Jose, MD & CEO, Josco Group receives award for the highest VAT payer to the Government of Kerala in the multi-showroom category for 2011-12 from Therambil Ramakrishnan MLA at 5th Kerala Gem and Jewellery show in Thrissur. M.P. Vincent MLA, I.P. Paul, Mayor, Thrissur, Sumesh Wadera, MD, Art of Jewellery Media and P.V. Jose, president, Jewellery Manufacturing Association are also seen.

launch

The head office of Asten Mather Company, which was inaugurated on 12/12/12 in Kochi. The new building is an epitome of magificent architectural designs.

Asten Realtors is one of the prominent builders in Kerala.

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Thunderbox with DJ gino

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wtf

What the

f@#k

In my opinion, capital punishment seems like a merciful move towards such monstrous behaviour. Isolating the beast, taking away personal freedom and contact from the surrounding world would truly make a person see what he was willing to give up by his brutal doing.

Anniina Karvinen Executive

FWD Life readers respond to the topic: " Should rapists be given capital punishment?"

Here’s what our poll revealed

I don’t support capital punishment for rapists. Attitude must be changed and awareness should be started from homes/schools. Protests and punishments can create a wave in the minds, but not the ultimate solution. I feel only laws can't reform the character of a person.

Febin Wilson Telecom Professional

I don’t believe capital punishment is a must for rape/ murderer. Everyone deserves their second chance in life after serving in jail for as many years as it takes to rehabilitate themselves into normal human beings.

Mohamed Galib Business Development officer

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I don’t support capital punishments; especially in cases of rape. As said by some activists, it shouldn’t be the severity of the decision that should deter rapists, but how swiftly the decisions are executed.

Bringing capital punishment makes decisions much more difficult. Moreover, I don’t agree to the decision of taking someone’s life, no matter how cruel they are.

Nandagopal Sankaran Software Engineer The rapist should be flogged in public which should be a live coverage by all media and then, the culprits must be sentenced to life. Rapists should never be given bail. If law allows, his hands and legs should be cut off making him immobile in his whole life.

Daya Nair, Fininancial Consultant

I think the death penalty or an easy life sentence is too mild for such a heinous crime. Stone them to death, and make them suffer, only then they will get an inkling as to how their victims felt. I support the Arab laws in this matter.

Uma Namboodiri Telecom Professional

Tickled Tickled

Pink Pink

with KiniRao Rao with Kini

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DJ Sukethu @ Dream Hotel

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RNI Reg. No. KERENG /2012 /42759

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Postal Reg No. EKM/728/2012-14