Contemplate. Create. Live.
Mar 2015 `40
Sandhya Winfred Rifle Shooter
Alisha Abdullah Featuring women who
INSPIRE & CONQUER
Famed car and bike racer
Aishwarya Manivannan Silambam Champion
With the International Women’s Day blending satirically with rampage of protest against rapes sending ripples all over the country, it seemed apt to have a Women’s special issue for March. The cover focuses on three young women who have entered and aced territories that are known to be male dominantrifle shooting, racing and the martial art form Silambam. A point to note, these highlights are just one among the other things that they have achieved. We have many more women out there with a whole lot of talent that they themselves do not know they possess, thanks to the social obstacles they are forced to face. Brew, in its small way, gives them trampolines instead, trampolines to inspire and conquer the world. It’s about time to take a stand and support the cause of gender equality.
Vilani Senthamil Editor
With awareness comes social responsibility, and increasing awareness is what the media ought to do. Brew as a platform has always aimed to do just this, and in this issue, will do exactly that. Gender equity is key to the growth of any society, and it’s time to support that cause. This issue narrates tales of women who are shining stars in their respective fields, women who have inspired and will continue to inspire many others. Have a good read, and don’t forget to contribute to the cause of gender equity in your own way, just as we have.
Sameer Bharat Ram Publisher and CEO
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Venket Ram
Thota Tharani Thota Tharani is an Indian film art
Venket Ram is a leading Indian celebrity
director and production designer
& fashion photographer, who has shot
who has worked in Tamil cinema,
principal photography stills for several
Telugu cinema, Malayalam cinema
notable films as well as portfolios. He
and Bollywood. As of 2013, he has
quit his engineering studies to work
won two National Film Awards, two
with cinematographers for a while, then
Filmfare Awards South and four Tamil
joined a course in Visual Communication
Nadu State Film Awards. His work
at Loyola College. After that, he worked
consists of paintings, murals, paper
with photographer Sharad Haksar and in
collages, wooden montages, and
1993, started his own studio. He recently released the first two editions of his
installations and so on.
annual calendars in 2011 and 2012 with an overwhelming response.
Contributors & Advisory Board Mallika Sarabhai
Neeru Nanda
Educated as an economist and a
A graduate from Delhi University.
business manager, Mallika Sarabhai
Passionate about writing, she freelanced
is one of India’s best known
as a feature writer for ten years before
Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers. She has taken her work and her
switching to publishing. Author of a collection of short stories titled “IF” (Rupa
company Darpana to not only over 90
& Co), Neeru is now working on two
countries around the world, but also to
novels and a series of books for children.
the farthest parts of India.
Veejay Sai
Ashok Verghese
An award-winning writer, editor and
Is one of the youngest education entrepreneurs who is making a great
a culture critic. He has written and
difference in this field in the country.
published extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art,
He is the Director of the Hindustan
and loves traveling, researching literary
group of Institutions, again one of
and cultural history. He is an editorial
the pioneering educational groups in
consultant with over 40 brands and
the country. He supports the cause
designers in and outside India and is on
of promoting young talent in art and music.
the jury for several prestigious awards in the arts across the country. Cover Credit Rahul Dev, photographer Hablis hotel, Location Courtesy naturals, Make-up Courtesy Internal team A Jesu Durai, Designer Seeman Elumalai, Circulation Head
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C ontents
Contemplate PRIYA RAVICHANDRAN The first Fire Officer in the state
Create WOMEN ON COVER SANDHYA WINFRED, ace rifle shooter ALISHA ABDULLAH, frontrunning bike and car racer AISHWARYA MANIVANNAN, Silambam champion
SWETHA SURESH International Singer and Songwriter
PUSHPANJALI BANERJI Woman behind the Kyndal group
SHRUTHI BALAJI Founder of ‘Pooo Shop’, the Décor Company
Live VIKRAM COTAH Gives diet plans to follow during the fertility phase
THE BEST LUXE SPAS IN THE COUNTRY In the best of locations
‘LEGEND’ARY EVENT Looking back at the launch of the February Issue
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rew
fire Within B ith W e t pla
tem
on #C
Her
The first woman officer to be recruited to the fire department, Priya Ravichandran, knows no fear. Discover how the dauntless lady confronted all the perils of her stint, head on. Going down in history Priya Ravichandran, the Deputy Director of the Fire Department is one woman anyone can dote on. The most riveting point of her life was when she had to attend a fire call at the dead of the night on a public holiday in the month of January 2012, in Kalas Mahal, Chennai. As a District Officer at that time, she was assigned to attend all fire calls of serious nature and this happened to be one such call. Many desperate attempts were made to douse the vehemently spreading fire in the old building, but in vain. “Though we called in all the fire tenders and a good number of metro water sources to put out the fire, we couldn’t stop it as we could not identify the source from where the fire was originating. The panic started rising in everyone as the fire kept spreading and I decided to go in and find out what the source was, as I realized that without knowing that the fire cannot be stopped.” She bravely went inside, without banking on anyone for help, and that was when, unexpectedly, the ceiling collapsed on her leaving her buried under a pile of debris. Realizing that no one would be able to find her under that mess, quite miraculously, she made her way out, burnt and bruised, after which she was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. “I made it alive, and I am sitting here like this after suffering forty five percent burns across my body, only because of all the support the society offered me. The Chief Minister came down to the hospital immediately after the incident to offer my family words of comfort and the government funded all the medical expenses involved. On top of all that, the heartfelt prayers of thousands of people who heard of the incident is undoubtedly the reason for me being alive right now”, she states.
