RITZ July Issue - 2016

SOUTH INDIA’S PREMIER UBER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

JULY 2016 VOL 12 | ISSUE 12

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CHENNAI'S INNOVATIVE NEW FOOD ENTREPRENEURS - A Special Roundup

Presents

FASHION

FORWARD

ENTERPRISING ICONS

Dia Bhandary Rav+Attic

Arjun Baljee Hemamalini Maiya Lisa Srao Aamir Sharma

The

High Priestess Of 6-Yard Wonders BEENA KANNAN TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE’S GIVING AGE-OLD FASHION A NEW LEGACY + FEATURES, FASHION UPDATES AND LOTS MORE

MY VIEW South India's largest lifestyle magazine RITZ is now spearheading That1Too.com, a great new venture that brings affordable fashion from across India on one platform for Men and Women. That1Too.com is a network of the best and most trusted brands and boutiques featuring curated on-trend fashion at the perfect price points. With That1Too.com, we become only the second media house in the country to venture into e-commerce in the segment of online fashion retail. I would absolutely love for you to check out www.that1too.com and get your fashion fix today!

Have a fabulous July!

ARUNA R KRISHNAN FOLLOW US

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J U LY

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INSIDE

30 10 Buzzin'

The month of June has been agog with activity and we capture some special moments for you

24 RSVP

Launches, parties, unveilings, new restaurants - we recap some of the best

28 This Month

We Love

Omega's new collection of watches launched just in time for the Rio Olympics

30 Cover Story

RITZ meets the beautiful Beena Kannan, CEO of Seematti Silks, a formidable business woman, passionate textile revivalist and designer of some of the most stunning sarees

36 Look Book

Dia Bhandary is truly the hostess with the mostest. We find out why over a fun chat Bengaluru’s darling designer Raj Shroff teams with city fashionista Sarayu Hegde to style some of Bengaluru’s pretty ladies in his new line India's newest online fashion destination, That1Too, powered

by RITZ, showcases the perfect looks for various moods and how to dress fashionable for 24 hours in Chennai city

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54 Spotlight

They’re enterprising, dynamic and raring to go. Meet the influential and well-known Arjun Baljee, Ambi Subramaniam, Aamir Sharma and Hemamalini Maiya

68 Over a Cuppa

78 Corridors of

Power

Sanjay Pinto meets top cop K Vijaykumar, IPS (Retd) Senior Security Adviser, Union Home Ministry

RITZ meets Renjith Thaliyadath and Dhanalakshmi Renjith the forces behind AXYZ Ventures in Kochi

80 Point Blank

Actress Madonna Sebastian launched her own band called Everafter. We chat up with her on life, movies and her latest passion - music

81 Trending Now

Anna Matthew Vadayatt is a cake artist with a difference.

We find out what is so unique about her sweet treats Bengaluru’s Lisa Srao is busting misnomers and making her mark in the liquor industry.

We meet the dynamic lady

Does the hair on one’s head create a person’s identity?

Sanjay Pinto asks the burning question

Seven food entrepreneurs, varied palates and business modules and one food-mad city.

RITZ meets some of the most innovative restaurateurs in Chennai

94 Wanderlust

There is more to Niagara than just the waterfalls. We explore the region in 48 hours

SOPHISTIC

SILK ATION IN

E-1, LOTUS COLONY, CHAMIERS ROAD, NANDANAM, CHENNAI 600 035 | PH: +91 97899 37149

EDITOR & PUBLISHER ARUNA R KRISHNAN EDITOR’S SECRETARY & COORDINATOR JAFFAR ABDUL HAMEED REGIONAL EDITOR - KARNATAKA ARCHANA SHENOY REGIONAL EDITOR - TELANGANA & ANDHRA PRADESH VANAJA BANAGIRI VICE PRESIDENT - MARKETING PRAVEEN KUMAR M FEATURES EDITOR - CHENNAI REBECCA VARGESE EDITORIAL REPRESENTATIVE - BENGALURU PRIYANKA GOLIKERI EDITORIAL REPRESENTATIVE - KOCHI RIYA SONNY DATSON LEGAL COUNSEL SANJAY PINTO CHENNAI CORRESPONDENT DIYA SUBRAMANIAN CHENNAI STYLIST SHRAVANTI RANGARAJ DESIGNER NARAYANAN SATHISH MARKETING CONSULTANT - BENGALURU SANJAY JARIWAL MANAGER CLIENT SERVICE - KOCHI KARTHIK R NAIR MANAGER SALES & CIRCULATION - KOCHI RAJESH NAIR EVENTS AND FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER - CHENNAI M.GURUNATH PRABHU EVENTS AND FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER - BENGALURU FAHEEM HUSSAIN Edited and Published by Aruna R Krishnan from 7th Floor, Sigma Wing, Raheja Towers, 177 Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.

Printed by B Ashok Kumar of Rathna Offset Printers at 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. RITZ is not responsible for unsolicited material. RITZ assumes no responsibility for the veracity and authenticity of the advertisements published herein. Readers are requested to make appropriate enquiries before incurring any expenses or acting on medical recommendations or otherwise in relation to any advertisement or article published herein. Also views in articles published herein are those of the respective authors only. RITZ does not necessarily subscribe to these views.

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EVENTS AND FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER - HYDERABAD SANTOSH KUMAR

o advertise in RITZ, T call Praveen Kumar on +91 98419 73090 /+91 44 4211 3871 All correspondence should be addressed to: RITZ, 7th Floor, Sigma Wing, Raheja Towers, 177, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002. Contact: 4211 3871 / 2 Email: admin@ritzmagazine.in

BUZZ IN’

CHENNAI

Virat For Futsal Virat Kohli was in Chennai for the launch of the Futsal League anthem composed by A.R Rahman. The Futsal league in India will have 8 teams and the season begins on July 15th 2016. Virat is currently the League Ambassador and is rapping in the anthem as well. AR Rahman was also present at the event.

Twinning With Shruti Haasan Shruti Haasan uploaded a picture of herself and her stunt double Noelle Mulligan in LA on Instagram, while on the sets of Sabash Naidu.

Sabash Naidu is an upcoming Indian Tamil-Telugu-Hindi comedy-adventure film written, directed and co-produced by her dad Kamal Haasan.

Mad Hatters Tea Party At Phoenix Hosted by Sunita Choraria, wife of Vijay Choraria, the Managing Director of Crest Ventures and co-hosted by Tina Malhotra, founder of Evoluzione and Farah Danani, the Mad Hatter’s Tea party was curated by milliner, Little Shilpa who is well-known for her fancy headgear and has designed for the likes of international pop icons such as Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj!

The guests adorned some wonderful headgear specially designed by Little Shilpa transforming the entire venue to the Chapter VII titled - A Mad Tea-Party of the famous tale - Alice in Wonderland.

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BUZZ IN’

CHENNAI

Hariharan Serenades Chennai Hariharan was in concert in Chennai recently at the Forum Vijaya mall. The musical evening was filled with people singing along and shoppers pleasantly surprised to see this performance.

Daddy’s Little Girl On Father’s day this month Trisha took to Instagram to wish her late father with this sweet picture of them in London in 1993. The picture was captioned “Thank you for showing me the world papa #HappyFathersDay #InLondonthinkingofyou and happy father’s day mom for being 2 in 1 forever.”

We are definitely feeling the love!

Enthralling The Crowds With Her Moves Chennaites were treated to an evening with adult film star Sunny Leone as she performed in an awareness program for Women's Empowerment at Nehru Indoor Stadium in June. The program, organised by "Aaj Ki Naari" an NGO working on women's issues saw the Bollywood actress shake a leg to some popular tunes.

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BUZZ IN’

KOCHI

Giving Due Importance To Ads Kerala superstar Mammootty inaugurated the Indian Ad Filmmakers Association (I AM), an organization of ad film directors formed to ensure welfare of those who work in the ad film industry. He handed over honorary membership of the association to noted film directors and ad film directors, Rajeev Menon and VK Prakash. IAM is the first organization in the country formed for the ad film industry.

A Star Studded Evening AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) Meet was held in Kochi on June 27th at Crowne Plaza.

All leading Mollywood stars were present at the function. The social media has been buzzing with selfies of the meet!

Nature First By Lulu Lulu's green initiative called Nature First aims to educate and involve the masses about the steps that can be taken to save the environment for a greener tomorrow. The function held at Lulu Mall on June 5th was inaugurated by Collector M. Rajamanickam with a pledge to preserve nature. Some of the initiatives include rain water harvesting, planting more trees, keeping the city clean, creating awareness about the wastage of food, ensuring clean drinking water etc. A host of interesting events were planned as a part of the initiative like a ‘Wildlife Photography’ exhibition, an exhibition of ‘Rare plants of Kochi’ and the ‘Master Practise Studio’.

The events had active participation from film personalities like Manju Pillai, Vijay Babu, Vineeth Kumar, Sijoy Varghese, Jacob Gregory, Tovino Thomas and Sandra Thomas.

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KOCHI

BUZZ IN’

A Letter Of Hope?

Megastar Mohanlal wrote an open letter to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing his hope and expectations from the new government. He specifically stated that he was writing the letter as a Keralite and not as a star. In his letter, he addressed various issues like waste disposal, rash driving, expansion and development of road projects, abuse against women, children and the elderly and the need for preservation of nature. He applauded the Government for the positive steps taken during the beginning of their tenure.

The letter was posted on his official blog.

True star style, we say!

Caught Munching!

The stars from the Malayalam movie Shajahanum Pareekuttyum, which is expected to be a July release - Jayasurya, Amala Paul and Kunchacko Boban along with his wife, Priya Kunchacko were caught on camera relishing a snack at Pollachi!

Leaving Kochi In Splits Vir Das gave his fans in Kochi a load of laughs, as he set the floor on fire with his snappy one-liners and trademark brand of humour. The 90-minute show was riddled with bits of information on life experiences, ranging from getting high on a commercial flight to his hilarious interaction with Late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

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BUZZ IN’

BENGALURU

She Loves Horses Guess what Adhuna Bhabani once dreamt of doing? No, not styling the czars and czarinas of filmdom. But riding a horse in the Olympics! The celebrity stylist loves horses and was once keen to participate in the biggest global sporting event. She’s been riding horses since the age of 4, and although short on time now, she does manage to indulge in her equestrian passion every now and then. “But with my salon BBLUNT and our product range, it’s tough to ride from a competition perspective. But yeah, I love the animal.” Now here’s one bold horsewoman!

Bringing 'Luru Traffic To A Halt Dancer and actress Lauren Gottlieb certainly knows how to stay in the news. The zesty chica brought traffic on Bengaluru’s busy MG Road to a grinding halt by expertly riding the tricky hover board during the launch of Aeropostale in the city. A multi-talented beauty, one must say.

For the love of sausages…

Boxing champ Mary Kom loves munching on sausages. During her visit to the city to promote a food brand, she revealed that sausage is one of her favourite foods and she cooks and feeds her 3 sons and invites people over for lunches and dinners to her home in Manipur.

“Everyone likes my cooking and my sausages. You should come over too.” That’s an open invitation. We’re up for it!

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BUZZ IN’

BENGALURU

An Artistic Collaboration Bengaluru boy Raghava KK has been collaborating with friend and Grammy Award winning composer Ricky Kej as the Artistic producer and Art-director on his mind-blowing collaborative project Shanti Samsara bringing together 300 world class musicians and 21 Grammy Award winning artists together to create an album for environmental consciousness.

Look out people, there’s something spectacular coming your way!

Mirror Mirror On The Wall Beauty enthusiasts take note…. cosmetic physician Dr Jamuna Pai opened the doors to her new clinic in Bengaluru. Located in a swish space on Vittal Mallya Road, this new clinic also offers some quick competition to some of the city’s most well known cosmetic clinics, all headed by well renowned and popular city-based cosmetic dermatologists. Looks like the city’s swankiest road is now all set to be the new make-over-dom for beauty enthusiasts.

A Jumbo Boost For Team India Anil Kumble, our own homegrown bowling superstar, has taken over the reins as head coach for Team India. And the boys in the locker room seem to be thrilled with the wellrespected, seasoned player heading their coaching side. Many of the players took to social media to congratulate Jumbo on his new assignment, gushing over how they couldn't wait to get started with him at the helm.

Here’s to many more successful seasons under Kumble’s tutelage!

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BUZZ IN’

HYDERABAD

Out And About In Hyderabad Irrfan Khan was in the city to promote his upcoming film Madaari. And once his ‘offical’ part of the trip was done he took off on his own to explore the old city.

On his agenda for the day was a visit to the historic Charminar and exploring the food streets of the city.

Jiggling That Belly… And How!

Renowned belly dancer Meher Malik gave Hyderabad a taste of her moves when she hosted a workshop in the city recently. Judging by the crowds and enthusiastic participants, one can safely say that lovers of this unique art form enjoyed the rare treat of seeing a pro in action.

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HYDERABAD

Enjoying A New Tune Bengaluru’s hot favourite band Lagori was in the City of Nizams giving them a taste of Indian classical numbers deftly infused with a a heavy dose of rock.

Setting the stage alight at the Hard Rock Cafe in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad’s music lovers were seen enjoying Lagori’s groovy tunes.

The Return Of The Buggers True to their unique décor, this Bombay Irani café celebrated their milestone in the Nawabi city in a rather memorable manner – reminiscing about all things Bandra through Clement DeSyvlva’s book, Bandra Buggers.

A blogger, as well as the architect of every SodaBottleOpenerWala across the country, snippets of Clement DeSyvlva’s observations of his beloved city were narrated by the dramatic duo Vijay Marur and BS Prakash.

What A Ride!

Land Rover gave Hyderabad motor enthusiasts something to talk about when it held its annual off-roading event in the city recently. Car aficionados took to the wheel of the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque vehicles and enjoyed taming the rough terrains.

JULY 2016 RITZ

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RSVP

BENGALURU A Stylish Un-Furla-ing Once again UB City was agog with enthusiastic shoppers as Furla launched their first store in the city at this high-end destination. Dia Bhandary, who hosted the event for the brand, brought in her group of friends and invitees, many of whom were seen leaving the morning launch party with several shopping bags in tow. Furla offered all of their guests a flat 15 percent discount for the day and many took advantage of the offer and added to their already brimming wardrobes.

