Brew February 2020 by Sameer Bharat Ram

VOL-4 ISSUE-06 `100 I FEBRUARY 2020

18 IMPRINTING MASTERY WITH A LENS

A STROLL IN

THE SALT!

THINK. CREATE. LIVE

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CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY BOARD & ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. RAJESH JEGANATHAN A young and dynamic medico. He runs A and dynamic medico. He runs theyoung prestigious Billroth Hospitals based in the prestigious Billroth Hospitals based in Chennai. Dr. RAJESH JEGANATHAN Chennai. Dr. RAJESH JEGANATHAN

CONTRIBUTORS THOTA THARRANI CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY ADVISORYBOARD BOARD CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS ADVISORY THOTA THARRANI & ADVISORY BOARD CONTRIBUTORS & BOARD & ADVISORY BOARD

A young and dynamic medico. He runs A and dynamic medico. He runsin theyoung prestigious Billroth Hospitals based the prestigious Billroth Hospitals based in Chennai. Chennai.

This year we enter a bigger dimension, This yearacross we enter a bigger planning a wider reader dimension, base with THOTA THARRANI THOTA THARANI planning a wider reader basewith with THOTA THARRANI a big stepacross forward, this was ignited a THOTA THARRANI THOTA THARANI This yearthe weone enter a bigger dimension, planning a big designed step This forward, this wasand ignited a logo by only with Thota year we enter a bigger dimension, planning This by year weone enter abase bigger dimension, across a wider wider reader with a big big step step planning forward, logo designed the and only Thota Tharrani. Brew Lifestyle extends awith heartacross a reader base a forward, year we enter abase bigger dimension, across ayou wider reader a big step forward, Tharrani. This Brew Lifestyle extends awith heartthis was ignited with a logo designed by the one warming thank note to the legend This year we enter a a bigger dimension, this was ignited logo designed by the planning across awith wider reader base with this was ignited with logo designed byextends the one one warming thank you note to athe legend and only Thota Tharani. Brew Lifestyle himself foraplanning his incessant contributions. across a wider reader base with big step forward, this was ignited with a and only Thota Tharrani. Brew Lifestyle Lifestyle extends extends aaa and only Thota Tharani. Brew himself forlogo his contributions. aheartwarming bigincessant step forward, this was ignited a himself thank you role toonly the with legend designed by the one and Thota

VEEJAY VEEJAY SAI SAI VEEJAY SAI VEEJAY SAI SAI AnVEEJAY award-winning writer, editor, and a culture critic.

An award-winning writer, editor, and critic. An writer, editor,extensively and aa culture culture critic. Heaward-winning has written written and and published onIndian Indian He has published extensively on An award-winning writer, editor and a He has written and published extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art. An award-winning writer, editor and a classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art. culture critic. He has written and VEEJAY SAI classical music, fashion, theatre, food andpublished art.

heartwarming thank you role to the legend himself himself

heartwarming thank role the logo designed theyou oneextends andtoonly Thota Tharrani. Brew by Lifestyle a legend heartfor his incessant contributions. for his contributions. Tharrani. Brew extends heartfor his incessant incessant contributions. thank Lifestyle you note to thea legend ASHOKwarming VERGHESE warming you note to the legend forthank his incessant contributions. ASHOKhimself VERGHESE himself for his incessant contributions.

culture critic. He has written and published VEEJAY SAI extensively on Indian classical music, extensively on food Indian music, fashion, theatre, and classical art. fashion, food and art. editor and a An theatre, award-winning writer,

An award-winning and a culture critic. He haswriter, writteneditor and published culture critic. He written and published extensively on has Indian classical music, VITA DANI DANI extensively on food Indian music, fashion, theatre, and classical art. VITA VITA DANI Passionate about grassroots of sport in fashion, theatre, food development and art.

He is the ASHOK directorVERGHESE of Hindustan group ASHOK VERGHESE ASHOK VERGHESE He institutions, is the director ofof Hindustan group ASHOK VERGHESE of one the pioneering He is the director of Hindustan group of ASHOK VERGHESE He is is the director of Hindustan group of institutions, one of the pioneering He the director of Hindustan group of educational groups in the country. He is of institutions, instituions,one of the pioneering educational groups educational groups incause the country. He educational is one ofand the pioneering educational groups in a big supporter for promoting instituions,one of the pioneering groups in the country. He is a big supporter and cause for He is the director of Hindustan group a big supporter and cause promoting the country. He is isfor a of big supporter and cause for young talent in art and music. in the country. He a big supporter and cause for He is the director Hindustan group of institutions, one of the pioneering promoting young talent in in art art and and music. music. young talent in art and music. promoting young talent

Passionate about grass roots development development of of sport in Passionate about grassroots sport in India. Sheco-owns co-owns Chennayin FC,Chennai’s Chennai’sfootball football VITA DANI India. She Chennayin FC, India. She co-owns Chennayin FC, Chennai’s football VITA DANI team in the ISL and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), team in the and Table Tennis (UTT), team infirst-ever the ISL ISL professional and Ultimate Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s table tennis league. Passionate grassroots development India’s first-ever professional table league. India’s first-ever about professional table tennis tennis league.

ofpromoting institutions, one the pioneering young talent in art and music. educational groups in of the country. He is educational groups the country. He is a big supporter andincause for promoting a big supporter and cause for promoting young talent in art and music. young talent in art and music.

Passionate about development VITAinDANI of sport India. grassroots She co-owns Chennayin VITA of inDANI India. She co-owns Chennayin FC,sport Chennai’s football team in the ISL and FC, Chennai’s team in the ISL firstand Ultimate Tablefootball Tennis (UTT), India’s Passionate about grassroots development GUltimate VENKET RAM Table Tennis (UTT), India’s firstPassionate grassroots development ever table tennis league. G VENKET RAM ofprofessional sport inabout India. She co-owns Chennayin GA ever VENKET RAM professional table tennis leading Indian fashion photographer whoand has of sport in India. She co-owns Chennayin FC, Chennai’s football teamleague. in the ISL

ANIL JAIN JAIN ANIL JAIN ANIL ANIL JAIN design to succeed and redefine the ANIL JAIN An intensive An intensive design to succeed and re-define the

A leading Indian fashion who has Ashot leading Indian fashion photographer photographer who has FC, Chennai’s team the ISL and principle photography stills forinseveral several notable Ultimate Tablefootball Tennis (UTT), India’s firstshot principle photography stills for notable shot principle photography stills for several notable Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s firstever professional table tennis league. firms. He He quit his his engineeringstudies studiesto to workwith with firms. ever professional table tennis league. firms. He quit quit his engineering engineering studies to work work with cinematographers foraawhile, while,after afterwhich which hejoined joined cinematographers for he cinematographers forRAM a while, afterat which heCollege. joined G VENKET course in visual visual communication communicationa Loyola aaacourse course in at College. Gthen VENKET RAM in visual communicationa at Loyola Loyola College. He worked with photographer Sharada Haskar He then worked with photographer Sharada He then worked withhis photographer Sharada Haskar Haskar A leading Indian fashion photographer who and in 1993, started own studio. G VENKET RAM and in 1993, started his own studio. A Indian fashion photographer and inleading 1993, started his own studio. has shot principle photography stillswho for G VENKET RAM

An intensiveofdesign succeed and redefine parameters success.toAnil Anil Jain was was always cut to tothe be parameters of success. Jain always cut be parameters of success. Anil Jain was always cut to be ANIL JAIN an Entrepreneur taking an active interest in Business An Intensive desire to succeed and redefine an Entrepreneur taking an active interest in ANIL JAIN andesire Entrepreneur taking an active interest in Business Business An Intensive and redefine the parameters of to success, Anil was right from ansucceed early age. HeJain is the the promoter of Refex Refex right from an early age. He is promoter of the parameters of success, Anil Jain was right from an early age. He is the promoter of Refex always cut industries out to be Ltd; an Entrepreneur, taking RefextoTrading(s) Trading(s) Pvt. Ltd, Ltd, and and Anil Anil Jain industries Ltd; Refex Pvt. An Intensive desire succeed and redefine always cut out to be an Entrepreneur, taking industries Ltd; RefextoTrading(s) Pvt. Ltd, and Anil Jain Jain an active An interest in Business right and from Intensive desire succeed redefine investments. the parameters of success, Anil Jain was an active interest in Business right from investments. an early age. He is the promoter orAnil Refex investments. the parameters of success, Jain was always cut topromoter be an Entrepreneur, taking an early age. is out theTrading(s) or Refex industries Ltd;HeRefex Pvt. Ltd, taking always cut out to bein an Business Entrepreneur, an active interest right from industries Ltd; Refex Trading(s) Pvt. Ltd, and Anil Jain Investments. an early active interest right from an age. He is in theBusiness promoter or Refex and Anil Jain Investments. an early age. He is the promoter or Refex

has shot principle photography stills for several notable films. He quit his engineering A leading Indian fashion photographer who several notable films. He quit his engineering studies to work with cinematographers for A leading Indian fashion photographer ARUNA SAIRAM hasSAIRAM shot principle photography stillswho for ARUNA studies to work with cinematographers for ARUNA SAIRAM has shot principle photography stills for a while, after which he joined a course in several notable films. He quit his engineering A winner of the prestigious Padma Shri award. She a while, after which he joined a course in Winner of the prestigious Padma Shri award. She several notable films. He quit his engineering visual communications at Loyola College. A winner of thetoprestigious Padma Shri award. She studies work with cinematographers for is visual the vice-chairman vice-chairman ofwith theSangeet Sangeet Natak Akademi communications at Loyola College. is of the Natak Akademi studies toafter work cinematographers forin He vice-chairman then worked with Sharad a while, which he joined a course is the the of thephotographer Sangeet Natak Akademi He then worked with photographer Sharad which iswhile, India’s premier national institution for avisual after which he joined a course in which is India’s premier national institution for Haskar and in 1993, started his own studio. communications at Loyola College. which is India’s premier national institution for Haskar and in 1993, started own studio. visual communications Loyola College. music andthen dance. Ms. Sairam isathis one of India’s most He worked with photographer Sharad

industries Ltd; Refex Trading(s) Pvt. Ltd, NEERU NANDA NANDA NEERU industries Ltd; Refex Trading(s) Pvt. Ltd, NEERU NANDA and Anil Jain Investments. A graduate graduate of Delhi university and passionate A Delhiuniversity University and and aaa passionate and Anil Jain Investments. A graduate from of Delhi passionate

NEERU writer. NANDA She was was a free-lanced feature writer for She feature writer for ten NEERU writer. NANDA writer. She wasa afree-lanced free-lanced feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of

years before switching totopublishing. ten years before switching publishing.Author Author of of NEERU NANDA collection of short short stories titled titled ‘IF,’ she she has also also NEERU NANDA aaa collection of collection of short stories stories titled ‘IF,’ ‘IF,’ she has has also

music and dance. Ms. is most music He andthen dance. Ms. Sairam Sairam is one one of of India’s India’s most worked with photographer Sharad renowned ambassdor’s forstarted music successfully taking Haskar and in 1993, his own studio. renowned ambassador’s for music successfully renowned ambassdor’s forstarted music successfully taking Haskar and in 1993, his own studio. ARUNA SAIRAM Indian music music toSAIRAM the International arena. ARUNA taking Indian the International Indian music to the to International arena. arena.

