www.thegoldensparrow.com
PUNE, DECEMBER 12, 2015
Juggling two professions
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The student has become the teacher p10
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
ENTERTAINMENT
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A true story set in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Partu is the first Marathi film by a US-based production house
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
This was when EastWest Films was formed and, over the years, their films have bagged innumerable fter successful films like awards. Aiming at making their Prayer Life, The Victory latest film as real as possible, Nitin Experience, Ghosts Don’t took a break from his IT career Exist, Kundalini and Together to ensure that he’d done enough Forever, EastWest films ventures research before actually shooting the into producing a Marathi film. The film. “It was very difficult for me to production house, which includes keep flying back and forth while the a mix of NRIs and US-born film ground work of the film was being enthusiasts, was formed essentially done. Since the story is about my out of a passion to make films. family, I absolutely needed to get Their latest release Partu is shot in every detail right. So, I decided to authentic locations and features a take a break from the corporate world cast of local actors. for just a little bit. Now that the film IT professional Nitin Adsul has been completed, released and has scripted well-accepted I and directed can peacefully the film, which go back to my is based on a job,” he says. story about his T h e family. In India film, Partu to promote the documents the film, he speaks journey of a to TGS about young boy raised his love for by a farmer, f i l m -m a k i n g , who adopts the production him when he company and loses his way. It the making of goes on to focus - NITIN ADSUL Partu. on everything It was about that the boy a decade ago experiences as that three IT professionals and he later has to choose between the good friends, Darrel Cox, Clark family that he was born into and the McMillian and Nitin got together one that raises him. to find a way to pursue their passion. This is the first Marathi film
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When Hollywood makes a Marathi film
ever to be made by a Hollywood production house and is well accepted in India and in the US, by all kinds of audience. Not only did Nitin manage to
get music composer Greg Sims to do the background score for the film, the theme song is the brainchild of Shankar Mahadevan. Before starting the film Nitin conducted an
elaborate audition process to ensure that whoever he chose was perfect for the role. Kishor Kadam and Smita Tamhe were on the top of his wish list even before he began casting. Talking about how the film is doing, now that it has been running in theatres for a week, Nitin could not be more pleased. “We were expecting to do well once the film released because it had already been appreciated at the South Asian Film Festival this year. It won the Best Film, Audience Choice awards and Kishor Kadam bagged the Jury Choice Award for Best Actor at the same festival. We are grateful to the audience and we plan to release it in Canada soon,” he tells us. Nitin, along with his team, is working on a few more scripts for future projects and these might include another Marathi film and a Bollywood project too. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Directing Angry Indian Goddess was a difficult task for him. Being a women centric film, the way the characters were portrayed was of utmost importance. Even though he wrote the entire script he hired two women co-writers to ensure that he got every detail right. An organic scriptwriter by nature, the script of the movie was constantly reworked.
“My cast went through a 40-day workshop to understand and study their characters. Since I wanted to bridge the gap between mainstream media and reality it is necessary that my characters are extremely real and relatable. Tiny details like how they talk, their gestures and even reactions to their co-actors all had to be perfect,” Pan tells us. In fact, what makes him happiest is the fact that a majority of the audience appreciating his movie are men. After seeing his first movie at the age of nine, all Pan wanted to do was become a director. He acquired a Fine Arts degree from MS University, Baroda, followed by a degree in Design from the National Institute of Design. In order to make it big, he moved to Mumbai and his struggling days began. When things finally began to work out him, his first priority was settling his family. Once he
found investors for his first film, there was no looking back. “I never wanted to assist directors as I felt that it would corrupt my vision. I made a lot of advertisements and corporate films while I was struggling and earned enough money to semi-fund my first few films and sustain myself. Along the way, I realised that the key to making good films was to love the story and believe in it before you convince the producers or actors to be a part of it,” he says. Pan’s hard work got him multiple awards for his documentary Ayurveda: Art of Being and 30plus international awards for the film Samsara. With every script he writes, the cast he hopes to work with changes. Yet, some day, he wishes to direct Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Amitabh Bachchan. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
“Since the story is about my family, I absolutely needed to get every detail right.”
Nitin Adsul (Left) explaining a shot; Still from the film (Above)
Mainstream, yet different
“I never wanted to assist directors as I felt that it would corrupt my vision”
A self-taught film maker hailing from a small village in Gujarat, Pan Nalin is today recognised globally for the body of work he has produced over the years TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
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hile critics have innumerable reasons to lash out at his film, Angry Indian Goddess, the audience has pretty much given it a thumbs-up. Scriptwriter and director of the film, Pan Nalin aims
to fill a gap between mainstream media and the reality that surrounds him. He believes that the film should have been made by a woman but claims to have captured every single detail correctly throughout the film. Overwhelmed by the positive response, he tells us about his journey so far and who he hopes to work with in the future.
3 All set for their performance in the city this weekend, Prem Joshu and Band will present the best of East meets West moods By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
Meet the pioneers of crossover sounds
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f you ever need to escape to a place that is serene and beautiful, you only have to listen to a song by Prem Joshu and Band. With a scintillating blend of instruments like the sitar, tabla, keyboard, percussion and bass coupled with vocals, the band of four creates sheer magic. All set to perform in Pune their show will see a lot of new songs as well as some classics like Meera and Jhule Lal. Finding time in between their hectic travelling schedule, Prem talks to TGS about the band, their music and the secret to their perfect compositions. Next week’s performance will see a rare confluence of different musical directions and traditions, rooted in Indian Classical music but fused with Rock, Reggae, Jazz and Electronica elements. Hailing from Germany, India, France, and Japan the one aspect that got the four members together was their love for India and the country’s music. “Along with India, we also shared a strong passion for fusion music and experimentation. We believe that the main reason people love what we do is because we love what we do. I studied music here and produced my first album here. Indians love my music and so, besides our concert tours around the world, we mainly perform in India. I can’t thank this
country enough. She has given me ample love and support throughout,” Prem tells us. Learning the flute at the age of five, there was almost an instant connection with Indian music for him. His parents too wanted him to
learn but turning music into a career wasn’t an option when he was growing up. As a result, Prem worked as a painter for a long time along with doing several other jobs to survive. After a couple of years, when he couldn’t
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
STAGE think of anything other than music, he gave up everything to become a full-time musician and hasn’t regretted it since. While composing music that mixes two extremely different cultures, there is no rule book or formula to follow. Understanding the roots and elements that you are about to merge is the key to creating something fresh and correct. Prem believes the band has been successful because of their perfect compositions, “The key is to just be the musician that you are and follow that. I have a European background but I am immensely inspired by Indian music, so the merger happens naturally, organically. Crossover music is in my blood. Exploration and a passion to create something new are my tools.” A versatile musician, Prem plays the flute, sitar, soprano, and saxophone along with giving the vocals during their performances. He treats each instrument like a child and showers them with a lot of attention. His band comprises of Rahul Sengupta on the tabla, percussions and vocals, Satygyan Fukuda on percussion, bass and vocals and Dondieu Divin on the keyboard and vocals. There is also Runa Rizvi on vocals and the dancer Hina Sarojini. When: December 17, 9:30 pm onwards Where: blueFROG, Ishanya Mall, Yerawada salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
They will make you laugh, and think
Aisi Tasi Democracy Tour is on its way to Pune. Witness the madness that’ll get you guffawing but be sure to pause a minute to deliberate too
TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
gradually push the audience. “When we did the Samne Wali Sarhad song it was chosen by accident and no particular thought was put into it. The tune of the song went well with our lyrics and the reception was unexpected. We could not be more pleased,” he says. For Sanjay, the best part of the performance is that he gets to share the stage with Rahul and Varun. His advice to budding artists — forget entertaining the audience, let them entertain you.
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arun Grover is a writer, lyricist and stand-up comedian. Sanjay Rajoura is a stand-up comedian as well as a blogger. The third member of the group, Rahul Ram, needs no introduction at all if you know anything about Indian indie music. For the past quarter of a century, he has been composing, singing and playing the bass guitar for the Delhi-based band Indian Ocean. Together, the three of them have made it their mission to bring to light the idiosyncrasies, successes, failures, and downright stupidities of being an Indian. Innumerable successful shows later, the witty, creative and hands down funny trio is all set to veer their journey towards Pune. Formed a year ago, the act, titled Aisi Taisi Democracy, is a medium that has been chosen by the artists to show their audience just how much the Indian democracy is struggling. A stand-up comedy musical that is equal parts political, personal and social is just how the team prefers to define their act. The group talks to TGS about the challenges they faced with the act, the response they’ve received and their advice to budding stand-up comedians. VARUN GROVER The trio’s interest in politics, aesthetics and humour inspired the collaboration. Varun jokes about how they would have been married if there was anything more that was similar between
them. “When we did our first performance we were curious about the audience reaction. I was worried about what would happen if no one laughed and if they did not find the idea of three men on stage singing and cracking jokes sexy enough,” he recollects. As far as what he does is concerned he loves the fact that he gets to share his stories. Talking about the reaction that their video Mere Saamne Wali Sarhad Pe drew from across the border, Varun is satisfied that an artistic gesture was responded to with another artistic gesture. His advice to budding artists — don’t get arrested.
