August 2016

Dr.Rajesh Jeganathan

Bhavani Devi

Palani Mohan

Gayathri

Vikram Cotah

Venket Ram

Vol-1 ISSUE-2

AUGUST 2016

Pushkar

Karthik

Madhuvanthi

Vinod Muthukrishnan

Nikkil Murugan

Hema Rukmani

Vivek Karunakaran

THE MADRAS SPECIAL

Swarnamalaya

The Brew magazine is based on the Entertainment genre has seen stupendous growth in the past five years of its existence. Based on its tagline ‘Think.

Create. Live’, the Brew magazine urges readers to contemplate, create and live- in that order. Featuring human interest stories, articles about the most famed artists and elite lifestyle stories, we are immaculately selective about our content. With the support of the advisory and contributory board comprising of a team of great individuals, we host a minimum of eight events a year as well.

Sameer Bharat Ram Publisher & CEO

The August 2016 issue is by far the most exciting production our team has conceived.

Uniquely conceptualized and scrupulously revamped, this special edition of Brew is one of a kind. With the Madras Day around the corner, it is time to zero in on the glorious essence of culture and lifestyle that Chennai emotes. From sipping filter coffee to celebrating Rajinikanth, the people of this city are undeniably an intriguing mix. Which is why, this August we raise a toast to some of Chennai’s most sought after individuals of honour. From doctors to artists, we bring to you the lives and stories of personalities who form a strong base network upon which the city thrives. Their lives often so closely entwined with the city’s rich history and burgeoning present, these are powerful men and women, driven by an envious sense of foresight, trust in self and collaborative growth that pushes us forward as a community. A community we’d like to call ‘Madras.’ This special edition is inspiration materialized, to celebrate the power of a community and its people who are consciously building a better tomorrow hand in hand. With several beautiful stories disclosed, there is a lot to delve into as you flip these pages.

Enjoy your read.

VIDHYA ANAND EDITOR

“Based on its tagline ‘Contemplate.

Create.

Live’, the Brew magazine urges readers to contemplate, create and live- in that order.

Featuring human interest stories, articles about the most famed artists and elite lifestyle stories, we are immaculately selective about our content. ”

CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY BOARD Thota Tharrani A senior Indian film art director and production designer who has worked in Tamil cinema, Telugu cinema, Malayalam cinema and Bollywood. He has won two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South and four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. His work consists of paintings, murals, paper collages, wooden montages, installations and so on

G Venket Ram A leading Indian fashion photographer, who has shot principal photography stills for several notable films as well as portfolios. He quit his engineering studies to work with cinematographers for a while, after which he joined a course in Visual Communication at Loyola College. He then worked with photographer Sharad Haksar and in 1993, he started his own studio

Mallika Sarabhai Educated as an economist and business manager, she is one of India’s best-known classical dancers. She has taken her work and her company ‘Darpana’ to not only over 90 countries around the world, but also to the most remote parts of India

Neeru Nanda A graduate from Delhi University, she’s passionate about writing.

She freelanced as a feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of a collection of short stories titled ‘IF’, she has also worked on novels and short stories for children

Ashok Verghese One of the youngest education entrepreneurs who is making a great difference in this field in the country. He is the Director of the Hindustan group of Institutions, one of the pioneering educational groups in the country. He supports the cause of promoting young talent in art and music

Veejay Sai An award-winning writer, editor and a culture critic. He has written and published extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art, and loves traveling, researching literary and cultural history. He is an editorial consultant with over 40 brands and designers in and outside India and is on the jury for several prestigious awards in the arts sector across the country

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INTERNAL TEAM EDITOR Vidhya Anand FEATURES WRITERS Ajay Srikanth Padma Murughappun Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Aasha Sriram MARKETING MANAGER Reesha N DESIGN Sriram B COVER CREDITS

CIRCULATION K.Sathish kumar

SRIRAMA SANTHOSH

S T R A T E G Y

&

D E S I G N

Published by Sameer Bharat Ram, and owned by SM BrandMuni Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Published from New No. 68 / Old No. 63, Cathedral Road, Chennai - 600 086.

Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392.

Follow us http://www.facebook.com/ thebrewmagazine

Write to editor.thebrewmagazine@gmail.com for editorial queries/feedback marketing.thebrewmagazine@gmail.com for advertisement queries/feedback

Published from New No. 68 / Old No. 63, Cathedral Road, Chennai - 600 086.

Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392.

AUG 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 6

CONTENTS

ISSUE 01

THINK

32

MUSINGS ON ART FOR THE LOVE OF ART

10

CELEBRATING MADRAS DAY THE MADRAS ILLUSTRATION

12

RIO 2016 GOSPORTS FOUNDATION – THE OLYMPIANS

14

BHAVANI DEVI THE PRODIGIOUS FENCER

18

HEALTHCARE THE BILLROTH LEGACY

20

ON THE ‘G-SHOT’ INTERVIEW WITH DR. DEEPA GANESH

21

DAUNTLESSLY DRIVEN ASHOK MANOR

22

CLOUD CHERRY A STORY OF SUCCESS

19

MANAGING WASTE HASIRUDALA’S BOLD INITIATIVES

24

CREATE

28

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE-CLASS KARTHIK KUMAR ON LIFE AS HE KNOWS IT

28

THE MAN BEHIND THE COVER ARTIST SRIRAMA SANTHOSH’S DOODLE AFFAIR

32

THE EAGLE HUNTERS AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER PALANI MOHAN’S ONE OF A KIND JOURNEY

36

BEHIND THE LENS RENDEZVOUS WITH ACE PHOTOGRAPHER G VENKET RAM

39

FOR THE LOVE OF CHENNAI DANCER/ARTIST SWARNAMALYA – AN INTERVIEW

42

ARTIST AND EDUCATIONIST CONVERSATION WITH MADHUVANTHI ARUN

43

Nikkil Murugan Chennia’s Celebrity PRO

46

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60

RUNNING A POWERHOUSE A STORY ON HEMA RUKMANI OF SRI THENANDAL FILMS

47

THE DIRECTOR DUO EXPERT FILMMAKERS PUSHKAR AND GAYATHRI SPEAK

48

LIVE VIVEK KARUNAKARAN THE FASHION VIRTUOSO

49

ARCHITECT KRITHIKA SUBRAHMANIAN FROM DRAFTS TO REALITY

50

CREATING EXPERENCES, PROMSING MORE IN CONVERSATION WITH VIKRAM COTAH

51

ASTRO FOOD RECIPE OF THE MONTH

52

GLIMPSES WITHIN BEST ROAD TRIPS FOR THE SEASON

54

WHATS BREWING PEEK INTO THE BEST PICKS OF AUGUST

60

54 AUg 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 9

THINK|Musing

MUSINGS ON ART

Human beings have always sought to rise above themselves. From the early Neanderthals to the current day Generation Y-er, everybody wants to leave behind something that will keep their name ringing in the annals of history.

One way to do this has always been via creating art. The cave drawings that are still preserved is a testament to this fact. They may have served multiple purposes; a way of communication, a method of preserving history or perhaps just a way to pass time. Regardless of the motive, they can be classified as perhaps the earliest form of art humanity has seen.

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This brings up the question of what art actually is. At the most basic level, it can be defined as a form of expression. The mode and medium of the expression doesn’t matter. Art is a way of capturing a moment, creating an instance that lasts a lifetime and leaving behind something that is greater than the artist himself.

It is breath-taking to see the range of art. Jackson Pollock’s frenzied drip paints are art. Piet Mondrian’s precise compositions are art. Ansel Adam’s black and white photographs are art. A soulful saxophone solo is art.

Understanding art is not always easy. Take, for example, Kazimir Malevich. Malevich was a Russian painter, and at the forefront of an art movement known as ‘Suprematism.’ His paintings made use of geometric shapes, and can be classified as abstract art. His most famous painting, however, is something called ‘The Black Square,’ which is just that. A black square on white background.

Calling something like that art seems absurd, and praising it seems even more so.

But this is where another aspect of art comes into play. What is obvious on the surface is rarely the true meaning. Since it’s a form of expression, the true meaning of the expression is often disguised, or even obscured, by the method the artist chooses. Finding out the meaning is the joy that art gives.

What’s even more interesting is the range of meanings people can find in the same piece of art. Often, this will not coincide with what the creator had in mind. This is completely okay, as straightjacketing the meaning of a work will only take away from it; it will not elevate. Appreciating art is difficult enough, but creating it is an entirely different matter. It is not easy to put one’s feelings and emotions down, regardless of the form. But trying to do so is a hugely enjoyable endeavour. A piece of yourself is now recorded, and will endure for posterity.That’s an amazing feeling.

Another hurdle in creating art, which is especially true for literature, is how honest it is. It is also frightening, because the creator is exposing himself or herself for everyone to see. This is difficult. What if someone doesn’t like what we’ve made?

How do we get past that? That’s the question every creator must answer. But then, it isn’t necessary for everyone to create art. Everyone can enjoy it though, and that is a wonderful gift in itself.

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CELEBRATING MADRAS DAY

CORPORATION OF CHENNAI

ILLUSTRATION BY SUSHMA AITHAL GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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THINK|Mavericks

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”

-Pierre de Coubertin, Father of Modern Olympics

With the Rio 2016 Olympics having unfolded, anticipation, expectations and dreams of a better tomorrow soar high in the air.While winning and walking home victorious might be the predominant end in mind, the Indian sport scenario is seeking much more. Representation in the big games, the fight to make it, braving the insurmountable and above all, keeping the head held high is the integrity of real sport. Read on as one of India’s leading sports foundation, GoSports opens up about the current Indian sports realm, its objective to empower athletes to achieve their dreams and much more.

