Blink issue 43 november22 2014

NO.1 LADIES GANG A group of salwar kameez clad thieves, who pilfer metal in the dead of night, have left the UP police clueless p3 saturday, november 22, 2014

An audition at Studio 2000 in Aram Nagar apoorva guptay

A neighbourhood in Mumbai called Aram Nagar is rich in dreams and desperation. Thousands of ‘strugglers’ live in its dusty bylanes, hoping to be the Bollywood superstars of tomorrow p9

A shot at fame

BREATH TO SPEECH A teenager’s invention gives voice to those with speech impairments p5

NOT AN OSTRICH We know the causes of climate change, and can stop it, says author Diane Ackerman p18

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The can-do man With a wide range of shots, batsman Rohit Sharma proves that he knows how to get the ball beyond the fielders and into the record books

Cash cows come home A cow shelter set up by members of a women’s self-help group has pioneered an ecofriendly development model in Madhya Pradesh

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“The concept looked awesome to us and we t started off on a note of compassion, members to turn a simple gaushala into a provided them the technical support to scale when a women’s self-help group in Mad- means of income and self-reliance. hya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh district began As the number of cows increased, the wom- it up,” says Omkar Gupta, Deputy Manager of caring for stray cattle abandoned by poor en were trained in vermicomposting — the Development Alternative.

Development Alternative next set up a biofarmers who no longer had the means to feed breakdown of organic matter by earthworms gas plant the mahapatra gaushala, utilising the large them. The Swastik ini- Kolkata to produce nutrient-rich bio-fertiliser.

Record shotSankalp Rohit Sharma madeMahila historyMandal at Eden Gardens by becoming the first player to hit two double centuries in ODIsatswapan quantities of cow dung to gener“We sell vermicompost in the tially planned to milk the eight cows they housed in a gaushala (cow shelter) and use the local market and directly to ate bio-power and biogas to run first glimpse Rohithowever, Sharma time, several useful often machines on the farmers, is generating income for ytheir upkeep. ofSoon, Ladand had this termed it the “right thing to ment of ennui, the bowlers a picture of eight yearsofago Udaipur, a happen”. good revenue,” saysmastery Dhanku. premises.avenues “The generation thanks to thewas intervention theatDelhi-based Sharma’s ofHer all shots is born trepidation, exploring of escape. of city known for its majestic pal- from bio-powerThe wasbowler like a dream as it social enterprise Development Alternative, husband had initially necessity.

Thesebarred days her the opposition “I look to dominate. has a ball.

People started Pravin Amre, who had from working at the gaushala; to- recordings. our the spice grinding the Shri Rajaaces.

Ram Gaushala transformed into studies batsmen through video But extra I have myruns bat and crease is my madodonating their made a Test century on his debut a fiery Sharma chine 24/7 and generates more a hub of grassroots revolution, whereatenvironday, herfound workhis funds way her out, chilby beingcattle unpremain,” he had said at the end of that century and today we pitch at Durban back in 1992, always spoke dictable, for us,” Kamla, who who dren’s by schooling anddifferent her angles. ment-friendly concepts have been prototyped working on in owners Udaipur. Herevenue has grown intosays a batsman are theHeproud highly of to this lad from Borivali. daughter-in-law Kamla has operates theand machine SHG and used empower local villages.Was he so learned how to place theDevi ball beyond fielders. now appeals to the crowds the T20for squad. of 102 cows good?

“Wait till you watchthe him.

You will be- Fielding members rents out toanxoth“When people realised success of the joined incaptains too. “Initially, are yet people to find a solution It is his place in the Test and team thatitcauses lieve me,”they insisted Amre. er farmers as well. concept, started donating their extra cat- around didn’t endorse our concept and this. iety. His Test debut happened only in Novemcame duringowners the 2006 Impressed the effort, the tleThe andopportunity today we are the proud of De102 thought we were our The experts never wasting doubted Sharma’s talent, ber 2013. He responded withbya century.

In the odhar West Devi, Zone was North however Madhya government time; many women wereteameven cows,” Trophy. says Meera one playing of the village some senior next, whichPradesh was Tendulkar’s fareZone at who a college ground in Udaipur.

North mates stopped by their husbands from visiting the had in 2008 well chipped donating 20 acres women has been working at the gaushala questioned his discipline.

Test,inhebypaid his tribute to had a decent attackin — Gagandeep Singh, Jogin- He place.

But today proud of us,” adds to the SHG. the “The thenwith chiefanother minister Uma since its inception 2004. seemed to havethey lost are direction master century. derDevelopment Sharma, AbidAlternative Nabi, Amit Mishra, Sodhi.

Meera Devi. the national selectBharti was soSharma’s excited with the10project that she trainedRS the SHG even though next Test innings West had Sharma, who was just 18 at the time ors continued to back him. A immediatelyyielded donated 20 acres of state land a mere half century.

Sharma symbolises and impatient to outdo the competition and poor series in Sri Lanka in 2012 lease-free,” saysWhen Gupta.most experts believed the modern cricketer make it at the national level. Dinesh Lad, his threatened to curtail his interThese self-reliant women now in the that batsmen likeare Chris Gayle, AB — confident, coach since childhood, had taught him disci- national career as Sharma aggre- aggressive, ambitious spotlight in all Bundelkhand.

“Peopleor from de of Villiers, Kevin Pietersen Vipline, hard work and the importance of not gated a mere 13 runs in five One other villagesrender visit our gaushala and Sehwag would bereplicate the first and professional squandering opportunities. our methodstoback home; is really good in to Day Internationals. He had beachieve theitdouble century Here was a chance and Sharma did not err. gun to feel the pressure like nevsee people praising the work,” saystoMeera.

ODI, Tendulkar rose the task.

He smashed the North attack with a 123-ball er before. That he came out of it India is routinely by global forums Sharma rapped has eclipsed them all 142 — destroying the bowling with a wide on a thunderous note speaks for the ozone-depleting methane generated with scores of 209 (against Ausrange of shots. It was magical stuff for the sim- volumes about Sharma’s unflinching faith in tralia) by its millions cattle. Despite knowing and 264 of (against Sri Lanka) within that the ple reason that the ball stayed hit when he put his own abilities. cow dung is year. the best of someone bio-energy, Inspan of one Notsource bad for who his bat to the ball. Not one of the 14 fours and dia once has failed to to capitalise on off-spinner! it. A gaushala “I can do it. I will do it,” he would often tell had aspired become an three sixes that he cracked was crude. He ap- his close friends and teammates. And he did it born of goodwill now promises to catalyse When Lad promoted him to open the in-a peared to caress the ball between the gap, and in style, drawing inspiration and discipline nings climate-friendly bio-energy revolution. in a club match, the 12-year-old Sharma that has remained his forte.

“This is a with complete miracle at the grassroots from his close association with Sachin Tendul- responded a century.

That small step in Recently, when he pulverised the Sri Lankan kar. Sharma gave more and more time to local level,cricket wherehas thenow women’s group is becomeself-help a stride in the inattack, he did just that, picked the gaps. And cricket and grew in stature as a batsman of ternational not only inspiring arena. other villages in the counimprovised, hitting inside-out strokes and sav- great potential. tryOnly buthe also moving towards financial would do well to remember theindelaaagely sending the ball across the field to make pendence,” SN Panday, Programme Sharma symbolises the modern cricketer — fa (slap) thatsays LadDr reserved for him once for a record-breaking innings of 264 runs. The confident, aggressive, ambitious and profes- throwing Director athis Taragram, a satellite campus of Dewicket away.

He learnt the value match was a thriller and proved the mettle of sional. He always looks to make a statement in of velopment Alternatives. keeping his wicket that day. a man whose indiscretion at the crease had an authoritative style, his presence at the lokapally is Deputy Editor, Sports, The Hindu tawqeer hussain is a Delhi-based journalist cost him a place in the 2011 World Cup. At that crease is an eventful sojourn, without a mo- vijay

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Return in kind The Shri Raja Ram Gaushala run by a women’s self-help group in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, generates income not just from milk but also vermicomposting and bio-power and biogas generation

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The mahila metal gang They have been caught on CCTV, stealing metal and machinery from industrial units in Ghaziabad. But the cops are nowhere near nabbing this fleet-footed all-woman crew

Heavy metal The salwar-kameez clad women pulling off their heist, as seen on CCTV footage

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t is 5.23am in the Kavi Nagar industrial area of Ghaziabad. A torchlight flashes in the compound of E-217 and is closely followed by a group of salwar-kameez-clad women clutching garbage bags, their dupattas wrapped around their faces. They walk to a door and prise it open. Minutes later, 12 women enter the shop floor of Express Printing House, striding around the columns of paper and a piece of machinery. On sighting some aluminium sheets lying around, they break into a flurry of activity, grabbing, folding and packing the sheets into their roomy sacks. The dupattas slip, revealing their profiles. Some are just teenagers, some wear spectacles, and some have well-defined jaw lines. Twenty minutes later, nearly 500 sheets of aluminium and the women vanish from the scene.

On October 21, cameras 02, 04 and 05 of Express Printing House captured the Ghaziabad women’s daring break-in and robbery. A fortnight later, the Uttar Pradesh police have no leads on this all-woman gang of metal thieves.

“We’re still investigating. We are searching all industrial areas of Ghaziabad, in jhuggi-jhopri settlements; we’ve sent people to Manesar also,” says the Kavi Nagar SHO Avnish Gautam.

Vineet Tyagi, the owner of the printing press, has just installed his eighth CCTV camera, trained on the small gate through which the gang entered. “I installed the other cameras about a year ago,” he says. “It was for monitoring my labour staff. I didn’t even think of robberies.” The area, he claims, is safe.

Buffeted by upscale residential colonies on three sides, and a police station close by, Kavi Nagar is a quiet industrial area. Small-scale steel industries sit next to hardware suppliers and software companies. Tyagi’s printing press shares E-217’s 1,600 sq yards with electrical shops and a fabricator. Fresh pamphlets advertising CCTV cameras adorn every gate.

Guards are few, chaiwallas in plenty.

The police examined the footage and de-

The chaiwallas open well after 6am. So, the robbery is timed between 5 and 6am.

On August 15 this year, a long weekend, a similar robbery occurred at Shivas Reinplast on GT Road nearby. That involved 17 women.

Four months ago, the gang was caught on camera stealing electrical equipment from Shershah Place on GT Road. Last year, around Diwali, they struck at E-217, making off with a heavy motor, around ₹70,000 cash and blankets. There were four women then. Tyagi’s clared it an open-and-shut case. They would cameras bore witness to that as well. The cops, have the culprits in a day or two, they told Tya- however, seem unaware of the earlier robbergi. That never happened. Instead, Tyagi espied ies or the electronic evidence. “This (Tyagi’s) is the women again, barely days later. For nearly the only case registered; we don’t know of any a week after the theft, he and fellow tenants other robberies in the area,” says SHO Gautam. sat in his office between 5 and 6 am, watching “Metal ki chori to har roz hoti hai, (Metal gets the images from his eight cameras on his com- stolen every day) but this is organised theft. puter screen. Bleary-eyed, they saw the same There were four members last year, now there gang approach the gates and turn back every are 16 to 18 women in the gang,” says Krishan day. When the cops were informed, they as- Verma, owner of Shivas Reinplast. Sixteen sured Tyagi, “leopard bhej rahe hain.” women had breached Verma’s 12-ft high comSeveral days passed, but there was no sign of pound walls, ignored the sheets of fibreglass the promised “leopard”, namely, two cops on on the premises and gone straight for a 90-kg a bike, as Tyagi explains. “We kept lathis in our steel die worth ₹70,000-80,000 in the open office, but we didn’t want to take action with- market. Even as two women hoisted the heavy out the cops. Lekin leopard aaya hi nahi.” He be- steel cast and stowed it in their bags, the rest lieves the cops are wary, as women are sat outside and convinced a guard that they involved. “It’s a gender-sensitive issue now. were sifting scrap.

These days, they only operate on Verma’s camera too had taped electronic surveillance, no real the episode. Unfortunately, he legwork. They’ve become inefdidn’t know how to retrieve the fective,” he says. valuable evidence and chose not Tyagi has turned into Tyagi had insured everything to go to the cops. A few days later, an amateur sleuth in his press except the metal when he noticed the women plates. The stolen aluminium strolling outside his factory, he sheets have left him poorer by directed his workers to pursue ₹4 lakh. The scrap value of the them. “We followed them past a metal is around ₹150 per kg. The women made police chowki, all the way to Loha Mandi,” says away with 350 kg in 20 minutes. “The scrap one of the workers, Satinder. Abutting the indealers will know that it’s stolen metal, so the dustrial area, Loha Mandi is home to the only rates will be lower, ₹80-90 per kg,” says Tyagi. jhuggi settlement in these parts. “They turned Even at that low rate, the gang would’ve made into the basti and disappeared,” says Satinder. about ₹30,000 for one day’s work.

The gang’s single-minded pursuit of metal Finding little help from the cops, Tyagi has and machinery reveals some knowledge of inturned into an amateur sleuth. That some of dustry. Is there an organised gang behind the women wear glasses is evidence that “they these burglaries? Are the women used as a do zari work”; their salwars are hitched up front? The police have few answers. They have means “they are ragpickers”… the specula- three teams on the case, and sketches of the tions come thick and fast. He believes their women have been plastered in the industrial modus operandi indicates they are repeat of- areas. The mahila chor gang is still at large, fenders. An extended weekend or public holi- though… perhaps waiting to strike again days are first identified. They recce the area when, proverbially, the metal is hot. and select a target. There are no guards between 9pm and 6am, say tenants in the area. priyanka kotamraju

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Tree Love of in life the library The roots of Morocco’s Argan oil run deep and change the lives of local women By muting all communication, the library amplifies the lovers’ silent sign system, forcing them to invent their private language

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am driving to the windswept town of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast, when the driver points to the short, spiky, gnarled trees that dot the yellow hills along the highway. I watch in disbelief, as goats climb the straggly branches and nibble on the nuts, the source of Morocco’s liquid gold. For Argan

oil is to Morocco what olive oil is to Italy. Driv- shell of the nut with sharp pieces of rock to reer Haneef tells me the goats were once part of lease the soft kernel inside, while others grind the production process — eating the fruit and them into a paste that looks like gooey peanut leaving behind clean kernels in the dung! butter, even as another set of hands squeeze Native to the deserts, Argan the oil out — it’s an assembly line trees have deep roots to survive production. Also, as with many in harsh conditions, and are retraditional products, even the sistant to strong winds. UNESCO waste is put to good use. The reArgan oil is to listed Argan groves in the southsidue from the kernels after oil Morocco what olive ern reaches of Morocco as a bioextraction — a thick, chocolate oil is to Italy sphere reserve in 1998. A tag that coloured paste called amlou — is stands the trees in good stead in sweetened and served as a dip for these restive, modern times, perbread at breakfast and used to haps, for it takes them at least 50 make soaps, creams and shamyears to reach fruiting maturity. Starting with poos. The oil too has more than one use — in the early Phoenicians, Argan oil has been used cooking, stirred into couscous and drizzled in Berber folk medicine for centuries. The cos- over salads, and now, in the global cosmetic inmetic and food industries, however, have only dustry, prized for its high Vitamin E content. woken up to its potential as an anti-ageing But its most valuable by-product, perhaps, wonder and super-food in the last decade. is empowerment. Much of the Argan oil in the country is made in co-operatives by women n a low-ceilinged room at a women’s co-op- who work for half a day to support their famerative in the Ouiraka Valley outside Marra- ilies and ensure a good education for their kesh, Berber women of all ages sit children. Like the hardy trees that have for cross-legged on colourful rugs and extract centuries prevented the Sahara desert from with local this wonder oil. It’s a time- and labour-inten- expanding, oil-making hasStacked emancipated innuendo TheBerber sive industry, where everything is done by women and kept the male-dominated civilisational order of hand. On an average, I’m told, 20 working society in check. the library attempts to hours are spent for every litre produced. I quell all romance thulasi kakkat writer watch a few elderly women crack the hard kalpana sunder is a Chennai-based

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WINDOW OR AISLE

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fter the controversy at Aligarh Mus- that rises and rests on the forehead have so lovers create and define their personal world lim University over banning girls’ much to tell unlike in the noisy outside world is more easily achieved in the library because entry into a library, we must accept where they appear blank. A routine gesture of it offers them a microcosm of a mock-hostile libraries for what they really are: the lover can get stuck like a bookmark in the world. speech is taboo and the movement grammes and The appropriate incentive not the nerdy dens as the general belief goes, mind and create a reference for whatever fol- is restricted.

Like their medieval counterparts, structures in any service organisation but crucibles of silent, consuming love. I am lows in the day. Therefore, like the readerscan that they inculcate can easilysuch feel that the world is a big conprobably behaviour. not talking of the novels where prim and stuf- they are, the lovers live forever in interpretaspiracy againstwas them. small kind word What was amazing thatEven theaemfy librarians melt into lava in the arms of bibli- tion. Much like the textual exegesis, romantic uttered softly can raise eyebrows. ployees could take decisions.

Within the The Dewey omaniac hunks, or of maladroit undergrads love is a constant search for meaning. Itbroad is an parameters Decimal System of classification of common sense and hangs over looking to make out in the stacks, under the interpretive enterprise. them inthey surveillance, as if theendour librarian is good judgment, were seemingly watchful eyes of compendiums and encycloThe library routine is replete with thetitled acci- to make cataloguing even their the tiniest decisions keeping cus- interactions. paedias. Love in the library isn’t the quick, dental due to an excessive emphasis on tomer’s deco- interest With furtive glances, they express solidarity in mind.

So when my spicy variety like love in the kitchen, on the rum and control. A brush that would go felt against theto malevolent order of mother unwell go to the civilisational prepaid dining table or, if you like, on the stairs. The li- unnoticed outside and won’t even require say- the library romance. breakfast buffet andthat thequells resortall rules did In the outbrary romance proposes an entire philosophy ing sorry, gets dramatised inside side world, they are just two guys not allow for it to be served in her room of love. a library. Old Hindi films extractno one perhaps even bothon a complimentary basis, thewould restaurant “Every other night, on TV,” writes Roland ed much out of the stock situanotice. attendant packed uper a to feast so that we Barthes in his A Lover’s Discourse, “someone tion. The hero and heroine Love in theWhen library is an acacould take it to her — no charge. says: I love you.” In the age of loquacity, love would bump into each other, exercise for it must create manager that the kids had Likethe theF&B readers that sawdemic finds little means to rise above banality. The drop their books and bend excess of meaning barely nibbled at theiran food, he took a call around the they are, the lovers romantic love, as it has been practised since down to pick them up. In the signs.for It must read and be read in to not charge the dinner live forever inthe children the middle ages, thrives on the myth of its process, they would make conway ofroom a book. meal. Chauffeurs tookthe detours, serinterpretation own originality. Every lover strives to find his tact and immediately recoil in Reading indoors itself is an erotic vice got extra water, guards opened own language of love since he feels his is a embarrassment. A tiny routine art. Right from an appreciative — everyone was just doing the right thing unique feeling. Or at least he wants to own the incident seems an accident of — happily and proudly.caress of the spine of a book to public language of love by stamping it with fate that brings them together the orgasmic discovery of meanThe owner-architect apparently visits his own seal, even if it’s scribbling ‘I-love-you’ and looms over them forever.

Mostonce novels imitate the structure of lovethe resorting. at least a week and scans on a Hallmark card in a cursive hand where One of the important conventions of ro- a hawk, making: the exposition, thewith rising action, the it like looking out for issues letters cuddle up together in anticipation of mantic love, fate lurks at every corner of the li- climax and the exhaustion that lays your an uncanny attention to detail.

I tried rethe first union. In the library, you cannot say brary, trying to turn routine brushessearching into mind to rest. Maybe that’s why his company but couldn’t lo-painter Pierreso much “Let’s outthe fordetails coffee”ofletthe aloneadventure ineluctable love.

EnvelopedFrom in silence, daya distinct Auguste organisation Renoir couldstructure imbue his reading resort employed. the its Now Ias, won’t gogo into cate the banal declarative TV ev-timeprogressing motion and time lapsing women, intently focused onbubooks, looking we checkedin inslow till we left, I probably immaculately plush Barthes rooms, heard even atonthe anywhere, so there is probably little ery night.

The library is a booked. controlled space with the turning of the pages, the library can quite otherwise, base category that I had A lot of ofinteracted with 50-plus employees.

Bellreaucracy.

Anddomestic maybe that’s one ofwith thethe sensuousbureaucratic discipline and mathematical highlight even small them they ness of the managed Renaissance resorts by leading global brands offer the or-boys, housekeeping staff,incidents waiters, and F&Bfill reasons have to nudes. achieveThe reader-lovder.

By Imuting communication, it ampli-managers, with extraordinary meaning.

It can er understands the desirecan that same. won’t doalljustice if I try to describe chauffeurs and so on. Each of make whata so few service organisations — unfolds like fies lovers’ signwith system.

In thethem chance encounter look like a fated meeting, after page of a tome, the silent passion displayed the same single-minded howthe thrilled thesilent kids were the dozemployeepage empowerment.

The employees library, are forced to invent theirthat privatefocus and suddenthat crossing pathshad a convincing that burns discreetly behind the soda-bottle toaensure everyofguest a can do the ens of they outdoor rides and activities right thing so they are happy language.

Theput library promotes thetogesture, omen. they bumped into eachand, oth-consequently, glasses of asostudious undergrad, and the heathe park had together.

One has ex- good time.Long Theyafter were polite, attentive, are the customers. the signalitand the innuendo, essentially theprompt, er in the library, thepassionate lovers would keep revisit- dy smell of dying books that tickles the nosengaged and about perience for oneself. language Like a book, the loverstheiring thatBut fateful moment. it not been in thepiparaiya trils during stolen of intimacy in rishi is the author of moments Aisle Be What I of doromance. want to talk about is the attiwork. you know, evenHad that’s are open, recto verso,people to eachthat other. they won’t even have looked each the stacks. rishi@aislebedamned big a deal — good training pro- atDamned tude of the fewand hundred thisAndthatmarket, one has to read the other like one reads the other twice. book. A sideways glance, a stray foot, a hand The clandestine language of love that helps dharminder kumar is a Delhi-based journalist

The deciding factor rishi piparaiya

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ang in the middle of the peak festive season, I decided to make a weekend trip with the family.