A graduate of Delhi University and a for childreen. A graduate of on Delhi University and afor worked novels and stories passionate writer. She was free-lanced worked on novels anda short short stories for children. childreen. passionate She a free-lanced A writer. graduate ofwas Delhi University and a feature writer for ten years before switching A graduate of Delhi University and a feature writer for ten writer. years before switching passionate She was free-lanced to publishing. Author of a collection ofashort passionate writer. She was free-lanced to publishing. Author offor a collection ofashort feature writer ten years before switching stories titled “IF”, she for hasten also worked on feature writer years before on switching to publishing. of aworked collection of short stories titled “IF”, she Author has also novels andtoshort storiesAuthor for children. publishing. ofhas a collection of short “IF”, also worked on novels andstories short titled stories for she children.

ARUNA SAIRAM A winner of SAIRAM the prestigious Padma Shri ARUNA A winner of the prestigious Padma Shri award. She is the vice-chairman of the award. She isof the of the A winner the vice-chairman prestigious Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi which is India’s A winner of is the prestigious award. She the vice-chairman of Shri the Sangeet Natak Akademi whichPadma is India’s premier national institution for music award. She is the vice-chairmanis ofIndia’s the Sangeet Natak Akademi premier national institutionwhich for music dance.JEGANATHAN Ms. Sairam is which one for of Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s India’s Dr.and RAJESH DR. RAJESH JEGANATHAN premier national institution music dance.JEGANATHAN Ms. Sairam is one for of India’s Dr.and RAJESH premier national institution music most renowned ambassador’s for music, Ayoung young and dynamic medico. Heruns runs the prestigious and dance. Ms. Sairam is one of India’s A and dynamic medico. He the prestigious most renowned ambassador’s for music, A young and dynamic medico. He runs the prestigious and dance. Ms. Sairam is music one of India’s successfully taking Indian to the most renowned ambassador’s forto music, Billroth Hospitals basedinambassador’s in Chennai. Billroth Hospitals based Chennai. successfully taking musicfor the most renowned music, Billroth Hospitals based in Indian Chennai. international arena. successfully taking Indian music to the international arena. successfully taking Indian music to the

stories and titled “IF”,stories she has worked on novels short for also children. novels and short stories for children.

INTERNAL TEAM TEAM INTERNAL TEAM TEAM INTERNAL TEAM INTERNAL INTERNAL TEAM INTERNAL TEAM

INTERNALTEAM TEAM INTERNAL TEAM INTERNAL

EDITOR & EDITOR & CEO EDITOR & CEO CEO EDITOR & CEO EDITOR & CEO EDITOR & CEO

EDITOR & CEO CEO PUBLISHER & CEO EDITOR EDITOR &

Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat RamRam Sameer Bharat

international arena. international arena.

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DESIGN

Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Akshaya GVijayaraghavan Aishwarya Sridharan Yoheswari Devaraj Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Nanditha Sheeba Grace Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Yoheswari Devaraj Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Yoheswari Devaraj Sheeba Grace Maheen Afshan. F Jp Studios Edz Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Sheeba Grace Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Sheeba Grace Akshaya G Aishwarya Sridharan Yoheswari Devaraj Sheeba Grace

Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Sheeba Grace Sameer Bharat Ram DESIGNER FEATURE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE // CONTRIBUTING FEATURE /FEATURE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER CIRCULATION CIRCULATION FEATURE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNERS FEATURE // CONTRIBUTING CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE / WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CIRCULATION DESIGNER CIRCULATION CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNERS FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER CIRCULATION CIRCULATION FEATURE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNERS FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CIRCULATION FEATURE / WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE // CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER CIRCULATION CIRCULATION FEATURE // CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNERS Dhinesh Babu S Aarathi Arun Nandita Vijayaraghavan Divya K Purushotham Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Aishwarya Kanchi Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Vidhya Anand Sanjana Ganesh Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Dhinesh Babu S Dhinesh Babu S Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani SuriGanesh Aishwarya Kanchi Dhinesh Babu S Nanditha Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Vidhya Anand Sanjana Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Aarathi Janani Arun Nandita Vijayaraghavan Divya K Purushotham Vijayaraghavan Suri Aishwarya Kanchi Dhinesh S Dhinesh Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Vidhya Anand Sanjana Ganesh Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Dhinesh Babu S Babu Dhinesh Babu S Babu Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Aishwarya Kanchi Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Vidhya Anand Sanjana Ganesh Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Dhinesh Babu S FS Dhinesh Babu S Elumalai V AparnaRoshan P Kochumon Kochumon Anagha Natraj Natraj Pranav Radee Maheen Afshan. Shoaib Ahmed Aparna Siddharth Nagaraj DRadee Elumalai V P Anagha Pranav Elumalai V Elumalai V Sadakshi Kalyanraman Karthik Keramalu Akila Sridhar Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Kalyanaraman Aishwarya Kanchi Aarathi Arun Veejay SaiSai Silambarasan Silambarasan Elumalai V V Sadakshi Kalyanraman Karthik Keramalu Akila Sridhar Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Kalyanaraman Aishwarya Kanchi Aarathi Arun Veejay Silambarasan Silambarasan John Elumalai V Elumalai Elumalai VPaul Abinaya Subramanian Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Kalyanraman Karthik Keramalu Akila Sridhar Purushothaman Gayathri Krishnaraj Subhasish Chakraborty Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Kalyanaraman Aishwarya Kanchi Aarathi Arun Veejay Sai Silambarasan Silambarasan Elumalai Elumalai Sadakshi Kalyanraman Karthik Keramalu Akila Sridhar Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Kalyanaraman Aishwarya Kanchi Aarathi Arun Veejay Sai Silambarasan Silambarasan John PaulVS S V Appu Abinaya Subramanian Aishwarya Kanchi John Paul S John Paul S John Paul S John Paul S Aarathi Arun Padma Murugahappun Aarathi Arun Padma Murugahappun Pavithra Babu Akshay Ramesh Aarti Aney Aasha Sriram Vilani Senthamil Pavithra Babu Akshay Ramesh Vilani Aarti Aney Aasha Sriram Vilani Senthamil John PaulJohn S John John Paul S Paul Paul S S Aarathi Arun Padma Murugahappun Aarathi Arun Padma Murugahappun Pavithra Babu Akshay Ramesh Aarti Aney Aasha Sriram Senthamil Pavithra Babu Akshay Ramesh Aarti Aney Aasha Sriram Vilani Senthamil

SS TTTG R A G & D GG NN A TT EEE& Y D E SSSS II II G GN N SSSSTTTTRRRRA SS& N Y SS II II G RR GG YD DG E RY GY YD & DE AA GG YA && D G NEN ATTTTSEESEETG YA TT E& D EEE E& G N Published by Sameer Bharat Ram

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DECEMBER 3 I BREW LIFESTYLE2017 I MARCH 2018 BREW LIFESTYLE ERLIFESTYLE 2017 DECEMBER 2017 3 I BREW LIFESTYLE I MARCH 2018 BREW BREW LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2017 ER 2017 BREW LIFESTYLE 2017 DECEMBER 2017 3 I BREW LIFESTYLE I MARCH 2018 BREW LIFESTYLE ER 2017 DECEMBER 2017 3 I BREW LIFESTYLE I MARCH 2018 BREW LIFESTYLE BREW LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER 2017 ER 2017 BREW LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER 2017

C O N TE N T S 06 18 COVER 18

Imprinting Mastery with a Lens

THINK 08 10 14

Go Gaga with Radio Amore Deus for you Hearts Kobe Bryant – 41 years of Greatness

CREATE 26 30 34

COVER THINK CREATE LIVE

A Floral Dream A ‘Selfie’ on the Housing Board Uncle Subbu and the South Indian Life

LIVE 38 44 50

In the Land of Kanchenjunga A Stroll in the Salt Pant-ing Laughter

ISSUE

65 61

BREW LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2018

BREW BREW LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLEAUGUST JULY 2017 2017

THINK

Gaga Go W i t h

Radio!

Maheen Afshan. F

A hot summer noon when the air conditioner doesn’t work because the electricity went off, that’s when all the windows to the house were opened for air to fill in even if wind might not be blowing our way. However, there had been something else blowing my way. It was a voice singing a song coming out of the mechanic shop outside my house. A peep out the window and I noticed a small, rectangular black box with a big speaker taking up most of the space and the workers laughing and singing along to it. My grandfather has a very different tale when it comes to radio although it might be close to the similar sitting. When the mobile phones weren’t taking up one’s time and people had their chores in order, the radio would be turned on on the cream-painted living room where it would sing to the entire house and not just the person nearby. Sure, it took some time to get the proper frequency but when it did, the mother hummed to the tunes of Kishore Kumar and the father felt at ease lazily turning a page of his daily newspaper. The entire family would gather at night to listen to the only radio drama which came on radio those days and went to bed with the fan making noises of all kind. February 13th is offcicially termed as the World Radio Day. One might wonder who even listens to radio these days. It’s a dying medium. Yet, I ask you to take a ride down the memory lane when a voice woke up the city with their energy and enthusiasm wishing you not a Good Morning but a ‘Gooooooodddddd Mooooorningggg Chennai!’ 6

If you ask me, Radio comes to the rescue during the time of board exams. Parents put a ban on television and computer during board exams but somehow one manages to sneak into their mom’s mobile, secretly plug in earphones in the dark to listen to the one voice who asks us to stay calm and relax before the night of an exam. Of course, this was all before Instagram and Facebook took the world by storm but this my friends is what’s Radio! It might sound poetic but Radio is indeed the theatre of the mind. Dating back to 1860’s, a few scientists around Europe definitely proved the possibility of Radio through radio waves and succesful demonstration of wireless telegraphy. However, it wasn’t until 1895, when the inventor Guglielmo Marconi (who just like Macaroni was Although, the timeline states AIR had formed in 1937, what could be expected of a Radio in the crucial period of war but to report the tragedies of the nation. According to a paper presented by Shekar Krishnan, between the years 1942 to 1945, the most crucial period of war, Radio was illegally used in Bombay to spread wartime news, speeches, songs, poetry and often rumours too. Unknown to many, Radio played an important role during the Quit India Movement.

