Brew june 2018

THINK. CREATE. LIVE

30

RAJINIKANTH Of Grit, Grace & Gratitude

36

The lullabies of a KING

Pioneers in Gastroenterology dŚĞ ĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ laid by the legendary

Dr. V.Jeganathan (19.12.1953 - 17.05.2007) &ŽƵŶĚĞƌ͕ ŝůůƌŽƚŚ ,ŽƐƉŝƚĂůƐ

Saving Millions through our 27 Year Of ,ĞĂƌƞĞůƚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ŝŶ 'ĂƐƚƌŽĞŶƚĞƌŽůŽŐLJ 1,05,630

61,540

1,35,918

10,962

'ĂƐƚƌŽ ƐƵƌŐĞƌŝĞƐ

LĂƉĂƌŽƐĐŽƉLJ ;ŬĞLJŚŽůĞͿ

DiaŐŶŽƐƟĐ ŶĚŽƐĐŽƉLJ ƉƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞƐ

InƚĞƌǀĞŶƟŽŶĂů ŶĚŽƐĐŽƉŝĐ WƌŽĐĞĚƵƌĞƐ

CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY BOARD THOTA THARANI This year we enter a bigger dimension, planning across a wider reader base with a big step forward, this was ignited with a logo designed by the one and only Thota Tharani. Brew Lifestyle extends a heartwarming thank you role to the legend himself ĨŽƌ ŚŝƐ ŝŶĐĞƐƐĂŶƚ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶƐ͘

VEEJAY SAI Ŷ ĂǁĂƌĚͲǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ǁƌŝƚĞƌ͕ ĞĚŝƚŽƌ͕ ĂŶĚ Ă ĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ĐƌŝƟĐ͘ ,Ğ ŚĂƐ ǁƌŝƩĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƉƵďůŝƐŚĞĚ ĞdžƚĞŶƐŝǀĞůLJ ŽŶ /ŶĚŝĂŶ classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art.

ASHOK VERGHESE

VITA DANI

He is the director of Hindustan group of ŝŶƐƟƚƵŝŽŶƐ͕ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉŝŽŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ŐƌŽƵƉƐ in the country. He is a big supporter and cause for ƉƌŽŵŽƟŶŐ LJŽƵŶŐ ƚĂůĞŶƚ ŝŶ Ăƌƚ ĂŶĚ ŵƵƐŝĐ͘

Passionate about grassroots development of sport in /ŶĚŝĂ͘ ^ŚĞ ĐŽͲŽǁŶƐ ŚĞŶŶĂLJŝŶ & ͕ ŚĞŶŶĂŝ͛Ɛ ĨŽŽƚďĂůů ƚĞĂŵ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ /^> ĂŶĚ hůƟŵĂƚĞ dĂďůĞ dĞŶŶŝƐ ;hddͿ͕ /ŶĚŝĂ͛Ɛ ĮƌƐƚͲĞǀĞƌ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƚĂďůĞ ƚĞŶŶŝƐ ůĞĂŐƵĞ͘

G VENKET RAM

ANIL JAIN Ŷ ŝŶƚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ƚŽ ƐƵĐĐĞĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĚĞĮŶĞ ƚŚĞ parameters of success. Anil Jain was always cut to be ĂŶ ŶƚƌĞƉƌĞŶĞƵƌ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ĂŶ ĂĐƟǀĞ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ right from an early age. He is the promoter of Refex industries Ltd; Refex Trading(s) Pvt. Ltd, and Anil Jain investments.

ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ /ŶĚŝĂŶ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ ƉŚŽƚŽŐƌĂƉŚĞƌ ǁŚŽ ŚĂƐ ƐŚŽƚ ƉƌŝŶĐŝƉůĞ ƉŚŽƚŽŐƌĂƉŚLJ ƐƟůůƐ ĨŽƌ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ŶŽƚĂďůĞ ĮƌŵƐ͘ ,Ğ ƋƵŝƚ ŚŝƐ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŝŶĞŵĂƚŽŐƌĂƉŚĞƌƐ ĨŽƌ Ă ǁŚŝůĞ͕ ĂŌĞƌ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĞ ũŽŝŶĞĚ Ă ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŝŶ ǀŝƐƵĂů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶĂ Ăƚ >ŽLJŽůĂ ŽůůĞŐĞ͘ He then worked with photographer Sharada Haskar and in 1993, started his own studio.

ARUNA SAIRAM

NEERU NANDA A graduate of Delhi university and a passionate writer. She was a free-lanced feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of Ă ĐŽůůĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƐŚŽƌƚ ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ ƟƚůĞĚ ͚/&͕͛ ƐŚĞ ŚĂƐ ĂůƐŽ worked on novels and short stories for childreen.

ǁŝŶŶĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐƟŐŝŽƵƐ WĂĚŵĂ ^Śƌŝ ĂǁĂƌĚ͘ ^ŚĞ is the vice-chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ /ŶĚŝĂ͛Ɛ ƉƌĞŵŝĞƌ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ŝŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ ŵƵƐŝĐ ĂŶĚ ĚĂŶĐĞ͘ DƐ͘ ^ĂŝƌĂŵ ŝƐ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ /ŶĚŝĂ͛Ɛ ŵŽƐƚ ƌĞŶŽǁŶĞĚ ĂŵďĂƐƐĚŽƌ͛Ɛ ĨŽƌ ŵƵƐŝĐ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵůůLJ ƚĂŬŝŶŐ /ŶĚŝĂŶ ŵƵƐŝĐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĂƌĞŶĂ͘

DR. RAJESH JEGANATHAN LJŽƵŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĚLJŶĂŵŝĐ ŵĞĚŝĐŽ͘ ,Ğ ƌƵŶƐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐƟŐŝŽƵƐ Billroth Hospitals based in Chennai.

INTERNAL TEAM PUBLISHER & CEO

SUB EDITOR

Sameer Bharat Ram

Sheeba Grace

DESIGNER

FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dhinesh Babu S Elumalai V John Paul S

Aarathi Arun Aparna P Kochumon Roshan Siddharth

Published by Sameer Bharat Ram and owned by Sameer Ventures Printed by Vivek Sachdev at NPT OFFSET PRESS Pvt. Ltd. Published from New No. 68/Old No. 63, Cathedral Road, Chennai - 600 086 Tel: +91 44 4208 9392

Nandita Vijayaraghavan Sunanda Sugendran Prashanth Saravanan

Akila Sridhar Cheryl Malar Sheeba Grace

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

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India RNI No.TNENG/2016/68719.

Date of Publication: 15th of every month

THINKLIVE CREATE FROM THE ARCHIVES WHATS BREWING

ISSUE-12

08

30

08 How Hard Is It To Stay Sane?

30 Rajinikanth Of Grit, Grace & Gratitude

THINK

COVER STORY

14

38

14 Of Art And Philosophy 18 Balan Nambiar The Maestro Of Eloquent Art 24 To Hit The Right Note

38 Belgium With A Twist 44 Have You Really Lived?

50 Bold And Vivacious

59

62

59 An evening with Vijay Amritraj

62 Spring Summer Decor Goodreads Have Remote Control Over Your Electronics

CREATE

BREW MOMENTS

LIVE

WHAT’S BREWING

61

BREW LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2018

5

BREW LIFESTYLEAUGUST JULY 2017 2017

ELEGANT CREATIONS FOR THE MARVELLOUS YOU.

GOLD, DIAMONDS, PLATINUM & SILVER | G.N.CHETTY ROAD, T.NAGAR, CHENNAI www.jcsjewellers.com | Ph:28345001 | Follow us on

THINK

HOW HARD IS IT TO STAY SANE? Aarathi Arun

8

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

¤ “£ ¤’Ž ÂŁÂŽÂŠÂŁÂœÂš ÂœÂ? Œ’Šš‘Žန ÂŁÂŽÂŠÂŁÂœÂš ¤’Š¤ šœ¤ œš—­ ÂŒÂ’ÂŠÂšÂ‘ÂŽÂŁ ¤’Ž ÂŁÂ?ŠŒŽ ÂŠÂĄÂœÂŚÂšÂ? ÂŚÂŁ ‹Œ¤ ‹¥“š‘£ ª“¤’ “¤ Â?ÂœÂŁÂ“Â¤Â“Â¨Â“Â¤ÂŽ Â?ÂœÂĄ ÂœÂŚÂĄ ‹ŽŴŽ¥™Žš¤ ŠšÂ? Â?ÂœÂĄ ¤’Ž ‘¢ŽŠ¤Ž¥ Â’ÂŚÂ˜ÂŠÂšÂ–Â“ÂšÂ? “š Š——န ÂŽ ÂŞÂŽÂĄÂŽ Š—— Â‹ÂœÂĄÂ› ¤’Ž ÂŁÂŠÂ˜ÂŽá€” ဘ Â’ÂœÂŁÂŽ ¤“š­ —“Ŵ—Ž ‹Š‹“Ž£ ª“¤’ ÂŒÂŚÂ¤ÂŽ —“Ŵ—Ž ’ŠšÂ?ÂŁ ŠšÂ? Â?ŽŽ¤ ŠšÂ? Š ’ŽŠ¥¼ ¤’Š¤ ‹ŽŠ¤£န Œ¤ Š£ ÂŞÂŽ Â‘Â˘ÂœÂŞ ÂŚÂ?ထ ŽŠŒ’ ŠšÂ? Ž¨Ž¥Ž £“š‘—Ž ‹Š‹­ ¤’Š¤ ªŠ£ Â‹ÂœÂĄÂ› Ž¨Ž¥Ž £“š‘—Ž ÂŁÂŽÂŒÂœÂšÂ? Ĺ ÂœÂ˜ ÂŠÂĄÂœÂŚÂšÂ? ¤’Ž ÂŞÂœÂĄÂ—Â? “£ ¥Š“£ŽÂ? Â?Â“ĹƒÂŽÂĄÂŽÂšÂ¤Â—Â­ ŠšÂ? Â‘Â˘ÂœÂŞÂŁ ÂŚÂ? ¤œ ‹Ž ¤’Ž Œš“Â&#x;ÂŚÂŽ Â?ÂŽÂĄÂŁÂœÂš ¤’Š¤ ’Žဳ£’Ž “£န šÂ? ‹­ Œš“Â&#x;ÂŚÂŽ šœ¤ œš—­ ‘ŽšŽ¥Š—“£Ž ¤’Ž Â?Â’Â­ÂŁÂ“ÂŒÂŠÂ— ŠŴ¢“‹Œ¤Ž£ ‹Œ¤ ¤’Ž ˜Žš¤Š— ŠšÂ? Ž˜œ¤“œšŠ— ÂœÂšÂŽÂŁ ¤œ ‹Ž ÂŁÂ?ÂŽÂŒÂ“ĹŠÂŒá€” We all have a mind of our own and that tries to work in one but many ways, sometimes even against the will of the person who owns it. Nothing is consistent and this unruly mind that once worked in disagreement will FRPH EDFN WRLWV VDQH VHOI PXFK XQH[SHFWHGO\ :H ZRXOG KDYH GH½QLWHO\ ZRQGHUHG IURP WLPH WR WLPH DV WR why we said or did certain things that we probably didn’t want to or didn’t plan to do; to which we may never ½QG WKH DQVZHUV WR 7KLV LV WKH FRPSOH[LW\ RI WKH VLQJOH KXPDQ PLQG DQG LWV XQPDWFKHG DQG \HW XQGLVFRYHUHG darkest secrets that even the most renowned scientists could not decipher. While this is the case, we as normal and simple human beings should start practicing the art of STAYING SANE irrespective of the multiple situations that we come face to face with on a day to day basis.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

9

Every person has a unique and individual way of dealing with things and situations that they are aware of.

