TALK JANUARY 03,2013 by Suhas Shankarappa

the intelligent bangaloreanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must-read weekly

talk

Volume 1 | Issue 21 | January 3, 2013 | Rs 10

PARTY TIME Tips for the broke and the kanjoos 12 HOME BIZ Micro entrepreneurs on Facebook 18 WINTER Six hot soups to warm your soul 27

BONKERS!

What happens to sane people when they turn up to celebrate the new year? A waiter, bouncer, cabbie and cop tell PRACHI SIBAL some funny inside stories 8-11

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

team talk

mail

When Shivarama Karanth ‘suffered’ Pandit Ravi Shankar Your article on sitarist Ravi Shankar reminded me of what the writer Shivaram Karanth, who knew a thing or two about music, once said about the raaga (melody) not having anything to do with the bhaava (feeling) of the song, and particularly, about a Ravishankar concert in Bangalore, for which he was invited specially by the sitarist. One dare not say that Ravishankar was past his prime then, but Karanth, known for his healthy impatience, found the elaboration of one raga too pedantic. (The famous essayist AN Murthy Rao once wrote that a singer should be like a basketball player who jogs in the morning to become match-fit, but doesn’t show off his preparations while actually playing the match). Most people are overawed by the stature of a musician, and with their ignorance of the intricacies of

classical music, silently endure the slow pace and dare not question him. But Karanath rested his long face on his palm. His long face appeared longer as he closed his eyes and endured the slow rendering of the raga. During the interval, the organiser came up to Karanth and asked, “How was the concert?” Karanth, still irritated, countered: “Don’t you have any raaga that is not connected with stomach discomfort?” He used the term udara baene for stomach discomfort. Karanth recalled what happened afterwards: “The organiser must have carried my reaction to Ravi Shankar. He came back to me to say Ravi Shankar was very disappointed about what I had said. He added that that the raaga he specially chose to elaborate was ancient and had hoped an artiste

like me would appreciate it. So I said, ‘Tell Ravi Shankar even stomach discomfort is as ancient!’” In fact what he said earlier about raaga and bhaava, may be irrelevant to this letter, but I can’t resist the beautiful manner in which Karanth built his argument. I might also recall what one expert said: Even Nagumomu... a plea to by Tygaraja asking Garuda why he has not brought the devotees’ plight to the notice of God when he was too old and sick to live and was enduring the torture of living. But even singers like Balamuralikrishna, who normally tries to bring out the feeling of a composition, makes it sound like a happy, jubilant song, Gangnam Style. May I add that Talk magazine’s issues are coming out very well. My favourite is the comic strip by Satish Acharya with SR Ramakrishna’s inimitable script. I still miss his daily puns which used to appear in Mid Day. Keep up the good work. MN Chakravarthy Write to letters@talkmag.in

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE TEAM

SR Ramakrishna Editor Sridhar Chari Consulting Editor Prashanth GN Senior Editor Sajai Jose Chief Copy Editor Savie Karnel Principal Correspondent Basu Megalkeri Principal Correspondent Prachi Sibal Senior Features Writer Sandra Fernandes and Maria Laveena Reporters and Copy Editors Anand Kumar K Chief of Design Shridhar G Kulkarni Graphic Designer Ramesh Hunsur Senior Photographer Vivek Arun Graphics Artist

Sumith Kombra Founder, CEO and Publisher Ralph Fernandez Manager - Marketing Aaron Jones Asst Manager - Marketing Abhay Sebastian Asst Manager - Sales Mithun Sudhakar Asst Manager - Sales Kishore Kumar N Head - Circulation Vinayadathan KV Area Manager - Trade Yadhu Kalyani Sr Executive - Corporate Sales Lokesh KN Sr Executive - Subscriptions Prabhavathi Executive - Circulation Sowmya Kombra Asst Process Manager

Printed and published by Sumith Kombra on behalf of Shakthi Media Ventures India Pvt Ltd - FF70, Gold Towers, Residency Road, Bangalore -560025 and printed at Lavanya Mudranalaya, Chamarajpet, Bangalore-560018. Editor: SR Ramakrishna. Editorial Office: FF70, Gold Towers, Residency Road, Bangalore -560025 Email: info@talkmag.in Phone: 08049332100, 08040926658. © All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

fun lines

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

political diary

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

RAMESH HUNSUR

New parties, old tricks Once a hard-core Sangh parivar man, BS Yeddyurappa is now busy remaking himself as a secular leader

chief minister, BSY seems to be negotiating this change with surprising agility.

Not only has he reached out to the minorities, wooing Muslim leaders such as Jabbar Khan Honnali of the Congress, but he has even been blaming the BJP for not allowing him to properly implement his “secular agenda.” Ever since he quit the BJP and He said he wanted the BJP to launched his own party, the field candidates from the Karnataka Janata Party, his minorities and scheduled castes, Sangh credentials have proven to a move which was blocked by be a burden for BS Yeddyurappa. higher-ups in the party. But for someone who has spent 40 years in the Sangh, starting In this, Yeddyurappa seems to off as a footsoldier and rising have followed in the footsteps of through the ranks to become the B Sriramulu, the former BJP

health minister who has since become the self-appointed leader of the BSR Congress. A close associate of the tainted Janardhana Reddy, alleged to be the key figure in the illegal mining business in their home turf of Bellary, Sriramulu quit as an MLA to form his own party after Reddy was jailed. He has since been busy touring the state to proclaim his new status as a champion of the cause of Dalits and the OBCs. The latest episode in Sriramulu’s ongoing makeover attempt is to project his party—named after none other than himself—as one

THE REBELS Both B Sriramulu and BS Yeddyurappa quit the BJP to start their own outfits, which are now challenging the ruling party

that stands for badava (the poor), shramika (labourers) and the raita (farmers) communities. Two leaders rebelling against the ruling party from within and

Everyone inside, but Krishna misses the bus SM Krishna, when he took over the reins of the Congress party in Karnataka in 1999, had started his Panchajanya yatra from Mulbagal in Kolar, the eastern door to the state. The yatra was a success, and the Congress rode to power with a comfortable majority. Now that the party is dreaming of returning to power after a decade of political vanvaas, it has gone back to Mulbagal for a yatra to kickstart its campaign. Congressmen hope it will work as a good luck charm and revive popular sentiment, enabling them to repeat their performance of 1999.

BUS DAY Congress leader Siddharamaiah before he boarded the campaign bus

With elections due in May 2013, the Congress has kicked into hyperactive mode, declaring many new The big leaders in the party travelled programmes to lure voters. It is together from Bangalore to Kolar in targeting farmers in the state in a big two chartered buses, and that was by way, and has even promised a itself an achievement in a party special ‘agricultural budget’ worth Rs notorious for internal bickering. 10,000 crore if it comes to power. However, Krishna, deputed by the High Command to head the party at The party has also announced three polls, was missing. more padayatras, which together will

cover most of the state. Of these, the first will be from Hospet to Koodala Sangama (130 km), the next from Basava Kalyana to Jevargi (115 km), both in north Karnataka, and a third from Mysore to Bangalore (126 km) covering south Karnataka. In the new year then, voters across the state will see Congress leaders approach them with folded hands.

expected, Babu gave him a tough fight. Insiders say Babu could even have won this time if he contests, but luckily for Ashok, he has already announced his retirement. JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda has now fielded a political unknown, one Dr Prasad, against Ashok, but it seems none of this happened by accident either.

A senior JD(S) leader told Talk that the ‘retirement’ of Babu was a pre-poll arrangement between

starting their own outfits may be a first, though politics being an unpredictable business, it remains to be seen just how much of an impact they will have.

Pack-up time for Shettar Ananth Kumar was Yeddyurappa’s arch rival in the BJP. For years, Ananth Kumar had ignored Yeddyurappa’s barbs. So it surprised many when he took a public swing at the former BJP leader, now KJP chief. “Yeddyurappa came to power in the name of Ramarajya, but is now busy building a ‘Rome rajya’ for madam Sonia. He is trapped in the hands of the Congress, which is using the CBI against him. So he has turned into the B team of the Congress,” he said at a Bangalore meeting.