SANJAY RAJOURA All three of them have their own version of what was difficult about writing the act. While Sanjay feels that the first difficulty is yet to surface, the other two believe finding the time to get together and accommodating the idea that some people in India are so easily offended by their jokes that it could lead to a police case is the most challenging aspect. He tells us how the act got its name thanks to a sense of disillusionment with our democracy, which refuses to mature. With the first performance all that was on this stand-up artist’s mind was to test boundaries, sense the reaction and
RAHUL RAM “I admire Varun’s and Sanjay’s take on contemporary Indian reality. I felt that a few songs would add some punch our ability to laugh at ourselves as a society. The Pune audience is intelligent and sophisticated enough to draw their own conclusions from our pan Indian comments. A few stray city-specific comments are bound to sneak into the show,” he tells us. It is the chemistry that the three of them share, which not only makes them laugh but transmits to the audience as well. He hopes that the audience will understand that they can and should laugh at each other as a nation and this is the first step towards showing people how. Dreaming of doing more shows and eventually reaching out to the diaspora worldwide, Rahul also wants to compose some songs especially for Aisi Taisi Democracy. His advice to budding artists — don’t abuse anybody, stress on the ridiculous. When: December 12, 8 pm Where: Susie Sorabji Auditorium, Camp tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
FEATURES
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Pune gets a flavour of the Northeast
The city celebrates the spirit of Northeast India with a three-day film, food and cultural festival By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
Raj Zutshi A Manipuri folk dance performance; Assamese actor Zerifa Wahid (top right)
Northeastern students who come to the city every year and after seeing the success of the festival in Delhi, we thought it will be a great way to provide the community to come together on a platform.” The festival opened on December 8 and had veteran actor Raj Zutshi and prominent Assamese actor, Zerifa Wahid, as the guests of
Magic of Hindi theatre
Politics is the dominant subject at Swatantra Rang, a three-day theatre festival Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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watantra Theatre is back with its Hindi Theatre Festival featuring classic literature and extraordinary performances that deal with the subject of politics. The threeday theatre extravaganza will include plays such as Komal Gandhar, An Evening With Chekov and Muavje. The festival takes a look at the unconventional genre of political drama and captures its various aspects with much poise and calm. “This is
the second year of the festival and this time the three plays have been conceptualised on the subject of politics at different levels. The plays are strong, emotional, and satirical. Abhijeet Choudhary’s direction makes it all the more special. All the plays have a different flavor and concept at a different level,” says Dhanashree Heblikar, co founder of Swatantra Theatre and actor. The festival is an attempt to rekindle the dying art form of Hindi theatre. The organisers aim to produce plays that have innovative themes and unique contemporary content. “The play Komal Gandhar is about the woman in a male dominated world, where as the play Muavje talks about communal riots and how politicians benefit from such situations. It is a strong subject but it’s presented with a pinch of humour,” she adds. To appeal to the local audience, director Abhijeet Choudhary has adapted the play An Evening with Chekov into an Indian setting. They will showcase the rich and diverse culture of the country through plays like Seduction, Drowned Boy, Arrangement, and many more. They have an enthralling package of Anton Chekhov’s sharp wit and interesting characters all in a desi avtaar. “We have a cast of 39 actors. This is an attempt to bring back the culture of plays and dramas to the city,” Dhanashree says. When: Till December 13 Where: Open Air Theatre, Shri Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya, FC Road
honour. Talking about his stint with Assamese cinema, Zutshi whose film, Ekon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare, was screened at the festival, said, “Being an actor, I am extremely grateful that I get to travel around the country which gives me the opportunity to meet and connect with my fellow countrymen. Such festivals give us
the chance to come together and share our tradition. It’s like adding an extra dose of sugar to the sheera and I strongly feel such events should be organised more often.” Sharing her excitement on coming to the city for the first time for the screening of her film, Raag: The Rhythm of Love, Zerifa spoke
Celebrating India’s music heritage
TEJAS GAIKWAD
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he unique festival, ‘Fragrances From The North East’ concluded its second edition in Delhi this August. Citing it as a great way to connect with people, National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Symbiosis Ishanya Cultural and Educational Centre (SICEC) and North East Community Organisation, Pune (NECoP), collaborated to bring the rich and vibrant films, food and culture of the Northeastern states to the city for the first time. Announcing the opening, NFAI director, Prakash Magdum said, “There’s a large number of
about the slowly diminishing state of Assamese cinema. The land that gave legendary personalities like Bhupen Hazarika, Salil Chowdhuri, SD Burman and many others, is now succumbing to the pressure of big film players who don’t allow regional films to grow. “Our cinema is going through a major crisis. Most of our films don’t get proper screen timings and due to lack of regulation and balanced film policies, many theatres have been shut down. In such times, festivals such as these are our only silver lining,” she said. The three-day festival took place at NFAI and Symbiosis auditorium, Model Colony, where 16 feature films and nine short films were screened. The highlights were the colourful folk dance performances by Northeastern students, exhibition of handicraft and accessories along with food stalls, which offered delicious authentic Northeastern delicacies at the two venues. heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
O December 12, 3.30 pm to 10 pm Artist Bharathi Prathap Pravin Godkhindi Raghunandan Panshikar Rajendra Gangani Pt Ulhas Kashalkar
Performance Vocal Flute Vocal Dance Vocal
December 13, 8 am to 12 noon Artist Shaunak Abhisheki Dhruv Ghosh Malini Rajurkar
Performance Vocal Sarangi Vocal
3.30 pm onwards Smt. Padma Deshpande Bharati Vaishampayan Pt Upendra Bhat Shubha Mudgal Suresh Wadkar Manju Mehata & Partho Sarthy Dr. Prabha Atre
Vocal Vocal Vocal Vocal Vocal Sitar + Sarod Vocal
ne of the biggest classical music festival of India ‘Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav’ is here. So far the festival has seen stalwarts like Pt Vishwanath on vocals, Namrata Gaikwad on the Shehnai, Amjad Ali on vocals and Niladri Kumar on the Sitar, among many others. Shadja, a short film festival on the Indian classical music scene and Antaranga, an interactive session with acclaimed artists are a part of the festival. The festival will also showcase photographs on various themes and artists by Pune’s renowned photographer Sateesh Paknikar. Each year ‘Vatsalabai Joshi Award’ given to the artist for their contribution towards Indian Classical Music this year will be given to senior vocalist Pt Vijay Koparkar.
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TGS LIFE
This story is travelling around the country
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
Two theatre enthusiasts have taken on themselves to spread the story of the aftermath of a war on an individual. Covering 4,000 kms, they tell their story in Pune this weekend
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hey mounted their luggage and set off on a Royal Enfield, beginning a journey that both would remember for life. Akram Feroze and Lia Hasler are all set to tour the country one city at a time and spread the message of living in peace and harmony. While they’re in the city to perform their play Lone Conqueror, TGS spends a little getting to know them better. IN THE WORLD OF THEATRE After dropping out of college while studying genetics, Akram worked in the television industry for a while. He then moved on to become an art director in Tollywood and during this span was also a part of the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation in Hyderabad. Intrigued by the magic of theatre and the freedom of communication that came along with it, he decided to pursue it full time and has initiated several campaigns since then. Cycle Natak, Winter on Wheels and Theatre at Borders, are some of his most famous campaigns. It was during the Theatre at Borders campaign that he was arrested and spent about a fortnight in jail before he was released on bail. Drawing inspiration from what he sees around himself, his plays are meant to make the viewers think. “There is so much that happens around us that we so happily ignore. I strongly believe in the fact there should be no borders. A world passport is my dream. My plays usually try to reflect this phenomemon,” says the 27-year-old. Lia, on the other hand, joined a theatre group five years ago and is now touring the world spreading the message of harmony. Hailing from Switzerland, she has performed plays in her motherland, Germany and India. “We performed a play called Gandhi, based on a movie with a similar name and that is when I visited India. I joined
a theatre workshop during my stay in Madurai and that’s where I met Akram two years ago. When we met once again about a month ago, he ran this idea by me and I could not have been more excited,” she tells us.