Support system A mother of two children, she explains that she couldn’t have done half of what she had, without her family. “Fire officers have postings during all government holidays and during those days, my family comes over to keep the house full and in good spirits, so that the children never feel my absence”, she beams. Very much attached to her family, she smiles and says, “My children help me unwind every weekend, and we go off to some hillstation or other, whenever there is a break”. Juggling so many things all at once, and pulling it all off without breaking a sweat, Priya Ravichandran is certainaly a topnotch example to all women, as she proves that as long as the mind is set, the sky is the limit.
By vilani senthamil | March 2015 | Brew lIFE STYLE & entertainment | 8
Looking back Radiant as ever, Priya Ravichandran, was very clear ever since her childhood about serving the nation in one way or another. She draws inspiration from her father whom she clearly adores, as she says, “My father is my strongest support system as he has always backed me in whatever I aspired to do. Coming from a conservative family, he was by no means hesitant to send me to Delhi for my higher studies, a very rare thing in those days.” Her petite frame doesn’t quite match her job, and she laughs saying, “Though I had that inclination since childhood I never really did anything like joining the NCC or being an active participant in sports, to take it forward. In truth, I was the dainty sort, being more interested in dance and drama.” She worked towards her intent only after she went to Delhi for her higher studies, completing her Masters and M. Phil in Sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, while simultaneously preparing for the UPSC and TNPSC exams.
Building a fire Unexpectedly, her TNPSC exam results which she had cleared with flying colors, came out on the eve before her wedding day! “Though my results came out on that day, the decision about my post was made only later on. In fact, I was called for physical training which is a must for any officer, just a month after delivering my first baby.” Coming from a generation that looked down on working women as such, it was a breakthrough for her take on such an exacting position. “Both the families; the one I came from and the one I was married into, were extremely understanding ones. My husband encouraged me whole heartedly to go ahead, and my family did everything they could to make it easier for me to complete the strenuous physical training.” Though she wanted to be a Government Servant, she did not expect in the least to be placed in the uniform service, more so in the Fire Department in which there were no woman officials that she could look up to! “I was very reluctant in the beginning to wear my uniform and step out of the house, but as years passed by and I began to be a part of many fire calls and drills, and was able to do so much good, I realized I was making a whole lot of difference and began to wear my
uniform with pride and dignity”, she says, with a sparkle in her eyes.
Women in power Only after the accident did people come to realize that the State recruited women officers in the Fire Department. Soon after the incident, states like Mumbai and Karnataka followed suit and began to recruit women officers in the Fire Department, too. “Fire injuries are the worst injuries that can happen to any human being and after all those days in the ICU, and all that pain and trauma, I was glad that some good had come out of the incident with the other states following our footsteps.” There was always a preconcieved notion that men were more worthy of being in such positions, and she was even questioned why she went inside, instead of sending a man in her place. “I found those questions very irrelevant, because as officers, we have certain duties and we have to fulfill them irrespective of our gender. As the first woman officer to enter the fire department, I felt that I had finally proven that women were equally capable of being immaculate officers”, she says. Not only did she succeed in making a mark, she also ascertained that women could carry out any task with utmost perfection and dedication.