1952 – ‘First National Programme of Music was broadcasted in India.’

However, as Radio developed, soon 6 stations were constructed in India in the year 1947 at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Thiruchirappalli and Lucknow. Forward to

In my opinion, Vividh Bharati is the pioneer of not just 1957 but for generations to come. Today, if one likes to watch a movie he/she heads to a movie theatre. If not,

Uncountable versions of a single movie; a single song; a single drama; a single presenter made waves throughout the country by simply adjusting the frequency of radio. Wow! Forget the successful 100 crore movies which run for 2 weeks in theatres in 2020. Back then Radio turned out to be the original star voicing out the true meaning of a succesful movie. A film for which people left offices early, completed their chores and even the children finished their homework in lightining speed.

As we go through the pages of Radio History, it is fascinating to learn how quickly programmes transitioned radio in India, especially when radio was still a bud in technology. And as Vividh Bharathi services started in 1957, Radio became the talk of the town. Everyone not just wanted but needed the metal box with speakers to escape reality.

from Italy) sent and received his first radio signal, did Radio come into existence. Marconi’s brilliance helped the invention of Radio during World War I, where each country was fighting for dominance over their own and neghbouring lands. Hence, the invention of radio meant an easier and time consuming way to send messages as opposed to print medium and letters which took time. It was stated that when the United States entered World War I, the navy of U.S took entire control of radio to prevent their enemies from spying on them. Of course, World War I ended and in 1933, FM Radio which we so intently listen to these days was invented by Edwin H. Armstrong and it was in 1937 when the legendary All India Radio was born.

the person settles to watch it in television. When television doesn’t work, we have the jollygood internet and a hundred more options today. But just for a moment, close your eyes and imagine what it would’ve been to the people who had settled down after war with a progressing economy, to not know what an actor looked like or what an actress looked like or the scenery behind the songs, the expressions behind the drama, the moves to a tune, the emotion in one’s eyes while portraying a character and what not. They have absolutely no option but to play the movie or song in their heads because radio only presented voices. And as Edmund Wilson said – ‘No two persons ever read the same book.’

RJ Vijay from Radio Mirchi says, ‘What I enjoyed the most about radio is it’s mystery. We do not know who the person is or what his body langauge is but we would listen to what he has to say because he would be interesting. That’s one of my fondest memories of radio.’ When this does reflect why Vijay chose to be a Radio Jockey (RJ), his answer to the question was entirely different and not to mention amusing – ‘You needn’t wear make-up for radio. Seriously! You needn’t dress up. I loved that a lot. You can come in wearing a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts to do your job and that’s it. It’s that simple. The cherry on top is, I get to enjoy work by listening to music. When this thought sunk in, I realised this is what I wanted to do.’ As I said earlier, when it comes to radio there’s no single version and hence RJ Syed’s memory of radio went like this, ‘I remember the security guard at my grandma’s house have a tape-recorder (currently vintage) and manually change the frequency. He was a mad scientist who’ll get the exact frequency every time he tried and I still thank him for teaching me the unique art..haha... I remember shifting through the FM stations and imitating the RJ’s especially RJ Imsai Arasi. She was a fire-cracker.’ ‘Another memory which stuck out to me was in school, I called an RJ to enroll myself in a workshop. But since he was On-Air, he had me on hold while he Jockeyed his way through radio. Once he 8

got back to me, his tone was normal. His ability to control the energy and charisma in his voice within seconds was brilliant.’ Saying this, he also mentions how he set up a vision board which consisted of things he loved to do and where being a Radio Jockey was on the top. ‘I printed a lame resume and made a voice sample on a CD which’s copies I mailed to every radio station in the city but never got a call back until I did at the least expected moment.’ Of course, times change and every piece of technology progresses. You needn’t carry a radio; cause disturbance to your surroundings or have to record the radio messages to listen to it on repeat. By the year 2010, every man on earth could fit radio into his own pocket and have a wire suspended from his ear to the phone as internet slowly but steadily grew. However, a few years ago, just when we thought there was possiblity of radio being an extinct medium, it proved everyone wrong as it came to aid in the most disastrous time - The 2015 floods of Chennai. Internet was off. Telephone lines didn’t work. No electricity. Water jammed the news printers. And radio… well radio just like in World War II, spread calamity news, help announcements, songs, safety tips and often rumours too. ‘Radio according to me is a never ending and a never fading medium.’ Chimes RJ Vijay. ‘The consumption of radio might change. It can be digitalized and converted into different forms but radio as a medium always rocks. It’s a background medium

and needn’t have time taken to listen to it. You might be in a tea-stall with a couple of friends and radio in the background will entertain you.’ While Vijay does agree that a dozen apps in one’s phone might be the main attraction, radio never fails to surprise. ‘It is always surprising everyone. You can search for a specific song and listen to it but with radio you never know how it may surprise you. I might announce something big happening tomorrow and people would wait for it. That surprise is Radio!’ Echoing RJ Vijay’s words, why search for something specific? Be surprised. Follow the calling from your pocket and plug out reality…

THINK

Amore Deus

Hearts!

for your

Gayathri Krishnaraj Living in India, we’ve heard of a lot of Gods but never much about the Love God or Gods in this case. If you’re still standing in a temple, mosque or church praying to meet ‘the one’, make sure you ask the right wish from the right one. To help you out with your wish, here’s whom you need to contact.

Cupid Let’s begin with the most popular of all. Cupids! Cupid is the God of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love Goddess Venus and the war God Mars, and is also known as Amor. Of course, we know Cupid hits people with his arrows but did you know there are two kinds of them? One is sharp and golden pointed while the other is blunt, tipped of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee. I bet it’s easier for you to know now which arrow you’re hit by…

Eros While on the topic of Cupid, let me introduce you to Eros. Eros is the Greek version of Cupid, Eros was Aphrodite’s son and the God of desire and attraction (although, he was sometimes depicted as one of the Protogenoi, or primeval gods). Much like his Roman counterpart, he often took the form of a young winged boy, complete with bow and arrow. He was fiercely loyal to his mother— although he was prone to fits of disobedience. That rebellious aspect of the God showed up prominently in his most famous myth. A young woman named Psyche was born and proclaimed to be so beautiful that she was the second coming of Aphrodite. Aphrodite grew angery when she heard the claim and sent Eros to shoot her with an arrow which’ll cause Psyche to fall in love with the ugliest man on Earth as punishment. However, Psyche was so attractive that Eros fell in love with her ignoring his mother’s wishes and whisked Psyche away. Eros never revealed his identity but Psyche’s curiosity got the better of her and she peeked in on him when he was sleeping. Betrayed by his love, the God fled and Psyche wandered the Earth until Zeus agreed to let them get married.

Anteros While Eros may be the exemplar of love, Anteros his brother was the deity of the reciprocal love and the avenger of unrequited love. Anyone who’s experienced one-side love, it’s Anteros’s duty to punish the loved person making them go through the same kind of pain the one-sided lover did. Anteros, along with Eros, was winged and one of the Erotes, translating in plural to “loves”. Erotes were the attendant love deities of Aphrodite, and they were usually depicted as winged babies following their mother.

Xochiquestal Now moving a few miles away to the Aztech empire. Xochiquestal is a mythological Goddess associated with concepts of fertility, beauty, and female sexual power. She serves to be a protector of young mothers and a patroness of pregnancy, childbirth, and the crafts practised by women such as weaving, embroidery and believe me, she’s not someone to be messed with. She’s also called Ichpochtli and along with her traits, she casts love spells. Marigolds are sacred to her. So, maybe try marigolds this Valentine’s day Instead of roses?

Cliodhna

loved him so much that she left Tir Tairngire, the land of the Gods, to be with him.

Residing in the Emerald Isle, Clíodhna, the Irish Goddess sometimes depicted as a banshee or the Queen of Banshees (or Fairies, depending on the translation) was also the Goddess of Love. She was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Unlike many other love deities, Clíodhna remained chaste, keeping her love locked away until she met the mortal Ciabahn—who, in a lucky coincidence, happened to be among the most handsome men ever to have walked the Earth. Clíodhna

Unfortunately, when the other Irish deities found out about Cliodhna’s decision, they conspired to get her back. While Ciabahn was away, Clíodhna was lulled to sleep by the music played by a local minstrel and was subsequently taken by a wave (the tide in the area is still referred to as “Clíodhna’s wave”). Depending on the source, she was either returned to Tir Tairngire or drowned in the sea.

Tu Er Shen He might be a relatively minor deity in the land of myths, but Tu Er Shen—or Hu Tianbao, as he was known in his mortal form—is the God of homosexual love and marriage. Born during the Qing dynasty, Hu Tianbao realized that he was attracted to an official of the local government, spying on him naked through a hole in his bathroom wall. When his peeping was discovered, Tianbao was beaten to death. Moved by his unrequited love, the Gods of underworld took pity on him and restored him to life as the deity of homosexual relationships. Perhaps because they were used as a slang term for homosexual men, rabbits are considered a symbol of homoerotic love in China, and Tu Er Shen is often depicted as a rabbit in the shrines dedicated to him. Sadly, in many of the places where he is worshiped, homosexual activity remains a punishable criminal offense.

Hathor When we hear the word Egypt, all that comes to our head is Mummies. While that maybe a tale for another time, here’s one of the most popular and longest-lasting of the Egyptian Goddesses - Hathor. Hathor was mentioned as early as the second dynasty (around 2890-2686 BC), and perhaps even before that. Since she survived long, Hathor took on a number of roles, including spells as the Goddess of love, beauty, mining, and music. However, it was her time as the Eye of Ra which led to her most interesting stories. The Eye of Ra is the term Egyptians used for the feminine counterpart to Ra, a role filled by a number of Goddesses, including Ra’s daughter, Hathor. Found in King Tut’s tomb, the story “The Destruction of Mankind” speaks of a time when Hathor, at Ra’s insistence, became the War Goddess - Sekhmet to punish humans for their sinful ways. When the blood-thirsty Goddess spun out of control, Ra tried to stop her but failed. Hence, Ra managed to get her drunk before she killed the last person on Earth. Hathor immediately lost memory of what she was doing and returned to normal.

