Brew 4th Anniversary Issue

Sept 2014 40

ENTERTAINMENT

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Anniversary E D I T I O N In conversation with Varun Manian Siddharth Karthik Subbaraj

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Bharat Ram

Editor’s Note Dear Readers, This month’s cover story is one to look out for as some brilliant minds namely -Karthik, Siddharth and Varun, disclose their thoughts on filmmaking in depth. The passion that all three of them share for the field is quite transparent as they retrospect on the change that’s happening in the scenario and share with us what they will be contributing to Cinema.

In addition, we have managed to explore the lives and tales of many interesting artistes across different age groups and backgrounds. Have a good read.

This spell is just a tad bit special to us with the Brew Magazine completing its four years this month. Voicing out stories of Cinema, Music and Art on a quintessential note is what makes us stand out and by the same token, what keeps us going. The journey has been a decent one needless to say, with its good number of ups and downs. Nevertheless we are looking to make it a smoother ride down the line. Wish us luck!

And of course, keep Brewing.

Until next time.

Sameer Bharat Ram Editor

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ENTERTAINMEN T

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CONTRIBUTORS AND ADVISORY BOARD Sethumadhavan . N Sethumadhavan.N holds an MBA from XLRIJamshedpur and has a background in the FMCG & Retail sectors.It was while leading the editorial team at PassionForCinema. com ( a popular movie portal that’s now defunct ) that Sethu realized that his true passion was Cinema and everything connected to it, including the business side of it.Currently based in Mumbai,Sethu works in the education sector and also runs www.madaboutmoviez.com, a portal dedicated to Indie/Small films,Regional Cinema and World Cinema. Sethu has also been associated with filmmaking workshops and film festivals.

Venket Ram Venket Ram is a leading Indian celebrity & fashion photographer, who has shot principal photography stills for several notable films as well as portfolios. He quit his engineering studies to work with cinematographers for a while, then joined a course in Visual Communication at Loyola College. After that, he worked with photographer Sharad Haksar and in 1993, started his own studio. He recently released the first two editions of his annual calendars in 2011 and 2012 with an overwhelming response.

Kavita Baliga The young American Soprano, Kavita Baliga has sung in concerts around the U.S., Switzerland, Italy and India with repertoire ranging from Opera and Oratorio, Musical Theatre to Indian film. In 2008, Ms. Baliga joined A.R Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory as a faculty member and founded the KMMC Chamber Choir. She is presently developing performance programmes in India.

Mallika Sarabhai Educated as an economist and a business manager, Mallika Sarabhai is one of India’s best known Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers. She has taken her work and her company Darpana to not only over 90 countries around the world, but also to the farthest parts of India.

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

Neeru Nanda A graduate from Delhi University.

Passionate about writing, she freelanced as a feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of a collection of short stories titled “IF” (Rupa & Co), Neeru is now working on two novels and a series of books for children.

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

Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini Internationally acclaimed, award winning Violin Maestros Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini have been widely applauded as the ‘Queens Of Violin’ and have enthralled audiences across the globe. They have been selected as Cultural Ambassadors and dignitaries to the US and UK respectively.

They have published books and written numerous articles relating to Music and religion..

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COntent

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FEATURES

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GARDEN CITY’S CULTURE CATALYSTS

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THE FIVE MOST UNDERRATED FILMS OF ROBIN WILLIAMS

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RELIVING THE SUCCESS OF HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN

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THE GARBAGE WARRIORS

COVER STORY

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VARUN MANIAN, SIDDHARTH AND KARTHIK SUBBARAJ GET BREWING

INTERVIEW

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PIROUETTING AROUND THE WORLD -APARNA NAGESH

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MAN BEHIND THE FRAME- AWARD WINNING FILMMAKER

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NATURALLY VERSATILE-

SCULPTOR SATHISH KUMAR MANI

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THE SOLO MAESTROMUSICIAN GHATAM KARTHICK

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REVIEW

NJAN STEVE LOPEZ - SETHU MADHAVAN

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MUSIC

GARDEN CITY’S CULTURE CATALYSTS

While it has become trend now for musicians and dancers to turn into organizers of festivals and events, Bangalore’s culture life must thank its lucky stars to have found the right kind of catalysts to keep it consistently brilliant from the last many decades. These people are neither musicians nor dancers or have any ulterior marketing agendas. What they had and have were qualities that define a true ‘Rasika’; an undying love and passion to propagate arts. It is because of these ‘Karma yogis’ that the city has consistently seen some of its finest cultural life thrive.

The first is Narayanswamy Rao, fondly called SVN. Fourteen-year-old SVN, a police officer’s son in a middle class family, felt a sudden urge to celebrate Ganesha Chaturti. With two other friends he went house to house seeking donations and gathered a total of five rupees. Their success encouraged the boys to celebrate Rama Navami festival the next year. They collected fifteen rupees for this event and founded the Sri Rama Seva Mandali, in 1939. SVN sidelined academics to pursue the Mandali’s development. He studied up to the eleventh standard, and got a job with HAL. But his employers failed to understand his driving commitment to the Rama Navami celebrations, and refused to grant him leave for organizing the festival. Did that stop him from his passion? Instead he quit that job after two years and joined the LIC where the same story followed and so he had to quit another job for the same reason. This cycle continued until he finally gave up trying to hold a job and serve the Mandali full time. Over a period of time their month-long music festival became one of the biggest events on the city’s cultural calendar in the last seven decades. Come summer and the three acres of Fort High School grounds in Chamarajpet turn into a heaven for classical music lovers. In days when there was no internet or mobile phones and no smart marketing strategies SVN traveled across the country to bring some of the finest musicians to present before Bangalore audiences. He passed away in 2000 leaving the legacy of his Mandali to his

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sons. It was by no means an easy task to shoulder such onerous responsibility to continue SVN’s tradition. It is there for everyone to see that the family has fulfilled it admirably. His son Varadaraj and his brothers come together year after year and continue this festival.

Far from the city, in the wilderness, when the legendary dancer Protima Bedi visualized a community for art to thrive, Usha RK a dancer turned curator shouldered responsibility and managed the whole birth of ‘Nrityagram’ efficiently. Having trained in dance under various legendary Gurus in Mumbai and Chennai, Usha’s passion lay in spreading that awareness to the world at large. Most of Bangalore is unaware of the fact that Usha efficiently managed all the legendary music festivals through the 80’s and 90’s for the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta. Having grown a close rapport with musicians and dancers, she helped organize and curate some of the finest arts festivals India has seen in the last thirty-five years. After settling down in Bangalore, she continues to curate top class dance festivals with city’s artists.

The cultural events she organizes have consistently kept the dance scene alive when many other festivals haven’t managed to sustain themselves. With excellent organizational capacities, good knowledge of arts and a feel for the city’s cultural life, Usha is an ideal cultural impresario any city would love to have.

In mid-90’s in the sleepy corners of Malleshwaram, Dr R V Raghavendra

a research scientist by profession was slowly breathing in life through his organisation ‘Ananya’. Founded as a non-profit organization in 1995, it has grown to be an institution in itself by promoting young and talented artistes to the city’s audiences through various thematic programs. While their ‘Ananya Sangraha’ is an excellent library for music lovers, their ‘Ananya Arogyadhara’ , a helpline for musicians is a significant and socially relevant undertaking. The exclusivity of this is that it is dedicated to and for musicians.

This excellent service is carried out through a network of medical specialists and hospitals that offer their medical support to ailing musicians.

‘Arogyadhara’ issues identity cards to musicians and thereby entitles them to concession fees from specialists.

Several musicians have been benefited from this facility. Besides free consultancy, a special rebate is offered on treatment and hospital expenses.

Ananya also publishes a monthly bi-lingual journal of arts.

The common feature in all these three organizers and the yeomen services they are doing is none of them get any support from the government or State authorities in any which way. In spite of that, what keeps them going? If this is not a sign of being real art lovers, no better example could suffice. The city’s history will remain indebted to these catalysts for providing an oxygen pipe to its dying cultural life.

By Veejay Sai

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Pirouetting AROUND THE WORLD

Creative Director of the High Kicks dance group and an extremely talented professional dancer- Aparna Nagesh , shares her experience on doing shows with her all-girls dance ensemble all around the globe!

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Tell us about your all girls dance ensemble?

How did the representation at the commonwealth happen?

High Kicks is the performance wing of my dance arts company Showstoppers Inc. It’s an all girls ensemble. I have created a new movement vocabulary titled global dance fusion and this is what we perform. It is intelligent dance theatre with stories and concepts, set to all music genres and uses influences of lyrical jazz, street jazz, contemporary, Latin and any other unique movement style that we find interesting. After two successful productions we are currently working on our third production titled the ‘Seeker’ to be staged on October 25th at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert hall.