Gowda and the BJP, since Ashok will be a crucial player in any post-election alliance that will be formed by the two parties, but also because he’s close to Gowda owing to his caste (he’s a Vokkaliga). And hence Gowda’s decision to field an unknown candidate against Ashok.

He also warned, “This government will fall by February 15,” and exhorted party workers to “get ready for the polls,” effectively giving an internal deadline to the Shettar government.

BASU MEGALKERI

His comments came

Ashok’s secret deal? Now that he has been elevated to the post of deputy chief minister, it seems there is no one to challenge R Ashok in his party, the government or even in his constituency Padmanabhanagar. The last time around, Ashok faced Gurappa Naidu from the Congress and Kabaddi Babu from the JD(S). Naidu was never considered a challenger, but as

on the same day that Yeddyurappa said in Raichur that he “won’t allow chief minister Jagadish Shettar to present the annual budget,” hinting that he would destroy the government by pulling his supporters out of the BJP. When asked for a date, he said he would “take a decision soon after the Sankranti festival.” Which effectively means that his ‘deadline’ is January 15, exactly a month earlier than the one given by Ananth Kumar. A senior BJP leader who wished to remain anonymous told Talk, “Both Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa have no stake in this government, and are least bothered by its fate. Nor do they care for Jagadish Shettar or the others. That’s why they have been making such statements.” Ananth Kumar

goodbye 2012

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in COURTESY FOSTER’S ART OF CHILLING

Lager than life Die-hard beer fans won't drink anything other than cold beer even if it's winter

PRASHANTH GN prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

angaloreans drink a lot of beer. In fact, out of every 100 bottles sold in Karnataka, guzzlers in this city down 40. Among the metros, Bangalore comes third in beer sales, after Delhi and Mumbai, which are much bigger cities. And this is the time of the year when, despite the chilly weather, beer sells like crazy. Prohibition is written into the Indian Constitution, but Karnataka is the only state in the south that hasn’t tried to ban drinking. India is a hard liquor country, with beer contributing just four per cent of the total revenue from liquor. The country’s annual beer consumption is just a little over a litre per person. About 80 per cent of India’s nondesi liquor market is dominated

B FOR BEER At a Bangalore party organised by a beer brand

by whiskey. (Toddy, arrack and fenny are classified as desi liquor, while whiskey, rum, brandy and vodka are called Indian-made foreign liquor, or IMFL). Beer is a category in itself. In Bangalore, beer enjoys a disproportionate degree of popularity, after it was promoted in a big way in the 1980s. It has a long history, though. In 1915, a Scotsman bought five breweries to produce beer for British soldiers. His company, then based in Madras, ferried the stuff in barrels loaded on to bullock carts. In 1947, the year India became independent, his company, called United Breweries, got a new director in Vittal Mallya, who had bought shares from Englishmen on the way back to their country. Five years later, he moved its headquarters to Bangalore. In the 1980s, beer-drinking became fashionable thanks to Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who promoted it over hard drinks. The rise in drinking worries the public-health fraternity. Raekha Prasad reports in the medical journal Lancet that more than half of all alcohol drinkers in India fall into the ‘hazardous drinking’ category, with alcohol

abuse becoming a major headache. Home to Kingfisher and UB, beers made by United Breweries, Bangalore—like Delhi and Mumbai—has grown into a city with taste for beer beyond city brands. In fact, the latest rage in Bangalore is bitter beer imported from Belgium. Bangaloreans, like their other metro counterparts, sip on

Top beer guzzlers

Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi. Bangalore: 6.5 lakh litres 13 lakh litres Mumbai: 12-1 Delhi: 25 lakh litres (Monthly consumption)

Hic facts

Nearly 80 per cent of beer sold in India is what is called strong beer, containing more than five per cent alcohol. With a 30 per cent annual increase in consumption, India is one of the fastestgrowing alcohol markets in the world. Almost 70 per cent of alcohol in south-east Asia is produced in India.

editor talk The curtains have just come down on the Bangalore International Film Festival (December 23-27). From all accounts, it has been a successful festival. Film folk and film buffs are happy about the choice of films and the arrangements for their screening. I got to see three films, and after a late night show of Ivan’s Story, heard its 29-year-old Chilean director Francisca Silva speak. That’s the best part of a festival: you actually bump into the cast and crew of the film you’ve just enjoyed. Ivan’s Story, her first feature film, is a study of the relationship between a kidnapper and the teenage girl he holds hostage. Shot mostly inside a house, it explores the contradictions of the girl’s adolescence and the kidnapper’s mania. I also caught The Orange Suit, an Iranian film suffused with gentle wisdom and sunny humour. Directed by the veteran Dariush Mehrjui, it is about a photojournalist tired of shooting filth pictures, and who decides to do something about it. He takes up a job as a sweeper, wearing the municipal workers’ orangecoloured suit with pride, and going about his street-cleaning like a dancer in love. He runs into problems with his wife, an academic and mathematics genius, even as he and his son become folk heroes. You might see The Orange Suit as particularly relevant to Bangalore, with our never-ending garbage problems. I also wondered if he was gently mocking the morality-tale mode of some of his illustrious compatriots, such as Majid Majidi, whose film The Willow Tree I had watched on DVD last week. Of the three films, I loved La Pirogue (2012) best. It is a simple, gripping tale from Senegal about a group of blacks boarding a rickety pirogue (longish boat) to smuggle themselves into Spain. Director Moussa Tourre’s narrative is stark, moving and poetic. The year end is party time for many. We decided to present the week from another perspective, and Prachi Sibal spoke to many waiters, bartenders, cab drivers, and policemen, in other words, to people who make the partying possible. They have many amusing stories to tell. A happy new year to you, from all of us here at Talk! SR Ramakrishna ram@talkmag.in

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

Wine is catching up

Joseph D'Souza of Heritage Vinery, Mysore Road, says: "Beer is certainly ahead of wine now, but wine's popularity is growing. India has never had a wine culture. People are not aware of the qualities of wine. Wine education is only now picking up." Wine licences are cheaper in Karnataka now, and D'Souza believes the drink will do better in the future since Karnataka is keen on promoting it. more than 20 kinds of international beers—German, American, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Singaporean, and Mexican. Bangaloreans also sip international beers brewed fresh in the city's increasingly popular micro-breweries (pubs with in-house brewing), different from bottled or draught beer that is stored and served out. The central business district around MG Road houses more than 10 pubs and lounge bars that offer many international brands, while Whitefield and Koramangala, Indiranagar, Kammanhalli are also neighbourhoods

per cent), Carlsberg (4.4 per cent) and where imported beers are served. Ashish Kothare, president of Pubs Budweiser (1.1 per cent). The Indian non-import beer marand Bars Association, told Talk: "Diehard beer fans will not drink anything ket is growing at 20 per cent, signifiother than beer. While many people go cantly slower than imported beer. by season and drink hard liquor during Despite the beer cases running into winter, there are some who don’t like millions, the per capita consumption of beer in India is estimated at just 1.3 anything other than beer." Raghuram S is a beer guzzler. litre, compared to the global average of “Bangalore now offers both old world 25 litre. The corresponding percentand new world beer. Whenever I get ages are 35.5 in China, 75.6 in the US bored with the beer we’ve been sipping and 105.6 in Germany, according to for years, I move to a brewery where I Euromonitor, a London-based market get crafted beers. Bottled and draught researcher. The dream of every beer company beer is not the only option anymore.” In India, imported brands sell just is to get Indians to drink at least 25 about 4 lakh cases a year, though the litres of beer in a year, if not 50. The Indian beer market, segment is growing at which is 4.5 billion a phenomenal annual Bangalore now dollars strong, is rate of 35 per cent. expected to touch 9 More than 20 foreign boasts breweries billion by 2016. beer brands have offering a range Bangalore is followed been launched in the of ‘crafted’ beers by Mangalore, country over the past Belgaum, Gulbarga, three years, and the number of beer importers has shot up Hospet and Mysore in beer consumpfrom eight to 22 over the last five years. tion. The consumption of beer in the The overall Indian beer market consumes nearly 190 million cases of state has gone up from 1.42 crore bulk beer a year, 55 per cent of which is UB's litres in 2009-10 to 1.84 in 2010-11 and Kingfisher, followed by SABMiller (24 2.12 in 2011-12.