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RSVP

HYDERABAD High On Life And Style Two icons from Bengaluru descended on Hyderabad to give the city a taste of the high life. Noted designer Paresh Lamba showcased his collection at an exclusive evening hosted by real estate moghul Jitu Virwani’s Embassy Group to showcase their new residential project in the city. Lamba’s stunning designs were worn by many, along with designer Shilpa Reddy who looked stunning in a black tux. Union Cabinet Minister Pallam Raju and actor Sumanth Akkineni were among many other high profile guests present at the event.

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JULY 2016 RITZ

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THIS MONTH WE LOVE

Where Every Split Second Counts

The Olympic Games is a world phenomenon, attracting competitors from more than 200 nations. We are counting down the day, hours, minutes and seconds to Rio 2016, the first Olympic Games in Latin America. For the 27th time since 1932, Omega will be on hand to time every event.

To celebrate this long association Omega has launched three limited edition watches celebrating the spirit of the Rings and Rio.

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SEAMASTER DIVER 300M “RIO 2016” LIMITED EDITION Inspired by this dynamic spirit, Omega has created the Seamaster Diver 300M “Rio 2016” Limited Edition. The timepiece is a combination of watchmaking expertise and unique craftsmanship. Beginning on the city’s famous beaches, Omega has taken the wave pattern from the mosaic design on Copacabana’s sidewalks and used it as inspiration for a similar style on the watch’s lacquered black dial. The uni-directional rotating diving bezel is also black, this time made from black polished ceramic. However, what truly sets this feature apart is the lacquered numbers in red, green, yellow and blue. These represent the exuberance of Rio as well as the five colours of the famous Olympic rings.

SEAMASTER BULLHEAD "RIO 2016" LIMITED EDITION At first sight, it is instantly recognisable for its individual style and design. The blue leather strap links directly to the Rio 2016™ logo, and features subtle stitching along each side, coloured yellow, green, red and black to represent the iconic Olympic rings. This colour theme is continued on the rotating inner-bezel, serving as a meaningful reminder of the unity and harmony that the Olympic rings signify.

The case itself has a true link to history and sport. This particular style was first released in 1969, and was used by rally drivers to time their laps. It's highly appropriate then, that the spirit of speed has now evolved to exemplify Omega's continuing association as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games.

SPEEDMASTER MARK II “RIO 2016” Inspired by the 1969 model of the original Omega Speedmaster Mark II, the polished and brushed stainless steel case is barrelshaped and has a polished crown and pushers. Beneath a flat scratch-resistant sapphire crystal is a matt black dial featuring a 30-minute recorder at 3 o’clock, a 12-hour recorder at 6 o’clock and a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. The sub-dials are decorated with a bronze ring, 18K yellow gold ring and 925 silver ring respectively - a design that recalls the medals awarded to Olympic Games champions.

JULY 2016 RITZ

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COVER STORY

Presents

Giving

Fashion

A New Legacy

The name Beena Kannan has today become synonymous with brand Seematti Silks across Kerala and the other Southern states of India. Speak to anyone who knows their silks and they can vouch for the fact that the brand, headed by its dynamic 56-year-old leader, not only produces some of the most exclusives drapes, they’re also one of the very few brands in the country to work tirelessly with craftsmen making the art of weaving sarees more futuristic and contemporary, while insistently maintaining traditionalism and culture. Beena Kannan is a force to reckon with in the business circles of Kerala. She has single-handedly propelled brand Seematti from being a one shop wonder to today being one of the most successful and sought after silk houses in Kerala, UAE and USA. RITZ meets the high priestess of silks over a spectacular meal and traditional Malayalee hospitality at her beautiful home in Kochi.

Interview: Archana Shenoy

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KOCHI

Photography: Shafi Shakeer & Suneesh Suresh

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One look at her trim frame, her energetic demeanour and charm, and you would mistake Beena Kannan for someone in her early 40s. Her penchant for style, her attitude and manner set her apart from many other Malayalee women who still chose to dress and behave in more traditional ways.

Get to know her a little better and you realise that the 56-year-old proprietor and CEO of Seematti Silks is as traditional as they come, she’s just chosen to move with the time and embrace modernity in most aspects of her life and business, simply because its the need of the hour.

The sarees designed by her are traditional beauties with a modern twist - Kancheepuram silks in non-traditional colours, borders with contemporary motifs, newer design elements in sarees, yet all the time working tirelessly to preserve the heritage of hand-woven silks and dying crafts. Beena is the perfect amalgamation of her principals and ideals. She dresses modernly, but chooses to remain a traditionalist at heart. She encourages change, but opts to champion older customs and practices when it comes to weaving. She embraces growth, but knows that it is wiser to spread her wings only as far as she can fly.

“The brand Seematti was started by my forefathers (who were from Andhra) way back in 1910. My father popularised the business in Kottayam, Kerala, and when I took over in 2000 I realised that there was no need for me to plan rapid expansion across the South. India is rich with culture and silk sarees are not a novelty here. I chose to concentrate my growth and expansion plans to countries where there was minimal silk brand presence, and give my home market something that they would never find in any other store. I think the strategy has worked well for us and today a visit to Seematti Silks when you’re in Kochi or Kottayam has become a must-do activity,” explains the elegant lady as she shows off a stunning blue and pink Kancheepuram saree, which she is dressed in.

Beena married one of her first cousins Kannan and the couple had three children.

His untimely death about 15 years post their marriage was a shock for her, yet she opted to deal with the hand fate dealt her and three days post her husband’s death Beena was back working in the store. “People looked at me in a strange manner, I think they were mentally judging me. But work was my solace and being an only child to my father the

onus of carrying on with the family business was on my shoulders and I wanted to give it everything I had,” says Beena as she recalls one of the most difficult times in her life.

From being predominantly a saree shop, Seematti transformed the fashion dynamics of Kerala by introducing a ready made section for salwar kameez suits and a men’s section that stocked readymade shirts and pants. “There was never any concept of readymade garments in Kerala and it took people a while to adjust to the mindset that they did not have to depend on a tailor for their clothes. They could walk into the store and buy off the shelf,” Beena tells us.

Today, Seematti Silks is a fashion destination not only for exclusive sarees, but also for women’s western wear, men’s formal wear, party wear and children’s garments. “We

“My father always ensured that I was exposed to fashion from an early age. When most Malayalee girls were wearing skirts and blouses, I wore maxi dresses with tieback, palazzo pants and tops and other modern outfits”

have a showroom spread across several levels. You don't need to look outside our store for your fashion needs,” says the dynamic businesswoman. The crowds that throng the store on any given day are testament to the brand’s success in their hometown.

Seematti soon became a pioneer in everything related to fashion. “I realised that there was competition in the fashion industry and so I decided to start offering customers more. We constantly renovated our showrooms, there was a carpenter and painter on call 24X7 to take care of any changes I wanted made. We began fashion shows inside the store, just to keep customers engaged and involved in our JULY 2016 RITZ

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COVER STORY

THIS FEATURE IS PRESENTED BY

Beena Kannan opted to deal with the hand fate dealt her and three days after her husband’s death, she was back working in the store

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collections, there are contests that we run for models and budding designers where we get lakhs and lakhs of applicants from all over the world wanting to participate. There is so much more to the Seematti brand than just being a store,” explains Beena.

Despite having grown in a market that has remained tight-fisted in tradition and all things simple and ordinary, Beena chose to experiment and educate the market. “In Kerala people are very traditional in the way they think and dress. A bride does not want to try out an Indo-Western cocktail gown for her wedding reception. Older women do not want to experiment with colours. But I firmly believe that when you give people change in small doses, they gradually begin to accept it. The market is now opening up to newer fashion ideas and concepts and the younger

Her Fashion Legacy “My father always ensured that I was exposed to fashion from an early age. When most Malayalee girls were wearing skirts and blouses, I was brought to Commercial Street in Bengaluru to shop for my clothes.

I wore maxi dresses with tie-backs, palazzo pants and tops and other modern outfits. My mother used to watch movies and make her saree blouses according to what actresses wore on screen. We were probably the only Malayalees living in Kottayam who ate out of glass plates using cutlery. Even in those days my mother wore Kancheepuram contrast sarees and diamonds. This state did not understand diamonds in those days. It was always about gold for them. Living within a conservative society, my father ensured that we were more modern than the others around us.”

What Makes Her Tick “Travel is something that I love - I have four additional passports - I have travelled all over the world. That’s not to say there is nothing left to see for me. I thrive on travel, I learn so much each time I go to a new place.

For me travel is a perfect balance between relaxation and work because every new place sparks off a new idea in my head or a new design on my sketch pad.

I have learnt to maintain and respect my body seeing foreigners do so. I have three children and I wanted to remain trim and not look like the quintessential mom. Despite all the modernity, a deep sense of morality and culture have been ingrained in me, to a large extent by my father and then later by my husband.”

generation see novelty in being different.

I can proudly say that I have played a huge part in bringing about this change in Kerala.

That doesn’t mean to say I don't respect tradition. In fact I’m steeped in it,” she says.

Giving us an example of how she’s been wanting to get a tattoo done for the last year or so, Beena laughs at how she dragged her feet, giving herself numerous excuses each time the thought resurfaced. “Now I feel that tattoos have become extremely common everyone’s sporting one - so I’ve convinced myself that I should drop the idea. It’s the same with the local market here. Unless they’re forced to sit up and notice change they would rather choose to ignore it,” she tells us with a laugh.

Her Design Mission “Designing is my passion. I am a self-taught designer, and I realised that earning in the service industry was a hard task. One should not get carried away by the luxury you see around me. I’ve worked extremely hard to get where I am and it's taken me several years to do so. I actively work in revolutionising the design sensibilities of weavers, especially with respect to silk sarees. I can openly say that a lot of the revolutionary work being done with Kanchipuram silks and design is today happening under my tutelage. I have channelised my energies towards keeping change a constant as far as designing sarees is concerned.”

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Dressed in a black off-the-shoulder dress from Gucci, with shoes from Alexander McQueen, Dia Bhandary is a picture of elegance

HYDERABAD

Playing The Perfect Hostess

Call her the perfect hostess, a fashionista with an eye for all things beautiful, or the lady with the maximum numbers on her iPhone, Dia Bhandary ticks all those boxes and then some. She’s the hostess with the mostest and the petite beauty, originally from the Garden City, who now calls the City of Nizams her home, is also on every elite guest list.

RITZ catches up with the gorges fashionista.

Text: Archana Shenoy

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Photographs: Faheem Hussain

LOOK BOOK Dressed in a silvery grey dress from Sue Wong, Dia wears embellished heels from Roberto Cavalli, and accentuates the outfit with her own emerald and diamond jewellery

Circa 2008 when premium lifestyle brands made an entry into Bengaluru with designer stores opening up in the lavish UB City mall.

Brand heads were looking for someone who could bring the uber-rich spending strata of the city, those with a penchant for high fashion and luxury goods, to come to their launch party and get a taste of merchandise that was till then only available to them at stores abroad. Clients had to be among the best, the richest and the most sought after people in the city. And they wanted a person who knew them all and could ensure their presence at these events.

Dia Bhandary hails from one of the city’s oldest and most well-known families. Her parents, who have lived in Bengaluru for several decades, were a social couple and mingled with the who’s who of the city.

Dia and her sister Anisha grew up with the children of several of Bengaluru’s most wealthy and influential families and these connections have been maintained well over time. Dia’s warm and friendly personality has endeared her to many and her large circle of friends and well-wishers is always happy to attend an event when she issues an invitation.

She has hosted events and trunk shows for nearly every premium lifestyle brand available in the South - ranging from fashion brands like Paul Smith, Canali and Jimmy Choo to Judith Leiber and Bottega Veneta.

There are also lifestyle brand names like Roche Babois, Fendi, premium alcohol brands like Blue Label, Taliksker, Ciroc and others that have used her connections to better their reach in each city.

“Sometimes brands come to me for just an appropriate guest list, others want to plan a sales driven event, while some want to have their brand familiarised among the right crowd. Over the years and with experience I have understood how to curate the right guest list for each event,” explains Dia. Her own innate sense of fashion and etiquette have worked well in her favour to make her the first choice for anyone who wants to host a premium event in the South. “Outside of Bengaluru, which is my home and where I do the maximum number of events, I have curated events in Hyderabad (where I now live) and even in Chennai,” she tells us. Her

A casual red and black mesh dress from Proenza Schouler offsets Dia’s slender frame. Her black shoes from Roberto Cavalli accentuate the demure lines of the dress

contacts and connections spread all over the three major Southern states and Dia is often shuttling between Bengaluru and Hyderabad on work.

“I like to give each brand who approaches me the best, and hence I host no more than one event a month and plan every last detail,” she tells us. Though many might consider her job description to be pure fluff, it takes a meticulous mind and a strong

“Sometimes brands come to me for just an appropriate guest list, others want to plan a sales driven event, while some want to have their brand familiarised to the right crowd. Over the years and with experience I have understood how to curate the right guest list for each event”

set of organisational skills to ensure that everything is planned down to the last detail, the right guests are included on the list, invited personally and then reminded periodically of the event till its actual date.

“It's a lot of hard work to plan and put together each of these soirees,” Dia says.

“Not many think of it as a proper job, but look at the number of people now who do the same thing I do. Everyone needs the right crowd and the right setting for an event. I have the experience at planning and executing them to the last detail and I’m happy to offer my expertise to brands who need it.”

Make-up & Hair: Roshni Safir

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LOOK BOOK

BENGALURU

The Glam Four Elegant and sophisticated, these women make distinct style statements in maxi dresses, evening gowns, dhoti pants, and cape tops with a hint of accessories adding to their charm. RITZ captures four of Bengaluru's ultra-glamorous and successful ladies dressed in chic outfits from renowned designer Raj Shroff’s Ravage, and Rav+Attic, a monsoon edit collection of easy-to-wear, all-day outfits that are stylish, edgy and comfortable. Launched recently at Bombay Attic, one of the city’s hippest stores for designer wear, Rav+Attic is an exposition of sensibilities rooted in textile craft and art and a fine collaboration of Ravage + Bombay Attic, two individual personalities into one compilation.

