Talk Magazine

talk Volume 1 | Issue 38 | May 2, 2013 | Rs 10

magazine

the intelligent bangalorean’s must-read weekly

ELECTIONS 5 prominent citizens root for Congress 8 TRIBUTE Manu Chakravarthy on violin legend Lalgudi Jayaraman 9 CUISINE How to cook with flowers 16

KUTTI JAPAN

The Japanese are coming to Bangalore—and settling here—in bigger numbers than ever before. MARGOT COHEN profiles unusual Japanese professionals in the city, and visits cosy little corners where their culture thrives 12-15

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mail

Story on SM Krishna timely; Congress is in danger of scoring a self-goal The cover story on SM Krishna (Game Over, Issue 37) was timely, wellresearched and wellpresented. The piece by DP Satish (Will the Congress defeat itself?) was sharp in its analysis of the party’s foolhardy decisions in issuing tickets.

Vijayendra via Facebook Cancer alert It is high time we started caring about our health and reviewed our food consumption patterns and lifestyle. This was the thought that struck me when I read the cover story on breast cancer (Issue 36). One can no longer afford to be ignorant about this deadly “B” cancer. My congratulations to Maria Laveena for sounding a warning bell to all junk food lovers, especially girls.

It would be great if Talk carried more such health articles. Apart from the cover story, I found MK

Raghavendra’s piece on remakes (The Secession of Bollywood) astonishing in its insight. I also liked Hanumantharaya’s column on the ‘doctor-killer’.

Sirisha Akshintala by email Amusing item on pygmies The Chutney item about Indonesian pygmies dubbed ‘hobbits’ (Indonesia’s dreadlocked little people, Issue 36) was well written, cheeky and amusing. I have not read anything in the recent past that brought a smile to my face the way Talk did last week.

Mala Sridhara Jayanagar A chance to explore Talk provides delightful variety. Its catchline, ‘the intelligent Bangalorean’s must-read weekly’, is not only witty but also piques the reader’s curiosity.

The articles are enlightening and

team talk EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE TEAM

SR Ramakrishna Editor Sridhar K 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 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: 08040926658. © All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

entertaining. Sometimes, it emphasises a topic more than required. Overall, it is a journey where one gets to explore new things.

Supriya Pradhan by email

Value of foster homes I was intrigued by Savie Karnel’s article on foster homes (For a hug and a home, Issue 37) in Bangalore. Foster homes first came up in the UK and the USA. They are not like adoption centres. The

article shows how some families are kind and caring towards poorly treated children. Foster homes can make or break a child.

Nandini Sharma,, by email Write to letters@talkmag.in

around town

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in RAMESH HUNSUR

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editor talk Some months ago, a friend who works as a civil engineer told me about the influx of Japanese citizens into Bangalore. In the 1980s, when hundreds of Iranian students arrived here, they were visible everywhere: hanging out at expensive bars, rampaging up and down on their motorbikes, and even getting into violent fights. But the Japanese are a total contrast. Mostly here in a professional capacity, they keep to themselves. In fact, not many Bangaloreans know much about the Japanese presence here, though it has doubled since 2008.

Margot Cohen, a writer whose work Talk readers are familiar with, was intrigued when I mentioned the new Japanese interest in Bangalore. As one who has reported for the Wall Street Journal and The Far Eastern Economic Review, she knows a thing or two about feretting out information from foreigners living in Bangalore. She got to work and collected fascinating details. Over three months, she met Japanese settlers and visited cosy little enclaves where their culture thrives.

My engineer-friend had complained the Japanese behaved like slave-drivers. For him and some others, they came across as stubborn and unreasonable, with no concern for colleagues with families and such other responsibilities. So do the Japanese view their Indian colleagues as slackers?

Oddballs on the ballot Not every contestant in this hope of winning, but to make a to protest. Here we profile a election is cast in the point, some unusual candidates. stereotypical mould of the wily radio jockey politician. Talk profiles an RJ, a The Rohith Patel, a 28-year-old radio transgender person and a mute jockey, is contesting from the constituency. He says activist, who have joined the race Jayanagar this wasn’t an overnight decision, for reasons of their own but something he has planned for

SAVIE KARNEL savie.karnel@talkmag.in ne of the things about elections is that they give hope. Despite knowing that politicians of all parties have failed us, citizens trudge to the polling booths in the hope that they can elect a better government. Then there are common citizens who actually stand for elections, not because they have any

O NO BAK-BAK Popular RJ Rohith Patel hands out his CV to voters

in media, and that meant TV, movies or radio. “TV would have taken my entire day. I didn't know anyone in the movies. So, I got into radio,” he says. He got his first break in Akashvani, after which he moved on to Big FM. Rohith is popular among the station’s listeners. He had hoped that his 1,000-odd followers on six years. In fact, the mechanical Facebook would help him camengineer says his desire to be in paign. Reality is dawning on him politics made him enter the radio now. “Those on FB only press the industry. But why politics? He 'like' button and do nothing more,” replies with a question, thrown he says. “I wanted them to spend with the rhetorical flourish of the just two hours in the evening, but RJ, “Are you happy with the way they couldn't even spare that.”

When he things are?” turned to some local He figured to Rohith’s Rs 4 youth, he got a rude be able to win elecshock.

“They tions he needed lakh savings demanded Rs 500 a money, a politically is funding day, plus biryani and experienced family, his campaign beer. They told me or fame. Since he that was the going didn't have the first two, he thought the third would rate, which all parties paid,” he do the trick. To him, the easiest says. About 60 of his friends have way to become popular was to be now come forward to help him.

Eventually, this didn’t turn out into a workplace story, or even a story scrutinising stereotypes. In fact, it yielded rich detail into a community that likes Bangalore better than the other metros in India. Catch our vignettes of Nippon in Bangalore.

Assembly elections are just two weeks away. We did a dipstick survey—which by its very definition is informal—to sense the mood among Bangalore’s prominent citizens. They are pushing for a change of guard. That report, and lots more for you in this edition. Happy reading!

SR Ramakrishna ram@talkmag.in

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“They are doing the job of 250 people,” he says.

Rohith has been going door to door and handing out his CV, which he thinks will help him garner votes. “Over 40 per cent of Jayanagar's population is educated.

I think they will vote for someone who is educated,” he says.

But then, Rohith's opponents are also well educated. Current MLA BN Vijaya Kumar of the BJP holds an engineering degree, just like Rohith. He has been in politics for nearly 25 years.

But Rohith hopes his age will favour him. “Most contestants are over 50. After that age their health deteriorates and they should retire from politics,” he declares.

Rohith agrees money and power help win elections. He is using Rs 4 lakh he had saved up to put into an apartment purchase. He hopes to raise an equivalent amount from well wishers.

“I think I am already a winner.

Whoever comes out to make a difference is a winner,” declares Rohith.

The transgender

OUR TURF Transgender BSP candidate Sowmya (centre) believes that the large presence of her community in Gandhinagar will help her in the polls

Gandhinagar has high-profile politicians like Dinesh Gundu Rao of the Congress, Subhash Bharani of the JD(S) and PC Mohan of the BJP. Amidst this battle of seasoned heavyweights, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded a newcomer to politics, a transgender person called Sowmya Sri. Born a man, Sowmya (33) underwent a sex change surgery. She is the first transgender person to contest elections in Karnataka. “After I announced I was contesting elections, people have started treating me with more respect,” she says.

Having worked with several NGOs for the rights of sexual minorities, she is confident that she has the support of the transgender community. “Gandhinagar is the hub for people of my community. They live and even work here. The trading communities also treat hijras with respect and will vote me,” she says.

But for all her optimism, her campaign doesn't seem well chalked out. Even on April 20, barely 15 days before the polls, she was still ‘planning’ the campaign. So far, only the campaign funding strategy, which she calls “One note, one vote,” is in place. “We will ask people to cast their vote in our favour. They could donate one note, of any denomination. It could be a Rs 10 note or a Rs 1,000 note,” she says.

When Talk met her, the campaign was yet to start. “We will garland Ambedkar's statue at Okalipuram bus stand and begin campaigning. We are not paying volunteers, but will give them food,” she said.

Sowmya’s only promise is that she will keep Gandhinagar garbage-free, and provide better living conditions to people of her community.

Though she stands little chance of winning, she is the first transgender per-

son in Karnataka’s history to contest opposed to packaged water bottles. assembly elections.

Ambrose has found an appropriate election symbol too—the tumbler. Not waiting for any followers, he has been going from The silent contestant Ambrose D’Mello is contesting elections as house to house with a tumbler, water and a a mark of protest. This 45-year-old is well board which says he is contesting the polls. known in the city's activist circles, and his He hands over water to people, which is his candidature from Chikpet is his way of way of seeking votes.

Eight years ago, Ambrose came across continuing his struggle for free water.

Ambrose, also known as Amrita, hasn’t some construction workers who were spoken for the past eight years. He thirsty but unable to find any water. He embarked on this unique form of protest went to the nearby houses asking for water against the commercialisation of water. He on their behalf, but in vain. They told him advocates free availability of water, and is to buy water from a shop. Then and there, he decided to start a campaign against “capitalists profiting from water.” (See the Talk profile of Ambrose The silent fighter, Issue 9).

Ambrose has walked barefoot for 320 km from Bangalore to Bellary to protest against illegal mining. He stopped using footwear to protest against the killing of five Dalits in Haryana in 2002. The Dalits had skinned a dead calf, but Hindu radicals accused them of killing a live animal. Since leather is used to make chappals, Amborse has sworn off footwear.

Ambrose has an MA degree. He had cleared a UGC exam and enrolled for a PhD programme before he became an activist.

He says he has no religion, no relatives, no family. He eats just one meal a day, and has no permanent residence.

He earns his living by selling books on unity and secularism, on which the publishers pay him 40-50 per cent commission.

What remains after meeting his expenses, he gives away to those in need.

Ambrose makes no promises for votes. He has no personal agenda of any kind. He is neither contesting for the thrill of it nor for money. His campaign is simply LONE WARRIOR Ambrose is contesting to draw a sincere protest. attention to commercialisation of water

A contestant-in-waiting Not all unusual candidates contest elections out of selfless or idealistic motives. In the 2009 parliamentary elections, BSP fielded Vijay Raj Singh from Bangalore Central. The then 37-year old businessman had waxed eloquent on the need for young people in politics, the need for idealism, and so on. He had also made news by parading models during election campaigns.

Instead of party Vijay Raj Singh workers, he had hired professional models to follow him on his campaign trail.

As expected, he had lost. When we asked Singh if he was contesting the assembly elections this time, he retorted, “I had contested parliamentary elections.

This is just an assembly election. I want to be a MP and not a MLA.” Asked if he would campaign for the BSP this time, he bluntly says, “I am no longer in that party. I'm in the Congress. I have always been with the Congress. Last time, I didn't get a ticket from the Congress, so I had jumped to the BSP.” Surprisingly, BJP's PC Mohan, the MP from Bangalore Central who defeated Singh, is now contesting the assembly elections from Gandhinagar. Singh, who has lost none of the arrogant manner he's known for, says he hopes to get a Congress ticket for the parliamentary elections next year. If the Congress high command isn't impressed with his resume, let us watch which party he will jump to.

fun lines

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G Parameshwara, next CM? If the new power equation at the Congress manifesto event is anything to go by, the KPCC chief is gunning for the top job Releasing a manifesto is a ritual before the elections. Never mind if neither the candidates nor the voters read it. The Congress manifesto event, repeatedly postponed, eventually took place on April 24, a week after the other

parties had released theirs. The grand ceremony was held at the KPCC office on Queen’s Road.

While the intention was to highlight the manifesto, it actually ended up highlighting the party’s internal differences.

LISTEN UP G Parameshwara at the Congress’ poll manifesto release event

The seating arrangement (a reliable marker of changing power equations) brought the simmering dissatisfaction and factionalism out in the open. Senior Congressmen Dharam Singh, Oscar Fernandes, Jaffer Sharief, Veerappa Moily, KH Muniyappa and Rahman Khan were all seated in the back row. Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, one of the leaders being considered for the chief minister’s post if the party wins, was also somewhere at the back. Normally aggressive leaders like DK Shivakumar and RV Deshpande were forced into corner seats and wore a disinterested look.

The prime seat in the front row was occupied by none other than KPCC President G Parameshwara, with Siddaramaiah sitting next to him. The ‘arrangement’ provoked a hushed discussion among party workers. “Parameshwara’s going to be the CM,” they were heard saying.

BASU MEGALKERI

The Congress has issued tickets to 10 women. Last time, all 11 it fielded lost. That, some leaders say, was a party ploy to teach women never to demand tickets again.

By founder B Sriramulu's reckoning, A constituencies have strong candidates and a strong party presence, B for good candidates and a fair party presence, while C constituencies have weak candidates and a weak party presence. He believes 53 constituencies are A, 27 are B and the rest C.

districts. He has decided to offer men and money to A candidates.

He has decided not to offer money to candidates in B constituencies as he is certain they are well off. He will campaign there only if he finds the time. He has decided not to campaign in C constituencies as he sees zero prospects. But candidates will carry out limited campaigning to assert the party's presence.

Sriramulu is clearly the lone star campaigner, and he is keen not to spread himself too thin.

This season, no party is talking about specific problems. For example, party manifestos make no mention of corruption.

At the Press Club earlier this week, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda parried questions on corruption. The only thing he would say was that it was wrong in the eyes of the law, but not so in people's minds.

The KJP, by contrast, has issued tickets to 11 women. Shobha Karandlaje, BS Yeddyurappa's close confidant, is credited with ensuring better representation for women.

Shobha Karandlaje

Just as mines in Bellary are graded, the BSR Congress has graded its constituencies into A, B and C.

Cauvery, corruption are no poll issues

The JD(S) had issued tickets to 10 women last time, and all of them had lost. But surprisingly, in three by-elections, three women posted victories---Kalpana Siddaraju from Maddur, Anita Kumaraswamy from Madhugiri and Aruna Revur from Gulbarga South. This time, the party has issued tickets only to six women.

Despite the short shrift being given to them, why aren't women workers protesting?

FOCUSED Sriramulu expects his party to perform well in North Karnataka

Consequently, Sriramulu has decided to campaign in A constituencies, which cover eight north Karnataka

Where are the ladies?

In the 2008 election, the BJP had provided tickets to 10 women. Three won and became legislators. This time it has given tickets only to seven.

What grade is your neta?

Anita Kumaraswamy

The Cauvery dispute is not on the agenda either, even though water scarcity plagues southern Karnataka, especially Mandya, Mysore and half of Bangalore. The

WATER WARRIOR Deve Gowda is the only leader to talk about Cauvery

Krishnarajasagar dam is neardry. No leader barring Deve Gowda is talking about it as an election issue. They believe Cauvery resonates only in the Mandya region.

pot shots

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va ha ag ople R e e ti pa .. P lik hu Ram. ers .. g Ra ja ead iji..

Ra ke l ndh li Ga

But then I’m no Gandhiji...

KNN

Tem issu ple e?

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S ll r n s se wi paig y ca m n ca in a

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These idiots want to send me to the ICU...

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VOTE A PITY

Where is the starter, please?

I’m Ash Emper ok or w . No Bat here’s w, alip utr a?

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W an ra CM t to me , e b sh h, e wa ra ?

With assembly elections just two weeks away, politicians hit the road to seek your blessings. Ramesh Hunsur captures their many moods in pictures you’ll never see in any other paper N

o, no ke Jus , M ep t oi Si th wan ly a dd at t va u fe to re ! ou llo t! w

Script: Ayyo Rama See what I’ll do if you don’t watch my movies!

Chee... so many lies in our manifesto!

Siddaramaiah, don’t think I’m sleeping. I’ll wake up the moment we win...

Next CM? Who nose?

Oh, Rahula.