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DEEPTHI BOPAIAH ON THE GROWTH OF INDIAN SPORTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GOSPORTS FOUNDATION With Indian sports growing faster than ever and heading towards its pinnacle, Deepthi Bopiah of the GoSports Foundation gives a detailed insight on the current scenario. She explains, “It is a wonderful time to be working in sport, with the Indian narrative firmly on the upswing. At the GoSports Foundation, we believe that a medal is the icing on the cake. Our main purpose is to get athletes into representation at the biggest events in international sport, including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Championships, and of course, the big one - the Olympics! While the Sports Authority of India is doing a stellar job, organisations like us, pitch in with so-called ‘soft support.’ The interventions we have made for athletes include identifying centres for high performance training and funding their stints at such centres, sending physiotherapists and fitness trainers on tour with our elite players, funding their apparel and international standard equipment, getting their injuries assessed and treated by the best experts in India, and sometimes even funding their living and training expenses end-to-end for those of our athletes who come from extremely humble backgrounds. While the government has the budgets to support athletes and is channeling them into sport, our team works with the athletes to facilitate these grants, to prepare and submit these applications for them as well. Ultimately, the larger objective is to empower their lives through the medium of sport, and create role models for future generations to think about sport as a potential career pathway.

“At GoSports Foundation, we are extremely proud to play a role in the evolution of Indian sport. For the first time ever, we have over 100 members representing India at the Olympics; that too with the female athletes outnumbering the males. We have Indian representation in fifteen sporting disciplines. Similarly, we are proud to have grown as an organisation as well; from one Olympian in London, we now have four who have made it to Rio! Potentially eight who will most likely go to the Paralympics this year - unprecedented!

“We are working to change the narrative that claims just one individual gold medal for India across the history of the games.

We are extremely proud to have, Abhinav Bindra, guiding and mentoring our athletes through his presence on our Board of Advisors. Simultaneously, we are equally proud to be supporting some medal hopefuls through our Athlete Mentorship programme with Rahul Dravid, and look forward to playing a meaningful role in the sporting journeys of many more Indian talents. One of our biggest pain points has been solved in part by the inclusion of sport under the CSR mandate, and some of our biggest partnerships have come about as a result of this. It is thrilling to be working in an era where large corporations are being encouraged to empower lives by supporting sport and sportspersons.”

“THE FOUR OLYMPIANS This year, the GoSports Foundation proudly represents four of its prestigious athletes in the Rio Olympics”

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DIPA KARMAKAR ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS Daughter of a SAI weightlifting coach, Dipa was introduced to sport by her father. Her talent was soon spotted by the secretary at the sports council, who connected her with her current day coach, Biswaswar Nandi, whom she has been training with for approximately 15 years. Dipa credits him for all of her successes, especially given that he was instrumental in correcting her flat foot, which is normally a hindrance for a gymnast.Years later, at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010, Dipa was a member of the gymnastics contingent, when gymnast Ashish Kumar snagged India’s first ever gymnastics medals (bronze and silver medals in different events) at the Games. Dipa vowed to emulate his performance, and four years down the line, followed through in Glasgow by becoming only the third woman ever to successfully land the difficult Produnova vault in competition. Her achievement brought her the bronze medal in Gymnastics. She also finished fourth at the Asian Games a couple of months later, just behind the Olympic gold and silver medalists and the world championship bronze medallist gymnasts. She recently clinched the Bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Hiroshima in August 2015, and has successfully qualified for the World Championships in Glasgow in October 2015. On National Sports Day 2015, Dipa received the prestigious Arjuna Award from the President of India, for her achievements in her sport. She is currently supported by the GoSports Foundation as part of the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme. The foundation will work with her to support her with her apparel requirements, during training as well as for her upcoming competitions over the next 15 months.

MANISH RAWAT RACE WALKING Manish comes from very humble background from the hills of Uttarakhand. His father passed away earlier in life, leaving his mother to take care of the entire family. Growing up, Manish walked 7 kilometres to school every day in the mountains of Uttarakhand, and participated in several running races in school. His visionary coach suggested he take up race-walking, given that his daily commute offers plenty of opportunity for practice! Today, he is one of India’s top race walkers. Primarily a short distance race walker, Manish qualified for the 2016 Olympics in his native 20km event in April 2015. Not satisfied, he took up the additional challenge of training for the longer 50km event and later in August 2015 successfully recorded Olympic qualification time for the event at the World Championships.

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KIDAMBI SRIKANTH BADMINTON Inspired by his older brother, Srikanth started playing Badminton and currently trains at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy. GoSports Foundation started supporting Srikanth in 2012 when he was still only 18 and ranked 338 in the World. Srikanth was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world in 2015, and has already amassed a host of accolades at the international level. A man of few words, Srikanth prefers to let his racquet do the talking. 2014 was a breakthrough year for him. Egged on by his Commonwealth Games experience, Srikanth finally started producing the kind of badminton that once saw him touted as one of India’s finest young prospects. In November 2014, Srikanth created history when he beat five time world champion and two times Olympic Champion, Lin Dan of China in the final of the China Open Superseries Premier. Since then Srikanth has maintained his good run of form.

In early 2015, he won two major international men’s singles titles, the Swiss Open GP Gold and the India Open Superseries. One among 7 Indian badminton players to qualify for the Rio Olympics, Srikanth had a great start to 2016, defeating badminton legend Lee Chong Wei during the Premier Badminton League. He followed this up by winning the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships around January end. His form saw quite a dip between March and April, with five 1st round exits in a month. His coach Pullela Gopichand recommended travelling a long distance for his tournaments, in order to get him accustomed to the long flight to Rio. Following this, he travelled to the Australian Open in June and was able to go all the way to the semi-finals of the tournament.

M.R. POOVAMMA ATHLETICS (400M AND 4X400M RELAY) Born to M.G. Raju and Jaji, Poovamma completed her primary and higher education in Mangalore, and acquired her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from SDM College of Business Management, Mangalore. Poovamma participated in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and was also a bronze medalist in 400m at the 2014 Asian Games. She was also an integral part of the Indian relay team that won the Gold medal in 4x400m Relay at the same event.

She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2015 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India in recognition of her outstanding sporting achievements and earlier this month secured qualification for Rio 2016, her second Olympics.

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THINK|Mavericks

CA BHAVANI DEVI National Fencing Champion Reigning undauntedly in a rather neglected sport, Bhavani Devi, the premier women fencer is an inspiration to many. She trained hard with an end in mind to represent India at the Asian Games in 2014. However, she was dejected when the country decided not to send a Fencing team to the games.To Bhavani however, this was an opportunity to bounce back, only stronger. She won India’s first ever medal in the Asian U-23 Championships in 2014 and bronze medal in 2015 , Gold at the Tuscany Cup in Italy in 2014, represented India at the World Championships in Russia, and the World Cups held in France and USA in 2014.

She also won Individual silver and team bronze at the Commonwealth Championships in 2012.

Read on she talks about life and her favourite sport in a conversation with Brew.

BY VIDHYA ANAND Have you believed or fantasised getting this far as a young kid?

After having taken to fencing at a young age, I started competing in competitions and began enjoying the sport.

To be honest, I never thought I would get this far but having come here now, I feel I can achieve a lot more in fencing.

Luckily I have time on my hands, and hopefully I can achieve a lot more going forward in international competitions.

Who or what inspired you to get started? It could be an event, your moral supporters or an athlete.

I was quite fascinated by sword fighting and I always wanted to try it. I was introduced to fencing in 2004 while studying in Muruga Dhanushkodi Girls Higher Secondary School in Chennai. Initially, I chose fencing to get away from classes in school. But, after losing my first competition, I was determined to get better in the sport in order to win.

What was the hardest thing you have done so far, to pursue your dreams?

Due to financial constraints, my coach or support staff are unable to travel with me for international competitions. Competing all alone without any person to support or guide you is probably one of the hardest things to do. Loneliness during training, competition and travel can sometimes be very difficult.

When pressure builds up, have there been junctures where you wanted to give up? How did you get back up and get going again?

When competing alone, pressure tends to get to you. With everyone’s efforts involved in aiding my sporting career, the expectations that come with it can be difficult to deal with. But that has never made me want to give up. I have learnt to deal with it better now and I don’t let it get to me.

What makes you wake up every morning, train and not stop chasing your dreams?

My dream is to win an Olympic medal! My family has supported me since the beginning of my fencing career. I am very thankful to them and also the GoSports Foundation who have aided my travel, fitness assessments etc. I have worked very hard to come this far in my career, I cannot now think of giving up!

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THINK|Mavericks

THE CUSTOMERDELIGHT SCOUT ON CLOUD NINE Two Cities. Fifty Spirited Technologists. One Goal.

Customer Experience. At the very helm of this evolving locus is the kingpin of Cloudcherry,Vinod Muthukrishnan. Intuitive, Ingenious, and Enterprising,Vinod stands resolute in bringing brands closer to their customers, connecting them with their aspirations and helping them deliver delightful differentiated experiences.

BY NANDITHA VIJAYARAGHAVAN “We refer to this year as the Year of the Rise of the Chief Customer Experience Officer” Cloudcherry is a Real-time, Omni-channel Customer Experience Management product that helps brands track, measure and improve Customer Delight. With Cloudcherry, a brand can go live in just 30 minutes across a global network of locations and multiple touch points of interaction. According to Vinod, “Delighting the customer and being customer-centric has been the award philosophy of all companies.

However, between discussing and delivering customer delight, there is a fair distance to walk. That chasm is bridged by technology.” Furthermore, he adds, “We refer to this year as The Year of the Rise of the Chief Customer Experience Officer. We have analyzed that it costs eight times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Customers who are loyal to your brand, naturally bring in more business through referrals and other modes of communication.”