60% 40%

Rest of Karnataka

Bangalore

Annual beer consumption: 2.12 crore bulk litres

66.46% 33.54%

Rest of Karnataka

Bangalore

Annual IMFL consumption: 4.85 crore bulk litres

anti-graft voice

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

‘I fear for my life’ Advocate Vinod, the Shimoga man whose petition led to a Lokayutka raid on Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa's properties, tells Talk about the havoc wreaked by corrupt politicians on the town, and the threatening calls he gets

BASU MEGALKERI basavaraju@talkmag.in n December 24, the Lokayukta raided the Shimoga house of Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa, bringing to mind the series of events that finally led to the downfall of then chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. The man behind the original complaint, Vinod, popularly known as Advocate Vinod, was born and raised in Shimoga. After graduation, he studied law. When he began his practice, he did routine work. Eventually, he began taking up cases of poor people. As news of his sympathy for the underprivileged spread, more and more people approached him. After the BJP came to power in Karnataka in 2007, Shimoga changed, thanks to BS Yeddyurappa, who became chief minister, and his longtime party colleague KS Eshwarappa, who helmed many ministries, including revenue. Concrete roads were laid everywhere. New bus stands stood spick and span. Tall buildings and star hotels raised their heads. Real-estate prices skyrocketed. But behind this activity, farmers were being cheated into selling their land, and many were reduced to begging. Some of those dispossessed slowly found their way to Advocate Vinod. He began to see a pattern: politicians were abusing their power and amassing wealth while the poor went hungry. He began seeking information through the Right to Information Act, and filing public interest cases. Vinod spoke at length to Talk about what made him go after Eshwarappa, who also happens to be the state BJP president. Excerpts from

CRUSADER Advocate Vinod has filed petitions against Shimoga’s biggest politicians, Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa

opment is helping the powerful. In 2007, Yeddyurappa and his children bought land from farmers near BH Road. They lied to the farmers that a ring road would pass through the area, and the government would acquire their land. Poor farmers holding just one or two acres believed Yeddyurappa and sold their fields to him for as little as Rs 30,000 to 35,000 an acre. That was five years ago. An engineering college called PESIT stands on this land today. A ring road has come up, but it has not gone through the land Yeddyurappa bought from the farmers. It passes by the side, and has raised real estate prices to Rs 30-35 lakh an acre. Hasn't Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa's administration bettered the life of the people of Shimoga in some ways? Only they have benefited. They have bought all the prime property there was in Shimoga. They have almost divided up the city and shared it later registered it in his name. between themselves. About four to the interview: Another case was related to the five years ago, the rent of a single-bedYou have complained against the deputy chief minister and that led to a encroachment in Hunsekatte forest room house was around Rs 1,500. Now, it’s Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000. In such Lokayukta raid. What has happened in area. a situation, how can a government its wake? employee with a salary of Rs 7,000 to I am an advocate. I am a Christian You complained to the Lokayukta on Rs 8,000 survive? The people of with neither caste support nor December 13. The Lokayukta filed an Shimoga have been cursing the two wealth. Politicians, on the other FIR on December 17. It raided politicians. If you compare the two, hand, have money and a caste follow- Eshwarappa's house and office on the Yeddyurappa is better. At least he has ing. I have the support of the people. December 24. That is a week between done some work for the people. I am on the side of justice. Until now the FIR and the raid. Wasn’t that time That’s why I filed only a public interI had no fear. Now, I fear for my life. I enough for Eshwarappa to prepare for est case against him. have been receiving threatening calls. a raid? I have expressed my concerns to The week’s gap says Do you expect justice Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar. He it all. Even a common ‘Only the powerfrom the Lokayukta from has appointed a gunman outside my citizen ful profit from raid and the case? Shimoga can guess house. I have done what I what might have this so-called could do. I can only Do you have any happened. There is development’ do so much. no need for me to personal aniPoliticians are powtalk about anything. mosity against Eshwarappa and As the BJP state president and the erful people. I have filed the case with deputy chief minister, Eshwar-appa all supporting documents. The other BJP leadwields influence. If you look closely at Lokayukta police have to investigate ers? No. I have no his reaction and comments after the the case transparently. Otherwise personal grudge against Eshwarappa. raid, you will understand. The assets people will lose faith in the system. I I do not belong to any political party. found by the Lokayukta are the same filed two cases: one on February 21 I have no desire to contest elections. I as the assets Eshwarappa had last year and another on December have also filed a PIL against former declared to the Election Commission. 21. The Lokayukta in Shimoga are dealing with no other cases right chief minister Yeddyurappa. Last year on February 21, I had complained How has Shimoga changed in the past now. If we don't get justice here, I hope this will at least raise awareness. against Yeddyurappa to the five years? Lokayukta. This was regarding the The government is wasting money on The raid has received good media four sites being allotted to his daugh- unnecessary things. People talk of coverage. I can only hope future ter Arunadevi under the journalists’ development. Let me give you an politicians will be honest, and that quota. He had also grabbed land and example of how this so-called devel- people elect the right leaders.

year ender

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

Moderators of mayhem New Year's celebrations, wild and raucous, often spin out of control. Prachi Sibal brings you stories you’ve never heard before, in the words of people who work quietly when everyone around them is partying

The stoic bouncer

‘A well-dressed man climbed the diving board and jumped straight into the empty pool’

WILD TIMES Typical scenes of New Year’s Eve revelry around the MG Road area

New Year parties can get dangerous. Once, at Bangalore Central, a group of ten stags tried to enter a party that was meant mostly for couples. We stopped them initially, but let them in when they persisted. Once inside, they got drunk and caught hold of me, and threatened to beat me up. Others got involved and we threw them out of the pub. But it didn't end there; when we went downstairs after the party, we saw that they were waiting for us with some friends they had called over. The other bouncers and I were beaten black and blue and one of the assailants swung a kitchen knife, which left a deep gash on my shoulder. Another party at Devanahalli had a fashion show as part of the

people from the villages managed to enter the party. Perhaps they had never seen such a sight, and got pretty excited. After getting drunk, they went backstage looking for the models. When we intervened, they backed off, but some of them ended up puking all over the women. There have been funny incidents too. At a party at Green Valley hotel, they had a dance floor set up in a swimming pool. The water was drained out and people had to get down into the pool to dance. A welldressed man, after having just a few drinks (that too mocktails!), climbed up the diving board and dived straight into the empty pool. He ended up with broken legs and had to be rushed to the hospital. At one outdoor party, there was

Former bouncer who now runs a company that supplies bouncers package. It’s a rural area and some this group of six boys who started a

competition to see who among them would finish ten beers first. One of them was also celebrating his birthday, so the excitement was palpable. We kept watching them until they were about two beers down each, but soon got distracted. When we checked after a while, we didn't find them there, and assumed they were taking a break. But it was when we passed that way that we realised what had actually happened: all six had passed out and were snoring! We had to inform their folks and put them on cabs to be sent home. The funniest memory I have is that of a man, dressed like a corporate executive, who went to visit the pub’s bathroom before leaving the party. He did his business there, but started undressing after he came out. One of

our colleagues saw this on the CCTV camera and informed us. By the time we got there, he was fast asleep. The man had obviously mistaken the bathroom floor for his bed. I have spent 15 years working as a bouncer at pubs and I can tell you New Year parties are the most trying time for us. Our work begins as early as 7.30 pm and ends at 2 am. When people create trouble at a party, at first we try to pacify them. We start by talking to them, but do not hesitate to give them a whack or two if things get out of hand. If the situation cannot be controlled still, we call the cops. My company manages 600 bouncers, sent out to parties all over town. They are trained in martial arts and gymnastics, and are equipped to handle many people at the same time. We look at overall personality and instruct them to avoid foul language at all cost. Spoken English is one of the key skills we look out for in the bouncers we hire. Party organisers pay us about Rs 1,500 per bouncer for one night and we let the bouncers keep Rs 1,000 on average. If we get paid Rs 2,000, as we do sometimes, the bouncers get to keep Rs 1,500. We organise transport and food for them unless the venue is on the outskirts, in which case we get to claim an allowance from the organiser. Smaller pubs require three to four bouncers each, while large scale parties book anywhere between 40 to 60 bouncers a night. Parties on the outskirts of the city are more prone to brawls breaking out. On New Year’s Eve, we see at least one fight at every pub, and several in the larger parties. It has been our experience that the moment the matter goes to the cops, the troublemakers calm down and apologise easily. As bouncers, our responsibility is limited to ensuring the safety of guests, especially women guests, inside a pub. We stop interfering the moment a fight is taken outside the pub. In pubs, fights break out usually when stags try to gain entry, or when guests bring counterfeit tickets. Falling liquor bottles can trigger trouble. Sometimes people are just plain drunk. In fact, I meet so many drunk people. I even maintain a diary where I write about the people I come across when I am doing my job.

