PUNE, MARCH 12, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
MEET THE UNSUNG
MUSIC MAKERS
 Instrument-making may have never been taught in a classroom but these artists have the talent in their genes. In a time when electronic instruments are replacing traditional ones, these artisans are striving to keep the art alive
TGS LIFE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
ENTERTAINMENT TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
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he two-piece electronic folk duo from Chandigarh, Hari and Sukhmani, are all set to hit the stage coming Friday. Sukhmani Malik is a trained classical vocalist from the Rampur Gharana and Hari Singh is a vocalist and electronic producer. The duo, also known as the one-band army are the singers, songwriters and producers, all packaged together, giving the audience the best of both genres. They are all set enthral the Pune audience with their fresh and eclectic sound. This two piece band is known to fuse traditional Punjabi music with ambient electronica, blending it with their powerful independent spirit. “We met through a common friend and instantly decided to jam on a track together. We bonded so well that in a week we had a set ready for our first gig. The rest, of course, is history,” says Hari.
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Get ready for some Folktronica
Check out some electrifying performance by the Punjabi duo Hari and Sukhmani Those who are not too fond of Asian underground music can enjoy the electronic fusion that will be presented by Hari. Whereas Sukhmani will sing their popular numbers like In Aankhon Ki Masti Mein, Kothey Tey Khalau Mahiya, Challa Dub Step, to name a few. They are sure to make the Pune audiences sway to their tunes. “The crowd should expect a mix of old and new songs. Also, we will be promoting our new track Yariyaan which we have made with the band Noori from Pakistan,” informs Hari. The two artists derive inspiration from famous Sufi poets such as Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid, Kabir and Shah Hussain
and have performed at a number of venues in India and abroad. “There are artists out there who spend many hours a day practicing their art for the sheer love of it, as if it’s their meditation. Money doesn’t drive them. It’s all pure and these people are inspiring,” says Sukhmani. They have been featured on UK’s BBC Radio One, Coke Studio, Star World’s The Dewarists and many other music shows. They have also collaborated with several artists, converging different musical traditions with Noori from Pakistan, Thu Le, the western classical guitarist from Vietnam, and Fakhruddin Gaffari, a percussionist from Iran. The band’s aim is to make music that speaks to the soul, and remains forever. “Our motto is to leave behind cultural, religious, caste and creed divides and transform oneself with a new discipline called music,” she adds. zainabkantawala@ goldensparrow.com
Inspired by the Champion West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is all set to launch his official World Cup Anthem titled Champion By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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ricketer Dwayne Bravo is not only gearing up to captivate the audience with his cricket, but also his music. He is all set for the global launch of his official World Cup Anthem, Champion. With this song, he aims to pay tribute to the international sports legends who he considers champions in their own right. “I am inspired by the people mentioned in the song, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Usain Bolt, etc. They are all champions to me and I am lucky to either play with them or look up to them. For me, it’s a moment to express that regardless of whatever obstacles are in my way, I will overcome and will be a Champion,” says Dwayne. Shot in downtown Los Angeles, the song is a follow-up single to the widely popular Indo-Anglo fusion song called Chalo Chalo and this superstar cricketer-turnedentertainment-powerhouse is ready to create a stir once again, but this time with his musical finesse. “I really wanted to do something for my Indian fans. I spent five years here and had a great time. While here, Chalo is a word that always struck me. I am exploring music now and I really wanted to do something to
cricket will always remain his fi rst priority. He aims to do a Bollywood collaboration in the future. “Cricket will always be number one for me. Music was always my passion and I have always admired entertainers for many years, particularly how they move a crowd. I consider myself an entertainer and I am really the only cricketer who dances on the field,” he adds. He is now more comfortable recording a n d performing music and is happy to have found another way to please his fans. Champion will not only be a fi xture during the World Cup but will also kick off the Indian Premier League 2016 season for the Gujarat Lions. “I feel truly blessed. I never thought my passion for music could have gone this far and I am excited to explore my work as DJ Bravo, the entertainer. It means a lot to me to launch an anthem that I believe will be well-loved during this World Cup,” he adds. He is super excited about the upcoming tournament as it might be his last World Cup. “It could be my last and the last for most of us. That being said, I really want to do well and want the fans to know that we will all do our best,” he says. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
“I am really the only cricketer who dances on the field”
honour that,” he adds. The song came about after winning the Caribbean Premier League for the RedSteel, which is now Trinbago Knight Riders, when Dwayne captained the winning team. “There was a time when the West Indies team had
dropped me but so many victories came after that and I really felt on top of the world,” he says. With the song, he hopes to encourage everyone to find their own champion within. The anthem also brought Dwayne a step closer to his passion for music, even as
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TGS LIFE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
STAGE
Pune Boy Mihir Soni makes his Hindi film debut
Directed by Suvahhdan Angre, Billu Ustaad is based on the life and hardships of children in orphanages in the country By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
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he film was conceptualised eight months ago and a lot of thought process has gone behind the subject. Played by child actor Mihir Soni, Billu is a courageous and confident boy, who is aware of the happenings around him. He has four good friends, whom he plays, laughs and fights with. The story takes a sharp twist when Billu’s friends are kidnapped by terrorists and brain-washed into furthering their agenda. Suvahhdan has tried to capture the various situations with an interesting portrayal of characters, which he believes will make the audiences think. The film also marks the comeback of Tum Bin actor Priyanshu Chatterjee in Bollywood after a long sabbatical. He will be seen playing a cop who helps Billu chase the terrorists. Talking about making a film on a sensitive topic, Suvahhdan says, “The producer of the film, Shantanu Singh and I had been discussing many ideas and this one was a subject that was really close to both of us. Every day we see incidents where children, usually hailing from under-privileged backgrounds, are kidnapped and
forced to get into terrorism. We thought this was a great concept and will help spread a word in society.” Fourteen-year-old Mihir is extremely excited as this is his first Hindi film. Talking about his character, he says, “I did a six-month long acting course with Suvahhdan sir when I was 11 and while they were looking for a boy who could play Billu, he suggested my name. That’s how I got to act in the film. He is very helpful on the sets and every time I face any problem during shooting he explains me everything very calmly. I also feel very proud about my character in the film as it fights against child terrorism.” Mihir has done two Marathi films Kutumb and Yes I Can, the latter is slotted to release soon. When asked what he wants to become when he grows up, Mihir quips, “I love dancing and acting and would love to get into one of these fields in the future.” Unlike many filmmakers who are happy making money through meaningless films, Suvahhdan has always tried to do something different. Calling himself a big Ram Gopal Verma fan, this film is his effort to bring concept-based films
into focus. He also says that the reason behind choosing Priyanshu for a role in his film was that he always believed the actor has a great caliber which has not really been explored by directors. With this film, he hopes that Priyanshu’s career will get a fresh boost. The film, which is currently being shot at different locations in
Shake a leg with Alex Diaz
Mihir Soni, Suvahhdan Angre with another child artist at the sets of Billu Ustaad
and around Pune, also features actors Akhilendra Mishra, Deepraj Rana, Mithila Naik and K K Goswami. The shooting of the film will be completed
The renowned dancer talks about a salsa sub-sect Pachanga, his passion for Latin dance, goals, and his upcoming workshop
By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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une is all set to host Pachanga Bootcamp specially curated by Alex Diaz the undisputed forerunner in the world of salsa. This three-hour workshop is for those, who are looking to add some extra flavour to their dancing style, mainly focusing on the Pachanga technique and choreography. “This is a happy go lucky dance style that originated in Cuba. It is mainly danced to the usual mambo off beat music in which instruments like flute, violin and drums are used,” explains Alex. He is a first generation Cuban-American, a native of New Jersey where Latin music and culture became an ever-present part of his childhood. However, it was during his college years, in New York, that his passion for dancing was kindled. He joined salsa classes in New York and got hooked to it instantly. He is trained under various world renowned instructors including Eddie Torres, Frankie Martinez and Salsa icon Edie ‘The Salsa Freak’. He is a pioneer and thought leader in promoting Latin dance in India and he now aims at spreading the Pachanga fever too. “Pachanga belongs to the salsa family. The
three basic things learners should keep in mind are music, quality of your movements and lots and lots of practice,” he says. With cultural origins in Cuba, Pachanga is a vibrant and peppy dance form. The music
by this month-end and it is slotted to be release in the second half of the year. heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
is lively and you focus on shifting your body weight from one foot to the other. “The movements include the double bending and straightening of the knees, locking the upper body forward and back. Its central focus is on
hip movements,” he adds. Alex has had the opportunity to share his passion for salsa and Latin dance through performances across the globe, including Canada, New York, Italy and London. He is smooth, graceful, yet powerful and passionate. His brings out a distinctive interpretation of music in every performance, and you’ll often find him singing along while dancing. “My goal is to spread Salsa to the far corners of India and the world. Internationally, a career in dance is accepted widely, and the scene is changing here too. I want to encourage talented people to take it up professionally. If you have a passion for dance, follow it,” he suggests. His style of teaching focuses on proper technique, body movement and musical timing. When: March 20 Where: The Dance Floor, Camp zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
5 Coshish is all set to woo the audience with its soothing melodies and a pinch of rock music
Are you in the mood for some Hindi Rock?