“I felt that I had finally proven that women were equally capable of being immaculate officers” “Fire injuries are the worst injuries that can happen to any human being and after all those days in the ICU, and all that pain and trauma, I was glad that some good had come out of the incident with the other states following our footsteps”
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“My ultimate goal is to win the
20-20 Olympics!� exclaims Sandhya Winfred, a rifle shooter who has been turning heads at many national and international competitions. She wants to participate in the Olympics and we are betting she sure as hell will. Read on, and you will too. By Vilani Senthamil
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ll of 19 years old, Sandhya is pursuing her second year Visual Communication in MOP Vaishnava College, Chennai. She has ventured into a sport that most people witness only on screen, and excelled in it. How did this happen to her? She begins “My mother was a shooter as a child and she was a champion shooter. She was born and bought up in Madurai, so that must count for something! She had to stop in the middle though. Coming here to Chennai, she again joined the Chennai Rifle Club. So one day out of the blue, she took both my brother and myself for shooting to the club. We started off by observing the shooting going on since they obviously won’t let you shoot in the first go”. Her mother does pistol shooting and she, rifle shooting. Rifle shooting is more strenuous because they have to wear a gear and take different positions, but pistol is more casual. With a smiling face and a petite frame, it is hard to imagine that this young woman does rifle shooting which seems to be a ruthless sport. She explains with a spark in her eyes, “A lot of stamina is required for this sport. The competition usually lasts for two and half hours, but now it is one hour and 45 minutes. It’s more about flexibility
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and agility, than anything else. There are 3 postureslie flat down on the ground, kneel and stand. I used to be really puny back then when I started off. Also, I am a left-hander and I used to shoot with a right hand weapon. So I had to really put in a good amount of effort to my physique to meet with the expectations that the sport posed. In three months after I began, there was a state meet in Madurai in the Sub Junior category. I won a silver medal then, just like that. I think that was beginner’s luck though,” she smiles, ever so modest. “I wasn’t really very serious then. Rightly so, I was just 12! I was training just like that with my mother. She began going for nationals and started travelling. So I used to miss her a lot. That’s when she said ‘Why can’t you qualify too and come along with me?’ And that’s how I qualified. Till I was 14, I used to participate so that I could bunk school and be with my mother! After that, I got my license and took it up more seriously. When I was 16, I got into the Indian squad. That came as a surprise to me, too. After that, everything changed. I went for my first international competition in Germany soon after. My second international was an Asian championship in Tehran, Iran. We won 2 bronze medals there. My best performance till date though, was in the national games held recently. I was announced as the most promising junior shooter in the national level! February has been a good season”, she smiles.
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India does not fare well when it comes to this sport. She adds, “In India the competition is not much, only now after Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang have been showing Olympic medals consecutively, people have begun to buck up and notice the sport. Compared to the competition in the international level, it is nothing here. It’s not very popular still. There is a 50 metre division and a 10 metre division. 10 metre is much more cost effective because the weapon is much cheaper and pellet wise also it is a lesser cost. It’s a very costly sport, and that’s the main reason we don’t get any sponsors. Ammunition is consumable you see, and each bullet costs about 20 to 30 rupees. Chennai, especially, is very bad when it comes to the competition. I am the only professional woman shooter here, as of now!
“My best performance till date though, was in the national games held recently. I was announced as the most promising junior shooter in the national level! February has been a good season”
I have also been selected to be on the Go Sports Foundation that Abhinav Bindra is a part of and I am going to Bangalore in a few days for a workshop. There must be so much for her to do, with both college and practicing her rifle shooting. She opens up, “Pretty much the whole year we have competitions, if not national and international we have something called trials where we need to keep producing scores to retain ourselves in the sport. It’s a little strenuous but I am a workaholic so I am able to handle it. Visual communication is another passion for me. I have always wanted to do that. I am very interested in photography. I might try to get into the National Institute of Design, because I am very interested in design too. There are short-term courses, which support sports on the side. Abhinav Bindra studied MBA in a university where only Olympians can study and completed his course there with a personal coach. Maybe I will do something like that. My ultimate goal is to win the 20-20 Olympics. I will need at least five years to prepare for that. I am hoping I will get into the senior squad next year and then into the Olympics quota then after”.
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“Instead of buying Barbie dolls, I used to buy
real bikes and cars and rip them apart!� laughs Alisha Abdullah, the only woman racer in India who excels in both car and bike racing. Emerging as a champion amongst the best male racers in the nation, she does it without breaking a sweat. Strong, focused and smart, she has lots to talk about. By Vilani Senthamil
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“To be frank, I was surrounded by bikes, petrol and tyres right from the moment I was born. The first place I walked was on the racetrack�
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H