Text: Priyanka Golikeri

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Sheetal Sharma The tall and slender fashion choreographer’s fashion statement depends on her mood. “I dress according to my mood.” If she’s happy and excited, she’d go a “little more colourful.” If she’s in a very ‘basic mood’, she’d wear something which is in her com-fort zone, without too much experimentation.

Sheetal prefers keeping her makeup ‘minimalistic’, with the classic, elegant look being her forte. She recommends that women should dress according to their mood, focus on working out and having a great body, and wearing the right kind of footwear, “as bad shoes can kill the look.”

Photography: Faheem Hussain

The beaded and textured printed inner tulle evening gown adds to Sheetal’s statuesque charm.

Location Courtesy: The Open Box Make Up & Hair: Jean Claude Biguine Salon, Lavelle Road, Bengaluru

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LOOK BOOK

Janaki Bahri This svelte lawyer loves to accessorise.

Studs, earrings, bracelets and neckpieces complete the glam look for her. Her personal accessory style during the day comprises studs, a watch and a cross-body bag “so my hands are free to manage my kids and work.” At night she likes glamming it up and could get funkier with body chains. Janaki is quite fond of her double-sided earrings by Esha Bagla and her evil-eye bracelets, has a penchant for ruffles, enjoys wearing off-shoulder outfits, be it tops or dresses and feels that hoop earrings make for a great match with offshoulder outfits, “though double-sided earrings come with greater ease.”

Janaki is seen looking ravishing wearing an off-shoulder ajrak maxi dress with bead-work.

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Shalini Manglani It’s the ‘understated’ look that Shalini swears by. Her wardrobe is filled with soothing tones such as cream, white, beige, grey, nude and pastel hues, leaving out the garish and gaudy colours. The elegant lady, a well-known nutritionist in the city, never likes “going over the top” as far as dressing and accessorising goes. It might perhaps be just one bright accessory or a ring or maybe bright nails, with the rest of her look almost always being subdued.

Though she’s experimented a bit of late, borrowing her daughter’s bright orange and red lipsticks, it’s the lighter tones like pink that Shalini is mostly seen in.

Shalini looks chic in a 3D-floral embroidered cape in chiffon and pants.

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LOOK BOOK

Sarayu Hegde Sarayu’s style is ever-evolving, versatile and classic with a fusion of Indian designers with international brands. She is always ‘on trend’, but doesn’t “blindly follow trends.” The founder of Bombay Attic is a beautiful woman with a keen fashion sense, loves to mix and match the works of various designers, and since she is in the business of fashion, has the opportunity of discovering new talent in design almost on a daily basis.

Sarayu looks amazing in a tulle textured off-shoulder mul cape with pleated dhoti pants.

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The Best Stores and Brands ONE Destination

LOOK BOOK

CHENNAI

Presents

Hello

Sunshine

Madras‌ Chennai‌ the streets and towering buildings evoke feelings of love, memories and new friendships formed in the city that people call home. RITZ takes you on the first-ever 24-hour journey through the city with Him, a young man lost in the big city and Her, dreamt up, as they struggle to make Chennai their own.

Conceptualised by - Rebecca Vargese Styled by - Shravanti Rangaraj Models: Vignesh Shivasubramaniam and Amrutha Srinivasan Photographer: Sai Nikhileshwar Hair: Sam, Page 3 Luxury Salon, KnK Road, Nungabakkam Make-up: Chanchal, Page 3 Luxury Salon, KnK Road, Nungabakkam Location: Second Seaward Road, Thiruvanmiyur Clothes: Her - Bear Huggs, that1too.com Time: 7 am Living in the sunshine and swimming by the sea

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LOOK BOOK

Location: Second Seaward Road, Thiruvanmiyur Clothes: that1too.com Time: 8 am Sometimes you need to create your own sunshine Location: Ripon Building Clothes: Her - A&A Boutique, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 11 am There is beauty in triviality

Location: Beasant Nagar Beach Clothes: Twist & Wraps, that1too.com Time: 9 am Smell the sea, feel the sand. Let your soul and spirit fly

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Location: War Cemetery, Guindy Clothes: Her- Intish by Chintya, that1too.com Him- Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 1 pm She sees the beauty in his darkness

Location: Casuarina Drive Clothes: Her - Twist & Wraps Scarf Time: 10 am Go with the currents.

Drift away!

Location: Parry’s Corner Clothes: Her - A&A Boutique, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 12 noon Time passes by, direction unknown

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LOOK BOOK

Location: Spencer Plaza Clothes: Her - Red Oranges, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 7 pm Life gets going with a coffee

Location: Playground on Lloyds Road Clothes: Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 3 pm Learn to thrive, not just survive

Location: Marina Beach Clothes: Her - Twist & Wraps, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 4 pm Choose your thoughts, they define you

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Location: Eashwari Lending Library, Gopalapuram Clothes: Her - ANS, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 6 pm Between the pages of a book is a lovely place to be

Location: Napier Bridge Clothes: Her - Intish by Chintya, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 2 pm Some days life begins and ends with no lasting memories in between

Location: Annai Velankanni Church Clothes: Her - A&A boutique, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 5 pm There's a special quality to the loneliness of dusk

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LOOK BOOK Location: Vault Bar Stock Exchange Clothes: Her - ANS Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 8 pm Life may not be the party you hoped for

Location: Midnight Express, Alwarpet Clothes: Her - Red Oranges, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community , that1too.com Time: 11 pm You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food

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Location: Raheja Towers, Anna Salai Clothes: Her-Twist & Wraps, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 10 pm Lights will guide you home

Location: T. Nagar Clothes: Her - ANS Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 9 pm Not all those who wander are lost

Location: Chetpet Bridge Clothes: Her - Twist & Wraps, that1too.com Him – Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 12 am Without the dark we’d never see the stars

Location: Demonte Colony Clothes: Her - Red Oranges, that1too.com Shoes: Marl Schuz, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 1 am Street lights too have stories

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LOOK BOOK

Location: Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Koyambedu Clothes: Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 4 am Follow me and together we’ll fly!

Location: KFI Road, Beasant Nagar Clothes: Her - ANS, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time : 2 am Never miss a chance to dance Location: Sangeetha Restaurant, Porur Clothes: Her - Riddhi & Revika , that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 7 am A simple hello could lead to a million things

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Location: Kathipara Flyover Clothes: Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 5 am Suddenly you are my everything

Location: Anna Nagar Archway Clothes: Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 3 am Colour my life with the chaos of trouble

Location: St. Thomas Mount Clothes: Her - Twist & Wraps, that1too.com Him - Derby Jeans Community, that1too.com Time: 6 am And suddenly you are not!

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SPOTLIGHT

Achieving High Success The South is brimming with talented enterprising icons. RITZ catches up with Hemamalini Maiya, the petite lady at the helm of the 92-year-old brand MTR, Arjun Baljee with his newest ventures in the hospitality business, Ambi Subramaniam, the accomplished violinist who dons many hats and Aamir Sharma, one of the most well known interior designers in the country.

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Dishing Up Delicacies

SPOTLIGHT

BENGALURU

This petite woman is at the helm of an iconic 92-year old brand which every Bangalorean would have experienced at some point in life. Before she contemplates taking that brand to more cities in India and overseas, she first needs to clear a few roadblocks in her entrepreneurial pathway. Hemamalini Maiya, Managing Partner, Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR), tells RITZ about her journey at the landmark restaurant started by her grandfathers, which is today laden with as many challenges, as the opportunities that exist.

Text: Priyanka Golikeri JULY 2016 RITZ

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Hema coaxes everyone around her to try the crisp masala dosa, the melt-in-mouth kesari bhath and the spongy rava idlis that MTR has been churning out for decades. “If you don’t want to eat, you must at least have our filter coffee,” she says pointing to a cup of the steaming frothy brew made from coffee beans that are freshly roasted and ground each day.

“We recently introduced ragi dosa, rava dosa and podi dosa. The podi dosa was in fact invented in our Singapore outlet and then introduced in Bengaluru.” Singapore marks a paradigm shift in the mental makeup of a restaurant which for 80 years operated through its one landmark outlet near Lalbagh in Bengaluru.

Hema’s father Harishchandra Maiya, who ran the restaurant steadfastly after taking over from his uncle and one of MTR’s founders Yagnanarayana Maiya was “anti-expansion.’’ “Dad was not ambitious and he wasn’t sure if his children would be interested in running the place after him. He had great offers to expand, but he rejected all of them.”

After stepping into MTR post her father’s death in 1999, Hema knew that expansion was the key. Bengaluru was evolving and expanding at a rapid pace, and like the city, MTR had to expand, in order to sustain and thrive. “But I took time to expand,” she reveals, pointing out that the second MTR opened only in 2004, at a nondescript place in Rajajinagar that was originally meant for a saree store. Though that outlet closed two years ago, the experience was highly rewarding. “We realised that in a different place, the water and air is different and that affects the taste of the food. It was a great learning experience but we decided to close down due to the challenges.”

Hema has been instrumental in opening 8 more MRT outlets across Bangalore, and one in Udupi. The brand was taken abroad courtesy a family friend who lent support and felt MTR had huge potential in places with a strong Indian community. Singapore happened in 2014, followed by Dubai and then Muscat in 2016.

Unlike the outlets in Bengaluru and Udupi that are wholly owned and operated by Hema and her brothers Vikram and Arvind, the ones abroad are run via franchisees.

But running multiple outlets in a market fraught with risks is certainly a Herculean task.

Walking On A Tightrope Restaurants are price-sensitive. Despite prices of raw materials hitting the rooftop, even an increase by 5 rupees in the menu can create a bunch of disgruntled customers.

“Margins are low, around 10%. It’s a volatile market,” says Hema.

Another challenge pertains to the cooks.

MTR has traditionally taken newcomers with a keen interest in food, and then trained them to become cooks. Finding such youngsters nowadays is tough. And the ‘cook’ saga has slowed down MTR’s expansion plans. As have visa issues (for expansion overseas). To ensure authenticity and traditional flavours of the food are retained, the company stations at least

“Dad was not ambitious and he wasn’t sure if his children would be interested in running the place after him. He had great offers to expand, but he rejected all of

Maiyas, the restaurant brand started by her uncle Sadananda Maiya mirror MTR’s staples in taste. Quiz her and she says the food at the two brands might be a bit similar, but the experience is different. She is firm that unlike counterparts, MTR will never venture into North Indian and other cuisines. “Our forte is food from Karnataka and South Canara and we will stick to that. If it works, it works.”

But there must be something that MTR is working on to appeal more to newcomers, isn’t it? Especially since they opened in newer parts of Bengaluru like Whitefield and Kanakapura Road?

“Our Lalbagh restaurant is the main connect.

We have storyboards in the new restaurants that chronicle our journey from 1924 to present, giving a fair idea of our heritage.

We also give hand-outs, but it’s mainly word-of-mouth that has worked with us.”

However in Singapore and the Gulf, there have been attempts at promoting MTR in expat clubs and by sponsoring events involving the Indian diaspora. But none of the newer restaurants can beat the footfalls and aura associated with the Lalbagh outlet, says Hema, which witness over 2,500 people walking in on any weekday and over double that number during weekends.

A Toughie Irrespective of the challenges, the chirpy them” lady remains unfazed. She has encountered a lot since taking over the venture 17 years ago as a 28 year old. Being the first woman from her family to get involved with MTR in any capacity, she had to prove herself again and again. “Everyone had zero expectations from me when I took over after dad passed two experienced cooks from Karnataka away. He did guide me earlier and had told to overseas locations. The launch of MTR me to try and sustain it,” says this engineer, London has been postponed thanks to issues recalling the time when she first walked related to immigration. into MTR and was followed by hawk Thirdly, the changing socio-cultural eyed employees and old-time customers. dynamics of Bengaluru also have a role “Handling old-timers was a daunting task to play. The city today has people from all as they had seen me as a baby and were over calling it home, many who might not now seeing me in an entirely different necessarily know of MTR and its legacy. To role.” She had to fix everything from the have a rava idli or a dosa, a newcomer might finances, human resources, to the kitchen walk into any darshini that dots his lane, and deal with inflated egos, union issues and many that even serve Chinese and North restaurant politics.

Indian specialities with equal aplomb. Isn’t “I learnt to be firm and gradually people the market highly competitive? “Competition realised that I am here to stay. I have has always been there,” says Hema. received a lot of advice and guidance Even from Maiyas? Foodies say dishes at from well-wishers and also from my uncle JULY 2016 RITZ

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SPOTLIGHT

Photographs: Faheem Hussain

Sadananda Maiya,” she says fondly.

Today, Arvind handles labour issues, while her other brother Vikram handles operations. Apart from shepherding the venture, Hema is closely involved with finance and accounts at MTR. “If not a restaurateur, I would have been a fitness trainer as my passion for food goes handin-hand with my love for gymming,”says Hema.

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The Future The lady is optimistic on the opportunities that exist and her plans ahead. India as a market for the restaurant business is thriving. The food services industry in the country is slated to reach $78 billion by 2018, say estimates by Technopak and the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI).

Hema wants to take MTR to New Delhi and Mumbai, “but we first need to source our cooks,” she says. Internationally, she feels the Middle East (Qatar and UAE) and South East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines) appear attractive for opening restaurants. Even Europe is great, yet to be tapped as far as South Indian food goes, says Hema. MTR could look at all these geographies in the near future, as well as destinations such as Australia and the USA. “We will expand at a steady pace once we overcome hurdles pertaining to cooks and visas.

We are keen on all these countries.”

She is also open towards a ‘fine dine format’, and for positioning the bakeries that exist within the restaurants as standalone outlets. But patrons and foodies won’t see MTR at airports or malls due to the high rentals and operational hassles. “Though we have a restaurant at the Forum Value Mall in Bengaluru, a mall is not really viable for our kind of business. Hence we will stick with standalone restaurants,” says Hema.

SPOTLIGHT BENGALURU

More Room Space “The term ‘budget hotel’ is today a misnomer,” states Arjun Baljee, dynamic son of Royal Orchid Hotels Founder, Chender Baljee, who steered away from his father’s luxury hotel chain to start a brand of ‘budget, boutique’ hotels that were high on design. Arjun is today branching out again, with another new hotel brand, a food app and a travel app, amongst others.