VISHAL KALE
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
TWO WHEELS OF THEATRE Touring the country with the project ‘Two Wheels of Theatre’, the duo has already covered Hyderabad, Hampi, Hugli, Gokhara and Kolhapur. After Pune, they shall be heading to Bhopal and have yet to perform in Jaipur, Delhi and Chandigarh. Starting on December 1, the two have been travelling on a single bike and will be taking a 10-day break during Christmas. The bike journey comes with its own set of challenges and has been a joy ride for both of them. “Accidents and physical weakness are a given because of the distance that we are covering. But even while we are on road we are continuously rehearsing, improvising and practicing our dialogues. We meet so many people on the way and the inspiration is immense. The bike ride gives you a bigger sense of being free and makes us feel even more strongly about the message that we are hoping to spread,” says Lia. One of the biggest challenges that two of them face is that of managing or arranging the props that their 55-minute act requires. All props are always made in the city that they are performing in and so improvisation becomes the key, based on what their tight budget can afford. Both of them are quite uncertain of what the next day holds for them let alone their future yet they certainly want to do something big. While he will continue to promote the idea of peace, a border-free country and a world passport, she believes in taking every day as it comes. When: December 12, 7 pm onwards Where:Aksharnandan School, behind JW Marriot, SB Road salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Watch poetry come alive on screen
A still from Woman Divine
City-based investment banker-cum-poet launches a unique concept of turning poems into short films By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
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arshvardhan Sukhatme’s first stint as an actor dates back to when he was a teenager. His father, Madhukar Sukhatme, who was an industrialist as well as a performer, made Harsh and his brother, Shrivardhan don costumes of Luv and Kush to enact a short scene from Ramayana. As he grew older, Harsh got busy trying to carve out a career for himself. It was between 1997 and 2002 that he wrote some 20odd poems, which were essentially an outcome of his changing life situation. Several poems were scrapped, while 14 were buried inside his study. Recently, while sifting through his papers he found his poems again
and considered throwing them out for good. Eventually he decided to do something creative. After a lot of contemplation, Harsh finally came up with the idea of creating some kind of visual element with the poems and that’s
“I wanted to do something that would be visually appealing and soulful at the same time”
how the concept came into being. “Initially, I thought of making songs out of my poems but I wasn’t convinced as a lot of the younger generation is doing that. I wanted
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to do something that would be visually appealing and soulful at the same time.” A chance meeting with screenplay writer Aziz Rajabali, gave birth to a unique idea and after a few meetings with director Ranjan Mangwaani, they set out to create short films based on two of Harsh’s poems, ‘Woman Divine’ and ‘Life On The Road’. Shot against the scenic backdrop of hills and rivers in the outskirts of Pune, the two films which were officially launched in the city recently, look visually appealing with well-known Marathi actors Ketaki Narayan, Aashay Kulkarni and Ankur Divekar enacting the characters from the screenplay. While the result looks interesting, Harsh says that it was not a very
smooth journey since after finalising the screenplay, finding the perfect location was the most challenging task. “During the two-month schedule, I realised how difficult filming is in this country. We would select a location, but not get the permission to shoot. The weather would play a spoilt sport on many occasions. I had to pay through my nose to finally zero in on the locations, which were mostly private properties. But all the hard work has paid off as the final product looks convincing.” After releasing the two videos on a private viewing platform, Harsh and his team are now in the process of applying at various film festivals. “I have been receiving great reviews and response from people near and far and now I feel confident that this idea could have a bigger reach in the future. I also plan to make videos of the remaining poems that I had written and turn them into a proper series of films. With growing technology and creative minds, there is a lot of scope for people like us to come up with new and interesting concepts. I feel that this is just a stepping stone towards bigger and better things I plan to come up with in the future.” heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
INDULGE
RAISE A TOAST TO
KERRY DAMSKEY
A whiff of the wine and he can tell you exactly what is right or wrong with it. A dedicated and passionate vintner, his dream is to be able to make wine in different parts of the world By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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reating wines for about 39 years, it is Kerry Damskey’s passion and dedication that has made him one of the most renowned winemakers today. He was only 17 years old when he decided to attend the University of California Davis pursue a degree in fermentation sciences. The university has one of the most noted wine chemistry and viticulture schools in the United States. He grew up in a family
where visiting the wineries was a regular affair. While he himself was quite attracted to anthropology it was his father’s desire that he walk down the winemaking path. Currently, the primary consultant for Sula Vineyards, he is also working with wineries in California, Israel, Costa Rica, Washington, China and Bulgaria. Talking to TGS about the wine manufacturing scene in the country and his own philosophy, he also gives us a few tips on pairing wine and food. Kerry’s key to success can be attributed to the fact that he puts in a lot of research about the terrain before he actually begins creating the wine. Talking of the scene in India, he says, “Wine is relatively new to Indians. At Sula, we craft wines to pair with the complex Indian cuisine. The wines that are made here, especially the red wines, are made in a manner to enhance its aromas, taste and compatibility. Only then will the wine relate well with the taste buds and can be accompanied with the local cuisine.”
He has a very simple winemaking philosophy. It takes great grapes to make great wine and it is the job of the winemaker to articulate a style that defi nes the wine, he believes. For him, being a winemaker is a lot like being a chef with knowledge of microbiology, chemistry and business. “I have been making wine since 1976 and the journey has been incredible. India has been a happy addition to my list of countries where I have made wine. I have been coming here since 1995 and the journeys have profoundly defi ned the person I am today, both as a winemaker and as an individual,” he says. He runs Terroirs a company that offers winegrowing and winemaking expertise along with vineyard and acquisition services. Along with his family, he also owns a small-ultra premium winery, Palmeri Wines, known for its Cabernet, Chardonnay and Syrah. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
MAKING THE PERFECT WINE Correct grape varieties for the climate that will produce a complex, tasty wine • Optimum climate conditions for vine growth that are Mediterranean in nature • Scientific knowledge of how to grow grapes and make wine • Craftsmanship as a skill that allows one to put together artful wines
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WINE AND THE INDIAN CUISINE • Choose wines that are fresh and that have been stored in a cool environment • Red wines are better suited to heavily spiced Indian dishes • Serving temperature is important in India. The optimum temperature is between 15 to 18 degrees
YOUR CHOW AROUND TOWN a classic cocktail with a ‘beery’ twist. The luscious citrusy flavours blend smoothly with the distinctive malty taste of beer. When: Till December 31 Where: The Beer Café, Koregaon Park
The Irish Menu Madness Brewtails This December, The Beer Cafe introduces one of the finest signature beer cocktails menu - ‘Brewtails’ curated by Studio De Monin to brighten up the month of celebrations. With the festive season just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to try custom designed cocktails drinks that guarantees to illuminate your festivity. They promise to add zing to your celebration with this exclusive festive season menu comprising an exotic array of Brewtails such as Sweet Pepper - a zesty blend of lager, grapefruit and strawberry, or you could treat yourself to the Minty Beerijito-
With New Year less than a month away, your friendly neighbourhood pub, The Irish House is gearing up to bid adieu to the old and welcome the new. Begin your feast with appetizers like ‘Skewed’ Cottage Cheese, Handcrafted ‘Cuban’ Pork Cigars, Chilli Corn Sliders or Armagh Chicken Bites to name a few. Moving on to the new very tempting ‘Fries’ section which are classic crispy fries loaded with a variety of delicious sauces and toppings; dig into the Mexican Mess, the Angry Bird (crispy fries topped with spicy chicken, smoked hot sauce, melted cheese, finished with a sunny side up fried egg), or the Good Ol’ Mac n Cheese Fries. With an array of introductions on the bar menu, one can now pick from over 50 varieties of international and domestic brews, including a range of
draught and craft beers carefully selected for the discerning beer lovers. When: Ongoing Where: Irish House
A New Addition at the 3 Spices Hainanese chicken rice is a classic dish of the South East Asia, typically found in the streets of Singapore, and Malaysia. The rice is cooked in rich chicken fat with garlic and ginger, while the chicken is marinated overnight in honey, soy, ginger juice and
local herbs and dried. The drying helps crisp the skin upon roasting. Peculiarly the chicken when served on the streets is served room temperature while the rice and soup is piping hot. Enjoy the spicy chili dip which is super hot and tangy which adds another element to the dish. When: Till December 31 Where: 3 Spices, DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel, Chinchwad
Prep your appetite for oriental brunch Sunday brunch gets a makeover at Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar. Launched for its patrons it’s a Sunday brunch which the city has never experienced. Asian food lovers can enjoy a variety of dim sums like classic, steamed, pan seared etc. The Brunch offers other Asian specialties like a sushi bar, Asian grills, assorted salads, Thai curries,Chinese wok, Asian desserts and much more spread out across seven live counters. Where: Baan Tao, Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar When: Ongoing
BAKE AN XMAS SURPRISE
By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
T
he winter holidays are round the corner and if you are a baking enthusiast, this is the perfect occasion to bake a surprise treat for your loved ones. These effortless recipes are not just gorgeous to look at, they taste delicious and make for sweet little giveaways for your friends.