Can’t you see I’m meditating?

s! key n’t Mon ust do o yj wt The ow ho e. kn ehav b

Ticket for my daught...

Oh, sorry, Sonia madam, I’ll shut up!

KNN

election watch

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UR ANANTHAMURTHY

SUHAIL YUSUF

SG VASUDEV

KM CHAITANYA

S SADAGOPPAN

Jnanpith awardee, former vicechancellor, and cultural icon

Secretary of Brigade Road Shops and Establishments Association

Co-founder of Cholamandalam Artists’ Village, national award winner

Director and theatre person. Bestknown for feature film Aa Dinagalu

Founder-Director of International Institute of Information Technology

WRITER

BUSINESSMAN

ARTIST

FILMMAKER

ACADEMIC

BJP lags in dipstick survey Five prominent citizens of Bangalore see hope in the Congress, and urge young voters to go out and vote PRASHANTH GN prashanth.gn@talkmag.in

S Sadagopan: The Congress has cant to say on anything. What are we not ruled the state for a while. They left with? would be keen to prove a point.

Suhail Yusuf: The Congress and the JD(S) would be good, provided the JD(S) does not repeat with the Which leader would you Congress what it did with the BJP. like to see as chief minister?

Vasudev: Any coalition without What qualities should such a the BJP. We don't want Hindutva and leader have? corruption.

Ananthamurthy: Siddaramaiah Chaitanya: Any coalition withand Mallikharjun Kharge are both out the BJP. Ideally, I don't want the good candidates. They have concern Congress to align with any party, but for the weaker sections and they have if there's no choice, they should go immense experience. with the JD(S).

Suhail Yusuf: Any leader who Sadagopan: Coalitions haven't works on the lines of SM Krishna, worked well in Karnataka. I pray we who put Karnataka and Bangalore on don't get another. A party with a clear the world map. Siddaramaiah has a mandate is what I'm expecting. mass following but is not popular

?

alk asked five well-known Bangaloreans key questions about the assembly elections on May 5. They favoured the Congress over the BJP, and named Siddaramaiah and Mallikarjuna Kharge as their chief ministerial within the Congress, and Kharge has good support within the party. A favourites. tough choice.

Vasudev: Siddaramaiah and Which is the party best Kharge seem good candidates but I placed now to govern am not sure which of them is better.

Karnataka? Why? Siddaramaiah has good communicaUR Ananthamurthy: Congress. tion skills, while Kharge has been a The BJP has shown instability and consistent winner. reeks of corruption. I have problems Chaitanya: Krishna Byre with the Congress, too, but by and Gowda. I like a chief minister who is large it is secular, has a stable bearing, well educated and not too elitist. He and its all-India character is better. should be connected with grassroots Suhail Yusuf: Congress. We Karnataka, give emphasis to agriculhave seen misery for eight years. ture, and not think Bangalore is Corruption has been at an all-time Karnataka. high. No citizen will come forward to Sadagopan: Siddaramaiah and offer anything good for the state if Kharge seem good leaders but need a current affairs persist. clear mandate to do well.

SG Vasudev: Congress. The BJP has been characterised by instability In the case of a hung verdict, and corruption. It wasn't the party with a difference as it had claimed. which would be the best The Congress will hopefully offer sta- coalition set up? BJP-JD(S)-KJP bility and a corruption-free govern- or Congress-JD(S)-KJP? Ananthamurthy: I am tired of ment.

KM Chaitanya: Congress. Every hung verdicts. I hope we don't have other party has demonstrated incom- another. While the BJP has been corrupt, the JD(S) has nothing signifipetence in governing Karnataka.

T

?

?

?

Is it useful to vote for activistcandidates with no mass backing? For example, Dr Meenakshi Bharath of the Lok Satta Party is contesting from Malleswaram, and Ashwin Mahesh, a PhD in astronomy, is contesting from Bommanahalli?

Ananthamurthy: They may be well-intentioned, but they would be ineffective. Votes for individuals will go waste. Instead, vote for stability.

Suhail Yusuf: They just won't make a dent. Arvind Kejriwal has campaigned against corruption, but has corruption ended?

Vasudev: Sometimes, it is difficult to judge what they represent. I saw one of them supporting Hindutva. How can one vote for them?

Chaitanya: It would be nice to vote for them, but I wish they had party backing, mass following, and cadres in every corner of the state.

Only then can they effect social and

policy change. Such candidates will at best be a fringe, pressure group.

Sadagopan: They are good people, but they would not be effective because of their small numbers. All the same, if one of them wins, it means one seat less to a major party.

We should encourage them. I see Meenakshi is very committed, upright and articulate.

?

What is your message to young urban voters?

Ananthamurthy: Be alert to parties' ways. Vote with awareness.

Suhail Yusuf: Get up and vote.

Vasudev: Think and vote. It should be a reflective vote.

Chaitanya: Vote for stability and quick decision-making.

Sadagopan: Please run to the booth and vote. Bangalore Urban just doesn't wake up on voting day. I want to set a record by completing voting by 12 noon! So I want them to wake up early and vote.

?

What would you want elected leaders to do for Bangalore?

Ananthamurthy: Overall development of Karnataka should be the focus.

Suhail Yusuf: I want to make Brigade Road the most prominent street in the country. Let leaders just give me room and see the magic I will perform. And I want them to put technology to proper use—use technology well to prevent traffic violations.

Vasudev: Make Bangalore a vibrant cultural city.

Chaitanya: Bangalore is not Karnataka.

Sadagopan: Make all regions in Karnataka technology friendly.

tribute

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The Lalgudi I knew Lalgudi Jayaraman was the one violinist who harmonised his individual talent with the genius of his musical tradition, without letting either suffer

he violin is a Western instrument and figures as the lead in great violin concertos in the Western classical tradition. It also plays a crucial role in symphonies even when it is not the lead. It is amazing that such an instrument has rooted itself in Indian classical music (especially Carnatic) in a vital, and almost indispensable, manner. One cannot imagine a Carnatic concert without the violin featuring in it in a big way. Even as an accompanying artist the violinist is as significant as the main performer, lending tremendous value to the concert, at times even overshadowing the latter.

Carnatic music has produced extraordinary violinists.

Tirukodikaval Krishna Iyer, Malaikottai Govindaswami Pillai, Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai, Papa Venkatramaiah, Mysore T Chowdaiah, TN Krishnan, and Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu (whose technique the legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin described as “perfect and matchless”)—to name only a few—were highly accomplished violinists who enhanced the range of the main performer and, more importantly, elevated the very nature of the concert. Quite often one saw the main performer turning to the violinist for intellectual and aesthetic sustenance whenever she/he faltered during a concert.

Lalgudi G Jayaraman was an outstanding violinist who added rich dimensions to Carnatic music and came to be associated with it as a major performer and much sought after by great musicians (many of whom were senior to him).

In the 1940s, Lalgudi was in his teens and started accompanying the stalwarts of the time. Since then, there has not been a single major performer he has not been an accompanist to. From Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Alathoor Brothers, GN Balasubramaniam, Semmangudi

T

N Manu Chakravarthy The author, a wellknown literary and film critic, knew Lalgudi Jayaraman since the 1960s, and recently wrote the sleeve notes for two of the maestro’s CDs

THE MAESTRO A portrait of Lalgudi Jayaraman (September 17, 1930 - April 22, 2013) by M Sreedhara Murthy. Lalgudi visited Murthy, who writes the Prof Good Sense counselling column in Talk, in Chamarajpet.

Srinivasa Iyer, Madurai Mani Iyer, go far beyond the strict boundaries of and KV Narayanaswamy to the next grammar and convention. But it was generation of performers, Lalgudi Lalgudi who harmonised his individwas the star accompanist, adding to ual genius with tradition, without letthe main performer’s structures and ting either suffer. The violin, in patterns. Lalgudi’s contributions Lalgudi’s hands, matched what is were actually extrapolations of the accepted as supreme—the human main artiste’s delineations, originat- voice. As for tonal quality, purity of ing from his own intense and philo- notes, imagination and structuring of sophical understanding of the raga ideas, Lalgudi achieved a unity few and the kriti. In other words, could even after decades of training Lalgudi’s accompaniment was not and practice.

One only needs to listen to “concert-determined”, but shaped by the musical tradition he was a part of. Lalgudi accompanying Madurai Mani His individual genius was honed by Iyer in the mid-1950s, changing the the range and depth of this tradition. contours of Taarini telisu konti in raga Shuddha Saveri, to Lalgudi’s artistry understand this. In sprang from his meditaThe violin Meenakshi me mudam tive approach to music. matured in dehi, a composition in His velvet-soft notes raga Poorvi Kalyani, he were cerebral and emoLalgudi elevated the music of tional at the same time.

Jayaraman’s Alathoor Brothers, as he His aesthetics cannot be hands did in other ragas such merely explained in as Saveri (Sarasuda nee) terms of melody or rigorously worked out ideas. The violin Todi (Dasukovalena), Mukhari (Ema and Vachaspati matured his hands. The earlier gener- ninne), ation of violinists displayed energy (Kantachoodume).

Lalgudi’s exemplary style is also and vigour, remaining traditionalists to a large extent, while the next gen- in evidence in his rendering of raga eration, like T Chowdaiah (who made Madhyamavathi (with his sister G a radical experiment introducing Srimathi and the great mridangam seven strings to the violin) and TN genius Palghat Mani Iyer accompanyKrishnan, produced individual ing him) and his subtle, sophisticated explorers who let their imagination and richly expansive handling of

ragam-tanam-pallavi when Palghat KV Narayanaswamy took up Paahi parvata Nandini in raga Arabhi at the Navaratri Mandapam in Trivandrum.

These are to be contrasted and compared with Lalgudi’s virtuosity in accompanying others like the dazzling and stately GN Balasubramaniam and the sober and sedate Musiri Subramania Iyer. They give a glimpse of the variety and range of his repertoire.

I cannot end this piece without talking about the relationship I shared with the maestro over four and a half decades. Lalgudi had great respect and love for my father and always looked him up when he came to Mysore during the Ramanavami music festival. I met him as a child in the mid-1960s. Lalgudi’s son GJR Krishnan called me up about two years ago with the request that I write the sleeve notes for two concert recordings to be released by All India Radio as CDs. I told him it would be my honour and privilege to do so.

What was gratifying was that Lalgudi was moved by the notes and expressed his desire to meet me. It is painful and tragic that I cannot meet him in flesh and blood now. However, what gives me consolation is that I can meet him every moment through his silken notes. My pranams.

fruity loop

Case of vanishing mangoes Everyone’s favourite summer fruit is not only expensive this year, but could soon disappear from the markets altogether

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

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RAMESH HUNSUR

Chris Gayle Cricketer

‘I’m not under pressure to hit sixes and fours’ After your record knock, what were your thoughts? How was the situation in the dressing room?

I was calm and didn’t do anything extraordinary. It’s funny because Murali (Muthaiah Muralitharan) had given me some tips on batting before the match (laughs). Everyone was happy in the dressing room. We had a celebration, just like we would after any other match that we win.

MARIA LAVEENA maria.laveena@talkmag.in

any people got a rude shock when they checked the prices of mangoes this year. For those who hope the prices will come down, there is bad goes out of season.

Pri The retail chains are also under news. Mangoes are not going to get any cey cheaper. In fact, they may soon stop pressure. The More chain of supermartre Hopcoms at kets is currently running a campaign coming into the market. offers some of the Blame it on the untimely rains and to boost mango sales. Banners best mangoes available in dry spells across the state. “The flower- scream ‘mango festival’, but the the city, and is far cheaper than ing of mango trees has reduced drastical- chain is facing difficulty in some markets and street vendors, Talk ly and the crop is a mere 35 per cent of sourcing mangoes. According found. Hopcoms takes pride not only in last year’s,” says Doddakende Gowda, to a store manager, “In fact, ripening the mangoes naturally (and not with Managing Director of the Horticultural the situation is so bad that the help of chemicals) but also in selling them at Producers Cooperative Marketing and when we asked farmers for affordable prices. At present, they have mango Processing Society (Hopcoms). extra fruits, they got angry.” varieties like Alphonso at Rs 90, Raspuri at Rs 50, Elaborating on the severity of the crisis, He says the shortage is not Kesar at Rs 65, Badami at Rs 80 and Sindhura Rs limited to 30. All these are likely to be available only till another official at second of week of May. However, they expect to fruits like Hopcoms told Talk, ‘This year’s crop have stocks of other varieties like Mallika, mango, but “Out of 176 agricultural Thothapuri and Langra till June. Russell is a mere 35 is also affecttaluks, 145 are hit by Market sells varieties like Malgoba at Rs ing vegetables. drought. The bore wells per cent of last 120, Raspuri at Rs 80, Banganpalli at Rs “If we don’t get have dried-up and due year’s’ 80 and Alphonso at Rs 150. Fruit showers in 15 to migration, labour is vendors sell the same varieties days, we will be not availabile. You cancheaper: Malgoba is at Rs 80, not expect the yield to get any better short of vegetables and the prices Banganpalli is at Rs 60, will shoot up too.” than this.”

Raspuri at Rs 50, and Managers at the Auchan The yield alternates every year Badami at Rs 100. between good and bad, but the pattern chain of supermarkets too seem has changed, and farmers and traders are equally worried. A manager reeling. “We had poor yield last year so fears the prices will soar anyfrom other districts or from outside the we termed it an off year, and had hoped time soon.

Mubarak Sasha, Secretary of the state,” he said. for an on year this time. But the opposite At Russell Market in Shivajinagar, a Bangalore Mango Wholesale is the case,” Gowda said.

At present, Hopcoms outlets have Association, agrees supply has come hub of fruit and vegetable trade, shops stocked mango varieties like Alphonso, down by as much as 70 per cent. “In had an abundant stock of mangoes, Raspuri, Sindhura, Badami, and Ramanagara and Channapatna, where arranged in neat, shiny rows.

Thothapuri. These stocks may last only we usually get our stocks from, farmers Mohammad Shanaraz, owner of Tabruz till the first or second week of May. In say they won’t be able to supply any Fruit Centre says the supplies are fact, the officials are urging mango more fruit after second week of May. sourced from Maharashtra and Tamil lovers to buy their favorite fruit before it The only option is to bring in supplies Nadu.

M

Ever since your performance in IPL people are always looking forward to seeing you on the pitch. Are you under pressure always to hit sixes and fours to keept the crowd engaged?

No, I’m not under pressure to do that. All I think about is the game and to play it well. I just go out there and enjoy myself (smiles).

When I play well, I enjoy it and in turn the audience also has a good time. I’m glad that I can put smiles on peoples’ faces.

Which bowler do you fear the most, or think is a challenge?

No one, actually. Every bowler is different and I think it is necessary to play well against each bowler.

There’s no bowler that I fear as such.

SANDRA M FERNANDES Chris Gayle, is a Jamaican cricketer who plays for West Indies. A former Kolkata Knight Riders player, he now plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL. He recently scored a record 175 runs in 66 balls against Pune Warriors India, the fastest century ever scored in cricket.

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Questions

Reactions, statements, accusations, complaints, or just straight talk—this is where you get them all

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

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The sun in a fruit NIGEL DURRANT

Mango SAVIE KARNEL Savie.karnel@talkmag.in

nce upon a time, a king went hunting in a forest. There he found a girl lying unconscious. She was so beautiful that he fell in love with her and married her. The girl’s name was Surya Bai. The queen, the king’s first wife, grew jealous of Surya. One day, on the pretext of showing her something in the palace pool, she W pushed Surya in. She died instantly, but was reborn as a sunflower that grew out of the pool.

Now the queen grew jealous of the beauty of the flower, so she uprooted the plant and burnt it. A tree grew from the place where the ashes were thrown. On the topmost bough, a bright yellow fruit grew.