And another one that only their sub conscious mind knows of. This sub conscious mind that we all know extensively about and even talk about so diligently is something that carries memories that we may have or have not remembered and those that had deeply affected and impacted our lives. They maybe from the recent past that we did not pay attention to in the real world, or from long gone years that we tried to forget, by choice.

7KH NLQG RI SHUVRQ WKDW ZH DUH VWDUWV JHWWLQJ FODVVL½HG based on what we see as an infant, hear as a child and are taught as a teen. Visual medium of communication is the best when it comes to making people remember better when compared to the rest. So, it starts from what we start seeing as a kid in our homes. The kind of environment that we grow up in, the family scenario, the relationship and behaviour amongst family members, all play a major part in the shaping of the individual’ s character.

Most of us, in general, are taught good behaviour, given the right education and shown examples of people who made the right choices in life to make it big and

10 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

successful. But how many of us are taught what is bad and what not to do? Were we taught that causing pain to another fellow human being is as bad as causing harm to one self? Were we taught that there is no gender discrimination amongst siblings? Were we told WKDW QRW RQO\ ERRNV DQG SULQWHG NQRZOHGJH LV VXI½FLHQW to make this world a better place? I wonder!

However hard parenting might have become in these GD\V , ½QG LW UDWLRQDO WR VD\ WKDW WKH NLGV RI WKH FXUUHQW generation have much more worldly knowledge when compared to their parents, who primarily grew up as per the parent-child manual from a couple of decades ago. Their exposure to everything from what’s happening next door to what might happen in the next galaxy is simply mind blowing and appreciable.

Kids use this to their advantage and at times against too, unknowingly. The juvenile terror attacks, both the recent ones and those that have been happening for many years is a topic that is quite far out of my intellectual reach. I tried quite a number of times to MXVWLI\ WKRVH KRUUL½F DFWV EXW HQGHG XS LQ D GDUN DOOH\ Nothing that any sane mind could think of, will be able to explain the extent of harm these kids committed, guilt-free!

What would they have thought when they picked up WKDW ULžH DQG GHFLGHG WR RSHQ UDQGRP ½UH RQ LQQRFHQW SHRSOH" 0\ KHDUW IUR]H ZKHQ WKRVH KRUUL½F YLGHRV ZHUH being shown from the children’s mobiles when caught inside the school while the attack took place. What could have been going on in their minds when the children decided to give up their lives in the name of jihad? How will they explain this act of destruction to their family? What about youngsters joining antisocial and extremists’ groups in the name of religion and cultural guardians? Do they pause for a minute to rethink and realise that they are none to judge and condemn another human being, irrespective of caste, creed or religion?

This is not what is taught in the Quran or the Bible or the Gita. All the religions preach equality and humanity.

It is the wrong-minded people who started using this cover in turning the world’s attention away from them.

To make people not discover the reality in crimes such as these and the real perpetrators behind them.

We as people should be taught to live in harmony, respect and safeguard one another from the common enemy instead of trying to protect ourselves from each other. The world that we live in is an excellent example for compatible living. We all share the earth, the land, the water and all. Our planet would not be the same if it was all land or all water. The true joy of living exists in empathetical existence.

If that much is there to be talked about the children of today, leading a sane adult life is no less hard. Take an average fairly well-educated individual for example, who leads a life in a metro with responsibilities of a spouse, parent, etc to start with. Given the worldly exposure and self-right and conscious mind that does not allow oneself to contemplate and disrespect the law RI RQH¾V ODQG KH VKH ½QGV LW WHUULEO\ KDUG WR FRSH ZLWK those who are nothing close to what was mentioned above.

Patience is a virtue that seems to have been lost today among many. This, which is considered as one of the best virtues if lost, is surely a solid reason for the mind to turn insane. Ever wondered as to why we are not able WR ½QG DQG IROORZ WKDW" :H KDYH DOO OHDUQW WR SOD\ RQH game in this wild run. And mark my words, we have learnt to play it well and mastered it too. The Blame Game. We have aced this one and found it much to our convenience. This has become the backdoor entry to WKURZ DZD\ RXU UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV DQG DFW VHO½VKO\ ,Q WKLV over-exposed and highly competitive world, each man tries his best to beat the rest in the imaginary race.

Result: hatred, vengeance, enmity, etc. People today have forgotten to share and care. Various reasons can be cited to this disappointing change but only we are responsible for it too. The blame cannot be laid on the unknown.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

11

So, whose fault is it then? Why are people so indifferent? Who is to be held responsible for the status of people’s behavioural attitude in general today? Why has it come to this? When and where did the change come about? And how do we correct it?

7RR PDQ\ TXHVWLRQV WKDW ERJJOH RXU PLQGV DQG YHU\ OHVV UHVRXUFHV WR ½QG WKHLU DQVZHUV IURP 7KLV LV WKH condition of our lives currently. We must teach ourselves as adults, to walk around the problem that is ELJJHU WKDQ RXU H[LVWHQWLDO SKHQRPHQRQ DQG WU\ WR ½QG WKH VROXWLRQ E\ ORRNLQJ RXWVLGH WKH ER[ 1R WKLV is not running away. This is to try and focus. If each individual start correcting their wrongs and start turning them into rights, a positive change is sure to come. All that positivity will channel itself together and probably make the world a better place to live in. , ZDV D ½JKWHU , VWLOO DP , DUJXH ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR EHLQJ TXHVWLRQHG IRU WU\LQJ WR OHDG D ULJKWHRXV OLIH %XW I do not deter from my decisions. I stick to them and try my best to spread that thought around. It is quite a task to do that without being bullied. But, we must derive at a plan to carry on whilst riding alongside the thought line of those ignoramus. This is the only way one can stay sane amidst the not-so-sane world that we get to share today. We have a beautiful world that we are blessed with. We get to help those when in need and inculcate love, truth, compassion and conduct. There are plenty of people who still are unaware of the fact that they live in a planet with other technologically advanced clans and that life is so much more easier for the rest. Let us learn to appreciate the goodness around us. Let us start neglecting the negativity. We are all one, after all!

12 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

13

CREATE

Basanth PERINGODE OF ART AND PHILOSOPHY Prashanth Saravanan

ဣ ¡¥ £ ¤ ­ ¤ ¡ဤ £ ­£ န န ¦ ¡ထ ¦ ဠ¤ ¢ ££န ¦¤ ¤ ¨ £ ထ £ Ń ¡ ¤ န ဣ ¡ ¤ ¤ Š ¤ ¡¥ £¤ဠ£ ¡ ¤ န ¦ဠ ¤ ¨ ª ¤ £ ¤ ¤ ¤ နဤ ဠ£ £¤ ª ­£ ¡ ¤န ¤ ¤ ¡ ¦ ­ ¡ £ထ ဠ£ ¤ ¤§¡ ¤ ª ¨ ¤ £¤န £ Ś ¤ ¤ £ Ŵ န Ŵ ¡ ª ¤န ထ ¤ ¨ £ ¤ ¤ ¡ ဠ£ ¡¥ ¤¢ ­ ¤န

14 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

I reach the spot. I go in. Welcomed by the smell of paint, I was in the mood for some answers. I look around. A surreal, wonderfully lit room. The silence was overwhelming. You could drift away to all the places you can imagine just by JD]LQJ DW WKH FHLOLQJ , VWDUH DW WKH ½UVW SDLQWLQJ , FRXOG VHH temples. I go the next one. I see rooftops. I see people clad in saffron. I assume them to be pilgrims. I see them huddled up under a roof. I wonder why. I take a look at the color of the sky. Dark. Grayish. Probably cloudy. Bad weather forced them to take a break, I think. I reassure myself “There’s no other way this would make sense. This is the only possible explanation.â€? Not convinced, I move on to the next one. And the next. And the next. Ambiguity and doubt greet me as I go on from one painting to another. Dazed and confused, I give up. Probably art isn’t my forte. Probably I don’t have the “eyeâ€? Bucchianer says. I try to come to terms with the voice inside me. He begs to differ. “This isn’t about proving a point.

This isn’t about seeing if you’re right or I am.� “Then, what is it about?�

Silence.

I wasn’t giving up. Not again. I look up the artist’s name on one of the paintings. “Basanth Peringodeâ€? it said. I look him up on the Internet. It read “Born in Kerala, Basanth Peringode’s imagination turned the most mundane subjects into profound works of art. After passing out from the Guruvayur Devaswom Mural Painting Institute, he held Exhibitions in Spain, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur, and Cochin. He has also attended a number of artist camps around the country.â€? Deep down, I knew he was my last ray RI KRSH IRU ½QGLQJ DQVZHUV $IWHU JHWWLQJ KLV QXPEHU , FDOO him. I was greeted by a calm voice. Good mood, I assume.

I ask for Mr. Basanth Peringode. “Speakingâ€? he says. I introduce myself and ask him if he could put me out of my misery. He laughs. “Sureâ€? he says. I go back to the paintings. ²6LU ZKHUH GR \RX ½QG WKH LQVSLUDWLRQ EHKLQG \RXU paintings?â€? “I grew up in a village. I travel a lot. I see everything, and I recreate what I see in my own style.â€? “Was this something you always wanted to do? Paint, is that what you wanted to do right from your childhood?â€? “Yes. I can’t picture myself doing anything other than what I do right now. Painting, that’s all I ever wanted to do, right from when I was a small kid.â€?

I was amazed. From a nation where parents gave only two options for their children for their future, this was totally unexpected.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

15

“What is art according to you?â€? ², ½QG DUW LQ HYHU\WKLQJ )URP SDLQWLQJV WR VFXOSWXUHV WR PXVLF , VHH DUW LQ HYHU\WKLQJ Âł “Was art was a passion before it became a profession?â€? “Art was never my passion. Art is my life.â€?

Every question I ask him, it was almost as if I got an answer from a man who asked himself the same questions and decided to make a living out of it. There turned out to be more of philosophy and less of art in the conversation. I look at the paintings DJDLQ $QG DJDLQ 7KHUHÂľV RQH WKLQJ , ½QG LQ DOO RI WKHVH SDLQWLQJV “Why are the electric posts a prominent thing in almost all your works?â€? “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me that. They were something that fascinated me while I grew up in my village. Hence, their LQžXHQFH RQ P\ ZRUNV Âł

“Sir, what are your interests apart from painting?â€? ², ORYH VFXOSWXULQJ , GR FDULFDWXUHV , KDYH DOVR EHHQ D SURGXFWLRQ GHVLJQHU IRU D IHZ 0DOD\DODP ½OPV Âł “Have you been recognized for your work, Sir?â€? ²,ÂľYH EHHQ DZDUGHG IRU EHLQJ WKH DUW GLUHFWRU LQ ´.DOL\DWWRPÂľ D 0DOD\DODP IHDWXUH ½OP , ZRQ WKH .HUDOD &DUWRRQ $FDGHP\ÂľV Award for Best Caricature. I was also given the State Award instituted by Kerala Lalithkala Academy in 2005.â€?