The North was too far, the South too muggy, Goa overbooked, and your procrastinating columnist was left with no option but the usual last resort (no pun intended) for any Mumbaikar: Lonavala. I scanned the travel sites, balked at the room rates and unenthusiastically settled for two nights at an adventure park. It seemed vaguely interesting — rides, kids’ activities and, most important, availability on the weekend. The project is the brainchild of a Mumbai architect, who is generally better known for his office furniture. So I landed up at this 36-acre resort, parents and children in tow, with no real expectations.

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When the last resort turns out to be a fine, empowered resort

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Let’s hear it from Arsh This Panipat teen’s invention allows people with speech impairments to communicate using their breath. The handy, affordable device can prove life-changing for 1.4 million Indians

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Lego to the lab Arsh Shah Dilbagi’s invention, Talk, won the Voter’s Choice award at this year’s Google Science Fair in Palo Alto, California kamal narang

tandard XII for most students is a time of great stress — extra tuitions, unending revisions ahead of final examinations and deciding on the courses to apply for in college. Arsh Shah Dilbagi, however, is spared of this set of worries as he has another one to grapple with. What will he speak about at his upcoming Tedx talk, how can he build on the Voter’s Choice accolade he won at the Google Science Fair, how to commercialise his innovations and, of course, somewhere at the back of his mind, how to get good grades in his exams?

The only Asian in the final round of the Google Science Fair this year, his innovation, Talk, is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device that could change the lives of many who have speech impairments including those with neurodegenerative disease and congenital impairment such as cerebral palsy, autism and Parkinson’s disease. The user’s breath patterns are processed through Morse code, and the device — no heavier than a regular smart phone — takes only 0.8 seconds to dictate the letter ‘A’, 0.4 seconds for ‘E’ and so on. Most importantly, it will be affordable ($200 roughly) and life-changing for more than 1.4 million Indians afflicted by strokes each year.

A Lego story “I didn’t want him to sit in front of the TV all day, so I got him a Lego kit instead of a PlayStation,” says Arsh’s fa-

ther, Amit Dilbagi, a 46-year-old executive en- his experience at Palo Alto, California, during gineer at the thermal power plant in Panipat. the Google Science Fair’s final round last He and his wife, Ritu, have supported their month. “The setting was quite unconventionson’s endeavours since he was an adolescent, al. We had a full crash-pad with everything — and Arsh always travels in his father’s compa- Xboxes, table-tennis setups, mini-golf, anyny. When we met, they had just driven over thing that suits your fancy. We were treated from Panipat to a south Delhi school, where like total celebrities.”

Arsh was speaking at a tech conference.

This was the fourth edition of the annual The Lego Mindstorms kit from his father competition organised by Google, Lego, Virwas Arsh’s first step into the world of robotics. gin Galactic, National Geographic and the Sci“It was probably the first Lego kit that was entific American magazine. There were many shipped to Panipat,” says Arsh. “I always want- Indian-American children in the final round, ed a dog, so one of the first things I built was a but Arsh was the sole entrant from Asia. robot-dog.” That was in 2010 as a “I was really happy that I got 12-year-old, the same year he the voters’ choice award. I was won the national-level Indian eyeing the grand prize, but this Robot Olympiads. He won a reaward was selected by the audiI always wanted a gional competition the next ence and I’m glad people believe dog, so one of the year. He has since built a 50-centhat my device can change the first things I built was timetre-tall humanoid which, world,” he says. a robot-dog according to him, can do pushSince the award, Arsh and his ups, stand on its head and climb family have been receiving many stairs, as also a hexapod (spidercalls from prospective buyers, like robot) and an unmanned but they first have to decide how ground vehicle that fetched him honours in to manufacture Talk commercially. “Even 2012 from the then President, Pratibha Patil. though it only started as his science project, it Apart from a fully functional lab at his Pani- has become something more now. Literally, it pat home that is equipped with soldering sta- gives voice to the voiceless,” says Dilbagi. tions, glue guns and high-end computers, Arsh is looking for some financial aid. “I love Arsh owns eight robotics kits at last count. “I robotics, but it is an expensive subject and make frequent trips to Nehru Place and Lajpat there are hardly any scholarships at the unRai market in Delhi to pick up spares. There dergraduate level. I’m looking for funding to are also a few websites from which I order study further and enrol in a great institution,” what I need,” he says, adding, “I have been he says. In the meantime, there’s still work in lucky to have parents who support me and progress. “I’m making modifications to Talk. provide all the resources. I have a nice, big Next is a system where you plug in to a moniroom with everything I need.” tor using an HDMI portal and you can access the internet using your breath alone. A breathThe Google experience controlled operating system of sorts.”

“There was a chauffer-driven Cadillac waiting for us outside the airport,” he gushes about sibi arasu

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Do the cha cha cha Not all bad ON THE SHELF

In a country where chai is everyday stuff, there’s new business brewing at trendy tea bars, which are determined to take theplanet’s competition to the doorstepbut of coffee-shops We might be in the midst of the sixth great extinction, Diane Ackerman offers us some hope yet in The Human Age

anita roy

The Human Age The World Shaped

by Us Diane Ackerman Norton & Company Non-fiction $27.95

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t takes a certain amount of loin-girding to buy a book on climate change — there are shelves to choose from — and I can rarely find a gird robust enough to cope with the steep spike in anxiety and the stomach-plunging drop into depression that such books usually precipitate. So it was with trepidation, and a certain amount of prescription meds, that I picked up a recent book on the subject — The Human Age by Diane Ackerman.

The Anthropocene is a term popularised by Nobel-prize winning chemist Paul Crutzen to cover the period of this planet’s history which could be called The Rise of the Humans. It is yet to be formally accepted as a geological time period — partly because there’s still no consensus about when it actually began: with the Industrial revolution in the late 18th century? Or with the beginning of agriculture? Or some other key marker further back in our prehistory? What’s for sure is that our activities as a species have now altered everything: the earth’s surface, its water bodies, its atmosphere, its species, its climate. There is very little ‘natural’ in nature any more — nothing untouched in some way by human activity, from the swallows nesting in the eaves of our houses to the creatures trundling along the ocean floor, from alligators in Florida toilet bowls to bees dying from insecticides.

But according to Ackerman it’s not all bad.

This is an important, possibly even radical, viewpoint. Normally, when reading writers who say stuff like — climate change is not bad for everyone; in fact, hey, look at this opportunity — my natural instinct is to reach for the harpoon-gun. But Ackerman allows for no ulaimani, Pahadi, for Desi, Aam Papad, such knee-jerk reactions, she’s neither a Paani Kum… Quirky namesnaysayer, brewed head-in-the-sand climate change upa by two IITians for with the an chai nor is she gung-ho capitalist eyethey on serve at the chain and of teafinanbars new possibilities forChaayos exploitation they set up in the national capital region after quitting plush MNC jobs in the US. In Bengaluru, customers drink up their tea and get to take home the kullad (earthen pot) it came in, at the four-year-old Chaipatty. Tapri Central in Jaipur serves the beverage in dhabha-style glasses to customers seated on cane moodhas and cushion-less wooden chairs reminiscent of roadside eateries.

As coffee-drinking steadily gains new converts in urban centres, a section of GenNext has taken upon itself the task of popularising tea-drinking outside home.

“There are many options for people to get good coffee outside home, but for tea, the native beverage, there are not that many. That’s why we decided to set up Chaayos,” says Raghav Verma. He and the chain’s CEO, Nitin Saluja, have expanded the venture from one to seven outlets within two years and are looking to add five more in as many months.

For Chirag Yadav, who set up Chaipatty Teafe (tea+cafe) in 2009, tea was the only constant in a life that was always on the move, thanks to his father’s defence postings across India. “The only thing consistent was seeing my parents having tea in the verandah and serving it to guests. Chai, for me, is the connecting drink,” says the 31-year-old Yadav, who happens to also be a salsa instructor.

An activity centre he started in Bengaluru’s

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Anybody listening?

Most climate change naysayers tend to have their heads in the sand, but not Ackerman reuters/david gray

cial gain. She is chillingly clear-sighted about reduce noise, save energy, refresh the spirit, the devastation being wrought, but is un- and sink our roots deeper into the natural quenchably hopeful about our ability to deal world.’ She cites the Swedish city of Kalmar with it: which, with its hybrid cars, chicken-manure“We’re in the midst of the planet’s sixth powered buses, low-energy streetlights and great extinction, between seventeen thou- such like, has switched dependency from alsand and a hundred thousand species a year... most entirely fossil-fuels to 65 per cent renewMany scientists predict that at the pace we’re able, and aims to rid itself entirely of fossil going, about half of all the world’s plants and fuels by 2030. Sweden as a whole has already animals will vanish by 2100. But, for a change, reduced its oil dependency by a staggering 90 we know the exact causes of the extinction, per cent, cut its carbon dioxide emissions by having created them ourselves — nearly 10 per cent and reclimate change, habitat loss, polluduced sulphur pollution to tion, invasive species, big agriculpre-World War I levels. Accordture, acidifying the oceans, ing to Bosse Lindholm, who We know the exact urbanisation, a growing populamanages Kalmar’s sustainacauses of extinction, tion demanding more natural rebility efforts, ‘the challenge having created them sources — and we’re in a position to isn’t technological, it’s changourselves, and we’re stop them, if we set our collective ing the way people think.’ in a position to mind to it.”

Ackerman sounds positivestop them Setting their collective minds to ly evangelical at times. She deit are a ‘mariculturalist’ practising scribes the sun as a ‘molten sustainable ocean farming off the socket that stretches coast of Connecticut, a loopy verti92,960,000 miles’ and that cal gardener with a green fingernail and green fossil fuels are only, anyway, a form of buried hair redefining what’s inside and what’s out sunlight: “Now we’re just skipping the secondin Paris, stem cell researchers forging ahead hand part and going straight to the wellsprPick-me-up with de-extinction programmes across the ing of that fuel. Wood, coal, oil, andA gas were in world. Ackerman skips around the planet, only intermediaries afterhousehold all, andbeverage using them India, tea can be had for zooming in with her magnifying glass, and was a sign of our immaturity as a₹6species.”

She less than at its many zooming out to give a satellite’s overview, waxes lyrical about harnessing energy from roadside stalls.

Packaged thrilled and excited by the possibilities of the the slipstream of trains,asbody heat from itthe a lifestyle product, commands up to ₹150 a human imagination to rise to the challenge — companionable crush of a subway system... cup at high-end the greatest one we as a species have ever it’s all possible. And before you can say InterloungesChange, Ackfaced — of diminishing natural resources, governmental Report ontea Climate bloomberg/dhiraj singh drastic climate change, and the vanishing of erman has already woven a deft metaphor our precious biodiversity. around it.

Indiranagar soonplanners turned into tea bar.

“It just She looks area at town anda civil engithat. Cutting chai served glasses Ackerman’s default settingin is small enthusiastic was mywho friends convinced meand to start of- wonderment. neers are who creating ‘homes public at Mumbai’s tapris cost narnot Early (roadside on in the stalls) book she fering tea.” fund earnings spaces thatHis areprovident living organisms that from will rates morean than ₹6, but there are folks willing to incident scuba diving off the coast of a previous job,ofother savingsincrease and some fund- Jamaica scrub the air pollutants, oxygen, spend ₹50 for the same brew — the difference where, alarmed by her movements, ing from his father came to his aid. Chaipatty, her is indiving the packaging. instructor assumes she’s in trouble or tea leaves, is named for the one commodity and “People more than willing to payAckera preneeds are to surface.

No, it’s just Diane an average Indian household never ever runs man mium; they increasingly to spend expressing what she want expresses best:more wonout of. time“There with tea,” Parag Desai, that executive dider. was says no way to mime I wasn’t In a city teeming with coffee chains, his tea hurt rectororoffrightened, Wagh Bakri.but Thisjubilant, chain ofmerely tea lounges glad bar’s kullad chai and pakoras were an instant to in the Delhi andofMumbai brink tears.” serves nearly 40 variehit and he broke even in four months. “My ties of teathat along with Indian snacks as vaWalls twitch and flex likesuch muscles, mother joined me and we daself-regulate pav, samosatheir and bun maska. buildings that temperature opened another outlet in the When the company opened its using techniques inspired by termites; ship city.” He now has five outlets, inyears in Mumhulls rippledfirst likeoutlet whalesixskin toago skim easily cluding one in Mumbai. More bai’s Vile the idea fathrough the water andParle, conserve fuel was — ThetoHulounges are in the works in Delmiliarise customers with various man Age is a tidal rush of ideas — it’s hard not When everybody hi, Ahmedabad and Pune betea varieties. response to get swept along with itBut all. the At times she drinks a beverage, it sides Singapore and Dubai. so good that Desai seems naive: transported by quickly the dedoesn’t have value.a littlewas opened a second in the lights of vertical gardens, and outlet their role in We have to re-invent In makeover mode In several non-metandmetropolis. re-oxygenating the air while bevalue incleaning tea Coffee prices in cafes start at ros, Wagh Bakri has smaller tea ing just so goddam pretty, she manages to sug₹50, whereas tea can be had for called Tea World.

It also gest that thelounges most arduous and dangerous ₹30. At the top end, most teas operates themaintenance kiosk model crew in cinepart of the work for the at are priced around ₹150. Chaipatmas and railways stations.

“We one such multi-storey cascade in downtown ty’s desi kullad chai starts at ₹50, the kadak chai Vancouver are looking at harvest more opportunities this is to the pineapplesin before at Chaayos comes for ₹40 and a pot of Chinese they space,” says drop onDesai. someone’s head. blooming tea costs ₹150 at Infinitea lounges.

But given the despairing or depressing Terming chai as the country’s “basic bever- tomes Coffee,on tea, or… the rest of the climate change bookage”, Harish Bijoor, CEO at Harish Bijoor Con- shelf, Per capita consumption of teathese is 711 flights grams of in we can perhaps forgive sults, believes that is its strength and its fancy, India, while it’s a the minuscule 56 it grams forthat, cofand share hope, for is just weakness. “The strength is that everybody that fee, according a 2010 Technopak Advisors we and ourtofellow humans may save ourdrinks tea, but when everybody drinks some- selves report.—In thethe estimated $6.6-billion non-alcoand rest of the planet — yet. thing, that beverage doesn’t have value. We holic beverage market, tea commands the lianita roy isat a writer director of Young Zubaan to have to re-invent value in tea.” on’s share $2.3 and billion.

This is expected anita@anitaroy.net The tea lounges and bars are attempting exceed $3.4 billion by 2015.

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Tea junction Projecting itself as a cross between a college canteen and a roadside tea-stall, Chaipatty has four outlets in Bengaluru and one in Mumbai; (right) the Chaayos chain in the national capital region was set up by two US-returned IITians (below) Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma

Yet, there are only about 100 tea bars compared to the more than 3,200 coffee outlets in the country. “Coffee chains have the first-mover advantage, not as a competition but lifestyle offering. The tea industry focused on the core industry for too long and no one thought of connecting with the consumer on a longterm basis,” rues Desai.

It is this gap that the new-age chai bars are trying to bridge. Industry experts point out that the tea business offers high margins, nearly 50 per cent at times. Compared to coffee, tea costs less as it requires less milk and sugar. This also helped some of the tea chains break even within months.

“Within three months of opening every store, we are able to break even operationally.

And we will continue to do that with new stores as well,” says a confident Verma.

Training to a T Through entrenched processes and staff-training, the tea chains have been able to maintain consistency in taste and service, thereby attracting a regular clientele and revenues.

Wagh Bakri staff undergo six months of rigorous training to understand the nuances of tea making and tea tasting. Right from the tea gardens to its offices and tea lounges, the company familiarises its staff with every aspect of the business to ensure its customers are

served a cup of perfectly aromatic tea.

At Chaayos, every employee attends an industrial training and certification programme, followed by two weeks of in-store training. “After one month, they have to pass the certification exam,” says Verma. This is needed because, unlike coffee-making which is totally mechanised, tea making is still an art. Chaayos is doing its best to standar- 100 customers a month in 2003, Infinitea now attracts 600 customers a day. “We have to dise processes.

“Procurement (for all seven outlets) is done make each unit profitable,” he declares.

Yadav concurs, saying outside funding is a centrally and from the best sources, like tulsi from Uttarakhand and cinnamon from Kerala. big drain on the original promoters. “Those That helps maintain quality,” says Verma. The who fund take 10-20 per cent (of revenues) evco-founders have also determined the dura- ery month. There are bad months too. I don’t tion and temperature of brewing for the right prefer this model for expansion.” taste. Add-ons like ginger are ground and prepared fresh every morning and measured Brewing a USP The companies not only differ in their apquantities are added to each cup.

“For the food items, we have a central kitch- proach to growth but also the clientele they en in Gurgaon that supplies daily to the out- serve, and target. The chai drinkers at Chaayos lets.” Sandwich fillings or the vada for a vada are in the 18-40 age bracket and are mostly pav, for instance, are prepared working professionals, while the in Gurgaon, and the dish is asplush Infinitea lounges attract sembled together at the outlets. families, kitty party groups, colThis makes the business highlege students as well as the elderly scalable, says Verma. “We will Unlike coffee-making, ly. Wagh Bakri sees both business be working on a hub-and-spoke associates and families chatting which has been model. From one kitchen, we are over tea and snacks, while Chaimechanised, tea managing seven locations. We patty is the joint for youngsters. making is still an art can take this to 15 in the NCR.” In a country where tea-drinking is ubiquitous, there is Blend in the business enough room for new players. In The scalability helped the busithe long run, however, differenness attract ₹2 crore funding from Powai Lake tiation will prove decisive. Each of the current Ventures, a Mumbai-based angel investment players is attempting to brew that USP. Chaigroup. Chaayos is now set for the next round patty is positioning itself as the friendly of expansion and will raise more money only neighbourhood tea cafe — something of a when needed. cross between a college canteen and a roadBengaluru-based chain Chai Point, side tea-stall. It sells Maggi alongside momos, too, raised ₹10 crore from Saama and makes its kullads at the pottery classes Capital in May this year. It has 22 held on its premises.

Chaayos offers 12 add-ons for its desi chai, inoutlets across Delhi and Bengaluru. Others such as Infinitea and cluding Adrak, Tulsi, Elaichi, Cinnamon, Mint, Chaipatty prefer to avoid out- Kali Mirch; there’s a choice between Kadak side funding. “I don’t want big (strong) and Paani Kum (light), and variations boys to come and cut corners in the use of milk, tea and sugar. The crazy to increase sales. I am a chef aam papad chai is Darjeeling tea that is milkand tea master; it is a labour free and infused with dried mango.

There are innovations aplenty, but Bijoor is of love,” says Gaurav Saria of Infinitea. Launched in 2003, unsure if that alone is enough to re-invent the the company right now has imagery around tea. “Tea has become too one outlet each in the NCR much of a commodity. People must bond with the beverage. Tea requires a unique discovery and Bengaluru.

Saria is in no hurry to ex- — it needs its own Cappuccino.” In the meanpand and prefers to grow the time, the new-age chaiwallahs will be closely business by offering a great cus- watching the boiling teapot. tomer experience. That strategy has served him well. From rashmi pratap

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DIPANKAR

saturday, november 22,22, 2014 saturday, november 2014

WANTED: MORE PARSI BABIES! Wrap it up T he two sunflowers bend towards ing shot. This is part of an effort to make the each other and touch, gently, Parsi community reproduce more. Other once. Freddie Mercury is singing initiatives include distribution of mood ‘I want to break free’, softly, in the music, heavy discounts on scented candles, background. “Cut, cut!” shouts the Direc- housing incentives for sons older than 40 tor, and the two spot boys holding the sun- living with their mothers, and a fertility flowers move away from each other. award in the name of Dadabhai Naoroji. Ev“Boman was too eager,” says the Director, ery newborn Parsi child will also receive a “He’s moving towards Perizad too quickly. buffalo, a cycle, free dancing lessons from t wasn’t too long ago that highSons. fashion Make him hesitate. He shouldn’t be such an Shiamak Davar and shares in Tata meant less cloth and more skin. Howevexpert.” He turns towards me. “These little er, it now looks like it is time for the bodythings make all the difference,” he explains. con dresses and plunging necklines to “The flowers have names?” I ask. “It helps them perform better,” he says, “this is a film give way to crew necks and boat necks. Sleeves for the promotion of reproduction, but due now run all the way down to elbows. Hemlines to cultural constraints, we cannot show ac- have lowered and end discreetly at the midtual reproduction. Hence the flowers have calf length. For designers such as Ridhi Mehra, Masaba and Nishka Lulla, the scooped necks of to perform very authentically.”

I am in Famous Studios, Mumbai, where sari blouses are being replaced by necklines the latest TV commercial for the Jiyo Parsi that close above the collarbone. While the campaign by the government of India is be- fashion lines of Soumitra Mondal of Marg and Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango are now identifiable by their revivalist work. Mondal does ethnic-wear, bridal and pret. Garg has been ear Ally, instrumental inMy reviving the mother is chanderi. no longer cookDesigners ing? like Sabyasachi How can Mukherjee I get her and to Ritu Kumar resume? have always veered towards a moreRegards, demureDattaram, silhouette.

Sabyasachi’s mahaNagpur rani necklines, or bejewelled polo necks have beenDear his trademark Dattaram,for the last few years. HowYou have not mentioned how fat you are.

Are you grossly obese? If so, she could be helping you. It’s just a mother’s love expressing itself in yet another way. Otherwise, it depends on your age. If you are under 20, make her give you money and buy pizza instead. If you are over 20, and married, this could be a signal that your wife should start cooking. If you are over 50 and unmarried, some discussion may be Full-sleeved required. It is true that as per our ancient splendour (Clockwise traditions, your mother should primarily from top) Parineeti be doing cooking activities. But 50-plus Chopra is known for her subdued dressing years of continuous cooking may require k murali kumar; you to take a different approach. Some Ally Subramaniam was born Sabyasachi in southwest Sundarbans, but amount of fatigue may have set in. PerMukherjee’s was blown away ensembles by a cyclone and haps, you could pay her a small fee or stighosh) (bijoy washed up on the near and shore Ritu Kumar’s pend? Alternatively, you could learn to Chennai. He was adopted a the target designs (afp)by cook yourself. So long as you handle the poor Brahminwedding family from market and kitchen utensils in a confident and mascuTirupur. He can answer all have always erred on line way, you should be fine. your questions at the side of the prim; askallysubramaniam@gmail.com Yours Affectionately, Ally Raw Mango has

who is known for surface texturing, agrees, “To There is a darker side to the campaign. every trend, is an equal and opposite trend.