The Talk One day a milk column on maid was resting

O

under the tree. The fruit fell into the milk pot. When she came home, she removed the fruit from the pot. Right before her bewildered eyes, the fruit transformed into a baby girl. The woman looked after her as her own daughter.

One day, the king, who happened to pass by, saw the girl, now grown up. He recognised her as Surya. He took her back to the palace and banished the cunning queen. When he learnt Surya’s story, he tried plucking the yellow fruits from the tree. They didn’t turn human, but they did turn out to be delicious and succulent. According to the folktale, he gave the fruits a Sanskrit name, aam phalam.

Phalam means fruit.

It is only apt that the king of fruits is ascribed a royal origin. The story goes on to tell how the aam phalam trees grew in the lower Himalayas, and how their fame reached far and wide. Soon, people living below the Vindhyas also heard of it. These people who spoke Dravidian languages too got these saplings and planted them in Southern India.

The Tamils pronounced aam as maan and phalam as kay (fruit). So the word

K E Y

O R D S

word origins

become maankay, pronounced as maangai.

It later became maampazham. Kannadigas call it maavinkaayi. The Malayalis, maanga.

The Portuguese, who colonised coastal Kerala, too called it manga. The term spread to other European languages as well. The word’s first recorded attestation in a European language was a text by traveller Ludovico di Varthema in Italian in 1510, manga.

It is unclear as to how manga became mango in English. There is a story that a 16th century traveller wrote a letter to his friend in England about this delicious tropical fruit. The writer had spelt the name of the fruit as manga, but since most Portuguese words end with o, the reader assumed that the a was o. The English called the fruit mango.

There is also a desi joke around how the fruit came to be called mango. It goes that an Indian was eating a mango. An Englishman passing by saw him and was intrigued. He asked the Indian, “What are you eating?” The Indian thought that the British wanted the fruit. So he replied in Hindi, “Mango,” meaning, “Ask for it.” The Englishman thought the name of the fruit was mango and called it so.

THE KING The word ‘mango’ travelled from Indian languages to English

spotlight

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

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RAMESH HUNSUR

TASTES LIKE HOME A group of Japanese businessmen enjoy lunch at the Chancery Hotel

The hidden worlds of the Japanese T

Today, Bangalore is home to more people from Nippon than old favourites Chennai or Mumbai. They are doing everything from supervising Namma Metro tunnels to selling health supplements to singing Kannada songs, and when work gets to them, retiring to golf courses and cosy corners where their culture thrives

MARGOT COHEN

he Japanese word for ‘clean’ is the same as ‘beautiful’. That word is kirei, and it is a rather elusive quality in Bangalore—a city losing the battle to manage its waste and restrain its careless residents.

But it is also true that more and more Japanese are living and working in Bangalore, adjusting to this pungent city and its loud traffic. It’s almost an imperceptible shift, a phenomenon occurring just under the urban radar. Yet it is a fact that the number of Japanese residents in this city now outstrips Chennai and Mumbai, and Karnataka represents a rapid growth area for Japanese business compared to other states in India. With 229 Japanese companies already established, some major ventures are just around the corner, including a new Toyota Kirloskar hospital and a massive Honda motorcycle factory.

Meanwhile, smaller companies are seeking to get a toehold, too.

This is hardly a Japanese invasion. The latest figures show 886 Japanese citizens

based in the city, a figure that has doubled more investor-friendly, Karnataka and its since 2008. Yet 18,000 Japanese visitors are capital have their plus points for the coming to Bangalore regularly on business Japanese. Beyond the usual boons of good trips, looking for opportuniclimate and educated workties to thrive outside of a force, there is another For the Japanese, stagnant home economy. In prime factor: golf. Yes, a big attraction another sign of interest, a Japanese businessmen tend new Japanese-language to be very fond of golf, and of Bangalore is quarterly magazine about Bangalore’s five golf coursits golf courses Bangalore was launched es—including the spread at recently, crammed with Eagleton, where even the advertisements from Japanese firms. caddies can speak Japanese—are more One ad was placed by Uno-In, which expansive than the facilities available across calls itself a "quality business hotel." But this the border. must be the only hotel in the city that spurns “Chennai is very difficult! There are walk-in requests for rooms. The Indian man- only two courses, and they are occupied by aging director, Nic Iqbal, says that his estab- many Koreans,” observes Kazumasa Kuboki, lishment off Langford Road will only provide head of the Japan Desk at JCSS Consultancy hospitality to corporate customers who pre- in Bangalore. Golf-watchers say Hyundai book their rooms in Japan. The restaurant executives partly account for the rush. does not accept spontaneous diners, either.

This story is not purely about business, Private parties are held on the rooftop though. It’s about new opportunities for lounge, behind a high bamboo fence.

Indians to familiarise themselves with a culture that has long remained hidden. The vignettes below offer a few windows on these The tee factor While Tamil Nadu’s government is seen as worlds.

Japanese companies in Bangalore 229 | Japanese citizens living in Bangalore 886 | Annual business travellers from Japan 18,000

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

An engineering pioneer on Double Road

RISING BUSINESS Yosuke Shiina handles the Japan desk at a hotel that is putting in place major changes to cater to the special tastes of the Japanese

A makeover on Lavelle Road Imagine a group of seven Japanese businessmen, each wearing nothing but a towel. After a long day of meetings, the men are relaxing in a sento, an immaculate communal bath where they soak their muscles in very hot water and murmur gentle jokes among themselves. When it is all over, the luckiest one will submit to the vigorous ministrations of Wakui, a 50- tional bath, as described above, will be a year-old Japanese masseuse dispatched to centerpiece. But private amenities will be Bangalore after she built loyalty in provided, too—since hygiene is viewed by Bangkok for expertly kneading the torsos most Japanese as a top priority. The hotel of senior Toyota executives. The other is busy installing deeper bathtubs in each men will find their way back to their room, to suit the guest who wants to soak rooms, flop down on a firm mattress and up to his neck. Luxurious Toto bidet/toiswitch on the NHK Japanese television lets will eject streams of water in various channel to follow the latest baseball games directions for thorough cleaning of those nether regions. back home.

Meanwhile, the It’s all destined to be A Japanese plump European-style part of the ongoing masseuse kneads sofas in each room will makeover at the Chancery be replaced with a more Hotel on Lavelle Road. the torso of sleek design.

Ever since the Indian Toyota executives Downstairs, the doorowners signed a joint venmen have been trained ture agreement with a Toyota subsidiary last August, designers to offer Japanese greetings to guests.

While the renovation work won’t be have sought to refashion the 10-year-old property to accommodate the special completed until September, there are tastes of the Japanese. The spa with tradi- already signs of the Chancery’s dramatic

transformation. In March, the hotel launched a new Japanese restaurant, called Matsuri, meaning “festival.” With a kitchen outfitted with water filters from Japan, the restaurant serves sushi imported from Thailand, pork imported from Korea, and an utterly bland vegetarian set meal marketed as a “Japanese Buddhist monk meal” known as Shojin Ryori. (This monkish offering did not appeal to Indian taste buds when it debuted at the Harima restaurant on Residency Road some years ago.)

In the lobby, a Japan desk was established in January. Yosuke Shiina, a tall young Japanese executive who studied in the US, is at hand to make quick phone calls and do some translation for guests deficient in English. What is the core principle of the new venture? “Zero error,” he says.

An unlikely singer on Sankey Road

CHINDI MAGA! Kazumasa Kuboki is part of Japanese choral group Royal Echo, whose repertoire includes Kannada film hits

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When Kazumasa Kuboki came to Bangalore in 2003, he promptly joined a Japanese choral group called Royal Echo.

The group’s wide-ranging repertoire included Kannada hits from such popular movies as Gandhada Gudi (Temple of Sandalwood) and Aakasmika (The Accident). Sure enough, Kuboki managed to pick up enough Kannada from a textbook to hold his own among the 20-member ensemble, which regularly performs at dinners hosted by the Japanese Association.

Sixty-year-old Kuboki also has a day job as head of the Japan desk at JCSS Consulting Pvt Ltd, an accounting and regulatory services firm on Sankey Road. But what sets him apart is a longstanding interest in Indian culture and Indian languages.

In the mid-1960s, he majored in Indian sociology at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. In 1968, he landed in Delhi, thanks to a scholarship to learn Hindi. Today, he can still speak and read the language. “Hindi is easy for the

Japanese. English is a permanent challenge,” he observes.

When the time came to enter the corporate world, Kuboki chose to work at Mitsubishi, a trading firm that was doing significant business with Indian companies. He became expert at discerning different working cultures in the two nations. Japanese are sticklers for deadlines. Like many of his countrymen, he noted that Indian executives sometimes promised more than they could deliver.

“Indians tend to say, ‘No problem!’ That is a problem,” he quips. But then he quickly adds, “Of course, Indians are very intelligent and very cordial.”

Kuboki’s interest in Indian languages continues to take him in new directions.

He says he is now picking up Tamil, having already mastered Bengali. To practise his Kannada, he chats up drivers and waiters. In June, Royal Echo will stage its next performance. And this time, it looks like Kuboki will be busy rehearsing songs from the hit Kannada film Mungaaru Male (Monsoon Showers).

By day, she builds the Bangalore Metro.

By night, she writes novels and short stories. But 49-year-old Reiko Abe is not just an unusual character. She is a pioneering woman in a field that largely lauds the achievements of men.

Born in Osaka on August 15— which she later discovered to be India’s Independence Day—Abe soon displayed her own independent streak.

She was the first woman graduate in civil engineering from Kobe University, and went on to be Japan’s first woman specialist in tunnel engineering.

Subsequently she was promoted to be the first woman in her construction company to reach the heights of general manager. “Every time, first,” she says, in an emphatic staccato.

Much of her career has been spent abroad. Abe has worked on rail systems in Taiwan, mainland China, Qatar, and the Ukraine. She came to work on the Bangalore Metro in 2010, after a three-year stint with the Delhi Metro. When her work is completed here in 2014, her company will dispatch her to Dhaka. “That’s my job,” she says.

She finds the work challenging.

Bangalore has a mix of soft soil and hard granite, slowing down progress on the seven underground stations that she supervises. As chief quality engineer, Abe is also responsible for the safety of the entire system, which runs to 42 km.

After work, she occasionally drinks beer with a few Japanese businessmen, or colleagues from her office at the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd on Double Road. She rarely mixes with the Japanese wives who attend daytime tea-parties sponsored by Sakura-kai (the “cherry blossom” society). Abe reveals that she is not particularly fond of golf, and yearns to meet more career women. “I wish more Japanese businesswomen would come to India,” she says. In Bangalore, she counts less than 10 working women from Japan, although there are nearly 900 Japanese residents.

“It’s strange,” Abe adds.

Instead of socialising, Abe puts in long hours writing fiction. She says she sticks to Japanese characters (so don’t expect a roman à clef about Namma Metro). Asked to cite her favourite Japanese authors, she names Miyuki Miyabe, who pens best-selling thrillers such as All She Was Worth, and Hiro Arikawa, who often writes about the Japan Self Defence Forces. Unlike many authors, Abe prefers a low profile. She generally shuns photographs.

She simply carries on.

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

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Finding adventure off Residency Road

HOME TREATS Akiro Kato, who runs Japanese grocery store Kenko’s in the city

A search for health on Brigade Road The Japanese are justifiably proud of atively open market with solid growth their longevity. Some of them are par- prospects for consumer products.

But the price points turned out to ticularly fond of health supplements, such as turmeric mixed with milk. But be dicey, given an average 35 to 40 per trying to parlay Japanese health sup- cent import duty on merchandise plements into a healthy business from Japan. “The ordinary Indian model in India isn’t easy. Such is the would not be able to afford it,” notes story unfolding on Brigade Road, Akira Kato, the US-educated director where a prime storefront property of Indo FMB Pvt Ltd, the company wedged between Scullers and the backing Kenko’s. And even if half of Citibank ATM has remained empty Bangalore’s wealthier Japanese population drops by, “they won’t come since last September.

The property is rented by every day,” he reasons. Besides, many Kenko’s, a small Tokyo-based whole- businesspeople manage to shop for saler. The name means “I am healthy.” Japanese groceries in Singapore or In a recent advertisement in a Thailand, where prices are cheaper.

That has left Kenko’s with a Japanese magazine, Kenko’s owner tough choice: sell Nobufumi Hosokawa just 5 per cent of explained that the ‘Average Indians Japanese products, shop’s launch was can’t afford these such as Japanesedelayed due to diffistyle pasta sauce, culties clearing cusgroceries,’ says dried Udon nootoms on its Japanese Kenko’s Kato dles, various beverproducts, among other ages and those obstacles. But Kenko’s is now planning to open its doors in vaunted health supplements. Most of July or August. “We believe it would the other products would be sourced help Indian longevity,” claims the ad. from India—pretty much the same The store plans to sell a variety of brands sold everywhere.

So what’s the USP? “We will proproducts, including groceries, drugstore items and cosmetics. In compli- vide better service than others,” insists ance with regulations, the Japanese Kato. Cashiers will be trained to place will work as wholesalers, in tandem change gently into the customer’s hand, rather than slamming it down with an Indian retailer.

At first, it looked like Bangalore on the counter. Queue-jumpers will would be a good bet. Unlike Delhi or not be tolerated. And salespeople shall Chennai, the city did not yet have any discreetly assist the customer in locatJapanese grocery stores. And unlike ing items, rather than treat everyone China, which is saturated with big like a furtive potential shoplifter. “It’s a players, India is still perceived as a rel- matter of attitude,” he concludes.

There are certain people who seem to have a like incense and vegetable dyes. “She knows talent for packing multiple lifetimes into India like the back of her hand, and I know one stretch on the planet. That’s the case Japan like the back of my hand, so we make with Rie Goto, one of the few Japanese busi- a good team,” says Geetha.

The company is wedged into a third nesswomen based in Bangalore. As the cofounder of Masala Tours, a company that floor office around the corner from Pub aims to provide a little adventure for nor- World on Residency Road. A row of seven mally-staid Japanese tourists, Goto over- young Japanese employees peck madly at computers. Goto sees her main challenge as flows with adventurous tales of her own.

Her story leaps through multiple conti- weaning Japanese tourists away from their nents and cuisines. Trained as a registered single-minded obsession with the Taj nurse, Goto left Japan to volunteer for Mahal. “They don’t know anything about the South,” she says. Her Mother Teresa in Calcutta, firm had tried to fill the gap about 28 years ago. That One customer by offering free translation of stint in India also included Karnataka department of some hectic travel and health brought back tourism brochures, but the emergencies, including a raw eggs from government ignored the bout of hepatitis contracted Singapore offer. on a houseboat in Kashmir.

In Bangalore, she runs To improve her English, she worked for a year in Canada. Next came six tours that expose Japanese to the pleasures years of backpacking in South America, of Indian classical music, astrology, crafts, where she picked up some extra cash as a and cooking.

But in her role as a business consultant tour guide in Machu Picchu.

When she returned to Japan, Goto for expats, Goto has first-hand knowledge of launched a restaurant in Numazu City, Japanese devotion to their own cuisine. about an hour outside of Tokyo. Her recipes Most Japanese develop a distinct taste for spanned the globe, from West Africa, South sticky rice, and buy 5 to 10 kilos of the staple America and Cuba. But she kept shutting when they make trips back to Japan. Some down the restaurant for months at a time, so people also manage to bring back lots of pork and beef, which they believe is more she could hit the road again.

Even her engagements with spirituality tasty and hygienic than the local variety.