During my consultancy for the British Council’s contemporary dance season ‘Impulse’ , my company had the opportunity to attend workshops by Scottish dance theatre. The artistic director of the company at that time, liked our work and put us in touch with ‘Y-dance’ , the cultural partner for the games and the organizers of the Common Wealth Youth Dance Fest.

We sent in an audition video and got selected by a jury in Scotland.

You have been campaigning for ‘Dark is beautiful’ , what’s that about?

There are numerous schools and teachers in the city

‘Dark is beautiful’ is a universal campaign against discrimination based on colour bias and unfair advertising.

We are strongly against commercials that create the impression that being a darker skin tone is detrimental to having a happy and successful life. We are also working on creating awareness amongst young people about colour bias and changing obsolete mindsets about skin colour. The campaign is endorsed by numerous people who have faced discrimination by bullying based on skin colour.

Training at Broadway dance centre how was the experience?

It was a life changing experience! It was a dancer’s dream come true to be living and learning in the capital of the arts scenario. It changed the way I approached dance and movement and inspired me to do great things with my interest in dance. The teachers, the program, the performance- all of it combined together to be a landmark year in my dance career.

How has the Western dance scenario in Chennai evolved?

today. The number of talented young dancers is also huge. I think more young people should go see performances and attend workshops. It is still in its nascent stages with regard to choreography and approaching dance and movement from an International standard. Also, I think dancers have the means to really attain exposure with regard to world dance styles. Andmore techniques should be devised. They need to move away from the reality TV circuit and work on improving technique base. A more holistic approach to dancing, resource and knowledge sharing as well as working together as a community is the requirement at this time.

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Billroth

64 NUGUMBAKAM HIGH ROAD CHENNAI 6000034 PH: +91 9176510098/9087244652 www.facebook.com/suede/india suede.india@gmail.com

CINEMA

THE MAN BEHIND THE FRAME

The film Oass, that won so many awards but more importantly, won that many more hearts was directed by young filmmaker Abhinav Shiv Tiwari. Let’s see what he has to say, as he discloses his experience drafting the film and his projects for the future.

How did your filmmaking career start? We hear you wanted to become a wildlife filmmaker.

I was grown on prudent Literature all thanks to my Mother, and thus always loved telling stories. Also, there was the influence of my maternal grandfather who was a fabulous storyteller. At a point, I realised I was born to tell stories and thus started following the dream. It came as a shock to my family and the reaction was more like, “You are going to waste your life chasing a dream, really?”

What proved to be a break in the film industry?

I can not discriminate between any opportunity as I believe for any opportunity, the outcome can be always big, so long as you work for it.

What inspired you to make OASS? It was one girl whom I came across while working with a film crew shooting of the UN, that inspired me. She was 15 when she was rescued from Delhi’s Brothel, where she was sold to when she was just eleven years old.

She had faced almost every possible horrifying thing in this world, yet she wanted to live on without anyone pitying her.

She helped others too, become a ray of hope just because of her strong will, at such a tender age. I was pretty shocked, it took me around five months to fathom how it was possible for someone to be like this at such a young age, and that was when I decided this was going t be my first story.

Did the movie take an emotional toll on you?

No it did not. By the time i finished my research and screenplay it was almost 6-7 years, and rather than mulling over it I was more interested in trying to understand the reason behind this evil trade and how to bring these girls back into the mainstream society. I then tied up with an NGO that works to rescue and rehabilitate such girls. But yes as a human being, my first experience was so moving which was the reason why I chose this story for my first film, over many other ideas.

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Tell us about the casting.

Casting was very tough and at the same time very important for the film. While watching it you must have realized I concentrated on the fact that brothels have girls from different parts of the country and the neighbouring country as well, so it was predetermined that we will cast different faces and use different tones of various regions in dialogues to make it more authentic. It took me almost three months to find the right cast. Holding auditions in Delhi - our operational base office, and across the country through video auditions.

The biggest challenge was casting the lead as I was very particular about not shooting with a minor girl for the role.

Finding some one who is not a minor and yet looks like a girl of 11-15 was a tough challenge. One more challenge was convincing the parents of the other kids acting in the film.

Overall, it was a daunting experience.

Did you think this movie would win so many awards?

What is your take as a director on the independent film scene in India?

The future is bright, with every new filmmaker emerging and redefining boundaries in cinema. India as a country, with its vivid cultures and different languages has always been churning good movies. The biggest mistake most people make is judging movies on the whole, only with Bollywood commercial movies as the ppoint of reference. We have to begin acknowledging the fact that there are other decent films coming out as well.

Tell us something about your future projects.

I just finished my segment of a collaborative project, a film which is being written and directed by ten directors.

However, it should be clarified that it is one full film and not an anthology . Sudhish Kamath has conceptualized this and brought all of us together. I am working on other projects that are yet to be finalised.

No I never made this film thinking about the awards it was going to receive. My first thought was to share the story with happy homes about what happens in these dirty brothels, and the story of destroying such tender lives. I wanted this film to reach a huge number of people, and make sure they all understand that even a child could choose to get out of any situation, however hard it might seem and be successful in life. Also, I wanted to deliver the fact that such people should not be shunned away from the society, and instead have to be treated with admiration.

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ART

Naturally Sathish Kumar Mani, a sculptor and an instructor at the Government College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam takes us on a trail of his climb uphill.

How did you begin your journey?

I started my career in 1989 at the age of 17 years. I trained in Mano`s Art industry at Kumbakonam. Manohar Natarajan, a well known painter, is my respected master. He guided me throughout the nascent stages of my life and helped me join the Government College of Fine Arts in Kumbakonam.

I studied a five-year degree course, of which two years I did a common syllabus and three years, the major courses. My studies took a very natural course, in its essence. My department master S.G. Vidhashankar Stapathy imparted training to me and I learnt many things from him.

Who would you call your biggest inspiration?

My first inspiration was Henry Moore.

My teacher S.G. Vidhashankar Stapathy was also a great role model for me.

I have always loved to put across everything traditionally, and I think I got that from him. My favourite sculpture is the one by the legend Michelangelo.

Leonardo Da Vinci, Rodin and Picasso have also done priceless work.

Why did you not move to a bigger city to pursue your career?

I am planning to in the future.

Versatile Why did you choose teaching as a profession?

What ideas are in development for the years down the line?

I have always had respect for the profession, and I believing in teaching students to bring about a good society.

I want to make a lot of beautiful sculptures and showcase it on a widespread level, across India.

How many shows have you done so far?

More than 15, if I’m not wrong.

Can you tell us more about the theme for your current project?

My theme revolves around achieving happiness through fulfilment. I believe one can only feel real happiness after completing the duties posed in every walk of life, and thus achieve a permanent sensation of happiness .

What would you call your best work, of them all?

I consider the ‘Street Performer’ my best one, for which I received a State Award by the Tamilnadu Government in March 2014.

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Solo Maestro Musician and Philanthropist Ghatam Karthick tells us about his clay pot instrument and its many temperaments.

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You have done some 45 international tours, which country abroad feels more like home?

Yes, I have travelled almost all over the world and I would say that wherever it is our people have taken care of us, giving us all the warmth, care and affection, which would make us feel at home. I had felt this in almost all places more so in the USA, Australia and Gulf.

Your Ph.D. thesis ‘Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature” has been acknowledged and approved by the Syndicate of University of Madras, granting its publication as a reference book. How does it feel?

It feels great since it will be a good reference material for future studies. I did encompassmost examples from the works of Sanskrit as well as Tamil classics, too.

You are a genius with your Ghatam. Tell us how it all began.

My fascination towards the humble pot is still alive. I love my instrument Ghatam, which I feel can be endearing to all audiences across the world. Like a blessing Vikku Sir and Subash Sir were living nearby. I still remember feeling really happy when they told me that my broad fingers would suit the instrument. This happened when I was nine. The fascination and learning still goes on.

Tell us about ‘Heartbeat’. How did it all begin? What is the concept?

The ‘Heartbeat’ is a Percussion based ensemble. I also know the limitations of performing just Percussion - is making the audience listen for long period of time, so I made the Melody compliment to give it a whole picture. That’s why I named the group as ‘Heartbeat’ which is the basic rhythm of life. Essentially there is more attention to Melodic forms, whereas the Percussion section does not get the necessary limelight that it deserves. Our South Indian Tala system is so complete and scientifically structured that it can lure the whole world towards it. I make sure that I add the necessary emotional appeal in the forms of lyrics, so that it moulds into a complete package. I am always open to exploring different musical ideas and forms, and I relish performing all musical genres. Also I had the flair to compose pieces, and be creative going about it I have always thought that, if South Indian Rhythm could be properly projected and marketed, it will work wonders.