SHOVON CHOWDHURY is Rumours have been circulating of daring This is a reaction to seasons of high exposure. chief Truthdigger and author midnight raids on grocery stores in Parsi Fashion reflects erogenous zones and of shifting The Competent Authority colonies, involving sabotage of condoms by now the focus is on the elbow, the wrist, the covert operatives of the Intelligence Bushin and the ankles.”

I ask. “No,” he Menon says, “Any reau. On a lighter note, the babus are also reproduction?”

Fashion watcher Ramesh believes promoting popular Parsi dishes like sali bo- kind reproduction.

Reproduction is a top it’sofnot just the erogenous zones that are shiftti, dhansak and Shernaz Treasurywallah. priority these In some cases, want ing, but alsodays. fashion ideals.

“Thewe new woman “This is going to be a big business,” says to wants reduce to reproduction. other we dress more In like her cases, grandmother ever,Director, Mukherjee Kumar caterit.” almost to her increase reproduction.

The governthe “Youand should get into “Parsiex- want than mother, and conservative is the new clusively to the wedding sector, which errs on ment is deeply interested re- with radical.

I have seen in it everyone’s increasingly the side of the prim and proper. We are now production.”

The Director likes asaying friends’ daughters who have secretthe admiraseeing a new conservatism that doesn’t mere- word ‘reproduction’, I notice.

I glance atdressed,” the tion for the way their grandmothers ly start and end with wedding collection, but set.says “One the flowers wilting,” I point theofconsultant at is Fashion Design Council spreads through all lines. out. “Spot! Spot!” ofshouts India. the director. A spot This new covered-up aesthetic boy comes and Menon sprays is Perizad.

Perizad that of the opinion cannot be simply classified as looks fresh now,India but I have myseeing doubtsconservative about is now conservatism.“Why do we alBoman. He doessilhouettes not look upbecause to it. It may it isbe merely ways equate being covered up late. He mayfollowing have spent much timetrend antoo international The newtoo woman with being traditional or conserwith his mother.rather I shake hands withits the Di- path. than making own wants to dress more vative, and sexiness with expo- like her grandmother, rector and leave,This wishing them well. newfound ‘conservatism’ sure? Being covered up is also can be seen in sheer panelling, than her mother sexy,” says Garg. which gives an “illusion of show“There is a changing definiing skin,” says Menon, adding, tion of what is sexy. Higher neck“This is classic mysticism at lines and longer sari blouses work.” For him, this is about elongate the torso and draw attention to the women wanting to be noticed on their own neck and the clavicle. Sleeves that reach the el- terms, rather than drawing attention to the bow, draw the eye to the slimmest part of a length of their hemlines. been photographed sweeping re-covern a decision described asNachiket ‘hasty’ byBarve, Bu- “He has woman’s hand — her wrists.”

Some in the fashion industry see this reaucracy Today, the Indian Adminis- peatedly.

What we want is for ouraesthetic officers toterms. ing up in political rather than their chairswho as quickly as Ranveer possible.Singh trative Service has announced that it occupy Nitasha Guarav, styles for will be reducing the training period Studies have shown thatsays, expertise on evand Parineeti Chopra “The mood is somis being radiated toisour by feel of freshly recruited IAS officers from 103 to erything bre and the inclination to officers be careful, of transfer is rapid, re75 weeks. State governments have been giv- these safe.chairs.

ThereThe is rate evidence for this historically. en till November 30 to exposure oflimitDuring the twoquiring World Wars, there were threewas to four hours raise objections, if any. ed resources. There no time for per frivolity.

Scientists areaunable “This may prove diffiHowever, in theday. ’60s, there was joyousness cult,” said an IAS spokesto explain this phenomall around. Hemlines got shorter, colours were enon.

Sample chairs person, “as our letter will louder, prints were bolder.

There was a playfulreach them on Novemholy waness in the air.”sprinkled He agreeswith that there is a new ter given are being researched ber 29.” sense of propriety the present socio-poSources have denied litical turmoil. at NASA, Google, MIT and AIIMS, using that these steps are beIt would not be a stretch to crash deducetest that the dummies.”

Is there a rea-of our ing taken to punish the new aesthetic has come about because Director, Training, for son for There such is caution? new political landscape. a covert and showing insufficient en“There isofathe high danger obvious reinforcement idea that womthusiasm during the of the in- and en are responsible forchairs theirbursting own safety, to flames is if occupied by toSwachh Bharat Abhiyan. dressing ‘appropriately’ the first step who have notthose “There has been no lack wards achievingpeople that. We might reject of effort on his part,” passed IAS exam,”are we notions consciously, butthe unconsciously said the spokesperson. covering up? said the spokesperson.

Fashion now turns its spotlight away from the cleavage to the elbow, the wrist, the shin and the ankles

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reinvented the sari as The Investigator is a fortnightly round-up a demure drapeof all things droll and newsy. All views are personal. Really personal t@shovonc

mitali parekh is a Mumbai-based columnist

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THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Language of rights The concern that lies behind protectionism is genuine. But the form that it takes often needs to be questioned

It is my life Who decides if the women at Aligarh Muslim University are at risk rv moorthy

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Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher and director of Zubaan

ome months ago I was asked by a large firm of chartered accountants to come and speak to their staff, mostly young CAs-in-the-making, about gender issues. “One of the things we’re often asked to do,” the Senior Partner told me, “is to make wills and we find, in most cases, that parents unjustly want to rule daughters out of their wills.” He wanted, he said, that his young colleagues understand the hows and whys of this. “It’s not our job to persuade people otherwise,” he said, “but if my colleagues are sensitised to gender issues, perhaps they can make a small change in this injustice.”

I was pleasantly surprised. Not many CAs would even think of gender equality, let alone try to do something about it. In the ensuing conversations with his colleagues, many questions came up. One young man posed this problem: often, he said, they were asked to go to relatively ‘unsafe’ localities to meet clients.

If he found a woman colleague had been given such an assignment, he would offer to go along, and to take over the work, in order to minimise the risk to her. But he found that she never understood this and was always angry at him for offering to help.

I was reminded of this incident a few weeks ago, when I read about undergraduate women students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) being denied access to the library because, as the authorities put it, they were concerned for the women’s safety and security — and worried that if women students were given access, hordes of men would turn up (presumably to harass the women) and the women would then be at risk (the latter has been taken from a statement made by the Vice Chancellor).

There’s something skewed, and terribly familiar, about this line of thinking. Even

though the Vice Chancellor protested that the thought out and deliberate actions that are veissue was not about gender but about over- ry much in his control, she was not convinced. crowding, his fear that ‘four times more men’ There’s no doubt that sometimes, the conwould turn up if the women were to be al- cern that lies behind protectionism is lowed to use the library, is telling. genuine. But it’s the form that it takes that It’s also very much in line with similar com- needs to be questioned: the young accountanments made by a number of politicians, such cy intern’s concern for his female colleagues as the Rajasthan BJP MLA who suggested, in was genuine, but he had never thought to ask December 2012, that a ban be placed on girls them if they wanted his ‘protection’. He simwearing skirts, or the Puducherry government ply assumed he was doing the right thing. in 2013 when they suggested that Equally, one might ask the AMU girls wear overcoats to schools to Vice Chancellor: if overcrowding prevent sexual harassment, or is the problem you are worried earlier this year, when members about, then why stop only underof the Karnataka government graduate students? Why not find If men are the ones suggested that girls be banned who are endangering other ways of limiting the numfrom carrying mobiles. All this to bers — like allowing access to spewomen, why should ensure their own safety. cific numbers for limited hours women be the ones These statements and actions who have to put curbs on a first come first served basis? are no different really, from the And there are other questions on their lives? sentiment expressed by the too. If, as the VC and other staff young accountancy intern, or inmembers have suggested, there deed from Smriti Irani’s protest is always online access, what statement that called the AMU does that say for the class of stuVice Chancellor’s statement about the library dents that is being addressed? Not everyone ban, ‘an insult to our daughters’. has online access — so what happens to those This is precisely the point: if men are the who don’t? ones who are endangering women, why And of course there’s a question for the Minshould women be the ones who have to put ister too: why does she only feel that the denial curbs on their lives and stay out of men’s way? of access is an ‘insult to our daughters’? Why is I recall once having a prolonged argument it not a clear violation of the rights of women, with a neighbour as we traversed our local why is it not a denial of the most basic rights walking track. Commenting on a young wom- to access, to knowledge, the right to educaan who walked past in somewhat fitting tion, the right to learn? sports gear, she said, “You see, it’s because The insult to women lies not only in the fawomen dress like this that men lose control cilities that are denied to them, but in the nonand they rape.” No matter how much I tried to recognition of their rights, and indeed in the argue with her that between ‘losing control’ language we use to think about them. and taking off his clothes, and finding a place blink@thehindu.co.in to assault a woman, there are a number of well

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Waiting in the wings

Finding a new stage

After her garden grows

A Delhi group takes the performing arts to people who seldom get to experience them

A documentary that traces the lives of girls who choose to plant rather than marry

Aram Nagar in Versova is no place of rest, it is home to ‘strugglers’ striving for their big break and indie filmmakers looking for the real deal

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Neighbourhood treat Members of Advaita performing at the community hall in Vasant Kunj yashas chandra

t’s the beginning of a long day for Rajesh ate?” His wish is granted. The audition reveals I also had to do it (build body) for Delhi 6,” he Malhotra*. Clad in distressed jeans and a that Malhotra is 27, belongs to Gurgaon, and says, wistfully.

Currently, Malhotra is active on five Whatfitted yellow t-shirt, the over 6-feet-tall ac- in 2009 he played a part in Rakeysh Om Prator waits at the reception of a casting kash Mehra’s Delhi 6. “I acted with Abhishek sApp groups where hopefuls share updates on auditions and directors looking for fresh agency. He taps his foot impatiently, trying Bachchan,” he says. “Twice.”

Half an hour later, Malhotra is still loitering. faces. There is an audition for a commercial desperately to make eye contact with the person in charge of auditions, a skinny lad with a When the camera’s not on him, he has a differ- next door but the announcement specifies: ‘Looking for a 16-year-old with a handycam. Meanwhile, he makes polite con- ent story to tell. “I’m actually not cool, bohemian vibe’. “That is no versation with Saqib*, who is seated next to 27. I’m much older. This is just use for senior actors like me,” he him clutching his mother’s hand. He quickly for auditions,” he says, with a says, scrolling through the long learns that Saqib recently turned eight, knows wink. He left his father’s garA seed in time Monika is oneevery of the 40,000 girls enrolled in The Girls Project seven of messages. four languages, has featured in more commer- ment business around Almost day ofyoungthread Almost every day of Malhotra’s cials than he can count on his tiny fingers, and years ago to be a “star”. It’s been Rajesh’s life is like ixteen-year-old Bar- perience life is of like this — aout never-ending will soon be on a popular children’s TV show. over six months since his last job this — aMonika “hanging with Moninever-ending onto her for work.

Andlife.” he’s This not seri-climbssearch Blown away by this resume, Malhotra gra- — a one-day part for a Zee TVman for a week in her forterrace work ka search garden, alone.in Like him, countless aspiral that is no longer on air.

To gathers a handful of resulted ciously allows the child to audition first. a 10-minute documengreens and plucks off an tary,ing actors, writers Grows, and directors Finally, Malhotra is summoned. He clears make ends meet, he trains other After My Garden which bottle gourd. When her offers set out eachinto morning to hunt for taekwondo his throat and shuts his eyes for a few seconds, aspiring actors inenormous a peek the lives of the that one Bengal, opportunity can as if going over the lines of an important and karate at theirmarried homes. sister His visits, young son and girls of West wherethat one out arshan Grover, a 70-yearhusband in tow, on sheaserves rice take themoffrom ‘struggler’ to aby star. won’t are printed white them speech.

His face falls when nised he is made to hold a martial by the Goethe Institut,arts thecredentials five agirls is married theItage of oldwhite resident of Pitampura and curry made kitcha stretch to saythan thata the entire of red visiting card embossed withfrom stickher fig-tinybe board to his chest and instructed to anBritish Council and and Delhi-based 15, more quarter of tribe the girl area in west envarious garden’s harvest.

“Sister, do population ‘strugglers’ dwell in and around the streets of ures ofAssocia man striking karate poses.

He how nounce coldDelhi, facts —has name,Khoj age, acting experi- Artists’ International is married to men 10 or watched several plays youation. like thecould gourd greens?Aram WantNagar distributes these toyou peers who do with in years Versova, an and areawhere in Mumbai’s ence. “That’s it? Won’t makeThanks me act?” to he funding from the more older, half of and theatre protests, performances in her more?” shedepartment. asks. “Your “I gourds are West.

Andheri Theare dusty bylanes are 19. dotted as he takes his place before the camguidance in the physique Goethe Institut and thesome Delhi-based the girls pregnant by age life, but only era. earlier thisitmonth big. Some look kind with over 350 cottages, of which helpTrust, themshe get intoquite character.

Sometimes weof funny,” Before beginsdid to roll,Tejeshwar he feebly asks, Singh“Can Memorial “Casting wasmany essential,” sayshave Myshe get to take part mention in a theatre Kanika, with laugh. As talkoccupied been by reputed houses, I, at least, that I’mwas a black in the kar-festival actors need to buildreplies our body to look theapart. able belt to put together lan, who won anproduction Oscar for her 2008 workshop. “It was a whole new expe- this year. veers to her marriage, Monika tells documentary Smile Pinki. “There rience and quite exciting,” she says. her father to get her married only were 40,000 girls to choose from.

Beginning November 1, over 15 “We have had several performances days, Taneja and crew organised the“after my garden grows”.

But I knew who I wanted — someone here, but this was the first time a atre, music, dance and wall-art At the local women’s centre, the who had dropped out of school, group of young people conducted a workshops. More than 120 people girls of Bhutkura meet to exchange started a garden but had never been workshop in our area.” notes on their gardens. across neighbourhoods took part. to market, whose parThe theatre workshop was part of The youngest participant was eight They talk of their ents were contemplatthe Lost and Found festival held over and the oldest well above 70. Each gourds and mushing marriage and had the last few weeks at various venues workshop was conducted by sperooms and the vitaan older married One year after across Delhi, including the commu- cialists in that field, including promins they’ll get. daughter. Monika was filming, Monika is nity halls at Pitampu“When the mushfessionally trained that choice.” back in school ra, Vasant Kunj and rooms grow, they look dancers from the Gati One year after the Sarita Vihar. These like a frog’s umbrella,” dance forum and thedocumentary’s filmthree neighbourMonika explains to the atre professionals ing, Monika is back in Our idea was to move hoods, for instance, are others. They talk about from the Tadpole Repschool. Her kitchen away from the usual located far from the getting back to school and avoiding garden is blooming. She contributes ertory. Each communiaudience city’s epicentre of arts early marriages; group member to the household income. She can ty hall hosted evening and cultural venues — Moushumi gets quite emotional. On read land pattas better than her faperformances by Delhi’s Mandi House market day, Monika picks the fattest ther. “I know the three conditions members of the Delhiarea. “Our idea was to gourds in her garden, puts them in for secure land rights,” she says conbased fusion band Admove away from the usual audienc- vaita, dance shows and a Dastangoi her basket and rides to the Bhutkura fidently. Bhutkura’s centre, which es and take the performing arts to performance. mandi on her father’s bicycle. She started with five girls, has 22 now, places where people seldom get to drives a hard bargain. Not less than growing vegetables, going to school Taneja hopes the success of the experience it,” says Mallika Taneja, a festival’s inaugural edition will lay 20 taka, she tells customers. and marrying later. Monika has 30-year-old Delhi-based perform- the ground for similar events in the Monika is one of the 40,000 even hired a private tutor with her ance artist and the brain behind the future. “I am not sure about other young girls enrolled in The Girls Pro- earnings to make up for lost time. festival. “I thought it was a good way urban centres, but in Delhi I don’t ject across 1,000 villages of Cooch On her first visit outside her district, to decentralise art, so the idea is to think anyone is looking at new Behar district, West Bengal. In 2011, she is touring Delhi, Mumbai and have dance, theatre and music withthe state government, partnering Kolkata this month with her sister spaces or trying to generate new auMera number kab in walking distance and give people diences,” she says. “The point is to go with Landesa, an NGO working for and nephew, promoting the film, aayega Hopefuls throng the easy production access to them.” land rights, introduced a micro- telling audiences her dream is to be out there and say, ‘you know what, houses of Aram Nagar Her long-cherished idea came to you’re an audience’ and get a person agriculture project to arrest child “completely self-reliant.” The marwith bulging portfolios fruition during her residency as an involved; that’s all it takes really.” marriages. Two years and a maga- riage talk has all but disappeared. and some handy Art Think South Asia fellow — an arts zine article later, filmmaker Megan half-truths management programme orga- sibi arasu Mylan arrived to document her ex- priyanka kotamraju apoorva guptay

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casting agencies and photo studios. An oldtime real estate agent in the neighbourhood says he witnessed the tranquil residential area transform into a commercial space post 2002.

“This place is ideal for creative people, it is quiet and peaceful. Stars come and go and nobody bothers them. Bobby Deol jogs here every morning, Anurag Kashyap is always hanging around, but nobody cares,” says the agent, who doesn’t wish to be named.

Yet, he admits there have been constant complaints from families who aren’t thrilled at losing their neighbourhood to “filmi types”.

“Some of them feel that these young actors who come for auditions and dance classes smoke and do drugs outside their homes,” he adds. An upcoming actress who has appeared in a number of acclaimed indie films says brokers have requested her to conceal her professional identity. The owners of the house she’s rented for the last two years believe she’s a school teacher. “When people recognise me from film posters or ads, I tell them this is a for a particular part, he asks his assistants to Aram Nagar, and the bizarre stunts they pull dig into their vast reserves and shortlist suita- off to sell their movie to a producer. They brable people. From there, he personally audi- zenly rip off scenes from Hollywood films and tions the prospective suitors. stalk actors till they cough up phone numbers The mob of actors parked outside his office of their filmmaker friends. “It’s not easy to get that they been theadatabase Making news Bloom starts intervening, pulling a body intocomplain the car headlights, forhave instance, to on create better ‘frame’ work here. There are no advertisements in the for months, but are yet to hear from him. The job section of the paper. Here, you need to go wait has paid off for some. Actors like Sushant through references, make a cold call and try to PICTURE THIS Singh Rajput, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Hu- get a job,” says Masurkar, writer and director ma Qureshi have Chhabra to thank for their of Sulemani Keeda. big breaks. Chhabra himself is an example of a Masurkar is speaking from experience. In struggler who ran into good fortune. “I came 2002, he left his engineering course mid-way to the city in 2007 and had the worst time ever. as he wanted to be a filmmaker. He is a MumI stayed with nine boys in a flat for over a year. bai resident, but was raised in Mahim, which Whatever happened to me should not happen is disconnected from the world of cinema. He to others,” he says. Before he launched his own then relocated to Andheri West to get closer to agency, Chhabra worked as a casting director the action. In the last 10 years Masurkar has in Gangs of Wasseypur, which earned him rec- juggled various jobs in film and TV to stay in ognition. He recently also worked on Vishal circulation, but all he wanted to do was make Bharadwaj’s Haider and Raju Hirani’s PK as the his own film. Three years ago, he realised the ‘system’ wouldcar.only let him hen we first see Jake Gyllen- casting With director. the swift acquisition of a basic camcor- inside the crazily careening But the pressure ofinto juggling down.with So heour picked up the camhaal in Nightcrawler, he’s der and a radio to tap police frequencies, The film plays fascination with futures of so manyJoe aspirants era and began shooting film, prowling around a restricted the Bloom is soon giving a run for his money. speed and technology, the flip side ofthis which is taking a toll on him. which hasthe now travelledfailure to festivarea of Los Angeles, stealing is But it is the bluish darkChhabra of the editing room — our fascination with potential of hobby pursue on the says. remember the last timesun, he but with als inthe Losaccident.

Angeles,The Newcrash York,isLoncopperI wire to sell for side,” scrap.she With his hollow- can’t contrasted not with bright that technology: the Onlythe the name is Earlier this year, filmmaker Karan Johar fa- had a good night’s or endon and catastrophe, Zurich. “Thisasfilm is eyed intensity and sad, furrowed brow, Gyllenartificial glare of thesleep television screenAram — where Gilroy Nagar,ur-form there isof television mously described Nagar on aoff TV ashow as joyed a meal at a at restaurant.

He’s based on my experiencesThen and anhaal’s Lou BloomAram initially gives tragic the film is most home. It is in thisno shadowy to instinctively understand. he aram in it.seems It is the the where “those phone number ecdotes heard friends.

It’s vibe:place a jobless young man angsty gamely people trying towho get changed half-light,his in the company of a22 slightly desperraisesarea the pitch, moving intofrom the terrain of viomost depressing make dark, depressing andstuff devastated but people continue to Russo), an honest representation of this the guy buying his stolen to hire cinema him. By times ate TV producer called Nina (Rene that lent crime — preferably (as Russo’s character because everyone live”.

It wasend, a comment from boy of track down. that “I don’t go out. and this world,”white he says. the film’s the whites of the his poster eyes glinting Bloomhim discovers he has found here his metier out), aarea crime with a well-off, tarhas lots points of hopes escapist cinema, of the cool- People nowthere’s recognise me.in Wherthe character Gonzo, a in his pale, drawnwho faceoperates make youout think of noth— and that money it. get. Here, theEven ‘catastrophe’ has a of perpetrator er area. But wasn’t way off the mark.a ever I go something they come people and ask, producer(rather who struts around in ingKhar so much as ahe vampire.