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

The amused chef

‘A drunk waiter started swinging from the chandelier’

Chef at a five star hotel

At a New Year’s Eve party in a Mumbai hotel where I used to work, we got a crowd of 1,400 people when we were expecting 500. The food and beverage arrangements got very challenging and the place was so crammed that the staff couldn’t reach the service points. Many women got molested just trying to pass through the crowd to the other side. The staff carrying trays were stripped clean of all food before they could reach the buffet area. To add to it, one of the waiters got so drunk that he climbed onto another’s shoulder and started swinging from the chandelier. We had to go to some trouble before he got him down, and needless to say, he was fired soon after. At another party, one of the guests, a girl wearing a silk dress, was standing close to a man smoking a cigar. By accident, her clothes got burnt in the wrong place and she didn’t realise it until somebody told her. Obviously, a fight ensued and our staff had to get involved. At another party, a drunk guest tried to climb on to the buffet table and landed on his backside into hot curry. We had to change the whole spread beacuse of the mess he created. In hotel parties, there is a custom of switching off the lights just before midnight and switching them on when it strikes 12. At one such party in a Delhi hotel I used to work for, somebody in the crowd screamed happy

New Year when the countdown had reached six. It created a lot of chaos and people began wishing each other. At this point, the guy at the lighting console did what he was supposed to and switched off the lights. When they came back on again, we found ourselves standing with a crowd of guests in the kitchen. We were shocked, but also amused. I still don’t know how they managed to get in there in the dark. Incidents like a champagne cork hitting someone’s head or cigars lighting up clothes are common in banquets. It is amusing because usually we are the only people around who are sane and sober. We have to maintain a straight face, and even be apologetic while interacting with them. We in the hospitality industry are known for our creative abuses. In the course of the night, we come up with new ones for every type of guest. For instance, a miserly guest is called 'chindi,' while a show-off is a 'Delhiwalla.' At our party last year, we had planned for 1,500 guests, but it rained and only 500 turned up. We hardly had any people to serve. What's worse, it was planned as an open air event, and the lawn became all mucky in the downpour. We tried to fix it with sawdust and artificial flooring, but it didn’t work. This year will be my 12th New Year's Eve celebration working inside a hotel. The fun comes above from a passion for the business you are in, and from stretching yourself to see what you are worth. But sometimes, I do wonder about a time when I will be the one having fun while others around me work to keep me happy!

The earnest waiter

‘A good 98 per cent of the guests were drunk and had thrown up all over the floor’

Senior waiter at a popular pub in the MG Road area

Last year, we received a crowd of 825 people and were faced by what we typically call the 'sticky floor situation'. Put simply, 98 per cent of the guests were drunk and had thrown up all over the floor. In 2010, we had 10 guests from Kerala who had booked tickets online and showed up at the venue completely drunk. We were forced to refund their money and send them back. Usually, people buy premium liquor off the trolley bar only after they get a little drunk and are trying to show off in front of the female guests. This will be my fourth New Year's Eve at this pub and my seventh as part of the industry. When I entered the industry, a lecturer who I knew, offered me these wise words, "Forget the three Fs in your life—fun, friends and family." Essentially, that is how it is for us; we spend nearly every holiday working. We are forbidden from taking leave between December 22 and January 3, unless there is an emergency. The entire staff is briefed by the manager a week in advance. Instructions handed out include obvious ones such as 'Don't serve alcohol to those who have had too much already.' For security reasons, the entire female staff at the pub is put on a day shift and leaves the premises by about 6 pm. The rest of us report at 2 pm on December 31 and leave the pub only by 3.30 am on January 1. Extra hands are hired for this period, which includes 10 additional housekeeping staff and 12 additional

bouncers. All the furniture in the pub is sent away in a mini-truck and brought back after the party. Also, 20 new CCTV cameras are installed in addition to the existing 16 to capture any trouble. The alcohol stock starts coming in around the 27th or 28th and is stored in a dedicated space behind the bar. Normally, we stock up assuming a consumption of four beers and six pegs of hard liquor per person. Spread across different sections, three bar counters accommodate all the regular alcohol, while for premium liquor we have a cash-and-carry trolley bar. No glasses or bottles are used for serving; instead, all beverages are handed out in thermocol cups for safety reasons. The most commonly consumed alcohol at our pub is white spirits—white rum, gin, tequila and vodka. Beer is a close second. Most guests opt for special New Year packages over a-la-carte orders because they offer unlimited alcohol. Effectively, a person who drinks three pegs ends up having six on this day. The average age of guests at our New Year's Eve party is about 25, and we hardly get any guests over the age of 30. The crowd is made up of about 40 per cent women and 60 per cent men. Nobody below 21 is allowed in. Since there are few billed purchases (the special packages are booked in advance directly), we hardly receive any tips that day. Still, most of us don't mind working on New Year's Eve, and fortunately for me, I don't have family to go back to in the city. We are compensated with a day off in the following week and a staff party with lots of premium liquor, games and prizes to go around for everyone.

year ender

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

The forgetful DJ

‘We get paid almost 100 times more than a regular party’

City DJ who is popular at New Year parties

One of the strangest party experiences I had was on a New Year's Eve bash. There was this couple dancing in front of me. I could tell they were newly married from the woman's chuda (Punjabi wedding bangles). They were dancing together, but suddenly the woman climbed over the console and threw herself at me. The husband came running and tried to pull her down. They erupted in a fight after that. Occasionally, there are goof ups too. At another party, the MC and I both forgot the countdown. It was just three seconds to 12 when we realised we had nearly missed something so important, and did a rushed count from three to zero. Ever since, I try to keep off drinking at a New Year party, at least until 12.

Technical glitches are common at New Year parties. At one venue, I did a sound check at 4 pm, but nothing played when I started at 9 pm. At another time, I found that the CD player I was carrying had conked off. I remembered that the cab I came in had a CD player, so I got the driver to remove the player for me so I could use it. You can't let the music go off at any cost. New Year's Eve for a DJ is all about the money. We get paid almost 100 times more than a regular party at a New Year's bash. For instance, if I charge Rs 35,000 for a regular party, I may earn something of the order of Rs 10 lakh on New Year's. It all depends on your ratings through the year though, and that of the previous year's party. I have been in the industry for almost nine years and have spent every New Year's working. But with the kind of money we make on that day, no DJ would

mind working. Five-star hotel parties are fun, but soon realised they were auto drinaturally the most sought after, and play- vers who had gate crashed! I played some ing on New Year's is a matter of prestige for music from Govinda's films and it worked. At the end of the day, every DJ. If a DJ has no party to play in on everyone just wants to that day, things are not going right for him. have a good time. For us, the process begins six months in advance, for that's when people begin approaching DJs for New Year parties. If we get many offers (as we usually do), we weigh our options and choose the venues we are comfortable with. Because, on New Year's Eve, security for artistes is a big issue. I know of DJs who have been mobbed on stage. At an outdoor venue last New Year's which hosted as many as 5,000 people, I suddenly saw a lot of khaki clad men in the crowd. I assumed they were cops who joined in the