ow did the thought of racing even spring up in her head? She recalls, ”When I was 8 years old, I went go-karting. It was the track and that drive that inspired me. My dad was a racer too, so I grew up watching that. To be frank, I was surrounded by bikes, petrol and tyres right from the moment I was born. The first place I walked was on the racetrack. So I guess I was destined for this! All my childhood pictures too are with cars and bikes. Cars and bikes are like my family. Instead of buying Barbie dolls, I used to buy real bikes and cars and rip them apart! I used to buy books, go to the library and go to Internet booths and pay for one hour to gain more knowledge about bikes and cars”. She just wanted to give it a try when she became involved with the sport. “I was 13 years old when I began practicing and won the championship. It was not like now back then, it was not a full-fledged career or sport at that time. In spite of that, I used to practice regularly on every weekend due to sheer interest. Now national championships are being conducted and there is some scope for the sport. There are regular championships happening nowadays”, she gathers. Being a psychology student, she raced side by side without letting the circumstance get the best of her. “I wanted to do Automobile Engineering, naturally. I had to go abroad for this and my parents did not allow me. Also I had financial constraints as well when it came to pursuing Automobile Engineering. There was no scope in India for automobile engineering. It didn’t happen. So I then opted for Psychology and completed that” There is a lot of physical fitness and risk involved in this. Even one small mistake can take your life. How did she survive against all that threatened her? “Everyone thinks that any sport in India brings a lot of strength, you become more strong to face the world. For me too, it was the same case, but it made me much stronger because I had to compete entirely with the opposite sex. I used to come last, when I began! They used to even overlap me. After one such incident, I cried so much and at that point I decided that I should never cry again. That’s how bad it was. When someone teases me, it just drives me to do more. People asked me to stop racing and focus on my education. The media publicity can make it all seem very glamorous, but when it came down to it there is no denying that there is a lot of hard work and tenacity involved in the sport,
especially if you are a woman from India”, she states. It is rare that a person can get their family to support them for a sport where so many things can go wrong. Alisha’s parents however, encouraged their daughter all they could. “I don’t think I would be the racer that I am without my parents. My father has always pushed me
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to go further. When I was younger, I had really long hair and once it got caught in the Kart. That was my first accident. They had to chop off my hair. My father, instead of taking me to the hospital, made me drive again. I cried out of fear and anger, while I drove. No matter how scary the situation is, he pushes me to do better. Whenever I feel like quitting, I remember this and begin again. This is how that one incident has inspired me. In an accident where a superbike fell on my hip, I was leading the championship with 20 men competitors when I was 19 years old. When I fell down I became unconscious and after 2 hours I woke up. Even then I just searched for my bike, all I felt then was the need to ride. No matter how hard the situation, I always push myself till I get what I desire. It’s only because of my father,” she summarises.
“No matter how hard the situation, I always push myself till I get what I desire. It’s only because of my father”
The sport is physically, mentally and financially very consuming. It’s not all style, there is more to the story. She agrees, “The total weight you have to carry is 250 kilos while racing. It is not easy at all. The sport is amazing, but you cannot earn at all in the sport. It is the only sport in the country that doesn’t give you money. Lots of people are under the assumption that it is a stylish sport and want to be a part of it, but they have to comprehend the amount of money they have to put into it before getting involved in it. Getting bikes, the repair involved all of that. One testing, which lasts about 4 to 5 hours, costs about 2 lakhs easily! I know so many people who say I will leave my house and buy a bike and leave everything behind to learn the sport. The truth is, you can never do that. You have to earn a lot to get involved in this.
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You simply can’t participate in this sport without money. I have raced with women from other countries. But India, sadly, has no female racers. We are the second largest population but we don’t have any female racers. I want to change that! I am launching the ‘Alisha Abdullah Racing Academy for Women’, in the near future. I have taken a year’s break from racing to focus on starting the Academy. There are so many women who want to be in this sport and I really have to do something to fulfil those dreams that are so similar to mine”.
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“I fall in love with Silambam every day of my life�
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ecites Aishwarya Manivannan, an artist, designer, teacher and Silambam prodigy. Get a glimpse of how this damsel multitasks with perfect planning and execution, as she unveils all that she pulls off. By Vilani Senthamil
Why Silambam? Can you tell us more about this martial art form. I have been completely hooked on to Silambam for the last few years. I have always believed in physical activity and being physically fit. I am a trained Baratanatyam dancer, and I have also been an active member of the Tamilnadu Cycling club and Chennai trekking club. So when I was training in Baratanatyam I wanted to acquire more strength and began looking out for martial
art classes. That’s when I came across Power S. Pandian Master who is a senior when it comes to Silambam training in the country. I have been training with him for the past 2 and a half years. I have just been been completely smitten by this martial art form! I fall in love with it almost every day. When you think about it, going back in historyMan was more of a nomad travelling around with just a staff. He used that staff to walk, to hunt and to defend himself when needed. It was at first a fighting technique and in fact, when the British began their rule in India they banned the practice of Silambam realising how efficient it was as a fighting technique. Once that happened, people began practicing it as a performance art rather that a fighting technique. Pandian master has been teaching for more than 25 years now, his lineage has taught legends like MGR, so I feel blessed to be trained by hime. I got the opportunity to represent
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India in the Third World Silambam Championship, for which 600 participants including 50 Indians had come. I won 4 silver and 4 bronze medals. The most surprising thing is there are hardly any other girls who practice Silambam here, but there were many women from other countries like Portugal, South America, Indonesia, Malaysia who did! In Malaysia, Silambam is a strong part of the extra curricular activities along with education. There were women who had been trained in Silambam right from their primary education. It was like a slap on my face, because Silambam was originally from South India and other countries are taking it a lot more seriously than we do! The kind of efforts that they make, the time and money they put into
training, the support that they get from the government, from people around them and from the sports sector and everything is absolutely stupendous. With every single day of practice, I just grow to love it a lot more.