Rati Hinduism definitely plays a large role in love and lust and that’s where Rati comes in. Popularly known as the Wife of Kama, the God of Love, she is spoken under several names, most of which describe her immense beauty. This made it obvious that Rati would be the Goddess of desire. Being born to either Daksha or Brahma she was the reason for the latter’s suicide, due to his lust over her because of which Rati too immediately killed herself. But Rati’s biggest claim to fame was successfully changing Shiva’s mind. The Destroyer, sworn to ascetic ways after his first wife’s death, was forced to fall in love again. As revenge, he killed Kama, turning him to ash with his third eye. The best known version of the story has Rati persuade Shiva to revive her husband, with the caveat that Kama would be invisible for eternity.

Oshun In the Yoruba region of West Africa, Oshun was the Goddess of beauty and love, especially of the erotic kind. Renowned for her beauty, she is usually depicted as a woman adorned with jewelry, though she is sometimes shown as a mermaid. Oshun is also pre-eminent among the female deities of the Yoruba religion and demands the respect the title deserves. When the Gods were first creating Earth, they

neglected to ask Oshun to assist. So, she made it impossible for them to create anything until they asked her to help. Due to her reputation for complete purity, Oshun is also often associated with fresh water, an extremely important resource for the people of Western Africa. In addition, she also protects women and children during childbirth and is also seen as a protector from diseases, especially smallpox.

Hymen The God of married love, Hymen was a not-so-popular God of the Greek pantheon. Either as the Son of Apollo and Muse or Dionysus and Aphrodite, he led a charmed life thanks to his beauty, until he fell in love with a unnamed maiden, who didn’t feel the same way. While Hymen was trying to court her, she was kidnapped by pirates, along with a number of other young women (some versions of the myth even have Hymen taken by the pirates because his beauty made them mistake him for a woman). Whatever the reason, Hymen found himself on the ship and killed the pirates, saving the girls, and convincing his love to marry him. Their marriage was so successful that they became idols for every Greek couple. His name is included in wedding songs in order to invoke his blessing.

Yue Lao “The Man under the Moon,” – Yue Lao, a popular figure in Chinese mythology for he is the matchmaker and overseer of heterosexual marriages. Widely connected with the red thread of destiny, Yue Lao is often seen as benevolent deity, binding two people’s hearts together in love and marriage. The best known story involving Yue Lao is that of Wei Gu and his quest to find a wife. After years of unsuccessful attempts, Wei Gu came to Yue Lao insisting he know who his future wife was. Wei Gu was shown a vision of an old woman with a young child, living in poverty. Distraught that the old woman was to be his wife, Wei Gu ordered his servant to kill the young child, but she escaped with a serious injury. Years passed when he finally found a suitable wife and noticed she had a scar. When Wei Gu asked about it, he was astonished to find that she had been the young child he tried to have killed (although he probably never told her; some secrets are best kept hidden).

Freyja Lastly, here’s Freyja, which translates to “lady,” had a number of roles in the Norse belief system. Apart from being a Goddess of love, she was also the Queen of Fólkvangr, a place similar to Valhalla, where half of those who died in battle would go after death. However, unlike most of the other deities on this list, Freyja had a vicious bad side, full of greed, jealousy, and evil deeds. Among other things, she’s credited for teaching witchcraft to humans, a practice seen as evil by the Norse. She was often at odds with Loki, who sought to torment the Goddess and steal items from her, including her famed necklace Brísingamen, which was later retrieved by Heimdall. In addition, Freyja would constantly scour the Earth for her husband, who would go missing from time to time, crying tears of red gold as she searched. She did have one tremendous advantage over the other deities on this list. Her favored mode of transportation was a chariot pulled by cats.

THINK

K o b e B r ya n t

41 years of

Greatness Shoaib Ahmed

January 26th was a dark day for the basketball community, as well as the entire world. People woke up to one of the saddest moments in sports history. The internet was flooded with tears. Condolences, and nostalgic moments showered from people all over the world. 41-year-old Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, tragically passed away when a private helicopter which carried several other souls crashed in Calabbasas, California. The crash resulted in the loss of everyone on board and the internet plunged into overwhelming sorrow. As people still find it difficult to grasp that Kobe is no longer among them, Brew takes a look at the life of one of Basketball’s all-time greats, and a man of the purest character. 14

It is undebatable that Kobe Bryant was one of the most dazzling players of the game. His movements, his control of the ball, his shots - one could look at them a hundred times, and still go back to watch him in action again. Coaches and managers saw him as someone who “didn’t make any unnecessary movements”. This natural flair with the ball had probably been passed down to Kobe by his father, Joseph Bryant. Kobe spent most of his early childhood in Italy. This is understandable since his father, Joe Jellybean Bryant, after ending his NBA career in 1984, moved to Italy to play in the Italian League, and did not return to Philadelphia until 1991. During this time, Bryant joined the Lower Merion High School Basketball team. He knew his time to shine was now. Kobe didn’t miss an opportunity to sweep the crowd with his sharp passes and headturning shots. If you hadn’t witnessed Kobe’s dunk; well then you haven’t seen Basketball. Yet Kobe had no plans to stop there. He went ahead and started working out with the Philadelphia 76ers. Surely enough, all those back-breaking, knee-shattering practices paid off. In the 1996 NBA draft, Charlotte Hornets picked Kobe, only to trade him off to the Los Angeles Lakers later the same day thus handing over Kobe’s pen to himself to write his story. He went on from a substitute at the benches to becoming one of the greatest players ever to don the gold and purple jersey. “I don’t think there’s any question in my mind ... that he has been the greatest Laker player.” - Jerry West If I could pinpoint the exact career-defining moment for Kobe Bryant, it would most certainly be on the fated day of February 8th, 1998. The Western Conference AllStars played The Eastern Conference AllStars in the 48th NBA All-Star game. A lot of surprising events entertained the match and Kobe (19) became the youngest player in NBA history to debut at an all-star game. Not only that; This was also the first time he featured opposite Michael Jordon. Game recognizes game, and it wasn’t any different that day. Kobe wasn’t star-struck by the legendary players around him. Instead he was set on proving himself. A brilliant team-high score of 18 points had the crowd biting their nails with bated breath. But Michael Jordan showed Kobe just how huge the difference in skill and

experience between them was. Although he was down with the flu, MJ scored. And he scored again. And another one. By the end of the match, MJ had 23 points to his name, with 8 assists to further boost the Eastern Conference’s scoresheet. You would think this may have destroyed Kobe Bryant who at 19, was tougher than most professional players at 30. But the match only added fuel to the fire burning within him. Kobe realized that his dreams had a price, and Boy! Was he more than willing to pay them. Many realizations were established that night, but the one which stood out was Kobe Bryant was a force to be reckoned with. Though he lost, he had gone down fighting. This was seen as a trailer, if you will, to a much bigger and nail-biting show. One which would be spoken for generations. Kobe made his spot on the starting lineup. He teamed up with legend Shaquille O’Neal as a shooting guard, and proved his steel by forming one of the best team-ups the sport had ever seen. The duo went on to lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships. 2002 through 2004, Kobe was voted firstteam All-NBA. It was also during this time that he signed multiple deals and endorsements with brands like Adidas, Sprite, and so on. Money also recognizes game. After Shaquille O’Neal’s parting from the club in 2004, Bryant had some big shoes to fill, and he did so brilliantly. The Lakers did struggle for a bit, but Kobe made sure their worries were in vain. In January of 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Rappers. This was the highest single-game mark in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain, who pocketed 100 points way back in 1962. Kobe led the scoring table for the year, as well as the next. In 2008, he was named MVP (Most Valuable Player) after leading his team to the NBA finals. Although the Boston Celtics stole the spotlight, Bryant’s play inspired the Lakers to keep pushing and eventually in 2009, the Lakers beat Orlando Magic to win the NBA championship trophy and furthermore winning a second one the consequtive year, getting their much-cherished revenge on the Boston Celtics. Bryant was on Cloud Nine. He was Midas. Everything he touched turned to gold.

And just when you’d think he had it all, in 2008, he got called on to represent his country at the Olympic Basketball team. He was essentially now on the level of the phenomenons of the game, playing alongside Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony. December of 2014 followed suit. It was payback time. Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves. Kobe Bryant on the ball. The Lakers had won a foul, resulting in two free-throws. The first one goes in effortlessly. No doubt on who’s shot it was. Kobe sets his shot for the second one. A defining moment in history. If it goes in, Kobe Bryant becomes the third-highest point taker on the NBA scoring list, surpassing the one and only Michael Jordan. The wounds from 1998 were still fresh. And BOOM! He slots it home as smoothly as the first one. Kobe Bryant becomes the third-highest point taker in the NBA’s career scoring list! Nonetheless, if you’re wondering who was Bryant off-court then the answer is simple. Bryant was an incredible man. In 2009, he was one of the few trusted friends who were part of the memorial service of music legend Michael Jackson. Among his various other endeavors, Kobe also partnered up with a non-profit organization called the After-School All-Stars, which served with the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation for years to come. The family also held an annual summer camp, named the Kobe Basketball Academy. Alas! The star’s career was not all bright. In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old. Kobe asserted that he was “guilty of adultery, but innocent of rape”. The case got dismissed in 2004, following an undisclosed off-court settlement. In April 2013, Kobe Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Although he recovered in time for the season, his dreams were cut short after six games, due to a knee fracture. Just after surpassing Michael Jordan in 2014, his season was again cut short due to a torn rotator cuff in January, 2015. His body struggled to keep up with his determination to play. Alongside a much younger team with a struggling body, during the 2015-16 season, Kobe decided to throw down the towel. On November, 2015, the icon declared that he would be retiring from the game at the end of the season.

“This season is all I have left to give….My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” - Kobe Bryant Perhaps NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reacted to this announcement the best:

“With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game Bryant did have one last treat up his sleeve. In the final game of his career in April 2016, Kobe Bryant stunned the sold-out crowd, scoring 60 points - his sixth 60 point game. After the game, an emotional Kobe stood in front of a teary-eyed crowd and thanked them for their constant love and support throughout his 20 years of play.