He has become “I want can’t turn away as well as an intended than accidental) Aram Nagar is night. home to the likes of Anurag ‘When are you I nothing but a bathrobe is facta creature of the from,” says Nina,casting as sheme?’ dismisses her col- victim, allowing for television to produce Kashyap, Tigmanshu hateethical them and but Iaesthetic avoid hesitation deeper sensenot fiction. “A director I went to Night isVikramaditya both setting Motwane, and metaphor in Dan don’t league’s of insecurity.

Dhulia, Mishra Anand Gandhi, all them I don’t getincreasany peace,” he says. meet was sitting hiswatch briefs.

He’s kind of a Gilroy’s Sudhir film. His LA is and a nest of crisscrossing aboutbecause putting on air the As in you Bloom’s increasof whom with independent cine- To further illustrate his woes, he offers a peek known guy,” he with a laugh. aerials in started which out whirring helicopters seem ingly graphic, invasive video ingsays, interventions in the ‘form’ of ma.

Some mightthan havebirds. foundDay a foothold the into his that Facebook messages.

“People have ofIt’s almost his 9pm and Bru World Café, one of more at home doesn’t in really footage Bloom brings her. images — pulling a body into big buteither their hurtle work isthrough still premised on fered me ₹10 lakh criterion for a meeting, that dot Aram existleague, here. We the stomThe other crucial for girls have the many coffee the joints car headlights for a Nagar, better realism and not escapism. cinema as also me wants to give a break, pre- buzzes with film talk.

A single reveals ach-churning darkness of Their the freeway, if asked what she — them so obvious to people ‘frame’ — you knowglance this can only Why search for news raises thesome hopesterrible of the thousands of ‘strugbe to journalists setit up appointthis is a congregation of strugglers. through post-modern rabbit tending Nina, andtoeven Bloom, that be leading us in one Masurkar, direction, that’s TV-worthy, glers’ who don’t fall into brawny he rattles off. This whoisknows hole, or gaze in wonder atthe the tall, city’sfair, eerie neon- ments,” doesn’t even need stating — isexplains and it does.everyone in the room, whenwhy whatever on practically Johar genre.

Chhabra’s is strategically at confirms this.

He says makes the definition of struglit skyline. immediacy.cabin As Mary Ann Doanepositioned What Nightcrawler so TV is news? far corner of his 1990 office,essay allowing him to glers has evolved over years.

It no The first time we see the LA skyline here, it is the argued in her classic chilling tothe watch is that itslonger bloodWaiting in line big-screen homage to the LA dodge the hundreds visitors. As a rule, he applies only to people fromissmall a breathtaking ‘Information, Crisis, ofCatastrothirsty world madetowns to feelwho like The latestwe onknow the block set up here is doesn’t meet any onereally personally to future enter the industry.in A we think — butto really onlyshop know from phe’, what television deals until the last have left their a homes dystopic — whereas Mukesh Chhabra.

34-year-old inaugurated the auditioning process.

But that hasn’t new breed offact strugglers MBAs,And engineers the movies.

The The second time, we hear Lou leg in isoftime.

TV’s greatest technoit already—exists.

I’m not his casting ago. The the hopefuls for him for and bankers — who abandoned well-payBloom say agency with a about twingesixofmonths something like stopped logical prowess “is its from abilitywaiting to be there — both talking about LA’shave 100-miles-an-hour strinsprawling bungalow includes three end. and “Onlyinthe name of this placeBut is ing corporate jobs for a life of uncertainty, and yearning, “On TV, it looks so real,” and studios find we hours on theon scene your living room”. gers-slash-nightcrawlers either, though Gilroy in it. It is“chance” a myth. sometimes where Chhabra, former teacher at National Nagar, there is us noaaram penury, have joined them.

It’s are looking at thea same skyline, except it is re- Aram though it promises supposedly has spoken of meeting them.

In India, we may is the most dangerous and depressing area from School of Drama, actors like Katrina It this reached observation that Masurkar chose to ally a screen.

Insidepreps the television studio. encounter with the “reality” of catastrophe, not have these levels with regard Keeda, Mumbaiya the city because everyone is isroaming Kaif, Ranaut and Aditya Roy Kapur his film TheKangana artifice inherent in the media’s repre- of what actually appears on television cut to a title covering urbanSulemani crime, but we’rea well on our literally translates intowhose ‘giantsense pain with pattern. a lot of hopes,” he says. for their films.

Asreal, for the are free to around sentation of the andrest, the they yawning abyss predictable “Television shocks, and slang way tothat having a television media the ass’.comes “Getting by the filmmaking drop by and give a ‘camera introduction’ the then repeatedly assures, a comforting pres- in opened up by our insatiable appetite for—‘upof power not bitten from revealing reality but bug the worst thingit.that cansearch ever happen to same put On a Real close process reality’, Malhotra form thewas crux ofthrough.

Nightcrawler. enceto inreel an unsure world,” wrote Doane. fromis orchestrating Why for news is an epic bug. Ifwhen it bites you, you’re At times, these on stories of desperation make you. slow anfilm, average of happens 50 budding actors Early day, in the Bloom to arrive at Bloom catches to these modalities quickthat’sIttelevision-worthy, whatever is on for life,” he says.Having Thousands Aram Nagooda very cinema.

Filmmaker Zoyaglowered Akhtar’s done queue upofatan Chhabra’s a busy for the scene accident,doorstep. and finds aOn freelance ly (“I’m fast learner”), having television is news? onceattasted the

by Chance (2009) the story of a wanwouldpleasures agree. day, which most days, just it can touch camera crewisthat arrives behind the200. po- Luck through one car crashtold where he arrives too gar god-like of creating events, why (*Names of all theto‘strugglers’ been actor who strikes gold.

The soon-to-be-reSome bring gifts to bribetotheir way lice, filming the ‘action’ sell to thethrough. highest nabe late to catch anything worth shooting.

From would anyone want go back to have merely reKeeda, directed by changed, as they hope to make it big one day.) indie filmtoSulemani “There times we don’t know to refuse biddingaretelevision channel.

“Ifhow it bleeds, it leased there on, he has be the first one to get to the porting them? prasad or Joe an Amit witty insight them. can say no tocameraman leads,” How drawls theyou fleshy-faced scene,Masurkar, driving atpresents insane aspeeds, even asinto his chaudhuri idol?” rues an assistant. When Chhabra casts the life of two out-of-work writers surviving in mohini trisha gupta is a writer and critic t@chhotahazri (Bill Paxton). bumbling assistant Rick (Riz Ahmed) panics

On TV, it looks so real

The artifice inherent in the media’s representation of the real, and the yawning abyss opened up by our insatiable appetite for ‘up-close reality’, form the crux of Nightcrawler

trisha gupta Bollywood calling (top) Mukesh Chhabra (orange t-shirt), who runs a casting agency, has changed his phone number 22 times paul noronha; (above) the unlikely office of Phantom Films, a production company owned by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl apoorva guptay

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A certain centre The germ of what is now the fourth-largest city in the country, the neighbourhood of Pete has anchored Bengaluru since the 16th century

Godly ways The traditional Bengaluru Karaga celebrations at Balepete, an area originally demarcated for bangle- and ower-sellers

Swan songs Seetha Phone Company is a tiny antique shop, established in 1924, on Avenue Road, earlier called Doddapete. Srinivas Murthy carries on his father DM Shetty’s legacy, selling gramophones and LPs

A matter of faith The Annamma Devi temple near Subedar Chatram road in Pete

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Mud diving Ganesh, a flower seller at KR Market, works out twice a week at the Maruthi Garadi, a mudwrestling centre at Cottonpete

The carriage man Ansari, 65, earns ₹500 on a good day and next to nothing on a bad one. Regardless, he must feed his horse for ₹100 a day

New tastes Bengali food being prepared at a small mess for migrant workers in Pete

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iriya Kempe Gowda knew that for a city to flourish, it must have prosperous markets. So when the ‘founding father’ of Bengaluru set out to build what is now the fourth-largest metropolis in the country, back in 1537, he called it Pete (pronounced pay-tae), which means market in Kannada. With roads laid in cardinal directions and entrance gates at the end of each road, it had a modern imprint, an urban foresight that allowed the city to grow organically around it.

At first, Pete was a 2.24sqkm stretch, laid out systematically with a mud fort at its centre and subdivided to make room for different trading communities, such as cotton traders in Aralepete, rice in Akkipete, oil in Ganigarapete, salt in Upparapete and so on. Later, during the Wadiyar dynasty’s rule or the colonial period, new neighbourhoods were appended. Chamarajpete, for instance, was named after a Wadiyar king, while Cubbonpete borrows its title from a British Lieutenant-General.

At the heart of the city even today, the Pete is a melting pot of age-old trades and new ones that celebrate the spirit of a marketplace built five centuries ago.

A bird’s-eye view The Krishnarajendra Market, also known as City Market, is one of the oldest commercial centres in the country. It is situated close to the Bengaluru City Railway Station

pradeep ks is a Bengaluru-based photographer

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Waiting in the wings

Finding a new stage

After her garden grows

A Delhi group takes the performing arts to people who seldom get to experience them

A documentary that traces the lives of girls who choose to plant rather than marry

Aram Nagar in Versova is no place of rest, it is home to ‘strugglers’ striving for their big break and indie filmmakers looking for the real deal

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Neighbourhood treat Members of Advaita performing at the community hall in Vasant Kunj yashas chandra

t’s the beginning of a long day for Rajesh ate?” His wish is granted. The audition reveals I also had to do it (build body) for Delhi 6,” he Malhotra*. Clad in distressed jeans and a that Malhotra is 27, belongs to Gurgaon, and says, wistfully.

Currently, Malhotra is active on five Whatfitted yellow t-shirt, the over 6-feet-tall ac- in 2009 he played a part in Rakeysh Om Prator waits at the reception of a casting kash Mehra’s Delhi 6. “I acted with Abhishek sApp groups where hopefuls share updates on auditions and directors looking for fresh agency. He taps his foot impatiently, trying Bachchan,” he says. “Twice.”

Half an hour later, Malhotra is still loitering. faces. There is an audition for a commercial desperately to make eye contact with the person in charge of auditions, a skinny lad with a When the camera’s not on him, he has a differ- next door but the announcement specifies: ‘Looking for a 16-year-old with a handycam. Meanwhile, he makes polite con- ent story to tell. “I’m actually not cool, bohemian vibe’. “That is no versation with Saqib*, who is seated next to 27. I’m much older. This is just use for senior actors like me,” he him clutching his mother’s hand. He quickly for auditions,” he says, with a says, scrolling through the long learns that Saqib recently turned eight, knows wink. He left his father’s garA seed in time Monika is oneevery of the 40,000 girls enrolled in The Girls Project seven of messages. four languages, has featured in more commer- ment business around Almost day ofyoungthread Almost every day of Malhotra’s cials than he can count on his tiny fingers, and years ago to be a “star”. It’s been Rajesh’s life is like ixteen-year-old Bar- perience life is of like this — aout never-ending will soon be on a popular children’s TV show. over six months since his last job this — aMonika “hanging with Moninever-ending onto her for work.

Andlife.” he’s This not seri- climbssearch Blown away by this resume, Malhotra gra- — a one-day part for a Zee TVman for a week in her forterrace work ka search garden, alone. in Like him, countless aspiral that is no longer on air.

To gathers a handful of resulted ciously allows the child to audition first. a 10-minute documengreens and plucks off an tary, ing actors, writers Grows, and directors Finally, Malhotra is summoned. He clears make ends meet, he trains other After My Garden which bottle gourd. When her offers set out eachinto morning to hunt for taekwondo his throat and shuts his eyes for a few seconds, aspiring actors in enormous a peek the lives of the that one Bengal, opportunity as if going over the lines of an important and karate at theirmarried homes. sister His visits, young son and girls of West wherethat one can out arshan Grover, a 70-yearhusband in tow,on sheaserves rice take themoffrom ‘struggler’ to aby star. won’t are printed white them speech.

His face falls when nised he is made to hold a martial by the Goethe Institut,arts thecredentials five agirls is married theIt age of oldwhite resident of Pitampura and curry made kitcha stretch to saythan thata the entire of red visiting card embossed withfrom stickher fig-tinybe board to his chest and instructed to anBritish Council and and Delhi-based 15, more quarter of tribe the girl area in west envarious garden’s harvest.

“Sister, do population ‘strugglers’ dwell in and around the streets of ures ofAssocia man striking karate poses.

He how nounce coldDelhi, facts —has name,Khoj age, acting experi- Artists’ International is married to men 10 or watched several plays youation. like the gourd greens?Aram WantNagar distributes these toyou peers who could do with in years Versova, an and areawhere in Mumbai’s ence. “That’s it? Won’t makeThanks me act?” to he funding from the more older, half of and theatre protests, performances in her more?” shedepartment. asks. “Your “I gourds are West.

Andheri Theare dusty bylanes are 19. dotted as he takes his place before the camguidance in the physique Goethe Institut and thesome Delhi-based the girls pregnant by age life, but only era. earlier thisitmonth big. Some look kind with over 350 cottages, of which helpTrust, themshe get intoquite character.

Sometimes weof funny,” Before begins did to roll,Tejeshwar he feebly asks, “Can Singh Memorial “Casting wasmany essential,” sayshave Myshe get to take part mention in a theatre Kanika, with laugh. As talk been occupied by reputed houses, I, at least, that I’mwas a black in the kar-festival actors need to buildreplies our body to look theapart. able belt to put together lan, who won anproduction Oscar for her 2008 workshop. “It was a whole new expe- this year. veers to her marriage, Monika tells documentary Smile Pinki. “There rience and quite exciting,” she says. her father to get her married only were 40,000 girls to choose from.

Beginning November 1, over 15 “We have had several performances days, Taneja and crew organised the“after my garden grows”.

But I knew who I wanted — someone here, but this was the first time a atre, music, dance and wall-art At the local women’s centre, the who had dropped out of school, group of young people conducted a workshops. More than 120 people girls of Bhutkura meet to exchange started a garden but had never been workshop in our area.” notes on their gardens. across neighbourhoods took part. to market, whose parThe theatre workshop was part of The youngest participant was eight They talk of their ents were contemplatthe Lost and Found festival held over and the oldest well above 70. Each gourds and mushing marriage and had the last few weeks at various venues workshop was conducted by sperooms and the vitaan older married One year after across Delhi, including the commu- cialists in that field, including promins they’ll get. daughter. Monika was filming, Monika is nity halls at Pitampu“When the mushfessionally trained that choice.” back in school ra, Vasant Kunj and rooms grow, they look dancers from the Gati One year after the Sarita Vihar. These like a frog’s umbrella,” dance forum and thedocumentary’s filmthree neighbourMonika explains to the atre professionals ing, Monika is back in Our idea was to move hoods, for instance, are others. They talk about from the Tadpole Repschool. Her kitchen away from the usual located far from the getting back to school and avoiding garden is blooming. She contributes ertory. Each communiaudience city’s epicentre of arts early marriages; group member to the household income. She can ty hall hosted evening and cultural venues — Moushumi gets quite emotional. On read land pattas better than her faperformances by Delhi’s Mandi House market day, Monika picks the fattest ther. “I know the three conditions members of the Delhiarea. “Our idea was to gourds in her garden, puts them in for secure land rights,” she says conbased fusion band Admove away from the usual audienc- vaita, dance shows and a Dastangoi her basket and rides to the Bhutkura fidently. Bhutkura’s centre, which es and take the performing arts to performance. mandi on her father’s bicycle. She started with five girls, has 22 now, places where people seldom get to drives a hard bargain. Not less than growing vegetables, going to school Taneja hopes the success of the experience it,” says Mallika Taneja, a festival’s inaugural edition will lay 20 taka, she tells customers. and marrying later. Monika has 30-year-old Delhi-based perform- the ground for similar events in the Monika is one of the 40,000 even hired a private tutor with her ance artist and the brain behind the future. “I am not sure about other young girls enrolled in The Girls Pro- earnings to make up for lost time. festival. “I thought it was a good way urban centres, but in Delhi I don’t ject across 1,000 villages of Cooch On her first visit outside her district, to decentralise art, so the idea is to think anyone is looking at new Behar district, West Bengal. In 2011, she is touring Delhi, Mumbai and have dance, theatre and music withthe state government, partnering Kolkata this month with her sister spaces or trying to generate new auMera number kab in walking distance and give people diences,” she says. “The point is to go with Landesa, an NGO working for and nephew, promoting the film, aayega Hopefuls throng the easy production access to them.” land rights, introduced a micro- telling audiences her dream is to be out there and say, ‘you know what, houses of Aram Nagar Her long-cherished idea came to you’re an audience’ and get a person agriculture project to arrest child “completely self-reliant.” The marwith bulgingfruition portfolios during her residency as an involved; that’s all it takes really.” marriages. Two years and a maga- riage talk has all but disappeared. and some handy Art Think South Asia fellow — an arts zine article later, filmmaker Megan half-truths management programme orga- sibi arasu Mylan arrived to document her ex- priyanka kotamraju apoorva guptay

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casting agencies and photo studios. An oldtime real estate agent in the neighbourhood says he witnessed the tranquil residential area transform into a commercial space post 2002.

“This place is ideal for creative people, it is quiet and peaceful. Stars come and go and nobody bothers them. Bobby Deol jogs here every morning, Anurag Kashyap is always hanging around, but nobody cares,” says the agent, who doesn’t wish to be named.

Yet, he admits there have been constant complaints from families who aren’t thrilled at losing their neighbourhood to “filmi types”.

“Some of them feel that these young actors who come for auditions and dance classes smoke and do drugs outside their homes,” he adds. An upcoming actress who has appeared in a number of acclaimed indie films says brokers have requested her to conceal her professional identity. The owners of the house she’s rented for the last two years believe she’s a school teacher. “When people recognise me from film posters or ads, I tell them this is a for a particular part, he asks his assistants to Aram Nagar, and the bizarre stunts they pull dig into their vast reserves and shortlist suita- off to sell their movie to a producer. They brable people. From there, he personally audi- zenly rip off scenes from Hollywood films and tions the prospective suitors. stalk actors till they cough up phone numbers The mob of actors parked outside his office of their filmmaker friends. “It’s not easy to get that they been theadatabase Making news Bloom starts intervening, pulling a body intocomplain the car headlights, forhave instance, to on create better ‘frame’ work here. There are no advertisements in the for months, but are yet to hear from him. The job section of the paper. Here, you need to go wait has paid off for some. Actors like Sushant through references, make a cold call and try to PICTURE THIS Singh Rajput, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Hu- get a job,” says Masurkar, writer and director ma Qureshi have Chhabra to thank for their of Sulemani Keeda. big breaks. Chhabra himself is an example of a Masurkar is speaking from experience. In struggler who ran into good fortune. “I came 2002, he left his engineering course mid-way to the city in 2007 and had the worst time ever. as he wanted to be a filmmaker. He is a MumI stayed with nine boys in a flat for over a year. bai resident, but was raised in Mahim, which Whatever happened to me should not happen is disconnected from the world of cinema. He to others,” he says. Before he launched his own then relocated to Andheri West to get closer to agency, Chhabra worked as a casting director the action. In the last 10 years Masurkar has in Gangs of Wasseypur, which earned him rec- juggled various jobs in film and TV to stay in ognition. He recently also worked on Vishal circulation, but all he wanted to do was make Bharadwaj’s Haider and Raju Hirani’s PK as the his own film. Three years ago, he realised the director. ‘system’ wouldcar.only let him hen we first see Jake Gyllen- casting With the swift acquisition of a basic camcor- inside the crazily careening pressure juggling down.with So heour picked up the camhaal in Nightcrawler, he’s derBut andthe a radio to tapofinto police frequencies, The film plays fascination with futures of so manyJoe aspirants era and began shooting film, prowling around a restricted the Bloom is soon giving a run for his money. speed and technology, the flip side ofthis which is taking a toll on him. which hasthe now travelledfailure to festivarea of Los Angeles, stealing is But it is the bluish dark Chhabra of the editing room — our fascination with potential of hobby pursue on the says. remember the last time he but with als inthe Losaccident.

Angeles,The Newcrash York,isLoncopperIwire to sell for side,” scrap.she With his hollow- can’t contrasted not with bright sun, that technology: the Onlythe the name is Earlier this year, filmmaker Karan fa- had a good night’s or endon and catastrophe, Zurich. “Thisasfilm is eyed intensity and sad, furrowed brow,Johar Gyllenartificial glare of the sleep television screenAram — where Gilroy Nagar,ur-form there isof television mously described Nagar on aoff TV ashow as joyed a meal at a at restaurant.

He’s based on my experiencesThen and anhaal’s Lou BloomAram initially gives tragic the film is most home. It is in thisno shadowy to instinctively understand. he aram in it.seems It is the the where “those phone number ecdotes heard friends.

It’s vibe:place a jobless young man angsty gamely people trying towho get changed half-light,his in the company of a22 slightly desperraisesarea the pitch, moving intofrom the terrain of viomost depressing make dark, depressing andstuff devastated cinema but people continue to Russo), an honest representation of this the guy buying his stolen to hire him.

By times ate TV producer called Nina (Rene that lent crime — preferably (as Russo’s character because everyone live”.

It wasend, a comment from poster boy of track down. that “I don’t go out. and this world,”white he says. the film’s the whites of the his eyes glinting Bloomhim discovers he has found his metier out), aarea crime with a well-off, tarhere has lotspoints of hopes escapist cinema, of the cool- People nowthere’s recognise me.in Wherthe character Gonzo, a in his pale, drawnwho faceoperates make youout think of noth— and that money it. get. Here, theEven ‘catastrophe’ has a of perpetrator er area. But wasn’t way off become the mark.a ever I go something they comepeople and ask, producer(rather who struts around in ingKhar so much as ahe vampire.

He has “I want can’t turn away as well as an intended than accidental) Aram Nagar is night. home to the likes of Anurag ‘When are you I nothing but a bathrobe is facta creature of the from,” says Nina,casting as sheme?’ dismisses her col- victim, allowing for television to produce Kashyap, Tigmanshu hate them and but aesthetic I avoid hesitation deeper sensenot fiction. “A director I went to Night isVikramaditya both setting Motwane, and metaphor in Dan don’t league’s ethical of insecurity.

Dhulia, Mishra Anand Gandhi, all them I don’t getincreasany peace,” he says. meet was sitting hiswatch briefs.