What are the benefits of this martial art form? It is very meditative because for every single moment you have to concentrate, because it’s a fight. Though there is a lot of physical exertion involved, it’s worth it. It touches on flexibility, agility, stamina, muscle strengthening, concentration and mental strength. Being an artist myself, I think it triggers the way the mind works and facilitates
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to work much better. The different rotations of Silambam requires us to train on both sides, the right and the left. This facilitates both the dominant and non-dominant sides of the brain to work better. Silambam is being practiced in three forms- as a performing art
form, a fighting technique and a sport. I began Silambam as a performing art, but now I delve into all 3 when required. I take inspiration from my Guru, Pandian Master who is very committed to this art form and has so much knowledge about it. I haven’t done anything compared
to what he has given me in terms of knowledge or training.
What do you focus on, at present? I am an artist and designer right now. I
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did my Undergraduation in Madras University and I was a first rank holder there. I went on to do my Masters in Singapore, where I did my MA design. Before pursuing my Masters I worked wih Krithika Subramaniam who is one of the top architects in the city. I worked with her in the Interior Designing space. After I finished my Masters she wanted me to join her once again and I did. I worked there for a while and did a good number of projects for her. But then I realised, even through my college days I had got used to having a couple of things going for me at the same time. So when I was working full time I realised I was sacrificing a lot of things for that one full-time job, and when that struck me I decided to give it up. Now I head the Department of Visual Arts in MCTM International. I conduct a lot of workshops across the city. I also help with portfolios of students by conducting portfolio development classes to those who are looking to apply full time abroad or for internships. I love teaching! I used to teach for an NGO, bringing art into government schools and education. I taught the teachers there to teach art and include it in education.
Tell us something about your art and design. Things work differently in the creative industry. I have been very lucky as I have found many people who like my systematic kind of work. I did a project with a French photographer, Frederick Delangle last year. He would take street photographs of Europe in black and white and I painted these photographs to make it look like the streets of Chennai. I did a lot of research on that, hand banner painting and produced that on the painting. Looking at that, it just looks like a busy Mylapore or Aminjikarai street, but it was in reality, a street from Europe. I was involved in conceptual photography showing different forms that a woman could take. She can be strong and professional but she could also be sensual and seductive. This happened in Art Houz gallery.
What will you give priority to, in the future? I am definitely going to help Silambam come up and all of us as a team are going to work together. I am going to document the martial art form after thorough research, to preserve the art form. Being an artist and photographer myself, I am in an ideal position to produce this documentation in innovative and appealing ways and I fully intend to do just that. I am working on starting off my own art and design studio, I am also into event management and have been doing events for many years now. Planning to start a web portal, in addition so there is an international reach to art based events in Chennai. Education is something I am really passionate about so I will definitely not give that up. Though I wont take it up full time, I will keep conducting workshops often and impart whatever knowledge I have. I believe in compartmentalization, that’s for sure. Now the order of priorities begins with Silambam as the frontrunner. The National Tournament is coming up in a few months and I am focusing on that as well. Art and design are never going to take a back seat in my life. They are extremely crucial to me.
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A Flowering Career
Bhagyashruti, the marketing head of ‘Pooo Shop’ a flower business that is interrelated with wedding and event décor, is making heads turn with this successful venture. Innovative and full of love, let’s see what she has to say about this unique business How did your journey begin?
I was an inflight executive with Jet Airways for nine years. After giving birth to two children, I decided it was about time to do something on my own and to take control over my own time. My husband and business partner Balaji insisted that I join his event décor business with an extension called the ‘Pooo Shop’. That’s how it all began.
What do you do apart from work?
My family and friends are like my lifeline. Without them, I cannot survive. This is something I can be very sure of. My children are the most integral part of my life. For leisure, I hang out with other friends of mine, a gang of moms! We even call ourselves ‘Super moms’! We keep hanging out and take our kids everywhere, so both generations get to have loads of fun.
Tell us about your career.
I put my heart and soul into what I do right now and I enjoy every single minute of it. It was a wonderful career leap and there has been no turning back ever since. I essentially take care of the operations as well as social marketing. My ultimate goal is to take Pooo Shop to a level where it is the first name that comes to mind for anyone thinking of flower décor. We also offer flower gifting options, designing and creativity in anything related to flower décor.
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Music
Having crooned the songs Kodaana Kodi from Saroja and Aska Laska from Nanban, Swetha Suresh (popularly known as SuVi) is a California based Singer and Songwriter of Indian origin. Having worked with AR Rahman for many popular movies, she has lots to say about the field and what it has to offer
&
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Her
Indians to cater to
Why music? She delved more into dance and sports as a child. She excelled in Badminton in fact, being a district level player. So why did she choose music over all of that? “It’s because I am by nature, a very expressive human being and music felt to me like the best medium I could use be the same. When I realized I could make money for doing that, I felt I would get utmost satisfaction, both mentally and financially from music itself. That’s when I decided to build everything else around me about it,” she smiles. Having done playback singing for more than a hundred songs in many movies and for many famour artists, she finally realized her true calling was song writing. She’s focusing more on that now.