In 1998, I had composed a Tillana in my father’s memory in Ratipatipriya, since he loved the Jagatjanani song. Veena Sri.B. Kannan liked it very much and was very generous in

How do you see the use of the Ghatam ten years down the line?

Ghatam as I told you is the most endearing to all audiences.

More so by its Tonality, it merges and gels with all genres of World Music making it as a perfect instrument to look up to. There are many promising youngsters who perform very well and like trying out innovations in all spectrums of the musical field. Not only here, even students from Europe, Japan, South America, and Africa are taking a growing interest in the learning of this instrument.

How has your extensive education influenced your music?

Of course, it has first of all provided a broad outlook to me, and pushed me to carry out innovative ventures. Also it gave me the necessary confidence to articulate my ideas in a methodical manner. My language skills also help me in reaching out to diverse audiences.

Will you integrate your style of music more with jazz, rock and fusion like you’ve been doing?

Of course! That’s the entire purpose of it. My Ghatam and I remain the same. But the dunctionality and musicality differs when I compare a classical carnatic concert from jamming with a World Jazz artiste, more so if I am performing in a film music session or a huge ensemble.

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agreeing to perform it in the Bharat Kalachar concert in January 1999. At the same time, an offer of presenting a Tala Vadyam for Pongal celeberations in a Private TV channel came our way. We decided to do my Tillana as a solo, and it became an instant hit. Later I did a similar program featuring my Jog Tillana, as a piece, for the Independence Day celebrations in August 1999.

Then in due course of time, I had composed some songs in Sanskrit like Sri Sankara Gurum, Charukesi etcetera.

Subsequently, U.P.Raju, C.A.Rajasekhar, Melakaveri Balaji, Ganesh kumar, V.L. Kumar, C. Sathya, Venkat, EmbarKannan, Poongulam Subramaniam, Palghat Sreeram, Sethuraman, Prapancham Ravindran, M.R. Gopinath, Sowrirajan, N. Sundarand and many many other artiste friends supported my ventures. Later, I composed a piece in Sallabham, which was telecasted in Doordarshan. I put all these together and came out with our first album Taka Dimi Taka Junu which was released by Mudhra. Heartbeat has also released Thana Dhirana Jam and Vakulabharanam-RTP by Rajalakshmi Audio. Since then, we have been performing in major cities and major cultural organizations. We have also travelled to USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bahrain.Basically it became a platform to showcase all our talents in its entirety.I began assimilating my skills to compose peppy rhythmic musical forms to be able to project the rhythmic variety. In short Heartbeat projects my musicianship, helping me to become a complete musician.

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It would be an exaggeration, if I were to classify the Heartbeat ensemble as a Fusion. I would describe Heartbeat as performing Contemporary Carnatic Music with a lot of other influences from World Music, Film Music and other genres. I do not wish to have partiality towards genres of compositions - classic, folk, philosophical, north/south, national, ancient, and contemporary or international. I always think that anything which appeals to the audience should be incorporated. The genres may be different but ultimately it is the Musicality that counts.

What is your chemistry with other percussion artists? Who has influenced you most in this industry?

Each and every one is a versatile artiste in his own right. Each one has achieved their individual name in their respective instruments. Each one has a unique style and approach. I try to merge with their style and contribute and compliment my part. So if I do this, there will be only happiness and good vibes with each other. My Gurus are my inspiration.

The other great legendary geniuses and top maestros have surely influenced me in my thought process. Each one is unique and I admire everyone separately, so that there is clarity Each one is unique and I admire everyone separately, so that there is clarity rather than confusion.

Tell us a little but about your plans for the future.

My future plans would be to become a better musician projecting our musical heritage in my own way, by presenting interesting innovations making it a new and enriching experience.

Any international band you want to perform with? Who do you look up to the most?

I have performed with many bands both as a soloist and with my Heartbeat ensemble. Groups from USA, Europe as well as individual artistes from Australia, Japan and many countries have performed with us. I would be interested to perform with a classical symphony of any Nation.

Can you say some words about your Guru, and his influence on you?

My Gurus are my inspiration on a perennial scale, and always continue to guide me in my pursuits. Personally I feel what I am today is because of them. They have enhanced my status and image as an artiste. Without them, I would be only a Ghatam artiste who accompanies concerts.

They helped me to project myself as a creative musician, expressing my other skills such as composing, lyric writing, singing, Konakkol and most importantly to reach out to the

audience. All these facets have helped me project myself as a consummate artiste. I owe everything to my Gurus.g interesting innovations making it a new and enriching experience.

Any international band you want to perform with? Who do you look up to the most?

I have performed with many bands both as a soloist and with my Heartbeat ensemble. Groups from USA, Europe as well as individual artistes from Australia, Japan and many countries have performed with us. I would be interested to perform with a classical symphony of any Nation.

Can you say some words about your Guru, and his influence on you?

My Gurus are my inspiration on a perennial scale, and always continue to guide me in my pursuits. Personally I feel what I am today is because of them. They have enhanced my status and image as an artiste. Without them, I would be only a Ghatam artiste who accompanies concerts. They helped me to project myself as a creative musician, expressing my other skills such as composing, lyric writing, singing, Konakkol and most importantly to reach out to the audience. All these facets have helped me project myself as a consummate artiste. I owe everything to my Gurus.

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CINEMA

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HISTORY IN THE MAKING The talent behind Pizza, the movie that became a phenomenal success, filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj sounds off on the trails of his journey – and his plans for the future.

H

ailing from Madurai, this dream chaser grew up watching the many movies of our very own Rajinikanth. An ardent admirer of the Super Star,he says, “I love all his films and my inclination towards movies is directly attributed to him, to be frank.

Spending time with family at that time either meant going to the temple or going for a movie, and my family always chose the latter! My interest in films began and grew because of that.” From being a software engineer to becoming one of the most sought after filmmakers, there is no denying that Karthik is an inspiration to many. He reveals, “The journey so far has been challenging, and exciting too, in a way. I quit my full time software job and decided to venture into cinema when I practically didn’t know anyone in the industry!

I attended this one-day workshop conducted by Sanjay Nambiar, and he was my first sound teacher of this art. I then started out by making short films, one of which led me to ‘Nalaya Iyakunar’. I learnt the nuances and the different aspects of filmmaking myself, through trial and error. There were more downs than ups in that phase as it took me time to figure out who the genuine people were, in the industry. After I wrote my first script for a feature film, I struggled quite a bit to find a producer. I even went bankrupt for a while! The one special thing that happened and that spurred me on was falling in love and getting married in that very same phase of my life. My wife and her family understood my dream and drove me to pursue it. It took me two and a half years before I landed up on the sets of Pizza for my first directorial debut.”

Looking back at it all, he claims, “I have always looked up at films made by Mani Ratnam, Mahendiran, Balu Mahendra, Bala, Anurag Kashyap, Clint Eastwood, Tarantino and Coen Brothers. My dream is to create many more films that equal the high standards of such films.”

Karthik, more than a filmmaker, stands out in being a benchmark for bringing ethics into a profession that is widely believed to be extremely unethical. “It’s a common assumption that being unethical is a job requirement in the film industry. The truth in fact, is nowhere close to this.

Professionalism and integrity are two qualities that the film industry desperately needs, and I’m happy to see many such genuine people emerging in the industry. I’m confident that they will go on to make their mark in Cinema”, he smiles.

Moving on to his films, he says, “My first script in reality, was Jigarthanda. In fact, it is the one script that reflects many instances from my life.Unfortunately, it was a big budget film and being a newcomer I couldn’t rope in a producer. That’s when I started to work on a script for a small budget film that takes place completely in just one house; featuring actors I was already in good terms with. That’s how Pizza came into being. When C V Kumar agreed to produce it, everything fell into place. He was sensible and professional, and it was quite easy for me thereafter!” In an era of big-budget commercial movies, the filmmaker proved that even smallbudget films could make huge profits as long as they had a solid storyline. His record-breaking thriller movie Pizza and his more recent film Jigarthanda, stand testimonial to this fact. Having climbed to great heights in such a limited time span, the question arises- will he move on to make himself known in Bollywood? “I wanted to direct Pizza in Hindi, but it got dropped as the schedules didn’t work out as I would have liked. I would love to do Jigarthanda in Hindi too, if the opportunity arises”, he discloses.

About his plans in the pipeline, “Jigarthanda opened the door to many new opportunities that I would like to make the best use of. I have began writing my next script and I’m hoping it’ll turn out as I want it to”, he says, signing off.

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CINEMA

HANDSOME IS AS HANDSOME COMES Film actor and producer Siddharth certainly has more to him that meets the eye. In an interactive with us, he talks about his idealistic approach to filmmaking, his buds in the industry who take the same stand and more.