An awkward silence. Followed by static. When asked what sort of paints he used, he said, “Acrylic, because it dries much easier than watercolors and oil paints. Using acrylics on canvas is much simpler and can be manipulated in three to four EUXVKVWURNHV 7KH FRPSDUDWLYHO\ GLI½FXOW RQHV DUH QDWXUDO FRORUV WKDW DUH REWDLQHG IURP YHJHWDEOHV DQG RUJDQLF VWXII 7KRVH paintings are more prone to damage than the others.â€? “One last question, Sir. What piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to follow your footsteps?â€? “Don’t give up. Travel as much as you can, you’ll gain inspiration from nature and what you see around you.â€? And saying that, the conversation ended.

I sit and stare at those paintings, like the sky never ended and I never cared. I start thinking about the conversation. How he followed his dream, how every painting of his told a story, and how both the story and the painting can take you to a whole new ZRUOG ZKHQ \RX VWDUW SRQGHULQJ DERXW LW ,W ZDV DOPRVW DV LI WKH SDLQWLQJV ZHUH D UHžHFWLRQ RI KLV OLIH DQG WKH FDQYDV EHLQJ WKH mirror. I was again, dazed and confused. I seemed to give no answer to the voice inside me. But, Basanth-ji did. Yes, you read it right. Basanth-ji.

16 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

31

BREW LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2018

35

ER 2017 BREW LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER BREW LIFESTYLE I2017 MAY 2018

17

25

CREATE

2004. Mirror idol for Mother Goddess. stainless steel, 100 (h) 18 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BALAN NAMBIAR THE MAESTRO OF ELOQUENT ART Aparna P Kochumon

In his crisp cotton kurta, calm and composed with a warm smile, sits BalanNambiar - one of India’s most celebrated artist and sculptor.With a defined precision in his voice, accrued with time and experience, and gesturing with his adept hands, he speaks in volumes about his art. An artist who has turned every bit of paper, stone and metal into an exemplar of art, Nambiar’s residence too bears elements of his creativity – be it the conjoined abstract pattern of the main gate or the steel motif designs on his window panels or the pen stand on his study table.

An octogenarian, Nambiar is a native of Kannapuram in the Kannur district of Kerala.

Born into a family of farmers, he joined the Indian Railways as a draughtsman after his formal education – a profession that he abided by for almost six years before stepping into the realm of art. A multifaceted persona, Nambiar is a painter, sculptor, photographer, enamellist and researcher who has extended his expertise across several mediums such as clay, wood, bronze, mild steel, glass fibre reinforced concrete, jewellery enamel,stainless steel and photography.

His works are an amalgamation of his creative streak rendering connects of the man and nature relationship with proficient technological gluing, incorporating various media. He has extensively researched on Teyyam and several other ritual art forms and has documented and published academic papers and comparative studies on the same.

Unlike several Indian artists from his cohort who have been oblivious to incorporating technology, Nambiar has exhaustively employed its avail in amplifying and archiving his artefacts.

For Nambiar, art is a retrospective projection

of several imageries from his childhood he spent in the countryside of Kerala. Imbibing the distilled essence of abstraction with the authenticity of primordial iconographies,to bridge the glaring gap between eras and the variants of art across periods to create an aesthetically appealing result, has been his intent.Nambiar has been an observant and a diligent student of the world around – be it art or any other aspect of life, and has incorporated subtle nuances from them into his works. With most of his artefacts placed in open spaces and exposed environs, they go beyond their metallic or boulder facades and interpret the present in a traditional way in accordance with the urban setting.

Often Nambiar’s art, which is seemingly austere in its composition, renders a cosmos of subtexts, both symbolically and literally. It could be construed that there are subtle references of the concept of Aham Brahmasmi, wherein a galaxy of inferences are coagulated within oneself and the echoes of the reverberations are exuding from the work itself. Nambiar’s works – the Kannadi Bhimbam and the Rice Plant render a deeper intent of being objects triggering a retrospection in the onlooker.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

19

Q. DO YOU IDENTIFY YOUR PERSONA WITH ANY OF YOUR ARTEFACTS? I identify myself with the Cactus; I consider it a symbolic representation of my Autobiography. The Cacti asserts its right to thrive with dignity even in the most adverse environments. Likewise, I yield the best results in the worst chaos. *There are several versions of the Cactus in varying sizes at Nambiar’s residence.

A member of various advisory committees, Nambiar’s personal and commissioned works have found their way to exhibitions, museums and personal collections across the expanse of the globe. Nambiar is the only Indian sculptor, who has conducted a solo exhibition of stainless steel sculptures and enamel paintings on silver and copper. An extensive traveler, he has over 35 exhibitions to his credit and offers free painting lessons to children on weekends at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bangalore.

Nambiarworks out of his home and studio in Bangalore – a serene abode, aesthetically enhanced with the artist’s own creations. Amidst supervising the welding works of a stainless steel gate he plans to gift Chandralekha of Spaces in Chennai, Nambiarelucidates details of his artistic voyage, his ideologies and doctrines.

Q. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR INSPIRATION? Nature has been my inspiration! I hail from a farmers’ family and have always been in constant bonding and correlation with the earth.

Agriculture, especially paddy and the rearing of crops – its sowing, germination and harvest has instilled profound imageries of creativity and life in me. They have served as symbols of inspiration and laid foundation to several of my works.

Nature is my Muse, who provides an elixir of creativity, albeit my art thrives on symbolism and not representation.

20 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Q. TELL US ABOUT YOUR FORMAL ADVENT INTO THE SPACE OF ART. I was inclined towards drawing and painting as a child. If I had not become an artist, I would have become a Mathematician. (chuckles) I lost my father when I was two and was raised by my uncles, who were very benevolent and supportive of my interests. I had exhibited my works at the Mysore Dussehra Exhibition and won prizes. My works and my name were printed on the exhibition catalogue and the renowned artist, KCS Paniker, then the Principal of the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai, noticed them.

Eventually, when I was introduced to him, he asked me to show him my works. Later, I visited Paniker with a few of my works including line drawings and watercolors. He was very impressed with my work and in fact chided me for wasting my time with the Railways. I would say Paniker was the cause I took the bold decision to quit my conventional job and become an artist. Paniker persuaded me to pursue a formal art training from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras.

Q. ARE YOU INFLUENCED BY THE MADRAS MOVEMENT, WHICH WAS PROPAGATED BY PANIKER? Not really. Though I have been in Madras (Chennai) during the time of the Madras Movement, I have not imbibed their genre except for the line drawing technique. I ZRXOG VD\ , DP QRW LQžXHQFHG E\ any artist or movement. But, I have deep admiration for the works by KanayiKunjiraman, the renowned sculptor.

Q. A MALAYALI ARTIST, TUTORED IN THE ART IN CHENNAI - WHY DID YOU MIGRATE TO BANGALORE? I migrated to Bangalore in 1971.

During my student days in Chennai, , KDG D IHZ LQQHU FRQžLFWV UHODWLQJ WR ideologies with KCS Paniker. I needed to breathe and hence a change was essential. During that period, RumaleChannabasavaiah and I were the only freelance visual artists in Bangalore. Most of the other artists were occupied with institutions and organizations. Kerala was not an option.I have immense ardor and DI½QLW\ IRU .HUDOD EXW , UHDOL]HG WKDW a serious artist like me couldn’t žRXULVK LQ WKH VWDWH $V DQ DUWLVW ZKR handled several mediums, I found the art scenario and artists in Kerala too cloistered and skeptical.

Q. AN ARTIST WHO HAS MASTERED SEVERAL MEDIUMS, WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE? I have been comfortable across mediums and have found no trouble traversing across them. Each medium has its own scope, docility and possibility – it’s up to the artists to delve into the depths and discover their optimum outcome. A sculpture is discovered from a stone, rather, every stone veils a sculpture within, which has to be unraveled by the chisel of a sculptor. Wherein, clay is a more malleable medium; it leaves more space for exploration and one can defy the logics of symmetry. I do not work to appease the layman, rather, I want the layman to escalate WR P\ OHYHO DQG DFTXLUH D SUR½FLHQF\ in deciphering the niche details. The onlooker is often looked down upon, assuming that they appreciate and comprehend only mediocrity – this is a wrong notion. It is the dearth of quality art that has diminished theiraptitude to applaud for eminent works.

Q. HAS YOUR KERALITE ORIGIN BEEN AN INFLUENCE IN YOUR WORK? Well, I have infused profound LQžXHQFHV IURP P\ 0DOD\DOL URRWV LQ several of my works. My sculptures – KannadiBhimbam (the sacred mirror), Bhagavathi (Goddess), the

Conch and the Rice Plant are examples of this. They are strong icons of the Malayali culture, tradition and religious beliefs. The KannadiBhimbam is a sacred mirror used as an alternative to the deity’s idol in many temples and shrines in Kerala. The motherform of the Goddess is an extensively revered form of divinity throughout the length and breadth of India. While the kernel form of the Goddess is one, she is exalted by various names from region to region. While she is Durga in Bengal, she is Kali in north India and Bhagavathi in Kerala. The ValampiriShanku or the clockwise spiral conch is considered a sacred paraphernalia of worship in India.

One picturizes the lush green paddy ½HOGV DW WKH PHQWLRQ RI .HUDOD DQG hence theRice Plant which provides the means of survival and employment for a considerable percentage of the economy.

Q. HOW DOES A SCULPTURE TAKE BIRTH IN YOUR MIND AND FINALLY ATTAIN ITS PHYSICAL FORM? Any form of art – be it a painting or a drawing, commences as either a dot or a stroke. The artist then inculcates his/ her expertise and experience to further foster the work. Similarly, with PH , ½UVW HQYLVLRQ WKH ½QDO IRUP RI the sculpture and then make several 2D sketches on paper. In the next step, technology in the form of AutoCad and laser is incorporated to derive a hypothetical structure and form to the sculpture. This is then crafted out in the desired metal or other medium as per the dimensions and ratios.

Having seen it extensively in the religious Poojas and temples, and due to its intricate pattern, I had a deep fascination for the clockwise spiral conch. I sculpted a conch in cement in 1978 in Germany. Devoid of any scale and aid from technology, I ½JXUHG WKH GLPHQVLRQV XVLQJ D WKUHDG The Senior Executive from the R&D of Portland Cement Factory saw the conch and was spellbound by my work and the precision of the Golden Ratio, ie, 1:1.618.I was thrilled by this and began to research further on it. Various principles of Mathematics played important roles in my creative works.

Q. UNLIKE MANY CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS/ SCULPTORS, YOUR WORKS EXUDE SIMPLICITY. IS THIS DELIBERATE? I strive to deliver a symbolic connection LQ P\ ZRUNV DQG KHQFH FRQ½QH WR limited details and try to express in volumes. Less is more! If I go by a writer’s choice of words, I would say that my works are well edited. Bereft of frivolous projections and extensions, they remain true and minimal. This is a conscious attempt to allot plenty of imagination to the onlooker.