The vexed businessman

‘People start throwing food and drinks at each other because it's unlimited’

Owner of a popular pub

The unlimited booze and food packages are the big earners for us, they also cause the most heartburn. After a few rounds, some people start throwing their drinks at each other, or sometimes they throw food around, because all of it comes free. It becomes a sort of ego trip for them, to play with otherwise expensive food and liquor. So we have shots of good scotch and chicken legs flying about, and splattered all over the floor, but cannot really stop them; instead, we must serve them another round if they ask for it. Sometimes, glasses get thrown out of the building too, and we've had cases where they have landed on top of cars or on the footpath. Some guests can be extremely rude with waiters, and sometimes the staff tend to takes matters into their own hand. We've heard stories about a particularly rude (and drunk) guest being treated to some special 'phlegm flavoured' dish, though it's never done with our knowledge. The premium drinks are never put on the package, and for these guests have to pay extra. On request, we keep their credit cards as a deposit and allow them to order drinks on it. Some people will have a credit limit of, say, Rs 10,000, but order drinks worth 18,000 or 20,000, and taking advantage of the commotion, walk away without paying. Every year, we end up getting stuck with a dozen or more such cards, which means have to follow them up with the banks and the police, which is a painful

process. Fights are common during these parties, and at least on a couple of occasions, we've had catfights in the women's restroom, after which the bruised fighters came out with blood all over their faces. We've even had an occasion where guests who were thrown out of the premises took

a swing or two at the cops who showed up after we reported the trouble. Usually, planning for our New Year party begins by mid-December. We find out what the package rates at other pubs are like and then decide on our own. We then scout for liquor deals and sponsorships from brands. Liquor stocks are

bought two or three days before the party. We keep only brands we have tied up with outside, while the premium liquor is kept locked in. The alcohol we buy is two and a half times the quantity we stock for a Saturday night. Most guests tend to go for unlimited liquor packages on New Year's Eve. The quantity of alcohol consumed that night is twice as much as that of a weekend night. We try to keep the food simple as not many people actually make it to the main course. We decide on the menu 10 days in advance. The supplies, like vegetables and meat, come in on 31st morning. We keep the pub shut during the day and prepare for the night. We work in two batches on that day. We try to take precautions. We have four bouncers on that day, unlike the usual two, and all capable fellows at that. The housekeeping staff too is doubled (10-12 people). We ask all guests to present identity cards at the entrance and let no one below the age of 21 enter. The drinks packages are unlimited and we don't stop anyone from drinking or instruct the waiters to stop serving alcohol. For all customers who vomit inside the pub we charge a cleaning fee and pass that on directly to the housekeeping staff. It is the least we can do, after all nobody likes cleaning puke. There is a deadline of 1 am and being present at a prime location means we can't extend it beyond 1.30. We end up having to pay the cops for the half hour extension. On New Year's Eve, they usually insist on hard cash. This forms a part of our party budget right from the beginning. This isn't the only time we pay the cops though; we give them something like a monthly fee, in both cash and imported liquor.

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

The patient cabbie

Cop who’d like to party

Cop who’d rather pray

‘I’ve become used to people vomiting in the car’

‘If I wasn’t on duty, I’d be part of the crowd’

‘Every year, I pray for New Year's Eve to finish quickly’

Last year I had a good experience. I had to ferry two Delhi girls from a party at their friend's place to their PG accommodation. They were sweet, and spoke to me with respect. They even brought me dinner from the party and wished me a happy new year. And when I dropped them off, they tipped me Rs 1,000 and gave me a piece of New Year cake. But they were the exception. A few years back, I drove a boy and a girl from Bangalore to Goa on New Year's. I travelled with them for five days. When the girl threw up in the car though, it was left to me to clean it up. This will be my fourth New Year as a driver. On normal days, I finish work by about 6-7 pm but on New Year's Eve I go on till 2 am or later. In 2009, I was out working until 6 am. Nobody vomited in the car last year, but I have become used to it. Driving people home doesn't bother me much, but quite a lot of madness happens in the MG Road area on that day. There are too many bars and too many boys who drink too much. But, it is a good day also. In driving around just two parties last year, I made Rs 1,600 in tips. On normal days we may not get any tips. The company too charges customers a higher rate on New Year's Eve.

Whenever I think of New Year's Eve, there is one image that flashes across my mind. This was sometime in the late 80s. A car with four people in it drove straight into a barricade near Chinnaswamy Stadium. One of them died on the spot. That incident I cannot forget. I have spent more than 20 years doing duty on New Year's Eve in the MG Road area. It seems that, most people in the city associate a New Year party with this area alone and gather here in large numbers. This creates a lot of chaos and without the vehicle barricading that we follow now, it would be unmanageable. The most common thing we see every year is people sitting around drinking. And, once they are drunk, they begin taking their clothes off. We have fun watching such things. If not for being on duty, I would perhaps be part of the crowd. After all, who doesn't like New Year revelry?

Driver with a company that provides driver service on an hourly basis

Ashok Nagar police station

Commercial Street police station Everybody is drunk on New year's Eve, we come across offenders of all kinds. Traffic rules are blatantly violated; you find people driving fast in cars and three or more people riding on a two wheeler. They go shaking hands with everyone they see, including girls they don't know. But, the women are modern too and don't seem to mind it. Pick pocketing also happens in heavily crowded areas where people are busy celebrating. We see many open cars (con-

vertibles) on that day, where boys inside the car take off their shirts twirl them in the air pretending to be heroes. Women wear less clothes on that day anyway. At the station, the planning and briefing begins almost a week in advance, and important decisions like which roads should be barricaded—are made. Traffic related decisions are made by deputy commissioner of police (West), while law and order related decisions are taken by the additional commissioner of police. We also get briefed on who will be deputed at what point. For instance we get to know which points will have a circle inspector and which one will have a sub inspector. Some of us will be in mufti or civil clothes so we can merge with the crowd without their knowledge. Every year, I pray for New Year's Eve to finish quickly so I can come back home, do some pooja and begin my year auspiciously.

(With inputs from Savie Karnel, Basu Megalkeri and Maria Laveena) SATISH ACHARYA

The eye-liner turned intoxicant

Alcohol SAVIE KARNEL savie.karnel@talkmag.in

ou may have come across the clichéd line, “Your eyes intoxicate me,” or “Get me drunk with your eyes.” Heard mostly in films and songs, it may seem like a romantic fool’s poetry. But the lover boy may actually be right. For all you know he may be hinting at your eyeliner, which is where the word alcohol came from. Originally, alcohol referred to the black cosmetic used by Arabs to decorate the eyes, which they called alkohl. In Arabic, al is W the definitive term like the and kohl is what we Indians know as kajal. This cosmetic was used since ancient times. Perhaps, even The Talk the beautiful column on and seductive

Egyptian empress Cleopatra used it. Its origin was in the eighth century, when the Arabs discovered distillation, a refining process which involved the heating of a substance until it became gaseous and then cooling it. Alkohl was the generic term they used for any substance obtained through the process of distillation, irrespective of its physical form or intoxicating qualities. The eye makeup al-kohl was also derived in a similar way. Antimony was heated to a vapour and then condensed on a cooler surface to get a fine powder. The black powder was used as a cosmetic. When the Arab alchemists derived a pure form of liquid from fermented liquor through distillation, they called it alcohol. It was used mainly for medicinal purposes. Perfumes or attar derived through distillation was also called by the same name. The word was introduced to the Europeans only in the 12th century, when Arabic works were translated into Latin. Al-kohl

K E Y

O R D S

word origins

The word alcohol was derived from al-kohl, the Arabic term for eye-liner

became alcohol in Medieval Latin, and referred to eye makeup. Here, alcohol was the fine powder produced by sublimation of the metal, antimony, which was used to paint the eyes. When alcohol entered the English language, it retained the original meaning. Its earliest occurrence is in the 1543 translation of Papal surgeon John de Vigo’s medical works into English by writer Bartholomew Traheron.