TGS LIFE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
ENTERTAINMENT
By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
“We’re all from different walks of life, but our dedication towards honest music unites us”
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f you are looking for a fresh sound, then you must check out Coshish, a progressive alternative Hindi rock band that plays songs peppered with a strong social message. The band’s sound is a combination of melody that is blended with heavy rock elements. The interesting bit about the band is that they play original tracks too. They’re all set to enthral the Pune audience with songs from their debut album Firdous and three completely new songs that they have just composed. “The last time around, we played Lateralus by Tools and received a phenomenal response from the city’s audience. This time, it’s going to be way more energetic with a much heavier song,” says Hamza Kazi, one of the band members. This four piece band comprises of Mangesh Gandhi on vocals, Shrikant Sreenivasan on the guitar, Hamza on drums and Anish Nair on bass. The band believes that their music should have a mass appeal and yet showcase their musical mastery. “We’re all from different walks of life, with different mind sets and identities but the one thing that
- Hamza Kazi
unites us is our love and dedication towards honest music,” he adds. Their songs are simple and carry strong social messages delivered beautifully through Hindi lyrics. They have wisely used the medium to talk about societal prejudices and issues that they feel strongly about. “We have been influenced by bands that have something meaningful to
say. It only felt natural to us to get people’s attention by playing some good music and then making them listen to what we have to say about certain issues. The songs have been weaved together to tell a story that deals with multiple facets of societal discrepancies,” explains Hamza. The band in all ensures that they do not compromise on any facet
of their music, art or performance. Their debut album Firdous ended up at the eighth position on iTunes and won them the Radiocity Freedom Award for best band in 2015. “An independent band goes through ups and downs every week. We get five inquiries in one week and all of them will get cancelled or we will suddenly have a barrage of gigs and no time to
His need inspires his love for music For Theophilus Benjamin, music is life so whether it is compositions from the 16th or the 21st century when he strums the guitar he creates magic By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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heophilus Benjamin claims his musical journey started when he was in his mother’s womb. His parents were deeply involved with church music so they sang and played instruments. His mother, especially, was adept at the organ, keys and accordion as well as a little bit on guitars too. His father was the youth director in the church and conducted several choirs and played instruments. Theophilus was a good singer as a child and learned to play the keyboard at a very young age. He was 13 when he got his first guitar and ever since he hasn’t looked back. By now, music and the guitar have become a part of his existence. In Pune this weekend, he will be playing compositions written and arranged for the classical guitar from baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary repertoire too. He will also be performing a composition of his own as well as premiere one written by his student Anand Kishore Chauhan. “My need to be around music is my
inspiration. The classical guitar, which is like a mini orchestra, allows me to express melody, harmony and rhythm all at the same time,” says the musician. It’s versatility is what keeps him hooked on to it, he adds. Theophilus is always nervous about a performance, though most times the audience doesn’t realize it. With new tunes he is always grappling with the issue of whether the audience will enjoy it or not and this is a never-ending problem, he admits. Believing in the fact that musicians need to share their music, he not only performs but also began teaching it about a decade ago and it is now a very important part of his life. Teaching has also made him a better musician, he feels, as it makes him ponder about the different aspects of the art form. As a child, he always wanted to be a rock star, join the army or police and be the hero who saved the day. Today he shudder’s at even the idea of an alternate career. Organised by the Pune Guitar Society, which was started in April last year, this is among the many concerts that the nongovernmental organisation arranges. Veda
Aggarwal, Jayant S, Kuldeep Barve, who are guitar players, and Jacob Samuel, who plays the classical guitar as well as an upright bass, form the core team of the organisation. “The society was created with the vision of promoting serious interest in guitar and promoting a vibrant culture for it, through public concerts, master classes and performance meet ups. Although, our main focus is the western classical guitar, we encourage guitarists from all genres to participate and help create a healthy exchange between various genres and styles of music,” says Kuldeep. Through their initiative they are also looking at addressing concerns like that of guitar players not getting a chance to interact with each other and with different instrumentalists and providing an opportunity for the same. When: March 13, 7 pm to 8 pm Where: IISER, NCL Colony, Pashan Get in touch: Website - www. puneguitarsociety.org or FB Page-https:// www.facebook.com/puneguitarsociety/ salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
sleep,” he adds. The band derives its inspiration from music honchos like Tool, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, A Perfect Circle, Katatonia, Karnivool and Radiohead, among many others. They are currently in the process of writing songs for their second album. “Since this is a concept album as well, it’s going to take a while. We are also really pushing the boundaries when it comes to technicality. It’s a hard and tedious process but we’re giving it our best. Hopefully, it should get done soon enough,” says Hamza. When: March 17 Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Koregaon Park zainab.kantawala@ goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
INDULGE If you are a Chinese cuisine aficionado, you are in for a treat as 5 Spice, one of the most celebrated food joints from Mumbai, sets base in Pune
PIC BY VISHAL KALE
For all the spice lovers