Sometimes the zeal for imported growere tinged with abundance. She got involved in no less than three ashrams in ceries borders on the bizarre. As Goto tells India. But meditation and yoga did not cure it, one Japanese client was particularly fond her wanderlust. Eventually, she started run- of a breakfast dish that called for sticky rice ning overseas tours for friends and cus- with raw eggs and seaweed. But he was wary tomers at the restaurant. In 2003, she guid- of eating raw eggs from India for fear of ed tourists to Kerala, Kanyakumari and chemicals hidden inside them. So he decidMadurai. That led to a decision in ed to buy some eggs in Singapore and conNovember 2005 to start a tour agency and ceal them in his checked-in luggage.

The man was outraged when he discovbusiness consultancy based in Bangalore, together with a Malayali business partner, ered the eggs had broken inside his suitcase.

No one could persuade him that this was Geetha CT. Geetha speaks fluent Japanese, after entirely predictable. There would be no crisscrossing Japan to sell Indian products authentic breakfast for this samurai.

FRIENDLY PLANET Rie Goto runs a travel company that exclusively serves Japanese tourists

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Anime on Cambridge Road, and beyond Cartoons are not just for kids. That’s the BAC has a “veritable army of artists, carrule of thumb in Japan, where the fine art of toonists and aspiring mangakas,” the site anime has inspired generations of fans and claims.

At least one Bangalore entrepreneur transcended national borders. Together with comic books known as manga, and fig- hopes that this growing subculture will be urines based on anime characters, the genre good for business. Last November, Rishi spans action fantasy, romantic comedy, Walia set up Gundam Galaxy, an outlet on Cambridge Road for pricey anime figurines sports and animal tableaux.

While anime has long exerted a strong and other Japanese toys and accessories. It cultural influence over Southeast Asia, it wasn’t just a whim. With an MBA from only began stirring curiosity in India about Australia under his belt and a corporate five years ago, through television. Today, career that included stints in Citibank and a the Internet is proving a more powerful supplier for Toyota and Mitsubishi, Walia medium in adding fans, thanks to its freebie studied the market and decided the prospects were good. The allure. While Blossom figurines come as do-itBook House on Church Japanese graphic yourself kits, which he says Street does stock a few forms like anime promote concentration piles of manga near the and persistence in chilwindows, they are selling has trancended dren. (One of the cheerat a slow clip. national borders leaders for Walia’s new One Indian fan who business is his 13-year-old got hooked in college is Anand Pillai, now a 24-year old IT profes- son, Siddharth.)

“From personal experience, I undersional in Bangalore. “The medium is animation, but the storyline is quite mature,” stood that in India, there has been a huge he explains. In March, he put together a void in quality toys over the last ten years. website for the Bangalore Anime Club (see: There is nothing but toys manufactured in www.bangaloreanimeclub.com) and helps China being dumped here,” Walia observes. organise meetings on weekends. The club’s As for the Japanese figurines, “I was really pre-existing Facebook page has attracted impressed with the engineering that goes about 700 members online. Members tend behind making the kits.”

So far, most of his wares have appealed to be in their late teens or early 20s, and their fantasy lives are fairly intense. “There to boys and men. To attract more female is nothing we love more than donning the interest, Walia recently obtained the districlothes and personalities of our favourite bution rights for the Japanese brand characters,” proclaims the website, making Sekiguchi, which emphasises cute over cool. a pitch for ‘cosplay’ (short for ‘costume Japanese purses, wallets and teddy bears are on their way. But some girls might still preplay’).

The site also aims to showcase artwork fer the dark charisma of anime idol Alucard. and spur participation in manga contests. (Hint: that’s “Dracula” spelled backwards.)

ALL ANIMATED Former Citibank employee Rishi Walia runs Bangalore’s only anime toy store

From Kyoto to Bangalore, via Kundapur

LAST STOP Megumi Sakakida, a fine arts student at Chitrakala Parishath, speaks Kannada and plans to settle in Bangalore

It’s not every day that you run into a Japanese woman who speaks Kannada. When Megumi Sakakida says in fluent Kannada, “I am going to spend the rest of my life in Karnataka,” it gives you pause. Ask her which place she belongs to, and she replies, “Nammooru Kundapura,” (My place is Kundapura.)

In Japan, she met Maral, a man from Kundapura, who worked at a hotel there. Megumi and he were colleagues and later became friends. Megumi came with him to India. His parents in Kundapura consider her their daughter.

Megumi came to Bangalore to study art at the Chitrakala Parishath. This final year MA student says she fell in love with Karnataka and its people. She also prefers spicy Indian food.

Her teachers say she is active and mixes easily with her classmates. Says her professor HN Anil Kumar, “She is never still.

She is always ready to draw the classroom on her canvas. The environs of our institute have been a constant theme in her art.”

Megumi’s father Takayuki Sakakida is a businessman in Kyoto. Her mother Chikoko is a school teacher. She is their only daughter. She says her parents have always allowed her the freedom to pursue what she likes. When she expressed her desire to study art, they didn’t stop her. Megumi has developed a keen interest in Kannada literature, and plans to live in Bangalore for good.

BASU MEGALKERI

food path

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

Edible flowers: Dos and don’ts

Pan-fried Silver Pomfret, Braised Lotus Hearts, Wilted Spinach and Marigold, Warm Jasmine Vinaigrette

 Don’t eat store-bought

flowers unless you can confirm they are organic.

You’re better off growing your own, or buying from a certified organic grower or someone you trust.  If you’ve never eaten raw

flowers before and don’t know if you might be allergic or not, take a taste before you eat a whole bouquet.  Remember, even though a

flower is technically edible, it may not be palatable to you. So experiment, and find out what you like, then plan your menu.  Also, just because the

flower is edible, it doesn’t necessarily mean the whole plant is. Do some research or ask an expert to identify the edible and inedible parts of a plant.  Always wash as well as

possible, and do expect to drive out the odd multilegged visitor. After all, growing organic means living with insects.  Never gather flowers from

the roadside. These plants have been absorbing toxins from vehicles and petrochemicals.  If you purchase flowers for

consumption, buy them from the produce section of a grocery store or specialty gourmet shop. The ones for sale at florists and greenhouses have definitely been treated with chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and fungicides.  Gourmet grocers who sell

edible flowers often sell just the detached petals. In most cases, that’s all you want to eat. Depending on the blossom, you may want to remove pistils and stamens from the centre of the bloom.  And never, ever, eat a

flower that you do not know for certain is edible. Once again, ask an expert.

(Excerpted from an article

by Signe Langford in Canadian Living)

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The lotus eaters A

rituals. “People here are not aware of the flavours flowers can yield and don’t know how they actually taste. For instance, hibiscus when cooked would be slimy like okra,” he says. Vikraman always keeps flowers in stock for experimentation and for guests who might want a special menu crafted.

While chefs like Vikraman use edible flowers in the actual process of cooking, popular chef Manu Chandra (Olive Beach, likethatonly and Monkey Bar) prefers to use them only for garnishing. “I use flowers primarily for aesthetics. For instance, I use nasturtiums for salads as they are bright and colourful. It is also because we grow them and there is no problem with supply,” he says, adding, “In north India, you get other interesting edible flowers like rhododendron, the supply of which is not reliable here.” This keeps Chandra from adding dishes containing flowers to his regular menu.

Flowers may be a more common sight in restaurants offering world cuisine, but they are increasingly being used in Indian cuisine too. Chef Sanjay Tyagi, who is also director of Tattv and Umerkot restaurants, uses a rare flower, coxcomb for flavouring some Kashmiri delicacies on the menu. “The

white sesame seeds.

Method:

Arrangement: Place the sautéed wilted spinach and marigold in the centre of the plate, place the braised lotus heart and stem and top with pan fried fish, drizzle the Jasmine vinaigrette on and around the fish. Garnish with a few petals of jasmine and marigold

Pan-fried Pomfret: Marinate the pomfret with lemon juice, salt, pepper, mustard and garlic.

Heat oil in a pan and pan fry the pomfret till done.

Braised Lotus Hearts: In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. Set aside this sauce. Heat a wok or pan over medium high heat and add the sesame oil. Saute the lotus root slices along with the heart for a couple of minutes, or until the edges of the lotus root start to become translucent. Add the sauce and chilies and simmer the lotus until the liquid evaporates (about 3 minutes).

Garnish with a sprinkling of toasted black or

Chefs in town are doing all they can to bring those pretty things from the vase onto your dinner plate, finds Prachi Sibal. Also, here’s a look at flowers in traditional Indian cuisine

lily in blossom peering out of your cocktail, a plateful of dessert with a whiff of cheery lavender or a salad sprinkled with the season’s fresh flowers, all this and more—including whole dishes made from flowers—are now part of the dining out experience in the city.

While garnish is the preferred way for some, others are infusing flowers and their flavours into dishes while cooking them. The Grand Mercure Hotel in Koramangala recently held a demonstration titled ‘A Tribute to Edible Flowers’ that taught participants how to create a four-course meal using flowers as ingredients. The results were as exotic as they came: Hibiscus Velouté, Carnation Tarts, Rose Panacotta and so on.

The demonstration also saw the widely available but not-so-popular on the plate flowers like marigold and jasmine being used in cuisine.

Chef Vimal Vikraman, responsible for putting together the flower power demo, says he picked up some of the techniques during his travels through the Caribbean as a chef on a cruise ship. He says flowers are used extensively for cooking in the Caribbean islands, unlike in India, where they are associated mainly with

Ingredients: 180 gms white pomfret, 2 hearts of lotus, 50 ml of olive oil, 4 slices of lotus root peeled and sliced, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 20 ml rice wine, 3 dried chilies - each broken into two or three pieces, 200 gms of spinach, 1 marigold flower, few jasmine petals, 5 gms chopped garlic, 2 gms mustard paste, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste, pinch of black and white sesame seeds, 5 ml vinegar, 15 ml fish velouté

coxcomb, like saffron (which is the stamens of Unfortunately, flowers like lavender are not a flower) comes from Kashmir. The flower is available in India and we have to make do not used directly, but is dropped in hot oil or with a lavender flavouring and place an water and the infusion is then used to flavour orchid or a violet for garnish in the glass,” says the dish. It’s similar with jasmine, which I use Sherine John, beverage manager and mixoloin pulao; the flowers and roots are soaked in gist. Other flowers on the menu here include carnations and cantaloupe water and the infusion (karbooz) flowers. used,” he says. Sanjay thinks While flowers may that the use of flowers in ‘In India, flowers have found their way into cusine is not as popular as it are used whole. the city’s gourmet scene should be because many Garnish is a only recently, they have gourmets are moving away from pungent flavours of Western concept’ always been present in traditional cooking—banana, any kind. “People now keep pumpkin and drumstick away even from cardamom flowers being the most common. Says Ratna and vetiver (khus),” he explains.

But despite that, the trend of using flow- Rajaiah, culinary expert and author of How ers in cooking, whether as ingredient or gar- the Banana Goes to Heaven, “Both Tamil Nadu nish, is slowly catching on. While adding and Karnataka use banana flowers extensiveblooms to your plate might brighten up your ly. They are most typically used to make meal, the basics mustn’t be forgotten, warn poriyal (vegetable accompaniment). Pumpkin the chefs. Manu Chandra insists that the flowers are also used by some sections of peoflower’s edibility must be carefully tested. He ple in the state. These are batter-dipped and and other chefs insist that edible flowers be deep fried or found in curries. They taste simprocured from reliable suppliers who don’t ilar to the zucchini flowers used in use sprays or fragrance agents (for more do’s Mediterranean cuisine.”

Ratna explains that in Karnataka and and don’ts, see box).

Flowers are also slowly making their way elsewhere in the South, flowers are traditioninto drinks too, and it isn’t just through sug- ally used as an integral part of a dish and not ary preserved syrups. The newly launched city garnish.

“Garnish is a Western concept. Kothmir outlet of the well-known Smokehouse Deli serves cocktails that come infused with (fresh coriander) is the only garnish we use flavours of lily and lavender. “While the pur- traditionally; the rest is all cooked with the pose may be primarily garnish, we also use food. Flowers are cooked and eaten too and flower petals to muddle the drink, making not used for the purpose of decoration,” she sure the flavour reaches you in every sip. explains.

Wilted Spinach and Marigold: Heat oil in the pan and sauté the spinach with garlic. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and butter. Just before removing from heat, add the marigold petals.

Warm Jasmine Vinaigrette: Warm the fish velouté and to this add a few petals of jasmine and a little vinegar and blend it into a smooth pouring sauce by adding olive oil.

Recipe by Vimal Vikraman

Pomfret with spinach and marigold

Banana flower vada Ingredients: Banana flower medium size, 2 green chillies, ginger 1 inch, 3-4 cloves of garlic, ½ an onion, handful of coriander, curry leaves (very little), salt, channa dal (soaked in water for about an hour)

FLORID DELIGHTS Rose Pannacotta and (top) Roast Carnation Vegetable Tart. (Left) Hibiscus Veloute

Method: Clean the flower by removing the stamens from every stalk to avoid bitterness.

Add the stalks to boiling water and cover it with a lid. Let it get blanched for over 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and remove the banana flower stalks and keep them aside. In the grinder, add the above ingredients with the drained

banana stalks and grind till slightly coarse without adding water till you get a thick doughlike consistency. Now take small lumps of the mixture and roll into small patties or round balls and deep fry in oil. Serve with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Recipe by Reena Rebecca

food path

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

Edible flowers: Dos and don’ts

Pan-fried Silver Pomfret, Braised Lotus Hearts, Wilted Spinach and Marigold, Warm Jasmine Vinaigrette

 Don’t eat store-bought

flowers unless you can confirm they are organic.

You’re better off growing your own, or buying from a certified organic grower or someone you trust.  If you’ve never eaten raw

flowers before and don’t know if you might be allergic or not, take a taste before you eat a whole bouquet.  Remember, even though a

flower is technically edible, it may not be palatable to you. So experiment, and find out what you like, then plan your menu.  Also, just because the

flower is edible, it doesn’t necessarily mean the whole plant is. Do some research or ask an expert to identify the edible and inedible parts of a plant.  Always wash as well as

possible, and do expect to drive out the odd multilegged visitor. After all, growing organic means living with insects.  Never gather flowers from

the roadside. These plants have been absorbing toxins from vehicles and petrochemicals.  If you purchase flowers for

consumption, buy them from the produce section of a grocery store or specialty gourmet shop. The ones for sale at florists and greenhouses have definitely been treated with chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and fungicides.  Gourmet grocers who sell

edible flowers often sell just the detached petals. In most cases, that’s all you want to eat. Depending on the blossom, you may want to remove pistils and stamens from the centre of the bloom.  And never, ever, eat a

flower that you do not know for certain is edible. Once again, ask an expert.

(Excerpted from an article

by Signe Langford in Canadian Living)

17

The lotus eaters A

rituals. “People here are not aware of the flavours flowers can yield and don’t know how they actually taste. For instance, hibiscus when cooked would be slimy like okra,” he says. Vikraman always keeps flowers in stock for experimentation and for guests who might want a special menu crafted.

While chefs like Vikraman use edible flowers in the actual process of cooking, popular chef Manu Chandra (Olive Beach, likethatonly and Monkey Bar) prefers to use them only for garnishing. “I use flowers primarily for aesthetics. For instance, I use nasturtiums for salads as they are bright and colourful. It is also because we grow them and there is no problem with supply,” he says, adding, “In north India, you get other interesting edible flowers like rhododendron, the supply of which is not reliable here.” This keeps Chandra from adding dishes containing flowers to his regular menu.

Flowers may be a more common sight in restaurants offering world cuisine, but they are increasingly being used in Indian cuisine too. Chef Sanjay Tyagi, who is also director of Tattv and Umerkot restaurants, uses a rare flower, coxcomb for flavouring some Kashmiri delicacies on the menu. “The

white sesame seeds.