“We are proud to be the cloud trailblazers in offering a complete 360 degree perspective of our market space” Vinod strongly believes that the key differentiator that gives Cloudcherry an unwavering competitive advantage in this market is data quantification. His inventive mind functions by the legendary words of Lord Kelvin, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” Consequently, those words also form the underpinning-operating motto of Cloudcherry.

Cloudcherry’s customer experience dashboard is a compre-

hensive customizable one-stop shop that provides powerful, actionable insights to brands, helping them unravel real-time customer feedback and hence drive better informed business decisions.Vinod affirms, “Our product is the only one in its space to help brands analyze their customer experience data in one place. We are proud to be the cloud trailblazers in offering a complete 360 degree perspective of our market space.”

Today,Vinod’s humble abode comprises of the best-ofbreed, young creative technological minds in the country.

He attests, “We have over 15 fresh engineering graduates in our company, which is easily 30-40% of our workforce. Every single employee has been cherry-picked by us for the roles they play in the organization. We are fervent believers of happy employees driving happy customers. We strive hard to create a ‘fun’ work environment that gives our employees a sense of freedom, ownership, and individualism. As we speak, we have an office contest going on for a cash prize award to the employee who comes up with the coolest urban legend on why we are called Cloudcherry!” Ask him about his preference and penchant for Madras to start Cloudcherry, and he instantly gushes about his unceasing endearment and reverence for this place. Being a globetrotter himself, he propounds that no other city in India comes even remotely close in its display of tolerance, acceptance and appreciation of its ménage.

We live in exciting times. As the digitization of business and society intensifies, technology continues to permeate our lives in more ways than one. Such penetration has only made it increasingly imperative for brands today to delve deeper into their customers’ preferences and perceptions.

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THINK|Mavericks

THE BILLROTH LEGACY

A city thrives on many important economic and cultural factors. One such highly essential segment of growth and sustenance that acts as the driving force of the people in an urbanized set up is the medical industry. While the progress in many other parallel sectors add a great value to the grit and strength of a city, nothing quite sums the care, courage and jubilance that medical organizations provides people with. Here’s a little about one such institute that has come to become a paramount signature in the city of Chennai.

Launched on 30th Novemver, 1990 by late Dr.V.Jeganathan, Billroth is among Chennai’s leading hospitals. Apart from being the chairman of Billroth hospitals, he was a renowned laser and laparoscopic surgeon and a top gastroenrologist. With a rich history, great foresight and commitment has led the brand to climb the ladder of success and into the hearts of people in Chennai. His keen end in mind to offer the best of medical care to people from all walks of life has led to the institute’s great quality and affordability.

Accredited by the National Accreditation board for hospitals (NABH) certification, Billroth hospitals focuses on offering cutting edge facilities, infrastructure and standard health care to people. Currently headed by Dr. Rajesh Jeganathan, the Chairman, Billroth Hospitals thrives with well qualified doctors, nurse practitioners and state of the art technology are all very important facets that contribute to the growth and success of this medical institution. By providing maximum support and care to its patients, Billroth Hospitals stands among the best medical institutes that are building the base of the city of Chennai. Presently, they provide services in various branches of medicine and surgery with their 600 bedded super specialty hospital situated at Shenoy Nagar and R.A.Puram within the city. This fruition is not inadvertent but is the sheer outcome of perceptive participation and ethical practices undertaken by their team to achieve objects.

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THINK|Mavericks

DR. DEEPA GANESH Cosmetic Gynecologist Popularly known for her ‘G-Shot’ injections, Dr. Deepa Ganesh is among the few doctors that drive the city to a progressive tomorrow.

Having completed a training course under cosmetic surgeon David Matlock, she is India’s first certified Cosmetic Gynecologist. Read on as she discloses a lot more about her life, the truth behind the G-Spot and much more.

L

aproscopy, robotics assisted surgery, regeneration, design vaginal, clitoral pseudoplasty, G-Spot augmentation.

Based in a conservative city like Chennai has not been a hindrance for Dr.Deepa who is vehemently working on sensitizing women of the city.

Introducing the concept in Chennai, she had to focus on many areas that could improve lives. “Alleviating intimacy issues, relationship break ups due to loss of sexual drive and emphasize the need for women to take care of themselves are some issues that needed most focus on while the concept was introduced in Chennai,” says Deepa. Giving back to the women of the city through various robotic assisted surgeries, clitoral pseduoplasty, G-Spot augmentation, etc., has been pivotal to her.

She is drawn to the city in an almost compelling way, considering the fact that she studied there and yet lives here pursuing her dreams in the field. “Although I studied abroad, I always felt Chennai was home and wanted to come back. I’m a Chennai girl, my family and friends live here, so yes I naturally belong here,” she says.

Delving more into the mindsets of the people of the city, she surprisingly adds that, “People in Chennai are more open-minded, however there are times when people do get a little uncomfortable when we go out there and help them.”

With awareness being a big concern, having doctors such as Dr. Deepa thrusts the need and importance of medical procedure that are conventionally not sought after in the city. For that, and a lot more she is among some of the best and much-needed brand in the medical realm of Chennai.

“People in Chennai are more open-minded, however there are times when people do get a little uncomfortable when we go out there and help them.”

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THINK|Mavericks

DAUNTLESSLY DRIVEN ASHOK MANOR, ENTREPRENEUR Young, bold and talented, Ashok Manor is a second generation entrepreneur with a powerful foresight and inner strength. Progressing fearlessly and driven staunchly, he is a paradigm of the belief that young people are the pillars of a newer, better tomorrow.

From thriving steadfast in the real-estate business with his famed brand Ruby Builders, to owning a sport franchise, Ashok is the ideal, young entrepreneur one can dream to become. Chiseling new business ideas with careful detail and sustaining their current growth, he is among those who add great value to Chennai. Read on as Brew writes about one of city’s most important entrepreneurial figures.

Tell us about yourself and as to what drives you as an entrepreneur? That one thing that makes you jump out of bed every morning.

I am a second generation entrepreneur. The business was set up from scratch by my father Mr.Manoharan. I joined him in our business of real estate and construction after finishing my graduation in architecture which truly is my passion. What drives me the most in being an entrepreneur is the opportunities we get everyday to make people happy through the homes we build. The category we are in is such. In our country, nothing gets more special to an individual more than their own home. It is their most prized possession and asset. We at Ruby strive to give our best to give our customers happy homes.

You have recently ventured into the sports sector, tell us a about the league. How does it feel to own a team?

I have always wanted to diversify and get into entertainment and sport. Again this is something that excites and drives me.

We have recently acquired a team in the TNPL and it is called ‘Ruby Kanchi Warriors.’ We have signed Brett Lee as our mentor and coach. It is a completely new thing for me to be a sports franchise owner, but I’m a quick learner. So I’m definitely excited for the first season of the league.

Do you like Chennai? If so, what does the city mean to you?

I am very much a Chennai boy! I was born here, went to school and college here. My business is also based and established here. I love this city and truly cannot think of living anywhere else.

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THINK|Chagemakers

HASIRU DALA – TOWARDS A BETTER TOMORROW

HasiruDala is a non-profit organization that strives towards a wellplanned and stable livelihood for waste pickers and other informal waste workers.With a strong focus on their objectives and a clear foresight, they currently have a membership of over 7500 waste pickers.Their innovative services and business models supports and anchors waste pickers’ expertise and entrepreneurship, thus conceiving a better tomorrow for the group.

BY VIDHYA ANAND

AUG 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 24

Being a membership based organization, HasiruDala works towards creating recognition of waste pickers and informal waste workers. The mere fact that these workers are a much needed part of the urban economy acts as the core of the organisation.Their work which includes collection, sorting, grading and transportation of waste for recycling is foundational to both green and circular economies, much needed for mitigation of climate change.

Although based in Bengaluru, HasiruDala is gradually expanding to other cities as well.

Read on as some of the vital organising members open up about the operations, the process involved, their plans for the future and much more in an interview with Brew.

MARWAN ABUBAKER, PROMOTER/DIRECTOR- OPERATIONS- HASIRU DALA What is your take on decentralizing waste management? Why and how does it help?

Decentralized waste management is the only way to manage waste with ease and save a sizable amount of expenses on transportation. Having multiple processing units in short distances will allow easy collection and transportation at the same time processing of the waste in a sustainable manner. Currently the entire country practices collection and transportation at a centralized facility where there is no control on segregation, difficult to process mixed waste, time consuming and inevitably land-filled. The decentralized approach is the complete opposite, more efficient in monitoring segregation, processing friendly and only waste that cannot be recycled reaches the landfill.

Running operations, how co-operative and effective are volunteers? Does each individual involved truly understand what they are working for - The Big Picture?

Volunteer support is very crucial as they are the key to ensure the process is efficient.

Segregation is the key for a successful waste management system and the volunteers are the key drivers”, for its implementation and monitoring. Only when they have an idea of the “Big Picture,” they transform into a highly motivated team of residents ensuring a simple and sustainable waste management system is implemented.

Tell us about collaborative efforts that Hasiru Dala has taken with other NGOs. Hasiru Dala (HD) is waste picker member based organization working towards a better livelihood for waste pickers be it integrating them into the city’s waste management system or innovating multiple opportunities. HD initiated the first ever process to identify waste picker’s efforts towards the city and environment by engaging with the municipality to provide identity cards for waste pickers, over 7000 and counting waste waste pickers have received these cards till date. This would not have been possible without collaborating with NGOs working in this sector to reach out to waste pickers across the city. This effort still continues...