Later, many other writers too wrote about the cosmetic alcohol. In his 1626 book Sylva Sylvarum, Francis Bacon writes, “The Turkes have a Black Powder, made of a Mineral called Alcohole; which with a fine long Pencil they lay under their eyelids.” From the early 17th century onwards, the English too started using alcohol for anything derived through distillation, especially

spirits. Liquor like wine and beer are obtained through the fermentation of the sugar in grain or fruits. When the fermented stuff is distilled, spirits such as vodka or gin are formed, which used to be called alcohol of wine. Brandy was the first distilled beverage and literally means ‘burnt wine.’ The phrase alcohol of wine was strictly used for spirits derived through distillation. In the 18th century, it got shortened to just alcohol. Very soon the meaning was extended to fermented liquor like wine and beer as well. So, any intoxicating liquid came to be known as alcohol. In the 1850s, the term alcohol was used in organic chemistry for a set of compounds formed by fermentation and distillation. Not all of them can be consumed. So we have chemicals like ethanol, methanol and propanol, which are technically classified as alcohols. What began as a cosmetic for the eyes, has gone on to mean many things. The most popular meaning of alcohol remains the intoxicating drink. The substance it stands for still continues to affect the eyes, except it doesn’t really beautify them.

year ender

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

Expensive day! Who says?

If you would like to stay away from the maddening crowds of New Year's Eve, Talk shows you where to go without going broke. Game the evening away

Ditch the party goers and head to a gaming parlour for your share of adrenaline. Pick from console games, bowl, or play air hockey. The parlour remains open till 11 pm Midnight mass and has no cover charge. Leave the alcohol behind and spend a Amoeba, Church moment of quiet at a church. While you Street are it, attend the English mass at 9 pm, and the Tamil one at 12 am. Also, check out the churches in your neighbourhood. Holy Ghost Church, Davis Road, Richards Town

Campfire on Kanakapura Rd Didn't plan a holiday in time to get away from the rush in town? Worry not, help is at hand. Head to a serene resort off city-limits and be part of the New Year cheer. Cosy up at a campfire and sing your hearts out with Karaoke. Charges are Rs 750 for stags and Rs 1,500 for couples including an unlimited buffet. The party is ontill 12 am. Holiday Village, Vajrahallli Village, Kanakapura Road

Under the stars

Wine and beer places

Want some quiet but also, uh, a spirited Noon Wines (The Scottish Pub) keeps start to the year? Here's something that things simple. The prices remain the same gives you both. Sip your poison under the and they haven't heard of cover charges. starry sky and save yourself the trouble Guzzler's Inn, for all beer fans, is invitof jammed roads and cover ing revellers at a cover charge of Rs charges. This open air 1,000 (no entry fee). If beer and wine lounge may be the place aren't what you are looking for, Oval for you. Open till 12.30 am. Bar has a party with a cover charge of Rasa, Sampige Road, Rs 500 for stags and Rs 750 for couples. Malleswaram The Scottish Pub, St Mark's Road Guzzler's Inn, Rest House Road Oval Bar, Mantri Mall, Malleswaram Zen for a new start Not too far from the madness of December 31, this place Stay home? will easily take you into the world of Not a bad thing either. Go to the all things Zen. Tucked away in a comneighbourhood wine shop and pick up pound full of trees, the restaurant serves your stuff in the morning. (It may get Oriental cuisine, complete with music in crowded by evening). Make your own the background. snacks (a simple peanut Open till 12 am, masala takes less than 10 and offering a minutes to put together) or plush but buy chips and sauce. Invite inexpensive meal. others like you, and party away. Fat Buddha, near Happy new year! Accenture, Cunningham Road SANDRA M FERNANDES

year ender

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

What to expect in 2013 So what does the new year hold for the Bangalorean? Talk brings you a sneak preview

RUNNING LATE The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation’s new test track and depot in Peenya

Public transport Having got a taste of the charms of Namma Metro with the short stretch between Byappanahalli and MG Road, Bangaloreans are eager for more. A new stretch, earlier scheduled for completion in 2012, is expected to be ready

Education Bangalore University, one of the largest in Asia, may finally be bifurcated, with a new campus coming up in Hoskote (on Old Madras Road), about an hour’s drive from central Bangalore. As of today, the university administers a staggering 654 affiliated colleges.

in 2013. Many cases are pending, though: The South Western Railway has filed cases against the BMRC over the construction of a station on Sampige Road, and a span over the Srirampuram rail line. The soap factory litigation in Yeshwanthpur has held

up work for over 10 months. And this is for the fliers: The expanded terminal of the Bangalore International Airport will be ready in 2013. The extension will double the capacity of the airport, the busiest in south India.

Politics The Karnataka assembly elections are due in May, so you can’t escape the surfeit of political action. The first ever BJP tenure in any southern state is coming to an end. Stalwarts who led the party to victory are now its enemies. Many individual reputations will be tested six months from now. The BJP here is in a poor shape, with the electorate fed up of years of corruption scandals, poor governance, in-fighting, and blundering leaders. Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, who lost his seat in the wake of the mining scandal, has quit the BJP to start a new one. He is itching to prove a point with his Karnataka Janata Party, which has managed to rope in a few senior BJP leaders, and has an eye on a loyal Lingayat vote base. There are other competitors for that vote bank, though. The Congress, which doesn't exactly shine in terms of governance virtues, even in contrast, has a tired SM Krishna hoping to charm and electorate which is eager for change. Crowd-pullers and sabre-rattlers HD Deve Gowda and his JD(S) are putting up a show of optimism, and are drawing big crowds. Will the crowds translate into votes?

GAME CHANGER? BS Yeddyurappa unveiling the Karnataka Janata Party flag

B Sriramulu's new party, the BSR Congress, will ride on some mining money. It's a test for the miners, too. How far will the money take them? Expect drama, bribery, lies, and the rise and fall of many fortunes. It is the lot of the electorate, the aam admi, that we are most concerned with. Let's hope that whoever wins, we will see at least a little bit of that elusive commodity, good governance.

Other states: Nine other states are going to the polls in 2013: Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, NCR Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu and Kashmir. These assembly elections will tell you in which direction the wind is blowing. Parliamentary elections are due in 2014 and the Congress at the centre is comparable to the BJP at home.

year ender

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

Economy The Budget, that dinosaur of an institution created by the British Raj which we persist with, will set the tone for a lot of action on the fiscal, monetary and ultimately economic front. Considering that it will be UPA-2’s last budget, with elections coming up, a populist budget with all kinds of sops, especially for the purported aam aadmi, is widely expected. Which might well mean that tough reforms, required to inject adrenaline in a faltering economy, besides reining in a runaway fiscal deficit (government spending beyond its earnings) will be given the go by, barring a few notional tweaks. For all that, given its fiscal problems, expect the usual cows to be milked even further. Analysts expect that you will pay even more for food at hotels, and for booze. Even petrol and diesel prices may rise, in spite of Congress reluctance and Allies' opposition, if customs duty is re-imposed on crude oil. The rise in excise and service tax may turn out to be quite significant. Finance minister P Chidambaram has indicated that the Budget for 2013-14 would focus on cutting wasteful expenses, promoting investments, fiscal consolidation, and increasing incentives for savings. Given his pedigree as a man for "dream budgets" he will want to deliver something memorable. In September, the Government of India announced a few major initiatives to reinvigorate the Indian economy. While

its IT spending. It has spent $ 7.5 Billion on IT products and services in 2012, an increase of 17.4 per cent over 2011, according to research firm Gartner. The FDI announcement on multibrand retail is expected to attract considerable investment, with the sector accounting for 10 per cent of all FDI projects. It is expected to create 30,000 jobs. India's automobile sector contributes 8 per cent of all FDI projects and 16 per cent of all jobs created within FDI deals. India is the sixth largest vehicle manufacturing nation and production has risen five times in the last two decades. The country

has seen 78 FDI deals in this sector by 2011 which has grown 28 per cent since 2010. The current slowdown in the sector may persist, but stimulated consumer and commercial spending is expected to keep it afloat. Infrastructure contributes 4 per cent in FDI projects and 9 per cent of the total jobs created in India. Infrastructure spending stands at $500 Billion which the Government of India plans to increase by $1 trillion in the next five years. FDI in this sector has grown by 90 per cent. In aviation, Indian carriers incurred operational losses of more than Rs. 20,000 crore over the last three years. Several airlines in India are in touch with foreign airlines for tie-ups and investment. New airlines are planning independent investments too. If the economy picks up, talks may turn into deals. Stock market analysts estimate a 1012 per cent move up in the BSE Sensex by the end of 2013, with the index touching 21,000-22,000, a range last met in early 2008 (It hit 21,206 in January 2008). Morgan Stanley has estimated the Sensex will touch 23,069 points by December 2013, The bank says liquidity is improving, valuations appear supportive and profit margin expansion is a growing possibility. Morgan Stanley expects domestic earnings growth of 10 percent in fiscal 2013 and of 19 percent in fiscal 2014. Others are not so sanguine, expecting growth to even taper off in 2014.