He’s kind of a Gilroy’s Sudhir film. His LA is and a nest of crisscrossing about because putting on air the As in you Bloom’s increasof whom with independent cine- To further illustrate his woes, he offers a peek known guy,” he with a laugh. aerials in started which out whirring helicopters seem ingly graphic, invasive video ingsays, interventions in the ‘form’ of ma. mightthan havebirds. foundDay a foothold the into his that Facebook messages.

“People have ofIt’s almost his 9pm and Bru World Café, one of moreSome at home doesn’t in really footage Bloom brings her. images — pulling a body into big buteither their hurtle work isthrough still premised on fered me ₹10 lakh criterion for a meeting, joints that dot Aram existleague, here. We the stomThe other crucial for girls have the many coffee the car headlights for a Nagar, better realism and not escapism. cinema as also mewants to give them a break, pre- for buzzes with film talk.

A single reveals ach-churning darkness of Their the freeway, if asked what she — so obvious to people ‘frame’ — you knowglance this can only Why search news raises thesome hopesterrible of the thousands of ‘strugbe tojournalists setit up appointthis is a congregation of strugglers. through post-modern rabbit tending Nina, andtoeven Bloom, that be leading us in one Masurkar, direction, that’s TV-worthy, glers’ who don’t fall into tall, fair, brawny he rattles off. This whoisknows hole, or gaze in wonder at the city’s eerie neon- ments,” doesn’t even need stating — isexplains and it does.everyone in the room, whenwhy whatever on practically Johar genre.

Chhabra’s is strategically at confirms this.

He saysmakes the definition of struglit skyline. immediacy.cabin As Mary Ann Doanepositioned What Nightcrawler so TV is news? far corner of his 1990 office,essay allowing him to glers has evolved over years.

It no The first time we see the LA skyline here, it is the argued in her classic chilling tothe watch is that its longer bloodWaiting in line big-screen homage to the LA dodge the hundreds visitors. As a rule, he applies only to people from a breathtaking ‘Information, Crisis, ofCatastrothirsty world is small madetowns to feelwho like The latestwe onknow the block set only up shop here is doesn’t meet any onereally personally to future enter the industry.in A we think — but to really know from phe’, what television deals until the last have left their a homes dystopic — whereas Mukesh Chhabra.

34-year-old inaugurated the auditioning process.

But that hasn’t new breed offact strugglers MBAs,And engineers the movies.

The The second time, we hear Lou leg in isoftime.

TV’s greatest technoit already—exists.

I’m not his casting ago. like The stopped the hopefuls from waiting for him for and bankers — who abandoned well-payBloom say agency with a about twingesix ofmonths something logical prowess “is its ability to be there — both talking about LA’s have 100-miles-an-hour strinsprawling bungalow includes three studios end. and “Only name of this place is ing corporate jobs for a life of uncertainty, and yearning, “On TV, it looks so real,” and find we hours on theon scene inthe your living room”.

But gers-slash-nightcrawlers either, though Gilroy in it. It is“chance” a myth. sometimes where Chhabra, former teacher at National Nagar, there isus noaaram joined them.

It’s are looking at thea same skyline, except it is re- Aram though it promises supposedly has spoken ofpenury, meetinghave them.

In India, we may is the most dangerous and depressing area from School of Drama, actors like Katrina It this reached observation that Masurkar chose to ally a screen.

Inside preps the television studio. encounter with the “reality” of catastrophe, not have these levels with regard Keeda, Mumbaiya the city because everyone is isroaming Kaif, Ranaut and Aditya Roy Kapur his film TheKangana artifice inherent in the media’s repre- of what actually appears on television cut to a title covering urbanSulemani crime, but we’reawell on our literally translates intowhose ‘giantsense pain withpattern. a lot of hopes,” he says. for their films.

Asreal, for the are free to around sentation of the andrest, the they yawning abyss predictable “Television shocks, and slang way tothat having a television media the ass’.

“Getting bittenrevealing by the filmmaking drop by and give a ‘camera introduction’ the then repeatedly assures, a comforting pres- in opened up by our insatiable appetite for—‘upof power comes not from reality but bug the worst thingit.that can ever happen to same put On a Real close process reality’, Malhotra form thewas crux ofthrough.

Nightcrawler. enceto inreel an unsure world,” wrote Doane. fromisorchestrating Why search for news is an epic bug. Ifwhen it bites you, you’re At times, these on stories of desperation make you. slow average of happens 50 budding actors Early day, in theanfilm, Bloom to arrive at Bloom catches to these modalities quickthat’sIttelevision-worthy, whatever is on for life,” he says.Having Thousands Aram the Nagood cinema.

Filmmaker Zoyaglowered Akhtar’s done queue upofatan Chhabra’s a busy for the scene accident, doorstep. and finds aOn freelance ly (“I’m a very fast learner”), having television is news? onceattasted

by Chance (2009) the story of a wanwouldpleasures agree. of creating events, why day, which most days,just it can touch camera crewisthat arrives behind the200. po- Luck through one car crashtold where he arrives too gar god-like (*Names of all theto ‘strugglers’ been actor who strikes gold.

The soon-to-be-reSome bring gifts to bribetotheir way lice, filming the ‘action’ sell to thethrough. highest nabe late to catch anything worth shooting.

From would anyone want go back to have merely reKeeda, directed by changed, as they hope to make it big one day.) indie filmtoSulemani “There times we channel. don’t know to refuse biddingaretelevision “Ifhow it bleeds, it leased there on, he has be the first one to get to the porting them? prasad or Joe an Amit witty insight them. can say no to leads,” How drawls theyou fleshy-faced cameraman scene,Masurkar, driving atpresents insane aspeeds, even asinto his chaudhuri idol?” rues an assistant. When Chhabra casts the life of two out-of-work writers surviving in mohini trisha gupta is a writer and critic t@chhotahazri (Bill Paxton). bumbling assistant Rick (Riz Ahmed) panics

On TV, it looks so real

The artifice inherent in the media’s representation of the real, and the yawning abyss opened up by our insatiable appetite for ‘up-close reality’, form the crux of Nightcrawler

trisha gupta Bollywood calling (top) Mukesh Chhabra (orange t-shirt), who runs a casting agency, has changed his phone number 22 times paul noronha; (above) the unlikely office of Phantom Films, a production company owned by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl apoorva guptay

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WANTED: MORE PARSI BABIES! Wrap it up T he two sunflowers bend towards ing shot. This is part of an effort to make the each other and touch, gently, Parsi community reproduce more. Other once. Freddie Mercury is singing initiatives include distribution of mood ‘I want to break free’, softly, in the music, heavy discounts on scented candles, background. “Cut, cut!” shouts the Direc- housing incentives for sons older than 40 tor, and the two spot boys holding the sun- living with their mothers, and a fertility flowers move away from each other. award in the name of Dadabhai Naoroji. Ev“Boman was too eager,” says the Director, ery newborn Parsi child will also receive a “He’s moving towards Perizad too quickly. buffalo, a cycle, free dancing lessons from t wasn’tDavar too long ago that highSons. fashion Make him hesitate. He shouldn’t be such an Shiamak and shares in Tata meant less cloth and more skin. Howevexpert.” He turns towards me. “These little er, it now looks like it is time for the bodythings make all the difference,” he explains. con dresses and plunging necklines to “The flowers have names?” I ask. “It helps them perform better,” he says, “this is a film give way to crew necks and boat necks. Sleeves for the promotion of reproduction, but due now run all the way down to elbows. Hemlines to cultural constraints, we cannot show ac- have lowered and end discreetly at the midtual reproduction. Hence the flowers have calf length. For designers such as Ridhi Mehra, Masaba and Nishka Lulla, the scooped necks of to perform very authentically.”

I am in Famous Studios, Mumbai, where sari blouses are being replaced by necklines the latest TV commercial for the Jiyo Parsi that close above the collarbone. While the campaign by the government of India is be- fashion lines of Soumitra Mondal of Marg and Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango are now identifiable by their revivalist work. Mondal does ethnic-wear, bridal and pret. Garg has been ear Ally, instrumental inMy reviving the mother is chanderi. no longer cookDesigners ing? like Sabyasachi How can Mukherjee I get her and to Ritu Kumar resume? have always veered towards a moreRegards, demureDattaram, silhouette.

Sabyasachi’s mahaNagpur rani necklines, or bejewelled polo necks have beenDear his trademark Dattaram,for the last few years. HowYou have not mentioned how fat you are.

Are you grossly obese? If so, she could be helping you. It’s just a mother’s love expressing itself in yet another way. Otherwise, it depends on your age. If you are under 20, make her give you money and buy pizza instead. If you are over 20, and married, this could be a signal that your wife should start cooking. If you are over 50 and unmarried, some discussion may be Full-sleeved required. It is true that as per our ancient splendour (Clockwise traditions, your mother should primarily from top) Parineeti be doing cooking activities. But 50-plus Chopra is known for her subdued dressing years of continuous cooking may require k murali kumar; you to take a different approach. Some Ally Subramaniam was born Sabyasachi in southwest Sundarbans, but amount of fatigue may have set in. PerMukherjee’s was blown away ensembles by a cyclone and haps, you could pay her a small fee or stighosh) (bijoy washed up on and the Ritu shore near Kumar’s pend? Alternatively, you could learn to Chennai. He was adopted a the target designs (afp)by cook yourself. So long as you handle the poor Brahminwedding family market from and kitchen utensils in a confident and mascuTirupur. He can answer all have always erred on line way, you should be fine. your questions at the side of the prim; askallysubramaniam@gmail.com Yours Affectionately, Ally Raw Mango has

who is known for surface texturing, agrees, “To There is a darker side to the campaign. every trend, is an equal and opposite trend.

SHOVON CHOWDHURY is Rumours have been circulating of daring This is a reaction to seasons of high exposure. chief Truthdigger and author midnight raids on grocery stores in Parsi Fashion reflects erogenous zones and of shifting The Competent Authority colonies, involving sabotage of condoms by now the focus is on the elbow, the wrist, the covert operatives of the Intelligence Bushin and the ankles.”

I ask. “No,” he Menon says, “Any reau. On a lighter note, the babus are also reproduction?”

Fashion watcher Ramesh believes promoting popular Parsi dishes like sali bo- kind reproduction.

Reproduction is a top it’sofnot just the erogenous zones that are shiftti, dhansak and Shernaz Treasurywallah. priority these In some cases, want ing, but alsodays. fashion ideals.

“Thewe new woman “This is going to be a big business,” says to wants reduceto reproduction. other we dress more In like her cases, grandmother ever, Mukherjee Kumar caterit.” almost to her increase reproduction.

The governthe Director, “Youand should get into “Parsiex- want than mother, and conservative is the new clusively to the wedding sector, which errs on ment is deeply interested re- with radical.

I have seen in it everyone’s increasingly the side of the prim and proper. We are now production.”

The Director likes asaying friends’ daughters who have secretthe admiraseeing a new conservatism that doesn’t mere- word I notice.

I glance atdressed,” the tion‘reproduction’, for the way their grandmothers ly start and end with wedding collection, but set.says “One the flowers wilting,” I point theofconsultant at is Fashion Design Council spreads through all lines. out. “Spot! Spot!” ofshouts India. the director. A spot This new covered-up aesthetic boy comes and Menon sprays is Perizad.

Perizad that of the opinion cannot be simply classified as looks fresh now,India but I have myseeing doubtsconservative about is now conservatism.“Why do we alBoman. He doessilhouettes not look upbecause to it. It may it is be merely ways equate being covered up late. He mayfollowing have spent much timetrend antoo international The newtoo woman with being traditional or conserwith his mother.rather I shake hands withits the Di- path. than making own wants to dress more vative, and sexiness with expo- like her grandmother, rector and leave,This wishing them well. newfound ‘conservatism’ sure? Being covered up is also can be seen in sheer panelling, than her mother sexy,” says Garg. which gives an “illusion of show“There is a changing definiing skin,” says Menon, adding, tion of what is sexy. Higher neck“This is classic mysticism at lines and longer sari blouses work.” For him, this is about elongate the torso and draw attention to the women wanting to be noticed on their own neck and the clavicle. Sleeves that reach the el- terms, rather than drawing attention to the bow, draw the eye to the slimmest part of a length of their hemlines. been photographed sweeping re-covern a decision described ‘hasty’ byBarve, Bu- “He has woman’s hand — her wrists.”asNachiket Some in the fashion industry see this reaucracy Today, the Indian Adminis- peatedly.

What we want is for ouraesthetic officers toterms. ing up in political rather than their chairswho as quickly as Ranveer possible.Singh trative Service has announced that it occupy Nitasha Guarav, styles for will be reducing the training period Studies have shown that expertise on evand Parineeti Chopra says, “The mood is somis being radiated toisour by feel of freshly recruited IAS officers from 103 to erything bre and the inclination to officers be careful, of transfer is rapid, re75 weeks. State governments have been giv- these safe.chairs.

ThereThe is rate evidence for this historically. en till November 30 to exposure oflimitDuring the two quiring World Wars, there were threewas to four hours raise objections, if any. ed resources. There no time for per frivolity.

Scientists areaunable “This may prove diffiHowever, in theday. ’60s, there was joyousness cult,” said an IAS spokesto explain this phenomall around. Hemlines got shorter, colours were enon.

Sample chairs person, “as our letter will louder, prints were bolder.

There was a playfulreach them on Novemholy waness in the air.”sprinkled He agreeswith that there is a new ter given are being researched ber 29.” sense of propriety the present socio-poSources have denied litical turmoil. at NASA, Google, MIT and AIIMS, using crash test that these steps are beIt would not be a stretch to deduce that the dummies.”

Is there a rea-of our ing taken to punish the new aesthetic has come about because Director, Training, for son for There such iscaution? new political landscape. a covert and showing insufficient en“There isofathe high danger obvious reinforcement idea that womthusiasm during the of the in- and en are responsible forchairs theirbursting own safety, to flames is if occupied by toSwachh Bharat Abhiyan. dressing ‘appropriately’ the first step who have notthose “There has been no lack wards achievingpeople that. We might reject of effort on his part,” passed IAS exam,”are we notions consciously, butthe unconsciously said the spokesperson. covering up? said the spokesperson.

Fashion now turns its spotlight away from the cleavage to the elbow, the wrist, the shin and the ankles

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mitali parekh is a Mumbai-based columnist

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saturday, november 22,22, 2014 saturday, november 2014

The world as is Language of rights THE CRITICAL ISSUE

Marked by humanised storytelling, a novel well worthy of the Booker

The concernostthat lies behind protectionism is genuine. But the formThe thatincongruities it takes often prizes, in the end, are about 415km rail line from Thailand to Burma. Flanathat separate Evans’ A Man Booker win- gan’s father too, says the novel’s dust jacket, thoughts and actions help delay a certainty of needs to becompetition. questioned

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ner, for instance, is often judged by the yardstick set by other novelists on a shortlist. Having been deemed worthier than Howard Jacobson and Ali Smith is arguably accomplishment enough, but Richard Flanagan is not just the better of six writers. The Booker jury this year had arrived at its decision after reading all of 156 titles. Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, it seemed clear, had held its own from the start.

Judges were lavish in their praise — “An absolutely superb novel, a really outstanding work of literature.” For the Tasmanian Flanagan, the £50,000 prize money was more sustenance than reward. Writing Narrow Road had drained his resources so completely, he was considering a change in career. He had started preparing for work in Australian mines.

It doesn’t take long to identify the cause of Flanagan’s exhaustion. His precise prose, the book’s lack of atmospheric clutter and its uninterrupted narrative progress are all achievements that can only be put down to fatiguing labour. But Flanagan’s investment is inevitably emotional. Many of Narrow Road’s characters are prisoners of war. Reduced to slaves by the Japanese Empire, they try almost impossibly to outlast World War II while building a

The Narrow Road to the Deep North Richard Flanagan Chatto & Windus (Random House) ₹599

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ome months ago I was asked by a large firm of chartered accountants to come and speak to their staff, mostly young CAs-in-the-making, about gender issues. “One of the things we’re often asked to do,” the Senior Partner told me, “is to make wills and we find, in most cases, that parents unjustly want to rule daughters out of their wills.” He wanted, he said, that his young colleagues understand the hows and whys of this. “It’s not our job to persuade people otherwise,” he said, “but if my colleagues are sensitised to gender issues, perhaps they can make a small change in this injustice.”

I was pleasantly surprised. Not many CAs would even think of gender equality, let alone try to do something about it. In the ensuing conversations with his colleagues, many questions came up. One young man posed this problem: often, he said, they were asked to go to relatively ‘unsafe’ localities to meet clients.

If he found a woman colleague had been given such an assignment, he would offer to go along, and to take over the work, in order to minimise the risk to her. But he found that she never understood this and was always angry at him for offering to help.

I was reminded of this incident a few weeks ago, when I read about undergraduate women students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) being denied access to the library because, as the authorities put it, they were concerned for the women’s safety and security — and worried that if women students were given access, hordes of men would turn up (presumably to harass the women) and the women would Writer of disquiet then be at risk (the latter has been taken from Australian author a statement made by the Vice Chancellor).

Richard Flanagan There’s something skewed, and terribly famight have become a miliar, about this line of thinking. Even miner if not for the

Urvashi Butalia is an editor, publisher success of this book and director of Zubaan afp/ben stansall

had survived the construction of the proverbial Death Railway. He died on the day his son finished writing Narrow Road. With personal stakes this high, it is surprising to find that much of Flanagan’s book is bereft of judgement and sentimentality. The moral structure of the narrative seems defined by a little something Dorrigo Evans’ mother says early on — “The world is. It just is, boy.”

Two essential themes emerge in the novel’s opening pages itself — women and war. Dorrigo Evans finds comfort in the arms of adoring women and is puzzled by the sight of men helplessly crying because of battle. Decades later, we are soon told by Flanagan, Evans will be celebrated as a war hero himself. The famous surgeon is the first to undermine the adulation he comes to receive — “He’d just had more success at living than dying.” In Evans, we find a protagonist who is eternally a sum of his contradictions. His public rectitude is challenged by his numerous adulteries. The empathy he displays as a leader of POWs in a torturous camp altogether eludes him when he returns to a family. He loathes virtue and doesn’t believe there is any merit to be found in suffering. Yet it is only in a land of protracted suffering that he finds greater purpose.

periodic closure that novels often afford. Like a well-crafted matryoshka doll, the chapters of the book end with a disclosure but also an unravelling. In one of Narrow Road’s most compelling sections, Flanagan details a day in the lives of POWs under Evans’ command. As he moves his attention from one prisoner to another, the horrors of hunger, beatings and disease multiply exponentially. It would have perhaps been easy for the author to objectify these skeletal soldiers as pitiful, but it is through their camaraderie and humour that Flanagan allows them an ultimate resilience.

This concession of humanising storytelling isn’t reserved for Australian POWs alone. Japanese oppressors too are given a privilege they don’t always find in history, that of narrative.

Major Nakamura, the man who presides over the violence in a “madhouse beyond allusion”, only survives the cruelties he prescribes because of an abstract loyalty and an addiction to methamphetamine. Nakamura quotes haiku right in the middle of a conversation about beheadings. The Death Railway, he tells himself, is Japan’s way of taking the beauty It is my life Who Basho to the and wisdom of poets like Matsuo decides if the women larger world. In aat novel borrows its title Aligarhthat Muslim from one of Basho’s more works, University arerenowned at risk rv moorthy poetry is not simply a site of reconciliation.

Watching his men burst into flame on a pyre, though the Vice Chancellor protested that the thought outrecites and deliberate that are veEvans the verseactions of Kipling.

Tennyson issue was not about gender but about over- ry much in his control, was notPoetry convinced. follows him to his she deathbed. in Narrow crowding, his fear that ‘four times more men’ There’s doubtonly thatprovide sometimes, the conRoad no doesn’t rationale.

It also would turn up if the women were to be al- cern welcomes that liesdissonance. behind protectionism is lowed to use the library, is telling. genuine. it’s the form that it takes TheBut book’s seductive instability, itsthat unhingIt’s also very much in line with similar com- needs to be questioned: theisyoung accountaning flux, perhaps best typified ments made by a number of politicians, such cy intern’s concern female colleagues by for thehis character of Amy Mulvaas the Rajasthan BJP MLA who suggested, in was genuine, but ney. he had never thought ask unA second wife to to Evans’ December 2012, that a ban be placed on girls them if they wanted ‘protection’.

He simcle, his Amy’s love affair with a wearing skirts, or the Puducherry government ply assumed he was doing the right thing. young Evans punctuates the novPoetry in Narrow in 2013 when they suggested that onethe might askitsthe AMU el and life of protagonist Road doesn’t only Equally, girls wear overcoats to schools to Chancellor: if overcrowding as completely as the war. provide rationale. ItVice almost prevent sexual harassment, or problem you are seems worried While her infidelity to trap also welcomes is the earlier this year, when members about, stopof only under- tuherthen in why a state perpetual dissonance of the Karnataka government graduate Why not find mult,students? she pursues desire and love If men are the ones suggested that girls be banned waysan of limiting numenviable the doggedness. who are endangering otherwith from carrying mobiles. All this to bers Not — like allowing access to spea character that can be easily women, why should ensure their own safety. cific pigeonholed, numbers for limited she was,hours as Evans women be the ones These statements and actions who have to put curbs on a first come first servedatbasis? remembered, “a moving paradox, once emare no different really, from the And are other andthere yet excited by thequestions very thing she on their lives?barrassed sentiment expressed by the too. If, as thepassionate, VC and other oozed.” Undoubtedly the staff relationyoung accountancy intern, or inmembers suggested, there ship between Amyhave and Evans is never sickendeed from Smriti Irani’s protest is alwaysTheir online access, what ingly romantic. lovemaking is once statement that called the AMU does by thata say the classaofpenguin. stuinterrupted dogformauling Vice Chancellor’s statement about the library dentsMuch that like is being addressed? everyone this sudden sightNot of blood, their inban, ‘an insult to our daughters’. has online — so what those timacyaccess is threatened by happens perennialtofears of disThis is precisely the point: if men are the who covery don’t? and conflict. ones who are endangering women, why And of there’s a question fordisquiet the Min- that It course is precisely this restrained should women be the ones who have to put ister Flanagan too: why does she only feellast that thepages denialof his forsakes in the few curbs on their lives and stay out of men’s way? of access is an our daughters’?