“I can’t believe how fast 20 years went by. This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we’ve been on — we’ve been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout.” At 22, Kobe married a 19-year-old Vanessa Laine, on April 2001. The couple welcomed a beautiful baby girl, in 2003. Natalia Diamante Bryant soon had a younger sister to play with, when Kobe and Vanessa brought Gianna Maria - Onore Bryant into the family, in 2006. Bianka Bryant and Capri Bryant followed suit a while later, being born into the family in 2016 and 2019 respectively. 16

The two elder daughters took to their beloved father, and passionately played the game. Gianna and Kobe passed away on January 26th, 2020, when the private helicopter they had been flying in crashed near Calabasas, California. With 33,464 points to his name, in a career span of 20 years, Kobe Bryant will forever be one of the greatest players to ever set foot on court. A loving husband, a doting father, a truly amazing person and friend on and off the court, one can only console themselves with the fact that Kobe and Gianna, along with the other members on board the helicopter, are all in a better place right now. The Black Mamba is at peace.

(Near Velachery)

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Raja Ravi Varma painted over a century ago. His fingers holding the brush had the strokes creating not just art but an experience. Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings captured many stories in which a variety of beautiful captivating women were a part of. The colours itself, along with the density presented by their eyes hailed audience from lands afar.

One among those audience in the 21st century is none other than India’s ace photographer – Mr. Venket Ram. Having always been inspired by painters, Venket Ram decided to use his inspiration to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of NAAM Charitable Trust by recreating 12 of Raja Ravi Varma’s iconic paintings as photographs.

organisation’s work covers aspects ranging from health to education to self-defense and beyond.

Venket Ram unveiled his calendar featuring twelve personalities: Actors Khushboo, Shruti Haasan, Ramya Krishnan, Aishwarya Rajesh, Samantha Akkineni, Nadhiya and Lissy; Dancers Shobhana and Priyadarshini Govind, and Chamundeshwari, a NAAM Charitable Trust beneficiary who portrays Rani Laxmi Bayi of the Tanjore and Travancore palaces.

Speaking on the anniversary calendar, Suhasini says, “Very few people can relate to even one of the many dimensions of women. Raja Ravi Varma was one of the few Indians who not only understood women but also represented them exquisitely in a single dimension within four frames, infusing each painting with life through the use of colour. I am always looking for ways to inspire and empower women, and what better way than this homage: a calendar featuring twelve beautiful, graceful Indian women in rich costumes, ornate jewellery and a lavish backdrop.”

The NAAM Charitable Trust for which the calendar was shot is founded by Actor and Director Suhasini Mani Ratnam, and operates from an eco-friendly facility in Chennai. The

While the Internet went berserk over the photographer’s marvellous work, Brew had a chance to sit down for a tete-a-tete with the man of the hour himself – Mr. Venket Ram.

Why did you choose to recreate paintings of the most celebrated artist of India – Raja Ravi Varma? As a photographer, I’ve always said in my lectures and talks – “Look, my inspiration for photography is always from painters.” I consider artists to be in a higher level than a photographer to be frank. When you shoot as a photographer, you shoot an image meaning what you click is what you get. It has that kind of realism involved but when an artist paints a particular image or a situation or a portrait, its interpretation is the artist’s personal interpretation of the subject. Invariably it’s never reality. It is their perception; their idea about it which is portrayed in the painting. There’s a lot of difference. What happens is when they paint, they have the advantage of using different kinds of mediums. They could use mud or

paints or oil colours, water colours; They could mix mediums. What you see is something beautiful. They keep working on it. They find something and they keep improvising. At the end of it, it isn’t reality; it’s an illusion… but that’s his interpretation of what he thinks about the subject. This is the difference between a painting and a photographer. Photography is invariably realism, like a journalist who writes; photography shows reality. So, as a photographer when I want to work on a project where I’m trying to recreate a painting to reality, it becomes very difficult. You cannot have norms like – ‘this is what I do’. I’m really stuck. I do not have any freedom in creating what I want. I’m trying to recreate the painting as a picture and so, when I shoot I have my subjects move around a bit because she/he might look better at a spot or move the camera around a bit all the time, just to make sure the picture looks better.

I think – ‘How can I show this guy in a better light?’ I move my lights around so a specific way of lighting makes the subject look better. And this is something I do to make the subject look better aesthetically, photographically and lots more. But in the case of the calendar, since I’m recreating it, I’m stuck with the pose. ‘The woman is going to look in the required direction. The kid has got to be looking at that direction. The dog needs to look here.’ The source of light is also fixed because that’s how the painter has painted it. I can’t change it. Thus, I need to, minding those guidelines create the artist’s magic with artificial light. I’m not shooting it in ambient light or natural light. It’s with artificial light. It becomes so much more difficult when you’re creating light inside a dark studio. It might look like a veranda. It may look like a garden because you’re trying to create daylight with flashlight. That’s where it becomes a lot more engaging. You’re put to test with the way you can create it.

Since the birth of the idea to its exhibition, what were you expecting the calendar to be? Because we were using stars, and not models, we were not just replicating something. We’re using the stars whom people have seen in movies; in different avatars. You’ve seen Ramya Krishnan play different roles. You’ve seen Shobhana who’s done so many avatars. You’ve seen Aishwarya Rajesh. You’ve seen Samantha and so on. Point is you’ve seen them all as ‘actors’. So, when these stars come to play these characters, it’s almost like a movie. Ramya Krishnan is playing the role of Damayanti in this film. That’s how it looks because she comes down to play the part. And when she and the other actresses play the characters; they are actors who emote trying to get closer to the picture. That’s when the whole thing gets exciting! It’s feels as if you have a novel; a well known novel and you’re trying to make a film on it. You give yourself time to think and cast the best actor who do justice to a particular role. Now imagine the same in photography.

How long did it take for you to develop the 2020 calendar? Suhasini came up with the idea earlier because a few years ago a fashion show was held under a similar theme to raise funds. We had shot a few of them and planned to take some more and exhibit it when the fashion show is happening but everything happened so fast that we didn’t have time to shoot. Initially, we had shot only Khushboo. Of course, from that point of time, we never really executed it but this December I called her and said ‘Let’s do it!’. Fortunately she was also interested and said ‘Let’s do it’. Ideas were already there because both of us had it planned earlier. The exhibition took a while because of time constraints and logistics of who’s travelling, who’s free, availability of the makeup artists, hair stylist, the drapist, the stylist, Suhasini, me, actors…everything had to fall in place. But we managed it. Did you expect to blow up the internet like it has? No, honestly, I didn’t. I enjoyed the whole process. In fact, the launch was quite simple. We just had just 80-90 people compared to the number we have usually. Normally, we invite the entire press; there are 300-400 people. But this time, I didn’t even video record the launch. It was only the press who showed up. It was such a classy presentation. There was poetry and had a set of very close-knit people who have a common interest in art. But later that night, I was with a friend chatting and that’s when the stars began calling and asking for the pictures. It was 11:00 p.m. when me and my friend sent everyone the pictures. And the moment Samantha started sharing, it became a sensation. Of course, it is unique. Like I said, it’s not about the models doing it. It’s about the actors playing a character. Of course, the actresses portrayed thee characters with perfection. But was there any other form of symbolism involved? Yes. One was the facial features. The eyebrows, the hairline, the figure; what would suit and the way the paintings were modelled. Whether they were standing or sitting or thinking; we needed to match. We did not have a 100 models who would match. We had very few. It wasn’t necessarily looking exactly like the paintings but with the costumes and jewellery it could come closer. Then it became more about the expressions and the body language which we wanted to achieve.

What would you say was the most challenging part during the entire shoot? One was matching the painting and the artist. The other was lighting it. Lighting was difficult because most of it were done in natural light. And here we were, shooting in an indoor studio which was time consuming. That became very challenging.

Do you regret not having working with someone for this calendar? Yes. Quite a few. Keerthy Suresh, Anushka Shetty, Nithya Menon… I had a bucket list. A couple of the whom I thought would fit into certain categories. They’re all good friends and since they were stuck in busy schedules, we couldn’t shoot with them. Yet, we didn’t lose the essence of what we were trying to do.

Among the ones you shot for the calendar, who was your favourite to work with? (Laughs) It’s like asking a dad with twelve kids – ‘Which kid is your favourite?’ It wasn’t about how simple the shot was or how tough the shot was. It was about the kind of energy and enthusiasm you had in terms of creating that particular picture. Even if it was a simple shot or a portrait, the body language and emotions needed to work. It wasn’t a situation where when we shot Ramya Krishnan, we had a lot of set-up or it was any easier than the rest. Every shot took the kind of time to execute it and make sure the expressions were right.

Which was more difficult? Capturing the shot or working on the technical? I’m not a technical person at all. My thing is more about lighting and getting it right. It’s more about the costumes and jewellery and the field and the set. I indulge into all those details. The technical wasn’t much important as opposed to what kind of camera I was going to use or what kind of megapixel would be shown. It was more about being earthy because with these kind of pictures, we need to be earthy because the originals are very earthy. Can you give me a sneak peak on your next project? (Laughs) I’m an advertisement photographer. I’ve been doing a lot of work for film related stuff and advertising. Right now, I’ve not got anything happening related to these photos but yes, I am working

on an idea. It is supposed to cover the cultural definition of Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and parts of Kerala. It shows how different communities have different styles whether it was draping sarees or jewelleries or festivals. Let’s say it’s might be like a South Indian calendar. I might start shooting in April to next March. Among the appreciation you received, which one do you think stood out the most? (Laughs) The call from the actress Anushka Shetty. In fact, I had her as one of the 12 because she would fit into it so perfectly. She texted me which said ‘Lovely Calendar, so nice’ but unfortunately she didn’t see my earlier text where on December 5th I had asked whether she was available. Because she was travelling she hadn’t seen it. That was the irony of it. No, I didn’t remind her but when she texted, I noticed it…haha..!

CREATE

FLORA L

Maheen Afshan. F

As soon as the sun rises in Chennai, you can smell the delicious scent of coffee dancing around the streets, Brewing in every single house. But coffee is not the only thing which has people hustling when the sun is shy. In the midst of the city, where people ride bikes, buses, autos and any quick mode of transportation to, is the pride of the city – The Koyambedu Market.

Koyambedu Market, where thousands and thousands of flowers are kept fresh with their scents enveloping you as you walk inside the maze of a place not knowing which flower to buy or which way to look might look a haven to the Installation Artist – Rebecca Louise Law.

British artist, Rebecca Louise Law is best described for her work with natural flowers and materials or flora. Every flower she picks depicts a story about humanity and nature, hence taking us to think the depths of the beauties present in nature. Law’s passion about Nature Change and Preservation simply fascinates the naked eye which stops short to embrace every bud, every flower, every insect and every leaf.