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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fine-dine experience for your entire family, the 5 Spice restaurant which opened up about a month ago in the heart of Koregoan Park should most definitely be on your list of places to dine at. An elegant décor, which is a perfect balance between a classy restaurant and the comfort of your home, makes the dining experience pleasant. Dim lighting, just enough for you to clearly see your food, and spacious seating, big enough to house more than 50 people at a time, make pre-booking when you decide to visit a must. Keeping the ambience vibrant is the peppy music, cane lanterns hanging from the ceiling and the paintings on the wall. While long seats that can accommodate at least six to seven people occupy the corners, the middle section of the restaurant has seating for four on a wooden floor that is separate from the rest and sticks out in an appealing manner. Mandarin words carved into the wall in even spaces add a little more tastefulness to the place. Staying true to its name, most of the dishes have a great mix of spices and yet manage to not be too harsh on your taste buds. Be it the Red Pepper Chicken, the Black Pepper Fish, the Beijing Prawns or the Sinsho Paneer, each dish is different and unique in its own way. All the food beautifully blends in with everything right from the soup to your main course and even the unlimited cabbage entrée served on your table for you to munch on before your food arrives. Spicy and tangy at the same time, this entrée is the most perfect way to begin your meal at the restaurant. While some might consider the place to be over-priced you will be surprised by the quantity of food served. Even the simple starter is enough to serve about three people and the main course, be it rice or noodles, overflows from bowl making it good enough for four people, at least. Being the first outlet in Pune, they offer a 10 per cent discount on take-away and make it a point to always point out that their quantity is a lot. Operating in Mumbai, in multiple outlets for years now, they have ensured that the menu and taste at this joint is also the same. Moving towards the end of the meal the desserts at 5 Spice are every sweet lover’s dream. Death by Chocolate, which is a chocolate cake served with chocolate ice-cream and chocolate sauce, is simply heavenly and so is the Chocolate Toblerone
and Dark Oreo cake. One can be certain that no matter what your mood, a meal at this restaurant is sure to make you happy and you will leave feeling content and pampered. Where: 1st floor, Kapil Matrix, North Main Road, Koregaon Park salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
YOUR CHOW AROUND TOWN From the by lanes of Chandni Chowk Calling all food lovers, the Chandni Chowk food festival is all set to take place at the awardwinning open air bar Evviva Sky Lounge. The festival will offer a massive variety of food like Lal Mirch ka Paneer Tikka to Dahi Bhalle.that is available in the heart of Delhi-Chandni Chowk. Evviva’s Indian master chef Akhilesh Pathak has curated the menu to offer dishes that will give diners the experience of reliving a walk through Delhi’s most popular street. The bartenders will also mix up some exquisite martinis to accompany the food. When: March 12 to 20 Where: Eviva Sky Loungue, Courtyard by Marriott Pune, City Centre, Bund Garden Road
Nizami Food Fest Come treat yourself to royal flavours from Hyderabad. Indulge your taste buds with delicacies like Mast Masala Tandoori Chicken, Hyderabadi biryani, Andhra Chicken, Haleem, Sookha Gosht, in the buffet spread. Vegetarians will be delighted with the Paneer ka tuk, Zafarani Paneer, Khatte aloo, Bagare baingan and more. The desserts counter will have mouth-watering sweets like Double ka Meetha, Zarda and what-have-you. The ambience will be decorated with a small Nizami Charminar counter, bangles stall, Pan counter and Mehndi making. When: March 12, 7.30 pm to 11 pm Where: BISO Restaurant, Citrus Hotels, Pimpro-Chinchwad
Peppery Nasrani cuisine at Savya Rasa Nasrani cuisine was essentially influenced by Saint Thomas, the Portuguese and other Westerners. In spite of these varied influences, it is very Indian at heart and South Indian in its soul. The Kozhi Kurumilagu Fry, Koon Ularthiyathu and Mutta Poricha Curry are some of the popular dishes prepared in Nasrani kitchens and available at Savya Rasa. So, come and enjoy this less explored cuisine at Savya Rasa. When: Every day, 12 pm to 3 pm & 7 pm to 11 pm Where: Gera Serenity, off North Main Road, Koregaon Park
TGS LIFE
Behind the bar, for life
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
INDULGE
By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
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hen Ameya Sharma started pursuing his graduation in Hotel Management, he had no idea which way his career will move. It was during the second year, that he realised his growing passion towards bartending. And by the time he reached the final year, he had already won the cocktail completion in his varsity after which he never looked back and moved to London to pursue his dream in 2007. After finishing his graduation, he went to pursue his post-graduation in London, which Ameya says was not the real agenda. The real agenda was to learn the tricks of making the finest cocktails and educating himself about the liquor which would have been possible only if he got a chance to work with a bar there. Studies aside, he started taking up part-time jobs at London bars, pulling pints at casinos. Finally he got his big break at The Oxo Tower which taught Ameya everything that he knows about cocktails. “I was asked to give my first trial in making a Margaritas at Oxo and I failed miserably. But they still hired me on the condition that I will learn everything they will teach me, which is exactly what I wanted.” In London, Ameya took part in around 250 cocktail competitions, out which he failed in about 100. But after the initial 100 misses, he went on to win the rest. In 2011, he moved to Mumbai and went on to hunt the bars that served the best Margaritas. Something which he wanted to do out of passion and fun. “Getting the Margarita right is the litmus test for any bar. It’s either blue or red. There are very minute intricacies attached to making cocktails. For example, the rum always goes well with lime, but a lot of people use lemon, which is a wrong mix. These are the things that are missing in a lot of Indian bars, and my aim is to educate people about liquor and introduce them to cocktails.”