In addition HD works with SWMRT and other citizen lead initiatives towards policy changes for inclusion of the informal sector. The waste pickers are also given an opportunity to use the local community radio station Radio Active CR 90.4 MHz to amplify they’re voices.

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PINKY CHANDRAN TRUSTEE, HASIRU DALA How challenging is it to sustain a process and keep it going? Or, once set up, does the system serve itself in maintaining the structure?

For an organisation to sustain, I think the organisational culture and the mission of the organisation plays a very important role, in building long term financial, institutional and programmatic sustainability. In saying so, I believe that leadership, governance, measurement and reporting, information systems and the organisation’s learning capacity go a long way to maintain the structure.

In today’s wired world, challenges are multiple, but an organisation that is connected and clued in; innovative and at times disruptive ; adaptable and able to take risks, can continue to keep it going. Over a period of time the old processes no longer hold good and so regular stock taking is extremely important.

As a trustee, do you believe it is feasible in the next few years to network and build a system that Banglore holds in other cities as well?

Yes definitely! I believe in the power of partnerships and collaborations, and what Banglore has achieved in waste management from 2009 stands testimony to the fact.

The rise in citizen activism from the time the garbage crisis hit the roof, tells us that with the right information, on ground support for a cause is possible. People are realizing the value in segregating waste, we can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the problems of the landfill community, the informal waste workers or the municipal workers, nor can we allow a money guzzling large scale waste to energy projects.

Also in times of Skill India, the most import fact is the training of the Informal waste workers to be Waste Managers, and that is possible be broad basing the options from training to drive a vehicle, to organic, or terrace farming, biogas operations, large scale composting, to better business management of the recycling center, and fair price trading.The options are unlimited and can easily be replicated.

SHEKAR PRABHAKAR CEO, HASIRU DALA INNOVATIONS

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Can you kindly take us through Total Waste Management and Urban Gardening? - as to what does it involves and how people can engage in them considering the societal difference it will make?

Total Waste Management is a comprehensive municipal solid waste management solution for bulk waste generators (defined by BBMP, the local municipal body of Bangalore, as residential communities of greater than 50 households or commercial/educational/institutional enterprises generating more than 10 kgs of organic waste per day). The service is designed, developed and marketed by Hasiru Dala Innovations Private Limited, while the actual service delivery is done by franchisees run by wastepicker entrepreneurs. The service collects at-source segregated waste (wet, dry and rejects) from these clients and takes them to environmentally appropriate destinations approved by BBMP - wet to bio-gas producing or composting destinations, dry is sorted and graded by wastepickers and given to the recycling supply chain of wholesalers and recyclers, and rejects (sanitary/ diaper waste, inerts, non-recylables) go to the landfill. The primary collection and transportation is taken care of by the wastepicker franchisees while secondary transportation is handled by Hasiru Dala Innovations. The franchisee model is an innovation in the waste management sector. Another innovation is our pricing model to our clients. A fixed fee per household per month in addition to a variable fee per kg of waste picked up as per the waste stream. The variable fee is highest for rejects and lowest for dry, thus incentivizing better segregation at the household level. The societal impact is that each franchisee creates jobs for 4 waste pickers servicing 1500 households who segregate at home, thus impacting the environment as well through responsible waste management. We currently service over 20000 households across 150+ clients in Bangalore.

Urban gardening is a service designed to have individual residents to grow greenery in space available to them be it front/backyards or terraces. The business which is still being incubated and experimented with, offers design to setup services as well as monthly maintenance services. We have identified wastepickers who were erstwhile farm labourers and farmers and trained them in organic gardening. We expect this service to employ nearly 100 wastepickers in 2 years.

We have about 14 regular clients currently and have done over 25 garden set ups.

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CREATE|Art

THE QUINTESSENTIAL MIDDLE-CLASS MAVERICK

“You are your Dream. It’s just one Life, Make it Count!” gushes Karthik Kumar. An Actor by profession, a stand-up comedian by choice, a writer by passion and above all, an entrepreneur by design, Karthik is Generation Z’s prodigious paradigm of ‘Who we really want to be.’ In a realm that hitherto did not exist, Karthik prides at being the free-spirited outlier and concocting a ‘happy brand’ called EVAM that comically vocalizes common man’s thoughts and challenges the status quo.

BY NANDITHA VIJAYARAGHAVAN

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Walking into the effervescent office of Evam Entertainment in the neighbourhood of Chennai’s posh Chamiers Road, it was apparent that it was going to be a first meeting of sorts. The design of the Evam workspace is symbolic of the poetic whirlpool churning in Karthik’s ingenious mind. The waiting room held aesthetic graffiti-walls that murmured the creative coherence of the Evam squad and their unassailable fervour for the performing arts.

“We questioned why Theatre had to be only artistic and not fun like a good episode of Friends”

EVAM – THE RISE OF A KINDRED MOVEMENT Evam was born from the young blue-sky aspirations of Karthik Kumar and Sunil Vishnu, his partner who was a classmate at the Mudra Institute of Communications and Advertising. The name Evam was inspired from one of the best works of the legendary playwright, Badal Sircar called Evam Indrajit. Evam Indrajit is a Bengali play written in the 1960s that seeks to dramatize the disorganized and fractured life of modern man and questions the sheer monotony of a mechanical existence. The play went on to become an expression of the modern Indian situation that has perhaps lost its sheen in a globalized age with youngsters who are fortified in many ways than their ancestors were.

“While directing Evam Indrajit at Mudra, we began to introspect and deliberateon life after MBA and future career prospects. Having secured the societal norms of superlative education and high-ranked degree qualifications, our obvious choice should have been a comfortable well-salaried job at one of the leading Marketing and Advertising firms in the country. But days of retrospective cogitation only ascertained our yearning and drive to make a living doing what we love doing rather than what we are supposed to be doing,” smiles Karthik.

With 13 competitive years in business and a vibrant team of 28 new-age like-minded non-conformists, EVAM today is nothing short of Karthik’s brainchild in lucent animation. He explains how he has chaperoned not just himself but his entire repertoire of actors and support troupe in his ambitious journey as an entrepreneur. However, the

journey from a team of 2 to 28 has been no less than a herculean challenge. The embryonic stages of Evam’s crusade were about carving a niche audience with imbued appreciation for theatrically aligned standup comedy. “We spent the first three years in Brand Building where we literallychallenged the status quo on all fronts. We questioned why theatre had to be only,” artistic and not fun like a good episode of Friends,” recalls Karthik.

After several theatrical triumphs and persistent bludgeoning into the limelight, Evam knew they had piqued the interests of the young minds in the country. However, this was just one phase of the struggle accomplished. The other professional obstacle they faced was making Evam a profitable business. With soaring high auditorium and marketing costs, they relied largely on word of mouth for the first couple of years with no guaranteed digital medium to back their presence and growth. It was only between year four and year nine, when Evam started exploring other revenue streams in an attempt to grow and make their business profitable. Today, as an organization, Evam’s most successful divisions are Standup Tamasha (pure-play standup comedy shows), Sideways Training (theatre-based corporate training) and Happy Cow (children’s arts and theatre education). According to Karthik, the success mantra of EVAM today lies on the perfect balance of art and commercial business they have managed to achieve, without any negligence to the other.

“Acting to me is Empathy. It means to look at the world from the perspective of another and resonate with that.”

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AGENTS OF CHANGE According to Karthik, Standup comedy today is very similar to the famous Rock & Roll of the 1940s era in America. He raves, “The more you call it ‘The Devil’s Music, ‘The more people will love it because it’s constructive and intelligently anti-establishment.” He asserts how much his own fraternity in the standup comedy world is peace loving and support diversity and inclusivity. The very nature of this art form is atypical and individualistic in broadcasting views and opinions on roads less travelled and issues least examined.

Some of Karthik’s comedy specials like ‘PokeMe’ are performed with an unabashed intention to provoke the audiences to mull over issues like the 377A laws, or highlight the ironies of everyday happenings. His conviction and gusto in driving a specific agenda with each show embodies every standup comedian’s living dream. His latest special in the standup circuit, ‘The Second Decoction,’ is an extravagant celebration of all the things that are second best - that we reserve for ourselves, because we believe we don’t deserve any better! It’s a comical jamboree of a perfect middle-class upbringing, filled with hope, dreams and life savings. His publicly established and acclaimed ‘Open Mic Community’ has evolved into a powerful democratic medium that perfectly blends comical effusion with pragmatic real-world challenges, in more ways than one. It manoeuvres people from all walks of life to stair up, hold a microphone and endorse what they truly believe in. “If you want to vent, don’t do it with a weapon, do it with a mic, through comedy. It’s just very cool and powerful,” advocates Karthik.

Striding with a blazing aplomb and conviction, the Evam team is currently gearing up for an international ramble of 40 days with 30 performance shows across 30 cities in Americain the month of August. This just goes on to show that somewhere standup comedy is truly becoming the voice of the new India. “Acting to me is Empathy. It means

to look at the world from the perspective of another and resonate with that,” says Karthik. For him, it represents an extremely potent combination discussing the politics and society of new India through the innate power of humor.

Karthik prefers standup to any other form of creative expression because he believes it is more intuitive, liberal and rewarding as opposed to cinema where an actor and his performance are essentially driven by his repertoire. For him, standup is a demonstrative means of augmented reality, with unparalleled outreach and influence on today’s juvenile minds. Karthik reminisces his first film as a mainstream actor way back in 2003 and recalls how instinctively he knew right then that cinema was not his true calling. “There were over a thousand running the cinema race but barely a handful running the theatre and live performing arts race. I had manifested participating in the latter,” he recollects. He further adds, “It’s easy to become a good actor under the able hands of a director. But as an entrepreneur, you only have your own failures and successes to go by. My journey as a standup comedian has benefited the most from my journey as an entrepreneur.” From his perspective, he is not an ‘actor’ but a ‘performer,’ because every single time he steps on to the rostrum in front of a crowd, he reaches out and pulls them in with both hands. He delivers with skill, verity and meaning. That’s performance.