Why is book.

He‘insult ties to together disparate threads.

I recall once having a prolonged argument it notEvans, a clearwho violation rights of foundofnothe comfort in women, the role of a with a neighbour as we traversed our local why hero, is it not a denial theday. most rights delives to saveofthe In basic the author’s walking track. Commenting on a young wom- to access, knowledge, the he right to educafence,to though, the world depicts had been an who walked past in somewhat fitting tion,rendered the right to learn?by war. His successes in repsmaller sports gear, she said, “You see, it’s because The insult to the women lies of notlove onlyand in the fa- far resenting impact horror women dress like this that men lose control cilities that are denied to them, the nonoutweigh the tidiness of but hisinserendipitous and they rape.” No matter how much I tried to recognition of their rights, and indeed in the feel conclusions.

Readers should unreservedly argue with her that between ‘losing control’ language we use think about them. relieved thatto Flanagan has won the Booker. An and taking off his clothes, and finding a place author with his acumen deserves to hone his in blink@thehindu.co.in to assault a woman, there are a number of well talents, not waste them dusty mines.

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Do the cha cha cha Not all bad ON THE SHELF

In a country where chai is everyday stuff, there’s new business brewing at trendy tea bars, which are determined to take theplanet’s competition to the doorstepbut of coffee-shops We might be in the midst of the sixth great extinction, Diane Ackerman offers us some hope yet in The Human Age

anita roy

The Human Age The World Shaped

by Us Diane Ackerman Norton & Company Non-fiction $27.95

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t takes a certain amount of loin-girding to buy a book on climate change — there are shelves to choose from — and I can rarely find a gird robust enough to cope with the steep spike in anxiety and the stomach-plunging drop into depression that such books usually precipitate. So it was with trepidation, and a certain amount of prescription meds, that I picked up a recent book on the subject — The Human Age by Diane Ackerman.

The Anthropocene is a term popularised by Nobel-prize winning chemist Paul Crutzen to cover the period of this planet’s history which could be called The Rise of the Humans. It is yet to be formally accepted as a geological time period — partly because there’s still no consensus about when it actually began: with the Industrial revolution in the late 18th century? Or with the beginning of agriculture? Or some other key marker further back in our prehistory? What’s for sure is that our activities as a species have now altered everything: the earth’s surface, its water bodies, its atmosphere, its species, its climate. There is very little ‘natural’ in nature any more — nothing untouched in some way by human activity, from the swallows nesting in the eaves of our houses to the creatures trundling along the ocean floor, from alligators in Florida toilet bowls to bees dying from insecticides.

But according to Ackerman it’s not all bad.

This is an important, possibly even radical, viewpoint. Normally, when reading writers who say stuff like — climate change is not bad for everyone; in fact, hey, look at this opportunity — my natural instinct is to reach for the harpoon-gun. But Ackerman allows for no ulaimani, Pahadi, for Desi, Aam Papad,a such knee-jerk reactions, she’s neither Paani Kum… Quirky namesnaysayer, brewed head-in-the-sand climate change upaby two IITians for with the chai nor is she gung-ho capitalist an eyethey on serve at the chain of teafinanbars new possibilities forChaayos exploitation and they set up in the national capital region after quitting plush MNC jobs in the US. In Bengaluru, customers drink up their tea and get to take home the kullad (earthen pot) it came in, at the four-year-old Chaipatty. Tapri Central in Jaipur serves the beverage in dhabha-style glasses to customers seated on cane moodhas and cushion-less wooden chairs reminiscent of roadside eateries.

As coffee-drinking steadily gains new converts in urban centres, a section of GenNext has taken upon itself the task of popularising tea-drinking outside home.

“There are many options for people to get good coffee outside home, but for tea, the native beverage, there are not that many. That’s why we decided to set up Chaayos,” says Raghav Verma. He and the chain’s CEO, Nitin Saluja, have expanded the venture from one to seven outlets within two years and are looking to add five more in as many months.

For Chirag Yadav, who set up Chaipatty Teafe (tea+cafe) in 2009, tea was the only constant in a life that was always on the move, thanks to his father’s defence postings across India. “The only thing consistent was seeing my parents having tea in the verandah and serving it to guests. Chai, for me, is the connecting drink,” says the 31-year-old Yadav, who happens to also be a salsa instructor.

An activity centre he started in Bengaluru’s

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Most climate change naysayers tend to have their heads in the sand, but not Ackerman reuters/david gray

cial gain. She is chillingly clear-sighted about reduce noise, save energy, refresh the spirit, the devastation being wrought, but is un- and sink our roots deeper into the natural quenchably hopeful about our ability to deal world.’ She cites the Swedish city of Kalmar with it: which, with its hybrid cars, chicken-manure“We’re in the midst of the planet’s sixth powered buses, low-energy streetlights and great extinction, between seventeen thou- such like, has switched dependency from alsand and a hundred thousand species a year... most entirely fossil-fuels to 65 per cent renewMany scientists predict that at the pace we’re able, and aims to rid itself entirely of fossil going, about half of all the world’s plants and fuels by 2030. Sweden as a whole has already animals will vanish by 2100. But, for a change, reduced its oil dependency by a staggering 90 we know the exact causes of the extinction, per cent, cut its carbon dioxide emissions by having created them ourselves — nearly 10 per cent and reclimate change, habitat loss, polluduced sulphur pollution to tion, invasive species, big agriculpre-World War I levels. Accordture, acidifying the oceans, ing to Bosse Lindholm, who We know the exact urbanisation, a growing populamanages Kalmar’s sustainacauses of extinction, tion demanding more natural rebility efforts, ‘the challenge having created them sources — and we’re in a position to isn’t technological, it’s changourselves, and we’re stop them, if we set our collective ing the way people think.’ in a position to mind to it.”

Ackerman sounds positivestop them Setting their collective minds to ly evangelical at times. She deit are a ‘mariculturalist’ practising scribes the sun as a ‘molten sustainable ocean farming off the socket that stretches coast of Connecticut, a loopy verti92,960,000 miles’ and that cal gardener with a green fingernail and green fossil fuels are only, anyway, a form of buried hair redefining what’s inside and what’s out sunlight: “Now we’re just skipping the secondin Paris, stem cell researchers forging ahead hand part and going straight to the wellsprPick-me-up with de-extinction programmes across the ing of that fuel. Wood, coal, oil, andA gas were household in world. Ackerman skips around the planet, only intermediaries after all, andbeverage using them India, tea can be had for zooming in with her magnifying glass, and was a sign of our immaturity as a₹6species.”

She less than at its many zooming out to give a satellite’s overview, waxes lyrical about harnessing energy from roadside stalls.

Packaged thrilled and excited by the possibilities of the the slipstream of trains,asbody heat from itthe a lifestyle product, commands up to ₹150 a human imagination to rise to the challenge — companionable crush of a subway system... cup at high-end the greatest one we as a species have ever it’s all possible. And before you can say InterloungesChange, Ackfaced — of diminishing natural resources, governmental Report ontea Climate bloomberg/dhiraj singh drastic climate change, and the vanishing of erman has already woven a deft metaphor our precious biodiversity. around it.

Indiranagar soonplanners turned into “It just She looks area at town anda tea civilbar. engithat. Cutting chai served glasses Ackerman’s default settinginis small enthusiastic was mywho friends convinced meand to start of- wonderment. neers are who creating ‘homes public at Mumbai’s tapris not Early (roadside on in thestalls) book cost she narfering tea.” fund earnings spaces thatHis areprovident living organisms thatfrom will rates morean than ₹6, but there are folks willing to incident scuba diving off the coast of a previous job,ofother savingsincrease and some fund- Jamaica scrub the air pollutants, oxygen, spend ₹50 for the same brew — the difference where, alarmed by her movements, ing from his father came to his aid. Chaipatty, her is indiving the packaging. instructor assumes she’s in trouble or tea leaves, is named for the one commodity and “People more than willing to payAckera preneeds are to surface.

No, it’s just Diane an average Indian household never ever runs man mium; they increasingly to spend expressing what shewant expresses best:more wonout of. time“There with tea,” Parag Desai, that executive dider. was says no way to mime I wasn’t In a city teeming with coffee chains, his tea hurt rectororoffrightened, Wagh Bakri.but Thisjubilant, chain ofmerely tea lounges glad bar’s kullad chai and pakoras were an instant to in the Delhi andofMumbai brink tears.” serves nearly 40 variehit and he broke even in four months. “My ties of teathat along with Indian snacks as vaWalls twitch and flex likesuch muscles, mother joined me and we daself-regulate pav, samosa their and bun maska. buildings that temperature opened another outlet in the When the company opened its using techniques inspired by termites; ship city.” He now has five outlets, inyears in Mumhulls rippledfirst likeoutlet whalesixskin toago skim easily cluding one in Mumbai. More bai’s Vile the idea fathrough the water andParle, conserve fuel was — ThetoHulounges are in the works in Delmiliarise customers with various man Age is a tidal rush of ideas — it’s hard not When everybody hi, Ahmedabad and Pune betea varieties. response to get swept along with itBut all. the At times she drinks a beverage, it sides Singapore and Dubai. so good that Desai seems naive: transported by quickly the dedoesn’t have value.a littlewas opened a second in the lights of vertical gardens, and outlet their role in We have to re-invent In makeover mode In several andmetropolis. re-oxygenating the air non-metwhile bevalue incleaning tea Coffee prices in cafes start at ros, Wagh Bakri has smaller tea ing just so goddam pretty, she manages to sug₹50, whereas tea can be had for called Tea World.

It also gest that thelounges most arduous and dangerous ₹30. At the top end, most teas operates themaintenance kiosk model crew in cinepart of the work for the at are priced around ₹150. Chaipatmas and railways stations.

“We one such multi-storey cascade in downtown ty’s desi kullad chai starts at ₹50, the kadak chai Vancouver are lookingis to at harvest more opportunities this the pineapplesin before at Chaayos comes for ₹40 and a pot of Chinese they space,” says drop onDesai. someone’s head. blooming tea costs ₹150 at Infinitea lounges.

But given the despairing or depressing Terming chai as the country’s “basic bever- tomes Coffee,on tea, or… the rest of the climate change bookage”, Harish Bijoor, CEO at Harish Bijoor Con- shelf, Per capita consumption of teathese is 711 flights grams of in we can perhaps forgive sults, believes that is its strength and its fancy, India, while it’s a the minuscule 56 it grams forthat, cofand share hope, for is just weakness. “The strength is that everybody that fee, according a 2010 Technopak Advisors we and ourtofellow humans may save ourdrinks tea, but when everybody drinks some- selves report.—In thethe estimated $6.6-billion non-alcoand rest of the planet — yet. thing, that beverage doesn’t have value. We holic beverage market, tea commands the lianita roy isat a writer director of Young Zubaan to have to re-invent value in tea.” on’s share $2.3 and billion.

This is expected anita@anitaroy.net The tea lounges and bars are attempting exceed $3.4 billion by 2015.

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saturday, november 22,22, 2014 saturday, november 2014

Tea junction Projecting itself as a cross between a college canteen and a roadside tea-stall, Chaipatty has four outlets in Bengaluru and one in Mumbai; (right) the Chaayos chain in the national capital region was set up by two US-returned IITians (below) Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma

The rocky roads

Travel log Get there

Arrive at the Edmonton International Airport and transfer to Jasper (392km/4.5 hours) via the Yellowhead Highway. The journey from Jasper to Banff on the Icefields Parkway is only 288km.

But it’s best to break journey at Columbia Icefield. Several photo opportunities are sure to slow you down. Plan your departure from Calgary International Airport, off Banff (144km/1.30 hours).

The Canadian Rockies and the national parks that keep them company gave Kipling, Conan Doyle and this writer something to write home about

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Suspension of disbelief The Glacier Skywalk jutting over the valley shutterstock/

leonard zhukovsky

partner, the lady moose, I assume, peeks nervously from behind a copse of aspen trees. But before I can take this presumably mundane Stay sight for granted, Dieter tells me just how The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is lucky we are to see them at such close proximia luxury retreat (CAD409-649 for ty. Even for locals like him, this is a rare felicity. doubles; fairmont.com/jasper) I take it,a cup of course, as a sign served of perfectly aro-of things to come.

At Columbia Icefield, try Glacier Good things. matic tea. Adventurous things.

View Inn, with a mammoth glacier At Chaayos, every employright outside your window (from nd sure enough, over the next week, the ee attends an industrial CAD199 for doubles; brewster.ca). mooseand workcertification their charm. It all starts with training In Banff, the mountain lodge Banff a ride on the Jasper Sky Tram, programme, followed by the highest aePtarmigan Inn is conveniently rial tramway the country, two weeks ofinin-store train-which glides over located on the main street dark“After green one alpine hills only ing. month, theyto deposit us in 10 (CAD224, up to four adults per shortto minutes a higher perch on the snowhave pass thetocertification room; banffptarmiganinn.com) topped says Whistlers Mountain. exam,” Verma.

This is Along the way lies Jasper town, unlike wedgedcofbetween the green needed because, Visit expanse of its namesake, the national park. fee-making which is totally You can visit all year round. I went Unlike busier,tea cosmopolitan mechanised, making is cities like Toronin summer, butinif 2003, you are lookingnow to and towns like Jasper Cana- 100 customers a month Infinitea still anMontreal, art. Chaayos is doing its bestintothe standarto ski and snowboard, now a to dianprocesses. outback still retain a certain rawness that attracts 600 customers a day. “Weishave dise good to go (until March). mirrors the landscape. kind that perhaps unittime profitable,” he declares.

“Procurement (for allThe seven outlets) is done make each brought Arthur Conan to it from Yadav concurs, saying outside funding is a centrally and from the Doyle best sources, likeacross tulsi Do the Pond twice in and 1914cinnamon and 1925. (Apparently, from Uttarakhand from Kerala. big drain on the original promoters. “Those Try all these activities if you’re an on the firstmaintain trip he stayed with Lady DoyleThe in who fund take 10-20 per cent (of revenues) evThat helps quality,” says Verma. adrenaline junkie: Jasper Sky the railcar they were in. Jasper had ery month.

There are bad months too.Tram I don’t co-founders have alsotravelling determined the dura(adults jasperskytram.com), Training to a T no accommodation atof that time.) for the right prefer this modelCAD35; for expansion.” tion and temperature brewing rafting in Jasper (adults CAD64, Through entrenched processes and staff-train- taste.

Rudyard Kipling too isare said to have Add-ons like ginger ground andbeen preJasper Park ing, the tea chains have been able to maintain pared drawn fresh to thisevery wild land and itsand rivers that do Brewing ajasperrafttours.com), USP morning measured Riding Stables (from CAD42; consistency in taste and service, thereby at- quantities “not slide are or added rustle to like prairie not only differ in their apeach cup. rivers, but The companies Columbiathey tracting a regular clientele and revenues. brawl bars of blue and a greengrowth but also the clientele “Foracross the food items, wepebbles, have a central kitch- proach tojasperparkstables.com), brewster.ca) at Chaayos Wagh Bakri staff undergo six months of rig- en ish in tinge in thethat water hints ofdaily snow”.

Later in serve, andIcefield target.(CAD49.95; The chai drinkers Gurgaon supplies to the outand18-40 Glacier vada a vada are in the age Skywalk bracket(from and are mostly orous training to understand the nuances of lets.” the day, we meetfillings just such a river, thefor AthabasSandwich or the CAD24.95; brewster.ca) forits instance, prepared while explorworking professionals, while the tea making and tea tasting. Right from the tea pav, ca, and gurglingare tributaries, andvalley’s the dish is asplush Infinitea lounges attract gardens to its offices and tea lounges, the com- in ingGurgaon, the Maligne mossy rockscapes and tip families, kitty party groups, colat the outlets. pany familiarises its staff with every aspect of sembled waterfallstogether in the national park. The site of our Afterlege an students overkill ofaswild Thisadventure, makes the the business high- we ride on wellgame as the elderthe business to ensure its customers are next Athabasca burgers and Bakri sirloinsees steaks, refresh ly scalable, saysthrough Verma. “We will noise ly.

Wagh both business rafts, piercing the white of its Unlike coffee-making, your taste buds at Nourish be working on a hub-and-spoke associates and families Bistro chatting glacial waters to arrive again athas been which cosy,snacks, all-vegetarian model. Fromthat one kitchen, are over The tea and while Chaifamiliar we stillness. mechanised, tea in Banff. promises familiar buzz, managing seven locations. We is theajoint for youngsters. making is still an art cafepatty sharedInplatters and delicious fare. can take this to 15ack in the NCR.” a country where tea-drinkon the Icefields Parkway, ing is ubiquitous, there is which cuts across the park, Towns in the Blend in the business enough room for new players. In luck keeps us company again, as Canadian outback The scalability the big-horned busithe long run, proved however, Bow lake medifferenwrong. wehelped find elks, sheep, Banff, the frozen retain a certain attract ₹2 crore funding will prove decisive.

Each‘lake’ of the The highlight of my trip, the is current really a mountain bearsfrom and Powai even Lake griz- tiation rawness thatness mirrors Ventures, a Mumbai-based investment attempting to brew that zlies en route. Aangel wildlife junkie, I players massiveissheath of ice mirroring the USP. peaksChaisurthe landscape group. Chaayos now setcontain for the next round patty is positioning itselfclouds as thein friendly rounding it and the wispy the sky. canishardly my exciteof expansionment, and will raise more if money only neighbourhood tea something and wonder we really Cracking the thick icecafe with—stones is quiteofim-a when needed. between a college canteen and a roadneed to ‘get somewhere’. But ‘get’ cross possible, of course, but I do leave behind a few Bengaluru-based Point, side tea-stall.

It sells Maggi alongside ephemeral etchings.

The first travellersmomos, on this we do, haltingchain at theChai Columbia at the pottery ₹10 crore offrom Saama its kullads natives, Icefield totoo, takeraised in the splendour the drive so and routemakes were fur-trading followedclasses by coits premises.

Capital in Mayshutters this year.

It has 22 held far. Although the camera play a conlonialon British officers and the men who set up desiBundled chai, inoffers 12 add-ons forinits1881. outlets score, across Delhi and Bengalustant background the sight of a 215 theChaayos Canadian Pacific Railway Tulsi, Elaichi, Cinnamon, Mint,I Othersby such Infinitea and cluding in layersAdrak, and transported in heated vehicles, sqkm glacier,ru. guarded 11 ofasthe 22 highest Mirch;how there’s choice between Kadak Chaipatty prefer to avoid out- Kali wondered they anavigated these treacherpeaks of the Rockies, is unforgettable. and Paani andago. variations side funding.

“I don’t want big (strong) A red monster bus, crunching the ice below ous conditions justKum over(light), a century the last use stop of milk, andofsugar. crazy to come cut corners it, carts us to theboys middle of theand glacier for half in Our is thetea town Banff. AThe UNESCO chaisite, is Darjeeling tea‘pass’ that is toaincrease I am a chef an hour. This, and walk on sales. the U-shaped, ver- aam worldpapad heritage this is the tomilkkiloandofinfused withvalleys, dried mango. and tea master; metres sweeping pristine lakes and tigo-inducing Glacier Skywalkit is—a labour which free Thereviewing are innovations but National Bijoor is ofthis love,” says Gaurav Saria of several points ofaplenty, the Banff opened to tourists May — are an excellent that alone enough toCanyon, re-inventLake the in 2003, unsure Park. A ifticket to theis Johnston orientation to theInfinitea.

Rockies. Launched Inching nervously around tea. “Teawhose has become tooa the observation company right now has Louise and Lake Moraine, waters are on the glass-floored platform of imagery of a commodity. oneover outlet in thevalley NCR much the Skywalk jutting theeach Sunwapta near-mythical blue. People must bond with beverage.

Teawaters requires a unique discovery Bengaluru. at 918 feet, I haveand to still my nerves with every theBut it’s on the of the green Bow river, it needs ownthat Cappuccino.”

In the meanSaria isofinglass no — hurry to exstep. The predominance to blend in — alone in a its canoe I realise I’ve forgotten be closely pand — and prefers tothe grow the time, whichthe daynew-age or date itchaiwallahs is. And that will it doesn’t matwith the landscape ‘heightens’ experithe boiling teapot. ter. The moose made sure of it. ence by severalbusiness notches.by offering a great cus- watching tomer experience.

Thatbe strateIt is an experience that can never outsupriyapratap sehgal is a Bengaluru-based writer served well.road From done, I think. gy Yet,has hours later,him on the to rashmi nplug. For that’s all you can do when the mighty Rockies in Alberta, Canada, stare back at you. Their towering, craggy peaks cradling massive expanses of glaciers that melt into emerald lakes. At every bend of the Icefields Yet, there arehighway only about 100 tea bars comParkway — the connecting the Banff pared to theNational more than 3,200 outlets in and Jasper Parks on coffee the eastern side the country.

“Coffee chains have thelouder first-movof the Rockies — the stillness grows and er advantage, not asyou a competition louder, reminding exactly whybut thislifeis style offering.

The teaworld’s industry focused on the counted among the best road trips. core industry and no one thought Pulling outfor of too thelong Edmonton airport and of connecting with thethe consumer on a longheading to Jasper, past sleepy countryside term townsbasis,” at therues edgeDesai. of the natural reserve, I feel are is this gap theasnew-age theIt power too; that lulled I am bychai the bars natural trying Industry point out rhythmtoofbridge. tranquility, untilexperts Dieter, our guide, that the offers halt. highThere, margins, brings thetea carbusiness to a screeching just nearly 50 per centstands at times.

Compared to nibcofa few feet away, a young moose fee, teathe costs lessatasthe it requires milk and bling grass edge of less the road.

His sugar. This also helped some of the tea chains break even within months.

“Within three months of opening every store, we are able to break even operationally.

And we will continue to do that with new stores as well,” says a confident Verma.