Over a chat with RITZ, he unfurls the multiple disruptive plans that he has for the hospitality industry.

Text: Priyanka Golikeri JULY 2016 RITZ

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The year was 2011 when Arjun’s first ‘budget, boutique, design’ hotel had come up in Gurgaon under the Peppermint brand. He had left the Royal Orchid group after having worked for over six years under the leadership and guidance of his father, a bold move which not many business heirs ever make. He had recognised the potential for budget hotels that appealed to the young, were priced reasonably and were designcentric. Consumers were looking for great value at a decent price and there weren’t too many brands then, giving Peppermint an upper hand in the game.

But as they say, change in the only constant. Within just a few years’ time, the market is now brimming with ‘budget’ brands such as Ginger, Red Fox, Ibis, Premier Inn and Formula 1. And aggregators and online rental platforms like Airbnb are luring vacationers with accommodations at highly discounted pricing. Always up for a challenge, Arjun has once again decided to do something ‘disruptive’. “Hotel rooms are today given at insanely low rates. It’s tough to compete, especially when you are up against something which is almost free,” says Arjun, who is now focused on creating an entirely new brand of 3-star, value-priced, cool-tech hotels through an association with Dubai-based United World Infrastructure (UWI).

This project will involve leasing existing hotels from property owners and investing in upgrading them, giving them a new brand identity and making them technology-heavy. Arjun calls it the ‘mobile-first, tech-first approach’ that will provide a millennial edge to the hotels. “There will be wi-fi everywhere and the cell phone will be the key to enter a room or order room service. Of course hospitality is all about the service and we will leverage technology as a tool to enable the best service.” This project, which will have investment coming in from UWI, will see Arjun starting off with 12 hotels this year, first from his home turf Bengaluru, and then expanding to other cities like Goa, Chennai, Delhi, Kerala. He is confident that there are multiple hotel owners who are keen to lease their properties, as running a

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hotel is a tough task. “Finding people to occupy each room each day across each location is a daunting task. We have the experience in running hotels and we have solid investors in UWI. This new brand will mark a new beginning,” says the suave man who has worked at leading hospitality brands in Dubai and Singapore, and credits his father for inspiring and teaching him a lot.

He also has on hand a project with UKbased Bespoke Hotels, through which

“You can use the same app (and website) whether you’re holidaying in India or anywhere else in the world to access quality accommodation, food, cab services, etc. It’s one app, one world, one click”

around 70 hotels in the 4-star category will be put on the Bespoke platform, giving them unique representation in the international market and thereby providing the owners with a significant uptake in revenues. Arjun says that through this model “we will manage and market the hotels and they will follow certain standards of Bespoke.”

Amidst a flurry of activities with these two projects, Arjun eagerly awaits the launch of Stayology, an online travel

marketplace that will list out options for (alternative) accommodation (like resorts, service apartments, B&Bs), restaurants, cab services, laundry service, travel experiences and activities, and everything which vacationers would require while on a holiday.

Stayology already has listings in over 16,000 cities across 100+ countries that are all transactionable through the app. The focus is on aggregating the hyper-local aggregator globally. “You can use the same app (and website) whether you’re holidaying in India or anywhere else in the world to access quality accommodation, food, cab services, etc. It’s one app, one world, one click,” explains Arjun, who is equally keen on the re-launch of his food app, Pataka, which is focused on delivering North Indian comfort food. “We had launched Pataka sometime earlier but faced delivery issues. Once that is addressed we will start off again, first from Bengaluru and then other cities.”

A food app is apt for the foodie who has tried “every cuisine in the world.”

He chuckles that in China he has eaten everything that “walks, crawls or flies.” And in Nairobi at the Carnivore restaurant, he has chomped on crocodile and impala meat. Haven’t these unique food experiences ever ignited the idea of starting his own restaurant brand some day? He laughs!

As Arjun keeps laying out one business plan after another, the thought occurs as to what’s up with his Peppermint brand of budget hotels. That was one of his first entrepreneurial forays and at last count there were 6 Peppermint hotels.

He now wants to expand the portfolio under Peppermint by getting into service apartments, residences, resorts and hotels in the 3-star and 4-star categories; and by venturing overseas in markets like Dubai, Singapore and Colombo eventually. “We don’t want to do budget at all under Peppermint as there are enough ‘budget’ hotels both here and abroad.”

This brings us back to the scenario where the term ‘budget’ has transitioned dramatically, challenging hoteliers like Arjun to be radical and march into allied segments.

Photographs: Faheem Hussain

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Photographs: Faheem Hussain

SPOTLIGHT

BENGALURU

On A High Note He’s a young lad who wears many hats. An accomplished violinist, a pianist, a composer, a student, a teacher, co-founder of a music band, a cricket buff and an MBA who is currently pursuing a PhD. And he is not yet 25! Meet Ambi Subramaniam, a rising prodigy in the music circuit in India and overseas.

Chatting with RITZ, he lays out his plans for the year, his upcoming solo album, his dreams and what it is like to have parents and gurus like violin virtuoso Dr. L Subramaniam and singing sensation Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Text: Priyanka Golikeri

At first glance, Ambi Subramaniam appears like any other happy-go-lucky youngster who is juggling between work, study and friends. But beyond that boyish smile is a young man who has travelled all over the globe impressing audiences with his performances.

The year 2016 has already begun on a high note for Ambi, who performed in Europe with sister Bindu and in the US with his parents. He is now focused on recording a solo album, a pure classical one that aims to create melodious music through his violin and with a mridangam and a morsing (a wind percussion instrument).

Revealing a bit about this yet-to-be-named album, he says he has tried exploring traditional Carnatic ragas like Saramati and Malavi. This will be Ambi’s second solo album, the first, Indian Violin, having released a few years ago. “I’m quite excited about recording this one. It should be released in some months,” he says, adding in the same breath that SubraMania, the band he started with Bindu is also keeping him equally occupied.

Experimenting with different genres of music, the band has written songs in Hungarian gypsy style, Western classical and Spanish styles, taken Carnatic ragas and even tried arranging it differently. Days

Carnatic and Western classical violin. How do they synchronise and blend the two “Post a performance, styles to create magic? “It took a bit of time initially. It’s not like there is a jazz piece I’d feel I made say 5 where I come and try to fit in, or a Carnatic mistakes. But appa piece where Bindu tries to find a fit. When you start playing more and bounce off ideas, will point out 100 you reach a middle ground. We’ve also performed with different artistes and that more. That’s actually opens up your mind, teaching you to listen good since it helps me carefully to other performers.”

The ‘different artistes’ include luminaries improvise” such as Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Dr. L Subramaniam, with whom Ambi has had the privilege of performing.

What’s it like for the boy who had his first encounter with the violin at age 3 and gave his first public violin performance at 7, to have shared stage with some of the in the Sun, the recently-released music biggest names in the contemporary musical video from SubraMania shot at the ruins of pantheon? “The learning is tremendous Hampi was one great learning experience as these great musicians have a wealth of for Ambi. “Bindu and I were involved in experience. Attention to detail and their every aspect of that video. Right from the focus on the basics is something I’ve caught storyboard, the shooting to post-production. on.’’

We’re now working on more releases.” The Having been on the dais ever since he was a band is a perfect blend of both their styles little boy, Ambi has no stage fear today. But and was formed “to have fun”, he says with if Dr. Subramaniam is in the audience, he a wink. While Bindu is a singer/songwriter gets conscious. “Post a performance, I’d feel who loves jazz and pop music, Ambi plays I made say 5 mistakes. But appa will point JULY 2016 RITZ

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out 100 more. That’s actually good since it helps me improvise.” Both his parents are analytical in the way they approach music, and Ambi has received a whole dose of healthy feedback from them.

“The greatest thing they have taught me is to break down a performance.”

And the learnings and feedback from his appa and amma go a long way in his new role as a teacher at the Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa – an institute started by his parents), where he teaches music to kids in a fun and engaging way. “As a teacher you learn to analyse the strengths of each student and the approach that would work best for them. I’m still learning from appa and I’m teaching. So I get to see how someone like appa would teach and that trickles down immediately, as the next day I would be teaching,” says the lad who dreams of performing at the Sydney Opera House one day. “The greatest platform I’ve ever had is at the Chicago World Music Festival. The ambience there really inspires you to do better and better.” Ambi is also a trained pianist, but uses the instrument mainly for composing.

Hailing from this prestigious family has meant giving equal importance to academics alongside polishing his expertise in music. Dr. L Subramaniam is a doctor from the Madras Medical College, Bindu holds a Master’s in law, while his brother Narayana is training to be a surgeon. Ambi, who is an MBA (finance), is now aiming for a PhD in music, on the violin techniques of the world. “There are many violin styles and techniques and there can be a lot of sharing. c. The idea is to create one overall technique by which you can play any style of music across the world.”

Like every second kid in India, Ambi too is fond of cricket. “Virat Kohli is my favourite.” But with his doctorate, SaPa, world performances, solo album and SubraMania, there isn’t much time for the sport.

Being enveloped by music ever since he was born, it’s near impossible for Ambi to even perceive of a career in another domain. If by chance, he wasn’t a musician, what would he have chosen?

“Cricket or mathematics,” he replies. He is extremely fond of both. Egg him on

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“There are gypsy where we could see him say 5 years techniques that can be from now. “I’ve no idea. Honestly.” incorporated into Carnatic So what’s his one dream? “To be the greatest violinist I can be.” Does music, and then there are that mean being the best in the Carnatic techniques that world? “I won’t say that as in my opinion, there is no such concept can be incorporated into as No.1. How can you compare the Irish music”

greatest Indian violinist with the greatest gypsy or Western classical violinist? But I want to be the master of my instrument.”

SPOTLIGHT

HYDERABAD

Photographs: Santosh Kumar

Giving Life To His Artistic Vision

From being struggling designers in 1999 to being one sought after names in the interior design industry, Aamir Sharma and his wife Hameeda, of Aamir and Hameed Interior Designers & Contractors, are not only super well-known in Hyderabad, they’re also one of the most famous couples in interior design circles. Their projects range from homes from the super-rich to lavish restaurants and bars and luxurious apartments. RITZ catches up with the ultra chic couple at their premium office space.

Text: Archana Shenoy JULY 2016 RITZ

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Give him a sketch pad and some pens, am empty space to visualise and he can put together a fabulous design in a few hours.

Aamir Sharma, one of the most sought after interior designers from the country today, prefers using old school techniques to pen down his thoughts. Yet he manages to bag some of the country’s most coveted projects, having designed for the likes of Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, Tollywood actor Allu Arjun, some of the biggest real estate groups, most popular restaurants and the uber rich of Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai.

“I firmly believe that a good designer should always be able to pen down his thoughts,” says the stylish 40-something-interior designer. Unlike the ladies (many of who are his predecessors and who he respects immensely) Aamir is not one to be satisfied by adding fluffy touches to the interiors or a home. “That’s the job of a decorator,” he states. “Give me an empty space, an idea of what you want and the freedom to express myself in how I perceive your needs and I can come up with magic,” he tells.

The list of awards and accolades to his name is endless. Beginning in 2007, the duo have bagged nearly every design award possible. Ranging from the IIID National and Regional Awards (multiple number of years), to the Society Interior Award and Elle Decor Award, the icing on the cake has been being featured by Forbes in their list of top 7 interior designers and architects to look out for. “The awards are a great acknowledgement of our work, and I’m grateful for them. But they’re not what I am after,” says the designer.

Aamir and Hameeda Interior Designers and Contractors, much better known as AANDH, are pioneers in the city of Hyderabad to introduce the concept of high end and contemporary designs around a decade ago to the city that was steeped in traditional Nawabi culture and design aesthetic. The phrase “Out of the Box” is completely justified with the kind of out results they firm delivers. “We have created such a huge palette of designs - no one project of ours is similar to the other - that sometimes I am amazed at what we have done,” he explains.

Quick 5 With Aamir Sharma Favourite colour: Black Favourite material: Wood Favourite space: Penthouse Favourite attire: Worn out jeans and a shirt Favourite hangout: The balcony of his home with a view overlooking the Golconda Fort

“The most outlandish would be a 10,000 sq ft apartment in Dubai, where I really had to go over the top as the client wanted the space to be done entirely in white.

I personally don't like white as a colour, but I took it on as a challenge and the end-result, if I may say so myself, was quite spectacular”

The designer duo’s own home is being featured in a coveted interior design magazine and Aamir feels that it is one of his best projects. “I would say residential projects are my forte, though I have designed more than 47 restaurants and bars in Hyderabad alone in the last eight years,” he tells, the pride of his achievements shining through his voice. N Grill in Hyderabad, Prost in Bengaluru, a boutique called Floor Deck in Hyderabad, actor Suniel Shetty’s boutique called More Mischief, Allu Arjun’s farm house, these are all some of his most talked-of projects.

“However, the most outlandish would be a 10,000 sq ft apartment in Dubai, where I really had to go over the top as the client wanted the space to be done entirely in white. I personally don't like white as a colour, but I took it on as a challenge and the end-result, if I may say so myself, was quite spectacular. I used bright pops of colour to balance out the white and the result was astonishing,” recalls Aamir.

From his days of struggle two decades ago to completing at least 3 projects a month now, Aamir Sharma and his wife Hameeda have come a long way. “All I ask for is a free hand to create,” tells Aamir. “I can then keep other factors in mind and give you the best possible design for your space.” And judging by the number of projects he and his team are working on, his claim is completely justified.

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AXYZ Ventures: Accessing Success through Unconventional Routes Having a multifaceted approach in providing services right from the inception to the completion of a project improves quality and performance. And this contributes to the success of AXYZ Ventures. Celebrating their foray into the international market, the people behind AXYZ Ventures, the young and energetic couple Renjith Thaliyadath and Dhanalakshmi Renjith sat down with the RITZ team to share their ideas, views and thoughts on the processes, projects, and the importance and relevance of project management consultancy under a single roof Text: Smitha Kamal

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What makes AXYZ Ventures different from the rest of the Project Management Consultants?

The answer to that question is pretty obvious from our profile and our clientele list. We give precise focus to each and every aspect of the operational procedure.