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She has performed at world-renowned venues such as the Wembley Stadium in U.K, The Dubai Sport Centre, Music Academy and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in India, The Nokia Plaza, Viper Room, The Federal and House Of Blues in Los Angeles, before packed audiences of 100 to even 20,000 people. Her songwriting skills helped her gain attention from several Music Producers such as Devin Parker, Eric Jackson (Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Seal, Baby Face), Toni Braxton, Storm ( Robinthicke, Mary J.Blidge), Swagga Bob, Drop On Top and Karan Parikh.“I moved abroad to see the big picture. Sometimes it takes a big move such as this to see what the real deal is. I had to do it to see if I fit the real deal and if I could bring the real deal to India.Plans for the future are plenty. I’m currently spreading all my ideas about what I need to do to make the music scene in India much more interesting internationally with respect to talent, artistry, music production, live show and marketing. This is from the Artist’s perspective and not the audience. I am working on these ideas with my team in LA and also looking for possible investors who would be willing to support this revolution for a change. I would also love to perform at music festivals in India this year with my band. Isn’t it true that hip- hop and pop is a loved genre here?” she laughs. SuVi is also known for her dynamic hip hop dance performances on stage.
12| JANUARY 2015 | BREW
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Inspired and inspiring She has reached a level that is up above all the rest. Who does she look up to? “I would definitely call Jay Z and BeyoncĂŠ my role models because they are not only amazing artists on their own but also smart music business entities who have done quite a bit for the music industry by establishing their brands and bringing up other artists through their label. I would definitely like to become like that some day!â€?
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w Bre rtehw i B ittehW ereWa v i C #L#
The Kyndal
Lady
Young, smart and confident are words that best describe the persona of this woman. Out beyond everyday perceptions, Pushpanjali Banerji soars with high spirits for the career she embraces being a big part of the Kyndal Group.
P
laying a major role in a business that is downright driven by men; she doesn’t easily take pride in having gotten there. Kyndal India, she says is basically her father’s business. In a management buyout, SiddharthBanerji bought the Indian subsidiary of Kyndal and since then, there has been no looking back, and no bounds to how much and how far it has grown.
Liquor realm and women
Pushpanjali gets as honest as she can when asked about how well women
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can grow in this industry as she has. With no question of doubt, she blatantly says “I have been very lucky. It would be very unfair of me to generalise it. Because of course, I’m part of the management. I’m not very sure if anybody else would be treated the same way. So, I should say I’ve been incredibly lucky. And when I’m in the field, I realise there are very few women there. Somehow, women get are side lined. They are not taken seriously.” She also adds, quite casually, “When I enter shops, people are surprised and they ask, ‘What you doing here? Why are you here?’ and all of that! I’ve been asked to leave many times which are, in C grade bars, saying those are unsafe. And these circumstances always occur when you are a woman. There are such things in other areas of my life too. It’s also got to do with the upbringing. My parents have always treated my brother and me as equals.” But despite all the broad-minded vision that people have been subject to, there are lots of times and places where women do not get what they deserve. Pushpanjali boldly agrees, “There are women I know, that I feel bad for. They have not been given that space they very much deserve, just because people think ‘She’s a woman, she has a family, and she’ll not have time for anything.’ I really think that’ssad.” As a woman with a career so successful, she gives an insight on how most women on the other side are looked at professionally, “People just think a woman will not be as dedicated, which is just stupid! It has nothing to do with gender. It’s just got to do with the level of passion you have for your work.”
Kyndal, the birth
There’s always a small air of surety when she talks. Be it about the society, the market, about how people work, or which consumer wants what, she knows it all like the back of her hand. When getting down to business talk, Pushpanjali turns into a woman on a mission. “It’s basically my father’s business. So in a management buyout my father SiddharthBanerji, bought the Indian subsidiary of Kyndal. With it came a lot of interesting brands such as Absolut Vodka and others. And these were a part of our portfolio that we launched in India. This was back when they did not have independent footing in the country. So given that background, it was a very interesting thing.” She also laughs as she pipes,“However, I was a normal student at that time. I had no
understanding that this was going to turn into a big affair!”
Climbing uphill
There is always a tinge of respect that sets in while listening to a story of someone’s growth, and even more when that someone is a woman. When Pushpanjali began, it was overwhelming to realise that big tomorrows really do come from little choices of today. “When I was in college I started helping out with promotions. It was interesting. I always knew my booze, thanks to my father’s background. But, I never imagined I would be
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For instance, an outlet can tell me that they are very good, that they are very popular. And on paper it might look very good. But then because I’m young I would know if that really is the case!” She believes that one can come to know about a lot regarding the market just by talking to people across different channels, different trade channels. The idea is to be in the market to know what the buzz is, what people are saying. She says, “You must not lose touch with what your consumers are saying, no matter what.”