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
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VISHAL KALE
Bring in the Christmas joy with these warm, sweet, nutty and absolutely sinful desserts
CHRISTMAS TRUFFLES Ingredients 2 cups Semi sweet chocolate, finely-chopped 1/4 cup Fresh cream 1/4 cup Glazed cherries, finely chopped and soaked in 3 tbsp dark rum 1/2 cup Cocoa powder Method Melt the chocolate and cream together in the microwave at 20 second intervals. Take care not to burn the chocolate, only melt it. Mix in the rum and the cherries and stir until a uniform mixture is formed. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour. With a spoon, drop equal sized mixture on a parchment paper and cool for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Shape them into round balls and roll them in cocoa powder.
CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE Ingredients 3 Eggs 180 gm All-purpose flour 1/4 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Vanilla essence 1 cup Dark rum 30 gm Glazed cherries 30 gm Candied orange peals 50 gm Cashews 30 gm Raisins 30 gm Cranberries 30 gm Dry figs (finely chopped) 30 gm Dates (finely chopped) 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp Ground cardamom 1/4 tsp Dry ginger powder 175 gm Butter
150 gm Sugar Zest from 1 orange A pinch of nutmeg A pinch of salt Method Soak cherries, orange peels, raisins, cranberries, dry figs and dates in one cup of rum overnight. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees. Grease a loaf tin with butter and dust it with one tbsp flour. Keep aside. Sieve the flour and baking powder and keep aside. In a bowl, take butter, salt, sugar and mix until creamy. Add one egg at a time mixing gently. Fold in the flour little by little along with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, lemon zest and ginger powder. Fold in the soaked dry fruits and cashews and bake for 40-50 minutes. Let it cool before turning it out. Sift icing sugar on top and serve. EGGLESS DUNDEE CAKE Ingredients 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour 2 tbsp Butter 3/4 cup Brown sugar (or regular sugar) 1/2 cup Oil 1 cup Mixed fruits (sultanas, raisins, currants and mixed candied peel) 1 tsp Baking powder 1/2 tsp Baking soda 1 tsp Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp Almond essence 2/3 cup Milk 25-30 Blanched almonds Method Beat brown sugar, oil and butter with an electric beater or hand
SCOTTISH GINGER COOKIES Ingredients 2 cups Flour 1 cup Butter 1/2 cup Light brown sugar 1 tsp Vanilla essence 1 tsp Ground ginger Method In a large bowl, cream the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence, ground ginger, half the flour and mix well.
whisk till creamy. Add milk and almond essence and mix well. In a big bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder. Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients and mixed fruits. Mix well on low speed for two to three minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a medium round cake tin. Fold the batter and decorate it with blanched almonds. Bake it for 45 minutes or until the inserted tooth pick comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the cooling rack and serve.
Knead in the remaining flour little at a time. Put it in a plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Cool the dough to the thickness of 1/4 of an inch. Cut out cookies in the shape of a ginger bread man (as shown in picture) with a cutter. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown at 180 degrees. Decorate them as you like. (Recipes by Forennte Patisserie, Koregaon Park and Tarta at Doubletree by Hilton, Chinchwad)
TGS LIFE
Juggling
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
TWO professions
FEATURES
They do not crib about long hours at work. If anything, the might complain about the day not having enough hours fo them to pursue their passion. Meet five professionals wh successfully dabble with two satisfying caree
Nitin Joshi A sports enthusiast, loving husband and father as well as a hard-working businessman, is probably the best way to describe Nitin Joshi. Not having many career options while growing up, he chose to pursue computer engineering which interested him then. He always loved to watch sports more than actually being a part of it until three years ago. It was one of those out-of-the-blue ideas because of which he decided to enter marathons and long distance adventure sports. Eventually, the new found hobby turned
into a business venture as he set up Explore Adventures two years ago. The thrill and satisfaction he felt after a marathon or a long distance cycling trip was immense and that is when he decided to make the hobby a bigger part of his life. “My day job is still that of a computer engineer wherein I consult for companies on software products and solutions. Outside these hours and on weekends, I spend a dedicated amount of time with my other venture. The process of creating a software
Sameep Kulkarni Belonging to a family of musicians, Sameep Kulkarni is carrying the family’s legacy further. He aspires to achieve great heights in the world of classical sitar playing. He is a young, dedicated and budding name in the world of music, who started playing music at the tender age of six years and is now an established sitar player. The quality of being
equally good at music and academics also runs in his genes. Sameep has performed in over 700 concerts and has been part of a tough yet glorious journey of 20 long years. Not just this, he works in a multinational company during the day, and practises sitar at night. “I have been learning sitar for the last 26 years and I’ve been juggling between
product or solution has always been satisfying and with the events it’s fun to create, plan and execute it. When it is well received by the participants and sponsors I truly feel rewarded,” says the 50-year-old. Just like so many others, for Nitin the most difficult part of managing both his professions is finding ample time. The few weeks before any event are extremely tiring as there is a lot of work to be done. “One obviously needs to clock in more hours before a big event because of the kind of IT and sitar for the last 11 years. The routine is hard but I plan it perfectly and keep working hard to achieve what I want. I do riyaaz from10 pm to 1 am every day. On weekends, I plan my concerts. If I have to go abroad on a work tour, then I take my sitar with me,” he says. Though he wishes he had more time for riyaaz, Sameep is satisfied with his routine. Waking up early, rushing for office, then coming back to his passion is his routine. “If, some day, I cannot do riyaaz then I listen to sitar performances by maestros since that is also a part of riyaaz. I sleep for six hours a day and that is sufficient for me,” he adds. All this does not come easy to him. Sameep has to face his share of challenges. The pace of success is slow while managing two professions at a time. He recalls the time when he had to play at concert while suffering high fever. “Once I had a high fever in the morning and my concert was scheduled at night. I had to perform at the concert since it was my professional commitment. I drove myself to the concert, performed, returned back at night and went to the office the next day morning. The intensity of such challenges increases since I juggle between the two professions,” he says. He has no time for movies, attending family functions or simply going to restaurants but he has no complaints. Both careers have their advantages too. “My IT job keeps me grounded. The punctuality and professionalism that I have picked up as an IT professional, helps my sitar career too. The creativity, continuity and persistence I’ve learned playing the sitar helps my day job,” he says.
organisational work involved. I can never let my day job suffer and so compromising on things like sleep is a given. Even so, I have never felt that I have taken the wrong decision,” he tells us. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if he took up a third profession a few years down the line, he laughs. It is the process of learning something new and being an active part of it which excites him the most. Whenever he finds the time, he loves reading, travelling with his family or watching a play or movie.
“The punctuality and professionalism that I have picked up as an IT professional, helps my sitar career too.” - SAMEEP KULKARNI
For artistically-inclined Pooja, her fi rst love has always been making crafts using recycled or up-cycled material. She started her venture Meraki Crafts to promote handcrafted items and gift products. She specialises in using old cassette tapes to create incredibly artistic celebrity portraits, and hates wasting materials that could be used. So she always seems to find a way to integrate them into her work. Besides, she is an IT professional and devotes eight hours a day to work, coming back home to pursue her passion of making crafty stuff. “It is difficult for an amateur artist like me to survive just by selling the products I make. Taking up a full time job was important for financial stability but I manage both things now,” she says. She produces a variety of crafts, because she is always interested in learning how to make new things. What started as a hobby has now grown into a small business. “After I get home from office, I start with my craft work. At Meraki, I make personalised handmade gifts, theme-based merchandise and reel art. On weekends, I also participate and put stalls at flea markets and other festivals happening in the city,” she adds.