Method:

Arrangement: Place the sautéed wilted spinach and marigold in the centre of the plate, place the braised lotus heart and stem and top with pan fried fish, drizzle the Jasmine vinaigrette on and around the fish. Garnish with a few petals of jasmine and marigold

Pan-fried Pomfret: Marinate the pomfret with lemon juice, salt, pepper, mustard and garlic.

Heat oil in a pan and pan fry the pomfret till done.

Braised Lotus Hearts: In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. Set aside this sauce. Heat a wok or pan over medium high heat and add the sesame oil. Saute the lotus root slices along with the heart for a couple of minutes, or until the edges of the lotus root start to become translucent. Add the sauce and chilies and simmer the lotus until the liquid evaporates (about 3 minutes).

Garnish with a sprinkling of toasted black or

Chefs in town are doing all they can to bring those pretty things from the vase onto your dinner plate, finds Prachi Sibal. Also, here’s a look at flowers in traditional Indian cuisine

lily in blossom peering out of your cocktail, a plateful of dessert with a whiff of cheery lavender or a salad sprinkled with the season’s fresh flowers, all this and more—including whole dishes made from flowers—are now part of the dining out experience in the city.

While garnish is the preferred way for some, others are infusing flowers and their flavours into dishes while cooking them. The Grand Mercure Hotel in Koramangala recently held a demonstration titled ‘A Tribute to Edible Flowers’ that taught participants how to create a four-course meal using flowers as ingredients. The results were as exotic as they came: Hibiscus Velouté, Carnation Tarts, Rose Panacotta and so on.

The demonstration also saw the widely available but not-so-popular on the plate flowers like marigold and jasmine being used in cuisine.

Chef Vimal Vikraman, responsible for putting together the flower power demo, says he picked up some of the techniques during his travels through the Caribbean as a chef on a cruise ship. He says flowers are used extensively for cooking in the Caribbean islands, unlike in India, where they are associated mainly with

Ingredients: 180 gms white pomfret, 2 hearts of lotus, 50 ml of olive oil, 4 slices of lotus root peeled and sliced, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 20 ml rice wine, 3 dried chilies - each broken into two or three pieces, 200 gms of spinach, 1 marigold flower, few jasmine petals, 5 gms chopped garlic, 2 gms mustard paste, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste, pinch of black and white sesame seeds, 5 ml vinegar, 15 ml fish velouté

coxcomb, like saffron (which is the stamens of Unfortunately, flowers like lavender are not a flower) comes from Kashmir. The flower is available in India and we have to make do not used directly, but is dropped in hot oil or with a lavender flavouring and place an water and the infusion is then used to flavour orchid or a violet for garnish in the glass,” says the dish. It’s similar with jasmine, which I use Sherine John, beverage manager and mixoloin pulao; the flowers and roots are soaked in gist. Other flowers on the menu here include carnations and cantaloupe water and the infusion (karbooz) flowers. used,” he says. Sanjay thinks While flowers may that the use of flowers in ‘In India, flowers have found their way into cusine is not as popular as it are used whole. the city’s gourmet scene should be because many Garnish is a only recently, they have gourmets are moving away from pungent flavours of Western concept’ always been present in traditional cooking—banana, any kind. “People now keep pumpkin and drumstick away even from cardamom flowers being the most common. Says Ratna and vetiver (khus),” he explains.

But despite that, the trend of using flow- Rajaiah, culinary expert and author of How ers in cooking, whether as ingredient or gar- the Banana Goes to Heaven, “Both Tamil Nadu nish, is slowly catching on. While adding and Karnataka use banana flowers extensiveblooms to your plate might brighten up your ly. They are most typically used to make meal, the basics mustn’t be forgotten, warn poriyal (vegetable accompaniment). Pumpkin the chefs. Manu Chandra insists that the flowers are also used by some sections of peoflower’s edibility must be carefully tested. He ple in the state. These are batter-dipped and and other chefs insist that edible flowers be deep fried or found in curries. They taste simprocured from reliable suppliers who don’t ilar to the zucchini flowers used in use sprays or fragrance agents (for more do’s Mediterranean cuisine.”

Ratna explains that in Karnataka and and don’ts, see box).

Flowers are also slowly making their way elsewhere in the South, flowers are traditioninto drinks too, and it isn’t just through sug- ally used as an integral part of a dish and not ary preserved syrups. The newly launched city garnish.

“Garnish is a Western concept. Kothmir outlet of the well-known Smokehouse Deli serves cocktails that come infused with (fresh coriander) is the only garnish we use flavours of lily and lavender. “While the pur- traditionally; the rest is all cooked with the pose may be primarily garnish, we also use food. Flowers are cooked and eaten too and flower petals to muddle the drink, making not used for the purpose of decoration,” she sure the flavour reaches you in every sip. explains.

Wilted Spinach and Marigold: Heat oil in the pan and sauté the spinach with garlic. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and butter. Just before removing from heat, add the marigold petals.

Warm Jasmine Vinaigrette: Warm the fish velouté and to this add a few petals of jasmine and a little vinegar and blend it into a smooth pouring sauce by adding olive oil.

Recipe by Vimal Vikraman

Pomfret with spinach and marigold

Banana flower vada Ingredients: Banana flower medium size, 2 green chillies, ginger 1 inch, 3-4 cloves of garlic, ½ an onion, handful of coriander, curry leaves (very little), salt, channa dal (soaked in water for about an hour)

FLORID DELIGHTS Rose Pannacotta and (top) Roast Carnation Vegetable Tart. (Left) Hibiscus Veloute

Method: Clean the flower by removing the stamens from every stalk to avoid bitterness.

Add the stalks to boiling water and cover it with a lid. Let it get blanched for over 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and remove the banana flower stalks and keep them aside. In the grinder, add the above ingredients with the drained

banana stalks and grind till slightly coarse without adding water till you get a thick doughlike consistency. Now take small lumps of the mixture and roll into small patties or round balls and deep fry in oil. Serve with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Recipe by Reena Rebecca

media trend

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

18

MADE ON TV The channel will have marriage-related fictional segments and lifestyle tips

Shagun TV, a first-of-itskind matrimonial channel, is all set to make that a reality. Complete with marriage-related soap operas and chat shows, it goes on air on April 26

Find your spouse on TV PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

tarting from the late 1990s, a slew of websites started encroaching on the marriage broker business and matrimonial advertising space, until then monopolised by daily newspapers. Today, online sites such as Shaadi and Bharat Matrimony have almost replaced them to become the go-to place for men and women looking for partners. Shagun TV, a television channel dedicated entirely to matrimonial ads, hopes to change all that, and become the preferred medium for matrimonial alliances.

Shagun TV, billed as India’s first matrimonial channel, is a venture by Noida-based Vertent Media Soft Pvt Ltd, and hits digital television networks on April 26. It’s good news for web-challenged parents out to find a match for their children. For wouldbe brides and grooms who would rather look for partners on matrimonial websites, the channel is no setback: it comes with its own website which will host detailed profiles.

The concept of a matrimonial TV channel may have seen the light of day only now, but former journal-

S

For those who ist-turned-CEO of Vertent Media want to keep things Anuranjan Jha thought of it more more confidential, the than a decade ago. “The idea came to channel runs ads my mind 12 years ago when I got without pictures on married. I was a little apprehensive demand. back then, but began working on it If you think that two-three years ago,” Jha told Talk.

Shagun TV, he explains, aims to Anuranjan Jha makes the channel not be a one-stop shop for all those who very different from a matrimonial take the arranged marriage route. In website, brace yourselves, for Shagun other words, it’s not just about find- TV will also have fictional segments ing the right partner, but also a place based on matrimonial themes. Not to pick up tips about fashion, honey- ready to reveal the nature of these programmes yet, Jha simply says that moon destinations and suchlike.

While the channel will have they will be soap operas.

Apart from connecting prospecbride and groom ads on air with an anchor assisting you, its will try to tive brides and grooms on its website, the channel also draw audiences to plans to arrange real the company’s webThe channel will life meetings, and site. Only there will offer the option of you be able to view have prospective broadcasting the complete profiles, brides meeting meetings. The meetincluding the name grooms on air ing can be held at of the prospective the channel’s studio match. Each ad aired on the channel will have a unique or at a neutral location like a hotel.

There’s a clause though: any meeting code that allows access.

Initially at least, ads on the will require the parents to be channel will only feature photo- involved, which Jha says is a precaugraphs. Jha explains, “We have made a tion against “foul play.”

“We have shot 50 videos of such few shows with video ads too, but are a little apprehensive about airing meetings and as many as 80 per cent them immediately as we need a big- of the people came to us on their own,” he says. ger database.”

The channel’s long-term plans include organising mass meetings of brides, grooms and their families. The channel will have entertainment value, says Jha. If the high-voltage drama of an on-air meeting between a bride and a groom and their families doesn’t interest you, a particular show titled Mujhse Shaadi Karoge? will take you right down to the basics. “The show is for men planning to propose to a woman. It will tell you what to do and what not to do,” says Jha. Women needn’t feel disheartened, etiher. Shagun TV, promises Jha, will also have a show dedicated to the ubiquitous mother-in-law and daughter-in-law tussle titled Saas Ko Saas Rehne Do, which will offer both parties tips on how to deal with the other.

Though it will be made available in major cities across the country, the channel will primarily use Hindi as a medium of communication. “The larger audience is the Northern heartland for now. We will wait for the response from the South before we start programmes in regional languages,” says Jha. Shagun TV launches on April 26 on Videocon DTH and other digital service providers.

music distribution

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

19

The Net is their song store Independent musicians are no longer at the mercy of the allpowerful record label. Many city bands now prefer to sell their music online

PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

usic stores are no longer what they used to be, turning as they are into somewhat obscure hang-outs for a few aficionados. Nor are record labels at the heart of the business; they are no longer the make-or-break factor for up-andcoming musicians. In the music circuit nowadays, you tend to hear more about “Flyte” and “iTunes” than iconic names like Universal and Sony.

Flyte, for the uninitiated, is the new online music store by e-tailer Flipkart, while Apple extended its iTunes store to India, allowing customers to stream or download HD content from its website. The once common ritual of walking into a music store to pick up a CD is fast disappearing, as pay-per-song download options offer a far easier way to access and store your music.

Many of the city’s best-known musicians and groups have tried and tested the independent online sales method and are pleased with the results. Bangalore’s rock band Thermal And A Quarter released their third album last year and made it available for download on their website and Flipkart immediately. Bruce Lee Mani, lead guitarist and vocalist, believes it is imperative to take to the model if you are an ‘independent artiste.’

“If a record label binds you, the point of being an independent artist is lost.

We released our third album online and it was the top selling album on Flipkart for seven weeks! It sold more copies than film albums like Barfi!

M

Albums released online

Thermal And A Quarter’s 3 Wheels 9 Lives

Swarathma’s Topiwalleh

Agam’s The Inner Self Awakens

and English Vinglish in those weeks.

But, I have to admit, the numbers are small,” he says.

H a r i s h Sivaramakrishnan, vocalist of Carnatic rock band Agam which released its first Harish album The Inner Sivaramakrishnan Self Awakens last year and made it available through digital downloads, says, “When you sign up with a label, they exercise control on more than just sales.

Whereas when you are selling independently, everything is in your hands and you stand to make more money as you don’t have to share revenue.” While Harish is clear independent selling is the band’s preference, it is still early to say which of the two is ideal.

“A seller caters to the buyer at the end of the day”, says Vasu Dixit, vocalist of popular city band Swarathma whose Vasu Dixit albums can be ordered directly from their website. “The way people listen to music has changed a great deal. When was the last time you bought a CD? Nobody does these days. When I was coming back in a taxi the other day, the driver played me the latest music off his phone.” He says that their preference for selling music online has more to do with factors like reach and even intricacies like jacket artwork. “Labels put too many conditions. For instance, if we were working with a label, we perhaps wouldn’t have been able to use the handmade paper we did for our CD covers now,” he says. But as with most

bands, they don’t expect album sales the marketing. The way one releases to generate much revenue—it is the music must depend on the kind of music.” live shows that bring in the money.

He feels if the music is experiBut associating with a label mental and appeals comes with its advantages, like proto only a select audiduction mettle and marketing ence, it’s better to strength, particularly useful for newrelease it independcomers. “For instance, if a Times ently. “The fact Music believes you are worth a listen remains that you get and releases your album, nobody is less revenue per copy going to doubt your calibre,” says Harish. However, he thinks the Bruce Lee Mani as the labels take mode of selling is also dependent on away a big cut even if they are disthe band’s target audience and their tributing for you,” he says. It’s then relationship with it. “Selling inde- left to the band to judge whether pendently worked for us because we they would still benefit from the poshad a fan base by the time our first sibly higher sales a label could offer.

When you discuss online music album was out. It also happened because we believed we knew our sales, the question of piracy invarimarket better. On the other hand, if ably pops up. Musicians like Bruce you are selling something like a devo- Lee Mani believe greater availability tional album, a label used to selling of music online might actually help counter piracy. music in that genre “iTunes and Flyte are may know your marLabels lay a boon to independket better,” he says. down too ent musicians. They Musician Amrit have opened up the Rao agrees the means many rules, market for of distribution has got says Vasu Dixit music everybody and made to do a lot with the music more affordstyle of music. Rao, who is associated with the city-based able. You can buy albums for as low experimental band Live Banned, as Rs 50 at their best quality. The decided to take the record label route argument for pirated music doesn’t when releasing his solo album, even exist any more,” he says.

Whatever their reason—freeNirangal. “The sound was very commercial; dom, money or anti-piracy—city I thought it need- bands are increasingly taking the ed the push of online route to make their music a label for available to fans. The trend ushered in the by the revolution in personal listening devices, is changing the way music reaches the listener, and the rules of an industry once dominated by a few powerful labels.

Indie artiste favourites  Flyte on Flipkart  iTunes store  OKListen

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

20

Rewind The week that was  Boston bombings: US security officials are questioned by Congress over whether they mishandled information about the Boston bomb suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, whose name was listed on the US government’s classified central database of people it views as potential terrorists.

Bus hogaya! BMTC special services for IPL matches

 No bail: A Pakistani court on Wednesday refused to extend bail for former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in connection with the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.  China deaths: A clash between authorities and assailants in China’s restive northwestern region of Xinjiang leaves 21 people dead, including 15 officers and local government officials.  Rape victim: The condition of the five-year- old girl, raped allegedly by two youth in Delhi, is stable and her perineal wounds are healing well, doctors say.

Both the accused, natives of Bihar, are in Delhi police custody.  Rahul tour: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi whistle-stops through three places in North Karnataka, ahead of the state assembly polls on May 5.  Gayle’s record: Chris Gayle smashes a record 175 in just 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors. He got the first 100 runs in just 30 balls, a record.  Manifesto: The Congress has promised interest-free loans to farmers, free laptops to pre-university students and rice at Re 1 a kg to BPL card holders if it comes to power in Karnataka.  Suspects held: Three suspects arrested in Tamil Nadu in connection with the bomb blast near the state BJP headquarters in Malleswaram are brought to Bangalore.

BMTC will run extra bus services for IPL matches. They start at 2 pm, so that fans can arrive near the stadium by 3 pm. Here are the routes:

G-6: Kengeri, KHB Quarters to

G-1: Kadugodi Bus Stand to

G-8: Nelamangala to MG Road

Chinnaswamy Stadium

G-7: Janapriya Township to BRV Parade Grounds

Manekshaw Parade Grounds

Metro Station

G-2: Sarjapura to Mayo Hall G-3: Electronics City to Brigade

G-9: Yelahanka Upanagara to

Road

G-4: Bannerghatta National Park to Brigade Road

G-5: Kaggalipura to Chinnaswamy Stadium

MG Road Metro Station

G-10: RK Hegde Nagar to BRV Parade Grounds G-11: Bagalur to MG Road Metro Station G-12: Hoskote to Mayo Hall

Safety tips for women number. Then use the mobile to call your family or friend and pass on the details to them in the language the driver understands. Even if no one answers your call, Enter the lift. If you need to pretend you are in a reach the 13th floor, press conversation. The driver all the buttons up to your now knows someone has destination. No one will his details and he will be in dare attack you in a lift serious trouble if anything that stops on every floor. goes wrong. He is now bound to take you home Situation 2: A stranger safe and sound. A potential tries to attack you when attacker is now your de you are alone in your facto protector! house.