You’ve been quoted saying “Moviemaking is my ultimate goal”. Can we expect you to churn in movies that are commercial, or ones that are contemporary? You seem to have natural flair for the latter, of late.

I would most definitely my company to make films that are special to me, and that have a certain meaning tied to it. They don’t have to necessarily be commercially viable, as I don’t intend to really break the bank with every movie that I produce. That being said, I think I have through my years in the industry learnt that any story can make profits or at least breakeven if it has been shot with the right approach and released at the right time. One other thing is that in the process of filmmaking, we tend to become ‘safer’ by adding a little comedy or a little action, thus deviating from the original storyline. I am going to however, focus on sticking to the original throughout hence keeping a horror movie completely a horror or a thriller movie, a thriller. I am trying to make sure we do what we pick up, and

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do it well. My first production was Kadhalil Sodhapuvadhu Epadi that made a lot of money post-release.

Though it seemed to be a commercial film, it is essentially a new age film having a certain niche to it- with the whole actual narration to the audience throughout the film. It was my first film and it was an interesting experience where I sort of learnt the ropes. Three films are in development right now, all of which are slightly experimental. I’ll be announcing the first one in January.

You have studied in Chennai and also in Delhi. Has this cross-cultural exposure brought that maturity we see in you- both on and off- screen?

The cultural exposure has helped me to a certain extent- linguistically more so in fact, because I have done a few Hindi films, lots of Telugu films and a good number of Tamil films. I personally feel that cultural exposure is not extremely crucial, especially for someone like me who wants to concentrate on regional cinema . I am concentrating more on

development of regional cinema than on the national front, because I don’t necessarily believe that it is a step up the ladder. Particularly in the future, I want to be a consistent part of the Tamil Industry. Leaving that aside, it is a major positive for me for having a profound academic background, because meeting a lot of people has helped me as an actor and as a producer, my education has helped me understand the business angle of cinema in a slightly more technical level.

You won the CNBC manager of the year award in 1999, and the best actor award in the film fare awards of 2005.

How has the transition been?

I got the best manager award mainly because of my ability to speak on the spot and my personality as such. The best actor award doesn’t really make much sense to me, though I wont deny it felt nice bagging it. I would call myself a decent actor, not a great one for I definitely have a lot of scope for

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CINEMA

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for improving my performances. I personally feel that Indian Cinema has so many films across the board, each being brilliant in its own way and each actor doing a fabulous job.

Also, my transition has been only in my profession I feel and not in my character as such. I am still the same idealistic and excessively verbose person that I was back then, and still make the same mistakes I made back then. I came across this quote “Cinema doesn’t really change you, it simply accentuates who you are”- it’s the exact truth!

hasn’t even been released yet. This is probably because the whole team of Kaaviya Thalaivan are on the exact same page wanting the exact same thing. With names like Vasantha Balan, Varun Manian, Sashikanth, Nirav Shah, A R Rahman, Prithviraj and myself in the team, it’s sure to be an epic film and the very mention of it makes me instantly proud.

You assisted Mani Ratnam in direction in Kannathil Muthamittal, and then became an actor. Why the change of track?

I’ve always personally felt that remakes lose that original essence of the story, and the whole idea’s never really worked for me. But, Lucia is an exception where the story is sure to create magic every time it’s remade, and only once in a while does such a unique film come across. I couldn’t be casted in the original because it was a very small budget film. When I saw the crowd-funded film, I immediately tried to buy its rights. But it was already sold to C V Kumar. So I just called him up and told him I would love to act in it, and he too, was open to the idea. We are not competing with the original Lucia, because there is just no messing with a film of such high calibre. C V and I have given a slightly different touch to it, though.

Initially all I wanted to do was write and direct films, and I set out working with Mani Ratnam as an Assistant Director.

It was at the same time that Director Shankar was looking to cast someone as a male lead for Boys. When he met me, I guess he saw what he liked and cast me for the role. Though I had staged plays before, that was the first time I got to act onscreen. I have been lucky as an actor in spite of the fact that acting wasn’t a conscious choice for me. I reckon that if I hadn’t found success as an actor at any point I would’ve quit acting and gone back to my original focus of becoming a filmmaker.

You have worked with big names like Aamir Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj. What was the experience like?

I have met many different people and have been extremely fortunate to learn from them these past twelve years. I wouldn’t generally categorize them on the basis of them being big names or newcomers because I have learnt an equal lot from both sides. In fact, I have worked with almost 16 first time directors, and that is a pretty huge number! It’s always nice to look back and think that that I have managed to work with prodigies like Vishal Bhardwaj, Aamir khan, and the late Nageshwara Rao Sir. I did take a lot home from these people, but like I said, I also learnt from newcomers whose names might not be as impressive. Karthik subbaraj and Varun Manian are some names that immediately run through my head, they are prodigies too. That’s the good thing about cinema, you know, there is so much that is intangible and you never know. I am very forthcoming, or greedy you could call it, in terms of learning from new people!

You generally turn down remakes. What made you sign up for the remake of Lucia?

Can you tell us more about your experience working with newcomers like Varun Manian and Karthik Subbaraj?

Both of them are more like friends of mine rather than film collaborators. These are the kind of people that I will not only want to do movies with, but also will want them to be a part of my daily life! I’m really glad that Varun Manian came into cinema, and I am positive he is going to make lots of films in the future. He is a very good friend, and I really hope that he has a long and successful stint in the industry. Being really educated as well as grounded, Varun has a lot to offer.

He is a very idealistic person when it comes to the creative field, and we have a quite a lot of things in common. Karthik Subbaraj is one more friend of mine that I am extremely fond of. A fledgling legend, he has a cult following because of his fresh approach in filmmaking, and twenty years down the lane, he is sure to be one of the most revered filmmakers of all times. I will most definitely be very proud to have been a part of his first few films. Meeting such people are some of the best things that this industry has to offer.

You have been roped in for Kaaviya Thalaivan. What is your take on the film?

Any actor has that one film that they work extra hard for,and put that special effort for, and for me, Kaaviya Thalaivan is one such film. Jigarthanda was one film that gave me im mense pride because it was received so well, but Kaaviya Thalaivan brings me the same amount pride even though its

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CINEMA

MASTER OF ALL TRAITS A veteran entrepreneur who just forayed into production of films, Varun Manian is sure as hell making heads swerve in his direction. Let’s find out what makes him more than just a business icon.

JUST ANOTHER FEAT Coming from an out and out business family- successful in realty, infrastructure and what not, it was sure a pleasant surprise when Varun forayed into film production. Quizzing him about this, he says, “The extension is not as unusual as it may seem. When I entered business back in 2004, my aim was to leverage the evolving tastes and demands of the growing consumer class. The broad vision of the Radiance Group, which I head, is to evolve as a consumer-focused South-Indian business powerhouse. As a first step towards achieving this vision, we launched Radiance Realty that is focused on creating living spaces for Chennai’s elite, who have a unique blend of traditional and global ethos. The next step is to provide them with intelligent and wholesome entertainment, which is the idea of Radiance Media. So if you see it from that context, our media venture is pretty much a logical decision”. Here the question arises- compared to his previous business scenario, the film industry might be very chaotic, wouldn’t it? He answers, “Well, it’s both a yes and no. Yes, because compared to how we are used to running our infrastructure and real estate businesses, movies are definitely less process driven. No, because though it may seem chaotic from outside, there is a certain method in the madness in the movie business, which I have grown quite comfortable with.” All said and done, there is no denying that Cinema is very unpredictable. “Getting down to it, business is all about managing risk. As you know, I come from a business

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family – risk management is something I have been exposed to and trained in from a very early age. Being objective, identifying, acknowledging and quantifying all the things that may go wrong and having a ‘plan B’ for such eventualities, is the right way to tackle it. It’s all about keeping your emotions at bay, and out of decision-making”, he sums up. Being a newcomer to Cinema, was he welcomed with open arms? “I do not see myself as a complete newcomer. It’s interesting how there has always been a connection between the business and film fraternities of Chennai. I have been here a long time, so I knew a lot of people in the industry before I became a producer. I must also say that the film fraternity has been very warm and welcoming, and I’m happy about getting to know a good number of veterans in the field.”

HIS IDIOSYNCRASIES Having been in Chennai almost all his life apart from a small stint in New York, it’s certainly a positive to Tamil Cinema to have someone from it’s roots contributing to it. “Chennai is a unique city – it blends old-world traditions with modern globalism effortlessly. It has something for everybody, but at the same time it is mysterious. As a businessman I have to admit that the citizens of Chennai, no matter I studied in New York for a while, and it did influence me pretty well. I have seen many sides of that city- I was there during the 9/11 and witnessed how a community can come together in the face of unprecedented adversity. Also, it was in

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New York where I learnt that talent and commitment matters more than where you come from. It is a city filled with rags to riches stories and living there gives you the conviction that anything is possible. That’s probably the best thing about that city, but the urge to come back here was strong. It is not easy to fit this great city into a single stereotype and that is why I love it here.” Juggling so many different things all at the same time, how does he manage to unwind? “I am so busy running the Radiance Group that I literally steal time to unwind. I try to catch some good movies from time to time. I play a bit of golf and tennis and sometimes go running after a long day, simply to keep myself mentally and physically active. I have a close group of friends who keep me sane, though” he smiles.