“It’s easy to become a good actor under the able hands of a director. But as an entrepreneur, you only have your own failures and successes to go by. My journey as a standup comic has benefited the most from my journey as an entrepreneur”

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THE RHETORIC OF COMICAL UNCONVENTIONS A typical year in Karthik’s life constitutes performing over a hundred standup shows on stage, managing his company and fueling his fervent discourse through writing. Writing, he insists, is perhaps the greatest form of therapeutic gratification for him. Every morning, before he is ready to take on the world, Karthik spends nearly two hours of his precious time to write in the private confinement of his home. He believes that his morning pages are the bedrock of his creative life and scribbled podcasts of his knotted musings. He believes in emoting not just with expressions while performing on stage but also through his chronicles in script.

Intent and unwavering, Karthik exhales deeply and then confesseson how often he reflects upon his own life and draws on his personal experiences to assess what makes his journey as a performer, invigorates. He asserts, “I am a very eager communicator and I have this urge in me to share my experiences with people on how to marry failure and treat it like an imposter.” With a sliver of emotions in the gaze of his eyes, he reveals that his penchant and drive for the performing arts today is very little about entertaining audiences and more about being truthful and forthright to his own self. He reckons that his end objective as a standup comedian is to be able to connect to the truth and become an unequivocal medium for it.

The theatre is a curious enigmatic sphere, more like a magician’s trick-box where the luminous memories of dramatic victories linger like nostalgic ghosts, and where the unexplainable, the magnanimous, the tragic, the comic and the absurd are all mere habitual occurrences. It is a space for learning about the brevity of human glory. Standup comedy is the one magical yet vanished pantomime glitter in that universe. However today, happiness brand icons like Karthikare reinventing and redefining the transformational potential of the performing arts to showcase standup comedy as a powerful platform and verbalize their opinions through the underestimated power of humor. Karthik’s long for the simplicity of the theatrical art form and all its artifices begets his every creative endeavor.

His only urge to the youth - Realize your true calling, discover your authentic voice, become vulnerable, symbolize your beliefs, put yourself out there and speak your heart!

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CREATE|Art

SRIRAMA SANTHOSH ILLUSTRATOR, DOODLE MONK Seeking happiness and bringing out the sunshine even from the greyest of situations, sums up all that makes Doodle Monk’s founder and illustrator Srirama Santhosh. A Master of Fine Arts graduate, he has worked as a student reporter for four years, while studying and also holds to his credit, around seven years of work experience with the legendary cinematographer PC Sreeram.

Read on as the man who has created Brew’s quirky cover this month opens up about life and his love for art in a conversation over some warm cups of coffee.

BY VIDHYA ANAND

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C

inematographer, photographer and artist Srirama Santhosh wears many hats with no sign of having trouble shuffling roles when required. With years of working in movies, and personal interest in art, his skillset has heightened in number, caliber and in his creative process.

Having found his true essence of inspiration –art, he is more focused than ever with his emerging, quirky brand called Doodle Monk.

Tell us about yourself and your jounrey so far.

When I started off, I did not have a great break in terms for promoting my artist work, no travel or exhibitions or anything of that sort. I was in Cinema for six to seven years.

I kept drawing every single day. I drew a doodle every day.

Art is an urge, and I knew I was missing it. Although I was into cinematography, it was my aesthetic sense that helped me in building those frames. After about seven years with PC Sreeram sir, I worked on a film ‘Kallappadam.’ When you are in cinema, there will be breaks. That bridge between projects gave that much needed space to doodle.

Why are doodles your medium?

The reason I took doodling as my medium is this. Consider drawing a monster or a ghost as a doodle, you know it is going to look happy and fun. It is a stress buster. Every individual goes through emotional struggles, sometimes depression and the need to experience happiness is a necessity.

We need it. I believe that joy comes from doodles. It lets me express how I truly feel. Doodle Monk was not planned.

I started doodling real-life people, creating happy moments from real life happenings, which intrigued interest in a few friends and my family. So subsequently, through word of mouth and the push from some well-wishers led to the conception of doodle monk.

Working in different fields, do you struggle switching from one medium to another?

I don’t struggle switching mediums, everything seems to work just fine. Say you have to express sorrow in a particular frame, it need not necessarily come directly from the face of an artist, it could be expressed through a silhouette – that artistic language flows into my doodling as well. Some feelings that may not be explained through a doodle can be expressed via photograph or cinematography and vice versa. For example, there was this particular shot in ‘Kallappadam’ and lot of people such as Bharadwaj Rangan had written about it. It was multiple, layered shots of a man walking in, as lights flicker on and off. This let me express what I really had in mind, and the magic was that there was no distortion in what the audience took from it. They felt what I felt creating that shot. So at the end of the day, I’m pretty comfortable doing all that I do.

What is your creative process like? Do you always plan your work?

When I draw for myself, it is just about a feeling and a moment that consumes me. When it is a happy moment, the lines I draw inevitably take a happy shape. If not, if it is not a happy doodle that is being conceived, at the end of expressing any negative feeling leaves me and I end up feeling light hearted and happy. That’s all that matters, that’s what doodling does to you.

Commercial doodling of course requires a plan, we need to ensure we offer clients what they ask for, along with that much needed artistic touch that I as an illustrator can offer.

Say, I have to create a doodle of a particular person; it comes down to me to understand their different traits and express it in the best way possible.

How did the name Doodle Monk come about?

Doodling is aimless drawing. Monks are self-less, they go as life takes them, wandering into all the good things that this one life has to offer. Happiness is characteristic of the same, it is untied, uncontrolled and has to be let out in the open.

All of this conspired, and we came up with the name Doodle Monk. Spreading Love is my mantra. There is always that urge to do something happy, something good and full of love.

That’s doodling!

How is moral support from your family? How involved are they in what you do?

My wife is a classical dancer, her name is Kalyani. She is very supportive, so is her family, her parents, that is my in-laws.

Together we want to teach kids art. An idea that predominantly revolves around the fact that a child’s drawing is pure.

It comes down to let them break free. When you teach techniques in doodling or painting, the first thing that strikes toddler is the fear that comes with it. The fear of dirtying a canvas, the fear of getting a line wrong and we need to break past that. So we want to let kids explore, let them do all that they want. Once they do this, they will hold a brush with confidence and so their first ever stroke would be just one of confidence. Eliminating that fear is key. The tiny moment where fear vanishes and a kid begins making strokes, that is where learning happens. Informal formal learning as I’d like to call it.

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Velammal

Medical College Hospital & Research Institute

Velammal, with its humble beginning in the year 1986 with just 183 students and 13 staff members has become a heavenly abode for 70,000 students and 6000 staff. The illustrious Velammal banner with its vision for excellence in all aspects of education and impeccable scholastic and non scholastic records has branched out widely with 13 Matriculation schools, 7 CBSE Schools, 1 International and Residential School each.

Our remarkable transformation within a short span of 27 years has earned us a unique opportunity to feature ourselves in the Guinness Book of World Records 2013 for the highest student strength in an Educational Trust.

The incomparable transition, plenteous accolades and burgeoning success personify the visionary with the Midas Touch, the Founder Chairman, Shri M.V. Muthuramalingam. His magical hands have transformed many dreams into reality and many hopes into vision. His resolute dedication, staunch conviction have left no mission or avenue unexplored.

Personal loss of losing his father at a young age and no financial back up never deterred him from his chosen goal in life. At the age of 64, he is a self made man maintaining a low profile private life but a highly acclaimed and successful professional career.

“Velammal Village” Madurai – Tuticorin Ring Road, Madurai – 625009 Phone : 0452 2510000

CREATE|Art

PALANI MOHAN AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Chennai, raised in Australia and currently residing in Hong Kong, Palani Mohan is an award-winning photographer with incredible stories to share with the world. Author of five books, he is popularly known for his fifth one ‘Eagle Hunters of Mongolia,’ that was published in September 2015. From shooting Eagle Hunters in extremely cold, snow-cladded regions of Mongolia to shooting snakes in the tropical regions of West Bengal in India, he is a versatile photographer brimming with curiosity. Read on, as Brew writes about the man who hailed from the city of Chennai leaving a forever mark in across the globe.

BY VIDHYA ANAND

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Palani Mohan’s story, Hunting with Eagles: In the Realm of the Mongolian Kazakhsis is one that compels you to travel to a faraway land, indulge in its culture and re-live the moments he lived, however for yourself. His journey through the Altai Mountains, his experience with the people, their way of life that is inclusive of the unbelievable binding they shared with their hunting eagles mesmerizes in an almost unfathomable way. His journey today started years ago when he first set eyes on a picture- one of a man in a snow-covered mountain holding a golden eagle in his arms. His curiosity found initiation right then, and it was only after over 25 years that he satiated it.

TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD “As a 17 year, you have lots of dream and you have lots that you want to do. This particular Mongolian trip was something I always wanted to do, but something else always took its place. Today, I’m glad I did it. I never thought it would really happen.You know they say that sometimes everything just comes together, that’s what happened,” he says, thankful for his Mongolian journey to meet the Khazaks.