Situation 1: You find yourself alone in the company of a strange male as you prepare to enter a lift in a high-rise apartment late at night.

Run into the kitchen. You alone know where the chili powder and turmeric are kept. And where the knives and plates are. All these can be turned into deadly weapons. If nothing else, start throwing plates and utensils all over. Let them break.

Scream.

Remember that noise is the greatest enemy of a molester. He does not want to be caught.

Situation 3: You need to take an auto or taxi at night.

Before getting in, note down its registration

Situation 4: The driver turns into a street he is not

supposed to, and you feel you are entering a danger zone.

Use the handle of your purse or your stole (dupatta) to wrap around his neck and pull him back. Within seconds, he will feel choked and helpless. In case you don’t have a purse or stole just pull him back by his collar.

The top button of his shirt would then do the same trick.

Situation 5: You are stalked at night.

Enter a shop or a house and explain your predicament. If it is night and shops are not open, go inside an ATM booth. They always have security guards. They are also monitored by close circuit television.

Fearing identification, no one will dare attack you.

Remember, being alert is the greatest weapon you can ever have.

(From a Facebook post by Dr Ihab Maher)

A make-a-book workshop for children Bookalore, a group of independent children’s authors, artists, filmmakers and teachers based in the city, is organising It’s My Book, a unique bookmaking workshop for children.

Participating children will get to make their own illustrated book from scratch with help from popular children’s artists and illustrators Angie and Upesh. The book they create will be theirs to take home. The workshop is open to children between the ages of 9 and 12. Since it is a hands-on, intensive event, only 20 seats are available. The workshop will be held on May 4. Venue: Sutradhar Educational Resource Centre, 59/1, 10th A Main, 3rd Cross, Indiranagar Stage 2 To register, send your child’s name, age, and your contact number to: bookalore@gmail.com Bookalore holds similar events for children and young adults every month.

For more information, log on to www.facebook.com/bookaloreclub

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

21

Forward

A week-long pet clinic in the slums Let’s Live Together, the NGO known to promote adoption of street dogs, has launched a first-of-its-kind street clinic for pet dogs in Bangalore’s slums. Its volunteers have already treated and vaccinated 450 dogs at clinics held in the slums of Srirampuram and Goripalya. The NGO wants to reach out to the thousands of pet dogs owned by people who live in slums. The clinic is stepping

Learn to make vegan dishes Veganism expert Dr Nandita Shah is conducting vegan cooking classes at Koramangala. The dishes she will teach include peanut curd, cashew butter, ‘eggless egg salad’ and zero oil sambar.

The classes will be held on May 12, at Carrots Healthy Restaurant and Store, Koramangala 6th Block. The fee is Rs 2,000, including lunch. Spot registration will cost an additional Rs 500.

To register call 8879385913 / 9820221998 or email seminars@sharan-india.org

in to help animal lovers who cannot afford to have their pets treated and vaccinated. Let’s Live Together is planning more clinics in the second week of May and is looking for sponsors and volunteers.

You could donate vaccines or medicines as well as sponsor food and transport.

Call Let’s Live Together on 9986413916 or write to letslivetogether.in @gmail.com

‘The world’s coldest ice cream’ This one is sure to send a chill down your spine.

Minimelts, which calls itself “the world’s coldest ice cream” was launched in Bangalore this week. The company is set to open 20 outlets in the city and will have 12 varieties on offer, including banana split, birthday cake, cotton candy and mint chocolate.

According to the company, the ice cream is produced at a temperature of -190°C and served at -45°C. This

causes it to take the form of small pellets resembling granules or miniature popcorn. We tried and found it so cold that with every bite you could feel the pellets sticking to your tongue instantly. A few spoons of that is guaranteed to leave your mouth numb. Try it, if only for the novelty factor.

Know your candidate The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), founded by a group of professors from IIM, Ahmedabad, is the premier non-partisan organisation in India working towards election reforms. Ahead of every election, they put out detailed reports analysing candidates. For the state assembly polls in Karnataka, they have released a set of reports analysing current cabinet ministers, a first list of candidates and a separate list of MLAs who are re-contesting. The reports are available in both English and Kannada on adrindia.org

A film on Kashmir Jaaga in collaboration with Maraa, is screening Ashvin Kumar’s Inshallah Kashmir: Living Terror. Released online on the Indian Republic Day, 2012, the film has won the National Award for the Best Investigative Film “for unflinchingly and boldly stepping into unearthing the truth about Kashmir. A passionate inquiry connecting with the people, discovering what is called ‘Kashmiriyat’ and at the same time exposing the role of the state, police and army in alienating them from India.” The screening will be held at 7.30 pm on April 27at Jaaga on Double Road.

For more information, log on to jaaga.in

Awards for independent musicians Radio City has just introduced its Freedom Awards for independent musicians across the country.

Independent artistes and bands can nominate themselves by filling out a simple form on the FM station’s website.

Awards will be adjudged in six genrebased categories, namely hip-hop/rap, pop, rock, folk fusion, metal and electronica. They have also invited entries in non-music categories like best video and best album art. The jury comprises industry stalwart Atul Churamani, electronic band MIDIval Punditz, actor and musician Luke Kenny and Israeli musician Yotam Agam.

For details, log onto www.planetradiocity.com/rcfa/

The week ahead  Apple dividends: Apple investors can expect to get a share of the company’s massive $145 billion cash pile after it agreed to their demands. Meanwhile, the company has posted its first quarterly profit decline in more than a decade.  China incursions: India said negotiations are in progress at “various levels” to resolve the incursion issue with China peacefully.

“Negotiations are going on at various levels to resolve the issue peacefully,” defence minister AK Antony told reporters.  China-US tension: USChina ties were heading for tense moments with reports disclosing that China might have provided its close ally Pakistan a fairly comprehensive package of proven nuclear weapon designs in the late 1970s.  Watching Syria: The United States is expected to verify reports of use of chemical weapons in Syria.

The US has warned that in case of their use, the Syrian regime would face serious consequences.  Aarushi case: New twists may be expected in the Aarushi murder case. The CBI has claimed that there’s evidence against Aarushi’s parents in the murder.  Troubled Parliament: The Parliament is likely to remain in turmoil with the BJP opposing the UPA’s every move following the JPC report on 2G-spectrum scam which accused the Vajpayee govt of lapses.  Passport ease: To do away with the tout menace, the regional passport office will collaborate with e-governance centres like Bangalore ‘One’ across the state.  Train to Chennai: The airconditioned double decker train between Chennai and Bangalore is set to start operatins this week. It will depart from Bangalore City station at 2.40 pm and reach Chennai at 8.25 pm.

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Awards

Pulitzer for Adam Johnson he Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the prestigious American literary award announced earlier this month, was awarded to 45-yearold Adam Johnson for his title The Orphan Master’s Son. His book, set in North Korea during the dictatorship of Kim Jong-il, was chosen amongst the 1327 entries submitted. John, who teaches creative writing at Stanford University, had visited North Korea to research his novel, but had to get to know its people through his imagination because it’s illegal there for citizens to interact with foreigners.

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WICKED WIT Dahl, an ace British fighter pilot during World War II, acquired worldwide fame as a writer of darkly funny children’s stories

Happy birthday, Matilda!

It’s been 25 years since Roald Dahl’s Matilda was first published. A tribute from a fan who came to the book late, but did not miss any of the fun

he first time I read Roald Dahl’s Matilda, I shut the book and said, “Why didn’t I read it all these years?” I felt I had missed something in my childhood. Having said this, I must now sheepishly admit that I didn’t read the book as a child. I read it in my twenties. I haven’t even watched the movie on it.

Though I read it as an adult, I laughed out loud at every trick by Matilda. Every page had me giggling.

Dahl’s wit had me smiling long after I was done with the book.

At first, I wondered if there was something wrong with me that I was so thoroughly enjoying a book meant for children. It turns out that the first person who read it was Dahl’s daughter Lucy. She too was in her twenties when she read the manuscript. She simply said, “I loved it.” I guess I too would have said the same thing.

Isn’t it the mark of a good book that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages? With Matilda, Dahl manages to do just that. This year, it is 25 years since the publication of the book.

Even after a quarter century, readers continue to relate to it.

Childhood is not always smooth. All those who say that they

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want to become children again, have possibly forgotten the troubles of being a kid—the constant supervision by parents, the stick wielding teachers, the examinations, the talecarrying classmates, the bullies at the playground and the desire to grow up fast. Little people have problems much bigger for their size. In Matilda, Dahl does take these big problems of little people seriously, but the story also offers escape.

Matilda Wormwood is a kid like most others in many ways, but one who manages to break free from her dimwitted parents. She is not the nice, obedient child, but the intelligent, mischievous one, who we all secretly want to be. She’s also precocious: before reaching the age of five, she has read Dickens and Hemingway. Instead of encouraging her, her parents order her to watch TV and shun books.

They think of her as a nuisance.

But Matilda gives as good as she gets, and sometimes better. She gets back at her folks with ingenious tricks, like applying superglue on her father’s hat or hiding a parrot in a chimney to create a ghost scare.

At school she has to deal with the head mistress Mrs Trunchbull, who Dahl describes as a “gigantic holy terror, a fierce tyrannical monster who frightened the life out of the pupils and teachers alike”

Six Indian nominees at C’wealth awards

Matilda finds solace in her loving teacher Miss Jennifer Honey.

With her telekinetic powers, Matilda not only saves the school from Trunchbull, but also gets Honey her rightful inheritance. Matilda then leaves her insolent parents to live with her teacher.

As adults, our problems are not too different from Matilda’s. Only the situations are different. Instead of school, we find ourselves in an office. In place of a head mistress, we have to put up with a boss, sometimes one who is a “holy terror.” We all believe we are surrounded by dimwits.

We should be grateful to Roald Dahl’s longtime editor at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Stephen Roxburgh, who described an early draft of the book as “hopeless.” Dahl, who was in his 70s at the time and already a best-selling author, felt slighted by this remark, but that did not stop him from rewriting the book completely. He didn’t go back to Roxburg, and instead, went to Penguin, which published it in 1988.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine Matilda without Quentin Blake’s illustrations. If not for Blake, we would not have had the thin legged, long haired and sharp nosed heroine, perhaps the most popular of all those that a wildly inventive Dahl ever thought up.

SAVIE KARNEL

Six books by Indian authors have made it to the Commonwealth Foundation shortlists for novels and short stories. The awards are due to be announced on May 14.  Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto  The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy  The Other Side of Light by Mishi Saran  God On Every Wind by Farhad Sorabjee  Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil  Notes From The Ruins by Anushka Jasraj (short story collection)

Jnanpith for Ravuri Bharadwaja elugu writer R a v u r i Bharadwaja was selected as the 48th Jnanpith Awardee (for the year 2012). The former journalist and radio scriptwriter has received formal education only until class eight. He began writing at the age of 17 and went on to produce as many as 17 novels and 37 short story collections, in addition to children’s books and plays. Past honours for the author include the State Sahitya Akademi Award twice and the Central Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983.

One of Bharadwaja’s popular novels Paakuduraallu is a behind-the-scenes take on the film industry. His works have been translated to English and other Indian languages.

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The gadget whirlpool New technology fuels distraction.

It can be more harmful than most people realise, says Sensei Avinash Subramanyam

atch films that are meaningful to your life and make you a better person. In a film like Life is Beautiful, the hero braves all odds to save his son’s life. Even when he faces the prospect of death every moment, he finds joy. In Von Ryan’s Express, the protagonist shows unbelievable courage and sacrifices his life for his fellowmen. Ip Man shows a Chinese martial artist confronting Japanese occupation with courage and equanimity.

See films for pure entertainment, too, especially those that make you laugh. Avoid films that depress you and make you cry. Whatever you watch creates an impression that is reflected in your life. The universe is like a mirror and does not reason. It reflects what you say and do.

When students approach me with their problems, I ask them to stop crying and say whatever they have to say. By speaking positively, they overcome their sorrows and become fun people. It is possible to change your outlook and personality over time.

I can switch my state of mind by watching a film or reading a book. In a happiness scale of 1-10, if I am at 5, I can become 15 simply by watching Laurel and Hardy or a Peter Sellers film. Practise turning an external connection into an internal one.

Practise till the object becomes a part of you. Of course it will take time to be able to switch your mood. But try.

Another genre of films I love is romance. People say Indian films are silly because the hero and heroine run around trees. But isn’t love about joy?

Love is like tai chi, it is romancing your body and soul. It is seamless and flowing and not bound by dos and don’ts. I can happily run around a tree if the woman is willing! Fairy-tale romances are seen as idealistic and unreal. But isn’t that what makes them beautiful? Isn’t that also true love?

I watch thrillers and action films

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too. Unlike TV serials, the anxiety caused by films is short lived and not carried forward from day to day.

That said, new media—gadgets and gizmos—are something we need to be wary of! Too much time spent on the mobile or the Net can cause dis-focus (to coin a new word). Your mind will then be like a monkey, always jumping from one thought to another. The body fidgets.

Some people always shake their leg. They don’t even realise what they are doing.

They lack focus and awareness. I’m not saying don’t use gadgets or the Net. But don’t use them at the cost of your life.

Today I see 25year-olds who are burnt out. I see their eyes flitting every second. A sniper won’t even blink because, ‘God forbid,’ he might fall to a bullet that fraction of a second. But young people today cannot keep their

eyes focused. They are distracted and have no clarity in their lives.

Be comfortable with yourself.

Not introverted, mind you, because that comes from insecurity. True power lies in stillness. The lion is powerful. But when not hunting or sensing danger, it just lies still. If you are not still, how will you find who you are, the God and soul within you?

Awareness is the key to martial art or life. If you’re distracted, you can never be aware. I can safely drive at 160 kmph only because I am aware. If at a restaurant or pub, I am aware which table is safe, which is best to avoid trouble, who is staring, and so on. If I notice I’m slouching, I sit up immediately. I know how much to eat and how much my body can take.

Distraction and dis-focus can have detrimental effects. It can lead to unhappy marriages and friendships.

Way of Budo 30

Such people cannot truly love and be loyal. Whether at a party or a restaurant, why are people constantly looking at other women and men? Why are men bored with their girlfriends or wives?

Today, while watching TV or using the Internet, you are constantly switching channels and sites to find more ‘excitement’.

Nothing holds your attention for more than a minute. You are flooded with images of ‘beautiful’ and ‘sexy’ women. Little do you realise that the terms are relative and dependent on your perception. You want new beauty, new experiences every day. You don’t have the time or patience to look within yourself, or to discover new, beautiful experiences with the one you love.

Even in martial arts training, a student today has no patience to master a technique to its fullest level. He doesn’t realise that therein lies true beauty and meaning. Instead, he looks to learn new techniques every day. He wants to become a black belt in two months. My sensei asked me to practise a particular punch, block and kick for a year. He said to know one well is to know all.

Why am I bad at handling phones? I stopped being interested because I knew when bored I would pick up the phone, browse or text unnecessarily. Nowadays, if I have an hour to spare, I train internally. I try and find God within. I practise being empty of thought. People can’t sit quietly for five minutes without being bored. They need distraction.

This distraction extends to other spheres of life. An acquaintance who is stinking rich goes to a different woman each night. He says, “Don’t bore me with talk about love when I can have a different woman every day.

One day I like tandoori chicken, the next day kebab.”