While one may wonder how the sculptures are made, Rebecca Louise Law securely sews every element in the sculpture together with a copper wire which is preserved and conserved. Her artworks also include paintings, prints, ceramic works which were displayed in her solo exhibition – The Womb. Published by Royal Botanic Gardens, Law released a book featuring her art in 2017 which goes by the name – Life in Death.

“I like to capture and cherish small beautiful natural objects to create an artwork that can be observed without the pressure of time. Preserving, treasuring, celebrating and sharing the beauty of the Earth with the world is what drives me.” says the artist with whom Brew had had a chance to talk to and learn more about the concept – Installation Art.

Define the term ‘Installation Artist’. An artist that uses space as an artistic medium. When and why did you decide to be an Installation Artist? At University whilst studying Fine Art, I discovered Installation Art and the freedom of creativity within a space. I wanted my viewer to physically experience my art and I found working in 2D limiting. I embraced the practice of installation art in 2003. Talk to us about the process you undergo before displaying your work. Research is key, the space and the patron combined with the continuation of my practice and its possibilities. I often work on the early stages of an installation only to find that it may not be possible. Each artwork considers concept, material value, design, production, timings and budget. What inspires you to make Installation Art? I am fascinated in our relationship with nature. As human beings we live in a push and pull environment, constantly trying to manipulate and control nature for our comfort and basic needs. The act of being still in nature, just ‘being’ is often neglected. My artworks are often spaced to ‘be’ in nature, to have a moment to admire all that is provided on Earth.

Where do you get your flowers from? I source flowers locally wherever I install. Large European installations use flowers sourced in France or Holland. I also pick flowers from my garden in Wales. Do you select the flowers prior to your project and work accordingly or is it the other way around? Each flower is selected depending on the installation. More recently the flower collection has been random, collecting from gardens and grounds nearby the installation location. Do the scent from the flowers overwhelm your audience? The scent is subtle, once the installation settles you have multiple scents as you journey through a space. Name an artwork you’re proud of. ‘The Womb’ 2019, is an installation made from over 1 million preserved flowers that I have collected over the past 10 years. I wanted to create a cocoon like space that explored the beauty of the Womb. 28

What was the best compliment you’ve received for your work? A donor wanted to buy ‘The Womb’ for a Museum’s permanent collection, they couldn’t house it due to scale, but it was a huge compliment for an artwork that is often seen as ephemeral. Talk to us about your book - ‘Life in Death’ It was published alongside an exhibition at Kew, London. It was a study into the value of flowers as an ephemeral art material and a retrospective of the journey of my art practice. Have you been to India? Yes, I’ve travelled around Southern India, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. From Chennai, down the coast, to ancient temples, spice and tea plantations, where the 3 oceans meet, beaches, tiger jungles, elephant sanctuary’s, backwater boats, delicious food and Ayurveda treatments. My husband and I fell in love with India and its amazingly generous people.

Has there been a time when you used artificial flowers? I used artificial flowers in my early years, but they held an emptiness and less fragility. Do you plan on setting up an exhibition in India? I have had discussions in the past but nothing has happened yet, I would love to work with traditional Indian garlands. I watched them being made in temples, so beautiful and a divine scent. How would you appeal the Indian audience to explore Installation Art and perhaps be an artist of the same? Working with nature within art is already an ancient practice within traditional India, bringing this art form into the gallery would be incredible for the rest of the world to see. If you would like to explore an other form of art, what would it be? I have started painting again and I’m learning how to use clay and glass. I would love to explore weaving, I’ve managed to create one small piece but I’m working on a larger artwork. Where to next? I’m exhibiting in Parma this year and the UK. It’s nice to have an exhibition more close to home. My artworks will be looking more closely at the British seasons and documenting the natural changes.

CREATE

A ‘ SEL FI E ’ ON THE H O USING B O A R D Photography : Purushothaman Appu

Art erases every negative thought. It does the impossible. Chennai’s Kannagi Nagar may have been painted black and blue for a long time but today, the very same Kannagi Nagar is being painted all the seven shades of a rainbow. 30

With the permission of the Chennai Corporation and the Housing Board society, the volunteers of ‘Street Art India Foundation’ are painting the buildings in Kannagi Nagar with a variety of colours and pictures. Till date, the volunteers have transformed buildings with 14 gorgeous paintings. 15 artists from places like Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Spain and a lot more have completed 9 types of paintings in our very own neighbourhood along with the entourage containing artists from India too. The plan to complete the paintings has been set till March.

Some might think that the residents of Kannagi Nagar are tentative about these paintings but surprisingly, they are astonished at such beautiful creativity that everyone is curious for the end-product. The people moreover might think that these are just simple sketches on a wall but this street-art has helped the people from Latin-America gain many rights. In those countries, art is a way for artists to represent the citizens and help them with their issues and rights that it lead to a revolution. One might underestimate it to be simply a coloured wall, but art has literally shook the walls of politics. Sadly, the walls of India for a long time have been caked with political posters, election announcements and the faces of cinema stars.

Apart from these, the walls of the cities are painted with the faces of Gods and religious deities too. The modern art which was just heard of or seen from a long distance is soon spreading like wild fire around the nation and nothing could be a better news than that. The modern art or street art which was found in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Coimbatore is now seen in our own Kannagi Nagar in Chennai. It’s amazing to say that it has become a public attraction. It has reached a certain level where the art at railway stations and the lanes of Chennai seem so small in comparison to what is being done to improve the livelihood of the people of Kannagi Nagar. Their economy, culture and festivities are celebrated in a new way with beautiful hues.

When people are sad or depressed, the first thing they reach out to is Music. Thankfully, the colours presented by Art is also becoming therapeutic today. The colours residing amongst the people’s hearts is what made them appreciate art since the olden ages. Similarly, the people of the housing board community too have had a full blown impact and ecstasy of these paintings. The great commercial monster - cinema, had been suppressing art for a very long time. And at the invention of Vinyl Plugs, most painters were economically and mentally disabled because manual labor is no longer required. But with the help of projects like these, the painters receive opportunities to express art in their own way. It’s safe to say that Kannagi Nagar’s art provides them hope and the hope should reach everyone.

The paintings which were once hung in galleries, are now glamorously shown to the world through the canvases of Kannagi Nagar. This is not a celebration only of artists, but also for a freedom for art because the way I see it, galleries too are a form of jail, aren’t they not?

BREW LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I APRIL 2018

USubbu ncle CREATE

& The South Indian Life Roshan Siddharth

The story of a comic that we South Indians whole heartedly can relate to. Instagram has over a billion users. And on an average day, a single user logs on to the app for 28 minutes. Only about five million to ten of them, assuming that they still use the app, remember what it was when it started: a cute little icon on a Samsung Corby/HTC desire/ iPhone 4 that helped the everyday dabble with photography.

The mammoth app has 95 million photographs uploaded daily and a billion influencers, actors, Instagram models, brands and bank on the app for maximum reach and fame, which the app dishes out gleefully. But there is one thing that the older app has been lost in transition. Warmth. The original app had a creative zing that it gave to common folk and a platform for 34

people to showcase their work. But overtime there has been a retrace to make sure everything looks insta friendly and out-do each other. In this pressure cooker of social media times, there is a breath of fresh air that is saving the selfie, party and portrait mode photo filled Instagram. The existence on comics and comic artists. Short, incredibly witty and irresistibly cute, these comics can bring a smile to anyones face. And a whole variety of topics are being dealt

with in the form of storytelling that we see. Dog and cat relationships, modern human relationships, the stories of the average girl, a south Indian uncle and his tryst with the modern times. Yup, south Indian uncle and his tryst with modern times. The artist remains a mystery, but Uncle Subbu not. Meet Uncle Subbu Comics.

Introduce Uncle Subbu and family. Uncle Subbu is a middle-aged conservative South Indian Uncle trying hard to keep up with an ever-changing social atmosphere, in the modern times. His daughter, Ranju is a modern girl who understands her dad’s predicament and tries to find a balance between her ideals and his traditions. Ranju’s mom is not always featured, I am still trying to understand her persona. Why a South Indian family and their everyday shenanigans for the basis of your comics? I am South Indian. I thought it best to tell stories about things I’ve experienced in life and its intricacies very well. How much of it is from real life? Have you recreated a comic that is a literal representation of what happened to you? Many of my comics are inspired by real life incidents. Unfortunately, the comics are not absolute reproductions, but the essence and flavor are true to life. My father is a comedian. He may not be an innocent goof like Uncle Subbu is, but he doesn’t miss an opportunity to pull my leg or find humor in any situation. I think the closest recreation would be the 13th comic about Uncle Subus lazniness vs Ranju’s. Who, what, when, where, why and how were you inspired to create USC? I was on SkillShare, learning how to draw cartoon humans on Illustrator. When I had learnt all I had to, the first thing I drew was a half-bald man with a thick mustache. I kept redrawing him with different expressions, and he suddenly became a real entity. I decided on the name much later, and I didn’t draw a comic until a few months. You can say there was a good 4 months gap between me scribbling on Illustrator to me actually contemplating a comic account on Instagram. I drew the first comic directly on my laptop, without using a tab or a Wacom pad. Although I’ve always been interested in art, my tryst and endearment with art began in college. It wasn’t until then that I learned to work with it, and that opened so many doors in my mind. The knowledge that art is malleable, with no set of rules was what finally engulfed me into it.

The artists journey with art is one of metamorphosis. What has your journey with art been and what it has made you want to do? I’d say that growing up, I did not have any confidence in my drawing ability. I never ventured beyond the typical landscapes we all drew as kids. I did however express my creativity in different ways: writing, singing, theatre, script writing. I tried all modes of storytelling, and concluded that storytelling is what I wanted to do all along, regardless of the medium. Once I realized that, drawing did not scare me anymore, it was just a mode of communication. I love telling stories and art became my toolbox. What made you do comics when the world is going the abstract art or design or memes way? Comics are timeless! Everyone may not engage with design or abstract art. Of course, beautiful designs capture your attention for a while, but you draw a speech bubble with some dialogue, everyone will want to read it and give their perspective on it. People of all ages enjoy comics. It’s the most entertaining way to consume readable content, in my opinion. Comic artists and book inspirations that led you to starting a comic: Tinkle and Archie Comics were my favorite comics growing up. My favorite characters are Pinky, Tantri from Tantri the Mantri, and Principal Weatherbee and Jughead from Archie Comics. In fact, the few strands of hair on Subbu’s head

was a reference to Weatherbee’s hair. What do you think of collaborative/crossover comics and would you like to do one? I have done quite a few! Chain collaborations with other artists are my favorite! The Wildlife comic is one such example. Artist collaborations are so much fun! I haven’t done a one on one collaboration yet, but I would love to. Most comics who started off on Instagram and facebook have expanded to books and merchandise? Do you think this is a healthy sign? Would you follow suit? I think it’s great that social media has helped many people start their careers. Artists being able to make money by doing what they love? Who wouldn’t want that! I am comfortable where I am at the moment, so I may not follow suit yet, but I can see Uncle Subbu becoming a lovable book character. That’s way in the future though. For now, I just want to engage with everyone! If someone were to make a film about uncle Subbu, how would you want it to be? I love this question! Wouldn’t that be a dream? I’d say maybe something along the lines of Mr Bean, but more wholesome and less slapstick. Most daughters would relate to having a father like Subbu, I would like to reach out to them!