Kathakali and Koodiyattam in relation to my academic research. I did not own a camera at that point and hence textual documentation and sketching were the only means to record the rituals. Later, while narrating my experience to M Govindan and G Sankara Pillai, they suggested that I document them and I did. I have photodocumented several ritual art-forms, published hundreds of them and had in fact exhibited quite a few of them in the retrospective exhibition that was held at NGMA, Bangalore recently.

Q. ABOUT YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH PAULO DE POLI, YOUR FATHER-INLAW AND ENAMEL PAINTING? Paulo De Poli is considered as one of the doyens of Italian enamel art.

When I expressed my interest in the art, he was supportive and extended his expertise. The practice of enamel painting has been in India since the Mughal era, though it was majorly FRQ½QHG WR MHZHOOHU\ PDNLQJ DQG decorating hookah handles and curio boxes. They employed Persian craftsmen to indulge in the art and since the past 100 odd years, it has been a skill rationed to goldsmiths exclusively. A revival in enamel art occurred post-independence but in small sizes and within a limited range of colors. I would be probably the only Indian enamellist to use over 400 shades in the art.

Enamel is almost clear glass, prepared by melting silicon sand with various carbonates and cilica. The molten compound is mixed with required metallic oxides to impart colors to it. This when hardens, forms a cake form, which is poundto a powder. This powdered mixture is applied on the metal and heated in a furnace until the color embarks onto the metal surface.

This process usually occurs at 950 degree Celsius but can vary depending on the dye present in the oxide.

Considering the rarity of the shade, some pieces in enamel jewellery can be costlier than its equal weight in silver, making it a collector’s item.

Q. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE ART SCENARIO AND THE ARTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY? India is a culturally opulent country ZLWK GLYHUVL½HG ODQHV LQ H[SUHVVLRQLVP Unlike Europe where art and craft aredemarcated, Indian artists tend to treat them with equal respect. The murals are considered as one of the nascent stages of art in India but they DUH PHUHO\ DQ H[WHQVLRQ WR WKH GH½QHG form of subjects around us. Indian art emphasizes on line drawings and KDYH UHPDLQHG FRQ½QHG ZLWKLQ FHUWDLQ unsaid frameworks. Contemporary Indian art has imbibed elements IURP WKH :HVWHUQ LQžXHQFH EXW KDV refrained their point of focus to Indian iconography and ethos. There exists a trepidation in experimenting with the unknown territory and this has curtailed the reach and growth of Indian art and artists. )RU DQ DUWLVWLFDOO\ DIžXHQW FRXQWU\

Q. TELL US ABOUT YOUR VENTURE INTO PHOTOGRAPHY? In the early days, I used to visit Kerala to witness performances of Teyyam,

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

21

,QGLD GRHVQµW KDYH D EH½WWLQJ $UWV 0DQDJHPHQW system. There is not a single suitably formulated Arts Management course in India. It is a sad state of affairs that artists are largely neglected by the government and is not entitled to any funding or support. While WKHUH DUH WKUHH FHUWL½HG XQLYHUVLWLHV IRU GDQFH DQG music – Annamalai University, Mysore University and Tirupati University in south India, there hasbeen no IDFXOW\ IRU ½QH DUWV RU SDLQWLQJ XQWLO WKH SDVW \HDUV The only institute that started offering a course in Painting and Art History is the Stella Maris College in Chennai. Artists are disregarded in India by the decision makers – politicians and bureaucrats, who have had no H[SRVXUH WR UH½QHG DUW LQ WKHLU IRUPDWLYH \HDUV $OPRVW all the cultural institutions and Museums are run by or aided by the governments and are managed by untrained staff.

Similar is the state of art critics in India. There is no ½W FULWLF ZKR FDQ UHYLHZ DQG DQQRWDWH WKH DUW LQ ,QGLD 7KRXJK WKHUH PD\ EH IHZ WKH\ DUH FRQ½QHG WR D particular geographical region or to a segmented style or school of study and are incompetent in comparing and scrutinizing the art on a global level. The sampling size is meagre and critiquing a set of limited works in the equivalent genre is a breeze and ultimately does no good to the art or the artist. In fact, such critics are akin to frogs in the well who breed mediocrity in the artistic realm. One has to be an extensive traveler and must have had exposure to the international domain of art to EHFRPH DQ HI½FLHQW DUW FULWLF 0DQ\ VR FDOOHG DUW FULWLFV today are merely art reporters. Exceptions are few.

Q. THE KOCHI MUZIRIS BIENNALE IS ONE OF THE LATEST REVOLUTIONS IN CONTEMPORARY ART IN INDIA. WITH MANY SENIOR ARTISTS AGAINST THE BIENNALE, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON IT? I have been a strong supporter of the Kochi Muziris Biennale from the very beginning. They are doing exemplary work and have opened up new vistas for the artists. Malayali artists are very sentimental about their ZRUN DQG DUH QRW RSHQ WR FKDQJHV 7KH\ DUH ½[DWHG upon rudimentary ideologies and stagnant. Many renowned artists from Kerala have moved out of the state and made a national or global presence.

Q. WHAT IS YOUR WORD OF ADVICE TO BUDDING ARTISTS? Work hard! And, avoid premature publicity. There are artists who did just few works but were recognized while there were others who had to do numerous works before they were recognized. Often a veteran artist and an amateur is promoted and exalted by the media in the same measure, which is inequitable. %HVWRZLQJ VXSHU¾XRXV SXEOLFLW\ LQ WKH QDVFHQW VWDJHV curb the growth and the will to strive for better. Hence, publicity should wait until something remarkable has been achieved. Among writers, there are some who have published only one book by which they are UHPHPEHUHG EXW LQ WKH ½HOG RI DUW QRERG\ KDV PDGH name and fame by doing a couple of works, they do hundreds and thousands of works in their lifetime.

22 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

23

CREATE

TO HIT THE RIGHT

NOTE JEFFREY JONATHAN “For Every stage is a new experience�

Sunanda Sugendran & Cheryl Malar

á€&#x; Š¥“­ŠဠŠšÂ? á€&#x; “Â?ÂŁÂ¤Â“ÂŒÂ–á€ ÂŁÂœÂšÂ‘ÂŁ Ĺ ÂœÂ˜ ’“£ ÂŠÂ—Â‹ÂŚÂ˜

Â—ÂŠÂŁÂŁÂ˜ÂŠÂ¤ÂŽÂŁ ‘Š¥›Ž¥ŽÂ? ÂœÂ¨ÂŽÂĄ Š ˜“——“œš ¨“Žª£ ŠšÂ? £Ž¤ Š šŽª ¤¢ŽšÂ? “š Š˜“— “šÂ?“Ž ŠŠ¤Ž¥›“¤Žန ŽŢŽ­ œšŠ¤’Šš Š £Ž—Â?ဖ¤ŠŒ‘’¤ “šÂ?ÂŽÂ?ŽšÂ?Žš¤ Â˜ÂŚÂŁÂ“ÂŒÂ“ÂŠÂš ÂŞÂ’Âœ ÂŒÂĄÂŽÂŠÂ¤ÂŽÂ? Œš“Â&#x;ŒŽšŽ££ Â?ÂœÂĄ Â’Â“Â˜ÂŁÂŽÂ—Â? Â¤Â’ÂĄÂœÂŚÂ‘Â’ ’“£ Â˜ÂŚÂŁÂ“ÂŒ ÂŠÂ—Â‹ÂŚÂ˜ á€&#x; Â—ÂŠÂŁÂŁÂ˜ÂŠÂ¤ÂŽÂŁá€ ÂŞÂ“Â¤Â’ “¤£ ¥ŽŠŽ£’“š‘ £¤Ž—Ž ŠšÂ? ‘Žš¥Ž ¤œœ– Š˜“— šÂ?“Ž Â˜ÂŚÂŁÂ“ÂŒ ¤œ ¤’Ž šŽ¼ —Ž¨Ž—န Jeffrey, a Computer Science Engineering graduate, chose a career out of his comfort zone and dared to choose his passion for music.

He kicked off his career as a music director LQ D 0DOD\DODP ½OP ´.DUPD\RGKD¾ VWDUULQJ 0RKDQODO WKH ½OP PDUNV D YHU\ LPSRUWDQW phase in his career as an independent musician.

A ‘workaholic’ for making his dream come true and the challenges are just another stepping stone in his journey. It requires a great amount of hard work and effort to rise from the ground up to great heights, to take a path that no one has ventured, symbolizes a unique potential that has led to the launching of a record label, to quote in his own words, “hard work will always pay off.�

24 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

25

99 Record Label a brainchild of Jeffrey Jonathan along with the backing of Dr. Deeraj Reddy a Cardiac Surgeon and Mr. Vinay, a businessman who enthused about the idea of backing up independent artists, is all set to hit the music industry with a bang shortly. Following the success and appreciations for his music collections, his music became the epitome of a magnanimous beginning of a record label.

The label aims at providing a forum for innumerable independent artists to create recognition and to venture into music ½HOGV

26 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

The launch of 99 Record Label will be a boon for aspiring musicians across the country to carve their niche in an industry with its grand lineage of maestros. This new start holds immense promises toward young talents, echoing a famous saying “What a little lamp can do, the great sun cannot, it can shine in the night.” Like the little lamp, Jeffrey’s effort to take this initiative is a light which will make a difference in the lives of talented musicians seeking such opportunities to explore their talents and learn in the process of this journey.

Right from childhood, his deep love for music kindled KLV FRQ½GHQFH WR HTXLS KLP with the skills that every musician requires- music in every vein and a desire to learn every moment because for him, “Every stage is a new experience.” Jeffrey takes us on his musical journey in a casual tête-à-tête.

Q. You are an engineering graduate how did your foray into music happen?

My interest in music started from my childhood.

Engineering was my parents’ dream, which I wanted to IXOO½O DQG , GLG LW EXW P\ SDVVLRQ DOZD\V KDG D VSDUN LQ P\ mind and that was something related to music.

Q. It needs something very special to start working from the ground and build your career, what were the challenges you faced coming from a non-musical background?

Well, the passion towards music from childhood made it special for me to build my career. It was indeed very challenging for I did not start my career with any musical background but my interest to learn techniques to build my career was immense, and the best platform for me to learn music software was YouTube ‘cause am a quick visual learner.

Q. You started your music career as a music director for D 0DOD\DODP ½OP DQG IURP WKHUH \RX FRPSOHWHO\ VKLIWHG your focus to independent music, what was the reason behind the shift?

0\ ½UVW VWHS LQWR PHGLD ZDV WKURXJK D 0DOD\DODP ½OP ´.DUPD\RGKD¾ VWDUULQJ 0RKDQODO VLU ,W ZDV D JRRG experience doing the background score for the movie but during that time I developed a strong feeling in my heart that I was born to stand out of the usual things. I learned about my interest in independent music and from then I started working hard towards it.

Q. Tell us about your upcoming venture 99 Record Label There are a few record labels to promote an indie song, but our new venture 99 Record Label will stand out compared to the rest. We are implementing certain ideas which will EHQH½W WKH DUWLVW DQG WKH FRPSDQ\ :KHQ , ZDV VWUXJJOLQJ to make this record label a proper corporate platform I had kind hearts to help me with my passion Dr. Deeraj Reddy a Cardiac surgeon who was enthused about this idea of supporting independent artists and Mr. Vinay who is into business. Both were moved by the ideas of the company and the songs and were willing to join hands as partners.