Everyone knows as the number of projects goes up, the amount of individual attention given to each project goes down. But ours is a different story. This doesn’t happen here. Each project is given ample amount of attention and dedication thanks to our brilliant network of consultancies. Take our Education City Project at Puthoor, for instance. A 22 lakh sq ft project on a 65-acre piece of land

comprising of colleges and educational institutions. The man force requirement as you can guess is going to be high.

Instead of hiring, we outsource the work to a consultancy service to ensure quality service.

How does AXYZ define a successful project?

You know, as a project management consultancy, we provide integrated and comprehensive consulting services for all kinds of real estate projects from individual villas to luxurious residential complexes and commercial buildings. This involves design management, construction management, financial and risk managements, quality management, project monitoring and much more. Our market research and feasibility analysis help us derive certain facts, figures and data at the beginning of the project. Success is when there is hardly a 0.01%

difference in the actual results we get after completion of the project and the figures we had previously calculated.

What are the ingredients of an outstanding project?

That depends entirely on the type of the project. I personally cannot say that so and so colour is the best colour, so and so design is the best. Each project has an essence on uniqueness within itself. It depends on the location, the topography, the landscape, the climate, and even the economic and cultural background. Let us take Kochi, for an example. A project at Vytilla will be totally different from the one at MG Road. And when you look at the bigger picture, South India as a whole, the difference is even more prominent. We have the mountainous areas, coastal areas, and backwater areas, so we create something that blends in harmony with its surroundings rather than sticking on to a signature style.

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“Each project has an essence of uniqueness within itself. It depends on the location, the topography, the landscape, the climate, and even the economic and cultural background�

About the commercial project for Syama Dynamic?

Well this is a 4000 square metre commercial space at Vytilla, popularly known as the building that resembles a ship. One of the challenges, we faced was that the width of the plot that faced the road was narrow. Had we designed something usual and conventional, the result would have been an odd, narrow faced building. However, the Chairman of Syama Dynamics was supportive and motivated us to use our creativity and skills to the fullest. We tackled this problem by giving the narrow face a curved profile that resembles the bow of a ship. Instead of

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going with the usual designs where each storey seems apparent, we designed it in such a way that it appears as if it were a single solid piece of mass. This unique approach gave the building an elegant contrast from the rest of its surroundings.

What were the challenges you faced during the initial days of AXYZ and how did you overcome them?

Though our way of operation as a project management consultant is the standardised method of executing a project, convincing this to a client was initially difficult. As far as the client is concerned, the idea of a total project management consultancy under

a single roof is slightly different from the usual procedure that is prevalent here.

But as the project progresses, the client becomes convinced of the advantages our operational procedure offers on a periodic level. One can notice the significant benefits we offer not just at the end of a project, but during the execution of each segment of the project.

As a project management consultancy, how does AXYZ balance creativity with functionality and financial constraints?

This is exactly where the philosophy of AXYZ becomes relevant. As a Project Management Consultancy we offer a total

Photographs: Suneesh Suresh package of solutions. Right from market studies to the execution management of the project under a single roof, we can ensure that every aspect of the construction project is taken into consideration in a seamless manner. I remember during my early days, of practise it was very difficult to sync every element of the processes in a balanced and flawless manner. AXYZ provides a solution to that problem.

Now talking about balancing the designs with function and finance, I can assure you that every single piece of design, every profile has a function. No design is created just for the sake of solely creating something attractive. Take the Syama

information systems, management strategies and financial flow systems. The system keeps getting better and better each day and we learn something new every day.

Had we had these technologies and systems in the past we could have done these projects even better. It is like how everyone says; if they had a mobile phone 20 years ago communication would have been easier.

Similarly had we had access to the recently developed technologies during the initial days, the results would have been even more magnificent.

How did you assemble each and every unit of AXYZ? A project management consultancy providing total solutions is born when a proper system of execution is carried out in a hierarchical networking pattern. There are separate sections for construction, architecture, auditing, financial management, and feasibility analysis.

The communication within these groups and between the groups is integrated in a seamless and systematic way. We have a system where there is a proper sync between the office and site activities.

Of course, this system was not achieved in a day or two. We took small yet steady steps each day, yet we never failed to evolve and keep ourselves updated with the latest market trends. And here we are.

How has your family contributed to your success?

My father has inspired and supported me a Dynamics’ commercial building for instance. lot. He is also in the construction industry The elevation that resembles a ship is (RASHBA), and thanks to him I became well created to give a wide and spacious feel acquainted with the construction industry to its narrow front view. The structural from childhood. He was the one who taught cladding in the east pre-vents the building me that millimetre was a gigantic unit as far from getting heated up. The green space precision and accuracy were concerned. is just provided not only to please the eyes According to him even a single millimetre but also to make building environmentcan make a difference in any structure, say, friendly. for instance, plastering. He would also state that no matter how insignificant it seems, If you could go back in time, to redo some an error is an error. He inculcated a sense operation at AXYZ what would have it of perfectionism and it has helped me to been? deliver flawless results to our clients. My You see this is a field that keeps evolving at wife Dhanalakshmi has been with me right a very fast pace. Each and every day there is from the inception of AXYZ and she has something new coming in – new technology, supported me through thick and thin.

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Happily Everafter!

Madonna Sebastian made her debut in the Malayalam blockbuster film ‘Premam’ with Nivin Pauly in the lead. The movie that stole the hearts of the Malayali audience, shot her to fame and her next project, ‘King Liar’ opposite Dileep fortified her destiny. Her entry into Kollywood with the movie, ‘Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum’ and now, Tollywood, with the Telugu remake of ‘Premam’, has catapulted her status to a starlet with a promising future in the south. RITZ catches up with her during the launch of her band, ‘Everafter’ at Radisson Blu in Kochi.

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Congratulations on the launch of your music band, ‘Everafter’. Were you always passionate about music?

Yes, I would say that I had a musical upbringing as my parents were very passionate about music. I was a very shy kid and my parents would coax me to get on stage. Although I was nervous, they always encouraged me to do shows and as I grew up, my orientation gradually changed. Now, music has become one of my strongest passions. I have trained in Carnatic and Western Music. Subramaniam Sir, son of Mavelikkara Ponnama was my guru and he has been a huge influence on me.

How did you get into music professionally?

Well, I used to perform from the time I was in school. I hosted a couple of shows on TV and then worked with Roby Abraham for the Malayalam movie, ‘You too Brutus!’ after which we did the show, Music Mojo. Later, I got a chance to work with Gopi Sundar, Deepak Dev, Sejo John and Suraj. In fact, Alphonse Puthren saw me on television and that’s how he got in touch with me for ‘Premam’. I never really thought of acting as a profession. The ‘Premam’ team was so impressive that I didn’t need to think twice. I auditioned and got the role!

Premam was your first movie.

How did it happen and how has life changed after the epic success of the film?

Life changed right after ‘Premam’ got good reviews. ‘King Liar’ with Dileep, my next Malayalam movie also won good reviews and people are recognising me now. My entry into the movie industry has helped my singing career too. I think people recognise me and are more open to giving me opportunities.

Do you prefer playback singing to acting?

I enjoy doing both. I don’t think I can give up either of them. Like I said, films have absolutely helped me in my singing career.

I am hoping to do more roles and grow as an actor and do quality work.

Tell us about the band.

It was a dream for each one of us in the ‘Everafter’ team to form a band. We have known each other for a year or two but it’s only now that it all fell into place. We love the chemistry we share. Our music has been inspired by bands like Coldplay, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. We have been practising for almost a year and now we are ready to go live!

Your Tamil movie, Kadhalum Kadhandu Pogum, was a hit. How different is Kollywood? Are you comfortable with the language?

Yes, I understand Tamil but am not really fluent in speaking the language. Maybe

with a couple of movies, I will learn it. Be it Mollywood or Kollywood, every director’s camp is different so I can’t really speak of the difference it terms of industry. But yes, the way each camp works is different.

How do you choose your projects? What preparations do you undertake before taking up a role?

While choosing a project, I feel the director of the movie is the most important factor.

I believe that directors like Mani Ratnam or for that matter, Alphonse Puthren or Anwar Rasheed can really tap into the ‘actor’ in you. They know what exactly they want from the actor and explain every little detail. That makes it much easier for us as actors and also makes it a great learning experience.

What kind of homework do you do before starting your shoot?

The first thing is to sit down with the director and discuss at length about every detail of the character, physical and psychological. I also watch multiple movies that have roles similar to what I am to portray.

Your biggest fear while facing the camera?

My biggest fear would be not being able to deliver up to my director’s expectations! I need the director to be happy and satisfied with my performance.

Quick 5 with Madonna Sebastian Hobbies: I love swimming, watching movies and traveling.

Favourite Dish: Kerala meals any time – Rice with Moru curry, fried fish or better still fried beef (yum!)

Favourites Band: Coldplay Favourites Holiday destination – Manali Favourites Ensemble: Semi formals – Jeans and top

Are you keen on modelling?

No, not at all. I have trained under Dalu, fashion choreographer and director to learn the right body language for modelling but am not really keen on taking it as a profession.

What are your upcoming projects?

I am doing the role of ‘Celine’ again in the Telugu version of Premam. I am also doing a Tamil movie with Director K V Anand.

Who is your inspiration?

I grew up watching Hollywood movies as my dad is a big fan of Hollywood films and so I would say a lot of Hollywood actors inspire me. In terms of music, Celine Dion and Shakira have been my all-time favourites. I am a big fan of Rahman Sir. JULY 2016 RITZ

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Creating Sweet Visual Treats Anna Mathew Vadayatt, from Kanjirapally, Kottayam is a post graduate in Fine Arts from Stella Maris College, Chennai. She is an artist, a sculptor, a loving wife, a doting mom and above all, a leading pioneer of edible sugar caricatures in Kochi! Her impeccable creations have travelled from Kochi to as far as the United Kingdom. Winner of multiple international awards like the Pretty Witty Cakes award 2014, Cake International Birmingham Award 2015 and also a finalist to the Cake Oscars 2015, Anna has many laurels to her credit. Her client list is studded with celebrities who are fans of her signature style in sugar craft. Read on as Anna takes time out to share her success story with RITZ. Text: Riya Sonny Datson How did ‘Cake Canvas’ happen?

Cake Canvas – happiness in a box, was born off a deep passion for art and fantastic cakes.

My friends wanted a cake which combines art and taste. They had to prod me a little to start me off though. It’s been four years since I made the first ever Cake Canvas designer cake, Veda’s Farm for my friend’s daughter.

What do you love most about your craft?

Every artist needs to find the one outlet which helps them channelize their creative energy. I tried several mediums before ending up in the right path. This helps me to be the artist I was destined to be. More than anything, it is the instant feedback which lures me time and again into this field. Truly, the box does bring happiness to the ones who receive it.

What are the challenges you face?

The inherent humidity of our costal region is a major challenge. But this can be overcome to a great extent through technology. The biggest challenge is the transformation of a creation from a mere idea to a complete structure. This is what keeps me going and makes the profession interesting. Each cake is a fresh challenge that I tackle head on.

Do you work out of home? How do you juggle work and home management?

Yes, I’m a home baker. The juggling part comes easy as I am blessed with three angels who give me all the space I require for my creativity.

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Neha, my 12 year old is a serious chef who understands the intricacies of food.

She directs her younger sibling Chacko to other activities when he gets perturbed with my not giving him enough attention.

Both my children help immensely when they conduct their studies without commotion or interference while I work.

Most of all, the occasional hugs and banter help me through the tedium of work. My husband is the pillar who lends a helping hand whenever I’m in need. From mixing the cake batter to kneading the icing to even brainstorming for creative edges, he’s always there by my side.

Any dream projects?

Would love to make a caricature cake for Mammooty reprising one of his epic roles.

You started the caricature trend in Kochi, how did you come up with the idea?

What was your first project (caricature)?

It was the wedding anniversary of our friends and they wanted a cake. A caricature of the lovely couple was sent for reference – I took a deep breath, told Austin that I’m going to do this and started off. That was a smash hit and our friends were thrilled by how the caricatures turned out. Once again, it was positive feedback from our customers which led to innovation.

An experience of doing a cake project that was most memorable to you.

There was an order for a wedding reception, they wanted a Kathakali cake.

Now most would expect a 2D cake with the face of a Kathakali artist – We decided to do a two feet tall sugar statue instead.

The unsuspecting couple came to pick up the cake and their surprise and happiness was out of bounds. This actually sparked off our business motto “Happiness in a box.”

Your cakes have travelled to…?

Apart from all the corners of Kerala

Are caricatures / sugar craft edible?

Yes, they are made of sugar modelling paste.

Apart from the internal support frame everything is edible. But generally my clients choose to keep them for a while after the cake is cut and enjoyed. I’ve even had clients who have vacuum preserved their caricature figurine.

Do you use any substitutes for refined flour in your cakes?

No. I do only one cake a week and the taste is also a key factor I consider on par with the design and execution.

Maintaining quality and standard of food colourings…

I use the best quality food colours available in the International market which is Certified Kosher and FDA approved food colours.

Shelf life of your cake?

They last about a week without refrigeration.

Starting rates?

Price only on request as it varies with the requirements and design.

Quick 5 with Anna Zodiac: Capricorn Hobbies: Movies, Dancing, Painting Celebrity Clients: Kavya Madhavan, Beena Kannan, Rima Kallingal, Aju Verghese, Ann Augustine Favourite Dish: Anything chocolate, I’m a chocoholic – I especially love sizzling chocolate brownies - hot brownies with warm gooey chocolate innards – the thick and warm chocolate just breaks out when you cut it with a spoon; one of the best things ever. One already enthralled by the smell of the toasty brownie will be instantly hit by the rush of pure chocolate smell and once you sink into the double chocolate taste, the mixed texture of the crumbling brownie and the melted chocolate creates a mini heaven right inside the mouth.... I can go on and on...

Favourite Attire: Indian fusion or a saree

my cakes have travelled to Goa, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore. Last year we even took my cake all the way from Cochin to Birmingham UK for Cake International 2015 and flew back with the Silver Award.

Winner of International awards and a long list of VIP clients - what inspires you to keep going?

The fact that my work results in a lot of smiles – twice over at the minimum.

First when our customers look at the end results and second time when they bite into that rich chocolate goodness.