Pooja
Pooja w inclined, but field as a s It is only MBA and w sector that true calling. an art back friend’s birth gift her som made her a lot of compl onwards I d
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W
hen the clock strikes 6 pm, it’s usually time to get off work. Well, maybe for everyone else but not for those who juggle multiple jobs. For some, after putting in several hours at their day job, it’s time to re-focus and get back to another job. There are various reasons that prompt people to take up a little extra workload — an extra income, pursuing a passion, need for fulfi lment. You could be an engineer who uses his weekends to arrange outdoor camps and activities like Nitin Joshi or an IT professional and a renowned sitar player like Sameep Kulkarni. Of course, a hectic schedule leaves one with no time for family, vacations or even sick leaves. TGS introduces you to five such Punekars, who have found the perfect balance between their many careers and personal life.
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
“Three to four days I work at the university and the rest of the time I am at the farm”
FEATURES
- SATYAJIT HANGE
Satyajit Hange Satyajit works as a senior consultant at Bharati Vidyapeeth four days a week. The rest of the week, thanks to his supportive employer, he’s an organic farmer. For the last two years, he has been tending to his farm about 140 km away from Pune. The only connection he had with farming before this stemmed from childhood visits to the fields his father owned. Satyajit chose organic farming as a chance to do something more meaningful in life. He started his Facebook page to connect with customers. During his frequent visits to farms, he understood the immense difficulties involved in the process and decided to get fi rst-hand experience to understand the procedure completely. Today, he knows how to make traditional pesticides and fertilisers using natural ingredients. He has more than 70 cows that have been named dotingly. “We produce organic fruits and breed Indian indigenous A2 cows. We currently grow bananas, papayas, pomegranates, drumsticks, coconuts and other fruits. The sole
aim is to grow crops by using organic waste and other biological materials so that it keeps the soil alive,” he says. He reads a lot of books and watches Youtube videos to understand organic farming better. It was after a lot of research that he finally decided to take up farming. “I referred to lectures by ecologists and experimented with a lot of techniques. I met a lot of farmers from nearby villages to get a better idea on what goes into farming. Now, I produce my own compost and fertilisers,” he says. All this didn’t come easy to him. He had to step down from the post of Director of Technology to pursue what he always wanted to. “Being a director, it was difficult to manage both professions. They were kind enough to understand my passion for farming and offered me a position that allows me to concentrate on both areas. My farm is in Indapur, which is about a two-hour drive away. So three to four days I work at the university and the rest of the time I am at the farm,” he says.
Mandar Kulkarni
a Kamble
was always creatively t never considered the serious career option. after completing her working in the finance she discovered her . “I do not come from kground. It was my hday and I wanted to mething different. So I reel art frame. I got a liments for that. Then decided to take up the
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
g
By Zainab Kantawala and Salonee Mistry @TGSWeekly
TGS LIFE
art seriously,” she says. To help keep her priorities straight, she takes a few moments over the weekend to think through the schedule for the week and plans accordingly. “Planning and setting a routine is important. I work in shifts and the free time is completely dedicated to arts and crafts. But this doesn’t mean I neglect other things in life. I keep time aside for my parents, family and friends too,” she says.
He is one among the large staff that is part of the news team at All India Radio (AIR). Behind the serious voice is an extremely fun loving, energetic and creative individual who hopes to live every minute to the fullest. Wanting to become a singer since a very young age Mandar does riyaaz every single day no matter how hectic his schedule may be. Attempting to find a way to feed his creative spirit, four years ago he set up his own entertainment studio Samyak Entertainments. Apart from focusing on wedding photography, the venture is involved in making short fi lms and radio jingles. Mandar graduated with a BSc in Physics with Photography from Savitribai Phule Pune University and also has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Telling us about how he manages everything that he is involved with, he says, “Being a freelance photographer, I am my own boss. I get to make my own schedule and this gives me enough time to plan and organise all the things that I want to do. Working with AIR I have the scope to give them my schedule which I get to make in advance since I know when I have to go for shoots. Therefore balancing it all becomes very easy.” Apart from all the activity over weekends, the avid music lover travels to Mumbai for his training in Indian classical music. With photography, Mandar feels
that there is a new challenge every day and that’s what makes his job fun. Better technology, themes to think of for wedding photographs and so many other aspects test him and his skill from time to time. As far as AIR is concerned, being able to read the news in one continuous flow is the biggest challenge. “It happens eventually. No one ever gets it right in the fi rst go. Not only is the language different
from colloquial Marathi, but the tone is different and voice modulation is minimal. For someone who is used to high and low pitches because of music, reading out the news in a monotone can be difficult,” says the 32-year-old. Both his jobs give him immense satisfaction and allow him to learn constantly. They satisfy his curiosity from time to time and keep him connected to media in general.
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
The student has become the teacher
PICS BY TEJAS GAIKWAD
THRILL OF DRIVING
Suzuki made a sportbike that’s not a sportbike and is better than their best sportbike By Tushar Burman @tburman
W
e’ve reached peak sportsbike. This is the only logical conclusion after riding the motorcycle you see here: the Suzuki GSX-S1000F ABS. The name is a mouthful; I had to google it just to get it right. It’s as if Suzuki tried to inject as much provenance and brand halo effect in the name, and you can’t really blame them. The tagline they use for the S1000F is “beyond the sportbike”. You see, this is a bike like no other currently in the market. Or for that matter, in the country; this is the only example on the road in India, and we are priviledged to ride it. Back to the convoluted name. ‘GSX’ should be familiar to anyone with a passing interest in sports motorycles. The GSX-R1000
has been a giant in the litre-class missile until early Sunday morning. motorcycle wars, often trading Very early. The GSX-S1000F is not places with the other Japanese like those bikes. This is instantly manufacturers for top honours. and surprisingly evident the Unfortunately, they’ve been left moment you swing a leg over the behind in the race more recently. seat. Ergonomics are comfortable, Their last memorable update of with your knees relaxed, your back the GSX-R1000 was the K5 back canted slightly forward and your in 2005, which deeply impressed weight off your wrists. Unlike a the motorcycle press. The GSXtraditional sportbike, this one uses S1000F shares many components a Renthal Fatbar on risers instead with the GSX-R line, suitably of the traditional clip-on items. The updated for its time and intent. result is a flickable, light steering This bike is pitched as a “sports feel that is balanced and neutral. roadster”, indicating on-road use The riding position makes the rather than as a track tool. weight of the bike all but disappear. Let’s be perfectly honest: the Climbing off the 180-odd kilo compromises you make in a Ducati Hypermotard onto pure sportbike are simply the S1000F, I was struck Verdict not worth the trouble at how natural and unless your body can easy-going the bike Flexibility, + keep up with your performance, price felt. The 214kg curb ego, or riding is - Brake feel, off- weight is carried with your day job. Your great confidence and idle jerkiness wrists, lower back, it’s an easy bike to TGS rating neck and ankles will walk through tight take an awful beating parking areas. The ;;;;Z if you’re in a race crouch ease continues as you slot in traffic. It won’t even take it into gear and pull away. The long; a half-hour commute is clutch pull is a bit harder than I enough for you to want to park expected, but action at the gear your intercontinental ballistic road lever is buttery-smooth and very
The all-digital console is crisp and readably in daylight
light. Power delivery is predictable and smooth, almost docile up until 5000rpm, when you realise you’re already doing illegal speeds without trying. There is some snatch just off idle, however. This is a deceptively fast motorcycle, so be warned. Suspension is also well-sorted: stiff, sporty but still comfy. The 43mm KYB forks are fully-adjustable, which is commendable for a bike in this segment. Whatever jerks you may feel from sharp bumps are ironed out by the surprisingly plush seat, despite being a typical sportbike pad. Perhaps the only bugbear I noticed on our short ride was brake feel, which seems to lack initial bite. Suzuki claim the calipers are the same Brembo monobloc units used on the current GSX-R1000, so you can’t fault their creed. There’s also no slipper clutch, and the bike uses shorter gearing than the GSX-R, so remember to blip on downshifts! Of all the criticism of the GSXS1000F you’re likely to come across on the Internet, a common thread will be the way it looks. Its naked stablemate, the GSX-S1000 is a short bike with big plastic shrouds, as is the fashion. It’s a well-used and accepted design. This faired version adds full wind protection and a tall, narrow windscreen. The flat-bottomed twin headlamps and the angles make for a polarising front fascia. Look at it side-on, however, and it’s much more agreeable. The hawkish nose and generally sharp aesthetic recalls a predatory bird; to my eyes, more
than the Suzuki Hayabusa. This is where it’s more evident just how far beyond the sportbike Suzuki went. The frame is all-new and lighter than the current full-bore GSX-R. The swingarm is shared, as are the front brakes. In the rider’s seat, the all-digital console is crisp and legible, and quite easy to glance at on the move. The icing on the cake for this already gushing review is the electronics package. ABS is present and Suzuki has provided three-stage traction control which can also be turned off. This is very useful for a bike of this capability, which, despite being a step below a full-blown sportbike, still outputs 145hp and 106Nm of torque, thanks to the retuned long(ish) stroke K5 motor. There are more powerful nakeds that compete with this almost-gixxer, but few can approach the refinement and practicality. If you’re still on the fence, know that this motorcycle has one of the sweetest stock exhaust notes we’ve ever heard. And you can have all this at Rs 12.7 lac ex-showroom, Pune. So what you have is a “sport roadster” that can keep up with the best sportbikes on your Sunday breakfast rides, and get you to the table without needing physiotherapy later in the day. We must have reached peak sportbike when the most useful, fun sportbike isn’t a sportbike at all. tushar@goldensparrow.com (Thank you Dr Debanshu Bhaduri for your bike and two days of anxiety)
RAHUL RAUT
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
FEATURES
Chitra Khare
Be it cartoons, radio ad jingles, educational CDs or documentaries, these artists have lent their voices to almost everything. Read about their most loved and hated experiences By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
S
o many of us absolutely love cartoons and there are others who sing along with ad jingles that feature on the radio during the daily commute. Ever wondered who voices the cartoons and jingles? Although for most of them it is absolutely funny to hear their own voice on the radio or as they watch cartoons, being those voices is a huge part of who they are. Meet four voice-over and dubbing artists from the city who have produced some excellent work.