The interest showed by them will surely bring a great impact to 99 Record Label.

Q. What does 99 Record Label hold for the new talents?

As I was telling about the new ideas we are executing LQ WKH ½UP WKLV ZLOO EH D KXJH SODWIRUP IRU QHZ WDOHQWV There is no record label that will produce and promote new talents. Hence, we have implemented this in our 99 Record Label, we will identify new talents, produce and promote to showcase their work in the near future.

Q. What are the factors that concern you before your music launch and what are the ideals that you follow?

Promotion is one major factor that I look into before the music launch. As good as the quality of the music I’m concerned about, to that extent I will concentrate on the promotional work to reach people. I always follow the step of starting the promotional work during the editing of the song. So, the music and the promotion will be ready for the launch.

Q. What will be your most valued experience?

I’m a workaholic person. And if I take up something, I put my entire effort and strength to make it happen. The workload of doing everything on my own as an independent musician is something I enjoy doing, which makes me dream bigger and work harder.

9DUL\D P\ ½UVW LQGHSHQGHQW žLFN ZDV WKH PRVW YDOXHG experience when I look back. I started the work for Variya without even knowing what to do. But I observed every little detailing that was happening, which later helped me to implement it from the next song I was directing. Every stage my interest grows towards exploring new things.

I’ve recently started exploring in cinematography together with direction and I will keep growing my interest, for every stage is a new experience.

Q. Above all, monetary support is one of a major concern when it comes to independent initiatives, which can be seen as an obstacle for talented musicians? What is your take on it?

Independent music had just started growing in the Tamil language, initially, it was quite a challenge when it comes to money in terms of production, promotion, and turnover etc. But now I can see the growth of an independent music sector. There are platforms coming forward to collaborate and work with independent musicians taking care of the production and promotion. And media has rapidly grown in promoting independent musicians which in turn brings a good revenue. In the beginning, it will be a great challenge for any artist but in the end, hard work will always pay off.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

27

Q. What is your advice to aspiring talents waiting to pursue music as their career?

Yes, I would like to tell the youngsters who are aspiring WR HQWHU LQWR WKH ½HOG RI PXVLF WKDW WKLV ½HOG LV TXLWH challenging but hard work will not go in vain. There DUH YDULRXV VHFWRUV LQ WKH PXVLF ½HOG DQG WKH FDUHHU growth is high. And I would ask them to love what they do and to create from their heart and soul because music is life to 99% of humans. It relieves them from stress, builds happiness in them which in turn has an impact in healing many sicknesses as proven.

Q. Apart from music what are your other interests?

Apart from music, I love traveling, exploring new cultures and food. At times, I travel alone and meet new people. I get to know their interest in music and their life story. It helps me to use certain stories to FUHDWH D VSHFL½F PXVLF YLGHR EDVHG RQ WKH VWRU\ Q. What is your kind of music?

Well, I love to listen to all the genres and explore WKHP %XW P\ VSHFL½F NLQG RI PXVLF WKDW , OLVWHQ WR depends on the place that I am. When I’m on the beach I listen to Bossa nova which boosts my energy and brings positive vibes in me. So, it purely depends on the place.

28 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Q. What was the best criticism you have received so far?

Criticism is a part and parcel of everyone’s lives. The best criticism, I would recall people telling me not to direct music videos because I never had knowledge on it, but I proved them wrong when I directed my ½UVW YLGHR IRU , EHOLHYHG LQ OHDUQLQJ DQG H[SORULQJ WKDQ constraining.

Q. Film music or Independent music what would be your pick?

My pick will obviously be independent music because that is my sole interest. But that doesn’t mean I DP DJDLQVW ½OP PXVLF ,W¾V MXVW WKDW WKH LQWHUHVW LQ something which differs from person to person.

Q. Upcoming Projects?

Initially, I’m planning to release a set of single videos composed by me, and later on, we will bring in new talents to showcase their work.

Q. Dream collaboration?

My dream is to collaborate with the various artists in various languages and reach international artist EHFDXVH PXVLF KDV QR VSHFL½F ODQJXDJH

BREW LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2018

39

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

29

COVER STORY

rO F aG R IjT , iGRnACEi K& GaRATITUDE nth Nanditha Vijayaraghavan

¦¤ ¦ ¡ ¡ £ ¤¢ ¦ ¤ န ¨ ª န န ¤ န န £ ª ¤ ¡ ­ £ ¨ £ ¤ ထ Ŵ ¦¡¥ ª £ £ ª ¤ £ ထ ¢ ­ ¡ထ £¤ ¦¡န ¨ ¡® Ŵ ª ¤ £ ¡ ဖª ¡ £ ¡ ¤ ­ ¤ £ ¦ ဖ £ ª ­ ¡ ¤£ထ ¡ ¦ ¦£ ¡ £ ¤ ¬¥¢ ¡ ¡® £¦ ££ထ ¦ £¤ ¦ ¡ဖ £¤ £ ထ ¡ ¦¤ ¤ ¡ ¡ ¤®ထ ¡ ¦ ¤ ª ¤ £ ¡ ¤§ ¤®ထ ¨ ထ £ ¡® ¦ ¤®န

30 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

31

As recent as October 2017 at the extravagant Dubai Audio Launch of his most anticipated movie 2.0, Rajini was asked by the media personnel, the true reason behind his simple lifestyle in real life to which the Superstar replied, “Nobody pays me to act in my real life, so I’m simple.” This received loud cheers from the entire media group and was applauded by everyone present at the function. The media hype surrounding the actor is every bit as phenomenal and alluring as the man himself. Yet much of it dances around the obvious: what is the great secret of his inexplicable allure? On the cover of Rajinikanth’s sole biography, ‘The Name is Rajinikanth’, is a giant mugshot of the actor sporting a blonde wig and a pair of bright enormous sunglasses. Writers offer various theories—or debunk the same—to explain the mystery.

Meanwhile, the Rajini juggernaut rolls along, impervious, unstoppable, and, as ever, inscrutable.

5DMLQLNDQWK LV WKH ULJKW PDQ LQ WKH ULJKW SODFH DW WKH ULJKW WLPH±DQG KLV HQWLUH FDUHHU ZLOO EH GH½QHG E\ that moment of serendipity. Over the years, realms of print and much airtime have been devoted to deeply analysing everything that has made the man that he is today. We human beings are naturally disposed to worship Gods and heroes, to build our pantheons and valhallas. Our most beloved celluloid heroes are ordinary men with extraordinary qualities; they possess the rare ability to be at once familiar and exceptional, and always authentic. “Rajinikanth always plays roles of ordinary people who discover there is something extraordinary about them. There’s a rooted commitment to ordinary life in all his movies,” says cultural anthropologist Anand Pandian. Or as sociologist Shiv Visvanathan puts it, “The miracle of Rajinikanth is that he’s the guy next door who could be the god next door.”

32 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

33

For years to come, Rajini will continue to rule millions of hearts, domestically and internationally, not so much for the celebrity he is but for the simple man behind the public mask of a legendary actor. The Superstar stands tall for qualities that his contemporaries, superiors and fans respect and value - Truth, Honesty & Austerity, all of which make for a powerful blend of that near-perfect image of actor-celebrityhuman being ingrained in our minds.

“In an autobiography, I’ll have to write the truth, I shouldn’t hide anything. If I don’t present events as they happened, truthfully, it’s not an autobiography at all. I have read Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography and if I can muster up the kind of courage that he had, I will write one.”

Rajinikanth in response to mentor K. Balachander’s question during an on-stage Q&A session in Chennai, 23 October 2010.

34 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE

JANUARY 2018

45

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

35

The lullabies of a king Celebrating Ilayaraja and the emotions that his music evokes Roshan Siddharth

36 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

It was a warm Sunday afternoon. I was 14. Sunday afternoons meant a movie DIWHU OXQFK 7KLV 6XQGD\ WKH ½OP ZDV Moondram Pirai. It is a tragic story and had my parents burst to tears on a warm Sunday afternoon. And I never understood why my parents loved the movie. Until I heard a soothing and heart wrenching piece of music from this tragedy called ‘Kanne Kalaimaane,’ And thus began my tryst with the music of Raja sir.

It took me a long while to understand the true emotions of the song. At earshot this song was just a lovely piece of music.

And before I could understand it, I was already dancing, humming and moving my head to Raja’s tunes. To think that I despised the music and termed it old in

my immature days is embarrassing. %XW KHUH , DP ZLWK D VSHFL½F OLVW RI his songs that I’d like to hear from his oeuvre to every situation and mood I go through.

You see the thing with Ilayaraja’s music is that there is a beautiful lullaby-like undertone in either the vocals or in the musical arrangement. Its like that subtle breeze that hits your face at a hill top or by the sea. In fact its so subtle that some songs seem to be made to calm your senses to a sense of zen. Ask anyone what their Raja sir favourites are and they would give you a list that would encompass this mood or undertone. Or just look at trending hashtags when it rains in Chennai and #rajasir would be one for sure.

Yes, he also has a good number of hits that were super peppy and dance worthy.

Ooru vittu from Karagattakaran, Annathai Aadurar from Apoorva Sagotharargal or even Pottu Vaitha from Singaravelan all have a good amount of zing that we tap our feet to. But would that be what comes to your mind when you think Raja? I don’t think so. You’d mostly think of his lovely melodious lullabies that you’d tune into to do something you want to enjoy from the heart.

Here is proof. If you want to sing a romantic adage to a loved one you’d either think “En iniya pon nilave”or “Raja Raja Chozhan”. Or say a long drive on ECR after hours would have you play “Senthazham poovil” or “Valayosai” depending on who is sitting pillion. For your sombre and sullen days you have “Thenpandi cheemaiyile” or “Chinna thaayaval” to wash your worry away. Hit the snooze button with “Raasathi unna” or “Kanne kalaimaane”. And if you just want to hear his music for his music alone you have the evergreen dance set from Punnagai mannan.

This is the magic the maestro has created across 3 generations of people. My peers DQG D½FLRQDGRV RI 5DMD VLU MXVW VLQJ RU KXP WKH VRQJ %XW WKH JHQHUDWLRQ WKDW OLYHG in the hey days of his music can even mimic the interludes of the song by heart, even if they hear it from the middle. Every radio and TV channel has dedicated shows to air his music. And its not possible to have done this magic with music catered to the masses. The music has to hit the right notes in a person’s heart to have this effect.

And what better way to do it other than to infuse a little lullaby like melody into a song for every mood.