If you have no integrity in your relationships, why expect it from others? What if the person treated like an object was your own daughter? In the long run this is not good for you; it will only destroy you and your soul.

Watch yourself for a day and check how distracted you are. Do your eyes flit? Does your mind dart from one thought to another? You might be good at swimming, learning languages and programming. But when you are alone, do you feel lost and lonely? What you are can be known by how you handle your mobile, net or TV remote.

book review

A funny kind of hurt This transaltion of Gulzar’s short stories is woven around the painful theme of division—but is laced with as much black humour as raw feeling, finds Kavitha K

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ahir and Jaadu; Gagi and Superman; Kuldip Nayyar & Pir Sahib… real people, real anecdotes and real emotions make Half a Rupee a little gem of a book.

Gulzar, the inimitable story-teller, layers and textures some of his fables delicately (The Rams; Half a Rupee) while he shocks and stuns you with bursts of raw feeling and festering pain in the others (From the Footpath; The Search).

When stories of Partition are recounted, betrayal and loss are the usual leitmotifs, but the poet-lyricist also picks anecdotes that celebrate love, courage and conviction. His Partition stories gently mock borders and boundary walls and chastise those that believe good walls make good neighbours.

Two such Partition stories— LoC and Over—bring home the truth that dreams need no borders, the eyes need no visas because the protagonists “with eyes shut walk across the line in time, all the time”.

Kashmir—with its chinars and shikaras—occupies the author’s mind and heart. The military and the ‘fidayeen’ cruelly stab his con-

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science. In the poignant LoC, the fra- stranger in one’s own land.

My vote goes to the title story, grant aroma of Fattu Masi’s mutton roast in Saharanpur melds with the where a cop drags a dead cow from appetising aroma of Beji’s ghuggni Vinayak Rao Patwardhan Road to made of black chickpeas in Punjab the adjoining Bapu Road since the until both dishes are charred by gun- latter is so much easier to spell! For fire, leaving an acrid aftertaste that sheer chutzpah, this one is right up there with sparkling diasinges lives on either side logues and black of the LoC. humour.

In Kuldip Nayyar and Idealistic naxals, the Pir Sahib, it’s hard to suicide bombers, promiss the humour when gressive thinkers, liberal Nayyar sahib talks of his writers, whimsical mother constantly summovie-makers, lyricists moning the long-dead Pir drowning in drink, baba from his grave to Half a Rupee (Short lovers, loners and losers, solve her many domestic stories) Gulzar ropes them all in crises, but it’s also hard to Gulzar Translated by Sunjoy to assemble a magical miss the references to the Shekhar montage. Deeply empaPartition which loom like Penguin thetic, he gives voice to dark, menacing shadows, Rs 299 turning a frothy tale into a poignant those living on the fringes of civilised society. Appetite whetted, one.

The story that will tug at your you will wish for more stories from heart, tear your gut and tempt you to this gifted raconteur, whose writing rethink your prejudices is The is rooted in the history, politics and Search. A young woman ventures geography of his land.

Credit must go to Sunjoy into Army-occupied Kashmir, dreaming of walnut wood bedsteads. Shekhar who pulls no punches, conShe grows up in a week and under- fident that no nuance and no emostands what it takes to become a tion is lost in translation.

box office

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CINEMA PARADISO (Right) PK Nair at the Archive: a still from Celluloid Man. (Above) Shivendra Singh Dungarpur

A lesson in film preservation Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's documentary on film archivist PK Nair is sweeping the awards at international festivals. He says that the film —set for release in theatres soon—is a tribute to the medium and the man PRACHI SIBAL prachi.sibal@talkmag.in

t's not often that a documentary film gets a theatrical release across Indian metros.

But Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's feature-length Celluloid Man is not just another documentary. It has bagged two national awards, and is the only film since Satyajit Ray's classic, Pather Panchali, to have been shown at 24 international film festivals in less than a year.

It chronicles the life of PK Nair, founder of National Film Archive of India and his efforts in the field of film preservation and restoration. In a happy coincidence, Celluloid Man will be in theatres on May 3, which marks the 100th anniversary of Harishchandra, India's first talkie.

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What is your most vivid memory of PK Nair?

I remember him watching every film with a diary in hand. Back in the 1960s, as students at FTII, Pune, we would watch films from all over the world, including ones by greats like Kurasawa, from Nair's archive. After retirement, he has chosen to live close to the Archive, and not in his beautiful home in Trivandrum.

When did you first decide to make a film about him?

After studying at FTII, I went on to make ad films, as many as 400 of them. Making a film about Nair was always at the back of my mind. I once read an interview of Martin Scorsese, where he spoke about a film restoration effort in Bologna, Italy. I was travelling around the world at that time and decided to make a trip to that place. When I returned in July 2010, I went to Pune and met Nair, who was living in a small apartment close to the Archives. We visited the Archives together, only to see all those painstakingly collected cans lying forgotten. Nair was hysterical.

That's when it struck me that I had to make a film on this man.

What was Nair's reaction to a film being made about him?

Nair was never keen on a film being made about him. He said it should be about film preservation. But he is Excerpts from Talk’s email interview very happy about the film and how it has got so many people talking about with director Dungarpur:

film preservation, and is looking for- 'film,' about celluloid, after all. All his work in preservation was through ward to the release. celluloid. Also, most people will agree it is a superior means to create How long did it take you to complete the film, and what was the process like? cinema.

The film was three years in the making. I used interviews throughout, but What role does Bangalore and that was not all; the documentary has Karnataka play in the film? clips spanning the film history of the There are certain important people country. It has many clips from pre- from Bangalore who are a part of this served silent films and Kannada film. For instance, Girish Kasaravalli, films. It has Rajkumar songs and clips who owes his success to Nair and the from Ghatashraddha, one of the films he restored. Girish Karnad too greatest films of all time, which is also worked with him extensively. But, it preserved thanks to Nair. The film was writer UR Ananthamurthy who once told me about this place near imbibes the culture of film.

Shimoga called Heggodu. PK Nair used to visit this village and show the Documentaries are rarely screened for mainstream audiences? What prompt- villagers and farmers several international films. I visited the place and ed you to to do so?

I don't know what can really be called was amazed by what I saw! There mainstream and what not, but some were villagers who spoke of Kurasawa things are like family traditions. It is and talked about how Pather Panchali important to know about them. The moved them. Heggodu made me idea was to make people understand realise how isolated we are somethe need for preserving films. It is a times. lesson in preservation for a people who are not in the habit of preserving What can we expect from you next? anything. I also wanted Nair and his I am currently writing a feature film efforts to be recognised. I wanted about Jiri Menzel, a Czech filmmaker everyone to know the man who has whose film Closely Watched Trains worked tirelessly to preserve Indian won an Oscar in the year 1967. I am cinema for three long decades. As for also starting a foundation for the the response, I did not know it will be preservation and restoration of films. The agenda is to find India's received so well. first sound film Alam Ara, we seem to have lost it.

Why did you choose celluloid over the digital option?

Celluloid Man: A Film on PK Nair I always knew a tribute to Nair had releases on May 3 at PVR Cinemas to be shot on film! It is a film about

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food

flea market

 Market for all: This weekend enjoy some music, eat some delicious food and shop for garments, jewellery, show pieces and more. The bi-weekly flea market promises to be an exciting and fun-filled experience for all. The market will see performances from bands like Stop!

Breathe and Nate and The Ways. So grab your shopping bags and spend the day in leisure in the company of your friends and family.

Green Theory, #15, Convent Road, off Residency Road, April 27, 1 pm For more details look up Green Haat on Facebook  Flea market is back: Head to the ‘Second to None’ flea market this weekend and get some good deals. If you have a limited budget and want to contribute to upcycling, this is the place to be.

Most products here are made of recycled material.

Rococo Gallery, Rest House Road, Brigade Road, April 28, 11 am to 6 pm

 Cheesy surprise: Bored of eating the same sweet doughnuts every time? Try out the latest savoury offering from Donut baker, the Cheesy Donut. With a cheesy and spicy filling, the doughnuts are priced at Rs 50.

Available at all Donut Baker outlets  Flavours of Mysore: Get a taste of Mysore as you try out authentic Mysore fare like maddur vade, kosambri, playa, ennegai, towe, maamsada saaru, bisi bele huliuyanna,

obattu and more. Priced at Rs 750 only.

GAD, #66, Gateway Hotel, Residency Road, till April 26 66604545  Create your own veg tidbits: Prepare your favourite vegetarian dishes like eggless cake, eggless appetisers, lasagna, crostini, hummus, oriental salad, lasagna and eggless vanilla cupcakes.

Cilantro, Halcyon Condiminiums, 4th Main Road, Kormangala 4th Block, April 27 9844707517

 A taste of the backwaters: Try out some authentic Kerala dishes like kallappam, kachiya moru, poricha meen, kozhi varuthathu, irachi varuthathu and more.

Grand Mercure Hotel, 12th Main, Koramangala, till April 28 9663308304  Turkish Delight: Non-vegetarians can choose from different Turkish doners, also known as shawarma, for a great offer. Buy two chicken doners at Rs 150, two lamb doners at Rs 220 and one of each at Rs 190.

Istanbul Doner and Turkish Grill, 27, 7th Cross, Off 2nd Main HAL 1st Stage,

Indiranagar, till April 30 40932542

 Dimsums delight: Choose from a wide range of dimsums that are healthy and tasty. There are plenty of options for both vegetarians and nonvegetarians.

The Schezwan Court, The Oberoi, MG Road, till April 30 9019197764  Pasta mania: Choose from an array of dishes available like linguini tutto mare (linguini with tuna), parpardelle con-i-efatini (parpardella with chicken liver), tagliatelle con prosciutto-e-panna (tagliatelle with prosciutto and cream), ravioli con-la-zucca

(ravioli with pumpkin), ravioli con-i-filetti di sogliola (ravioli with sole) and gnocchi-a-quattro formaggi (four cheese gnocchi).

Raj Pavillion, ITC Windsor, #25, Sankey Road, till April 28 22264941  Flavours from the Middle East: A lavish spread of spice awaits your arrival. Inspired by the Cairo’s Khan-el Khalili, Istanbul’s Spice market, Dubai’s Deira Spice Souk and our very own Kochi spice market, this spice market can be just the right ambience for dinner.

Mynt, Taj West End, Race Course Road, April 27 66605660

music

retail therapy

Strawberry Trio  Slip these on: This summer, give your shoes and sneakers a pass and opt for the leather slippers from Florsheim. They are available in various styles like Glenn, Romano, Maestro, Bergamo and Zeus and available in colours like black, dark brown and tan.

They are priced between Rs. 3,795 to Rs. 3,995.

Available at outlets like Metro, Mochi, Regal, Inc.5  Stylish loafers: Men can look stylish and be comfortable in loafers from Vans.

Made out of canvas and linen materials with leather or suede detailing, the shoes are available in styles like Biking Red, Espresso and Dachschund. Priced at Rs 3499.

Vans store, Forum Mall, Kormangala and Phoenix Market City, Whitefield  Go ethnic: Make your little one wear ethnic clothes this season,

Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, April 26, 8.30 pm 41739250

like churidhars and Ghaghra cholis for girls and kurta pyjamas and dhotis for boys. You can also find a range of apparel for weddings, casual outings and formal meetings.

KASH, Forum Mall, Kormangala  Be bold this season: This summer, make way for bold prints and colours in your wardrobe.

Choose dresses from Bold Solids, the latest collection from 109°F, in a range of colours like blue, yellow and red.

Available at all 109°F outlets  Timeless beauty: Diesel Timeframes offers big, bold and edgy watches.

These are available in two colours; royal blue and white and are priced at Rs 11,495.

Available at Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Helios, Ethos, Just in Vogue and other leading retail stores

 A fusion of two worlds: Watch Dr Jyotsana Srikanth, renowned classical and world fusion violinist perform this weekend. Her music is a mix of classical, jazz and world fusion.

She will take the stage along with her band Fusion Dreams.

CounterCulture, 2D2, 4th cross, Dyavasandra Industrial Area, Whitefield, April 26, 9 pm 41400793

 Underground beats: This weekend witness four underground bands perform in the city, Grossty, Ontologus, Pisakas and Nauseate perform.

Grossty plays hardcore punk, Ontologus’ music ranges from alternative rock to death, Pisakas plays death metal whereas Nauseate plays rock.

Sonido Musicals, Opp Catholic Club, Brigade Road, April 27, 6 pm 41251429  Strawberry nights: Watch Strawberry Soul Trio perform this weekend. the band has Venkat Subramaniyam on bass and vocals, Hemanth

Diwakaran on guitar and vocals and Elwis Lewis on drums. The band plays heavy funk, blue classics and rock and roll. bFlat, 100 Feet Road, Above ING Bank, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, April 28, 8.30 pm 41739250  Drift with their music: Performing this weekend is Drift, who will showcase their skills in jazz. Watch Reuben Narain on drums, Sahil Warsi on bass, Pranai Gurung on vocals accompanied by Aman Mahajan on piano and Aarti Rao on vocals. bFlat, 100 Feet Road, Above ING

 Trio at their best: Get your dose of blues and rock this weekend. Overdrive Trio is a three member band and has Sunny D’souza on vocals and lead guitar, Vaibhav Wavikar on drums and Vibhas Patil on bass guitar.

CounterCulture, 2D2, 4th cross, Dyavasandra Industrial Area, Whitefield, April 27, 9 pm 41400793  Garage music: Watch Skrat from Chennai perform this weekend. Their music is mainly a mix of alternative, hard rock, jam band and garage rock. The band has TT Sriram on guitars and vocals, Tapass Naresh on vocals and Satish Narayan on bass.

Hard Rock Café, # 40, St Mark’s Road, May 2, 7.30 pm 41242222

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theatre

workshop

God of Carnage

 Great ideas this summer: This summer, be a part of a camp that teaches you the art of quilling, clay moulding, scrap booking and more. At Hobby Ideas, children can indulge in interesting activities along with their families. There will be separate workshops for children and adults as well.

Fee for the workshop starts at Rs 50 depending on the activity chosen.

Hobby Ideas, Priyanka House, 5, 100 Feet Rd, HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar 25200304

To get your event listed, write to us at listings@talkmag.in

iMirror Version 2.0 is about the distorted body image issues and how people and society in general is propagating this unhealthy view. The play is a journey with five stops in it, all in front of the mirror.

The five characters in the play look at themselves in the mirror and all hell breaks loose. Directed by Abhishek Iyengar, it has Rangaraj Bhatracharya, Srikanth B, Ranjan S, Radhika Chetan, Sushanth Shandilya, Anirudh Mahesh, Neha Agrawal, Prachi Jain and others.

Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, # 16 GMT Road, Vasanthnagar, April 27, 7.30 pm 41231340  Inherit The Wind: The play, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E Lee is based on the the famous 1925 Scopes Monkey Trials of Tennessee where a school teacher is indicted for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in his classroom.

William Jennings Bryan, three times US Presidential candidate and a Christian comes in for the prosecution and accepts to be a witness for the defense. Directed by Jagdish Raja, it has Koshy Varghese, Janardhan Roy,

Sanjay Iyer, Noel Mannasseh, Pooja Shankar and Jagdish Raja in the cast.

Jagriti theatre , Varthur Road, Ramagondanahalli, Whitefield, April 26 and 27, 8 pm and April 28, 3 pm and 6.30 pm 41248298  Gasha: The play is about the friendship between two boys, a Kashmiri Pandit and a Kashmiri Muslim. While everything around seemed to collapse around them, in a shed on an island, two boys

slowly built their world.

Twenty years later, it is quite another past that stands in their way. Directed by Abhishek Majumdar, it has Adhir Bhat and Sandeep Shikhar in the cast.