While most of his story may seem unfaltering and tireless, it was a journey to no man’s land considering that only the toughest of men could survive the dauntingly low temperatures of the Altai Mountains. “Photographically it was a difficult thing to do. From start to finish, it took five years to complete this. Physically as well, it was difficult because, it is really cold there, about minus 40 degrees or so, and almost 75 percent of the time, nothing is going right for you.You spend so much time, there was a translator helping me and everything but then you start questionining yourself ‘What the hell am I doing here? Why am I here?’ I come from a different background and I really wanted to go someplace that was not me

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and I put myself in that situation. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I’m glad I did it,” he explains.

When asked if he had ever wanted to just give up, get done and pack up, he laughs and says, “Yes, everyday! Many many many times! I’d think, ‘This is not working out.’ However that lasts just for a short period of time. I think after the first or the second trip, I realized what I was doing could of substance, something that could be important.

Also, the people that you meet, the stories that you get, you go to bed thinking this is an amazing experience.”

HIS CREATIVE JOURNEY Delving further into the nuances of travelling and shooting in such adverse conditions, Palani talks about what works for him on the technical front and the gear he prefers to use, “I was one of the last photographers that I know of who went digital. Now I’m very comfortable with it, I shot the whole thing on digital. I use no flash; I use only available light and reflectors. I’m a big believer in using natural light as much as possible. Also, in very extreme conditions you should be able to travel as light as possible.

There is no need to carry all the gear. I pretty much shot the whole thing with one camera, two lenses and a tripod.

I had a back-up camera, of course. Took a lot of reflectors, my advice is that the gear is very important, but you can complicate your life carrying all the latest bits and pieces. I’m in West Bengal today, shooting snakes. I spent the whole day with just one camera and one lens.”

Apart from his book on the Mongolian Khazaks, the eagle hunters, Palani has a lot more that defines him. “My sixth book is in the pipeline, I have done five books so far.

When we first moved to Australia, I was a sport photographer for ten years at the City Morning Herald. I did a lot of stories on Tennis, Rugby, and much more. It taught me a lot; to work fast, to turn up on time and get on with people. In those days living in Australia I was the only nonwhite photographer and that was a challenge as well, the fitting in,” he laughs looking back in time.

His work is part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London and his images have been shown widely around the globe including the prestigious Visa Pour L’Image in Perpignan, France. His awards include World Press Photo, Picture of the Year International, CHIPP, Communication Arts, and Sony International. With many such accolades to his profile, Palani is unwavered and continues to enjoy the creative process of capturing a photograph with ease, and still appreciates the philosophy behind it.

“The most important thing for being a photographer is to be curious.You have to wonder. I think if you are curious, you are on your way to doing something good” “The best thing about being a photographer is that it opens doors that no other job in the world can open.You have the opportunity to go and photographer the President and the next day you can shoot some village in West Bengal and tell a story about the lives of the people. The most important thing for being a photographer is to be curious.You have to wonder. I think if you are curious, you are on your way to doing something good,” he concludes.

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CREATE|Art

THE PENSIVE POLAROID PARAGON Moments. Meanderings. Musings.The three simple words that eloquently incarnate the kodak veteran, G.Venket. Ram. A superlative artist with unparalleled mastery of the camera and lens,Venket’s polaroid compositions are not mere forms of expression and creativity.They are tools of artistic exploration, austere poetry of the real, delicate deep-dive into inner sanctums, and dexterous instruments for change.

BY NANDITHA VIJAYARAGHAVAN “Photography is a way of life for me!”

With over two decades of picturesque chronicles to his credit, Venketram is a neoteric colonist in the hyper-dynamic society of photography today. A man of a few chosen words, his visual creations speak volumes of the depth of artistic imagery embossed in his mind. An eye for perfection and detail, his every photograph is a beautiful interplay of his many experiences, influences and dimensions, blended with technique and craftsmanship.

When asked what photography really means to him, he smiles with some modest cognizance, “Photography is a way of life for me!” He spent his infant photographer years under the able mentorship of globally acclaimed legends like Iqbal Mohamed and Sharad Haksar, from whom he absorbed the nuances and technical know-how of this art form. He asserts, “Today, with the internet boom and rise of social media, there is enough awareness and information available online for an amateur photographer to learn and understand the technical or business aspects of this industry. However, twenty years ago, we relied heavily upon learning and guidance from established photographers and artistic pioneers of those times.”

“Photography is perhaps the only profession I know that people would love to step into, almost instantly” Furthermore,Venket expresses his content and jubilation in the sheer acceptance and passion among the youth today towards photography. He confides, “The fact that shooting selfies on phone cameras has become a rage today indicates the levels of interest and acceptance photography has amongst people. With exposure and awareness, people have naturally been embraced into the mould of photography, highlighting their perfectly-lit selfie angles or accentuating their best physical features. With time and practice,

they have evolved and learnt to experiment with visual gadgets immensely. Photography is perhaps the only profession I know that people would love to step into, almost instantly.”

“It is easy to startup and venture into photography, but the real challenge is sustenance” His only preach to all aspiring photographers, “It is easy to startup and venture into photography, but the real challenge is sustenance.” A true keeper of art and culture,Venket holds an exalted place not just in the global diaspora but also in his homeland city of Madras. He asserts, “Like many other photographers of my time, I could have creatively drifted across cities and countries but I chose to stay in Madras and make a difference to the artistic growth and evolution of the city. I worked hard to create enough potential here and leave my embellished imprint in the cultural humdrum of Madras.”

At its core, photography is about shaping human perception over a definitive period of time. It is an art of reflective observation, in an attempt to capture the transient splendor of the frame. It is indeed a powerful combination of perception, interpretation and execution. To artistic avant-garde visionaries like Venket, it brings an unrivalled sense of exhilaration and gratification that perhaps no other form of expression can match. A pedagogue in his right, his pictures and all the mastery behind the lens are an emotional equivalent of the cosmic diorama across the world.

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CREATE|Dance

“CHENNAI IS THE BEST PLACE FOR ME TO LIVE” Swarnamalya Ganesh has been known for not only her acting prowess but also her grace. A dancer, actor and traveller, she has a lot to say about Madras, the city where everything began.

BY AASHA SRIRAM

“Chennai is home to me. I’ve been here all my life and I’ve had so many memories here. It’s the best place for me to live.

When I sit back and see how the city gave me an identity as an actor and a person, I realise that it’s such a huge city with people who have dreams in their eyes,” she says nostalgically recounting her life in the city.

Although a lot of people recognize Swarna as an actor, she began an early love affair with dance rather than acting. She began learning at the age of three and saw the stage when she was twelve. Swarna has been performing nationally and internationally since then, nurturing her undying passion for art form. “While on stage, I was recognized by many directors and producers which led to acting. Even when I was busy with acting, I never stopped dancing. I’ve always been straddling both worlds, and one didn’t stop for the other,” she explains.

There are certain people who never fail to inspire. For Swarna, that individual who inspired and drove her as far she as she is now would be her mother. Sounding grateful, she adds, “My mum is a successful lawyer, and has walked the path of revolution. She looks at life in the most simple and uncomplicated way. She always taught me to work hard with a smile on my face.”

Acting was never part of the plan, says Swarna, for it was something that began organically. “Acting is something that came along. I never consciously had aspirations to be an actor.

I was sixteen when I got ‘Alaipayuthey.’ But, I didn’t want to give up dancing or my academics, I was clear about that. I wanted to do films, because I’d fallen in love with cinema. I’m lucky to get where I’ve gotten.”

With so many amazing plans ahead, Swarna looks forward to every day, doing what she loves most. Smiling she adds, “Life has been quite a rollercoaster but I’ve understood that my life is designed that way and I’ve learned to live with it. I’ve also tried to touch many lives, especially with my students. Many people come up to me and say that I’m an inspiration for them. And even though a lot has happened, I feel like this is just the beginning.”

Being internationally recognized as a dancer and an actor wasn’t not an easy feat says Swarna. She had to tackle more than just a few challenges to have the best of both worlds.

Elaborating on this, she says, “One challenge is the way people stereotype you. Some find it difficult to accept that there are many things a person can do, and be good at it. But, it’s good sometimes, because it drives me to work harder. Breaking stereotypes is one of my favourite things.”

“Life has been quite a rollercoaster but I’ve understood that my life is designed that way and I’ve learned to live with it.

I’ve also tried to touch many lives, especially with my students”

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CREATE|Theatre

MADHUVANTHI ARUN ARTIST AND EDUCATIONIST The granddaughter of eminent educationist Dr. Mrs.Y.G. Parthasarathy and Late Shri.Y.G.Parthasarathy, a pioneer of social themes in Tamil theatre and the former Principal of the Film and Television Institute of India, Madhuvanthi Arun is an inspiring and multifaceted personality.

Read on as she opens up about her love for art, theatre and the importance of education in a conversation with Brew.

Can you tell us about Maham, how it came to be, and why you believe in drama as a form of art?

to the young and fortunately when they watch plays, they love it.

Maham came into existence when my dad celebrated 60 years of his troupe. It was started to offer him tribute.

Sureshwar is my creative director; we collaborated to conceive an arts and media company, Maham. Our focus is to promote all art forms, not just theatre.

What is your most favourite form of art, in terms of being a spectator and the performer?

As an educationist, why and how do you believe integrating art with education helps in the making of better students?

I have always integrated education with art and vice versa at Calibre, my educational foundation. The arts are a huge part of the curriculum and are not considered or treated as co-curricular activities. Furthermore, through my art forms, dance and theatre I consistently keep trying to educate youngsters.

Art appreciation in today’s gen Y, do you believe this is deteriorating?

I don’t think that is deteriorating. However I do believe that they are not focused enough when it comes to live art forms. The major reason for this situation is that it’s all over the internet. While that exposure they receive from the web is great, they should also be exposed more to live art forms.

Through my plays and performances I try to reach out a lot

Theatre to me is the best form of art.