£ ¡ ­£ ¦ ­န ¤ ¡ထ ¦¡ ¡ ¤ န ¡ £¦¡¢ ¦ ­ ¤ ª ¡ ¡¥ £ ¨ £န ¦¡ ¨ ထ Š £ £ထ ¡ ¨ £ထ £ ££ထ ££ ¨ ¡ ­ ­ ª ¤ ထ ª ¨ ¦£ £ ¡ ­ န £ ¤ ¤ £ £ ¦ £န ¦¡ ¡¥ ¤¢§ ­ ª£ ª ¤ £ £ ¡ £ ¦£ ª ¤ £ ¦£ ¦£¤ ဣ ¡ ¨ ¦ ¨ £¦ ¦ ¨ ထ £¦ ဤန ­ ¡¥ ­ထ £ ¡န

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

37

LIVE

38 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Vincent Tibau

BELGIUM WITH A TWIST Sheeba Grace

ဣ £ ဠ¤ ¦£¤ ¡ ¤ ထ ¤ ­ ¡ ¤ ¬ ¡ £နဤ ¡ ဠ£ ¡ £ ª ¤ ¤ ¦¤ ¨ ¡ န ¦£ ထ £ ¤£ ª ª ­ ¤¢ £ ¡¥ ¤ ¤ ¡ ª ¡ ¤ ¤ ¡န ¨ ª ¤¢ ¨ ထ ª ¤£ ¤ ¦£¤ ¨ £ ¤ ¤ ¦ ¦ £ ¦¤ £ ¤¢® ¤ ¦¤ ¤ ¡¥ ¤ ¤ ¤ ­ ¨ ¤¢ ¨ ¤ န ­£ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¤ ¬ ¡ £ ¤ ¡£ ¡ ¤ ¤ £ ¦¤ § ¬ ¡ £ £ ¤ ဘ ¦ ª ª ¤ ­ £ ­ထ ဣ ¤ £ ££ ¤® ¦¤ £ ¡¥လဤ ¤§¡ ¤ ¦ထ ¤ ¡ ¤ ª ¡ ¤ £ ¡¥ ¤ ¡ ¦ £ န ¦ £ £ ¤ ¡ ¨ ¤ ¤ ¡ £¤ ¡ ¦ န ¦ ထ ª £ ¨ ¡® ª ª ¡ ¤£ ¡£ထ ¦ £ ¤ £ ¤ ¤ £ ¡¥ ¤ ¢ ¤ £¤ ¦ ဠ£ £န £ ¡ £ ¤ ¨ ¤ ဟ ¦ ¦ £ ထဠ ª ¤ £ ¡£ ¢ ¤ ¤ ¯ ¡£န ¨ ¤ ª £ ¤ ¡ £¦ ¤ §£ ¤« ဠ£ ¦ ဠ£ ¦ £ £န Ţ ထ ¡¥ ¡ ¡ ¦ Ŵ £ထ ¦££ £ ¤ ¡ထ ¤ £ ¡ §£ ¡ ¡£ ­ ª ¡ £ ¤ £ £ ¤ ¤ ¢ ¤ ¤ £ ¤ § £¤£န ¤ £ ¤ ¡ ¦¤ £ ¡ ¤ ¨ £ ¤ ¤ £ £ ¡ £ £ ££ ¤ ª ¡ £ န

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

39

40 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Q.TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY… HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR INTEREST IN FOOD AND COOKING? HOW DID YOUR CULINARY DREAM COME TO SHAPE? After my professional schooling I worked in different Michelin Star Restaurants and with this experience I founded my own company Absolutely Food, in which I do cooking courses, publish cookery books and offer innovative recipes.

Apart from this, I am also the private chef of Alexander De Croo, the Belgian Vice Prime Minister of Development Cooperation, Digital Agenda, Telecom and Postal Services.

Q.WHAT SETS APART BELGIAN CUISINE FROM OTHER CUISINES? Belgium cuisine is seasonal and we have four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Consequently, our ingredients change accordingly. In winter Brussels sprouts are preferred whereas in summer we enjoy dishes including red fruits, like strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Still, the uniqueness of the Belgian cuisine lies in the variation of the products and the knowledge of our Belgian chefs.

Q.WHAT IS THAT ONE CUISINE OR DISH THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE? I like eating according to the seasons which means I have several favorite dishes, for instance, in spring I really like asparagus Flemish style. Still, it is perfectly possible to combine it with beer and prepare asparagus in another way: mousseline with white beer, asparagus and North Sea shrimps. Simply delicious!

Q.HAVE YOU MADE ANY TRAVELS IN SEARCH OF ETHNIC CUISINES? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN AND WHAT DID YOU FIND THAT YOU CAN NEVER FORGET? %HLQJ H[WUHPHO\ EXV\ LQ P\ FDUHHU LW LV VRPHWLPHV GLI½FXOW to travel a lot, but fortunately for me, in Belgium, we have many ethnic restaurants where we can discover authentic ¾DYRUV RI GLIIHUHQW FRXQWULHV VXFK DV -DSDQ 7KDLODQG India and closer to home typical cuisines of Italy, Spain and Greece. So, in fact, I do not necessarily have travel too far to enjoy new tastes, or in other words, I travel abroad at home! But in all fairness I have to say that the Belgian Consul Mark Van de Vreken presented me with a great opportunity to travel to the wonderful continent of India, allowing me to explore new tastes…

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

41

42 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Q.TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE COOKING FOR THE ROYALS… 'XULQJ P\ ½UVW YLVLW WR &KHQQDL RUJDQL]HG E\ %HOJLDQ &RQVXO 0DUN 9DQ GH 9UHNHQ , GLGQµW KDYH WKH LPPHGLDWH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR FRRN IRU WKH UR\DO FRXSOH EXW , DP FRQ½GHQW WKDW , ZLOO GR VR LQ WKH IXWXUH , VKRXOG PHQWLRQ E\ WKH way that I once cooked for ‘US royalty,’ Hillary Clinton on her mission to the Nato in Brussels and she enjoyed WKH PHDO VR PXFK WKDW VKH VDLG VKH ZRXOG GH½QLWHO\ UHFRPPHQG LW WR WKH %HOJLDQ .LQJ DQG WKH 4XHHQ RQ KHU next visit to Belgium. So theoretically speaking one could say that I have cooked for the royals but sorry to say it ZDV QRW LQ &KHQQDL , NHHS P\ ½QJHUV FURVVHG DQG SUD\ WKDW RQH GD\ , ZLOO EH DEOH WR FRRN IRU WKHP LQ &KHQQDL Never say never!

Q.HOW IMPORTANT IS BEER TO THE CUISINE? In the last decade beer as an ingredient has become increasingly important. Before it was common in day to day cooking (Flemish stew with brown beer) but now it appears more and more in high- end cuisine. Chefs like me also use it in new ways by adding it to starters, main dishes as well as desserts.

Q.WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BELGIAN FOOD, WAFFLES AND CROQUETTES ARE THE MORE FAMILIAR ONES HERE. IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE MISSING OUT? In fact, there are too many Belgian ingredients/dishes to mention: speculoos, witloof (Belgian chicory), beer and many derivatives, such as Eau de bière, beer gellies and beer marinades among many others.

Q.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE HERE AND THE PEOPLE OF CHENNAI? Simply wonderful! To be honest, I have to admit that I had never heard of Chennai before. As a chef, I’d heard of the old name Madras, but it has been a completely novel experience. This was my second visit to Chennai and I think I can truly say I have fallen in love with this part of the world. It has so many assets! Thanks to the help of the Belgian Consul Mark Van de Vreken, my trips have been a challenging voyage of discovery for me, meeting lovely people, tasting new ingredients and being immersed in a culture that is totally different to my own. It is DQ DEVROXWH ZLQQHU DQG , FDQ UHFRPPHQG WR HYHU\RQH ZDQWLQJ D ½UVW DQG WUXH WDVWH RI ,QGLD Q.HOW DOES IT FEEL COOKING FOR THE VICE PRIME MINISTER? HOW DIFFERENT IS IT FROM WORKING IN A RESTAURANT? It is a very interesting job in which I have to be creative again and again, as the minister eats the most of the WLPHV LQ KLV RI½FH DQG KH ZLOO WDNH OXQFK ZLWK SHRSOH ZKR DUH UHJXODUO\ LQYLWHG , GR QRW ZDQW WR VHUYH WKH VDPH ingredients twice a week. Sometimes, however, I miss the atmosphere of a real restaurant, but via my company Absolutely Food I sometimes get very nice offers to take part in culinary projects such as ‘Belgium indulges Chennai’.

Q.WHEN IT COMES TO FRIES, THE FRENCH STYLE IS KNOWN ALL AROUND THE WORLD. HOW WOULD THAT BE DIFFERENT FROM BELGIAN FRIES? Fries have essentially become a national Belgian symbol.

Often mistaken as French in origin, the word ‘French’ became synonymous with ‘frites’ due to the fact that, in old English, ‘to French’ was ‘to cut lengthwise’, hence, the French fry. As a matter of fact, we Belgians don’t mind too much that the French try to prepare fries because only we know how to fry them and serve it with mayonnaise and a good Belgian beer.

Q.YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A CONTEMPORARY CHEF, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM CUISINES AROUND THE WORLD. ANY IMPACT THE LOCAL CUISINE HAS HAD ON YOU (INDIA)?

I really like to take my culinary ideas from all over the world. During this event, I bridged some preparations of P\ FRXQWU\ ZLWK W\SLFDO ¾DYRUV RI ,QGLD 3UHSDULQJ IRU LQVWDQFH %HOJLDQ PXVVHOV ZLWK ,QGLDQ FXUU\ SDVWH DQG Belgian beer was one of the most perfect combinations! Long live Chennai! Long live India! I will be back! (That is if the Consul and the people of Chennai will allow me!)

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

43

LIVE

HAVE YOU REALLY LIVED? Akila Sridhar

44 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Help out- Help others to help yourself.

passion, interest, good faith?

%H VHO½VK DQG JHW WKH PD[LPXP RXW RI this life. %H VHO½VK DQG JHW DOO WKH KDSSLQHVV IURP donating.

Mr. Sankar, Teacher, friend and guide Setting benchmarks on how to live and not to just ‘be’ In today’s world where we don’t seem WR ½QG WLPH WR FOHDQ RXU PHVV GR RXU ODXQGULHV ½OO RXU ERWWOHV DQG GR RXU homework- Mr. Sankar , 51 years of age KDV EHHQ ½QGLQJ WLPH RQ D GDLO\ EDVLV IRU the last 14 years to do his part to the land that gave him life.

Be a philanthropic human- Be a human.

Take baby steps to conquer the world.

Go out there and make yourself proudthat’s all that matters. ‘Mother KH\ ZK\ GRQÂľW \RX VWDUW ½OOLQJ your own bottle from today.

Daughter: Maa, I don’t have time for that.

I really need to get to work.

Mother: why don’t you try teaching your sibling lessons today, he isn’t able to cope.

Daughter: Maa, I’ll have to do late night at work and then I’ll like to rest in the time I got. Stop adding on my work ma!’ Excerpts probably from every other household trying to instil some amount of responsibility in the children along with trying to Horne them into a complete person. Not only do the present generation not help out at home but also are really dependent on the adults at home for the comfort and education.

Instead of making them self-reliant, we spoon feed them.

Have we ever taken time to ponder about those who don’t get the basic necessities except on donation days? Have we ever wanted to get our hands dirty and sort their lives out- entirely on account of

“The art is not to help them when we’re free, but to help them when they need it. “ In a time of life where donations are seen as methods to reduce tax or are seen a jewel to show off in society- there are still old souls who believe in evading publicity and still proving their worth. They manage WR KROG RQ WR WKHLU VRXOV LQ D ZRUOG ½OOHG with social evils and hurdles of distrust and doubt. We have an individual and a group of people who are driven with an idea of gradually bringing lights in the lives of those in search for it.