I get a lot of mails saying my craft has inspired the sender. This is a huge bonus as I never expected this outcome. I would like to continue doing that to the best of my abilities. Third and the most obvious reason – My three kids are hooked on to the cakes. They look forward to each cake and follow the process closely. These cakes are like very interesting guests who visit us with their amazing stories.

You recently did a workshop on sugar craft. Would you tell us more about it, how was the response?

Since this was a People Modelling class, we had to filter out the attendees. Each aspirant had to be a cake designer; we carefully selected 12 out of all the applications after scrutinising their body of work. Twelve people at the top of the creative peak who could follow immediately what was happening and excelled at the craft. Verily marvellous, the way each one incorporated the imparted knowledge into their repertoire of cakes.

Your future plans?

Scaling hereto unknown heights in cake designing, innovate more and share the knowledge. We are planning to conduct more classes in India and later move on to other countries as well. More than anything, to keep spreading happiness through Cake Canvas boxes.

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BENGALURU

Spirited Success

She shattered the glass ceiling by starting from scratch a liquor business, consolidating her presence in a hitherto maledominated sector, taking snide remarks in her stride and proving to the alcohol industry that she’s a force to reckon with.

RITZ chats with Lisa Srao, the dynamic, beautiful and stylish Chairman and Managing Director of I Brands Beverages who is steadily growing her venture in the Indian market and is now going international with her alcoholic beverages.

Text: Priyanka Golikeri

“We’re in 14 states now, we’re distributing to the paramilitary and we’re exporting abroad,” says a super-excited Lisa Srao. It’s indeed been an intoxicating journey for her, one which began in 2008, when as a new mother to two babies, she made the bold decision to foray into a highly regulated and complicated sector which is marred by taxations and restrictions. “I’m now looking at a pan-India presence and have already started exports to Cambodia.” Alongside Cambodia, I Brands Beverages is seeking entry into Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and China. Asian markets, feels Lisa, are apt for the kind of products she has concocted; the products being her flagship Granton Whisky, a smooth luxury whiskey, a Jamaican flavoured dark rum and a French brandy (which is currently retailed only in India).

Basically dark spirits. “Yes, I’m focused on the whiskey, brandy and rum segment. I want to consolidate myself, and the four products that I have, with more states and countries,” says Lisa.

It is an astute business decision on this woman’s part to have deliberately chosen dark spirits over say beer or wine, or even vodka. That Indians are typically whiskey drinkers is a well-known fact. Now statistics from Bank of America Merrill Lynch reveal that Indians consume the highest amount of whiskey globally, with 1.5 billion litres being guzzled in 2014, dwarfing the 462 million litres consumed by Americans in the same year! “Initially I had thought of looking at different product categories such

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as juices and wines. But then I decided to concentrate on dark spirits as it has huge potential.” Very well put across, as of the $35 billion liquor industry in India, IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) accounts for 36%, as per industry data. And in IMFL, whiskey constitutes 60%, with brandy and rum making up 17% and 16% respectively, leaving white spirits like vodka at a mere 7%. “I don’t think vodka has garnered much momentum in India. I wouldn’t look at white spirits as of now,” states Lisa.

Her liquors are positioned for the “middle class”, being “mass market premium products that are value for money and are of international quality and standard.”

And with emphasis on middle class, Lisa had worked out a strategy of primarily targeting the small towns and states, before entering the metros. I Brands is in 14 states, but is yet to enter Delhi, Maharashtra and its home state, Karnataka (though available for paramilitary). Lisa says the strategy was to first hit the towns, observe product performance, rectify and resolve any issues that arise and then enter the metros with a perfected product. Thus her first state was Uttarakhand, followed by Punjab and Haryana. Recalling a trial-and-error incident, she says Granton Whisky was initially launched in a mono carton, but the company realised that the packaging was not really working out. “So we adapted to a canister which is protected and looks beautiful.

We also tweaked the blend based on the feedback that we had received. And only then took the product to more places.”

Today the stylish Lisa, who loves dressing up in a mix of London high street and designer wear (with Sanchita Ajjampur, Victoria Beckham and Alexander McQueen being her favourites), might talk passionately about spirits, blends and packaging. But at one point in her life, her world revolved around sharks. “I was obsessed with sharks after watching Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and dreamt of becoming a marine biologist. But I was terrible at biology,” she fondly recalls of her growing up years in London, as the daughter of Punjabi immigrants. Thrashing plans of studying the underwater world, she instead turned to marketing (in media) and worked with the likes of Viacom, Vivendi, News Corporation, amongst others. After her marriage to businessman Manoj Varma, she flew to Bengaluru and felt that working in the media was great when she was abroad, but not so in India. “I wanted the flexibility of being able to dictate my time. So I thought of being an entrepreneur. But what a joke! Entrepreneurship is actually more

stressful and there aren’t flexible timings here either,” quips Lisa.

Inclined towards creativity, she has forever been fond of art and painting. She is presently working on an oil painting called 3 Demons. “I work with oil and I’m into pencil sketching. I like fantasy art and the works of Boris Vallejo.” Blending her passion for art into her venture, Lisa often sketches the packaging for her products. “Product design is special to me and I’m very hands on with the packaging. As I am with the marketing and PR and every other aspect of the venture.” But how does she deal with the challenges that come with running a liquor business? Taxations, regulations and prohibitions can play havoc with business blueprints. “It is very tough as operating in each state is like being in a different country. We now know the system and have established ourselves in the states,” she says, adding that the liquor ban (in some states) certainly does not work. “It’s about educating consumers to drink responsibly, rather than prohibiting a product.’’ Just as she stands undeterred by the challenges, she is also unfazed by competition “as the industry is huge and competition actually pushes me to do better and ensure my brand is the best in the market.”

I Brands has been growing at 100% since inception and reaches over 6,000 retail outlets in India. The entrepreneur reveals her startup is in a “growth phase. There is huge opportunity since consumer trends are evolving with more people traveling abroad and appreciating fine products. And of course there is greater acceptability now towards women who drink. ” But for a woman to have started a liquor venture has meant confronting sexist remarks.

Lisa recalls that during her initial days, stakeholders and the industry would not just express surprise, but say it’s impossible for a woman to succeed in the alcohol business.

“I’ve even had a journalist question why I chose this sector, instead of simply joining my husband’s business.” So what’s her strategy for countering such remarks? “It just makes me smile. And it inspires me to encourage other women to do what they’re interested in doing. Have self-belief and confidence in your abilities and you can achieve anything,” says the lady who enjoys getting her kids Isabella and Marcus ready for school, helping them in their homework and then tucking them to bed each night.

Amidst running I Brands, engaging with her children and exploring oil on canvas, Lisa always devotes time for her other passion,

travel. Just back from a holiday to London and Paris, she says they travel as a family at least twice a year. “Traveling is a great teacher as it introduces us to new places, diverse cultures and different situations.”

Italy’s Capri Island is her favourite destination. “I truly enjoyed Paris this time.

We went to Disneyland; I got to visit the art galleries, the wonderful places to eat.” She dreams to travel the globe in the near future.

But what’s her mission now? “To make I Brands one of the top 5 liquor companies in India. We have the potential!”

Tricky 4 for Lisa 1. L ondon or Bengaluru - London.

Bengaluru implies work and London is holiday, though of course I do like Bengaluru 2. W ine or Whiskey – Wine. I love red wine, though I do drink whiskey occasionally 3. E ntrepreneur or Employee – Entrepreneur. Nothing has given me more pleasure than starting this business.

It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

4. C MD or Mother – Mother. Any day.

Without my kids I’m nothing.

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INDIA'S 'MISSION IMPOSSIBLE' SUPER COP Four sets of sixty push ups. This isn't the fitness regimen of a Mr. India in his twenties. Or for that matter, a young IPS probationer at the National Police Academy. At sixty four and away from khakhi for four years, now you know why K.Vijay Kumar still looks at least twenty years younger than his real age. Make that thirty, if you factor in the firm handshake. Or the ram rod straight gait that has a signature uniformed service ring to it. Small wonder that when other officers have movies made based on their entire career, there are films inspired by Vijay Kumar's work in different posts.

'Once a cop, always a cop' is not a mere slogan for this 1975 batch highly decorated IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. Keen to capitalise on his expertise in policing even post retirement, the previous Congress led government appointed him as a Senior Security Advisor to the Union Home Ministry. A change of guard at the Centre did not make a difference with the present BJP dispensation continuing to pick his brain on security related issues in Maoist areas in the country.

The 'my daddy strongest' belief was no exception to a young Vijaykumar, whose father V.Krishnan, then a Sub Inspector of Police, was his first hero. From the age of five, there was a yearning to step into the police boots, with an added dose of inspiration drawn from the likes of the late F.V. Arul, Inspector General of Police (those years, there was just one IG to head the force in the State) who was considered a “legend in the Tamil Nadu Police” along with K.F. Rustamji and later the inimitable Walter Davaram. When Vijaykumar joined the National Police Academy (NPA), the then Director S.M. Diaz, used to exhort the young officers to ensure that the size

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(Pic: K. Vijaykumar, IPS (Retd) Senior Security Advisor - Union Home Ministry)

of the ceremonial tunic worn while passing out of the academy remained the same till their retirement.

BY SANJAY PINTO

The dare devil cop had first shot into prominence when he was in charge of the Prime Minister's Special Security Group (SPG) in the mid eighties. “I used to be amazed by the energy levels of the then PM Rajiv Gandhi. A light eater and an extensive traveller (I must have travelled to about 52 countries with him), he would always look fresh.” After a five year stint with the SPG in the national capital, Vijaykumar returned to Chennai where he set up and headed the Special Security Group (SSG) for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

“This was like a combination of the SPG and the NSG (National Security Guards). The commando training imparted to our officers was remarkable. So was working with some very fine officers like Sanjay Arora, Karan Singha, R.N. Sawani, Ashish Bhengra and Sangaram Jangid.” Even today, the 2 minute drill – of bathing, shaving and donning the full uniform by the time people cook instant noodles, is still talked about in commando

circles. A skill that I'm reminded of during the morning rush to drop my kids at school every morning!

I first met and covered Vijaykumar when he was posted as the Commissioner of Police in Chennai in 2001, after serving as IG Operations in the Border Security Force. In a few months, there were a series of encounters in which the most notorious gangsters in the city fell to police bullets. “We cleaned up the city and made it absolutely safe. But the credit goes to the team I inherited. I had an awesome foursome in J.K. Tripathy, Sylendra Babu, S.George and G.U.G. Sastry in charge of Law & Order in South, North, Central Chennai and Traffic respectively.” The police encounters did elicit its share of protests from human rights activists, provoking the action oriented top cop to once quip that “our guns are not meant to be ornaments when we are attacked.” With his 'hard on criminals but soft on citizens' approach, the image of an autorickshaw parked in the Commissioner's office portico right next to the top cop's car, which was brought to take an elderly petitioner home, is still fresh in my mind.

For all the sensitive and high profile posts he has held, Vijaykumar is still known as the officer who killed Veerappan. The elimination of India's 'Most Wanted' sandalwood smuggler who had been cocking a snook at two State governments for decades by kidnapping celebrities and dictating terms to them, through 'Operation Cocoon' was achieved due to “absolute freedom, trust and confidence” of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

The former Special Task Force (STF) Chief is quick to acknowledge the role played by his batchmate and predecessor in the Sathyamangalam Forest - R.Nataraj, (now the dream MLA of Mylapore) in winning the trust of tribals and gathering actionable was fortunate to have had very professional bosses in the then Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram and Union Home Secretary G.K.Pillai.”

For an officer, who even post retirement, can give Hollywood action heroes a sprint for their dollars, the fact that he is a grandfather may not be easy to believe. I've seen him bonding with one of his grandsons – Aditya, at a CRPF event in Chennai. And I'm sure the same holds good for his clinical psychologist daughter Ashwini's kids as well.

Vijaykumar's son Arjun, an ace architect and builder in Chennai, gives his mother Meena credit for managing the home and kids whenever his dad would be away at work.

(Pic: K.Vijaykumar with his son Arjun and wife Meena) intelligence. Leading by example and from the front in difficult jungle terrain, as opposed to shouting instructions from the comfort of an office cabin, Vijaykumar emerged the darling of his men, evident from that image of his team carrying him on their shoulders after the success of Operation Cocoon. The sheer satisfaction of accomplishing what seemed like Mission Impossible and the national acclaim he won, probably prompted him to finally give in to the wishes of his fans to write a book on the Veerappan saga, the release of which is expected in a month or two.

on commando training and the formation of a Tactics Wing as part of the grooming of the IPS probationers. “I never forgot the words of my own Director S.M. Diaz and used to constantly motivate my trainees: 'Your belt size must never change throughout your career.” Coming from a super cop who practised what he preached, his wish would be their command.

Armed with vast experience in security and counter-insurgency operations, Vijaykumar was the most logical 'go to' officer for the leadership of the Central Reserve Police Force. The CRPF had just suffered its It may have been coincidental or deadliest Maoist ambush in which 76 providential that soon after the 26\11 terror CRPF jawans were killed in Dantewada. strikes in Mumbai, Vijaykumar was posted as As the Director General of the CRPF, the Director of the National Police Academy Vijaykumar's first task was to ensure that in Hyderabad. On the sidelines of a farewell his communication permeated almost 10 tea party, he told me about his plan to focus levels in order to reach the constables. “I

A voracious reader of both fiction and non fiction, Vijaykumar loves to tuck into his favourite biriyani every weekend. His medals and awards are well known. Not many are aware of his string of degrees – a Master of Arts, a Bachelor's Degree in Law, two Masters Degrees in Law and even a Masters in Business Laws from the premier National Law School of India University, Bengaluru.

With those four law degrees, would the khakhi super hero think of donning the black gown at some point? His reply is straight from Antony and Cleopatra: “In nature's infinite book of secrecy, little can I read.”

How about another improvised gem from Cleopatra? Age cannot wither him. Nor retirement dent his amazing fitness.