and Maintenance (ADM), is looking to boost revenue from Products, Platforms, and Solutions (PPS), typically understood to break the old link between labouradded and revenue. PPS accounts for only a small (around 5 per cent) now, but Infosys would like a third coming from this in the future, with the other two thirds shared between ADM and what is known as Consulting and System Integration (CSI). CSI mainly

involves large scale implementation and rollouts of enterprise software packages. Another significant factor is the geographical mix. Companies are heavily dependent on North America, and would like to hedge risks by sourcing more revenue from Europe and other countries. But even more so than the US, Europe is still affected by slow growth if not actual crises. As per Nasscom estimates, Indian IT

BUMP AHEAD If customs duty is re-imposed on crude oil, 2013 will see a sharp hike in fuel prices

they were welcomed, they need to do a lot more. The government will now permit 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and 49 per cent in aviation. Despite uncertain global economic climate, foreign investors anticipate India to be an attractive investment option. Six sectors that may attract higher FDI for India in the coming year are, financial services, retail and consumer products, automotive, infrastructure, technology, and aviation. India's financial services industry has grown 21 per cent in the last year. Another key indicator of the growth in the sector, is

Information technology

Space research The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the Saral satellite in the second week of February. It will study ocean currents and sea surface heights. Also set for launch is a developmental flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in April 2013, which will test an indigenously developed cryogenic engine for the first time. Slotted for November is its ambitious Mars foray (see Talk story: Bangalore to Mars, Issue 20).

Will 2013 again be a mixed year for Indian IT? It bounced back reasonably well after the great recession of 2008-2009. Companies like Mumbai-based Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Delhibased HCL did well through 2011 and 2012, not to mention Cognizant (USbased, but with a large India delivery); but Bangalore-based Infosys and Wipro have struggled, posting relatively sluggish growth. Cognizant, though, has been a little cautious in its projections for 2013, suggesting some relative slowing down of momentum, but this is more ominous for companies which are not doing as well. Both Bangalore companies have had leadership changes and organisational restructuring issues to deal with. Both have transformed their strategies and approach, with Infosys framing its new strategy calling it ‘Infosys 3.0’, a moniker intended to capture its adjustment to major changes in the client environment. Clients have moved away from out-sourcing purely on cost arbitrage, and instead look for substantive value from their IT investments. Infosys, which gets a large chunk of its revenue from traditional enterprise IT services around Application Development

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

Books In popular fiction, Amish Tripathi’s The Shiva Trilogy enjoys a Harry Potter-like following in India. Readers are anticipating the release of the third book, The Oath of the Vayuputras. It is scheduled for an early March release. Paulo Coelho’s Manuscript Found In Accra was released in 2012 for the Latin speaking countries. The English translation will hit the stands in April 2013. Also, Best Kept Secret the third part in Jeffrey Archer's Clifton Chronicles, will be available in May. Kannada: Nataraj Huliyar's book, Inti Namaskaragalu, will be a tribute to writers Lankesh and DR Nagaraj. Other notable works to be released include VM Manjunath’s latest novel, Royal Enfield, literary critic G Rajashekar’s collection of articles, and sarod master Rajeev Taranath’s collection of writings.

Cricket This year the IPL will be called Pepsi IPL. India will play Australia in a Test series in Australia in February and March in the West Indies, part of future tour programmes organised by the ICC. Later in the year, in October, Australia will tour India. India will tour Zimbabwe in July and South Africa in November.

Chris Gayle

exports may grow between 11 and 14 per cent though analysts believe it may be closer to 11 per cent or even lower given uncertainty in US and Europe. The new buzz words in IT are Cloud, Data Analytics and Mobility. Data analytics will continue to be a big draw as large retail chains, investment banks and corporations look to understand voluminous data to understand and predict consumer behavior. Going on the ‘cloud’ is an increasingly attractive option for companies—it saves them the expenditure of maintaining their own IT infrastructure and paying for expensive software packages. And with the surfeit of mobile platforms like tablets and smartphones, companies have to come to grips with mobility at several levels, either for their own internal use or to interact with customers and clients. Visa costs and visa rejections may go up in 2013, given the negative sentiment in a section of US lawmakers and their lobbying for higher restrictions on importing Indian talent. Nasscom says out of 1.02 lakh work visas given out by US in 2012, over 60 per cent went to the Indian IT industry

Personal tech The most exciting gadget next year— though there’s no official confirmation yet—is likely to emerge from Google’s Project Glass research programme. The company has already displayed a prototype, an augmented reality head-mounted display (HMD) that would display information in smartphone-like format, and could interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands. Overall, Samsung and Apple are likely to continue dominating the personal tech market, though not quite in the same way. Apple, in spite of a small market share, occupies disproportionate mind space, while Samsung should continue to build on its market share. 2012 saw the popularity of Samsung tablets soar with the Galaxy S3. Rumour has it that Samsung will launch Galaxy S4 in 2013, with an updated quad-core processor and a bigger screen. While Japanese majors like Sony

Cinema 2013 will mark 100 years of Indian cinema. Expect retrospectives, festivals, and commemorative events all through the year. Bollywood, like Hollywood appears to be banking on sequels and tried and tested formulae. Dhoom 3, Krrish 3, Murder 3, Race 2, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai 2, Ragini MMS 2, Shoot out at Wadala, and Sahib, Biwi aur Gangster Returns are all in the works. Watch out also for ABCD (Anybody Can Dance), directed by choreographer Remo D'Souza. Starring Prabhu Deva, the film might be Bollywood's version of Step up. David, directed by Bijoy Nambiar of Shaitaan fame, could be a dark horse. Ek Thi Daayan, directed by Kannan Iyer, revolves around the supernatural. It stars Emraan Hashmi, Konkana Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin and Huma Qureshi. Expect some 3D re-releases from Hollywood. Last year we saw Titanic and Star Wars I re-released in 3D. This year, the trend will continue with Jurassic Park, Top Gun and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Sequels include Fast and Furious 6, Iron Man 3, Scary Movie 5, The Hangover Part III, Paranormal Activity 5, Kick-Ass 2, Despicable Me 2, Grown Ups 2, Red Sea 2, The Smurfs 2, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,

Google founder Sergei Brin wearing the prototype HMD

and Sharp struggle, with depressed TV sales leading the decline, Samsung should continue to do well in this area. Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 were launched in India a couple of months ago, and it made available its iTunes store, with its huge stock of

apps, music and other media, available here for the first time. Tech blogs are abuzz with the news that Apple will launch iPhone 5S in early 2013. This thinner phone is expected to have a super-HD screen and a better battery. March may also see the launch of a new version of the iPad.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and GI Joe: Retaliation. Kannada: The year will open with AMR Ramesh’s Attahasa, based on the life of forest brigand Veerappan. Delayed by controversies and lawsuits, the film may finally release in January. Director Chaitanya, who debuted with an action thriller, Aa Dinagalu, is back with a comedy, Paraari (produced by the Shakthi group, which publishes Talk). Perhaps, the mythological hits of last year have prompted Baragaru Ramchandrappa to make Angulimala, based on the story of a dacoit who Shivaraj Kumar is coming up killed people and wore their fingers in a garland. The tale goes that with Andar Bahar, Upendra with Buddha redeems him and Topiwala and Darshan with Viraat. Last year Sudeep starred in Angulimala goes on to become a Vishnuvardhana, which had nothing monk. to do with the actor of the same name. But Vishnuvardhan’s fans went on to make the film a hit. Kishore as Sudeep is now hoping Veerappan in for a repeat perforAttahasa mance with a similar movie, titled Bachchan. Pakistani actor Veena Malik will make her Sandalwood debut with Trishul’s Dirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Maga. The name suggests it is inspired by a Vidya Balan starrer about the life of the late actress Silk Smitha. Also slated for release is a romance by director Nagashekar, titled Myna.

year ender

talk|3 jan 2013|talkmag.in

Gadgets

Sports

Dev Sukumar, writer and biographer of Prakash Padukone

Personal tech

Sony Personal 3D Viewer (HMZ-TT2): Sony has always amazed me when it comes to innovation. Even so, this was a surprise when I saw it at a Sony showroom. It really does deliver the "immersive personal theatre experience" it promises.