BECOMING A VOICE-OVER ARTIST It began by translating an English script for the very famous cartoon Ninja Turtle. Little did Mrunmayee Kulkarni know that translating the script would just be the start of a whole new career. While working on the script, she started picturing how the avoices would sound in Marathi and, just like that, she decided to do the voice-over for one of the characters. Earlier, on a friend’s request, she’d lent her voice to some education CDs about 10 years ago. “My journey as a dubbing artist began from the education CDs. It was because people appreciated the voice and the way that I worked that they referred me to other studios. This is essentially how dubbing and voice-over became a huge part of who I am,” says the 28-year-old. Mrunmayee’s voice is behind well-known ad jingles for Vama and Janta Sahakari Bank, among others. Just like her, Anvay Bendre, 52, has spent about 24 years as a dubbing artist. Cartoon voice-overs have been a part of his life for about 11 years now. “The best thing about dubbing for cartoons is the fun we have while recording. There is a lot of trial and error and we are almost never sure about how time passes inside the studio. Dubbing, for me, was a happy accident. My friend needed a voice for one of his films and requested me to do it since I did a lot of theatre,” he recollects. He is also the voice
Have you heard them lately? behind several ad jingles like the Linen Cotton Dalton. The famous Hannah-Barbera cartoon King, John Deere and even several corporates from the 80s was much later translated into like Kolte Patil, Paranjpe Schemes and Cosmos Marathi. Post this he was also the voice behind Bank, among others. Denver The Last Dinosaur another very famous Working in the same team as Anvay is cartoon from the 90s. He also was the voice 36-year-old Chitra Khare. In the field for about behind Romeo another character in the same 15 years now, she has been the voice for cartoons cartoon. Shri Ganesh, a cartoon aired on Saam like Ninja Turtle and a Channel, also featured his few other ones like Dalton voice. “The most important Brothers, Are you afraid of thing to remember while the dark, both of which dubbing is to ensure that your were on Sonic channel. She voice has enough simplicity has also dubbed for a lot of to attract your audience and Marathi films like Chintoo yet be funny enough to keep and Chintoo 2. “Lending them engaged. Personally, your voice to cartoons is the cartoon fight scenes one of the best jobs as a are the best. There are so dubbing artist. There is a many emotions involved at lot of fun and thought that the same time. The high goes behind every dialogue difficulty level in these and expression. As an artist, scenes makes the fight a you have to find the most testing period for any artist,” creative way to do so. This is he says. the best part of what I do,” she tells us. MEETING THE Mahesh Suresh Limaye, CHALLENGES - MAHESH SURESH LIMAYE 35, began his career Like everything else, this by being the voice for career too has its ups and the cartoon character downs. There are a lot of tough parts that the artists deal with on a regular basis. When you are the voice of a cartoon that already exists but is being translated to another language there is a lot of trial and error in getting the voice right. This is to ensure that the translated voice sounds just the same as the original. “There is not much modulation that one can do when you are dubbing for a cartoon that already exists. On the other hand, when it is a new cartoon the artist can come up with a voice that he or she feels suits the character the best. However, the channel has the final call. The creativity during this time is much more. The voice Anvay Bendre depends on the surroundings of
Mahesh Suresh Limaye
“Important thing while dubbing is that your voice has the simplicity to attract your audience and yet be funny enough to keep them engaged”
Mrunmayee Kulkarni
the character, where it hails from and so many other factors,” Mrunmayee tells us. Another very important thing, which all four artists pointed out, was the ability to express emotions through voice. It is necessary for them to mimic the exact emotion that the cartoon is showing on screen and that is a challenge. The pitch, tone and sound, all change depending on whether the character is sad, happy or excited. Giving us an example, Anvay says, “Fight scenes are a challenge simply because the voice of the cartoon will change after being hit several times but still has to sound like him. Similarly, when the character is happy, the pitch goes higher but we have to still ensure that it sounds just like the character would if it was happy.” salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
What grows on your terrace?
FEATURES
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
W
ho doesn’t like fresh greens? A big garden that is always at your disposal and has fresh produce for you to pick from round the year is every city dwellers dream. Even though experiencing the serenity of a farm may not be possible in the city, there are a few people who are building their own gardens in whatever space possible. Be it a big or small terrace, gardening enthusiasts have utilised every single inch of available space to create their own little haven of vegetables and fruits. Irrespective of their hectic schedules and other commitments, these gardens are taken care of on a regular basis and maintained extremely well. THEIR OWN LITTLE FARMS Animesh Topno and wife Sumita own a beautiful row house at NIBM. It was after a workshop conducted in his office that Animesh decided to put his terrace to optimal use. Earlier, the couple hadn’t thought of gardening. Their five-year-old daughter and hectic work schedules were enough to keep them occupied. “I am extremely happy that we decided to turn our terrace into a garden. Not only has gardening become a way of relaxation for me, it is also some more quality time that
TAKE CARE OF YOUR GARDEN • Try avoiding dry patches in the soil, all sections must be watered equally • Natural compost created using kitchen waste makes the soil richer and healthier • Manure must be changed at regular intervals • Every plant needs space, cramping up a terrace will only hamper its growth • Depending on the season, crop rotation is necessary for longer soil life
I get to spend with my daughter. We use a lot of the vegetables that we grow in our garden and even hand-picking them is great fun,” says the 40-year-old IT professional. In their garden, one can find chickoos, figs, cherry tomatoes, thyme, methi, lady finger, bitter gourd, raddish, Malabar spinach, guava and French beans, among others. Their garden also grows herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and mulberry. Taking inspiration from a workshop conducted at her husband’s office, Pragya Kataria and her husband Nitesh Dudia too have converted their spacious terrace into a garden. Living in the heart of the city, the couple has cleverly separated the vegetables and herbs from a range of ornamental flowers.