You carry a huge family legacy, both by birth and by marriage, how does it feel to take that forward?

The privilege, the responsibility.

There really is no burden at all. It is a privilege that not many are born with or marry into. So, I ensure that I definitely don’t spin the name that they have all earned so hard over the years. I respect this privilege bestowed upon me.

This is the month of the year that celebrates the city. So tell us, what does Chennai mean to you?

This city is an emotion to me. I just cannot think of living elsewhere. Some parts of it such as Mylapore and Triplicane, that is south madras, I love it here. When I think of Chennai I’d say everything here feels at home, it’s mine. My beach, my temples, my traffic! It’s a sheer work of art, this beautiful cityscape called Chennai.

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CREATE|Cinema

NIKKIL MURUGAN CELEBRITY PRO

Predominantly working for Kollywood as a Publicist and a Public Relations Officer, Nikkil Murugan has worked for more than 275 films in the Tamil Film Industry. Known popularly for his quirky sense of fashion unlike no other and Driven by strong optimism, he has developed into the man behind many big names in the industry including Superstar Rajinikanth, Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Hassan, Surya and Karthi.

Coming to Chennai with the dream of becoming a journalist inspired by his grandfather T.S.Chokkalingam, Nikkil Murugan graduated in journalism from the University of Mysore. In his initial years, he worked with notable newspapers and magazines like “Vannathirai”, “Cinema Express” and “Dinamani.”

A Self-analysation of his character made him choose the path of career in Public Relations which was clubbed with his love for films. He started out his career with a film “Ullasam,” the maiden production of ABCL. His positive outlook towards any kind of circumstance and a glass-is- always-half- full attitude, has vouched him the success that he deserves. This was used by him to his advantage as his job, which acts as the bridge between the production houses and the media, demanded such demeanour vouching a sure shot in the path taken.

Despite his age, he never fails to update himself with the latest technology for quicker and efficient working. His flamboyance and charisma has inspired many to reiterate and ape his style of working and approach to the business emerging almost as the reference point for many aspirants.

Born and bought up in Chennai and now established here too, Chennai to Nikkil Murugan is “A hometown where i was born and the city which has given me and my profession our face and identity. It has taught me to leave an impression as unique as a thumbprint before we leave.”

“A hometown where I was born and the city which has given me and my profession our face and identity. It has taught me to leave an impression as unique as a thumbprint before we leave”

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CREATE|Cinema

HEMA RUKMANI CEO, THENANDAL ENTERNTAINMENT Heading the live theatre extension of the famed Sri Thenandal Films, Hema Rukmani is among those who have given Chennai s omething new. Coming from a family of filmmakers, seeing how her maternal grandfather owned Kamala Theatre, we could say that the business was in her blood. Read on as she speaks about work, family, life and everything in between.

Hema Rukmani graduated in Journalism and mass communication. Hailing from Madurai, she has learnt to embrace the city as her own. When asked why plays and live theatre, she says “Plays encourage live theatre and promote charity.”

Thenandal Entertainment, under Hema’s leadership has produced many plays including ones in the science fiction genre, a Karthik Raja musical and also a Hindi play is in the making.

Having lived in the city for 18 years now, Hema like most of us has grown attached to it. Though from Madurai, she has very fond memories of times of vacations to Chennai, “Chennai is my home away from home. I remember shopping here and swimming in Savera hotel.”

Only a person who has seen Chennai for what is was can truly understand and reflect on its changes and growth. Since Hema has seen Chennai for a long time, from then and until now, she says, “Chennai has grown in ways unimaginable. It has become busier, crowded and there has been a development in all aspects, including infrastructure and new buildings. It has become a metropolitan bustling with energy where there are opportunities for various new activities and sectors.”

Woman like Hema, are powerhouses that push a community forward, by building brands and relationships that will stay for decades to come; Inspiring in ways much needed for the people of Chennai to look ahead for a brighter tomorrow.

“Chennai has grown in ways unimaginable. It has become busier, crowded and there has been a development in all aspects, including infrastructure and new buildings. It has become a metropolitan bustling with energy where there are opportunities for various new activities and sectors”

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CREATE|Cinema

THE DIRECTOR DUO

PUSHKAR AND GAYATHRI After meeting in college while pursuing Visual Communication, Pushkar and Gayathri had no idea that they would become a director duo that would charm the audience with their films.

Famous for their movies “Oram Po” and “Va” (Quarter Cutting), Pushkar and Gayathri have gained much prominence for their work in the industry. Besides their common interest in filmmaking, Pushkar and Gayatri have one more thing in common; their love for Chennai.

“Chennai is where we were born and brought up. It is our ‘home’. We love the city with all its problems and shortcomings. The city never fails to surprise us with its many facets.

Being filmmakers in Chennai is even more awesome. In fact, in both our films Chennai and its unique flavour play a major role. We are enamoured by the city and our work is a reflection of it,” Pushkar says about their love for the city.

Pushkar and Gayathri have a great time working together, bouncing ideas off, and creating new stories to captivate the audience. “It’s a pleasure! Working together, we are able to boost each other’s morale in difficult times. It’s a great support system! In terms of working too, we compliment each other in skill sets and execution,” they add.

Although the director duo has tasted a unique brand of success, they had to deal with some challenges along the way.

“As filmmakers, we want to make unique films that are out of the box. Whenever you go against the grain, it is always a difficult choice; you need to swim against the tide.

But, so far we have been lucky for the opportunities we’ve got!”

they say that it is very different from their other movies.

“We are about to start our next movie titled ‘Vikram – Vedha’ starring Vijay Sethupathy and Madhavan. It will be an action, thriller; way different from our previous films.”

On their journey and inspiration they say, “So far, so good!

We feel fortunate to be making movies, which is our passion.

Generally, we don’t take inspiration from ‘people’ as such; it is their work, the art they have created that inspires and motivates us.”

“It’s a pleasure! Working together, we are able to boost each other’s morale in difficult times. It’s a great support system!

In terms of working too, we compliment each other in skill sets and execution”

There has been a lot of buzz about their next project, and

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LIVE|Fashion

VIVEK KARUNAKARAN FASHION DESIGNER Born in Trivandrum, in God’s own country, with an aesthetic sense that attracts immediate attention,Vivek Karunakaran’s sense of style and fashion is unbeatable. No a single impediment that came his way, stopped him from pursuing his passion.The love for the art, is what has made him what he is today - India’s iconic Gen-Next fashion designer.

BY PADMA MURUGHAPPUN

Simple, elegant, uncomplicated and honest,Vivek Karunakaran’s fashion line is an eye-catcher for any fashion buff. Coming from a time and place where any career pursuit other than an engineer or doctor was considered blasphemous,Vivek, with the ceaseless support of his parents, followed his instincts. He joined the NIFT Chennai like a horse with blinders to somehow jump into the fashion designing bandwagon and that proved to be the inception for his journey.

Before launching into the glamorous side of the industry,Vivek worked with a design company for six years. Heading their creative team brought out his many hidden talents and expertise and other abilities which were required for his future.

The kind of exposure he received here was very holistic because, being one of the few export houses that manufacture garments, it worked with many notable European labels including Zara, Kenzo and Diesel. This experience honed his skills in fashion and styling further and enriched his knowledge in this field.

Creative, spirited and dynamic,Vivek wanted to soar higher than ever. If he had not decided to sign up for the Lakme fashion Week in 2007 for their fashion show in the Gen-Next category debuting in ‘Dark Romance’ and going on with his plan of pursuing Masters in Fashion from the Domus Academy in Milan, we probably wouldn’t be flaunting his chic designs in Chennai and other cities of India.

This decision led to Viia, his fashion label in partnership with Shreya Kamalia his wife, and a name that is almost synonymous with the South Indian fashion industry. In his journey for over a decade,Vivek is thankful to many things that came across in his life. His parents, his wife and especially the city Chennai. When asked what Chennai meant to him, he replied “Chennai is comparatively conservative and slow in progress as far as fashion is concerned. But this city is very close to me and important to me because of this journey. I have slowly and steadily fallen in love with it.”

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LIVE|Architechture

FROM CANVAS TO REALITY KRITHIKA SUBRAMANIAN ARCHITECT From every brick to every building, ace architect Krithika Subramanian has transformed ideas into reality. It may just be a blueprint to some, but to her it’s a piece of the future.

BY AASHA SRIRAM

An architect working at Transform, Krithika has undertaken massive projects, including her recent stint working with GRT’s new hotel construction project. Krithika has created and designed over 1,500 projects in more than two decades. Chennai is where she seemed to have perfected her craft. “Chennai is my birthplace, my home and the city where I’ve built my practice.

As an architect and designer, it means a lot to me; it’s my canvas and my case study. Everything I want to create germinates in my studio in Chennai,” she says.

For Krithika, creating buildings has been a high, and her recent collaboration with GRT has been truly intriguing, “It’s been fantastic working with GRT, the owners are amazing people. Mr Rajendran is a visionary and most inspiring. The entire management team is very driven to perform because of this inspiration. It’s an enriching client relationship.”

Designing the new GRT hotel has been legendary for Krithika, and the challenges of the aftermath of the Chennai floods only drove her forward. “It was a real kick, a veritable Olympian feat in terms of schedule because of the pressure following the floods. The designs were conceived much earlier and all the sourcing ideas and details flowed seamlessly. I enjoyed the symbiotic process of concepts to construction. I made some very bold decisions and I could expand the spaces in terms of heights and create perspectives that never existed before. That’s been one of the reasons for guests being amazed by the transformation,” she adds.