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER Filmmaking in the south is currently taking a big turn towards never-seen-before intelligent storylines. Is Varun headed that way too? “I see two exciting changes. One is external focused, which is in terms of the content that artists are now dabbling with. The era of intelligent, content-driven movies is here and I am proud to say that Tamil Cinema is a

front-runner in adapting this trend. The other is internal focused - with movie making evolving as a serious and respectable profession, showing a much needed potential of attracting the best and brightest talents. We at Radiance Media hope to play a small, but important role in making both these evolutions happen”.Aspiring talents are always looking for supportive platforms, regarding this, Varun states “We are always open to new age directors and technicians with good content”. Kaaviya Thalaivan, his latest production, sounds a wee-bit quintessential with names like A R Rahman and Vasanthabalan in the picture. He beams, “Working with ARR was exciting. It is a unique feeling to be in the presence of a pure genius- it’s like they know a few secrets of the universe that will forever remain a mystery to the rest of humanity. Kaaviya Thalaivan, on the whole, was a unique learning experience. The movie portrays the eternal struggle between the effortless genius and the sincere plodder, a struggle most of us will be able to connect with at some level. I expect it to appeal to both urban and rural audiences” Is he planning to move on to Bollywood and make content drive films there, too? “Absolutely. The demand for high-quality, content-driven wholesome entertainment is universal and not bound by language or geography.”

K R Anerudan, Managing Director, Casa Grande and a close friend of Varun says, “Vibrant and pleasing in nature, Varun is a great company. We share a good rapport both on the personal as well as the professional front. He is also an investor in Casa Grande, and it’s no secret that he is a great businessman! He is an extremely good friend of mine, and as a friend he is completely loyal and expects only the same in return.”

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tallapaktti

Five Underrated Performances of

ROBIN WILLIAMS

Robin Williams was always an actor of many talents, though his forte was comedy, he could slip into dramatic roles with utmost ease. Through his long career he’s acted in numerous movies which have won over audiences and critics alike, right from Dead Poets Society to Mrs. Doubfire to Aladdin to Good Will Hunting. What I’d like to list down are five films of his which I believe were quite underrated and deserve a watch.

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1. World’s Greatest Dad (2009) What’s it about: Robin Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high school teacher and single parent who gets little pleasure or recognition from life. Constantly seeking the approval of his peers, students and more importantly his indifferent teenage son, Kyle, Lance is truly going through a midlife crisis until Kyle accidently kills himself during autoerotic asphyxiation.

To provide a semblance of dignity to his son’s death, Lance cooks up a suicide note which somehow finds its way into the school newspaper, thus propelling the unpopular Kyle into posthumous stardom and heaping upon Lance a ton of sympathy and admiration as a grieving parent. For the first time in his life, Lance is popular and so he decides to take things further and cook up an entire journal of Kyle’s.

Why watch it: He’s done dark wicked comedy in the past but the way he manages to find that right balance here is astounding. Williams effortlessly transitions from being utterly heartbreaking to disgustingly repulsive and then thoroughly sympathetic in a matter of a few scenes, showcasing his vast acting talents and once again reminding us of the immense talent he showed early on in his career.

2. One Hour Photo (2002) What’s it about: Sy Parrish (Robin Williams) leads a painfully lonely life as a technician at a one hour photo developing studio. However to make up for the void in his personal life,

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he constructs an imaginary existence with the Yorkin family that are his regular customers at the store. However things take a turn for the worse when he discovers that the father might be having an affair and he sets out to teach the man a lesson and set things straight for the wife and kid.

Why watch it: Robin Williams really manages to get under the skin of a character that radiates creepiness and sympathy in equal measure. He’s able to convey a range of emotions from rage to genuine affection with the utmost subtlety.

Particularly heartbreaking is the final interrogation scene where the reasons for his damaged persona emerge and the pieces fall together.

3. Awakenings (1990) What’s it about: Set in the late 60s, Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams) is a doctor working with catatonic patients in a Bronx hospital who tries a new drug on a patient, Leonard (Robert DeNiro). The drug causes Leonard to come out of a thirty year long catatonic state, providing much validation to Malcolm’s treatment. Leonard tries catching up on all that’s he’s missed in his life and Leonard applies the same treatment to other patients. However the drug starts failing and despite Malcolm’s best efforts Leonard has limited time before he falls back to his former vegetative state.

Why watch it: This is the feel good movie that Patch Adams should have been and the chemistry between DeNiro and

Williams is pitch perfect which overshadows some the movie’s sappy moments. Williams is able to convey that empathy he feels for his patients and experience the unfiltered joy of success and satisfaction as his drug works.

The movie’s able to beautifully convey how we take our lives for granted and the weight of loss and disappointment felt by those who have it snatched from them.

4. The Fisher King (1991) What’s it about: A self-centred talk show host, Jack (Jeff Bridges) due to his insensitive on-air comments causes a man to go on a shooting spree, resulting in the death of seven people. Jack slips into depression and on one fateful evening while contemplating suicide is saved by a homeless man, Parry (Williams). Parry is crazy and regards himself as a knight on the quest of the Holy Grail he believes is somewhere in New York. Jack soon learns that Parry’s wife was one of the victims of the shooting spree that he blames himself for triggering. Now offered a chance at redemption, Jack sets about setting Parry’s life right.

Why watch it: Parry is a delightfully whimsical character in true Williams style. All the characteristics that would be becomes a staple of Williams comedy in the years to come are on display here but he never forgets beneath that exuberant exterior lies a sad, lonely man. His attempts at courtship with the painfully awkward Lydia contain a blissful sweetness that would simply light up your day. Yes, Williams

was nominated for an academy award but rarely does this movie and Williams get the recognition that it truly deserves.

5. Moscow on the Hudson (1984) What’s it about: Vladimir (Robin Williams) while touring with the Russian circus in New York, is taken in by the city and decides to defect. How he goes about building a new life in a city he knows nothing of and remembers the harsh times he faced in the Soviet Union form the crux of the tale.

Why watch it: Made during the waning years of the Cold War, the movie can be seen as capitalist propaganda but the themes of freedom and struggle do resonate and particularly with Williams incredibly understated and moving performance. His final goodbye to his circus troupe, or his break-up with the woman he’s head over heels in love with, or the news that his grandfather has passed away in Moscow are all incredibly moving moments. But the one that really takes the cake is a slightly cheesy but earnest recital of the three unalienable rights from the American declaration of independence.

-(Source) www.longlivecinema .com

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The Garbage Warriors of An Ignorant

Army of Civilians

Wasteless: A Journey While there is so much buzz around youth power and clean up of polity in India these days, some unlikely, unassuming & dedicated youth groups are charting out new trends as entrepreneurs in the country; we discover one such enterprise that is addressing the social issues which we have been overlooking & unapologetic about, such as solid waste. Brew explores these uncharted paths with Chandrah Nusselien & Ribhu Vohra, in conversation with Dharmesh Jadeja, who has seen these youngsters grow up in the environment of Auroville, known for its innovative & creative enterprises.

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W

hen we talk of the Genext & future of India, there is so much focus on information technology, manufacturing, markets, financial institutions, foreign investments, etc and how our youth is taking over the world deprived of youth power in job markets; or it is about companies targeting this youth as “future markets” and where liberalization has brought in thousands of malls and markets across the country where youngsters are wasting their precious resources including time; window shopping products that lure them, or aspiring for one up man ship. Most of these products are outdated every few months while consumerism is being bombarded on this youth power, lured by the multi nationals & treated as the world’s largest growing market. In these times of buy backs and freebies, seldom we think of what happens to “the stuff we have lost interest in”; the waste, that is created with each of this act, small or big; the waste which is created with every decision each one of us makes to buy new, or throw away the old; Well, it is right in our face now; The world is choking itself with more and more dumping sites, land fills while most natural resources are getting polluted at an alarming level, that is forcing us a rethink of our lifestyle choices before its too late; The time has come for The Big Rethink.