(Sanjay Pinto is a Lawyer of the Madras High Court, Columnist, Author, Political Commentator, Public Speaking Mentor & Former Resident Editor – NDTV 24x7) JULY 2016 RITZ

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BALD AND HANDSOME

It must be the big 'S' word – 'Stress' or a spike in saline content in water or raging hormones that are depriving scores of young and middle aged men of their lustrous locks. The adage 'men get naughty at forty' is outdated. The roving eye comes in much earlier!

More men are getting bald at forty, if not earlier.

With celebrities going in for hair transplants and artificial means to cover their pate and the 'hair industry' splurging on 'Before & After' advertisements, is it any wonder that the average Joe out there wants to mask reality?

The recent tragic demise of a young Chennai medical student, caused by a hair transplant gone wrong is a grim reminder of the risks associated with such procedures. What is more alarming is the mounting societal pressure on balding men to hide their patches and receding hairlines.

Hair transplants are touted as a more permanent, albeit risky 'solution' to baldness.

Then there are imported 'wigs' pasted on the scalp every month when the customer goes for 'servicing'. In the interim period, the users can reportedly swim, jump, go out para-sailing in a storm and do whatever they please. No restrictions. The 'herbal' shampoos and oils that promise a thick mop of hair are largely a sham. I remember a tv commercial of an oil that showed hair sprouting even from your palm because it was poured there! 'Oil's' well that doesn't end well! What isn't too misleading is a 'hair re-growth' potion called 'minoxidil'. An antihypertensive drug, it was found that a side effect was hair growth. So some smart whiz kid decided to market it as a hair re-growth therapy. The catch here is its zero residual effect. The day you stop using it, you will be back to your bald patch. There are also side effects, as it is, after all, a drug meant to lower blood pressure. Doctors warn us that topical application of a lotion or cream can be equally harmful as the chemicals enter our blood stream through the pores or follicles.

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big names in Bollywood, haven't really helped the cause. Thank God at least for some Chennai based personalities like Satish Jupiter who wear their common sense on their scalp.

BY SANJAY PINTO

There was a time when anorexia was the in-thing. This triggered the size zero fad. In hot pursuit was its country cousin – bulimia.

Thunder thighs and that well endowed look had its sway. The six pack was the next fashion statement. The only look that has endured and requires no effort for a rice staple region is the paunch. And where's there's a paunch, there will always be liposuction and 'wonder pills' to lose flab in 30 days. Where there are crow lines and sagging skin, there's botox. People are willing to blow up any mount of money on such short-cuts to look good. Few want to age gracefully. I have often wondered why the bald look hasn't become fashionable so far. Not even after Andre Agassi? The iconic tennis champion once admitted that his wig cost him a French Open. Before his chrome dome look, Agassi explained how he would pray not to win a match but for the twenty odd clips holding his wig to stay in place! And in his own words: “Every morning I would get up and find another piece of my identity on the pillow, in the wash basin, down the plughole.” I guess our very own Virender Sehwag and Harsha Bhogle and some very

There have been some top class and extremely meaningful campaigns along the lines of 'Dark Is Beautiful' with its own ambassadors like movie star Nandita Das (I'm not going to use the cliche 'dusky beauty') Why can't we have a similar “Bald Is Smart' or 'What's Inside Matters More' movement to end this fixation (God, pun unintended!) ? I remember actor Kamal Haasan once telling me on the sidelines of an interview, that one can do so much with the body and that hair should be the least of our worries, not to speak of priorities.

The Dasavatharam hero knows best and is someone I have always respected for his original thinking and candour. But try posting a status update on the social media about the ugly face of the beauty industry and you will be flooded with 'easier said than done' comments. Indeed, it's easier for a two wheeler rider to place a helmet on the petrol tank than go through a brain surgery because helmets cause hair loss and accidents can cause only head injuries, you see. It's easier to sport artificial goldie locks than exercise and build muscles and gift your family your own good health. It's easier to cough up lakhs on some synthetic mop which entails monthly 'maintenance' than open a fixed deposit or some savings scheme for the future of your children. It's easier to flaunt a fake appearance and pose for page 3 shutterbugs or those mandatory selfies on facebook than develop self-esteem.

Confidence stems from attitude. From achievement. From self worth. From values.

Not from a hairy placebo. Character is your strength of mind. Not mane. Men of India, unite. You have nothing to lose but your strands.

(Sanjay Pinto is a Lawyer, Columnist, Political Commentator, Author, Public Speaker & Former Resident Editor – NDTV 24x7)

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CHENNAI

Chennai's Innovative New Food Entrepreneurs A Special Roundup Chennai’s foodscape is brimming with innovation and vigour.

From new cooking techniques, to quirky interiors and fusion based menus, every restaurateur worth his salt is doing something different to keep his restaurant at the tip of everyone’s palete. RITZ meets six of the most avant-garde entrepreneurs in the food business JULY 2016 RITZ

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A Tryst With Your Palate

The world of food is fast-changing but this young, spunky, urban chic café and its passionate 25-year-old owner seem to be striking all the right chords with youngsters, the older folk and foreigners in the city. It wouldn’t be farfetched to say that Tryst has turned a staple landmark for those driving down Chennai’s East Coast Road (and even for those who aren’t.) RITZ lands up at Tryst to learn the nitty gritty of Samia Sait’s business prowess.

Text: Rebecca Vargese

Photographs: Sai Nikhileshwar

Samia Sait is not like the average business entrepreneur you meet. This youngster loves to get her hands dirty, covered in flour mostly, and get behind the counter to ensure that nothing but pure excellence passes on to the customer’s plate. “Tryst Café was my brother Omar’s idea, he has always been the foodie in the family, however, I’d like to think of it as my baby,” Samia laughs.

The business sense that she oozes comes naturally to Samia Sait who has been part of her father’s garment business. “Sales has been in my blood even as a child. I worked as a diamond consultant for Macy’s in US, before deciding to move back to India,” she says. Lindy, a US expat and a regular at Tryst for the last 5 years gushes about the café and the variety of goodies they offer.

“Tryst caters to my palate. Their breads are phenomenal and they make sure to maintain food standards. I personally love their Cinnamon Escargots.” For the uninitiated, though Tryst is a gourmet café, the escargot that this café serves is not the Catalonian delicacy rather a baked confectionary delight that mimics the swirl of a snail.

While the café does draw its fair share of customers, Samia reveals that her breads and other baked goods also sell like the proverbial hot cakes. “It has been about 18 months since we started baking our own breads and pastries. We used to source bread from a bakery in Puducherry, but now we are on our own.” Tryst’s fresh baked goodness is quite the rage in the city. “We bake about 400 loaves of bread a day on weekdays. On weekends our sales are much higher, I’d say about 700 loaves. We work closely with foreign consulates in the city.

The clientele is split about 65:35 between foreigners and locals,” she adds.

There certainly must be something about the bread at Tryst. “Our turnover is about `27-30 lakhs a month, a significant portion of which is from bread sales. The sale of cheese is a far second. I actively take part in the bakery work and love to custom-make bread,” admits Samia. Well, that explains the steep sales that the gourmet store makes.

Samia tells us that her favourite customised breads are the sunflower seed bread and the olive oil and walnut bread.

“Tryst Café was my brother Omar’s idea, he has always been the foodie in the family, however, I’d like to think of it as my baby”

As you walk past the gourmet end of Tryst, one is greeted by a causal yet chic and laid back café peppered with customers, local and otherwise. The menu matches the ambience of the café both food and portion wise. “I’d like to think we represent comfort food at its best. Food that we all love and ate growing up - the pizzas, the fajitas, the pastas…” she trails off. What catches our eye on the menu is the Al Capone and Sicilian pizzas. Influenced by mafia films and The Godfather, maybe? Laughing she tells us that she was inspired by a recipe that she found online. Be that as it may, we certainly

love the combination of the tomato sauce, mushrooms and chicken sausages!

Besides knowing how to pick her chefs, Samia has an eye for detail and aesthetics and spares no expense for the right equipment. She reveals that the gourmet set up at Tryst set her back about `25 lakhs, while the most expensive piece of equipment are customised counters that cost `10 lakhs.

As we eye the food that’s been placed on our table, Samia tells us that they have something special planned for the month.

Looks like Tryst has a date with Pan-Asian cuisine!

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The Art Of Winning Customers While one maybe be jaded with the number of cafes and restaurants that keep popping up in the city, there are some places that turn into iconic hangouts. It may be their easy to grab bites or the sweet treats that pack a punch, but the city’s much loved Ox and Tomato and Old Madras Baking Company certainly have the best of both worlds. RITZ catches up with the woman at the helm of affairs, Mansi Reddy, for a pow wow on all things biz in the restaurant market.

Though cafes now are a dime a dozen, Mansi Reddy is confident that Old Madras Baking Company and Ox and Tomato are here to stay. “It most definitely is the food that brings the customers back, but I think that expertise in handling the business end of operations has allowed us to expand and maintain our market share despite competition,” she says. Unapologetic about the fact that her strengths lie outside the domain of the kitchen, this high-spirited entrepreneur and restaurateur loves the perks of getting to talk to customers and is always on her toes.

A commerce graduate from Stella Maris, this 28-year-old certainly has got her business sensibilities all sorted out. “We follow kitchen hierarchy to the letter. Our

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Text: Rebecca Vargese

core team at all our restaurants – Sandy’s, Ox and Tomato and Old Madras Baking Company – have been part of the family for a long time. My husband, Sandesh, feels that the head pastry chef is the most important.”

That certainly explains why customers love this place.

With outlets of Ox and Tomato and Old Madras Baking Company sprinkled across the city, there has always been a steady flow of customers. Mansi tells us that the largest Ox and Tomato restaurant has about 60 walk-in customers on a daily basis, while Old Madras Baking Company handles about 250-odd bills a day. “There are a lot of people who love to buy bread – from baguettes to croissants to danishes and braided bread. It is true that our prices are

a little on the higher side but, we deal with artisanal and all natural products.” Mansi divulges the fact that most customers at the Madras Baking Company are repeat customers who, “once have eaten our bread, always come back for more.” The bakery at TTK road makes about 700 units of bread a day. Backed by the loyalty of her repeat customers, Mansi says that the menu is not tweaked with, that often; however, customising is something they are open to.

“We are known for our specials. At Ox and Tomato I recommend the Spanish Fiesta as a vegetarian option and the Kitchen Sink for the meat eaters. If you are heading to Old Madras Baking Company then give the Banana Bread and the Danish Custard a try.”

As a hands-on entrepreneur, Mansi travels between at least three Ox and Tomato stores a day. “I’d like to think of it as my pet project,” she smiles. Though interiors at Ox and Tomato are not intended to be plush and luxuriant, the initial investment that went into setting up the first Ox and Tomato, including equipment and interiors, was about `25 lakhs. “That’s a pretty decent figure, since setting up another Sandy’s would cost about a crore and a half,” she says laughing.

Speaking about future plans, she says, “We are looking at setting up a couple more Ox and Tomato and Old Madras Baking Company stores in areas that we have not yet explored.” The husband and wife duo of Sandesh and Mansi Reddy also recently set up an Old Madras Baking Company in Hyderabad.

Looks like the enterprising couple are taking a bit of home grown nostalgia to distant lands too.

Photographs: Sai Nikhileshwar

“The largest Ox and Tomato restaurant has about 60 walkin customers on a daily basis, while Old Madras Baking Company handles about 250odd bills a day�

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Jewellery by: Studio Tara

Chennai’s Little Secret

Cupcakes of all colours with the funkiest of flavours, the most authentic Asian street cuisine and an easy-to-lounge in environ - Kavita Chesetty has shown Chennai what good food is all about with her restaurants Cupcakes Amore and Tuk Tuk Asia. RITZ caught up with Kavita over coffee and cupcakes to see what inspires her to create such amazing food.

Text: Diya Subramanian Tuk Tuk Asia that shares its space with Cupcakes Amore has been designed in a way that gives you the experience of a Hawker market on the street of Malaysia. Kavita spends extra time and effort in making it as authentic to the region it is from as possible.

She says, “I started this restaurant to give the people of Chennai a chance to try some international traditional flavours. I wanted to keep it casual so it is set up in a semi self-service method also known as the Bain Marie set up.”

Kavita was always a foodie, she first started a food magazine called Malli which consisted of food reviews and recipes but she gave that up two years ago to follow her dream of baking and cooking. What started out with baking for her daughter’s birthdays, during which she got great reviews for her cakes and sometimes even orders, ended up in her finally starting a business of her own Cupcakes Amore.

At Cupcakes Amore the diligent baker decided to infuse her love for Asian street cuisine onto her menu and started serving Burmese Khow Suey once a week (only on Wednesdays) and it was a huge hit! Soon she did more research and felt she had the passion to bring good authentic food to people and thus was born Tuk Tuk Asia.

Kavita is awake at 7 am baking everyday, while with help from Chef Shiva, the prep for Tuk Tuk Asia also commences. “Since Tuk Tuk Asia and Cupcakes Amore share the same kitchen space it is much easier to handle and manage both,” she tells us.

Among her main focus areas, is the endeavour to match the flavour with the original dishes and not vary from that.

The recipes of all her cupcakes come from an Italian pastry chef and are made from scratch every morning. There are the

“I wanted to keep it casual so it is set up in a semi self-service method also known as the Bain Marie set up”

standard cupcakes she has that don’t change from the original recipe. Of course, there is a creative side to the cupcakes and that’s where the premium flavours come in. Kavita says, “Flavours like peanut butter and jelly, pink lemonade and strawberry cheese cake are flavours that I have experimented with.

All the ingredients I use are completely real and natural which I don’t think anybody else in the city is doing.”

While talking about Tuk Tuk Asia, the plan was always to keep it as authentic as the street food from that location. Kavita did not want to change or alter original recipes to suite the local palatte. The chef behind the magic is Shiva who is originally from Singapore. Kavita smiles, “I was really lucky to find Shiva as he has an understanding of the food I am trying to create and it makes the whole process easier” Quality is something that Kavita adamantly stands by. All the dishes on the menu are only

available if the ingredients and raw material are available. If on a particular day a certain vegetable or protein is not up to her high standards it doesn’t go on the menu. This precision is what keeps people coming back for more of the restaurant's high quality food.

The specials change every week , keeping things interesting. At Cupcakes Amore the premium cupcakes are the ones that are always changing not just weekly but also seasonally depending on various festivals.