Heartening success
At the close of the interview, Pushpanjali opens up about how her journey so far has changed and shaped her for the person she is today. She agrees that a lot of things have helped her evolve as she has, “Yes, I always like to take some time off to see what I’ve learnt. I’ve had many such moments where I’ve realised a lot of things have helped. One such is that our country is so diverse. We are incredibly lucky to live in a country like India where, if you just go, take a two hour flight, you can be in a completely different ethnic group, and environment, where the food is different, the culture is different, the people are different and points of view are different.”And with such exposure, there is a great kind of pleasure, as you understand a market, according to Pushpanjali.“I feel thatI know why people arebuying this. When I know that, when I feel like I get it and when I know I’m local enough to understand, it makes me feel great. When I see the brand is doing excellent, in markets where I don’t speak the language it honestly feels wonderful,” she beams.
a part of it all,” she says. The real deal of running a huge company is knowing the little and big things, and Pushpanjali knows her cup of tea just way too well. When asked about the technicalities of how she understands her consumer audience, and connects with what people really want, she laughs loud and says, “I’ll be honest! It helps that I am at the age that I am. It really helps, because marketing people are becoming younger. And with that newer media is coming in. Social media is becoming a very big aspect when it comes to marketing. Everything is driven by communities that is very different from the typical push and pull of marketing”. Emphasising on how being young is a big blessing, she also adds,“Ithas lot of advantages. It’s just that when you are young, you know what the latest trend is. What is the bar everybody is trying to get into, what people are reading, sharing or talking about and so on. You do not get taken for a ride, because you know what’s really happening.
“There is something very exciting happening at Kyndal at the moment! We’ve launched the brand Cutty Sark. We got into a joint venture with Edrington, which is basically responsible for launching the iconic Cutty Sark in India. And for the first time, this scotch whiskey is being bottled outside of Scotland in its entire history. So, I think that has been the most exciting thing that is happening right now.”
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rew
B ith W e Liv
#
Diet plan for health after
fertility
A woman’s physique is very different when compared to a man. Vikram Cotah explains why women should modify their diet plan in accordance with their physique.
n If a woman wants to be healthy, especially during the fertility period she should frame a diet in such a way that it includes a lot of micronutrients. Generally the most important micronutrients are vitamins. The ones that you have to focus on are Vitamin A and Vitamin E, which can be acquired only from what is ingested, so it is very crucial. n For the mother and the baby, it’s best to eat organic food. During the fertility period, having proper nutrition aids in
building healthy hormones and that is what is the basis for the babies and the mothers being healthy, naturally. n Also, most people drink water from plastic bottles. They do not know that plastic and changes in temperature can react and affect the water contained in the plastic bottle and bring harm to the body. It is very harmful thing when stored outside, and it should be made sure that women don’t drink from plastic containers especially during the fertility period. The
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poison of the plastics pollutes the water and affects the oestrogen balance of the body. n Each meal ought to be planned. Right from the time ovulation starts, the diet plan should be modified. n The ideal diet plan depends on the culture and the everyday routine of the individual. There is something called a Zone diet where you have fats, carbohydrates and proteins30 percent of fat, 30 percent of protein and 40 percent of carbohydrates. n This should be modified on the basis of the exercise pattern they follow. Women during this phase have uncontrollable pangs of hunger, so they should eat small amounts of food more often during the day to avoid intake of junk calories. The most important thing here is that they should never starve themselves, no matter what. n Even men should begin focusing on their diet because even the sperm ought to be healthy. Only when the sperm and egg is healthy can the baby be completely healthy.
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ew Br
ith eW v i L
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RECIPE FOR THE MONTH MARCH
Crumbed calamari with
SPICY
PIMENTO
MAYO INGREDIENTS
CALAMARI 250 gm squids (calamari) cleaned 10 gm ground white pepper Oil for trying 100 gm panko crumbs 100 gm flour 2 nos. egg Salt to taste SPICY PIMENTO MAYO 100 ml mayonnaise 5 gm chilli powder 30 ml lemon juice 50 gm roasted pimentos (red capsicum) Salt to taste PINEAPPLE SALSA 100 gm pineapple diced A pinch of ginger powder 2 gm chilli flakes 25 ml honey 1 sprig fresh mint leaves 15 ml olive oil Salt to taste GARNISH Lemon wedge Parsley
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METHOD CRUMBED CALAMARI Rinse the calamari, pat dry with kitchen paper and slice into Âź inch rings. In a bowl take flour, salt and white pepper powder. Break the eggs into the second bowl and whisk until combined. Place the panko crumbs in the third bowl. Heat the oil in a deep bottom pan on high heat. Take the calamari rings in smaller batches and coat them in the seasoned flour then to the egg and in the panko crumbs till evenly coated all over. Pat it gently to remove any excess crumb. Drop the rings into the hot oil and fry for a minute, or until they are a light golden brown in colour. Remove from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and rest on the paper towel. Repeat the procedure with the remaining calamari rings. Serve hot with lemon wedges, spicy pimento mayo and pineapple salsa. SPICY PIMENTO MAYO Roast the red capsicum in a preheated oven at 225 degree Celsius for 20 min. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 min. Peel the skin and keep aside. Puree the pimentos and add the rest of the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning according to your palate. PINEAPPLE SALSA Saute the ingredients except the mint in a hot frying pan for 1 min. without overcooking. Adjust the seasoning. Finish the salsa with torn mint leaves.