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
It took Ameya Sharma about a hundred wrong shots to finally become one of the master mixologists of Pune
FIG AND MANDARIN SOUR Ingredients 60 ml Mandarin Vodka 30 ml Fig & Mandarin reduction 25 ml Lime juice mix 15 ml Sugar syrup For garnish Orange bitter spray Candied orange crisp Method:Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and double strain into Martini glass with lots of ice rocks. Garnish with a few orange sprays and an orange crisp on the rim
There’s a lot of snob value attached to single malts among people, who wouldn’t want to try cocktails simply because they have had the malts all their lives. Ameya wants to bring awareness and open up the minds of people who think all cocktails are sweet, which according to Ameya is an absolutely wrong notion. “There are hundreds and thousands of cocktails which suit multiple palates, but only if there were enough people to experiment and the right bartenders to educate the patrons.” Many of Ameya’s inspirations come from the books that he keeps by his side. It’s not just about putting together the ingredients always, but understanding the flavour profiles when you pick a particular kind of liquor to make a drink. “For instance, if I have to use a Talisker (single malt scotch whiskey), I can’t just add any juice to it as
it will kill its real flavour but something that will enhance it. And to learn these things, I read up a lot of books and then experiment in the kitchen.” Coming back to educating people, one of the core duties of a bartender or a mixologist is when a customer comes to a bar, a bartender must ask them what would be their pick if they themselves were to choose. “And depending on what they order, we make cocktails for that profile and then gradually shift the palate for them with different cocktails. It’s basically our job to understand the mindset of our customer to be able to serve them what they would like and not just follow what has been happening for ages.” Ameya moved to Pune and launched two of city’s most popular bar lounges Paasha and Mi-aMi housed in JW Marriott. He is one of the few mixologists in the city who prepares in-house
syrups, concoctions, bitters and sprays to make super delicious cocktails. Currently, he heads the bar at Syrakko in Koregaon Park Annexe. heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
Not only is the tava ice-cream an out-ofthe-box idea, but its quirky topping most definitely sets it in a league of its own By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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humble little joint on FC Road and its down-to-earth owner is not only a pleasant surprise but a memorable one too. Sitting in a corner of the street with his small ice-cream machine, Sudhir Ranade is far from boasting about bringing something unique to the city. Preparing mouthwatering ice-creams in innumerable flavours on a simple tava, he rolls out little bundles of joy for you. Topping these with desi garnish, the ice-creams are a treat for both your eyes and tastebuds and cost a mere Rs 70. Spend just 10 minutes at this joint and be sure to leave with a smile on your face. Giving his customers not just delicious ice-creams but the joy of watching him make it too, Sudhir set up his small joint about two months ago. Owning the Iceberg ice-cream store just next to the small place, he prefers sitting on the street as the experience is different, he says. “In the shop, we make the ice-creams behind the counter and hand them over to the customers. They do not get to see the process. Here everything is visible and this makes them relish it even more,” says the 49-year-old, who has been in
PICS BY TEJAS GAIKWAD
Take on summer one ice-cream roll at a time
the ice-cream business for the past 16 years. The procedure of making the tava ice-cream is sort of similar to that of a dosa. He spreads some extremely cold milk over the tava thanks to the machine attached to it and in a matter of minutes it is hard enough or him to roll out and serve with his own special toppings. Guava ice-cream with salt and chilli powder, pineapple ice-cream
made using pineapple crush, black-forest ice-cream which has oodles of chocolate shavings or chips sprinkled on it, are among his best sellers. He also serves strawberry, black currant, mango, chocolate and, of course, vanilla. “My main intention of starting this place on the street instead of the ice-cream shop is to make it more accessible. If it is in front of the customer’s eyes they can’t ignore it,” he says. A lot of people don’t want to climb stairs to the shop and most of them don’t even know about it. We get a lot of people who have probably never had the intention to have an ice-cream but they’re intrigued by the process and that’s what we want, he adds. Iceberg fresh tava ice-cream has been getting a great response. Not only does he do a lot of business everyday but the number of loyal customers is increasing too and he couldn’t be happier about it. Where: Near Roopali Restaurant, FC Road When: 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
MUSIC MAKERS
FEATURES
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
Meet the unsung
TGS LIFE
TGS LIFE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
Instrument-making may have never been taught in a classroom but these artists have the talent in their genes. In a time when electronic instruments are replacing traditional ones, these artisans are striving to keep the art alive By Zainab Kantawala and Salonee Mistry @TGSWeekly
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n the narrow lanes around Laxmi Road, where the old buildings and wadas stick to each other, there are age old shops where the air is fi lled with the sound of wood clanging against metal. Th is sound is not musical but everything that relates to it is. Where one is busy giving shape to a sitar, the other is engrossed attaching its strings. These artisans are out of the frame and remain out of the limelight. They might not know how to play music but they surely can set the beat right. Unknown to many a part of Pune’s musical heritage includes the tradition of making instruments. The city is home to artisans who have been carrying the family legacy of making classical instruments forward and passing it on to younger generations. We give you a sneak peek into the life of the instrument makers.
Shaikh Gulab
Yusuf Mirajkar Musicals
Amidst myriad sounds on the busy Ganesh Peth lane, where on one side there is a loud noise thanks to road repair work and the busy traffic moving ahead, the sound of the dholak coming from Mohammed Zakir’s little shop manages to stand out. Sitting on the roadside, he hammers the sides of the instrument while tightening the noose and listening to its sound intently. He has no time to spare for any conversation other than work. Mohammed Zakir Shaikh may not be a trained tabla player but he knows every beat it can produce. He has grown up listening to classical music and watching his father while he repaired an old tabla, dhol or mridang. “I know enough to ascertain what a customer needs and it is sufficient knowledge for an instrument maker. Every artist has their personal taste when it comes to sound. It depends on how their hands work; they describe their tonal quality and ratio. Then, I make the instrument accordingly,” he says. He makes dhol, tabla, dhak, mridang and pakhwaj and sources the materials from different places, for instance, the leather comes from Solapur, iron from Gujarat, wood from Delhi, etc. He is the third generation of his family involved in this work and does not wish for his son to continue the legacy ahead. “I took over the business at the age of 13 after my father’s demise. My elder brother taught me the craft. I had no other choice but I want my son to go in some other field and become a big man,” he says.
Naik Musicals Choosing to do something different from the rest of his family that is in the construction business, Yashwantrao Gulabrao Naik decided to learn to make instruments. As a child, he was always interested in the tabla and even though he did not learn to play it, his interest made him discover the procedure of making the instrument. When he was 11 years old, he learned everything about instruments at J J Suratwala & Co, a store that manufactures instruments at Shukrawar Peth. Retiring from the business about six years ago, the 80-year-old man happily handed over the business to his son, Vijay who has been lending his father a helping hand for the last 22 years. “You can never force someone to learn the art of making instruments. It needs a certain amount of patience, dedication and focus,” he says with a huge smile on his face. He is extremely happy that he decided to choose this as a career for himself and his son as he assures us that he earns more than any government employee. Ask Vijay what he would have become had he not taken over his family’s business and he is not quite sure. Since he joined the business when he was a child, there wasn’t much time to think about pursuing anything else. His children are free to take up whatever they wish to yet he would be more than glad if they decide to join the business. “It is only through practice and constantly being on the job that one understands the needed tonal quality of the instrument. It’s not something anyone can teach you,” he tells us with his head bent over the table cutting the skin on the tabla.
Enter the shop on the second floor of the quaint wada on the busy Laxmi road and you find craftsmen repairing an old sitar on one end while on the other lies a stock of fresh finely polished tanpuras. Generations spent manufacturing musical instruments, Sajid, the son of Yusuf Mirajkar, took over the family business after the tragic death of his father. Their clientele includes artists like Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Ustad Rais Khan, Ustad Usman Khan, Pandita Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Bhaskar Chandavarkar, and the late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi preferred to use instruments from this store. “Ours is the eighth generation in this business. We started our first manufacturing unit in Miraj 200 years ago. As business expanded, for customers’ convenience, we shifted to Pune 100 years ago,” informs Sajid. He was just 14 years old, when he learned to make Sitar under his father’s guidance and he wishes to pass it on to his son too. “My son is studying now but he knows he has no choice but to carry on the family tradition forward,” he adds.