In a time where the town is doused with corporates and pressure for career development, a relentless man walking KLV VHOžHVV SDWK RI GHYHORSLQJ WKH 4XDOLW\ of the slums for a better tomorrow through education and mentoring the art of presentation calls, for a reason to applaud- to celebrate and to learn from.

He has been a regular visitor to the slum in SatyavaniMuthu nagar/ Gandhi nagar opposite to Central station since it was affected in Tsunami in 2004. Initially hostility was the way of life there and

gradual development is the only solution he foresaw. Patience and continuous efforts are the only way to implant seeds for a better tomorrow. Being a man who considers the great JRD Tata to be his role model and answers to the people’s ZRUWK RYHU WKHLU ½QDQFLDO EDFNJURXQG KH is a person to learn from.

He was brought up with the basic SULQFLSOH ° ´*LYH D PDQ D ½VK DQG \RX IHHG KLP IRU D GD\ WHDFK D PDQ WR ½VK DQG you feed him for a lifetime.’ And this he practices day in and day out.

He doesn’t consider volunteering a service whereas calls it his challenge where the ends justify the means. He has always been against the idea of DebtsFinancial or otherwise. He considers this as his chance to re-pay his debts to the society he lives in. He has brought in the idea of passing with merit for the families he interacts on a daily basis. Not a minute in the chat with him went by without him gushing about those kids and how receptive they are. He portrays them as being thirsty for knowledge and for an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Each one is given a unique quality- it takes one right chance to shine and make it big.

Working his day job for over three decades at Fertilizer industry and adamant on making a difference.His goals are simple- everyone must have access to education and those who have it, must share knowledge with those who don’t have it easy. Knowledge only grows when shared.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

45

What do you think fueled the existing problems in that slum?

Ignorance and inferiority complex has been the reason for them staying down instead of taking a step towards light. Like any other slum, they are driven with the idea of earning their daily bread butter and do not have the time or luxury to study. It’s not an art when you force-feed them and complain of non-receptiveness. We have to alter it to their convenience and teach them that education is the only way out of their miseries. Once you succeed in helping them taste success, the progress from there is guaranteed.

Unlike the romanticized version in the movies, nothing here happens overnight. But there is no denying the interest they have showcased over the years which is what helps me wake up in the morning and do what I’ve been doingteach. Challenge over the years has not been introducing them to the change but to maintain it. We have a new hurdle on a daily basis but to overcome them is life. We’ve been exposed to nothing but that.

46 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

What do you consider as a turning point in your journey? “ It took me three bad years to get to the parents about the importance of being a literate. I met with a lot of doubts and unimaginable hurdles along the way, only to result in P\ ½UVW VWXGHQW VFRULQJ WKURXJK WKH URRI DQ LQ KHU 10th boards. She put in the efforts and I merely guided her to light. This brought about the required change in that area. This paved way for the critical meeting with all the parents in that neighborhood who worded all their queries and worries. The change was gradual but loud. We could evidently see increase in the number of passouts and since then there has been no looking back. Then came the, volcanic eruption love and trust- gradual but with a promise for a better tomorrow. Today, I stand with my head held high when I say, over 100 of my kids have not only graduated but are professionals today. We have kids from here working as Engineers, nurses and one soon to be Doctor.â€?

What started this journey of yours? “I could not say this enough number of times but I started this in search for a change not temporary but a permanent one. The only way I could imagine it is through education.

One can never succeed in placing the right amount for or quantify the value of education. In 2004 when everyone around me was helping out as Tsunami had just struck- I wanted to help out too but not just stop once the normalcy is restored. I happened to be acquainted to a well-wisher in that area who gave me direction and offered me with space to start my journey. I asked them one question on my initial days there “Have you ever been to the Government hospital?� They laughed in unison and showed their bruises as their ‘Yes’. I then asked, “have you ever imagined your children working there and not going in as patients?�

They all froze. There I had my opening of minds and I saw eyes with dreams. I then knew, I was Exactly where I’m supposed to be and I shall see this to the end. After 14 years of ups and downs- we as a family of 3500 families are proud to say, we have a ward passing out as Doctor from a prestigious Chennai college in 2018.�

He might not be Gandhi, might not be mother Teresa or HYHQ DZDUGHG KRQRUDEOH WURSKLHV EXW KH¾V GH½QLWHO\ SURYHG to be an Indian. This he says gives his pride.

He retorts with “I’m content.�

His friends and family pitch in with, “We’ve never heard him complain or say otherwise. He considers it a divine touch of having been presented an opportunity to interact with these kids and have a passion for bringing a positive Change. He even calls it his obsession. �

But think about it friends, has anyone ever succeeded without having a drive or determination? Has any act of greatness ever been possible from the comforts of your couch without having to drop/shed a sweat?

He’s quipped with quick humor, modesty and wealth known as being humble. He has a treasure which’d never diminish on sharing but merely make him richer. He has a joy which none of us can steal and he adorns it proudly every day.

What would you like to emphasise on? ²0\ NLGV *LYH P\ NLGV D FKDQFH WR JURZ DQG VHH WKHP ž\ Money is no limitation to dream or grow. It never should be the scale to measure talent. Spread education to all and watch the country take its steps towards success that no one can measure. Start small, stop calling ‘lending a helping hand’ a service but start seeing it as your repayment to your land, your people and yourself.â€?

We have a person here in town who has taken up a responsibility by choice, altered his life and changed others’ around him. He has accommodated the essentials in his schedule and balanced his commitments- to help, to be VDWLV½HG DQG WR PDNH D GLIIHUHQFH $IWHU HYHU\WKLQJ LI \RX haven’t brought a smile on a child’s face- have you really lived?

How many of us take time to appreciate and acknowledge such individuals who shed their time and effort for the society if not for their wealth or stardom.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

47

FLY HIGHER INDIA Fly and spread your wings of joy Amongst kindred soulsfrom Satyavani Muthu Nagar and Mr. Sankar, we have an organization amounting to more just than a group of people. They are the extended family the lesser privileged kids have. They take the extra step we often don’t. We call it “service� and them- “way of life�. The very name is a reason to celebrate and hold our heads high.

Fly Higher India (FHI) was started in September 2017, when Mr. Vishal Mimani who loves children and has always been involved with social causes, got a calling to start an initiative himself to spread joy and involve more people in it. He has always been a source of encouragement for those around him. For him to start an organization which focuses on being a moral support for the kids was not much of a stretch or surprise to his near and dear ones.

This organization or rather upcoming family, welcomes such encouraged individuals with open arms and also provides the required nudge to the hesitant ones worried about managing their work- life balance.

The founder, beams with joy when he talks about his volunteers making it big in their personal lives as well- entrepreneurs, big four accountants, journalists and the list just keeps going on. This now sounds like a good start for a lot of victories coming their way.

We have dreamers at every corner, it just takes someone to spot it and celebrate it.

What made you choose this line? “I have always been fond of children and having been volunteering for various organisations for years so gradually through social media platforms I spread the mere

He moved from Kolkata to Bangalore in June 2017 and in no time thought of providing students and working professionals a platform to spread joy through fun and educational events organized for under privileged children. He is an MBA graduate and a full time consultant specializing LQ PHWDOV ZKR ½QGV GHOLJKW LQ PDNLQJ everyone’s Sundays meaningful.

The organization focuses on the lesser privileged orphanages and communities and KHOSV WKHP WDNH WKHLU ½UVW VWHS WRZDUGV D better tomorrow. They aim to bring joy to the NLGV WKURXJK IXQ ½OOHG DFWLYLWLHV DQG D GD\ ½OOHG ZLWK XSOLIWLQJ WKHLU VSLULWV 7KH\ SURYLGH career counselling, become Santas and make tiny artists at every street corner. They help in reiterating the fact that no student is lesser important and should never miss out on opportunities on account of monies in their bank accounts or the lack of it. They preach the idea of justice and not mere equality. They give the special care and the extra push when needed by the energized spirits. )O\ KLJKHU ,QGLD LV ž\LQJ KLJK QRW RQO\ LQ LWV standards but also by its actions.

Presently, FHI is in 7 cities and expanding in the immediate future. They’ve gradually started settling in every state of our mother land aiming at setting up camps at every city. Vision is to make a mark in the hearts of the many while also involving all the willing souls that they can. ‘No one can force you to donate or help- it should come from within.’ 48 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

I simply wanted them to realise they are no lesser than others of their age and they FDQ DOZD\V ½QG D ZD\ WRZDUGV VXFFHVV We simply help them in exploring a side of theirs, they wouldn’t on a normal day. The support from my friends and family made me take an extra step from being the one who used to adore the tiny humans from afar to the one who took up an initiative to join hands with many like-minded souls to make something out of the love we had for them. We decided to make them smile and open their minds using the simplest of techniques.�

How has your journey been so far? “Honestly, things are just falling into place.

I guess when you have a dream and are adamant on working towards it with a right attitude, anything is possible. I’ve been enjoying this journey of FHI. From strangers to acquaintances and now to family- we’ve grown in size and in compassion.

The passionate people whom I have met through FHI are increasing rapidly. They became the turning point for me- reminding me that I am right where I am supposed to be. They have been pushing me to greater heights and aide me every time I look for support.

Be it the brain storming sessions or the last minute material arrangements, the volunteers have always made it work. We are nothing without every single one of the volunteer striving to make the events a grand success.

idea of FHI and the response were over whelming.With the public support and positive responses I realised they are in need for a platform to express themselves and participate in such activities that gives meaning to the lives of the children.

Didn’t want to keep talking the talk but wanted to walk the walk.

There was a gap I noticed amongst the NGOs existing in today’s world. Even after several ever ready organisation existing for variety of purposes- they focus on money at the end of the day. They come inside one of the two buckets- Donation or teaching daily lessons for kids. They are critical aspects that needs people to step in for but I felt there was a greater need in those beady eyes that went unnoticed for far too long.

There weren’t any who wanted to spend time to laugh with them and talk to them or get to know them.

We didn’t structure it as a weekly or prescheduled camps which require full time commitment. We started by taking baby steps and in a way tackling the biggest draw-back of those working around the clock- Time. We wanted everyone to have a chance at participating and so we made it žH[LEOH 1R EDWFKHV QR FRPPLWWHG URXWLQHV and no missing out on fun. Best of both the worlds.â€? “I see this as a way to Give the kids FRQ½GHQFH DQG EH D EULGJH IRU WKHP WR VHH lifeâ€? – Miss Shivani Sridharan, Regional coordinator- South. “It is the child in us that keeps us alive and I have Fly higher India for reminding me of thatâ€?

-Mr. Aravindan Ramesh, Regional coordinator- South.

What message are you looking to convey?

Kids require our time- over other things we give them, we lose out on time and over time we forget to nurture the wet cement that they are. Our vision is pretty simple just like how we have planned other aspects of this organisation- to spread joy. We aim at becoming the most renowned private foundation in India which instills life skills in under privileged children and youth by using recreational and educational tools, making them employable and better prepared for adult life. Call us over-ambitious but we call ourselves the FHI’ans-family, teacher and friends for those in need. We hold our heads high in doing what we do and aim to vehemently instil those inspired to act on their passion and take a step towards success.