Vaibhav Dugar, a resident of Wanowrie, spends a lot of time maintaining his terrace garden
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
Terraces across the city are steadily turning into spaces that nurture fresh produce. Cultivating plants and learning tricks to sustain a kitchen garden is a great way to ensure you eat healthier too
Nitesh Dudiya, a resident of Koregaon Park, tending to his garden
In her garden, spread across about 80 pots, Pragya grows tomatoes, raddish, mint leaves, coriander, chickoo, lemon, chillies, flat beans, black pepper, bitter gourd, elephant ears and Thai ginger along with a few more exotic vegetables. “Our terrace is spread across about 1,200-1,300 sq ft and we cannot think of a better way to use it. Depending on the season, we grow vegetables on a rotation basis and love the fact that we get to use what we grow. It has become a way to relax for us and we guard the plants with our life. It took a little bit of research initially but it was all worth it,” she tells us. The man behind inspiring and converting several Punekars into avid gardeners is 31-year-old Vaibhav Dugar. With a plan to create a greener top view of the city, he began conducting corporate workshops. “The main idea was to turn as many people to take up organic farming and turn their terraces into gardens. I am an environmentally conscious person at heart and so I started Ek Titli Foundation in 2010. Through workshops, I taught under-privileged children how they could transform the space around them. Initially, the response was great and I helped turn around about 40 to 45 terraces into
gardens. However, only a handful of the owners have managed to sustain it,” he tells us. Every house that Vaibhav lives in eventually develops a terrace or balcony space that holds as many pots as they can. He now has a fulltime job in the food sales department of a company but continues to help people set up their terrace gardens over weekends. FEASIBLE ONLY IF YOU ARE PASSIONATE Even though setting up a garden and maintaining it is quite the task, if you are passionate about it, it easily becomes a part of your routine. “It is very important that you take care of the garden just like you take care of yourself. You cannot under-water or over-water the plants. They have to be kept neat and tidy as well. This will ensure that they remain healthy. Although you might hire help, looking into it yourself is extremely important,” says Nitesh. Agreeing with her, Animesh and Vaibhav add that a little bit of research and understanding what helps plants grow is also important. Giving it your personal attention and touch is very crucial, they stress salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
The A Weekender that was The happiest music festival saw massive turnout of music lovers with crowds pulling in to the venue from Pune and surrounding cities to catch the biggest and the best on the music scene
A DOSE OF MUSICAL EROTICISM Strange, and still penetrating, with a pinch of subtle eroticism is what defined the music of Erotic Market. The band that comprises of French duo Marine Pellegrini and Lucas Garnier, who decided to break away from the regular contemporary jazz music and went on to do something different. Free from the taboos, staying away from the stereotypes, they mixed the rough sound of drums with the terrific bass. “We have received an overwhelming response and will release our album Blahblahrians soon before moving to Bangalore with NH7,” Marine said. PEEPAL TREE: BR ANCHING OUT MUSIC The band comprising of Sujay Harthi on vocals, Tony Das on guitars and vocals, Praveen Biligiri on the bass and vocals, and Willy Demoz on the drums and percussion, set the stage on fi re with their high-octane performance. Their music was an amalgamation of Indian influences fused with heavy metal, electronica, and funk. “It is simply because we have varied musical influences and our band members come from different music backgrounds, that enables us to blend our melodies with folk, pop and rock music,” says Sujay. SATIRICAL PERFORMANCE BY SWAR ATHMA Bangalore-based folk-rock band Swarathma opened their gig with a song dedicated to those affected by the Chennai floods. Their songs always have a message for the society and this time too the gig touched upon various subjects carrying a lot of satire. “Our opening song called Pyasi, written on river Kaveri, is about how we should learn a lesson and not mess with nature. However, despite all the suffering, we should not lose our humanity was the message that we wanted to spread through the song.” Another highlight of the gig was a guest performance by Vasu’s wife, Bindhumalini, who sang Duur Kinara, a song the band had prepared in collaboration with Shubha Mudgal and Dewarist.
vibrant musical treat greeted people of all ages to a unique blend of international and Indian artists with power-packed performances. The festival provided a delicious selection of food right from traditional preparations to cuisines from all across the country at the Food Bazaar by Swiggy. The Maker’s Market by Engrave showcased an array of creative products from artists, craftspeople and DIY-ers from across India. In addition, there were activities and interactive concepts including the Stray Dog jam room for aspiring musicians, Saavn’s recording studio, Jack and Jones’ human football game and their unique take on the game of Twister and Roposo’s DIY t-shirt designs. The festival culminated with Grammy Awardwinning virtuoso AR Rahman performing at a multi-stage music festival for the first time.
PICS BY VISHAL KALE
By Abha Pandit, Zainab Kantawala & Heena Grover Menon
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
FEATURES
A 12-INSTRUMENT GIG BY R AGHAV SACHHAR The multi-talented indie and Bollywood singer and musician Raghav Sachhar performed his fi rst Bollywood song Kabul Fiza from the movie Kabul Express along with a song he did with Shruti Haasan for a TV commercial. “I just love the energy of this city. Before coming to the venue, I went to my favourite place in town, 1000 Oaks, to grab my favourite drink. Zamoo’s is another of my favourite joints and I love the steaks that they serve,” said Raghav. WHEN EVERYONE SWAYED TO BIPUL CHETTRI’S NEPALI MUSIC A smartly dressed Bipul Chettri walks on stage with his guitar and the crowd goes hysterical. The 35-yearold has been interested and involved in music-making since he was a school boy and chose to carry forward that passion to make it his career. A class act from the third day of the weekender, Bipul sang in Nepali. “Even though most of the audiences cannot understand the exact words of my songs, I believe that music transcends all languages and they will feel my music the way I have composed it,” said Bipul.
KING OF INDIAN R AP He’s not telling lies and he’s a banda very nice. Credited as the fi rst Indian rapper, Baba Sehgal brought his reinvented music to NH7 Weekender as a humungous crowd awaited his performance. With a trippy background on the stage and his trademark bright t-shirt, the crowd had begun screaming out some of his lyrics even before he walked out on stage. After a stint in the South Indian fi lm and music industry, he is back in a newer avatar. Even though his lyrics make negligible sense, there’s definitely something catchy about the music that he calls ‘trip hop’. “I don’t know whether to call his songs ‘music’ but the lyrics are hilarious and the tune is catchy, it’s the perfect setting to go crazy,” said Isha Gill, a die-hard fan who waited almost an hour to stand right near the stage to watch the artist perform.
SOULMATE GAVE A TASTE OF BLUES Soulmate, a two-piece band comprising of Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar belted out their soulful blues numbers. The band formed with the sole aim of spreading the blues culture across the nation, derives inspiration from jazz, rock and roll and Tipriti’s gospel roots. “We write songs based on our life experiences, interpreting our way of dealing with the hurdles that come our way,” says Rudy. For Soulmate, their songs have evolved from the ‘Shillong blues’, to love and longing in their second album Moving On, and the third album that pays tribute to their 10-year journey together ‘Ten Stories’. They had a handful of originals that created a wave amongst the Pune audience. “Soulmate is 13 years old now, but initially we had to face our share of challenges. There were hardly any blues band in the country and people didn’t know much about this
genre. It was after two to three years, that we finally got audiences who enjoyed blues music. Our intention was to spread awareness about this genre that was long neglected,” adds Rudy. The band that has gigged extensively in India and around the world had a powerpacked performance at the closing of the festival.
SP
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
SHOPPING
Dress to impress! Felt Hat
Add a hint of glamour to your look with this suede leather felt hat. Team it up with a white tee and faded jeans with suede shoes to complete the look. Price: Rs 1,790 Where: Zara, all outlets
By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
W
hy should girls have all the fun when you can play up your look too? Guys, add these perfect pair of shoes, cuffl inks, scarf, bowtie, hat and dollops of attitude when you step out next time.
Denim Paneled Boots
This faux leather boots featuring denim paneling, a lace-up top, tonal stitching, and a zipper on the inner side is your perfect accessory add-up for a fun outing. Price: Rs 2,599 Where: Forever 21, all outlets
Men Scarf
This warm deep red and black printed scarf can be wrapped around your neck in any style when the weather is nippy. Price: 999 Where: Tossido, Phoenix Marketcity, Viman Nagar
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Mens Leather Wallet
Made of fine materials, this wallet has multiple slots for keeping your essentials handy. It can be best paired with casual outfits to make a distinct style statement. Price: Rs 775 Where: Baggit, all outlets
Bow Tie
This rust colour textured bowtie is your party essential and can be paired with black or off white suit or blazer. Woo the girls with this chic accessory any time. Price: Rs 890 Where: Zara, all outlets
Red Leather Belt
Face Graphic Crew Socks
This rugged belt is for those who like to keep their look a little rusty. Wear it with a pair of blue denims and light blue shirt and look dapper. Price: 799 Where: Flying Machine, all outlets
Sports Backpack
This colourful laptop backpack is your travel must-have. If you love to dress up casual, then this is just the accessory for you. Price: 1,699 Where: Wildcraft, all outlets
Playing Card Cufflinks
Flaunt your playful side and quirky sense with this pair of playing card cufflinks best paired with suits or blazers. Price: Rs 1,890 Where: Shaze, Viman Nagar
This funky pair of crew socks in a lightweight knit featuring a sunglasses-clad face graphic will add a dash of cool to your look. Price: Rs 269 Where: Forever 21, all outlets
Polyester Mens Tie
A neatly knotted tie is a sign how particular you are about your appearance. This blue printed men’s tie can be paired up with shirts in solid shades. Price: Rs 899 Where: Park Avenue, all outlets
RAHUL RAUT
A tale of a chicken seller
TGS LIFE
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
FEATURES
S
tanding on the banks of Mutha River is Datta Sabale, who sells live chicken. Screaming at the top of his voice, he approaches passersby convincing them to buy his chicken. Two for just 800 bucks he says, but eventually brings it down by Rs 200. His cart has around 20 birds and he stands all day till he has sold his inventory. “I get them from the villages nearby, like Maval, Shirul etc and sell them here. It’s quite a profitable business. There are only three other people selling live
chickens in this area,” he says. He is the only earning member member of his family. “I come here on
Winter Makeup Trends
I
Wednesdays and Sundays, and rest of the days, I am taking care of my poultry,” he adds.