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saturday, november 22,22, 2014 saturday, november 2014

Tree of Love in life the library The roots of Morocco’s Argan oil run deep and change the lives of local women By muting all communication, the library amplifies the lovers’ silent sign system, forcing them to invent their private language

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am driving to the windswept town of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast, when the driver points to the short, spiky, gnarled trees that dot the yellow hills along the highway. I watch in disbelief, as goats climb the straggly branches and nibble on the nuts, the source of Morocco’s liquid gold. For Argan

oil is to Morocco what olive oil is to Italy. Driv- shell of the nut with sharp pieces of rock to reer Haneef tells me the goats were once part of lease the soft kernel inside, while others grind the production process — eating the fruit and them into a paste that looks like gooey peanut leaving behind clean kernels in the dung! butter, even as another set of hands squeeze Native to the deserts, Argan the oil out — it’s an assembly line trees have deep roots to survive production. Also, as with many in harsh conditions, and are retraditional products, even the sistant to strong winds. UNESCO waste is put to good use. The reArgan oil is to listed Argan groves in the southsidue from the kernels after oil Morocco what olive ern reaches of Morocco as a bioextraction — a thick, chocolate oil is to Italy sphere reserve in 1998. A tag that coloured paste called amlou — is stands the trees in good stead in sweetened and served as a dip for these restive, modern times, perbread at breakfast and used to haps, for it takes them at least 50 make soaps, creams and shamyears to reach fruiting maturity. Starting with poos. The oil too has more than one use — in the early Phoenicians, Argan oil has been used cooking, stirred into couscous and drizzled in Berber folk medicine for centuries. The cos- over salads, and now, in the global cosmetic inmetic and food industries, however, have only dustry, prized for its high Vitamin E content. woken up to its potential as an anti-ageing But its most valuable by-product, perhaps, wonder and super-food in the last decade. is empowerment. Much of the Argan oil in the country is made in co-operatives by women n a low-ceilinged room at a women’s co-op- who work for half a day to support their famerative in the Ouiraka Valley outside Marra- ilies and ensure a good education for their kesh, Berber women of all ages sit children. Like the hardy trees that have for cross-legged on colourful rugs and extract centuries prevented the Sahara desert from with local this wonder oil. It’s a time- and labour-inten- expanding, oil-making hasStacked emancipated innuendo TheBerber sive industry, where everything is done by women and kept the male-dominated civilisational order of hand. On an average, I’m told, 20 working society in check. the library attempts to hours are spent for every litre produced. I quell all romance thulasi kakkat writer watch a few elderly women crack the hard kalpana sunder is a Chennai-based

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fter the controversy at Aligarh Mus- that rises and rests on the forehead have so lovers create and define their personal world lim University over banning girls’ much to tell unlike in the noisy outside world is more easily achieved in the library because entry into a library, we must accept where they appear blank. A routine gesture of it offers them a microcosm of a mock-hostile libraries for what they really are: the lover can get stuck like a bookmark in the world. speech is taboo and the movement grammes and The appropriate incentive not the nerdy dens as the general belief goes, mind and create a reference for whatever fol- is restricted.

Like their medieval counterparts, structures in any service organisation but crucibles of silent, consuming love. I am lows in the day. Therefore, like the readerscan that they can easily such feel that the world is a big conprobably inculcate behaviour. not talking of the novels where prim and stuf- they are, the lovers live forever in interpretaagainstwas them. small kind word What spiracy was amazing thatEven theaemfy librarians melt into lava in the arms of bibli- tion. Much like the textual exegesis, romantic uttered softly can raise eyebrows. ployees could take decisions.

Within the The Dewey omaniac hunks, or of maladroit undergrads love is a constant search for meaning. Itbroad is an parameters Decimal System of classification of common sense and hangs over looking to make out in the stacks, under the interpretive enterprise. them in they surveillance, as if theendour librarian is good judgment, were seemingly watchful eyes of compendiums and encycloThe library routine is replete with thetitled acci- to make cataloguing even their the tiniest decisions keeping cus- interactions. paedias. Love in the library isn’t the quick, dental due to an excessive emphasis on tomer’s deco- With furtive glances, they express solidarity interest in mind.

So when my spicy variety like love in the kitchen, on the rum and control. A brush that would go felt against the to malevolent order of mother unwell go to the civilisational prepaid dining table or, if you like, on the stairs. The li- unnoticed outside and won’t even require say- the library romance. breakfast buffet andthat thequells resortall rules did In the outbrary romance proposes an entire philosophy ing sorry, gets dramatised inside side world, they are just two guys not allow for it to be served in her room of love. a library. Old Hindi films extractno one would perhaps even bothon a complimentary basis, the restaurant “Every other night, on TV,” writes Roland ed much out of the stock situanotice. attendant packed upera to feast so that we Barthes in his A Lover’s Discourse, “someone tion. The hero and heroine Love in theWhen library is an acacould take it to her — no charge. says: I love you.” In the age of loquacity, love would bump into each other, exercise manager that the kids for hadit must create Likethe theF&B readers that sawdemic finds little means to rise above banality. The drop their books and bend excess of meaning barely nibbled at theiran food, he took a call around the they are, the lovers romantic love, as it has been practised since down to pick them up. In the signs.for It must read and be read in to not charge the dinner live forever inthe children the middle ages, thrives on the myth of its process, they would make conway ofroom a book. meal. Chauffeurs tookthe detours, serinterpretation own originality. Every lover strives to find his tact and immediately recoil in Reading indoors itself is an erotic vice got extra water, guards opened own language of love since he feels his is a embarrassment. A tiny routine art. Right from an appreciative — everyone was just doing the right thing unique feeling. Or at least he wants to own the incident seems an accident of caress of the spine of a book to — happily and proudly. public language of love by stamping it with fate that brings them together theapparently orgasmic discovery of meanThe owner-architect visits his own seal, even if it’s scribbling ‘I-love-you’ and looms over them forever. ing.

Most once novels imitate the structure of lovethe resort at least a week and scans on a Hallmark card in a cursive hand where One of the important conventions of ro- a hawk, making: the exposition, thewith rising action, the it like looking out for issues letters cuddle up together in anticipation of mantic love, fate lurks at every corner of the li- climax and the exhaustion that lays your an uncanny attention to detail.

I tried rethe first union. In the library, you cannot say brary, trying to turn routine brushessearching into mind to rest. Maybe that’s whylo-painter Pierrehis company but couldn’t so much “Let’s outthe fordetails coffee”ofletthe aloneadventure ineluctable love.

EnvelopedFrom in silence, day a distinct Auguste organisation Renoir couldstructure imbue his reading resort employed. the its Now Ias, won’t gogo into cate the banal declarative TV ev-timeprogressing motion and time lapsing women, intently focused onbubooks, looking we checkedin inslow till we left, I probably immaculately plush Barthes rooms, heard even atonthe anywhere, so there is probably little ery night.

The library is a booked. controlled space with the turning of the pages, the library can quite otherwise, base category that I had A lot of ofinteracted with 50-plus employees.

Bellreaucracy.

Anddomestic maybe that’s one ofwith thethe sensuousbureaucratic discipline and mathematical highlight even small the managed Renaissance The reader-lovresorts by leading global brands offer the or-boys, housekeeping staff,incidents waiters, and F&Bfill them reasons ness they of have to nudes. achieve der.

By Imuting communication, it ampli-managers, with extraordinary meaning.

It can er understands the desirecan that same. won’t doalljustice if I try to describe chauffeurs and so on. Each of make whata so few service organisations — unfolds like fies lovers’ signwith system.

In thethem chance encounter looksingle-minded like a fated meeting, after page ofThe a tome, the silent passion displayed the same howthe thrilled thesilent kids were the dozemployeepage empowerment. employees library, are forced to invent theirthat privatefocus and suddenthat crossing pathshad a convincing that burns discreetly behind the soda-bottle toaensure everyofguest a can do the ens of they outdoor rides and activities right thing so they are happy language.

The put library promotes thetogesture, omen. they bumped into eachand, oth-consequently, glasses of asostudious undergrad, and the heathe park had together.

One has ex- good time.Long Theyafter were polite, attentive, are the customers. the signalitand the innuendo, essentially theprompt, er in the library, thepassionate lovers would keep revisit- dy smell of dying books that tickles the nosengaged and about perience for oneself. language Like a book, theattiloverstheiring thatBut fateful moment. it not been in thepiparaiya trils during stolen of intimacy in rishi is the author of moments Aisle Be What Iof doromance. want to talk about is the work. you know, evenHad that’s are open, recto verso,people to eachthat other. even have looked each the stacks. rishi@aislebedamned big a they deal won’t — good training pro- atDamned tude of the fewand hundred thisAndthatmarket, one has to read the other like one reads the other twice. book. A sideways glance, a stray foot, a hand The clandestine language of love that helps dharminder kumar is a Delhi-based journalist

The deciding factor rishi piparaiya

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ang in the middle of the peak festive season, I decided to make a weekend trip with the family.

The North was too far, the South too muggy, Goa overbooked, and your procrastinating columnist was left with no option but the usual last resort (no pun intended) for any Mumbaikar: Lonavala. I scanned the travel sites, balked at the room rates and unenthusiastically settled for two nights at an adventure park. It seemed vaguely interesting — rides, kids’ activities and, most important, availability on the weekend. The project is the brainchild of a Mumbai architect, who is generally better known for his office furniture. So I landed up at this 36-acre resort, parents and children in tow, with no real expectations.

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When the last resort turns out to be a fine, empowered resort

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THE HUNGRY READER

You are what you drink

Over the years, the connection between fictional characters and the stuff in their cup or glass has only gotten stronger This cocktail came to be known as the vesper. Which sounds very prayerful — and very potent. I’ve never had a vesper like James Bond.

Or a gimlet like Philip Marlowe, the ultimate hardboiled gumshoe in the LA of the 1950s. Although in The Long Goodbye, Marlowe and a dissipated playboy called Terry Lennox agree that a properly made gimlet is definitely the drink-of-choice for the man about town: “A real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime Juice and nothing else. It beats martinis hollow.”

It’s at moments like these that I regret the fact that I don’t drink alcohol or even coffee — the two food groups that my closest fictional acquaintances subsist upon. Edinburgh cop John Rebus and Yorkshire policeman Alan Banks are both mavericks who love their Laphroaig way too much. Boston detective Spenser enjoys his bourbon and behaves as if his life is a quest for the perfect beer. While Chicago’s famous female private eye VI Warshawski drinks Black Label and red wine. But then all these sleuths are loners, who regularly need to drown their guilt and ghosts.

After which these very same characters wake up with a sore head and totter out of the local barista on a winter morning with buckets of the black stuff. Then they down quantities of copshop-slop while looking at shots of crime scenes and order more coffee to stay awake at meetings. So much so that in One Step Heady characters LA gumshoe Philip Marlowe likes his gimlet, James Bond his dry martini s subramanium Behind, Scandinavian crime writer Henning tandard XII for most students is a time ther, Amit Dilbagi, a 46-year-old executive en- Mankell his experience Palo Alto, during writes:at“Police workCalifornia, wouldn’t be posof great stress — extra t was a lesson I learnt intuitions, my earlyunendteens, Agency’ gineer atseries. the thermal plant in Panipat.

“Thesepower were its assets: a tiny sible the Google Fair’s finalsaid. round last withoutScience coffee,” Wallander ing I revisions aheadinto of final examin- white when first wandered the lavenderHe and histwo wife, Ritu,two have supported their month. van, desks, chairs, a telephone, “The setting unconvention“No work wouldwas bequite possible without ations andworld deciding on the&courses to and and-lipstick of Mills Boon roson’sanendeavours sinceThen he was anwas adolescent, old typewriter. there a teapot, coffee.” al. We had a full crash-pad with everything — applymances: for in college.

Shah You areArsh what youDilbagi, drink. howev- in and Arsh Mma alwaysRamotswe travels in — his father’s compawhich the only lady pri- Xboxes, table-tennis setups, mini-golf, anyOf course, coffee is no longer just coffee in er,Clearly, is spared of this something set of worries asthe he has an- vate it meant that heroes ny. When we met, they had just driven over our detective in Botswana — brewed redbush thingworld. that suits your afancy. were treated It is now ventiWe pumpkin spice other to grapple with. What henames speak tea.

— tall, one rugged and masterful menwill with fromAnd Panipat a south school,one where three to mugs — oneDelhi for herself, for latte, like total or acelebrities.” café Lespwa from Haiti or a caramel about at his upcoming Tedx talk, how can he her like Tancred and Alessandro — always took Arshsecretary, was speaking at afor tech conference. and one the client. What else frappuccino This was the fourth edition of themore annual — and allows us even inbuild coffee on theblack Voter’s Choice accolade at does their and strong, while he thewon heroThea detective Lego Mindstorms kit from agency really need?”his father sight competition organised

by Google, Virinto fictional characters.

It’s a Lego, pity we’ll the Google Science Fair, how to commercialise ines — spirited but innocent Bellas and Aman- was Arsh’s books first step into the world of robotics. gin Galactic, never Fifteen and innumerNational Geographic and the Sciknow what Romeo or Darhis innovations of course, at able das — sipped onand, milky, sugarysomewhere beverages or “It was probably later, the first Lego kit that was entific American adventures Precious magazine. many cy would orderThere if theywere strolled inthe back of his mind, to get grades Ramotswe orange juice.

Over thehow years, thegood connection shipped to Panipat,” saysfor Arsh.

“I always want- Indian-American still gasps her children intoday. the final round, to a coffee shop Never fear in his exams? between fictional characters and the stuff in steaming ed a dog, socuppa one of the first things was a would to clear her I builtNo but Arsh wasthough. the sole entrant Asia.

Literaryfrom Starbucks is work Asian in thestronger. final round of senthe head. their The cup only has only gotten So the robot-dog.” was in 2010 as a Just asThat fastidious Hercule “I was really happy that I got here.

This popular website tries be possible without Google ScienceofFair year, his the innovasible protagonist cosythis hen lit books, sort Poirot 12-year-old, the on same year he depends his soothing theimagine voters’ choice award.our I was to what coffees facoffee tion, is an augmentative and alternawho runTalk, small antique shops and write gar- tisanes won thetonational-level kickstart his Indian “little eyeing the grand prize, but like. this vourite characters would tive columns, communication (AAC)pots device that grey dening cherish their of pepperRobotcells”.

Olympiads.

He won a reAnd, most famously, award was by the audiTake, for selected example, Sherlock I always wanted a could change the lives many who have James mint-and-chamomile tea. of While their Jimmy gionalBond competition themartinext sips a chilled ence and“goes I’m glad people believe Holmes up to the counter dog, so one of the speech including those Choo-clad chick impairments lit counterparts, who work in ni year.

He hascrashing since built a 50-cenbefore helicopters that my device change the accompanied bycan an aged doctor. first things I built was with neurodegenerative fashion journalism and PR, usuallydisease moan and timetre-tall which, defusingshumanoid bombs. In fact, 007 is the inspi- He orders two world,” he says. grande Earl Grey teas with a robot-dog and impairment about their life over congenital a cosmo or white wine. Or ration according to him, can do push- cocktail in room for creamSince behind the most celebrated the award, Arsh eye andconhis and sugar.

He makes such as cerebral palsy, autism teeter out of Starbucks with a skinny vanilla fiction. ups, stand on itscreated head and climb A drink

by Ian Fleming in Casi- tact with thefamily manyI baristahave andbeen says,receiving ‘Yes, my dear, andNew Parkinson’s disease. The no latte on a wintery York morning. stairs, as also a hexapod Royale in 1953 to fit his (spiderdeadly, debonair spy: know it was calls frombarista prospective you.’ The flees thebuyers, scene, breath patterns are like Usually toughuser’s guys — both the villainous and an unmanned “A robot) dry martini,” [Bond] said. “One. In a deep with Holmesbut they first have to howl decideinhow in hot pursuit.

Dogs the processed through Morse and villain-busting kind — drink whiskey and champagne ground vehicle that fetched him honours in distance. goblet.” to manufacture Talk commercially.

Holmes continues drinking his“Even tea.” the device — Exno 2012 blather on and oncode, aboutand its malty flavours. from the then President, Pratibha Patil.

“Oui, monsieur.” though it only started as his“a science project, it Or Othello, who orders very innocentheavier thanare a regular smart cept when the characters Chinese, in Apart a fully functional lab at his “Just afrom moment.

Three measures of PaniGor- looking has become something more now. The Literally, it drink: an iced café mocha. barista phone — takes 0.8 sec- don’s, which case they are just as likely only to meditate pat home is equipped with soldering onethat of vodka, half a measure of KinastaLil- takes gives voice to the voiceless,” his order, but tells himsays thatDilbagi. the drink is ondscloud-and-mist to dictate thetea. letter upon the liquid gold Or let. tions, glueit guns anduntil high-end Shake very well it’s icecomputers, cold, then not Arsh is looking forOthello some financial “I love what it seems. believesaid. him.

He ‘A’, 0.4like seconds forHolmes, ‘E’ and add card-carrying eccentrics Sherlock Arshaowns robotics kits at lastGot count. large eight thin slice of lemon peel. it?” “I seems robotics, but it is an subject and trustworthy.

He expensive is clearly not jealous of so on.it’s Most importantly, it make whose tipple of choice, widely believed, is frequent trips to Nehru Place andseemed Lajpat Othello’s “Certainly, monsieur.”

The barman there are hardly at the un-a power. any Thescholarships drink is obviously willsouchang be affordable the smoky lapsang tea. Either($200 way, pleased Rai market Delhi withinthe idea.to pick up spares. There fraud. dergraduate I’m looking foroffunding to Othellolevel. smothers the taste the drink roughly) anddrink life-changing for are“Gosh, the message is clear. The maketh the also athat’s few certainly websites afrom which I order with drink,” said Leiter. studyafurther and enrol a great institution,” mint. Always trustinyour barista.” more Which than 1.4 Indians what man… or woman. is million why Alexander I need,” he“When says, adding, have been heAdmittedly, Bond laughed.

I’m... er...“Iconcentratsays. In the Imeantime, there’s in would never havestill put work Othello strokes each year.

McCall Smith, afflicted when hebyfirst introduced his ing,” lucky he to explained, have parents who support methan and down “I never have more progress.

“I’m making modifications to then Talk. as an iced café mocha man. But “traditionally-built” lady detective in Botswa- one provide the resources. a nice, big that’s drinkallbefore dinner. ButI Ihave do like that one Next isa adebate systemfor where youtime. plug in to a monianother Legoextraneous story na, didn’t botherAwith details. But to room with everything I need.” be large and very strong and very cold and tor(This using an HDMI portal and can access is part of a monthly seriesyou that follows a “I didn’t want him to sit in very well made. I hate small portions of any- food he did tell us about her fondness for redbush the internet usingthe your breath alone. A breathtrail through realm of fiction.) fronthad of the TV all day, agency so I got thing, tea: “Mma Ramotswe a detective The Google experience particularly when they taste bad. This controlled operating system of sorts.” him LegoHill,” kit instead ofina drink’s in Africa, at the foot of aKgale he wrote “There was a chauffer-driven my own invention. I’mCadillac going towaiting patent shabnam minwalla is a journalist and author of sibi Six arasu Spellmakers of Dorabji Street says Detective Arsh’s fa- it the first book of PlayStation,” ‘The No 1 Ladies’ forwhen us outside the of airport,” gushes about The I can think a good he name.”

Let’s hear it from Arsh

This Panipat teen’s invention allows people with speech impairments to communicate using their breath. The handy, affordable device can prove life-changing for 1.4 million Indians

IS

Skinny Vanilla Latte The drink of choice for wannabe chick lit heroines 3/4 cup low-fat milk 1/4 cup vanilla extract 1tsp instant espresso 1/4 cup boiling water Sugar to taste

1 Pour cold milk into a tall glass jar with a lid and shake until foam is twice the volume. Now heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir in the vanilla.

2 In a cup, add the espresso and sugar to the boiling water.

3 Pour the milk into another cup; careful not to add the foam. Then pour the espresso shot into the milk. Top with the remaining foam.

Caramel Frappuccino The perfect swig for those who love young adult fiction 2 cups ice 1 cup strong brewed cooled Lego to thecoffee, lab Arsh 1 cup milkShah Dilbagi’s invention, Talk, won 1/3 cup caramel sauce the Voter’s Choice Sugar to taste award at this year’s Blend all the ingredients in a blender Google Science in two until smooth.

Then pourFair into tall glasses.Palo Alto, California kamal narang

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saturday, november 22,22, 2014 saturday, november 2014

The can-do man With a wide range of shots, batsman Rohit Sharma proves that he knows how to get the ball beyond the fielders and into the record books

Cash cows come home A cow shelter set up by members of a women’s self-help group has pioneered an ecofriendly development model in Madhya Pradesh

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“The concept looked awesome to us and we t started off on a note of compassion, members to turn a simple gaushala into a provided them the technical support to scale when a women’s self-help group in Mad- means of income and self-reliance. hya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh district began As the number of cows increased, the wom- it up,” says Omkar Gupta, Deputy Manager of caring for stray cattle abandoned by poor en were trained in vermicomposting — the Development Alternative.

Development Alternative next set up a biofarmers who no longer had the means to feed breakdown of organic matter by earthworms gas plant the mahapatra gaushala, utilising the large them. The Swastik Mahila ini- to produce nutrient-rich Record shotSankalp Rohit Sharma made historyMandal at Eden Gardens Kolkata by becoming the first bio-fertiliser. player to hit two double centuries in ODIsatswapan quantities of cow dung to gener“We sell vermicompost in the tially planned to milk the eight cows they housed in a gaushala (cow shelter) and use the local market and directly to ate bio-power and biogas to run first glimpse Rohithowever, Sharma farmers, several useful often machines on the is generating income for ytheir upkeep. ofSoon, time, Ladand hadthis termed it the “right thing to ment of ennui, the bowlers a picture of eight yearsofago Udaipur, a good revenue,” saysmastery Dhanku.ofHer premises.avenues “The generation thanks to thewas intervention theatDelhi-based happen”.

Sharma’s all shots is born trepidation, exploring of escape. of city known for its majestic pal- husband bio-powerThe wasbowler like a dream as it social enterprise Development Alternative, had initially from necessity.

Thesebarred days her the opposition “I look to dominate. has a ball.

People started Pravin Amre, who into had from working at the gaushala; to- recordings. runs spicecrease grinding the Shri Raja aces.

Ram Gaushala transformed studies batsmen through video But extra I have my bat our and the is my madodonating their made a grassroots Test century on his debut a fiery day, chine 24/7 and generates more a hub of revolution, whereatenvironherfound work his funds Sharma way her out, chilby beingcattle unpremain,” he had said at the end of that century and today we pitch at Durban back in 1992, always spoke dren’s for us,” Kamla, who anddifferent her angles. ment-friendly concepts have been prototyped dictable, schooling by working on in owners Udaipur. Herevenue has grown intosays a batsman are theHe proud highly oftothis lad from Borivali.