Ganpat Bhikoba Kendurkar
Gandharv Musicals Although his new shop was established in the year 2000, business, he says that it is extremely difficult to get good the business has been carried forward for four generations workers these days. A lot of his time goes towards ensuring now. It wasn’t only the men of the house but even the women that the workers do a fine job with the instruments. “Not helped make the instruments. Running a shop in Narayan many people are entering the field anymore. You have Peth with another name, Mangesh to train those that are willing to do Kendurkar’s great-grandfather set up labour intensive job and it takes years the business decades ago. He then to master it,” he adds. passed on the skill to Mangesh’s Making every single skin grandfather who was his adopted instrument as well as harmoniums, son and from there on to Mangesh’s the shop also gets instruments that father and to Mangesh. Although they don’t manufacture to sell. He he has done a diploma in automobile has about eight people working at engineering, he decided to shoulder his workshop. His son, although the responsibility of taking the family uncertain of what he wants to do in business further and is extremely the future, can be seen at the shop content with his decision. whenever his father needs help. — MANGESH KENDURKAR “Had I not got into this business, Instrument making is a lengthy I would probably been an automobile procedure and can’t be perfected engineer or had a garage of my own. I like the freedom unless you have made thousands of instruments. It is also that this job offers,” says 45-year-old Mangesh, who even a lot about teamwork and the willingness to learn and worked at a garage for about two years. Telling us about the perfect the art, he assures us.
“Had I not got into this business, I would probably been an automobile engineer”
It’s been 150 years that the Kendurkar family has been making and selling Dhol, Tasha, Murdunga and every single skin instrument that there is. Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather and uncles both Prabhakar Raghnath Kendurkar and his younger brother have spent about two decades managing the business. They lived right behind the house and had ample time after their school and college to loiter around the shop to see how things get done. “We were handed out smaller tasks around the workplace while the elders did the more labour intensive work. Watching television was our reward if we did our work well and fast enough,” says 51-year-old Prabhakar, as he recollects his childhood. Their father was not in the business. He worked as a government official instead. It’s been about 25 years now that
they have been managing the business. They now live at Katraj and have turned the entire wada at Shukrawar Peth, where they lived earlier, into their workplace. “There was no one to take care of our grandfather’s dream. Having been around instruments since we were children, we decided to take it on,” says Atul, the younger of the brothers. While the brothers don’t know much about how their family came to Pune, they know that their great grandfather used to travel from one village to another, repairing musical instruments. They would stay in temples, eat food and wear clothes that the villagers offered them in return for their labour. The pressure to carry forward the family fallen onto their children yet. They are still quite young and are free to choose the career that they want, say both brothers. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
They are engaged in making a wide variety of Indian classical string, percussion and wind instruments. They also export their products globally. Their fi rst manufacturing unit began in Miraj with Farid Saheb Sitarmaker in 1850. Farid Saheb was originally a sword-maker in Bijapur and was sent to Miraj along with other artisans by the king of Bijapur to aid the Patwardhans engaged in war. After the end of monarchy, sword-making and weaponry went of business, that was when Farid Saheb took up other small jobs that included repairing musical instruments and he soon began making instruments. “Initially, we started with making tanpura in 1850, which is made from a different kind of pumpkin that was not easily available then. Th is is a kind which is poisonous for humans to consume so the artisans had to pay an advance amount to the farmer to especially grow it for them,” says Sajid. Now with a change in time and technology, they don’t face any such problems.
“My son is studying now but he knows he has no choice but to carry on the family tradition forward” — SAJID MIRAJKAR
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
THRILL OF DRIVING
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nitially showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo 2016, bookings for Maruti’s first Compact SUV, the Vitara Brezza have started. The Vitara Brezza is available with only a diesel motor, running a DDiS 200 engine which delivers 89.7 hp and 200 nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The Vitara Brezza returns a claimed 24.3 km/l, typical of Maruti’s DDiS engines. Maruti Suzuki have developed new functions such as intelligent battery management, a gear shift indicator and low rolling-resistance tyres to ensure better mileage. Built on a monocoque body design, the Vitara Brezza features bull-horn shaped headlamps, split tail-lights with LEDs and SMARTPLAY infotainment system. The projector-style headlamps also have an auto function, which is unique in this end of the market. The Vitara Brezza gets a driver-side airbag as standard in all variants, but a front passenger airbag, and ABS with EBD is offered as an option through the range, something we’re seeing more of in the past two years. One of key selling factors in the Vitara Brezza is Maruti’s claim of a spacious cabin, despite the relatively short length of the car. We’ll reserve comment until we drive one. Other features in the car include rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, an air-cooled upper box and a card holder in the glove box. Maruti Suzuki offer three personalisation options: Glamour, Urban and Sporty in the Vitara Brezza. Colours available include: Arctic White, Cerulean Blue, Premium
MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA
LAUNCHED
Indigenous sub-4m SUV comes only with a diesel motor, a good price and high expectations
Silver, Granite Gray, Blazing Red and Fiery Yellow. Dualtone colour schemes are available in the top ZDi+ model: Blazing Red with Midnight Black, Cerulean Blue with Arctic White and Fiery Yellow with Arctic White.
SUZUKI HAYABUSA TO BE MADE IN INDIA S
ay what you will about the “Make in India” exhortation, it makes things quite a bit easier on the marketing department. Suzuki is the latest adherent, announcing local assembly of the iconic Hayabusa motorcycle in India. The Hayabusa will be assembled in the SMPIL plant in Gurgaon, Haryana. For those of you who have been dead since 1999, the Hayabusa runs on a 1300cc 4-Stroke, 4-Cylinder, Liquid-cooled, DOHC engine mated to a 6-Speed gearbox. In its latest iteration, the engine delivers 197hp of power and 155Nm of torque. Three rider-selectable modes are available, which is about par for the course these days and this second-generation ‘Busa is beginning to feel a bit old-school. We’re calling a 200bhp motorcycle “old school”. ‘tis a wonderful world. The Complete Knockdown (CKD) kits will be imported into India and assembled in the Gurgaon plant. The specifications will remain unchanged from what the CBU import received. The price of India-assembled Hayabusa will be INR 13,57,135 (ex-showroom Delhi) and will be available at the Suzuki Big Bike Dealerships from March 2016. This puts one of the world’s fastest motorcycles in a unique market position. A little more money than a Triumph Daytona 675R, a little less than a Ducati Panigale 899 buys you a two-wheeled missile you can actually ride in terms of kilometres instead of laps. Get in line.
*Ex-showroom Mumbai
TGS LIFE
Variant LDi LDi (O) VDi VDi(O) ZDi ZDi+ ZDi+ Dual Tone
Price(Rs) 7,35,983 7,49,641 8,14,624 8,28,282 8,95,399 9,99,297 10,14,005
Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard launched in India for Rs 10.50cr
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he most expensive car in the Mercedes India portfolio, the Maybach S 600 Guard makes its way to India. The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard is the first armoured passenger car in the world designation with the VR 10 protection level, the highest possible. The Maybach S 600 can provide protection under threatening ballistic and blast situations. The Maybach S 600 runs on a V12 petrol engine which delivers 390 hp of power output and 830 nm of torque, which is needed to propel the heavy vehicle at any reasonable getaway speed. Top speed is, expectedly, limited to 190 kmph.
The 12-cylinder engine is mated to Mercedes’ favoured 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission. The Maybach S 600 is built on a sturdy monocoque body design, with key reinforcements being made in the manufacturing stage as opposed to being bolted on. Naturally, all the creature comforts you’d expect from a Mercedes-built tank are available. Gadgetry includes Intelligent Drive, assistance systems with options like Night View Assist Plus, LED Intelligent Light System and a 360° camera. Features to give you courage under fire include:
• Opaque roller blinds all-round in the rear • Panic alarm system • Fire extinguisher system with automatic activation • Emergency fresh air system protecting occupants from the ingress of smoke or irritant gases • Hydraulic power for the heavy side windows • LED reading lamps in the rear, because incoming RPGs can wait till you finish this damn chapter. The Mercedes Maybach S 600 is priced at Rs 10.50cr ex-showroom. Contact Q branch for more details.