With countless opportunities ahead of her, Krithika’s journey has been a rollercoaster ride, and will continue to astound and amaze, “I have a very eventful work life and family life with hardly any time to connect with anything besides intellect and empathy. I have had an obstacle race to get to this point, but we make our choices and learn something every minute of the ride.”

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LIVE|Architechture

CREATING EXPERIENCES, PROMISING MORE. VIKRAM COTAH COO, GRT HOTELS AND RESORTS Behind all the magic that makes hotels and resorts a paradise for people,Vikram Cotah tells us what it’s really like to pull the strings and run the show.

BY AASHA SRIRAM

After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management in Bangalore,Vikram has been unstoppable, from working in international franchises to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of GRT Hotels and resorts. “I’ve been working with GRT for many years and was part of their growth history.

It’s like a baby to me; I’ve seen it grown in front of my eyes.

Most of our food and beverage concepts are the first in the country,” says Vikram recounting his journey so far.

Chennai has always been special to Vikram and the joy of it manifests when he talks passionately about the grand city.

“Chennai is home with great friends, its good food and really nice people. It’s truly incredible,” he says, emphasising on the essence of Madras.

In such an intensive industry,Vikram has not only managed to make a mark, but has conquered the industry with his concepts and ideas being recognised internationally. While there is so much that goes into making a guest’s experience unique,Vikram handles that pressure phenomenally. He explains, “Every step is a challenge because hospitality is a very intense service industry. There are many expectations from the point of view of service. We make decisions in such a way that at every point, the guests are delighted with what we’ve done.”

their money, and the service is more personalised. We have people who’ve been working for five and ten years. The staff and the people have a great relationship.”

Vikram has been an essential part of GRT’s renovation after the Chennai floods, and has introduced insanely unique concepts, “During the Chennai floods, we had the entire hotel basements filled with water and all our services were destroyed and we closed down the hotel. We took that opportunity and re-launched it as a brand new hotel after extensive renovation.”

With such an amazing past behind him,Vikram is optimistic about the future, looking forwards to doing what he does best, “I look forward to every day. I get up excited every morning to go to work; it’s something I love to do. I design and create hospitality experiences, which is amazing.”

“I look forward to every day. I get up excited every morning to go to work; it’s something I love to do. I design and create hospitality experiences, which is amazing”

GRT hotels and resorts have for long been known for their customer service, ambience, and most importantly, their one-of- a-kind concepts concerning food. With so many hotels entering the industry, GRT still maintains its classicism with just a tad of mystique.Vikram delves into the little big things that make up this unique group of hotels, “The tagline itself reads “promise for more.” Guests get more value for AUg 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 51

LIVE|Food

RECIPE FOR THE MONTH august FROM GRT HOTELS & RESORTS

ARUSUVAI PUDALAI

INGREDIENTS

n 180 gms snake gourd --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 20 gms green chilli finely deseeded and chopped --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 20 gms yellow capsicum deseeded and diced --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 20 gms red capsicum deseeded and diced --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 20 gms green capsicum deseeded and diced --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 10 gms coriander leaves finely chopped --------------------------------------------------------------------------n Salt to taste --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 2 gms turmeric powder ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 gms jaggery, 10 gms chopped fig, 2 gms pepper corn, 5 ml lemon juice, grated coconut, 50 gms roasted peanuts crushed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEMPERING: 15 ml gingelly oil, 3 gms mustard, 3 gms urud dhal,2 gms red chilli, 2 gms asafoetida METHOD n Peel and cut snake gourd and boil with salt.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Strain, cool and reserve.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Mix all the ingredients listed under stuffing and fill each okra with stuffing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Heat gingelly oil, add mustard.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Add urad dhal, red chilli, asafoetida, green chilli, turmeric powder, bell peppers and prepared snake gourd.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Sprinkle salt if required. Reduce the heat.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Add jaggery, chopped fig, pepper corn, lemon juice, crushed peanuts; mix well. Serve at room temperature with a garnish of chopped coriander leaves.

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LIVE|Glimpses within

TAKING THE ROAD NOT TAKEN There are experiences in a man’s life that change him as a person, change his outlook, his perspectives and leave him immersed in fresh ideas.Travelling is one such experience. It makes you modest, awakens your soul and gives you a feeling of satisfaction.While there maybe other ways to rediscover yourself, nothing can bring out the undiscovered you to surface better than a road trip.Travelling to lesser known places, travelling with strangers to foreign lands or a solo journey are thoroughly life-changing, because no man will be the same after he sees the moon shine on the other side of the world. Brew brings you the top five road trips to take this season to discover the undiscovered, to perceive yourself and to be.

BY PADMA MURUGHAPPUN

MIDNIGHT youtube.com/c/igormk38 A tantalising bike ride through the fog-washed streets of Chennai in the unknown hours. Scan the QR Code or go to the above link. Watch it now!

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MANALI TO LEH Open only for four and half months in a year, the Leh-Manali Highway tops the list of road trips in India. An Enchanting journey of approximately 474 KM, there is not one spot you would want to miss on your way.Valleys, rugged terrains, mountains and eye-catching landscapes dot the highway throughout. With unexpected turns and bends and curved paths winding into the mountain passes, the surrounding will leave you amazed at every juncture. Water and snow crossings add to the magical feel of the entire journey.

The entire distance can be covered in two days even with overnight stays at the famous spots of Keylong, Sarchu and Pang. June to September is the best time for a relaxing trip down this highway.

Don’t forget to get in the religious fervour at the monasteries, ride the sledges through Rohtang, Pass take a romantic stroll through the scenic Keylong and make peace with your soul at the Zingzing bar.

MUMBAI TO PUNE Whoever said taking a road trip within the state is boring hasn’t been on the Mumbai-Pune highway. Fast-paced, adventurous and fun, the road trip from Mumbai to Pune is one exciting package.

The National Highway No. 4 is the busiest in the country and the shortest road link recommended would be through the new six-lane expressway. Even while finding your way through the maddening traffic, let the convolution of the pathway bring the adventurer out of you. Drive through Panvel and Lonavala towards the Khandala Ghats to reach your destination in just four hours.

BANGALORE TO BANDIPUR FOREST From Bangalore to Channapatna to Mandya to Mysore to Bandipur, this five hour journey to the forest land is exceptionally blissful. Soulful food along the way and small villages that are too pretty to be true add on to the beauty of this trip. Shop away at Channapatna for nowhere will you find this uniquely made wooden toys as you drive through to Mandya and then arrive at Mysore. Dip yourself in royalty in this city of Mahals and head to the forest land of Bandipur.

Bandipur National Park is a must-see sight to walk alongside Tigers, elephants and the mischievous Langurs.

The NH 275 and 212 are the best expressways to reach Bandipur from Bangalore. This is the best place to cool off weekday pressures or for a quick weekend getaway.

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CHENNAI TO PONDICHERRY Drive out of Chennai through Adyar, take a few turns on to Thiruvanmiyur and fasten your seat belt to have the best ride of your lifetime. Let the East Coastwinds brush your face on your way to the famed French colonial settlement, Pondicherry. Frequented by many locals for short trips, the East Coast Road (ECR) has more than just a view to offer. Restaurants to pamper you with food from every cuisine, temples and exciting spots to relax,Mahabalipuram to indulge yourself in the beaches, the ECR is more than just a road. Just 173 Kms away, Pondicherry is an icing on the cake for this magnificent trip.

With a few stops on the way, the distance can be covered in two hours approximately. If you’re feeling too self-indulgent, hop into Dakshin Chitra or Cholamandalam Artists Village to refresh your body and soul.

AHMEDABAD TO KUTCH An eleven hour drive from the bustling city of Ahmedabad will bring you to the beauty of white horizons and barren deserts, the Rann of Kutch. With a variety of shops and Dhabas on the way, the trip is not draggy. Do visit the Wild Ass Sanctuary and Hook Village and rub shoulders with the locals. The white landscapes and the beauty of the desert land are best enjoyed with a full moon in the background.

The best time of the year to take this trip would be between October and March. Start off early to swerve around unwanted jams along the way. This 454 KM journey is best experienced through the NH 8A.

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LIVE|What’s brewing

THE MAGIC UNFOLDS ACROSS INDIA: POTTERMANIA GRIPS THE COUNTRY AS HARRY POTTER RETURNS TO STORE SHELVES! This is the last Harry Potter book as ‘Harry is done now,’ says J.K.Rowling. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2 has gone on sale across India 31st July. From bookstores bedecked to mark the launch of the book, to fan events, parties and activities in bookstores and other popular hubs in each Indian metro, this was an experience like no other. Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It received its world premiere in London’s Palace Theatre on the evening of 30th July 2016.

FLAVOURS OF LALGUDI Flavours of Lalgudi, is a cozy standalone vegetarian restaurant on the CP Ramasamy boulevards of Alwarpet, Chennai. Being a multi-cuisine Restaurant, Lalgudi thrives at its best with every cuisine on the menu. The theme of the restaurant is inspired by short stories of Swami and his friends written by R.K. Narayan. The drawings on the wall inspired by famous artist Mr. R.K. Lakshman adds an aura of nostalgia and a sense of belonging as one indulges in the delicacies offered here.

NEW ROLLS-ROYCE DAWN DEBUTS IN SOUTH INDIA Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Dawn, the new four-seater, super-luxury Drophead, for the first time in South India, resetting the benchmark for super-luxury convertibles in the region.With South India’s progressive economy, growing appetite for luxury goods and increasing number of successful entrepreneurs, Rolls-Royce has targeted the area for future growth. Asia Pacific Regional Director, Paul Harris, said, “South India continues to be a very important area for Rolls-Royce, which is both an economic growth driver for the country and an increasingly vibrant market for super-luxury goods.

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(ACADEMIC YEAR 2016 - 17)