Highs 1: Mary Kom's Bronze medal for boxing at the Olympics, London 2: Saina Nehwal's bronze for badminton at the Olympics 3: Vishwanathan Anand's win over Boris Gelfand of Israel in the 5th FIDE World Chess Championship 4: Girisha Nagarajegowda's silver at the London Paralympics 5: Squash player Dipika Pallikal making it to the top 10 of the WSA rankings

Bibek Padhy, software developer with McAfee and gizmo junkie, picks the year's best in smartphones and personal technology

Lows 1: Sachin's retirement from one-day cricket 2: Indian cricket team losing against England in India after nearly three decades 3: Death of hockey player Leslie Claudius on December 20 4: The International Olympic Committee disqualifying the Indian Olympic Association 5: Poor performance of Indian shooters and boxers at the London Olympics

Sony VAIO Duo 11: With a race going on between laptops and tablets, Sony has left both behind with this new hybrid product. With the computational power of a laptop and ease of use of a tablet, this one's a game changer.

a new display that allows for better viewing angles. Performance too has been stepped up a notch. Sony Playstation Vita: It features a 5inch Organic LED touch screen with a motion sensitive feature that makes for a better gaming experience. It is also loaded with technologies like cell phone Sony 3D Viewer connectivity, Wi-Fi and GPS locationtracking that allows players to keep up the game on the go.

Bamboo Pen and Touch: Allows you to use your computer as a scratch pad, and for those who are paranoid Apple iMac (27-iinch): It's not just the laptops and the tablets that are getting about wires, it can also transform itself into a wireless device (at an extra cost, thinner. The new iMac is a remarkable upgrade—razor thin at the tips, and with though).

Smartphones

HTC One series: The company's two flag ship models (S and X) ruled the high end market for a while with their sleek ergonomics, improved Beats Audio feature and eye-catching display. As if this was not enough, HTC came up with the One X+, with even more power and speed. Definitely the number one on this list. Sony Xperia: The new Xperia series comes with a cool rectangular design and a range of configuration options. The sleekness of Xperia phones can keep you fixated on them for a while. From the high end Xperia S to the economical Xperia U, Sony seems to have kept everyone in mind while designing these phones. iPhone 4: This year Apple came up with two different models (4S and 5).

Highs and lows

Fashion

Fashion choreographer Prasad Bidapa picks

of 2012

Highs 1. Suneet Varma's stunning 25th anniversary collection 2. Sonam Kapoor at Cannes 3. Naomi Campbell in Jaipur 4. Arjun Rampal in anything 5. Anushka Sharma at Jab Tak Hai Jaan premiere

The most memorable and the eminently forgettable in a year that brought plenty of both. Compiled by Sandra Fernandes and Prachi Sibal Food

Films

Baradwaj Rangan, film critic for The Hindu and author of the recent book Conversations with Mani Ratnam

Lows 1. Jeggings (jeans leggings) 2. Cheap polyester dresses 3. Fake handbags 4. Too much make up 5. Bad shoes

Delights: Aarohanam (Tamil) Talaash (Hindi) Argo (English) Looper (English) Gangs of Wasseypur (Hindi) Neethane En Ponvasantham (Tamil)

Disappointments: Chakravyuh (Hindi) Student of the Year (Hindi) Cloud Atlas (English) Hotel Transylvania (English) Marthan (Tamil)

Dishes that worked: 1. Fresh lettuce salads 2. Handmade pastas 3. Cheese platters 4. Fancy shape cakes (from bikini girl to alcohol bottles) 5. Hainan chicken rice (Singaporean street food)

Samsung Galaxy Note 2: The Galaxy Note, a hybrid of phone and tablet, was a first of sorts. The Note 2, driven by an Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system, and fuelled by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, has taken it further.

Author Shashi Deshpande picks her choices of books good and bad from 2012

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James A poor sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and very badly conceived as a mystery story.

1. Sweet nothing by Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch 2. Spectrum by Florence and the Machine 3. Don't you worry child by Swedish House Mafia 4. Levels by Avicii 5. Allein by Polarkreis

1. Macarons: These simple to look at yet difficult to make confections lead the charts. They've attained a status symbol that chocolates could only dream of. And they're here to stay. 2. Red velvet cupcakes: What started off as American-Chinese wedding cakes have found a cult following among gourmets and foodies alike. Moist and rich chocolate cake, masked under fake red colour with an irresistible cream cheese frosting, it is found in many avatars now. 3. Doughnuts: The mad expansion of doughnut chains

and the entry of international brands is evidence enough. Mithaiwallas, watch out! 4. Caramel: A more niche but stunning new wild card entry is the salted caramel, which comes in every conceivable form. What chefs had kept as a secret for a long time finally goes mainstream. The proverbial pinch of salt in desserts makes a grand entry in 2012. 5. Pork: The one entry outside the sweet category. Pork and pork products are hot all over again. The days of plain chops seem numbered though, with belly, loin, roasts all hogging menu spaces above the usual suspects.



The Racketeer by John Grisham Grisham has been disappointing for a long time, and this one was as bad as most of his later books.



Party tracks DJ Blaque’s top five chart busters in 2012

Manu Chandra, executive chef and partner of Olive Beach, Monkey Bar and Likethatonly, picks the winning dishes of 2012

Dishes that didn't work: 1. Pizza 2. Sandwiches 3. Sushi and Sashimi 4. Fish ‘n’ chips 5. Norwegian salmon

Samsung Galaxy S3: Samsung has always been the smartphone on steroids. This was proved once again when they came up with the Galaxy S3 with a bigger screen and a faster mobile broadband connection.

Books

Music

Dishful thinking

Sudhir Nair, executive chef at Hotel Royal Orchid, on what worked and didn't work with guests in 2012

There is not much difference between iPhone 4 and 4S, with the voicerecognition software Siri being the main enhancement. The muchhyped iPhone 5 was not up to the mark. From the Apple line-up then, it's still the iPhone 4 that leads.



Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel This Booker-winning novel is amazingly good and tells in an original way the story of English king Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, though the main character is Thomas Cromwell, a contemporary of theirs and an important figure in the court. A wonderful book which gives in great prose an idea of the cruelty of the King which leads to the beheading of Anne. Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin Having read Clair Tomalin's biography of Jane Austen which I loved, I expected a great deal from this life of Charles Dickens and was delighted with it. The book is as full and exciting as Dickens' life was and gives a clear picture of the man, his writing and personality.

Five favs of 2012

Vikram Sampath , writer and organiser of the Bangalore Literature Festival, on the five books he liked best in 2012 1. And All is Said by Zareer Masani, a personal memoir about the tumultous lives of his parents 2. Durbar by Tavleen Singh, for its classic portrayal of the coterie in political Delhi and creation of the dynasty 3. Return of a King by William Dalrymple, on the history of Afghanistan and its parallels with today's crisis there 4. Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto for its sensitive portrayal of dysfunction 5. Tales from Shining and Sinking India by Akash Banerjee, for a news reporter's interesting anecdotes from the action on the ground