A comedy to TICKLE YOUR BRAIN
TGS LIFE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
Be prepared for some meaningful comedy next week as Yasmina Reza’s French play Le Dieu Du Carnage or The God of Carnage premieres in the city
“There are youngsters who are in theatre because they believe in it, not because they want to use it as a stepping stone”
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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ound to make you laugh and almost immediately make you think, The God of Carnage, presented by Mohar group, is a must watch. Just like its tagline points out, it is savage, vicious and hilarious. The lead actor in the play, Sourabh Ardeshir, shares the plot of the production and what the rehearsals were like. Zafar Karachiwala, Anu Menon and Shernaz Patel will help ensure you never take your eyes off the stage. Two sets of parents and their fight revolving around their children, The God of Carnage is a play that not only talks of a contemporary issue but also has the potential to make you fear adulthood. It starts off with the intention to be a civilised conversation between the parents but ends up becoming a laugh riot. The minute he read the play Sourabh fell in love with it and knew that he had to stage it someday. Although he had read the script nearly four to five years ago and had immediately bought it, Nadir Khan, the director of the play, and he took some time to get the logistics in place. It was also very important to ensure the star cast was just right, he tells us.
Above: Shernaz Patel and Sohrab Ardeshi during the play rehearsals; The entire cast (right)
Ask him about rehearsals and he says, “We are a harmonious cast and there are absolutely no problems during rehearsals. Being a comedy play we have lots of laughter no matter how tired we are otherwise.” They haven’t altered anything in the play for it to suit the local audience. The beauty of the script is the fact that it applies to almost any part of the world and is hence a perfect choice if performed in multiple cities as is the plan. Sourabh who has been in the theatre industry for decades now, tell us that his college
years were instrumental in getting him hooked on to the art form. He later went to New York to study theatre and Irma Sandrey, his teacher, was the one who helped him discover aspects of his personality that helped him become the
actor he is today. She will always be his most important idol and inspiration, he says. Telling us about the future of theatre, he believes that is in good hands and there is some hope. “There is a dearth of finance, not talent. There are several youngsters who take part in theatre because they believe in it, not because they want to use it as a stepping stone to television or films. As long as these youngsters stick around, theatre has a bright future,” says Sourabh. He is currently working in The God of Carnage, Class of 84’, One on One, and 12 Angry Jurors. When: March 16, 7:30 pm to 9:45 pm Where: Liberty Square, Phoenix Marketcity, Nagar Road salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Bringing back an unending saga of pain Swatantra Theatre is all set to stage the play Jis Lahore Na Dekhya...O Jamya Na, which involves a story revolving around the partition, religion, and the change in attitudes of people By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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ou can’t go back in time to undo history. One of the sad pasts in Indian history is the partition, and the episode inspired many creative minds to make films, write plays and books over the last few decades. Famous playwright Asgar Wajahat too was influenced by the historic event and he went on to write the renowned Jis Lahore Na Dekhya...O Jamya Nai, a play that focussed on the plight of people and their stories of pain and suffering. Now, Pune’s very own Swatantra Theatre is bringing back the well-known play to the city for first time. The internationally acclaimed play was first performed under the direction of Habib Tanvir in 1989, who staged it in countries like Pakistan, Australia, US and Dubai.
Set in 1947, the play revolves around an old Punjabi-Hindu woman who is left behind in Lahore after the Partition of India and then refuses to leave the country. She is robbed of her son and family as a result of the riots during partition but she refuses to be robbed of her home by a Muslim refugee family from Lucknow. “The Muslim family, having suffered
the painful displacement of partition, does not want an Indian woman living in a big haveli allotted to her. They find ways to get rid of her but as time passes everybody starts to love her,” says actor Dhanashree Heblikar. She plays the protagonist Ratan ki Maa. Her heart does not build the courage to leave her own Lahore even after partition. Sayeed Mirza Saab’s
family has been allotted her house. The shocked and disturbed Mirza tries to get rid of her. The play also depicts the story of the famous Pakistani poet Nasir Kazmi, who had to leave Ambala during partition and settle in Lahore. The entire plot is an emotional journey that is filled with humanity created through great relationships par cast and religion. It’s about how love and affection does not understand the borders. “The partition of Hindustan and Pakistan was the most severe episode people witnessed but at the end bonds of humanity are bonds of love. The play talks about the affection that is not only for one another, but to the soil of where one has lived and grown up,” adds Dhanashree. The play comprises of 16 characters that highlight the plight of people at the time and their struggle to make ends meet. They bring to life the fact that the lines were not drawn on piece of paper or land but on the hearts of the people who, until then, were living in harmony. The play is directed by Abhijeet Choudhary and supported by Yuwaraj Shah from Swatantra Theatre group. When: March 26 and 27, 6.45 pm Where: Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Sanskrutik Bhavan, Ghole Road zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
RAHUL RAUT
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
In the company of friends They took their friendship to the next level and built their own sweet business success stories By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
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aving a friend as your business partner sounds like a fun idea, but there’s a lot of trust and understanding that goes into building a profitable and healthy venture. Growing with each other as professionals, learning from the mistakes while being at the same page, keeping the faith and respecting each other’s decisions are some of the key aspects which need to be factored in. Meet these young, hard-working and successful friends-turnedentrepreneurs and hear as they share their trade secrets. DHEEMAN KADAM, MOHIT AHLUWALIA & JAIDEEP PATIL Together they own: CAROK Conceptualised by Dheeman Kadam, CAROK is a one-stop online shop for all car-related problems. Started with an aim to make the garage industry vibrant where they can provide the best of services in a transparent manner at competitive prices, the venture was started in year 2014. Initially it was only Dheeman, but he was joined by his best friend Mohit Ahluwalia who had his own start-up based out of US as the technical co-founder. Jaideep was their first employee and the three started developing a great bond that eventually led to Jaideep becoming one of the partners in CAROK.
Jaideep, Mohit & Dh eeman
Dheeman had his construction business and a call centre, but it was this venture that he got passionate about. “We wanted “Although we have known each other since donkey’s to standardise all the local garages and revive them from dying, years, Dheeman and I laid down some ground rules before getting so we started collaborating with them. We provide them with into this together. Like every person has his or her own opinion and proper hoardings and the know-how and expectations, we thought it was right to set each skills so that they are ready to deal with other’s expectations early on so there are no rifts various customers and their needs. While later. We too agree to disagree sometimes, that’s also offering them satisfactory services,” all in the best of our company’s interest. And says Dheeman. In a short span of time ever that’s what keeps us all going towards the right since they started operations around two direction,” says Mohit. years ago, CAROK team now has about 20 Jaideep who is currently heading operations garages under them which they have saved in the company - rather getting the hands dirty from shutting shops. in the business is how he describes his profile Together, the three handle different best - was the first one to join the venture. But aspects of the business, where Jaideep the three bonded so well over the period that handles the day-to-day operations which Dheeman and Mohit decided to take him on — DHEEMAN KADAM involves dealing with the mechanics, helping board as their partner. Prior to this, Jaideep had the customers and handling the overall worked with Mohit on several projects and had operations and their team. But running developed a bond of sorts. He joined CAROK a business with an equal passion involves a lot of understanding in October last year and the three are running the business ahead which these three have managed by striking the right balance. with a lot of promise.