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ew Br
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luxe
spas
The best
country
Women’s day is the best time to make plans to visit the spa to pamper yourself or your woman. This time, make a trip out of it with this list of the best destination spas in the country located in the most prettiest of locations, offering the best of treatments
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Oberoi Spa at Wildflower Barcelona Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas, Chharabra, Shimla Website: www.oberoihotels.com Contact: +911772648585 Among the most private of all the spas in the world, this one is perched 8250 feet above sea level and surrounded by 22 acres of rich and woody pine forest. It naturally has a view to behold, and fresh air to breathe in. Trekking in the mountains, water-rafting, mountain-biking and even ice-skating are the activities you can go for when you’re there!After all, you don’t get to lounge in an open air Jacuzzi overlooking the Himalayas in every other place. Indulge in: The Classic Hungarian Body Wrap followed by a deep cleansing
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Sereno Spa at the Park Hyatt Barcelona Goa Resort and Spa, Arossim Beach, Cansaulim, Goa Website: www.goa.park.hyatt.com Contact: +918322721544 Lush green courtyards and gardens linked by canals, bridges and cobbled streets, imitates quite beautifully an Indo Portuguese village. Launch your spa session with an ayurvedic consultation, to find out which of your body’s doshas your treatment needs to focus on. Starting with a detoxifying steam or sauna and an exfoliating body scrub with marine salts, followed by a toning and firming body wrap that includes three types of thermogenic marine algae, the Samudra massage is a marine experience worth trying. The massage includes a thermo-active cream while the facial uses fucus collagen. Indulge in: A package of three nourishing treatments and doctor’s consultation, the Pitta Shamak
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Ananda Spa in the Himalayas, Barcelona Narendra Nagar, Tehri– Garhwal, Uttaranchal Website: www.anandaspa.com Contact: +911378227500 In a spectacular location, the spa combines the well-being principles of East and West with a specific focus on Ayurveda, Vedanta, Yoga and Aromatherapy. Rated to be one of the best spas in the world, Ananda has a roster of ‘visiting masters’. In December, Sheila Green conducts Buqi workshops to expel negative qi from your body, inspired by ancient Chinese medical practice. Couples must not miss out on the Kama suite’s private jacuzzi and sauna. Indulge in:Cleansing the lymphatic system through acupressure and hot Himalayan salt poultices infused with a blend of cardamom, lavender and jatamans, the Tibetan Ku Nye treatment is a must-try
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Jiva Spa at Vivanta by Taj— Barcelona Malabar, Willingdon Island, Kochi Website: www.vivantabytaj.com Contact: +914846643000 Locals and hotel guests visit this branch of Jiva Spa, which offers traditional Indian therapies as well as contemporary treatments. Located on Kochi’s Willingdon Island it offers stunning views of Kerala’s famed backwaters and Kochi harbour. Shudhikara consists of a detoxifying oil lymphatic drainage massage, a fruit scrub and a plantain leaf wrap. Also,Sama a yoga-inspired experience to help you attain equilibrium and a heightened sense of wellbeing—a combination of Asanas, Pranayama and Yoga Nidra. You can also book Taj Cinnamon Coast, the hotel’s luxury yacht, for a private sun-downer cruise after an afternoon at the spa. Indulge in: The unique Jivanya treatment, which includes an exfoliating herbal scrub, a heat-stimulating wrap of exotic spices and herbs from the hills and a massage with energising oils help relieve muscular tension.
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Devi Spa by L’Occitane at Barcelona Devi Garh Palace, Delwara, Udaipur Website: www.deviresorts.com Contact: +912953304211 This isn’t just any other spa—it’s aL’Occitane partnership set within an 18th-century palace with top-class meditation, Yoga and fitness facilities. The full range of award-winning L’Occitane products are used here, as well as fresh fruit, flowers and Ayurvedic oils. ‘Safar: The Holistic Journey’ is a signature programme based on a blend of L’Occitane products, local fruits and flowers and bespoke treatments. Indulge in: Combining local sweet lime with essential oils, the Sweet Lime Revitalizing Massage incorporates Swedish effleurages, lomilomi and Balinese movements.
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‘Legend’ary
event
The most elite faces in the city turned up for the quaint and niche launch of the February issue of the Brew Magazine. It was none other than the legendary P.C. Sreeram, the face of the cover who launched the magazine. Privileged to feature such a prodigy in an exclusive story, Brew is in all surety set out to publish many more stupendous stories in the future. Watch out for them!
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