In this new India, infested with waste, each dumping site forces most of us to look the other way stirring up our conscience, or reminding us of our inability to change our lifestyles; fortunately there is a whole other side to it, where several talented, concerned young entrepreneurs in the same very country are fighting a race against the time, by plunging into social enterprises, working at the grassroots, exploring the other side that this life offers; an uncharted path of failures and learning, path of challenges and difficult choices, a path that many of us avoid to chose to “throw waste rather than pick it up”. Wasteless in Auroville, is one such enterprise which is working on creating educational kits, games, waste audits and such creative solutions to this difficult issue & showing us creative ways to deal with it; by avoiding, reducing waste.

Over an informal chai session, I met the siblings Chandra Nusselien and Ribhu Vohra, learning about the passion and

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mission in their work at Wasteless, a social enterprise that is taking the problem of waste head on. Defying the normal image of a social worker or an NGO look popularized by khadi and jholas, these youngsters are smart, suave and fashion conscious while dealing with some of the most difficult issues of modern India. Interestingly, their looks are deceptive and their simple and clean aesthetics of presentation style could sell anyone any product; It talks of how one should avoid use, before reuse, recycle or reduce. Precisely telling us not to buy or own anything that we can avoid, including a simple plastic bag or a bottle, contrary to the consumerist lifestyles we are being bombarded in almost all media, markets or public spaces. Wasteless’ profound resolve to get to the root of the problem of solid waste disposal this country faces, is something phenomenal in its vision and changes one’s perspective of the way we look at the life as we live today.

Gone are the days in India when Gandhiji or Shastriji gave a call and the nation stood up with them boycotting all foreign goods; when simplicity, minimal use, swadeshi or organic was not simply lifestyle statement but a real life resolve one was committed to, in the times of independence; when khadi became an icon for freedom that India dreamt of; While globalization and liberalization has given us access to almost everything one desires, it brings with it the worst nightmare that our country is now waking up to - the garbage! Our rivers, wetlands, natural resources, coasts, forests, mountains are now choking with garbage that has been generated by this very lifestyle which promised us luxury & comfort. Our cities are unable to clean up waste what they generate on a daily basis, while citizens blame the authorities for not doing their job, corruption and health hazards are what we are reaping as benefits or price of progress.

Wasteless, based in Auroville, the international township near Pondicherry, started three years ago, as a campaign to clean up surroundings of Auroville, which got a huge public participation from youth, villages, children and adults alike, involving several organisations in the region. Buoyed by the success of this campaign this small group of young Aurovilians, got together and started researching, exploring this area of solid waste management, while finding solutions to not only reduce, recycle and reuse but also to go to the source of waste creation and finding ways on how to avoid generation of waste. Their humble, fun project has now become a mission which is getting into educational materials, waste audits, and getting several other organisations, government and non government agencies, private schools and institutions, corporate houses, etc. to look deeper into their own premise and avoid generation of waste at source; their special focus on the socio economic aspect of waste management that also dwells into how to create awareness on the role of the rag pickers in our society who actually contribute in cleaning up the mess that we create in our environment.

Chandrah & Ribhu were in the midst of their launch of the Garbology 101 kit & game Pick it Up, when I met them.

“We are targeting the children and youth with this Garbology

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101, which is an educational kit that can be made part of the school curriculum. There is a small training we do with group of teachers or professionals that are concerned with such issues in any institution, thereby making them aware of issues, which they may not have thought about. This kit is now ready to be shared with authorities, Government and non government organisations who are willing to participate in this mission.”

“Pick it Up” is a game that we have created for children and for anyone who wants to familiarize with the issues of waste.

It makes you aware of the different dimensions of waste cycle and its creation and shows ways how to avoid, segregate waste at source. Once this becomes part of your thought process, it will be much easier for oneself to transform to a more conscious lifestyle. It will make us think every time we buy a product.”

“When you are talking of recycling, you are still talking of using a lot of energy and resources that are needed to recycle; recycling again plugs back the same back in the waste cycle, thereby requiring much more energy. Avoid or Reduce, stop the leakage in the tap that is flowing constantly, that is the first step in dealing with the waste. While we are talking only about India here, it is a major problem in the world today, not just India; It is more so visible in India because we are unable to clean that filth and it lies in front of our eyes; it has also made us so heartless as we look away when it comes to the filth in this beautiful country. We need to take it head on; that is the only way.” Ribhu explains.

“So after avoidance or reduction, recycling comes where you recycle, by segregating waste, dry and wet waste; & the last and the least environmentally friendly option is dump it or bury it; this is what happens to most of the waste in the world today; It is not segregated, but straight away dumped into the open dumping grounds, not even landfill, where it pollutes the natural resources, water bodies, air, etc. and this has become one of the most dangerous way which is now choking us all. In most cases it is also burnt openly in the dumping ground creating havoc for the population around. We are not far away in times when the revolts will start over dumping sites as population is more and more aware of the hazardous effect it has.”

So what are the solutions at policy levels? Rather than talking at individual level where one can segregate waste, do composting, etc., what needs to be done at the policy levels?

My question starts a discussion that looks at this problem globally and trying to find local solution, while Ribhu explains me.

“If you look at USA and Canada, the two countries with almost same standards of living and also similar development indicators, it is interesting to note that USA generates almost 3 times the waste as Canada, which has taken policy level initiatives that avoid or reduce. USA as a country has a policy of recycling, which in fact does not help much, it only consumes more energy; while Canada has policy initiatives in place to reduce or avoid. India, though over half of our

waste is compostable, does not even segregate the waste and only dumps it on the open sites. It is not that we do not have resources, we spend thousands of crores on this dumping exercise but our policies do not encourage us to reduce or compost our wet waste, at house hold, community or city level. Segregation of waste plays a huge role here.

Traditionally India had very different user habits which encouraged minimal resource use and almost no plastic; India has forgotten that humble cloth bag each one used to carry while we went to the market for buying vegetables or store our whole years grains in the house, thereby buying everything in bulk. This is the result of the lifestyle change we have seen in over two decades in the past after globalization hit us.

So where do we stand as a country when it comes to waste.

How much waste do we generate and how do we deal with it.

To my surprise, Chandrah explains some statistics that are shocking as I hear it.

“While we complain of the streets and the waste we see, that is only around 3 percent of the waste that India produces.

A large amount, about 76% waste is the hidden waste or upstream waste which is generated as the result of the industrial production of India and much of which pollutes our natural resources, etc. About 13% is waste from the energy production, 18% is result of the construction, mining and other activities of development, about 3.5% is of infrastructure and demolition waste.”

“A conscious user, who would reduce or buy sensibly the products you need will be contributing to the reduction of the large waste that is upstream waste that is produced in India. Thus your lifestyle behaviour, even a very minor change in your lifestyle, can have a direct impact on the amount of waste it produces, as we are talking about a huge population in our country.” Chandrah’s explanation sounds so convincing.

“In nature there is no concept of waste, as all our systems are cyclic, all natural resources are only cyclic and it gets plugged into the systems by its own processes. Where as after the industrialization, what we have now developed in our lifestyle is a linear cycle. That means we are using precious natural resources to make products which are used for very short time, till we lose interest in them, thus contributing to the generation of waste, which gets dumped in the sites creating pollution. This has compounded the problem of waste in the world today, as we move to more luxurious lifestyles without concerns for environment and shortsighted policies that are seldom implemented. Population is mostly unconscious of these issues, thus reaching out to them is important through various creative media. ” Ribhu’s concerns convey his passion to create awareness that will initiate the process of change, which is still very much possible still.

“In India we have compounded the problem by mixing up the waste at source where actually at least half of our waste

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bio degradable and we could use it as a major resource to make compost or fertilizers out of it by simply segregating at the source. This could be used by our agriculture sector reducing the need of chemical or industrial fertilizers. As we do not do this, our wet waste gets mixed up with the non bio degradable waste, which in turn results into filthy smelly dumping sites, making it even difficult for rag pickers to segregate or costs more resources to recycling facilities for cleaning it up before recycling or reselling. Fortunately this whole informal sector in India where rag pickers segregate and pick up valuable waste from waste dumping sites as livelihood, however it is the most difficult job one can imagine. The problem is compounded as we are now at a juncture where we are simply creating dumping sites, thereby taking away even land, which has become the most valuable resource in today’s times of development. Hardly 10% of our waste gets composted, reused or recycled and these are guesstimates.”

As our conversation progresses, I can’t resist dwelling into these young minds on how did they get into this area of work, how did their journey culminate in such a serious enterprise and with such deep commitment; especially after their childhood in a place like Auroville & their higher education in Netherlands. Ribhu and Chandrah give me a brief account on their journey from universities in Europe to the dumping yards of India, from Starbucks coffee to chai sessions at kabadiwalas around the corner; and how do they bridge a passionate profession with their personal ambitions and lives in unique Auroville set up.

Chandrah’s studies in psychology, ecological sciences and master’s degree in general education helped her transition and passion to follow environmental work. When the Tsunami struck the east coast in Tamil Nadu, Chandrah joined in the relief and rehabilitation phases, which gave her a thorough experience of what was happening in various sectors in India.