Kamla operates the and machine SHG and used empower local villages.Was he so daughter-in-law learned how to place theDevi ball has beyond fielders. now appeals to the crowds the T20for squad. of 102 cows good?

“Wait till you watchthe him.

You will be- joined members rents out to anxoth“When people realised success of the too. “Initially, Fieldingincaptains are yet people to find a solution It is his place in the Testand team thatitcauses lieve me,”they insisted Amre. er farmers as well. concept, started donating their extra cat- didn’t aroundendorse this. our concept and iety. His Test debut happened only in Novemduringowners the 2006 De- thought Impressed bya the effort, tleThe andopportunity today we arecame the proud of 102 we were The experts neverwasting doubted our Sharma’s talent, ber 2013. He responded with century.

In the odhar West Devi, Zone one was playing North time; Madhya government many women wereteameven cows,” Trophy. says Meera of the village however some senior next, whichPradesh was Tendulkar’s fareZone at who a college ground in Udaipur.

North stopped by their husbands from visiting the had in 2008 well chipped donating 20 acres women has been working at the gaushala mates questioned his discipline.

Test,inhebypaid his tribute to had decent attackin — 2004.

Gagandeep Singh, Jogin- place.

But today proud of us,” adds to the SHG. the “The then with chiefanother minister Uma sincea its inception He seemed to havethey lostare direction master century. derDevelopment Sharma, AbidAlternative Nabi, Amit Mishra, Devi. the national selectBharti was soSharma’s excited with the10 project she trained RS theSodhi.

SHG Meera even though next Test that innings West had Sharma, who was just 18 at the time ors continued to back him. A immediatelyyielded donated 20 acres of state land a mere half century.

Sharma symbolises and impatient to outdo the competition and poor series in Sri Lanka in 2012 lease-free,” saysWhen Gupta.most experts believed the modern cricketer make it at the national level. Dinesh Lad, his threatened to curtail his interThese self-reliant women now in the that batsmen likeare Chris Gayle, AB — confident, coach since childhood, had taught him disci- national career as Sharma aggre- aggressive, ambitious spotlight in all Bundelkhand.

“People or from deof Villiers, Kevin Pietersen Vipline, hard work and the importance of not gated a mere 13 runs in five One other villagesrender visit our gaushala and Sehwag would bereplicate the first and professional squandering opportunities. our methodstoback home; is really good to Day Internationals. He had beachieve theitdouble century in Here was a chance and Sharma did not err. gun to feel the pressure like nevsee people praising the work,”rose saystoMeera.

ODI, Tendulkar the task.

He smashed the North attack with a 123-ball er before. That he came out of it India is routinely by global forums Sharmarapped has eclipsed them all 142 — destroying the bowling with a wide on a thunderous note speaks for the ozone-depleting methane generated with scores of 209 (against Ausrange of shots. It was magical stuff for the sim- volumes about Sharma’s unflinching faith in by its millions cattle. Despite knowing tralia) and 264of (against Sri Lanka) withinthat the ple reason that the ball stayed hit when he put his own abilities. cow is the of someone bio-energy,who Inspandung of one year.best Notsource bad for his bat to the ball. Not one of the 14 fours and to to capitalise it. A gaushala “I can do it. I will do it,” he would often tell dia had has oncefailed aspired become on an off-spinner! three sixes that he cracked was crude. He ap- his close friends and teammates. And he did it born of goodwill now promises to catalyse When Lad promoted him to open the in-a peared to caress the ball between the gap, and in style, drawing inspiration and discipline climate-friendly bio-energy revolution.Sharma nings in a club match, the 12-year-old that has remained his forte.

“This is a complete miracle at the grassroots from his close association with Sachin Tendul- responded with a century.

That small step in Recently, when he pulverised the Sri Lankan kar. Sharma gave more and more time to level, wherehas thenow women’s self-help is local cricket become a stride group in the inattack, he did just that, picked the gaps. And cricket and grew in stature as a batsman of not only inspiring ternational arena. other villages in the counimprovised, hitting inside-out strokes and sav- great potential. tryOnly but he also moving towards financial would do well to remember theindelaaagely sending the ball across the field to make SN Panday, Programme Sharma symbolises the modern cricketer — pendence,” fa (slap) thatsays LadDr reserved for him once for a record-breaking innings of 264 runs. The confident, aggressive, ambitious and profes- Director Taragram, a satellite campus Dethrowingathis wicket away.

He learnt the of value match was a thriller and proved the mettle of sional. He always looks to make a statement in velopment Alternatives. of keeping his wicket that day. a man whose indiscretion at the crease had an authoritative style, his presence at the lokapally Editor, Sports, The Hindu tawqeer hussainis isDeputy a Delhi-based journalist cost him a place in the 2011 World Cup. At that crease is an eventful sojourn, without a mo- vijay

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Return in kind The Shri Raja Ram Gaushala run by a women’s self-help group in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, generates income not just from milk but also vermicomposting and bio-power and biogas generation

Namesake Pickpocket calls himself Kejriwal to fool cops

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saturday, november 22,22, 2014 saturday, november 2014

ast week in east Delhi, a pickpocket was caught red-handed as he was fleeing a moving bus with a passenger’s wallet. When marched to the police station, the man was subjected to some searching interrogation where he gave his name as Arvind… Arvind Kejriwal. The unsuspecting cops didn’t bat an eyelid and registered an FIR against repeat offender Kejriwal. Who could blame them? Ahead of the general elections this year, electoral rolls revealed that there are 2,133 voters named Sonia Gandhi, 1,342 Narendra Modis, 302 Rahul Gandhis and five Arvind Kejriwals. In fact, had our wallet-loving pickpocket, whose real name is Arvind Sharma, called himself Mr India, the cops wouldn’t have turned a hair.

For there is a Mr India too in the voters’ list!

The mahila metal gang

Starry nights

A Dutch town lights up to remember its hero Van Gogh They have been caught on CCTV, stealing metal and machinery from industrial units in o mark the 125th Ghaziabad.

Butdeath theannivercops are nowhere near nabbing this fleet-footed all-woman crew

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sary of the post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh, artist Daan Roosegaarde created a glowing bike path made up of solar-powered LED lights as an interpretation of Van Gogh’s classic ‘Starry Night’. The path in the Dutch town of Eindhoven has been twinkling with blue and green lights since last week as part of the celebration. Another Dutch town, Krommenie, has followed suit. The climate-conscious Dutch artist described his work as “using technology to make landscapes which are energyneutral. You have boys and girls who want to take their date to a special place.” We’ll take a starry bicycle path over a silent library any day.

Heavy metal The salwar-kameez clad women pulling off their heist, as seen on CCTV footage

Mamata hits half-century

The chaiwallas open well after 6am. So, the robbery is timed between 5 and 6am.

On August 15 this year, a long weekend, a similar robbery occurred at Shivas Reinplast on GT Road nearby. That involved 17 women.

Four months ago, the gang was caught on camera stealing electrical equipment from Shershah Place on GT Road. Last year, around Diwali, they struck at E-217, making off with a heavy motor, around ₹70,000 cash and blankets. There were four women then. Tyagi’s t is 5.23am in the Kavi Nagar industrial ar- clared it an open-and-shut case. They would cameras bore witness to that as well. The cops, ea of Ghaziabad. A torchlight flashes in have the culprits in a day or two, they told Tya- however, f you think thatunaware Chief Minister Banerseem of theMamata earlier robberthe compound of E-217 and is closely fol- gi. That never happened. Instead, Tyagi espied ies jeeor has hands full with the various troutheher electronic evidence.

“This (Tyagi’s) is lowed by a group of salwar-kameez-clad the women again, barely days later. For nearly bles hercase State — student chitoffund thein only registered; weprotests, don’t know any women clutching garbage bags, their dupat- a week after the theft, he and fellow tenants scams political Amidst all otherand robberies in violence, the area,”you sayserr.

SHO Gautam. tas wrapped around their faces. They walk to a sat in his office between 5 and 6 am, watching the sound furytoof has always “Metal and ki chori harpolitics, roz hotiDidi hai, (Metal gets door and prise it open. Minutes later, 12 wom- the images from his eight cameras on his com- found time to pen thoughts.

Fastolen every day)and butpublish this is her organised theft. en enter the shop floor of Express Printing irst, we robbed the pigeons (and other cent. puter This amounts to around they ₹130 saw lakhthe a same mous forwere quipping, “I earn my living a writer,” screen. Bleary-eyed, There four members last year,asnow there House, around theand columns of paper birds) ofstriding their leafy abodes replaced year and is only set to go thanks pigeon CM in has far published 46 gang approach theup, gates andto turn back every the areWest 16 toBengal 18 women thesogang,” says Krishan a piece of machinery.

On sighting some droppings. al- day. When themand with concrete jungles. Then, as they beAre bird prob-they as- books, in genres children’sSixteen fiction thedroppings cops wereposing informed, Verma, owner as ofdiverse ShivasasReinplast. uminium sheetsatlying around,metro they break gan to feel at home newly-built sta- into lems for theTyagi, maintenance Namma Metro, and political commentary.

The12-ft artist-writersured “leopardof bhej rahe hain.” women had breached Verma’s high comflurry ofan activity, grabbing, folding and tions,a we filed RTI inquiry to ascertain the packthe RTI query raged. it is,” replied Bangahas also said that she gave Several days “Yes, passed, but there was no sign of and-chief-minister pound walls, ignored the sheets of fibreglass the sheets intopoop. their Unsurprisingly, roomy sacks. The ducost ing of cleaning bird lore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

So acute royalty to thestraight victims for of the Kanthe promised “leopard”, namely, two cops on her onfirst the book’s premises and gone a 90-kg Some are the pattas query slip, has revealing revealed their that profiles. the annual is the aproblem that the overworked staff has in our dua violence in Howrah district. Atin thethe Kolkata bike, as Tyagi explains.

“We kept lathis steel die worth ₹70,000-80,000 open just teenagers, some wear spectacles, housekeeping expense at Bengaluru’s three- and to clear thebut platforms ofwant birdtopoop fair Even last year, was a bestseller, office, we didn’t take every action with- book market. as twoBanerjee women hoisted the heavy some have well-defined jaw lines. year-old Namma Metro has gone up byTwenty 30 per minhour. out More reason to hate pigeons. all-time sales records forbags, any the Bengali the cops. Lekin leopard aaya hi nahi.” He be- beating steel cast and stowed it in their rest utes later, nearly 500 sheets of aluminium lieves the cops are wary, as women are book.

At this year’s fair, she will crossthat the halfsat outside and convinced a guard they and the women vanish from the scene. century mark, when she reinvolved. “It’s a gender-sensitive issue now. were sifting scrap.

On October 21, cameras 02, 04 and 05 of Ex- These days, they only operate on leases not one, buttaped four Verma’s camera too had press Printing House captured the Ghaziabad electronic surveillance, no real new Unfortunately, tomes, including the episode. he women’s daring break-in and robbery. A fort- legwork. They’ve become inefonehow on to Urdu shaiyari. didn’t know retrieve the night later, the Uttar Pradesh police have no fective,” he says.

There’s some comfort valuable evidence and chose not Tyagi has turned into leads on this all-woman gang of metal thieves. a real ‘writer’ is reTyagi had insured everything to go to thethat cops.

A few days later, an amateur sleuth “We’re still investigating. We are searching all in his press except the metal in the the Writers’ when he siding noticed women he Masai people, a tribe of nomadic For the 80,000 Masai living ininthe Seren- square one and Masaialuminium have been given industrial areas of Ghaziabad, jhuggi-jhopri building, plates.

The the stolen strolling outside hisburning factory, the he herdsmen, are an ethnic group that geti national park, obsession with al-onlysheets a few have months vacate theby land of settlements; we’veDubai’s sent people to Manesar midnight write left to him poorer directed his workersoiltotopursue still continue centuries-old traditions in ‘big soundSHO theAvnish death-knell. that middle-eastern so,” game’ says themight Kavi Nagar Gautam. their₹4birth, bestsellers and past nota lakh.soThe scrap value of theroyalty them. “We followed them their habitats in northern Tanzania and Only last year, thethe Tanzanian come is and hunt ₹150 for sport.

But, is made police chowki, all the way Vineet Tyagi, owner government of the printingcan metal public policies. around per kg.

Thethere women to Loha Mandi,” says southern Kenya. A proud tribe, the Masai had agreed to not sell offhis 1,500 sq km to acam-still away some with hope 350 left. kg More two million press, has just installed eighth CCTV in than 20 minutes.

“The scrap one of the workers, Satinder. Abutting the inhave lived on the same land, in harmony UAE-based which to people havewill signed an that online-petition and, so the dustrial area, Loha Mandi is home to the only era, trainedcompany, on the small gateplanned through which dealers know it’s stolen metal, with the wild creatures of sub-Saharan convert theentered. area into exclusive importantly, there’s an election comthe gang “I its installed the‘wildlife other cam-more rates will be lower, ₹80-90 per kg,” says Tyagi. jhuggi settlement in these parts. “They turned Africa for hundreds of years. Well, until Du- corridor’.

Tanzania. wrong herewould’ve might made into the basti and disappeared,” says Satinder. eras about a year ago,” he says. “It was for mon-ing to Even at that A low rate, move the gang bai's royal family got bored.

However, things staff. seemI to haveeven gone to ofjust about be the₹30,000 last thingfor the ruling itoring my labour didn’t think one day’sparty work.does.

The gang’s single-minded pursuit of metal robberies.” The area, he claims, is safe.

Finding little help from the cops, Tyagi has and machinery reveals some knowledge of inBuffeted by upscale residential colonies on turned into an amateur sleuth. That some of dustry. Is there an organised gang behind three sides, and a police station close by, Kavi the women wear glasses is evidence that “they these burglaries? Are the women used as a Nagar is a quiet industrial area. Small-scale do zari work”; their salwars are hitched up front? The police have few answers. They have steel industries sit next to hardware suppliers means “they are ragpickers”… the specula- three teams on the case, and sketches of the and software companies. Tyagi’s printing tions come thick and fast. He believes their women have been plastered in the industrial press shares E-217’s 1,600 sq yards with electri- modus operandi indicates they are repeat of- areas. The mahila chor gang is still at large, cal shops and a fabricator. Fresh pamphlets fenders. An extended weekend or public holi- though… perhaps waiting to strike again advertising CCTV cameras adorn every gate. days are first identified. They recce the area when, proverbially, the metal is hot.

Guards are few, chaiwallas in plenty. and select a target. There are no guards beThe police examined the footage and de- tween 9pm and 6am, say tenants in the area. priyanka kotamraju

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When it rains, it poops

Writing comes before party and politics for the West Bengal CM

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Pigeons find new homes in metros

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Move over, Dubai’s here

The royal family’s new sport might send an ancient people scurrying

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saturday, november 22, 2014

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cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Wannabes

A 1 2

quiz on all kinds of wannabes — famous and otherwise.

Just for the pleasure of having them in one question — what connects Narendra Modi, Mark Tully, Tom Cruise and Stalin?

The first was a young man named Carl ‘Cheesie’ Nelson from Arkansas in the mid’50s. Depending on their skill, participants are categorised as ETA, Amateur or Comedy. Identify this ultimate wannabe activity in which more than 10,000 people are registered worldwide, and which served as the backdrop to a 2001 thriller starring Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell?

3

Which well-known actress and presenter is a wannabe children’s book writer with a series called ‘Sugar Plum Fairies’ aimed at nursery school children?

4

This actor has sung on several of his film’s soundtracks and sung back-up to Gladys Knight in one of his films. His most successful recording was the Joni Mitchell song River, performed for a television serial in 2000.

Identify this actor/wannabe singer.

5

Identify this wannabe banker who had this to say about his brief career in finance, “If there was a moment in the course of my banking career when I had the remotest notion of what it was all about, I am unable to recall it… my total inability to grasp what was going on made me something of a legend in the place.”

Fortunately, he decided to switch careers.

the new york times crossword-0615

strike one

6

Wannabes for which profession have to study a book first published in 1858 and illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter. Hint, a slight change in the title gives you the name of an award-winning contemporary serial.

7

Which Indian sportsman stood twice for elections, the first time from Gurgaon on a Vishal Haryana ticket in the early ’70s , and then from Bhopal on a Congress ticket in the ’90s? If it helps, he failed both times!

8

Which author lost the bulk of his substantial revenue from books with his investments in the ‘Paige Typesetting Machine’ and the publishing company ‘Charles L Webster’ in the late 19th century, and had to accept an aroundthe-world lecture tour to pay his debts?

9

In 1909, which 26-year-old wrote a serial featuring a lady named Claudia Particella as part of his duties as the secretary to the socialist chamber of labour?

10

In 1998, which well-known actor released a music album titled Vincent Laguardia Gambini Sings Just for You? Answers

1. All of them were wannabe priests. While Modi was dissuaded from joining up by the monks at Ramakrishna Mission, Stalin was expelled from the seminary where he was a student. Cruise attended a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati while Tully quit Lincoln Theological college after a couple of terms.

2. Elvis impersonation, ETA are the top-end Elvis Tribute Artists.

3. Whoopie Goldberg. According to her, she has had plenty of practice telling stories, becoming a grandmother at 34 and a great grandmother at 58.

4. Robert Downey Jr. 5. Author PG Wodehouse, who served with HSBC for a year.

6. Doctors. The book is Gray’s Anatomy.

7. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. He had slightly better luck with his stint as the editor of Sportsworld.

8. Mark Twain 9. Benito Mussolini. After his rise to Duce, the romance was published in Italian and English, as The Cardinal’s Mistress.

10. Joe Pesci; it was the name of his character from My Cousin Vinny.

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joy bhattacharjya is a quiz master and Project Director, FIFA U-17 World Cup t@joybhattacharj

ACROSS 1 Swabby’s need 4 Brainless 11 Cowboy-to-lady address 15 Early teachings 19 Triumphant shout 20 Sucker?

21 Capital with more than 300 lakes within its limits 22 Skirt feature 23 Symbols of happiness Transmissions with colons, dashes and parentheses?

25 Bias 26 Tiny bit 27 Sedgwick of “The Closer” 28 Cartoonist Keane 29 Sun Tzu tomeMadame Tussaud’s specialty?

32 Has-___ 34 NC-17 assigner: Abbr.

36 Paper exchanged for coin 37 Poetic tribute 38 “Star Wars” character Where droids go to dry out?

42 Gibbons and siamangs Mountaintop that’s not

the very top?

46 Familiar episodes 47 The Phantom of the Opera 49 Wine bottle residue 50 Composer Bartók 51 Gelling agents 52 Antacid ingredient 54 Are able, archaically 55 Caribbean exports 56 PageantCircumstances that render someone attractive?

59 Climber’s challenge 60 Wedding-gown material 61 Take a load off 62 Abductors in a tabloid story 65 Mohs-scale mineral 67 Hill raiser 68 Hosp. procedure 69 Oxford teachers 71 Bring back on 73 Four-time pro hoops M.V.P. 76 Setting for 76-Down 77 English privy 78 Pine, e.g. Dinosaur that never goes out of style?

81 Like unmillonario 82 Black

85 Like some bunnies and hounds 86 “Paranormal Activity” creature 87 Miss, in Meuse: Abbr.

88 “You’re not welcome!”

90 Jewish homeland 91 “Vision Quest” co-star Matthew 92 Studio substituteSquarish bed?

95 Member of a certain 1990s-2000s rock band Censor unhappy with “Family Guy” and “Glee,” maybe?

97 Mo. for campaign surprises 98 Give a piece to 99 [I am SHOCKED!] 101 “Picnic” playwright 102 Children’s song Ignore the rest of the lunch I brought and just eat the fish?

106 Like 107 Warner Bros. cartoon company 111 Aforementioned

112 Italy’s San ___ 113 After-dinner displayOne way to see a pie’s filling?

117 Trouble-free place 118 Compass tracings 119 Put out 120 Don Ho played it 121 Bruce of “Nebraska” 122 Exam administered qtly.

123You’ll see a lot of them 124 Struck out, as one letter in each of this puzzle’s theme answers DOWN 1 Costume accessory 2 “I wasn’t expecting that!”

3 Modest poker holding 4 Suffix with mass or dismiss 5 Futon alternatives 6 “It’s only a scratch!”

7 Harlequin ___ (multicolored gem) 8 Odd mannerism 9 High dudgeon 10 Jai alai basket 11 Particle 12 Big holding in Risk 13 Order in the court?

14 Some Latin inscriptions 15 Like 16 Use dynamite on, as a safe 17 Strongholds 18 Studies intently 24 “Love’s ___ Lost” 30 Villain of “2001” 31 Lord’s Prayer starter

33 Years on end 34 Dead storage 35 North or west 38 Dormant Turkish volcano 39 Dependable patron 40 Walk all over 41 Unpopular 1773 legislation 43 “Middlemarch” author 44 With 103-Down, “Hurlyburly” star 45 Tapered off 48 Ringed set 52 Less forgiving 53 “Hard” or “soft” subj.

54 2000 CBS premiere 56 Loudspeaker sound 57 Like some roads and roofs 58 A-listers 63 Like some poker games 64 Carnival cooler 66 Political commentator Liz 68 Singer/actress Rita 70 Tulsa resident 72 Brown greenery?

73 Dribble 74 Sales employee 75 “Aw, come on!”

76 Sitcom set during the 1860s

79 Amorphous lump 80 Babes in the woods 81 1988 Schwarzenegger action film 82 Raised on books?

83 Sea wall?

84 Golden ager 86 Snoop ___ 88 Like some twins 89 Non-fuel-efficient vehicles 91 Mosque tower 93 “Can’t Help Lovin’ ___ Man” (“Show Boat” song) 94 Psyche component 96 Fishmonger’s cuts 100 “Funeral Blues” poet 103 See 44-Down 104Exercise venue, for short 105 At sea 106 Barbera d’___ (red wine) 108 Essence 109 Cook up 110 Kept in sight 114 Ostrich lookalike 115 Caesar on TV 116 QB feats

By Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

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