“We wanted to revive the local garages from dying, so we collaborated with them”
KETAN DOSSA, RISHIKA DOSSA & STASH Together they own: Masala Dossa Productions With just Rs 1,500 and a laptop, Ketan Dossa and his wife Rishika started Masala dossa Productions, an event company in 2012. They began with a small flee market and ended up making a profit of Rs 2,000 and it’s from here on that people started noticing their work. Besides, Ketan was also working as an emcee and had many popular DJs as his friends. After doing a couple of events one of their DJ friends, Waggy suggested instead of competing with each other why not get together. That’s how the three of them got together. But after a couple of years, Waggy had to quit partnership due to personal reasons, and DJ Stash who was also a very close friend of all of them came on board as the partner. From flee markets, corporate events, weddings to cooking competitions, they do all kinds of events and have now been running their company successfully for about four years. Both Ketan and Stash have their own independent careers alongside, but it’s the immense bond and trust between the three that has
helped them evolve as friends and business partners. “Stash and I know each other for over 20 years and we have a great understanding. In any case, one shouldn’t partner with a friend who they have known very recently, as it’s very difficult to understand a person if you have not known him/her for long. And the most important thing to keep in mind while venturing with a friend is that the moment you start doubting the other person, all your efforts go down the drain,” says Ketan. For DJ Stash, whatever the three do, has to be in agreement with each other. So for example if one of them wants to do an event which the other two don’t, they will not take it up. “And that’s how we keep our business going. And also, we don’t interfere in each other’s domains. From day one, we set out rules and abide by them,” adds Stash, who has been a successful DJ for over 17 years now. While Stash takes care of the production and execution, Rishika handles the creative part.
Stash, Rishika & Ketan
TGS LIFE
VISHAL KALE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
“Having known each other for such a long time only made things easier for us as we trust each other blindly” — SHIRISH KULKARNI
SHIRISH KULKARNI AND SAMBHAV PRASAD Together they own: Sin Envy Pride and Syrakko They have known each other since their childhood days, but their friendship actually grew stronger when Shirish Kulkarni went to pursue his PG Diploma in Business in New Zealand. Sambhav Prasad had moved from Pune to NZ with his parents just before entering 10th grade. He started selling cars online and then moved on to open his own liquor distribution store there along with his university friends. After this, Sambhav started working with a bank, but eventually got bored with the job. It was during
a family wedding back in India a few years later when he met Shirish who showed interest in starting their own venture in Pune and also asked Sambhav to move back to India. Shirish and Sambhav initially had plans to start a few branches of Nando’s in Pune and other cities but that didn’t work out at the last moment. By now Sambhav had already left everything in NZ and come to Pune – two years ago. “I got really worried since that deal couldn’t take off and I had moved here for just that, but Shirish was absolutely calm and told me so what it didn’t work, we will do our own thing now. And after almost a year of brain-storming and running around, Sin Envy Pride came into being,” recalls Sambhav.
For Shirish, it was an exciting thing as he always wanted to get into hospitality, but juggling with his other businesses and lack of time was making it look far-fetched. “Having known each other for such a long time only made things easier for us as we believed in each other and trust each other completely. Our main aim was to offer people the best kind of food, which is at the same time different from what the people have seen or tasted in Pune. In addition, we didn’t just want a place that just serves drinks off the counter, but a great place that serves the best cocktails,” says Shirish. While Shirish is more inclined towards the nightlife part of it, Sambhav is passionate about the food and drinks. “There are a lot restaurants which call themselves fine-dining, but having lived abroad and tried different cuisines, I felt it was time we introduced people to what real fine dining is. I change the food menu every week and most of the time is spent in the kitchen with the staff just experimenting with new dishes. We offer a fourcourse meal along with palate cleansers in between which one would find only in very high-end five star restaurants. Although, guests won’t get a typical butter chicken here, we have tried to design our menu in a way that touches their traditional palates with an interesting blend of international flavours,” adds Sambhav.
SANYA KAPOOR & HIMANSHU SHETTY Together they own: Magikbox Media Sanya Kapoor had no idea about how advertising world worked until she met a couple of friends her friends over a casual chat about two years ago. She was working with Zomato then, but her insisted and eventually convinced her to start an ad agency where she can hire and handle operations of the company. Having immense knowledge in digital marketing, Sanya Kapoor kickstarted MagikBox Media along with her friend Himanshu Shetty – now her fiancé - and two more friends. A few months down the line, two members dropped off the radar, and Sanya and Himanshu became the front-runners of the company that now provides brand consulting, design, digital marketing and web development services under one banner. “Running a business with friends can be a mix bag of experiences which are real fun as well as taxing. For me, we started on a very high note, but since it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, we had a few people exiting the team. But having said that, it’s been a great journey so far and we recently celebrated our two successful years on February 1,” shares Sanya. She also adds that it’s because of the immense support from her friends of college days who helped them set up the office, find the right kind of clients to approach that pushed them reach where they have now. Himanshu, the co-founder of Magikbox also feels that having a team of likeminded people who have known each other for some time always works in favour of a company as they collectively feel responsible for the growth of the company and work in tandem. Besides being business partners, Sanya and Himanshu are soon going to become each other’s life partners. heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
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Pic by: Kaushik Chug
Model: Meetu Narwani
His love for bodybuilding and remaining fit prompted 27-year-old Swapnil Vale to build a successful career in fitness By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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ot only does he own a gym, he is also one of the most sought after personal trainers in the city. Managing his own space along with his clients and his own fitness regime, Swapnil Vale has quite a lot on his plate yet he loves every single moment of it. Not clearing his 10th standard exams in the first go, he had a lot of spare time on his hand so he enrolled for an online gym programme and the interest only grew from there on. His friend Akshay Wagh became one of his biggest inspirations. It was his transformation that pushed him to take fitness seriously. While training at the gym, he was introduced to the world of body-building and suddenly his life fell into place. Not only did he begin to take the gym seriously so that he would be able to enter a bodybuilding competition, he also cleared his 10th standard exam and went on to study until he cleared his 12th board exams. “The craze for body-building grew so much that I knew I would not be at peace until I won a competition. Finally, after innumerable competitions, when I won the Pune Sri body-building competition in 2011, I knew my dream had been accomplished partly,” says the enthusiastic young man. Being a vegetarian, his diet was extremely limited and this is a big challenge he faces even today. Planning ahead, he began working at the Optimum Health Gym and did all possible jobs. From being a personal trainer, to a floor manager, then a branch manager and even sales, he tried his hand at
SWAPNIL VALE Age: 27 Weight: 72 kg Height: 5’ 4
EXPERT SPEAK Prashant Shinde, Trainer, Hanuman Gym
Your story is a great inspiration for many people who wish to get into shape. There are however a few suggestions for you to maintain your self and get fitter. Add more apples before your workout and in your breakfast to help you get the fibre that you meals currently lack. Since you are a vegetarian, you should have loads of oat meal juice and lapsi to get a decent amount off protein. If you are looking for a lean mass body stop having chapati and replace it altogether with brown rice. Expert rating: 6/10
everything to get a feel of how a gym works so he could start his own one day. An ardent traveller, a people’s
VISHAL KALE
Eat to lose weight
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
person, always positive and a strong believer in the power of one’s own will-power, we asked Swapnil to share his fitness mantra and regime with us and he was more than happy to tell us everything we wanted to know. FITNESS MANTRA Losing weight is easy if you really want to do it, he tells us. It’s all in the mind. He says, “Eat to lose weight. This is the best mantra that anyone can follow and I assure you that it works.” A heavy breakfast, light dinner and a 45 minute workout is enough to burn the required calories and get you in the shape that you want. It is necessary to stay healthy even if you don’t want the perfect figure. He always avoids carbohydrates after 5 pm and believes that this why he has been able to stay in shape, in addition to his schedule and workout plan. DAILY LOG I do not go to extremes to get the physique or maintain it. Being a personal trainer myself, my schedule helps me stay in shape. Rising early, at about 6 am, four slices of brown bread and a protein shake is the first meal of the day. Soon after, I head out to the gym. From about 9.30 am
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to 11 am I hold personal and home training sessions. At 11 am, I have my first intake of carbohydrates, which includes two chapatis and some vegetables. Then, according to my schedule for the day, I once again repeat the same meal around 1 pm. Since I am a vegetarian, my diet is limited. Chicken or any form of meat is off the table so eating vegetables that are high on protein twice a day becomes necessary.