Her keen interest in environmental issues, globalization and lifestyle changes taking place in India compared to her growing up years in Auroville of rural Tamil Nadu in 70s fuelled her passion to work on waste issues, which was hardly a preferred area of work for any NGOs she met during post Tsunami rehabilitation work. She teamed up with other like-minded youngsters of Auroville and started off with a small project that finally transformed into Wasteless.

Ribhu’s studies in hospitality helped his skills in public relation and dealing with people, in process creating networks, and a dedicated core team with mentors with whom he has developed a deep bond in this difficult work.

His simple philosophy of “I should feel good about the work I am doing”, is simplistic statement that is enough to convey his commitment, dedication and continuation of this work he has taken up.

While it is always difficult to make such enterprises sustainable, this team is working out creative solutions to connect with corporate and government agencies, individuals and institutions, which are passionate and concerned about these issues of waste, involve & ignite interest in their work.

They are confident that while it takes time, it is possible to

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sustain such an enterprise Wasteless, which is not for profit and dealing with a serious environmental issue; the launch of their “Garbology 101” and “Pick it Up” will make their work more visible in the media while making each one of us aware of how important our daily habits are in this cycle of waste generation, and how could we contribute by simply segregating waste and being more conscious of our needs.

Ribhu and Chandrah believe strongly that it is possible to change your habits by a little effort while making your subconscious mind aware; thereby they hope that their work with Wasteless will be recognized by the changing of our attitudes and lifestyles that are more conscious of waste creation and resource consumption. As I wind up my conversations with this inspiring duo, I can’t help being impressed by their simplistic but suave lifestyle, understanding of life’s deeper core by dealing with issues that one generally avoids, courage that is reflected in their unconventional business sense & their passion to bring about a change in the society, by cleaning it up!

CINEMA

20 Years of

A trip down the memory lane....

Hum Aapke Hain Koun or HAHK as it is referred to popularly is an iconic movie in many ways. If I’m not mistaken the whole trend of referring to a movie’s title by its abbreviated form probably started with QSQT (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak) before HAHK and DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge) went on to make it look like it was something that the Indian movie audience was doing it for years together. By now it is already known to even small kids across the Country (yes even in those distant lands which probably do not even boast of a single cinema theatre even today) how Maine Pyar Kiya went on to revive the fortunes of Rajshri Productions, an age old production and distribution house which was almost on the verge of closing down due to dwindling fortunes.

But Sooraj Barjatya, the grandson of Tarachand Barjatya, the founder of Rajshri not only revived the firm but also made it relevant to the youth of those times, despite holding on to the values that the firm believed in.

Hence unlike in case of Maine Pyar Kiya, HAHK was quite looked forward to when it was about to be released. The trade was anxious to see if Sooraj Barjatya could pull it off once again and prove that he wasn’t a one film wonder. Also the film’s lead pair-Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit were by then extremely popular and the songs by Raamlaxman, though too many in number for a Hindi film in the 90’s (14 in all) were already popular before the release. Rajshri Productions decided to go in for a staggered release for the film, with HAHK getting released in only the main centres for Hindi films and even the bigger cities

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including the Metros did not have more than a few theatres playing the film. The idea was to let the film gain popularity and WOM (word of mouth), facilitating both trade and audience enquiry in the rest of the country and hence leading to more release centres getting added subsequently.

It was a big gamble as trade experts even wondered how a film which was just about fourteen songs, two weddings and a funeral would sustain the buzz for long to favour a staggered release. But lo and behold Sooraj Barjatya and his team seemed to have got it right as the film which started off with a grand premiere at Mumbai’s Liberty Cinema went on to release on 5th August, 1994 across limited theatres in India, soon started getting inquiries from the rest of the country. In fact HAHK was also probably the 1st film in India to release in Ultra Stereo Optical Sound, and with more and more theatres clamoring for a print of the film, the Rajshri’s insisted on theatres to be upgraded by installing Ultra Stereo Optical Sound systems along with regular requirements. Today it is difficult to even imagine the makers of a film refusing to let their film release in a single screen or multiplex unless it’s upgraded. But Sooraj Barjatya and Rajshri Productions were clear that they not only had a winner on their hands but also that HAHK was bringing the family audience back to the theatres and hence they should watch the film in the most comfortable way.

So what was I doing around 5th August 1994? Well I was out of school/junior college and waiting for the results of some of the many entrance exams I had written. The TNPCEE (Tamil Nadu Professional Courses Entrance Examination)

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results in particular were delayed and like many other peers I had joined a leading Arts, Science & Commerce College in Coimbatore for B.Sc Zoology so that I would have a backup plan, just in case I didn’t get a professional course and college of my liking later on. I was in Coimbatore then and despite being it being the only other regular Hindi film release centre in the state (apart from Chennai) those days, HAHK did not make it to Coimbatore on 5th August. Those were the pre-internet days but still thanks to film magazines, radio (Vividhbharati to be precise), the few satellite T.V channels available then like Zee T.V and Star, one knew that HAHK was taking the country by storm. Added to it whenever I would interact with friends and/or relatives from Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore etc, everyone would only keep raving about the film, adding to my discomfort all the more.

Archana & Darsana are 2 theatres in a 2 screen Cineplex (Baba Cinemas) in one of the best locations in Coimbatore.

The patrons running the 2 theatres were supposed to be very professional, would constantly upgrade and renovate them and exhibit the best of Tamil, Hindi, English and Malayalam movies. Hence it was no surprise when I got to know that HAHK would be releasing at Archana and the theatre management even went on to put up the stills of the film under the “coming soon” display window (remember those days? a few weeks after the film had originally released on 5thAugust. By that time my TNPCEE results were out and I had got admission in a good college in Coimbatore itself, which meant that the wait for HAHK continued. Weeks slowly started turning into months as in October my 1st year class

es commenced (I had already discontinued my B.Sc program earlier once I got through to pharmacy and engineering) but still there was no sign of HAHK releasing in Coimbatore.

Whenever I would visit Archana and Darsana to watch movies I would only sigh with despair on seeing the movie stills of HAHK. I even debated visiting Chennai and watching it at Woodlands Theatre, where the film was doing roaring business and I still do not remember why I finally went there only months later, by which time I had already seen it a few times in Coimbatore itself.

I guess it was sometime post Diwali of 1994 that not only were the stills of HAHK put up on display at Archana & Darshana changed, but also a notice of sorts saying something to the effect of “The wait for HAHK is almost over.

The film which has already crossed 100 days in the initial release centres will soon be releasing here. We are proud to say that HAHK will be the 1st film to get released here with the new Ultra

Stereo Optical Stereo Sound system which will be installed soon”.

Eventually after a long, long wait HAHK made it to Archana theatre at Coimbatore and despite the film being already 4-5 months old, and despite pirated video cassettes being available, it was surprising to see the kind of overwhelming response that the film received in the city.

While I had myself avoided the lure of watching it on video, I had never imagined that there would be many others like me also who did the same.

I finally watched HAHK on the very weekend it released and was blown away by Madhuri Dixit who played the chulbuli Nisha to perfection. That was the time when probably Madhuri mania was at its all time high and there was no way I could have escaped it .Yes there were too many songs, the film’s story could very easily have been just a one liner and it was too sugar coated for comfort, but it still worked, and that’s when I realized the

enormity of the whole phenomena.

While I did find it a little difficult to get a ticket the first time around, I attributed it to the opening weekend in the city and hence 2-3 weeks later when I went back to watch it again with my parents and brother I was surprised to see that even the advance booking for the film during the weekends was getting to be quite a task. Needless to say I had to make use of someone I knew to get the tickets and this time around as well, I saw families flocking in to the theatre, literally having a gala time and watching this 206 minute long film.

Many of them seemed to return again and again as one could make out from the way they would describe the scenes and dialogues before the film or during the interval.

Sometime later I guess the “Chocolate Lime Juice” song which was not in the film originally was also introduced into the film as an added attraction and the newspaper ads clearly mentioned the same as well. I distinctly remember the

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3rd time I saw it in theatre and this must have been in 1995 as I went for the same along with more than half of my classmates and a couple of professors as well. Considering that we needed some 35-40 tickets and since the person at the box office was unwilling to give it to us, I had to once again depend upon my usual source to get us the tickets.

By then I was well versed with the dialogues and the scenes and hence would exclaim them loudly while watching the film, not bothered to think if I am disturbing people around me or not. And very soon a gentleman sitting in front of me turned around and told me “you may have seen the film a few times already, but this is the 1st time I am watching it and hence I request you not to spoil it for me”. That was when I not only kept quiet but also realized that the actual fun associated with watching a movie was by soaking into it and not by making an ass of oneself.