Kavita explains, “During Ramzan we have a biryani flavoured cupcake that is an absolute hit! The frosting has garam masala in it! But not just Ramzan, during Pongal we add a boondhi cupcake as well!” The Chilli Crab Sundays at Tuk Tuk Asia are aways a hit, and Kavita recalls a hilarious memory. “Once the crabs had just come in from the market and one got loose and started running around, so it’s as fresh as it gets!”

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Secrets Galore

In His Kitchen He’s registered for a patent for his secret method in which to cook chicken in its own juices. Most of the produce sourced for his kitchen is organic and his is one of the few known restaurants that generates less than eight percent of kitchen waste. RITZ meets Arun Prasanth Bacthavathsalam the young and dashing owner of TOVO, Chennai’s newest hotspot.

What began as a college project Arun Prasanth Bacthavathsalam has today turned into a successful reality for the 20-something entrepreneur. His is one of the most talked about names in food circles today, not because he’s good looking or serves some of the most perfectly cooked meat in town. It’s because of the unique methods used by this youngster to make his restaurant different on every level possible.

From dishing up different food, to having the quirky interior prerequisite down pat, to taking things a few steps further and adopting organic produce into the bill of fare and minimising generation of kitchen waste to a nearly negligible number, Arun Prashant has done it all.

“Most restaurants are known to produce huge amounts of kitchen waste. We at TOVO pride ourselves on producing just around 8 percent kitchen waste,” says the proud owner. Arun’s project in college involved research on methods to lessen production of waste generated by restaurants. Though he graduated and landed a cushy corporate job with Barclays, he wasn't able to put his heart and soul into his work. He felt like he was meant to do something else and gave up his lucrative job and the chance to study further abroad and returned home to put his research to some use.

Arun’s father, a PWD engineer, and the rest of his family were shocked at his decision.

Armed with a rock solid business plan he approached a bank for seed money to start

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Text: Diya Subramanian

his own restaurant. “The initial investment into the project was `2 crore. It cost me a lot because my kitchen equipment is imported from Germany, I had to work tirelessly to get the patent for my secret method to cook chicken in its own juices,” he tells us, refusing to divulge any more details of his famed chicken and its cooking methods.

In just over a year now Arun’s faith in his entrepreneurial project has paid off big time.

The city’s foodies love what he’s putting on the table and he says that his turnover is in crores in just the first year of business.

Not bad for someone who had zero idea of the working of the restaurant business in Chennai.

Being from Trichy we asked Arun why he picked Chennai to start a conceptual restaurant like this to which he said,

“The initial investment into the project was `2 crore. It cost me a lot because my kitchen equipment is imported from Germany, I had to work tirelessly to get the patent for my secret method to cook chicken in its own juices”

“Compared to all the other metro cities the Chennai market was the hardest to penetrate. So if I could succeed here then expanding to other cities after that would be much easier. It was a risk I was willing to take and I guess it paid off.”

The meat served at TOVO is known for being tender, filled with flavour and topped with delicious sauces making it the most delicious and but messy plate in town.

Talking about how he gets the meat to be so tender, he first mentions that everything at TOVO is organic. “The best burger is based on the choice of accompaniments the customer chooses”, Arun explains adding that, “There is a base flavour that you choose according to your preference which might be sweet or tangy. Then you pick a sauce that you feel compliments your base notes. If you nail this combination, you have created your own amazing burger! This selection of flavours is a concept unique to TOVO.” Arun’s personal favourite is the Original Buttery as a base flavour and Hyderabad Spices as the compliment flavour to add that kick of spice that he loves. The way of cooking by infusing the flavours is a whole new concept that Arun is awaiting patent registration for.

TOVO has maintained its high quality of food with a rating of over four on the popular food app Zomato, something very few places manage to do in their first year of business. Arun entered the food industry on a leap of faith, not knowing the outcome, but his positive attitude and his consistency with the quality of food at all his outlets is what has got him where he is today.

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Photographs: Sai Nikhileshwar

TRENDING NOW Photographs: Sai Nikhileshwar

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“The overhead cost at the restaurant runs to `10-12 lakhs a month, while the initial investment for the restaurants was `2 crores”

Ijas Ahmed with his Sushi chef

What’s In The Box?

It is always fascinating to talk to entrepreneurs about the factors that propelled them to achieve success. But, when it comes to food entrepreneurs Ijas Ahmed and Sultan Sickanthar, it is not hard to see the ingenuity behind offering Japanese and Thai cuisine. RITZ enjoys a flavourful conversation with partner and operations head, Ijas Ahmed, of Sushi in a Box, Absolute Thai and Café De Paris Boulangerie on their thriving food businesses.

Text: Rebecca Vargese It is best that you bid your serious business discussions good bye as you step into Absolute Thai. One whiff of the lemon grass tea that heavily scents the restaurant and all you can think of is food! “Maybe that’s what makes us stand out!” laughs the jovial Ijas Ahmed. Though only in the food market for about 10 months now, Absolute Thai has got both lovers and haters talking about it; the trick to garnering all this chatter being ‘authenticity’. “Experimenting with fusion food is something that we do not want to try. You get what you came here for, nothing short of ‘Absolute Thai’,” he smiles.

Word play, we like it!

This entrepreneurial duo seems to have gotten one thing right, and that is timing.

While most city folk still enjoy their all-time favourite bites like burgers and fries, the city is open to experimenting with their food. “Travelling abroad to places like China or Malaysia or Japan is no longer a luxury. People make the most of these travels to savour local cuisine. Probably that’s the reason customers are open to experimenting with new taste palates,” Ijas believes.

Though people might be open to the idea of venturing into uncharted territories of authentic world cuisine, food pricing has always remained a key deciding factor. “The idea behind Sushi In A Box was that eating sushi did not have to be an unaffordable affair. When we started out, the prices ranged somewhere between `400-500, even when it came to more expensive fish like salmon,” he explains.

The two partners seem to have worked out their standard of operation; “I handle customers and operations while Sultan designs the menu. Sultan is an NRI from Bangkok, and for him Thai cuisine is like home cooking. Both our head chefs for Sushi In A Box and Absolute Thai are expert

chefs from Japan and Thailand,” says Ijas.

The restaurants use a wide variety of fish, meat, curry pastes and red chillies, most of which are bought from the local market while portions of it are imported, “Thai cuisine has absolutely no masala, so we source our roasted chilli paste, curry paste and soya sauce from abroad. Most of the fish that we use is freshly sourced from local markets on a daily basis,” Ijas tells us. Authenticity does come at a price, and Ijas reveals that the overhead cost at the restaurant runs to `10-12 lakhs a month, while their initial investment for the restaurants was ` 2 crores.

While the thrill of having walk-in customers is unparalleled, Ijas treasures his regulars.

“The clientele is very varied. We have a lot of Koreans and Japanese. The ratio of expats and locals is about 70:30.” Answering the question on criticism Ijas tells us that there have been customers who have called the food ‘tasteless’. Maybe authentic Thai cuisine is an acquired taste! However, the man is all smiles when he tells us, “We have about 60 to 70 covers on weekdays and about 100 covers on weekends. We do have a quite a few Jains who are regulars.”

About 50% of Sushi In A Box’s menu is vegetarian, which is good news for the vegetarian friends in your group. Taking his pick of favourites Ijas recommends the sweet potato roll for these friends and the prawn tempura roll for the others. At Absolute Thai the Bai Krapao Gai Kai and Tom Yum soup are crowd favourites, we are told.

The two entrepreneurs have now forayed into a new line of food with Café De Paris Boulangerie. While another Absolute Thai or Sushi In A Box in Chennai may not be on the cards anytime soon, Ijas leaves folks in other cities with a shout out, "We are coming soon!”

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Photographs: Sai Nikhileshwar

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India On A Plate

While Chennai lacked a great sandwich and burger joint a few years ago, Nikesh Lamba and Japtej Ahluwalia from Delhi decided to be the change and launch Double Roti in the city. Despite being from Delhi, they decided to move here to give all our fellow Chennaites a chance to taste their delicious burgers, sandwiches and hotdogs. RITZ caught up with them just before the lunch rush to get to know more about their quirky café model.

Text: Diya Subramanian

Nikesh Lamba with partner Japtej Ahluwalia

Double Roti is a name that one would of an open kitchen also allows people to see normally not associate with burgers and their food being made so there is a mode sandwiches. Nikesh Lamba explains how of transparency between them and the they coined the phrase; “Our menu basically customers. consists of different kinds of bread. Roti is Experimenting with recipes happens in their a Hindi equivalent of bread and offered the own home kitchens with friends and family perfect Indianised touch, hence the name as tasters. “This gives us a fair idea of what Double Roti.” is working for the Indian palate and what They started the chain of restaurants with needs to be changed.” explains Nikesh. “We an initial investment of `15 lakhs of rupees, were bored of mass-brand sandwiches that that Nikesh and Japtej forked out of their were nondescript in taste. We had a friend own savings when they first opened doors in who was a chef and helped us out with the Delhi. Today they have outlets in Pune, two basics. The most popular burger on our in Chennai and will soon be opening doors in menu was given its place of pride by all our Bengaluru. And now they proudly add that family and friends who unanimously voted their annual turnover it as the best of the They started the chain is `10 crores and selection we put on growing. offer.” of restaurants with an Ask them about why The duo have gone the they chose Chennai as initial investment of whole hog in trying to a location and Japtej `15 lakhs forked out of create a different, yet is quick to respond, memorable experience their own savings when for diners. Each quirky ““We chose to leave Gurgaon, a city we they first opened doors name on the menu has were already doing a memorable story in Delhi. Today they well in and come to behind it - the Illegal Chennai because we Burger is named so have outlets in Pune, saw that Chennai because beef is banned two in Chennai and will in some states! Then needed a place like this. There wasn’t a is a sandwich soon be opening doors in there place that had a great called Pocket Mein burger and we wanted Bengaluru Rocket because of to be the people who the tangy tandoori offer that to the city.” chicken filling and the Their approach Southern Spice Burger to everything is simplistic and free of is christened such as its filled with spicy complication. The duo decided not to hire garlic chutney adding the perfect hit to the one particular chef to curate the menu for bun. But surprisingly according to Japtej and their restaurants, rather Japtej and Nikesh Nikesh it is the beef and pork burgers that explain that they have created recipes that are the highest selling at the moment. are unique in flavour but not very hard to Just goes to show how far the city has prepare so they don’t depend on a single progressed and how open its people are to chef to keep the taste constant. The concept trying out new tastes in food!

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More than

Just the Falls For every self-respecting Indian traveller who makes his way to the United States of America, a pit-stop at Niagara Falls is kind of mandatory. It's just a 45-minute plane ride from New York city and another 30 minutes by car from Buffalo International Airport to get to one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. Yet, there’s just a handful of adventurous souls, or in this case the more perseverant ones, who choose to explore the region beyond the falls - a part of America so rich in culture, heritage, history, food and wine, that you can actually spend upto a week in this unexplored haven of natural and pristine beauty.

Archana Shenoy explores the Niagara region in 48 hours

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The Falls Straddling the US-Canadian border, Niagara Falls draws around 12 million visitors per year, who might not realise that Niagara Falls is actually composed of three falls: American, Bridal and Horseshoe. They converge and crest over a 170-foot dolomite and shale cliff to plummet to the raging river below.

All three waterfalls form the area that is collectively referred to as Niagara Falls, which reaches into the province of Ontario and New York state.

Four Great Lakes - Superior, Erie, Huron and Michigan -- supply the water to the Niagara River that creates the three falls that combine to form Niagara Falls. Once over the falls, the water flows for 15 miles until it empties into Lake Ontario.

Within the Great Lakes and the Niagara River flows 20 percent of the world's freshwater, according to Niagara Falls Live. The second largest falls in the world, Niagara is surpassed in size only by Victoria Falls in southern Africa. During winter, the mist from the falls freezes to form huge mounds of ice that measure up to 50 feet thick.

The ice often stretches all the way across the falls and spans several miles to form an ice bridge.

The Maid Of The Mist Dressed in blue plastic ponchos, with cold winds slapping the thin plastic against boot clad legs, a ride on the Maid Of The Mist is the most obvious activity to undertake when at Niagara Falls. These little boats - all powered by coal - have been shuttling visitors to show off the falls and its magnanimous beauty since the late 1800s.

Old Fort Niagara If you enjoy history, make sure to save time for a visit to Old Fort Niagara.

Located on the U.S. side of the falls, this 17th-century fort has changed hands between French, British and American troops. This site has seen action during numerous wars, including the American Revolution and the French and Indian War, making it the longest operational fort in North America. Today, the fort occupies one

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Niagara Falls draws around 12 million visitors per year, who might not realise that Niagara Falls is actually composed of three falls: American, Bridal and Horseshoe of the most scenic areas in western New York, overlooking both Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. Inside you can explore underground gunpowder rooms, old army barracks and ancient cannons.

If you're looking for a more in-depth history, make sure to stop by the visitor's centre.

Old Fort Niagara is perched on the banks of both Lake Ontario and the Niagara River just north of Youngstown, NY -- across the river from Niagara-on-theLake.

The Wine Trail Aside from the falls themselves, the Niagara Falls region is known for one other thing: wine. If you have the time (and are over the legal drinking age!), take a drive along the scenic Niagara Escarpment area to visit some of the 22 wineries that dot this northern part of New York state. These small, intimately run boutique wineries produce some of America’s best wines.

Nestled beneath the Niagara Escarpment, an ancient geological structure formed of limestone, it is a prominent factor that works in conjunction with Lake Ontario’s warmth

to extend the growing season in this region.

Freedom Run Winery and Arrowhead Springs Vineyards at Lockport, both producing a large number of wine varietals, boast of tasting rooms, accommodation on the vine-yard for visitors and elaborate tours of their estates.

They also play host to weddings and other special occasions, the vineyards offering the perfect setting amidst the natural beauty of the region.

To Stay The Giacomo, located right opposite the Niagara Visitors Centre, is a cozy boutique hotel housed in an old restored art-deco style building. Their beautiful rooms, stunning view of the surrounding and the Canadian border line, a birds-eye view of the Falls being lit up at night from their 19th floor terrace make it the perfect place to shack up for a few days while you explore the region.

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