Of man buns, wet hair and new looks
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hile summer is busy setting, guys, you should start experimenting with your hairdo’s and find out what suits you best. Although you might feel that there isn’t much you can do with your hair , you’ll be surprised if you are just willing to try. A man’s hairstyling needs can be met with a few simple tips and Tarsha Khorana, from Lady at Play by Tarsha tells you just what you need to know. • It’s either this or that. Try maintaining a length that allows you to put your hair in a man bun or keep it short enough so that the heat doesn’t get to you. If you can’t manage your hair, you might end up
TGS LIFE
looking like a mess. Spiral splendour by Loreal Professionnel is • Man buns can be what might work best. tricky so make sure • If you are still obsessed with the “wet” look you use styling foam use water and a tad bit of mouse. Anything (mouse will do) to else strong enough has the potential to melt and mess it all up. achieve your look. • Boys should take the upcoming A man bun gives holidays as an opportunity to try your entire look something inappropriate for a sense of STYLE school. A lot more Arturo class. • Gel Vidal, a lot less David Luiz. GURU Tarsha Khorana • More importantly, hair grows tends to back, so get out of your comfort melt, so switch zone and try something new. A to a light wax for the next few months. • If you have curly hair, scrunch it with different haircut could lead the way to a a leave in conditioner to keep it in place. whole new you.
I begin my own workout at about 5 pm, before which I have a preworkout meal of four slices of brown bread or one apple for the required energy. Once I get home, at around 10 pm or 11 pm, I stick to my mantra and have one green salad smoothie before hitting the bed. My cheat day varies between Saturday and/or Sunday, depending on my plan for the weekend. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Ben Foster’s next ride in Tour-de-France
TGS LIFE
MARCH 12, 2016 PUNE
By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
BUZZ
HER SONGS HAVE A UNIVERSAL SOUND By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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eaving everything behind, her love for music took her to Dubai to record her debut solo album, Woh Pal with Atif Ali. While she was born and brought up in the UK, Bollywood has a strong influence on her songs. After spending years mastering the Indian language and literature, Tripet Garielle portrays a soulful voice when she sings in Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi. Attracted to Bollywood songs from the age of 11, she thinks Urdu and Hindi are languages that are very poetic. Although she has enjoyed singing since she as quite young, she never took it seriously enough to start a career sooner. However, music has always been a part of her soul, as she is artistic by nature. Had she not been a singer,
anything that required her to be creative would have been her next option. “I love throwing my voice but I have learned the art of singing for different genres and modulate my voice accordingly. I think understanding the song and its journey, helps maintain the flow while mixing different genres,” says the talented singer. A lot of practice is necessary to vocally get the perfect balance and blend in the song, she quickly adds. Aspiring to become a playback singer soon, she absolutely loves recording. Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif are her favourite actresses and she would love to be their voice. Whatever she does she hopes to create magic with her songs. Currently working on her 2017 album, she wishes to tell her stories through her songs. This is her inspiration to create albums rather than just releasing singles. She has already planned videos to go with four to five songs for her current fulllength album of 12 songs, which she is working on. Working hard because she does not come from a musical background nor did she know the language for Tripet, it’s her inner drive that keeps her ticking. Khayalon Mein, Lag Ja Gale and Yeh Zindagi Usi Ki Hai are some of her favourite Bollywood numbers. “I would absolutely love to collaborate with A R Rahman, Mohammed Irfan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Arijt Singh among others. There is so much talent that the list is pretty much endless,” she laughs. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
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or Ben Foster, going the extra mile for the role is a casual thing. The Lone Survivor actor is in news again for playing the disgraced American superstar Lance Armstrong in the biopic The Program. The cyclist, who had seven Tour de France victories, was stripped off his medals in 2012 following a high-profile doping scandal. For Ben, who has played real life roles earlier, this film was a different experience. “Playing someone who’s living, whose story is going to continue, is different. This is such a complicated study and it’s something I knew very little about but working with Stephen Frears trumped any hesitation I might have had,” he says. The actor knew very little about Armstrong when he was first approached to play the part. To prepare for the role, Ben researched about him, read his past interviews, met his fellow cyclist and friends, and even people with whom he is no longer friends. After all the research, he found Armstrong to be an incredibly complicated, empathetic character. “If you just look at his narrative, this is a young guy with incredible talent, incredible drive, and he faces cancer at a very young age. Sitting on a powderkeg, a time of massive doping; you have to go down 18 riders in the
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Tour standings to find a clean rider. So the deeper I went into this story, the more I was interested in it,” he says. Armstrong, who was considered the alpha dog of cycling for almost a decade, never hesitated to use the power he had to keep things rolling for him. Ben had to lose about 30 pounds in six weeks through cannibalising diets. “We didn’t shoot the film in a sequence, much to my frustration. They needed me really strong at the beginning then I had to lose weight when he was riddled with cancer, and then put on some weight again. So there were many diets throughout,” he adds. Ben also took drugs to get into the character. But it was all about what the character demanded him to do. “There was that scene early on in the film where he’s riding in the Tour de France for the first time, and one of the friendly bicyclists tells him he has absolutely no chance because everyone else in the field is cheating. The race is a joke — it’s all about who has the best chemist,” he says. The actor believes, winning the Tour de France is all about nutrition and the organisation of the team, and he just did it better. “I don’t think there’s a sport on the planet that’s as psychologically brutal as it is physically. I think Armstrong, was really fighting the world and, in his own way, trying to save it,” he adds. zainabkantawala@ goldensparrow.com
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