t’s that time of the year again when the sun God is being kind. When deep dark colour silhouettes and checks of varied sizes are a delight to the eyes. And the make-up palette too widens giving us the opportunity to play with deep colours not worrying about sweaty or shiny ‘temperature driven’ face. Sheena Agarwaal, Makeup Sheena Agarwaal expert and Stylist at Urbanista Makeup Makeovers shares with us top make up trends this winter. • Deep dark Lips: Let’s bid farewell to the eye pinching hyper orange and loud reds. Rather, let’s add some warmth to them. This season we will adorn matte lipsticks of colour dark wine, black cherry, dark browns and burgundy. These colours give a rich look and compliment the message of warmth and lenghtening mascaras, fuller lashes(both top X-mas festivity that is in the air. and bottom) are the prettiest this season. • Goth Lips: In a season rife with 90s • Heavy Metal: Shimmer, sparkle and references, it only follows that goth lips sequins are used in fresh ways this season, would emerge as a trend. But something where either gold, bronze or silver liner was about pairing almost-black lipstick with applied across the lower lids. It could be a soft, beachy waves, casual buns and studcrisp line or a smokey look in these colours. free clothing make them a whole lot less • Blush Blush: Put aside your taupe intimidating to try. sculpting powders and stock up on • Differently Lined Eyes: Whilst warm peach, dusty rose and light STYLE the simple black liner could mocha blushes that make you GURU be a tad boring for most, this look like you just went on a brisk, season it’s reinvented itself with wintry walk! double-winged look to graphic eyes. • Strong Brows: Thick brows are back But if classic is more your thing, there and look set to be the focus for the fall. is nothing more gorgeous than simple and The brows define the face and will be loved smudgy kohl pencil. To add to the freshness stronger, thicker, and bushier. Let go off the and neutralise the dark colours on the lips , defined geometric pattern. skip the kajal on the lower lash line. Shades • Gold Leafing:Might seem a little extreme of gold and bronze eye shadows are things of at first, but this is a rather interesting trend the past. Plum is the new promising shades to look out for. Seem on the ramp mostly, of the season. it consists of sheets of golden foil used to • Lashes all the way: The power of mascara, highlight eyes, add shine to the lips or for falsies and lash add-ons is at a all time high. that matter create interesting patterns on the With everyone experimenting with their hair as well. favourite Huda Lashes and thickening and As told to Zainab Kantawala
Unlike other poultry sellers, who keep their birds in compact boxes, Datta breeds these birds in the open
so that they can live a normal life and enjoy the sun. “I feed them insects, grains and grass, and take care of their health and cleanliness,” says Datta. In this business for the past 15 years, he knows the market and the intricacies behind it. He wishes to unekar have his own poultry farm one day, expand his little cart into a bigger shop. “The market for poultry is big, and I know it may take a few years for me to achieve my target. The best way is to grow poultry for a few years, sell them and make good contact with customers,” adds Datta. (As told to Zainab Kantawala)
City celeb chat
Name: Jasleen Kaur Virk Profession: Actor/Model Three words to describe me: Determined, fun loving and friendly I love my job because: It was my childhood dream. I love working with the camera, and enacting different characters. Best advice I’ve received: Be thankful for everything that you have, and you will have more reasons to thank for. When buying something, the first thing that catches my eye is: its colour combination and the quality of material used for making it. What’s your inner animal? I think it would be Koel because I love fly free and sing my heart out. The first thing you notice about an attractive person: humbleness The perfect start to a day is: ‘Ardaas’(as said in Punjabi). It is a prayer in which I thank God for everything he has blessed me with and praying for a wonderful day ahead. This is what I do before getting up from the bed in the morning. This has to be followed by pranayam! I love fresh air. Your current four-wheeler: Swift desire Your fitness regimen: Doing Pranayam in the morning makes me feel fresh, energised and ready for the day. It brings my mind to peace from the unwanted thoughts. I go to gym too at least four days a week though I don’t like it much. Your food indulgence: I indulge myself in healthy food that’s good for my skin and keeps me active because that’s my prime concern. Other than that...I just lovee sizzle dazzle brownie with chocolate hot fudge and cheese burst pizzas with extra toppings. Books by your bedside: The art of Happiness, The secret and The power of your sub-concious mind The first site you visit when you fire up your comp: Facebook, undoubtedly! Your favourite city: Its the city of dreams, Mumbai meri jaan! Ideal holiday: Mudhdhoo island-Maldives. I’d love to watch bioluminescent “ostracod” crustaceans also known as ‘blue tears’. It would be a impeccable view..! (As told to Zainab Kantawala)
DECEMBER 12, 2015 PUNE
BUZZ
Playing Bajirao was a huge gamble Indian actor Ranveer Singh is just five-year-old in the fi lm industry and yet, he took a leap of faith by playing a historical character on screen, but the actor says he always knew his decision to work on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani would pay off. In the film, Ranveer, 30, plays Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao. "The time this project took, in that much time you can do three films. It's a big gamble... It's a risk but somewhere I knew the pay off would be worth it," said Ranveer. The actor said he always wanted to play a warrior and a gangster on screen. "My name is Ranveer and it means yodha, warrior. I think I was born to play this part. I like the genre of historical drama so I was waiting to do a fi lm like this. I was excited about it," he added. For the actor, every day was a challenge while being on the sets of Bajirao Mastani. "In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's fi lm everything is grand, huge... like getting ready used to take two and a half hours," he added.
'Kuni villa deta ka villa' This is what the character in Natsamrat would say had the film been made by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, says Nana Patekar
VISHAL KALE
TGS LIFE
By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
W
earing a simple khadi kurta, his trademark effortless smile over a salt-and-pepper look, Nana Patekar arrives an hour late for the press meet of his much talked-about upcoming Marathi fi lm, Natsamrat. But then this is Nana Patekar; the line between his onscreen characters and real-life personality is blurry, so we don't begrudge anyone for playing it safe. The national award-winning actor will be seen as Ganpat Ramchandra Belwalkar in the screen adaptation of VV Shirwadkar’s iconic Marathi drama Natsamrat, which has been directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. Talking about playing such an intense, complex role, Nana says, “I saw the play enacted by veteran actor and eminent theatre artist Dr Shreeram Lagoo for the fi rst time. I was around 20-22 then, and watching it was like a journey to find a purpose in life. The way he actually underplayed the character was one of the biggest lessons for me as an actor. There’s always a lot of melodrama expected when you are acting
on stage, but his way of playing Natsamrat was phenomenal. I remember how elated I was when I came back after watching it.” Nana's occasional wisecracks played to the gallery. If Sanjay Leela Bhansali was to make this film, he said, it would have been very difficult. “Instead of saying kuni ghar deta ka ghar (a famous dialogue from the film) he would have made me say, kuni villa deta ka villa,” he chuckled. His audience was in splits, the delay was all but forgotten. He's far more appreciative of his own director, however. When asked about the
perils inherent in a fi lm adaptation of a legendary play, Nana says, “Natak mein bahut se limits hain (theatre has its own limits), but fi lms can be made without boundaries. From dialogues, screenplay and direction, Manjrekar and the whole team has done an amazing job. So there’s no second thought to it that the outcome will be brilliant.” Mahesh Manjrekar too returns the compliments. “As I saw Nana’s temperament while on the sets, I could totally identify with him. Every time we shot a scene, I would look into his eyes and know in an instant whether he was happy with the shot or not. He is a great human being with a good heart, so his honesty comes out when one works with him.” While Nana Patekar has directed several fi lms, it is acting that gives an artist leverage, he explained. “Whenever someone picks me as an actor, I am even more excited, as I have a lot of time to invest in preparing my role. But every time I have to get into the skin of a character, it becomes very difficult for me to get back to my own self. And this sometimes gets a bit taxing for me,” he added. With Natsamrat, Nana is also turning producer. Co-produced by Vishwas Kothari and Aniruddha Deshpane, the fi lm stars actors Sunil Barve, Medha Manjrekar, Neha Pendse, Mrunmayee Deshpande and Vikram Gokhale. It comes out in theatres on January 1, which also happens to be Nana Patekar’s birthday. heena.grover@goldensparrow.com