If you have abundant love to give then who cares about how much you have in your bank account?

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

49

LIVE

50 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Lakshmi Bold & Vivacious Sheeba Grace

£ ¡ ­ ¡ ¦ ဖ ¤ ¨ ¡ ¤ ­ ¡ထ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¡ £ ¤ ¡ ª ¡¥¢ ­£ ª Ń ¡ ¤ £ £ Ń ¡ ¤ ª £ ထ ¤ ¤¢ ¡ ¦Ŵ ¡ ¡ ၹၸ ¦¤ ¡ ¨ ¡ ­ ¦ ထ £ ¡ ­ ¡ ¦ £ ¤ န ¤ ¤ £ ထ ¡ ¤® ¡ ¡ £ £ ¤ ¤ ª ထ £ ¤ £ £ ¤ £ ª န

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

51

Lakshmi, played by Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, is a classic example of how middle class working women lead a life of monotony, and how their abusive husbands see them as nothing but a helping hand. After leading a life devoid of colors, Lakshmi’s world is brightened up by a man she meets in train. Her involuntary smiles and her weary eyes searching for him portray how working women badly need a break from their insipid life. The frustrating life that she leads everyday makes her give in to the temptation of a life of a canvas. On speaking to her, Sheeba Grace learnt her journey from leading a monotonous life to a life where she brings words on paper to life on the stage.

1) Who is Lakshmi according to you?

Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli is a simple girl with big dreams and no fear to go after them.

2) What inspired you to be an actor?

I love performing. It makes me happy. I discovered the joy of acting and wanted to have those moments of happiness throughout. Hence i chose to be an actor by profession.

+RZ GLG \RX SUHSDUH IRU \RXU ½UVW UROH HYHU" 0\ ½UVW HYHU OHDG UROH ZDV WKDW RI D WULEDO PDQ +XQWHU ,W ZDV YHU\ H[FLWLQJ DV , KDG VWXQWV WR SHUIRUP , SUHSDUHG E\ OHDUQLQJ Parkour and martial arts and also working on the character inside out.

4) Tell me about the time when you discovered you wanted to act?

I’ve always enjoyed acting even as a kid. But I decided to take that up as a profession only 6 years ago. It was a time when L ZDV ½JXULQJ RXW OLIH DQG WU\LQJ WR KDYH DQ LGHQWLW\ RI P\ RZQ , ZDV VWUXJJOLQJ ZLWK LQWURGXFLQJ P\VHOI WR SHRSOH , DP Lakshmipriyaa and I am a...... I didn’t have an answer. That’s when I decided that an actor is all I wanted to be and to introduce myself as an actor is what would make me the happiest.

5) Being a former national level cricket player and ultimate Frisbee champion, how did this vast transition happen?

Sports has always been a part of my life. I can’t remember a time when I haven’t played any sport. When there came a point in life when i decided that I wasn’t going to pursue my sport at a professional level, it became a hobby/recreation. That’s when an alternative career switch happened. Most people who have known me for years still can’t believe this transition. They still look at me in awe thinking… this is not the tomboy I know. Haha.

:KDW ZDV \RXU ½UVW PRYH RU SOD\ HYHU" , NQRZ ZLNLSHGLD KDV LW ZRXOG ORYH WR KHDU LW IURP \RX

0\ ½UVW HYHU UROH ZDV DFWXDOO\ ZKHQ , ZDV \HDUV ROG , GLG D VPDOO SDUW LQ D 79 VHULDO GLUHFWHG E\ RQH RI P\ IDWKHUµV IULHQGV 7KH ½UVW HYHU SHUVRQ L VKDUHG VFUHHQ VSDFH ZLWK ZDV 3UDNDVK 5DM 1RW PDQ\ SHRSOH NQRZ WKLV

7HOO PH DERXW WKH VKRUW½OP ´/DNVKPL µ +RZ GLG WKDW FRPH DERXW" I was referred to Sarjun by a common friend. Sarjun had seen my work before that and wanted to cast me. We met and I liked the script and more importantly how Sarjun went about the whole thing. I wanted to work on that script and with him. So I said yes.

:KDW ZDV WKH UHVSRQVH WR WKH VKRUW ½OP DQG KRZ GLG \RX IHHO" I had extreme responses. Both positive and negative. People, who liked it, LOVED it and people who didn’t like it, HATED it.

That was a great learning experience for me as to how to deal with bouquets and brickbats. It was tough initially but then i learnt to look at it as a part and parcel of an actor’s life. Now i feel equipped enough to handle anything that comes my way.

52 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

Perhaps her role of Lakshmi in the controversial short ½OP ´/DNVKPLµ KDV JLYHQ her the push she deserved after pursuing ‘something creative’ apart from being a HR professional in her initial days.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

53

9) What are your current projects?

11) What is your favorite role? Why?

, KDYH MXVW ½QLVKHG D WUDYHO PRYLH FDOOHG ‘Pakshi’ directed by Jagadeesan Subu who directed the movie Sigai. I have also completed ‘Sivaranjiniyum innum sila pengalum’ by director Vasanth. I’m excited DERXW ERWK WKH ½OPV DV WKH\ DUH ERWK ½OPV with female leads.

Favorite role that I want to play is a Sports person. I have always wanted to be part of a sports movie. It is one of my most favorite genres and also one that I most identify with.

10) Too cliché, but who is someone you look up to and why?

At a personal level the only person I look up to and how... is my mom. She is the most inspiring person in my life and one of the most amazing human beings I know.

At a professional level, the one actor I have always wanted to take the path of is Nandita Das. Absolutely adore her and the work she does.

54 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

12) How do you choose your projects? Tell PH DERXW \RXU VKRUW ½OPV WKDW WRRN WKH internet by storm?

I look for scope for performance as how much the character adds value to the story. The team i work with is also very important to me. I need to vibe well with the team. And of course the story needs to be appealing.

13) What is the one question you wish people asked you but never did? , ZLVK SHRSOH DVNHG KRZ GLI½FXOW LW LV WR EH an actor. Many people think acting is easy and anyone can be an actor. They don’t give acting, the craft, as much importance as they GR WR DQ\ RWKHU WHFKQLFDO DVSHFW RI WKH ½OP , think training to be an actor is very important and the craft deserves respect. I don’t mean to say that if you aren’t trained you cannot become an actor. I’m only saying that acting should also be taken seriously. Like how you would only have an editor or director or &LQHPDWRJUDSKHU ZKR LV TXDOL½HG LQ WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH ½HOG ZRUNLQJ RQ \RXU PRYLH \RX VKRXOG DOVR KDYH SHRSOH ZKR DUH TXDOL½HG DQG good enough to be actors. That’s the only way we can increase the quality of performance.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

55

THE BEST OF MUSIC BREWED AT PHOENIX MARKETCITY ထ ၺၾ¤ ­ထ ၺၸၹႀဓ £¤ဖ ª ¤ ¡ ¡ ¤ ­ ¡ ­ ¤ ထ ဟ £ Ń ထဠ ¡ ¤ £ ¤ ­¥ ¤ ¦ ¡ ¡ £¤ ¡ ¡ ª ¤ ¤ ¡ § ¦£ ¤ ¡ ¤ ¤® ¤ ၺၾ¤ ­ ၺၸၹႀ ှ ¤§¡ ­ဿ ¨ ª Ś ¨ ¡£ ¤ ¤ ¡ ¡® ¦£ န

56 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

The long queues and hours of waiting to buy tickets for the show was so long forgotten when the band stepped onto the stage.The band from God’s own country knew every trick to grab the attention of every passerby.

The moment the artists entered the venue they spread infectious energy all around the courtyard. The gathering welcomed the band with loud screams as they stepped onto the stage. The beautiful chemistry between Sooraj and Varun was obvious as they set the VWDJH RQ ½UH ZLWK WKH ½UVW DFW IRU WKH QLJKW ´2GL2GL ¾ Their music spoke for itself by having nearly hundreds of music lovers gathered around the stage, swaying to the tunes of the drums and guitar, within few minutes of the performance. The breezy evening with good music and a huge gathering with an impartial mix of people from all age groups was a delight to all the senses.

The sight of enthusiastic supporters jumping around and loud screams set the mood right for a live power packed performance.The band successfully created a personal connect with all their listeners, with beautiful AR Rahman and Ilayaraja medley.

Two types of peak emotional responses to music were experienced during the concert as the environment suddenly changed when band’s original numbers ‘Once upon a time in Punjab,’ and its metal version of Bharathiyar’s ‘Agni Kunjondru’ from Uriyadi was performed with zest, bringing back the adrenalin rush.

Throughout the concert, the band strategically alternated between Malayalam, Tamil and also a bit Hindi to have the audience sing along. Small music lessons were given in the middle of the performance to engage with the crowd and to get them entertained to the fullest.

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

57

&DSSLQJ RII DQ HYHQLQJ WKDW ZDV ½OOHG ZLWK VHQWLPHQWDO PRPHQWV ZLWK VRQJ SHUIRUPDQFHV IURP WKH archives, the band proved that they could make any occasion special.Every individual who witnessed the drama was in a state of total memorization. The band also managed to make the gathering groove to their tunes of Safar and Arivaal.The best performance for the night was saved for the last. When Sooraj announced that it was going to be last performance for the night, the crowd immediately guessed that it would be ‘Kaantha.’ It did all the magic to end the concert on a happy note. Finally, the band was open to requests from the crowd and sang few numbers since people screamed their lungs out, requesting for more songs. They even performed an impromptu encore during their photograph and autograph session with their fans, after the show.

58 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW MOMENTS

BREW MOMENTS

The launch of the Brew Magazine - May 2018 ZDV ½OOHG ZLWK IDVFLQDWLQJ FRQYHUVDWLRQV ZLWK the man on the cover, The Ever Inspiring Vijay Amritaraj.

Left to Right: Bharat Joshi, Thota Tharani, Sameer Bharat Ram, Vijay Amritraj, Venket Ram

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

59

60 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE2018

61

WHAT’S BREWING

SPRING SUMMER DECOR Phoenix MarketCity, Chennai unveiled the awe-inspiring décor, merging the extraordinary work of traditional artisans with the latest trends, providing an unforgettable experience for all the visitors.

Phoenix MarketCity in association with Jackfruit Research curated the décor by inviting wellknown artist Ms. Malini Narasimhan, who has been instrumental in reviving the century old traditional ‘Olai craft’ from Tamil Nadu, to craft the huge and gorgeous Spring Summer Decor. The installations will be set up at the atriums of the mall until 30th June, 2018.

GOODREADS

If you like to read books, then this is a must-have app. Use it to discover new titles you might enjoy, discuss meanings, post or read reviews, and compile a reading list. There’s even scanner functionality, so you can scan the bar code on a book you own and add it to your virtual bookcase.

62 BREW LIFESTYLE I JUNE 2018

HAVE REMOTE CONTROL OVER YOUR ELECTRONICS

Modlet is a Wi-Fi outlet that allows you to control your electronic appliances remotely. While it can be used for virtually any device, the most obvious use is to turn on the air conditioning before you come home.