What advise will uncle Subbu give to a budding comic artist? Keep drawing! Nothing is as rewarding as being consistent. If you are on Instagram, posting consistently will bring the right audience to you soon enough. And if you are drawing for yourself, consistency will help you grow. In a world where artists however small or big like the attention they get, why do you choose anonymity? I do want attention, but I want Uncle Subbu to get all of it, haha! In all seriousness, this project was a personal one when it started. I set targets for myself and I did not want anything affecting it. A few close people know who I am, but in general I feel that revealing myself might affect the authenticity of my work, so I didn’t. Removing myself from the comic made me look at it more objectively. I do however know that I’ll have to let my followers know who I am in the near future, and I am looking forward to that. Where does Uncle Subbu as a comic and the artist go from here? For now, its just more comics! I am researching on story arcs and recurring characters. The artist of Bestie the comic does this thing where he tells one story arc across a few weeks. They work amazingly well for him and his followers, and I am really inspired to do one myself. Your space: Tell the world anything you’d like to: Do visit Uncle Subbu and me on Instagram if you do.

LIVE

My fascination for mountains have taken me to places like Annapurna in Nepal, the Everest Base Camp and the imposing Sheela PassTawang circuit of Arunachal Pradesh. I’ve heard a lot about Sikkim, its mountains with Kanchenjunga as the guardian deity, the affable and easy-going hill people, the quintessential Sikkimese cuisine, its predominant Buddhist culture and of course the world famous Orchids. But, as luck would have it, I was unable to muster the time and the energy to embark on an exclusive mountain tour of Sikkim. Photography : Subhasish Chakraborty

IN THE

Kanchenjunga 38

LAND OF

However, this time, I was offered an invitation by my photographer friend from New Zealand – Tanmoy Das to join him in his Sikkim assignment. We were guests of the Department of Tourism, Government of Sikkim and the hospitality provided to us was immaculate. I’ve always had this opinion that being a predominantly mountainous state, traveling within Sikkim would be an arduous and grueling affair. But all my preconceived notions were swept aside once I found myself in Gangtok - the capital of Sikkim. The drive from Bagdogra airport (North Bengal) to Gangtok was one of the most beautiful drives that I’ve ever encountered. We checked into a hotel located right in the center of the town. The 4-hour drive from Bagdogra offers spectacular views of the Sikkimese countryside nestling besides the turquoise Teesta River - your companion throughout the journey. Rhododendrons and Orchids create a riot of pink, yellow and mauve colors. We were briefed about our itinerary by an official of Sikkim Tourism. The Department of Tourism wanted us to embark on a Helicopter Tour of Sikkim covering places like Gangtok, Yumthang, Singtam, Geyzing, Yuksom, Dikchu, the Zemu glacier as well as the high altitude monasteries. Apart from us, there were three other photographic crews from abroad who were

part of this exclusive helicopter ride. As we fastened our seat belts, the Bell helicopter gradually began its ascent. The city of Gangtok with its urban landscape appeared like a million studded diamonds. As the helicopter gained in altitude, the entire Himalayan panorama slowly unfurled like a veil slipping from the face of a beautiful woman. The ethereal scene of clouds drifting; kissing the hill tops, the village hamlets appearing like some fairytale community, the swift flowing Teesta River meandering through the mountainous terrain and the high altitude monasteries looking like some secluded enchanted zones of ‘Eden on Earth’ made us all awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the Himalayan grandeur. We were particularly amazed by the dramatic alpine-forested landscape of Yumthang. From a height of 14,000 feet, the alpine panorama kind-of exploded with a profusion of colors, courtesy the fiery red Rhododendrons that bloomed extensively. The imposing Kanchenjunga range stood like a sentinel as though it was guarding the state of Sikkim. The cascading waterfalls, particularly Lachung appeared as though some mythical deity was pouring milk over the mountains. I could well visualize in my mind’s eye, the mythological story, my late-grandmother used to tell me during bedtime, of the river Ganga pouring out of Lord Shiva’s matted hairs.

As we moved on to exploring the Kanchenjunga trail, leaving behind the majestic Yumthang, there was more drama awaiting us. At the far horizon, the bewildering scene of the ominous looking Kanchenjunga – snow clad and steep unravelled. Down below were rows after rows of snow clad Himalayan ranges. Every now and then the helicopter would come so close to the peaks where one could literally touch them!

Kanchenjunga is all about uneven peaks, icy curves, forceful mountain torrents and frozen fissures that compels even the most discerning world traveler to appreciate its majesty and ruggedness. I have had the good fortune of embarking on a Mountain Flight in Nepal to explore Mount Everest and its surrounding peaks. Based on my personal experience, I can assure you that the Kanchenjunga helicopter trip is at par with that of Mt.Everest, if not one notch higher in terms of natural grandeur.

The Mountain Flights operated by Sikkim Tourism offers a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to explore the beauty of Eastern Himalayas. It is a sheer delight to see people of ages 65 and above, both from India and abroad hopping into the five-seater Bell helicopter for the ride of their lives. As the Helicopter begins its gradual Himalayanesque ascent, one really doesn’t have to wait long to find what’s in store for them.

Within an hour or so, visitors have the rare opportunity to get up close with the snow clad mountain peaks. Jonathan Agnew from faraway Las Vegas says –“I have heard a lot about Mt.Everest in Nepal. I visited Nepal once but as luck would have it, I was unable to get onboard a Mountain Flight due to limited tickets. However, all my disappointments vanished with the 90 minutes Kanchenjunga helicopter trip I undertook today. I will definitely recommend my friends back home to embark on a Sikkim Helicopter ride”. After successfully finishing the principal task of aerial photography, we indulged in some ‘Dharma’ courtesy the monasteries of Sikkim. We visited Rumtek and Pemayangtze monasteries. Rumtek monastery is the seat of the Seventeenth Karmapa while the Pemayangtse Monastery located in West Sikkim belongs to the Nyigma order. I stuck up a conversation with an American convert who has been residing at the Rumtek monastery for more than a decade and learnt that Tibetan Buddhism came to Sikkim way back in the 15th century. I was given a running commentary of the great rivalry in the Tibetan order of Buddhism between the Red Hats and the Yellow Hats by this frail looking American Lama. The Gelugpa sect managed to ascend Tibet while the Nyingmapa sect sought asylum in Sikkim.

His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje spent the first fourteen years of his life in Tibet, and in the year 2000 he fled Tibet and was given asylum in India. Presently, His Holiness is awaiting permission from the government of India to return to his rightful place – the Rumtek Dharma Chakra Center. The sight of red robed Lamas chanting mystical ancient mantras to the beat of drums while butter lamps flickering before statues of the great Guru Padmasambhava have enchanted tourists from all over the world. The Buddhist trail in Sikkim is a world apart. You can literally feel the inherent peace and harmony of being one with Mother Nature. At times you feel really close to Godhead as the chanting of the Lamas blend harmoniously with the droning prayer wheels. Hollywood’s brush with Tibetan Buddhism is known to world over. Superstar Richard Gere, one of the bestknown faces of Tibetan Buddhism in the world eulogized Buddhism and Tibet at the all-important Academy Awards. Films like “Kundun” and “Seven Years in Tibet” too received worldwide attention.

The monasteries of Sikkim are conspicuous by their frescoes that depict Buddhist legends and there is always the Thangka paintings made of rare silk and brocade that are such a rage with both the Western and Indian tourists. Many monasteries have good collection of ancient Tibetan manuscripts as well. No visit to Sikkim is ever complete without a trip to the Nathula Pass, which has now been opened to tourists. Situated at an awesome height of 14,200 feet above sea-level we were amazed by the sight of Indian tourists posing for photographs with the soldiers of the Chinese Red Army. There was an air of informality at the Nathu La pass, which belied our expectations.

In the days of yore, Nathu La pass used to serve as the gateway to Tibet and the easiest way to reach Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. It was referred as the “Silk Route” because in the bygone days, the flourishing silk trade was conducted from Kalimpong of the Indian side to Lhasa in Tibet. This high altitude pass is now open to tourists five days a week and is a must visit site for the quintessential mountain aficionados.

On the penultimate day of our mountain trip to Sikkim we visited the Khangchendzonga National Park and the tribal communities of the neighboring areas in West Sikkim. In this part of the world The ‘Mountain Institute’ has played a significant role in protecting the rare alpine forests and meadows. According to the Institute’s spokesperson there were more than 400 Orchid species, 144 mammals, 300 species of avian life and mind-boggling 400 plus Butterfly species.

We were amazed to see how well the Mountain Institute involved the local communities in promoting concepts like Community Eco-Tourism, site maintenance and conservation education. From imparting training to guides to developing market strategies for promoting Eco-Tourism, the Institute has played a vital role in uplifting the local Himalayan economy around the Kanchendzonga National Park. We finished our Sikkim trip with a fabulous dinner at an in-house restaurant and bid adieu to heavenly and arresting Sikkim!

LIVE

Photography : Purushothaman Appu

One should at least once in their lifetime visit the gorgeous little island – Palaverkadu or Pulicat lake as it takes us on a hike with its long time history. The Pulicat Lake situated sixty kilometres from Thiruvallur district next to Sriharikota’s Rocket Launching Centre in Andhra Pradesh speaks of a tale older than Chennai.

The list of empires related with Pulicat range from the Vijayanagar Empire to the Chola, Pandya and Portuguese all the way to the Dutch. Starting with such dynamicity it ends with the British era. The Pulicat Lake had been mentioned in the sea travelogue written by Eritrean after the First Century BC. During the second century, Pulicat Lake finds its place in the list of ports around the world edited by Ptolemy, the Greek philosopher from Alexandria which was a surprising occurrence. The Pulicat Lake in the list was mentioned as Podouke Emporium. This port served as a centre for importing products from the far East and exporting the finished products to the West. Spices, Sandals, Pearls, Camphor and Silk were some of the things traded here.