By this time around the movie had gone on to release in many more cities and towns across India and the saree used by Madhuri Dixit in the “Didi Tera Devar Deewana” song had become extremely popular and there were clones of the same being sold all over the country. One innovative saree showroom in Coimbatore tied up with the management of Baba Cinemas and hence a model of the saree design was

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put up in a display counter right next to the balcony entrance, so that none of the patrons could miss it. I do not know if the promotion helped bring in additional sales for the showroom but considering the unit price of 500 INR and with so many women flocking in to watch the film, it would have been a surprise if they had not made money with the same. By this time while I could still watch the film thanks to Madhuri and some of the songs, I found it a little too difficult to sit through the whole proceedings especially post the death of Renuka Shahane when there’s a little too much of emotional melodrama on display . HAHK eventually went on to run for 16+ weeks at Archana, very remarkable considering that the film released so late in the city.

But the story did not end there as the film continued to regularly get repeated across the city in various theatres as filler that could always be counted upon to run for a week easily.

The last time I saw the film in theatre was probably in 1998 during one such re-run, this time at Ambalika Theatre (which is now Kumaran of the SenthilKumaran twin theatres), Coimbatore.

Despite the film being more than 3 years old I was pleasantly surprised to see more than 50 percent turnout for the night show and like me quite a few others also exited the hall after watching Renuka Shahane die . I guess by then I was slowly

moving out of the Sooraj Barjatya zone, as a year later when Hum Saath Saath Hain released I barely managed to stay in control till the end of the 1st and only show of it that I watched in theatre (Albert Theatre, Chennai). When I look back in time I do sometimes laugh at all that happened those days and even wonder as to how I probably felt so much for such a “sugar coated” film, but then despite all that I still think that the film was certainly a trailblazer and as much as you may like it or dislike it now, its place in the annals of Indian cinema is clearly well etched.

By Sethu Madhavan

ENTERTAINMENT

Njan Steve Lopez Movie Review Dark, Moody and Socially Conscious in the Right Way

Cinematographer turned filmmaker Rajeev Ravi made heads turn with his very first Malayalam film Annayum Rasoolum (2013). Though the film did not receive uniform praise from everyone, with many people finding it a little too indulgent and too slow for their comfort, it was nice to see the film doing reasonably well commercially as well. An achievement these days as it’s not often that you see films made for creative satisfaction also finding favour with the audience. When his second film Njan Steve Lopez was announced, it made for interesting news. To start with the title is interesting and doesn’t really give out any hints about the film. The film also launches Farhaan Faasil, son of veteran filmmaker Fazil and younger brother of popular actor Fahadh Faasil along with Ahaana Krishna, daughter of popular Malayalam and Tamil film and T.V actor-Krishna Kumar.

Moreover this marks the second production venture of “Collective Phase One”, a collaborative production house that has brought together industry professionals like Resul Pookutty, Rajeev Ravi, Madhu Neelakandan, Sunil Babu and B.AjithKumar with the common goal of supporting independent cinema. With their previous venture “I.D” still doing the festival rounds, naturally one was curious to know how Njan Steve Lopez (NSL from hereon) would turn out. The initial promos and the song that was unveiled suggested a typical film on youngsters and their lives, not something which thrilled me to say the least. But I was hoping that the film actually did not stop at that and had a lot more. And yes initial reports pouring in seemed to confirm that my suspicions were right indeed.

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NSL is based in Thiruvananthapuram and shot mainly on actual locations, just as Annayum Rasoolum was based in Kochi. As the film starts we are introduced to Steve Lopez (Farhaan Faasil), a college student who cares more about booze sessions with his friends and WhatsApp chats, more than family and college. He is in love with Anjali (Ahaana Krishna), his neighbour and childhood friend, but unable to express his love clearly. Steve and Anjali live in a colony inhabited by the families of policemen, with Steve’s dad George Lopez (Alancier) being the Deputy Superintendent of Police in town. Just when life seems to be getting interesting for Steve, what with Anjali slowly reciprocating his feelings, he is rudely shaken out of his cocoon like existence when he is witness to a gruesome attack on an individual in broad daylight. With no one bothering to come forward to help the victim, Steve rushes the man to a hospital and even admits to the media that he is happy to help in identifying the men who carried out the attack.

While he thinks he is doing what a citizen should be doing and will be supported in his actions by his family, especially by his father, the reality seems to be totally different. His father is upset by Steve’s actions and asks him to stay away from the issue. He sees other policemen also advising him the same, which disturbs him even more and he sets out to unravel the truth, only to find his life getting completely topsturvy. What happens from thereon is what the rest of the film is all about as we see Steve making a journey which is also about self-discovery in a way. The film does take some time to hook us as initially there’s a false feeling of NSL looking at just the typical goings on in the life of a youth who is a little self-centred of sorts. We see Steve as someone who hardly

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shares a bond with any of his family members, except his uncle who is the rebel in the family. Eyeing the neighbourhood aunty, wasting his time hanging around drinking with his buddies and being totally care free about his future, it is hard to feel for Steve’s character initially. Ahaana on the other hand seems to be very much in control of herself and knows her priorities quite well.

The film makes us question ourselves also in a way as what happens in Steve’s life can happen to any of us as well. We realize that the system has a certain way of working and come what may certain things will just remain the same and will never change. In many ways this is a true coming of age film as Steve goes on to do things that he would probably never ever have imagined before in his life. The screenplay (Rajeev Ravi, Santhosh Echikkanam and Geethu Mohandas) ensures that the film manages to build up tension gradually.

It’s also a look at the ‘system’ from the POV of youngsters and we realize that early on itself through an interesting use of animation in the opening credits to the strains of “Oorake Kalapila” (written by Anvar Ali, Anoop Mohandas and Rahul Madhusudan and performed by Anvar Ali, Anoop Mohandas, Ramesh Ram, Vishni Dethan, Ben Sam Jones).

Talking of the film’s music, the songs are all effective and fit in very well with the film and the situations that they feature in. While “Theruvukal” (lyrics by Anvar Ali, composed by Shahabaz Aman and sung by Siddharth Menon) is a breezy romantic number that justice to Steve’s romantic mood, “Muthu Penne” is a lovely sung by Jassie Gift using traditional lyrics and also well shot. A Rajeev Ravi film can be counted upon for its excellent cinematography irrespective of who helms the camera and here again Sudeesh Nair aka Pappu

does justice to his mentor (he had also assisted Rajeev Ravi on Liar’s Dice), especially with the wonderful night shots, both exterior and interior. Though the film has a leisurely pace, at 116 minutes the tale unfolds in just about the right enough duration. NSL hardly has any known names among its cast, with the most popular actor probably being Vinayakan who plays Pratapan, the brother of the person who is rushed to the hospital by Steve. But the use of a largely unknown cast adds to the realistic element.

The sudden transformation of Inspector Mohanan from a caring well-wisher to Steve to that of a ruthless cop when Steve confronts him to know Hari’s whereabouts is again a wonderful moment in the film. Nothing can sum up the film better than the scene in the bar in the latter half of the film when the veteran journalist tells Steve that he has seen a lot of people disappear while in search for the truth and that he should be careful himself. Such moments make you remember the film long after your show is over.

All the actors do justice to their parts and the ones who leave a mark include Alancier as Steve’s father, George, James Elia as Inspector Mohanan, Anil Nedumangad as Freddy, Steve’s uncle and Sujith Shankar as Hari. Ahaana Krishna as Anjali does not have much to do as the film mainly revolves around Steve but nevertheless with her expressive eyes and an easy going charm she does leave a mark. Farhaan Faasil looks a little raw and vulnerable at places, considering this is his first film. But then this works in his favour as the character of Steve Lopez anyways comes across as someone vulnerable and a youngster who is unsure of himself for a long time, something that Farhaan is able to project reasonably well.

Rajeev Ravi has also smartly ensured that the dialogues are minimal and there is no element of histrionics required which could probably put Farhaan ill at ease.

Eventually NSL works reasonably well as a dark coming of age film with a clear social conscience of its own. This may not work for just about everyone but Rajeev Ravi seems to be sure about the kind of films he wants to make. Now it is time for the discerning viewer to watch it and decide if it works for him/her or not.

By Sethu Madhavan

There are quite a lot of moments that stand out in the film for me. Steve and Hari seem to share a strange bond, though they belong to different strata of the society and are totally unrelated in every sense. Cementing the bond further is the fact that the woman in their respective lives is called Anjali and their mobile ringtones are a testimony to the fact as well (while Steve’s mobile ring tone is “Anjali Anjali” from K.Balachander’s Duet, Hari’s mobile ring tone is “Anjali, Anjali, Anjali” from Mani Ratnam’s Anjali).

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