Ranga Shankara, #36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar, April 26 and 27, 7.30 pm and April 28, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm 26592777  iMirror Version 2.0: WeMove Theatre is back after PS I Don't Love You and Namma Metro. The play

 Rabdi: The play revolves around Saavantri and her mentally challenged child. Though her dreams of her child having a bright future remain unfulfilled she does not lose hope. In order to enroll him into a special school she offers to be a surrogate mother for an IT couple.

Directed by Nithish S, the play delves into the characteristics of motherhood, love, societal issues and human emotions.

Tickets priced at Rs 50.

KH Kala Soudha, Ramanjaneya Temple Compound, Banashankari, Hanumanthanagar, May 1 , 7.30 pm 26539239  God of Carnage: Directed by Preetam Koilpillai, the Yasmin Raza play is about a patch up mission between two set of parents whose sons had a tiff in the playground. But things do not go as planned.

The play has Sharanya Ramprakash, Deepika Arwind, Kanchan Bhattacharyya and Rajeev Ravindranathan in the cast.

Ranga Shankara, #36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, J P Nagar, May 1 and 2, 7.30 pm 26592777  Malegalalli Madhumagalu: Based on the novel Rastrakavi Kuvempu, the play depicts the conflict between tradition and modernity, Christianity and Hinduism, love and marriage and the individual and society in the Malnad region of Karnataka.

Jnanabharathi, behind Bangalore University, Mallathalli, April 27 to 30, 8.30 pm

dance

film Iron Man 3  Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde Telugu This romantic film stars Nitin, Nithya Menon and Jwala Gutta in the lead and has been directed by Vijay Kumar Konda. The music has been composed by Anoop Reubens.

Innovative Multiplex, Marathalli- 7.15 pm  Jatayu Kannada The film is about a love story that is set in a forest.

It has Raaj, Surabhi and Rupashree in the lead. Raaj makes his directorial debut with this film and Vinay Chandra has composed the music.

Tribhuvan Digital 2K cinemas- 10.30 am, 1.30 pm, 4.30, 7.30

 Aashiqui 2 Hindi This musical is about the journey of two lovers who go through turbulent times.

The story is about a singer and his love interest. The music is composed by Mithoon, and the film is directed by Mohit Suri. It has Shraddha Kapoor, Shaad Randhawa and Aditya Roy Kapoor.

Innovative Multiplex, Marathahalli- 1.45 pm, 10 Rockline Cinemas, Jalahalli Cross- 10.40 am, 3.55  Iron Man 3 3D English

The movie is about an industrialist, Tony Stark.

When Tony finds his personal life going through turbulent times, he tries to find out who is responsible for it. This journey tests his patience at every turn and he tries to figure out the answer to the question; does the suit make the man or does the man make the suit? Directed by Shane Black, it has Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle in the lead.

Gopalan Cinemas, Bannerghatta Road- 10 am,

12.30 pm, 5, 7.30, 10 Lakshmi Theatre, Tavarkere10 am, 1 pm, 5, 8 Manasa Digital 2K Cinemas- 1.30 pm, 4.15 Urvashi Digital 4K cinemas- 11 am, 3 pm, 6.30, 9.45 Rex theatre- 11.30 am, 2 pm, 4.35, 7.15, 9.50 Gopalan Cinemas, Arch Mall- 10 am, 12.30 pm, 5, 7.30, 10 Mukunda theatre- 4 pm, 8.45 Gopalan Grand Mall, Old Madras Road- 10 am, 12.45 pm, 3.30, 6.15, 9.15 Innovative, Marathahalli- 2.10 pm, 7.10, 9.45 Gopalan Mall Sirsi Circle- 10 am, 2.45 pm, 5.05, 7.35, 10

 Software Hardware Kya Yaaron English The film is about four friends, who are also roommates; Srinivas Naidu from Hyderabad, Girish Reddy from Telangana, Narain from Chennai and Nongem from Mizoram. The four of them are a part of the programming team in the same company.

After being on the bench for a long time during recession, they along with other five team members get a

chance to go on an on- site duty to Japan, for which they have to undergo a long week training on a new software application and etiquette orientation. Due to envy, competition and misunderstandings, conflicts arise between them.

Directed by Rabi Kisku, it has Saleem Ahmed, Sweta Desai, Ranbir Chakma in the lead.

PVR, Koramangala- 9.20 pm PVR, Orion Mall- 10 pm CineMAX- 7.30 pm

 Learn traditional dance: Improve your acting skills using the traditional Devarattam, a dance form from Tamil Nadu. At this workshop you can learn from Nellai Manikandan, a stage performer and dance instructor, who has been specially brought in to teach this art. This dance also turns out to be a good exercise workout. It combines martial arts and dance moves, that helps the participants learn how to attain perfect body balance.

Shishu Mandir, Kithiganoor Main Road, Virgo Nagar Post, KR Puram, April 26 to 28 99863715543

memoir

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The first murder case I won Provoked by his foul-tongued, kleptomaniac father, Nanjunda batters him to death with a plank

ases poured in for Devadas, my guru, from the affluent districts of Hassan and Chikmagalur. Many rich coffee planters were his clients. He had to appear frequently at the session courts in those districts, and some cases pending in Bangalore came to me.

A police sub-inspector called Channaiah wanted Devadas to take

C

credentials, Channaiah said he up a case.

“I have to attend to some urgent would arrange a meeting.

As Channaiah left the office, a cases in Hassan and Chikmagalur.

Don’t worry.

I will put smiling Devadas told me, “They don’t Hanumantharaya in charge of your know your acumen. They underestimate you. Don’t pay heed to them. case,” Devadas said.

A disappointed Channaiah said, Focus on the case. If you have any “Sir, it is a personal case. Please don’t doubts, consult me.”

I visited the pass it on to a murder spot. The junior.”

Nanjunda bluntly accused, Nanjunda, “My junior is was in Bangalore efficient. We will asked Marappa, Central Jail. I went definitely win the ‘When will you over to meet him. case,” said Devadas. stop stealing?’

Nanjunda was He introduced a young boy. I shivme to Channaiah, who reluctantly gave me the charge ered as he narrated his story.

Marappa was a villager from sheet and briefed me. It was a murder Seegepura on the outskirts of case.

Glancing through the charge Bangalore. He was married to sheet, I said I wanted to talk to the Narasamma, Channaiah’s elder sisaccused. Still unconvinced about my ter. Channaiah was a head constable

crime folio

VIVEK ARUN

Fabled ranconteur and Bangalore’s top-notch criminal lawyer brings you moving, sensational and bizarre stories from 40 years of his practice

CH HANUMANTHARAYA

then. He was fond of his sister.

Though they were not rich, his parents had some land and preferred Marappa because he hailed from the same village. That way, they thought, their daughter would stay close to them even after marriage.

But Marappa was a kleptomaniac. He would cast his eye around and steal whatever caught his attention, and this had earned him notoriety.

Some villagers told Narasamma’s father about this problem, but he ignored them.

Channaiah argued with this father. “We could have found a better groom. Marappa is not even employed,” he said.

“What if he is unemployed? He

memoir owns land, and is capable of taking care of his wife. I am not a government employee like you, but didn’t I take care of my family?” the father said, silencing Channaiah.

Trouble began soon after the wedding. Narasamma would spend most of her time in her parents’ house and Marappa was a frequent visitor. Following his visits, valuables in the house would vanish.

Narasamma would find them back at her husband’s house.

Whenever she questioned him, he would shout at her, “After I married you, your father had to transfer his lands to my name. But I am not asking for it. You are making a big issue of petty things like plates and spoons.”

Narasamma took the stolen objects back, but her mother would ask her to keep them, fearing Marappa would harass her.

“He may beat you. He is such a stupid man,” the mother would lament.

There was no end to Marappa’s kleptomania. If he could find nothing precious, he would pick up a pair of slippers. And Narasamma was so embarrassed she started spending most of her time at her parents’ place. She bore four sons and they grew up in their grandparents’ house.

By the time Channaiah was promoted as sub-inspector, his father had passed

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

away and he had to take up the responsibil- father. I will not live with you, even if it ity of caring for Narasamma and her chil- means working as a bonded labourer dren. For their livelihood, he bought some somewhere,” Nanjunda shot back.

Marappa slapped him. Angered by all land and goats. But Marappa’s disorder had become worse, and people in the village this, Narasamma took the children to her had nicknamed him Kalla Mara (Thief brother’s house. Channaiah instructed Mara). People made fun of him behind his them not to go back to Marappa any more.

Marappa assumed his wife and chilback, and Marappa would squabble with dren would return after their anger died whoever taunted him openly.

Whenever Narasamma draped herself down. But that didn’t happen. When there in a new sari, women would snigger. was no sign of their return even after some months, he started living Playmates would ask the with a woman. children, when they wore Provoked by the Channaiah bought new clothes, where their vulgar comment, more goats and Nanjunda father had stolen them. started earning enough Things had become he hit his father his mother and brothunbearable for Nanjunda, with all his force for ers. her eldest son. He had One day, when he grown up. He would fly into a rage at the taunts of his friends. was grazing his goats, he saw his father “What has your father brought home late- passing by. Spitting at him, he said, “You should be ashamed of yourself. You have ly?” they would tease him.

One day, an exasperated Nanjunda no right to live. You must kill yourself.”

“Why should I be ashamed?” Marappa asked his father, “When will you stop stealhit back. “You must be ashamed. You are ing?”

Caught off-guard, Marappa was furi- born to me, but you live with your uncle ous. “Did your mother make you ask this like a slave. Did he father you?”

Provoked by this vulgar comment, question? I work hard to feed you and you call me a thief? I will skin all of you alive,” Nanjunda hit Marappa’s head with a wooden plank. Marappa fell, and Nanjunda bathe screamed.

“I am ashamed of calling you my tered him to death. People came running

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and the police arrested Nanjunda.

The villagers were not sympathetic to Marappa. Headman Rame Gowda told them strictly not to testify against Nanjunda. When the police asked them, they said Marappa had slipped from the top of a tree which he had climbed to steal fruits. The police closed the case.

Soon after, an anonymous letter landed on the table of the sub-inspector, saying Marappa had been murdered.

The police reopened the case produced Nanjunda before the Bangalore Rural district sessions court. RG Desai, subsequently elevated to the high court, was the judge.

My heart went out to Nanjunda. I decided to help him out. Roping in the villagers as my witnesses, I managed to get Nanjunda acquitted.

After the acquittal, Channaiah told me, “I thought you were inexperienced and hurt you. You are a talented lawyer. Please forgive me.”

Narasamma said, “You gave a new lease of life to my son. May your wife and children do well.”

I could not speak. It was the first murder case I had won independently.

(Translated by BV Shivashankar)

T I M E P A SS

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

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Talk’s weekly crossword for Bangaloreans who know their way about town 19 Mr Tiwary in our IPL squad (7) DOWN 2 Congress nominee from Rajarajeshwari Nagar who was arrested for threatening a poll officer (1,10) 3 Bangalore cinema home to India's first 4k screen (7) 4 British expert on Karnataka politics who was recently critical of the BJP run state government (5,5) 6 Chicken in Kannada (4) 7 Bear sanctuary near Bellary (6) 8 City club recently rocked by membership fraud (7)

Last week’s solution Across: 4 Bachchan, 6 Canopy, 7 C N R Rao, 8 Belgaum, 11 Market, 14 Fun, 15 Kolar, 16 Chamarajpet, 17 Fiftynine.

ACROSS 1 _____ Wah; Chinese corner on Cunningham Road (5) 5 KM Chaitanya's latest directorial effort (6) 9 A six-week-old infant died after receiving a vaccine at a government run health centre near this

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area (9) KLE Fashion Technology and Apparel Institute's festival (11) 12 Three cops from this police station have been charged with abetment to suicide (14) 16 Current KPCC President (1,12) 18 Falls near Madikeri (5) 11

Down: 1 T J Abraham, 2 Badami, 3 B Y Raghavendra, 5 Duke, 7 Chris Gayle, 8 BJP, 9 Power cuts, 10 Hoskote, 12 Kori roti, 13 BBMP, 14 Fifteen.

10 Karnataka tourist destination home to a 42-foot statue of Gomateshwara (7) 13 Excise department officials seized heroin worth Rs 1 crore recently in this city (5) 14 Rector KJ Thomas of _ ____ Pontifical Seminary was murdered on 1st April (2,6) 15 Farmers from this village near Belgaum torched a NWKRTC bus as part of their protest against acute drinking water shortage (7) 17 A steamed dosa (5)

Prof Good Sense  I was in a relationship for three years before I got married. My wife knows about it. I am now in touch with my ex, but we are just good friends. I am not cheating on my wife. At the same time, I am intensely attached to my ex. I suspect my wife has found out that we are meeting and talking to each other. Do you think I should explain things to her?

Jagan, Bangalore ‘Just good friends’ is now a laughable term. Nobody will believe you. If you think you can journey through life riding on two horses, you are deluding yourself. Your affair with your girlfriend is over and you have to think of your wife’s well being. Don’t wreck your marriage for the sake of your ex. Your wife deserves better.

She has remained patient, and put up with you all this while.

Take stock of yourself in a healthy manner, and don’t allow yourself to commit costly blunders.

Prof M Sreedhara Murthy teaches psychology at NMKRV First Grade College. He is also a well-known photographer.

Mail queries to prof@talkmag.in

talk|2 may 2013|talkmag.in

@twit: Honey, I shrunk my brain!

How to hail a UFO

The technological pool we swim in—video games, cell phones, televisions, and yes, Facebook, Twitter and their like—is literally shrinking our brains. Research recently published in China has revealed that prolonged use of such technologies can cause up to “fifteen per cent shrinkage in the area of the brain that controls speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory, and other information.” Another study by the University of California showed that for a ‘web-virgin’

It’s not as easy as summoning your dead uncle on an Ouija board, but it is actually possible to “summon” a UFO, an ex-KGB officer has claimed. In the 1970s, Major general Vasily Yeremenko was in charge of the KGB division that oversaw air force-related matters, which also monitored UFO sightings.

After tracking many such sightings, the division concluded that UFOs tended to show up in “areas of heightened tension” where deadly weapons were tested, military hardware piled up, or combat aircraft flown in unusually big numbers. In the early 1980s, the division

even just five hours of Internet use “substantially rewired the prefrontal cortex of the brain.”

Wondering how we got to know about all this? From a post on a friend’s FB wall, of course. Having deeply pondered over it for all of four seconds, we hit upon a rather bright idea—if the problem is that Facebook (and the rest of it) is making us dumber, why not get everybody on to Facebook so that at least we can all be at the same level. The problem’s, like, totally solved, right?

A new life awaits you on the red planet If you are one of those wonderfully self-aware people who know they are a burden on this world (or the other way round), we have a suggestion: get a one-way ticket to Mars. Because now you actually can, all thanks to Mars One, a private company that plans to set up base on the red planet by 2023.

They are looking for 24 astronauts who are “intelligent, creative, psychologically stable and physically healthy” and whose “combined skill sets must cover a very wide range of disciplines.”

They also need to have mid-range height, blood pressure below 140/90, and a “curious, resilient personality.” Considering that the recruits will spend the rest of their lives inside a bubble stuck on a dead planet, we had hoped for far more relaxed criteria. For example, “Applicants must be thoroughly disgusted with life on earth.” But Mars One knows better, it seems, because no less than 45,000 curious, resilient personalities have already registered on their website.

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staged an experiment to summon UFOs at a military range in Russia’s remote Astrakhan Region. Yeremenko says the UFOs did come, and most of them looked like luminous spheres (see, Hollywood was right!). The scientists who led the experiment came up with three possibilities to explain what the UFOs might be: 1) Natural phenomena that science is yet to explain; 2) American reconnaissance equipment; 3) Extraterrestrial objects. We suspect that the Russians had vastly overestimated both America and science, and are, naturally, rooting for the third option.