Later on, in the 13th century, the Arabians who did not comply to the then newly elected Caliph were deported to outer places. It was presumed that the evicted people arrived to the port in four ships and set sail here in Pulicat. If you trace the map of India, you’ll find that there are only two natural ports containing salt water in India. One is located in Chilka in Odisha and the second one is the Pulicat Lake. Following Independent India, the Sriharikota Centre of ISRO was situated near the salt water lake. Today, there are 36 towns situated across for fishing.

Major business or occupation in this area depends on any sea-related trade. The prawns and the crabs fished here are extremely popular and taste divine in one’s mouth. The black-striped cut prawns, white prawns and small prawns are the most sought out of the prawn species. Similarly, the rarely spotted green stone crab is being exported to foreign countries on demand. However, people who have a licence cannot lay nets to catch prawns daily. Each area is divided into 10 groups and each group would get a day to fish for prawns. The internal control has been yielded on the Lake Area by four Panchayat wards - Kottai Kuppam, Light-house Kuppam, Thangal and Perumbulan so everyone gets an equal share of prawns although, sadly the area has shrunk from 20 thousand hectares to 13 thousand hectares. Taking note of the 10 groups of people in each area, we can gather that there are people of various cultures living here and one of the most surprising parts is that, these people never quarrelled nor fought for anything at any given point. They continue to live in so much harmony that their integrity could be felt in the salty scent of the place

It would be betraying the area if there isn’t a mention of the birds residing in Pulicat. Since a lot of pelicans settle at Pulicat, a bird sanctuary has been especially constructed for them. But many birds migrate from other countries to visit the lake during the season. Pulicat also serves as a tourist spot where the fishermen take travellers in boats to the Pine Tree Grove where the beauty of the land could be embraced by climbing the 11 storeyed light-house. Moreover, under protection from the UNESCO, the derelict castle of Dutch is situated in the area along with the gardens of the cemetery and historic remains of a church. On the month of February, the unity and integrity of the 36 local areas of the island is celebrated every year on the second Saturday. A traditional catamaran race is held followed by a boat race. Varieties of sea food surround the festival and for people’s amusement, they have the Therukoothu (Street Play). To conclude, I’d say, let go of all the stress of living in the city and take a stroll around the salt lake. Pulicat Lake fondly welcomes you!

LIVE

Laughter! PANT-ING

Gayathri Krishnaraj

‘Phew! 2 minutes please… I can’t laugh anymore.’ But you do laugh more when he’s on stage.

The leading comedian of India could be described in a variety of words and phrases but to be put simply, I’d say that it is common for the audience to go crazy with laughter but for a comedian to go so crazy with his jokes that it’s not just his joke making you laugh anymore but the mere fact that he’s stepped on stage… That my dear readers is Sorabh Pant! 51

Could you tell us about your childhood? I had two sides to myself, one was when I used to play cricket, the other was when I was not playing cricket. When I was playing cricket, I was the worst human being you’ll ever find. I was sledging everyone I was abusing people. I used to bowl very fast when was a kid and I tortured everyone in my building because my bowling pounces as I bowled directs. I was a tyrant; a dictator. So, I think both of those personalities fed off of each other. In my building I was popular as I was loud and was good at a sport which always impresses people. My school life too wasn’t bad and I started becoming vaguely popular in school too because of cricket. Did you ever try to make cricket your profession? If I was ten years younger, I would’ve gotten an IPL contract for 40 lakh Rupees but wouldn’t have played any matches. They would’ve put me on the side. Also, I was really good with rubber ball cricket and never played the season ball too much. I used to play overarm, I hated playing under arm and I hated the people who played underarm. I was really fast when I was a kid I still have friends who want to play with me today when I’m 37-years-old.

How did that help you be the person you are now? How did the aggressive cricketer become the funny dude? I’m relatively friendly with people in general and I always have been but my sister introduced me to a friend of hers recently whom I was stuck in the lift with. Suddenly, an other lady enters and this friend is introducing me to the lady. Once I step out of the lift, my friend told her that I’m a comedian and she said she didn’t find me funny at all. But I’m thinking – ‘I was in the lift for twenty-three seconds with you, you expect me to pick up a mike and start saying jokes!’ So, in real life I’m pretty boring. Actually, I withdraw what I just said, I’m super entertaining. (Laughs). Do your kids get an overdose of dad jokes? My kids are four and two. They don’t understand jokes. My son asked for a joke and I told him a very simple joke.

So, have you ever made a terrible pun that made you cringe? Everyday! I’ll make a joke and somebody who doesn’t know me that well except my wife who’ll be sitting with a straight face will get looks saying –‘You must be used to this.’ The advantage I have is that my wife is also funny. She’ll make horrible jokes and say, ‘Don’t judge me, that was horrible what you just said.’ We’re just constantly judging each other. Whoever is in the better mood will make the jokes and usually it’s me. Two or three times a week she’ll say something really stupid too.

Comedy has squeezed it’s way to Bombay only a few years ago whereas in Chennai it’s been around for a while. Why do you think there’s this gap? There’s a group of people stepping out to entertain things which aren’t movies specifically in Mumbai and Bangalore. I saw Enthiran and I died. I’ve seen Sivaji the Boss. Even if it’s an extremely serious film, it needs one person to create jokes. Even if they remake it, there was no comedian and hence comedy wasn’t there. That’s when I realised, Bollywood doesn’t have comedians in films. It’s a recent phenomenon. What happened in the 90’s was that there were a lot of silly stupid movies that I really loved

“Vikram, why was six afraid of seven?” and the answer is six eight seven right?. My son goes ‘No wait, six is eating something?’ So, both my kids are way funnier than I am. My son was telling me a story the other day and it was basically ‘Once upon a time there was a pig and there was another pig. The end.’ That was their story and they’re really funny. I’ve written a whole stand up set about both my kids They’re my favourite jokes now because they come from a place where I really admire them. Literally a minor thing happens where people feel it’s over; it’s done but I’ll be making notes. My son and my daughter are both very funny, because what other purpose do they have? It’s to entertain me because, I’m entertaining them throughout the day as is my wife so now you’ve got to give it back, you can’t just sit there and do nothing.

Your wife’s a writer and so are you, did you ever think you should collaborate on something? It’s never worked. I was her boss technically and she was refusing to accept it. We were working on a show for POGO, it was called FAQ where I wrote 6-8 episodes and I played a character called Dr.Cool. My wife was working under me and she just refused to listen to feedback! And I was her senior! She just goes, ‘No I’ve seen you as a person, you can’t be. I dismiss you.’ However, she’s very collaborative with regards to my jokes. I’ve run like a lot of jokes by my wife and she’ll help me out.

including all the Govinda and Kishore Kumar movies. There is a movie called Shakti which had a sequence where people tried to grow the longest beard. It was the most deranged thing you’ll watch. I think currently what’s happening in Bollywood is that it’s either really stupid movies like Housefulls or nothing. Why do you think the comical layer is absent in Bollywood? I think the phase where a comedian like Johnny Lever or Khader Khan and many such guys who did comedy in films have moved out and the top comedians have their own TV shows. That might be the reason where they might not prefer to be the third spring guy. It’s quite fascinating.

In Tamil, stand-up comedians are becoming actors. As soon as they become a hit, they do movies. Do you think that trend will be seen in Bollywood as well since Kanan Gill has acted in a movie called Noor? I think that’s definitely a trend now. Vir Das is a prime example. He’s ambitious enough that he’s going to be producing movies in two years. We wrote a movie together which was basically his idea but I helped him with it. It was ages ago but I think he’s got a producer for it and he’s going to be making it soon. And all the guys from AIB, earlier had a film division and obviously I’m not commenting on that. For me, I’ve never been fascinated by movies. I prefer watching stand-up and doing stand-up. I watch ridiculous amounts of stand-up and I do it because I love it. Who is your favourite stand-up comic? Right now, my favourite is Michelle Wolf. I find her really funny. She’s this American comedian who did the white house correspondence dinner and got into a controversy over it but her stand-up special was hilarious. There’s a lot of them though. Where did the idea for EIC come? Initially, the plan was to do stand-up but then friends just got together it became ‘Let’s do this, it’s work’. I agreed. We went with the flow and it was sort of shepherded for a while. My aim was to do stand-up and political comedy specifically. There was a lot of work and I don’t think it reached where it was expected to go. I always thought EIC will get views. The reason we were doing it was because I wanted to talk about all these things. Like the story of Neelam Kataraj who was in Jordon because nobody was talking about it or focusing on it. It was the intention. But I don’t think it got the kind of hype. Eventually 54

it was a lot of work to produce these things yourself. We did 55 episodes an year, out of which I was in 25 or 30 of them which was a lot of work. What do you think would be the biggest achievement in your career? I don’t think I have any. I go through my old videos and I think all of them are shit. I’m serious, I don’t like any of them. Not a fan. I like what I’m doing currently though. Isn’t growth a part of the career? Yeah, but I don’t want people to see the part where. I still don’t think I’ve reached where I need to be as a comedian. I want people to be there when I’ve figured it out. I don’t want you to see the rubbish part (Laughs). Speaking of writers, western countries have specific courses for writing. What do you think of the writers’ scene in India? It is changing. I remember when I started as a writer in TV in 2009, back then the budget percentage for a writer was 8 lakh rupees for a 2 crore project. I still think the numbers are decent to write movies. If you’re a TV writer you can make money. I’ve done TV writing. I was offered a lot of money to write soap operas but the volume was ridiculous. We were essentially churning out 20 episodes a month of utter garbage but the show had to go on. I definitely think it’s changing one of the reasons being a lot of books adapted as movies. Is there something you’re working on? Oh, there’s been a lot of stuff. I’m working on two and a half hour of stand-up and it’s a lot. Some of it is genuinely good, and some of it will be extremely good or it’ll be silly and stupid. I’ll figure out a way to make it happen.

Brew February 2020

Articles inside

Pant-ing Laughter

A Stroll in the Salt

In the Land of Kanchenjunga

A Floral Dream

Kobe Bryant – 41 years of Greatness

Uncle Subbu and the South

Imprinting Mastery with a Lens

Amore Deus for you Hearts

A ‘Selfie’ on the Housing Board

Go Gaga with Radio